The Devil in the White City - Discussion Questions

'The Devil in the White City' - Discussion Questions The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is a true story that takes place at the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair. Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details about the story. Finish the book before reading on. Why do you think Erik Larson chose to tell Burnham and Holmes stories together? How did the juxtaposition affect the narrative? Do you think they worked well together or would you have preferred to read about just Holmes or just Burnham?What did you learn about architecture? What do you think the fair contributed to the architectural landscape in the United States?How did the Chicago Worlds Fair change Chicago? America? The world? Discuss some of the inventions and ideas that were introduced at the fair that still impact life today.How was Holmes able to get away with so many murders without becoming suspect? Were you surprised by how easy it was for him to commit crimes without being caught?What ultimately led to Holmes capture and the discovery of his crime? Was this inevitable?How did Holmes hotel contrast with the buildings of the Worlds Fair? Can architecture reflect goodness or evil, or are buildings neutral until used?How did the White City contract with Chicago, the Black Cit y? What do you think of Holmes claim that he was the devil? Can people be inherently evil? How would you explain his strange allure and cold-hearted behavior?Burnham, Olmsted, Ferris and Holmes were all visionaries in their own ways. Discuss what drove each of these men, whether they were ever truly satisfied, and how their lives ultimately ended.Rate The Devil in the White City on a scale of 1 to 5.

Free Essays on Ideal Code Of Ethics

Abstract The focus of this paper will be to identify what an ideal code of ethics is. A code of ethics is truly honored by the officer(s) that is required to follow it. I view the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics as being the ideal code of ethics for a police officer. I view the ideal code of ethics as a means to serve as an oath to the particular position that one has been hired to fulfill. In his book Police Ethics, David Hanson duplicated The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. This code of ethics I find is a very effective in serving the purpose of the oath for a young or new police officer that the International Association of chiefs of Police would apply. The code of ethics can be a guideline and I must admit that I am not familiar with the hiring and or oaths required for police. However, I see that each employer has a code of conduct in place. The employee code of conduct establishes the requirements of each employee. The employee may be required to show up to work on time, follow department guidelines, policies, and procedures. The same code of conduct may refer to ethical violations. On page xvii of the Police Ethics, in the second paragraph of the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, â€Å"I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department.† Much of every ethics statement in this refers to policy guidelines. I looked at this particular Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and noted that it also has some reference to situations that is not covered in a particular department policy. Most departments have the code of conduct rule â€Å"any act that is deemed to be a poor representation of the department† but not many cover the understanding of the badge and to what symbol it serves. The power or the heart felt message is what is difficult to explain of an ideal code of ethics. The ideal code of ethics should be one that addresses the requirements of the badge and what it symbo... Free Essays on Ideal Code Of Ethics Free Essays on Ideal Code Of Ethics Abstract The focus of this paper will be to identify what an ideal code of ethics is. A code of ethics is truly honored by the officer(s) that is required to follow it. I view the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics as being the ideal code of ethics for a police officer. I view the ideal code of ethics as a means to serve as an oath to the particular position that one has been hired to fulfill. In his book Police Ethics, David Hanson duplicated The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. This code of ethics I find is a very effective in serving the purpose of the oath for a young or new police officer that the International Association of chiefs of Police would apply. The code of ethics can be a guideline and I must admit that I am not familiar with the hiring and or oaths required for police. However, I see that each employer has a code of conduct in place. The employee code of conduct establishes the requirements of each employee. The employee may be required to show up to work on time, follow department guidelines, policies, and procedures. The same code of conduct may refer to ethical violations. On page xvii of the Police Ethics, in the second paragraph of the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, â€Å"I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department.† Much of every ethics statement in this refers to policy guidelines. I looked at this particular Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and noted that it also has some reference to situations that is not covered in a particular department policy. Most departments have the code of conduct rule â€Å"any act that is deemed to be a poor representation of the department† but not many cover the understanding of the badge and to what symbol it serves. The power or the heart felt message is what is difficult to explain of an ideal code of ethics. The ideal code of ethics should be one that addresses the requirements of the badge and what it symbo...

Sex & Society in Postwar Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sex & Society in Postwar Germany - Essay Example Street walkers and female taxi drivers were available for the pleasure of visiting Westerners, too. On May 6, 1933, Nazi Youth of the Deutsche Studentenschaft made an organized attack on the Institute of Sex Research. A few days later the Institute's library and archives were publicly hauled out and burned in the streets of the Opernplatz. Around 20,000 books and journals, and 5,000 images, were destroyed. Also seized were the Institute's extensive lists of names and addresses of LGBT people. In the midst of the burning, Joseph Gobbles gave a political speech to a crowd of around 40,000 people. Hitler initially protected Rohm from other elements of the Nazi Party which held his homosexuality to be a violation of the party's strong anti-gay policy. However, Hitler later changed course when he perceived Rohm to be a potential threat to his power. During the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, a purge of those who Hitler deemed threats to his power took place. He had Rohm murdered and used Rohm's homosexuality as a justification to subside outrage within the ranks of the SA. After solidifying his power, Hitler would include gay men among those sent to concentration camps during the Holocaust. Careful attention to the history of sexuality prompts us to reconsider how we per iodize twentieth-century German history; it changes our interpretation of ruptures and continuities across the conventional divides of 1918, 1933, 1945, 1968, and 1989. Consideration of the history of sexuality and insistence on integrating the history of sexuality with more traditional topics of historiography can also challenge our assumptions about key social and political transformations and provide new insights into a broad array of crucial phenomena. To neglect the history of sexuality, for example, is also to fail to care about the content or force of anti-Semitism both during the Weimar Republic and in the early years of the Third Reich. Similarly, if we set sex aside as irrelevant, we lose opportunities to comprehend the extraordinary appeal of Nazism both to those Germans who sought the restoration of conservative family values and to those who benefited from Nazism's loosening of conventiona l mores. Nor can processes of popular secularization or religious renewal be understood without attention to the history of sexuality. Likewise, to disregard conflicts over sexuality is to risk misunderstanding the extensive emotional repercussions of Germans' military and ideological defeat in World War II, and its consequences especially for German manhood. Perhaps most significantly, to treat sexual issues as marginal is also to miss how the postwar Federal Republic of Germany, in striving to be incorporated into the Cold War West, was able to manipulate the memory of Nazism and to redirect moral debate away from the problem of complicity in mass murder and toward a narrowed conception of morality as solely concerned with sex. Sexual politics functioned as a main locus for recurrent reconstructions of the memory and meanings of Nazism. Because the reworking of sexual mores had been such an important feature of the Third Reich, attempts to come to terms with the legacies of fascism in Germany could not help but address sexual matters. No less pertinent a factor, however, was the unexpected revival of Christian authority in the

HR Field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HR Field - Research Paper Example According to the essay in recent years, this field has attained significant importance throughout the world, as the human resourcing jobs are detrimental in performance evaluation of any organization. Human resourcing as the name suggests, adds a human or people approach to the ways the organizations develop and function in daily life. This profession has gone through substantial changes in recent years and now holds the credit for being one of the best career choices in terms of career growth and progression, salary and benefits, and career outlook. The types of job include both the internal and external to the organization job, as well as the specialist and the generalist human resource practitioners.  This paper outlines that  many organizations enjoy human resource services by the external service providers or the outsourced human resource professionals whereas; other organizations prefer the internal human resource department to carry out the HR jobs and tasks. Generalists u sually have knowledge and expertise on every aspect and perspective of business however, the specialists professional have advanced expertise and greater knowledge on a few aspects of the HR environment. The HR professionals usually hold degree or certification in Human Resource Management however; degrees in related fields of study are beneficial and productive in this regard as well.  The HR field offers steady jobs throughout the career ladder of a human resource professional and bears substantial fruit in every phase or point in one's career.

Textual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Textual Analysis - Essay Example Victor’s father’s death is the central event that unites Victor and Thomas. Without this death, in Phoenix, Arizona, both men would have continued to live their lives unchanged. As the trip begins, Victor wants only money from Thomas to make this trip alone. When Thomas stipulates that Victor can only have money for the trip, if he is allowed to come along, Victor reluctantly agrees. As the journey unfolds Victor finds that Thomas is worth much more than the money for the trip. Although it is no exaggeration to say that the trip is the most important event to accomplish in the beginning, in the end the trip itself was the important event. The use of flashback in this story helps the reader understand the past between Victor and Thomas. Without the understanding of Victor and Thomas’ past, the reader would be unable to grasp the importance of the trip for Victor’s father’s ashes. Since they are both Native Americans, death and life are perceived differently on the reservation, than in the white community of Spokane, Washington. Thomas’ storytelling relates the foundation of both young men in order for the reader to understand the importance of the trip. Not only Victor, but Thomas had a special relationship with Victor’s father as well. Thomas told Victor of the remembrance with his father during the long journey. He was thirteen years old, having a dream to get to Spokane. He stood there for awhile to have a vision at the falls waiting for the vision all Native American men have around that age. Instead of a vision, when he opened his eyes Victor’s father appeared. He took Thomas to a Denny’s restaurant, fed him and drove him home to the reservation. And then Thomas realized Victor’s father was his vision and dream that people are living under taking care of each other. He almost thought his dream betrayed him before that, but he was salvaged

How The Family Life Is Changing

How The Family Life Is Changing How much is family life changing? In one of the BBC articles written by Mark Easton in 2007, he highlights that in a survey which is made by BBC, three quarters of Britain are positive about future of their family. Correlatively, it is deduced that 40 years ago people were less happy than now. When the BBC exhibited its research of families in Britain, the result demonstrated that closest relationships between family members were deteriorating in time in consequence of reduction in traditional family structures. In spite of all alterations, 93% of the people in the world are satisfied with their family life. Moreover, Easton claims that for every three weddings there are now two divorces which shows the highest rate in Europe. Cohabitation has increased to 64% in ten years. So that, approximately half of children were born outside wedlock. What is the Family Life for a Single Parent? What Easton states in a BBC article in 2007 is that the highest proportion of lone parenting is in Europe which also indicates that one on four children now stay with a single mother. In addition, Academic studies have been proved in 2007 that children who have one mother are less successful at school than offspring of married couples. According to growing numbers of people (7/10) rely on that parent are getting worse at family life. Although Easton gives a general information and important statistics about lone parenting, Kimberly Gail highlights essential sides of single parenting in 2011 in BBC news. According to Gails point of view, parenting is a challenging endeavour. Lone parenting is not only challenging but also very fulfilling. The custodial parent struggles with responsibility of looking after and providing basic requirement. When you are a lonely mother, you are expected to make up your mind by yourself and so that you can have a healthy and happy family life through following some primary steps. Gail divides lone parenting into 5 groups. COMMITMENT- In an attempt to be as successful parent, you have to have courage to take responsibilities as they fall on your shoulders. Your family is supposed to be your priority. Due to the fact that you are a parent, you are committed to spend time and money to support your children physically and emotionally. HOME MANAGEMENT- Because lone parenting requires you to be alone in your house hold, organisation is essential. Many single parent families are responsible for arranging household. In order to be successful in organising, one of the good ways is to create an assigned daily list of household chores for everybody. It is even very easy for a small child as she/he will be picking up and putting away the toys. RESPONSIBILTY- Single parents are responsible for rising children alone and direct them to variety of activities. RELATIONSHIPS AND TRADITIONS- It is substantial for parents to carry daily rituals. Rituals and traditions are materials of keeping family members together and can be a relaxing reminder of stability. In order to give examples to keep rituals going; get together for a dinner, go out for bowling at the weekend and join to activities that will create a warm environment as it reinforces family chains. SELF-CARE- Many single parents sacrifice a lot to make stable house warmer for their children. However, parents should know that taking care of them is also very important. Daily exercise reduces stress and provides you a healthy life. Taking time with family and parents is also essential to strengthen relationships. Some parents also take advantage of religious community and spiritual guidance. Technologys role The other factor in family life which we can mention is technology. As it is easier to access to a public transport than 50 years ago, the distance between family members decreased. According to Mark Easton (BBC Home Editor) mobile phones have made communication between family members easier, even though the internet has not yet become very common in family environment. With regard to the researches in 2007 less than a third of internet users preferred contacting their parents every week and 8% of them communicated everyday. Although family life changes fast, we esteem are family ties more than ever. According to what James Westhead states, despite increasing influence on family life, with computers and internet, it is clear that they have negative impact on relationships. Parents complain about the amount of time that their children spend in front of screens rather than involve in traditional family activities. To give an example, Second Life is a programme which makes people or families interact online as an avatar and even share family meals. Professor Lewis implies that Technology is a double edged sword for families, it can erode and reduce human interaction but at the same time, technology is great at bringing people together just look at mobile phone use within families. (Lewic.C, BBC news: 2007) A BBC pool has indicated that most of the British people are very positive about their family future. A question arises; what will size of families be in the future? According to predictions, in case trends in the past continue, parents in the future will not have many children and not get married. In reference to researches, the percentage of children who has non-married parents has increased 3 times more in last 50 years to 40% while the number of children has dropped to 1.8 in a family. A third of un-married parents are single and the rest of the people are co-habiting, however are more willing to separate than in the past. According to James Westhead, predictions are unreliable. Professor Charlies Lewis (expert on family psychology) highlights that we will encounter with more single parents and more separation People are already making and breaking relationships more easily and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Fighting between parents who stay together can be harmful for children. (Lewis.C, BBC News: 2007). The most influential factor is most probably economic. Moreover, the increasing cost of living and pressure leads people to have fewer children. Families become hot political topic It was brought forward that single parents and other family variations should not be involved in government policy. It is a common thought that while some traditional families which includes a married couple looking after children in a constant home seemed to be the ideal, dramatic social changes occurred in last decades and it became intolerable to base policy on it. According to Assinder in 2007, social changes caused the nuclear family to emerge. Furthermore, it was argued by some people that most of the social problems were generated by collapse in traditional family life. Correlatively, Tory Prime Minister John Major began to cut married couples tax allowance in mid 1990s and it was ended by Labour in 2000. The leader David Cameron implied in BBCs News night in 2007: Marriage is, on the whole, a good thing that should be rewarded not punished. In addition, the chief secretary, Andy Burnham gave his opinion about marriage and stated that I dont think the Tories should have a mon opoly on this kind of thing. This is totally where Gordon Brown is coming from, your roots and your family are everything. Never the less, the policy on family is possible to alter, as majority of people showed interest to David Camerons announcements. Particularly, Camerons promissory speech in order to increase the inheritance tax to  £1million took less attention in the party conference. According to Liberal Democrats, tax break are not the right way to be chosen and they insist to focus on helping couples stay together. It appears that the family is bound to become one of the most common issues in following elections and policy.

The Turkish Pogrom of 1955 and the Elimination of the Greek Minority of

With an official statement, issued on 7 September 1955, the Menderes government expressed its deepest sorrow for the losses suffered by Greek minority in Istanbul. The Turkish Prime Minister blamed the riots on communists, underlining its commitment to the exemplary punishment of the perpetrators (Xristidis 2000). The interpretation of the pogrom as a conspiracy of international communism was repeated during the extraordinary meeting of the Grand National Assembly, which took place on September 12, 1955. However, under the force of circumstances, Adnan Menderes admitted that the government knew about the demonstration on September 6th, in advance. Also, the Turkish Prime Minister argued that, the riot was a spontaneous expression of national sentiment of the Turkish people who was stimulated by the news about the imminent massacre of Turkish Cypriots on 28 August. Moreover, he stated that the hysteria that gripped the crowd was so strong that immobilized the police forces, which foun d themselves between their quest to restore order and their commitment to the homeland, thus leaving full freedom of movement to the protesters. The claim of the Turkish government that the country suffered a severe blow because of the Communists was met with scepticism by foreign observers (Guven 2006). First of all, the number of Communists in Turkey was small and secondly, their activities were under the watchful eyes of the Turkish Intelligence Services (MIT). It seems that, only a small percentage of people who were arrested immediately after the episodes were communists. The arrest of those who had communist beliefs, such as the well-known Turkish writer Aziz Nessin, was totally unjustified, since there was no evidence for their participation i... ...itly the Christian Orthodox and Jews, which were the largest minority groups from Turkey. In addition, according to nationalist elites, these minorities were assimilable thus, were not capable of becoming part of the Turkish nation. Also, they stated that, the Non-Muslim minorities, mainly the Greek, were not composed of loyal citizens but possible traitors to the Turkish state (Guven 2006). Adnan Menderes believed that was national and extremely important responsibility of every Turk to implement the Turkification, in an attempt to establish an independent Turkish state. A corollary of this concept was the effort of assimilation of the Greek minority by force, exercising a policy of discrimination and restrictions against it. In this context, the language, culture and desires of Non-Muslim minorities had to be connected with the history and dignity of Turks.

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman (cited) Essay

Willy and Nora: Tragic Heroes or Home-wreckers? No one has a perfect life. Despite what Aaron Spelling and his friends in the media might project to society today, no one’s life is perfect. Everyone has conflicts that they must face sooner or later. The ways in which people deal with these conflicts can be just as varied as the people themselves. Some procrastinate and ignore their problems as long as they can, while others attack problems to get them out of the way as soon as possible. The Lowman and Helmer families have a number of problems that they deal with in different ways, which proves their similarities and differences. Both Willy Loman, the protagonist of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and Nora Helmer, protagonist of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House experience an epiphany where they realize that they were not the person the thought they were: while Willy’s catharsis brings about his death, Nora’s brings her to a new life; hers. Bo th character’s flaws bring about their departure from their respective families as well. They are both overly concerned with the appearances they and their families present to society: as a result they both project false images to others. From their appearance, both seem to be involved in stable marriages and appear to be going places. Willy’s job as a traveling salesman seems stable (although we never know what it is he sells) when he tells his family that he â€Å"knocked ’em cold in Providence, slaughtered ’em in Boston† (Miller 1228). It is not until Willy’s wife, Linda tells us that he â€Å"drives 700 miles and when he gets there, no one knows him any more, no one welcomes him† (Miller 1241). If that’s not enough to convince readers of his failure on the job, the fact that he gets fired after working for the same company for 36 years cements his incompetency in the business world to readers. While Nora does not work in the business world, (few woman, if any did over 120 years ago) her failure to take care of her responsibilities becomes quite evident as well. See more: citing an essay When the play opens and Nora enters with a Christmas tree and presents for the children, she gives off the impression of a good mother trying hard to prepare a great Christmas for her family. Upon further analysis we see that Nora’s duties, in general, are restricted to caring for the children, doing housework, and working on her needlepoint. Nora cannot complete these duties even with the full-time help of Anne Marie, a housekeeper who cleans up after Nora just as much as the children. When Nora and Kristine are having a discussion towards  the start of the play, Nora informs her friend that, â€Å"I’m so happy and relieved [with my marriage]. I must say its lovely to have plenty of money and not have to worry. Isn’t it?† (Ibsen 1119). The rosy picture she painted of her family and marriage are in stark contrast to the â€Å"stranger of a man† (Ibsen 1168) she refers to her husband as. We realize that she had not been living her life at all; rath er the life that her husband wanted her to live. While both Willy and Nora succeed in giving of the appearance of being competent, efficient and helpful family members who contribute to the well being of their respective families, they prove otherwise as the plays progress. While the two plays take place nearly 100 years apart, are set on different continents and each have completely different family members, both engage in lies and deceit that hurt their families; after which each protagonist leaves their family. Not only does Willy lie about his performance on the job, he lies about his â€Å"faulty car† as well. He tells his family that the Studebaker keeps malfunctioning when in reality we find out through Linda that he has been deliberately trying to kill himself. The biggest way in which Loman deceives his family is by cheating on his wife while away for work in Boston. When his eldest son discovers his father’s unfaithfulness, he loses all trust for his father, and Biff’s life pretty much goes downhill from there. Willy Loman’s lies, deceit, unfaithfulness have resulted in huge problems for his family. Nora also starts trouble in her household through lies and deceit. Nora’s crime of forgery is not even a crime in her mind; she does not realize that the law does not take into account people’s motivations behind their actions. While she knows that Krogstad has been associated with shady law practices, she does not realize that his crime was on the same level, if not less illegal than the one that she has committed. When Tourvald opens the letter and finds out about her crime, he goes ballistic, and cannot believe that his own wife could be capable of such a crime. This is ultimately the reason / situation that helps Nora realize that she must leave her family in order to begin to live her own life. But Nora even lies about the little things in life such as the eating of macaroons (Ibsen 1126). Her husband forbade her from eating them on account that they will rot her teeth, and when she is seen eating them in her house, she says that they are a gift from Kristine, which is a lie. Both Willy and Nora’s lies and deceitfulness frustrate their families to the  point where each protagonist much leave their family; although Willy’s departure is his death, Nora’s is the start of her real life. Both main characters also use an escape mechanism to leave reality when they realize that their lives are on the wrong path. When Loman starts to realize that his pride and joy in life, Bi ff, â€Å"is a lazy bum† (Miller 1218) he begins to talk to himself (Miller 1221). These mental lapses bring Loman to a happier place and time, when his kids were young and innocent and he thought that the best part of his life lay still ahead. This acts almost as a defense mechanism against the pains of reality for Willy. In the final scene, after Biff tells his father that he is â€Å"a dime a dozen† and that the Loman name really doesn’t mean much, Willy engages in the ultimate escape mechanism; suicide. Although it may appear on the surface to be a selfish and coldhearted move to spite his family, he actually did it so that his family may live a better life with money he thinks they will receive from his life insurance policy. When faced with the harsh pains of reality, Nora also uses defense / escape mechanisms to ignore the problems at hand first, then to conquer them in the end. She believes that she has done nothing wrong, and that if what she has done is illegal, that her good intentions will nullify the illegality of her forgery. When Krogstad informs her otherwise, tells her the possible repercussions of her act, and ultimately gives her an ultimatum, this is her first touch of reality outside of the doll’s house that she lives in. To cope with the harshness outside of t his doll’s house, she immediately retreats back inside and attempts to distract herself with Christmas decorations (Ibsen 1133). She uses the tree and presents to distract her from her problems, and tells the nursemaid Anne Marie that she’s too busy to play with her kids who want to see her because she must try to distance her mind from the subject at hand. Here she is only making the problem worse by not dealing with it. When she finally realizes that her â€Å"main duty [is] to [her]self† (Ibsen 1166), and that she has been living life according to what her father and husband have wanted rather than what she has wanted, Nora’s epiphany is complete. She knows that the only possible solution that can work for her is to leave right away. Willy and Nora both escape their problems first by drifting away with mental distractions, then when they fully realize their problems, they both must physically leave their families. For Willy this means death, for Nora, the  start of (a new) life. Willy and Nora share a fatal flaw: they try to make others happy before making themselves happy. All that Willy ever wanted in life was to be â€Å"well-liked† and for his sons to follow in his footsteps. Their lives focused too much on fulfilling others rather than themselves, and in the end this flaw led to their departure from each of their respective families. When Charley asks Willie â€Å"when the hell are you ever going to grow up?† and Biff declares that â€Å"we never told the truth in this house for 10 minutes† (Miller 1280) we realize that Willy will never grow up and that he must leave his family because he will never grow up and that nearly his whole life has been a farce. Similarly, when Nora tells her husband that the only way he (and her) can only change if Tourvald has â€Å"his doll taken away† (Ibsen 1168) we realize that Nora’s life too has been a farce and that she must leave in order to begin her own life.

Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Map Essay

Balanced Scorecard: Part of a system that translates strategy into action. Also, gives a balanced view in four perspectives of how well an organization is driving execution and how successful the results are. The four perspectives in the balanced scorecard and strategy map give executives a more balanced view of their organization. Strategy Map: Represents how an organization will execute its strategy. The Strategy Map shows the objectives needed to execute the strategy and casual links between objectives. It can also be a tool for clear communication and help identify the â€Å"critical few† metrics to monitor strategic execution. Examples: The first of the four aspects contained in the Balanced Scorecard is the Customers. Finding ways to appeal to your customers can be a tough task, but it is one that has to be assessed. For my company, we will have to differentiate between trying to be the broad differentiator or trying to be the low-cost leader. Customer complaints and concerns can also be an issue, so we will want to monitor and record all of those statements to ensure customer satisfaction. In order for us to succeed financially, we have to make sure that we are presenting ourselves well to our shareholders. Do we want to achieve a certain earnings per share or a certain income figure? Our goal this year may be to break even or reach a certain revenue level. Whichever the case may be, we will have to be firm in what we are trying to accomplish. The financial section of the scorecard looks at the company’s financial goals and how they are meeting the goals both currently and in the future. For my company, it will be the most important metric because we want to show our  shareholders the exact progress and growth of the company accurately. Our company will want to continue to grow and have the ability to adapt and improve. In order to do so, we will have to provide detail metrics to track our growth and expansion if there is any. Metrics may include employee retention rates or even the number of training hours for full-time employees. As an organization, it is necessary to adapt to a changing landscape through employee training, learning, and development. With these metrics we can look into the future of the organization, instead of taking a snapshot of how the organization is performing right now. To satisfy our shareholders and customers, we can either sell a large quantity of items at a low price or focus completely on a high quality product that comes at a premium price. Both strategies could be effective, but we will only be able to choose one to fulfill the vision of what we want the company to be in the future. The Strategy Map and Balanced Scorecard go hand in hand and are vital platforms that all companies need to be successful. I like to compare it to the checks and balances system that our government has had in place since its birth. The balanced scorecard monitors finances, performance, growth, and vision while the strategy map makes sure that all of these metrics are organized and focused towards achieving our companies’ goals. References Person, R. (2013). Accelerating Strategic Performace. In Balanced Scorecards & Operational Dashboards With Microsoft Excel (2.nd ed., p. 6, 7, 8). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley ;.

Examine the theme of loneliness and isolation in M.R James stories Essay Example

Examine the theme of loneliness and isolation in M.R James stories Essay Example Examine the theme of loneliness and isolation in M.R James stories Essay Examine the theme of loneliness and isolation in M.R James stories Essay Essay Topic: Back in the World Stories In the early 20th Century, the Edwardian era was coming to an end, but the wealth and affluence of the upper classes still remained. With very little contact with the outside world, the rich became complacent and arrogant. Political tension was increasing in Europe, but the well-off took little notice, concerned exclusively in their own affairs. With plenty of time on their hands, people could indulge in the study of science, or spend long periods of time shut up in antiquarian libraries, devoted to furthering their intellectual prowess and pride and becoming self reliant. When not in the library, they had the time to go off on private walks, do independent field research, or any other solitary pursuit, as their pride meant that they did not need anyone for guidance. The affluent were slowly becoming less religious, as their new found passion for science led them to rationalise everything and deny spiritual existence, and their prosperity meant that there was little to look forward t o in the afterlife. This also meant that certain people no longer had God to turn to, further isolating themselves. The effect of these changes in society was that scholarly men would spend long hours in loneliness and isolation, and this fact is what M.R. James utilizes to great effect in many of his stories, not only to make the ordinary upstanding members of society become more vulnerable and susceptible to the horrors of the supernatural, but also to absorb the reader into the main characters life, making the supernatural experiences far more shocking. In Mr Humphreys and his Inheritance the main character who spends time in isolation is Mr Humphreys, and unfortunately for him, the key feature which attracts him to the house left by his uncle is its library. He felt that Wilsthorpe was a place in which he could be happy, and especially happy, it might be, in its library. It is unfortunate, because predictably, the library, a place to be alone, is also where the only supernatural encounter in the story occurs. M.R James often uses libraries in his stories as they are the perfect setting for supernatural encounters: scholars would spend long periods of time alone in old libraries studying forgotten books, which may themselves hold information about dark matters or contain antiquarian documents, which are not meant to be removed. Often in silent contemplation, detached from the outside world, they could lose themselves in quiet seclusion. This is exactly the situation Mr Humpreys is in when in the library, tracing the map of the maze. Lonely and vulnerable, any sound or movement becomes exaggerated and out of proportion. Once or twice it was a question whether there was-not a bat, but something more considerable-that had a mind to join him. M.R James makes the reader very aware that Mr Humphreys is alone and isolated; and particularly exposed to any evil that could come through that window. His isolation heightens the sense of tension, as the reader is completely conscious of how susceptible he is, by himself, with no one to observe whatever unpleasant incident may occur and no one to help him. In addition, because he is alone, the storyline, and therefore the reader, focuses exclusively on Mr Humphreys, and how he reacts to each individual situation. This means that when the supernatural event finally occurs, there are no other characters to distract the readers attention from the action as it unfolds, and the reader experiences a similar emotional reaction to Mr Humphreys. This combination of putting the main character in a setting where he is isolated, and telling the story like a realistic account, progressively increasing the readers sense of fear, means that not only is there an elevated level of anticipation befo re the event, but also that the incident itself is far more shocking. Another of M.R James stories which incorporates the theme of loneliness and isolation is Oh whistle and Ill come to you my lad. Parkins, a university professor and the main character in the story, stays by himself at the Globe Inn in a double bedroom for a week, to improve his golf- he is alone in a foreign place, a common technique used to isolate the main character. Putting them in an unfamiliar environment, and presenting them with unforeseen circumstances, causes them to feel their isolation more acutely. Parkins is also similar to many of M.R James main characters, in that his intellectual pride leads him to believe that he can handle any situation by himself, encouraging him to isolate himself from familiar surroundings. Like other of M.R James characters, Parkins is self-assured and independent, with a firm belief of his ability to cope in any situation, and rationalise the irrational. As he himself asserts, I am, in fact, a convinced disbeliever in what is called the supernat ural. Therefore, he can confidently stay in a double room alone, or walk along a beach followed by a strange figure, and be sure that no paranormal events will occur, or if they do, there is a logical and rational explanation which will permit him to escape from any unforeseen situation. Regrettably for Parkins, this isolation makes him particularly vulnerable to any evil manifestation in the vicinity. There had been a movement, he was sure, in the empty bed on the opposite side of the room. Tomorrow he would have it moved, for there must be rats or something playing about in it. Had Parkins not been alone in this situation, his companion would have not only helped him come to terms with the fact that there was no rational explanation for the movement in the empty bed, but they would also make him realise that his fear was justified. Being alone, his fear forces him to deny the irrational, making him all the more vulnerable. An example of this is where Parkins is cornered by the creature and, the Colonel burst the door open, and was just in time to see the dreadful group at the window. When he reached the figures only one was left. Parkins does not react, because he is alone and cannot rationalise the creature, and therefore does not know what to do. This means he is particularly defenceless. Also, the fact that Parkins is on his own when the evil apparition reveals itself makes the scene more frightening, [It] slipped from the bed and took up a position, with outspread arms, between the two beds, and in front of the door. It is more frightening because the reader knows that Parkins stands less of a chance facing it alone than with someone else. M.R James exploits Parkins isolation to build tension and instil fear. In Number 13 the theme of loneliness and isolation continues, with Mr Anderson, a man who prided himself on his accuracy of observation. He, like many of M.R James other characters, is alone in a foreign place. M.R James plays on the fact that because Mr Anderson is so independent, not only socially, but financially and emotionally also, he must rely solely on himself to get everything right. This leads to characters doubting themselves, He looked quickly and suspiciously about the room when he entered it, but there was nothing, beyond that indefinable air of being smaller than usual, to warrant any misgivings. When Mr Anderson sees the room is smaller, he knows what he has seen, but cannot confirm his observation, because he cannot find any rational explanation for it, and he cannot ask a companion if they saw the same thing. This means that nothing is done, and his suspicions are cast to the back of his mind. Ignoring the obvious warnings of supernatural occurrences endangers Mr An derson, as he cannot, unlike with every other aspect of his life, prepare for what may take place. Another element of suspense that M.R James gains from isolating his characters, is dramatic irony. When Mr Anderson enters the room and suspects it is smaller, the fact that he is alone enables him to put it down to his natural suspicions, and he is therefore able to dismiss the thought. However, the reader knows that something is amiss, and that Mr Anderson is suspicious, but does not allow himself to act on it, dismissing it due to his intellectual pride. This builds the tense atmosphere further. When he is alone, Mr Anderson cannot confirm his observations: he doubts himself and dismisses suspicions, becoming more susceptible to paranormal events, because he is oblivious of the imminent peril and cannot decide what to do, effectively heightening the suspense. In conclusion, M.R James uses the theme of loneliness and isolation as an effective technique to create suspense, develop a sinister atmosphere and create shocking supernatural encounters. He does this by choosing a specific type of main character, who, thanks to their financial position, can become independent socially, and emotionally. By isolating the main characters, M.R James makes them especially vulnerable, because not only there is no one there to help them, but also their inherent intellectual pride renders them helpless.

Management accounting-Bias Budgets Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management accounting-Bias Budgets - Coursework Example Question One (a): Why do managers want to manipulate their budgets? After budget approval, the company may use it to carry out budgetary actions. As a result, the managers use it to ensure they carry out the organization objectives and plans and in the end, they have to compare budget plan against the real performance. Once compared, the difference in amount is usually the budget deficient or bias which is cause by manager`s manipulation or distortion on the proposed budget. There are various reasons as to why mangers manipulate budget. Firstly, if the rewards and motivation through performance evaluation help to achieve the budget results, the managers may end up manipulating the budget to include more of rewards in order they can hit the target more easily like league table and bonuses. Besides, managers are highly involved in cases of budget slacks-where organization set their revenue to be too low and a high cost, the organization may end up losing sales since the resources requi red to raise production with the short time given have been limited. Moreover, the managers who have been promised some rewards on attaining certain goals set their target to be very low such that they easily attain them without caring whether the company looses or gains. Likewise, the senior managers dictate on a budget for performance. As a result, it forces the mangers to keep focus of resources on the performance of their department. Consequently, the mangers end up presenting a budget request biased on his department not for organization as whole. Hence, the direction of bias is downwards. Secondly, the company`s practices and norms is subtle in determining the performance of the company`s budget. Notably, prevailing work conditions help to dictate what is morally right. As a result, the management, which focuses on self-manager performances, will give incentives directed to managers alone. However, the aggregate accounting performance from his action is focusing on organizatio n as whole. On the other hand, the management focusing on others gives a hard determination of degree of performance. As a result, it reduces the aggregate performance although it induces co-operation and collaboration to other firms. Moreover, when there occurs some change in the budgetary system from being top-down or centralized, and an acceptable estimate of growth is set, with the changing budgetary system to may be bottom up, and company`s practices remaining similar, bias of unknown direction happens. Lastly, the mangers may feel insecure in their job and as a result, they are more than ready to use the budgetary trick when a chance arises. By this, it mean, the managers are quick to spend until the entire budgeted amount is consumed when the chance of buying goods occurs at a lower price. In fact, in the managers operating in the declining sales department makes use of entire budgets usage under the assumption that the future is uncertain. As a result, the budget becomes was teful at the expense of the manager approving his need of upholding the job since the amount needed by the company and the bought one is very varying. Hence, strong upward bias occurs. (b): Why are they able to do? What are the constraints on such behaviour? As a long as the departmental budget exists, some head of the department will always try to game the budget. Additionally, there are numerous reason as

Are criminals born or made Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Are criminals born or made - Essay Example 47 - 48). Considering the question â€Å"are criminals born or made?†, I personally take the side that criminals are not born but made. In the process of convincing the readers that criminals are made rather than born, a wide range of research evidences will be presented in this study. In the process of going through the main discussion, this study will discuss and examine the relationship between race and criminal activities throughout the United Kingdom. To strengthen the argument that criminals are made and not born, some gathered past and recent facts and figures which are significantly relevant in suggesting a strong relationship between race and crime will be provided in details. Criminals are made not born. This argument can be noted in response to the socio-economic difficulty that takes place over the past few years. As a result of high unemployment rate, the economic recession that took place recently has led to an increase in the number of violent crime and burglaries throughout the United Kingdom. Criminal activities are referring to any forms of act which are illegal and could either directly or indirectly cause physical, mental, or emotional harm aside from the possibility of incurring financial and property loses towards another person. Among the type of criminal cases that occurs in the United Kingdom includes: violence, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, theft and handling, fraud and forgery, drug offences, and motoring offences among others (Jones & Singer, 2008, p.94). Many people have the wrong connotation that criminal behaviour is hereditary such that people who belong to either the black population and/or the other minority groups have more courage to actively participate in notorious gangs that are prone to committing different types of criminal activities ranging from simple vandalism of public property and thieves up to a certain degree wherein they commit violent crimes related to murder