Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 18

As soon as Id taken every last ticket and accepted every last dollar, I slipped into the tent behind an overweight man clutching a sweaty wad of Confederate notes in each fist. The air was thick with the stench of sweat, sawdust, and, of course, blood. People were milling around us, paying extra money to gawk at the Strongman and the Tattooed Lady, all of whom were hidden behind thick black curtains at various intervals along the perimeter of the tent. But the majority of the crowd was clamoring around Jasper. Large wagers were being placed, with lots of shouting and hand signals and stacks of greasy notes being passed back and forth. Jasper gleefully chomped on his soggy cigar and laughed. Sailors yanked foreign bills from their billfolds. A few teenagers pooled their coins. Well-dressed men in ties waved gold coins. â€Å"Fight, fight, fight!† one red-faced man began yelling. Instantly, the people standing by him began to chant as well. Three well-dressed women, their hair in curls atop their heads, glanced at each other, giggled, and echoed the cheer, their alto voices contrasting with the mens baritone ones. Gallagher strode into the tent, his cane tapping a path through the sawdust. People turned and craned their necks to catch a glimpse of him; in the circus tent, he was just as much an attraction as the freaks. After all, this was the man whod caught a vampire. Be strong, brother, I whispered under my breath, remembering all the times Damon had won fights back in Mystic Falls. Damon had never provoked those battles but had always been a good fighter, always landing a punch fast when a fight broke out. Thats why hed been so respected in the army. But now, in a battle against a mountain lion, especially after not feeding for days I shuddered. â€Å"Brother?† I whispered tentatively, at a decibel I knew only his ears could detect. I was hoping for some sort of reply, even though I wasnt sure whether he could have actually heard me. If he did, he said nothing in response. â€Å"And now, lets introduce our fighters!† Gallaghers voice broke through my reverie. Two animal handlers, their hands in leather gloves and wearing boots that came up past their knees, walked into the ring, leading a mangy mountain lion. The mountain lion had a grayish-yellowish coat and yellow teeth, and, despite its lean body, looked brutal. And hungry. As if on cue, it uttered a roar. â€Å"In one end of your ring, you have the mountain lion. But this is no ordinary cat. This beast is the Alberta Avenger! He came down from Canada to find the hunter that killed his mate. He eviscerated the hunter, his wife, and all of his children except the youngest, whose legs the lion ate before leaving the rest of him alive to tell the story. Since then, you have followed the mountain lion in the newspapers as it has feasted its way on innocents in the Union and Confederacy without prejudice. Tonight, it is here only after we captured it trying to stow away on a boat bound for the Andes Mountains in South America. The mountain lion, ladies and gentlemen!† Gallagher yelled, his showmanship on full display. The crowd dutifully applauded enthusiastically, and some even cheered. â€Å"Its opponent is a legendary vampire that has been terrifying children and their parents for centuries. Viktor the Cruel was born in 1589 and was heir to the Hapsburg Empire until he first tasted blood–his sisters–and began a three-hundred-year feeding frenzy that has left a trail of drained bodies around the world. At an estimated two victims per day, this brings Viktors kills to one and a half million people, more than double the size of Italy. This unstoppable lust for blood continues tonight.† The applause was more nervous now, but the cheers were louder. Gallagher spread his hands apart with a flourish, and Damon came into the ring, surrounded by four handlers. His hands and feet were in chains, and his face was partially hidden by a muzzle. His skin was bleeding from the vervain, his eyes were bloodshot, and the expression on his face was one Id never seen. I could understand the hatred he felt–I was fighting every instinct I had not to kill the people holding him captive. But his imprisonment had changed him. Damon had called me a cold-blooded killer. The look in Damons eyes was not one of sport, or survival. It was pure bloodlust. A hush filled the tent. The mountain lion strained at his chains, but Damon simply stood in his corner of the ring, as if unaware of what the imminent future held for him. â€Å"And go!† Gallagher yelled. Immediately, the handlers unlocked Damons chains and opened the iron door of the mountain lions cage, then ran off the stage. The lion jumped toward Damon, making contact with his chest. Damon let out an anguished moan and fell backward. Then, just as quickly, he rose to his feet and roared, his face suddenly flushed, his fangs on full display. I knew this was all instinctual: Damons Power rising to the surface as soon as hed felt the attack. I had learned this about our kind in the past few weeks: Our power led us to do things before we even knew we were doing them. Despite Damons external weakness, his Power was still intact. The lion leaped again, and Damon went low, ducking under the claws and coming up at just the right moment to dig his hands into the lions neck. But the lion tossed Damon free; he rolled to a stop only when he slammed into the gate surrounding the ring. Damon let out another moan and lay on the ground. The lion began to stalk over to claim his kill. The crowd went wild, friends hitting one another in the arm and clawing at the air as though they themselves were in the fight. One of the handlers positioned along the sidelines poked at Damon, clearly to get him moving. Damon swung without looking, knocking the man into the stands. As the handler struggled to get up, two nearby customers kicked him in the gut and then dropped him over the back railing to the dirt below, out of sight. Damon paid no heed to the scuffle and moved deeper into the ring, letting the lion slowly circle him. After a long silence, Damon let out a feral growl and ran toward the lion. The lion roared in response and charged, but this time Damon stepped aside, and when the lion missed him, Damon hooked an arm up under the lions neck. With strength no one seemed to expect, Damon threw the lion onto its back. He was about to dive on top and go in for the kill when the lion kicked up and drove a claw right through Damons arm. The lion swatted its paw around, swinging Damon through the air like a fly on a fishing line. At last, the flesh gave way and Damon, with a red arc of blood trailing behind him, shot up through the air, then landed with a thud even I couldnt hear over the hellish roar of the celebrating crowd. Damon struggled to his feet, holding the wounded arm in place with the other. He wasnt healing as quickly as vampires usually do–I wondered if the vervain had dampened that Power. He needed blood, that much was clear. His survival instincts and the attendant adrenalin were waning. I was about to rush forward into the ring, with the stout man in front of me as an offering to my brother, when a warm hand fell on my arm. Callie. â€Å"Its horrible,† she said. Her knuckles had gone white around clumps of her dress. Her lips hung loose and trembled. â€Å"I cant watch this barbarism much longer.† â€Å"Then tell your father to stop it,† I hissed. The stomping on the wooden stands was picking up in speed and along with the racing heartbeats of the people. The splotches of blood in the sawdust werent enough to satisfy them–they needed to see a death. Now Damon was padding around the mountain lion, as the animal hunched, coiled, in the center of the ring, moving as little as possible while following Damon with its reflective eyes. Suddenly, Damon took off, moving at a blurred speed around the lion so that the animal had to rapidly turn and turn, as though chasing its own tail. A quiet came over the crowd, and only the heavy panting of Damon and the mountain lion echoed under the canvas of the tent. Damon circled his prey, moving faster than the lion could comprehend. The crowd gasped as Damon slanted toward the mountain lion, and before the beast could tell which direction he was coming from, Damon dove on the muscle behind the lions head. He bit in and held on, letting the lion kick and flip wildly. Callie clutched my arm. My eyes were riveted on the scene, and my body was primed to run to the cage should I need to intervene. The mountain lion was slowing. Each time it bucked, more blood appeared in the sawdust in little red rivers. Its left hind leg was looking weak now; wobbling, it started to flop toward the ground. Damon unlatched his fangs and reared back, ready to go for the vein in the cats neck. Just then, the cat flailed its hindquarters and threw Damon free. As Damon tried to recover his feet, the mountain lion moved in and wrapped its jaws around his side. The crowd gasped again, then began to boo. Fight, I urged with every fiber of my being, clenching my fists at my sides. Damon had gone limp and was being flung around like an old slipper in a dogs mouth. The lion tossed Damon to the ground, then pulled its head back and opened wide. But just as the animal dove forward, Damon rolled away. He drove his shoulder into the confused beasts side, bowling it over and exposing the short white hairs on its throat. Damon tore into the vein with his fangs. The mountain lion twitched its way to stillness as a puddle of blood became bigger and bigger until it was a great lake of blood within the fighting ring. At its center was my brother, kneeling over a dead mountain lion. He stood and stumbled backward a step. He looked up into the crowd with a wide smile on his face, his fangs out and his whole face and front dripping with blood. The crowd cheered and booed in equal measure, and Damon just turned in a small circle, occasionally licking his lips. Gallagher clapped his fat hands together. The ones whod made money jumped and hugged one another. The ones whod lost threw hats to the ground or stared blankly ahead. I leaped forward, trying to push my way to my brother, but the handlers had already moved in, stakes and vervain-laced nets in hand. Damon was clearly drunk on such a massive feed after not eating for so long and didnt seem to notice them. Before I could even shout a warning, the men wrapped him in nets and began dragging him out of the arena. Even at my fastest, I couldnt get past the crowd that had filled in behind them and now blocked the entire way. All of the revelers, hooting and slobbering, stood between me and the exit, and by the time I pushed and shoved my way out, the wagon was careening out of the fairgrounds. A whip cracked. Hooves beat the ground. And just like that, Damon was gone.

Piers Plowman

Elyssa-Beth Bender British Literature Dr. Zeiger 14 March 2013 William Langland: Piers Plowman The life of William Langland is a mystery. There is very little known about the man who wrote the Middle English, alliterative poem known as Piers Plowman. I did gather that he was born in the West Midlands around 1330 and may have died in 1386 (William Langland). Though much not can be found on Langland’s life, one can infer that he had many different life experiences in which he may drawn from to write Piers Plowman (Calabrese 123).Whether one looks at the elegant trial of Lady Meed at the King’s court, to impoverished life lived on Piers Plowman’s half-acre. Also the narrator in Piers Plowman seems to indicate that Langland may have been exposed to a higher education (Calabrese 123). There are three different versions of Piers Plowman, known as the A-text, the B-text, and the C-text The A-text is the earliest and shortest of the three versions and is about 2,400 line s long (Greenblatt 297). The B-text is an revision of the A-text in which the original 2,400 lines are still there but turned into a 4,000 line piece of work.During my reading of the B-Text, I found that it was more poetic in its form (Greenblatt 297). What I also found was that the C-text was almost a full revision of the B-Text with not much more added. The A-text seemed to be written in 1370 while the B-text. The C-text may have been written in 1381 during the â€Å"Peasants Revolt of 1382† (William Langland). The opening lines let the reader know what to expect: a man named Will on a religious quest that is set in a dream-like, vision state. He wakes up in Field Full of Folk in the opening scene.It is quite obvious to the reader that Will is a very righteous man as he is described to be wearing â€Å"shroudes as [he] a sheep were, / In habite as an heremite unholy of werkes. † (line 124). This indicates that Will is in clothes made of sheepskin, a symbolic meaning to The Lamb (Calabrese 4). However, it could also make the reader conclude that he may also be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The uncertainty is loathsome. The reader might think, â€Å"Is he good or evil? Will he hurt or help? † (Calabrese 124).The phrase, â€Å"unholy of werkes† seems like Will could be evil, but by the end of the poem, we see that it meant that spiritually Will was only just a child and needed to mature. In continuation with this idea, in the prologue of Piers Plowman, Will is born metaphorically into his vision and faith. In the first passus, Will is confronted by a female named, Holy Church and becomes quickly engaged in learning how to be a good Christian (line 153). Holy Church represents a holy and pure church that is uncorrupted by man (Daegman 274).She is vital for teaching Will the basics of Christianity. I found that her presence was the best way to teach Will the holy and pure way to be a Christian untouched by the corrupt hands of man . She also teaches Will that the body and soul are in constant struggle for power. Holy Church explains that Will must find the balance between physical self and spiritual self lead by the soul; what may be good for one may not be good for the other(line 209). Will must learn at this point what moderation is. Moderation is a vital step of self-control and awareness in Piers Plowman.Will is now faced with a few new characters named, Kynde Wit, who tells him the way of common sense; Reason, who tells him what reason and moderation mean; and Truth expects Will he must be truthful in speech, work, and intent of the heart and soul (700-1235). Before Will could fully comprehend what Truth meant, he need to find out what truth is not: falsity or the character â€Å"Falseness†. After meeting with these characters Will had learned everything they could instill upon him. However, since Will is in a dream-like, vision state, he fears that he will not have the capability to make the righ t decision with his own free will.In his early education with Holy Church, she fails to explain what Falseness means for Will. However in the story of Lady Meed, concept is explained (line 1456- 1729), Lady Meed seems to be the bastard daughter of Falseness and about to be wed to Fals Fikel-tonge (line 1464). â€Å"Whore of Babylon in Revelation,† she is described as, with her magnificent scarlett, silk robes (1468). Lady Meed represents the corruptive influence of money, bribery, prostitution, and is found in every aspect of society. In this story of Lady Meed, she represents good use of money.However, since Lady Meed can be used by anyone, she often falls into the wrong hands and used for corrupt purposes. Lady Meed’s marriage to Fals Fikel-tonge is ceased by Theology, who pursues that the King is the one who should decide whom Lady Meed marries (1475). In the royal court, Lady Meed and her follower voyage off to London at the expense of men of legal authority. The K ing calls upon Conscience for his advice. At this point he swears he will have nothing to do with the evil, wickedness of Lady Mead and her fate is left to the courts (1509). With the advice of Concscience, the King decides to find out what kind of person Lady Mead is.The King decides that the best thing for Lady Mead was to marry Conscience to know where the line is drawn between right and wrong (1534). Though the King’s intentions were in good reason, Lady Mead was known to be easily corrupted. The King believed Conscience was the perfect mate to control Lady Mead and make her submissive to his good morals. However, Conscience explained to the King that this would not be possible because though his morals were pure and righteous, he would soon eventually be consumed by the power of Lady Mead (1547). Since Lady Mead can be easily used by anyone, she os quickly corrupted by those around her.She is accused of corrupting the pardoners who forgive the sins of the common (not of the clergy) people. As we recall back to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Pardoners of this time were very ill-willed men who would only accept money and power to pardon the sins of people. This corruption is said to be the work by the hands of Lady Mead. In this part of Piers Plowman, It is the responsibility of the character Penance to steer Will away from the ill-will and corruption of Lady Mead’s influence on the pardoners’ business (1609). Before a marriage with Conscience, Lady Mead discusses her character.While she shows him all the wonderful aspects of her existence, Conscience reminds her of her malevolent ways (1613). It is clear to the King that Conscience is right, however the King is blinded by Lady Mead’s conveyed character of good will. At this point, the King orders Conscience to give her a kiss on the forehead, which is to signify there to be peace between the two characters (1645). However, Conscience would not give her a kiss of peace unless Reason was summoned to asses the pros and cons, essentially, of the situation (1647-49) . The King, a benevolent creature, decides to honor the request of Conscience and summon Reason.The King decides to bring Wrong to the court to defend Lady Mead and convince the King his ways are correct (1664-1672). He believes he should be allowed to bribe his way out of the charges of rape, murder, and theft. Reason snaps back at this and urges for hard punishment to be inflicted on Wrong. The King, swept up by all these testimonies, decides in favor of Reason and Conscience, whom were selected to be his counselors. Wrong is punished and the King’s eyes are now open to Lady Mead’s benevolent aspects. He is no longer naive. At this point, the King’s court has flourished since Conscience and Reason became his advisors.Holy Church explains to Will that Conscience and Reason are two things that every person has within them on some level. She also explains that th e King is not a character that is based on royal heritage. The King is a being that represents the challenges that every common man faces (Burrow 318). Explained even further in an article by J. A Burrow every man faces the challenges of Right and Wrong, and often seeks to find Conscience and Reason in their lives. At this point, the scene fades into the Field Full of Folk once again as Will wakes up and then falls asleep shortly after.Next, Will is confronted with the character of Reason who fashions the wardrobe of a clergymen. He urges Will to repent (2573). After urging Will to confess his sins, he brings out the Seven Deadly Sins. This section of the story where Reason speaks to each of the seven and teaches Will that if he lives with The Seven Deadly Sins in his life, he will never find salvation. The next section starts with the Will waking up briefly from the vision and reflecting on his experience so far. However, our dreamer, Will quickly falls back into his dream. In this next part of his holy vision quest, he enters upon the Feast of Patience ( 2798-2906).Seven people attend the Feast, Conscience, Clergy and his wife, Scripture, Patience, Will, and The Master of Divinity. The food was simple and elegant which was to show will what penance means (Burrow 319). Later in the poem,Will is though of as a fool (3015-3016). At this point of Will still being a foolish man, he is intorduced to Anima, who tells Will the importance of putting into action all that he has learned (3025-3120). Anima prepares Will for a vision of the Tree of Charity. In a vision conveyed to Will by Piers Plowman himself, a tree is an image of fallen humanity.Piers Plowman is said to be represented as Jesus (Burrow 320). There are three kinds of fruit: human souls of wedlock, widowhood, and virginity, and it is supported by three planks. The three planks have been explained to will as the Holy Trinity (Greenblatt 399). However the Tree being threatened by Covetise, who is the Fiend of Flesh. The tree represents the tree that bore the fruit of knowledge, much like the fruit referenced in Genesis. The tree contains knowledge that is not to be consumed by man. However, in this section of Piers Plowman, The Devil is pursuing Covetise to extract fruit from the tree for evil intentions.Toward the end of the poem, Will goes to mass on Easter Sunday and, during the middle of mass, falls asleep and dreams of Piers Plowman. Piers is identified this time as the eucharistic host at the moment of consecration during the Mass when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ (Greenblatt 399). The mystery of the Body and blood of Christ is mysterious to Will as he cannot understand at what point these common items become holy. The answer is conveyed appearance of Piers before the people. Will turns to Conscience for an explanation of the mystery.Conscience recalls the life of Jesus by explaining the sacrament. The miracle at Cana involves the changing of water int o wine, a type of wine turning into blood in the Eucharist. Thus, the Three Lives are put into the perspective of the ministry of Christ, and the message is clear: it is impossible to do well, do better, and do best without divine grace, and this grace is available to all through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and penance(Burrow 380) . If Dowel is the sacramental wine, Dobet is the eucharistic bread, as it is paralleled to the miracle of the loaves and fishes (Greenblatt 399).That Piers is granted the power of binding and unbinding sins reflects back upon the early association of Piers and the Good Priest (Daegman 7) . Piers is a variation of Peter, suggesting the apostle and first pope. Piers remains behind after the Ascension, and it is to him that Grace gives the four evangelists and the four church leaders (3321-3364). Piers is known to be Jesus Christ whom is a part of the eternal, divine Church. Noticeably, the forces of Pride wait to attack until Piers until he has featured once more at the end of Piers Plowman. By the end of the poem there are no good clergy. (Daegman 8).The Barn of Unity that Grace tells Piers to build is another image of the whole Christian community (3433-3457). However, since the Tree of Charity is under constant threat, so is the Barn of Unity. Covetise and Pride try to confuse Conscience with their so that he can not tell the difference between a Christian and a dark worshipper. Conscience advises the Christians to leave the area to find safely form the the malevolent qualities (3458-3465). Events turn dark for Will and is in need of consulting Need. It can be a humbling factor, but it can also be a convenient excuse for doing what one wants to do rather than what one ought to do.Will falls asleep after being reproached by Need and dreams of the coming of Antichrist. Conscience consults Kynde, Old Age, and Death. Though Will has become an old man, he manages to keep somewhat in good humor. His appearance has changed dra matically. He has become bald, deaf, toothless, and a bit incompetent due to his old age. During this last part of Piers Plowman, Will is confronted by the inevitable character named Death (3502- 3696). As Will’s time is coming to an end, he begs Kynde for him to spare him. Kynde advises Will learn what love is (3757) . This could be compared to what Holy Church told Will in the first section.Though Piers Plowman is a lengthy alliterative poem, it ends considerably curtly. Conscience vows to undertake another quest, this time to find Piers Plowman, and he calls upon Grace for help. Then the Dreamer simply wakes up and that is the end. I found that the ending lines of the poem had no emotion to it. I was not able to feel if Will felt like his total experience was positive or negative. Will’s attitude does seem to show the slightest bit of positivity as he learns to find what it means to be a Christian and learns the value of good morals. Piers Plowman is a series of jou rneys in a dream-like vision in search for answers.The narrator named Will goes from one higher authority to another. However, as the quests move along, the main point of the journey changes. The quest was originally to find how a Christian is expected to live, however, as time goes on it becomes about finding a way to do the best and be the best one can be (Daegman 273). When the poem finishes, Will is faced with yet another quest. this indicates to the reader that a Christian’s search for salvation is eternal (Daegman 273). Works Cited Burrow, J. A. The Ending Lines in Piers Plowman. Notes & Querles (2012). vol. 59 Issue 3, p 316-400. Academic Search Complete.Web. 9 Feb. 2013. Calabrese, Michael. Piers Plowman: A Parallel-Text Edition of The A,B,C, And Z Versions. Journal of English & Germanic Philogy. (2012): vol. 35 issue 12 127-130. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. Deagman, Rachel. The Formations of Forgiveness in Piers Plowman. Journal of Medieval & Early Mo dern Studies (2010). vol. 40 issue 2 p. 273-97. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. â€Å"William Langland† Encyclopedia Britannica. Britannica Online Web. 27 Feb, 2013 Greenblatt, Stepehn. â€Å"William Langland:Piers Plowman† The Norton Anthology English Literature vol. A. New York 397- 408. Piers Plowman Elyssa-Beth Bender British Literature Dr. Zeiger 14 March 2013 William Langland: Piers Plowman The life of William Langland is a mystery. There is very little known about the man who wrote the Middle English, alliterative poem known as Piers Plowman. I did gather that he was born in the West Midlands around 1330 and may have died in 1386 (William Langland). Though much not can be found on Langland’s life, one can infer that he had many different life experiences in which he may drawn from to write Piers Plowman (Calabrese 123).Whether one looks at the elegant trial of Lady Meed at the King’s court, to impoverished life lived on Piers Plowman’s half-acre. Also the narrator in Piers Plowman seems to indicate that Langland may have been exposed to a higher education (Calabrese 123). There are three different versions of Piers Plowman, known as the A-text, the B-text, and the C-text The A-text is the earliest and shortest of the three versions and is about 2,400 line s long (Greenblatt 297). The B-text is an revision of the A-text in which the original 2,400 lines are still there but turned into a 4,000 line piece of work.During my reading of the B-Text, I found that it was more poetic in its form (Greenblatt 297). What I also found was that the C-text was almost a full revision of the B-Text with not much more added. The A-text seemed to be written in 1370 while the B-text. The C-text may have been written in 1381 during the â€Å"Peasants Revolt of 1382† (William Langland). The opening lines let the reader know what to expect: a man named Will on a religious quest that is set in a dream-like, vision state. He wakes up in Field Full of Folk in the opening scene.It is quite obvious to the reader that Will is a very righteous man as he is described to be wearing â€Å"shroudes as [he] a sheep were, / In habite as an heremite unholy of werkes. † (line 124). This indicates that Will is in clothes made of sheepskin, a symbolic meaning to The Lamb (Calabrese 4). However, it could also make the reader conclude that he may also be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The uncertainty is loathsome. The reader might think, â€Å"Is he good or evil? Will he hurt or help? † (Calabrese 124).The phrase, â€Å"unholy of werkes† seems like Will could be evil, but by the end of the poem, we see that it meant that spiritually Will was only just a child and needed to mature. In continuation with this idea, in the prologue of Piers Plowman, Will is born metaphorically into his vision and faith. In the first passus, Will is confronted by a female named, Holy Church and becomes quickly engaged in learning how to be a good Christian (line 153). Holy Church represents a holy and pure church that is uncorrupted by man (Daegman 274).She is vital for teaching Will the basics of Christianity. I found that her presence was the best way to teach Will the holy and pure way to be a Christian untouched by the corrupt hands of man . She also teaches Will that the body and soul are in constant struggle for power. Holy Church explains that Will must find the balance between physical self and spiritual self lead by the soul; what may be good for one may not be good for the other(line 209). Will must learn at this point what moderation is. Moderation is a vital step of self-control and awareness in Piers Plowman.Will is now faced with a few new characters named, Kynde Wit, who tells him the way of common sense; Reason, who tells him what reason and moderation mean; and Truth expects Will he must be truthful in speech, work, and intent of the heart and soul (700-1235). Before Will could fully comprehend what Truth meant, he need to find out what truth is not: falsity or the character â€Å"Falseness†. After meeting with these characters Will had learned everything they could instill upon him. However, since Will is in a dream-like, vision state, he fears that he will not have the capability to make the righ t decision with his own free will.In his early education with Holy Church, she fails to explain what Falseness means for Will. However in the story of Lady Meed, concept is explained (line 1456- 1729), Lady Meed seems to be the bastard daughter of Falseness and about to be wed to Fals Fikel-tonge (line 1464). â€Å"Whore of Babylon in Revelation,† she is described as, with her magnificent scarlett, silk robes (1468). Lady Meed represents the corruptive influence of money, bribery, prostitution, and is found in every aspect of society. In this story of Lady Meed, she represents good use of money.However, since Lady Meed can be used by anyone, she often falls into the wrong hands and used for corrupt purposes. Lady Meed’s marriage to Fals Fikel-tonge is ceased by Theology, who pursues that the King is the one who should decide whom Lady Meed marries (1475). In the royal court, Lady Meed and her follower voyage off to London at the expense of men of legal authority. The K ing calls upon Conscience for his advice. At this point he swears he will have nothing to do with the evil, wickedness of Lady Mead and her fate is left to the courts (1509). With the advice of Concscience, the King decides to find out what kind of person Lady Mead is.The King decides that the best thing for Lady Mead was to marry Conscience to know where the line is drawn between right and wrong (1534). Though the King’s intentions were in good reason, Lady Mead was known to be easily corrupted. The King believed Conscience was the perfect mate to control Lady Mead and make her submissive to his good morals. However, Conscience explained to the King that this would not be possible because though his morals were pure and righteous, he would soon eventually be consumed by the power of Lady Mead (1547). Since Lady Mead can be easily used by anyone, she os quickly corrupted by those around her.She is accused of corrupting the pardoners who forgive the sins of the common (not of the clergy) people. As we recall back to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Pardoners of this time were very ill-willed men who would only accept money and power to pardon the sins of people. This corruption is said to be the work by the hands of Lady Mead. In this part of Piers Plowman, It is the responsibility of the character Penance to steer Will away from the ill-will and corruption of Lady Mead’s influence on the pardoners’ business (1609). Before a marriage with Conscience, Lady Mead discusses her character.While she shows him all the wonderful aspects of her existence, Conscience reminds her of her malevolent ways (1613). It is clear to the King that Conscience is right, however the King is blinded by Lady Mead’s conveyed character of good will. At this point, the King orders Conscience to give her a kiss on the forehead, which is to signify there to be peace between the two characters (1645). However, Conscience would not give her a kiss of peace unless Reason was summoned to asses the pros and cons, essentially, of the situation (1647-49) . The King, a benevolent creature, decides to honor the request of Conscience and summon Reason.The King decides to bring Wrong to the court to defend Lady Mead and convince the King his ways are correct (1664-1672). He believes he should be allowed to bribe his way out of the charges of rape, murder, and theft. Reason snaps back at this and urges for hard punishment to be inflicted on Wrong. The King, swept up by all these testimonies, decides in favor of Reason and Conscience, whom were selected to be his counselors. Wrong is punished and the King’s eyes are now open to Lady Mead’s benevolent aspects. He is no longer naive. At this point, the King’s court has flourished since Conscience and Reason became his advisors.Holy Church explains to Will that Conscience and Reason are two things that every person has within them on some level. She also explains that th e King is not a character that is based on royal heritage. The King is a being that represents the challenges that every common man faces (Burrow 318). Explained even further in an article by J. A Burrow every man faces the challenges of Right and Wrong, and often seeks to find Conscience and Reason in their lives. At this point, the scene fades into the Field Full of Folk once again as Will wakes up and then falls asleep shortly after.Next, Will is confronted with the character of Reason who fashions the wardrobe of a clergymen. He urges Will to repent (2573). After urging Will to confess his sins, he brings out the Seven Deadly Sins. This section of the story where Reason speaks to each of the seven and teaches Will that if he lives with The Seven Deadly Sins in his life, he will never find salvation. The next section starts with the Will waking up briefly from the vision and reflecting on his experience so far. However, our dreamer, Will quickly falls back into his dream. In this next part of his holy vision quest, he enters upon the Feast of Patience ( 2798-2906).Seven people attend the Feast, Conscience, Clergy and his wife, Scripture, Patience, Will, and The Master of Divinity. The food was simple and elegant which was to show will what penance means (Burrow 319). Later in the poem,Will is though of as a fool (3015-3016). At this point of Will still being a foolish man, he is intorduced to Anima, who tells Will the importance of putting into action all that he has learned (3025-3120). Anima prepares Will for a vision of the Tree of Charity. In a vision conveyed to Will by Piers Plowman himself, a tree is an image of fallen humanity.Piers Plowman is said to be represented as Jesus (Burrow 320). There are three kinds of fruit: human souls of wedlock, widowhood, and virginity, and it is supported by three planks. The three planks have been explained to will as the Holy Trinity (Greenblatt 399). However the Tree being threatened by Covetise, who is the Fiend of Flesh. The tree represents the tree that bore the fruit of knowledge, much like the fruit referenced in Genesis. The tree contains knowledge that is not to be consumed by man. However, in this section of Piers Plowman, The Devil is pursuing Covetise to extract fruit from the tree for evil intentions.Toward the end of the poem, Will goes to mass on Easter Sunday and, during the middle of mass, falls asleep and dreams of Piers Plowman. Piers is identified this time as the eucharistic host at the moment of consecration during the Mass when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ (Greenblatt 399). The mystery of the Body and blood of Christ is mysterious to Will as he cannot understand at what point these common items become holy. The answer is conveyed appearance of Piers before the people. Will turns to Conscience for an explanation of the mystery.Conscience recalls the life of Jesus by explaining the sacrament. The miracle at Cana involves the changing of water int o wine, a type of wine turning into blood in the Eucharist. Thus, the Three Lives are put into the perspective of the ministry of Christ, and the message is clear: it is impossible to do well, do better, and do best without divine grace, and this grace is available to all through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and penance(Burrow 380) . If Dowel is the sacramental wine, Dobet is the eucharistic bread, as it is paralleled to the miracle of the loaves and fishes (Greenblatt 399).That Piers is granted the power of binding and unbinding sins reflects back upon the early association of Piers and the Good Priest (Daegman 7) . Piers is a variation of Peter, suggesting the apostle and first pope. Piers remains behind after the Ascension, and it is to him that Grace gives the four evangelists and the four church leaders (3321-3364). Piers is known to be Jesus Christ whom is a part of the eternal, divine Church. Noticeably, the forces of Pride wait to attack until Piers until he has featured once more at the end of Piers Plowman. By the end of the poem there are no good clergy. (Daegman 8).The Barn of Unity that Grace tells Piers to build is another image of the whole Christian community (3433-3457). However, since the Tree of Charity is under constant threat, so is the Barn of Unity. Covetise and Pride try to confuse Conscience with their so that he can not tell the difference between a Christian and a dark worshipper. Conscience advises the Christians to leave the area to find safely form the the malevolent qualities (3458-3465). Events turn dark for Will and is in need of consulting Need. It can be a humbling factor, but it can also be a convenient excuse for doing what one wants to do rather than what one ought to do.Will falls asleep after being reproached by Need and dreams of the coming of Antichrist. Conscience consults Kynde, Old Age, and Death. Though Will has become an old man, he manages to keep somewhat in good humor. His appearance has changed dra matically. He has become bald, deaf, toothless, and a bit incompetent due to his old age. During this last part of Piers Plowman, Will is confronted by the inevitable character named Death (3502- 3696). As Will’s time is coming to an end, he begs Kynde for him to spare him. Kynde advises Will learn what love is (3757) . This could be compared to what Holy Church told Will in the first section.Though Piers Plowman is a lengthy alliterative poem, it ends considerably curtly. Conscience vows to undertake another quest, this time to find Piers Plowman, and he calls upon Grace for help. Then the Dreamer simply wakes up and that is the end. I found that the ending lines of the poem had no emotion to it. I was not able to feel if Will felt like his total experience was positive or negative. Will’s attitude does seem to show the slightest bit of positivity as he learns to find what it means to be a Christian and learns the value of good morals. Piers Plowman is a series of jou rneys in a dream-like vision in search for answers.The narrator named Will goes from one higher authority to another. However, as the quests move along, the main point of the journey changes. The quest was originally to find how a Christian is expected to live, however, as time goes on it becomes about finding a way to do the best and be the best one can be (Daegman 273). When the poem finishes, Will is faced with yet another quest. this indicates to the reader that a Christian’s search for salvation is eternal (Daegman 273). Works Cited Burrow, J. A. The Ending Lines in Piers Plowman. Notes & Querles (2012). vol. 59 Issue 3, p 316-400. Academic Search Complete.Web. 9 Feb. 2013. Calabrese, Michael. Piers Plowman: A Parallel-Text Edition of The A,B,C, And Z Versions. Journal of English & Germanic Philogy. (2012): vol. 35 issue 12 127-130. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. Deagman, Rachel. The Formations of Forgiveness in Piers Plowman. Journal of Medieval & Early Mo dern Studies (2010). vol. 40 issue 2 p. 273-97. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. â€Å"William Langland† Encyclopedia Britannica. Britannica Online Web. 27 Feb, 2013 Greenblatt, Stepehn. â€Å"William Langland:Piers Plowman† The Norton Anthology English Literature vol. A. New York 397- 408.

Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Planning - Essay Example The company also has a wide product offering from savory sandwiches to desserts, CD’s to about every variety of coffee combination available, as such the company is able to offer something to accommodate almost all tastes. As it is the case that the firm focuses on using extremely high quality coffee products in many ways the company has segmented themselves in the market as a premium brand. In this respect the company has semi-positioned themselves as a company that offers an affordable luxury. Weaknesses: As the company is not franchised and simply utilizes a successful business model, it may be a bit ambitious for the company to project opening an additional 26,500 stores whilst still maintaining a high degree of control over product quality and individual store financial success. Opportunities: According to the international Coffee Organization (2007) the global consumption of coffee is a growing trend with per capita consumption expected to reach stay at 1.3 kilograms annually up from just 1 kilogram in 1996. Furthermore in a number of markets there is very little restriction on the establishment of small business entities such as a coffee shop. As such it may be the case that Starbucks may not face any strong opposition by pursuing a policy of expansion into new markets in places such as Asia and Latin America. Threats: According to McRoskey (2008) it is the case that there is increased competition from traditional cafà © based coffee vendors but also McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. As it is also the case that there is a high degree of new entrants in the coffee market, furthermore a massive new expansion policy may prove to be financially unfeasible in already heavily saturated markets. Lastly, it is the case that as Starbucks is an American company, sales could be influenced by influenced in some countries by the current political climate. In terms of Howard Schultz actually achieving his goal of reaching 23 billion in sales I personally believe that

Vivid remembrance of my childhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Rio Tinto plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rio Tinto plc - Essay Example The company has been able to generate an overall cash flow of $8.3billion showing an increase of 85%. This increase in cash flow has been achieved after making capital investment of $2.5 billion, a figure which has increase by 13% in the current year. (www.riotinto.com,2005). An analysis of the financial data from 2005 onwards suggest that the company has been able to increase its revenue from $19.033 Billion in 2005 to $29.700 Billion in 2007- an increase of more than 56%. The earnings per share of the company have increased from $3.81 to $5.67 in 2007. Operating Income of the company has been also consistently increasing from $ 6.92 billion in year 2005 to $8.571 in year 2007. (Reuters, 2008). Three years performance of the Rio Tinto suggests a very strong performance of the company. A more closer look at the performance of the company would suggest that the during 2005, company has been able to generate sales mostly through the sales of iron ore and copper whereas the same trend seem to be taking place in the years after 2005 also. Further more the comparison with the industry ratios in the year 2007 suggests that the company has been able to beat the industry in major ratios. The Price to Earnings ratio of 18.94 is higher as compared to the industry PE ratio of 13.62 whereas the other key ratios including the sales growth, EPS growth, working capital management ratios are better than the industry benchmarks. However it also must be noted the total debt to equity ratio of the company is higher than the industry ratios suggesting slightly higher degree of leverage being availed by the company as compared to the industry. On the whole strong stock performance coupled with the strong operational and financial performance of the company suggest a very solid and mature financial strength of the company along with better management of resources. Rio Tinto being one of the largest companies in the industry and being quoted at multiple stock

MidSouth Chamber of Commerce Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MidSouth Chamber of Commerce Case Study - Essay Example He proved, though for a short time, to be a capable marketing manager for MSCC. Nevertheless, he failed in getting more suitably positioned individuals involved in the new system implementation; forcing him to serve as the project’s champion throughout the whole process-a role he was not qualified to play. 3. Simon Kovecki-Systems analyst at the MSCC-happens to be a fresh computer science graduate having no experience with administrative software or membership organization. Kovecki was the only IS professional in MSCC and spent his 3 months at MSCC learning both the organization and its computing systems. He kept the old system running smoothly. He was not involved in system implementation during the initial stages because of not receiving the task for leading MSCC’s computer operations and his distaste of the aspects of software package chosen. Unluckily when he eventually became involved in the project, he failed to make the new system operational. Ed Wilson-Vice president of Public Affairs and Operations of the MSCC-he was initially tasked with computer operations and actually introduces the MSCC to the world of data base management and micro-computers. They later became friends with Lassiter with Wilson providing Lassiter with some support during the Unitrak acquisition process. Greg Ginder-President of Unitrak software Corporation-made concessions so as to sell his company’s software to the MSCC comprising unlimited support during system installation. Unitrak’s support however was missing when MSCC needed them most. It is evident that many of the above discussed roles require modification. Both Kovecki and Hedges-the 2 very significant IS players were fulfilling their activities, with Lassiter unable to have their cooperation or enhancing their effort level. Similarly, the Executive Committee and Walling Ford should have talked in the face of crisis that befell MSCC and ought to have done

Retirement Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retirement Planning - Essay Example While there are many courses of action one can take to retire, some have greater risk while others offer security. For those of us wanting to retire in the next fifteen to twenty years, risk should be tempered through proper management, diverse investing, and proper estate planning that includes a will, estate plan, and life insurance if one is not self insured through a high net worth in personal property (FINRA, 2011). How Much Does one Need to Retire? Retirement goals most often deal with time and money. In order to retire by a certain time, one must have a certain amount of money. This amount can be in a stock account, coming in as passive income, or cash flow, or be a combination of both. In order for me to maintain my current lifestyle in retirement, I will need to have an income of $4,500 with a margin of growth that meets or exceeds inflation. While many people’s expenses go down in retirement, I do not want to take any chances when it comes to matters such as healthca re, which is the reason that many senior citizens end up broke and living off of social security and, in some cases, the equity in their home through a reverse mortgage. So, while some of my current expenses, such as paying for my mortgage, will not be an issue when I retire, I want to maintain the same level of income to allow for a lifestyle that goes beyond living, and allows me to have a life so that I can travel, give money to organizations I feel are important, while having more to leave behind to loved ones. This will be accomplished through proper asset allocation in a diversified portfolio that will come to approximately three-million dollars. Asset Allocation My current asset allocation is split between individual stocks that I manage through Scottrade, a company matched 401(k), and real estate. My equity is split evenly between the stock market and residential properties, but over the next fifteen to twenty years I expect my real estate holdings to be approximately two-th irds of my portfolio. The reason for this forecast is the properties’ appreciation and growing equity. In addition to the properties’ gains, I will also acquire more properties when good deals are available along with the cash to purchase. Owning property is extremely attractive because the investment can grow while paying at least partially for itself if not in full by way of payments made from tenants. In addition to this, owning property allows investors to receive tax breaks from losses even in years when money has been made. This is done after mortgage interest and depreciation is taken into account. For example, if a piece of property is worth $124,000 with mortgage payments of $1,000 per month, and a tenant occupying the home is paying $1,150 in rent for the whole year, then the profit at the end of the year is $1,800. However, the mortgage interest amounted to $9,000, and depreciation on a piece of investment property is incurred over thirty-one years. In the c ase of this property, the depreciation is $4,000 a year. Rather than paying taxes on $1,800, a loss is shown in the amount of $11,200, resulting in a larger tax return, or lower tax burden, at the end of the year (Pascale, 2010). The advantage to being in a 401(k) is that the company I work for matches my contributions up to 3%. If my 401(k) is cut in half from a

Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 16

Germany - Essay Example He was excluded and spent his time of seclusion to translate the new testament into German and later got back to Wittenberg, married and that is how Protestant and Lutheran started. He entered Erfurt Monastery in 1505 and joined the Augustinian Order of Hermit as he learnt the Bible and Catholic teachings. He first read the Bible in 1503 that was rarely read and was happy when he came back from the library. By the time he hid in Wartburg Castle between 1521 to 1522, he translated the New Testament from Latin to German dialect. The protestant renovation began as a movement of doctrinal and moral reform (Gonzalez, 2010 p. 1188). The reformation had been infusing crosswise Europe for a couple of years. Luther was lucky to have a protector as well as supporter known as Fred the Wise. Gonzalez (2010 p. 1192) states that the creation of the portable kind by Gutenberg and this also meant that the books, pamphlets, Bibles and many more belonging to Martin Luther could be widely dispersed

Treating The Aged With Respect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Treating The Aged With Respect - Essay Example The old adage is to enjoy life to the fullest, from the early years to the onset of the sunset years. This is equally applicable to anyone, whether rich or poor, as enjoyment of life can be quite simple. It does not take plenty of money to do so, although money certainly helps in so many ways if one can have it (and plenty of it if possible). There are advantages to growing old, such as experience and wisdom that supposedly goes with it; love and respect are the other things one can crave for. American society is characterized by a hectic lifestyle and working schedule; everybody is either at school trying to earn a degree or working hard to earn enough for comfortable living and also at the same time attain that iconic American dream, to reach the middle class. Another dream is to have squirreled away enough savings for an enjoyable retirement to afford some things. This paper deals on the question whether Americans treat their aged with enough respect and love. Discussion Contrary to anecdotal evidence, Americans greatly honor their old relatives although it can be admitted that most of these younger people are often quite busy pursuing their careers that precludes them expressing their love and respect for their senior loved ones in the more frequent ways that most people normally expect. But nevertheless, they express this through phone calls. They also send loving letters to them, and for those seniors who are Internet savvy, then they can also connect on the Internet through social networking sites such as Facebook. A point is that people mistakenly believe the seniors are largely forgotten in a fast-moving society such as America where everybody is in a hurry to get off to somewhere. From the viewpoint of the old and aged citizens of this country, they have the vantage point of having a lifetime of memories or a long list of experiences to comfort them in their old age. They may suffer from some infirmity but that does not preclude them from enjoying life as long as they are not bedridden yet and can still pursue some activities of normal living (Cowley x). Seniors can also surprisingly be creative and inventive when it comes to meeting some of their physical needs without asking for help. These can be illustrated by taking their time when walking (very slowly so as not to fall) or find a new way of doing things only t hey can think of. What is quite remarkable is often their positive outlook on life despite advancing in years and facing the inevitable (Janis 5). Most seniors tend to become deeply spiritual as they are in a stage in life prior to going into eternity. Today's senior citizens enjoy an active lifestyle unlike that of earlier generations of aged people who were confined to nursing homes and spend the rest of the day doing nothing or keep playing the same parlor games over and over throughout a day. The advent of modern medicine has made senior living worthwhile and older or retired people can go wherever they want to such as places as go on luxury cruise or enjoy a sunny beach environment in a tropical country. These people go whenever they want to go with no one curtailing their activities. A positive attitude is the next best thing to having good health; it keeps the years away. The saying is to live and love well enough to keep mind and muscles going for a long time (Stein 52). You nger people show their respect for older loved ones when they visit them in nursing or retirement homes to enjoy being together with their aging parents or relatives. Moreover, they also show respect

The OSI model Essay Example for Free

The OSI model Essay Question: Write a 2-3 page paper describing the OSI model and how it relates to a network. Your response should include answers to the following: †¢ On which layers of the OSI model do WAN protocols operate? †¢ What are some of these protocols? †¢ On which OSI layers do switches and routers operate? †¢ If routers reside at more than one layer, what is the difference between the OSI layers? Introduction: The OSI model was introduced in 1984. Although it was designed to be an abstract model, the OSI model remains a practical framework for todays key network technologies like Ethernet and protocols like IP. The OSI model defines internetworking in terms of a vertical stack of seven layers. The upper layers of the OSI model represent software that implements network services like encryption and connection management. The lower layers of the OSI model implement more primitive, hardware-oriented functions like routing, addressing, and flow control. In the OSI model, data communication starts with the top layer at the sending side, travels down the OSI model stack to the bottom layer, then traverses the network connection to the bottom layer on the receiving side, and up its OSI model stack. How OSI model relates to a network: Information being transferred from a software application in one computer system to a software application in another must pass through the OSI layers. For example, if a software application in System A has information to transmit to a software application in System B, the application program  in System A will pass its information to the application layer (Layer 7) of System A. The application layer then passes the information to the presentation layer (Layer 6), which relays the data to the session layer (Layer 5), and so on down to the physical layer (Layer 1). At the physical layer, the information is placed on the physical network medium and is sent across the medium to System B. The physical layer of System B removes the information from the physical medium, and then its physical layer passes the information up to the data link layer (Layer 2), which passes it to the network layer (Layer 3), and so on, until it reaches the application layer (Layer 7) of System B. Finally, the application layer of System B passes the information to the recipient application program to complete the communication process. Interaction Between OSI Model Layers A given layer in the OSI model generally communicates with three other OSI layers: the layer directly above it, the layer directly below it, and its peer layer in other networked computer systems. The data link layer in System A, for example, communicates with the network layer of System A, the physical layer of System A, and the data link layer in System B. The following figure illustrates this example. Figure : OSI Model Layers Communicate with Other Layers On which layers of the OSI model do WAN protocols operate? A WAN protocols is a data communication protocols which is use in the data communications network that covers a relatively broad geographic area and that often uses transmission facilities provided by common carriers, such as telephone companies. WAN Protocol in WAN technologies, generally function at the lower three layers of the OSI reference model which layers are as following: †¢ Physical layer †¢ Data link layer, and †¢ Network layer. Following figure illustrates the relationship between the common WAN technologies and the OSI model. Figure : OSI Model Layers and WAN Technology specification What are some of these protocols? some protocols which are also operated in the WAN technology are PPP, X.25 etc. On which OSI layers do switches and routers operate? The Network Layer of the OSI model is responsible for establishing paths for data transfer through the network and router are the devices which are used to establishes the path for data transfer. So, routers operate at the Network Layer. And Data Link Layer of the OSI model is responsible for communications between adjacent network nodes. Hubs and switches operate at the Data Link Layer. If routers reside at more than one layer, what is the difference between the OSI layers? Routers generally do not reside at more than one layer, because the router devices are operated in the network layer and they can apply the data link headers when they switch the packet interface and put the signals at the physical layer wires . In this way the routers do work on three different levels, but each job is separate and distinct per layer.

Holiday Inn Strategic Management

Holiday Inn Strategic Management Management can be generally defined as a art and science of getting the things done from others. The previous definition explains that a manager plans and guides a particular work which is done by other people. In this assignment I will be discussing about different strategic management process. Strategic management process is one of the very important management process which are been used by different organisations. Strategy :- Strategy are the resources used by the managers to achieve long term objectives. In simple term, strategies are the ideas which are been used by the management. Strategic management : Strategic management is a conduct of drafting, implementing and evaluating cross functional decisions in enabling to achieve its long term objectives. There are different types of process involved in strategic management :- Marketing is accepted globally as a life blood of any organisation. In this analysis I felt that strategic management is at the same level as marketing which decides the future and prosperity of an organisation. Practicing the management of strategies is very crucial in the competitive world. Successful managers will have to know their business market situation and position and to implement the strategies when required. I kept these objectives in mind and invented some management qualities in myself while doing a research on this topic. I feel that I need more knowledge of the management practices. So in my research on strategic management I had a good understanding of strategic management and practices. Basically the concept of strategic management closely resembles elements of foresights; this means planning a head is a major element in the business. Strategic management is considered as a life blood of any organisation. This assignment on strategic management covers the change and development in the organisation. I have also understood that having a clear idea of strategic management is crucial in todays competitive business world. Companys now a days seek ways to achieve a competitive advantage with other players in the industry that they operate. The environment in which a company operates can provide circumstances where the outcomes may be positive or negative. Many organisational studies have presented numerous theories that help companies in taking new ways in dealing with their operations. Strategic management is one of those important management theories and process that has been employed constantly by any business to address their management and decision making needs. I have chosen Holiday Inn as an example to illustrate the adaptation of strategic management and its process. In this assignment I have written about how holiday inn hotels analyse and critically evaluate the organisation practice to solve the problem connected with implementing their strategies. Main body :- Now I will be giving a short history on Holiday Inn hotel. Kemmons Wilson initially came up with the idea after a family road trip to Washington, D.C., during which he was disappointed by the quality and consistency provided by the roadside motels of that era. The name Holiday Inn was given to the original hotel by his architect Eddie Bluestein as a joke, in reference to the Bing Crosby movie. In 1957, Wilson franchised the chain as Holiday Inn of America and it grew dramatically, following Wilsons original tenet that the properties should be standardized, clean, predictable, family-friendly and readily accessible to road travellers. By 1958, there were 50 locations across the country, 100 by 1959, 500 by 1964, and the 1000th Holiday Inn opened in San Antonio, Texas, in 1968. The chain dominated the motel market, leveraged its innovative Holidex reservation system, put considerable financial pressure on traditional hotels and set the standard for its competitors, like Ramada Inns, Quality Inn, Howard Johnsons, and Best Western. By June 1972, when Wilson was featured on the cover of Time magazine, there were over 1,400 Holiday Inn hotels worldwide. Innovations like the companys Holidome indoor pools turned many hotels into roadside resorts. The company later branched into other related enterprises, including Medi-Center nursing homes, Continental Trailways, Delta Queen and various related enterprises. Wilson also later developed the Orange Lake Resort and Country Club near Orlando and a chain called Wilson World Hotels. The family of founder Kemmons Wilson still operates hotels as part of the Kemmons Wilson Companies of Memphis. Wilson retired from Holiday Inn in 1979. Although still a healthy company, changing business conditions and demographics saw Holiday Inn lose its market dominance in the 1980s. Holiday Inns, Inc. was renamed Holiday Corporation in 1985 to reflect the growth of the companys brands, including Harrahs Entertainment, Embassy Suites Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Hampton Inn. In 1988, Holiday Corporation was purchased by UK-based Bass PLC (the owners of the Bass beer brand), followed by the remaining domestic Holiday Inn hotels in 1990, when founder Wilson sold his interest, after which the hotel group was known as Holiday Inn Worldwide. The remainder of Holiday Corporation (including the Embassy Suites Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Hampton Inn brands) was spun off to shareholders as Promus Companies Incorporated. In 1991, Bass launched Holiday Inn Express, a complementary brand in the limited service segment. In 1994, Bass launched Crowne Plaza, a move into the upscale hotel market. In 1997, Bass cr eated and launched a new hotel brand, Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn, entering the North American upscale extended stay market. In March 1998, Bass acquired the InterContinental brand, expanding into the luxury hotel market. In 2000, Bass sold its brewing assets (and the rights to the Bass name) and changed its name to Six Continents PLC. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) was created in 2003 after Six Continents split into two daughter companies: Mitchells Butlers PLC to handle restaurant assets, and IHG to focus on soft drinks and hotels, including the Holiday Inn brand. Business relationship with Gulf Oil In 1963, Holiday Inn signed a long-term deal with Gulf Oil Corporation in which the lodging chain would accept Gulf credit cards to charge food and lodging at all of its hotels (in the United States and Canada). In return, Gulf would build service stations on the premises of many Holiday Inn properties, particularly those along or near major U.S. and Interstate highways. Many older Holiday Inns locations (including some no longer part of the chain) still have the service station properties intact today, either still in operation or closed down. With the exception of a few locations in the eastern U.S., hardly any of the still-open stations are now Gulf outlets. The portion of the agreement which permitted Gulf credit cards to be used for payment of food and lodging at Holiday Inns was copied by competing lodging chains and major oil companies during the mid-to-late 1960s. Most of those agreements fizzled out with the 1973 oil crisis. The Gulf/Holiday Inn arrangement ended around 1982 . The brand name Holiday Inn is now owned by IHG, which in turn licenses the name to franchisees and third parties who operate hotels under management agreements. In January 2002, The Wall Street Journal reported that the company, led by Ravi Saligram, was producing a new 130-room Next Generation prototype hotel to rebuild the brand. It would include a bistro-like restaurant and an indoor pool. The first of these prototype hotels, the Holiday Inn Gwinnett Center, was built in Duluth, Georgia, in 2003. On 24 October 2007, IHG announced a worldwide relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand. The relaunch is focused on delivering consistently best in class service and physical quality levels, including a redesigned welcome experience and signature bedding and bathroom products The first relaunched Holiday Inn is expected to open in the USA in the spring of 2008. The whole relaunch process is planned to be complete by the end of 2010. In September 2008, IHG announced the creation of a new timeshare brand, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, a strategic alliance with The Family of Orange Lake Resorts. As told before strategic management is a set of activities undertaken in the order of time. One of the first tasks in strategic management is environmental analysis. Environmental analysis is the study of an organisations environment to pin point the environmental factors that can significantly influence the organisational operations. It provides a frame work for understanding an organisations environment with the aim of helping to find the key issues and different ways of coping up with the complexity and change. A business organisation operates in an external and internal environment. The factors which influencing the external environment is known as PESTEL. PESTEL stands for political factors, economical factors, social factors, technological factors, ecological factors and legal factors. Analysis:- The political, economical and social context stood as a big challenge for the organisation of Holiday Inn when they entered the market. the holiday inn operations are highly influenced by the policies set by the government in which ever territory or country they operate. Most of the Holiday Inn are controlled by regulations of operations and policies of individual properties. The Holiday Inn group will also focus on concerns such as health and safety employment, laws , worker protection and environment. From my studies I think all these elements are seen in the control of government that authorises licensing of hotels in different states. Being in a business environment they have to abide by the employment procedures and tax obligations where they operate. As the company is widely expanded and well developed they must co-operate with the practices set by political body. After my research I think this company should get full co-operation from the political power to succeed in local an d international market. as many private enterprise when holiday inn was opened the management had very informal sense of direction setting up a few long time goals without implementing proper strategy. How ever by implementing a new scenario in their strategy with set an international competitive advantage in hotel industry as tourist increased every where and the hotel accommodation was in demand after this the management of Holiday Inn realised the need and development of planning strategies. The management achieved a competitive advantage position and enhanced the holiday inn groups performance in relation to its competitor. Company have taken a very good advantage of this point and served this market segment all the time. They have given market what they want according to the expectations. I think by going through company history the Holiday Inn is spread all over the world. This vast expansion is because of its good economical stability. The company has its own concerns involving economic factors. The branches and franchise like Holiday Inn has the tendencies to experience the hard ships in instances where the economy of the respective countries is hit by inflation and changes in exchange rates. Because of the disposable income of the citizens in developed countries the holiday inn group gave prior importance in marketing their business because of the economic stability of these countries. Holiday Inn is a world wide chain and its international functional strategies will always yield profitable returns. The potential customers are from all over the world. It is been noted that the holiday inn company has given the market such as Europe, Asia, America with regards to their social-cultural needs. Holiday Inn, like all other hotels has established a good system in determining the needs of the market. The company uses the concept of product, personality, behaviour of the customer and purchasing to its advantage. Now I am going to talk about the technical factors influencing the company. This is because of the technical advancement due to which the company could reach in a very short span to many people about their various products and service information. Customers can contact Holiday Inn by many means such as emails, telephone, travel agents, website etc. holiday inn is providing their guests with all modern amenities and facilities to their rooms to provide the best accommodation experience. Their hotels all over are fully equipped with modern amenities and technical advancement. The above mentioned study helped me a lot to determine how much the elements of PESTEL were helpful and positive for the development of the company After the analysis of PESTEL and depending upon that outcome I have also carried out SWOT analysis of the company Holiday Inn which gives me exact position of the company in the market. SWOT stands for strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. These are the factors influencing the internal environment. SWOT analysis is extremely useful for understanding and decision making for all source of situation in business and organisation. It also provides a frame work for reviewing strategy position and direction of the company. I think it is therefore important to evaluate the environment opportunities in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation resources. Strengths: as mentioned in the history of the company it clearly states that the Holiday Inn Corporation is a well established organisation and industry leader in hospitality. Holiday Inn is well diversified hotels in the high end, business and mid priced classes in their product mix. Holiday Inn also poses a solid integration features such as owning the companies that manufacture its furniture and has invested in online reservation travel enterprises. It also has easy access to all its customers to get information and also has a excellent reservation system. Weaknesses: according to my research Holiday Inn may be narrowly focused making it susceptible to the down turn in the global economy and other world wide catastrophes that could limit global travel. Holiday inn hotels may also be venerable to employees strikes and crack down on undocumented workers. I think the aggressive expansion policies may put the company in trouble during the global down turn. Some of the branches or franchises do not follow the holiday inn set standards, recruitment process efficient accounting systems. Opportunities:- Holiday Inn corporation is a global pioneer in hospitality industry. Their position is strong financially and they are widely expanding all over the world. They offer an array of distinctive and specialised services to their guests. They also have an opportunity to expand or acquire a cruise line company. The holiday inn corporation should take advantage of emerging markets especially with business clients and mid priced markets. The holiday inn corporation has a strong affiliation with REIT (real estate investment trust) or similar organisation that provides a strong back up for hotels. It has a strong skilled work force all over. Threats: Like all other business, the major threat for holiday inn will be an emergence of a new competitor. The competitors will be more active in promoting the concept of global brand name. Holiday Inn has its own resources to sustain their global brand name. In general the hotel industry faces a threat from internet reservation channels which represents a growing share of hotel room booking. To overcome these threats Holiday Inn has its own centralised reservations system. Looking at strategic direction of the company the mission statement says GREAT HOTELS GUEST LOVE shows that holiday inn makes all efforts to exceed their customer expectation. This statement covers all aspects on hospitality firm in a brief manner. The vision statement and the values of the company states that year after year holiday inn (IHG) and the management will be regarded as the best and most sought hospitality group. From my personal experience while working with holiday inn group I can say that they are following their vision and mission statements. By observing their strategic formulation they have adopted cost leadership strategies. They are one of the lowest cost providers for their product. This makes many customers to become potential and loyal. They have targeted very broad market from high and society to middle and the lower one. While offering this wide variety of offers to the customers they have developed and achieved best value strategy. During my analysis on holiday inn I discovered the difficulties faced by them or in other words we can say their weakness. They faced great difficulties while entering the Asian markets. The reason behind this was they were not familiar with Asian market. To overcome this problem they had to take a strong action plan by signing a joint partnership with Asian hotel firms. This provided them a base to learn about the Asian environment and their establishment. Holiday Inns vision for the future was a property that delivers new levels of customer convenience by extending hotel systems for guest and employee access using the hotels wireless infrastructure. RECOMMENDATIONS :- From my analysis since holiday inn is expanding it is wise to deal with proper authorities in the respective markets where they intend to operate. The company has to accomplish and satisfy all the prerequisites for doing business. The company should also carry out a well conducted market research before penetrating the new segments of market. the company should always obtain relevant information from the target market in addition to the individual customers of organisation. A comprehensive market research is a must before granting a franchise. I think similar research should be made in areas like consumer behaviour and purchasing patterns of the market. Holiday Inn Corporation has to re-evaluate its internal environmental factors like Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and threats to overcome with a strategic direction adjusting its mission and vision and at the same time maintaining its values. These are the few strategies that holiday inn must adopt to attract more diversified clie ntele. Therefore in order to survive and maintain the brand name holiday inn corporation should be consistent with their excellent service being always innovative. They should also create the role of middle managers and let them to be more innovative. I think the biggest challenge for Holiday Inn is expansion and franchises. The main features of Holiday Inn Corporation should be put as a standard one for the franchisers to follow. Will the franchisers really set the standards followed by Holiday Inn Corporation? What are the efforts that are to be put for the franchisers to follow the standards set by Holiday Inn Corporation? Holiday Inn is also using its technology to its advantage. The interactivity and the real time effects of communication is a good way to find suppliers. CONCLUSION :- Successful strategies always demand a company to choose the market in which their unique capabilities will gain competitive advantage. However the adoptive and incremental context of strategic management means that the company starting point leads the firm to a stable position. Corporate strategies of Holiday Inn have been able to use strategic management to stay in the competition in the global market. I believe that the strategies as well as the leadership styles used by the management of Holiday inn have been the major cause of their competitive position in the hotel market. Though Holiday Inn is considered as a leader in hospitality sector there is a need of flexibility. Slight changes in the market can effect their operations of the business. They should not rely on their past success but instead they should innovative and ready for any future uncertainties. Holiday Inn Corporation focuses on services rather than accommodation itself. I truly agree that the true asset of the organisation is the staff. The staff are the one who represent Holiday Inn hotels through their excellent services. So there is a need to make sure that the staff is always happy with the behavioural integrity of work place. The corporate strategy of Holiday Inn has been able to guide the company from challengers and opportunities that appears in the market environment in order to sustain the competitive advantage. Therefore I think the leaders of the company should continue their style to motivate their employees and become a major asset for the success of the company.

Leukemia: Cancer of the Blood Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

The river of life, the blood is the body’s primary means of transportation. Blood is a part of the hematopoietic system, which also includes lymphatic tissue, bone marrow, and the spleen. Blood is a complex transport medium that performs vital pick-up and delivery services for the body by picking up food and oxygen from the digestive and respiratory systems, and delivering those vital elements to different cells of the body. In exchange of the blood and oxygen, blood then picks up wastes from the cells for delivery to the urinary organs. These functions could not be provided for the individual cells without the blood. Like any other structure of the body, blood can be attacked by many types of disease, such as Leukemia. Leukemia is a general name given to a number of blood cancers that affect the blood. Blood transports hormones, enzymes, buffers, other types of biochemicals that are important in body functions. The blood is made of plasma and formed elements. Plasma is the clear, straw-colored fluidpart of the blood. The formed elements consist of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The red blood cells (erythrocytes), play a critical role in transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide to various parts of the body, and play an important role in the homeostasis of the acid base balance of the body. The white blood cells (leukocytes), are responsible for cellular defense (phagocytosis of pathogenic microorganisms), humoral defense (secretion of antibodies involved in immune system response and regulation), and play a role in the body’s inflammatory response (secretion of Heparin and Histamine). Platelets play an important role in homeostasis of the blood and the coagulation (blood clotting). The average adult has appro... ...efinite way to prevent it from affecting the lives of many people. Fortunately, the medical world has developed many treatment options for the different types of leukemia and many people are able to survive and beat this potentially deadly cancer. Works Cited Bozzone, Donna M. â€Å"Leukemia.†Infobase Publishing Inc. 2009.11-134. CTCA Cancer Treatment Centers & Hospitals.Integrative Cancer Care.Web. 15 Jan 2012. http://cancercenter.com/. Lerner, Adrienne W. â€Å"Leukemia.†Greenhaven Press. 2009. 14-135. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society- Official Website.Web. 23 Jan 2012. http://www.leukemia.org. â€Å"Leukemia- Symptoms, Types, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment Options for Leukemia.†WebMD- Better Information Better Health.Web. 3 Feb 2012. http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/leukemia-topic-overview. Parks, Peggy J. â€Å"Leukemia.†ReferencePoint Press Inc. 2010. 8-73.

The future of banana trading. :: Economics

The future of banana trading. Q1. Introduction. Latin America is situated in the southern part of America, on the equator, between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Lain America is in the prime location for growing bananas because of the countries tropical climate. Bananas grow where there is sun and rain all year round, so that they can fully develop. Looking at my climate graph I can see that it does rain all year and the temperature doesn't drop below 6 degrees. It has tropical heat and a rainy season between the months of January and April. In Latin America there are seven major exporters of bananas. They are Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua. Look at Figures 1, 2 and 3 for more information. Q2. Describing TNCs. A Transnational country is a company which operates in many different countries, regardless of their situation or financial difficulties. TNC's normally have their headquarters based in a developed country, whilst working their 'branched' factories in developing countries. The TNC's directly employ millions of people, but the work they do effects millions more. Many people feel that the TNC's exploit poor countries, whilst others say that the world economy depends on them. There are four major TNCs involved in the banana trade, they are Chiquita, Dole Food Co, Del Monte, and Fyffes. Â · Chiquita is based in Ohio, US it farms mainly in Honduras and Guatemala. Â · Dole Food Co is based in California, USA and farms in Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador and Colombia. Â · Del Monte is based in Florida and farms in Costa Rica and Guatemala. Â · Fyffes is based in Dublin, Ireland and farms in Belize, Guatemala. All of these TNCs import to the United States, Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Look at figures 4, 5 and 6 for more information. Q5. The Alternatives for the future. There are several companies who are trying to make things better for the future of banana trading they are COLSIBA, EUROBAN, IUF, US/LEAP, Fair Trade and many Internet sites and trade unions. All of these organisations are trying to meet one goal, and that is to help the banana workers improve their lives. They all do this by targeting different areas that are in need of improvement, COLSIBA for example try to improve working conditions by using trade unions, whilst Fair Trade concentrates on the financial difficulties and some of the environmental concerns. COLSIBA is the Co-ordination of Latin American Banana Workers' Unions, it represents 40 trade unions in 8 countries. COLSIBA was set up in 1993 so that it can respond better to the many problems that banana plantation workers face, all across the world's main exporting region.

Aids and Society :: HIV Social Issues Health Essays

Aids and Society Aids and Society The number of newborns infected by vertical transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus is increasing as the prevalence of HIV-positive women increase within the United States. It is estimated that while seven thousand HIV-positive women become pregnant each year, between one thousand and two thousand of their newborns will be HIV-positive. This research paper will concentrate on the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus from mother to child, the benefits of drugs intervention, and whether or not the HIV-screening process of pregnant women should remain voluntary or become mandatory. The HIV-virus has proven that it is not a disease to be taken lightly or ignored. I chose this topic because I want to be informed about the virus and its rate of vertical transmission so that I will be able to inform others about such ethical topics: Does the baby have rights and should a pregnant women be denied her right to privacy with respect to HIV? Data shows that AIDS is now increasing faster among females than males, with women accounting for seven percent of cases in 1985 and nineteen percent in 1995. The incidences of HIV-positive heterosexual women have risen dramatically over the past decade, and AIDS is now the third leading cause of death among women ages twenty-five to forty-four. The one thing that all of these women have in common is that they all are of child bearing age. Consequently, the incidences of HIV-positive newborns have also increased. As mentioned previously, about seven thousand HIV-infected women give birth each year, and about twenty-five percent of their babies are HIV-positive. â€Å"Maternal transmission accounted for ninety-two percent of all new AIDS cases reported in children in 1994†(Davis15). A major breakthrough in drug intervention began in February 1993. The AIDS Clinical Trials Group administered a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study of zidovudine, also known as AST. Four hundred s eventy-five women were enrolled in the study. These women were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received zidovudine while the other, the control group, received a placebo. The administration of either zidovudine or placebo began in the second trimester of pregnancy and continued through labor. For six weeks after birth, the babies received the same treatment as the mothers in a syrup form. Because it was a double-blinded study, neither the researchers nor the patients knew who was actually receiving the zidovudine.

Motherhood And Its Challenges

The word mother means a female parent who brings up a child, takes care of her and loves absolutely by putting the needs of her children over her own. A mother takes the whole duty of parenting with both her words and her actions. Being a mother can be extremely fulfilling but it has got its fair share of challenges; it has got far-fetched highs and the demanding feeling of affection and protectiveness that comes with it has to be well balanced. The most magnificent and satisfying of times of motherhood is just the quality time you spend with your kids and just simply watch them grow and be happy.A mother usually offers a warm, selfless and an understanding environment and to most mothers, the particular moments spent with their children are not comparable to any other moment. Explicitly, the period of being a mother is the most thrilling moment that life can present to a woman. Motherhood involves being a capable wife and mother, to be an affectionate and a kind friend to all member s of the family and above all, to keep the house operational.All these, mothers are expected to do in a single stride and still remain the most self-controlled member of the family because more often than not, mothers should build great friendships with their children and husbands. The unconditional love that mothers offer should carry with it self-responsiveness, beauty that comes from inside and refinement coupled with high aptitude. All these images are not very easy to keep up with but all the same, the society expects mothers to achieve all these. Against this background therefore, it is no little truth to emphasize that motherhood is generally a big challenge.(Rosenberg, D. 64-66). Body: Measuring your achievements as a mother is not an easy concept; the challenges present themselves each single day and the solution is just in having the right attitude and striving to solve a predicament by finding fresh ideas in making things smooth sailing. The positive aspect is achieved by understanding the reason you became a mother in the first place and realizing that it is still in existence; this is important because with time, mothers realize that the challenges do not go, they only change forms.The hitch is that by viewing things from this angle, most mothers identify their shortfalls and deal with them while providing the proof that the challenge is adequately dealt with, this can be well achieved by having a feedback mechanism. The rationale behind this strategy is straight forward: since things that can not be quantified tend to be given less consideration, the gist is to focus more interest and time on the quantitative aspects because they can be planned, registered and evaluated, this therefore enables one to easily come up with solutions (DiQuinzio.P. 32-34). In comparison, juggling motherhood with employment or business can be trickier than managing motherhood as a full time mother. To every mother, the family is the most important thing and is so fulfi lling to give attention to, on the other extreme, ones personal accomplishments are equally important and should therefore not be sacrificed at the expense of the quality of the family unit. This makes the whole issue very difficult contrary to what the society has always believed that multitasking is manageable to mothers.According to Elraviv Yung, a social scientist at the Beijing school of law, â€Å"the potentials of women have not gotten the appreciation they deserve, women add a lot of value to the society and the very fact that they can juggle up their roles as both entrepreneurs and mothers should be a great motivation to the society† Elraviv 56. The best strategy for this group of women would still be to come up with a workable formula on time management and do a feedback mechanism after a certain specified duration.This is mostly by dividing your time in such a way as to have time both for the family and work and to ensure no time is spent on the extreme. The feedba ck plan helps mothers to asses their achievements in the timelines and correcting any deviations from plans. Research has revealed that being a mother in the present day has more to face up to and is more difficult than it was twenty to thirty years in the past. Dealing with busy schedules, coping up with pressure in the society and teaching children to acquire acceptable values are just a few out of the scores of concerns that the society presents.Infact, standards have deteriorated as compared to how they were in the past. Controversially though, the society judges mothers more harshly than fathers and when it comes to instilling values in our children, a lot is expected from mothers than is from fathers (Rosenberg, D. 80-82). The effects of motherhood challenges can be far-fetched: mothers often sacrifice too much to an extent that they end up not having time for their own ambitions. This is very costly than beneficial because in as much as a mother feels that her ideal objective of being a mother are achieved, self fulfillment is overlooked.Another effect is that motherhood-especially full-time- is so devastating-due to fatigue- that in the long run, it leads to different illnesses that may be chronic. These illnesses may be less affordable to treat and this leads to difficulty in achieving these goals in the first place. Achieving the set goals and assessing the deviations from plans at times may be unrealistic especially considering that time in itself may be limited. It should be understood therefore that motherhood is difficult-but at times fulfilling- and trying to live up to the society’s expectations may at times be unachievable (DiQuinzio.P. 89-93). Conclusion: Overall, the role of a mother although difficult, is the most important in her life. Motherhood ,as generally expected in the society, is supposed to be characterized by self-denial, fostering and unrelenting, on the other extreme, a mother is more often than not expected to feel on t he wrong side of the law if her standards are not as high as is generally acceptable. Motherhood as an occupation is expected to embrace social, physical and emotional sides.The social characteristic entails the expectations that a mother will put together the family structure and ensure that the family relationships are functionally healthy. Apart from this, the mother has to guard the way the family and the larger society views her achievement, that is to say, are they up to standard? Emotionally, a mother should be there for her family and to ensure her presence is felt: dealing with a child’s achievements and disappointments as well as their feelings and teaching them how to cope with their emotional challenges.Motherhood also involves meeting the expectations of the larger family in giving them adequate attention and time. Left to one person to deal with single-handedly, striving to achieve these expectations can be overwhelming. Works Cited DiQuinzio. P. The impossibili ty of motherhood: feminism, individualism, and the problem of mothering. Routledge, 1999. Rosenberg, D. Motherhood without guilt: being the best mother you can be and feeling great about it. Source

Research proposal and literature review

Abstract This research proposal consists of several parts that provide a relevant direction for the development of a research project on the topic of talent management and knowledge management in contemporary organisations. The first part introduces the mentioned topic by providing adequate background details that aim at exploring the direct link between talent management and knowledge management initiatives used by companies. The second part is the literature review consisting of solid evidence obtained from management literature. The third part of the proposal includes the proposed research methodology, which is quantitative in nature, as the selected data collection method is survey. Advantages and disadvantages of this type of research methodology are clearly outlined along with the suggested model of data analysis. Part 1: Introduction and Background The present study intends to explore the close relationship between talent management and knowledge management as related to the constantly developing HR field. It is important to understand how the implementation of knowledge management activities can contribute to better functioning of modern organisations especially in terms of talent management procedures and reinforcing the potential of employees (Arthur, 2012). It can be indicated that the combination of talent management and knowledge management is beneficial for the operations present at companies (Aiman-Smith et al., 2006; Analoui, 2007). Talent management has been found useful to motivate employees to demonstrate their skills, as this would be possible through raising awareness about the importance of knowledge management. Different knowledge management concepts can be identified as directly related to talent management initiatives in organisations (Analoui, 2007). Such concepts are related to recognising the potential of k nowledge employees, presenting adequate orientation to create and share knowledge as well as demonstrate activities pertaining to the retention of solid knowledge. For that reason, the purpose of the study is to demonstrate the relationship between talent management and knowledge management. This issue has been adequately explored in the literature in an attempt to find out essential aspects pertaining to each of the two concepts (Armstrong, 2007). Yet it is expected that the present study can provide significant insights into different methods and strategies that relate to using the advantages of talent management and knowledge management in practice (Ingham, 2006). Three main research questions are identified for the present study: Research Question 1: What is the relationship between talent management and knowledge management in the context of contemporary organisations? Research Question 2: How can knowledge management contribute to extending the impact of talent management initiatives across organisations? Research Question 3: How can organisations improve the aspect of learning among employees as well as empower them? Such research questions are considered helpful and thus will be covered in the study by providing adequate answers. Specific objectives are identified for the study: To assess and enhance the impact of both talent management and knowledge management initiatives across organisations; To determine employee contribution and attitude towards the functioning of the organisation and outline of specific strategic goals; To include a series of recommendations on how the relationship between talent management and knowledge management can be enhanced to achieve optimal results Part 2: Literature ReviewIntroductionThis section of the study outlines major points related to the connection between talent management and knowledge management as outlined in the literature. The introduction of knowledge management programs is found beneficial to develop and enhance mechanisms of talent management initiatives. This in turn will result in more empowered employees who tend to be more satisfied with their job and thus more productive in the long term. A substantial part of the literature review section refers to exploring the link between talent management and knowled ge management. The emphasis is on the attitude demonstrated by employees regarding the combination of these two essential concepts of the HR field.The Link between Talent Management and Knowledge ManagementIt has been argued that talent management is mostly associated with enhancing the potential of new employees as well as recruiting and retaining existing ones. In the process of retaining employees, the focus is on the most competent and qualified workers in the organisation. Other elements emphasised by talent management include educational and training opportunities, progression planning, and organisational expansion (De Wit and Meyer, 2005). The benefits of talent management have been recognised in the literature (Aiman-Smith et al., 2006). Such an activity is subject to control by the HR department. Researchers have focused on the optimal ways that can be used to expand the skills of their employees, which would be possible through the development of relevant strategic objecti ves (Analoui, 2007). Organisations should be adequately prepared to correspond to any changes or aspects of financial performance. The contribution of talented employees should be considered in the process of organising adequate talent management and knowledge management initiatives. In addition, researchers have argued that the interrelation of knowledge management and talent management is mostly maintained for the accomplishment of particular strategic goals (Aiman-Smith et al., 2006). As a specific area in the HR field, talent management requires significant attention in order to utilise the optimal potential of employees in the workplace. On the other hand, knowledge management has been perceived as introducing regulatory mechanisms that can facilitate or motivate employees to achieve their full potential. This can be done through the creation, accumulation and application of solid knowledge mechanisms in the organisational context (Aiman-Smith et al., 2006; De Wit and Meyer, 2005). It has been identified that knowledge connection management is a specific field within the broad domain of knowledge management, as it has been considered such differentiation is important to expand the knowledge in modern organisations. The focus of employee performance has been emphasised in the literature especially in a direction of recruiting talented employees and advancing the possibilities of information technology (Evans et al., 2007). As a result, companies would be able to use and share knowledge in an efficient manner. The idea is to enhance organisational performance at all possible levels (Haesli and Boxall, 2005). The effective execution of talent management and knowledge management in organisations requires an adequately constructed process, which is related with the identification of talented employees, creating solid knowledge base, and sharing such knowledge efficiently. In addition, it is important to motivate employees to practice such knowledge in the best possible manner by demonstrating creativity and innovation. According to research, knowledge management mechanisms can be rather effective if they are combined with models of talent management and thus focused on the capabilities and structure of organisations (Green, 2000). It can be argued that knowledge management mostly relates to essential aspects of technology development and organisation, with the utmost goal to create adequate knowledge procedures across organisations. It is significant to note that successful knowledge management can be achieved if companies ensure efforts to combine these two areas of the HR field (Frank and Taylor, 2004). Knowledge management application can help organisations manage their knowledge base properly, while talent management application can reinforce the talent of employees and supervise them accordingly (Evans et al., 2007). In this context, it is important to differentiate some of the most viable knowledge management competencies to include dimensions of organisational behaviour, structure and empowerment of knowledgeable employees.Knowledge Management and Organisational CapabilitiesKnowledge management is a dynamic area of the HR field pertaining to the identification of essential capabilities and dimensions of organisational performance (Frank and Taylor, 2004; Green, 2000). The most relevant idea is to generate knowledge principles continuously, which would contribute to better functioning of organisations. The HR department is usually responsible for raising awareness regarding the importance of knowledge management and knowledge creation at all levels of the organisation (Evans et al., 2007). Therefore, it would be possible to identify knowledge management mechanisms as rather structured in nature as well as controlled by managers with the purpose to manage and control knowledge effectively. The process of accepting certain knowledge forms may be challenging, but the combination of knowledge management and talent management can significantly facilitate the performance of organisations (Evans et al., 2007). Knowledge management indicates the necessity to ensure constant reinforcement of certain HRM activities. Researchers have argued about the importance of measuring the performance of each employee especially through feedback, which has been found effective not only for the organisation but also for the professional development of employees (Frank and Taylor, 2004). In terms of performance, it has become important to implement a relevant strategy and present a strong vision; hence, companies are expected to introduce clear strategic goals for future initiatives that can combine successfully talent management and knowledge management. As a result, this would improve both the external and internal capabilities of the organisation, as shown in the literature (Green, 2000). However, short-term and past-oriented financial pointers cannot become distinctive indicators that can appraise the overall company’s performance anymore. In this context, intangible assets such as knowledge management and talent management rather than tangible financial assets are a measure of a company’s strategic value (Smart, 1999). As a result, knowledge management has emerged as a quite important branch of management in the sense of developing intangible asset monitor systems to evaluate performance indicators of the workforce as well as provide certain details about financial performance (Sewell, 2005). The intangible asset monitor is a system consisting of performance pointers that can link such intangible assets in a relevant manner. Moreover, the classification of intellectual capital has become a priority to many organisations in an attempt to enhance their internal structure and acceptance of certain criteria for employee performance, which may contribute to extensive growth (Frank and Taylor, 2004). For that reason, researchers have proposed the implementation of Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) emerging as a strategic management parameter that includes both financial pointers and nonfinancial indicators (Green, 2000; Sewell, 2005). Such a strategic learning system is able to modify a particular business theory through the implementation of strict monitoring mechanisms. The goal is to assess an organisation’s knowledge management and talent management initiatives. At the same time, knowledge management emerges with significant objectives related to the improvement of all parameters of organisational knowledge, introduction of innovative mechanisms that support knowledge and motivation of employees (Evans et al., 2007). The combination of knowledge management and talent management activities is useful for enhancing organisations to achieve essential strategic objectives through a clearly defined path of possibilities (Redman and Wilkinson, 2006). Yet, it can be indicated that knowledge management has not significantly contributed to the actual organisational performance. Its combination with talent management activities has been found a preferable option to enhance organisational performance (Green, 2000). The cost-effective parameters of such a combination of activities should be considered as well. Researchers have indicated that the BCA can realistically measure knowledge management and talent management performance through the method of cost analysis (Nonaka, 1994). In this sense, knowledge management refers to an entire philosophy of training employees in order to enhance their collaboration and integration within the organisation. Therefore, researchers have suggested the method of knowledge management scorecard (KMSC) as a relevant way to evaluate performance through the lens of knowledge management (Evans et al., 2007).Effective Combination of Talent Management and Knowledge ManagementThe conceptualisation of the link between talent management and knowledge management is required in order to expand the potential of employees to bring greater value to the organisation. Talent management has been found important in eliciting a sufficient amount of intellectual knowledge (Nonaka, 1994). In addition, the notion of talent management clearly adheres to the principles outlined b y strategic management. It aims to strengthen the dimensions of knowledge in organisations through the identification and reinforcement of talented employees, as the leading point made in the literature is that once these employees have been recognised, they should be retained in the long term (Sewell, 2005). The concept of talent management also refers to the affective domain of the HR department especially in terms of facilitating a proper vision for emotional intelligence. Various examples can be also found in relation to how talent management and knowledge management can be adequately combined to create the south positive impact and retain qualified and experienced employees in the long run (Sewell, 2005). It appears that there are plenty of successful companies that have demonstrated their aim to combine these two branches of management in an effective way. For instance, Igus, which is a leading manufacturer of energy systems in Germany, is a clear example of such successful organisations (Igus Official Website, 2014). The company is noted for its commitment to arranging all aspects of management in a clear and efficient way by reinforcing the potential of employees so that they can contribute to optimal organisational performance.ConclusionIt has been argued that the necessity of including both talent management and knowledge management in contemporary organisations can contribute to improved performance, productivity and adequate employer-employee relationships. The focus is on the formation and implementation of a clear HR strategy for organisations to operate in particular markets or industry sectors (Green, 2000). As illustrated in the literature review, the concept of combining talent management and knowledge management has been subject to extensive discussions among management scholars. It has been identified that both systems should be carefully considered upon the implementation of a particular organisational strategy. Scholars have focused on the necessity to direct the HR department in a proper direction by taking advantage of the strong aspects of both talent management and knowledge management (Evans et al., 2007). Yet, greater emphasis is put on exploring the effects of different knowledge management frameworks that could further lead to the accomplishment of various strategic management goals. This literature review also emphasised that the combination of talent management and knowledge management initiatives is associated with rather positive effects on employee performance and productivity as well as job motivation. The adoption of a positive attitude among employees is a clear sign of the effectiveness of the mentioned combination of management approaches. An extensive focus on the talent management and knowledge management initiative has been outlined in the research literature. Despite the usefulness of training and development programs, the mentioned initiative has been considered more important in relation to specifying long-term implications. In addition, different recommendations have been introduced of how to expand the positive effect of talent management and knowledge management activities in today’s organisations (Evans et al., 2007). The improvement of organisational control mechanisms has been extensively discussed in the literature. As a result, researchers have indicated the importance of extending employee learning and empowering them to succeed as professionals in a particular area of expertise (Green, 2000). Therefore, the presented literature review fulfilled the objective of enabling individuals to understand the complexity of the talent management and knowledge management initiative. Part 3: Research Methodology Prior to proposing the most viable research method to be used in this study, it is important to clarify that focusing on research philosophy is inseparable part of the entire research process. Quantitative research methodology is considered most appropriate to answer the presented research questions and achieve the stated objectives. In this way, the researcher needs to focus on collecting a substantial amount of numerical information that would be sufficient to explain particular research phenomena (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). In terms of presenting a clear paradigm of research philosophy, the emphasis is on the use of positivist research philosophy, in the sense of providing an adequate explanation for human behavioural patterns from the perspective of cause and effect. The social environment has been identified as an optimal place to collect the information necessary for presenting research findings (Nonaka, 1994). Moreover, the possibility to achieve a high level of generalisabil ity of findings is a relevant way to ensure greater objectivity of the obtained information. to generalise the findings to the wider population.Advantages and Limitations of Quantitative Research MethodologyThe basic aspect underlying the specificity of quantitative method is its focus on retrieving sufficient numerical information, which would allow the researcher to conduct an in-depth statistical analysis (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). The retrieval of quantitative data is statistically dominated and thus emerges with substantial accuracy considering that it is not open to various interpretations as in qualitative research design. One of the benefits of adopting quantitative research methodology is that it contributes to the easy collection of data, as it can be visually presented with charts and figures. Another benefit of this type of methodology is associated with the possibility to carry out a research at a large scale due to inclusion of extensive statistical details (Green, 2 000). A disadvantage of the research method selected for this study is that it may represent a rather costly option compared to qualitative research design (Vogt, 2006). A second disadvantage of quantitative research methodology relates to changing numbers as a result of specific operations and calculations, as this may have a negative impact on the overall results obtained in the study (Nonaka, 1994).Sampling ProcedureThe sampling procedure used to construct a relevant sample of participants is random sampling, which refers to selecting individuals on a random principle (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). There is a sense of unpredictability associated with this sampling procedure, as the intention of the researcher is to ensure optimal objectivity of results. It can be stated that all people from a particular segment have the equal chance to participate in the study. The simple technique pertaining to random sampling is the availability of random number tables, which serve a notification purpose in the sense of informing the researcher to select study subjects at a particular defined period and thus participants are generated on a random principle (Vogt, 2006). However, it should be noted that the use of randomisation devices may be also considered in this study, as it has been found to produce effective results in terms of avoiding bias in research (Maxim, 1999). The application of random sampling is a proper way to produce legitimate results as well as adequate findings and implications for long-term practice. It is important to indicate that the results obtained from randomly selected participants are perceived as credible and accurate and thus such a sampling technique should be preferred in the research process (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). However, there is a significant challenge associated with the selected sampling technique. It obviously cannot include all representatives of the general population, which may result in the formation of sampling errors. There is an aspect of uncertainty, but this usually emerges with any method and thus the researcher should be prepared to address similar concerns (Maxim, 1999). In order to accomplish the research objectives outlined in this study, the researcher considers the formation of a sample that consists of 250 senior managers employed in a UK based financial institution.ValidityThe aspect of internal validity is important in research, as it relates to evaluating whether the study can assess what it was initially outlined. In addition, validit y refers to determining whether the obtained results can be considered truthful. There is also an aspect of external validity, which is associated with achieving a high level of comprehensive research results in the sense that they find a broad application in various research settings (Vogt, 2006). Thus, it is assumed that the present study has an adequately high level of internal validity because of the lack of insufficient knowledge on the topic or improperly introduced arguments. However, it should be considered that data insufficiency may pose a significant risk to ensuring validity of data. It is important to avoid situations leading to the generation of low internal validity from research findings (Carmines and Zeller, 1980). In addition, certain instrumentation issues in relation to the data collection tool may create additional challenges in the process of ensuring internal validity. The possibility to generate invalid scores is also clear and similar situations should be apparently decreased in the organisational context. The issue of order unfairness is a concern which is also considered in the present study, as the focus is on the order of particular involvement conditions that should not be removed from the precise effect of those conditions (Carmines and Zeller, 1980). Other threats considered in the present research include particular errors in statistical analysis testing, improperly constructed correlations and the emergence of causal errors, which are most likely to appear in the data analysis process. In terms of exploring the dimensions of external validity, it is important to consider its important role in determining outcomes in quantitative research. External validity refers to drawing more general inferences in relation to the collection of data among participants. Specific time periods and settings are important in determining the study results, b ut there are problems in relation to external validity that should be adequately considered. The major problematic issue is related to survey population, which is followed by time and attempts to ensure a sufficient level of environmental validity (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). In terms of testing survey population validity, the researcher is concerned with the idea of whether specific inferences can be obtained from a particular population segment. In case bias is demonstrated throughout the research process, it is clear that external validity is subjected to substantial threat. Furthermore, in case the sample size is considered insufficient or lacking characteristics of randomness, it may appear that the respective calculations are irrelevant. The process of achieving greater generalisation of results to the wider population may be problematic. The concept of time validity may emerge in order to demonstrate the degree to which obtained research findings can be comprehensive as related to other time periods (Carmines and Zeller, 1980). There may be certain changes occurring in the connection between variables, implying that the perceived level of time validity in this case would be rather low. The notion of environmental validity shows that the retrieved results can be comprehensive across a variety of settings. Despite the assumed high reliability and accuracy of the selected research methodology, it should be noted that achieving proper international generalisability may be a problem especially when it refers to small surveys and case studies (Carmines and Zeller, 1980). In conclusion, it can be argued that the notions of validity and reliability are more applicable to quantitative research than qualitative research. Part 4: Data Analysis The process of conducting an in-depth data analysis is fundamental to achieve the research objectives of the study. Considering that the proposed data collection tool is survey is important to implement statistical analysis, which is properly constructed. Yet, it should be considered that the researcher may provide various alternative ideas in terms of analysing the information obtained from research participants (Vogt, 2006). It is important to adhere to a properly constructed strategy of data analysis considering that extensive knowledge of working with survey data is essential throughout all stages of the data analysis process. There are different paths of analysis that can be followed by the researcher in this study, as the most important aspect is to recognise the specific audience and research objectives, and thus the implementation of an appropriate analysis tool to interpret the data would be possible (Maxim, 1999). The initial stage of data analysis is represented by Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), which indicates that the researcher initially looks into the data set in order to determine specific categories that will be later grouped for analysis. It is a preliminary form of data analysis (Vogt, 2006), but the essential part of the process is to derive the main findings from the collected survey data. It is important to make sure at this stage that analysis files are adequately consistent with one another because the issue of data analysis inconsistencies may be quite problematic in the long term (Maxim, 1999). It is also important to mention that the survey results can be analysed with specific software applications, which are intended for similar purposes. Other basic aspects to be considered during the data analysis process include filtering, comparing and showing rules as well as using saved views of the data set. 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