Saturday, August 31, 2019

Branding Strategy Essay

Many companies opt for Multi Brand Strategy in order to generate economies of scale by using the basic advantages of the strategy. But it cannot be denied that Multi Brand Strategy can fail due to poor management and due to adoption of unprofitable business models. Multi Brand Strategy refers to a marketing strategy under which two or more than two similar products of a firm are marketed under Different Brand names. In most of the cases, these products are competing ones and are marketed under the Brand Names which are completely unrelated. Several companies take up this Multi Brand Strategy, as the strategy offers some advantages. First of all, by adopting Multi Brand Strategy,a company can obtain greater space in the market, where little space is left for the competitor business houses. Secondly, by promoting similar products under different Brand Names, a company can fill up the Price Gaps and Quality Gaps of the target market. In this way, the market can become saturated with the similar products of the same company. In every market, there are some customers who frequently change brands in order to experiment with products of different brands. By adopting the trick of Multi Brand Strategy, a company can serve effectively to these Brand Switchers. When a company undertakes Multi Brand Strategy, the managers of the company are bound to operate efficiently as internal competition is generated at a high degree. The decision of a company in adopting Multi Brand Strategy, depends on the success of the initial brand. If the initial brand becomes successful, then through franchising and retailing, a company can develop a second brand without generating much expense. The Franchises can promote both the primary and secondary brand through same advertisement. The marketing department of the company, can market the different multi brand products just in the way an agency works for multiple clients. All these advantages of Multi Brand Strategy can generate economies of scale. But, it should be mentioned here that, in spite of all the advantages of Multi Brand Strategy, there are risks too which can challenge the success of this kind of strategy. It has been observed that, in most of the cases, Multi Brand Strategy fail because of poor management and wrong choice of business model The disadvantages of brand extension strategies (1). Damage to the original brand image. When a certain type of product on the market ahead of the status, the brand has become a strong brand, in the minds of consumers will have a special image orientation, or even become a synonym for such products. This will be a strong brand extension, as proximate cause of (that is the last impression on people’s awareness of a more profound impact on the role of) the existence, it is possible to play a strong brand image consolidate or weaken the role. If the improper use of the brand extension, the original strong brand image represented by the information was weakening. 2).  Runs counter to consumer sentiment. A brand for the success of the process, the consumer is shaped by the corporate brand-specific functions, such as the quality of the psychological characteristics of specific targeting process. The strength of enterprises and brand extension to or incompatible with the original market has nothing to do with the products, on the contrary the psychological orientation of consumers. Such as â€Å"999† was originally Wei Yao in the well-known brands, â€Å"999† extend to beer, consumers will be difficult to accept. The brand extension of such misconduct, not only the effectiveness, but it will also affect the original strong consumer brands in the eyes of the specific psychological orientation. (3). Cixiaobichang easily form the â€Å"seesaw† phenomenon. When a name on behalf of two or more of a difference in the product, consumers will inevitably lead to fuzzy understanding of the products. When the extension of branded products in market competition at the absolute superiority, consumers will be the strength of the original brand positioning transferred to the psychological extension of the brand. Thus, in effect weakened the strength of the brand advantage. This extension of the strong brands and brand competition Cixiaobichang situation changes, that is, â€Å"seesaw† phenomenon. (4). Implicate effect. Will crown a strong brand name in other products, if different products in quality, level on the difference between the poor, which makes the strong brand name products and brand extensions have an impact, not only damaged the extension of brand name products, but also implicate the strong brand. 5). Dilute brand identity. When a brand on the market after the success in the eyes of consumers will have a special image orientation, attention also focused on the consumer to the product’s function, quality and other characteristics on. If enterprises use the same brand launch function, is almost the same quality of similar products so that consumers fainted the first shift, the brand identity will be diluted.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Police Suicide

Police suicide is a thing for police that has become way too common. Police as a career is very difficult job that brings along many different stresses. It is a job that comes with a lot of things that you don’t want to think about. You see the problems in society that occur every day that not everyone wants to see, things from suicide to murders to just everyday crimes that people commit. Police officers have more things that they have to deal with than most other professions. It is one of the most stressful jobs to have. Police have a large amount of helplessness. Helplessness stemming from why things are happening and why they cannot control more of what happens. It is very stressful to see things that happen on a daily, makes arrests for it then see the sentences get reduced to almost nothing. When this happens the officer feels as though they are helpless and nothing they do is worth it. Repeat offenders bring this upon them the most seeing them over and over again come back to doing the same type of stuff that got them arrested in the first place. Another thing that may lead to police suicide is just everyday duties of the job that may take a turn for the worse. No person no matter if they are a cop or not does not want to shoot someone or take another one’s life. Taking someone else’s life is terrible and something that can stick with a police officer forever. A memory like that can stick in someone’s mind forever even if the reason they did it was justified it’s still something that is hard to get out of their mind. These reasons along with many others will lead police to believe that taking their life is better than having to deal with the issues that they have in the life from police work. Knowing that they took another life is something that cannot be chocked down very easily. Another terrible thing that they have to see is suicide. Seeing someone else take there life makes them think about doing it themselves.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Influence Of Slope Aspects On Woodland Ecosystem Of Duhok Dissertation

Influence Of Slope Aspects On Woodland Ecosystem Of Duhok - Dissertation Example Studies have shown that position of a slope in an ecosystem affect the quality of organic material, soil chemistry, and nutrient cycling, largely; it affects the soil quality than even the type of bedrock beneath the soil (Yimer, Sting and Adelkadir 2006, p.95). Research that has been conducted on influence of topographical features on soils in southern Italy clearly demonstrate that soils originating from the same parent material, with the same vegetative covering and climate, with the only difference being the position of the landscape produced different and varied microclimatic conditions (Chen, Hsieh, Jiang, Hsieh and Sun 1997, p.230). In the northern temperate climatic zone, the aspect of a slope was found to be a huge influence of the microclimatic conditions of the area mainly influenced by the temperature levels (Coleman, Crossley and Hendrix 2004, p.312). This is because the amount of solar that area experiences will determine the levels of temperature and water in the soil, the inherent characteristics of the soil will be affected (Fu, Liu, Ma and Zhu 2004, p.48). In the Pinus laricio forests of southern Italy, the north-facing slope receives higher insolation and as a result, there is low moisture content that is also connected to the scanty vegetative cover and insolating effects of small vegetation (Gong, Chen, Fu and Wei 2007, p.1). Differences in the soil microbial activities offer the different type of plant species. These plant species depend on the soil moisture, root activities, temperature and organic matter that return to the soil through the litter that falls from the plants (Gong, Brueck, Giese, Zhang, Sattelmacher and Lin 2008, p.484). Studies have been carried out to determine the effects of climatic conditions on the soil and vegetation properties, however no studies have been carried to determine the influence of aspect in the soil and vegetation properties(Tewksbury and Lloyd 2001, p.426).

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

2 - Essay Example The court primarily deals with cases of serious criminal offences like murder, rape and robbery. Some cases are transferred from the magistrates’ court and others are appeal against the sentences of the magistrate courts. The case is put in front of the judge and the jury by the prosecution lawyer and thereafter the trial begins. In the presence of the victim and the defendant, the respective lawyers present their version supported by witnesses to the criminal act. After hearing both the sides, the jury discusses the main points amongst themselves and comes to certain result which is then communicated to the judge, with all relevant information that helped reach to that conclusion. This verdict is then announced by the judge to both the parties giving relevant legal clauses under which the judgement is reached. The punishment is either announced on the same day or some later day as fixed by the presiding judge. The Prosecution barrister is the one who starts the criminal proceedings on behalf of the victim, against the person who is supposed to have committed or perpetrated the crime and explains to the court what the defendant is accused of. He is responsible to the court to prove his case with supportive evidences. The Defendant barrister on the other hand, acts on behalf of the person who is accused of the said offence or crime. His main responsibility is to show to the court that prosecution’s arguments are not good enough to prove his client guilty and that there may be other explanations also. He does so by pointing out at the probable flaws of the evidences produced. The Jury is very important part of the court proceedings. The jury consists of twelve members who hear the case of the two parties without any biases. The two main parties, the victim and the defendant are both unknown to the jury members and that is the main reason that they can collectively come to some concrete judgement

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

HR & Development Essay (Unit III) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HR & Development (Unit III) - Essay Example ppropriate guideline for an effective brainstorming process includes making a clear and simple introduction of the idea or problem that needs to be brainstormed (Rothwell & Kazanas 1999). Introduction of the problem creates an avenue for conducting a thorough review on the rules governing the entire brainstorming process. This means that each participant gets an equal chance of presenting his or her idea. In other terms, the process should be welcoming to everyone by avoiding commenting during the proceeding of the brainstorming process. It thus discourages any evaluation hence allows room for duplicate ideas. The next step should be communicated after members contributions. That is, explaining what is required to be done then offer all the members of the group or team some private time to think over the brainstormed question or problem (Sharma, 2008). Finally, open the discussion for the member of that group to devise and come up with a suitable solution. In an on job scenario, the brainstorming process would be applied in solving leadership wrangle within the organization. The companys management team would come up with diverse ideas concerning the problem facing the management and tries to come with a suitable solution. That is, in matters concerning the top most position in the management hierarchy all the concern parties should contribute their points of view on regard to the qualities that need to be consider while selecting the suitable person for the post (Sinha and Sinha 2009). Another common problem that arises in an on the job situation is the issue on the process of performance appraisal. For instance, it requires a team or panel to determine or decides suitable criteria to be adapted while appraising the employees. In other terms, they devise and determine the demerit on which an employee should be accorded or subjected to any form of appraisal or appreciation for high performance (Dubrin, 2009). Group work and teamwork has a disadvantage of

Monday, August 26, 2019

Internet and Social Networking Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Internet and Social Networking Privacy - Essay Example use privacy settings, social networks have agreed not to reveal any personal details with a third party unless the user provides consent, which authorizes the use of the information in question (Barras 1). On the other hand, the social network community have become private-sensitive to the extent of ensuring that they always use their privacy settings. In other cases, social sites ensure the utilization of private settings by providing default private settings for users (Hawkins 1). The social sites have also message alerts, which are sent to the user any time the private settings are changed to public settings (Hawkins 1). Teenage users should be cautious and choose the social networks, which have registered with independent privacy firms that guarantee the privacy of their personal details, and do not have any privacy flows. Social networking sites give priority to their users while overlooking on third parties. It is in this case that the social networking sites will strive to maintain the privacy of their users. Social sites will block any third party who wishes to access user’s private information. In essence, Teenage users should be cautious and choose the social networks, which have registered with independent privacy firms that guarantee the privacy of their personal information, and do not have any privacy

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Latino Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Latino Studies - Essay Example Keeping in mind of the extensive and porous border that the United States shares with Mexico, many people in the United States worried that, the violence in Mexico could extend to their country. Furthermore, Mexico, being the second biggest state in Latin America, it constitutes the largest portion of the total number of immigrants into the United States. Therefore, at first, the matter of child immigration in the eyes of the people was a Mexican issue (BBC 3). However, child migration from Honduras as well as from the other Central American nations has become a great matter of concern as the then small problem grew steadily to become a critical humanitarian condition according to President Barrack Obama. Soon after, all the discussions regarding immigration in the United States turned on to child migration into the U.S-Mexico border. The matter prompted president Obama to request for additional funds from the members of Congress to help mitigate the problem (BBC 5). There is a lot of controversy regarding the exact reasons that led to this rapid increase in child migration who mostly come from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Some people in Central America hold the false belief that children who make their way to the United States enjoy great autonomy in their lives. Many president Barrack Obama critics indict him for escalating the problem through his careless enforcement of the immigration laws of the United States (Hing para.5). Different leaders and influential people in the United States started expressing their opinions on the best ways of solving the problem. Hillary Clinton asked the Obama government to clearly, inform the Central American people that migrants of all age including children will have their way back to their respective countries. Biden, the vice president, with instructions from the government went to Guatemala to meet the Central American leaders and pass the message. With this step,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Discussion - Research Paper Example Both pieces are white and have columns and arches, and are decorated by sculptures. Similarly, they both are examples of representational art. However, the subject matters of the two pieces are different. The Temple of Athena’s purpose is to help the Greeks in war, while the Arch of Constantine celebrates the war that has already been won. The Temple of Athena had a religious function of worshiping the goddess of victory. The statue of Athena inside the Temple held a pomegranate in one hand, which was a symbol of fertility, and a helmet, a symbol of war, in the other hand. In addition, Athena had no wings, as usual. She was depicted without wings in order not to ever leave the city, as the people believed (Ancient-Greece.org, 2013). On contrast, the Arch of Constantine had a social and political function of celebrating, immortalizing and commemorating Constantine’s victory over his enemy. The use of materials from the monuments of Marcus Aurelius, Hadrian and Trajan, who were considered good emperors, also created positive associations between them and

Social Responsibility and the Traditional College Student Research Paper

Social Responsibility and the Traditional College Student - Research Paper Example Freshman, all too often students leave for college and have no idea what the next chapter of their life will consist of in college. They understand they are headed to college and they are expected to attend class, make the grades, and graduate to get a good job. What they do not realize is that it is hardly that simple. There is so much more to the college experience aside from the obvious and one thing I feel traditional students lack is an understanding of personal responsibility. Students embrace the absence of their parents with the new gained freedom but the end result is binge drinking, campus reports of rape, alcohol poisoning, and lowered retention rates. It has been understood that in order to cultivate the values of responsibility, and good citizenship in the next generation that active investment is desirable for the purpose of civic responsibility. Apart from simply academic endeavors, productive and stable society needs in socially minded individuals able to give due dil igence to the needs of the community, and interest of a multicultural integration for the betterment of the whole. A time-honored strategy which serves as both an indicator and an encouragement of civic responsibility would be the fostering of voluntary service programs, often involving college students. Primarily, the evaluation for any such program at the college level is whether and to what extent the program or intervention measure benefits the students collectively. Involvement in voluntary service initiatives can be useful in the strategic planning for institutional policy in the long run. While civic responsibility and social awareness are desirable traits, and such programs by definition should be bereft of a profit motive, there must still be some nod to the principle of efficiency. What is the most effective use of the institution's time and resources with an eye towards long-term objectives of cultivating social responsibility? The investigation of programs and interventi ons that promote student responsibility are valuable for long-term planning purposes, but the body of literature concerning longitudinal research on the subject remains sparse. There are findings that indicate voluntary service programs can provide gains in civic responsibility, as well as cognitive performance – but more work is needed to fully quantify to what extent such gains are likely. And critics would suggest that many such studies concerning cognitive gains with respect to voluntary programs demonstrate limited evidence of effectiveness beyond the originating college campus. (Astin & Sax, 1998), (Batchelder & Root, 1994) Literature Review To integrate the subject of personal responsibility into curriculum would serve them well. Like a College 101 but on the social end rather than the academics end. In the article, â€Å"Teaching Students Personal and Social Responsibility With Measureable Learning Outcomes†, the topic of personal and social responsibility was addressed with regards to the 21st century college student. There was a study done at Rollins College (a small private liberal arts school) and Winthrop University (medium-sized, public comprehensive university) to evaluate personal and social responsibility; they created Core Commitments as a guiding philosophy (AAC&U,

Friday, August 23, 2019

Collaboration Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Collaboration Project - Assignment Example I can still remember our conversations very late at night when we were supposed to be sleeping and our mom coming in to scold us for still being awake. We shared secrets that we swore we would never tell anyone and to this day as far as I know we have kept this promise. As we grew older I graduated from high school and started college while she was still in high school. We still remained close since my school was near to our neighborhood where I could commute. However, both of us became increasingly busy and we found ourselves spending less time communicating and interacting with each other. Before long, I was married and got my firstborn ten months after wedding date. My sister was still unmarried and living the single life going out after work whenever she wished. In retrospect, I think I was a little jealous of her carefree lifestyle because I faced responsibilities of taking care of my family. I quit my job in order to stay home and take care of my baby and my husband whom I love dearly. I would not have had it any other way, but I had a hard time adjusting to being at home every day. At this point in time we only saw each other about once every two to three weeks because although my family visited my mother with whom my sister still lived, she was hardly ever home when we were there. This is how it was for about fourteen years until she met and got married to her husband. She too, had a child within a year. Now that she was married and had a daughter that she stayed home to raise, she wanted us to spend time together but by then I was the one who was busy. I was working part-time and running all over town with my boys driving them to games or picking them up from after school activities. We talked through the phone but I always had to cut the conversation short to do something. My sister could not understand why I could shorten our conversation. According to her, now that she was at home, she could like us to spend time more time together but as for me, I had other more activities to attend. She grew resentful and it reached a point where she accused me of not being welcoming especially to her husband. Her accusation haunted very much and this made me angry and totally changed my attitude towards her. The unveiling events started to strain my relationship with my sister and we kept distance for a couple of years. I commenced this project in order to improve my relationship with my sister and try to restore the closeness we once had. I knew things would not change unless I put forth the effort to reconnect with my sister. I needed to let go of the past and let bygones be bygones. I needed to spend time listening to what she had to say as well as to spend quality time with her and her family. I found it necessary to start expressing myself clearly in order to eliminate and misunderstandings not only with my sister, but others with whom I interact. I also wanted to become less critical and more accepting of other people’s viewpoi nts and opinions. I intended to self-monitor to be certain that I was heading in the right direction toward achieving these goals. The hardest part of this project was getting started by reaching out to my sister. I didn’t want her to know she was part of a research project for grad school and I didn’t want her to become suspicious either. So, I initiated contact by emailing her and including a recipe I thought she might like to try. Goals and objectives Before the end of this collaboration, I had some objectives to

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The meaning of life Essay Example for Free

The meaning of life Essay Introduction: According to Saint Exupery in The Halo (2006), â€Å"Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered: it is something moulded. † The meaning of life has a no specific definition; it depends on how each individual give meaning to their lives. It is a natural thing for an individual to curiously know about their life since their birth till death. Moreover, human beings are also curious to find out why they were put in this earth that is why babies keep touching everything in order to experience all their surroundings from the very beginning (Taylor, 2000). In this essay, the concept of meaning will be significantly analysed. Firstly, by defining the meaning which will secondly be followed by discussing the different types of needs an individual must meet to experience the meaning of life. Thirdly, the types of things that enhance and curb the experience of the meaning of life will be highlighted. Lastly, various practical steps will be described to enhance the experience of the meaning of life. This essay will be intertwined with personal reflections and aspirations that have enhanced the meaning of life for the writer. What is the meaning of ‘meaning’? Subjectivism: According to Eagleton (2007), everyone adds their own meaning to life. The meaning of life is never universal or complex. The meaning of life is very simple and people experience it when they understand the universe, themselves, their identity and their goal in life (Bennet, 2005). Subjectivists state that the meaning differs with individuals’ psychological and mental states and their desires and goals. For example one individual can find meaning of life in music or art while other may find it in attaining goals or in religion (REF). In addition to this, (REF) states that life only becomes meaningful when all the needs and wants are fulfilled and when the individual is content and satisfied with themselves. Super naturalistic views: On the other hand, spiritual beings consider their lives to be consequential and significant when they can reach the pious pathway God has set (REF). The God-centred view points out that the definitive meaning of life is holistically attained. Moreover, an individual will only figure out the meaning of life when they are not attached to the worldly desires (REF). Personal reflection: Personally, the meaning of life for me is constantly being in search for my identity and accomplishing the goals I have set in life. I explore my identity through my art work as it helps me express my feelings and emotions about everything. My art work makes me realize who I am as a person and what people interpret me as a person through my paintings. What types of needs must be met for a person to experience meaning in life? Searching the meaning of life is a motivational force in an individual however; the degree of motivation to which they search the meaning of life differs in all individuals (REF). Despite individuals having different degrees of motivation, there are some needs and conditions that must be met for the individuals to experience the meaning of life. Individuals do not necessarily have to meet the same needs and conditions to experience the meaning of life. Some individuals are inspired by other individuals like great artists, inventors and thinkers, some individuals need sense of belonging, some need to experience certain events to make sense of life while others need to attain autonomy and self efficacy to experience the meaning of life. In short, individuals can discover the meaning of life through social work, experiencing something or someone or reactions towards unavoidable circumstances (REF). For example, an individual who is very emotional needs to experience the need of belonging in order to experience the meaning of life. They need to have many friends and a good relationship with their family in order to satisfy their need of belonging; this helps the individual to live a happy and full life. However, if they do not feel the sense of belonging, they have no hope hence do not have anything to look forward to and see no point of living. Conversely, not all individuals need to meet the need of belonging to experience the meaning of life. Some may have to experience the need of autonomy and self efficacy. These types of individuals usually have certain goals and tasks in life which they believe they can attain thus that would help them experience the meaning of life. For example, an individual whose goal is to become a doctor tries to attain that goal by being a hard worker and devoting all his time to attain their goal. They would experience the meaning of life when they achieve the title of the doctor as it would help them conquer a place in the community and gain some prestige. In addition to this, if an individual fails to attain this need might gain a very low self esteem which would then impact on the choices they makes in life. They would become very dependent on others and would not be able to cope with that leading them to suffer from various health issues. What types of things enhance the experience of meaning in life? The meaning of life can be enhanced by sustaining life, accepting a teaching, giving life or creating wisdom (REF). For example things that would enhance the meaning of life for mothers, doctors and nurses is when they deliver as links in a biological chain by giving life from one generation to the other. Young artists are inspired and enhance their meaning of life when they authorize and respect and accept their teacher’s work (REF). Personally, as an artist, the meaning of life for me is enhanced when I can appreciate the work of different artists and what they are trying to express in their paintings. Art work makes me understand the different feelings individuals go though and how they express it through drawings. It also makes me see different viewpoints of life and experiences people are going through. Despite all individuals having different needs to discover the meaning of life, there are certain things that all individuals require to enhance the meaning of life like: Hope Inspiration Goals High self esteem. What types of things curb the experience of meaning in life? Many individuals curb their experiences of the meaning in life due to: No inspiration or goals and failure: If an individual constantly fails and has no potential and inspiration of achieving his goals may feel ineffective and hopeless. They may start feeling that they have no purpose in life and life is completely meaningless for them. Loss of loved ones: loss of a loved one through death or divorce may affect an individual mentally and emotionally. They may feel the are not loved and do not belong anywhere as their loved one does not exist anymore. The loss brings suffering and misery which makes an individual believe that like if meaningless. Lastly, experiences like these pushes an individual to have a low self esteem and become reserved (REF). Personal Reflection: If individuals are not open, emotionless or afraid to be seen as themselves due to low self esteem cannot enhance their meaning of life and hence would curb this experience. As an artist, my goal is to become an art teacher and help other children to express their feelings through painting if they cannot through words. However, I have a clear goal and always have been inspired by my father to attain this goal. If I had a low self esteem and did not believe in myself, I would have no hope hence that would curb the search of meaning of life as I would feel I am worthless Practical steps to enhance the experience of a meaningful life As mentioned above, many individuals curb their experiences of the meaning in life due to low self esteem, no inspiration, no goals and being reserved. However, they can enhance their experience firstly by accepting and believing in themselves. This would help them make a contribution to life and share their best. According to (REF) self-destructive behaviour can be conquered by increasing self-efficacy and self-esteem. This can be done through counselling so that they can start believing in themselves. Individuals who need the sense of belonging to experience the meaning of life should try and fit in and socialize with people they are close to and have good relationships with them all. Furthermore, individuals who are trying to attain a specific goal should always reward themselves every time they are a step closer towards the goal. This would keep them motivated and not lose hope. Personally, I enhance my experience by acknowledging the great artists and how they are an inspiration to other young artists. Conclusion Finally as mentioned there is no specific meaning of life. All individuals need to meet different types of needs such as the need of belonging, experiencing life threatening incidents, need of autonomy and self efficacy to experience the meaning of life. An individual’s perception, values, needs and feelings centre him and help in organizing the world around him. Feelings help in expressing oneself. If an individual has a great skill in expressing himself, he can change the larger world. Great artists found expressions in their art work which helped them change the world that came after them. The creations around us are the different individuals trying to express themselves and their experiences of the meaning of life. All the inhibitors that we posses such as low self esteem and inner struggles should be resolved to make life more creative and enhance the meaning of life.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Contributions of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux

Contributions of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux To what extent Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux have contributed to the professional practice of Landscape Architecture? Both Frederick Law and Calvert Vaux are actively participating in Landscape Architectural projects in the 19th century. Calvert Vaux was a young Architect in the year 1857. He collaborated with Frederick Law in the Central Park competition. Apart from landscape projects Vaux also committed himself as an architect designing various houses that harmonises with nature. Frederick Law Olmsted being known as the â€Å"Founder of American Landscape Architecture as well as a well-known park designer† by the National Park Service. Frederick Law Olmsted started the being a Landscape Architecture after experimenting and trying out many different career fields. From a newspaperman, social commentator and farmer. He had many interests in his early life. In landscape architecture, Olmsted combined his thoughts and interests in rural life and conditions and thoughts of autonomous glory to create a new form of civil engineering that not only focuses on its function but as well as beauty. The Urbanization Olmsted seen on the road with its interest in rural problems soon make him wanted to work as a Landscape Architect. As he was touring around in Britain in the 1850s, he visited England’s Birkenhead Park, which was an important and a catalyst in venturing into the landscape career path. In the year 1858, the city commissioners selected, out of the total thirty-tree designs being submitted in the competition for the new park (Central Park) the one chosen â€Å"Greensward,† which was the collaboration work of Frederick Law and Calvert Vaux. Central Park is the recognition of this design through its significant features. It was also one of the earliest examples of a park that is being referred as a well balance work of landscape architecture, as well as the first in any country to propose spacious relaxing grounds which have the beauty of minimalist natural scenery as it met the qualities of complete enclosure by a tightly built city. Central Park was a great success where both he and Vaux are able to closely towards each other. The use of hills, trees and curve walkways created a form of tranquillity and remoteness from the city. Both Olmsted and Vaux also formed a company and designed major parks in Brooklyn, Buffalo and more. Apart from the formed company, Olmsted also founded his own personal firm in the 1883 which led him to move his home to modernize Boston and created â€Å"Fairsted† known as the world’s first professional office for the Landscape Design. Vaux and Olmsted then started a long partnership with each other where they form the landscape ideas of the position that should be played in the life of cities. But individual inputs by each of them has always been unclear. Some also argued that Vaux must be leading in the project as he is more experience in landscape architecture as compared to Olmsted, thus there is no reason to misbelief Vaux’s design. Soon later, the park’s authorities had decided to make Olmsted the Head Architect with Vaux as an assistant. Although Olmsted had a lot of suffering in the later years in order to highlight Vaux important role towards the design as well as the development of the parks, Vaux had always felt that he did not had the fame that he should receive. Apart from the Central park project, Olmsted and Vaux also collaborated in 1865 after the Civil War on what many referred as their most successful design The Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Not only that they also designed several other Brooklyn parks which includes the Carroll Park in Carroll Gardens , Washington Park and the Parade Ground and Tompkins Square. Olmsted and Vaux also created a new form of pathway that is able to solve the problem of inefficiency of Brooklyn’s Grid Street system. These landscaped pavements are used to connect various different neighbourhoods to different parks all around the queen’s border. Olmsted crafted various examples of designs which the Position of Landscape Architecture is able to enhance the quality of life in America. These include large urban parks being devoted to the contact and involvement of the scenery and designed to resist and balance out the bogusness of the city and the stress of modern life. One of the most important transports were the Private carriages a smooth road reserved for them that is able to connect parks and spread the advantages of public green space around the city. Olmsted and Vaux designed the park to be able to create ways and path for the pedestrians and carriages to enjoy and admire the park without having to annoy each other. The design of the roads is considered radical as it allows vehicular access to drive through the park without being divided from the park’s experience. It provides an array of public facilities for the residents and scenic preservation safeguarding areas of extraordinary landscape beauty from destruction as well as commercial uses. Garden / landscape design could improve both awareness as well as the self-reflections of occupants. With an increasing number in open-air apartments, it encourages outdoor activities where the garden space is a specified training ground for the citizens living around it. Governmental buildings would have been more efficient and do understand the importance of planning. Olmsted’s design approach showed the complexity of his perception and even paid attention to the slightest details for a resident in harmonizing green-space. Olmsted understands the reasoning behind his landscape work which is capable of affecting the emotions of others. This was quite noticeable throughout his park designs, where he designed the pavements of the scenery such that the visitors would be saturated. Able to experience the curative action of the landscape as what Olmsted would describe it as â€Å"Unconscious† process. In order to achieve this outcome, he overpowered all the elements of the design in making the land-art contacts more subtle. Olmsted always wanted to think ahead of the current trends and actions and being able to derive his designs based on the important principles of human psychology. In detail, he cross referenced from the analysis of earlier British Sophist of unsentimental landscape and their attention towards the special qualities of composition and attractive scenery. The essence of agrarian landscape was the English deer park, creating an emotion of an enlarged space and its delicately inflected ground and smooth, a cropped lawn. He was able to realise that this style is known as his special formula to cure the bad effects of an modern life. The â€Å"Picturesque† style was being used in deep and worn out terrain, and followed by planting with a thick layer of different ground covers , shrubs and etc. This eventually will result in a thought of charitableness, outpouring and secrecy. His extreme experience of this effect was on the Isthmus of Panama as he was passing through a journey to California. Where both forms includes the qualities of infiniteness, and the shortage of singular objects for a detail exploration. As Olmsted defined it , the term â€Å"scenery† is never applied to vision of any field that is seen as straight forward. Hence it should have a level of complexity in its shapes and visuals closer towards the eye, unimportant details when looked further away. These characters were important for the unknown motion of the scenery in mind. They were also an important element to his design as practicing benchmarks for exquisite understanding. The standard of elegance that includes a mixture, complexity and a fine series of surfaces, colours and tones were important to Olmsted creative and cultivating purpose. Although the site that Olmsted favoured needs a at least a rainfall in order to achieve its outcome, he understood that majority of the United States does have a different weather. Following that he sets out to develop a distinct landscape technique for the south, while in the west it requires a water-conserving technique. He applied the techniques of this approach with six projects in the San Francisco Bay and Colorado. During Olmsted career, he and his firm completed out over 500 commissioned projects. Which includes 100 parks and recreation areas, with over 200 private estates as well as numerous residential projects and campus design for a handful of academic institutions. Olmsted himself is a creative designer, even though he had trouble with expressing his ideas in words. With approximately six thousand letters were still around till this days, With its discussion with 300 design commissions. And at times he paid for the publications as well as public distribution of these letters which includes his experience in journeys and several documents by the United States commission. Calvert Vaux who is also one of America’s well-known architect / Landscape architect. He also shaped some of America’s most prominent landscape during the 19th century. He worked with famous landscape figures such as Andrew Jackson Downing and later with Frederick Olmsted, and hence Vaux’s style on the landscape architecture was ignored in the 20th century. Vaux was an optimist who worked hard throughout his career and life to improve the living conditions of the lower class and promoted art education for all. Calvert Vaux had been successful in Architecture before the age of twenty-four, where he came to America and met downing. And after the sudden death of downing in the 1854, the project of designing the grounds of the capitol and the Smithsonian Intuition has yet been completed in America. In Vaux private life, he was a man of singular purity, kindness and trustworthy. Although he lacked of socializing skills, which was able to allow him to have a better position. But he still had many accomplishments and practice of the best type. The career of Vaux was an inspiring one for those young artists who are struggling as well as citizens who are labouring and working in civic and village improvements. Although the 1870s were Vaux’s most productive years but he latter soon found out that his High Victorian Gothic Style against the rising popularity of Neoclassical style had soon made his worked looked dull and outdated. Even though he won the projects with the High Victorian architect, for the American Museum of History as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and building the first stage of each of them, he soon lost the projects for continuing the later parts, due to the multiple reviews that the buildings had. His ability to win over large projects soon drops, and he turned to designing lodge houses and other beneficial buildings for the Children’s Aid Society located over in New York City. Apart from that he also devoted his last few years of life in focusing projects on the New York Public Parks as landscape architect, which led him to design several small parks throughout the city and also being able to continue his work on the Central Park. At his death during 1895, Vaux did not lead the role in the developments of architecture in America but he had left a long and unforgotten projects. In their late 1880s both Frederick Olmsted and Vaux collaborated with each other on Special projects such as providing free design service to the city of Newburgh (New York) where they construct a park in memory of Andrew Jacks. Their final collaboration concerns the Niagara Reservation. An area the state of New York bought as to prevent any form of commercial development which will compromise the scenery. Both Olmsted and Vaux composed their plans that would revive the Niagara’s spectacular sceneries making it accessible to tourist. In conclusion I think that both Landscape Architects did way beyond their part in the professional practice of Landscape Architecture as they were very sensitive towards minor details such as the landform, climate changes, materials/surfaces and the thoughts / activities of the people. They did not neglect other points in its design such as transportation in which are widely used till this day where they are able to immerse themselves in to the landscape, rather than being separated and divided. They also tried to make roads and path efficient for both pedestrians as well as vehicles. And the landscapes that both men design had special qualities in them where it’s designed towards tranquil and peaceful emotions. These psychological design qualities are a huge advantage towards the users in terms of de-stressing themselves and being able to admire the elegant sceneries.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Organisational Culture Analysis of BP

Organisational Culture Analysis of BP Title: What is the role of Organisational Culture in British Petroleum at Lancashire County? Contents: Literature Review Research Aims, Objectives and Limitations Research Methodology Research Methods Analysis Results Recommendations and Conclusions Introduction Organizational culture is the set of shared values, beliefs, and norms that influence the way employees think, feel, and behave in the workplace (Schein, 2011). The purpose of this dissertation is to explicate the impact of organizational culture in British Petroleum towards achieving the business objectives and capabilities of employees roles and subsequent role behaviours. I propose that four types of cultures (clan, entrepreneurial, market and hierarchy) exert different and at times competing pressures, thus, creating distinct role schemas regarding the range of expected employee behaviours, which in turn, guide distinct forms of employee role behaviour (e.g. helping, innovation, achievement and compliance). Literature Review Organizational culture has the potential to enhance organizational performance, employee job satisfaction, and the sense of certainty about problem solving (Kotter, 2012). Organizational culture has received ample attention both in the popular and scholarly press as an important factor predicting organizational effectiveness by inducing employees to behave effectively (Cooke Rousseau, 1988; Schein, 1985, 1990). Knowing the culture of an organization allows employees to understand both the organizations history and current methods of operation. Organizations can achieve effectiveness only when employees share values. For instance,Eliot Jaques provides the following description of the culture of a factory: The culture of the factory is its customary and traditional way of thinking and of doing things, which is shared to a greater or lesser extent by all its members, and which new members must learn, and at least partially acceptà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Culture is part of the second nature of those who have been with the firm for a long time. (1951: 251). Organizational culture, through its norms, serves as a control mechanism to channel behaviours toward desired behaviors and away from undesired behaviours. This can also be accomplished by recruiting, selecting, and retaining employees whose values best fit the values of the organization. Aim The aim of the study was to present and discuss the preliminary culture model to indicate the culture performance within the British Petroleum and proposing a model for assessing organisational culture towards achieving business objectives. Objectives Approach of organisational culture allows access to the dynamics of the social system in all its complexity, and then it leads to the concept of corporate identity (Strategor, 1995. The main objectives of organisational cultural and capabilities to achieve the aim are, Analysing the present and future Business plan Staff employment and their internal relationship Knowledge sharing and Decision making Plans for business process and implementation Rational of the research An Organisations culture determines the organisations ability to complete projects successfully that can encourage a culture in their business that aligns with their objectives and makes employees more likely to succeed in reaching their objectives. Even though two businesses have similar structures, the impact of effectiveness can be different because of differences in their cultures. So the research about comparing the present model of organisational culture of the selected organisation with the competitors provides ample of knowledge and new understanding about employing staff, kind of work assignment, communication plans and their in-house relationship provides understanding which enhances the knowledge for assessing organisational culture towards achieving business objectives. Scope The scope of the study will contribute to the extant research on organizational learning, culture, and identification, the literature on these constructs remains mostly prepositional. There is a wide scope for continued quantitative and qualitative research on each one of the latent variables included in this study individually and  collectively. This research studies could be applied for the findings of research to multiple organisation at various geographic locations, in order to determine commonalities and differences across various business sectors and localities. Different combinations of culture and learning variables influence organizational identification at different levels like low, medium and high. Limitations Money and Time Costs: When the basic data are subjected to frequent changes, incorporating them into the Organisational research models is a costly affair. Moreover, a fairly good solution at present may be more desirable than a perfect solution available after sometime. Implementation: Implementation of decisions is a delicate task. It must take into account the complexities of human relations and behaviour internally. Research Methodology Data collection and analysis methodology is to be carried out throughout this research which should be chosen to match the particular evaluation in terms of its key evaluation questions (KEQs) and the resources available. Impact evaluations should make maximum use of existing data and then fill gaps with new data. Some common data collection methods include observations, interviews, focus groups, surveys, and the use of secondary data such as test scores. I have choose to carry out Qualitative data methods and analysis which is allows to find out the reasons. This may be beneficial to an organization in bringing out the required changes to create a culture that can facilitate better learning opportunities. The research will be both deductive and inductive in nature and will be anchored in grounded theory. Methodological problems predicted which may arise while carrying out this research are Voluntary participation, because in most cases, permission is needed from people before involving them in any primary research. Confidentiality and anonymity as participants may reveal embarrassing or potentially damaging information such as racist comments, unconventional behaviour and Researcher bias. I will be using both primary and secondary sources for this research such as primary sources like questionnaire, personal and group interviews and observations and secondary sources like internet, journals, articles, magazines and books. The validity of the proposed model will be tested by a few case studies. In order to measure current and expected organisational culture capabilities, it will adopt the maturity-level techniques which is being able to measure the organisational readiness (Galliers Sutherland, 2003; Salleh Alshawi, 2006). The gap between the current and expected levels could be identified which also is known as the Readiness Gap(Salleh Alshawi, 2006). TASK 1 part 2: Plan and procedures for the agreed research specification (AC1.5); Research objective By when Resources to be used (2.1) Milestones (when do you know this objective is achieved) Review dates (which is after the by when to ensure that you have actually achieve the objective ) How will you monitor this objective is being achieved? method of monitoring Analysing the present and future Business plan 21/12/16 Gathering information on good make better sense of your market research. 5/1/17 8/1/17 By constant evaluation after gathering the required resources Staff employment and their internal relationship 25/12/16 Online survey, questionnaires, Journals, 28/12/16 31/12/16 By gathering data in regular basis about the employee culture in the organisation Knowledge sharing and Decision making 5/1/17 Articles about franchise buyers, books and related web link 11/1/17 14/1/17 By getting answer to the questions How much knowledge does the average employee has in terms of decision making Plans for business process and implementation 7/1/17 The proper and effectively business plan and implementation 11/1/17 13/1/17 Employee works in a happy atmosphere and the productivity will more and growth of the company 2.1 Match resources efficiently to the research question or hypothesis I focused on the effects and implications of the conceptualisation and operationalization of organization culture and formulation of the research problem of a grounded theory study. The research formulation implications discussed above are the research design considerations that I reflect on analysing the present and future Business plan, internal relationship of staff, decision making, business process plan and implementation. I used methodology of direct survey questionnaire as a main instrument, observation ad interviews. Each of these methods were unique and useful in their own way. By the end of the research, the results from one method were more useful than from the other, and some of these methods did not even work 2.2 Undertake the proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification and procedures Data Collection and Analysis I use observation, documentation review, surveying and questionnaire method of data collection which I believed effective and the research was conducted by means of a direct survey. Questionnaire was the instrument of data collection which consists of 20 to 25 questions with a mixture of Likert-scale and closed-ended questions with one answer was developed. A five-point Likert scale was employed to gather responses, 5 indicating maximum agreement and 1 no agreement. The survey was sample-based. Non-random sampling was applied and advantages and disadvantages specific to this method of sampling were considered. A small group of those surveyed does not authorize to make generalizations, but allows the identification of the specific mechanisms and formulation of questions and conclusions. Tested on a larger sample, they will make it possible to formulate more documented and certain, useful theses on a larger scale. Analysis method I used here is predictive analytics and machine learning to anticipate important events and continuous tuning of analytic platform using feedback. Advantages I could see see directly what people is relying on rather than what they say they do. With Questionnaire method covered large geographical area. Capable of collecting data from a large number of respondents I found to ask numerous questions about a subject, giving extensive flexibility in data analysis With survey software, advanced statistical techniques can be utilized to analyze survey data to determine validity, reliability, and statistical significance, including the ability to analyze multiple variables A broad range of data was collected (e.g., attitudes, opinions, beliefs, values, behavior, factual). Disadvantages The challenges I faced in data collection methods are, its much time consuming, information is often incomplete, couldnt get a proper and careful feedback as the wordings biasing the responses. Also I felt couldnt get the full story and surveys are in need of sampling expert. 2.3 Record and collate relevant data where appropriate. I used questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interview schedules, gathering of observational data and analysis of documentary data method because of the limited number of senior staff, it may not be possible to conduct pilot semi-structured interviews with them, as this will preclude them from the final data collection. According to the model based on the basic underlying assumptions the description of the current culture was made. The questionnaire was used because of its advantages (little time required and low costs) and because the team wanted to get a general impression of the mood in the company as quickly as possible. The questionnaires were distributed personally by the heads of the departments, and a very good return ratio from approximately 40% was reached. In 2011 BP a 10-point plan had been put forward that outlined what could be expected from BP over the next three years. During 2012 work had been done towards the milestones that had set out for 2014. Their plans are refined and communicated further information on our longer-term strategic objectives beyond 2014(BP.com, 2012). Bp has been identified as an organization that adopts differentiation strategy over the years due to the proper utilization of the companys competences or capabilities. It has different brands such as BP, Ampm, Arco, Castrol, Aral and Wild bean cafe (www.bp.com), and also diversification into development and production of alternative sources of energy(BP.com, 2011). With the collected relevant data I found if BP wants a safety culture, it must implement massive changes throughout every aspect in their organization that are guided by that safety focus. More than re-structuring or changing incentives and rewards it must do more because, so many problems are due to a focus on profits over safety? Repeatedly, a focus on growth at the expense of safety or quality leads companies on a dangerous path that affects human lives. The causes are described as systemic issues. Examples include: Flaws in BPs management and design procedures Failures to appreciate risks Lack of communication and training about lessons learned from prior problems Government regulators lacking the authority, necessary resources and technical expertise Using time-saving and cost-saving measures When major quality or safety issues are exposed to the public, by either a disaster or a recall, the changes in the culture are often systemic-its not an isolated error but a change in values. The changes must start at the heart of the culture at its core, where employees stop for a moment to reflect on the values that are important and together create a shared view. If safety is whats valued over profits, then employees should not be over-worked, and faulty equipment and poor maintenance should not be allowed. Employees should be hired not only for competency but also because they personally value safety. It should be the role of each employee to enhance the safety culture. Administration of the questionnaire and analysis of questionnaire data are done to provide material for the interviews and interviews are conducted concurrently. Numerical data were analyzed, which was also enabled the responses from sub-groups of the organization which was separated for analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed using protocols of content analysis. TASK 3: Be able to evaluate the research outcomes 3.1 Use appropriate research evaluation techniques For the study conducted, there was a requirement of the resources which would assist to identify key constituents that have been undertaken for the purpose. In order to achieve this target, the focus of the study was on the various types of strategies of management that undertaken by British Petroleum. The British Petroleum operates worldwide and in diverse population. For example, the European market, people can be divided into various sub-cultures and consumer behavior is also different (Ford Jeffrey, 2009, 105). The outcome of the research shows the true analysis of BPs organisational plan, leadership, staff relationships and organizational decision making of sources of internal information collection and organising the duration of data project and sources of usage of collected data for business process implementation and development. The research finding has a valid and reliable data to achieve the aim and objectives of the research. Depending on factors like the goals of the data collection project, the organizations size, resources and time, data may be gathered about many sub-sets within a broader group of interest (e.g. youth service users who cannot read and who speak English as a second language). According to Dr. Mustafa Ozkan Karatay (2013) the benefits of the research conducted includes data collection about a group of interest that shares characteristics and the Leadership enhancements that are essential to avert comparable occurrences in BP which consist of: A solo overall project leader. Clear communications to every individual functioning on the project. Greater safety trainings linking past experiences and crisis analysis. 4.Hiring employees with the essential skills to complete tasks competently and securely It is also important to recognize that based on their unique combination of identities, people exposed to particular forms of discrimination. Bp has under gone major restructuring under the new management of the new CEO Robert Dudley, Dudley said that BP was to re-structure its upstream segment from a single business into three separate functional divisions; exploration, development and production, which would carryout a detailed review of how the group managed third-party contractors in order to reinforce accountability for risk management. The company is doing this because of the findings of an internal report; it stated that the breakdown in communication was one of the contributing factors to the BP disaster. 3.2 Interpret and analyse the results in terms of the original research specification. The following chart represents the BPs Organisational structure from the top level management from where different business models are distributed throughout the different geographical area in the globe. Organization Structure The political influences made a notable difference in BPs strategy which has been changed in general possible to observe two main tendencies. First, BP attempts to hedge political risks in the oil producing countries by means of partnership and deals with the governments. For instance, BP signed a contract with the Russian state-run oil company. It is reported that the company started producing solar panels after the acquisitions of Lucas Energy Systems (1980) and Amoco (1998)(Saud M. Al-Fattah, 2013). Furthermore, it is reported that BP invested more than $6 billion in wind and bio-fuel energy projects during the period from 2005 to 2010 (BP.com, 2011) BP also runs a series of development programmes notably known as Managing Essentials to help managers apply the leadership framework in their own teams. I t also runs three specialist development programmes designed to build excellence in the 3 important functional areas of operations, finance and human resources. The Operations Academy, set up in partnership with MIT, provides BPs senior managers with a systematic and rigorous approach to managing safe and efficient operations. The overall statistics of British Petroleums business and turnover is found below. Countries of operation :Over 80 Number of employees :85,900 Sales and other operating revenues :$375,765 million Cash flow :$20.5 billion Replacement cost profit :$11.4 billion Proved reserves :17,000 million barrels of oil equivalent Retail sites :20,700 Refineries (wholly or partly owned) :15 Refining throughputs :2,354 thousand barrels per day Detailed and structured questionnaire was designed where the survey was undergone with a sample of 50 employees in BP. The methodology developed was Primary and Secondary research. The questionnaire was designed to get information from staffs about their satisfaction and overall opinion about organizations and its structure. Some sample of the questionnaire is showcased below. Here most of them gave multi answers for questions. In what way are individual positions, units and so on clustered within your organization unit? a) By Function c) By product e) By place b) By target group d) By service f) By project The graph shows the way how individuals position is clustered within the organization. It shows like it depends mostly on the project individual involved with and the service given by them along with the target group. 2. Is the content of job changed for the employees during last two years? a) Work autonomy c) Co-operation with management b) Specialization d) Multi-tasking e)Weight upon technical qualifications According to the answers of staffs the above graph shows that the content of the job has been changed in past two years with the cooperation with management and also for the individuals who do multi tasking. 3. Does your company use any of the following ways of organizing work? a) Quality circles / groups   b) Delegation of responsibility c)Planned job rotation d) As per resource availability e) Integration of functions f)Specialization g) Incentives based upon quality of results It shows that the company is preferably using the quality circles as more than 50% answered such for organizing the work and 40% said that the incentives are based upon the quality of results they obtain. 4. How the Knowledge management has been benefiting your company Contemporary technologies processes b) Efficient management of information c) Increasing customer satisfaction d) Fosters innovation e) Increasing productivity It clearly shows with the above graph that the most of them answered(80%) as the company use knowledge management which increases the customer satisfaction and 60% answered as efficient management of information. Upto 40% answered that contemporary technologies and processes and increase in productivity. 5. How much freedom of action has, in your opinion, an executive within the organization to vary his leadership with regard to directing and collaboration? a)None c)Complete e)Much b)Little d)Not much For the question arised about the freedom of action for an executive within organization to vary his leadership most(80%)of them answered as complete freedom has been given and very less percentage(5%) said as no. So it shows a positive sign for employees to execute their ideas and work in a hassle free environment. 6. People here try to make friends and to keep their relationships strong. Low Medium High LOW MEDIUM HIGH 2 3 45 4% 6% 90% The above graph shows that 90% of the people say, they make friends and to keep their relationships strong. 7. People here do favours for others because they like one anther Low Medium High Low Medium High 4 4 42 8% 8% 84% The above graph shows that 84% of the people say, they do favours for others because they like one anther. 8. People in our group often socialize outside the office Low Medium High Low Medium High 8 3 39 16% 6% 78% The above graph shows that 78% of the people say, they often socialize outside the office 9. When people leave your group, stay in touch one another Low Medium High Low Medium High 7 6 37 14% 12% 74% The above graph shows that 74% of the people say, they stay in touch one another when they leave their group. 10. People here often confide in one another about personal matters Low Medium High Low Medium High 1 3 46 2% 6% 92% 3.3 Make recommendations and justify areas for further consideration. BP Companys project, is a significant step toward the growth of the company, but the Chief Executive officer should ensure that the established Centralized Developments organization enhance the integrity in the project implementation process. While considering their present, future business plan and implementations they should establish a body of expertise in greenhouse gases in order to reduce emissions that may hinder the attainment of the project goal. The other recommendation I am keen to insist is that BP should invest much on renewable energy sources like wind power, solar panel and bio-fuels which is because they present little or fewer risks on people health and environment. There is also a need for the BP Company to consider reorganize its 4 Ps of marketing viz. product, price, promotion and placement so as to secure a competitive advantage over the other six competitors in the industry. BPs weaknesses led it to engage in excessive cost-cutting and to take disproportionate risks with respect to the environment, worker safety, national security and its own profitability. I analysed also about BPs problematic ethics which despite being hailed by the financial media for its corporate citizenship, its rhetoric and deeds about social and environmental responsibility were diametrically opposed. Furthermore I recommend that the company should increase expenditures on infrastructure maintenance and employee safety. It should also conduct employee training. It is recommended that BP should use the diversification strategy as a future strategic option in order to continue responding to the environmental challenges. The company should diversify its product range associated with the production of solar and wind energy for individual and corporate customers. It is expected that these products will be popular in the emerging markets such as India and China where incomes are not high, but

Monday, August 19, 2019

Parkers Back :: Religion, Divine Intervention

â€Å"Parker’s Back† is filled with biblical allusions as one man’s journey towards God and pleasing his wife ends unsuccessfully. Parker has always been a rebel; however, his wife is a devout, plain woman who has an indescribable control on him, possibly due to his subconscious wish to be saved. Parker wishes to leave her, but finds he never can do so. Not only is he unable to please his wife, but also he is unable to experience spiritual satisfaction, and in the brief moment at the end where he does have a connection to God, his wife rids him of it. Biblical allusions are spread throughout â€Å"Parker’s Back,† and they serve to emphasize O.E. Parker’s failure as a spiritual person. Parker notices a tattooed man at fair, where he became inspired to get tattoos. The man’s tattoos are of â€Å"beasts and flowers,† (384) full of â€Å"intricate design of brilliant color† (384), as they represent an Eden that Parker cannot have. Parker’s response to the man’s tattoos can never be replicated; Parker always feels dissatisfaction with his own tattoos. The man’s tattoos seemed to be alive and have â€Å"a subtle motion† (384), and Parker is never able to experience the emotion he felt when looking at the man’s tattoos, as if he can never experience Eden again. On the other hand, Parker’s tattoos seem to represent something entirely different. The serpent on Parker’s arm represents the wrongs he has done, and with the serpent on his arm, Parker cannot truly experience the religious and spiritual satisfaction that his wife does. This biblical allusion of Eden and the serpent shows that Parker has strugg led to find peace, and has had a troubled life. As a tattoo-clad high school dropout, a dishonorably discharged ex-navy, and a heavy drinker, O.E. Parker is a failure. His soul is a â€Å"spider web of facts and lies,† (393) and compared to his devout wife, he is a failure in religion because of his lack of faith. Parker detests his own wife, calling her â€Å"plain,† (382) but he still stays with his wife, an action that caused him to be â€Å"puzzled and ashamed of himself† (382). Perhaps the real reason he is staying with his wife is that she â€Å"had married him because she meant to save him,† (382) and Parker is waiting to be saved. Sarah knows that O.E. Parker’s real name, Obadiah Elihue, is significant when she says it out loud in â€Å"a reverent voice† (387).

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Essay example --

This literature review will examine the leadership theories of Contingency leadership and Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid. In this case study, it will help to analyze the leadership theory of the two leaders that played a part failed to avoid the genocide war in Rwanda. Leadership Style Blake and Mouton’s leadership grid is studying of the degree of task-orientated against people-orientated. It helps to identify the leadership style of the leaders according to the way that they handle the situation. Under task-orientated leadership, the leaders are focusing on the production and efficiency on the output and plan ahead on how to complete it within the timeframe. While under people-orientated leadership, the leaders are focusing on the needs and interest of the members. The leader will break into parts according to their abilities. There are five leadership styles that are under this theory which are country club leadership, team leadership, impoverished leadership, middle of the road leadership and produce or perish leadership. This theory is able to explain the way of the leader of the work. Based on Blake and Mouton’s leadership grid, Romeo Dallaire fits into country club leadership style which is referring to care for the needs of the members and making everyone contented in the team. By doing so, it caused the output to be low and lack of direction to do the task. Case study showed that Dallaire took his responsibility to take care of his troops. In case study, it stated that there were severe shortage of resources such as lodging and food but being turned down due to budgetary reasons. In order to solve this matter, he managed to think of sharing the supplies together with his fellow officers and his share. Another examp... ... of a method to persuade them to stay at the tents. Another example, Booh rejected his plan for get hold of the weapon cache. He should have kept convincing to let his officer to understand his point of views. Morse and Lorsch (1970) suggested that how well a leader can lead his followers are based on the various circumstances. Dotlich & Cairo (2003) stated that an ineffective leadership can be produced based on the behavior, the way of handling task, characters and qualities. Booh Booh did not use his authority to assist and resolve the problem due to his fear. From the case study, Booh Booh watered down Dallaire’s report regarding the help from UN so in the end, Dallaire did not get any help from UN. Another example would be Dallaire commended to snatch the weapon caches but Booh Booh rejected due to his fear of the relationship of UN forces and the government.

Light and Dark Imagery Depicted in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay

The natural order of the world is disrupted; this is made obvious from the start of the play. Even though they generally speak in riddle, the three witches are significant characters because of their foresight and knowledge of future atmosphere. ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair.’ ~Act 1, Scene 1~ Because this chant is towards the beginning of the play, the audience immediately see the supernatural control over things. Throughout the play of Macbeth the audience is made aware of the differences in dark and light. This could be seen as being metaphorical for many other binary oppositions one of which being good and evil. This example supports the power of the witches, representing evil and the dark. Another scene that shows Macbeth is a play of light and dark is act 1 scene 4 Macbeth whispers to himself. ‘Stars; hide your fires / let not light see my black and deep desires’ ~Act 1, Scene 4~ The dark is seen as a mask that can disguise and hide, this is foreshadowed when King Duncan at the announcement of his successor says; ‘but signs of nobleness, like stars, shall s...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

The Case against Tipping

There are many good reasons on why you should tip a waiter. Anyone who has had much experience in a restaurant franchise would know that most of your wages are tips. The places do this in order to promote better service and to save money by not having to pay the employee minimum wages. This can be beneficial to the customer leaving a good tip can give a customer better results with the service. They may get a kinder person, faster service, and hotter and fresher food or drinks. They also can leave with the knowledge that they made the person feel better about their job, and the fact that they may make their days wages. On the bad side of tipping The people usually don’t even make minimum wage. They have to rely on the customer in order to make a pay check. This may make the customer fell like their being scammed out of their money, because the person serving them isn’t working for them so why should they have to pay the persons wages. Another con is the tip your giving may be as much as the stuff you bought or possibly even more. Some places coffee is just a dollar and with a dollar tip that would set the price as the same as what the person bought. Another problem is that they may have a cup set out in order to make the customer feel bad about not tipping. What if you don’t have enough for a tip at the time? You feel you have to because it’s set right there in front of you playing a mental game. OR what if they give you bad service why should you tip for that? What reasons do you find most compelling? The reasons I find most compelling are the fact that restaurants in particular push their waiters/waitresses into the customer’s hands. I am one that believes that the people should get paid regular wages and have their tips be a bonus for good work. Not have the customers foot the wages for them so they can be greedy and put more money in their pockets. Another reason that I find compelling on the other side is the fact that sense the customer does it helps them get better service. I do get understand the sense of gratification of the person that tips and receives it does make them feel better about their jobs. But at the same time people shouldn’t feel obligated to tip for bad service. Which concerns have particular merit? I think that the tip jar situation does have merit. If a person set a jar out for tips it is a trap that messes with the customers mind. I would personally feel bad if I looked at the tip jar and didn’t have enough money to pay or if I got bad service I’d feel like I was being forced to pay for that bad service. Also The fact that the employees have to make their wages off of the tips poses a lot of merit. Essentially on one hand I’m paying for a worker that isn’t employed by me. On the other hand that worker has to make their wages. Can you balance the interests of both sides of the issue?

Friday, August 16, 2019

Modern Technology Has Brought the Resurgence of Identity Theft Essay

Identity theft is one crime that has spawned from technological advancements. Criminals have developed numerous strategies on how to steal confidential and personal information. Dealing with identity theft may be a challenge since law enforcement personnel may not be fully competent in handling the cases since they may lack the required skills to be able to deal with such a crime while private people and even businesses have lost much because of this type of crime. The number of cases of identity theft has been constantly on the rise; however, the prevalence of the crime may as well be blamed on modern technology itself. Modern technology has brought about many conveniences for ordinary people and even for identity thieves. From only less than 10,000 reported cases of identity theft in 1999, the figure steadily climbed reaching around 50,000 in 2003 and more than 80,000 in 2006 (Infocycle, 2007). In the United Kingdom, credit card fraud has also been consistently increasing. In 2007, over 7,000 credit cards and debit cards were either lost or stolen. CPP Card Protection has indicated a 77 percent increase in credit card fraud compared to the figure on 2006 (Experian QAS, 2008). According to a study by Gartner, identity theft claimed 15 million victims in 2006 alone. The US Justice Department has recorded 226 cases of identity theft in 2005 but in the first half of 2006 alone, there were already 432 cases. The FBI also indicated that it is working on 1,587 cases relating to identity theft (ITRC, 2007). Preventing identity theft may not be as easy as it seems. Joel Reidenberg and Lawrence Lessig said concentrating on the â€Å"architectures of control† to prevent identity theft is the way to go. Solove, on the other hand, indicates that â€Å"architectures of vulnerability† should also be considered in addition to â€Å"architectures of control†. According to Solove, shaping architectures should be the focal point in the protection of privacy and not on remedies and penalties. He noted that architectures often provide a vulnerable point that identity thieves take advantage of. It is this lack of security that identity thieves are able to use a person’s personal information. He suggests that a public identification system be created as a solution to the problem (Solove, 2003). It is exactly new technology that produces these architectures and they are greatly flawed since many people can still bypass its security functions evidenced by the prevalence of identity theft on the Internet. Identity theft has gained much notoriety in the advent of buying and selling on the Internet. However, identity thieves can still use the old methods for obtaining personal information. Common methods are stealing wallets or mails, looking through residential trashcans or business dumpsters, posing as someone legally permitted to access personal information such as credit reports, or bribing their way to get the information (Newman, et. al. 2005). A phishing scam is another method of getting personal information out of a person. The Anti-Phishing Workgroup indicated that there are only 4,564 phishing websites in July 2005 but the number increased to 23,670 as of July 2006. A study at the University of Indiana also indicated that 14 percent of phishing scams are successful which contradicts the Gartner report which indicates only a three percent success rate. The Gartner research also found out that financial losses from phishing scams were $137 million in 2004 rising to $2. 8 billion in 2006 (ITRC, 2007). The fight against identity theft may be considered rather ineffective since law enforcement personnel lack the necessary resources to combat such a crime which is computer-related. Britz indicates that this kind of crime requires law enforcers to have knowledge of computers and other digital stuff. It may be noted that many law enforcement agencies do not have well-trained personnel to handle such cases. These personnel may also be acting several capacities at a given time. Computer technology has increased at an exponential rate as did technology related crime and this would require that law enforcers be trained to effectively handle such crimes (Britz, 2004). As technology improves, security is being compromised and this can be proven by the increasing number of identity theft crimes. While it is true that online banking and other services on the Internet provide much convenience, it also provides lesser risks of capture for identity thieves. Law enforcers could do little do prevent identity theft or to investigate such since not all of them have the capacity to do so and identity thieves are improving their arsenal of identity stealing techniques. Technology might also be considered as the root of the prevalence of identity theft. Even as identity theft was not considered a crime before 1998, it has existed for a long time. Modern computing and telecommunications technology has once again popularized identity theft since identity thieves can better elude law enforcers compared to going to a bank and making a transaction using stolen information (Arnold, 2000). Legislation has always tried to address cyber crime, but it is challenging for lawmakers to keep up since technology quickly evolves and cyber crime evolves with it. A good approach would be improving security measures, educating users, adopting a vigilant approach in combating cyber crime and a police force that is well-equipped to handle such crimes (Alaganandam, et. al. , 2005). Identity theft and other cyber crimes are also classified as white-collar crimes, thus, offenders do not receive harsh penalties. They can even use the money plundered to pay for their defense and they serve at least only one year in prison (Arnold, 2000). Identity thieves must be dealt with harsher penalties since they operate on a much larger scale today and are even comparable to bank robbers only less inclined to being caught and given much less media attention. The number of cases of identity theft is increasing at an exponential rate but this could most likely be blamed on modern technology especially since the Internet has become commercialized. New technology comes with new opportunities for identity thieves to gain access to personal information and using it for personal gains. Legislation can address this problem but it would prove to be a challenge since identity thieves are finding new ways of how to steal personal information as technology develops. Legislation must also address this by rendering harsher penalties for cyber criminals as they operate just like ordinary criminals, the only difference is that they work discreetly and have not been given media attention. Also, the victims do not really know that they have been victimized until after some time the thieving takes places. References Alaganandam, H. , Mittal, P. , Singh, A. , & Fleizach, C. , 6 December 2005. Cybercriminal Activity. Retrieved September 7, 2008, from sysnet. ucsd. edu/~cfleizac/WhiteTeam-CyberCrime. pdf Arnold, T. 2000 June. Internet Identity Theft: A Tragedy for Victims. Software and Information Industry Association. Retrieved September 7, 2008, from www. siia. net/software/pubs/iit-00. pdf Britz, M. (2004). Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime: An Introduction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Experian QAS. 22 August 2008. Holiday Fraud Threat. Retrieved September 3, 2008, from http://www. qas. co. uk/company/data-quality-news/holiday_fraud_threat_2614. htm Identity Theft Resource Center. 30 April 2007. Facts and Statistics. Retrieved September 3, 2008, from http://www. idtheftcenter. org/artman2/publish/m_facts/Facts_and_Statistics. shtml Infocycle. (2007). Government Bodies Must Play Their Part in Securing Against Identity Theft. Retrieved September 3, 2008, from http://www. infocycle. co. uk/index. php? option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=43 Newman, G. & McNally, M. 2005 July. Identity Theft Literature Review. Retrieved September 3, 2008, from http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/210459. pdf. Solove, D. (2003). Privacy, and the Architecture of Vulnerability. Hastings Law Journal, 54. p. 1227. Retrieved September 3, 2008, from http://ssrn. com/abstract=416740

Thursday, August 15, 2019

“Equus” by Peter Schaffer Essay

Equus The play â€Å"Equus† by Peter Schaffer investigates ideas of faith, passion, violence, and adolescent sexuality. Schaffer was inspired to write the play after hearing a true story; a crime involving a teenage boy’s seemingly motiveless violence and injury to horses. Equus is a fictional account of what Schaffer believes could have happened before the incident, helping to explain the psychology and reasoning behind the boy’s mysterious and disturbing crime. Equus follows closely the character of 17 – year-old boy Alan Strang, but also his psychiatrist, Martin Dysart. In this piece of writing, I plan to explain how we explored the play of Equus in a variety of different activities within our drama class. Response The play opens with Martin Dysart, the psychiatrist, performing a soliloquy that introduces the main themes of the play. Scene one is devoted entirely to this speech, which shows its importance and vitality. We learn much about Dysart from this speech. For example, the line â€Å"All reined up in old/language and old assumptions† illustrates how he feels trapped and frustrated in his life. In addition, he says, â€Å"I’m desperate† which shows his exhaustion and frustration. This Scene was particularly challenging to rehearse and perform for various reasons. For one, it is a long speech so there is the challenge of learning it. Also, you need to make sure that your volume, tone, and speed are correct. There are very few stage directions so there is the added difficulty of knowing how to act when performing, and how to show his pain and anger. It is also hard, when rehearsing a piece, not to lose its spontaneity – which is particularly vital in this speech. In Scene two, Dysart is visited by Hester Salomon, a magistrate and close associate of Dysart, and Alan’s horrific crime is revealed to the audience. The line Hester speaks is very simple, but tells all that is necessary: â€Å"He blinded six horses with a metal spike†. My initial response to this line was shock, revulsion, and horror, but at the same time I was intrigued why Hester thought Dysart would be able to ‘fix’ Alan (Does he have more power or authority than the psychiatrists?) My feelings, however, did change as the play unfolded and I became more understanding and less shocked as the question of â€Å"why did he do it† was explored. At the beginning of Scene three (and the end of Scene two), we are introduced to Alan Strang, who has committed this terrible act. In this scene, Dysart questions Alan, but rather than simply replying, Alan chooses to sing television adverts. This gives a very strange first impression. We later find out that Alan was forbidden to watch TV – so how does he know these ‘tunes’? This was a very difficult scene to rehearse and perform without laughing and it was amusing to watch. Another scene we studied closely was Scene seven. In this scene, Dysart goes to visit Alan’s parents, Mr and Mrs Strang. From this scene, we learn much about Alan’s upbringing and how events in his childhood may have subconsciously had a negative effect on Alan, and how it may have influenced what he did. One of the main factors that had a strong influence on Alan was his mother’s somewhat extreme obsession with religion. Dora Strang is a very religious woman, with strong Christian beliefs, whereas Alan’s father, Frank, is an atheist who is worried that Dora’s constant reading of the Bible to Alan has had a negative effect on him; â€Å"†¦it’s the Bible that’s responsible for all this†¦an innocent man tortured to/death – thorns driven into his head – nails into his hands†¦it can mark anyone for life†¦all that stuff to me is just bad/sex† In reading this scene, I think Schaffer wanted the audience to feel intrigued about the big part religion has played – also, in a conversation between Dora and Dysart near the start of the scene, she says: â€Å"Alan’s always been such a gentle boy. He loves animals! /Especially horses! This confuses the audience slightly because it makes you think that if he liked horses so much, why did he do such a terrible thing to them? This information enables us to understand Alan’s obsession with horses, later revealed in the play. The scene also draws very strong images of Frank and Dora, who are both very different from one another: Dora has unintentionally influenced her son with religion, and she is very upset over the matter: â€Å"I simply†¦don’t understand†¦Alan! (She breaks sown in sobs)†. Frank, on the other hand, seems to spend little time with Alan, and didn’t let him watch TV (Dysart): But surely you don’t have a set, do you? I understood Mr Strang doesn’t approve.† This may also have affected Alan because it prevented him from being like ordinary children – encouraging him to become weird. Schaffer creates a negative image of both characters for this reason, but also makes you pity them. They purposely mean to hurt Alan and are both shocked and distraught about what has happened. As a director, I would want to emphasise how the Strang family is very different from an ordinary family, Dora with her strong religious beliefs and Frank insisting on no TV. The third and final scene we studied in depth was Act 2, Scene 33. In this scene, Jill has lured Alan back to the stables – although Alan is reluctant and unsure of whether he should go. Scene 32: (Alan – to Jill) â€Å"The stables?† (Jill) â€Å"Of course!†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (Alan recoiling) â€Å"No!† Alan says ‘no’ to Jill three more times, but they still go. Later, in Scene 33, Alan insists that the door is locked. Also, in this scene, Alan becomes very uneasy. One reason for this is because he cannot go through with having sex with Jill and is humiliated, although Jill is very understanding. The other reason is that he believes that God has seen what has happened through the eyes of the horses in the stable. This is the reason why he blinded the horses – so God could not witness him committing a sin. This fear puts Alan in a distraught state that follows on to the act of him blinding the horses in the final scene. The corresponding activity I participated in was â€Å"hot-seating† Alan about that night. We took it in turns to play Alan, and each did our best to answer questions about the night in character. Development Freeze Frames After reading the play we spit into groups of five. In these groups we decided which three points of the play were the most important; or had the biggest impact on the audience and had to present them as three ‘freeze-frame’ images. The first point we chose to depict was in Scene 3; Dysart has just met Alan and is asking him various questions. We showed this by having Alan on Dysart’s ‘couch’ looking bewildered and confused. Our group also thought it would be a good idea to have three ‘onlookers’ looking in on them, wearing disgusted expressions. They represented Bennett, Thoroughgood, and the public who are mentioned in Act 1, Scene 2 – just before Hester reveals Alan’s crime. The second idea that we chose was Alan’s confusion about which parent he should listen to: his mother with her religious ideas, or his father who insisted on no television. To do this we sat Alan in the middle of the sofa, with Dora on one side reading an imaginary Bible, and Frank on the other pointing at Alan with a stern stare, frowning at Dora. The third and final image we chose was of the main event – Alan blinding the horses. For this we had three people as horses, with Alan standing in front of them looking terrified, confused, and angry. I think that the images we chose really captured the main points and essence of the play. The last one especially helped me to understand Alan’s motivation for this terrible act. The next thing we did was to rehearse the main scenes we had focused on: 1-3, 7, and 33-34. Everyone was given the chance to play Dysart in Scene 1 – him being the only character in the scene. This, as I have previously said, was a very difficult task due to the emotions conveyed and the tone required. In Scene 7, I played Dora. This I actually found tougher than playing Dysart because I found it more difficult to act her and was embarrassed when she read from the Bible. I also found it hard to speak in a ‘proud voice’ when she is reciting from a book called ‘Prince’ that Alan used to enjoy when he was younger. Monologue To capture the thoughts and feelings on the night of the ‘act’, I have written a one-hundred word monologue from Dysart’s perspective (at the end of the play): â€Å"There he was, sitting there with Jill, the stable girl. Alone together†¦but they weren’t alone†¦Equus was there; watching. Listening. Seeing. Suddenly, Alan caught sight of him. He knew that Equus had seen him fail†¦so God had seen him fail. He must stop God from seeing him. He has to prevent the horses from looking at him. God looking at him†¦he must blind them. All six. And fast. I have taken Equus from Alan. He is ‘normal’ – but at what cost, and to whom? Now Equus lives with me†¦there is, in my mouth a sharp chain. And it never comes out.† Directors Instructions Ultimately, Equus is as much about Alan as it is about Dysart. As a director, I would advise the actors to not just ‘act’ the character, but ‘be’ the character – learn and understand Dysart; how he feels, thinks, and accepts people, whatever they’ve done. I would want the audience to feel intrigued about Dysart’s complicated life and emotions, but also leave the theatre thinking about what will happen next†¦ Evaluation Interesting Points I found many things interesting in performing Equus and the themes it explored. One of the things I enjoyed in performance was the variety. For example there were humorous scenes – such as scene 3, in which Alan sings – but also more serious and dramatic, scenes as well – such as Dysart’s soliloquy in Scene 1. In performing, I also enjoyed the fact that it explored lots of different emotions: Alan’s madness and Dysart being, in a way, traumatised by his dreams of cutting up children. Equus also tackles a range of themes. The play, in itself, has an unusual theme right from the start. I can relate to the theme of religion as my mum is a Christian and my dad is an atheist. Film Adaptation In class we watched the film adaptation of Equus. There were many differences between the film and the play. I feel that the play works better and it has a more powerful effect on the audience. Also, I felt that in the film Dysart’s opening speech wasn’t as good as it could have been. The whole speech was just a close-up of his face, and the actor did not show much emotion through his features, or use it to his best ability. Performing the play myself was very different from watching the film or watching other people perform. When I performed the play, I was very surprised at how I found it easier to perform Jill and Dysart than the other characters. Jill I found easy because she is a similar age to me – so I could relate to her emotions and feelings. However, I can’t begin to understand why I found it easy to Dysart. I have nothing in common with him and he seems to be a very complicated character. It is possible that it was because he is so different that I found it easy to play him – the two extremes; someone similar to me and someone completely different. Another possible reason why I found him easier was because I think that when you start reading the play, you subconsciously choose between Alan and Dysart, and I chose Dysart. I found Alan hard to relate to. Even though we worked very hard in class to understand why Alan committed the crime, I didn’t fully understand unti l right at the very end – after the rehearsals. If I had had more time to prepare or learn Equus, I think it would have been easier because it was not until the very end of our work that I started to really understand it. Peer Evaluation One person in the group whose work really impressed me was Marc. I thought that Marc really connected with and understood Alan. He was really convincing and performed well in various activities. Even when he had to sing he did it with a lot of confidence and enthusiasm. Many of us would have been very embarrassed about having to do this – especially in front of peers. He really impressed me when we were doing the â€Å"hot-seating† activity. He had played Alan and we were asking him questions about the night of the ‘act’. What impressed me was how, when asked a question he didn’t know the answer to, he sang one of the tunes – because that’s what Alan does in the play when Dysart questions him. Overall, I really enjoyed working on, and participating in activities about Equus. I thought that the play was fascinating and exciting, but also interesting and stimulating.