Roles of Job Testing

A Guide to Shanghainese

A Guide to Shanghainese Since Shanghai is in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), the official language of the city is standard Mandarin Chinese, also known as  Putonghua. However, the traditional language of the Shanghai region is Shanghainese, which is a dialect of Wu Chinese which is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin Chinese. Shanghainese is spoken by about 14 million people. It has retained its cultural significance for the Shanghai region, despite the introduction of Mandarin Chinese as the official language in 1949. For many years, Shanghainese was banned from primary and secondary schools, with the result that many young residents of Shanghai do not speak the language. Recently, however, there has been a movement to protect the language and to reintroduce it into the education system. Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city in the PRC, with a population of more than 24 million people. It is a major cultural and financial center and an important port for container shipments. The Chinese characters for this city are ä ¸Å Ã¦ µ ·, which is pronounced ShnghÇŽi. The first character ä ¸Å  (shng) means on, and the second character æ µ · (hÇŽi) means ocean. The name ä ¸Å Ã¦ µ · (ShnghÇŽi) adequately describes the location of this city, since it is a port city on the mouth of the Yangtze River by the East China Sea. Mandarin vs Shanghainese Mandarin and Shanghainese are distinct languages which are mutually unintelligible. For example, there are 5 tones in Shanghainese versus only 4 tones in Mandarin. Voiced initials are used in Shanghainese, but not in Mandarin. Also, changing tones affects both words and phrases in Shanghainese, while it only affects words in Mandarin. Writing Chinese characters are used to write Shanghainese. The written language is one of the most important factors in unifying the various Chinese cultures, since it can be read by most Chinese, regardless of their spoken language or dialect. The primary exception to this is the split between traditional and simplified Chinese characters. Simplified Chinese characters were introduced by the PRC in the 1950s, and can differ greatly from the traditional Chinese characters still used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and many overseas Chinese communities. Shanghai, as part of the PRC, uses simplified characters. Sometimes Chinese characters are used for their Mandarin sounds to write Shanghainese. This type of Shanghainese writing is seen on Internet blog posts and chat rooms as well as in some Shanghainese textbooks. Decline of Shanghainese From the early 1990s, the PRC banned Shanghainese from the education system, with the result that many of the young residents of Shanghai no longer speak the language fluently. Because the younger generation of Shanghai residents has been educated in Mandarin Chinese, the Shanghainese they speak is often mixed with Mandarin words and expressions. This type of Shanghainese is quite different from the language that older generations speak, which has created fears that real Shanghainese is a dying language. Modern Shanghainese In recent years, a movement has started to try to preserve the Shanghai language by promoting its cultural roots. The Shanghai government is sponsoring educational programs, and there is a movement to reintroduce Shanghainese language learning from kindergarten through to university. Interest in preserving Shanghainese is strong, and many young people, even though they speak a mixture of Mandarin and Shanghainese, see Shanghainese as a badge of distinction. Shanghai, as one of the most important cities of the PRC, has important cultural and financial ties with the rest of the world. The city is using those ties to promote Shanghai culture and the Shanghainese language.

Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be open to oil drilling Research Paper

Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be open to oil drilling - Research Paper Example Environmentalists and other interest groups however argue that allowing oil drilling in the region would endanger the wildlife in the region, disrupting their reproductive cycles, their communication, and their endangering their lives. Advocates for oil exploration in the region however insist that the impact of oil drilling in the region on the wildlife would be minimal at best. Opponents to the drilling are not convinced of such contention. Hence, much controversy in this issue is apparent. This paper shall explore this issue and establish a clear and comprehensive discussion on the topic. It shall draw its discussion based on information gathered from scholarly materials and compare it with newspaper and materials from the print media. The discussions in both types of sources shall be analyzed and assessed based on reliability and their applicability to this subject matter. These sources shall serve as both informal and formal scholarly sources for this issue, establishing clear s upport for the topic based on clearly defined and clearly identified arguments from well-supported write-ups. Side A: Oil drilling should not be allowed in the ANWR Scholarly articles are also polarized on the issue with studies discussing the environmental and others the economic aspect of the issue. In a study by Brown (2005), the author discussed the value of the wilderness which is protected by the ANWR. The author further argued the importance of maintaining the area as a wilderness – an area which must be unexplored and untrammeled by humans (Brown, 2005). These environmentalists are firm in expressing that allowing oil exploration in the ANWR would ruin its pristine condition because human activities would blemish the landscape. The US Congress has even acknowledged the fact that â€Å"beauty is in part the glory of seeing moose, caribou, and wolves living in natural habitat, untouched by civilization† (as cited by Brown, 2005). Various studies on environmental positions on the issue set forth that preservation is a priority over any other considerations, and that lands which have been set apart from human exploration must be preserved as such. Most Americans seem to agree with this stance because surveys throughout the years indicate that majority of them do not support drilling in the ANWR. A paper by Kaye (2005) also sets forth similar positions by environmentalists on the issue. This paper also discussed the importance of preserving the ANWR as a wildlife refuge. This study points out that the ANWR provides sanctuaries and benefits which cannot be seen in any other region in the world. They describe it as a place to exercise restraint. It therefore implies that human activities must be fiercely restrained and restricted in this area because it represents the power which people seem to have over the area – a power which must be held back and controlled to a certain extent (Kaye, 2005). In effect, these studies point out the impor tance of controlling human activities, allowing it to be carried out elsewhere, but to be avoided in this region which has for millions of years been allowed to flourish and to exist as an area untouched by human hands. Other scholarly articles discuss how government officials are clearly recognizing the need for the US to explore its domestic sources of oil, and therefore the need for the

Coca-Cola Internal Analysis and SWOT Analysis Essay

Coca-Cola Internal Analysis and SWOT Analysis - Essay Example Naturally this means that the organizations must develop their internal capabilities to the extent that they will be difficult for competitors to imitate or substitute. This paper conducts an internal analysis of the Coca-Cola Company in order to delineate those resources and capabilities from which it derives its strength as well as those competencies that it either lacks or poorly executes and as such are its major weaknesses that competitors could exploit. The paper begins with an evaluation of Coca-Cola’s tangible and intangible resources that lead to its strengths then uses the value-chain analysis to bring out and then analyze the company’s weaknesses. Analysis Resource and competency analysis According to Henry (2011) whereas the existence of resources is important, by themselves they do not confer any benefits to the organization. It is how efficiently these resources are configured that provides the organization with competencies that allow the organization t o achieve competitive advantage. ... company able to blend ingredients into the unique Coke formula X -Ability to continuously come up with new products and/or expand product lines -Managing the world’s largest beverage distribution system (Coca-Cola, 2012) also effective in franchising -Enterprise Value: US$ 173.46 billion (Yahoo! Finance, 2012) -Current Ratio above 1 from 2009 to 2011 (EBIT Financial, 2012). -Return on Equity, Operating margin and Net margins have been double digits since 2007 (EBIT Financial, 2012) Financial - Has the resources for R&D, market development, market expansion and so on. -Company’s efficient in turning its product to cash - Ability to consistently deliver profits reassures investors and other suppliers of financial capital -146,200 employees Human -Also has a strong diversity and inclusion policy that enriches its talent pool - Holds secret formula X Intellectual / technological -Own and market four of the world’s top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage bran ds: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. Intangibles -Intelligently exploited the mystery of Coke’s formula X for market positioning -Renown for superior advertising and other market promotion techniques From the table above three key strengths emerge. Firstly, Coca-Cola has a remarkable global presence. This enables the company to leverage its economies of scale to weaken the power of its suppliers as well as its customers. Also, this global presence implies that the company is able to balance its performance in slow economic regions with that from booming economic regions to sustain its profitability. Secondly, the company’s healthy financial position even during the global recession gives it a good credit rating. This means the company can easily raise additional capital for various strategic

Issues of Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Issues of Gender - Essay Example However, there is a lack of assistance and confidence among the men. As stipulated by Russell Sander’s essay on power/gender roles, women help each other and do not want to undertake their duties without seeking the ideas of their colleagues. Additionally, Russell Sanders argues that women views men as selfish creatures, since they are not focused on sharing their joy and privileges with women. Women determination and strong desire to succeed are vital aspects that, according to Russell Sanders, contribute to their perception that men enjoy more privileges. For example, college women want to share the power that their fathers once had. Despite the focus of women on becoming successful, gender disparities deterred them to get higher position at working place (Connell 19). Russell Sanders argues that most of the top managers are men who are served by female secretaries and female nurses. Despite the wide range of household chores that women undertake, in the last decades high nu mber of cases that depicted women bullying was reported in many regions globally. In 2012, women have attained political, economic, social, as well as scientific progress that has made them to achieve equal status and equal rights. Political Progress One of the major aspects that have contributed to the success of women in the current political scene is the increment on the number of female legislators in various parliaments world wide. In this way, the issues that affect women are widely discussed, thus, reducing the brutality and discrimination that hindered their development in the last century. For example, in the Nordic region women form 42 per cent of the legislators in the lower house (Fenstermaker and West 57). Other regions that have increased women representation in the law making organs of the government include America, Europe and the OECD countries. One of the major implications of increased women representational quota according to IPU survey is that they act as parlia mentary propellers of gender equality and development. As a result, there is freedom as a key indicator that is used by contemporary economists to measure the development of a country. Similarly, increased women participation in debates has resulted in improvement of women rights as compared to the last centuries when women rights attracted insignificant notice. Economic Progress The extensive campaign to curb gender discrimination in the work places and the adoption of affirmative action in the developed and developing countries has resulted in the increase of the number of female employees. Globally, more than 800 million women are engaged in economic activities. Through engaging in small enterprises, manufacturing and agricultural services women have significantly enhanced the GDP of many countries. This has caused respect from men and support from government and financial institutions. Even though the lack of adequate skills and access to financial resources is a major challenge affecting women in the developing countries, international community, including the UN, has initiated many forums that seek to improve the accessibility of financial resources for women. Canada is one of the regions that has implemented economic strategies to assist women to be economically productive. Through Canada International Development Agency, women organizations, such as Pakistan Mukhtara Mau, have benefited from various training programs on human rights and women economic empowerment. The strategies adopted by USAID in training women are other significant aspects that have contributed to women economic progress. For example, USAID has initiated trainings that are focused at meeting gender based targets in countries, such as Bangladesh, Kenya and Peru.

Restorative Justice: Process and Outcomes

Restorative Justice: Process and Outcomes Should restorative justice be defined as a process or a set of outcomes? Restorative Justice rather than relying on judges to sentence offenders, places great emphasis on the importance of reparation and gives a role to the victim of the crime and the wider community. (Newburn, T 2013:768) When it comes to the debate of how restorative justice should be defined, either as a process or a set of outcomes it could be said that while they both have legitimacy, restorative justice can only be defined as one or the other. There is a great disagreement among critics on whether the emphasis should be placed on the outcome or the process. A definition of restorative justice that highlights the importance of both restorative processes and outcomes is, restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behaviour. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that include all stakeholders. (Van Ness and Heetderks Strong, 2006:43) Marshall (1996:37) whos definition is most frequently quoted said that restorative justice is a process whereby parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implications for the future. Within this definition 3 core elements of restorative justice are identified. Zehr (2003) stated that the first element is that harm must be healed, restorative justice views crime as harm done to people and communities. It seeks to repair the harm caused by offenders. The second being that violations create obligations, offenders must understand their wrongdoing and restorative justice wants offenders to accept responsibility for their actions. The third element being engagement or participation, relationships are the focus, it is the crime that violates these relationships and restorative justice needs to repair them. The main aim is to mend, restore and build. Dignan (2005, cited in Newburn 2013:771) suggests that Marshalls definition is of very little value for several different reasons, one being it characterises restorative justice as a particular type of process but fails to focus on outcomes, in doing so raises the possibility that undue attention will be paid to questions of equality and fairness. It also fails to consider outcomes by diverting attention away from those cases where restorative justice processes may be inappropriate but where its values and aims may still apply. the process based definition of restorative justice is at best incomplete, because it has nothing to say on the subject of restorative outcomes (Walgrave, 2002:174) this is because there is no direct involvement from the victim needed therefore there is nothing restorative it is just an outcome. Restorative outcomes may include, restitution, reparation and reintegration. It can be argued that a restorative process may not necessarily result in a restorative ou tcome. For example, within restorative conferencing where a direct victim is not present or participating, decisions on outcomes may be left to state regulators. Walgrave argues for an outcome-based definition of restorative justice for example as an option for doing justice in the aftermath of crime that focuses on repairing the harm and suffering caused by the crime rather than preserving an abstract legal order. (Newburn, 2013:772) The victim is seen to be a central stakeholder, who holds an important role in shaping both the process and outcomes of restorative justice. Victims want information about the processing and outcome of their cases, answers to their questions, empowerment and vindication. The process of restorative justice is to meet the needs of crime victims that are not being adequately met by the criminal justice system. Victims may feel ignored or neglected by the justice process. Victims need answers to questions they have about the offense, why has this happened to them? Victims often feel like control has been taken away from them by the offense. Involvement in their own case can be an important way to return a sense of empowerment to them. Restitution by offenders is often important to victims this may come in the form of an apology. (Zehr 2003:18-20). However there are potential dangers when it comes to the victim they may simply become a mere prop used in a process rather than being an empo wered participant. The community is another stakeholder that is considered to be vital to restorative justice. There is a risk of domination, authoritarianism and vigilantism. In N Ireland a restorative justice process was set up in order to stop paramilitary punishments that were being carried out. Braithwaite (1996 as cited in Newburn, 2013) said there are 3 levels at which it is possible to conceptualise the process of restoring community through restorative justice practices. At a micro level it involves those who are close to both the victim and the offender. At a meso level restorative justice helps to foster a sense of community within institutions such as schools, churches and so on. Lastly at a macro level it helps to focus attention on designing institutions of deliberate democracy. Communities need from justice, attention to their concerns as victims. Opportunities to build a sense of community and mutual accountability. Encouragement to take on their obligations for the welfare of their mem bers, including victims and offenders, and for the conditions that promote healthy communities. Community also want assurance of not to repeat the same and preventive actions. (Zehr, 2003:22) The offender is the third stakeholder that is consider to be of value in the restorative justice process. offenders need the opportunity to take responsibility for the harm caused by their behaviour towards victims. Offenders need to take away from the restorative justice process, accountability that addresses the resulting harms, encourages empathy and responsibility, and transforms shame. Encouragement to personal transformation, including healing for the harms that contributed to offending behaviour, opportunities for treatment for addictions and/or other problems, and enhancement of personal competencies. Also encouragement and support for integration into the community (Zehr, 2003:21). Restorative justice aims to help prevent the offender from reoffending again in the future. Being able to face their victims in a restorative justice process provides a chance to also develop empathy and remorse while also having input into the process. Offenders can complete this process threw co mmunity service or by issuing an apology to the victim. Crawford and Newburn (2003, cited in Newburn 2013) stated that in order for there to be a restorative process, stakeholders involved rely on four forms of restorative justice practice. These practices are victim-offender mediation, conferencing, sentencing circles and community boards. This group of practices has in common a process where the offender, victim and other members of the community meet together to consider the impact of a crime or harm on victims and communities and try to develop a plan to repair this harm that meets the needs of those affected. In Northern Ireland, diversionary youth conferences are used as a form of restorative justice. If the offender admits their guilt, then the Public Prosecution Service decides that there must be a conference involving the victim and the offender. Participation in conferences are voluntary. The offender is given the opportunity to discuss the offence and what he/she is prepared to do to repair the harm caused to the victim. The victim is given the opportunity to tell the offender of the impact the offence has had and what they feel should be done to repair the harm. This may for example include an apology or reparation to the victim or community. (Public Prosecution Service N.I. 2008). Youth Conferences provide an effective, fair, proportionate and restorative response to those offending which provides satisfactory outcomes for victims. The aims of a youth conference are about repairing relationships, making amends and to be able to reintegrate back into society. To conclude it could be argued that when it comes to defining restorative justice as a process or outcome it can cause disagreement amongst critics. Gavrielides (2007) stated that those who agree with a process-based definition, tend to limit the scope of restorative programmes to cases that are considered appropriate for a restorative justice intervention or to those in which both parties are willing to participate and abide by the ground rules. However, restorative programmes may appear in different shapes and forms. By adhering, therefore, to a definition that understands restorative justice as a process, we risk excluding the mostly restorative and partially restorative programmes. And this is only one of the limitations of this approach. On the other hand, those who agree with the definition of outcome-based definitions risk stretching the concept to include programmes for example community service, which although may in the end result with restorative outcomes, they might not b e carried out respecting central restorative rules.

Saving American Agriculture Essay -- Agriculture Agricultural Economic

Saving American Agriculture American agriculture has changed dramatically since the first days of mechanized equipment and large-scale crop production. â€Å"Many conceived of farming as a rewarding life . . . and a source of moral virtue† (Mariola, 2005). While presently, many view farming as purely economic in purpose. It has been stated that farming in America is decreasing more quickly than any other occupation. Yet, population increases steadily, making agriculture all the more essential. Many current issues are affecting agricultural progress in America; basic concerns over water, land, and climate only begin to describe the complex predicament. Economics, as well as public involvement and education are important tools, needed to save American agriculture. Water is the chief resource for agricultural production. One historical dilemma between farming and water occurs when misapplication of chemicals and nutrients leach into the ground water table, or run off to rivers and streams, polluting this vital resource. â€Å"Twenty-five years after the Clean Water Act (CWA) was passed . . . [it was reported] that nearly 40% of waters were too polluted for basic uses† (Secchi et al, 2005). Projects to rehabilitate and conserve water often prove complex and expensive. Comprehensive understanding of the opportunity costs involved in management projects is key to forming an efficient conservation strategy. Similarly, it will be imperative to transition out-dated agricultural attitudes and routines towards new sustainable practices. The greatest motivation for this shift may be in the form of government subsidies and rewards for progressive, sustainable water management practices on agricultural lands. Favorable climate is another key... ...3. Secchi, S., Gassman, P.W., Jha, M., Kurkalova, L., Feng, H.H., Campbell, T., & Kling, C. (2005). The cost of clean water: Assessing agricultural pollution reduction at the watershed scale. Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Retrieved March 26, 2007, from http://www.card.iastate.edu Lamptey, B.L., Barron, E.J., & Pollard, D. (2005). Impacts of agriculture and urbanization on the climate of the northeastern United States. Global and Planetary Change. 49, 203-221. Cox, L.A. Jr., Popken, D.A., VanSickle, J.J., & Sahu, R. (2005). Optimal Tracking and Testing of U.S. and Canadian Herds for BSE: A Value-of-Information (VOI) Approach. Risk Analysis, 25, 827-839. Hwang, Y., Roe, B., & Teisl, M. (2005). An Empirical Analysis of United States Consumers' Concerns About Eight Food Production and Processing Technologies. AgBioForum. 8(1), 40-49.

Competitive Strategies for Wal-Mart

The emergence of Wal-Mart as a big box retailer has changed retail in the United States, according to a 2008 article on Wal-Mart and competition in AllBusiness. com. Big box retailers typically have stores exceeding 50,000 square feet. This type of store is standard, with large windowless single-story buildings. Several other big box retailers like Toys â€Å"R† Us, Best Buy, Target, Lowe's and Home Depot have created competition for Wal-Mart. However, Wal-Mart has stood out as the perennial merchandise big box retailer, according to the AllBusiness. om article. Because of its big box status, Wal-Mart has exceeded small retailers in profits. Annual revenues for 2004 were slightly over $288 billion. Revenues in 2006 exceeded $350 billion. Wal-Mart maintains its status as a big box retailer by seeking profits through a high volume of low-price items. Low-Cost Leadership Wal-Mart's slogan is â€Å"Spend Less. Live Better. † The giant retailer prides itself on providing customers with low-cost items that beat competitors. Wal-Mart reported a 3.6   percent increase in net income from cost cutting, according to an August 2010 Associated Press article. Also read MGMT-QUIZ about types of competitive strategies Customers are cautious about spending because of a slow economy, and Wal-Mart continues to be their low-cost option. Customers choose to shop at Super Wal-Mart centers for groceries, rather than the local grocery store because of discounted items. For example, Wal-Mart offers $1 ketchup bottles and $4 for a case of soda. The Associated Press article stated that Wal-Mart benefited during the recession as affluent shoppers were forced to downgrade to cheaper options.

14 Free Apps That Will Make You Incredibly Productive

14 Free Apps That Will Make You Incredibly Productive Doug Aamoth, writing for FastCompany, has done the hard work of sorting through the dozens of apps that promise to make your life easier to uncover the ones that actually can  make your life easier! Here’s our roundup of the top 14 apps to have at your fingertips to maximize productivity and minimize chaos! Emails and CommunicationsBoomerangThis easy-to-integrate app is essentially a snooze button for your email. You can dismiss an email from your inbox and set a time for it to return later, write a draft response at 1 am and schedule it to send right as you walk into the office, or set reminders to reply at a more reasonable hour. The free version gives you 10 email interactions a month.Burner  and MailDropThis one is so neat- it generates disposable phone numbers (or email accounts) that you can use whenever you need to make a number publicly available (without leaving your own precious digits visible for mass consumption. MailDrop is a no-frills temporary email address that disappears after 24 inactive hours; it’s great for Craigslist or promotional blasts.CordChances are if you have the Apple iOS, you’ve accidentally mashed that little microphone button and sent an audio snippet from the inside of your pocket. Cord helps you do that on purpose and with a group- you can send 12-second voice messages back and forth with ease.Group MeCreate and disband on-the-go private chat rooms when you need to chat with a group of people at once (and then make them stop flooding your text inbox with emoji conversations).VoxerThis converts your phone into a walkie-talkie without the strenuous button pushing or limited 30-foot radius for maintaining a connection. You can also leave voice messages in case they miss your rendezvous.Scheduling and MeetingsMeekanThis group scheduling app identifies available meeting times with just a list of participant emails, accommodates multiple time zones, and coordinates with existing calendars.PreziMany of my stud ents used Prezi instead of Powerpoint this summer- it made me feel old. Retain your youth and relevancy by learning how to use this cloud-based presentation tool! It lets you stream to remote attendees and post public presentations.ToolsCCleanerFor six months I had a defunct wireless client pop up whenever I booted up my Mac asking permission to run itself; I couldn’t seem to figure out where to uninstall it! CCleaner to the rescue! It will speed up your computer by deleting the flotsam and jetsam left behind in upgrades, file transfers, and browsing.CanvasI am a sucker for an easily customizable form app. From invoices to other frequently used workplace templates, Canvas lets you make and share them easily.PostfityIf your business or your personal brand relies heavily on social media (which†¦ it should), an app like Postfity may help you manage the myriad channels of posts and content you want to space out evenly. It has a scheduling tool and a linking functionality so you can share the same thing everywhere, or diversify your media presence.(PSA: don’t have Twitter and Instagram post verbatim to your Facebook. Schedule slightly different content for each feed. Your family, friends, and colleagues will appreciate it).OnavoMaybe you’re constantly going back and forth with how much data you think you’ll use versus how much you actually use. Onavo can help! It will not only help track usage, but will also compress files accordingly to save your data mileage for the cat gifs that really count.SyncSpaceWho doesn’t love a virtual whiteboard? It never gets old! It has everything but the marker fumes, lets you and your team collaborate on a shared visual document, then emails the changes around later.BreatherImagine AirBnb and ZipCar had a baby that let you hold meetings in it. Breather identifies available workspaces around cities like New York, San Francisco, Boston, Montreal, and Ottowa; your phone will unlock your insta-off ice for a half hour at a time so you can meet with clients, charge your phone, or just put your feet up before dashing off to the next appointment.BRB scheduling a Breather to present my latest Prezi- everybody check their Voxer messages!

Free Essays on Johann Pachelbel

Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major Composed by Johann Pachelbel Canon and Gigue in D for 3 violins and continuo Lucerne Festival of Strings/ Rudolf Baumgartner Johann Pachelbel was a German composer and organist. He was born September 3, 1653 in Nuremburg and also died there on March 1, 1706. While alive he studied music under the likes of Heinrich Schwemmer, G. C. Wecker, and Kaspar Prentz. In 1673 Pachelbel went to Vienna and became the deputy organist at St. Stephen's Cathedral. In 1677 he became the organist in Thuringen at the Eisenrach court, where he served for just slightly over a year. Eventually he became the organist at the Protestant Predigerkirche at Erfurt, where he established his reputation not only as an organist, but also as a composer, and teacher. Erfurt was, of course, the ancestral home of the Bach family, and there he met Ambrosius' eldest son, Johann Christoph. Pachelbel undertook the musical education of the young man who, not many years later, would teach his brother Johann Sebastian all he knew. Pachelbel started a family in Erfurt. After the early death of his first wife and their child to the plague, he r emarried and produced 7 children. His travels finally led him home where he was invited to succeed G. C. Wecker as the organist of St. Sebald, Nuremberg, after his former teacher's death in 1695. He obtained his release from Gotha that same year and remained at St. Sebald until his death at the premature age of 52 (Hoasm). Pachelbel’s music is said to have pioneered symbolism by using certain scales and chords to represent particular moods. He is highly regarded for his use of chorale variation. But Pachelbel's importance is, in fact, perhaps greater as a composer for the organ. His chorale preludes, based on hymn tunes, strongly influenced J.S. Bach. He was also the author of a great many motets, arias and Masses, and 13 Magnificats which feature solo singers and a choir as well ... Free Essays on Johann Pachelbel Free Essays on Johann Pachelbel Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major Composed by Johann Pachelbel Canon and Gigue in D for 3 violins and continuo Lucerne Festival of Strings/ Rudolf Baumgartner Johann Pachelbel was a German composer and organist. He was born September 3, 1653 in Nuremburg and also died there on March 1, 1706. While alive he studied music under the likes of Heinrich Schwemmer, G. C. Wecker, and Kaspar Prentz. In 1673 Pachelbel went to Vienna and became the deputy organist at St. Stephen's Cathedral. In 1677 he became the organist in Thuringen at the Eisenrach court, where he served for just slightly over a year. Eventually he became the organist at the Protestant Predigerkirche at Erfurt, where he established his reputation not only as an organist, but also as a composer, and teacher. Erfurt was, of course, the ancestral home of the Bach family, and there he met Ambrosius' eldest son, Johann Christoph. Pachelbel undertook the musical education of the young man who, not many years later, would teach his brother Johann Sebastian all he knew. Pachelbel started a family in Erfurt. After the early death of his first wife and their child to the plague, he r emarried and produced 7 children. His travels finally led him home where he was invited to succeed G. C. Wecker as the organist of St. Sebald, Nuremberg, after his former teacher's death in 1695. He obtained his release from Gotha that same year and remained at St. Sebald until his death at the premature age of 52 (Hoasm). Pachelbel’s music is said to have pioneered symbolism by using certain scales and chords to represent particular moods. He is highly regarded for his use of chorale variation. But Pachelbel's importance is, in fact, perhaps greater as a composer for the organ. His chorale preludes, based on hymn tunes, strongly influenced J.S. Bach. He was also the author of a great many motets, arias and Masses, and 13 Magnificats which feature solo singers and a choir as well ...

Organizational Design, Growth and Challenges Research Paper

Organizational Design, Growth and Challenges - Research Paper Example This is an acronym used to depict the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of an organization. The four components are separate yet integrated; in this regard, the best way to carry out SWOT analysis entails identifying the strengths and weaknesses of any organization prior to tackling the opportunities and strengths. This paper analyses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Wal-Mart Stores. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is a renowned American multinational retailer corporation operating chains of large discount warehouse and departmental stores. It is currently the biggest private employer in the world with slightly over 2 Million employees. Wal-Mart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton. It was incorporated in 1969 and began to publicly trade in the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. Wal-Mart’s headquarters is based in Bentonville, Arkansas, USA. It has eminently expanded over the years. Currently, Wal-Mart runs 8,416 stores located in 15 different countries. With the view of understanding the entire environment of Wal-Mart, it is important to critically analyze its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (Oldham, 1980). As evidenced by its incredible success, Wal-Mart has abundance of strength. For instance, Wal-Mart offers a wide variety of merchandise at very competitive prices. Due to their large purchases they receive exorbitant discounts from their suppliers, which is passed down to the customers. Strength of Wal-Mart is in fact that they manufacture their own brands and supply goods from local suppliers to retailers. Wal-Mart’s large size and high purchasing power is also strength on its own. It has an incredible team of executives who form its leadership. This has equipped Wal-Mart with a management of high caliber. The company spends its resources carefully with the aim of maximizing their margins (Burton, 2012). With regards to weaknesses, Wal-Mart, being a large multinational company, has a large pool of employ ees. Managing all these employees is never an easy task. It, therefore, poses a major challenge to Wal-Mart’s management. Quality of goods sold is another major concern. Owing to its low prices, customers sometimes question the quality of goods. Customer satisfaction is, therefore, not guaranteed. As with opportunities, Wal-Mart has been able to expand into other countries and has formed partnerships with other companies. However, there are still some markets that are yet to be reached by Wal-Mart. Another opportunity is that of taking over some overseas companies, such as ASDA in the United Kingdom. With the escalated trend of internet shopping, Wal-Mart has the opportunity to develop strategies that will enhance home delivery of goods whose orders are placed via the internet. Another opportunity is that of creating convenience stores. This could enable Wal-Mart to overcome local restrictions, as well as travel costs. The most prevalent threat facing Wal-Mart is competition. Local, as well as international competition, has posed a major threat to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has been vulnerable to attacks regarding ethical issues as well. In this purview, they have been accused in providing low pay and poor working conditions to its workers. Environmental issues also threaten Wal-Mart’s success. Company/Organization Name: Wal-Mart Stores STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Large market share Discounts by suppliers Price leader Large variety of

One Hundred Years of Solitude Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

One Hundred Years of Solitude - Essay Example Ideally, Marquez was brought up by her paternal grandparents in Aracataca, Colombia. His childhood tales talks about a big home that are filled with ghouls, discussions in secret code, and relatives who could prophesy their own deaths (Villad 40-50). Through reading this book One Hundred Years of Solitude, one observes many elements of Marquez’s childhood. Conversely, the perspective for the book is Marquez’s own personal reminiscence for childhood, for his grandparents, for a big house overflowing with ghouls and endless laughter. Also, the context of the book is Marquez’s political viewpoint and the brutal realism of growing up in a predominantly turbulent developing country. Colombia has a long and tragic socioeconomic history, in which Marquez acquired knowledge about politics and economics. Intermittent absentmindedness, particularly of the critical happenings that shape Macondo town remains a structural persistent right through the novel, apparent in recurr ence and circularity. This repetitive behavior traits and names of the Buendia offspring; the outwardly endless civil wars; the succeeding refuge of annihilated Aureliano in the bare practice of making little gold fish, melting down and remaking them; the stages of dissatisfaction, lack of accomplishment and tragic death that curses pedigree. This novel appears to be suggesting that the failure to learn from one’s blunders, the lack of historical awareness, becomes the primary curse called upon Macondo’s history and therefore a critical element in the series of dealings surrounding the killing of the banana workers (Browitt 16-33). The chronological burden of wars, economic distress, consecutive ethical failures and political betrayal, ultimately leads to devastation. One Hundred Years of Solitude chronicles historical facts from the inside. Garcia Marquez adeptly avoids the melodramatic style of former socialist realisms by placing the storyline focalization within th e community of Macondo. He ingeniously permits the Colombian bourgeoisie to conceal its profligacy through its own dealings. Garcia Marquez’s technique around classical realists is basically to locate the story-telling height of popular culture, focalizing dealings in the course of their understanding of the townspeople, who through their discerning memory re-live the past. Furthermore, Garcia Marquez does not â€Å"problematise† the language of illustration; his magical realism changes the entity of representation itself, permitting the magical and superstitious world of oral folk mores to stand for itself. This novel makes use of eminent uniqueness of the Latin American modernist tradition (Browitt 16-33). The first thing the reader notices when reading Marquez’s novel is the mere quantity of dealings it covers, therefore making it a daunting task to provide a brief synopsis of the plot. Even though the novel rests on an impossible to read manuscript given to a family by a strange gypsy, there are many tangents and twirls as we realize the events of the Buendia’s in their home town of Macondo. This seemingly makes the novel a tad too difficult to follow, with family disputes, civil war, incestuous relationships and industrialization, tossing the story-line into many numerous directions. The political wars and quarrels in the novel reflect the taut relationship between the liberals and the conservatives throughout Colombian History, where the exertion for