Poe and Hitchcock essays

Poe and Hitchcock essays Edgar Allen Poe and Alfred Hitchcock have insane characters in their stories. Some examples are Edgar Allen Poes William Wilson in William Wilson, and the narrator of the Tell-Tale Heart; and Alfred Hitchcocks Bruno in Strangers on a Train. These characters have similar foundations for their unstable sanity; however, each character had his own peculiar motives which led to this unsound state-of-mind. William Wilson appears what society deems normal in the beginning of the short story. He admits his faults in his imaginative and easily excitable temperament (pg. 66). He even begins his story by revealing remorse and shame for his past actions: The fair page now lying before me need not be sullied with my real appellation, (pg. 66). These traits are those which characterize a sane mentality. The story goes on to describe the normal life of any boy away at school. Wilson gains the respect and admiration of others with his ardor, enthusiasm and imperiousness that are innate to popular and socially competent persons (pg. 70). However, when Wilson notices that there is one youth whom does not claim the admiration for Wilson as the others, Wilson becomes threatened. This Other person continually interferes with Wilsons life in an unwelcome manner. Although, Wilson admits to almost developing a friendship with him, he becomes so disturbed with the Others interference, that in a rage, he murders him. At this point, Wilson may be called insane for the brief moment he lost his hold on reality and killed attempted to kill what he believed was another living being-but there is yet an untold aspect of the role of the Other in Wilsons life. Wilson is not perceived as temporarily insane for a moment in rage, but as having a long-term illness. Wilson perceived the Other as almost a twin in resemblance and name: I disc...

Strong and Weak Vowels in Spanish

Strong and Weak Vowels in Spanish Vowels in Spanish are classified as either weak or strong, and the classification determines when combinations of two or more vowels are considered to form a separate syllable. Key Takeaways: Spanish Vowels The strong vowels of Spanish are a, e, and o; the weak vowels are i and u.When two strong vowels are next to each other, they form separate syllables; in other combinations, the vowels are in the same syllable.Two vowels next to each other form a diphthong; three vowels next to each other form a triphthong. Two Types of Vowels The strong vowels of Spanish - sometimes known as open vowels- are a, e, and o. The weak vowels - sometimes known as closed vowels or semivowels- are i and u. Y often serves as a weak vowel as well, functioning in the same way and sounding the same as i. The basic rule of vowel combinations and syllables is that two strong vowels cannot be in the same syllable, so that when two strong vowels are next to each other, they are considered to belong to separate syllables. But other combinations - such as a strong and a weak vowel or two weak vowels - form a single syllable. Be aware that in real life, especially in rapid speech, two strong vowels, such as in the words maestro and Oaxaca, often slide together to be pronounced in a way that may sound like a single syllable or very close to it. But they are still considered separate syllables for writing purposes, such as when dividing words at the end of a line or for the use of accent marks. Keep in mind that vowel sounds in Spanish tend to be purer than they are in English. In English, for example, the word boa (a type of snake) often sounds something like boh-wah, while in Spanish boa sounds more like boh-ah. This is because English speakers often pronounce the long o with a slight ooh sound at the end, while Spanish speakers do not. Diphthongs When a strong and a weak vowel or two weak vowels combine to form a single syllable, they form a diphthong. An example of a diphthong is the ai combination in baile (dance). The ai combination here sounds much like the English word eye. Another example is the ui combination in fui, which to the English speaker sounds much like fwee. Here are some fairly common words that include diphthongs (shown in boldface): puerto (port), tierra (earth), siete (seven), hay (there is or there are), cuida (care), ciudad (city), labio (lip), hacia (toward), paisano (peasant), cancià ³n (song), Europa (Europe), aire (air). In some words, a strong and weak vowel or two weak vowels dont merge together but instead form separate syllables. In those cases, a written accent over the weak vowel is used to show the distinction. A common example is the name Marà ­a. Without the accent mark, the name would be pronounced much like MAHR-yah. In effect, the accent mark turns the i into a strong vowel. Other words where an accent mark is used to keep a weak vowel from becoming part of a diphthong include rà ­o (river), heroà ­na (heroine), dà ºo (duet) and paà ­s (country). If there is an accent over the strong vowel, it doesnt destroy the diphthong. For example, in adià ³s, the accent merely indicates where the spoken stress goes but doesnt affect how the vowels work together. Triphthongs Occasionally, a diphthong can combine with a third vowel to form a triphthong. Triphthongs never have two strong vowels in them; they are formed by either three weak vowels or a strong vowel with two weak vowels. Words that have triphthongs include Uruguay (Uruguay), estudiis (you study) and buey (ox). Note that for purposes of the written accent, the y is considered a consonant even if it is functioning as a vowel. Thus the final syllable of Uruguay is what gets the stress; thats where the stress goes on words ending in a consonant other than n or s. If the final letter were an i, the word would need to be spelled Urugui to maintain the pronunciation.

Strategic Management Analysis of Starbucks Essay

Strategic Management Analysis of Starbucks - Essay Example The scope of this report has been limited to the exploring the strategic fit of the Starbucks in the International segment and the market selected for the purpose is China. The reason for this is Starbucks being declared a success story in China in contrast to other entrants’ failure (Szabo, 2012). Starbucks’ world revolved around coffee, in fact premium coffee. Broadly, Starbucks’ operations can be categorized in three domains that are: United States (â€Å"US†), International, and Global Consumer Products Group (â€Å"CPG†) (Rein, 2012). Along with premium coffee servings, Starbucks offers tea beverages and fresh food with large variety in their store (Rein, 2012). Operations (under company owned or licensed store) are under their flagship brand of Starbucks with other portfolio components include: Tazo  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  Tea, Seattle’s Best Coffee  Ã‚ ®, and Starbucks VIA  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  Ready Brew (Rein, 2012). Starbucks entered in China in the year 1998 with its first store in Taipei, Taiwan (Starbucks Newsroom, 2012) and currently it holds more than 570 stores in 48 cities (Wang, 2012). Chinese market has been dominated by tea drinking habits and it was an exception considered that Chinese welcome bitter and expensive drink of Starbucks (Szabo, 2012). On contrary to this notion, China has become Starbucks biggest market after US (Szabo, 2012), hence, made scope of the study. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS China has taken driving seat of the world’s economic van. Businesses to achieve the status of being global take China on the checklist of success foremost. Chinese external environment is discussed below: PESTEL ANALYSIS RANKING ( from 1to 5 with 1 rating least and 5 rating best) ENVIRONMENT RANK COMMENT POLITICAL China is politically driven by capital state model but the country has mixed in its recipe the success driving elements of capitalism as well as socialism (The Economists, 2012). The democratic system of Chi na is more flexible than US and has been providing leadership more adaptable to growing challenges of the world (Li, 2011). More importantly, US-China relations are constantly growing vertically as well as horizontally (U. S. Department of State, 2012). It has been rated 4 out of 5 for overall positive conditions China mainly to support the business environment. Moreover, since the country has managed to transform the power war with super power China chances of any further discrepancy in this environmental factor is least expected. ECONOMIC Economically it’s enough to state that China is everywhere in the air. Though growth momentum has declined and expected to further slowdown, still the prospects are most attractive to big giants like Wal-mart, Siemens, Air France KLM, and Daimler etc (China Daily, 2012). Highest GDP average growth rate among BRIC countries (Global Sherpa, n.d.). Controlled CPI to 2.8% after going high to 5.5% in year 2011 (OECD, 2012)

The Line between Reasonable and Unreasonable Force Essay

The Line between Reasonable and Unreasonable Force - Essay Example The main argument would be that he/ she used more than reasonable force, but when we look at it in terms of punches and kicks, how is one supposed to tell how much force will stun someone, or kill another person. From this, one cannot help but notice how sketch an equivocal the definitions can be. A real-life example of this is also seen in George Zimmerman’s case he was arraigned for murder because he shot to death a youth who was beating him up. According to his lawyer, he will not go for the stand your ground law defense as many expected which states that: â€Å"A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity, and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible fe lony†. Despite this law being more recent than the retrospective self-defense one, it still falls short in representing my hypothetical killer, as well as Zimmerman. This is because the use of the term reasonable assumes the participants will be in a position or will have time to reason. In most cases, it comes down to the initial victim's perception which is often â€Å"my life or theirs†. It also does not protect one from the bias that often results based on the age, reputation an often the race of the final victim.

Crime and Hurricane Katrina Essay Example for Free

Crime and Hurricane Katrina Essay Hurricane Katrina caused many forms of distress, displacement and disruption to the community of New Orleans and the citizens most certainly were forced to act in drastic ways for survival. The response by the people has been considered forms of criminal activity and in all senses of legal activity has been defined as crime. Acts of looting and violence were reported by many reporters of various news media. Crimes were not only committed by everyday citizens of New Orleans, but volunteer workers as well and even, what people saw as the most shocking display of violence and betrayal of trust, by the Law Enforcement Officials as well. What is also interesting is how this destructive event altered the residents’ perception of what is crime and what can be considered criminal. What was once considered to be a betrayal of trust towards another member of the community had been transformed into an activity that was now a means of survival. Some of the acts varied from a â€Å"need† to steal because they â€Å"had to† (i. e. , stealing from Bath and Body works for soap, supermarkets for food, water, clothes, etc. ) and then increasing to other side of the spectrum to murder of strangers, friends, and even family. Hurricane Katrina caused a massive social disruption to the people of New Orleans and this catastrophic event would eventually lead to their breakdown of societal rules and values. And it is this breakdown that would not be lost to the eyes of the news media and would be broadcast everywhere, all across the world (of Katrina, apocalypse 2005). The New York Times gave many accounts of the violence, destructive and slide into anarchy that was happening in New Orleans. One article, published September 29th, 2005, After Katrina, crimes of the imagination, detailed the mass amount of looting and violent crimes in the area. The article details the fears and horrors of becoming a broken society and living in fear of your once loved neighbor. Another thing this article seemed to touch on was that it was possible that fear was actually caused by a trick of the mind. â€Å"†¦Some, but not all, of the most alarming stories were figments of frighten imaginations, the product of no reliable communications, and perhaps the residue of raw relations between some police officers and members of the public. † Speaking of the â€Å"raw relations between some police officers and members of the public,† these supposed raw relations were only further hurt and ripped apart by actions made by the police department themselves. Five police officers were accused and convicted (six years later) of shooting and killing defenseless citizens attempting to cross a bridge in search of food, water and shelter. These same officers along with the help of their department attempted a brilliantly mastermind plot to cover up their crime. This included â€Å"made-up witnesses, falsified reports, and a planted gun† to prove that they were under fire by the citizens and were only trying to protect themselves. This news article Jury Reaches Guilty Verdict in Hurricane Katrina Shootings Trial by Fox News shows the corruption and hidden brutality of the law enforcement department of New Orleans. In association with police corruption and brutality, there was a similar crime committed by five different police officers a mere two days before the crime previously mentioned. An injured 31 year old male was taken to the temporary headquarters of police by his friends in search of help. The officer drove off with the car with the injured male still in the back seat and his remains were found in the torched car. The implicated officer, for shooting the injured male and attempting to cover up by burning the car with the body still inside (oddly enough) was charged with a civil rights violation and the remaining four were charged with obstruction of justice. This just yet another article (5 cops charged in post-Hurricane Katrina shooting, burning death) found in the Daily News archives describing the corruption and brutality of law enforcement in the face of disaster. However the actual brutality of the police system is not entirely at fault on its own. In a New York Times article: More Horrible Than Truth: News Reports published September 19th 2005, described of the crimes of the people against each and against law enforcement. There were gangs shooting at rescue crews, emergency room physicians were being confirming the rising amount of murders and rapes, and there were eye witness accounts of police officers being shot at while trying to help out a group of helpless victims. While there is no excusing the horrible brutalization by the police department, it is clear to see that all of it is not always unprovoked. There have also been many other forms of crime in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that do not involve looting and murder. There have also been crimes by the state and government which have affected the residents of New Orleans. In Time Runs Out for St. Bernard Parish, an editorial in The New York Times, the housing and racial discrimination was brought to light. The parish was banning anyone who was not a â€Å"blood relative† from seeking shelter at the parish. Since being in a predominantly white neighborhood this was implied to many any people of color was banned from the church. There were also crimes against the government through insurance fraud and lawsuits. Insurance companies were defrauding their clients (Attorneys arrive for opening of first Katrina insurance lawsuit, 2006) and then also evacuees of New Orleans were attempting to fraud insurance money away from FEMA and FBI grants (Katrina: Four Years Later, 2009). The aftermath of Katrina was no match for the crime that occurred during and after it. The crime destroyed the faith and rationality of the people which prolonged and deepened the chaos of New Orleans. The news media as always played a big role in the hype of the crime wave but without the media the true seriousness of the crime would have never been investigated and given proper consideration to improve.

Teenagers in Depression :: essays research papers

It has come to my attention, that there are quite a few, or need I say many people who have problems with themselves and are in a state of depression. There are many stories that I have read and also dealt with myself about the different causes of this extreme low self esteem. Why does it seem like no one understands us? Why do we have to feel this way? The solution is to simply end everything because then there will be no suffering. No no, that’s no answer to any problem. We as teenagers have to show our strength to fight this confusing and demanding period of our lives. I will elaborate on just one or two of the many reasons depression strikes once again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A big factor that many are quite familiar with is self injury. May it be burning, cutting, or other harmful actions to oneself, it is certainly not healthy. What exactly is the reason for inflicting injury upon ourselves? Do we even know? Personally, my cutting started all because of something pretty dumb if you ask me. I hurt the best person to me in the world and I messed everything up that I had with them. He told me time and time again how horribly I broke his heart and each time it felt like a knife was being stabbed through my heart deeper and deeper. I couldn’t take it anymore; I went mad. I picked up a knife one day and sliced my arm. What on earth was happening? Well, it seems that I took all the hurt that I have caused him and put it physically on me. If he had to hurt so much, well then I should suffer just as much. It’s been over a year now since I have started it and well, as many know it becomes quite addictive†¦you can’t s eem to stop. The last time that I have cut myself was about 2 weeks ago, and I’m proud staying away from the blade that long. I know that if I try really hard I can overcome the temptation of simply hurting myself to take away the stress and tension built up inside. Instead I go for a run or crank my music up really loud and let out all the negative energy that is slowly manifesting inside my body. No matter what the reason is though for hurting yourself, the point that I want to make across is that it’s not worth it.

A Strong Coding Foundation

The healthcare field involves the use of medical language in note taking and diagnosis. For a professional in this are it is necessary to have the coding skills. This paper will look at importance of understanding medical terminology and anatomy in attaining these skills.Effective CodingThe most significant step in a health care profession involves learning the common medical terminology and understanding the code’s meaning. This helps in correct diagnosis and performance of procedural codes written in medical language as in a physician’s notes, thus building the coder’s confidence.The American Academy of Professional Coder's (AAPC's) offers essential courses like Medical Terminology and Anatomy, for medical coding and billing and career preparation in a non-clinical medical profession. It uses the coder’s view to introduce students to the human body in a medical coding and reimbursement profession language. It also provides the certified professional code r (CPC) exam to assess this knowledge requirement.The seriousnessIt is important to take the medical terminology course seriously in order to gain a strong medical knowledge base by avoiding the rush through text, smash through quiz and cramming for exams to ensure long term retention of information. Alternatively, different study methods such as chunking, making mental notes, creating flash cards for a chapter and memorizing by association can be used. In addition, one can also focus more on challenging areas.Application to CPC ExamThe CPC exam’s open book is a great resource for preparation as it contains anatomy images which offer more understanding. Additionally, while taking the exam, confidence and quick movement through questions is of importance.An understanding of medical terminology and anatomy is also essential in the implementation ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS which is more detailed and involves consistent terminology.ConclusionDue to the importance of knowledge termi nology and human anatomy all coders and medical records professionals should ensure that they possess it.ReferencesEricson, B., 2009. A Strong Coding Foundation: Build upon Medical Terminology andAnatomy for CPC Success. Retrieved from < http://healthinformation.advanceweb.com/Student-and-New-Grad-Center/Certifications-and-Credentials/A-Strong-Coding-Foundation.aspx> on 10th July, 2010.

Poem Comparison Essay

All four poems that I read are related in their purposes and goals; however, they are also very different. â€Å"Lucinda Matlock† by Edward Lee Masters, â€Å"Chicago† by Carl Sandburg, â€Å"Richard Cory† by Edwin Arlington Robinson, and â€Å"We Wear the Mask† by Paul Laurence Dunbar are all about the joys and sorrows of life. How we look at life makes life good or bad. â€Å"Lucinda Matlock† is a story of a woman, who, by some standards, would have a life that we consider a mediocre. However, the narrator of the poem says that it was a good life and that life can only be truly appreciated if it is taken from you. â€Å"Chicago† by Carl Sandburg is the most closely related poems to â€Å"Lucinda Matlock†. In the poem, the people of this city are dirty, â€Å"evil†, and happy. The people are not saying to themselves, â€Å"Well, my life is horrible because this is where I live and this is my underpaying job†. They are laughing and joyous because they have life. â€Å"Chicago† is unlike â€Å"Lucinda Matlock† because Carl Sandburg’s depiction of life in Chicago is so much more cynical than that of Master’s more optimistic characterization and depiction of life in the world. â€Å"Richard Cory† is a poem about an aristocratic man that under- appreciates life, and, as a result commits suicide. The narrator talks about how envious he/she is of Richard Cory. Only in the very end do they mention the fact that he is actually a very sad man. This poem is a representation of the front that some people put up to hide their inner selves due to embarrassment or many other feeling of despair. Finally, we read â€Å"We Wear the Mask† by Paul Laurence Dunbar. This is very similar to â€Å"Richard Cory† in its message. The message is again that there are some who sometimes cloister their inner selves behind a barrier of a fake personality. In the poem, Dunbar writes: â€Å"Nay, let them only see us while/ We wear the mask/ We smile, but oh great  Christ, our cries/ To Thee from tortured souls arise.† The second part of the quotation says that they have tortured souls. They smile to hide their pain and they cry to Christ for help. All of the poems share the common theme that â€Å"life is what you make it† and that people often hide their true identity behind a false one (As shown in â€Å"Richard Cory†, â€Å"We Wear the Mask†, and â€Å"Chicago†). Though the final two poems mentioned have more in common with each other than they do with the first couple poems that were talked about in class, all of the poems are similar in their ultimate subject matter.

The Workforce Merging Sandstone University and Redbrick Institute

The Workforce Merging Sandstone University and Redbrick Institute Introduction A merger is the process of a company combining with another company and totally absorbing the infrastructure, facilities and functions (Bontis 1999, p.434). Amalgamation involves merging between commercial companies, and later forming a common name for the merged companies. Two existing companies are unified to form one fully functional company that carries out all activities under one name (Hild 2004, p.2).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Workforce Merging: Sandstone University and Redbrick Institute specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When a company is soon to restructure through merger or acquisitions, then there is need to understand the role of human resource management all through the process (Hild 2004, p.3). This means that before and after the merger, the HR must collaboratively work with the workforce to ensure higher levels of a successful merger between companies. Hilda (2004) notes there ar e challenges that are bound to face the HR department as a result of mergers and how the takes up the issues and activities directly affect the productivity of the work force (P.4). This is why the human resource management is vital in achieving success or failure in mergers. Key stakeholders The merger between Sandstone University and Redbrick institute of technology to form All-star University is one of the many institution mergers in Australia. The merger was important to ensure asset stability in financial assets and build on extra knowledge, talent and technology (D’Souza et al 2001, p.24). The major shareholder’s of the All-star University includes, the government, Sandstone University’s main sponsor. The government main’s interest is to have the institution offer more courses to the public and acquire as many students as possible to boost the university courses and have people opt for the All star university. If the school could add more business, related subjects more students would register and the government will reduce its sponsorship to the university. The students are the second stakeholders, after the merger, the students have been pressuring the university to add more courses to its curriculum. The students are demanding for more courses because the merger benefits the students because they get to be taught by academics that have knowledge, experience and experts in technology (Pattanayak 2005, p.400).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The local business community also has their interest in All-star University because Redbrick staff has been known to have a wide experience. They also take a modern approach to teaching students in business related fields practically, preparing them for the real world. This coupled with highly educated and experienced lecturer’s the local business community entrus t their employees to go through the university to better the company’s human resource (Hild 2004, p.3). The local business feel the school is potential in building their employees talent and they need to add more business oriented subjects. The academics from Sandstone University and Redbrick also make up the stakeholders, the academics have different interests. Sandstone university academics have a traditional academic approach and still encourage public service, entered academia, banking and consulting. The lecturers also placed research publications above practical experience in the world of academia. Their main interest is to keep earning according to the union’s agreement and that is according to seniority and also to maintain the prestige of the university. Meanwhile the interests of Redbrick’s academics’ main interest lie on teaching programs that one can apply to modern day business. The academia’s main interest is to keep graduates into di versified range in the various business related fields. These lecturers’s take pride in teaching excellence and encourage students to be more practical preparing them for the real world. The last union is the right and left union, the left wing tertiary academics union is involved in determining the Sandstone’s academic staff, which is often on seniority. The union’s basic interest is to determine the academics salary and rate of performance. HR challenges The merging between Sandstone University and Redbrick institute of technology is bound to raise a few HR challenges because a lot of attention is on focused on human elements (Hild 2004, p.6). The HR department is bound to witness a lot of insecurity and anxiety among the employees (Pattanayak 2005, p.400).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Workforce Merging: Sandstone University and Redbrick Institute specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This w as seen first developing from the Sandstone’s academic who expressed their dissatisfaction on the fact that the university was merging with an institution. The staff at Sandstone remain with doubts on job security (Bontis 1999, p. 435); cost and performance was to be used to rate all staff at All stars and the Redbrick staff were better in practical tasks. Culture clashes are bound to be experienced in All-star university, because Sandstone University has different ideologies from Redbrick’s staff. Sandstone’s staffs believe in the culture of research and theory, the lecturer’s approach is based on paper work. While Redbrick encourages their students to take a practical approach and tend to not take the professors at Sandstone University seriously. The HR has the challenge to align the two cultures in order to have all staff to work together as a team. Difference in culture could also be seen due to the attitudes and beliefs of the staff, the staff at San dstone take union and tenure seriously while the staff at Redbrick does not. The human resource department has the great challenge to create a system that will even out all employees (Hild 2004, p. 8). The Redbrick and the Sandstone staff have different cultural practices and it is up to the HR department to establish what should be optional and what system should be compulsory. If cultures crash the two may not work as a team and this may lead to direct failure of All university. The staff at Sandstone has 90% of the staff with PHD’s while Redbrick has only 20% of the staff working with PHD’s. The lecture’s at Sandstone feel like they need to continue with the union’s pay system, where the higher lecturers earn more. This may pose a challenge and bring a difference in power and politics between the two forces. Because the professors may feel offended and lack to corporate with the other lecturers, since they feel superior to the Redbrick’s staff. The staff at Sandstone being more learned than the Redbrick staff may feel superior and expect better and special treatment. The HR has the challenge of treating the professors as equals and also encouraging the other staff to feel appreciated. The HR has to estimate the budget that will fund the transition cost that will help all staffs to go through training to adopt the new system. The HR has to first come up with a system for both staff and allow training schedules for the employees (Hild 2004, p. 8). The program established will need an implementation stage and a monitoring system; these procedures will require funding to the last step.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The HR has got to plan for this transition period and ensure the training is effective. The Sandstone staffs already have a negative attitude towards the amalgamation, and this may affect the level of cooperation among workers. The 20% reduction in workers is to an extent a delicate issue because the HR manager has to choose from the Sandstone University and the Redbrick University. Both have their strengths and weakness and the HR department is faced with the task of having to choose the best employees. The HR is faced with the risk of lose or mismanagement, which could affect the productivity of the company. This could then lead to financial drain because the employees left in the company will be a liability to the company. The HR has to come to terms with layoffs, which bring anxiety and tension among workers, this is a major de-motivating factor among companies. The other issue involves facing an un-anticipated turnover of events, which could see some academics resign from the i nstitution (Secord 2003, p. 267). The academics in Sandstone University feel that merging with an institution would be lowering the university prestige among the local community. This is because Redbrick only has 40% of its total staff as PhDs holders while 90% of Sandstone’s staffs have PhDs. The lecturer’s feel at Sandstone that they have more long term experience in teaching and have the best approach to lecturing, due to the long experience. The third challenge that the HR managers could face is procedural integration, where they have to combine the two company systems and structures (Pattanayak 2005, p.401). Sandstone has full time students mostly, while Redbrick has full time and part time students. This may mean reshuffling the courses, dates and time schedules. The pay for Sandstone staff members is determined by the left wing academics union and it depends on the seniority. Redbrick on the other hand are paid on contracts and less than 50% of the staff at redb rick have a union. 85% of the staff at Sandstone has tenure, while only 20% of the Redbrick staff has tenure. These differences in systems that dominate each institution will have to identify a way to integrate the central control function for both institutions to one major body (Hild 2004, p. 8). Sandstone University has a more formal approach as opposed to Redbrick the HR will look in closely to ensure that a compromised is reached. All stars are covered with a 10 million loss and to keep up with the budget guideline, the university has to reduce the head count by 20%. This is also one of the greatest challenges for the HR department because the HR managers have to screen very carefully from both institutions and consider the best candidates to select (Secord 2003, p. 268). 90% of the Sandstone’s staff holds a PhD while Redbrick has only 40% of the total staff holding PhDs. However, the Redbrick lecturers are more practical and excellent in the way they deliver lecturers. T his means the HR has to carry out an appraisal to ensure that the best employees are retained, the HR should be cautious to strike a balance in both institutions. The HR department according to Pattanyak (2005) has to look closely at the effectiveness of each employee and how well they will blend with the new company policies (P.403); a reduction of 20% is a large number means that many employees will be rendered jobless. While this may see some academics laid off, the pressure of the HR department is to see that the ones who remain are the most productive and resourceful. The pay may also pose a challenge to the HR department once the two companies are merged (Secord 2003, p.268). The Sandstone staff is paid according to seniority, while the Redbrick staff is paid on contracts and depends on their specialty. The HR department has the challenge of reviewing the remuneration package of each employee and come up with a pay package. While doing this they are posed with the challenge of causing negative attitude amongst the staff (Pattanayak 2005, p. 405). The Sandstone academics feel that they are senior in their profession and have a research role and should be compensated better that the Redbrick employees who only have a few PhD holders. The Redbrick staff has a practical approach and while they consult, their courses have become popular amongst the employees. This means that as the HR plans for the remuneration package there is the risk of job dissatisfaction from some lecture’s who may feel underpaid (D’Souza et al 2001, p. 25). Lastly social cultural integration May arise as a challenge to the HR managers; this is because both institutions have their own organization cultures and belief which they hold dear (Hild 2004, p. 8). The Sandstone academics are research oriented and believe that a research publication is better than a practical experience. Redbrick academics on the other side believe that a practical approach rather than theory based learning is the best way to lecture the graduates. These differences could break down employee communication when the company is merged. The HR department has the hard task of addressing culture and integrating the system, and finds a common ground from which the staff can start sharing (Pattanayak 2005, p. 405. Logical and practical recommendations For the HR managers to overcome the above issues, before the merger the human resource managements need to spend time with the financial analyst to see how the merger will affect the employees financially (Donaldson 1994, p. 46). The management at All star University have to take up the leadership policy seriously. The staff will adopt the new system easily based on how well they are led; if the management is disorderly then the staff members will exhibit the same (Donaldson 1994, p.46). The leader also must have an implementation strategy for the new company, for it to succeed; the management must outline the implementation plan and how to follow it up. The managers of All Star University must have well thought goals and objectives to see through the merger. The staffs at Redbrick and Sandstone University have a lot of differences, and this will mean that the managers will require a lot of planning and strategizing to turn these differences to similarities. The HR for instance must find a common remuneration system that pays both the Redbrick and Sandstone staff. The HR department must carefully draw a new tenure system that allows all staff to join and this system must share a common interest, without discriminating. The HR has to be diligent on soft issues such as the reduction of staff from both the University and Institute. Reduction of workers in a company may lead to conflict of interest on the HR side, where the manager may feel obligated to retain some employ. Here the managers should act on behalf of the organization and carry out their duties without favoring anyone. The managers should use past experien ce from companies who have undergone amalgamation successfully (Hild 2004, p. 8). This way they are bound to borrow a few strategies that could be of great help to the company. Many companies due to the tough economic times undergo merging to strengthen their financial position. All Stars should borrow the best practices of such firms and adoption techniques applied to see through the combination. Key talent should be identified early before the merging process so as to ensure that the key players in both organizations are retained (Hild 2004, p. 8). The staffs at University are highly educated and most possess Ph.D while the staffs at Redbrick are experienced employees who take up a practical approach, making them popular amongst physical companies. This means the managers need to look into such issues so as to make structured decisions on who stays and who is laid off. The staff needs to show also the will to adopt, it would be useless to take up an employee who is not willing to adapt to the new environment. Communication is key for any merger to be declared successful; this should involve the stakeholders of both the university and the institute. The University has the government, parents, students and the community at large to consult before they implement the whole process. The process of communication allows the stakeholders to have time to prepare for the different environment. Communication also communicates the key objectives and future plans of the organization (Hild 2004, p. 8). Lastly communication paves way for planning and strategizing for both management and stakeholders. Every plan needs to be established and ruled carefully to ensure its clear and well applied in the whole process. Getting people from both the Sandstone university and the Redbrick institute of technology, absorbed together earlier in stage. The two institutions of learning should be brought together and explained to the process of the merger and explain the reasons behind it and its benefits. Honesty is an important aspect because the HR is dealing with adults and being transparent eases less tension among the employees (Pattanayak 2005, p. 407). Since the All University will need to do a 20%, reduction the HR should not do the reduction all at once to but in stages. During the reduction the HR should look careful at both sides and consider the best resources to stay and who to release (Bontis 1999, p. 455). The HR department should ensure that they integrate and orient the employees who remain into the system and carry out seminars to train the employees on how to cope in the new systems and strategy (Donaldson 1994, p. 50). The HR department should draw a new organization structures and define the roles of each employee with clarity, and assign the different tasks favorably. The pay package guide should be explained to both sides and all factors should be considered to compensate the workers laid off (Secord 2003, p. 270). Manpower planning should be realistic in all to ensure the retained employees are up to the task and can deliver efficiently. Conclusion Managers in an institution need to remember that human resource is essential to the success of the company. When commercial companies decide to merge the workforce is always affected especially where the new formed company has to lay off some staffs. This poses the HR challenge of having the human resource to retain the best employees and inculcate them to the new organization. The nature of success highly depends on how the human resource is handled in the company. The HR should make it an important not therefore to take the workforce through the merging process. References Bontis, N. (1999) Managing organization knowledge by diagnosing intellectual capital: framing and advancing the state of the field. International journal of technology management. 18(5). P.433-462 Donaldson, G. (1994) Corporate restructuring: managing the change process from within. New York: Harvard Busi ness school. D’souza, et al. (2001) Determinants of performance improvements in privatized firms: The role of restructuring and corporate governance. New Orleans: AFA. Hild, A. (2004) Empirical evidence on shareholder value effects of corporate restructuring. Journal of business economics-investment and finance. 7(2). P.1-12 Pattanayak, B. (2005) Human resource management (3rd Edition). New York, Routledge. Secord, H. (2003) Implementing best practices in human resource management. London, Person Hall.

The Battle of Palo Alto

The Battle of Palo Alto The Battle of Palo Alto: The Battle of Palo Alto (May 8, 1846) was the first major engagement of the Mexican-American War. Although the Mexican army was significantly larger than the American force, American superiority in weapons and training carried the day. The battle was a victory for the Americans and began a long series of defeats for the beleaguered Mexican Army. The American Invasion: By 1845, war between the USA and Mexico was inevitable. America coveted Mexicos western holdings, such as California and New Mexico, and Mexico was still furious about the loss of Texas ten years before. When the USA annexed Texas in 1845, there was no going back: Mexican politicians railed against American aggression and fired the nation into a patriotic frenzy. When both nations sent armies to the disputed Texas/Mexico border in early 1846, it was only a matter of time before a series of skirmishes were used as an excuse for both nations to declare war. Zachary Taylors Army: The American forces on the border were commanded by General Zachary Taylor, a skilled officer who would eventually become President of the United States. Taylor had some 2,400 men, including infantry, cavalry and the new flying artillery squads. The flying artillery was a new concept in warfare: teams of men and cannons who could change positions on a battlefield rapidly. The Americans had high hopes for their new weapon, and they would not be disappointed. Mariano Aristas Army: General Mariano Arista was confident that he could defeat Taylor: his 3,300 troops were among the best in the Mexican army. His infantry was supported by cavalry and artillery units. Although his men were ready for battle, there was unrest. Arista had recently been given the command over General Pedro Ampudia and there was much intrigue and infighting in the Mexican officer ranks. The Road to Fort Texas: Taylor had two locations to worry about: Fort Texas, a recently-built fort on the Rio Grande near Matamoros, and Point Isabel, where his supplies were. General Arista, who knew he had overwhelming numerical superiority, was looking to catch Taylor in the open. When Taylor took most of his army to Point Isabel to reinforce his supply lines, Arista set a trap: he began bombarding Fort Texas, knowing Taylor would have to march to its aid. It worked: on May 8, 1846, Taylor marched only to find Arista’s army in a defensive stance blocking the road to Fort Texas. The first major battle of the Mexican-American War was about to begin. Artillery Duel: Neither Arista nor Taylor seemed willing to make the first move, so the Mexican army began firing its artillery at the Americans. The Mexican guns were heavy, fixed and used inferior gunpowder: reports from the battle say the cannonballs traveled slowly enough and far enough for the Americans to dodge them when they came. The Americans answered with artillery of their own: the new â€Å"flying artillery† cannons had a devastating effect, pouring shrapnel rounds into the Mexican ranks. The Battle of Palo Alto: General Arista, seeing his ranks ripped apart, sent his cavalry after the American artillery. The horsemen were met with concerted, deadly cannon fire: the charge faltered, then retreated. Arista tried to send infantry after the cannons, but with the same result. About this time, a smoky brush fire broke out in the long grass, shielding the armies from one another. Dusk fell about the same time as the smoke cleared, and the armies disengaged. The Mexicans retreated seven miles to a gulch known as Resaca de la Palma, where the armies would battle again the following day. Legacy of the Battle of Palo Alto: Although the Mexicans and Americans had been skirmishing for weeks, Palo Alto was the first major clash between large armies. Neither side won the battle, as the forces disengaged as dusk fell and the grass fires went out, but in terms of casualties it was a win for the Americans. The Mexican army lost some 250 to 500 dead and wounded to about 50 for the Americans. The biggest loss for the Americans was the death in battle of Major Samuel Ringgold, their best artilleryman and a pioneer in the development of the lethal flying infantry. The battle decisively proved the worth of the new flying artillery. The American artillerymen practically won the battle by themselves, killing enemy soldiers from afar and driving back attacks. Both sides were surprised at the effectiveness of this new weapon: in the future, the Americans would try to capitalize on it and the Mexicans would try to defend against it. The early win greatly boosted the confidence of the Americans, who were essentially a force of invasion: they knew they would be fighting against huge odds and in hostile territory for the rest of the war. As for the Mexicans, they learned that they would have to find some way to neutralize the American artillery or run the risk of repeating the results of the Battle of Palo Alto. Sources: Eisenhower, John S.D. So Far from God: the U.S. War with Mexico, 1846-1848. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1989 Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007. Scheina, Robert L. Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791-1899 Washington, D.C.: Brasseys Inc., 2003. Wheelan, Joseph. Invading Mexico: Americas Continental Dream and the Mexican War, 1846-1848. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2007.

Potential of Deregulation of the Electricity Sector in the State of Essay

Potential of Deregulation of the Electricity Sector in the State of Qatar - Essay Example The highest number of vacancies in employment sector is related to Oil and gas industry. Examples of posts are Rotating Equipment Engineer, Terminal Supervisor, and Mobile Concrete Pump Operator and many others. Least job opportunities are available in retailing services and IT related jobs (Chaddock, 2008). Estimated percentage of literacy in 1985 was 74%. The percentage increased to 81% in 2000. Centre for eliminate literacy rate was formed in 1954 in Qatar. There were seven schools in 1956, which could cater to the requirement of 614 students. By paying utmost attention to this sector, literacy has increased dramatically. Elementary schooling is of four year period in Qatar. Illiterate students were educated under this program and were granted certificates. Incentive allowance is given to such students, which was QR150 per month (Guides, 2010). The estimated population in 1998 was 579,000. 20% among this population was Qatari. The remaining population is of foreign workers. The po pulation living in urban areas is 91.4 % and the remaining 9.6% lives in rural areas. The total population is an imbalance. The number of males is greater than females. Basic reason is that the foreign workers are not living with their families, as they come alone. The type of visa allotted to foreign workers is work visa, which are temporary visas. Most of the foreign workers come from Pakistan and India (Chaddock, 2008). Production The production of electricity in 2008 was approximately 4263 Megawatts (MW). It is assumed that in 2011 it will double and increase up to 8707 MW. These values prove the development of electricity sector in Qatar. The number of substations of high voltage has increased to 139 in 2008. By the turn of century there were 87 substations in... This paper approves that the expansion of power stations is done by placing complex power equipment in different substations. This activity is performed by the employees of KAHRAMAA. They are making the electric power system highly developed and dependable as well. Many international companies are interested in the project launch of Qatar Electricity Transmission Networks. There basic goal is to expand their transmitted network. The projects of KAHRAMAA are considered as the largest projects in the world. Phase VIII was the largest project of network expansion. The contracts of this project are worth US$ 3.5 billion. Phase IX is the next upcoming network project. KAHRAMAA has also decided to expand the network of Phase VIII. Their technical department is responsible for tracking deadlines. Basic target of the researcher is to research and find the best suitable structure for electricity production and management in Qatar. It will not be easy to regulate electricity sector in Qatar. This report makes a conclusion that while collecting the data, it will be ensured that no confidential/classified information offered by the companies is misused. Official permission from electricity authorities will be taken in writing to use their data. The data will be protected. Names of the participants in my primary data collection interviews/survey will not be displaced in any situation. The company data and any personal information collected during this research will be safe guarded carefully to ensure no information theft or misuse of information.