Friday, December 27, 2019

Pteranodon Facts and Figures

Despite what many people think, there wasnt a single species of pterosaur called a pterodactyl. The pterodactyloids were actually a large suborder of avian reptiles that included such creatures as Pteranodon, Pterodactylus and the truly enormous Quetzalcoatlus, the largest winged animal in earths history; pterodactyloids were anatomically different from the earlier, smaller rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs that dominated the Jurassic period. Wingspan of Close to 20 Feet Still, if theres one specific pterosaur that folks have in mind when they say pterodactyl, its Pteranodon. This large, late Cretaceous pterosaur attained wingspans of close to 20 feet, though its wings were made of skin rather than feathers; its other vaguely birdlike characteristics included (possibly) webbed feet and a toothless beak. Weirdly, the prominent, foot-long crest of Pteranodon males was actually part of its skull--and may have functioned as a combination rudder and mating display. Pteranodon was only distantly related to prehistoric birds, which evolved not from pterosaurs but from small, feathered dinosaurs. Primarily a Glider Paleontologists arent certain exactly how, or how often, Pteranodon moved through the air. Most researchers believe this pterosaur was primarily a glider, though its not inconceivable that it actively flapped its wings every now and then, and the prominent crest on top of its head may (or may not) have helped stabilize it during flight. Theres also the distant possibility that Pteranodon took to the air only rarely, instead of spending most of its time stalking the ground on two feet, like the contemporary raptors and tyrannosaurs of its late Cretaceous North American habitat. Males Were Much Bigger Than Females There is only one valid species of Pteranodon, P. longiceps, the males of which were much bigger than the females (this sexual dimorphism may help to account for some of the early confusion about the number of Pteranodon species). We can tell that the smaller specimens are female because of their wide pelvic canals, a clear adaption for laying eggs, while the males had much bigger and more prominent crests, as well as larger wingspans of 18 feet (compared to about 12 feet for females). The Bone Wars Amusingly, Pteranodon figured prominently in the Bone Wars, the late 19th-century feud between the eminent American paleontologists Othniel C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. Marsh had the honor of excavating the first undisputed Pteranodon fossil, in Kansas in 1870, but Cope followed soon afterward with discoveries in the same locality. The problem is, Marsh initially classified his Pteranodon specimen as a species of Pterodactylus, while Cope erected the new genus Ornithochirus, accidentally leaving out an all-important e (clearly, he had meant to lump his finds in with the already-named Ornithocheirus). By the time the dust had (literally) settled, Marsh emerged as the winner, and when he corrected his error vis-a-vis Pterodactylus, his new name Pteranodon was the one that stuck in the official pterosaur record books. Name: Pteranodon (Greek for toothless wing); pronounced teh-RAN-oh-don; often called the pterodactylHabitat: Shores of North AmericaHistorical Period: Late Cretaceous (85-75 million years ago)Size and Weight: Wingspan of 18 feet and 20-30 poundsDiet: FishDistinguishing Characteristics: Large wingspan; prominent crest on males; lack of teeth

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Huckleberry Finn American Literature And Culture

Ariella Kerendian English: American Literature and Culture The Boy Who Couldn’t Tell the Truth As kids grow and mature through the different stages of life, they live through experiences which help them create a moral and ethical identity for themselves, based on honorable values. Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are the first kids depicted in American literature, and through them, Mark Twain develops the concept of kid, by having them participate in comical manipulation and deception. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has two principal lies, imaginative lying and deceitful lying. Lying and deceit are central themes Twain uses to develop the blueprint of a child. Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and the King and Duke involve themselves in†¦show more content†¦Huck and Tom mastered the definition of youth; savage, fearless, adventure loving, witty, clever, and masters of their environment by means of lying. A lie is described as â€Å"a false statement or action, especially one made with intent to deceit others†, and this definition is brilliantly depicted through Twain’s characters within the novel. Huckleberry and Tom are portrayed as youthful fourteen year olds, while one is characterized as a kid, the other is considered a child, respectively. While they are similar, there are distinguishing difference between a kid and child. Tom Sawyer is the perfect child character. Mark Twain highlights Tom’s character as a perfect depiction of a child; a vivid imagination, as he portrays what he reads in books to his imagination. Being the leader of his gang, Tom was regarded with respect as he mastered a leadership role all kids aspire towards. Tom grew up in a civilized home, where he was to behave properly and politely, yet he was still a free-natured kid that loved risk and adventure. Tom was daring, imaginative, and inventive, and he created an imaginative world of robbery and fun, a world where no one actually got hurt as he explains, â€Å"We played robber†¦we hadn’t robbed nobody, we hadn’t killed any peopl e, but only just pretend† (41). His lies were just plain fun, with no intended harm, but his own amusement, showing thatShow MoreRelatedMark Twain : Seeing America s Flaws1593 Words   |  7 Pagesbook, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Samuel L. Clemens, as a young boy, grew up on the Mississippi and learned the ways of southern society. Clemens grew up to travel the world and write many successful and failed novels, along with many other types of literature. Receiving his education on the Mississippi, Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn which pointed out the flaws of America and became masterpieces in American Literature. Samuel L. ClemensRead MoreEssay on Prejudice and Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn833 Words   |  4 PagesPrejudice and Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is an excellent example of racism in literature, because it uses language describing African Americans which goes beyond satire.   It treats them as objects and perpetuates stereotypes. It does not expose and deal with racism, as many advocates of its reading claim, but encourages an attitude of superiority that is unnecessary and intolerable. In order to ridRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay1571 Words   |  7 Pagescontroversial novel; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn had a great way of capturing moments in time and bringing them to life through the use of meaningful and direct diction. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a vexed novel for it s a use of the â€Å"N-word†. However, many scholars and associations have devised a â€Å"solution† for this problem such as, completely banning the book, creating sanitized versions, or even replacing the book for another American literature novel. â€Å"What is so wrong about thisRead MoreShould the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Be Required in Shcool?983 Words   |  4 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be required in school? Mark Twain’s â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† is said to be one of the greatest American novels to ever be written and is what all other pieces of American literature are based off of. The novel has been debated for over an entire century and will continue to be debated for much longer. Never the less, Huckleberry Finn teaches young students and adults the important life lessons. †The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain shouldRead MoreRegionalisms Impacts on America, Especially The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain651 Words   |  3 Pageswith unique settings and accents. In American literature, Regionalism was invented to better convey the aspects of one region in a novel. Regionalisms impact on America can be measured through its popularity in the 1930s, unique writing style, and ongoing influence on writers today (Brooks 1960). According to the Oxford Dictionary, Regionalism refers to Regional quality, character, or distinctiveness; regionality; esp. the expression of this in literature, art, etc.(Oxford Dictionary, 2014) WhileRead MoreAnalysis Of Mark Twain s Works Made A Huge Impact On Readers And Literary Critics1288 Words   |  6 Pages2/26/17 P:2 Outline Mark Twain’s works made a huge impact on readers and literary critics. His writing occurred during both the romantic and realist time eras in American Literature. He has simple, seemingly artless narrators and an understated style leads readers to arrive at the social commentary of his narratives on their own. Mark Twain’s writing influenced society because he created a new perspective on life with the views pointed out in his books. The distinctive trait of Twain s was hisRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Too Offensive For School?880 Words   |  4 PagesHuckleberry Finn too Offensive for School? A widely debated topic concerning, Mark Twain’s classic Huckleberry Finn centers on its content which may or may not be too offensive to be allowed on public school reading lists. The NAACP and concerned parents want Huckleberry Finn â€Å"removed from mandatory reading lists, for the books damaging effects on African-American students† (Hentoff 98). The book did not get removed; in â€Å"1998 Judge Reinhardt wrote: ‘an important part of education is thinking criticallyRead MoreAmerican Experience in Huck Finn1737 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"All modern American Literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn..† claimed Ernest Hemingway, a American author and journalist. This quote represents the idea and perception of Huckleberry Finn as a defining moment in American Literature, a time when a new culture was being formed west of the Atlantic that had many different subjects and characteristics than that of the literature in Europe. Wh at makes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn so original and such a representationRead MoreThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain870 Words   |  3 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,† by Mark Twain, is considered to be one of the greatest American works of art. The novel was published in 1885 and was â€Å"one book from which all modern American literature† came (Ernest Hemingway). The novel was so powerful because it introduced new ideas into book such as the vernacular language and strong expression of racism. As being one of the greatest American novels, it was one of the most controversial. This novel has faced banishment from schools andRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned1404 Words   |  6 PagesWhy The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned â€Å"Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight,† Stephen Chbosky. Books open up people’s minds to new ideas and allow people to the world in a new light. Banning books only makes one want to read those books more- to learn and poder over the controversial issues. One controversially banned novel is the The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This book while still

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Case Study about Project Management

Question: Discuss about the effectiveness of project management. Different tools of project management are evaluated and challenges in implementation of the project have been analyzed as per the requirements of the project Palm Trees Spa? Answer: Introduction Project management is of the great essence of the success of business firms. The given business report will highlight about the project of Palm Trees Spa, which is a resort. The primary function of the given project is to fulfill the desired level of customer satisfaction with the help of online reservation system. The effectiveness of the tools of project management will determine the success of the given project (Young, 2013). Background and principles of project management There is a long history of the evaluation of project management. The concept of project management has evolved in the late 19th century due to the complexities of manufacturing and transportation process. One of the biggest examples of project management was the transcontinental road back in 1862. However, the modern tools and techniques of project management evolved after 1900. Gantt chart considered be to a modern tool of project management is named after Henry Gantt. On the other hand, the critical path method was designed by two organizations namely, Remington and DuPont. United States Navy developed the concept of the pert chart. All the mentioned organizations and people have a great contribution to the aspect of project management. Therefore, this reflects that different organizational bodies had developed different modern principles and approaches of project management (Maller and Saderland, 2015). Different types of principles of management are present that the project of Palm Trees Spa can implement. The success criteria of the project of Palm Trees Spa will depend upon the application and implementation of the project management principles. Proper and effective business justification- The success criteria of the project will depend upon the overall justification of the project. The given justification of the project will vary upon the financial justification and outcomes of the project management. In addition to this, it is of a great essence for the firm to make the project validated on the eyes of the stakeholders. If the project is not financially viable and stable, then, it is not possible for the project manager to guide the project to its desired success (Morris, 2013). Effectively designed roles of the project manager- The role and function of project manager determines whether the project will succeed or not. It is of a great essence for the project manager to communicate with all its team members effectively. In addition to this, the respective manager needs to have all the desired leadership skills to motivate his fellow team members. There must be a proper clarity in his role so that the flow of work takes place effectively. In addition to this, the project manager must have a problem solving skill to solve all the issues around the project. Several stages of project management- It is great essence for a project manager to follow several stages to carry out the activities of the project. These stages can be in the form of the planning stage, implementation stage, coordinating stage and controlling stage. The project manager needs to divide all the activities of the project through proper monitoring tools of project management. The completion of each stage will determine the success criteria of the next stage (Serpella et al. 2014) Clear aims and objectives- It is of a great essence for a project manager to have a clear set of aims and objectives of the project. The critical path activities and network model of the project will depend upon the aims and objectives of the given project. For example, in case of the given project of Palm Trees Spa, the main objective is to create an online platform for customer booking to meet the needs and requirements of all the customers Analysis of external and internal environment of the project- It is important for the project manager to analyze the internal and external factors associated with the project before allocating all the respective activities to the project. The internal environment includes SWOT analysis of the project, and external analysis reflects the Pestle analysis of the project. If the project fails in terms of analyzing the desired tools of internal and external analysis, then, the project will not attain its success. Learning from experience- The manager needs to learn from his experience to integrate all the activities of the project effectively. These are the required principles of project management that is also applicable in the given case of Palm Trees Spa project. B) Success and failure criteria of the project Palm Trees Spa The success and failure criteria of the project can be evaluated with the assist of several elements. These are in the form of economic, financial, technical, environmental and socio-political viability. It is further evaluated with the assist of the following table:- Success/ failure criteria of the project Palm Trees Spa Economic viability The given resources meets the needs of the customers in a timely manner Financial viability The given project is at par with the desired budget of the project manager Technical viability Interactive website and online reservation system is running efficiently Environmental viability The given system do not have any environmental aspect of the society Socio-political viability The project is at par with the social and political aspects of the society. Table 1: Success/ failure criteria of the project Palm Trees Spa The above table reflects the success and failure criteria of the given project of Palm Trees Spa. If the concerned project meets the required guidelines, then the project will be considered as successful and vice versa. In addition to this, the viability of the project can be easily appraised with implementation of the tools required for success criteria and meeting the needs and objectives of the project (Zavadskas et al. 2012) Principles behind the setting of systems and projects to implement the given resources of the project There are several principles that are present behind implementation of systems and procedures of the project in case of every project management. Meredith and Mantel (2011) opine that the methodology used to carry out the project in an effective manner is systems in project management. In case of the given project, there is a possible requirement of different types of systems and procedures. In project management, systems and procedure are those that form the core of any project management. In the given case, the project of Palm Trees Spa has more than a few systems and procedures. These are online platform to design the website, effective software, different project management software and other technological systems. There are some key principles which help to utilize systems in the entire given project management. One of the principles is time management and cost management. The systems and procedure are required to be implemented within the desired cost and time scheduled by the respective project manager. The procedures of critical path analysis, Gantt chart and Pert Chart can be managed through utilization of cost and time management. In addition to this, systems and procedures have a direct and positive correlation between resource management in case of every project like Palm Trees Spa. Several resources are involved within the respective project management. With the help of planning and schedule management, the project can effectively manage its resource manage ment that can be success criteria for the given project (Teller et al. 2012) Key elements involved in the process of terminating the project and conducting of appraisal of the project Several key elements can lead the project manager to terminate the project. The first and foremost step of any project is a process of planning and scheduling of all activities and cost management. However, after allocation and implementation of all the given resources of the project, if they are several variances, then, the project manager can terminate the project. The variances of the project can be due to several systematic and unsystematic risks. If scheduling of any activity goes wrong, then, the possible variances can hamper the project greatly. It can lead the project towards its termination. In addition to this, if the project fails to attain its desired milestones, then, it can also fail to sustain. Project aims and objectives are also part of project milestones. Financial and non-financial analysis also plays a key role in appraisal or termination of any particular project. Therefore, if these factors go wrong, then, the project may easily be terminated. Risk assessment to ols also form the core of any given project like online web site development of Palm Trees Spa. If the project manager fails to ascertain and prioritize all the existing risks of a given project, then, the project will fail. The most important part of post project appraisal can be in the form of identification of activities that did not work out properly. It is of the great essence for the manager to slack out these activities from its respective critical path analysis. Every project manager wants his/her project to be successful. Therefore, it is important to conduct a critical analysis for post project appraisal that will lead the project to success or failure (Zavadskas et al. 2012) Human Resources required for the project of Palm Trees Spa Several human resources are required for successful implementation of the project of interactive internet system of the resort Palm Trees Spa. These can be further explained with the assist of the following table:- Human resources Roles Project manager (1) To monitor and measure all the activities and operations of the overall project from start to end. Operations manager-5 To carry out the operational activities concerning about MIS of the online interactive system System engineer-4 To develop the platform of the interactive and attractive website for online customer booking of the resort Palm Trees Spa Financial manager- 2 To manage the budget and required costs attached to the project Network engineer-3 To develop the network plan and network model of the project of online reservation system. Table 2: Human resources required for the project and their respective roles All the given resources are required until the end of the project that is implementation of effective online system. The project manager has delegated their respective duties in accordance to their individual areas of specialization. There is no retirement or redundancy planning of the selected human resources of the project. The total number of upper and middle level human resources that are required is 15. The working pattern of them is in accordance to their functions and sequence of activities as designed in the networking model of the project. The given human resources will be recruited for long-term purpose of the resort (Schwalbe, 2014). Identification of appropriate organizational structure of the given project The size of the project is huge, as it requires an effective online reservation system all across the resort of Palm Trees Spa. Therefore, the organizational structure can be in the form of functional organizational structure. All the given resources have been given their desired roles and all the activities will be performed sequentially. Since the project is all about implementation of effective online reservation system, therefore, sequential planning of activities is the critical determinant factor for its success. Due to this reason, functional organizational structure will suit the activities of the project. Other organizational structures like dedicated project team and matrix structure will not be suitable in the given case. This is mainly because; dedicated project team structure cannot be flexible to perform all the given activities of the project. The organizational structure of the project can be evaluated with the help of the following diagram:- Figure 1: Organizational Structure of the project Palm Trees Spa (Source: Pryke and Smyth, 2012) The above organizational structure will help the project to attain its respective vision and mission statement. The other two given organizational structure is not at all suitable for the required project. The main functions and responsibilities of the human resource manager are to coordinate all the functions and responsibilities in accordance to the given organizational structure of the firm. In addition to this, the role of human resource manager is to communicate all the ideas among the team members of the project. This will also further increase the efficiency of the given project. Role and structure in controlling and coordinate the project The above discussed role and structure of the project helps the project manager to control and coordinate about all the activities of the project effectively. It is of great essence for the project manager of the given manager of the project Palm Trees Spa to coordinate about all the respective resources of the project effectively. Project scheduling and project planning play an effective part based on the role and structure of the project. There are different phases and activities of the given project. These phases depend upon the role and structure evaluated by the respective project manager. The organization follows a functional organizational structure that will make the manager easier to control the project efficiently. Control of the project is to ensure that there are no possible variances of this project. If there were variances in this online development project, then, it would surely fail. Coordination of the project is also important to carry out all the possible activitie s sequentially. Therefore, the process of controlling and coordination of the project depends upon the role and structure (Leach, 2014). There are different types of control that can be implemented in every project management. These types are active control, post project control and cybernetic control. In the given case, the project manager has evaluated the tool of active control to control all the activities of the required project. The given project is about implementation of online tools and techniques of Palm Trees Spa project. Therefore, it requires an active project manager to control all the steps and activities actively (Usman et al. 2014) Different types of resources are given different roles and responsibilities to complete the project in time. The role of network and system engineer is to implement and monitor about the technical requires of the project. The financial manager will monitor the project budget and operational manager will monitor all the operations as per the requirements. The project can also implement several modern control and monitoring tools like Pert Chart, Gantt chart, Network model, etc. Leadership styles required for the particular project Different types of leadership and management styles are present that a manager of a project can implement. These types of leadership and management styles are autocratic leadership, participative leadership, transformational leadership and laissez-fare leadership. Leadership and management styles In the present project, the best type of leadership that would be suitable is the transformational leadership. In such case, it is the responsibility of the leaders to transform with the identification of the right needs and the requirements of the organization. They have the vision and help in creating the inspiration for the employees to enhance the service. The identification of the collective work is the key in the present case. The leaders identify the issue and accordingly tailor the resources and motivate to give the best to the organization. Performance of the employees is the most important aspect as the customers are satisfied based on the service. Belbins team roles This is the aspect, which entails the use of the allowable weakness. This is the priority in the team role of Belbin. The strength of the role includes factor like plant where the role-played is that of creativity and the imagination. The weakness of the person is ignoring the incidentals. The next is the resource investigator who is enthusiastic, communication and the weakness includes over optimism in all the aspects. The next strength is that of a coordinator who is matured and confident and the weakness includes being manipulative. The next is the shaper who is, dynamic and the weakness includes prone to provocation. The next in line is the monitor evaluator who is sober and strategic. The weakness is inability to inspire others. Team worker is cooperative and the weakness includes indecisive. The next is the implementor who is not so flexible. The next in line is the complete finisher who is not ready to delegate. Finally, specialist is the person who is part of the single-minde d idea. They are dedicated but the weakness includes contributing to a narrow front. Leadership of the project manager The project manager for this particular project has to be inspiring which in other words mean to be transformational. This would help and enhance the prospect of the organization effectively. This helps in motivating the employees to work collaboratively. The project manager has the capacity of dealing with the team and enhancing their performance perfectly (Larson and Gray, 2011). Motivational theory and the leadership style The motivation theory, which is best applicable, is Herzbergs hygiene models where part from the hygiene factors the motivational factors are important. This includes the promotion of the right opportunities. Opportunities are also included in the improvement of the personal growth along with the recognition of the power and the resources in the organization. The achievement is all the above-mentioned aspect is the most important aspect. In case of the transformational leader all, these aspects are important to deal with the opportunity and the enhancement of the personal and the aspects of the organization. This type of leaders has the drive of helping the employees is forming the collectivity and work in case of the achievement of the organization. This type of leader has the vision of the best elements, which would help in generating the best for the future aspects of the organization. Detailed plan of the project of Palm Trees Spa There are several key components in case of any project management. These components are time management, cost management, project schedule, project control and project risk management. Another key component of project planning is project budgeting and effective strategic planning. All the key components are included in this project of building up of interactive website and design of resort Palm Trees Spa. WBS (Work breakdown structure) is of crucial importance for the success of the given project. It helps to ascertain total amount of budget, scheduling of activities and period of any particular project. The success criteria of the project depend upon the efficiency of WBS of the given project. In addition to this, the given tool of WBS also helps the project manager to gain a certain level of commitment from all its team members and improve their performance level by setting up targets and solutions. Based on the given targets, the success criteria and milestones of the project can be measured (Prieto, 2015). Several steps can also be taken based on the variances of the project. Level A Level B Level C Palm Trees Spa 1.1Planning of the project 1.1 Meeting with the project manager 1.2 Written specification 1.3Meeting with agreed specification 1.2 Framing 1.2.1 Framing of roof and walls. 1.2.1 Installation of shingles and brick should be cleaned 1.2.2 Installation of stairs and bricks 1.2.3 Framing of windows and doors 1.3 Foundation and design of the website 1.3.1 Design of the website 1.4Allocation of resources 1.5 Install software 1.5.1 install electrics 1.5.2 install network 1.5.3 Clean up 1.6 Framing 1.7 Implementation of integrated tools of MIS 1.8 Budgetary analysis 1.9 Risk management Table 1: WBS of the project Task Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Resource Names Task 45 days Mon 8/24/15 Fri 10/23/15 Planning of the website 10 days Mon 8/24/15 Fri 9/4/15 meet with project Manager 5 days Mon 8/24/15 Fri 8/28/15 Project Manager ,Project Technician ,Finance manager write specification 3 days Mon 8/31/15 Wed 9/2/15 3 Project Manager ,Finance manager meeting to agree specification 2 days Thu 9/3/15 Fri 9/4/15 4 Project Manager ,Project Technician ,SC Manager Foundation and design of the website 15 days Mon 9/7/15 Fri 9/25/15 5 Allocation of resources 20 days Mon 9/28/15 Fri 10/23/15 6 Implementation of attractive tools 20 days Mon 8/24/15 Fri 9/18/15 7 install electrics 3 days Mon 8/24/15 Wed 8/26/15 Electricians[2%] install network 2 days Thu 8/27/15 Fri 8/28/15 9 Trainers install software 2 days Mon 8/31/15 Tue 9/1/15 10 IT Technicians[2%] Installation of online systems 20 days Wed 9/2/15 Tue 9/29/15 11 Framing 10 days Wed 9/30/15 Tue 10/13/15 12 IT Technicians[4%],Finance manager,Project Manager Implementation of integrated tools of MIS 10 days Wed 10/14/15 Tue 10/27/15 13 IT Technicians Budgetary analysis 5 days Wed 10/28/15 Tue 11/3/15 14 Finance manager Risk assessment plan 6 days Wed 11/4/15 Wed 11/11/15 15 Controlling and monitoring of all the activities 4 days Thu 11/12/15 Tue 11/17/15 16 Table: Scheduling of activities of the project based on the WBS of the project S.no Tasks Resources Quantity Duration Cost 1 Planning Project manager 1000 10 10000 2 Website design Project manager, network engineer and systems engineer $1,200 5 6000 3 Foundation of the website 2500 15 37500 4 Allocation of resources Design engineer, Project manager $1,000 20 20000 5 Implementation of attractive tools Project manager $500 20 10000 6 Installation of online systems Project manager $2,000 20 40000 7 Framing 100 10 1000 8 Implementation of integrated tools of MIS Network and system engineer $500 10 5000 9 Budgetary analysis Financial manager 200 5 1000 10 Risk assessment plan Project manager $500 6 3000 11 Controlling and monitoring of all the activities Project manager $500 4 2000 Table: Budgetary analysis of the project Techniques to schedule project activities There are several techniques to schedule project activities. These are Gantt chart, Pert Chart, critical path analysis, etc. The below two figure reflects the scheduling of the given two projects. Figure 1: Gantt chart Figure 2: Pert Chart The total duration of the project is 45 days and the critical path of the project is 1-2-4-5-6-8-10-11-12-13-15-16. Therefore, the project manager of the project needs to minimize the total duration of the project by cutting of the slack activities. The project cost can be controlled by effective utilization of budgetary analysis and analyzing the variances of the required project. Costs can be managed by minimizing the total amount of variances effectively. It can also be done through analysis of earned value management. Methods of measuring performance Performance of the overall project of Palm Trees Spa can be evaluated with the tool of key performance indicators. It can be done through cost performance, satisfaction level of the customers, satisfaction level of employees, milestones of the project, variances in scheduling and cost management. In the given project, cost management, schedule management and feedback of the stakeholders about the online system can be considered as its important key performance indicators. This project has been kept within the required targeted costs, and targeted scheduling It is evaluated in WBS and Gantt chart of the project. All the respective key performance indicators or KPI are of great essence for this project (Snedaker and Hoenig, 2005). Change control procedure of the project There are different types of changes that can take place in case of every project management. These changes can be in the form of change of demands of the stakeholders, economic slowdown, change of schedule, addition of new activities, increased of variances of cost budgeting, natural disaster, etc. These changes can also be in the form of different systematic and unsystematic risks. Changes can take place in the form of management and leadership style of a given project like Palm Trees Spa. Different forms of structural and reengineering changes can also take place in the internal management of the organization. There are several benefits in the process of managing changes in the project of Palm Trees Spa. Firstly, the project can be completed in due course of time as per the needs of stakeholders. The project can easily attain its aims and objectives through the given analysis. The given project may also face several changes. These changes may be in the form of technical changes, changes in management, changes in design of website, etc (Leach, 2014). All the given changes can be managed as well as monitored. The project manager may prioritize the given changes or risks by preparing a contingency plan at the initial stages. This is the same for internal and external changes in management. Changes in the given project may be also monitored through effective feedback of stakeholders. Conclusion The above report concludes about the effectiveness of project management. Different tools of project management are evaluated and challenges in implementation of the project have been analyzed as per the requirements of the project Palm Trees Spa. References Morris, P. (2013).Reconstructing project management. Chichester, England: Wiley-Blackwell. Young, T. (2013).Successful project management. Philadelphia, Pa.: Kogan Page Ltd. Hyvari, I. (2006). Project management effectiveness in project-oriented business organizations. International Journal of Project Management, 24(3), pp.216-225. Klein, L., Biesenthal, C. and Dehlin, E. (2015). Improvisation in project management: A praxeology. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), pp.267-277. Morris, P. (2013). Reconstructing project management. Chichester, England: Wiley-Blackwell. Maller, R. and Sderlund, J. (2015). Innovative approaches in project management research. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), pp.251-253. Randolph, S. (2014). Maximizing Project Value: A Project Manager's Guide. Project Management Journal, 45(2), pp.e2-e2. Rodney Turner, J. (2004). Viennese Project Management-Days Project and Emotions. International Journal of Project Management, 22(4), pp.271-272. Wright, J. (2002). Effective Project Management. International Journal of Project Management, 20(8), p.633. Lock, D. (2007).Project management. 1st ed. Aldershot, England: Gower. Snedaker, S. and Hoenig, N. (2005).How to cheat at IT project management. 1st ed. Rockland, Mass.: Syngress. Wysocki, R. (2004).Project management process improvement. 1st ed. Boston: Artech House. Davidson Frame, J. (2014). Reconstructing Project Management. Project Management Journal, 45(1), pp.e2-e2. Del Cano, A., and de la Cruz, M. P. (2002). Integrated methodology for project risk management.Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,128(6), 473-485. Eric Kirkland, C. (2014). Project Management: A Problem-Based Approach. Project Management Journal, 45(1), pp.e3-e3. Hill, G. M. (2013).The complete project management office handbook. CRC Press. Kerzner, H. R. (2013).Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley and Sons Kerzner, H. R. (2013).Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons Langley, A. N. N., Smallman, C., Tsoukas, H., and Van de Ven, A. H. (2013). Process studies of change in organization and management: unveiling temporality, activity, and flow.Academy of Management Journal,56(1), 1-13. Larson, E. W., and Gray, C. F. (2011). Project management: The managerial process. Leach, L. P. (2014).Critical chain project management. Artech House. Meredith, J. R., and Mantel Jr, S. J. (2011).Project management: a managerial approach. John Wiley and Sons Meredith, J. R., and Mantel Jr, S. J. (2011).Project management: a managerial approach. John Wiley and Sons Pich, M. T., Loch, C. H., and Meyer, A. D. (2002). On uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity in project management.Management science,48(8), 1008-1023 Pinto, A., Nunes, I. L., and Ribeiro, R. A. (2011). Occupational risk assessment in construction industryOverview and reflection.Safety Science,49(5), 616-624. Prieto, B. (2015). Project Management Theory and the Management of Large Complex Projects. Pryke, S., and Smyth, H. (2012).The management of complex projects: a relationship approach. John Wiley and Sons. Randolph, S. (2014). Maximizing Project Value: A Project Manager's Guide. Project Management Journal, 45(2), pp.e2-e2. Schwalbe, K. (2014). Information technology project management. Boston, MA: Course Technology. Serpella, A. F., Ferrada, X., Howard, R., and Rubio, L. (2014). Risk management in construction projects: a knowledge-based approach.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,119, 653-662. Teller, J., Unger, B. N., Kock, A., and Gemnden, H. G. (2012). Formalization of project portfolio management: the moderating role of project portfolio complexity.International Journal of Project Management,30(5), 596-607. Usman, N. D., Inuwa, I. I., and Iro, A. I. (2012). The influence of unethical professional practices on the management of construction projects in North-Eastern States of Nigeria.International Journal of Economic Development Research and Investment,3(2), 124-129. Young, T. L. (2013).Successful project management(Vol. 52). Kogan Page Publishers. Zavadskas, E. K., Vaininas, P., Turskis, Z., and Tamoaitien, J. (2012). Multiple criteria decision support system for assessment of projects managers in construction.International Journal of Information Technology and Decision Making,11(02), 501-520.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Miami University Essay Help

Miami University Essay Help Essay Prompts Admission Essay Help The admission application paper shows your capacity to compose obviously and compactly on a chose theme and helps you separate yourself utilizing your own voice. As of late, the Common Application executed 5 new exposition subjects/prompts: 1. Some understudies have a foundation or story that is so integral to their personality that they trust their application would be inadequate without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. Recount an episode or time when you encountered disappointment. How could it have been able to it influence you, and what lessons did you realize? 3. Reflect on a time when you tested a conviction or thought. What provoked you to act? Would you settle on a similar choice once more? 4. Describe a place or environment where you are flawlessly content. What do you do or encounter there, and why is it important to you? 5. Discuss an achievement or occasion, formal or casual that denoted your move from adolescence to adulthood inside your way of life, group, or family. There is a 650 word limit and a base reaction of 250 words is required. The paper wont permit a reaction shorter than 250 words. Understudies can create their reactions specifically in the application or cut-and-glue a reaction drafted in another word handling program. Fundamental designing (strong, italics, underline, and highlighted characters) are accessible. Graduates should prepare the statement (approximately  2  pages)  that  must indicate your primary intellectual interests and the reasons why you wish  to  pursue  an  advance degree in  philosophy in chosen  department. Office of Admissions Contacts 301 S. Campus Ave. Oxford, OH 45056 ­3434 Fax: 1 ­513 ­529 ­0682 Career Service Contact LinkedIn University Ranking for Accounting ProfessionalsGraduate #13 for MarketersUndergraduate #21 Alumni statistics Where they live Cincinnati Area   33,012 Greater Chicago Area   10,495 Columbus, Ohio Area   9,225 Cleveland/Akron, Ohio Area   9,072 Greater New York City Area   4,586 Where they work Procter Gamble   464 EY   441 Fifth Third Bank   430 JPMorgan Chase Co.   398 Deloitte   381 What they do Sales   14,159 Education   11,467 Operations   9,036 Finance   7,614 Entrepreneurship   7,187 Marketing   5,902 Healthcare Services   5,486 Media and Communication   5,467 What they studied Marketing   11,497 Finance, General   8,049 Accounting   6,195 Political Science and Government   5,664 Business Administration and Management, General   5,482 Psychology   5,288 Economics   3,845 English Language and Literature/Letters   3,386 What they’re skilled at Leadership   27,347 Microsoft Office   24,748 Management   22,687 Customer Service   22,664 Public Speaking   22,163 Microsoft Excel   19,423 Sales   17,760 Strategic Planning -17,656 Jeff Berding President General Manager at FC Cincinnati City Council Member at City of Cincinnati City Council Director of Sales Public Affairs at Cincinnati Bengals President General Manager at FC Cincinnati B.A., Political Science  1985 – 1991 Bill McComb Former Chief Executive Officer at Fifth Pacific Companies, Inc. Recently Retired at Fifth Pacific Companies, Inc. Company Group Chairman, DePuy Companies at Johnson Johnson President, McNeil Consumer Healthcare at Johnson Johnson Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Economics  1981 – 1984 Dwight Merriman CTO Co-founder at DoubleClick Chairman at AlleyCorp Chairman Co-founder MongoDB Inc.; Contributor MongoDB Project at MongoDB CS  1986 – 1989 Richard A. Moran President, Menlo College Partner at Venrock Partner at Accenture Board Member at Glu Mobile Ph.D, Organization Behavior/Higher Education  1977 – 1981 Miami University Recommendations to apply Liked it too much Product of a Miami merger, never really considered other colleges, from the campus, the students, the profs and the sports. Too bad about football, Miami defeated Florida, Georgia and LSU while I was there in 70s. I may have taken more years to graduate than any other alum, entered in 73 as freshman and graduated in 2000, no kidding. My son just graduated last year and many nieces and nephews. Great Place, Great People, but Im still a Redskin, PC or not. Chris Roberts   General Manager at Cayes Consulting Group General Manager at Cayes Consulting Group 1974 – 2000, BA

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Chinese Zodiac Essay Example For Students

The Chinese Zodiac Essay Even in modern society, this kind of marriage still exerts a great influence and in the following paragraphs, a systematic description of this marriage form will be presented. Finding a partner Marriage was for continuing the ancestral line and creation alliances between families -; too important a duty to be left in the rash hands of the young. 3 This quote shows how important a marriage was regarded. The three basic elements of an arranged marriage in ancient China were the parental sanction, the Matchmaking and the betrothal gifts. Generally speaking, society at that time believed that marriages were obtained by the gods and therefore sacred, as a result this life-changing event was handled with utmost care, so much that the typical Chinese wedding ceremony evolved into an complicated sequence of rites and customs. Major considerations in arranging their childrens marriage were not unlike those of modern-day parents. They would consider the age, status, appearance and wealth of their potential sons- or daughters-in-law. Age: this was one of the first consideration points. We will write a custom essay on The Chinese Zodiac specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The couple should be of marriageable age, meaning mature enough to live as husband and wife and the age difference should not be too big. According to The Rites of Zhou ( ) and The Book of Rites ( ), a mans marriageable age ranged from 20 to 30 years, a womans from 15 to 20 or 23 years, by which they would have reached physical and mental maturity, be self-disciplined and independently responsible. It was common for the husband to be three to five years older than his wife, a 10 to 12 year age difference was probably the limit, since a couple which age differences exceeded this, would fall victim to gossip and ridicule. Yet there were exceptions, for example in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. In these societies scholars were viewed very highly. A scholar had to prepare for and pass the annual imperial examinations in order to become an official in the emperors court and a career would guarantee ones future in terms of wealth, reputation and authority. Aspiring scholars focused much of their attention on their studies and might have to attend the imperial examinations repeatedly, sidestepping the marriage issue year after year until they succeeded. In this way, scholars were far older than their wives. In the Ming (1368 1644 AD) and Qing (1644 1911) Dynasties it was popular for a wife to be slightly older than her husband, since an older girl was more likely to take better care of her parents-in-law and her husband and to better manage household affairs. Status: by the time of the Zhou Dynasty (1027 221B. C. ) marriages were conducted according to social ranks, especially among the reigning classes. For example, a minister in a powerful country could make a marriage alliance with a noble in a weak country, while a prince in a weak country only could marry a senior officials daughter in a powerful country. Appearance: the couples appearance and talents were important factors in a harmonious marriage. In general, a young woman would focus more on her prospective husbands virtue and talent, while a young man would pay more attention to his prospective wifes appearance. This behaviour can still be seen in the modern time China. Wealth: This was an important point of reference in marriages. Two families united by marriage had to present betrothal gifts which were of similar worth. The bridegrooms family expected a good dowry and the brides family expected similar good betrothal gifts. Yet, not all parents were tyrants when it came to deciding their childrens marriages. Some considered their daughters or sons wishes before asserting their authority. However, there were cases of extreme conservative and obstinate parents, which would take complete control of their offsprings marriages even before their birth. Thus arose two abnormal marriage customs: antenatal betrothals and posthumous marriages. In antenatal betrothals, children were engaged to be married even before they were born, which had many disadvantages, for example one of the children could become seriously ill, very poor or work in a faraway place. .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 , .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 .postImageUrl , .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 , .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6:hover , .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6:visited , .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6:active { border:0!important; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6:active , .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6 .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udb39695c506c1a03da9befe0e5dcb6d6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: At a moments thought we might say yes â€Å" yes it is a caring society and yes I do love my neighbour EssayFor the sake of the social stability, the government banned this practice, but were not able to eradicate it entirely. Posthumous Marriages, also marriages with the death or ghost marriages meant that unmarried young man and women were married in the after world by the arrangement of their living parents. If a son died before marriage, his parents arranged a ghost marriage in order to provide him with children to continue the lineage and give him his own family. 4 Miniature house, furniture and money made out of paper were burnt for the dead in the belief that they would be able to enjoy these material possessions just like the living do. In the Ming and Qing dynasties another type of posthumous marriages arose marriages between the dead and the living. For example, if ones betrothed died before the marriage, the living partner still had to marry the one who had died. If it was the woman who died, her groom had to bring her spirit tablet home in a sedan chair and regard her as his lawful wife. Later he could take a concubine, who would never be given the full status of a rightful, but only his second wife. If it was the man dying before the marriage, his bride had to live a life of a widow at the home of her parents-in-law for the rest of her life after the wedding ceremony. As the practice of monogamous arranged marriages became more widespread, parents sought help from relatives and friends to find possible candidates to marry their child and to carry out background checks. Thus matchmaking came into being and became essential in the wedding procedures. The vast majority of Matchmakers were married women, thus leading credibility to their skill in finding a good match for those intending to get married. Until the present day, the custom of matchmaking has persisted. The matchmakers role was just as important as that of the parents in the arranged marriage. As Confucianism attained a dominant position in the social ideology, restrictions on contact between unmarried men and women became stricter. This way, appearance, disposition and proficiency in needlework were unknown to the people outside the family. Matchmakers had contact with many families and therefore knew everything about these families, like social status and relationships, their childrens physical appearance, dispositions and so on. Since marriages were arranged based on considerations of those, a matchmaker was necessary for the parents to learn more about prospective sons- or daughters-in-law. According to The Rites of Zhou ( ), official and private matchmakers existed before the Qin Dynasty. Official matchmakers provided legal recognition of a marriage. Later on, private matchmakers became popular and had the same authority as the official ones. Engagement Traditionally, the matchmaker delivered the proposal from the bridegrooms side with which the discussion about weddings began. Before the Qin Dynasty (221 207 BC) people would offer a wild goose as a gift, as some people regarded those as punctual and honest birds. Others considered them as a symbol of a lasting marriage as they only have one mate throughout their lives. Yet, from the Qin and Han dynasties, the gifts changed. The family would for example send a bouquet of lilies or domesticated ducks or geese instead of a wild goose. If the girls family was satisfied with what the matchmaker presented them, they would accept the gift; otherwise they would politely reject the offer. Once the gift was accepted, the matchmaker would report the news to the bridegrooms family, who then would ask the matchmaker to take another gift to the girls family in exchange for detailed information of the brides family, including the parents family names, the brides name, whether the girl has siblings and her exact time of birth. It was usually written on a piece of red paper. The compatibility of the marrying couple was analyzed with the help of a chart of the couples eight characters. .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 , .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 .postImageUrl , .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 , .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279:hover , .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279:visited , .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279:active { border:0!important; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279:active , .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279 .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue6e4e2d27a5b6356b3cd70f3563bf279:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ancient Roman Laws EssayFortune-tellers played an important role in this, as they could determine a persons eight characters based on astrological calculations. The families of the couple who intended to get married would take the detailed birth information about the prospective couple to the fortune teller to see if their eight characters were in harmony. If their birth information matched properly, it meant that they would have good luck in their marriage; otherwise the pairing would be unsuitable and would bring harm to the couple and their families. The compatibility of the Chinese Zodiac Signs of the couple also was important. There were many superstitious beliefs based on Chinese zodiac compatibility, for example, in the northern part of China, a girl born in the year of the goat was considered harmful, because she could bring an early death to her husband. In order to get a good match, the families of those girls would disguise the information. The taboos revolving around the compatibility varied. For instance, in some places, a person born in the year of the snake should not be married to a person born in the year of a dragon, because both are aggressive animals. After the parents had compared the couples birth information, the pre-wedding procedures could go ahead if the results were good. The bridegrooms family would inform the brides family about the good result of the comparison and ask them to fix the time of the wedding. The parents on both sides arranged meetings in order to exchange more information on the couple and to get to know each other. No matter when or where they met, the Matchmaker would stay with them and introduce the two sides. After the brides parents agreed to the marriage, the bridegrooms side would offer betrothal gifts.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

DRY MIX Experiment Variables Acronym

DRY MIX Experiment Variables Acronym You control and measure variables in an experiment and then record and analyze the data. There is a standard way to graph the data, with the independent variable on the x-axis and the dependent variable on the y-axis. How do you remember what independent and dependent variables are and where to put them on the graph? There is a handy acronym: DRY MIX Meaning Behind the Acronym D dependent variableR responding variableY graph information on the vertical or y-axis M manipulated variableI independent variableX graph information on the horizontal or x-axis Dependent vs. Independent Variables The dependent variable is the one being tested. It is called dependent because it depends on the independent variable. Sometimes it is called the responding variable. The independent variable is the one you change or control in an experiment. Sometimes this is called the manipulated variable or the I do variable. There may be variables that dont make it onto a graph, yet can affect the outcome of an experiment and are important. Controlled and extraneous  variables arent graphed. Controlled or constant  variables are ones you try to keep the same (control) during an experiment. Extraneous variables are unanticipated or accidental effects, which you didnt control, yet which might influence your experiment. Although these variables arent graphed, they should be recorded in a lab book and report.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Chapter 6 Motivation Case Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 6 Motivation Case Assignment - Essay Example As indicated in Figure 6.7, it could be assumed that both the boss and Joe agree that his performance needs to be improved; therefore, in analyzing his situation, his problem actually stemmed from inadequate subordinate motivation (rather than inadequate subordinate ability). Case facts revealed that he has previously exhibited good performance, he was reported to have worked hard, have consistently produced high quality results, have manifested volunteering for special projects, made suggestions for improvement, and even demonstrated in-depth practical knowledge of the architecture and construction business (Whetten and Cameron 363). Therefore, analyzing further, the lack of motivation was apparently the result of rewards not being linked to performance and not being fairly distributed (Whetten and Cameron 362). From the complaints he expressed through an officemate, it was evident that his performance and efforts were not duly recognized, acknowledged and rewarded. 3) Based on your conclusions in question # 2, how could you use the nine steps and three strategies - reprimand, redirect, reinforce (Table 6.5 page 341-342) to reshape Joe’s behavior? Using the nine steps and three strategies therefore to reshape Joe’s behavior would require management to do the following: Reprimand would necessitate confronting Joe to specifically identify his inappropriate behavior; point out the impact to others; and determine the causes of his low performance and suggestions to remedy this. Redirect would mean accurately stating to Joe the expected behavior, standards and goals to be achieved within a defined schedule; determine from him if he would comply; and be supportive by praising his previous level of performance and telling him that he could achieve these and even excel, if needed. Reinforce guidelines would require management to design appropriate rewards and sanctions; and to regularly monitor the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

In your opinion, what is Walt Whitman's message regarding America and Essay

In your opinion, what is Walt Whitman's message regarding America and Americans - Essay Example Whitman reflected all the richness of life in American his poems. â€Å" leaves of Grass is highly praised by Connor. â€Å" Behold in Leaves Of Grass the immense and absolute rise. It is all our own. The nation is in it. To understand Greece study Iliad and Odyssey. Study ‘The Leaves of Grass’ to understand America.’ The leaves of Grass’ is the epic of America† Whitman delights in giving us catalogues of the variety of professions followed in America. He does not shrink from picturing prostitutes and butchers. The whole wide range of the American physical scene is brought before us. He succeeded in conveying to the readers, a broad panoramic grasp of America‘s spaciousness, her opulence and her veritable and multitude ness of life. Whitman’s’ Song of Myself contains plenty of catalogues of characteristic phenomenon of America. In â€Å"A Song for Occupation ‘he praises the divine average. Thieves’ prostitutes and d runkards are regarded by the poet with as much sympathy and love. No human being is treated with content.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Psychometric assessment Essay Example for Free

Psychometric assessment Essay Certain people tend to be more obedient than others. Individuals who have the tendency to adopt a submissive, uncritical attitude toward authority figures authoritarian submission (Adorno, 1950) tends to perform tasks when demanded. Also, people with an external locus of control (a sense that fate rules their life rather than their own actions) tend to be more obedient. However, despite the popular myth that women are more submissive, women and men are relatively equal in the degree to which they will obey demands (Eagly Carli, 1981). Dehumanisation or deindividuation is the loss of the sense of individual identity and control over our behaviour. Sensory overload, arousal, anonymity, and reduced self awareness are key factors which loosen inhibitions and thus uncharacteristic behaviour is not inline with usual internal standards. According to deindividuation theory, the psychological state of deindividuation is aroused when individuals join crowds or large groups. The state is characterized by diminished awareness of self and individuality. This in turn reduces an individuals self-restraint and normative regulation of behaviour. In social psychology, deindividuation is a major theory of group behaviour: it provides an explanation of collective behaviour of violent crowds, mindless hooligans, and the lynch mob. In addition, deindividuation has been associated with other social phenomena such as genocide, stereotyping, and disinhibition in other settings such as computer-mediated communication. Several influential studies were conducted to illustrate the force of deindividuation. For example, Zimbardo (1969) carried out a study that inspired much subsequent deindividuation research. In this study, participants were rendered anonymous by clothing them in oversized lab coats and hoods, compared with normal clothes and name tags in the control condition. The participants task was to shock a confederate in a situation similar to the classic Milgram studies on obedience. In a first experiment using groups of female students, Zimbardo demonstrated that anonymous participants shocked longer (and therefore more painfully) than identifiable participants, in confirmation of his theory. Another area of controversy in psychology is the area of psychometric testing, which aim to make important decisions affecting individuals and society. Tests are used in a variety of settings to aid selection in education and work and for diagnosis for those with learning and psychological problems. Ability tests were amongst the first psychometric tests to be developed, and controversy has surrounded their use since. Binet and Simon (1905) were commissioned by the French government to find a method to differentiate between children who were intellectually normal and those who were inferior. The purpose was to put the latter into special schools where they would receive more individual attention. In this way the disruption they caused in the education of intellectually normal children could be avoided. This led to the development of the Binet-Simon Scale, and constituted a revolutionary approach to the assessment of individual mental ability. Revisions to the Binet-Simon Scale resulted in the concept of mental age, an easily understandable concept which significantly increased the popularity of ability testing. Further developments of the tests produced the concept of intelligence quotient (IQ) and resulted in one of the currently most widely used tests, the Stanford Binet Scale. Most intelligence tests measure the general reasoning ability that is involved in many different types of problem solving behaviour. Older types of tests referred to this intelligence factor as general ability, whereas more recent tests have tended to divide the general ability into fluid intelligence (innate and not particularly influenced by ones environment) and crystallised intelligence (underlying fluid intelligence that is a product of environmental experiences. In recent years, the introduction of the eleven plus exam, which is largely compiled of IQ tests, was used to distinguish those who would proceed to grammar school and those who would be relegated to academically inferior secondary schools. Research into the psychometric assessment of intelligence has been the focus of many eminent psychologists including Spearmen, Burt, Eysenck, and Cattell. The latter two also went on further to develop (separate) personality tests, Cattells 16PF in 1970, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) in 1975. These involve analysing a series of short yes/no questions in an attempt to decipher the nature and character of the person answering them. Today, personality assessments are mainly used in clinical settings, with their use in occupational settings increasing. They may also be used in educational settings in assessing individuals with learning problems and are still widely used and developed within academic and research settings. Personality tests are also widely used today within the work environment, perhaps for deciding whether to employ someone or not, or even to decide who gets made redundant. On the whole, psychometric tests have acceptable validity and therefore make them less prone to error than other types of assessment. The interpretation of psychometric data requires the use of norms, against which the scores of a particular individual can be compared. Psychometric assessments tend to be the only measures for which norms are available. Psychometric tests are fairly short and therefore time and cost efficient. Many are group tests, and so can be given to a number of people at the same time. In fact the development of computer programmes concerned with psychometric testing means that tests can be administered and scored by a computer, enabling results to be made available quickly and can form the basis of a discussion. Personality tests are particularly cost efficient as they prevent money being wasted on training unsuitable personnel. However, there can be an undue reliance on the results of psychometric tests. Simply discovering that a person has an aptitude for a particular occupation does not guarantee that they will be successful at that job. The mystique of psychometric test results means that they are frequently not discussed with those who complete them. In this sense there is a failure to use psychological testing humanely. Test scores can also be misused. The results of tests should not be used to withhold educational or occupational opportunities from those who may perform less well on tests of ability due to factors that have little to do with intelligence. In any instance, the results can be faked by the participant to influence the results in their favour, and so can be unknowingly misinterpreted anyway. Because of the cheapness and predictive success of many psychometric tests, there may be a failure to use other important information. Psychometric test results should ideally be used alongside other reliable information about a person, otherwise they may wrongly stereotype an individual. Furthermore, there are many cultural and sub-cultural issues that can arise when measuring IQ, which causes much controversy. At the extreme, IQ tests were used to keep out certain immigrant groups from the United States during the 1920s. Jenson (1969) suggested that genetic differences were the cause of consistently lower IQ scores observed in non white racial groups. Recent controversies relate to the systematic differences attained by different groups in society. Critics say these are the results of bias in test items. Typical examples relate to previously learned information and items using verbal information, typically English, which require reading and writing. Even when tests are translated to the native language of the participants, questions are still raised over the cultural equivalence of certain items (Zindi, 1994). Even tests which explicitly attempt to be culture fair have been questioned. The Ravens Progressive Matrices test showed that the performance of Asian immigrants has been found to improve over a five year period by an average of 15-20 points, which demonstrates that minorities will be disadvantaged in taking them until they learn different ways of approaching them (Roth, 1990). In 1972, Williams produced the Black Intelligent Test of Cultural Homogeneity (BITCH) in an attempt to highlight cultural biases in test items, which was heavily loaded towards black minorities. Using this test, it is black people who tend to score higher than whites. Particularly in IQ tests that use visual cues, participants may misinterpret an action, and their own cultural biases produce expectations which can alter what they see. They may use methods derived from an alien culture (emics/etics) and may have a hostile reception which will bias their observations. Observations are made of a sample and may not be typical of the whole culture being studies. It is also wrong to imagine a culture as being a homogenous group of people; differences within a culture may be as large as those between cultures.

Friday, November 15, 2019

A brief history of Fidel Castro

A brief history of Fidel Castro This paper will discuss a brief history of Fidel Castro, his leadership styles, characteristics, and the determinants that occurred during his rise to prominence. It provides his sources of power, and further examines his effectiveness or non effectiveness as a leader. Research on Fidel Castro and his leadership was conducted through online sources which include three academic. Importance: What relationship could be found between the Fidel Castro, the followers, and the situation? What were his perceived positive and negative qualities? What outstanding traits could be detected within Fidel Castro? About Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro (Ruz) Castro was born in Biran Cuba on August 13th 1926 to Angel Castro and Lina Ruz in the Eastern Province of Cuba. Fidel was the third child of his siblings by father, Angel Castro. Although he was born out of wedlock, he was privileged to upper-middle class living environments. He was educated in a private boarding school, attended college and later went on to Harvard Law School. At Harvard, he became engrossed in the political climate in Cuba especially as it relates to the nationalism, anti-imperialism and socialism. (Castros Biography, 2010) Castro was married to Mirta Diaz Balart. They had one son whose name was Fidelito which meant little Fidel. Her family was wealthy and Fidel Castro capitalized on this opportunity and as a result was exposed to a much wealthier lifestyle and at the same time, was able to network with key political associations. The marriage ended after six years because of a lack of financial support for his family. Mirta was his second wife. (Castros Biography, 2010) Castros enthusiasm for reform and social justice led him to the Dominican Republic in an attempt to help overthrow Mr. Rafael Trujillo. Although this attempt was not successful, this did not deter him from the fight for social justice. He was part of an anti communist party that was formed with the aim of exposing government corruption, developing strategies to gain economic independence and implement social reform in Cuba. Although his attempts to overthrow the leader at the time, General Fulgencio Bartista failed, he never gave up. He was sentenced to jail for those attempted coups but continued the fight to become Cubas leader, in an effort to make the changes he was hoping to fulfill. This long struggle was finally realized on January 1st, 1959 when he assumed the leadership of the government. He appointed his brother, Raul Castro the duties of commander of the armed forces on February 15th 1959. Leader type and history Charismatic leaders are exceptionally self-confident, are strongly motivated to attain and assert influence, and have strong conviction in the moral correctness of their beliefs (House Aditya, p. 416). Fidel Castro is a charismatic and transformational leader. Nahavandi states that transformational leadership includes three factors, of the three we identified these to define Castro; charisma and intellectually simulated that in itself helped Castro achieve the drastic change he sort for Cuba. That is the social and political reform he aimed to achieve as a leader. Were there any cultural characteristics that helped him in leadership? Would he be an effective leader elsewhere? The countrys culture played an important role in the behavior of Fidel Castro. His personality and character evolved as he joined groups and eventually they developed their own culture. Cultural characteristics affect who we consider an effective leader. In Trompenaars study of cross cultural organizational culture, Castro fits in the family category which states that they are power oriented, caring leader; he cared deeply for the poor so much that he took forceful from the rich to give to the poor of his beloved Cuba. He also was focused on building relationships but these relationships should not be overweighed by the outside source. We saw he formed partnership with a number of counterparts such Che Guevara of Mexico, the Soviet Union, Grenada and Africa. (Castros Biography, 2010 and Navandi 2009) Does he reflect any of the concepts of early theories of leadership? Castro demonstrated leadership traits very early in his childhood. Trait theory suggests that leaders are born not made. His qualities as a leader further reiterated this point. Castro had a natural ability to influence his followers. He understood the people of Cuba especially the poor. This had a positive impact on the people of Cuba especially knowing that he was not born into a poor family and was therefore for the poor. As stated in the text Contingency Era theory leadership view is that personality style, behavior of effective leaders depends on the situation in which there are placed (Nahavandi 2009). This was evident when Castro took the opportunity to be a liberator to the people in the time when they were very dissatisfied with the leadership style of the Bartista government. He saw an opportunity to gain trust and followers, and as the person he was took full advantage of the situation. His approach was successful. hence the reason for the massive followers. (Castros Biography, 2010) Castro, because of his characteristics was deemed to become a leader, regardless of the context. Research shows that Castro demonstrated an A2 decision style in the normative decision making model. Nahavandi states that A2 leaders seek specific information however they make the decisions alone. What are the traits and characteristics that make him a leader? As with all leaders he had both positive and negative qualities. In researching, it was noted that the positive qualities at his early stage as Cuban leader outweighed the negatives. His motivation helped the lower class Cubans raise their level of self esteem. He was able to manage the country well, despite the restrictions placed from outside sources namely the United States. As a result, he remained true to his beliefs and values. Most of all he was a challenger; he inspired his followers, took on great responsibilities and showed courage in the face of danger. In an effort to accomplish his goals and objectives, he took the lead in all the coups that were attempted. He never left his followers to enter the battles of war alone. On the other hand, he was a stubborn leader who led with an iron fist. At times, he was believed to be over confident and it was mainly because of his educational background and experience. (Nahavandi 2009) He was an authoritarian leader and as such he was not willing to accept change. This was evident during the early part of his leadership. He was indeed coercive; he displayed this behavior when his subordinates were punished for not following his orders. In our research, we identified Castro as a type A leader and the Nahavandi states that the characteristics and behavior that accompany these types of leaders are their need to be in control. Throughout the entire research there were reports that stated Fidel Castros need to gain control of Cuba and to be its leader. His demonstration of poor delegation, like to work alone and hard working are all characteristics which he possess and are characteristics of Type A leaders. (Nahavandi 2009) Mr. Castro is relatively medium Machiavellian because of his effectiveness as a leader and has had a history of easily manipulating his followers in an effort to achieving his goals and objectives; that was to change Cubas political climate, taking care of the needs of the poor and win support through his message and passion for his people. Careful analysis shows that based on the Myer Briggs Type indicator where he was a little of all the categories. For example, as the sensation thinker he would establish rules and regulations, jump to action too quickly at times and push others to get to the point. The others are not suited to his character. As a sensational feeler, the most applicable is the reluctance to accept change. In the intuitive thinker and feeler categories, these are the two that would apply to Fidel Castro, architect of progress and ideas and good communicator. (Nahavandi 2009) Leadership Style of Fidel Castro Based on our research, Fidel Castro has displayed leadership styles of being both a charismatic and transformational leader. He was more a dictator-charismatic leader. He was able to gather his followers through his charisma as opposed to gathering them through his external power of authority. Fidel was always concerned about the well-being of his people, especially the less fortunate ones. Thus he took away wealth and property from the more fortunate Cubans and distributed to the less fortunate. He had a vision for the people of Cuba and thus was able to use his vision through the people to expand his power. One of his visions was to ensure that the less fortunate had their essential needs. In addition, he promised the people of Cuba free education in which he delivered. By doing this he believed that he was being very sensitive to the needs of his people. Although Fidel was a charismatic leader, he frequently displayed a dictatorship leadership style. The people of Cuba were not allowed freedom of speech. Under his ruling the people of Cuba were not allowed to leave Cuba for a vacation elsewhere. People who did not support his party were reprimanded and not given equal opportunities. Some people of Cuba were even afraid to utter the name, Fidel Castro. Instead they would make a beard pulling sign in order to make someone know they were referring to him. Cubans were also denied access to certain beaches and hotels. This had caused insults to the people of Cuba. (Halliday, 2008). Another element of leadership style displayed by Fidel Castro, was his ability to be a transformational leader in that he had the ability to influence his followers ethics, values and standards. He also showed deep emotions towards his followers. He would also articulate the problems within the system and would endeavor to solve those problems. He also empowered his followers by use of his own strengths and belief. (Marques, 2010) Leadership perspectives of non-profits Leaders of non-profit organizations are associated with having a social mission which include saving the environment, feeding the home and housing the homeless. These leaders also reflect and support ideological goals. Leaders of non-profit organizations also enjoy his/her work and hence they are motivated to perform in the best interest of the organization. Fidel Castro displayed leadership traits very early in his childhood days by showing his determination and self- confidence. This came about during his early childhood days when his friends belonging to the upper class in society did not include him in their many social activities. (Marques, 2010). His leadership reflected the viewpoint from non-profits. Cuba has been a communist country from since 1950, when Fidel Castro took over the government in a rebellion. The concept of communism deals with equality for all and the distribution of wealth. Fidel believed in the equality and he saw the need to meet the needs of those who were less fortunate and those who needed to have the basic needs for survival. Hence the reason why Fidel implemented free health care systems for all Cubans and foreigners. Today, Cuba is known for performing many major surgeries. Children are given free education in primary and secondary level. There is one teacher to every ten Cuban students. Free tertiary education is also given. In terms of infrastructure, the roads in Cuba are adequate, although there are inadequate public transport systems in place. (The First Post, 2010). Communism and Socialism go hand in hand. Cuba is also termed as a socialist country. Under the socialist movement, the Cuban government owns the state and all its industries. The socialist movement allows Cubans to have free access to goods and services. The special needs of the oppressed are addressed under this system. In 1959, Fidel saw the need to socialize the economy because of the economic and political stronghold the United States of America had on Cuba. Fidel believed that the Cuba needed to trade in order to live and under the socialist system this was possible. By doing so, the standard of living was raised by the people of Cuba. The sectors in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, technically and highly educated workforce, had set apart Cuba from the rest of the third world countries. These positives all occurred under the leadership of Fidel Castro. (Durand, 2003). The absence of participative management style Fidel Castro was known for his authoritative leadership style and therefore did not allow for participative management styles. He was very authoritative and he dictated all the policies and procedures. He directed and controlled all activities without the inclusion of his members of the government or the people of Cuba on a whole. The people of Cuba were not free to leave the country as they pleased. For example, going on a vacation to another country was not allowed. Cubans can travel only if the government authorizes them to do so. He did not include his ministers in his decision making process. He would make the decisions and then advise them. They were not allowed to dispute his decisions. Fidel did not share information with his colleagues. Therefore it was difficult for his Ministers to exhibit their skills and talents. His ministers were not allowed to determine work schedules for the development of Cuba, neither were they given enough opportunities to make decisions regarding the budget for the country. Fidel and his brother Raul made many of those decisions. This resulted in his ministers and followers were not motivated and they felt that they were not given the opportunity to be part of many of the decisions he made. Because of his leadership style, creativity and innovation were two crucial elements his ministers were lacking. The only time Fidel delegated his powers, was when he got sick and was unable to rule Cuba any longer. He delegated his power to his younger brother, Raul Castro. Raul was given the leadership by Fidel Castro. The people of Cuba were not given the opportunity to vote for a leader. In this instance we can conclude that nepotism was a factor in his decision making. (The First post, 2010). Participative management is very important in organizations because leaders and managers should seek to make the most of its followers. Their followers should be given the opportunity be part of the decision making process. By doing so, new ideas can be developed and implemented for the betterment of the organization. (Author unknown, 2010). Leader of change? Fidel Castro could not be considered a leader of change because he believed that his way is the right way and he believed in the communism concept. He wanted power over the entire Cuban nation and did not want any intrusion from the outside forces, especially the United States of America. He believed in what he stood for and was very rigid in his decision making process. His autocratic and dictatorship styles were strong indicators that Fidel did not want change in his way of thinking and his decision making process. Yes he wanted change in terms on wealth and property being evenly distributed throughout the country. When Fidel came into power, rent was cut by fifty percent (50%) for people who received low wages. He nationalized the telephone companies and the rates were cut in order that civilians were able to pay their utility bill. Casinos and nightclubs were closed down by Fidel because he saw those two institutions as corruption for the country. A high percentage of the Cuban population was illiterate. Many persons in rural areas could not read or write. Since Fidel took office, free education was given to all the people of Cuba. In terms of the health systems, new training schools were built for doctors. Infant mortality rate fell when he came into power. However, he did not want change in terms of another political party ruling Cuba. Fidel was of the opinion that his leadership style was best suited for the people of Cuba. He wanted change in terms of corruption. (Simkin, 2010). Fidel was adamant about remaining in power without any interference from outside sources and he strongly believed that his country should be ruled the way in which he ruled. Because of his strong will and influence on many of his followers, he did not want to be removed from power, because he believed that he was the best ruler for Cuba. Therefore, he did not want any changes to come about regarding his ruling or leadership style. He refused to hold free elections for the people of Cuba because he did not want change. (Simkin, 2010) How did Fidel Castro develop Raul to be a leader Fidel Castro relinquished his power in February 2008, to his brother Raul Castro and as stated earlier in this paper, the people of Cuba were not given an opportunity to vote. His brother Raul was placed in his position. Many of the people of Cuba believe that Raul has many character traits as his brother Fidel, hence the reason why Fidel handed over power to him. It is believed that Fidel and Raul have a very close relationship and that Raul will follow in his footsteps. During Fidels rule, Raul was the other person he would consult with whenever he would need to make a decision. Raul, like his brother Fidel is concerned about the distribution of food to individuals who face constant problems with shortages. This was also one of the factors that Fidel fought for his people. Raul under Fidels leadership believed in the same. Raul believed in the same ideologies as his brother Fidel. He also believed that Cuba should remain a communist state, because communism would allow for the people of Cuba to have equal rights. While Raul may aim to make minor changes in Cuba, one of the factors that would remain is the animosity between Cuba and the Unites States of America. It can be concluded that Raul being trained as leader under Fidel, this issue may take a very long time to resolve, it if will be resolved at all. While Fidel was in power, his brother Raul was laying the ground work for the rebuilding of Cubas economy. Fidel was able to suggest ideas to his brother Raul to be successful in this venture. (Roig-Franzia, 2008). Conclusion Fidel Castro used his strategic insight to work his way into ruling Cuba, when people were dissatisfied with the ruling of Batista. Today Fidel is still not liked by many Cubans because the people do not live in a democratic society. They are not free to live the lives like many other civilians in other parts of the world. Because of his resilience he did not allow the viewpoints of others which is one of the main reasons many Cubans fled the country. His overconfidence revealed superiority in knowledge and his stubborn practices caused him to rule with an iron fist. The paper also outlined how effective he was as a leader in terms of getting his followers to comply with his decisions and the cultural characteristics were also looked at, and how it helped him in his leadership style. The concepts of early theories were also outlined and in addition the sources of power and how he used his power to influence his followers. Fidel showed the transformational leader he was in terms of influencing his followers and paying attention to their ethics, long term goals and standard. Despite his autocratic ruling, he was a hard worker and he demonstrated it. He also demonstrated courage in that he took risks and knowing that his way may fail. Whenever he failed, he got right back up and tried again. In terms of communication, Fidel did little communication with his subordinates. He made his decisions and executed them whether or not his followers were pleased with them. He was determined, and had the willpower to rule Cuba and thus he fought the outsiders who tried to take over from his ruling. He was never discouraged by setbacks. He saw setbacks as part of the learning process. Fidel had both positive and negative traits as a leader. This was exemplified by his way of ruling Cuba. He is a well known politician, and will be remembered by the people of Cuba and the world on a whole. He will be remembered for his autocratic and dictatorship leadership styles. He will also be remembered for helping the less fortunate people of Cuba. He was an active member of the guerilla movement. This was a stepping stone to becoming political leader of his party and ruler of Cuba. Today, many believe that his brother Raul will rule Cuba the same way his brother did. Since Raul took over in 2008, there have not been many changes in the leadership style. Raul has inherited his brothers leadership qualities. (Marques, 2010)

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Life Is a Dance Essay

â€Å"Life’s a dance you learn as you go Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow Don’t worry about what you don’t know Life’s a dance you learn as you go.† These few lines were picked from one of the greatest hits of John Michael Montgomery. These best explains why some of us consider life a dance. Every dance has a unique identity. Each of them has its own history, series of steps and music. Therefore, life is like a dance. Really. We let ourselves learn and experience slowly but surely. Every step is complex to the extent that the whole routine might be ruined when you did it thoughtless or unprepared. Discipline and patience are two major factors needed to dance with grace and style. Also, dancing imparts to us the need to take into consideration the history of the dance you’re interested to for us to be able to grow from time to time from our mistakes or committed errors. Dancing also need the performer to be self-confident and independent – being brave enough to gain his dream, his passion and his aim to fame. Life is also an art, like a dance. You have to be creative to produce magnificent performances and flexible enough to adapt from the ups and downs of rehearsals and few blunders around. A true performer dance not to compare himself to anyone but to dance better than one self. As you learn more as time passes by, one must enjoy each step along the way for him to be exultant on what he loves to do. Dancing also teach us to interact more with people especially those who you might be with and also those who can aid us to dance better, grow more and be the best as we can be in the performing stage. Life is like a dance – always changing. Sometimes you find yourself alone or with a partner or within a group. Sometimes you’re the lead, sometimes you’re not. Sometimes steps are fast and tough or gentle and stress-free. But the result will depends not on the routines, but on how you dance the piece. Interpretive dance will be my piece if I have to choose. This particular dance defines my life as well. Movements are based on human expressions and feelings. I’m used to show what I feel towards the people who surround me. Also, I have high regard about freedom and personal expressions. Movements in this kind of dance are also communicating to the viewers. â€Å"Actions speak louder than words. â€Å" – This old little saying, I believe, is true. One can show the sincerity and truthfulness more when it is communicated with actions. Often the style includes grand, eloquent movements which, in my opinion, are the reason why it is associated with higher form of arts. Imagination is greater than knowledge. Creativity is of much more value here than the other types of dance. We can dance for laughter, for tears, for love, for pain, for fears or even for madness. Dancers create their own character by a dance full of passion and by dancing not just with a foot but most of all, with a heart even with music or without.