Value Innovation at Johnson and Johnson Case Study

Value Innovation at Johnson and Johnson - Case Study Example For a large international corporation this would include the ability to manage across multiple dimensions of the business and having open communication throughout the organization. Without strong communication and the ability of skills and creation to move through the organization the value innovation would fail in Tidd, Bessant, and Pavitt's explanation of value innovation. Davilla, Epstein and Shelton (2006 p 15) examine that value innovation is technological: "research and development (R&D), or new product development" and strategic: "defining the business model." The Davilla, Epstein and Shelton (2006) definition offers a linear explanation, where there are two roads to value innovation. However, unlike Tidd, Bessant, and Pavitt (2005), Davilla, Epstein and Shelton (2006) do not examine the need to mobilize across multiple dimensions. They treat value innovation as a bilateral necessity, where one sector of management would focus on innovation of research and development while another management team focuses on strategic value. As with Tidd, Bessant, and Pavitt (2005), communication between the two divergent management sectors would be vastly important to creating and implementing any value innovation. Without it, technology may take a separate road than strategy. This would create confusion for the organization and for the consumer in deciding whic h ideals are concrete and which are fluid throughout the company. In contrast, O'Brien compares business strategies and defines a value innovation strategy as "Finding new ways of doing business" (O'Brien 2004 p 43). According to O'Brien, value innovation includes "the development of unique products and services, or entry into unique markets or market niches [and] making radical changes to the business processes for producing or distributing products and services that are so different from the way a business has been conducted that they alter the fundamental structure of an industry" (O'Brien 2006 p 42). O'Brien's definition is yet again different, where the focus is on the business as a whole and not as a segmentation of skill sets, technology resources, or strategy. Synthesis and Evaluation Is the assumption that value innovation must rely on technology and strategy to maintain a competitive business presence correct Authors Kim and Mauborgne (1999 p 58) do not believe that value innovation should rely on technology and strategy innovation. In fact, they treat value innovation as a separate concept. Kim and Mauborgne (1999 p 58) focus on the need of consumer value, where the "Value innovation links innovation to what the mass of buyers value." Kim and Mauborgne offer a more encompassing definition of value innovation, stating: "Value innovation also differs from technology innovation [] technology innovation is not a requisite for value innovation; value innovation can occur with or without new technology" (Kim and Mauborgne 1999 p 57). This is further supported by Holme, Mangusson and McKelvey (2007 p 32) who state that "One shortcoming is the narrow focus on

In this chapter the writer uses the setting of the chapter to explain the feeling of all the main characters Essay Example for Free

In this chapter the writer uses the setting of the chapter to explain the feeling of all the main characters Essay In this chapter the writer uses the setting of the chapter to explain the feeling of all the main characters. When we first meet the family they are walking down a road which is all dirty and surrounded by dirt. The nature around them is dying out or rotting. This we can apply to both characters feeling; Micheal feels like his marriage spoiled or ruined his chance of a good life or any fortunes. Whereas Susan feels like she is dying or has died in Micheals heart since he is ready to sell her like he wouldve sold a horse in an auction. Hardy uses nature many times in this chapter. At one time when Micheal is auctioning Susan we are told that a sparrow flies in and everyone watches the sparrow till it disappears. This could in fact be showing us Susans position. Everyone watches her till she is able to go out of the tent with Newson the sailor. Hardy uses a lot of contrast to show the readers Micheals two sides, in this chapter. In the last chapter we saw Micheal in his drunken state which was his dark side. We saw his greed and bad temper. In chapter 2 though we see Micheal when he is sober and when he finds out what he has done. He shows determination in finding his wife and takes responsibility, however even in this chapter we see Micheals bad side when he blames Susan for being simple minded enough to think the auction was binding. Also we see his negative points when he is too proud of himself to tell people why he is searching for his wife. We straight away see that these two sides of Micheals will be a great factor in this book. In this chapter Hardy relives the walk to Weydon-Priors. Only this time the people walking are in a more loving situation. Also there are two women. The women obviously feel love for each other because they are holding each others hands. The fact that they are both wearing black gowns straight away gives us an idea of why these two women have come back this way. Also this is the first time we see Elizabeth- Jane in her grown up state and we see that she is brought up as a very nice girl. Although we see straight away that she is brought up in a rich lifestyle when she tells her mother that the infirmity tent isnt respectable. At this point e see for the first time that Hardy adds suspence when he decides to bring Susan back to Micheal. The reader wonders why Susan is so determined to meet him. He main question is why ahs Susan never told Elizabeth when she is old enough to know. Casterbridge is described in great detail and because Hardy has a gift for description we can almost see the town come to life. We also find that the town is eager to spread gossip when two women willingly tell Susan about the gossip of the bread and the town. We can see from detailed point that the public will be a very important point in the book. Micheal also reveals his caring point when he tells the towns people that the wheat is not really safe to eat. We also se that Micheal is true to his oath not to drink, when in his meeting he only drinks water. Near the end of the meeting we see the Angry Micheal side when he makes a sharp retort. We see a description of Farfrae and immediately we can tell that he is the total opposite of Henchard. Both in looks and we think in personality. Also through the names of the pubs and inns we can see that maybe Hardy is trying to make a point. When they go to the three mariners then Hardy could be trying to say that they are among the waves of chance. The fact that chance plays a big role in this novel and especially in this chapter. Its by chance that Farfrae hears about the corn and has the solution or that Elizabeth-Jane notices him and that they all stay at the three mariners. Also the way Michael misses his family by a few minutes on his way to see the man. We can assume that Hardy is proving the powers working against mankind in this chapter. In this chapter we see little irony when Elizabeth-Jane says that they must stay at the fancy inn yet then gets a job as a serving maid which is not too respectable it self. While we can say that Elizabeth-Jane is making sacrifices for her mother, we can still remember that the towns people have seen Elizabeth serving them and they will remember her face later on. Also in this chapter we pity Michael when we learn that he is lonely and we guess that what he wants is a business partner or a friend. Farfrae is straight away the person that comes to mind. Though again we see a bit of fickleness in Michaels attitude when he cannot even remember the old mangers name. Farfrae then decides to sing fro the towns people and its by chance that the people are in the mood for his sad songs and Elizabeth-Jane who has been eyeing him, has her heart set on him. When the townspeople talk to Farfrae we know straight away that he has the ability to charm people and when he sings he is charmed them further. We can assume that the reason that the townspeople like the sad songs is because they feel like the story of the song represents them in a way, with their lost ideals. We can even see a bit of this in Micheal himself. Also Elizabeth-Jane misinterprets the songs that Farfrae sings and when her mother says he Elizabeth assumes its about Farfrae. These misunderstandings prove to be a problem later on. In the next chapter wee that both Susan and Micheal have to turn towards the younger generation to save themselves. Susan saves her marriage by sending Elizabeth-Jane with the note to Micheal and Micheal saves his business by begging Farfrae to say on as manager. When Elizabeth-Jane takes the walk through the town it creates a time of suspense because it is stalling the meeting between Micheal and Susan and it cuts the conversation between Micheal and Farfrae. Mostly though it shows us just how much power Micheal ahs in his town socially and business wise. Again we see a contrast between Michaels sides when at first he acts kindly towards Elizabeth-Jane, when he learns who she is. Also when he sends back Susan five guineas we feel that he is almost trying to buy her back since five guineas are how much was paid for her before. Yet we see his cold side again when he coldly turns down Joshua Jopp about his interview and he has created a new enemy at the same time. Later also Micheal explodes on Elizabeth-Jane and cannot even calm himself down. Also in this chapter we see a proud side of Michael when he asks to see Susan in a secret place and will not see her in public incase they might be seen and found out. Slowly we will see this part of his attitude be a big part of his downfall. In the next chapter when Micheal has asked to see Susan in the ring and we get the description of the place it automatically sets a place for something negative to take place. Almost a place where nothing positive can happen. Hardy backs this himself by saying, the boys cannot make this a good cricket field. This ring is maybe meant to show Hardys life in a way that Hardy is known for his architecture and his liking to the Greek mythology in a way. The Roundness representing the coliseum and the positiveness being kept away by ghosts of the past like the killed gladiator or the woman who was strangled. This is like a metaphor in a way to their relationship. Micheal will fall in battle and his control is so tight on Susan it might almost be strangling her. The next chapter gives us an idea of our speculation is chapter 3 about another woman in Micheals life. We learn that this woman is infact living in Jersey. We already know that when a person is included in Hardys plots he is never easily forgotten so when we hear about this woman we straight away know she will affect the plot. Again this chapter reveals a lot when Micheal reveals to his best friend that he is very lonely and would like a friend. We guess straight away that he ahs also made a mistake when he reveals his whole past to someone he has only known for a day. He tells Farfrae everything and doesnt think of any consequences that could later occur. We see Farfrae first ability in this chapter after he handles his position very well with his new boss. Even though he has plans to eat alone he decides to dine with Micheal and when he is asked about help on how to handle his problem with the lady in Jersey he gives an answer that could start the first sign of discord between the two people. He tells Micheal that he should firstly tell Elizabeth-Jane the truth about her mother and father and he disagrees and gets rather angry. Yet he forgets that it was him who in the first place told him about all his past secrets. In this chapter we finally see Micheal openly court Susan and then propose to her. Even though this should be good new the whole chapter caries ill will which is mostly carried by the townspeople. We can maybe use the natures reaction to show out the feelings of Micheal and Susan. When the two enter the church to get married it is raining quite badly and it is very dark almost showing how the two really feel about each other. Hardy uses these nature effects to show the reader how the two feel about each either. By hiding the meaning of the nature effects it almost showing that the two have hidden their feelings about each other. The townspeople also add most of the uneasiness. They dont actually know the secret about the wedding but they have an idea that something is not right. They immediately feel that Susan is not at the same class as Micheal which is ironic because Michael is the one with the worst background out of the two. In this chapter we know for sure that something about Elizabeth-Jane is being hidden because not only does Micheal keep going on about her hair colour but he starts asking her to change her second name. Also we find out that Micheal maybe getting rather annoyed with Farfrae when he gets angry at little things that Farfrae says. At one time he even dismisses Farfraes opinion by saying dont take too much thought about things. Also since Elizabeth-Jane has started growing in her new place she starts to bloom a certain beauty. Yet she still remembers her old lifes

Disadvantages Of Online Learning Education Essay

Disadvantages Of Online Learning Education Essay Clearly, the benefits that online learning brings to students are enormous and undeniable. Even, as Hinkle suggests in her article Advantages and disadvantages of E-learning, pursuing an online course is an outstanding choice in education, especially when traditional learning situations have many obstacles, such as commuting or distance. However, as every coin has two sides, e-learning also has some fundamental drawbacks that can make it a little bit inconvenient for users. 2.1. Lack of verbal interaction One of the most disadvantages that Dogra (2011) and Hinkle (2009, n.d.) all agree is the lack of verbal interaction between teacher[s] and student[s]. Because of the fact that most online learning programs can only offer a one-way communication, this disadvantage is inevitable! As stated in Top 10 Distance Learning Disadvantages, the loss of human contact, let alone personal touch with instructors, provided in a traditional classroom in which two-way or face-to-face communication always proved its important (Pakhare 2008) is the evident truth. Similarly, Hinkle (2009) also believes that there is a significant reduction in the amount of interaction through distance learning. To further discuss this, Kartha (2011) makes the readers aware of that e-learning does not give learners any help in improving their oral communication skills. Although some online courses enable their users to communicate through discussion and community boards, this definitely differs from carrying a conversation to a classmate sitting next to you in person. Moreover, Dogra (2011b) assumes that an e-learning student may not be exposed to enough multidimensional views of a certain subjects or topic. She demonstrate the hindrance of online learning by saying that the chances of growth or learning of students who pursue full-time courses and are facilitated to discuss many aspects of one problems, many problems of one subject might be higher than those who do not. Whats more, in a class, a debate arising does not necessarily involve in what were taught. Instead, a wide range of issues pertaining to future plan or professional life is also focused on. This helps students develop their personality and teaches them how to deal with life in an appropriate manner. To gain success in life, one needs not only bookish but also experience and particularly, knowledge about various life issues as well as situations. She summarizes that, in some cases, the sale of professional improvement gained through online learning, therefore, might be limited. An article entitled Pros and cons of distance learning refutes this viewpoint of effect of less verbal contact, showing that e-learning seems to be a good way to grow students writing skill owing to that they have to type their contributions to class discussions and any other correspondence with [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] professors and fellow classmates. However, this opinion is flawed. In the first place, if students really need to improve this skill, it is not required to follow an online course. The second and more important reason is that, compared to the loss of communication skills, the benefit is far from equivalent. 2.2. Absence of live academic resources Apparently, online learning means studying in isolation and without a set schedule and proper study timings and it demands strong self-motivation and self-discipline to be a good learner (Dogra 2011a). She warns that this type of learning is totally not suitable for students who need regular and instant feedbacks from instructors. Pakhare (2008) expresses his agreement with Dogras statement and says that the absence of face-to-face communication results in the failure of receiving immediate feedbacks for students assignments and fieldwork studies. They may not have their problems and questions of the last lesson solved by professors or classmates as in a traditional class, which can function as a barrier in ones learning (Kartha 2011). In case of receiving feedbacks, students have to wait for a long time, till the instructors review their work (Top 10 distance learning disadvantages). In addition, according to the article Pros and cons of distance learning, whereas academic resources are supported in most conventional colleges/universities such as libraries, stadiums, study areas and laboratories, online learning environment is much more challenging. It is pretty practical when mentioning the impossibility of drop[ping] a tutoring center or attend[ing] extra help. Therefore, learning process, due to all of these factors, will be less effective. Perhaps, it is the main contributor to lesser weightage to online learning. There is a common notion among employers that students following e-learning class are far less informed and more experienced than those with full-time education (Dogra 2011a); and worse in term of attitude as well (Dogra 2011b). Some employers even refuse to give online learning a piece of acknowledgement (Top 10 distance learning disadvantages). Of course, she says, this situation will completely different in case those students have certain years of experience. However, most companies still give a preference to learners with traditional certificates or degrees (Dogra 2011a). 2.3. Technology difficulties It is beyond doubt that online learning requires some equipment. Two typical kinds of e-learning can be taken as examples here. First, computer-based training provides users with learning objects including audios, videos, animations and application simulations via a CD-ROM or a mainframe and through a local network, while another type, web-based training, has its learning materials delivered over the Internet . A computer connected to a network is a must with both of them. According to Hinkle (n.d.), this triggers off the technology-related problem to people who do not have ready access this equipment, in other words, they are ill-equipped to use it (Hinkle 2009). Besides, power cutoff, failure in Internet server on any hardware issue can also make severe impacts on learning process. Last but not least, technical requirement may put great pressure on ones who are completely not computer-literate, which, in turn, might lead to stress and frustration (Top 10 distance learning disadvant ages).

education reform Essay -- essays research papers fc

Education Reform  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education reform means to make education better by removing faults and defects. True educators are always thinking of more effective ways to enhance and democratize the way children learn. With the continuous change of growing population, economics, culture, family, and global communication, there has to be continuous educational reforms to keep the society abreast with these changes. One of education’s early reformers is John Dewey. Dewey operated and experimental school where he wanted â€Å"to discover in administration, selection of subject matter, methods of learning teaching, and discipline, how a school could become a cooperative community while developing in individuals their own capacities and identifying their own needs.† (Dewey’s Laboratory School page XII) another education, Harold Howe II in his book â€Å"Thinking about Our Kids,† reiterates that families and communities are as important as schools in the education of our children. He also ta lks about the need for new approaches to financing schools, more attention to changing classroom routine in particular, and for better understanding of, and respect for the many races and cultures that make up our society. Regardless of the era in which education reform is thought of, the number one priority is the children. Although Dewey’s’ experiment was done over a century ago, the lessons learned then can apply in today’s world. Children are the same, they go through the same stages of development and must learn how to solve some kind of problems if they are to live in the world of today. The country is bursting at its seams with the population growth. With the growth comes a very diverse group of people. People migrate with their culture. Language has become one of the many barriers in the prevention of literacy. When our mentors wrote or planned school reform, the rate of population growth was not as rapid it is now. Migrants then tried to learn the languages spoken in their new land. Today we have programs to foster children who do not have English as their first language, but are these programs successful?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of the students are taught in their first language (usually Spanish) but then have to sit the standardized state examination in the English langua ge. This situation could be termed as â€Å"unexpected difficulties an... ...pport Act of 1988† but this too is plague by limited finding. If education reform is to be successful, these programs must be viable. If is of paramount importance that education reform is need especially in this era. We are in a changing world and we must improve our educational standards to compete on the world market. The United States of America is a wealthy nation therefore it must spend more on educating its young. Politics and politician should be removed from planning and governing the education system. This should be in the hands of educators. It is unforgivable that our leaders has allowed United States of America to have one third of its population illiterate and spends less on education than other nations that are not as wealthy. Classroom teachers should be able to be more flexible in adjusting the standards to fulfill the needs of the students, instead of teaching (drilling) the children to past standardized examinations. Bibliography Howe Harold II 1993 Thinking About Ours Kids. An Agenda for American Education. Kozol Jonathan 1985 Illiterate America Tanner Laurel N. 1997 Dewey’s Laboratory School Lessons for Today

American Life During & After the Cold War

American life during and after the cold war American life in the cold war†¦ How was it? I will start off by telling you why the cold war is called the cold war. The term â€Å"Cold war† is used to describe the relationship between America and the Soviet Union after world war two from 1945 to 1980. Neither side ever fought the other because the consequences would be too appalling. Although they did ‘fight’ for their beliefs using client states who fought for their beliefs on their behalf.The Cold War was to dominate international affairs for decades and many major problems occurred –like the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, Hungary and the Berlin Wall being just some. For many the growth in weapons of mass destruction was the most worrying issue. This was a huge and one of the biggest worries of the American people along with many others. Although the American life was full of worries and tribulations during these time, there was also major cultural, soci al and economic changes for the better to.The Cold War touched many aspects of American social and cultural life, from the civil rights movement to survivalism, from Hollywood to the universities. The civil rights movement of the cold war where very interesting. The Cold War added some push to the Civil Rights Movement. . As a result of this, the African Americans came together with the some of the whites in the United States to protest against racisim that was real in the US. For quite some time during the world war, a few African Americans had united to fight for equal rights aswell but did not do so well.After the world war, quite a number of the civil rights movements came into the limelight though. A significant period in the civil rights movements occurred between the years 1950s and 1960s when strong civil rights groups were formed and Martin Luther king Junior became the head of these civil rights pressure groups. This movement and many like it had a lot of influence on Amer ica and how they lead to an improved approval of constitutional rights. Even though the government was trying to silence the anti racism protesters leaving outside America.Could Cold War Have Been Avoided?America tried to look like they where all to perfect at home. President Truman felt that as a result of the cold war that was intense between the US and the Soviet Union, it was important that social increases were made in order to put the US at an advantage in this battle. As a result of this, the president's committee on civil rights was formed; this policy looked over the need to tackle the civil rights issues in the country since it was seriously snooping with the country's international relations and appearance.The U. S. was declaring its democracy to be the best and most effective way of running a country and was claiming and trying to show to the world that Communism reduced human rights and individual freedoms. The irony was that in the U. S. , despite our so called â€Å" ideal† form of government, these rights and freedoms were being denied to American citizens right at home! , most particularly African Americans. This obviously did not go unnoticed by the higher ups in the government or by African American leaders.It made for an uncomfortable hypocrisy throughout the Cold War, and was used as an arguing point by some leaders of the Civil Rights Movements. It was rather absurd to have the United States trying to shape discrimination in the other countries while it could not handle the discrimination within its own walls! But it makes more sense. America did not just randomly decide to be nicer to black people in the 1960s, instead of the 1920s or the 1890s. Instead, it ended segregation because not doing so would badly damage the fight against communism.Civil Rights was therefore not just the right thing to do, but also vitally important to the national interest. Saying all of this is not to talk bad about the accomplishments of the Civil Righ ts movement, or to ignore the fearlessness of its leaders. Civil Rights was probably the best thing that happened to the United States during and after the cold war. It fundamentally changed the country from a system based upon bullying to what it is today. The American natural survivalism during the cold war was pure instinct. There was always controversy with nuclear warfare.There is the morality of using nuclear weapons. They were many scared for their life during the cold war. They knew if either the Soviet or U. S. made a wrong move toward the other, they would be wiped out. After the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb in 1949, the American public was understandably nervous. They were aware of the destruction that individual atomic bombs did to the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Boyer 145) But the general public did not know a lot yet about the risks of radiation and fallout.One of their methods was to involve schools. Teachers in selected cities were enco uraged to conduct air raid drills where they would suddenly yell, â€Å"Drop! † and students would need to kneel down under their desks with their hands over or around their heads and necks. Some schools even distributed metal â€Å"dog tags,† like the ones worn by World War II soldiers, so that the bodies of students could be identified after an attack. Many of the people where skeptics of â€Å"spies†. Russian spies to be more specific. In the 1950s, the U. S. was a scary place.Many people were convinced that a Communist plot to overthrow the government was about to happen and saw conspiracies in every side they turned or looked. As much terrible fears that where going on at the time, there was still time for fun and games. Escapes from the humble bow. American movies represented a lot of truth’s , scares and fiction of the American life. Or in other words presents films that reflect the anxieties, values, and beliefs of Cold War culture. Hollywood was often a target of the â€Å"bad Americans â€Å" because of the variety of ideas expressed through movies and television.Movie actors that starred in films that were not within the norms of traditional American life were said to be Communist sympathesizers who were attempting to brainwash Americans through propagandists movies. Producers crafted movies with broad audience appeal. A lot of the movies where about â€Å"A menace lurks beneath a tranquil surface. † ( boyer 133). I believe this is where the big part of people looking over there shoulder or not trusting a lot of people came from. A propaganda fear the movies put into the American culture.

Thorn Queen Chapter Twenty-Eight

â€Å"Oh,† I said lamely, stepping aside so that he could enter. â€Å"I thought you were someone else.† â€Å"Someone in a velvet dress shrieking at the top of her lungs?† he asked. He moved past me in that graceful way of his, and I noticed he was careful to keep a healthy distance between us without being asked, as though he suspected my aversion to touch. â€Å"Something like that.† I shut the door. He shrugged and immediately found the room's wine. â€Å"She won't bother you anymore,† he said, pouring a cup. â€Å"I'm sending her away.† â€Å"Yeah, she told me. You know, I feel kind of bad for her.† â€Å"Stop,† he ordered. â€Å"She's none of your concern. She should have had no expectations about her relationship with me.† â€Å"Yeah, well, she kind of did.† â€Å"Again, one angry person is none of your concern-not with everything else going on.† I grimaced. â€Å"I suppose not, though it sure seems like a lot of people are angry at me-oh. God. I nearly forgot. Do you have Volusian?† Dorian was setting his sword and cloak down. He didn't look happy at the reference. â€Å"Yes†¦I enslaved him to me.† â€Å"Can I†¦can I have him back?† He eyed me. â€Å"Are you sure that's what you want? It'd be better if we banished him together.† I hesitated, recalling Volusian's hands on my throat and knowing what would happen if I ever lost control again. I wouldn't, though. I would stay strong, and I needed him for what was to come. â€Å"Yes,† I said firmly. â€Å"I want him back.† Dorian shrugged. â€Å"Then I'll summon him later. Let's not ruin the moment just yet. He's quite depressing, you know.† Dorian strolled toward the window and bent over, picking up the dress I'd dropped. â€Å"This is lovely.† â€Å"I was going to put it on, but†¦but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I swallowed and nodded toward the window. â€Å"There's a, um, army out there.† He neatly laid the dress on the chair and glanced out the window. â€Å"Yes. Yes, there is. Yours and mine. Well, part of them.† â€Å"I can't believe this happened.† â€Å"Hiding from them won't make them go away.† â€Å"I kind of hoped it would.† He said nothing but gave me an expectant look. Something about it drew me out, and steeling myself up, I approached the window again, staring out at the wide, sandy stretch in the back of the castle. There were so many more than I'd expected-and this was only allegedly a portion of the soldiers that would be fighting Katrice. My small army in their mismatched attire stood in formation on one side. Dorian's â€Å"reserves† stood beside them, much more sharply dressed in deep green shirts under their leather armor and golden oak emblems. So many†¦and again, still not the whole force. More of his soldiers would join up, and then my numbers would grow when the call went out throughout the land when I went to Highmore-if I went there. â€Å"All of this,† I murmured, â€Å"all of this because of a chain of decisions. Me refusing Leith, him kidnapping me, you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish the words, but Dorian and I both knew what I'd been about to say. â€Å"Do you regret it?† he asked. â€Å"What I did?† He sounded as cool and confident as ever, but I could have sworn there was a tiny note of fear in his voice-fear that he'd done something I hadn't wanted. Kiyo's words about how I would regret all this came back to me, and I kept wondering if it was really worth it, all these men and women who might die†¦for what? For my honor? My revenge? I could still respond to Katrice's message, tell her I'd marry her nephew and make peace†¦. A knot formed in my stomach, and I knew that wasn't an option. I could never be with anyone in that family, not without thinking of Leith, of his hands and his body. I could never let her or anyone else think I or my people could be pushed around. After all, Leith hadn't just taken advantage of me. Those girls had suffered too. I was the protector of my people. I was the Thorn Queen and the Thorn Land both. An image of Dorian running his sword through Leith returned to my mind. Probably I should have found it gruesome. Instead, it brought me†¦peace. â€Å"No.† I turned and looked straight into Dorian's eyes. â€Å"I don't regret it. I†¦I'm glad you did it.† My voice wavered a little. â€Å"I'm so glad you did it.† His face transformed somewhat, filled with a type of wonder. I think he'd grown so accustomed to my usual style, my human way of being rational and merciful†¦Well, I think he'd been long bracing himself for my wrath. My earlier suspicion about the worry in his voice had been correct. He'd probably expected a reaction similar to when he'd given me the Thorn Land. The look on his face made me flustered and confused. I turned back to the window and admitted, â€Å"But I†¦I'm scared. I don't want to wage a war. I certainly don't know how to.† Dorian came to stand beside me, still careful to maintain a buffer between us. â€Å"It's in your blood,† he said. â€Å"Storm King was the greatest tactician in centuries.† â€Å"I'm not him. I don't want to be like him.† A nasty voice spoke in my head: But you called yourself Storm Queen, according to Kiyo. â€Å"You can inherit his genius without his cruelty,† said Dorian. â€Å"I suppose, but still†¦I still don't know what to do. Will you help me?† We turned to look at each other, and again, his face seemed to be lit from within. â€Å"Of course. You're not the only one Katrice is after. I'm the one who killed the poor bastard, remember?† The light faded from his face a bit at the reference to Leith. He leaned toward me, eyes intense. â€Å"I'd do it a thousand times over, if I could. War or not.† That earnestness in voice, that fierceness-it sent a shiver down my spine. â€Å"You only say that because we haven't gone to war yet. You don't know what's going to happen.† â€Å"Ah, Eugenie. I know. We will be victorious, you and me. We're the strongest monarchs in this world. Katrice knows this but is blinded by her grief and rage. You and I will lead this army, and we will conquer the Rowan Land. We'll split it between us, adding on to our own kingdoms†¦and from there, we can go anywhere. We could rule half this world together-all of this world-you and me. Kingdom after kingdom would fall to us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stared him, almost caught up in his vision. The apprehension I'd been holding began to lift as I imagined us destroying her forces and me summoning up storms that made the world tremble. I laughed uneasily, alarmed at the way my thoughts had gone. â€Å"One kingdom's enough,† I said, the human part of me bringing me back to earth. â€Å"You say that now, but I tell you, it's in your blood.† He looked down at me intently, and those rapture-filled eyes seemed to be every shade of green and gold in the world. I fell into them. I felt beautiful in them. Like a goddess. â€Å"Eugenie, you're going to be a warrior queen the likes of which no one has ever seen. Your name will live on when Storm King's has faded to dust. You will lead your armies on-powerful, fearless, and beautiful. Katrice's ‘war' is but a skirmish you'll stamp out underneath your boot.† I had a disorienting moment then, recalling a vision I'd had in the Underworld. My soul had been seeking Kiyo's, but it was Dorian I'd seen in a dream-like state, with the two of us standing on a cliff before armies, both of us radiant and majestic. There'd been a baby in my arms and a crown on my head. I'd never told anyone about that. It had been a test, not a vision of the future. Trying to keep things light with Dorian, I asked, â€Å"And where will you be in all of this? Somehow I don't think you'll be lurking in the shadows.† â€Å"My sweet Eugenie,† he said, back to his flippant, gallant self, â€Å"there you go, always suspecting ulterior motives.† He straightened up, affecting a dignified air. â€Å"I, of course, shall be by your side.† I laughed. Dorian would always be Dorian. â€Å"Sharing in that glory and power, no doubt.† â€Å"A little, certainly.† His mirth vanished, and he grew serious once more. â€Å"But also there to keep you safe. Whatever battles you engage in, whether you choose to conquer this world or simply go back to exorcising ghosts†¦what happened with Leith will never, never happen again. Not while I live. I swear it. I will always keep you safe.† He moved forward but was still careful not to touch me. The vehemence in his voice was so strong, however, that it was practically tangible. â€Å"Always.† My smile was gone. I studied him for a long time and realized I believed him. Kiyo had failed me. Dorian would not. And I realized then that I'd been an idiot to keep trying to push Dorian away. Did I entirely trust his motives? No. I did trust him to protect me, though. I'd realized just before my capture that I loved both him and Kiyo, loved them just as my blood and soul were also split in two. The two halves of my nature would always war with each other. And right now, I didn't need the cautious human half that would rationally seek peace. I needed the part of me that wasn't afraid to unleash all the power I had, to charge forward with no restraints. I needed Dorian right now. It was his love that was going to allow me to be strong and unafraid of what was to come. Slowly, hesitantly, I reached out and caught hold of his hand. It was monumental. I think he knew it was, too. I hadn't been able to stand anyone except my mother touching me these last couple of weeks. I certainly hadn't been able to handle any man doing it. His eyes widened slightly at my contact, and I realized he was holding his breath, afraid for me. I held his hand, feeling its warmth and the long, smooth fingers. There was so much power in connecting with another person, in having physical closeness. With just as much care as I'd used to touch it, I moved his hand to rest on my hip and stepped forward. Dorian swallowed, and for the first time since I'd known him, he looked timid. â€Å"Eugenie-â€Å" I pressed a finger to his lips and then stood on tiptoe to kiss him. His mouth opened instantly to mine, warm and eager. I pushed myself closer to him, but when I put his other arm around me, he pulled back slightly. I could feel and see the desire all over him, but he shook his head. â€Å"No, no†¦it's too soon†¦.† â€Å"I'm the one who says when it's too soon.† I kissed him again, harder, and was surprised at how quickly the lust burned through my body. Despite what I'd just said, I had believed until this moment that I would never want another man. But being near Dorian, feeling that electricity and power crackle between us†¦it brought forth all the old desire I'd been fighting recently, the desire that had nearly made me give in to him in that little village, back when I'd still been committed to Kiyo†¦ But I had no such commitments now. He returned my kiss with equal intensity, his hands running along my hips. The passion was seizing him, he was starting to lose himself in it. Then, like before, some reasonable part of him slapped him to attention one more time. I think the world would have been shocked to know the Oak King had such a conscience. He broke away again, but this time, I didn't let him speak. â€Å"Do you want my most recent time to be with him?† I demanded. â€Å"Do you want Leith to be the memory I carry with me of the last time I had sex?† My fingers moved to the buttons of my short-sleeved cotton shirt and unfastened them all. Catching hold of his hands, I brought them toward my chest, spreading the shirt apart and making him touch my breasts. I'd gone braless today, and his hands felt warm where they stroked my bare skin. â€Å"Make this my memory,† I said huskily, with a bit more command in my voice than I'd intended. â€Å"Make it good. Make this be what I think of when I think of sex. Finish what you started that day†¦.† His hands no longer needed my urging. He cupped my breasts, fingers dancing around my nipples. At the same time, he pushed me toward the bed, laying me out on my back. His mouth crushed me with its kiss, and then his lips moved down my neck and to my breasts, taking one of my nipples in his mouth. He sucked gently at first, tongue darting back and forth, but then his lips grew more urgent. His teeth nipped at me while his hands deftly slid my jeans off. After they were on the floor, he sat up a moment, surveying me and all the bare skin before him. Not having him touch me was agony, and I reached up, unfastening the bejeweled belt and his pants. He backed off the bed, standing up so that he could push his pants down the rest of the way. His shirt came off next, and then he stood there naked before me for my inspection, the perfect, marble god he'd been once before. Looking over the leanness of his muscles, how strong and hard he was, I felt my own body respond urgently. I'd complained to Kiyo before about foreplay, but right now, I wanted none with Dorian-though I had no doubt he would have given me hours of it, armies be damned. â€Å"Don't wait,† I begged him as I pushed my panties down over my hips. â€Å"Don't wait.† He caught hold of the panties and pulled them the rest of the way. I thought he'd join me on the bed, but instead he remained standing. He caught hold of my ankles and pulled me toward him until my ass just rested on the bed's edge. Still holding my ankles, he brought my legs up so they were nearly straight in the air, almost leaning on his shoulders. Then he leaned forward and pushed into me, moaning at the warmth and wetness he found there. I threw my hands over my head, arching my body up and watching as he thrust back and forth. His eyes were on me too, taking in every part of me. There was something special about sex in the daylight, particularly with him standing over me like that so we could both fully see each other. There was no hiding. Everything was exposed. Vulnerable. It's easy to feel insecure in such moments, but I didn't, not with the way he looked at me, not with just lust-but with awe and adoration too. He buried himself in me over and over, hard and forceful without being painful. It was such a lifetime away from what had taken place at Art's house that I realized nothing there could even be considered sex. Having Dorian in me felt good and right. My body was brimming with need, and he felt like fire where he moved between my thighs. That heat intensified within me, and I felt a spark of aching pleasure grow stronger and stronger, fueled with each thrust. I cried out, feeling my body on the verge of orgasm, and when it came, it was like an explosion of me, of the world†¦pure ecstasy and elation bursting from between my thighs to the tips of my fingers and toes. He set my legs back flat on the bed and then lay on top of me, never breaking stride. If anything, he pumped more forcefully, nearing his own climax. That glorious hair rained down on my face, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in the silken strands. His own arms wrapped around my body, encircling me like a cocoon as his hips moved harder and harder. Then, he exclaimed loudly, words that had no real form, and pressed his face against my neck as he came, his body spilling into mine. I held him close as he breathed heavily against my neck, his heart racing. Minutes passed, and his body finally calmed, though I continued to hold him. Finally, without breaking from my embrace, he lifted his head and brushed the hair from my face. â€Å"I told you, Eugenie. I told you the world would be reborn when we were together. It will be reborn, and we will conquer it all†¦.† I brushed his lips with my fingers. â€Å"Don't get carried away. We're just settling a grudge here.† The look in his eyes told me he believed a lot more would come of that, but he wisely said nothing. Rolling over, he settled beside me on the covers, and we both lay there, our fingers interlaced. â€Å"I suppose,† I said at last, â€Å"I should go talk to all those people out there, seeing as they're going to risk their lives for my honor.† â€Å"It's more than just your honor,† he said. â€Å"It's the land's too. You are the land, and when they see you, they will gladly fight for you.† I sat up, my eyes falling on the silk dress. â€Å"I guess I've got to play the part. Too bad there's no crown.† Dorian sat up as well. â€Å"Isn't there?† He walked over to the table he'd set his sword and cloak upon when entering. I'd been too distraught to notice at the time, but there was a small cloth-wrapped bundle there too. He brought it over to me, and I found myself holding my breath. I suddenly knew what it was, and I was afraid. â€Å"What's wrong?† he asked when he held it out to me and I didn't take it. â€Å"I†¦I had a dream†¦.† I couldn't explain that vision from the Underworld to him, that one where we'd stood on the hill together. When we had, I'd accepted Storm King's crown-or, well, a feminine version of it-and that's when I'd found myself looking down upon all those soldiers waiting to fight for me. â€Å"What kind of dream?† â€Å"It's hard to explain.† Not waiting for me, Dorian unwrapped the bundle himself. My heart lurched as I braced myself to see it again, an elaborate work of platinum, laden with diamonds and amethysts†¦ But it wasn't. The crown he held was gold and very, very delicate. I hesitantly took it and studied the fine details of it. There were little roses etched into it-roses with lots of thorns. Tiny emeralds-nothing too overwhelming-were scattered amongst the golden leaves. It didn't resemble Storm King's crown at all. â€Å"This is Girard's work,† I said with certainty. â€Å"It is,† Dorian agreed, running a finger down my bare arm. He seemed relieved that I had taken the crown. â€Å"You aren't the only one who can commission projects.† â€Å"But he works for Katrice.† â€Å"Not anymore. Remember that day you met him? I told you then he was an opportunist. He's rolled the dice and decided we're the side to align with-which, of course, we are. He'll come in very handy for weapons, I think.† My eyes were still on the crown and its beauty. I couldn't explain how relieved I was that it was nothing like the crown from the vision. Hesitantly, I lifted it and rested it on top of my head. I looked to Dorian for confirmation. â€Å"What do you think?† He smiled, reaching out to straighten it and arrange my hair slightly. â€Å"Go see for yourself.† Climbing out of bed, I walked over to the full-length mirror and surveyed myself. I was still naked, all that pale skin contrasting with the red of my hair and the glitter of the crown. My hair didn't have the blond that Jasmine's did, but it had the occasional gold highlight, and the crown made those locks gleam as they rested just past my shoulders. The emeralds were subtle, not gaudy, but vivid enough to further set off my hair and eyes. â€Å"So what do you think?† Dorian asked. I glanced over at him, still sprawled on the bed and watching me with amusement. I turned back to the mirror, studying my naked, crowned self. I smiled. â€Å"I think it looks good on me.†

Free Essays on Tony Blair And The Third Way

Tony Blair and The Third Way The Third Way is the route to renewal and success for modern social democracy. Tony Blair explains that this is not simply a compromise between left and right. It seeks to take the essential values of the opposition and apply them to a world of fundamental social and economic change, and do so without using outdated thoughts. The challenges faced are global markets, continued poverty and social exclusion, rising crime, family breakdown, the changing role of women, a revolution in technology and the world of work. The focus needs to be on a deeper demand for democratic reform, as well as a host of environmental and security issues requiring international action. People seek leadership. They want to know how to adapt and prosper; how to build stability and security in this changing world. Blair is looking to show the public that his system will make a better balance for society. Blair’s system still holds traditional values of solidarity, social justice, responsibility and opportunity. But the system wants to get rid of outdated thinking, such as being state controlled, high taxation, and producer interests. Other things taken strongly into consideration are narrow individualism and the belief that free markets are the answer to every problem. The 20th century has been dominated by two groups, a fundamentalist left which saw state control as an end in itself, and a more moderate left which accepted this essential direction but favored compromise. The Third Way is a serious reappraisal. It shows us a principle of combining two great streams of the left of center thought, democratic socialism, and liberalism. For many years in opposition, the British Labor Party was seen unfairly as the party of big government; nationalization, anti-enterprise, soft on crime, unconcerned with family life, gripped by pressure groups, and favoring more tax and public spending across the board. A false opposition... Free Essays on Tony Blair And The Third Way Free Essays on Tony Blair And The Third Way Tony Blair and The Third Way The Third Way is the route to renewal and success for modern social democracy. Tony Blair explains that this is not simply a compromise between left and right. It seeks to take the essential values of the opposition and apply them to a world of fundamental social and economic change, and do so without using outdated thoughts. The challenges faced are global markets, continued poverty and social exclusion, rising crime, family breakdown, the changing role of women, a revolution in technology and the world of work. The focus needs to be on a deeper demand for democratic reform, as well as a host of environmental and security issues requiring international action. People seek leadership. They want to know how to adapt and prosper; how to build stability and security in this changing world. Blair is looking to show the public that his system will make a better balance for society. Blair’s system still holds traditional values of solidarity, social justice, responsibility and opportunity. But the system wants to get rid of outdated thinking, such as being state controlled, high taxation, and producer interests. Other things taken strongly into consideration are narrow individualism and the belief that free markets are the answer to every problem. The 20th century has been dominated by two groups, a fundamentalist left which saw state control as an end in itself, and a more moderate left which accepted this essential direction but favored compromise. The Third Way is a serious reappraisal. It shows us a principle of combining two great streams of the left of center thought, democratic socialism, and liberalism. For many years in opposition, the British Labor Party was seen unfairly as the party of big government; nationalization, anti-enterprise, soft on crime, unconcerned with family life, gripped by pressure groups, and favoring more tax and public spending across the board. A false opposition...

Team Dynamics and Group Formation

Team Dynamics and Group Formation Introduction Teamwork occupies a special place in the operational models of most organizations worldwide. This comes from the realization that it is the most efficient way of achieving the goals of an organization. Globalization is the major force behind the changes seen in workplaces because it is causing inevitable interaction of different cultures.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Team Dynamics and Group Formation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This realization has been the motivation for learning institutions to adopt the use of group based models of learning to enrich the learning process. This paper relates to the experiences derived from a team-based approach to learning. It focuses on the formative stages and the operational dynamics of the team. The goal of the team is to analyze the operations of Qantas in order to identify sustainable business practices and the change management process at the airline. In itial Functioning of the Group There are two reasons behind the formation of the group. The first reason is that the course under study calls for the analysis of an organization in order to determine elements such as its operations and its change management strategy. This group is working on Qantas Airlines as the case study. The second goal for the team’s formation is to develop an appreciation of how teams function. In addition to the primary objective of analyzing the operations of Qantas, using a team model to do it promises to provide all the members with an idea of how team function and the dynamics controlling the development process. Teams tend to develop through certain stages that follow a logical progression. Different scholars refer to these stages using various terms. According to Phillips and McConnell (2005), teams go through five stages in their development process. These stages are, â€Å"formation, disequilibrium, role definition, maturity and maintenanceâ € . They take on a logical progression that follows the dynamic processes at work in the life of the team. However, the more popular way of looking at the team development process is by the model developed by Bruce Tuckman that labeled the stages of team development as Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since then different scholars have developed variations to it to accommodate new research and to increase awareness to some of the core issues covered under each of the stages. One of those variations presented by Williams (2006, p. 323) adds three stages to the process titled, â€Å"de-norming, de-storming, and deforming† after the performing stage in Tuckman’s model. The goal for these additions is to show that teams are not permanent but must disintegrate after the attainment of the objectives. Another exa mple of variations to Tuckman’s model presented by Heldman and Mangano (2009, p. 187) is the addition of a stage called â€Å"adjourning†, after Tuckman’s performing stage. These examples show that there is agreement among scholars to the fact that teams go through a logical development cycle. In order to discuss the development process of the team under discussion, Tuckman’s model will provide the framework. This is because it is simple enough and covers all the key stages of relevance to this discussion. The first stage that the team went through was â€Å"forming†, which covered the circumstances that led to its creation. The members did not have a choice of whether or not to be part of a team because it was a course requirement. The members decided to be part of a team of their choice but they did not have a say as to whether they wanted to be in a team or not. This brought about a sense of common destiny because the performance of the members in the course depended on their performance as a team. This situation is not unique but is common especially in the disciplined forces. Soldiers do not have a choice regarding the company they will be in. However, once together, they must put their differences aside and work around their differences to win the war at hand because they all have a common destiny.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Team Dynamics and Group Formation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The second stage in the team development process is â€Å"storming†. This is the stage where the actual work in the team begins. It is characterized by infighting and jostling for positions because the member are not yet clear what their roles in the team are. In some cases, some members opt out because they find the jostling unbearable. In the case of the team under review, there was a bit of tension originally as members sought to clarify how the team w ould operate. Most of the member had other jobs, which made the issue of finding a common time outside of class work very difficult to find. In addition, there was the challenge of deciding on who would be the team leader. Since the interaction of the members was limited to classroom encounters, member did not have a good appreciation of who had the best skills to lead the team. A vote to decide on the team leader settled the issue. The next stage that the team passed through was â€Å"norming†. After settling down and appointing a leader, the team found it easier to talk and to raise issues related to the project. Some of the issues had a direct impact on the progress of the work while others had to do with the needs of the members. The team did its best to accommodate the schedules of all the members, especially those who had other jobs. Meeting regularly proved to be a bigger challenge than originally anticipated but the team has worked very hard to settle and get down to business. The team is currently in the fourth stage of â€Å"performing†. There are clear rules guiding the team’s operations and its outcomes. It is clear to all team members that failure to deliver on targets will affect the whole team. The team is working very hard to keep up with the schedule for completion of the work. There are fewer personality related conflicts compared to the initial stages of the teams work. One of the issues that warrant mention in the whole development process is the goal setting process that the team adopted. In the first meeting, the only thing that was clear was that the team was going to analyze the operation of Qantas. However, the process of doing it remained in the hands of the team. It was up to the team to make up its mind regarding how the project was to proceed.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One definition of a goal is â€Å"an end towards which you direct specific effort†. One of the first goals the team had to set and execute was choosing a team leader. The team realized that a team leader would help coordinate the work of the team better than if each member went to work without some form of central control. After choosing a leader, the team looked at the assignment in detail and developed options for meeting the objectives. At this point, the team identified specific objectives relating to the desired outcome of the process. One of the decisions taken included giving each member a particular department in Qantas as their individual area of focus. The idea was to develop a comprehensive picture of the company before going on to analyze the trends that showed up based on individual reports. The outcome of the analysis is what will form the core discussion in the final submission of the teams work. Developed specific goals included the analysis of the operation o f specific departments in Qantas, the development of an overall picture of how the airline operates, and the analysis of the change management strategies employed by the airline. Midstream Changes in Team Dynamics The critical events that characterized the development of the team related closely to the stage that the team was in. During the forming stage, the critical issue was choosing team members. As noted earlier, the task for the team was not open for debate hence it was not possible to opt out. After the class to the class to form teams, people grouped themselves based on what they felt was the best arrangement based on the limited interaction with each other in class. During storming, the team went through a period of distrust and jostling. The members were not sure of whom to trust the responsibilities. Some attempted to take more work to ensure that completion of the assignment, while others took only limited work because of their tight schedules. Eventually, under the guid ance of the team leader, the team rationalized the workload by asking each member to pick a specific aspect of the overall assignment. There was a bit of jostling too because members did not have a good idea of what their role in the team was. Forming stage gave the team a chance to reconsider its goals, processes, and achievements. The members relaxed and became less formal during meetings. It was in this stage that it became necessary to enforce rules developed earlier because members became relaxed. Without direction from the chair, the team would have lost time to socialization and to other irrelevancies. However, these activities also helped to build trust. After the norming stage, the team sorted out many of the issues that came up during storming. The key strengths of different members became apparent during the performing stage. This enabled the team to work better. Some member proved to be more adept at research while others had better analytical skills. Members collaborate d in and out of team meeting to leverage on the strengths available within the team. The key characteristics of the team in this stage were collaboration and high productivity. The team is currently in this stage. Output is satisfactory but there are still problems with meeting the team’s deadlines mainly because of the tight schedules that some team members operate under. Change Management Process The characteristics of strong teams include a clear vision, objectives and goals, synergy, flexibility and adaptability, and a strong review mechanism. The team in this report had a very clear objective, which was the analysis of the operations of Qantas. The setting of this objective partly came from the clarity of the course requirements. In addition to this objective, the team set a number of operational objectives including the number of meetings it needed to have in order to achieve the goals, the targets for each individual member and the quality of work the team wanted to pr esent at the end of the exercise. In as far as strong objectives characterize strong teams, this team met the requirement. The second characteristic of a strong team is synergy. In other words, it is the working together of the team members by leveraging on the strengths of individual members to create a strong result. This aspect came into play when the team used its strongest members to validate research and analysis done by the other members. The team members passed on their work to members who were strong in research and analysis for criticism and comment. This improved the quality of the output that each individual provided and by extension it improved the overall quality of the work the team produced at each stage. The third aspect of strong teams that this team displayed was flexibility and adaptability. Flexibility showed when team members constantly put effort into adjusting and synchronizing personal schedules to create time for team meetings. As mentioned earlier, some of the team members have demanding jobs and getting time off apart from class time to attend meetings is a major issue for them. Nonetheless, a lot of effort went into finding a workable time to ensure the meeting of the team’s objectives. On the issue of adaptability, the team worked hard to find ways of remaining in touch outside the meetings and classes. In this sense, the use of email and text messaging made it possible for the team members to keep in touch and to continue with work despite the severe time constraints. This option was not immediately obvious to the team because the model that the members originally had in mind included meeting together for discussions and compiling parts of the work. The reality however is that it is difficult to meet as often as earlier envisaged. This called for innovation and a flexible attitude to see how to employ electronic means of communication. The final characteristic of strong teams is that they review progress regularly as a sou rce of learning. On this count the team still has a lot to do. The time constrains associated with this team’s work means that most of the meeting time went into the actual development of the work with very little time left for meaningful review. However, in principle, the team fully appreciates the need for regular review. Conclusion The experiences of the team with this project illustrate the practical hurdles teams face in the process of executing their mandate. There are always forces acting to make it difficult for the team to execute its mandate. It also shows that each team must go through the formative processes. The stages of team development occur concurrently with the team’s efforts to achieve the primary goals. There is always need to balance the needs of the team as a growing unit with the achievement of the objectives set for the team. Reference List Burns, J. M. (1979) Leadership. Harper Row, New York, NY. Gaist, P. A. (2009) Igniting the Power of Commu nity. Springer, New York, NY. Heldman, K., Mangano, V. (2009) PMP Project management Professional Exam Review Guide. Illustrated edn, John WIley and Sons, Indianapolis, IN. Hopkins, D. H. (1999) Using History for Strategic Problem-Solving: The Harley-Davidson Effect. Business Horizons, pp. 52-60. Kanter, R. M. (1997) World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy. Simon Schuster, New York, NY. Murthy, C. S. V. (2007) Change Management. Himalaya Publishing House, Mumbai. Ohmae, K. (1995) The End of the Nation State. University of Minnesota Press, Minnesota. Paliwal, M. (2006) Business Ethics. New Age International, New Delhi. Phillips, R. L., McConnell, C. R. (2005) The Effective Corrections Manager: Correctional Supervision for the Future, 2nd edn. Jones Bartlett Learning, Sadbury MA. Rosenthal, S. B., Buchholz, R. A. (1999) Rethinking Business Ethics. Oxford University Press, Cary NC. Roulliard, L. (2002) Goals and Goal Setting: Achieving Measured Objectives, 3rd ed. Ceng age Learning, United States of America. Thakur, M., Srivastava, B. N. (1997) International Management. Tata Mcgraw-Hill Education, New Delhi. Vakola, M Nikolaou, L 2005, Attitudes Towards Organizational Change: What is the Role of Employees Stress and Commitment?, Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol 18, no. 1, pp. 163-176. Williams, C 2006, Management, 4th edn, Cengage Learning.

VISUAL ANALYSIS PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

VISUAL ANALYSIS PAPER - Essay Example The child who is symbolizing Jesus in this picture is the centre of this picture where the friends of Madonna are taking care of him. Similarly Modonna’s centre of interest in this picture is also the child who was regarded as a gift from god and all the attention was being given to him (Wright, 339). The antique art is also depicted in the picture where all the people behind the scenes are busy in their works and the mountain tops are showing a unique work of masonry and status building. It is shows that the mother’s affection is at the peak and Mary is busy in taking care of the child who will be the crown of all the happenings in future. The use of dark colors are cut from all the sides in order to converge the focus of the viewer is the cardinal theme of the picture which in turn is creating a haughty image. Explanation The  Adoring Madonna  is a type of character that was highly popular during the Renaissance period in the historical perspective. This image usu ally is intended for personal devotion and feelings are showing that the Mary and her friends are showing their love for the Christ Child. There was a time when many such images were produced in a huge number to depict the ancient art for the people of modern age so that they can understand the true color of history and how well civilized the ancient people were and these pictures also show glazed terracotta as well as painting aesthetics. Half length Madonna is the trademark painting piece of the Eastern Orthodox Church in which the painters used to depict the similar scene in many different perspectives and highlighting multiple historical events in different pictures. The subject matter is highly formulated to highlight the importance of the â€Å"Mother of God. Such kind of paintings of Mary and child with saints are very common in the  renaissance painting which are specific to Italy, Italy because the era of Renaissance is very much related to Italy from the ancient times. These types of images are also made with soil and mud to give a depiction of the museum sculptures. These statues and painting can captivate the viewer and take him in to the ancient civilization where everything was simple and grounded in natural perspective. The above picture is also one of those true showing of culture. Such kind of images started to surface in the time period of around fifteenth and sixteenth century when the repertoire of painters were full of painting related to Mary and child with hermit saints in order to include historical events, independent portraits, ancient civilization and mythological subject matter of the characters. Christianity had a great impact and nurturing of these painters because every painting is somehow related to the divine orations and happenings similar to what described in the Bible. The subject matters of the above picture also discuss the events that happened and described in the bible and images of different saints remained a centre of all the art work. All the events that took place in the sixteenth century also influenced these paintings and many of the aesthetic works show the depiction of the ancient events that took place in the timeline of history. Later works of Fungai show his mastery of the Sienese and works of the

God is Just Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

God is Just - Essay Example The adverts of the latter view tend to believe in fun and joy as the main essence of life (â€Å"Teleological Arguments for God's Existence†). Thus, conventionally, four chief arguments related to the existence of God emerged: 1) the cosmological argument; 2) the teleological argument; 3) the ontological argument; and 4) the moral law argument. The present article deals with teleological argument. It is popularly known as "the argument from design" (Greek meaning of telos is design). According to this argument, the universe confirms the presence of complex life forms, from tiniest creatures to the biggest animals and plants; everything is in a perfect order being inter-linked; moreover, no one modulates these living beings but they are self-modulated in a perfectly controlled manner. The designer or creator has created life forms in a simplistic manner and, therefore, He must be a perfect and well co-ordinated planner to make this world run so smoothly maintaining the harmoniz ation, dexterity and a perfect balance of complex life forms. Thus, there must be a premeditated and decree brainpower behind these synchronizations, here emerges a belief that a force is certain beyond the nature and it is something supernatural! (â€Å"Teleological Arguments for God's Existence†). ... According to William Paley, heavenly bodies wander with perfect accuracy in their fixed paths and orbits. Every living organism possesses a complex life form structure meeting various metabolic processes and their requirements every fraction of second. These intricacies just happen and it is solely the creation of God (â€Å"Teleological Arguments for God's Existence†). Besides, there are individuals called Agnostic who raise the next question: "If God is all-powerful and all-forgiving, why must he send his son to die for his sins. Couldn't God just forgive the sins without sending his son down in human form to die? So what, so God dies for a few hours, how does that in any way forgive a sin...?† God has made us follow the path of truth. There’s a fear of punishment that is deep seated in minds of those who practice truth in every aspect of life, who are honest and do what is right, do justice and stay away from committing sinful acts, such as robbery, theft, murd er or abuse of any kind (â€Å"Good Question...Why Can't God Just Forgive Sin, Instead of Demanding Justice?†) . Although these arguments could convince millions, in the present scenario of rapid science development (with the conception of the evolution of life and various life forms, evolution of planets and the universe, forces behind each movement, theories, interpretations and explanations about the happenings taking place in the universe) teleological arguments are taken to some different path. According to the present arguments, spotlight lies on the fact of "fine-tuning" of the universe to support life. This is an objection to the Paley’s view as the present opposition is based on the theory of evolution and, hence, the aforementioned arguments are less

North American Agriculture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

North American Agriculture - Essay Example All three originated from the southern Mexico or MesoAmerican area. Squash is named after the Massachuset Indian word askutasquash, meaning "not cooked". Anthropologists think squash may be a major factor in the transition of native people from hunter/gatherers to growers. "The fruits of wild squash were easy to find and offered flesh, nutritious seed, edible flowers and even containersmade from a hard-shell squash known as gourd" (Gilmer, 1). Summer squash is known as Curcurbita pepo, winter squash and pumpkins are C. maxima or C. moschata. All three species are native to the Western Hemisphere. Beans are another of the oldest foods grown in North America and one of the oldest known to man. They have played a significant part in the diet of people for thousands of years. Beans were domesticated about 7000 years ago in both Peru and southern Mexico. Peru developed beans with bright colors and large seeds, while Mexico developed white and black beans with variations of patterns that were small seeded. The tribes in Mexico and Peru traveled across the continent spreading the beans and their techniques for growing these plants. As the New World was being discovered, many varieties of beans were already being successfully grown by the native people. Corn dates back to it's origin as a grass on the Mexican plateau 80,000 years ago. The grass was called teosinte and is believed to have been developed by the native population. The teosinte looked very different from today's corn with small kernels not fused into a husk on an ear like early maize and modern corn. Over time, Native Americans created maize through specialized cultivation. Grass grows in segments and the ears of maize were produced at the joints of the segments. Encouraging the growth of ears on the lower joints and only replanting kernels from those successful plants eventually adapted the crop to a shorter growing season and increased the yield. As the genetics of the plant were changed, its value as a food source increased. Native Americans discovered that maize could be grown, harvested, and dried, then ground into flour. "Surplus maize would be stored in underground storage pits, ingeniously constructed and lined with grasses" (Prindle 2), and used over the winter. Eventually the growing of maize along with beans and squash was adopted into the southwestern and southeastern regions of North America. Native people planted household gardens and larger fields next to their villages. The fields were made of small mounds of tilled earth about one foot high and 20 across, spaced about 4 feet apart and placed in rows or at random. Their method is to plant five to six kernels of corn in a small circle in the middle of the mound. As the corn grew, they would plant seven or eight pole beans in a circle about six inches away from the corn kernels. Several days later they planted seven or eight squash or pumpkin seeds. When the plants began to grow, they would thin out the weak and leave the strongest plants. Author, Tara Prindle wrote, "The corn stalk serves as a pole for the beans, the beans help to add the nitrogen to the soil that the corn needs, and the squash provides a ground cover of shade that helps the soil retain moisture" (2). This is how the Three Sisters work together

Rethinking Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rethinking Leadership - Essay Example A leader is the one who motivates and influences his/her subordinates to attain the pre-defined goals (Hernandez et al. 1166). With this definition in mind, one can recognize a number of effective leaders; Alexander the Great, Nelson Mandela, Adolf Hitler, Asoka and Mahatma Gandhi etc. However, at the organizational level, Steve Jobs is undoubtedly the most legendary leader of the 21st century who transformed the world of information technology. Steven Paul  "Steve"  Jobs  (February 24, 1955  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, innovator, leader and inventor, best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of  Apple Inc.  Through Apple, he was widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the  personal computer revolution and for his influential career in the computer and  consumer electronics  fields, transforming one industry after another, from computers and smart phones to music and movies. Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of  Pixar Animation Studios. He became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company  in 2006, when Disney acquired Pixar. Steve Jobs was the one, who led to the creation of the  Apple Lisa  and, one year later, the Macintosh. He also played a role in introducing the  LaserWriter, one of the first widely available laser printers, to the market. Steven Paul Jobs was born on 24 February 1955 in San Francisco, California, to an un-married couple who gave him up for adoption. He was taken in by a working class couple, Paul and Clara Jobs, and grew up with them in Mountain View, California. He attended Homestead High School in Cupertino California and went to Reed College in Portland Oregon in 1972 but dropped out after only one semester, staying on to "drop in" on courses that interested him (Hertzfeld 53). He took a job with video game manufacturer Atari to raise enough money for a trip to India and returned from there a

Direct Foreign Investment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Direct Foreign Investment - Coursework Example The growth of FDI has always been associated with the growth of financial markets in terms of market capitalization. This paper will compare the FDI in China and Brazil in categories of five factors that influence foreign direct investments. II. LITERATURE AND PREVIOUS STUDIES/ARTICLES SURVEY Research studies indicate that China and Brazil are expected to be among the largest economies in the world by the year 2050. The two countries are considered to be among the biggest and fastest growing emerging markets that have a significant long term growth potential. The two countries occupy a large geographical coverage and research shows that the countries contain about 30 percent of the global population. China and Brazil also have a combined GDP of $16.3 trillion. China and Brazil have an expanding middle class that is expected to double in number within a period of three years. This massive growth in the middle class in the two countries is expected to increase the demand for goods and investments. The two factors of population growth and the growth of the middle income segment make the two countries attractive for foreign direct investment. III. SPECIAL REMARKS AND PERSPECTIVES 1. Attract new sources of demand China has the largest population in the world and population estimates indicate that the population is expected to grow in the coming years. The country’s current population is estimated to be 1.4 billion people as of 2011. This clearly means that china has the largest consumer market in the world. According to Shaukat and Wei (30), large populations imply that an economy has a high potential of consumption hence creating more opportunities for trade. Investors are more likely to invest in China because of its large consumer market. The country has been recording large inflows of investments. The large population also acts as a source of cheap labor for businesses especially manufacturing companies. A large number of businesses have managed to establ ish their businesses in China because of the low cost of labor. In the case of Brazil, the country has a rapid growing middle class economy that has attracted a lot of FDI in recent years. According to Danhua (127), Brazil has managed to attract demand for foreign direct investment because of its rapidly growing middle class economy. The latest economic statistics indicate that the country has a nominal GDP per capita of $12,916 by the end of 2011. The statistics also indicate that the country has been recording an average nominal GDP per capita growth of 5 percent. These statistics clearly indicate that the country has a large purchasing power. The statistics also show that the country has potential prospects of recording an increase in demand for goods and services. This factor has played a major role in attracting foreign into the country. The above analysis indicates that China and Brazil have different factors that determine and influence new sources of demand. Whereas China dr ives its new sources of demand through population growth, Brazil drives new sources of demand through the growth of the middle income segment. Statistics reinforce the difference between the two countries through statistical data that support the two factors. China has the largest population in the world while Brazil is considered to have the highest growth in GDP per capita in the world. Estimates indicate that th

Accounting information systems Annotated Bibliography

Accounting information systems - Annotated Bibliography Example This journal provides accounting information concerning the ability a company to perform based on the kind of data, software used and the kind of people that use this data in order to make informed decisions. The researchers of this journal use empirical data from small business enterprises in order to determine how an organization performs based on information fed on an accounting information system. For example, the researchers highlight that managers and other users like analysts, auditors, investors and consultants rely on financial information, there is need to use high quality software in order to make informed decisions. Furthermore, software programs can be built to be able to uniquely satisfy a company’s needs based on various factors like company size, complexity or sensitivity of financial information. Generally, the journal highlights that accounting information system software enables users to access reliable information in an effective manner. Interested readers can use this journal to acquire knowledge on the performance measures of an information system.

Rethinking Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rethinking Leadership - Essay Example A leader is the one who motivates and influences his/her subordinates to attain the pre-defined goals (Hernandez et al. 1166). With this definition in mind, one can recognize a number of effective leaders; Alexander the Great, Nelson Mandela, Adolf Hitler, Asoka and Mahatma Gandhi etc. However, at the organizational level, Steve Jobs is undoubtedly the most legendary leader of the 21st century who transformed the world of information technology. Steven Paul  "Steve"  Jobs  (February 24, 1955  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, innovator, leader and inventor, best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of  Apple Inc.  Through Apple, he was widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the  personal computer revolution and for his influential career in the computer and  consumer electronics  fields, transforming one industry after another, from computers and smart phones to music and movies. Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of  Pixar Animation Studios. He became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company  in 2006, when Disney acquired Pixar. Steve Jobs was the one, who led to the creation of the  Apple Lisa  and, one year later, the Macintosh. He also played a role in introducing the  LaserWriter, one of the first widely available laser printers, to the market. Steven Paul Jobs was born on 24 February 1955 in San Francisco, California, to an un-married couple who gave him up for adoption. He was taken in by a working class couple, Paul and Clara Jobs, and grew up with them in Mountain View, California. He attended Homestead High School in Cupertino California and went to Reed College in Portland Oregon in 1972 but dropped out after only one semester, staying on to "drop in" on courses that interested him (Hertzfeld 53). He took a job with video game manufacturer Atari to raise enough money for a trip to India and returned from there a

Accounting information systems Annotated Bibliography

Accounting information systems - Annotated Bibliography Example This journal provides accounting information concerning the ability a company to perform based on the kind of data, software used and the kind of people that use this data in order to make informed decisions. The researchers of this journal use empirical data from small business enterprises in order to determine how an organization performs based on information fed on an accounting information system. For example, the researchers highlight that managers and other users like analysts, auditors, investors and consultants rely on financial information, there is need to use high quality software in order to make informed decisions. Furthermore, software programs can be built to be able to uniquely satisfy a company’s needs based on various factors like company size, complexity or sensitivity of financial information. Generally, the journal highlights that accounting information system software enables users to access reliable information in an effective manner. Interested readers can use this journal to acquire knowledge on the performance measures of an information system.

Luxury Store Audit Essay Example for Free

Luxury Store Audit Essay Monaco is a small country, but well known all over the world. All over the world it is known as a place of luxury. Every year a lot of tourists visit Monaco to have a good vacation visiting casinos, luxury restaurants and off course to do a shopping in a most known, luxury brands. In Monaco you can find a lot of different luxury boutiques for every taste; you can find everything from luxury cars to a luxury clothes and accessories. During the course of Luxury audit services we study a lot about the services in luxury stores. So our goal was to divide into groups and to do an audit of few stores. Our group was a big enough for such a mission, so we were thinking how to do it in a better way. And once we got a good idea. According to the information we received during the seminar with Guillaume Rose, in Monaco there are a lot of Russian millionaires, and they are always â€Å"invited guests† in different places. So we decided to split our group on two smaller groups and to compare the experience received in Gucci store and in Celine which are situated in the heart of Monaco, near the Casino and Hotel de Paris. I will share with you the Russian experience. I asked my friend, she is from Russia, for some help in this mission. Our story was that we family couple came from Russia for my friend’s wedding and as we already bought a new skirt for my wife we need to buy a new bag, which must be one of the last collections. And the second part of our group was native French with two different scenarios in two stores. As we will see next we received a little bit different experiences. Gucci store audit Firstly we decided to audit one of the most famous brands in the world, Gucci. At 12. 00 we entered the store. Before entering the store, we noticed that the showcase was clean, with good lighting, but there were no goods exposed. Entering the store, I noticed that the main glass door was all in hand prints and it was just 12. 00. Going to the store and pretending a married couple, we were arguing about the fact that my wife has already a bunch of bags and for what reason she is looking for one new. Staff in the store noticed us at once and ran to the side waving their heads as a greeting. Only the guard who was near the enter greeted us in a very polite form. We were walking through the shop for 3 minutes and a half and it gives us a good opportunity to study the store. We noticed that the reception area was clean as it is required, but there were not enough light, it gives to the store a much groomed look. And also no music and even no fresh flowers in the store. After 3 minutes and a half we meat a sales person who greeted us and introduced himself as a David. He asked us a few open questions in order to know what we are looking for. After he listened our story he was interesting in our previous experience with Gucci brand. We pretend that we don’t know anything about Gucci. He told us some information about the brand about its uniqueness and heritage. After that David proposed a few bags, he explained the value of that model and brought all the colors for that model. Also he guaranteed that the model will be in a trend for the next few years. What was not really very good it’s a careless handling of the bag and he put them on one big heap. And what impressed me very much is that he even don’t show the inner part of the bag, on my opinion it is very important to know how it is inside the bah which you are going to buy for a big amount of money. As I was pretending a husband who is not really happy to buy a new bag, I asked about the discount, and I get an answer in very polite form that there is no discount at all in Gucci store in Monaco. My pretending wife was asking me to buy the bag she liked and I was strong on my opinion. So a after that dialogue with my wife he proposed to book the bag till the evening for the case if I will change my mind. This was very polite from his side. But he doesn’t accompany us to the door and didn’t offer to giva us a business card and to right down us into the customers database. Totally we spend in the store 26 minutes. So in conclusion I can say that the experience I have received together with my pretending wife was far different from the French experience of my group mates. Celine store audit The second we decided to audit was the Celine also situated in the heart of Monaco. Our story was the same, we were looking for a bag which will be good to my â€Å"wife’s† new skirt which we have bought for a wedding we are invited here in Monaco. The showcase was very clean with good exposition of some goods. When we entered the store we noticed staff talking together near the cash machine, although all of them greeted us in their store. The area of the class was very clean , there were enough light, giving a good look to the goods represented in the store. After a minute and 20-30 seconds of waiting we meat a vendor, she was Russian so we were able to speak on our native language. It impressed me very much, so I was ready to buy everything in that store. She was asking a lot of open questions, to get more information about our needs and it was great, because after that she proposed a few models which were facing all our needs. She was very listening, so it helps her to understand our needs. She explained everything about the product, how to clean it and how to use it to leave it in a new condition. Of course she valued the model and showed a few others and different colors. She knows the material and the price for that bag without looking anywhere. But what upset me she didn’t spoke about the brand, because we don’t know anything about that brand, except that it is a luxury and expensive brand. As the bag we liked the most she proposed to book it till the next day midday, so that we can think about purchasing it. She remains courtesy even in the case of not buying that bag. She put our names in database and proposed her help for any other matters. She accompanies us to the door and wish a good day for us. We spend in that store 23 minutes and the felling was like we spend there almost an hour, the experience we received in the Celine store was great dispute of some moments. Conclusion As our group was divided for two smaller groups in order to compare different experiences. As Russian group visiting the Gucci store we received almost a great experience. Points to improve, I would recommend to put some products on a showcases, it is needed to clean the entry glass door and if there is such a need to clean it every hour. They need to put more lights in the store, because it was too dark. Some fresh flowers will do only a good role and some soft music will be very great. And of course some training course for the staff. Celine experience was really great and there is nothing to speak about. I wish them to continue in that way. The experience we received during these audits was one of the greatest. We were participating in the process not just as a customer’s but almost as professionals who can notice almost everything in the store. Thanks to Ozzy Monaco for a great course.

Immortal Technique: The 4th Branch

Immortal Technique: The 4th Branch This discourse analysis will focus on Immortal Techniques song called the 4th Branch published on his 2003-released CD Revolutionary Vol. 2. This paper will start by portraying the artist, focusing on his inspirations, followed by a brief description of discourse analysis and the definition of content analysis which is used to study the lyrics. Finally, this work will regard the main concepts of the power of discourse, the media and Islamophobia together, by acknowledging the link in between these terms, building a critical approach towards American actions and values. Felipe Andres Coronel is a hip-hop artist known as Immortal Technique as well as a political activist, born in Peru. After immigrating to the United States at a young age due to a civil war in his native country, he was raised in Harlem, New York (viperrecords.com). The artist describes himself as a revolutionary and socialist guerrilla, influenced by historical events and political figures such as Malcolm X, Che Guevara or TÃ ºpac Amaru (immortaltechnique.info). Mainly his raps involve critical issues such as global and local poverty, racism and religion (immortaltechnique.info). Turning down a deal by a major record label, and signing with a smaller label (Viper Records), he expressed his desire to remain in control over his music, avoiding the influence of mass production (immortaltechnique.info). Method In the recent decades, discourse analysis affected social psychology research on not solely textual analysis, but also areas such as films, speeches or policy documents. Accordingly, it introduced new methods in order to explore objectively tendencies and pattern of meanings within documents and focus on the interaction between e.g. the speaker and addressee (Antaki, et al., 2003; Stemler, 2001; Fairclough, 1992, p.3). Researchers often use computer programs known as CAQDAS (Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software) to study qualitative analysis (MacMillan and Koenig, 2004, p.181-182). These computer-based methods for qualitative data analysis, help organizing and coding the data (Fielding and Lee, 1996, p.242). This paper will use content analysis to study the artefact and is characterized as a systematic, replicable technique for compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit rules of coding (Stemler, 2001). Weber determines category as a group of words with similar meaning or connotations (Stemler, 2001). This study is defined as any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages by Holsti (Stemler, 2001). This evolves an inductive reasoning, in contrast to deductive approaches. Due to observations and measurements, regularities are explored, followed by the proposition of a hypothesis, out of which a theory or a general conclusion can be drawn (Trochim, 2006). The procedure of this analysis allows to describe the centre of individual or groups as well as institutional or social attention (Stemler, 2001). After having coded and categorizing the words or the families of terms into groups, u nderlining topics and issue become clearly visible. If applied properly, content analysis is an influential data reduction technique due to its systematic, replicable technique for compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit rules of coding (Stemler, 2001). Analysis of the artefact 1000 words This discourse analysis focuses on the artefact of a song-text. Quantitative and qualitative key words in text give hint to main terms of soft power, religion and American actions and values. In order to receive the most objective result, this analysis was coded independently three times and the average result is considered. Furthermore, it only regards the first and second verse as well as considering the chorus only one time. Discourse and American values, actions This analysis starts by referencing to the ideas of discourse. Twenty-three times the families of words linked to American actions and values are found. When talking about discourse, Michael Foucault plays an important role. He claims that knowledge is interconnected with power. Discourse as the production of knowledge is linked to variety degrees of power; how some voices get heard whilst others are silenced (Pinkus, 1996). It explains the change of language and its construction, linked to the social and cultural process (Fairclough, 1992, p.1, 6). It uses the principle of othering to establish self-identities, achieved by creating a language of dislike and fear in this case towards non-Americans and terrorists (Jackson, 2005, p.59-61). These binary categorizations are sufficient enough to capture the publics support against terrorists constructed as intolerable threats (Jackson, 2005, p.61, 72; Benjamin and Simon, 2003, p.385). Additionally, the U.S. are portrayed as fighters for j ustice, while the Middle East and its population is defined as uncivilized. Immortal Techniques asks: fighting for freedom and fighting terror, but whats reality?, hence, it is important to acknowledge the standpoint out of which terms are illustrated (Sakamoto, 2003, p.39). In addition, America often acted in disregard to their moral values which partly destroyed their positive image. Iraq was invaded in 2003 after the U.S. failure to receive UN approval; self-interested military actions and its ignorance towards international law portrayed Americas unilateralism (Taylor, 2010, p.313; Sakamoto, 2003, p.35). Human rights violations, we continue the saga is prove of this critique and is e.g. linked to Americas treatment of prisoner in Guantanamo Bay as well as in Abu Ghraib. Media and soft power The following section will develop this idea by looking at the notion of soft power and the use of media. The data refers twenty-two times to the families of words linked to factors such as manipulation, propaganda and representation. Due to the title and line the fourth branch of the government AKA the media, it is essential to explain the other three branches of the American government. The first branch is the executive one, responsible for implying the nations laws, while the second branch is concerned with judicial matters, followed by the third, legislative branch (USA, 2011). The artist refers to the media and its influential power as the forth branch, which eventually leads to soft power. Nye explains his as a method to reach diplomatic solutions and co-operations without coercion, emphasizing on shared political values, communication and understanding (Wagner, 2005; Ilgen, 2006, p.27). Moreover it is a sort of propaganda, capable of influencing and shaping behaviours and perc eptions of others, deriving from the attractiveness of a countrys culture, political ideals and policies (Nye, 2004, p.x; Ilgen, 2006, p.75). This form of power is contrasted to hard power, defined as the employment of threats and coercion, enforcing national interests on to other actors (Nye, 2004, p.2; Wagner 2005). Hence, the media is vital for American politics. Furthermore it plays a crucial role in constructing images and categories and helps to justify and explain American actions. It establishes an everyday and political language into the nations culture due to its role as channel between society and politics, while the average citizen, made to be, blind to the reason through media censorship and manipulation (Jackson, 2005, p.59, 66, 164). Religion and Islamophobia Nine lines are concerned with the topics of religion and difference between Western and Islamic traditions, such as a fake church called the prophet Muhammad a terrorist. This implies a critique of Christianity and refers to the notion of Islamophobia, which is defined as the mostly Western intolerance and fear of Muslims and Islamic otherness; it emphasis on its differences, defined as inferior to the West and unresponsive to change (Islamophobia Watch; Gottschalk and Greenberg, 2008, p.2). It is a form of religious discrimination based on prejudice other than race and ethnicity (Sheridan, 2006, p.317, 331). After the events of 11/9, Islam and its followers are seen as violent and threatening, supporting terrorism and military advances towards to West (Islamophobia Watch). Due to the fact that the mainstream media does not inform about the nonviolent Muslim perspectives, this hatred is hardened and alienates Muslims from other communities (Gottschalk and Greenberg, 2008, p.2). Muslims appear as executioners of violence, in the name of Islam, hence Americans conclude that all Muslims act out of religious reassignment and define the religion as dangerous (Gottschalk and Greenberg, 2008, p.10). Additionally anti-Muslim hostility is justified as normal. Christianity and Judaism are defined as Western religious traditions, alienating themselves from Eastern religious tradition (Gottschalk and Greenberg, 2008, p.6). The way Muslim are portrayed in the West, creates tensions leading to anti-Americanism, conflicts, clashes, misunderstandings and injustices; seemingly they to do share any common interests or values (Gottschalk and Greenberg, 2008, p.3, 10). After having categorized the lyrics into three main divisions, this analysis builds its theory; the artist seeks to demonstrate the power of propaganda through the media and soft power, and the ideas indoctrinate in American minds about their nations values and actions. Due to discourse, the representation of Islam in the mainstream media and through political actions, hatred against Muslims was triggered, which led to the construction of the War on Terror, as well as anti-Americanism throughout the world. American actions were justified trough lies such as Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction in order to implant fear among their citizens and gain their empathy (Gottschalk and Greenberg, 2008, p.7, 8). The song ends with the artists demand to his listeners, to turn off the news and read; hence to broaden ones horizons, avoiding being influenced by certain (manipulated) ideas or deprived from the whole truth. To conclude, this work uses content analysis to study the lyrics of the artist Immortal Technique. This research method focuses on use of the dominant families of words which in this artefact are discourse, false American values and actions, soft power, media, religion and Islamophobia. In addition, this approach endeavours to find the link between them, which is the power to alter representation and language in everyday life and hence, establishes a critical view towards American society, its politics and its media.