Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Challenges Facing Organizations Today Essay Example

Challenges Facing Organizations Today Essay Ads by Google Performance Management Measure what Matters and find out What you could do to be better. www. abenetis. com Board Evaluations Board development services from the FS and regulation experts www. ctpglobal. com/ Enterprise Performance Enterprise Performance Software Simple, Practical, Affordable! www. ElegantJBI. com Keesing ID DocumentScan Acquire a Statutory Excuse with the help of Keesing ID DocumentScan www. id-documentscan. nl Real-time appraisals Help your staff focus on what matters; their top priorities teamly. com [pic] | |Ads by Google Performance Management Create Organizational Alignment Manage Employee Excellence ww. DSPanel. com Real Team Building Events A Unique Experience for Any Budget Groups Up to 500 People www. SunBuggy. com IT Personal Development Develop your non technical Skills Grow people within your teams www. voyedge. net Leadership Get Leadership news manufacturing info at IndustryWeek www. IndustryWeek. com Change Management courses Certified training for leaders, employees and practitioners www. picourseware. co. za Free 360 assessment The easiest 360 around. 100% free! Self-managed. Get started in 2 min. atlas360. net Rolex Mentors Proteges Rolex Art Support: Talented Artists their Mentors, Watch the Videos! Rolexmentorprotege. com 360 Degree Feedback Trusted in 50+ languages. Great support. Quantity discounts. www. panoramicfeedback. com Free Time-Tracking Soft Web-based Time Tracking Software Download Free Version. Try Online. www. actiTIME. com Performance Improvement Sustainable results engaged people Experts in business transformation www. agents2change. com [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]Many companies long to learn the secret to success. While business has many critical aspects from vision to strategic planning to customer service the one that is often given the least attention, yet can be the most costly, is people. Your people have the ability to drive customers to you or away from you. To make work fun and simple, or miserable and riffled with issues. They can cause problems or save time and money with their creative solutions. Whats a company to do? Here are 5 keys to make your Organization Successful: 1. Hire the right people when it comes to hiring, many organizations miss the mark by: †¢ Failing to identify and agree upon the position requirements †¢ Neglecting to plan †¢ Asking illegal questions †¢ Asking few follow-up or clarifying questions Succumbing to the pressure to fill the position †¢ Letting individual biases and stereotypes get in the way 2. Give them the tools to do a good job Put yourself in your employees shoes. Would you be able to do a better job if: †¢ You had a faster computer? †¢ There was a file cabinet for pertinent documents? †¢ The printer/copier was closer to your desk? †¢ You had a database program to track customers? †¢ There were bins to organize inventory parts? †¢ You had some help developing a report to track tasks? †¢ The supplies werent locked up and you didnt have to requisition every paperclip? . Provide them with positive, constructive feedback many companies have a formal performance review process, but rarely use it. Constructive feedback is one of the best ways to grow a company! People want to know: †¢ Know they are doing a good job. †¢ Understand what and how they should improve. †¢ Understand how they affect company success. †¢ Know how they can affect their status and pay. †¢ Know how they can get ahead in the company. †¢ Be heard and appreciated for their efforts. †¢ Have open dialogue with their managers. †¢ Have input into their goals. 4. We will write a custom essay sample on Challenges Facing Organizations Today specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Challenges Facing Organizations Today specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Challenges Facing Organizations Today specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Develop them Keep in mind, companies do not grow; companies are not entities that can grow by themselves. A company can improve productivity, gain new customers, capture new markets, acquire new technology, increase efficiencies, develop creative approaches, increase profitability, etc. , but only through one prime ingredient its people. Invent in their continued learning and they will help the company grow. 5. Reward them How do you reward your people for doing a good job? Most would say money, right? Yes, people want to make a good living and be well paid for the job they do. Thats a given. But money is only part of the equation! Different things motivate different people, learn what is important to your people and reward them appropriately. Keep in mind the number one reason employees leave their jobs is due to a poor boss. They stay because of good leadership that recognizes the needs of the people, and provides praise and recognition. Remember, companies dont change and grow. . . people do! So be sure to reward and recognize the behaviors you want to see. Catch people in the act of doing things right and reward them on the spot with a heartfelt thank you! |Sue E. Thomas, president of Managing Asset Potential (M-A-P, LLC), has over 25 years of business experience, 17 years of equine | |experience and 15 years of Human Resource Management. She possesses an in-depth knowledge of human interaction and team | |dynamics. She has extensive skills in organizational development, leadership development, facilitation and executive coaching. | [pic][pic][pic][pic] †¢ Reports and publications | †¢ Contact us | †¢ BP worldwide †¢ | Home Search Top of Form [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]Search: [pic][pic][pic][pic] Bottom of Form About BP †¢ Products and services †¢ Environment and society †¢ Investors †¢ Press †¢ Careers †¢ Gulf of Mexico response You are here: †¢ BP Global †¢ [pic]Press †¢ [pic]Speeches †¢ [pic]Press releases †¢ Speeches †¢ Features †¢ Images and graphics †¢ Press contacts [pic ] [pic] What is RSS? Which are the Key Challenges Facing the Global Company of the Future? Speaker: John Manzoni Speech date: 12 September 2005 Venue: Wiston House, Steyning, West Sussex, UK Title: Chief Executive, Refining and Marketing Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good evening It’s a pleasure to be here, and to have the chance to take part in this discussion. A few months ago I had the privilege of chairing the annual lecture organised by Tomorrow’s Company which was delivered by a tremendous business leader Jeff Swartz of Timberland. Many companies try to do the right thing, try to be constructive for the societies of which they are part, and try to help the individuals who work for them to achieve their potential. But in terms of engagement in society of both management and staff very few can match what Jeff Swartz has done in developing his family business. He has used social engagement as a means of motivating his entire workforce and positioning his company not just as a supplier of great products and a financial success but also as an active, creative citizen. That event introduced me to Tomorrow’s Company, and encouraged me to start thinking about the role of companies and how it’s changing in response to all the developments which are taking place in the world around us. And so we’re delighted to be supporters of the work being done on Tomorrow’s Global Company. It is clearly work in progress, and this event is one part of the programme of activity. What I thought I’d try to do today is describe some of the issues which we believe global companies are going to face in the years ahead and to pose some of the questions which I hope Mark Goyder and his team will address. They are questions – not answers. In many areas we have experience and have taken initiatives but we are conscious that we have a lot to learn which is why this event and the whole enquiry are so valuable. Every company is unique, and I’ll talk about the issues as we see them in a large business operating across 110 countries worldwide with over 100,000 employees. Of course our experience is different to that of most other businesses, but as I thought about each of the issues I came to the conclusion that almost all of them are likely to be relevant in one way or another to all sorts of different companies. I start from the assumption that business is at the heart of society and can’t ignore what is happening around it. I think that is true now, and I think it’s always been true. We exist for a purpose – which is to provide goods and services that people want to buy at a price they can afford to pay. And we exist thanks to the investment made by our shareholders who put their money, their savings, in trust with us in the expectation of a reasonable, competitive return. That is the precise definition of what business is about. But business won’t succeed if it isn’t engaged with the society around it. For business, the most dramatic change of the last two decades has been the globalisation of economic activity. Of course there has been international trade for centuries, in some activities (including the oil business) it is a global marketplace. But the scale of the change over the last twenty five years has been remarkable. World trade has grown by 300 per cent since 1980 – almost two and half times the growth in GDP. Foreign Direct Investment has grown ten fold by over $ 500 bn from just $ 55 bn in 1980 to $ 560 bn now. In response, companies have grown in scale and scope. The market capitalisation of the companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange has gone up by over five times in real terms. The largest companies are still predominantly based in the industrialised world but there has been a strong recent surge in the development of international investment by firms from China and Russia and India. In almost every sector and area of business life you can find the evidence of globalisation. Communications, culture, and of course employment all now operate at least in part at an international level. International air passenger numbers continue to grow at 6% annually. Millions of students leave their home countries to study abroad – half a million travelling to the U. S. alone. Globalisation is changing the shape of the international economy. Twenty five years ago only 1 barrel of oil in every 7 was consumed in Asia. Now the figure is 1 in 3. The share of the developing countries in world manufactured exports rose from just 5. 5 percent in 1970 to 27. 5 percent in 2001. Of course, globalisation is not yet universal. Many activities are still strictly local in nature and many people – perhaps 2 bn – still live and work outside the international economic structure. But the direction of change is clear. The world is more globalised than it was – and it will become even more global over the coming decades. Globalisation is a dynamic process and in many sectors has only just begun. Mobility for instance which is something we take for granted here is just becoming an economic possibility for hundreds of millions of people across Asia. So is access to communication. The forecasts of the industries involved are instructive. Just to quote one example. The car industry predicts that there will be 194 million more vehicles worldwide over the next decade – with 54 million of those new cars in China. In that context, what are the challenges for tomorrow’s global company? The first point to make is that Tomorrow’s Global company will face many of the challenges faced by today’s more local company. Fierce competition for markets and talent. Scrutiny and in some cases public doubt. The expectations of investors and market pressures for sustained competitive performance. All those issues will remain challenges though some of the pressures involved could be intensified by globalisation. But in addition to those familiar themes there are new challenges driven by the changes in the global economy which are taking place. I will focus on four. The first is the absence of a framework of global rules. Business is used to legal and regulatory clarity. But there is no global framework to match the global nature of business. The international institutions are rudimentary and built for a different age. Trade issues are partially subject to agreement (although of course not all countries are yet part of the WTO process) but environmental issues, investment protection, and questions of intellectual property are not fully agreed. As we are seeing in relation to the question of climate change new international agreements are very hard to establish, particularly when there is no agreement on what the facts of the situation actually are. So companies are operating at a level of integration unmatched by law. That means that a company based in one country must obey the rules of that jurisdiction but it must also and simultaneously obey the law in each and every place in which it is working. That doesn’t always make for simplicity. And in some areas, of which environmental policy is just one, companies often find themselves establishing their own rules well ahead of any formal regulations or laws. That can be a creative process, and one of the ways in which progress is made, but it forces global companies to develop the capability to interact with the policy and regulatory process in many countries, including developing countries. That is a new skill, and one which we have to learn particularly because it requires an understanding of how to develop mutual advantage and not just to pursue our own interests. The second challenge concerns the way in which companies are organised and managed. The sort of global scale and reach which is necessary to be competitive on an international scale requires a widely distributed set of operations, which in many cases (and certainly for BP) are spread over 24 time zones and 110 national jurisdictions. Command and control which has been the organisational model for many companies in the past can’t work effectively at this scale. Companies have to apply real delegation of authority, to establish exactly who is responsible for what and to ensure that everyone, at every level understands the framework of standards within which they are expected to do their job. I think it is a reasonable generalisation to say that if you have a set of business activities spread across 100 or more countries there will always be unexpected events in one place or another. There will be circumstances beyond prediction which require an immediate reaction and that place a heavy premium on the quality of judgement of the local managers and the team leaders. In many cases there won’t be time to call up the line for advice and equally there’s no reason to think that a head office far away will be able to reach a better decision than people on the ground. In place of command and control we have to rely on a new combination of corporate culture, values, and standards – all of which establish an aligned intent within which people can make the day to day decisions and judgements which are required. Understanding how to manage in this way is, I believe is an essential precondition for growth and expansion of global scale. The third challenge is about cultural diversity – and again this is related to culture and values. Business is historically monocultural. Even in our industry which has been working internationally for decades, the nationality of the company has been reflected in the make up of the workforce in general and senior management in particular. Many argued that that carried advantages. It meant that there was close understanding between people doing different jobs and a very clear common sense of values. But in a globalised world that model is no longer sustainable. The colonial approach to business is now a relic of history. It is impossible to do business in China, or India, or Russia or indeed anywhere without employing local staff in senior roles. We also believe that those senior roles shouldn’t be limited to one’s country of origin. Good people have to have the chance to make progress in an international company on a global basis, whatever their background or nationality. Meritocracy is very important in sustaining motivation. That means that we are now operating across cultural boundaries. We can’t just apply a western, Anglo-Saxon set of values and expect everyone to conform to them. We have to understand and adapt to the many strong cultures in which we are working and to try to understand the dynamics and the tensions within the many societies of which we’re part. I find this a fascinating topic. It’s about how to operate in Islamic countries at a time when there is obvious tension between some Islamic communities and the West. It’s about how to operate in areas which are in transition away from rigidly centralised systems – as in Russia. And about how to operate in countries undergoing dramatic changes in living standards and expectations such as China and parts of India. We need people who can go into different cultures and bridge the divides. Those people are few and far between – this isn’t a set of skills which many people have been taught and it doesn’t appear on the curriculum of many business schools. Even better we need to identify strong and senior local people who can bridge the cultural divide in the other direction and who can learn how a global organisation works. That is an ever rarer set of skills. And the fourth issue which isn’t completely new but which is certainly intensified by globalisation, is the question of corporate responsibility for the externalities associated with business activity. Global companies have to have a point of view as to the limits of their own legitimacy and to be clear when they are approaching the boundary line. We have to understand our role and impact in society. The resource sector faces particular issues. As we invest we create wealth but we can also disrupt local economies. International corporate activity can affect local labour markets and currency values. It alters beyond recognition regional economies. And as we sell products we provide heat, light and mobility but we can also alter the environment – from the air quality of cities to the earth’s temperature. Those aren’t always comfortable issues to raise but I think a company which wants to be sustainable has to recognise the reality of its impact and to work hard to apply its skills and technology to make the impact positive. We’re working to do that and so are many other companies. I believe globalisation makes that effort more important because the increased scale of global companies gives them the power to do something which smaller more local enterprises perhaps couldn’t attempt. And part of the bargain, the social contract which allows companies to be as large as they are, is that they become engaged in the challenges the world faces, rather than dismissing them as someone else’s problem. Natural resources are one part of the challenge, but the question of the relationship of Tomorrow’s Global company to the world around it isn’t limited to the question of dealing with pollution or the impact on existing economic structures of large new inflows of funds. As international companies move into more countries, often countries which are at early stage of economic and social development, I believe there is a legitimate role in helping to develop the capacity of those countries – through education, training and the encouragement of institutions which can form a civil society. Companies shouldn’t get engaged in politics but they are citizens of every country in which they work and they have a direct long term interest in contributing creatively to the development of strong societies in support of national authorities but without challenging or pre-empting their legitimacy. This is a very complex issue not just because companies have to take great care not to overstep the boundary of legitimacy, but also because the activity goes beyond the traditional, narrow focus on profits. The answer, I believe, lies in the fact that business is a long term activity. We invest for the long term – in particular facilities and plant, but also in the development of our brand and our market position. The new global context means that companies have a direct long term interest in the development of the places in which they work, to a degree which is greater than our role in developed, industrialised countries where established social systems are in place. An investment in education therefore in a country in Africa or Asia, may not produce short term profits but it could help to protect and enhance a company’s long term position – and have a lasting positive impact on that society. So those are four of the principal issues which I believe tomorrow’s global company will have to deal with. †¢ How to work in the absence of a global framework of rules †¢ How to organise effectively across a wide geographic canvass †¢ How to create an organisation with a global culture, open to all on the basis of merit. †¢ And how to understand our role and legitimacy in the societies of which we are part. Of course, those are not the only issues. We’re very accustomed in the developed world to a clear distinction between the public and the private sector. That’s a distinction which is not well established in many countries where business is now operating. In many countries business is expected to work on behalf of the nation and to obey the wishes of Government. Some businesses in some countries work as agents of domestic or international policy – creating employment in particular regions, establishing a national strength in a particular sector, supporting a particular relationship with another country. Private sector global companies will have to learn how to operate in partnerships with state entities whose objectives don’t start with profits and the interests of shareholders. And I believe they have to understand how to develop the benefits of such relationships – because the combination of the efficiency and drive of the private sector, with the capability and focus of Governments and public sector companies can be enormously powerful. Together the two can achieve progress which either the public or the private sector on their own would find very difficult. I believe the development of such public private partnerships is going to be one of the most interesting issues for international companies over the next few decades. The other issue I want to mention is how business deals with the disparity of wealth and the absence of support and opportunity for many people in many of the countries which are now becoming active parts of the global economy. Welfare systems of the sort we’re accustomed to relying in this country just don’t exist. Business could, of course, simply ignore the problem. We could say that we will deal with those, often a minority, who can afford to buy whatever we are selling and that we hope wealth and opportunity will trickle down to the rest over time. My strong sense is that that isn’t going to be enough. I don’t think companies are going to be comfortable operating in the midst of deep poverty and doing nothing about it. The answer I suspect doesn’t lie in charity or philanthropy. Those are important and business has a role in supporting good causes. I don’t disparage charity. But it isn’t enough and I think the challenge for tomorrow’s global company is to look for new business models which can reach to the bottom of the economic pyramid. To look for technology which for instance can bring power to remote areas which are distant from any electricity grid. We’ve begun to do a little of that in India and Africa – applying the skills and technology we’ve established in our solar business. That technology now supplies small hospitals and schools and provides energy which can offer communities new opportunities. Other businesses are also looking at retail distribution systems, at the application of technology which can improve the efficiency and the safety of the ways in which people light and heat their homes and at the potential for developing local businesses based on agriculture and trade. Of course, there are no simple answers, and of course the return on such activity won’t be enormous. But I go back to my point about business as a long term activity. If you are in the business for the long term you have to think about market development. And to me the hundreds of millions of people who live at the edge of subsistence in India and Africa and elsewhere aren’t just people who need help and aid. They are the consumers of tomorrow and we need to find a way to build that market. So there are many challenges – and they can only be answered through experience and trial and error. There’s no blueprint for tomorrow’s global company. But I don’t want to conclude on a note of difficulty. The challenges are huge but there is also a great opportunity – the largest ever shift in scope and scale for a huge number of business enterprises. That means that there’s a world to win. That opportunity has been created by the spread of prosperity, and the entry into the market place, over the last two decades in particular of tens of millions of people who were previously excluded. That is happening in China, in India and to a lesser degree in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The shift will reshape the nature of business, and the shape of the global economy. I think it is a very exciting moment to be in business. We’re exploring in completely unmapped territory. I think it was Columbus in setting sail who said that he didn’t know what he’d find or how he’d deal with it, but he did believe that the world wouldn’t ever be the same again. I think that is the right note on which to start thinking about tomorrow’s global company. Thank you very much. [pic][pic][pic][pic]back to top †¢ Site Index | †¢ Legal Notice †¢ | Privacy Statement  © 1999-2010 BP p. l. c. [pic][pic]

Saturday, March 7, 2020

The eNotes Blog Happy Birthday, Tennessee 10 Famous Tennessee WilliamsQuotes

Happy Birthday, Tennessee 10 Famous Tennessee WilliamsQuotes Tennessee Williams was born on this day in 1911. Decades after his time on earth, his works such as  A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof  are still referenced in pop culture (STELLAAAAAAA!) and taught in high schools around the globe. Here are ten of our favorite quotes that reflect Williams voice and inner turmoil, showing that not only your strong passions, but that overwhelming frustrations can be a turning point in your life filling you with inspiration.   What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, its curved like a road through mountains. Time is the longest distance between two places. How beautiful it is and how easily it can be broken. Theres a time for departure even when theres no certain place to go. I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going. When so many are lonely as seem to be lonely, it would be inexcusably selfish to be lonely alone. The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks. Life is an unanswered question, but lets still believe in the dignity and importance of the question. In memory everything seems to happen to music. Have a question about Tennessee Williams? Ask your question on Homework Help or browse answered questions about him here.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

An outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 303 Essay

An outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 303 - Essay Example Atlantic Quench operates in the fruit juice segment with the objective of maintain and attracting more consumers through offering them greater range of benefits present in their manufactured fruit juice products. The company has suffered from the decrease of market value and sales volume. The paper analyses the existing fruit juice markets of the US and the UK so as to conduct a marketing plan for growth for Atlantic Quench in next year. Atlantic Quench Cranberries Incorporated (AQC) is one of the premier fruit juice manufacturing companies operating in the U.S. AQC has been established as an agricultural co-operative. The company was formed almost 80 years back by the cranberry farmers from New Jersey and Massachusetts. Farmers from Florida joined the co-operative in the year 1974. Currently AQC is owned by 46 grapefruit and 630 cranberry farmers. The company has achieved great success in the UK. However, the fast growing health concerns amongst consumers in the UK and the US has brought challenges for the company as the market value and sales volume (Mintel, 2014). However, the consistently rising demand for low sugar content fruit juice drinks is seen to be a good chance for the business of AQC and similar fruit juice manufacturing firms, in a highly positive manner (Corbett, 2013). The current paper focuses to analyze the existing conditions and the characteristics of the UK fruit juice market. Accordingly the paper aims to recognize the opportunities and challenges existing in the market for Atlantic Quench so that the company can develop strategic plans for marketing their products and recognise suitable positioning opportunities. After implementing these strategies of this marketing plan, the sales of the company is expected to increase by 4.5% and the profit margin will be maintain at 12% - 14%. The company has remained successful at achieving 7% growth annually since the last four years. Almost 26% rise

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Innovation & Enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Innovation & Enterprise - Essay Example Idea Development In every human being, there is a need to communicate. Communication is a necessity in the social life of the human race. Communication, in its many forms can be considered educational, informative as well as entertaining. Communication is facilitated by numerous media, but there is none that has enlisted interest from the world such as the internet. The internet facilitated communication of data in the form of sound, images and motion and live pictures making it an extremely high potential specialization area. Being a student under the computing field, I have realized the need for a means by which persons can communicate and exchange ideas freely with little or no limitation. I intend to start a photo sharing and interactive website that shall be used to facilitate communication and sharing of experience via sharing of photos. This choice of a business idea comes from the current trends in the social networking sector, with new and more advanced technologies coming u p every now and then. By market segmentation, I am able to focus on a particular group of young and energetic social networkers to whom the website is of great interest as well as advantage. The current trend in the social networking field is advantageous for other sectors such as the marketing sector in business. The aim of marketing is reaching as many people as possible within a given time limit. By using social media as a platform to communicate to possible customers in an interpersonal level, businesses are saving on both costs and materials, while getting a much higher efficiency from the exercise. Motivated by this idea, I intend to include advertisements in the site where, interested parties shall be given the opportunity to advertise their wares over a given period of time as agreed upon by the advertiser and the site administrator. It is necessary that adequate research into this field is conducted for it encapsulates several challenges that might be the downfall to the si te. There are a number of challenges that face the choice of business such as high competition from the existing industries as well as the initial starting capital. Research into this subject shall involve questions such as the affinity in the market for a site that facilitates the postage of pictures over the internet. The young adults and the youth are the main target market for the site, when it comes to its success, for it is by the numbers interested shall investors get the audacity to make investments using my site. The marketing that is to be done shall show that there is a need for the youth to get involved in the photo sharing site, through referrals or associated links so as to facilitate the sites growth. I estimate that the returns from the site shall at first be meagre, but with time and popularity, they shall increase. One of the advantages that are behind the idea is the fact that the site is presented in a global platform. The challenge of working within boundaries h as always been a huge challenge for many businesses, but with the site, the work shall be conducted on a global scale, which means that it shall be easy to reach almost every community in the world. Popularising the website may be a huge challenge for the business, but with support from my colleagues and the locals, the site is expected to be a huge employer in the near future. The idea of the photo-sharing site is supported by an ethical necessity for the community to control the content of sites. As

Monday, January 27, 2020

Textual Analysis Of Early Modern English

Textual Analysis Of Early Modern English The text is from a collection of poems in The Phoenix Nest, which has been extracted from the book The poem of Sir Walter Ralegh. The Early Modern English poem is fourteen lines long and is quintessentially a self-pitiful venture to remind the poet himself of his lifetimes dashed reputation and respect as a result of his profound mistake. The poet, Sir Walter Raleigh, became a favourite of Queen Elizabeth the First after conveying, on a number of occasions, his abhorrence towards the Catholic Church but also due to his exceptional services to the state. Nevertheless, Queen Elizabeth had Walter thrown into prison after acknowledging his love affair with one of her Maids of Honour, Bessie Throckmorton. During this period of humility, Walter wrote the poem Farewell to the Court in 1593, which is in essence an unforgettable embittered poem that insinuated the Court did not aid him is his dilemma, although he had unquestionably devoted his lifetime in working for the Court. On a less subt le basis, the poem is concerning the poets despair, his contemplation on the wrongs committed and his hopes for fortune to come sooner than later. Sir Walter Raleigh was born at Hayes Barton, which is near the village of East Budleigh, Devon, England. Language scholars claim that the poet retained his strong Devonshire accent, although he came into contact with numerous regional accents all over England, including the prominent accents of London. However, apparently the poets accent was not discriminated in London. Furthermore, before the fifteenth century, when English had been standardized thanks to the Black Death (where the economy experienced a significant drop in population-size) and to Caxton (who introduced printing in 1476), there were several regional standard varieties of English. However, by the fifteenth century, the London regional standard was recognised as the only standard in England due to urbanisation and excessive economic growth in London. Analysis According to Smith (1999:128) v and u were used interchangeably in a word to represent both a vowel and a consonant. Therefore, v was generally used in initial position, for example, vnknowne (line 6) whereas u was generally used in all other positions, for example, truthles (line 1). However, there are evidences in the text that explicitly indicate inconsistencies in the orthography and the fact that the poet does not conform to the written spelling conventions. In the poem, v is utilized in all positions of a word, for example, the non-initial position in the word covrt (title) and the initial position in the word vnknowne (line 6) whereas u is utilized in all non-initial positions of a word, for example, the vowel occurs in the second syllable of returne (line 2) and in the first syllable of loue (line 3). Furthermore, according to Smith (1999:128), the final -y (in present day English) was orthographically represented by -ie, for example, staie (line 12). However, there are obvio us evidences in the text that similarly signify inconsistencies in the orthography and the fact that the poet does not implement the written conventions. In the poem, the final -y is unsystematically transcribed in various ways, such as: -ye (e.g. ioyes (line 1)), -y (e.g. my (line 1) and onely (line 4)), -ie (e.g. daies (line 2), fancie (line 3), staies (line 4) and waies (line 6)) and -ey (e.g. countrey (line 9)). Nevertheless, the discrepancies in the orthography may have transpired as a result of several reasons, such as: variation in regional dialectal (which would explain why there are numerous forms representing the final -y), written errors made by the scribe (which would explain the form -y being mostly represented by -ie), later modifications made by the editor in order to enable contemporary readers to comprehend the poem (which would explain why the word expired (line 1) is not spelt in its Early Modern English original form expird) or, a more straightforward reason woul d be, the poet felt exercising his own hybrid written conventions were more appropriate (which would explain the use of both regional and standard forms to represent one morpheme/syllable) than implementing the standard spelling system, particularly for a personal poem. Hence, although London English had become the standard variety in England, the latter justification would suggest individual writers had the propensity not to exploit the standard orthography during this early period when Standard English was yet considered not authoritative enough to cause national change in the spelling system. Smith (1999:130) alleges that, with respect to Early Modern English (EModE) pronunciation, although there were accentual variations in England, there was a fairly close correlation between a written letter and a spoken sound segment. However, there are evidences in the text that contradict this theory. For example, the vowels in the words life (line 7) and sweete (line 11) are orthographically realized as i and e, respectively. By contrast, the vowels are phonemically realized as / Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ °/ and /i:/, respectively. These examples clearly prove that in Early Modern English there was no direct correlation between orthography and phonology, particularly in this poem if not generally in the 16th century. This notion is further reinforced by the fact that Middle English had undergone major transformations in the fifteenth century (Strang 1970:165-172), whereby the language experienced the Great Vowel Shift, the inclusion of new phonemes (such as: / -/ and / Ã… ½/) and t he obsoleteness of various phonemes (such as / Ã‹Å"/). Hence, due to the fact that the poem is not phonemically transcribed, one cannot distinguish whether or not the poets accent had any linguistic effect on the poem. There is a significant number of words in the poem, approximately 25%, that are not Old English in origin but instead derive from various languages, such as: Germanic (e.g. dream), Old French (e.g. joy), Latin (e.g. expire), Greek (e.g. fantasy), French (e.g. retrieve) and Old Norse (e.g. wail). Although sixteenth century England experienced a dramatic increase in the number of loan words (more than any previous century) particularly from French, the percentage of non-Old English lexical items used in the poem is, nonetheless, extremely high. However, the use of what was classified as inkhorn terms (the pompous terminology of the over-learned) was probably used subconsciously if not intentionally by the poet in order to convey his retaliation towards the state, for unjustly imprisoning him in the Tower of London, by subtly advocating the encouragement of foreign influence. Conversely, the latter notion can be bypassed by the fact that a large number of words in the poem, approximatel y 75%, were Old English in origin. Furthermore, although the poet was not a purist (a writer who attempted to replace loans words with Old English poly-morpheme equivalents, for example, unthroughfaresom was used by purists as a substitute to impenetrable), the poet uses the Old English word loue (line 3) rather than the Neo-Latin alternative druery. Nevertheless, one may argue that the Neo-Latin term was not exploited in the poem because, by the 16th century, it was considered somewhat archaic. Hence, linguists argue that the vocabulary generally exploited by writers were predominantly Old English, except in the rare occasions where purist (such as Edmund Spenser) attempted to use all Old English based words whereas neologisers (such as Sir Walter Raleigh, but only in a short period of time) attempted to use as many loan words as possible (Smith 1999:153-4 Strang 1970:184). With respect to syntax, according to Smith (1999:142) Early Modern English is very similar to present-day English because it follows the same word order pattern (subject-verb-object), for example, the sorrow onely staies (line 4) incidentally there is no object because the word stay is an intransitive verb. Furthermore, the pronouns whose/whom can be used as a relative pronoun by occurring in initial position, which was a distinct feature since late Middle English, for example, whose sommer well nie don (line 11) and whom care forewarnes (line 13). However, although SVO was the unmarked word order in the 16th century, there are instances in the poem where a clause may be missing a grammatical function (i.e. the subject), for example, the clause to haste me hence (line 14) only consists of the non-finite verb followed by the object, which indicates development from Middle English to early 16th century. Nevertheless, the word order SVO is maintained and such peculiarity was typically found in poetry (due to stylistic reasons) rather than prose. With respect to morphology, the morphological system of Middle English has been largely preserved in Early Modern English (Smith 1999:134-141), such as: the plural marker -s on nouns (e.g. dreames (line 1), ioyes (line 1), etc.) and the predicate agreeing with its subject both in person and number (e.g. there is number agreement in Like truthles dreames, so are my ioyes expired (line 1)). However, the most idiosyncratic morphological feature in the 16th century is that an apostrophe is never used to indicate the genitive case, for example, in the phrase my life in fortunes hand (line 7) there is no apostrophe after the last vowel in the word fortunes, which would be present in present-day English. Nevertheless, apart from the excessive growth of compounding (e.g. forewarnes (line 13)), the poem has more or less preserved the morphological and syntactic properties of Middle English. The poet repeatedly emphasizes the refrain Of all which past, the sorow onely staies (line 4) in order to convey he is pessimistic and depressed by the fact that time passes by and the only thought that crosses his mind is the idea of eternal loneliness and sorrow. Furthermore, the poet does not in any way imply he apologizes for his mistake but instead insinuates he has been misled. This implicit meaning may account for the use of the rhyming scheme ABAB, which differentiates the rhyming couplet A and B in other words, the rhyming scheme is used as a metaphor to suggest that the poet and his lover, Bessie Throckmorton, are probably never meant to be together. Conclusion The poem Farewell to the Court by Sir Walter Raleigh illustrates the fact that, by the sixteenth century (i.e. Early Modern English), the orthographic and phonological systems of Middle English underwent major transformations, so much so that the correlation that existed between the two linguistic features had deteriorated significantly. Furthermore, during this period where the London English regional variety was recognised as the only official standard in England, the standard was not authoritative enough to initiate national change among writers (including Sir Walter Raleigh), although Caxton introduced spelling norms with his mass printing. Conversely, as the language acknowledged one official standard (rather than several regional standards), the basic syntactic and morphological properties of Middle English (which are implemented the poem) were sustained throughout Early Modern English to present-day English. Hence, the language of the poem explicitly depicts the fact that Earl y Modern English was linguistically extremely similar but not homogenous to present-day English (orthographically, phonologically, morphologically and syntactically).

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Relationships and Attraction

From the beginning on time, being around others makes us feel affiliated. It is human nature to form relationships with people who attract us. As human beings, there has always been a desire to form relationships. The lack of relationships and bonds with other individuals can lead to negative feelings, such as loneliness. In order to figure out the need to form bonds we must analyze the benefits and factors of attraction and relationships. There are six factors that describe attraction. The mere exposure happens when we are around someone or something so much, we grow fond of it. For example, you go to training classes for your new positions for the next 4 weeks. When you are hired you are more likely to hang around the people who sat closest to you during your weeks of training. We are more attracted to individuals who are attractive. In a study that evaluated attraction bias and the effect it had on hiring managers, 112 managers were given four potential candidates resume and pictures to go over. The managers chose candidates who were more attractive (Marlowe, Schneider,& Nelson, 1996). We are attracted to individuals that we can relate to. For example, advocates for PETA and a person who works on a slaughter farm are less likely to be associated with each other. Along with being attracted to those we relate to, we are also attracted to individuals we look like. For example, in a room full of Hispanics and Blacks, Hispanics are more likely to mingle with Hispanics; the same with black individuals. We are less likely to befriend someone of another culture because of the factor, we are more attracted to individuals we look like. Feenstra also suggest we like individuals who are had to get because â€Å"they are selective in their social choices† (Feenstra, 2011, Ch. 3. 1, â€Å"We like Those Who Are Hard to Get†). If we can form a bond with this individual, it can possibly boost our self esteem because of the exclusivity of the relationship. Humans are more likely to be attracted to individuals they can benefit from. This involves equity. Equity in relationships is receiving back from your partner what you p ut in. A relationship can be under-benefited or over-benefited. Under-benefited relationships involve someone giving more than receiving; and an over-benefited relationship involves receiving more from your partner than giving (Feenstra,2011). Bonds and relationships are natural instincts we as humans want to have. We have an innate need to belong. The need for frequent positive contact and the need for enduring connections marked by mutual concern for the welfare of the other are two parts of the need to belong theory (Feenstra, 2011). Our social bond, emotions, and fear of deprivation are all connected to our need to belong. Positive emotions stem from relationships we have with others. Not being able to form relationships and bonds with others may lead to negative emotions. Social bonds are formed quickly and easily (Feenstra, 2011). For example, you go to a job interview and before the interview you are waiting with a group of people also waiting to get interviewed. You are more likely to end up talking to someone who is sitting next to you. We need contact and attention from others so that we do not feel deprived. Mental illnesses and depression stem from deprivation. Love is a word that is often spoken, and has many different definitions. For example, I love the Atlanta Falcons versus I am in love with Johnny Depp. There are three types of love. Being in love suggest having a desire for someone. There are three types of love, they include: companionate love, compassionate love, and passionate love. Companionate love involves intimacy and commitment. This love can be described as a love you may have for friends and family members. . Trust and past shared experiences contribute to companionate love. Passionate love describes the â€Å"in love† kind of love and involves desire, emotional arousal, and physical attraction (Feenstra, 2011). For example, a man decides to ask his girlfriend to marry him because he is in love with her. Compassionate love describes the love you may feel for your mother. This love is broken into two parts: communal relationships and exchange relationships. In communal relationships things are done for an individual without expecting something in return. In exchange relationships things are done based on whether or not something will be given in exchange. Communal relationships are ones we more likely will have with our friends and family members. For example, if your child is sick you will take care of him or her regardless if they will give you anything back in return. Communal relationships deal with people who aren’t apart of your close friends and family social circle. In Figure 14. 1, Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love distinguishes romantic love from empty love. Sternberg’s theory describes romantic love as passionate and having intimacy . Empty love is described as having only commitment (Feenstra, 2011). Along with these two theories, Sternberg also lists other different components of love. Intimacy, passion, and commitment are all components that make up the kinds of love listed in the table. Intimacy is the closeness you may have with an individual. Its about opening up emotionally and trust. Passion is the emotional desire you have for you partner. Commitments are the decisions we make within relationships. For example, a decision to move to another state along with your partner after they accept a job offers shows your level of commitment to the relationship. We stay healthy by forming bonds with others. When we are deprived we risk depression and other mental illnesses that can have lasting effects on ourselves and others around us. The benefits of relationships show us why we form bonds with other individuals.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

But These Things Also Essay

‘But these things also’ brings â€Å"to the centre of attention what has previously overlooked†, as Judy Kendall writes. Thomas explores his fascination with the unimportant in this poem and looks at the connection and merging together of Spring and Winter. Much like his other poetry, here, Thomas struggles to put his finger on precisely what he means. This is shown by his inability to separate and distinguish between the two seasons. The poem begins with the first two lines focussing on Spring, however, by following this with two lines focussing on Winter, Thomas explodes our first expectations of usual ‘spring poetry’ of bright and beautiful images. Instead, he catches the limbo between the two seasons and we are presented with the idea of the grass being ‘long dead’ and ‘greyer now’. This pessimistic tone is not what one usually connotes with springtime, but with the cold and bleak winter. By putting the images of the two seasons so close together in this stanza, Thomas reinforces his presentation of their connection. The last line of the stanza, ‘than all the winter it was’, changes the natural syntax of the words. The stress focuses of ‘it was’, emphasising what has past, which creates a sense of longing, introducing the idea that, like in ‘March’, Thomas is desperate to find ‘the key’ the last two lines of the first stanza finish with the words ‘now and ‘was’, bringing together images of the movement of time and emphasising the gap between the present and the past and importantly, Thomas’s focus on that gap. The second stanza uses inscape to look at things, which are seemingly unimportant. These things show the remains of winter, therefore connecting the seasons further. Once again, Thomas alters the syntax of the words to create a more beautified image.’ The word ‘bleached’ would usually have a much more negative connotation of fading and perhaps even the loss of hope, however By placing the word at the end of the first line and after the word ‘little’ he takes away the harshness of the sound and makes it more delicate and gentle. As well as this, Tomas’s use of enjambment stresses the soft ‘L’ sounds in ‘the shell of the little snail’, which further emphasises the smoothness of the words. Following this, the sexural pause halfway along the  second line, highlights the plosive sounds on the image of the ‘chip of flint’. This draws our attention to the minute details, which Thomas considers and accentuates the signs that spring is not quite here yet. By observing nature in this much detail, we see how valuable Thomas considers it to be, it creates a sense that although these things are small and often overlooked, they are significant. The final image in this stanza is of the ‘purest white’ bird dung. At first it appears odd to be beautifying such a thing as bird dung, but by following it with the words ‘purest white’, Thomas introduces an idea of innocence and positivity, as well as a contrast with the previous image of something ‘greyer now’. This brief glimmer of hope however, is shattered in the next stanza. In stanza three, the image of ‘white’ no longer has positive connotations, but it feels as if Thomas could be referring to the relationship between the colour white and death. This instantly darkens the tone and the notion of mistaking bird dung for violets presents the idea that Thomas is truly desperate for any indication of spring’s arrival. The following violent images of ‘winter’s ruins’ and ‘winter’s debts’ create an oppressive feeling which moves further from the previous idea of hope. Continuing the pattern of Thomas’s other poetry, the word ‘something’ appears ambiguous and vague, creating a sense that Thomas still isn’t quite clear on what it is we are paying ‘winter’s debts’ with. The final stanza of ‘But these things also’ begins to fill us with hope once more. The ‘chattering’ birds create a sense of rising morale and the idea of keeping their ‘spirits up’ sounds optimistic. Despite this, when we eventually think that Thomas is going to make a definitive statement, ‘spring’s here’ he reintroduces the feeling of ambiguity with the words ‘winter’s not gone’. This leaves the poem with a sense of not knowing and uncertainty. This reminds us of Thomas’s tendency to never give absolutes and that he likes balancing a positive idea with a negative. This paradox leaves us with the idea that the winter is preventing the spring from arriving. Throughout the poem, there is a regular rhythm, given by the Iambic  Tetrameter, which is occasionally shortened to show the indecisive and unclear seasons. There is never a climax during this poem due to it all being one long sentence. Robert’s talks about Thomas’s use of enjambment and fluidity, which gives a sense of him thinking and working through his thoughts.