Thursday, September 3, 2020

Moral Conflict in Antigone Essay -- World Literature Sophocles

The significant good clash in Antigone by Sophocles is the contention over which worth is generally key. The play presents the ethical clash about whether the god's law or the city's law is all the more remarkable. This is by all accounts the most noticeable topic. The contention emerges predominantly between the terrible legends Antigone and her uncle-in-law Creon, King of Thebes. The city of Thebes had experienced a war in which Antigone and her sister Ismene have lost both of their siblings to it, Eteocles and Polyneices. Eteocles' battling for Thebes was covered and regarded as a legend. (lines 24-26) Polyneices was left unburied and disrespected in light of the fact that he is viewed as an adversary of the city. (lines 27-32) Creon declarations that whoever violated the law by covering Polyneices will be viewed as a lawbreaker. (lines 203-209) The contention among Antigone and Creon emerges when she concludes she should respect her sibling's demise and gives him entombment. (line 72) I myself will cover him, she communicated to Ismene. When Antigone has covered her sibling, she is brought before King Creon to clarify her activities. (p. 177) Sophocles presents the different sides of the contention, moral law versus city law; Antigone communicates the side of good law and Creon communicates his side with the laws of the city. Antigone starts by revealing to her sister Ismene it was her obligation as a sister that she ought to cover her dead sibling. It is an obligation she owes to her family. She additionally communicates that the ruler won't keep me from my own. at the end of the day, obligation to the family is over her obligation to the city. Antigone additionally reveals to Ismene that she is eager to turn into a lawbreaker and pass on for her convictions. She trusts her demise won't be futile, and it is regarding her f amily; and the divine beings, thus, will perceive... ...Ismene stands up to Creon and discloses to him she had a section in Polyneices entombment. (line 537) She is willing presently to join Antigone in her difficulties and isn't afraid to let it out. (line 539) She is eager to join Antigone in death. On account of Ismene, her character can resolve the contention all alone. She understands she is nothing without her family and Creon's laws have removed her family. The contention introduced in Antigone includes all the characters and sad legends. Regardless of whether its inward clash or struggle between two individuals, the topic is available all through the whole play. Contradicting sees lead the fundamental characters to take activities that in the long run crush all. Works Cited Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Robert Fagles. Writing and the Writing Process. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X. Day, and Robert Funk. sixth. ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 2002.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Critical issue of global health Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Basic issue of worldwide wellbeing - Assignment Example The information struck me, in view of basis, since wellbeing has developed to be a worldwide issue and worldwide endeavors, that may incorporate exchange of assets to meriting zones could be important. This would propose conveyance of assets to such territories as Africa and asia so as to help battle human services issues. despite what might be expected, an obstruction appears to exist and created nations is by all accounts illuminating their human services concerns and not stretching out assets to creating nations (World Health Organization, 2006). Variety in weight of malady across countries and areas additionally underpins the distinction out of luck and asset designation and distinguishes absence of worldwide endeavors in medicinal services, in spite of the proposed need (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2014). Such a variety distinguishes local and national endeavors and deficiencies, not worldwide, but then a few information recognizes these elements to be worldwide. O’Brien and Gostin (2011) clarifies that lack in social insurance laborers is a worldwide emergency, sabotaging the revealed local unevenness in the essential information. The irregularity makes the information striking as a result of either conceivable dynamism in the division that could have happened between times of the articles’ distribution or lack of quality of existing information on social insurance issues. the irregularity in this manner builds up requirement for another examination on the

Friday, August 21, 2020

My Worst Day of School Essay Example

My Worst Day of School Paper My most noticeably awful day of school was my first year. I had the most noticeably terrible day of school in the start of the year, September, to be definite. It wasn’t the primary day of school yet it was close. It began of as most horrendous long periods of school start, missing the transport. It wasn’t that I simply missed my transport it was that I was wearing wrinkled garments and my hair was completely destroyed too. At the point when I really got into the structure, the one beneficial thing transpired, I found a five dollar note on the floor. Yet, that karma wouldn’t keep going long, I ate fourth period and toward the finish of my table there was a lot of jerky seniors. These children consistently appeared to demolish my day. They had thumped over some cranberry squeeze all over my wrinkled white shirt, however that wasn’t the most noticeably awful of it, I didn’t have a shirt to change into after the episode. Obviously, it doesn’t stop there, at ninth period, I had exercise center class and I didn’t have a difference in garments, so I needed to wear the horribly wrinkled and recolored shirt. We will compose a custom exposition test on My Worst Day of School explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom paper test on My Worst Day of School explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom paper test on My Worst Day of School explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer At the point when I returned home I had heaps of schoolwork that must be done well away in light of the fact that soon thereafter my mom needed me to watch a bad film on oxygen with her. These films are obviously coordinated toward ladies and make a decent attempt as they can to make you cry. So my most exceedingly terrible day of school finished with my mom crying over the elderly person who never had adored anybody however the man she had quite recently lost to tuberculosis.

Friday, June 5, 2020

A Tale of Two 529 Mistakes

Financial Professional Content Mistakes happen. When your clients make mistakes, there may or may not be much they can do to fix them. Let's look at two common mistakes dealing with 529 plans. The first is taking a distribution from a 529 plan when you don't mean to. The second is forgetting to file the 5-year election on large contributions. Mistake #1: Taking a distribution from a 529 plan when you don't mean to This mistake happens when: Their client receives the distribution on December 30 but don't get around to paying the tuition bill until January 3. They inadvertently press the "total withdrawal" button on the 529 website when they meant to press the "partial withdrawal" button. Their daughter Sally is the one in college but they take the withdrawal from son Johnny's 529 account. In any of these situations, your clients cannot just return the money to the 529 plan. If they do, the plan will treat it as a new contribution--not as the reversal of the prior distribution. The withdrawal will still generate a Form 1099 that gets sent to both the taxpayer and to the IRS. The potential fix to this problem is to roll over the withdrawn funds (or some portion of them) to another 529 plan. The account owner only has 60 days from the date of withdrawal to do this. If they happen to still be within the 60-day window, they should thank their lucky stars. They just have to be sure to roll over to a different state's 529 plan if keeping the same beneficiary on the account. (They can go back into their existing 529 plan only if they are changing the beneficiary to another family member.) A word on the PATH Act and recontributions: A refund by an eligible educational institution of qualified higher education expenses paid with funds from a 529 plan can be recontributed to a 529 plan for which the student is the beneficiary, but must be made no more than 60 days after the date of the refund. So if, for example, the beneficiary were to drop a class and the college refunded the difference to the beneficiary, that amount would be eligible for recontribution if made within the 60 day window. RELATED: Oops, I withdrew too much 529 money! Mistake #2: Forgetting to file the 5-year election on large contributions to a 529 plan The 5-year election for large contributions to a 529 plan is made on Form 709, which is due by April 15 of the following year. The election breaks up the year's contributions into five equal chunks and causes the chunks to be recognized over five consecutive years for gift-tax purposes. Since the gift-tax annual exclusion is currently $14,000, the 5-year election allows frontloading as much as $70,000 ($140,000 for a couple) into a child's 529 account without necessarily causing a taxable gift. I hear it all the time from people who made a prior-year contribution to a 529 plan in an amount that exceeded that particular year's annual exclusion amount: "I meant to make the 5-year election but forgot to do it" or "I didn't know I had to file a form" or "I thought my spouse (or accountant) was going to take care of it." "What should I do now?" The account owner can make the 5-year election on a late-filed Form 709. There is no penalty for being late with Form 709 when no taxes are owed, and the $5.25 million lifetime exemption on taxable gifts makes it highly unlikely that any gift taxes will actually be due. RELATED: 10 rules for superfunding a 529 plan Originally posted 2014-01-30 Financial Professional Content Mistakes happen. When your clients make mistakes, there may or may not be much they can do to fix them. Let's look at two common mistakes dealing with 529 plans. The first is taking a distribution from a 529 plan when you don't mean to. The second is forgetting to file the 5-year election on large contributions. Mistake #1: Taking a distribution from a 529 plan when you don't mean to This mistake happens when: Their client receives the distribution on December 30 but don't get around to paying the tuition bill until January 3. They inadvertently press the "total withdrawal" button on the 529 website when they meant to press the "partial withdrawal" button. Their daughter Sally is the one in college but they take the withdrawal from son Johnny's 529 account. In any of these situations, your clients cannot just return the money to the 529 plan. If they do, the plan will treat it as a new contribution--not as the reversal of the prior distribution. The withdrawal will still generate a Form 1099 that gets sent to both the taxpayer and to the IRS. The potential fix to this problem is to roll over the withdrawn funds (or some portion of them) to another 529 plan. The account owner only has 60 days from the date of withdrawal to do this. If they happen to still be within the 60-day window, they should thank their lucky stars. They just have to be sure to roll over to a different state's 529 plan if keeping the same beneficiary on the account. (They can go back into their existing 529 plan only if they are changing the beneficiary to another family member.) A word on the PATH Act and recontributions: A refund by an eligible educational institution of qualified higher education expenses paid with funds from a 529 plan can be recontributed to a 529 plan for which the student is the beneficiary, but must be made no more than 60 days after the date of the refund. So if, for example, the beneficiary were to drop a class and the college refunded the difference to the beneficiary, that amount would be eligible for recontribution if made within the 60 day window. RELATED: Oops, I withdrew too much 529 money! Mistake #2: Forgetting to file the 5-year election on large contributions to a 529 plan The 5-year election for large contributions to a 529 plan is made on Form 709, which is due by April 15 of the following year. The election breaks up the year's contributions into five equal chunks and causes the chunks to be recognized over five consecutive years for gift-tax purposes. Since the gift-tax annual exclusion is currently $14,000, the 5-year election allows frontloading as much as $70,000 ($140,000 for a couple) into a child's 529 account without necessarily causing a taxable gift. I hear it all the time from people who made a prior-year contribution to a 529 plan in an amount that exceeded that particular year's annual exclusion amount: "I meant to make the 5-year election but forgot to do it" or "I didn't know I had to file a form" or "I thought my spouse (or accountant) was going to take care of it." "What should I do now?" The account owner can make the 5-year election on a late-filed Form 709. There is no penalty for being late with Form 709 when no taxes are owed, and the $5.25 million lifetime exemption on taxable gifts makes it highly unlikely that any gift taxes will actually be due. RELATED: 10 rules for superfunding a 529 plan Originally posted 2014-01-30

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Who Invented the First Loudspeaker

The very first form of loudspeaker came to be when telephone  systems were developed in the late 1800s. But it was in 1912 that loudspeakers really became practical -- due in part to electronic amplification by a  vacuum tube. By the 1920s, they were used in radios, phonographs,  public address systems  and theater sound systems for  talking motion pictures. What is a Loudspeaker? By definition, a loudspeaker  is an  electroacoustic  transducer that converts an electrical  audio signal  into a corresponding  sound. The most common type of loudspeaker today is the  dynamic speaker. It was invented in 1925 by  Edward W. Kellogg  and Chester W. Rice. The dynamic speaker operates on the same basic principle as a  dynamic microphone, except in reverse to produce sound from an electrical signal. Smaller loudspeakers are found in everything from radios and televisions to portable audio players,  computers and  electronic musical instruments. Larger loudspeaker systems are used for music,  sound reinforcement  in theaters and concerts  and in  public address systems. First Loudspeakers Installed in Telephones Johann Philipp Reis  installed an electric loudspeaker in his  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹telephone  in 1861 and  it could reproduce clear tones as well as reproduce muffled speech.  Alexander Graham Bell  patented his first electric loudspeaker capable of reproducing intelligible speech  in 1876 as part of his telephone. Ernst Siemens improved upon it the following year. In 1898, Horace Short earned a patent for a loudspeaker driven by compressed air. A few companies  produced record players using compressed-air loudspeakers, but these designs had poor sound quality and could not reproduce sound at a low volume. Dynamic Speakers Becomes the Standard The first practical moving-coil (dynamic) loudspeakers were made by Peter L. Jensen  and  Edwin Pridham  in 1915 in  Napa, California. Like previous loudspeakers, theirs used horns to amplify the sound produced by a small diaphragm. The problem, however, was that Jensen could not get a patent. So they changed their target market to radios and  public address systems  and named their product  Magnavox. The moving-coil technology commonly used today in speakers was patented in 1924 by  Chester W. Rice  and  Edward W. Kellogg.   In the 1930s, loudspeaker manufacturers were able to boost  frequency response  and  sound pressure  level.  In 1937, the first film industry-standard loudspeaker system was introduced by  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer​. A very large two-way  public address  system was mounted on a tower in Flushing Meadows at the  1939 New York Worlds Fair.   Altec Lansing  introduced the  604  loudspeaker in 1943 and  his  Voice of the Theatre loudspeaker system was sold beginning in 1945. It offered better coherence and clarity at the high output levels necessary for use in movie theaters.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences immediately began testing its sonic characteristics and they made it the  film house  industry standard in 1955. In 1954,  Edgar Villchur  created the  acoustic suspension  principle of loudspeaker design in  Cambridge, Massachusetts. This design delivered  better bass response and was important during the transition to stereo recording and reproduction. He and his partner  Henry Kloss  formed the  Acoustic Research  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹company to manufacture and market speaker systems using this principle.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Gandhi`s Achivements and Failures Essay - 961 Words

amp;#65279; Gandhi was an influential figure in our society. He taught many people about equal rights, honouring thy neighbour, and peace and tranquillity. Although at times his actions were deemed improbable and insane nevertheless, they were effective. Life of Mohatama Gandhi; his goals he accomplish for freedom for South Africa; and how Mohatama finally obtained freedom for India. Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in the present state of Gujarat on October 2, 1869. He was educated in law at University College, London. In 1891, after Gandhi was admitted to the British bar, he returned to India and attempted to create a law practice in Bombay, which failed. Two years after his failure, and India firm with interests†¦show more content†¦Indian streets were covered with Indians who would not get up even if beaten by police. Gandhi was then arrested but the British were forced to release him soon after. The economic aspects of the movement were significant. It resulted in extreme poverty in the country and almost utter destruction of Indian home industries. In order to quell the poverty Gandhi, allowed the revival of cottage industries. Gandhi then began using a spinning wheel as a sign of returning to the simple village life he had preached about. Gandhi became the international symbol of a free India. By the method of passive resistance, Britain too would consider violence useless and leave India. In 1921 the Indian National Congress gave Gandhi complete executive authority. Then, many revolts occurred against Great Britain. Gandhi then confessed the failure of his civil-disobedience method and ended it. The British government once again arrested and imprisoned him in 1922. When Gandhi was released in 1924 he concentrated on communal unity. In 1930, Gandhi announced a new method of civil disobedience, refusing to pay taxes, especially taxes on salt. This method created the quot;Salt March.quot; Thousands of Indians followed Gandhi from Ahmadabad to the Arabian Sea, where they made salt by evaporating seawater. Once more Gandhi was arrested but was released in 1931, stopping his methods after the British government agreed to some of his demands. In 1932, Gandhi began a new civil

Case Study - Creative Advertising-Sunday Communication Ltd free essay sample

The graph shows that for 1998 1999, Sunday had a substantial growth in market, mainly attributing to its view of MNP as an opportunity to lure subscribers away from competitors through Creative Advertising The graph shows that for 1998 2005, Sunday had spent less year on year on promotional activities, but could sustain increasing revenue year on year by increasing subscriber base through price discounts 4 The graph shows that for 1998 1999, Sunday’s Brand Image creation with high revenue growth in subsequent years while marketing cost kept on varying. Few of the main reasons why Sunday’s Brand Matra and awareness of 1999 could not sustain beyond 2005: 1. Emotional Modifier as â€Å"Life Style† Descriptive Modifier as â€Å"Excitement† failed to get reinforced by the Brand Function of â€Å"Liberty†. 2. Exhaustion of Locked-Up consumers. 3. Since heavy investment is made on 3G, Sunday might have planned to Reposition itself differently. Questions at Stake 1. How would Sunday compete in the new era of interactive integrated marketing? 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study Creative Advertising-Sunday Communication Ltd or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Would the PCCW acquisition challenge the credibility of the innovative, independent brand image that made Sunday such a success? 3. Would Sunday’s irreverent brand image ultimately fizzle out among the new branding superstar? Creative Advertising is an unique key to success through advertising, and you’ll most likely get an answer that echoes the mantra of Stephan Vogel, Ogilvy Mather Germany’s chief creative officer: â€Å"Nothing is more efficient than creative advertising. Creative advertising is more memorable, longer lasting, works with less media spending, and builds a fan community faster. † 5

Case Study - Creative Advertising-Sunday Communication Ltd free essay sample

The graph shows that for 1998 1999, Sunday had a substantial growth in market, mainly attributing to its view of MNP as an opportunity to lure subscribers away from competitors through Creative Advertising The graph shows that for 1998 2005, Sunday had spent less year on year on promotional activities, but could sustain increasing revenue year on year by increasing subscriber base through price discounts 4 The graph shows that for 1998 1999, Sunday’s Brand Image creation with high revenue growth in subsequent years while marketing cost kept on varying. Few of the main reasons why Sunday’s Brand Matra and awareness of 1999 could not sustain beyond 2005: 1. Emotional Modifier as â€Å"Life Style† Descriptive Modifier as â€Å"Excitement† failed to get reinforced by the Brand Function of â€Å"Liberty†. 2. Exhaustion of Locked-Up consumers. 3. Since heavy investment is made on 3G, Sunday might have planned to Reposition itself differently. Questions at Stake 1. How would Sunday compete in the new era of interactive integrated marketing? 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study Creative Advertising-Sunday Communication Ltd or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Would the PCCW acquisition challenge the credibility of the innovative, independent brand image that made Sunday such a success? 3. Would Sunday’s irreverent brand image ultimately fizzle out among the new branding superstar? Creative Advertising is an unique key to success through advertising, and you’ll most likely get an answer that echoes the mantra of Stephan Vogel, Ogilvy Mather Germany’s chief creative officer: â€Å"Nothing is more efficient than creative advertising. Creative advertising is more memorable, longer lasting, works with less media spending, and builds a fan community faster. † 5

Case Study - Creative Advertising-Sunday Communication Ltd free essay sample

The graph shows that for 1998 1999, Sunday had a substantial growth in market, mainly attributing to its view of MNP as an opportunity to lure subscribers away from competitors through Creative Advertising The graph shows that for 1998 2005, Sunday had spent less year on year on promotional activities, but could sustain increasing revenue year on year by increasing subscriber base through price discounts 4 The graph shows that for 1998 1999, Sunday’s Brand Image creation with high revenue growth in subsequent years while marketing cost kept on varying. Few of the main reasons why Sunday’s Brand Matra and awareness of 1999 could not sustain beyond 2005: 1. Emotional Modifier as â€Å"Life Style† Descriptive Modifier as â€Å"Excitement† failed to get reinforced by the Brand Function of â€Å"Liberty†. 2. Exhaustion of Locked-Up consumers. 3. Since heavy investment is made on 3G, Sunday might have planned to Reposition itself differently. Questions at Stake 1. How would Sunday compete in the new era of interactive integrated marketing? 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study Creative Advertising-Sunday Communication Ltd or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Would the PCCW acquisition challenge the credibility of the innovative, independent brand image that made Sunday such a success? 3. Would Sunday’s irreverent brand image ultimately fizzle out among the new branding superstar? Creative Advertising is an unique key to success through advertising, and you’ll most likely get an answer that echoes the mantra of Stephan Vogel, Ogilvy Mather Germany’s chief creative officer: â€Å"Nothing is more efficient than creative advertising. Creative advertising is more memorable, longer lasting, works with less media spending, and builds a fan community faster. † 5

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Is Google Making Us Stupid Essay Example

Is Google Making Us Stupid? Paper â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid? † ?In the article, â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid† in the magazine The Atlantic, the author, Nicholas Carr, recounts his difficulties with concentration while reading lengthy articles and books. Carr claims that these difficulties may be caused by an increase in the time he spends on the internet. His principle argument is that the internet provides us with a means of rapidly accessing information that we are searching for and this causes our minds to be used to obtaining information in such a swift manner – this is proof that, contrary to his opinion, Google is making us smart. The internet, as Carr agrees, is a time-saving tool. Carr says: â€Å"Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes. † In today’s world, people simply do not have the time to spend hours or maybe even days in a library sifting through mountains of books and articles to find a sin gle piece of information that is actually pertinent to what they are searching for if they can even find it. What Google does is grant universal access to thousands of resources including books, articles, encyclopedias, and hundreds of other types of media at the click of a mouse. The ability to access such a vast amount of information in such a prompt manner provides us with the time to discover even more information and deepen our knowledge of the subject much further that what could simply be a line or two in a book. ?Some may argue that Google does not make us stupid, but rather lazy. They claim that instead of having the initiative to delve through the reading, society would rather take the â€Å"easy† way and just use the Internet. This is an invalid argument. The internet is simply a highway of information that provides us rapid access, increased efficiency, and better quality of information. Is Google making us stupid? No, Google is making us smarter and provides us with a means to â€Å"work smarter, not harder. † ? ? We will write a custom essay sample on Is Google Making Us Stupid? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Is Google Making Us Stupid? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Is Google Making Us Stupid? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Niccolo` Machiavelli essays

Niccolo` Machiavelli essays Lorenzo Di Piero De` Medici was more than likely unaware of the offering he was to receive from Niccolo` Machiavelli. In his hands a book of great political knowledge was soon to be placed. Highly revered as the greatest work of those times I still find it highly applicable to the situations of those who are in power today. Machiavelli gives a rational approach to everything from attaining and keeping power to governing and ruling in a wise manner. "The Prince" sets the foundation for political fortune and respect that seems timeless. In chapter six "Of New Princedoms Which A Prince Acquires With His Own Arms And By Merit" is a very accurate depiction of change in leadership. "For he who innovates will have for his enemies all those who are well off under the existing order of things, and only lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new." (Machiavelli pg. 13) By stating this Machiavelli sheds perfect light on the subject of leadership change. Those who are all for the current way things are done will naturally be enemies of any new standard. Those who are either neutral or welcome the change will still be hesitant toward the new direction. The thing that I find so fascinating about the statement is that it is a simple observation that still can be made to this day. Take the Presidential election of 2004 Bush vs. Kerry and the comparison jumps out at you. People afraid of change were enemies or opposed to Kerry while those who wanted change were still hesitant in choosing him as our leader. In matters of soldiers and war he lays out the difference between a Prince's own subjects (homeland troops) or mercenaries. He paints the mercenaries as unreliable and cowardly in battle. "And this because they have no tie or motive to keep them in the field beyond their paltry pay , in return for which it would be too much to expect them to give their lives." (Machiavelli pg. 31) Machiavelli's viewpoint is that since the ...

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Why Are Cosmetics So Attractive to Adolescent Girls Speech or Presentation

Why Are Cosmetics So Attractive to Adolescent Girls - Speech or Presentation Example I feel that my aims and objectives were simple but relevant. Young girls’ self-esteem usually plummets as they reach adolescence because it is the time when they are developing their own identities. The research question opens up to a world of possibilities in terms of topics to discuss in the literature. The literature review provided much information about the topic at hand and more. It is comprehensive enough to cover the history of cosmetics, societal influence on women to look good, the beauty myth propagated by media and other media influences, adolescence and some theories that relate to the building of their self-esteem.   All these come together to explain some possible answers to the research question for this study. The use of questionnaires and focus group discussion will allow me to delve deeper into the issue with actual adolescent girls aged 13 to 17. I will get the opportunity to hear their insights first-hand as they discuss within a group the following questions: - Do you use cosmetics? If yes, which ones? - - How often do you use cosmetics? - Why do you use cosmetics? - How do you feel when you use cosmetics? - Do you use cosmetics with your friends? - How do you think people see you when you use cosmetics? - What do you think you can get out of using cosmetics? Right now, it seems so easy because I am only visualizing it, but I am sure that there will be several challenges along the way such as seeking the necessary permissions to conduct the study or dealing with uncooperative participants. In terms of preparation, I guess I failed to anticipate what I would feel in front of an audience. My stage fright was terrible but it was good that I had a small audience of people I knew. It was also great that they were so supportive. I think it is because they can relate to my situation because each of us had our turn presenting. I need to learn to be more confident in speaking. I know being prepared with my talk is a must, but I should learn to loosen up and be more candid, be open to whatever possibilities that may arise during my presentation.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Globalization and Democratic Policies essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Globalization and Democratic Policies - Essay Example ipate in political rallies, community activities, direct association with political leaders and trade union protests enjoy the common ground of equality. When the majority of citizens in the society are charged with the duty to make decisions binding on the whole society we term that democracy. Political equality can justify the form of democratic government in various ways that allow empowerment of citizens to grow socially and economically while enjoying their civil rights. The society is held together by a joint action towards realizing a certain common goal. When citizens put aside their partisanship, they will realize that development is indispensible in society. Hence, the need to work together as a team is created. Thus in the light of political equality communities are built and developed through the enabling environment of unity (Kropf 2003). Citizens can promote legitimacy when they are involved in political activities. It is through seeing people as equals before the law that will only prompt their participation in affairs concerning their governance. For instance giving people a chance to vote their leaders will ensure satisfaction with the vote results even if they lose. In most cases, citizens learn to obey the laws and little police control is required to bring order. It becomes a culture by citizens to always get the right things done as they are fueled by the universal call for equality, justice, and unity. Democratic governments are easily identified by the warm and fruitful relationships they enjoy with their subjects through maintaining order and law. Involving people in making policies and laws will instill a sense of ownership making the laws to earn protection from the very citizens it is meant for. Contesting for any seat during national elections must be made open to anybody regardless of gender, colour, religion and race as long as the individual meets the basic requirement of the constitution and citizenship to that country. In

Friday, January 31, 2020

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Analysis Essay The Pound Cake speech by Bill Cosby a well-known actor, comedian, and Philanthropist delivered a controversial speech called The Pound Cake Speech which was presented on May 17, 2004 at the NAACP Gala at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. In this speech, Cosby was highly critical to members and divisions of the African American community in the United States. He criticized the use of African American dialect, the problems with bad parenting and various other social behaviors. Bill Cosby was effective in his speech because he combined a humorous approach with an emotional and logical appeal. In Bill Cosby’s, Pound Cake Speech, he discusses the African American community’s uncertainty towards parenting. Cosby states that we cannot blame people for the way their children turn out. It can only be the parents fault for letting them develop that way. He strongly believes that parents are the blame for their children’s actions in today’s society. He mentions the Brown vs. Board of education, and how the people fought for their children’s education, only for them to complain about learning. Bill Cosby criticized the African American race in his speech. His reason for this was to make his audience angry. He speaks on the 50% high school dropout rate for blacks and how he believes it is a major problem, also how people call on God for help but they are not doing their parts, the frequency of single mothers, and other social behaviors with today’s youth. However, throughout the whole speech it all lead up to parents not providing good parenting skills. Cosby’s audience was mainly black folks so he knew how to keep their attention by appealing to their emotions. His speech was effective because he combined the pathos and logical appeal, which kept his audience engaged and interested in his speech.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Their Eyes Were Watching God 4 :: essays research papers

Unlike The Odyssey or any other epic tales, Their Eyes Were Watching God has a different perspective of what a hero is. In this novel, Hurston writes a story about an African-American woman named Janie Crawford whose quest is to find her identity and desire as a human being to be loved and appreciated for who she is. Her quest to fulfill those desires is not easy since she has to overcome so many obstacles and challenges in her life. A superiority that her Nanny posses over her to determine Janie's own life when she was a teenager and being a beautiful accessory to the glory of Joe Starks' are some of the experience that she encounters. She also has to make some sacrifices. And yet, just like any other heroes, at the end, she returns to her home with a victory on her hands. Janie who continually finds her being defined by other people rather than by herself never feels loved, either by her parents or by anybody else. Her mother abandoned her shortly after giving birth to her. All she had was her grandmother, Nanny, who protected and looked after her when she was a child. But that was it. She was even unaware that she is black until, at age six, she saw a photograph of herself. Her Nanny who was enslaved most of her lifetime only told her that a woman can only be happy when she marries someone who can provide wealth, property, and security to his wife. Nanny knew nothing about love since she never experienced it. She regarded that matter as unnecessary for her as well as for Janie. And for that reason, when Janie was about to enter her womanhood in searching for that love, Nanny forced her to marry Mr. Logan Killicks, a much older man that can offer Janie the protection and security, plus a sixty-acre potato farm. Although Janie in her heart never approv es what her Nanny forced her to do, she did it anyway. She convinced herself that by the time she became Mrs. Killick, she would get that love, which turned out to be wrong. Nanny's biggest mistake is that she never consults with Janie about what she wants in life. Janie's second husband, Joe Starks, is a repeat of Janie's unhappiness in marriage. At first, Janie looked at Joe as a man who would offer her an escape from her loveless marriage with Mr.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Electronic Monitoring In The Workplace: Used in Information Age

With the advent of the Information Age, a problem has developed between employers and employees over the use of electronic monitoring in the workplace. Electronic monitoring is monitoring employees' e-mail, computer files, voice mail, telephone use, as well as the use of video and audio surveillance, computer network monitoring, and keystroke monitoring. To employers, the use of electronic monitoring is a very effective management tool to manage employees† activities. Employers feel that electronic monitoring offers a shield of corporate security, a means of achieving good performance, and is a necessity for global competitiveness. On the other hand, many workers frown upon this level of monitoring. Is eyeing an employee's every move, including in the locker rooms and in the restrooms via video camera, necessary? Is the risk of causing health problems to workers for the sake of meeting numerical figures even considered? Is rating a worker's job performance based on production alone an accurate means of assessing a worker's performance? How about the quality of a worker's performance, isn't it important as well? For the most part, courts favor the employers on the issue of electronic monitoring. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (1996) â€Å"laws to protect employees require only that employees be treated equally. Employers are, therefore, free to do whatever they wish to their employees as long as they do so in a non-discriminatory manner† (p. 1). Employees have limited rights concerning electronic monitoring. â€Å"Union contracts, for example, may limit the employer†s right to monitor. Also, public sector employees may have some minimal rights under the U. S. Constitution, in particular the Fourth Amendment which safeguards against unreasonable search and seizure† (Center for Public Interest Law, 1994, p. 6). The courts seem to weigh the reasonableness of an employee's expectation to privacy against the legitimate business interests of the employer. Corporate security is a concern of many employers. Corporate spying and theft can seriously put a corporation at risk. â€Å"A business victimized by corporate spying will find itself at a strong competitive and strategic disadvantage† (Cozic, 1994, 64). To employers, monitoring e-mail and computer networks are necessary. Computers offer ready points for entry for spies, thieves, disgruntled employees, sociopaths, and bored teens. Once they're in a company's network, they can steal trade secrets, destroy data, sabotage operations, even subvert a particular deal or career† (Behar, 1997, 2). With the possibility of confidential information being retrieved via the computer network or a corporate spy in the corporation sending confidential information by e-mail to a competitor, electronic computer network monitoring is one shield that may offer employers some protection. In addition, employee theft is a reality in many businesses that can drive up business costs. From the employers† point of view, video surveillance monitoring throughout the business facility can help deter much of this theft. Video surveillance would allow a employer to see an employee†s every move inside the facility. If employees are aware of this kind of video surveillance, they would be less inclined to steal or at least be very precautious about stealing. According to the ACLU (1996) â€Å"employers have the right to expect an honest day's work for a day's pay. They have a right to set performance standards and expect those standards to be met (p. 3). † The use of Computer Aided Manufacturing is one means of electronic monitoring that enables employers to visually see the performance of their employees, their advanced equipment, and their manufacturing processes. The use of CAM allows managers to monitor vital areas of the manufacturing processes for necessary improvements. With this method of monitoring, managers are able to evaluate whether an employee needs training or whether an employee is fit for the job they were hired to do. In today†s increased global competition, employers of U. S. companies are concerned about bottom line profits and what needs to be done to be competitive with companies of other nations. Employers regard the monitoring method of Computer Aided Manufacturing as a necessary tool to compete globally. It enables employers to manufacture more efficiently by driving costs down and moving quality levels upward. According to Cozic (1994), â€Å"if U. S. factories are discouraged from moving forward with C. A. M. , then American workers will be the ultimate losers as domestic factories won't be modernized even as overseas factories become increasingly efficient (p. 66). † With the world becoming more of a global economy, employers want to be well positioned to compete. On the flip side of this coin, employees have serious concerns also. By pushing employees to meet higher standards through the use of electronic monitoring, their physical health and mental state can suffers. According to the Center for Public Interest Law (1994) â€Å"People involved in intensive word processing and data entry jobs may be subject to keystroke monitoring. This system tells the manager how many keystrokes per hour each employee is performing. It also may inform employees if they are above or below the standard number of keystrokes expected. Consequently, keystroke monitoring is now linked to health problems including stress disabilities and physical problems like carpal tunnel syndrome†(p. 6). This ailment is a result of repetitive motions of the hands. It is because the human body has a certain tolerance for repetitive and continuous motions that employees believe the use of electronic monitoring to push higher standards should have limits. Also, as far as mental health is concerned, â€Å"Maxine, a customer service representative who quit her job as a result of a serious stress-related illness, described her feelings and those of dozens of hotline callers this way: Monitoring makes you feel like less than a child, less than a human being† (Cozic, 1994, 57). When an employee is stressed mentally by monitoring, undesired working conditions may be created. Paced work, reduced task variety, reduced peer social support, reduced supervisory support, fear of job loss, routine work activities, and lack of control over tasks can produce counterproductive effects to the goal of increasing the efficiency of a given business operation. Many employees also believe the use of electronic monitoring by employers for evaluation purposes isn't a totally accurate account of their performance. â€Å"A major theme of complaints by monitored workers is that trying to meet numerical figures, over which they have no control and no input, sets up a conflict between giving quality service and keeping the time down. Airline reservation agents receive scores on five different statistics per day; the number of calls handled, average time per call, average time between calls, unmanned time, and overall average. Agents are expected to take 150-200 calls per day with a 96 percent success rating. They may be disciplined for any of the following reasons: Calls longer than three and one half minutes, more than 12 minutes per day of unmanned time, or too long between calls. One agent was put on warning for spending a total 23 seconds-over a full eight hour shift between calls† (Cozic, 1994, 59). With customers having varying needs, some employees view this as a narrow approach in evaluating how they service customers. Some customers may require more attention than others based on the nature of the customers' call. In addition, employees believe that by employers putting too much emphasis on them making numerical goals, the quality of their performance can be adversely influenced or overlooked. Employees want things like creativity, initiative, leadership, interpersonal skills, and teammanship to be equally included in the evaluation of their performance. Additionally, employees believe much of the monitoring that goes on by the employers have no relevancy to their job performance. â€Å"Several large railroad companies in St. Louis use a system which records the location and length of time employees spend in any part of the building. Workers flash their ID cards through an electronic sensor in each doorway. A computer monitors how long the employees spend in the restroom, the payphone area, the smoking lounge or at a friend's work station. Sandra, a woman who makes four trips to the bathroom per day, was told by her supervisor that four trips was excessive and that she obviously had a medical problem and needed to see a doctor† (Cozic, 1994, 57). Employees view the amount of time they spend in the restroom to be a very private moment. Many employees feel that if they are performing their jobs well, then why make going to the restroom an issue to begin with. â€Å"Employees certainly have a right to privacy when it comes to dealing with problems of a personal nature, as long as they do so on time set aside by their employers and their performance is not affected† (Fineran, 1991, 64). Employees think that there should be a line drawn between monitoring a worker†s performance and monitoring the worker. Employers also want employees to understand their rights to protect their businesses with means best suitable. The suitable means include electronic monitoring which may at times be at odds with employees' rights to privacy. Cozic (1994) points out that, â€Å"Card keys and other authorization measures used by the Department of Defense for security control access to areas containing classified data rely on personal identifying information and, by their very nature, track employee movements (p. 5). † Employees would like notification from their employers by written, visual, or audible means, which indicates electronic monitoring, practices. According to Cameron (1991) â€Å"the requirement that employers provide written notification of monitoring systems and visual or aural signals of telephone surveillance will provide urgently needed protections from some of the most serious invasions of privacy (p. 56). † Employers realize to run a successful business enterprise takes good employees. They have to be able to recognize good and bad employees by justly assessing both the employees† character and productivity. With the aid of electronic monitoring, employers believe that employees would receive more exposure than they would receive without monitoring. According to Cozic (1994) â€Å"such data received from monitoring may assist the employer in assessing an employee's character, productivity, or loyalty (p. 64). † Employees, in general, want to do a good job. They want to be evaluated according to balanced standards with the use of electronic monitoring as only one measure of consideration. According to Cozic (1994) â€Å"With electronic monitoring, the supervisor is in the machine; watching and counting every minute. This supervisor does not take into account that anyone can have a bad day, a slow start, or a difficult afternoon (p. 58). † Employers and employees both have valid concerns to the issue of electronic monitoring in the workplace. Care must be taken to avoid infringement on employees' rights to privacy and well being while maintaining the employers' rights to benefit from the labor they have hired. Employees must try to understand the security concerns of the employers as well as the employers need to be able to operate their businesses in ways that keep them competitive. On the other hand, employers must seek balanced ways in assessing employees' performances as well as their benefit to the company by not relying too much on electronic monitoring. Perhaps if both parties will keep the concerns of the other in mind, a happy medium can be found where conditions favorable to both employees and employers are established.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Improving Leadership At Wal Mart - 1258 Words

The case study, I was able to connect with was Chapter 10 with, Ann and coaching techniques on improving leadership. One of the companies in, which I have personal experiences with is Wal-Mart. In this particular case, the manager’s over Ann was able to find a way on improving, her interpersonal skills. That is the one thing which brings admiration to her supporting cast on helping find solutions in, the favor of Ann. This shows a solid structure based around strategies on ways of implementing improvements. While working at, Wal Mart both as a department manager and car pusher, it afforded an opportunity on seeing the lack of interpersonal skills amongst upper and lower management. If there is lack of conversing amongst management, then†¦show more content†¦When working at Wal Mart, the training for improvement, while transitioning into a new position was non-existent. As a result of the poor communication skills others effective methods suffered. While conducting res earch, there were about 6 or more of the 10 interpersonal skills we’re missing at Wal- Mart. Those missing components we’re verbal communication, nonverbal communication, listening, questioning, manners, problem solving, and responsibility/accountability all we’re improvements needed within Wal Mart. There was little to no help in creating ways of improving each of these problems one at a time. When come time of getting p on plans executed, there wasn’t any logic provided to clarify instructions. Then as problems with the finished product were raised, the responsibility, and accountability for lack of conversing instructions wasn’t clear. There were times, when management ignored questions as well as finding ways of problem solving techniques. This allowed associates, and other lower level management to become clueless on certain operations. At times there are some managers that sincerely cared about, the growth/development of others. The lack of t raining hurts the product of, which is displayed on quality leadership and lack of concern for consumers. In the grand scheme of things, it becomes equally importation educating associates about products, which are presented too customers. This should provide sources of adequate solutions for growth and

Sunday, December 29, 2019

The View Of Conduction Great Critique Sessions - 1100 Words

Here is my reading discussion/reflection journal for this week: Article #1 Goods, Bads, and Dailies: Lessons for Conducting Great Critiques Summary The article discuss about the view of conduction great critiques sessions. Pixar Dailies is one of their techniques use in their meeting â€Å"The Chosen One† where it described â€Å"four of the young magicians perform a five-minute routine and then receive critique from the other kids in the group†(). They are 3 roles player into this techniques: presenter, facilitator, and recorders. Each roles play significant concept of providing affirmative constructive criticism. The feedback is controlled in an affirmative and constructive setting â€Å"Good and Bad†. Pixar Dailies have an interesting set up†¦show more content†¦For me, this is an excellent way of continue brainstorming new technique ideas for designs. As well as continue provide feedback on the design. Article #2 â€Å"Paper in Screen† Prototyping: An Agile Technique to Anticipate the Mobile Experience Summary This article discuss about the prototyping that utilizes paper and mobile technology. It describe an idea of translating paper prototype system into a digital execution. You draw a paper prototype, take high-quality pictures of each prototype, edit the images, and organize them into the task scenarios. Paper prototypes provides a â€Å"quick means for testing basic interactivity that may be essential for specific design decision† (Bolchini 31). Reaction This article provide excellent topic on paper prototype transforming into a â€Å"paper in screen† as well as analyze the three approach of prototype: paper, paper in screen, and high-fidelity. However, I rather like to see the author describe more of a paper prototype rather than focus on mobile device. The â€Å"paper-in-screen† offer unique content of a paper view on a screen, but you can’t do much nonetheless swipe to the next screen. In addition, it doesn’t make any mistakes. In the emotion sections of the paper, I also enjoy reading about the relationship of user experience and design. Visceral level â€Å"is the simplest and most important factor of degree† (Bolchini 31). In other word, the look, feel, and sound of the mobile device is important. Article #3 Parallel Prototyping

Saturday, December 21, 2019

The World s Oldest Profession For Nothing - 1613 Words

â€Å"Prostitution isn t inherently immoral, any more than running a company like Enron is inherently immoral. It s how you do it that counts. And the reality is that it will happen anyway. It s not called the world s oldest profession for nothing. Why not make it, at the least, safe and productive?† -JEANNETTE ANGELL of A Wellness Perspective on Prostitution, Freedom, Religion, and More, Seek Wellness, Apr. 30, 2005. Prostitution, known as the world s oldest profession, and it exists everywhere. In the event you leave the country, and go to a whole new country, there is a guarantee you would find prostitutes. People say that prostitution is wicked because it is a disgrace to society, and no one should go into that profession, because it can get the prostitutes into dangerous situations. One instance of this that no one takes into consideration, that the girls or guys are making money off of this. If they are making money, then they help the economy the same way anyone is at their job. Prostitution should be more considered as a legalized job. People will not stop, so why not take advantage, and make laws to help protect the men and women. Prostitution is one of the world’s oldest professions, and laws prohibiting prostitution may be the oldest examples of government regulation and government (sex) discrimination (Armentano, 1993). Prostitution also may be illegal, but if you look hard enough in the streets, you can see them. Countries have been arguing to makeShow MoreRelatedPro-Prostitution (The Advantages of Prostitution)1469 Words   |  6 Pagesis the act or practice of engaging in sexual activities in the exchange of money (Dictionary.com). Prostitution is believed by many to be the world?s oldest profession with its roots tracing back to ancient times (Otchet). It is a common belief that prostitutes are only women, but the truth is that prostitutes are predominantly of the female gender. In today?s modern society prostitutes are f rowned upon by society because they see it as being on the same category as drug addiction and homosexualityRead MoreShould Prostitution Be Legalized?1725 Words   |  7 PagesProstitution Should Be Legalized Some say prostitution is the world s oldest profession. Yet, only a small percentage of the world’s government allows it. The legalization of prostitution is a very controversial topic due to many people’s moral beliefs. Prostitutes all over the world are treated as outcasts. A reason for people to be against prostitution could be due to their religious beliefs, moral standpoints, or lack of knowledge over the subject. Many religions state that sex outside of marriageRead MoreMy Grandfather, Cosmo Damiano Depinto895 Words   |  4 Pagesmaking fishing nets. His grandfather, Orazio, had a similar profession in the fishing industry and and worked as a local fisherman. But unfortunately he passed away when a mine blew up while he was fishing in his boat after World War I (1914-1918). His father was in Molfetta, Italy during World War II (1941-1945) when Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States. By then my grandfather was 6 years old. His oldest brother Orazio (named after his grandfather) was in the BalillaRead MoreThe Importance of Nursing in American Culture Essay1312 Words   |  6 Pagestake care of him or herself. Not only by voicing it, but also by showing it. Nursing in America has evolved throughout the years into the profession that is essential, respected, and admired today. Nursing is one of the oldest known professions in American history (Whelan). As far back as recorded in history, the first example alluding to the inevitable profession of nursing, was a wet nurse. A wet nurse, was someone who had recently lost their baby, just weaned their baby, or was capable of nursingRead MoreThe Life of Prostitution2467 Words   |  10 PagesWomen need to see that there are many other benefits outside in the world, rather than selling their bodies for money. Young women adult are being forced into the industry, while other women feel as if this job is great. Society in a way has influenced women to see only this type of way, to do such things, but we can also help show safer ways. Men are cheating on their wives and spending thousands of money a year thinking nothing of it, and getting away with it. Prostitution can be reduced, and womenRead MoreEssay on Legalization of Prostitution1607 Words   |  7 Pagescurrent way that prostitution is in America, it often makes people consider how it is elsewhere and if a different system of treatment would be more fitting. While being a crime in America, prostitution is legal in several countries all over the world through many different methods. For example, it’s legal in Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines (1). Denmark women can be prostitutes as long as it’s not their only means of income and shockingly, even places like Israel have legalized prostitutionRead MoreLaw Report Alternative Dispute Resolution ( Adr ) Acas Services1401 Words   |  6 Pageshusband and wife must maintain a friendly relationship, according to offspring, that the end has nothing with the couple s problems.The mediator, in turn, is a stranger to the parties, chosen by mutual agreement, whose main characteristic impartiality. Mediation is now carried on by lawyers, psychologists, social workers, the most sought precisely the intimacy they have with family problems.The mediator s job is to get the parties to dialogue with each other, and this dialogue will arise, of courseRead More Legalize Prostitution Essay2912 Words   |  12 Pages One of the oldest legal debates comes from one of the worlds oldest profession, prostitution, there is no denying that the sex industry has taken international dimensions and is recognized as an economic motor for many countries. As countries around the world debate the merits of legalizing or at least decriminalizing prostitution. The following questions should be addressed. Would legalization reduce some of the inequalities and abuse suffered by the women involved? On the other handRead MoreSimilarities Between Ancient Sumerians And Modern Humans1286 Words   |  6 Pagescould learn the same thing and be successful when they communicated. Aside from studies, tea chers would use physical discipline to correct the student’s faults and inadequacies. This form of punishment within schools was still being used in the early 70’s of today’s society. School for both ancient sumerians and modern humans have had a huge impact on individual’s intelligence in society. The â€Å"sick society† relates to generation gaps between parents and children, drop-outs from school, and war. JustRead MoreEquality Between Men and Women1499 Words   |  6 Pagesmankind never is able to grasp correctly. Of course humans will always search for different solutions to create fairness, but factors such as human greed, ignorance of mass populations, and even biological aspects stagnates the process of equality. The oldest and most relevant discussion on equality lies with the difference of sex; man versus woman. Initially, men, because of their physical superiority, were given the prospects many women never even dreamt to have. Conversely, as time has progressed, women

Friday, December 13, 2019

The Functional to Matrix Transition Free Essays

The Functional to Matrix Transition Karen R. J. White, PMP RECENTLY PARTICIPATED IN A CONSULTING ASSIGNMENT WHICH INVOLVED MOVING A LARGE ITS ORGANIZATION from an old-style functional-department organization structure towards one more friendly to proj- Common Pitfalls ects. We will write a custom essay sample on The Functional to Matrix Transition or any similar topic only for you Order Now The project faced the sorts of challenges that are common when trying to realign organizational structure with the new realities of managing by projects. In addition, there were added cultural barriers because the company was in the financial services sector-a very traditional industry, known for conservatism in management approaches. Project management consultants were called in because, for the first time, the organization was undertaking a multi-year enterprise-wide development program that cut across multiple functional departments, instead of following their old pattern of doing projects within departments. Within the program, several major related projects were being carried out. Clearly, business as usual would not suffice. BASELINE: A FUNCTIONAL/WEAK MATRIX STRUCTURE A Functional/ (Weak) Matrix organizational structure, such as our client company had in place, works well when the focus is on quality and technical expertise. Under this structure, functional managers are responsible for products created within their areas of expertise. The downside: In the company on which this case study was based, it just wasn’t working. And their experience was not uncommon. The functional-based organization structure tends to undermine the authority and decision-making capability of project managers, making project success more difficult. The functional or weak matrix form of organization does have some advantages. In this case, first of all, it was the currently existing state in the client organization. Change is always traumatic in organizations and, to the extent that we could preserve existing processes and systems, the upheaval-and resistance to it-would be minimized. Functional â€Å"stovepipe† organizations take a beating in discussions of optimal organizational structure, but the fact is that they are familiar to people, and thus comfortable for them. In addition, within this structure, IT and IS departments are fully empowered to complete isolated projects within their own â€Å"stovepipes. The client organization already possessed well-established communications processes and authorities within the functional areas. From a purely logistical point of view, the staff work locations were already centralized around functional department assignments, making information sharing among team members more straightforward. There are also serious drawbacks to this organizational structure, however. For instance, communications and decision-making processes existed outside the p rogram structure, contributing to schedule and budget issues. For the same reason, true accountability rested outside the programs, somewhere in the traditional hierarchy of the corporation. For example, executive functional management, who were in fact somewhat removed from the actual conditions of the programs, made all the important decisions. Budget and contracting authority was reserved for the CIO level. Under this very traditional structure, only formal authority-something the project managers did not have-was recognized as a source of power. The client organization had made some strides in moving past a purely functional hierarchy, towards a matrix organization. A Project Management Office (PMO) had been implemented the year before my involvement began-a year after the program was launched. Unfortunately, this meant that proper attention had not been paid to project management issues during the initial planning stages of the program. Phone: 610. 853. 3679 n www. pmsolutions. com n Fax: 610. 853. 0527 EXPERT SERIES The Functional to Matrix Transition Page 2 of 4 Instead of creating a PMO to manage the program, the existing program was inserted into a PMO. However, since the PMO lacked authority for decisions and communications, accountability was problematic. As an example, program budgets and staffing decisions were made within functional organizations, not within the programs themselves and resources were not accountable to programs for deliverables. Programs were initiated by functional departments, making any kind of strategic alignment or project prioritization (portfolio management) problematic. And because project teams ithin programs were organized by functional department, not by deliverable, the physical and organizational barriers between project teams impeded communications. THE OTHER EXTREME The Project (Strong) Matrix organization, at the other end of the organization-structure spectrum, works well for crash efforts, where the focus is on cost and, especially, schedule. These types of project-based organizations are sometimes n icknamed â€Å"Skunkworks† after the Lockheed-Martin aerospace project that made this approach famous. The Strong Matrix is an organizational form beloved of project managers and organizational design theorists. To be sure, this model offers many advantages from the project management standpoint:  · It concentrates complete authority for decisions affecting a project or program within the project or program itself, which simplifies decision-making.  · Program budgets and staffing decisions are made within the programs.  · Staff members have a single manager to please and answer to.  · Resources are accountable to program for deliverables and performance.  · Clear communications paths exist. However, in the real world of our client organization, the Project/Strong Matrix model carried several disadvantages. Limited resources in certain key technical and business areas meant that there simply were not enough people to create dedicated program or project teams, and it was deemed too time-consuming to recruit and/or train additional staff. The existing staff was in dispersed geographical locations with staff not able to relocate. All in all, moving to this form was just too drastic a change for the organization. THE MIDDLE GROUND Thus, our choice in establishing a more project-friendly environment was the â€Å"Balanced Matrix† structure . This structure strives to hit all the bases. Cost, schedule and quality are considered of equal importance. The balance between these considerations is achieved through continuous negotiations and tradeoffs. Given the resource limitations existing within the client organization, we deemed it the best model as well as the most practicable, despite certain inherent disadvantages, such as the need for increased communications and resource negotiations between project managers and functional managers, the added complexity in status reporting and staff management activities, and the need for modified roles and responsibilities in IT and business functional departments. The most significant impact of the new model was the extent to which we revised Roles and Responsibilities. IT functional management now shared joint staff management with program management and had to coordinate with program management in the areas of standards and process implementation. Business functional management also shared joint staff management with program management. Phone: 610. 853. 3679 n www. pmsolutions. com n Fax: 610. 853. 0527 EXPERT SERIES The Functional to Matrix Transition Page 3 of 4 Program management staff had far more â€Å"hands-on† involvement in program activities, as well as increased accountability for staff performance and coordination of related issues with functional man agement. Program Team Members now had multiple managers with whom to coordinate absences. TRANSITION STEPS 1. Assign Project Managers. We introduced project managers from the PMO to replace functional man agers with project management responsibilities, except in those cases where we retained functional leads as part of matrix. We did this when the department managers or supervisors were the ideal choice for supervision project activities because they were the strongest technical person in that area. Once the project leaders were assigned we identified deliverables and associated accountabilities for each project team. 2. Re-define Roles and Responsibilities. We established a policy statement and matrix document that clearly identified the project manager and functional manager roles and responsibilities. 3. Revise Resource Staffing Processes. By involving functional management in project initiation activities-recognizing that functional managers often have the best insight into the skills and limitations of staff members-we made the process of assigning resources to roles more collaborative. We also instituted a formal requisition process for internal resources. 4. Revise Performance Management Processes. We implemented revised performance management processes. Project managers were added to the performance development process training classes and required to provide periodic performance-related information to functional managers. At the same time, functional managers now shared individual goals and objectives with project managers, seeking to align project assignments with objectives. Functional managers continued to administer performance development processes. 5. Establish a Communications Plan. We developed a comprehensive program communications plan identifying who reports what to whom, and when. We acknowledged the information needs of the functional management team by including them in the communications plan. Project websites were established to facilitate communications. 6. Obtain Senior Executive Support. Senior executive support for changes was secured. We instituted an active steering committee. In addition, we established clear support at the CIO level for the Program and Project Manager roles and their authorities. These steps ensured alignment of functional and program goals: functional managers support the programs, which in turn implement the business goals. LESSONS LEARNED The matrix organization will meet resistance; plan for it. Lesson #1 – Program Organization. Make deliberate decisions about program and project organization when chartering the program. Determine the important constraints for the program, know the different organizational structures available and deliberately select the one that best fits your situation. Consider geographical locations when forming teams; try to maintain team integrity within a single location. Lesson #2 – Roles Responsibilities. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all vested parties, including functional managers providing resources to projects. Obtain agreement and sign-off on individual roles and responsibilities as part of each project chartering activity. Phone: 610. 853. 679 n www. pmsolutions. com n Fax: 610. 853. 0527 EXPERT SERIES The Functional to Matrix Transition Page 4 of 4 Lesson #3 – Communications Plan. Develop a comprehensive plan that considers communication needs both inside and outside the program. Consider horizontal communication flows in addition to vertical communication flows. Do not ignore the information needs of the organization as a whole. Les son #4 – Continuous assessment. Reinforce the transition by continually monitoring the processes and climate of the organization. This is an ongoing challenge, not a one-time event. When a crisis arises, the organization will tend to lapse back into functional management accountability, as opposed to staying within program structure. Pay close attention to the communications and collaboration aspects of the program; reinforce use of the agreed upon communications plan. Remain sensitive to the communication needs of multiple geographic sites, if any. You will need to provide continuous learning and reinforcement, since functional managers are still learning to include project managers in staffing decisions, while project managers are still learning to include functional managers in problem resolution activities. Don’t be afraid to change! Question how you are organized; make sure the status quo fits with the work that needs to be done. Maybe you won’t change everything, but little regular tweak at organizational structure will keep it vital. Every six months or so, ask â€Å"Does it make sense today? † Prepared for presentation at ProjectWorld, October 2001 Phone: 610. 853. 3679 n www. pmsolutions. com n Fax: 610. 853. 0527 How to cite The Functional to Matrix Transition, Papers