Stellar Restoration And Home Improvement To Fulfill Your Dreams And Satisfy Your Budget Essay Example for Free

Stellar Restoration And Home Improvement To Fulfill Your Dreams And Satisfy Your Budget Essay Our highly trained experts are available to help you increase the value, appeal and comfort of your home or to restore it to its former beauty after a fire, flood or other disaster. Plus, our prices are unbeatable in the market, so contact us now and start on your way to a more beautiful home. Remodeling Our contractors have decades of experience installing plumbing, wiring, heating, cooling and other critical features of any well-crafted home. Plus our extensive knowledge and skill will provide you with the highest quality workmanship in gutting out damaged and outdated structures, and installing stylish hardwood floors, tiling, and dry wall. We also specialize in the installation of bathroom and kitchen fixtures, such as pedestal sinks, hot tubs, baths, granite countertops, appliances and tiling which add a critical level of value to your home. Additions Our solid workmanship offers you the most reliable foundation work and the hardiest structures built with the strongest wood and concrete materials. We are experts at the construction and installation of fencing, iron bars, decks, carpeting, garage doors, driveways and much more. Plus, our in-house landscapers are specialists and will give your yard a lush, manicured and well-kept feel. Fire Damage Fire and smoke can ruin plumbing systems and affect your ability to restore your home on your own. We have the expertise to remove the effects of wet and dry smoke, protein and hard-to-remove soot. Plus, we have the knowledge that lets us pre-test to evaluate the extent to which restoration is possible so you don’t waste money. Water Damage The contractors we represent have the ability to help your home recover from water damage so that it looks like the disaster never occurred. We use the most powerful submersible or portable pumps, dehumidifiers, and anti-microbial agents to remove micro-organisms that might cause harm to you. Plus, we have the know-how to tackle even the toughest mold problem.

Negative Effects of Media on Youth: Causal Effect Analysis

Negative Effects of Media on Youth: Causal Effect Analysis Natasha Nguyen Why is it difficult to show that media causes harm to young people? Introduction The impact of the media on young people has long been an issue, with concern that younger audiences are negatively influenced by media. Effects research has been used to determine whether media causes harm on young people. However, media effects research has its difficulties in generating viable results. This paper will outline why it is difficult to show a direct causal effect from media resulting in negative outcomes and behaviours from young audiences. No media effects researchers believe in direct effects and a cohort of media scholars make valid claims supporting this statement. Barrie Gunter effectively explains the validity problems with media effects research, with Albert Bandura’s famous ‘Bobo Doll’ experiment as an example. David Gauntlett’s views on the flaws of the effects model are also relevant to the discussion and McQuail makes very constructive points on how audiences can choose how they let media affect them. To further justify that it is difficult to show that media causes harm to people, the ideas discussed will be related to the case study of the murder of 2 year old James Bulger. Validity of Effects Research Early media effects experiments, such as the Payne Fund Studies, consisted of children participants being placed in artificial environments (Gunter 2008,p.1085). They were fed dosages of media violence controlled by researchers who then exposed them to environments where they could behave in aggressive ways if they choose to (Gunter 2008,p.1085). However, these studies have been criticized by scholars for lacking validity (Sparks, Sparks Sparks 2009,p.272). The experiments were too far-fetched to produce any feasible results about media effects as they were artificial; taking users out of their natural habitats, feeding them media they would not usually consume and using unrealistic representatives for real-life violence (Ruddock 2013,p.27). Gunter (2008) is especially adequate at explaining the problems with validity in effects studies. He outlines the issues with conducting experiments in artificial settings. Participants are aware of researchers and act accordingly, doing what th ey thought the researcher wanted (Gunter 2008,p.1088). Gunter (2008,p.1102) reports how the selection of media extracts fed to participants were devoid of their original context and could be interpreted differently when embedded in their original source. Media effects research cannot be discussed without referencing Bandura’s (1963) Bobo Doll experiment (Sparks, Sparks Sparks 2009,p.272). The study illustrated that when watching a televised model commit aggressive actions, children were more likely to imitate the actions if the model was rewarded instead of punished (Sparks, Sparks Sparks 2009,p.272). This suggests an association between aggressive media influences on the children to mimic the aggressive acts but Gunter (2008) cautioned against mistaking association for causation. There were many flaws to that experimentation, with even Bandura (2009,p.110) himself discussing the severe constraints tied to controlled experimentation. Flaws in the â€Å"Effects Model† In response to traditional media effects studies, Gauntlett (1998) discusses the flaws of media effects studies, outlining why it cannot be used to prove that media causes direct harm to young people. Firstly, he discredits effects research for coming to social problems backwards. Researchers start with violent media and attempt to find ways to connect it to social problems, such as aggression, instead of beginning with social problems to find their causes (Gauntlett 1998,p.214). Gauntlett (1998,p.216) also criticizes the effects model for treating children as inadequate and more manipulable than adults, being influenced into behavior adults wouldn’t be. He questions the validity of effects research by discussing the use of artificial studies, claiming that they are selective and based on the belief that the subjects will not change their behavior as a result of being observed (Gauntlett 1998,p.219). In examining some of the flaws that Gauntlett presents, it is clear that it i s difficult to research media effects to show a direct causal effect as the methods traditionally used undermine the validity of the results. Audience’s Choices on Effects The influence media has commonly depends on audience motivations, as information conveyed is not what influences audiences but rather people’s self-determined reaction to this information (Petty, Brinol Priester 2009,p.126). Pieslack (2007) delves into this concept through his studies of music and war. He states that people voluntarily expose themselves to the effects of media, citing soldiers at war as an example who become aggressive after listening to rap music because they want to become aggressive (Pieslack 2007,p.134). McQuail (1997,p.205) explains how typical effects models were perceived as a one-way process of causality, from media to consumer, where the audience was viewed as a passive recipient of media content. However, individuals have unique tastes in media, with some more inclined to expose themselves to media violence (McQuail 1997,p.206). This destroys the notion of media messages being forced upon individuals unwillingly, evidencing that young audiences know ingly visit effects upon themselves (Ruddock 2013,p.28). Young people often learn from media because they choose to (Bandura 2009,p.97). This demonstrates the difficulty in showing that media causes harm to young people as there may be a correlation between aggression but there is no proof of direct causation, with certain individuals choosing to let media influence them (Gunter 2008,p.1095). Audiences Backgrounds Media aggression does not have the same effects on everyone and some may be more susceptible than others to effects of media violence (Gunter 2008,p.1095). Individual media audiences have different psychological makeups that influence the way they respond to aggressive media (Gunter 2008,p.1112). The consumption of violence and aggression from media is complex and must account for the audience’s differing psychological profiles (Gunter 2008,p.1097). Media violence can produce aggression when paired with troubled social conditions (Ruddock 2013,p.35). We cannot assume that violence from media consumers is directly linked back to the media as there are many other influences which can cause aggression in individuals. Peer influences, family conflicts and other factors may all influence aggressive behaviour (Sparks, Sparks Sparks 2009,p.273). It has also been reviewed that negative effects of media violence were mostly visible among the poor, less educated and socially disenfranc hised (Ruddock 2013,p.35). This proves that violent media effects are mostly a risk for individuals whom already had difficult lives and as a result, it is difficult to prove a direct causal effect from violent media. The James Bulger Murder In 1993, controversy over media effects on children surfaced following the murder of two-year-old James Bulger by two ten-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. Bulger’s body was found mutilated on a railway line two days after his murder. Though no evidence of it was brought to trial, violence in videos was considered a possible stimulus. There were many links made by the press between the crime and events in a film called Childs Play 3 (Bignell 2002,p.134). Venable’s father had rented the film however, Venables did not live with his father and had never seen the film (Bignell 2002,p.134). There was no way to connect the crime to the film and direct effects were never proven and authorities concluded that the crime was the case of two disturbed individuals acting on dark impulses, rather than on the influence of violent media. Thompson grew up in a brutal environment, being assaulted by five older brothers and an alcoholic mother. His tough upbringings may ha ve produced aggression when paired with violent media. He could have chosen to let aggressive media influence him voluntarily, wanting to become more aggressive to deal with his surroundings. This underlines Pieslack’s (2007) point about audiences voluntarily exposing themselves to media effects. The boys’ psychological makeup could account for their actions and their responses to aggressive media. Venables came from troubled family conditions, exhibited low self esteem and was temperamentally fragile. His difficult circumstances made him more vulnerable to the effects of media content, as discussed by Gunter (2008). It would be wrong to assume that violent media directly caused the boys to commit the crime as there was no direct proof and a range of other factors clearly had influence on the pair. Concluding Remarks It is difficult to show that media causes harm to young people and that a direct causal effect resulting in negative outcomes exists. The view that media has direct and powerful effects on audiences is more accepted by the general public than media effects scholars (Oliver Krakowiak 2009,p.517). Some researchers acknowledge that media violence can influence viewers but not in all circumstances, all audiences and not directly (Gunter 2008,p.1063). Media effects scholars such as Gunter, Gauntlett, Pieslack and McQuail disagree with direct causal effects. In researching media effects through experimentation, results compiled are questioned for their validity as research conducted in artificial environment can encourage unnatural participant responses. Aggressive behaviour cannot be solely blamed on violent media content as there are many other factors which influence an individual’s motives for being violent. As seen through the James Blumer case study, an individual’s mo tives, psychological makeup and social background can influence the level of power media has over them and disproves the idea of direct effects. Reference List Gauntlett, D 1998, ‘Ten Things Wrong with the Effects Model’, in R Dickinson, R Harindranath O Linne (ed.), Approaches to Audiences: A Reader, Arnold Publishers, London, pp.120-130 Gunter, B 2008, ‘Media Violence: Is There a Case for Causality?’, American Behavioural Scientist, vol. 51, no. 8, pp. 1061-1122 McQuail, Oliver, M Krakowiak, K 2009, ‘Individual Differences in Media Effects’, in J Bryant M Oliver (ed.), Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, Routledge, New York, pp. 517-531 Petty, R, Brinol, P Priester, J 2009, ‘Mass Media Attitude Change: Implications of the Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion’, in J Bryant M Oliver (ed.), Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, Routledge, New York, pp. 517-531 Pieslack, J 2007, ‘Sound Targets: Music and the War in Iraq’, Journal of Musicological Research, vol.26, no. 2, pp. 129-149 Ruddock, A 2013, Youth and Media, SAGE Publications, London Sparks, G, Sparks, C Sparks, E 2009, ‘Media Violence’, in J Bryant M Oliver (ed.), Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, Routledge, New York, pp. 269-286

Change Management Within Cadbury Schweppes

Change Management Within Cadbury Schweppes In todays changing and vague environment, challenges and ambiguities are growing in the market (Boatright, 2007). Globalization and rapid technological advancement placed organizations under immense pressure and necessity to coop with changes in the market. If organizations seek to avoid risks, then they must be prepared to make the required management changes that preserve their position in the market (Stanleigh, 2008). If planned effectively, change will turn a key success factor. Organizations cant implement the change without planning. In fact, change must be realistic, achievable and measurable.ÂÂ  Therefore, organizations must allocate and align all needed resources and capabilities for the project. In late 2003, Cadbury Schweppes, an international confectionery and beverage company, began working with Future Considerations, a management consultancy, to develop a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) learning tool. This tool was designed to make a change in corporate values and move them from booklets and posters into processes, actions plans and culture change inside and outside the company. Thus, this was considered a priority on the desk of the board room of Cadbury and all managers and stakeholders were prepared and engaged in order to adapt the change challenge. This study will examine thoroughly how Cadbury successfully managed this change and prepared the appropriate and suitable capabilities and resources and educate the company, especially their senior managers and employees, about CSR. However, we will start by literature review section about change management and its drivers, key success factors and approaches to make the change a successful project. Then, a brief summary about the case that we are studying-Cadbury Schweppes- will be presented. Finally, a conclusion summarizing the key points in the case and lessons learnt will be offered. Literature Review To start, defining any concept in the area of research and academic work is indeed the first step before moving and discussing the framework and applications and the concept of change management is no exception. Thus, it is important to define what is meant by change management and how can we tell that a certain managerial project is a change or not. Making this differentiation unambiguous from the beginning is pivotal in order allocate the needed capabilities, communication plans and managerial tools and avoid wasting time and resources. For the purposes of Cadbury Schweppes case study, change management is defined as a set of organizational methods and procedures used for effective and prompt handling of change (ITIL, 2000) in the way the business operates and its management approaches (Worren, Ruddle and Moore, 1999). In fact, change management is a discipline that prepares and endures that organizations meet new or existing management objective in a rapid and effective way. To do so, the most appropriate management tools and communication facilities are chosen in order to help the organization, including managers and employees, create the right management disciplines and processes, organization structures, culture, competencies and capability for superior human performance so that change goals are achieved and sustained (Worren et al., 1999, p.277). Drawing on this conception and understand of change management, two important concepts are identified. The first concept is the importance of human performance in change management; thus the organization must prepare the necessary tool, resources and capabilities to increase the contribution and readiness of its managers and employees to adapt the change and build the human performance in their organizations (Michael and James, 1993). The second concept relates to the importance of stakeholders awareness; therefore it is important to help stakeholders who are engaged and affected by the change to determine ways to manage the change process effectively to ensure this occurs. In order to understand more change management, we need to shed light on the drives the make a company decide to employ the change. According to Stanleigh (2008), the following are some drivers: Decisions of mergers and acquisitions with other companies Innovation Adapting new business concept Advent in technology and the need to deploy a new technology Restructuring the organization (downsizing) Globalization Expansion and growth Any of these drivers leads to a change in the way companies management approaches and they way they perform and do their business activities. These drivers are then translated into business objective. So, for example, if a certain company decided to adapt a new technology then adapting this new technology is the objective under which it should prepare the appropriate management tool and project in order to meet the objectives of the change (Storey, 2001). After defining change management as a concept and examining the drivers of the change, it is important know to answer very important question: What make a change project successful? The literature is full of information, best practices and implementation guidelines (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007, Schuler and Jackson, 2006, Storey, 1989) that should be followed in order to manage the change and obtain the foundations for success. However, for the purposes of Cadbury Schweppes case study we will highlight the relevant success factors of a change tool. According to Salaman, Storey and Billsberry (2005) and Kotter and Change (1995), the following factors, which can be used as an approach for successful change, are keys for successful implementing change management: Setting a clear vision and objectives for the change Planning and programming Senior and top management determination Engaging managers and employees Managing change at all departments Telling the organization the benefits of the change Working with staffs in teams on the change program and expecting change to occur Giving time for staff to vent first and then change As it appears clear, a clear vision and objectives at early stages of the change are essential since they are predetermined for change tools and processes. In order to emphasize more the centrality of the vision and objective in any change, we will use here the works of Kotter and Change (1995), leader authors in the area of change management. According to them, a vision always goes beyond the numbers that are typically found in five-year plans. A vision says something that helps clarify the direction in which an organization needs to move. Themes of engagement and effective communication are also important for change management as explained in factors of successful change. It is impossible for the change to achieve its objectives unless managers and employees are motivated to contribute and help. Managers and employees will not make the needed sacrifices unless they believe in the benefits of the change. Here comes the role o the organization, especially the team responsible for implementing the tool for change management, to launch a credible communication that gain the hearts and mind of managers and employees (Ulrich, 1997). To recapture, clear vision, well articulated plans and effective communication are all what a change is about (Ulrich and Beatty, 2001). The aims and objectives of the change project have to be clear and transparent. In addition, need resources, teams and capabilities should be allocated. The company managing the change must be learning company. It must accumulate its experiences and benefit from other companies who failed or successes in their change project in order to avoid sources of failure and adopt factors of success. In the following section, a good example of successful change management tool, namely Working Better Together CSR tool, created and implemented by Cadbury Schweppes will be offered. The Case: Cadbury Schweppes Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. We create brands people love brands like Cadbury, Trident and Halls. The companys heritage starts back in 1824 when John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham selling cocoa and chocolate. Since then the company have expanded its business throughout the world by a programme of organic and acquisition led growth (Cadbury Schweppes, 2009). On 7 May 2008, the separation of the companys confectionery and Americas Beverages businesses was completed creating Cadbury plc with a vision to be the worlds biggest and best confectionery company. The strategy at Cadbury Schweppes is clear. The company believes that the business still has significant untapped potential both in terms of top line growth and returns. By exploiting the strength of its leadership positions to continue to grow its market share and significantly increase its margins and returns, the company aims to achieve its vision of becoming the biggest and best confectionery company in the world (Cadbury Schweppes, 2009). In addition to the strategy, Cadbury Schweppes is keen to maintain its special and unique culture in order to achieve its objectives. The company is led by its performance driven values. The key success factors are: a clear vision, performance scorecard, priorities and sustainable commitment. As a culture the company value performance, quality, respect, integrity and responsibility (Young, 2006). The company works as one team across geographic and functional boundaries to be the best.ÂÂ  The company works hard and have fun along the way. This requires form the company to listen to its consumers, customers, suppliers, shareowners, colleagues and communities. Understanding and responding to their need is the driver of the sustained success of the company. The company believes that doing good is good for business (Cadbury Schweppes, 2009). This belief is at the heart of the way the company works today and will remain as key to its future success. Origin of the Change, Setting objective and Planning the CSR New Tool As mentioned in the introduction, Cadbury Schweppess new project included the development and introduction of a new learning tool which required a change in the way the company operates and does its business (see figure 1). The title of this project was Working Better Together a kit of 50 organizational development tools. Figure 1 Working Better Together Template Adapted from (Young, 2006) In fact, the aim of the company from this transformational project was to build collaborative behaviour among different departments inside the company and across all its stores and offices in different countries especially US and UK (Vogel, 2005). In addition, this collaboration includes communication and engagement of the companys stakeholders in order to teach them that CSR is integral and cornerstone for the companys business and the way it deals with its stakeholders. In brief the main objective of the change project at Cadbury Schweppes is to make the company socially responsible in everything it does. At the heart of this project is the commitment of the company to foster the notion of CSR which is a key to Working Better Together. This is the vision of the company and the general objective under which the whole changing process and application phase will work. Thus, we need know to examine how Cadbury Schweppes translated this vision into action and achieved its objective. The first name given to the tool was Ethical Risk in order to respond to the challenges facing CSR. At early stages, a team of 50 most senior HR and CSR managers was formulated to manage the change project (Young, 2006). The first thing this team did was to change the name of the tool which was rebranded the CSR Living Our Values Learning Tool to reflect the interrelation and synergies between CSR and Cadbury Schweppess values (Sharma et al., 2009). Then, CSR at the company was defined by five main pillars: Human rights and employment standards Ethical responsibilities Marketing, food and consumer issues Environmental, health and safety responsibilities Community relationship This HR-CSR joint team recognized that the tool needed development in order to engage the whole organization especially line managers and employees. In the following section we will explain how Cadbury Schweppes prepared the organization for the change and what tools did the company use to successfully implement the project. Implementation Phase Employee Engagement Employee engagement and contribution to CSR (Davis, 1973, Frederick, 1994, Lantos, 2001, Orlitzky, 2000, Porter and Kramer, 2006), which is intrinsic to the values by which any company does business, was priority Cadbury Schweppes. In fact, employees engagement and raising their readiness for the change is essential part of any change project (Buyens and De Vos, 2001). In light of this understanding, the company formulated a team activity around values-based decisions. The main task for this team is to consult employees in relation to what are the best CSR programs, ides and initiatives that provide the framework to integrate the companys values into its practices, culture, values and daily activities (Young, 2006, Sharma et al., 2009). Also, the team discussed real and relevant business issues including making decisions about products and marketing. The company felt that in order for the change to be implemented successfully, its employees must be aware of the projects and what are CSRs objectives and why the company is adopting this concept. Engaging senior managers The HR-CSR joint team lunched a series of meetings with senior managers at Cadbury Schweppes. The aim was to educate them and raise their awareness toward the five CSR pillars and study the role and contribution of senior managers at the company in embedding CSR into their departments in collaboration with all other departments (Young, 2006). All departments are working under the umbrella of CSR. The HR-CSR team worked in practice with all senior mangers on the tool and showed them how it should be applied. This practical insight provided engaged managers more effectively than any other theoretical description through a seminar or booklet. In addition, the team was keen to get a feedback from senior managers on the practicability of the tool and areas of improvement (Vogel, 2005). In fact, the HR-CSR team succeeded to choose the appropriate and mostly effective means of communication. It is important to note here that the mean of communicate that a company encompass is decisive in any change project (Hemingway and Maclagan, 2004). It is highly recommended to couple practical exercise with theoretical aspects of any learning tool. Learning design Following the feedback obtained from employee teams and series of meeting with senior manager, many refinements were made to the learning tool. The competitive nature of the tool was toned. So, instead of assigning CSR pillars, the tool ranked the possible answers to CSR issues from most to least preferred. This refinement and change deepened the dialogues and prompt the possibility to weight one option against another (Said, Zainuddin and Haron, 2009). Flexible application The key of having this tool was flexibility. At Cadbury Schweppes, the CSR tool was not just used by mangers and within all departments but also with local, functional, leadership teams and new hires in induction programs. In addition, the tool was used with a procurement team and served the original CSR objectives. Thus, the flexibility of the tool makes the change flexible not rigid. This dimension is very important in change management because if the change was static this could restrain its applicability to very specific context and limit the effect of the change and the success of the project. In Cadbury Schweppess case, the CSR tool was applied and adapted in different contexts (Said et al., 2009). For example, HR discloses CSR report to employees and they are asked to sign the statement of business principle and track its adherence. Also, HR used the CSR tool to embeds CSR in the culture of the organization (Young, 2006). This is how the change is translated into different org anizational process, policies and practices. Partnership in change management: HR and CSR The training and communication facilities used to instil the CSR culture among employees, line mangers and the entire Cadbury Schweppess company is indeed a neat example of how the partnership between the CSR and HR department is key a success factor in managing change. Make employees learn and practice CSR activities was the role of HR, while the CRS department helped to define what CSR priorities and pillars. The training of employees through CSR Living Our Values Learning Tool at Cadbury Schweppes is a good example of partnership between HR and CSR (Sharma, Sharma and Devi 2009). Later the HR department included social responsibility in the latest management development initiatives like the global Passion for People management skills programme. Conclusion To conclude, Cadbury Schweppess new learning succeeded to achieve its objective. However, behind this success is well articulated and synthesized change management. Themes of communication, plans, feedback, collaboration, engagement, refinement, flexibility and partnership are indeed the secret behind this success. All these themes are needed and necessary in any project aiming to change behaviours, values and traditional management approaches. The whole organization must be informed about the change (Hemingway and Maclagan, 2004) because, by way of example, the contribution of employees and potential ideas and skills they offer should not be undermined. Any change without employee engagement and contribution runs the risk of sustainability and long-term survival (Amabile and Conti, 1999, Grant, 2002, Kotter and Change, 1995, Stanleigh, 2008).

Personal Narrative: My Crush :: essays research papers

It’s been a long time since I last wrote a letter for Douglas. He was really a special crush. My crush when I first set foot in Mindanao, from high school through early college years. For treasuring him that long, it was inevitable for a special place in my heart to be created for him. I remembered putting initials of letter â€Å"D† to some of my things just to show how much I claim him to be part of my life already. I remember how ecstatic I am every time I see him come home, we were neighbors before. And as I always say, our house were very close—only a row of plants separating both, its impossible we won’t get closer too. He was the most handsome man in my world and my exclusive crush for four years. But of course, when I went to college there were other handsome men (and they were really gorgeous) so Douglas no longer held an elite spot. It was shared but he was still the original crush and counting. That’s about another eight years. Now I am i n late 20’s and the special spot hidden somewhere in my heart started crying out months ago. And for all the busyness I have, it’s only now I am able to listen well to its weeping. Its crying because it knows it has to go and give up the spot to that special place in my heart where God is tidying and preparing for what we fondly call â€Å"God’s will†. See, God made something happen that now forces me to eradicate the spot. Douglas got married last 2005 to a girl from Manila. God allowed it to happen even if He knows that Douglas would surely cry if he knew how much I have treasured him in my heart for more than a decade! I can’t help but think of â€Å"shit† when I think of how much I wasted this special spot, special place in my heart crap. I wince every time I accidentally think of the fact that he is married without even acknowledging just an hour of my decade long devotion. I can’t help but think of how much less that girl deserv es Douglas because I was the one waiting and that girl was not even looking out their window to check if Douglas has come home from campus every weekend.

Contrasting Silkos Yellow Woman and Chopins Story of an Hour :: comparison compare contrast essays

Contrasting Silko's Yellow Woman and Chopin's Story of an Hour On the surface, the protagonists of Silko's "Yellow Woman" and Chopin's "Story of an Hour" seem to have little in common. Yet upon closer inspection, both stories relate tales of women who are repressed by the social tenets that define their roles as wives. From the viewpoint of Western society, the narrator of "Yellow Woman" might be considered immoral for her willing sexual encounter with a stranger. However, the stories related by her grandfather of the Yellow Woman demonstrate within her culture a more accepting attitude of her brief interlude: "Yellow Woman went away with the spirit from the north and lived with him and his relatives. She was gone a long time, but then one day she came back and brought twin boys."(188) Her grandfather certainly liked telling the stories and seems to have admired the Yellow Woman on some level. Other societies do not share the Western idea of moral sexual behavior. The Egyptian ruling class, for example, sometimes married brother to sister, and other cultures have incorporated fertility rites into their belief systems. Even within our own society, marriages to cousins, which are considered wrong today, were not uncommon in past centuries. Given that her attitude regarding sex and marriage might diff er from the Western norm, the central conflict of the story seems to be the narrator's desire for freedom to choose her own destiny versus her more Westernized view of her role as wife and mother, a role that is traditionally subservient to the husband in Western society. There is the sense that she finds her daily life dull, though perhaps not unhappy, and when a chance encounter turned sexual, she again takes on a subservient role to a male. Her inability to make sense of her conflicting feelings causes her to appear weak and lacking in character and portrays her in a negative light. By contrast, Louise Mallard, the protagonist in Chopin's "Story of an Hour", is a moral woman and loving wife, at least by Western standards. Her life is defined by the accepted social ideal of a husband's will as final. She is so inured to this concept that only upon hearing the news of his death does her true feeling of something "too subtle and elusive to name" (199) come forth. What she acknowledges to herself is that her marriage is not happy for her and she often resents her subservient role and "a kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime".

Intellectual Property Rights: Copyright and Patent

Term Paper: Intellectual Property Rights: Copyright and Patent BY Indra2002 Term Paper: Intellectual Property Rights: Copyright and Patent Copyrights and patents hold a major importance for business owners, and companies. I will discuss in detail what a copyright and patent are and the importance the two of them hold. What is Intellectual Property Rights; it refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce which leads to patents. What is a patent?A patent is an exclusive right ranted for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides, in general, a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem. In order to be patentable, the invention must fulfill certain conditions which are it must be new, inventive, and industrial applicable. Novelty meaning the invention must not e known before you file your application. It does not matter how, by whom or when in the world it has been made known. The invention counts as known even if it is you yourself who has used or published it.Inventive step is meant that the invention must differ significantly from what is already known. The solution must not be obvious to a person skilled in that technical area. That means new ways of combining known methods or objects are not necessarily patentable. Industrial applicability the invention must be industrially applicable. An invention is considered industrially applicable if it can be produced or utilized in any kind of industry but also other activities, such as transport, agriculture, hunting, public services and medical services.What is the purpose ot a patent? A patent provides protection tor the invention to the owner of the patent. The protection is a limited protection time, which is generally 20 years. The type of protection a patent provides is that the invention cannot be commercially made, used, distributed, or sold without the patient owners consent. These patent rights are usually enforced in a court. Why are patents necessary? Patents provide incentivizes to individuals by offering the recognition for their creativity and material reward for their marketable inventions.These incentives encourage innovations which assure that the quality of human life is continuously enhanced. You may ask what rights does a patent owner have, a owner has the right to decide who may -or may not- use the patented invention for the period in which he invention is protected. The patent owner may give permission to or, license, other parties to use the invention on mutually agreed terms. The owner may also sell the right to someone else, who will become the new owner of the patent.Once a patent expires, the protection ends, and an enters the public domain, which is when the owner no longer holds exclusive rights to the invention and becomes available to commercial exploration by others. Patents are present in every aspect of human life, from electri c lighting (patents held by Edison and Swan) and plastic (patents held by Baekeland), to ballpoint pens (patents held by Biro). What Is Copyright? † What Is Copyright? N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. How is a patent granted?The first step in securing a patent is to file a patent application. The patent application generally contains the title of the invention, as well as an indication of its technical field, it must include the background and a description of the invention, in clear language and enough detail that an individual with average understanding of the field could use or reproduce the invention. Such descriptions are usually accompanied by visual materials such as drawings, plans, or iagrams to better describe the invention.The application also contains various â€Å"claims† that is, information which determines the extent of protection granted by the patent. â€Å"Copyright vs. Trademark vs. Patent. † Copyright vs. Trademark vs. Patent. N. p. , n. d. w eb. 18 Mar. 2013. What kinds of inventions can be protected? An invention must, in general, fulfill the following conditions to be protected by a patient must be of practical use, it must show an element of novelty, that is, some new characteristic which is not known in the body of existing knowledge in its technical field.This body of existing knowledge is called â€Å"prior art†. The invention must show an invention step which could not be deducted by a person with average knowledge of the technical field. Finally, its subject matter must be accepted as â€Å"patentable† under law in many countries, scientific theories, mathematical methods, plant or animal varieties, discoveries of natural substances, commercial methods for medical treatment (as opposed to medical products) are generally not patentable. Who grants a patent?The national patent office or regional office that works with number of countries, such as the European Patent Office and the African Regional In tellectual Property Organization. Under such regional systems, an applicant requests protection for the invention in one or more countries, and each country decides as to whether to offer patent protection within its borders. The WIPO-administered Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) provides for the filing of a single international patent application which has the same ettect as national applications tiled in the designed countries.An applicant seeking protection may file one application and request protection in as many signatory tates as needed. â€Å"What Is Copyright? † What Is Copyright? N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. What is a copyright? A copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U. S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. What does copyright protect?Copyright, a form of intellectual property law protects original works of authorship including litera ry, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as property, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does ot protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed. How is a copyright different from a patent or a trademark? Copyright protects original works of authorship, while a patent protects inventions or discoveries.Ideas and discoveries are not protected by the copyright law, although the way in which they are expressed may be. A trademark protects words, phrases words, symbols, or designs identifying the source of the goods and services of one party and distinguishing them from those of others. When is my work protected? Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Copyright may or may not be available for titles, slogans, or logos, depending on whether they con tain sufficient authorship.In most circumstances copyright does not protect names. Many people may ask why they should register their work if copyright protection is automatic. Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certification of egistration. Registration works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorneys fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within 5 years of publication, it is considered â€Å"prima facie† evidence in a court of law.The United States has copyright relations with most countries throughout the world, and as a result of these agreements, we honor each other's citizens' copyrights. However the United States does not have such copyright relationships with every country. Many creative works protected by copyright require mass distribution, communication and inancial investment for their dissemi nation (for example, publications, sound recordings and films); hence, creators often sell the rights to their works to individuals or companies best able to market the works in return for payment.These payments are often made dependent on the actual use of the work, and are then referred to as royalties. I have found unlimited sources and information regarding patents and copyright, with all the information I now have a clear understanding exactly what is the differences with a title or name of a company and the steps to truly make an invention yours with ownership.

Mergers and Acquisitions and Market Share Essay

Mergers and Acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow rapidly without having to create another business entity. A merger is a combination of two companies to form a new company, while an acquisition is the purchase of one company by another in which no new company is formed. Definition The main idea: – â€Å"One plus one makes three†. The equation is specially based on Merger or Acquisition. The key principle behind buying a company is to create share holder value over and above that of the sum of the two companies. Two companies together are more valuable than two separate companies together. 1. Acquisition: An acquisition is the purchase of one company by another company. Acquisitions are actions through which companies seek economies of scale, efficiencies and enhanced market visibility. All acquisitions involve one firm purchasing another – there is no exchange of stock or consolidation as a new company. Acquisitions are often congenial, and all parties feel satisfied with the deal. Acquisition has become one of the most popular ways since 1990. Companies choose to grow by acquiring others to increase market share, to gain access to promising new technologies, to achieve synergies in their operations, to tap well-developed distribution channels, to obtain control of undervalued assets, and a myriad of other reasons. So, because of the appeal of instant growth, acquisition is an increasingly common way to expand. 2. Mergers: The combining of two or more entities into one is called merger. Therefore, a merger happens when two firms agree to go forward as a single new company rather than remain separately owned and operated. What makes Mergers and Acquisitions? These motives are considered for making of mergers and acquisitions: 1. Economy of scale: This refers to the fact that the combined company can often reduce its fixed costs by removing duplicate departments or operations, lowering the costs of the company relative to the same revenue stream, thus increasing profit margins. 2. Economy of scope: This refers to the efficiencies primarily associated with demand-side changes, such as increasing 3. Synergy: Better use of complementary resources. 4. Taxes: A profitable company can buy a loss maker to use the target’s loss as their advantage by reducing their tax liability. 5. Geographical Diversification: This is designed to smooth the earnings results of a company, which over the long term smoothen the stock price of a company, giving conservative investors more confidence in investing in the company. 6. Empire building: Managers have larger companies to manage and hence more power. 7. Increased revenue or market share: This assumes that the buyer will be absorbing a major competitor and thus increase its market power (by capturing increased market share) to set prices. 8. Cross-selling: For example, a bank buying a stock broker could then sell its banking products to the stock broker’s customers, while the broker can sign up the bank’s customers for brokerage accounts. Or, a manufacturer can acquire and sell complementary products. 9. Resource Transfer: Resources are unevenly distributed across firms and the interaction of target and acquiring firm resources can create value through either overcoming information asymmetry or by combining scarce resources.