The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Nineteen

Nobody was going to lie to Elena Gilbert and get away with it. Elena marched along the path to the library, indignation keeping her head high and her steps sharp. So James thought he could pretend he didn't remember anything about those V-shaped pins? The way his eyes had skipped away from hers, the faint flush of pink in his plump cheeks, everything about him had shouted that there was something there, some secret about him and her parents that he didn't want to tel her. If he wasn't going to tel her, she would find out for herself. The library seemed like a logical place to start. â€Å"Elena,† a voice cal ed, and she stopped. She had been so focused on her mission that she had almost walked right by Damon, leaning against a tree outside the library. He smiled up at her with an innocently inquiring expression, his long legs stretched in front of him. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she said abruptly. It was so weird, just seeing him here in the daylight on campus, like he was part of one picture superimposed upon another. He didn't belong in this part of her life, not unless she brought him in herself. â€Å"Enjoying the sunshine,† Damon said dryly. â€Å"And the scenery.† The wave of his hand encompassed the trees and buildings of the campus as Wellas a flock of pretty girls giggling on the other side of the path. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"I go to this school,† Elena said. â€Å"So it's not weird for me to be hanging around the library. See my point?† Damon laughed. â€Å"You've discovered my secret, Elena,† he said, getting to his feet. â€Å"I was here hoping to see you. Or one of your little friends. I get so lonely, you know, even your Mutt would be a welcome distraction.† â€Å"Real y?† she asked. He shot her a look, his dark eyes amused. â€Å"Of course I always want to see you, princess. But I'm here for another reason. I'm supposed to be looking into the disappearances, remember? So I have to spend some time on the campus.† â€Å"Oh. Okay.† Elena considered her options. Official y, she shouldn't be hanging around Damon at al . The terms of her breakup – or just break, she corrected herself – with Stefan were that she wasn't going to see either of the Salvatore brothers, not until they worked out their own issues and this thing between the three of them had time to cool off. But she'd already violated that by letting Damon sleep on the floor of her room, a much bigger deal than going to the library together. â€Å"And what are you up to?† Damon asked her. â€Å"Anything I can assist with?† Real y, a trip to the library ought to be innocent enough. Elena made up her mind. She and Damon were supposed to be friends, after al . â€Å"I'm trying to find out some information about my parents,† she said. â€Å"Want to help?† â€Å"Certainly, my lovely,† Damon said, and took her hand. Elena felt a slight frisson of unease. But his fingers were reassuringly firm in hers, and she pushed her hesitation away. The ancient tennis-shoed librarian in charge of the archive room explained how to search the database of school records and got Elena and Damon set up in the corner on a computer. â€Å"Ugh,† Damon said, poking disdainful y at a key. â€Å"I don't mind computers, but books and pictures ought to be real, not on a machine.† â€Å"But this way everyone can see them,† Elena said patiently. She'd had this kind of conversation with Stefan before. The Salvatore brothers might look col ege-aged, but there were some things about the modern world they just couldn't seem to get their heads around. Elena clicked on the photo section of the database and typed in her mother's name, Elizabeth Morrow. â€Å"Look, there are a bunch of pictures.† She scanned through them, looking for the one that she had seen hanging in the hal . She saw a lot of cast and crew pictures from various theatrical productions. James had told her that her mother was a star on the design side, but it looked like she was in some productions, too. In one, Elena's mother was dancing, her head flung back, her hair going everywhere. â€Å"She looks like you.† Damon was contemplating the picture, his head tilted to one side, dark eyes intent. â€Å"Softer here, though, around the mouth† – one long finger gestured – â€Å"and her face is more innocent than yours.† His mouth twisted teasingly, and he shot a sidelong glance at Elena. â€Å"A nicer girl than you, I'd guess.† â€Å"I'm nice,† Elena said, hurt, and quickly clicked on to find the picture she was looking for. â€Å"You're too clever to be nice, Elena,† Damon said, but Elena was barely listening. â€Å"Here we are,† she said. The photograph was just as she remembered it: James and her parents under a tree, eager and impossibly young. Elena zoomed in on the image, focusing on the pin on her father's shirt. Definitely a V. It was blue, a deep dark blue, she could see that now, the same shade as the lapis lazuli rings Damon and Stefan wore to protect themselves from sunlight. â€Å"I've seen one of those pins before,† Damon said abruptly. He frowned. â€Å"I don't remember where, though. Sorry.† â€Å"You've seen it recently?† Elena asked, but Damon just shrugged. â€Å"James said my mother made the pins for al of them,† she said, zooming closer so that al she could see on the screen was the grainy image of the V. â€Å"I don't believe him, though. She didn't make jewelry, that wasn't her kind of thing. And it doesn't look handmade, not unless it was made by someone with an actual jewelry studio. That's some kind of enameling on the V, I think.† She typed V in the search engine, but it came back with nothing. â€Å"I wish I knew what it stood for.† With another graceful one-shouldered shrug, Damon reached for the mouse and zoomed in and out on different parts of the picture. Behind them, the librarian thunked a book down, and Elena glanced back at her to find the woman's eyes fixed on them with disconcerting intensity. Her mouth tightened as her eyes met Elena's, and she looked away, walking a little farther along the aisle. But Elena was left with the creepy feeling that the librarian was stil watching and listening to them. She turned to whisper something to Damon about it but was caught again by the sheer unexpectedness of him, of him here. He just didn't fit in the drab and ordinary library computer station – it was like finding a wild animal curled up on your desk. Like a dark angel fixing oatmeal in your kitchen. Had she ever seen him under fluorescent lights before? Something about the lighting brought out the clean paleness of his skin, cast long shadows along his cheekbones, and fel without reflection into the black velvet of his hair and eyes. A couple of buttons on the col ar of his shirt were undone, and Elena found herself almost mesmerized by the subtle shifts of the long muscles in his neck and shoulders. â€Å"What would a Vital Society be?† he asked suddenly, breaking her out of her reverie. â€Å"What?† she asked, confused. â€Å"What are you talking about?† Damon clicked the mouse and shifted the zoom, focusing this time on the notebook in her mother's lap. Her mother's hands – pretty hands, Elena noticed, prettier than her own, which had slightly crooked pinkies – were splayed over the open book, but between the fingers, Elena could read: Vit l Soci y â€Å"I assume that's what it says,† Damon said, shrugging. â€Å"Since you're looking for something that starts with V. It could say something else of course. Vital Social y, maybe? Was your mother a social queen bee like you?† Elena ignored the question. â€Å"The Vitale Society,† she said slowly. â€Å"I always thought it was a myth.† â€Å"Leave the Vitale Society alone.† The hiss came from behind them, and Elena whipped around. The librarian seemed curiously impressive framed against the bookshelves despite her tennis shoes and pastel sweater set. Her hawklike face was tense and focused on Elena, her body tal and, Elena felt instinctively, threatening. â€Å"What do you mean?† Elena asked. â€Å"Do you know something about them?† Confronted by a direct question, the woman seemed to shrink from the almost menacing figure she had been a second before to an ordinary, slightly dithering old lady. â€Å"I don't know anything,† she muttered, frowning. â€Å"Al I can say is that it's not safe to mess with the Vitales. Things happen around them. Even if you're careful.† She started to wheel her book cart away. â€Å"Wait!† Elena said, half rising. â€Å"What kind of things?† What had her parents been involved in? They wouldn't have done anything wrong, would they? Not Elena's parents. But the librarian only walked faster, the wheels of her cart squeaking as she rounded the corner into another aisle. Damon gave a low laugh. â€Å"She won't tel you anything,† he said, and Elena glared at him. â€Å"She doesn't know anything, or she's too scared to say what she does know.† â€Å"That's not helpful, Damon,† Elena said tightly. She pressed her fingers against her temples. â€Å"What do we do now?† â€Å"We look into the Vitale Society, of course,† Damon said. Elena opened her mouth to object, and Damon shushed her, drawing one cool finger over her mouth. His touch was soft on her lips, and she half raised a hand toward them. â€Å"Don't worry about what a foolish old woman has to say,† he told her. â€Å"But if we real y want to find out the secrets of this society of yours, we probably need to look somewhere other than the library.† He got to his feet and held out his hand. â€Å"Shal we?† he asked. Elena nodded and took his hand in hers. When it came to finding out secrets, to digging up what people wanted to keep concealed, she knew she could put her faith in Damon. â€Å"Pick up, Zander,† Bonnie muttered into the phone. The ringing stopped, and a precise mechanical voice informed her that she was welcome to leave a message in the voice mailbox. Bonnie hung up. She had already left a couple of voicemails, and she didn't want Zander thinking she was any crazier or more clueless than he inevitably would when he saw his missed-cal list. Bonnie was pretty sure she was going through the Five Stages of Being Ditched. She was almost done with Denial, where she was convinced something had happened to him, and was moving quickly into Anger. Later, she knew, she would slide into Bargaining, Depression, and eventual y (she hoped) Acceptance. Apparently her psych class was already coming in handy. It had been days since he had abruptly run off, leaving her al alone in front of the music building. When she found out that a girl disappeared that same night, at first Bonnie was angry and scared for herself. Zander had left her alone. What if Bonnie had been the one to vanish? Then she began to worry about Zander, to be afraid that he was in trouble. He seemed so sweet, and so into her, that it was almost impossible for her to believe Zander would just be avoiding her al of a sudden. Wouldn't his friends have sounded the alarm if Zander was missing, though? And when she thought that, Bonnie realized that she didn't know how to contact any of those guys; she hadn't seen any of them around campus since that night. Bonnie stared at her phone as fresh tendrils of worry grew and twisted inside her. Real y, she was having a very tough time moving on to Anger when she was stil not quite sure that Zander was safe. The phone rang. Zander. It was Zander. Bonnie snatched up her phone. â€Å"Where have you been?† she demanded, her voice shaking. There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Bonnie was almost ready to hang up when Zander final y spoke. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† he said. â€Å"I didn't mean to freak you out. Some family stuff came up, and I've had to be out of touch. I'm back now.† Bonnie knew that Elena or Meredith would have said something pithy and cutting here, something to let Zander know exactly how little they appreciated being forgotten about, but she couldn't bring herself to. Zander sounded rough and tired, and there was a break in his voice when he said he was sorry that made her want to forgive him. â€Å"You left me outside alone,† she said softly. â€Å"A girl disappeared that night.† Zander sighed, a long sad sound. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said again. â€Å"It was an awful thing to do. But I knew you would be okay. You have to believe that. I wouldn't have left you in danger.† â€Å"How?† Bonnie asked. â€Å"How could you know?† â€Å"Just trust me, Bonnie,† Zander said. â€Å"I can't explain it now, but you weren't in danger that night. I'l tel you about it when I can, okay?† Bonnie shut her eyes and bit her lip. Elena and Meredith would never have settled for this kind of half explanation, she knew. Not even half an explanation, just an apology and an evasion. But she wasn't like them, and Zander sounded sincere, so desperate for her to believe him. It was her choice, she knew: trust him, or let him go. â€Å"Okay,† she said. â€Å"Okay, I believe you.† Zander let out another sigh, but it sounded like one of relief this time. â€Å"Let me make it up to you,† he said. â€Å"Please? How about I take you out this weekend, anywhere you want to go?† Bonnie hesitated, but she was starting to smile despite herself. â€Å"There's a party at Samantha's dorm on Saturday,† she said. â€Å"Want to meet there at nine?† â€Å"There's something peculiar going on at the library,† Damon said, and Stefan twitched in surprise at his sudden appearance. â€Å"I didn't see you there,† he said mildly, looking out onto his dark balcony, where Damon leaned against the railing. â€Å"I just landed,† Damon said, and smiled. â€Å"Literal y. I've been flying around campus, checking things out. It's a wonderful feeling, riding the breezes as the sun sets. You should try it.† Stefan nodded, keeping his face neutral. They both knew that one of the few things Stefan envied about Damon was his ability to change into a bird. It wasn't worth it, though – he would have to drink human blood regularly to have Power as strong as Damon's. Elena's face rose up in his mind's eye, and he pushed her image away. She was his salvation, the one who connected him to the world of humans, who kept him from sinking into the darkness. Believing that their separation was only temporary was what was keeping him going. â€Å"Don't you miss Elena?† Stefan asked, and Damon's face immediately closed off, becoming hard and blank. Stefan sighed inwardly. Of course Damon didn't miss Elena, because he was undoubtedly seeing her al the time. He'd known Damon wouldn't abide by the rules. â€Å"What's the matter?† Damon asked him. His voice was almost concerned, and Stefan wondered what his own face looked like to get that kind of reaction from Damon. Damon who had probably just seen Elena. â€Å"Sometimes I'm a fool,† Stefan told him dryly. â€Å"What do you want, Damon?† Damon smiled. â€Å"I want you to come do some detective work with me, little brother. Real y, anything's better than seeing this sulking, forehead-wrinkling brooding expression on your face.† Stefan shrugged. â€Å"Why not?† Stefan leaped down from the balcony with perfect grace, and Damon fol owed swiftly behind. As Damon led the way to their destination, he fil ed Stefan in on the details. Or rather, the vague scenario Stefan could gather from Damon's explanation. Damon never was one for ful disclosure. Al Stefan knew was that some research at the library had prompted a sketchy warning from an old librarian. Stefan inwardly chuckled at the thought of a frail old woman squaring against Damon over library fines. â€Å"What were you looking at?† Stefan asked, trying to get any more substantial information. â€Å"What did she want you to stay away from?† He shifted on the rough branch of the oak tree they were both sitting on, trying to get comfortable. Damon had a habit of sitting in trees, Stefan realized. It must be a side effect of spending so much time as a bird. They were on a stakeout outside the librarian's home, but what exactly they were looking for, Stefan wasn't sure. â€Å"Just some old photographs from the school's history,† Damon said. â€Å"It doesn't matter. I just want to make sure she's human.† He peered through the window nearest their tree, where an elderly woman was sipping tea and watching television. Stefan noted with irritation that Damon seemed a lot more at ease in the tree than Stefan did. He was leaning forward, resting graceful y on one knee, and Stefan could sense his sending questing strands of Power at the woman, trying to find out whether there was anything unusual about her. His balance seemed awful y precarious, and he was completely focused on the old woman. Stefan inched toward Damon on the branch, stretched out a hand, and suddenly shoved him. It was extremely satisfying. Damon, his composure shaken for once, let out a muffled yelp and fel out of the tree. In midair, he turned into a crow and flew back up, perching on a branch above Stefan and eyeing him with a baleful glare. Damon cawed his annoyance at Stefan loudly. Stefan glanced through the window again. The woman didn't seem to have heard Damon's shout or the crow's caw – she was just flipping channels. When he looked back at Damon, his brother had regained his usual form. â€Å"I would think playing a trick like that would go against your precious moral code,† Damon said, fastidiously smoothing his hair. â€Å"Not real y,† Stefan said, grinning. â€Å"I couldn't help myself.† Damon shrugged, seeming to accept Stefan's playfulness as good-natured, and looked through the librarian's window again. She had gotten up to make herself another cup of tea. â€Å"Did you sense anything from her?† Stefan asked. Damon shook his head. â€Å"Either she's bril iantly hiding her true nature from us or she's just a peculiar librarian.† He pushed himself off the branch and leaped, landing lightly on the grass far below. Either way, I've had enough, he added silently. Stefan fol owed him, landing beside Damon at the bottom of the tree. â€Å"You didn't need me for any of that, Damon,† he said. â€Å"Why did you ask me to come with you?† Damon's smile was bril iant in the darkness. â€Å"I just thought you could use some cheering up,† he said simply. Clearly, it wasn't the librarian Stefan should be worried about acting peculiarly.

Capital Budgeting Methods for Corporate Project Selection

Capital Budgeting Methods for Corporate Project Selection In a 2001 Graham and Harvey survey of 392 chief financial officers (CFOs) asked â€Å"how frequently they used different capital budgeting methods? † Approximately 75% of the CFOs replied that they use net present value (NPV) or Internal Rate of Return (IRR) always or almost always (Smart, Megginson & Gitman, 2004, pg. 251). Projects are viewed as capital investments in the corporate world, and as such, are evaluated closely for their possible financial impacts on the â€Å"bottom line† due to their higher risk of failure.Capital investments are those that are considered long-term investments such as manufacturing plants, R&D, equipment, marketing campaign, etc. , and capital budgeting is â€Å"the process of identifying which of these investment projects a firm should undertake† (Smart, Megginson & Gitman, 2004, pg. 227). According to Smart, Megginson & Gitman, there are three steps in the capital budgeti ng process: * Identifying potential investments Analyzing the set of investment opportunities, identifying those that will create shareholder value, and perhaps prioritizing them * Implementing and Monitoring the investment projects selected This paper will focus on step two, and will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the four most common methods that are utilized for evaluating, selecting and prioritizing projects in the corporate world. Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Straight/Discounted Payback Period and Profitability Index are the four of the most come methods used during step 2 of the capital budgeting process.Four fictional potential capital investments will be used to illustrate how the different methods can affect project selection for a portfolio. THEME PARK CAPITAL INVESTMENTS A theme park senior executive management team had four capital projects presented during the last capital budget meeting. The projects are a $250M park expansion, $50M value resort renovation, $500M new moderate resort construction and $200M new value resort construction. All these projects have similar completion time frames and have 20 year life expectancies.Years 1 to 5 cash flows for each project come from the pro formas, and Years 6 -20 are based on an expected 2% per increase in cash flows. The company has $750M to invest on capital projects this year, and they must decide which projects should be approved. NET PRESENT VALUE Net Present Value is the sum of discounted future cash flows and provides the appropriate adjustments for the time value of money. In short, NPV is the reverse of compounding interest, and this process begins with the selection of a â€Å"discount rate. † According to Smart, Megginson & Gitman, pg. 01, â€Å"A project’s discount risk must be high enough to compensate investors for the project’s risk† The discount rate can be based on the inherent risk of a project, the required rate of return on shares, cost of equity, etc. The discount rate should not be one rate for all projects with in a firm, but reflect the nature of the project. The formula for NPV is: In this calculation, CFt represents the net cash flow of the year and r is the selected discount rate. CF0 usually represents the initial outlay to get the project started, and is usually a negative cash flow.As a rule, projects with a negative NPV are not approved, but a â€Å"hurdle† could be set such as projects with a NPV

Development and Training – Essay

Effective training plans teach employees the skills ND behaviors that help the organization achieve their defined goals. Struck is the number one specialty coffee retailer serving millions of people in 16,000 locations in 50 countries (Struck, 2010). Struck employees go through vigorous training to ensure that each cup of coffee Is brewed to perfection. While Struck may have a well-trained staff, errors can be made, and additional training may be needed.The needs assessment is the process of evaluating the organization, individual employees, and employees' tasks to determine what kind of training, if any, is necessary. An organizational analysis of Struck shows that It Is an organization that concentrates on serving a niche market and needs to continually update its workforce on specialized skill sets. Effective training objectives have three components and should include the following measurable performance standards: 1 A statement of what the employee Is expected to do, the perform ance or outcome. . A statement of the quality or level of performance that Is acceptable. 3. A statement of the conditions under which the trainee is expected to apply what he or she learned. Data gathered from the organization, and task analysis will help identify raining materials needed to develop an effective training program. Struck Is a successful company not only because it serves a great cup of coffee but also because the company has developed a great culture with a leading training program for its managers and employees.One of the first things that a new employee at Struck learns is that all employees are called partners. Struck calls their employees partners because they openly value and respect each partner and acknowledge that their success would not be possible without the contributions they make on a daily basis. Partners are coached on the Star Skills, three guidelines for on-the-job interpersonal relations: (1 ) maintain and enhance self-esteem, (2) listen and acknow ledge, and (3) ask for help (Struck, 2010).Struck has numerous proprietary processes and recipes so they do not often contract or outsource their training. Most of the training partners receive is hands-on and provided by experienced partners and the management team at the store. The bulk of a new partners training Is spent on proper beverage preparation. This training Involves such satellites as grinding the beans, steaming milk, learning to pull perfect shot of espresso, remembering the correct amount of shots and syrup pumps the different FIFO Arles require, Ana practice, practice, practice on making ten core coffee Diverges.Struck sets drink standards to be memorized and followed. Milk must be steamed to at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit but never more than 170 degrees unless the customer requests it to be hotter. Always pull a perfect espresso shot if the shot is shorter than 18 seconds or longer than 23 seconds it must be tossed out. Always have fresh coffee a new pot is to be b rewed every 20 minutes. If a customer is satisfied with his or her experience or beverage partners are empowered to compensate them with a Struck coupon for a free drink (Thompson & Strickland, 1999).Additional lessons are provided on how to clean the milk wand on the espresso machine and how to calibrate the espresso machines for the perfect grind. The amount of information that a new partner has to process can oftentimes be overwhelming so to help out they are provided with laminated recipe cards for all the drinks on the menu and a pocket-sized green apron book that covers the star skills and fits perfectly their green apron, online training for the cash register and loneliness standards, and the support of all the other partners on the floor.The training received by partners can seem intense but the teamwork and culture created leaves customers with such great impressions the often return Just for the enjoyable experience As the staff becomes seasoned, some of the training gets forgotten and mistakes happen. â€Å"In its campaign to revive the intimate, friendly feel of a neighborhood coffee shop, Struck orchestrated the closing of 7,100 of its American stores at precisely 5:30 p. M. Or a three-hour retraining session for employees† (Grumman, 2008, Para. 2). The training objective is primarily focused on recipe consistency so Struck decided their plan would be more effective by incorporating in-house expertise as part of the training medium. The program will combine the presentation and hands-on training methods where employees receive information individually, and in a group sessions to have the opportunity to actively practice the specific skills being taught.The group sessions allow employees to discuss new techniques to improve the taste and texture of drinks as well as share best practices for maintaining beverage consistency while adhering to the standards or espresso shots and milk quality. Refresher training is an excellent tool to keep seas oned staff trained on the basics and to reduce the amount of errors made. This type of training is very informal and can be done at the store as opposed to in a classroom. An on-the-spot correction is a type of refresher training that can be done relatively quickly.If an employee makes an error making a cup of coffee, he or she can be given refresher training immediately. Managers will have to ensure that this training is not done to demean the employee, but to re-inform him or her of the proper steps. Another on-the-spot correction that can be made is with customer service. Each employee is given four hours of customer service training before entering a store. Sometimes, the basics can be forgotten, and human nature can override training on any given day.In this case, managers can pull an employee aside and remind him on how important customer satisfaction is to Struck. Again, this is not meant to embarrass the employee, but simply to retrain the basics. It is important that refres her training be done at the store and not in a different location. On-the-spot corrections cannot be trained in a classroom because it loses its efficiency. This training needs to happen immediately (or a few hours) after an error NAS occurred so ten employees can learn ten proper steps quickly Ana prevent Torture errors of that nature.It is also important to note that employees learn better in their own environment and would be able to use their refresher training immediately. Once the training needs and objectives are identified, training materials are created, and the training medium is agreed upon the next step is implementation of the training process. The way people learn is an important factor to consider in the implementation process of any training program. Learning objectives must be communicated clearly and presented distinctly so that trainees link the subject matter to their Jobs and the organization's goals.Multiple delivery techniques can be used to train employees su ch as traditional presentations or lectures that are given in classroom settings, the use of computer-based training (CB) on-line, internships or work-study mentoring programs, simulation training, or hands on-the-Job training (JOT) techniques. The training context or physical environment should mirror the work environment. Training sessions and materials should use familiar terms, concepts, and examples.Any of the techniques Struck selects is dependent on their training objective, the materials covered, and the timeshare in which the employee is expected to develop the learned traits. When the course objectives call for presenting information on a specific topic to many trainees, classroom instruction is one of the least expensive and least time-consuming ways to accomplish the goal. The refresher training program Struck developed is centered primarily on JOT techniques and is expected to be more effective because the trainers will enhance heir lectures with Job-related examples an d trainees have opportunities for hands- on learning.The on-site instructors or facilitators are available to answer questions and give immediate corrective feedback. Evaluation is an integral part of the training and development process. Evaluation tools help to determine the effectiveness of the training programs and materials that employees receive. Evidence suggests that because of insufficient budget or time, lack of expertise, blind trust in training solutions or lack of methods and tools, the evaluations are often inconsistent or missing (Ma, 2006).At Struck it is all about the customer experience customer satisfaction is how Struck evaluates the effectiveness of their training processes. They have implemented a few processes to get feedback from their customers these include secret shoppers, customer comment cards, customer care phone number, and online surveys that print on random customer receipts throughout the day. All of the information is gathered together and sent dir ectly to the store management, the management to assess the training needs for their store then uses the comments and feedback provided.The first order of good service in the food industry is employee knowledge. Employees should know about the organizational goals, the products, and their preparations as well as the ability to share that knowledge with customers. If an employee does not know or understand what they are talking about they cannot sell or serve effectively (Turning, 2000). Struck offers a dizzying array of coffee drinks and expects their employees to be fully versed in how to make the drinks consistently because this is the foundation of the Struck concept.

Motivation and Gender Differences in Gym Activity Essay

Motivation and Gender Differences in Gym Activity - Essay Example Attending the gym and maintaining health and physical vigor has now emerged as a serious matter that needs solemn discussion. It is common knowledge that many are attracted to gym activities and they give greater concern to it and they consider it equal to any other activities or part of their daily routine. Regardless of age or gender, one can see people attending the gym, motivated by different reasons. While some attend gym activities for maintaining physical health/fitness, some others attend it for competence. Some people attend gym activities for performance or for getting noticed in social spheres. The study is based on the role of motivation for exercise in the gym and also the preference of activities on the gender differences in the gym. In the modern world, people are suffering from various health problems leading to many diseases; so nowadays people take initiative to prevent health problems themselves. There are many benefits to people who are engaging in physical activi ties, including relief from heart disease, diabetics, obesity, cancer, and such other diseases. Majority of the people realize the need for exercise from their own experiences and also by observing from others, but yet some others will not do any exercises until they get external motivation. Some physical activities like jogging, walking, and so on help people to relax their mind as well as help to meet new people and build new relationships. Incentives play an important role in motivating people for doing exercises. Nowadays people consider the gym as an important aid to build and maintain a good body. In the past, the gym was considered as a place only for men but now women also take part in gym activities. Women concentrate on activities like yoga, cycling, and dancing whereas the males focus on the shaping and building of their body. This study includes the two types of hypothesis; firstly, the majority of males engage in anaerobic activities whereas the females concentrate on a erobic activities and secondly, the motives of the participants are based on personal interest.

Organised Crime and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organised Crime and Terrorism - Essay Example It was not long ago that airliners were not allowing people on board who carried toothpaste with them because of the fear that some explosive elements might be contained therein. The same case applies to other ordinary things like clothing. Today there are mandatory strip searches at airports to sniff out even the most hidden explosive or weapon before it gets into the plane. Even shoes and other ordinary things, considering the Reid case, have been used in an attempt to cause terror. Of course in this case it was a shoe bomb. As the terrorists have become adept with their clandestine activities, so have countries and especially security agencies. They have introduced sweeping measures like surveillance on suspicious targets, wiretapping of mobile phones belonging to suspects among other measures. In general, the focus of governments has moved from its previous reactive state to a more pro-active state where the gathering of intelligence is the new battleground between these two foes . These and many others shall be the focus of this paper. There shall be a special focus on the U.K and the legislative options that have been introduced to sniff out this new threat (Campbell 2013). There has been wide ranging legislation that has been introduced in the United kingdom to curb terrorism and organized crime, both of which are very much evolving situations. The rate at which such legislation has been introduced, not only tells of the severity of these crimes but also the extent to which the government is ready to go to ensure that the citizens are safe. Since the Blair premiership the laws that have been introduced include the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, the Terrorism Act 2006 and the Counter- Terrorism Act 2008. This flood of legislation is a reflection of the speed at which this threat is evolving (Hanman 2013). Governments have had to put in place, at times controversial measures to ensure that no terrorist slips through the dragnet. One of these controversial measures is wiretapping. Basically, the police are allowed to listen in on conversations of people that they suspect to have intentions of causing ter ror or any other harm on great scale (Barrett 2013). There has been an assessment of the role and effectiveness of wiretapping in the wake of several terror related activities. This form of intelligence gathering has been found to be very effective. There are several ‘wanna-be’ terrorists in the U.K. Most of them are Muslims of Pakistani origin. Several of them make multiple trips to their native countries to receive training mostly offered by Al-Qaeda, the Taliban among other groups. The credentials of wiretapping therefore are not what is under debate here. There are much more serious issues (The Guardian 19th march 2009). As a case officer, I would recommend wiretapping so as to obtain even more information about these terrorist sympathizers and their intentions. We already have the mobile number (07097911156) of Hector from the from Tinkers mobile phone. Wiretapping is allowed under the anti-terrorism laws as a last ditch measure to ensure national security. The onl y grey area as pertains its use is the fact that until very recently, information obtained thus was not admissible in court (The Guardian 6th February 2008). By listening in on conversations by Hector there is a great likelihood that we shall get even

Define the term middle class and discuss the factors that led to its Essay

Define the term middle class and discuss the factors that led to its growth in the early nineteenth century - Essay Example This was the emergence of the real middle class society in America. Over the periods, various factors have contributed to the development, sustenance and elimination of the middle class depending on the prevailing circumstances which has led to the ever changing definition of the members of the middle class group (Murrin, et al, 14). Apart from rewards for the war veterans, the key factor which led to the emergence and development of social class in America can be dated back to the effects of the agrarian revolution of the 18th century and the industrial revolution of the 19th century. During the agrarian revolution, people who could acquire some piece of land, apart from the colonizers, and were able to employ at least a few people on their land, managed to live more comfortable lives than the others and were therefore considered as the middle class (Temin, 36). In the industrial revolution, people who were employed to work as supervisors in the industries were capable of earning good pay to make them lead better lives thus becoming the middle. Today, the middle class is defined as those people capable of owning at least two cars and living comfortably but will struggle if they missed paycheck for two months. They are actually not

Effects of package warnings on the demand of tobacco Thesis Proposal

Effects of package warnings on the demand of tobacco - Thesis Proposal Example the costs to society are directly linked to the number of individuals that smoke, broad based movements towards decreasing smoking and seeking to break nicotine and/or tobacco dependence have been sought after. Necessarily, these stake holders have come to recognize that decreasing the demand for tobacco products has a direct level of impact on the negative effects that tobacco can cause within society as a whole. Not surprisingly, one the ways to decrease smoking and tobacco usage has been to utilize especially horrific warnings and direct representations of harm that such behavior can cause; invariably on the product itself. Ultimately, the research that has thus far been conducted, within such articles as â€Å"Liability of Cigarette Manufacturers for Lung Cancer: An Analysis of the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act†, has indicated that these warning labels have not had the desired effect with respect to decreasing smoking and tobacco usage (Thornton, 2007). As a function of seeking to understand this topic to a more full and complete degree, the following research will be concentric upon researching two groups, a control and a test group. The control will of course not be influenced by warnings and packaging as a function of tobacco legislation or government intrusion into consumer markets. However, the test group will have been exposed to such warnings and the researcher will seek to draw inference based upon how these groups score with respect to the overall rates of quitting tobacco products that they exhibit (Green, 2006). Ultimately, a noted difficulty within such a methodology is consistent with the fact that the test group and the control group will not be drawn from the same society or even nationality; due to the fact that legislative requirements for cigarette labeling and warnings do not exist in certain places of the globe. However, the alternative to such a research design would be to reach back in history and seek to meas ure

Intellectual Property Law Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intellectual Property Law Master - Essay Example For the purpose of identification of the source of goods or services, marks enable consumers to ensure expected quality. Further, marks help consumers to identify goods and services that meet their individual expectations. Additionally, trademarks ensure accountability and responsibility for in the absence of these, a seller's mistakes or low quality products would be untraceable to their source. Therefore, trademarks not only provide an incentive to maintain a good reputation for a predictable quality of goods but also make it essential to be responsible for the quality and price of the goods manufactured or sold. One of the main underlying purposes of trade mark law is to protect the owner's investment in the quality of the goods or services sold from dilution due to unfair competition and deceptive advertising by unscrupulous competitors. With the purpose of defining which goods or services a company has rights over, all goods and services in the world are categorised into 45 (formerly 42) internationally recognised categories. A trade mark registration will only be for some of these categories. Further, within each category the trade mark application must specify exactly which goods/services are claimed. For instance, most trade mark registries will not accept applications which try to claim all goods in Class 1. Trademarks must be Trademarks must be actively used and defended in contrast to other forms of intellectual property such as copyrights and patents. A copyright or patent holder may "sit on" his creation and prevent its use, but a company claiming (even registering) a trademark that fails to make active use of it, or fails to defend it against infringement, may lose the exclusive right to it. Further, if a court rules that a formerly trademarked term has become "generic" through common use or in other words the average consumer doesn't realize it is a trademark, it may also be ruled invalid. (Trademark, 2006). In the sequel the registrability of certain types of marks under the 1994 Trade Marks Act, including the grounds for their acceptance or refusal will be contemplated. One, the trademark smell of roses as applied to Rambling Rose Dolls. Amendment to the U.K. Trademark Act in 1994 has resulted in a number of scent registrations being issued in the U.K. These include the registration of the smell of roses as applied to car tyres (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd., Registration No. 2,001,416). In addition, applications for scent marks in other European countries have also originated and the OHIM has permitted the registration of a trade mark comprising "The Smell of Fresh Cut Grass (Application No. 428,870) for tennis balls. This mark is also registered in Benelux (Registration No. 591,693). (Sarginson, Lloyd C. & Sversky, Lillian, March 29, 2000). Many a time the purpose of scents is to increase the attractiveness of products. However, it is highly unlikely that potential consumers will associate these fragrances with the product and hence it makes the task of establishing adequate distinctiveness on this basis difficult. In order to be registrable a s mell mark: 1. It must be established that the smell is either used or will be used as a trademark. 2. The smell is an additional component created by the manufacturer and does not arise from the goods or services. 3. The public either associates or will associate the smell exclusively with that

Laterality Differences in Native Arabic Speakers and English Speakers Article

Laterality Differences in Native Arabic Speakers and English Speakers - Article Example This first for example tests whether an English speaker is able to give right ear preference in hearing Arabic sounds and vice versa. This was then extended to include the other categories. Although the majority of tests showed no significant differences for left or right ear perception i.e. showed no suggestion of lateralized perception, at least one from each of the 4 categories of objectives did show evidence of a significant difference at the 5% level of significance. In the first set of tests in which all participants were exposed to both native and non-native sounds to observe any lateralized perception, it was found that each group of speakers had lateralized perception for their own native language but not for the non-native language. That is, the lateralized perception was evident amongst Arabic speakers during the Arabic language test, and amongst English speakers during the English language test, but not during the language test that was in a foreign language for each group. The significant finding was that in these cases, the average scores for right-ear perception was greater than the average scores for left-ear perception. Furthermore, in a comparison bet ween the two tests, the average score on the Arabic language test was significantly greater than the average score on the English language test for right-ear perception in the case of Arabic language speakers, and left-ear perception in the case of English language speakers. Whereas the above was as expected, when the three factors of handedness, gender, and native language were studied, the results were more interesting, and lateralization was evident in one of the 4 instances for each factor. In the English language test, gender was the only significant factor whereas, in the Arabic language test, the other two factors rather than gender were significant.

U.S. based Healthcare Organization Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U.S. based Healthcare Organization - Case Study Example long-term goals that are meant to help the people in the United States and in order to accomplish the objectives it has laid down various strategies that involve its staff and management in heading in the right direction. The United Healthcare Group is one of the leading health insurers that offer a diverse number of plans and services to individuals and group customers. This enables them to reach a wide variety of customers and their different types of needs. They are able to access services and doctors that offer high quality services that benefit their wants and needs. The United Healthcare Incorporation is ready and willing to address the healthcare needs of the citizens of the United States and has objectives aimed at efficiently benefiting them in the long term. It provides health benefits segments and plans and also Medicare, Medicaid and vision that I supplemental and dental options as well. This incorporation has come up with programs that include prevention and management of diseases such as diabetes and Hepatitis C (Holtzman, Glass, Averhoff 2012). This will prevent harmful diseases from being a crisis in the long term because they will be prevented and managed as early as now, for instanc e diabetes. It also provides a variety of cost effective managed care alternatives. These alternatives are aims at meeting the needs of organizations and fit into their budget. He broad network of contracted providers wishes to offer help to the people whether in groups, individuals or community as they also include a community plan. The community plan also has a Tenn Care Medicaid Plan that supports adults, pregnant women and children as well as the elderly and those with disabilities and meets income requirements. The United Healthcare Incorporation has various strategic plans that are aimed at promoting the incorporation’s network growth and ensuring that they continue offering the best of their services to their customers. The clients have the opportunity to

Budgets at the Federal, State, Local and Agency Levels Term Paper

Budgets at the Federal, State, Local and Agency Levels - Term Paper Example All of them collect revenue, usually through the form of taxes and make necessary expenditures for the operation of the various departments that comprise their role as provider to the people. With the exception of salaries and other operational expenses, their primary responsibilities are to provide services, programs and funding to various segments of the population. Federal, state, local and agency levels all have their own various programs, offices and duties that contribute to the intricate workings of the national economy as a whole. They are though each inherently individual decision-making bodies. Thornhill summarizes the most important features of a public budget as follows: †¢ The budget, after its approval by the legislative authority, is enforceable. †¢ The results of most of the objectives to be realized by the budget are not quantifiable. †¢ The budget brings together a variety of considerations. †¢ As the objectives of action taken by public institut ion differ widely from those of private organizations, the processes for determining the content of a public budget are therefore unique. †¢ Authorities do not always adapt their expenditure to fit their available revenue. (check citation from original Thornbill, 1984) . Budgets at the Federal, State, Local and Agency Levels Faced with the past decade of national deficits, the recession, and other difficult situations, the United States government has had to set forth a plan to reduce debt, cut spending and increase revenues. In the news as of late because of our enormous debt and the need to raise the debt ceiling or face negative ramifications by defaulting on our loans from the World Bank. Paying higher interest rates and a reduced credit rating that would cost the US a substantial amount in interest would also have increased our debt rather than alleviate it. The government therefore has had to arrive at a budget for the coming year that would substantially cut spending to stave off further economic decline. In efforts to balance the budget, President Obama has focused on reducing military spending by reducing the number of troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq, minimal cuts in other government programs and increasing revenue with more uniform tax rates for all citizens coupled with fewer loop holes for corporations and other businesses. The nations budget is characterized by largely proportionate amounts set forth for areas of prime importance. Defense at roughly 30% , Health care at 21.5% , Social Security, 20%, Income Security at 14% and although considerably lower at 8.5% for education and job training. Other areas such as NASA and scientific discovery, Natural Resources, Immigration and Immigration Law Enforcement are all set at nearly 1- 2% and comprise the remaining 15%. In the political climate of today it is essential to spend on matters of defense and the US as leaders in promoting democracy and assisting our neighbors in need has come to the forefront since the beginning of the century. Social Security, Healthcare and Income Security, in total amount to roughly 55% is a huge sum of the budget assigned to taking care of the nation’s people. President Obama firmly believes that the road to recovery is in educating the nation’s youth and enhanced job training, so that we can advance with the times and better prepare ourselves to grow as leaders in the highly competitive world. He specifically points to areas of medicine, technology and science. 8.5% for education and job training. President Obama also hopes to increase our Gross Domestic Product with an increase in exports and foreign investments. By creating a greater demand globally and enhancing foreign trade relations. In

Video game violence Essay Example for Free

Video game violence Essay Video Game Violence Law Poses Questions, is an editorial located in the online magazine V Planet. Vance Velez, the author of the controversial issue, opposes the Washington law involving specific forms of video game violence, which is on the verge of being passed in the Legislature. He successfully persuades his audience that the Washington law limits people’s rights and that they should take a stand against the proposed law. His audience includes people who are in favor of the Washington law, concerned parents, and adult video gamers that oppose the Washington law, who are, in his definition, those 18 or older. Those who are in favor of the law may include politicians, or mothers who can relate to influential violence on children. Adult video gamers are those who enjoy playing video games as a favorite pastime, just like golf or aerobics, for most Americans. â€Å"Its no argument that video games are becoming more violent†, states Velez. â€Å"Many parents and politicians oppose the violence; some even want to get these kind of video games banned. † A politician who opposes this specific form of violence is Mary Lou Dickerson. Mary Lou Dickerson is a State Legislator who has proposed a law to restrict certain violent material in video games. The proposed law, which is quoted in the editorial, states: Levies a fine up to 500 dollars on anyone who rents or sells to someone 17 or younger computer games in which the player kills or injures a human form that is depicted as a public law enforcement officer. Police officers and firefighters are included in that classification. † Velez addresses many flaws in the proposed law in detail and also explains some consequences that may occur if the law is passed. Vance Velez is the author of many editorials that appear on this online magazine. His broad knowledge of video games allows him to pinpoint the main problems of the law. He successfully persuades people that are in favor of the law, that it may, in the long run, actually harm our youth. The authors main argument throughout the editorial is backed by issuing a series of examples how many games that do not endanger young children, may be banned because of a faulty law. He mentions that passing the law will limit people’s rights and may also act as a gateway law, to limit others rights. â€Å"If they take away our right to have fun and view what we enjoy, then what else will they take away when violence is still present in our society? † Vance Velez explains in detail why people should oppose the Washington law on video games. Although he does introduce and define many terms involving video games, he expects the reader to at least have some knowledge about video games. He addresses many games, like Simcity and Grand Theft Auto, which have been in the mainstream lately; therefore, readers must be up to date with video games and must be familiar with certain type of video games in order to understand the author’s references. Velez addresses adult video gamers and let’s them know that their precious games may be lost, so he urges them to take action and protest this pending law. Velez opposes the Washington law because it violates people’s rights. Velez stand that taking away things mature Americans enjoy would be a crime in itself because it violates the Freedom of Speech rights. In his definition a mature American is a person who knows right from wrong. He states, â€Å"The Washington law, because it’s built on fear of the unknown and lack of communication, fails to recognize the freedom of speech rights. † The author uses logos by referring to people’s values of their rights. The author opens the first paragraph with a question, Whats the right way to protect children from violence? He appeals to those who are against video game violence and lets them know that he wants safety for our youth with the use of good reasons. He gains trust from this audience by showing he wants things for the better. His definition of children includes those who have a sense of right and wrong but are still easily influenced. He believes that video games arent harming children; its some other factor that is the reason why video games are harming very young kids, such as lack of parent guidance and discipline. Velez talks about this later on in his editorial. He then uses pathos to appeal to the feelings of concerned parents, and those who are in favor of the Washington law, as he states, â€Å"This is the fourth time that politicians have tried to pass laws regulating violent content in video games. † This audience sees how helpless and unsuccessful the government is when it comes to passing these types of laws. This audience feels sorry for the government, they sort of look down at them shame. Those who are in favor of the Washington law may begin to think that people who can’t make up their minds organize our country. They may start to question the proposed law and wonder if it too, will fail. Velez quotes Mary Lou Dickerson, who explains what the state legislator actually thinks about video games in response to a lawsuit. The lawsuit filed today against Washingtons ban on sales or rentals of cop-killing games to children comes as no surprise. Certain elements of the video-game industry clearly want the right to sell any game, no matter how brutal, racist or sick, to any child, no matter how young. Velez rebuts this argument by initially stating it’s in violation of Freedom of Speech rights. â€Å"Politicians are actually trying to ban violent video games which are a pastime that many adult Americans enjoy. † By adult, Velez states that he means, â€Å"Those people who are 18 or older. † He persuades this audience to take action by standing up against the law. Velez remarks, â€Å"Taking away an individuals right to have fun and enjoy video games can be argued as a violation. † The author is addressing adult gamers when he states this because they have the ability to stand up against such laws. The author’s statements threaten adult gamers and make them have a sense of danger that their lives are being controlled. Velez begins his argument by mentioning games that are â€Å"harmless†, in his opinion, which may be banned because they violate the grounds of the Washington law. His example of the game Simcity, appeals to logos and ethos by explaining how an educational game would be in violation of the law. He says, â€Å"In the game of Simcity, you can cause a minor disaster in your city by causing a tornado, an earthquake or a flood. These disasters can destroy the police station or fire department, which would be in violation of the proposed Washington law. † His audiences are those who are for the Washington law and concerned parents when he explains how â€Å"innocent† games, according to Velez, are the victims of the proposed law. He persuades them by making them realize not all â€Å"violent video games† are harmful to children. I think if this audience is familiar with the game of Simcity, they would agree that it is not a violent game, but the author makes them realize that their values will be lost if the law passes, by the use of pathos. Many video gamers would find this offensive because they arent able to enjoy their â€Å"innocent† games. The audience’s emotions are being involved in this paragraph with the use of pathos. The author’s ethos is clarified once his familiarity and expertise with video games begin to show and as he introduces situations that are possible once the law is passed. In another example of a harmful video game, the definition according the Washington law, Velez introduces the game Rampage, where giant gorillas and lizards destroy cities, similar to King Kong. The author explains that in the game the animals are capable of crushing police stations and police cars. Rampage, which attracts gamers between the ages of eight and sixteen, would be in violation of the Washington law. The author introduces the silliness of the Washington law. He makes the audience realize that highly fictional characters arent harmful to children; however, he states, â€Å"In the governments eyes, they will make children grow up to be terrorists. † Velez describes the many holes the proposed law contains. Those who are for the Washington law are persuaded with logos in this situation because they believe it is only fair for children or even adults to have fun if the game is completely safe. They may also think of other forms of entertainment that may also be involved with this kind of law. They imagine other situations where law enforcement officers are portrayed or killed, such as in numerous movies such as, â€Å"Robin Hood† and â€Å"Lethal Weapon†. Why arent these issues being addressed? Are video games that much worse than violent movies and plays? In his last paragraph, Velez explains his beliefs involving the problems of violent video games. His finger points to government and most importantly, the childrens parents. He explains that parents have the responsibility to judge what their child sees and hears. Some adult audiences might find his accusation offensive and may get turned off by his remarks, because they are blunt and obtrusive. An example of this is when he remarks, â€Å"The parents should be responsible enough to monitor their children and make sure that that particular game does not enter the console (videogame system) itself. † Reasonable adult audiences may actually listen to hear what the author is trying to get across. His use of logos appeals to those who are in favor of the Washington law because he makes them think about how parents could be the source of the problem. They may agree that parents need to be on the look out for what is safe and unsafe for their children. Velez explains that parents allow children to play violent video games that influence children to do harm which portray video games as the main source of the problem. â€Å"Its easier to blame an image or machine than it is to blame people†, Velez said. The â€Å"parent† problem may make more sense to his opposing audience if they arent biased and read the editorial with an open mind. In conclusion, Vance Velez was very familiar with his topic, which gave him enough credibility to persuade those in his audience who are in favor of the Washington law, to think twice about their position and possibly accept his belief, that passing the Washington law is a mistake. He’s also successful at convincing adult gamers, those 18 or older, to take action against the proposed Washington law. His arguments were well thought out and convincing by using logos and pathos. However, his alternative to the Washington law was a bit broad and didn’t really include a solution. He identified the problems that might occur if the law is passed, such as the loss of Freedom of Speech Rights, but he had no feedback on how else to deal with the situation. I believe author’s overall argument was persuading even though he didn’t include a proposed solution.

Impact Of Motivation On Organizational Change Management Essay

Impact Of Motivation On Organizational Change Management Essay This study focuses on a research topic Impact of motivation on organizational change, on the basis of the theories of Research Methodology for Business. The outline of the project will cover: Chapter 1 provides the background of the study underlining main objectives, questions and hypothesis of the study. Chapter 2 focuses on general definitions. Models and theories related to motivation, leadership style influencing motivation at time of change and communication process, methods and models will be reviewed and described. References Chapter 1 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Organizations are marked by constant changes taking place in its orientation, strategies and even structural set up. The workers need to constantly adapt themselves to such changes. This often cause stress on their mindset and affect their work quality. At this juncture it is important to shove away any misconception or doubts and bring back the trust, which is extremely essential for the organizational success. In order to achieve this, internal communication needs to be strong and effective. There is a possibility the motivation in the workforce might be restored through successful communication within the organization. Information Technology provides several options for this. E-mails, intranets and other innovations help in meeting the high demand of communication during such time of alteration within the organization (Wojtecki and Peters, 2000). Face to face communication also might help a lot to sort out the differences. There have been mostly separate studies about leadership and grapevine communication. According to McKenna (2000), leadership is an art that can get the optimum work required for the organization. The leader also communicates the organizations goals to his team members. He does not discuss about the communication that is more important between the leader and the team and the effectiveness when such communication occurs in an informal way that leads to more interaction and hence develops a bond with each employee and all together leads to commitment.   According to Robert E. Hoskisson, Organizational Structure specifies the firms formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls, and authority and decision making processes. (Hoskisson, 2008, p.100) This accrues to the basic framework of assigning roles, allocation of resources and provides a basis for cooperation, coordination and communication among the organizational hierarchy (Hoskisson, 2008). Harris and Hartman discuss the problems of Grapevine. According to them, it is not a dependable source and cannot provide full information and maybe distorted (Harris Hartman, 2002). In the article, Heard it through the grapevine: for communicating during change, facts and tips by Baxter-Southward, an extensive study has been done about grapevine communication- the negatives and the positives, and how to deal with this in organizations. However the right answer can be provided by a proper survey of the opinions of managers and workers. Whether such communication actually restores the faith and motivation and can assist in successful implementation of change will be explored in this research. 1.2 Objectives, research questions and research hypotheses The objective of this study is to deal with the issue relating to organizational behavior and organizational development. This study is to analyze whether the successful communication by the organization to its employees at the time of change will result in the motivated workforce and lead to successful change or not. Additionally, the research will analyze the effectiveness of good leadership and managerial as a means to improve to motivation, productivity, employee job satisfaction and commitment. The core objectives of the study are: To study the components of resistance to organizational change viewed from the workforce. To study the motivational factors to implement change successfully To investigate whether communication is the most critical factor in implementing change Based on objectives identified, the following questions are raised: What are the components of resistance to organizational change? What are the critical motivational factors in implementing change? Is communication the most critical factor in implementing change? Based on objectives, conceptualizing structure for this research has been developed. The main variables are evidently showed through coherent analysis in the structure. Based on this structure, the null and alternative hypotheses are developed as the followings: There is a set of components of resistance to change from the organization development theory. There are critical success factors in motivating workforce to accept change. The communication factor is most critical success factor in implementing change. 1.3 Scope Change is inevitable. Whether an employee is at the higher level of or at the lower level of an organization, one thing the employee can be sure of in the future is that there will be change. In this turbulent environment it is important for the managers to react quickly. Motivation of employees at the time of change via successful communication will lead to successful communication or not will be described. Moreover, it will be analyzed whether communication can or cannot bring a motivated workforce. Further more, the current research will be focused on essence of good leaders in motivating employees and increasing productivity. Chapter 2 2.1 Change and Change Management Success is not just for survival it must be achieved in a world of intense competition, continued globalization, and rapid technology change (Schermerhorn, 1996). Currently change has become the part and parcel of every organization to predict future trends and to forecast the changes that need to be encountered. Change is an ongoing process in every organization and for the organization to be successful and survive in a dynamic environment, it is important to have effective management of human resources(Mullin, 2005). People are the major resource of any organization (MULLINS, 2005). The efficiency of staff, their commitment towards the aims of the organization, and the skills and attitudes they bring to stand on the quality of service offered will undoubtedly affect the overall success of an organization (MULLINS, 2005) So in order to achieve success, it is vital for the organization to develop communication processes, motivation processes and a working environment that will help to ensure that individuals will deliver results in accordance with expectations of management. 2.1.1 Core Principals that revolves around change: According to Bernstein (2003) over 70 % of all organizational change efforts fail to meet expectation and delivered planned results. Before implementing change in an organization it is very important for the leader to understand the difference between the change and the transition process. Additionally, a leader should keep in mind that the success of change implementation process is a key driver of how organization will deal with changes, how changes are directed and administered by the leader. According to Barons Greenberg (1990) there several principals about change: People perception about change Individual barriers to change: Economic insecurity Fear to Unknown Threats to social relationship Habits Failure to recognize need for change Additionally Barons Greenberg (1990) listed the following organization barriers to change: Structural inertia Work group inertia Threat to existing balance of power Previously unsuccessful change efforts According to Bennis, Benne, Chin, R. (1985) there are several key drivers to change: Nature of workforce Competition Technology Economic Shocks Changing social trends World politics 2.1.2Classification of change Table 1-Classification of changes According to Ackerman (1997) there are three types of changes Source: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM06299.html 2.1.3 Organization Change Management Model As per the theory proposed by Kurt Lewin there are three stages in change process as illustrated in Table 2. Figure 1-Kurt Lewins Change model Change_modellewin Source: http://ic-pod.typepad.com/design_at_the_edge/organisational_change/ Table 2-Stages in Change Process Source: http://www.change-management-coach.com/kurt_lewin.html The research conducted by Hayes in the year 2002 shows that, most of the change management process models have three phases as illustrated in Figure 2. Figure 2-Change management Process Phases Source: http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-change-process-detailed.htm 2.1.4 Resistance to Change Figure 2-Resistance to Change Resist.JPG Resistance to change consists of any employee behavior designed to discredit, delay or prevent the implementation of work change. According to Kotter (1996) resistance to change is the action taken by individuals and groups when they perceive that a change that is occurring as a threat to them. Most of actions that are taken to manage change fail due to improper planning and implementation (Coriat, 2002).There are three different types of resistance among employees (Newstrom Davis, 1993) as illustrated in Table 3. Table 3-Types of Resistance Source: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/changemmt/chngmgmt.htm According to Kotter Schlesinger (1979) there are four main reasons people in an organization resist change as described in Table 4: Table 4-Reaons for Change Source:http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_kotter_change_approaches.html Kotter Schlesinger (1979) suggested ways to deal with the changes which have been illustrated in Table 5. Table 5-Reaons for overcoming resistance to change Source:http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_kotter_change_approaches.html 2.1.5 Successful change vs. Unsuccessful change A study that is done by the Conference Board of Canada found that 66 percent of organizations that completed streamlining initiatives showed no instantaneous enhance in productivity; more than 50 percent realized no short-term profit improvement and only 30 percent actually lowered costs (Thompson McHugh, 2002). These are astounding figures that would be enough to dishearten any organization contemplating major strategic change. These results are common when organizations focus their change efforts and priorities on processes, finances and structures. There is no fool proof way of making all aspects of organizational change run flawlessly. However by valuing, respecting and communicating with people, by devoting as much effort and attention to the needs of employees, any organization is well on the way to managing change effectively (Sisson, 2002). When people are confronted with the need or opportunity to change, especially when its enforced, as they see it, by the organization, they can become emotional. So can the managers who try to manage the change (Nichols, 2000). Diffusing the emotional feelings, taking a step back, encouraging objectivity, is important to enabling sensible and constructive dialogue. To this end, managers and trainers can find it helpful to use analogies to assist themselves and other staff to look at change in a more detached way. Kotter (1996) identified eight key reasons for successful change as described in Table 6. Table 6-Successful Change Steps Description Increase Urgency Leader should set an example for there employees and should be proactive to the situation. So, that the leader can inspire people and can make real and relevant objectives. Building the guiding team Find a devoted team with right expressive dedication and right mix of skill. Get the vision right Find a team which will follow a simple vision and strategy and work on creative aspects. Communicate for Buy in Involve as many people as you can, communicate transparently and respond to people needs proactively. Use technology in favors of you and not against you. Empower action Eliminate obstacles, allow positive feedback and lots of shore up from leaders reward and recognize progress and achievements. Create short term wins Focus on short terms wins. Manage your initiates accordingly and prioritize your tasks. Finish current stages before jumping into new one. Dont Let up Encourage willpower and perseverance. Encourage ongoing process reporting, highlight achieved and future milestone. Make change stick Strengthen the importance of successful change via recruitment, promotion and new change leaders. Merge change into culture. Source: Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press, 3-15. Additionally Kotter (1996) identified eight reasons of unsuccessful change processes: Allowing too much complacency Failing to build a substantial coalition Not understanding the need for a clear vision Permitting roadblocks against the vision Not planning for short term results and not realizing them Declaring victory too soon Fail to anchor changes in corporate culture 2.2 Role of Communication and Consultation at time of Change One of the common issues faced by the organization while under going change is to find the measures for effective communication with their employees. Leaders communication and consultation is important for every management function. The effective communication and consultation plans results in successful implementation of change. The steps for communication for effective change management have been illustrated in Table 7. Table 7-Steps for Successful Communication Source: http://humanresources.about.com/od/changemanagement/a/change_lessons2.htm 2.2.1Steps in Formal Consultation process Based on Schein (1999) research formal consultation process include following main steps as described in Table 8. Table 8-Steps in formal consultation Source: http://www.goodpracticeparticipate.govt.nz/levels-of-participation/one-off-consultation/steps-in-formal-consultation.html 2.3 Motivation The level of performance of employees relies not only on their actual skills but also on the level of motivation each person exhibits (Burney et al., 2007). Motivation is an inner drive or an external inducement to behave in some particular way, typically a way that will lead to rewards (Dessler, 1978). Over-achieving, talented employees are the driving force of all firms so it is essential that organizations strive to motivate and hold on to the best employees (Harrington, 2003). In a turbulent environment where changes take place very often, therefore it becomes important for managers to analyze the level of motivation of each employee. Every individual have their own set of reasons to get motivated. Some individuals are motivated by financial factors while others are motivated by non financial factors as illustrated in Figure 3. Motivation can be classified as external or internal motivation. Finishing deadline on time is an example of external motivation. The fear of loosing a job in case of uncompleted task is an example of internal motivation. Both the external and internal motivation is equally powerful. Figure 3-Financial and Non Financial Motivators The four most powerful type of motivation that can influence an individual are listed in Table 9. Table 9-Types of Motivation Human beings are complex in nature, and are usually motivated by a combination of four elements. Figure 4 illustrates 4 types of motivation, which come together to produce four key areas for the managers to focus on when trying to motivate their employees. Figure 4-Four key elements of motivation ` Source : http://www.wishfulthinking.co.uk/2009/02/11/motivation-during-a-recession/ 2.3.1 Major Theories of Motivation Motivation is not only in a single direction i.e. downwards. In the present scenario, where the workforce is more informed, more aware, more educated and goal oriented, the role of motivation has left the boundaries of the hierarchy of management. The Figure below shows the major theories of motivation that can be applied in the working environment as well on the employees to see the impact of motivation on the organization as a whole. Figure 5-Theories of Motivation Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Figure 6-Maslows hierarchy of needs By applying Maslows theory of motivation, modern leaders and managers find way of employee motivation for the reason of worker and workforce management. According to Maslow the humans are motivated by unsatisfied needs and the needs which are at low level should be satisfied initially and then the higher order need should be looked upon. As given in Figure 6 there are five general needs of the humans that should be satisfied before the human start behaving unselfishly. Therefore, in a real work time scenario it becomes important for the leader to understand which needs is currently active for an individual employee motivation. Herzbergs Two Factor Theory Figure 7-Hygiene and Motivation factor Source:http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/figures/1472-6920-9-49-1.jpg The psychologist Fredrick Herzberg asked the questions from employees in the year 1950s and 60s for understanding employee satisfaction. The results of its finding revealed that there are some factors of a job which are constantly connected to job satisfaction, while dissimilar factors are linked with job dissatisfaction. The hygiene and motivation factors are illustrated in Figure 7. To apply Herzbergs theory, managers need to take up a two stage process to motivate people. Firstly, managers need eliminate the dissatisfactions the employees are experiencing and, secondly, managers need to help employees to find satisfaction. Equity Theory/ Social Comparison Theory Figure 8-Equity Theory Source: http://www.businessballs.com/adamsequitytheory.htm Equity theory states that employee always tend to compare the situation (Outcomes) they get while working in relation to what they invested (Inputs). Additionally they also willing to compare what are the ratio between what they get from what they put in. Moreover people also attempt to compare their input and outputs with their coworkers as illustrated below. Figure 8-Equity Comparison Source: http://www.businessballs.com/adamsequitytheory.htm 2.4Summary According to the literature the change must be consulted at the same time practices show that change can only be successful with proper consultation and internal communication process. Literature of this study suggests that it is important to implement changes with proper implementation strategy, internal communication and consultation in order to achieve goals and avoid failed change, poor morale and resistance to further change.

Liposuction Essay -- essays research papers

Liposuction is the most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States. It came to North America in 1982. At first, the doctors used it on thighs, buttocks, and the torso. Now it can be used almost all over the body. The number of liposuctions performed increased by 386 percent from 1992 to 2000. More than 350,000 liposuctions were performed in 2000. Women aren’t the only ones worried about their looks. Last year more than 99,000 men signed up for liposuction and other cosmetic procedures. The most controversial category of new patients is teenagers. Last year, 1,645 teenagers 18 years old and younger had liposuction. The best candidates fro liposuction are normal-weight people with firm, elastic skin. They should be physically and mentally healthy, with realistic expectations. It can help obese people, but it has a much higher risk of complications when more fat is suctioned out. There are two types of liposuction. The first type is the tumescent technique. First they use local anesthetics to numb the area, unless it’s a large area, then they might use a general anesthetic. They put a saline containing solution with anesthetic to reduce swelling and bruising after the surgery. Through a tiny incision, a narrow tube is inserted and used to vacuum the fat layer that’s deep beneath the skin. The tube is quickly pushed and pulled through the fat layer, breaking up the fat cells and suctioning them out. Fluid is lost along with the fat, and it’s crucial that this fluid be replaced during the procedure to prevent shock. Because of this, patients need to be carefully watched and receive fluids. The other type of liposuction is ultrasound-assisted liposuction. The doctors use a heated probe that produces vibrations. The energy it produces causes the patient’s fat cells to rupture, spilling out their oily content. Then the doctors suction out the oil. After the surgery, the patient will experience fluid drainage from the incisions. The patient will also be fitted with a compression garment to prevent swelling and blood clots. The doctor may also prescribe antibiotics to prevent infections.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liposuction is a costly procedure. It can cost anywhere from 2,650 to 9,100 dollars. It’s not usually covered by insurance, so patients have to pay full cost. Liposuction is an estimated 700 million dollar a year business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ... ...actions. The following is an example of a liposuction fatality. A mother’s death. No one knows better the Edward Mondeck and his two children, ages nine and eleven. Two years ago, Mondeck’s wife, Rosemarie, 39, decided to have a bit of tummy fat removed with a new procedure called tumescent liposuction. Typically, patients are primed just prior to surgery by injecting large amounts of extremely diluted local anesthetic and epinephrine, a drug that shrinks the capillaries, which reduces bleeding and, many practitioners say, makes it easier to suck out the fat. According to Mondeck and his lawyer, after the drugs were injected, Rosemarie went into cardiac arrest and died. Mondeck sued, and an undisclosed settlement was reached out of court. A lawyer for the physician involved declined to â€Å"get into the issues of the case† because of privacy concerns. â€Å"It was supposed to be a touch-up procedure,† says Mondeck. â€Å"All she had was a fatty area above her bellybutton.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That was just one of many. Judy Fernandes was just 47 years old. She spent ten hours on the table and died. Lisa Marinelli was just 23 years old. She died of a blood clot the day after surgery.

Essay --

Fight for your life More times than not people take their life for granted and never think twice about it. Life changes right before you, often times you don't get a warning sign or a flashing caution lights, screaming† watch out.† Sometimes there is nothing you can do to prevent life from hitting you like a five ton semi truck. You find your true strength only when being strong is the only choice you have. Waking up to half of your hair, now laying on your pillow, no longer attached to you. Struggling to pull your weak, fragile self out of bed, you must run to the bathroom because you are nauseated, yet you have no strength to actually get yourself there. Excruciating pain , uncomfortable , no energy and very weak. Not every day is like this , but majority of them seem to be . It feels as if there is a demon trapped inside you an enemy, something I cannot explain, sucking the life right out of me. Looking in the mirror a stranger stares back at me, Pale skin, bald head, fragile, girl who looks diseased, sickly and almost inhuman. I did not always look like this; I was once a very beautiful, fair skinned girl with long blonde hair. It not only changes your appearance but it changes your entire life. Undergoing countless scans , tests that seem never ending, lights flashing , machines beeping ., needles jabbing your already bruised arms. Sitting through four sometime's five hours of chemotherapy , while hooked up to countless bags of medicine being shot through your veins. Surgery after surgery, praying you will wake up after this one and praying this will be the last. It is a long dark scary road to recovery and many do not make that journey. My entire world changed with the b... ...ught if I could touch just one cancer patients life it would mean the world to me. I have now worked with cancer patients for many years, shared my experience and helped others through their journey down the long dark scary road to recovery. I have touched many lives ,some who remain in this world and have survived and many who have lost their battle while traveling the long dark road. I have helped spread awareness and have given many hope. Truth is many of us take life for granted, only until we face death head on. Life changes as fast as you can blink. Stop, slow down and enjoy your life . Dont let the small disasters stress you out . Cherish every second you are given because waking up tomorrow is never guaranteed. Count your blessings daily , instead of focusing on what you don't have. In a split second your life could come to a screeching halt.

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology by Neil Postman Essa

As time progresses technology increases and improves. However, this progression could pose as a serious problem for generations to come, and New York University department chair of communication arts Neil Postman expresses this concern in his 1992 book, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. In the opening of Postman’s book he expresses that technology is indeed our friend because technology provides our society with fast and easy convenience and accessibility. As with most other things, there are always two sides to everything and Postman notes, that â€Å"of course, there is a dark side to this friend† referring to technology (Postman, 1992). Many people do not address the negative sides to technology and just turn a blind eye to them so it is refreshing to have someone point them out and discuss the issues technology possess on our society. In Postman’s book that our society is redefining what family, religion, education, privacy, and history mean as a result of technology, known as technopoly. He proposes several theories about how our society got to where we currently are;including social, and symbolic traditions, and totalitarian technocracy. Postman compares technology to Thamus’ concern that writing would have an impact on an individual’s wisdom and memory. However, not all technology has been viewed negatively in Postman’s eyes. He has viewed some technologies as blessing to society; including technologies that once were provided as a helpful tool to society; including technologies such as, the printing press and clock. According to Postman, current technology is now considered a totalitarian order on society (Postman, 1992). These technologies brought beneficial aspects to society but did not control s... ... is an important issue is the impact technology has on the environment currently and for the future generations. As an educator, I would think Postman would be more incline to include this evaluation in his book. Nevertheless, Neil Postman wrote a very thought-provoking novel that should make all Americans rethink their lives, even if it is just a little bit. Postman was very critical in his novel, but he provides a wakeup call for everyone that has not come into contact with the nasty reality technology can have on society. References Mits Cash, M. C. (2000). Technopoly (Book Review). Educational Studies, 31(1), 75. Postman, Neil. (1992). Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. New York: Vintage Books. Wiener, J., & Mohr, L. A. (1994). Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. Journal Of Public Policy & Marketing, 13(2), 326-327.

How does Shakespeare demonstrate the power of the mind in Macbeth? Essay

Macbeth is a play famous for murder and its references to blood. It is usually associated with bad luck and evil; however, there is one main issue that appears time and time again throughout the play – what is it that drives the characters to do the things that they do? Shakespeare explores and presents the power of the mind in many interesting ways. These include soliloquies and slight changes in characters such as the way they talk, act or present themselves. The main character affected by the power of his mind is, of course, Macbeth. What happens in his mind basically provides the plot for the whole play. Once the witches have told Macbeth that he will be king he can either choose to ignore this piece of information or do something about it to make it come around faster. Macbeth chooses to do the latter and he kills the current king, Duncan. Lady Macbeth becomes so caught up in the series of events and excited at the prospect of being Queen that she urges Macbeth on, encouraging him to fulfil his apparent destiny and become King. In the end, the way that Macbeth presents himself and talks is completely different to the character we are introduced to at the beginning of the play. This is all due to the effect his mind power has over him. We also see changes in Lady Macbeth’s character such as paranoia and slight changes in the way she talks and thinks. The first evidence we see of mind power is in Act 1, Scene 3 where Macbeth meets the witches. Why do the witches’ prophecies in this scene have such power over Macbeth? Although Macbeth and Banquo hear the same thing, Macbeth is much more moved by the words, and I think the main reason for this is that the witches’ are speaking Macbeth’s innermost, dangerous thoughts. Once the witches say ‘Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!’ (Macbeth’s current title) it becomes apparent to Macbeth that the witches are knowledgeable and are capable of predicting the future. Shakespeare constructs the plot cleverly here. The dramatic irony of the audience knowing he has been crowned Thane of Cawdor ensures that the audience are already aware of what the witches can do before Macbeth realises. The tragedy is often blamed on the witches because they torment Macbeth by speaking his thoughts in riddles and they make Macbeth think that his greatest prize is near. However, the witches could only have so much power over Macbeth if he already had these thoughts in his head. Therefore, Macbeth himself could be blamed for the tragedy of the play. If he had already thought about killing Banquo, but thought nothing of it until the witches had confirmed the idea, you could blame him entirely for the murder. The witches know what to say and exactly how to say it, which implies that they know what Macbeth is thinking. Another line in this scene which suggests that Macbeth had already thought about becoming King or killing Duncan is when he pleads with the witches to ‘Stay you imperfect speakers. Tell me more.’ The fact that he was willing to listen to more of what the witches had to say suggests that he had thought of becoming King before and was reassured by the idea that it could really happen. Once the witches have vanished, Macbeth and Banquo visit Duncan at a room in his palace. Here, Duncan appoints Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. It is here that Macbeth begins to fully realise the impact the witches’ words are having on him. He also sees that they knew what was going to happen to him because they had said, ‘All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor’ in the previous scene. In a powerful soliloquy, Macbeth reveals his thoughts to the audience: ‘†¦Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires;’ With ‘let not light see my black and deep desires’ Macbeth confirms that he has thought of becoming King before, but does not want to show it. When he was speaking with the witches he wasn’t sure whether to believe what they were seeing and although he did think about the idea of becoming King, he never really pursued it. Once the prophecy of Macbeth becoming Thane Of Cawdor comes true, Macbeth realises that he will be king. In Act 1, scene 7 Macbeth is considering murdering Duncan but says there are many arguments against it. Some of the lines in this scene make me wonder whose initial idea the murder was and whether Macbeth really wanted to kill Duncan. Macbeth says he is enjoying the feeling of being famous and powerful but Lady Macbeth’s persuasion quickly works on him: ‘I am settled and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat.’ In the second act when Macbeth decides he is against the idea, the more persuasive Lady Macbeth is towards him, the more Macbeth submits to her taunting – ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.’ By the end of the scene, Macbeth has been made to feel so inferior by Lady Macbeth that he has taken over the planning himself. Macbeth plans to blame the murder on the two guards in Duncan’s chamber: ‘Will it not be receiv’d, When we have mark’d with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber, and us’d their very daggers, That they have done’t?’ Temporarily, Macbeth has lost his doubt and fear in the excitement of planning the murder. Perhaps the most famous act of mind power in this play, is the dagger Macbeth sees in Act 2, Scene 1. It is late at night in the castle and Macbeth meets Banquo and Banquo’s son Fleance. Banquo wants to talk about the witches’ prophecies to Macbeth. Banquo says that he has dreamt of the sisters and seems to be annoyed because they have ‘showed [Macbeth] some truth.’ Just as the three Weird Sisters predicted, Macbeth’s wishes and secret dreams of power have all come true. But along with these, so have his darkest fears. Throughout the play Macbeth continues to struggle against the images his mind conjures up against his own conscious will. Although technically, he has won the crown and been successful, he cannot enjoy himself because of the immense guilt he feels over how his mind has been poisoned by the Weird Sisters. The dagger scene is an extremely powerful example of mind power. Shakespeare uses metaphors, imagery and other dramatic cues to express Macbeth’s emotions and fear. Probably the most well known line in the play, upon seeing the dagger Macbeth says to himself, ‘Is this a dagger I see before me, The handle toward my hand?’ Macbeth realises that the dagger is only a vision created by his mind, in this question he is questioning his mind – asking himself whether what he is seeing is real or a figment of his imagination. He continues, ‘†¦art thou but A dagger of the mind,’ The way Shakespeare has written Macbeth’s speech make it seem so much more realistic. Because this play would first have been performed in a Jacobean theatre, there would have been no special effects in the theatre to emphasise the visions Macbeth’s mind were creating throughout the play. The actors would of course had to have been talented to pull off such acting without props, but the choice of words Shakespeare uses it what makes it so much more believable. Act 2 Scene 3 is the morning after the murder. In this scene Macbeth shows a variety of different emotions so it is difficult to tell what he is feeling about the murder. Also, what Macbeth says in this scene is quite ambiguous so it is quite hard to figure out what he means. When Macbeth says ‘Twas a rough night’ it could either mean that he is shocked by the night’s events or that he fears being found out. And when Macbeth says ‘Had I but died an hour before this chance I had lived a blessed time’ it is relatively easy to see that he feels guilty and regrets the murder. Another change in Macbeth’s speech is that his statements seem to be shorter and more formal. This suggests that he is on edge and is worried about being found out. In this scene, Macbeth also decides to start acting secretly, and does not communicate his plans with Lady Macbeth – ‘Be innocent of the knowledge †¦ ’till though applaud the deed’. Another major demonstration of mind power in the play is when Macbeth conjures up the image of Banquo’s ghost at the banquet in Act 3, Scene 4. Thinking about why Macbeth is so tense and anxious when he enters the room helps you to understand how his mind could have conjured up the terrible image of the ghost. Macbeth is obviously worried and guilt-ridden about Banquo’s murder, he says ‘I had else been perfect †¦ but now, I am bound in to saucy doubts and fears.’ Banquo was Macbeth’s best friend, and Macbeth had ordered him to be killed. He needed both Banquo and Fleance to be killed, but Fleance escaped. Macbeth excluding his wife from the plans is putting extra pressure on him, not to mention the relationship between the two. The banquet is the first function that Macbeth organises when he is appointed King. Therefore, he needs his guests to feel that he is a good King and is control of the banquet. When Macbeth sees the ghost and everything starts to go wrong, Macbeth is desperate to calm his important guests so that they do not think of him as not being a fitting King. The ghost in Act 3, scene 4 has an extremely powerful effect on Macbeth. He goes through different stages of acceptance, first cowering from it, then challenging it and finally, confronting it. ‘†¦the time has been, That, when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end; but now they rise again, With twenty mortal murders on their crowns and push us from our stools†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Macbeth’s fear of the ghost is completely natural. He cannot understand how Banquo could have reappeared, especially after having just been informed of his death. He challenges the ghost, ‘Hence, horrible shadow! Unreal mockery, hence!’ Macbeth confronts the ghost, ‘Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes, Which thou dost glare with.’ The ghost disappears at these words and Macbeth seems to have won by confrontation. Macbeth returns to his guests. Macbeth doesn’t realise that no one else in the room can see the things he is imagining – he assumes that they saw the ghost and is surprised by their apparent failure to react to it, ‘†¦now I think you can behold such sights, ands keep the natural ruby of your cheeks, when mine is blanched with fear.’ The sleepwalking scene is one in which Shakespeare demonstrates mind power through actions very well. Lady Macbeth is subconsciously ridden with guilt over the deaths. When she sleepwalks we see her vigorously washing her hands to scrub Duncan’s blood from her hands and asking no one in particular ‘†¦who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?’ Of course, Lady Macbeth does not still have Duncan’s blood on her hands; it is only her imagination making her think she needs to scrub her hands clean – ‘†¦all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.’ Lady Macbeth is usually seen as dominant over Macbeth, she tries to seem stronger than Macbeth and hides her fear, guilt and shame as much as possible. The way that Lady Macbeth weakens when asleep creates a very powerful image of mind power. By scrubbing her hands over and over again we can guess that, rather than trying to rid her hands of blood, she is actually trying to rid her mind of the memories of the night of Duncan’s murder. The doctor who has been called to help Lady Macbeth says that the disease is ‘beyond his practice’ and that ‘more needs she the divine than the physician.’ meaning that she has more need for a priest than a doctor to rid her of her ‘evil disease’. Lady Macbeth leaves the room soon after muttering that ‘what’s done cannot be undone’ and repeating that she must go to bed. The doctor continues trying to analyse Lady Macbeth’s disease and confides in her gentlewoman, telling her that ‘Foul whisp’rings are abroad†¦ †¦infected minds To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.’ The doctor knows Lady Macbeth is hiding something – when he says ‘deaf pillows’ it suggests that people reveal their secrets to pillows because they are deaf and therefore cannot hear or repeat what they have done. Shakespeare’s use of language is just as important as the actions of the characters in showing how powerful their minds are. Macbeth seems weary when he is told of Lady Macbeth’s death – ‘She should have died hereafter: There would have been a time for such a word.’ It is a strange reaction – he is suddenly quiet, thoughtful and almost subdued. His drive and motivation disappear. Macbeth no longer sees any point in trying to hold on to the kingship, and does not understand why he ever wanted it. †¦[life] is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing’ Macbeth also thinks that his time is coming to an end and he will die soon. He says that his actions in the past have ‘lighted the fools way to dusty death’. It seems as though, no matter what happens from this point on in the play, Macbeth can no longer return to being the person he was before the Witches poisoned and taunted him with ambition. On the battlefield, Act 5, Scene 8 Macbeth dares each man on the battlefield to kill him in the face of his seemingly infallible prophecy. ‘Why should I play the Roman fool, and die On mine own sword? Whiles I see lives, the gashes Do better upon them.’ Roman generals in defeat would commit suicide to avoid the disgrace of capture, but, in this speech Macbeth says that while he can see living enemies, he will do his best to kill them. He continues taunting his enemies until Macduff kills him. Macbeth finds out that Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped’ which is what the Witches told Macbeth earlier in the play. At this point, Macbeth realises his life has come to an end and knows that he will not survive the fight with Macduff, however he is brave enough to fight on to the end. An interesting idea is to think about who was truly responsible for the tragedy in Macbeth, other than the witches. Macbeth himself had already thought about the kingship before being told by the Witches that he could achieve it and listens willingly to what the Witches tell him. However, when the plan has been hatched, Macbeth begins to back off until Lady Macbeth taunts him enough to convince him to take over the planning again, which he eventually does. Also, many of Macbeth’s speeches are filled with threats, evil and darkness. Mind power plays a large part in Macbeth’s character – having already thought of the kingship, he was really only waiting for confirmation from someone else before acting on his thoughts. Lady Macbeth also plays a major role in the tragedy. She becomes obsessed with the news she is sent by Macbeth, and immediately hatches a plan to achieve the goal. Her speeches, not dissimilar to Macbeth’s, are also full of darkness and double meanings. When Macbeth backs down and is not so sure about the plan, she taunts him until she finally persuades him to continue. It is also Lady Macbeth who takes the knives back down to the servants after the murder and tried to make everything normal again. Lady Macbeth is greatly affected by her mind, which we see particularly in the sleepwalking scene where she continually washes and rubs her hands in an attempt to scrub away what she believes to be Banquo’s blood. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a great man. After meeting the Weird Sisters he begins to make bad choices and gets everything wrong. The effect the three Witches have on Macbeth’s subconscious mind is astonishing – they make him see things, hear things and do things he doesn’t really want to do. Along with Lady Macbeth, the Witches’ taunting and riddles possess Macbeth and turn him into a power-obsessed, ambition-crazed ‘fiend’. However, Macbeth redeems himself at the end of his life and does not die as the villain of the play. Macbeth is a tragic hero – possessed by evil thoughts, but able to redeem himself by being brave enough to fight on to the end, even though he knows he cannot win back his sanity and/or peace of mind.