Effective Team and Performance Management Essay - 2

Effective Team and Performance Management - Essay Example . Precisely, this discussion demonstrates personal and interpersonal awareness in addition to skill formation and development. The main reason for describing the personal and interpersonal awareness within a given team is to attempt explaining or creating an understanding of the effective management and performance of such groups. Effective team and performance management are the main epicenters of this discussion. In order to obtain the objective of the discussion, this paper is divided into three main parts excluding the introduction. The parts include reflection, alternative action, and overall learning. Reflection section of the discussion attempts to identify the key issues besides describing each of mentioned issues. In addition, the section provides an analysis of key issues involved while carrying out the activities of the team within the three contexts; investigating crime, lost on the moon, and egg challenge. Alternative action section identifies the recurring/overarching problems within the team whilst conducting its specific activities, avoidance of such problems, and impact of team members in ensuring that activities of team were effectively achieved. Lastly, the overall learning (conclusion) section identifies aspects learnt in the tasks and their relevance to future professional life. Team The team comprising of 6 members, 4 ladies and 2 gentlemen was formed on the basis of persons from different nationalities from Africa and Asia. Three main activities formed part of the seminar activities for purposes of understanding personal and interpersonal characteristics. The activities included lost on the moon, crime investigation in Park near Cambridge City Centre, and the egg flying contest. All these formed the seminar activities, which were aimed at evaluating effective management of teams or groups. Reflection During formation of the team of the four ladies and two gentlemen, I realized that there was so much potential not only in me but also other team members. Though anxious, I found it enjoyable and exciting to engage with people that were like strangers to me. Anxiety is one of the indicators within a person as described by Myers Briggs (Elwyn, Greenhalgh, and Mcfarlance, 2001, p.119). The first step was to introduce each other. In this process, team members wer e uneasy given the fact that they did not know each other. The idea of introduction to get to know each other was borrowed from Tuckman’s (1965) group forming stage. During the forming stage, Tuckman (1965) identifies that team members are always anxious due to being strangers. Other than problems of introduction, the team within its introduction stage had no clear specific individual roles and responsibilities, chain of command, and hierarchy of authority. What’s more, it is difficult to explicitly define roles and responsibilities of every member during the formation stage (Tuckman, 1965; Landale, 1999, p38). As Goleman (2002, p.253); Irvine et al (2002); and Kilman (1974) identify, there was a possibility of diversity conflict especially following that members of the team came from diverse backgrounds. The second activity within the formation stage involved identification of a team leader. Without a team leader, a group will not be spearheaded to the right direction since no one particular person will be responsible for initiating and directing activities

Speech of teachers day Essay Example for Free

Speech of teachers day Essay Whether any prosecution detention fine conviction sentence against you has been awarded by any court of law for any offence? If yes, particulars of the same other details whether desirous of taking pre-exam training only for SC St religious minority communities ex- servicemen if yes, Centre for training languages known read write speak HINDI ENGLISH YES declaration I hereby declare that all statements made in this application are true, complete and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. I understand that in the event of any information being found untrue or incorrect at any stage or I am not satisfying any of the eligibility criteria stipulated, my candidature is liable to be cancelled place: date: 30-08-2014 please retain your registration No. and Password emailed to you carefully for further reference NOTE: please do not send the application printout to IBPS Visit a shop and you will find thousands of books lying in shelves. You may choose a book that suits you. It may be a book on literature, history of any other subject. It may be a book having a novel, a drama or a number of poems in it. It may be a picture book. Whichever interest you, you may go in for it. People call me a book-worm. I read books, which give me great interest. I like of heroism. Therefore I like the Ramayana. The Ramayana written in English by Rajagopal acharya, the late governor general of India, is a very good book. But I like Hindi Ramayana, which is called ‘Ram Charit Manas’, written by Goswami Tulsi Dass, the great Indian Saint poet. The verses in Hindi are really interesting. I have read the English version of it as told earlier. I know the story of the Ramayana. Because I am fond of singing songs, therefore I sing verses of â€Å"Ram Charit Manas.† I like the story of the Lord Rama, as he was an ideal son of his ideal father. He was an ideal husband of an ideal wife. He was an ideal brother of Lakshaman, another ideal bother. Again he was an ideal ruler, who saved the people. Everyone could approach him at the time of distress. Lord Rama’s tale of heroism has actually moved my heart. I wish that the people of the country should follow his foot-steps. He was great in many respects. We can be proud to know that our country had such a great ruler. Thus, people used to worship Lord Rama as they do even today. Lord Rama fought against the forces of evil. He used to serve and help the saints and people of his time. It is a great quality of any ruler. He was a hero. He knew what he had to do. He followed his own principles of life. Visit a shop and you will find thousands of books lying  in shelves. You may choose a book that suits you. It may be a book on literature, history of any other subject. It may be a book having a novel, a drama or a number of poems in it. It may be a picture book. Whichever interests you, you may go in for it. People call me a book-worm. I read books, which give me a great interest. I like of heroism. Therefore I like the Ramayana. The Ramayan written in English by Rajagopal acharya, the late governor general of India. The quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog the quick brown fox jumps right over the lazy dog The cherries that Raki was eating were sour and sweet both â€Å"The grandfather say so† because he wanted him to use it Raki dashed over to see a pale, pink blossom at the end of a branch One sunny morning grandfather showed a pink blossom at the end of the branch Raki removed the caterpillar because a goat had already eaten its leaves Human activities like the cutting of trees and killing of animals have endangered many plants and animals human activities are the biggest threat to natural resources Ozonehole Mein (Your Name) is Shikshak Divas jaise Vishesh Din mein aap sabka swagat karthi hoon.. Hum har saal 5 Sithambar ko shikshakon ko vishesh sammaan dene ke liye shikshak divas ka aayojan karthe hain.. Yeh Samaj ek Bade parivar Jaise hai.. Is parivar mein kayi Dharma aur kayi Jaat-paat ke log rehte hain.. Is samaj ko samaj banaye rakhne ka mahatvapoorna kaam karthe hai Samaj ke Shilpakar yaani Shikshak.. Shikshak Samaj ke aise shilpakar hain jo bina kisi moh ke is samaj ko Sajathe hain.. Aise Shikshakon ko Sahi Sthan Dilane Ke liye hum hamare Bharath mein hi nahi poore duniya Shikshak Din  manathe hain. Har saal hum Bharatwaasi 5 Sithambar ko hi Shikshak Din kyun manathe hai Bharat ke Purva Rashtrapathi Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan ke Janam Din ko hi Bharat ke shikshak divas ke roop mein manaya jaata hai.. Unke Janam din ko Shikshak Divas Manakar Hum sab bharath vaasi Dr.Radhakrishna ke prathi samman vyakt karthe hain.. Is Vishesh Din mein, main Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishna Ji ke Sammaan karte huye kuch shabd bolna chahti/chahta hoon..Sarvapalli Radhakrishna Ji Swatantra Bharat ke Dusre Rashtrpathi hai.. Unka Janma 5 (Paanch) Sithambar 1888 (Attra Sau Atthasi) ko Tamilnadu ke ek pavitra Thirtha Sthal gram mein hua tha.. Inke Pitha Sarvapalli Veeraswamy ek Garib kintu Vidhvan Brahmman they. Kayin Jimmedhaariyon ke kaaran Radhakrishna ji ko bachpan mein kaafi kathinaayion ka saamna karna pada.. Inke Pitha ek Dhaarmik Vicharon wale insaan they phir bhi unhone Radhakrishna ji ko Ek Christian missionary school, Tirupathi mein padne ke liye Dhaakal kiye they.. Iske Baad vah Tamilnadu ke Vellore aur Madras College mein apna shikshan pure kiye they.. Vah shuru se hi ek medhavi chaatra rahe they.. Radhakrishnaji ke yogyatha ko dekhte huye Unhe Saunvidhaan Nirrmaathri Sabha ka sadasya banaya gaya tha. Isi beech unhe Khyathi Praapt Vishwavidhyalayon

Bigger: Native son :: essays research papers

Bigger: A real threat?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theme that Native Son author Richard Wright puts in this story is that the white community makes Bigger act the way he does, that through the communities actions, Bigger does all the things he is accused of doing. The theme that I present is that Bigger only acts the way that he did because of the influences that the white community has had on him accepted by everyone. When Bigger gets the acceptance and love he has always wanted, he acts like he does not know what to do, because really, he does not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Native Son, Bigger uses his instincts and acts like the white people around him have formed him to act. They way that he has been formed to act is to not trust anyone. Bigger gets the acceptance and love he wanted from Mary and Jan, but he still hates them and when they try to really get to know him, he ends up hurting them. He is scared of them simply because he has never experienced these feelings before, and it brings attention to him fro m himself and others. Once Bigger accidentally kills Mary, he feels for the first time in his life that he is a person and that he has done something that somebody will recognize, but unfortunately it is murder. When Mrs. Dalton walks in and is about to tell Mary good night, Bigger becomes scared stiff with fear that he will be caught committing a crime, let alone rape. If Mrs. Dalton finds out he is in there he will be caught so he tries to cover it up and accidentally kills Mary. The police ask why he did not just tell Mrs. Dalton that he was in the room, Bigger replies and says he was filled with so much fear that he did not know what else to do and that he did not mean to kill Mary. He was so scared of getting caught or doing something wrong that he just tried to cover it up. This is one of the things that white people have been teaching him since he can remember. The white people have been teaching him to just cover things up by how the whites act to the blacks. If a white man does something bad to a black man the white man just covers it up a little and everything goes back to normal.

The Value of Bar Mitzvah Essay -- Bar Mitzvah Speech

This is a Torah portion that I feel represented my values as a whole. The portion is a part of the Parsha Ha-Shavuah which centers on the story of Sarah (Abrahams wife) having a baby at a very old age, and the details around that. Included in the part that I’m reading, theres emphasis that you should be generally hospitable towards others, and that families don’t always follow â€Å"Traditional† patterns. Now, let me explain my values and how they fit into that Parsha: Humor- Humor is important to me because it helps me keep a fresh, clear outlook on life and just generally brightens someone's day- or my day- in general. Also there's that old stereotype that â€Å"Jews have so much to joke about they can't stop.† So why not just keep making jokes about everything!? It certainly helped us get through some of the hardships that our ancestors had, and in my experience, humor can make any situation better. Family- To me, family is the same things as Community; another value that plays at least a small part in my life. Community is family and Family is Community. I think of the Duke Lemur Center as a community of people who all love doing the same thing, but at the same time I like to think of it as a family as well. There’s also the more traditional sense of family that we all know about. Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and other extended family members. Loyalty- I chose loyalty for a few reasons, but mostly the first thing I thought when I saw this was: Wouldn't it be ironic to choose â€Å"Loyalty† as a value, but then not stay loyal to your values and choice of values? The whole thing about loyalty- to people and things – Is keeping the belief or whatever faith you had in that thing or person and sticking to ... ...ence, and the editorial work my Dad helped me do on this (and almost everything I write today), because boy do I need it! I’d also like to thank My Uncle for the hard work he’s put into leading the whole thing, and being a generally awesome uncle. Lastly, I’d like to fully thank Ira for all the hard work he put into helping me make this whole process manageable. Arranging the meetings, giving me guidance and nudges towards the right direction, and being the guy who I can ask questions of and get a straight answer from. So, Ira, thank you so much! Obviously I am very grateful, and I hope we can continue to get to know each other even when this is done. What this experience has meant to me/done for me...why it was worth all the effort I put into it. Works Cited Marx, Harpo. 1961. Harpo speaks! [New York]: B. Geis Associates; distributed by Random House.

How Do Certain Food and Beverage

Despite all the conventional methods of analyzing the customers with all the physical and social and other factors, the actual statistics seem to differ tremendously from the estimated outcomes. This is because we as humans seem to bank heavily on emotions. Once the customer has some sort of emotional attachment with the outlet for whatsoever reasons, he is not going to opt for other places. The customer might now be considered loyal to the outlet. The customer wouldn’t prefer going to any of the competitors because he feels he has some sort of bond with the outlet. This emotional umbilical cord is very powerful as it is one of the easiest and the most effective ways to maintain customer loyalties. As they say, it is easier to retain the existing customers than it is to create new ones. The existing customers would always walk in with that feeling of homeliness and once this feeling of theirs is respected and catered, all the outlet has do is cash in. Existing customers don’t mind paying a little extra also because they’ve already grown used to the ambience and the way the outlet is run. Therefore, it should be profoundly important for the hotels and restaurants, to see to it that they lock in the customers as their regular guests. The hotels have to work hard to make sure that the customers don’t take away the business elsewhere. The loss of a regular customer is colossal. The hotel is just not losing that one customer but a lot more than that. All those people whom he had recommended the hotel in course of years would also develop negative thoughts and opinions about the outlet. This might be a very serious issue and often devastating for the hotel chains. Loyalty as such is the key factor in most businesses, but its impact is more clearly visible in the business of hospitality and hotel management. When compared to several other businesses, the one fact that stands out here is that the hospitality industry has a lot to do with how the customer actually feels about being at the place. This might include the food, the ambience, the customer satisfaction and several other factors. Hospitality has more to do with experience as against those of other industries who just sell products. There can be many ways in which this can be done, some hotels prefer giving free gifts, some give special privileges to their regular customers, some others give huge discounts. All these methods are simply aimed at encouraging customer loyalty. The hotels and restaurants should never miss a chance on maintaining and pleasing loyal customers given the fact that this emotional attachment is so very delicate yet powerful enough change the very course of several businesses. Research Problem: It is because of these above stated reasons that it becomes immensely important for the managers to study the science of loyalty management and learn how to implement it thoroughly. Discussion: Important concepts and theories, the background of the study: In simple terms, it can be said that in spite of all what the company the customer has an inherent tendency to keep looking for better alternatives, the analogy here is given by Leahy where the characteristic customer behavior is compared to that of a cat. A dog considered being man’s best friend because come what may it does not swerve its loyalties. However the customer behaves more like the cat and is always on the lookout for softer and more comfortable lap. The need of the hour is that the hotels should see to it that they provide this soft lap to the customers and always keep increasing the standard of their services. Leahy here compares the restaurants to the airlines; the airlines have been far more successful in maintaining loyal customers than the hospitality industry. Airlines have several clubs where the members are classified as gold, silver or other such members. The members of such clubs are offered free up gradation from economy to business class if the seats are free. However no such practice is noticed among the hotel managements. The article takes evidence from US consultancy Colloquy, noting that restaurants are lagging far behind other businesses in developing loyalty schemes. The article notes that in the United States, only 27. 2 million customers are part of restaurant loyalty schemes, while airlines have over 254. 4 million members for their loyalty schemes. Leahy further emphasizes that loyalty issues are to be taken very seriously in the restaurant business and it is very important to retain regular customers. The General Approach: There are many ways to retain regular customers, one such prominent way is the loyalty card, a technique which has now caught on even in big showrooms and jewel stores. The simple technique here is that every time the customer buys something, he is given certain points and once these points reach a certain value, the points can be exchanged for discounts or special offers. This not only keeps the customer coming back to your store but also helps in maintaining good relations. Once again this idea was an innovation of the aviation industry and it still needs to be implemented to a greater extent in the hospitality industry. According to CEFF (2007), loyalty cards schemes are a key factor in determining choice of hotel, airlines and restaurant chains by leisure travelers. Surveys have revealed that even though there are some customers who don’t quite bother about these loyalty cards, a good percentage about seventy percent of them admit that the loyalty cards played prominent roles in them determining their hotel or airlines. Literary Reviews and Opinions: Gomez, Arranz and Cillan (2006) argue that these loyalty programs yield two important results of interest, which may be applied to the hotel and restaurant hospitality sectors. Such a program creates to genres of customers. The first class of customers includes those who display more behavior loyalty than the others simply because they are emotionally aware that the hotel considers them more important than their counterparts which are not enrolled in any of the loyalty schemes. As in all businesses, emotion plays a very prominent role even in the hotel and management industry. Yet another thing that needs to be borne in mind is that the customer will not simply walk in to your outlet just because you have all these cards and offers. For example, however captivating and encouraging might be the scheme; the customer will come to your restaurant only when he feels like eating. You can never force the customer to increase the number of his visits, directly or indirectly. Research that compares consumer behavior before and after the introduction of a loyalty program show that there is no real difference in the number of visitors, or the amount of purchasing done (Gomez, Arranz, & Cillan, 2006). Here it is once again argued that loyalty program don’t quite generate new loyal customers but just help in retaining the existing loyal customers. As in any other business, the sole objective and the motive behind your business should be very clear, for example, if the customer doesn’t like your product, then all the management tactics in the world will not help him come to you. The bottom line is that what you offer the customer must stand up to his expectations. Trust and satisfaction are won by genuine effort and determination, there are no shortcuts, and the customer is smart enough to figure out what the actual standard of your restaurant is. According to Gomez, Arranz and Cillan (2006), effective loyalty can only come from customer attitudes such as satisfaction, trust and commitment. Loyalty based on simple repeated behavior is not very effective. Ethical Considerations: Unwanted effects of biased management: Some researchers argue that even though loyalty is a very important issue, it is very difficult to impress the customer through these roundabout techniques; the management needs to focus more on other basic issues like the maintenance and the quality of service. All these schemes and offers can only assist the growth, they can never be the sole reason for the growth and a sensible manager should never depend upon any of these. Lacey and Sneath (2006) argue that customer loyalty programs are not always fair to all consumers. The argument is assisted by the fact that such loyalty schemes only focus on a certain class of customers and not all customers. This creates negative hype and ill feeling among. The firm spends all the resources on pleasing the existing customers whom they assume to be loyal where as the new customers who might prove to be loyal customers in the future are just left to themselves. If this methodology is practiced in the long run, the organization might stand to lose many customers, the organization was so very considered about pleasing the existing customers that they forgot that they even have to generate new customers. â€Å"One of the basic principles of the company is remembering what it is that guests prefer when they are in your hotel,† explained (Ritz Carlton) spokeswoman Vivian Deuschl. Such an approach can even be dreadful at times. It is argued that the same quality service should be given to all the customers. Never should the restaurant make the mistake of pleasing one class of customers at the expense of others. Such a treatment might be very pleasing to the regular customer but even he will hesitate to recommend the restaurant to others because he knows that new customers are not treated well over there. Apart from all the above-mentioned ill effects, this practice is strongly condemned even on ethical grounds. The safest and the best alternative are to provide uniform treatment throughout to all the customers. This generates a positive attitude and helps a lot in business. There is no substitute to genuine hard work, determination and honest implementation of policies. As Jack Welch in his book Winning quotes â€Å"sorry, there are no shortcuts†. Hypothesis and Questions: The prime objectives: Rather than concentrating on these hypothetical concerns, the restaurant should be bothered more about improving service delivery, bakery products, and cooking. Lacey and Sneath further argue that customers who are not a part of such loyalty schemes are often discriminated against and this is very unpleasant for the customer as well as a loss in revenue for the management. Langenderfer & Cook (2004), Petty (2000) throw light on a very important aspect here. The customer databases are rich with information and are excellent resources and if by chance this data ends up in wrong hands, t can be very taxing for the customers. If such a thing happens, then it would be a clear exploitation of customer rights and a breach of moral and ethical values. The customer would then obviously hesitate to become a member of any such loyalty schemes in future. Wendlandt & Schrader (2007) come up with yet another intriguing question, they argue that all these schemes at times might even backfire and in fact cause more loss to the organization. As an able manager, the first that needs to be firmly affixed in mind is that we as humans are more effected by emotional happenings than anything else. Once the person is emotionally troubled or if he even perceives that he is being manipulated, even the most loyal of the customers will give up. The customer might get frustrated by all these and begin to think that all these tricks only serve as gimmicks and in fact react exactly in a way opposite to what is expected of him. Smartly designed loyalty schemes however can actually avoid reactance of this type. For example, a loyalty scheme that offers long-term financial rewards that have to be gathered over repeat visits will probably avoid reactance (Wendlandt & Schrader, 2007). However, long-term loyalty schemes can also be less effective at retaining regular customers. Kirby (2007) has yet another way of seeing the same scenario, the argument here is that it is more beneficial to serve customers as people rather than targeting on their customer profiles. The argument here is that rather than treating loyalty as just another part of the charm game, the hotels should earn repeat business by offering excellent services based on remembered and recorded client preferences (Kirby, 2007). If hotels invest in tracking guest preferences and provide a superior service through the use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), the customer will automatically be retained. Weinstein (2004) further argues that the ambience and the feel of the place are also very important. Always remember that the customer might forget what he came for, why he came, when he came etc but he is never going to forget how it felt to be there with you. In the book the â€Å"Ice Cream Maker†, a book on the concept of six sigma, the author argues that in a departmental store or a shopping mall, it takes an average of seven to eight seconds for the customer to pass by your restaurant, it is in this minute fragment of time that we have to impress the customer that our outlet is actually worth a visit. To make the customer ‘feel’ something is an enormous challenge in its own right. Therefore, it is well worth going the extra mile to provide extra amenities to impress guests into engaging in repeat business (Weinstein, 2004). Some of the 5 star chains in Dubai follow this strategy, hoping to get repeat business by pampering even walk-in customers. Research Questions: To summarize we can say that all the literature on loyalty is divided into two categories both conflicting each other. The first category, is those who advocate the loyalty schemes to lock in customers and make sure that they patronize and prefer certain restaurants in place of the other. Some researchers even argue that such a type of management might even be unethical. The second category of advisors are those who emphasize on the importance of personalized service, remembering customer preferences, and offering amenities to keep customers coming back. They note that rather than discriminating customers, their stand is that hotels, restaurants and other businesses should keep service standards high across the board. As a manager we are faced with the question that when and to what extent which of these methodologies or logics are to implemented? What is to be given more importance and how are customers, both old and new to be dealt with? Should the approach to both these parties be same or different? What is it that needs to be done so that all the parties are happy and content? How are we going to satisfy the emotional requirements of our customers? Jang and Mattila (2005) throw light on yet another trend. Their basic argument is that the manager must learn to understand the customer needs and requirements and react accordingly, for example, if the customer is expecting monetary benefits, then he must simply be given so, instead if the hotel argues that the customer be given only the free spa session or a free buffet lunch against his will, then it is only obvious that none of the parties is happy. The customer is displeased because he is given something free of cost something he actually has no desire for. The hotel has used up its employees and other resources for the same purpose, which was not at all fruitful. Thus, such a decision has a negative impact on all parties. Jang and Matilla further note that at times immediate cash discounts are also not the solutions to the problem. Also, while customers may want immediate rewards, it usually suits managers to delay gratification in order to ensure repeat business. Also, there is less guilt associated with luxury rewards if they’ve worked up to them over a period of time. It is also noted that there is a very strong potential for developing such programs in the hospitality industry. The transactions involved and the formalities taken up during the process of loyalty offers should be made very convenient and comfortable. The customers should not be penalized to show their loyalty cards every time; the hotels should remember the customers and work towards serving them better. Data Management and Analysis and Budget considerations and timelines: Statistics will provide all sorts of data from all sorts of places. This data might vary over decades of research or even more, the right management comes from the fact that the manager should be able to pick up the right data and study it accordingly, wrongly directed research or haywire policy implementation is sure to spell doom for the company. Therefore, it is of profound importance that the right data be chosen from all perspectives, the implementation schemes should not be so costly that the management suffers because of these, after all management is all about producing the best possible results in the minimum possible expenditure. Also, the time limits should also be adhered to very strictly. What might be a huge success in summer might be a complete failure in winter. If the set goals are not achieved within the given time limits, then the entire purpose of research is flawed. Conclusion: There is no dearth of literature as far as the loyalty issue is concerned. Managers realize very well that there is more to management than just analyzing theories, real problems need real and innovative approaches, and not everything can be solved from the books. Able managers know for a certainty that all what is in research papers is just conjectures and even if a particular scheme or technique worked very well in a particular hotel or restaurant, there is no guarantee that it will produce the same or similar results elsewhere or even the same hotel the next year. Trends change, people change, their needs and expectations change, every year researchers come up with new theories. The key to being a successful manager is to have the right instincts and realize where to draw the line. It might be noted that the manager should not go to extremes, as an example he might be so puffed up with confidence that he turns a deaf year to the researchers or for that matter is so engrossed in the research that he forgets that he has to deal with real life situations. Coming to the issue of hotel management and the hospitality industry, the first and the foremost thing that should be firmly affirmed in the mind is that unless and until the product and services are up to the mark and stand valid in front of the customers’ expectations, no amount of management hoopla can help the cause. The hotel management should be more concerned about the quality of service and other basic but very important factors. Only when these issues are properly and sensibly addressed to and resolved can the management think of anything else. The loyalty considerations are also to be dealt with great care and delicacy. It is but natural that the older customer will expect better services and the new customers would want their privileges to be on par with those of everyone else. This is where the elegance of the manager comes handy. The manager should be able to glide between such scenarios always keeping in mind the benefit of the employees and should also be successful enough to generate the maximum possible revenue.

Blood Pressure and Obesity Solution

Blood Pressure and Obesity Solution Obesity that Causes High Blood Pressure Obesity is associated with excess body weight than what is deemed normal for a given height. Presently, millions of youngsters and adults are suffering from obesity. It is notable that obese people are more likely to suffer specific health problems such as heart diseases, high blood pressure (HBD), and breathing difficulties among others (Freedman 21). The force with which blood circulates in the vessels connotes blood pressure. It is notable that when the pressure increases and remains high for some period, it may harm the body in diverse ways (Freedman 21).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Blood Pressure and Obesity Solution specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Individuals’ who have more body fat normally have a corresponding high weight. Notably, obese people require additional oxygen than non-obese individuals in order to survive. The blood vessels must supply additional blood to the fatty body tissues. This has a direct impact on the heart. The heart is overworked because it is required to pump sufficient blood to the extra vessels (Freedman 21). This increases the strain on the artery walls and other blood vessels as they also circulate more blood throughout the body. The increased strain on the artery walls escalates blood pressure. High blood pressure does not present any signs or symptoms and people can live normally with the condition without their knowledge. This presents more challenges because sometimes it can damage several body organs such as the heart, blood pathways, and kidneys among others (Freedman 21). The heart rate also depends on the size of an individual. Individuals with excess weight have a higher heart rate. This decreases the ability of the body to transfer blood via the vessels (Freedman 21). Solving Obesity Problems The efforts to solve obesity predicaments must focus on tackling the notable issues that causes it. Technolo gy has emerged as a contributory factor to the escalating obesity cases. The link that technology has with sedentary lifestyles must be broken in order to find the first solution to obesity issues (Bouchard and Peter 119). It is crucial to note that technology cannot be eliminated. Therefore, there is the need to encourage people to engage in physical activities by setting aside an hour or more daily on their busy schedule to participate in different exercises. The notable physical exercises may range from sports, cycling, running, and walking (Bouchard and Peter 119). There is also a need to encourage people to combine physical activities with healthy eating habits and maintaining body size. It is notable that people participate in these three areas effectively and routinely in order to reduce the incidences of obesity challenges (Bouchard and Peter 119). Remaining faithful to the routine of doing these healthy choices, activities can have immediate impact on minimizing the health risks people face when they avoid them.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They can assist in lessening high blood pressure, high body cholesterol, and gaining weight among others. The prevention of obesity should also focus on these three practices. Furthermore, people who are already suffering from obesity can cut their weight through participating in these activities (Bouchard and Peter 119). Another important solution to obesity predicaments entails the provision of public education on the disease. Efforts must be made by relevant agencies to provide public education and create awareness about aspects of obesity (Hendrix and Darrell 200). The notable areas of that can be covered through during these public forums include nutrition education, the significance of physical activities, dangers of sedentary lifestyles, and the role parents should play in preventing obesit y among children (Hendrix and Darrell 200). Bouchard, Claude, and Peter T. Katzmarzyk.  Physical Activity and Obesity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2010. Print. Freedman, Jeri.  Understanding Obesity: The Mental and Physical Effects of Obesity. New York: Rosen Pub, 2009. Print. Hendrix, Jerry A, and Darrell C. Hayes.  Public Relations Cases. Boston, MA: Wadsworth CENGAGE Learning, 2010. Print.

Free Essays on Vincent Price Gallery

Vincent Price Gallery As I am the one who loves the arts, I went to the Vincent Price Gallery. Actually, when I just passed by and saw the sign that said â€Å"To the Gallery†, I was automatically brought by my feet there. As soon as I set my feet on the porch, it attracted me a lot. It was really amazing. It is decorated by white color and used a lot of lights. White color makes it bright and more attractive. Its professionally equipped and maintained facilities are really good. Therefore, it looks like a recently decorated even though it was founded in 1951. The pictures are placed in order. I saw a lot of oil pictures and photograph there. They all attracted me a lot because there are many different style and varsities of interesting such as pictures and photographs. Later, I became to know that all the pictures in the Vincent Price Gallery have been donated by Vincent Price and numerous other contributors. All the art collectors must have a psyche of living in a home surrounded by beauty. In the gallery, I looked all the pieces with great interest. In there, I had a great interest in â€Å"Frankenstein At The Wheel†. It is only a silver gelatin photograph that is presented by Philippe Halsman. Even though it was just a photograph, it had a lot of interest and surprise because one gentleman was driving speedily without looking forwards. At one glance, I was really scary by it because the gentleman in the picture has two faces. One is at the back and it looks like turning backwards. The other is appeared at the front mirror. As I looked at it thoroughly, I found out the face at the back looks like the mask and the face in the mirror is his actual face. The presentation by the photographer successfully gave life to the photograph. I am sure that every one who looked at the photograph was felt the same feeling like me. In the gallery, all the pictures made me have interesting a lot. But the photograph I mentio... Free Essays on Vincent Price Gallery Free Essays on Vincent Price Gallery Vincent Price Gallery As I am the one who loves the arts, I went to the Vincent Price Gallery. Actually, when I just passed by and saw the sign that said â€Å"To the Gallery†, I was automatically brought by my feet there. As soon as I set my feet on the porch, it attracted me a lot. It was really amazing. It is decorated by white color and used a lot of lights. White color makes it bright and more attractive. Its professionally equipped and maintained facilities are really good. Therefore, it looks like a recently decorated even though it was founded in 1951. The pictures are placed in order. I saw a lot of oil pictures and photograph there. They all attracted me a lot because there are many different style and varsities of interesting such as pictures and photographs. Later, I became to know that all the pictures in the Vincent Price Gallery have been donated by Vincent Price and numerous other contributors. All the art collectors must have a psyche of living in a home surrounded by beauty. In the gallery, I looked all the pieces with great interest. In there, I had a great interest in â€Å"Frankenstein At The Wheel†. It is only a silver gelatin photograph that is presented by Philippe Halsman. Even though it was just a photograph, it had a lot of interest and surprise because one gentleman was driving speedily without looking forwards. At one glance, I was really scary by it because the gentleman in the picture has two faces. One is at the back and it looks like turning backwards. The other is appeared at the front mirror. As I looked at it thoroughly, I found out the face at the back looks like the mask and the face in the mirror is his actual face. The presentation by the photographer successfully gave life to the photograph. I am sure that every one who looked at the photograph was felt the same feeling like me. In the gallery, all the pictures made me have interesting a lot. But the photograph I mentio...

Profile of Elizabeth How, Persecuted Salem Witch

Profile of Elizabeth How, Persecuted Salem Witch Elizabeth How Facts Known for:  accused witch, executed in the 1692  Salem witch trialsAge at time of Salem witch trials:  about 57Dates:  about 1635 – July 19, 1692Also known as:  Elizabeth Howe, Goody Howe Family, Background: Born in Yorkshire, England, about 1635 Mother: Joane Jackson Father: William Jackson Husband: James How or Howe Jr. (March 23, 1633 – February 15, 1702), married April 1658. He had become blind at the time of the trials. Family connections: Elizabeth’s husband James How Jr. was connected to a number of other Salem witch trial victims. James was the brother of John How. John How was married to Sarah Towne (How), whose father, Edmund Towne, was the brother of Rebecca Towne Nurse, Mary Towne Easty and Sarah Towne Cloyce, all accused of witchcraft as well.Also, James and John How’s mother was Elizabeth Dane How, a sister of the Rev. Francis Dane.  Dane was the father of Abigail Dane Faulkner and Elizabeth Johnson Sr., father-in-law of Deliverance Dane, and a grandfather of several others arrested. Lived in: Ipswitch sometimes noted as Topswitch Elizabeth How and the Salem Witch Trials Elizabeth How was accused by the Perley family of Ipswitch. The parents of the family testified that their 10-year-old daughter was afflicted by How over the course of two to three years. Doctors had diagnosed that the daughter’s affliction was caused by â€Å"an evil hand.† Spectral evidence was offered by Mercy Lewis, Mary Walcott, Ann Putnam Jr., Abigail Williams, and Mary Warren. On May 28, 1692, an arrest warrant was issued for How, charging her with acts of witchcraft against Mary Walcott, Abigail Williams, and others.  She was arrested the next day and taken to the home of Nathaniel Ingersoll for examination. A formal indictment was prepared on May 29, mentioning that Mercy Lewis had been tortured and afflicted by an act of witchcraft by Elizabeth How. Witnesses included Mercy Lewis, Mary Walcott, Abigail Williams, and members of the Perley family. While she was in jail, she was visited by her husband and daughters. On May 31, Elizabeth How was again examined. She replied to the charges: â€Å"If it was the last moment I was to live, God knows I am innocent of anything of this nature.† Mercy Lewis and Mary Walcott fell into fits.  Walcott said that Elizabeth How had punched and choked her that month.  Ann Putnam testified that How had hurt her three times; Lewis also accused How of hurting her.  Abigail Williams said that How had hurt her many times and had brought â€Å"the book† (the Devil’s book, to sign). Ann Putnam and Mary Warren said they’d been pricked by a pin by How’s spectre. And John Indian fell into a fit, accusing her of biting him. A May 31 indictment cited witchcraft practiced against Mary Walcott.  Elizabeth How, John Alden,  Martha Carrier, Wilmott Redd, and Philip English were  examined  by Bartholomew Gedney, Jonathan Corwin, and John Hathorne Timothy and Deborah Perley, who leveled the initial claims, on June 1 also accused Elizabeth How of afflicting their cow with sickness, causing it to drown itself when they stood against her joining the Ipswich church.  Deborah Perley repeated the charges about afflicting their daughter Hannah. On June 2, Sarah Andrews, sister of Hannah Perley, testified to hearing her afflicted sister blame Elizabeth How for threatening and hurting her, even though their father had questioned the truth of the claim. On June 3, the Rev. Samuel Phillips testified in her defense. He said he had been at the Samuel Perley home when the child was having fits, and though the parents said â€Å"good wife How the wife of James How Junior of Ipswich† was a witch, the child did not say so, even when asked to do so. Edward Payson testified that he had witnessed the Perley daughter’s affliction, and the parents’ questioning her as to How’s involvement, and that the daughter had said: â€Å"no never.† On June 24, a neighbor of 24 years, Deborah Hadley, testified on Elizabeth’s behalf that she had been conscientious in her dealings and â€Å"Christian-like in her conversation.† On June 25, neighbors Simon and Mary Chapman testified that How was a godly woman. On June 27, Mary Cummings testified about a run-in her son Isaac had had with Elizabeth, involving a mare. Her husband Isaac also testified to these charges. On June 28, the son, Isaac Cummings, also testified.  That same day, Elizabeth’s father-in-law, James How Sr., who was about 94 at the time, testified for Elizabeth as a character witness, noting how loving, obedient and kind she was and how she had cared for her husband who had become blind. Joseph and Mary Knowlton testified for Elizabeth How, noting that ten years before they had heard stories of Elizabeth How afflicting the daughter of Samuel Perley.  They had asked Elizabeth about these and Elizabeth had been forgiving of their reports. They noted that she was an honest and good person. Trial: June 29-30, 1692 June 29-30:  Sarah Good, Elizabeth How, Susannah Martin, and Sarah Wildes were tried for witchcraft. On the first day of the trial, Mary Cummings testified that another neighbor had become ill after a sharp exchange with James How Jr. and his wife. On June 30, Francis Lane testified against How, noting the conflict with Samuel Perley. Nehemiah Abbott (married to Elizabeths sister-in-law, Mary Howe Abbott) also testified that when Elizabeth was angry she wished someone would choke, and that person did shortly after; that How’s daughter had attempted to borrow a horse but when he refused, the horse later was injured, and that a cow had also been injured. Her brother-in-law John How testified that Elizabeth had afflicted a sow when Elizabeth was angry with him for asking whether she had afflicted the Perley child. Joseph Safford testified about a church meeting held in the wake of the accusations earlier regarding the Perley child; he said that his wife had attended the meeting and was afterward in a â€Å"raving frenzy† first defending Goody How and then in a trance. Sarah Good, Elizabeth How, Susannah Martin, and Sarah Wildes were all found guilty and condemned to hanging.  Rebecca Nurse was first found not guilty, but when the accusers and spectators loudly protested, the court asked the jury to reconsider the verdict and condemned Nurse to hang as well. On July 1, Thomas Andrews added some charges regarding a sick horse he believed was the one that the Hows wanted to borrow from the Cummings. Elizabeth How was hanged on July 19, 1692, along with Sarah Good, Susannah Martin,  Rebecca Nurse, and Sarah Wilde. Elizabeth How After the Trials The following March, residents of Andover, Salem Village, and Topsfield petitioned on behalf of Elizabeth How,  Rebecca Nurse,  Mary Easty,  Abigail Faulkner, Mary Parker, John Proctor,  Elizabeth Proctor, and Samuel and Sarah Wardwell – all but Abigail Faulkner, Elizabeth Proctor, and Sarah Wardwell had been executed – asking the court to exonerate them for the sake of their relatives and descendants.   In 1709, How’s daughter joined the petition of Phillip English and others to get the victims’ names cleared and to get financial compensation.  In 1711, they finally won the case, and Elizabeth How’s name was mentioned among those who had been unfairly convicted and some executed, and whose convictions were reversed and nullified.

John Crowe Ransom described Hardy as essentially a Victorian poet, in Essay

John Crowe Ransom described Hardy as essentially a Victorian poet, in which sense is this true - Essay Example His first volume of poems, Wessex Poems, was not published before 1898, even though a number of its lyrics dated from the 1870s. Early critics found Hardy's lyrics tasteless as well as his novels, in particular, because of their unsophisticated style, pessimistic motifs and abstractive philosophy. He was also charged with his simplistic refrains and uncomplicatedness of his lyric forms. Furthermore, he was "accused of writing lyrics that were flawed by the pervasiveness of the philosophy that informed them. Gothic architecture loomed in the back of Hardy's mind throughout his career as a poet, providing a powerful model for artistic unity and complexity" (Mitchell, 1988, p.307). Contemporary critics admire his self-sufficient 'evolutionary meliorism' and his sharp poetical irony, woven into his own psychological insights as well as modernist 'spareness' and roughness of his poetic and melodic experiences. His poetry is a quintessence of loss, severe nostalgia and the somber borders of human hope and love. To great extent, Hardy saw himself as a poet - foremost a poet - through his literary career, and even though his poetic heritage is not always acknowledged by critics, his numerous powerful verses, such as 'Nature's Questioning', 'Neutral Tones', 'The Convergence of the Twain' and many others, make the reader re-think one's own existence and human emotions on the background of Victorian landscape. "His poetry is spare, unadorned, and unromantic, and its pervasive theme is man's futile struggle against cosmic forces. Hardy's vision reflects a world in which Victorian complacencies were dying but its moralism was not, and in which science had eliminated the comforting certainties of religion" (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2004, p. 684 (21027)). Thomas Hardy is often seen as a Victorian poet (Williams, 1972; Page, 2000; Mitchell, 1988) for his perception of time, space and external objects, typically attributed to Victorian realism. Thus, it is important to outline the typical features of classical Victorian poetry. First of all, poetry was considered superior than prose by Victorian poets, because the real genius can be noticed in lyrics and rhymes. Poetic illustration of social problems was vital, and poets were viewed as masters of style and rhythm, due to their ability to interweave profound philosophy (including philosophy of life) with such social issues, as marriage, gender and education. Secondly, Victorian poets widely used retrospective forms (such as epigram, epitaph and elegy) and archaic language. In addition, they sometimes referred to ancient mythical characters, especially to those from Greek mythology. On the other hand, despite the general elaboration of language and style, many poets practiced simplistic and colloquial genres. Thirdly, Victorian poetry is also characterized by the use of social themes, such as individual versus society, social drama, as well as by realistic approach (influenced by the emergence of Utilitarianism, Unitarianism and other moral theories). In addition, many poets appealed to the reader's sympathy and sentimentalism as well as to his/her imagination (Page, 2000) (especially as it related to rural landscapes and pastorals), but merely within the realistic context. In addition, the

LEGO From The Beginning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

LEGO From The Beginning - Essay Example   This has been a silent trait of this firm. The well-maintained relationship and the support close all the inevitable people, like consumers, customers, business partners and all stakeholders was successfully extended to a more advanced level during this year. Looking at LEGO’s dedication, it will not be an understatement that this work and their motives will always mark their presence in the coming years. In 2007, the LEGO Group has covered the four years period out of its seven-year strategy. This was a very effective move with the motive, which is kind of acquired so far, that is to bring a complete change to the entire market and business scenario while developing LEGO as the best brand exhibiting their commitment towards creative building and playing the key role in providing effective learning techniques through play. As per their strategy, various aspects of processing, procedures, structure, and relations to stakeholders will undergo a primary change during the years 2004-10 (Annual Report, 2007). The prime objectives for all the stakeholder groups were well defined by the group in the year 2006 (Annual Report, 2007). These have been further intensely developed in the year 2007. The rigorous balanced approach to different stakeholder groups will certainly provide a significant platform for the future operations of this group.

The Silk Routes and its Influences on Ancient and Medieval Commerce Essay

The Silk Routes and its Influences on Ancient and Medieval Commerce and International Relations - Essay Example â€Å"Silk Road†: Its Expansion over Different Centuries Indeed, the term, â€Å"Silk Road†, is a modern adoption which is used to refer to the commercial communication networks existing among the countries of the world during the ancient and medieval periods. Especially, it was a set of communication routes which were connected to the main route between Changan and Europe (especially the Port of Venice). Since the â€Å"Silk Road† was not any single route of communication, modern historians have preferred using the term, â€Å"Silk Routes† in order to refer to the whole communication network between China and the West. Many people claim that the name, ‘Silk Road’, has been used because ‘Silk’ was the most precious product which was being traded along the road. Indeed, such assumption about the name is not wholly true. Rather, it is a partial truth. Though ‘Silk’ was the most attractive product which the Chinese were selling the whole world, it was not the only important products where were being traded among the nations. Indeed, this name became popular in the modern world after Ferdinand von Richthofen had introduced the East-West communication network as `Seidenstrasse’ (silk road) or `Seidenstrassen’ (silk routes). In this regard, Joshua Mark notes, â€Å"Both terms for this network of roads...were coined by the German geographer and traveler, Ferdinand von Richthofen, in 1877 CE, who designated them `Seidenstrasse’ (silk road) or `Seidenstrassen’ (silk routes)† (Pars. 1). Commodities and Ideas, Exchanged by the Nations

America as Bottom Up Country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

America as Bottom Up Country - Essay Example This is the line taken in Howard Fineman's "The Thirteen American Arguments". But to what extent is the United States of the 21st century really a bottom-up society, and does the Internet really enhance the powers of the ordinary person To answer these questions, we must first identify the ways in which government impinges on the citizen, and vice-versa. In a representative democracy the powers of the government, once it is elected, can be surprisingly draconian, and they are certainly very great. They always include the power to incarcerate citizens, and in some cases to kill them. There is obviously considerable variation between governments such as that of France, where the President can exercise almost monarchical powers in some situations, and governments such as that of Switzerland, where power is mainly decentralised to the Cantons and can be diluted by citizens calling for a referendum. The constitution of the United States probably places it about three quarters of the way between the centralist authoritarian extreme and the decentralist pluralist extreme. In other words, America is far closer to Switzerland than to France. This is hardly surprising, as the Founding Fathers in Philadelphia set out to devise a constitution that was full of checks and balances. The main ones are the separation of powers between Federal govern ment institutions, namely Congress, President and Supreme Court, and the sharing of powers between the Federal and State authorities. The theory seems clear, but the practice has often been murky. Although Lincoln is to be applauded for taking up arms to free the slaves, the Union armies effectively crushed the southern states for attempting to pursue an independent line. And governments down the ages have imposed swathes of regulations on their citizens, some of which compel people to do things, others of which forbid them from doing things. These regulations reach into every facet of our lives, ranging from speed limits to compulsory school attendance. Furthermore, the system of taxes and government spending in the United States, as elsewhere, has created an increasing transfer of effective decision-making power from the people to the government. In most Western countries, governments now tax and spend around 35-45% of their national income. In the case of America, the figure is around 36%, of which about half is spent by the Federal government and the rest by State and local governments. This means that ordinary people are losing more than one third of all the economic resources they create. And more than one third of the vast American economy is at the disposal of government officials, rather than being available to spend according to the preferences of individual citizens. The power to decide the allocation of economic resources is one of the most important ways in which people can shape their own lives and the society they live in. The era of big government programs which arrived with President Roosevelt's admirable New Deal in response to the Great Depression, is alive and kicking. It has suffered some set-backs, most notably during President Reagan's time, but with the fiscal deficit ballooning under President Bush in the past few years, and with President Obama promising a raft of fiscal stimulus measures to kick-start the ailing economy, Big Government is certainly far from finished. So what powers do ordinary people have over the government Well, of course, they have the

Analysis of Association Is Not Causation Research Paper

Analysis of Association Is Not Causation - Research Paper Example The prevailing theory, is one that maintains that alcohol â€Å"reduces inhibitions† (1), and that a compromised mental state leads to violent behavior. They are careful to point out that they are not challenging the reduction of inhibitions, but challenging that the theory that there is a necessary relationship between these mental states and violence, and they cite a broad cross-section of studies that maintain this. If there is a causal relationship between reduced inhibitions, and violence, then there ought to be consistency across all cultures. One of the first challenges they point to, is that there are documented differences of alcohol behavior that â€Å"varies greatly† across cultures(2), and thus there has to be something more than simply a â€Å"pharmacological† explanation. They argue that it is â€Å"expectancy† that explains these differences. ... Thus, the 'expectation' of drinking had more to do with drinking than the actual pharmacological effects. Given that there is no strictly biological causal relation between violence and alcohol consumption, they turn to explain how this view had come about within the scientific literature. One problem they note is the discrepancy between alcohol â€Å"blood levels† (3) and reported incidences of violence. Police reports with actual blood levels measured of intoxicated offenders, indicate that while over 50 % of individuals charged with domestic violence reported alcohol as the cause, less than 20 % of these were actually intoxicated as measured by the toxicity of their blood(3). Likewise, statistical analysis' shows too that while reporting of alcohol use in domestic violence instances, the actual use in terms of â€Å"immediately prior† to the incidence is significantly lower. They conclude that there are important discrepancies with the data when they are closely scru tinized. Finally, the authors examine some of the methodological limitations of many of the studies, and conclude with implicit recommendations for further research based on some of the limitations of the existing research. They point to problems mainly to do with equivocation. That is, problems of defining or distinguishing between the types of drugs used(4), what exactly is violence and abuse(4-5), and finally, the very nature of alcohol consumption – how much, and how frequently is alcohol consumed(6). They argue that these definitional problems are inconsistencies in current research. ANALYSIS: 1. What are the strengths of the article? : The main strength of the article is that they unequivocally demonstrate that the existing literature confused correlation or

America as Bottom Up Country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

America as Bottom Up Country - Essay Example This is the line taken in Howard Fineman's "The Thirteen American Arguments". But to what extent is the United States of the 21st century really a bottom-up society, and does the Internet really enhance the powers of the ordinary person To answer these questions, we must first identify the ways in which government impinges on the citizen, and vice-versa. In a representative democracy the powers of the government, once it is elected, can be surprisingly draconian, and they are certainly very great. They always include the power to incarcerate citizens, and in some cases to kill them. There is obviously considerable variation between governments such as that of France, where the President can exercise almost monarchical powers in some situations, and governments such as that of Switzerland, where power is mainly decentralised to the Cantons and can be diluted by citizens calling for a referendum. The constitution of the United States probably places it about three quarters of the way between the centralist authoritarian extreme and the decentralist pluralist extreme. In other words, America is far closer to Switzerland than to France. This is hardly surprising, as the Founding Fathers in Philadelphia set out to devise a constitution that was full of checks and balances. The main ones are the separation of powers between Federal govern ment institutions, namely Congress, President and Supreme Court, and the sharing of powers between the Federal and State authorities. The theory seems clear, but the practice has often been murky. Although Lincoln is to be applauded for taking up arms to free the slaves, the Union armies effectively crushed the southern states for attempting to pursue an independent line. And governments down the ages have imposed swathes of regulations on their citizens, some of which compel people to do things, others of which forbid them from doing things. These regulations reach into every facet of our lives, ranging from speed limits to compulsory school attendance. Furthermore, the system of taxes and government spending in the United States, as elsewhere, has created an increasing transfer of effective decision-making power from the people to the government. In most Western countries, governments now tax and spend around 35-45% of their national income. In the case of America, the figure is around 36%, of which about half is spent by the Federal government and the rest by State and local governments. This means that ordinary people are losing more than one third of all the economic resources they create. And more than one third of the vast American economy is at the disposal of government officials, rather than being available to spend according to the preferences of individual citizens. The power to decide the allocation of economic resources is one of the most important ways in which people can shape their own lives and the society they live in. The era of big government programs which arrived with President Roosevelt's admirable New Deal in response to the Great Depression, is alive and kicking. It has suffered some set-backs, most notably during President Reagan's time, but with the fiscal deficit ballooning under President Bush in the past few years, and with President Obama promising a raft of fiscal stimulus measures to kick-start the ailing economy, Big Government is certainly far from finished. So what powers do ordinary people have over the government Well, of course, they have the

Mystical experience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mystical experience - Assignment Example Such experiences are always spiritual, though they may not be; they are not limited to priests or monks. However, all individual religious experiences are entrenched in mystical states of consciousness, yet all mystical experiences are partially religious. Although mystical experiences occur commonly, they happen unbidden to someone perhaps once or severally in a lifetime. Mystical experiences are for example, those of oneness with nature and the deeper self, the mystic is always a tragic form, torn by the tensions between the soul and the body, between the spiritual and physical. He is beleaguered by his bodily chains that limit him to this meager realism; he is drawn to the elusive, he longs for the inspiring, for the best. He desires to free himself, to rise further. The world surrounding him is a dark, awful place, his spirit sores and soars, attempting to flee its worldly prison. William James identified four Mystical characteristics; Ineffability, where mystical states are more similar to states of feeling than intelligence, slightly shaded with fine nuances that are hard to express in their import and splendor to another. As a result, much mystical writing is filled with symbolism and paradoxes1. Noetic quality experiences are conditions of insight, knowledge, revelation, awareness, and illumination beyond the grab of the intelligence. There is knowledge of unity with the totality, of immorality of the soul, of immense truths. Space and time are exceeded. Transiency, mystical experiences fleet in linear time, even though they tend to be eternal. It is rare to maintain a mystical state for long hours. For instance, Eastern adepts are capable of sustaining prolonged stages of Samadhi, a mystical condition of one-pointed meditation; and some allegedly are able to maintain the highest states of nirvana. Passivity, the personal feels held by a greater power and swept up. This can be accompanied by a feeling of division from bodily consciousness, trance, or ph enomena like automatists, healing powers, voices, and visions. Such examples are viewed in Eastern thought as conditions of pseudo-enlightenment. Religious mysticism makes schools and accumulates traditions, much less common than people think. For example, in Christianity, mysticism is usually self-indulgent and ascetic in nature; in the Vedanta institution it is monistic, in the Sankhya institution it is dualistic. Since mystical experiences vary to a large degree, the mystical feeling of union, emancipation, and enlargement has no specific rational content on its own. Therefore, the non-mystic is ever gratified to confer a greater authority to the experience or to the mystic. Mystical consciousness simplifies the way in which truth is procured more significantly. The truth or validity-revealing character of a mystical experience as with other knowledge does not depend on the validity of the integrated theories such as those determined by the culture within which the experience is felt. The validity of the integrated speculation is relative to the know-how led to them earlier and the experiences which are made possible by themselves. It must be likely for the experience smash through the theories inclusive of the incorporated theories and make people to remake them. More positively, mysticism might help to liberate traditions from most of its deforming influences. Part II. Question 6 The life and works of St. Theresa of Avila In mid-life, St. Teresa underwent a deep conversion experience,

Enteprise risk management unilever by the example of unilever lipton Essay Example for Free

Enteprise risk management unilever by the example of unilever lipton Essay Introduction More and more companies begin to understand the importance of risk management (Enterprise Risk Management, ERM) — the fields of management thanks to which business doesnt revolve, and receive an additional boost. Still, quite recently many ERM programs were directed, mainly, to studying of already known problems, or to the assessment of all risks in a row, irrespective of their level. Though such activity also allows giving employees full-time job, it seldom brings benefit to the company focused on the result. It is obvious that conditions of business are accompanied by the huge amount of risks. Without preliminary preparation of the company, supported with the realization of the strategy, can fall a victim of any unforeseen event which will threaten their success, and it is possible, and to survival. In such time, it is very important to have the reliable ERM program which is interwoven into the fabric of strategy of the company and is integrated into its daily business activities. However, implementation of the effective ERM program is today not the simplest task. Having faced the uncertainty of prospects of changes in standard regulation and economy, many companies make considerable efforts to create the effective and purposeful program which will provide an understanding of the most important risks. Though each enterprise and branch has the specifics, there is a number of the general actions which will lead to the creation of more effective ERM program. Background information Unilever is the British and Netherlands company, one of the world leaders in the market of foodstuff and goods of household chemicals (including perfumery). Now in these segments, the company is the second in the world sales volumes. The headquarters are located in London and Rotterdam. The company is led by the board of director’s representative Michael Treschow. The executive managing director is Paul Poleman. The net income for the previous year was on the level of 5.2 billion euros. The company has more than 175 thousand employers worldwide. ERM Overview Risk management plays an essential role in the company in achieving its long-term goals. The success of the Unilever company. The overall company’s success depends on its abilities to identify and evaluate risks and opportunities generated by either business or markets the company is in. The total turnover of the company was more than â‚ ¬52.7 billion in 2016. 57% of the business being held across the world takes place in emerging markets. The company owns 13 brands, all of them have annual sales volume more than 1 billion euros per year. The company has more than 169 thousand employers worldwide. The gender structure of the company is following: 46% of managers are women and 54% are men. By 2016, over 610 Unilever sites were distributing zero non-hazardous waste to landfill. The Unilever company is number one FMCG graduate employer of choice in 34 of the 60 countries to be recruited. In 2016 Sustainable Living brands grew 40% faster than the rest of the business of the Unilever. ERM Integration with strategy Appraisal of Unilevers Risk Management Strategies Unilever has perceived that the vast majority of the dangers presented to it might wind up noticeably material snags to the organizations further advancement. According to this fact, it has attempted to take some viable and organized measures to distinguish and after that endeavor the key hazard administration systems for the business. There are several specific risk management strategies that are implemented with company’s mission and long-term strategy: Unilever has been carefully observing monetary markers and purchaser conduct in various territories through broad and expert research with a specific end goal to react rapidly and take new and adaptable measures to take care of the changing demand of clients. So as to manage the issue of budgetary instability, the organization has been attempting endeavors to access worldwide obligation advertises through different routes, for example, short-term or long-term debt programs. Unilever appends extraordinary importance to the change of loan cost, attempting to have distinctive sorts of budgetary administrations and adjust the dangers amongst drifting and settled rate enthusiasm after an expert forecast and appraisal of the financing cost. Regarding the remote foreign exchange rates, Unilever sets an arrangement which constrains the working organizations monetary outside trade exposures in order to reduce such risk. Unilever has made a progression of standards and strategies for the technique of design, producing, and retailing of items to guarantee the high requirements of items quality. What more Unilever has a â€Å"Sustainable Development Group† which consists of 5 external specialists, involving in the company’s strategy development. Associated Risks Conclusion References http://www.cfin.ru/finanalysis/risk/ERM.shtmlhttps://www.unilever.com/Images/risks_ar15_tcm244-477397_en.pdfhttps://www.slideshare.net/muthukum/unilevers-lipton-risk-management-with-business-intelligencehttps://www.unilever.ru/about/who-we-are/introduction-to-unilever/

Changing In The Role Of Management Accountant Accounting Essay

Changing In The Role Of Management Accountant Accounting Essay Abstract This essay gives an overview of the changing role of management accountant and the management accounting practices. An idea of how these changes were developed and the factors behind the changes what were the reasons for implementing the changes, what were the main drivers and to what extent these changes are now being practice in the real business world? Introduction Over the few decades- many writers have pointed to the work of Johnson and Kaplan (1987) as an organ in this respect that there has been a shift in the expectation of management accountant. This essay is a brief overview of why, how, and to what extent there has been a change in the role of management accountant over the last three decades. In the past decades business environment has changed significantly, this is mainly because of the changes in technology and ever growing demands of business managers all around the globe. These changes have brought a significant level of change in economical factors of business world and management accounting is no exception. And with these changes management accounting as a whole is effected, it has brought changes in accounting system and techniques and has been subject to various debates as to bring changes in the function of accounting. Nevertheless, there have been mainly two types of development: adoption of new tools and techniques which en hances accounting practice, and on the other hand change in the role of management accountant, which is towards acting more in decision making and advisory rather than solely focusing on providing information. In the following sections this essay will give a brief idea of the main reason behind the changes and how these changes effected the management accounting practices and to what extent these changes are adapted by the accounting sector. Reasons for the changes The ever changing environmental and technological factors has affected the global economy in past few decades, and accounting and finance is a key player in running any economy. And as being a major factor in running any economy accounting practices has suffered significantly. But the focus in this essay is on management accounting and its practitioner and why, how and to what extent there has been a change in their practice. Laboring under the shadow of financial reporting, auditing and taxation, on number of occasions management accounting has escaped the spotlight of critics. Often management accounting and the role of management accountant is relegated to the lower crust of accounting, and was limited to the role of organizational book keeping and budgeting and sometimes only to the extent of obligatory university or professional body courses. But if we look in this matter from historical point of view management accounting was and to some extent still considered as a dull profession. We can say that due to globalization of markets which have increased competition, and now markets are more volatile, where reaction time is very little for companies to act. Advancement in information and production technologies, which have reduce the time of information processing by accounting specialist and has enabled other organizational staff to take up tasks by themselves which were previously labeled for accountants.  [i]   Furthermore systems like SAP are becoming more common in multinational companies, and in some medium size companies. A recent survey on this topic has also proved that there has been a change in needs of mangers information; this might be because of the changing style of organizational structure. In recent years due to severe competition among organizations of being on top, and where change is necessary because of different market conditions, and of course different business strategies used in different organizations. All these factors are the reason for the change in the practice of management accountants. Implementing the changes and its Effects If we summarize the recent surveys on changing role of management accountant, we will see that there are two types of factors that have brought a change in the environment of management accounting operations. Externals factors have forced organization to change there internal structures to compete with ever improving technological industry. The 21st century management accountants have developed into a multi-functional engine and are more involved in accounting matters than before. Now managers need more information than before, for decision-making and relevant organizational matters needed for profitable outcome. Internal organizational factors like decision making require more advance information and efficient modes are required to perform such tasks. So with that majority of the information management accountant have these days are computerized and are easily accessible at all levels of the organization and managers who can immediately see their variances and monitor their performance daily. These new development has replaced old methods where managers were able to see the progress at the end of the month. During a conversation between CIMA members it was stated: now systems are such that managers can generate information without reference to the financial analysts. So both have access to the same information. But they both use it in different ways. That has been a major change. A variety of terms are used to describe the new role of management accountant is or should be aspiring, which include modern business-oriented accountant (Granlund and Lukka, 1998b), business partner (Siegal and Sorenson, 1999), internal business consultants (Burns and Vaivio, 2001), strategic management consultant (Holtzman, 2004), or Hybrid accountant (Burns and Baldvinsdottir, 2005). Nevertheless, theme was one way or the other same regarding the new role.  [ii]   But the matter of fact is the role of accountant is more important than before, not only in the corporate level, but also at national and international level. The main focus of management accountant has always been to improve their organizations performance and profitability, but now due to changes in different environmental and economical factors their approach has changed in recent time for good. Noticeable change over time is that in years before, a great deal of management accounting work was driven by the need of compliance and control. But now, emphasis on compliance and control are declining, while factors like competitive support has risen due to increased competition, greater customer focus, importance of quality and of course globalization. The increased emphasis on competitive support now require management accountant to have strong analytical and communication skills. Furthermore, they now support and process managers, and are directly involved in decision making. They are also involved in long and short-term planning, they also have to develop systems to support and provide essential information needed. With these new developments management accountant must directly involved in formulation, and the implementing business strategies. To what extend there has been changes Today, as compared to previous decades management accounting practices has changed quite a bit, now management accountant has to reconcile the broad view of business. Today management accountant are more effective and efficient. Management accounting is changing, and reason for these changes is the factors. These factors are as mentioned above: changes in the economic and social structures, globalization issues, changes in the markets, and technological developments and last but not least need for organizations to become customer focused. The focus have shifted from historical stewardship to more advance role of strategic planning and feed forward control (pierce, 2001). Now armed with advance skills, new technology, more analytical skills and leadership qualities the new management accountants are emerging with the change. Management accountant these days spend their time on strategic management accounting with a view of broadening the concept of traditional management accounting. The term strategic management accounting was first introduced by Ken Simmonds in 1981. And CIMA describes this terminology as a form of management accounting that focuses on information which relate to factors external to the firm, as well as non-financial information, and internally generated information. This integration is now more important because it enables managers to see the day-to-day development of the business process. How these processes are being handled and what will be there outcome, and that way this is seen as an important function of the new and more advance management accountant. And with the changing role of management accountant, in some companies their job titles are also changing as mentioned above like business advisor, business analyst and few others. Furthermore, some surveys have suggested that there will be more changes in the role of management accounting, management accountants will be taking up the duties of handling matters like designing, developing and operating financial and management information system. The trend is that management accountant is now working more with business units, rather than working as an individual unit as happened in the past. This is mainly because of the shift in the duties of the management accountant and changes in the organizational structures. Now management accountant work alongside managers, engineers and so on.  [iii]   In some cases it is noted that management accountant are more involved in issues of corporate strategy, they are more involved and are not acting as an individual unit, and this is the reason the need for management accountant to be more skillful, advance are becoming a mandatory qualification. To sum up the situation of the role changing or we can also say that taking it to next level the factors played a very important role, factors such as; technology, restructuring, globalization, takeovers/mergers, new accounting techniques and so on. Management accountants are adapting to the change which is not only helping the organizations to be more effective in making profit, but it is also improving the dull image of the management accountant. Conclusion In the end we can say that the changing roles of management accountant are for the good of the profession. As to compete in this fast growing economical world, with all the development that are taking place around us accounting and finance plays an important role in any successful economy. As a whole the role of management accountant have moved into another level. With all the new techniques and technological advancement have brought new softwares which have made work easy and faster for the management accountant, which is always a need in this fast pace world where markets are very competitive and margin of error is very high.

Blood Work :: essays research papers

The fictional novel I decided to read was called Blood Work written by Michael Connelly. The book is pretty much about a FBI agent, retired because of his recent heart transplant surgery, he is living a retired life on his boat by himself when a girl named Graciela Rivers shows up. She tells the main character, Terry Mcaleb that his new heart is from her recently murdered sister, Gloria Torres and asks Terry to come out of retirement to find out who murdered her sister.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I really liked this book because it had a very interesting story line with many twists and turns along the way. The story follows Terry in his search for Gloria’s murderer. Along the way he gets many leads such as 2 previous unsolved cases of people murdered in cold blood for no apparent reason. Throughout the book almost all of the leads that were talked about turned out to be useless I found this to be a waste of space. But after the bulk of the book is done Terry makes the connection between the other murders that all of the victims had a rare blood type, the same rare blood type which made it so difficult for him to find a heart for his surgery. After this point the books story starts to pick up again and it all comes together when he finds out that all 3 of the murders were committed by one of the serial killers he never caught as an FBI agent known as the code killer. The code killer killed all of these people specifically so that their organs would b e put up for donation and Terry would get a new heart, the killer wanted him to live because of him. The book comes to a really good ending where all of the loose ends are tied up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What I did not like about this book was all of the wasted space and time. The book itself had a really good story but could have been told much better. I found that after the problem was stated at the start of the book it all just turned into Terry going after the same useless leads over and over again. The author could have left all of that out of the book and it would have been much more exciting instead of getting the feeling of dragging on until near the end when it picks up again.

Strength, Personality, and Style Assessments & Motivation Essay

In my paper regarding strength assessments from the Rath’s Strengths Finder 2.00 (Rath) I learned how it can improve the development of my leadership. About a year ago I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment (The Myers & Briggs Foundation); I was identified as an ENTJ and ENFJ (split personality). I recently took another assessment detailing with my style (Style Analysis). The strength finder 2.0 assessment defined my top five leadership strengths; the Myers Briggs defined my personality; and this new assessment defining my style behavior. These assessments are very valuable in knowing who I am as a leader. Leadership is about getting others to accomplish goals bigger than themselves. That requires motivation. Now that I understand more about myself and my leadership style, how can I use this knowledge to motivate and persuade others? In the lecture presentation by Dr Homes (Homes) he discussed how the strength-finder is a tool that he uses in his operations to help and identify strengths that both compliment and fill missing gaps. These assessments help identify compatibility. Compatibility includes your co-workers, superiors, subordinates and other in the work place but also in your personal life. He discussed the need to understand the strength of others so that we can relate to them better. And by relating better, we are able to manage, motivate and lead them better. He clearly articulated the value of the strength finder assessment for better leadership. The assessment that I recently took at work was titled Style Analysis (Style Analysis) also referred to as the DISC style analysis, (See attached materials) and was part of a presentation by Phil Begley, Managing Principal of Riverstone Organizational Ad... ... Begley, Phil. "Coaching Diverse Styles." Greenville: Rivestone Organicational Advisors, Inc., 2011 Presentation March 3rd, 2011 at Mount Pleasant Waterworks, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Collins, Jim. Good To Great. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. Greg Laurie, General Editor. New Believer's Bible. Ed. Greg Laurie. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2006. Homes, Dr. Sonny. "Strength Finder 2.0" Leacture March 3, 2011 at Charleston Southern University, SC Northouse, Peter G. Leaderhip Theory and Practice. Ed. Fifth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc, 2010. Rath, Tom. Strengths Finder 2.0. New York: Gallup Press, 2007. "Style Analysis"- Target Traning International, Ltd, 2011. The Myers & Briggs Foundation. 2011. 6 March 2011 . Strength, Personality, and Style Assessments & Motivation Essay In my paper regarding strength assessments from the Rath’s Strengths Finder 2.00 (Rath) I learned how it can improve the development of my leadership. About a year ago I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment (The Myers & Briggs Foundation); I was identified as an ENTJ and ENFJ (split personality). I recently took another assessment detailing with my style (Style Analysis). The strength finder 2.0 assessment defined my top five leadership strengths; the Myers Briggs defined my personality; and this new assessment defining my style behavior. These assessments are very valuable in knowing who I am as a leader. Leadership is about getting others to accomplish goals bigger than themselves. That requires motivation. Now that I understand more about myself and my leadership style, how can I use this knowledge to motivate and persuade others? In the lecture presentation by Dr Homes (Homes) he discussed how the strength-finder is a tool that he uses in his operations to help and identify strengths that both compliment and fill missing gaps. These assessments help identify compatibility. Compatibility includes your co-workers, superiors, subordinates and other in the work place but also in your personal life. He discussed the need to understand the strength of others so that we can relate to them better. And by relating better, we are able to manage, motivate and lead them better. He clearly articulated the value of the strength finder assessment for better leadership. The assessment that I recently took at work was titled Style Analysis (Style Analysis) also referred to as the DISC style analysis, (See attached materials) and was part of a presentation by Phil Begley, Managing Principal of Riverstone Organizational Ad... ... Begley, Phil. "Coaching Diverse Styles." Greenville: Rivestone Organicational Advisors, Inc., 2011 Presentation March 3rd, 2011 at Mount Pleasant Waterworks, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Collins, Jim. Good To Great. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. Greg Laurie, General Editor. New Believer's Bible. Ed. Greg Laurie. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2006. Homes, Dr. Sonny. "Strength Finder 2.0" Leacture March 3, 2011 at Charleston Southern University, SC Northouse, Peter G. Leaderhip Theory and Practice. Ed. Fifth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc, 2010. Rath, Tom. Strengths Finder 2.0. New York: Gallup Press, 2007. "Style Analysis"- Target Traning International, Ltd, 2011. The Myers & Briggs Foundation. 2011. 6 March 2011 .

Plant Tissue Culture Essay

Plant tissue culture is a collection of techniques used to maintain or grow plant cells, tissues or organs under sterile conditions on a nutrient culture medium of known composition. Plant tissue culture is widely used to produce clones of a plant in a method known as micropropagation. Different techniques in plant tissue culture may offer certain advantages over traditional methods of propagation, including: †¢The production of exact copies of plants that produce particularly good flowers, fruits, or have other desirable traits. †¢To quickly produce mature plants. †¢The production of multiples of plants in the absence of seeds or necessary pollinators to produce seeds. †¢The regeneration of whole plants from plant cells that have been genetically modified. †¢The production of plants in sterile containers that allows them to be moved with greatly reduced chances of transmitting diseases, pests, and pathogens. †¢The production of plants from seeds that otherwise have very low chances of germinating and growing, i.e.: orchids and nepenthes. †¢To clean particular plants of viral and other infections and to quickly multiply these plants as ‘cleaned stock’ for horticulture and agriculture. Plant tissue culture relies on the fact that many plant cells have the ability to regenerate a whole plant (totipotency). Single cells, plant cells without cell walls (protoplasts), pieces of leaves, or (less commonly) roots can often be used to generate a new plant on culture media given the required nutrients and plant hormo nes. Techniques Modern plant tissue culture is performed under aseptic conditions under HEPA filtered air provided by a laminar flow cabinet. Living plant materials from the environment are naturally contaminated on their surfaces (and sometimes interiors) with microorganisms, so surface sterilization of starting material (explants) in chemical solutions (usually sodium or calcium hypochlorite or mercuric chloride) is required. Mercuric chloride is seldom used as a plant sterilant today, unless other sterilizing agents are found to be ineffective, as it is dangerous to use, and is difficult to dispose of. Explants are then usually placed on the surface of a solid culture medium, but are sometimes placed directly into a liquid medium, particularly when cell suspension cultures are desired. Solid and liquid media are generally composed of inorganic salts plus a few organic nutrients, vitamins and plant hormones. Solid media are prepared from liquid media with the addition of a gelling agent, usually p urified agar. In vitro tissue culture potato explants The composition of the medium, particularly the plant hormones and the nitrogen source (nitrate versus ammonium salts or amino acids) have profound effects on the morphology of the tissues that grow from the initial explant. For example, an excess of auxin will often result in a proliferation of roots, while an excess of cytokinin may yield shoots. A balance of both auxin and cytokinin will often produce an unorganised growth of cells, or callus, but the morphology of the outgrowth will depend on the plant species as well as the medium composition. As cultures grow, pieces are typically sliced off and transferred to new media (subcultured) to allow for growth or to alter the morphology of the culture. The skill and experience of the tissue culturist are important in judging which pieces to culture and which to discard. As shoots emerge from a culture, they may be sliced off and rooted with auxin to produce plantlets which, when mature, can be transferred to potting soil for further g rowth in the greenhouse as normal plants. [1] Choice of explant The tissue obtained from the plant to culture is called an explant. Based on work with certain model systems, particularly tobacco, it has often been claimed that a totipotent explant can be grown from any part of the plant. However, this concept has been vitiated in practice. In many species explants of various organs vary in their rates of growth and regeneration, while some do not grow at all. The choice of explant material also determines if the plantlets developed via tissue culture are haploid or diploid. Also the risk of microbial contamination is increased with inappropriate explants. Thus it is very important that an appropriate choice of explant be made prior to tissue culture. The specific differences in the regeneration potential of different organs and explants have various explanations. The significant factors include differences in the stage of the cells in the cell cycle, the availability of or ability to transport endogenous growth regulators, and the metabolic capabilities of the cells. The most commonly used tissue explants are the meristematic ends of the plants like the stem tip, auxiliary bud tip and root tip. These tissues have high rates of cell division and either concentrate or produce required growth regulating substances including auxins and cytokinins. The pathways through which whole plants are regenerated from cells and tissues or explants such as meristems broadly fall into three types: 1.The method in which explants that include a meristem (viz. the shoot tips or nodes) are grown on appropriate media supplemented with plant growth regulators to induce proliferation of multiple shoots, followed by rooting of the excised shoots to regenerate whole plants, 2.The method in which totipotency of cells is realized in the form of de novo organogenesis, either directly in the form of induction of shoot meristems on the explants or indirectly via a callus (unorganised mass of cells resulting from proliferation of cells of the explant) and plants are regenerated through induction of roots on the resultant shoots, 3.Somatic embryogenesis, in which asexual adventive embryos (comparable to zygotic embryos in their structure and development) are induced directly on explants or indirectly through a callus phase. The first method involving the meristems and induction of multiple shoots is the preferred method for the micropropagation industry since the risks of somaclonal variation (genetic variation induced in tissue culture) are minimal when compared to the other two methods. Somatic embryogenesis is a method that has the potential to be several times higher in multiplication rates and is amenable to handling in liquid culture systems like bioreac tors. Some explants, like the root tip, are hard to isolate and are contaminated with soil microflora that become problematic during the tissue culture process. Certain soil microflora can form tight associations with the root systems, or even grow within the root. Soil particles bound to roots are difficult to remove without injury to the roots that then allows microbial attack. These associated microflora will generally overgrow the tissue culture medium before there is significant growth of plant tissue. Aerial (above soil) explants are also rich in undesirable microflora. However, they are more easily removed from the explant by gentle rinsing, and the remainder usually can be killed by surface sterilization. Most of the surface microflora do not form tight associations with the plant tissue. Such associations can usually be found by visual inspection as a mosaic, de-colorization or localized necrosis on the surface of the explant. An alternative for obtaining uncontaminated explants is to take explants from seedlings which are aseptically grown from surface-sterilized seeds. The hard surface of the seed is less permeable to penetration of harsh surface sterilizing agents, such as hypochlorite, so the acceptable conditions of sterilization used for seeds can be much more stringent than for vegetative tissues. Tissue cultured plants are clones. If the original mother plant used to produce the first explants is susceptible to a pathogen or environmental condition, the entire crop would be susceptible to the same problem. Conversely, any positive traits would remain within the line also. Applications Plant tissue culture is used widely in plant science; it also has a number of commercial applications. Applications include: †¢Micropropagation is widely used in forestry and in floriculture. Micropropagation can also be used to conserve rare or endangered plant species.[2] †¢A plant breeder may use tissue culture to screen cells rather than plants for advantageous characters, e.g. herbicide resistance/tolerance. †¢Large-scale growth of plant cells in liquid culture in bioreactors for production of valuable compounds, like plant-derived secondary metabolites and recombinant proteins used as biopharmaceuticals.[3] †¢To cross distantly related species by protoplast fusion and regeneration of the novel hybrid. †¢To cross-pollinate distantly related species and then tissue culture the resulting embryo which would otherwise normally die (Embryo Rescue). †¢For production of doubled monoploid (dihaploid) plants from haploid cultures to achieve homozygous lines more rapidly in breeding programmes, usually by treatment with colchicine which causes doubling of the chromosome number. †¢As a tissue for transformation, followed by either short-term testing of genetic constructs or regeneration of transgenic plants. †¢Certain techniques such as meristem tip culture can be used to produce clean plant material from virused stock, such as potatoes and many species of soft fruit. †¢Micropropagation using meristem and shoot culture to produce large numbers of identical individuals. †¢Production of identical sterile hybrid species can be obtained. Laboratories Although some growers and nurseries have their own labs for propagating plants by the technique of tissue culture, a number of independent laboratories provide custom propagation services. The Plant Tissue Culture Information Exchange lists many commercial tissue culture labs. Since plant tissue culture is a very labour intensive process, this would be an important factor in determining which plants would be commercially viable to propagate in a laboratory.