Friday, November 29, 2019

Surface tension of water Essay Example

Surface tension of water Paper The capillary rise method was used to measure the surface tension of aqueous solutions of sodium chloride and acetic acid. Molar concentrations of 0. 5 M and 1. 0 M for each solution were tested. The results were then compared to the surface tension of pure water to observe how solute properties affect the surface tension of water. The experimental results showed that adding acetic acid solute in water lowers the surface tension of water. As the concentration of acetic acid was increased, the surface tension of water decreased even more. However, the experiment has failed to accurately show the effect of sodium chloride solutes on the surface tension of water. Nevertheless, previous studies revealed that surface tension of electrolyte solutions, such as NaCl solution, increase with increasing concentration. The experiment revealed several disadvantages of the capillary rise method, such as difficulties in firmly holding the equipment, in reading the liquid level inside the capillary, in keeping the temperature constant, and in accurately marking the liquid level with a pen. Nevertheless, the capillary rise method proved to be comparatively reliable, provided that proper technique is observed. Results of the capillary rise experiment for the effect of acetic acid somehow agreed with results from previous studies. INTRODUCTION Surface tension occurs due to cohesive forces (attractive forces acting between like molecules) pulling the surface molecules toward the body of the liquid. Furthermore, these surface molecules exhibit stronger cohesive forces upon neighboring molecules compared to the rest of the liquid. We will write a custom essay sample on Surface tension of water specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Surface tension of water specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Surface tension of water specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Thus, a droplet of water on a table will assume a roughly spherical or globular shape. From experience we also observe that it is more difficult to move an object through the surface of a liquid than to move it when it is completely submersed. In this study, the surface tension of dilute aqueous solutions will be measured. The study aims to examine how the surface tension of these solutions compare with that of pure water. The surface tension of water can vary due to the factors solute type (or substance dissolved), concentration of solution (i. e. amount of substance dissolved), and temperature. This study will focus particularly on the effects of solute type and concentration. Solute types of particular interest in this study are strong electrolytes, and low molar mass organic acids. (Another type of substance are surfactants, or surface active compounds, but they will not be covered in this experiment). Past scientific studies have concluded that electrolytes increase the surface tension of water slightly, while organic acids slightly decrease surface tension. These studies have made use of advanced methods with the help of special equipment called tensiometers. One such method is called the du Nuoy Ring Method, which measures the force needed to pull a ring up from the surface of a liquid. However, in this experiment the capillary rise method will be used for measuring surface tension. This procedure relates the elevation of the liquid inside the capillary tube with the surface tension of the solution. With this method we can observe how fast or by how much the liquid will rise inside the capillary. Then we can compare the results for the solutions to that of pure water. Thus, the method gives us a direct way to observe the effects of certain factors on the surface tension of water. METHODOLOGY: CAPILLARY RISE METHOD Calibration of the Capillary Tube Using De-ionized Water The inner diameter of the capillary tube was measured by performing the capillary rise method using de-ionized water. The tube was first cleansed with hot nitric acid, and was rinsed with water afterwards. Then, using a marker or pen, a zero mark was placed near one end of the tube. The capillary tube was then dipped into a test tube containing de-ionized water, until the zero mark coincided with the water level. The initial water level in the test tube was about an inch below the edge of the test tube. Upon immersion of the capillary tube into the test tube, the water level inside the capillary was elevated over that of the surrounding water. This height difference was then measured using a Vernier caliper. Five trials were made for this procedure, and the inner radius of the capillary tube was calculated using the formula: Measuring Surface Tension of Aqueous Solutions of Sodium Chloride and Acetic Acid The effect on surface tension of factors such as concentration and solute type was examined by performing the capillary rise procedure on 0. 5 M and 1. 0 M solutions each of sodium chloride (NaCl) and acetic acid (HOAc). Each solution was placed in a separate test tube, with the liquid level rising to about an inch below the edge of the test tube. The test tubes were immersed in a water bath to ensure that they had roughly the same temperature. The same procedure employed during calibration was used. The capillary tube was dipped in the test tube until the zero mark coincided with the liquid level. The height difference between this initial level and the elevated level inside the capillary was measured using a Vernier caliper. Five trials were performed on each sample. A more general form of [Eq. 1] above was used to relate the surface tension of each sample to the height difference, as well as to the inner radius of the capillary. Equation 2 above, together with [Eq. 1], was used to calculate the surface tension of each sample solution.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Taoism and Confucianism

Whatever the truth, Taoism and Confucianism have to be seen side-by-side as two distinct responses to the social, political and philosophical conditions of life two and a half millennia ago in China. Whereas Confucianism is greatly concerned with social relations, conduct and human society, Taoism has a much more individualistic and mystical character, greatly influenced by nature. In Lao Tzu's view things were said to create "unnatural" action (wei) by shaping desires (yu). The process of learning the names (ming) used in the doctrines helped one to make distinctions between good and evil, beautiful and ugly, high and low, and "being" (yu) and "non- being" (wu), thereby shaping desires. To abandon knowledge was to abandon names, distinctions, tastes, and desires. Thus spontaneous behavior (wu-wei) resulted ( Wing - Tsit Chan 136, 791). Contemplating the remarkable natural world Lao Tzu felt that it was man and his activities, which constituted a blight on the otherwise perfect order of things. Thus he counseled people to turn away from the folly of human pursuits and to return to one's natural wellspring (Wing - Tsit Chan 148, 141-142, 163, 169) The five colors cause ones eyes to be blind. The five tones cause ones ears to be deaf. The five flavors cause ones plate to be spoiled. Racing and hunting cause ones mind to be mad. Goods that are hard to get injure ones activities. For this reason the sage is concerned with the belly and not the eyes, Therefore he rejects the one but accepts the other (Lao Tzu in Wing-Tsit Chan 145). The central vehicle of achieving tranquillity was the Tao, a term which has been translated as "the way" or "the path" ( Wing-Tsit Chan 736). Te in this context refers to virtue and Ching refers to laws. Thus the Tao Te Ching could be translated as The Law (or Canon) of Virtue and it's Way. The Tao was the central mystical term of the Lao- and the Taoists...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discussion# 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion# 1 - Assignment Example ce entails integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research (Sackett et al, 2010). Essentially, the evidence based medicine requires that each clinician upholds their duty to stay in touch with the research literature and to implement best practice as a part of all clinical decision making (Sackett et al, 2010). The critiques of sackett defination of evidence based practice argue that Systematic research is the best quality research but it is not always available. For instance, the Nursing care, particularly in mental health, remains under researched. In addition, they argue that Patients should be involved in decisions about their care. Therefore, they say that Muir Gray definition on evidence based health care is the based. He defined it as an approach to decision making in which the clinician uses the best evidence available, in consultation with the patient, to decide upon the option which suits the patient (Muir, 2009). In my opinion, these definitions stress on facilitating decisions about assessment and intervention that are deemed effective and efficient for a given direct stakeholder On the other hand, the American Psychological Association defines EBP as the integration of the best available research with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture and preferences (Gambrills, 2011).  Finally, another definition advanced by Schlosser and Raghavendra suggest that EBP is the integration of best and current research evidence with clinical expertise and relevant stakeholder perspectives (Schlosser, & Raghavendra, 2010). Notably, all the definitions stress three bases, which are the research evidence, educational expertise, and relevant stakeholder perspectives that are relevant and need to be integrated through the EBP process. Gambrills, E.   (2010).  Evidence-based practice: Implications for knowledge development and use in social work.   In A. Rosen & E.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Leadership for Change & Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership for Change & Innovation - Essay Example Leadership for Change & Innovati Clear specification of direction and goals is a key determinant of change and innovation. This enables employees to be informed about the organization objectives properly which in turn allows them to align their personal or career oriented objectives with that of the organization objectives (Mackenzie 345-428). By doing so, employees are able to engage thoroughly with the company thus they obtain the flexibility to think creatively thereby paving a way for innovation. The field of leadership has been researched extensively by academic scholars who have introduced several unique yet effective leadership styles that encourage change and innovation. A considerable proportion of researchers have also researched on the disparities between the leadership styles and their implications on the performance of companies. This has enabled world leaders to analyse their leadership styles and make appropriate modifications according to the situation of their job responsibilities. In this particular researcher, the researcher is conducting a self reflection of the leadership style employed while his/her experience working with an oil company. By doing so the researcher endeavours to highlight the drawbacks of his/her leadership style and at the same time pin point the alternative leadership approaches which could have been adopted under those circumstances. In that way the researcher will be able to articulate a plan of development thereby formulating the necess ary steps that can be taken in order to develop his/her leadership style.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Capstone Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capstone Project - Essay Example Identify a problem, issue or educational deficit upon which to build a proposal for change. Several children have been repeatedly brought to Kansas Hospital due to incidents of frequently repeating infections such as pneumonia, pyelonephritis and soft tissue infections to name a few (Zarbock, 2005). Symptoms of polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, weight loss, fatigue and increased frequency of infections were also observed from the young patients (Banaga-Perez, 2008). The children were taken to undergo a more accurate assessment for the possibility of having diabetes. Indeed, most of them go back and forth to the hospital because they are positive with Type 1 Diabetes. This incidence has been increasing for the past years. Parents of the patients have been agitated on the medical condition that their children are facing. They also have learned that Type 1 diabetes or Juvenile Onset Diabetes has put their children in a delicate condition that it is actually life-threatening if not prope rly treated. Since there is no known cure yet for diabetes, its management, especially when implemented in a home setting, is critical. However, more Type 1 Diabetes patients have been diagnosed in the hospital. Families of patients have become stressed and worried on the fact that it is a serious disease that have made the children suffer and some had near-death experience. The nursing team of Kansas Hospital has then decided that Type 1 Diabetes patients and their families need more assistance aside from the medical attention they require. They knew that because of the prevalence of the disease, it can affect many people in various settings. That whether a patient has been hospitalized for another case, they cannot just administer any medicine or treatment if the patient is diabetic. Thus the nursing care they provide becomes more complex specializing on the needs of a diabetic patient. To address more appropriately the needs of increasing diabetic patients, the nursing team decid ed to initiate a Diabetes Clinic within the hospital. The Diabetes Clinic aims to provide and disseminate more information to the patients and their families, and also other people who may be concerned about this disease. It aims to educate its stakeholders on proper management of Type 1 diabetes so home care can be done effectively especially that diabetes is largely a patient-managed disease (Zarbock, 2005). The Diabetes Clinic also aims to provide motivation to the patients and their relatives about the perseverance to care for their health and that all their efforts will produce good results. The nurses will inform them about the new medicines, intervention programmes and treatments available and, how this can be appropriate their specific cases. Importantly, being able to help patients handle diabetes management in a less stressful manner is also the goal of the team. They understand that diabetes complications include emotional shifting as well leading to anger, frustration an d fear and this affects the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Gettysburg Address Analysis

The Gettysburg Address Analysis The famous Gettysburg Address was a speech made by Abraham at the November 19, 1863. At dedication of Soldiers National Cemetery, a cemetery for Union soldiers killed at the battle of gettysburg during American civil war. And what I found interesting g This speech was not going to be one of the most important at that day! However, it was a motivational speech for the citizens of the United States of America. It was a speech made in a time of confusion and sadness for them which generates hope and motivation in them. He was talking about some important issues as the equality of all people making it one of the most recognized speech by the United States, and for some other countries it has been known as a popular and perfect speech Lincoln has done. Gettysburg Address Lincoln spoke to the nation about the past and history; spoke of the nation as a unit as everybody together and gave the nation hope and faith. In a speech that was comprised of only 10 sentences and 272 words. Lincoln was able to strike that would resonate not only with his audience but one that would resonate through time. First one important meaning of Mr. Lincolns speech and which introduced what he will say, he was talking about the history of the nation, giving the nation a national history lesson beginning of what was before, what was at that moment and what will be using the syntax with three different paragraphs, using pause to show clearly the major ideas. He was talking about conceived nation, and more importantly. The country conceived in liberty, in base on and naming the ancestors and the founding fathers, who created a nation with freedom, as an example he said our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty. Reminding everyone how the nation started, how at that moment the people were and how they will do what they will. In addition, the second most important theme is that the Gettysburg Address was talking of the nation as a unit. He is using repetition with the words we, us, people, our, for example, he said, We are met on a great battle-field (Abraham Lincoln Outline). He was showing the audience that everybody is the same, and everybody is at the same level with the same importance. Mr. Lincoln also touched a very important point for anyone since he understood that everyone is equal, and in any situation, the nation will be a unit nation, in which everybody together will help each other equally. He also used several words of the Bible, and knowing that the United States is one of the countries with most Christianity in the world, he knew that will unite them even more, because they felt as one region, as a biblical unity, which will succeed. The President ends by talking of God. and a new type of freedom for the people of the United States by the will of those people and those they have elected to govern the country. The words are also reminiscent of the start of the Constitution We the People. Finally, another important theme in Lincolns speech is that he as knowledgeable person talked about the future, he was talking again with biblical words, as an example he said, We cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow (Abraham Lincoln Outline). He was talking also about freedom, liberty, honor, he was giving the nation new hope; therefore, he changed his mood and tone to create attitude and to change audiences attitude, giving to that part of the needed importance. The speech was also inspiring them to get new goals everyone together as a unit, making them sure they could not stay there and they had to move forward, to understood that things should not stayed there and in a large sense the nation, they had had a new birth and had a new start ahead with goals and hopes for the future. In closing, Mr.Lincolns speech The Gettysburg Address was a speech that is not too long and took the attention of many people, taking their hearts, remembering things of the past, talking about a present what they were living and speaking of a future that will arrive with hope, he also spoke of unity and equality, that all people are equal; therefore, they should not left things there in opposite go ahead for new things, realizing that they had a new birth where they could begin again to improve. It was an encouraging speech for the United States, in which Lincoln was known as a normal person, just like other citizens with goals for the future, giving the nation the encouragement they needed, and helping them to be the nation they are now, with a lot of successful and with a good future ahead. He finishes with a powerful triple that has become famous throughout the world: of the people, by the people, for the people. And I guess this is the real definition of democracy.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Macbeth :: essays research papers

Macbeth: An Overview   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth is presented as a mature man enjoying an enviable reputation. throughout this Shakespearean play, however, Macbeth's emotions change drastically. His abilities in battle are stupendous, yet his abilities as a husband and King are on the contrary. His overvaulting ambitions overcome his morality, and lead him to do â€Å"the evil deeds† that he commits during his reign.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth's prophecies begin with his encounter with the three evil women, the witches. They put the thought into his mind that if he were to kill Duncan, he himself may become king. When Lady Macbeth found out about this, she liked the idea of becoming a queen. She uses many techniques throughout the first act to convince him to execute the King, including questioning his manhood. He appears to be a very strong individual before all of this occurred, being very stable mentally and being a hero in the eyes of his countrymen on the battlefield. All of this changes as the play progresses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"angel† on one of his shoulders is telling him how kind this male ruler has been to him and the country of Scotland. The little â€Å"greedy devil† on his other shoulder that wants to be King finally overcomes the â€Å"angel.† His mind finally warrants him the justification to kill King Duncan. He has deep regret for what he has done shortly thereafter. The murder of the King is the first to slowly break down his now fragile emotional state. He feels that after murdering the King, he has given his mind and soul to those evil and demonic forces which are the enemy of mankind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It seems as though he is addicted to a drug; he must kill those who oppose him or those who (he feels) will do him harm in the future, yet he does not enjoy this. He is â€Å"hooked† on this drug and he knows it; however, he cannot stop until he is happy. He gains no satisfying peace because his conscience still obliges him to recognize the negative qualities of evil and the negative results of evil action. The individual who once prized mutable goods in the form of respect and admiration from those about him has now lost his sensitivity towards good and evil. His conscience is numbed, and he has almost reached a â€Å"peace† with himself, being morally obsolescent from what is really going on. The environment that he is subject to is continually being intensified, until his final encounter with Macduff ends everything.

Monday, November 11, 2019

High Performance Working Systems Essay

High Performance Working Systems (HPWS) are defined as those in which management adopts a coherent set of practices that provide employees with; a) The opportunity to influence operational decisions. b) The skills and abilities to effectively participate in these decisions and c) The incentives to motivate discretionary effort. (Applebaum et al. , 1998) Smarter working- or high performance working is a distinctive approach to managing people at work that raises productivity and at the same time improves the well being of employees. Achieving high performance poses a major challenge for private and public sector organisations as they face ever increasing competition and more demanding performance targets. Its main rationale is that the way in which the people in the organisation are managed offers perhaps the best route to gaining performance improvement and competitive advantage. High performance working conventionally contains three core components that address the opportunity to contribute, competence and motivation of the work force. High performance working requires a workforce that possesses the appropriate level of knowledge and skills. If resources such as technology are to be considered, then it is likely that workers will need high level knowledge and skills. They must be able to work with new technologies, make complex deals or offer sophisticated services. Secondly, any competitive environment is evolving the capacity to innovate requires a workforce that not only possesses the requisite knowledge and skills but is also willing and able to continue to acquire new knowledge and skills. One of the key distinctive features of high performance working is that it should be viewed as a system. In other words, it is not enough to consider competence or motivation in isolation. Logically, there is no advantage in having highly competent workers who are demotivated or under utilised. Equally there are dangers in highly motivated but incompetent workers or high commitment in workers who are neither competent nor motivated. The challenge is to manage all four elements at once. No one has consistently defined, or even uniformly named High Performance Work Systems (HPWS). They have been called â€Å"high performance work practices†, â€Å"alternative work practices and â€Å"flexible work practices†. Despite the variances, many of these programs share common elements including selection procedures, vigorous recruitment and incentives based upon performance and extensive training programs focused on the needs of the business. Essentially High Performance Working Systems, require heavy investment in human capital. This is intended to enhance employee knowledge, skill, flexibility and motivation, with the expectation that the employer is providing employees the ability and the opportunity to provide input into workplace decisions. (Val Buren & Werner, 1996). Companies expect this empowerment to enable employees to adapt readily and quickly to rapidly changing product and labour market conditions, and to improve operational efficiency and firm performance. Although high performance work systems have often been seen as being good for both employers and employees, these practices require significant investments in human capital through training, coordination of initiatives, and time for managerial and employee input. Because of the large investment in human capital the value of these practices may be lost if the investment does not result in increased efficiency and effectiveness. High Performance Working Systems are usually associated with increased productivity. However, examining only productivity effects businesses ignores the cost side of the equation. Despite this caution, numerous studies also find a strong relationship between HPWS and firm performance. These studies consider both costs and the benefits of HPWS. (Huselid, 1995, Baker 1999). Performance of business can be measured on four dimensions: marketing, market share, profitability and sales growth. It is often argued that human resources have an important role to play in facilitating innovation. HPWS are focused upon such objectives as enabling people to think for themselves and to manage their work. High Performance Working Systems can increase innovation by: encouraging team practices that allow learning to go through increased multidisciplinary knowledge, decentralising management in order to allow employees to discover and use knowledge; encouraging team practices that allow learning to go through increased multi-disciplinary knowledge; and putting that knowledge to good use. (Laursen, 2002). High Performance Working Systems systematically try to create organic organisations by moving decision-making downward. If for instance the organisational objective is efficiency, more effective Human Resource Management (HRM) systems are likely to increase firm performance because HPWS effectiveness focuses on better production or service delivery system. In contrast when a firm pursue innovative activities they are more likely to benefit from HPWS since they move the level of decision making downward, making the organisation better able to respond to environmental changes. (Capelli and Neumark 1999) More extensive use of HPWS is positively associated with increased organisational innovation since they are done in a holistic, meaningful and effective manner. It matters how a firm employs its organisational capabilities and its ability to manage human resources because resources or practices do not produce on their own. (Russo and Fouts, 1997). Traditional Human Resource Management systems concentrate on an efficiency objective, offer stable procedures and protocols with set processes for dealing with routing employment problems such as discipline, absenteeism and discharge. These systems also establish procedures, and rules that promote consistency and fairness throughout the organisation. Thus an effective HRM system should enhance the firm’s ability to attract and retain qualified employees and promote efficiency. However, effective Human Resource Management practices most likely lack flexibility of High Performance Working Systems. If a firm is pursuing an innovation objective then effective HRM practices may interfere with this goal by focusing on routines and rules that do not provide an environment conducive for stimulating innovation. Furthermore, organisations that are structured to deal with stable routing tasks are less able to adapt to uncertain, dynamic environments. Many organisations today face complex environments. Firms’ management strategies must adjust and conform to the existing business environment. The present business environment demands that firms respond to change and, at the same time, promote efficiency. Thus firms that can combine effectiveness and flexibility objectives may be put in the optimal strategic position whether they are pursuing objectives of innovation or market performance. More extensive use of High Performance work systems with HRM effectiveness is positively associated with organisational innovation. The banking industry for example has become a highly competitive environment because of banking industry deregulation. The regulatory changes coincide with such technological advances as telephone banking, ATMS, pc-based banking and information system advances. The industry responded to the changes by a significant wave of consolidation that has reduced the number of banks. Regulations essentially prevented firms from implementing the full range of strategic choices. Deregulation frees financial institutions to exercise strategic choice. Since deregulation, many banks have introduced new products and services that do not fit the traditional margin-maximing scheme where margin is the difference between the loan rate and the deposit rate. Instead fee income such as origination fees from corporate cash management accounts, home mortgages and letter of credit have become an increasing important source of bank revenues. Hence, the proportion of total income generated by these alternative fee based products and services represents an important measure of banking innovation. (Pfeffer, 1994). HPWS universally benefit all employers. High investments in training and employees pay off in terms of employee commitment and work effort. However, these HPWS do not come cheaply, firms either need to offset these expenses with productivity increases or operate in an innovate environment that can absorb these costs. This makes HPWS less compatible with firms pursuing efficiency objectives and more compatible with firms whose success is more dependent on innovation as opposed to efficiency. A major benefit of High Performance Working Systems is to move the level of decision making downward to reduce the need for formal supervision so that employees are to think for themselves. These objectives may be of great importance for employers seeking to innovate or provide a responsive service but may be problematic for employers pursuing efficiency objectives. Employers who have highly developed hierarchical and formal structures that follow an evolved model of scientific management may not benefit from HPWS. These employers have designed formal roles and procedures specifically to avoid employees thinking for themselves. Thus it can be argued that employers with innovation objectives would benefit more from HPWS than would employer seeking a marketing efficiency objective (Capelli & Neumark 1999). There are three main set of potential benefits of high performance working system; organisational performance, the worker well being and labour turn over and retention. The major reviews that have been conducted in North America, Europe and elsewhere consistently show a clear association between application of high performance working and organisational performance. These reviews are cross sectional and therefore cannot establish clear cause and effect. It is therefore possible that the more successful organisations have the capacity to introduce high performance working. The ability to retain staff is an important feature of a high performance work system and is a key reason why commitment to the organisation can be considered as a core dimension. The presence of High Performance Working Systems is likely to encourage more people to stay with the organisation. This will help to justify the investment in higher performance working and will also feed into other performance outcomes in the sense that experienced staff who understand the business and its products can contribute to higher productivity and to a higher quality of goods and services. For some managers a concern for worker well-being may appear to be an outcome of marginal interest. Well being is usually defined as a combination of job satisfaction, mental and physical health and broader life satisfaction. Work related well being can be narrowed down to the first two but should extend to include work-life balance. There is evidence that workers who experience high performance work practices report higher job satisfaction. They are also more likely to participate in a range of extra activities and to report both better general health and better mental health reflected in less anxiety and depression. The only downside is some suggestion that under high performance working staff may experience greater work-related stress. This could be through highly committed workers tending to choose to work longer hours and to accept more responsibility. High performance working systems have received the endorsement of many governments and organisations. These include Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Chartered Management Institute and Lisbon European Council for more and better jobs. HPWS face challenges and barriers. The skills for Business Employer Survey published in August 2006 shows some recent progress has been made in raising the uptake of individual high performance practices. However, one of the most reliable sources of evidence, the workplace Employment Relations surveys, show that in 1998, there was at best only modest application of these practices in workplaces across the UK and the 2004 survey shows that there has been very little if any further progress with implementation since then. There is evidence that levels of autonomy in jobs have actually been declining suggesting that managers are tending to assert greater control rather than trust in the competence and commitment of staff. Three factors prevent a stronger adoption of High Performance Working Systems. These can be summarised as ignorance, inability and doubts about the case. Some people especially managers have doubts about the benefits of high performance working. These doubts operate at a number of levels. First there is scepticism about the claim that people- or at least the current work force is the key basis for competitive advantage, allied to belief that priorities for performance ought to be directed elsewhere. Secondly managers are unwilling to take the risk of giving workers greater autonomy and control. There is evidence about a trend to reduce worker autonomy and reveals a generally low trust dynamic. Thirdly, there is doubt about the specific pay-offs and more particularly, whether they would generalise to their own work setting. Given these constrains, should we give up and leave High Performance working Systems to those few organisations that have managed to adopt it successfully and are reaping benefits? If relatively few firms are adopting HPWS working and it does bring benefits, then there is a strong case for gaining a lead on competitors. At the individual level, there is good evidence that workers benefit from being part of an organisation that engages in high performance working systems. Furthermore, job design aimed at enhancing levels of autonomy and control is likely to be associated with higher levels of well being. It will be associated with greater commitment and less likelihood of wanting to move on.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Dutch Composers and Their Contributions to the Sacred Music of the Renaissance

Dutch Composers and Their Contributions to the Sacred Music of the Renaissance Free Online Research Papers Dutch Composers and Their Contributions to the Sacred Music of the Renaissance Modern day Holland, or more properly, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is a mix of old and new, foreign and domestic. It is a place of brotherhood and unity, where the population strives as one to continually reclaim itself from the ever encroaching sea. However, this was not always the case, as the Netherlands has only recently come to resemble the form in which the world sees her today. The story of Dutch sacred music is very similar to that of the area’s political history, one in which strife and struggles have forced the population to reinvent itself countless times, simply to keep the same economic condition which their ancestors had many years before. These struggles have played an extremely important role in the developments of all the arts in the area which is now separated into the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The political and religious issues of the period can be seen in the development of sacred music across the years, showing both foreign influences on the church music of the Netherlands, and Low Country influence into the sacred music of foreign lands, especially the liturgical music of the Roman Catholic Church. Before the fifteenth century the state of Dutch music is not generally known, but after the year 1400, composers who considered themselves Netherlanders began to distinguish themselves from the prevailing French musicians which had come into the country under the rule of the Burgundians dukes. Indeed, The Encyclopedia of the Renaissance tells how the author of the oldest known musical dictionary, the Flemish author Tinctoris, stated in 1477 that music written more than forty years previously was not worth hearing, indicating that a new age of music had begun. This is not to say that the composers cultivated an â€Å"indigenous† style, as artists of this time period usually required a patron to provide them with sufficient living expenses to practice their craft, and the limited number of nobility in the Netherlands meant that musicians often had to travel a great distance and relocate several times in their lifetimes. This requirement of patronage limited the amount of change that artists could effect in these early years of Dutch composition. French state officials, who at this time were the most regular form of aristocrat in this part of Western Europe, and thus the most readily available patrons, generally brought their own musicians and artists from their home courts in Burgundy when they traveled northward to administer their appointed districts (Elders, 3). This required Dutch composers to attain an extraordinary level of skill to attain enough status to obtain a patron’s attention. However, the Dutch who had not yet been patronized by foreign dignitaries found themselves in a unique situation due to geographical considerations. They had to fulfill the requirements of their prospective patrons to obtain an income, while at the same time, they were too far removed from the rest of European society to be able to copy the popular styles from the rest of the continent. The great skill required to pick up foreign music from the traveling merchan ts and the adeptness the Netherlanders showed in composition meant that, by the year 1500, Dutch musicians were in almost all of the royal courts of Europe (Netherlands: Facts and Figures, 353). During this period, (1400 to about 1550), when French influence in Dutch music reached a pinnacle, the primary form of musical composition by Dutch composers was a French liturgical form called the motet. This is a form of polyphonic worship music derived from Biblical text and contemporary prayer books (Elders, 23). Upper voices of Latin polyphony, sung by the choir, were derived from existing sources, such as psalms or traditional liturgical sources, to satisfy the clergy and the traditions of the Church. The lower voices, which were usually sung by the lead soloist, (the cantor), are where the majority of creative composition can be found. These were in colloquial French, German, or Frisian, using figures of speech to either substitute for the Latin chant for the layperson or to paraphrase the meaning of the chant, thus allowing the common churchgoer to participate in a more meaningful way (Grove Dictionary, Definition: Trope, 780). This was often due to theological or political c hanges, where the Church or aristocratic hierarchy felt that their vassals should be empowered or disenfranchised, and thus instructed their composers to add or delete sections of the liturgical standards as necessary (Elders, 22). This interpretive technique became popular enough to endanger the sanctity of the liturgy itself, which was the impetus behind Pius V’s prohibition of tropes from the missal at the Council of Trent in 1563 (Webster’s, Definition: Trope, 2721). In spite of this ruling, however, the motet was still an important compositional technique in the Netherlands as late as the 1670’s, with the publication of ten concertante motets by Carel Haquart of Amsterdam in 1674 (Klis 147). While these compositional techniques were not extensively developed or used by composers residing inside the boundaries of the modern day Netherlands, many highly regarded musical societies across Europe had a considerable percentage of members hailing from the Low Countries. One such example is the Guild of Our Lady in Antwerp, Belgium, which was part of the Burgundian Low countries at that time. This fraternity included such distinguished composers as Jacob Obrecht and Noel Bauldeweyn (Elders 23). It should be pointed out that Obrecht had the distinction of being an instructor to Erasmus, the famous writer and Christian humanist, when Obrecht was zangmeester (song master) in Utrecht. Also, Orlando di Lasso, whom some regard as the greatest composer who lived during the second half of the sixteenth century, was born in Mons before being employed in many positions throughout Sicily and Italy. He finally became Kapellmeister (Chapel master) of the Bavarian court in Munich, Germany unt il his death in 1594 (Elders 160). These and other composers’ biographies, show that while the Dutch landscape produced a prolific number of great musicians and composers, the political landscape was not structured in a manner which would normally allow them to stay in their home districts. In the Netherlands, the last three-fourths of the sixteenth century was consumed by the all-pervading influence of the Protestant Reformation, which did not leave any European country (Baroness 97). More than before, Dutch musicians fled the country to find work in more stable countries not at war for their very lives, for on top of the war with Spain, it had become quite dangerous to be publicly Catholic. The Calvinists and Lutherans had taken over the seven Northern provinces, and they believed strongly enough in their new faith to proclaim independence from the Holy Roman Empire. Due to the strong prejudice against Protestants in most of the rest of Europe, many composers had relatives in the clergy, like Josquin Des Prà ¨s’ brother Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, or made certain that their work could not be interpreted in any way other than strictly Catholic (Bergin 128). Others went to Italy, the seat of the Catholic Church, to escape the effects of the wars and the Inquisition . Most Netherlander composers in this period were not â€Å"Dutch† per se in the form we know today, but came from the area known as the â€Å"Spanish Netherlands,† which is modern day Belgium. Many composers, such as George La Hà ¨le, began at the Church of Our Lady and moved on to the courts of Spanish officials in Madrid and other politically important cities in Spain (Elders 157). During the period of the Eighty Year War, and even more so during the Thirty Years’ War, composers concentrated on improving the Mass, as a sort of defense against the Calvinist theological attacks from the Northern Europeans. La Hà ¨le composed at least eight Masses, which were printed in 1578 in Antwerp. These compositions were possibly partially copied from, and certainly profoundly influenced by, earlier works of Josquin, who perfected techniques like ostinato and was the first known composer to use cavato (Elders 37, 157). These techniques can be described as using a short piece of melody and re-using it frequently in the composition without being monotonous. This method can be extremely difficult, and shows the level of skill attained by these talented musicians. Possibly due to the documented mastery of such difficult techniques in the fifteenth century, imitation seems to have been the preferred compositional form in the sixteenth century (Elders 44-8). Johannes Froschius even suggests in his 1535 treatise â€Å"Rerum musicarium opusculum† that musical authors should transcribe the best passages of others’ work to incorporate into one’s own work later. Two main techniques were called â€Å"through-imitation† and â€Å"parody† (Elders 44/46). Many times, as in most examples of through-imitation, the purpose of the imitation was to take a piece which had attained a firm subconscious meaning in the layman’s mind, and use it in a semi-repetitious form in such a way that â€Å"nothing could be added or taken away without destroying the harmony of the whole† (Wittkower 7). In many ways, the musical examples of this method display remarkable similarity to the modern day concept of the â€Å"round.à ¢â‚¬  Parody, far from being an amusing farce, was when a composer decided that clothing an existing text in entirely new music was unnecessary, as such using a model, broken up into sections, with interpolations of various lengths to break up the monotony and suggest to the layman that he may not know this piece after all (Elders 46-8). This form had an extended period of popularity, becoming widely used about 1530, waning only near the beginning of the seventeenth century. However, even when the great composers of the Netherlands felt that previous composers had perfected techniques which they could only copy, they went further to put their great intellects to work at musical symbolism as well. As Elders notes, many composers used gematric symbolism, wherein the addition of the numbers (representing the letters) in an individual’s name determines the number of notes in a composition (76-86). This technique, especially when combined with the previous forms, stands as a gran d testament to the ability of these extremely talented artists. Even though the seventeenth century religious conflicts greatly limited innovation by composers from the Germanic countries, the eighteenth century saw Dutch musical culture become well-known and widely respected throughout Europe. Andrew Becket of England noted that the organ in Haarlem, which was built by Christian Mullar, was able to reproduce a wide variety of sounds, including violins, kettle drums, bird song, and even the human voice (139). He declared that it was played with â€Å"exquisite truth and delicacy,† and a â€Å"divine, enchanting harmony,† but that the twenty or thirty Dutchmen in the church were completely unmoved by the performance (140). Furthermore, John Mackey postponed a trip to Ireland in the early 1700’s when he was given the chance to tour the Netherlands, proclaiming that it was the densest collection of great cities and culture in the world, even greater than Renaissance Italy (1). Obviously, even if the casual observer may not be aw are of the history of sacred music in Europe, the Dutch were remembered well into the eighteenth century, and still have a reputation for a high appreciation of the arts. Currently, the government allocates more than 1% of the Netherlands GDP toward supporting Dutch music, which certainly follows in the grand tradition of this creative population. Naturally, a grand tradition of music so close by was certain to influence others as well. There are many examples of traditions from sacred music which show up in secular compositions by more well known composers such as Bach and Beethoven. In a long period of intellectual darkness, nobles searched far and wide for promising individuals to promote their causes and entertain their households. In the Netherlands, they found composers whose ability greatly surpassed anything they were able to find in their own countries. This allowed Dutch composers to flourish across Europe and also gave them much needed exposure to alternate forms of music to incorporate into their compositions, which they did on a grand scale, influencing many composers and listeners for hundreds of years afterward. Baroness Suzette Van Zuylen Van Nyevelt. Court Life in the Dutch Republic 1638-1689. New York: E. P. Dutton Co, 1906. Becket, Andrew. A Trip to Holland. London: T. Becket, Pall-Mall, 1786. Elders, Willem. Composers of the Low Countries. Translated By Graham Dixon. Oxford, England: Clarendon, 1991. Bergin, Thomas G. The Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1987. Government Printing Office. The Kingdom of the Netherlands: Facts and Figures. The Hague, Nederland: Government Printing Office, 1971. Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, The. Edited By Stanley Sadie, Asst. by Alison Latham. London: Macmillan Press Ltd, 1988. Klis, Jolande van der. The Essential Guide to Dutch Music:100 Composers and Their Work. Amsterdam, Nederland: Muziekgroep, Amsterdam University Press, 2000. Macky, John. A Journey through the Austrian Netherlands. London: J. Pemberton, 1725. Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language. Second Edition. 1946. Wittkower, R. Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism. Fourth Edition London, 1974. Research Papers on Dutch Composers and Their Contributions to the Sacred Music of the RenaissanceHip-Hop is ArtAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionQuebec and CanadaWhere Wild and West Meet19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBringing Democracy to AfricaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2The Effects of Illegal Immigration

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Best Crucible Act 3 Summary

Best Crucible Act 3 Summary SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In Act 3 of The Crucible, we meet the judges who have been conducting the witch trials. John Proctor and Mary Warren finally confront the court with the truth, but, as you'll see, the truth has limited currency when it doesn't align with what people have already chosen to believe. I'll include short and long summaries of Act 3, a list of the most important quotes, and a thematic analysis covering the events of this part of the play. The Crucible Act 3 Summary - Short Version Judge Hathorne is questioning Martha Corey off-stage. Giles Corey interrupts the proceedings to defend his wife, and he is dragged into a room off of the court (on stage) by Marshal Herrick. They are accompanied by Judge Hathorne, Governor Danforth, Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale, Francis Nurse, and Ezekiel Cheever. After a short discussion where the truth of the accusers’ claims is disputed by Francis Nurse and Giles Corey, Mary Warren and John Proctor enter the room. Mary admits to Danforth that she and the other girls were faking the whole time. Danforth is not convinced that this is the truth based on the evidence of witchcraft he's seen in court (people being choked by familiar spirits and slashed with daggers). Proctor presents a petition signed by 91 people who are willing to vouch for the good character of Elizabeth Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey. Danforth orders warrants drawn up for all the people who signed the petition. Proctor then presents a statement from Giles Corey where Corey testifies that Thomas Putnam encouraged his daughter, Ruth Putnam, to make accusations against George Jacobs so Putnam could snatch up Jacobs’ land.However, Giles refuses to reveal who gave him this information, so he is arrested for contempt of court and his accusations are dismissed. Finally, Proctor gives Danforth Mary Warren’s statement where she admits in writing that she and the other girls were faking. The girls are brought in from the courtroom for questioning by Danforth. Abigail denies Mary’s accusations.The judges doubt Mary even more when she is unable to pretend to faint like she says she did in the courtroom. Abigail then says she feels a spirit in the room, which enrages Proctor. He calls her a whore and admits that they had an affair so that she will be discredited. Danforth brings Elizabeth Proctor in for questioning on this issue, but she covers up the affair to protect John’s reputation. She is unaware that he has already confessed. John’s accusations are subsequently dismissed. Abigail claims to see a bird on the rafters that she insists is Mary Warren’s spirit poised to attack her. The other girls follow Abigail’s lead and gang up on Mary. A terrified Mary breaks down under the pressure of these accusations and confesses that John forced her to work for the Devil. Proctor and Corey are arrested, and Hale quits the court in disgust at this blatant display of irrationality. You probably saw this coming. John Proctor wasn't going to get away with being so Devilishly handsome for much longer (ew sorry). The Crucible Act 3 Summary - Long Version This act takes place in the vestry room of Salem meeting house, which is right outside the courtroom.The audience hears Judge Hathorne questioning Martha Corey off stage (in court).He asks her a series of leading questions in an attempt to get her to confess to witchcraft.Giles Corey tries to interrupt, claiming that the accusations are just a product of Thomas Putnam’s greed for land.Giles is dragged from the courtroom and into the vestry room (on stage) by Marshal Herrick. They arefollowed by Francis Nurse, Reverend Hale, Judge Hathorne, Deputy Governor Danforth, Ezekiel Cheever and Reverend Parris.Danforth admonishes Giles for interrupting the court proceedings. He insists that if Giles wishes to submit evidence in his wife’s defense, he must follow procedure and submit an affidavit.Francis Nurse says he has proof that the girls are frauds.This claim is disturbing to Danforth because he has already condemned many people based on their testimony. At this time, John Proctor leads Mary Warren into the vestry room.Mary doesn’t speak at first, but Proctor tells Danforth that she has signed a deposition indicating that she never saw any spirits.Mary hesitantly tells Danforth that the girls were faking the whole time.Danforth warns Proctor that he had better be sure this new evidence is truthful and questions him about his intentions.Proctor says he has no desire to undermine the court, and his only goal is to save his wife. Cheever reveals that Proctor tore up the arrest warrant when they came to take his wife, and Danforth becomes suspicious again.He asks Proctor a couple of questions about his religious devotion and his lapses in church attendance, and Proctor reiterates that he hasn’t been to church lately because he hates Parris.Danforth still feels that the girls must be telling the truth because he's seen them stabbed with pins and choked by spirits in court.Proctor counters by pointing out how weird it is that all these people who always had great reputations are now suddenly being accused of witchcraft.Danforth and Hawthorne then tell John that Elizabeth is pregnant, meaning they will spare her at least until the child is born.Proctor refuses to drop his accusations of perjury against the girls even though his wife is safe.His friends' wives are still in danger, and he is determined to expose Abigail as a liar. Danforth agrees to look at Proctor’s evidence, which is a petition signed by 91 respectable people testifying to Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, and Elizabeth Proctor’s good characters.Parris insists that those who signed the petition should be summoned for questioning.Danforth orders warrants drawn up for their arrest, to the horror of Francis Nurse, who promised the people who signed the petition that there would be no negative repercussions for them.Danforth says they should have nothing to fear if they’re truly good Christians. Proctor then gives Danforth Giles Corey’s deposition.Corey says that Putnam told his daughter, Ruth, to accuse George Jacobs of witchcraft so Putnam could take Jacobs’ land.However, Corey refuses to tell Danforth the name of the person who gave him this information, and when Putnam is asked directly, he denies it. Hale says that Giles can’t be faulted for preserving the anonymity of his informant because everyone in town is terrified of the court.Danforth insists that innocent people have no reason to be afraid.Giles is placed under arrest for contempt of court. Proctor tries to calm everyone down and gives Mary Warren’s deposition to Danforth.It states that she never saw the Devil or any other spirits, and the other girls are lying.Before Danforth takes the deposition, Hale tries to talk him into letting a lawyer argue Proctor’s evidence in court rather than asking Proctor to defend it alone.Danforth says witchcraft is an invisible crime, so the witch and the victim are the only real witnesses.That means only the victim is left for reliable testimony in court (since obviously the witch can't be trusted), so lawyers are unnecessary. Upon reading the deposition, Danforth asks Mary if Proctor threatened her to get her to change her testimony.Mary says no, she is telling the truth now.Danforth orders the other girls brought into the room.Danforth informs them of the charges Mary has made against them, andAbigail denies Mary’s accusations vehemently.Proctor points out that there’s no reason for Mary to make these claims unless she’s telling the truth. Heurges Mary to tell Danforth about the girls dancing in the woods.Parris is forced to admit that he discovered them dancing, and Hale corroborates.Danforth is disturbed by this information and becomes less trusting of Abigail. Hathorne then questions Mary about her past behavior in court in light of her new testimony.Mary says she was faking when she fainted in court before.Hathorne and Parris tell Mary to pretend to faint again right now if she’s such a good actress.Mary is unable to pretend to faint outside of the courtroom environment. Danforth asks Abigail if it’s possible that the spirits could have been all in her head.Abigail is insulted by these accusations, pointing out how much she has suffered at the hands of witches.She stops talking suddenly and claims to feel a spirit in the room.The other girls imitate her.Danforth buys into the act and immediately suspects Mary of witchcraft, which is Abigail’s intention.Mary tries to run away, fearing for her life if the other girls accuse her.Proctor stops Mary from leaving and grabs Abigail by the hair in fury, calling her a whore.He admits to their affair and explains that Abigail accused his wife of witchcraft because she wants to be with him.Danforth is horrified, and Abigail refuses to respond to the accusations, which disturbs Danforth even further. Danforth orders Elizabeth Proctor brought in for questioning on this issue after John insists that Elizabeth is incapable of lying.John and Abigail are both forced to turn their backs to her as she is questioned, so she doesn't know that John has already confessed to the affair.Elizabeth says she dismissed Abigail because she was suspicious of Abigail’s close relationship with her husband. When questioned further, she lies and says that her suspicions were unfounded to protect John's reputation. Danforth takes this as proof that Proctor is lying about the affair and dismisses Elizabeth.Hale points out that it makes complete sense that Elizabeth would lie to protect her husband’s reputation. He believes Proctor is telling the truth. Abigail prevents further rational conversation by pretending to see and talk to a bird that she claims is Mary Warren’s spirit.All the girls start repeating everything Mary says.Danforth once again is convinced by this charade.He pressures Mary to confess that she’s in league with the Devil.Mary is terrified for her life, so she blurts out that Proctor is the Devil’s man and has coerced her into witchcraft (to be fair, he did pressure her into changing her testimony).Danforth asks Proctor a couple of accusatory questions. Proctor condemns Danforth for contributing to fear and ignorance by failing to expose the girls as frauds. He also blames himself for hesitating to come forward with the truth. He sees that the darker tendencies within himself and others have led to this calamity, and they will all go to Hell in the end.Danforth orders Proctor and Corey arrested and sent to jail.Hale is disgusted with the way Danforth has conducted the investigation and refuses to be a part of the proceedings any longer. This is how I picture Mary Warren's fake bird-spirit. She's kind of a chicken. The Crucible Act 3 Quotes Here's a list of the key quotes that are most relevant to the thematic developments that unfold in Act 3. I'll briefly explain the significance of each in context. For a more expansive take, check out our full list of key quotes from all four acts. â€Å"But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time - we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world.† Danforth, pg. 87 Here, Danforth affirms the black and white nature of the court’s viewpoint.Anyone who isn’t fully supportive of the court's actions is considered suspicious.The judges can’t afford to have any ambiguity or doubt infecting their decisions because their authority will suffer overall.To maintain control, they seek to create an illusion of precision in the sentencing process.It’s an illusion created as much for themselves as for the rest of Salem.They want to feel secure in the knowledge that they’re doing the right thing, and they can only do that by completely crushing all of their uncertainties. â€Å"In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims - and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring out?† Danforth, pg. 93 This quote shows Danforth’s rationale for the way these trials have been conducted.It gives us insight into the twisted logic that court officials have adopted in the face of hysteria.Since the crime is invisible, there are no unbiased witnesses available; the only people who can testify to what really happened are the â€Å"witch† and her victim.This means every case is inevitably a he-said-she-said situation where the accused person is immediately mistrusted and coerced into confessing without any chance to defend herself. The terror surrounding witchcraft and the Devil is so great that officials ignore the fact that the accusers might have reasons to lie about their experiences. â€Å"I heard the other girls screaming and you, your honor, you seemed to believe them, and I - It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I - I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not.† Mary Warren, pg. 100 Mary Warren attempts to explain her actions earlier in the play with limited success. She is faced with skepticism from the judges after such a drastic change in her testimony.There’s no consideration of the psychological elements at play in all of the girls’ testimony and how peer pressure and the approval of powerful adults might encourage their behavior.Mary tries to describe getting swept up in the experience of being in the courtroom. All of her friends were screaming about witches, Danforth believed them, and then the town believed them as well.It’s easy to see how a person like Mary, who is portrayed as an impressionable follower, would mirror the actions and beliefs of others to fit in and feel valued. â€Å"A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud - God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!†Proctor, pg. 1 John Proctor is at his wit’s end by the time this act is over because he’s so frustrated with the way the court officials have chosen to shut their eyes to the lies being told right in front of them.This has become a matter of pride for them. They don’t have any real desire for justice; they just want to be proven right.John describes a vision of Hell in which the Devil’s face is merely a reflection of his own face and the faces of all the others who have allowed this tragedy to happen.He delayed disclosing his knowledge of Abigail’s lies to the court, and the officials continued to trust the accusers.They have all actively chosen to encourage ignorance and paranoia out of self-interest rather than inject critical thinking and logic into the proceedings. There's no turning back now. The Crucible Act 3 Thematic Analysis In this section, I'll provide a brief analysis of each of the major themes that show up in act 3 of The Crucible. I'm working on a full thematic analysis that should be coming out soon, so stay tuned! Irony When Hathorne questions Martha Corey, she says she can’t be a witch because "I know not what a witch is" (pg. 77).Hathorne counters by saying that if she doesn’t know what a witch is, she can’t know for sure that she isn’t one.While the officials purport to be on a mission to discover the truth, they’re really just weaving a narrative out of lies that fit their biases while ignoring everything the accused person says. There is also an instance of tragic irony at the end of this act when Elizabeth is brought in for questioning after John confesses to his affair with Abigail.Not knowing that he has already confessed, she lies to protect him. She portrays herself as an irrationally jealous wife, "I came to think he fancied her. And so one night I lost my wits, I think, and put her out on the highroad" (pg. 105).The one time when the perpetually honest Elizabeth chose to lie also happened to be the time when it was most critical for her to tell the truth.Both she and John take actions to protect each other in different ways, but they end up worsening the situation because their priorities are misaligned. Hysteria The hysteria on display in The Crucible reaches its peak during Act 3. Throughout, there are examples of the court officials ignoring logic and evidence in favor of ignorance and paranoia.It becomes clear that the court has chosen to believe the accusers, and any evidence presented indicating that they are frauds is discounted. When the petition testifying to the good character of the accused women is presented, the reaction from Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris is to arrest the people who signed it rather than consider that this might indicate the women's innocence.Danforth is convinced that â€Å"there is a moving plot to topple Christ in the country!† (pg. 91), and anyone who doubts the decisions of the court is potentially involved.The power of mass hysteria is further revealed when Mary can't pretend to faint outside of the emotionally charged courtroom environment.She believed she had seen spirits before because she was caught up in the delusions of those around her. Abigail also distracts the judges from any rational investigation in this act by playing into the mass hysteria.Danforth, who has the most authority, is also the most sold on her act, and it only takes a few screams to persuade him that he’s in the presence of witchcraft.This leads to Mary’s hysterical accusation of Proctor after she realizes she will be consumed by the hysteria monster if she doesn’t contribute to it. Reputation John Proctor sabotages his reputation because he realizes it’s the only way he can reliably discredit Abigail.This is not a decision that is made lightly in a town where reputation is so important.John accepts that he has officially â€Å"rung the doom of [his] good name† (pg. 103).Elizabeth, however, doesn’t realize that he cares enough about her to sabotage his reputation to save her life. She acts under the assumption that his reputation is still of paramount importance and does not reveal the affair. Concern for reputation is also expressed in this act by Danforth and Hale, who both reference the decisions they have already made condemning people to death or imprisonment.Danforth doesn’t want to accept Mary’s testimony because if it is true, it would mean that he made a lot of mistakes, which could destroy his credibility.Hale is more willing to consider that he made a mistake ("I beg you, stop now before another is condemned!" (pg. 105), but he’s very concerned with amending his decisions to align with the truth. He doesn't want his name to end up on the ignorant side of history. Power and Authority Desires to preserve power and authority play a prominent role in the actions of characters in this act, particularly the judges. Danforth and Hathorne refuse to hear Giles Corey’s evidence because he doesn’t present it through the proper channels.Disruptions to the court are treated with great suspicion.John Proctor is immediately asked whether he intends to overthrow the court when he attempts to present contradictory testimony.The people in positions of power have no ability to see things from another perspective because their focus is so concentrated on maintaining their authority.As evidence is presented, it becomes clear that the court is more concerned with preserving an air of infallibility than making just decisions. Deception John Proctor admonishes Mary Warren to tell the truth about the fraudulent nature of the witchcraft accusations, citing examples from scripture to encourage her to do the right thing.At the same time, he has not yet come forward with the truth about his affair, which would give Mary’s charges against Abigail more credibility.Although he eventually does so, it’s interesting to think about how the course of events may have differed if he hadn’t taken so long to reveal the truth to the court. It’s clear that in Salem, sweeping things under the rug or disguising them behind facades of propriety is a way of life.When the truth is finally revealed, it is alien to the judges.How is Mary capable of pretending to faint in the courtroom but not now? How could Abigail Williams, Innocent Teen Victim, have an affair with John Proctor, Forthright Farmer and Family Man? And how could she be devious enough to pull off such dramatic false accusations? These sorts of layers in people’s psychology and behavior are confusing because they typically remain concealed. No one who's in a position to reverse the course of events figures out the truth of what's lurking under the metaphorical floorboards in Salem until it's too late. The Crucible Act 3 Recap Now for a quick reviewof what happened in Act 3. Cue bullet points! Martha Corey is questioned by Danforth. Giles Corey objects to this and argues with the judges, insisting that the accusations against her are phony. Mary and John arrive, and Mary reveals that she didn't actually see any spirits. John presents a petition as evidence of the good character of Elizabeth Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey, but it backfires; Danforth has warrants drawn up for the signees. Giles informs Danforth that Thomas Putnam told Ruth Putnam to accuse George Jacobs so Putnam could get Jacobs' land. However, Giles won't reveal who told him this, so he's arrested for contempt of court. Danforth reviews Mary's deposition where she testifies that the girls were faking. The girls are brought in and questioned, and Abigail denies the accusations. Mary is unable to pretend to faint on command, which makes Danforth, Parris, and Hathorne doubt her revised testimony. John admits to his affair with Abigail in desperation, but the usually truthful Elizabeth does not corroborate his claims because she doesn't know he's already confessed. Abigail and the other girls act like they are being bewitched by Mary, who accuses John of working for the Devil out of fear that she will be condemned by the court. John Proctor and Giles Corey are arrested, and Hale quits the court. Act 3 makes it clear that the court officials are not willing to see reason. However, there's still a question of who will ultimately face the death penalty over these false accusations and what the fallout of the trials will be in Salem. All this and more will be revealed in Act 4, the final chapter. What's Next? Check out our Act 4 summary or, if you want a recap of the entire story, our summary of the full plot of The Crucible, complete with character descriptions and a list of themes. The events in Act 3 incorporate some key character developments. For more insight, read these in-depth character analyses of John Proctor, Mary Warren, Giles Corey, and Abigail Williams (all coming soon). We've also written short articles on confusing questions that often come up when students study The Crucible. These articles should help you understand why Elizabeth asks John to go to Salem in Act 2 and why Reverend Hale ultimately returns to Salem in Act 4. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Monday, November 4, 2019

Merger of Everything Everywhere, T-mobile & Orange Essay

Merger of Everything Everywhere, T-mobile & Orange - Essay Example The new company would have 28.4 million subscribers (T-mobile UK, 8 September 2009). Another benefit of the merger would be the improvement of the network coverage but also of the network quality (T-mobile UK, 8 September 2009). According to Gervais Pellissier, the CFO of France Telecom, the merger would help both firms to increase their competitiveness in the UK market, but also ‘to develop new services and technologies’ (T-mobile UK, 8 September 2009). In the long term, the merger would result to the decrease of the firms’ operational costs, at least by ?445m annually (OFCOM 2010). The merger was set under examination aiming to ensure that it does not violate the British and the European laws on competition. The case was brought before the European Commission, which decided, in the 1st of March 2010, that the merger would be permitted (Orange Newsroom March 2010) since the terms that the European Commission had set were met. In accordance with OFCOM European Com mission allowed the merger mostly because of the commitments of the firms in terms of ‘spectrum and network sharing’ (OFCOM 2010). ... he specific name was chosen in order to highlight the firm’s potential to offer to its customers ‘instant access to the world around them, to everything everywhere’ (T-mobile UK, 1 July 2010). In practice, the specific strategy, i.e. the use of a new name for the firm resulting from the merger, can be characterized as rather risky, taking into consideration the similar practices of other competitors in the UK mobile industry, which tend to use their own brands. On the other hand, the customers of the new firm, Everything Everywhere Ltd would have the chance to use the mobile networks of both brands, being significantly benefited compared to the customers of other mobile operators in UK (Meyer 2010). At this point, it would be necessary to check whether the merger actually benefited Orange and T-mobile. At a first level, it seems that T-mobile has been more benefited from the specific initiative, compared to Orange, which is already well established in the UK marke t. Indeed, the performance of T-mobile across UK can be characterized as low (BBC News 2010); the merger with Orange would help the firm to improve its market position ‘overnight’ (Shaun Collins in BBC News 2010). After the merger, the position of the two brands in the UK industry is still different; indeed, Orange is still more powerful than T-mobile, with a network of about 17 million subscribers, compared to the 13 million subscribers of T-mobile (Meyer 2010). Moreover, Virgin mobile offers to its customers the potential to use the network of Orange, when being in areas where the Virgin mobile network is not available (Virgin Mobile 2011, Mandalia 2011). The firm that resulted from the merger, Everything Everywhere Limited has a key share in the UK mobile market, reaching ‘the 28 million

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Managing organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managing organization - Essay Example Employees’ needs are an essential internal element in bringing effectiveness, and high performance in an organization, whereas organizational technology, size, political/ regulatory changes, ethics and environmental changes are the external conditions that could influence performance (Daft, & Armstrong, 2009). Talents and skills of the workforce are indispensable if a firm is to become a high performing. Organizational performance is bound to suffer when organizational members are insufficiently trained or skilled. Managers have to change the nature of workers tasks from being routine jobs to empowered roles. Traditionally, employees were assigned tasks from the top management, where information and control of tasks were centered. Nevertheless, the modern context requires workers to perform roles that are part of the dynamic social system. A role has discretion and responsibility, permitting an individual to utilize his or her ability, talent, skills and judgment to accomplish an organizational outcome or goal. Employees and their knowledge are weighty than the means of production or the means of service delivery in relation to organizational prosperity (Daft, & Armstrong, 2009). ... The contemporary workplace contains numerous employees who execute most of their work through computers, and may also work in virtual teams that are electronically linked around the globe. Diversity is another aspect that modern organizations cannot afford to overlook. As globalization continues to be part of organizations’ playing field, the human resource and customers’ base change dramatically. Managing diversity effectively results in increased organizational performance. An example of a corporation that registered organizational success and performance by embracing diversity is the Avon Corporation and the McKinsey & Co. (Daft, & Armstrong, 2009). An organization’s culture that forms the key values, beliefs and comprehensions and norms shared by workers may influence organizational performance. Values and beliefs are essential in helping an organization execute its corporate strategy and attain its mission. Well established values are the deep drivers of wor ker behavior and are well understood by employees. Thus, beliefs and values that are embedded in the organization and are congruent with the company’s approach to leadership enhance organizational performance. An organization’s processes and structure determine how an organization arranges its work policies, processes and procedures to sustain and execute corporate strategy. Processes and structure of an organization influences the level of organizational performance. Organizations that experience high performance put processes that reinforce strategy and tasks to most effectively allow human (Daft, & Armstrong, 2009). The influence of ethics in the contemporary world of business is a development in organizations that constrains the freedom of organizational members.