Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Unique Characteristics And Effects Of Cancer - 1841 Words

Kiley Palmer Oral Communications 6 10/8/2015 Title: Cancer in Teens Specific Speech Purpose: To inform the audience about the unique characteristics and effects of cancer in teens. INTRODUCTION: When I was fourteen, two weeks into my freshman year of high school, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. (Attention) As I went through my journey through chemo and radiation, I continued to learn more and more about the cancer that had taken over my body. Then I started making friends there at the hospital. They had different cancers, so I learned as much as I could so that I could try to understand how their journey would be like mine, and how it would be different. I began to be closer to my friends at the hospital than I was†¦show more content†¦(example) a. Eight teens who have survived their fight with cancer b. Three teens fighting cancer currently c. Four teens who have passed away within the past two years because of cancer. 2. Statistics on estimated new cases for 2014 (statistics) a. Children ages 0-14 years old (1.) 10,450 new cases (statistics) (2.) An average of 700 new cases of cancer for each age in this group. b. Teens ages 15-19 years old (1.) 5,330 new cases (statistics) (2.) An average of 1,100 new cases of cancer for each age in this group. c. Compare the average number of children per age and the average number of teens per age. (1.) Four hundred more teens of one age are diagnosed each year than children of one age. (comparison) (2.) That is 53% more (comparison) B. Cancer in teens is different from cancer in others. 1. The 5-year survival rate is different for teens than it is for children with the same cancer. a. Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia have a 91% chance of surviving 5 years after being diagnosed (Statistic) b. Teens with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia have a 78% chance of surviving 5 years after being diagnosed (Statistic) c. Teens are 13% less likely to survive than children with the same disease. (Comparison) 2. Teens are more likely to be diagnosed with certain types of cancer than children or adults over the 40. a. Hodgkin Lymphoma (Example) b. Melanoma (Example) c. Sarcoma (Example) TRANSITION: Now that we know some of the characteristics of cancer in

Monday, December 16, 2019

Media Production Television and Radio Free Essays

string(24) " drivers point of view\." Analyse the selected television news extracts (from the screening) showing your understanding and ability to apply Personalisation and impartiality to your own critical discussion. In this essay I will analyse ITV 1, BBC 1 and Channel 4’s News programmes. I will give detailed definitions of impartiality and personalisation; I will investigate the concepts of personalisation and impartiality and use them to critically evaluate the news. We will write a custom essay sample on Media Production: Television and Radio or any similar topic only for you Order Now I will examine how these three news broadcasters incorporate personalisation and impartiality into their news programmes. I will now discuss the concepts of personalisation and define what personalisation is. ‘Personalisation wherever possible, events are seen as the actions of people as individuals thus the NHS cuts may be put on an agenda by Baby X not getting the operation s/he needs,’ (Branston Stafford, 1996: 138). Branston and Stafford, imply that personalisation within the news is reporting the news and relating it to the general public or a social issue. This example of the NHS making cuts, and effecting baby x can be reported in a certain way that it affects the general public. For example, ‘you’ the viewer can suggest an individual person or social group being affected by something in the news. In this case the subject of a baby provides a human interest in the news story. Williams claims that, ‘There is no subject, no abstract thing that cannot be translated in terms of people’ (Williams, 1958: 220). An example of this concept in recent news is in The Sun newspaper, there is a story about the recent re-imprisonment of one of Jamie Buglers killer. ‘The Sun’ have set up a petition demanding the government to reveal the official reason for his return to jail. The newspaper then encourages the readers to add their names to a petition which they had set up on their website www. thesun. co. uk. This is an attempt to directly involve and engage with the reader, emotionally pulling them in by personalising the language. Private personalisation within the news has resulted in the news becoming dumbed down and info-tainment. There is an increasing amount of news broadcasters using personalisation in the news, wether it is citing the public, polls, public opinion, texts, online forums emails, vox pops, or the use of celebrity personalities, by using Twitter, Facebook or the broadcast forums. The infotainment debate is an argument about the relationship between television and public life†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦according to the prevailing wisdom, TV news ought to conform as much as possible to the existing generic format of a serious newspaper’ (Creeber, 2001: 118-119). An example of infotainment can be seen when the news of John Terry’s affair was published. This story received more press converge than the upcoming general election. This asks the question, is the general public more interested in the sex life’s of footballers than an election that will affect their lifes? I will now move onto define the word impartiality; impartiality is defined as a, ‘sound practice that makes clear distinction between news reports and expressions of opinion. News reports should be free of opinion or bias of any kind’ (American Society of Newspaper Editors, 1923 in Allan 2004:22) In other words news broadcasters are legally required to broadcast unbiased and balance news reports. Ofcom state that news broadcasters have ‘to ensure that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality’. (www. ofcom. org. k/tv/ifi/codes/bcode/undue/) Impartiality associated with objectivity ‘the word objectivity is rarely used by regulators, but is substituted by words such as ‘impartially’, ‘accuracy’, ‘balance’ and ‘fairness’ ‘they use a set of devices that they can argue that their reporting is unbiased’ (Creeber, 2001: 117) Habermas (cited in Brom ley) argues that, â€Å" in social democracies such as Britain,TV news, because of its institutional position of (quasi) independence from the state and its statutory obligations towards impartiality and public service ideals,can serve to facilitate that ‘realm of social life’ which is available to all citizens and in which and through which ‘something approaching public can be formed. (2001:61) I will now move on to analyse the BBC, Channel 4, and ITV news programmes, discussing the broadcaster views and policies and how they use personalization and impartiality in their news broadcasts All the news broadcasters mentioned Andy Murrays win at the Australian open, the presenters all used words like â€Å"we† can win and it’s â€Å"our† time the news broadcasts were all very patriotic and involved the viewer in the story. I noticed how the BBC used personalisation in their story about the two children found dead in the boot of their mother’s car in east Sussex, the news reader introduced the story with a soft sympathetic voice to set the tone of the story, they showed two still images one image of the children and one of the mother which gives an insight into what people has been effected by this atrocity. The BBC also asked the neighbours opinion on the story all of these tequnices are used by the BBC to involve the viewer in the story and to make the viewer think that this could have been there next door neighbour with such quotes as â€Å"it’s the same old story you would never it would happen in a place like this. ITVs take on the murder of the two children is a great deal more dramatised than the BBCs the reporter narrates â€Å"she is a happy little girl there is no clue no sign in this picture of the fate she faces why would there be† the reporter asks questions in the narration to make the viewer answer and become more involved in the story, there is shot of a mum and a young girl walking into a nursery school which basically sends the message to the viewer that this should have been the young girl and her mother. This was a good insight into what happened to the young children as the reporter points to the house to set the scene then recreates the journey the mum took by filming inside the car as the drivers point of view. You read "Media Production: Television and Radio" in category "Papers" ITV also asked the neighbours about their views on the situation, and the last image was very personal as it showed a message from the public or a family member saying sleep tight little babies. I noticed the similarities between ITV and Channel 4 news as their reports were very similar and so was there running order. After careful research I found out that both their news is provided by ITN who say they are ‘the world’s leading independent content provider, producing news, entertainment and factual content across a range of platforms. I found that ITN’s news was dramatized compared to the BBCs this is due to the fact that the BBC prides its self in being impartial and the most respected News broadcaster in the world. After watching the BBC news I spotted some impartiality between the different news stories, in the first story about the war in Afghanistan, the picture behind the news reader shows the British and Afghanistan leaders standing side by side which implies that both leaders are together in their fight to have peace in Afghanistan. The first couple of minutes showed pictures of solders and the military winning the fight against the Taliban. The reporter mentions in the story the number of British solders killed at war and is Impartial because it doesn’t mention anything about any innocent civilians killed. The public views on the war in Afghanistan are mixed but I felt that the BBC were in favour of the war as the reporter said â€Å"in a country where most can’t read or write† the solders have brought roads hospitals and schools to the area. And footage of a solder saying â€Å"we’re winning†. Even though the BBC supported â€Å"the troops† they were negative against both leaders saying â€Å"the leaders can’t guarantee to deliver on what they agreed today, the past few years in Afghanistan have been littered with failures. This was very impartial compared to the story of president Obama and his great American recession and job opportunities speech. The BBC report used positive words such as â€Å"not broken but bruised† and great programs failing to mention that he hasn’t delivered on many policies that he promised in his election speech. This story also got more airtime than the segment on the recent job losses in Sunderland and Burnley which asks the question is the BBC more concerned about the American recession or the U. K recession. The Obama story got more airtime because it is infotainment as Obama is a celebrity president and is associated with celebrities such as jay Z. Galtung and Ruge conducted an analysis of newspapers in which they identified certain factors as being worthy of the news. These factors included things such as frequency, the time medium in which the event could be reported, threshold, the proximity of the story in relation to the reader; elite persons and nations, stories concerning powerful people or places and personalisation as well as others. The more of these criteria a story fills the more news worthy it is. Cited in Harcup and O’Neill,2001, p 279) This format of selecting the news is repeated regularly as an example the ITV news again selects stories about elite people The ITV had a different view on the policy against the Taliban the news report used words such as bribe and buy off the Taliban negative words to suggest that the policy is not a good idea. The first shot was footage of a dead solders coffin being laid to rest. It used words such as â€Å"the man he died for† suggesting the solder gave his life for the Afghanistan president it then showed clips of the Taliban firing rockets at the solders. This was a completely different view compared to the BBCs images of the solders winning battles and the solders being surrounded by children. The ITVs short report on the troops in Afghanistan was similar to the BBCs as it was very much supporting the troops but disagreeing with the government. With quotes from a dead solders farther saying â€Å"I don’t think all his (Tony Blair) stories about fighting for a democracy are true† it leads us to believe that the government’s decision to go to war isn’t as supported as we might believe. While watching the Channel 4 news broadcast on the ‘Taliban buy out’ as the presenter called it I noticed a lot of tongue and cheek comments against the government’s initiative, the first shot behind the anchor man was of Gordon Brown and president Hamid Karzai shaking hands which implied deal done, the main argument of the Channel 4 news was basically the war has failed for example they said throughout the broadcast â€Å"the war has failed so far† and â€Å"after marching eight years in Afghanistan to nowhere†. And that this new strategy is rubbish, by calling it â€Å"plan B† and â€Å"the big Taliban buy out† the anchor man put the question to Gordon brown saying â€Å"why should the tax payers pay the Taliban who killed their sons to stop fighting and how do you know some people won’t pretend to be in the Taliban for the money? Gordon browns response was pretty poor which led me to believe that this mandate isn’t a good idea and isn’t going to work. I found that the Channel 4 news were very sarcastic even to the extent of saying â€Å"the UN, Nato, and †¦. the USA of course† implying that the USA involve themselves in everything, yet in my opinion the USA have as much say over the war in Afghanistan as the UK. It seems that all the news broadcasters when they were reporting about the war in Afghanistan were very careful not to say a bad word about the army, yet most of their quotes from the reporters or general public were negative against the government. It is hard to be impartial when broadcasting the news due to individual believes and values, organ, culture, political and social pressures pulse the time of when the event is happing. We are all bias to opinion so there is no such thing as impartiality In conclusion In this essay I have defined both personalisation and impartiality looked in-depth into television news showing how news broadcasters show impartiality and personalisation in their broadcasts. I have given recent examples to back up my arguments and given academic quotes to back up the theories I use in this essay. How to cite Media Production: Television and Radio, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Brian Friel free essay sample

# 8217 ; s Translations Essay, Research Paper Language has been the subject of many arguments throughout history. It is an issue, which can do upheaval and even bloodshed. A modern twenty-four hours illustration of this can be found right here in Canada. A great sum of clip, and emotional input, among other things, has been invested into Quebec # 8217 ; s sovereignty argument. There has been no long-run solution to the job. This may be due to the deficiency of understanding the bulk lingua has of the issues. Language is a portion of one # 8217 ; s individuality. One might even venture to state the most of import constituent. It is the model used to do sense of the universe. Of class other methods are equal to make this, but linguistic communication is paramount. To understand one must construe and internalise. One # 8217 ; s linguistic communication is interwoven with civilization ; accordingly ethical motives, values, and traditions are passed down by linguistic communication to future coevalss. In Friel # 8217 ; s Translations correlativity of linguistic communication and individuality are best exemplified through the character Owen who embraces English, forgets what linguistic communication really means, and in kernel rebuffs who he is. Owen is the Irishman in Translations who seizes English. He believes it to be an component of success. Language is to be manipulated to carry through his demands. The civilization that is a critical portion of the Irish lingua is forgotten, or more handily brushed aside to let for # 8220 ; improvement # 8221 ; . A major job that arises from this is that # 8220 ; # 8230 ; civilization is socially constructed, symbolically maintained and transmitted # 8230 ; # 8221 ; ( Sackney 59 ) . Without Irishmen speech production and sing their linguistic communication it will decease, and necessarily be merely a memory of better times. Equally far as Owen is concerned his female parent lingua is outdated, and for the barbarian. This attitude is highlighted when he speaks to his long clip friends and household members at the hedge-school. # 8220 ; My occupation is to interpret the quaint, antediluvian lingua you people persist in talking into the King # 8217 ; s good English # 8221 ; ( Fr iel 29 ) . The Gaelic lingua is going disused in the aftermath of colonisation. Owen has boarded the ship of # 8220 ; advancement # 8221 ; dissociating himself from his foundation. The linguistic communication and civilization in which he was raised is left secondary to success. In the shuffling his individuality has been unimpeachably watered down. Assimilation is the key to the # 8220 ; divide and conquer # 8221 ; tactic used by settlers throughout the centuries. Owen has been divided from his people. He has become a unidentified face in the battle to predominate. For Owen names seem to be undistinguished. He has lost sight to why they are meaningful. # 8220 ; Owen: Back to first rules. What are we seeking to make? Yolland: Good inquiry. Owen: We are seeking to designate and at the same clip describe # 8230 ; # 8221 ; ( Friel 35 ) . The inquiry that arises is Dun na nGall or Donegal, Muineachain or Monaghan? Congruent topographic point ; hence nil has changed? As Owen states about his ain name # 8220 ; Owen-Roland-what the snake pit. It # 8217 ; s merely a name # 8221 ; ( Friel 33 ) . He does non grok that the primary map of a word is non merely its significance, but besides its impli cation. The importance lies in the significance of those names in a specific context, and being heard from a unique and single oral cavity. It is close impossible to convey indistinguishable significance of footings in any contrasting linguistic communications, because words are specific to a civilization, and that experience. Diverse traditions and civilizations are being assimilated into the English multitudes with the radioactive dust being a devastation of heritage. The effects of this quandary are apparent in the Gaelic League of Austin’s mission statement quoted here. â€Å"We strive to continue the linguistic communication and civilization of Ireland, and experience that with difficult work and dedication, those in Ireland and abroad can do a echt measure towards advancing the beautiful and critical civilization against menaces of standardisation. †¦It [ Irish ] is deserving salvaging and perpetuating for coevalss to come.† Owen is an illustration of the typ e of people who reduced Irish to this degree. He has taken on the English linguistic communication to replace Irish, non merely the Irish linguistic communication, but everything that is interwoven within it. Owen has acquired the English linguistic communication, but does non recognize that he will neer be English. There is a splitter, which prohibits this 2nd linguistic communication talker from wholly being embraced into the linguistic communication. He is the colonized, non the coloniser. Owen will ever be Irish to the British, even though he is their ally. He is an foreigner on the interior, but overlooks this. He is eventually faced with this world when he is merely the transcriber. # 8220 ; Lancey: # 8230 ; get downing 48 hours from now we will ship on a series of evictions and a grading of every residence # 8230 ; Owen: You # 8217 ; re non # 8212 ; ! Lancey: Make your occupation. Translate # 8221 ; ( Friel ) . Owen believed he was identified with Lancey and his military personnels where in realization he was nil more than a pawn. He had no influence over the British who he called # 8220 ; friend # 8221 ; . English could neer dissemble his true individuality. Irish is a por tion of his very being, and nil can alter this fact. Language is a portion of one # 8217 ; s individuality no affair how abundantly it is denied. It provides the foundation with which one views the universe. Languages and people are single ; they may see the same effects, but in different and alone ways. This is what makes the universe an interesting and complicated topographic point. It is the same old proverb about life being everyday if everything was the same. The impairment of the Irish linguistic communication may hold begun centuries ago, but the battle for saving and verve still lives on. One should non so easy accept fortunes and embrace the result, sometimes contending for what is worthwhile and right is indispensable. Identity, cognizing oneself, is a ceaseless enterprise that must be contemplated by all. Conradh na Gaeilge. # 8220 ; Mission Statement. # 8221 ; Gaelic League of Austin ( 1999 ) . Available hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dobywood.com/austincng/ Friel, Brian. Translations. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1981. Walker, W, R. Farquhar A ; M. Hughes explosive detection systems. Advancing Education: School leading in action. London: Falmer Press, 1991.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

The poem The Echoing Green is written by William Blake Essay Example For Students

The poem The Echoing Green is written by William Blake Essay The poem The Echoing Green is written by William Blake. It is taken from SONGS OF INNOCENCE. It is divine voice of childhood unchallenged by the test and doubts of later years. Blake expresses in simple and lovely diction the happiness and innocence of a childs first thoughts about. This is a pictorial poem. The Echoing Green is a poem about a grassy field on a warm morning in late spring. The poet gives a very beautiful description of a dawn and morning of spring. The spring represents the life. Morning is the beginning of life and the dark evening is the end. We will write a custom essay on The poem The Echoing Green is written by William Blake specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This poem is a blend of child like innocence and grayness of later years. It is symbolic and draws a contrast between youth and old age. Blake has expressed broad meaning of the playground. The children are carefree and they are not surrounded by any kind of worries because worries are associated with old age and pleasures with childhood. The children are busy in games. They are showing vibrant attitude and display high energy in their games. They are laughing and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Their voices echo in the field. They travel on the wings of leisurely fancy and float far into the realm of calm and sweet childhood joy; unaware of the pains and cutting realization they are going to encounter as the years fall in on them. The nature also seems to join in with their joy as the sun shines with sheer brilliance over the playing children. The azure sky also seems to be smiling at the joy of these innocent children. The whole atmosphere further seems drunk with high-spirited fervor; the church bells add their sonorous chimes to this festive atmosphere. The poet symbolizes the innocence and delicacy of children with the birds. The birds are happy and they sing their heart out. The mellifluous chirping and singing of these feathered friends represents the joys and blessings of our lives. The beautiful songbirds like the delicate thrush and the sweet sounding skylark create a marvelous fusion of their cute chirping with the sonorous bell chimes. From this point the poem shows a subtle recession in the mood as the focus eases on to the old people sitting under the oak tree and draw a strange sort of pleasure from the games and the frivolous activities of the children. The old oak tree also symbolizes a rather enigmatic entity of existence- time. The old oak tree represents the all-pervasive time that draws a calming balance between the contrasting old age and the joyous childhood. The old people sitting under the cool shades of the old oak tree show a rather reflective attitude as they brood over the time of their own childhood. For some time they forget their own worries and pains which they have realized with the passage of time. This shows that the children are a blessing and they have the ability to make ones life happy. The old people enjoy the childrens sports. The old folks are also laughing at the simplicity and innocence of the children. The children are ignorant about the hardships and the difficulties in the life ahead. The older generation has gone through the ups and downs of life and can actually understand the sweetness of the time of childhood, as that is a time that they have lost. In fact they are ready for their eternal rest in the womb of Mother Nature. Thus the old people are absorbed in the games of the children and recall their own childhood and youth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the golden period of life. .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e , .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e .postImageUrl , .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e , .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e:hover , .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e:visited , .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e:active { border:0!important; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e:active , .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc258e313e17268b7dd52c00bf721715e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Two Poets Present Their Memories EssayAs W B Yeats said, The days of the youth are the days of our glory. But this joy of the old people is mixed with a subtle somberness as they realize the sad fact that after all these children will also be swept with the current of time and then one day they will take their place under the shade of the oak tree, and a new generation will take their place. And so the rise and fall will go on and on. The poet here is underlining a very resonant fact of life i. e. the inevitability of death. The last stanza is laden with a rather pathetic mood. It indicates the end of life. The children are tired and they have stopped playing. This is a sign of old age- the tiring of the children symbolizes the old age, when man becomes old and heads towards his eventual demise. Moreover a sad mood prevails over him as he realizes the approaching death. So the harbinger of death is symbolized by the evening as the evening shadows creep on the green announcing the arrival of night-death. The green takes on an unpleasant and sordid look. The game ends! So does the life. The children return to their homes to rest. The home symbolizes the grave and the rest is the eternal rest. Thus the poem is a splendid pen picture of joys of child hood and their eventual fading away into eternity. Blake has further laid stress on the potent entity called change. The poet has through useful symbol of oak tree, old people, evening etc has discussed the mechanics, which act as a fulcrum in moving the paddles of life. The poet has showed superb mastery as he changes the mood of the poem along with the progression of the poem. The poem is in fact a very fine presentation of the philosophy of life resting on the hinges of the magnificent time. And sport no more seen On the darkening green.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Leading Change at Simmons

Leading Change at Simmons Free Online Research Papers The case explores the challenges of managing a large-scale organizational change at Simmons, an old and established company that manufactures and distributes mattresses. The new CEO, Charlie Eitel, hired to turn the organizations performance around, considers whether to implement an untraditional training program that includes outdoor experiential team-building activities as a central element of his change strategy. It gives us opportunity to consider the decision of investing in the expensive training program following the loss of the three largest customers - retailers that together had contributed a third of Simmons revenues. One central theme is the role of leadership in engaging and motivating employees to implement changes that improve product quality and operational efficiency and cost. The Company and its new leadership: Simmons Inc is a 130 year old mattress manufacturing company based in Atlanta. The company has changed many hands since it was founded in 1870 by Zalmon Gilbert Simmons. The recent acquirers Fenway Partners have appointed Charlie Eitel has been appointed the CEO of the company as he has the track record of turning companies around. Charlie has brought about a number of changes in the organization since he has assumed office. His endeavor is to making the companies a place were people like to work and with whom customers like to deal with. Problems What changes are brought by Charlie Eitel and how his leadership has affected the company during the first six months as CEO? Heading into 2002 what should be the management teams top priorities? Should Simmons roll out the GGOL program? If so, how, and how would you justify the $7.2 million investment to Fenway Partners? What approach should Charlie Eitel take to bring about change in the organization: conventional or unconventional? Simmons Culture and Values: The Company had established a core set of values since its inception which were: 1. Using history of the company to learn from and inform future decisions 2. Maximizing the opportunities to think creatively about how to solve business problems 3. Embracing innovation 4. Keeping customers needs at the top of the priority list 5. Caring about the associates 6. Empowering people within certain boundaries 7. Supporting one another These values have been coined as the acronym CHOICES. The last three set of values have been added on by Charlie to build employee morale and to foster the spirit of teambuilding among the employees. The â€Å"code of ethics† at Simmons focused heavily on fairness, respect, integrity and fostering growth and development in others. Charlie also added the leadership vision which focused on leadership as team’s obligations and responsibilities to themselves and other constituents. Finally Simmons workforce vision was a statement about associates right and responsibilities. All these things were aimed at creating and maintaining operational excellence. Critical Analysis: The organization was plagued by its culture of dictatorship where there was no sense of team accountability. None of the 18 units were integrated; in fact, even in times of crises, the units did not lend support to bolster the one another. Considering the situation where the company has faced a major loss in terms of three of its best clients and inventory loss due to poor quality foam, it is all the more necessary to salvage the company by injecting a motivating team spirit amongst the employees. The employees lack team spirit, people skills, communication skills (both at a horizontal as well as vertical level), and good leaders. This deficit is required to be addressed and the primary objective should be to determine whether the benefits of implementing a culture change program that will offset the huge capital expenditure involved. As we look into the problems that prevail in the organization the content has to be such that it focuses on team building skills, reducing power distance, augment motivation among employees and uniting various units that are competing instead of working in collaboration. Various components to achieve this objective could be Outbound Activity, Inspirational movie, Management Games, Motivational lecture to encourage change. At this point the company needs some changes to survive the financial crisis prevailed in the US economy. In this regard, Eitel was expecting to bring about a cultural and structural change in the organization to encounter the same, as there was internal competition started among its plants. The Great Game of Life (GGOL) was the step taken in this regard. The GGOL was a program that was designed to encourage team work and enhance team performance. Teams were made to perform tasks that would have individually, so far, been impossible to do. The purpose was to reiterate the virtues of interdependence, coordination and coexistence. Tasks that seemed daunting were made simple by team work and encouragement. The employees were motivated by these experiences and extend it to their work as well. The purpose was to enhance inter-team and intra-team interaction in order to facilitate improved customer satisfaction. It was more like a team-training exercise that aimed at developing interpersonal skills and cohesion and thus aimed more at group processes than content tasks. The process was thus targeted to provide development to the employees than just training. However, this approach faced stiff resistance since its implementation because of completely revamping the company’s dictatorial form. Further, several plant managers resigned since they did not wish to participate in the program. Also, Eitel knew that it would be extremely difficult to convince Fenway partners that the company wanted to incur a $7.2 million expense over three years in order to implement the training program. It was finally decided to initiate the process at the Charlotte plant- infamous for its poor culture and dictatorial practices. Thus, GGOL was implemented at the senior leadership level of the plant at the end of 2000 with its successful reception by plant manager Bill Wagner, and his team continued rolling it out to the rest of the employees. It brought about positive changes in the middle management’s outlook and was thus perceived as a fruitful change- trusting, openness among employee and productive working milieu. Also, this program helped in developing team culture which was missing and necessary in present situation. At middle level, the program inspired workers to work together as team and be united towards a common goal. However maximum resistance is expected at this level as the changes brought by GGOL will be maximum. People at this level are working for a very long time and they have embedded values which will be difficult to change all of a sudden. The way ahead: The training programs at Simmons have been very successful as we can see from its success at the Charlotte plant. Not only was there an increase in employee motivation but also an overall improvement in plants productivity. The Charlotte plant won the Plant of the year for its progress. Eitel needs to explain the benefits of training and development to Fenway Partners particularly when the economy is in recession, since at the time of recession there is low turnover hence the trained people won’t leave the company. It has been seen that the companies who invest more in the times of recession are the ones who gain more when the economy takes an upturn. Research Papers on Leading Change at SimmonsMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductResearch Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfHip-Hop is Art

Friday, November 22, 2019

Pro Forma Sessions in Congress

Pro Forma Sessions in Congress In the daily agendas of the House of Representatives and Senate, you will often see that House or Senate leaders have scheduled a â€Å"pro forma† session for the day. What is a pro forma session, what is its purpose, and why do they sometimes stir up political firestorms? Key Takeaways: Pro Forma Sessions Pro forma sessions are meetings of the U.S. Congress held â€Å"in form only.† Either house of Congress can hold pro forma sessions.During pro forma sessions, no votes are taken and no other legislative business is conducted.Pro forma sessions are held for the purpose of meeting the â€Å"three-day rule† in Article I, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution. The three day rule prohibits either chamber of Congress from not meeting for more than three consecutive calendar days during a congressional session without the approval of the other chamber. The term pro forma is a Latin term meaning â€Å"as a matter of form† or â€Å"for the sake of form.† While either chamber of Congress can hold them, pro forma sessions are most often held in the Senate. Typically, no legislative business, such as the introduction or debate on bills or resolutions, is conducted during a pro forma session. As a result, pro forma sessions rarely last more than a few minutes from gavel-to-gavel. There are no constitutional restrictions on how long pro forma sessions must last or what business may be conducted in them. While any Senator or Representative present can open and preside over a pro forma session, the attendance of other members is not required. Indeed, most pro forma sessions are conducted before nearly empty chambers of Congress.   A Senator or Representative from one of the nearby states of Virginia, Maryland or Delaware is usually chosen to preside over pro forma sessions since members from other states have usually left Washington, D.C. for vacations or meeting with constituents in their home districts or states. The Official Purpose of Pro Forma Sessions The officially stated purpose for pro forma sessions is to comply with Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution, which prohibits either chamber of Congress from adjourning for more than three consecutive calendar days without the consent of the other chamber. Scheduled long-term breaks provided for in the annual legislative calendars for  sessions of Congress, such as the summer breaks and district work periods are typically provided for by the passage in both chambers of a joint resolution declaring the adjournment. However, the numerous unofficial reason for holding pro forma sessions of Congress often results in controversy and politically hurt feelings. The More Controversial Purpose of Pro Forma Sessions While doing so never fails to raise controversy, the minority party in the Senate often holds pro forma sessions specifically to prevent the President of the United States from making â€Å"recess appointments† of persons to fill vacancies in federal offices that require the approval of the Senate. The president is allowed under Article II, Section 2  of the Constitution to make recess appointments during recesses or adjournments of Congress. Persons appointed by recess appointments assume their position without the approval of the Senate but must be confirmed by the Senate before the end of the next session of Congress, or when the position again becomes vacant. As long as the Senate meets in pro forma sessions, Congress never officially adjourns, thus blocking the president from making recess appointments. However, in 2012, President Barak Obama made four recess appointments during Congress’ winter break, despite a run of daily pro forma sessions called by Senate Republicans. Obama argued at the time that pro forma sessions do not block the president’s â€Å"constitutional authority† to make appointments. Despite being challenged by Republicans, Obama’s recess appointees were eventually confirmed by the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Journal critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journal critique - Essay Example And this study was carried out to understand the factors that affect the international students so that in the future, programs can be designed so as to make their stay comfortable, easy and enjoyable rather than a stressful experience. Although the study started with a good intention, while reading the article, it becomes evident that the research was not well planned and many things were missed out. First of all, depression and anxiety are two different things. ‘Depression’ can be defined as a condition of emotional dejection and sadness which can go on for weeks, months and also for years ( Depression â€Å"n.d.†). While ‘anxiety’ is a mental ‘state’ or a feeling of apprehension characterized by stress ( Anxiety â€Å"n.d.†). The major difference is that depression can be for months together while anxiety is temporary state of mind which occurs in response to certain event in life . The study of the depression and anxiety should be carried out separately and not together. While answering the questions, the participants might not be able to clearly point out if what they are feeling is a something temporary or permanent in nature. The second most important thing about the study is the method that was used to conduct the study. The article says that the e-mail of request to participate in a study was sent to 3000 students and only 440 actually participated. This narrowed down the scope of the study and so, some of the conclusions could not be considered permanent. For e.g. It was found that the students from Latino ethnicity had higher level of depression than the students from Asian ethnicity. However, as the sample which was studied had very small number of