Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Subversive Stories and Hegemonic Tales

The great source of uncertainty and unpredictability in a rationalizing system are people-either the people who work thin those systems or the people who are served by them look up TV show â€Å"are you served†.. Same vocabulary as McDonald's Structure Go to any church is any giant Coors like golden arches Whenever you see cross first thing you think is Jesus, like arches and hamburgers Youth video- Mega Churches group project.. Wreck 15 â€Å"A typical Manchuria does not include actual bibles by the seats, but in exchange, a book written by the pastor themselves. This book Is a shortened version of the bible with modern day affairs discussed throughout(adaptability, also pastors can be as nouns as 28 years old to appeal to a more youthful crowd) Jesus Camps Funded by macrophages Point is to help child learn more about god and his love for everyone.To destroy the child's old and revive a new person that loves and accepts god Indoctrination at a young age(draw connection to Na zi regime of efficiency? Control? ) Comfortable seating Shorter services Cool, fun Coffee shops in the church Walter of the church world Article-Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goalposts of Life: Nationalization,Consumer Culture, and Modern Evangelical Churches J. B. Watson, Jar. Stephen F. Austin State university Point of article This dimension of the Nationalization of religion in the U.S. Will be examined in this paper, with special attention to its impact on evangelical churches. In particular, the church growth movement embraced by evangelical churches has accelerated the emphasis on consumer-based products and packaged spiritual programs â€Å"l think of the old slavery, and of the way the economy has now improved upon It. The new slavery has Improved upon the old by giving the new slaves the Illusion that they are its principles, for it is very humane.It buys their freedom, pays for it, and then erasures its money back again with shoddy goods and the promise of freedom† Economic Transitions and the Emergence of Consumer Religion Influence of capitalism on the religious organizations Consumption, according to Twitchier, is now essential to the construction of self- identity; the symbolic value of the product exceeds its practical value in most cases.Twitchier (1999; 2004) airframes the notion of â€Å"you are what you buy' and suggests that consumerism is now strongly woven into the social fabric – it provides products purchased for their practical value, but also for the crucial security value they can revive in an increasingly secular age. Pig 5 The consumer approach to Evangelical Religious practice Branding(point of association with symbols) Structure Pastor acts as CEO. Position themselves as â€Å"the last great hope† of resisting colonization It is this position that leads them to increased colonization, contrastingly Colonization-is the process by which religion in a society begins to lose influence and the interest in other worldly or idealistic religious ideas is replaced by greater emphasis on material success and other pragmatic concerns. Shift from moral foundations towards raciest more like American consumerism * Resources for modeling Innovators in Manchuria leaders Bill Hobbes and Rick Warren, have published multiple books and regularly conduct teaching seminars for church leaders â€Å"The purpose of all these products is to provide the information and skills necessary to replicate the Willow Creek or Saddlebags model of church growth in any geographic setting.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Juveniles Tried as Adults Essay

In the United States, anyone who is charged for committing a crime before the day of their 18th birthday is considered a juvenile and depending on the severity of the case shall be tried as a juvenile. There are some cases; however, where the juvenile justice system should be harder on the juvenile, but in most cases they should not go to an adult prison. There are most certainly some cases in which the juvenile should face the adult justice system, but for petty instances, a juvenile court will suffice. I find it hard to agree that a juvenile convicted for crimes dealing with drugs, alcohol, traffic violations, etc. should be tried in an adult court to receive punishment; however, I do believe that someone who commits rape, murder, kidnapping, or any other major crimes of the sort should be taken to an adult court. â€Å"Old enough to do the crime, old enough to do the time,† is a quote I remember hearing as I was growing up, but I was not taught that it applied to small or m inor crimes, but often serious ones involving the harming of another individual. Placing juveniles in adult prisons can cause them to be put in danger, when in reality many of them can be â€Å"fixed† through the juvenile justice system. Juvenile offenders sometimes commit crimes that are equal to or of higher quality than those of adults; however, punishing them as adults in adult prisons will do no justice; they are less competent to stand trial, adult prisons can harm them mentally, physically, and emotionally, and they more often than not choose the actions they do because of someone who is of influence to them. Juvenile offenders are often less competent than adults to stand trial making it ineffective to sentence them as if they were adults. Juvenile offenders are classified as â€Å"childish, infantile, and young,† according to dictionary.com. â€Å"Some studies have examined the understanding that youths’ have on trial procedures and the overall basic knowledge of trials† (Grisso et al). During these studies they found that there was no compassion to the basic knowledge of trials and trial procedures to that of adults. One study conducted showed that 55% of the juveniles they interviewed could not accurately describe what the Miranda laws meant when read to them except the section that says, â€Å"you have the right to remain silent,† according to the National Center of Juvenile Justice. The National Center of Juvenile Justice also stated that, â€Å"juveniles from the ages of 11-15 are very incompetent and that 16-24 year  olds have similar levels of competence.† The juveniles who are younger, or in the 11-15 range, are less likely to understand the risks and consequences of the adult justice system, and therefore may not benefit from it. They also possess weaker decision-making skills. Since they lack decision-making skills, they are more likely to make poor decisions when committing crimes, but also when agreeing to sentencing or plea agreements, leading them to an unfair trial because of the unfair advantages that justice system would have over them. Adult prisons are very harmful to one’s mental, physical, and emotional capabilities especially when they are juvenile. Being placed in an adult prison can make them susceptible to sexual harassment, physical harassment, and psychological harassment from other inmates. They could also face longer, rou gher sentences than they would have if they would have stayed in the juvenile system. A study that was done on 946 juveniles found that 87% of them faced longer sentences than they would have if they had stayed in a juvenile justice system, according to Mulvey and Schubert. In 2005, 21% of all inmates that were sexually victimized by another inmate were under the age of 18, states Mulvey and Schubert. The risk of a juvenile being physically abused in an adult prison is much higher than that of an adult in the same system because juveniles are â€Å"easier† targets and less likely to create a struggle. â€Å"Doing the time for doing the crime might be seen as fair, but doing much worse time because the crime was done while an adoles ­cent seems to tip the balance beyond even-handed justice† (Mulvey et al 846). Adult prisons also have a different effect on juveniles than they do on adults when it comes to their development; since juveniles are receiving the punishment they are at a younger age it can cause problems for them in the future. According to Mulvey and Schubert, â€Å"Adolescents in the adult system may be at risk for disruptions in their personal development, identity formation, relationships, learning, growth in skills and competencies, and positive movement into adult status.† Identity formation is just one of the aspects in which their developmen t can be affected. Identity formation is when you find out who you are as a person, this is often discovered through learning from your parents, friends, peers, etc., but when you are placed in a facility like an adult prison you are surrounded by people who have all committed a crime and are bad influences to you and cause you to create your true self around that type of behavior. Juveniles in the adult systems also lose great opportunities such as their ability to learn about all aspects of life and the responsibilities and goals they should have. They are instead learning about the inside of a prison, jail, etc. Being in these facilities causes juveniles to miss out on learning the responsibility of a job, school, family, values, goals, finding qualities in someone that could be a potential spouse, making new friends who could be positive influences, and a. All of these statistics prove that adult prisons are very harmful to juveniles, especially mentally, physically, and emotionally. It is also often found that juveniles will make the choices they do based upon the choices they watched their close peers make or just the types of people they are surrounded by in general which shows that they are immature and very easily influenced. It is hard to prove that most, or all, of juveniles have a full understanding of the justice system and the courts, making it di fficult to believe that they should be tried as adults in this system. Many juveniles have the ability to change their behavior through the programs that we have specifically for them not through adult prisons. A child who comes from a broken home, or a home without both parents, a family that is part of the lower class, or from a family that is rather large in size have been found to be the majority of juveniles facing time in juvenile or adult systems. Families who are large in size and of a lower class often find that the children are more likely to grow up without any values or goals because they are often left home alone or there is at least less supervision over each individual child, therefore causing them to be hurt and sometimes wanting to inflict pain upon someone or something in hopes to make themselves feel better. â€Å"Family relationships, duties, responsibilities and privileges, and the amount of control exercised over children all play roles in forming character and influencing behavior. The attitudes and actions of parents can create an important influence in the lives of children. Families in crisis will most likely affect the behavior of juveniles. If one member of a family becomes sick, schizophrenic, or alcoholic, a child may react based on the family’s structural problems,† according to Joseph Wickliffe. Families who contain an unstable parent(s) can create a child that is more likely to be disobe dient, especially if the way the rules are portrayed is too aggressive, too passive, or just unclear. According to a study that Joseph Wickliffe talks  about, â€Å"It was discovered that 4.1 percent of fathers were found to use sound discipline practices; 26.7 percent, fair; and 69.3 percent, unsound. Sound – consistent and firm control but not so strict as to arouse fear and antagonism, fair – control which is indefinite: sometimes strict, sometimes lax, and unsound – extremely lax or extremely rigid control by the parents, which, on the one hand, gives unrestrained freedom of action and, on the other hand, restricts to the point of rebellion.† Juveniles are also prone to make decisions based off of what the people with authority want, for instance, they are more likely to confess or accept a plea agreement if their lawyer is telling them that they should do so. After learning of all of the negative consequences that come with placing a juvenile in th e adult courts and/or prisons, I have concluded that for most cases a juvenile should be processed through the juvenile system and take the punishment given there.

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 12 INTRUDER

MY EYES FLEW WIDE OPEN WITH FRIGHT, THOUGH I WAS so exhausted and muddled that I was not yet positive whether I was awake or asleep. Something scratched against my window again with the same thin, high-pitched sound. Confused and clumsy with sleep, I stumbled out of my bed and to the window, blinking the lingering tears from my eyes on the way. A huge, dark shape wobbled erratically on the other side of the glass, lurching toward me like it was going to smash right through. I staggered back, terrified, my throat closing around a scream. Victoria. She'd come for me. I was dead. Not Charlie, too! I choked back the building scream. I would have to keep quiet through this. Somehow. I had to keep Charlie from coming to investigate And then a familiar, husky voice called from the dark shape. â€Å"Bella!† it hissed. â€Å"Ouch! Damn it, open the window! OUCH!† I needed two seconds to shake off the horror before I could move, but then I hurried to the window and shoved the glass out of the way. The clouds were dimly lit from behind, enough for me to make sense of the shapes. â€Å"What are you doing?† I gasped. Jacob was clinging precariously to the top of the spruce that grew in the middle of Charlie's little front yard. His weight had bowed the tree toward the house and he now swunghis legs dangling twenty feet above the groundnot a yard away from me. The thin branches at the tip of the tree scraped against the side of the house again with a grating squeal. â€Å"I'm trying to keep†he huffed, shifting his weight as the treetop bounced him†my promise!† I blinked my wet blurry eyes, suddenly sure that I was dreaming. â€Å"When did you ever promise to kill yourself falling out of Charlie's tree?† He snorted, unamused, swinging his legs to improve his balance. â€Å"Get out of the way,† he ordered. â€Å"What?† He swung his legs again, backwards and forward, increasing his momentum. I realized what he was ttying to do. â€Å"No, Jake!† But I ducked to the side, aecause it was too late. With a grunt, he launched himself toward my open window. Another scream built in my throat as I waited for him to fall to his deathor at least maim himself against the wooden siding. To my shock, he swung agilely into my room, landing on the balls of his feet with a low thud. We both looked to the door automatically, holding our breath, waiting to see if the noise had woken Charlie. A short moment of silence passed, and then we heard the muffled sound of Charlie's snore. A wide grin spread slowly across Jacob's face; he seemed extremely pleased with himself. It wasn't the grin that I knew and lovedit was a new grin, one that was a bitter mockery of his old sincerity, on the new face that belonged to Sam. That was a bit much for me. I'd cried myself to sleep over this boy. His harsh rejection had punched a painful new hole in what was left of my chest. He'd left a new nightmare behind him, like an infection in a sorethe insult after the injury. And now he was here in my room, smirking at me as if none of that had passed. Worse than that, even though his arrival had been noisy and awkward, it reminded me of when Edward used to sneak in through my window at night, and the reminder picked viciously at the unhealed wounds. All of this, coupled with the fact that I was dog-tired, did not put me in a friendly mood. â€Å"Get out!† I hissed, putting as much venom into the whisper as I could. He blinked, his face going blank with surprise. â€Å"No,† he protested. â€Å"I came to apologize.† â€Å"I don't accept!† I tried to shove him back out the windowafter all, if this was a dream, it wouldn't really hurt him. It was useless, though. I didn't budge him an inch. I dropped my hands quickly, and stepped away from him. He wasn't wearing a shirt, though the air blowing in the window was cold enough to make me shiver, and it made me uncomfortable to have my hands on his bare chest. His skin was burning hot, like his head had been the last time I'd touched him. Like he was still sick with the fever. He didn't look sick. He looked huge. He leaned over me, so big that he blacked out the window, tongue-tied by my furious reaction. Suddenly, it was just more than I could handleit felt as if all of my sleepless nights were crashing down on me en masse. I was so brutally tired that I thought I might collapse right there on the floor. I swayed unsteadily, and struggled to keep my eyes open. â€Å"Bella?† Jacob whispered anxiously. He caught my elbow as I swayed again, and steered me back to the bed. My legs gave out when I reached the edge, and I plopped into a limp heap on the mattress. â€Å"Hey, are you okay?† Jacob asked, worry creasing his forehead. I looked up at him, the tears not yet dried on my cheeks. â€Å"Why in the world would I be okay, Jacob?† Anguish replaced some of the bitterness in his face. â€Å"Right,† he agreed, and took a deep breath. â€Å"Crap. Well II'm so sorry, Bella.† The apology was sincere, no doubt about it, though there was still an angry twist to his features. â€Å"Why did you come here? I don't want apologies from you, Jake.† â€Å"I know,† he whispered. â€Å"But I couldn't leave things the way I did this afternoon. Thar was horrible. I'm sorry.† I shook my head wearily. â€Å"I don't understand anything.† â€Å"I know. I want to explain† He broke off suddenly, his mouth open, almost like something had cut off his air. Then he sucked in a deep breath. â€Å"But I can't explain,† he said, still angry. â€Å"I wish I could.† I let my head fall into my hands. My question came out muffled by my arm. â€Å"Why?† He was quiet for a moment. I twisted my head to the sidetoo tired to hold it upto see his expression. It surprised me. His eyes were squinted, his teeth clenched, his forehead wrinkled in effort. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked. He exhaled heavily, and I realized he'd been holding his breath, too. â€Å"I can't do it,† he muttered, frustrated. â€Å"Do what?† He ignored my question. â€Å"Look, Bella, haven't you ever had a secret that you couldn't tell anyone?† He looked at me with knowing eyes, and my thoughts jumped immediately to the Cullens. I hoped my expression didn't look guilty. â€Å"Something you felt like you had to keep from Charlie, from your mom ?† he pressed. â€Å"Something you won't even talk about with me? Not even now?† I felt my eyes tighten. I didn't answer his question, though I knew he would take that as a confirmation. â€Å"Can you understand that I might have the same kind of situation?† He was struggling again, seeming to fight for the right words. â€Å"Sometimes, loyalty gets in the way of what you want to do. Sometimes, it's not your secret to tell.† So, I couldn't argue with that. He was exactly rightI had a secret that wasn't mine to tell, yet a secret I felt bound to protect. A secret that, suddenly, he seemed to know all about. I still didn't see how it applied to him, or Sam, or Billy. What was it to them, now that the Cullens were gone? â€Å"I don't know why you came here, Jacob, if you were just going to give me riddles instead of answers.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† he whispered. â€Å"This is so frustrating.† We looked at each other for a long moment in the dark room, both our faces hopeless. â€Å"The part that kills me,† he said abruptly, â€Å"is that you already know. I already told yon everything!† â€Å"What are you talking about?† He sucked in a startled breath, and then leaned toward me, his face shifting from hopelessness to blazing intensity in a second. He stared fiercely into my eyes, and his voice was fast and eager. He spoke the words right into my face; his breath was as hot as his skin. â€Å"I think I see a way to make this work outbecause you know this, Bella! I can't tell you, but if you guessed it! That would let me right off the hook!† â€Å"You want me to guess? Guess what?† â€Å"My secret! You can do ityou know the answer!† I blinked twice, trying to clear my head. I was so tired. Nothing he said made sense. He took in my blank expression, and then his face tensed with effort again. â€Å"Hole on, let me see if I give you some help,† he said. Whatever he was trying to do, it was so hard he was panting. â€Å"Help?† I asked, trying to keep up. My lids wanted to slip closed, but I forced them open. â€Å"Yeah,† he said, breathing hard. â€Å"Like clues.† He took my face in his enormous, too-warm hands and held it just a few inches from his. He stared into my eyes while he whispered, as if to communicate something besides the words he spoke. â€Å"Remember the first day we meton the beach in La Push?† â€Å"Of course I do.† â€Å"Tell me about it.† I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. â€Å"You asked about my truck† He nodded, urging me on. â€Å"We talked about the Rabbit† â€Å"Keep going.† â€Å"We went for a walk down the beach† My cheeks were growing warm under his palms as I remembered, but he wouldn't notice, hot as his skin was. I'd asked him to walk with me, flirting ineptly but successfully, in order to pump him for information. He was nodding, anxious for more. My voice was nearly soundless. â€Å"You told me scary stories Quileute legends.† He closed his eyes and opened them again. â€Å"Yes.† The word was tense, fervent, like he was on the edge of something vital. He spoke slowly, making each word distinct. â€Å"Do you remember what I said?† Even in the dark, he must be able to see the change in the color of my face. How could I ever forget that? Without realizing what he was doing, Jacob had told me exactly what I needed to know that daythat Edward was a vampire. He looked at me with eyes that knew too much. â€Å"Think hard,† he told me. â€Å"Yes, I remember,† I breathed. He inhaled deeply, struggling. â€Å"Do you remember all the stor† He couldn't finish the question. His mouth popped open like something had stuck in his throat. â€Å"All the stories?† I asked. He nodded mutely. My head churned. Only one story really mattered. I knew he'd begun with others, but I couldn't remember the inconsequential prelude, especially not while my brain was so clouded with exhaustion. I started to shake my head. Jacob groaned and jumped off the bed. He pressed his fists against his forehead and breathed fast and angry. â€Å"You know this, you know this,† he muttered to himself. â€Å"Jake? Jake, please, I'm exhausted. I'm no good at this right now. Maybe in the morning† He took a steadying breath and nodded. â€Å"Maybe it will come back to you. I guess I understand why you only remember the one story,† he added in a sarcastic, bitter tone. He plunked back onto the mattress beside me. â€Å"Do you mind if I ask you a question about that?† he asked, still sarcastic. â€Å"I've been dying ro know.† â€Å"A question about what?† I asked warily. â€Å"About the vampire story I told you.† I stared at him with guarded eyes, unable to answer. He asked his question anyway. â€Å"Did you honestly not know?† he asked me, his voice turning husky. â€Å"Was I the one who told you what he was?† How did he know this? Why did he decide to believe, why now? My teeth clenched together. I stared back at him, no intention of speaking. He could see that. â€Å"See what I mean about loyalty?† he murmured, even huskier now. â€Å"It's the same for me, only worse. You can't imagine how tight I'm bound† I didn't like thatdidn't like the way his eyes closed as if he were in pain when he spoke of being bound. More than dislikeI realized I hated it, hated anything that caused him pain. Hated it fiercely. Sam's face filled my mind. For me, this was all essentially voluntary. I protected the Cullens' secret out of love; unrequited, but true. For Jacob, it didn't seem to be that way. â€Å"Isn't there any way for you to get free?† I whispered, touching the rough edge at the back of his shorn hair. His hands began to tremble, but he didn't open his eyes. â€Å"No. I'm in this for life. A life sentence.† A bleak laugh. â€Å"Longer, maybe.† â€Å"No, Jake,† I moaned. â€Å"What if we ran away? Just you and me. What if we left home, and left Sam behind?† â€Å"It's not something I can run away from, Bella,† he whispered. â€Å"I would run with you, though, if I could.† His shoulders were shaking now, too. He took a deep breath. â€Å"Look, I've got to leave.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"For one thing, you look like you're going to pass out at any second. You need your sleepI need you firing on all pistons. You're going to figure this out, you have to.† â€Å"And why else?† He frowned. â€Å"I had to sneak outI'm not supposed to see you. They've got to be wondering where I am.† His mouth twisted. â€Å"I suppose I should go let them know.† â€Å"You don't have to tell them anything,† I hissed. â€Å"All the same, I will.† The anger flashed hot inside me. â€Å"I hate them!† Jacob looked at me with wide eyes, surprised. â€Å"No, Bella. Don't hate the guys. It's not Sam's or any of the others' faults. I told you beforeit's me. Sam is actually well, incredibly cool. Jared and Paul are great, too, though Paul is kind of And Embry's always been my friend. Nothing's changed therethe only thing that hasn't changed. I feel really bad abour the things I used to think about Sam† â€Å"Sam was incredibly cool.† I glared at him in disbelief, but let it go. â€Å"Then why aren't you supposed to see me?† I demanded. â€Å"It's not safe,† he mumbled looking down. His words sent a thrill of fear through me. Did he know that, too? Nobody knew that besides me. But he was rightit was the middle of the night, the perfect time for hunting. Jacob shouldn't be here in my room. If someone came for me, I had 😠® be alone. â€Å"If I thought it was too too risky,† he whispered, â€Å"I wouldn't have come. But Bella,† he looked at me again, â€Å"I made you a promise. I had no idea it would be so hard to keep, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try.† He saw the incomprehension in my face. â€Å"After that stupid movie,† he reminded me. â€Å"I promised you that I wouldn't ever hurt you So I really blew it this afternoon, didn't I?† â€Å"I know you didn't want to do it, Jake. It's okay.† â€Å"Thanks, Bella.† He took my hand. â€Å"I'm going to do what I can to be here for you, just like I promised.† He grinned at me suddenly. The grin was not mine, nor Sam's, but some strange combination of the two. â€Å"It would really help if you could figure this out on your own, Bella. Put some honest effort into it.† I made a weak grimace. â€Å"I'll try.† â€Å"And I'll try to see you soon.† He sighed. â€Å"And they'll try to talk me out of that.† â€Å"Don't listen to them.† â€Å"I'll try.† He shook his head, as if he doubted his success. â€Å"Come and tell me as soon as you figure it out.† Something occurred to him just then, something that made his hands shake. â€Å"If you if you want to.† â€Å"Why wouldn't I want to see you?† His face turned hard and bitter, one hundred percent the face that belonged to Sam. â€Å"Oh, I can think of a reason,† he said in a harsh tone. â€Å"Look, I really have to go. Could you do something for me?† I just nodded, frightened of the change in him. â€Å"At least call meif you don't want to see me again. Let me know if it's like that.† â€Å"That won't happen† He raised one hand, cutting me off. â€Å"Just let me know.† He stood and headed for the window. â€Å"Don't be an idiot, Jake,† I complained. â€Å"You'll break your leg. Use the door. Charlie's not going to catch you.† â€Å"I won't get hurt,† he muttered, but he turned for the door. He hesitated as he passed me, staring at me with an expression like something was stabbing him. He held one hand out, pleading. I took his hand, and suddenly he yanked metoo roughlyright off the bed so that I thudded against his chest. â€Å"Just in case,† he muttered against my hair, crushing me in a bear hug that about broke my ribs. â€Å"Can'tbreathe!† I gasped. He dropped me at once, keeping one hand at my waist so I didn't fall over. He pushed me, more gently this time, back down on the bed. â€Å"Get some sleep, Bells. You've got to get your head working. I know you can do this. I need you. to understand. I won't lose you, Bella. Not for this.† He was to the door in one stride, opening it quietly, and then disappearing through it. I listened for him to hit the squeaky step in the stairs, but there was no sound. I lay back on my bed, my head spinning. I was too confused, too worn out. I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of it, only to be swallowed up by unconsciousness so swiftly that it was disorienting. It was not the peaceful, creamless sleep I'd yearned forof course not. I was in the forest again, and I started to wander the way I always did. I quickly became aware that this was not the same dream as usual. For one thing, I felt no compulsion to wander or to search; I was merely wandering out of habit, because that was what was usually expected of me here. Actually, this wasn't even the same forest. The smell was different, and the light, too. It smelled, not like the damp earth of the woods, but like the brine of the ocean. I couldn't see the sky; still, it seemed like the sun must be shiningthe leaves above were bright jade green. This was the forest around La Pushnear the beach there, I was sure of it. I knew that if I found the beach, I would be able to see the sun, so I hurried forward, following the faint sound of waves in the distance. And then Jacob was there. He grabbed my hand, pulling me back toward the blackest part of the forest. â€Å"Jacob, what's wrong?† I asked. His face was the frightened face of a boy, and his hair was beautiful again, swept back into a ponytail on the nape of his neck. He yanked with all his strength, but I resisted; I didn't want to go into the dark. â€Å"Run, Bella, you have to run!† he whispered, terrified. The abrupt wave of deja vu was so strong it nearly woke me up. I knew why I recognized this place now. It was because I'd been here before, in another dream. A million years ago, part of a different life entirely. This was the dream I'd had the night after I'd walked with Jacob on the beach, the first night I knew that Edward was a vampire. Reliving that day with Jacob must have dredged this dream out of my buried memories. Detached from the dream now, I waited for it to play out. A light was coming toward me from the beach. In just a moment, Edward would walk through the trees, his skin faintly glowing and his eyes black and dangerous. He would beckon to me, and smile. He would be beautiful as an angel, and his teeth would be pointed and sharp But I was getting ahead of myself. Something else had to happen first. Jacob dropped my hand and yelped. Shaking and twitching, he fell to the ground at my feet. â€Å"Jacob!† I screamed, but he was gone. In his place was an enormous, red-brown wolf with dark, intelligent eyes. The dream veered off course, like a train jumping the tracks. This was not the same wolf that I'd dreamed of in another life. This was the great russet wolf I'd stood half a foot from in the meadow, just a week ago. This wolf was gigantic, monstrous, bigger than a bear. This wolf stared intently at me, trying to convey something vital with his intelligent eyes. The black-brown, familiar eyes of Jacob Black. I woke screaming at the top of my lungs. I almost expected Charlie to come check on me this time. This wasn't my usual screaming. I buried my head in my pillow and tried to muffle the hysterics that my screams were building into. J pressed the cotton tight against my face, wondering if I couldn't also somehow smother the connection I'd just made. But Charlie didn't come in. and eventually I was able to strangle the strange screeching coming out of my throat. I remembered it all nowevery word that Jacob had said to me that day on the beach, even the part before he got to the vampires, the â€Å"cold ones.† Especially that first part. â€Å"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came fromthe Quileutes, I mean?† he asked. â€Å"Not really,† I admitted. â€Å"Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Floodsupposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive, like Noah and the ark.† He smiled then, to show me how little stock he put in the histories. â€Å"Another legend claims that we descended from wolvesand that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them. â€Å"Then there are the stories about the cold ones.† His voice dropped a little lower. â€Å"The cold ones?† â€Å"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land.† Jacob rolled his eyes. † Your great-grandfather?† â€Å"He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf well, not the wolf really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves.† â€Å"Werewolves have enemies?† â€Å"Only one.† There was something stuck in my throat, choking me. I tried to swallow it down, but it was lodged there, un-moving. I tried to spit it out. â€Å"Werewolf,† I gasped. Yes, that was the word that I was choking on. The whole world lurched, tilting the wrong way on its axis. What kind of a place was this? Could a world really exist where ancient legends went wandering around the borders of tiny, insignificant towns, facing down mythical monsters? Did this mean every impossible fairy tale was grounded somewhere in absolute truth? Was there anything sane or normal at all, or was everything just magic and ghost stories? I clutched my head in my hands, trying to keep it from exploding. A small, dry voice in the back of my mind asked me what the big deal was. Hadn't I already accepted the existence of vampires long agoand without all the hysterics that time? Exactly, I wanted to scream back at the voice. Wasn't one myth enough for anyone, enough for a lifetime? Besides, there'd never been one moment that I wasn't completely aware that Edward Cullen was above and beyond the ordinary. It wasn't such a surprise to find out what he wasbecause he so obviously was something. But Jacob? Jacob, who was just Jacob, and nothing more than that? Jacob, my friend? Jacob, the only human I'd ever been able to relate to And he wasn't even human. I fought the urge to scream again. What did this say about me? I knew the answer to that one. It said that there was something deeply wrong with me. Why else would my life be filled with characters from horror movies? Why else would I care so much about them that it would tear big chunks right out of my chest when they went off along their mythical ways? In my head, everything spun and shifted, rearranging so that things that had meant one thing before, now meant something else. There was no cult. There had never been a cult, never been a gang. No, it was much worse than that. It was a pack. A pack of five mind-blowingly gigantic, multihued werewolves that had stalked right past me in Edward's meadow Suddenly, I was in a frantic hurry. I glanced at the clockit was way too early and I didn't care. I had to go to La Push now. I had to see Jacob so he could tell me that I hadn't lost my mind altogether. I pulled on the first clean clothes I could find, not bothering to be sure they matched, and took the stairs two at a time. I almost ran into Charlie as I skidded into the hallway, headed for the door. â€Å"Where are you going?† he asked, as surprised to see me as I was to see him. â€Å"Do you know what time it is?† â€Å"Yeah. I have to go see Jacob.† â€Å"I thought the thing with Sam† â€Å"That doesn't matter, I have to talk to him right now.† â€Å"It's pretty early.† He frowned when my expression didn't change. â€Å"Don't you want breakfast?† â€Å"Not hungry.† The words flew through my lips. He was blocking my path to the exit. I considered ducking around him and making a run for it, but I knew I would have to explain that to him later. â€Å"I'll be back soon, okay?† Charlie frowned. â€Å"Straight to Jacob's house, right? No stops on the way?† â€Å"Of course not, where would I stop?† My words were running together in my hurry. â€Å"I don't know,† he admitted. â€Å"It's just well, there's been another attackthe wolves again. It was real close to the resort by the hot springsthere's a witness this time. The victim was only a dozen yards from the road when he disappeared. His wife saw a huge gray wolf just a few minutes later, while she was searching for him, and ran for help.† My stomach dropped like I'd hit a corkscrew on a roller coaster. â€Å"A wolf attacked him?† â€Å"There's no sign of himjust a little blood again.† Charlie's face was pained. â€Å"The rangers are going out armed, taking armed volunteers. There're a lot of hunters who are eager to be involvedthere's a reward being offered for wolf carcasses. That's going to mean a lot of firepower out there in the forest, and it worries me.† He shook his head. â€Å"When people get too excited, accidents happen† â€Å"They're going to shoot the wolves?† My voice shot through three octaves. â€Å"What else can we do? What's wrong?† he asked, his tense eyes studying my face. I felt faint; I must be whiter than usual. â€Å"You aren't turning into a tree-hugger on me, are you?† I couldn't answer. If he hadn't been watching me, I would have put my head between my knees. I'd forgotten about the missing hikers, the bloody paw prints I hadn't connected those facts to my first realization. â€Å"Look, honey, don't let this scare you. Just stay in town or on the highwayno stopsokay?† â€Å"Okay,† I repeated in a weak voice. â€Å"I've got to go.† I looked at him closely for the first time, and saw that he had his gun strapped to his waist and hiking boots on. â€Å"You aren't going out there after the wolves, are you, Dad?† â€Å"I've got to help, Bells. People are disappearing.† My voice shot up again, almost hysterical now. â€Å"No! No, don't go. It's too dangerous!† â€Å"I've got to do my job, kid. Don't be such a pessimistI'll be fine.† He turned for the door, and held it open. â€Å"You leaving?† I hesitated, my stomach still spinning in uncomfortable loops. What could I say to stop him? I was too dizzy to think of a solution. â€Å"Bells?† â€Å"Maybe it's too early to go to La Push,† I whispered. â€Å"I agree,† he said, and he stepped out into the rain, shutting the door behind him. As soon as he was out of sight, I dropped to the floor and put my head between my knees. Should I go after Charlie? What would I say? And what about Jacob? Jacob was my best friend; I needed to warn him. If he really was aI cringed and forced myself to think the wordwerewolf (and I knew it was true, I could feel it), then people would be shooting at him! I needed to tell him and his friends that people would try to kill them if they went running around like gigantic wolves. I needed to tell them to stop. They had to stop! Charlie was out there in the woods. Would they care about that? I wondered Up until now, only strangers had disappeared. Did that mean anything, or was it just chance? I needed to believe that Jacob, at least, would care about that. Either way, I had to warn him. Or did I? Jacob was my best friend, but was he a monster, too? A real one? A bad one? Should I warn him, if he and his friends were were murderers! If they were out slaughtering innocent hikers in cold blood? If they were truly creatures from a horror movie in every sense, would it be wrong to protect them? It was inevitable that I would have to compare Jacob and his friends to the Cullens. I wrapped my arms around my chest, fighting the hole, while I thought of them. I didn't know anything about werewolves, clearly. I would have expected something closer to the moviesbig hairy half-men creatures or somethingif I'd expected anything at all. So I didn't know what made them hunt, whether hunger or thirst or just a desire to kill. It was hard to judge, not knowing that. But it couldn't be worse than what the Cullens endured in their quest to be good. I thought of Esmethe tears started when I pictured her kind, lovely faceand how, as motherly and loving as she was, she'd had to hold her nose, all ashamed, and run from me when I was bleeding. It couldn't be harder than that. I thought of Carlisle, the centuries upon centuries that he had struggled to teach himself to ignore blood, so that he could save lives as a doctor. Nothing could be harder than that. The werewolves had chosen a different path. Now, what should I choose?

Monday, July 29, 2019

Leadership and Strategic Management of Hallmark Essay

Leadership and Strategic Management of Hallmark - Essay Example Brand image is the latest method through which companies are trying to retain loyal customers. Hence brand image is a vital marketing activity. A brand is not merely a name or a logo or a slogan. It is the customers’ perception of the stimulus when the brand is presented.2 Three important guiding principles for developing strong labor-intensive brands are orchestrating the clues, connecting emotionally and internalizing the brand. Hallmark has not only tried to build its brand image but also used its brand to diversify into other sectors. Very recently, Working Mothers magazine has named Hallmark Cards Inc as one of the 2008 Working Mother 100 best companies. Hallmark has thrived on being a family-friendly company and supporting families have been a vital part of its culture. This is the reason the brand image of Hallmark has enhanced and they utilized the opportunity to grow. According to Working Mothers magazine, Hallmark’s HR policies are employee-friendly which make s them employers of choice. Hallmark employs renowned writers and editors, artists, art directors and other experts that help in giving the best to the people. Organizations become more innovative by capitalizing on their employees’ ability to innovate.3 This is something that can give the competitors something to worry about because Hallmark scores high on people management. A counter trend that can be found in the Hallmark products is the use of celebrity Humor cards. They use parodies of celebrities and politicians for their cards and they claim that they are not violating the right of these public figures. At times they do take permission from the celebrity concerned and they also pay royalties for it.  

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Reviewing the literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reviewing the literature - Essay Example 5). The elderly, the malnourished, and those with acute illness are the most vulnerable (Moore and Cowman, 2010, p. 5). Pressure ulcers are a serious problem for older people because of pain, osteomyelitis, sepsis, and mortality that can be associated with the condition (Graumlich et al., 2003, p. 147). Up to 18% of the hospitalized can have pressure sores or ulcers (Moore and Cowman, 2010, p. 5). In nursing homes, a prevalence of 24% was reported (Graumlich et al., 2003, p. 147). Among surgical patients, the incidence of pressure ulcers can be as high as 12 to 45% (Armstrong et al., 2003, p. 647). Pressure sores or ulcers arise when pressure from lying or sitting on a particular body area result to tissue damage and oxygen deprivation to the affected area (Moore and Cowman, 2010, p. 5). Because of continuous pressure, tissues are depleted of blood flow, waste products are not removed from the wound and the wound fails to get oxygen and nutrient supply that are all necessary for heal ing (Moore and Cowman, 2010, p. 5). According to Graumlich et al. (2003, p. ... In the United States, Graumlich et al. (2001, p. 645) estimated that the cost of treatment for pressure ulcers exceeded US$1 billion annually. Heyneman et al. (2008, p. 1165) reported based on the study of Severens and others in 2002 that the cost of pressure ulcers is about 1% of the health care budget. Of course, prevention is the cornerstone of care for pressure ulcer (Heyneman et al., 2008, p. 1165). However, when pressure ulcers already took place, there are several modes of treatments available. One of them is repositioning (Moore and Cowman, 2010). Another mode of treatment involves the use of collagen (Graumlich et al., 2003). Still another treatment involves the use of phenytoin (Hollisaz et al., 2004). Finally, another way is through hydrocolloids (Hollisaz et al., 2004; Belmin et al., 2002; Heyneman et al., 2008; Graumlich et al., 2003; and Thomas, 2008). The modes of treatments enumerated do not exhaust the modes of treatments feasible or possible on pressure ulcers but w e focus on the use of hydrocolloids. Heyneman et al. (2008, p. 1165) reported that a wide range of treatment is available and the treatment methods can be subdivided into secondary prevention, topical products, surgical treatment and physiotherapy. The word â€Å"hydrocolloids† was coined in the 1960s in the development of mucoadhesives in the combination between carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with adhesives and tackifiers for treating mouth ulcers (Thomas, 2008, p. 602). Thomas (2008, p. 602) reported the term hydrocolloids was subsequently adopted to describe a new type of dressing based on the technology (Thomas, 2008, p. 602). The dressing technology identified as hydrocolloid, a hydrophilic gelable mass was applied in a

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Choose a set of military images or objects and consider how they have Essay - 1

Choose a set of military images or objects and consider how they have mobilized popular opinion in support of war - Essay Example It is only though the lens that the civilized world has come to known the grotesque realities that is bestowed mostly upon the innocent civilians. Be it the Vietnam War, the World War II, and the Afghanistan war, the consequences have always been the same. In such situations, photographers of courage, and practically, photographers of luck have played vital role in mobilizing an entire public opinion in either way. Nevertheless, history has been the testimony of the fact that images speak loud. This paper presents few such images and their cause and effect in influencing the opinion of people in the event of a war and its subsequent outcome. The images have been captured under different conditions and times, although all have a common element of historical value. All of them represent the times during which they were clicked and in some or the other way bore importance in prominent aspects of history. When Eddie Adams shot this picture of a South Vietnamese General- Nguyen Ngoc Loan shooting a suspected Vietcong guerrilla, he might have never known how intensified would be the ripples that this image would generate. â€Å"It earned Adams a Pulitzer Prize† (Coward 2004). Although the image brought out anti-war feelings as â€Å"public approval certainly cannot be taken for granted† (Handel 1992), what it did was to escalate the Tet Offensive which was a massive campaign against the Republic of Vietnam forces and the U.S. and its allies. Although the fate of a war is never known, bitter feelings on any side always tend to extend the war as might have been in the case of the Vietnam war which went on till a few more years. Although Adams’ first comment was- â€Å"The general killed the Viet Cong; I killed the general with my camera.† (Robbins 2010), he later on apologized to Nguyen for whatever humiliation the photograph did to his reputation. On the 11th of September 2011, when an airliner hit the North Block of the World Trade Center, Richard Drew was

Friday, July 26, 2019

DB4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DB4 - Essay Example Objectives Our aim is to introduce a new operating system in the market and eventually gather a market share. To accomplish that, we need to: establish an offline and online presence by writing product articles for print and new media, establish networks with probable clients through conferences, and establish business relationships by partnering with other software development companies. Competitive Environment and Analysis Different categories of computers use different operating systems and the market share varies widely from one category to another (e.g. Desktop and laptop computers, mobile devices, etc.). The main players, however, in the operating system market are Microsoft Windows, Linux, Unix, and Apple. As of the last quarter of 2010, the combined market share of these companies for different categories is around 95%. While most of these companies have huge market shares in desktop computers and mobile devices, our operating system specializes in customized applications whi ch include car entertainment systems, DVD players, and corporate computers, to name a few. Target Market The primary target market for our product is original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Dunkins brands strategic performance Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dunkins brands strategic performance - Article Example The growth rate is healthy due to lucrative returns for franchisee and surging sales in the Dunkin’ Donuts outlets in U.S. Answer: In the fourth quarter of 2013, the corporation announced an increase by 13.3% in terms of revenues to about $183.2 million. It is believed that the performance was optimistic due to rising sales of Dunkin’ Donuts same-stores which was about 3.5% and at Baskin-Robbins U.S. sales increased by 2.2%. Despite the decline in consumer spending power and harsh conditions of weather, Dunkin’ Brands appears to be doing extraordinarily satisfactorily. We are optimistic about future sales as we are expecting that our sales of Dunkin’ Donuts will increase in between 3-4% in U.S. and Baskin-Robbins in between 1-2% during the period of 2014. Moreover, dividends were also increased by 21% in the quarter which is a positive indication of our firm’s financial performance. Dunkin Brands Group Inc. is the well-known QSR Company which has more than 17,000 distribution points in more than sixty countries globally. It is recognised for being the world’s top ranked franchisors of QSR which is serving a unique range of baked goods, hot and cold coffees and ice creams. In order to effectively manage the business operations, it has four vital components classified as Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins, Nutrition Advisory Board and Culinary Dream Team. Since it has international operations, it is employing franchise model in global destinations. As of 2011, there are 100% franchised business models which comprise of about 10,500 restaurants of Dunkin’ Donuts and 7,000 outlets of Baskin-Robbins. For the period of 2012, Dunkin’ Brands reported sales of more than $8.8 billion generated from its franchisees. The corporation has its headquarters in Canton, Mass. Dunkin’ Brands is well-aware of the fact that the strength of a company lies in its skilled, loyal and experienced workforce and it strives to develop

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Nursing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Nursing assignment - Essay Example ea of wound dressing since I identified that wound dressing is a technique, and this involves high level of professional involvement and meticulousness to impart this. Apart from the principles of wound infection, wound nature, and principles of sterility, a thorough understanding of the physiology of the particular variety of wound is necessary so a standard care can be delivered to the patient. If all the principles are followed in a rigorous manner, there is no reason why a difficult wound would not heal; therefore, wound dressing has implications in patient outcome. I have observed that my skills in wound dressing have improved with practice and repeated dressings of the same wound while the patient was under my care. This indicates that practice of the principles improves the standard of the care particularly applicable to wound dressing, and the care standards may be strengthened, that is, practice may be strengthened. I have decided to reflect on my wound dressings with Joanna since reflection is a process that critically analyzes the care provided, and it would help me to find out my weaknesses and strengths. Not only that, this process of reflection would enhance my future practice (McCormack B, Manley K, Garbett R., 2004). Definitions: The professional practice of nursing, midwifery, and health visiting takes place in a context of continuous change. New researches are taking place continuously, and the evidence base of practice and learning is being enhanced in a rapid manner. Therefore, new developments and continuously being introduced in practice, influenced by factors, such as, government initiatives and improvements in medical and nursing science. Professional nurses cannot hope to practice safely, efficiently, and effectively being constantly accountable to the fact whether standards of practice have been met or not unless they engage in continuing professional development mainly to maintain up to date knowledge base to underpin that practice and

Business Research Discussion Week 1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Research Discussion Week 1 - Coursework Example The research would help them into designing the lighting of their store to improve purchasing. The retail store should understand lighting of both the store space and the display area to improve customer buying patterns (Binngeli, 2011). If for instance, good lighting increases customer purchase, the retail firm should ideally chose to install light fixtures in their stores and allow maximum sunlight to enter the store. The main aim of the retail store is to sell the highest number of products and if lighting enables the firm to achieve this, then the firm would be quite successful. This information would be most likely to help out in the interior design and construction of shopping malls. Shopping malls are usually designed to let the maximum amount of sunlight in. This is because lighting creates a general feeling of well-being which then prompts customers to spend more time in the mall and thus they are likely to spend more money (Pride and Ferrell, 2011). Retails stores can benefit from this research by ensuring that all their products are properly lighted. They should avoid dark corners in their stores as customers would not want to move to those areas. For this reason, retail stores designers avoid corners in their product display. They tend to place products on long shelves running parallel to each

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

A review of Risk Assessment Methodologies Essay

A review of Risk Assessment Methodologies - Essay Example Furthermore, a risk-management process will help you prioritize these issues should you lack the resources necessary to address them all immediately. 1. Establish the risk assessment team. The team is formed to collect, analyze and report the assessments to the management. It is important that all aspects of the activity work flow be represented on the team, including human resources, administrative processes, automated systems, and physical security. The reason is to plan things before hand so that it becomes easy to go by. The team members on the other hand will have to attend and participate in the meetings, they will have to take the responsibility of achieving goals and objectives. The team members will also have to work hard for effective teamwork and communications, share responsibility for all team decisions and share knowledge and expertise with the team. The team members would themselves have to provide leadership where appropriate and last but not the least, will have to participate in training sessions where required. 2. Set the scope of the project. ... should identify at the outset the objective of the assessment project, department, or functional area to be assessed, the responsibilities of the members of the team, the personnel to be interviewed, the standards to be used, documentation to be reviewed, and operations to be observed. When the scope of a project is discussed, the output is in terms of time and cost. Scope is important because experience team members would know how changes in scope cause an issue. As the things proceed scopes do change, as the team members are not aware of the actual outcomes of things. 3. Identify assets covered by the assessment. Assets may include, but are not limited to, personnel, hardware, software, data (including classification of sensitivity and criticality), facilities, and current controls that safeguard those assets. It is key to identify all assets associated with the assessment project determined in the scope. 4. Categorize potential losses. Identify the losses that could result from any type of damage to an asset. Losses may result from physical damage, denial of service, modification, unauthorized access, or disclosure. Losses may be intangible, such as the loss of the organizations' credibility. It is only after knowing these losses can the team think of threats that may occur. More than one individual gathers the potential loss or anything concerning this. Everyone can give his or her own comments. The more different possibilities are taken out, the more prepared a team becomes incase of an event. 5. Identify threats and vulnerabilities. A threat is an event, process, activity, or action that exploits a vulnerability to attack an asset. Include natural threats, accidental threats, human accidental threats, and human malicious threats. These could include power

Monday, July 22, 2019

The Tensions of the Old and New During the 1920s Essay Example for Free

The Tensions of the Old and New During the 1920s Essay After witnessing the devastating, yet human-induced tragedies of World War I, the psyche of America was never the same. They abandoned their fundamental beliefs that the Western Civilization was not a model, but flawed society and turned their attention towards internal affairs, signaling the beginning of American isolationism. As William Allen White put it, Americans were â€Å"tired of issues, sick at heart of ideals, and weary of being noble. † The Roaring Twenties reflected this rejection of tradition ideals as consumerism and sexual revolution swept the nation. In the 1920s, the boom in technology, coupled with cultural and social developments led to tensions between the old and new. The manifestation of these conflicting ideals was a focal point of the Election of 1920 and Scopes Monkey Trial. The reform movements and Woodrow Wilson’s staunch moral legislation preceding the 1920s were a source of exhaustion for the American public. The American public was disillusioned with the failed League of Nations, and quickly embraced the Election of 1920 as what the victorious Warren G. Harding put it, â€Å"the return to normalcy. † â€Å"The return to normalcy† was essentially calling for the return to the older and simpler times in America, which also condoned American isolationism. Warren G. Harding and his successor, Calvin Coolidge’s presidencies embodied the return to a laissez faire economy with their pro-business stance. The Fordney-McCumber Tariff of 1922 and Smoot-Hawley Tariff protected American companies to foreign companies. Treasury Secretary, Andrew Mellon was also successful in lowering income taxes for the wealthy. Their disdain for liberalism was apparent with their lackluster reform legislations passed in office, but they left office with high approval ratings as a result of that staunch conservatism. The reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan nativism was another key topic of these administrations with the passing of the American Immigration Act of 1924 and the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 which placed severe quotas on the number of immigrants from these countries. Appointing the Nativism and conservative judges like Webster Thayer to the trials of Sacco and Vanzetti demonstrated that their subsequent executions were not the result out of justice, but of the sour public opinion against immigration. The reemergence of Nativism, spearheaded by Ku Klux Klan (Document D) served to reestablish and enforce tradition and morality in society. They used tactics of violence to preserve Protestant principles and decency, as a method to â€Å"return of power into the ands of the everyday†¦. average citizen of the old stock. † Their fight however was not just limited to Southern Hicks, but Northerners, and Midwesterners like Indianans who comprised of half the Klan membership during the decade. Their slogan, â€Å"100% Americanism† echoed through all the regions of the nation, where they targeted Jews, Catholics, and anyone that posed a threat to their middle-class protestant. Their religious conservatism was prominently voiced during the Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, TN (Document C) where the clash between fundamentalism and evolution reached a culmination with the whirlwind trial of hot shot Chicago lawyer, Clarence Darrow versus 4 time presidential nominee, William Jennings Bryan. Clarence Darrow‘s loss in the courtroom was viewed as a triumph for liberals. Women, one of the most deprecated groups in society countered against the confinements and expectations of society. With the passage of the nineteenth amendment and the availability of jobs in the city, women were in some aspects, free from the constraints that plagued the previous generations of women. Flappers, embodied by the carefree, smoking, and sexually charged female outraged the previous generations with their overt rejection of the Victorian ideals of a lady. The new women had the highest divorce rates than their predecessors as well (Document H). Margaret Sanger’s invention of birth control and the open discussions of sexuality contributed to the change in women roles. Although most women still clung to their gender norms, the sexual and gender revolution of this time period would serve as the foundation of the feminism movement of the 60s. The boom in consumer technology and inventions spurred mass consumerism and decadence within the American public. Mass production made goods cheap and readily available to the mass market, and almost every household owned a Ford Model T by the end of the decade. The desire to keep up with the Joneses became a measure of one’s social standing and identity. Sinclair Lewis’s Babbitt satirized the conformist and shallow existence of the average American household. Writers of the Lost Generation expressed their contempt for America’s growing consumerism by becoming expatriates and publishing literary masterpieces exposing the folly of conspicuous consumption. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby showcased the tragic ending of the title character due to his infatuation with material gains. The cartoon, â€Å"If Grandpap Could Only Return with some of his discipline,† illustrates the current, undisciplined generation being spanked by the frugal forefathers for their lack of appreciation and materialism for all the new technological advances. It served as a plead for morality as the older generations warned the current generation that excess will get them in moral and economic trouble since the introduction of credit and installment plans. Instead of following Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise and waiting to assimilate and be accepted into White Society, the Garvey Movement completely rejected it and called for the establishment of a black nation, which wasn’t successful, but still had a lasting impact on the black community. Racial tensions were brought to the surface with the influx of arts and literature of the Harlem Renaissance, where writers proclaimed and expressed their frustrations at white society. Langston Hughes and other famous African American authors created a black culture that proudly declared in their own superiority. Langston wrote, â€Å"Why should I want to be white? I am Negro-and beautiful† (Document E). Although White Society did not accept them as they had hoped, the artistic and cultural impact of the movement would serve as the basis of the Civil Rights movement several decades later. The 1920s were a time of great social, technological, and cultural changes. Set against the backdrop of staunch American conservatism, these changes were inevitably bound to clash. The manifestations of old and new tensions were highlighted in two defining legal battles, the Scopes Monkey trial and Sacco and Vanzetti. Although this period of upheaval did not impose significant changes on the minorities and outsiders of American society, it did provide the principle components of the equal rights movements for these largely ignored members of society,

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Impacts of globalisation on Walt Disney

Impacts of globalisation on Walt Disney Globalization is a process where there is increasing of connectivity and mobility of the worlds markets as well as businesses where they are expanding from domestic to international ones. Since the last two decades, advancement of technology has speed up the process to make travelling, communicating and business globally much more easily. The two major driving forces of globalisation are advances in telecommunications infrastructure and internet. As economies are more connected to each other, opportunities increase as well as competitions. Nowadays, most of the company in the world adapted globalisation to secure their position within the competitive market, for example, The Walt Disney Company (TWDC), yet there are still negative impacts on the company. http://www.investorwords.com/2182/globalization.html Walt Disney  is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world in term of revenue which is originally known as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studious. It is founded by Walter Elias Disney on October 16, 1923 and his brother Roy Disney. It is the leading diversified entertainment and media multinational enterprise with five business segments worldwide which are media networks, parks and resorts, studios entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. The companys key products and services are as follow: http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/index.html Media networks: Domestic broadcast television network Television production and distribution Domestic television stations Cable and satellite networks and international broadcast operations Domestic broadcast radio networks and stations Internet operations Parks and Resorts: Walt Disney  World Resort Disney Cruise  Line Disneyland Resort ESPN Zone Disneyland Resort Hong Kong Disneyland Tokyo Walt Disney Resort Disney Imagineering Studio Entertainment: Theatrical distribution Home entertainment distribution Television distribution Audio products and music publishing Consumer Products: Character merchandise and publications licensing Books and magazines Buena Vista games The Disney Store Disney Catalog and disneydirect.com Interactive Media: Disney Interactive Studios Disney Online In this assignment, we will be concentrated more on Disney Theme Parks and Resorts and touch a little bit on its other business segments: Disneyland Resort in Anaheim California. Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida. Tokyo Disney Resort in Tokyo. Disneyland Resort Paris in Paris. (Formerly EURO-Disney) Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in Hong Kong. In order to expand its business, Disney chooses countries with high Disney awareness and affinity, large population centres with stable economies and people having disposable income to spend on leisure. The most important are the market size where it has to be large to guarantee a steady flow of visitors, and level of real income of consumers to have a certain spending power to enjoy leisure activities. The availability of infrastructures as well as skill levels in the host economy and other resources must take into account too follow by other aspects like political, trade policies and macroeconomic stability. To see whether a theme park operation is successful or not, it is highly depends on the stability of political and economical circumstances in the host country to avoid any negative impacts on its business. The characteristics of globalisation are there is an increase in foreign sales, foreign direct investment, expanding market size, communications, global competition, rapid increase and expansion of technology, liberalisation of cross border movement, development of supporting services, etc. Foreign Direct Investment Globalisation leads to increases foreign direct investment of a company from its country of origin into other countries. According to Stephanie Rohac (2006), foreign direct investment is the international flow of capital by creating or expanding a subsidiary in another country. It may be made through established a new enterprise or acquisition of an existing entity. A firm becomes multinational in the case of establishing in two or more countries business enterprises through FDI. Foreign direct investment provides job opportunities, and increase in transfer of skills as well as technology. The headquarter of The Walt Disney Company is located in United States, in order to expand its theme park and resort businesses, Disney develops its foreign markets by doing foreign direct investment in California, Tokyo, France and Hong Kong. After the success of its first venture of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) continue to expand into Asian fields with Tokyo Disney in Tokyo. Nearly twenty years later, the company decided to do its expansion into the European market and here come Euro Disney which is now known as Disneyland Resort Paris. The theme park Euro Disney was expected to bring $600 million in foreign investment into France every year and it is the largest single Foreign Direct Investment ever in France. Lastly, back to Asia again, followed by Hong Kong Disneyland. http://books.google.com.my/books?id=9PqwNoOJagoCprintsec=frontcoverdq=foreign+direct+investment+of+disneysource=blots=Yap4ZathyBsig=Dkmc0vKm5ajWEuErX5x_E93osq0hl=enei=hCP_TJjSCcLirAfyyt2ACAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=10ved=0CFQQ6AEwCQ#v=onepageqf=false Mergers and Acquisitions According to QuickMBA.com, merger is the combination of assets and also liabilities of two companies to form a single entity while acquisition is when a larger firm took over the small ones. http://www.quickmba.com/finance/mergers-acquisitions/ According to Paul R. La Monica (2006), Disney bought over Pixar which is owned by Apple and led by Steve Job, a deal that worth $7.4 billion. The deals included Steve Job becoming one of the board members of Disney and 2.3 shares of Disneys will be issued for each Pixar share. Merger of these two companies will bring higher quality of films to the people around the world as well as generates higher profit. http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news/companies/disney_pixar_deal/ Actual Impacts of globalisation on Walt Disney Political Positive impacts According to Stephanie Rohac (2006), France government has reduced 18.6% of value-added tax on Euro Disneylands ticket sales to only 7%. Besides that, 20 years loan of $960 million at low and subsidized interest rates of 7.85% is provided too. Variety of investment incentives are offered by the host governments to encourage foreign investors to invest into their country. The main issue of France government facing at the time was its unemployment rates increased by 10%. The opening of Euro Disneyland can actually solve the problem where it creates more than 30,000 new construction jobs, 12,000 on-site positions and 30,000 jobs in off-site serving. Economical Positive impacts Brand recognition worldwide The Walt Disney Company markets itself worldwide, creating huge revenues and further establishing itself as a global brand. As the business globalised, Disney brand is known by people globally and merchandising has played an important role in establishing the Disney brand. Market size Due to globalisation, company increases its market size from domestic to international market. By investing into various countries of its theme park and resort business as well as exporting its products to other countries, Disney has enlarged its market size at the same time. According to James Ketterer (2010), the very first Disney Store was opened 28th March 1984 in Glendale, California. The Disney stores are located worldwide, throughout the US, UK, Spain Italy, Japan, and France. Since May 1st 2008, the Walt Disney Company owns all Disney stores in America, Canada and Europe, however the stores in Japan are owned by the Oriental Land Company, for example, Disneyland Tokyo. In the year 2004 alone, merchandise has made $2.5 billion for the company, a figure that shows how globally successful Disney really is. http://www.suite101.com/content/disney-and-globalisation-a196391 Financial Revenues by country of origin: The US and Canada,  Walt Disneys largest geographical market, accounted for 76% of the total revenues in the year 2009. Revenues are generated through other countries of origin: Europe  (17%), Asia Pacific (5%) and Latin America and other (2%). Revenues Operating Income (in millions) 2009 2008 2007 2009 2008 2007 Country of origin: United States and Canada $ 27,508 $ 28,506 $ 27,286 $ 4,923 $ 6,500 $ 6,052 Europe $ 6,012 $ 6,805 $ 5,898 $ 1,158 $ 1,423 $ 1,192 Asia Pacific $ 1,860 $ 1,811 $ 1,732 $ 430 $ 386 $ 437 Latin America and Other $ 769 $ 721 $ 594 $ 161 $ 175 $ 156 Total $ 36,149 $ 37,843 $ 35,510 $ 6,672 $ 8,484 $ 7,837 The data above is obtained from Walt Disney 20009 annual reports. Regardless the financial performance of Walt Disney, try to imagine what would be the revenues and operating income of Disney if it has never globalise. Globalisation helps Disney to gain its revenues from all over the world instead of only from its host countries, United States. The total revenue in year 2007 was $35,510 million. The total revenues increased by 6.6% to $37,843 million in 2008. However, the total revenues dropped by 4.5% to $36,149 million in 2009. Negative impacts Global Recession According to Jason Garcia (2009), during the global recession in year 2009, despite the favourable timing of the busy Easter holiday, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts suffering from downfall of its operating profit and total revenues by 19% and 9% respectively. Disneys profit and revenues in United States have declined by 26% and 7% to $954 million and $8.6 billion respectively. Although Walt Disney World is having the same amount of visitor compared with the previous year and 10% more guests in Disneyland, Disney does not make any profit as it gives out discounts and special deals to uphold the attendance level of visitors. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-07-31/news/disney_1_walt-disney-disney-world-disney-parks Financial Crisis According to Wu Jin (2009), during 2009 global financial crisis, Hong Kong Disneyland left with no choice and plan to raise its entrance ticket prices by nearly twenty percent. The decision was made after numbers of market surveys have been conducted where the tourist visits are not affected by prices but seasonal factors. However, Hong Kong Disney have been threatened and boycotted by local travel agencies and public dismay, hence, it adjusted its price strategy again. http://www.china.org.cn/travel/news/2009-02/05/content_17226206.htm Global competitions A company at first have its own competitors in its domestic market, however, due to globalisation, there are more competitors as it has to face global competitions with international competitors. Company tends to strive to be better in order to compete with its competitors. Walt Disney Company has its own competitors in each and every one of its business segments locally and internationally. However, its major competitors are CBS Corporation (CBS), News Corporation (NWS) and Time Warner Incorporation (TWX). They compete directly with Disney in various business lines which is shown in the chart below: Disney CBS News Corp. Time Warner Films Theme parks Cable networks Broadcast networks Television stations Radio Internet Social Positive impacts Consumer Spending Source: http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2005/11/why_the_focus_o.html The table above shows where United States people spent their money. And it shows that most of their spending is on entertainment: publishing industries, motion picture and sound recording industries, broadcasting and telecommunications as well as amusements, gambling and recreation. This is favourable to Disney as it business focuses on those entertainments. Negative impacts Cultural Differences As every country have different cultural practices, Disney need to add local attractions to attract local consumers. For example, in Hong Kong Disneyland, a Mickey Mouse mascot is wearing a bright red Mao suit while Minnie Mouse mascot is wearing a cherry blossom red dress. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/arts/22arts-ACHINESEMAKE_BRF.html Besides that, employees in the theme parks have to know different languages in different Disneyland theme parks, in Hong Kong Disney land, they speak both English and local dialects like Cantonese and Standard Mandarin. Their brochures and maps are printed in those languages too with additional Japanese language. And the most special one, they actually included sharks fin soup in their menu. http://www.springerlink.com/content/h6335466636hw877/ Technology Positive impacts Nowadays, technology has become a very increasingly important tool to compete with rival companies and industries. The development of technology like video editing software, high definition and 3D have a strong impact on film producer like Walt Disney to helps them in producing the film efficiently. According to Bloomberg (2010), the latest Walt Disney animation movie which is named Alice in the Wonderland which comes with 3D resolution have hit 210.3 million ticket sales in worldwide and 116.3 million in United States. The improvement of technology brings better sales to Walt Disney. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-07/disney-s-alice-in-wonderland-makes-116-million-sets-records.html Negative impacts Before the existence of internet in year 1955, consumers purchased entertainment products such as music CDs from entertainment outlets. As technology advances, entertainment industry has been affected with the existence of Peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture which implemented worldwide. According to Sammy Khayat (2004), P2P is the distributed computing network where people directly shares files or resources from computer with others without going through central server, for example Napster. Hence, people no longer buy CDs from the shops anymore. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the number of CDs shipped in United States feel 15% from 940 million to 800 million between year 2000 and 2002 which brought to dropped in sales about $2.5 billion. Copyright infringement is expanding as people often do file sharing over internet which allows them to download free music and then send to their friends which is a great threat to Disneys entertainment business. Other than t hat, pirated CDs, DVDs and soft toys give big impacts to Disney as well. http://www.personal.psu.edu/sbk142/disney.htm Environment Negative impacts Bad weathers like rain and thunderstorm decreases entrance tickets sales of Disney theme parks as consumers will be taking the consideration under the hazardous weather. Take Gold Coast theme parks as example, the wet weather at south-eastern Queensland had affected the revenue of the company to fall. http://www.smh.com.au/business/wet-weather-means-less-fun-for-theme-park-profits-20101102-17cd3.html Legal All Disneys cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse are trademarked, hence other people cannot use them without authorization. There was a case back in year 1989 where there were three day-care centres in Florida painted Mickey Mouse and other Disney cartoon characters on their wall and Disney took legal action against them. The rival, Universal Studios replaced with its cartoon characters after Disneys were removed. http://www.snopes.com/disney/wdco/daycare.asp Besides that, technology advancement has led to pirated products such as soft toys which cannot be controlled by the company as it goes worldwide in huge numbers. Potential impacts of Globalisation on Walt Disney Lifestyle influences Nowadays, people are so stressful to face their problems at workplace, school and even at home. Tensed lifestyle is favourable to Disneys business which is concentrate on entertainment sector as people tend to spend their money on entertainments just to make themselves feel more comfortable and relax. This can actually lead to increase in Disneys sales and revenues. Technology advancement As the technology advances, Disney can cut its labour costs. For example, in Disney theme parks, people can buy their tickets from ticket machines where there is no need ticket booths that require workers to sell the entrance tickets. Operators are no longer requires if the theme park is fully computerized, where the roller coasters, marry-go-round, etc, will automatically run when consumers are ready to go. Besides that, future technology can makes Disney films more interesting, maybe it will be in 4D or 5D where people can experience new things and they are willing to spend their money for new kind of entertainment. Disney can also be innovative in their theme parks and come out with new kind of games, gadgets and amusement rides to attract more consumers. In this way, Disney can generate more revenue due to its new technology. Strategy China is having a population of 1.26 billion people which is equivalent to 20 percent of the worlds total population. With the humongous population and established relationship with Chinese Government, its foreseen by the Walt Disney Company that there is high demand for entertainment and the fourth Disney theme park, Hong Kong Disneyland can generates revenue by entering the country. Besides that, the labour cost in China is two third lower than Disneys other theme parks where lower costs generate higher profit. Disney can actually expand more of its businesses into China as it is having very huge and potential market. With one child policy in China, the grandparents as well as parents are pampering their child and they are willing to spend money on entertainment that their child wanted like theme parks and movies. The adults who are facing problems simply need entertainments just to relax themselves. The demand for entertainment is very high in China, however, due to their lower incomes, they may not afford to pay for it. Disney should have brought down its selling prices and hence generates more sales. Besides that, Disney has to understand their cultural practices and try to adapt local custom by doing more market researchers, interview and questionnaires, so that the company can roughly have an idea on what the local people prefer. There are a lot advantages for China if Disney to expand its businesses at China where the business can helps to raise its technology level, provide job opportunities for its people and increase its economic growth. In my opinion, the barrier for Disney to enter China should not be a problem. Source: http://www.indexmundi.com/china/unemployment_rate.html The table above shows the unemployment rate in China from year 2004 to 2010, the data is for urban areas only, including migrants may boost total unemployment to 9%, substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas. If Disney further expands its business in China, it can help to reduce China unemployment like how it helps Frances. The Walt Disney Company is having a strong brand name and reputation in this world, it should keep it up and achieve its mission all the time which is to make everyone happy. I believe that Disney will never fail in its business and always stay at the top level.

Characteristics of Change Management Models

Characteristics of Change Management Models 1.1 Evaluate the characteristics and application of a range of change management models for different organisational structures. Organisational structure is there to determine how the roles, power and responsibility are assigned, controlled and coordinated and how information flows between the different levels of management. There are many different structures and this depends on the organisations objectives and strategy. Hierarchical this structure has a longer chain of command, each on a different level one above the other, like a pyramid. The advantages of this is authority and responsibility are clear and well defined, opportunity for promotion motivates employees and employees can specialise and develop expertise in their field. On the other hand the disadvantages are communication between departments may be less effective, decision making can take longer, may be harder to adapt and change or even rivalry between departments. Functional this is one of the most common especially in larger businesses they do this by dividing the business via departments such as sale, marketing, finance, human resources etc. The advantages of this structure is that it is specialised so departments focus on one area of work, productivity as they are specialised the staff are skilled in the tasks they perform, accountability there are clear lines of management and clarity everyone understands their roles. On the other hand the disadvantages may be closed communication, co-ordination may become difficult and they may be resistant to change. Flat this occurs when there are no management levels, when all staff report to one overall manager mainly seen in small businesses. The advantages to this structure are: better communication and relationship between different roles, simple, fast decision making process, easier to change and adapt. On the other hand the disadvantages may be that employees may be less specialised and it is difficult to maintain this structure as the company grows. I would say we are between a flat and hierarchical structure because we are still relatively a small business but growing, there are fewer levels of management. We have our directors, managers and room leaders so it is a fairly direct chain of command with leaders having access to the directors very easily as we all work very closely together but you can see as we grow levels will be added. Change management theories Business environments are constantly changing and evolving such as social media and mobile capability have changed they way we do business which means there is an ever increasing need to change and therefore change management. Change is a key source of competitive advantage and change is all about survival. There are several key change management models such as Kotter J.P.(2012) invented the eight step model for leading change. Create a sense of urgency if people think the organisation is doing fine there will be little motivation for change. It is important that your employees see the need for change. This is the most important and difficult step to make sure everyone is on the same page in order to make the change happen. Bring everyone together it is essential to have a strong leader to convince employee that the change is necessary. Create a clear vision and strategy having a clear vision allows people to remember easily what your are asking them to do. Communicate your vision to others- share the visions and make sure all staff understand what we are aiming for. It is important to talk about your vision often and use it daily to make decision and solve problems. Remove obstacles- to clear obstacles and have a can do attitude this will help empower employees execute your vision and move forward. Motivate with short term wins- this will build confidence and allowing staff achieve short term goals will give them a taste of success. You want it to be achievable with little room for failure, so that they will want to get to the final stage of the change process. Build on the change- saying the above you need to be careful not reward too early and keep moving forward and building on the change. Change to become the core of the organisation- to avoid old habits creeping back in the change that came in place needs to be imbedded into the heart of the company. The real change requires a subtle motivation driven approach and is broad based rather than narrow and built on inclusion. Therefore collaboration is the base for success and to achieve that there must be a wide spread perception for change. We need to look at our own competitive situation and effective communication is key to getting the word out and achieving employee engagement. Change is only possible if everyone participates. In relation to how this Kotters change model is suitable for a change process with our organisational structure can be shown through an example of change we have currently put into action in our company. As part of a requirement by our governing body in the childcare industry we must keep a learning journal for each child, tracking and tracing the developments in their learning during their time in our nursery. For many year this was a manual hand written process, each child had a large word processed book that our members of staff needed to complete throughout the childs duration in the nursery. We then needed to keep these records for numerous years. Looking back on this now it was a lot of paperwork and you need a lot of space to store these records. Over the last two years we have introduced a change in this form of record keeping procedure and are now processing everything on a on-line program called Tapestry. This on-line learning journal is an innovative, time effective and kind to the environment form of keeping these records. We can give this change as an example of how we can use Kotters theory to bring this change to life. As stage one says the hardest job of this change was to explain the need of it to the staff. It was important to educate the staff and get them to understand the urgency for this change. The urgency being to move with the times and go paper less and digital, this was a daunting thought for them as many did not have strong IT skills and feared this process being difficult. We need to match our competitors and make sure we were part of the change that was happening in the industry. This application Tapestry is not only for inputting information about a child but it has an interactive live element to it where parents can log in and see the work we are doing and their childs achievements. This was a major reason for us wanting to introduce this change so that we can improve our communication with parents and give them a live insight to what we do with the children in our setting. After numerous meetings and discussions with our staff they understood the need for this change which really helped us move forward. By educating them and giving them so much information about the program, training them how to use it and explaining the benefits to us all they all came on board excited to get started. We created a clear vision and made sure it was communicated and brought in to our daily working lives. We set them small and achievable steps to show them they can do it and motivated them with rewards for their achievements. We recognised the staff that did a great job and told them all that by working and helping each other we can be better.ÂÂ   We offered a lot of training in groups and one on one so that no one was left behind or struggling. We empowered them by setting deadlines for information about their key children to be inputted and then checked their work and give them feedback on their achievements. This really motivated them as they were proud of what they have accomplished and felt that we really took time out of our day to say well done. Now two year into this change we are about to go live to parents and are looking forward to this being the start of a new era. Using this programme has really become a part of our daily working life and cant imagine going back to the old way. There are so many ways we can and are moving forward in our industry today but this is just one example of how we can manage change. In saying the above we can look at how Kubler-Ross (1960) change curve model can be discussed in relation to the example of us changing programs to Tapestry. Kubler- Ross Change Curve is a reliable tool to understand change and the stages associated with it, it is about us being able to help our employees adapt to change and move towards success. As we can see from the model above it is translated into the 5 stages of the grieving process. The 5 stages included in this model are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, this also holds true when it comes to business or employment and we need to understand during the change process at what stage our employees are at. If our employees do not make personal changes or transitions during our change process we will not see the benefits of this change or move forward. It is important to support our staff through every stage of any change we implement in order for us to ensure success, this can be shown in the amount of training we invest in and support we give our staff to give them the tools they need to achieve. Â   At stage one this can be shock or denial to the fact that change needs to occur and they may need to adapt to something new. Information is key at this stage, it will take time to digest and giving them knowledge and constantly communicating will empower them to be confident in the change. Stage two once all has settled and everything becomes clear they may begin to feel fear of what lies ahead of them. It is natural to panic and believe that you can not make this change happen and question yourself and your capability. It can also make them feel anger or resentful because they may have been comfortable in what they were doing and change means learning something new. This is an important stage to manage and ensure it is controlled so that employees stick with you. Once again communication is essential. Stage three at this point employees understand the change and may start to bargain and possibly learn only what they think is necessary. This is when training is key and vital to ensure that everyone receives the best information and access to mentoring. It is important not to rush this stage and why we have taken nearly two years for our staff to trial the program before it goes live to parents. Allowing them to make mistakes and learn from them so that we are well equipped when this system is introduced. Stage four is the point at which moral and motivation can be low so when providing our training we try and make it as interactive and fun as possible so not only do they remember what is being taught but enjoy themselves in the process meaning they will do their best. Stage five is when we all really start to embrace the change and when we will really start moving forward. There are numerous other theories available for us to look at when discussing change management but for the two that I have analysed we can clearly see the difference between the two model but their relevance and importance are still the same in the example I have given regarding Tapestry. In conclusion it has shown me that when it comes to any change within the organisation we need to ensure everyone is on board, educated, supported and enthusiastic about the project in order for it to succeed. Change can not be made to happen by one person it takes the whole company to want to come together to move us forward, therefore we need to make sure we are able to manage the change/project, our staff and ourselves throughout the whole process. 1.2 Analyse stakeholder mapping techniques used for managing and evaluating change When it comes to managing projects and implementing ideas the actions you take can effect a lot of people and some of these people will have more influence over the success of our project more than others. Therefore knowing who these people areÂÂ   before you start is incredibly important. This is because you are more likely to succeed if you have the support of your key stakeholders.ÂÂ   Stakeholders are people interested in our business they can be internal i.e. employees and owners or external i.e. suppliers, customers and government. It is important to understand who our key stakeholders are, this is where you would use a stakeholders map. The actions you take when you look at the power versus interest the stakeholder has being high or low. Stakeholder Power and Interest Mapping Bryson (2004) (Sourced: Mindtools.com) From the drawing above you can see there are four types of stakeholders, those of:Â   High power/high interest these are your most important stakeholders that you should keep informed and close to your project. For us this would be our Directors and managers High power/low interest these stakeholders are to be kept satisfied, their power is high so they can influence your project but their interest is low so this is unlikely. Low power/high interest keep these people informed as this can support your project. For us this would be our employees and customers. Low power/low interest to be monitored with little effort as these stakeholders cant influence your project and are unlikely to be involved. This analytical tool will help you better understand where to focus your energy and time. It is important to spend a lot of strategic effort thinking about where your real power is held and knowing how to keep our key stakeholders engaged. In relation to keeping them engaged we need to ensure we are communicating with them using the right channels and tools of communication. The disadvantage of this tool is that unless you really know your stakeholders well you can place them incorrectly on your grid. A common mistake is by putting a stakeholder where you want them to be not where they really should be. Thats why it is important to know who they are, meet them, interview them and understand their values and beliefs, this knowledge will help place them in the correct position on the grid and will really give us a clear picture of who to focus on. In regards to managing and evaluating change such as the example I gave above of us introducing a new on-line learning journal Tapestry I would use this grid to pin point all stakeholders and approach them about my project. I would do research on their thoughts and ideas for this new system and use this information to make my decisions. Making informative decisions is the key to success and having lots of information from the relevant people will make my project and change run smoothly. The more preparation we take at this beginning stage the easier the transition will be to make a big change in our business. Stakeholder Salience model (Mitchell 1997) Unlike the power/interest grid above this model uses three parameters to categorise: power is the ability to influence the business, legitimacy is the authority and level of involvement they have on a business and urgency is the time expected to respond to their expectations. Source: Creative communication From the diagram above where these three factors meet shows you who your ultimate stakeholder is and these are the people you need to focus on. The other type of stakeholder that should have your attention is the dominant one as their power and legitimacy is high but their urgency is low. 1.3 Analyse techniques to evaluate change It is important and vital for us to evaluate the changes we make and measure their results. We need to know if we were successful or not in order to learn for future projects. Evaluating ourselves and our projects allows to better make decisions and helps reduce uncertainty, increases learning and control of what we are doing. One method of evaluating change is through Key Performance Indicators (KPI) this is when measures can be set against our objective to see if they are working. We need to gather data and information over time. By doing this it gives us a snapshot of our company and give us warnings to something that may be wrong. We need to look at what the key factors of our business for us is our customers and ensuring that people keep enquiring and joining our nursery. We can measure the number of enquires we get and then look at the success rates of those enquirers, did they register and did they join the nursery? These questions and results will give us a clear picture of what we are doing wrong and how we can do better. What can come out of this is that we need more training for the people who are giving the nursery tours, educate them in marketing and sales techniques to ensure every person that steps through our door leaves wanting to be a part of our business.ÂÂ   When we look at a KPI we need to make sure they are meaningful to us and that we are tracking something that will help us make better decisions. In relation to the example I have been giving above use moving to using Tapestry we are currently at the piloting stage where we are going live to 4 parents to trial the system and learn about the other side the customers point of view, what do they see, how useful is it, what problems do they have using it etc. We are using this trial period to educate us before we go live to the whole nursery, we are selecting a variety of parents and children to get a broad perspective of their views. This evaluation stage is key to seeing if this change was worth the effort and time. Obviously before this point we are confident that we made the right choice to move the company forward in regards to technology and moving with the times but we could be wrong and that this system will not bring that many benefits but until we listen to our customer, ask the questions we need answering we will not know, we would be assuming. 1.4 Evaluate the relationship between change management, business continuity and crisis management This is a process of preparing for something that most likely will never happen, we may find this a waste of time but it is important. Change management as we have seen is about thoughtful planning, implementation, consultation and involvement of the people affected by the change. From this we have learnt that there are many theories and models to manage change but overall its about preparation which links into business continuity. Its all about being ready for example like the Y2K crisis everyone believed the whole world would shut down in the year 2000. Business continuity is about anticipating the worst and being as ready as you can for this. Anything that interrupts normal business activity such as power outages, system failure, natural disasters etc can happen and we need to think about this and be prepared. An example of something basic we do is fire drills, invacuations, risk assessment etc. These are small examples but if we are well prepared then it can not end in disaster. Crisis is not about if it will happen to you its about how, when and why will it happen. It may seem like a single event but its not it can set off a chain reaction. It is important to identify the things that are creating conditions where crisis can happen and proactively form a divert crisis portfolio. This about preparing for a wide era of crisis and pick up early warning signals, look at key assumptions, build a damage control plan, think and act. Coming out of a crisis well can really move your business forward or not being crisis prepared can damage our company to points of no return. Examples can be what if our utilities failed such as our toilets, heating etc, we need to have maintenance companies on hand to have things repaired quickly so that we dont need to close the nursery. This happened last week when on of our toilets broke, I have a contract with a company that can help with plumbers, electricians, decorators etc so if I call they can send me anyone to repair the problem. It is important that I am prepared if something goes wrong, closing the nursery is the last measure. I have to have contacts and information of people who can help me in times of need. Another crisis issue we deal with is recruitment, we can do our best to have a bank of staff CVs but once a staff member has handed notice we dont have long to find someone to replace them. The only way to avoid this crisis is about prediction and having good communication with your staff and knowing if they are unhappy or are looking to further their career. If we have this information then we will not b e surprised if they want to leave or we can try and get them to stay with incentives like pay increase, further training, promotions etc. This simple information can really make a difference to the way we prepare for these events. Knowledge is power and allows you to be in control. I need to know how to identify risk and how to handle them. We do daily risk assessments and check our building to make sure we are catching early signs of anything going wrong to ensure it doesnt become crisis point, its about being aware and proactive. Because we are taking these proactive measures everyday to instil trust in our employees, customers and stakeholders that we know what we are doing. If something was to happen we are well prepared and trained in handling the situations. If you are not prepared for the worst it can destroy your company and you will loss your reputation.