The Risk And Management Of Future Violent Behavior

John, is 52 years old and currently serving a sentence following a conviction of aggravated assault against his step-son. The index offence left John’s victim hospitalised, due to the seriousness of his injuries and as a consequence of John’s alcohol fuelled violent behaviour. John is a persistent violent offender and has past convictions against, his current partner and an ex-partner, for which he has was detained in prison. This evaluation was requested to assess the risk and management of future violent behaviour of John. This evaluation is based on a review of CPD documentation relating to the index assault and previous convictions. Due to John’s violent behaviour concerning intimate partners and a family member, the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment (SARA), is the chosen structured professional assessment, to measure John’s risk factors and to prevent further violence in the future (Douglas Kropp, 2002). SARA considerations Criminal history: John is a persistent violent offender with previous convictions of spousal assault, placing him at higher risk of recidivism in the future (Sonkin, 1987). Statistics indicate severe rates for repeated domestic violence at 73%, suggesting three-quarters of domestic violent offenders, are at risk of recidivism (Home Office Statistical Bulletin, 2011). Furthermore, John has a history of violating community supervision and contact orders relating to past offences, suggesting an increased risk to recidivate in comparison to otherShow MoreRelatedForensic Mental Violence1002 Words   |  5 Pagesmental health risk assessment and also management of offenders (Gendreau, Little, Goggin, 1996; Doyle, Dolan McGovern, 2002); Also needed, to assert equitable decisions on judgmen and sentence, regarding the placement, treatment, discharge, and freedoms of a forensic mental patient (Papadopoulos, et al., 2012; Bowers et al., 2014). Heilbrun (1997) describes two main models relevant to risk assessment. The Prediction model is used to anticipate the risk for a violent event in the future, where theRead MoreClient and Counselor Safety for Mental Health Counselors Essays925 Words   |  4 Pagesbe violent heavily relies on the conditions the client enters counseling terms on. Some clients have a disposition prior to entering counseling services if it is court ordered, or if they are engaging in services under some type of condition like to please a spouse or significant other, to manage anger management, or any other types of issues to comply with child custody. Other predictions and indicators such as gathering information such as medical, psychological, and past violent behaviors likelyRead MoreWorkplace Violence773 Words   |  4 Pagesreduce the risk of violent behavior. The first question many people ask when starting to develop a workplace violence prevention program is, how can we identify potentially violent individuals? It is understandable that people want to know this -- and that early warning signs and profiles of potentially violent employees are in much of the literature on the subject of workplace violence. It would save time and solve problems if managers could figure out ahead of time what behaviors and personalityRead MoreWorkplace Violence1735 Words   |  7 Pagescorporate America, affecting millions of Americans every year. Workplace violence is defined by the Occupational Safety Health Administration, OSHA, as any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. In 2011, there were over 2 two million reports and claims of workplace violence, with 458 being homicides1. 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An experimental study was done by Smith, Lachlan, and Tamborini and is investigated further. The researchers wanted to examine people’s behavior after playing violent video games as well as nonviolent video games and compare the differences of the two. The study observes boys and girlsRead MoreCommunity Violence : Schools And Teachers Challenges, Strategies And Support Needs790 Words   |  4 Pagessuch schools are faced with behaviors such as fightings, shooting, rape, bullying and weapons brought on school properties. High risk areas terrorize familles, students and teachers. In fact, community violence not only affect student’s academic ability but also their socioemotional development (Maring Koblinsky, 2013).. Purpose of the Research: The purpose of this research was to explore the challenges that teachers face when they teach in schools that reside in violent communities. 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While these percentages may not seem staggering, children between the ages of 14-17 only make up roughly 6 percent of the U.S. population. It is clear that teens commit more crimes than adults, and that if we can reduceRead MoreThe Effects Of Sports Violence On Athletes1491 Words   |  6 Pagesinjure the opponents. A number of players and coaches have for a number of years been accused of such plots as a way of trying to outdo their opponents. Many of such cases have been welcomed by strict legal measures such as bans from participating in a future sporting activities. Reinforcement is one of the root cause of violence in athletics. Athletes are reinforced to be highly aggressive while competing either in the field or the track by the coach and captain. Their desire to be successful athletes

Equal Rights for Lebanese Women Essay - 1960 Words

Equal Rights for Lebanese Women Throughout history, women have been dominated by men, and were not given their human rights, simply because they were women. Nevertheless, starting the eighteenth century, some women started showing their dissatisfaction with their unfair conditions. They came to realize that since they were human beings, then they must have equal rights as men. In this paper, I intend to show the historical back ground of the earliest women’s movements in the world, and to state the major achievement of these movements. Finally, I would like to throw some light on the changes in the status of women in Lebanon. Women have not been sleeping when it came to their rights. However, women have not been able to anything†¦show more content†¦However, the Union and other women’s organizations supported the government in its war, particularly by participating in voluntary jobs and other efforts that enabled Britain to stand on its feet until the war was over. Once the war was over, the government returned the favor by granting the British women the right to vote in 1918, but the voting age for women was 30 whereas for men it was 21. The vote ages for both sex were not made equal until in 1928. Despite this great achievement, the struggle for equality and liberation did not stop (Grolier, 1). An article in â€Å"Grolier† state: at the same time that the British women were struggling for their freedom, the American women were also on the same road towards liberty. The first organized movement for women’s cause in the US started in 1848, though it was among the voices calling for antislavery rather than for the liberation of women. In 1850, the first convention for women’s rights was held and it was known as the National Women’s Rights Convention. Thirteen years later, the Women’s National Loyal League was established under the leadership of Susan B. Antony who became famous for the proposal she wrote to the Congress in 1878, calling for the amendment for the constitution so that women could vote. This famous letter was supported by huge demonstrations and protests by men and women until the amendment was ratified as the 19th Amendment. This Amendment, however, did not become law until 1920.Show MoreRelatedIn the mid-1800s to early 1900, f emales had it difficult. There was a big differentiation in the1000 Words   |  4 Pagesexceptions. Women were not permitted to vote until 1920. They were always considered as a support and company only. But now time has changed drastically where many values, thoughts, and beliefs, which were once obligatory, have now been thrown out of the window. Women struggled hard and extensively over the years to earn the respect they have these days. Through fights, failure, pain, they reached their purpose of individuality and freedom. After all this, women’s right has been shown. 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Her guardian may be her father, her husband, her uncle, her brother, or even her own son† (Mandi). In strict arab countries, Saudi Arabia, women are considered inferior to men, taking to an extreme point in which female are not registeredRead MoreThe Declaration Of Human Rights Essay1809 Words   |  8 Pagesculture, still refuses mothers the right to pass their nationality onto their children. The fact that Lebanon, one of the most progressive countries in the Middle East, and the one that most respects women’s rights, is one of the 27 countries in the world that deny women this specific right is astounding and hypocritical. While women in developed countries pass their nationality to their children with no issues what so ever, the women in Lebanon are denied this right which is a clear violation of theRead MorePolitical, Social And Economic Conditions Of Lebanon Essay1665 Words   |  7 Pagesinvasion, and they opposed the French Mandate’s policy. 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Corporate Social Responsibility Oil and Gas

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Social Responsibility for Oil and Gas. Answer: Introduction This report is aimed to illustrate the voluntary disclosure of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Governance (CG) aspect in the year ending reports as per the global reporting initiatives GRI (G4) standards as well as according to Australian stock exchange rules and regulation. This report is focused on the Australian corporate sector considering oil and gas sector as a main sector (Hopkins, 2012). In this context, the report is examining the financial statement and profile overview of the two companies in oil and mining sectors that is Woodside Petroleum Limited (WPL) and Paladin Energy Limited (PEL). This study is emphasizing on the critical evaluation of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. The sustainable report of the companies is being analyzed and compared according to the set standards of G4 and ASX in the Australian industry. Moreover, the report also details on the recommendation for the improvement in the current situations and future financial reporting. Therefore, this study provides a combination of comparative analysis and critical examination of two companies with each other as well as with Australian standards of CG and CSR in G4 and ASX. A Brief on Companys Overview Woodside Petroleum is one the most famous and largest oil and gas companies in Western Australia (Woodside, 2017). The company was founded in 1954, earlier named as Lakes Entrance Oil Co has operations in exploration, development and other operating activities in various countries. The joint ventures with other oil and gas companies and government promotes the expansion of oil exploration of the company in other countries. It mainly engaged in the development of Liquefied natural gas projects but also explores and operates in pipeline gas, oil and LPGs along with this, has joint ventures in Australia with Australia Oil and Sunrise LNG Development (Woodside, 2017). In 2016, companys earnings before interest and tax were US $2734m reporting US$ 868m net profit after tax and overall operating revenue is recorded as US $4075m. On the other hand, Paladin energy ltd. is operating Uranium production in Western Australia (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2015). It was established in 1993 and has one of the largest explorations of uranium in the mining sector of Australia. The company is also working in Africas regions like Namibia and Malawi also operates in New Zealand and United States. The operations of the companys was banned for more than decade in early 90s because of the government rules but again restarted in 2015 in some of the regions of Australia. The company also has joint ventures with other companies and government of other countries like China, Japan and Russia. The earnings before interest tax, depreciation and amortization of the company in 2016 were reported as US$5.7m with the fall of US$11.3 from 2015 which was recorded as US$ 17m (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2015). Consequently, sales revenue of the company in 2016 was US$55.2m with a sale quantity of 2.125mlb U3O8. Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility Today, in this competitive intense industries and government requirements for the survival of the company every organization is bound to incorporate corporate governance and corporate social responsibility as a crucial part of its operations (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). Corporate governance is the bridge between social, individual and communal goals with the economic goals of an organization. It promotes the interest of every stakeholders of the company individually as well as group. It focuses on the optimum utilization and credibility of resources (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). It ensures accountability in terms of resource management with the stakeholders in financial recording as well as operations of the business. Similarly, in Paladin operations corporate governance is also evident as an integral part. It integrates wide number of corporate government policies in its operations such as Anti-bribery and corruption compliance guide, online learning module for bribery of foreign public officials and compliance committee charter as set standards (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). Moreover, whistleblower policy, privacy policy, continuous disclosure and communication policy with diversity policy is also encourages corporate governance in the organization. Furthermore, the organization embroils ethical and conduct codes for shareholders to protect their rights plus it manages risk policy, environmental policy, radiation policy, human right policy, community relation policy with policy trading in company securities (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). However, in Woodside continuous disclosure and market communication policy, shareholders communication with ethical consideration involving policies such as anti bribery and corruption policy and whistleblower policy is the part of corporate governance of the organization (Woodside, 2017). In addition to this, internal auditing, CEO and CFO assurance with risk management and responsibilities and internal control is also incorporated in the organizations CG. Likewise securities ownership and dealing with payment to political parties are also CGs basics in the organization. Admittedly, both the companies follow ASX rules and regulation for the compliance of corporate governance in the organization. On the contrary, corporate social responsibility is the ethical and moral responsibility towards stakeholders; it is social responsibility for the future generation. Stakeholders of the company in CSR entail both external and internal stakeholders of the company. It promotes the human development inside and outside of the organization and better prospects for future generation (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). It includes sustainable development and environmental issues that influenced by the organization. Especially in oil and mining sector, integration of CSR is vital due to adverse effects in the environment caused by its operations and functions. In Woodside, sustainability disclosure is done with the individual report as per global initiatives guidelines. The corporate social responsibility is been applicable in the organization as a predominant part of the organization and it articulates regulatory compliances, transparency, anti bribery corruptions, incident prevention policies, climate change, disruptive technology, human rights, biodiversity and ecology with payment transparency and health and safety performance (Woodside, 2017). Therefore, it can be depicted that it almost has all the written guidelines in the sustainability report of the company. Apart from this, Paladin also encompasses in its sustainable report with human rights, anti corruption and transparency of payment to government, procurement practices, local communities and material stewards (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). At the same time, it emphasis on the material management, environmental issues, waste management, diversity and equal opportunities with further education and training facilities for improvement. Thus, these guidelines are also followed as per the global report initiative to make a standard and systematic approach. Critical analysis of GRI disclosure guidelines and ASX Corporate Governance In order to set a standards format and mandatory disclosure of facts to encourage transparency for the stakeholders of the company GRI and ASX are the principle federations that provide brief on standards and policies concerned with the corporate governance and social responsibility (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). . GRI or G4 Guidelines are aimed to ensure the transparency and accountability in the financial report of the companies in terms of their sustainability report (Global Reporting Initiative, 2014). It comprehends general disclosure of business model, reports and external assurance, environment policies, social issues and related standards, employees health and safety, diversity, human rights, anti corruption and bribery with diversified management and top level bodies. Besides this, AXS listing rules of the Disclosure in the oil and gas activities are pertaining to petroleum tenements drilling programs, market sensitive information, geographical and reserve statements in the annual report (ASX Listing Rules, 2014). It also encourages the guideline formation for the petroleum resource management system with the application of petroleum resources management system. The guideline note 8 also emphasis on the continuous disclosure of the petroleum material and the information related to the resource management and reservoirs. Report analysis of both the Companies Corporate governance in both the companies is critically examined in terms of companies comparison as well as issues faced by the companies in setting proper rules and regulation of the company (Hopkins, 2012). Corporate governance is the vital practice in oil and gas sector along with the mining sector. In the above context, the corporate governance implementation in both the companies is well defined and many policies and standards have been formed (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). Paladin has more elaborated guideline and issue related to the corporate governance. In facts covers most of the issues and topics of disclosure. However, health and safety of labor in the mining activities plus financial benefits disclosure to the labors in the incidents and risk management is not covered precisely (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). In case of Woodside, company encompasses some of the topic but almost follows every rule and regulation. The health and risk management of the labors and stakeholders are finely elaborated (Woodside, 2017). But it lacks some of the key issues such as learning policies in terms of training and education of stakeholders, diversity management in the upper level as well as employers fair and equal opportunities. Apart from this, both the companies fail to achieve effective implementation of climate change and environmental policies in the disclosure and lacks in attainment of sustainable development of the resources (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). Furthermore, even after mentioning the anti bribery or corruption policies the companies are accused with dome allegation of bribery and corruption that shows failed execution of corporate governance. The companies do not disclose its ASX standard format in resource disclosure properly and efficiently (ASX Listing Rules, 2014). In fact, Woodside criticized under corruption charges, climate change accusation and many more environmental problems (Woodside, 2017). Along with this, Paladin also banned for decades as uranium is a natural source as nuclear source that has some serious issues on health of labors and surrounding environment. In case of CSR both the companies provide an illustration that is according to G4 guidelines (Hopkins, 2012). Though both the companies ensured the serious acquisition of these standards, yet there is enormous chance of improvement in it. Paladin lacks in the execution of CSR in comparison to Woodside because it covers less topics and do not provide up to date reports of the company in the current year (Woodside, 2017). Thus, it can be said that both the company has a scope of improvement in the better implementation of CSR. The recommendations for each company are same such as more engagement of stakeholders and implementation o new business model or change management in the company. Along with this, capacity building through better leadership and good governance should be added in the governance (ASX Listing Rules, 2014). Human resources will be added as a partner of the company and diversified approach will be accepted as a main part of the business operations. Appointment of experts in the corporate governance to deal with each area and issue of the corporate governance should be sustained (Hopkins, 2012). Transparent and reliable source of information in terms of reporting and disclosure is necessary for the improvement. Conclusion In the end, it can be investigated and concluded that both the companies has implemented policies of disclosure in their reports, yet its effective and efficient implementation is necessary. There are some issues with the G4 and ASX guideline catch up but can be resolved with some extra caution and implementing practices as a fundamental part of the guidelines for the company. References ASX Listing Rules.2014. Reporting on Oil and Gas Activities. [Online].Available at: https://www.asx.com.au/documents/rules/gn32_reporting_on_oil_gas_activities.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Brennan, D. and Mullerat, R. 2011. Corporate Social Responsibility: The Corporate Governance of the 21st Century. Kluwer Law International. Global Reporting Initiative. 2014. GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (G4) and the European Directive on non?financial information disclosure. [Online].Available at: https://www.globalreporting.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/2014/G4%20and%20EU%20NFR%20Directive.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Hopkins, M. 2012. Corporate Social Responsibility and International Development: Is Business the Solution? Earthscan. Paladin Energy Ltd. 2015. Corporate Brochure. [Online].Available at: https://www.paladinenergy.com.au/sites/default/files/15.07_Paladin_Corporate_Brochure_July_2015.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Paladin Energy Ltd. 2017. Corporate Governance 2016. [Online].Available at: https://www.paladinenergy.com.au/corporate-governance-0 [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Paladin Energy Ltd. 2017. Financial report 2016. [Online].Available at: https://www.paladinenergy.com.au/sites/default/files/financial_report_file/17.02.14-dec-qtr-mda.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Woodside. 2017. Annual Report 2017. [Online].Available at: https://www.woodside.com.au/Investors-Media/announcements/Documents/01.03.2017%20Annual%20Report%202016.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Woodside. 2017. Corporate Governance 2016-17. [Online].Available at: https://www.woodside.com.au/Investors-Media/announcements/Documents/01.03.2017%20Corporate%20Governance%20Statement%202016.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Woodside. 2017. Sustainable Development 2017. [Online].Available at: https://www.woodside.com.au/Investors-Media/announcements/Documents/16.03.2017%202016%20Sustainable%20Development%20Report.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017].

The magic if drama Essay Example

The magic if drama Paper Constantine Stanislavski is a man whom is a great insperation to all aspiring actors. He believes in a variety of techniques which allows the actor to create total realism and focus on stage. I am now going to talk about the Magic If explaining what it is and how it is important for the actor to under-go. If the Magic If were to be studied successfully then as an actor i should be able to make any character I play believable not just to the audience, but to myself. I am aware of the work of Constantin Stanislavski, but Ive never really looked into detail about his System. Stanislavski believed that acting should not be thought of as imitation but as a process. It isnt a matter of external control, technique, and skillfully reproducing an experience but creating and conveying inner life, a sense of being, not playing. As an actor, I have to create organic links between my own personality and the character I am playing. Although I must believe that I am that character, in that time and in that situation, it must be remembered that I mustnt forget who, as an actor, I really am. To help create any role, Ive always found it helpful to attempt many improvisations. We will write a custom essay sample on The magic if drama specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The magic if drama specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The magic if drama specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the System this is known as the magic If. The magic If opens up many possibilities for the actor and can no doubt help them to explore new emotions. But to aid the Magic If is the given circumstance. This is the basis for the actor and the role. The given circumstances are: the story of the play, its facts, (the characters in the play, who they are and their purpose); events, (what happens in the play); time and place of action, conditions of life and finally the actors and directors interpretation; the production, the sets, the costumes, the properties; lighting and sound effects. The most important thing needed to create the realism and Magic If is imagination. But of course the most important thing needed to do all this is my imagination. Stanislavski points out: If you speak any lines, or do anything, mechanically, without fully realising who you are, where you came from, why, what you want, where you are going, and what you will do when you get there, you will be acting without your imagination. Some good techniques to develop the imagination are to prepare the body by relaxation and then being taken on a meditation by some else. This can help create a more power imagination, and if you can hold the images and believe them, it can also help in developing your concentration. To aid the imagination of a character i would be undergoing, I would research into the lifestyle he might have had, what he wore, ate, how he may have entertained himself and possibly different aspects of his personality. Relaxation techniques and meditations can also help in focusing and relaxing an actor on stage. Stanislavski created a devise known as Circles of Attention. This can be shown like ripples on a pond. If the actor is in the centre of the pond, the ripples radiating out from the actor in an increasing circumference will eventual embrace the whole pond, or in this case the whole stage. To begin with, I would create a very small circle around me, focusing on myself and character, what Im wearing and what Im doing. Then I would spread the circle farther away, drawing in nearby objects and props or any characters stood by. Finally I would spread the circle around the stage, focusing on everything there and knowing where everything is. To practice this I would stand in a room and go through the procedure of expanding the circle, and being aware of whats in the room Im in. I would practive this in the Art Centre as it is generally a large room and I would have to emphasise my movements and voice so all 3 sides of the stage could hear/see me. Stanislavski also calls for the use of the Emotion Memory; Just as your visual memory can reconstruct an inner image of some forgotten thing, place or person, your emotion memory can bring back feelings you have already experienced. You would think that this would give a more emotional performance and convince the audience that the character is real. However, the use of your emotional memory with a character may end up with you not acting at all, but saying the words from the text as you bring up all your past emotions. I have just recently worked on the Emotion Memory in a workshop. I was called to bring out an emotion at a time when I was at my saddest. This I did, but I dont think that if I was on stage and my character demanded sadness that I could recall that memory I had. I would forget about the character and end up re-living the past. I think that it is important to remember how you felt at that time, without the reasons for it, and then call that up instead. An example of this would be when my character would have to represent sadness on stage. I would think of when my nan was dying from cancer or when my best friend died to bring the required emotions to my head. This would create more realism and make much more sense to the audience on stage. Happiness is easily shown and I feel that so is the sadness. Anger, though, is something that I dont express very often. Im one of those people who bottles everything up and walks away quietly. This is why, when representing anger, I would have to rely on my body movements and voice. Instead of yelling out the words, I would raise my voice but say them slowly, not projecting as far as I normally would do. Id try not to move my body and maybe raise an arm (to reinforce my power over another character on stage. Stanislavski pointed out that all actors need to have a tempo/rhythm in their acting. This tempo/rhythm needed to be external and internal. For example, the character may be worrying about something and could even be panicking and at the same time is in a room where other characters are talking about something as bizzare as the weather. The inner turmoil tends to be conceiled. ase, by a show of calm. This can lead to an interesting performance as the two tempo/rhythms contradict each other and i believe this creates a stronger visual impact on the audience. The whole System was designed to allow characters to become more indepth and Stanislavski spent many years trying to studying and experimenting with his System. Studying it you can initially see where he was heading, the only problem being the length of time needed to complete the system, with a character. Unfortunatly, we havnt got the required length of time available to us, so it is of great difficulty to fully study and complete Stanislavskis techniques. However, Stanislavskis ideas for realism and naturalism were a great influence on this last century, and parts of the System are still used today in rehearsal time when creating a role. The Magic If has had a great impact on all aspiring actors as it has taught us how to develop our roles to create the most realism possible. Stanislavskis techniques are of great importance as they truly indicate to the actor how to portray their characters role by looking at their personality and studying how they move around stage as a person. In conclusion, the Magic If is very important for all actors as all mainstream actors follow the system and Stanislavski has become a big rolemodel to many because of it.

Its Time to Show Off Your Skills and Earn That Internship

You’ve all seen this meme before. Unfortunately, it’s only funny because it’s too true, and students cough up a laugh while hurting inside. The truth is, even with applicable skills and a good college education, landing an internship or a full-time job is not an easy task. So, what can students do?We spoke to Sqore, a recruitment platform that connects students to employers based on skill-based competitions, about the challenges students face searching for relevant internships and jobs - and even scholarships. â€Å"We know that students have studied and worked hard all their lives, and that’s why we want to help them showcase their knowledge to their world,† said Maria Rà ¶nnbà ¤ck, Sqore’s COO, â€Å"At Sqore, we want to reward students based on their skills.† Sqore’s foundation is to offer equal access to opportunities for everyone based on knowledge and skill. Sqore runs at least 50 competitions every month, with jobs, internships, and scholarships focused in different fields and industries. Simply searching for what you’re interested in will show competitions tailored to your skills and interests. Participate in any competition you think your skills are applicable to and you’ll hear back from each hosting organization in a few short weeks. While Sqore offers competitions all year round, companies and organizations themselves have their own timeline for offering internships and scholarships, so make sure to check in from time to time. The internships you land through Sqore are just as exciting as the competitions you participate in. Take Elianne Mureddu for example - she participated in Schibsted’s Management Trainee Recruitment Competition and won the opportunity to be a part of their two-year rotational program. The opportunity is there, but it’s up to you to make it yours. Here are a few highlights we think that you should take a look at: See The World with Oriflame For a chance to win Oriflame products and visit the Oriflame office. Win Free Online GRE Prep From Economist GRE Tutor For 3 months of Premium Online GRE Prep Design for Space College For 1:1 mentoring opportunity with AutoDesk, USD $1,000 and more!We hope you have the skills to kill it in these competitions! Stack up your resume and gain the experience you need for that dream job you’ve always wanted.

The eNotes Blog Changes Are Afoot for theSAT

Changes Are Afoot for theSAT Yesterday it was announced that the SAT would be revising its test for the second time in just over a decade. To help you prepare for the next version of this popular standardized test, find here an outline of the changes plus other important announcements from The College Board that will impact future college admissions. What will the new SAT look like? The new SAT, to be released in 2016, will feature four significant changes: The SAT essay, introduced in 2005, will become an optional segment of the exam SAT scoring, also changed in 2005, will return from the 2400- to the 1600-point system Points will no longer be deducted for incorrect answers (currently students lose 1/4 of a point for each wrong answer) And lastly, SAT vocabulary will become a thing of the past, as complete-the-sentence sections of the exam are replaced by ones that test students critical reading of a passage. Why make these changes? One thought that struck me when I read over these changes was that the SAT is increasingly becoming more like the ACT. The criteria are familiar: no deduction of points for incorrect answers, no required essay, and a significant critical reading section are all key points of the ACT that many students over the past decade have recognized as advantages to taking it over the SAT. So much so that gone are the days that the SAT is the go-to test; when I was a high school junior, nobody ever mentioned the ACT, but when I became a test-prep tutor five years later it was the exam 90% of my students elected to take. Why? When they were evaluated at the start of our course, the overwhelming majority performed better on the ACT than the SAT. It gave them a step-up in achieving a higher ranking, and as students favor of the test increased, colleges willingness to accept it on equal terms with the SAT followed suit. For whatever reason, be it an attempt to curry more favor (and cash) or a genuine recognition of a need to assess students more fairly, the SAT is moving towards a format more similar to the ACT. What do these changes mean for students? When I tutored students for the SAT, a significant focus of our preparation was on strategy. To perform well, one has to form a plan of attack, making a practical decision from the outset on how many questions would need to be answered to achieve the desired score. Thats because every wrong answer a student might give could decrease his or her overall score, thanks to the quarter-point deduction for an incorrect choice. Except for the cases where students strove for a perfect score, it was more advantageous to leave x number of questions blank. Now, however, the idea of SAT strategy will be tossed by the wayside. Is this good or bad? Perhaps we should simply say it assesses a different skill. The SAT Reasoning Test, to go by its full name, was designed to test a students ability to reason and evaluate. In reality, though, this has meant that in many cases the SAT measures little more than how well a student takes the SAT. If it moves closer towards assessing students mathematical and verbal abilities, I say thats a very good thing. New SAT scoring will make the guessing game a thing of the past Another prime focus of my SAT tutoring sessions was on SAT vocabulary. For those of you who havent taken the SAT in a while, the dreaded a:b as c:__ questions were thankfully removed from the test some time ago. That question type had students do nothing more than memorize as many SAT words as they could, and if you think punctilious and occlusion stayed in their minds past the big exam day, youd be wrong. But vocabulary continued to be a part of the exams Critical Reading section, only in the form of complete-the-sentence questions. This format is drastically different, as blank spaces are surrounded by context clues that smart testers look for when determining a definition. Learning how to look for these clues is the secret to scoring well on a vocabulary test, much more than studying a dictionary. Equally helpful is the study of Greek and Latin root words, as shown below. Now, I have to tell you: this will not change on the 2016 version of the SAT.  Yes, complete-the-sentence questions will be removed, but that doesnt mean vocabulary wont still be a factor in testing. When the Critical Reading section is adapted to be very similar to the ACTs (containing multiple passages and accompanying multiple choice questions that assess ones understanding of those passages) you can be sure that test-makers will still look to assess your ability to determine the definition of a word. On the ACT these questions are called Vocabulary-in-Context questions, and look a little something like this: In line 38, the word  soft means?                                                                           A. Smooth                                                                           B. Friendly                                                                           C. Quiet                                                                           D. Angry Without looking at the word soft in context, the correct choice could be A or C. The true test is of a students ability to look back at the passage and determine the correct connotation of the word. My prediction is that SAT vocabulary will move even more in this direction than it has in the past. That said, I still believe SAT novels like this one  are a good way to expose students to words they might encounter on any standardized test. Thats because half the challenge is overcoming the intimidation that an unfamiliar, lengthy word presents to the test-taker. Speaking of the Critical Reading section, the passages within it will follow a different focus than before, with a greater emphasis on real-world texts. Once again, the SAT will closely align itself with the ACT: the reading section will enable students to analyze a wide range of sources, including literature and literary non-fiction, science, history and social studies (the ACTs reading section contains 4 passages, in Prose Fiction, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Natural Science). The good thing about the SAT is that source documents will in places originate from some well-known places: Each exam will include a passage drawn from the Founding Documents of America or the Great Global Conversation they inspire - texts like the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That means students have plenty of opportunities to study familiar texts beforehand. In fact, has study guides and annotated etexts of those very documents to help students gain understanding prior to taking their exams: Letter from Birmingham Jail study guide The Federalist Papers study guide Declaration of Independence questions and answers and more Social Sciences and History eTexts Finally, the subject of the SAT essay being dropped. Lets tackle this monster on its own To take or not to take the SAT essay? Hallelujah!  young freshman across the country will exclaim, on hearing the 25-minute essay portion of the SAT is no longer a requirement. Poor little babies, they think theyve been given a free pass. Sadly, that isnt the case. Yes the essay is now  optional, but dont think that means colleges wont be expecting you to take it. The essay portion of the ACT is optional, too, but I made every student of mine take it. Why? For one, its not as hard as you make it out to be; no test grader expects a polished final draft in such a short time span, and a little practice goes a long way in improving your score. Secondly, and simply, taking the essay looks better than not taking the essay. Believe it or not, colleges praise attempts just as much as achievements. So, my advice is to always take the essay on either standardized test.  Just make sure you go into it having practiced ahead of time. To help you, here are our 8 steps to writing a good essay for the SAT.  Once youve completed those, submit your essay to our Essay Lab Homework Help section  for a real-life teacher to grade and provide feedback on. One more note on the SAT essay: the above is in regards to the essay portion of the exam that is apart from the rest of the test. However, the future Critical Reading section will also include a short essay portion, the essay analyzing a source.  Therefore, one SAT essay will continue to be a requirement, though this CR essay will evaluate how well students analyze evidence and explain how an author builds an argument to persuade an audience and will greatly differ from the prompts given in the Writing section. Whether you take both essays or just one, you should still prepare for some hand cramping. What other changes to the SAT  will impact students? Free test-prep from The College Board and Khan Academy What this country needs is not more tests, but more opportunities, said Coleman. The real news today is not just the redesigned SAT, but the College Boards renewed commitment to delivering opportunity. David Coleman, College Board President, quoted in its press release In accordance with this promise, Coleman announced that free test-prep will be provided to students the world over, thanks to a partnership with Khan Academy. The material will be designed by both partners together and launched in the spring of 2015. Financial aid to students in need Qualifying students who take the SAT will receive four fee waivers to apply to college. It doesnt appear from the press release that The College Board will offer the actual test for free to these students, but offering them the expensive opportunity to apply to their desired colleges will make a drastic impact on many students lives. Bringing test-prep into the classroom? The press release is vague on these details, but this statement seems to indicate that classwork may be influenced to prepare students for standardized testing: Moving forward, the College Board will also support the practice of excellent work in classrooms by working with teachers and college faculty to design course frameworks and modules for use in grades 6–12. A writing prize modeled after the Pulitzer From edSurge: While writing might be taking a back seat on the SAT, College Board revealed plans to create a writing competition, modeled after the Pulitzer Prize. The prize will be awarded for analytical writing pieces. Winners will be published in  The Atlantic. More details have yet to be released. There you have it: an outline of the biggest changes to the SAT. For more details on these adjustments, you can find the official press release from The College Board here. And as always, our educators are standing by to deliver any test-prep help you may need with the current SAT and ACT. Good luck to everyone taking the SAT in just a couple of days! And dont forget the deadline to register for the next ACT is tomorrow.

Defeating corruption to help development Coursework

Defeating corruption to help development - Coursework Example From this research it is clear that when citizens become the custodian of the goods and services of the State, it is indeed a great and an honorable responsibility. Simultaneously, they are also entrusted with the duty of distributing these goods among the society on behalf of the country’s Government. The public servants have to manage large amount of the State’s resources for their work. In many situations, the government officials are lured into securing a part of the State’s resources for their personal benefit. This is usually accomplished by adopting some unfair means. Such an activity of exploiting a public service for some personal gain is known as â€Å"corruption†. Examples of corrupt illegal practices include offering and accepting of bribes, practicing black-market activities, stealing public resources etc. Corruption has affected most of the bureaucratic systems of the modern-day countries. Both senior government officials as well as low-ranke d public servants have been found to be engaged in unlawful activities. The corruptive malpractices have gradually eaten into the health of the public service organizations. They have originated from different social and institutional factors and have now become deeply embedded in the social system of countries. The illegal activities are prevalent on a regular basis and have come to be accepted as an integral part of the bureaucratic systems. In many countries corruption has become so endemic that it is perceived as normal. People are not necessarily genetically programmed to pay bribes, yet they do it for a range of complex and deeply-seated institutional and social reasons. It is more difficult to break this cycle of normality than penalizing individual corrupt acts. Thus, Governments of different countries have encountered numerous difficulties in eradicating corruption. In the early 1990s, the Russian authorities had to implement a number of institutional reforms to tackle corr uption in the public as well as the private sector. The nature of Corruption Corruption is defined as the ‘abuse of public office for private gain’ (USAID, 2005). It refers to the malpractice of taking undue advantage of an existing system for catering to some personal requirement. Governments of different countries have introduced various public service programs for the benefit of the local population, especially the poor section of society. However, most of these public service systems have been the breeding ground for corruptive practices. According to the USAID Anticorruption Strategy (ACS), corruption pollutes the fair and unbiased system of the national democratic institutions by placing them at the discretion of the privileged class citizens. This reduces the efficiency of the public service systems: the goods and services meant to be delivered to the poor population are channelized elsewhere. These corruptive practices act as a huge barrier to the governmental e fforts of promoting social, political and economic development of the society. Thus, corruption is a significant hindrance to the economic development of a nation (USAID, 2005, p.8). Corruption is prevalent in varying degrees in almost all economies of the world. The national Governments have implemented a number of measures to deal with this bad practice. They have mainly adopted a two-pronged strategy in this context. On one hand, they have tightened the rules and regulations of the bureaucratic systems to prevent the incidence of corruption among the public servants. On the other hand, governments have also administered strict punishment to the citizens found guilty of being involved in corruptive practices. (USAID, 2005. P.8-9s) Human Behavioral Reasons behind Corruption Human Psychologists and Behavior Specialists have tried to trace the origins of corruption to help them understand the reason as to why normal people indulge in such unlawful behavior. Human society has been pla gued by corruptive malpractices right from the ancient times. The old civilizations like India bear

Organizational Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Organizational Structure - Essay Example It can also be termed as the arrangement of lines of rights, authority and duties and communication of an organization. The organizational structure depends on the organizations objectives strategy, and is divided into two namely the centralized structure and the decentralized structure. The centralized structure is the top layer management, which has most decision-making power and control over all departments. The decentralized structure, on the other hand, allows the decision-making powers to be divided among different departments where some of the divisions or departments have some degrees of independence. The structure of an organization is important in as it provides checks and balances within the organization that differs with the sociological idea of power that states that top level managers in an organization have absolute control powers of the organization and can make any decisions for the organization without consultation. Thus, the organizational structure is essential in provide control and checks and balances on how the organization is managed as procedures follow a certain protocol in the organization. The topic is important to me professionally because it will enable me to understand how the decision-making process in the organization should be conducted and help me in improving in my career. Organization structure is important to managers because depending on the structure of the organization the managers manage to control and make decisions pertaining the welfare of the employees, as well as, achievement of goals and objectives. For example, when employees raise concerns in the organization their grievances are taken to the top-level management to establish the issue with the employees. By so doing, the organization manages to have control over the employees and gain their confidence. Additionally, managers find ways to motivate their employees ensuring that all of them are satisfied with their job description therefore it provides a

Tobacco's Scandalous Past Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tobacco's Scandalous Past - Essay Example In 1901, "Edward VII, the tobacco-hating queen's son and successor, gathers friends together in a large drawing room at Buckingham Palace...and announces, "Gentlemen, you may smoke" (Borio). Smoking jackets became popular and advertisements glorified the attractiveness of smoking. This was the age when it was fashionable to enjoy a glass of port wine with an elegant after dinner cigar ("History of Smoking"). This sensation swept Great Britain and began the conflict between good health and fashion for the tobacco industry. Soldiers during World War I were treated to cigarettes in their rations and as they brought the habit home, it gained even greater popularity. According to Borio, one-third of the returning soldiers were addicted to cigarettes. By 1935 the reported cases of lung cancer among cigarette smokers were skyrocketing and in 1938 the first medical report on the ill health effects of tobacco was released by John Hopkins University (Borio, "George Seldes on Tobacco"). By 1948, lung cancer was growing at 5 times the rate of any other cancer and had become the most common form of disease (Borio). Many of the victims of smoking were veterans who had gained the habit during World War I. The last half of the 20th century witnessed a string of monumental events concerning tobacco.

Ryanairs Strategic Management Practices

Ryanairs Strategic Management Practices Introduction The aim of this assignment is to explore Ryanairs strategic management practices through the theory of core competencies developed by Prahalad and Hamel (1990). Ryanair operates in the low cost carriers (LCC) industry and experienced success since the launch of its operations. Ryanairs successful strategic management position is reflected in the optimisation of its internal processes offering value to customers whilst eliminating waste. By developing a set of core competencies, Ryanair has been able to develop a strong market position while transporting millions of customers every year. The first part of the essay provides a brief overview of the company and the industry in which it operates. This section outlines the key competing forces and argues for the companys cost leadership approach towards its strategy. The second section outlines the core competence theory developed by Prahalad and Hamel (1990). This section briefly summarises the theory and its assumptions. The third section discusses the application of the strategic theory to Ryanair. This section argues that Ryanairs core competencies concern not only the efficient utilisation of its tangible resources (e.g. aircraft, contract on destinations with airports), but also intangible resources (e.g. market share, reputation, customer loyalty). Brief overview of Ryanair Ryanair gained its reputation as a low cost carrier (LCC) throughout Europe by following the SouthWest business model (Strategic Direction, 2006) (see Appendix 1 for a comparison between the two models). This model included the delivery of a no- frill service whilst offering a point-to-point service and short haul routes to secondary and regional airports. By competing on cost, Ryanair was able to offer cheap tickets to a range of European destinations with the result of changing how customers perceived their travelling experience. Ryanair was able to offer competitive prices by reducing operational costs through the utilisation of its aircrafts. In particular, by avoiding a hub-and-spoke service, creating short haul journeys, scrapping the traditional system of ticket production and seat reservation and in-flight meals, the company was able to increase the number of journeys whilst reducing costs. Moreover, the use of secondary and regional airports offer less handling costs, fewer terminal delays, and greater airport access. According to Datamonitor (2010) as of June, 2009, the company offers over 1,200 scheduled short-haul flights per day serving 145 locations throughout Europe and Morocco, with an operating fleet of 196 aircrafts. The company operates through approximately 845 routes (p.6). The scale of the companys operations indicates its positive reception by consumers seeking to reduce travelling costs whilst increasing the frequency of trips to European destinations. Current trends in the Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Market 3.1 A different approach to airplane transportation Malighetti, et al (2010) argue that the growth behind the LCC market is underpinned by the consumers increasing interest in using airplanes not as a luxurious mode of transportation but as an opportunity for travelling to new destinations at a minimum cost. According to Huttinger (2006) many countries perceived the airlines as a state institution and their reason for existence as a fulfilment of public needs (p.229). The same idea is also expressed by Pitt and Brown (2001) who argue that the development of a differentiated strategy allowed the LCC firms to create a new niche. Dobruszkes (2009) argues that efforts towards deregulating the industry by the EU allowed airline firms to introduce changes in their way of operation. Lack of regulation meant fewer restrictions as to how the airlines needed to design and perform their operations (e.g. ticketing system, destinations, etc) (Dobruszkes, 2009) According to Strategic Direction (2007a, 2007b, 2007c) the emerging opportunities developing from deregulation were followed by the SouthWest business model in the USA. This model was not only copied but also extended by companies like Ryanair and Easy Jet in Europe (Barrett, 2004). As Figure 1 illustrates, a steady increase in the number of passengers carried between LCC firms can be noted. For example, whereas Virgin Atlantic achieved 28.9% growth, in contrast, Ryanair achieved 171.9% for the number of passengers carried. The difference in volume is evidence of the consumers growth and changing travel needs. Figure 1 Scheduled passengers carried, 2002-06 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 % change m m m m m 2002-06 easyJet 11.4 20.3 24.3 29.6 33.7 +195.6 Ryanair 14.9 21.3 26.6 33.7 40.5 +171.8 Flybe 2.6 3.2 5.5 +111.5 bmibaby 0.7 2.8 3.3 3.6 4.1 +583.3 Monarch na na 2 2.6 3.2 na Virgin Atlantic 3.8 3.8 4.3 4.5 4.9 +28.9 BMI 7.5 9.4 10.5 10.5 10.5 +40 BA (est) 40 38 36.1 35.7 35.6 -11 Source: Company data/CAA UK airline statistics/Mintel A key trend in the LCC market has not only been the consumers attention on cost but also opportunity for travelling to new destinations within Europe (Malighetti, et. al. 2010). As Pitfield (2008) argues, following the recent economic credit crunch the new business model favoured the LCC. Cost became a differentiating factor in the way consumers made their purchasing choices on travel (Pitfield, 2008). Moreover, from Figure 2 it can be noted that the competition between the LCC remains fierce. Ryanair and Easy Jet are the largest competitors in Europe sharing the greatest volume of passengers travelling. According to Gillen and Lall (2004) such growth is attributed to a) the number of destinations already served by the airliners, b) the reputation on cost and c) the development of a strategy that allows them to utilise resources whilst minimising waste. Efficiency remains a key attribute to the development of competitive advantage in this market. This is because excessive costs contr ibute to the firms cost structure. This means that for a LCC firm to remain competitive such company needs to sustain its levels of efficiency whilst improving the value chain with which the service is delivered. Figure 2: Passengers carried in 2006 Source: Mintel/Company data (2007) 3.2 Ryanairs cost leadership strategy According to Porter (1980, 1985) there are three types of strategies companies can adopt in an industry. These are a) cost leadership, b) differentiation strategy, and c) focus strategy. A cost leadership remains effective depending on the volume of customers served. Such strategy focuses on achieving economies of scale by maximising its profit margins through the maximised over volume of sales. In contrast, a differentiation strategy is based on the specific attributes of a service and/or product that competitors are not able to offer (Porter, 1987). The distinctive features that are unique to such service/product differentiate the companys competitive power (Porter, 1996). A focus strategy concerns a firms concentration on a particular segment in the market (e.g. consumers, product, health-related products) with the result of creating new barriers of entry for other competitors to enter (Porter, 1987). Such barriers are created because of the tacit knowledge (e.g. methods of produc tion) that is needed in order to develop the product and/or service. Ryanair is adopting a cost leadership approach to strategy. As Figure 4 shows, when comparing the companys prices against competitors and for the same destinations the cost difference remains considerable. Mintel (2007) notes that the company aims to turn flights around within 25 minutes and routes are consistently the shortest of all the Low Cost Carriers (LCCs). Wood (2004) and Boru (2006) argue that even though this cost leadership strategy has proven effective, nevertheless, it has been difficult for Ryanair to maintain it without influencing the quality of service offered to customers. In particular, Boru (2006) argues that Ryanairs hard approach on cost has resulted in a hostile behaviour towards customers. Ryanairs couldnt-care-less approach to customer care also applies to refunds and baggage. Not only are refunds never paid out, even if a passengers travel plans are disrupted by the death of a grandparent, but the bereaved customer is told to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for having the temerity to ask (Boru, 2006, p.50). Datamonitor also reports various lawsuits, claims, and legal proceedings, arising in the ordinary course of its business. Some of these legal proceedings and claims seek damages, fines, or penalties in substantial amounts or remediation of environmental contamination (p.7). The implication of this argument is that even though cons umers continue to fly with Ryanair, they nevertheless remain weary of its behaviour to their changing travelling needs. Figure 4: Comparative fare levels (same booking date and approximate departure times Source: OHiggins in Johnson G, Scholes, K, Whittington, R. (2008, p.839) Mintel (2007) argues that in order for Ryanair to increase its revenues, it tends to engage in making incremental increases on costs that remain hidden to consumers. For example, consumers are being charged to pay for advance boarding to seat reservations, sports equipment to extra baggage and others. OHiggins (2008) mentions for example that a disabled man won a landmark case against Ryanair after it charged him  £18 for a wheelchair he needed at Stansted Airport to get from the check-in desk to the aircraft. The passenger was awarded  £1,336 in compensation from Ryanair, as the UK based Disability Commission said it may launch a class action against the airline on behalf of 35 other passengers (p.834). Such hidden costs generated a negative image for the companys low cost reputation. Donne (2004) and Groom (2004) argue that customers dislike extra charges and seek to withdraw their loyalty for carriers that are not committed to their quality of service on the grounds of reducing costs. Figure 5: Customer complaints Source: in Johnson G, Scholes, K, Whittington, R. (2008, p.842) The implication of this argument is that Ryanairs successful strategy remains contingent to the changing trends in the environment. As Figure 3 illustrates, the process of strategy formulation and evolution goes through a cycle where application needs to conform to the changing conditions of the environment. This means that Ryanair needs to develop a different approach to its cost leadership strategy by introducing modifications to its model. This can be done by placing greater importance on the customers perceptions of satisfaction rather than just promoting the selling of low cost tickets. Figure 3 Aspects of Strategy formulation and evolution Source: Chaharbaghi and Willis (1998:1022) Core Competencies Theory According to Johnson et al (2008) Chaharbaghi and Willis (1998) the study of strategic management is concerned with understanding how an organisation can realise its corporate goals through the manipulation of its tangible and intangible resources. According to Ansof (1984) strategic management can be defined as a systematic approach to a major and increasingly important responsibility of general management: to position and relate the firm to its environment in a way which will assure its continued success and make it secure from surprises. (p. xv) According to Raduan, et al. (2009) strategic management can be seen as a combination of strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation (p.406) According to Mintzberg et al (1998) there are two principle schools of thought that influenced the discourse on strategic management over time. These are characterised as the a) design school and the b) emergent school. The design school argues for the importance of careful planning. Lidtka (2000) for example argues that the orchestration of processes can lead to the achievement over the intended strategic corporate outcomes. The emergent school was influenced by the work of Mintzberg (1979, 1983) and argues for the managements inability to manage uncertainty in the course of realising its corporate goals. Mintzberg (1983) argues that the role of strategic management is to adjust a firms intentions according to the shifting conditions of the environment. Such conditions cannot be known a priori but only realised at the time of their development (Mintzberg, et al (1998). Cunah and Cunah (2006) also support this idea by arguing that firms developed their strategic positions by an emerg ent process resulting from managers and employees improvisations in response to the realities of the market (p.839). In the discourse between the two schools, Prahalad and Hamel (1990) developed the theory of core competencies. This theory argues for a firms ability to develop specific competencies which are intertwined with the employees tacit knowledge and expertise. Core competencies remain context-specific and are not easily transferable because of the specificity of the employees knowledge and skills that help maintain it. According to Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler (2007) core competencies represent a firms capabilities created by the complex interaction of its resources combined with implicit or explicit knowledge about the effective combination of these resources (p.252). According to Prahalad and Hamel (1994) the implication of this argument is that the innovative capability of a firm remains closely located in its awareness of the employees skills and their continuing development. Hence, the process of fostering core competencies comprises the development of qualities which concern the advancement of products/services which are intertwined with a set of skills which are people-specific (Hamel, 1996). As Figure 4 illustrates, performance remains an outcome of the interaction between capabilities and resources. Such a process is dynamic and not static, which means that the firm is in a continuing process of identifying and strengthening its core competencies over time (Goold, 1996). Figure 4 Relationship between resources, capabilities and performance Performance Capabilities Resources Source: Adapted from Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler (2007, p.253) Having outlined the theory of core competencies the following section will discuss its application on Ryanair. Assessing Ryanairs strategy through its core competencies 5.1 Waste minimisation and improvement making According to Lawton (1999) and Done (2004) Ryanairs core competencies are identified in its ability to discover and remove operations that do not add value to customers. Prices can be reduced when unnecessary processes are eradicated and/or improved. Pietfeld (2008) argues how the increase in efficiency is an activity that needs to move beyond the process of careful planning. Gillen and Lall (2004) argue that Ryanair has instilled an improvement-making strategy that resides in its corporate culture. This means, that employees can take real-time initiatives which are then evaluated and implemented by the management on the organisation as a whole (Leavy, 2003). Lawton (1999) argues that the management of the organisation remains unable to detect deficiencies as employees are the ones who have immediate contact with customers. Hence, the process of introducing quality improvements requires the necessary organisational structure to allow initiative-taking by employees whilst these are also supported by the management layer. According to OSullivan and Gunningle (2009) the literature on initiative-taking by employees remains subject to criticism. This is because employees can indicate areas of improvement but such suggestions may not be readily applicable. However, a core competency developed by Ryanair is the development of an organisational structure where the corporate culture allows them to take initiatives which are then institutionalised. The management is responsible for the development of the necessary regulations, policies and procedures that can accommodate initiatives (Barrett, 2004). The implication of this activity is that the firm is able to swiftly respond to the customers changing needs with little delay. This core competency remains difficult to copy by competitors because it resides within their existing work ethic and cultural values of employees that has matured over time. A criticism that is expressed against Ryanair, and in contrast to its effort to increase levels of efficiency, concerns the absence of unions that may exercise resistance to the managements growing demands. By increasing the array of responsibilities, employees are required to achieve performance targets, OSullivan and Gunningale (2009) argue that Ryanair has created excessive demands on employees that are not accounted for in their salary. 5.2 Utilisation of Resources A second core competence concerns Ryanairs ability to maximise the volume of customers travelling whilst increasing the number of routes offered. Barrett (2004) argues that the shorter turnaround times permit more journeys per day per plane which, coupled with the higher seat density of Ryanair planes, generate lower seat mile costs (p.92). Delays result to high maintenance costs in servicing aircrafts (Barrett, 2004). Such costs, in turn, can result in reducing the number of destinations offered in the first place. Gillen and Lall (2004) argue that a faster turn improves utilization of all factors of production such as aircraft, gates, ground equipment and labour (p.44). Ryanairs core competency concerns its capacity to maximise the utilisation of its aircrafts whilst also maximising the number of routes offered. However, such utilisation requires the management of the employees contribution for knowing how resources need to be managed. The exercise of knowledge and training remain task-specific. Employees understand how their contribution, at one segment in the business, can have a wider contribution on the companys performance as a whole. Ryanair demonstrates synergy in managing array of operations that include a) the management of its network routes, b) the punctuality with which aircrafts turnaround, and c) the employees capability to manage an increase in volume of passengers. Such understanding is embedded onto the employees. As Prahalad and Hamel (1990) argue, a competency remains difficult to replicate by competitors because it is context-specific, and subject to the tacit knowledge and skills produced in the first place. Ryanairs ability to utilise its resources whilst maintaining a cost leadership strategy results from the combination between the employees knowledge and the utilisation of its resources. Figure 5 illustrates the companys efforts to increase levels of efficiency between 2002 and 2003. A complementary dimension to the utilisation of resources is the creation of new destinations. Datamonitor (2010) argues that in January 2010, the company introduced 25 new routes to/from Alicante, Barcelona Reus, Barcelona Girona, Bratislava, Bristol, Cork, East Midlands, London Stansted, Milan Bergamo, and Pescara. In the following month, the company announced opening three new routes from Edinburgh to Faro, Marrakech, and Paris. It also launched six new routes to the Greek holiday destinations of Kos, Rhodes and Volos (p.6). The creation of new routes is subject to the companys core competencies for sustaining its cost-leadership strategy whilst expanding the destinations offered. This means that by attracting a larger volume of passengers travelling, Ryanair achieves economies of scales that help maximise its profit margins. By achieving a high seat-filling-capacity Ryanair can sustain its standard maintenance costs whilst improving on revenues. Moreover, such strategy can create barriers of entry to competitors (Dobruszkes, 2009). By gaining entry to the new network routes, other airline companies (e.g. Easy Jet, Air Lingus, etc) have greater difficulty in competing for the same destinations. Figure 5: Ryanair operating statistics between 2002 and 2003 Source: OHiggins in Johnson, et al. (2008, p.846). Conclusion The aim of this essay has been to explore Ryannairs strategic management practices. By making use of the theory of core competencies as developed by Prahalad and Hamel (1990) this essay argued for the companys cost-leadership strategy that is sustained through its efforts to minimise waste and improve efficiency. Even though Ryanairs business model has proved successful, at the same time, there is growing criticism regarding the evidence indicating the company undermining the quality of its customer service. Even though consumers continue to use Ryanair for its efficient service and low cost prices the company is struggling to avoid the mounting criticism concerning the introduction of hidden costs and lack of adequate customer service (Wood, 2004, Boru, 2006). This essay argued that the companys core competencies concentrate on improving levels of efficiency at the operational level. There are two areas in which this occurs. The first is by developing an organisational culture where employees are encouraged to take initiatives in order to reduce operations that do not add value to customers (OHiggins, 2009). The second area concerns Ryanairs ability to maximise the utilisation of resources whilst expanding on the number of destinations offered (Dobruszkes, 2009). According to Prahalad and Hamel (1990) it can be argued that Ryanairs business model remains difficult to copy by competitors because the synergies created are subject to the employees knowledge and experience. Such knowledge remains contextual and task specific.Such core competence is difficult to transfer by merely migrating the methods and tools used. However, this essay also argued that perceptions of value need to be reconsidered by Ryanair. This is because value is not only subject to the low cost prices offered but also to the quality of customer service which includes the companys attitude towards responding to complaints and avoiding the misrepresentation of information as well as hidden cost s. References Ansoff, H.I. (1984) Implanting Strategic Management. Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice Hall. Barrett, D. S. (2004) The sustainability of the Ryanair model, International Journal of Transport Management Vol.2, pp. 89-98 Boru, B. (2006) Ryanair: the Cu ´ Chulainn of civil aviation, Journal of Strategic Marketing, Vol.14, pp.45-55 Chaharbaghi, K. and Willis, R. (1998) Strategy: the missing link between continuous revolution and constant evolution, International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol.18, No.9/10, pp.1017-1027 Cunha, M.P.E. and Cunha J. V. Da (2006) Towards a Complexity Theory of Strategy, Management Decision, Vol.44, No.7, pp.839-850 Datamonitor (2010) Ryanair Holdings plc. Company Profile. London: Datamonitor Dobruszkes, F. (2009) New Europe, new low-cost air services, Journal of Transport Geography, Vol.17, pp.423-432 Done, K. (2004) Ryanair talks of disaster, but the low-cost revolution flies on, Financial Times, 7/8 February 2004. Gillen, D. and Lall, A. (2004) Competitive advantage of low-cost carriers: some implications for airports, Journal of Air Transport Management, Vol. 10 pp. 41-50 Goold, M. (1996) Learning, Planning, and Strategy: Extra Time, California Management Review, Vol. 38, Issue. 4. pp.100-102. Groom, B. (2004) Leaders of the new Europe: Business stars chart a course for the profits of the future, Financial Times, 20 April 2004 Grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸ler, A. (2007) A dynamic view on strategic resources and capabilities applied to an example from the manufacturing strategy literature, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 250-266 Hamel G. (1996) Strategy as Revolution. Harvard Business Review, Vol.74 Issue 4, pp. 69-82 Huettinger, M. (2006) Air Baltic and SAS a case study in the European airline industry, Baltic Journal of Management, Vol.1, No.2, pp.227-244 Johnson G, Scholes, K, Whittington, R. (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy. London: Prentice Hall Lawton, C. T. (1999) The Limits of Price Leadership: Needs-based Positioning Strategy and the Long-term Competitiveness of Europes Low Fare Airlines, Long Range Planning, Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 573-586 Leavy, B. (2003) Assessing your strategic alternative from both a market position and core competence perspective, Strategy and Leadership, Vol.31, No.6, pp.29-35, pp.29-35 Lidtka, J. (2000) In Defence of Strategy as Design. California Management Review. Vol.42. Issue3. pp.8-30 Malighetti, P. Paleari, S., Redondi, R. (2010) Has Ryanairs pricing strategy changed over time? An empirical analysis of its 2006-2007 flights, Tourism Management, Vol. 31, pp. 36-44 Mintel (2007) No-frills Low-cost Airlines, Mintel. Accessed online on 28 Oct.2010 from URL: www.mintel.co.uk Mintzberg, H. (1979) The Structuring of Organizations: A Synthesis of the Research. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Mintzberg, H. (1983) Power In and Around Organizations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Mintzberg, H. Ahlstrand, B. Lampel, J. (1998) Strategy Safari. New York, NY: The Free Press OHiggins, E. (2009) Ryanair in Johnson G, Scholes, K, Whittington, R. (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy. London: Prentice Hall, pp.833-852 OSullivan, M and Gunnigle, P. (2009) Bearing all the Hallmarks of Oppression. Union avoidance in Europes Largest Low-cost Airline, Labour Studies Journal, Pitfield, E. D. (2008) Some insights into competition between low-cost airlines, Research in Transportation Economics, Vol. 24, pp. 5-14 Pitt, R. M. and Brown, W. A. (2001) Developing a strategic direction for airports to enable the provision of services to both network and low-fare carriers, Facilities, Vol.19, No.1/2, pp.52-60 Porter, M. E. (1980) Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York: Free Press Porter, M. E. (1985) Competitive advantage. New York: The Free Press. Porter, M. E. (1987) From competitive advantage to corporate strategy. Harvard Business Review. Vol. 65, Issue 3, pp.62-79 Porter, M. E. (1996) What is strategy? Harvard Business Review, Vol.74. Issue 6. pp. 61-78 Prahalad, C. K. and Hamel, G. (1990) The Core Competence of the Corporation, Harvard Business Review, Vol.68, Issue 3. pp. 79-91 Prahalad, C. K. and Hamel, G. (1990) The Core Competence of the Corporation, Harvard Business Review, Vol.68, Issue 3. pp. 79-91 Prahalad, C. K. and Hamel, G. (1994) Strategy as a field of study: Why search for a new paradigm, Strategic Management Journal, Vol.16, pp.5-16 Raduan, C. R, Jegak, U., Jegak, U., Haslinda, A., Alimin , I. I (2009) Management, Strategic Management Theories and the Linkage with Organizational Competitive Advantage from the Resource-Based View European Journal of Social Sciences Volume 11, Number 3, pp.402-418 Strategic Direction (2006) Easyjet and Ryanair flying high on the Southwest model. Charting the ups and downs of low cost carriers. Strategic Direction Vol.22, No.6, pp.18-21 Strategic Direction (2007a) Industrious times at British Airways and Ryanair. Winning the battle for the skies, Strategic Direction, Vol.20, No.4, pp.4-6 Strategic Direction (2007b) Employees come first at high-flying Soughtwest Airlines. Model contrasts with Ryanair approach to low-cost aviation. Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol.15, No.4, pp.5-7 Strategic Direction (2007c) Flight or flight. Ryanair, Southwest Airlines and post-merger US Airways and America West, Strategic Direction, Vol.23, No.1, npp.12-15 Wood, E. G. (2004) Who pays for wheelchairs?, Institute of Economic Affairs, pp. 60-61 Appendixes

The theme of the novel Russlander (By Sandra Birdsell) :: essays research papers

The October revolution of 1917 in Russia was a turning point that defined Russia as a nation. It was one of the most dramatic events in the history of the Russia that had completely changed the lives of the people at that time. The Russlander by Sandra Birdsell describes the live of a girl who was raised on a wealthy Mennonite estate. It seemed like her parents were ignoring all the troubles in the outside world, living a happy life together. But nothing lasts forever, and their happiness ended with the start of the revolution. At that time Katya was only 16 years old. Just like many people at that time she lost her family and friends, who were killed by the Bolsheviks. The conflict with the new leaders of the country started when her father refused to pay taxes and support his country, and ended with this horrible tragedy. Katya had lost everything that her family owned and was forced to move to another country, where she had to start a new life from scratch. Even though she had relatives living in Canada, it was not an easy task. Just like other immigrants to Canada, she had to face many difficulties, like the learning of the new language, and adapting to the new lifestyle. Many years later, she came back to her homeland to visit the places she grew up in. After more than fifty years she still remembered the tragedy that suddenly ended the happy life of her family. People should value other things, besides money and their estate. Everyone should show more love and attention to the members of their family, because nothing can be compared to the importance of the family to any person in the world. It is unfortunate that in many cases, people realize how important their family is after they lose one or more of their relatives.

The Power of One Character Analysis

The close of the school year returns our hero to his beloved Nanny who listens to his tale of torture and who introduces the first flavor of Africa to the western reader; she summons the great Inkosi-Inkosikazi, a medicine man who will cure the boy of the â€Å"night water. † Nanny tells the boy's story with all the eloquence of the great storytellers while Inkosi-Inkosikazi and the others listen. Even our hero is in awe: â€Å"I can tell you one thing, I was mighty impressed that any person, most of all me, could go through such a harrowing experience. 6 All is set for the night; the chickens have been put through their magic, our hero has had his sweet potato, and it is time for him to meet Inkosi-Inkosikazi in his dreams. When this happens, our hero is shown a quiet place to which he can return in times of trouble. He does this later in the book when he feels a crisis. In the morning, the night water problem has been solved and Inkosi-Inkosikazi presents the boy with the s crawniest of the chickens. He is named Granpa Chook. This chapter is significant for several reasons. As an introduction to the bildungsroman style, our hero is situated in a time and a place.His early tribulations are addressed and he is given weapons to deal with them. His ability to think things over is revealed, and the chapter ends with one hurdle overcome and the boy set to begin another year at boarding school. This time, though, he has the magic of Inkosi-Inkosikazi and Granpa Chook, â€Å"the first living creature over which I had held power. † 7 He is learning that there are ways to cope with injustice. Just as he had decided to remain invisible, our hero learns that there is strength inside of him and that he can summon that strength when needed.He is able to find ways to survive the Judge and other oppressors. This gives hope to any reader who has felt himself the underdog. As the novel progresses, our hero's ability to rise to the surface despite how different he is to his companions tells the reader that we are all unique and that the power of each one can overcome daunting odds. The above material should serve as the basis for one class discussion. For each chapter, the teacher should examine what is essential to fuel the discussion. This next portion of the narrative will concentrate on the ransitional points in Peekay's development and the instances in which politics affect his life and environment. The remainder of the first section of Book 1, which will be evaluated through a written assessment (see Appendix C) takes Peekay on a journey to his new home in Barberton. Peekay finishes his time at boarding school where he learns to adapt to the Judge and his â€Å"storm troopers† by doing the Judge's homework in hopes that the older boy will graduate and be out of his life. The Judge has carved a crude swastika on his arm.He agrees to allow Pisskop and Granpa Chook live until he passes math and then says Hitler will surely deal wit h them and they will be dead meat. This plan is altered when Pisskop refuses to eat the turds the Judge forces into his hands and Granpa Chook defecates in the howling Judge's mouth. He and the storm troopers beat the bird to death, leaving our hero to bury and mourn his only companion. The school term ends, the Judge departs, and Mevrou, who, interestingly, also addresses our hero as Pisskop, prepares him for the journey to his new home by brusquely informing him that he will take the train alone.Free from the Judge, yet mourning the loss of Granpa Chook, they set out. When they meet Harry Crown, the Jew who sells them tackies, the man is appalled at the boy's name and suggests â€Å"Peekay† which our hero gratefully accepts. Thus far, Peekay has been loved by his Zulu nanny, despised by his Afrikaner schoolmates and subjected to the cruelties of budding Nazis, and treated kindly by a Jewish storekeeper. The next step involves Mevrou's emotionless parting from the boy when s he consigns him to the care of the railway.Then Peekay meets Hoppie Groenewald with whom he travels and who treats him as an individual and a friend. â€Å"Hoppie Groenewald was to prove to be a passing mentor who would set the next seventeen years of my life on an irrevocable course. He would do so in little more than a day and a night. † 8 He introduces Peekay to boxing and brings him to his match where the boy is put under the care of Big Hettie, an aging, overweight Irish women who literally kills herself with food. She is the subject of her own drama which unfolds in the following chapter. Peekay learns from Hoppie that he is a worthwhile person.He learns that there is a goal in each life and to reach that goal one must focus. The most important piece of information he learns, though, is that the power of one can conquer. The child's mind takes in this crucial information along with his heart's response to the genuine kindness of the first person who seems to care about him since Nanny. To his dismay, he awakens the morning after the fight to find a note from Hoppie who has left the train. It contains the advice, â€Å"first with the head, then with the heart,† 9 which Peekay follows in all his future endeavors.This section of Peekay's journey allows characters from several different backgrounds to make their impressions on the boy. The threat of Hitler is somewhat removed, but the marked inequality in the way different groups of people are treated unfolds. From Peekay's embarrassment at Hoppie Groenewald seeing his circumcised penis and fearing that he will despise him because he is English, to hearing the beautiful Indian lady with the diamond in her tooth referred to as a â€Å"coolie,† Peekay is constantly made aware that people in this society are unrelenting in their notion of social hierarchy.This baffles the boy who sees everyone as the same. But how did he become the egalitarian child who grew into the freedom fighter? His be ginnings show him with a bland and ineffectual mother who has a nervous breakdown and is essentially removed from his life. His nanny is the most important person in his small world. Granpa is kindly but vague. These conditions could account for the boy's acceptance of the blacks in his world, but how does it come about that he also accepts the other disdained groups? While he fears the Judge and his henchmen, he does not profess to despise all other Afrikaners.He takes to Harry Crown and is fascinated by the Indian woman. The key to this acceptance is in his nature as a person and his early experiences. At school he is made into the outcast. For no reason other than his heritage, the boy is punished, humiliated, and threatened with death. He is bewildered, not understanding why he has been singled out this way, yet he does not see his treatment as an injustice in the beginning. His reaction is to try to blend in and remain impervious to the tortures with which he lives.The result o f forcing this under the surface is that he becomes a bed wetter. The interesting point here is the cure; Nanny sets out to cure the boy in the only way she knows how. The acceptance into her culture without question or prejudice enlarges the boy's capacity to understand that all humans are part of the same whole. He communes with Inkosi-Inkosikazi in his dream and is linked to the older man's culture. This early understanding of the interconnection between all people is what allows the boy to incorporate anyone he meets into his world, his space, and his family.The people who do not fit well are individuals who have strayed from the whole, those such as the Judge and Lt. Borman. These people must be dealt with but they are not representative of their entire race and do not engender hatred from Peekay as such; he can discern them as blotches on the whole of humanity and deal with them appropriately. This maturity is what all intelligent people strive for, hoping to assess an individ ual and his actions and not mistake the work of one person as representative of an entire race or ethnic group.Peekay seems to exude the feeling of common brotherhood without consciously striving to communicate it, unlike Pastor Mulvery, who is portrayed as being as sincere as he is intellectually able, yet projecting all of his acquired ideals and dogma in a sickeningly conscious manner. Peekay reflects the world around him. He is everyman and everyman is his brother. Through his actions, Peekay speaks to the world around him and those who inhabit it answer him in kind. Throughout the book there are subtle distinctions between the competing Afrikaners and the English, referred to by the Judge as the â€Å"verdomde rooineks,† or â€Å"damned rednecks. Characters toss off ethnic references and racial epithets as a matter of everyday speech, such as, â€Å"I will tell Hoppie Groenewald you behaved like a proper Boer, a real white man,† 10 and â€Å". . . my mother was always getting splitting headaches because she was a white woman and like Nanny said, it was a very hard thing to be. † 11 Peekay is essentially colorblind. To him, his Nanny is the most important person in the world. His mother is simply the woman who gave birth to him. Without a father, his grandfather is an bsent-minded, distant personage who has little influence on the boy's life. All the figures in Peekay's life at this point, save the Judge, are adults, and it matters little whether they are Zulu, Shangaan, Afrikaner, Jewish, Indian, or â€Å"verdomde rooinek. † To Peekay they are all people, each one an entity to examine and understand; sometimes to fear and sometimes to love. The combination of a child's point of view with the adult narrator's reflection on these memories frames the picture for the reader, creating a universal point of view for global readers of all ages.After the disappointment of finding his mother under the religious spell of Pastor Mulvery, Peekay discovers that Nanny has been sent back to Zululand because she would not forsake her beliefs for the Christian religion. Peekay's life would have been unbearably bleak if he hadn't met Doc. Chapter Nine brings a breath of hope, both intellectual and aesthetic, into Peekay's life. Instead of remaining in the stifling company of his mother and Pastor Mulvery with the â€Å"escaping teeth,† Peekay has found a mind and heart to nurture his own.His loneliness birds are at bay, and he realizes, at age six, that one can be alone but not lonely. In this part of the book, organized Christianity is portrayed as something to be avoided. None of the characters who embrace the Apostolic Faith Mission seems to be very bright. The whole question of what happens in heaven is almost funny, except that the only response to the little white girl's query about whether the blacks will still work for the whites is for Pastor Mulvery to tell her that nobody works in heaven.He sidesteps the entire issue of equality and leans toward the â€Å"separate but equal† stance held in the United States. Doc, in contrast, who is a German citizen and therefore perceived as a threat to society, is the most spiritual character in the book; it is he who unwraps the beauty of the natural world for Peekay. In Courtenay's world, those interested in war and politics are definitely less valuable than those who embrace nature. In the second half of Book 1, Peekay grows from age 6 to 12. His relationship with Doc is the longest and most fruitful of any of his mentors.World War II begins and Doc is imprisoned for being an unregistered German. The injustice spreads as Peekay tries to intervene and is kicked in the jaw and touted as a hero who brought down a suspected traitor. When he comes to in the hospital, his broken jaw wired shut, Peekay is appalled at the report and relies on Mrs. Boxall, his friend and the town librarian, to sort it out and vindicate him. Peekay's observation o f the treatment of the prisoners and the racial prejudice of the prison officials only strengthens his feelings of the necessity for equal rights and education for everyone.He does not think of himself as English; he is South African. Doc accepts his internment graciously, as he is allowed full freedom of movement in the prison and is allowed to have a cactus garden. There is a hierarchy among the prisoners as well. In every collection of humans who must coexist at close quarters there will be some order that emerges or that is imposed. Think of Lord of the Flies or The Admirable Crichton. Power struggles exist among any group of people. Seeing the power that Peekay attains without his seeking it points to the power inside him; the power of one person to make a change.This reinforces the notion that the one who should be held as an example is the one who does not seek power. This is more clearly illustrated in later chapters. The character of Geel Piet could fill an entire book. His relevance to the theme of Peekay's story lies in his role as a symbol of the downtrodden, poor bastard. He has lived a life of crime, but he is not all bad. He has learned to function within the system to accept what he cannot change. His legacy is: Peekay's success, the eight-punch combination, and the music that Doc dedicated to him.Peekay's boxing progresses, his musical abilities, although not masterful, proceed, and his academic career flourishes, due largely to his tutoring by Doc, Mrs. Boxall, and extra help from his teacher, Miss Bornstein, on whom he develops a crush. By the end of Book 1, Peekay has realized the enormity of the inequality of his country. His comprehension has grown from his early fear of Hitler coming to kill him and Granpa Chook to a resolve to continue to fight racial hatred and promote equality for all. The Power of One Character Analysis The close of the school year returns our hero to his beloved Nanny who listens to his tale of torture and who introduces the first flavor of Africa to the western reader; she summons the great Inkosi-Inkosikazi, a medicine man who will cure the boy of the â€Å"night water. † Nanny tells the boy's story with all the eloquence of the great storytellers while Inkosi-Inkosikazi and the others listen. Even our hero is in awe: â€Å"I can tell you one thing, I was mighty impressed that any person, most of all me, could go through such a harrowing experience. 6 All is set for the night; the chickens have been put through their magic, our hero has had his sweet potato, and it is time for him to meet Inkosi-Inkosikazi in his dreams. When this happens, our hero is shown a quiet place to which he can return in times of trouble. He does this later in the book when he feels a crisis. In the morning, the night water problem has been solved and Inkosi-Inkosikazi presents the boy with the s crawniest of the chickens. He is named Granpa Chook. This chapter is significant for several reasons. As an introduction to the bildungsroman style, our hero is situated in a time and a place.His early tribulations are addressed and he is given weapons to deal with them. His ability to think things over is revealed, and the chapter ends with one hurdle overcome and the boy set to begin another year at boarding school. This time, though, he has the magic of Inkosi-Inkosikazi and Granpa Chook, â€Å"the first living creature over which I had held power. † 7 He is learning that there are ways to cope with injustice. Just as he had decided to remain invisible, our hero learns that there is strength inside of him and that he can summon that strength when needed.He is able to find ways to survive the Judge and other oppressors. This gives hope to any reader who has felt himself the underdog. As the novel progresses, our hero's ability to rise to the surface despite how different he is to his companions tells the reader that we are all unique and that the power of each one can overcome daunting odds. The above material should serve as the basis for one class discussion. For each chapter, the teacher should examine what is essential to fuel the discussion. This next portion of the narrative will concentrate on the ransitional points in Peekay's development and the instances in which politics affect his life and environment. The remainder of the first section of Book 1, which will be evaluated through a written assessment (see Appendix C) takes Peekay on a journey to his new home in Barberton. Peekay finishes his time at boarding school where he learns to adapt to the Judge and his â€Å"storm troopers† by doing the Judge's homework in hopes that the older boy will graduate and be out of his life. The Judge has carved a crude swastika on his arm.He agrees to allow Pisskop and Granpa Chook live until he passes math and then says Hitler will surely deal wit h them and they will be dead meat. This plan is altered when Pisskop refuses to eat the turds the Judge forces into his hands and Granpa Chook defecates in the howling Judge's mouth. He and the storm troopers beat the bird to death, leaving our hero to bury and mourn his only companion. The school term ends, the Judge departs, and Mevrou, who, interestingly, also addresses our hero as Pisskop, prepares him for the journey to his new home by brusquely informing him that he will take the train alone.Free from the Judge, yet mourning the loss of Granpa Chook, they set out. When they meet Harry Crown, the Jew who sells them tackies, the man is appalled at the boy's name and suggests â€Å"Peekay† which our hero gratefully accepts. Thus far, Peekay has been loved by his Zulu nanny, despised by his Afrikaner schoolmates and subjected to the cruelties of budding Nazis, and treated kindly by a Jewish storekeeper. The next step involves Mevrou's emotionless parting from the boy when s he consigns him to the care of the railway.Then Peekay meets Hoppie Groenewald with whom he travels and who treats him as an individual and a friend. â€Å"Hoppie Groenewald was to prove to be a passing mentor who would set the next seventeen years of my life on an irrevocable course. He would do so in little more than a day and a night. † 8 He introduces Peekay to boxing and brings him to his match where the boy is put under the care of Big Hettie, an aging, overweight Irish women who literally kills herself with food. She is the subject of her own drama which unfolds in the following chapter. Peekay learns from Hoppie that he is a worthwhile person.He learns that there is a goal in each life and to reach that goal one must focus. The most important piece of information he learns, though, is that the power of one can conquer. The child's mind takes in this crucial information along with his heart's response to the genuine kindness of the first person who seems to care about him since Nanny. To his dismay, he awakens the morning after the fight to find a note from Hoppie who has left the train. It contains the advice, â€Å"first with the head, then with the heart,† 9 which Peekay follows in all his future endeavors.This section of Peekay's journey allows characters from several different backgrounds to make their impressions on the boy. The threat of Hitler is somewhat removed, but the marked inequality in the way different groups of people are treated unfolds. From Peekay's embarrassment at Hoppie Groenewald seeing his circumcised penis and fearing that he will despise him because he is English, to hearing the beautiful Indian lady with the diamond in her tooth referred to as a â€Å"coolie,† Peekay is constantly made aware that people in this society are unrelenting in their notion of social hierarchy.This baffles the boy who sees everyone as the same. But how did he become the egalitarian child who grew into the freedom fighter? His be ginnings show him with a bland and ineffectual mother who has a nervous breakdown and is essentially removed from his life. His nanny is the most important person in his small world. Granpa is kindly but vague. These conditions could account for the boy's acceptance of the blacks in his world, but how does it come about that he also accepts the other disdained groups? While he fears the Judge and his henchmen, he does not profess to despise all other Afrikaners.He takes to Harry Crown and is fascinated by the Indian woman. The key to this acceptance is in his nature as a person and his early experiences. At school he is made into the outcast. For no reason other than his heritage, the boy is punished, humiliated, and threatened with death. He is bewildered, not understanding why he has been singled out this way, yet he does not see his treatment as an injustice in the beginning. His reaction is to try to blend in and remain impervious to the tortures with which he lives.The result o f forcing this under the surface is that he becomes a bed wetter. The interesting point here is the cure; Nanny sets out to cure the boy in the only way she knows how. The acceptance into her culture without question or prejudice enlarges the boy's capacity to understand that all humans are part of the same whole. He communes with Inkosi-Inkosikazi in his dream and is linked to the older man's culture. This early understanding of the interconnection between all people is what allows the boy to incorporate anyone he meets into his world, his space, and his family.The people who do not fit well are individuals who have strayed from the whole, those such as the Judge and Lt. Borman. These people must be dealt with but they are not representative of their entire race and do not engender hatred from Peekay as such; he can discern them as blotches on the whole of humanity and deal with them appropriately. This maturity is what all intelligent people strive for, hoping to assess an individ ual and his actions and not mistake the work of one person as representative of an entire race or ethnic group.Peekay seems to exude the feeling of common brotherhood without consciously striving to communicate it, unlike Pastor Mulvery, who is portrayed as being as sincere as he is intellectually able, yet projecting all of his acquired ideals and dogma in a sickeningly conscious manner. Peekay reflects the world around him. He is everyman and everyman is his brother. Through his actions, Peekay speaks to the world around him and those who inhabit it answer him in kind. Throughout the book there are subtle distinctions between the competing Afrikaners and the English, referred to by the Judge as the â€Å"verdomde rooineks,† or â€Å"damned rednecks. Characters toss off ethnic references and racial epithets as a matter of everyday speech, such as, â€Å"I will tell Hoppie Groenewald you behaved like a proper Boer, a real white man,† 10 and â€Å". . . my mother was always getting splitting headaches because she was a white woman and like Nanny said, it was a very hard thing to be. † 11 Peekay is essentially colorblind. To him, his Nanny is the most important person in the world. His mother is simply the woman who gave birth to him. Without a father, his grandfather is an bsent-minded, distant personage who has little influence on the boy's life. All the figures in Peekay's life at this point, save the Judge, are adults, and it matters little whether they are Zulu, Shangaan, Afrikaner, Jewish, Indian, or â€Å"verdomde rooinek. † To Peekay they are all people, each one an entity to examine and understand; sometimes to fear and sometimes to love. The combination of a child's point of view with the adult narrator's reflection on these memories frames the picture for the reader, creating a universal point of view for global readers of all ages.After the disappointment of finding his mother under the religious spell of Pastor Mulvery, Peekay discovers that Nanny has been sent back to Zululand because she would not forsake her beliefs for the Christian religion. Peekay's life would have been unbearably bleak if he hadn't met Doc. Chapter Nine brings a breath of hope, both intellectual and aesthetic, into Peekay's life. Instead of remaining in the stifling company of his mother and Pastor Mulvery with the â€Å"escaping teeth,† Peekay has found a mind and heart to nurture his own.His loneliness birds are at bay, and he realizes, at age six, that one can be alone but not lonely. In this part of the book, organized Christianity is portrayed as something to be avoided. None of the characters who embrace the Apostolic Faith Mission seems to be very bright. The whole question of what happens in heaven is almost funny, except that the only response to the little white girl's query about whether the blacks will still work for the whites is for Pastor Mulvery to tell her that nobody works in heaven.He sidesteps the entire issue of equality and leans toward the â€Å"separate but equal† stance held in the United States. Doc, in contrast, who is a German citizen and therefore perceived as a threat to society, is the most spiritual character in the book; it is he who unwraps the beauty of the natural world for Peekay. In Courtenay's world, those interested in war and politics are definitely less valuable than those who embrace nature. In the second half of Book 1, Peekay grows from age 6 to 12. His relationship with Doc is the longest and most fruitful of any of his mentors.World War II begins and Doc is imprisoned for being an unregistered German. The injustice spreads as Peekay tries to intervene and is kicked in the jaw and touted as a hero who brought down a suspected traitor. When he comes to in the hospital, his broken jaw wired shut, Peekay is appalled at the report and relies on Mrs. Boxall, his friend and the town librarian, to sort it out and vindicate him. Peekay's observation o f the treatment of the prisoners and the racial prejudice of the prison officials only strengthens his feelings of the necessity for equal rights and education for everyone.He does not think of himself as English; he is South African. Doc accepts his internment graciously, as he is allowed full freedom of movement in the prison and is allowed to have a cactus garden. There is a hierarchy among the prisoners as well. In every collection of humans who must coexist at close quarters there will be some order that emerges or that is imposed. Think of Lord of the Flies or The Admirable Crichton. Power struggles exist among any group of people. Seeing the power that Peekay attains without his seeking it points to the power inside him; the power of one person to make a change.This reinforces the notion that the one who should be held as an example is the one who does not seek power. This is more clearly illustrated in later chapters. The character of Geel Piet could fill an entire book. His relevance to the theme of Peekay's story lies in his role as a symbol of the downtrodden, poor bastard. He has lived a life of crime, but he is not all bad. He has learned to function within the system to accept what he cannot change. His legacy is: Peekay's success, the eight-punch combination, and the music that Doc dedicated to him.Peekay's boxing progresses, his musical abilities, although not masterful, proceed, and his academic career flourishes, due largely to his tutoring by Doc, Mrs. Boxall, and extra help from his teacher, Miss Bornstein, on whom he develops a crush. By the end of Book 1, Peekay has realized the enormity of the inequality of his country. His comprehension has grown from his early fear of Hitler coming to kill him and Granpa Chook to a resolve to continue to fight racial hatred and promote equality for all.