Gothic Influence Essays - Architectural Styles, Vault,

Gothic Influence The church in the Middle Ages was a place that all people, regardless of class, could belong to. As a source of unity, its influence on art and architecture was great during this time. As society drew away from the feudal system of the Romanesque period, a new spirit of human individualism began to take hold; alas, the birth of Gothic. Here, the Church became a place where humanity became more acceptable, alas becoming the ideal place to visual such new ideals. The beauty and elegance of Gothic architecture is depicted most in the great cathedrals of the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries?St. Denis, Notre Dame, Chartres, Salisbury, Durham, Amiens, and more. The experience of looking at one of the great gothic cathedrals is to look up towards God. Indeed, most Gothic structures emphasize the vertical, drawing one's eyes upwards toward the heavens with the awesomeness of God. These cathedrals were built with towering spires, pointed arches and flying buttresses giving impressions of harmony and luminosity. One of the major accomplishments of the 12th and 13th centuries was to develop the engineering mastery of the ribbed vault, pointed arch and flying buttress to create a great cathedral that is at once taller, lighter, wider, and more elegant than the ones before. Even though the pointed arch could support more weight than its predecessors, there was still the problem of finding a way to support the heavy masonry ceiling vaults over wide spans. In order to support the outward thrust of barrel vaults, vertical support walls have to be very thick and heavy. What makes possible the extensive use of ribbed vaulting and pointed arches to ?open? and ?lighten? the walls and space of the cathedral is the flying buttressan arched bridge above the aisle roof that extends from the upper nave wall, where the lateral thrust of the main vault is greatest, down to a so lid pier.? [Jansen, History of Art, p. 407]. The effect is to add structural strength and solidity to the building. The visual appearance of changes from the Early and Later or High Gothic are clear, as each cathedral became increasingly narrower and taller. For instance, compare the nave elevations of Notre-Dame to Amiens [Text, fig. 442, p. 333], the pointed arches of Amiens are significantly taller and narrower than the much earlier Notre Dame. The mastery of the flying buttress allowed medieval builders to construct taller and more elegant looking buildings with more complex ground plans. Encyclopedia Britannica '97 describes the ?flying? effect of this buttress of hiding the masonry supports of the structure: ?a semi-detached curved pier connects with an arch to a wall and extends (or ?flies?) to the ground or a pier some distance away. The delicate elegance of Gothic cathedrals is different from the ?Heavy buttresses jutting out between the chapels? of Romanesque churches,. From the outside, aesthetic consideration of the flying buttresses was significant and ?its shape could express support?according to the designer's sense of style.? The flying buttress was first used on a monumental scale at Notre Dame From the outsider the flying buttresses create a seemingly bewildering mass of soaring props, struts, and buttresses, yet blend in with the rich sculpture and elaborate portals of the West fa?ade, giving the appearance of a three-story layout. [Text. P. 325-326, fig. 429 ( This contrasts visually with the plans that show the buttresses ?as massive blocks of masonry that stick out from the building like a row of teeth.? [Text. P. 325, Fig. 426].) At Chartres the flying buttress is more unique, the half arch is made of smaller arches that give more height to the already narrower and more vertical walls of the nave., as well as blending in with the colonnaded triforium wall of the nave [Text, p. 329, fig. 434, fib. 437]. In England, the flying buttress appears almost as an ?afterthought? where verticality is not as important. {English Gothic style emphasizes a ?long, low, sprawling? character compared to the compact, vertical of French Gothic. [Text. P. 336]) Flying Buttresses also made the personification of Gothic art possible, as it allowed for almost no structure support in the walls. The flying buttress lends the interior illusion of being ?amazingly

The Qualitative and Quantitative Research Strategies Drug Addiction

The Qualitative and Quantitative Research Strategies Drug Addiction There are lots of different ways to conduct proper social science research, and there are several crucial steps, which cannot be ignored and have to be taken anyway. These steps are the following: picking out a proper research topic, evaluation of possible research strategies, and making clear and strong conclusions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Qualitative and Quantitative Research Strategies: Drug Addiction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this paper, quantitative and qualitative research strategies will be used in order to investigate the topic where the issues of drug addiction are concerned. Both qualitative and quantitative research strategies are considered to be crucial for the research topic, however, each of them has its own peculiarities, pros, and cons. This is why another purpose of this paper is to evaluate what kind of research strategy is more effective and better in regards to the topic of drug addiction. With the help of real life examples, evaluation of statistical data, and taking into consideration past researches concerning rug addiction, it is possible to provide the analysis of the effectiveness of qualitative and quantitative strategies. During rather a long period of time, the theme of drug addiction has been discussed from different perspectives: drugs distribution, the differences of age between drugs’ users, possible treatment and prevention of drug addiction, etc. All these issues are under hot consideration even now, this is why proper choice of a research strategy may considerably influence further discussions of the topic and its influence on the reader. However, before start conducting research, it is crucially important to find out the differences between such issues like a perspective, a research strategy, and a research method. Each of the above-mentioned points has a concrete connection to the field of investigation, this is why it is bette r to have a clear idea of what each of them means in order not to make a mistake hereinafter. A perspective is one of the possible ways to regard and evaluate a topic under consideration, and be able to classify the content of the topic of into proper sense groups. The point is that perspectives may be quite large, this is why it is possible to create several subgroups and explain why this or that group of issues can be united. However, some people still think that a perspective and a category is one and the same thing but with different titles. In comparison to categories, which can be chosen as one category to an item, there can be several perspectives for one and the same issue. This is why, in any research, it is better to concentrate more on perspectives than on categories.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A research method is one more compound of a good investigat ion and analysis of the issue. The essence of any research method is closely connected to the purpose of any research: to present new knowledge, to explain new material, and to prove that the idea under consideration makes sense of further investigation. There are lots of different types of research methods, and each of them has its own peculiarity that can be properly used to analyze the chosen issue. Descriptive research, action research, historical research, or library research – the list of such research methods can be continued. It is necessary that properly chosen research methods and perspectives will be the significant parts of a successful research strategy. A research strategy is considered to be a plan of steps and actions that aim at improving the work, and provide a researcher with a chance to achieve real success. Usually, a research strategy has several obligatory steps: choosing a topic, deciding on the writing style, and gathering information. There are two p ossible types of a research strategy: one of them is qualitative research, and the other is quantitative research. As it can be guessed, qualitative research is all about words, evidences, and analysis. The major features of this research strategy are inductivism, constructivism, and interpretivism (Bryman, 2008). Another type of research strategy is quantitative research. According to Bryman (2008), this strategy has deductive and objective features, and may cooperate with other natural science models, which are inherent to research processes. So, without a proper research strategy, it is impossible to present a proper investigation and prove the validity of research. Research can be either qualitative or quantitative, or both qualitative and quantitative. And the effectiveness of these two research strategies is under consideration till now. The difference between a perspective, a research strategy, and a research method is quite obvious: perspectives and methods are the major con stituents of one research strategy. This is why it is necessary to choose appropriate methods and analyze the issue from appropriate perspectives in order to present a really good research strategy. The research strategies, in their turn, which are chosen to investigate the topic, can be of two types: qualitative and quantitative, and right now we will evaluate the effectiveness of one of them, discussing the problem that bothers lots of people nowadays, the problem of drug addiction.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Qualitative and Quantitative Research Strategies: Drug Addiction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Without any doubts, people cannot just stop making mistakes, this is why human mistakes are always under deep researches and discussions. Drug addiction is one of the mistakes, which lots of people can make and cannot be able to solve it. This is why to conduct good research and evaluate how terrible thi s problem can be – this is one of the possible steps to start with. â€Å"Drug addicts in prison, women and drug addiction, drugs and driving, etc† (Council of Europe, 2005, 11) – such a frequent spread of drugs should promote a huge interest to investigate the problem of drug addiction once again and choose the best research strategy. To investigate the problem of drug addiction, qualitative and quantitative research strategies will be used. With the help of quantitative methods, like numerous surveys, interviews, enumeration of cases of drug addiction, and possible estimation, it is possible to achieve such results: (1) to limit extent of drug use within population, (2) to point out the number of drug-related diseases, (3) to mention the demand of treatment, and, finally (4) to clear up prevalence of drug use. The idea of a qualitative research strategy is almost about the same methods, but several more steps, like observation and grouping, should be added to them. Due to such adding, the qualitative research strategy allows (1) to analyze the reasons of drug use, (2) to describe risk behaviour, (3) to evaluate the effectiveness of policy responses, and (4) to inform and supplement quantitative research method. According to such definitions of the aims of qualitative and quantitative research strategies, it is possible to admit that the ideas of qualitative research are better for those, who are eager to comprehend and respond to drug use, and the ideas of quantitative research provide only with certain numbers and statistics, without clear explanation. So, the first difference between how qualitative and quantitative research strategies may undertake research on the topic of drug addiction is about the explanation of drug addiction, its reasons, and outcomes. Quantitative research will be more effective in this case. Another difference between these two research strategies is connected to the questions, which can be given at the end of the investigation. Such questions like â€Å"What?† and â€Å"Why?† will be answered during the qualitative method, and the questions like â€Å"How many?†, â€Å"When?†, â€Å"How often?†, and â€Å"Where?† – are inherent to the quantitative method. Taking into consideration such difference, quantitative research strategy will be better for the discussion of the chosen topic. Finally, let us evaluate the outcomes of the two research strategies; this very evaluation will help to clear up what kind of research strategy will be better in drug addiction research.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Qualitative information is considered to be time consuming and really educative for people of any age and gender. Quantitative data is regarded as more effective and permitting to compare and contrast. However, the latter can miss lots of contextual details, which may considerably influence the outcomes of the investigation. This is why researchers should focus on qualitative research strategy more and be able to formulate both qualitative and quantitative information on the grounds on this very strategy. Drug problems appear due to many different factors: â€Å"overwhelming power of the drugs themselves†¦ consequences of faulty genes†¦ medical disease†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Levinson, 2002, 96) In order to achieve really worthwhile results and get a clear picture of why drug addiction takes place nowadays and how it is possible to prevent its spreading, attention to quality and reliable information should be paid more. Lots of people do not want to concentrate their attention on numbers only. They can be surprised and amazed of how many people are already drug addicted, however, they do not comprehend what can make so many people to use or contribute drugs. So, qualitative research will be more effective and provide readers with a chance to evaluate the situation, underline positive and negative aspects of the current problem, and make use of the received information. It is also necessary to admit that lots of qualitative researches require further investigation, and people should compare past data with present data in order to influence the results in future. To my mind, to investigate the research topic where drug addiction is concerned, a qualitative research strategy will be better in comparison to a quantitative one. Such choice is determined by several factors: (1) drug addiction should be investigated on a psychological level, this is why numbers are not always effective in this case; (2) the reasons of drug addiction and its outcomes may be better e xplained by means of qualitative information, not quantitative; (3) qualitative research strategy provide with a chance to understand the problem from different perspectives, and the same action is impossible with a quantitative research strategy. The topic of drug addiction requires context-bound investigation, the analysis of case studies, and the ability to comprehend the reasons. All these issues may be explained by means of a qualitative research strategy, this is why in this case such strategy is considered to be a better one for discussion drug addiction issue. Reference List Bryman, A. (2008). Social Research Methods. New York: Oxford University Press. Council of Europe. (2005). Drug Addiction, Part 78. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. Levinson, M. H. (2002). The Drug Problem: A New View Using the General Semantics Approach. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Business Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business Studies - Essay Example The paper is concluded with a review of making one of these secondment programmes abroad. Secondments have repeatedly been used by managers as a strategic approach to diversify employee skills and performance. The repeated use of this approach to increase the employee value has been the result of the advantages that is had on both the employees and the organisations fostering such a programme. These advantages are two-pronged in the light of the benefits that go to the employer, the employee undergoing the secondment programme. For us, such a programme makes our organisation to have a human resource pool with diverse knowledge on all the functions and processes of the organisation. With employees having the traits of occupational and functional diversity, there is security system in place to shield the effects of eventualities like sudden resignation, retirement, dismissal, death, or incapacitation from accidents. Secondly, the secondment programme would allow us train our employees in-house while keeping them on the same payroll. This results to significant savings for the company. To our employees, the secondment programme would enhance both personal and career development, thereby giving them the opportunity for varied responsibilities. Apart from paying the employees salaries we would also incur extra costs to complete the secondment programme. Such costs would be related to buying new equipment for training. It could also lead to a decrease in operational performance as time meant for work would now be reduced to train other employees. 3.1 To motivate our employees to apply for this programme, a number of incentives must be taken. This is an issue of in-house employee development programme and might come with characteristics of organisational change, the employees must be motivated to apply by making them know the importance of such a

Corruption happened in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corruption happened in China - Essay Example He said the government spent 3 billion to build the government building but because the people worked in the construction sector were venal, the accurate amount of money spent on the construction was just about 3 million. "The quality of the building was worrying", he said. Corruption had already affected too many people. In my town, a number of people who were in government and in charge of the city were venal, and many things which were their responsibility could not go on towards normal procedures. They would work for you only if you give them money. Also they would work for you no matter the things you asked them were legal or not. Many people are breaking the law everyday yet they think it is a normal practice. In my opinion, in order to stop this situation, we have to make the people in government aware of this situation and let them solve this problem, because as ordinary citizens we can barely do anything about it. I think we can gather a group of people to put out a protest. This protest needs to be carried out in a very silent way so that the mileage is good and the result discernable. I hope the people who went through the consequence of corruption could do whatever they can to stop this menace. This shall essentially set the basis for doing things the right way within China and bring an end to the immoral practices which are being compromised upon in this day and

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Education - Essay Example The American government has put in place a body that sees to it that before a school is mandated to operate; whether as a private or public school, the school undergoes certain assessment process to ensure that it meets laid down criteria and standard. This assessment process is known as accreditation. Accreditation is important in ensuring that the freedom given to people to start schools is not abused and that parents and guardians get value for the money they spend in educating their wards. One area that the issuance of accreditation has become most popular and gained a lot of public attention is at the higher education level in the US. Higher Education System in US There are several types of higher education institutions in the United States. Some of these include: Research Universities, Doctorate-Granting Universities, Master's (Comprehensive) Universities and Colleges, Baccalaureate (Liberal Arts) Colleges, Associate of Arts Colleges, Professional Schools, Specialized Instituti ons, Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Schools. According to the U.S. Network for Education Information (USNEI), Washington (2001), â€Å"current data indicate that there are some 2,819 institutions offering a Bachelor's or higher degree; 2,657 institutions offering at least an associate's degree but less than a bachelor's degree; and 4,927 institutions offering shorter non-degree programmes of less than two years duration.† These schools offer educational credentials such as High School Diploma, Associate Degree, Certificate, Bachelor's Degree, Diploma, Education Specialist, First Professional Degree, Post-Bachelor's Diploma, Master's Degree, Certificate of Advanced Study and Doctorate. Thelin, J.R., Edwards, J.R & Moyen, E (2011) see the higher education system to be just more than a set of institutions that impart knowledge. To them, higher education in the United States is an established ‘knowledge industry’ that represents about 3 percent of the gross n ational product. To this effect, they claim that â€Å"virtually every governor and legislature across the nation evokes colleges and universities as critical to a state's economic and cultural development.† It is for the sake of this important role that higher education plays to the United States that it is important to ensure that products that are produced by higher education institutions are products worth the ‘market force’. Accreditation Agencies for Higher Education Accreditation of schools in the United States dates back to the 1800s. According to the Accrediting Council for Independent Schools and Colleges, ACICS (2011), â€Å"The first regional accrediting agencies formed in the 1880s with particular focus on educational standards and admissions procedures.† The agencies kept changing till in 1996, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation took over accreditation in the United States to oversee the works of accreditation agencies like ACICS and other public and private accreditation agencies. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is generally responsible for accreditation of higher education

The Inhabitants Of Wales History Essay

The Inhabitants Of Wales History Essay The most populous Celtic community in Great Britain are the inhabitants of Wales in the western part of England. The Welsh who call themselves Cymry and their country Cymru had been Christians long before the Angles and Saxons adopted Christianity and they are proud of their literary tradition the beginnings of which predate English literature. The motif of the red dragon in the Welsh flag is a symbol of the Welsh people ´s resistance against Anglicization and of the perpetuation of their culture and language. The number of ethnic Welsh people is not known. As for the speech community of Welsh this accounts for 0.58 million speakers and they make up 21 per cent of the total population of Wales. Some 50,000 Welsh-speakers live outside Wales in other parts of England, most of them in the region of Greater London. The level of language maintenance has remained stable during the past two decades. Assimilation to English, though, has been a trend with continuity. About a hundred years ago there were still some 0.9 million Welsh speakers. Most speakers of Welsh live in the western and northern parts of Wales where the rates for language maintenance are between 40 and 50 per cent. In the South the level has fallen below 20 per cent. The Welsh language does not suffer from a lack of transmission to the younger generation like Scottish-Gaelic (> Highland Scots). In the youngest age range (i.e. between 3 and 15 years) Welsh is spoken by 32 per cent. Proficiency in Welsh is much lower in all other ag e groups, even among the older generation (i.e. 24 per cent in the age range, 65 and over). At the beginning of the twentieth century there were still 0.28 million Welsh people who could not speak English but only their native tongue. At the end of the twentieth century their number had been reduced to a minimum of 21,500 which is less than 1 per cent of the Welsh speech community. Those who speak Welsh are bilingual, speaking English as second language. Together with Breton in Brittany and Cornish, formerly spoken in Cornwall, Welsh forms the Brithonic subgroup of Insular Celtic (see Irish for the Goidelic subgroup). Already in the late sixth century, Welsh had developed local features which set it aside from other varieties of Celtic in Britain. The origins of Welsh literature are shrouded in the mist of medieval history. The works of two poets of the sixth century, Aneirin and Taliesin, mark the beginnings of a literary tradition in Welsh. Their literary works, though, are only preserved in manuscripts of the thirteenth century. It is assumed that the texts in the manuscripts are copies of much older originals. Highlights of medieval literature are the collection of narrative prose, the Mabinogion (eleventh thirteenth centuries), the codification of Welsh laws compiled by Hywel Dda (tenth century) and bardic lyrics composed by Dafydd ap Gwilym (thirteenth century). The translation of the whole Bible into Welsh was completed in 15 88. It appeared in a second edition in 1620, and its language became influential for the elaboration of a modern literary standard. Since the Welsh literary language continues language use of the seventeenth century it holds a bridging function between the modern and the ancient so that the connection with the medieval literature is not lost for the reader of today. Those Celtic tribes who had settled in Wales some two thousand years ago saw the advent of the Romans and experienced Roman rule over Britain. After the Roman conquest of Britain in 43 c.e. Wales was integrated into the Roman Empire as a region of military interest but Roman settlers did not come to live there. The Celts in Wales learned about Latin from the Roman administration but it was only during the time when Christianity spread over Britain that Latin became the vehicle of cultural and social innovation in the Celtic communities. The oldest layer of religious terminology in Welsh dates to the third and fourth century; e.g. eglwys  ´church ´ Medieval history is dominated by the struggle of the Celts in Britain against Anglo-Saxon supremacy. The historical king Arthur who has been acknowledged as the founder of the British lineage of kings rose to legendary fame as the protector of the Celtic Christians in their fights against the Germanic heathens in Britain. In the late eighth century, the king of Mercia, Offa, had an earthen wall built to separate the Celtic territory of Wales from the Anglo-Saxon settlements. For centuries, the Celts remained west of Offa ´s wall and the Anglo-Saxons east of it. Wales was finally conquered in 1282 and annexed to England. The status of Wales as a region under the authority of the British Crown was formalized in 1536, and the monopoly of English as the language of administration was confirmed. The English rulers practised a policy of apeasement to avoid social unrest by exchanging privileges for loyalty and to accept the Welsh aristocracy into their service. The Welsh à ©lite was s upposed to adopt the English language and English lifeways as a precondition to keeping their privileges. One of the lineages of the assimilated Welsh à ©lite was very successful. These were the Tudors whose representatives eventually ascended the English throne. The first Tudor to rule over England was Henry VII (reigned 1509 1547). Until the eighteenth century, Welsh society was divided into an Anglicized à ©lite of Welsh descent, loyal to the kings of England, and Welsh peasantry whose lifeways remained practically untouched by English culture. The seventeenth century saw the introduction of a Protestant movement which has dominated religious life among the Welsh up to the present, Calvinistic Methodism. Things changed with industrialization evolving, a process which unfolded in three stages on a prolonged horizon of time, ranging from c. 1780 to c. 1900. The area of southern Wales was of particular interest because of its riches in coal. The opening of coal-mines triggered a migratory movement of greater parts of the rural population to the urban and industrialized centers of the South where assimilation pressure was strong and language shift to English was swift. The British Education Acts of 1870 and 1889 stipulated English as the only medium of instruction at all schools and on all levels of education (i.e. from primary to higher), and these regulations promoted radical Anglicization. The romantic, all-European interest in the preservation of the local heritage and the movement of national awakening of the nineteenth century found its concrete manifestation in the cultural activities of the Celtic Revival. In Wales, this led to the establishment of a cultural institution, the Eisteddfod (literally  ´session ´), which was held for the first time in Aberdare in 1861. This is a sort of fair which offers a cross-section of all domains of Welsh culture and language, including literature, theater and the visual arts. The Welsh language has been a crucial issue in the process of social and political reforms since the 1940s. After four hundred years of a monopoly of the English language in administration in Wales Welsh was granted official status alongside English in 1942. This regulation first concerned only the use of both languages at court and was extended to the use of Welsh in regional and parliament elections, in 1967. Furthermore, a trio of Acts in the decade 1988-1998 provide a new statutory infrastructure and institutional context to enable social reform in education, language rights and governance, (Williams 2008: 124). Constituents of this network of reforms are the Education Act (1988), the Welsh Language Act (1993) and the Government of Wales Act (1998) which are the pillars of Wales as an autonomous region within the United Kingdom and which provide the statutory platform for a National Assembly for Wales, established in 1999. Harald Haarmann Further Reading Aitchison, John and Harold Carter. A Geography of the Welsh Language 1961-1991. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1994. Davies, John. A History of Wales. London: Penguin Books, 1994. Morris, John. The Age of Arthur. A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650. London: Phoenix, 1993. Williams, Colin H. Cymric (Welsh). In Wieser Encyclopaedia Western European Languages, eds. Ulrich Ammon and Harald Haarmann, vol. 2, 109-129. Klagenfurt, Wien Ljubljana: Wieser, 2008.

Fate in Shakespeares King Lear :: King Lear essays

Fate in King Lear "There's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them how we will." These words from Hamlet are echoed, even more pessimistically, in Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of King Lear where Gloucester says: "Like flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods, they kill us for their sport". In Lear, the characters are subjected to the various tragedies of life over and over again. An abundance of cyclic imagery in Lear shows that good people are abused and wronged regardless of their own noble deeds or intentions. Strapped to a wheel of fire, humans suffer and endure, prosper and decline, their very existence imaged as a voyage out and a return. The movement from childhood to age and back again, the many references to fortune whose wheel spins humans downward even as it lifts, the abundance of natural cycles which are seen as controlling experience, even perhaps the movement of play itself from order to chaos to restoration of order to division again. Throughout the text, the movements of celestial bodies are used to account for human action and misfortune. Just as the stars in their courses are fixed in the skies, so do the characters view their lives as caught in a pattern they have no power to change. Lear sets the play in motion in banishing Cordelia when he swears "by all the operation of the orbs from whom we exist and cease to be" that his decision "shall not be revoked". How like the scene in Julius Caesar wherein Caesar says "For I am constant as the Northern star" Lear vows to be resolute but dies regretting his decision at the hands of his daughters who claim love him "more than word can wield" and are "alone felicitate" in his presence. That Edmund disbelieves in the influence of the stars adds to the play's recurring theme that part of our fate is our character; that we choose our lot in life by how we choose to act. Similarly, in Lear Gloucester's feelings predict what is to come when he says "These late eclipses of the sun and moon portend no good..." And because of this Gloucester begins to envision a world where "Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide..." While his father misunderstands the importance of the celestial bodies, his bastard son, Edmund denies the importance of the movements of the heavenly bodies. He calls it "an excellent foppery" to "make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon and stars." (Just as in Julius Caesar we learn that "... The fault .

Operations Management at Bajaj

Markets Motorcycles: Overall Two-wheeler sales of Indian players is dominated by the domestic market and, within it, by motorcycles. After growing at a sharp clip from the late 1990s, motorcycle sales witnessed a 7. 8% drop in volume in 2007-08, due to falling domestic demand as a result of rising interest rates and many private sector banks reducing their retail lending exposures. 2008-09 saw a modest increase in motorcycle sales of 4%, driven largely by growth in cash sales. Even so, sales of motorcycles (both domestic and exports) in 2008-09 has been lower than what it was in 2006-07, before the slowdown hit this sector. ABOUT BAJAJ:- The group comprises of 34 companies and was founded in the year 1926. The group's flagship company, Bajaj Auto, is ranked as the world's fourth largest two- and three- wheeler manufacturer and the Bajaj brand is well-known across several countries in Latin America, Africa, Middle East, South and South East Asia. Founded in 1926, at the height of India's movement for independence from the British, the group has an illustrious history. The integrity, dedication, resourcefulness and determination to succeed which are characteristic of the group today, are often traced back to its birth during those days of relentless devotion to a common cause. Motorcycles : Domestic Sales for Bajaj Auto The company classifies motorcycles into three segments, based on consumer categories and approximate price points. These are: a) Entry segment. These are typically 100 cc motorcycles at a price point in the neighbourhood of Rs. 35,000. Bajaj AutoDespite the slight uptick in the industry’s sales volume, Bajaj Auto did not maintain volume growth, for reasons that will be discussed below. From 1. 66 million motorcycles in 2007-08, the company’s domestic sales fell by 23% to 1. 28 million units in 2008-09. Some of this was compensated by a 31% increase in exports to 631,383 units. But it was not enough. Consequently, Bajaj Auto’s market share(domestic and exports, combined) fell from 32. 7% in 2007-08 to 28% in 2008-09. b) Executive segment. This largely comprises 100 cc to 135 cc motorcycles, priced between Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000. We arein this segment with two brands: XCD and Discover. c) Performance segment. These are sleek, high performance, with price points in excess of Rs. 50,000. We are present here with our flagship brand, the Pulsar, and our cruiser, the Avenger. We dominate this space, with a domestic market share in excess of 47%. Using the three-fold classification described above, Chart plots Bajaj Auto’s domestic sales of motorcycles over 2008-09. [pic] Products Avenger Avenger 200 DTS-i Pulsar Pulsar 135 DTS-i Pulsar 220 DTS-i Pulsar 180 DTS-i Pulsar 150 DTS-i Discover Discover 135 DTS-i Discover DTS-i Platina Platina 125 Platina 100 cc NINJA Ninja 250 R Operations Plants Bajaj Auto’s vehicle manufacturing capacity stands at 3. 96 million units — comprising 3. 6 million two-wheelers and 360,000 three-wheelers. The newest plant at Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) has a capacity to produce 900,000 two-wheelers. Table gives the capacity data. [pic] Pantnagar Bajaj Auto’s production at its state-of-the-art Pantnagar plant (Uttarakhand) has been on the rise. In 2007-08, the plant produced 276,925 motorcycles. This increased by 15% to 318,321 vehicles in 2008-09. By end-2008-09, Pantnagar was producing some 40,000 motorcycles per month. To maximise the tax benefits available at Uttarakhand, the company is shifting some of its more profitable products to the Pantnagar plant. After the shift of these products, the plant is expected to produce around 60,000 vehicles by the third quarter of 2009-10. Table gives the data on which products are manufactured in what plant. pic] MAJOR SUPPIERS |SUPPLIERS |PARTS | |USHA |PISTONS,RINGS | |ROLON |CHAIN,CHAIN SPROCKET | |ENDURANCE |FORKS,SHOCKERS,RIMS,ALLOY-WHEELS | |PRICOL |METER CONSOLE |MINDA |LOCKS ,HORNS,SWITCHES | |LUMAX |LAMPS | |SUNDARAM |FASTENERS | |KBX |DISK BRAKE PADS | |BOSCH |SPARK PLUGS | |EXIDE |BATTERIES | |MRF |TYRES | Supply Chain Bajaj Auto’s supply chai n encompasses the process from vendors to the final customers via manufacturing. Therefore, the Company’s supply chain involves as much the vendors and the procurement-to-payment logistics, as it does the manufacturing to selling process, or the order to cash system. Given below are some of the key supply chain initiatives of Bajaj Auto. Vendors Most of the Company’s vendor initiatives, including the Pantnagar operations and TPM have been discussed earlier. What needs to be emphasised is that the 16 vendors clustered within the campus of Bajaj Auto’s Pantnagar plant were a part of a planned process of project development – where the vendors were fully integrated with the plant, starting with basic raw materials, automated paint, plating and powder coating plants. This has ensured that the maximum possible value addition is done within Uttarakhand, so as to maximise the tax advantage and make Bajaj Auto’s motorcycles even more cost competitive. Initial facilities created by vendors at Pantnagar at an aggregate investment of Rs. 5 billion (Rs. 500 crore) are for half million motorcycles per year, which will be increased with balancing investments to roduce one million motorcycles per year to synchronise with the Company’s plans. Dealers Bajaj Auto has adopted a channel policy approach which is unique in the automobile industry. This policy and its linked initiatives are guided by the requirements of specific se ts of the Company’s final customers. 1. The Primary Channel : This comprises 408 exclusive two-wheeler dealers, 75 exclusive three-wheeler dealers, and 98 dealers who deal in both product categories. Bajaj Auto has followed a policy of systematic network consolidation, in which the primary dealerships have been given a larger scale and scope to operate based on their strengths. 2. The Secondary Channel : Much of Bajaj Auto’s recent success can be attributed to policy of rapidly adding to the number of secondary outlets, which provide sales, service and spares support in the vast hinterland of India. These are in the form of 1,500 Authorised Service Centres (ASC), 4,500 Rural Service Outlets (RSO), and 750 Young Engineer Service (YES) centres in the towns and cities. 3. The Rural India Foray : The Company has been aggressively pursuing initiatives to increase two-wheeler penetration in rural India. A large number of rural outlets were added to the network during the year, which not only increased hinterland sales but also gave additional employment in the rural sector. 4. Pro-biking : This initiative sits far away from the rural India play but is no less important. Bajaj Auto believes that young India doesn’t pay to buy motorcycles; it pays to buy excitement and exhilaration. The Pro-biking initiative, which was kicked off with the inauguration of first store in Pune in August 2005, aims precisely at creating this thrill. Owned and operated by Bajaj Auto, Pro-biking showrooms are now operational in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. ———————– AUTOMOBILE – BAJAJ Assignment on Operations Management Prasad T. P. FN-105 Mahesh R. FK-1895 Jijo Lukose FN-77 Deepu P. FK-1905 Abinash Nanda FK-2010 Anoop B. FK-2005 Manu Korah Mathew Athul Raj Vyshakh P. R. FK-1919 Balaji Vinay Singh FK-1883 PRasad

Stonehenge essays

Stonehenge essays The History and Mystery of Stonehenge One of the most mysterious and intriguing pieces of architecture is the design of stones at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, named Stonehenge. Its purpose still remains unclear, but historians and archaeologists have speculated that is was used for either a grounds for the worship of ancient deities or an astrological observatory in order to mark significant events on the calendar used at the time. Today the area has been believed to be more of a celebration of the living and the heavenly bodies, more than a tribute place for the dead. The effort, time, and income used to build Stonehenge makes the modern observer believe that it was most definitely built for an important and special purpose. Many believe that the construction was built by the Druids between 3000 and 1500 BCE. The stones that remain in tact today simply represent the original design of Stonehenge. There is little that is interpreted from the design that remains today. Scholars and historians have to deduce the original meaning of the design of the stones from what remains today. Many of the stones have fallen over or were removed by other generations for use in other purposes. There has also been much damage to the large stones due to close public contact and damage due to the elements over time. The construction of Stonehenge has traditionally been classified into three different stages. In the first period, dating to approximately 3000 BCE, the area now viewed as Stonehenge was merely a large circular ditch with an elevated area in the middle. The circle was roughly 320 feet in diameter, one entrance leading to the interior and a large number of holes around the edge of the circle, and a wooden sanctuary in the middle. The circle was aligned with the midsummer sunrise, and the midwinter sunset. It was also inline with the rising and setting of the moon. It was situated evenly with the most southerly...

Rise of the Superpowers (USA & USSR) from events p Essays

Rise of the Superpowers (USA & USSR) from events p Essays Rise of the Superpowers (USA & USSR) from events prior to and during WWII World War II: the process of superpowerdom It is often wondered how the superpowers achieved their position of dominance. It seems that the maturing of the two superpowers, Russia and the United States, can be traced to World War II. To be a superpower, a nation needs to have a strong economy, an overpowering military, immense international political power and, related to this, a strong national ideology. It was this war, and its results, that caused each of these superpowers to experience such a preponderance of power. Before the war, both nations were fit to be described as great powers, but it would be erroneous to say that they were superpowers at that point. To understand how the second World War impacted these nations so greatly, we must examine the causes of the war. The United States gained its strength in world affairs from its status as an economic power. In the years before the war, America was the worlds largest producer. In the USSR at the same time, Stalin was implementing his five year plans to modernise the Soviet economy. From these situations, similar foreign policies resulted from widely divergent origins. Roosevelts isolationism emerged from the wide and prevalent domestic desire to remain neutral in any international conflicts. It commonly widely believed that Americans entered the first World War simply in order to save industrys capitalist investments in Europe. Whether this is the case or not, Roosevelt was forced to work with an inherently isolationist Congress, only expanding its horizons after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. He signed the Neutrality Act of 1935, making it illegal for the United States to ship arms to the belligerents of any conflict. The act also stated that belligerents could buy only non-armaments from the US, and even these were only to be bought with cash. In contrast, Stalin was by necessity interested in European affairs, but only to the point of concern to the USSR. Russian foreign policy was fundamentally Leninist in its concern to keep the USSR out of war. Stalin wanted to consolidate Communist power and modernise the country's industry. The Soviet Union was committed to collective action for peace, as long as that commitment did not mean that the Soviet Union would take a brunt of a Nazi attack as a result. Examples of this can be seen in the Soviet Unions attempts to achieve a mutual assistance treaty with Britain and France. These treaties, however, were designed more to create security for the West, as opposed to keeping all three signatories from harm. At the same time, Stalin was attempting to polarise both the Anglo-French, and the Axis powers against each other. The important result of this was the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact, which partitioned Poland, and allowed Hitler to start the war. Another side-effect of his policy of playing both sides was that it caused incredible distrust towards the Soviets from the Western powers after 1940. This was due in part to the fact that Stalin made several demands for both influence in the Dardanelles, and for Bulgaria to be recognised as a Soviet dependant. The seeds of superpowerdom lie here however, in the late thirties. R.J. Overy has written that stability in Europe might have been achieved through the existence of powers so strong that they could impose their will on the whole of the international system, as has been the case since 1945. At the time, there was no power in the world that could achieve such a feat. Britain and France were in imperial decline, and more concerned about colonial economics than the stability of Europe. Both imperial powers assumed that empire-building would necessarily be an inevitable feature of the world system. German aggression could have been stifled early had the imperial powers had acted in concert. The memories of World War One however, were too powerful, and the general public would not condone a military solution at that point. The aggression of Germany, and to a lesser extent that of Italy, can be explained by this decline of imperial power. They were simply attempting to fill the power vacuum in Europe that Britain and France unwittingly left. After the economic crisis of the 1930s, Britain and France lost much of their former international standingas the world markets plummeted; so did their relative power. The two nations were determined to maintain their status as great powers however, without relying on the US or the USSR for support of any kind.

Discuss a dilemma from a legal and professional viewpoint Essay

Discuss a dilemma from a legal and professional viewpoint - Essay Example Assessing Capacity f. Key Points about Mental Capacity Act (2005) g. UK Statutes of Law 3. Professional Implications of the Case a. Mental Capacity in Medical Profession b. Consent to Treatment c. Principles of Medical Laws d. Medical Principles 4. Conclusion Mental Capacity and Consent Scenario in Clinical Practice Alexander James is a 19 years old deaf teenager admitted in a mental institution for paranoid personality. Alexander was born deaf and abused by his siblings and friends because of his disability. He grew up believing that everyone is trying to plot a mischief against him. James’ parents admitted him in the mental institution because his paranoid disorder affected his academics, social life and relationships with other people. While at the mental institution, Alexander’s mental disorder intensified when he saw doctors communicating and laughing. He thought that they were laughing at his disability and were plotting to harmful activities against him with thei r medical practice. James became violent towards the mental health providers and other patients. He was sedated and kept in isolation while his mental health treatment began. During his treatment, James was diagnosed with early symptoms of leukemia. Doctors summoned his parents and informed him that immediate treatment would eliminate the cancer. However, James refused this treatment because he believed that God intentionally planned for his deafness and leukemia, which means that he wanted the cancer to take its own course. The doctors respected James wishes in the presence of an attorney and he received hospice care for the remaining months. In 1994 in England, a similar case of mental capacity and consent occurred when a 68 years old man refused treatment. The case is referred to as Re C (Adult: Refusal of Treatment) [1994] 1 WLR 290, where Mr. C was confined in a mental hospital because of a prolonged paranoid schizophrenia (Tan 4). He further explains that Mr. C had a gangrenou s foot that threatened his wellbeing if untreated by amputation. However, Mr. C refused treatment and filed a case to deter doctors from amputating his foot in future. Justice Thorpe ruled in his favor because his delusions and mental illness did not affect his capacity to listen, understand and make solid judgments about his desires (Tan 4). Legal Implications of the Case In the case of James and the medical professionals in the mental institution, his wishes and beliefs were granted after a thorough consultation. Below is a discussion and analysis of the impact of James’ case on UK’s legal system. Capacity in Law Capacity is legally defined as individuals’ ability and freedom to make their own decisions or take necessary actions that will affect their own lives (Law 2). She further explains that the Law Commission of UK implemented a Mental Capacity Act that empowered and encouraged people to make their own decisions about important issues in their lives. Pati ents in the UK that refuse emergency treatment must be legally competent by exhibiting a high capacity. The wishes of these patients are respected after proving to the court that they have mental stability to reason clearly and deliberate (Buchanan 2). They should hold appropriate objectives and values concerning their refusal of treatment. The law requires patients that refuse emergency medical care to appreciate and acknowledge their current circumstances. Patients are required to understand the information presented by their doctors and finally communicate their desired choice,

Den Arts Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Den Arts Center - Essay Example This is evident from the fact that gross attendance remains the same each year i.e., 15,000. This also depicts stability of the center, as the center has built up a certain reputation. This includes HRM practices in the areas of recruitment and selection, training, performance appraisal, development of human resource (HR) policies, and maintenance of HR records. (Kotey & Slade, 2005) Today multinational enterprises (MNEs) conduct business in context with being global and follows the slogan "No place to hide", this enables local as well as multinational businesses to keep up the pace in two aspects. First, they emphasize upon their "product" quality to maximize customer satisfaction, secondly they require reshaping their HRM policies and practice accordingly. The Head of Center must hire a manager who possess multidimensional perspective along with multienvironment experience, so that he could realize the need for change in the environment of Den's Arts Center and improve their quality in terms of their performers and services. This is only possible through effective recruiting of artists and performers from different countries. The manager must possess the capability to quickly and easily adapt into the foreign culture, individual with as much cultural mix, diversity, and experience as possible. The manager must possess the ability to indulge into effective people skills in dealing with a variety of cultures, races, nationalities, genders, and religions. This would enable the Arts center to perform more professionally and on an international platform. (Briscoe & Schuler, 2004, p. 238) The Arts Center is lacking global recruitment due to which they are limited to the choice of young people and not the elderly ones. They must enhance thei r capabilities to increase the circle of their target audience to mature people. Whether the local HR manager is from the country of the parent company, from the country of the local subsidiary, or from a third country, he or she is sandwiched between his or her own culture and the 'foreign' cultures of the firm. Human resource managers at the local, regional, and headquarters levels must integrate and coordinate activities taking place in diverse environments with people of diverse backgrounds. And they are usually looked to for expertise in helping other managers be successful in their international endeavors, as well. (Briscoe & Schuler, 2004, p. 27) Den's Arts Center is in desperate need of a change in their policies in umpteen ways. There is a need to hire 'multicultural' trainers including local as well as international drama specialists, drama artists to train and groom their youngsters. They must hire renowned choreographers. Den Arts Center should promote Students' arts, crafts and paintings in their dramas based on 'merit' factor from various primary and secondary schools. This on one hand where provide them with an opportunity for ease of selecting quality work, on the other hand it would motivate the students to perform better. This would help them in future to select trainers from among those talented student individuals, which worked for them in the past. Over the years, as