Profane and anodyne language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Profane and anodyne language - Essay Example In other words, even to swear a person has to follow at least some of the rules for example subject predicate agreement. While indeed, some forms of swearing allow a greater freedom on grammar such as rejection of changes that occur when a verb is used in third person singular, but it is obvious that a sentence that contains profanity must be grammatically correct. The next obvious similarity between profane and anodyne language focuses on the use of historical grammar. Thus, the rules which were invented at a certain time are applied to all areas of the language, regardless of whether it is commonly used one or not. In addition to that, as grammatical rules change they are simultaneously projected onto profanity as well. In other words, these two areas of language do not develop separately. Finally, just like many aspect of grammar of anodyne language is conditioned by traditions, for example the forms of politeness, certain elements of profane language are conditioned by traditions as well. In other words, a particular nation in the course of its development did not only pay attention to one area of the language, but also was developing, maybe even unconsciously, a different area of it which is not commonly acceptable. Therefore, the peculiarities of grammatical usage of profanity are influenced by the same external cultural forces that influenced anodyne language. However, it must be noted that there are significant differences that can be identified between the above mentioned areas of language.

Learning from a New Experience Essay Example for Free

Learning from a New Experience Essay As human beings, we learn most of the things that we know from experience. New experiences give us new knowledge, enabling us to correct our mistaken beliefs in the past and to increase our awareness. It is only proper to open ourselves to new experiences so that we can be able to acquire better knowledge and to align our actions and thoughts with the right things in life, making us better individuals in the process. I recall a previous incident in my life where I learned a couple of new things. At first, I was hesitant to give myself the chance to encounter a new experience because I was afraid of the possible consequences that can be harmful on my part. However, I was assured by my friends that there was nothing to worry about because, in the first place, what we were about to do was not a bad thing. We decided to proceed with cleaning our backyards as a group, transferring from one backyard to another. We lived in a small neighborhood so the task was not entirely difficult although I would have to say it felt physically exhausting. The reason for that is because I rarely help in doing the chores in our house. Since I was busy most of the time attending to my academic requirements and to my friends, I had very little experience in cleaning the house, let alone sweeping the leaves in the backyard. With the help of my friends, we were able to clean our respective backyards. As an individual, I was able to learn a few things about keeping the house clean and maintaining the neatness of my surroundings. Moreover, I was able to fulfill the task and to have fun at the same time. I enjoyed cleaning my own backyard and the backyard of my friends since the fun moments seemed to lighten our load. I was wrong in thinking that I will only tire and dirty myself without getting anything important in return. In fact, I learned the simple things that can be done in order to keep our backyard clean. While they may be simple, I am fairly certain that such little knowledge is precious enough to help me as I grow older. I might get dirty and tire myself from time to time, but I think what is more important is the thought of having clean and healthy surroundings for a clean and healthy life. From that incident, I can confidently say that it is important to open ourselves to new things so that we can acquire new experiences. It is never enough for us to settle with what we already know and hold on to that knowledge until we grow old. If there are much better things to learn, I cannot see any reason why we should resist change. However, we should make sure that the new experiences that we are about to try are experiences that are not only beneficial but are also good. Trying new experiences that are inherently harmful and bad should not be taken just for the sake of trying. In my case, cleaning the backyard was a new experience for me and I tried it with the full confidence from my friends that it was not a bad thing to do. On the contrary, it was both beneficial and good. It is only natural for human beings to try and be open to new experiences since it is part of our natural instinct, I think, to understand and learn what is yet unknown. If we hold ourselves back from experiencing new things that could help us along the way, we deprive ourselves of the chance to become better individuals.

Homosexuality: Equal Rights For All Essay examples -- Sexual Issues

INTRODUCTION Human beings are born with a nature to judge the things around them in one way or another. We complain, murmur and gossip about what is not normal or even normal in our sight. Yet, we struggle to see how others think about us and always fail look at ourselves first before judging and criticizing others. The measures of normality, intelligence, beauty and peculiarity are very subjective and we as humans are the inventors of these yardsticks. Yet, repeatedly we think that the principles of our measurement are perfect but we as mortal beings are not anywhere near perfect. Thus, is our yardstick and measurement truly perfect? The question that we are to ask ourselves is â€Å"Who are we to judge?† Homosexuality is the disposition to seek sensory pleasure through physical contact with people of one’s own sex in preference to contact with others of the opposite sex (Dover, 1997). Being alongside heterosexuality and bisexuality in the sexual orientation continuum, homosexuality only makes up a minority group of people. However, we are unsure of this because everyone has â€Å"skeletons in their closets† and might face confusion or uncertainties regarding their own sexuality. Homosexuals includes gays (man seeking man), lesbians (woman seeking woman), bisexuals (one who seeks both man and woman) as well as transgender (one who modifies his/her physical appearance to reflect the opposite sex). Transvestites are people who dress according to the opposite sex and this practice is also known as cross-dressing. Transsexuals are individuals who go under the knife to have a sex change operation in order for them to live fully as a member of the opposite sex. Facing pressur e from the society, families and friends, this group of people figh... ...Although everyone walks on the same land and shares the same air, some people just forbid others from having the same freedom as them. Thinking that they are protecting the community and their future generations, they ignore the rights of others and disregard those who go against them. We therefore believe that every human being despite their sexual orientation should enjoy every freedom and practice their rights given as humans without any restriction, hesitation or exception. Works Cited Dover, K. J. (1997). Greek Homosexuality. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press . Esplen, E., & Jolly, S. (2006). Gender and Sex - A sample of definitions. BRIDGE- Gender and Development, 1. Mio, J., Barker-Hackett, L., & Tumambing, J. (2009). Multicultural Psychology: Understanding Our Diverse Communities (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved April 23, 2012 Homosexuality: Equal Rights For All Essay examples -- Sexual Issues INTRODUCTION Human beings are born with a nature to judge the things around them in one way or another. We complain, murmur and gossip about what is not normal or even normal in our sight. Yet, we struggle to see how others think about us and always fail look at ourselves first before judging and criticizing others. The measures of normality, intelligence, beauty and peculiarity are very subjective and we as humans are the inventors of these yardsticks. Yet, repeatedly we think that the principles of our measurement are perfect but we as mortal beings are not anywhere near perfect. Thus, is our yardstick and measurement truly perfect? The question that we are to ask ourselves is â€Å"Who are we to judge?† Homosexuality is the disposition to seek sensory pleasure through physical contact with people of one’s own sex in preference to contact with others of the opposite sex (Dover, 1997). Being alongside heterosexuality and bisexuality in the sexual orientation continuum, homosexuality only makes up a minority group of people. However, we are unsure of this because everyone has â€Å"skeletons in their closets† and might face confusion or uncertainties regarding their own sexuality. Homosexuals includes gays (man seeking man), lesbians (woman seeking woman), bisexuals (one who seeks both man and woman) as well as transgender (one who modifies his/her physical appearance to reflect the opposite sex). Transvestites are people who dress according to the opposite sex and this practice is also known as cross-dressing. Transsexuals are individuals who go under the knife to have a sex change operation in order for them to live fully as a member of the opposite sex. Facing pressur e from the society, families and friends, this group of people figh... ...Although everyone walks on the same land and shares the same air, some people just forbid others from having the same freedom as them. Thinking that they are protecting the community and their future generations, they ignore the rights of others and disregard those who go against them. We therefore believe that every human being despite their sexual orientation should enjoy every freedom and practice their rights given as humans without any restriction, hesitation or exception. Works Cited Dover, K. J. (1997). Greek Homosexuality. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press . Esplen, E., & Jolly, S. (2006). Gender and Sex - A sample of definitions. BRIDGE- Gender and Development, 1. Mio, J., Barker-Hackett, L., & Tumambing, J. (2009). Multicultural Psychology: Understanding Our Diverse Communities (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved April 23, 2012

Reflection Paper on the Climax in the Tell-Tale Heart

The Murderer versus the Murder Reflection Paper on â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† by Edgar Alan Poe A major aspect in this story is the climax, since in my opinion there is more than one. Which I believe is good since the story does not stop after the first climax, which is the murder; it seems to get even more suspenseful. Inevitably, the first climax is when the narrator, whose name and gender is unknown in the story, finally murders the old man after eight nights of planning. â€Å"There was no pulsation. He was stone dead.His eye would trouble me no more† (Poe 4). This is considered a climax since the murder was planned and we (the readers) were involved in each step of it due to Poe’s use of adjectives and repetition. After this climax, the story does not go into the falling action. Instead, it continues to be suspenseful as the cops show up in order to investigate the murder. It gets more intense when at first he was so confident that he would get away with the murder but then he begins to hear the heart beat and becomes paranoid. I smiled – for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome†¦ I fancied a ringing in my ears†¦ The ringing became more distinct: – it continued and became more distinct†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Poe 5). The narrator tried to hide the fact that he was so uncomfortable with their presence, as well as trying to speak louder in order to somewhat overbear the heat beating but the heart beats only grew louder and louder. â€Å"Dissemble no more! I admit the deed†¦ † (Poe 6).The previous extract from the story would very much demonstrate the second climax. Attention to all the details involved in this story may help the reader identify the climax, and in my opinion this story is about the murderer and his guilt rather than the murder itself. Therefore, I believe that the main climax occurs when the narrator admits to the cops that he murdered the old man. List of References: Angus, D. (1987 ). The best short stories of the modern age. Robbinsdale, MN: Fawcett. (Originally published in 1969)

Explain How the ‘Ansoff Matrix’ Can Be Applied to Help Develop Strategic Marketing Options for an Enterprise.

Explain how the ‘Ansoff matrix’ can be applied to help develop strategic marketing options for an enterprise. What  other analytical tools and techniques can be employed to develop alternative marketing strategies? Table of contents 1. Introduction 2. The Ansoff Matrix 3. Market Penetration 4. Product Development 5. Market Development 6. Diversification 7. Limitations of the Ansoff matrix 8. Other analytical tools and techniques 9. Conclusion 10. References Introduction From my working experience I have discovered, an organisation that knows its shortcomings, and can make relatively strategic decisions to meet the right objectives, will achieve its desire to become successful and remain relevant. Successful organisations in Nigeria always attribute their success to unique strategies which they employed efficiently. Strategies are developed at different levels within an organisation, it therefore follows that objectives (what it wants to achieve) are also set at the different levels. The setting of these objectives will usually produce a discrepancy between what is currently being achieved and what needs to be achieved. Marketing strategies are the explanation of how this gap is going to be closed and the objectives realized. Ansoff matrix is a useful framework for looking at possible strategies to reduce the gap between where the company may be without a change in strategy and where the company aspires to be (Proctor, 1997). The Ansoff matrix which is the focus of this work is one of the models alongside others like the Porter matrix, BCG, SWOT, PESTEL, DPM matrix and Gap analysis etc used by marketers to set objectives which assist strategic decision making. The Ansoff matrix is also used in marketing audits (Li et al, 1999). I will attempt to explain within the limitation of word content, how the Ansoff can be applied to help develop strategic marketing options for an enterprise. Some of these other analytical tools and techniques will also be discussed in the second section this work. The Ansoff Matrix The Ansoff matrix presents the product and market choices available to an organisation. Herein markets may be defined as customers, and products as items sold to customers (Lynch, 2003). This matrix helps companies decide what course of action should be taken given current performance. The Ansoff matrix is also used in marketing audits (Li et al, 1999). The Ansoff matrix entails four possible product/market combinations: Market penetration, product development, market development and diversification (Ansoff 1957, 1989). Ansoff Product-Market Growth Matrix [pic] Source: Ansoff (1957, 1989) A market penetration strategy is used when and organization wants to achieve and increased share in the market. A market development strategy in contrast involves the organization searching for new markets in which to sell its current product. A product development strategy involves identifying new needs within the existing market and developing products to meet these needs while the diversification strategy involves the organisation entering new markets with new products. I will now elaborate on these four strategies to show how they help develop strategic marketing options for an enterprise. Market Penetration Market penetration occurs when a company penetrates a market with its current products. It is important to note that the market penetrations strategy begins with the existing customers of the organization. This strategy is used by companies in order to increase sales without drifting from the original product-market strategy (Ansoff, 1957). Companies often penetrate markets in one of these three ways: by gaining competitors customers, improving the product quality or level of service, attracting non-users of the products or convincing current customers to use more of the company’s product, with the use of marketing communication tools like advertising etc. Ansoff, 1989, Lynch, 2003). This strategy is important for businesses because retaining existing customers is cheaper than attracting new ones, which is why companies like BMW and Toyota (Lynch, 2003) and banks like HSBC engage in relationship marketing activities to retain their high lifetime value customers; same applies to Diamond bank in Nigeria which won the award for Bank of the Year in Thisday Awards 200 9 (Thisday Style magazine). Diamond bank is one of the market challengers in Nigeria’s banking industry and has consistently increased its market share by penetrating the market with targeted special promotions, very low interest rates on loans, and maintaining a highly receptive and comfortable atmosphere in its banking halls. Product Development Product development occurs when a company develops new products catering to the same market. Note that product development refers to significant new product developments and not minor changes in an existing product of the firm. The reasons that justify the use of this strategy include one or more of the following: to utilise of excess production capacity, counter competitive entry, maintain the company’s reputation as a product innovator, exploit new technology, and to protect overall market share (Lynch, 2003). Often one such strategy moves the company into markets and towards customers that are currently not being catered for. For example, McDonalds is always within the fast-food industry, but frequently markets new burgers. Another good example of the product development strategy is the constant innovation within the home computer market where products can become obsolete within a matter of years. Frequently, when a firm creates new products, it can gain new customers for these products. Hence, new product development can be a crucial business development strategy for firms to stay competitive. Market Development When a company follows the market development strategy, it moves beyond its immediate customer base towards attracting new customers for its existing products. This strategy often involves the sale of existing products in new international markets. This may entail exploration of new segments of a market, new uses for the company’s products and services, or new geographical areas in order to entice new customers (Lynch, 2003). For example, Arm & Hammer was able to attract new customers when existing consumers identified new uses of their baking soda (Christensen et al, 2005). Lucozade was first marketed for sick children and then re-branded to target athletes. Also, an organisation found that the gel they produced for removing residual oil from heavy machinery could also be used to clean domestic ovens and baking tins. This revelation enabled them to target a new market of professional cooks and baking enthusiast. These are good examples of developing a new market for an existing product. Diversification Diversification strategy is distinct in the sense that when a company diversifies, it essentially moves out of its current products and markets into new areas. It is important to note that diversification may be into related and unrelated areas. Related diversification may be in the form of backward, forward, and horizontal integration. Backward integration takes place when the company extends its activities towards its inputs such as suppliers of raw materials etc. in the same business. Forward integration differs from backward integration, in that the company extends its activities towards its outputs such as distribution etc. in the same business. Horizontal integration takes place when a company moves into businesses that are related to its existing activities (Lynch, 2003; Macmillan et al, 2000). It is important to note that even unrelated diversification often has some synergy with the original business of the company. The risk of one such manoeuvre is that detailed knowledge of the key success factors may be limited to the company (Lynch, 2003). While diversified businesses seem to grow faster in cases where diversification is unrelated, it is crucial to note that the track record of diversification remains poor as in many cases diversifications have been divested (Porter, 1987). Scholars have argued that related diversification is generally more profitable (Macmillan et al, 2000; Pearson, 1999). Therefore, diversification is a high-risk strategy as it involves taking a step into a territory where the parameters are unknown to the company. The risks of diversification can be minimised by moving into related markets (Ansoff, 1989). Virgin Cola, Virgin Megastores, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Telecommunications are examples of new products created by the Virgin Group of UK, to leverage the Virgin brand. This resulted in the company entering new markets where it had no presence before. Limitations of Ansoff Matrix While Ansoff analysis helps in mapping the strategic options for companies, it is important to note that like all models, it has some limitations. By itself, the matrix can tell one part of the strategy story but it is imperative to look at other strategic models like SWOT analysis and PESTLE in order to view how the strategy of an organisation is formulating and might change in the course of its future. For example, the Ansoff analysis of Virgin Cola shows that the brand has been launched in the UK and USA using a market penetration strategy, which essentially reflects that the brand needs to increase its brand recognition (Vignali, 2001). The SWOT analysis conducted by Vignali (2001) showed an opportunity that Virgin Cola could explore diversification into new ranges of Virgin Cola products. PESTEL analysis of Virgin Cola showed that there was need to constantly evaluate the soft drinks industry in all countries, in order to reflect customer trends, thereby allowing the brand to gain market share and also predict trends faster than the competition. Therefore, the steps to be taken while conducting a strategic analysis of an organisation include SWOT analysis, PESTEL and Ansoff matrix as fundamental models of analyses, which should be used in conjunction and not in isolation, to view the complete strategic scenario. Also, recommendations made on the basis on only one of the models are not concrete and lack in depth. While the role of analysis in making strategic choices cannot be undermined, it is imperative to note that judgment plays a crucial role in making critical strategic choices that may change the future of the firm (Macmillan et al, 2000). Lastly, the use of Ansoff matrix as a marketing tool may not be really useful as the matrix is critical for analysing the strategic path that the brand may be following, and does not essentially identify marketing options. Other Analytic Tools As mentioned earlier Ansoff matrix is not all exhaustive and so there are other analytical tools and techniques which are valuable to marketers for strategic decision making and can actually be used alongside Ansoff matrix. I will just throw some light on SWOT, BCG matrix and Porter’s Generic Strategy. SWOT Swot analysis is a simple framework for generating strategic alternatives from a situation analysis. Swot (sometimes reffered to as TOWS) stands for Strengths, Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats. It is applicable to either corporate level or business unit level and frequently appears in marketing lans. Its advocates say it can be used to gauge the degree of ‘fit’ between the organisation’s strategy and its environment, and to suggest ways suggest ways in which the organisation can profit from strengths and opportunities and shield itself against weaknesses and threats (Adams, 2005). The internal and external situation analysis can produce a large amoun t of information, much of which may not be highly relevant. The SWOT analysis can serve as an interpretative filter to reduce the information to a manageable quantity of key issues. The SWOT analysis classifies the internal aspect of the company as strengths or weaknesses and the external situational factors as opportunities or threats. Strengths can serve as a foundation for building a competitive advantage, and weaknesses may hinder it. By understanding these four aspects of its situation, a firm can better leverage its strengths, correct its weaknesses, capitalize on golden opportunities, and deter potentially devastating threats. Because SWOT is such as familiar and comforting tool, many students use it at the start of their analysis. This is a mistake. In order to arrive at a proper SWOT appraisal, other analyses need to be carrier out first. BCG Matrix BCG matrix is a management tool that serves four distinct purposes (McDonald 2003; Kotler 2003; Cipher 2006): it can be used to classify product portfolio in four business types based on four graphic labels including Stars (Stars are leaders in high growth markets. They tend to/should generate large amounts of cash but also use a lot of cash because of growth market conditions) Cash Cows (), Question Mark (Question Marks have not achieved a dominant market position, and hence do not generate much cash. They tend to use a lot of cash because of growth market conditions) and Dogs (Dogs often have little future and are big cash drainers on the company as they generate very little cash by virtue of their low market share in a highly low growth market). [pic] According to experts (Drummond & Ensor 2004; Kotler 2003; McDonald 2003), surplus cash from cash cow products should be channeled into Stars and Questions in order to create the future Cash Cows. The BCG matrix can be used to determine what priorities should be given in the product portfolio of a company; to classify an organisation’s product portfolio according to their cash usage and generation; and offers management available strategies to tackle various product lines. It is based on two dimensional variables: relative market share and market growth. They often are pointers to healthiness of a business (Kotler 2003; McDonald 2003). In other words, products with greater market share or within a fast growing market are expected to wield relatively greater profit margins. Porter’s Generic Strategy Companies can achieve competitive advantages essentially by differentiating their products and services from those of competitors and through low costs. Firms can target their products by a broad target, thereby covering most of the marketplace, or they can focus on a narrow target in the market (Lynch, 2003). According to Porter, there are three generic strategies that a company can undertake to attain competitive advantage: cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. [pic] Source: Porter (1985) Cost Leadership; The companies that attempt to become the lowest-cost producers in an industry can be referred to as those following a cost leadership strategy. The company with the lowest costs would earn the highest profits in the event when the competing products are essentially undifferentiated, and selling at a standard market price. Companies following this strategy place emphasis on cost reduction in every activity in the value chain. Differentiation; When a company differentiates its products, it is often able to charge a premium price for its products or services in the market. Some general examples of differentiation include better service levels to customers, better product performance etc. in comparison with the existing competitors. Porter (1980) has argued that for a company employing a differentiation strategy, there would be extra costs that the company would have to incur. Such extra costs may include high advertising spending to promote a differentiated brand image for the product, which in fact can be considered as a cost and an investment. Focus; Porter initially presented focus as one of the three generic strategies, but later identified focus as a moderator of the two strategies. Companies employ this strategy by focusing on the areas in a market where there is the least amount of competition (Pearson, 1999). Organisations can make use of the focus strategy by focusing on a specific niche in the market and offering specialised products for that niche. This is why the focus strategy is also sometimes referred to as the niche strategy (Lynch, 2003). Therefore, competitive advantage can be achieved only in the company’s target segments by employing the focus strategy. The company can make use of the cost leadership or differentiation approach with regard to the focus strategy. Conclusion In conclusion, it has to be restated that the Ansoff matrix is a useful, though not an exhaustive, framework for an organisation’s objective setting process and marketing audits. The differences in strategic choices of organisations can often be attributed to the type of market in which the company operates. Changes in business environment play a crucial role in the strategic options that an organisation may pursue over its life stages. There are risks associated with all of the four strategic options entailed in the Ansoff matrix. Market penetration is generally considered as a low risk strategy while diversification, on the other hand, is deemed as a high risk growth strategy as it involves moving simultaneously into new products and new markets. Diversification remains a popular strategic option for firms in today’s competitive business arena. Lastly, Ansoff matrix as a strategic model has certain limitations. The use of SWOT and PESTEL analysis is recommended, along with Ansoff analysis, to be able to capture a holistic view of the strategic scenario of an organisation. I would have elaborated more on other analytic tools but for the word limit given me. References Ansoff Analysis. Website. http://university- essays. tripod. com/ansoff_analysis. html. 27th March 2009 Ansoff, I. H. (1957), Strategies for diversification, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 35, No. 2, p. 113-124. Ansoff, I. (1989), Corporate Strategy, rev. edn, Penguin, Harmondsworth BCG Growth-Share Matrix. Website. http://university- essays. tripod. com/bcg_growth_share_matrix_boston_consultin g_group. html. 3rd March 2009 Christensen, C. & Cook, S. & Hall, T. 2005), Marketing malpractice: The cause and the cure, Harvard Business Review. Hill, W. L. C. & Jones, R. G. (2007), Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach, 7th ed. , Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston: New York. Li, S. & Duan, Y. & Kinman, R. & Edwards, J. S. (1999), A framework for a hybrid intelligent system in support of marketing strategy development, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 17, No. 4. Lynch, R. (2003), Corp orate Strategy, 3rd ed. , Prentice Hall Financial Times. Macmillan, H. & Tampoe, M. (2000), Strategic Management, Oxford University Press. Module 1, Unit 2, (2006) MN7002/D, Strategic Marketing, (ed. 10th), England. Pearson, G. (1999), Strategy in Action, Prentice Hall Financial Times. Vignali, C. (2001), Virgin Cola, British Food Journal, Vol. 103, No. 2. Porter, M. E. (1987), From competitive strategy to corporate strategy, Harvard Business Review. Porter’s Generic Strategies. Website. http://university-essays. tripod. com/porters_generic_strategies. html. 3rd March 2009 Proctor, T. (1997), Establishing a strategic direction: a review, Management Decision, Vol. 35, No. 2. Product-Market Growth Matrix. Website. ttp://www. businesspme. com/uk/articles/strategy/61/Product- Market-Growth-Matrix. html. 15th February 2009 Osime R. (2009), Thisday Awards ’09, Thisday Magazine, Volume 14: No. 5026 SWOT Analysis. Website. http://www. netmba. com/strategy/swot/ 27th March 2009 SWOT Analysis. Website. http://university- essays. tripod. com/swot_tows_analysis. html. 3rd March 2009 Thompson, A. A. & Strickland, J. A. (2003), Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases, Thirteenth ed. , McGraw-Hill. What is Ansoff Analysis? Website. http://www. coursework4you. co. uk/ansoff. htm. 15th February 2009

Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Effectiveness

Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Effectiveness Introduction Information technology is a general term that refers to any hardware or software that is used directly in the production process. It alters the process of production, storage, communication or dissemination of information (Aksoy and DeNardis 8). Information technology has become a major component in the organization’s production process. Its impact on the production process cannot, therefore, be overlooked.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Investing in Information Technology is expensive, and organizations need to be prepared to spend a lot of money. There have been arguments as to whether it is worth to invest heavily information technology. Concerns have been raised on the impact of information technology on organizational performance. Organizational performance is defined as the accumulated result of organizational activities (Daft and Marcic 9). This paper seeks to investigate the impact of information technology on the results of organizational processes or results of the organizational performance. Background Information technology enhances the communication process in an organization. This makes communication across the organization much more effective and accurate. As a result, high performance is achieved in an organization. Improving the communication process is a major step in ensuring that the organization makes accurate decisions. Another sector that has greatly changed as a result of information technology is the financial sector. The sector has experienced landmark changes such as automation of the financial systems. This ensures higher efficiency in the financial sector. The losses that are experienced as a result of using the manual system are also reduced. Information technology is also believed to have a major impact on the cost of production in an orga nization. It has resulted in a reduction of the number of employees in an organization. Introduction of machines and other software has made work easier. Therefore, organizations do not require a lot of people to do various tasks. For example, automation of the accounting system reduces the number of people who would be computing and recording entries. Reduction of manpower implies a reduction of the cost of production. Another way in which information technology has reduced the cost of production is making the process of production easier and more effective (Khosrowpour 21). The machines have also led to speeding up the process of production. As a result, an organization is able to save on time and money.Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Information technology is believed to have an impact on the systems of an organization. However, it is important to analyze its impact in the organizational performance that can be measured by analyzing changes in companies’ income or profit. This research paper seeks to establish whether there is any change of a company’s performance as a result of embracing new technology. Literature Review Information technology and organizational performance have been of great interest to different researchers. There are a lot of research works that have been carried out to investigate the contribution of information technology in organizations. Though extensive research work has been carried out on this area only, little work has been done focusing on the impact of information technology on the organizational performance. With the world experiencing landmark changes in the information technology sector, it is important to understand the impact it has on organizational performance. Some of the notable research works that have been carried out in this area are discussed below. Impact Of Information Technology On Orga nizational Performance: An Analysis Of Quantitative Performance Indicators Of Pakistan’s Banking And Manufacturing Companies This research work was carried out by Muhammad Shaukat and Muhammad Zafarullah. The paper seeks to establish the impact of information technology on the banking and manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The paper not only seeks to establish the impact of information technology on the entire organization process but also seeks to analyze its impact on the overall performance. The researchers carried out an extensive research on 48 companies. 24 of the companies were from the manufacturing sectors, and 24 from the banking sector. In their research, they analyzed the impact both on the local and foreign firms. 12 of the banks interviewed were foreign banks, and 12 manufacturing firms were foreign. In the research, they used regression to analyze the data. The income of the organization was used as a parameter to measure any change in the performance which was realized after using new technology. The paper analyzed the total net income in comparison to the cost of IT employees (Shaukat and Zafarullah1-13). Results showed that there was a significant impact of information technology on all foreign banks in Pakistan. It was also clear that there was an increase in the number of IT employees in all foreign banks. There was also an overall increase in the total number of employees in the foreign banks. The research also found out that there was an increase in the local banks. The increase was as a result of adopting new technology. The regression results were positive, indicating that any increase in information technology investment resulted into an increase in the income of the bank.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was also found out that there was a decrease in the number of employees in the local banks. However, it was established that the decrease was not a result of investment in IT, but due to privatization of banks that took place during the research period. The research showed that investing in information technology resulted into an increase in the income of all banks, both local and foreign (Shaukat and Zafarullah 1-13). The research also found out that investing in information technology had a great impact on the income of the local manufacturing companies. There is also a decrease in the number of employees because most of the companies outsourced IT experts from different companies. Investing in IT did not have a substantial impact on the income of foreign companies. Most of the companies investigated showed that IT did not have any positive impacts on the income of these companies. To sum up, information technology did not have an impact on all manufacturing companies. Some of the companies investigated recorded no change in income after investing in information technology. Thus, the research found out that information technology had a big impact on both the manufacturing and banking sector of Pakistan. Both sectors recorded a positive regression coefficient, indicating that investing in information technology has an impact on the income of the organization; hence the performance of the company. The Impact of Technology on Organizational Performance: Improvement in Productivity Is Due Not Only To Technology, But Also to how it is Integrated Into The Organization The research work was carried out by Yves Gagnon and Jocelyne Dragon. The research paper investigates the impact of technology on the organizational performance. The paper seeks to investigate the role of technology in the organizational performance, and whether information technology is enough to have a positive impact on an organization. The researchers found out that information technology had a big impact on organizational performance but it was i mportant to blend it with a good organizational structure. The paper outlines that information technology alone will have minimal impact on the performance of an organization, but once it has been combined with a good organizational structure, the results were admirable (Gagnon and Dragon 19-31). Information Technology and Business Value in Developing Economies The research work was carried out by Acklesh Prasad. The research was meant to find out the role of IT and how it contributes to business value. The paper investigated the contribution of IT in broader terms. The research paper covers the contribution of IT in the developing countries. The paper concentrated more on the intangible benefits of IT investments.Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The research found out that there was a great impact of IT investment and it resulted into great benefits that contributed to business value. The paper found out that there were so many intangible benefits that resulted from IT investment. The research concludes that investment in IT contributes to intangible benefits and improves organizational value (Prasad 1-11). Information Technology and Organizational Performance: An Integrative Model of IT Business Value The research work was carried out by Nigel Melville, who is an associate professor of information systems. The research paper seeks to establish the interrelationship between information technology and organizational performance (Melville 1-11). The research indicated that information technology plays an important role in an organization. However, there are other factors, such as organization’s resources and macro economic environment, which determine the impact of IT on the organization (Melville 1-11). Research Findi ngs The research was carried out to investigate the impact of information technology on organization performance. The findings are based on secondary data, which was collected from the company’s website. Impact of Technology on British American Tobacco British American Tobacco is one of the largest companies in the Tobacco industry, producing more than 50 brands of tobacco. The company employs approximately 55,000 people, and serves more than 55 markets. Handling the company’s data was tiresome and involved a lot of work. The company adopted new technology, which revolutionized its operations. The company had a problem with its database, which spilled all over the world. Microsoft proposed a strategy that allowed to cut down the replication task from 400,000 to 22,000. This increased the performance of the company because of having well managed data (Cisco 1-11). The company has also employed the use of DSS application in sales and marketing. The DSS model helps in sal es forecasting, pricing, advertising and promotional campaigns. The company has also implemented the model for use in customer relationship management. The model helps in assessing the behavior of customers, such as customer’s patterns, customer’s rejection criteria, and assessing a potential customer. The operating system has helped to improve the company’s marketing program (Cisco 1-11). The company has also adopted the use of information technology in its finance and accounting system. Currently, the company uses electronic data system to manage the company’s finances. This has automated the process, therefore, the operations run effectively. The data system helps the company’s manager in coming up with a mini budget as well as developing a short term strategic plan. The human resource of the company manages data for more than 55000 workers. The department has also implemented a new information technology that manages all labor related issues su ch as labor contracts costs. The system helps to monitor the workers performance. The company’s managers are also able to compute the range and other statistical operations of the workers salaries. The information system provides up to date information on the workers profiles and performance. Impact of Information Technology on Barclays Bank Barclays bank is the seventh largest group in Europe. The company seeks to be among the world’s top five banks through implementation of new technology. The company manages over 115,000 employees in over 50 countries. The bank has embraced the use of technology in its operations, hence making it one of the best banks globally. Barclays bank was the first bank to develop an ATM system in its operations. This helped the bank to serve its customers efficiently and quickly. The machines helped to reduce the number of queues in the bank. Investing in new technology led to an increase in the number of customers because of the increased e fficiency of the bank. The bank also developed the Barclay’s card that made banking convenient (British American Tobacco 1-6). Barclays bank developed an E-banking program with the aim to increase the number of internet sales by forty percent. This made the banks web page more attractive, which led to an increase in the number of customers. The web page also increased customer satisfaction. The number of web customers increased, hence making it a good investment (British American Tobacco 1-6). Investing in information technology was a worthwhile venture for Barclays bank. The improvement of the company’s information technology led to the increase in the number of web customers. This led to an increase in the company’s revenue. Discussion Major progress has been made in the information technology sector. Different organizations have not been left behind in the use of information technology systems in their operations. The use of technology has had both positive a nd negative impacts on organizations. From the research findings, it is clear that investing in information technology is a worthwhile venture. From the analysis of British American Tobacco Company, the results indicate that information technology had a major impact on the company’s performance. Automation of the operation system in the company resulted in the increased efficiency, hence increasing sales. Automation of the financial system of the company improved the efficiency of the finance department. This reduced the cases of losses that were previously recorded. Use of the current financial system reduced the number of employees in the department. Therefore, the cost of production was reduced. The company has also embraced the use of technology in managing their human resource. This has improved efficiency of operation as the managers can track the activities of their workers. The use of human resource operating system has also improved managers work because they are abl e to monitor the effectiveness of each worker and the level of training. Barclays bank has also invested heavily in the information technology sector. This has helped to improve its efficiency and has made banking effective. The use of ATM has reduced the cases of queues in the banks. It also takes customers less time to withdraw their money. Therefore, the process is effective. E-banking has also increased the number of web customers. Bank clients can bank and access other banking services through the internet. This has resulted in the increase of the company’s revenue because of the increase in the number of customers. Conclusion Information technology is an important component in any organization. It helps in making organizations operations more effective. Investing in information technology sector for any company is expensive, but the benefits obtained outnumber the costs. Organizations should seek to invest in this sector because this will reduce the cost of production a nd improve the company’s performance. Aksoy, Pelin, and L. DeNardis. Information Technology in Theory, Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2007. Print. British American Tobacco. Information systems of British America Tobacco in  Bangladesh, n. d. web. 29 Aug. 2012. https://scribd.com/doc/34433897/British-American-Tobacco Cisco. Strategic E-Banking Refresh Prepares Barclays Bank for Next-Generation Web  Technologies and Explosive Growth, n. d. web. 29 Aug. 2012. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about.html Daft, Richard, and D. Marcic. Understanding Management, Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Gagnon, Yves-C and Dragon, Jocelyne. â€Å"The impact of technology on organizational performance†. The Journal of Public Sector Management. Vol. 28, No. 1 (19-31). Informaworld. Web. Khosrowpour, Mehdi. Information Technology Management and Organizational  Innovations: Proceedings of the 1996 Information Resources Association International Conference, New York: Idea Group Inc, 1996. Print. Melville, Nigel, Kraemar Kenneth and Gurbaxani Vijay. Information Technology and  Organizational Performance: An Integrative Model of IT Business Value, California: University of California, 2004. Print. Prasad, Acklesh. Information technology and business value in developing economies:  A study of intangible benefits of information technology in Fiji. California: University of California, 2008. Print. Shaukat, Muhammad, and M. Zafarullah. â€Å"Impact of Information Technology on Organizational Performance: An analysis of Quantitative Performance Indicators of Pakistan’s Banking and Manufacturing Companies European.† Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences 16.1 (2009): 1- 13. Web.

Analysis on Lincoln at Gettysburg by Gary Wills essays

Analysis on Lincoln at Gettysburg by Gary Wills essays Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America is an extraordinary piece of literature that has earned much acclaim in general non-fiction. The author of the book is Garry Wills. Garry Wills is an adjunct professor of history at Northwestern University. He has a dignified career as an author and his articles regularly appear in the New York Review of Books. He has received numerous accolades, including the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for Lincoln at Gettysburg and the National Endowment for the Humanities Presidential Medal. Wills rightfully deserves these accolades for presenting an opportunity to contemplate the importance, aspects, and eloquence of the Gettysburg Address, if for no other reasons. This book will stimulate the reader to re-evaluate and understand one of the greatest speeches orated in American history. It was a gruesome battle at Gettysburg, at which even with the victory of the North, neither side left the grounds gloriously. Fifty thousand were dead, wounded, or missing. It was a repellant and suffocating site with the smell of decaying horse and man flesh. It was a place of grotesque reality, a place unlikely to become a symbol of ideals, purpose, and pride. The Governor of Pennsylvania authorized the purchase of a cemetery to bury the soldiers. After its completion, the grounds would deserve to be dedicated and the air to be sweetened. Edward Everett, a man that could captivate and spellbound audiences, seemed to be the competent speaker for the consecration. President Lincoln was invited to orate, but he was asked specifically to only deliver limited remarks. Although the main speaker would still be Everett, it was Lincoln that uttered the words vital for the American people to devour. With his compelling rhetoric, Abraham Lincoln not only freshened the air of Get tysburg, he purified the sinful and compunctious atmosphere of American history. He manifested an altered&q...

Tortuous, Torturous, and Tortious

Tortuous, Torturous, and Tortious Tortuous, Torturous, and Tortious Tortuous, Torturous, and Tortious By Maeve Maddox All three words, tortuous, torturous, and tortious derive from the Latin verb torquere, â€Å"to twist.† Pronunciation: tortuous [TOR-choo-us] torturous [TOR-chur-us] tortious [TOR-shus] The Latin adjective tortuosus means â€Å"full of twists or turns.† The Latin noun tortura means twisting, but it can also mean torment or torture; torturing a person often involves twisting body parts. The English adjective tortuous retains the sense of twisting or winding, whereas the adjective torturous conveys the sense of painful. A winding road is said to be tortuous. In medicine, a â€Å"tortuous bowel† is a bowel that has several bends and twists in it. A â€Å"tortuous aorta† has anatomical abnormalities that cause it to be distorted in the path it takes. The adjective torturous means â€Å"involving or causing pain.† Both words are used literally and figuratively: tortuous We decided to take the surface route instead, even if it meant a much longer drive along narrow and tortuous roads. The singer has followed a fairly  tortuous path to fame, with many ups and downs in his personal life, before achieving his current success. torturous Urge Massachusetts To End Torturous Shock Treatment of Disabled Individuals Why women love  high heels, no matter how  torturous  they are The plot is based on a silly premise, is childishly developed and is not worth reading, even if you could muddle through the torturous use of the English language. Not surprisingly, inattentive writers tend to mix up these two adjectives: I have a torturous bowel, what are my options for colon screening? The road twisted and turned its torturous way up and down mountains, through gorges, over streams to the little Italian villages. a campaign to highlight the tortuous treatment inflicted upon animals in cosmetic lab testing Hunger strikers in the SHU are calling for an end to hostilities between racial groups within prisons all the way down to county jails in order to call attention to inhuman and tortuous treatment of prisoners. The word, tortious, is the adjective that goes with the legal term tort. In the case of tort, the sense of twisted applies to behavior. In U.S. law, a tort may be defined as â€Å"a negligent or intentional injury against a person or property, with the exception of breach of contract.† Here’s an example of the use of tortious: [The Court ruled that] the managing member and president of an LLC could not be liable for tortious interference with contract for firing the Plaintiff. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant NamesHow to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and TricksHow Long Should a Synopsis Be?

Should technology be use in classroom Research Paper

Should technology be use in classroom - Research Paper Example The paper outlines all pros and cons of using modern technologies at schools. Technology is an alternative to the teacher; in instances when the teacher in not available or there is a shortage of them technology can be used instead of the teacher. Technology in the classrooms will reduce use of chalks that is associated with causing breathing problems caused by chalk dust. This will improve hygiene to the teachers and students and also make work easier. The teacher will not have to write on the board as the writings will be displayed on the screen. The use of internet will help teacher share information and develop the timetables and curriculum ad share among themselves without coming meeting. It is also possible for student to get instructions from the teachers while they are still in the staffroom or when they are far. This is made possible by use of intranet and internet. With technology, it will encourage student to learn more as they have more freedom. They can also learn what t hey want to learn and at the time they like. This reduces boredom and dependence on the teacher for education. Also, we find that the students can get their teachers work without coming into contact with the teacher. This is made possible by using technology like internet. Technology use does not require use of special classes. Students can learn their subjects from one point without shifting to another area. They only require the presence of a computer that will provide the necessary concepts of the subject.

Experience analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Experience analysis - Essay Example Consequently, Peggy calls for the need of uncovering the privileges according to the subject in order to present a ground for achieving equality. From the goal achieved by the event, it is of critical use in social construction of gender equality and reduced impact of racism in the society. The event presents an important step that can be taken to lessen the advantages possessed by male and white in the society. Peggy presents and expresses her goals in qualitative manner by using a case of individuals who are directly related to her study. For instance, she presents himself as a case by presenting an overview of her being â€Å"overprivilege† as the result of the color of her skin (McIntosh, 2012). This allows her to allows the audiences to readily identify with her goal besides gaining insightful view about the dimension of the study. Further, she also qualitatively describes the invisible privileges that men have, allowing her to adequately tackle her goal of discussing the impact of male privilege. Through using qualitative technique to express her goals, Peggy was able to present a clear picture of the overriding situation, to her audience that provided the basis for meeting her objectives. Peggy’s research was insightful and the way that she presents her theory fits well with intended concept of her study. I therefore agree with her position since she presents an ideal scenario that relates to the social construction of the gender. It is true that the fight against both gender and race discrimination has always avoided the discussion of privileges assigned to the â€Å"superiors† in the society. The event makes inclusive of feasible evidence for the study as seen when she describes herself as an overprivileged individual based on her skin color. This presented a chance for easily relating and understanding the message intended for the

American football culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American football culture - Research Paper Example Additionally, its fame also emanates from the game’s inclusion in learning institutions like colleges and even states arranging for other professional events like â€Å"world champions† (Carroll, 2003). Mainly, American football’s unique way of sporting prompts numerous fans to gather, with the intention of witnessing what they usually refer as a military encounter. This is because of its â€Å"violence† besides domination by male gender though presently females have developed an interest in it, though they normally act as cheering squads. American football compared to other games like baseball it has a fascinating history and culture besides its â€Å"violent nature†, which presently has led to its immense popularity in America (Duncan, 2004). American football origin The game initially did not have well-structured rules meant to govern players as well as enable the players to play with those from other towns (Carroll, 2003). Therefore, each town p layed using their own rules, though they maintained two sides of dozen players. The mode of play entailed clearing the ball from one’s own goal towards that of the opponent, which required much physical contact, hence use of energy. Initially, players used to play barefooted, which earned the game the name of â€Å"Football† and spread rapidly after diverse states harmonized their varying rules. Early Cultural importance of the game Football game became one of the most thrilling and essential game in the American society after its harmonization of rules. Hence, giving rise to the socialization of people where fans supporting one team developed a certain bond of friendship and belonging (Carroll, 2003). This bridged wide gaps that were their before and yielded to a more closely-knit society especially among the football fans. However, racism was still evident especially among those people who did not have much to share with other races (Crothers, 2012). Besides, the foo tball competitions also acted as an opportunity for Commercial Corporations to advertise their products, for example, vehicle manufacturers and tourists’ firms. Mainly, this was via sponsoring diverse games’ activities thus contributing to the effective planning of the matches. Educational institutions also took this advantage to advertise the prowess especially during interschool or college competitions (Crothers, 2012). Modern entertainment industry This period characterized the â€Å"golden age† in 1920s. Contrary to other earlier periods, the responsible authorities made the game’s rules more advanced and refined, which ensured increased control during the matches (Carroll, 2003). Hence, there were fewer cases of casualties than those witnessed in earlier times. This led to the aspect of professionalism especially after 1920s where players were able to use their talents to earn or supplement their living (Duncan, 2004). This was not evident in earlier times where players specifically played out of pleasure with no intention of earning anything except to win trophies for their teams or institutions (Carroll, 2003). Consequently, professionalism yielded to the modern day entertainment due to the media focusing on broadcasting all competition events (Crothers, 2012). These ranged from educational institutions to interstates’ clubs or associations competitions. Modern football specialization started after 1920 when the four Midwestern regions convened at Canton with the intention of merging their rules

Airline Mergers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Airline Mergers - Essay Example Over the years, the number of airlines have been intentionally narrowed down to just a few major airlines. Narrowing down of the airlines have been actualized by mergers that have taken place over the years. The number of mergers have been exceptionally high. This has resulted in creation of some of the world huge airlines. Mergers happen in order for the two partners to gain a certain leverage that was not there before. Universally the reasons behind most of this unions are known. The main reasons include-: 2. Cutting cost- this might be the biggest motivator if not among the best factors. The situation can be looked as previous competitors marrying. This means that we will not have price wars into the future and costs of advertising automatically drops. 3. Surviving- it is a last resort on most companies, it is usually a case of staying in the business or being driven out of business. Therefore when a company is bankrupt or does not have the capability of surviving the tough market forces, merger come through as the only remedy. 5. Competitive advantage- it is a huge factor. Companies are able to reach out to market traditionally not accessed. Therefore this creates a headache for other players since the new merger brings with it financial might. 7. The reasons behind the mergers in the USA airline industry are factored in the above explained reasons. Mergers are nice for business but they are not immune to the law. It is normally a case of trending carefully in order not to break the laws of consumerism in the name of mergers. Therefore, it was not by mistake that in 2013 the government of the USA with support from numerous consumer federations filed a law suit stopping the merger between the mighty American and the mighty US air. The previous mergers that ever occurred did not raise as much issue and outcry as the

Family in Europe History Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Family in Europe History - Coursework Example The Gratian solution to this problem was to suggest that marriage occurs in two stages, the first when consent is made and the second following intercourse. Although marriage was valid and binding after consent, it was made more intimate and complete only after intercourse. While this validated Mary and Joseph’s marriage, it still indicated their marriage wasn’t totally complete because, of course, Mary was a virgin. As a result, this solution didn’t satisfy the Christian concerns. The Lombard solution relied on semantics. Rather than suggesting that simple consent was necessary, Lombard suggested that this consent had to be made in the present tense, which distinguishes it as a marriage contract, therefore making Mary and Joseph’s marriage complete. This was distinguishable from a betrothal simply because it was uttered in the present tense; betrothals were made in future tense. Because it satisfied both concerns regarding how to distinguish marriage from betrothal and validated the marriage of Jesus and Mary, this definition of marriage was accepted, but it also introduced a significant shift in family power as regional lords, the church and the parents all lost the ability to forbid marriage, retaining only the power to disapprove of it. The agnatic lineage traces family kinship ties through the father’s line only. The women were completely ejected from the equation and any sense that the matrilineal line is the only sure line of descent was lost. This caused women to lose a great deal of their worth. As mentioned, they were no longer important to the family line other than to provide the means of acquiring the next generation. This loss caused them to also lose any claims of inheritance or particular care within their childhood family unit. Once they were married, they ceased to be of any importance to their birth family at all as any of their labors and the children they bear then belong to the family of the husband. By removing half of

Airline Mergers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Airline Mergers - Essay Example Over the years, the number of airlines have been intentionally narrowed down to just a few major airlines. Narrowing down of the airlines have been actualized by mergers that have taken place over the years. The number of mergers have been exceptionally high. This has resulted in creation of some of the world huge airlines. Mergers happen in order for the two partners to gain a certain leverage that was not there before. Universally the reasons behind most of this unions are known. The main reasons include-: 2. Cutting cost- this might be the biggest motivator if not among the best factors. The situation can be looked as previous competitors marrying. This means that we will not have price wars into the future and costs of advertising automatically drops. 3. Surviving- it is a last resort on most companies, it is usually a case of staying in the business or being driven out of business. Therefore when a company is bankrupt or does not have the capability of surviving the tough market forces, merger come through as the only remedy. 5. Competitive advantage- it is a huge factor. Companies are able to reach out to market traditionally not accessed. Therefore this creates a headache for other players since the new merger brings with it financial might. 7. The reasons behind the mergers in the USA airline industry are factored in the above explained reasons. Mergers are nice for business but they are not immune to the law. It is normally a case of trending carefully in order not to break the laws of consumerism in the name of mergers. Therefore, it was not by mistake that in 2013 the government of the USA with support from numerous consumer federations filed a law suit stopping the merger between the mighty American and the mighty US air. The previous mergers that ever occurred did not raise as much issue and outcry as the

Eastern European Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Eastern European Studies - Essay Example It also has practical implications for the lives of citizens of these countries, whose future depends on the development of democracy backed by a robust judicial system. Constitutional reform or engineering toward this end is a daunting task and early signs of this experiment have shown disappointing results1. This essay will take an in-depth look into factors that are holding back constitutional engineering in the Eastern European bloc; and especially focus on how the Soviet legacy is still influencing crucial areas of reform. The ongoing transformation from state communism to a free-market economic system in Eastern European countries is unprecedented in its scope and wide-ranging in its impact. Given that communism radically altered major institutions in these countries, it should come as no surprise that the early stages of the reform process have not been fruitful. Since economic growth is a key indicator of a stable constitutional structure, it is instructive to look into this facet of a nation's health. It turns out that the degree of economic contraction is larger than what was predicted by analysts. This trend can be observed in the republics of former U.S.S.R as well. For example, â€Å"With the important caveat that the rise in private sector activity may not be fully captured in the official statistics, the drop in output in the region since 1989 is now estimated to have reached 20 percent, and for some countries it has exceeded 35 percent. There has been some progress in the implementation of reforms in Eastern Europe, but the supply response thus far has been limited. Signs of a bottoming out of the contraction can be discerned in some countries, but further output losses may yet be in store. In the republics of the former U.S.S.R., the reform process has barely started.† 2 The transformation from communism to democracy involves radical overhaul of former authoritarian institutions. Hence, political commentators were under no illusion about the turbulences it is going to involve. Already, in the twenty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, three former communist countries of the union have seen political upheavals. The Rose Revolution threw out Eduard Shevardnadze in Georgia and brought to power a 36-year-old lawyer from New York. The Orange Revolution that followed in 2004 handed power to Viktor Yushchenko, who is known to have the backing of Washington. Yushchenko's election victory was disputed by the opposition party and he narrowly escaped an assassination bid as well. Similarly, the Tulip Revolution of 2005 in Kyrgyzstan removed dictatorial president Askar Akayev (who eventually took refuge in neighbouring Russia) and in his stead brought the opposition leader to power, whose election rhetoric was centred on constitutional reform. These examples show the magnitude of the task of bringing democracy to the region which has not yet come out from the communist hangover. At first these so-called revolutions w ere hailed in the Western press as the beginning of a new era of prosperity and progress for these countries. But the truth is far from this idealization. These three 'revolutions' are now recognized as total failures. In fact, â€Å"no fresh heroes rose from the grass roots, swept into power by a newly robust civil society

Gender and Students Grades Essay Example for Free

Gender and Students Grades Essay I decided to choose to do my project on if the gender of the teacher reflects what the student gets in the class. I am interested in this because I feel that a male teacher, for me, does a better job teaching. They have a stronger personality and are louder which keeps you listening. I chose to do this project because I am interested in seeing how the average student feels compared to how I feel. In order to collect my data, I will test a total of 10 classes, 2 classes from the following subjects; Algebra 2 regular, Chemistry Honors, IB History, Media Arts, and English 10 Honors. One class will be from a male teacher and the other from a female teacher. I will the split the classes into two groups male and female. In the two groups I will categorize the 5 classes into what the student got in the class. There will be 5 categories A, B, C, D, and F. Since I only want 5 columns I will round the A-s, B-s, C-s, and D-s to a regular letter grade. As well as the A+’s, B+’s, C+’s and D+’s to a regular letter grade. After obtaining all the data, I will begin to compare and analyze the data. First, I will do a simple process by finding the mean, median, and mode of the two groups. Since my data is in letter grades I will have to change the letters to a GPA. For example an A would be a 4, also since I am rounding the A-s to As an A- would also be a 4. Finding the mean, median and mode will show what the average grades are in the male and female classes. That data can be compared easily to show what grades are getting in which gender class. Another simple mathematical process is making a histogram. Each category (A, B, C, D, and F) will have two bars coming from it, one male and one female. This can show how many of the each letter grade is coming from each gender. It will visually show what gender is getting what grades in the classes. The last mathematical procedure I will be doing is a Chi-squared table which will be my sophisticated process. This will be my most accurate calculation to show if gender of the teacher is dependent on the grade the student gets in class. I am going to make  ·this table by splitting the date into two columns, male and female, and then by the grade the student got in the class. When making the histogram for one of my simple processes I added all the As together from the male classes then all the Bs and so forth. I did this for the female classes as well. For the graph my x-axis is the grade, y-axis is the number of students in the column. There are two bars coming up from each grade group to show the comparison between male and female. Calculating the Chi-squared of this data will be my last process. To find the Chi-squared I had to make a table with all the grades in it and which gender it was for. I then had to find the expected value, an example of this was multiplying the total number from the male column and the A column then dividing that by the total of grades overall. After getting the observed and expected tables I subtracted the observed from the expected then square rooted this then divided it by the expected. I did this for each column. Then the numbers were added together to get a chi-squared of 4.88. I used the rejection inequality given a significance level of 5%. To find the p-value I put my calculations into my graphing calculator to get a p-value of 0.363. I then found the degrees of freedom by subtracting the rows by the columns. This was able let me know which significance level to use which is 9.488. Since the chi-squared was false, you accept the null. Some of the errors I saw in my project were the classes I chose, Mrs. Mel and Mr. Nichols were an IB History class. An IB History class is a higher knowledge class, all of the students in these two classes got either an A or a B. Since everyone had higher grades this made an error in my project because two of my classes did not have three of the letter grades. This skewed my grades toward higher GPAs. I should have chosen a class that had more variety in grades. Another thing that made an error in my project was when I did the mean, median, and mode I rounded the grades. For instance a B- would be a B and a B+ would be a B. Rounding these grades made the variety not as big. Since students work well with different teachers another way to do this project which would give me more accurate data would be to compare a student who switched teachers between the two semesters from a male to a female. This would have showed more how a certain student acts with different genders rather than how a group of students acts. In conclusion, it shows that the gender of the teacher and the grade the students gets in that class are independent. The x ² calc was less than the critical value. The results I saw were similar to what I thought would happen. All though the calculations were not as accurate as I would have liked them to be and the conclusion is very vague to what I thought would have happened. This does change how I feel about gender affecting the student because I felt like the male was more of an effective teacher than a female but the calculations show the female is more effective.

Netflix And Blockbuster Battle For Market Leadership Marketing Essay

Netflix And Blockbuster Battle For Market Leadership Marketing Essay Movie retail industry includes such companies that rent DVDs, Blu-ray discs and even video games which are usable on home-based electronic equipment (Espedido Julian, 2010). Many companies are participants in this lucrative business and they include such companies as Wal-Mart, Netflix, Blockbuster, Intelliflix, Redbox and GameZnFlix among others. Both Netflix and Blockbuster companies are presently the leaders in the rental movie industry and therefore the major rivals in the rental movie industry. As to Blockbuster, it has a quite lengthy convention in the business. The Blockbuster has existed since the year 1985, even as Netflix entered its 12th anniversary this year. This gives Blockbuster an edge of existence over its close competitor Netflix. This paper intends to critically provide an in depth analysis for Arthur Thompsons case study entitled Competition in the Movie Rental Industry in 2008: Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership. It will comb thoroughly issues li ke the trends which affect either negatively or positively the movie rental industry with utmost reference to Netflix and Blockbuster in respect to their fight for the market headship, scrutinize in detail the competitive movie rental industry environment, and by extension give detailed discussion on the use of both the SWOT as well as reasonable scorecard to evaluate Netflixs battle strategy for market leadership on the whole. Dominant Business and Economic Characteristics of Movie Rental Industry: The video rental industry (formally known as home entertainment or leisure) is actually an economic segment duly involved with the development, marketing and sale of movie as well as other computer games. It includes such video games as consoles, game software, mobile games, handheld devices as well as online games. In recent years, the movie industry of has been experiencing exponential growth. The growth has been such that it is expected even to further leap-frog in the near and far future (Espedido Julian, 2010). According to Espedido Julian (2010), the industrys dominant economic features include 1) Market bulk and growth pace More than $35 billion was spent on video games consoles, game software etc. Industry is expected to have more than $51 billion sale by 2010. 2) Numbers of rivals The two main contenders are Netflix and Blockbuster. 3) The extent of competitive challenge Global presence with regional focus is required for companys competitive long term success. 4) Numbers of buyers around 250 to 300 million people globally did watch movies and nearly the same number did play video games in the year 2007. There is for instance, an estimated average age of those actively involved in the video games. The estimated age has actually jumped to 33 years in 2005, and about 25 percent of video gamers were in excess of age 50. 5) The extent of product discrimination The bigger the extent of differentiation, the further the competitive advantage. 6) Product innovation merchandise innovation plays noteworthy role in capturing the market share and to take competitive advantage in the market. And finally, pace of technological advancement Newly sophisticated technology advancement does plays a crucial role in entertainment industry particularly with due regard to movie rental industry. The emergence for instance of internet services have made it quite easier for Netflixs founder, Reed Hastings who did become aware of the demand for online renting of movies way back in the year 1997. Without hesitation, he began the vibrant online movie rental business indeed to a large scale. Netflix became successful, and it did not take long before he began to bring in the reimbursements of someone elses idea. Competition: In the movie rental industry, there has been an intense competition between two major business rivals; Netflix and Blockbuster. The competition in the movie rental industry has been so frighteningly fierce for the precedent few years that it has been termed by many opinion leaders as unhealthy business wise. Netflix and Blockbuster are actually the current leaders in the booming rental movie industry and by extension and to that effect the major rivals. The Blockbuster has been in the business for long, in fact, since 1985 on the other hand, Netflix only entered its 12th existence year this year. Actually the founder, Reed Hastings did establish Netflix in the year 1997. Nevertheless, at the moment, Netflix appears to lead the market in terms of market acquisition. Netflix which is largely viewed as a newcomer does have around 9.6 million online customers who have subscribed to their services. In comparison, Blockbuster has just slightly more than 3 million online subscribers despite its longer years of existence. In the United States of America, there are other online movie rental companies which include companies such as Intelliflix, Redbox and GameZnFlix. However, GameZnFlix and Redbox do not serve the locals most of the time. Instead they more often than not target Asian markets. Additionally, Wal-Mart also did attempt to spawn profits in the movie rental industry but sooner was outrun in the business by Netflix. These days Wal-Mart merely possesses an advertising contract with Netflix in the industry. Online Service General Idea: Both the Netflix and Blockbuster entire right of entry are online movie rental services. This implies that one can look through their records and place movies or even a favorite program in ones queue. A customer or a member is permitted to maintain a DVD so long as she/he so wants and there also exist no outstanding dates or even late charges. The operation is such that once a movie had been seen it is wrapped in an envelope and immediately sent back to either Netflix or Blockbuster. So responsive are the movie rental companies such that as soon as a movie sent back is received, the next movie to be sent in the stand in line will duly be sent to the customer or member. Indeed, Both Netflix and Blockbuster do have many different strategies from which to choose. The possible options are two-fold and they include limited rentals and unlimited rentals. In its infinite DVD rental option, Netflix does offer eight (8) strategies. The costs normally vary from about $10 for a movie at a parti cular time to around $50 for 8 movies. On the other hand, Blockbuster has four (4) different schemes which fall between $10 and $24. As regards limited rentals, Netflix normally offer two (2) DVDs per month for about $6 or four (4) DVDs for a period of one month for about $12.however, with reference to limited rentals, a Blockbuster member is able to get two (2) DVDs for the equivalent value as their market challengers or four (4) DVDs for about $8 only. Netflix has more continuous entertainment flow merits. Netflix utilizes technological advancement than no other company. For example if an individual is a member of Netflix, it is highly possible movies are watched from the individuals website at the same time as the person is waiting to obtain the subsequent movies from the list. This benefit is only to be had to Netflix customers. Nonetheless, Blockbuster also has certain incentives to their customers. It normally let a rental customer to turn back a watched movie physically. On f urther advancement to outdo each other, Netflix more often than not sends a new show within a day, whereas it takes Blockbuster around two to three days to deliver a new movie. Netflix is really sophisticated in this business. It does offer a wider assortment of movies as compared to its biggest competitors and even a rare expediency of watching shows online. Further still, they are also faster on matters shipping. With regard to technological use, Blockbuster only lets a member arrange and order movies online. Their movies are also largely obtainable in their stores. As a result, they lack online movie watching services. However, Blockbuster does give a rare chance to its customers to acquire as much as double shows given that their in store rental services is free with a Total Access Pass. The Forces Driving Movie Rental Industry: Several forces do propel the movie rental industry especially with regard to the performance of one of the market leaders, the Netflix, and they include such forces as i) Market Features-The industry was in actual market maturity stage previous to the application and utilization of the Internet technology as a medium of distribution. Netflix did capitalize and subsequently utilized the Internet sophistication to gain huge market share by offering customers and members with direct movie download accessibility and undeviating shipments to their home. Â   As earlier stated, Netflix was and for that matter still remain a market leader that realized the first potential of the market which did exist for Internet movie rentals. Â  According to Espedido Julian (2010) they did make the product less complex for the consumer to acquire by eliminating unnecessary hassle that existed before and in lieu provided accelerated delivery. ii) Profit Margins of the Industry- the gross profit of Netfli x did shoot up from $8 million in the year 2000 to around $419.6 million in the year 2007. Â  it was an indication that Netflix was proficient and capable of capitalizing on the existing market trends which affect the entire movie rental industry. Netflix market entrance was quite successful and this contributed to their fast growth and expansive market share acquisition. iii) Competition Intensity- when Netflix was entering movie retail industry, the industry then was operating as an oligopoly as Blockbuster did control a major market share. Â   Netflix was amazingly able to compete against the then well established Blockbuster by effectively and efficiently using the Internet technology and the policy of one day delivery distribution channels were its central competitive advantage over Blockbuster and other allied companies in the market that was largely oligopoly. iv) Variations in Demand-Movie demand appears to be somewhat consistent. Â   Nevertheless, more and more customers seem to be too conventional. They are reminiscent of the idea of requesting for the DVDs off the Internet. v) Capital and Technological Requirements- A huge amount of initial capital is duly required to start the business of movie rentals and in turn obtain any momentous share of the market since fees that must be paid is quite exorbitant. Compare Netflix and Blockbusters competitive strategies: Both Netflix and Blockbuster have employed diverse strategies, plans and schemes to gain more market share as well as revenues as they can. They have before engaged in business tussles. Both the companies have actually been involved in price battle, each lowering its operation cost compared to the cost charged by their rival (Thompson, et al. 2010). This strategy however, popular with many competing companies does work advantageously to consumers since the consumers get the same kind of services for a smaller amount of money they pay. The CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings strategies is to reach about 20 million customers by the year 2012. Netflix therefore puts a great deal of anxiety on Blockbuster compelling them to change something in their strategy and future plans. In fact, up till about two years ago, Blockbuster was charging for their services late fees for failure to return on time DVDs back (Thompson, et al. 2010). The company henceforth changed their strategy and no longer char ge late fees any more. Netflix has very aggressive strategies. They have been purchasing privileges to autonomous films. This plan will permit Netflix to rent or even sell DVDs or movies in the theatres. In so doing, Netflix gambles and attempts to make more cash on movies which Hollywood never considers. It duly works in their favor since only 30 percent of Netflixs rentals are new releases (Thompson, et al. 2010). Advantages/Disadvantages of Two Rivals Advantages of Netflix: Netflix provides more advantages to its customers. According to Roth, Daniel (2009) their customers do watch more than 7000 movies online as a member. Their website also makes recommendations based on your previous ratings. Further, their website keeps track of movies rented. Moreover, they have a large selection of special interest DVDs. Finally, they avail to their customers a 2 week free trial. Disadvantages of Netflix: Netflix have numerous merits. However, they also have few demerits. For instance, they show poor customer service. Their services subject customers into a long wait for new releases. Advantages of Blockbuster Total Access: Blockbuster as a market rival to Netflix has merits too. They offer 2 free video/game in store monthly rentals to their members. Their members also enjoy privilege to return online order to any local Blockbuster store and this is very convenient to customers (Roth, Daniel, 2009). In addition, their customers pay a paltry $9.99 for the first month of subscription. Disadvantages of Blockbuster Total Access: Nevertheless, Blockbuster also has disadvantages. For that case, their customers are barred from returning rented Movies by mail. Finally, their consumers are conditioned to have 2 separate accounts in order to rent in store and online (Blockbuster, 2008). A Complete SWOT for Netflix: The founders of Netflix were Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. This was way back in the year 1997. They both viewed the business as a blend of customary video store as well as a subscription or payment cable TV services. Since April 1998, Netflix has been offering DVD owners an expedient as well as a cost effectual alternative to rent movies. Netflix has been operating as an internet based rental movie subscription services provider particularly for formatted movies of digital video disc (DVD). Its website provided its members to not only surf its catalogue of shows without difficulties, but also offered clips of movies which customers could afford to rent. Its prime mission is to offer versatile services which can help its members pick and obtain rental movies with an absolute gratification. Netflixs founders were very intelligent. They were able to foresee the positive potential of technological trend of the digital video disc player market jointly with the fast growth of internet access. Netflix as a result placed itself immediately in the internet DVD rental business. Their main focus was on those Americans who love movies, can access the internet, owns a DVD player or possess PCs or have DVD-ROM. Unsatisfied customers with the rule of the game of the other local movie rental companies preferred the online stores which was offered principally by Netflix. The online stores did cover scores of demographics. Summary From the point of view of the user, there is bound to occur varied preferences towards one service. It mostly relies on individual needs of a service member. For instance, versed with technological advancement will more likely favor Netflix, whilst a family living at home and is close to a Blockbuster store would prefer its services. Relying on the observation above, it is adequate to say that Netflix is more than able to be steps ahead of Blockbuster because they do not incur overbearing overhead cost of possessing its stores as well as storing all DVDs.

Picasso At The Lapin Agile Essay -- Picasso at the Lapin Agile Plays E

Picasso at the Lapin Agile From the time you enter the Falk Theatre, until the curtain rises and falls on the production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile, you are in for a treat. The play is an original work by Steve Martin with a running time of 90minutes, which feels more like 30minutes. Aside from the uncomfortable seating, this production is nothing short of wonderful. The Theatre has been transformed from a long movie Theater atmosphere to a quaint surrounding by means of risers that are placed directly on the stage. The new seating divides the old Theater in half and allows for the actors and the audience to share the same space. Not only this atmosphere that makes it wonderful but also the performances, the direction, the design and the script. Set in France in 1904, the stage is a French bar called the â€Å"Lapin Agile†, with the action of the plot involving the characters who come into the bar and their relationship to time as well as each other. The script is an abstract look at the chance meeting of historical figures and the role these meetings will have on the future. Perhaps one of the most attractive aspects of the script is its ability to ask the same questions of the audience that it does from one character to another. For example, the owner of the â€Å"Lapin Agile†, Freddy attempts to stump Albert Einstein with a mathematical problem that the audience couldn’t have enough time to equate. This style of fast paced dialogue and action fills the entire script fr...

A Study on the Interpretation of Dreams

Interpreting dreams has been a subject of interest for thousands of years. There have been many theories formed by top scientists and psychologists, but dreams still remain a mystery. There are websites all over the Internet that promise to decode dreams in just a few easy steps, but most of those are for fun and entertainment.What do professionals have to say about the interpretation of dreams? That is the question this paper seeks to answer. As with any somewhat scientific subject, there are as many answers as questions. The writer will start with the earliest information about dreams, and explain the prevalent theories, both past and present, about dream interpretation.Dreams have been fascinating people for as long as there have been people on the Earth. The very first mention of a dream comes from ancient Babylon, around the year 3000 B.C. (Biele and Piotrowski, 1986).The dream is only mentioned in passing on a stela carved to commemorate a great achievement by a â€Å"God-fear ing man,† but the fact that it was mentioned at all gives us an idea of how important dreams were to the ancients (Biele and Piotrowski, 1986). People made â€Å"consulting dreams† before taking any action a regular part of life up to the 16th Century, A.D., and no doubt many people still follow the practice (Biele and Piotrowski, 1986).Perhaps the two most noted â€Å"dream interpreters† were Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Freud wrote his book, The Interpretation of Dreams , in 1955, and it immediately caused a stir. Freud asserted that, â€Å"the scientific theories of dreams leave no room for any problem of interpreting them, since in their view a dream is not a mental act at all . . . † (p.96).He highly disagreed with the idea that dreams meant nothing. He did not agree with the ideas of dreams being interpreted â€Å"symbolically† or by â€Å"decoding† (Freud, 1955, p. 96-97). Instead, he claimed to have found a â€Å"scientific methodâ⠂¬  to interpreting dreams (Freud, 1955, p. 100).Freud explained that he had attempted to â€Å"unravel . . . hysterical phobias, obsessional ideas, and so on† for years (p. 100). He finally came upon the notion â€Å"that if a dream can be inserted into the psychical chain†Ã‚   than the dream could be â€Å"treated as a symptom† (Freud, 1955, p. 101). Freud believed that interpreting dreams in a scientific way would reveal the true problem troubling the patient. The problem could then be treated, and the person would become well (Freud, 1955).Common knowledge of Freud includes the fact that he believed that dreams had to do with â€Å"unconscious sexual and aggressive wishes and fantasies unacceptable to the conscious ego† (Marszalek and Myers, 2006, p. 18) Carl Jung agreed that some dreams could have those implications, but not all (Marszalek and Myers, 2006). He believed that dreams were not just â€Å"disguises† for unmentionable feelings, but they were also â€Å"metaphors† and showed â€Å"creativity† and â€Å"individualization† (Marszalek and Myers, 2006, p. 19). Jung found seven â€Å"archetypes† that seem to appear â€Å"in every culture throughout time† (dreammoods.com).A few of these are the â€Å"Persona,† or the person you show to others, the â€Å"Shadow,† or things you do not like about yourself, and the â€Å"Divine Child,† you as your â€Å"true self†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (dreammoods.com).   Jung’s ideas have proven very helpful in some forms of   â€Å"counseling therapy† because they allow a person to make sense of their dreams and often realize what is behind their problems (Marszalek and Myers, 2006, p.22).Not everyone believes that dreams really mean anything, but most health professionals agree that dreams are very beneficial to people (Waters, 2002). For example, they can â€Å"reveal hidden anxiety, help consolidate memories, regul ate moods, and help to process emotions† (Waters, 2002).One physician notes that major depressives often have a hard time in the morning because their dreams were inadequate to solve their problems (Waters, 2002). Dreams are a time for â€Å"reflection . . . and creativity† (Waters, 2002). However, many physicians warn against getting â€Å"carried away† with interpreting dreams, as not every dream is going to have a â€Å"practical† function (Waters, 2002).However, some lay people do not agree with that assessment. Understand-your-dreams.com has several articles written by Dave Lappin, a self-appointed dream interpreter. Lappin believes that dreams â€Å"speak to us on a spiritual level† because we are â€Å"spiritual beings† (2006).Dreams hold the key to â€Å"a vast storehouse of knowledge† (Lappin, 2006). If we keep having the same dream over and over, it is because we â€Å"have not fully understood the dream message and used it in our waking state† (Lappin, 2006). For Lappin, and those like him, dreams always have a purpose and â€Å"information† for the dreamer.The book, Extraordinary Dreams and How to Work with Them, is something of a middle ground between believing all dreams have messages and no dreams have messages. For the authors, â€Å"ordinary† dreams simply â€Å"reflect daily experiences.† â€Å"Extraordinary† dreams, however, have many functions.They can be â€Å"telepathic, clairvoyant, and precognitive, and some can even be â€Å"out of body, lucid,† and   involve a past life or a visitation (Bogzaran, Krippner, and Percia de Carvalho, 2002). These studies show the cultural differences between groups of people. Many people from other countries and cultures were involved in the studies, and while they have â€Å"ordinary† dreams, they also have fantastic dreams that most modern cultures would be quick to dismiss.The concept of interpreting dre ams runs the gamut from no dream being particularly special to dreams directing our lives. It is difficult to determine what theory, if any, is correct. The truth is that we do dream, and we do often see and act out strange things in our dreams. We see people we have not seen in years, and we work out problems. We dream of ordinary things, and we dream of flying.Perhaps dreams are what a person makes of them. There is no need to believe that every dream will have an earthshattering message, but if a dream comforts a person or stirs them to act, that is all the better. In the end, your dream falls under your own interpretation. Your interpretation is better than what anyone else can give to you, for only you know your true self.AbstractInterpreting dreams has been of great interest to people for thousands of years. Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung are known as two of the authorities on interpreting dreams, even though they have different ideas on the interpretations.Many medical practitio ners see great mental benefits from dreaming, but they caution people to not get too wrapped up in analyzing dreams. Other people take note of their dreams constantly and model their lives around them. Different cultures have different ideas of what is normal in a dream, but in the end we must decide what is normal for ourselves. Regardless of all the information floating about, only we know ourselves well enough to know what our dreams really mean to us.Reference PageBiele, A. and Piotrowski, Z. (1986) Dreams: a key to self knowledge. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: New Jersey.Bogzaran, F., Krippner, S., and Percia de Carvalho. (2002) Extraordinary dreams and how to work with them. State University of New York Press: New York.www.dreammoods.com. Carl jung’s archetypes. http://www.dreammoods.com/dreaminformation/dreamtheory/jung3.htm Accessed September 14, 2006.Lappin, Dave. (2006) The spirituality of dreams. http://www.understand-your-dreams.com/spirituality_dreams.html Accesse d September 14, 2006.Freud, Sigmund. (1955) The interpretation of dreams. Basic Books: New York.Marszalek, J. and Myers, J. (2006) Dream interpretation: a developmental counseling and therapy approach. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. 28:1, pgs. 18-30.Waters, J. (7/23/2002) Why do we dream? experts differ on the meaning. The Washington Times: B 01.