Divorce in the Pentateuch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Divorce in the Pentateuch - Essay Example This essay will critically analyze what the Pentateuch has to say on the topic. According to the Creation story it would appear that divorce was not a part of God’s plan when he created man and woman. â€Å"This is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body† (Genesis 2: 24). If marriage was meant for two persons to be as one body then divorce would be viewed as an illness since it was making the body less wholesome. ‘If a man, after marrying a woman and having relationships with her, comes to dislike her, and makes monstrous charges against her and defames her by saying, â€Å"I married this woman, but when I first had relations with her I did not find her a virgin,† (Deut 22:13 – 14). The woman is viewed as an object and is always the property of the man whether it is the husband or the father. The verse further explained that the father should try to prove her innocence. Although this passage gave instructions that if the girl is found to be innocent the man should not divorce her it shows the responsibility that the community has when it comes to marriage and divorce. In return the couple is supposed to bear witness to the community and they had to show proof before a divorce could take place. The man was supposed to write the woman a certificate of divorce and send her away from his house. According to Hall this certificate was â€Å"crucial to protect her status† (359). Furthermore it served as a way of announcing to society that the woman was eligible to remarry. The man according to this verse in Deuteronomy is bound by the law in keeping his wife. He cannot divorce her because she was found to be innocent. This shows that this was the only grounds he had. â€Å"Moreover, she shall remain his wife, and he may not divorce her as long as he lives.† On the other hand

Sports Activities at School Essay Example for Free

Sports Activities at School Essay Introduction The aim of this report is to analyse why so many students aren’t motivated to do a lot of sports activities at school. A number of students and teachers were interviewed and their suggestions for changes to the methods are summarised. The problem * There aren’t a lot of different sport activities offered at school There don’t seem to be a lot of sports that can be played at school. Only a few sorts of sports are offered and that are football, that isn’t even weekly and a real competition, and softball. If these sports don’t fit you, you haven’t got a lot of opportunities to play sports at school. * Students don’t intend to sport a lot anymore Students aren’t known for their plesure of moving and sporting a lot. The electronics swallow a lot of their spare time, and they aren’t motivated to play sports in their leisure time, because it’s less exciting. Improving the situation What steps can be taken to improve the situation? I would recommend that teachers place more emphasis on increasing the different sorts of sports that are offered at school, in order to get students more motivated. When they are allowed to choose the sport that attracts them most, they will become more motivated. When students are playing a sport they enjoy, they will easily resist the instant tempation of their electronic games. Conclusion Students aren’t as motivated for sports as they should be. There aren’t enough sports activities offered at school, which leads to low motivation on the part of students. In my opinion there should be given more choices to the students what sport they want to practice. When they get to choose from sports they enjoy, they will get more motivated.

Concept of Organisational Misbehaviour: Analysis

Concept of Organisational Misbehaviour: Analysis Organisational Misbehavior Critically evaluate the argument that organisational misbehavior is a ‘normal’ feature of organisational life Introduction The notion of organisational misbehavior can be interpreted in a lot of ways based on different perspectives, different people, shifting situations, and by the changing level of awareness and understanding on the life of an organisation. There is a primary purpose of organisations in the context of fulfilling certain individual goals. Northcraft and Neale (1990, p.5) say that people come together and form organisations because organisations can accomplish things that are beyond the reach of individuals. They come together to accomplish what each individual cannot accomplish alone. The meaning of behavior in organisations according to Northcraft and Neale revolve around managing behavior to take advantage of the performance benefits of groups over individuals. This is where the concept of a good behavior and misbehavior takes shape. Organisational Behavior Organisational behavior is a multidisciplinary definition that illustrates a number of points (Gibson et al, 2000). Some of these points relate directly to the conduct of the organisation in society. First, it indicates that the behavior of people operate at individual, group, or organisational level. This suggests that when trying to study the organisational misbehavior in the perspective of being a normal part of organisational life, it must identify clearly the levels of analysis – individual, group, and the organisation being used. Second, there’s a distinctively humanistic orientation within the organisation behavior. People’s attitudes, perceptions, learning capabilities, and objectives are important to the organisation. They provide the rich mixture for their organisation’s culture and strategies to evolve and prosper. Thirdly, the external environment is seen as having significant impact on the organisational behavior. Finally, there’s also the application orientation which concerns providing useful answers to questions that arise in the context of managing the organisation. Misbehavior is often interpreted to mean ‘bad behavior’ or a deviation from the normal norms and ethics expected of individuals and organisations. To say that organisational behavior also involves other certain kinds of misbehavior still descends to the fact that any type of behavior can be either good or bad depending on the context that it is applied to in real life situations. When this type of behavior exists and eventually prevails in any organisational setup, it would likely grow into a certain stature of normalcy and seep into conventional wisdom. In order to understand why this argument seems to make sense in the framework of an organisation’s life, it is important to first identify the different compositions of an organisation, its objectives, culture, structure, and strategies. The complexities associated with these compositions have made it virtually impossible to model and envision a ‘perfect’ organisation. Organisations have had some bouts with internal and external conflicts in one way or another. Some have mastered the arts of deception and impropriety. It is unrealistic to say that organisational misbehavior is not part of organisational life either. People in the organisation may misbehave and some people may blame the entire organisation. Others may blame specific people (especially managers) when the real shortcoming came from the organisation’s policies. Other groups within the organisation or network may deviate from agreements and norms. The organisational culture may not also be up to the times and the current business strategies may not sit well with government regulation policies and industry norms. If these things do happen (and they happen a lot), it is not viable and healthy to draw the line between laying out unspoken rules in classifying organisational behavior to be good and a bad. People and Human Behavior People make up the internal social system of the organisation (Newstrom and Davis, 1997). This system consists of individuals and groups, and large groups as well as small ones. People are the living, thinking, and feeling beings who work in the organisation to achieve their objectives. An organisational structure is filled up with people who decide and deliver the goods for the organisation. Diversity presents a lot of challenges for management to handle. When people become members of an organisation whether in official, unofficial or informal capacity, they bring with them different educational background, talents, interests, and behavior that they eventually contribute for the success or failure of the organisation. The relationship among individuals and groups in an organisation create expectations for an individual’s behavior (Gibson et al, 2000, p. 7). An individual can be presented here as the organisation itself. These expectations result in certain leadership and foll ower roles that must be performed so that there will be some kind of order and system. Collective expectations can either conform or not to standard behavior. Collective misuse of resources interests, talents, expertise, and management strategies can constitute organisation misbehavior. Punch (1996, p.1) views these misconduct as harmful to the viability of the organisation and constitutes deviance by the organisation. To put it more bluntly, organisational misbehavior eventually boils down to the issue of profits and how it should be maximized. Money has always been a central issue in any organisation and it has often been used to measure the survivability of a business. Organisational goals always take into their mainstream policy the issue of financial and economic stability and prosperity. Punch (1996, p.214) strongly suggested that formal goals of the organisation thus constitute a ‘front’ for the real goals of management which is to provide a money machine for its owners and other insiders. If it is already common and normal for criminals to use any tool or weapon to perpetuate a crime, it would also seem normal for organisations to use the organisation itself to obtain money from ‘victims’ of its misbehavior. The ‘victims’ may actually be the customers or the members themselves. It is a prime example of what is called the â€Å"organisational weapon† – the organisation is for white-collar criminals as the gun or knife is for the common criminals (Wheeler and Rothman, 1982, cited in Punch, 1996). In short, an organisation is set up for the primary purpose of making a substantial amount of money in the form of a profit and improving the quality of life for the individual members of the organisation. Organisations have systems of authority, status, and power, and people in organisations have varying needs for each system. People need money and a sense of fulfillment. People also need power to impose their will to others. People want to attain a certain level of success as measured by their status and standing in the organisation. Taken as a whole, organisations follow certain types of ethical behavior and standards defined along its objectives and future goals. It is also believed that adherence to moral standards on the job can have positive outcomes on the organisation and society by promoting strong ethical behavior in any aspects of life (Mares, 2005). This strong behavior of one organisation can be used as a strong issue against another organisation which is considered to be ‘misbehaving’ just because it was not able to adhere to certain moral standards previously attained. Organisational Structure An organisational structure defines the formal relationship and use of people in organisations. According to Newstrom and Devis (1997), different jobs are required to accomplish all of an organisation’s activities. There are managers, employees, accountants, assemblers, and others who have to be related in some structural way so that their work can be effectively coordinated. How is the structure of the organisation related to the conduct of an organisation? According to Thompson (1997, p.588), structure is the means by which the organisation seeks to achieve its strategic objectives and implement strategies and strategic changes. Assuming that these strategies and changes are concerned with relating the organisation’s resources to its goals, will these resources be used in the proper way acceptable to all in the society? If change is necessary, it is correct to point out that resistance to change can constitute another concept of misbehavior. People confronting changes in their working environments often exhibit dysfunctional behaviors like aggression, projection, and avoidance (Hirschheim, 1995 p. 160). These types of behavioral patterns affect the overall behavior of the organisation. Another thing to consider in the organisational structure is the way decision making is delegated and observed. Thompson described the extent by which a decentralized and centralized setup of management decision making is vital in adapting to strategic change. In a centralized setup, organisational misbehavior is usually highlighted at the top management level because only a handful of people are empowered to do the decision making. A decentralized setup allows decisions to be made by most people who must implement change and usually allows the organisation a more collective approach to making decisions based on what is morally and ethically correct. This statement however, does not imply that a decentralized structure eliminates instances of misbehavior. It only lessens the probability. On the other hand, a decentralized setup could empower smaller groups within the organisation to abuse their power and open the possibility of misbehavior on a smaller scale. According to Tsahuridu, specialization and division of work that occurs in organizations may make people in organizations unable to see the illegality and immorality of certain actions. Each action is a part of a chain of actions, and even though each individual act may be legitimate and moral, all the actions linked together may constitute an illegal or immoral activity, which each individual participant may be ignorant of. Organisational Objectives and Culture Organisations must have objectives in order to exist. Objectives are always centered on what is basically ‘good’ for the organisation, whether the resulting action or consequences is ‘bad’. How is organisational objectives tied to organisational behavior? Profit and growth are means to other ends rather than objectives in themselves (Acoff, 1986, cited in Thompson, 1997). There is then a question of whether profit is the ultimate objective of profit seeking business organisations or whether it is merely a means to other ends, which themselves constitute the real objectives (Thompson, 1997, p.153). Organisational behavior can be better understood by assuming whether the real goal of the organisation is to maximize profit or to provide them with a good quality of life and better standard of living. Harris and Hartman (2002, p. 75) said that an organisation’s culture consists of the values, norms, and attitudes of the people who make up the organisation. Values show what is important; norms reveal expected behavior; attitudes show the mind-set of individuals. Organisational culture therefore tells people what is important in the organisation, how to behave, and how to see things. Culture is a part of organisational life that influences the behavior, attitudes, and overall effectiveness of members (Gibson et al, 2000). Managers are usually in the forefront of formulating organisational strategies and policies. Johnson and Scholes (1997, p.79-80) argued that in formulating policies, managers should regard experience (good or bad) as constraints on developments. They say that in order to develop the organisation to cope with today’s changing environments, they need to challenge the people around them and experiment with their different ideas and conflicting views in a pluralistic approach. The job of top management therefore is to create this sort of organisation by building teams that can work in such ways through the development of the everyday behavior and culture of the organisation. All of the issues related to the organisation in general have a tendency to influence and affect the behavior of the organisation. While it is safe to assume that the notion of misbehavior in the organisation tends to focus on the ‘wrong’ or ‘negative’ side of the organisation, it is preferred that misbehavior should be ‘corrected’ and dealt with by focusing on how to manage and institute reforms in the different aspects of the organisation. This is a tall and complex order. Organisational behavior is not only influenced by the different factors previously mentioned. Management policies have a tendency to adapt to changing situations in their environments. Some organisations’ strategies may take advantage of ‘weak’ government policies and regulations and find loopholes with which they can misbehave without being noticed. Other organisations’ strategies tend to focus on covering up unethical practices with good and conv incing arguments that their actions go against standard practices but at the same time, benefit a large segment of society. Punch (1996, p.1) described the behavior of today’s organisations as problematic and worrying. He reasons out that different kinds of organisational misbehavior are often caused by managers ‘lending’ themselves to deviant activities and the inability of government, business, and regulatory agencies to control effectively such misbehavior. He explains that this was largely because the subjects of business crime and corporate deviance have been sadly neglected by criminologists and crime-fighting bodies in favor of other areas such as street crimes, low-level law enforcement, and the prison system. Almost everyday, new types of organisation misbehavior are being uncovered and brought out into the open. As these corporate scandals and other forms of financial misconduct often perpetuated by top level management are exposed, more and more sophisticated strategies and techniques are slowly being uncovered. It is quite interesting to know that one kind of misbehavior can be linked to another form of misbehavior in another corporate partner within the network of organisations. Other sets of misbehavior can involve almost all levels of the organisational hierarchy. The realities faced by an organisation are different from others. Each organisation has an identity, an objective, a strategic plan, and differing sets of policies and regulations. Harris and Hartman (2002, p. 97) said this is because the underlying premise in the ideal culture is that the formal organisation’s norms and values are to be consistent with those of the various individuals and groups within the organisation. They say that the norms and values of individuals and groups of the organisation are hostile to formal organisational goals. This is especially true to members of top-level management and the rank and file members. Their hidden values may contradict the official policies of the organisation. Sometimes, the organisation may not value the potential contribution of its members. The need to create competitive advantage for profit and growth without the proper ethical system in place can lead to drastic steps and ethically questionable decisions and actions. Some m embers of the organisation may feel the need to make reforms while others may think taking radical steps will eventually spell success. Discontentment and trouble may brew over different ‘signals’ and messages that the inner structure of the organisation send out to the outside world. It is therefore evident that culture can become very counterproductive and the basis of confidence, cooperation, and adherence to standard norms and behavior can be damaging to the overall behavior of the organisation. This is the start of the decay of organisational values and norms and provides a fertile ground for breeding misconduct and misbehavior in any front of the organisation. Conclusions Misbehavior is a normal part of an organisation’s life. It is not a question of whether it exists or not. It tends to become an issue when organisations tolerate and do nothing to correct these deviances from normal behavior and when organisations formulate policies that sheer away from ethical standards that govern them. Why is it that organisational misbehaviors tend to exist even in model companies and organisations recognized for their professional excellence? There are different ways of understanding organisational misbehavior in the context of whether it is normal or not in an organisational life. If we try to look closely at the term ‘normal’ and ‘misbehavior,’ there are two things which would come into mind. First, nothing is perfect and it is perfectly normal for people to commit mistakes, either willingly or unwillingly. People can always create rules and policies to counter certain misconduct. Organisations can always innovate and deviate from these rules in order to attain their goals. In these instances, there is no such thing as a perfect law governing businesses and there is also no such thing as a perfect business strategy. In normal instances, mistakes are part of the learning process. As this cycle continues today, organisational misbehavior has already come to the point where people have already considered it part and parcel of their everyday life. It is part of the reality of life that has something to do with existence and how mankind adapts to ongoing changes. The only thing that people consider to be an issue in organisation misbehavior is the level or degree of how it affects society. Second, in order to survive, some organisations have to take the risk, whether this will put them in the burner for good or elevate their status in the business community. These risks are normally present in their business strategies, structure, objectives, and culture. They can follow the business rules by the book and end up earning nothing or they may deviate from certain rules and norms and reap profits. Again, it is normal for organisations to take risks and reap the benefits. All of the characteristics of an organisation are linked to one another to form their own identity and behavior. People are in a social structure within the organisation and are empowered to make good or bad decisions. The structure of the organisation limits or expands the power to make decisions. Bibliography Books Gibson, James et al. (2000).Organizations: Behavior, Structure, Processes. 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill, Manila. Harris, J and Hartman, S. (2002). Organizational Behavior. Haworth Press. New York. Hirschheim, R.A. (1995). Office Automation: A Social and Organizational Perspective. John Wiley. Oxford Johnson, Gerry and Scholes, Kevan. (1997). Exploring Corporate Strategy.Prentice Hall. UK Newstrom, John and Davis, Keith. (1997) Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work. McGraw-Hill. Northcraft, Gregory and Neale, Margaret.(1990).Organizational Behavior:A Management Challenge. Dryden Press, Florida. Punch, Maurice. (1996). Dirty Business: Exploring Corporate Misconduct. SAGE Publications, London. Thompson, John (1997).Strategic Management: Awareness and Change. 3rd Edition.International Thompson Business Press.Boston Journal Article Mares, Micheal (2005), â€Å"The Importance of Business Ethics†,Retrieved last February 26, 2005 from http://www.webcpa.com Tsuahurido, Eva, â€Å"Ethics and Integrity: What Australian Organizations Seek and Offer in Recruitment Advertisements†,Retrieved: March 3, 2005 from http://www.pamij.com/7_4/v7n4_tsahuridu.html

Essay --

When one looks at their life, at any stage in which they live, it is pivotal to see clearly how they are finding meaning, purpose and direction within their daily decisions. As I’ve learned to value the role of community and covenant relationships in my life, it has been a challenge to continually commit myself to overcoming my flesh and correctly align myself with God’s intentions for my life. As part of this transformative process in centering my worldview on Christ’s love, I’ve concluded that all of life’s ultimate questions are found to have been correctly answered in the Bible; repeatedly in Scripture, and specifically in one verse, I have found that it sources everything in life to the glory of God. Romans 11:36 centers our attention on Christ, from whom we derive all answers to origins, meaning, morality, destiny and identity for our lives: â€Å"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (ESV).à ¢â‚¬  Not only does the most credible book ever written support this thesis, but in â€Å"Making Sense of your World,† it is strongly communicated that â€Å"God alone is the ultimate reality and everything else is derived from him (Phillips, Brown, Stonestreet, 2008, p. 44).† Every living creature on this earth exists becuase of God’s will. Regardless if an individual refuses to accept the truth that our entire world was created by a creator or not, it is obviously proven that all creatures on this earth have a beautiful design that did not originate from ourselves. We exist because of â€Å"God’s free decision to create† as it is argued by Phillips et al. (2008), and furthermore is reiterated that â€Å"my existence is not by chance, but the result of a purposeful choice.† In response to this proven fact, as po... ... inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.† References W. Gary Phillips, William E. Brown, John Stonestreet. (2008). Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview, 2nd ed. Salem, WI: Sheffield Publishing Company. ESV Text Edition: 2011. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV). Wheaton, IL: Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Afghan Women Revealed

In the year 2001 2002 the United States of America engaged in a political campaign for the war in Afghanistan. In her essay â€Å"To unveil the threat of terror†, Dana Cloud accuses the United States government to construct a hypocritical justification for the war in Afghanistan. The United States used the picture of veiled woman and children and presented them to the united citizens as oppressed and needing help. Dana Cloud argues that the real motif of the war was to obtain economical and geopolitical control of the territory of Afghanistan. In this essay we will analyze one of the photographs that played a big important role in the Afghanistan war campaign of the United States. Our goal here will not be to discuss the real reason of the war but to determine if the pictures really represented Afghan women and children as oppressed and needing help. We will then try to determine if the united states where in fact able to help this women. Based on our conclusion we will propose a more parsimonious property of these images: a property that all photographs possess and that Morris calls an express train to error. The afghan woman is a photograph of a young afghan girl taken by National Geographic photographs in a refugee camp in Afghanistan. The girl in the photograph is wearing a red torn burka and her piercing eyes are gazing at the viewer. Some say that she looks angry, others that she looks desperate and needs help. The truth is that we will never really know what she felt at that moment. But what we can be sure of in that picture is that if the United States had not gone to war in afghan we would not have been able to gaze at her photograph for the simple reason that in afghan culture, women are not allowed to show their faces. In an American perspective, the United States had helped this young afghan girl to be free and express her identity. Ironically although the picture promotes individuality and freedom, the picture also oppresses individuality and freedom as well. It possesses a dimension of individuated aggregate. They were no name in the photograph just â€Å"the afghan woman†. By naming the photograph the Afghan woman and publishing it in the United States Press, the photograph served as a representation of all the afghan women and thus ignored the specific individual represented in the photograph. An American citizen ignorant of afghan culture and proud of his own culture and belief will automatically perceive the girl in the photograph as freed and experience what Dana Could referred to as paternalism: a need to protect her. Thus we find that Dana could argument that the United States spread an image of savior during the 2001-2002 war campaign. Did they really save this girl, or the other afghan woman? The eyes of the Afghan girl had captivated the world so much that the National Geographic photograph that had taken her photograph was sent to search for her. Mc Curry says that he went first with his search team to the original place where the photograph was taken: the refugee camp of Nasir Bagh. A man who heard about the search told them he knew the girl in the picture. He claimed she was his childhood friend and that she had returned to Afghanistan near Tora Bora.. Mc curry was informed by the team that He told them that she was a childhood friend and that she went back to Afghanistan and in she had returned to Afghanistan years ago, he said, and now lived in the mountains near Tora Bora. When McCurry got to the place and saw her walk I the room he told himself: this is her. Thus â€Å"the girl with the piercing green eyes† or â€Å"the afghan girl† was identified. Her name was Sharbat Gula, and she was Pashtun, one of the most violent tribe of Afghanistan. Mc Curry took a new photograph of her and her eyes were still burning with ferocity. Her eyes were still sea green, big haunted and haunting green eyes. In them you could read the tragedy of a land drained by war not the relief and freedom that the United States should have brought with them. If the United States had helped this girl and the other women by going in war with the Taliban, this girl her eyes would have looked happier, less angry, or simply different. We would have noticed a change, but the only change we notice is the change of a girl into a woman. This change is not relevant to the United States going to war with afghan but to nature. When observing the afghan girl one should not make biased assumption. Although being unbiased is thorough, it is not impossible. While looking at the photo of the afghan girl a viewer should see all facets of the photograph or image being observed. While the photograph of the afghan woman portrays the oppression that afghan women experience, it also expresses the tragedy and struggled experienced by women in war. As Ell Morris described in his†¦. Photographs and images are an express train to error and believing is seeing. When one observes the photographs of the afghan women, one sees what he wants to see: a women that need help from the united states,a women that is angry, a women that is ravaged by a war ,a woman that is ashamed to show her face,a woman that is revolted. hey are so many interpretation that can be drawn from the afghan woman,but none of them can really grasp the reality that the photographs bring. it is just as ell morris said. While photograph reveals important some things, they hide or misrepresent others. Thus the photograph of the afghan woman has one very parsimonious property. a property that all photographs share: to represent a blurry reality. However although the photograph is not a real represe ntation of afghan woman, it remains true that they are oppressed and ravaged by the tragedy that is war.

How Have You Prepared For Boston University †Example Admission Essay

How Have You Prepared For Boston University – Example Admission Essay Free Online Research Papers How Have You Prepared For Boston University Example Admission Essay Boston University, with its outstanding academic reputation, is well-known all over the world. I became interested in Boston University about two years ago when I was deciding to pursue my undergraduate study in America. I was born in a well-educated family. My father is a senior engineer in an electric power research institute, my mother is a teacher in a college. Under the influence and instruction of my parents, I became very interested in science since I was still a child. When I first got to know computer about ten years, I felt so amazed by the advanced technology. I made up my mind then to dedicate myself to the study of computer science. I have taken science courses in school, such as advanced math, physics and chemistry and obtained high scores in these areas. I also took the SATI, SATII subject tests and TOEFL. My solid science foundation and my enthusiasm in the study of computer science will surely provide me a promising outcome of my undergraduate study in your renowned university. Research Papers on How Have You Prepared For Boston University Admission EssayStandardized TestingPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseCapital PunishmentResearch Process Part OneArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Bionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfHip-Hop is Art

Use the USE Command in MySQL to Switch Databases

Use the USE Command in MySQL to Switch Databases Creating a database in MySQL doesnt select it for use. You have to indicate it with the USE command. The USE command is also used when you have more than one database on a MySQL server and need to switch between them. You must choose the correct database each time you start a MySQL session.   The USE Command in MySQL The syntax for the USE command is: mysql  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ For example, this code  switches to the database named Dresses. mysql  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ After you select a database, it remains the default until you end the session or choose another database with the USE command. Identifying the Current Database If you are unsure which database is currently in use, use the following code: This code returns the name of the database currently in use. If no database is currently in use, it returns NULL. To view a list of available databases, use: About MySQL MySQL is an open-source relational database management system that is most often associated with web-based applications. It is the database software of choice for many of the webs largest sites including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. It is also the most popular database management  system for small and medium-sized websites. Almost every commercial web host offers  MySQL services. If you are just using MySQL on a website, you wont need to be involved with the coding- the web host will handle all that- but if you are a developer new to MySQL, youll need to learn SQL to write programs that access MySQL.

Building Blocks Lesson

Building Blocks Lesson I have a story to tell, and I want to do it in one-liner bullets. The lesson is clear. See if you note the trend: My lesson = Began writing mysteries. = Finally published a mystery. = Joined Sisters in Crime (SinC) to be with other lady mystery writers. = Became a moderator for SinC to be seen and remembered as a lady mystery writer. = Was invited to help start a local South Carolina chapter of Sisters in Crime. = A year into the local chapter, the president said libraries were seeking authors to speak. = I immediately applied, spending much time on the application. = The library had a grant to hire writing teachers. I knew grants and volunteered time to get it off the ground. = I was selected = The SC State Library asked me to do videos for a website for those who could not attend for payment. = Another county library heard of me and asked me to teach their group, expanding the grant for payment. = One of the librarians suggested I apply for the SC Humanities Speakers Bureau for when the grant was over. = I applied and was accepted for the Speakers Bureau . . . because of my new library reputation. = A library in the next state heard of the library program and invited me for four (paid) appearances. = Another library not on the grant asked me to appear, at the recommendation of the State Library, and applied to the Speakers Bureau to pay for it. . . . and that was just up to this week. Im sure the momentum is still in play.   All too often we become one of two types of writers when it comes to our platforms and self-promotion: 1) The control freak who thinks theyll keep a grip on every turn in the road and determine all outcomes, or 2) The uncertain soul who lets their journey flap in the wind, headed in whatever direction someone else steers them. The best situation falls someplace in between. Keep your options open, but when you see an opportunity, snap it up. Every person in my SinC group had the opportunity I did. None capitalized on it. I saw an opportunity to spread my name in South Carolina in an attempt to saturate local notoriety, instead of thinking I have to become known nationally first. I didnt wait for them to tell me what to do as a speaker. Instead I suggested topics, aiding with promotion, and becoming friends with the librarians who are always seeking opportunities for their members. That friendship resulted in joining the SC Humanities Bureau. And the ball keeps rolling. Do not think you know everything about your writing career. And dont be afraid to try something new to aid your cause. Opportunity is everywhere . . . just everywhere. The art is seeing it, and courting it, and putting it in your pocket instead of wondering for days and weeks if you ought to do something you never have before. Trust yourself. Be excited about stepping out. Watch your confidence soar, and amazingly, those around you will want to soak up that confidence and invite you into their world.

Tourism Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Tourism Perspectives - Essay Example Since the post-modern era has also offered multiple recreational facilities in the form of TV, internet and CD players etc, the people can make amusements without leaving their homes even. Hence, the sense of entertainment under multiple choices at home has given birth to new leisure time consumption trends in its scope. Although, both the perspectives contain positive and negative aspects in their nature and scope, though the second one creating uniqueness and differentiation in it look far more fascinating one than the one projecting similarity in the form of McDonaldization. The authors submit to state that the latest trends have been introduced in the aftermath of the penetration of two worldwide public entertainment business chains i.e. the recreational Disney Parks, and the food-chain McDonald (Ritzer & Liska, 1997: 98). McDonaldization and Disneyization, according to the authors, appear to be determining new boundaries of tourism with reference to modernity and post-modernity. The authors lay stress upon looking into the tourism phenomenon within the purview of modernity and post-modernity, where instead of taking both these aspects as two different epochs, they look for taking these ages as two different perspectives and approaches actually. Ritzer & Liska have declared tourism as one of the most dominating factors that pave the way towards bringing social change in the wake of it (97). However, the inclusion of McDonaldization and Disneyization have established new dimensions in the tourist industry, where people have become familiar with the food and entertainment they would obtain by visiting any recreational place or sight of their choice in any region of the globe they proceed to during vacations (100). Consequently, the fears and perils regarding the uncertainty about the edibles they would take and the entertainments they obtain during their tour to some foreign land appear to be fast diminishing in the modern era, and people feel themselves a bi t secure regarding their edibles and diets during tours. Hence, since the people do not look ready to experience new, queer or unpredictable situations, things, or states of affairs, the presence, projection and expansion of the recreational and food chains have turned out to be supportive in respect of providing the tourists with complete safety and shelter from the unpredictable events and situations (99). In addition to this, the people are in a position to communicate with the indigenous population of any country in one language i.e. English. It is because of the very fact that the promotion of multinational companies and news channels at the global scale, English has got the status of an international language, which is at least comprehensible for the people belonging to divergent cultures, areas, and regions of the world (Macionis & Plummer, 2008). The credit also goes to McDonald and Disney Parks, as both these companies are the product of the English speaking nation i.e. the USA. Both these multinational chains have introduced the self-supporting and self-serving systems in the contemporary hotel industry. Consequently, the tourists have learned to serve themselves after paying their bills at the food-chain on the one hand and can cruise on the ships of their choice at their own on the other. It has not only increased their efficiency level, but also nothing appears to be unpredictable.

Prostate Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Prostate Cancer - Essay Example Significantly, prostate incorporates gland cells that produce some of the seminal fluid and this fluid protects and nourishes sperm cells in semen and supports the ejaculatory ducts, or sperm tubes. The growth of the prostate normally continues till man reaches adulthood and it is maintained after it reaches normal size as long as male hormones are produced."Prostate cancer begins most often in the outer part of the prostate. It is the most common cancer in men older than age 50.In most men, the cancer grows very slowly. In fact, many men with the disease will never know they have the condition. Early prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland itself, and the majority of patients with this type of cancer can live for years with no problems." (Prostate cancer) In certain cases, prostate cancer may spread from the prostate to nearby lymph nodes, bones or other organs and such spread is generally called metastasis. It is also essential to note that most prostate cancers originate in the posterior prostate gland, while some others start off near the urethra. As the US National Institute of Health suggests, the estimated new cases and deaths from prostate cancer in the United States in 2009 are: new cases of 192,280 and deaths of 27, 360. According to some important surveys, there aremore than2 million American men currently living with prostate cancer. The given data for the year 2009 in the US indicates the relevance of further researches and medical treatment for prostate cancer and this paper makes a reflective analysis of some vital elements of the prostate cancer. In a profound analysis of the prostate cancer, it becomes lucid that it is mainly found in older men, compared to younger ones, and the prostate may get bigger and block the urethra or bladder, when men grow old. Such phenomena within the reproductive system of elder men, in which prostate gets bigger and block the urethra or bladder, will cause difficulty in urination or it will interfere with sexual function. This condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can be corrected through surgery and it is not cancer, although the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia or of other problems in the prostate will be similar to symptoms of prostate cancer. "Possible signs of prostate cancer include a weak flow of urine or frequent urination. These and other symptoms may be caused by prostate cancer. Other conditions may cause the same symptoms." (General Information about Prostate Cancer) It is important to consult a doctor if any of the following problems occur, as it may indicate prostate cancer. Such signs include weak or interrupted flow of urine, frequent urination (especially at night), trouble urinating, pain or burning during urination, blood in the urine or semen, a pain in the back, hips, or pelvis, and painful ejaculation. It is important to comprehend that prostate cancer is one of the most common diseases in the US and the curability of prostate cancer is based on how immediately one identifies the disease. Significantly, the 'cure' rates for prostate cancer, similar to all cancers, describe the percentage of patients likely remaining disease-free for a specific time and it is common that, the earlier

(DNRC) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

(DNRC) - Essay Example Risk assessment procedures comprise of identifying, assessment of the threat impact, and approval of measures to lessen the risk. Additionally, risk mitigation comprises of prioritizing, upholding, and executing the suitable risk-reducing controls endorsed by the risk assessment. Finally, evaluation and assessment puts emphasis on the frequent assessment process and the important factors for an effective risk management program. Therefore, the purpose of this report is to offer practical guidance on the security and public safety committee of the DNRC on assessing risks through examining these issues and detailing the opportunities and benefits available to the organizations that embrace and implement the risk assessments to their business processes. Therefore, the Security and Public Safety Subcommittee of DNRC was headed by the Samantha Salerno who is in the United States secret service, and the sub-ordinates were Felicia Fontaine, ASAC FBI Miami, Melanie Duncan, Director Miami-Dade Police Department, Gregory Jameson, SAC ATF Miami, Robert Waters, Director Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue Department, Jean-Louis Joseph, Chief Miami Police Department, and Geoff Goldman, Chief, Miami Beach Police Department (DRNC). The aim of this committee is to ensure that it looks at the culture of the organization, the stakeholders, and the levels of vulnerability and risks of the seven critical infrastructure assets to come up with an effective risk management program. This is because the analysis will be used to manage the risks of DNRC’s critical infrastructure assets effectively and go a long way in assisting them to find out how the allocated resources will be used in the best way possible leading up to the present and future events. The co mmunication, external and internal environment, culture and the overall risks of the critical infrastructure

Article Review on Technology in Education Assignment

Article Review on Technology in Education - Assignment Example Videoconferencing at present is a medium for learning partnerships both in the local scene and in the international setup. Reynard (2012) cited â€Å"the inclusion of video increases the sense of presence,† and considers this as a means of collaboration. This educational tool has evolved in the recent years to include media tools, such as chat, as well as interactive whiteboards, which increase the exchange of ideas and resources alike, taking learning and the accumulation of knowledge to new heights (Reynard, 2012). This promotes access to what is otherwise accessible – locations which are commonly not that open to the public and expert educators who are too geographically distant; in reference to inaccessible locations, virtual tours are utilized (Reynard, 2012). Another advantage of this modern day educational tool is that it can make available the unavailable, such as classes not normally offered in the school, or those beyond the normal hours of school, which would be highly advantageous for those who are not able to avail of normal class hours (Reynard, 2012). Another important benefit of videoconferencing is that it helps students go the extra mile – tutoring and enrichment activities online, in real time, and without geographical constraints (Reynard, 2012). ... Furthermore, technology like videoconferencing may bridge the gap between different cultures as it provides worldwide reach to all students; this would yield better-informed students and well versed in aspects in which traditional students are not due to limited access to resources. There would be constant updates of any advancement or modification in education across the globe, as this education tool goes beyond geographical boundaries. In the future, students would be more interested and involved to learn as videoconferencing offers them interactive learning. It would give new meaning to the term – experience – since this teaching strategy would make the learners feel as if they are in that particular scenario, hence, making them believe like it was their own personal experience. There would probably be an increase in the number of students, as those who do not have the luxury of time could avail of such dynamic and effective education made very convenient to them sin ce it is not bound by normal school hours. Personal Opinion: How Technology will Shape Education in the Future Technology is evolving, as it is used in the field of education, so will the latter evolve, as well. Education will be better, as technology will constantly upgrade, so will the skills of the students. Thus, to keep up with complex learning needs brought about by modernized educational tools utilized by students, educators will adapt to such modernity. They will be well equipped with modern strategies to address learning needs. In the process, education will reach new heights. The standard of education would be further uplifted, producing more competitive

Media Relations Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Media Relations - Research Proposal Example The Program will provide an adequate environment for a healthy upbringing of the orphans. It will also develop an emotional bond between the kid and the adoptive parents. Volunteer couples are invited in this program to satisfy the emotional needs of the orphans. Money is not the only requirement of orphans. The volunteers will have to donate their time and emotions for the children. Each volunteer couple will perform the role of parents in the Virtual Family Program and pay regular visits on a weekly basis, according to their own convenience, to their proposed child, for his care and emotional satisfaction. After the completion of 09 months of regular visits the couple will be eligible to take the kid for any recreational visit they like for mutual acquaintance. The program will generate events to develop social interaction with the kid, like birthday celebrations etc. The Virtual Family Program will prove a social incubator to produce normal and civilized member of our society. The volunteer couples can adopt the child if he accepts them as parents. To become the adoptive parent they will have to satisfy the psychiatrist. The adoptive kids may continue their stay at the Sweet Home Orphanage as boarder as long as they wish. Volunteer couple s will be tested for interpersonal and parenting skills. In this regard, the first interview session is being conducted on February 21, 2012 between 09:00 hrs to 15:00 hrs at â€Å"Hotel Stanford, 43 West 32nd Street, New York City, NY 10001†. For further inquiry and information: Email: info@shorphanage.org, Telephone: Toll Free (800)

International Management - Global business Essay

International Management - Global business - Essay Example Multinational companies willing to expand their operation in overseas have to face quite few challenges like regulatory environment of the host country, culture and so forth. In general, the advent of the modern Multinational companies was largely because of the fast industrialization in the western society. The industrial revolution accelerated new technologies of production and distribution that necessitated larger operations than firms had managed before. Conversely, mass production technologies demanded a constant and dependable stream of input, and the pursuit for new economical long term sources of materials and supplies was the incentive that drove many companies in the foreign countries.1 In fact, firms choose to operate in different countries of the world for a good many reasons, as an example, to reap the benefit of economies of scale, cheap labor cost etc. We can see today that extensive number of companies like Coca Cola, Volvo etc. are operating in different parts of the globe. In this paper, the author attempts to shed light on the activities of the multinational companies in relation to various international production theories. Companies want to expand their business base aboard for mainly "efficiency seeking" and "strategic asset seeking" reasons. ... intended to capture the benefits of disparity in the availability and cost of traditional factor endowments in different countries of the world 2) the second sort is that which takes place in those countries which have largely comparable economic structures and income levels and is intended to reap the benefits of the economies of scale and scope, and of distinction in consumer tastes and supply capabilities. For instance, many U. S. companies transferring production to lower-cost Mexico and then exporting finished products back to the USA. An example of the second is American investment in European countries. Europe's stable move toward economic integration over the preceding years has given U. S. firms bigger opportunities and scope for attaining increased efficiencies and rationalization. Among all the purposes for foreign direct investment over the 1990s, strategic asset seeking was amongst the most significant. The aim of the strategic asset seeker is to increase company's prevailing portfolio of assets in such a way that strengthens the firm's existing competitive advantage. Examples of strategic asset seeking investment include Ford's acquisition of Volvo of Sweden and Jaguar of the United Kingdom, and Land Rover from BMW in early 2000, three acquisitions that helped boost the Ford's product niche in the luxury automobile market.2 Global business is now driven by in excess of 60,000 multinational enterprises (MNEs) with over 800,000 subsidiaries in foreign countries. The world's top 100 non-financial MNEs are the main drivers of global production. Their foreign assets amounted to $2 trillion in 2000, with over 6 million employees across the world. They focus mostly in electronics and electrical equipment, automobiles, petroleum, chemicals, and

Article Review on Technology in Education Assignment

Article Review on Technology in Education - Assignment Example Videoconferencing at present is a medium for learning partnerships both in the local scene and in the international setup. Reynard (2012) cited â€Å"the inclusion of video increases the sense of presence,† and considers this as a means of collaboration. This educational tool has evolved in the recent years to include media tools, such as chat, as well as interactive whiteboards, which increase the exchange of ideas and resources alike, taking learning and the accumulation of knowledge to new heights (Reynard, 2012). This promotes access to what is otherwise accessible – locations which are commonly not that open to the public and expert educators who are too geographically distant; in reference to inaccessible locations, virtual tours are utilized (Reynard, 2012). Another advantage of this modern day educational tool is that it can make available the unavailable, such as classes not normally offered in the school, or those beyond the normal hours of school, which would be highly advantageous for those who are not able to avail of normal class hours (Reynard, 2012). Another important benefit of videoconferencing is that it helps students go the extra mile – tutoring and enrichment activities online, in real time, and without geographical constraints (Reynard, 2012). ... Furthermore, technology like videoconferencing may bridge the gap between different cultures as it provides worldwide reach to all students; this would yield better-informed students and well versed in aspects in which traditional students are not due to limited access to resources. There would be constant updates of any advancement or modification in education across the globe, as this education tool goes beyond geographical boundaries. In the future, students would be more interested and involved to learn as videoconferencing offers them interactive learning. It would give new meaning to the term – experience – since this teaching strategy would make the learners feel as if they are in that particular scenario, hence, making them believe like it was their own personal experience. There would probably be an increase in the number of students, as those who do not have the luxury of time could avail of such dynamic and effective education made very convenient to them sin ce it is not bound by normal school hours. Personal Opinion: How Technology will Shape Education in the Future Technology is evolving, as it is used in the field of education, so will the latter evolve, as well. Education will be better, as technology will constantly upgrade, so will the skills of the students. Thus, to keep up with complex learning needs brought about by modernized educational tools utilized by students, educators will adapt to such modernity. They will be well equipped with modern strategies to address learning needs. In the process, education will reach new heights. The standard of education would be further uplifted, producing more competitive

International Management - Global business Essay

International Management - Global business - Essay Example Multinational companies willing to expand their operation in overseas have to face quite few challenges like regulatory environment of the host country, culture and so forth. In general, the advent of the modern Multinational companies was largely because of the fast industrialization in the western society. The industrial revolution accelerated new technologies of production and distribution that necessitated larger operations than firms had managed before. Conversely, mass production technologies demanded a constant and dependable stream of input, and the pursuit for new economical long term sources of materials and supplies was the incentive that drove many companies in the foreign countries.1 In fact, firms choose to operate in different countries of the world for a good many reasons, as an example, to reap the benefit of economies of scale, cheap labor cost etc. We can see today that extensive number of companies like Coca Cola, Volvo etc. are operating in different parts of the globe. In this paper, the author attempts to shed light on the activities of the multinational companies in relation to various international production theories. Companies want to expand their business base aboard for mainly "efficiency seeking" and "strategic asset seeking" reasons. ... intended to capture the benefits of disparity in the availability and cost of traditional factor endowments in different countries of the world 2) the second sort is that which takes place in those countries which have largely comparable economic structures and income levels and is intended to reap the benefits of the economies of scale and scope, and of distinction in consumer tastes and supply capabilities. For instance, many U. S. companies transferring production to lower-cost Mexico and then exporting finished products back to the USA. An example of the second is American investment in European countries. Europe's stable move toward economic integration over the preceding years has given U. S. firms bigger opportunities and scope for attaining increased efficiencies and rationalization. Among all the purposes for foreign direct investment over the 1990s, strategic asset seeking was amongst the most significant. The aim of the strategic asset seeker is to increase company's prevailing portfolio of assets in such a way that strengthens the firm's existing competitive advantage. Examples of strategic asset seeking investment include Ford's acquisition of Volvo of Sweden and Jaguar of the United Kingdom, and Land Rover from BMW in early 2000, three acquisitions that helped boost the Ford's product niche in the luxury automobile market.2 Global business is now driven by in excess of 60,000 multinational enterprises (MNEs) with over 800,000 subsidiaries in foreign countries. The world's top 100 non-financial MNEs are the main drivers of global production. Their foreign assets amounted to $2 trillion in 2000, with over 6 million employees across the world. They focus mostly in electronics and electrical equipment, automobiles, petroleum, chemicals, and

Questions asked from the managers Essay Example for Free

Questions asked from the managers Essay The following questions are those asked from the managers of the IT corporations. Each and everyone of them were also asked to give a brief company profile before the questions about blogging were asked. Company Profile 1. Name of Company: 2. Year Company Started: 3. Brief History of Company 4. Nature of Company’s work 5. Number of company employees: 6. Target market of the company: Questions on Corporate Blog 1. What does the company offer? a. Services – (what services and for whom? ) b. Products – (what products and for whom? ) 2. Since when did your company start engaging in corporate blog? 3. How much does your company spend for the operation of your corporate blog? 4. What was the effect of corporate blog to your corporation 5. Is blogging effective in making your customers understand more about your company? 6. Does blogging make understanding your services easier? 7. Communication with Customers a. Did you receive more client feedback when you engaged in corporate blog? b. Are your customers more informed about your products when you engaged in corporate blog? 8. Communication with Employees a. How many of your employees engage in blogging? b. What are your rules regarding employees blogging? 9. Did you integrate your missions, visions, and goals into corporate blogging? 10. Did you consider the risks involved when your corporation or company started adopting corporate blog? If yes, why does your company still continue engaging in corporate blog? 11. Are the solutions which your company pursued, effective in reducing the risks of corporate blog? If not, what other solutions do you think should be done? 12. What have been the advantages of corporate blog for your company? 13. What have been the perceived disadvantages of corporate blog for your company? 14. What were the problems faced in engaging corporate blog? 15. Is corporate blogging better than written media into bringing your services closer to the customers? 4. 3 Analyzing obtained data The data obtained from the interviews have been tabulated and themes and trends from such qualitative data would then be identified, and analyses would then be formulated. The data obtained from the questionnaires will be analyzed using the Likert scale. The primary tool used to examine Likert Scale is by the use of graphical analysis. Since the frequency distribution can visually be seen in the graph, it is easier to explain the results. The trend represents certain patterns that match with the frequency distribution. The Likert scale is a unidimensional scaling method. Unidimensional concepts are generally easier to understand. Its either something has more of it or less (Trochim 2006, http://www. socialresearchmethods. net/kb/scalgen. php ). Since the aim of the research is to identify whether the receptiveness of corporate blog to employees, executives and the corporation as a whole is better or worse, then a unidimensional scaling would be a good measurement for the research. 4. 4 Other Resources Secondary resources are also critically used in this project, which mainly include news, journal articles and books. Internet and Email will be as the communication and research tools for this project. The collected data will be coded and analyzed under the theoretical framework and prior reviewed literature. According to Coffey and Atkinson (1996), coding is the process of condensing the bulk of data sets into analyzable units. Coding and analyzing data based theoretical concepts has the important role of enabling rigours review on our data. Therefore, the collected data will be coded and analysed under the theoretical framework and prior reviewed literature. 5 Discussion 5. 1 Research expectation and risk The author will discuss the outputs from the case study, interviews and questionnaires. Each case study will be discussed here in full detail. Blog contents from the corporate blogs of each company will be evaluated and discussed. The research study is able to seek: why did the company considered blogging? What are the advantages and disadvantages from setting up a corporate blog? The expectation data obtained from the questionnaires will also be presented and discussed. Results obtained through the Likert scale will be interpreted. Results are also related to previous researches and theoretical issues discussed in the introduction and literature review. The author will give a brief introduction to the uses of blogs, corporate blogs, its advantages and limitations, and the issues surrounding corporate blogs, which includes privacy or information leakage of the corporation because of the freedom, entailed in corporate blogging. To which we can now generate our prediction of corporate blogging with the analysis of its strategic management implementation (rules and regulations), the perception of employees and employers, and our own analysis as to how corporate blogging can elevate the communication process among a business organization. The author expects challenging the blogging system as an entity of information and as a communication medium to delimit its disadvantages and provide better means of communication for the business sector. Assuming that results are as predicted, we can now generalize the discussion. Note, however, that different companies have different cultures and strategies in corporate blogging; thus different results would be yield, and themes would have to be established in order for data to be qualitatively analyzed. Having the prediction of the future of corporate blogging may be a challenging step but I think it is feasible in this case since we can generate information regarding how the corporate blogging system can improve and be able to overcome the challenges of advanced technology. 5. 2 The limitations of the study On major limitation of the study is that only IT companies are to be considered in data gathering. It is possible that other companies may have a different culture and perception on corporate blogging. Future research may focus on determining the perceptions of companies other than IT and compare its results with the results obtained from this study. Also, the study only analyzed the perceptions of bloggers on corporate blogging. Studies on the perception of nonbloggers (or those who have blogs but do not post regularly) may be carried out to give a more generalized rate of acceptance of blogging as a new kind of innovation. There is also a restraint in Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Theory. It may be the most widely used theory in both individual and organizational IT adoption researches but none of the five predictors (relative advantage, compatibility with existing values and practices, simplicity and ease of use, trialability and observable results) made Jeyaraj et al. ’s (2006) list of best predictors for the aggregate IT adoption construct. Another limitation of this research is that blogging can result in legal problems because of the lack of blogging management. The integrity rules for protection and management are expected to established immediately.

Reality In The Movie Mulholland Drive Film Studies Essay

Reality In The Movie Mulholland Drive Film Studies Essay In order to write this paper, I have looked for several definitions of reality, and I rapidly got confused among all the meanings, the perceptions and the concepts around it. However, for the purpose of my analysis of David Lynchs movie Mulholland Drive, I picked the following one: The first part can be seen as a dream that has some ingredients of the typical Hollywood movie with suspense, drama and musicals: this dream is an attempt of the protagonist (Betty/Naomi Watts) to delete from her memory, or to delete from her reality, what happened to her in her Real Hollywood experience in order to become an actress (how Diane/Naomi Watts wishes her life could have been). The second part is dark, almost desperate, and can be seen as an expression of the sublime through which the spectator falls into the Real part of the movie. In this second chapter, Diane remembers all her failures through the character of her ex-lover (Camilla), falls into depression and paranoia that will lead her to commit suicide. Going back to Lacan, the first part of the movie refers to the Imaginary register and is characterized by a abundance of enigmatic events and mysterious signs (a man with a monstrous face behind Winkies restaurant, body of a dead woman lying on her bed, a small blue box, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) that are here to maintain a certain suspense in the story but they also show us abnormalities and deficiencies. These signs can be seen as sublime objects that underline the lack of Real. And when, at the end of the first part, Betty and Rita manage to open the mysterious blue box, the spectator thinks he is close to discover the truth about the whole story, but there is only there is emptiness. However, this emptiness is meaningful: it brings us to the Real, which breaks with the first part of the movie. Therefore, the second part of the movie starts and several things becomes clearer. The monster behind Winkies restaurant is a premonitory sign of Rita/Camilla murderer (command by Betty/Diane in the same restaurant), the dead body lying in the bed is the one of Diana after she committed suicide (when Betty saw the body in the first part in the apartment, it was an anticipation of her own death), etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ An interesting scene that announces this rupture between the Imaginary and the Real in Mulholland Drive is the one that takes place in the cabaret Silencio: this scene announces the end of the first part and the imminent end of Bettys dream in a very brutal way. The magician in the cabaret warns us that everything is illusion and the song interpretation (playback) by Rebekah del Rio comes like a reminder to reality. The song, Llorando treats about an unhappy love story (Diane and Camilla?). Before the end of the song, Rebekah del Rio falls and faints, that can be seen as the death of Camilla. Betty and Rita cry while listening to that song, like they knew that the dream was about to end. Rita cries like she sensed that she was about to be Camilla again, and go back to the kingdom of the dead where Diane sent her. Betty shakes and cries like she sensed she was about to be Diane again, a woman distorted by pain trying to forget she made kill the woman she loved, before committing suici de. On the topic of the perception of reality, philosopher, John Searle asserted that: The thesis that there is a reality independent of our representations identifies not how things are in fact, but rather identifies a space of possibilities External realism articulates a space of possibilities for a very large number of statements. Into just such a space, a dual scenario film like Mulholland Drive can emerge. Both parts of Mulholland Drive make use of key aspects of fundamental ontology people, places, events, and reinterprets their external reality through the lens of Dianes subjective reality. While youre watching Mulholland Drive, both of its parallel narratives seem equally plausible, but its only after stepping back from them at the completion of the film that you realise that they are in fact two subjective statements on external reality paradoxically related, and indicative of the ability that we all have to place broad interpretations on real life events. Mulholland Drive effectively provides both a commentary on the nature of subjective reality as its depicted on film, and as we experience it in real life. Mulholland drive is also about interpretation of the Real. Nietzsche wrote that there are no facts, only interpretations. With a Hollywood background, Lynch first exposes us to the fake, the doubt, the part of belief and mirages and then awakes the conscience of his characters and his spectators. Nietzsche also thought that there was no absolute distinction between dreaming and waking consciousness. This is applied to Mulholland Drive on different levels. First, it forces the spectator to challenge himself intellectually and see the movie several times if he is willing to think about it and understands its mysteries. Second, that we can conceive most of the film as a dreamed interpretation of a reality that is only revealed the last half an hour. Third, the movie as a whole is an interpretation of the dream/reality and finally if we try to analyze, psychoanalytically, the dream itself not only as a reconstructed fantasy of the Real but also as the expression of an impulsive world.

Music, Radio and Teens Essay -- Hip Hop Rap Essays Music Musical Essay

Music, Radio and Teens The first thing that teenagers will do when they get into their car is to turn on the radio. They flip through the channels hoping to find that latest hit that all the stations are playing. Whether it's the newest pop rock song, or that catchy country tune, everyone wants to hear it. This is an example of how powerful the radio can be in influencing what teens listen to. Here is a closer look at the specific genres and how these styles are affecting today's teens through the radio. Hip Hop Hip-Hop is one of fastest growing music genres in the United States as its trend has made hip-hop explode everywhere. Hip-Hop comes from the streets using street slang incorporated in the music. Hip-Hop music is rebellious and frightens parents due to the explicit lyrics that it uses. As any type of new generation beat that is rebellious is going to scare a parent. Parents are frightened that if their kids listen to this music it will promote violence, sex, and drugs. Parents need to know that the vibe that teens get from Hip-Hop is just like the vibe our parents got from rock and roll. As teens are influenced by the Hip-Hop culture by the way teens dress themselves wearing brand names like Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, or Polo to represent the hip-hop culture; getting away from the preppy clothes like for example Abercrombie and Fitch. Hip-Hop music has no color barrier so anybody can listen to the music. Hip-Hop has even reached magazine shelves attracting more teens to read a bout hip-hop magazines like The Source, Jive, and XXL are devoted to just Hip-Hop music. Hip-Hop has influenced a lot of teens and will continue to grow as the new generation of music the so-called ?feels good music? that teens lo... ...the car. HIP-HOP. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.csupomona.edu/~rrreese/HIPHOP.HTML Taylor, Chuck, Stark, Phyllis, Hay, Carla. Country Teens go Multimedia. Billboard Vol. 113, Issue 9. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier On the World Wide Web: http://web6.epnet.com/search Signs of New Life for Country Format, Recent Sales Successes. Billboard Retrieved from Academic Search Premier on the World Wide Web: http://web6.epnet.com/search SoulMusic (2002). Retrieved from the World Wide Web:www.davidnathan.com. All Music Guide (1992). Retrieved from the World Wide Web:www.allmusic.com. Samuels, Allison (2002). Newsweek. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.msnbc.com/news Strauss, Neil (2001, December 26). A New Look at Eminem. New York Times [Newspaper]. Retrieved from the World Wide Web:www.nytimes.com/

The Intangible Necessity :: Customer Service Research Papers

The Intangible Necessity Works Cited Missing Introduction It’s the strategic interface between marketing and logistics, it adds value to any given product, yet it’s intangible – what is it? The answer is simple: customer service. â€Å"Customer service has been an issue since the early 1970’s† (Cavinato 60). Though it’s long been considered an issue, it’s important to remember that there isn’t one set formula to developing customer service, it’s more of a mindset (Cavinato 61). Customer service is usually only considered between retailers and end users; however, customer service is the â€Å"fuel that drives the logistics supply chain engine† (Coyle 92). It’s important for logistics companies to look at customer service from all aspects, since it is one way that companies can have a distinctive competitive advantage over competitors. This essay will discuss customer service in two parts, by explaining customer service in terms of its definition and the elements that comprise it and how customer service is applied in the logistics world. What is Customer Service? Definition One author defines customer service as â€Å"a process for providing competitive advantage and adding benefits to the supply chain in order to maximize the total value to the ultimate customer† (Coyle 96). It’s difficult to specifically define customer service because it incorporates several different areas; however, it can be narrowed down to something that a company provides to the end users of its products (Coyle 95). Customer service is important in all areas of a business, upstream to the suppliers of the raw materials and downstream to the end users. Customer service can be viewed in three standard ways: as an activity, as a performance measure, and as a philosophy (Coyle 96). Activity Customer service at this first level is very common. It’s the â€Å"particular task that a firm must accomplish to satisfy the customer’s needs† (Coyle 96). An example at this level would be a customer at a department store voicing a complaint to the â€Å"customer service† desk. The employees at the store must listen and attempt to correct the customer’s problem. The manner in which the employee or the store corrects the problem reflects on the company’s customer service. At the logistics level, it’s merely a transaction (Coyle 96). It’s the communication between the person placing the order and the company’s representative on the other end.

Structures of Legal Restraint, Oh Police Powers in India

The Ibakkar – Natarajan Commission Part one of the Nanawti Commission report, probing into the Godhara incident in Gujarat, released last month has once again opened the Pandora's Box over logic of setting up Inquiry Commissions in the country. The report while giving clean chit to the Narendra Modi Government has supported the theory of conspiracy, leading to a widespread criticism across the country. Many call it ‘eye wash' and other call it ‘sponsored report'. Communists have termed it a ‘piecemeal' and fabricated report, whereas; National Democratic Alliance (NDA) calls it ‘triumph of truth'.Justice Nanawati report in fact contradicts the UC Banerjee report which also probed the Godhara incident. How a single incident draws two extreme conclusions? The two reports have raised a very debatable issue. What do judicial commissions, appointed by the various governments to examine issues ranging from riots, scandals and assassinations to inter-state disp utes actually achieve? Critics of commissions say that their recent history has been extremely spotty. Apart from taking inordinately long to deliver reports, they seldom achieve anything.Keeping apart from such allegations and counter allegations, the issue that has again come to fore is whether an inquiry commission can substitute criminal prosecution? Do these Commissions serve any purpose? Is it not an eye wash? Are these Commissions able to bring culprits to book? Are not Commissions of inquiry a waste of time and money? To understand the entire issue, one has to discuss the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 itself. Before this Act came into being, the governments used to order an inquiry by executive notifications under Public Service Inquiry Act, 1850.Sometimes, they used to enact adhoc and temporary legislations too. To meet the public demand for impartial and judicial inquiries, the Government of India came out with a comprehensive legislation, which resulted into passage of this Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952. Since its enactment, the constitution of Inquiry Commissions has become a tool for the various governments to subside the public anger. Since Independence, more than a hundred Inquiry Commissions have been set up, but a very few have served the purpose. And the reasons are obvious.First, the provisions enshrined in this Act are not of deterrent in nature and secondly, most of the time the Commissions are set up under retired Judges for obvious reasons. Section 4 the Act provides for powers and it is clear that the Commission has no power to compel a person to adduce before it and give evidence. It cannot pass verdicts or judgments which could be enforceable. The helplessness is such that even if an offence has been committed in view of or in presence of Commission, the Commission needs to forward the case to the Magistrate for trial as provided in Criminal Procedure code.The appointment of retired Judges, as head of the Commission is very much s uitable for the government. It is not merely a chance that one Judge has headed more than one Commission. The public perception is such that these Inquiry Commissions are becoming post retirement placement schemes for the favourite retired Judges. We have a long list of such Commissions, which have made inordinate delay in submitting their reports. Many of them have taken decades in so called â€Å"conducting inquiries† and even then the report which was submitted were so voluminous that we required another committee to find out ays to implement the recommendations. For example, as many as ten Commissions or committees have so far been set up with regard to the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. First of all it was the Marvah Commission headed by Additional Commissioner of Police Ved Marvah, that was set up in November, 1984. The Commission was about to finish the assigned task when it was abruptly wounded up in May 1985 a nd a new Commission headed by Justice Rangnath Misra was constituted. The new Commission was asked to carry out further inquiry hitherto done by the Marvah Commission.The Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission which was appointed under Section 3 of The Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, was asked to inquire into â€Å"allegations† of violence and not to inquire into the â€Å"nature† of violence, a departure from the terms of reference of over a dozen other commissions on communal disturbances since Independence. It is needless to mention that what has happened to reports and how much amount have been spent on these exercises. Has any prominent leader been punished so far? Many persons, against whom leveled charges were being inquired into, have died.Such are the frustrating results of these Commissions and Committees. As far as time and money aspect of these Commissions are concerned, its enough to look into the expenses of just couple of Commissions to understand the qua ntum of impact—both in terms of the amount and time spent. The one that tops the chart is the Liberhan Commission. Set up under retired Justice M S Liberhan on 16 December, 1992 to probe into Babri mosque demolition, the Commission has so far been given more than 41 extensions. Overall the government has already spent Rs 90 million on this single man inquiry Commission, which is yet to come out with its report.Similarly, Justice B N Kripal Commission of inquiry was set up on 13 July, 1985 to probe into the bombing of the Air India Flight 182 on 23 June, 1985 which led to the crash of this plane into the Atlantic Ocean leaving 329 passengers including crew dead. The Commission submitted its report after extensive tours of countries like Canada and USA but when the prosecution began, nothing could be proved and none could be punished. The entire ‘investigation and inquiry' went in vain. It is needless again, to calculate the amount which was spent on such inquiries.Phukan Commission was set up to probe the Tehelka expose into fictitious defence deals. Everyone saw the tape on television and the then Government just to avoid immediate legal course, set up this Commission. In May 2005 the Newsweek reported that Justice Phukan along with his wife and eight officials used IAF plane and went to Pune, Mumbai and Shirdi. The Ministry later said that the Judge was not entitled to use the military plane and it was made available to him by the then government in order to influence the Judge. Such allegations and incidents definitely erode public faith in such Commissions.The situation is such that every Government in power uses this provision to oblige the retired judges. In Bihar for example, Justice Amir Das Commission was set up to probe into the alleged connections of political leaders with a banned outfit called Ranveer Sena in 1997. The Commission was finally wounded up in 2006 as it could hardly do anything except for some tours and recording the state ments some leaders in over eight years of its existence. Similar is the case of Justice Ali Ahmed Commission that was set up to look into excess withdrawal in 1996.In fact, very little is known about the outcome of the Commission, including the recommendations that it submited or the actions taken by it. Commission under Justice R C P Sinha and Justice Samsul was set up on Bhagalpur communal riot in 1989. Reports were submitted in 1995. But when the new government came to power it set up N N Singh (retired Justice) Commission to investigate the matter again. In 2008 a Commission under retired judge Sadanand Mukherjee was set up to probe into the Kahalgaon police firing. This commission is still a non starter vis-a-vis investigation of the incidence.Not to miss the fact that when the recent breach in Kosi embankment that caused a major flood in Bihar led to lot of allegations and counter allegations, the state government was quick to constitute a Commission under Rajesh Walia, again a retired Judge to probe into it. And while there is no bias against the judiciary or the retired judges, who are a national repository of knowledge as far as judicial matters are concerned, the question needs to be examined is whether a Commission can substitute the country’s criminal investigation system.How can a Judge be better equipped to do forensic test, do scientific investigations than a professionally trained police officer? Has the Commission power to make arrests to the persons likely to tamper evidences? The answer to these and many such questions has been provided by a two Judge commission itself. Set up by in 1987 to investigate the Fairfax Deal, the Justice Thakkar and Natarajan Commission in its report have said that the Commission of Inquiry Act was â€Å"ineffective and toothless†. They two, in fact, devoted one full chapter on the inadequacies of this Act.It is important to note that India has a criminal justice system, which is based on the twin pi llars of investigation and dispensation of justice. How can the Judiciary be asked to do the work of investigation, which is the work of the State as enshrined the law of the land? The Criminal Procedure Code and for that matter entire Criminal Justice System is erected on this principle (Article 50 of Chapter IV on Directive Principles of State Policy) and perhaps it is due to this principle, that the judiciary and executive have been completely separated in 1973, when the Code of Criminal Procedure was amended.Besides, most of these Commissions, after years of its investigation, usually submit reports that are so voluminous that it again requires some committees to suggest measures to implements the recommendations. Not to talk about the fact that such reports are not obligatory and mandatory for the government to implement. It is also worthwhile to mention here that the Judiciary in India is an independent system and that is precisely the reason why Article 220 restricts practise by retired Judges. The idea is that there should not be any scope, whatsoever, of favour or disfavour by the serving Judges.By appointing the retired Judges in these Commissions or for that matter in any other body tends to clearly violate the spirit of the Constitution itself. What is more shocking is that instead of modernising and equipping the investigating agencies to probe into such serious issues of national shame, the country has been a mere spectator to the cosmetic make ups. In India, every one knows about the ‘normal' pace of the court proceedings, and so all these commissions, needless to say have virtually become black holes.

Generic devolopment proces

The work undertaken so far has proven that the development of a process map is gaining momentum within the construction industry as a whole. The Lethal inspired CRISP (Construction Research and Innovation Strategy Panel) community has in principle adopted the Process Protocol as a basis for its activities in terms of promoting process thinking in the construction industry. 2. Introduction The need for improvement to the conventional design and construction process in the construction industry is well reported. Emerson (1962), Bankable (1964), and Lethal (1994) have all commented upon the need for change, and each highlight similar problem areas.Fundamentally, the need for improvement is related to the poor performance commonly associated with building projects. Typically, this performance is measured in terms of cost, time and/or quality. Unfortunately, it is the UK Construction Industry response to the need for change that has perpetuated and even perhaps fostered this problem. For example, Franks (1990) and Master (1992) presented the evolution of the range of procurement systems currently on offer to potential construction project clients as driven ultimately by the ‘product' view, and the need to optimism cost, time and quality. Yet, whilst many of the more recent approaches to construction procurement (I. E.Design and Build, Construction Management) apparently attempt to address ‘process issues', such as communication, in reality they fundamentally fail. In a survey conducted by Hubbard & Disbarred (1996), a sample of 64 respondents (representing both clients and consultants) demonstrated that contract time performance was a factor considered to be relatively insignificant, when compared to there problems commonly associated with construction projects as shown in table 2. 1. Furthermore, Mortgaged & Shari (1996) reported that from a total of 21 5 projects surveyed, 136 (63%) were delivered later than expected â€Å"†¦ In terms of the date s fixed by the contract or the dates given to the client for completion. † No. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Variables Changing requirements Design team Communication Cost control Identification of responsibility Supply of information Quality Design faults Contract time performance Other factors Type of contract Percentage 25 18 6. 3 4. 7 3. 1 1. 6 Table 2. : Ranking of problems with current procurement methods (Hubbard & Disbarred, 1996) Mortgaged & Shari (1996) go on to suggest that it is the ‘expectation' rather than the delivery which is at fault. The conventional process of generating an ‘expected' delivery date is considered the reason for this: â€Å"In some cases commercial, economic or political considerations can be a driver towards setting these unrealistic goals which become expectations and contract dates for lack of informed and unbiased advice.Consequently, construction performance falls short of expectations which were largely unachievable when they ere establ ished. † A number of lessons can be learned from the manufacturing sector with regards to the implementation and practical use of a ‘process view within the construction industry. The area within the manufacturing sector that relates closely to construction and building works is called new product development (NYPD). It concentrates in the development of an idea, need or client requirement to the final commercialism's of the product e. G. A building or a car. A number of similarities can be found between the two industries with regards to the activities used for developing new products.For example they include: ; The start of a project can be initiated internally or by direct and/or indirect contact with the customers ; The development of the product requires the participation of a number of specialists and functions such as: designers, surveyors, marketing, stress analysts etc. ; The successful construction or manufacture of a building or product can only be achieved if all external (suppliers and consultants) and internal resources are utilizes and co- ordinate effectively ; The building or product is handed over to the customer/client and provisions are made for future support. However there are a number of distinct differences, the most important of which is that in the manufacturing industry all NYPD activities are co-ordinate, managed and controlled using a common framework which is the NYPD process.The construction industry mainly, uses ad-hoc methods for achieving the latter and therefore reducing repeatability of process execution, resulting in the same mistakes occurring time after time. This shift into the establishment of a consistent process for the construction industry requires a new way of thinking entailing a change of culture and working practices. Furthermore, it requires: ; a good understanding of current practices and future trends ; effective communication mechanisms of such processes, such as modeling ; agreement of participa ting parties Technology can then be used to enhance integration and sharing of information. In conjunction with a process map, an IT map should enable the effective use and co- ordination of technology based on a predetermined process framework.This paper proposes a process map which consists of a high level process and sub-processes (Activity Zones), which support the various phases of a construction project and the appropriate information technologies. 3. Methodology During the development of the Protocol a number of research methods have been used: 1. 4. 5. Retrospective and prospective case study analysis; Review and analysis of contemporary construction processes and practices; Review and analysis of concepts and practices applied within the manufacturing industries; Process modeling including various modeling tools and techniques; Iterative development using feedback from several industrial partners via interviews and workshop sessions and scenario building; The results to dat e of some of this work will be described in subsequent sectionsPrinciples As a result of the initial review of the literature, and the identification of the industry requirements through additional interviews with practitioners, six key principles are considered to provide the basis for an improved process. They are drawn heavily from the manufacturing sector where process thinking and continuous improvement has been focused upon for some 30 years. In addition, many of the principles relate to recognized problem areas in construction, where significant improvements have been called for (interracial Bankable, 1964; Lethal, 1994). The six principles are as follows: Whole Project View In the construction industry the definition of a project has traditionally being synonymous to actual construction works.As such the pre-construction and post- construction activities have been sidelined and often accelerated to reach the construction stage or to move on to the ‘new Job'. This has r esulted in poor client requirements identification and delayed the exposure of any potential solutions to the need to any internal and external specialists. Any contemporary attempt to define or create a ‘design and construction process' will have to cover the whole ‘life' of a project from recognition of a need to the operation f the finished facility. This approach ensures that all issues are considered from both a business and a technical point of view. Furthermore this approach recognizes and emphasizes the inter-dependency of activities throughout the duration of a project.It also focuses at the front-end' activities whereby attention is paid to the identification, definition and evaluation of client requirements in order to identify suitable solutions. A Consistent Process During the review of existing models and descriptions of the design and construction process, it was quickly established that little consistency existed. In such an environment, the problems enco untered by temporary multi-organizations (TOM) working can be compounded. Luck & Newcomer (1996) support this view, describing the ‘role ambiguity commonly associated with construction projects. Development of this generic Process Protocol provides the potential to establish its consistent application. Through consistency of use the scope for ambiguity should reduce.This, together with the adoption of a standard approach to performance measurement, evaluation and control, should facilitate a process of continual improvement in design and construction. Progressive Design Fixity The ‘stage-gate' approach found in manufacturing processes (Cooper, 1994; ref. Fig. L) applies a consistent planning and review procedure throughout the Process. Phase Reviews are conducted at the end of each Phase with the aim of reviewing the work executed in the Phase, approving progress to the next Phase, and planning the resounding and execution of the next Phase. Cooper, in his third generati on process, saw the need for ‘conditional-go' decisions at phase gates, to accommodate aspects of concurrency. This philosophy is translated in the development of the Protocol's phase gates.Phase gates are classed as either soft or hard, with the ‘soft gates' allowing the potential for concurrency in the process, whilst ensuring that the key decision points in the process are respected. Fig. 4. 1 Cooper's comparison of stage-gate processes (Cooper, 1994) The potential benefit of this approach is fundamentally the progressive fixing and/or approval of information throughout the Process. As Cooper(1994) states, the discipline of the Phase Review activity improved the conventional chaotic, ad-hoc approach of manufacturing to which the Construction Industry of today could be compared. Co-ordination Co-ordination is one area in which construction traditionally is perceived to perform poorly.This perception is supported by Bankable (1964) and Lethal (1994), in addition to many other reviews of the Industry. The need for improved co-ordination was also highlighted by the interviews with senior managers undertaken during the research project. It is therefore proposed that co-ordination of the Process Protocol is undertaken, principally, by the Process and Change Management Activity Zones. (see section 7) Appointed by the Client, the Process Manager will be delegated authority to plan and o-ordinate the participants and activities of each Phase, throughout the Process. The actions of the Process Manager are supported by the Change Manager, through which all information related to the project is passed.In this role, the Change Manager acts as the official interface between both the Activity Zones in the Process, and ultimately the Legacy Archive. Stakeholder Involvement & Teamwork It has been recognized in the manufacturing industries that multi-function teams, established in a development process, reduces the likelihood of costly changes and production diff iculties later on in the process by enabling design and manufacturing sections earlier in the process. Conventionally, many building projects comprise a team of participants assembled specifically to facilitate the development of that single. Consequently, a complete project team rarely works together on more than one project, and, as Somerville & Stocks (1996) argue, this can negatively affect the assembled â€Å"team's† performance.In addition, many key contributors are identified and included too late in the process. Project success relies upon the right people having the right information at the right time. Proactive resounding of Phases through the adoption of a ‘stakeholder' view would ensure that appropriate participants (from each of the key functions) are consulted earlier in the Process than is traditionally the case. This, in itself, will not eliminate the problems associated with TOM working. However, the active involvement of all participants, especially in the early phases of a project, may subsequently help foster a team environment and encourage appropriate and timely communication and decision making.Feedback In addition to the direct teamwork problems associated with Tom's, the ability to learn from experience is also hampered by the continual formation and break-up of project teams. Both success and failure can offer important lessons for the future, yet the fragmented and competitive nature of the Construction industry prevents the benefits of shared best practice being utilizes. The Phase Review Process facilitates a means by which project experiences can be recorded, throughout the Process, thereby informing later Phases and future projects. Competitive advantage will come from how such experiences are acted upon. (shared knowledge may not automatically reduce the competitiveness of companies working in construction.This Process Protocol therefore proposes the creation, maintenance and use of a Legacy Archive acts as a centra l repository, or information-spine (Sheath et. Al. , 1996), for the information generated through each of the phases of the process. The subsequent increase in awareness, project to project, has the potential for reducing risk and improving performance which over time may ultimately meet Lathe's expectations. Process Development Given the apparent lack of commonality in the contemporary understanding of the design and construction process, an attempt was made to produce a model of the process which could be debated and subsequently refined towards a generic representation.The initial model was developed based upon existing descriptions of the design and construction process (inter alai Walker, 1989; Hughes, 1991), some case study data, and reviews of other published models (inter alai RIBS, 1980; Assassin, 1994; BAA, 1995) The DEFIED-O (Integration Definition language O for Function Modeling) process modeling technique was adopted, initially, as the most appropriate means of represe nting this process. The DEFIED-O technique essentially represents a process as a sequence of activities, described by a verb followed by a noun. Each activity has associated inputs, outputs, controls and mechanisms. It is this technique that has been used successfully to represent processes such as Assassin's (1995) Integrated Building Process Model In developing a process model using the DEFIED-O technique, an initial step is the establishment of the activities that will comprise the model. In preliminary interviews and workshop sessions with the project's industrial partners these activities were presented for discussion in the form of an Activity Hierarchy.However, initial reactions to this were poor, principally because such an approach did not facilitate communication of the process, either quickly or clearly. Moreover, it was found that the industrial partners to the project, at this stage, also preferred to concentrate on the general principles of the process, in preference t o the detail of the activities involved. This preference for principles was found to have a certain congruence with other models of manufacturing processes. Cooper's discussion of the evolution of the ‘stage-gate' models in manufacturing (Cooper, 1994), and other (inter alai GAP (1990), Fissions) industrial models, demonstrate this. In such models the graphical representation of the process conveys it's inherent reminisces.As Rousseau (1996) notes, such process models are â€Å"an effective way to show how a process works†. In their definition; â€Å"A process map consists of an X and a Y axis, which show process sequence (or time) and process participants, respectively. The horizontal X axis illustrates time in process and the individual process activities or gates. The Y axis shows the departments or functions participating in the process†¦ † (p. 444) Beyond this convention, there appears to be little formality in the method used to represent a process. Fu rthermore, it could be argued that the elated informality of the modeling process enhanced the contributions of the project's partner representatives.Through several workshop sessions, the model was revised and deliberated by the partner representatives. As Rousseau (1996) argues, this â€Å"participative† approach to design makes any new process easier to accept and use. In an industry with a ‘need for change' such an approach must be considered appropriate. Thus, through a process of gradual refinement, progress was made towards an agreed version, the Process Protocol, which this paper presents. 6. The Process Protocol The draft Process Protocol Model is presented in Fig. . 1 . Essentially, the model breaks down the design and construction process into 10 distinct phases. These 10 phases are grouped into 4 broad stages, namely Pre-pro]etc, Pre-Construction, Construction and Post-construction.Pre-project Stage The Pre-project Phases relate to the strategic business con siderations of any potential project which aims to address a client's need. Throughout the Pre-project Phases the client's need is progressively defined and assessed with the aim of: 1. Determining the need for a construction project solution, and 2. Securing outline financial authority to proceed to the Pre-Construction Phases. In currently acknowledged models of the design and construction process (inter alai RIBS, 1980; British Property Federation, 1983; – Hughes, 1991 provides a comprehensive review), and recently published client-focused guides (CIRRI, 1995), this stage of a project is given scant consideration, when compared to the latter stages.However, the models assume that when approaching the Construction Industry, clients have already established the need'. Whilst there is little evidence to suggest this is not the case, it would seem reasonable to assume that the knowledge possessed by speculative alluding developers and consultants could assist any client in the se early stages of a project. The problems associated with the translation of this need through the conventional briefing stage of design (Reilly, 1987) have the potential for substantial elimination via such an approach. Pre-Construction Stage With outline financial approval obtained, the Process progresses through to the Pre- Construction Phases where the defined client's need is developed into an appropriate design solution.Like many conventional models of the design process, the Pre- Construction Phases develop the design through a logical sequence, with the aim of levering approved production information. The Phase Review Process, however, adds the potential for the progressive fixing of the design, together with it's concurrent development, within a formal, co-ordinate framework. Progressive fixity should not be confused with ‘design freeze', although to some this may be a desired aspect of the process. The major benefit of the fixity of design is the potential for impro ved communication and co-ordination between the project's participants as they pass through each Phase. Given the dynamic market conditions which influence any construction client's decisions, the need for flexibility must be addressed by the industry.At the end of the Pre-Construction Phases, the aim is to secure full financial authority to proceed. Only upon such authority will the Construction Phase commence, and this decision will be easier to make where the extent of the works, and it's associated risks can be readily understood. Construction Stage The Construction Phase is solely concerned with the production of the project solution. It is here that the full benefits of the co-ordination and communication earlier in the Process may be fully realized. Potentially, any changes in the client's requirements will be minimal, as the increased cost of change as the design progresses should be fully understood by the time on-site construction work begins.The ‘hard gate' that div ides the Pre-Construction and Construction Phases should not prevent a Workplace' approach to construction, and the associated delivery time benefits this brings. As with all activities in the process, where concurrency is possible, it can be accommodated. The hard and soft gates that signify Phase Reviews merely require that before such an activity is carried out, approval is ranted. Post-construction Stage Upon completion of the Construction Phase, the Process Protocol continues into the Post-construction Phases which aim to continually monitor and manage the maintenance needs of the constructed facility. Again, the full involvement of facilities management specialists at the earlier stages of the process should make the enactment of such activities less problematic.The need for surveys of the completed property, for example, should be avoided as all records of the development of the facility should have been recorded by the project's Legacy Archive. Figure 6. 1 . The Generic Desi gn and Construction Process Protocol Model 7. The Sub-processes: ‘Activity Zones' The earlier involvement of the project's participants, throughout the process is a significant development of the conventional approach to building. Traditionally, a construction project's participants are referred to by their professional or expert status. Ball (1988) demonstrates how this may be attributed to the inherent class relations associated with each of the professions and expert groups. As with all class distinctions, the effect that this basis for organizational structure in design and instruction has is division.A consequence of this traditional approach, by which even the more recent forms of contract procurement (design and build, management contracting, etc. ) are included, is the poor communication and coordination commonly associated with construction projects. The participants in the Process Protocol are referred to in terms of their primary responsibilities, and are represente d on the Y-axis of the Process Model. It is recognized that traditionally, project to project, organizational roles and responsibilities change, resulting in ambiguity and confusion (Luck & Newcomer, 1996). By basing the enactment of the process upon the primary responsibility required, the scope for confusion is potentially reduced, and the potential for effective communication and co-ordination increased.The Process Protocol groups the participants in any project into ‘Activity Zones'. These zones are not functional but rather they are multi-functional and they represent structured sets of tasks and processes which guide and support work towards a common objective (for example to create an appropriate design solution). A single person or firm can carry out an activity zone in small-projects but in large ND complex projects, an activity zone may consist of a complex network of people and between relevant functions and/or organizations. Since they are multi-functional, members hip of the ‘zones' is determined by the specific project task and/or process.For example Design Management often has important input in the Production Management and Facilities Management activity zones, amongst others and vice- versa. Of the activity zones associated with the model, not all will be discussed here. Most of the ‘zones' are self-explanatory. However, the role of the Process/Change Management and Development Management activity zones will be described, as they present a significant departure from the conventional view of the design and construction process. Development Management The Development Management activity zone is fundamentally the client/customer for the potential project. In the Protocol scenario, it is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the project.Representing the major stakeholder in the process, it has an important role. It is via the brief prepared by the Development Management that the client/customer's needs are presented and ultimately interpreted. The Development Management is the only constant ‘player' in the process. All other activity zones potentially consist of a dynamic membership, as the needs of the project develop throughout the process. The extent to which the other participants in the process, particularly the Process Management, have authority to proceed is delegated by the Development Management. It is they who will ultimately review the work of the project's participants and sanction progress or cessation.Development Management is responsible for creating and maintaining business focus throughout he project, which satisfies both relevant organizational and stakeholder objectives and constraints. For example, a proposed speculative office development needs to satisfy the developers objectives (say, return on capital) and constraints (say, available finance), as well as fulfilling other stakeholder considerations (say, compliance with prevailing planning concerns). Process / Chan ge Management The Process and Change Management activity zones are essentially the interface between the Development Management and the other project participants. Process Management has a role independent of all other activity zones.A distinction must be dad between this conventional view of a project manager and the Process Management role. Process Management, as the title suggests, is concerned with the enactment of the process, rather than the project. Key to the success of each Phase in the process is the production of project deliverables (reports and documentation associated with each Phase). In this respect the Process Management is responsible for facilitating and co-ordination the participants required to produce the necessary deliverables. Acting as the Development Management's ‘agent', it will ensure the enactment of each Phase as planned, culminating with the presentation of the