Consumer and supplier relationships in Internet Essay

The Internet is one of the great inventions of human kind. Go along with the development of science and technology, Internet changed the face of the world. Especially, in business, Internet plays a vital role because it connects all factors to create the success of business. Internet links customers and suppliers into the stable and mutual benefit’s relationship. Firstly, Internet changes the relationship between customers and suppliers from indirect to direct. It helps to eliminate the â€Å"middle – man† to connect directly the customers and suppliers. In the past, there was only way to buy a product that customers went to the store, where they have contract with the suppliers to provide goods for them. Therefore, customers and suppliers never met together in the real meaning. This process increased a lot of costs. However, when Internet developed, customers and suppliers have opportunities to meet together. To buy the stuff, customers can order directly from suppliers through Internet. By this way, not only does the cost decrease, but also the price is more reasonable. The benefit of Internet created the formation and development of E-commerce and net marketplace. According to page 373 in the textbook, â€Å"online consumer sales grew to an estimated $362 billion in 2012, an increase of more than 15 percent over 2010 (including travel services and digital downloads), with 150 million people purchasing online and an additional 34 million shopping and gathering information but not purchasing† (Laudon, K., & Laudon, J., 2014). Secondly, once Internet developed, the relationship between customers and suppliers is push to improve to the partner relationship. Customer became the partner of supplier. The position of both customers and suppliers are equal. Customers don’t depend on the supplier; in contrast, they are more powerful in choosing their suitable suppliers. Thirdly, it increases the satisfaction and quality of customer service. Nowadays, purchasing and exchanging became easier than ever. To attract customers, suppliers have to take care of their customer’s demand and tend to satisfy it because customers have a lot of choices among a thousand of sellers. Customers can take advantage of price, quality as well as model of product. Thus, to make this relationship become a long term collaboration, besides the diversification of products, suppliers must focus on their service to  keep their customers closer. Reference: Laudon, K., & Laudon, J. (2014). Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm (13 Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Active & Passive Voice Skill and Drill Quiz

Univ. of Phoenix: Center for Writing Excellence, Active and Passive Voice Skill-and-Drill Quiz Note: Every time you take the quiz the questions are in a different order and some questions will be different. 1. Which of the following sentences uses the active voice? †¢The hotel was left by the blackout with 250 pounds of spoiled food. ?The blackout left the hotel with 250 pounds of spoiled food. 1. Which of the following sentences should be rewritten in the active voice? †¢The director’s left had was left with about 75% mobility after he suffered injuries in a car accident. A gap was left in the auditing team by the capable director when he left. 2. Identify the correct active equivalent of this passive sentence: Enron might still exist had auditors been granted full access to company records by the executives. ?Auditors might have saved Enron had authorities granted them full access to company records. †¢Auditors might have been able to save Enron had they been granted full access to company records. †¢Enron might still exist had the executives granted the auditors full access to company records. 3. Which of the following sentences uses the active voice? The ingredients will have to be added to the boiling water. ?You will have to add the ingredients to the boiling water. 4. Identify the correct active equivalent of this passive sentence: The books will be taken from the library by the movers on January 16. ?The movers will take the books from the library on January 16. †¢The movers are taking the books from the library on January 16. †¢The movers took the books from the library on January 16. 5. Identify the correct active equivalent of this passive sentence: Intellectuals were relocated by Pol Pot to the Indonesian countryside. Pol Pot has relocated intellectuals to the Indonesian countryside †¢Pol Pot wanted to relocate intellectuals to the Indonesian countryside. ?Pol Pot relocated intellectuals to the Indonesian co untryside. 6. Pick the best active equivalent of the following sentence: The brochures and the radio spots were written by the tireless marketing team. †¢The brochures and radio spots had been written by the tireless marketing team. ?The tireless marketing team wrote the brochures and radio spots. †¢The brochures and radio spots were written by the tireless marketing team. 7.Which of the following sentences should be rewritten in the active voice? ?PepsiCo’s production of diet soda was exceeded by Coca-Cola in 2006. †¢The coast of Maine wa buffeted by strong winds early this morning. 8. Pick the best active equivalent of the following sentence: The layout of the new rooms at headquarters was considered â€Å"old-fashioned† by the designers, and new flooring and wall coverings were recommended. †¢The layout of the new rooms at headquarters was considered â€Å"old-fashioned† by the designers, and they recommended new flooring and wall covering s. The designer considered the layout of the new rooms at headquarters to be â€Å"old-fashioned,† and new flooring and wall coverings were recommended. ?The designers considered the layout of the new rooms at headquarters to be â€Å"old-fashioned† and recommended new flooring and wall coverings. 9. Identify the correct active equivalent of this passive sentence: The notebook computers were produced by Toshiba Corporation. ?Toshiba Corporation produced the notebook computers. †¢Toshiba Corporation had produced the notebook computers. †¢Toshiba Corporation will produce the notebook computers. 10.Which of the following sentences uses the active voice? †¢The jury was instructed not to discuss the case with anyone. ?The judge instructed the jury not to discuss the case with anyone. 11. Which of the following sentences should be rewritten in the active voice? †¢The rare book was found several miles from the library on a park bench. ?The dissertation was worked on 14 hours a day for seven days by the talented and soon-to-be Doctor Jana Hartwood. 12. Change this verb form active voice to passive voice: â€Å"†¦were watching their stock. † ? †¦ stock was being watched †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ stock had been watched †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ stock had been watching 3. Which of the following sentences uses the active voice? ?The eccentric millionaire will purchase the artwork for about $100,000. †¢The artwork will be purchased by the eccentric millionaire for about $100,000. 14. Pick the best active equivalent of the following sentence: The show was stolen by Sue Preston, when an imitation of CEO Richard Blake was performed by her. ?Sue Preston stole the show when she imitated CEO Richard Blake †¢Sue Preston stole the show when an imitation of CEO Richard Blake was performed by her. †¢The show was stolen by Sue Preston, when she performed an imitation of CEO Richard Blake. 15.Pick the best active equivalent of the following sentence: After the colors were presented by the color guard, the commencement address was given by Hans Goldman, a lively if elderly survivor of the holocaust. †¢After the colors were presented by the color guard, Hans Goldman, a lively if elderly survivor of the holocaust, gave the commencement address. ?After the color guard presented the colors, Hans Goldman, a lively if elderly survivor of the holocaust, gave the commencement address. †¢After the color guard presented the colors, the commencement address was given by the Hans Goldman, a lively if elderly survivor of the holocaust. 6. Which of the following sentences should be rewritten in the active voice? †¢The experiment was first conducted at Yale University in the 1970s. ?The gold medal was won by gymnast Peter Vidmar in Los Angeles. 17. Which of the following sentences uses the active voice? ?The government cannot foresee the potential damage of a severe hurricane season. †¢The potential damage of a sev ere hurricane season cannot be foreseen by the government. 18. Which of the following sentences uses the active voice? ?Workers burn the sugar cane before hauling it to the refinery. †¢The sugar cane is burned before it is hauled to the refinery. 19.Pick the best active equivalent of the following sentence: A thickening was found by the doctor in the patient’s right bicep, and the patient was told by the doctor that it would need to be removed by the surgeon. †¢The doctor found a thickening in the patient’s right bicep, and the patient was told by the doctor that it would need to be removed by the surgeon. †¢A thickening was found by the doctor in the patient’s right bicep, and the doctor told the patient the surgeon would need to remove it. ?The doctor found a thickening in the patient’s right bicep, and the doctor told the patient the surgeon would need to remove it. 0. Change this verb from active voice to passive voice: â€Å"†¦wi ll perform Chopin’s etudes. † ? Chopin’s etudes will be performed†¦ †¢Chopin’s etudes were performed†¦ †¢Chopin’s etudes may be performed†¦ 21. Identify the correct active equivalent of this passive sentence: The organization had originally been established by the Quakers in 1848. †¢The Quakers originally established the organization in 1848 ? The Quakers had originally established the organization in 1848. †¢The Quakers were originally establishing the organization in 1848. 22. Which of the following sentences uses the active voice? By whom can Mt. Everest be climbed? ?Who will be able to climb Mt. Everest? 23. Which of the following sentences uses the active voice? ?The executive team sought ways to help the training department recover. †¢Ways were sought by the executive team to help the training department recover. 24. Which of the following sentences should be rewritten in the active voice? ?Sweaters were knitted by the 75-year-old great grandmother of seven, who sold them to supplement her social security. †¢The relic of inestimable value was found in an antique store in West Virginia.

Combating Compassion Fatigue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Combating Compassion Fatigue - Essay Example Burnout is one of the major concepts of compassion fatigue. The signs of burnout, according to Espeland (2006), includes that the nurses are always exhausted, they are cynical and feel detached, and they feel that they are ineffective. They also exhibit signs that include anger, depression, paralysis, feeling stuck, irritability, cynicism, bitterness and negativity towards others, the self, and the world (Espeland, 2006). Job stress is another concept of compassion fatigue, according to Chen et al. (2009). They state that signs of job stress include job absences, conflicts with staff members, depression, staff turnover, and inferior caregiving. The difference between job stress and burnout is that burnout is the result of unrelenting job stress, over a period of time, therefore job stress is a lessor version of burnout. Compassion fatigue itself is an expanded version of burnout. As stated below, compassion fatigue is really burnout plus the fact that the nurses have to deal with very sick and dying patients, much of the time, as with oncology nurses, who exhibit high levels of compassion fatigue. According to Bush (2009), the signs of compassion fatigue are that the nurse identifies and integrates the grief, emotions and fears of their patients, and this means that their own stress and emotional pain are exacerbated. The nurses experience a kind of vicarious trauma in these situations, as they absorb the emotions of their patient, and this affects the nurse’s perceptions of trust, safety, self-esteem, control, and intimacy (Bush, 2009). Nature of the Problems and their Causes The nature of the problem of burnout is that it results in severe mental fatigue and is an energy drain, according to Espeland (2006). Espeland (2006) states that burnout also results in depersonalization and a reduced feeling of accomplishment. Espeland (2006) further states that there are five work situations which might contribute to job burnout. One is that there is ambiguity on the job, as there is a lack of goals and information. No-win situations represent another type of employment issue which contributes to burnout, and this means that the manager is always dissatisfied, no matter how well the nurses perform. Role overload is the third situation, and this means that the nurses have too many responsibilities. Role conflict is the fourth situation, which means that there are conflicting responsibilities and the nurses feel pulled in different directions. The fifth situation is when the nurses are underpaid, despite the fact that they work hard. Compassion fatigue is slightly different from burnout, but described by Bush (2009) as being an expanded form of burnout. In this case, it is distinguished from burnout, according to Bush (2009) by the fact that, in addition to there being stressors in the workplace, like between

Retention Strategies for Nurse Retirees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retention Strategies for Nurse Retirees - Essay Example A more experienced nurse is in a better position to handle the needs of such patients. A multidisciplinary hospital like ours can derive benefits from the experience of such nurses. They can be used as senior educators, mentors or shapers of a new generation of outstanding nurses (RWJF, 2006). Thus, to utilize the services of the older nurses, the hospital must consider retraining for these nurses apart from discouraging policies that allow for an early exit from the profession. There should be no negative attitudes towards the aging workforce or their capabilities and lifelong learning should be encouraged. Mentoring is a concept that is used by all businesses and involves a mentor and a protà ©gà © engaged in a long-term relationship (NLN, 2006). Individuals who experience mentor-protà ©gà © relationship advance faster in their career and earn higher salaries at an early age. The new recruits at the hospital often feel a lack of support and recognition by colleagues but collaboration with others helps them to overcome this feeling of isolation. A personalized supportive relationship has positive outcomes for both the mentor and the mentee. The new faculty member learns community norms as well as the skills, strategies, and practices of teaching. If the role of a mentor is assigned to those that are about to retire, they would benefit from a mentoring relationship as they enter new roles in an academic setting. Through their experience, it would be easier for them to identify potential leaders in nursing and nursing education. They will be in a better position to cultivate a relatio nship in the best of interest of all concerned which includes the hospital, the mentor and the nurse herself. The mentor gets an opportunity to share her/his wisdom, knowledge and experience. The mentor also derives satisfaction from mentoring/guiding others in attaining self-clarity while also developing his/her own skills.  

Marketing Mix Analysis of Valentino Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Mix Analysis of Valentino - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the current condition of the global economy is highly unstable and is being driven by uncertainty. Studies suggest that a large number of firms in every sector are struggling hard for survival and holding market positions. In such a time, it is gathered that demand and interest in luxury products and services among consumers have increased exponentially. The trend is not limited to a particular sector but can be witnessed across various sectors including the fashion industry. Valentino Garavani, also known as Valentino, launched his first product line in 1959 and since then, the company has made relentless efforts to become a prominent name in the fashion industry. Presently, Valentino is considered as one of Italy’s finest exporters of luxury fashion, and it has created an elegant range of fashion wear for various personalities over the past four decades. Besides apparel, the company offerings consist of shoes, bags, and access ories. Valentino opened the first store of the company in 1960 in Paris and introduced the signature ‘Red Valentino’ along with the ‘V’ label. Though the company started in Italy, presently it has stores all over the world. In 2013, the company earned revenue as high as 110 billion Swedish Kroner and its operating margin was around 16%. The assessment suggests that the company is enjoying steady growth even in an uncertain economic condition.

Rhabdomyolysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rhabdomyolysis - Term Paper Example However, the severity of the syndrome normally range from asymptomatic rise in serum muscle enzymes to the presence of life threatening complications associated with extreme electrolyte imbalances, enzyme elevations as well as acute renal injury (Knochel, 2003). Although Rhabdomyolysis is often common among individuals who have suffered trauma or major injuries, the clinical condition has also been known to develop as a response to particular medications, drugs and dietary supplements. This paper discusses the history and physical findings of rhabdomyolysis, the background of the disease, its etiology, pathogenesis, natural history and management. History and Physical Findings of Rhabdomyolysis The patient in this medical case study was a 24 year old female who was displaying symptoms consistent with rhabdomyolysis. The clinical history revealed that the patient had taken statin medications to help lower her cholesterol levels and this resulted into a severe muscle pain. Immediately after taking the medication, the patient also suffered from severe muscle weakness, extreme muscle aching throughout her entire body and the production of dark colored urine. Although the dose of statin dose taken was not high, the patient had also taken another drug known as meofibrozil(Lopid) which could have aggravated the condition((Baxter and Moore, 2003). On the other hand, further inquiry revealed that the patient normally uses nutritional supplements as part of their weight reduction strategies. Confirmatory diagnosis was carried out by using a number of standardized examinations to show the damaged skeletal muscles. Some of the tests carried out included analysis of the patient’s urine, urine myoglobin test, analysis of Creatine kinase level and serum potassium level analysis. The treatment of the patient included giving her fluids that particularly those containing bicarbonate in order to prevent the potential kidney damage by flushing the remnants of myoglobin from the kidneys (Baxter and Moore, 2003). Additionally diuretic and bicarbonate medicines were also prescribed. After fluid resuscitation, the patient was transferred to a medical facility where measures were also taken to correct potential electrolyte imbalance in the patient. For example, ECG was obtained to help monitor any likely effects of hyperkalemia or other electrolyte imbalances. Background of the Disease Disease Etiology and Pathogenesis The etiology of rhabdomyolysis is normally broadly categorized into acquired and hereditary causes. Hereditary causes of rhabdomyosis largely consist of enzyme related defects that often result in disorders such as mitochondrial lipid metabolism, carbohydrates metabolism as well as other important inherited disorders such as neuroleptic malignant disorders and hyperthermia. On the other hand, acquired causes generally result from any condition that potentially damages the skeletal muscles such as crush injuries, muscle tremors due to alcohol ism, drugs such as statin, cocaine, heroin and amphetamine, extreme exercises, ischemia and trauma (Brancaccio and Lippi, 2010). Excessive intake of alcohol and other commonly abused drugs such as heroin, cocaine and amphetamines has also been known to result in severe damage to skeletal muscles thereby triggering rhabdomyolysis. Additionally individuals who routinely use nutritional supplements and performance enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids may also develop rhybdomyolysis which

Saudi Arabia IT and Telecommunications industry analysis Essay

Saudi Arabia IT and Telecommunications industry analysis - Essay Example This was meant to make the telecommunication industry in the country expand and upgrade its management of network. The Saudi Arabian information technology and telecommunication industry has grown substantially since 1970 up-to-date by advancing its capacity by 3.5 million telephone lines. These subsequent expansion and privatization of telecommunication industry has drawn national recognition in this seventh development plan. Currently the markets are hot and their maintenance is not guaranteed. Manufacturers will have to rely on big money generating projects with personal relations being the main leeway to winning these deals (Oxford Business Group 102). There are possible opportunities in Saudi Arabians IT and telecommunication industry particularly with the wireless communications though there are barriers of its expansion. Complicated bands of telecommunications have been restricted to defense and aviation programs though it is anticipated that the government will ultimately free this authority. The launch of GSM has shown possibility of privatization and consequent expansion of broadband service available for the wireless (Al-aklabi and Al-Allak 76). Saudi Arabia has key pillars that are quite promising in shaping the next growth sectors in the technology field. The youth favoring population of Saudi Arabia shows high potentials of future technological growth. Youth can be perceived as the drivers of telecom development as they posses the prime purchasing power of technological products and services. This pillar continues to be the motivating factor for telecom industry hence the economy of Saudi Arabia (Jasimuddin 60). The mobile operators have on their side been providing services that favor the youth or target the youth segment as their possible clients. In Saudi Arabia, there has been a surge in internet

Jackson Pollock's Convergence as Fine Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jackson Pollock's Convergence as Fine Art - Essay Example The paper "Jackson Pollock's Convergence as Fine Art" concerns the art of Jackson Pollok. In 1973, his 1952 painting of Blue Poles was purchased by the Australian government for an outstanding amount of US$2 million—that time the highest price ever paid for a contemporary work of art. His paintings are currently valued up to US$40 million. Only works by Rembrandt, Velazquez and da Vinci had commanded more respect and higher prices in the art market. Another of Pollock’s most well-known pieces is Convergence (1952, oil on canvas, 93 1/2 x 155 inches, exhibited in the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York). The Springbok Company introduced Convergence as a jigsaw puzzle in 1965. The 340-piece jigsaw puzzle was billed as â€Å"the world’s most difficult jigsaw puzzle† as hundreds of thousands of Americans struggled to piece together the reproduction of Pollock’s complex art. As Jackson Pollock rose to fame and to a significant reputation in the world of art, some critics argued whether his paintings were really "art", or just mere paint drips on canvas. The seemingly simple act Pollock performed fuelled controversies and split the public opinion. His masterworks triggered discussions whether his style was raw genius or was his work an arbitrary composition of paint brought about by a drunken state. The definition of art is frequently the issue of debate and argument. What constitutes its nature and qualities is a complicated matter. Who is authorized to define art is also a subject of disputations.

An analysis of two engineering Forms of Contract Coursework

An analysis of two engineering Forms of Contract - Coursework Example These benefits are in terms of cost b saving, improvement of quality of both services and products, and time-saving. The very first NEC contract was published in 1993. The abbreviation NEC stands for New Engineering Contract. This new type of engineering contracts was a radical shift from the traditional contracts that existed before the year 1993. Unless the previous contracts, this contract is written in plain language. The contract abandoned the frustrating nature of the previous engineering projects and concentrates on stimulating the parties involved. After the first edition of NEC contract, the second edition was published. This new edition was called the NEC Engineering and Construction Contract. This was only two years after the NEC contract was published. This new NEC contract had Adjudicators Contract, a new professional service and subcontracts together with a set of back-to-back short forms. In April 2013, this suite was enlarged and updated. The new move saw the total number of documents making it rise to 39 documents. These documents included Professional Services Short Contracts and a set of enhanced guidance documents. The professional services short contracts are the standard form used to appoint project managers by the Association of project Management. The updated NEC contract is called the NEC3. The NEC3 is recognized worldwide for its unrivaled track record. This has seen it getting endorsements from both industry and governments all around the world. Some of the major engineering projects that have been delivered by this contract within budget and on time are the venues for both the 2012 London Olympic venue and the Paralympic games venue. This projects put the NEC3 onto a whole new level. FIDIC’s standard form of contract is much older than the NEC3 contract which is quite recent. This type of contract is

Theory of Mind Essay Example for Free

Theory of Mind Essay Within this TMA I will be discussing Theory of Mind and how it may have evolved in humans, using the Theory of Evolution to explain this. I will also be looking at what the adaptive function of Theory of Mind in humans may be. The adaptive function in this essay means the relative ability of a person to effectively interact with society on all levels and care for one’s self; affected by one’s eagerness to practice skills and follow opportunities for enhancement. Evolution is the procedure which modern organisms have descended from the earliest ancestors. Evolution is accountable for both the similarities and the diversity across all species. Essential to the process is genetic variation on which selective forces can act in order for evolution to occur. Evolution can also be described as descent with modification. Evolution occurs when there is a modification in gene regularity in a population over time. These genetic differences can be inherited and may be passed on to the subsequent generations. The main idea of evolution is all life on earth shares a common ancestor. Charles Darwin first proposed the theory of evolution after spending time on the Galapagos Islands. He developed the theory of evolution which would oppose the creation of man and imply that all species derived from common ancestors through natural selection. Natural selection is thought to be the main factor resulting in the diversity of species. Natural Selection is as stated by Barrett (2002) â€Å"The process whereby physical and behavioral characteristics which enable survival are passed onto descendants† (as cited in Clegg. 2007. Pg121). The disappearance of less suited gene traits and the survival of the better suited genetic traits led Darwin to reason that organisms had evolved over time, where the most advantageous characteristics of species’ are preferred and those organisms who demonstrate them survive to pass on their genes. Darwin believed that organisms had evolved to adapt to their environments. This allowed them to fill a niche in which they would be well suited to their environment and in turn increase survival chances. Darwins finches are an example of the way the species genetic traits have adapted for long term survival via their young. The beaks of the finches Darwin discovered have evolved to be best suited to their purpose. For example, the finches that eat grubs have a slim extended beak to poke holes into the earth and retrieve the grubs. Finches that eat fruits and buds would not be successful at this, as their larger beaks grind down food which gives them an advantage in situations where buds are the only food source for finches. Within humans many adaptations have occurred through Darwin’s idea of natural selection. â€Å"An adaptation is an evolved property of an organism, the original function of which adds to its fitness† (Clegg, 2007, p122). One of these adaptations is called Theory of Mind. Theory of Mind is â€Å"the ability to explain and predict the actions of both oneself and other† (Clegg, 2007, p133). To have Theory of Mind would allow humans to understand what another person feels and use that information to adjust their own actions Studies have been carried out on primates closely related to humans in the gene pool to try and understand the evolution of Theory of Mind. One observation completed by Whiten in 1997 was that of an ape who distracted another to keep the competitor from food which the original ape had seen (as cited in Clegg, 2007, p139). This ape’s deception may point to the ape possessing some Theory of Mind as it realised that the competitor would have d esired the food item also. This can also be related to modern humans as the ability to find food can also be a difficult task for some people such as the tribes who live in the deserts. This will attract a partner as it shows the ability to provide and survive, and will be passed through generations. Archaeological evidence can also be used to try to understand the evolution of Theory of Mind in our ancestors, when it fully appeared in Homo sapiens and its adaptive function. The appearance of archaeological art e.g. cave drawings, around 30,000 years ago shows the humans at the time had the ability to imagine things which allowed them to create the artwork. With the ability to do this it can be said that the people who drew the artwork possessed Theory of Mind. These cave drawings may have been used to attract a partner, which means the genes for imagining and creating the artwork would have been passed to their subsequent children. This adaptation would provide the next generation of humans with the ability to imagine and therefore possessing a quality of Theory of Mind. When this adaptation was passed on and used by the children it would have allowed them to create partnerships and their offspring would also have the same trait. This would allow the gene to become an advantage and therefore be passed on through the generations and continue until the Homo sapiens of today. The ability to imagine can still be used today as a means of attracting a partner. Theory of Mind also allows us to interact with success with other humans and how to understand how someone is feeling from their actions. With the evidence and explanations provided Theory of Mind is an advantage to modern humans as its adaptive function may be to allow individuals to survive longer and therefore create more offspring with the desirable characteristic to suit the environment into which it is born. This allows the Homo sapiens to continue to survive upon the earth. References Clegg, H (2007). Evolutionary Psychology. In D. Miell, A. Phoenix, K. Thomas (Eds), Mapping Psychology (2nd ed., pp.105-160). Milton Keynes: The Open University

The effectiveness of a free market system

The effectiveness of a free market system The market system is markets in which governments have very limited roles, it can also be known as the free market. Many may question this type of market system though, in that how can such a system without any major policies or government intervention, solve the basic economic problems of, what to produce? How to produce and for whom to produce? Adam Smith, a famous Scottish philosopher economist, argued that individuals pursuing their self interest would be lead as by an invisible hand in doing things that are in the interest of society as a whole. In this market, if an individual desires to start up a business, once established, would in turn benefit society by creating new jobs and opportunities. This benefit would move the societys production possibility frontier onwards and outwards, and would further result in a productively and allocatively efficient business. The main feature of a free market system is that it enjoys the pricing system which is determined through forces of demand and supply of a product or service without any influences of monopolistic or oligopolistic markets. This is the only time where government intervenes; in ensuring consumers enjoy the benefits of low prices. Competition within the market therefore, allows consumers to have choices and benefit from low prices and in return leads businesses to expansion or creation of new products or services. Free market businesses also have high profit motives therefore ensuring efficiency and effectiveness within the operational functions of the business. Based on information gathered it shows where1 Mexico benefits from a free market economy in the trillion dollar class with regards to investment climate. The country established this state through the mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Likewise, Tanzania enjoys more than ninety percent of total foreign investments. Some of the countrys investors include the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany to name a few. The sectors that attracted these top country investors are tourism, agriculture, fisheries, mining and manufacturing all under a free market system2. Altogether, it is appears that the market system is the best mechanism in encouraging a positive investment climate, however, everything that has advantages, must have some sort of negativity affiliated. In this market, with high levels of rivalry, it has been known to adversely affect employment and poverty levels in China and India in division between the rich and the poor. Even highly developed economies such as the United States and Canada are known to encounter these issues consequent of a total free market economy3. Additionally, in an attempt to maximize profit levels, business owners in a free market may be tempted to reduce competing levels and operate as a monopoly, in essence to non government intervention. Income differences are also likely to be substantial since there are no taxes imposed in reducing it. In the real world it is not perfect; it would never really have a market where demand is equal to supply a state of equilibrium. Therefore, in conclusion the free market would never really be a best allocating mechanism for scarce resources. Word Count: 524words PART A QUESTION 2 People disbelieves of a free market economy has highlighted the nature of a command economy. In contrast to a free market system, in command economies the government decides what will be produced? How it will be produced and for whom it would be produced? This further encompasses detailed instructions that are issued to households, firms and workers. There is very little private sector business activity within this economy as oppose to a free market economy. It is a very bureaucratic and time costly task of the government in planning and making decisions of these roles, as such; even though there is maximization in the application of resources, there is no completely planned economy where there is efficiency in the allocation of resources. With government in command, they produce products and services that are only required to be produced, consequently limiting consumers choices. Also, there is no room for competition within this economy, therefore any improvements in product designs is highly unlikely. Employees are also poorly motivated knowing that the business is not trying to make profits; therefore they are not benefited in any way from working harder, or even giving their input in showing the enterprise of how to possibly make its business more successful. On the other hand, with a command economy, there is stability within the economy. Also, this economy plans on a long term basis of perhaps via infrastructure investments, whereas the private sector is only after short term profits. The economy is intended to serve needs collectively rather than individually which allows equal distributions of wealth within its nature making no room for any discrimination. Through the high levels of government control in the economy, it does ensure sufficient supply of industrial products be made available at affordable prices for manufacturers all in the effort of the overall welfare of the economy. All production decisions are based on the governments assessments of peoples needs rather than the consumers spending patterns. 4A planned economy, in theory does not suffer from any business cycles, that is, and is no booms or recessions: it does not experience crisis of overproduction. According to the CIA Factbook, it estimated that for a time the Soviet Union was the worlds second largest economy and was that of a command, the economy eventually collapsed though, resulting in the various republics gaining its independence, for e.g., Kazakhstan transitioning into a free economy. This country now reaps the benefits of a friendly foreign investment climate. The economy has been healthily operating since the transition. China, before 1978 and India before, 1991 were also important command economies. Presently, command economies are relatively rare however it does still exist in certain countries such as in Cuba and Iran. The student believes that there is really no room for investment climates within a command economy, especially since potential investors evaluates and investigates conditions for private sector investment. This is due to all the disadvantages discussed earlier, for e.g., the basic salary wages would in fact reduce the demand for labor which affects an investors decision in thinking of the long run outcome. Word Count: 517 words PART A QUESTION 3 As a free market allows practices of self interest without any significant restrictions, and a command economy allows minute capacity of individual economic freedom since most decisions are centrally taken by the government, the student would now discuss a mixed economy as a result to these market failures. In a mixed economy as in Trinidad and Tobago, the government and the private sector act together in solving the economic issues presented. The government controls a significant allocation of output through taxations, transfer payments and the provision of services such as the defense force and police force. Government also regulates the extent to which an individual may pursue their own self interest. In this market type, the government provides essential services for all in society, no discrimination; the private sector is encouraged to operate successfully in earning profits from enterprise. Competition within the market will result in innovate products produced at reasonable prices to consumers hence an overall satisfaction to consumers in having the benefit of choice of a product. In mixed economies, government rule out all inefficient business behavior, for e.g., dangerous products or polluted factories such as the International Aluminum Smelting Industry, which results in very detrimental health impacts to society. Some disbenefits though are that taxes may be too high to pay for public goods, which can result in a decrease in motivation to work hard or make profits. The public sector may also not be as productive and efficient as oppose to the private sector. Government also needs to be careful when setting controls over business operations, too much control can add to cost and thereby discouraging enterprise. Trinidad and Tobago is known to have an open investment climate meaning that almost all investment barriers since 1992 to be exact have been abolished. Based on data collected, 5due to the nations strategic location, natural resources, excellent infrastructure and pro-investment business climate, Trinidad and Tobago have in the past acquired the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean. Increased levels of export returns have stirred both the public and private sectors outflow and inflow. Some of the sectors in which potential investors may consider in T T is the Tourism industry, Music and Entertainment, Merchant Marine and, Energy and Downstream Industry to name a few. Trinidad and Tobagos recent investment climate has not been progressing lately though, especially with the recent downfall in the economy, it is quite a challenging investment climate presently., 6There is a need to attract major players in the energy sector that is, especially since the entrants of new competitors such as Brazil, Angola, Australia and off-shore West Africa, who all possess the ability to haul together the investment dollars the technical expertise from major multi-national companies. Competition is indeed though in this sector, as a result the energy chamber has decided to center the forthcoming 2011 T T Energy Conference on investment in the energy sector. The conference will be to discuss the various aspects in which investment can be influenced in the region as well as means in enhancing competitiveness. Another major sector in which investment opportunities could use a boost is that of the Defense and Security sector. Presently, Trinidad and Tobago is undergoing significant increased levels of crime. Though a risk factor, relevant investors can however use this as an opportunity to grow and develop their businesses market shares. Trinidad and Tobagos actual investment policies as at 2009 20137, states where these policies are proposed in providing principles and guidelines for national and foreign investments, some of the marketing strategies include: Identification and development of investment projects. Facilitation of joint ventures. Improving access to financing and communication of investment opportunities. Provision of training to entrepreneurs. Hosting of trade fairs and trade, and trade and investment conferences, (as mentioned earlier) Provision of opportunities linked to firms that are already established, for e.g., the oil industry. These policies are expected to improve the investment climate of the country. In so doing, it provides opportunities for people to better themselves; therefore they should take advantage in the overall view of a bullish climate. Word Count: 705 words. FOOTNOTES 1http://www.islandandresort.com 2http://www.aabf.org/tanzania_inv_guide.htm 3 http://www.wiki.answers.com 4http://www.en.wikipedia.org 5http://www.bdc.co.tt/exportdirectory/profiles.php? 6http://www.ttenergyconference.org 7http://www.investtnt.com

Warren G. Harding, President Essay -- Politics

Warren G. Harding, President (1865-1923) Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Corsica (now Bloomington Grove), Ohio. He was eldest of eight children. His father, George Tryon Harding, was a farmer and a doctor. His mother, Phoebe Dickerson Harding, was a "gentle, pious" woman who devoted herself to her children. As a boy Warren helped his fater on the farm. In the summer he worked in a sawmill that made brooms, and he drove a team of horses for the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroaad. His father was later quoted as saying , "Warren was always willing to work hard if there was any money in it." Later Warren would become a printers apprentance, and office boy on the Caledonia Argus, a local newspaper. There he learned how to set type and gained his first newspaper experience. In 1879, at the age of 14, Harding entered Ohio Central College in Iberia. After graduating in 1882 he took a job as a schoolteacher. But he gave it up after one term, calling it the hardest job he ever had. The following year the Hardings moved to Marion, Ohio. Harding studied law for a few months, bu...

Evolution of Learning Ability in Fruit Flies Essay -- Biology Fly Dros

Learning & Memory in Fruit Flies Scientists have traditionally viewed learning and memory as "complex traits" in the sense that they are believed to be the net result of various different genetic and environmental factors interacting with one another. As it is not always practical or ethical to use human subjects in research, simpler "model" organisism are often used, and drosophila melanogaster (i.e. the fruit fly) is one of the most well known and well studied in the biological sciences. Abstract Two thousand fruit flies of the species Drosophilia melanogaster were maintained for six months before any experimenting began. Flies subjected to experimentation were 14 days old and were conditioned to be better learners. Petri dishes filled with pineapple juice and orange juice were used on which the flies could lay their eggs. Quinine was added to one of the juices to turn flies away from that medium. By selecting eggs from the juice that did not contain quinine, flies who had learned to avoid the juice with quinine passed on their learning ability. Subsequent generations of fruit flies did actually become "smarter" as demonstrated be their ability to more readily differentiate between the quinine medium and the regular medium as well as their ability to remember this association for a longer period of time. Methods Experimental Design Base Population All flies used in Mery & Kawecki's experiment were of the species Drosophilia melanogaster. The experimental population was derived from 2000 flies and maintained for six months before any experimenting began. All flies subjected to experimentation were 14 days old. Experimental Evolution Design Before any testing was actually con... ... the different genetics of every individual fly, but in general, it is possible to say that it did improve. This proves the point that learning is favored when environmental factors and other cues play a significant role. The experiment also showed that the learning ability to modify oviposition substrate choice has direct correlations with fitness. Single-locus large-effect mutants would be the best approach for this experiment, but the group wanted to simulate learning ability in a natural environment so they chose to use a variegated sample. References Mery, Frederic & Tadeusz J. Kawecki. "Experimental evolution of learning ability in fruit flies." Proc.Natl. Acad. Sci. 99.22 (2002): 14274-14279. Papaj, Daniel R. and Emilie C. Snell-Rood. "Memory flies sooner from flies that learn faster." Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 104.34 (2007): 13539-13540.

One Life to Live (soap opera) :: essays research papers

One Life to Live is a soap opera broadcasted on the ABC channel on the weekdays. I started to watch this show when I was a sophomore in high school, and when I used to come home from school, my mom would be watching it. That is how I got addicted to it. The story takes place in a town called Llanview. One Life to Live appeals to many viewers because the show keeps the viewers hanging onto the episode’s next scene. The viewers know that if they watch the last scenes of one episode, then, the next day, the story may change or something unexpected might happen. This is how the viewer gets attached to the show. For example, a couple of weeks ago, one of the last scenes was with Jen with a pregnancy test in her hand. If people watched the show the next day, the pregnancy test was not hers. It was her mother’s. Her mother had also taken a pregnancy test the same day and had switched the tests on her. Then, the scene was cut with a commercial. The story was that her mother was pregnant, not Jen. This catches viewers to watch the show the next day because then, they want to know why her mother would do such a thing. The next day, the show is done the same way with the last scenes. There would be a scene that is cut off so that the viewers have to watch it again just to find out what happens the next day. Another way that keeps the viewers watching One Life to Live is how they never know who is going to be broadcasted the next day. There are so many characters that it is unlikely for all of them to be on each episode. For example, Todd, Blair, and Star are one family. Todd and Blair are the parents of their ten-year old Star. One day, the three of them might be broadcasted together in the same episode. The next day, Todd might be on an excursion throughout the show whereas Blair and Star are not even viewed. This is what occurs with almost all the characters. So viewers get attached to see who will be viewed the next day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One Life to Live also appeals to the viewers because of how the characters all relate to one another and some of the characters do not even know that they are related to someone else somehow. One Life to Live (soap opera) :: essays research papers One Life to Live is a soap opera broadcasted on the ABC channel on the weekdays. I started to watch this show when I was a sophomore in high school, and when I used to come home from school, my mom would be watching it. That is how I got addicted to it. The story takes place in a town called Llanview. One Life to Live appeals to many viewers because the show keeps the viewers hanging onto the episode’s next scene. The viewers know that if they watch the last scenes of one episode, then, the next day, the story may change or something unexpected might happen. This is how the viewer gets attached to the show. For example, a couple of weeks ago, one of the last scenes was with Jen with a pregnancy test in her hand. If people watched the show the next day, the pregnancy test was not hers. It was her mother’s. Her mother had also taken a pregnancy test the same day and had switched the tests on her. Then, the scene was cut with a commercial. The story was that her mother was pregnant, not Jen. This catches viewers to watch the show the next day because then, they want to know why her mother would do such a thing. The next day, the show is done the same way with the last scenes. There would be a scene that is cut off so that the viewers have to watch it again just to find out what happens the next day. Another way that keeps the viewers watching One Life to Live is how they never know who is going to be broadcasted the next day. There are so many characters that it is unlikely for all of them to be on each episode. For example, Todd, Blair, and Star are one family. Todd and Blair are the parents of their ten-year old Star. One day, the three of them might be broadcasted together in the same episode. The next day, Todd might be on an excursion throughout the show whereas Blair and Star are not even viewed. This is what occurs with almost all the characters. So viewers get attached to see who will be viewed the next day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One Life to Live also appeals to the viewers because of how the characters all relate to one another and some of the characters do not even know that they are related to someone else somehow.

What Are the Effects of Poor Communication in a Project

Faculty of Business Department of Management and Project Management Baccalaureus Technologiae Project Management Project Research IV Lecturer: L. Jowah RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PROPOSAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Hypothesis – The matrix management structure hinders the project manager when executing a project. 1 Research Question 1 Topic 1 KEY WORDS 1 CONCEPT DEFINITIONS 1 2 CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM ORIENTATION 2 1. 1 INTRODUCTION 2 1. 2 BACKGROUND TO STUDY 3 1. 3 PROBLEM FORMULATION 4 1. 4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 5 1. 4. 1 Primary objective 5 1. 4. 2 Theoretical objectives of the study 5 1. 4. Empirical objectives 5 1. 5 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 6 1. 5. 1 Literature review 6 1. 5. 2 Target population 6 1. 5. 3 Sample selection and method of sampling 6 1. 5. 4 The method of data collection 7 1. 5. 5 Statistical Analysis 7 1. 6 CHAPTER CLASSIFICATION 7 1. 6. 1 Chapter two: Literature review 7 1. 6. 2 Chapter three: Research Design and Methodology 7 1. 6. 3 Chapter four: Res ults and Findings 7 1. 6. 4 Chapter five: Conclusions and Recommendations 8 1. 7 SYNOPSIS 8 REFERENCES 9 Questionnaire 11 Part A – Project Planning†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 Part B – Organisational Support†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Part C – Organisational Characteristics †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 Hypothesis – The matrix management structure hinders the project manager when executing a project. Research Question – How does the matrix structure affect the project manager's effectiveness? Topic – Organisational structures influence the effectiveness of a projec t manager. KEY WORDS organisational structures management project management CONCEPT DEFINITIONS Project: According to the PMBOK – A temporary endeavor ndertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end. Unique means that the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from all similar products or services A project management guide, and an internationally recognized standard, that provides the fundamentals of project management as they apply to a wide range of projects. PMBOK – Project Management Body of Knowledge: Management Organisational structures: 1. Effective use and coordination of resources such as capital, plant materials and labour to achieve defined objectives with maximum efficiency. . People responsible for directing and running and organisation. 1. Arrangement of the work of the organisation into units and management positions between which there are defined relat ionships involving the exercise of authority and the communication of instructions and information. 2. Determination and specification of appropriate operational and functional roles and the resulting relationships. The aim of organisational structuring is to provide for an effective organisation structure which enables the best use to be made of the minds, judgements and energies of the members of the organisation. CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM ORIENTATION 1. 1 INTRODUCTION Project management is the discipline of planning, organising, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives (Cleland & Gareis, 2006:1-4). According to Burke (2007:28-30), modern day project management started in the early 1900’s with Henry Gantt’s development of the barchart, and project management techniques which were specifically developed for the military and aerospace projects of the 1950’s and 1960’s in America and Britain. Today, companies are encouraged to change their management systems to adapt to the project management environment. A project is defined as a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product or service (PMBOK, 2004:4). According to Sandhu & Gunasekaran (2004:673-690), a project is a set of inter-related tasks that are undertaken by an organisation to meet defined objectives, that has an agreed start and finish time, is constrained by cost, and that has specified performance requirements and resources. Projects are usually led by a project manager who is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing of any project. However the project manager has to interface with the line management, according to Kerzner (2006:7). Projects are performed by people and managed through people, so it is essential to develop an organisation structure which reflects the needs of the project (Burke, 2007:304). Organisations use project management to bring key people together to achieve specific goals (Palmer, 2002:101-105). According to Gido & Clements (2003:336-339), Conflict can arise from poor or organisational issues can cause conflict in a project. mbiguous project communication, lack of information sharing, or failure to make timely decisions. Problems caused by conflict include: confusion; waste of time, money and opportunity; diminished productivity; de-motivation of individuals and teams; internal conflicts and power struggles and ultimately project failure (Box & Platts, 2005:370-387). 2 Due to the numerous working interfaces, complicated networks, and diversified team members of a large project, coordination efficiency among members of the team is vital to the project’s success (Cheng, Su & You, 2003:70-79). One of the simplest, yet most effective things upper management can do is to set out the company’s policy for project management; thus establishing the vision for how the company wants to best utilise project management concepts and gives a clear downwards communication (Eve, 2007:85-90). Successful executives and managers must maintain an appropriate balance between strategic and operational concerns, as they conduct the affairs of their organisation in a project management environment (Czuchry & Yasin, 2003:39-46). The first and most basic lesson learnt regarding project management implementation, is that top management must demonstrate its unequivocal and visible support for a transition to the project management way of goal achievement (Brown & Botha, 2005:1-7). When senior management place the responsibility for project success with the project manager, without providing adequate authority and at times, implemented changes that further undermine the project manager’s authority; it leads to project failure (Kennedy & Marx, 2009:368-373). The starting point for ensuring that matrix structures work effectively is to ensure that there is a genuine need for them (Rees & Porter, 2004:189-193). Matrix structures should not be introduced simply on the basis that they are fashionable. It is also important to note that work teams do not exist in a vacuum, but are part of a larger organisational system with distinct cultural and structural characteristics (Tata, 2000:187-193). 1. 2 BACKGROUND TO STUDY An organisational structure is a mainly hierarchical concept of subordination of entities that collaborate and contribute to serve one common aim. Organisational structure allows the expressed allocation of responsibilities for different functions and processes to different entities such as the branch, department, workgroup and individual. 3 A hierarchical organisation is an organisational structure where every entity in the organisation, except one, is sub-ordinate to a single other entity. This arrangement is a form of a hierarchy. In an organisation, the hierarchy usually consists of a singular/group of power at the top with subsequent levels of power beneath them. This is the dominant mode of organisation among large organisations; most corporations, governments, and organized religions are hierarchical organisations with different levels of management, power or authority. Organisations have recognised that performing organisational projects has increased both organisational efficiency and effectiveness, thus organisational projects are becoming more of a norm than an exception these days. Each type of organisation has advantages and disadvantages pertaining to project implementation. The organisation should establish firm, standardized project management systems. The matrix structure leads to institutionalised conflict which, if properly channelled, should lead to a number of advantages, such as efficiency and flexibility in used of resources, technical excellence of solutions, motivation and development of employees and the freeing of top management from routine decision making (Rowlinson, 2001:669-673). According to Brown (2008:1-9), a seven step organisational process needs to be formally instituted in an organisation through a thoroughly planned strategy to ensure that appropriate project management processes and tools. . 3 PROBLEM FORMULATION In recent years, managers of for-profit private organisations have been under considerable market pressures to re-orient the strategies, operations and business models of their organisations. In a response to these pressures, the organisational structures of these organisations have been steadily re-engineered from mechanistic, rigid and closed system-oriented to a more organic, flexible and open sy stem-oriented (Gomes, Yasin & Lisboa, 2008: 573-585). 4 Most managers focus on how the project methodology can adapt to it’s organisational context, however, in doing so, they sacrifice the flexibility and dynamism of the project approach for the bureaucratic, control-based view of functional organisations (Thiry, 2006:22) The questions to be addressed in this study are as follows: †¢ How does the organisational structure affect the project manager's effectiveness? †¢ To what degree is the effectiveness of the organisational structure sabotaged by the human factor? †¢ Which organisational structures are best suited for project management? 1. 4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY . 4. 1 Primary objective The purpose of this study is to verify whether organisational structures influence the effectiveness of a project manager. 1. 4. 2 Theoretical objectives of the study The following theoretical objectives were established in order to support the primary objective. †¢ Conducting management. †¢ Conducting a literature stud y on factors of influence in project management. †¢ Reviewing organisational structure models commonly employed by companies in the project management environment. †¢ Contrasting the literature studied with observations in the industry in practice. 1. 4. Empirical objectives The following empirical objectives were formulated in support of the primary and theoretical objectives. †¢ Identifying key elements of influence on project management success. a literature study on organisational structures in project 5 †¢ Identifying organisational structures employed by companies to ensure support project management. 1. 5 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 1. 5. 1 Literature review Published material in the form of books, journals, magazines, newspaper articles, government publications and the Internet formed part of establishing a well-informed theoretical background. . 5. 2 Target population The population was restricted to companies in the Western Cape Province, for econom ic reasons; as most companies are within easy reach. The population comprised project management practitioners. For the purpose of this study, project management practitioners are persons practising project management, who are given the responsibility and accountability for implementing projects in an organisation. In industry, the title varies from company to company. The commonly used titles are Project Supervisor and Project Manager. The companies to be included in the study must be practising project The companies must have a formal project management for more than five years. management structure in place. It is anticipated that many companies may not be keen to share information on this subject. Therefore, to increase the probability of reaching the required sample size, organisations in the entire province were chosen. 1. 5. 3 Sample selection and method of sampling A combination of convenience and judgement sampling was used, in light of the geographical dispersion of the organisations. Care was taken to include a broad variety of project management practitioners. The organisations were grouped according to industries. In the absence of previous research, a minimum sample size of one hundred project management practitioners will be chosen for the study. The sample size has been determined on the basis of the cost of the exercise and accessibility to the various companies. 6 1. 5. 4 The method of data collection The survey method will be used. A personal interview using a structured questionnaire will be used to obtain the required information. This method was chosen as it is simple and allows for clarity of questions. 1. 5. 5 Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics will be used for the initial analysis. The MoonStats package will be used for data analysis. Cross-tabulation and correlation will be used to establish simple relationships between the organisational structure and it’s effects on project management in the business. 1. 6 CHAPTER CLASSIFICATION 1. 6. 1 Chapter two: Literature review An overview is provided of strategies, strategic business levels ad their relationship to each other. This chapter concentrates on organisational structures, competencies and the dynamics of project management. It also explores the need for strategic organisational decisions to further support project management objectives. structures are also highlighted. Different organisational 1. 6. 2 Chapter three: Research Design and Methodology The emphasis of this chapter is on the design of the research, the measuring instruments and population target. employed are outlined. The data analysis procedure and the statistical techniques 1. 6. 3 Chapter four: Results and Findings In this chapter data is analysed, interpreted and evaluated. 1. 6. 4 Chapter five: Conclusions and Recommendations The recommendations emanating from the study are suggested. limitations of the research are highlighted. The benefits and 1. 7 SYNOPSIS This paper is primarily addressed at the decision makers about project management in an organisation. In the arenas of business and management, the principles of project man agement are relatively simple and much of it actually common sense. However, this paper aims to confirm that the implementation and acceptance thereof, in a functionallyonly structured organisation, is quite a complex process. The paper’s prime purpose is herefore to highlight, that after the decision to implement project management is made, a number of not so obvious implications for the organisation, as well as structural, organisational culture and systems changes, have to be thoroughly managed to ensure success. In this chapter the background and scope of research are described. The Research objectives are utilized in an effort to address the research problem. In the next chapter the literature used as background for this study, will be discussed, while the different levels of project management organisational structures and how they are interrelated will be outlined. REFERENCES Cleland, D. , Gareis, R. 2006. Global project management handbook: Planning, McGraw-Hill Organ izing and Controlling International Projects, Second Edition. Professional. Project Management Institute. 2004. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge – 3rd edition. Pennsylvania: PMI Publications. Burke, R. 2007. Project management Techniques college edition. South Africa; Burke Publishing. Gido, J. and Clements, J. P. 2003. Successful Project Management – Second Edition. USA. South-Western. Kerzner, H. 2006. Project Management – Ninth Edition, A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling. Hoboken, New Jersey. John Wiley & Sons. Sandhu, M. A. and Gunasekaran, A. 2004. Business process development in projectbased industry. Business Process Management Journal. Vol. 10 No. 6:673-690. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Box, S. and Platts, K. 2005. Business process management: establishing and maintaining project alignment. Business Process Management Journal. Vol. 11 No. 4:370-387. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Palmer, M. 2002. How an effective project culture can help to achieve business success: establishing a project culture in Kimberley-Clark Europe. Industrial and Commercial Training. Volume 34. Number 3:101-105. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Czuchry, A. J. and Yasin, M. M. 2003. Managing the project management process. Industrial Management and Data Systems. 103/1 :39-46. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 9 Rees, W. D. and Porter, C. 2004. Matrix structures and the training implications. Industrial and Commercial Training. Volume 36. Number 5:189–193. Emerald Group Publishing Limited  · ISSN 0019-:189-193 Gomes, C. F. , Yasin, M. M. and Lisboa, J. V. 2008. Project management in the context of organizational change. International Journal of Public Sector Management. Vol. 21 No. 6:573-585. Tata, J. 2000. Autonomous work teams: an examination of cultural and structural constraints. Work Study. Volume 49. Number 5:187-193. MCB University Press. Rowlinson, S. 2001. Matrix organizational structure, culture and commitment: a Hong Kong public sector case study of change. Construction Management and Economics. 19, 669-673. Spon Press. Brown, C. J. and Botha, M. C. 2005. Lessons learnt on implementing project management in a functionally-only structured South African municipality. South African Journal of Business Management. 36(4):1-7 Cheng, M. Su, C. and You, H. 2003. Optimal Project Organizational Structure for Construction Management. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. January/February:70-79. Brown, C. J. 2008. A comprehensive organisational model for the effective management of project management. South African Journal of Business Management. 39(3):1-8. Kennedy, D. A. and Marx, T. 2009. Going Against Traditional Wisdom: Running Proj ects in a Functional Structure. Proceedings of the 2009 Industrial Engineering Research Conference. 368-373. Thiry, M. 2006. The Matrix Evolves. PM Network. Apr. 20,4:22. Eve, A. 2007. Development of project management systems. Industrial and Commercial Training. Vol. 39. No. 2:85-90. 10 Questionnaire For each planning product written, please mark the most suitable answer referring to the projects you were recently involved in, according to the following scale: 54321ABThe product is always obtained The product is quite frequently obtained The product is frequently obtained The product is seldom obtained The product is hardly ever obtained The product is irrelevant to the projects I am involved in I do not know whether the product is obtained Please choose between 1-5 and A or B. Part A – Project Planning Planning Product Never Always Do not know Irrelevant 1. Project Plan 2. Project Deliverables 3. WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) Chart 4. Project Activities 5. PERT or Gantt Chart 6. Activity Duration Estimate 7. Activity Start and End Dates 8. Activity Required Resources 9. Resource Cost 10. Time-phased Budget 11. Quality Management Plan 12. Role and Responsibility Assignments 13. Project Staff Assignments 14. Communications Management Plan 15. Risk Management Plan 16. Procurement Management Plan 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B 11 Part B – Organisational Support Planning Product Never Always Do not know Irrelevant 17. Project-Based Organisation 18. Extent of Existence of Projects’ Procedures 19. Appropriate Project Manager Assignment 20. Extent of Refreshing Project Procedures 21. Extent of Involvement of the Project Manager during Initiation Stage 22. Extent of Communication between the Project Manager and the Organisation during the Planning Phase 23. Extent of Existence of Project Success Measurement 24. Extent of Supportive Project Organisational Structure 25. Extent of Existence of Interactive InterDepartmental Project Planning Groups 26. Extent of Organisational Projects Resource Planning 27. Extent of Organisational Projects Risk Management 28. Extent of Organisational Projects Quality Management 29. Extent of On Going Project Management Training Programs 30. Extent of Use of Standard Project Management Software (e. . Ms-Project) 31. Extent of Use of New Project Tools and Techniques 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 A A A A A A B B B B B B 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 A A A A A A A A A B B B B B B B B B 12 Part C – Organisational Characteristics a. Organisation type: ? (1) Engineering ? (4) Construction ? (7) Services ? (2) Software ? (5) Communications ? (8) Government ? (3) Production ? (6) Maintenance ? (9) Other: ______ b. Project type: ? (1) Engineering ? (4) Construction ? (7) Services ? 2) Software ? (5) Communications ? (8) Aeronautics ? (3) Electronics ? (6) Mechanics ? (9) Other: _____ c. Evaluate the following indexes in the scale of 1 to 10 (1-low, 10-high): Index Low High Quality of planning of project you are involved in Project performance at the end of the projects Customer satisfaction at the end of the projects Risk level at the beginning of the project 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 d. Your personal involvement in projects: ? Project Manager ? Project Team Member ? Other: _______ 13

A Temple Dress and a Wedding Dress

A Temple Dress and a Wedding Dress For a woman, the day of her wedding is one of the most magnificent, best days of her life. No woman dreams to wear an ugly wedding dress on that very special day. And on that unforgettable day, a groom will see his wife-to-be as the loveliest and beautifully dressed woman in the whole universe. Of course, that kind of love and affection will not end on that day, Nonetheless, it is also vital that on that day, the bride should be a wearing a dress or a gown that will let her stand out.It is typically recommended for a bride to wear a modest wedding dress. In today's modern generation, it is valuable to keep the sacredness of a wedding; one way to do that is to let the bride and all the females included in the entourage to wear modern yet modest wedding gowns. When talking about a temple dress, it is somewhat different from the usual wedding dresses that people typically see today. This kind of dress is what a bride wears during a Mormon sealing weddi ng ceremony.This kind of Mormon ceremony has many similarities with a wedding; nonetheless, a Mormon bride is allowed to experience both a wedding and a sealing ceremony. In addition, not all Mormon couples have the right to go through a sealing ceremony; those couples who are permitted to do so are given a special permission by their church leaders. A Mormon bride may have freedom in choosing the kind of gown she wants to wear on her sealing ceremony, but she must keep in mind that the key to an appropriate temple dress is simplicity and modesty.Some specification or details of temple dresses include the following: it should be a white dress; the sleeves should be long; it must have a high neckline; and many other details. Whether in a church wedding or in a Mormon sealing/wedding ceremony, it is significant for the bride to be the model of modesty, real beauty, and simplicity on that sacred day. A wedding is holy and should be respected so wearing a modest wedding dress is one of the best things a bride can do on the day when she promises to give her love eternally. She does not only promise to her future husband but to the Superior one, most especially.

Problems and Aspirations of Youth Essay

INTRODUCTION: Trying hands on contemporary writing and then reigning over hearts of millions is not that easy as has been proved by one of the prominent writers of the day – Chetan Bhagat. Very few authors have managed to reach out to such a wide audience as Chetan Bhagat. There is originality of content in his writings and when he writes people feel as if it is their story. He is a phenomenon that has affected everybody, touched everybody’s life. Indian Publishing shall now be divided into pre and post Chetan Bhagat. He has created those kinds of landmarks. Chetan Bhagat projects his readers’ viewpoint in his writings. According to him,† A writer’s first job is to strike a chord, and not to please elitist circles,† He does it by caring for his readers and listening to them,† It can’t be just the language, as it is simply the common language of the people. It is more about what is being said and communicated that strikes a chord.† Chetan s trongly believes that the language should be colloquial- a popular fiction has to be a dialogue with the people on the streets. CHETAN BHAGAT:- A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Chetan Bhagat (born on 22 April,1974) is a contemporary Indian author who has written four novels namely :- â€Å" Five Point Someone- What not to do at IIT†, â€Å" One Night @ The Call Center†, â€Å"The 3 Mistakes of My Life† and â€Å"2 States: The Story of My Marriage†, respectively. He grew up in Delhi in a Punjabi family in an uncertain home environment where his parents used to fight a lot. His father, an army officer, was very strict and he wasn’t allowed to watch television or films. So, Chetan and his brother used to make up movie stories and perhaps that’s where this tact of writing all sprang up. Bhagat attended Army Public School (1978-1991), Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi (1991-1995), and then studied at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmadabad (1995-1997), where he was named â€Å"The Best Outgoing Student† He fell in love with his IIM Ahmadabad classmate Anusha and they eventually got married. His novel â€Å"2 States: The Story of My Marriage†, is a fictional version of his love story. After graduating from IIT and IIM, he joined Peregrine, a financial service company in Hong-Kong. It shut down in six months but Chetan stayed on in Hong-Kong for eleven years, moving to Goldman Sachs. It was to spite his boss that he started writing his first novel. No doubt it was a great moment for Bhagat but he was in a bank and dissatisfied. His boss was very bad. So to take revenge on him. He started writing in office. CHETAN BHAGAT’S WRITING STYLE AND CHARACTERS The secret to Chetan Bhagat’s success is he writes in ordinary English – and it is reassuring for young people to know someone knows what they are going through. In other words, Bhagat’s writing style tends to be simple with linear narratives and vivid storytelling. His protagonists tend to be named after avatars of Hindu deity Vishnu, like Hari, Shyam, Govind or Krishna. All his books have a number in the title (e.g. ‘five’ in the first, ‘one’ in the second, ‘three in the third and ‘two’ in the fourth book.) When asked about this, Bhagat replied that he is a banker and he can’t get numbers out of his head. Bhagat, 35, is the first to admit that he is no Arundhati Roy, the Indian Booker Prize winning author and says he knows critics feel his books are shallow. But Bhagat, who enjoys a rock-star like popularity among his readers, aged mainly 13 to 30, said he has the ultimate riposte—â€Å"My books sell.† Bhagat says that he writes for ‘ordinary young people’ who feel suffocated by their parents’ desire for them to become doctors, lawyers, or engineers. According to Bhagat- Indian youngsters live under pressure-cooker conditions to succeed. There is cut-throat competition to win places in India’s elite universities with youngsters compelled to score highly from primary to high school. Entrance to top universities often requires ninety percent- plus averages and most children have afterschool tutoring to attain such marks. A paragon of this philosophy can be seen in his novel â€Å" One Night @ The Call Center†, where the hero, who answers the phone calls from clueless Americans about their cooking appliances, remarks,† Every cousin of mine is becoming a doctor or engineer,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.You can say I am the black sheep of my family.† Bhagat believes that India tends to have an academic and social revolution to prevent young people simply regurgitating what they learn without thinking. He wants to convey this message across to the Indian youth- even if they don’t get stratospheric marks, they are still entitled to a happy life; and it’s not the end of the world if they fail. He generally talks about youngsters’ worries, their anxieties and all those things which preoccupy them, by means of his writings. His writing subjects include parental academic pressure along with pre-marital sex, drinking and other topics taboo in socially conservative India. CHETAN BHAGAT’S NOVELS 1. FIVE POINT SOMEONE- WHAT NOT TO DO AT IIT! â€Å"Five Point Someone†¦.† was his first book which adopted a breezy, ironic tone to explore the lives of exam-oppressed students who cram to get into the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and then rebel against the stultifying atmosphere of academic competition. It features soft-drugs, binge- drinking, and an affair between a student and his professor’s daughter. To be clear, the story of â€Å"Five Point Someone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  revolves around three studentsHari, Ryan and Alok who come from three different backgrounds. The book is about their years in IIT Delhi and how they cope with the pressure of studies, family and relationships. The book was well received by the public, especially among the younger generation, and brought Bhagat a large following. It was adapted into a play by the theatre group ‘Madras Players’ and also by ‘Evam’. This book was adapted into a movie called ‘3 Idiots’, though Bhagat has stated that he was not involved in the scriptwriting in anyway, and was involved in a controversy with the director and the producer of the movie over crediting his contribution to the script. Directed by Raj Kumar Hirani, and starring Aamir Khan, R. Madhvan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, and Boman Irani in pivotal roles, it was released on 25 December, 2009. About a week after the release of the movie, ‘3 Idiots’, Chetan Bhagat claimed for the credit for the story and this credit row became a national issue. On January 1, 2010, Star News channel got Chetan Bhagat, Aamir khan and Abhijat Joshi- the so-called script writer, switched to each other at their respective places through Star News correspondents. During this programme, Chetan Bhagat claimed that before the release of the movie ‘3 Idiots’, neither he had been shown the preview of the movie nor given any participation in the script writing. At that time he was told that the adaptation of ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ to ‘3 Idiots’, was just two to three percent or at the most just five percent and rest of the plot was different, but when the movie released and hit the Box Office as the biggest hit of the time, Chetan felt bad, because the story was not just five percent from his book rather it was seventy to eighty percent of his book. He kept mum for a week but when his fans and readers kept on asking him why he didn’t take any action or show any reaction against the makers, at that point of time Bhagat sought the shelter of the media and came into the lime-light with his credit claim. On the other hand Aamir khan in one of his interviews made it clear that there was no similarity between the movie and ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ and also as Aamir had not read Bhagat’s novel, Bhagat prohibited him to go through ‘Five Point Someone’, saying that both the movie and the novel were quite different from each other in story as well as plot. And now after the release of the movie, seeing it to be a big hit Chetan Bhagat is claiming for credit? It is quite wrong on his part because he wants to snatch the credit of Abhijat Joshi- the actual script writer of ‘3 Idiots’, who worked on the story along with Raj Kumar Hirani – the director. Aamir also interrogated Chetan Bhagat saying that Raju Hirani had directed ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ and its sequel ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’, so Chetan Bhagat would claim that these two movies were also his creations! Aamir labeled Chetan Bhagat as publicity hungry writer. Chetan Bhagat defended himself by saying that the producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra had told him that there was hardly any similarity between the movie and the novel apart from the five percent of loose inspiration. He added that he relied upon Vidhu and said so to Aamir prohibiting him going through ‘Five Point Someone’. It was only after the release of ‘3 Idiots’ that Chetan Bhagat realized that he had been duped as Vidhu kept him in dark by lying and that was why he claimed for credit. He said that as per contract signed between him and Vidhu, he had been promised full justice by displaying his name among the main star-cast, but his name was given towards the end among assistants’ names in the rolling cast. This really pinched him. At one occasion during the promotion of the movie ‘3 Idiots’, interacting with the media persons in a press conference when a press reporter asked Raju Hirani, Aamir and Vidhu Vinod about the authenticity of the story whether it was an original one or taken from Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’, Vidhu Vinod lost his temper. He raised his finger at that press reporter and asked him to shut up. This act of Vidhu further added oil to fire and the matter turned from bad to worst. All the news channels repeatedly telecasted Vidhu raising finger and saying ‘SHUT UP’. No doubt, the next day, somehow, Vidhu realized his mistake and openly apologized labeling himself a ‘BEAST’ and his action of raising finger and saying ‘shut up’- an insane or uncivilized act. When asked about Vidhu’s ill-mannerism from Chetan Bhagat, the later showed his gratitude to the media for bringing forth Vidhu’s real per sonality, as it would have been quite difficult for him to do so at his own level. A few days after this incident another interview with Chetan Bhagat was telecasted on news channel where he disclosed that Abhijat Joshi had threatened him to send a legal notice in his name if he ever claimed for the credit for the story again. Chetan Bhagat subsided for some time. It was a great shock to the fan-readers of Bhagat when a video clip of Bhagat’s interview on 24-12-2009 was telecasted on another news channel. It showed Bhagat in very high spirits saying that he had given his book ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ to the makers of ‘3 Idiots’ just like a daughter and after watching the premier of the movie ‘3 Idiots’, it seemed to him that his simple daughter turned into a bridal-look, so he would definitely give five out of five points to the movie. Chetan Bhagat also appreciated the adaptation of ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ to ‘3 Idiots’ and confessed that he couldn’t have done this if asked for as Raju and Vidhu have done and added that his family is quite happy over this. Bollywood News channel Lehren depicted this incident of credit claim row and Vidhu’s misbehavior mere a pre-planned drama to benefit both the movie as well as the book. 2. ONE NIGHT @ THE CALL CENTER It was released in India in October 2005 also to popular demand. This book was about six people who work at a call center and about a night when they receive a call from God. Noted Bollywood film director Rohan Sippy bought the rights from Bhagat, but later Sippy let the rights pass on to director Atul Agnihotri, brother-in-law of Arbaaz Khan. The movie version of the novel is titled as ‘HELLO’ starring Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Amrita Arora, Esha Koppikar, Gul Panag, and Sharman Joshi. Bhagat worked directly on the script of the movie, moulding it to fit the silver screen. However, the film did not succeeed commercially. ‘One Night @ The Call Center’ is a romantic comedy set in an office where bored young Indians try to resolve the mindless inquiries of Midwestern American Technophobes. The story is a comedy of romance and crossed lines. There are three main themes: – ex-girlfriend, bad-boss, and God. The story revolves around six friends who are selling home appliances to the US from a call center in India. Each one has an issue with love. Call agent Sam works right beside the girl who has just duped him. He is dating someone he can’t stand just to get over her. Esha is just short of becoming a model. Two inches, to be precise. Vroom wants to change the world. Radhika is trying to manage her mother-in-law, and hold down her job. Tonight is Thanksgiving in America, and customers are queuing up to complain about white goods going wrong. On this night of a thousand phone calls, when life couldn’t look more dismal, one unique caller got on the line- God: and that call is going to change everything†¦.A romantic comedy of six friends kicking against the system, against their boss, and against each other. The fact that ‘One Night @ The Call Center’, was an enormous success in India is very strange or unusual and troubling. Although it may seem a feel-good story about Indian empowerment in a globalized world, but Bhagat finds no other way to reach a happy end but through a ridiculous and an unexpected event saving a seemingly hopeless situation and a series of morally reprehensible acts. One might be able to forgive him invoking God- the ultimate fall-back guy when nothing else works: but the mean-spirited and outrageous means he chooses for his characters to find happiness and satisfaction is beyond contempt. In the opening page, we are asked to do a task- think about something you fear, that makes you angry and one thing you don’t like about yourself. After a deep pondering, one may come up with an idea and plod on with the reading. When you reach the end of the novel you find yourself thinking about what you said in the beginning and viewing it in a different way- clever stuff, actually Bhagat’s writing style is so easy that you are soon swept along with the narrative. The novel has a prologue, in which author- Chetan Bhagat encounters a beautiful woman on a train-trip. She offers to tell him a story- but will do so only on one condition that he uses it for his next book. It is set at a call center, describing the events of a single night shift†¦..and she warns him (as well as the readers) to expect at least one unusual occurrence: â€Å"it was the night†¦.it was the night there was a phone call from God.† That’s a lot of pressure to put on a book- and since the phone call comes on page241, that’s also an awful lot of suspense to leave the reader in for a very long time. The story is narrated by Shyam Mehra, who works at the Connections Call Center. Here Indians man the phones all night, fielding calls from American consumers who are having troubles with their electronic goods. The company is kept afloat by its account with Western Computers and Appliances, but isn’t doing spectacularly well (â€Å"call volumes are at an all time low†¦.Connections is doomed†) and there is talk of â€Å"rightsizing† i.e. downsizing. Shyam works in the WASG bay which stands for the Western Appliances Strategic Group, handling home appliance issues i.e. people having trouble with their refrigerators, ovens, and vacuum cleaners. The novel focuses on Shyam and handful of his colleagues- a motley crew of Indians who, for a variety of reasons, have wound up in the same job. For quite a while ‘One Night @ The Call Center’ is fairly predictable; the characters and their personal stories are introduced, the bad boss is shown being bad, the American callers are unlucky. Bhagat does not do any of this particularly well, but it’s modestly engaging and there seem to be some possibilities. Priyanka’s sudden engagement to a Microsoft-man she has never seen, stirs the things up, and each of the characters has his or her own story which Bhagat at least offers a glimpse of. He is at his best in describing the workplace- silliness, dealing with customers and bosses, though not particularly creative or imaginative. Bhagat has a self-righteous and important streak that undermines much of his possibly valid social criticism. Claims of intellectual superiority hardly mask the pathetic inferiority complex they all seem to suffer from. At Connections they are taught: – â€Å"the brain and IQ of a thirty-five-year-old American is the same as the brain of a ten-year-old Indian. This will help you understand your clients. You need to be as patient with them as you are when dealing with a child. Americans are stupid, just accept it.† It was quite surprising that the novel ‘One Night @ The Call Center’ was getting an American release, as Americans aren’t exactly shown in a flattering light here. The thirty five is equal to ten rule just makes one stunned. The Indian call center teaches all the agents that a thirty five year old American is as intelligent as a ten year old Indian child!! One would wonder how Americans will take this saying. Perhaps one sort of has to insult the people who call all night long to complain about idiotic problems now and then to stay sane and not end up screaming at them after one stupid question too many. The author does acknowledge that in spite of the vast intelligence Indians have, the country is plagued by corruption and thus very behind America. In a nutshell, it can be said that Bhagat raises valid issues and concerns- but does not take them in the least seriously, offering neither reasonable descriptions of the issues, nor any sensible way of dealing with them. The characters one finds working in these places like call-centers, the cross-cultural issues (some of which he even manages to begin to convey), the different faces of modernizing India, the family pressures especially on women; Bhagat even lays a decent foundation. But in going completely overboard like God! Operation Yankee fears! ; He undoes all of the promise of the book, and with his morally defective happy end, sends such a wrong message that one has to condemn the whole exercise. 3. THE THREE MISTAKES OF MY LIFE It is Bhagat’s third book, about cricket, religious politics and rebellious love. About how three friends get caught in a tangle to earn some money and fame, and how they sort it out. The book was published in May 2008 and had an initial print –run of 200,000 copies. The novel follows the story of three friends and is based in the city of Ahmadabad in western India where the author had begun his independent life and so this city is quite close to his heart. Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment has bought the rights for making a movie based on this, and it will be directed by Abhishek Kapoor of ‘ROCK ON!’ fame. The book has fiction: – sentiment, romance, social message, business, life, relations, religion and of course cricket. It’s the story about three friends Omi, Govind and Ish who are struggling to decide their goal. The story is presented through Govind’s eye; he is a brilliant student of mathematics. He has an aptitude and penchant for business and it’s his three mistakes of life that are presented along. Govind is a true Gujarati, interested in coming up on his own in life through business. Ishaan or Ish- a failure in studies but a great cricketer (obviously great in the local school team), has a passion in playing, teaching and watching cricket. Omi comes from a family of priests with no inclination of becoming a priest and just moves along with his two friends. The journey of these simple people in life, how their lives get affected by the worst disasters in Gujarat’s history is portrayed in a simple yet efficient way by Chetan Bhagat. This book also teaches you how your dreams crash into pieces by unexpected events but how with the support from people around, you get back on track, focus and rebuild your dreams. Vidya, Ishaan’s sister, a teenager with her eyes on Govind, represents typically homely Indian girls trying to lose their virginity and so-called boys feeling shy and guilty after having sex with them†¦. as Neha in ‘Five Point Someone’ and here Vidya in this novel. Ali, a gifted batsman and son of a local Muslim politician, plays a prominent role in the story. It’s the story of how Govind, Ishaan and Omi come up with a sports store in their area and how they achieve success in it by clubbing it with Math’s tuitions and cricket coaching classes. The writer has thrown in the angle of Ali a gifted batsman who is in need of coaching and as Ishaan is an avid cricket player whose passion lies in playing, teaching and watching cricket, comes in as Ali’s savior because he does not want a brilliant talent to be wasted. Then there is a love angle of Vidya and Govind thrown in. And to top it all Chetan Bhagat has placed the novel in the era when Ahmadabad suffered with a nightmare of an earthquake and riots. The book traces the lives of these characters and their trials and tribulations. This novel especially comes at a time when people only want to come up with excuses to show or feel how different they are rather than see the common aspects and bring oneness which can keep us together and achieve our common goal of growth, peace and prosperity. The language is simple, it connects well with the youth of India and the narration has improved as compared to the earlier novels. Chetan Bhagat has again proved that to be best novelist you don’t need fabulous vocabulary or you don’t need awesome critics review, all you need is a thread to connect to the plain minds of people. Truly this novel teaches you- life will have many setbacks. People close to you will hurt you, but you don’t break it off, you don’t hurt them more. You try to heal it. It is a lesson not only you, but our country needs to learn. The story involves some of the major headlines of early 2000 like the Gujarat earthquake, India-Australia test series, the 9/11 WTC attack and not to forget the Godhra train mishap. Apart from cricket, business and religion it also has the mesmerizing love story between Govind and Vidya the story is good, since the events are from recent past and it’s easy to connect with it. It can be completed in one sitting. But there are not many surprises as it has not gone away from Bhagat’s typical style of writing. It is less on humor content as well. Chetan has been very clever by stating ‘3 mistakes’ and you keep flipping the pages for knowing the other two mistakes as the first mistake you will come to know quite soon. It is a book with nice ingredients of real events and fiction perfectly cooked for a delicious dish. No mistake in giving it a read. 4. 2 STATES: THE STORY OF MY MARRIAGE This book is about how love marriages work in India and is again typical of him in the first person. It is like his first book ‘Five Point Someone’, expected to be inspired by his own life. The book is funny and completely different from his previous novels; perhaps this time Bhagat did not want to write about friends any more. ‘2 States†¦.’ is about Krish and Ananya, who are from two different states of India. They are deeply in love and want to get married. But their parents do not agree. To convert a love story into a wedding, the couple has a tough fight ahead of them. Perhaps it is no secret that Chetan, a Punjabi and Anusha, a Tamilian, had to work hard to have both sets of parents agree to their relationship and subsequently their marriage. To provide a further glimpse into their personal story, Chetan decided to take up penning this book after leaving his banking job and having decided to become a full-time writer. While Anusha emphasizes that when Chetan announced to her for the first time this book would heavily lean on their life story, she indeed was a little wary. In fact Anusha also stresses that before writing the book, both Chetan and she spoke to their parents assuring them that it was not about them. While Chetan accepts that a lot of portions of the book have been dramatized at the insistence of his wife, he credits his fans for conceptualizing this book. When Anusha read the book, she loved the female lead, who is modern, liberated and educated. India is opening up and parents are learning to accept love marriages despite prejudices about caste. Bhagat has dedicated this book to his in-laws and it would be for the first time any Indian writer has dedicated a book to his in-laws. In fact Chetan Bhagat admits that one of the biggest challenges would be to make sure that his in-laws still want to talk to him after reading this book. He surprises us by saying that he hopes that his wife’s parents will still be his in-laws. But, interestingly, Anusha’s parents had actually flown down from kolkata to attend the launch of the book ‘2 States†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ There is no second opinion about this that Indian love marriages are not easy. It’s just the boy and the girl who fall in love, but everyone- i.e. both their clans, have to fall in love too. In the end, the boy and the girl start questioning whether there’s anything more left to it and even fight. But it’s important to know what parents think of your marriage. Parents still have the remote control when it comes to emotions. According to Bhagat- however independent you are, getting married without parents’ approval is not good for the relationship. No doubt parents’ protesting against children marrying outside caste or religion is archaic today, still there are some honour-killing incidents in the recent times. Bhagat inspires by saying that if all else fails, the parents should do it for the sake of country. ‘2 States†¦.’ we all know well, is the story of Bhagat’s own love marriage to a Tamil Brahmin. Bhagat found that his own marriage had scope for humor because this Punjabi-Tamil is a continuous thing and a lot of Indians can relate to it. The story is fictionalized but the feelings that Bhagat had gone through, are the same as what the characters experience. And of course it was difficult for him to convince his own parents to accept his Tamilian wife – Anusha, who was also a banker. So, there are jokes about Punjabis and Tamilians in this book. More importantly, Bhagat used it to address to his strained relationship with his father. Speaking about ‘2 States†¦.’, Bhagat says that the story is not a memoir, it was nice, the feeling of suspension of disbelief, but as it involves his own family, so he wants to make it clear that it is a work of fiction. That is why there are character changes and the dramatization is higher. Calling it a fluffy novel, Bhagat says that it is personal and treats the complex issue of inter-community marriages, the fun way. And sends home a bigger message of homogeneous society. According to Bhagat, homogeneity is important for a country to move forward. Today’s youth are traveling to different cities for studies and work, and they will meet someone; but parents are still rooted in prejudices that have to be addressed. To take his stand point firmly, Bhagat cites the success stories of Korea, Taiwan and China that have seen progress from a developing country by adopting homogeneity. Chetan Bhagat believes to do what your heart says. Knowing what you want and sticking to your decision is most important. And he himself did just that. He fell in love, knew what he was doing and followed his heart. And so, a book happened. Bhagat feels that his best stories are those drawn from his own life and experiences. The more personal the book, the more unusual and funny it becomes for him. People relate to it better because they know him, his wife and his twin sons. He strongly believes that the function of literature is to reflect society and by means of his novels he is causing some change in a large part of India, which is far more satisfying. AS A COLUMNIST Bhagat has an open-ended column in Dainik Bhaskar, a large Hindi newspaper and another at The Times of India, English daily. He says,†the main purpose of the books and films is to entertain, but the columns allow me to give my views on how the nation should be run.† His articles are written in simple English to achieve mass appeal. He also visits Educational Institutions in India to give motivational talks. ON TELEVISION Bhagat was a judge on a reality show by Star News called ‘Star Anchor Hunt’ AWARDS Chetan Bhagat has been honoured with ‘Society Young Achiever’s Award’ in 2004 and ‘Publisher’s Recognition Award’ in 2005.