Chess: Nervous System and Turkish Tribes

Chess is an old game which had been played by enemies of commanders before war began in order to they prove their intelligent against his rival centuries ago. Although chess did not become widespread among Turkish tribes in the past because of some religious and traditional reasons, finally it gained its reputation in most of school nowadays. It is well known fact that Turkish tribes are famous with epic warriors in according to varied source of history books. Chess is also epic game, with the chessboard resembles a battlefield and two sets of pieces the two contending armies and the two rival players think in terms of attack, defense, capture, threats ambushes and tactics. The chess game is full of such activities which suggest a real and live combat. It is obvious that this game is more suitable Turkish customs than other nation cultures even if chess is invented by Indian people. A player of chess is required some qualifications like he can make a decisive move in very complex situation even if under the pressure. That’s why a person who plays chess activates the central nervous system and develops positive emotional reactions. It is very good training challenging task and develop mental health in another stages for a person who plays chess. Opponents of chess have claimed that some arguments to support their arguments. Firstly, chess is objected by some people who misunderstood the Turkish religious because of it does not suitable for Turkish religious. So religious group assert that playing chess is a sin and it is banned by the god because, it was invented by the Indian people and they do not know anything about Turkish religious. But there are a lot of inventions in the Turkish society taken from other nations. Besides, god suggests that If something is useful for human there is no sin using it in the Quran. Secondly opponents of chess claim that playing chess means that spending waste of leisure. They claim that instead of playing chess, leisure can be spent more effectively with another sports. In fact that there is not any other game hobby or diversion as philosophical, intellectual, effectively and thoughtful as chess. In a word, it seems no doubt that there are many valid reasons in support of playing chess. We can understand that a person who plays chess can take a lot of benefit. There cannot be better pursuit than playing chess in leisure time. It not only keeps you busy but also gives entertainment.

Rwt1 Research Paper

Business Research Report Compensation Strategies Presented to: Management Assessment Code: RWT1 Table of Contents Executive Summary3 Introduction4 Research Findings5 Performance Based Pay5 Salary6 Longevity Pay7 Recommendations8 Conclusion8 References9 Executive Summary This report examines 3 different compensation systems that our company can develop and enforce within our company for our employees.Compensation is the most important and rewarding factor for employees, so a thorough and thoughtful approach should be taken as we think about changing the way in which this company rewards it's employees for the work they do for us each and every day. Performance based pay is a widely popular approach to compensation where the employers pays the employee based on their job performance. This gives the employees control of how much they make and inspires them to do their best work on a daily basis to maximize their own income.With high productivity and quality performance employers are abl e to become more competitive and increase profit. Salary is an easy and constant way of paying the employees of this company. This is a set wage that employees will earn based on their job description. This wage will not change based on their merit or seniority. The stability of this compensation system appeals to employees as they always are aware of how income they will receive. But it also has very little room for growth and opportunity for the employees. The last form of compensation we can consider for our employees as a company is longevity pay.This is compensation based on the employee's seniority, length of service, or tenure. This can be in the form of annual bonuses on their employment anniversary date, or monthly amounts added to their checks. This provides the employees with motivation to continuing their career and employment with the company. My final recommendation for the company is to develop our own performance based pay system for our employees. This will create h ighly productive and motivated employees eager to perform their job duties to the best of their abilities to maximize their own personal income.This in turn will create more profitability for our company. Also, creating goals for our employees will create awareness of our company's goal as a whole organization and will create a more united workforce as we all work together for the same goal. A company with driven employees producing quality work can only be successful. Introduction I, Jamie Yocom, a Human Resource Assistant have been given the task of researching different compensation strategies for our company. In this eport I will be reporting to the Human Resource Director my research findings on 3 different compensation methods: Salary, Performance-Based Pay, and Longevity Pay. I will compare and contrast these methods in order for management to determine which method is most appropriate for us to adopt for our 120 employees. Since compensation is the biggest benefit we provide to our employees, this topic deserves thorough research and thought as we examine and promote a new way of rewarding our employees for their hard work and dedication to the quality and performance we expect from each and every one of them.After reading this report, management will have a greater understanding of each of these 3 methods and will be able to begin the process of deciding which one will be implemented in the near future. I will introduce using the compensation strategy of salary, which is a set amount an employee receives annually for the work they do no matter the quality of their work, or the hours they put in. Performance Based Pay is another method we can use in which employees are paid based on the quality of their performance and production.Longevity Pay is the final method I will propose of our use, it involves wage adjustments for each employee based on the length of service each year. Compensation policies can be very unique and vary from organization to organ ization. An understanding of the different methods is necessary in order to be profitable and to inspire quality production. Research Findings From extensive research, using a variety of relevant and credible resources, there are three compensation systems that should be considered: Performance Based Pay Salary Longevity Pay Performance Based Pay A Performance-Based Pay system is an increasingly popular compensation method used by organizations to increase productivity. A goal for all companies is to try and remain competitive and control costs, this is a reason for performance-based pay systems becoming more popular. This type of system attempts to link compensation to performance. (Gena Richter, 2002) These systems are directly tied to organization or individual performance and are most effective when based on objective measures of quantity or quality of performance.If we wish to have a direct impact on work motivation, it must be linked directly to the performance of desired beha viors. In order for to put this type of system into place, performance evaluations must be conducted regularly , as well as training and development for those with performance that isn't quite up to par. These additional resources will be necessary for our organization if we implement a performance based pay system. (William B. Bernathy, Ph. D. , 2004) Pay for performance compensation plans are widely considered to be a â€Å"win-win† for employees as well as their employers.When pay for performance wages are properly put in place at a company, everyone shares a common goal of doing what is best for the organization. In a system where employees earn higher compensation if their team, department, or company reaches specified targets, it becomes a motivational tactic to get employees to work harder and benefit the company while at the same time providing an added benefit for them. Instilling a performance based pay system in a company will allow you to get the most out of all o f your employees and their performance and production. Martinovic, 2012) Reasonable, measurable goals and performance incentives should be the basis of compensation for all employees, at all levels, no matter what their job description or title is. Objections should be made clear and achievable based on their job description and quantifiable to provide each employee with incentives for good and productive performance. (Pinto, 2003) From a business perspective, in order to remain competitive in the current labor market, it would be smart to tie pay to performance so that employees' output is accelerated.As a result, this type of system will streamline operations in an effort to control cost and remain competitive. â€Å"A well-constructed performance-based pay system can be viewed as an interactive process that translates the overall strategic initiatives into daily actions, with quantitative and attainable rewards provided to employees who accomplish their goals. † (Paul R. D orf, 2001) Analysis: It is clear that there are many benefits to this type of compensation plan. The most evident is creating a more motivated and united workforce, as their one and only goal will be quality production.If our employees can equate their performance on the job with their paycheck, they will become a more focused, hardworking, and determined asset to our company. They will take ownership of their daily duties and tasks and hopefully become more efficient at what they do, which in turn, will be more and more profitable for the company. Different reasons to utilize this type of performance based system include: a way to retain and recognize top performers, align labor costs with productivity, and reinforce company objectives.Employees will also develop a more clear understanding of the overall business objectives. 1 Salary The general definition in federal law for salary is a regularly paid amount of money, constituting all or part of an employee's wages, paid on a weekl y or less frequent basis that is not subject to reduction due to the quality or quantity of work performed. (â€Å"Department of Workforce,†) Employers are responsible for paying their employees for the work that they perform; this can include using salary as a method to pay your employees.Employees that are salaried will be paid differently than those that are paid hourly. Hourly employees are paid based on the amount of hours worked and salaried employees are paid a set wage. (Natalie Grace, 2012) Salary is a fixed amount of compensation or money that is paid to an employee by their employer in return for work performed. Unlike performance based, that set wage will be the same no matter what. Salary is usually paid in bi-weekly paychecks to each professional employee. Most frequently an employee's salary is paid in 26 even paychecks over the course of a calendar year.A salaried employee has no need to track hours worked because they are not paid overtime. An employee who is paid salary is expected to complete a whole job in return for their compensation. This is what makes salary different from hourly compensation or performance based pay. Their pay will be the same no matter the hours worked or the quality of their performance. (Heathfield, 2009) Analysis: Salary is the most stable and constant compensation system introduced in this report. It involves no changes or updates throughout the year.Employees will always be able to know what their pay will be. They will not be expected to meet quotas or goals in order to make their money. Employees who are salaried have a sense of stability when they think about their compensation from their employer, as stated above; their production and performance will not change their pay. This will frequently be the least complex form of compensation but it will not motivate or inspire the workforce to be more productive or efficient in their daily job responsibilities.Since their pay will always be the same, they wil l develop a mindset that they do not have to strive to do better or be better, since their pay does not depend on job performance. 2 Longevity Pay This type of compensation system is a contractual agreement where the employee will receive compensation based on their seniority. The manner in which this type of compensation is paid out can very widely. Each organization will have a policy that will describe the details of the longevity pay plan. These policies include the amount to be paid, the percentage of increase, and on what schedule payments will be made.This type of payment appears to the employees as a way of giving due compensation to workers who have made a significant contribution to the organization. (â€Å"wisegeek. com†) Longevity-pay is a wage adjustment that the employers base on the length of service, seniority or employee's tenure with the company. The amount of annual longevity-pay is frequently a percentage of the employee's annual rate of pay on the employe e's anniversary date. (â€Å"uslegal. com. † 2002) This type of payment is typically given to employees to recognize and reward the length of their tenures.These payments can also be given when employees reach significant employment anniversaries. These longevity payments differ from merit based pay in that a longevity-payment is based only on length of service, while a merit based payment is designed to recognize superior job performance and production. These are implemented by companies to help retain and attract top talent. Human Resource Mangers think of this as a way to reward loyalty and to inspire potential employees to understand that the company places value on employee experience and loyalty. (Willsey, 2002) Analysis:From an employee's point of view, longevity pay means that the company you work for values your time and effort you put into your job. The point of having these longevity-payments and rewards is to retain our top and loyal performers. Rewarding our empl oyees for their time served would be a substantial reason for employees to continue their career with this company. Recommendations Based on the above research and information on 3 different types of compensation, this is my recommendation for our company. Recommendation One: Develop and enforce a performance based bay system to otivate and inspire our employees to produce to the best of their abilities. Conclusion In conclusion, after thorough research and examination of compensation systems I recommend a performance based pay system for our company. This type of pay system will instill a clear understanding in the employees of our company's purpose. By connecting their compensation with their performance on the job will inspire them to be more thorough, efficient. And they will learn to be more productive employees, which in turn will be more profitable for our company.With employees that are driven by quality production this company should only expect growth and success. We can i ncrease productivity and remain competitive with other companies in our market by developing this type of compensation system. 1 References Abernathy, William B. , Ph. D. (2004). debwagner. info. Retrieved from http://debwagner. info/hpttoolkit/pfp_hpt. htm Department of workforce development. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://dwd. wisconsin. gov/er/labor_standards_bureau/publication_erd_13109_p. htm Dorf, Paul R. (2011).Would performance-based compensation improve your workforce?. Retrieved from http://www. compensationresources. com/press-room/would-performance-based-compensation-improve-your-workforce-. php Grace, Natalie. (2012). Ehow. com. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/about_5367027_rules-paying-salary. html Heathfield , S. H. (2009, March 26). About. com. Retrieved from http://humanresources. about. com/od/glossarys/g/salary. htm Martinovic, S. (2012, Feb 20). Pay for performance compensation plans. Retrieved from http://www. gaebler. om/Pay-for-Performance-Compensation-P lans. htm Pinto, J. (2003). Performance-based compensation. Retrieved from http://www. jimpinto. com/writings/compensation. html Richter, Gena. (2002). Retrieved from http://user. txcyber. com/~gena/HRPage/articles/062099. shtml uslegal. com. (2002). Retrieved from http://definitions. uslegal. com/l/longevity-pay/ Willsey, Marie. â€Å"What is a longevity raise? † 14 July 2010. HowStuffWorks. com. 24 February 2012. wisegeek. com. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-longevity-pay. htm

The Failure of Gallipoli Was Mainly Caused by Poor Allied Leadership

â€Å"The failure of Gallipoli was mainly caused by poor Allied leadership† Gallipoli is a peninsula in the Dardanelles in eastern Turkey. Gallipoli and the surrounding areas of the Dardanelles were the locations of some of the most contentious battles of the First World War in 1915 and 1916. The military campaign is well known as one of the great disasters of British military history. In 1915 the First World War in northern Europe was deadlocked and ideas were being discussed about opening up new military fronts. One suggestion, in 1915, a decision was made to help Russia who was being threatened by Turkey.An allied plan was made to attack through the Dardanelles in an attempt to take Constantinople (today known as Istanbul) to make a link with Russia. The failure of this attempt was caused by many factors. Much of the military planning was poor. The strength of the Turkish forces was greatly underestimated partly based on poor military intelligence. The initial naval attack was undertaken by older ships that were though inadequate to fight the Germans in the Atlantic but suitable to be used to fight the Turkish.The slow preparation for the naval attack allowed the Turks to fortify the waterway with mines and artillery. Following the failure of the initial naval attacks there were many delays on starting the land campaign allowing the Turks to heavily entrench the peninsula that was already very unsuitable for a military attack. â€Å"The Allies landed against the most heavily defended and best-prepared position in the Ottoman Empire. † Despite this there was evidence that some landing points were almost undefended yet the Allied troops dug in on the beaches and waited for the Turkish troops to arrive.There are many other examples of failures of military planning. Two whole military divisions were landed on the same beach within hours of each other in darkness sustaining massive casualties. Landings were made in the wrong locations, for example, next to heavily defended steep cliffs. Attacks were poorly synchronised following the initial landings, a military stalemate ensued and there were further delays in getting reinforcements although the Turks were able to reinforce continuously.The lack of progress in the campaign led to major political disagreements in Britain and senior military figures resigned followed by a change in government. While many of the problems came from poor political and military leadership and planning, other factors such as bad weather also contributed. As the conflict went on into the summer, conditions for the soldiers became appalling due to the weather and particularly dysentery diseases. More attacks were carried out, but all were ultimately unsuccessful.Probably the greatest miscalculation that was made was not only to underestimate the numbers of the Turkish troops but to also underestimate their military skill and resolve. It was almost as if the Allies felt it was much easier to overcome Tu rkish soldiers than it was to win the war in northern Europe. The Allies were fighting against soldiers who had a very strong sense of national identity. Despite being regarded as a great Allied military disaster, the Turks suffered greater losses in the campaign.Ironically, the only parts of the military campaign that were considered as a success were the troop evacuations. The Gallipoli campaign was ill conceived with disagreement at the political level with a major underestimation of the opposition forces and the military difficulty of the target. Subsequently many bad military decisions were made. While some allowances may be made for adverse weather, difficult geography and climate, most of these problems should have probably been anticipated. Most significantly there was a massive underestimation of the capability of the enemy.

Web 2.0 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Web 2.0 - Essay Example Another advantage is low cost of communication across the world. A major disadvantage is over dependence on the internet which is not available all the time. It can also lead to loss of crucial data incase the computer crashes (University of Phoenix, 2011). Key impact of web 2.0 on business is that it is a marketing tool that is cheaper compared to convectional ways of marketing thus low operational cost and increase in revenue. It provides a platform where the organization interacts with their clients, prospects, service providers and suppliers. Based on the increased use of web 2.0, firms are able to create strong connection with various stakeholders regardless of their destinations. In this way, companies can regularly update all the parties concerned on the progress of their investment. As a result, the technology has led to expansion of companies globally as well as enhancement of stakeholders trust and loyalty towards their companies. University of Phoenix. (2011). Wireless infrastructure: Can our current system handle bandwidth demands? Retrieved from

Cell Biol- Genetics practical lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cell Biol- Genetics practical - Lab Report Example The activity of protein also varied between the fractions, with the liver particulate and lysed liver particulate showing higher levels of protein than the supernatant. The results of the experiment indicate that the majority of energy converting reactions is centred within the mitochondria, with the MDH reaction causing the highest amount of absorption, suggesting a stronger reaction. The prevalence of protein within this portion of the cell supports this hypothesis. The use of electron acceptors to measure the strength of reactions was an effective approach to determining the prevalence of each reaction, as well as their localisation within the cell. Throughout the human body, different enzymes interact with one another to form comprehensive reactions and chains of reactions that play important roles in the functioning of the human body (Schilling et al., 1999). The exact combination of enzymes and reactions that occur differ depending on the part of the body that is being considered, and the function of the cell. For example, the cells in the brain may perform some of the same functions as cells in the liver, such as cell replication, while other functions are significantly different, resulting in the use of different enzymes. The liver has a range of roles, including the maintenance of blood glucose during starvation by the activation of glycogen. It is a critical organ for survival (Salway, 2012). As well as variation in function and enzyme composition across organs and areas of the body, this also occurs within organelles present within cells. Determining what enzymes are present in different cellular components and their level of activity can be achieved through the use of cell fractionation techniques (Scnaitman and Greenawalt, 1968). One cellular component of interest is the mitochondria, which are essential organelles, involved in cell death pathways as well as the production of metabolic energy (van Loo et al.,

Data and knowledge management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Data and knowledge management - Assignment Example Most important work for the data manager is to make the data available for the management as it is required. Other than the knowledge and skills requirement, the personality of the applicant should be such that he/she is more committed towards problem solving, result oriented and has an eye for detail. The data manager can be required on an off hour basis depending upon the nature of problem. These are some of the basic roles required of a database manager. Some of the differences found after reviewing several job descriptions are that the job description of database manager is changing from organization to organization as it depends upon on what kind of data needs to be saved and managed. For instance, database manger required in a bank must preferably be having an investment banking support experience other than the basic IT knowledge and skills required and he must be aware of the banking rules, regulations and the way banks work. He must also be aware of the database environments in accordance with the banking standards. Likewise database manager required in a school must be having a familiarity with the school system other than having technical knowledge required which is a must for this job. Where the job is financial advisory side there, communication and presentation skills have been given more weight age as it requires an ability to convince other people to accept their business proposal. Another very important difference seen is that in some job descriptions it is required of the candidate to work independently while in others he is required to assist others and seek help from others. The salary structure is not given along with the posting of jobs. However, it is mentioned that the salary would be competitive along with perks. The average salary for this position is USA is USD sixty eight thousands per year. However, people having more experience have a higher

Scopes trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Scopes trial - Essay Example One might even be as bold as to say that the only contribution that scopes made to the whole trial, as presented in the essay, is offer his name for posterity’s sake whenever someone wants to refer to the trial. Scopes was not acting on his own volition rather as a legally necessitating factor for the trial to proceed. The main issue in the trial is the positions of the ACLU and the positions of the Christian fundamentalist and what they felt is right for the average American school curriculum. The trial is not about a prosecutor trying to prove that the defendant is guilty neither is it about the defendant proving his innocence and this is clearly shown by the defense allowing unchallenged testimony against Scopes albeit its obvious falsity owing to the fact that Scopes was not even a biology teacher. The trial is an ideological confrontation between two diametrically opposed interest parties and them resenting their agenda before a national audience. The very nature of the trial gives a feeling of transcendence over a teacher simply defending himself against the state; the media access and coverage allowed the national attention and high profile counsel on either side of the matter is testimony to this. The essay gives the perspective of the broad goals that are the aim of this trial: the statute opposing the teaching of evolution in schools but more importantly the ideological basis for agreeing to or opposing the statute. The perspective of the essay is much wider than the perspective of the trial, Larson uses the trial to address the issue of scientific and academic freedom and the curtailment of this freedom by special interest groups based on subjective beliefs held by different groups. Intellectual freedom is Larson’s main agenda and he seeks redress for the situation whereby the majority imposes its religious beliefs and epistemological leanings

Compare Chinese and American national cybersecurity policies (or more Term Paper

Compare Chinese and American national cybersecurity policies (or more countries)) - Term Paper Example The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the national cyber security policies that have been applied in China and America and to provide viable solutions to the weaknesses in these policies. By drawing from a wide range of theoretical and statistical resources, it will be possible to compare the performance of the cyber security policies in these countries. A critical analysis of the materials will provide an adequate ground to provide workable solutions to that will help the government to improve cyber security policies in their countries. Chinese versus American National Cyber Security Introduction Cyber security is a term that emerged immediately after the development of a data-centric world that is driven by the internet and online presence. As the global trends demand more engagement of the internet and all business operations become driven by this technology, the need for data security has risen due to the existence of hacking and identity theft as the man a t the middle gains access to sensitive information during its transmission. Even today, many organizations and citizens continue to be victims of victims of cybercrime sending an alarm to the government to implement online security to assure safety of sensitive business transactions. China and America are among the countries that have focused on the cyber security to guarantee safety of information in online business. The purpose of this paper is to make a comparison between the America cyber security policies with those that have been deployed in China. To draw this comparison, the policies applied in each country will be analyzed and their impact on data security will be evaluated. A secondary research will be conducted from a wide range of materials including government reports and validated research works to gather authentic information. The information so obtained will be related to the subject topic to form a basis of the conclusions. From the research, it will be possible to provide recommendations for alternative mechanisms that can be used to beef up cyber security and guarantee safety of information sent over the networks. This will provide a substantial platform for the improvement of data security policies not only in China and America, but also across other nations that have been hit with the blow of cybercrime in the business environment. Background of Cybercrime and Cyber-Security Cybercrime refers to the use of software, fish-mails or peculiar malware to obtain user information illegally during a data transmission process. With the current increase in online monetary transactions, the cyber criminals have vested more efforts to obtain information from citizens and business organization. For instance, when an online banker feeds their credentials into the online accounts, it is possible for hackers to obtain this information and use it to make illegal transactions. According to United States Department of Crime and Justice, (2013) about 5 millio n Americans are hacked every year and their identity information is used and at least $50 million dollars is lost to cyber-criminals. In China, Anderson reports that in China, over 700,000 web users fall victim of cybercrime every without their knowledge and over $874 million is lost to fraudsters. Despite the imperative efforts that have been engaged to tackle the problem, cybercrime continues to be a big problem in many countries. The 2013 cybercrime report presented by Sophos new

Inancial assessment of Cathay Pacific Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Inancial assessment of Cathay Pacific - Essay Example al, 2008). It has also been apparently observed that the financial performance of different companies is regarded as one of the important aspects of modern business. In this age of global economic crisis, companies are more interested in managing business in such a way so that they can accomplish their respective business targets successfully. Its financial statements can determine the financial performance of any company. Various factors can affect the financial performance of companies at large. Hence, it is the responsibility of the management of different companies to detect the potential threats and ensure that their financial position remains stable. One of the major business targets of the companies is to maintain sustainable business with profitable growth. It can be seen that the financial performance of companies largely depends on the efficiency of their operations that is directly related to the performance of the employees in this present day context. In order to make it self different from other rival competitors, companies need to have a proper and efficient work force that can effectively work towards the accomplishment of the organizational goals by a considerable level. In this regard, the recruitment and retention policies of different companies seem to be quite significant in as far as goal attainment is concerned (Knight& Bertoneche, 2000; Jackson & et. al., 2011). This paper seeks to provide a clear assessment of the financial performance of Cathay Pacific within the context of the prevailing global economic climate. On top of that, the paper also seeks to develop effective plans in terms of recruitment, selection, and retention for Cathay Pacific. Company Overview Cathay Pacific is a Hong Kong based Airline Company. The company operates in 42 countries throughout the globe and it was established in 1946 in Hong Kong. Since then it has acquired a leading position in the global airline industry. The company competes with different airline co mpanies across the globe and it strives to deliver quality services to the customers. The company achieved numerous awards since its inception. In 2003, the company attained airline carrier of the year award that significantly distinguished itself from its rival competitors. The company became extremely popular for its excellent services to the customers better known as â€Å"service straight from the heart.† This unique quality of the company eventually made it one of the most reputable airline companies in the world (Cathay Pacific, n.d.; Cathay Pacific, 2011). Global Economic Climate of the Airline Industry The global economy experienced a downfall during the previous years. It can also be said that the airline industry was not spared by this global economic crisis. The rise of fuel price also had a severe impact on the airline industry. In addition, it has been further noted that the new regulations imposed by the European Union especially in the catering area as well as safety has also effected the working operations of the airline companie

History of human evolution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of human evolution - Research Paper Example There are a lot of progressions and interactions going on in the universe and for everything to survive, these progressions are important. The same is for humans. For humans to exist, they must undergo some process which is commonly known as evolution. Humans have evolved through evolution. Aristotle was the first biologist that identified humans as rational animals that have a distinctive ability to reason and make judgments, due to which they are different from other animals.Cela-Conde and Ayala assert in their book that all organisms tend to have common ancestors (1). According to them, â€Å"Biological evolution is a process of descent with modification† (1). If we go into the depth of this statement, we come to know how we evolve from what we were and what we are today. hominidae is the term used to describe the lineage spreading from the final common ancestor of man and apes. Hominid is the term given to a species in the family. According to paleoanthropology, the histor y of human evolution shows that the common ancestor to both man and apes existed â€Å"about 5.5 million years ago†, states Professor Grover Krantz. Ramapithecus was one of the most ancient hominids whose fossils were found at that time. Paleoanthropologists believe that the bipedal adaptation of the ancient hominids evolved when that ancient hominid decided to live at the border of forests under the trees instead of inside the forests and in the trees. This was about four million years back, but how we look like today is much different because our modern facial features evolved much later than that. The bipedal adaptation then evolved into upright walk that is how we walk today. Paul Rincon, a science reporter in BBC News, reports that scientists have found in Western Europe, and specifically in Spain, the most ancient remains of human. He reports, â€Å"A jawbone and teeth discovered at the famous Atapuerca site in northern Spain have been dated between 1.1 and 1.2 million years old.† Borgus, the city of Spain, is well known for having many antique limestone caves that contain fossils of early hominids and other tools that show the occupations of early humans. As far as United States is concerned, most Americans believe that humans did not evolve over a period of time. However, there is a designer God who designed the mechanism of humans and created them magically. There are two parts of human biological evolution: Anagenesis and Cladogenesis. Anagenesis Also called phyletic evolution, ancestry of organisms changes generation after generation. Kesner and Olton describe anagenesis as progress of the humankind in evolutionary context (15). Continuous natural selection results in the modification of forms and organs so that they perfectly adapt to the new environments and habitats. Cladogenesis Another name for it is lineage splitting which means that new species come into existence with the passage of time which results in diversity. While modifi cation in a phylogenetic lineage is occurring, branching of forms also occurs at the same time which causes them to expand on the face of the earth. Natural Selection Considered as one of the most fundamental processes that results in evolution, natural selection was a concept put forth by Charles Darwin in 1859 in his book On the Origin of Species. According to this concept, organisms (or traits) that are best suited to the environment are selected by nature to prevail due to which they are able to pass on their genetics on to the following generations. On the other hand, organisms (or traits) that are not best adapted in the environment tend to vanish away. Human evolution has also been influenced by this concept of natural selection. According to Darwin, as he states in the revised version of his book, another name for natural selection is survival of the fittest (Darwin 8). Nature brings variations in the organic beings so that they are best suited t

Optimization of Macromolecular Crowded Culture Dissertation

Optimization of Macromolecular Crowded Culture - Dissertation Example These cells handle the synthesis of the extracellular matrix as well as collagen. The cells will redifferentiate into two states namely, the activated state and the less active state. The resultant less active cell plays a role in the metabolism of the tissues and its maintenance. Despite the cells own ability to replicate, therapies on the cell have grown to produce various substitutes not only for the skin.Also, for the lungs, and blood vessels through an extracellular matrix of their tissue.There was interference with the structure when initial attempts were made to use seeded scaffold cells on collagen. That was due to the remodeling of the tissue, and its functioning. These limitations greatly contributed to the establishment of a mechanism for cell recreation that is independent of the structure. These methods are either self-assembly or scaffold-free tissue engineering. The previous uses a cell to cell contact to come up with a contiguous cell sheet fabrication. Also, ECM is e ndogenously produced through this process. Â  There are various clinical and preclinical methods that have already been commercialized especially due to extremely long duration needed for cultures of ex vivo (Dityatev, 2010). As a result, there have been many trials made to achieve tissue-engineering of varied tissues, cartilage, bones, liver and other organs. Among these, some of the most successful constructs of tissue engineering include bladder, airway, and the artificial skin. The process of having completely functional constructs is however faced with the challenge of increasing complexity in the nature of tissues. Â  The proposal uses a new approach called macromolecular crowding to create similar issues as the products of ECM.

Airframe by Michael Crichton Essay Example for Free

Airframe by Michael Crichton Essay Michael Crichton’s 1996 literary work takes its audience into a flight adventure of suspense with a dash of humor. As the title suggests, Crichton’s audience might deduce a frame which could be found in the air. In more accurate terms, speculate about the structure of a plane. As the audience read’s it, this deduction is further strengthened with the illustration of a plane â€Å"accident† that results to an investigation on the quality on a Norton Aircraft-manufactured N-22, followed by media frenzy. For some, the event of an airplane accident which eventually results to tedious and cumbersome investigation is quite uninteresting and dull. However, readers of this book are still compelled to continuously read it because of the twists, thought-provoking exploration of a plane’s structure, high tension issues and jitters. Moreover, Michael Crichton’s style and themes informs and teaches several factual issues and concerns to its audience while entertaining them. By looking into the history and flight events, it can be said that Michael Crichton’s accounted problems in his book indeed portray real-life scenarios. Michael Crichton’s novel starts at the Transpacific Airlines flight 545, said to be a Hong Kong based transportation. In addition to this, it was also illustrated that the plane, as mentioned before, a Norton Aircraft-manufactured N-22, that is expected to arrive at Denver. However, severe turbulences occur at the California Coastline, resulting to an emergency landing at the Los Angeles airport. From the pilot’s report on the status inside the plane, there were already several injured passengers and two dead passengers. The dilemma rises from the fact, as the book states, that the plain’s history never showed or experienced poor safety record or performance. In addition to this, the pilot who was maneuvering the plane was highly trained, which takes the possibilities of human error out of the question. As such, the story tediously proceeds and revolves around the investigation regarding this â€Å"anomaly† on the plane’s condition or on the question of its safety records, and generally about how the whole incident happened. In this novel, the aircraft manufacturers in this novel responded in a way that imitates what â€Å"real† aircraft manufacturers would show or usually do after such accidents. There are cases where manufacturers are held liable or not liable to certain accidents by the jury. If the jury was impressed with the overall save rate, the manufacturer is not considered liable, resulting to the acknowledgment of the whole design utility being optimized for the majority to the detriment of a few. On the contrary, if the jury would inspect the high-speed aspects of risk in contrasts to the high-speed save rate, the manufacturer can be considered liable. As such, it is â€Å"factual† or logical that manufacturers would react in ways that Crichton describes it. On the other hand, the actions or events which follow the media hype on the airplane accident seem exaggerated, though again, convincingly true. Several scenes or illustrations regarding the media generally show that they tend to scrutinize whatever links they find regarding a certain topic which could boost their ratings. In addition to this, there is generally a persistence of the media crowd to grab whatever fact they could get a hold on to, and sometimes create stories to build or form the bits of information that they have into a persuasive story, which can either be true or partly-true. In his accounts of both the airplane problems, media and manufacturer investigations there are convincing facts which are laid to the audience by the author. In addition this are critical observations which shows Crichton’s style and manufactured tensions that keeps his readers stuck on the book, without boring their selves (just like what I felt). Crichton is like giving an ice cream, with a sprinkle of reality and fiction, mounted on a cone, coated with information and served in a plate garnished with humor that definitely keeps its audience from wanting more. References Crichton, Michael. (1996). Airframe. Alfred Knopf Publishers.

Stakeholder And Issues Management Approaches Management Essay

Stakeholder And Issues Management Approaches Management Essay The stakeholder management approach is a response to the growth and complexity of contemporary organizations and the need to understand how they operate with their stakeholders and stockholders. Underlying the stakeholder management approach is the ethical imperative that mandates businesses in their fiduciary relationships to their stockholders and shareholders to: 1) act in the best interests of and for the benefit of their customers, employees, suppliers, and stockholders; and 2) respect and fulfill these stakeholders rights. The ethical dimension of this approach is based on the view that profit maximization is constrained by justice, that regard for individual rights should be extended to all constituencies of business that have a stake in the affairs of business, and that organizations do act in socially responsible ways not only because it is the right thing to do, but also to ensure their legitimacy. A. The Outsourcing Debate 1. Competing stakeholder claims become heated when executives must choose between profit and the welfare of some or all stakeholders. 2. Conflicting studies report that, on one hand, every dollar of corporate spending shifted offshore generates $1.13 in new wealth for Americas economy and, on the other hand, U.S. workers may lose $120 billion in wages to outsourcing by 2015. Arguments against outsourcing of jobs and work include: Jobs are not presently being created in the private sector, which has not happened before in U.S. history. The U.S. trade deficit continues to escalate, with no trade surplus in the United States for more than 20 years. At least three million jobs have been lost over the last three years, with no end in sight. The job loss is not only at lower levels, but also at middle and administrative levels. Local communities and states depend on individual and corporate taxes to survive. Massive outsourcing threatens the American middle class as well as local communities. 3. In a pluralistic society, corporate leaders need a method that helps them understand and keep score on each of their stakeholders strategies, ethics, and power relationships. 2.2 Stakeholder Management Approach Defined The stakeholder approach argues that ethical principles can result in significant competitive advantage, and provides a framework that enables users to map and, ideally, manage corporation relationships (present and potential) with groups to reach win-win collaborative outcomes. A stakeholder approach does not have to result from a crisis or controversial situation nor is it limited in its use to large enterprises. It can also be used as a planning method to anticipate and facilitate business decisions, events, and policy outcomes. A. Stakeholders 1. A stakeholder is any individual or group who can affect or is affected by the actions, decisions, policies, practices, or goals of the organization. The focal stakeholder is the company or group that is the center or focus of an analysis. Primary stakeholders include owners, customers, employees, suppliers, stockholders and the board of directors. Secondary stakeholders include all other interested groups, such as the media, consumers, lobbyists, courts, governments, competitors, the public, and society. B. Stakes 1. A stake is any interest, share, or claim that a group or individual has in the outcome of a corporations policies, procedures, or actions toward others. 2.3 How to Execute a Stakeholder Analysis The stakeholder analysis is a pragmatic way of identifying and understanding multiple (often competing) claims of many constituencies. A. Taking a Third-Party Objective Observer Perspective 1. Taking a third-party objective observer perspective while doing the stakeholder analysis in the following section helps students see all sides of an issue and then objectively evaluate the claims, actions, and outcomes of all parties. B. Role of the CEO in Stakeholder Analysis 1. The stakeholder analysis is a series of seven steps aimed at the following tasks (Frederick et al, 1988): Step 1: Map Stakeholder Relationships Figure 2.2 shows a general picture of an initial stakeholder map. The following five questions, in particular, offer a quick jump start on the analysis: Who are our stakeholders currently? Who are our potential stakeholders? How does each stakeholder affect us? How do we affect each stakeholder? For each division and business, who are the stakeholders? Step 2: Map Stakeholder Coalitions. Determine and map any coalitions that have formed. Coalitions among and between stakeholders form around issues and stakes that they have or seek to have in common. Step 3: Assess the Nature of Each Stakeholders Interest Along with Step 4, this step helps in assessing the nature of each stakeholders power by identifying the interests of various stakeholders as supportive, nonsupportive, mixed blessing, or marginal. Step 4: Assess the Nature of Each Stakeholders Power. This part of the analysis asks, Whats in it for each stakeholder? and Who stands to win, lose, or draw over certain stakes? Three types of especially useful stakeholders are those with voting power, political power, and economic power (Freeman, 1984). Step 5: Identify Stakeholder Ethics and Moral Responsibilities Determine the ethics, responsibilities, and moral obligations your company has to each stakeholder. Figure 2.3 shows a matrix of stakeholder responsibilities. This part of the analysis should continue until you have completed matching the economic, legal, ethical, and voluntary responsibilities for each stakeholder, so that you can develop strategies toward each stakeholder you have identified. Step 6: Develop Specific Strategies and Tactics. First, consider whether to approach each stakeholder directly or indirectly. Second, decide whether to do nothing, monitor, or take an offensive or defensive position with certain stakeholders. Third, determine whether to accommodate, negotiate, manipulate, resist, avoid, or wait and see with specific stakeholders. Finally, decide what combination of strategies you want to employ. Figure 2.4 provides a useful typology for both identifying and deciding strategies to employ in a complex situation, based on potential for threat and potential for cooperation. Figure 2.5 presents an illustration of the typology in Figure 2.7, using the Microsoft case as an example. While developing specific strategies, it is important to keep the following points in mind if you are the focal stakeholder: Your goal is to create a win-win set of outcomes, if possible. Keep your mission and responsibilities in mind as you move forward. Consider what the probably consequences of your actions will be. Keep in mind that the means you use are important as the ends you seek. Step 7: Monitor Shifting Coalitions Because time and events can change the stakes and stakeholders, it is important to monitor the evolution of the issues and actions of the stakeholders, using Figure 2.4. C. Summary of Stakeholder Analysis 1. The stakeholder approach should involve other decision makers inside and outside the focal organization. 2. The stakeholder analysis provides a rational systematic basis for understanding issues involved in complex relationships between an organization and its constituencies. 3. The extent to which the resultant strategies and outcomes are moral and are effective for a firm and its stakeholders depends on many factors, including the values of the firms leaders, the stakeholders power, the legitimacy of the actions, the use of available resources, and the exigencies of the changing environment. 2.4 Negotiation Methods: Resolving Stakeholder Disputes Disputes are part of stakeholder relationships. They occur between different stakeholder levels: e.g. between professionals within an organization; consumers and companies; business to business (B2B); governments and businesses; and among coalitions and businesses. A. Stakeholder Dispute Resolution Methods 1. Dispute resolution is an expertise known as alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Its techniques cover a variety of methods intended to help litigants resolve conflicts (see Figure 2.6). 2. Integrative approaches are characterized as follows: Problems are seen as having more potential solutions than are immediately obvious. Resources are seen as expandable; the goal is to expand the pie before dividing it. Parties attempting to create more potential solutions and processes are thus said to be value creating. Parties attempting to accommodate as many interests of each of the parties as possible. The so-called win-win or all gain approach. 3. Distributive approaches have the following characteristics: Problems are seen as zero sum. Resources are imagined as fixed: divide the pie. Value claiming. Haggling or splitting the difference. 4. Relational approaches consider power, interests, rights, and ethics, and are based on: Relationship building. Narrative, deliberative, and other dialogical (i.e. dialogue-based) approaches to negotiation and mediation. Restorative justice and reconciliation (i.e., approaches that respect the dignity of every person, build understanding, and provide opportunities for victims to obtain restoration and for offenders to take responsibility for their actions). Other transformative approaches to peacebuilding. 5. Four principles of negotiation used in almost any type of dispute include: Separate the people from the problem. Focus on the interests rather than positions. Generate a variety of options before settling on an agreement. Insist that the agreement be based on objective criteria. 2.5 Stakeholder Approach and Ethical Reasoning The stakeholder analysis requires the focal or principal stakeholders to define and fulfill their ethical obligations to the affected constituencies. Chapter 3 explains major ethical principles that can be used to examine individual motivation for resolving an ethical dilemma, including rights, justice, utilitarianism, relativism, and universalism. 2.6 Moral Responsibilities of Cross-Functional Area Professionals One goal of a stakeholder analysis is to encourage and prepare organizational managers to articulate their own moral responsibility, as well as the responsibilities of their company and their profession, toward their different constituencies. With the Internet, the transparency of all organizational actors and internal stakeholders increases the risk and stakes of unethical practices. Figure 2.7 illustrates a managers stakeholders. A. Marketing and Sales Professionals and Managers as Stakeholders 1. Sales professionals and managers are continuously engaged-electronically and/or face-to-face-with customers, suppliers, and vendors. 2. Moral dilemmas can arise for marketing managers who may be asked to promote unsafe products or implement advertising campaigns that are untrue or not in the consumers best interests. 3. The stakeholder analysis helps marketing managers in morally questionable situations in terms of identifying stakeholders and understanding the effects and consequences of profits and services on them. B. RD Engineering Professionals and Managers as Stakeholders 1. RD managers and engineers are responsible for the safety and reliability of product design. RD managers must work and communicate effectively and conscientiously with professionals in manufacturing, marketing, and information systems; senior managers; contractors; and government representatives, to name a few stakeholders. 2. Moral dilemmas can arise for RD engineers whose technical judgment and risk assessments conflict with administrative managers seeking profit and time- to-market deadlines. C. Public Relations Managers as Stakeholders 1. Public relations (PR) managers must constantly interact with outside groups and corporate executives, especially in an age when communications media, external relations, and public scrutiny play such vital roles. 2. PR managers are responsible for transmitting, receiving, and interpreting information on employees, products, services, and the company. 3. Moral dilemmas can arise when PR managers must defend or protect company actions that have possible or known harmful effects on the public or stakeholders. D. Human Resource Managers as Stakeholders 1. Human resource managers (HRMs) are on the front line of helping other managers recruit, hire, fire, promote, evaluate, reward, discipline, transfer, and counsel employees. HRM professionals stakeholders include but are not limited to employees, other managers and bosses, unions, community groups, government employees, lobbyists, and competitors. 2. Human resource managers face constant ethical pressures and uncertainties over issues about invasion of privacy and violations of employees rights. 3. Moral dilemmas can arise when affirmative action policies are threatened in favor of corporate decisions to hide biases or protect profits. HRM professionals also straddle the often-fine line between the individual rights of employees and corporate self-interests. E. Summary of Managerial Moral Responsibilities 1. Expert and functional area managers are confronted with balancing operational profit goals with corporate moral obligations toward stakeholders. Using a stakeholder analysis helps clarify the issues involved in resolving ethical dilemmas. 2.7 Issues Management, Stakeholder Approach, and Ethics: Integrating Frameworks Issues management methods complement the stakeholder management approach. Issues management is also a formal process used to anticipate and take appropriate action to respond to emerging trends, concerns, or issues that can affect an organization and its stakeholders. A. What is a Public Issue? Many national and international business-related controversies develop around the exposure of a single issue that evolves into more serious and costly issues. Stakeholder and issues management frameworks can be used to understand the evolution of these issues in order to responsibly manage or change their effects. B. Other Public Issues There are other types of public issues from the external environment that involve different companies and industries. For example the issue of obesity has become prominent. Another issue that affects numerous stakeholders is drivers who drink. C. Stakeholder and Issues Management: Connecting the Dots 1. Issues and stakeholder management are used interchangeably by scholars and corporate practitioners. The process begins by analyzing and then framing which issues are the most urgent and have (or may have) the greatest impact on the organization. 2. Stakeholder analysis questions help connect the dots in understanding and closing the gaps of issues management. D. Moral Dimensions of Stakeholder and Issues Management 1. Ethical reasoning and behavior are an important part of managing stakeholders and issues because ethics is the energy that motivates people to respond to issues. When ethical motives are absent from leaders and professionals thinking and feeling, activities occur that cost all stakeholders. E. Introduction to Three Issue Management Frameworks 1. This section presents three general issues frameworks for mapping and managing issues before and after they become crises, all of which can be used with the stakeholder management approach. F. First Approach: 6-Step Issue Management Process 1. The process involves the following steps, illustrated in Figure 2.8: Environmental scanning and issues identification. Issues analysis. Issues ranking and prioritizing. Issues resolution strategizing. Issues response and implementation. Issues evaluation and monitoring. 2. These steps are part of a firms corporate planning process. This framework is a basic approach for proactively mapping, strategizing, and responding to issues that affect an organization. G. Second Approach: 7-Phase Issue Development Process (Figure 2.9) 1. Issues are believed to follow a developmental life cycle. Views differ on the stages and time involved in the life cycle. A felt need arises. Media coverage is developed. Interest group development gains momentum and grows. Policies are adopted by leading political jurisdictions. The federal government gives attention to the issue. Issues and policies evolve into legislation and regulation. Issues and policies enter litigation. H. 4-Stage Issue Life Cycle 1. Thomas Marx observed that issues evolve from social expectations to social control through the following steps: Social expectations. Political issues. Legislation. Social control. 2.8 Managing Crises Crisis management methods evolved from the study of how corporations and leaders responded (and should have responded) to crises. Crises, from a corporations point of view, can deteriorate if the situation escalates in intensity, comes under close governmental scrutiny, interferes with normal operations, jeopardizes the positive image of the company or its officers, and damages a firms bottom line. A. First Approach: Precrisis through Resolution (figure 2.11) 1. According to this model, a crisis consists of four stages: Prodromal (precrisis) warning symptoms. Acute damage done, point of no return. Chronic recover, self-analysis, self-doubt, healing. Resolution return to normalcy, the goal of crisis management. B. How Executives Have Responded to Crises 1. Matthews, Goodpaster, and Nash have suggested five phases of corporate social response to crises related to product crisis management, based on their study of how corporations have responded to serious crises. The phases, illustrated in Figure 2.12, are: Reaction lack of complete information, lack of time to analyze the event thoroughly. Defense overwhelmed by public attention, recoiling under media pressure. Insight stakes are substantial, executives realize and confirm whether company is at fault. Accommodation address public pressure and anxiety. Agency understand causes of safety issue and develop education program for the public. C. Crisis Management Recommendations 1. Corporations can respond more effectively to crises by: Facing the problem and telling the truth. Taking their lumps in one big news story. Recognizing there is no such thing as a secret or private crisis. Staging war games. Using their motto, philosophy, or mission statement to respond to a crisis. Using their closeness to customers and end users for early feedback. 2. The following tactical recommendations are helpful crisis prevention and management techniques: Understand your entire business and dependencies. Carry out a business impact assessment. Complete a 360-degree risk assessment. Develop a feasible, relevant, and attractive response. Plan exercising, maintenance, and auditing. 3. Issues and crisis management methods and preventive techniques are effective in corporations only if: Top management is supportive and participates. Involvement is cross departmental. The issues management unit fits with the firms culture. Output, instead of process, is the focus. Ethical Insight 2.1: Consultants Split On Bridgestones Crisis Management This case study examines how certain crisis management experts viewed the handling of the Bridgestone/Firestone scenario. The experts express their ideas and opinions on the case. questions What, if anything should Mattels CEO have done differently in this scenario/case to have prevented and/or avoided the resulting crisis? Explain. Answer: Students opinions will vary. There were a number of factors at play, many of which were internal to Mattel, but others that were not. The answer should involve a discussion of the stakeholder framework. The stakeholder analysis provides a rational, systematic basis for understanding issues involved in complex relationships between an organization and its constituents. It helps decision makers structure strategic planning sessions and decide how to meet the moral obligations of all stakeholders. The extent to which the resultant strategies and outcomes are moral and are effective for a firm and its stakeholders depends on many factors, including the values of the firms leaders, the stakeholders power, the legitimacy of the actions, the use of available resources, and the exigencies of the changing environment. Briefly describe a situation in which you were a major stakeholder. How was the situation resolved (or not resolved)? What methods were used to resolve the situation? Looking back now, what methods could or should have been used to resolve that situation? For example, what would you now recommend happen to effectively resolve it fairly? Answer: Students responses will vary according to their own experiences. Which of the types of power (described in this chapter) that stakeholders can use have you effectively used in a conflict or disagreement over a complex issue? Briefly explain the outcome and evaluate your use(s) of power. Answer: The students answer will vary. The answer should involve a description of power from the chapter. Three types of power stakeholders can use are (1) voting power, (2) political power, and (3) economic power. For example, owners and stockholders can vote their choices to affect the firms decisions. Federal, state, and local governments can exercise their political power by increasing regulations. Consumers can exercise their economic power by boycotting a firms products. Which roles and responsibilities in this chapter have you assumed in an organization? What pressures did you experience in that role that presented ethical dilemmas or issues for you? Explain. Answer: Students responses will vary according to their own experiences. What are the reasons for encouraging managers to use the stakeholder approach? Would these reasons apply to teams? Answer: Why should individual expert and functional area managers use the stakeholder analysis? First, by thinking in terms of stakeholders, managers can acknowledge and being to change their perceptual biases, blind spots, and harmful activities that affect the firms and their units operations. The analysis allows them to see and perform their roles and moral responsibilities toward external and internal groups. Second, by seeing how managers in a firm handle their complex stakeholder relationships, individual managers can begin to create value and realize corporate moral and legal obligations toward stakeholders. Third, the basis for increasing the quality of cross-functional communication and integration can be developed. The process and results of the stakeholder analysis can provide a platform for opening corporate communication channels to discuss stressful, unrealistic, or immoral expectations, problems, and pressures that often lead to illegal and unethical activities, such a s creating faulty products, price-fixing, cheating, and lying. Finally, by identifying specific stakeholders responsibilities, expert area managers can begin to see common patterns of pressures, resources, and ethical issues across the firm. An enterprises moral identity and mission can be identified or reinforced. Moreover, managers can begin to think ahead and operate with moral responsibility as they perform their work. These underlying concepts can apply to any group, team, or area managers for doing stakeholder analysis. Give a recent example of a corporation that had to publicly manage a crisis. Did the company spokesperson respond effectively to stakeholders regarding the crisis? What should the company have done differently in its handling of the crisis? Answer: Students responses will vary according to their own awareness of recent corporate public confidence issues. Some suggested examples include: Texaco ¾racial discrimination Mitsubishi ¾sexual harassment Archer-Daniels-Midland Company ¾price fixing Reynolds Tobacco ¾controversy regarding health problems of smoking Enron, WorldCom ¾accounting fraud Arthur Anderson ¾ineffective auditing procedures Political Parties ¾campaign financing/fundraising Describe how you would feel and what actions you would take if you worked in a company and saw a potential crisis emerging at the prodromal or precrisis stage. What would you say, to whom, and why? Answer: Students responses will vary according to their own experiences. Using Figure 2.4, identify a complex issue-related controversy or situation in which you, as a stakeholder, were persuaded to move from one position (cell) to another and why e.g., from nonsupportive to supportive, or from mixed blessing to marginal. Explain why you moved and what the outcome was. Answer: Students responses will vary according to their own experiences. Argue both the pros and cons of stakeholder theory, using some of the arguments in the chapter, as well as your own. What is your evaluation of the usefulness of stakeholder theory and methods in understanding and analyzing complex issues? Answer: Students responses will vary according to their own experiences. They should include in their answer pros and cons from the chapter. Cons: (1) negates and weakens fiduciary duties managers owe to stockholders; (2) weakens the influence and power of stakeholder groups; (3) weakens the firm; and (4) changes the long-term character of the capitalist system. Pros: (1) The approach provides an analytical method for determining how various constituencies affect and are affected by business activities. (2) It also provides a means for assessing the power, legitimacy, and moral responsibility of managers strategies in terms of how they meet the needs and obligations of stakeholders. exercises (Responses to the following exercises will vary with students experiences and views. However, sample responses are provided as suggestions where possible.) Describe a situation in which you were a stakeholder. What was the issue? What were your stakes? Who were the other stakeholders? What was the outcome? Did you have a win-win resolution? If not, who won, who lost, and why? Answer: A local department store had a policy that merchandise must be returned within 30 days of purchase for a cash refund. As a customer of this department store, I had purchased an item as a gift for a friends wedding. The wedding was canceled, and I went to the store to return the item I had purchased. I had my receipt and the item had not been opened. The date on the receipt showed I had purchased the item 34 days earlier. The clerk at the returns desk refused to accept the return due to the fact that the purchase was made more than 30 days ago. Given the reason for the purchase and return, I felt that this was unreasonable and requested to speak to the manager. After careful consideration and much argument, the manager agreed to accept the return, but only as an in-store exchange credit. Due to the hassles involved, both parties came away as losers. As a customer, I was not totally satisfied and will most likely take my business to another store with a more liberal and persona lized refund policy. The manager lost due to having to argue with me and this resulted in the loss of my business. Recall your personal work history. Who were your managers most important stakeholders? What, in general, were your managers major stakes in his or her particular position? Answer: In almost every business circumstance, the managers most important stakeholder has been the customer. The line most often heard was The customer is always right. It makes sense for the customer to be the most important stakeholder, because without the customer no other stakeholders would exist. If the customers are not satisfied, then they conduct their business elsewhere and the company ceases to exist. In your company or one in which you have worked, what is the industry? The major external environments? Your product or service? Describe the major influences of each environment on your company (for example, on its competitiveness and ability to survive). Evaluate how well your company is managing its environments strategically, operationally, and technologically, as well as in relation to new products and public reputation. Answer: ABC Consulting and Accounting, Inc. The industry of business consulting and accounting. The environments that most often accompany the consulting and accounting firms are economic, legal, and government/regulatory. The service provided by ABC consists of all accounting functions ¾bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, tax preparation, auditing, etc. The consulting services provided consist of reorganization, cost analysis, tax planning, capital investment planning, budgeting, etc. Potential stakeholders are government regulatory agencies-FASB, GAAP-as well as the stockholders of the business customers, their customers, their employees, etc. Each stakeholder affects ABC by either limiting what can be done in regards to reorganizing or analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the firms that are our customers, or by the way that the accounting records are kept and reported. We affect our stakeholders by providing the service that they requested to the best of our ability. Choose one type of functional area manager described in the chapter. Describe a dilemma involving this manager, taken from a recent media report. Discuss how a stakeholder analysis could have helped or would help that manager work effectively with stakeholders. Answer: Regarding th

Leisure And Recreation: Museums

Leisure And Recreation: Museums In this piece of work I have discussed the history of the museum and its establishment in London including its unique characterstics.The possible key challenges faced by the attraction in coming future and the ways to combat these challenges by giving proposed management including range of aspects Leisure is the opportunity available to an individual after completing the immediate necessities of life, when he or she has the freedom to choose and engage in an experience that is expected to be personally satisfying From Edexcel Leisure and Recreation Course Specification The term leisure is an ever changing concept that reflects the current social and economic conditions and aspirations, adapting in response to consumer demand and expectations The idea of leisure being described as a state of mind originated with Aristotle. He believed that leisure was a form of self-indulgence and self-improvement. Leisure is seen as a mans greatest possession because it is essential for self development. It forces us to step back from the constant pressures of daily life in order for us to see what is really important (Aristotle internet website) IMPORTANCE OF LEISURE Each person has their own opinion of what leisure means to them and there is no set definition of the word as it covers a wide range of things. leisure time and how it is spent is an individuals choice and the way in which they spend it whether it be home based, active or passive. As long as the individual gets satisfaction from this leisure time then it has been used to its potential. Leisure is important because everyone needs a little bit of relaxation in their life. Having leisure helps a person relieve stress, have time to themselves, and just to recharge their body and mind. Leisure is very important for ones mental and physical health. It provides an opportunity to spend time as you want away from regular work stress with family and friends. It is very important for an individual to take time out for itself as it bring about a positive flow of energy in an individual. Leisure as a function has changed enormously over the last 100 years. With the arrival of new technology some forms of leisure have increased their range of activities hugely. 100 years ago art was considered to be drama, stage shows, architecture and so on. Now it include many different forms. Broadcasting, Film Production and Video were all aspects of the Art Council that received funding in the last year. These have only been considered arts in the last century. The Government, private companies and investors have also discovered the commercial side of leisure. From this information it can be concluded that over the last 100 years leisure has evolved from something that is the opposite of work to something that is vital in our everyday lives. Madame tussauds is among the popular leisure attraction of the present time, it is standing at its place from last 200 years but getting more popular with time for the kind of unique entertainment it is providing to its visitors. Celebrities wax images draw visitors towards itself. IT is a kind of place which has all kind of attraction in it from past to present both for history lovers and for modern young youth.It helps to make visitors dreams come true when they want to touch or meet the personality they like ,which otherwise my not be possible for them because either it has become history or is very big celebrity of modern time ,whom one cant meet. Is it real or is it wax? Sometimes its hard to tell the difference when youre at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum .This unique museum of its own kind has entertained about 500 million visitors since it first opened. The Target Market for Madame Tussauds is to attract all types of consumers, from all social classes. As well as Domestic and Ove rseas visitors. (Refer to appendix 5) London is a cosmopolitan city having peple all around the world with different cultures.The management of Madame tussauds when targeting marketing has taken advantage of this feature of the city and has kept different types of wax sculptures which visitors want to see for example to attract Asian visitors there are various political, sports ,and entertainment figures in the museum. According to the student pack of Madame Tussauds, it identifies their Current Market as Demographics Segmentation according to social class. (Refer to appendix 6) Kotler (1994) believes marketing a product/service, includes potential customers for using this specific product/service. Therefore, organisations will effectively market their product/service according to the Segment of market. This has been known as Target Market. Additionally to Lancaster Reynololds (1999), indicate that, in order to acquire target segment, the organisations has to break down the amount of the total market into different sub-groups / segments, according to their needs and wants, in-order to make the product/service attract consumers within that market segment. Madame Tussauds uses segmentation and targeting market, because it provides many return to their organisation, such as: à ¼ It allows the exhibition to identify their customer groups with different requirements and wants à ¼ The exhibition objective can be achieved easily. For example; profit maximisation and long term growth à ¼ When there are market gaps in a market, it is assessed and then satisfied, this can be done by using unique product / promotional offerings à ¼ By handling marketing mix, in order for competence recognise the target needs. This will lead to an increase customers satisfaction history The name of Madame Tussaud is a famous one known the world over. Most people have heard of the waxwork exhibitions that have her name attached to them, but there was a real woman after whom subsequent exhibitions were named. Madame Marie Tussaud was born Marie Grosholtz on December 1st 1761, in Strasbourg, France. Maries father, Joseph Grosholtz, had been a soldier during the Seven Year War, but had died two months prior to Maries birth. After Maries birth, her mother, Anne Made, moved both of them to Berne, Switzerland, Maries mother obtaining a job as a housekeeper with Dr. Philippe Curtius. In some sources Curtius is named as Maries uncle, though this is probably due to friendship rather than blood ties. Curtius was a skilled physician, who used wax models he made to demonstrate anatomy. Curtius passed on his knowledge of wax modelling to Marie. In 1765 Curtius moved to Paris in order to set up a waxwork show, one of his first casts was of Louis XVs mistress, Marie-Jeanne du Barry. Two years later Marie and her mother joined Curtius in Paris. It took until 1770 for Curtius to be in a position to host his first exhibition, but it immediately became a success attracting large audiences. By 1776 Curtius exhibition was such a success that it moved to the Palais Royal. During this period Curtius continued his tuition of Marie, and soon she was modelling her own waxworks. She met a number of famous individuals; her first wax figure was of Francois Voltaire in 1777, and was quickly followed by Benjamin Franklin and Jean Jacques Rousseau. In addition to famous individuals, Curtius exhibition was also visited by the French Royal family. Curtius expanded his waxworks into a second location, the Caverne des Grands Voleurs on Boulevard du Temple. Marie though had been picked as tutor for the artistic education of Elizabeth, King Louis XVIs sister. Living at the Royal court at Versailles caused problems when the Revolution came. Arrested for allegedly having royalist sympathies, Marie was imprisoned in La Force prison alongside aristocrats and other sympathisers. It is not clear why Marie was saved from the guillotine, her talent at making death masks may have been one, although her acquaintance with Robespierre and Napoleon may have helped. What ever the reason, Marie never faced the guillotine, although she was forced to make death masks from the victims of it, these included friends like Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. In prison she shared a cell with Josephine de Beauharais, the future Empress Josephine, and together the two friends were eventually released. Upon the death of Curtius in 1794, the whole waxwork collection was left to Marie. In the following year, Marie married an engineer, Francois Tussaud, and before 1800 Marie had given birth to two sons, Joseph and Francois. The thriving business of pre-revolution days though struggled in the relative depravation of the New France. To improve their prospects Marie made the decision to take her waxworks on tour. In 1802, Marie along with Joseph travelled to London, with her collection of death masks and wax figures. Resumption though in Revolutionary/Napoleonic War between Britain and France, meant that Marie was stranded, separated from her husband and second son. Extending her tour, Marie took her waxworks on a tour of Britain and Ireland, a tour which would last 33 years. Francois joined Marie in Britain in 1821, following the deaths of Maries husband and mother. The tour came to end in 1835, when Marie found a permanent base for Madame Tussauds on Baker Street. The permanent site was soon attracting a large audience, drawn to the Chamber of Horrors, where victims of the French Revolution and notable murderers and criminals were exhibited. Marie wrote her memoirs in 1838, as her collection continued to grow, the figures of Nelson and Sir Walter Scott were added. Marie died in her sleep in London on 15th April, 1850. Madame Tussauds though continued to thrive, first through her sons and then grandsons. It was her grandsons who moved the exhibition to Marylebone Road in 1884, and since then other branches have been established in Amsterdam, Las Vegas, New York, Washington DC, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The modern Tussauds continues in the traditions of its founder, creating wax figures of the most notable individuals of every generation. location and characterstics The attraction is on the corner of Allsop Place and Marylebone Road, to the north of Central London. The nearest underground station is Baker Street, which is on the Jubilee, Bakerloo, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith and City lines. Its distinguishing green dome used to house the London Planetarium. Green dome of Madame Tussauds History of location Following a successful tour of the UK, Madame Tussauds established a permanent base for her exhibition in London as the Baker Street Bazaar in 1835. Visitors paid sixpence for the chance to meet the biggest names of the day. The attraction moved to its present site in Marylebone Road in 1884. As fame grows it is a frequent observation that crowds of people can reduce enjoyment of the exhibit by increasing queuing times and causing crowding that has prompted complaints and many patrons to ask for refund Opening times Off-peak opening times are generally 9:30am to 5:30pm. Off-peak periods are weekdays and non UK school holidays. Peak opening times are 9am to 6pm. Peak opening times are weekends, UK school holidays, bank holidays and the whole of the summer period (July through August). In 2008, the opening times in the summer period were 9am to 7pm. Occasionally the attraction shuts early if there is a corporate event happening. ] Zones within the attraction A-List Party Formally Blush, this is the first room on the tour. Included in this room is the Big Brother experience, plus figures such as Samuel L Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Leo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman David and Victoria Beckham and Robert Pattinson. It is designed to feel like you have stepped into a celebrity party, with wax figures dotted around the room. High School Musical Hannah Montana Launched in 2008, this room has a figure of Zac Efron as the character of Troy Bolton from the High School Musical franchise. The room is set like a basketball court and a locker room. It is interactive in that if you successfully shoot a basket a crowd will cheer. In addition the lockers have belongings of other characters of the movie. This zone also includes Miley Cyruss wax figure. There is also a karaoke facility, in which a person can sing Mileys songs. Premiere Night (Movie Room) This zone houses four Bollywood figures as well as celebrities from Hollywood, including Steven Spielberg, Jim Carrey and Audrey Hepburn. It also has several fictional characters: Shrek (which has a squeezable stomach), Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk (which had to be airlifted into the attraction due to its size) and the smallest wax figure ever made,[1] Tinker Bell. Sports Zone The Sports zone has several interactive elements. Putt a golf ball with Tiger Woods, stand on boxing scales next to Mohammed Ali and see what weight you would qualify for in boxing, take a penalty on a virtual reality screen, and ride a bike next to Lance Armstrong. A Royal Appointment In the Royals there is an opportunity to stand next to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William of Wales and Prince Henry of Wales. Culture A mixture of cultural icons fill this area, including Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Pablo Picasso and Charles Darwin. Music Megastars A mixture of music stars from across the decades appear in an area with a music stage complete with glitter balls. Music icons include Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Britney Spears, Leona Lewis, Kylie Minogue, Amy Winehouse, Tom Jones, Bob Marley, Justin Timberlake and Freddie Mercury. The Beatles in this area appear on the album cover of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. World Leaders The World Leaders area of the attraction contains political and spiritual leaders of the World past and present. The new figure of Barack Obama dominates this area; he is standing in a mock-up of the Oval Office which has a replica of the Resolute desk. Other leaders in this area include Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, Nicolas Sarkozy, Ronald Reagan, Tony Blair, Benazir Bhutto, Martin Luther King, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Gandhi. The World Leaders area is also noted for its inclusion of controversial figures, including Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein and Robert Mugabe. Mother Teresa is one of the very few icons to ask not to be made, saying her work was more important, not the person[2]. Another notable omission from this area is current British Prime Minister Gordon Brown the company said it has not been made into a wax figure due to his low popularity and not being elected into the position of Prime Minister, having assumed the position after the retirement of Tony Blair.[3] Chamber of Horrors and Scream The Chamber of Horrors is the horror section of Madame Tussauds, which showcases serial killers and murders. Included in this area are Guy Fawkes and Dennis Nilsen. This area also exhibits the original guillotine blade that killed Marie Antoinette. The Scream experience (formally Chamber Live) is a live-action, actor-led scare maze. It is based on the premise that several serial killers have been let loose in the chamber. This attraction is not suitable for pregnant women and children under 12 years of age. Behind the Secenes and History of Madame Tussauds This area shows the history of Marie Tussaud, and how she started creating wax figures. It also has an area on how the scupltors make the figures, using Beyoncà © as an example. Spirit of London ride The Spirit of London is a sit-down ride in which visitors sit in London taxis and are taken on a journey through the history of London. The ride starts in Tudor times and ends in the 1980s, passing through the times of Shakespeare, the Great Fire of London, the Industrial Revolution and the Swinging Sixties. The ride has commentary in a few languages and a photo is taken near the end of the ride which can be purchased when disembarke Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form James Bond The James Bond area contains the figures of Daniel Craig and Judi Dench. It has on display an original motorbike used in the James Bond movie Casino Royale. Warhols Women The Warhols Women zone contains the figure of Andy Warhol as well as the female celebrities he famously portrayed, including Marilyn Monroe in the classic pose where her skirt is blown upward, Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, Jerry Hall and Jackie O. About Madame Tussauds Madame Tussauds has branches in 8 major cities (Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.). A 9th attraction in Hollywood is planned for 2009. Madame Tussauds is part of the Merlin Entertainments group, which also owns the London Eye, the Dungeons, Sea Life Centres and Legoland Discovery Centres, as well as theme parks including Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park in the UK, and Gardaland in Italy. KEY CHALLENGES TO BE FACED BY THE EXHIBITION Swar brooke(2002) states without visitor attractions there would be no need for other tourism services and tourism as such would not exist without them. Different attractions provide their customers with services that are available with in the attraction for example some give their visitors a day out ,others give educational services,some give their customers ancilliary operations but Madme tussauds is one that entertain its visitors with combination of all above mentioned services due to which it is important that this work is put into place to deal with consumers content health and safety and to make sure of their repeat visits. To maintain this standard of excellence the tussauds organisation may possibly face some challenges in future specially in Marketing and competition Customer care Human resource management SWOT ANALYSIS This can be used in order for the organisation to achieve their objectives. This procedure is an effective method of identifying businesses Strengths and Weaknesses, and to examine the Opportunities and Threats they face. Often carrying out an analysis using the SWOT framework that will be enough to reveal changes, which can be usefully made. Swift (2000) According to Hannagan (1992) he defined SWOT analysis as: A SWOT analysis helps to focus attention on the key areas in an organisation that need to be taken into account in producing a marketing planà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. A SWOT analysis is a smmary of the marketing audit. It highlights internal differential strengths and weaknesses form the customers point of view as they relate to external opportunities and threats. Madame Tussaud s is like any attraction/organisation that analysis its internal factors; this is carried out in the marketing process, to analyse the effectiveness of the business operation and their internal factors, which influence to their success. This is achieved by conducting the SWOT analysis. MARKETING AND COMPETITION : In todays world of business and economics makets have become very competitive therefore understanding consumer is no longer enough .Organisations must start giving attention to their competitors , if want to have share in the market. (kotler 2003) As it is stated before, Madame Tussauds it is a large organisation within the travel and tourism industry, therefore it face high standard of challenger not only in London but all around UK,which can become stronger in the future. that is why more effective marketing is required to survive in the competition However, it uses circulation channel for more knowledge of their product national and international. They mainly deliver the awareness of their product/service through the Internet, as it is global. However, other sources of promoting and awareness of their product is mainly done through Media, in the form of posters at tube stations and bus sides which is mainly and to communicate the brand to a wider audience, public relations, portraits, business development and Banqueting Co-operate Entertaining, The prime objective of the organisation is to stay London top paying attraction,therefore a marketing strategy should be in terms of its target,current and potential market study and their process of promotion in order to attract their product to their customer by distribution. However, the aim of promotional planning in the long run is not just to inform, but to promote customers to purchase products/services or, to adopt ideas. Therefore, effective promotion is usually attained by well researched for tracking sales levels and attitude patterns toward consumers needs, this means objective must link to the target aimed. This can be achieved by updating, convincing and highlighting the organisation current and potential target marke CUSTOMER CARE Ensuring that customers are provided with quality services every time is a key in organisational success. Like other tourist attractions Madame tussauds may also face the challenge of delivering quality customer care. The organisation should note that words of mouths from satisfied customers is a free advertising and improved reputation and above all an increased revenue. Tussauds organisation should maintain a high standard of customer care training with in the exhibition to achieve goals like Increase sales Gain a competitive advantage Maintain consumer loyalty Attract new consumers Gain customer satisfaction Enhance the visitor attraction image For achieving high standard of customer care the organisation must improve  ¨ Their queuing process in term of not making consumer to wait for a long period to enter the exhibition  ¨ Signs around the exhibition for direction (such as direction for facilities for disabilities segment) Having more staff speaking different languages Having effective management that can handle crowd HUMAN RESOURCES Human resource management can also be a challenge as selection and recruitment costs will be much more due to the high presence of staff at visitor attractions. Competition in the service sector offering prmanent employment can detract suitable applicants from applying for positions within visitor attractions. With the high staff turnover consistency will be difficult to maintain within visitor attractions, which inevitably will have a negative effect on the quality of service delivered to customers. This is due to the fact that to be able to deliver quality services to consumers requires skilled and well-trained employees. As many employees of visitor attractions are employed on short-term contracts, operators may be less willing to invest in training and development for seasonal staff. In Scotland the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions encourages its members to invest in training and development for all staff, whether full or part time, seasonal or permanent. Many operator s of attractions dislike spending money on training and development for seasonal employees as there is the possibility of the employees not returning the following year. Operators are being encouraged to invest in training and development as this has proven to lead to a stronger more motivated workforce. If employees are enable and empowered to deliver a quality service, employee turnover should reduce, and employees affected by seasonality would be easier retained for the next season to come. They mainly deliver the awareness of their product/service through the Internet, as it is global. However, other sources of promoting and awareness of their product is mainly done through Media, in the form of posters at tube stations and bus sides which is mainly and to communicate the brand to a wider audience, public relations, portraits, business development and Banqueting Co-operate Entertaining, The prime objective of the organisation is to stay London top paying attraction,therefore a marketing strategy should be in terms of its target,current and potential market study and their process of promotion in order to attract their product to their customer by distribution. However, the aim of promotional planning in the long run is not just to inform, but to promote customers to purchase products/services or, to adopt ideas. Therefore, effective promotion is usually attained by well researched for tracking sales levels and attitude patterns toward consumers needs, this means objective must link to the target aimed. This can be achieved by updating, convincing and highlighting the organisation current and potential target market. At the same time one of their target is to carry out a promotional action plan to tsarget market, attract all types of consumers both domestic and overseas CONCLUSION Operators in todays business environment face many challenges as we have seen in bring quality services to visitors of their attractions. By putting in place suitable measures and processes, and ensuring their employees are capable of knowledge about efficient customer care training, confidence and incentive in which to perform at their best, operators can gain an competitive edge in their market, and deliver customer satisfaction s every time.

Women in a Mans World in Eliza Fenwicks Secresy :: literature eliza fenwick secresy gothic fiction

Women in a Man's World Eliza Fenwick's Secresy In examining how women fit into the "men's world" of the late eighteenth century, I studied Eliza Fenwick's novel Secresy and its treatment of women, particularly in terms of education. What I found to be most striking in the novel is the clash between two very different approaches to the education of women. One of these, the traditional view, is amply expressed by works such as Jean-Jaques Rousseau's Emile, which states that women have a natural tendency toward obedience and therefore education should be geared to enhance these qualities (Rousseau, pp. 370, 382, 366). Dr. John Gregory's A Father's Legacy to His Daughters also belongs to this school of thought, stating that wit is a woman's "most dangerous talent" and is best kept a well-guarded secret so as not to excite the jealousy of others (Gregory, p. 15). This view, which sees women as morally and intellectually inferior, is expressed in the novel in the character of Mr. Valmont, who incarcerates his orphaned niece in a remote part of his castle. He asserts that he has determined her lot in life and that her only duty is to obey him "without reserve or discussion" (Fenwick, p.55). This oppressive view of education served to keep women subservient by keeping them in an ignorant, child-like state. By denying them access to true wisdom and the right to think, women were reduced to the position of "a timid, docile slave, whose thoughts, will, passions, wishes, should have no standard of their own, but rise, or change or die as the will of the master should require" (Fenwick, 156). Opposing this view is the radical, or feminist, version of education, echoed in the works of such authors as Mary Wollstonecraft and Hester Chapone. Chapone, a member of the feminist bluestockings, writes in her Letters on the Improvement of the Mind, Addressed to a Young Lady that young girls should "seize every opportunity of improvement" through the study of "those persons, and those books, from which you can learn true wisdom." In her Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft presents the idea that women could be on par with men if they were given an equal education. This idea is clearly expressed in the character of Sibella Valmont, Mr. Valmont's niece, who at one point tells her learned friend, Caroline Ashburn: I feel within the vivifying principle of intellectual life.