Hamlet Questions and answers Essay

1.1 1. What happens when Francisco and Bernardo meet at the beginning of 1.1? Where are we, and when? Why is there confusion over which one is supposed to challenge the other by asking â€Å"Who’s there†? Why is Horatio with Bernardo and Marcellus? Who is he? They saw something strange, we are at Denmark. He is asking â€Å"who’s there?† It is because he’s not sure what is there by judging the shadow he saw and it is at night causing the visibility becomes very low as well. Horatio was with Bernardo and Marcellus because they have both seen the ghost of King Hamlet, and Horatio has come to help them determine the origin of the ghost. 2. What is Horatio’s initial response to the story of the apparition? What happens when the ghost appears for the first time (1.1.39.1)? Notice that Horatio addresses it as â€Å"thou.† This is the form of address used with friends or inferiors. Shakespeare’s audience would have been much more attuned to the difference than we are. What is the effect of Horatio’s addressing the ghost as â€Å"thou†? When Horatio was first told about the appearance of the apparition, he was skeptical, † Horatio says ’tis but our fantasy And will not let belief take hold of him† ( 1.1.29). When the ghost was first sighted in the play, Bernardo remarks that the ghost looks similar to the King Hamlet, and Marcellus reasons with Horatio that he should address the ghost. This usage of the word † thou† causes the ghost to exit. Marcellus comments that the ghost was offended, meaning that by Horatio speaking to the ghost of the King with such lack of respect and with demands the ghost left. 3. What does Horatio first assume the appearance of the ghost means (1.1.70)? Why are there such intense war preparations in Denmark? (Read 1.1.69-107 carefully to get the international background of the play.) What does Horatio suggest by his discussion of Julius Caesar’s death (1.1.112 – 125)? Why does he choose the example of Rome? (You may research Julius Caesar if necessary.) Horatio initially assumes that the ghost appearance must mean that there is something wrong with the current government, † this bodes some strange eruption to our state†, and that the appearance is foreshadowing some ominous event that will soon occur. There are intense war preparations in Denmark, and Bernardo and Marcellus question Horatio is he knows the reason behind such actions. Horatio responds that there are rumors that the King Hamlet, who was very prideful in manner, was challenged to battle Fortinbras of Norway and did kill the King Fortinbras. Kind Fortinbras forfeited his land to whoever conquered him, but King Hamlet made a deal and bargained some of the given land to the son of King Fortinbras. The young Fortinbras is uncontrollable with his rage against King Hamlet and Denmark and has been attacking the edges of the land with a spirit of adventure , and is set on his attack to regain the lost lands. Denmark is preparing aggressively for the imminent battle against young Fortinbras of Norway. Horatio is suggesting a connection of Julius Cesar’s and the fall of Rome, in that he discusses that King Hamlet’s death will led to the fall of the land. Horatio chooses the example of Rome to emphasize the King Hamlet’s role in destruction. Both Cesar and King Hamlet are prideful in nature, and have had their pride challenged and their subsequent actions leading to their death. Rome is also known as a grand empire of strength but after the assassination of Julius Cesar, the Roman Republic collapsed and ended. 4. What happens when the ghost appears for the second time (1.1.108)? Why does it leave so abruptly? The questions Horatio asks it represent, according to the thought of the time, the reasons why a ghost could appear. When the ghost appears again, Horatio asks the ghost to speak concerning why it had come in the first place and the reason behind such appearances. When the ghost seems to begin to leave after Horatio questions it, Bernardo and Marcellus try to stop it by throwing their partisans at the ghost. Marcellus believes that the ghost left because they had angered it when they attempted to force the ghost to speak using violence, but Horatio notes that it was the roster crowing that stopped the ghost from speaking and then leaving. 5. What is the purpose of the two discussions of the crowing of the cock, Horatio’s pagan one and Marcellus’ Christian one (1.1.130 – 164)? Horatio tells the others that the rosters crowing awaken a god of daylight and any ghosts who are wandering on the earth are forced to hide until night comes. On the other had Marcellus states that daytime is similar to Christs’ Resurrection, and that no evil thing can roam the Earth during the sacred and hallowed time. These two different discussions regarding the rooster crowing are symbolic of the overall confusion and determination of the ghost’ purpose there. Prince Hamlet later questions if the ghost is something of evil origins there to tempt him into committing sins, or if the ghost is merely trying to help and warn him, and is a victim of the the daylight gods’ reign. 1.2 1. What is the threat from young Fortinbras? (ll. 17-41)? How is Claudius responding to the threat? (You may also want to keep in mind that the name â€Å"Claudius† appears only in the opening stage direction for 1.2. The name is never spoken in the play. He is simply â€Å"the King.†) Throughout his speech, Claudius is telling the court of the sorrow in losing Hamlet, but in joy in the court accepting the marriage of Claudius to Queen Gertrude.Claudius refers the young Fortinbras of his ignorance in believing that Denmark would be weak after the death of King Hamlet, and though Fortinbras is demanding the lands which were lost by King Fortinbras, Claudius is ignoring those demands. King Claudius is also telling the court about the uncle of the king of Norway, who is weak and sick and unaware of young Fortinbras’ actions. King Claudius responds to the threat of war from Norway, by sending a message to the uncle of the king of Fortinbras informing him of young Fortinbras’ mission and in that he is using war supplies from Norway’s subjects, and to stop young Fortinbras from moving further. 2. Based on Claudius’ first 63 lines in office (1.2.1-62), how would you rate him as a ruler? In what ways does he already differ from Old Hamlet as king? (Consider how Old Hamlet would have responded to Young Fortinbras.) Laertes asks King Claudius if he would let him return to France with approval and permission, to which Claudius responds first by asking if Polonius, the father to Laertes, approves. Polonius states that he is reluctantly accepting of Laertes’ question and Claudius formally gives him permission to return to France. So far Claudius’ behavior is very different from those spoken about King Hamlet’s. King Hamlet was said to have been very prideful and warlike in his actions, while Claudius is taking a more diplomatically aggressive reaction. Claudius is avoiding physical confrontation with young Fortinbras and is instead implementing the uncle of King Fortinbras to take action to avoid war. This reaction shows the amount of research done and clear thoughts dedicated to how to react to the threat of young Fortinbras without battle that could be destructive. King Hamlet probably would’ve reacted pridefully by force. Young Fortinbras is basically challenging Denmark to fight, which is how King Hamlet was brought to battle in the first place. 3. What do Claudius and Gertrude want Hamlet to do that he doesn’t want to do? Why won’t they let him do it? How does he respond to them? How do they respond to the way he responds to them? (Research the three well-known people associated with the University of Wittenberg in Germany: Martin Luther, Doctor Faustus, and Hamlet. Can you see any connections among the three?) Claudius and Gertrude want Hamlet to stay in Elsinore instead of going back to the University in Wittenberg, and in response he said, forcibly,† i shall in all my best, obey you, madame†, and only responds to his mother. This choice in response displays the amount of anger and repressed emotions Hamlet has against Claudius, and not excluding Gertrude. Claudius responds to Hamlets reply by pronouncing how loving and joyfully kind Hamlet is and that they should go to celebrate their marriage with a feast in celebration. Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, and created a whole new religion after he separated himself from the Catholic Church. Doctor Faustus, in the play, had discarded the Bible, in favor of books of magic, and forbidden arts. If Hamlet had gone to this University as well, it is clearly a connection to the separation from  Catholicism and religion, in that Hamlet will begin to question the reason behind the ghost and the incentive of his morality, if religion is no longer needed or believed. 4. How seriously do you take Claudius’ argument against Hamlet’s â€Å"prolonged† mourning (1.2.87-109)? How long has Hamlet been mourning (1.2.138)? (The normal mourning period of a noble or gentle woman for a dead husband at this time [ca. 1600] was a year or more.) Claudius’ argument with Hamlet regarding Hamlet’s prolonged mourning seems ridiculous. Queen Gertrude has also regarded Hamlet’s mourning to be too long and asks why he felt such a personal connection to the death of his father. According to the time period, the mourning period was so recent in relation to the year long usually seen, in that King Hamlet had died only months ago. Read notes on The Wheel of Fortune. Also, consider what you have learned in ENG3U about The Great Chain of Being. Finally, consider what you have learned about archetypes of literature. Now consider #5. 5. How might the death of the King and the remarriage of the Queen to Claudius affect Hamlet’s image of the ideal mother and father archetypes? In other words, what does he come to a realization about at this stage in his journey? It will causes him think that the relationship between mother and father can be easily established by keep changing of marriage, he shows that all the years of relationships between with his father and mother change and there may no true love at all form each other as well. 6. Read Hamlet’s first soliloquy (1.2.129-59) carefully. What is it that is really bothering him about what has happened since his father’s death? How would you describe the tone of his feelings detached, impassioned, rational, ironic, or what? It seems that Hamlet is more confused than angry from his soliloquy. He has been raised in Catholicism and expects the reaction to the marriage of his uncle and mother to be as detested and disgusting throughout society, but  notices how he is alone in his reaction. The double relation, uncle and father, is seen as incestuous and wrong, but he still is unable to know how to comfortably act towards the marriage. Throughout the soliloquy it is clear that Hamlet is more upset from his mother marrying his uncle, than his father’s death, but uses his father death to give him reason for being so upset and betrayed. 7. Concept Consideration: New Historicism Read the following except about religious beliefs of the time from Jung’s Advice to the Players: The shock of Horatio’s news brings him [Hamlet], quite naturally, somewhat out of his despondency. Hope begins to rise once more that perhaps the good father is not completely lost to him. But this is hope tempered by fear and confusion from the beginning. Ghosts, for the Elizabethans, fell into two distinct categories for Catholics and Protestants †¦ . For Catholics, they were actually souls of the departed, on leave from Purgatory. Protestants, on the other hand, held more complex beliefs, thinking them spirits, usually from hell but occasionally from heaven. They were thus either devils or angels who had assumed the shape of the dead (Portfield 78). Question: When Horatio tells Hamlet that he saw the ghost, what does Hamlet suspect the about the nature of the ghost and the reason for its appearance (1.2.254-57)? Which religious views does his opinion seem to favour at this point in time? Works Cited: Portfield, Sally R. Jung’s Advice to the Players: A Jungian Reading of Shakespeare’s Problem Plays. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 1994. Print.

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay

* For the corporation that has acquired another company, merged with another company, or been acquired by another company, evaluate the strategy that led to the merger or acquisition to determine whether or not this merger or acquisition was a wise choice. Justify your opinion. Coca-Cola Company history originated in 1886 when the â€Å"curiosity of an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton, led him to create a distinctive tasting soft drink that could be sold at soda fountains† (Coca Cola History, 2013, para. 1). He generated flavored syrup, took it to his neighborhood pharmacy, â€Å"where it was mixed with carbonated water and deemed â€Å"excellent† by those who sampled it† (Coca Cola History, 2013, para. 1). Dr. Pemberton’s partner and bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, is credited with â€Å"naming the beverage â€Å"CocaCola† as well as designing the trademarked, distinct script, still used today† (Coca Cola History, 2013, para. 1). The Coca-Cola Company is not just an average beverage company. The Company owns/licenses and markets in excess of 500 nonalcoholic beverage products, mostly sparkling beverages but also a assortment of still beverages, for instance; â€Å"waters, boosted waters (for example, Oasis, Powerade and Vitamin Water), juices and juice drinks (for example, Minute Maid and Five Alive), ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks† (Coca Cola History, 2013, para. 5). Coca Cola most popular nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands are Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Dr. Pepper and Schweppes which they market worldwide. Coca Cola Company has a market capitalization of â€Å"$177.48 billion and is the largest company in the Food and Beverage sector† (Coca Cola Company, 2013, para.1). Whether you’re out shopping, working in the office or the gym, ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water delivers the natural replenishment you require to renew. As of November, 2013 â⠂¬Å"Coca-Cola Company and ZICO Beverages LLC announced that Coca Cola has acquired the outstanding ownership stake in ZICO† (Coca Cola Acquires, 2013, para. 1). The merger will unlock more â€Å"capability for ZICO including marketing, selling,  manufacturing, innovation and distribution opportunities† (Coca Cola Acquires, 2013, para. 1). Not only will this merger benefit ZICO, but the Coca Cola Company will gain a top position in one of the fastest rising beverage categories in the world. This final move concludes the relationship that began in 2009 when Coca-Cola’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) business unit first invested in ZICO. In 2012, the Coca Cola Company acquired a bulk stake in the brand. And earlier this year, ZICO took its home on the unique red Coca-Cola trucks to be circulated throughout the U.S. and Canada. When Coca Cola initially invested in ZICO, they did so because they saw it as a â€Å"burgeoning premium brand with the potential to be significant leader in a high growth category† (Coca Cola Acquires, 2013, para. 4). Over the past 4 year, Coca Cola has observed the coconut water industry spea r revenue impressively and gain household penetration. ZICO itself solidified its place as one of the primary brands in the coconut water industry. With this acquisition, Coca Cola plans to modernize all characteristics of the consumer experience and intensify both rate and delivery to place ZICO at the top and continue even more growth within the company. * For the corporation that has not been involved in any mergers or acquisitions, identify one (1) company that would be a profitable candidate for the corporation to acquire or merger with and explain why this company would be a profitable target. Grocery shopping is more difficult and complex than ever before. Today’s customers are more health mindful than customers of the past. Customers are more prone to buy specialty foods over the old-style foods their parents bought. Customers across the country have access to everything from bizarre products to exclusive delivery services. Specialty grocery stores have grown in attractiveness to customers, but the main issue is that often specialty stores have restricted locations which in turn limits their reach to customers. Whole Food’s Market and Trader Joe’s are two specialty grocery stores who have increased locations to the hundreds while adhering to an unforeseen market standing for formerly untargeted market segment. Trader Joe’s operates over 340 stores in 9 states were they â€Å"buy direct from suppliers whenever possible, bargain hard to get the best prices and then pass the savings on to the customer† (Trader Joe’s, 2013, para. 4). Whole Food’s Market is the â€Å"world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with more than 360 stores in North America and the United  Kingdom† (Whole Food, 2013, para 2). Trader Joe’s and Whole Food’s Market have managed to take original ideas and spread them throughout the nation to many different customers. Although they differ not only in the technique in which they decide to bring products to their customers but also in term of inventory management and supply chain organization. These tw o companies have become so successful in my opinion, not by what they differ in but what they have most in common, which is their commitment to their loyal customers, employees and undeniable quality in their products they sell. Through their loyalty to their customers and employees in addition to their irreplaceable value proportion, both companies have effectively succeeded to upturn the grocery industry and have forced outdated grocery stores and its customers to reexamine their descriptions of what institutes a positive customer experience. The merger of Trader Joe’s and Whole Food’s Market would be lucrative to both companies since Whole Food’s Market is now international, they can allow Trader Joe’s access to an international market. Whereas Trader Joe’s offers unbelievable quality, but has a poor assortment of products, Whole Food’s Market will help offer both a great assortment as well as excellence of products. * For the corporation that operates internationally, briefly evaluate its international business-level strategy and international corporate-level strategy and make recommendations for improvement. Most customers have high hopes when buying a good or a service. As a general rule, it seems that most customers want to pay a low price for products with rather highly distinguished features. Because of these customers’ expectations, a number of firms, like Coca Cola, â€Å"actively engage in primary value chain activities and support functions that allow a firm to simultaneously purse low cost and differentiation† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 120), which is also called integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy. The reason Coca Cola uses this strategy is to efficiently create their products with some differentiated features. Efficient production is the â€Å"source of maintain low costs whole differentiation is the source of creating unique value† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 120). Coca Cola has successfully integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy which has allowed them to adapt quickly to today’s new technologies and to the rapid changes in today’s society/cultures around the globe. The ultimate goals of Coca-Cola’s business strategy is to â€Å"rise volume, develop their share of world-wide  non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverag e sales, maximize the long-term cash flows and create economic-value-added by improving economic profit† (Coca Cola Acquires, 2013, para 8). Corporate-level strategy â€Å"specifies actions a firm takes to gain a competitive advantage by selecting and managing a group of different businesses competing in different product markets† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 164). Coca Cola Company has long been committed to the product development strategy in which case they do everything they can to become the best in their industry. They have moved into different geographic market such a Japan, United Kingdom, ect., Coca Cola have acquired competitors such as ZICO as discussed above, and also they have bought bottle suppliers to help grow the company even more. With all of these moves that Coca Cola have made over the years, this has allowed them to penetrate existing markets with new products due to their high brand awareness. You can’t go hardly anywhere these days without seeing a Coca Cola product of some sort being advertised or sold. This strategy capitalizes Coca Cola’s favorable trademark reputation, â€Å"Open Happiness.† Coca Cola has developed great business and corporate level strategies but there is always room for improvement. We are living in a social media world and I would suggest that Coca Cola take full advantage of this new world of communicating with their customers. So many people communicate through social media and find new products through social media that developed a marketing strategy evolving social media will ultimately be a win-win strategy for any company. * For the corporation that does not operate internationally, propose one business-level strategy and one corporate-level strategy and make recommendations for improvement. A differential strategy is an â€Å"integrated set of actions taken to produce goods or services (at a acceptable cost) that customers perceive as being different in a way that is important to them† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 115). I would suggest this differential strategy to Trader Joe’s because they currently are offering unique quality, private labels and outstanding pricing that other traditional grocery stores are not offer. To have success with the differentiation strategy, Trade Joe’s must consistently upgrade differentiated features that their customers value and/or create new valuable features with any significant cost increases to the customers. To  do so, Trade Joe’s needs to constantly update and change their product lines. This means that the products that are not saleing get rid of them quickly. Look into the new developed and increasing fades that customers are looking into. And because differentiated products satisfies customers’ unique needs, Trader Joe’s will be able to charge premium prices which allows them to out price their competitors and earn above average returns. A multidomestic strategy is an â€Å"international strategy in which the strategic and operating decisions are decentralized to the strategic business unit in individual countries and regions for the purpose of allowing each unit the opportunity to tailor products to the local market† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 235). I recommend a multidomestic international corporate level strategy for Trader Joes because this strategy is used with companies that have high local responsiveness but have low global integration. This strategy should maximize Trader Joe’s competitive response to the idiosyncratic requirements of each market it is in. The multidomestic strategy is most appropriate for use â€Å"when the differences between the markets a company serves and the customers in them are significant† (Hitt, 2013, pg. 235). Reference Coca Cola History. Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/coca-cola-facts/coca-cola-history/ Coca-Cola acquires ZICO, Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://m.newhope360.com/mergers-amp-acquisitions/coca-cola-acquires-zico Hitt, M.A., Ireland R., D., & Hoskisson, R.E. (2013). Strategic Management: Concepts and cases: Competiveness and globalization (10th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Trader Joe’s Our Story, Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://www.traderjoes.com/about/our-story.asp Whole Food’s Market, Company Info, Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info

Employee Benefit and Google Essay

Google, Inc. was ranked by Fortune magazine as the best place in the U.S. to work in 2009, and it has reached another zenith by becoming the most popular Web site. Google, Inc.’s goal of providing benefits and rewards is to â€Å"strip away everything that gets in our employees’ way† (Google, 2009). Google, Inc. provides a standard package of fringe benefits, but on top of that are first-class dining facilities, gyms, laundry rooms, massage rooms, haircuts, carwashes, dry cleaning, commuting buses – just about anything a hardworking employee might want. Schmitt states, â€Å"Let’s face it: programmers want to program, they don’t want to do their laundry. So we make it easy for them to do both† (Google, 2009). Google believes in providing both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. They understand that many humans are not motivated by pay incentives alone. Google Inc. believes in administering rewards and that good company culture is vital to company success, therefore, Google hired a Culture Czar. Google, Inc.’s CCO, Chief Culture Czar, Stacy Sullivan, is devoted to one thing—make Googlers happy. One way of maintaining Google, Inc.’s culture and keeping employees happy is administering the best perks and rewards (Culture, 2009). Along with its compensation and traditional extrinsic benefits such as free health and dental benefits, flex spending accounts, 401K plans, insurance, tuition reimbursement, and vacation packages, they also have very unique benefits. These unique benefits include maternity benefits up to 18 weeks off at approximately 100% pay. In addition, new mothers and fathers get Take-Out Benefits to help make things easier. They are provided with expenses up to $500 for take-out meals during the first three months that they are home with their new baby. Additionally, Google, Inc. provides back-up child care and in the Gift Matching Program, Google, Inc. matches contributions of up to $3000 per year from eligible employees to non-profit organizations. With Adoption Assistance, Google, Inc. assists their employees by offering financial assistance in the adoption of a child. Google, Inc. will reimburse employees up to $5000 to use towards legal expenses. Free lunch and dinner from gourmet chefs create a wide variety of healthy and delicious meals every day. Got the munchies? Google, Inc. also offers snacks to help satisfy you in between meals. At Google headquarters in Mountain View, California employees have the convenience of seeing a doctor on-site. Google, Inc. is pleased to provide its Mountain View employees with free shuttles to several San Francisco, East Bay and South Bay locations. At Google headquarters in Mountain View, there is on-site oil change, car wash, dry cleaning, massage therapy, gym, hair stylist, fitness classes and bike repair. Google, Inc. will reimburse an employee for buying a hybrid car, up to $5000. Google, Inc. provides other benefits, too many to list, but one can assume that their full-time culture czar is not finished inventing new ways to reward employees (Google, 2009). More than the extrinsic rewards, people who choose to come to Google, Inc. come for other reasons besides just the outward perks and rewards. They come for freedom.

A Closer Look at Apple's Success Strategies Research Paper

A Closer Look at Apple's Success Strategies - Research Paper Example Their product innovation made it a brand to be envied not just in terms of functionality, but features, design and quality. Therefore, in this study the researcher would be attempting to analyze that how innovation, product extension or expansion has affected the financial growth and the managerial decision making of Apple Inc. and how the company has come up with new marketing tactics to survive as a leader in its own niche (Douglas, 2012). Apple Inc. is a, technology based multinational company, in America, having its headquarter in Cupertino, California. It is popular for its technological innovations and designs. The company is into manufacturing and selling of consumer electronic goods and is best known for its products which are a brand in itself like the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and the Apple Watch. It also provides a range of online services to the consumers like the iTunes, the iCloud and the App Store (Apple Inc., 2015). Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak have founded Apple on 1st April, 1976 to manufacture and sell personal computers. On 3rd January, 1977 it was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. and was renamed on 9th January, 2007 as Apple Inc. (Apple Inc., 2015). It is globally the largest technology company by total assets, second largest Information Technology Company after Samsung Electronics by revenue and ranking third in the world as mobile phone maker. Apple Inc. has become the first company in the United States to be valued at over 700 billion dollars on 25th November, 2014 in addition to being the largest publicly traded corporation in market capitalization world-wide. As per 2014, the company had a total of 72,800 full-time employees, operating in 437 retail stores in fifteen countries and online Apple Store and iTunes Store functioning globally among which iTunes is the largest music retailer in the world (Apple Inc., 2015). Apple

Identify a contemporary legal issue within the health care industry or Term Paper

Identify a contemporary legal issue within the health care industry or within a selected organization. Describe potential ethica - Term Paper Example In a sense, medical malpractice is a potential ethical issue rather than a mere legal issue. When a patient approaches a doctor, he holds the belief that the whole medical community including nurses and therapists would assist him to recover from the illness. However, once the patient comes to know that the healers are of little compassion, he/she gets frustrated and thus the professional ethics of medical practitioners are questioned. It is defined that â€Å"a medical mistake becomes medical malpractice whenever the care of a patient falls below accepted community standards and causes a patient’s injury or death (Medical Malpractice)†. However, an ethical conflict persists with this issue as it is very difficult to determine specific community level standards. Although medical errors and malpractices are committed by individuals, it would adversely affect the professional stature of nation’s health care as a whole. The decline in total ethical value indicates t he diminishing quality of health care operations. This situation often becomes a barrier to health care providers in formulating effective medical policies.

Employee Satisfaction Surveys Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employee Satisfaction Surveys - Research Paper Example Their relevance to the organization will also be proffered. The first type of employee satisfaction survey is the employee engagement surveys. In an employee engagement survey, the passion and commitment of the employee with regards to their work, company and co-workers are analyzed (NBRI, 2012). This type of survey aims to determine whether the employees feel empowered and whether they have a good relationship with their supervisors and managers (Sheahan, n.d.). Through this survey, management will know what the employees think about the company’s goals and values and if they are willing to support them (NBRI, 2012). The second type of employee satisfaction survey is the employee attitude survey. This survey â€Å"assesses the feelings or emotions of employees within the workplace† (NBRI, 2012). This survey will give management an idea on how it can boost the morale of their employees by understanding their views and perceptions and identifying the root causes of their attitudes in the workplace (NBRI, 2012). The employee opinion survey is another type of employee satisfaction survey. This type of survey reveals the employees’ behaviors, beliefs, feelings, thoughts and conclusions on matters such as commitment, management style and productivity (NBRI, 2012). The data gathered from this survey entails a precise analysis. The factors that motivate and discourage employees will be exposed in this survey. The fourth type of employee satisfaction survey is the employee development survey. This survey will prevent high turnover rates within an organization because it will determine whether employees perceive the company as a place where they can develop professionally (Sheahan, n.d.). If employees believe that the company offers opportunities for growth, this survey will be able to show it. Another kind of survey is the straightforward satisfaction survey which goes directly to the point of questioning employees how happy they are with their job s (Sheahan, n.d.). Sheahan goes on further to say that this type of survey usually has a scoring system which rates the satisfaction levels on a scale of 1 to 15 (n.d.). Moreover, the questions on the survey will give management an idea if there are any problems on morale and compensation. The sixth type of employee satisfaction survey is the improvement survey. This survey is conducted when an organization is contemplating on changing some policies or job conditions (Sheahan, n.d.). It will assist management in determining whether such changes will be acceptable to the employees. They will be able to gauge how the employees will react or feel if such changes were imposed. The 360 degree survey is another kind of employee satisfaction survey which is conducted by companies to evaluate the employees from the points of view of the supervisors, peers, subordinates, customers, vendors, and other external stakeholders (NBRI, 2012). One of the more important type of survey is the exit sur vey. This is administered to an employee who will leave the company. This survey is an excellent indication of employees’ attitudes and is known to elicit very honest responses (Ipathia, Inc., 2005). All the surveys mentioned above may either be conducted online or paper-based. A primary consideration though for online surveys is that not all the employees may have computer and internet access and there may be employees who lack computer skills to complete the survey (Lock Media Services, Inc., n.d.). An online survey however is less costly than a paper-based survey.

Skilled Nursing and Continuing Long-Term Care (SLP) Essay

Skilled Nursing and Continuing Long-Term Care (SLP) - Essay Example People go to SNFs when they need assistance with their medical treatments. These patients are mostly on respirators, feeding tubes, or a variety of other problems which need medical treatment. SNFs are the second choice after hospitals as these patients are treated fully in the hospitals but need constant care and assistance. The nurses in SNFs are trained professionally in dealing with patients and medicines. They provide patients with 24 hours care but these facilities are smaller than normal nursing homes (Rosdahl, 2008). The advantages of SNFs are that they are much smaller than hospitals or regular nursing homes which mean that the patient would get full attention and would be easily able to call the nurses for their needs. If the patient is not satisfied with any part of the facility, it will be easier to reach to the social workers and a solution is given immediately. SNFs are also more focused towards rehabilitation and healthy living with activities such as regular physical therapies, occupational therapists visiting, and speech therapies for patients who need it. They also take care of the emotional, social, and spiritual well being of the patient. Most importantly SNFs have nurses that provide patients with the direct care. They have a professional team of individuals that belong to different fields such as nurses, therapists, physicians, social workers, etc. They provide the patients with the needed treatments and are available all the time (Rosdahl, 2008). There are some disadvantages and dangers to the use of SNFs which are recently greatly developed. These disadvantages are due to the complex and deteriorating system of long term care in the U.S. Many patients go directly from Intensive Care Units to SNFs where they need critical care but because the nurses are paid lesser, their efficiency levels are lower, and that affects the care given to the patients. SNFs have dangers such as medication errors, falls, and spread of infections. There

Interview with an HR Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview with an HR Manager - Essay Example What qualities do you look forward to in employees when you hire them? 18. How should companies design the employee training programs to achieve maximum effect? What I learned about that job HR Manager assumes a cardinal position in the HR Department of any organization. HR Manager plays an important role in building the team and maintaining peace and harmony among individual members by addressing their individualistic and collective concerns and resolving their issues. The HR Manager fundamentally serves as a bridge between the higher managers and first line managers. After conducting the interview, I learned about the following responsibilities of an HR Manager: The HR Manager, 1. Develops and maintains HR strategies and policies, and takes measures to achieve full compliance with them by all personnel. 2. Builds HR team, and makes sure that the organization avails the services of an effective HR service. 3. Manages staff members, guides them in all matters, addresses their concern s and resolves their issues. 4. Ensures that the organization is always equipped with a well trained and skilled stream of qualified workers, and recruits more employees from time to time as necessary. 5. Studies the present and upcoming business requirements and takes appropriate measures in time to sustain the flow and speed of work. 6. Develops, improves and standardizes selection criteria and recruitment strategies to ensure the provision of talented staff at all times in the organization. 7. Develops and implements employee training and competence improvement programs in accordance with the growing needs of the business. 8. Maintains salary information and aligns salary with the individualistic performance of employees. It is the HR Manager’s responsibility to suggest increments... Interview with an HR Manager Very few people are aware of the exact responsibilities of an HR Manager. Since he/she is a Manager, people tend to hold him/her responsible for almost all of the duties related to HR Department, many of which are actually not the responsibilities of the HR Manager. Therefore, in an attempt to clearly identify the exact responsibilities of an HR Manager and to define the boundaries of an HR Manager’s scope of responsibilities, I chose to interview the HR Manager. The interview cleared a lot of my doubts and I got an opportunity to learn the exact responsibilities of an HR Manager. Now, I am able to distinguish between the responsibilities of an HR Manager, HR Director and various other HR professionals. HR Manager assumes a cardinal position in the HR Department of any organization. HR Manager plays an important role in building the team and maintaining peace and harmony among individual members by addressing their individualistic and collective concerns and resolving their issues. The HR Manager fundamentally serves as a bridge between the higher managers and first line managers. This one hour interview with the HR Manager Bredford Brown was highly informative. I came to know that an HR Manager plays a central role in maintaining and improving the work conditions and in aligning the work with the macro and micro environmental requirements in which the business is conducted. Organization excels because of the hard work of employees, and it is the HR Manager who hires them and keeps them for work. Therefore, the credit for organizational success fundamentally goes to HR Manager.

Sulfur recovery processes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sulfur recovery processes - Essay Example gas treatment system, where the effluent gases that remain from the purification process are used to oxidize sulfur into sulfur dioxide, instead of being released to the atmosphere to cause pollution. Most significant is that this process yields high quality sulfur, making it a good source of this valuable chemical (Kohl & Nielsen, 1997). However, the air pollution controls that have been put in place have made the Claus process even more expensive, since some installations that prevent air pollution have to be made, despite the fact that they may not be economical at all. The problem of Claus Process is added to, by the fact that it is unable to fully convert hydrogen sulfide into elemental sulfur, due to some equilibrium limitations. Therefore, no matter how well the emission of sulfur compound is controlled, the process ends-up releasing relatively high quantities of the air pollutant than is actually acceptable (Kohl, 1997). Thus, most of the times, the process requires to be supplemented with specific processes meant to remove the sulfur residue, which ensures that any excess sulfur emission from the process is cleaned-up. Claus process occurs in two forms, referred to as the straight-through process and the split-flow process. The processes are differentiated by the fact that, while in the straight-through process gas is fed through the reaction furnace, it is fed directly into the major catalytic reactor through bypassing the furnace, in the split-flow process (Kohl & Nielsen, 1997). The choice of the process to be used between these two sulfur purification processes depends on the content of hydrogen sulfide in the gas to be purified, and whether the gas contains hydrocarbons. If the gas to be purified contains hydrocarbons, then, the straight-through process is opted for, while the split-flow process is applied where the gas does not contain large quantities of hydrocarbons (Kohl, 1997). There are some fundamental aspects of the Claus process that should

Cultural Competency and Cultural Humility in Nursing Practice Essay

Cultural Competency and Cultural Humility in Nursing Practice - Essay Example Therefore, they have to ensure that the cultural, racial and ethnic diversity does not jeopardize their working criterion (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). Similarly, the ethnic and cultural diversity should not affect the quality of their services. This calls for undivided attention from the nurses in getting to know the cultural affiliations better. This will ensure the nurses give unparalleled services to the people that need them. In essence, the nurses have to slot various approaches in giving equal services to the people from different cultural affiliations. This will ensure the nursing profession is offering top notch services that are not affected in any way. However, if nurses do not create a perfect approach in serving people from different cultures, they will not be in a position to give the best services to the different ethnic and cultural groups that need these services. The first preparation for the nurses and practitioners is initiated by the instit ution and governing bodies to ensure the services that are offered in the institutions are not jeopardized. This has been the situation in many institutions as they look for better ways to prepare the nurses and medical practitioners on how to serve the people that need these services (Anderson, Calvillo and Fongwa, 2007). ... With such preparations, most of the institutions are prepared to give the best services dispute the presence of different cultural and ethnic groups. In many instances, most of the institutions have incepted the idea of multicultural training of the physicians, nurses and medical practitioners. This approach has yielded substantial results to the nursing profession in reflection from the results. The multicultural training has been influential in changing nursing profession perspective to different ethnic and cultural groups. Many people have come up with models that try to explain the need for cultural humility and cultural competence in the nursing sector. Some of these models are explicit in their statements while other models bank on the basics of cultural competence. Therefore, for a nursing institution to achieve the best, it has to use a model that will ensure all the vital aspects are put into consideration (Tervalon and Garcia, 1998). The most prevalent model among the cultu ral care models is the self reflection and lifelong learner model. This is a model that has been used a number of times in the nursing profession to ensure people from different cultural affiliations are having the best services (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). In many instances, there is need for the nurses to understand that the people they are serving are from different cultural affiliations. Therefore, they will have to ensure they give all the people high class services despite their difference in cultural affiliations. With such actions, it is likely that the nursing profession will be recording an improvement over time. The first aspect in this model is to have knowledge of all health beliefs and many other

Best Buy Case Study Write Up Essay Example for Free

Best Buy Case Study Write Up Essay 1. How does Best Buy define customer centricity? The idea behind customer centricity was to be the customer’s smart friend and give a full solution. The sales people stand by the customers and try to find what they really need and what they want. The opposite of this would be product centricity. At this time the electronics were getting easier to use, their interaction required specific knowledge that only a fraction of the client base possessed. In this situation, the used to be advantage of best buy disappeared, and the company tested the first version of customer-centricity by setting up 12 laboratory stores and then rolling out tested concepts in 32 pilot stores. The test were successful very successful. Best buy changed its segments from products such as MP3, TV, or PC to customers like Barry. All these make customers more convenient to shop in the store. Compared to the other stores, Best Buy did not focus on brands but usage. The sales person never asked what do you want to buy, but rather ask what you want to do. In launching customer centricity, Anderson used an autocratic set of power tools and expected swift support from his top team to execute his vision. 2. Is Customer-Centricity the same as customer services? No, the customer-Centricity is not the same as customer service. The difference is that they can contour their sales and service pitch to each individual after they know which category that they fall into. They know from past company stastistics and knowledge about the different types and what their shopping style is like. Customer service is about trying to sell your existing products. The case states also that customer service may be in response to its competitors, and not its customers. Customer centricity mainly focuses on research of customers buying power, purchase preference and customer behavior. It is based on the research that Best Buy has gathered over time. From here, the company can redesign its products, and develop a new marketing strategy and give more suitable service. 3. How does it relate to Consumer behavior? Chapter 10 touches upon things that could be related to consumer behavior. In store decision making talks about spontaneous shopping which is unplanned buying and impulse buying. Point of purchase stimuli is product display or demonstration that draws attention. The salesperson also can create exchange process. This involves commercial friendships. This is basically what customer centricity is about, forming commercial friendships. Chapter 10 also talks post purchase satisfaction which is the overall feeling about a product after someone has purchased it. Chapter 13 discusses income and social class and this is directly correlated to the customer centricity model. The model puts people in different classes. They were Jill, Barry, angles and devils. Chapter 13 goes into detail and talks about how people can be put in classes based on income, education, age, religion, gender, just like Best Buy put these four people into classes to segment them. Best Buy, in essence, used consumer behavior to classify these people. 4. Finally, do you agree with this new strategy for Best Buy? What is its impact on the financial performance? We think that it was a good idea for Best Buy to implement this. It has worked financially and it seemed to have made the company more profitable. From looking at the financials from 2002 to 2004, it appears as though the strategy seems to be working. Best Buy remains at the top of the list for Consumer electronics companies in the United States. Its revenue was 49.7 billion dollars in 2010, which is 18% of North American market share. In the last 5 years, it keeps 25% of gross profit growth. It seemed like it was known that Wal Mart would catch Best Buy as the number one store at that time, but I think this was because of different reasons, like its building of so many new stores and supply chain capability.

The Role of Technical Teacher Education Essay Example for Free

The Role of Technical Teacher Education Essay Countries of the world are classified as developed or under developed based on the level of education of its citizenry and their ability to use knowledge, skill and attitude to translate scientific ideas in attending to the problems of mankind. Technical education is the right kind of education that is capable of training individuals to translate ideas into products that will assist mankind to do things with ease. The teaching of technical subjects is conducted by the technical teacher. This paper is of the view that the technical teacher who is properly trained and is working under ideal environment can train younger generation that will be free of poverty, achieve universal basic education, empower women, reduce child mortality, combat HIV/AIDS and develop global partnership, thus achieving the MDGs target. The paper made recommendations among which is for the MDGs to adopt the bottom to top mode of funding and the need for the MDGs to integrate provision of funds particularly for purchase of training tools, equipment and infrastructure for technical teacher training. Introduction Education is seen as an agent of development in any society of the world, that is why societies that are educated are looked at as developed societies and less educated as underdeveloped societies. This is so because the developed societies use education to develop things that will solve prevailing problems of mankind in the form of products of technology. These products are developed by citizens of these countries using skills, knowledge and attitudes acquired through training in sciences and technical based subjects. It is in realization of these facts that the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) (2004) stressed that, science and technology shall continue to be taught in an integrated manner in the schools to promote in the students the appreciation of practical application of ideas. This type of education if acquired will provide students with sellable skills that can be used to generate job opportunities and alternatively reduce poverty. It  should however be noted that, training cannot take place unless there are teachers that are properly trained in technical teacher training institutions to impact the required skills, knowledge and attitudes in the students. That is why Olaitan (1986) sees the teacher as an agent of changing people attitudes, beliefs and values using the right technique. Similarly Adeoye (2008) noted that the teacher is the king-pin of quality in education and development of the society. In the same light Garba (2002) posits that the success of technological development of any nation begins with the quality of technical teachers as no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers (FRN, 2004). The millennium development goals (MDGs) is a global strategy aimed at reducing poverty, hunger, insecurity, gender inequality, achieve universal basic education, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development. This paper is of the opinion that the achievement of the MDGs can best be aimed at if the right quality and quantity of technical teachers are produced. The paper therefore discusses technical teachers preparation and production in Nigeria, the MDGs and the objective relating to education, the role of technical teacher education in realization of MDGs target, Factors affecting technical teacher education in realizing the goals of the MDGs and recommendation were offered. Technical Teacher Preparation and Production Programme in Nigeria. There is always the need to create an awareness of the problems, which arise in a particular profession and to improve on the level of competencies for dealing with such problem (Adetunji and Victor (1997) that is why the National Policy on Education (2004), indicates that, teacher education shall continue to be given major emphasis in all educational planning and development, it further stated that teacher education shall be structured to take cognizance of changes in methodology and the curriculum, by ensuring that teachers are fully exposed to innovation in their profession. This is most needed by the technical teacher because of the dynamic nature of the world of technology and its effect on the teaching of technical subjects. Ali (1992) stressed that with the advert of the 21st century technologies, the requisition of sound academic knowledge and professional skills are fundamental in the training of teachers, especially in the use of modern methods and technologies for teaching their subject area. Foel and Fritz (1998) noted that teacher education is experiencing new formats that combine conventional (Traditional education delivery system) with evolving technology in order to transfer knowledge to students. That is why Goro (2000) call for a new look at the training of teachers, especially the technical teachers because the present educational system’s particular concern is that teachers must be oriented towards development of practical skills in the trainees. The technical teacher is he who is a master of the trade, in the same manner is able to impart the correct and up-to-date skills (Olaitan 1986), in a similar view Dambe and Garba (2007) looked at the technical teacher as a teacher who posses practical and theoretical knowledge of his vocation, has clear understanding of the student he teachers, and ensures that he increases in the knowledge of his field at all time. The training process of a technical teacher therefore calls for a balance of theoretical and practical knowledge. In a bid to train teachers that will posses the required knowledge that Ali (1992) looked at training the technical teacher, by using the concurrent cause approach, where professional trade skills and academic content are pursued in parallel. This mode of training is the most popular approach used for technical teacher training. However, another school of thought was that the technical teacher should first be practically skilled in that subject matter before embarking on pedagogical skill acquisition. Goro (2000) shares the same view as he indicates a support for post graduate training in education after a professional training in trade. Whatever the approach, the emphasis should be on striking a balanced knowledge that will enable the teacher impart the required skills in an appropriate manner. This is necessary because the success or failure of technological development of a society begins with the quality of manpower (teachers) responsible for training the technology teachers. Olaitan (1996) looked at the technical teacher training in Nigeria to include the formal and informal training. The informal is done at the home or family level, and the apprenticeship level, the graduates of which will be serving as masters to train others. However, the formal training of teachers is in three stages, the Nigeria certificate in education (NCE) which prepares teachers for teaching in junior secondary schools. There is also the graduate and postgraduate technical teacher education programme. In the same view Abdullahi and Sa’i (1998) pointed out that technical teacher training is provided in three stages namely the postgraduate, the bachelor and the Nigerian Certificate in Education (Technical) levels. There are however two modes of preparing technical teachers at the NCE level for teaching in the junior secondary schools’ the two modes are in agreement with two vocational administrative theories of dual and single controls (Olaitan 1996). Accordingly, the single control is a situation whereby technical teacher education is housed in institution that are offering purely technical teacher education courses e. g. Colleges of Education (Technical), whereas the dual control is when technical education Porgramme are run in the same institution with other courses like arts, social studies, history, pure science as obtains in conventional colleges of education. Students of Technical Education Programmes at the NCE level are expected to take courses from general area in Technical/Vocational Education, general Education, Education and Entrepreneurship Education, and are later expected to specialize in one area before graduation. Students are further expected to spend twelve (12) weeks of industrial attachment (NCCE 2002) after graduation; the products are expected to teach introductory technology at the junior secondary school level. As of now there are twenty five (25) Colleges of Education offering NEC (Technical) courses in Nigeria. (NCCE, 2007). At the graduate and post graduate levels, the training of vocational technical teachers take place in the Universities. As at now the five Universities of technology namely, Federal Universities of Technology, Akure, Bauchi, Minna, Owerri and Yola are running degree and postgraduate programmes in Technology Education and other Vocational areas. Other Unversities such as Ahmadu Bello Unversities Zaria, Benin, Calabar, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Uyo, and Ibadan run degree and postgraduate programmes in vocational technical education. It should be noted however that, some colleges of education are currently running programmes leading to the award of a bachelor degree in Technical and vocational Education as affiliate colleges of Universities (NCCE 2002). The millennium Development Goals (MDGs) The vision of developers of the MDGs was on the general concern to do away with problems affecting the citizens of their nations. That is why they aimed at creating strategies towards reduction of poverty, hunger, diseases, increase access to education, health, housing and sustainable management of the environments resource. In the development of the MDGs and strategies for achieving the goals, 189 countries of the world met in New York in September 2000, and signed the millennium declaration which has come to be globally known as the millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The primary goal of the leaders of these nations in developing the MDGs is to address the problems facing fellow men, women and children such as abject poverty and dehumanizing conditions to which more than a billion people across the world are subjected to. (Umar, Suleiman Adamu, 2009). Accordingly Dung-Gwon (2009), noted that the MDGs have 8 goals, each has one or more targets and several indicators. He further report that, in 2002, there were 18 targets and 48 indicators. In 2007, 4 more targets were added. To this effect, countries of the world have also added their own targets and indicators to meet their aspiration. This is so because the levels of development of various nations are not the same, so also prioties vary among nations. The MDGs is therefore, a general blue print for development of nations of the world. Dung-Gwom (2009) states that the general MDGs goals statement across the nations are as follows: 1. Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieving universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and women empowerment 4. Reducing child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership The general goals of the MDGs have within it three that are education related. Iyortyer (2010) noted that, the three goals that mainly impacts on the education sector are: Achieving Universal Basic Education (Goal 2) Promotion of gender parity or equality (Goal 3) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (Goal 6) Three goals out of eight focusing on education surely indicates that a priority to education is a step towards the attainment of other objectives, as stated by Iyortyer (2010) that education is an instrument for development of any nation, an antidote to poverty and the key for unlocking natural resources. In spite of these and the laudable goals and strategies towards achieving the MDGs in Nigeria, records still reveals that much is desired. In line with this Ibrahim (2006) states that, Nigeria Millennium Development Goals Report for 2004 and 2005 shows that Nigeria is far off the mark in terms of implementation of many goals of the MDGs. Similarly Igbugo in Umar, Suleiman and Adamu (2009) asserted that, there is a serious doubt if Nigeria can achieve the MDGs by the target 2015. So also Igbuzor (2007) reported that even though Nigeria is a signatory to the MDGs, it is yet far from achieving the MDGs, furthermore he maintained that it is lack of political will that is the greatest stumbling block to the achievement of the MDGs, in Nigeria. Based on the MDGs report and personal observations of the indices it is clear that much is desired. This paper is of the opinion that provision of training that equip the individual with saleable skills will greatly lead Nigeria to the achievement of the MDGs. Role of Technical Teacher Education in Realization of the MDGs Technical teacher education programme is a programme that train teachers of technically based trades who are expected to teach in junior secondary schools and technical colleges. The product of which are the country futures engineers and inventors. The role of technical teacher in the achievement of MDGs will be discussed in line with the eight MDGs as follows: 1. Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. Even though report of MDGs 2005 shows slide decline in poverty from 65. 5% in 1996 to 54. 4% in 2004. Much is still desired as the 54. 4% is still high and should attract concern bearing in mind that Nigeria is a rich country with poor citizenry. With a technical teacher programme that is able to produce highly trained technical teachers. The teacher should be able to train future generation of students that will possess the required skill in various trades. The skill acquired will create jobs that will make the individual either self employment or be employed by any employer of labour. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) indicates that, technical education is a means of preparing for occupational field and a means of alleviating poverty. 2. Achieve Universal Primary Education The MDGs report 2005, shows that there is great improvement in literacy level, however, Iyortyer (2010) revealed that the target of the MDGs indicators maintain that adult literacy rate for 15-24 years will improve to reach 89% in 2015. While gender equity and equitable access to basic and continuing education for adult will be pursued towards meeting up the target. To achieve this target, there is the need for teacher that will be responsible for teaching of craft, poetry and the Basic technology. The teacher that is trained for such is the technical teacher. 3. Promote Gender Equality and Empowerment One of the targets of the MDGs is to ensure that gender disparity is eliminated, and equal access to education is same for both boys and girls. However Dung- Gwom (2009) indicates that the percentage of boys is 82% in 1990 and 79% in 2004. This shows that boys still account for greater percentage of primary school pupils. Much is still desired, and it is one of the responsibilities of the teacher to sensitize parents as they live in the society with the parents and the pupils. 4. Reduce Child Mortality With more educated mothers who have acquired skills for employment, mortality rate of the child will be highly reduced, as most of the causes of child mortality are poverty related. Similarly with a generation of young talents equipped with technical skill, the skill can further be used in the  provision and maintenance of medical equipment that will be used in reduction of child mortality. 5. Improve Maternal Health The MDGs report 2004 shows that maternal mortality was 74 per 1000. This rate is high and can only be reduced if mothers are equipped with skill to earn a living. The skills of the technical teacher can be directed to the mothers for empowerment. 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases In Nigeria the incidence of HIV/AIDS has been on upward trend since the diseases was discovered in the country 1. 8% 1999, to 5. 8% in 2000 (Nigeria, MDG Report 2005). A good number of the infected persons are equally, living under poverty, with no job and so they could not afford the feeding requirements even if the drugs are free. The situation would have not been the same if they have learnt technical skills to provide services for pay. 7. Ensure Environment Sustainability To sustain the environment, there is the need to have the knowledge, skills and attitude of doing such. Umar, Suleiman and Adamu (2009) reports that about 70% of the urban dwellers in Nigeria live below poverty bench mark and their condition is not bound to improve much between now and 2015. This can be better if a good number of Nigerians are equipped with skills in technical trades such as Building maintenance, Design and plumbing, Vehicle maintenance etc 8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development The world is becoming a global village, this is much so because of the advent of technological product especially in the area of information and communication technology (ICT). With ICT information is obtained and utilized. However to do that one need the basic training to understand the technology and the kwon how of applying it. Challenges of Technical Teacher Education in Realizing the MDGs. Technical teacher education can do a lot in the realization of the MDGs, but the followings have stood as a barrier. 1. Lack of adequate funding Technical teacher education being a technical oriented programme requires tools equipment and infrastructure without which technical education cannot be said to be offered. It is however clear that general funding to education in Nigeria is far from the expected. Onyidoh (2006) noted that, the money allocated to education falls short of the UNESCO’s recommended 25% of annual budget; he further noted that the allocation from 2003 to date is barely in the range of 1. 83-5% allocation to education. This might surely not be enough to cater for the funding of institutions that are characterized by, leaking roofs, unpaved floors, unsanitized conditions and general picture of neglect. This situation cannot guarantee training of technical teachers with the needed skills for the training of younger generation in our junior secondary schools that are expected to pave way for the technological advancement of Nigeria 2. Administrator’s attitude. Even with the low level of funding in the budget, other agencies such as the Education trust fund (ETF) do intervene. It is however regrettable that a lot of institutions of higher learning cannot accesses the fund due to stringent conditions for accessing the ETF money which does not give much room for diversion of the fund. And for the fact that most of these administrator are not there because they have interest in the system,. they prefer to forfeit the ETF than follow due process to access it. Speaking on the administrator’s attitude Onyidoh (2010) noted that administrators have little interest in institution they are heading, because vice chancellors, provost and rectors appointed in Nigeria today are politicians in the academic robes. 3. MDGs approach to funding Due to corruption and non-commitment of leadership of institutions they have found the MDGs money easy to grab than the ETF, because the MDGs money do came directly to them in the name of so call desk officers who in most cases are the good boy and girls of the leaders of the institution. That is why in many cases projects already financed through other means are tagged MDGs project and after inspection, tags can be replaced, that is the game as usual. 4. Absence of infrastructure Technical teacher education require infrastructure such as workshops, classrooms and the needed equipment. This infrastructure is absent or not enough in most of the institutions that are responsible for training the technical teachers. The situation will make the teacher unable to provide the right training to the junior secondary school students who are expected to be the future engineers, technician etc that will move Nigeria forward. 5. New Technologies The training to be given in junior secondary schools by technical teachers should be to introduce them to the world of technology and arose interest of the students in choice of vocation and to lead students to have intelligent understanding of the increasing complexity of technology (FRN, 2004). The continuous inventions of new technological products that most of the institutions teachers are not familiar with the operation principles of the new technologies. For the training to be relevant, it must bear a direct relationship with that in the industries, firms or business required to enable students fit into their vocations after graduation (Aguisiobe, in Garba and Nuhu, 2007). The existing situation in institution is far from the state of art as some of the machines were in existence since the 1970s or 1980. They cannot provide any training on new technologies of whatever level. 6. In-sincerity of Nigerian leaders. Most policy statements in Nigeria sound good, but when it comes to implementation the problem arises. This is so because as policies are implemented those in authorities will begin to skim for what to personally get out of it. Take for instance the issues of universal basic education programme, it has a policy that pupil will be provided meals during school hours and that primary school teachers salaries will be 5 times through 2015. At the beginning skeletal feeding was provided but as it is, the whole money targeted for that purpose are in peoples pocket or used for purchase of expensive vehicles. Secondly there is no record apart from the 27% increase which some states are even yet to pay that teacher have ever experienced. But yet these governors and their agent are part of the agreement and receive much for such. Recommendations In order to address the challenges the following recommendations are provided. 1. There is the need for the MDGs to integrate provision of fund particularly for the provision of training tools, equipment and infrastructure. 2. The attitude of the administrators needs to be checked by the involvement of host communities and various trade unions in the execution of all MDGs projects through close monitoring and evaluation. 3. MDGs approach to funding should adopt the bottom to top approach, just as is done by the ETF. This will reduce the rate of corruption. 4. There is the need to re-train the technical teachers on ground, in the area of new technologies, and the integration of the new technologies, such as phone repairs, computer circuit design etc in the curriculum of technical teacher training institutions by so doing the curriculum will be functional and relevant. 5. Leaders should be honest in handling issues to do with the MDGs target, for the programme to succeed. Conclusion. The paper was of the focus that, to achieve the MDGs in Nigeria, there is the needs to have a kind of education that will enable the learner acquire skills, attitude and knowledge that will lead to job creation. And that kind of education can be provided by the properly trained technical teacher. However challenges abound for the technical teacher training and the teaching of Basic technology at the junior secondary schools. REFERENCES Adullahi, M. L. Sa’I, H. R (1998). Strategies for improving vocational and technical teacher Preparation in Nigeria. A paper presented at the second annual National conference on Improving the quality of Vocation and Technical Education in Nigeria for sustainable Development: organized by the school Vocational and Technical Education, Federal College of Education: Kastina 25th May. Adetunji, O. Victor, A (1997). Science technology and economics revitalization in the year 2000 A. D and beyond the role of teacher education in Nigeria: Proceedings of the conference of the Nigerian association of Teachers of Technology on â€Å"production approach to the teaching of concepts in technology for national development. Ali, H. (1992). Teachers’ evaluation for instructional improvement. The Nigeria Teacher Today 1 (2) .14-19. Federal Republic of Nigeria. (2004). National policy on Education 4th ed Lagos. NERC. Foel, N. A. Frit, R. L. (1998). The influences of technology on vocational teacher education, -e-Journal of vocational and technical education. Retrieved: 16/01/2009 http://scholar. lib. vt. edu/ejournals/ej-search. html. ,. Garba, E. Y. Dambe, N. (2007). Reorganizing the NCE technical programme for effective skill acquisition. Journal of issues in technical teacher education 4 (1). 119 -126. Goro,C. A. (2000). Technical teacher production and utilization in nigerian secondary education: relevance for developing skills of craftsmanship and humanistic discipline. Teacher production and turnover patterns in Nigeria; National commission for colleges of education; Kaduna. National Commission for Colleges of Education. (2002). Minimum standard for Nigeria certificate in education vocational and technical education 3rd edition Garki, Abuja,. Author. National Commission for Colleges of Education. (2006). National commission for colleges of education: Brochure. Abuja: Author. National Commission for Colleges of Education. (2007). National commission for colleges of education, Digest of statistics on colleges of education in Nigeria 2005/2004 and 2004/2005 vol. 8 Abuja: Author. Olaitan S. O. (1986). Vocational education and national manpower development constraints and strategies. Vocational education association journal 2 10-12. Olaitan,S. O. (1996). Vocational and technical education in Nigeria: Issues and analysis. Onitsha. Noble Graphic Press. Olaitan, S. O. (1986). Vocational education and national manpower development Construct and Strategies. Vocational education association journal 2, 10-14 Umar, A. J. , Suleiman, H. J. Adamu, A. M. (2009). Role of vocational and technical Education realization of the millennium development goals (MDGs) in Nigeria. A paper presented at the 2nd COEASU North-East zone annual Conference held at college of education jalingo. Dung-Gwon, J. Y. (2009). Vocational Technical Education and the millennium Development goals in Nigeria. An overview. Unpublished lead paper presented At the 7th annual Conference of the Nigeria association of vocational And Technical Educators (NAVTED), at COE Akwanga, Nassarawa State,Nigeria. Iyortyer, M. T. (2010). MDG Needs Assessment: A paper presentation of MDGs costing Workshop held at Government House Internet base station, Yola, Adamawa state 22nd -24th March. Ibrahim, A. J. (2006). Progress on MDGs in Nigeria: Education Where are we? Unpublished paper presented at the 12th Annual Nigeria Economic Summit 7th-9th June. Igbuzor, O. (2007). Nigeria and the Millennium Development Goals. Proceedings of 20th Annual Conference, Nigeria Association of teacher of technology 53-54 The National Planning Commission,(2005). Nigeria Millennium Development Goals 2005 report. Garba, E. Y Nuhu, D. (2007). Reorganizing the NCE technical programme for effective skill Acquisition. Journal of issues in technical teacher education 4 (1) 119-126 Onyidoh, H. (2010). The decline of the education system in Nigeria. Retrieved 6/07/2010. Htt://www. helium. com/knowledge/90654.

Ecotourism For Development In South Africa

Ecotourism For Development In South Africa The South African government, along with many other governments of developing nations, has recognized the potential economic benefits of tourism. These include job creation, inflow of foreign exchange, and increased gross domestic product (Kaplan 2004: 219). The countrys government has also made ecotourism a priority, updating infrastructure to support the industry (Van Amerom 2006: 115). If it does so with sustainability in mind, South Africa could use tourism to capitalize on the benefits of tourism and successfully boost their development in the long-term. My family and I got to experience South Africas growing ecotourism industry when we moved there six years ago. My memories of living and traveling there sparked my interest in tourisms potential to reduce poverty. This paper will specifically focus on how South Africa could use the growing branch of ecotourism to increase employment and economic growth in some of the countrys poorest areas, which happen to be rich in ecotourism potential. South Africa has the power to use ecotourism in a way that benefits the countrys poor and simultaneously promotes environmental conservation to produce a sustainable profit-generating industry. Before I examine how South Africa could use ecotourism as a means of development, it is important to recognize the massive increase in tourism that the nation and the continent have witnessed in the last ten years, especially since the dismantling of apartheid. The growth in tourism has been truly enormous and is demonstrated by UN World Tourism Organizations statistics. According to the WTO (2010), the continent of Africa saw a total of 46 million international tourists in 2009 (8). 28.1 million of these tourists went to Sub-Saharan Africa, up from 6.4 million back in 1990 (WTO 2010: 4). This figure displays the significant growth that has occurred in the region in just nearly a decade. What is most critical is that, in the past ten years, Sub-Saharan Africa has seen an average 6.3% annual rate of increase in the number of tourists arriving in the region (WTO 2010: 4). This steady rate of growth in the area is promising for South Africas future and its potential to benefit from tour ism and advance development. It is also important to note that South Africa is a major player in Africas tourism, capturing 15.4% of all of the 46 million international arrivals in 2009 (WTO 2010: 9). While is not known what percentage of tourists visiting South Africa are purely there as ecotourists, ecotourism is unquestionably a growing industry and has been credited for some of the growth of tourism on the African continent (Van Amerom 2006: 112). This is why I am going to critically examine how such tourism and ecotourism industry growth can help South Africa to develop. The very nature of ecotourism makes it valuable to examine as a potential means of advancing development in South Africa. The South African government defines ecotourism as environmentally and socially responsible travel to natural or near natural areas that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local people (White Papers 1996 :Definitions). The fact that ecotourism is based in the environment, is supposed to be environmentally and culturally educational, and is environmentally sustainable (Ayotte 2009: 14) means that it can work in South Africa and for the countrys overall development. South Africa is a country that is well predisposed to take advantage of ecotourism (Van Amerom 2006: 115) because it has basic tourism infrastructure coupled with the fact that it is rich in history, culture and environmental treasures- all things that ecotourists seek to experience. These assets give South Africa an advantage over many other countries in the tourism industry, which gives it comparative advantage in the world tourism market. Furthermore, since ecotourism is nature and culture based, South Africans will be capable of and inclined to preserve these treasures that generate revenue. Ayotte points out that, because of its sustainability, ecotourism is an alternative to traditional resource dependent industries which deplete finite resources (2009:2). One such example is the mining industry, which not only depletes limited resources but has also experienced massive job losses (Binns and Nel 2002: 236). Unlike the mining industry, tourism can be sustainable, as in the case of a local community being inclined to want to preserve a certain traditional ceremony of theirs that tourists will pay to experience. Instead of losing this aspect of their culture in any way, they will have the chance to profit off of it and preserve it for future profit. Profits support development of these host communities , especially in poorer rural communities, which ecotourism has the potential to extend to. Again, South Africa is in a superior position to take advantage of ecotourists because of the resources it has. What is more, tourism promotion is considered an inexpensive way to promote economic growth (Binns and Nel 2002:236). These factors make ecotourism a good industry for long-term sustainable profit and sequentially long-term development. Since the fall of apartheid in 1994, South Africa has been in a good position to take advantage of ecotourism for economic development. Since then, Western governments have been eager to provide support politically and economically for the country that it had previously held sanctions against for decades (Van Amerom 2006 :116). Such sanctions were certainly an economic hindrance to development in the country. The international community embraced South Africa after apartheid ended, and the country was allowed to host the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 as well as the Soccer World Cup in 2010. This international attention has boosted the marketing of tourism attractions (Van Amerom 2006: 116) The international attention that south Africa has received does not seem to be going anywhere. President Zuma recently boasted that he has already acquired ninety-five meetings and conferences between 2010 and 2016 (Visas to promote tourism 2011) for the country, which surely adds momentum to its positive international standing. The country is therefore in a position to take advantage of its good image and all of the attention it has gotten. With all of that being said, The West still holds a considerable amount of influence over tourism to the country. Unfavorable media coverage or travel advisories could affect the future of South Africas tourism industry negatively (Van Amerom 2006: 117). That is why South Africa should continue to pursue its positive international image and simultaneously work to promote ecotourism, a form of tourism that also has a positive image. One development issue which South Africa faces that can be alleviated with ecotourism is unemployment. The number of unemployed plus those too discouraged to seek work is currently close to 30% (The Economist 2011: 54). That is why the South African government is presently focusing on creating jobs and reducing unemployment. President Jacob Zuma gave an address to the nation on February10th where he declared that he wants to boost tourism because every sixteen tourists create one job (Visas to promote tourism 2011). Regardless of how precise this statistic is, tourists do create jobs, and South Africa needs jobs. Therefore, the country should do all it can to promote tourism which alleviates joblessness and consequently promotes development. Kaplan elaborates that in addition, tourism typically employs a high proportion of women (Kaplan 2004: 219). Ecotourism as an industry that is capable of spreading around profits and benefits which promote development for more people. Along with providing jobs for women, ecotourism is able to spread development benefits to the poorer rural areas of South Africa, making it a beneficial aid to countrys overall development. These communities often hold unique cultural traditions or are located near natural treasures that are appealing to ecotourists. Ecotourism would bring profit and thus development to rural regions of the country that are excluded from the economic benefits of mass tourism, for instance in Cape Town or Johannesburg. This is what makes ecotourism superior to mass tourism. Binns and Nel explain that the government is anxious to ensure that the benefits [of tourism] are felt in all parts of the country (2002: 236). Ecotourism can do this. Binns and Nel highlight an example of a town called Still Bay, which experienced economic collapse after its fishing industry failed. The area consequently faced a disastrous 85% unemployment rate (2002: 240). The town desperately needed to diversify its economy and create jobs so they began to market themselves as a tourist destination, calling the town The Bay of Sleeping Beauty (Binns and Nel 2002: 241). The leaders of the community also coordinated to build the Jagersbosch Community Care Centre, which managed funds to promote development. The Bay of Sleeping Beauty tourism campaign was remarkably successful because the town is located along The Garden Route, an already popular tourism area. Still Bay was also blessed with incredible natural beauty as well as archaeological heritage sites, whale watching, and an annual town festival. All of these factors helped lower the unemployment rate to almost 0% (Binns and Nel 2002: 242). Binns and Nel examine this case study to prove what a success ecotourism can be for a community, even though it may not work 100% of the time. There are still many areas in South Africa which could benefit from ecotourism and experience a success story similar to Still Bays. Ecotourism as a means of development has its criticisms but these can be alleviated with skills development. One such criticism is that most companies involved in ecotourism have their headquarters in the north, and a large proportion of profits are repatriated (Wall 1997: 488). While this is true, skills development can change this because it can promote entrepreneurship. Fortunately for South Africa, they have already established much of the hardware of the tourism industry such as the necessary airport and road infrastructure. Entrepreneurship gives people in marginalized communities a chance to create products and services which, in their sale, can benefit the whole community. For ecotourism to be truly successful at reducing unemployment and promoting development, South Africa must insure that it puts in place the industrys software of a skilled local workforce (Kaplan 2004: 217). The country urgently needs better skills development for local people, which will not only enhance its competitiveness in the tourism industry but is central to the countrys development as a whole (Kaplan 2004: 217). Skills development and thus the employment of local people will reduce leakage of profits to internationally hired employees. This is because now more and more local people can be hired, sometimes even at a lower cost. Kaplan also highlights the issue of inequality of who is employed in what positions in the tourism industry. Unfortunately, the more significant managerial roles are usually occupied by white males while black South Africans, particularly women, do the unskilled jobs (2004:222). This issue, which is largely rooted in the countrys ugly history of apartheid, can be alleviated with skills development initiatives. Ultimately, a lack of skills undermines the industry and will cripple its positive effect on development in the nation (Kaplan 2004: 225). Therefore , the South African government should invest as much into this software as much as is does in the hardware of the tourism industry to make it sustainable and beneficial to the countrys most underprivileged citizens. One such criticism of ecotourism is that it is merely a marketing-gimmick that people buy into (Wall 1997: 487) and is therefore not superior to mass tourism and will not benefit development. While this would be unfortunate, I think that because one of the fundamental principles that ecotourism is rooted in cultural and environmental education, this cynical critique is sufficiently refuted. With the growth of the industry and as more and more people are exposed to and become educated about ecotourism, people will demand an honest and superior product in comparison to mass tourism. The south African government also has the ability to make sure that ecotourism doesnt become a mere gimmick by enacting laws that restrict the usage of the term ecotourism in marketing unless it meets their definition laid out in The White Papers. Another criticism or paradox of ecotourism that seems to discount its potential as a means of development is that countries who aggressively promote it actually run the risk of killing the industry because large influxes of tourists can easily damage the fragile environments they visit. Fortunately, the South African government can single-handedly prevent this from happening to South Africas special treasures. The government can impose caps and limits on the number of people who visit certain areas and what they are allowed to do in those areas. I know from personal experience that these types of restrictions exist in vulnerable environments in South Africas neighboring country, Botswana. Though caps and limits may seem to limit economic growth in the short term, they are critical for long-term benefits of the ecotourism industry. Fundamentally, the South African government has control over ecotourism and how it is carried out in the country. In order for it to be successful, they mu st help to insure that South Africas resources are not exploited to the point that they no longer exist. As the statistics from the World Tourism Organization demonstrated at the beginning of my paper, tourism in Africa is growing rapidly. More and more people visit the continent each year, even through this current economic recession. But the fact that tourism is inevitable does not dispel all criticisms of it and it does not mean that people should not try to assess its effects. This fact actually makes tourism more important than ever to scrutinize and critique because the industry that has a large impact on economies around the world. We need to understand this force that is tourism and how it can be used as a force for good in development. This paper has argued that ecotourism is a superior form of tourism because it is sustainable, can stimulate the economies of sidelined communities by creating jobs, and can improve South Africas overall development situation. Ecotourism is an industry that South Africa can uniquely take advantage of. For these reasons, ecotourism is a critical i ndustry to examine as a potential method of development. When paired with other development initiatives, ecotourism can be part of a comprehensive development plan for South Africa.

Why Do Females Ask Males The Question They Do? :: essays research papers

Every day males are faced with questions that, in a females perspective, are punishable by death if answered incorrectly. Why do they do this to us and what can males do to evade them? The questions seem basic enough at first glance. When examined further, the questions are without a resolution. They are questions like â€Å"What are you thinking,† â€Å"Do you love me,† â€Å"Do I look fat,† and â€Å"Does she look prettier than me?† We know the acceptable answers to these questions, but when faced with them a blank look comes over our faces and all intelligent thoughts exit our minds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What are you thinking?† The obvious answer is â€Å"I was just thinking about what a warm, wonderful, thoughtful, caring, and intelligent woman you are, and how fortunate I am to have you.† Of course, that is not what we are thinking at all. If, and I emphasize if, because most of the time were not thinking anything at all, its more along the lines of â€Å"Football, sex, baseball, or how much prettier that woman is than you.† These are the types of answers that can get you a nice little place to sleep on the couch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do you love me?† This question always screws us up. If she ask us this she most likely loves us. This makes the answer, and delivery, all that more important. The obvious answer is â€Å"Yes,† spoken with feeling. Eye contact is important. You can even change it up with â€Å"Yes, baby.† Contrary to popular belief males do feel love and when we do, at least from my own experience; we let the girl know it. When we don’t feel it answers like â€Å"I suppose so† come out. Here’s a little tip, never use the word suppose in a sentence when talking about love. Other answers would include â€Å"That depends on what you mean by love,† â€Å"Does it matter,† or â€Å"Who me?† None of these should pass your lips without expecting some sort of retaliation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do I look fat?† This question is another one of the biggies. A good answer would go along the lines of â€Å"Of course not!† Incorrect answers sound like â€Å"Compared to what,† â€Å"I wouldn’t call you fat, but your not exactly thin,† â€Å"A little extra weight looks good on you,† and a definite Freudian slip â€Å"I’ve seen fatter.† Once again, what we say and what we think does not always match, and honesty is not always the best policy.

Tuesdays With Morrie :: essays research papers

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tuesdays with Morrie is a short narrative dealing with the last few months of an amazing man’s life, Morrie Schwartz. Mitch Ablom, the author, has written this novel documenting his experience of spending every Tuesday, during his last few months, with Morrie. It is a sad yet inspiring chronicle concerning the great relationship built between the two men, Morrie Schwartz and Mitchell Ablom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning, as the novel opens, Mitch Ablom writes as if he were speaking to the reader. By using this first person point of view, Ablom is able to connect, and communicate, easily with any that picks up this book. In addition, Ablom is also able to become close and almost personal with the reader. With this type of narrative, where one is documenting an entire day spent with another, it is necessary for the author to write in this fashion in order to convey his message clearly. Ablom does not, however, write the entire novel in first person. In instances where Ablom is describing the memories of Morrie, he uses a third person point of view in which Morrie engages in a dialogue. Using the first person point of view, and toggling back and forth with a third person point of view, Ablom’s style is effective in presenting his thoughts and ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Ablom is â€Å"talking† to his reader, he also displays his thoughts. Many of these thoughts set the tone of the novel by providing an image of exactly what he is thinking. â€Å"It cracks me up. The whole time I know him, I have two overwhelming desires: to hug him and to give him a napkin. (p.31)† Without these thoughts shown to the reader, one cannot understand how much love Mitch Ablom has for his teacher, Morrie. The relationship between the two is an everlasting one that will last forever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The entire narrative is in a very quick pace. Many different things contribute to this. First of all, being the obvious, the plot and story of this novel is engrossing and absorbing. Secondly, the structure and way in which the book was written contributes to its fast pace. The novel is broken up into short chapters. A novel that contains short chapters always seems to move in a quick tempo. However, although there are many chapters, there are no breaks in which the reader can get lost in. The novel is extremely fluid and continuous. Tuesdays With Morrie :: essays research papers TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tuesdays with Morrie is a short narrative dealing with the last few months of an amazing man’s life, Morrie Schwartz. Mitch Ablom, the author, has written this novel documenting his experience of spending every Tuesday, during his last few months, with Morrie. It is a sad yet inspiring chronicle concerning the great relationship built between the two men, Morrie Schwartz and Mitchell Ablom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning, as the novel opens, Mitch Ablom writes as if he were speaking to the reader. By using this first person point of view, Ablom is able to connect, and communicate, easily with any that picks up this book. In addition, Ablom is also able to become close and almost personal with the reader. With this type of narrative, where one is documenting an entire day spent with another, it is necessary for the author to write in this fashion in order to convey his message clearly. Ablom does not, however, write the entire novel in first person. In instances where Ablom is describing the memories of Morrie, he uses a third person point of view in which Morrie engages in a dialogue. Using the first person point of view, and toggling back and forth with a third person point of view, Ablom’s style is effective in presenting his thoughts and ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Ablom is â€Å"talking† to his reader, he also displays his thoughts. Many of these thoughts set the tone of the novel by providing an image of exactly what he is thinking. â€Å"It cracks me up. The whole time I know him, I have two overwhelming desires: to hug him and to give him a napkin. (p.31)† Without these thoughts shown to the reader, one cannot understand how much love Mitch Ablom has for his teacher, Morrie. The relationship between the two is an everlasting one that will last forever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The entire narrative is in a very quick pace. Many different things contribute to this. First of all, being the obvious, the plot and story of this novel is engrossing and absorbing. Secondly, the structure and way in which the book was written contributes to its fast pace. The novel is broken up into short chapters. A novel that contains short chapters always seems to move in a quick tempo. However, although there are many chapters, there are no breaks in which the reader can get lost in. The novel is extremely fluid and continuous.