Character Analysis The Odyssey - 2498 Words

When sons think about growing up and becoming adults, their fathers are their perfect role models. A son wants to have the same job as his father, have the same personality, and be able to impress his father to the best of his ability. When a father is absent from his son’s childhood, the son may try to live up to the stories he hears about his dad, while in other cases, the son may try to avoid any thought of how his father is portrayed. Without a father, a child often seeks out mentors to compensate for the lack of guidance. In The Odyssey, Telemachus grows up hearing stories about his father. His mother, Penelope, and servants in the palace build an image, in Telemachus’ mind, that his father, Odysseus, is a great fighter and hero. With the help of a goddess and mentor, Athena, Telemachus aspires to impress his father by becoming the man he thinks Odysseus would want him to be. Holden, on the other hand, does not have a great relationship with his father. After Holde n’s brother, Allie, dies, Holden is sent away to boarding school and learns how to grow up on his own. Unlike Telemachus who hopes to someday join forces with his father, Holden wants nothing to do with his father. Telemachus and Holden both look to adults for the guidance they do not receive from their absent fathers, but while Athena helps Telemachus become a confident, brave man, like his father, Holden fails to find a mentor who can help him become the bravely non-conformist man he’d like to be; unlike TheShow MoreRelatedThe Odyssey Character Analysis924 Words   |  4 PagesThe Odyssey by Homer is, an epic poem, set in ancient Greece around the eighth century. In The Odyssey by Homer the main character Odysseus is dragged along adventures and trials: temptation, danger, and influence along with passel of others and unpleasantness Odysseus faces and overcome parallel a regular person’s day, more specifically, myself. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus encounters oodles of temptations, â€Å"...Calypso, held him in her hollow grottoes: she wanted him as a husband.† (HomerRead MoreCharacter Analysis : The Odyssey 1299 Words   |  6 Pages Johnsmeyer Hero Essay AP LANG Is Odysseus, the main character of Homer s The Odyssey, really an epic hero? An epic hero exemplifies several heroic traits such as; immortal or super-human strength; being highly intellectual and courageous; and being a powerful and responsible leader. An epic hero has struggles and is overwhelmed with difficulties whilst on a quest of self discovery, war, or some sort of goal. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is on a quest to return home to Ithaca after ten yearsRead MoreThe Odyssey And Beowulf : Character Analysis1642 Words   |  7 Pagesway to clearly mark certain behaviors as poor social etiquette. Through the use of extreme behavior that identifies a character as immoral, other behaviors that are exhibited are reinforced as distasteful and frowned upon by the society and culture. Without explicitly stating the rules, people are shown the correct and incorrect behaviors. Within The Odyssey and Beowulf, two characters clearly violate social norms by invading spaces that no one invited them into. The suitors and Grendel both demonstrateRead MoreCharacter Analysis : The Great Odyssey And Oedipus Essay1777 Words   |  8 PagesIn spite of the fact that neither Penelope nor Jocasta is the protagonist in the two great works Odyssey and Oedipus, the two characters both play important roles in driving the plots ahead, significantly contributing to the completely different fates of their husbands, Odysseus and Oedipus. Jocasta is a typical representative of the group of women who are passive and dependent. She inevitably falls victim to the male world, in that she fades into the background of the play and is marginalized underRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Telemachus and The Odyssey by Homer Essay646 Words   |  3 PagesTelemachus In the beginning of The Odyssey, Telemachus is not yet a man and not sure of himself yet. Embarking on a mission to find his father, he matures from a child to a strong, single-minded adult. Throughout the poem, Telemachus finds his place in the world and becomes a more well-rounded person. Although Telemachus never quite matches his father Odysseus in terms of wit, strength, agility, his resilience does develop throughout the text. In the epic, The Odyssey, by Homer, the young boy TelemachusRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Odyssues in Homer ´s Odyssey Essay examples572 Words   |  3 Pages I am Laertes son Odysseus, men hold me formidable for guile in peace and war: this fame has gone abroad to the skys rim. (1047) Odysseus is an epic hero in The Odyssey and exhibits three character traits that assuredly stand out to readers. Those traits are intelligence, compassion, and determination. When trapped in a cave and held captive Odysseus makes a hasty, but intelligent decision to spare his captors life. His captor just happened to be a Cyclops. Odysseus was astute in hisRead MoreA Comparative Analysis of Characters in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, Homers Iliad and Odyssey and The Alchemist765 Words   |  3 PagesHarry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and many more. Two other examples of this are the hunt for the treasure in the movie Oh Brother For Art Thou, a modern retelling of Homers Iliad and Odyssey, and the Paulo Coelho 1988 novel The Alchemist. Similar in many ways, dissimilar in age, species and even planet, these three characters nevertheless undergo both a personal evolution during their journey and become heroic in their selfless determination to help others. We can think of this as the heros journey whichRead MoreThe Penelopiad Analysis958 Words   |  4 Pagesmust first look at how Atwood perceived the characters and writings that Homer created in his novel à ¢â‚¬ËœThe Odyssey’ . In an interview, Atwood explained her beliefs on the gender roles surround The Odyssey thus incorporating this as well as other materials into ‘The Penelopiad’ by stating: â€Å"There is an argument that has been made quite thoroughly that The Iliad and The Odyssey were written by two different people, and that the person who wrote The Odyssey was a woman.’ Atwood then carries on to explainRead More Elements of Homers Odyssey in the Coen Brothers Oh Brother Where Art Thou646 Words   |  3 Pagesadventure The Odyssey, is a film amusingly filled with themes of symbolism similar to those found in Homer’s epic, while still maintaining a sense of originality and style that they have become so renowned for. An exciting and entertaining blend of high adventure, humour, and heartfelt emotion, at first glance, the film barely resembles Homer’s poem: only certain elements are obvious, such as the main character’s name and the three sirens by the river. However, a deeper and more intense analysis of theRead MoreThe Odyssey By Homer, Annotated Bibliography Essay1234 Words   |  5 Pageshe Odyssey, as written by Homer, intricately and excitingly weaves Colin Renfrew’s Subsystem Theories throughout the entire play. Many of the five subsystem theories can be seen and support understanding of the novel. Of the five sys tems, trade/communication, social/ political hierarchy and symbolic subsystems will be the focus of analysis in this paper. All of these subsystems come together in The Odyssey to explain the characters and their lives, and also how they fit into the society which they

The Progression of Streptococcus suis Meningitis Essay

There are three types of pathogens that cause meningitis. The first type of pathogen is Haemophilus influenzae type b. It is an aerobic gram-negative bacteria, meaning they have relatively thin cell walls and can be resistant to antibiotic treatment. In 95% of invasive diseases are caused by type b. Before the introduction of a vaccine, it was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis most common in infants. The organism colonizes in the nasopharynx (the upper part of the throat behind the nose) and can sometimes invade the bloodstream and cause infection at a distant site. Neisseria meningitides is a bacteria that causes meningoccal disease. It is aerobic, Gram-negative bacteria that causes serious, sometimes fatal, infection†¦show more content†¦An MRI indicated inflammation of sulci, a groove in the brain, vascular congestion and cortical edema or fluid on the brain. A spinal tap was obtained from the patient and because of possible pneumococcal meningitis, an intravenous therapy with a combination of a steroid and antibiotics. Streptococcus suis was identified and the patient was asked about any recent contact with swine. For several weeks, he had been slaughtering, by hand, several non- commercially raised pigs for a luau. And although he did not recall any mucosal exposure to the pig blood or secretions, there is no known route for infection to humans. He did not wear any type of protective gear, i.e., gloves, apron or facemask. His exposure to pigs blood, skin and organs was extensive. During the slaughter process, his hands sustained multiple cuts. It is possible that the bacteria entered through those cuts as no other church members who participated in the preparation became ill. Treatment of ceftrixone and a 4-day course of dexmathasone was prescribed and his headache improved. He was discharged after 6 days and given a 2- week course of IV ceftrixone. After 1 day of discharge, he was affected again by headaches accompanied by a mild hearing loss. After a repeat spinal tap was administered, it was concluded that the headache was a result of residual meningeal/cerebral edema (swelling) that resolved

Cover Letter for English Free Essays

I am going to explain how my reading and study skills has improved since my first day of Eng. 5. I am also going to explain some of my strengths and weaknesses. We will write a custom essay sample on Cover Letter for English or any similar topic only for you Order Now I have improved my reading and study skills and also what I am going to do to improve in the future Before I entered Eng. 5, skills was very weak. I thought it was okay to skim over something, but now I realize I had a plenty of improvements to do. This class has helped to realize that studying is very important. I have to organize my own personal study guide, have a quiet, comfortable place to study in order for me to pass any quiz r test. Doing this has had a lot of reflection on the quizzes and tests I have been taking in this class and my other classes also. I have some strength as a reader. For example, I can understand somewhat of what a book is about by reading the last page of it. By evaluating myself from the first day of class to now. My reading skills have improved. Before, when I read I book I dozed off, I will be reading the book but I would not understand a thing from the chapter. Now, while I read a book I write down notes and what I think might be important towards the chapters to come. I highlight important vocabulary words that I do not know the meaning of. I look forward to reading my books in the future. I have been learned a lot this semester. Starting with my studying skills I have learned how to organized a study session and a personal study guide for myself. Furthermore, what plan to do for self-improvement I to start a study group with people in my class. Studying In a group can help study skills. My reading skills have gotten better, but it Is not excellent. I will take time to read the whole bible starting with genesis. I would like to read It every day, so I can understand every point of the bible. How to cite Cover Letter for English, Papers

Kurt Cobian free essay sample

There is no doubt that rock stars can be creative entrepreneurs, just like entrepreneurs can be creative rock stars. One would say that it’s a far stretch to call Kurt Cobain, from the grudge rock band Nirvana, an entrepreneur. After all, he got buried by fame he ultimately took his own life to escape the pressure. The success of the album â€Å"Nevermind† was an accident of creativity by puck rockers who took the alternative rock music world by storm. Kurt Cobain was an average happy kid, who lived in Aberdeen, Washington. Kurt’s aunt and uncle were both in the music field. Kurt’s uncle Chuck Fradenburg starred in a band called The Beachcombers. His Aunt Mari Earle played guitar and performed in bands. Kurt was also a very gifted artist at a young age. At age seven, Cobain’s parents had a divorce that had a profound effect on his life. The happy loving child became defiant and withdrawn. Kurt’s mother granted full custody to his father. Kurt quickly became a rebellious teen; his father passed him along to family and friends. During his sophomore year in high school, Cobain began living with his mother in Aberdeen. Two week until graduation, Cobain dropped out after realizing he did not have enough credits to graduate. In high school, Nirvana started; that’s when Kurt Cobain started his journey of entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur is successful because his passion for an outcome leads him to organize available resources in new and more valuable ways. That is what Kurt Cobain did. He was going be a rock star. He didn’t want to be like all the other hair bands at the time. Ironically, Nirvana’s success quickly knocked the hair bands off commercial radio. The innovative mix of punk, pop hooks and 70? guitar rock allowed Nirvana to change the face of popular music forever. And even though it’s likely they never imagined how big it would get. Take a look at the three elements that propelled Nirvana to the top of the charts. To innovate in epic ways, the first step is to rebel against the status quo of the industry or community you belong to. In Nirvana’s case, the music scenes in Seattle and Olympia, Washington, were notoriously anti-commercial. Nirvana’s indie debut Bleach showed promise, but that abrasive, relatively unstructured noise rock was considered â€Å"acceptable† to the Pacific Northwest music scene. Cobain wanted to create hybrid songs with pop elements—along the lines of the Pixies—but met resistance from the community and even from Sub Pop, the label he’d worshiped such a short time ago. So Nirvana made the heretical move of signing with a major label, releasing Nevermind with Geffen. Once Smells Like Teen Spirit broke through, the grunge gold rush began, and Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains crossed over onto mainstream radio next. Cobain was a leader, not a follower. Most of the songs on Nevermind were written before the band went into the studio. While the music is no way conventional, the tracks possess catchy hooks that are psychologically pleasing. In other words, Cobain’s desire to add pop hooks to punk compositions is a classic way to â€Å"organize available resources in new and more valuable ways. † This is creative entrepreneurism at its finest, and Cobain got the rock star outcome he hoped for (be careful what you wish for, etc. ). The band chose producer Butch Vig, whose work with Sonic Youth Cobain admired, and selected Andy Wallace to mix the album. The group walked a fine line by combining polished production with punk aesthetics, and they nailed it (even though Cobain complained years later that Nevermind was too polished). When Nirvana signed with Geffen Records, they got a tried-and-true marketing machine. Radio promotion and retail positioning had been boiled down to a science in the days before digital distribution turned music marketing on its head. The selection and release of singles was classic record-label strategy. Smells Like Teen Spirit would go first, which would introduce the band to radio listeners, DJs, and programming directors. This would pave the way for Come as You Are, which would be the more likely hit. That’s where the plan fell apart. To say Smells Like Teen Spirit did better than expected is a monumental understatement. A song recorded in three takes with lyrics penned minutes before turned Cobain into the reluctant voice of Generation X. Geffen hoped that Nevermind would sell at least 250,000 copies, which is what the Vig-produced Sonic Youth album sold The selection and release of singles was classic record-label strategy. Smells Like Teen Spirit would go first, which would introduce the band to radio listeners, DJs, and programming directors. This would pave the way for Come as You Are, which would be the more likely hit. That’s where the plan fell apart. To say Smells Like Teen Spirit did better than expected is a monumental understatement. A song recorded in three takes with lyrics penned minutes before turned Cobain into the reluctant voice of Generation X. Geffen hoped that Nevermind would sell at least 250,000 copies, which is what the Vig-produced Sonic Youth album sold. Nevermind has sold over 10,000,000 copies to date, and is critically-regarded as one of the best rock albums in history, just as Smells Like Teen Spirit is considered one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded. In conclusion Kurt Cobain can definitely teach us things about starting our own business, whether big or small. He taught us; be a leader, not a follower. You’ll certainly annoy the status quo, but only until you’re reaping the rewards of the innovative pioneer, this is the fine line all creative entrepreneurs walk. Ignore market desire and human psychology, and you fail. Diminish the innovative elements that set you apart, and you become another unremarkable â€Å"me too† effort, and these days, creative entrepreneurs of all stripes can use the Internet to spark their own viral success stories by creating remarkable products and services. Home runs like Nevermind are rare and unexpected, so you still need a smart marketing plan. Just know when to â€Å"get out of the way and duck† when the audience decides to market for you. Kurt Cobain was a great entrepreneur.

Penelopes Role In The Odyssey Essays - Odyssey,

Penelope's Role In The Odyssey The character of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey reflects the faithful wife who waits twenty years for the arrival of her husband. Only a strong woman could sustain the stress, anxiety and confusion resulting from the chaos of a palace with a missing king whose fate is unknown. Her responsibilities and commitments toward the man she loves are particularly difficult to keep, under the strain of the situation. Although she does not actively pursue an effort to find him, her participation in the success of Odysseus' homecoming can be seen in her efforts to defend and protect the heritage, reputation and the House of Odysseus in his absence. As Odysseus withstands his trial, Penelope withstands her trials against temptations to give in to the many anxious suitors, to give up on her faith and respect for her religion, her husband and even her self. Penelope's strength in keeping the highest standards in her function as a wife, woman and mother contributes to the success of Odysseus' homecomin g by keeping the home and family for him to come back to. Through many examples Homer indicates to us the standards of those times. Major examples about what is valued in a wife are encapsulated in book 6 (about Nausikaa). Homer uses this short story to present a standard from which we can evaluate Penelope's performance. In making a comparison we see that Penelope never stood idle and helpless. She continued to perform the duties expected of her, while her husband was missing. Athena guides Nausikaa with a list of how to prepare herself for marriage. Of major importance is the upkeep of the household as well as good personal hygiene (starting as line 25), and as a young woman must try to please her parents. In all the instances Penelope scores perfectly. Penelope is always bathing, protects her beauty, and she respects her parents. Also in book 6 we have a reinforcement of the standard functions of the woman and the man. Nausikaas mother is with her female attendants, weaving clothes. Nausikaas father is shown on his way to the council with other male officials (line 50). This same distinction of roles is often referred to in the whole poem. Telemachos often tells his mother, as in book 1 line 356, to go back to her distaff, while he was to attend political councils: Go therefore back in the house and take up your own work, the loom and distaff, and see to it that your handmates ply their work also; but the men must see a discussion, all men, but I most of all. Penelope as usual performs this duty of the household faithfully. All those duties however are a part of a larger goal, the goal keeping a good name for oneself in the eyes of others and the eyes of gods. We see finally in the Nausikaas short episode, the most important factor a woman must realize. Nausikaa directs Odysseus to the city but recommends that he goes by himself to avoid the scandal that might arise if she were seen bringing in a male stranger. It is Precisely this the best reputation which is presented in the Odyssey as the most valued goal in life. Penelope's responsibility is to develop and maintain the best reputation. As wife she must preserve the reputation of her husband, her family, and must maintain the system of the household. As a woman she must arise above scandal and maintain a position in society. Her position in society is only revealed in relationship to the patriarchy. As a wife and family member, she preserves the heritage and foundation of her patriarchal lineage. Whenever she approaches the suitors she continually reminds them to their sense of history, their fathers, and the past. She further admonishes them for not behaving in a manner appropriate to their past: You keep gathering here consuming away much livelihood, the propery of wise Telemachos, nor have you listened to what you heard from you fathers before you... (Book IV 686-689) In direct relationship to her defense of her patriarchal heritage is the defense of her husband's reputation. She protects her husband's position by never compromising to marry the many suitors until the hour she

Patience The modern author’s lost virtue

Patience The modern author’s lost virtue Patience: The modern author’s lost virtue In our last article, we enumerated the different qualities successful indie authors usually have: they’re great writers, entrepreneurial-minded, good at marketing, etc. But here’s one quality only a select few possess: patience.The rise of self-publishing has brought with it the decline of this all-important virtue. There always seems to be a rush- to write, to get the next book out, to sell it. We’re in the pre-ordering, pre-promoting, pre-emptive stage of publishing. And if you’re like us, racing against the clock is starting to feel preposterous.Even established writers are ruled by the clock. Let’s consider Hugh Howey’s website: the first thing you see is this little widget indicating his progress on his upcoming books. I almost want to bet on which bar is going to be filled first, and that’s just one author! Why is this â€Å"race† so characteristic of self-publishing? Well, first, because indie authors are in charge of all the work- including how quickly pages go to print (concretely or digitally). The pace of a book’s release used to be determined by a publishing house; indies don’t face that controlling force.The second big reason is financial. Self-publishing authors don’t get advances. They are only able to earn money when the book is out and selling. A sense of urgency is a foregone conclusion, until you realize that your first book won’t sell as well as you hoped (gaining market traction is no quick or easy task). So you feel an even greater sense of urgency to churn out book #2†¦and 3†¦and so on and so forth.This can be perfectly fine and even prove advantageous, but can easily ruin all your hard work: with urgency comes precipitation. What’s precipitation? Well, it can be Joanna Penn ordering several thousand print copies of he r first non-fiction book before knowing how to market it, for example. Or in most less-extreme cases, releasing a first book that hasn’t been copy edited or proofread- or one full of formatting issues.When you enter the self-publishing race and start producing content at a fast pace, you can miss out on great opportunities- and I’m not even talking about the opportunity to simply spend more time on each book (before releasing it) to make it better.I’m talking about marketing opportunities. I’m talking about something that might sound like a sacrilege to many indie authors: sitting on finished work. I first thought of this when reading the excellent blog post by Hugh Howey on â€Å"The Liliana Nirvana Technique†, which basically consists of â€Å"publishing 5 works at once† and the 6th one shortly after.If you go through the comments below the post, you can get a sense of how crazy this sounds to many indie authors. However, when you think ab out it, it makes sense: by â€Å"flooding† Amazon all at once with your work, you dramatically increase your exposure; your books get linked to each other, â€Å"every sale leading to recommendations for 4 or 5 more of your works†, and readers looking for content see your name everywhere.Sure, this means your readers have to wait longer for your next book, but if they’re already your readers, the only thing you’re creating is anticipation and suspense (just as you should have done in your narrative)! Case in point: How many of us are chomping at the bit just to pre-order The Winds of Winter?The good thing is that all this â€Å"theoretical thinking† has actually been validated by several of â€Å"Liliana’s peers†, as Hugh puts it. It takes guts to sit on a book (let alone 4 or 5), but patience is a virtue even in a digital age.

Law of Obligations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law of Obligations - Essay Example In this regard, an offer is terminated if it is not accepted within a reasonable time.4 An offer can be withdrawn at any time prior to its acceptance, although withdrawal must be communicated to the offeree.5 However, if the subject matter of the offer is sold prior to its acceptance, the acceptance is not valid because an offer cannot be accepted for the purchase of property that has already passed from the offerer to another.6However, Contemporary Caravan did not sell the motor home, although it claimed to have sold the property prior to receiving the acceptance from Ideal Homes. Nevertheless, an offer and acceptance will not form a legally binding contract unless there is consideration.7 Since there was no consideration, there is no binding contract and Ideal Homes cannot force Contemporary Caravan to sell the motor home to them. Nathan Nobel The communication between Nathan Nobel and Contemporary Caravans indicates a request for information and a response to that request. There w as no definitive offer and acceptance communicated between the parties. Nobel simply asked for the lowest cash price applicable to the luxury motor home and Contemporary Caravans responded. Nothing more was said, and thus Contemporary Caravans had no reason to assume that the stated lowest cash price was accepted by Nathan Nobel. There must be some indication that there was an intention to form legal relations. A mere inquiry as to price will not be sufficient to substantiate that there was an intention to create legal relations on the part of Nobel.8 Moreover, assuming that Contemporary Caravans made an offer in its response to Nobel’s inquiry, Nobel failed to indicate one way or another that he accepted or rejected the... This essay discusses that In light of the fact that the new arrangements were ongoing for 8 months, Right On had a legitimate expectation that these arrangements would continue for the full 12 months. Since Right On had a legitimate expectation that the new arrangements would continue for a year and acted accordingly, it would be unfair for Contemporary Caravans to withdraw their promise. Since the arrangements were ongoing for 8 months, Right On had a reasonable expectation that the new arrangements were genuine or honest and nature and would continue as promised by Contemporary Caravans.Since there was a consideration in the sense that the new arrangements provide for a new method of discharging the loans, Right On can bring an action against Contemporary Caravans for breach of contract or anticipatory breach. In the latter case, Right On may if it likes, apply to the courts for injunctive relief prohibiting Contemporary Caravans reneging on the new arrangements.Whether or not ther e was a consideration, is immaterial because the doctrine of promissory estoppel can be invoked to prevent Contemporary Caravans altering the terms of the new arrangements unilaterally. It is therefore suggested that Contemporary Caravans continue to keep its promise and to allow Right On to continue to make the reduced payments until the 12 month period expires. Since no reasons are given for the desire to back out of the promise and the new arrangements it is likely that a court would find that Contemporary Caravans were not acting in good faith.

NIKE CASE STUDY based on Corporate Strategy Essay

NIKE CASE STUDY based on Corporate Strategy - Essay Example By focusing differentition on product, businesses could commnd premium prices for their products. Products represented top-of-the-line offerings in the industry. In this mrket, degree of differentition is not lrge. Nike entrees mrket where competitors cn differentite their products nd tht is why hve less rivlry. Rivlry is reduced where customers hve high switching costs - i.e. there is significnt cost ssocited with the decision to receive products from n lterntive competitor. Nike proposes to its customers competitive prices nd ensure customer stisfction. Nike's min competitor (Dniels et l 2006), dids, follows the strtegy which hs gret impct on competition. The nlysis suggests tht ny superior mtch between compny competencies nd customers needs permits the firm to outperform competitors. In generl, Nike bses its competitive strtegy on overll ledership nd differentition constructing the most efficient fcilities (in terms of scle or technology) nd obtins the lrgest shre of mrket. These dvntges, in turn, give them substntil led in terms of experience with building the service. Experience then leds to more refinements of the entire process of production, delivery, nd service, which leds to further cost reductions. Nike hs mrketble portfolio which ensures its ledership position on the mrket. The study reveled tht Nike does not pursue low-cost strtegies. Within these globl competitive environments, Nike overwhelmingly emphsizes differentition strtegies, where competitive positioning is predominntly bsed on qulity offerings nd brnd imge. Qulity is lmost universlly stressed s necessry determinnt of competitiveness. nother theme evident in the findings is the importnce strtegy-industry fit plys in determining business unit performnce. Here it is recognized tht perceptions of industry pressures my be more importnt thn the ctul pressures in determining strtegies nd hence performnce (Johnson & Scholes 2003). Question 2 In order to improve its strtegies position, Nike should chieve competition dvntge nd re-position itself. The compny cn position itself s premium brnd which proposes exceptionl qulity. While ll businesses my emphsize qulity, some my select strtegy bsed on further differentiting their offerings ccording to the qulity of the products nd services they provide. Indeed, in this study one of the dominnt competitive positioning strtegy types identified is 'high-qulity" (Johnson & Scholes 2003). Here, the emphsis on qulity permetes every ctivity long the vlue chin; qulity is clerly the overriding determinnt of competitive positioning. The exceptionl qulity is crucil for footbll tems nd the 2008 Europen Chmpionship. In this cse, qulity domintes competitive positioning nd differentites businesses in globl scle. Here, qulity is consistent with both innovtion nd speciliztion (Dniels et l 2006). Mngeril perceptions of strong pressures re evidence tht lrge number of businesses competing in globl industries mke imprecise ssessments of globl industry opportunities nd threts. It is possible to ssume tht Nike's competitors will follow cost focus strtegy nd cost differentition. dids, direct competitor of Nike, provides comprble buyer vlue but perform the ctivities less efficiently. In contorts, Nike performs the ctivities in unique wy which rises the vlue to the consumer nd thus llows them to commnd premium price - the

Alignment of HRM and Business Strategies Research Paper

Alignment of HRM and Business Strategies - Research Paper Example Managers can also find ways of enabling hotel employees to see how their improved actions impact on the hotel’s well-being. For instance, if the hotel’s training program is centered on the importance of decreasing accidents that take place in the workplace, the management could ensure that the workers are shown how average costs can be saved in their training programs through factors such as reduced medical expenses, employee compensation, and even legal expenses (Cho, Woods, Jang, & Erdem, 2006). Another way to ensure that HR functions are aligned with business objectives is by ensuring that the hotel’s management body is in support of all proposed programs, and generates partnerships with the team entrusted with dispensing the training programs. To determine the effectiveness of training programs, hotels can create engagement surveys that allow workers to offer feedback on the programs. The hotel could also conduct culture surveys as well as employee satisfaction surveys in order to collect important feedback that functions as an indicator of the impact being had by the program. Other factors that can be used to assess the performance of HR programs include productivity rates, the rate of turnover, and even profitability of the hotel (Davidson, Guilding, & Timo, 2006). The HR jobs included in the Marriott’s HR department include bell persons, door persons, vacation planners, front desk agents and room controllers, bell captains, supervisors, front desk managers, front office managers, room operations directors, service agents, runners and supervisors, reservation agents and group coordinators, sales and public relations coordinators, house keeping persons and administrative clerks, housekeeping managers, the director of services, loss prevention officers and drivers, casino compliance and supervisor agents, recreation attendants,

The personal qualities required to fulfill the role of the modern ambulance paramedic

The personal qualities required to fulfill the role of the modern ambulance paramedic The role of the modern paramedic is one of a highly trained emergency-care professional gone are the days of the stretcher-bearer (NHS careers booklet, p10) Paramedics are set the task of providing a rapid medical response to emergency situations like road traffic accidents (RTAs) accidents at home or even major incidents such as train crashes. This work involves on-site assessment of patients and their immediate needs, as well as providing necessary treatment. For example paramedics are trained to be able to administer intravenous drips and oxygen, and use equipment such as a heart defibrillator on patients that need immediate help. Through their work, paramedics are likely to encounter emotionally charged and distressing situations. There is also a danger element involved in the role when patients can become violent towards those trying to help them attacks on ambulance staff from one service have increased 23% over the last year alone (BBC). Paramedics can thus been seen to work within a stressful and pressured work environment, where lives can be affected by the outcome of their actions. This can be made even more difficult by the long working hours (a shift can be 12 hours) and shift pattern involved in the ambulance service. The role therefore has a large amount of responsibility, and the ambulance service has a number of qualities they look for in their applicants. The NHS careers booklet Becoming a member of the ambulance service (p8) lists that as a paramedic, the most important qualities include; responsibility, a caring attitude, good people skills, common sense, ability to keep cool in a crisis and academic ability. Why the ambulance service looks for these qualities will now be discussed. Intellectual ability identified through academic qualifications is required by the ambulance service. This is due to the amount of training and expert emergency care knowledge that must be gained before someone is able to qualify to work as a paramedic. Hospital and classroom based training is given to paramedics in subjects including trauma injuries, intubation, cannulation, pharmacology, the respiratory system and in how to use specialised equipment. A paramedic is also required to provide a driving function so must have a clean driving license which will be enhanced through emergency driving training. The ability to learn quickly is therefore a strong point to anyone wanting to join the service. On arriving at an emergency scene, a paramedic must be able to ascertain both what has happened, and which patients are to be given priority over others. Although other emergency services such as the fire brigade and police will also be present at many call-outs those first on the scene have to be able to quickly assess the situation. This is where the ability to keep a cool head and to not make rash decisions is important. Being able to stay calm despite what might be going on at the scene itself, will allow the paramedic to recall training on how to deal with different injuries, and to make tough decisions when needed about who to treat and perhaps who not to treat (when medical resources are scare a paramedic may have to decide who has the best chance of recovering and allocate assistance accordingly). Communication and people-skills are a necessity within the job. Good communication skills will allow a more accurate assessment of the situation through uncovering what has happened, how many people were involved (injured parties may not always be immediately visible for example a young child thrown from the window of a car in an RTA) or whether there is any remaining danger. As mentioned earlier, assessing whether danger is present (such as whether people at the scene are armed) is important for both the well being of the patient and the ambulance crew themselves. Being able to talk to people and keep both patients and family or others on the scene calm can make the situation easier to control, and maintaining conversation with a patient can help to retrieve important information that may be needed for their treatment (allergies, name of doctor, next of kin) but also to help keep people conscious which may be important for their chances of recovery. As many emergencies can be the result of a crime that has taken place, the ability to preserve evidence and remember information given by injured parties can be very important (for example, people that die later in hospital may have given important information to others at the scene potentially including the paramedic). The ability to take control in a situation is also an important quality needed for those working in emergency care. Paramedics may often have to direct recovery efforts in a team that may be made up of different emergency services where workers may not know each other, and where time may be of the essence. Leadership qualities are needed in order that control can be taken over a situation, to ensure that resources are allocated where needed, and that work is not being duplicated. Alongside the qualities discussed that are outlined in the careers booklet provided by the NHS, it will also be important for paramedics to be good team-players and trustworthy. These qualities are proposed as important due to the fact that paramedics may have to work within environments which are not safe. As a result it would be very important for the ambulance crew (usually comprising an ambulance technician and a paramedic, sometimes and emergency doctor) to trust each other and work well together within situations whereby teams may be forced to rely to a great extent possibly for their own well-being, on their team member (s). In summary the ambulance service are looking for very specific sort of person that matches the qualities outlines above, in order to perform the very difficult and distressing work involved in the emergency services to the capacity that they do London ambulance service alone receives 3000 emergency calls a day.

New York City Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing Descriptive NYC

New York City Every time I hear this song it makes me long to leave all of my responsibilities and head off to the city of dreams. A trip to New York has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. I have always wanted to visit the place of tall buildings, history, and where culture is intertwined with its people. I have wanted to live the fast pace life of a New Yorker, where I could stand outside and see, smell, and taste all of the experiences that this city has to offer. I have been building and building this ideal image in my mind for so long. If I ever get to New York, will I be disappointed by the city that never sleeps? The city that is a part of almost every movie I watch. Can New York live up to the expectations I have created? In the summer of 2004 my dream of visiting New York came to life. I could hardly contain my excitement to finally live the life of a New Yorker, even if it would only be for a couple of days. The plane ride itself was torture, because of my bubbling anticipation to get to my destination. Once the captain announced the descent into the New York airport my stomach became a bundle of knots. The arrival into the city was everything I had hoped it would be. My husband and I, of course, had trouble finding our way around JFK airport. We couldn't figure out the place that we were supposed to go to get our baggage. My husband and I and everyone from our plane ended up going outside of the airport to gain access to another part of the airport. Eventually things got cleared up and we found our terminal where our luggage was supposed to be. Finally after about a half an hour of being in the airport we figured out how to maneuver ourselves through the airport. As if we had passed our first test we... ...able to see, because of time restraints. The one sight I really wanted to see, but couldn't, was Ground Zero. Heading back to the hotel in the rain was one of my favorite parts of the trip. How awesome to let your guard down long enough for that child inside to take over. My husband and I tried so hard during our walk to keep dry and duck into stores when the rain got worse. My husband and I eventually gave up all hopes of staying dry. Instead we gave caution to the wind and splashed and played in the rain. It was like taking a walk while taking a shower. I know when we both got back to our room that there wasn't any part of our body that was dry. I will forever have this memory in my head for the rest of my life. I will have many wonderful and exciting memories of my trip to New York. I know if I never go back to this city, I will always remember my experiences.