The elephant Man Essay Example

The elephant Man Paper Scenes 17 and 18 are a twisted parody of scenes 2 and 3 at the beginning of the play, and are a turning point, where we see Treves and therefore his general society change roles with Merrick and the rest of the freaks. It is at this point in the play that we clearly see the problems with the Victorian society, and we are shown for certain that Treves is unsure of who he really is and what his intentions are. Scene 17 In scene 17, Merrick has taken the place that Treves was in during scene 2, and Gomm has taken Ross place. The fact that the roles have been reversed is brought to the fore when Merrick calmly says, I am Merrick. Here is my card. I am with the mutations across the road. The simplicity of the statement, and the way that Merrick says it completely deadpan, is almost funny, and drives the point home. It is a reversal of a mixture of statements Treves makes in scene 2, where Merrick tells Ross that he is at the London across the road, and gives Ross his card. From the very beginning of the scene, we are shown Treves uncertainty of himself when Merrick says If he is merely papier michi and paint, a swindler and a fake. This is a direct copy of what Treves says about Merrick in scene 2, but it is taken in a different context here, especially when you read Merricks later statement, therefore exemplary for study as a cruel or deviant one would not be. This shows that Merrick is looking for a kind man, and when he asks if he is a fake he is making sure that Treves is really as good as he appears to be. Gomms statement about Treves, No, no, he is a genuine Dorset dreamer in a moral swamp, shows how Treves is stuck in between conflicting views and ideas. We will write a custom essay sample on The elephant Man specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The elephant Man specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The elephant Man specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The phrase moral swamp is very descriptive of the situation that Treves is in, as he is quite literally bogged down by a confusing mess of different opinions. This has left Treves unsure of what is the best thing to do for himself or Merrick, and whether anything that he considers normal or proper is actually right or not. And when Merrick says that he had not dreamed of changing Treves, there are two apparent meanings to the statement. The first is carrying on with the reversed roles theme, referring to the way that Treves has attempted to change Merrick into a proper Victorian. The other possible meaning is referring to the way that Merrick himself has actually changed Treves. He has done this by causing him to step back and take a look at himself and his society, and consider the fact that they might not actually be doing the right things and that they could in fact be the deformed people. Scene 18 In scene 18, we have Merrick taking the place of Treves at the lectern from scene 3, and we have the Pins, who are some of the deformed people who were in the same freak show as Merrick, taking the place of the scientists and doctors from the crowd in scene 3. However, one thing I have noticed about the speech is that it has taken on some of Merricks ideas and theories, such as the phrases carvings up for others own good, and without the weight of others dreams accumulating to break his neck, as well as directly parodying Treves speech earlier in the play. Merrick begins his speech in the same way that Treves did, commenting on the shape of Treves head. He says The most striking feature about him, note, is the terrifying normal head. This allows him to dream in the exclusive personal manner, without the weight of others dreams accumulating to break his neck. This is an oxymoron (two conflicting words), and refers to Merricks theory as to why his head is heavy and deformed, and to the fact that Merrick is unable to sleep properly, and is a parody of Treves statement: The most striking feature about him was his enormous head. Its circumference was about that of a mans waist. He continues by saying, From the brow projected a normal vision of benevolent enlightenment, what we believe to be a kind of self-mesmerised state. The mouth, deformed by satisfaction at being at the hub of the best of existent worlds, was rendered therefore utterly incapable of self-critical speech, thus of the ability to change. Once again this is a parody of Merricks deformities, as seen in these quotes: From the brow there projected a huge bony mass like a loaf From the upper jaw there projected another mass of bone. It protruded from the mouth like a pink stump, turning the upper lip inside out, and making the mouth a wide slobbering aperture The deformities rendered the face incapable of the expression of any emotion whatsoever. However, it goes deeper into showing Treves true personality. The normal vision of benevolent enlightenment refers to the way in which Treves and his peers are so confident in what they are doing and that their reasons are correct. This continues with the statement about him being incapable of self critical speech, which was a general virtue of the Victorian people in the play; in that they are all so confident of what they are doing is right, that they do not for a second stop and think about whether it really is. There is, however, one important exception to this rule: Mrs Kendal, who is the first person to properly try to understand Merrick without trying to change him. Next, Merrick says The heart showed signs of worry at this unchanging yet untenable state. This is showing the way in which Treves has recently begun to doubt himself and his motives, and yet is continuing to do things in his usual manner because of the confidence that his peers have in him, and because he believes it is the sort of thing that anyone else in his position would be doing. He continues by saying The back was horribly stiff from being kept against a wall to face the discontent of a world ordered of his convenience. The surgeons hands were well developed and strong, capable of the most delicate carvings up, for others own good. Due also to the normal head, the right arm was of enormous power; but, so incapable of the distinction between the assertion of power and the charitable act of giving, that it was often to be found disgustingly beating others for their own good. This is a parody of Merricks crooked back and useless right arm, and also highlights the way that Treves is coming to believe that what he does for Merrick is not actually good, and that he may be beating him for his own good by exhibiting him to the upper classes and teaching him the ways of Victorian society. For the next part of his analysis, Merrick says The left arm was slighter and fairer, and may be seen in typical position, hand covering the genitals which were treated as a sullen colony in constant need of restriction, governance, punishment. For their own good. This refers to the way that the Victorians were very uptight sexually and emotionally, and kept a strict control over the way they acted. For instance, things as innocent as piano legs were kept covered up because they were deemed suggestive. It also mirrors the comment that Treves made about Merricks left hand being fine and delicate: The other arm was remarkable by contrast. It was not only normal, but was moreover a delicately shaped limb with a fine skin and provided with a beautiful hand which any woman might have envied. He finishes the speech by saying To add a further burden to his trouble the wretched man as a boy developed a disabling spiritual duality, therefore was unable to feel what others feel, nor reach harmony with them. Please. He would thus be denied all means of escape from those he had tormented. This is a parody of the comments that Treves makes about Merricks hip disease: To add a further burden to his trouble, the wretched man when a boy developed a hip disease which left him permanently lame, so that he could only walk with a stick. Please. He was thus denied all means of escape from his tormentors. It also seems to be referring to the way that Treves has been thinking that what he has been doing for Merrick is good, and is only just realising that he may actually be wrong. It also explains the way that Treves has now begun to become depressed at what he thinks he is doing to Merrick, and the way that everyone around him is acting (see Scene 19: They Cannot Make Out What He Is Saying). After the speech has finished, there is a conversation between the Pins and Merrick that parodies the conversation between Treves and a voice from the audience, but with extra lines added in that give a more sinister feeling to it. The first thing that the Pin says directly parodies the Voice from Scene 3. However, Merrick then says: We hope in twenty years we will understand enough to put an end to this affliction, to which the Pin replies Twenty years! Sir, that is unacceptable. Merrick responds by saying Had we caught it early, it might have been different. But his condition has already spread both East and West. The truth is, we are dealing with an epidemic. This is talking about the way that Victorian culture had spread across the globe through the British Empire, quite like an epidemic, and that it may eventually be repairable, but it would take time. This is almost like a premonition of things to come. I think that both of these scenes are very important to the play, and give us an insight into the mind of Bernard Pomerances character Treves. They illustrate a turning point in the play where Treves begins to come to the conclusion that he and his society are the people who need changing, not Merrick. This is particularly well demonstrated by Merricks statement in scene 18 We hope in 20 years we will understand enough to put an end to this affliction, and The truth is, we are dealing with an epidemic.

Free Essays on Pi Number

A little known verse in the bible reads â€Å"And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other; it was round all about, and his height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it about (I Kings 7, 23).† This passage from the bible demonstrates the ancient nature of the irrational number pi. Pi in fact is mentioned in a number of verses throughout the bible. In II Chronicles 4,2, in the passage describing the building of the great temple of Solomon which was built around 950BC, pi is given as equal to three. This value is not very accurate at all and should not even be considered accurate for it’s time, however it should be noted that precision was not needed for the task that was being performed and we should let the general concept of pi that the biblical characters posses impress us. Present knowledge suggests that the concept of pi first developed in 2000 BC in two separate cultures. The Babylonians used pi at a value of 25/8 while an entirely different culture, the ancient Egyptians used pi at a value of 256/81. While the biblical calculation of pi=3 most likely came from crude measurement, there is strong reason to believe, because of the relative accuracy of the values, that the Babylonians and Egyptians found pi by means of mathematical equations. In the Egyptian Rhind Papyrus, which is dated around 1650 BC, there is strong evidence supporting that the Egyptians used 4(8/9)2 =3.16 for their value of pi. At that point in history, and for the majority of modern history, pi was not seen as an irrational number as it is today. The next culture that investigated pi was the ancient Greeks. Starting in 434 BC Greeks were unraveling the mysteries of pi. The mathematician Anaxagoras made an unsuccessful attempt at finding pi, which he called squaring the circle and in 414 BC, 20 years after Anaxagoras failed in his attempt to square the circle, Aristophanes refers to the work of Anaxagoras in his comedy... Free Essays on Pi Number Free Essays on Pi Number A little known verse in the bible reads â€Å"And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other; it was round all about, and his height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it about (I Kings 7, 23).† This passage from the bible demonstrates the ancient nature of the irrational number pi. Pi in fact is mentioned in a number of verses throughout the bible. In II Chronicles 4,2, in the passage describing the building of the great temple of Solomon which was built around 950BC, pi is given as equal to three. This value is not very accurate at all and should not even be considered accurate for it’s time, however it should be noted that precision was not needed for the task that was being performed and we should let the general concept of pi that the biblical characters posses impress us. Present knowledge suggests that the concept of pi first developed in 2000 BC in two separate cultures. The Babylonians used pi at a value of 25/8 while an entirely different culture, the ancient Egyptians used pi at a value of 256/81. While the biblical calculation of pi=3 most likely came from crude measurement, there is strong reason to believe, because of the relative accuracy of the values, that the Babylonians and Egyptians found pi by means of mathematical equations. In the Egyptian Rhind Papyrus, which is dated around 1650 BC, there is strong evidence supporting that the Egyptians used 4(8/9)2 =3.16 for their value of pi. At that point in history, and for the majority of modern history, pi was not seen as an irrational number as it is today. The next culture that investigated pi was the ancient Greeks. Starting in 434 BC Greeks were unraveling the mysteries of pi. The mathematician Anaxagoras made an unsuccessful attempt at finding pi, which he called squaring the circle and in 414 BC, 20 years after Anaxagoras failed in his attempt to square the circle, Aristophanes refers to the work of Anaxagoras in his comedy...

Reflection paper Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflection paper - Article Example In this paper, I write to reflect on the lessons learned throughout the semester, knowledge gained and what I can do to improve my voice quality. According to Kist (13) tension murders vibration. The negative environmental influences and self-defenses against emotional distress results in poor voice production. I have learnt several barriers to outstanding voice quality throughout the semester. In this regard, I have learned that tension is the greatest enemy to excellent voice production. Tension makes it difficult for individuals to produce their natural voice. Essentially, tension lowers an individual’s confidence and, therefore, he/she ends up producing low-quality voice that is not natural. Doing vocal warm up plays an essential role in releasing tension and building strong personal confidence. In addition, warming up gives an individual a chance to polish up on challenging areas in order to produce a synchronized and high-quality voice. I have learnt several benefits of vocal warm up in class and through personal research. For instance, warming up gives the speaker the courage to face the audience. After learning about the outcome of vocal /physical warm up and practicing it, I have noticed several changes in voice production before and after warming up. For instance, after warming up, I realized that my courage to face the audience improved, and I was able to make a smooth speech. On the contrary, before warming up, I had the fear of facing a crowd of people, and I had no enough confidence. In essence, vocal/physical warm up prepares an individual psychologically before the actual performance. People have varied voices and therefore perform differently on stage. Through watching some television programs and theater, I have identified that people have varied voices. Some people have soft voices and others rough voices. Watching theater and some television programs taught me a lot on matters regarding voice. Through watching theater, I learned how

Recruitment and Selection Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Recruitment and Selection - Research Paper Example Service delivery is improved with the inclusion of a wider demographic because the understanding and self confidence of the participants is improved through the directive that harbors success. The departments are charged with the decision-making process within the intercollegiate departments who focus on athletics and ensure the mission and objectives are delivered to the desired satisfaction. A stable environment would offer qualified professionals within the departments to ensure the activities are completed to satisfaction and drive increased participation. The departments are expected to meet the desired obligation to the students held in satisfactory facility presentation that increase the output in the individuals. However, the argument is placed on the recruitment process and the need to justify the selection of the members within these departments. Therefore, the argument is placed on the process and the provision offered that a diversified department would ensure exemplary p erformance and result generation within the departments. Diversity has been the core process involved in developing equality and improving the participation of the members. With the right procedure involved and the inclusion of stable policies, the aspect is promoted through the selection process that accords responsibility to variable members. However, the development of individuals and the departments has been challenged by measures that have eliminated the platform to attain equality. The diversity under consideration has been in gender and racial aspect that emerge as leading measures demeaning participation in varied groups. There should be the realization of the diverse existence of variable ethnicity and gender groups within the society. With the identity of the potential of each of the participants regardless of their physical appearance, the

How do UC Berkeley and UC Boulder strategic IT plans compare against Essay

How do UC Berkeley and UC Boulder strategic IT plans compare against the Baldridge criteria and each other for assessing strategic planning - Essay Example There are seven main categories of Baldrige criteria that can be unswervingly implemented for analysis and organizational research: Furthermore, there are several crucial core concepts ranging from agility to systems perspective which can be recombined to create special assessment blocks. (Baldrige Performance Excellence Program 2013) UC Berkeley’s (2007) IT plan has been developed in a straight forward manner, where all its chapters are almost directly interconnected with each other in numerous ways. The plan, first of all, seeks to focus on the fundamentals of IT infrastructure management and related service issues. The plan prioritizes delivery of excellent customer service, which expands on customer engagement and governance. In this way, the university seeks to deal with student expectations with a corporate attitude. Contextually, the university plans to improve the security of its IT related data and assets. The university seeks to make special provisions of research support. Enabling campus-wide shared IT services is the prime stepping stone for achieving these aims. The IT plan thus addresses collaboration issues along with a final emphasis on continual improvement of its IT services and applications. UC Berkeley’s attitude of focusing on the basics of IT infrastructure management shows that the IT action plan has a strong strategic grounding. This approach is in accordance with the Baldrige criteria group of Strategic planning. Direct Customer focus criteria can be implemented and further improvised along with the university’s vision on expanding customer engagement. The university also addresses Workforce focus criteria by continuously evaluating its governance system. Core concepts of agility and societal responsibility are implemented as the university seeks to provide research support along with optimal IT security. This same

Wyeth Pakistan Limited Business and Financial Analysis

Wyeth Pakistan Limited Business and Financial Analysis 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC Business and financial analysis has been my area of interest during ACCA. I have already studied the models that I require to answer the research questions of this research project, namely Ratio analysis, PESTEL analysis, and SWOT analysis, RATIO analysis. This project came as a golden opportunity to demonstrate the practical application of my knowledge. It has always aroused my curiosity why some businesses outperform and why some underperform financially. This topic will utilize the financial and business analytical skills I have acquired so far and prove my skills once I get the degree in applied accountancy to prospective employers. The research will give me an opportunity to brush up skills that require searching internet for information. It will also brush up my spreadsheet capabilities. 1.2 REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE ORGANIZATION I want to work in my uncle’s pharmacy in future. Knowing the pharmaceutical sector will give me an edge in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of suppliers of medicines. Most of the medicines I have seen in my uncle’s pharmacy are by Wyeth, therefore it aroused my curiosity. 1.3 PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS: The aim of this report is to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency with which Wyeth Pakistan Limited has been performing over the past 3 years in business and financial matters. The report will include the business analysis in terms of: Assessment of the macro environment of Wyeth using PESTEL analysis. Typical PESTEL factors to consider include: Factor Political Could include: e.g. EU enlargement, the euro, international trade, taxation policy Economic Social Technological Environmental Legal e.g. interest rates, exchange rates, national income, inflation, unemployment, Stock Market e.g. ageing population, attitudes to work, income distribution e.g. innovation, new product development, rate of technological obsolescence e.g. global warming, environmental issues e.g. competition law, health and safety, employment law (PESTEL analysis of the macro-environment) Assessment of the strategic capabilities of Wyeth using SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is a basic, straightforward model that provides direction and serves as a basis for the development of marketing plans. It accomplishes this by assessing an organizations strengths (what an organization can do) and weaknesses (what an organization cannot do) in addition to opportunities (potential favorable conditions for an organization) and threats (potential unfavorable conditions for an organization). (DANCA, Anthony C.) Assessment of Wyeth’s future prospects The financial analysis will include: Sales analysis: Sales analysis helps the company know it is meeting its sales objectives in a given timeframe. (MANDA, Gilbert) The analysis will include sales revenue and growth. Profitability Analysis: Every firm is most concerned with its profitability. One of the most frequently used tools of financial ratio analysis is profitability ratios which are used to determine the companys bottom line. Profitability ratios show a companys overall efficiency and performance. (PEAVLER, Rosemary) The analysis will include Gross Profit (G.P) ratio, Net Profit (N.P) ratio and Return on Equity (ROE). Liquidity ratios: A class of financial metrics that is used to determine a companys ability to pay off its short-terms debts obligations. Generally, the higher the value of the ratio, the larger the margin of safety that the company possesses to cover short-term debts. (Liquidity Ratios) The analysis will include Current ratio, quick ratio, debtor turnover ratio and inventory turnover ratio. Investor ratios: The holders of the ordinary shares of a company (its equity) are interested in the return on their investment and the value of their shares. (Advanced Level Accounting, 1996) The analysis will include Earnings per share, Price Earning ratio, Dividend per share and dividend yield ratio. The research questions for my research report are: The growth in sales between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2009? What is the effect of Governments price freeze policy on profits of Wyeth? What is the effect of the economic crisis of Pakistan on the financial performance of Wyeth? What was the effect of changing the policy of selling on credit to selling on advance on the working capital of Wyeth and hence its liquidity position? What are the strengths and weaknesses of Wyeth? How well did Wyeth perform compared to its major competitor GSK? How well is Wyeth utilizing its strategic capabilities? 1.4 OVERALL RESEARCH APPROACH I started my research by carrying out a financial analysis using ratios as the tool for my analysis. Most ratios can be calculated from information provided by the financial statements. Financial ratios can be used to analyze trends and to compare the firms financials to those of other firms. (Financial Ratios) Then I carried out an analysis of the environment of Wyeth using PESTEL analysis. This was followed by SWOT analysis to assess its strategic capabilities. 2. INFORMATION GATHERING 2.1 SOURCES OF INFORMATION PRIMARY DATA Information that has been collected at first hand. It involves measurement of some sort, whether by taking readings off instruments, sketching, counting, or conducting interviews (using questionnaires). (Primary Data) To gather primary data I tried reaching Mr. Khwaja Bakhtiar Ahmed, the company secretary, through his assistant. After persistent efforts I finally got an appointment. He was a charismatic person with a lot of knowledge. He enlightened me about Wyeth policies and answered many of my questions. He also handed me the annual reports of Wyeth and management accounts. For the purpose of collecting data I also emailed a questionnaire to a sample of employees of the organisation. The response was good. SECONDARY DATA Secondary data is data collected by someone other than the user. Common sources of secondary data for social science include censuses, surveys, organizational records and data collected through qualitative methodologies or qualitative research. (Secondary data, 2011) My secondary sources of information included the following: The annual reports of Wyeth and GSK. News papers such as Business recorder, pharmaceutical literatures. ACCA text books especially for Paper F1, F3, F7, P3 and P5. News websites such as â€Å"The news† and â€Å"Jang†. Books that I found in the library of Superior college. Internet 2.2 METHODS USED TO COLLECT INFORMATION 2.2.1 Visiting stock Exchange: I visited the stock exchange to get the hard copy of the annual reports of Wyeth and GSK. 2.2.2 Interview: My interviews with Mr. Khwaja Bakhtiar Ahmed, the company secretary and Mr. Imran Baig, my mentor proved to be a good source of information. 2.2.3 E-Mail survey: I conducted an e-mail survey. The questionnaire was sent to different employees of the organization as a word attachment and asked them to fill up the word file and send it back as attachment 2.2.4 On-line Access: Various websites were visited for the purpose of research. The most important ones were the website of Wyeth, Karachi stock exchange, and Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. I also visited ACCA website for archives of student accountant articles. 2.3 QUESTIONNAIRE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES USED The questionnaire was emailed after having it reviewed by the different department heads. The population I used was the one that was using an email. I had taken the email addresses from the records maintained by the company. The method I used for sampling was haphazard sampling. I chose the email addresses at random 2.4 LIMITATIONS OF INFORMATION GATHERED Some information was collected from Wyeth website which may be favourably biased towards the organization. It is possible that in spite of all the efforts some information sources may not have been identified which could have lead to a different conclusion. The sample chosen for the email questionnaire might not be representative of the population The views of the company secretary about future prospects might be biased or over optimistic The information present on internet can be subject to the authors own judgements instead of presenting facts. 2.5 ETHICAL ISSUES DURING INFORMATION GATHERING As per the guidelines of Oxford Brookes university I was supposed to disclose the full details of the information sources that I used, but it was in the best interest of the employees of the organization to have their names kept anonymous so they do not face problems with their employer. I put special care into making sure the questionnaire kept the identity anonymous. During the interview with Mr. Khwaja Bakhtiar Ahmed, the company secretary I asked some questions about the new product launch of ENBREL and ORISTIQ. He was hesitant in answering at first but then I assured him that this information was publicly available, after knowing this he co-operated. 2.6 ACCOUNTING / BUSINESS TECHNIQUES USED AND THEIR LIMITATION The accounting/business techniques used for the project were as follows: 2.6.1 Ratio Analysis The term accounting ratios is used to describe significant relationship between figures shown on a balance sheet, in a profit and loss account, in a budgetary control system or in any other part of accounting organization. Accounting ratios thus shows the relationship between accounting data. The ratios analysis is one of the most powerful tools of financial management. Though ratios are simple to calculate and easy to understand, they suffer from serious limitations. Limitations of financial statements: Ratios are based only on the information which has been recorded in the financial statements. Financial statements themselves are subject to several limitations. Thus ratios derived, there from, are also subject to those limitations. For example, non-financial changes though important for the business are not relevant by the financial statements. Financial statements are affected to a very great extent by accounting conventions and concepts. Personal judgment plays a great part in determining the figures for financial statements. Comparative study required: Ratios are useful in judging the efficiency of the business only when they are compared with past results of the business. However, such a comparison only provide glimpse of the past performance and forecasts for future may not prove correct since several other factors like market conditions, management policies, etc. may affect the future operations. Ratios alone are not adequate: Ratios are only indicators, they cannot be taken as final regarding good or bad financial position of the business. Other things have also to be seen. Problems of price level changes: A change in price level can affect the validity of ratios calculated for different time periods. In such a case the ratio analysis may not clearly indicate the trend in solvency and profitability of the company. The financial statements, therefore, be adjusted keeping in view the price level changes if a meaningful comparison is to be made through accounting ratios. Lack of adequate standard: No fixed standard can be laid down for ideal ratios. There are no well accepted standards or rule of thumb for all ratios which can be accepted as norm. It renders interpretation of the ratios difficult. Limited use of single ratios: A single ratio, usually, does not convey much of a sense. To make a better interpretation, a number of ratios have to be calculated which is likely to confuse the analyst than help him in making any good decision. Personal bias: Ratios are only means of financial analysis and not an end in itself. Ratios have to interpreted and different people may interpret the same ratio in different way. Incomparable: Not only industries differ in their nature, but also the firms of the similar business widely differ in their size and accounting procedures etc. It makes comparison of ratios difficult and misleading. (Accounting Ratios | Financial Ratios) 2.6.2 SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is a tool that is used to evaluate the Strengths and Weaknesses of an organization and the external Opportunities and Threats faced by the organization in the external environment. Limitations of SWOT: The way SWOT analysis is often conducted does not allow for proper communication, discussion, and verification of all external and internal factors proposed by all involved. On such occasions, SWOT results prove less reliable an input to the strategy generation process than they are capable of being. Still worse, as documented later, the results of SWOT analysis are sometimes never meant to be used as an input to the strategy generation process. If that is known, or anticipated, by those involved in SWOT analysis, the quality of their inputs will most likely suffer and be lower than otherwise possible, and desirable.(KOCH, Adam J.) 2.6.3 Porter’s five forces analysis Porter looked at the structure of industries. In particular, he was interested in assessing industryattractiveness, by which he meant how easy it would be to make above average profits (forshareholders and to fund adequate investment). He concluded that industry attractivenessdepends on five factors or forces: Competitive rivalry between existing firms Threats of new entrants Threats of substitute products Power of suppliers Power of customers (Paper P3 Business Analysis Essential Text) Limitations of five forces model: Porter’s 5 forces of competition have a few weaknesses and limitations. The modelunderestimates the influence of a company’s core competencies on its ability to achieve profit.It, instead, assumes the industry structure is the sole determining factor. Porters 5 forcesdefinition is difficult to apply to large multinational corporations with synergies andinterdependencies achieved from a portfolio of businesses. Additionally, the five forcesframework assumes there is no collusion in the industry. Finally, Porter’s analysis doesn’tconsider the possibility of creating a new market. (Porter’s Five Forces of Competition , 2010) 3. ANALYSIS 3.1 PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR 2009 was a challenging year and witnessed modest growth in Pakistan’s economy due to uncertain law and order situation and global economic recession. The economy continues to witness double digit inflation; low economic growth and continued depreciation of the rupee against major currencies. During this period the pharmaceutical industry has been adversely impacted by both inflationary trends as well as Rupee depreciation. The government has not allowed any across the board price adjustment to pharmaceutical industry for nine years. Growth in pharmaceutical markets is mainly volume growth. (BENGALI, Iqbal, 2010) Pharmaceutical Industry is one of the major manufacturing industries in Pakistan providing employment to thousands of people directly and indirectly. The industry, however, is facing many challenges, which are hindering its growth. The major challenge faced by the industry is the complete freezing of price of pharmaceutical products since 2001. Pakistan is the only cou ntry in the entire Asian region that has not given its pharma and biotech industry tax-breaks and R D incentives. Government’s requirement that drug production lines should be separate is raising cost and reducing the ability of local manufacturers to compete not only in the global market but even at home. (JAVED, Aamar, 2009) Pakistan has a very vibrant and forward looking Pharma Industry. At the time of independence in 1947, there was hardly any pharma industry in the country. Today Pakistan has about 400 pharmaceutical manufacturing units including those operated by 25 multinationals present in the country. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Industry meets around 70% of the countrys demand of Finished Medicine. The domestic pharma market, in term of share market is almost evenly divided between the Nationals and the Multinationals.(Pakistan Pharmaceutical Industry) Pakistan’s $1.61 billion pharmaceutical market is now expected to post a five-year compound annual growth of 8.95 per cent, down from 9.39 per cent forecast in the previous quarter, according to Business Monitor Internationa l, a global business intelligence firm. (Pharmaceutical sector growth slowing down: BMI , 2010) 3.2 THE COMPANY As a result of the global acquisition of Wyeth by Pfizer Inc.,on October 15, 2009, Wyeth has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer Inc.. Pfizer Inc has become the ultimate parent company of Wyeth Pakistan Limited. Wyeth however continues to be the principal shareholder of Wyeth Pakistan Limited. (AHMED, Khawaja Bakhtiar, 2010) Wyeth, with its pharmaceutical and over-the-counter divisions, is a leader in the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of a broad range of health care products. (WYETH PAKISTAN LIMITED ) 3.3 RATIO ANALYSIS The following ratio analysis is based on the Annual Reports of WYETH and GSK Pakistan. Comparison has been made with the results of GSK for FY2009 since these were the latest financials available. Ratios 3.3.1 SALES Analysis GSK 2009 Sales Revenue (Rs. in million) Growth in revenue (%) Cost of sales. (Rs. In million) Growth in cost of sales.(%) 14,719 9.8% 11,173 17% FY2010 2,310 0.17% 1,830 1.4% FY2009 2,306 3.3% 1,805 8% FY2008 2,384 13% 1,699 22% 3.3.2 Profitability Ratios GSK 2009 24.1% FY2010 FY2009 FY2008 G.P Margin N.P Margin ROE 20.82% 1.13% 2.58% 21.73% -3.77% 8.86% 29.87% 6.04% 12.73% 6.3% 11.5% 12 3.3.3 Liquidity Ratios Current Ratio Quick Ratio Debtors’ Days Inventory Days 3.3.4 Investor’s Analysis GSK 2009 3.2 1.6 25 67 FY2010 2.56 1.01 26 163 FY2009 2.71 0.98 38 144 FY2008 3.43 1.38 29 143 Ratios GSK 2009 5.5 20 5 4.6% FY2010 FY2009 FY2008 Earnings per Share (EPS) (Rs.) PE Ratio (Times) Dividend Per Share (Rs.) Dividend Yield 18.61 49.08 10 0.92% -61.09 _ _ _ 101.50 25.62 250 10.55% Comments on Ratios The operating results of currents year are for a 12 months period ended November 30, 2010 compared to the previous year which for an 11 months period ended November 30, 2009. Sales analysis. The growth in company’s net sales for the period ending 30 November 2009 reduced by 3.3% as sales were Rs. 2,384 million in year ending 31, December 2008 and in 2009 period it was Rs. 2,306 million which is due to challenging conditions of external environment in 2009. On the other hand cost of sales for year ending 2008 was Rs. 1,699 million which increased to Rs. 1,805 million in period ending 2009. It was an increase of 8% which shows that company does not have efficient policies to control its operational expenditure. In year ending 2010 overall sales increased by 0.17% but as we mentioned above that this period comprises 12 months comparing last 11 month period and if we compare like with likes then sales reduced by 8%. This is due to due to uncertain law and order conditions of Pakistan. But this year company showed efficiency in controlling its costs as this year cost of sales increased by just 1.4%. This could be due to training and development of employees as training on six- sigma was conducted after the losses incurred by company in 2009. This training was to increase efficiencies of employees to control the cost. GSK: Sales of GSK are in year ending 2009 were Rs. 14,719 million as compared to Rs. 2,310 million of Wyeth which is due to major market share of GSK. Out of to 20 products 9 are manufactured and sold by GSK. Profitability analysis GP Margin: In year ending 2010 gross profit margin reduced as it was 21.73% in year ending 2009 and it was 20.82% in year ending 2010. This decrease was mainly due to adverse economical conditions of country as inflation increased and cost of resources and operations increased accordingly. In period ending 30 November 2009 the GP margin decreased from 29.87% in 2008 and 21.73% in 2009. In year 2009 the profit also reduced as compared to sales which is also mainly to due to increase in cost of operations. On the other hand the government has not allowed an increase in price since year 2001. The GP margin of GSK is 24.1% for year ending 2009 as Wyeth has GP margin 20.82% in year ending 2010 which shows that GSK has more ability to control its cost and transfer it to its customers. NP Margin: In period ending 30 November 2009 the net profit margin reduced from 6.04% in 2008 to 3.77%. The major cause of this reduction in profitability was the economical condition of Pakistan. Costs of operations increased due to inflation and at the same time the devaluation of currency. However, company maintained control on expenses as their advertising and promotion costs were in line with last year. Administrative cost increased due to cost of Voluntary Separation Scheme. Other operating expenses were lower than last year. NP margin for year ending 2010 increased to 1.13% from -3.77% in the last year. This improvement was due to increase in efficiency of employees and efficiently controlling the operational cost of company as the operating expenses reduced by 10% in year ending. There has been a long stand price freeze by the government since 2001 due to which company was not able to earn abnormal profits. The net profit of GSK was 6.3% in year ending 2009 which also reduced as it was 14.6% in 2008. This shows that the industry was adversely affected by increase in operational costs and long standing price freeze by government due to which companies cannot pass their cost to customers. ROE: Return on equity increased for year ending 2010 to 2.58% as it was -8.86% in year ending 2009 this increased was due to increased operational efficiency of organization. While in period ending 2009 the ROE reduced significantly from 12.73% to -8.86%. . ROE of GSK is 11.5% in year ending 2009 as compared to % of Wyeth. Liquidity analysis. Current ratio: Current ratio indicates how many times the company’s current assents can meet company’s current liabilities. A ratio of 2 is considered sufficient for current ratio generally. In the period ending 30, November 2009 the current ratio reduced from 3.43 times to 2.71 times. This shows that the company can meet its current liabilities 2.71 times by its current assets. This decreasing trend could cause an alarming situation for Wyeth because a company can survive without profits for some years but without cash it can’t survive more than one year. So worsening condition of Wyeth needs effective and efficient policies for fund management. Current ratio for year ending 2010 reduced to 2.56 times as it was 2.71 times in year ending 2009. This shows that now company can meet its current liabilities by 2.56 times. A ratio of 2 is a standard for current ratio. Company improved its working capital condition this year as they changed their sales and distribution model from credit to advance cash. Current ratio of GSK for year ending 2009 is 3.2 times which shows strong policies of funding are in place. Quick ratio: Quick ratio indicates how many times company’s current assets can fulfill its current liabilities but it ignores inventory from current assets because in some organizations inventory takes times before it can convert to sales. Quick ratio of Wyeth is reducing quicker than current ratio for years ending 2009Quick ratio for period ending 2009 also reduced from 1.38 to 0.98 times which was an alarming situation for Wyeth. It indicates that major part of current assets consist inventory and company’s inventory increased from last year due to increase in cost of materials. . Ratio of 1 is considered a standard for quick ratio so company’s liquidity is worsening. Quick ratio improved in year ending 2010 which is 1.01 times as it was 0.98 times in 2009. This is due to improved working capital management policies as company received cash in advance instead of credit. Due to which company earned interest on deposits too. Quick ratio of GSK for year ending 2009 was 1.6 whi ch shows a healthy liquidity position. Debtors Days: Debtors turnover period indicates how many days debtors take to pay their debt to company. Debtors are part of working capital and for the successful operations of company good debtor management strategies need to be in place. In period ending 2009 the debtor’s turnover period increased by 9 days as these were 29 days in 2008 and 38 days in 2009. During this year due to inflation and devaluation of currency the company had to extend debtors turnover period as company made loss after tax this year. In year ending 2010 company’s debtor days reduced to 26 days as compared to 38 days in 2009 this also shows the improvement in fund management policies as this year company received advance cash from sales and distribution instead of credit. Debtor’s days of GSK for year ending 2009 were 25. This shows that debtor collection policies of GSK are more efficient than Wyeth. Inventory days: Inventory days indicate the period during which inventory of a company remains in its warehouse or in work in progress before it is finally converted into sales. Inventory holding initiates many expenses like warehouse, damages etc. which can be mitigated by good inventory management policies in place. Inventory turnover period in 2009 increased by 1 day as it was 143 days in 2008 and became 144 days in 2009. This increase was nominal but instead improvement this increase was due to decreasing in underlying sales. Inventory days increased this year too from 144 days in 2009 to 163 days in 2010. This increase was mainly due to increase in inflation and instability of prices in material. Sales for this year was lower than last year. Inventory turnover period of GSK in year ending 2009 was 67 days which is less than half of Wyeth. This shows that GSK has more efficient working capital policies and sales of GSK were more than Wyeth which is due to the higher market share of GSK. Investor’s analysis. EPS Earning per share can be used to indicate the profitability of a company. It shows the earning allocated to each common share. In period ending 2009 the EPS reduced badly by Rs.162 per share. In this year company’s EPS was -61.09. This major decrease was due to consistent inflation and devaluation of currency of Pakistan. These factors became the reason for increase in operational cost. And due to the price freeze by government the company was not able to transfer the cost to customers. In year ending 2010 EPS increased from Rs. -61.09 last year to Rs. 18.61 this year. This year company made a net profit margin of 1.13% which was loss of (3.77) % in last year. This improvement is due to controlling the operational expenses of the company this year. The EPS of GSK for year ending 2009 was Rs. 5.5 which is consistent with previous years. PE ratio: The PE ratio of Wyeth moved adversely during last years. In year ending 2008 the PE ratio was 25.62 times while In year ending 2009 the company’s made a loss. Which was due to increase in cost which company was not able to pass to customers. In year ending 2010 PE ratio improved to 49.08 times which was nil in last year this improvement also due to improvement in operational efficiency of company during 2010 as the company improved its cash position as well as its productivity. The PE ratio of GSK was 20 which show good performance of GSK compared to Wyeth. Dividend per share Dividend per share ratio indicates the dividend earned by an investor by holding one share of company. There was no dividend per share in year ending 2009 as company was in loss. This loss was mainly due to adverse environmental, economical, and political situations. In year ending 2010 company announced the dividend of Rs. 10 per share which shows the attractive position of company in this year. Company improve its profitability as well as its operational efficiency during year ending 2010 as retrospective measures taken in 2010 like training on six-sigma plan. The dividend per share of GSK for year ending 2009 was Rs.5 which also indicates that company performed well in such crises. Dividend yield This ratio represents the cash flows earned by the investor by investing each rupee in form of shares. In year ending 2010 earning yield improved to 0.92% as it was nil in year ending 2009. This improvement was due to improvement in operational efficiencies during year ending 2010 while economical and political instability remained consistent in year ending 2010. In the period ending 2009 company made a loss. While GSK’s dividend yield in this year was 4.6% which shows the good governance of GSK as compare to Wyeth. 3.4 PESTEL ANALYSIS PESTEL analysis is a tool which is used to understand external environment. It deals with external environmental factors like political, economical, social and demographical, technological, environmental and legal. By considering these factors we can judge the influence of all above factors on the operations and profitability of any company. Political factors. In political factors we consider the government policies like tax policies, their stability, political environment and institutions. In 2008 there was instability in political conditions of Pakistan which adversely affected the pharmaceutical industry. Policies of government about electricity price raises also contributed adversely to pharmaceutical industry. Government’s price freeze policy since 2001 also reduced the profitability because firms were not able to transfer their increasing operational cost to the customers. In the last quarter of 2008 government gave some relaxation on price increase but that was for some products that did not contribute too much to improve the conditions of profitability. Economical factors: Inflation (too much money chasing too few goods) remained the major problem of Pakistan in the last few years. Due to consistent rise in cost of electricity, labor, and fuel the profitability of pharmaceutical industry reduced as firms could not increase prices according to cost due to limitation by government policies. But demand in the public remained unchanged. Devaluation of Pakistan currency also adversely affected the industry as value of rupees consistently reduced against major currencies of world especially against US$. Due to which many firms had

Essay --

Mrs. Kasper AP Literature 10 February 2014 â€Å"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom,† urged Aristotle. Wisdom contains many qualities that are valuable to have. These qualities are experience, knowledge, and good judgment. These traits and abilities are essential in insight and understanding that attribute to an effective person. Wisdom is a virtue that develops as one is able to learn from experiences and mistakes. However, the wisdom that Aristotle believed in went beyond the average wisdom of being able to understand concepts or have insight different from others. The wisdom Aristotle believed in was practical wisdom. Practical wisdom is the ability to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right intent. According to Aristotle, this virtue is what makes all the other virtues a possibility. It is practical wisdom that gives one the ability to change one’s flaws because it is a characteristic that is bound with action and reason. It is the ability to have the information and apply it corre ctly. Along with the ability of understanding others, also comes self-awareness, and with the ability to apply action, one can develop and change for the better. In the novel, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, Charlotte Lucas possesses limited self-awareness; she is aware of the consequences that can come from her choices, but doesn’t choose to apply action for her own self-contentment. Mr. Bennet is also aware at times of his behavior, which is evident through his intelligence and wit, but doesn’t choose to take action, therefore lacking practical wisdom. Through the various conversations and narrations, Austen takes a resolute stand about the need for men to not only understand others, but to know oneself enough to turn we... ...ove his lack of responsible action, and Charlotte Lucas’s inability to take action on achieving contentment, serve as character foils to Elizabeth, illuminating her ability to evaluate her mistakes and take action for the better good. Bennet dismissed his chance to change not because he couldn’t, but because he did not want to. Although he was an intelligent man, it does no good to be smart if one cannot apply intelligence towards self-awareness and towards applying action in turning foibles into strengths Charlotte, also an intelligent character, failed to apply a balance of reasoning and action in her decision, sacrificing a lifetime of happiness for comfort and economic stability. Therein lies the value of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: It emphasizes that in life, self-awareness is nothing, unless action and reasoning are used in every opportunity to change.

The China Coin Chapter Questions

Leash's thought give us flashbacks to their earlier, happier life together when Leash's dad was alive. What does Lea remember? (39-40) What does she feel is happening to Joan in China? (pages 50-51). Shanghai: Chapters 7-8 10. What does Lea learn about China's history during the argument with the party Official on the train? (pages 56-57) 1 1 . What happens to Lea in Shanghai? How does Billie use language to create tension and excitement in this incident? Give quotes from the story to support your answer. 12. Lea and Joan see a demonstration of students on their way to the boat.What do they learn about why they are demonstrating? (page 67) The Journey up the Yanking: Chapters 9-11 13. What does Lea learn about why her mother decided to come to China so soon after her father's funeral? (pages 75-76) 14. â€Å"It's over. † Lea took Jean's hand and squeezed. â€Å"We've been through a lot, eh? † What does this quote tell us about how Lea is changing and growing up? (page 8 2) Turtle Land (Red star) Village: Chapters 12-27 15. Lea changes her attitude to her Chinese identity. How do we know? What do you think causes her to change? (pages 105-112) 16.Lea is becoming milliamp with traditional Chinese villages. Draw a picture of the village. Label the picture. (page 106) 17. What does Eek tell Lea about why he and the students are protesting all over China? 18. What does Lea learn about how See's father died? What are See's feelings about his fathers' death? (pages 1 18-1 19) 19. On her way to visit Joan in the hospital Lea thinks about her relationship with Joan. What does she realize and what does this tell us about how Lea is changing? (page 1 37) 20. Lean and Joan come together in a new understanding. What do they realize about why they have come to China? 38-139) 21 . Where do Lie Nan and Lea find the other half of the coin? What is the significance of Leash's reaction when she says- â€Å"This is family/' (pages 139-140) 22. Lea has come to accept her Chinese identity. What has she learnt while she has been in the village and what does she say about being Chinese? (page 158) 23. What is happening in Beijing? What does Lea feel about the struggle of the students? (pages 144-145) Beijing: Chapters 27-32 24. What does Lea see in Attainment Square? (pages 165-169) 25. What does Lea discover about what happened to the students in Attainment Square? (pages 176-178) 26.When Lea returns to look for Eek she is confronted by a soldier with a gun. What happens in this terrible scene? (pages 181-182) 27. Lea and Joan learn from the students in the hotel the facts of what happened in Attainment Square. Summaries what happened. (187-188) 28. What does Lea see the coin as symbolizing about China? (page 189) 29. Why are Joan and Lea crying at the end of the book? What does the phrase the two women clung together' tell us about the way Lea has changed on her journey through China? 30. What kind of ideas about Belonging is explored in the char acter of Eek? Give reasons for your answer.

Free Essays on The Collector - Opening Paragraph Analysis

THE COLLECTOR – OPENING PARAGRAPH QUESTION: Identify the characteristics of writing and comment on the tone and style of the piece and the effects achieved by the writer. How does the writer make the reader want to read on? Having not read the entire book and only having the opening paragraph to work from it is difficult to establish in what direction the novel will take us. However, it is certain that despite this, I as a reader want to keep reading and discover more about the story and its characters. The question is how does the author manage to capture the interest of the reader to such an extent? To discover this we need to look at the tone and style the author uses to invite the reader into his character’s world so that you need to know more. We need also, then, to look at the way the author has begun to develop the characters and how despite the lack of any actual malicious language or violent actions, the author makes the reader feel uncomfortable about the narrator’s intentions towards ‘M’. Why does the reader feel that the narrator’s intentions are not innocent but instead in some way sinister? Finally, we need to examine the paragraph’s overall content to discover what aspects of it compel the reader to continue reading. The title itself, although simple, alludes to a wish to possess a prized or coveted object and is the first hint the reader gets that the story will develop this idea. The piece is written as a first person narrative, using predominantly colloquial language. This simplicity and the attention to every detail within the long conversational sentences almost seems to attempt to gain the reader’s confidence. Further, this attention to each small detail, such as â€Å"†¦I stood by the window and used to look down over the road over the frosting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"I stood right behind her once in a queue at the public library down Crossfield Street.†, helps the reader build a pictu... Free Essays on The Collector - Opening Paragraph Analysis Free Essays on The Collector - Opening Paragraph Analysis THE COLLECTOR – OPENING PARAGRAPH QUESTION: Identify the characteristics of writing and comment on the tone and style of the piece and the effects achieved by the writer. How does the writer make the reader want to read on? Having not read the entire book and only having the opening paragraph to work from it is difficult to establish in what direction the novel will take us. However, it is certain that despite this, I as a reader want to keep reading and discover more about the story and its characters. The question is how does the author manage to capture the interest of the reader to such an extent? To discover this we need to look at the tone and style the author uses to invite the reader into his character’s world so that you need to know more. We need also, then, to look at the way the author has begun to develop the characters and how despite the lack of any actual malicious language or violent actions, the author makes the reader feel uncomfortable about the narrator’s intentions towards ‘M’. Why does the reader feel that the narrator’s intentions are not innocent but instead in some way sinister? Finally, we need to examine the paragraph’s overall content to discover what aspects of it compel the reader to continue reading. The title itself, although simple, alludes to a wish to possess a prized or coveted object and is the first hint the reader gets that the story will develop this idea. The piece is written as a first person narrative, using predominantly colloquial language. This simplicity and the attention to every detail within the long conversational sentences almost seems to attempt to gain the reader’s confidence. Further, this attention to each small detail, such as â€Å"†¦I stood by the window and used to look down over the road over the frosting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"I stood right behind her once in a queue at the public library down Crossfield Street.†, helps the reader build a pictu...

buy custom The Leader Followers essay

buy custom The Leader Followers essay I always thought that being a leader is both enjoyable and simple. I dreamt of being a leader so that I could attain fame and secure recognition. My case happened in the university during the just completed summer semester. One of the classes that I attended last semester required us to participate in a group project. I found this as an exciting opportunity to demonstrate my leadership skills since I wanted my group to attain the best grades in the project. I readily accepted the role of the group leader where I was expected to control the whole group and ensure that the work was done properly. My followers included five girls who came from different colleges. The fact that the five female students came from different colleges confirmed the diversity that existed between them. However, I was able to control the group by applying effective leadership skills, and I was very optimistic that the same would continue throughout the project. However, the one-month period coincided with Ramadan. It was the worst scenario in the whole process. The attention of the group was diverted to Ramadan, and it became very hard to control them. We first met with the five girls after the end of a lecture, when the lecturer had just suggested that the whole project was to be completed in group work. We engaged in a face-to-face conversation, and we all decided to combine our efforts and work together. Everyone longed for good marks and thus they vowed to work hard to attain the same. We appointed one of the girls to become a leader, but she hesitated. She claimed to have no prior experience in leading people, and that was it. They offered me to lead the group, and since I wanted to see my group progress well, I readily took the position. This time, I vowed to take co-opting antagonistic as my tactic (DuBrin, 2013). I was determined to engage all the students in the whole process so that they could easily make their contributions and recommendations. We had one more month to go, and we were expected to complete the work urgently. During the first week, the group was very committed. We had a superb relationship, and no one coul d have imagined that it would change. We remained optimistic that we would work together till the end of the assignment. I believed that a good relationship that prevailed at that time was due to the dedicated attention that everyone gave to the project. The group members followed me because they had a lot of trust in me (DuBrin, 2013).The saw my commitment to see the group work done within the shortest time possible and I ,in turn, strongly influenced them in one way or another. I was a team player, and I did my best to ensure that I completed my tasks earlier than the other group members (DuBrin, 2013). I reserved time and commitment for this group since I felt that I had interest in its success. I adopted the habit of collecting the group work earlier, and I had a check of it prior to presenting the same to the lecturer. No significant change occurred in the initial stages of the project. Everyone was up to the task; they completed their assignments on time, and they made their submission in advance. I was very impressed, and I maintained my optimism that my group would receive good grades in the end. However, the group lost track at the end of the third week (DuBrin, 2013). Three girls started behaving in an awkward way. They could not attend the group meetings as it was the case before. Our group faced a lot of challenges during this time. We missed important presentations and, as a consequence, we lost a lot of marks. We never submitted our reports as it was the case in the previous weeks. The other group members were overworked since we could not have continued missing presentations. I was optimistic that this would not last for long. However, the trend continued, and I decided to take an action. I decided to contact the girls. I called and texted them several times, and I received no response. I thought that this was the most justified way, since reporting them to the teacher could have cost them a lot. Some of the girls responded and clarified that the month of Ramadan was a very crucial event, and they vowed to catch up with us as soon as possible. I had to work with two girls who were complaining because of the heavy workload. I always made a personal appeal to the two girls so that they could remain motivated and active. I was very kind to these girls. We enjoyed a superb relationship, where respect and discipline prevailed. I played the role of an inspiring leader who was always ready to help (Van Vliet, 2014). I assisted them whenever they needed any assistance and at no one point did I let them down. According to Vincent van Vliet, the main source of power is the referent (Van Vliet, 2014). The girls had already developed some trust in me and many termed me as their role model. I used this power to persuade them to act responsibly and submit their assigned parts at the right time (Van Vliet, 2014). I also helped them to complete their tasks whenever they had issues. Furthermore, I influenced them positively and I constantly used polite words so as to ensure that they remained on the right track (Van Vliet, 2014). I avoided arguments and confrontations even with the members who were not participating. My main tactic of influence was adopting the tactic of leading by example (DuBrin, 2013). I always ensured that I shared the tasks equally, and I was the first one to complete the task. The style had some benefits and setbacks that hurtled me. While the members remained committed to the process, some of them did not work as expected. The same seriously hurt the whole group. For example, some members lost commitment. However, despite the setback, at the end of the project, the group members marveled at my positive attitude that I displayed during the whole process; my positive attitude inspired and moved them (DuBrin, 2013). The members confessed that they had acquired leadership skills from the experience. At the end of it all, we all agreed to retain the same group in the coming semester. To my amazement, I discovered that even the three girls who had lost the commitment to the group were delighted. I was successful influencing my group members. The key factors leading to success was the strong commitment that I maintained throughout the whole process (DuBrin, 2013). A positive attitude and the good etiquette that prevailed throughout the whole process explain the reasons for success. Leading by example is another factor that led to my success. My success was measured by the comments of the group members who commented positively on how I influenced them. The end results of the project are also a good indicator that I succeeded in influencing my group. 800x600 Normal 0 false false false RU X-NONE X-NONE ![endif]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"ОÐ ±Ã'‹Ã'‡Ð ½Ã °Ã'  Ã'‚Ð °Ã ±Ã »Ã ¸Ã'†Ð °"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} Buy custom The Leader & Followers essay

Reading Responses to a Poem Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reading Responses to a Poem - Research Paper Example The poem is a tribute to everyone who makes an effort to achieve the seemingly unachievable goal and never loses hope no matter how grave the circumstances are. Discussion Paul Simon utilizes complex and a strong pattern to describe his struggle as a young boy in the poem. The time Paul was a young boy; the NYC was flooded with immigrants from Europe during the Huge Immigration Movement. The mass movement of immigrants precipitated mass unemployment and soon the number of unemployed individuals outweighed the number of employed individuals. The conditions of the commercial sector were pathetic and the employed individuals were forced to work in poor conditions with low wages. Throughout his early years, Paul had to endure hard circumstances to make the two ends meet and to achieve his dreams of endless fame by becoming one of the most famous musician of the world. (Eliot). In simple words, The Boxer depicts and addresses the dark aspects of the incredible life of Paul Simon and milli ons of others who have the courage to endure what it takes to be successful. Many elements of the poem evoke and engaged my interest; particularly â€Å"the pocketful of mumbles† at the beginning of the poem sparks an interest by hinting that the writer is writing about himself. In my opinion, â€Å"the pocket full of mumbles† pays tribute to millions of individuals like Paul, who being the boxers and fighters, have at some point in their life been so beaten up by hardships of life that they have considered to let go of their dreams. Simon cleverly makes use of sophisticated arrangement throughout the poem to maintain interest of the reader till the last stanza. The Poem describes a dual scenario, one of a little boy searching for a job and secondly, it describes the resistance and strength of a boxer. The second element of the poem which attracts my attention is â€Å"when I left home and family I was no more than a boy† discloses the fact that the writer indee d is writing about his own life thus, confirms my speculation at the beginning of the poem. The third element which captured my interest is â€Å"I come looking for a job but I get no offers† informs us about the tremendously importance of trying relentlessly time and time again even if the initial attempts are not rewarded. The poem religiously supports the belief that efforts ultimately do get rewards in the end therefore, one should keep trying because the joy of savoring a hard earned success is known only to him who has the courage to struggle and fight mercilessly like a boxer in the ring. The Young boy is so lonely that he finds peace and tranquility in the whores of New York City. (Bennighof). In the later half, the poem describes the story of a boxer who is struggling against the viciousness of unscrupulous promoters and enduring the meanness of the city streets. The boxer is depicted as a true fighter by his trade whose individuality has been shaped and influenced b y his early years out on the streets as a poor boy. The element which attracts my attention is â€Å"he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down† which discloses the fact that the boxer is the young boy from the earlier part of the poem who has now grown into a fighter who has achieved his once seemingly unachievable dream but his heart still carries the wounds inflicted by the hardships he faced earlier. Conclusion The poem begins by describing the scenario of the years after the

Impressionist painter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impressionist painter - Essay Example People and every human being have their own kind of expressing their feelings. Some, give some tune for love, sung songs, create lyrics of a very emotional song, and several people who are such have given the talent and have the skills of making their hands work and draw something beautiful, and even apply some colors and blends it up for the whole thing.The so-called avant-grande committed their selves to art, painting itself, as an expression of them to the situation happening their place. But others would view others work differently. Each one makes his art beautiful, most probably for himself. Making he free from depression and as he release it from his very deep heart with the help of his powerful mind.As I move on to my days in life, I also made some expressions of myself in a form of art. I feel so good about it, though it's not perfect. But how about those professionals who have made very deep meaning portraits, how are they going to look and see mine For I know what would th eir be , but let me be them and explain my impression to such art that I never had seen before.First of all, a wonderful precious thing to see will probably catch up my eyes. Leading it up to its colors, the hues, and the intense it brings. I would probably look at its wholeness and the whole picture it wanted to show the people. As I will observe it I'll take a look on the marks which the paint has started to spread, the directions of the brush on it. What makes it different from mine and from others Criticizing of it is the best thing to do. I'll beseech from its physical view up to the inner side, of its owner. Aside from the beauty of a paintwork; that was brought to the mass of people is the entire reflection of its owner who made it, this might show that the person is in vain, happy, or angry, inspired by love and family and even his sadness. Everybody can say that due to the colors he used and how bold the shades are. Mood can affect one's acts and his/her feelings, emotionally coming from his bare heart sending to the points where we use to act and even our brain reacts and as a result a product of this feeling comes out. Some paintings can be recognize as a work of an impressionist painter if the paint art is consistent with some signs to give clues about the theme of it and others which you can never tell, how it was expressed by the artist. Mainly those with experiences, identify some works not that easy for they need to judge and criticize it in different ways and aspects. There he in his self have categories and some factors to consider as to comprehend with others work of art. As far as I know our beloved popular painters such as Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa masterpiece is such a great work and to analyze others work of art you can merely say if the person who made it is an emotional individual, a naturalistic, patriotic, and spiritual. The audiences and or the people can read the message from the paintings others work can be judge and clues they give. They not just see the picture itself, its beauitiful colorblendings, the shades of a wonderful tree and a house on it, but, the message it sents, the message which does touches our souls. Critical overlooks, judgements and comments and some opinions are gained by simply viewing a masterpiece. Though such painters have the qualities on their work they also have the differences, their own uniqueness that