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6 Steps to Answering Tell Me About Yourself During a Job Interview

6 Steps to Answering Tell Me About Yourself During a Job Interview While this may appear to be a like straightforward inquiry to reply wi...

Friday, December 27, 2019

Descartes Meditations On First Philosophy - 1080 Words

Throughout Rene Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy, God is not mentioned until the third meditation. Descartes point of view on God simply claims his existence through the act of being. According to his claim, God must, essentially, exist as well as being an outcome of His own creation. Descartes was greatly interested in the idea that God’s being promoted an external force that controlled all beings that supported his presence. Descartes declarations, presented in his Meditations on First Philosophy, were based on the principle of a being who found the primary purpose of existing through naturally being a part of this world. With the sense of curiosity, Meditation III portrayed a detailed form that showed Descartes’ writings†¦show more content†¦Descartes was aiming to influence the Sorbonne schoolmen in order to find support in his writings but the odds could easily go against the ambitioned philosopher. The issue with a broad meaning is the challenge in finding a definite suggestion within the concept. However, such achievement cannot be done with any two views that possess unlike interpretations. Furthermore, in Descartes words, â€Å"†¦I shall efface even from my thoughts all the images of corporeal things, or at least (for that is hardly possible) I shall esteem them as vain and false† (Wee 8), he believed that finding the core of his thoughts would be easily approached through the method of clearing all skeptical insights. His research begun by reassuring that he would find his true self â€Å"†¦and thus holding converse only with myself and considering my own nature, I shall try little by little to reach a better knowledge of and a more familiar acquaintanceship with myself (Wee 8), in order to support the existence of God’s being. Descartes gives a naturalistic idea of God’s being with the help of philosophical reasoning in order to give more support on the idea. When discussing alternate limitations on a philosophical point, it is sensible to use the basis of Descartes’ principles to clearly and thoroughly convey the message of ph ilosophical reasoning. Moreover, it can be argued that

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Value Stream Mapping in Industry - 1700 Words

Value Stream Mapping 1 Value Stream Mapping Definition †¢ Value Stream Mapping (VSM): – Special type of flow chart that uses symbols known as the language of Lean to depict and improve the flow of inventory and information. 2 Value Stream Mapping Purpose †¢ Provide optimum value to the customer through a complete value creation process with minimum waste in: – Design (concept to customer) – Build (order to delivery) – Sustain (in-use through life cycle to service) 3 Why ? †¢ Many organizations pursuing â€Å"lean† conversions have realized that improvement events alone are not enough †¢ Improvement events create localized improvements, value stream mapping analysis strengthens the gains by providing vision and plans†¦show more content†¦Manual Info Icon : A straight, thin arrow shows general flow of information from memos, reports, or conversation. Frequency and other notes may be relevant. Electronic Info Icon : This wiggle arrow represents electronic flow such as electronic data interchange (EDI), the Internet, Intranets, LANs (local area network), WANs (wide area network). You may indicate the frequency of information/data interchange, the type of media used ex. fax, phone, etc. and the type of data exchanged. Production Kanban Icon : This icon triggers production of a predefined number of parts. It signals a supplying process to provide parts to a downstream process. Withdrawal Kanban Icon : This icon represents a card o r device that instructs a material handler to transfer parts from a supermarket to the receiving process. The material handler (or operator) goes to the supermarket and withdraws the necessary items. 14 Value Stream Mapping Information Symbols (Cont.) Signal Kanban Icon : used whenever the on-hand inventory levels in the supermarket between two processes drops to a trigger or minimum point. It is also referred as â€Å"one-per-batch† kanban. Kanban Post Icon : a location where kanban signals reside for pickup. Often used with two-card systems to exchange withdrawal and production kanban. Sequenced Pull Icon: represents a pull system that gives instruction to subassembly processes to produce aShow MoreRelatedImprovements in Supply Chain Performance Through Value Stream Workflows and Managing Supply Chains With Cycle Time Compression: A Comparative Analysis923 Words   |  4 Pagesthroughout industries that have exceptionally rapid lifecycles and inventory turns (Ashayeri, Tuzkaya, 2011). The author also is careful to provide a full analysis of the most complex, time-constrained supply chains across a broad spectrum, all unified by goal of showing how time delay and transmission lags can be trimmed with the entire set of lea n supply chain and production techniques. Using lean principles to achieve significant improvements in supply chain performance through value stream workflowsRead MoreThe Approach At High Level1025 Words   |  5 PagesDevOps has been a buzzword for a while now in the tech industry, with many organizations joining the bandwagon and working towards embracing the DevOps practices. Wiki describes Devops as a practice that emphasizes the collaboration and communication of the IT professionals across the value chain while automating the process of software delivery and infrastructure changes. The aim is to deliver the software quickly and reliably. However, in an enterprise scenario with the complexity involvedRead MoreImproving The Environmental And Production Performance1202 Words   |  5 PagesPasqualini and Zawislak (2005), one of the first steps to apply the value stream mapping is to define the product family that could be analyzed. In this case study, structural element like walls, slabs and columns as the main product family to be analyzed. Unlike the product in the manufacturing where the amount of inventory could be simply counted, the units on the construction site are diffused and unit flowing through the value stream is also different. Average waste time that each of the measuredRead MoreValue Stream Mapping Of Passive Rfid1696 Words   |  7 PagesAssignment #4 Value Stream Mapping of passive RFID’s in the Construction process: A Qualitative Analysis 1. Introduction and Background As the projects increase in size so does the complexity of associated with them .Large scale projects require a systematic structure so as it stays on schedule and the costs are not escalated. To monitor and control the processes in the construction project the industry is moving towards autonomation. Autonomation of the construction projects has made the processRead MoreOverview and Background of Lean Manufacturing1487 Words   |  6 Pagespractice incorporates the philosophies, principles, and techniques that embodies the values of Lean. Evolving from TPS, Lean Manufacturing has been modified and perfected over the years to encompass five main principles outlined below. These principles will be discussed in greater detail in a later section. (Kocakà ¼là ¢h). †¢ Principle 1: Identify Customers and Specific Values †¢ Principle 2: Identify and Map Value Stream †¢ Principle 3: Create flow by Eliminating Waste †¢ Principle 4: Respond to CustomerRead MoreA Structured Literature Review And Comparative Analysis Of Similarities And Differences Of Value Stream Mapping7350 Words   |  30 Pages STRUCTURED LITERATURE REVIEW AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF VALUE STREAM MAPPING IN CONSTRUCTION AND MAFUCTURING INDUSTRY A Thesis by Yaxu li Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas AM University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Chair of Committee, Jos? L. Fern?ndez-Sol?s Committee Members, Sarel?Lavy Rodney Hill Head of Department, Joseph P. Horlen August 2015 Major Subject: ConstructionRead MoreAnalysis Of Sakichi Toyoda, One Of The Fathers Of Japanese Industrial Revolution1527 Words   |  7 Pages5 Why Sakichi Toyoda, one of the fathers of the Japanese industrial revolution, developed this technique in the 1930s. He was an industrialist, inventor and founder of Toyota industries. His technique became popular in the 1970s and Toyota still uses it to solve problems today. Toyota has a â€Å"go and see† philosophy which means that its decision making is based upon an in-depth understanding of the processes and conditions on the shop floor, rather than reflecting what someone in a boardroom thinksRead MoreProduction Process And Lean Manufacturing Process1146 Words   |  5 Pagesdoes not add value from the customer’s perspective. According to research conducted by the Lean Enterprise Research Centre (LERC), fully 60% of production activities in a typical manufacturing operation are waste – they add no value at all for the customer. Every company has an opportunity to improve, using lean manufacturing techniques and other manufacturing best practices. Techniques th at enable you to deliver higher quality products at significantly lower costs (Vorne Industries Inc., 2010-2013)Read MoreA Report On The And Mielke1249 Words   |  5 PagesJohnson, Patterson, and O Connell (2013) noted that A3 report incorporation effectively addresses process improvement in the healthcare industry. Dombrowski and Mielke (2013) discussed the foundational principle of Gemba in the workplace. Gemba is a Japanese term applied to organizational leaders who observe the workplace to gain knowledge and make decisions based on data and observations (Hossen, 2015). In the development of the product or service, organizational leaders observe the process toRead MoreHow Productivity Can Be Improved By Methods And Tools1274 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to show how productivity can be improved by implementing different methods and tools in the textile industry. First Production has to be defined like Islam (2013) said, the process or procedure to transform a set of input into output having the desired utility and quality. Productivity = Output / Input Now productivity can be measured by the efficiency of the production system. It is a way to indicate of how well the key factors of production (land, capital

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Impact E Marketing On Consumer Behavior - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: What Is The Impact Of E Marketing On Consumer Behavior? Answer: Problem Statement The E-marketing is an integral part of the development of the organizations as they have being using the strategies of e-marketing for the deployment of the improved facilities (Cantallops Salvi, 2014). The e-marketing strategies are being developed for forming the accurate deployment of the organizational facilities. The deployment of the e-marketing strategies would enable the management of the operations in the organization. The deployment of the activities would allow the deployment of the active processes in the organization. The term consumer behaviour is largely responsible for the development of the strategies of the business process. According to Khan (2014), the deployment of the operations would help in forming the systematic flow of the organizational development. The most developed processes would be imparted for forming the support to the integration of the organization. Research Aims and Objectives The research is done on the topic of Impact of E-Marketing on Consumer Behaviour and it would evaluate the system development for the deployment of the e-marketing strategies for the management of the consumer activities. The aims of the research for impact of e-marketing on consumer behaviour are, Consumer Behaviour Analysis: The analysis of the consumer behaviour is done for the deployment of the active and influential development of the e-marketing and its impact on the business operations. The analysis would be done for ensuring the analysis of the impact of the consumer behaviour and e-marketing, Evaluation of E-marketing Strategies: The deployment of the e-marketing strategies would involve the management of the operations and formation of the effective support to the management (Lovelock Patterson, 2015). The strategies of e-marketing would shape the operations of the organization and form the accurate deployment of the operations and processes. The objectives of the research for impact of e-marketing on consumer behaviour are, To integrate the analysis of the consumer behaviour based on the marketing strategies of the organization To form a research that would help in forming the accurate deployment of the operations and processes of E-marketing strategies To ensure that the functions of the e-marketing strategies would be helpful in integrating the operations of the organization Methodology Literature Synopsis According to Yarimoglu (2014), the process of e-marketing would be implied for the deployment of the effective communication process. The use of online available tools and techniques for promoting the deployment of the products and services are being deployed for the modification of the existing facilities. The management of the operations had been used for deploying the effective communication method (Lee et al., 2014). The impartial deployment of the activities would be helpful for integrating the activities of the organization. The consumer behaviour would be implied for protecting the development of the operations (Fullerton, 2014). The management of the operations would form the modification of the system inbuilt processes. Data Accumulation The data accumulation for the study of the Impact of E-Marketing on Consumer Behaviour can be done in two ways either qualitative analysis or quantitative analysis. According to Mok, Sparks and Kadampully (2013), the data accumulation is done for forming the evaluation of the existing facilities to support the development of the operations, Qualitative Data Analysis: The qualitative analysis would be done by the help of the reports and other materials available to form the analysis in terms of the different diagrams and charts. According to Aryee et al. (2016), the analysis of the data would help in forming the support to the deployment of the operations. Quantitative Data Analysis: The quantitative analysis would be done by the help of the online surveys and individual surveys done for realizing the relations between the impact of e-marketing strategies and consumer behaviour (Solomon, 2014). The inference would be developed for forming the analysis of the improved processes References Aryee, S., Walumbwa, F. O., Seidu, E. Y., Otaye, L. E. (2016). Developing and leveraging human capital resource to promote service quality: Testing a theory of performance.Journal of management,42(2), 480-499. Cantallops, A. S., Salvi, F. (2014). New consumer behavior: A review of research on eWOM and hotels.International Journal of Hospitality Management,36, 41-51. Fullerton, G. (2014). The moderating effect of normative commitment on the service quality-customer retention relationship.European Journal of Marketing,48(3/4), 657-673. Khan, M. T. (2014). The concept of'marketing mix'and its elements (a conceptual review paper).International journal of information, business and management,6(2), 95. Lee, C. H., Ko, E., Tikkanen, H., Phan, M. C. T., Aiello, G., Donvito, R., Raithel, S. (2014). Marketing mix and customer equity of SPA brands: Cross-cultural perspectives.Journal of Business Research,67(10), 2155-2163. Lovelock, C., Patterson, P. (2015).Services marketing. Pearson Australia. Mok, C., Sparks, B., Kadampully, J. (2013).Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Routledge. Solomon, M. R. (2014).Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being(Vol. 10). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Yarimoglu, E. K. (2014). A review on dimensions of service quality models.Journal of Marketing Management,2(2), 79-93.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Kevin Federline and Academic Competition free essay sample

I owe a lot to Kevin Federline. If it wasnt for him, my Academic Competition team would not have won our very first game last spring. It may be a little unfair to give KFed all the credit, however. Although the name of Britney Spears ex was the answer to the last question of the game, the question that gave my team the narrow ten point lead we needed to beat Concord High, I think my teammates and I deserve a little acknowledgment. I have been president of my schools academic competition team since sophomore year. We had no wins or trophies to speak of before the aforementioned match. The only thing we had to show for our dedication to the team was a plethora of random facts. By mid-sophomore year I began to notice that our moderators idea of practicing for our competitions, which essentially consisted of a game of Trivial Pursuit every meeting, was not providing us with sufficient preparation for our matches and competitions. We will write a custom essay sample on Kevin Federline and Academic Competition or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What good would knowing that Leo Tolstoy took six years to write War Peace or that Wrigleys gum was the fist product to have a bar code serve if we werent being taught how to be effective learners? I began devising a plan that would whip my teammates and me into shape and, by the end of sophomore year, our meetings had undergone a dramatic transformation. Instead of our playing our usual game of Trivial Pursuit, we now spend our meetings studying a different topic each week from binders I created and divided into sections such as history, math, geography, and literature. At our weekly meetings, I assign my team-mates homework from their binders and, rather, than feeling like a difficult teacher, I feel pride in the fact that our team actually has a curriculum now by which we can be challenged. As a member of Academic Competition team, I saw that change was necessary and, as president, I took the initiative to make this change a reality along with the cooperation of my teammates. Th e fact that I contributed to my teams by revamping our strategies and preparation techniques outweighs the fact that we secured a win by correctly answering the KFed question. My experiences as president of Academic Competition show that I am a driven individual who has the ability to follow through with a plan.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great. ALEXANDER THE GREATAlexander the Great was seen as a genius and the greatest conqueror of the classical times. He played many parts and was able to distinguish between those in everyday life. There is a wide variety of components involved with this leader but will focus on his background, cultural contributions, social conflicts, and the claim that he is a genius.Alexander was born in 356 B.C.E., the son of Phillip II and Olympias of Macedon. He was crowned Prince when he was being tutored by Aristotle, who trained him in rhetoric and literature that stimulated his interest in science, medicine, and philosophy. Alexander was first married to Roxanne in 327 B.C.E. and second to Barsine in 324 B.C.E., he bore no children with either wife. After his father was assassinated in 336 B.C.E., he became the King of Macedon and later the King of Asia. Alexander also founded Alexandria, after completely defeating the Persians at the battle of Arbela in 331 B.C.E.Alexander Muir Public School, To ronto, 1902 [OHQ-P...slaves. Alexander's next attempt was to defeat Persia. He could never be the dominantforce in his area as long as the Persian ruler Darius was still living. After beating Persiathe second and final time in 332, Darius, who managed to survive, fled to the mountains.He died in the mountains when one of his own noblemen killed him. With Darius dead,Alexander was crowned King of Persia and became known as the king of all Asia.Babylon surrendered after Gaugamela, and the city of Susa with its enormous treasureswas soon conquered. Then, in midwinter, Alexander forced his way to Persepolis, thePersian capital. After plundering the royal treasuries and taking other rich booty, heburned the city during a drunken binge and thus completed the destruction of the ancientPersian Empire. His domain now extended along and beyond the southern shores of...

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Supreme Court Expands the Power of Eminent Domain

Supreme Court Expands the Power of Eminent Domain First Published: July 5, 2005 In its 5-4 decision in the case of Kelo v. City of New London, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important, if very controversial, interpretation of the governments power of eminent domain, or the power of the government to take land from property owners. The power of eminent domain is granted to governmental bodies federal, state and local by the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, under the simple phrase, ...nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. In simple terms, the government can take privately owned land, as long as the land will be used by the public and the owner is paid a fair price for the land, what the amendment calls, just compensation. Before Kelo v. City of New London, cities typically exercised their power of eminent domain to acquire property for facilities clearly intended for use by the public, like schools, freeways or bridges. While such eminent domain actions are often viewed as distasteful, they are generally accepted because of their overall benefit to the public. The case of Kelo v. City of New London, however, involved a new trend among cities to use eminent domain to acquire land for the redevelopment or revitalization of depressed areas. Basically, the use of eminent domain for economic, rather than public purposes. The city of New London, Connecticut developed a redevelopment plan city fathers hoped would create jobs and revive downtown areas by generating increased tax revenues. Property owner Kelo, even after an offer of just compensation, challenged the action, claiming that the citys plan for her land did not constitute public use under the Fifth Amendment. In its decision in favor of New London, the Supreme Court further established its tendency to interpret public use as the much broader term, public purpose. The Court further held that the use of eminent domain to promote economic development is constitutionally acceptable under the Fifth Amendment. Even after the Supreme Courts decision in Kelo, the vast majority of eminent domain actions will, as they historically have, involve land to be used for purely public uses. Typical Eminent Domain Process While the exact details of acquiring property by eminent domain vary from jurisdiction-to-jurisdiction, the process generally works like this: The property owner is notified by mail and will soon be visited by a government employee, often a right-of-way agent, who will further explain why the owners property is needed.The government will appoint an independent appraiser to evaluate the land and come up with fair price to pay the land owner for his or her land the just compensation.The property owner and the government may negotiate to come up with a final price to be paid the property owner. In some cases, a judge or a court-appointed arbitrator will be called in to oversee the negotiation.The owner is paid the agreed price and ownership of the property is transferred to the government.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Construction suveyour to have done layout Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Construction suveyour to have done layout - Essay Example This kind of surveying is known as an â€Å"as-built† survey and is one of the five major elements of construction surveying (Irvine & Maclennan 145). The other major elements include checking conditions prior to commencing a construction job for example, topography and existing infrastructure. The other aspect is to mark and create reference points followed by verification of the location of structures during construction. When the construction surveyor was designing the layout for a municipal street intersection in Murfreesboro area, he must have put all the factors into consideration. There was a wide range of factors that were taken into consideration, some were basic whereas others were quite complex in regards to the design and construction. First and foremost, he had to consider the type of road to be constructed. In addition, the roadway allowances. These factors determine the amount of space to be allocated for the project and the general parameters in road construction. The surveyor had to consider the safety aspect of constructing the road where it is located rather than somewhere else. This is because in road construction, the topography is a factor of the essence to determine the design of the road as well as, the flow of runoff (Irvine & Maclennan145). Another factor that may seem obvious is the availability of other infrastructure that is. the pre-existing infrastructure and the proximity to the road. Some things like electricity lines, water, and sewer lines may have affected substantially the surveyor’s decision to position the road as it is now in Murfreesboro. Simple as it may seem, things like the power lines affect profoundly the lighting of the road in that the proximity of the power lines do not determine the availability of the street lights. There are the less obvious considered factors and that still count in choosing the methodology of choosing the design. These include the likes of expected traffic on the road. The amount of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Homosexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homosexuality - Essay Example In order to understand homosexuality in a better way, we must understand the cause of homosexuality. Love between the members of any specific gender is the cause of homosexuality. Feelings of love and care are not gender specific. It is not necessary that these feelings always arise between the individuals belonging to opposite genders. Sometimes the feelings of love and care also arise between the individuals belonging to the same gender. Those feelings become the reason for any two individuals from the same gender to get involved in a relationship between each other, which is often referred as homosexuality. â€Å"Homosexuality involves our underlying bisexuality at play when we naturally feel more attracted to the same rather than the opposite sex† (Roy). Homosexuality also gives rise to another critical issue, which is same sex marriage. The government of the United States of America does not allow same sex marriages. The government of America believes that marriage is a sacred relationship, which should always involve individuals from opposite sexes whereas gay or lesbian marriages result in destroying the basic sprit of the relationship of marriage. However, in some states of America, courts have allowed people for same sex marriages. Some of those states include Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut. The courts of these states declared that marriage is a civil right, so gays and lesbians also possess this right (Cahill 4). In these states, although people belonging to same sexes are allowed to get tied in marital relationships with each other, yet their marriages or living status as a couple is not regarded by the majority of the US population. Homosexual couples face many problems in any specific society. One of the major problems, which homosexual couples face, is the discouraging behavior of the people who know them. If we talk about homosexual marriages, we can say that majority of people usually do not encourage homosexual marriages because they think that such marriages are just for the fulfillment of sexual desires instead of making a sacred relationship. People believe that gay and lesbian couples adversely affect the norms and values of a society. People also look suspiciously towards gay and lesbian couples and do not respect them as traditional couples. Therefore, such couples undergo a hard struggle in order to be accepted by the society in which they live. Another issue, which homosexual couples face, is opposition from the supporters of traditional family systems. Traditional family supporters believe that family system is essential for the existence of a society. They firmly believe that men are made for wome n and women are made for men. They think that gay and lesbian couples weaken the foundations of a family system because neither they can give birth to babies nor they can completely fulfill the sexual desires of each other. Traditional family supporters also think that such marriages or relationships result in decreasing the work force of the country because of their inability to give birth to babies. The viewpoint of homosexual couples is different from the traditionalists. They believe that same sex marriages do not violate the family values as they also have the feelings of love

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Challenges of a Community College Student Personal Statement

Challenges of a Community College Student - Personal Statement Example I registered for 12 credits this semester, which includes 2 English classes and 1 Math. I think I doing good on my Math subject, great so far, even though it's hard to keep up in this 4 hour class. Then again, I try my very best with the help of energy drinks and coffee. My English classes require too much time, but I still manage to do it, even with procrastination. My son goes to the daycare 5 times a week, from 6am to 7pm. He is basically spending his whole day there. Daycare is not a place for a child to grow up. I see family reunions, birthdays; religious celebrations pass by without me. I am never there. I always have the same reason, that I am at school or I have to work to do. Because I have to work long hours, this becomes a conflict with the time I use up for my school. Giving time for my family and friends gets tougher, when I have to work on an 8 to 9 hour job basis and then spend about half of the day at school. Although school and work drives me nuts, the biggest challenge for is not having enough time for my family and friends. My work schedule is Sundays thru Thursdays, from 10pm till 7am. Not only do I have an impossible schedule, but the quantity of work that I perform every night. I work for logistics at Target. Every night I help with the truck unload procedure by scanning 2,500 to 3,000 boxes per truck.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Total Quality Management Techniques

Total Quality Management Techniques Total quality management (TQM) principles and techniques are now a days well accepted part of almost every managers tool kit (Dow et al., 1999). According to Powell (1995), most large firms have adopted TQM in some form, and official quality awards are a badge of honour whether a company is operating in Japan, the USA, Europe, or Australia. Implementing TQM is a major organizational change that requires a transformation in the organizations culture, processes, strategic priorities, and beliefs, among others. Quality: Different people have different definitions of quality but they all have the same central theme. According to (Text book), Quality is consistent conformance to customers expectations. Some refer to quality as fitness for use and other calls it as conformance of requirement. According to American Society for Quality, Quality is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs. However, quality doesnt have a single perspective and is different for the customers of any product and service and for the producers of that good or service. In the Operations view, targeting quality is to undertake operations to produce outcomes which are in line with the specifications defined through processes that are designed and controlled to maintain consistency in the specified production and above all, that the Customers Expectations are met through the produced good or service. In customers view, quality has no single definition for all customers. It depends on how they perceive it. Hence, quality is referred to as customers perception and expectation about different values of a single product or service. Following are the different dimensions of any product or service: Performance Main characteristics of a product/service Special Features Extra characteristics Conformance How well a product/service corresponds to the customers expectation Reliability Consistency of performance Durability Useful life of a product/service Perceived Quality Indirect evaluation of quality (e.g. reputation) After Sales Service Handling of complaints and requests for information THE DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY (Stevenson, 1999) The Quality Costs The cost of quality is a balance of the cost of assurance of quality against the costs associated with shortcomings resulting in the lack of quality. An attempt to minimize the total quality costs is mere balancing of the four components of quality cost: prevention: incurred to prevent quality problems, appraisal: associated with controlling quality to check whether problems have occurred or not, internal failures: associated with errors dealt with inside of operations and external failures: associated with errors or problems going out of the operation to a customer.(Text Book) The variations within the individual quality cost categories are secondary in importance compared to their combined effect on the overall total quality cost. The quality cost concept is an effective tool that can be used to express the value of the quality aspects of the operation in terms of money so that monitoring and analysis of investments and savings in that area can be readily evaluated using the language of business: money. (George P. Laszlo) Prevention is the important influence more than inspection, according to a rule of thumb, for every dollar spent in prevention; a company can save $10 in failure and appraisal costs. (Chase, Aquilano and Jacobs, 1998) Consequences of Poor Quality Quality has been recognised as the key ingredient for success in business and has been focused upon intensely so as to match the pace of the contemporary market growth and the subsequent competition in it. Production of good or service with the required quality is possible only through properly managed production process, whose vital part is to ensure the satisfactory quality assurance. However, in case this vital part fails to contribute its role effectively, processes produce outcomes with poor quality. Poor quality products may disappoint the buyer and result in the customer migration. Buying a product and finding it below expectations will make buyer not to buy the same product again. In fact, the chances that the buyer will buy any other product from the company are also low. Poor quality affects the overall costs associated with that product. The failure cost increases as poor quality product is repaired, replaced or made new. The cost associated with the reimbursements and waste materials increases the overall variable production costs and hence profit margins and contribution. As a consequence of the cost increase, companies alter the price levels. ( Begg Ward) However, spending enough prevention cost at first place, the economic turbulence in the market can be avoided. More than all, poor quality damages the image and reputation of the company among the customer base. The famous example of Mercedes, launching A-class car without noticing its faulty design, showed the sensitivity of the relation between reputation of a company with the quality of its products. ( Topfer,1997) As the repairs or rectification of any faulty product demands for more efforts, the overall productivity of the firm is also affected by the poor quality outcomes. Also, the Consumer and Product Safety Act of 1972 makes firms liable for damages caused by the products or services, which do not fulfil the standards set and enforced by the act. (Heizer and Render, 2000) What is TQM? The concept of TQM (Total Quality Management) is generally understood, and often also described, as some form of management philosophy based in a number of core values, such as customer focus, continuous improvement, process orientation, everybodys commitment, fast response, result orientation and learn from others. (Ulrika Hellsten and Bengt Klefsjo, emerald). All these core values collectively are nothing but quality improvement. Hence, TQM is best thought of as a philosophy of how to approach the organization of quality improvement. (Text Book) TQM philosophy stresses the Total of TQM. Putting quality or improvement at the heart of everything and including all activities within an operation, TQM aims at participation of all the members in organization targeting long-run success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organization and to society. TQM and the Quality Gurus Although the quality gurus seem to be recommending different solutions to bringing about improvement, they are all talking the same language but they use different dialects.(Text book). Each Guru stressed a different set of issues, which catalysed the transition from TQM concept to operations improvement. It is believed that Japanese were the first to introduce the concept and implemented it on a wide scale and subsequently popularized the term Total Quality Management. Few of the popular contributors and their philosophies about TQM are briefly described. A. Feigenbaum stressed on the integration of quality development, quality maintenance and quality improvement efforts of the various groups in an organization so as to enable production and service at the most economical levels which allow for full customer satisfaction.( Text book) W.E.Demings basic philosophy is that quality and productivity increase as process variability (the unpredictability of the process) decreases. In his 14 points for quality improvement, he emphasizes the need for statistical control methods, participation, education, openness and purposeful improvement.(Text book) J.M. Juran was concerned about management responsibility for quality and he focussed on user based approach in defining the specifications of the products. TQM as an extension of previous practice. Quality is explained with a different perspective in contemporary organizations in comparison to traditional organizations. The new perspective suggests that from narrow, manufacturing-based discipline, quality has transited to a corporate emphasis and is applicable to each business function and every employee with broader implications for management. The evolution of quality management has reached a point where quality is being viewed as a basis for competition. Total quality management can be viewed as a natural extension of earlier approaches to quality Management. Earlier quality was achieved by inspection and screening out defects before they were noticed by customers. The quality control (QC) concept introduced the concept of treating the quality problems. Quality assurance (QA) widened the responsibility for quality to include functions other than direct operations and made use of statistical quality techniques. TQM added few more factors or themes into it. The first and the key element of TQM is that organizations should see the product or its value and quality from customers point of view in a process of setting its specifications, designing and actual production. In these days, rapidly changing trends, technologies and preferences are collectively making the process of realizing customers expectations a critical, time taking and expensive process for contemporary organizations. Another powerful aspect of TQM is the concept of Internal and External customers which suggests the inclusion of all the parts of organization. Delivering the goods and services with a level of quality within the organization considering everyone as customer ensures the delivery of the final product to the external customer to be of required level of expectations and quality. Several companies are adopting the internal customer concept in their operations. Hewlett-Packard, the information systems company, was one of the first to make a success of the internal-customer concept in its operations. (Text Book) The concept of never ending improvement makes TQM an even better tool for improvement. The reputation and business of any company runs on quality of its product. However, with increasing pace of advancement and research, one level of quality doesnt reflect the same value to customers in very short time. So, implementing continuous improvement concept keeps the organization in the competition. Quality programs like zero-defects, which aims at performing right at the first time, and six sigma, which is intended to keep the error rate of about 3 defectives per million units, are also used to describe the continuous improvement efforts. (Stevenson, 1996 Blackboard) TQM Cost Model Quality Systems and Procedures Very often people are prevented from making improvements by the organizations systems and procedures. Indeed, there is a belief that direct operators can correct, at the most, only 15 per cent of quality problems; the other 85 per cent are managements responsibility because they are due to the system or the lack of one. (Text Book) This calls for a properly defined Quality management system which should cover all facets of the organizations operations. ISO 9000 series is a set of worldwide standards that draws the common requirements for quality management systems for all organization and provides a framework for quality assurance. The registration process involves a third party evaluation and regular audits to ensure the system doesnt deteriorate. (Text Book). ISO 9000 registration is an effective element for organizations to have an edge over those which doesnt hold the registration. Customers, these days, are very well aware of these standards and gain confidence, in terms of assured quality, in any company if it is ISO 9000 recommended. Surely, organizations and customers, both are benefitted. However, on the other hand, those contemporary organizations which still havent achieved the ISO 9000 have to somehow, undertake the time and cost consuming implementation of these set of quality measures to sustain in the highly competitive era. Implementation of TQM While implementing TQM, organizations should not forget that firms will have different needs and thus TQM must be specially customised to the circumstances of the organization. (Slack, Chambers and Johnston; 2001). Also, TQM involves all aspects of the firm and unless its significance is fully understood by everybody, its implementation will fail. (N.N., 2000b Blackboard). The successful implementation of TQM should focus on following factors. Factor 1: Top management commitment: The degree of visibility and support that management takes in implementing a total quality environment is critical to the success of TQM implementation (Deming, 1982; Juran and Gryna 1980). Management should plan to reduce traditionally structured operational levels and unnecessary positions. For example, spot checking can be implemented instead of hiring a supervisor for this job. Simplifying the organization will lead to the establishment of an infrastructure of integrated business functions participating as a team and supporting the strategic vision of the company. (Jaideep Motwani) Factor 2: Quality measurement and benchmarking: Most authors endorse a zero defect and a do it right the first time attitude towards the quality program. Measurement techniques should include monitoring supplier quality levels, utilizing SPC (Statistical Process Control) to reduce process variability, and calculating the cost of quality (Ahire et al., 1996; Powell, 1995; Hardie, 1998). Factor 3: Process management: This factor emphasizes adding value to processes, increasing quality levels, and raising productivity per employee. The concept of Continuous improvement discussed earlier, has to be implemented for assurance. The other tactics can be reducing the operator material handling duties, achieving a compact process flow or implementation of quality circles. Factor 4: Product design: The study of quality performance commence from the product design stage, when everything is in flux. A range of possibilities exist at this stage about the material to be used, specifications, vendors etc. Hence, at this critical point, customers expectations should be clear. Factor 5: Employee training: Employees should be trained and oriented to the overall gaols of the company, the commitments to successfully utilizing the TQM methodology and to be an effective team member. There are techniques for staff to learn as well, of course, but the purpose of the techniques is solely to work towards the basic objective the elimination of errors. (Text Book) Factor 7: Customer involvement and satisfaction: When considering customers, internal and external customers are addressed. Internal customers should undertake timely and dependable deliveries, continuously improve and self-implement solutions. An external customer service program should include providing customers with timely information and quick responsiveness to complaints, and maintaining a corporate goal to reduce the quantity of questions or complaints while recognizing all successful efforts by employees in providing outstanding service (Kasul and Motwani, 1995b). Reasons of TQM failure: Organizations often do not understand the depth of implementing TQM. The weak commitment results in ineffective value setting in the organization. A blind pursuit of TQM, which doesnt integrate quality into strategy, will draw an organisations attention away from the real important issues like customer focus and never ending improvement and thus TQM, considered a short-term investment, will certainly fail. (Reid and Sanders, 2002 and Stevenson, 1999). At the same time, expecting a radical change or a quick fix by mere implementing it results in the failures. Managers take issues for granted after implementing TQM; creating an absence of good decision making skills which leads to the TQM failures. Another reason is the ambiguity in the roles for making change, undertaking quality measures and eliminating errors in an organisation after implementing TQM. Top management may believe that identification and eliminations of errors has to be processed at operations level, however, operation workers may not take extra responsibility and can develop a perception that improvement measures are burdening them which can lead to lack in belief and commitment and eventual failure. Lack Employees Commitment As discussed earlier, training is an important part of the TQM implementation process. Training the employees doesnt only points to the operations training but also the attitude training as well. Absence or lack of employee training can be a reason of failure. TQM demands for the complete awareness and participation at every level of the organization.(Text Book) Unless, employees develop a commitment level at which they perceive organizational goals as their own, they cannot work to their full potential. However, spending adequate amount on conducting trainings can be a key for the desired outcome. Lack of organizations communication system and function is also a cause for the failure of TQM in an organization. The varied information regarding TQM as a result of lack of co-ordination between different departments may not satisfy the questions of workforce and hence create a loss of ideas which may have developed with proper information in the flow. Absence of proper review technique to check the effectiveness of the quality system is a major cause for failure. Organizations fail to find the cause for defects in products or procedures on implementation of TQM. It may be due to the wrong techniques being used to review or ineffective business process adopted.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Franco-Prussian War Essay -- Papers

The Franco-Prussian War During the first half of the nineteenth century, Germany was made up of more than 30 small states, the largest and most dominant of which was Prussia. Prussia had decided that all of the states should all be united to create a bigger and better country, Germany. By the end of 1870 it had forced all of the German states to accept its authority and create the German Empire with the King of Prussia at its head (the Hohenzollen's). Everything was going to plan as Chancellor Prince Otto Von Bismarck (person who was behind the unification of Germany) had anticipated apart from the four large states in southern Germany who remained independent. Bismarck now needed a way to unite these states with the German Empire that he was creating, so he decided that in order to do this he believed that it was necessary to defeat France. The French Emperor Napoleon III was the main obstacle in the way of Bismarck as Napoleon distrusted Bismarck and believed that he was trying to dominate Europe. Luckily Bismarck had already motivated wars against Denmark and Austria (1864 and 1866), managing to provoke his enemies declaring war against Prussia. So in the eyes of other countries Prussia was innocent and Denmark and Austria seemed like the perpetrators. Meanwhile in Spain, 1868, there had been a revolution, the outcome of this was that Queen Isabella had been overthrown and now there was a vacancy for the throne of Spain. They reduced this problem by asking Leopold of Hollenzollern (the King of Prussia's nephew) to step in for them, if Leopold accepted then there would be a link between Spain and Prussia, isolating France. .. ...ellor was secured, the four independent states in the South agreed to join the German Empire, Germany was now the most powerful country in Europe, and the German Army had proved itself invincible and the German Economy began to quickly dominate Europe. But what Bismarck feared the most was the French desire for revenge, and planned to keep France isolated. However the effects of the War and the Treaty on France were completely different. Their pride for their army and country was shattered, and the treaty was treated with disgust and rage. As a consequence of this Napoleon III left the country to live in exile in Britain and a republic was set up. The loss of Alsace and Lorraine ashamed France, and was a national disgrace. The French were seething at the Germans for humiliating them and secretly dreamed of revenge.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Political Science and Federal Bureaucracy Essay

Develop a detailed outline of your second main point. (For assistance with your writing skills, check out the Ashford Writing Center at https://awc.ashford.edu/essay-dev-essay-structure.html) 1. Federal Policies: a. Provide a topic sentence that briefly describes one advantage and one disadvantage to a national policy that must be implemented by one agency of the federal bureaucracy. One advantage of a policy that must be implemented by one agency of the federal bureaucracy is the actual federal experts in the bureaucracy. The people set up the policy know much more about the issues than the president and this creates bureaucracy power. One disadvantage is that at any time the president can rearrange the organization chart of the bureaucracy. b. Provide a topic sentence that recommends one option to maintain the advantage and one to improve the disadvantage. One option to maintain the advantage is to keep the detail of the policy inside the bureaucracy. The less the president knows about the issue, the more the bureaucracy has control of the issue. One way to improve the disadvantage is implement order. The reorganization should be authorized through congress. 2. Scholarly Support: (For assistance with your research see the Tutorials provided by Ashford University’s Library at http://library.ashford.edu/tutorials.aspx, the APA Style Aid at https://www.wou.edu/provost/library/clip/apa/, and for Annotated Bibliographies at https://awc.ashford.edu/tocw-sample-annotated-bibliography.html for additional help) a. Provide two credible sources in APA format to support your main points. O’CONNELL, A. J. (2014). BUREAUCRACY AT THE BOUNDARY. University Of Pennsylvania Law Review, 162(4), 841-927 Scholz, J. T., Twombly, J., & Headrick, B. (1991). Street-Level Political Controls Over Federal Bureaucracy. The American Political Science Review, (3). 829 b. Briefly discuss how these sources support your main points. Both articles provide a vast amount of detailed information on what the president can and cannot control in the bureaucracy. Also it provides information on their limitations as well as to why they generate polices. c. Briefly evaluate your sources for bias, validity, and reliability. Both sources have been reviewed for bias, validity and reliability. The source were found on Ashford’s peer scholarly reviewed sources in the library which makes them credible.

Friday, November 8, 2019

A Detail Study of the Role of Options, Futures and Forward Contracts In Market Risk Management (MRM) The WritePass Journal

A Detail Study of the Role of Options, Futures and Forward Contracts In Market Risk Management (MRM) Abstract: A Detail Study of the Role of Options, Futures and Forward Contracts In Market Risk Management (MRM) Abstract:Objectives:Introduction:Literature Review:Data and Methodology: REFERENCESBIBLIOGRAPHYRelated Abstract: Market Risk management includes managing different types of risks like commodity price risks, interest rate fluctuations risks and currency risks. The research aims at a thorough study of the market risk management though the identification of the factors of these risks, the critical study of Value at Risk (VAR) and other models that are used to measure them. The risk control methods would be specified to the use of futures, options and forwards contracts in doing so. It also aims at critically evaluating the roles played by these and their effective management. Objectives: The primary objective of the research is to study the role played by Financial Derivatives namely forward contracts, futures and options in managing market risks. It also aims at having a clear understanding of the methods or risk measurement, analysis and management techniques. Thereby aims to understand the intricacies of derivative markets. Introduction: Basel Committee that was formed in 1974 laid the regulatory framework for Financial Risk Management. (McNeil, A.J., Frey, R., Embrechts, P. 2005). Basel II (2001) defines Financial Risk Management to be formed of 4 steps:   â€Å"identification of risks into market, credit, operational and other risks, assessment of risks using data and risk model, monitoring and reporting of risk assessments on a timely basis and controlling these identified risks by senior management.†(Alexander, C. 2005). It determines the probability of a negative event taking place and its effects on the entity. Once identified risk can be treated in following manners: Eliminated altogether by simple business practices. These are the risks that are detrimental to the business entity. Transferred to other participants. Actively managed at firm level. Market Risk constitutes of commodity risk, interest risk and currency risks. Commodity price risk includes the potential change in the price of a commodity. The rising or falling commodity prices affect the producers, traders and the end-users of the various commodities. Moreover if they are traded in foreign currency, there arises the risk of currency exchange rate. These are normally hedged by offering forward or future contracts at fixed rates. This is especially important for commodities like oil, natural gas, gold, electricity etc whose prices are highly volatile in nature. However the hedging doesn’t always ensure profits. (Berk, J and Demarzo, P. 2010). Interest Risk  relates to change in interest rates of bonds, stocks or loans. A rising rate of interest would effectively reduce the price of a bond. Increased interest rates result in increasing the borrowing costs of the firm and thereby reduce its profitability. It is hedged by swaps or by investing in short term securities. Currency risksa  rise from the exceedingly volatile exchange rates between the currencies of different countries. For e.g. Airbus, an aircraft manufacturing company based in France requires oil for its production. Oil being traded in US dollars and the company doing trading in Euros, has a foreign exchange risk. It would be therefore beneficial for Airbus to enter a forward contract with its oil suppliers. Options are another way of hedging against currency risks. They facilitate the holder to exchange currency at a fixed pre-determined exchange rate. If the option rate is higher than the exchange rate, the company will not exercise the option. However if the rate increases the company would benefit by exercising the option. (Berk, J and Demarzo, P. 2010). The above risks basically depend on the time value of assets. Moreover with the increased level of multinational functioning of business entities and the highly volatile nature of markets, risk management has now become a mandatory part of running the business. It therefore becomes important to analyze the various methods of assessing risks, measuring them and the preventive measures implemented against them. Also the hedging techniques stated above do not always ensure profits. The research would thereby include a detail study of the effectiveness of the methods implemented. It would also study the hazards of the failures of the implemented methods. Market risks are measured by Value at Risk (VaR) model. This model is used extensively to measure market risks. It aggregates the portfolio market risks in a single number. However authors McNeil, Frey and Embrechts (2005) have debated over the model stating that it doesn’t take into account the costs of liquidation. It takes into account historical data and a series of assumptions. Therefore its ability to measure future risks is highly disputable. The research would thereby include the study of VaR and other relative models used to measure market risks. Literature Review: Forward contracts, Futures and Options are called the Financial Derivatives and are used largely to reduce market risks. Walsh David (1995) explains that if two securities have same payoffs in future, they must have same price today. Thus the value of a derivative moves in the same way as that of underlying asset. This is called arbitrage. Hedging of risks is nothing but the holder of an asset has two positions in opposite directions. One is of the derivative and other of the under-lying asset respectively. As such if the value if the asset decreases then value of the derivative will also decrease. But the change in value is off-set by the opposite positions to each other. Thus risk is reduced. This is called hedging. Long Hedge refers when an investor anticipates increase in market price and therefore buys future contracts. Short Hedge is when an investor already has a futures contract and expects the value of asset to fall and therefore sells it beforehand. (Dubofsky, D and Miller, T. Jr. 2003). Forward Contracts These involve buying or selling specific asset at a specific price at a specified time. They are Over the Counter (OTC) Derivatives. These are used for locking-in the price and require no cash transfer in the beginning, thereby involve credit risks. They are typically used to hedge the exchange rate risks. (Claessens, S. 1993). Futures These are more standardized than the Forward contracts. They are traded at Foreign Exchanges. The standardized contract specifying the asset, price and delivery time is either bought or sold through broker. The delivery price depends on market and determined by the exchange. Initial margin amount is required and profit-loss calculations are done daily. Hence involve margin calls. Credit risk involved is minimum but these cannot be tailored to individual demands. (Claessens, S. 1993). These exist typically for commodities, interest rate risks, currencies etc. (Walsh, D., 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fig.2: Hedging through Futures. (Walsh, D. 1995). Options The holder can buy from or sell to, the asset at a strike rate at a future maturity date. However the holder of the option has no moral obligation to do so. The cost of buying the option involves a premium which is to be paid up front. The option that enables the holder to buy an asset is called Call option while in Put option the holder is able to sell the asset. (Claessens, S. 1993). These can be bought Over the Counter (OTC) at a bank or can be exchange traded options. Walsh David (1995) further explains that options have a non-linear relation with payoff. Its payoff increases with the price of the asset if it is in-the-money and has a constant payoff which is the option premium if it is out-of-the-money. While futures and forward contracts have a linear relation with the payoffs in both, profit as well as loss. Therefore options might be preferred over futures and forwards for hedging. The research would include the detailed characteristics, similarities and differences in futures, forward contracts and options, along with the concept of delta hedging in which perfect hedging is created by use of options. Data and Methodology: The Research would be Qualitative in nature, based on the primary data available though online journals and books. The popularity of the derivatives and their exponential growth has favoured the availability of many articles on this topic and would thereby form the basis of research. It might include interviews of professionals having extensive research or expertise in this area. REFERENCES Alexander, C. (2005). The Present and Future of Financial Risk Management, Journal of Financial Econometrics, 3 (1), pp. 3-25. JSTOR (Online). Available at http://jfec.oxfordjournals.org/ (accessed: 8 March, 2011). Berk, J. and Demarzo, P. (2010) Corporate Finance. 2ndedition. Global edition: Pearson. Claessens, S (1993) World Bank Technical Paper no 235.Washington DC: The World Bank. Dubofsky, D and Miller, T. Jr. (2003) Derivatives: Valuation and Risk Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. McNeil, A.J., Frey, R., Embrechts, P. (2005) Quantitative Risk Management. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press. Walsh, David.   (1995). Risk management using derivative securities.  Managerial Finance,  21(1),  pp. 43. ABI/INFORM Global (Online).  Available at http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=6did=4708471SrchMode=2sid=3Fmt=6VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1301258415clientId=18060 (accessed: March 27, 2011). BIBLIOGRAPHY Hinkelmann, C  Ã‚  Swidler, S.  (2004). Using futures contracts to hedge macroeconomic risk in the public sector, Derivatives Use, Trading Regulation.  10(1),  pp. 54-69. ABI/INFORM Global (Online) available at .( accessed: 21March, 2011).

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Double Negatives in Spanish

Double Negatives in Spanish I cant get no satisfaction. I dont know nobody. You aint seen nothing yet. Because they contain double negatives, the above English sentences are considered substandard (although, of course, people often talk like that in real life). But theres no such prohibition in Spanish. In fact, in many cases, use of double negatives is required. Even triple negatives are possible. Double Negatives in Spanish Double and even triple negatives are not unusual in Spanish even though they are usually considered improper in English.Generally, negative and affirmative elements (such as the equivalents for never and always, respectively) shouldnt be used in the same Spanish sentence.Double-negative Spanish sentences can usually be translated in more than one way, such as I dont know anybody and I know nobody. Double Negatives Not Viewed Negatively in Spanish Grammarians may tell you that English doesnt use double negatives because the two negatives contradict each other and make a positive. (In other words, I dont know nobody is the same as saying I know somebody.) But negatives arent thought of in  that way in Spanish - the negatives are seen as reinforcing rather than contradicting each other. Although sometimes the second negative is used to make a stronger statement just as it is in substandard English, in most cases it is merely part of the structure of the sentence. In Spanish, the most common negative terms in addition to no (no, not) are apenas (barely, scarcely, hardly), jams (never), nadie (nobody), ni (neither, not), ninguno (none, no), ni siquiera (not even), nunca (never), and tampoco (not even, nor, neither). Most of these terms in Spanish have a corresponding affirmative term: algo (something), alguien (somebody), alguno (some), siempre (always), tambià ©n (also), and siquiera (at least). How To Use Double and Triple Negatives As a general rule, a sentence cant include both affirmative and negative terms; where one element of a sentence (subject, verb, object) includes a negative term, the other elements should use a negative term where a term is needed. Also, with the exception of nunca jams (see below), not more than one negative term is used before the verb. By following these rules, it is possible to have one, two, or three negatives in a sentence, as in the following examples: Apenas come. (She barely eats.)Apenas come nada. (She barely eats anything.)No tengo ninguno. (I dont have any.)Nadie sabe eso. (Nobody knows that.)Jams fumo. (I never smoke.)Tampoco comià ³. (She didnt eat either.)Tampoco comià ³ nada. (She didnt eat anything either.)No hablà ³. (He didnt speak.)No dijo nada. (He said nothing.)No le dijo nada a nadie. (He didnt say anything to anybody.)No compro ninguno. (Im not buying any.)Nunca le compra nada a nadie. (She never buys anything for anybody.)No come ni siquiera pan. (He doesnt even eat bread.)Ni siquiera come pan. (He doesnt even eat bread.) Note that in some cases (such as the final two examples in the chart) it is possible to say the same thing in more than one way, with either one negative or two. Generally, that is because in Spanish the subject can come before or after the verb; where a negative subject comes before the verb, a no is not needed with the verb. In this example, ni siquiera no come pan would not be standard Spanish. There generally isnt much difference in meaning between using one negative or two. Note also that various translations to English are possible. Tampoco comià ³ could be translated not only as she didnt eat either but also as neither did she eat. When a verb is used with a negative term, it isnt always necessary to use a negative term after the verb. For example, No tengo amigos (I dont have friends) is grammatically acceptable. What you shouldnt do, though, is use an affirmative term for emphasis. If you want to say I dont have any friends, use a negative term after the verb: No tengo ningà ºn amigo. Other Uses of Double Negatives There are at least two other cases where a double negative is used for added emphasis: Nada as an adverb: When used as an adverb in a negative sentence, nada usually can be translated as at all. No ayuda nada. (He doesnt help at all.)No usa nada los ordenadores. (He doesnt use computers at all.) Nunca jams: When these two negatives meaning never are used together, they reinforce each other. Nunca jams vuelo. (I never, ever fly.)Dijo el cuervo, nunca jams. (Quoth the raven, nevermore.)

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Representations of Freedom - Degas, David and Greuze Essay

Representations of Freedom - Degas, David and Greuze - Essay Example The essay "Representations of Freedom - Degas, David and Greuze" gives a review of paintings of Degas, David and Greuze. The paper also discovers familial representations of freedom in their works. Degas’ early works, which dealt with his own family members, showed that the matriarchal figure was in a state of repression due to the bourgeois class style in which they were living. In his later works, such as the brothel series, a freedom of individuality and family values were shown. The painting by Degas, Name Day of the Madam, shows a madam and her concubines looking towards her in ultimate respect, whereas in the familial paintings of his own family Degas’ showed that there was no respect given to the patriarch of the family. Degas used the brothel to show that even though the whores sold themselves for other people’s sexual desires, they are freer to act as a family, than the bourgeois families where the patriarch ruled with an iron fist. Furthermore, he also represented the fact that the bourgeois families act more like a forced business decision where discontent and discord is prevalent. Jaques-Louis David’s painting, The Sabine Women, shows that family life and values tended to be freeing themselves from the repression of antiquity. Thus, while working on the painting, he had stated to his students that his approach to his painting would be to hearken back to the Greek style and out of the repressive, constrictive style of the Romans. He, also, suggested the idea of paying an entry fee.

Friday, November 1, 2019

When desigining a buliding , what steps are put in place to protect Assignment

When desigining a buliding , what steps are put in place to protect pulic safety and the environment ( Techical Report) - Assignment Example The research will focus more on the Waikato region of New Zealand. There are authorities that are charged with the safety regulations of building sites one of the groups that are charged with the responsibilities of ensuring safety is the Waikato building consent group. The Waikato building Consent Team support some sort of risk dependent consenting technique, with duties and accountabilities becoming apportioned for the parties relative to their guidance. The Building Control council is responsible for issuing consents to allow for building development in the district, and conducting inspections in order to make sure that building agreement conditions are met and relevant legislation is observed fully. The group works in hand ensuring that building designs are up to standard and the safety requirements are considered in the sites under construction Construction is an ongoing process. Every day there are buildings coming up while the old designs are been replaced by modern designs that improve the physical appearance of a place. With all this construction going on, it is important for a designer to consider public safety and the safety of the environment. There are steps that have been set to guide engineers while they design plans for a building. These steps have been designed to protect pedestrians, workers and anybody who might come near the building site. It is very important for designers to familiarize themselves with the steps that have been put in place for public and environmental safety in the Waikato. This will minimize the risk of accidents in construction and protect the environment. The reason for this study is to find out the does and don’ts of a designer while creating a building design. It also aims to educate the public on the importance of public safety and environmental safety during construction and the design process. Conducting the study was not easy. Several limitations hampered the full realization of the study. The

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Law Ethical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Law Ethical Issues - Essay Example The essay "Law Ethical Issues" talks about the aspect of moral conduct within the law enforcement and the courts. Some of the moral issues that are recurrent in these two areas are; corruption, brutality towards the prisoners, controversial killing through either wrong sentencing or shooting by a police officer, drugs conspiracy among the court officials, the law enforcers, and the criminals. In this case, the drugs disappear from the evidence custody. Moreover, there is an inadequate investigation of the case by the law enforcer, which leads to a wrong court judgment. It is clear that some of these morals issues referred to in these two areas are, as a result, of recklessness and indiscipline. Others are due to the dilemma and long term relationship. Some of the breaches are due to lack of skills or even pressure, which affects their reasoning capability. The only necessary measures to address corruption would be, to ensure there is a regular transfer of the officials. This process will give them no room to establish a relationship with local people. Enough time should be providing for the investigations. More than one department of law enforcement should be pulled in carrying out the study of a given case. Regular training of the officers and discipline drills should be carried out on prisoner handling. Clear guideline as to when the firearm is to be used should be appropriately described. Review of judgments delivered by the Court should also be carried out by the superiors to confirm that no law has been breached.

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Analysis of “Loser-hero” Essay Example for Free

The Analysis of â€Å"Loser-hero† Essay In the book â€Å"Warriors of Japan as Portrayed in the War Tales†, as the title suggests, author Paul Varley studies numerous war tales from hundreds of years of Japanese history, throughout the rise of the samurai warrior culture and the societal change that went along with it. From ancient war tales like the Shomonki to tales firmly in the medieval times like the Taiheiki, the changes in battlefield customs and warrior society are presented and studied as they change and evolve. Despite all the social changes occurring in these time periods, a certain element stays the same throughout all these tales, the warriors themselves. The main focus of nearly all these war tales follows the rise and equally the fall of esteemed warriors of the period. The tales also touch on time honored values and beliefs such as honor, respect and reputation frequently. The evolution and prevalence of these values influences the way of life of the warriors in the tales, on and off the battlefield. Varley goes one step further to separate warriors into distinct, classic categorizes, based upon their characteristics and actions. There are three archetypes: loser-hero, tragic loser-hero, and failed loyalist hero, with almost all warriors discussed in the book fitting into one group or another. Why would Paul Varley put such emphasis of the three archetypes of heroes in Japanese history? The explanation is found in the analysis of the characters themselves, and noticing the fact that they continually come up in Japanese literature. In order to better understand the usefulness of the three main archetypes in Japanese history, it would be prudent to first start with the definition and analysis of the characters themselves. The first archetype to appear in â€Å"Warriors of Japan† is the loser-hero, a good example of which can be found in the tale of Minamoto no Tametoto. Tametoto is particularly special in that he is a loser-hero but not a tragic loser-hero, as the two are very similar and easily connected. The Hogen Monogatari tales recount the story of the Hogen Rebellion, which the feared and treasured warrior Tametoto fought in. By most accounts, although most likely fictionalized for the sake of storytelling, Tametoto was a fierce and ruthless soldier, whose skills with a bow impressed any who witnessed them. From his extensive experience in war, Tametoto has seen the success that a night attack can bring, and believes that it is the best way to defeat the opposition in this conflict, the Sutoku. He argues to his comrades that if they do not use this strategy on the enemy, the enemy will use it on them. His advice is rejected by the Fujiwara leader Yorinaga, and the enemy does indeed attack that night. The Fujiwara and Minamoto base at the Shirakawa Palace is defended valiantly by Tametoto, but with few reinforcements is basically fighting by himself. At one point it seems that Tametoto is actually winning the fight, at least until the Sutoku side sets the palace on fire, forcing Tametoto to flee the palace where he is captured by the enemy. In this story, Tametoto is a loser hero because it is not his fault that he is defeated, his effort was fantastic and it was the faults of others, namely Yorinaga, that lead to his defeat. Paul Varley defines the tragic loser-hero as â€Å"One who fails or comes to grief at least in part because of some weakness or flaw of his own-he is not done in entirely by others or by outside forces-and whose end if made especially moving because his reduced state evokes memories of an earlier time of fame and glory† (Varley, 57). Some defining traits of a tragic loser-hero are that he is always aided by an ever-faithful follower who is always at his side, and that his indecision and inactivity in his last moments leads to his defeat. Minamoto no Yoshitsune from the Heike Monogatari tales is a perfect example of the classic tragic loser-hero. Though a â€Å"vigorous commander†, Yoshitsune eventually fails because of his â€Å"political ineptitude† and â€Å"his rash handling of Kajiwara no Kagetoki† (Varley, 155). One thing that makes tragic loser heroes so interesting is that they are often rather relatable; they have flaws that in their character, they make bad decisions and lose their temper. This evokes a sense of sympathy in the reader, and this underdog characteristic lends well to fictionalized tales and song celebrating the warrior spirit. There are many tragic loser-heroes throughout the war tales studied in â€Å"Warrior of Japan†, because it is an important archetype that has its place in Japanese literature. The last specific subtype of hero we are going to explore is the Failed Loyalist Hero. This hero is generally characterized by his self-sacrificing loyalty, specifically his unswerving devotion to Emperor Godaigo and the southern court. This loyalty is usually what leads to the hero’s eventual death in battle. Readers take an interest in the extreme self-sacrificing loyalty displayed by these characters; loyalty is explained in â€Å"Warriors of Japan† as a highly respected virtue in Japanese history and literature. The failed loyalist is different from the other types of heroes in that these type of characters do not become prominent until the Taiheiki, where warriors become way more ingrained with imperial loyalism. Before this period, a lot of warriors do have devotion to their commanders and emperor, but not to the extent that they could be considered a failed loyalist hero. Now that the archetypes are defined and their differences detailed, it would be useful to also explore their similarities, of which there are many. Most notably, the only difference between a loser-hero and a tragic loser-hero is that a tragic loser-hero’s defeat is the result of a personal flaw. While sometime this distinction often clearly separates a loser from a tragic-loser hero, the commonalities often lead to a character becoming both archetypes. The failed loyalist hero, however, does not have as many parallels to the other types, but there are still some shared traits. Still a superb warrior, the failed loyalist follows the warrior lifestyle and the battlefield customs of the time. Also, the amount of loyalty that character possesses is no unlike the tragic-loser and loser heroes, it’s just that the failed loyalist hero is loyal to the point where that trait brings on his downfall. So in conclusion, all the hero archetypes may be distinctly separated, but generally share a few traits at the least, showing a clear theme of the warrior culture of the time. A theme that contains ideals like devotion, respect, loyalty, bravery, and honor. The only issue left to address would be that of why author Paul Varley would take interest to stressing the different archetypes of heroes, and feel the discussion of them it imperative to the study of Japanese literary war tales. The best explanation of it may have been said by the author himself, as he writes, â€Å"Firstly, there is a distinct liking in Japanese literature, discernible in the earliest writings, for stories of the sufferings and tragic fates of those who lose out in particular events or affairs† (Varley, 56). Varley understands that dramatic characters are important to Japanese literature, and as such strives to maintain that element of the literature by examining the hero archetypes, which are inherently tragic and sometimes contain suffering. The often fictionalized and embellished stories of the warriors indicated that something about Japanese culture at the time enjoyed a good story, often for reasons other than the basic factual details of what took place. A great illustration of this is the often embellished story of loser-hero Tametoto, because while based on a real person, through the retellings of his story his character was often greatly exaggerated and propelled to mythical levels. He went from being a regular, even exceptional warrior in real life to a â€Å"veritable superman† and â€Å"a monster† in the war tales (Varley, 56). This evolution of Tametoto’s character, and other characters throughout Japanese history, suggests an affinity in Japanese culture and literature for theatrical and compelling narratives. Much speculation can be made about why this is, but the main intent of this study is the compelling conclusion that Paul Varley decided to stress the three archetypes of heroes discussed because of their inherent importance and presence in Japanese history, literature, and culture. Citations: Varley, Paul H. Warriors of Japan as Portrayed in the War Tales. Honolulu: University of Hawaii P, 1994.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Mary Wollstonecrafts A Vindication of the Rights of Women and Harriet

Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women and Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Although Mary Wollstonecraft and Harriet Jacobs lived almost 300 years apart from one another, the basic undercurrent of both of their work is the same. Wollstonecraft was a feminist before her time and Jacobs was a freed slave who wanted more than just her own freedom. Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and Jacobs’ Incidents In the Life of a Slave Girl, Written By Herself were both revolutionary texts that were meant to inspire change and the liberation of a group of people. For Wollstonecraft, this was women; for Jacobs, it was the slaves. On the surface, these two works do not seem to be much related, but it is in this theme of liberation that they are deeply connected. Even though these very different women were writing in two very different worlds, they both still manage to get across the idea that it is in the tyranny of slavery, mentally or physically, that one’s true self is lost. The oppression of a person's free will through the tyranny of slavery or absence of women's rights are virtually the same thing: they both suppress a person's natural identity and the only way to liberation is through the education and humanization of those being oppressed. The first key idea in both Wollstonecraft’s and Jacobs’ texts is that women and slaves are only defined by those who own them, they cannot define themselves. Both women write of the dehumanization that slaves and women experience. Wollstonecraft says that women in her time are simply objects of desire, instructed to play the feminine role, â€Å"...enfeebled by false refineme... ...ps a person of all dignity and humanity, all free-will gone. In both cases it is impossible to deny the implications for a loss of identity. If a person is stripped of choice, denied an education, and trained to live within the false restrictions of society, is impossible for them to have an identity. Works Cited Jacobs, Harriet. â€Å"Incidents In the Life of A Slave Girl, Written By Herself.† The Pearson Custom Library of American Literature. Ed. John Bryant et al. Compiled for English 370B, Spring 2005. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2003. Pages 418-77. Wollstonecraft, Mary. â€Å"A Vindication on the Rights of Woman.† The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Volume 2A- The Romantics and Their Contemporaries. Ed. Susan Wolfson and Peter Manning. New York: Longman, 2003. Pages 230-257.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

My Experience with Technology

I have never really thought about how much I depend of technology. We got our first family computer when I was about 9 years old. At the time my brother was a computer geek (still is) and he would go buy the computer books that had programs in them where you had to type everything out to get a game on the computer to play. So when I would help or when he was teaching me, we would mix some of the programs up and see if we could come up with anything. Then it was to BBS’. That opened a whole new world!We could meet people online without actually meeting them. Now its becoming more and more complexed.. Now there is so many programs out there it’s hard to keep up. I have taught myself just about everything I do on the computer. I know Microsoft Word, Windows, Adobe reader and those are just the ones I can remember off hand.. I am pretty comfortable learning new programs and look forward to it. At this time the only one I can think of that my hinder me is Excel. Since I have only used it once I am not 100% comfortable with it yet.But I will be by the time this class is over. While I worked as a manager at a pet store we used a program called Campbell, it would keep track of the employees hours, what we sold in the store and everything in between. While I was at Staples I was learning all kinds of programs and applications. At this time the only thing that comes to mind that I would have a concern about would be not being able to ask a question and getting an answer right away. I look forward to this class and learning new applications that I can use on the computer.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Halfway House Essay

The crisis of identity and breakdown of communication in human relations and resultant tragic effect of boredom and despair constitute the theme of Rakesh’s play, Aadhe Adhure, which is by far is best play, devastatingly exposing the fragmented personalities and broken images in a disintegrated society. †Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€ N. Choudhuri, (Hindi Drama, Contemporary Indian Literature) Mohan Rakesh’s  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Halfway House†Ã‚  can be viewed as an exploration of meaning and identity in the turmoil of changing social and familial structures. Although the play seeks to construct the search for identity within the unfulfilling, incomplete nature of bourgeois existence as a universal non-gendered experience along Existential lines as its primary concern, it eventually deals with many questions on a broader socio-economic context on Realist lines. In the Prologue itself, the theme of exploration of identity is introduced, when ‘the Man in a Black Suit’ exclaims,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Who am I? †Ã‚  Immediately the declaration takes an Existential tangent as the fruitlessness of such a search for meaning is asserted with the speaker claiming,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"This is a question I have given up trying to face.   He establishes the absurdity of identity by calling himself  Ã¢â‚¬Å"amorphous†Ã‚  and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"undefined†, as someone who like all of us puts on a new mask and gives a new meaning to himself for different occasions –  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The fact is that there is something of me in each one of you and that is why, whether on or off stage, I have no separate identity. †He then asserts that no matter what the circumstance, what the situation and the gender, man’s search for identity and meaning in life would always remain an absurd, indescribable, undefined and irrational oddity. Even the characters of the play are seen to engage in a constant search of meaning and identity in life. In his essay,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Uncertain circumstances, Undefined Individuals: A study of Halfway House†, S. G. Bhanegaonkar points out that modern psychology does not regard escapism as a symbol of weakness but as a sensitive individual’s desire to search for meaning which he does not find in the conditions he is placed in; and hence, the characters of ‘Halfway House’  can too be seen as being in a relentless quest for identity that transcends the turmoil of their fragmented existence. It is in sync with R. L. Nigam’s theory, of the main characters of play being involved in a  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœself-made’  phenomenon of  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœthe soul’s search for an alternate sanctuary’  in the absence of the sanctuary of home which‘stood for a source of solace and moral stay to the individual in moments of crises. ’ The search for identity and meaning in Halfway House is best articulated through the character of Savitri who seeks fulfilment and reason in marital bliss – â€Å"Why does one get married? In order to fulfil a need†¦. an inner†¦. oid, if you like; to be self sufficient†¦. complete. †Ã‚  Since her own husbands fails to fulfil this inner emptiness, Savitri seeks marital happiness beyond conjugal relations in men who possess the qualities she had always aspired for in Mahendranath. Dilip Kumar Basu observes,â€Å"The desire to look for â€Å"completeness† in the â€Å"other† may look like Everyman’s essential and unreasolvable problem, and may vaguely place her in the centre of an Absurdist drama where the search may be considered tragic/ridiculous.   Although the concept of Savitri seeking meaning in life being defined in terms of her relations with men seems problematic in itself, the play tries to trick us into the generalisation that this is nothing but an existentialist quest for meaning in life. She is reported to be overwhelmed by Juneja’s power, affluence and sense of reason. Shivjeet’s intellectual prowess, his university degree and numerous trips abroad enamoured her. Jagmohan’s understanding nature, sense of humour, modernism, elite lifestyle and masculine pride held immense appeal for her. She was supposed to be attracted to her now son-in-law, Manoj too, as his influential status had charmed her sufficiently. Savitri moves from one man to another in search of the perfect partner. The play tries to portray this search as an illusion, an Absurdist attempt by denying Savitri the happiness she is looking for and making her realise that all men are the same and they all of them as in Kirti Jain’s wordsâ€Å"want to evade responsibility and to exploit her. † Mahendranath is shown to search for a new identity and reason behind his existence through his relationship with Juneja. The economic crisis and his losing the identity of being the bread-earner of the family had altered his position in the house into a non-entity and affected his mind and heart adversely  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. silent acceptance, perpetual snubs, constant insults, is all that I deserve after so many years. †Ã‚  He greatly resents his loss of control and influence in the family and is immensely unhappy to be regarded  Ã¢â‚¬Å"only as a stamp of respectability to be used only when the need arises. † Under such circumstances of changed power equations, Mahendranath earches for meaning in new relations build on a sense of understanding and mutual respect, as is the case with Juneja. From Savitri’s perpetual insults and accusations and its subsequent repercussions in giving him an inferiority complex, Juneja’s friendship offered Mahendranath the alternate sanctuary of solace and comfort in the midst of an emotional and economic crisis within the family. He began to define himself in terms of his non-utility and unsuccessfulness, and thereby sought solace in temporary acts of rebellion involving leaving the house and seeking meaning and mental peace in his companionship with Juneja. Moreover due to his own lack of conviction and inability to take independent decisions, Mahendranath looked for identity assertion through psychological dependence on others and in the early years of his marriage through a patriarchal control and restriction of Savitri’s autonomy. The fact that Mahendranath finally returns in the end using his own judgement, abandoning Juneja’s advice, establishes the futility of his search and once again, reiterates the Absurdist stance the play tries to partially incorporate. Ashok and Kinni explore the dynamics of identity on their own in their own world so as to escape from the fearful existence of their wrangling parents. Ashok searches for his identity in an amorphous world, detached from reality and need, in the realm of idleness, impulsivity and romance. For no apparent reason at all, he quits his job at Air Freeze and instead spends his time either in lazing around uselessly or in courting a girl working in the Udyog Centre. The everyday animosity between his parents distorts his sense of ‘home’ and thereby he looks for meaning and identity in an alternate world free of the pressure of shouldering family responsibility and of the tensions within the family. Even the talk he has with Binni about the  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœair’  in the house echoes these sentiments about the search for meaning. The youngest character Kinni on the other hand, searches for an identity through her emerging adolescent sexuality and awareness of this sexuality, in the absence of a secure support mechanism at home, both economically and emotionally. Given the emotional instability in her house and the complete negligence with which she was treated, Kinni sought to define herself in terms of her rebelliousness, growing sexual knowledge, stubbornness, ill-mannerisms and arrogance. In the last scene, Kinni trying to get out when the door is locked from inside and others trying to get in when she locks it from inside is again symbolic of a futile quest for identity and meaning in life, for even her defiance and obstinacy fails to make things any different for the little girl. Binny too is shown to be in a relentless and shifting quest for a sanctuary, an identity. She elopes with Manoj not in an impulse of love and romantic urge but in search of an abode away from home where she presumed she would find peace and protection. But however, when she experiences her husband’s strict conservatism and fails to find any meaning   in Manoj’s restrictive control within their conjugal relation, she looks for answers in a sense of defiance –  Ã¢â‚¬Å"He likes my hair long, so I want to cut it. He doesn’t like me to work, so I want a job. †Ã‚  But this again proves futile as she realises she is unable to execute her rebellious tendencies against the sub-ordination by her husband. Ultimately, she just returns to her maternal home in search for that mysteriousâ€Å"something†Ã‚  in their house that is the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"cause of all her trouble†Ã‚  and that which refuses to desert her. However, Binni is never shown to exactly unravel this mystery  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœcause’  thereby manifesting the absurdity of the entire process of finding meaning in life. However, when their search for meaning in life and the subsequent despair and suffering is regarded only along existential lines, it thus forecloses the possibility of ever addressing the cause of the dilemma. All the characters’ quest for an identity beyond the home, the search for an alternate sanctuary besides being analysed as a technique of Absurdist Theatre can also be seen in terms of the alienation that comes with urbanization, the breakdown of joint family and the new emerging power-plays and conflicts within the nuclear family with no viable support system outside. The fact that Savitri never explores the arena of identity as an independent individual woman, a single working woman; but instead always defines herself in terms of fulfilment in her various relations with different men raises important questions about the status of women as an autonomous individual in society. To quote R. L. Nigam,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The one solution which could have lead to joy and fulfilment, and was available to her all the time, would need for its success, a regenerated society in whose value-system personal fulfilment and interpersonal responsibilities have been harmonised. In the present social scenario, that solution would not work. † Morever, Mahendranath and Savitri not finding meaning in their relationship can also be seen as the virtual breakdown of marriage as an institution. In our fast-changing society and in the face of belated individualism of its members, the values and regards on which family and marriage have so far rested are fast losing their meaning and significance. Assertion of personal rights and freedoms within a group-unit (family) which necessarily involves inter-personal adjustments produces a situation of crisis because there are no principles to guide these adjustments, which necessarily involves inter-personal adjustments produces a situation of crisis because there are no principles to guide these adjustments which, in present context cannot be thought of in terms of surrender of one or the other party. All relations in the family need to be redefined with new structures of familial division of labour and the rise of the working women. As O. P. Sharma Prakash puts it,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Halfway House is the crisis of dignity of the individual. Modern man demands individual dignity as well as honour of is choice†¦.. It represents the modern sensibility in all its intensity, form and dimensions. †Ã‚  The fact that Manoj blames  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœsomething’  in Binni’s maternal house as the cause of all trouble and then prevents her from working establishes that the‘something’  is in reference to her mother’s promiscuity which leads him to infer that letting women out of the house would always come with the threat of her infidelity. Moreover, Mohan Rakesh’s juxtaposition of a monogamous husband with a woman whose defining feature is her promiscuity ironically at a time when the  Ã¢â‚¬ËœHindu Marriage Act (1955)’came into force outlawing polygamy to protect the rights of Hindu women reflects the extent of male anxiety generated by women’s emancipation, whose right to work meant the dissolution of the public-private dichotomy necessary for the maintenance of the family as a private sphere. This anxiety is further elaborated in terms of portraying Kinni as an uncared neglected kid, who returns to a home without the mother and feels lonely and alienated. Mahendranath’s despair too needs to be identified not just in terms of the emotional crisis that he faces with the breakdown of familial relations and absence of mutual respect, but also the economic crisis which ultimately appears as the root of all problems. Mahendranath loses his position in family, when the roles of provider and receiver are changed, when economic equations of earner and acceptor are altered and redefined in terms of sex and gender. Their current poverty seems to be the result of typical-middle class lifestyle of living beyond one’s means, and the search or identities only arises when existing identities run into conflict with changing economic denominations of labour division within the family itself. Thus, Mahendranath’s yearning for meaning in life has new economic arrangements within the familial space and sheer inability to solve the economic crisis, triggering it. Even Ashok’s arrogance and refusal to submit to influential people, Dilip Kumar Basu feels can be analysed in the backdrop of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"1969 youth revolts in Paris, and things happening in our country.   The young man’s indifference to work is thus to be constructed as a larger question of youth rebellion and mobilisation, than just mere laziness and irresponsibility or a mere existentialist search for identity. Hence, in conclusion, it can be said that although Mohan Rakesh’sâ€Å"Halfway House†Ã‚  deals extensively with the question of identity and meaning in life, to situate it solely in an Existentialist dimension and accord it the distinction of being the primary concern of the play, would unfairly downplay many other socio-economic themes that the play encompasses.