The Development Of Old Testament Theology Essay - 1813 Words

The development of Old Testament Theology was done in various ways during and after the Reformation. â€Å"The critical approach to the Bible was a further attempt to break free from the authority of the church and church dogmatics.† (29) Martin Luther was a prominent person during this time as he revolted against the idea that the church was the only way for people to be saved. Other ideas such as Sola Gratia, Sola Fida, and Sola Scripture were various ways that also were discussed in opposition of only being saved by the church. Sola Gratia means by grace alone we are saved, Sola Fida means by faith alone we are saved, and Sola Scripture means scriptures alone save us and that the real authority is the biblical text. The various ideas behind how we are saved was a major part of Old Testament Theology. The Enlightenment Period began and emphasized reason and development of critical biblical studies. In 1787, during the Enlightenment Period, J. P Gabler founded Biblical Theology and separated it from Dogmatic Theology. Dogmatic Theology is based on the church whereas Biblical Theology is based on the beliefs of the scripture. (30) â€Å"Gabler emphasized the need to separate what in the biblical text was historically and culturally conditioned from what was eternally true, and so could be applied to Christians of all time, and this leads to the ‘appearance of biblical theology, pure and unmixed with foreign things,’ which may then provide the proper foundation for dogmaticShow MoreRelatedSummary Of The Charismatic Theology Of Luke-Acts1428 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke, Robert Stronstad adduces a succinct interpretation of the significance of Holy Spirit according to Lukan theology. He examines both the Spirit’s activity in L uke-Acts and the implications of the Gift of the Spirit in empowering, equipping, and commissioning of God’s people for service. The text is separated into six sections covering â€Å"the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts†, â€Å"the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament†, â€Å"the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of Luke†, â€Å"The Holy SpiritRead MoreThe Development Of The Established Holy Bible1629 Words   |  7 Pages Marcion of Sinope The development of the established Holy Bible was a long, drawn out process that started with the foundation of the original Jewish scriptures, formerly known as the Torah. Building off of Jewish ideals, theologians and philosophers started compiling scriptures with the ultimate result of the New Testament canon. Typically, many factors were taken into account when distinguishing the credibility or incredibility of a given scripture. For example, apostolic succession, where andRead MoreMission Theology Of The Bible1203 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction To understand â€Å"Mission Theology† we first have separate the two words. Mission is the vocation or calling of a religion organization, especially a Christian one, to go out into the world and spread its faith (Oxford Dictionaries). Theology is the study of God or the study of the nature of God and the relationship between the human and divine. In the textbook we use for class which is called â€Å"Introducing World Missions† we are told that the word â€Å"missions† (which ending with the letterRead MoreEssay on Women and the Trinity1125 Words   |  5 PagesWomen and the Trinity For most of us, faith development is a process. We grow in wisdom and stature and favor with God. As a Christian woman I know that my consciousness about the feminist agenda has evolved in stages also. First, I became aware of the generic language. Words like mankind, brotherhood, and the overused pronoun he was supposed to describe all of humanity. IT was clear that they contained a masculine bias. Little girls grew up hearing those words literally and scalingRead MoreThe Theological Themes Of The Book Of Isaiah1092 Words   |  5 Pagessalvation. The judgment is seen when God wants Israel to do justice and walk with him, but resistance persisted, and God used, â€Å"used Assyrian and Babylon as tools to chasten gods people, _______________________ 1. J. J. M. Roberts, â€Å"Isaiah in Old Testament Theology,† Interpretation 36, no. 2 (April 1982): 135-136. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed October 5, 2017).111 2. I.bid., pg.130 3. David. M. Steimle, Preliminary Biblical Studies (S.1):LULU.com 2015 1. Yahweh will useRead More1. Overview Of The Theology Of The Pentateuch.. Theology1422 Words   |  6 PagesOverview of the Theology of the Pentateuch. Theology is the study of God, and further the Theology of the Pentateuch is defined as what is the Pentateuch teaching us about God today. The Pentateuch is another name for the Torah, which consists of the first five books of the Biblical canon. Studying the theological vision contained within the Pentateuch is crucial to scholars since it is this vision that shapes the principal form of this work. Further, the foundation for the theology of God is setRead MoreApproaches to the Figure of Divine Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs1245 Words   |  5 Pageswisdom should involve a brief overview of the theology’s focus. McGrath suggests that ‘Feminism is a global movement, arguing for gender equality and a right understanding of the relationship between women and men to be affirmed by contemporary theology and practice’ (McGrath, 2011: p.88). Thus, when discussing wisdom in the scriptures the feminists are observing how gender is represented and the effect of thi s representation upon helping or hindering a ‘right relationship’ between the gendersRead MoreEmpowerment For Ministry Among The Philippines946 Words   |  4 Pagesnecessary responsibilities for the empowerment of laity within their specific missional context. This issue of empowerment for ministry among the laity has long been a problem debated within the ranks of church leadership and the field of practical theology. The average believer is faced with the challenge of developing a biblical understanding of the â€Å"call of God† that is received from God for the fulfillment of their ministry, which is necessary to form a clear understanding of the role of the laityRead More Martin Luther Essay1217 Words   |  5 Pagesof the mass with awe. After his ordination, Luther was asked to study theology in order to become a professor at one of the many new German universities staffed by monks. In 1508 he was assigned by Johann von Staupitz, vicar-general of the Augustinians and a friend and counselor, to the new University of Wittenberg (founded in 1502) to give introductory lectures in moral philosophy. He received his bachelors degree in theology in 1509 and returned to Erfurt, where he taught and studied. In NovemberRead MoreThe Declaration Of The Requirements For The Completion Of Essay1509 Words   |  7 Pagesmagnified for now we can understand the purpose that God has intended for Israel. The covenant required nothing of Abraham for God’s promise to give him land, descendants and above all nations would be blessed through him per Genesis 15:18-21. The development for this blessing is the faithfulness of Abraham. In Genesis12:1 the land is the primary focus that God would give to Abraham and in Genesis 12:2 God is promising Abraham that he will make of him a great nation as well as his many descendants.

Microeconomics Corn Market Problems Free Essays

Corn Market Problems Since April there have been some major issues with the production in the Corn Belt of America. The central and west areas of the Corn Belt are relatively unaffected, but the north and east areas have seen some major decreases in corn output due to underweight corn and corn diseases. North Dakota, Indiana, Illinois and parts of Iowa have seen the most damage, mainly because of molds and mycotoxins. We will write a custom essay sample on Microeconomics: Corn Market Problems or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many fear that this shortage of corn will affect the grain trade and the economy as a whole since many of the corn is too damaged to be used for feed or energy. Some farmers have experimented with mixing good quality corn with the underweight corn in order to meet the national standard for corn weight, so this may help a little. With a shortage like this, on a product that has so many purposes, it would be hard to find a substitute; therefore we can expect the demand of corn to rise. A rise in demand will also lead to a rise in price and a rise in quantity demanded. Farmers will strive for maximum efficiency and cut corners to yield as much corn as possible, but the supply still will not be enough. The shortage of corn will cause the supply curve to move to the left. This means that price will increase, but the quantity supplied is going to be limited. Hopefully there can be enough corn in other areas to pick up after the north and east ends of the corn belt. The market-equilibrium price will be affected as well. Since there is an obvious shortage and corn suppliers are unable to produce as much corn as normal, the rise in demand and decrease in supply will inevitabley lead to an increase in market price. How to cite Microeconomics: Corn Market Problems, Essay examples

Syllabus Fall free essay sample

Second, we will kook at the historical development of the academic disciplines in the university and examine the strengths and wee nesses of both disciplinary and interdisciplinary thinking. Third, you will conceptualize and craft your own interdisciplinary IBIS degree program. In working toward these goals, expect you to build relationships with the academic community, use Masons technology, develop excellent writing skills, identify and analyze problems, and gain an appreciation for the multiple perspectives in a university environment.Learning Objectives During this course, you will: evolve a proficiency in the language and principles of interdisciplinary work; demonstrate the ability to incorporate these elements into your own scholarly work; develop an understanding of the principles, guidelines, and procedures of the IBIS program design your own concentration proposal using interdisciplinary principles and IBIS concentration guidelines; affirm a sense of identity/connection wit h the IBIS community of scholars; and become familiar with the larger academic George Mason community, both in terms Of general university policies and procedures, and the use of appropriate resources, such as the library, catalog schedule of classes, website, and other university publications. We will write a custom essay sample on Syllabus Fall or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Technology Objectives This class contains a technology component to facilitate your learning and familiarity with current methods of delivery.During the class, you will: learn to use Masons e-mail and Blackboard systems (HTTPS:// monastically. Gum. Due/weapon/); and find and use appropriate scholarly resources to learn more about interdisciplinary issues and develop your proposed concentration. Class Guidelines and Culture Participation is a very important part of your grade and a crucial contributor o your learning. While contributing to class discussions is central to participation, your grade will also hinge on other important factors, especially how you participate. This includes your ability to fully participate in or facilitate class discussions, involvement in peer response and feedback, and contributions to any on-line discussions.The amount of participation is important but is less so than reasoned, ethical, responsible, and quality participation. Attendance is essential for success in this course. Absences or tardiness will significantly affect your progress and your grade, and it may interrupt the earning of your classmates. Please let me know in advance if you must miss a class. If you do, you are responsible for the content delivered or handouts distributed. Please consult a classmate for any work you may have missed. If work is due on a day you will be absent, please e-mail the assignment to me by 4:30 PM that day or it will be considered late. During most class periods you will complete exercises that count points toward your participation grade.

Japan and Germanys Military Threat on America free essay sample

An explanatory paper about the developments that led up to Japan and Germanys military threat on the U.S. in 1941 This paper takes look at the events that led up to the direct military threat that Japan and Germany imposed on America in 1941. The author examines the causes and U.S. responses to the threat. `Imperial Japan declared war on China in 1937. Regardless of this aggressive behavior, the United States was the single largest exporter of oil, iron ore (including scrap metal) and bauxite to Japan, despite reports that those materials were being used to build and modernize Japans military. In July 1941, finally recognizing the potential threat of Japan as an aggressor, the United States froze Japans assets and embargoed oil shipments. Unfortunately, the damage was done. Throughout the Pacific theater, our soldiers lost their lives at the hand of a military built with American steel and aided by American natural resources. We will write a custom essay sample on Japan and Germanys Military Threat on America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page `

The Charactertic Coral and Mussels Have in Common

The Charactertic Coral and Mussels Have in Common The term sessile refers to an organism that is anchored to a substrate and cannot move about freely. For example, a sessile alga that lives on a rock (its substrate). Another example is a barnacle that lives on the bottom of a ship. Mussels and coral polyps are also examples of sessile organisms. Coral is sessile by creating its own substrate to grow from.  The blue mussel,  on the other hand, attaches to a substrate like a dock or a rock via its byssal threads. Sessile Stages Some animals, like jellyfish, start their lives as sessile polyps in the early stages of development before becoming mobile, while sponges are mobile during their larval stage before they become sessile at maturity.   Due to the fact that they dont move on their own, sessile organisms have low metabolic rates and can exist on small amounts of food.  Sessile organisms are known to clump together which improves reproduction.   Sessile Research Pharmacological researchers are looking into some of the potent chemicals that are produced by marine sessile invertebrates. One of the reasons for that the organisms produce the chemicals is to protect themselves from predators due to the fact that they are stationary. Another reason is they may use the chemicals is to prevent themselves against disease-causing organisms.  Ã‚   The Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef was built by sessile organisms. The reef consists of over 2,900 individual reefs and covers an area of over 133,000 miles. Its the largest structure built by living organisms in the world!

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Example for Free

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Bill Crow’s Jazz Anecdotes is a thought-provoking, often amusing collection of stories from within jazz’s inner circles, told by and about some of the genre’s leading figures. While not a history of jazz, it gives readers some insights to how jazz artists worked, lived, bonded, and coped with an America in which many were still outsiders. The book’s forty-three chapters (expanded from the original 1990 edition) describe the life jazz musicians shared, offering insights into a rather exclusive, unconventional circle of performing artists. The numerous anecdotes are categorized by chapters, gathering related tales and moving from a general overview of jazz life to anecdotes about individuals, like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Benny Goodman. Essentially, Crow creates a context in which jazz musicians lived, and then places individual musicians within it, giving readers a better understanding of how they functioned in this rarified climate. For example, the volume opens with â€Å"Wild Scenes,† which Crow says describes how â€Å"the individuality of jazz musicians combines with the capricious world in which they try to make a living† (Crow 3). The brief chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book, giving glimpses of the unconventional world jazz musicians inhabited (which explains to some degree their relationship to society at large). â€Å"The Word ‘Jazz’† contains attempts to explain the origins of the genre’s name, and â€Å"Inventions† offers accounts of how certain innovations occurred (such as Dizzy Gillespie’s distinctive bent trumpet), giving the reader a sense of history though the work is not an orthodox history per se. Many of the stories contained in Jazz Anecdotes convey the musicians’ camaraderie and warmth toward each other, as well as each other’s idiosyncrasies. Others convey how difficult and often arbitrary the jazz lifestyle often was. â€Å"Hiring and Firing† demonstrates how unstable many musicians’ careers were, rife with disputes over money or dismissals for their personal quirks. (For example, Count Basie fired Lester Young for refusing to participate in recording sessions occurring on the 13th of any month. ) â€Å"Managers, Agents, and Bosses† offers a glimpse into the seamier underside of jazz, where dishonest managers and mobsters often trapped jazz performers in unfair contracts or worse. Though jazz musicians appear to inhabit a special world, Crow does not discuss jazz in a social vacuum, tying it to social phenomena like race relations. In â€Å"Prejudice,† the tales take a more serious tone by showing how black jazz artists faced abundant racism, particularly in the South. However, Crow notes that â€Å"Jazz helped to start the erosion of racial prejudice in America . . . [because] it drew whites and blacks together into a common experience† (Crow 148). Jazz artists dealt with racism in various ways – Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday stood up to it while Zutty Singleton accepted it. Meanwhile, even white musicians like Stan Smith angered both races – whites for performing with blacks, and blacks for â€Å"intruding on their music† (Crow 152). The final chapters focus on individual artists, illustrating the greats’ personalities. Louis Armstrong emerges as earthy and good-hearted; Bessie Smith as strong and willful but ultimately self-destructive; Fats Waller is an impish pleasure-seeker given to excellent music but poor business decisions; and Benny Goodman as gifted but tight-fisted and controlling. Taken as a whole, Jazz Anecdotes offers a look at jazz’s human side, including its foibles, genius, camaraderie, crookedness, and connection to an American society from which it sometimes stood apart. Its legendary figures are depicted as gifted, devoted artists who enjoyed hedonism, companionship, and particularly independence. If any single thing stands out in this book, it is the latter; for the figures in this work, jazz meant creativity and freedom, which they pursued with equal vigor and vitality. Crow, Bill. Jazz Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. (2016, Aug 28).

Political and Cultural Consequences of Neo-Liberalism Essay

Political and Cultural Consequences of Neo-Liberalism - Essay Example This theory suggests that individual entrepreneurial freedom can be achieved inside an institutional framework that is distinguished by strong private property rights, free markets, and free trade. Neo-liberalism, as a theory, requires that the role of the state should be to create and protect the already developed institutional framework. The state, therefore, should set up all the necessary mechanisms such as the military, defence, police, and legal structures to secure such institutions. When this is done, the state would have guaranteed property rights and proper functioning markets. Furthermore, the law of neo-liberalism states that if markets are nonexistent, then the government must create them (Harvey, 2005:1). The state is not supposed to go beyond creation of markets and necessary institutions. This means that the state should not interfere with the markets once created. It should keep a minimal role because according to this theory, the government does not have sufficient knowledge on market undertakings. Moreover, some people in the market may influence state policy for their own gains. Deregulation of market functioning, privatisation of companies, and removal of the government interference have been the strongest terms of neo-liberalism in the world today (Foucault, 2008:2). A neoliberal government is thus committed to instituting and favouring strong individual property rights, effective rule of law for all its citizens, and freely enabled trade. According to the theory, these are the fundamental institutional structures regarded indispensable to guarantee freedom of the market. The market then requires a legal structure that is liberally bargained in terms of contractual efforts among the market players. These contractual obligations between individuals, would lead to the protection of individual rights to freedom of operation, right to expression, and choice. According to the theory of liberalism, therefore, the state has to use its monopoly po wer to supervise and oversee the markets at all costs. On the other hand, while the state ensures individual rights in the marketplace, each person is held accountable and liable for their own wellbeing. The principle of neo-liberalism in many countries has extended into economical, political and social-cultural spheres (Leys, 2001:14). Having neo-liberalism defined in the above discussion, this paper seeks to unveil the political and cultural consequences of neo-liberalism. First, this paper puts the political consequences of neo-liberalism into perspective. Therefore, the political consequences of the theory of liberalism as destroying the global democracy, governance, and security of individuals take centre stage. The political neoliberals have distorted the fundamental pillars of global social organisation. Political neo-liberalism is the interaction between the state organs and individuals to influence choices. It is a form of social structure, which moulds the behaviours and a ctions of individuals. Neo-liberalism as a subset of globalisation has led to neoliberal politics that have caused massive deprivation among the poor in many regions around the world. Moreover, neo-liberalism policies qualify as both positive and negative depending of the degree of application (Leys, 2001:14). Neo-liberalism in most parts of the world has led to the formation of strong fiscal policies. Many governments have had to practice strict criteria in the effort to limit budget deficiencies and debts. Through this practice, most of the states have given priorities to public expenditure. Such that, far from subsidies and other

Community research Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Community research - Case Study Example Fourth, qualitative methods apply biased knowledge. This is good for nursing because this discipline is not confined to inflexible, definable variables. 2. Disdvantages I see in using qualitative methods in nursing study. A disadvantage of qualitative methods is poor consistency. Another disadvantage is difficulty comprehending its dynamics and aspects. As a result, the chances of subjectivity in qualitative nursing studies increase radically. 3. Advantages I see in using quantitative methods in nursing study. One advantage of quantitative methods in nursing research is function. The role of quantitative findings is to apply a precise strategy for gathering and reviewing any measured information (Frels & Onwuegbuzie, 2013). Second, quantitative methods increase precision in study findings. This is because quantitative methods are based on numbers. 4. Disadvantages I see in using quantitative methods in nursing study. One disadvantage of quantitative methods in nursing studies is time consumption. Quantitative methods involve arbitrary selection of samples, which takes up a lot of time. Second, nursing researchers may find quantitative methods hard to carry out particularly when similar kinds of information are gathered concurrently (Frels & Onwuegbuzie, 2013). Aitamaa, E., Leino-Kilpi, H., Puukka, P., & Suhonen, R. (2010). Ethical problems in nursing management: The role of codes of ethics.  Nursing Ethics,  17(4), 469-82. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733010364896 Frels, R. K., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2013). Administering quantitative instruments with qualitative interviews: A mixed research approach.  Journal of Counseling and Development: JCD,  91(2), 184-194. Retrieved from

Order to create comedy Essay Example for Free

Order to create comedy Essay Bob Acres is seen as a comic character within The Rivals and this is for various reasons. He communicates a contrast between town and country, which immediately depicts Acres as a target for humour. I want my audience to find sympathy with the character and his nai ve attitude towards town life, this will be achieved by Acres creating comic moments within scenes and becoming a victim. For the role of Acres I feel he would be a small man, in build and height with an attractive face. This would emphasise his cowardice, particularly within the duel scene. I would like Bob Acres mannerisms and movement to take on an effeminate, almost foppish characteristic, yet I would like the character to appear uncomfortable with taking on these mannerisms as it will create the effect of comedy with Acres not fully being able to take on town life and show his country booby characteristics. I feel Acres accent should have a slight lilt of a Northern accent, again to create humour and show his country origin. With Acres having an accent, I think this would make his endeavour at imitating the speech patterns of town life more comic as the stereotype carried with the accents completely contrasts his speech pattern, particularly when using his genteel sentimental swearing If I were to perform the role of Bob Acres I would employ various styles of comedy to create the comic effect of Acres on the audience. Physical, visual comedy would be the key style, concentrating on the characters physicality. As Acres is trying to fit in with the town lifestyle his costume would be the foremost source of comedy that the audience would recognise. The Rivals is a comedy of manners and in the period in which it was written fashion was seen as very important. Wigs were worn and the dress style was very loud and flamboyant. When the audience first meet Acres I would want to create the impression of a country bumpkin immediately so that the next time he is introduced the contrast will be great therefore causing much humour. In Act 1 I would have materials such as tweed and very exaggerated styles associated with people who live in the country. To contrast this I would want my costume to be greatly exaggerated using absurd colours such as purple and yellow silk, with a great deal of lace trimming to represent Acres outlandish approach. I would also uses wigs to represent his outrageous take on fashion, by using a very large, sensational wig. The effect I wish to have with this is once the audience have discovered the humour and comedy of Acres they would rake pity on the character. It would also allow the audience to see Acres disastrous attempt at becoming a man of fashion. At heart I feel Acres is a good hearted man and would play him thus, this is show in his perseverance to fit in with his friends, Absolute and Faulkland. This simplicity of the character again creates sympathy between the actor and the audience, mainly due to the comedy created by him. Acres also has a range of scenes when interacting with characters that would help create comedy. In Act 2 Scene 1 in Captain Absolutes lodgings, Acres relays information about Julia to Faulkland. I would have Acres does this in a very jovial tone, making of use hand movements and open body language to exaggerate Julias merriment. This would show Acres tactless, clumsy nature as he would be oblivious to Faulklands reaction, the audience however would see the effect it had on him and finding it a comic moment. The audiences sympathy would spark again from Acres naivety. Although Acres appears to be ridiculous in his behaviour he does try to maintain the concept of honour by challenging Ensign Beverly to a duel. This in turn proves to show more of the cowardly humour within him. When he is talking to Jack Absolute I would play Acres as being very nervous and uneasy, trying to show a guise of false bravery. This would add to the humour of the scene as his attempts at trying to be brave would be failing, which the audience will recognise and find humour within it. At closer inspection of Acres discomfort the audience again would be made to feel sympathy with this character. The final duel scene within the play would also reinforce the characteristics. He would again show his nervous characteristics by trying to avoid fighting and showing his inexperience at duelling. Firstly when Sir Lucius is trying to show Bob the distance the duellists must stand from each other, when this is happening I would have Acres trying to get as far away from the gun as possible, firstly by walking as far from Lucius as possible, and running around him dodging the barrel of the pistol. When Acres takes the pistol, I would play him very apprehensive of holding the pistol, having a limp wrist when holding it so it would droop to show Acres inexperience again. This would also create humour within the audience as the visual comedy would be almost farcical and highly entertaining as well and creating sympathy for the character and his tense situation. I feel the comedy would assist in this characters portrayal as any victim of humour can manipulate the audience, particularly if they display and innocence similar to Bob Acres.

History :: essays research papers

We have been taught that it is important to know history so that we can understand and learn from past mistakes to avoid repeating them in the future. Therefore, attending the Holocaust Museum should be mandatory because the museums unique interactive exhibits allows people to relive the inhumanity of the Holocaust and to have a hands on experience with the events leading to and ending World War II.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Holocaust Museum did a remarkable job of involving the visitors during the tour. It was as if we turned back time and actually relived the whole ordeal as first hand witnesses. Throughout the tour there were many exhibits recreating the crucial events leading to the Holocaust, and reenactments of meetings leading to the final decision to begin the execution of the Jews. The museum exhibits clearly gave everyone a better understanding and feeling of the struggles that the Jews went through during the war. Through old documents and pictures displayed on exhibits throughout the tour, the visitors were showered with horrific and heroic information that you simply don’t get from textbooks or films.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hall of Testimony was an emotional exhibit where visitors watched films and listened to experiences of Jewish people who were involved in the concentration camps. The Hall of Testimony was a dark and gloomy room ironically representing a gas chamber. It gave people a sense of deeper understandment and fear of what was actually going on. It felt as if you were actually in a gas chamber waiting for your final hours of life. Watching dramatic videos of the Jewish people being stripped of their clothing and separated from their loved ones to enter the gas chambers became very emotional and hard to watch. It made everyone in the room both psychologically and physically aware of the actual sufferings that occurred during the Holocaust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I don’t believe that I have ever been fully aware of the tragedies and sorrows that occurred during the Holocaust. Throughout many years of learning about the Holocaust in junior high, high school, and college, I still felt a sense of emptiness about the whole ordeal as I walked into the Museum of Tolerance. However, when I walked out of the museum I felt as if I was a new man. I began realizing how cruel the world can be and how much the people living in this world today can improve it by showing equality towards one another.

Quality Management

Elan employs 3 full-time workers year round and 7 seasonal employees in the summer months. Elan Management has been successful through the con injections it has with one of America's top builders, DRP Horton. DRP Horton has chosen Elan Management as one Of its go-to management communities in the Atlanta metro area. Elan does a good job of quality control in keeping the clients happy but there are several competitors in this industry and in order for the company to grow, Elan will need to implement ways to improve quality through quality planning and assurance. Robber Statement We are focused on becoming the go-to firm for other builders in the metro Atlanta area. We have deiced that we have an issue with quality planning and implementation which is needed if the company is to grow in the next few years as it would like. Elan is looking to obtain on average 3- 4 new clients per year. The current quality planning initiatives are basically non-existent. It appears to be more of a  "go with the flow' type of planning. In other words, if something comes up, then it will be handled, if not no one worries about it.This process is not sustainable for growth and the company will never gain more clientele. We need to incorporate procedures on how to build clientele and implement those procedures timely. When Elan Management opened in 2008, we had 6 clients (communities). Over the next 4 years, we gained 8 more clients. These clients were assigned to us directly by the builder of the communities. There was no effort on our part to obtain the communities. In the past 2 years, 4 of the communities have since turned over to the homeowners and we no longer manage them.The goal of all homeowner's associations is to eventually turnover to the homeowners if they are willing. If we are unable to develop better quality management skills, we will eventually have no clients and will continue to wait for DRP Horton or other builders to provide hem to us instead of us attempting to get the clients on our own. Literature Review As stated by Catalina â€Å"In the current market economy, companies are constantly struggling to achieve a sustained competitive advantage that will enable them to improve performance, which results in increased competitiveness, and of course, profit.Among the few competitive advantages that can become sustainable competitive advantages, quality plays a crucial 234) In the current state, Elan cannot compete with those top local management agencies such as Community Management Associates or All Property Management which have oratorios that is considerably larger than ours. We have to be willing to create ways to better market our company to potential clients. Although, we are able to maintain the quality with our current clients, future clients are seemingly unaware of our existence.As stated by Crosby ‘There is no such thing as a quality problem. Problems originate in functional departments. Thus, a firm may experience account ing problems, manufacturing problems, design problems, technical support problems, and so on. In Crosby view, these are all quality problems, but the burden of the responsibility for solving them falls on these national departments and not in the quality department. The role of the quality department should be to measure conformance, report results, and provide leadership and support to drive quality improvement. † (p. 3) Since Elan Management is such a small company, there is no dedicated quality department to turn to for answers on quality improvement so each individual employee in some way will need to contribute to the quality process. According to Schroeder, â€Å"Managers and employees should be trained in the quality initiatives the company has implemented. Employees should be a part of the process in developing methods to assist in getting other employees involved in quality improvement and acceptance. † (p. 6) As I stated above, since Elan doesn't have a qualit y management team, all employees should have input in the quality process.Not only will it benefit the clients that we serve but it will also increase employee morale. Although there are only 3 full-time employees, having them involved would show them that they are appreciated and their opinions are valued. According to Kenton, â€Å"the process of collaborative planning can promote networks, coordination, and buy-in that promotes implementation, even if the plan itself is not directly influential. † (p. 436) So, having a bottom-up approach and including members of the entire company is beneficial overall even if it doesn't fully result in what was expected. The quality experience process occurs when firms (alone or with customers) deliver attributes for customers to experience and customers perceive these attributes through the lens of their measurement knowledge and motivation, emotions, and expectations. † (Colder, p. 4) Incorporating ways to enhance the customer exp erience is critical. Including customers in the process through voice-of-the-customer (VOCE) analysis with customer input would be helpful. Many organizations currently invest in quality improvement programmers.However, the literature has revealed that many companies felt that the quality improvement programmers had fallen short of their expectations and that these programmers were not generating the anticipated improvements (L am, 1997). The key reason for this gap between quality improvement expectations and the realization of benefits is the absence of an effective quality planning process before its implementation (Curran and Godlier, 2000). Thus, quality planning is identified as the most significant phase in a corporate quality management process requiring ore attention. † (Generate, p. 02) As Generate states, quality plan inning is pertinent to the quality management process. Companies have to create a clear cut plan in order to become successful. In order for companies to be in a position to improve and offer a higher standard of quality, they must come up with avenues to make it happen. Analysis Elan Management's problem starts with the lack of a quality planning process. By not having a quality plan, we are not allowing ourselves to improve and go after what we want, which is increased clientele. Elan blames a lot Of its lack Of progression on the size Of he company rather than its lack of utilizing available resources.Just because the company is small does not mean that it cannot grow and be as successful as those larger management firms in the area. The owner must realize the importance of providing quality to the clients and how we have managed for this long. Clearly, we are capable since we are still in business. Although, an actually quality management department cannot be created with the amount of staff we have, it is possible to hire an expert that could lead us in the right direction. â€Å"Project management requires achieving cost, schedule, and performance arrests while providing an outcome that satisfies the client.A measure of the value of the project to the client is the level of quality associated with the completed project. â€Å"(Liberator, p. 422) For Elan, our project is simply how do we get more clients and once we get the clients how do we not only keep them but also have them to refer others to us as well. With property management, our clients are the Board of Directors for each community. If the Board feels we are doing a great job, they will be more inclined when a friend or relative gives them a horror story about their HOW management many, to let them know about us and all the things we offer that would benefit their community.Recommendations have a few recommendations for Elan Management. First, I would suggest root-cause analysis. In root-cause analysis, organizations must identify the root causes of their quality problems and fix them rather than only dealing with the symptoms of the proble ms. In order to get to the root of the problem, Six Sigma should be used. In the Analyze phase, we ask the 5 Whys to get to the root. By starting here, we begin to see what how the problem arose and leading to the next steps o resolve them.Secondly, I would suggest benchmarking which is when the company examines other like companies so they are able to take actions that will lead to performance improvement. Researching your competition is essential as you all are reaching out to the same clients. Whichever company has the better plan or more knowledgeable, better quality product or service will more than likely surpass the others. Elan needs to plan, plan, and plan in order to be successful. Allowing the company to basically move freely without structure is not going to allow Elan to receive the type of clients hey want or even gain more clients.

Critiquing and changing the world through critical theory in traditional and critical theory an essay by max horkheimer Essay

Critical theory is directed towards both critiquing and changing the world, instead of merely explaining and interpreting it. The term critical theory  was coined by Max Horkheimer in his essay â€Å"Traditional and Critical Theory† (1937). By nature, it is radical, emancipatory and highly democratic in nature; historically specific but ever-changing. Even preceding Horkheimer, Karl Marx also contributed to critical theory affirming that â€Å"philosophers have only interpreted the world in certain ways; the point is to change it† (Theses on Feuerbach). Ontologically, the nature of the world is intrinsically one with diametrically opposed dichotomies of power and built-in disadvantaging imbalances and covert, oppressive structures. Horkeimer affirms that critical theory’s primary objective is â€Å"to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them† (Horkheimer 1982, 244). Freedom is derived at the epistemic level for knowledge is power (a rming the oppressed with weapons to conduct revolution against dominant orders of society, merging theory and action, instigating change in living conditions merges theory and action and align itself to working against diverse dominant orders of society).   It appreciates the lived experiences of people and interprets actions and symbols of society to understand social oppression. Methodologically, critical theory is pluralistic especially as a result of several socio-economic and political shifts brought about by globalisation. Consequently, several genres of critical theory have emerged, for example racial, post-colonial and feminist. Feminism is any socio-economic, political and cultural movement aimed at reforming society through equal rights and protections on behalf of the woman. Mainstream feminism embraces the legality of the woman as an independent individual, promoting full participation, inclusion and integration to enjoy its rights, responsibilities and privileges. The improvement of the woman’s social condition in civil life hinges on progressivism in where public policies are the catalysts for positive social change and where she would be emancipated and empowered. Feminism is convinced of the positive potential of woman and the benefits which would redound to the larger society through her empowerment. â€Å"Feminism is about the social transformation of gender relations† (Calas 2009). Feminism is virulently opposed to female subjugation, subservience and misogynist injustices – setting about to liberate the woman from inhibiting traditions and status quos that tend to undermine the validation of her personhood.   Generally, feminists support gender equality where both sexes can avail themselves of the same opportunities in both the domestic and public realms. No longer is a woman an inferior or weaker sex. She is an equal. Feminism also perceives the world through gendered lenses, discerns male predominance through patriarchal structures and militates against it. An inexhaustible list of variations exists within feminism, for example liberal feminism clamours for women’s equality, public rights and inclusion in decision-making and discourse. Radical feminism demands a complete and fundamental restructuring and redefining of the world’s institutions, systems and human experience to supersede the male-oriented ones. Marxist feminism concentrates on capitalism as the root cause of female oppression especially in the labour market where men possess more capital and economic privilege. Eco-feminism, Separatist feminism, Post-modern feminism, Third-world feminism, Psychoanalytic feminism, Postcolonial feminism and Amazon feminism among others constitute other types of feminism. Battle of the Sexes (Feminism vs. Machoism) The polarization of men and women forms part and parcel in the perpetual battle of the sexes – preoccupied with who should be more privileged in society’s assigned gender roles. The battle of the sexes is predicated on female identity, autonomy, oppression, disempowerment which all reflects the†¦.Feminism frames a discourse that attempts to challenge a longstanding male supremacy. In the past, man held a monopoly over discourse because of unequal structures (domestic/family, business, labour, education, religion and government) which dictated to the woman. In feminist critical theory, â€Å"universal criteria are not value-free, but (based) upon male norms† (May 2001). Owing to male preponderance, discourse would position the male at the centre so that one sees the male â€Å"Self† as the one who prevails whereas the female â€Å"Other† is relegated to the fringes of society. In the battle, machoism seeks to continue the promulgation of a male- based perspective in ideas, structures, and institutions that cement his control in society. The masculine voice overpowers and represses the woman. Consequently, â€Å"the answer is †¦ to move away from (the) male-centred perspective and place women at its centre† (May 2001) effectively questioning the legitimacy of and ousting patriarchal tradition. A Gendered View Feminist theory concentrates on the trajectories of women growing to assert themselves and rise above male oppression, inferiority, sexual abuse and gendered stereotyping. Like men, women have the right to autonomy so she must break the yoke of oppression, repression and suppression. Critical theory is hinged on the ideals of the woman as one who has been unduly victimized and oppressed by the patriarchy. This gender-centred philosophy contends with deep-rooted, sexist prejudice against the woman. It presupposes that phallocentric sexism is still in wide currency, discriminating and denying equality to the woman. Legitimized patriarchy in a world system permitted gross inhumanities and injustices to flourish against the woman, termed misogyny. Misogynist practices and policies physically and metaphorically rape the woman of her dignity and personhood. In the face of these indignities, feminists perform critical theory by privileging and empowering the woman. Feminist critical theory pinpoints societal double standards and hypocrisy so that the woman is obliged to abide by different rules inconsistent with fairness. Mainstream critical theory inherently privileges the man while disadvantaging the woman; therefore the feminist discourse stresses the loopholes in the patriarchal discourse that tends to discriminate and disempower the woman.   The double standard code of ethics governs the behaviour of the woman. Even in social research, feminists have succeeded in permeating the topic of double standard research so that â€Å"other forms of sexism in the design of a study may also lead to a double standard in data interpretation† (Eichler1999). Critical theory oriented by feminist principles prompts the question:   is this free from male-dominated standards or double standards: Are both sexes considered and privileged? These questions shed light into the validation of the woman where formerly she has been relegated to inferiority and even anonymity in discourse. Feminism gives birth to female empowerment, yet the discourse often cloaked in anonymity, passivity, obscurity, self-effacement and subjugation Gendered Critical Theory Feminism is committed to â€Å"reducing the unequal power in†¦ relationship† (Acker 1983). It holds that equalising power â€Å"will not be found in some stable orthodoxy but in an evolving dialogue† (DeVault 1999). The â€Å"the idea of objectivity and neutrality in the social sciences (instead)†¦taking the woman’s perspective† (Acker 1983). Despising the â€Å"positivistic objectivity or the reality of the social world as a system of distinct observable variables independent of the knower† (Acker 1983) is another quality of feminist-guided research†¦solidarity with experiences germane to women. Feminism blatantly reject â€Å"such tenets of mainstream social science as the objectivity and separation of researcher from what or whom is researched, the superiority of the researcher as expert† (Small 1995). The attrition of these differences demonstrates a unique equilibrium in social research. Feminism and the Sexual Discourse in I.R. Feminism in I.R. initiates the sexual discourse, boldly tackling topics of sexuality affecting women globally. Rape as a war crime, prostitution and sex slavery, female circumcision, sexual orientation, forms part of the uninhibited dialogue. Feminists aim to uncover the impact of culture on female sexual impressions and expression. In feminist discourse, the woman’s body is not objectified as a sex symbol but is dignified and even deified as it is liberated from social restraint. The politics of sexuality encapsulates various aspects of the woman owing to the links between gender and sexuality, linguistic usage and gender research inherently leaned on cultural interpretations of sex and sexuality†¦ thus the shifts in language and gender (Bucholtz 2004).

Pronouncing the Spanish W

Pronouncing the Spanish W Unlike most letters of the Spanish alphabet, the w (officially called the uve doble and sometimes ve doble, doble ve or doble u) does not have a fixed sound. That is because the w is native to neither Spanish nor to Latin, from which Spanish evolved. In other words, the w appears only in words of foreign origin. As a result, the w is usually pronounced similarly to its pronunciation in the words original language. Since English is the language most commonly used as a foreign source of words in modern Spanish, the w is most frequently pronounced like its common pronunciation in English, the sound the letter has in words such as water and witch. If you come across a Spanish word with a w and dont know how its pronounced, you can usually give it the English w pronunciation and be understood. It isnt uncommon for native Spanish speakers to add a g sound (like the g in go but much, much softer) at the beginning of the w sound. For example, waterpolo is often pronounced as if it were spelled guaterpolo, and hawaiano (Hawaiian) is often pronounced as if it were spelled haguaiano or jaguaiano. This tendency to pronounce the w as if it were gw varies with region and among individual speakers. In words of Germanic origin other than English, the Spanish w is often pronounced as if it were a b or v (the two letters have the same sound). In fact, this is often true even for some words that come from English; wter (toilet) is often pronounced as if it were spelled vter. An example of a word usually pronounced with the b/v sound is wolframio, a word for the metal tungsten. For some words that have been part of Spanish for several generations or more, alternative spellings have been developed. For example, wter is often spelled as vter, whisky (whiskey) is often spelled as gà ¼isqui, and watio (watt) is often vatio. Changes in spelling are uncommon with recently imported words. Reference sources used for this lesson include the Diccioinario panhispnico de dudas (2005) published by the Spanish Royal Academy.

Manic Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Manic Depression - Essay Example There is not a specific year for this illness to appear but it is a long-term disorder that has to be treated carefully all along the patient's life (NIMH, 2008). NIMH points out the following about this mental disorder: "Manic-depression distorts moods and thoughts, incites dreadful behaviors, destroys the basis of rational thought, and too often erodes the desire and will to live. It is an illness that is biological in its origins, yet one that feels psychological in the experience of it; an illness that is unique in conferring advantage and pleasure, yet one that brings in its wake almost unendurable suffering and, not infrequently, suicide." It is relevant to note that during the manic episode the person can feel very creative, and it is well known that very intelligent people has suffered from this illness. One dangerous feature of the bipolar disorder or manic depression is the fact that during severe crisis the patient can experience psychotic symptons like hallucinations (hearing, seeing, or sensing the presence of things that are not actually there) and delusions (false, strongly held beliefs not influenced by logical thinking or explained by a person's cultural concepts) (NIMH, 2008). These psychotic symptons appear according to the manic or depressive state the patient is experiencing. For example, delusions of grandiosity thoughts reflect a manic state, and suicidal thinking reflect a depressive state (NIMH, 2008). It is important to differentiate between major depression and mania as Conrad Stppler remarks it: "What differentiates bipolar disorder from major depression is the occurrence of manic episodes, often described as emotional "highs," between the episodes of depression. Symptoms of manic states are varied and include restlessness, increased energy, euphoric mood, racing thoughts, poor judgment, intrusive or provocative behavior, difficulty concentrating, and a decreased need for sleep. People experiencing manic episodes often speak

20th Century Studio Pottery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

20th Century Studio Pottery - Essay Example Soft boiled foods could be eaten by toothless children and the elderly, which permitted caregivers to spend more time producing food. In Japan, for example, the introduction of pottery was followed by a population explosion.Ceramics had been developed mush earlier in Europe. Mostly of the archaeologists believe that pottery was developed by the Jomon in Japan around 10,500 BC. The invention of the potter's wheel in Mesopotamia was made 6,000 and 2,400 BC. This leads to the revolution of the pottery production. This was the way to the new ideas for the designs of pottery. Specialized potters were then able to meet the burgeoning needs of the world's first cities.Pottery is a type of ceramic material that contains clay when formed and shaped. Not only for making jars, pottery is also a term used in a technique where involving ceramics, where clay mixed with other minerals and form into different objects, like that of vessels generally made for utilitarian purposes (Wikipedia Encycloped ia, 2006).It is a facility of any size and form or shape that also needs to have studio for the making of the pots or the products. It also needs available raw materials and the molders. Like other manufacturing processes, potery is also a delicate proces. Its production is a process where wet clay body.The pottery products are made of wet clay which are mixed with other minerals. It is then shaped and are dried. ... The industry has embraced the new concepts in constructing new styles and designs. The artistry has flourished that there have been different idea and concepts in making new pottery (Grolier Encyclopedia, 1996). Traditionally, there are different types of clay in different world regions. These different types of clay are called bodies. Before, the potters usually dig their native clayin their own backyards. They use their own clay to produce the pots but now the potters collect different bodies or clay types to form unique pots. Pottery that is fired at temperatures in the 800 to 1200 C range, which does not vitrify in the kiln but remains slightly porous is often called earthenware or terra cotta. A Clay body formulated to be fired at higher temperatures, which is partially vitrified, is called stoneware. Fine earthenware with a white tin glaze is known as faience. Porcelain is a very refined, smooth, white body that, when fired to vitrification, can have translucent qualities. Ceramic technology is used for items such as electronic parts and Space Shuttle tiles (Universal Encyclopedia, 1993). There are two known artist for Pottery. Next to Leach is Hans Cooper. Together with Cooper is his good friend Lucy Rie. Lucy is the one who put on prints and designs on the pots produced by Copper. Their team up resulted into a very unique chemistry. In an interview conducted by Matthew Parkington on Emmanuel Cooper who is an avid fan of Hans Cooper (2001), Emmanuel Copper tried to translate the meaning of the works or products made by H. Copper. Much of the works of H. Cooper according to E. Cooper, by just looking at the works of Hans you would say that it is plain and simple but if you look at the details there's a mystery behind the craft. E. Cooper said

What Is It about 20-Somethings by Robin Marantz Henig Essay

What Is It about 20-Somethings by Robin Marantz Henig - Essay Example Instead of following a course of life in stages, people are beginning to find confusion in the fact that stability cannot be defined during adulthood anymore, in fact, increasing number of people are going back to school regardless of the age. According to different views, the problems of the 20-somethings can mirror the problematic state of the society such as lack of good jobs that can support new and young families. In fact, people in their twenties often change jobs before reaching adulthood (Par 1-6). There are different studies related to the 20-somethings. One of the said studies was undertaken by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett of the Clark University in Worcester, the 20s should be considered as a â€Å"distinct life stage† referred to as emerging adulthood. He compared the need for the new stage in the recognition of the stage of adolescence a century ago. People ages 18 to late 20s have similar actions of continuously seeking for their own niche in the socio-cultural structure in terms of job, personal relationships and livelihood. Exploration of â€Å"a sense of possibility† summarizes the different components of the psychological profile of the 20-somethings prior to age 30 which is considered as the deadline. It would be helpful to understand the said stage by segregating it but the said action can also result in repercussions not only for policymakers but for the young and emerging adult themselves (Par. 7-12). Arnett faces criticism and contradictions with regards t o his point of view but using his 10-year research to make his case, he was able to get the attention of some developmental psychology experts (Par.13-21).  

Budgets at the Federal, State, Local and Agency Levels Term Paper

Budgets at the Federal, State, Local and Agency Levels - Term Paper Example All of them collect revenue, usually through the form of taxes and make necessary expenditures for the operation of the various departments that comprise their role as provider to the people. With the exception of salaries and other operational expenses, their primary responsibilities are to provide services, programs and funding to various segments of the population. Federal, state, local and agency levels all have their own various programs, offices and duties that contribute to the intricate workings of the national economy as a whole. They are though each inherently individual decision-making bodies. Thornhill summarizes the most important features of a public budget as follows: †¢ The budget, after its approval by the legislative authority, is enforceable. †¢ The results of most of the objectives to be realized by the budget are not quantifiable. †¢ The budget brings together a variety of considerations. †¢ As the objectives of action taken by public institut ion differ widely from those of private organizations, the processes for determining the content of a public budget are therefore unique. †¢ Authorities do not always adapt their expenditure to fit their available revenue. (check citation from original Thornbill, 1984) . Budgets at the Federal, State, Local and Agency Levels Faced with the past decade of national deficits, the recession, and other difficult situations, the United States government has had to set forth a plan to reduce debt, cut spending and increase revenues. In the news as of late because of our enormous debt and the need to raise the debt ceiling or face negative ramifications by defaulting on our loans from the World Bank. Paying higher interest rates and a reduced credit rating that would cost the US a substantial amount in interest would also have increased our debt rather than alleviate it. The government therefore has had to arrive at a budget for the coming year that would substantially cut spending to stave off further economic decline. In efforts to balance the budget, President Obama has focused on reducing military spending by reducing the number of troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq, minimal cuts in other government programs and increasing revenue with more uniform tax rates for all citizens coupled with fewer loop holes for corporations and other businesses. The nations budget is characterized by largely proportionate amounts set forth for areas of prime importance. Defense at roughly 30% , Health care at 21.5% , Social Security, 20%, Income Security at 14% and although considerably lower at 8.5% for education and job training. Other areas such as NASA and scientific discovery, Natural Resources, Immigration and Immigration Law Enforcement are all set at nearly 1- 2% and comprise the remaining 15%. In the political climate of today it is essential to spend on matters of defense and the US as leaders in promoting democracy and assisting our neighbors in need has come to the forefront since the beginning of the century. Social Security, Healthcare and Income Security, in total amount to roughly 55% is a huge sum of the budget assigned to taking care of the nation’s people. President Obama firmly believes that the road to recovery is in educating the nation’s youth and enhanced job training, so that we can advance with the times and better prepare ourselves to grow as leaders in the highly competitive world. He specifically points to areas of medicine, technology and science. 8.5% for education and job training. President Obama also hopes to increase our Gross Domestic Product with an increase in exports and foreign investments. By creating a greater demand globally and enhancing foreign trade relations. In

Addictiveness of Video Games

Addictiveness of Video Games Tingting Song Are Internet Video Games Addictive? Yes, They Are. Video games have already became an indispensable part of our lives especially through the Internet as a medium to link the virtual space and real people in the worldwide. It is worth mentioning that Internet video games are more popular among teenagers, and their spare time is occupied by a variety of video games instead of doing something creative, imaginative and innovative. Therefore, they have a greater chance of video game addiction than other groups of players. Susan Orlean (n.d.) who is an American journalist states, â€Å"I’ve always been afraid of video games – not afraid that I wouldn’t like them, but that I would like them too much, and that after mere seconds in front of any particularly bright and absorbing game, I would abandon all ambition, turn into a mouth – breathing zombie, and develop a wide, sofa-shaped rear end.† The speaker points out the emotions of most players in the face of the video game. Video games excites, annoys the p layers, and even lets them hard to give up playing. Also, playing video games is a good escapist channel and the best way to kill time for players. In my position paper, I believed internet video games are addictive particularly for groups of adolescents. I will discuss the reasons, the causes, and the possible effects of being addicted to the games in detail with evidence. There is no doubt that video games addiction is a quiet killer that is threatening the study habits and the lives of teenagers. Game addiction is a sign of teenagers who have an excessive dependence on a game. First of all, video games have addictive triggers to attract and to lure the players to become addicted to the game. In order to draw more players to play the games, game designers tend to make different types of games which meet different individual needs. a) Video games are usually divided into the following several types such as Action, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing (MMORPG), Strategy, Simulation, and Driving etc. Players can always find the games for their needs in such various categories. b) You will find that there have no specific pre-defined ends for most of these different video games. Players completes every task to have a new discover and those unpredictable factors always inspires players’ curiosity to continue playing the games all the time. c) The game set different reward for the character of the level up. When character have a new start in a new game, the character’s attributes are initialization settings in the game. If players want to finis h the advanced task, to upgrade character’s attributes and to get more skills, they must make their roles from the initial level up to full level soon. With the level of ascension, players have to spend more and more time to challenge more difficult tasks. The process by characters to level up is sustainable and it cannot be sustained for a long time. Games designers build various rewards patterns for players to earn, which also causes addiction. d) Meanwhile, in-game currencies are increased by spending more time playing and more tasks are completed, which leads to more seductive pursuits to achieve. Cumulative gaming time or login in the game on time to complete the task will accumulate more wealth such as gold coins, credits, and energy which increase players’ purchasing power. In-game currencies can buy game props to help players easy to complete the task, and buy the virtual clothes to dress up the character, etc. (Loder Natasha, 2014). Actually, the virtual wealt h were drove by players’ vanity. Sometimes, parts of crops in the game can sell for business in real life between players. That’s why parts for players play so hard that update their items for selling to get a good price. e) Moreover, the designers prefer to set the randomly time-schedule of in-game rewards. Sometimes, players will get a big reward after finishing several tasks, but there are still have several parts of players will get a huge rewards when they only complete one task. Game designers make the factors of uncertainty to let the players never know when they can be rewarded through the tasks, but players always would like to wait the reward until as long as they play long enough. Designers are so smart that always structure a different target to pursue players for different period of gaming time. That’s why players will always have the game to play with innovation. There is no doubt that video games addiction should be categorized as a mental disorde r, however, the addiction is caused by video games’ design, which attracts more players to spend large amount of time to play it (John Hopson, 2001). In the second place, video games provide a fully realized virtual world for players to â€Å"escape† from the reality of the physical world. For gamers, the virtual world are more appealing than real life. a) Those kind of people with social phobias, and lose motivation to communicate with people more likely to addict in the internet video games. The success of the game gives them confidence and give them affirmation to prove their personal ability. Because the desire for interpersonal communication, these groups of players would like to build friendships in virtual space. Players can play together with other game users in a group randomly, and enjoy the feeling of teamwork to accomplish their common task. Also, in the network game, players based on reality condition of the real world or personal expectations of themselves to create the character in any status to finish career goal, to make friends, and to build the family with other users in the game. A lot of players put the ir own emotions to the games like the SIMS, and gradually lose themselves and indulge in games (Romeo Vitelli, 2013). Furthermore, b) people who have huge pressure in real life, sitting in front of the computer, logging in the video games and into the game, they will no longer remember their own ambitions and worry about the difficulties that happen in the life. They will only remember the games’ tasks, the monsters are killed, or another beautiful magic world. Players love the feeling of playing games without any restriction force in real life so video games become their spirit of places gradually (Jack Flanagan, 2014). Thirdly, video games have a strong psychological basis that can lead to an addiction for the players. For instance a) players get hysterical symptoms in the process to play racing games. Usually, this kind of psychology similar with the feedback after playing extreme sports. However, extreme sports have a high level of danger. People who keen to play extreme sports are willing to challenge the nature, and in the case of high danger coefficient to reach high excited state of mind. The metamorphosis of video game also create an immerse experiences for players, such as racing games. In addition, video games do not have physical risk. In the game, players should have quick reaction to avoid â€Å"hit† and elude oncoming vehicles. Mental shocking is a part of fun. Players are almost die but they are alive no matter in the process of extreme sports or such process of violate racing games (Jagodzinski Jan, 2006). All at once, b) violent video game provides the stimulus and brings mor e exciting pleasure for players. You cannot shooting in the street with a gun, it is illegal. However, violent games don’t break the low and have the restrictions for players. Virtual experiences are very real not only the first-Hand Role in killing process but also the vivid graphics. The pleasure of this kind of game is the reason of the players cannot extricate themselves (Xu Zhengchuan, 2012). The last but not the least, Neuroimaging studies have begun to study the changes of brain activity when players play the games and recorded the changes with documents. The evidence shows that there have changes in brain activity during on-line play. Response to video game addiction in players is similar with drug-induced substance dependence. â€Å"These brain regions include the dorsolateral perfrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, nucleus accumbens, thalamus and caudate mucleus.† (Bavelier Daphne, 2011). In addition, unlike drug addiction, Video game addiction will not cause physical damage to human body. However, damage of nervous system are the common reason for the players become problem gamblers. There is no doubt that video games are addictive, and to produce special devastating on the nervous system of the brain. Simultaneously, it is important to note that games addiction is a process of accumulation results (Bavelier Daphne, 2011). As well, add ictive triggers is the important reason for the players spend a large amount of time to play internet video games and lead to cause changes in the brain. Then the fantasy world in the games make them feel better. As an example, one of the easiest operation video games called Farm Game which connects the players with their friends through the Internet. When the player starts to play the game, they will have six lands to sowing crops. Mature crops generally lasted six to seven hours. Players had to harvest their crops on time to avoid their game friends to steal their crops. Players with crops to sell more, they will acquire more coins to buy more land and more expensive crops. At the same time, their level of farms will up with more crops they sold. Players had to check the time, log in the game every day and harvest crops on time in order to avoid other players to steal their crops. I doubts even the players whether cannot help thinking of the picture, content and so on in the game or not. Actually, for most game players, they do often remind of the game and can’t wait to play the game. Video-game designers structure unpredictable and unexpected factors to attract players’ curio sity and desire, so they would like to spend more time to complete the goal in the games. Compared to drug addiction with physical damage, video games are more inclined to spiritual enjoyment and satisfaction. It seems that video game addiction is harmless, but Bakker says video games addiction can ruin lives (Sherry Rauh, 2006). Players don’t think they are in trouble with games addiction who are ignoring the problems and making addiction worse. At an addiction treatment center in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands (Sherry Rauh, 2006), players particularly are groups of adolescent who seriously addicted to internet video games and come to this center to quit addiction on video games. Keith Bakker (Sherry Rauh, 2006) is a director of this addiction consultants said in recent years, they received more and more patients who addicted especially for playing online role-playing games. In the process of broking dependence, if the players does not get more actions such as playing video g ames, they will become agitated, irate, violent and miserable because their fantasy world was interrupted by us. They are in low depression even do not willing to eat, sleep and alive. Otherwise, video game addicts will let players stay away from social development that affect socialize relationships; they will become more isolated with others. As well, students won’t have energy to learning because they are hard to concentrate on learning. And, with the grades become poor, they are tend to dropout and give up other interests and hobbies. In conclusion, I totally believed that it is possible to become addicted to internet video games. Video games addiction has become the mainstream problem in society. This addiction strongly causes problems for individual such as emotional problems, health problems and social problems. There are mainly four arguments’ points to explain the reason of internet video games addiction in this position paper. Such as video game have addictive triggers to attract players dependent on it and won’t stop playing. Play the game online in order to stay away the real digital world and video games offers strong psychological pressure to players. Lastly, there have changes in brain activity during on-line play. Video game gives pleasure to the players at the same time brings negative sides. In my opinion, video games addiction must be aware from parents and society because it is enough to destroy an adolescent life. Work Citation: Susan Orlean. BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014,  from BrainyQuote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/citation/quotes/quotes/s/susanorlea494668.html#GxqS5W5rQEVom45A.99 Loder, N. â€Å"What Makes Video Games Addictive? : Electronic Entertainment.† The  Economist Newspaper NA, Inc. Feb 18, 2014. Web. April 5, 2014, from  http://search.proquest.com/docview/1500529138?accountid=28041 John Hopson. â€Å"Behavioral Game Design. GAMASUTRA: The Art Business  of Making Games†. UBM Tech. April 27, 2001. Web. April 5, 2014, from  http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3085/behavioral_game_design.php?print=1 Romeo Vitelli, ph.D. â€Å"Are Video Games Addictive?† Psychology Today, 19 August,  2013. Web. 5 April 2014, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-spotlight/201308/are-video-games-addictive Jack Flanagan. â€Å"The Psychology of Video Game Addiction.† The Week, 5 Feb, 2014.  Web. 5 April 2014, from http://theweek.com/article/index/255964/the-psychology-of-video-game-addiction Jagodzinski, Jan. â€Å"Video Game Cybersubjects, The Ethics of Violence and Addiction:  A Psychoanalytic Approach.† Psychoanalysis, Culture Society 11.3  (Dec 2006): 282-303. ProQuest Psychology Journals. Web. 5 April 2014  from http://services.lib.mtu.edu:3960/docview/216517632/485C5DD715AC4523PQ/3?accountid=28041 Xu, Zhengchuan, et. al. â€Å"Online Game Addiction Among Adolescents: Motivation and Prevention Factors.† European Journal of Information Systems 21.3 (May 2012):  312-340. ProQuest Business Collection. Web. 5 April 2014 from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1010849335?accountid=28041 Babelier, Daphne, et. al. â€Å"Brains On Cideo Games.† Nature Reviews. Neuroscience  12.12 (Dec 2011): 763-8. ProQuest Psychology Journals. Web. 5 April 2014  from http://search.proquest.com/docview/905093857?accountid=28041 Sherry Rauh. â€Å"Detox For Video Game Addiction?† CBS Interactive Inc. July 3, 2006.  Web. 5 April 2014, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/detox-for-video-game-addiction/

The Imposter Phenomenon :: Women Imposter Phenomenon Essays

The Imposter Phenomenon The Imposter Phenomenon – as defined by the â€Å"Women’s Studies Encyclopedia – Revised and Expanded Edition† ed. Helen Tierney, 1999 "The Imposter Phenomenon is an internal experience of intellectual phoniness that seems to be prevalent among high-achieving persons, with particularly deleterious effects on women†¦ It is an emotionally debilitating condition characterized by persistent and unwarranted anxiety about achievement, dread of evaluation, fear of failure and exposure, inability to internalize success, and lack of enjoyment of accomplishment and achievement." Nestled between the stacks on the 8th floor of Uris Library, I am King of the Hill. Through the window my realm is expansive: I can see Libe Slope stretching below me fringed with the solid, quiet beauty of the gothics. Beyond this, Cayuga Lake glimmers in the afternoon sun. I feel so powerful. Here I am at an Ivy League university with every resource and opportunity waiting to be discovered. I am so fortunate to be here. I look at my fellow students trudging purposefully up and down the slope. They are so small. Yet even from this distance I can see the confidence in their steps, their grace and determination, and the skillful way they carry the demands of an academic upon their shoulders. They are true knights of our university, fighting for understanding and mastery of their fields. In the light of their glory, my crown fades. Who am I to call myself King? I may be a knight but I am pretending. My armor is made of aluminum foil, my shield is cardboard. Even high in this tower, I am small. After hearing about the imposter syndrome for the first time, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was something I identified with but had never put a name to. How many times have I questioned myself and my abilities? I figured that it is a normal part of growing up, a personal insecurity as I try to discover who I am and where I fit in the web of life. I didn’t necessarily see it as a bad thing. But when I started doing research and saw how intelligent, capable, and talented adults are dealing with these same issues I began to see it as a pervasive problem. Especially when these professionals are turning down promotions because they feel they aren’t good enough, or are unhappy in life because they aren’t happy with themselves.

BPR and TQM in Commercial Construction Industry

The commercial construction industry is the largest component of construction industry in United States. The business started to gain popularity in the 1990’s as the strong economic growth lead to strong demand toward the services in the industry. Companies worked within the industry vary from small contractors who have annual revenue of $1 million, until the multinational corporations whose profits exceeded $1 billion each year. The industry is a little different with other components in the construction industry.For example, commercial construction cannot rely on shrinking interest rates to prevent the downside of an economic surge in the early 21st century. As people started spend less on new construction works, the industry degraded. Commercial construction is a competitive industry. Contractors generally employ sub-contractors, which can be divided into two types, â€Å"group-up work† subcontractors and finish-out work† subcontractors. With stricter regulatio ns and more specific demands from the consumers, business becomes more challenging for everyone.Projects become more complex and time constraints become more demanding. All of which lead to considerably smaller profit margin in the end. Dealing with these challenges, players in the commercial construction industry are desperate for a radical solution, one that will deliver them competitive advantages to survive the all the challenging demands. In this paper, I am providing two alternatives of solution for the commercial construction industry. The first alternative is Total Quality Management (TQM) and the second is Business Process Reengineering (BPR).Both of these alternatives are worldwide known managerial concepts designed to improve the quality of corporate processes. II. Challenges in Commercial Construction Industry Before we discuss how TQM and BPR could help companies improve their processes, I will elaborate some of the challenges in commercial construction industry that ne ed to be addressed. II. 1. Highly Cyclical Demands The commercial construction business is highly affected by the health of US economy. Surges and downturns have direct contribution toward the increase or decrease in revenues, expenses and profits.Economic trends also define the direction of the business. Some commercial construction companies try to tackle the issue by developing multiple specialties. However, the fixed cost invested in all of the specialties is nevertheless burdening the business. Furthermore, by having multiple specialties, companies have to manage costs more carefully to maintain profit in each one. II. 2. Uneven Revenues and Expenses Contractors of commercial construction are demanded to have considerable amount of working capital at their disposal at all times. This is important due to two reasons. First, the price of raw materials fluctuates constantly.Second, clients of the business could decide to pay at random intervals, without considerations of contracto rs’ requirements. In large projects, the cash flow is even larger and thus created the need for careful cost management. II. 3. Availability of Skilled Personnel Personnel availability has always been an issue in the construction industry. This is due to the poor image of construction workers all over the globe. Nevertheless, with the increasing complexities of construction work and the need for more skilful construction workers, the issue of personnel availability has never been so important.Management cannot afford to use unskilled labor to fulfill complex demands from clients. Thus, training periods and becoming more important and also cost management to perform quality training sessions. II. 4. Consolidation of Projects With the increasingly high competitive pressure, many contractors decide to submit to consolidation process, and other contractors fall into the role of sub-contractors. This created an unexpected risk. As construction contracts becomes fewer and larger, c ash flow management of each project becomes a lot harder to manage and financial risks of each project also increases.Today, many commercial construction companies depend of only several annual contracts for most portions of their revenues. II. 5. High Insurance Costs The commercial construction business is characterized by high insurance cost. Contractors are demanded to pay high premiums for many insurance policies, including general liability, workers insurance, etc. This insurance problem is worsen by the material and installation defects issues and unqualified workers. Thus management cannot afford to have poor bookkeeping and cost management. II. 6. Investment in TechnologyTo serve the increasing demand for unique and modern feature of constructions, contractors in the commercial construction business must invest more heavily in high technology. This poses as another challenge for contractors because prices of equipment are also become more expensive and more vary. Contractors would need to make more capital investment management more diligently and more carefully. (â€Å"Industry Overview†, 2006) III. Total Quality Management Total Quality Management is a company-wide approach to quality improvement in corporate processes and activities.The concept has become a way of doing business for companies in various industries all over the globe to improve the quality of corporate processes in all departments and functional areas. Despite to the large nature of differences in corporate processes in different industries, Total Quality Management defines several functions that have become common features of all managerial structure. These defined corporate functions will then become the focus of process improvements. The common functions that become the center of attention in TQM are: 1. Serving customersThe focus of all companies whether they are manufacturing or services companies is to aim for their customers’ satisfaction. In the basis of this pr inciple, management must understand that categorizing business into manufacturing and service are actually senseless. The more important thing to achieve is clearly identifying specific customers of the corporation and also their needs and preferences. TQM invites corporate managers to revitalize focus on this particular activity through market researches, surveys and other studies. Management must constantly learn about their customers 2.Top Management Role in Quality Improvement All business reforms started with the top managers and can only be maintained by constant and sufficient participation from the top managers. This includes quality management efforts. Top managers have the key function of providing direction and motivation for their subordinates. Employees will only participate when they already understand the importance of performing improvements. TQM invites managers to understand the crucial nature of their actions in quality improvements and thus, making the necessary adjustments to achieve the defined targets.3. Employee Participation After ensuring top management are doing their part in the quality improvement process, TQM takes us to focus on employees and how they have participate in support of the effort. Employees are the final station where products and services are still in the organization’s control. Thus, if they have sufficient commitment not to allow the spread of poor quality products and services, then there would be little chances that customers will ever discover unsatisfied products or services delivered to them. 4. Identifying Quality Issues and Developing SolutionsEvery company has a system designed to discover poor quality. The system is generally built from a cross section of various functions within the organizations so that their combined attention will be able to identify quality defects more diligently and furthermore, suggest possible solutions. TQM invites managers to take advantage of the system and focus on dev eloping their potential into maximum. In the new quality system, top management must also take part in defining quality defects, discovering existing opportunities for improvements and formulate possible solutions. 5.Employee Training and Employee Management Even the most highly automated companies require skilful and highly motivated employees to run their processes. TQM bring focus on employee management processes to increase the quality of corporate operations as a whole. First, management should develop their employee training process as corporate targets changes. Second, organizations should provide continuous educational support even to the longer-time employees. Third, organizations should design a working environment where employees would have a sense of pride when they are doing a good job.Fourth, management must ensure that the compensation system is bringing sufficient motivation to attract creativity and fresh ideas from employees. (Hammer, 1993) The perspectives of TQM elaborated above will assist managers within the Commercial Construction business to deal with the challenges of their environment. For instance: ? The first perspective of customer service can realign managers’ perspective in the commercial construction business in how to do their job. Managers of the commercial construction business could begin to see that all their construction work are but means to satisfy clients.Thus, they will begin to involve client more actively in their decision making processes. ? The second perspective of TQM, which is improving top management involvement in business processes, can develop managerial sensitivity on employees’ workload. If managers can understand their employees better, they will be more considerate in making consolidation decisions and technology investments ? The third perspective of TQM will help managers in the commercial construction industry to better integrate with their employees in performing business processes.Empl oyees must be informed of the corporate targets and goals so they can be more motivated in performing their work, knowing that they will make meaningful contribution for the organization as a whole. ? The fourth perspective or TQM can help management in discovering cost reduction opportunities in the midst of the more demanding business environments, especially when consolidation projects are extensively performed. ? The fifth perspective of TQM aligns perfectly with managerial sentiments of the commercial construction business to enhance training and education to ensure that each process is managed by highly qualified personnel.As complexity level enhances, this focus becomes more vital. IV. Business Process Reengineering IV. 1. Definition Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is a quality improvement system, the same as Total Quality Management (TQM). It is a management approach to improve the quality of processes by focusing on efficiency and effectiveness of the process that exis t across the organization. Many find difficulties in differentiating between TQM and BPR, but in most articles regarding BPR, it is always elaborated that BPR has a more radical view about business processes and its core necessities.According to BPR, business should define their core processes and focus solely on those activities. Other activities that do not add value to products or services being produced are considered waste. IV. 2. The need for BPR Oneil (1999) identified that there are actually three kinds of BPR causes. These causes can be explained by the conditions in which the organization finds itself: ? First, companies invite BPR concept and its implementation because they have no choice.These companies find themselves in deep trouble and they have no choice but to design changes in a depth and magnitude level that some would call radical. This is why the concept is referred to as Business Process Reengineering. ? Second, companies are not in trouble yet but they perceiv ed clearly that the future would be problematic. ? Third, the company is actually in its peak position, but they see opportunities to develop a competitive edge over their competitors III. 3. Implementation of BPR A short model of implementing BPR will be described in this subchapter: 2.Define mission and vision statement that contains the unique value of the organization in comparison with others 3. Build clear business strategy based on this mission and vision statement thus generating project objectives 4. Define core processes that will help the organization in achieving these project objectives 5. Producing key performance measures to measure cost-benefit relationship of the processes 6. Improving effectiveness and efficiency of the processes using the performance measures At a glance, these steps seem to be similar to other process development stages.In BPR however, the strong focus is on how to radically improve effectiveness and efficiency by driving out all costs and activi ties that do not constitute the vital necessities of the processes (Chan, 1997). III. 4. Role of Information Technology in BPR BPR experts argued that BRP is different then TQM and other process improvement concepts because of its strong focus over the efficiency of the core processes. One of the well-known sentiments of BPR is that information technology should not be used unless it produces efficiency improvement toward corporate processes.BPR experts stated that in the midst of modern business environment, organizations sometimes implement IT system because of its popularity, failing to recognize the advantages produced by the IT system for organizational processes. BPR fight against those practices in the modern business environment (Davenport, 1990) III. 5. Critics In some literatures, BPR is also criticized due to its radical nature. For instance, most of the companies implementing BPR are discovered performing massive layoffs to enhance their process efficiencies.Observers be lieved that implementing BPR without other balancing concepts will lead to only short term benefits because BPR focus mostly on the financial factor of value production. The use of other concepts like the Balance Score Card should enhance BPR’s benefits toward organizations. III. 6. Benefits for Commercial Construction Business The use of BPR is perceived to be very much suitable for the construction industry due to the ‘hard’ and highly competitive nature of the environment. Furthermore, it has been stated that the BRP concept is suitable for organizations in desperate need for radical cost reduction and process development.One of the supporting factors is that the construction industry usually employs workers on the basis of short term contract. Thus, using the BRP concept, managers could increase the efficiency of their processes without having to worry about laying-off long-term employees. The construction industry is also complex with hundreds of types of ma terial and service costs that can be evaluated through the BPR concept. With the recent development of consolidations and usage of Information Technology, BPR will also assist managers in evaluating which costs are really beneficial and which should be considered waste.V. Conclusion The commercial construction business is the most competitive sector of the construction industry. Lately, the business sector is faced with serious challenges that require management’s attention. These challenges threaten the survival of organizations within the business sector. In order to face those challenges, we suggest that companies within the sector turn to Total Quality Management and Business Process Engineering. These are quality improvement concepts designed to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of organizational processes throughout the organization.TQM and BPR are rooted from the same idea, but they focus on different pressure points. BPR has a more urgent sense within it steps. It is a concept practiced by companies in need of a radical change in their business processes, in order to survive upcoming challenges. It focuses on the financial aspect of core business processes and driving-out costs other than vital ones. Some believed the concept to be harsh and insensitive to other aspects like maintaining pleasant working environment, etc. Nevertheless, its contribution is undeniable to modern companies today.TQM on the other hand, is a concept developed by the Japanese, along with the JIT and kaizen concept. It focuses on continuous process improvements which stronger sense of long-term orientations. Applied together, these concepts will assist managers of the commercial construction business in improving their operational processes and facing their challenges in the form of increasing business complexities. Bibliography Chan, S. L. , C. F. Choi, 1997. â€Å"A conceptual and analytical framework for business process reengineering†, International Journal Production Economics, vol.50, p. 211 – 223. Davenport, Thomas & Short, J. (1990), The New Industrial Engineering: Information Technology and Business Process Redesign, in: Sloan Management Review, Summer 1990, pp 11-27 Hammer, Carter, Usry. 1994. ‘Cost Accounting’. SouthWestern. ‘Industry Overview’. 2006. MSG. Retrieved August 12, 2008 from http://www. msgcpa. com/general. php? category=Industry+Library&headline=Construction+-+Commercial O’Neill, P. , and A. S. Sohal, 1999. â€Å"Business Process Reengineering A review of recent literature†, Technovation, vol. 19, p. 571–581.

Planning for the Chevy Volt Essay

What does the Chevy Volt case tell you about the nature of strategic decision making at a large complex organization like GM? From the Chevy Volt case, we can see that GM is a large complex organization and has a lot of processes to make any decision in changing their strategic plan. Moreover, they sticked to the past failure that they had experienced. Therefore, they moved too slow and missed the opportunity to change or adapt themselves to the external trend or a better opportunity. What trends in the external environment favored the pursuit of the Chevy Volt project? -Gas price was increasing sharply because of growing demand in developed countries including China and India -Global Warming become a significant concern so people trend to use the car which produce less Carbon Dioxide. -The cost of Manufacturing lithium ion batteries was falling and new technology make them more powerful -Demand for fuel efficient car like Prius (Toyota) that utilize new battery technology What impediments to pursuing this project do you think existed within GM? -GM already spent a huge investment in developing fuel cells -Many decision makers in GM didn’t want to suddenly switch gears and focus on lithium ion batteries instead -Technology in a large lithium ion battery production was difficult -Failure in the past was the experience that GM still remembered and was afraid to invest in new project What does this tell you about the nature of strategic plans? Chevy Volt project which is partly based on the assumption of fuels prices is rather skeptical. Plan outlay in context of rising oil prices, and environment sustainability only does not in a sense constitute total business plan layout. External environment analysis such as the macro and micro-economic factors also should have been focused, so that an alternative plan layout to develop new innovation for its benchmark cars model that run on fuel and that which should meet the tighter regulation in the future. How do falling oil prices affect the Chevy Volt project? The Chevy Volt project strategic plan was based on factor that kept rising oil prices in contention to market its electric car model for profitability. Falling oil prices can affect Chevy Volt project in terms of profitability directly from the sale of electric cars. Do you think oil prices will remain low? The demand for oil increases, prices also is also likely to surge accordingly. Besides there are no substitute product 5. What will it take for the Chevy Volt to be a successful car ? in light of your analysis, how risky do you think this venture is for GM? What are the costs of failure? What are the costs of not pursuing the project? I think it wills success for the following factors Its new models have cutting-edge designs that sell well, and its quality rankings and fuel economy rise, If every new model has dramatically better gas mileage in government testing than its predecessor, Proper advertising is done like GM products are appearing in hit movies, music videos, TV shows and other media. Cost of not pursuing the†¦