Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The State of the Visual Arts in Colorado Case Study

The State of the Visual Arts in Colorado - Case Study Example Just recently, Colorado State University celebrated the openings of the final two spaces in the new University Center of the Arts located in the old Fort Collins High School. These are the University Art Museum and the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising where visitors can take a tour CSU's art and historic clothes and textile collections (Colorado State University). "The University Art Museum has four discrete galleries that offer flexibility for the installation of small or large exhibitions that will allow some 3,000 objects including Japanese prints, Warhol photographs, African sculptures and contemporary art to rotate through the space" while the Avenir Museum is "home to a collection of 12,000 artifacts including historic clothing, lace, textiles, accessories and chairs" (Colorado State University). Aside from these two new art-improving developments, the Colorado State University is also in the process of constructing the visual art complex, a premier visual art building which will be open to the public (Colorado State University). Colorado also has an art market. One is composed of outdoor fine arts and crafts fair showcasing work of 90 artisans. There are still a number of art galleries and stores in Colorado.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

History Of Fairness And Ethics Business Essay

History Of Fairness And Ethics Business Essay Fairness is a very broad concept which requires scholars to define the term fairness comprehensively and clearly because the term fairness is a dimension, meaning it is conceptual and we cannot use our senses to know what does the term actually means or set the boundary of the term. Therefore, we need to scholars to define the term and as more scholars define the term, the clearer or precise the definition will be. Taylor (1975, p. 109) defined fairness as inquisition into the character and area of morality which included rules of conduct, moral judgments and standards. Rawls (1971, p. 194) define fairness as the understanding of other peoples need. Aristotle (1968, p. 140) defines as equals should be treated equally and unequally. Plato (1974, p. 181) defines as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the requirement we laid down at the beginning as of universal application when we founded our state, or else some form of it. We lay down; if you remember and have often repeated that in our state, one man wa s to do one job, he was naturally most suited for. Cooke (2011, p. 84) defined fairness as peoples position in society which able to determine by factors within their control. From the definitions above, we can conclude that fairness is derived from several variables. Therefore, fairness consists of variables where the single variable is unable to define the term as a whole. Therefore, when the variables add up, it forms or creates the term. We can observe that the dimensions of fairness consist of needs, equal and morality. Hence, we can conclude that fairness requires the equality in the way peoples are treated and the difference in treatment are based on morally justifiable reasons such as need, effort or merit (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks Meyer, 1996). There are several types of fairness from the concept of fairness which are distributive fairness, procedural fairness and interactional fairness and Hornibrook, Fearne and Lazzarin (2009) suggested that if these three aspects of fairness are perceived positively, it will reflect to the organizational outcomes. Types of fairness 1.1 Distributive fairness Distributive fairness, a theory based on writings of John Rawls, has a major focus of distributing assets fairly among a dynamic and diverse group of members from a community. Rawls argues that everything must be done in an act of achieving fairness throughout and he did not want anything to be done that may hurt or damage another person. For example, Rawls (1971) felt that throughout a society, every demographic should be allowed the same treatment and goods as any other. Issues of distribution are pervasive in society, existing in any situation where there is an exchange type of relationship (Deutsch, 1985). Velasquez et al. (1996) refers distributive justice as the extent to which societys institutions ensure that benefits and burdens are distributed among societys members in ways that are fair and just. When the institutions of a society distribute benefits or burdens in unjust ways, there is a strong presumption that those institutions should be changed. For example, the American institution of slavery in the pre-civil war South was condemned as unjust because it was a glaring case of treating people differently on the basis of race. There are four specific principles of distributive fairness that can be considered in situations involving the distribution of material goods and resources, especially those that are scarce (Munson, 2004). The principle of equality requires that all benefits and burdens be distributed equally. The advantage to this concept of fairness is that everyone is entitled to an equal share of resources. However the principle becomes problematic when not everyone is perceived as equally deserving of an equal share. The second principle is the principle of need, which suggests that resources should be distributed based on need so that those with greater need will receive a greater share. In theory, this supports the principle of equality in that everyone will end up with the same share of goods. A problem occurs from this principles is the question of exactly what material goods and resources we are entitled to. Definitive agreement has not been reached in this society as to whether health care is such a good although Lamont (2002) argued that the poor should receive the same health care as the rich. The third principle is the principle of contribution which maintains that persons should benefit in proportion to their individual contribution. Those who contribute proportionately more to the production of goods should receive proportionately more goods in return. Finally, the principle of effort similarly recognizes the degree of effort made by an individual as the determining factor in the proportion of goods to be received. Obvious difficulties with these principles lie in defining the exact nature and impact of a contribution and accounting for the inherent differences in the outcomes of individual efforts regardless of the amount of effort spent. In organizations, distributive fairness affects performance when efficiency and productivity are involved (Charash Spector, 2001). According to Honans (1961) fairness in organizations concerns with distributive fairness that is, the manner in which organizational resources are distributed among personnel (Freedman Montanari, 1980; Leventhal, 1980) and on employees reactions to those resource distributions (Greenberg, 1982). Furthermore, performance appraisal and salary are some of the important determinants of employees perceived fairness (Lawler, 1971). Similarity, Chang and Hahn (2006) define distributive fairness as the perceived fairness of the quantity of compensation that employees get. Hence, in a business relationship, distributive fairness is based on the evaluation of the outcomes or results (Ferrell, 2010). The outcomes or results in distributive fairness may be tangible such as salary as well as intangible such as praise. Perceptions of distributive fairness can be fostered when outcomes are perceived to be equally applied (Adams, 1965). According Adams (1965) people compare the ratio of their own outcomes such as salary or promotion and inputs such as effort or qualification and make compare with others (Greenberg, 1982). On the other hand, when people perceive or expect fairness to occur, they may react positively towards the organization and recommend the organization to others, thus building on the positive image of the organization as a potential employer as well as an organization as a whole (Hà ¼lsheger Anderson, 2009). When an organization is perceived to be distributively just, employees tend to support of the organization by doing tasks outside the scope of their job description (Charash Spector, 2001; Karriker Williams, 2009) or in other word, improving perceptions of fairness increases performance (Karriker Williams, 2009). On the other hand, perceptions of distributive fairness are also strongly related also to the withdrawal of employees from the organization (Charash Spector, 2001) and the relationship between effort invested and outcome received often results in legal issues which can damage an organizations image (Anderson, 2004; Anderson, 2011; Anseel, 2011). If employee found out that he or she is being treated unfairly, he or she will be unmotivated to do the work. Suliman (2007) once said that, organizations that distributed the resources unfairly will create argument, disrespect and mistrust among them. It is because employees perceptions on distributive fairness are mainly based on comparisons with colleagues. If the comparison comes out with positive result, they will feel positive toward the organization management. Hence, the organization performance will be improved. However, if the comparison is negative, the outcome will become negative too. Therefore, managers must notice employees perceptions on distributive fairness as well as procedural fairness since these two dimensions play a main role related to intentions to quit and job dissatisfaction (Dailey Kirk, 1992). It is very important to make employees feel in part of the decision making when amending appraisal and reward systems. Organization can seek for employees opinion when making the changes to show respect to employees. 1.2 Procedural fairness According to Leventhal (1980, p. 156) procedural fairness is define as ones perception of the fairness of procedure components of the system that coordinate allocation process. Rawls (1971) argues that the procedure used is pivotal to the outcome reached and if fair procedure is utilized, principles of justice based on fairness and equality will be an inevitable result. The procedure is referring to the means whereby various ends are attained. Whether the outcomes are pay raises to be distributed to employees, labor disputes to be settled, or performance evaluations to be recorded, a key determinant of these decisions involves how they are made (Folger Greenberg, 1985). In short, procedural fairness concerns about the processes through which decisions are made from (Thibaut Walker, 1975). Thus, this concept is opposite of distributive fairness, which is concerned with the perceived fairness of the content and consequences of those decisions (Walker, Lind Thibaut, 1979). Forret and Love (2007) define procedural fairness as the perceived fairness of an organizations procedures and policies used to determine an individuals outcomes. It influences a wide range of human behaviors, perceptions, emotions, and across diverse social settings. Leventhal (1980, p. 160) define procedural fairness as ones perception of the fairness of procedure components of the system that coordinate allocation process. Leventhal (1980) and Forret and Love (2007) have identified several similar criteria and perception of procedural fairness. Viewpoints of procedural fairness are related to employees morale and trust and they are characterized by solidity in the procedures, accuracy of the information, and free of bias (Forret Love, 2007). Leventhal (1980) classify six criteria of perception of procedural fairness which are procedures are fair when they are consistency, bias minimization, accurate information, consist of technology gadget for wrong decisions correction, maintain usual concept of morality and the last is it is representative. Procedural fairness has been found that it able to increase the feelings of being appreciated. Hence, it is very important that procedural fairness is perceived positively in order to an organization to achieve maximum productivity and its strategic goals (Prooijen, 2009). If there is unfair procedures occurred, trust between the employees and company will be low, and therefore employees will have low commitment and motivation (Cremer, 2005). An organization who wants to have positive outcomes should have a good perception of procedural fairness. Research has showed that there are few benefits of procedural fairness for organizations. A good perception of procedural fairness creates positive attitudes toward management control and hence produces a number of good behavioral reactions (Collett, 2008). It is important for an organization especially in performance appraisal to create harmony among employees in order to increase organization performance. Organizational researchers found that procedures are perceived to be more fair when affected individuals have an opportunity to either influence the decision process or offer input (Thibaut Walker, 1975; Gilliland, 1993; Muhammad, 2004). The decision making can be included in salary determination or promotion of employees. If procedural fairness is used in salary determination, it will eventually improve the ability of organization to manage the salary determination process effectively (Cloutier Volhuber, 2007). Bagdadli, Roberson and Paoletti (2006) said that fair promotion decisions influence feelings of organizational commitment of employees. By other words, organizations are able to keep employee commitment when promotion decision making involve procedures fairness and employees will perceive it to be fair. For example, Wainwright Bank and Trust Corporation in Boston have made a commitment to promoting fairness to all stakeholders by providing a sense of inclusion and diversity that extends from the boardroom to the mail room. In other words, the bank uses method of procedural fairness to establish positive stakeholder relationships by promoting understanding and inclusion in the decision making process. Furthermore, Gilliland (1993) states that perceptions of procedural fairness are influenced by the extent to which procedural rules are satisfied or violated. Procedural rules, listed by Leventhal (1980) suggest that in order to be fair decisions should be made consistently; without personal biases, with as much accurate information as possible, with interest of affected individuals represented in a way that is compatible with their ethical values, and with an outcome that can be modified. Other researchers have suggested additional rules such as the importance of two-way communication (Greenberg, 1986). . 1.3 Interactional fairness Interactional fairness is defined by sociologist John R. Schermerhorn (2006, p. 140) as the degree to which the people affected by decision are treated by dignity and respect when executing procedures and determining outcomes. Therefore, the quality of interpersonal treatment that people receive from authorities during the decision-making procedures is very important (Bies Moag, 1986; Greenberg, 1993). In other word, interpersonal fairness reflects the degree to which people are treated with politeness, dignity, and respect by authorities and third parties involved in executing procedures or determining outcomes (Colquitt, 2001; Kickul Troth, 2003; Janssens, Sels Brande, 2003).This concept focuses on explanations provided to the people that convey information about why procedures were used in a certain way or why outcomes were distributed in a certain fashion (Greenberg, 1993). The assessment of organizational practices and behavior of authority in terms of fairness does not usually depend on how fairly the employee was actually treated, but rather on how fairly the employee perceives that he or she was treated (Greenberg, 1990). Perceptions of interactional fairness play a role in the determination of employees work attitudes and behavior (Cohen Spector, 2001; Colquitt, Conlon, Wesson, Porter Yee, 2001). According to Greenberg (1993) interactional fairness can be broken down into two fairness which are interpersonal fairness and informational fairness. Interpersonal focuses on treating people with dignity and respect while informational fairness deal with the justifications provided to people. There are four factors that affect perception of employees on fairness of the interpersonal treatment get from the organization (Narcisse Harcourt, 2008). These factors are the organization is unreliable, interfere employee privacy, make offensive judgments and disrespectful to employees (Narcisse Harcourt, 2008). The explanation for interactional fairness in the workplace is grounded in social exchange theory and norm of reciprocity (Cropanzano Mitchell, 2005). From the social exchange perspective, employees expect fair, honest, and truthful treatments from the organization or its agents. Based on the norm of reciprocity, employees who perceive fair treatments by authorities are more likely to evidence positive actions through greater commitments to the values and goals of the organizations, exhibit increased job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behaviors, improved job performances and reduced withdrawal behaviors (Cohen Spector, 2001; Colquitt et. al., 2001). Research on psychological contract indicated that employees expect their employers to provide pleasant work environment that supports harmonious working relationships (Kickul Troth, 2003). Because of the importance of good quality social exchange relationships in workplaces, organizations strive to encourage supervisors and employees to willingly interact with each other. However, regular supervisor-subordinate social exchange relations are important in influencing desirable individual and organizational outcomes (Becker, Billings, Eveleth Gilbert, 1996; Zdaniuk Levine, 2001; Raabe Beehr, 2003). Muzumdar (2011) found that the organizational commitment (loyalty) and work satisfaction are the most affected variables of the interactional fairness system. This showcases that the treatment by a supervisor directly influences the variables of loyalty and work satisfaction of an individual employee. Reward satisfaction is the least affected variable by the treatment by a supervisor. As such, being rewarded could be a reduction in the influence of the treatment given by the supervisor on the employee. In the business relationship, interactional fairness is based on evaluating the communication processes used. Because interaction fairness is linked to fairness in communication, it often involves the individuals relationship with the business organization through the accuracy of the information the organization provides. Employees can also be guilty in interactional fairness disputes. For example, many employees admit that they stay at home when they are not really stick if they feel they can get away from it. Such workplace absenteeism costs businesses millions of dollars each ear. Being untruthful about the reasons for missing work is an example of an interactional fairness issue. Part B: Origin According to Dr. Angie Hobbs (2010) fairness started to appear in the ancient Greece where Plato raised the debate on justice, but a lot of issues that were raised are the same issue with fairness. In the dialogue, Plato challenged the Athens democrats by saying that it is fair or just by having the same equal voices in the democratic Athens and also goods and power should also be shared equally. However, against Platos concept is the oligarchy thinkers who debated that equal voices, goods, or power should be shared proportionally, whether proportional to marriage or statuses in the society. Thus, there should be no equal shares exist in the oligarchys concept. There are several scientific researches on fairness to date. Dr Waal found that the sense of fairness might be developed in our genes naturally. Primatologist Frans de Waal and his team found that our closes mammal, chimpanzees do have the same human senses of fairness. This is because there are concrete evidences in evolution that argues chimpanzees are sensitive to unequal distribution of outcomes. Teamwork is shown during hunting, defending territory and distributing foods (Boesch, 1994; Muller Mitani, 2005). A clear illustration of sensitivity of chimpanzees in fairness is when the chimps refused to participate in an experiment where their partner received more rewards for the same accomplishment and also refused to accept better rewards when partner receive less (Brosnan, Schiff Waal, 2005). The advantage of using chimpanzees is humans cannot ask questions to them, thus by observing their behavior, we can know their decision. In animal kingdom, fairness and reciprocity elements are also found, not just in human societies. There are many animals such as zebras, deer, and wolves survive in groups by unity or reciprocity where empathy and teamwork is essential survival mechanism, just like humans as humans are highly cooperative species. (Waal, 2012) The second scientific research on fairness is done by archaeologist  Brian Hayden who  excavated an ancient settlement in British Columbia near Keatley Creek and  uncovered evidence indicating that two distinct classes lived within large  pit houses  that sheltered several families under one roof. Hayden supports Waals research by showing that inequality grew out of the natural variability in human personality traits, among which are inclinations to be greedy or to share. He found that self-serving individuals were presented with new opportunity with the availability of surpluses of resources in Keatley Creek. They exploited the extra resources to their favor, raising the survival odds of themselves and their successors and simultaneously accumulate wealth and power in societies. Thus, phenomenon enables the rich to redefine the meaning of fairness in the society economically and politically and this process is the repeating itself around the globe, explaining how power has been distributed (Hayden, 2012). The importance of fairness and ethics to organization and its effects on the organization performance Fairness is important in organizations because there are a lot of benefits by practicing the concept in the organizations. The first benefit is the practices of fairness are proven to be able to increase profitability. This is because the connection between fairness and profitability is proven to have positive correlation with each other (Donaldson, 2003). Research found that fairness in organization responsibility is able to increase corporate financial performance (Allouche Laroche, 2005). Thus, it can be considered as one of the manipulative variable on profitability because fairness and profitability can be the source of major competitive advantage (McMurrian Matulich, 2011). The competitive advantage is referred to higher levels of efficiency in operations, having firm relationship with the stakeholders and higher levels of customer loyalty and retention (Ferrell 2004). Another importance and effects of fairness in organization is able to produce high quality of employees as the role of fairness in the workplace can impact heavily on the employees attitude and behavior (Greenberg, 1990; Cropanzano Greenberg, 1997; Colquitt, Conlon, Wesson, Porter, Ng, 2001). Hence, organizations that practice high value of fairness and justice are able to produce better individual work performance (Cohen Spector, 2001; Colquitt et al., 2001). Furthermore, these individuals tends to have greater job satisfaction which is very important to increase revenue growth and profitability (Heskett, James, Earl Leonard, 1997) as high level of job satisfactions are able to generate higher levels of loyalty and subsequently showed by the customers behavior such as repeat purchases and referrals of additional customers (Robert Erika, 2006). The importance of the fairness and ethics and its effects on society and in general According to Al-Hassar (2010) found that fairness is the final outcome of the process of the law, whereby fairness is distributed by the State. Based on this definition, fairness is the mechanical process of the structure of law which mean set in place and agreed to by the people of the State. Another definition is concerned with the value inherent in fair behavior. One distinction between these two definitions is the difference between an individual viewpoint and the larger view of the society. Either view incorporates the concept of moral judgment: good as opposed to bad (Al-Hassar, 2010). Unfairness in our society can be seen in the execution of criminals and whenever there is an execution, the morality of capital punishment usually causes heated debate (Al-Hassar, 2010) although many people believe that the death sentence discourages those who might commit horrible crimes. To these people, they feel that since life is precious, the death penalty helps to affirm this fact. However, Richard (2011) define that a majority of countries in the world has now abandoned the use of the death penalty and he state that a civilized society has no right to put another person to death especially when there is a lack of strong evidence. Most of the industrialized world has abolished the death sentence, because they consider it barbaric. Instead, barbaric or not, the law of the land must be followed even if we do not like the death penalty. Moreover, the officers of the law must always avoid errors of sentencing based on skin color, poverty, class, and political gain. If we create a society in which fairness is not tolerated and racism at play then more incidents of state killing will continue and the law of jungle will take place (Al-Hassar, 2010). In ancient Greece, fairness was believed to be derived from the order of society-a good society fostered fairness, and fairness fostered a good society. According to Plato (2000) fairness is the bond that holds a society together. Both individualism and personal rights had little to do with the Platonic conception of fairness those appeals even today to collectivists who emphasize the social context of fairness. Fairness was seen as the supreme virtue with respect to our relations with others. Al-Hassar (2010) also state that fairness must be distributed equally to all members of society in order to live in harmony and peace. Judicial and police officers must not use the law as a shield to insulate their racism, hatred, and political gain. In the eye of the law, fairness must not differentiate between the poor and rich, the weak and the strong. To solve the poverty problem, the state should spend more money on education, employment, and child welfare. The state must give the individual his rightful place of dignity as a free man equal to all his fellow men where he shall have the right to live under a rule of law based on a sense of obligation. In that society, respect for law must be the cohesive force holding it together and not mere obedience based on surrender to the weapons of state power. Relevant Theories Ethics is closely related to fairness. Ethics studies are focused on how an employees beliefs influence their perception of fairness in the organization. Research on fairness is also concerned with how the situation will influences an employees perception in the organization (Schminke, Ambrose Noel, 1997). According to Greenberg (1990) people who have experienced being treated unfairly would be more likely to taking some unethical behavior to the organization. For example, if employees perceived that they are being treated unfairly such as pay cut and they will probably taking some unethical behavior such as steal from the organization. Employees who perceive unfairness in the workplace will look for opportunities to increase their own benefit in their own ways and may shift to unethical conduct in order to balance the unfairness that have been done to them (Trevino Weaver, 2001). According to Gartenstein (n.d.) ethical human resource policies are also vital when creating and maintaining an ethical culture in an organization. Employees who are treated fairly are more likely to be satisfied with their works. When employees feel that they are being treated unfairly, they will prone to explicit some unethical behavior such as using company resources for personal gain. However, when they are fairly compensated for their work, they will contribute more to the organization and less taking opportunities to exploit situations for personal gain. On the other hand, when employees perceived that they are being treated fairly such as when top management fairly distribute the resources, they have the intension to preserve well-being of their organization (Manrique, 2010) and reduce their own interest to the organization (Lind Tyler, 1998). Furthermore, their behaviors also tend to be ethical and in line with the organizations expectations (McCain, Tsai Bellino, 2010). Trevino and Weaver (2001) agree that there is a strong relationship between employee perceived general fair treatment and ethics-related outcomes in an organization. Their study shows that if employees believe that their organization generally treats them fairly, those unethical behaviors will significantly decrease. According to Trevi (2001), employees perceptions of being treated fairly not only reduce a broad range of unethical behaviors that may harm the organization, but it can also increase their positive behaviors. For example, employees are willing to cooperate with organization to achieve the organizations goals by reporting ethical problems to management. The values that shape an organization to be ethical will influence the relationships between the organizations with its customers. An ethical organization will train employees to treat their customers with respect and to be fair with them. For example, when employees know that such ethical behaviors as an important part of customer services, they will understand the strength of the organizations obligation to those behaviors. Hence, they will more likely to perform their work accordingly because ethical behavior can inspire fairness (Gartenstein, n.d.).

Friday, October 25, 2019

Growing Up in the Poem Death of a Naturalist Essay -- Seamus Haney

'Death of a Naturalist' is concerned with growing up and loss of innocence. The poet vividly describes a childhood experience that precipitates a change in the boy from the receptive and protected innocence of childhood to the fear and uncertainty of adolescence. Haney organizes his poem in two sections, corresponding to the change in the boy. By showing that this change is linked with education and learning, Haney is concerned with the inevitability of the progression from innocence to experience, concerned with the transformation from the unquestioning child to the reflective adult. The poem is set out in two sections of blank verse (rhymed iambic pentameter lines). The poem opens with an evocation of a summer landscape which has the immediacy of an actual childhood experience. There is also a sense of exploration in ?in the heart/Of the town land,? which is consistent with the idea of learning and exploration inevitably leading to discovery and the troubled awareness of experience. To achieve this Haney not only recreates the atmosphere of the flax-dam with accuracy and authenticity, but the diction is carefully chosen to create the effect of childlike innocence and naivety. The child?s natural speaking voice comes across in line 8, ?But best of all?. The vividness of his description is achieved through Haney use of images loaded with words that lengthen the vowels and have a certain weightiness in their consonants, ?green and heavy-headed Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.? The sound of the insects which, ?Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell? is conveyed by the ?s? and ?z? sounds but also, importantly, acts like a bandage preventing the spread of decay. The images of decay, ?festered?, ?rot... ...bellied? and ?coarse croaking? remind us that the boy himself is going through changes. Leaving behind the receptive innocence of childhood and a feeling of being at ease with the natural world (the death of a naturalist of the title), the language of the second section expresses the boy's sense of distaste and fear for the physicality and sexuality of adolescence that he is now beginning to experience. The poem recreates and examines the moment of the child's confrontation with the fact that life is not what it seems. The experience transforms the boy's perception of the world. No longer is it a place for unquestioning sensuous delight. It is a dynamic world of uncertainty. The success of the poem derives from the effective way Haney builds up a totally convincing account of a childhood experience that deals with the excitement, pain and confusion of growing up.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Related Study Essay

Acknowledgement The completion of this business was made possible through the support and encouragements of some important people and the group members, AlfieCajucom, Rishvert Romano, Dustin Del Rosario and Maria Mayella Malang. Friends, Jenina Dela Fuente and Diane Cruz and many significant others. The members of the group is greatly thankful to Mam Rosalita DG..Abello for her comprehensive effort in assisting us to complete this business venture Finally, we are deeply grateful to our Almighty God, from whom we got the needed wisdom and inspiration. INTRODUCTION The lifestyle of our world today is totally different from the past few years. Big and small businesses began to spread out. Being young entrepreneurs the group members are willing to take the risk in putting up a business that can make each one a successful individual in the future. The Pastry Yard is a business of young and brave students, who joined the pastry industry in the form of a simple business. The Pastry Yard sells delightful products with an affordable price. It aims to satisfy the palate of their target market. Competitors will always around that is why the members are doing their best to make the group’s business successful. The Pastry Yard products has a potential in the pastry industry. I. Company Overview A. Name of Business: THE PASTRY YARD The group decided to choose The Pastry Yard for its business, because YARD means the first letter of the group member’s first name. Y for Yella, A for Alfie, R for Rishvert and D for Dustin and added â€Å"PASTRY† to signify the concept that the business products is all about pastries. B. Description of the Business: The Pastry Yard is a retailing type of business. The business decided to propose a business which is selling butterscotch and tarts since they will always be saleable in any season. Foods come in different varieties and tastes but pastries are all time-favorites so the group makes sure that the products are tasty and delicious. Aside from personal selling and offering, the business reaches its target market through its affordable price that is convenient to the students, teachers, employees and even the guardian and the parents inside the campus of St. Mary’s College of Baliuag. C. Name of the Group:Ka Bert’s The owners agreed to the name Ka Bert’s after the name of Rishvert John Romano who is given a pet name â€Å"Berto† acting as the leader of the group. D. Business Owners: Name Nationality Address Role % of Ownership Maria Mayella T. Malang Filipino Bahay Pare, Candaba, Pampanga General Partner 25% Alfie G. Cajucom Filipino Sulivan, Baliuag, Bulacan General Partner 25% Rishvert John T. Romano Filipino Milflora Homes, Sabang, Baliuag, Bulacan General Partner 25% Dustin Del Rosario Filipino Poblacion, Bustos, Bulacan General Partner 25% E. Business Structure: Type of Business Organization: Partnership The owners decided to form a partnership type of business organization for the following reasons: a. The business is easy to establish and start-up costs are low. b. The liabilities are limited c. With more than one owner, the ability to raise funds may be increased. d. Partnerships provide moral support and will allow for more creative brainstorming F. Business Location: The business is located at St. Mary’s College of Baliuag Campus G. Vision: To build up a small business that will offer a unique and savory pastries. Mission: To provide the customers with the best food experience from beginning to end. Goals: To encourage people on eating healthier foods especially the students. To introduce pastries to the people reach by the business. Objectives: To provide and satisfy people in producing a kind of product that can help in utilizing resources by means of selling and gaining profit. MARKETING ANALYIS A. Market Description The Pastry Yard is a business that offers pastries. The business is an advantage for the students having a hard time during break time going to canteen because the product itself will find their find their way to its customers. Pastries are not sold in the school canteen that is why the group saw this as a business opportunity to sell to the students who are looking for something to eat. B. Target Market The group’s target market are the teachers, employees and even the guardian and the parents of the St. Mary’s College of Baliuag. C. Target Area The group’s target area is at St. Mary’s College of Baliuag Quadrangle, located at Racelis St. Baliuag, Bulacan, D. Market Demographics The business targets both male and female with age ranging from 7 years old and above inside the SMCB Campus. E. Products Butter scotch Tart F. Market Positioning Selling the best pastries at an affordable price is the image wanted by the business. G. PRICING Pricing below competition The products price is simply the same with our competitors. This strategy is working best on the group’s efforts. It reduces costs and develops good marketing strategies. Product The Pastry Yard SM Tart Php. 10.00 each Php. 15.00 each Butter scotch Php. 15.00 each Php. 20.00 each Pricing above competition Location and exclusivity of product is one factor that affects the pricing quality. The group that stocks high quality of product will have the potentials in building a price above their competitors. Product The Pastry Yard Market Tart Php. 10.00 each Php. 8.00 each Butterscotch Php. 15.00 each Php. 12.00 each Cost plus markup pricing It is a strategy and it is usually used if there are many products being sold. The group sells tart and butterscotch. The record cost Php. 15.00 and Php. 10.00 and that Php. 15.00 and Php. 10.00. A percentage is added which also served as the profit. PRODUCT COST SELLING PRICE MARK-UP PRICE PERCENTAGE Tart Php. 7.00 Php. 10.00 Php. 3.00 30% Butterscotch Php. 10.00 Php. 15.00 Php. 5.00 33% Multiple Pricing This is selling more than one product, with different price. The group is selling one product individually. This multiple pricing is great in markdowns and events, but some consumers tends to patronize this strategy because they can buy products in larger amounts. H.DEMAND AND SUPPLY ANALYSIS (GAP) Consumers will purchase the product in a lower price and less of good in higher prices. When it comes to supply producers will sell less of goods in lower price and more goods in higher prices. High school students and faculty members are the common customer. The group bases the demand on the total number of sales which is 210 but not all the students buys the product. The demand is low because the business is just starting and do not have permanent store. SALES POPULATION DEMAND HIGHSCHOOL 120 885 7.38 COLLEGE 90 165 1.83 SALES POPULATION DEMAND HIGHSCHOOL 100 885 8.85 COLLEGE 80 165 2.06 I. MARKETING STRATEGIES AND PLANS Our business provides a cheap and good quality of pastry products. Products are assured of its cleanliness and affordability. As a marketing strategy this is done by means of word of mouth because every time people buys the products they can talk about it with their colleagues. SELLING CHANNELS The group members are selling our product personally and it is given directly to the customers. The group sells the product by roaming around the vicinity of the school. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS Nature of the Competition Selling pastry products is totally in demand in the world today. Despite the presence of competitors in the market, the Pastry Yard is confident that its products are different with a unique characteristics. Direct Competitors The direct competitors of our product are the two groups (C-creations) that sells baked goodies. Strengths and Weaknesses The pastry industry now a days is getting bigger and it became a new trend in the market. Pastry Yard basically gives the customers a chance to taste a delightful and different pastry products. The group weakness is the unavailability of machineries and baking tools in making and producing pastry products. Competitive advantage The Pastry Yard advantage is selling freshly baked tarts and butterscotch which will satisfy one palate. a. MANAGEMENT/PERSONNEL Management consists of the interlocking functions of creating corporate policy and organizing, planning, controlling, and directing an organization’s resources in order to achieve the objectives of that policy. b. Ownership The type of business is partnership, before the business starts, the proponents contributed capital and chooses their respective role in running the business. The proponent agreed to divide the business profit equally. c. DUTIES AND REPONSIBILITIES Cashier Responsible in managing the business profit Responsible in preparing business financial statements Production Officer Responsible in processing the products to be sold Ensure the product are clean and safe with the best quality Sales Crew Responsible for business promotion Responsible for selling the product Responsible for communicating with the customer Purchaser Accountable for buying quality products Ensuring the cleanliness of the ingredients d. BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCES FINANCE OFFICER (Cashier) The Finance Officer of the business is Maria Mayella T. Malang. She is a student of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management. She is in charge of budgeting and monitoring the money that are coming from the business. She is responsible for ensuring that the financial statements of the business are complete and accurate. PRODUCTION OFFICER The Production Officer of the business is Dustin Del Rosario. He is a student of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management. He is in charge and responsible of the products that are ready for selling. Ensure the cleanliness and the safety of the product. MANAGEMENT OFFICER The Management Officer of the business is Alfie G. Cajucom. He is a student of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management. He is in charge for business promotions and responsible in selling the product. MARKETING OFFICER The Marketing Officer of the business is Rishvert Romano. He is a student of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management. He is responsible for buying quality pastry products. He is also responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of the products. e. PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS Cashier Must be a graduate of any 4 year course Experienced in managing budget Must be at least 18 years old Production Officer Must be a graduate of any 4 year course Outstanding communicator skills Excellent in quality control Sales Crew Must be a graduate of any 4 year course Must possess excellent customer service skills Must be at least 18 years old Purchaser Strong and confident communicator Must be a graduate of any 4 year course Must be at least 18 years old and above WEAKNESS The business do not have its own store for which the buyer can visit and order their preferred goods. Another weakness is that the business buys the product that they offer and just add a little mark ups to earn profit. STRENGTH Customers want variety of products that’s why the business provides customers options to buy either tart or butterscotch. The Products are affordable and will surely satisfy the customer tummies. IV. BUSINESS OPERATIONS A. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION A Tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pasty. The pastry is usually short crust pastry, the filling may be sweet or savory, though modern tarts are usually with yema fillings. A Butterscotch is a chewy flour based pastry like brownies that is baked with peanut toppings. B. PROCESS FLOW Pastry Yard ordered the product from a source and delivered to the group ready for selling. The group walks around the school to sell the product to the customers who are usually students and teachers. C. INVENTORIES The raw materials that are used in the business are not owned by our group. Because we are just getting our product in a manufacturer of pastries. PRODUCT  DISTRIBUTOR BUTTERSCOTCH RONALD TADEO TART RONALD TADEO E. PLANT SITE The Pastry Yard is located inside the school vicinity of St. Mary’s College of Baliuag Quadrangle. F. PLANT LAY OUT We usually sell our product at Sacred Heart Building. G. WASTE AND WASTE DISPOSAL The group maintains the cleanliness in the designated area inside the school campus. Separate containers are used to prevent food contamination. Members of the group are obliged to clean and pick up the trash that came from selling tarts and butterscotch. VI. Socio Desirability Business believes that change starts from within. It is the main reason why the business are built and established the community, and help individuals in their lives. It increases and promote an economic friendly environment. 1. Employee The Pastry Yard owners are also the crew or service staff of the business. The group didn’t hire crews because the business is just starting and still manageable. 2. Community The Pastry Yard wants to shout out the care for the community and the environment. A ten percent donation will be given to HRM HARMONIES for the incoming activities of the said club. 3. Government Success in business requires a very crucial part in our government. The Pastry Yard pay the right amount of taxes when is continue to succeed. 4. Environment The Pastry Yard inspires the community in living in a healthy and clean lifestyles, and how to value and care to our environment. Unlike other businesses that sells pastries, The Pastry Yard knows how to retain and produce a green community. The Pastry Yard promotes the use of â€Å"reduce, reuse and recycle†. Financial Assumptions 1. The sales of Tart per day are 30 and sales of Butterscotch per day are 25. 2. Purchases of Tart per day are 30 and purchases of Butterscotch per day are 25. 3. The mark up price for tart is 30% while 33% for butterscotch.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A Letter to Morrie Shwartz

It really started to dawn on me how lightly we take the time we have in our lives and how little we love and live to the fullest. I feel that your belief in â€Å"when we learn how to die, we learn how to live† was really enlightening and true. As I read your philosophies on death and aging, you really described aging as not something to be hated and feared, but something to be embraced. You thought of it as more knowledge and experience, and had no reason to be jealous of young people; why be jealous of a man who is 40 when you've already been there?This idea really changed my thoughts on aging. Another belief of yours that admired was the bird perched on your shoulder. Though it wasn't your philosophy, it changed me a lot to try harder in life. I ask myself each day whether or not would be satisfied with dying at the end of the day. From this idea, thought of each time I sleep as me dying, but being reborn in the morning and starting the day anew. However, some days I'm just really unsatisfied, and that's okay, but will always try my best to have a great day every day.When you had one of your early conversations catching up with Mitch after so many years, I found your outlook on people's everyday lives to be very true. In the past few months, found myself very unsatisfied with how I was doing in school and keeping my body active. I had many unsatisfied days and nights, falling asleep unsure and anxious. During the day, I try my best to be alive and in the moment, and really being there, having my presence in the room in front of my peers. This idea really changed my thoughts on everyday fife and experiencing it fully.Yet another philosophy of yours that really moved me was your â€Å"detachment' technique. Recently, I've taken a lot of blows to my pride, and have lost a lot of respect from others and myself. I just have a lot of self-pity. Some days, when I feel incredibly sad and helpless, I detach myself; experience, wash myself in all the negative emotions bothering me. Face these problems and emotions so that I can understand it, know it, and then let go. It really helps when I feel pretty low, and I'm sure it will help even more n the future, and thankful for that, Morris. Next pig) All in all, my idea Of the meaning Of life has changed so much. I have learned to live more, love more, and do more. It has changed me as a person, and really could never have had such a great learning experience. I've learned a lot about myself and the people around me; flaws, talents, interests, opinions, beliefs, the list goes on. A lot of the problems I've had have been solved thanks to your story, Morris. I am sincerely thankful for that, and your student Mitch, for sharing it with us. Sincerely yours,

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Signfican Health Care event Essay

Signfican Health Care event Essay Signfican Health Care event Essay Significant Health Care Event HCS/531 8 June, 2015 Significant Health Care Event The United States delivery health care system is in a constant revolving state of change. There are many factors involved in the changes to include managed care, capitation, the multiple-payer system, and excessive litigation. The changes that occur are mainly due to events such as a reactive response to concerns regarding cost, access to care, and the quality of the care being received. This paper will focus on how the technological revolution relates to the changes on health care, how it has impacted the historical evolution of health care, and whether I personally agree with the event’s significance. Technological Revolution Technological innovations have made it possible for users to use portable devices such as their phones to access medical information. With technology it is also possible to monitor vital signs, take tests at home, and even receive care at home from a physician through a computer or other portable device. Technological revolution has been primarily responsible for bringing medicine into the public domain. Advancement of technology has influenced other factors as well such as medical education, growth of institutions, and urban development (Shi & Singh, 2012, p. 82). Technology today has dramatically changed how we communicate with each other. Technology has also changed the medical field. We can now, using new technology, image any part of the body and do a three-dimensional reconstruction, eventually leading to the capability of printing an organ. The direction technology is growing on a daily basis it is seemingly unlimited. Cloud servers, genome sequencing, imaging capabilities and health information systems it seems as though the sky is not the limit anymore. There is much more that we as a species can accomplish. Yet, it is unfathomable why so many almost one out of every two adults in the United States has at least one chronic illness, many of which are preventable ("National Prevention Strategy: America's Plan For Better Health And Wellness", n.d.). Historical Perspective The manner in which technology advances is almost impossible to keep up alongside with, let alone fully understand. Let’s take a step back into time where electronic medical records did not exist. Paper records, paper charts, paper files are how everything in health care for a patient was recorded. One aspect that stands out, in my opinion, is reading other peoples handwriting. This might seem like a miniscule subject, but if a nurse or doctor cannot read another person’s handwriting time is wasted

Monday, October 21, 2019

Proportionate vs. Proportional

Proportionate vs. Proportional Proportionate vs. Proportional Proportionate vs. Proportional By Maeve Maddox Both of these adjectives are based on the noun proportion. The noun proportion can mean â€Å"a part, portion, amount, or percentage† of something. For example, â€Å"He miscalculated the proportion of water to alcohol in the solution.† Proportion can also refer to a balance between two things. For example, â€Å"The king rewarded the knight in proportion to his merit.† Outside certain scientific contexts, the words tend to be used interchangeably. Both mean â€Å"in proportion.† Nevertheless, some speakers perceive a difference between proportional in reference to â€Å"amount or percentage† and proportionate to mean â€Å"comparable, equivalent, or analogous.† The US Senate would be proportional in terms of the US population if it were made up of 50 men and 50 women. When someone initiates an attack against you, a proportionate response will be one that equals but does not exceed the original attack in severity. Here are some recent examples from the Web: Benin’s Military Manual (1955) requires respect for the principle of proportionality. According to the manual, â€Å"a military action is proportionate if it does not cause loss or damage to civilians which is excessive in relation to the expected overall result.† A windmills noise is directly proportional to the speed of its rotor tips.   Your  proportionate  share of production from a well is calculated based on the net acres you own in the spacing unit. Unlike a real roulette wheel the sections are different sizes, proportional to the individuals fitness, such that the fittest candidate has the biggest slice of the wheel and the weakest candidate has the smallest.   The adverbs for proportionate and proportional are proportionately and proportionally. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Email EtiquetteHow to Punctuate Introductory Phrases

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Easy Blue Color Change Demo with Household Chemicals

Easy Blue Color Change Demo with Household Chemicals You dont need a chemistry lab to perform a dramatic color change chemistry demonstration. Make a pale blue solution. Add another chemical and watch the solution form a precipitate and turn milky sky blue. Continue adding the color and watch swirls of vivid blue form, until finally, the entire solution turns deep translucent blue. Chem Demo Materials You only need water and two household chemicals for this project: hot tap watercopper sulfatehousehold ammonia I used Root Killâ„ ¢, which states on its label it is copper sulfate. Some pool treatments and algicides consist of copper sulfate, but read the ingredient list to make certain. Ammonia is sold as a common household cleaner. If you cant find pure dilute ammonia, try a glass cleaner that contains ammonia. Perform the Color Change Demo Dissolve a spoonful of copper sulfate in a cup of hot water. The proportions are not critical, but you want a high enough concentration of copper sulfate to get a blue color.Stir in a small amount of ammonia. See the swirls of milky pale blue? The blue solid will settle out of solution if you allow it to sit undisturbed.Adding more ammonia will start to turn the solution deep blue much brighter than the original copper sulfate solution. When the reaction goes to completion youll end up with a translucent blue liquid. You can a video of this reaction at YouTube to see what to expect. What Happened? Ammonia and copper sulfate initially react to precipitate copper hydroxide. Additional ammonia dissolves the copper hydroxide to form a vivid blue amino-copper complex. The cuprammonium solution could be used to dissolve cellulose as part of one method of producing Rayon. Blue Bottle Color Change Demo | More Home Chem Projects

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Art Friedman - Friedmans Appliance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Art Friedman - Friedmans Appliance - Case Study Example Earning a decent salary followed by  convenient  and safe working conditions  depict  the hierarchy of needs. A generous salary acts as a first  level  motivator then  suitable  working conditions  come  in as a  second  level motivator. The factor applying to Friedman’s Appliance is hygiene factor. These factors include; quality of supervision, working condition, salary,  administration  and  company  policies. The need for  achievement  also applies in Friedman’s Appliance. Employees with the need of achievement were free to choose their  appropriate  working  schedule  and  propose  their  pay  (Lussier  &  Achua, 2010). Equity and  expectancy  theories do apply in Friedman’s Appliance  case. Employees  expect  their input and outputs to be at par as outlined in Equity theory. In Friedmans Appliance, employees could choose their level of  salary  in accordance with their level of input. According to  expectancy  theory, there is a direct relationship between motivation and the  performance  generated. Employees at Friedmans Appliance increased their productivity with  an increase  in their salaries (Lussier  &  Achua, 2010). Friedman employed positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is adding a stimulus in order to  achieve  a  superior  response. Employees at Friedmans Appliance got a pay raise and also had the benefit of choosing their working schedule. These, in turn, increased their productivity (Lussier  &  Achua, 2010). Conscientiousness is one of the five personality dimensions illustrated by Art Friedman. Employees illustrated this by being achievement-oriented, disciplined and organized. Friedmans Appliance employees exhibited this goal-directed behavior. Their conscientiousness positively correlated with their productivity (Lussier  &  Achua,

Friday, October 18, 2019

The period of time when most egyptians came to u.s Essay

The period of time when most egyptians came to u.s - Essay Example Ten years after the war, a high population of Egyptian professionals of educated elites left their country. A great number of the immigrants who left Egypt between 1967 and 1977 settled in countries with positive legislations that could support supported them. Skilled employees also went to America during this period. Currently the number of Egyptians staying in America is an approximate number ranging from one to two million. One of the factors that favored the migration of the Egyptians to the U.S was the Immigration and Nationality act, passed in 1965. The legislation privileged the migration of professionals and skilled employees to the country, with emphasis on scientists. Most of the immigrants from Egypt settled in various places including New Jersey, Florida and Texas among other southern states mainly occupied by blacks. The southern states were favorable for the Egyptians to occupy because of the temperatures. It is noteworthy that most Egyptians would like to gain permanent residence in America. The role of resolution 242 in creating stability in Egypt, presided by the UN (Cortas, 2009) and Lord Caradon, Britain was

A Strategy for Success of Proctor & Gamble Assignment

A Strategy for Success of Proctor & Gamble - Assignment Example They are also informed of the parameters of the problem to be solved in order to solve it appropriately. Engaging the teams in the prior activities is vital for the entire process, as it ensures that teams are handling a problem they fully understand (Hayes 36). On the contrary, the more time the team spends on the Clay Street, the more the cost to the company. Â  The key objective of the teams that visit Clay Street is to find solutions to problems facing companies. Generation of innovative products is vital for every company that seeks market advantage. P & G have realized this potential, and send teams to Clay Street develop ideas that will ensure they remain top on the market. The time the team takes at Clay Street determines the relevance of processes the team is involved. Enough time is required to ensure that the desired results for all processes are met (Hayes 24). Â  It is clear that selecting a competitive team and sending it to a separate location to ponder over a certain problem must produce positive results. It is advisable for all companies to be sending out teams to meditate upon their products in the market and the way they can improve. Facilitators would be equally important because they help the teams familiarize with the parameters of the problem (Hayes 32). The type of training with periodical training on the market trends is preferable.

Discussion questions 1-6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion questions 1-6 - Assignment Example They both involve finding the minimum or maximum in a set of unfamiliar real variables. A good example is how petroleum products are usually transported, that is transportation from production point to the end user involves a wide range of modes of transport which include tank ships, rail tankers and pipelines. Each mode of transport here has disadvantages but are nonetheless each used in the transportation of petroleum products from the source to the end user. I do agree with Dustin in that a vector is a collection of data of the same type. Vectors help in that the minimize repetition and coding if there is a wide range of data of the same type. Vectors are good I that; they remove or add elements; it access character elements by their location indices and they iterate elements through any order. Vectors perform almost the same way as arrays but also give room for expanding. However they take up more memory space than arrays. This is to allow for future growth. This is also true. A vector is indeed a compilation of data of the same type. However, vectors are also implemented as dynamic arrays meaning that their elements can also be accessed using offsets pointers to the elements. Generally, vectors are generally the fastest when it comes to adding, removing and accessing elements from the end sequence. However, in some situations they don’t perform well. These situations include when removing and adding elements in other positions other than the sequence end This is true, an array should also be declared before being implemented. You should feed the compiler what type of array being defined. Arrays take up less space than vectors hence limiting their efficiency. However, arrays are best used when the data is minimal and when removing and adding elements that are not at the end of the sequence. This is true. Arrays are referred to low level abstraction because they cannot be defined and the code

Thursday, October 17, 2019

ANIS2007 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ANIS2007 - Essay Example Not only did the traditional Acts like the Indian Act undermined the achievements of the Anishinabe during that period, but the influence of the Act still exists today while new others have been established. The new establishments are in a way hindering the Anishinabe’s expectations towards achieving a society where equity among all is considered. These current actions include C51 Bill that impacts both the Anishinabe as well as non-Anishinabe social movements. The paper therefore examines the achievements and what the Anishinabe expects to achieve while also considering traditional tools of oppression and current government actions. The colonial rules perpetuated ideas across the colonized nations to ensure a continuous discrimination towards a certain group or groups of individuals. The Indian Act is among the major discriminatory ideas that led to the discrimination of Aboriginal women in Canada all through since its introduction. The discrimination is still evidenced today within various means that in return continue to hinder the goal of Anishinabe’s (Smith,  2008). The Indian Act continues to normalize as well as perpetuate gender discrimination in three broad areas through regulation of the family, political exclusion as well as the reserve system together with exclusion as a result of geographic coverage. The Indian Act is thus essential in understanding the historical as well as the current socio-political movements in Canada. Since its creation in 1876 by the federal government, The Indian Act focused on presenting a colonial idea that depicted men as society leaders owing to their household l eadership roles portraying women as their husbands’ dependants. The Act denied women against possessing material property unless for widows who were allowed such possession upon the death of the husband under the reverse system. It is however important to note that the widow never inherited

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Auditing - Essay Example The auditor is responsible for collecting and evaluating the evidence in order to make an opinion on the financial position of a company. In the contemporary business world, various changes have been experienced as auditors embark on addressing the challenges that face them as professionals. Quality auditing by independent auditors is a vital aspect in that it ensures that capital markets are effectively working while at the same time public and investor’s interests are protected. This paper seeks to examine the changes in the auditing environment and the resulting challenges. Additionally, the paper will discuss key lessons that auditors can draw in order to capitalize on emerging opportunities. During the annual conference for American Accounting Association (AAA), the issue of auditing skepticism was noted as one of the key challenges that are faced in the field of auditing. According to the PCAOB, every audit who is focused at coming up with a fair view of the clients fina ncial position must emulate professional skepticism throughout their audit process. This implies that firstly, the auditor should portray a general duty of care during their duties. Secondly, professional skepticism entails having a questioning mind on the appropriateness of the audit evidence (James, 2013). Thirdly, it comprises of there key elements that includes mindset, actions and attributes. The three aspects must be emulated together in order to come up with a quality audit. One of the major issues that results to change in the audit are the skeptical judgments arrived at during the audit planning. This can be due to the variation in the level of skills as well as the expertise of the individuals involved in the process. Additionally, auditing may be affected by the judgments of other auditors who have undertaken an audit process of a particular company. Being a complex issue that is experienced by auditors during their duties, skepticism entails various fields such as theory , auditing literature, corporate governance, business models and ethics among others. As a result of complexity of the auditing process in some companies, there has been a continued increase in the audit deficiency during the inspection of the financial information and records (Charan, 2005). According to McKenna (2011), majority of these deficiencies are caused by lack of adequate professional skepticism. Auditing standard calls for emulation of professional skepticism if an audit sees the possibility of a significant misstatement that may be caused by a fraud activity. During their duties, auditors should exercise professional skepticism especially during the gathering of information and evaluating the evidence. This implies that even if the auditor beliefs that the management team is honest, the auditor should not be satisfied with less persuading information. Another major challenge facing the auditing profession is hindrance to maintain its significance in the capital markets. It is vital to note that auditing plays an essential role of advancing capital formation. Similarly, it is subject to changes in demand. The profession faces significant choices of how and when to meet these changes. Though just like other professions, auditing must be in line with the public needs and regulate capital markets; it is faced by various factors that limit it. One of these factors is the statutory franchise. In order to

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

ANIS2007 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ANIS2007 - Essay Example Not only did the traditional Acts like the Indian Act undermined the achievements of the Anishinabe during that period, but the influence of the Act still exists today while new others have been established. The new establishments are in a way hindering the Anishinabe’s expectations towards achieving a society where equity among all is considered. These current actions include C51 Bill that impacts both the Anishinabe as well as non-Anishinabe social movements. The paper therefore examines the achievements and what the Anishinabe expects to achieve while also considering traditional tools of oppression and current government actions. The colonial rules perpetuated ideas across the colonized nations to ensure a continuous discrimination towards a certain group or groups of individuals. The Indian Act is among the major discriminatory ideas that led to the discrimination of Aboriginal women in Canada all through since its introduction. The discrimination is still evidenced today within various means that in return continue to hinder the goal of Anishinabe’s (Smith,  2008). The Indian Act continues to normalize as well as perpetuate gender discrimination in three broad areas through regulation of the family, political exclusion as well as the reserve system together with exclusion as a result of geographic coverage. The Indian Act is thus essential in understanding the historical as well as the current socio-political movements in Canada. Since its creation in 1876 by the federal government, The Indian Act focused on presenting a colonial idea that depicted men as society leaders owing to their household l eadership roles portraying women as their husbands’ dependants. The Act denied women against possessing material property unless for widows who were allowed such possession upon the death of the husband under the reverse system. It is however important to note that the widow never inherited

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Germany and the European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Germany and the European Union - Essay Example As mentioned above, EU embraces international trade at a larger extent. Germany would benefit from this as it would the other countries in the integration. As a matter of facts, Germany can be looked at as a blessing to these other countries (Schweiger 12). This country is prosperous and has a strong economic productivity (Janning, tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de). Thus, there is a lot that it brings on the table to the benefit of EU. For instance, it has a pool of quality products and up-to-date technology that is available at reduced or no tariffs to other nations in the integration. As would be like with any other symbiotic relationship, Germany is set to gain a lot from other nations as well. She would trade buying goods and services from other EU Nations. This will make the EU self-sufficient continent whereby all Member countries benefit (Janning, tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de). As much as it is crucial for Europe to grow strong politically, it is obvious that economic dynamism brought about by integration as well as the attractiveness of the market to have played a bigger role as a driving force that prompted other European Nations to accede (Schweiger 16). Germany European Policy has supported the integration process and the establishment of institutions relevant to prosperity of the integration (Schweiger 22). In addition, Germany foreign policy ensures that her relations with other countries are aligned to EU policy (Janning, tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de). In conclusion, Germany undoubtedly desires a Europe that has the ability of acting, transparent and democratic, one that has a strengthened European Parliament and certainly that has clearly defined

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Long Process Of European Decolonization English Language Essay

The Long Process Of European Decolonization English Language Essay According to Helen Tiffin, Decolonization is a process, not arrival it has been the project of post-colonial writing to interrogate European discourses and discursive strategies from a privileged position within (and between) two worlds (Tiffin 95). At the moment of decolonization there are two kinds of responses to the imposition of imperial language: post colonial writers either choose rejection or subversion of the imposed tongue and the empire by writing back in a European language. As part of this the Indian English writers thrive hard to project the hybridity of post colonial realities and the use of English as a linguistic expression of that hybridity must be accepted. Writers including Raja Rao, Rushdie and Roy were aware of the fact that the subversion of English is the only strategy that recognizes the influence of the colonial experience while, at the same time, dismantling its supporting biases. Therefore nativizing and acculturating it (Kachru 294) is the device these po st colonial writers adopted, thus transforming standard English into many englishes as are the diverse post colonial realities.(Ashcroft 8) These englishes allow the post colonial writer to voice his particular experience while exploiting the advantages of using an international language. Salman Rushdie comments on how working in new englishes can be therapeutic. In the essay Imaginary Homelands, he explicates that, the English language is not something that can simply be overlooked and disregarded, but is the site where writers should try to sort out the problems that challenge emerging or recently independent colonies. He believes that by conquering English we can conclude the process of making ourselves emancipated. What we find in the writings of these novelists is a resistance to the dominant language-culture which is facilitated through a naturalization of it and stretching it to contain some authentic Indian expressions. Thereby they are invested with a power to appropriate and dismantle metropolitan discourses and to assert post colonial difference from Europe. The linguistic hybridization which results from the manipulation of English as the normative linguistic code by the emerging post-colonial voices as an act of subversion and a necessary step in the direction of cultural liberation, becomes the source for new strategies of writing which have generated some of the most exciting and innovative literatures of the modern period (Ashcroft 8). These hybrid linguistic practices are a reliable sign of an authentic articulation of indigenous voices. Linguistic hybridization results in syntactic flexibility and rapid enrichment of vocabulary. The Indian English writer challenges and redefines m any accepted notions of language and indulges in creating different versions or constructing a new language in our multilingual contexts. These are the in between languages which occupy a space in between and seeks to decolonize themselves from the Western ex-colonizer and subverts hierarchies and brings together the dominant and the under-developed. The Caliban- Prospero paradigm can be seen as an illustration of resistance enacted by postcolonial Indian writers where Caliban practices what he calls the language of the torturer mastered by the victim. His appropriation of Prosperos language rather than his rejection of it, is an appropriation that extends and enriches the possibilities of the English language in ways that are, perhaps, no longer possible for the English themselves. As Graham Huggan suggests, Indian writing (especially in English) is to a large extent a transnational, diasporic phenomenon, the product of complex collisions/collusions between East and West (66). Therefore, the term postcolonial nowadays has a wider definition and it denotes an index of resistance, a perceived imperative to rewrite the social context of continuing imperial dominance (Huggan ix). Post colonial Indian writing showcases a number of linguistic tensions and any interrogation of the experiences involves a simultaneous interrogation of language also. Indian English liberates itself from the parent language and tries to be on its own surpassing its hyphenated status. The deformations, deviations and irregularities found in Indian English is part of an attempt by the writer to master the texture of the original while amending and altering it considerably to suit the local conditions leading to the birth of a brand new English. In its reinstatement as Indian English, it certainly shakes off its colour and becomes heteroglossic, true to what Bakthin opined as anothers speech in anothers language. English turns into playful manipulation in the hands of these writers. As a form of self-assertion Indian writers playfully manipulate the language and relates them to the roots and culture of ones own and introduces circumstances for their self-expression. R.K. Narayan advocates writing in a genuinely Indian way without being self-conscious about it; English has proved that if a language has flexibility, any experience can be communicated through it, even if it has to be paraphrased sometimes rather than conveyed, and even if the factual detail à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is partially understood à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ All that I am able to confirm merely after thirty years of writing, is that it has served my purpose admirably, on conveying unambiguously the thoughts and acts of a set of personalities, who flourish in a small town located in a corner of South India. (Press 123) The Indian writers communicate the Indian sensibility and consciousness to dissociate themselves from the subtle nuances of the language and its flexible idiom in an instinctive and effortless manner through narrative structures associated with the ones prevalent in Indian oral and epic traditions to vindicate the spirit of India and its quintessential unity. According to Rushdie, the moment the Indian writer tries to shed the insular mentality of exclusion and to use English as his own without any anxiety or self-consciousness the language of the other becomes his property on which its first user will have no substantial claim. This approach invests the Indian writer with a freedom to articulate which they aimed to achieve it. Indian English can be seen as a distinct variety whose body is correct English usage, but whose soul, thought and imagery is Indian in colour, and an Indian idiom which is representative of the unique quality of Indian mind while in compliance with the exactne ss of the English usage. Linguist Braj Kachru argues, using a non-native language in native context, to portray new themes and characters and situations is like redefining the semantic and semiotic potential of a language, making language mean something which is not part of its traditional meaning. It is an attempt to give a new African or Asian identity, and thus an extra dimension of meaning. A part of that dimension perhaps remains obscure or mysterious to the Western reader. The process of creating new meanings in English, for those who write in two languages is a process of transcreation (Kachru 48).The creation of new meanings accompanies the creation of new identities. Meenakshi Mukherjee claims that; The Indo- Anglian writer should be allowed the freedom to experiment with the language for his own artistic needs rather than be heaved into a system of linguistics in search of that elusive medium; a standard Indian English (214). Indian English literature is replete with experimental language which includes forging new words, new idioms, new turns of expressions, new syntactic structures and new rhythms, Indianisms, violating the syntax and grammar of English to echo the regional speech and to recreate an Indian consciousness and also to induce better linguistic results. R.K. Narayan comments that the presence of Indianisms are unavoidable in their situation as all writers are experimentalists, not attempting to write Anglo-Saxon English. The English language, through, sheer resilience and mobility, is now undergoing a process of Indianisation in the same manner as it adopted U.S. citizenship over a century ago. The process of transmutation is to be viewed as an enrichment of the English language or a debasement of it. These writers, says Mulk Raj Anand, aim at consciously reorienting the language and synthesizing Indian and European values in contemporary India.(20) Indians have found a sense of peculiar int imacy with the English language, making it a second natural voice for the Indian mind and sensibility. He sees realized in it the power of Indian inheritance, the complexity of Indian experience, and the uniqueness of Indian voice.( Walsh 65, 71) Indianisms can be accepted as permissible violations of the English language if they are introduced for the sake of reflecting cultural overtones and undertones.(Verghese 181) Shaking off the traces of foreign acquisition, the language is moulded today as anew idiom. The language has to be broken to it, as it were, and made new. (Kantak 223) The process of adaptation has been gradual and pervasive. Kantak rightly points out; Everything depends, of course, on the intimacy of the adoption, the level reached in the process of naturalization. (224) Most linguistic innovations are purposive and have an authentic ring about them. And it is not mere reproduction; the transformation of language takes place at a high artistic pressure.(235) Commenti ng upon the contextualization of English on India, Kachru observes: Indian English has ramifications in Indian culture(which includes languages) and is used in India towards maintaining appropriate Indian patterns of life, culture and education. This, in short, we may call the Indianess of Indian English, in the same way as we speak of the Englishness of British English. (Kachru 282) He again remarks; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the distance between the natively used varieties of English and Indian English cannot be explained only by comparative studies of phonology and grammar. The deviations are an outcome of the Indianisation of English which has, gradually, made Indian English culture-bound in the socio-cultural setting of India. The phonological and grammatical deviations are only a part of this process of Indianisation.(85-86) The appropriation of English language by Indian English writers results in innovations that enrich English. They also use the text to construct a world of difference, separation, and absence from the metropolitan norms which arose from the experience of colonization and a compulsive necessity to write in response to the imperial powers by asserting their differences from the assumptions of the imperial centers. The writers resort to many strategies or specific postcolonial literary techniques like fragmentation, plurality, and language to subvert Western-colonial constructs of identity and culture. It is also projected as a retelling of individual experience as against the colonial representations of history, language, and textuality. True to what Salman Rushdie famously remarked, that in post-colonial culture, the Empire writes back to the centre, these writings create a challenging discourse as against the dominant Eurocentric discourse facilitating a re-imagining and restructuring of it through breaking down certain colonial assumptions and grand narratives. Indian fiction in English can be read as a counter-discourse, as a response, in part, to earlier universalizing Western texts of English colonial writers. The Indian writers write using English vocabulary but indigenous structures and rhythms which goes in line with Chantal Zabuss theory of relexifcation Those who utilize this technique use English to simulate another language and therefore are not merely using English but also modifying it. In this process the expressions of the postcolonial are functioning as an interlanguage, mimicking neither the European target language or the indigenous source language (Zabus 315). To personalize and to correspond to a particular national or regional identity, Indian writers parade their mastery over language to nativize and indigenize English. Diverse ways of nationalizing English is used as an effective tool to demarginalize the postcolonial experience. This takes many forms and the most prominent of which is linguistic demarginalisation whic h leads to what Brathwaite calls a nation language, a need felt by a host of post-colonial writers. At the moment of decolonization, the imperial language which was an instance of the cultural baggage that restrained and smothered the natives was destabilized. The Indian writers uses the English medium to convey hitherto unknown and unfamiliar roles like a whole new set of customs, social objects, and relationships, universal responsiveness, which goes into the creation of a new culture. This represents the conversion of the weapon of the colonizer as a linguistic blade where it is redirected back at the colonizer thereby liberating the enslaving medium into a revolutionary weapon with Indian message. It helps the writer to indulge in self-reflexive narrative as a counter-discursive strategy to strike against the totalizing colonialist literature and also to erase the dominant universalist canon of Europe and endorse the marginalized canons of various local cultures. An expression o f culture-specific experiences and sensibilities through English, undermine the totalizing notion of one standard literary English language that can include all human experiences. As a result, Indian English cease to be regarded as postcolonial, but rather as an expression of uniquely Indian identity. The contemporary Bengali writer and critic Amit Chaudhuri, in his seminal anthology of 2001 The Picador Book of Modern Indian Literature, comments on the way English is used in India. Though used by a small but substantial group, English is now an Indian language, English is not an Indian language in the way it is an American language; nor is it an Indian language in the way that Bengali or Urdu. English is not an Indian language, but it has served so many useful and essential purposes of a developing society, this for so long that it has now become a kind of linguistic habit with us and cannot be easily discarded without a proper substitute. Writers like Vikram Seth, Rohinton Mistry, Amitav Ghosh, Upamanyu Chatterjee, Anita Desai and more recently Kiran Desai, Shashi Tharoor, Pankaj Mishra and Amit Chaudhuri get gushing reviews and are the propagators and ambassadors of Indian writing in English. The following comments of Gokak present the recent assessment of Indian English writers ; Indo-Anglian writing is direct and spontaneous- like creative writing in any other language. It is conditioned in many ways by the peculiar circumstances of its birth and growth. (162) The use of English in India for almost two hundred years has naturally nativized the English language and it has also caused the entry of new words into the language which truly represent our culture and traditions and which is also used in non-Indian settings. The Indian linguistic and cultural context is flourishing everyday with new set of lexical items and typical Indian collocations. Srinivasa Iyengar is of the opinion that Indian writing in English is but one of the voices in which India speaks. It is a new voice, no doubt, but it is as much Indian as others (3) Indian writing in English has come a long way from that teething stage, developing a diversity of themes, a variety of forms and techniques, and, not the least, an authenticity and idiomatic expressiveness. (S.N.Sridhar 292) In the process of Indianisation and thereby to decolonize English, writers express every modes of feeling and thinking peculiar to the cultural milieu through words which are culture bound to describe everyday objects and convey the Indian sentiment. Strategies like vernacular transcription, loan words, syntactic fusion and use of rhythmic patterns and social conventions of Indian languages helps to bridge the cultural gaps and makes the use of the alien medium more acceptable to the non-native speakers themselves (Sridhar 298). English has been re-built to reflect the clarity of thought and shades of feeling to the extent they can realize within their own ecosystems. The Indian novelists in English have accelerated the process of desired linguistic deviation and according to Kachru, the process of Indianisation of English is a linguistic and cultural characteristics transferred to an adopted alien language.(19) In an attempt to disengage language from its socio-cultural roots and to make it conducive to the new user, the Indian writer liberates English from the precision and accuracy of its usage and disintegrates the stereotypical language functions to accommodate the native feel of the life. This leaves the language with a better freedom for the writer to exploit. Only a gradual and wider usage of the language to contain the burden of our local context and experience can lead to a complete decolonization of the language rather than a deliberate attempt to Indianise it. According to Gokak Indian English should represent the evolution of a distinct standard- a standard the body of which is the correct English usage, but whose soul is Indian in colour, thought and imagery.(3) As from all these illustrations we can conclude that the reappropriation of the ex-colonisers language, within a postcolonial frame of mind is a crucial thrust in terms of style for postcolonial writers. The writers I have chosen illustrate how one can authentically represent their native culture through Indian English which, at the same time, abrogates the Standard English as well as appropriates it for local discourses, thereby re-structuring deconstructing and decolonizing the English language to liberate it from within and to remould it for the purpose of dismantling the power structures of English grammar which are symbolic of the hegemonic controls implemented. The English used by these novelists, is a distinct English which is idiomatic, using a colloquial register that will certainly be familiar to a British reader but which contains an unmistakably Indian reference. It represents the new varities of englishes that are relocated, resettled and reincarnated language and indige nized to perform culture-specific functions. Rao has tried in his novels to conform the English language to Indian literary style and rhythm, and to make it express local myths and ideas. These writers are of the opinion that the subversion of English is the only strategy that recognizes the influence of the colonial experience while, at the same time, dismantling its supporting biases. Thus, on the Indian continent the English language was put to a revolutionary use by Rao, Rushdie and Roy. There works are clear illustrations of their efforts to completely relinquish the habitual linguistic practice and the formulation of an innovative, unrefined, critical and radical syntax. Another way of decolonization ably achieved by Indian writers like Raja Rao, Rushdie and Roy are through the Indianisation and acculturation of English language. Hence they are capable of formulating a new english which defies the western canons of power and controls and one which suits their requirements and which opens up spaces for creativity in Indian English. All these approaches are for redefining the medium, and contextualizing English in yet other socio-cultural and linguistic framework. Raja Raos Kanthapura, Rushdies Midnights Children and Shame and Arundhati Roys The God of Small Things where the writers uses a multiplicity of indigenizations, is an exemplary illustration of the trend, which has plenty of language rooted in local Indian culture. The Indian narrative of resistance begins with Raja Rao whose nativization of English is the best approach to avoid confined by Standard English structures and usage. He expressed his resistance to the language of the dominant discourse by rewriting its given structures. Writers like Raja Rao, Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy are involved in a process of indigenizing English. Language in its decontextualised way serves to denaturalize and decolonise thus subverting, diverting and twisting into new shapes and transformed into an alien material in order to express new realities. These writers exhibit a more intentional and calculated linguistic experimentation at several levels the outcome of which will lead to a decolonizati on of English. This decolonization of the language goes hand in hand with a desire to make it a more penetrating tool of artistic exploration. Post colonial writers like Raja Rao, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy have contributed to the discourse of hybridity through their works of dissent, challenge or subversion. It can be efficiently wrapped up that the practitioners of Indo- Anglian literature wield a decolonising pen (Rushdie). Rushdies prediction that Indians were in a position to conquer English literature seems justified.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Educational Philosophy :: Education Educating Teaching Essays

Educational Philosophy Growing up, I have always been surrounded by teachers. My mother, father, and stepmother are currently teachers and my grandmother is a former teacher. Automatically it was assumed that I too would become a teacher, but I had another profession in mind. I always enjoyed playing school when I was little, but I enjoyed playing house more. House may have had an impact on the profession I had in mind. I wanted to become an interior decorator because I loved decorating and arranging my house. I determined, in my mind that I would go to school to be an interior decorator. I then stopped contemplating about my future profession until high school. High school is where teachers advise you to choose a profession and gain experience in that field. Not many people pursue interior decorating as a profession in the country where I live. My guidance counselor just laughed at my dream and told me to select another profession to gain experience. As a result, I picked education because of m y family influences. I joined the Future Educators of America and that's when my professional goals and admirations altered forever. The FEA would go into surrounding elementary and middle school classrooms to bestow assistance to teachers and gain experience in the education field. I initially went into a self-contained learning disability class and fell in love with the field. I felt comfortable around the students and everything seemed to come naturally to me. I then began to look deeper into my life and realized that special education was the job I was intended to perform. I have been blessed with a handicapped and mentally impaired sister and she also encouraged me to follow my mother’s footsteps into the special education field. I love working with my sister because she is so eager to learn and loves having people work with her. She shows me that special education students want to learn, but no one wants to teach them. She always loved going to school and would even go sick so she would not have to miss. She taught me the importance of teachers, especially special education teachers. I want to make a difference in the lives of others and I believe the best profession for me to accomplish this goal is in the special education field.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Plug-In Drug by Marie Winn Essay -- essays research papers

In an article ' The Plug-In Drug ' the author Marie Winn discusses the bad influence of television on today's society. Television is a ' drug ' that interfere with family ritual, destroys human relationships and undermines the family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marie Winn claims that television over the years have effected many American family life. Since television is everyday ritual, many American tend to spent more time with television than they do with their family and this result in unhealthy relation in family. She also acknowledge that television destroy family unique quality that they carry, such reading, cooking, games, songs and other special rituals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author claims television also destroys a human relationship. During free time instead working our difference with conversing each other, we are absorbed by imaginary world of television. Therefor we fail to interact through the real world leading to the ' distortion of real life relationship.' Television gives an escape root for people who need to be spending time on relationships with their family as well as others. Because children have ' one way relationships ' with the television, they fail to fully develop their communication and social skills. This further intensifies the decline of the family relationships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Author also point out television undermines the family. Most parents are now relying on outside sources such... The Plug-In Drug by Marie Winn Essay -- essays research papers In an article ' The Plug-In Drug ' the author Marie Winn discusses the bad influence of television on today's society. Television is a ' drug ' that interfere with family ritual, destroys human relationships and undermines the family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marie Winn claims that television over the years have effected many American family life. Since television is everyday ritual, many American tend to spent more time with television than they do with their family and this result in unhealthy relation in family. She also acknowledge that television destroy family unique quality that they carry, such reading, cooking, games, songs and other special rituals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author claims television also destroys a human relationship. During free time instead working our difference with conversing each other, we are absorbed by imaginary world of television. Therefor we fail to interact through the real world leading to the ' distortion of real life relationship.' Television gives an escape root for people who need to be spending time on relationships with their family as well as others. Because children have ' one way relationships ' with the television, they fail to fully develop their communication and social skills. This further intensifies the decline of the family relationships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Author also point out television undermines the family. Most parents are now relying on outside sources such...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Participant Observation

Participant Observation Sports are important social mediums in our country, but basketball is the only sport where you can go to almost any park and play with complete strangers. While other sports involve diverse equipment and numerous amounts of players, basketball is a quick and easy game that only takes a court and a ball. While using the participant observation method, one can easily see how pickup basketball becomes a common stage for social interaction.While my original perspective of the sport was that of a friendly natured game among neighbors with a competitive aspect, my notes and observations revealed how diverse individuals who meet on the court can sometimes become aggressive to the point of hostility. As a gym member of 24 Hour Fitness, I regularly play basketball in their indoor gym. I chose the location in Hermosa Beach because of the diversity of players that attend there. Using the participant observation method, I was both observing and participating while taking notes (obviously not while playing, for that would be an incredible feat).In a time span of two hours, I ended up playing three games while observing six other games. The location I visited was crowded, while ten players were on the court (five against five), about twenty people were waiting on the sidelines throughout the night; however, this number changed as people grew either tired or impatient. On the sidelines was a list of names for people who wanted to play next. This called for a more organized system of who had next compared to parks where people keep track of who verbally called next.I found that about half of the players at the gym were African-American, while the rest of the players were mixed evenly between Caucasian, Asian, and Hispanic. Certain players, based on body shape and skill level, were given different roles throughout the game. The ages of the players seemed to be mostly late twenties to early thirties, and at no point throughout my two hours being there did a woman enter the gym. Just as the demographics of the players were diverse, so was the gameplay.Some games were dominated by one key player, who scores most of the points, while other teams had strong team chemistry and relied on passing to the open player. I also noticed that when a team is dominated by one player that team usually ends up losing. The team that I played on was very pass oriented, while the team we played against was dominated by only two players. The other team assumed that since their other players were short and small, that they weren’t athletic enough to receive the ball, and because of this our team was able to double team the players who didn’t pass as much.Players match up to other players based on skill and body size, which is why I was guarded by someone very similar to me. I noticed that the biggest factor was height, meaning our tallest player guarded their tallest player while our shortest player guarded their shortest player. However, du ring almost every game players make switches according to skill level in order to have a more sufficient defense. Another important aspect of the game of pickup basketball is respect. When players call foul, even if they disagree with the call, the allow them to get the ball back.During game two, a person called foul but the player on the other team disagreed. As they began to argue about whether it was a foul or not, a teammate yelled out â€Å"respect the call†. After that he stopped arguing and gave him the ball. After I played, during the sixth game, a similar situation occurred in a more dramatic way. One player jumped and caught the ball, but flipped over another player, and landed straight on his back. After everyone saw he got up and was ok, the player through the ball â€Å"up top†, so they could check the ball out and play again.A player on the opposite team began to argue saying that he shouldn’t get the ball because his own player fouled him. After m uch hostile and loud arguing, I heard the injured player say, â€Å"if you really are that thirsty for the ball you can have it, if you really are that desperate for a win†. Everybody on the court agreed that the players allegation was a little too strict for a simple game of pickup basketball, and extreme competitiveness is frowned upon. Throughout the rest of the game the team did not pass it to him once, and before the game ended he quit.He became the focus of discussion for the rest of the night, as people began to criticize him behind his back. From my own personal experience, heated arguments over calls are not that uncommon in the sport of basketball, but usually from those with strong outgoing personalities. For the most part, the game is a civilized game where both teams compete for the win, and focus on teamwork and strategy. At the end of the day I found my perspective on this game had changed. The competitive nature of the game brought up the question: How importa nt is it to win? I observed that to some people the ules of basketball should be enforced strictly, so that the game is fair. However, the general consensus was that respecting other players safety and calls were more important. Nevertheless, I noticed that almost every game had some sort of argument that entailed. I concluded that there is a certain culture on the court that calls for a fair game and places winning as a priority. The sharp contrast to the other players who were only there for the fun and love of the game brings up questions on whether social or even economic backgrounds are what causes people to become so passionate about a seemingly frivolous game.