Piped distribution services question 1-4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Piped distribution services question 1-4 - Essay Example Give different options. Evaluate their merits. The building in question is very tall and expansive. It shall in turn attract numerous clients. In this regard, the client and building requirements shall be effective air conditioning systems; properly installed boilers; backup power generation system; efficient and effective elevators and good refrigeration systems. The risks involved in terms of death and injuries inflicted as a result of fire breakout are huge. The project requires smoke detectors, an alarm system, a surveillance system, fire extinguishers and a medical response team. The company can choose to use the old technology that is readily available and is relatively cheap. This shall save on the costs. On the other hand, the company can also choose to employ the modern technology that is more advanced and sophisticated. This is very fast and effective for the huge building and numerous clients in question. 1.2) Evaluate alternative strategies for the provision of piped dist ribution services and fire protection and fire fighting services systems. Advise which system you consider the most suitable to the building. The company can choose to undertake the provision of all the services to the clients of the building. All the clients regardless of their social status or power receive the same services and pay the same amount to the company for these services. The company can also choose to provide all these services but in accordance to the desire and financial ability of each tenant. Every tenant upon renting a premise in the building specifies the kind of services he or she is willing to receive and able to pay for. Lastly, the company can opt not to offer any of these services. Each client upon renting a premise in the building finds his or her own means of getting these services. Of all these three strategies, the first one is the best. These services are basic. The risks involved if one tenant misses the services still affect the other clients the serv ices. It is thus important that the company offers the services for every tenant and in a common level of sophistication. 1.3) Establish design parameters, standards and legislative requirements. Give at least two approaches. Evaluate the approaches. The building shall require an A.C source of electricity. This is the main source of energy that shall power all appliances. Aluminum pipes shall be required for plumbing to deal with the high pumping pressure to the top floors. Before the commencement of the construction work, the government needs to approve of the design and location of the building. After the construction, the government shall also send inspectors to ascertain the suitability of the building for commercial use. These requirements can be viewed from the approach of cutting on costs, or the approach of cutting on accidents. In order top cut on costs, the company only has to conform to the minimum requirements of erecting the building. On the other hand, in order to cut on the risks of getting involved in accidents, the building needs sophisticated material. All the requirements should be approaching the maximum limits in the market. 1.4) Produce design specifications. Comment the different specifications. Discuss their relationship. The building needs

Benthams Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Benthams Utilitarianism Essay Bentham sees that man is being governed by two feelings, this is pleasure and pain. These determine that which is good and evil for man. These are also the basis of the act of man, and these-pain and pleasure would be the fundamentals of the philosophy, utilitarianism. The principle of utility is the action that approves or disapproves an action whatsoever. By the principle of utility, it aims to help man to choose which would give him benefit. The principle of utility determines that which would give man more happiness, good, and pleasure, and negate that which would give him otherwise. The perfect example of something that executes the principle of utility is the government. Since it upholds the betterment of the many, than the pleasure of the individualthis is demonstrated in law-making. Legislators are bound to the principle of utility as they legislate, while for manhe acts with Calculus of Felicity in his mind. Considering the intensity, duration, trueness and closeness of an act. But these are only applicable for a given moment of time, but if a man has to consider a succession of events he must consider fecunditywhere he thinks that a positive act would be followed followed by a positive act, and puritywhere man thinks that an act will not be followed by a negative effect, or karma. But for Bentham he asserts that this philosophy should be placed in context. The principle utilitarianism is nor always a good basis in judging the morality of an act. But the process of utilitarianism ail always be a good determiner of pleasure, profit, and advantage and also to tell which he should avert. Bentham considers that this principle maybe useless at times but he believes in the nature of man, he is innately born with pleasures of pain and this principle would always be useful to him.

An Analytical Essay on Excessive Pride in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart :: Things Fall Apart essays

Excessive Pride in Things Fall Apart In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, a well-known aphorism, "pride goes before a fall", was used. I agreed with and supported this statement. The story line itself backed up this statement as well. Through Okonkwo's hard work he became a "great man" with a sense of pride and haughtiness, who then suffered a loss of pride, which ultimately led to his down fall and his own suicide. This book went along with the commonly stated cliché. In addition to that, there was a widely known joke that went well with this. "One day there was an airplane pilot flying Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Bill (a kid), and Billy Gram. Something went wrong with the plane, so it had to be abandoned. The airplane pilot strapped on a parachute and said to them, "there is only four parachutes but I am taking one." Bill Clinton grabbed the second one and said, "I am the most important man and my country needs me so I am taking one too." Then, Bill Gates grabbed the third one and said, "I am the smartest man in the world and my people need me." So, Bill (a kid) was just looking... at the fourth parachute and Billy Gram said to him, "I am an old man and you are young, you have your whole life ahead of you, take the last parachute." Finally, Bill (a kid) looked up at him and said, "I was not thinking about that, it's just that the smartest man in the world took my backpack." As you saw from the book and the joke, both Okonkwo, and Bill Gates were full of prejudice pride. They thought they were "great men", and saw others as inferior to them and incapable of living substantially if they were not the backbone. Okonkwo's pride grew immensely when he was an eighteen-year-old boy growing up in Umuofia. His father, Unoka was a lazy and imprudent man so Okonkwo sought to be everything his father was not. He threw Amalinze the Cat, who was a wily craftsman, and great wrestler that was unbeaten for seven years from Umuofia to Mbaino. That victory made Okonkwo known past the nine villages.

Ethical Business Dilema

Ethical Dilemma Analysis through the 8 questions model by Arthur Dobrin Case 1 – Rental Applicant 1. Facts †¢African-American applicant †¢Stable work history †¢More than enough income to cover the rent †¢Good references from their previous landlord †¢A couple with one young son (Family) †¢Before applicants accepted, rental agent should have done a background check as a standard procedure. 2. Facts we don’t know †¢Verifications of facts – conduct a cross check oWhether or not the facts provided by the applicant are true ? Income – Salary Statement ?References from landlord – Written letter/call Work History – Stable/Unstable work experience †¢Applicants behavior/habit – past rental history oWhether or not they like to break lease or skip town – leave an unpaid rent †¢The reason for postponing the application oWhat does Kate mean by saying â€Å"in my experience†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ whether i t’s actually because of her experience dealing with application or racial discrimination. 3. Facts Interpretation †¢Stable work history ? stable – whether they have work long time or not (cross-check credential) †¢A family more likely to be more settled in one place compare to single status individual. A good reference from previous landlord means that the applicant has a good record of being a good tenant. †¢Have more than enough income means that the applicant has the capability to fulfill its obligation of paying the rent. 4. Walk in another’s shoes (problem viewed from others that involved) †¢Kate might give a stereotype view of the African-American applicant 5. Consequences †¢If we don’t take them : oWe might lose a good tenant oWe might lose our business opportunity oWe might build a strict image to prospective customer †¢If we take them : oThere’s a possibility that we end up having a default rent 6. Feelings †¢Megan Perspective : â€Å"Look very good† for their application †¢Kate Perspective : â€Å"Don’t rush their application† – having negative perception †¢Our Perspective : According to our feeling and in combination with the facts given (provided it is true), plus we can also try to determine based on the intuition from the body language given by the applicant, most likely we will accept the applicant. 7. Conscience †¢Yes ? Provided the documents are true. †¢No ? Provided the documents are false. Verification whether the documents are true or false can be done by cross-checking the credential and/or validating the facts. . Explanation and Justification †¢In making decision, it should not be based on personal needs/views or simply intuition/feelings, it should also be based on neutral judgment from the facts given and validation. Given the normal standard procedure that needs to be fulfilled from the background check o f the applicant and by checking thoroughly throughout the facts, the rental agents should be able to make a decision. Case 2 – Sabotage: Menu Not serving the interest of customers fully (by pushing other menu instead). By using healthy food as a bait strategy to attract customers, according to ‘Dave’. . Facts †¢Food is healthy, but the quantity is limited. †¢Coming up with a new menu. †¢Huge expenditure on advertisement. 2. Facts we don’t know †¢Whether the food which is ‘healthy’ is actually healthy. †¢Assumption whether this strategy will last for a long time. †¢Whether or not people will buy fast food even though the menu is being pushed. 3. Facts Interpretation †¢New ‘healthy’ menu was launched by the company to response the public pressure for healthier lunch choices, thus by having new menu, many money involved to train and advertise the new menu. New menu launched priced lower to bring new customers, thus there will be an effect on the company’s profit. †¢The objective of the business is to make money for the shareholders, thus the business need to make profit. Hence, most likely agency problem would occur, which refers to the ethical dilemma between the shareholder interest and the CEO interest. †¢Dave, the store manager, wanted the staff to push the ‘upsize’ menu options and ice creams for dessert, which this refers to an issue of sabotage. 4. Walk in another’s shoes (problem viewed from others that involved) †¢According to Carol, the manager is more inclined towards his own profit. According to Dave it is fast to maximize the profit and his own commission. †¢According to customer, they might be cheated into buying unhealthy food. 5. Consequences †¢By agreeing to Dave, the profit might be higher in the short term, whereas by going against Dave, the company might lose out on the profit. But by keeping the reputatio n of the company, it will help in the long-term profitability. †¢She might lose her own position if she does not agree to Dave plan. †¢But if she doesn’t want to lose her job, then most likely she will have her personal issue. 6. Feelings If she agrees to Dave, she will be safe, but if she goes against him, she might lose her job. (personal dilemmas) 7. Conscience †¢In order to save the job, Carol might let her inner conscience take the back seat, because this is cognitive resonance within herself. Her decision will be based on how she feels, whether it is good or bad. 8. Explanation and Justification †¢If ‘yes’, she can say that her boss asked her to do so. †¢If she says ‘no’, she can say her inner conscience didn’t allow her and in the long run, it won’t be beneficial to the consumer and the company.

God’s Intervention in the world Essay

Explain what is meant by the bible describing God as a miracle worker? Miracles have been reported all over the world for thousands of years. In most scenarios miracles are related to God, and the activity of God within the world suggesting God’s imminence. The world miracle originates from the word â€Å"miraculum† meaning a thing of wonder. It is an interruption to the processes of nature that cannot be explained by natural laws and therefore a transgression. An interruption such as this normally bears some deeper and usually religious significance. The bible recites many ideas of miracles by either God or though Jesus. Within the old testament the story of Joshua and the Israelites. This story explains how he took his army to defend a place called Gibeon and that God was on the side of Joshua and helps them defeat the enemies of Gibeon. God does this by the interruption of natural laws such as pro longing the days, and throwing down a storm of hail. Other texts within the bible suggest miracles performed by God. For example during the story of Moses where he parts the reed sea in order for the Israelites to escape from the Egyptians. Another way miracles are shown within the bible is through Jesus. This is shown in such miracles as the feeding of 5000 and healing of the paralysed man Jesus was told to even bring people back to life. The bible uses these miracles to show Gods immanence within the world and his the relationship between God and humanity. â€Å"miracles make it difficult to believe in a reliable god† The idea of miracles is that they defy the laws of nature. That God Is transcendent but shows his power and goodness by interacting within the world as a miracle worker. For many who have experienced miracles they see it as an experience with God, for an example the theopany between God and Moses. However many issues are raised by the idea of God interfering in the lives of others. Firstly, some people see miracles as being morally unfair. They would say that if God was all good why would he interfere in the lives of some and not others. Why would a good God chose to help certain people and leave others to suffer. For example God helped the Jews many times within the bible whether it be in the story of Moses, Joshua or the feeding of 5000. However let them suffer through persecution so badly during the holocaust of world war two. Not only this but through the stories of Joshua and Moses God is choosing to help some people, in this case the Israelites but not the Egyptians or the enemies of Gibeon if God is the creator of everything in order to be morally correct God should be fair and just. Furthermore in some accounts of miracles from the bible God chooses to help a single person, how would God chose who to help and who to stay in suffering if God was just and fair. A miracle itself therefore contradicts Gods omnibenevolence. Miracles also make God uncertain. According to religious believers God is the creator of everything â€Å"creation ex nihilo† and yet for a miracle to exist God must work against his own creation to create a miracle. This questions God’s immanence as it goes against the idea that God is omniscient and never changing. By producing miracles the original laws created by God are uncertain and changeable. Why would a God that is all God and powerful need to work against his own creation there should be no need for miracles. â€Å"God looked as his work and saw it was good.† How could God be the creator of the earth and want to change how it works?Maurice wiles would agree with this arguing that God couldn’t intervene on an individual level without undermining his whole creation. And that a good who could reject some suffering whilst choosing to help others it not worthy of worship. Although many follow this argument there are those who would say there does not need to be a choice between natural law and miracles, that they can co exist within the same world. That science can only develop by accepting new ideas of which miracles could be one. Also that miracles can have the same sorts of evidence as that of science, accounts by people, memories or physical traces left behind. David Hume is another philosopher who rejects that a reliable God cannot be a God of miracles. He suggests that miracles have nothing to do with God and that those talk of experiencing miraculous events are â€Å"barbarous† â€Å"ignorant† and â€Å"gullible† By this he means that the idea of God creating miracle is simply an excuse for those who cannot understand the true and natural reason for the occurrence. On the other hand there are those who would argue with the ideas of Hume and others sharing that opinion. They would say that although it is questionable as to whether miracles exist and are caused by God there is and equal lack of evidence to deny the occurrence of miracles. Equally that for a religious person it is not to question how God interacts within the world, just to have faith and accept that God is omnipotent, omni benevolent etc and that God must perform these miracles for a reason that is beyond the understanding of humans but is for a good cause.

Strategic Management and Leadership Skills

Strategic Management and Leadership Skills Introduction This report presents the relationship between strategic management and leadership skills. The report shows strategic management and leadership skills of Robert Eckert, the CEO of Mattel. Eckert demonstrated effective strategic management strategies and leadership skills when Mattel was a troubled company that had lost its focus. This was also the period of the biggest recall of toys in the history of the company.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Management and Leadership Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Understand the relationship between strategic management and leadership In order to comprehend the link between strategic management and strategic leadership, one must appreciate that these two concepts are requisite for the success of an organisation. Strategic management entails evaluation of the current external situations of the sector in which an entity operates and the firms itself. Analysis of the organisation is an internal process, but both internal and external analyses should provide the foundation for keeping the most favourable management practices (Kakabadse, Jackson and Fandale, 2002). In this case, strategic management aims to achieve the best positioning of organisational policies and strategic objectives. Strategic management aims to assert organisational objectives, develop policies and plans for realising these objectives. This process requires adequate allocation of resources in order to realise the desired goals. As the case of Mattel shows, strategic management is the highest level of managerial role. In this case, the CEO (Robert Eckert) and other senior executives took control of the situation. Strategic management and leadership of the CEO provided the overall direction for Mattel. Strategic management involves aligning organisational situation or strategic advantages with the business objectives and the prevailing operational conditions. T he fundamental aim of organisational strategy is to put an organisation in a situation that can allow it to execute its mission well and effectively. An effective organisational strategy should account for a firm’s policies, mission, vision, objectives, and the overall tactics for realising core values of a firm. Chaffee identified key elements that he concluded were fundamental for the concept of strategic management (Chaffee, 1985). First, executives must adapt an entity to the prevailing condition in the industry. Second, strategic management requires change and restructuring. This is a complex process, which must eliminate unstructured functions in the organisation. Third, strategic management influences the whole organisation by providing a new sense of direction.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is imperative when an entity has lost its focus. Fou rth, the process of strategic management also involves formulation and implementation of new strategic directions for an organisation. Fifth, strategic management involves analysis and restructuring of both corporate and specific business strategies. These are analytical and conceptual processes, which require adequate understanding by the top executives of an organisation. On the other hand, strategic leadership is a carefully orchestrated use of favourable tactics to communicate corporate goals of a firm to employees. Hence, strategic leadership must manage, motivate, and influence employees to focus on organisational vision. In this case, the whole team becomes an imperative tool for implementing the required changes in order to achieve the new strategic aims. Strategic leadership should respond to challenges that an organisation faces by providing a vision and strategic direction for recovery, growth, and success. Clearly, this is what Robert Eckert did as a new CEO of Mattel. C hanges at Mattel required leadership skills and necessary resources for formulation and execution. Managing changes in troubled organisations need strategic leadership, which can provide a sense of â€Å"direction, create ownership, and motivate employees to support the necessary strategic changes† (Chaffee, 1985). Strategic leadership requires effective strategies when handling employees. Usually, most leaders use the strategy of motivating workers in order to raise their morale. This would allow employees to take the initiative of improving the current condition of an organisation. Strategic management must encourage employees to perform best for the future success of an organisation. Just like Robert Eckert, strategic leaders have visions for the future by focusing and understanding current situations of their organisations. This allows such leaders to prepare for both current and future challenges they may face. Understanding the current situations and creating awareness for the future is a critical part of strategic leadership. These strategies require well-formulated action plans. Strategic leaders always show the ability to adapt and initiate growth strategies for an organisation. They facilitate communications and take initiatives and responsibilities to ensure that the organisation achieves the best performance possible. Strategic leadership focuses on productivity of an organisation with the aim of encouraging quality and amount of work from employees. Strategic leaders focus on the best interest of their organisations rather than their interests. They also recognise contributions from other employees.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Management and Leadership Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such leaders motivate employees to perform best in order to realise organisational goals (Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell, 2004). In this sense, employees can anticipate and understand their overall contributions to strategic objectives of the company. At the same time, strategic leaders motivate employees through incentives and promotions to allow them to perform well for the sake of the organisation. Strategic leaders review their situations before undertaking any critical decisions in the organisation. This shows that careful planning before initiating any changes in the organisation are fundamental components of strategic leadership. Strategic leadership requires that leaders use effective strategies in any critical decision-making processes. This ensures strategic management practices, which result in success of an organisation. Strategic leaders must work in unique situations, which require management of performance in order to improve the situation of their organisations. One can easily notice the effectiveness of strategic leadership in situations, which are volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Overall, strategic management focuses on p romoting organisational strategic objectives, formulating, implementing policies, and allocating resources to realise these objectives. In this regard, strategic leadership plays a strategic role of motivating, managing, and encouraging employees to facilitate the realisation of organisational strategic objectives. The Mattel case study: the link between strategic management and leadership Leadership provides a link between strategic management and the realisation of strategic objectives of an organisation. Organisations can only realise their strategic objectives through effective leadership. On the other hand, strategic management must make use of the available resources in order to achieve desired goals. In this regard, leadership must provide direction for the organisation. The case of Mattel under Robert Eckert demonstrates how effective leadership and strategic management can transform an organisation successfully. Robert Eckert shows that strategic management and effective le adership are fundamental concepts, which work together for transformational purposes. Leadership must establish â€Å"strategic goals and the vision of an organisation and provide a future direction for growth† (Kouzes and Posner, 2008).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, Eckert was able to improve Mattel’s turnaround. The CEO strategic decisions resulted in selling of the Learning Company. Eckert managed to reduce costs and improve revenues. He managed to improve Mattel’s market share in the US and overseas. As a result, investors, the board, customers, and other stockholders were happy with the company’s progress. In addition, the Wall Street also took note of the company. Eckert noted that all 30,000 employees of Mattel had an improved sense of dedication to the company’s mission. Overall, strategic management at Mattel involved identification of the company’s objectives, formulating policies, action plans, allocating resources, and executing these plans in order to realise the company’s strategic objectives. Strategic leadership normally manages, motivates, and encourages employees to spearhead the company’s mission in order to realise the desired changes. Strategic leadership brings about changes in an organisation. The turnaround of Mattel: the impact of management and leadership styles on strategic decisions Robert Eckert was able to transform the fortune of Mattel from a company that had lost its focus to a successful one because of effective leadership styles and strategic management approaches. Decisions, which Eckert made to transform the company, were unique and aimed at improving employees’ morale and productivity. These decisions had fundamental impacts in the entire organisation because of effective communications with all employees. The CEO had to make strategic decisions by reviewing the current situation internal, external environments, and employees’ morale. When the leadership of an organisation fails to initiate strategic plans and execute them, then the organisation will fail to realise its strategic objectives. This suggests that leadership is a critical aspect in formulating strategies and action plans for changes in an organisa tion. Eckert was able to make strategic management decisions that affected the whole organisation. As a result, there was almost no resistance, and employees were able to improve on morale and productivity. How Robert Eckert’s leadership style had to be adapted between his original re-structure of Mattel and the 2007 Product recall scandal The concept of strategic management and leadership relies on some theoretical approaches for credibility. For instance, leaders normally base their decisions on resource-based views in which they strive to utilise resources and capabilities available within the company to create competitive advantage. There is also a stakeholder approach when executives relate with their organisations. Robert Eckert declared that he did not put his interest first, but that of Mattel. Restructuring requires leaders to make strategic decisions by establishing priorities on what an organisation should achieve in the future (Adair, 2009a). The leadership must f ormulate these strategies and implement them. Strategic management involves creating priorities for the organisation. Eckert had to focus on what Mattel had to do in order to turnaround itself. Effective leadership is important in making such decisions. Leadership has to unite the organisation in order to realise organisational goals. Eckert was able to handle the recall scandal of 2007 effectively because of his leadership abilities. The CEO managed to communicate effectively with all stakeholders across the global. The process of recall communication was transparent. The CEO and other executives held regular meetings in order to communicate and coordinate the recall strategy. Hence, every senior executive knew about the unfolding scenario at the company about the recall. Executives also held employees’ meetings for updates. Employees at Mattel observed that the recall was successful, and the company was able to recover quickly because the CEO was a part of the process. In o ther words, changes started from the top, which allowed other employees to embrace them. This ensured that the company managed change processes effectively. Robert Eckert displays some leadership styles in the case of Mattel’s product recall. First, the CEO uses a visionary leadership style. Eckert used this strategy because he knew that the company needed a new direction because of poor performance and product recall. As a result, the CEO focused on employees so that he could motivate them to focus on the new set of objectives for the company. According to Daniel Goleman and his colleagues, â€Å"Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going, but not how it will get there – setting people free to innovate, experiment, and take calculated risks† (Goleman, Boyatzis McKee, 2004). Mattel CEO also displayed affiliative leadership style. This type of leaderhsip style emphasises the importance of â€Å"teamwork and it creates harmony in a group by connecting p eople to each other† (Goleman, Boyatzis McKee, 2004). These authors argue that affiliative leadership style is critical â€Å"when trying to heighten team harmony, increase morale, improve communication or repair broken trust in an organisation† (Goleman, Boyatzis McKee, 2004). However, the CEO was careful not to rely on this strategy alone because it could make poor performance within the organisation to go unnoticed. Finally, Eckert also used democratic leadership style. He relied on knowledge and skills of his employees in order to develop a group commitment and improve morale in order to focus on a new direction. The method was appropriate for the company because employees did not know the next course of action after poor performances and product recall. Hence, the CEO relied on the collective wisdom of Mattel employees by consulting widely. Leadership experts warn that democratic leadership may not be appropriate during a crisis, particularly when a management te am needs to make urgent and quick decisions (Goleman, Boyatzis McKee, 2004). Nevertheless, Eckert used it successfully during the product recall. Application of management and leadership theory to support organisational direction Leadership theories and strategic management concepts have enabled CEOs and other senior executives to facilitate change and improve organisational processes. As a result, managers have learned to lead and make strategic decisions by following established standards based on theoretical concepts of organisational behaviours (Mullins, 2010). Such senior executives renew the ownership of the company’s mission, set strategic management objectives, and motivate their employees to work for the future of the organisation. Usually, successful managers know how to plan and review organisational change processes carefully. Unplanned changes disrupt operational processes of an organisation. This can lead to resistance from employees (Kouzes and Posner, 2008). Effective change management requires leadership and constant communication. For instance, Eckert had to adopt a radical transformational approach in order to save the company from the recall scandal, motivate employees, improve revenue growth, and restore stakeholders’ confidence in the company. Effective leaders rely on different leadership strategies in order to achieve the desired change in an organisation. In the case of Mattel, one can observe different leadership strategies that Eckert used. These included transformational, learning, and rational approaches. A review of the impact of the selected theories of management and leadership on Mattel’s organisational strategy Robert Eckert recognised the situation of Mattel by conducting thorough studies and analyses. Hence, Eckert knew that he had to transform the company. This led to the application of transformational leadership strategy. The transformational leadership strategy requires leaders to create and inspire organisational vision and develop a clear set of objectives for the organisation, which create importance to employees within the entire organisation. Chaffee noted that most efforts of transformational leaders concentrate on transcending self-interests among employees in order to change their morale and pursue the realisation of organisational objectives (Chaffee, 1985). Scholars note that the role of management in the transformational process is to â€Å"motivate and inspire organisational members toward organisational goal attainment† (Barbuto, Jr, 2002). The transformational leadership style focuses on bringing employees together in order to achieve a common goal, develop, and maintain strategies for implementing the shared values and organisational vision. The transformational leadership style works because the strategy making process includes self-devotion of the leader, who encourages employees to adopt common organisational values and work toward common goals. Eckert was able to transform Mattel by adopting the transformational leadership style. As a result, the company started to generate revenues, staff morale increased, stakeholders renewed their commitment and confidence in the company, and decrease costs. Eckert also relied on a learning approach as a leadership strategy to manage Mattel during its troubled periods. Barbuto noted that the learning approach to strategy making involves â€Å"continual learning and with heavy reliance on flexibility and adaptation rather than on a predetermined and specifically outlined plan of action† (Barbuto Jr, 2002). Decision-making processes and strategy implementation rely on rationality and uncertainties that exist now. Formulation of organisational strategies needs constant dialogue and communication within the entire organisation. This process must also include other external stakeholders like customers, regulators, analysts, and investors. In this process, the CEO and other senior executives must engage in on-going communication as they strive to comprehend and improve the needs of the organisation and stakeholders. The learning strategy in decision-making was evident when Robert Eckert joined Mattel. Eckert recognised that he had no background in the toy industry because he was just a ‘food guy’. As a result, Eckert embarked on constant learning. He identified three areas that need immediate attention, which included building brands, cutting costs, and developing people. Generally, Eckert found it necessary to focus on employees first by relying on emotional intelligence strategies to boost employees’ morale. The new CEO also built a relationship based on trust. He started by ‘setting the table’ i.e., developing an atmosphere of honesty by engaging in healthy dialogues and constant consultations with others in order to establish common goals for the company. Senior executives must recognise that the learning approach in making strategi c management decisions targets employees’ commitment, focuses on customers, company processes, and constant learning and improvement within the organisation. The learning approach in strategic management focuses on improving strategies in order to achieve the desired changes in an organisation. Eckert dedicated great energy to learn the company’s processes and drive the organisational strategic goals. On-going communication with all stakeholders has been effective in facilitating learning within firms. Eckert was able to learn and discover new strategies for Mattel while on the job. There is also the rational model of strategic management, which concentrates on a systematic analysis and evaluation of all potential strategies that an organisation can pursue in order to improve its processes. The rational approach in strategic management and leadership focuses on evaluation of factors outside the firm, a company’s portfolio, and circumstances within the industry. These analyses help senior executives to understand and define strategies for future development (Barbuto, Jr, 2002). This strategy results in a detailed action plan, several alternatives, and a plan for effective use of available resources. The rational approach works in a similar manner like a resource-based approach that is critical for creating competitive advantage in an organisation. Eckert assessed Mattel’s situation and the industry environment. As a CEO, Eckert had the chief role of understanding Mattel through rational strategies by including employees’ inputs in the process of changing the company. A leadership strategy that supports Mattel’s organisational direction An appropriate leadership strategy for Mattel must recognise its vision of Creating the Future of Play and reinforce the four values of Mattel. In addition, it must complement recognised efforts of Alan Kaye in reducing risks, eliminating challenges from silos, fiefdoms, enhancing coordin ation of policies, communication, and aligning organisational policies and practices with the strategic goals of the CEO. This would result in increased employee engagement, loyalty, and productivity. The overall outcome for the company would be productivity. Still, the future leadership strategy must focus on the company’s global issues, develop, and implement an action plan for improvement. The future leadership strategy for the company must emphasise the role of the management in making strategic management decisions and providing effective leadership, emphasising the company’s mission, and the new direction. Mattel’s new leadership strategies will emphasise the following key drivers of leadership strategies (Pasmore, 2013). Leadership for global growth The future leadership will recognise cultural sensitivity, particularly when dealing with any challenges with the Chinese suppliers. This applies to its global clients too. The strategy will enhance increase d representations of different leadership skills from diverse geographies and build strong cross-cultural relationships. The CEO noted that leaders in other parts of the globe cooperated during the recall scandal. He should strengthen foreign assignments with the Chinese manufacturers and formulate effective strategies in their business arrangements. Leadership for innovation Innovation should drive future leadership strategies of Mattel. The company requires improved interdependence among its executives in order to develop effective collaboration so that it can introduce new, safe toys to the market. At the same time, the company requires increased leadership involvement in various operations and market activities. Mattel must also focus on developing new products and talent implications in order to cater for its growing product portfolio. The company must focus on risk aversion and communication strategies among its senior executives. Leadership focused on customers Mattelâ₠¬â„¢s customers are children across the globe. The company must develop and enact new strategies for understanding children’s experiences with their toys and translate such experiences into best business practices. The company leadership should focus on enhancing positive customer experiences. There is also a need for the company to understand various views from diverse customer bases. The company must emphasise the importance of customer primacy and care globally. Focus on high growth opportunities Mattel will continue to grow. Therefore, the company should focus on talent development in order to avoid potential leadership strains in the future. It is necessary for leadership strategies to focus on leadership growth at various departments of the company. Leadership for enhancing operating efficiency The company leadership should focus on â€Å"lean manufacturing, use Six-Sigma and other methods to bring costs down in to remain profitable and efficient† (Pasmore, 2 013). Senior executives must lead such efforts and allow managers to support such strategies at all levels of the business. This should be a continuous process by all leaders. Assessment of leadership requirements in Mattel Assessment of leadership requirements is a process that can assist Mattel to identify and illustrate employees’ unique characteristics when placed in a given leadership position. Employees have different characteristics and abilities in various roles. The process must account for the candidates’ characteristics with reference to a certain management position now or in the future (Adair, 2009b). It would help the company in making effective selection and placement of employees at the right leadership positions. The aim of leadership assessment is to ensure that Mattel’s employees utilise their potential effectively and improve effectiveness of the company in strategic management and decision-making abilities. In addition, the assessment shall provide a way of measuring several leadership competencies within the company. Mattel could adopt a hybrid system that would provide relative ease and flexibility in order to meet its specific leadership requirements. Use appropriate methods to review current leadership requirements of Mattel The strategic analysis approach will assess strategic thinking abilities of potential leaders (Grint, 2004). They must demonstrate vision and other supporting competencies. In this assessment, the company would ensure that its future leaders evaluate and analyse the presented data and develop the best course of action in order to tackle strategic planning challenges that would affect the company. Another assessment method would be management problems. In this approach, the assessment must evaluate rapid response abilities and high visibility required in a modern organisation. The process must account for decisiveness, flexibility, analytical skills, and other related skills of potential leaders when facing management crisis. Individual exercise method shall evaluate problem-solving techniques of employees. The process must also identify interpersonal skills, flexibility, decision-making abilities, effectiveness in communications, and other competencies that a person should display while in a leadership position. The candidate should display analytical abilities, review materials, and decided on the best course of action for a given situation. Finally, the group exercise method will evaluate interpersonal skills, team building abilities, conflict management, and communication abilities. Employees can work as a team when solving a problem within a specified period (Charan, Drotter and Noel, 2001). A Plan for the development of future situations requiring leadership In the future, the company would likely to become more customer focused than today. Mattel would need leadership skills that can allow it to focus on developing and implementing new strategies for comprehending c ustomer experiences and transforming them into enhanced business strategies and practices. The company will need to establish effective and solid relations within all areas of customer touch points with the aim of creating seamless experiences for customers. Mattel will establish the need to understand specific needs of various customers. Thus, it must move beyond a general solution for all customers. The company must facilitate a culture of customer care and customer primacy. Mattel will expand to other markets globally. This would demand for a greater cultural awareness and sensitivity among its leaders (Kristensen, 2001). At the same time, the company will need to improve on representation of diverse cultures and geographies at the management levels. Managers will also require different skills in languages and communication abilities. These leadership skills would facilitate the development of cross-cultural relations. At the same time, there would be increased international acti vities for senior executives. Mattel senior leaders would require practical knowledge in different local laws and business practices in different countries across the world (Guthridge and Komm, 2008; Lipman-Blumen, 2000). The company will also require leadership skills to facilitate innovation. Leaders shall need a great interdependence to enhance functional collaboration and teamwork with the aim of creating new products for the market. This would require increased leadership participation in different roles such as collecting user insights and applying them in developing new products for profitability. Future leaders will have to anticipate talent, capital, and innovative requirements for the fast growing consumer markets. In addition, leaders will have to overcome cultural barriers and embrace changes to enhance innovation (Sinclair, 2004). Mattel shall also enhance operational efficiency in the future. The company must adopt cost reduction strategies, lean manufacturing approach es, and Six Sigma for control critical aspects of production. Leaders must support these initiatives and lead by performance. Moreover, they must establish a culture of continued improvement, which senior executives must spearhead in all departments (Senge, 1990). Ability to plan the development of leadership skills The most important aspect of being able to plan strategies for developing new leadership skills for the future involves reviewing and understanding organisational business objectives. People who undertake this process must have deep knowledge about the organisation. In addition, there should be experts in leadership who understand processes of acquisition, development, and retention of leadership talents. It is critical to identify factors that drive business strategies. This would help leaders in understanding SWOT of the company and position it appropriately among competitors. These factors can allow leaders to create unique positions within the market, but leaders mus t understand essential elements of business drivers. The plan for the development of the main leadership skills identified as lacking within the Mattel structure Mattel will require constant assessments of individual employees and the organisation itself. Employees can create self-awareness and provide data for identification of management talent. Organisational assessment can reveal the performance of current leadership and changes required for business improvement. Mattel will rely on work assessment in order to understand how leaders can develop certain skills required for the task. Work assessment should have certain goals for evaluation purposes. This enhances feedback on skills attained by trainees and mentors with reference to specific business strategies required (Fowler and Gorman, 2005). Feedback from mentoring and coaching processes is an effective means of assessing and developing an appropriate leadership plan for the future. However, in most cases, people involved in c oaching and mentoring may fail assessment on feedback for potential leadership abilities. However, it is important to understand challenges that relate to coaching and mentoring because these concepts of leadership develop can also destroy potential individuals (Lambert, 2004). It is important for senior executives to participate in talent management within the organisation (Gold, Thorpe and Mumford, 2010). Mattel will not realise advantages from senior executives’ involvement in the leadership development plan, unless such leaders support, adopt, and evaluate the desired skills for future leaders for the company. Executives must demonstrate personal support and engagement for the processes of changes within the organisation (Drath, 2004). Another plan is to provide leadership seminars, events, and meetings. These provide opportunities for employees to interact, learn, and get information on the required leadership skills for the future. However, organisations must understand costs that result for such events. Thus, it is necessary to leverage such events. Evaluate and report on the usefulness of methods used to plan the development of leadership skills Leadership development strategies applied in this process are effective because they identify and specify specific actions that Mattel must undertake in order to develop, retain, or source employees with leadership abilities that it may require in order to meet business objectives. This suggests that the company’s leadership strategy plans relies on organisational strategic objectives and quantifiable business results. These approaches also recognise practical aspects inherent in developing effective leadership skills. Evaluating the best leadership style for Mattel According to situational leadership theory, the best leadership for an organisation depends on â€Å"situational variables because no single leadership style fits all workplace environments† (Oracle, 2012). Mattel should use à ¢â‚¬Å"the type of work, the complexity of its projects, and qualifications of employees in order to develop future leadership plans† (Oracle, 2012). Evaluating current and potential leaders The company focuses on expected leadership skills and competencies when evaluating current and future leaders. It must also evaluate internal politics and structures when developing future leadership skills. Identify leadership gaps The leadership plan accounts for leadership gaps in the company. The company assesses all employees on their readiness to lead others by evaluating current and future leadership requirements. Succession plan for organisational critical roles Mattel did not have the CEO for many months. Moreover, many employees in critical leadership positions resigned. Hence, an effective leadership plan accounts for succession and avoidance of disruption when key leaders leave the company. A succession plan should be a part of Mattel’s company policies. A successio n plan should account for all critical departments of the company. Career plans for potential leaders The plan accounts for responsibilities, which an employee can handle comfortably. Career planning aids â€Å"in retention, engagement, and protection of the leadership pipeline of a company† (Oracle, 2012). Career advancement programmes are effective ways of retaining potential leaders in a company. In fact, most employees leave their jobs due to lack career planning in an organisation. Required skills for future leaders It is important for a career plan to recognise changes that take place in the workplace environment. Thus, an organisation should identify potential leaders and develop a skills roadmap for the future (Oracle, 2012). Such leader plans should account for both formal and informal learning in the organisation. The plan should focus on â€Å"coaching, rotational assignments, job shadowing, mentor relationships, and project leadership† (Oracle, 2012). T his should account for technologies and include elements of social networking. Retention approaches for current and potential future leaders A leadership development plan must have retention strategies. Organisations have used both monetary and non-monetary reward approaches in order to retain their employees. A good approach should link such strategies with performance and motivate employees to stay focused on realising organisational goals. Reference List Adair, J 2009a, Effective Leadership: How to be a Successful Leader, Pan, London. Adair, J 2009b, How to Grow Leaders: The Seven Key Principles of Effective Leadership Development, Kogan Page, London. Barbuto, Jr, J. 2002, ‘How is Strategy Formed in Organizations? A Multi-Disciplinary Taxonomy of Strategy-Making Approaches’, Ó the Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, vol. 3, no.1, p. 64. Chaffee, E 1985, ‘Three models of strategy’, Academy of Management Review, vol. 10, no. 1. Charan, R, D rotter, S, and Noel, J 2001, The Leadership Pipeline, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA. Drath, W 2004, The Deep Blue Sea: Rethinking the Source of Leadership, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA. Fowler, J and Gorman, J 2005, ‘Mentoring Functions: A Contemporary View of the Perceptions of Mentees and Mentors’, British Journal of Management, vol. 16, pp. 51-57. Gold J, Thorpe R and Mumford A 2010, Leadership and Management Development, CIPD, New York. Goleman, D, Boyatzis, R McKee, A 2004, Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence, Harvard Business Review Press, Cambridge. Grint, K 2004, What is Leadership? From Hydra to Hybrid, Working Paper, Oxford University, Oxford. Guthridge, M and Komm, A 2008, ‘Why multinationals struggle to manage talent’, The McKinsey Quarterly. Kakabadse, A, Jackson, S and Fandale, E 2002, Meeting the Development Needs of Top Teams and Boards, CRF, London. Kouzes, M and Posner, B 2008, The Leadership Challenge, 4th edn, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA. Kristensen, J 2001, Post-Modern Approaches to Cross Boundary Interventions in Understanding Collaboration,University of the West of England Press, Bristol. Lambert, A 2004, Obtaining Value from Executive Coaching and Mentoring, CRF, London. Lipman-Blumen, J 2000, Connective Leadership: Managing in a Changing World, Oxford University Press, New York, NY. Mullins, L 2010, Management and Organisational Behaviour, 9th edn, Prentice Hall, New York. Oracle 2012, Seven Steps for Effective Leadership Development, An Oracle White Paper, Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, CA. Pasmore, W 2013, Developing a Leadership Strategy, A White Paper, The Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, NC. Pedler, M, Burgoyne, J and Boydell, T 2004, A Managers Guide to Leadership, McGraw-Hill, Maidenhead. Senge, P 1990, ‘The Leaders New Work: Building Learning Organizations’, Sloan Management Review, vol. 32, no.1. Sinclair, A 2004, ‘Journey Around Le adership’, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 7-19.

The breakup of the Concert of essays

The breakup of the Concert of essays F. 6a (31) Billy You Wadi Lek History essay t Oct., 2002. "The breakdown of the Concert of Europe was mainly caused by disagreements amongst the Powers over the issue of intervention." Discuss the validity of this statement. "The breakdown of the Concert of Europe was mainly caused by disagreements amongst the Powers over the issue of intervention." In the introduction, you may make a brief outline of the essay as well. There were revolutions in many parts of Europe after 1815. Meanwhile, the Quadruple Alliance was formed to ensure peace but Britain had a different attitude towards the solution of revolutions. This, to a large extentt, caused the breakdown of the Concert of Europe in 1823. To some extent, other disagreements amongst the Powers, the death of Castlereagh and disorganization of the congresses also contribute to the How about the attitudes of other powers? You may like to show a contrast between Britain and the Troppau Protocol. "Concert of Europe" is the term term used to dexcribe various attempts made by the major Powers in Europe after 1815 to resolve conflicts between themselves in order to prevent large-scale war. The European statesmen favoured a councillor system. That was, the Powers were to meet regularly to discuss over problems which affected their mutual interest. However, they had a major difference in dealing with revolution. The leaders of the conservative and absolutist monarchies (be more specific. Which countries are you talking about?) argued that peace between state and social and political order within the states could not be separated. They believed that they had the right to interfere in the revolutionaries of any states to preserved European peace. Britain, however, clearly states in Castlereagh's state paper of May ...

A History of United Nations Missions in Africa

A History of United Nations Missions in Africa The United Nations (UN) conducts a number of peacekeeping missions throughout the world. Beginning in 1960, the UN began missions in various countries in Africa. While just one mission occurred through the 1990s, turmoil in Africa escalated and the majority of missions were run from 1989 on. Many of these peacekeeping missions were the result of civil wars or ongoing conflicts in African countries, including Angola, the Congo, Liberia, Somalia, and Rwanda. Some of the missions were brief while others lasted years at a time. To confound things, some missions replaced previous ones as tensions in the countries escalated or the political climate changed. This period is one of the most dynamic and violent in modern African history and its important to review the missions that the UN carried out. ONUC -  UN Operations in the Congo Mission Dates: July 1960 through June 1964Context: Independence from Belgium and the attempted secession of the Katanga province Outcome:  Prime Minister  Patrice Lumumba  was assassinated, at which point the mission was expanded. The Congo retained the secessionist province of Katanga and the mission was followed by civilian aid. UNAVEM I -  UN Angola Verification Mission Mission Dates:  January 1989 through May 1991Context:  Angolas lengthy civil war Outcome:  Cuban troops were withdrawn one month ahead of schedule, having completed their mission. The mission was followed by UNAVEM II (1991) and UNAVEM III (1995). UNTAG  -  UN Transition Assistance Group Mission Dates:  April 1990 through March 1990Context:  Angolan Civil War and Namibias transition to independence from South Africa Outcome:  South African troops departed Angola. Elections were held and a new constitution approved. Namibia joined the UN. UNAVEM II  -  UN Angola Verification Mission II Mission Dates:  May 1991 through February 1995Context:  Angolan Civil War Outcome:  Elections were held in 1991, but the results were rejected and violence escalated. The mission transitioned to UNAVEM III. UNOSOM I  -  UN Operation in Somalia I Mission Dates:  April 1992 through March 1993Context:  Somali Civil  War Outcome:  The violence in Somalia continued to escalate, making it difficult for UNOSOM I to deliver relief aid. The United States created a second operation, the Unified Task Force (UNITAF), to help UNOSOM I protect and distribute humanitarian aid. In 1993, the UN created UNOSOM II to replace both UNOSOM I and UNITAF. ONUMOZ  -  UN Operations in Mozambique Mission Dates:  December  1992 through December 1994Context:  Conclusion of the Civil War in Mozambique Outcome:  The ceasefire was successful. Mozambiques then government and the major rivals (Mozambican Nation Resistance, or RENAMO) demobilized troops. Those people who were displaced during the war were resettled and elections were held. UNOSOM II  -  UN Operation in Somalia II Mission Dates:  March 1993 through March 1995Context:  Somali Civil War Outcome:  After the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993, the United States and several Western countries withdrew their troops from UNOSOM II. The UN voted to withdraw UN troops from Somalia after having failed to establish a ceasefire or disarmament. UNOMUR  -  UN Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda Mission Dates:  June 1993 through September 1994Context:  Fighting between the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF, based in Uganda) and the Rwandan Government Outcome:  The Observer Mission encountered many difficulties in monitoring the border. These were  due to the terrain and the competing Rwandan and Ugandan factions. After the Rwandan genocide, the missions mandate came to an end and it was not renewed. The mission was succeeded instead by UNAMIR, which had already begun its operations in 1993.   UNOMIL  -  UN Observer Mission in Liberia Mission Dates:  September 1993  through September 1997Context:  The First Liberian Civil War Outcome:  UNOMIL was designed to support ongoing efforts by the  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)  to bring an end to the Liberian Civil War and ensure fair elections. In 1997, elections were held and the mission terminated. The United Nations established a Peacebuilding Support Office in Liberia. Within a few years, the Second Liberian Civil War had broken out. UNAMIR -  UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda Mission Dates:  October 1993  through March 1996Context:  Rwandan Civil War between the RPF and the Rwandan government Outcome:  Due to the restrictive rules of engagement and an unwillingness from Western governments to risk troops in Rwanda, the mission did little to stop the Rwandan genocide (April through June 1994).   Afterward, UNAMIR did  distribute and ensure humanitarian aid. However, the failure to intervene in the genocide overshadows these significant although belated efforts. UNASOG  -  UN Aouzou Strip Observation Group Mission Dates:  May 1994 through June 1994Context:  Conclusion of the territorial dispute (1973-1994) between Chad and Libya over the Aouzou Strip. Outcome:  Both governments signed a declaration agreeing that Libyan troops and the administration had been withdrawn as previously agreed upon. UNAVEM III  -  UN Angola Verification Mission III Mission Dates:  February 1995 through June 1997Context:  Angolas Civil War Outcome:  A government was formed by the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), but all parties continued to import arms. The situation also deteriorated with the involvement of Angola in the Congo Conflict. The mission was followed by MONUA. MONUA  -  UN Observer Mission in Angola Mission Dates:  June 1997 through February 1999Context:  Angolas Civil War Outcome:  Fighting in the civil war resumed and the UN withdrew its troops. At the same time, the UN urged a continuation of humanitarian aid. MINURCA -  UN Mission in the Central African Republic Mission Dates:  April 1998 through February 2000Context:  Signing of the Bangui Accord between rebel forces and the Central African Republics government Outcome:  Dialogue between the parties continued and the peace was maintained. Elections were held in 1999 after several previous attempts. The UN mission withdrew. MINURCA was followed by a UN Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic. UNOMSIL  -  UN Observer Mission in Sierra Leone Mission Dates:  July 1998 through October 1999Context:  Sierra Leones Civil War (1991-2002) Outcome:  The combatants signed the controversial Lome Peace Agreement. The UN authorized a new mission, UNAMSIL, to replace UNOMSIL. UNAMSIL  -  UN Mission in Sierra Leone Mission Dates:  October 1999 through December 2005Context:  Sierra Leones Civil War (1991-2002) Outcome:  The mission was expanded three times in 2000 and 2001 as the fighting continued. The war ended in December 2002 and  UNAMSIL troops were slowly withdrawn. The mission was followed by the UN Integrated Office for Sierra Leone. This was created to consolidate the peace in Sierra Leone. MONUC  -  UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mission Dates:  November 1999  through May 2010Context:  Conclusion of the  First Congo War   Outcome:  The Second Congo War began in 1998 when Rwanda invaded. It officially ended in 2002, but fighting by various rebel groups continued. In 2010, MONUC was criticized for not intervening to stop mass rapes near one of its stations. The Mission was renamed the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UNMEE -  UN Observer Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea Mission Dates:  June 2000  through July 2008Context:  A ceasefire signed by Ethiopia and Eritrea in their ongoing border dispute. Outcome:  The mission was ended after Eritrea imposed numerous restrictions that prevented an effective operation. MINUCI  -  UN Operation in  Cà ´te dIvoire Mission Dates:  May 2003 through April 2004Context:  Failed implementation of the  Linas-Marcoussis Agreement, which was to end the ongoing conflict in the country. Outcome:  MINUCI was replaced by the UN Operation in Cà ´te dIvoire (UNOCI). UNOCI is ongoing and continues to protect the people in the country and aid the government in disarmament and demobilization of former combatants. ONUB -  UN Operation in  Burundi Mission Dates:  May  2004 through December 2006Context:  Burundian Civil War Outcome:  The missions goal was to restore peace in Burundi and help establish a unified government. Pierre Nkurunziza was sworn in as President of Burundi in August 2005.  Twelve years of midnight-to-dawn curfews were finally lifted on the people of Burundi. MINURCAT -  UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad Mission Dates:  September  2007 through December 2010Context:  Ongoing violence in Darfur, eastern Chad, and northeastern Central African Republic Outcome:  The concern for civilian safety amidst activities by armed groups in the region prompted the mission. By the end of the mission, the government of Chad pledged that they would retain responsibility for protecting its citizens. After the termination of the mission, the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic continued efforts to protect the people.   UNMIS  -  UN Mission in Sudan Mission Dates:  March 2005 through July 2011Context:  End of the Second Sudanese Civil War and signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) Outcome:  The CPA between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) was signed, but it did not bring immediate peace. In 2007, the two groups came to another agreement and Northern Sudanese troops withdrew from Southern Sudan.   In July 2011, the Republic of South Sudan was formed as an independent country. The mission was replaced by UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) to continue the peace process and protect civilians. This started immediately and, as of 2017, the mission continues. Sources: United Nations Peacekeeping.  Past Peacekeeping Operations.

Argumentative and Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argumentative and Assignment - Essay Example One of these alternatives of giving remedies to diseases and ailment is referred to as homeopathy. In homeopathy, the proponents propose that when highly diluted form of infection substances are injected into the body of an ailing person with the same disease; he/she is able to realize normalcy since the highly diluted form of the antigens injected in the body will eradicate the ailment. This proposal has elicited serious rejection form different quarters with the proponents and the opponents maintaining equal position with reference to the effectiveness of homeopathy. Thesis Statement Having conceptualize the information surrounding homeopathy and how it gives remedies to diseases and ailment, I have not found any scientific backing as to whether the proposed form of rendering remedy can indeed work as stated. I therefore hold a contrary opinion about the process, believe that the process is short of basic science, and cannot be relied upon in giving medication in the contemporary m edication arena. In the Article titled ‘Evidence and Simplicity. Why we should Reject Homeopathy’ by Scott Sehon and Donald Stanley, there is a logical criticism on the functionality of homeopathy as a form of medication. In the criticism of the way homeopathy works, the article sought to address two fundamental questions about the remedy; is there a plausible explanatory theory about homeopathy that will make it appreciable by the opponent and if that is the case. Can we fully rely on homeopathy as a way of giving remedies given it usefulness as proposed by the proponent and is there sound and empirical evidence that the effectiveness of homeopathy is real (Sehon and Stanley, 4). The tow questions that were sought in the articles drew party answers from the proponents leaving a row of speculation on the efficacy of their proposed method of remedies. The proponents of this method of medication themselves accept that they don’t understand the science behind it and all they know is that it works miraculously, this response is irresponsible in the science domain. In science, cogent evidence, clarity, examples, and inferences are important facets of convincing eager audience about a proposal. Without scientific backing, such proposals are at best considered bad jokes. According to science, for anything to be considered able to give remedy, it must consider to explain the chemistry art of the medication and how it interacts with the body physiology. These important facts are ignored by homeopathy making its belief significantly impossible. The only defense the proponents of homeopathy are putting forth is that the medication needs not to march the western medication. The reason as to why I find the functionality of homeopathy patchy is the principle known in the medicinal field. Small microorganisms called antigens are responsible for the occurrence of diseases. The diseases are caused by the antigens, which are specific, and exhibit similar cli nical symptoms from one person to another. The antigens are different and can only be cleared by the different drugs or prevented by vaccines. In homeopathy, this is not the case; the same antigens responsible for the occurrence of a disease are also responsible for the remedies upon dilution. This argument have no scientific reasoning and that explains why it has been disregarded by most scientist as

Research Paper of the Research Proposal that I give you

Of the Proposal that I give you - Research Paper Example Nok sculptures also show animals and humans. Their purpose is yet unknown, because scientific fieldwork is still not available. Essentially, the terracotta is preserved in the variety of littered pieces. That is why Nok art is famous presently just for the heads, both male and female, whose hairstyles are especially comprehensive and advanced. The sculptures are in remains since the discoveries are normally made from alluvial mud, in landscape made by the attrition of water. The terracotta sculptures established there are secreted, rolled, polished and fragmented. Hardly are the works of great size preserved intact making the, exceedingly prized on the global art market. The terracotta figurines are hallow, coil produced, almost life sized human heads and torso shown with exceedingly stylized aspects, adequate jewellery, and different stances. Numerous artifacts have been established depicting an assortment of physical ailments, including incapacitating illness and facial paralysis. The Nok culture of central Nigeria is famous for its terracotta sculptures and denotes the first sculptural in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, Nok plays a well know functions in the appearance of iron technology, offering some of the most primitive proof of iron smelting in West Africa about 500 BC as illustrated by excavations in Taruga. In comparison to its scientific significance, Nok remained a mystery for a long time, since few archaeological fieldwork has been committed to the Nok culture, and previously, little less is known about the creators of those remarkable works of art. In reality, Taruga is better described as an iron-smelting site, as huge figure of iron-smelting furnaces have been revealed but no abode has been found with surety. Test excavations have been conducted, which have long established. The position of many iron-smelting furnaces, some of which have been excavated have been found. It has also proved likely, as a consequent of the work at Taruga, to acquire a clearer perception of the pottery connected with the sculptures than has until now been likely from the alluvial sites. No particular stone tools have been identified at Taruga, so that there in any case it appears the Nok culture was totally iron-using. The iron smelting furnaces at Taruga are at the time the most primitive known in sub-Saharan Africa. The only location where a fulfilling interface has been discovered between a pre-metal and a metal using phase of technology is at Daima. In the farthest north-eastern horizon of Nigeria (Fagg 41-50). In 1943, an archeologist based in the United Kingdom Bernard Fagg, traveled across central Nigeria looking for artifacts of any known ancient African civilization, and collected virtually 200 terracottas through buying, persuasion, and his own excavations. Soil examination from the sites where the artifacts were discovered dated them about 500 B.C. This appeared unlikely since the form of advanced communities that would have created such works were not thought to have existed in West Africa that early. However, when Fagg subjected plant content identified embedded in the terracotta to the then new method of radiocarbon dating, the dates varied from 440 B.C. to A.D. On the other hand, a scarecrow head was excavated and dated to about 500 B.C. utilizing a procedure known as thermoluminescence that measures the time since baked clay was fired. Taruga

About the lottery and contemporary tradition Essay

About the lottery and contemporary tradition - Essay Example It seems reasonable that â€Å"The Lottery† should be existed because it provides a comparative scenario of the contemporary tradition, later is much better than the previous. However, The Lottery is a representative to all the cruel traditions that are passed from generation to another in an unquestionable acceptance. The short story tries to demonstrate the importance of traditions in a particular society, especially by showing the importance of maintaining the culture. The author achieves her notions by using the cruelty aspects of cultural practices and rituals, in a periodic exercise that illustrates the loyalty of the people to the traditions. In this case, the short story depicts the historical event that has been conducted in the previous years consecutively. Therefore, this paper aims to demonstrate the way The Lottery shows why it is important for having traditional maintainability and royalty in a given cultural practice. The first reason is the way the short story shows the importance of contemporary tradition that helps the people in having self-awareness. The Lottery illustrates the historical existence of the traditions in a given cultural diversity. However, the consecutive conduction of the rituals creates self-awareness to the people on the dangers posed by following a tradition blindly. Jackson had a motive of creating a sensible thinking to the people in their efforts of practicing rituals that may affect their livelihood or even cost the lives for the people in the community. The Lottery was sometimes viewed as a modern aspect of refreshing the traditional rituals to conform to the changing world, especially by demonstrating the negative impacts caused by maintaining the traditional practices. In this case, The Lottery was perceived to reflect or encourage the modern way of living by avoiding or improving the traditional rituals. The story demonstrates the importance of adopting other cultural practices into the

Capacity and Forecasting at Green Valley Bakers Research Paper - 1

Capacity and Forecasting at Green Valley Bakers - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that the concepts of capacity utilization and forecasting techniques are very important for any business venture. Indeed, an entrepreneur or businessman will only venture to invest his capital in a business if he knows and understands that it will give him a good return on the capital invested. It takes a lot of time, effort and skills to plan out the start of operations, from where the inventory will come, how and when sales will be made and at what margins, so that some profit is left over to compensate the businessman and other stakeholders of the business, if there are any, after the costs and expenses of the bakery have been paid out. Forecasting must also take into account the current and future environment as regards legal, technological, social and other phenomena such as changes in Government policy regarding taxation on bakeries, prices of inventory items, changing tastes of consumers and improvements in baking technology. The researcher will consider all these as he evolves a strategy for capacity utilization and demand and sales forecasting at Green Valley Bakers. Capacity utilization has been one of the main concerns of entrepreneurs and industrialists right from the very beginning of organized business enterprise. In fact, the start of the Industrial Revolution saw much of the population of villages move to the cities, lured by the prospects of gainful employment and higher and more consistent wages, thereby leading to a better lifestyle and social progress. Imagine their predicament when they were forced to move into often cramped and squalid living quarters, eating meager rations and toiling long hours in factories and mills that sought only to gain the most advantage from this situation. It was only after the refusal of workers in Chicago to continue to work under these appalling conditions that the world has moved towards respecting the rights of the workers. Even the economists of old regarded Labor as but a factor of p roduction. As regards capacity, J.B Say remarked that Supply would create its own demand. And the production concept in marketing so popular in the 1950s enunciated that if one built a better mousetrap (meaning product), people would flock to your door to buy it. Even today there is a debate among economists as to whether Full Employment or Partial Unemployment is better for the economy.

Life science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Life science - Essay Example Keeping this technology in view we can assume that moving ahead with such green and environment friendly technologies we will be able to see better, sound and environmentally effective environment in the future. More and more emphasis is given to the environmental effects of every technology and process, this further leads to an expectation that the upcoming 25 years might bring a lesser harmful environment for the living beings. Use of Fossil fuels within the next 25 years will be reduced to minimal (Environment911). Tynan and Print (2008) suggest that in the next 25 years it is expected that technology will be extremely integrated in the devices that â€Å"deliver information and entertainment to our homes and our hip pockets, in sensors that monitor our environment from within the walls and floors of our homes, and in chips that deliver medicine and augment reality inside our bodies.† With such advancements in the technological field, living without technologies would become more and more impossible. People will become highly reliant on the inventions made and lesser physical exertion will be noticed. The physical activities will either diminish or become less popular than they are today. Health problems like diabetes, cardiac diseases and obesity related issues will be more common affecting the overall health of people around the world. However, the vaccines are supposed to eliminate the risk of the most serious disease like AIDS and others (The observer 2011). Modern military environment is already making use of unmanned vehicles and equipment. A considerable improvement can be made by using the BCI technology in the military field. Army and security forces may employ BCI by using it with the unmanned vehicles. The most crucial matter regarding the unmanned vehicles and equipment is the lack of situational awareness and critical thinking about the incident or conditions prevailing at the

Athletes society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Athletes society - Essay Example He is an athlete, for crying out loud-he’s the only hunger striker whose blood pressure is not plummeting!’ (pp. 319). He wonders, ‘What should he do? Turn and lock his coaches’ door, the way Edwards did 51 years ago when his moment of truth came when he demanded the fair treating of black athletes? (pp. 319) He is at a loss and he does not know how to react to the situation. This is just an example of the dilemma that athletes are in. They are not sure what is expected of them by the society. But what is obvious is that they should take the bull by the horns and be in the fore front in the fighting for the issues that affect the society. They should ensure that the society is enlightened about various issues and also start campaigns that should be aimed at improving the lives of the people. Young Kim says, it is an inevitable entitlement,. When an athlete signs a contract to play on a professional team, there are certain expectations that are not written on the fine print. More than just producing numbers and out of the world statistics that can turn a mediocre team into a championship caliber force: an athlete is expected to live out their lives as a role model to the public (April 12, 2002, Web page). They have the power to influence the younger generation to do the right things in the right way. They also have the power to advocate against the things they feel are wrong. Karl Malone, an NBA legend once put the challenge on the athletes by telling them ‘we don’t choose to be role models, we are chosen. Our only choice is to choose whether to be a good role model or a bad one.’ (Young, 2012) In conclusion it is right to say that the athletes have a bigger responsibility as role models to set the way right for the people. They have to actively engage themselves in the lives of the people and make sure that they create an

Life science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Life science - Essay Example Keeping this technology in view we can assume that moving ahead with such green and environment friendly technologies we will be able to see better, sound and environmentally effective environment in the future. More and more emphasis is given to the environmental effects of every technology and process, this further leads to an expectation that the upcoming 25 years might bring a lesser harmful environment for the living beings. Use of Fossil fuels within the next 25 years will be reduced to minimal (Environment911). Tynan and Print (2008) suggest that in the next 25 years it is expected that technology will be extremely integrated in the devices that â€Å"deliver information and entertainment to our homes and our hip pockets, in sensors that monitor our environment from within the walls and floors of our homes, and in chips that deliver medicine and augment reality inside our bodies.† With such advancements in the technological field, living without technologies would become more and more impossible. People will become highly reliant on the inventions made and lesser physical exertion will be noticed. The physical activities will either diminish or become less popular than they are today. Health problems like diabetes, cardiac diseases and obesity related issues will be more common affecting the overall health of people around the world. However, the vaccines are supposed to eliminate the risk of the most serious disease like AIDS and others (The observer 2011). Modern military environment is already making use of unmanned vehicles and equipment. A considerable improvement can be made by using the BCI technology in the military field. Army and security forces may employ BCI by using it with the unmanned vehicles. The most crucial matter regarding the unmanned vehicles and equipment is the lack of situational awareness and critical thinking about the incident or conditions prevailing at the

Aerodynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aerodynamics - Essay Example It corrects the destabilization and possible accident that may occur when one engine of a plane collapses or fails when flying. According to Gudmundsson (2014), a plane loses over 80% of the existing thrust levels when operating with two engines. The loss may cause huge damage unless critical response modalities are undertaken first hand to change and reconfigure the pitch attitude and drag predicament of the aircraft. When one engine cools off, the airspeed signal or indicator will move towards the red redial line that is located at the lower end of AS1. The redial indicator shows the VMC level at the point in time. If the red light indicates or moves to the 80-MPH mark on the AS1 then danger looms, as the unthinkable is prone to happen despite the full thrush that is produced by the functioning engine. As noted, the most critical moments that the airplanes engines are imperative are during takeoff or a few seconds after takeoff. During this time, the airspeed is at its lowest prompting the engines to develop maximum rated horsepower. The power is to guarantee speed and security of the plane and ensure that any fault is not recorded (Gudmundsson, 2014). If the engine quits or becomes dormant at the stage then the pilot has two options 1. The plane can proceed with the departure climb that will facilitate the asymmetric thrust from the single operating engine. This will cause the airplane to flip on its back effectively at a bank range of 5 degrees that is favorable. 2. The departure of the aircraft can be continued and climb on a single engine especially when the speed is sufficiently fast (Gudmundsson, 2014). The degree level of bank is a key determinant of VMC as it causes either increase or decrease in the VMC level or the speed of operation of the plane. 2 to 5 degree level is recommended for favorable VMC as compared to degree levels beyond 5 as such arrange may cause

Soliloquies of Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Soliloquies of Hamlet Essay Hamlets first soliloquy  prominently displays deep distress, even emotional fragility. He stands in the castle after having a long conversation with his mother and uncle-turned-step-father. This conversation has left him agitated and contributed to his unstable emotional state. The argument recounts his feelings toward his mothers actions and the current state of his country. All of these things put him in a state of distress. The death of his father is a heavy blow, and his mothers quick marriage, or her words, do nothing to ease his pain, but only exacerbates it. His mothers lack of loyalty and quick submission to Claudius makes Hamlet believe that something is awry in the affairs of Denmark. Hamlet idealized his parents and their relationship, and he bemoans the fact that although his father doted on his mother and was a good husband and father, she rushed into a relationship with another man, much less Hamlets uncle, a man that differs from his father in almost every respect. In his description of Denmark, he uses a metaphor to compare the country to an unweeded garden/That grows to seed, things rank and gross in nature/Possess it merelys. To him, the country has become rotten, and will only lead to more infection. The final two lines of Hamlets soliloqu/ are a conclusion and an analysis. He reacts to his mothers indecency and lack of respect for his father, and decides her actions will not lead to anything but bad consequences. Hamlet concludes that there is nothing he can do. His mother has been disloyal to his father, which Hamlet takes as a sign of disloyalty to the ideal that he believed his family was, but she is the queen. His country is falling apart, but he has no real power to make any changes. Hamlet must hold his tongue, because he is expected to be a loyal son and fulfill his duties as the prince. This soliloquy presents Hamlets emotions and psychological state. Hamlet feels emotional pain and is enraged, and he is directing his anger towards his mother and what he feels is her disloyalty. Hamlet desires the power to change the situation around him. As if for the first time in his life, things are going very wrong, and everyone is acting as if nothing is wrong. His powerlessness is beginning to drive him toward depression and desperation. Because of this pain, he is very agitated, and his speech is disjointed. He often interrupts his thoughts with an impassioned  exclamation, as if his thoughts are too painful. Additionally, Hamlet is perceptive. At this point, he only knows that his father is dead. However, his insight tells him to deem Denmark as rotten. Without knowing what has truly happened, he knows that something about his fathers death is not rightHamlets anger with his mother begins very early in the play, and continues into this soliloquy. While Hamlet is expected to play the part of the loyal son, he is rebelling against his mother and what is expected of him. He has expressed the desire to return to school and continue his lengthy education. Claudius denies this request because most royal family members are told where to live and are kept in the same area; the king also wants to keep an eye on his new step- son. While the rest of the court has moved past the death of Hamlets father, he continues to wear black, defying his mother, who has asked him to take off his black clothing and make friends with Claudius, in a quiet form of rebellion. Hamlet is also hostile to his mother. After she asks  him to remove his clothes of mourning, she says that death is common.  After Hamlet agrees  with her statement, she asks why it seems to be such a special case with Hamlets father. Hamlet becomes agitated at her use of seems, since it does not just appear particular, but is particular to Hamlet. He states that all of the signs of mourning crying, black clothing, or a sad face are not an act, but simply a byproduct of the very real, not seemed, pain that Hamlet is feeling. In these actions of rebellion, Hamlet is slowly taking the power he will need to make a difference. Hamlets emotions continue to playa major role in his second soliloquyll. Hamlet is frustrated with himself for his lack of action. His fathers ghost came to the castle and continued to visit his former home until he spoke with Hamlet and Hamlet has not yet taken any action to avenge his death. Because he has none to blame but himself, his personal view of himself is very negative: he calls himself a coward, a rascal, and a man unpregnant of my cause.l2 In the second partJ3, Hamlet begins to form a plan. He has thought of other ways to exact revenge, but none of them were  ever effective. Hamlet plans to use a play, which reenacts his fathers death, to prove to himself that Claudius is guilty. Hamlet will watch his uncle and observe his facial expressions; Claudius will prove his own guilt. Hamlet concludes that he will use the play to catch Claudius. He wants to ensure that the story he has been told by the ghost is correct. Although Hamlet doubts whether the ghost is actually the ghost of his father, he is being driven by some kind of spirit. Even if the spirit is evil  bent on bring harm to Hamlet, its pull on him is very strong. Hamlets only focus is catching his uncle and it has consumed him. Hamlet is committed to the blood revenge the ghost charged him with. He feels guilty because he has not taken any action toward avenging his fathers death, as ifhe is betraying his father. The ghost implies that it will not rest until Claudius is dead; by not killing the king, Hamlet prevents his father from resting in peace. More pressure is placed on Hamlet by the ghosts words, If thou didst ever thy dear father love. The ghost is telling Hamlet to prove his love for his father, but he must commit murder in order to prove this. In addition to the blood revenge, Hamlet feels it is his responsibility, as the prince, to right the wrongs in his country. However, Hamlet is conflicted by the actions he must take to correct the sins of the current king. Claudius killed his brother, the king. In order to find revenge, Hamlet must commit murder in the same way; he must kill his uncle, the king. In his third soliloquyl4, Hamlet is contemplating one of the greatest enduring questions: is it better to live and suffer through all of lifes hardships, or die and face the unknown consequences of the afterlife? He thinks of the many things that are supposed to emich a long life, but ultimately make living painful and difficult to endure: the whips and scorns of time,! Th oppressors wrong, the proud mans contumely,lThe pangs of despisd love, the laws delay,lThe insolence of office ,, 15 He also weighs the benefits and the disadvantages of each, but he never concludes as to which is better. However, he does conclude that humans suffer through out of fear of what comes after the last breath. He adds that this fear makes people cowards, undermining the power of decisiveness and action with  thought and fear. Hamlet often restates ideas using different words. This allows the reader to see him think, to see the process of his brain as his ideas and thoughts develop. This is a reflection on Hamlets current state. He states that actions are often stalled and determination is taken away by over-thinking: conscience does make cowards [of us all],!And thus the native hue ofresolutioniIs sicklied oer with the pale cast of thought,! And enterprises of great pitch and moment.lWith this regard their currents turn awry,! And lose the name of action.,,16 He has a task to complete avenge his fathers death but his thoughts and fears of have made him pause and prevented from taking the actions necessary to accomplish this. Hamlet is deeply reflective. He is troubled that he has let his fears of death take away his resolve. He knows that he must commit murder, but the fears the consequences, and that slows his actions. While he still fears what he must do, he has begun to accept it. This is evident in the fluidity of his speech. His previous soliloquies feature speech broken by his thoughts and outbursts. In this soliloquy, Hamlet uses complete thoughts, filled with intelligent insights and coming to educated conclusions. His thoughts cut through the situation and answer the questions which he has raised. In his final soliloquy 17, Hamlet first questions the purpose of man, concluding that humans are not meant to simply pass through life, but to change and affect those around them, leaving an imprint. Without higher thought and the ability to reason, man would simply be a common beast, only eating and sleeping, never achieving. Hamlet states that God would not have given man the ability to think and reason if He did not intend for them to use these skills. With this thought, Hamlet questions why he is still alive. He has not yet exacted the revenge; he is not changing anything and simply passing through each day. These thoughts come as he watches large armies approach his country. He knows that the men who are marching towards him will most likely all die, and he questions whether their deaths are worth whatever end will be reached. Hamlet continues to be unhappy with the situation he finds himself in. He is a young prince, who was visited by his murdered fathers ghost and charged with retaliating against this crime. The  king is a murderer, and Hamlets mother has shown no loyalty, instantly falling into what Hamlet considers the incestuous arms of a man who is nothing compared to her first husband. Now, Hamlet watches as a foreign army passes through Denmark. He is ashamed that he lives as an inactive man, while thousands of men are soon to die. He concludes saying the he will find revenge, or he is worth nothing as a man. Hamlet is resolved. He is still disgusted with the fact that he has not acted on the charge of revenge, but the idea of oncoming war spurs him to act on his bloody thoughts. All doubts he had about what he must do are gone. He knows he must kill his uncle, committing the same sin he is avenging. However, this thought no longer strikes fear within him; he is no longer concerned with the consequences of his actions http://www.book-review-circle.com/Hamlet-William-Shakespeare.html Hamlet conforms to the Aristotelian forms of tragedy. It is well constructed and bides to Aristotle’s definitions regarding a complete dramatic action which arouse pity and fear inducing Catharsis. : The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right. The play is based on the theatre of illusion where the audience experiences the predicaments of the characters vicariously By identifying emotionally and psychologically, we are drawn closer to the characters and are aroused by their terror to pity and fear (pathos) to a state of Catharsis, releasing our tension, soothing and purging our souls. This is ephemeral; there are no lasting consequences. The plot is linear, progressing from a beginning, a middle and an end with various techniques of wholeness, unity and purpose. It reaffirms a rational, ordered universe,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them as we may† The characters are appropriate, realistic and plausible; the hero from a good family, going through a crisis with a reversal of fortune. Hamlet is an  Aristotelian model of a classical drama there is an overall logic to the action, and the plot has a discernible shape: a beginning, middle, and end. By the conclusion of the play, in other words, through the actions of the participants, something has been dealt with, resolved. There is an emphasis on structure, causation, unity, cohesion†¦. Suffering is depicted as ennobling. At the end, order is restored, god is on his throne and all is right with the world. O That This Too Solid Flesh Would Melt† Soliloquy Translation: He wished that his body would just melt, turn to water and become like the dew. Or that the Almighty hadn’t made a law forbidding suicide. Oh God! God! How weary, stale, flat and useless everything about life seemed! He moaned. It was terrible. The whole world was like an unweeded garden that had gone to seed – only ugly disgusting things thrived. He couldn’t believe what had happened. Only two months dead; no, not even two. Such an excellent king he had been, compared with this one. It was like Hyperion, the sun god, compared to a lecherous satyr. He’d been so loving to his mother that he wouldn’t even allow the gentle breeze of heaven to blow too roughly on her face. He lifted his hands and blocked his ears as though to shut his father’s memory out. She had loved him so much, adored him, as though the more she had of him the more she wanted him. And yet, within a month! He couldn’t bear to think about it. Women were so inconsistent! Only a month, even before the shoes with which she had followed his father’s body were old, all flowing with tears, she, even she†¦ Oh God! Even an animal that doesn’t have reason, would have mourned longer – ..she married his uncle! His father’s brother, but no more like his father than he was like Hercules. Even before the salt of those hypocritical tears had left her swollen eyes, she married. Oh, most wicked speed, to hurry so enthusiastically to incestuous sheets! It couldn’t end happily. But he would just have to break his heart, because he had to hold his tongue â€Å"O, What A Rogue And Peasant Slave Am I† Soliloquy Translation: What a deceitful fellow – a rogue, a peasant slave – he was! It was monstrous that this actor had only to imagine  grief for his face to go pale and his eyes tostream. In a fiction! A made-up script of passion! He was able to effect a broken voice, a desperation in his body language, and everything he felt necessary to the situation he was imagining. And it was all for nothing! For Hecuba, dead for a thousand years! What was Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, that he should weep for her? What would that actor do if he had the motive and the reason for grief that he had? He would flood the stage with tears and split the ears of the audience with the language he would find, terrifying the innocent and making the guilty mad. He would bewilder the ignorant and amaze the eyes and ears of all. He stood up and paced. He was the opposite of the actor: he was a rascal, the mettle of whose character had become tarnished and dull. He was shrinking away from his duty like a John-o-dreams, slow to translate his purpose into action, unable to say a word, no, not even on behalf of a king who had been robbed of his property and most precious life. Was he a coward? The victim of bullies? Would he let them call him names, strike him on his head, pull his beard out and throw it in his face, assassinate his character? Ha! God, yes, he would just take it because it was impossible that he could be anything but pigeon-livered , lacking the gall to summon up enough bitterness to do anything about his father’s murder. Otherwise he would have fed this slave’s intestines to the local kites. The villain! Bloody, filthy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, cruel villain! Oh vengeance! His heart was beating fast and he was almost breathless from the thoughts that were plaguing him. He sat down again. What an ass he was! What a brave man! That he, the son of a beloved father who had been murdered, with every reason between heaven and hell to act, should unburden his heart with words and descend to cursing, like a whore – a servant. Curse it! He sat for a moment and an idea that had occurred to him while talking to the actors began to take shape. He had to concentrate on it now. Hmmm. He had heard about guilty people who, while watching a play, had been so affected by the contents of the scene, that they had confessed to their crimes, because murder will always find a way to proclaim itself, even though it has no voice of its own. The idea crystallized. He would get the players to perform something like the murder of his father in front of his uncle. He would watch his uncle’s reactions. He would probe his very thoughts. If his uncle so much as flinched he would know what to do. The  ghost may have been the devil for all he knew, and the devil had the power to take on a pleasing shape. Yes, and perhaps the devil was taking advantage of his weakness and his grief to damn him. He was therefore going to get proof. The play was the thing in which he would catch the conscience of the king. â€Å"To Be Or Not To Be† Soliloquy Translation: The question for him was whether to continue to exist or not – whether it was more noble to suffer the slings and arrows of an unbearable situation, or to declare war on the sea of troubles that afflict one, and by opposing them, end them. To die. He pondered the prospect. To sleep – as simple as that. And with that sleep we end the heartaches and the thousand natural miseries that human beings have to endure. It’s an end that we would all ardently hope for. To die. To sleep. To sleep. Perhaps to dream. Yes, that was the problem, because in that sleep of death the dreams we might have when we have shed this mortal body must make us pause. That’s the consideration that creates the calamity of such a long life. Because, who would tolerate the whips and scorns of time; the tyrant’s offences against us; the contempt of proud men; the pain of rejected love; the insolence of officious authority; and the advantage that the worst people take of the best, wh en one could just release oneself with a naked blade? Who would carry this load, sweating and grunting under the burden of a weary life if it weren’t for the dread of the after life – that unexplored country from whose border no traveler returns? That’s the thing that confounds us and makes us put up with those evils that we know rather than hurry to others that we don’t know about. So thinking about it makes cowards of us all, and it follows that the first impulse to end our life is obscured by reflecting on it. And great and important plans are diluted to the point where we don’t do anything. â€Å"Now Might I Do It Pat† Soliloquy Translation: As Hamlet passed the chapel on his way to his mother’s room he saw the light in the chapel. He paused and stood silently at the door. He saw the still form of his uncle kneeling before the altar. He drew his sword and tiptoed into the chapel and stood at the back. He could do it, right now, easily, while he was praying. And he would. Right now. He took a step forward then stopped. And so he would go to heaven, and what kind of revenge would that  be? That was something to think about. A villain kills his father; and for that his son sends that villain to heaven. Oh, that would be a service he was giving that villain, not revenge. He killed his father most grossly, full of unresolved sins himself, with all his crimes in blossom, like the flowers of May. And no-one knew how his father’s audit stood in heaven. As far he knew it stood seriously. So would he be revenged if he took his uncle while he was purging his soul, when he was fit and ready for his death? No! He put his sword back. He would find a more suitable occasion, when he was drunk, or asleep, or in a rage, or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed, or gambling, swearing, or some other act that had no taste of salvation in it. Then he would trip him so that his heels would kick out at heaven. His soul would then be damned as black as the hell it was destined for. His mother was waiting, but this delay would only prolong his uncle’s last sickly days. He turned and went out quietly â€Å"How All Occasions Do Inform Against Me† Soliloquy Translation: How the examples provided by everything around him denounced him and reminded him of his inability to sweep to his revenge! What was a man if his most profitable employment was to eat and sleep? Nothing more than an animal. He who made us with that vast capacity for understanding, that ability to reflect on experience and learn from it, didn’t give us that god-like reason just to let it go mouldy from disuse. He didn’t know what it was that was stopping him. Whether it was animal-like inability to understand or some cowardly nit-picking – thinking too precisely about it, analysing his thoughts, which were one quarter wisdom and always three quarters cowardice. He didn’t know why he was saying, ‘this still has to be done’ since he had the reason and the desire and the strength and the means to do it. Examples as weighty as the earth keep urging him. Look at the way this inexperienced young prince, puffed with divine ambition and scorning everything that fortune, death and danger could throw at him, was leading this huge expensive army on a campaign to gain a piece of land that was nothing more than an eggshell. True greatness wasn’t a matter of rushing into action for any trivial cause but when honour was at stake it was noble to act, no matter how trivial the cause was. Where did he stand, then, his father murdered, his mother stained – two huge incentives – and not do anything? It was to his shame that he was watching the imminent death of twenty thousand men who were going to their deaths as easily as one  would go to bed, for almost no reason, fighting for a plot of land that was so small that they wouldn’t even fit on it, that wasn’t even big enough for the fallen to be buried on. Oh, from now on his thoughts would be bloody, or not worth having! Literary review Written during the first part of the seventeenth century (probably in 1600 or 1601), Hamlet was probably first performed in July 1602. It was first published in printed form in 1603 and appeared in an enlarged edition in 1604. As was common practice during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Shakespeare borrowed for his plays ideas and stories from earlier literary works. He could have taken the story of Hamlet from several possible sources, including a twelfth-century Latin history of Denmark compiled by Saxo Grammaticus and a prose work by the French writer Franà §ois de Belleforest, entitled Histoires Tragiques. The raw material that Shakespeare appropriated in writing Hamlet is the story of a Danish prince whose uncle murders the prince’s father, marries his mother, and claims the throne. The prince pretends to be feeble-minded to throw his uncle off guard, then manages to kill his uncle in revenge. Shakespeare changed the emphasis of this story entirely, making his Hamlet a philosophically minded prince who delays taking action because his knowledge of his uncle’s crime is so uncertain. Shakespeare went far beyond making uncertainty a personal quirk of Hamlet’s, introducing a number of important ambiguities into the play that even the audience cannot resolve with certainty. For instance, whether Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, shares in Claudius’s guilt; whether Hamlet continues to love Ophelia even as he spurns her, in Act III; whether Ophelia’s death is suicide or accident; whether the ghost offers reliable knowledge, or seeks to deceive and tempt Hamlet; and, perhaps most importantly, whether Hamlet would be morally justified in taking revenge on his uncle. Shakespeare makes it clear that the stakes riding on some of these questions are enormous—the actions of these characters bring disaster upon an entire kingdom. At the play’s end it is not even clear whether justice has been achieved. By modifying his source materials in this way, Shakespeare was able to take an unremarkable revenge story and make it resonate with the most fundamental themes and problems of the Renaissance. The Renaissance is a vast cultural phenomenon that began in  fifteenth-century Italy with the recovery of classical Greek and Latin texts that had been lost to the Middle Ages. The scholars who enthusiastically rediscovered these classical texts were motivated by an educational and political ideal called (in Latin) humanitas—the idea that all of the capabilities and virtues peculiar to human beings should be studied and developed to their furthest extent. Renaissance humanism, as this movement is now called, generated a new interest in human experience, and also an enormous optimism about the potential scope of human understanding. Hamlet’s famous speech in Act II, â€Å"What a piece of work is a m an! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god—the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!† (II.ii.293–297) is directly based upon one of the major texts of the Italian humanists, Pico della Mirandola’s Oration on the Dignity of Man. For the humanists, the purpose of cultivating reason was to lead to a better understanding of how to act, and their fondest hope was that the coordination of action and understanding would lead to great benefits for society as a whole. As the Renaissance spread to other countries in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, however, a more skeptical strain of humanism developed, stressing the limitations of human understanding. For example, the sixteenth-century French humanist, Michel de Montaigne, was no less interested in studying human experiences than the earlier humanists were, but he maintained that the world of experience was a world of appearances, and that human beings could never hope to see past those appearances into the â€Å"realities† that lie behind them. This is the world in which Shakespeare places his characters. Hamlet is faced with the difficult task of correcting an injustice that he can never have sufficient knowledge of—a dilemma that is by no means unique, or even uncommon. And while Hamlet is fond of pointing out questions that cannot be answered because they concern supernatural and metaphysical matters, the play as a whole chiefly demonstrates the difficulty of knowing the truth about other people—their guilt or innocence, their motivations, their feelings, their relative states of sanity or insanity. The world of other people is a world of appearances, andHamlet is, fundamentally, a play about the difficulty of living in that world.