Alcan case study analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Alcan case study analysis - Essay Example In its entirety, business management is highly critical and constantly evolving especially in the aspect of resources, and this is the central idea where the Alcan case revolves around, managing the work force, because people is the most essential asset of any business that hopes to be successful for the long term2. In the Alcan case, the conflict created by lack of communication and the inability to effectively manage the work force created placed the smelting industry at risk of loosing enormously even to a point of closure. The succeeding paragraph will therefore attempt to dissect each of the issues contributing to the tension as well as the solutions that were implemented, ending the rift between management and labor union. The main issue involved in the Alcan Case is Industrial labor relations creating an impact in the productivity of the manufacturing plant. In an industry that utilizes human resource as the main key to productivity, human resource management plays an imperative role in the sustainability of that industry whereby excellent degree of skills are required to handle issues from recruitment requisites, skills training and performance ensuring personnel and management policies conforming to regulations. Managing the work force as well production is a very complicated task that requires a higher level of understanding of theories related to management and organization. There are many proponents to these theories, and almost all of them are relevant to the issues present in the Alcan Case. It is important to note that the core of the Alcan issue involves the increasing grievances of the workers owing to the tension within. Among the theory applicable to this case is the system theory whereby managers are to recognize the various parts of the organization when attempting to resolve issues There are several contemporary theory of management, among them includes contingency, system and chaos theory. Contingency theory asserts that when managers make a decision, they must take into account all aspects of the current situation and act on those aspects that are key to the situation at hand3. System theory on the other hand, helps managers view the organization from a broader perspective, since this theory brought a new perspective for the interpretation of patterns and events in the workplace. It recognizes various parts of the organization, specifically the interaction and coordination within central administration with its programs, engineering with manufacturing, supervisors with workers. Chaos theory recognizes that events indeed are rarely controlled. In his article, Mcnamara claimed that many chaos theorists refer to biological systems when explaining their theory and suggest that systems naturally go to more complexity, and as they do so, these systems become more v olatile (or susceptible to cataclysmic events) and must expend more energy to maintain that complexity. As they expend more energy, they seek more structure to maintain stability. Mcnamara further said that this trend continues until the system splits, combines with another complex system or falls apart entirely. This trend is what many see as the trend in life, in organizations and the world in general4. The underlying root cause of the Alcan/Lynemouth smelting industry was a classic case of human resource mismanagement. There was an

Linguistic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Linguistic - Assignment Example Work and family are both important so that does as well. Choong-hoon spoke the most. His co-worker Jun-gil also spoke a lot. This might be because Choong-hoon is the oldest male there. Although everyone made fun of Jun-gil for only speaking to Choong-hoon, he did actually talk a lot as well. This is probably because he is a guest who does not know everybody else, so they wanted to know more about him and also help him to relax. People were all polite to Jun-gil, who was not a member of the group before. So they asked him polite questions about his family and job. Between most of the other people the discussion style was a lot more filled with jokes as people were more familiar with each other. Even when this is the case the polite conversation markers like oh-bba were sometimes used. Interestingly they sometimes seemed to be used to just make the jokes not be taken personally. For instance when I told Choong-hoon to mind his own business. Disagreement or interruption usually goes along with the gender of people. For instance when Hye-jung did not speak clearly, it was another girl who said something about it first. Choong-hoon then did say he thought so too, but he did not say so straight away. Also when Jun-gil is talking about whether he was working during his wifes labor, Jun-ho, another male, is the one who interrupts him. A lot of the special Korean words like oh-bba would have to be explained. More importantly the reasons for these words would probably not make sense to people outside of the Korean language speakers group. Because in Korean there are different ways of speaking to people depending on how well you know them and whether they are older or more worthy of being respected than you, it might be confusing for people who do not speak

Development of Corporate Governance in Nigeria

Development of Corporate Governance in Nigeria   Literature Review The code of corporate governance Over the years, Nigeria has experienced rapid development with regards to corporate governance. This can be noted in the 2003 Code of Corporate Governance (SEC Code), the 2006 mandatory Code of Corporate Governance for Nigerian Banks post consolidation (CBN Code) and most importantly the 2007 Code of Conduct for Shareholder Associations in Nigeria (SEC Code for shareholders). {(now revised in 2011) update the dates for the different codes}. According to Grienenberger (1995), corporate governance can be defined as The legal and practical system for the exercise of power and control in the conduct of the business of a corporation, including in particular the relationships amongst the shareholders, the management, the board of the directors and its committees, and other constituencies. The main issue with corporate governance is that it is often viewed as the separation between ownership (shareholders) and control (managers). Jensen and Meckling (1976) state that managers will only be as incentivized to add value to shareholders in proportion to what they stand to personally gain. Schacht (1995) then argues that corporate governance represents the friction that managers and owners of public companies face in the involvement of the productive level of shareholders in corporate policy and administration. Nigeria was a British colony therefore it adopted the corporate governance system of the British and its history of corporate governance stems from the colonial times when the private sector was dominated by British companies (Okike 2007, Ahunwan 2002). After she gained her independence in 1960, there was a great economic liberation and the government developed domestic ownership and control of the Nigerian private sector (Akpotaire 2005). The framework of corporate governance adopted was still that of the British. For instance, there was the replacement of the Companies Ordinance of 1992 by the 1968 (how can the 68 replace the 92) Companies Act but the biggest influence was the UK corporate law (Adegbite and Nakajima, 2010). It is not unimaginable that since the corporate governance of Nigeria mirrors that of the British so closely, the effectiveness would be somewhat guaranteed. Unfortunately this has not been the case. It could be easily explained by the fact that the corporate la ws and regulations in the UK are not complementary, reflective or applicable in the Nigerian business environment (Adegbite and Nakajima, 2010). Okike (2007) states that though the framework of the corporate governance in Nigeria mirrors that of the UK, the same cannot be said in terms of application or ingrained principles. Ultimately, it seems the legal or corporate governance codes governing corporations have not been developed with the peculiarities of Nigeria in mind. The issues that are specific to the cultural and political environments have also been ignored (Okike, 2007) and these are of utmost importance especially when considering the unstructured and informal nature of the Nigerian economy (Yahaya, 1998). In the years that follow, I believe this error was trying to be corrected by making codes to reflect Nigeria as a country and her corporate environment. According to Adegbite et. al (2012) The primary statute empowering shareholders in Nigeria to intervene in a companys affairs is the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 1990 (as amended). In addition to this as stated above was the 2003 Code of Corporate Governance (SEC Code). Adegbite et. al (2012) goes on to state that this code has as one of its core focuses to promote the rights and responsibilities of shareholders. It expressly states that the company or board should not discourage shareholder activism whether institutional or by organised shareholders groups. It further states that the annual general meetings (AGMs) should be an avenue for shareholder participation in the governance of the company. Furthermore, there should be a director who represents the interests of minority shareholders who occupies a seat on the board. Okike (2007) believes that these are all efforts of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to promote shareholder activism as well as the rights of minority shareholders in the Nigerian corporate governance code. As a result of all these developments, there have now been an emergence of many private initiatives which have been encouraged by the government such as The Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), the Nigerian Shareholders Solidarity Association (NSSA), the Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PROSAN), the Association for the Advancement of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS) amongst other shareholder associations. These have developed mainly to give minority shareholders a chance in a sector that has been dominated by majority shareholders when it comes to block voting. The issue of Politics and its impact on Shareholder Activism In a recent study, Adegbite et. al (2012) state that an environment of unhealthy and vast politicking is created when shareholder activism is used as corporate governance mechanism in Nigeria. It is believed that this is as a result of the countrys brand of politics, in other words expressing that this is a challenge that is quite peculiar to Nigeria. It denotes that though shareholder activism is somewhat a universal practice, certain characteristics of different regions warrant an understanding before said practice can be carried out correctly. Most literature on shareholder activism is based on the Anglo-Saxon construction of markets as prior to independence from the British, the Anglo Saxon-based system of corporate law and regulations was in place in Nigeria (Adegbite and Nakajima, 2010). This is founded on the neo-liberal conception of democratic politics where there is freedom and rights within legitimate institutional boundaries. Also, under the same umbrella of this ideology is shareholder activism, as it is an essential characteristic to the financial markets (Adegbite et. al 2012). This has led to little thought being given to the effect that the post-independence stage of political democracy has on the way in which different things are practiced and in particular, shareholder activism. Given these points, lets look further into the democratic political state of Nigeria. Nigeria gained her independence on October 1, 1960. In the 56 years of her independence, she has been vastly ridiculed with the plague of corruption. This has been evident in the politics of the nation, the way business is conducted both local and international and the general way of life of her people. Unfortunately, we follow this through many years of various scandals such as Cadbury 2014 and infamously Shell 1990 to present. It would be almost obvious that this corruption tremendously affects the business environment and by extension, shareholder activism. This can be evidenced by looking at independent corruption indexes. In appendix 1, we see extracts from various reports from the Transparency International (2013) which is a non-governmental organisation. These reports show Nigeria ranking 136 out of 178 countries (178 being the most corrupt country) in the corruption index as well as having a score of 26 (100 being corrupt free). More importantly, in the index of corruption b y political parties, Nigeria scored 4.7 out of 5 (5 being extremely corrupt). This data is one that cannot be ignored in the analysis of the political environment of the country having a direct/indirect effect on shareholder activism. Adegbite et al. (2012) also compare the World Bank index which is based on six broad measures: (1) voice and accountability, (2) political stability, (3) government effectiveness, (4) regulatory quality, (5) rule of law and (6) control of corruption. Three countries are examined namely Nigeria, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The latter mentioned countries score very low on the corruption index in the Transparency International reports and so its no surprise that in the World Bank Anti-Corruption and Governance Index, the same results are observed with Nigeria scoring less than 28% in all 6 categories while Denmark and the United Kingdom score higher than 80% across the same categories. These results all highlight the same issue. It is the implications of the Corrupt and greed driven Nigerian politics and political culture on business conduct, corporate governance and shareholder activism in particular (Adegbite et. al 2012). In light of all of this, it would be unfair not to mention that there are steps taken to mitigate this issue of corruption especially in the attitude towards corporate governance. Only a few years ago, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) dismissed the Chief Executive Officers and Executive Directors or eight Nigerian banks on charges of corruption, fraud and bad corporate governance (Adegbite and Nakajima, 2010). These steps are definitely in the right path to getting the country to where it needs to be but the fact still remains that this is a serious consideration when addressing corporate governance and shareholder activism in Nigeria. As this has been established, the different matters around shareholders associations and institutional shareholders have been discussed below. Institutional shareholders and Non-institutional shareholders (shareholder associations) The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has been in existence for about 46 years. It has over 260 listed securities including 10 Government Stock, 55 industrial loans (Debenture/Preferences) stocks and 195 equity/ordinary shares of companies with a total capitalisation of about 875.2 billion naira. Shareholding in Nigeria has grown rapidly to an estimated 10 million (Amao and Amaeshi, 2008). There have been a series of events such as the privatisation programme in Nigeria that has massively impacted the share ownership. In the early stages of the programme, the privatised companies offered over 1.3 billion shares for sale to the public. There was a huge influx of first time buyers as well others amounting to over 800,000 shareholders. Between 1989 and 2005, over forty government-owned companies were privatised (Tanko II, 2004). Small individual shareholders coming together to form shareholders associations and large individual shareholders are categories of Non-institutional shareholders. (Crespi Renneboog, 2010; Poulsen et al., 2010; Song Szewczyk, 2003; Uche, C., Adegbite, E. and John Jones, M. 2016). The way in which shareholder activism is carried out and achieved by small and large individual shareholders is mainly attributable to their shareholdings (Connelly, Tihanyi, Certo Hitt, 2010; Crespi Renneboog, 2010; Johnson, Schnatterly, Johnson, Chiu, 2010; Uche et al., 2016). Due to the amount of shareholdings that small individual shareholders possess, they are at a disadvantage in the matter of having influence over management. In order to combat this, small individual shareholders often combine voting rights with that of other shareholders thus increasing their influence when engaging in shareholder activism. By doing so, they bypass the need for large block holding. Coordination by small individu al shareholders is then achieved by using organizations such as shareholders associations. While this teamwork doesnt result in the influence of corporate strategy or board nominations, Strickland et al. (1996) states that it brings about certain advantages such as successful shareholder-initiated proposals documented in countries such as the United States of America. Shareholders associations are a registered group mainly consisting of small individual shareholders while Institutional shareholders is a term for entities which pool money to purchase securities, real property, and other investment assets or originate loans. Institutional shareholders include banks, insurance companies, pensions, hedge funds, REITs, investment advisors, endowments, and mutual funds. In this section, the relationship between these two will be analyzed as well as the effects their union or otherwise has on shareholder activism. According to Uche, Adegbite and John Jones (2016), prior literature has shown how beneficial collaborations between shareholders associations and institutional shareholders have been in shareholder activism. Examples of this is institutional shareholders using their proxy votes to support shareholder proposals. However, there has been little work done in this area regarding a developing country as well as the effect that activism carried out by shareholders associations has on institutional shareholders (Uche, Adegbite and John Jones, 2016). According to Mulgan (2000) and Uche et al., (2016) Accountability is considered to be an activity that requires the accountee to engage in questioning, assessing and criticizing when holding the accountor to account. It is believed to be a two way conversation between accountee and accountor. Uche et al., (2016) notes that the accountability relationship theory isnt discussed in a corporate environment by Mulgan (2000) but similar characteristics have been identified in the relationship between the board members and management. These characteristics were identified by Roberts et al., (2005) as questioning, probing, discussing, informing and encouraging. In addition, it is evident that shareholder activism share these same features. This is because Institutional shareholders and shareholders associations involve in discussion, probing and questioning management at AGMs and other private meetings (Uche et al., 2016; Roberts et al., 2006; Solomon and Darby, 2005). These conversations with shareholders associations and institutional shareholders also allow companies to gain insight into different issues on social, ethical and environmental issues which in turn aids in promoting corporate matters aime d at the public (Solomon and Darby, 2005; Amao and Amaeshi, 2008; Johed and Catasus, 2015). As mentioned in earlier sections, Nigeria is home to many shareholders associations. There are more than thirty organisations unlike other more developed countries such as the United Kingdom which usually has only one association engaging in shareholder activism (Amao Amaeshi, 2008; Adegbite, Amaeshi Amoa, 2012). Uche, Adegbite and John Jones (2016) importantly highlights the importance of the structure of shareholders associations in Nigeria. These associations are made up only of small individual shareholders. The reason this is important to note is because of the impact it has on strategies carried out by the organisations. It also indicates the amount of influence or lack thereof that these organisations may have on the management of companies and thus shareholder activism. In shareholder activism, the expectation is that the shareholders are able to exert a certain level of influence over management of a company which will allow them to facilitate change in strategic outcome or managerial decisions (Ryan and Schneider, 2002). This influence is much easier when there is an independence between the activists and management of the company involved. This can be seen in the analysis between institutional shareholders, shareholders association and management within the boundary of shareholder activism (Uche et al., 2016; Becht et al., 2008; Catasus and Johed 2007; Crespi and Renneboog, 2010; Ingley and Van der Walt, 2001; Johed and Catasus 2015). The independence noted in relationships between shareholders associations and managements of companies allow for the association to have an increased influence over management (Uche et al., 2016; Poulsen et al., 2010) A lack of independence is noted in easily pressured institutional shareholders. This causes these type of investors to rather guard the relationships formed with managements of the company involved for their own benefits .This type of behavior is usually noted in passive institutional shareholders than active institutional shareholders (Uche et al., 2016; Almazan, Hartzell and Starks, 2005; Brickley, Lease and Smith 1998; Marler and Faugere, 2010). Prior literature has shown that there is a difference in the way various institutional shareholders carry out shareholder activism. This allows them to benefit in different ways from the way others carry out their activist activities (Uche, Adegbite and John Jones, 2016). Active institutional shareholders will benefit from things such as coordinated voting with other institutional shareholders or shareholders associations while the same may not be the case for institutional shareholders that are passive. Passive institutional shareholders as the name suggests, have a more laissez-faire attitude towards shareholder activism. They prefer to avoid any direct activist activities while benefiting from that which active shareholder institutions and shareholders associations have fought for (Brav, Jiang, Partnoy, Thomas, 2008). These passive institutional shareholders in Nigeria are usually hedge funds or pension funds who focus on short term benefits and dont want to disrupt the business relationships built with these companies. It is argued that shareholders associations dont experience this same dynamic between them and management of any company in questions regarding shareholder activism (Uche et al., 2016; Stratling, 2012). However, according to Uche et al., 2016, Adegbite et al., 2010 and Yakasi, 2001, it has been reported that some shareholders associations in Nigeria develop relationships with management because of financial benefits obtained outside of the business relationship. This then leads to a lack of independence and hinders the shareholders associations from acting as accountees and holding the accountors (management of the company in question) to account. Prior research notes that different shareholder groups have different agendas that they pursue and though these may be similar in multiple cases, they can also differ. This is as a result of their interests and time horizons being different (Uche et al., 2016; Goranova Ryan, 2014; Ingley Van der Walt, 2001). Individual shareholders usually invest smaller stakes over a short period of time while institutional shareholders such as pension funds will invest massively over a long period of time. Fundamental differences such as these cause conflicts between the groups in shareholder activism. For instance, hedge funds prefer short term pay puts thus are more short term oriented (Uche et al., 2016). Ultimately, in Nigeria, institutional shareholders do not participate enough in shareholder activism especially in comparison to shareholders associations. As noted in earlier paragraphs, due to the small holdings of individual shareholders who make up shareholders association they are not able to practice shareholder activism as effectively as they should (Uche et al., 2016; Amao Amaeshi, 2008; Okike, 2007; Yakasai, 2001). Despite this, it has been noted that shareholders associations have been of great help in holding management of companies accountable by resisting the fraudulent sale of corporate sales and sacking of poorly performing corporate executives through shareholder activism (Uche et al., 2016; Aderinokun, 2003; Chigbo, 2000). The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) code (both 2003 and the revised code in 2011) avidly encourage institutional shareholders and organised shareholders groups to actively engage in shareholder activism so as to improve practices (SEC Code, 2003; SEC Code 2011). While institutional shareholders are not there to usurp the role of monitoring agencies, they are in a better position to pressurise companies to take shareholder accountability and interest more seriously (Chung Talaulicar, 2010; Roberts et al., 2006). In the face of previous scandals and governance and accountability problems in Nigeria, institutional shareholders now have another opportunity to fight for improved governance practices so as to create better shareholder values (Ahunwan, 2002; Bakre, 2007; CBN, 2006). According to Yakasai (2011) and Ajogwu (2007), Institutional shareholders are in a better strategic position than small shareholders to engage with corporate managers. Their influence can bridge the gap of communication between shareholders and really have an impact on corporate governance practices. All of this highlights the importance of both institutional shareholders and shareholders associations to practice shareholder activism (together and independently) independent of management of companies so as to relinquish all forms of bias in order to improve the effectiveness of shareholder activism in Nigeria. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Introduction This chapter illustrates the methodology used in this research to achieve my results. Research methodology is crucial to any research as it highlights the reasoning behind methods chosen to achieve the aims and objectives of this research (Kothari, 2004). The purpose of this paper is to clearly state what Shareholder Activism is and take a closer look into Sub-saharan Africa, more specifically Nigeria. It will also highlight three main areas that grossly affect the practice of shareholder activism in Nigeria as well as offer suggestions that could make the experience a much more efficient and effective one. To achieve this, this chapter has been divided into various sub sections namely, research philosophy, approach, strategy, time horizons, data collection and data analysis. Research Philosophy Research philosophy is an over-arching term relating to the development of knowledge and the nature of that knowledge. (Bandaranayake, 2012). According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2003), research philosophy is dominated by three main views namely Positivism, Interpretivism (Social Constructionism) and Realism. Positivism as described by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2003), is a view that often adopts the philosophical science of the natural scientist. This research perspective is one of utmost objectivity, completely independent from the researcher and unaffected by the research or its results. Interpretivism/Social Constructionism views reality as based on human practices formed by human interactions with others and the world in which they live in, developed within a social context (Crotty, 1998). The intent of this approach is to understand the subjectivity of reality of the people being analyzed in order to deduce the background and reasoning of their motives in a way thats applicable to them. (Ramanathan, 2008). The key differences between Positivism and Interpretivism (Social Constructionism) are highlighted in the table below by (Ramanathan, 2008). Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2003) state that Realism is applied to the study of human subjects, recognizing the importance of understanding peoples socially constructed interpretation and meaning, or subjective reality, within the context of seeking to understand broader social forces, structures or processes that influence, and perhaps constrain, the nature of peoples views and behaviours. According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2003), it will be misleading to think of any research philosophy as better than the next. Ultimately, all three philosophies serve different purposes depending on the objective of the research. Nonetheless, business situations such as shareholder activism are complex and unique to different individuals circumstances and environment. Shareholder activism in Nigeria cannot be discussed without addressing the corporate governance environment of the country. According to Grienenberger (1995), Corporate governance can be defined as the legal and practical system for the exercise of power and control in the conduct of the businessof a corporation, including in particular the relationships amongst the shareholders, the management, the board of the directors and its committees, and other constituencies. This definition highlights two things that are very important. This is the fact that this is a legal and practical system. Every country has its own legal system that may derive its origin from many things such as the country which it was colonized by to the general way of life of the people. This in fact is the same for how business is conducted as well. Therefore, it is without doubt that an understanding of the countrys systems and the way in which things are done is essential for any well informed analysis to be made. This has therefore led me to choose interpretivism/social constructionism as my research philosophy as I believe that the characteristics of this philosophy such as aiming to increase the general understanding of the situation, gathering rich information from which ideas are induced and including stakeholder perspectives are all exactly the approaches I need to undertake in order to appropriately understand all the drivers involved in shaping shareholder activism in a developing country such as Nigeria. Research Approach When considering what research approach to use in research, there are two theories available. These are: Deduction (Testing theory) and Induction (Building theory). Deduction approach as the name implies involves the researcher having a proposed theory (usually involving two or more variables) which they then collect data against, analyse and draw conclusions in support of or opposing the original thesis (DeGracia et al., 2014). Induction approach on the other hand involves observing different cases or scenarios and then developing a general hypothesis around ones findings (DeGracia et al., 2014). This approach allows for a less rigid methodology and openness to varying explanations of what is going on (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2003). The table below shows the differences between Deduction and Induction approaches to Research by (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2003). Box 4.1 Major differences between deductive and inductive approaches to research Deduction emphasises Scientific principles Moving from theory to data The need to explain causal relationships between variables The collection of quantitative data The application of controls to ensure validity of data The operationalisation of concepts to ensure clarity of definition A highly structured approach Researcher independence of what is being researched The necessity to select samples of sufficient size in order to generalize conclusions Induction emphasises Gaining an understanding of the meanings humans attach to events A close understanding of the research context The collection of qualitative data A more flexible structure to permit changes of research emphasis as the research progresses A realisation that the research is part of the research process Less concern with the need to generalise The induction approach will be taken as this research looks into human behaviours and social construct within a certain environment. Furthermore, I will be making use of qualitative data alone to suit the approach adopted by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, (2003). This is because my research is looking into the problems associated with the lack of effectiveness of shareholder activism in Nigeria. This means that I am looking into the issues surrounding application, human behavior towards corporate governance and shareholder activism. Therefore, the induction approach as well as the use of qualitative data is the best way to get the different stakeholder perspectives and gather the right information within a less rigid structure that will enable the appropriate analysis to be conducted. 4.4 Research Strategy According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, (2003), there are different research strategies namely: Experiment Survey Case study Grounded theory Ethnography Action research Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies Exploratory, descriptive and explanatory studies. For the purpose of this research, grounded theory will be used. This is because it is mainly used in the inductive approach and will allow for a more thorough insight into the issues associated with the objectives set in this research by using interviews (Corbin and Strauss, 1990). My source of data will be interviews and archival records as it allows me to capture insights into events associated with shareholder activism through the personal accounts of individuals experiences (Hendry et all., 2007; Useem et al., 1993). As this research paper is focused on Nigeria, I have limited access to data as I am currently in the United Kingdom. Therefore, I have conducted telephone interviews with seasoned individuals practicing shareholder activism because it was more cost and time efficient to do so. I believe using these will give me a well-rounded view of the issues that need to be identified. Time Horizons There are two types of time horizons focused on by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, (2003) namely Cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies. Cross- sectional studies have to do with research on a particular hypothesis at a particular time, while longitudinal studies involve researching a certain phenomenon over an extended period of time. This research focuses on Shareholder Activism in Nigeria, over the years there has been very little written on this subject matter. My aim is to add to the body of knowledge which exists in current times. In this case, I will be applying cross-sectional studies and focusing on the periods from the early 2010 to present day 2016. Data Collection The main research method in this paper will be the interviews conducted with persons that are knowledgeable on the subject. As I am not very conversant with the subject matter, speaking with these people will aid in expanding my knowledge. It is quite expensive to travel to Nigeria from the United Kingdom therefore, telephone interviews will be conducted as it will save time and costs. I also plan on using archival records as I believe this will provide context to my research thus allowing me to form a well-rounded grounded theory. Data Analysis Various solid articles and books will be used to aid in my coding and analysis of the intervi

Macbeth :: essays research papers

The passing of decade’s, centuries and a millennium, man in some aspects, has not changed. With this passing of time, man remains gullible and optimistic. These two characteristics are essential in the development in the play Macbeth. This is evident in that Macbeth’s fate is influenced, by the witches’ predictions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the outset of the play, Macbeths encounters the witches who predict he will become â€Å"Thane of Cowdor† and that he too, will one day be king. Nevertheless, the witches do not oblige Macbeth to ultimately commit his actions. However, they do place within Macbeth a sense of wonder and optimism. The three witches intruded upon a part of man, which that he is gullible. Macbeth being gullible caused his wonder and brought forth a feeling of possibility. This is evident, when Macbeth tells his wife of what he has experienced. Upon revealing what was told to him, Lady Macbeth further on, appeals to Macbeth to take action when King Duncan comes to visit. Lady Macbeth urges her husband to fulfill his obligation and kill King Duncan. However, it is apparent that Macbeth is hesitant of such action and is at first unwilling to go forth with the plan. Once again Lady Macbeth alludes to the witches vision and with that, lusts upon the possible gains. The plan is ex ecuted and Macbeth becomes King. upon the vacancy of the throne. The witches’ vision is obtained, through the natural human sense of possibility and lust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second encounter with the witches, further reinforce the sense of power in Macbeth and the gullibility of man. Upon this encounter, the witches tell Macbeth that no man can be harmed by. Once more Macbeth believes what he is told and that he is invincible. This feeling of invincibility is shown in the final battle he undergoes, where he is attacking all those around him with no hesitation. The element of invincibility is deeply rooted in Macbeth, due to the fact of the fulfillment of he becoming king. The witches’ influence is apparent, in that in the battle with Macduff, Macbeth once again proclaims invincibility, yet soon realizes that is not the case.

Contents of My Backpack

Although I am only at the beginning of my teaching career, I feel as if I have many things already stowed away in my Dakine green, black, and white plaid backpack. My items are similar to Mr. Goldman’s items in that they have very little to do with the topics that I teach but are able to transform my classroom environment, stay along the guidelines of time management, and allow students to learn at their own pace. The items that I have in my backpack include: a Nerf basketball, wireless mouse, pens and pencils with colorful erasers, 3 ring hole punch, dollar store multi colored star stickers, a small bust of George Washington, and a mustache mug. Not all of these items are essential teaching tools but some of them are used so frequently that I could include them in my curriculum. The Nerf basketball is used just about every day in my math class, it helps me get volunteers for questions, provides a reward to students, and encourages others to be supportive of their classmates. The last two coincide with a game I stole from a teacher in the district high school called ‘Math-sketball’. It’s a simple game where everyone works out the problem on the board and after the buzzer counts down students need to have their answer written on their scorecard. Those students who answer correctly get to line up for a free throw shot with the basketball, students cheer each other on to make the basket and if a student misses, classmates are there with words of encouragement. This mini failure of missing a shot and the support of their classmates to try again next time is important for the students. I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math students in a Resource Room at a middle school. The wireless mouse allows me to use the technology in the room without being plastered to the wall which would allow students to get distracted with other things going on in the room or outside the windows. I am able to keep close enough to my students, check their progress with the material, as well as circulate around the room to keep an eye on drifters. My 3 ring hole punch is one of my best items. I use it to keep myself organized with binders, lessons, units, tests, and other materials, but I also use it to hole punch everything that I give the students. This helps them with their organization but doesn’t stop them from misplacing their homework. I will have to find a reasonable price for microchips that I can attach to homework assignments so it is never misplaced or lost in a locker. The dollar store multi colored star stickers are used as a reward for students who are ready for class, hand in assignments, score well on tests, or help out during the class without being asked. It’s a way to keep the students active and engaged without constantly reminding them to do something or not to do something. I am sure that over my teaching career more items will be put into the backpack and that some items will replaced or taken out of the backpack, but as long as my mustache mug doesn’t crack, chip, or shatter, that will be my staple item, how else will I be able to fuel up during the day?

Gym Goers

Three Categories of Gym-Goers NAU: Composition 1 Three Categories of Gym-Goers People go to the gym to benefit their lifestyles by getting back in shape, right? Most people that go to the gym do not fit into any other category other than â€Å"normal†, meaning that there is nothing specific about them that stick out. Then there are those who definitely stick out with certain qualities you just can’t seem to escape from. There are always different categories gym-goers fall into and they are starting to stand out more and more.The different categories you will find at the gym are; the coach, the loud meathead showoff, and the social butterfly. The first category is â€Å"the coach†. The coach is the guy that thinks he knows everything about anything. Typically these types of people are yelling from across the gym that â€Å"you can do it! † or â€Å"you’re not doing that right† then goes on to tell you the exact steps about the exercise as if y ou wanted their help. These people will have on the best work out clothes and shoes you can get because they think they make you perform better.Right when you think they are gone and have left you alone, there they are right by your side again coaching you through your workout. Nothing is worse than when you are running and someone comes up and tries talking to you, but these people are there telling you that you need to go faster and start nagging on the way that you are running. You might give them dirty looks in the mirror and try to tell them to go away, but you can’t talk or yell at them because you can’t breathe from all the running. The second category is â€Å"the loud meathead showoff†.Many of times these types of gym goers are the people wearing shirts that show off their muscles and always are looking in the mirror flexing. They are constantly screams â€Å"oh yeah! † and grunt very loudly to make sure everyone in the gym hears them to draw att ention. They are the type of people that will go right next to someone while working out making sure they are doing everything ten times better than that person. You see these people usually with buddies that do the same thing and they will grunt face to face while flexing at each other and saying â€Å"WHOO! They might come over to you while you are doing pull-ups, grab the bar, and do five pull-ups to your one while they grunt loudly. They tend to hang out in a group at the end of their work out and have a protein shake and converse about who lifted more, how many reps they did, and when they will meet tomorrow for their next work out. The third category is â€Å"the social butterfly†. Usually, this is the person that goes to the gym with hopes of working out but never actually does so because they are too busy talking to everyone. They know absolutely everyone at the gym by first and last name and what they do for a living.They try their hardest to be involved in every jo ke and conversation. They might start on the treadmill but then they see someone, get off the treadmill, and have an hour conversation with that person. They are almost always the nicest person in the gym and will come over while you are stretching to say hi so they can avoid working out. They are the people that are at the gym for a few hours and claim that they did an hour of cardio and an hour of weight training just to make their selves feel better about the fact that they talked to people the whole time they were there.They will usually spend about thirty minutes on one machine just because they are having a conversation about the new iphone with the person next to them. If they would spend as much time working out as they did flapping their jaws they would be in great shape. No one really likes these people while they are working out, but somehow they are always at every gym you attend. I only wrote about three types of gym-goers, so imagine how many other categories there are and what you would name them. Take a look next time and see who you can spot out. I guarantee you’ll find at least one of these people lurking around your gym.

Free Essays on Ford

Ford Motor Company Industry Analysis The automobile industry began with Henry Ford’s production of the Model T in the early 1900’s. With the creation of the assembly line, cars became cheaper and quicker to produce, thus making them affordable for many people. There were originally 500 auto manufacturers. By 1908, there were only 200; and in 1917 only 23 remained. This vast reduction was due to large amounts of consolidation within the industry. Currently, the major competitors within the industry are Ford, DaimlerChrylser, General Motors (GM), Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen. A few United States (US) manufacturers produce 23% of the world;s vehicles while Japan are responsible for 21%. The tendency for the industry is to be a global producer of automobiles; parts can be made throughout the world and assembled in many different places. The trend of consolidation has continued throughout today. Presently, this is evident in the recent acquisition of Chrysler by Daimler-Benz in late 1998! , thus forming Daimler-Chrylser. These consolidations have proved beneficial to consumers since companies have been able to reduce costs and pass those savings on to the customers. Some of the other major examples of consolidation are Nissan selling off a controlling 37% interest to Renault; General Motor;s 49% ownership of Isuzu; and Ford;s 33% majority of Mazda. Other efforts to become more competitive have translated into the European Union dropping trade barriers and European carmakers employing cost reducing efforts. American manufacturers have seen 2-3% growth over the last few years. Some current trends are the explosion in popularity of the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and big luxury vehicles. In the future the global car market is full of potential. There are currently 44 million vehicles and by the year 2002 experts estimate that number will grow to 64 million. That growth is not expected to be in the US, rather in countries such as: Chin... Free Essays on Ford Free Essays on Ford Ford Motor Company Industry Analysis The automobile industry began with Henry Ford’s production of the Model T in the early 1900’s. With the creation of the assembly line, cars became cheaper and quicker to produce, thus making them affordable for many people. There were originally 500 auto manufacturers. By 1908, there were only 200; and in 1917 only 23 remained. This vast reduction was due to large amounts of consolidation within the industry. Currently, the major competitors within the industry are Ford, DaimlerChrylser, General Motors (GM), Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen. A few United States (US) manufacturers produce 23% of the world;s vehicles while Japan are responsible for 21%. The tendency for the industry is to be a global producer of automobiles; parts can be made throughout the world and assembled in many different places. The trend of consolidation has continued throughout today. Presently, this is evident in the recent acquisition of Chrysler by Daimler-Benz in late 1998! , thus forming Daimler-Chrylser. These consolidations have proved beneficial to consumers since companies have been able to reduce costs and pass those savings on to the customers. Some of the other major examples of consolidation are Nissan selling off a controlling 37% interest to Renault; General Motor;s 49% ownership of Isuzu; and Ford;s 33% majority of Mazda. Other efforts to become more competitive have translated into the European Union dropping trade barriers and European carmakers employing cost reducing efforts. American manufacturers have seen 2-3% growth over the last few years. Some current trends are the explosion in popularity of the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and big luxury vehicles. In the future the global car market is full of potential. There are currently 44 million vehicles and by the year 2002 experts estimate that number will grow to 64 million. That growth is not expected to be in the US, rather in countries such as: Chin...

The White Devil Essays

The White Devil Essays The White Devil Essay The White Devil Essay In act 2, playwright John Webster uses a framed narrative to portray the deaths of Isabella and Camillo, creating a psychological horror rather than a graphical one. Through the use of a conjuror, Webster manages to show deaths via ‘sophistic tricks’ from the ‘nigromancer’. By using this character as another narrator, a certain distance is created between the audience and the actions on scene, allowing the minds of the audience to wander, questioning the events that led up to the murders, and perhaps whether the conjuror’s visions were accurate or not. In addition, Brachiano’s indifferent response to the death, calling it ‘excellent’ may make the audience horrified by his ignorance of the brutal murders. Further horror is present in the irony of Isabella’s demise as she ‘kisses†¦thrice’ the portrait of the very man who plotted to murder her, a tragic end to a character who seemed to be completely pure. Perhaps Webster uses this as a ‘shock tactic’, making a Catholic Jacobean audience question whether a higher power is really protecting them if they would allow the archetype of goodness die in such a manner. This thought would have resonated in the 17th century as new discoveries in sciences such as astronomy may have made many wonder whether ‘believers’ were actually any better than ‘non-believers’. Brachiano definitely has the qualities of a villainous ‘non-believer’ taken to a hyperbolic level, severing any ties with the chaste Isabella, referring to the man that married her as just a ‘dead shadow’ of himself. Such a strong characterization plays into the psyche of the audience; especially those with faith in religion, making them question whether worldly desires are worth the suffering they will have to face in Hell. Brachiano’s character, therefore, can be juxtaposed with Isabella’s, whose death showed the evil of society, but whose faith will lead her into heaven. This contrasting set of character force the audience into a dichotomy, almost making them choose between heaven or hell, all of which is done very subtly, and with no graphic imagery illustrating either side. This concept is relatable to the dark comedy and satire in this section of the play too. The state of Camillo’s corpse ‘folded double as ‘twere under the horse’ is possibly a sexual reference to his sexual inadequacy and a humiliating way to show that he was cuckolded. The ease at which the conjuror planned this murder and the casual tone of conversation he has with Brachiano is almost unsettling, which makes one wonder what other perverted ideas does society think of that is not shared with the public. The sense that all these characters are part of a debauched society is present again when Brachiano refers to politcians as â€Å"asses in foot cloth[s]’ and the conjuror says that Camillo has a ‘politic face’. This shows the corruption in the 1st and 2nd estate, making the audience question whether these hateful figures of government have only immorality in common. Underlying these comic dumb shows with such rhetorical questions truly makes the audience question whether it is moral to find these scenes amusing. The audiences morality is once again called into question when they desire to know more about the details of Isabella and Camillo’s death which, like Brachiano, they ‘taste not fully. ’ The audience may be facing another dilemma when they consider that such injustice in society may be happening all around them, quite horrific to know that such exaggerated scenes may be very real.

How to Use the French Adverb Enfin (At Last, Finally)

How to Use the French Adverb Enfin (At Last, Finally) Enfin, pronounced a(n) feh(n), is a French adverb that means at last, finally, in short, at least. It is usually used in a declarative manner, but it can also be an exclamation: Enfin ! Finally! Note that in informal speech,  enfin  is often  abbreviated  to a single syllable:  fin. A Common French Expression Enfin  is among the most common French expressions, such as: Allons-y !  (Lets go!)Bon appà ©tit !  (Enjoy your meal!)  Ce nest pas grave. (No problem.)De rien. (Youre welcome.)Jarrive ! (Im on my way!)Nest-ce pas  ? (Right?)Oh l l.   Oh dear, oh no.Plus à §a change...   The more things change...Sans blague.   seriously, all kidding asideTout fait   absolutely, exactlyVoil  Ã‚  there is, thats it Expressions and Usage of 'Enfin' Here are some of the ways enfin is used: Enfin seuls ! Alone at last!Elle y est enfin arrivà ©e. She has finally succeeded.Enfin...(interjection)   well, at least, lets say, all in all, in a word, I meanIl est intelligent, enfin, malin.  Ã‚  Hes smart, or at least shrewd.Jai perdu mes clà ©s, quelquun ma volà © la voiture, jai à ©tà © virà ©Ã‚  : enfin, pas une bonne journà ©e. I lost my keys, someone stole my car, I got fired: All in all, not a good day.Jen veux deux, enfin, trois.   Id like two, I mean three of themEnfin  ! Depuis le temps  !   Finally ! About time too !Un accord a à ©tà © enfin conclu.   An agreement has at last been reached.Enfin, jaimerais vous remercier de votre hospitalità ©.   Well, I would like to thank you for your hospitality.Enfin in short, in brief, in a wordElle est triste, mais enfin elle sen remettra.   Shes sad, but still / after all, shell get over it.Oui mais enfin, cest peut-à ªtre vrai.   Yes, after all it might well be true.Elle est jolie, enfin, mon avis. [valeur restrictive]   Shes pretty, (or) at least thats my opinion. Enfin  ! Cest la vie  !   Oh well, such is life !Ce nest pas la mà ªme chose, enfin  !   Oh come on, its not the same thing at all !Enfin, reprends-toi  !   Come on, pull yourself together !Enfin quest-ce quil y a  ? What on earth is the matter ?Cest son droit, enfin  !   Its his right, after all !Tu ne peux pas faire à §a, enfin  !   You cant do that !Un meurtrier pourrait facilement  maquiller  une strangulation par une pendaison post-mortem.  Ã‚  A murder could easily  cover up  a ligature strangulation with a post-mortem hanging.Je vais me faire coiffer et  maquiller.   Im off to have my hair and makeup done.

First half of the 20 century, visual arts, design and arcitecture Essay

First half of the 20 century, visual arts, design and arcitecture produce a better world - Essay Example These art forms that unite through employment of human creative impulse (Wikipedians, NP: 15). This means that art implies to a diverse range of disciplines than the perceived art, which according to modern terms, is usually referred to as visual arts. Most people confused art and visual arts while the fact is that art refers to visual arts, and that visual art is not among the disciplines of art but rather it is a common term of arts. Art is a global activity that comprises of a host of disciplines that include Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, Decorative Arts, Design, Crafts, Performing Arts, and many others (Wikipedians, NP:15). The other major field of the arts is the literary arts commonly referred to as literature. Literature includes poetry, short stories, novels and other numerous forms. The other literary art are the performing arts that comprise of dance, music, magic, film and theatre. This paper will outline how different form of arts in the middle of the 20th century and how thei r evolvement transformed the society and changed the world. During the 20th century, industrialization tremendously matured into global industrial capitalism, which eventually spurred the rise of consumer economics (Gardner et al, 2006:687). These developments brought forth great promises and significant problems to the society and the world in general. Change brought excitement and anxiety because people experienced the outcomes of change that were spurring in the society. Events like the Great Depression, World War I, the rise of totalitarianism, and World War II exaggerated this schizophrenic attitude. Artists were not exceptional in the evolution because many of them changed not only their personality but also their artistic perspectives. Some of these artists responded with energy and optimism while others responded with bleak despair. More so, the world’s evolution influenced artistic developments,

Violence in the book of The Farming Bones by Edwidge Dantica and John Essay

Violence in the book of The Farming Bones by Edwidge Dantica and John Crow's Devil, by Marlon James - Essay Example John Crow’s devil is set against a religious backdrop in a fictional town of Gibbeah in Jamaica, which is known to be a very religious society. The plot revolves around two main protagonists; the first is an alcoholic priest, who is referred to in the story as the â€Å"Rum preacher†, whereas the other character is the exact antithesis of the â€Å"Rum preacher† in his teachings and beliefs, and is called the â€Å"Apostle York†. The events of the story takes place five years before the Jamaicans finally got independence and clearly sheds light on the violent aspect of society which was motivated by religious matters. The story is told from the perspective of two young women, Lucinda and a widow; both these women have strange soft corners for the Young apostle York and the um Preacher, respectively. The Rum Preacher, who appears to be highly sinful on the surface as a result of his alcoholism, is later evicted from the church by the Apostle York, who is on a mission to tear down the kingdom of Satan. He referred to the Rum preacher as a ‘spawn of the devil’. ... The violence that erupts as a result of the Apostle York’s preaching can be deemed psychological as well. This is vastly because the fear that had been instilled in them resulted in dire circumstances for all of then as there was no concept of redemption amongst the people, the society became highly dichotomized into sinners and the righteous. (James, 2005) The violence sheds light on Jamaican society as well and the rampant superstitious ideology that pervades the mind of almost every Jamaican individual. There are various ideas about witchcraft and devilry, and similar to the events that transpired during the notorious ‘Salem witch hunt’, many people were slaughtered under the suspicion of partaking in witchcraft or fraternizing with the devil. At one point, the rum preacher, who had sworn vengeance against the Apostle, is confronted by angry villagers with a mission to exterminate all that are known to be transgressing the commands of the lord, which were actua lly triggered by individuals suffering form internal conflicts of their own as they were struggling to find their sexual identity. Marlon James added a beautiful psychological perspective to this in the light of Freudian conflicts that individuals face at certain points in their life. The author has given a new dimension to carnage and religious fanaticism to explain the behavior and the violent acts that were carried out by the people against the sinners. The book carries number of references to the actual 1970’s massacre that took place in Jamaica and hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives in the violent surge that shook the country and its people. However, the

Stigma and acceptance of disabled people in the workplace in Trinidad Essay

Stigma and acceptance of disabled people in the workplace in Trinidad and Tobago - Essay Example I'll formulate such research questions which help me to lead exploring the reality of the problem and if so, to analyze the measurements taken by the authorities against this issue. The questions will be, Since it is highly necessary to gather accurate information for giving an ample scope to my research problem, I'll have to collect the data from secondary sources like the periodicals, Journals, publications etc. which enumerate accurate information and I will choose best of them. Further it will help me to assess the magnitude of the research problem in hand. By resorting to all these data I will formulate answer to the potential question of the reason of disabled persons in hidden population. I consider the publications of various government autonomous bodies like population and census reports on disabled persons in Trinidad and Tobago, US commission report on UN Convention on the Human Rights of People with disabilities 1. which are the best sources to collect more data related to this hypothesis. And it will help me to analyze the statistical data to implement the main hypothesis.***************************** Chapter 2

Discuss and explore some specific aspect of each reading that made an Assignment

Discuss and explore some specific aspect of each reading that made an impact on you - Assignment Example As opposed from the rather passionate and confrontational tone that can be felt in the two aforementioned writings, Eighner takes a more sarcastic approach to defining the material conditions of the working poor, using the connotations of words that are associated with his ‘work’ as a dumpster diver, with the intention of surfacing out the undermined harshness of poverty. One can easily imagine that such rhetoric targets both the middle and upper class reader, in that it strikes the message regarding the painful reality that the working class people have to deal with on a daily basis. A business man, in the pursuit of establishing his industry, might be troubled by certain things, such as profit maximization and high taxes, which are all integral to his operations, but such things are absurd, in the perspective of low wage earner, a homeless man, or a disadvantaged woman, as told in the authors’ respective stories. To put in simple terms, an upper class man’s trouble becomes irrelevant, when we realize that some person’s trouble is in fact whether he or she will, let’s say, eat dinner tonight. The poor man’s rhetoric as expressed in these texts is supposedly a wake up call, but the reality is, society has a tendency to define life in accordance to their material conditions, and this operating mindset becomes the pre cursor to the ‘taken-for-grantedness’ of the injustice that occurs within the way different social classes clash and interact (Momsen, 2004). I think scavenging is the most modern form of self-reliance,. In any event, after ten years of government service, where everything is geared to the lowest common denominator, I find work that rewards initiative and effort

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 122

Summary - Essay Example which contributed to the development of the New Negro movement and culture. The book helps us better understand the reasons and realms of political and social struggle of Afro American people as well as get acquainted with the major cultural achievements of the time. Lewiss article â€Å"The City of Refuge† may be nominally divided into two sections: in the first part the author gives an overview of lifestyle and conditions in Harlem of the late 1910s, while another part is dedicated to Marcus Garvey – his biography, views and activity. Action is majorly focused between 130th to 145th Streets, where the number of Afro American inhabitants was the highest. â€Å"Everybody in Harlem was rich†, - David Lewis (1997) wrote. Hotels, cabarets, vaudeville houses, casinos were everywhere in Harlem. They brought together talented and famous composers, musicians, singers, dancers, poets and others. It was the time when â€Å"Negro† music such as jazz and dances became popular all over America. Names of Jim Europe, Irene and Vernon Castle, Nick la Rocca were well-known and celebrated far beyond Harlem. At the same time, Harlem was a â€Å"forum for serious racial palaver† (Lewis, 1997), where the views of Marcus Garvey were hears for the first time. Bearing pan-African ideas, he stayed for the recognition of African nationality, proclaimed the necessity of creating the country of New Africa that would be a motherland for Negros all over the world, defended ethnic identity and equal rights with â€Å"whites† of â€Å"black† people. Another Lewiss article â€Å"Stars† outlines lives and works of four outstanding poets of Harlem Renaissance: Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen. In their poems and ballads, authors strove to â€Å"promote racial advancement through artistic creativity† (Lewis, 1997) and showed that â€Å"black† poetry can be not least worthy than non-blacks. These poets laid

The Main Challenge of Intercultural Relations Essay

The Main Challenge of Intercultural Relations - Essay Example Every person belongs to a certain culture and, therefore, the qualities or characteristics in a given culture depend on the general characteristics of the people. This implies that the average strength and weakness of people in a given culture might be considered as the weakness or strength within the culture. Identifying personal weakness and strength is an important aspect of effective communication. Tolerance is the ability to give other people a chance to express themselves and their ideas. This course has enabled me to acknowledge tolerance as an important element in culture. I also realized that I am a very analytical person. In addition, I realized that I have good listening skills and this is my basic strength in intercultural interactions. Good listening skills enable to give people from different cultural backgrounds the chance to express their views and ideas (Lustig & Koester, 2010). Using this skill, I am able to learn other people and this contributes to effective inter cultural relation. Our culture promotes good listening and analytical skills. However, the culture has some few weaknesses that act as a barrier to effective communication. The course has enabled me to realize that members of our culture are very judgmental. I have also learnt this is the basis of having a negative attitude towards people from different cultures. If people from our culture improve in this area, I believe that we can become more competent in our intercultural interaction and communication.

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 122

Summary - Essay Example which contributed to the development of the New Negro movement and culture. The book helps us better understand the reasons and realms of political and social struggle of Afro American people as well as get acquainted with the major cultural achievements of the time. Lewiss article â€Å"The City of Refuge† may be nominally divided into two sections: in the first part the author gives an overview of lifestyle and conditions in Harlem of the late 1910s, while another part is dedicated to Marcus Garvey – his biography, views and activity. Action is majorly focused between 130th to 145th Streets, where the number of Afro American inhabitants was the highest. â€Å"Everybody in Harlem was rich†, - David Lewis (1997) wrote. Hotels, cabarets, vaudeville houses, casinos were everywhere in Harlem. They brought together talented and famous composers, musicians, singers, dancers, poets and others. It was the time when â€Å"Negro† music such as jazz and dances became popular all over America. Names of Jim Europe, Irene and Vernon Castle, Nick la Rocca were well-known and celebrated far beyond Harlem. At the same time, Harlem was a â€Å"forum for serious racial palaver† (Lewis, 1997), where the views of Marcus Garvey were hears for the first time. Bearing pan-African ideas, he stayed for the recognition of African nationality, proclaimed the necessity of creating the country of New Africa that would be a motherland for Negros all over the world, defended ethnic identity and equal rights with â€Å"whites† of â€Å"black† people. Another Lewiss article â€Å"Stars† outlines lives and works of four outstanding poets of Harlem Renaissance: Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen. In their poems and ballads, authors strove to â€Å"promote racial advancement through artistic creativity† (Lewis, 1997) and showed that â€Å"black† poetry can be not least worthy than non-blacks. These poets laid

Christmas tree Essay Example for Free

Christmas tree Essay Art is an object or piece of work that brings one pleasure. Art is also something you see or feel and you cannot even begin to describe the ways you like it or how it makes you feel. Art is something that portrays beauty and happiness. Art lets you see the world through another person’s perspective. Most art seems to tell a story about where a person has been and the things they have encountered along the way. It lets you connect with the artist and see things through their eyes. Art is a way of expressing one’s self without words. When I think of art, I think of paintings, portraits, sketches, and sculptures. I know there are many other forms of art, but my favorite form is painting. I normally respond first to the mood of the art and the idea it brings to mind. I like art that makes me feel happy. Second I would say I respond to the colors in the art. I like warm and soothing colors. I prefer scenery in art work. I like paintings of autumn, filled with warm oranges and yellows in the trees, country roads covered with fallen leaves. Those kinds of paintings make me feel warm and happy. One of my favorite autumn scenes is by Robert A Tino, a local artist in Sevierville, TN. It is called Autumn Psalm. It is a small country church setting just off of a country road lined with trees. The trees in the painting are almost bare, and the beautiful autumn leaves are scattered on the ground. This painting gives me a sense of peace and happiness. The content of art is not quite as important to me as the way it makes me feel. I love works of art that portray a place that I have been or know. It is nice to see something you are familiar with from another person’s perspective. For instance, Harrisburg Holiday, another great work of art by Robert A Tino. It is a painting of a covered bridge that I am very familiar with, but he has painted it as he saw it in 1975. It is a beautiful winter scene. He paints the roads covered with snow and an old red Chevy truck hauling a Christmas tree. The scene has two snowmen at the entrance to the covered bridge. It fills your heart with warmth and holiday spirit just to look at it. Portraits to me are art in a different sense. Some of my favorite portraits are by Martin Waugh. It is what he calls Liquid Sculpture. He uses high speed photography to capture drops of liquid as the splash into lakes and other bodies of water. To me there is just something so soothing about his work. It is amazing how a tiny drop of liquid can create such a beautiful work of art. His work impresses me, because I never really thought of liquid as art before I saw one of his photos. The formal qualities of art work are somewhat important. I like paintings that flow smoothly with very fine brush strokes. I think some of the most beautiful art work is produced with a combination of canvas and oil paints. I like portraits that capture images I normally could not see otherwise. Portraits that capture the colors you can see when light reflects on a ripple of water amaze me. I do not know a great deal about art, but art seems to be much more opinion than fact.

Organizational Development Change Management of UCS

Organizational Development Change Management of UCS The purpose of this paper is to choose an organization and prepare the first section of a detailed Organizational Development Proposal. Sectin 1., consist of describing the chosen organization in terms of primary purpose, location(s) and size, mission and vision, history as well as the internal and external conditions in which the organization operates. Additionally, this paper will conduct an internal and external analysis of the organization in terms of competencies and competitiveness through the use of relevant analysis tools. Section 1: Organizational Setting Name of the Company Universal Consulting Services, Inc. (UCS) Primary Purpose According to Bloomberg (2017) business profiles, UCS, Inc. provides business and information technology (IT) consulting services for government and industry. It offers consulting services, in areas such as federal acquisition that includes contract close-out, wide area workflow program support, and standard procurement system program support services. It also provides enterprise IT solutions, such as customizable solutions, requirements design and development, testing and evaluation, implementation and training, and help desk and production assistance, as well as system integration, development, and architecture. Additional services include program management, project management advisory services, financial analysis and services, and administrative support for government agencies. Its clients include Department of Defense, such as Department of the Navy, Department of the Army, and other defense agencies; as well as federal civilian agencies, including Department of Treasury, Departm ent of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Peace Corps. Location(s) and Size UCS is headquartered out of Fairfax, Virginia with a satellite office in Frederick, Maryland. The company currently has 265 employees with the majority of the employee working in the Washington, D.C. metro area, and multiple other States across the country, Hawaii and overseas in Japan and Spain (Ascentis UCS, 2017). UCS has experienced a three year growth of 43% with a reported 2015 revenue of $48.3 million (INC. 5000, 2017) Mission and Vision Mission. According to Universal Consulting Services, Inc.swebsite (2017) their mission is as follows: Launched in 2000 by a couple with a vision, UCS has evolved into a robust health and IT service provider armed with a solid reputation for quality and core capabilities aligned with the Governments requirements. Since our founding, we have prided ourselves on employing smart people who give their best to the customers we serve by creating smart solutions that save the Government time, money, and stress. The industry has recognized our services by awarding us with CMMI Level 3, ISO 9001, ISO 20000, and ISO 27001 certifications all of which underscore the quality, ingenuity, and reliability of both our services and our people. In that vein, our goal is to deliver innovative solutions that enable our Government clients to transform their missions into reality. Vision. According to Universal Consulting Services, Inc.s website (2017) their vision is as follows: Our vision is to be a top brand name for federal consulting services thats known for our people-driven culture, innovative perspective, and results-oriented mindset. We will: Be an agent of change for our customers by combining forward-thinking technology with practical problem solving, ultimately creating a distinct, lasting improvement in our customers performance. Empower our employees to develop their unique strengths, build strong teams, and make a tangible impact on the direction of both the company and our customers. Develop a brand that continues to catapult our company to the top of our industry, achieved through winning large, complex opportunities. History UCS is a woman owned business that was founded in 2000 by Mrs. Charu Dhumne and her husband Abhijit Dhumne with the mission of becoming a highly professional and trusted provider of business and technology solutions to the government and industry. Until 2015 UCS was a registered 8(a), minority owned, small disadvantaged business. In 2015 they graduated the Small Business Administrations (SBA) advantage program and now compete outside of the SBA programs. The 8(a) program offers a broad scope of assistance to firms that are owned and controlled at least 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and allows participants to receive sole-source contracts up to a ceiling of $4 million for goods and services and $6.5 million for manufacturing (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2017). The majority of UCS growth was realized under this program. UCS has consistently developed their quality programs and currently hold certifications for ISO 9001-2008, ISO 20000, ISO 27001 and CMMI Level 3 DEV. Conditions in Which the Organization Operates External. UCS currently operates as a mid-sized government consulting firm with limited to no protection or advantages afforded them as an 8(a) small, disadvantaged business which allowed them to receive direct contract wards without having to compete for them. The completion of the 8(a) has placed new economic challenges on the company in that they must now openly compete for work, or partner/subcontract with other small businesses under small business development programs, to gain new work or to retain current work as a re-award. Being located in the Washington D.C. metro area places even greater challenges as it is a highly competitive market for government contractors not just for work, but recruiting talent as well. This is in part due to higher wages and competitive benefits for highly sought after skill sets. Internal. UCS is structured as a typical functional organization which is one of the most common of the organizational structures (Galbraith, 2014) and are set up so that sections of the organization are grouped according to their purpose. Galbraith (2014) discusses how under this type of organizational structure companies divide out into sections and may for example, have a marketing department, a sales department and a production department. UCS is organized by functional and support areas. Under the support areas there is Operations (Administration, Human Resources, IT Management, Security, Facilities Management, and Contracts Management); Finance (Accounting and Payroll); and Business Development (Proposal Management, Graphics, and Marketing). The functional areas consists of client services grouped into Enterprise IT Services (Systems Engineering and Application Development, System Implementation, System Integration, Infrastructure and Operations, and Information Assurance and S ecurity Compliance); and Health Services and Solutions (Strategic Development and Performance Improvement, Advisory and Assistance Services, Portfolio and Program Management, Biomedical Services, Clinical Research and Development, and Health IT and Informatics. The structure is fairly straight forward and is a structure that works very well for many small to medium sized businesses (Galbraith, 2014). The senior leadership is comprised of the President, CEO, Executive Vice President, one support Vice President and three functional Vice Presidents. The culture is one of small business (family) but has recently been feeling the strain of growth and unclear guidance with the appointment of a new Executive Vice President. The workforce is one of diversity in characteristics and talents. The average age of the workforce is 32 (Ascentis UCS, 2017), of which the majority are located on client sites. Internal and External Analysis According to Burk (2014), in order for leadership to identify problems or issues impacting the organization they must understand the environment in which they operate and be able to analyze areas of strengths and weaknesses. Senior leadership and management teams must then determine how to respond to what the environment is telling them and how to establish a more effective alignment for their organization which can allow them to maintain or gain competitive advantages (Burk, 2014). External. One of the tools often used to provide such an analysis is one developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School, called Porters Five Forces of Competitive Position Analysis. It was developed in 1979 as a simple framework for assessing and evaluating the external environment by focusing on the competitive strength and position of a business organization (Grundy, 2006). Grundy (2006) states that Porters theory proposes that there are five forces which determine the competitiveness of an organization by helping to determine the strengths of an organization and their current competitive position. Identifying strengths of an organization may then be used to align the organization to its current direction or move in new directions. Analysts often use Porters five forces to predict whether a new product or service will be profitable and to identify areas to improve weaknesses and to avoid mistakes (Porter, 1980). The justification for the use of this tool is that it provi des an easy to understand method of analyzing some of the biggest areas of external impact on virtually any organization. According to Porter (1980) the five forces to analyze are: Threat of new entry: This is an analysis of new entrants to the market that may dilute the customer base and erode profitability. It also looks at the organizations durable barriers to entry like patents, cost of entry, and external factors like government regulations and policies, all of which can impact profitability. Supplier power: an assessment of how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices. This can be driven by the number of suppliers for each product, the number of suppliers in an area, the size of the supplier, the uniqueness of their product or service, or even the cost associated with changing from one supplier to another. Buyer power: an assessment of how easy it is for buyers to drive prices down. Key factors here are; the number of buyers in the market or area that can dictate terms, the relevant importance of the buyer to the organization, the cost to the buyer associated with changing from one supplier to another. Competitive rivalry: This is an analysis of the number and capability of competitors in the market to determine how many competitors are offering the same products and services and their strength which could reduce market attractiveness to the product or service being offered. Threat of substitution: This is an analysis of products or services that exist in a market that may be close to what the organization is offering, thereby increasing the ability of customers switching to alternative sources in response to a price increase. This reduces both the power of suppliers and the attractiveness of the market. Applying Porters five forces technique to UCS would yield the following analysis: Threat of new entry: Given the market and location in which UCS operates (government contracting in the Washington D.C. area) there is constant threat of new entries to the market. These new entries have relatively low barriers in the form of cost due the service nature of the business. Most new start-ups begin by offering their personal knowledge and skills. Additionally, new entries to the market can most often take advantage of SBA assistant opportunities in helping to succeed in the market. The strongest barrier benefiting established companies is the bureaucracy (time it takes) associated with establishing/registering for certain credentials such as 8(a), Veteran Owned, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, obtaining and meeting security clearance requirements etc. Additionally, it takes time for new entries to build a reputation and past performances in order to expand their services. Supplier power: Suppliers abilities to drive up prices are relatively negligible in that the buyer drives the market more so than the supplier. However, that being said there are certain niche areas in the market such as the newest and hottest programing and development skills that the buyer is looking for and only specific competitors or individuals have, coupled with security clearance requirements, that can in fact drive up prices for talent and drive competitive recruiting/bidding wars for the individual talent to offer to the client. Buyer power: the primary client for UCS is the U.S. Government and as such is subject to extreme scrutiny in pricing as well as performance. Pricing is based on what the client/buyer determines to be fair and reasonable for the services requested. This accomplished through what is known as Independent Government Estimates and level of effort of services being requested. All of which are dependent upon the governments budget and funding levels that are being made available for the requirement. Additionally, the procurement strategy can also have an impact on the pricing (i.e. is the government looking for lowest price for technically acceptable bids or for best value of services based on what they receive for the amount bid). Competitive rivalry: For UCS this one of the primary concerns. The number and capability of competitors in the market are vast. Given that UCS is no longer under a SBA small business advantage program they must now compete with globally recognized companies such as Deloitte, Booz Allen, Northrop Grumman, CACI and more, all of which are offering the same services and have significant resources and brand recognition not just to the clients but to potential talent as well. Threat of substitution: Threat of substitution for UCS is significant due to the buyers ability to determine the procurement strategy and the requirements to assist small businesses in receiving government contracts. As such, the buyer could choose to accept a company that is technically acceptable but not as capable or proven as UCS in order to comply with the procurement strategy and check off their requirement to provide work to small disadvantaged businesses. Basically substitute a lesser qualified competitor in order to demonstrate adherence to procurement guidelines. Internal. My preferredmethod of analysis would be targeted surveys to collect data on areas where we are strong, weak or perceived threats. Burk (2014) discusses how psychologists have long relied on questionnaires for data collection, diagnosis and assessment of various studies. He goes on to discuss how leadership and Organizational Development are also leveraging this tool for data collection and has spawned what is known as the Organizational Survey Feedback Method. He also noted that when discussed the survey results with subordinates, particularly through group discussion, positive change typically occurred. The justification for use of this method is that it is a low cost, simple to use, customizable method of collecting a great deal of information. Additionally, once a survey is sent out, it sets an expectation and a responsibility within the organization for follow-up actions. However, for the purposes of this paper, it would be virtually impossible to conduct an organizational survey in time, so instead I would recommend getting much of the same data through the use of a SWOT analysis. Bradt and Davis (2014) discuss a SWOT analysis as a tool used to analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project, product or service venture, or the organization as a whole. It analysis the internal and external factors that can impact the objective being analyzed. A SWOT analysis can be used to help understand the factors that drive or hinder success in an organization and helps to think through potential scenarios to complete the question of so what? and set up the actions of now what? (Bradt Davis, 2014). This in turn can help get members aligned with the organizations vision and strategy and has been often used in executive brainstorming sessions. For UCS the SWOT Analysis must first define a desired end state or objective and in this case it would be to position itself to compete in a larger pool of competitors. The following will provide the basic analysis criteria as interpreted from Bradt and Davis (2014) and then followed by the specific UCS application. Strengths: These are characteristics of the business, team or individual members that give it an advantage over others in the industry. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Young energetic and dedicated workforce demographic. Ability to attract hard to find skill-sets. More organizationally flexible and able to adapt to change quickly. Focus on low overhead expenses allowing for better rates. Weaknesses: These are characteristics that place the firm at a disadvantage as compared to others and can include those found in business, team or individual. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Weakened communications from senior leaders. Inexperienced member in top leadership position. Lack of strategic focus on NEW clients outside of current client base. The start of disharmony among other senior leaders. Too much focus on biggest client which detracts from the many other clients. Fear of dedicating resources to potential new opportunities. Hyper-focus on reducing already good overhead costs, to the possible detriment of losing talent. Opportunities: These are external chances that can make greater sales or profits, improve market position or stakeholder perception. This can be applied to external from the team, business objective or members. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Use of senior business development leaders talents to open new doors outside of current client base. Rely more on experienced leaderships input to accomplish strategies and change. Be less risk aversive in going after new market segments. Threats: These are external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business. This can be applied to external from the team, business objective or members. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Hyper-focus of overhead cost reduction policy of making overhead personnel billable. Up and coming companies participating in the SBA small and disadvantaged business programs that can redirect contracts UCS is going after to direct (non-competitive awards to the smaller companies. Employee dis-satisfaction that can result in a damaged reputation thereby impacting recruiting and retention. Summary of Analysis. Review of the external and internal factors impacting UCS show that the company faces its greatest challenges from external forces and should be concerned with the new arena of competition it finds itself in. The loss of the SBA advantage programs significantly impacts the ability to gain new work or retain re-awards without a strong strategy to overcome the barriers it now faces. From the internal perspective UCS has some considerable strengths to leverage in its talented workforce, predominantly experienced leadership and ability to adapt to change. In its new highly competitive environment its ability to be lean and control overhead cost is an advantage and will allow them to be more competitive in pricing. However, while controlling cost is a strength, it can also be a weakness if cost reductions are at the risk of reputation, comfort and confidence of employees, and the ability to attract and retain the needed skills. Additionally, companies must grow and ac hieve new heights through controlled risk. By being overly risk adverse in order to conserve resources, a company may end up moving backwards instead of forwards. References Ascentis UCS (2017). Human Resources Automated Information System. Retrieved from https://selfservice2.ascentis.com/UCS/STS/signin.aspx?c=UCS Bloomberg.com. (2017). Universal Consulting Services, Inc.: Private Company Information Bloomberg. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=108719433 Bradt, G. B., Davis, G. (2014). First-Time Leader: Foundational Tools for Inspiring and Enabling Your New Team (1). Somerset, US: John Wiley Sons, Incorporated. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.edmc.edu Burke, W. W. (2014). Organization Change: Theory and Practice, 4th Edition. [Argosy University]. Retrieved from https://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/#/books/9781452257242/ Galbraith, J. R. (2014). Designing Organizations: An Executive Guide to Strategy, Structure, and Process (3). Somerset, US: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.edmc.edu Grundy, T. (2006). Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porters five forces model. Strategic Change, 15(5), 213-229. doi:10.1002/jsc.764 INC. 5000. (2017). Universal Consulting Services Fairfax, VA. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/profile/universal-consulting-services?cid=full500016-list-1455 Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. New York: Free Press. U.S. Small Business Administration. (2017). About the 8(a) Business Development Program | The U.S. Small Business Administration | SBA.gov. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from https://www.sba.gov/contracting/government-contracting-programs/8a-business-development-program/about-8a-business-development-program Universal Consulting Service, Inc. (2017). Homepage. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from https://ucs-inc.com/

Players Should Bring Hockey Back :: essays research papers

Persuassive Essay: 104 words, including references written APA style Players Should Bring Hockey Back Players Should Bring Hockey Back Having reached another impasse in talks on January 26, in Toronto, between owners and players, there continues to be no NHL hockey season. The lack of an agreement centers on the owners’ desire for a salary cap and the players’ saying they will not budge on that particular point. Albeit this is not the only sticking point, other issues appear to center around this one (Lebrun, NoHockey.CA, 2005, para. 13). The far-reaching affects of the lockout are becoming devastating to businesses that rely on income from games (Lebrun) and fans have reached a fervor of disdain for the whole ordeal (The Australian, 2005, para. 12-14). The players need to make a contract work by agreeing to some form of salary cap, allowing owners to control costs. Players and owners will win, revenues will improve for businesses dependent on games for income, and the fans will win! Making a contract work Players have expressed a complete unwillingness to a salary cap or as the owners have termed it, a â€Å"cost certainty†. While they have purposed roll-backs in salaries and lower rookie salaries, they continue to miss the big picture as it is seen by owners and fans alike. Exactly how much money do you need to make to play a sport you say you love? In 1995 the average salary for an NHL player was $750k, at the need of the 2003-2004 season, that average was $1.8 million dollars (†¦.). The owners are demanding a break and want to maintain profitability. If forced by players to pay outrageous salaries, how can smaller teams compete? They cannot and that is exactly the point. Owners have reported a loss in excess of $1 billion dollars in the last ten years (The Australian). That appears to be reason enough for a salary cap. If the losses were to continue, it seems likely that the sport will end, as team owners fold up shop unable to bear further losses. The economic devastat ion experienced by businesses associated with the sport now, would only become worse. Economic Effects   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From food vendors within stadiums to sportswear manufacturers, many businesses that rely on a hockey game or two for income, are becoming deeply impacted. According to a report at NoHockey.CA, from the Denver Associated Press, â€Å"The dispute that has kept NHL players locked out for 133 days as of Wednesday has meant millions of dollars in losses for stores, restaurants and businesses across North America that rely at least in part on a professional hockey team for their livelihood.

dogs are cool Essay -- essays research papers

dogs are cool. they smell good. they fart, and they eat alot of food. dogs are also very hairy. sometimes their hair is brown, sometimes it is white, and still other times is is black... have you ever seen a dog with no jkcool i sae a ah shf fkfnfa jdf d i sae dj that t you a re so coll fjfja red whit e jbakc are yu happyy eococ rocco is cool collin so conff djfn kljfdkl jgioawueajkljfnkajpoijwlkfv jdfjdsiajfk j fjfj j dfjlkfj ALCOHOLISM   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many social issues facing the United States today that affect the world in different ways. One of the most popular as well as severe issues confronting our nation today is alcoholism. The question seems to be: is alcoholism simply and individualistic problem, or is it a disease capable of wiping out friendships, families, and possibly much of the United States? In order to fully understand the severity of alcoholism and its effects, one must study the problem from an interdisciplinary level. Specifically, a historical, and psycho-sociological perspectives will help to understand alcoholism the best.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First one must understand what exactly alcoholism is, and whom it effects. By definition, alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease, with genetic, psychological, and environmental factors, characterized by continuous impaired control over drinking. The disease can and does effect all people of all ages, sexes, races, and economic status. This is clearly a horrific issue, and ...

Comparative Essay for Poetry Unit Essay

Cultural conflict is when a new set of beliefs and habits overtakes and conceals the old set, deteriorating the sacred cultural connections established at birth. Sujatas â€Å"Search for My Tongue† and John Agards â€Å"Half-Caste† are both excellent examples of cultural conflict. In the both cases, the authors are attempting to depict the hardships involved with a clash of culture. In Search for My Tongue, Sujata Bhatt finds conflict between two languages: what would you do/if you had two tongues in your mouth (3-4). In Half-Caste, Agard protests the racial discrimination towards the Guyanese interior hidden by the British exterior. Both poets express these cultural conflicts with the use of perspective, cultural context, literary devices, imagery and variations to syntax. The similarities in these poems show that cultural conflict is abundant and ubiquitous, whereas the differences provide uniqueness amongst the cultural conflicts. In Search for My Tongue, Bhatts poem encompasses the conflict between mother tongue and the foreign tongue. These very physical objects replace her native language of Guajarati and foreign language of English. The use of this metaphorical analogy is widespread, such as in the French language, where the word langue means both tongue and language. According to Bhatt, if you had to/speak a foreign tongue,/your mother tongue would rot (10-12). The conflict between languages continues in the subconscious world, where the mother tongue always returns and blossoms out of my mouth (38). Similarly Half-Caste is also a conflict of cultures, specifically race. John Agard is a mixed race of black and white light an shadow (13). His life in Britain has allegedly suppressed his black, unwanted side. This protest poem is the black side attempting to be freed just as how Bhatts mother tongue wants to grow(s) back (31). Agard often describes himself as half a person, standing on one leg (2), Half-a-eye (41), half-a-dream (43), half-a-shadow, (46). Bhatt searches for her two tongue but only finds one. Contrastingly, Half-caste is a poem of external conflict between Agard and the disapproving English society, whereas Search For My Tongue is about self-discovery and internal conflict. In Search for My Tongue, lines between 1 and 14 are all in the 2nd person, which connects the poem to the reader.  It is more dramatic and heartfelt than a narrative. Bhatts internal conflicts are voiced out to the world, searching for an answer to the question I ask you, what would you do (3). Half-caste uses the exact same strategy in order to achieve a different goal. The 2nd person narrative is installed between lines 4 and 37. He uses phrases like Explain yuself/wha yu mean (4-5), which directly targets the discriminating British (you need proof of that from his poem) yo put the on metaphor with the sun dont pass in England society, it fits really well here . External conflicts between Agard and the society are immediately voiced. Both poems employ the perspective of the it is not 2nd person , JUDD told me that on Search for my tongue isto connect with the reader, but one does it to apply the internal conflicts to the outside world whereas the other does it to be heard. Bhatt brings out her internal conflicts so that she can connect with the reader. In Search for My Tongue, many literary devices are used to bring out these internal conflicts. Her metaphorical tongues actually symbolize languages. She often changes between the ambiguous meanings. For example, she states that if you had two tongues in your mouth,/and lost the first one, the mother tongue, (4-5). Bhatt is giving supernatural qualities to the physical tongue. In an another example, she states that your mother tongue would rot,/rot and die in your mouth (12-13). In this case, Bhatt is creating personifications by giving lifelike, natural properties to a language. This shows how Bhatt is switching between the multiple meanings. In Half-Caste, Agard also draws on multiple examples. Contrastingly, he uses allusions or references to external literary works. The two apparent allusions are Picasso and Tchaikovsky. Put the lines Both of these artists use contrasts to create a greater piece of work. According to Agard, a mixed person is a living example of beauty derived from two contrasting cultures. Although the meaning of these allusions is not ambiguous, they are often sarcastic and direct. The differences in the use of literary devices have to do with the fact that Bhatt is unclear about her cultural conflict, whereas Agard understands his cultural conflict. Both poets use the literary device of repetition to express cultural conflict. For example, in â€Å"Search for My Tongue,† the words tongue and mouth are very abundant. The word â€Å"tongue† ends lines 2, 5, 7, 11 and 37. The word â€Å"mouth† ends lines 4, 13, 34 and 38. Not only does the repetition bring the poem together, it strengthens the message Bhatt is trying to send. It resembles a distress signal from a person with dire need. Similarly, John Agard repeats the phrase â€Å"Explain yuself† in lines 4, 10, 23 and 31. This reminds the reader of the aggressive tone in this rebellious poem, and ties the poem together. Every time a new idea is brought up, â€Å"Explain yuself† is the introductory line. Another way the poets attempt to describe cultural conflict is by the use of imagery. At the end of the poem, Sujata Bhatt writes â€Å"It grows back, a stump of a shoot† (31). This is a metaphor, comparing the mother language to a growing bamboo. The metaphor adds to the clear imagery. Continuing,Grows longer, grows moist, grows strong veins,It ties the other tongue in knots,The bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth,It pushes the other tongue aside. (32-35)These lines paint a very explicit picture in the reader’s mind, helping the poet come across with the meaning. Similarly, John Agard also appeals to the many senses. The â€Å"red an green† (8) on the â€Å"canvas† (9) feed on the human sense of sight. The â€Å"black key† (28) and â€Å"white key† (29) in the â€Å"symphony† (30) by â€Å"Tchaikovsky† (26) affect the human sense of hearing. Together, it allows the reader to fully experience the idea of â€Å"Half-Caste.†Finally, both poets use a strange form of syntax. In â€Å"Search for My Tongue,† Bhatt adds a full section of Gujarati. This symbolizes the rebirth of the mother tongue within Bhatt’s subconscious mind. In addition, between lines 31 and 35, there are no periods, replaced by commas. This section holds the imagery explained above, and periods would add unnecessary breaks. Similarly, â€Å"Half-Caste† has no punctuations. Together with the differing dialect, it shows the poet opposing his surroundings. This is a form of  protest, since Agard is not following the general rules of writing set by his racist opponents. Therefore, both poets express cultural conflict with variations to syntax. When reading Search for My Tongue, a monolingual person would not be able to fully comprehend Bhatt’s cultural conflict, except when it is described physically. By allowing the reader to picture two tongues in their mouth, Bhatt’s internal conflicts are expressed externally, allowing her to share her pain with the world. However, someone who is bilingual may have already experienced similar cultural conflicts. Therefore, this bilingual reader will understand â€Å"Search for My Tongue† much better than a regular monolingual reader. Similarly, â€Å"Half-Caste,† is also geared towards two different types of people. A person who isn’t mixed will not be able to comprehend this poem as well as someone who is mixed. In addition, Half-Caste protests against discriminative English people. In a less discriminative culture such as Canada where the use of racial slurs like half-caste is scarce, it is much harder to comprehend Agards cultural conflicts. Therefore, both Half-caste and Search for my Tongue are both good examples of how cultural context impacts how the poem is perceived. In conclusion, both poems are affected by cultural context, which dictates the effect on the reader. For example, as previously stated, a bilingual person will be able to comprehend Search for My Tongue better than a monolingual person. However, Sujata Bhatt needs to ensure that the monolingual demographic will still be able to extract the full meaning. Both Bhatt and Agard achieve this by employing very similar methods. The narrative, metaphors and personifications, vivid imagery and variations to syntax all contribute to expressing cultural conflict. Although the two poems have many commonalities, they are based on different subject matter. Search for My Tongue is about Bhatts internal conflict with herself, whereas Half-Caste is about Agards external conflict against his society. These conflicts differ, but are all linked to culture the overriding link between these entwining poems.