Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The Pearl Literary Essay Free Essays

â€Å"But in the tune there was a mystery minimal internal tune, barely detectable, however consistently there, sweet and mystery and sticking, nearly stowing away in the counter-tune and this was the tune of the pearl that may be, for each shell tossed in the container may contain a pearl† (Steinbeck 17). This is something that may always beguile us, in view of its ‘sweet’ counter-song. This is the misdirection of cash. We will compose a custom exposition test on The Pearl Literary Essay or then again any comparative point just for you Request Now It despite everything happens today-individuals mistake cash for influence, in light of the fact that here and there, cash can prompt force, and it’s not generally something to be thankful for. Cash isn't the response to everything, as it can serve to bewilder individuals, confounding them between what they think they need, and what they truly need or need. In the book ‘The Pearl’ by John Steinbeck, Kino got blinded by the outside sheen of the pearl. â€Å"The shell was mostly open, for the shade secured this antiquated clam, and in the lip-like muscle Kino saw a spooky sparkle, and afterward the shell shut down† (Steinbeck 18). This ‘ghostly gleam’ is the intensity of the pearl, and it began to cheat Kino gradually, beginning from the purpose of where he had first observed the pearl to where it had cost him something dear to him-his child, Coyotito. Kino initially considered the to be as a reasonable strategy to improve his and his family’s life, anyway later, he saw it just as a technique for endurance, and at long last, Coyotito passes on along these lines. Just toward the end had Kino understood the intensity of the pearl, yet this acknowledgment was of no assistance toward the end, as everything was finished. Cash truly isn't all that matters, and in Kino’s case, it had caused demise. Take the lottery, for example. Everybody needs to win the lottery-the opportunity to win it enormous and be rich, and not need to live close and checking each and every penny. On the off chance that you hit the bonanza, you could basically live off the intrigue and not need to stress over a solitary thing. Presently, applying this to ‘The Pearl,’ Kino and Juana had fundamentally nothing; they lived in a hovel that had an earth floor, and this cabin could have been devastated in one in number whirlwind. Their home would have been overwhelmed, and afterward what? Furthermore, it’s not just them who live that way. Individuals from their whole network live similarly as Kino does, and they are similarly as substance. Their town of La Paz was all essentially down and out, and if even one of its individuals hit it enormous, it would speak to a gigantic thing for their whole prosperity. With the pearl, Kino saw riches, yet a sound and succeeding future, particularly for Coyotito. It would have additionally been a major occasion for the whole town. The thing is, Kino just observed these things through the pearl. I don't get that's meaning? It implies that he wasn’t ready to see a glad future for him and his family without the pearl. I don't get that's meaning? It implies that without the pearl, they were still fundamentally nothing. In any case, Kino’s face shone with prediction. ‘My child will peruse and open the books, and my child will compose and will know composing. Also, my child will make numbers, and these things will make us free since he will know†he will know and through him we will know’† (Steinbeck 26). ‘Through him we will know,’ Kino s ays this, and when he says this, he implies that just through Coyotito would they be able to know. Doesn’t that speak to a LOT for them and the network? Imagine a scenario in which these things didn't in reality happen. At that point they would need to begin once again, and live with these seasons of incognizance playing again and again in their minds. There is a ton holding tight the pearl-it’s either win or bust. That’s what the pearl appeared to speak to, and at long last, they don't got anything. Coyotito was a huge piece of their life, and what they needed from the pearl had a great deal to do with him. This time, they would need to begin once again without Coyotito. And furthermore, this would particularly hurt Kino. Regardless of whether nothing especially frightful happened, Kino would presumably feel appalling about his numbness and how he got his and his family’s trusts up-for nothing. He would acknowledge how the pearl had misled him until this second, and would live in humiliation for an amazing remainder. In the pearl he perceived how they were dressed-Juana in a wrap solid with freshness and another skirt, and from under the long skirt Kino could see that she wore shoes. It was in the pearl-the image developing there. He himself was wearing new white garments, and he conveyed another cap not of st raw however of fine dark felt-and he also wore shoes-not shoes but rather shoes that bound. In any case, Coyotito-he was the one-he wore a blue mariner suit from the United States and a bit of yachting top, for example, Kino had seen once when a joy pontoon put into the estuary. These things Kino found in the lucent pearl and he stated, ‘We will have new garments. ‘† (Steinbeck 24). These desires are material wishes, needing new garments, and needing to be hitched. To figure, the principal thing to need to do when you get rich is to get hitched and get new garments. Doesn’t that illuminate us, the peruser, of Kino and Juana’s current financial circumstance? These things, needing new garments, needing to get hitched, needing their child to go to class.. these are everything that he would not have the option to manage without the pearl, and these are things that most probable the entirety of their town individuals couldn't do. And afterward, close to the end, Kino’s impulses change quickly from human like to creature like, living just on his senses and guts. â€Å"Against the sky in the cavern entrance Juana could see that Kino was removing his white garments, for messy and worn out however they were they would appear against the dim night. His own earthy colored skin was better security for him† (Steinbeck 83). Disguising, not actually something that we would all stress over consistently. The way that Kino considers what he wears against the adversary is something to think about, and it truly shows how his impulses change. Now, endurance was the main thing he stressed over. What's more, in conclusion, Kino had not taken Juana’s cautioning about the pearl prior. Juana had seen through the pearl-it had not bamboozled her. â€Å"Evil faces looked from it at him, and he saw the light of consuming. What's more, in the outside of the pearl he saw according to the man in the pool. What's more, in the outside of the pearl he saw Coyotito lying in the little cavern with the highest point of his head shot away. Furthermore, the pearl was gly; it was dark like a dangerous development. What's more, Kino heard the music of the pearl, misshaped and insane† (Steinbeck 89). This shows just toward the end had he understood the genuine appearance of the pearl. It had the ability to advance their lives and it additionally had the ability to obliterate what was imperative to them, and Kino had just observed the conceivable great results of the pearl, and had subsequently been blinded. What's more, by saying that he had been blinded doesn't imply that he had lost his sight; rather that everything else had passed him by, or rather, in one ear and out the other. He paid no regard to any conceivable awful results with the pearl, and essentially strolled around with his eyes shut. We would all be able to relate, however this is the thing that the pearl had done to him, and understanding the entirety of this toward the end would not help. Coyotito had kicked the bucket, and there was nothing Kino could do to bring him or whatever else back. His obliviousness had cost him everything. The statement with which this exposition had started had fundamentally summarized what Kino found in this pearl-he saw a sweet external and these superb possibilities that could have accompanied the pearl, and furthermore how he neglected to see the expected dangers. The pearl spoke to cash and insidiousness and avarice and everything that individuals today despite everything are absent to. Financial difficulties in those days are as yet clear now, and Kino made an off-base turn that most, if not we all had or will take sometime in the not so distant future. Be that as it may, our mix-ups probably won't cost to such an extent as Kino’s; as an end-result of Kino’s wrong turn, he lost his child, Coyotito, and rather increased a lifetime of blame and lament. He himself changed, and very few of us would state that he improved. Truth be told, nobody can say in the event that he changed for the more regrettable, either. â€Å"And the music of the pearl floated to a murmur and disappeared† (Steinbeck 90). The most effective method to refer to The Pearl Literary Essay, Essay models

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Assessment Referrals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Appraisal Referrals - Essay Example As per Deiner (2003), â€Å"Communication is the procedure by which data is transmitted between at least two individuals† (pp. 273). Before making a referral for extra evaluation in deciding if an understudy has a correspondence issue, intensive measures of intercessions ought to be completedâ€as well as extensive note-taking and recording proof of a student’s conduct. Two qualities of observational evaluation are: 1) that an educator can genuinely observe with their own eyes what issue or issues the understudy is managing; and afterward 2) record these perceptions for additional conversation eventually. The confinements of observational evaluation are that: 1) there is no input given by the understudy except if verbal or composed; and 2) it is extremely unlikely to know, shy of asking, what the student’s perspective is during the appraisal. Anectdotal records would be desirable over keep recordsâ€and afterwards on, the school therapist may have the option to bring such notes and go down their very own agenda about what these practices together may mean. As per Boyles and Contadino (1998), â€Å"Poor relational abilities can meddle with each part of the childs life. Students with correspondence issue rapidly fall behind in school. Vocabularies wane, recollections come up short, and critical thinking becomes difficult† (pp. 158). Along these lines, if the diagnosing individual can pinpoint what the understudy is experiencing issues with, that may cause the understudy to have the option to all the more viably handle their

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Year 2 at Hogwarts

Year 2 at Hogwarts Close enough. ** Year 1: Vincent Anioke. No department. Year 2: Vincent Anioke. Year 2 Undergrad. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. It’s been a year since I came to MIT, slightly over a year since I started blogging. A year since robots in the FPOP and the free-food tornado of Orientation and the pre-psets era. A year since every building gleamed with newness and strangeness and since I was convinced that MIT was just too big and I’d never get the hang of it. A year since I left my home country on what has felt like the bumpiest adventure ever. Except instead of “Expelliarmus!” and evil noseless freaks screaming “Avada Kedavra!” there’s p-sets and a weather intent on killing me. Close enough. What’s the biggest change since becoming a sophomore? Oh, that’s easy. The answer: my e-mail. I’m not even kidding. That’s the highlight of my sophomore year. My e-mail has taken a life of its own and grown tentacles and a large eye and several mouths and gone absolutely crazy. Crazy, right? I get tons of e-mails with the header “eecs-jobs”, all of them usually announcing an available UROP or a company seeking applicants for EECS positions or something along that line. Dozens of them every day. Literally dozens of opportunities for you to explore new research or get a job, delivered right to your e-mail! A lot of the jobs do happen to require experience I’m still stacking up on, which is a chance for me to babble about one of the most engaging classes I’m taking this semester: 6.01: Introduction to EECS. It’s a challenging hands-on class quite unlike any I’ve taken thus far. I spend four-and-half hours every week in the lab (7-8:30 P.M. on Tuesdays, 7-10 P.M. on Thursdays), working alone or with a partner to model systems that simulate and control an actual robot. We use these bulky red wheeled robot creatures made of motors and lego blocks and a ton of circuits, hook them up to the lab computers and have them do the bidding of our software. One particularly interesting thing the class gets you to really absorb is how differently real-life situations unfold compared to the seamless electronic predictions. For instance, with a proportional controller, we can utilize the robot’s sensors to dictate how far or close from a wall it should always be (its sensors use sound pulses and echoes to detect the wall distance). Say we fix the desired distance to 0.5 meters. Then, if the code is written correctly, if you put a wall 0.6 meters in front of the robot, it will move 0.1 meter forward. Analogously, it will move 0.1 meter backward if placed 0.4 meters away from the wall. Now, in the lab, we played around with the “gain” or proportion of the proportional controller. For certain gains, the robot simulation on the desktop shows the robot rapidly oscillating back-and-forth. But when we tried out the code on the actual robots, they indignantly differed from the predictions, as if offended by our blatant stereotyping of them and made weird forward-backward motions too clunky to represent the sort of rapid forward-backward motion we expected. Which sort of made sense, because the plot of the robot’s motion on the computer (distance over time) would show a series of sharp rises and falls. From this, we would expect the velocity to be disjointed straight lines on the plot, positive for a while and then immediately negative for a while and then immediately positive. But a heavy physical system can’t simulate that sort of motion. And this was all just in the first week! There have been two more weeks, with the labs getting more difficult and much more intricate. But it’s also an exciting class. There’s a lot of room left to you for implementation. You choose how to write the code that does what we need the robot to do. You choose how to interpret it. Everything just needs to fit a logical framework, but outside of that, there are so many choices to be made, and while there are instructors and lab assistants to guide you, you (and your partner) end up making most of the decisions, and potentially dealing with the dire consequences. Like I said, fun class. Speaking of classes, I’m taking my first ever official creative writing class this semesterâ€"Reading and Writing Short Stories with Helen Lee, an amazing professor. This is a class I’m particularly glad to get because I tried taking it freshman spring, but there was just too much interest, and I lucked out in the lottery process. Often times, you’ll hear people talking about the simple power of e-mails, and I’m inclined to agree. Last semester, I sent an e-mail to Helen Lee saying I didn’t get into the class although I wanted to. I explained that I really loved writing, and that a spot in the class would mean a lot. She wrote back rather quickly, assuring me that she would save me a spot next semester. And she did! The class was also very over-enrolled this semester, but by simply reaching out and talking, I’d secured a spot. Sophomore year has been a lot about reaching out. My classes are more involved than they were last year, so I have to grope at people for help (get your mind out of the gutter), use office hours more often. It actually makes for a nice experience when you realize just how much the Institute supports your endeavors. It’s a supreme amount, with all kinds of help existing at every door. The office hours and the teaching assistants and student groups and free tutorials. Guys, MIT rocks. There’s also been a more involved kind of reaching out, which I did a lot of this week, which I guess makes sense since it was MIT’s Career Fair Week. Companies swarmed campus. For a lot of people, it was an opportunity to assure themselves a year-long supply of clothes via the following basic algorithm: i) Find a company that’s giving out laundry bags. There are hundreds of companies on campus. Trust me, at least one of them is giving out free laundry bags. It’s an exhaustive method. Complexity: O(n) where n=number of companies ii) Iterate through the other companies, grabbing a free shirt from each of them. Same complexity as step i) and thus same complexity overall. And if you come up to me mentioning that this algorithm forgot to account for the nontrivial time steps between moving from a booth to another, I’ll either clock you in the jaw or tickle you till you’re in hysterical, clucking tears. Or more likely feature you in a grim story with lots of hooks and lots of red-eyed shadows. Now, for a lot of others, it was a great way to find internships and full-time jobs. I was able to work on my resumeâ€"of course, MIT’s Career Development Office looked it over beforehand and told me ways I could improve itâ€"and apply to eight companies that made an impression on me during the fair. Fingers crossed while I wait on them, but I definitely got the sense that this year is pushing me closer to the real world, to the starkest sense of being an independent individual in a global village, far more than the previous years of life have. Which of course brings me to the topic of growing up, because I turned eighteen less than a month ago! I can’t believe I’m eighteen, although it apparently doesn’t mean much. When I asked one of my friends what I could do in the US now that I was eighteen, his response was: “Well, now you can join the army and can be arrested and legally tried in court as an adult.” Whoopee! I don’t have much to say about being eighteen really. For me, it was just a day that came and went, but I definitely understand that I’m nearing that point of adulthood adults seem to talk about with vague and austere mysticism. I did get three wonderful birthday gifts. First, I got the chance to speak with my entire family over Skype. When I came to the US a year ago, I was instantly plagued by bouts of longing and home sickness, but the feeling more or less petered out as I got into the demands of the Institute. But then I went back to Nigeria for the summer, and for the first time in a year, the entire family was back together. We even traveled together to the United Arab Emirates for a couple of days, where we bonded over the heat and how amazing Dubai is and just that comforting sense of being together. So it was a bit hard letting go of all that again when I returned to the US (I was moody throughout the plane ride, which from Nigeria to US totaled 22 hours). The Skype conversation itself was quite dramatic. Network was terrible on the other end, so I had to do a lot of screaming to be heard and so did they, and thus on the surface, it’s just me screaming at my family, and everyone else screaming back at me. But of course, it was nice, ending with a fairly immature bout of who could say “I miss you” the most. With my, “I miss you I miss you I miss you” chant shrieked a hundred times, I think I won. The second gift was from my former roommate James Deng (I have a pseudo-single now #upgrade #yesIjustusedahashtag). He left me a birthday card. Inside it was a 25-dollar AMC gift card and sixteen pictures that chronicled our first-year adventures. Needless to say, the pictures reduced me to a weepy, emotional bawling thing and I compressed him into a hug. The third gift was from Dori, one of the greatest friends I’ve made in MIT this semester. Before she and I actually spoke for the first time, we had lots of moments where I’d be heading to my room and she’d be heading to hers or I’d be heading outside and she’d be heading to the basement and wed cross each other like four or five times, all in the period of an hour. Finally, when I went down to laundry later in the day, there she was and we just ended up laughing about how ridiculous the whole thing was. Then we ended up talking for the better part of an hour. It was one of those instant, easy connections, and I’m grateful for her friendship. Which I guess I should be, because for my birthday, she baked me an entire cheesecake! All that, just for me. It was hands-down the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted. Of course, I didn’t eat all of it alone. Though I think I certainly could have, except I’m sure there’s some alchemic, Santa-Claus-creating power in the cake. But that’s fine, because I could shake off any extra calories (delusion of the century), and yes, that’s a reference to Taylor Swift’s catchy new song, “Shake It Off”, which is from her upcoming album, “1989”, which comes out in a month and seven days and 48.392 seconds. Not that I’m counting. It’s her first full pop album, which was a lot of news for me, because I’ve always loved the country elements of her songs. But she’s Taylor Swift, essential goddess and my laptop’s desktop background picture, and I’m excited to hear her new songs, because I know they’ll have her heart regardless of the genre. And besides, I’m starting to think that’s what sophomore year is all aboutâ€"following changes, making changes, wherever they take you.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

History Of Career And Technical Education - 1519 Words

Career and Technical Education has played a large role throughout the history of the United States and Ohio specifically. The legal history of Career and Technical Education in the United States and the state of Ohio has a long history dating back to the 1800s. Career and Technical Education is also at the forefront in current legal news: a bill sitting in committee and a push for more Americans to study in Career and Technical Education-related fields. With Americans realizing that not everyone can or wants to attend college or university, Career and Technical Education is relevant and so is its long history in the United States and, more specifically, Ohio. Before 1862, there was really no legal history for Career and Technical Education. However, Congressman Justin S. Morrill of Vermont proposed a bill in 1857 to have federal support in agricultural and industrial education. President Buchanan did not support the legislation, so there was no action on the bill. In 1861 however, Mo rrill reintroduced his bill to the House of Representatives. President Lincoln later signed it in summer of 1862. This act gave public lands to build colleges for agriculture and mechanical arts in each state. Each state, within five years, had to provide a college or the state would be revoked of the grant. This set the stage clearly for the rest of the legislation in what is now known as Career and Technical Education (â€Å"Independent Action† 38). The first major legislation in Ohio for CareerShow MoreRelatedHistory Of Career Technical Education Essay2289 Words   |  10 Pagesprovide the history of career technical education in the United States and relevance of legislative actions, laws, acts and policies beginning as early as the 18th century and continuing through current-day society. Chronologically documented, the primary focus is on the Carl D. Perkins Career Technical Education 2006, its origin, issues and effects of each amendment that led to important federal g overnment legislations. For an understanding of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 2006 ActRead MoreCareer And Technical Education Program1499 Words   |  6 PagesInterest in Career and Technical Education programs as well as Career and Technical Student Organizations has heightened over the past ten years (Wood, 2006; 2012). When I was a high school sophomore, I sat in an Introductory Accounting course taught by a gruff teacher named Edward Key. While everyone else complained and fussed at learning the Accounting Equation of Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity, I hung on every debit and credit and soon discovered that my love of numbers and financialRead MoreGraduation Speech And Technical Education872 Words   |  4 Pagesbe successful in the work force? Many Americans ask this question and do not understand that Career and Technical Education (CTE), once called Vocational Education, do exactly that (Estacion, Deluca, Plank 346). They believe that al l that schools teach are how to write, solve math problems, use the scientific method, and absorb the information discussed in history courses. Career and Technical Education uses experimental learning that gives students skills and motivation to graduate high school andRead MoreHistory And Evolution Of Vocational Education846 Words   |  4 Pagespublication journal, and the presidential address addressing vocational education research. This book describes vocational education in America, updating key trends based on available data and focusing on selected issues relevant to current policy discussions. The history of vocational education was shaped by major events in American history. This book provides an overview and analysis of the history and evolution of vocational education in the United States. The social, economic, political and educationalRead MoreThe Value Of Education Today s Society Essay1483 Words   |  6 Pagesof Education in Today’s Society Introduction Education in a broad sense is an important part of intellectual freedom. Probably one of the main benefits of education in general is helping the student to have greater role in living and participating in the world. Many people view education as a social event and thus helps to encourage students to share ideas experiences and this can help students become better leaders in their community by teaching community responsibility. Plus, education in generalRead MoreWest Georgia Technical College System831 Words   |  4 Pages West Georgia Technical College is located in Waco, Georgia and is the state s third-largest technical college. As part of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is a rural two year public technical institution located in the west Georgia area with campuses in Douglasville, Murphy, Waco, Carrollton, Lagrange, and Newnan. Additionally, the college is principally a commuter campus. The college was formed on Septe mber 4, 2008 from a merger of West CentralRead MoreThe Association For Library Collections Technical Services779 Words   |  3 PagesThe Association For Library Collections Technical Services – Review Evaluation The Association For Library Collections Technical Services (ALCTS) is an organization that is dedicated to education, cooperation and information sharing of matters relating to the technical services field of library and information science. They produced and published a quarterly publication, Library Resources Technical Services. ALCTS also provides web course, webinars, and online discussion for both membersRead MoreUniversity s Center On Education And The Workforce Estimates875 Words   |  4 PagesGeorgetown University s Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that by 2020, nearly two-thirds of all jobs will require some postsecondary education or training beyond a high school diploma. The premise of this article is that the traditional college prep curriculum at most high schools is not favoring a sizable percentage of American teenagers. Some people consider technical or vocational high schools a valid choice for students who choose not to pursue a customary educatio nal path. HighlightedRead More College Education vs. Technical Training Essay1331 Words   |  6 PagesCollege Education vs. Technical Training A few years ago, the DeVry technical institute released a commercial that compared two brothers in their educational pursuits. The younger brother started school at DeVry and graduated in two years. The older brother had chosen college and was still stuck in his dorm room studying history while his younger brother worked on the future. The question this commercial presented was obvious, why waste all that time in a university learning trivial facts whichRead MoreInterdisciplinary Studies Reflection1217 Words   |  5 PagesMarian, I would have not had the same understanding as I do when I read it today. Wikipedia defines Interdisciplinary studies as an education about choice. Interdisciplinary combines interests that allow students to make discoveries and connections rarely possible in the narrower confines of a single-subject major. Interdisciplinary as the term is most often used in education when two or more disciplines bring together information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterdisciplinaryIn an unpredictable and

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

How to Set Goals - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1762 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? Leadership styles can affect the performance of each employee in an organization. An effective leader is the one that ensures that they use the desired manner for them to achieve the desired goals that have been set by the team. Different leadership styles will effectively affect the performance of the organization in one way or the other. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How to Set Goals" essay for you Create order Leaders are people that can adapt to different situations by using the necessary elements and solving the various problems that arise in an organization in a different perspective that will bring an impact to the performance of the team. As a leader, one is responsible for making sure that they maintain the communication with the other employees in the organization. This is because they will encourage the development of the team and this will be effective through innovation and motivate all the staff. There will be the generation of new ideas making the organization achieve all the set goals and objectives. Leadership styles The autocratic leader is the leader that always has total power over the entire subordinate whereby he carefully observes all the work that they do and is always strict and keeps in touch with them. The team members are not involved in the process of making decisions for only the leader is entitled to this particular role. The members are as well not in the position where they can suggest or make any suggestion about the improvement of any activity that is carried out in the organization. The employees are only told what to do, when to do it and how they do, and this is exactly what they should adhere to for they are the instructions given to them by their seniors. When they follow all these instructions, it is sure that they will achieve the goals that have been set for the organization. The new ideas that have been implemented will all be executed if they follow the instructions given. This style of leadership is instrumental since all the decision that is made is swift and jobs ar e efficiently delivered. This particular approach is resistance and unstable when it comes to the side of the employees. This is commonly used when the decisions to be made are needed urgently. Secondly, there is the transactional leadership style. This is the leadership style that focuses more on trades that are conducted between the leader and the follower. For this particular case, the member is compensated for the specific goal or the performance that they meet or the performance criteria. The transactional leader has the responsibility of validating the relationship between the performance and the reward that is to be given and then they can go about with the exchange so that to get the response that will encourage the subordinate to improve their performance. This type of leadership plays a role between the managers and the subordinates. The style can be said to be an exchange of the reward and the target by the management for the achievement of the set goals and the objectives. Communication skills Communication skills are necessary for the aid to practical innovation for the organization. Many of the organizations have the belief that when there is a communication skill in their organization, they will increase their organizations ability to innovate. Innovation is very critical when it comes to knowledge economy for it encourages growth, new products in the market and various new methods that are used in delivering value to the customers. The managers of an organization are in a position where they can manage all the risks that may come across a company. They are people that can experiment the new ideas that may come along them. They can quickly analyze the risk and the amount of risk that the company can come across. The managers can quickly come up or develop a way in which they will minimize the risk and identify the place where it is needed most. The managers can quickly seize an opportunity. The leaders are proactive, and they are fast at taking the initiative and owners hip for success. They anticipate the potential obstacles before they decide on taking any action and they are quick at avoiding over-analysis. They are people who push for personal performance, and they often work independently for long periods of a minimal support. These leaders that have this particular skill are in the position to take advantage of a new idea that comes along or any opportunity that will have an impact on the organization. Describe the communication strategies you would use to introduce the proposed changes to your work team. Communication strategies are the ways that can be used for exchanging information. There are various ways for passing or exchanging information in the organization. For this project, it would be effective for the manager to share the information that he or she has by using the following strategies. To begin with is the verbal communication strategy. The verbal communication strategy can be broken into two forms which are written or oral. The manager can consider the written policy, where he can send the proposed project via the email, text or by chat. Doing it orally can also be effective for this includes the use of phone calls, video chat or a face to face conversation where the employees and the manager can discuss the proposed project. Also, there is the nonverbal and visual communication strategy. Describe the organizational culture and its readiness for team creativity and innovation. Change is inevitable in most of the organizations. Organizational cultural issues are getting significant as well as them becoming a strategic competitive advantage. Corporate culture leads to competition for there are several dramatic changes in strategy that are required. Creativity and innovation play a role in making change for the organization. A team culture should be one that is interpretive. A manager should be able to describe all the steps that they took and the change that has been impacted to the organization from the time when they came into the team. For a team to be or remain innovative, then it requires the leaders to foster and develop a system that will be innovative among their followers. The actions that are to be taken by the managers should be related to the creativity that the organization will produce in the later years. With the in-depth leadership training, accountability and the daily communication that goes on about the leadership responsibilities and the ability to foster trust and creativity, the managers can quickly rise to the standards that are necessary to inspire innovation and growth of the next generation and innovative leaders. Explain the causes of resistance to the changes and the similar tactics you would use to address each cause. Causes of resistance to change In an organization, a manager will come across one or two employees that are against change. Change is constant in every organization, and the employees are the first opponent to change. Some of the causes of resistance to change include the bad management of change in the workplace.   A bad management of change can make most of the employees to hate change in the department that they are working. The managers and the advisors are the people responsible for implementing the change in the organization, and this is the place where it becomes a challenge. When the managers are the only ones that will pass the information about an individual product in the organization they will not possess the training and knowledge that is necessary for them to be competent for them to be agents of change in the organization. This is the reason that leads to poor communication in the organization between the C-suite and the general employees.   It happens that most of the employees will not respond to change that has been the case in the group with happiness. The company has to understand that there will be resistance. Some of the causes include: job loss is the primary reason as to why most of the employees are likely to resist change in the organization. When a company comes to change most of the employees are worried for there is a time when the agency will be required to downsize some of the employees or create new jobs. This causes the fear of job loss.   Also, there is poor communication and engagement. Again there is the lack of trust and poor timing that is among the employees and the management. How to overcome resistance and implement the change The company should be in a position where they can overcome the opposition. Despite how the company can manage change, they will be faced with resistance often. The companies should come with a strategy where they can quickly engage the people that are against the modification. By doing this, they will be able to see their concern, and they will be able to alleviate the problem by time.   The second way to overcome resistance is by ensuring that they effectively engage the employees where they can listen to what the employees have to say about change. There is the implementation of change in various stages and communicating the change effectively. These are the several ways in which the organization can overcome resistance to prevent the consequences. Describe the manner in which the changes will be implemented, applying the 8-Step Process for Leading Change The first step for the manager to implement change is by creating urgency. The manager should be in a position where they can develop a sense of urgency to improving the organization this is important for the company will be able to get things moving. Forming a powerful coalition can also help for the manager will be having people that will be supporting him in emphasizing the necessity of change in an organization. There is the creation of a vision for change. When a person starts thinking about change, many things and ideas float around. One can determine the necessary values and create a strategy that can be bringing out the change effectively. Conclusion Change in many organizations has a high impact on the organization itself and the people that are involved in the entire process. The group as a whole should be included in this particular step or process for the team as a whole to be able to achieve the goals and objectives that have been set. They will be able to innovate more for different people that are in the organization will be able to come up with various new ideas that can be implemented by the company.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

A New Fertilizer Product for Vegetables Free Essays

First, a stimulant component of fertilizer is obtained. This should not be very pricey, because we need an invention that can be used by every category of people. The merchandise must be sufficient to supply good victuals to plants for their vigorous and long life. We will write a custom essay sample on A New Fertilizer Product for Vegetables or any similar topic only for you Order Now Another motive which has supported this research in demeanor is to reduce the quandary of blazing of tropical plants. Research Questions: The study for manufacturing most modern fertilizers for the augmentation of vegetables is founded on the subsequent research questions:- What is the course of action for manufacturing fertilizers?   Which nourishment is less costly? Which fertilizers can be used commercially and which ones can be used by common   Ã‚  public. Also, whether these fertilizers convene to the expected needs of clients or not. Hypothesis for the Experiment: Macrobiotic fertilizer is less expensive and will be used socially, while on the other hand, tropical plant fertilizer will be more expensive and commercially used. Subjects: To obtain low priced fertilizers, assigned to a financial group. Quality check assigned to the department of health. Macrobiotic Fertilizer: Object: To produce a stimulant that can be prepared in simple steps and can be extensively used for supporting the growth of plants. Elements used in the Manufacturing of Macrobiotic Fertilizer: For obtaining this fertilizer, we require a variety of limes, seed feast, gypsum, fillet and kelp feast. Procedure: Mix the all 4 components of seed meals with  ¼ regular limes; now add  ¼ of gypsum piece in the combination. Lastly, add  ½ of the dolomitic lime. To obtain the finest result, a small amount of bone feast should also be added. Result: By the application of macrobiotic fertilizer on crops, it is concluded that the crop growth is much healthier and faster than before.   The experiment shows that when the elements were bought in bulk, the cost was not very high, and this product is expected to be in more demand because of its lower prices (Aubrey Vaughn, April 4, 2007). How to cite A New Fertilizer Product for Vegetables, Papers

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Landcare Revegetation Essay Example For Students

Landcare Revegetation Essay Word Count: 1329Rehabilitation is the process of reclaiming land for economical orconservation purposes. This process usually involvesre-vegetation. The main aim in rehabilitation is to either return theland to a self-sustaining ecosystem or prepare the land for humanuse, i.e. crops, pastures and plantations. Rehabilitation should takeplace at a rate that is significantly higher than natural succession. Several principles are implemented for successful rehabilitation. Ofthese principles includes the need for preventing disasters andanticipating problems before they arise, if this is taken toconsideration then rehabilitation will be less costly and troublefree. When rehabilitating a site, all the components making up theecosystem need to be looked at individually. They include soil,climate, vegetation, time and animals. These components need tointeract at certain rates in order for the desired effect to beachieved and so might need to be altered. There are otherprinciples of rehabilitation, which will be discussed, in greaterdetail. There are many methods and strategies involved in rehabilitationwhich, are specific to a site. In this case, surface mine reclamationand farmland will be looked at. A step by step illustration of theprocesses involved will be covered. When rehabilitating mine land,it is important to first prepare a plan before mining takes place. Researching and obtaining data on the floral and faunal elementsof the ecosystem by conducting surveys of the upper, mid andunder-story species present. If the aim is to restore the land to itsoriginal ecological balance and to conserve the species present,then further studies should be conducted on the ecology of thenative species, i.e. seed biology of all species. Propagationtechniques and the order of re-establishing species should bestudied. When rehabilitation work was conducted on the bauxitemines in the southwest of W.A., special research was conductedon the germination requirements of sown seed. The aim in this case was to re-establish a self-sustaining forest,which maintains water, timber and all the valued qualities of forest. The timing component was carefully considered when removingtopsoil in summer to ensure maximum seed store this was achievedwhen the forest was cleared after seed set took place. Handseeding was done soon after ripping in order to ensured that theseeds other propagules were well established before germination. When conducting mining operations it is generally desirable thatrehabilitation work takes place at the same rate as mining occurs. The soil component in this case needs to be removed in layers(topsoil and overburden) and stock piled during the miningprocess. The topsoil is very important because is contains most ofthe seed, propagules and micro-organisms which are needed forsuccessful revegetation. Topsoil is often treated with fertiliser afterbeing reapplied as it is already nutrient poor and would not be ableto support new plant growth. A major purpose for rehabilitation isto reduce of soil erosion. This also a problem that occurs duringthe early stage of revegetation. Young seedlings cannot provideenough protection for the soil as wind and rain move soil particles. It would also be unwise to plant too many small shrubs, i.e. legumes to help combat the problem as they will compete withother seedlings. Before replacing soil it is important to ensure thatthe land is reshaped so to resemble the original landscape. Adequate drainage is necessary and can be achieved by deepripping the soil. This also ensures that the soil is not compacted,well aerated and root penetration is better achieved. Beforereturning soil to a site, it should be thoroughly tested for toxicity. .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 , .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 .postImageUrl , .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 , .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934:hover , .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934:visited , .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934:active { border:0!important; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934:active , .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934 .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8ccc825600b13df7b02320f5e3ba0934:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Lacrosse EssayIt is extremely important to treat affected soil overburden before itis returned. When the aim of a rehabilitation project is to return theland to a self-sustaining ecosystem, then a sound understandingof the nutrient cycle is required. The least abundant and most limiting nutrients in Australian soilsare phosphorus and nitrogen. Nitrogen is mostly present inorganic matter and is accumulated in the roots of nitrogen fixingplants i.e. legumes. Most phosphorus can be added as fertiliser. This will aid the initial growth of vegetation but will not sustain theecosystems needs. The addition of mycorrhizal fungi in this casewould be most appropriate. Mine site rehabilitation is probably the most involved of all thetypes. Before any rehabilitation or research is conducted, it isnecessary that the post-mined land use be agreed upon. It wouldbe at the best interest of the mining company to reduce costs. Asignificant cost reduction strategy is rehabilitating an area in a waythat it would require minimum post-mining management. Thismeans that the area will

Monday, March 23, 2020

4 Tips for Duke Essays That Will Get You Accepted

4 Tips for Duke Essays That Will Get You Accepted SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you want to be a Blue Devil? If so, you’ll need to submit strong Duke essays as part of your application. Duke requires its applicants to answer two to four essay and short answer questions when they apply. In this article, we’ll break down each of those questions and explain exactly what you need to do to write amazing Duke supplement essay. What Is the Duke Supplement Essay? Duke requires that you submit two to four writing samples as part of your application. You’re required to answer one longer essay prompt and one short answer question. You also have the option of answering up to two more short answer questions. Duke requires the Duke supplement essay questions as part of its application process for a couple of reasons. First of all, written essays are a great way to assess your preparedness for college. Duke wants to see that you can write clearly and concisely and can follow all of the necessary grammar conventions. Duke also wants to get to know you more as a student and possible member of its campus. Essays are a great way to learn more about who you really are beyond your test scores and other credentials. Finally, your Duke essays are a great place to demonstrate your affinity for Duke itself. Why do you want to go there? Your essays can highlight your passion for the university. It’s extremely important to put time and effort into each one of the Duke supplement essay prompts so that you’re able to meet all of these needs. Duke Supplement Essay Prompts You’ll have to answer at least two and as many as four Duke supplement essay prompts for your Duke application. All students are required to write one longer essay. The essay you write will be determined by whether you’re submitting the Common Application or the Coalition Application (Duke accepts both). You’re also required to answer at least one short answer question. There are two more short answer questions that are optional for all applicants. If you apply to Duke via the Coalition Application, you’ll select one essay prompts to answer. For more information on how to ace your Coalition Application essay and an analysis of each prompt, check out our in-depth guide. If you apply to Duke via the Common Application, you’ll need to select one essay. For more information on how to craft an amazing Common Application essay and in-depth look at each prompt, check out our blog post dedicated to that very topic. 2018-19 Required Duke Essays All Duke students are required to answer one short answer question for their Duke admissions essay. The short answer question you respond to is determined by which school within Duke you’re applying to. If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke. (150 words maximum) If you are applying to the Trinity College of Arts Sciences as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something particular about Duke that attracts you? (150 words maximum) 2018-19 Optional Duke Essays You also have the option of responding to two optional Duke essays. Duke makes it clear that these Duke admissions essay prompts are completely optional. You won’t be penalized if you don’t answer them. Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better- perhaps related to a community you belong to or your family or cultural background- we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 words maximum) Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes gender identity and sexual orientation. If you would like to share with us more about either, and have not done so elsewhere in the application, we invite you to do so here. (250 words maximum) Required Duke Essays, Analyzed If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke. (150 words maximum) 150 words isn’t a lot of words to describe your love for Duke and your passion for engineering! You’ll need to be clear, succinct, and honest in order for your Duke admissions essay to stand out. Because the word limit is so constrained, it’s better to focus on one or two specific ideas, rather than trying to cram as many thoughts as possible into your short essay. While you may be enamored of Duke’s entire engineering faculty, choose one specific professor whose work you admire and expand on that. Any depth you can achieve in this small space will go a long way. Be sure to answer both parts of this question: you need to explain why you want to study engineering and why you want to study engineering at Duke. While the two answers might be intertwined, both should be clearly present in your response. When discussing why you want to study at Duke, pick things that are unique to Duke’s program. Don’t just say you want a great engineering education - you can get that at dozens of universities. Instead, specify what makes Duke’s engineering program different than all of the others. If you’re stuck, try perusing their course catalogue and looking at the program’s website and any recent publications. Chances are, you’ll catch something that stands out. If you are applying to the Trinity College of Arts Sciences as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something particular about Duke that attracts you? (150 words maximum) This Duke admissions essay question is also constrained in word count and focuses more on Duke’s merits than the engineering question. You’re not required to have any particular major in mind here, but it may be helpful to consider your academic course of study as you’re looking for reasons why Duke stands out to you. Duke is asking this question because they want their admitted applicants to enroll, so you need to demonstrate why your passion for this university would result in your attendance next fall. Convince the admissions committee that Duke is the one school for you. You can do this by researching specific facts about the university and its community. Because this question doesn’t ask you about your course of study, you don’t need to limit yourself to academics. If there’s something about Duke’s campus or culture that really stands out to you, now is the time to talk about it. Better to be honest and true to yourself than spew a bunch of platitudes that you think the admissions committee wants to hear. Optional Duke Admission Essay Prompts, Analyzed Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better- perhaps related to a community you belong to or your family or cultural background- we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 words maximum) Treat this question as an opportunity to share more about yourself. If you have something real and important to write about, do so. But don’t try to invent an experience that doesn’t actually belong to you - it’ll come across as fake and insincere. Unless you really have nothing to say, I’d suggest including something. If you choose to answer this question, lean into authenticity. Don’t be scared to be vulnerable or honest. While the question talks about Duke’s commitment to diversity, don’t feel like you have to invent diverse experiences just to fit in. Share about your unique perspective. Be sure to indicate why this point-of-view belongs to you, and you alone. Your perspective is made up by your experiences and interactions, so you can highlight how these have affected you. Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes gender identity and sexual orientation. If you would like to share with us more about either, and have not done so elsewhere in the application, we invite you to do so here. Don’t answer this optional essay unless you have something real to say. Don’t feel intimidated or scared that ignoring this question will reflect badly on you. It won’t. You should really only address this prompt if you’re a member of the LGBTQ community. What will reflect badly on you is making something up that comes across as insincere, or worse, ignorant. Speak truthfully and from the heart. Similarly, if you do have reflections on gender identity and sexual orientation, don’t feel like you have to share them. Remember, this essay is optional. It’s completely fine if you’re not quite comfortable enough or ready to talk publicly about these topics. If you choose to answer this question, only speak about real experiences that happened to you. It’s better to keep them personal. This essay isn’t the place to reflect on the overall political climate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, especially if those issues don’t relate to you. It is, however, the space to talk about your specific identity and journey. How to Write Great Duke Essays If you want your Duke essays to stand out and help you get admitted, follow these tips! #1: Use Your Own Voice The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person. You should, then, make sure that the person you’re presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don’t try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you’re not. If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Duke wants you to be. #2: Avoid Cliched or Overused Phrases When writing your Duke essays, try to avoid using cliches or overused quotes or phrases. These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are overused in daily life. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, â€Å"Be the change you want to see in the world.† Strive for originality. Similarly, avoid using cliches, which take away from the strength and sincerity of your work. Don’t speak in platitudes about how the struggle for gay and lesbian rights has affected you†¦ unless it actually has! #3: Check Your Work It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Duke essays are the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Duke application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays. Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit. It’s a good idea to have someone else read your Duke essays, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven’t missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be. That being said, make sure you don’t rely on them for ideas or rewrites. Your essays need to be your work. #4: Only Answer What You’re Comfortable With Remember, Duke’s optional essays are just that - optional. It can be tempting to respond to everything on the application and if you have an important story to tell, you definitely should. However, if you have nothing to say, don’t feel like you need to make something up. You’re better off answering less, honestly, then you are answering more, dishonestly. What’s Next? Have you taken the ACT or SAT yet? Not sure which one you’ll do best on? Read our guide to choose the test that’s right for you. If you've taken the SAT and want to improve your score, check out our guides to improving your Reading, Writing, and Math scores. Not sure what you want to major in?Don't worry! With our advice, you'll figure out what you should study as an undergrad. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Friday, March 6, 2020

Battle of Talas River - Background

Battle of Talas River - Background Few people today have even heard of the Battle of Talas River.  Yet this little-known skirmish between the army of Imperial Tang China and the Abbasid Arabs had important consequences, not just for China and Central Asia, but for the entire world. Eighth century Asia was an ever-shifting mosaic of different tribal and regional powers, fighting for trade rights, political power and/or religious hegemony. The era was characterized by a dizzying array of battles, alliances, double-crosses and betrayals. At the time, nobody could have known that one particular battle, which took place on the banks of the Talas River in present-day Kyrgyzstan, would halt the Arab and Chinese advances in Central Asia and fix the boundary between Buddhist/Confucianist Asia and Muslim Asia. None of the combatants could have predicted that this battle would be instrumental in transmitting a key invention from China to the western world: the art of paper-making, a technology that would alter world history forever. Background to the Battle For some time, the powerful Tang Empire (618-906) and its predecessors had been expanding Chinese influence in Central Asia. China used soft power for the most part, relying upon a series of trade agreements and nominal protectorates rather than military conquest to control Central Asia. The most troublesome foe faced by the Tang from 640 forward was the powerful Tibetan Empire, established by Songtsan Gampo. Control of what is now Xinjiang, Western China, and neighboring provinces went back and forth between China and Tibet throughout the seventh and eighth centuries. China also faced challenges from the Turkic Uighurs in the northwest, the Indo-European Turfans, and the Lao/Thai tribes on Chinas southern borders. The Rise of the Arabs While the Tang were occupied with all these adversaries, a new superpower rose in the Middle East. The Prophet Muhammad died in 632, and the Muslim faithful under the Umayyad Dynasty (661-750) soon brought vast areas under their sway. From Spain and Portugal in the west, across North Africa and the Middle East, and on to the oasis cities of Merv, Tashkent, and Samarkand in the east, the Arab conquest spread with astonishing speed. Chinas interests in Central Asia went back at least to 97 B.C., when the Han Dynasty general Ban Chao led an army of 70,000 as far as Merv (in what is now Turkmenistan), in pursuit of bandit tribes that preyed on early Silk Road caravans. China also had long courted trade relations with the Sassanid Empire in Persia, as well as their predecessors the Parthians. The Persians and Chinese had collaborated to quell rising Turkic powers, playing different tribal leaders off of one another. In addition, the Chinese had a long history of contacts with the Sogdian Empire, centered in modern-day Uzbekistan. Early Chinese/Arab Conflicts Inevitably, the lightning-quick expansion by the Arabs would clash with Chinas established interests in Central Asia. In 651, the Umayyads captured the Sassanian capital at Merv and executed the king, Yazdegerd III. From this base, they would go on to conquer Bukhara, the Ferghana Valley, and as far east as Kashgar (on the Chinese/Kyrgyz border today). News of Yazdegards fate was carried to the Chinese capital of Changan (Xian) by his son Firuz, who fled to China after the fall of Merv. Firuz later became a general of one of Chinas armies, and then governor of a region centered at modern-day Zaranj, Afghanistan. In 715, the first armed clash between the two powers occurred in the Ferghana Valley of Afghanistan. The Arabs and Tibetans deposed King Ikhshid and installed a man named Alutar in his place. Ikhshid asked China to intervene on his behalf, and the Tang sent an army of 10,000 to overthrow Alutar and reinstate Ikhshid. Two years later, an Arab/Tibetan army besieged two cities in the Aksu region of what is now Xinjiang, western China. The Chinese sent an army of Qarluq mercenaries, who defeated the Arabs and Tibetans and lifted the siege. In 750 the Umayyad Caliphate fell, overthrown by the more aggressive Abbasid Dynasty. The Abbasids From their first capital at Harran, Turkey, the Abbasid Caliphate set out to consolidate power over the sprawling Arab Empire built by the Umayyads. One area of concern was the eastern borderlands - the Ferghana Valley and beyond. The Arab forces in eastern Central Asia with their Tibetan and Uighur allies were led by the brilliant tactician, General Ziyad ibn Salih. Chinas western army was headed by Governor-General Kao Hsien-chih (Go Seong-ji), an ethnic-Korean commander. It was not unusual at that time for foreign or minority officers to command Chinese armies because the military was considered an undesirable career path for ethnic Chinese noblemen. Appropriately enough, the decisive clash at Talas River was precipitated by another dispute in Ferghana. In 750, the king of Ferghana had a border dispute with the ruler of neighboring Chach. He appealed to the Chinese, who sent General Kao to assist Ferghanas troops. Kao besieged Chach, offered the Chachan king safe passage out of his capital, then reneged and beheaded him. In a mirror-image parallel to what had happened during the Arab conquest of Merv in 651, the Chachan kings son escaped and reported the incident to Abbasid Arab governor Abu Muslim at Khorasan. Abu Muslim rallied his troops at Merv and marched to join Ziyad ibn Salihs army further east.  The Arabs were determined to teach General Kao a lesson... and incidentally, to assert Abbasid power in the region. The Battle of Talas River In July of 751, the armies of these two great empires met at Talas, near the modern-day Kyrgyz/Kazakh border. Chinese records state that the Tang army was 30,000 strong, while Arab accounts put the number of Chinese at 100,000. The total number of Arab, Tibetan and Uighur warriors is not recorded, but theirs was the larger of the two forces. For five days, the mighty armies clashed. When the Qarluq Turks came in on the Arab side several days into the fighting, the Tang armys doom was sealed. Chinese sources imply that the Qarluqs had been fighting for them, but treacherously switched sides midway through the battle. Arab records, on the other hand, indicate that the Qarluqs were already allied with the Abbasids prior to the conflict. The Arab account seems more likely since the Qarluqs suddenly mounted a surprise attack on the Tang formation from the rear. (If the Chinese accounts are correct, wouldnt the Qarluqs have been in the middle of the action, rather than riding up from behind? And would the surprise have been as complete, if the Qarluqs had been fighting there all along?) Some modern Chinese writings about the battle still exhibit a sense of outrage at this perceived betrayal by one of the Tang Empires minority peoples. Whatever the case, the Qarluq attack signaled the beginning of the end for Kao Hsien-chihs army. Of the tens of thousands the Tang sent into battle, only a small percentage survived. Kao Hsien-chih himself was one of the few who escaped the slaughter; he would live just five years more, before being put on trial and executed for corruption. In addition to the tens of thousands of Chinese killed, a number were captured and taken back to Samarkand (in modern-day Uzbekistan) as prisoners of war. The Abbassids could have pressed their advantage, marching into China proper. However, their supply lines were already stretched to the breaking point, and sending such a huge force over the eastern Hindu Kush mountains and into the deserts of western China was beyond their capacity. Despite the crushing defeat of Kaos Tang forces, the Battle of Talas was a tactical draw. The Arabs eastward advance was halted, and the troubled Tang Empire turned its attention from Central Asia to rebellions on its northern and southern borders. Consequences of the Battle of Talas At the time of the Battle of Talas, its significance was not clear. Chinese accounts mention the battle as part of the beginning of the end for the Tang Dynasty. That same year, the Khitan tribe in Manchuria (northern China) defeated the imperial forces in that region, and Thai/Lao peoples in what is now Yunnan province in the south revolted as well. The An Shi Revolt of 755-763, which was more of a civil war than a simple revolt, further weakened the empire. By 763, the Tibetans were able to seize the Chinese capital at Changan (now Xian). With so much turmoil at home, the Chinese had neither the will nor the power to exert much influence past the Tarim Basin after 751. For the Arabs, too, this battle marked an unnoticed turning point. The victors are supposed to write history, but in this case, (despite the totality of their victory), they did not have much to say for some time after the event. Barry Hoberman points out that the ninth-century Muslim historian al-Tabari (839-923) never even mentions the Battle of Talas River. Its not until half a millennium after the skirmish that Arab historians take note of Talas, in the writings of Ibn al-Athir (1160-1233) and al-Dhahabi (1274-1348). Nevertheless, the Battle of Talas had important consequences. The weakened Chinese Empire was no longer in any position to interfere in Central Asia, so the influence of the Abbassid Arabs grew. Some scholars quibble that too much emphasis is placed on the role of Talas in the Islamification of Central Asia. It is certainly true that the Turkic and Persian tribes of Central Asia did not all immediately convert to Islam in August of 751. Such a feat of mass communication across the deserts, mountains, and steppes would have been utterly impossible before modern mass communications, even if the Central Asian peoples were uniformly receptive to Islam. Nonetheless, the absence of any counterweight to the Arab presence allowed Abbassid influence to spread gradually throughout the region. Within the next 250 years, most of the formerly Buddhist, Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Nestorian Christian tribes of Central Asia had become Muslim. Most significant of all, among the prisoners of war captured by the Abbassids after the Battle of Talas River, were a number of skilled Chinese artisans, including Tou Houan. Through them, first the Arab world and then the rest of Europe learned the art of paper-making. (At that time, the Arabs controlled Spain and Portugal, as well as North Africa, the Middle East, and large swaths of Central Asia.) Soon, paper-making factories sprang up in Samarkand, Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Delhi... and in 1120 the first European paper mill was established in Xativa, Spain (now called Valencia). From these Arab-dominated cities, the technology spread to Italy, Germany, and across Europe. The advent of paper technology, along with woodcut printing and later movable-type printing, fueled the advances in science, theology, and history of Europes High Middle Ages, which ended only with the coming of the Black Death in the 1340s. Sources: The Battle of Talas, Barry Hoberman. Saudi Aramco World, pp. 26-31 (Sept/Oct 1982). A Chinese Expedition across the Pamirs and Hindukush, A.D. 747, Aurel Stein. The Geographic Journal, 59:2, pp. 112-131 (Feb. 1922). Gernet, Jacque, J. R. Foster (trans.), Charles Hartman (trans.). A History of Chinese Civilization, (1996). Oresman, Matthew. Beyond the Battle of Talas: Chinas Re-emergence in Central Asia. Ch. 19 of In the tracks of Tamerlane: Central Asias path to the 21st Century, Daniel L. Burghart and Theresa Sabonis-Helf, eds. (2004). Titchett, Dennis C. (ed.). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 3, Sui and Tang China, 589-906 AD, Part One, (1979).

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Information and System Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information and System Security - Essay Example Information security is concerned with the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data regardless of the form the data may take: electronic, print, or other forms. The field of information security has grown and evolved significantly in recent years. As a career choice there are many ways of gaining entry into the field. It offers many areas for specialization including Information Systems Auditing, Business Continuity Planning. Information security is the ongoing process of exercising due care and due diligence to protect information, and information systems, from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, destruction, modification, or disruption. The never ending process of information security involves ongoing training, assessment, protection, monitoring & detection, incident response & repair, documentation, and review. In recent years identity management has become increasingly important, especially in the financial services, healthcare and government industries. Why identity management has emerged as a growing business and IT priority is no mystery. Obvious drivers include the need to protect one's intellectual property, data brand value and customer loyalty from the potential damage wrought by electronically-based fraud and theft; the desire to cut technical support costs, increase productivity through self-service and enable integration across disparate platforms.

Monday, February 3, 2020

The Cycle Shop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Cycle Shop - Essay Example Shoulder movements such as shaking or nodding the head are movements created by an individual as an easier for the person to make a quick decision. People can also stiffen the body parts or at least reduce the movements by trying to control the reaction to the effect of the emotion. The slight head movements are hard to control because when a person is lying, for example, it is automatic for the expressions to occur and the individual may not have much ability to control it (Rosenberg & Ekman, 2005). Emotions expressed from the face such as blushing are also not easy to control because these are expressions, which occur as a result of tension in the body. One of the situations where the verbal and non-verbal expressions do not go together is when a person is telling the truth and his facial expression is suggesting that he intended to lie. In this process, the interviewer may be able to detect that the person is confused (Ekman, 2009). Other people may use the technique of looking down to avoid eye contact when they are lying even though it is also said the truthful people could make the same movements. Another situation is where one looks at an interviewee, and notices that his eye pupils are dilating. This is seen as a sign of lying, but it may not be consistent with the expression because at times the dilation may have been caused by bright light (Friesen & Ekman, 2003). There are a few emotional expressions which cannot be controlled. These are the expressions where the body does not necessarily have to produce any movements, but they are those that can be identified by just looking at a person’s face. They include paleness of the skin, redness of the face and eye blinking (Ekman, 2009). This is a situation where a person may be embarrassed or guilty and cannot control the changes occurring on his face. No matter how much the person may not want the interviewer to notice the expressions,

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Cafe Expresso And Sustained Competitive Advantage

Cafe Expresso And Sustained Competitive Advantage The purpose of this report was to critically analyse the Human Resource and Performance management systems of Cafe Expresso as a source of sustained competitive advantage. Specific objectives were to discuss the Human Resource, as a source of sustained competitive advantage (under RBV) in a company. In addition, the implications of RBV (Resource Based View) on SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Management) of an organization were discussed and how performance management systems are put in place to multiply its efficiency. The role of managers in this regard was also analysed to certain extent. In the end, threat posed to Cafà © Expresso was identified and recommendations were offered. One of the challenges faced by the company was the sustainability of its competitive advantage. The report recommends an extensive use of innovation and creativity at all levels of management in the company and futuristic approach in all its strategies and decision-making process. Table of Contents Introduction The case study on which this report is based, deals with one of the renowned players of the coffee house industry, called the Cafà © Expresso. After reining the coffee industry for almost 15 years, they lost their market share at the hand of rival competitors. As their key staff was poached and business model imitated. The new leadership in the form of charismatic chief executive, Ben Thomson, identified the problem in companys human resource and appointed, Kam Patel as a new global HR director to sort it out. Kam Patel worked on the new HR strategy to achieve Bens vision of becoming the number one coffee house across the globe. She revolutionised the role of HR and introduced functions of Partner Resources, where all employees were termed as partners in the business. Other key areas on which she focused were, resourcing and retention, learning and development, talent management, employee involvement and communication, and compensation and benefits. Her efforts reaped results and Cafà © Expresso moved to number two in the industry. The service had improved considerably and there was an increased level of staff and customer retention. However, they were now concerned about sustaining and developing this competitive advantage, which they achieved through superior strategy and innovative HR practices (Harzing and pinnington, 2011). Objectives of the report The main objectives of the report are to discuss the Human Resource Management strategy of cafà © expresso in light of Resource Based Theory presented by Barney (1991). Followed by key recommendations, as to how it can further develop or maintain its competitive advantage, based on this perspective. Purpose of the report The purpose of this report is to put forward an inductive theoretical discussion, where by, the human resource in an organization can be viewed as a source of sustained competitive advantage. In order to accomplish our mission, we will focus on the need to introduce the Strategic Human resource Management and the summary of Resource Based View of an organization, as well as, cursory touching upon the old and new conflicting theories in the process. We will then identify the circumstances, under which the human resource is actually valuable, rear, inimitable and non-substantial (VRIO framework). We will draw an end to literature review by discussing the implications of RBV on basic SHRM and example case study. Finally, we will discuss the inferences and put forward recommendations, as to how human resources can provide sustained competitive advantage and analyzing the role of HR practices in creating this advantage. Limitations Due to word limit, this report only discusses the theoretical research carried in the field of SHRM development and not the empirical research. Literature Review Strategic Human Resource Management and Transformation Armstrong (2008:5) defines Human Resource Management as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets- the people working there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives. Therefore, strategic HRM can be termed as those HR policies and practices, which will help an organisation in achieving its long-term goals and objectives through its people. Purcell (1999) defines strategic HRM as those actions, which differentiate an organsiation from its competitors in the market. HR policies and practices are no longer being formulated in isolation, as in the past. In the last half a century, HR functions have transformed from personnel in 1970s to employee welfare (unions) in 1990s to a strategic business partners in 21st century (Holbeche, 2009; Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005). The current period of HR transformation has been greatly influenced by Dave Ulrichs thinking (Holbeche, 2009). Strategic Management Framework Strategic management has seen remarkable advancement in the past half a century. Ever since the realisation of strategy into management, both academic researchers and practitioners have shown great interest in this field (Wright, et al, 1994). The business strategy encompasses the organisations strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats-SWOT (Chanda, 2009). The strategists have relied extensively on this single framework (SWOT) to structure their work (Barney, 1991). Other contribution in this framework is Porters- 5 Force Model in Fig.1.1, which emphasizes on the external environmental factors affecting firms performance. Porters model did receive a wide range of acceptability by the practitioners, but it does not cater for the determinants, on which a companys manager has influence (Wright, et al, 1994). Keeping in view the above mentioned strategic management theories, based on external factors determining the competitive advantage of an organization, let us now narrow down to strategic human resource management. In this regard, the most relative one is the Outside-in (Michigan HRM Model) theory, first published by Tichy, et al., 1982) According to them, People are recruited in to the organisations to do the jobs defined, by the division of labour. Performance must be monitored and rewards must be given to keep individuals productive (Devanna, et, al, 1984). In their model, Fig.2.2 Strategic management and environmental pressures they present the basic elements as interrelated systems, that are surrounded in the work related environment. C:UsersShahrukhDesktopR0801E_A.gif Fig.2.1 The five competitive forces that shape strategy Source: Harvard Business review, 2008 However, critics suggest that this model has harder, less humanistic approach to HRM, holding the employees as a resource, in the same manner as any other business resource. People can be obtained as cheap as possible, used sparingly, developed and exploited to organizations benefit (Price, 2011). Another limitation to this model is that, it cannot fit into dynamic and globalized economic conditions, where innovation and learning is the key to sustained competitive advantage. One of the upcoming and current theoretical discussions on strategic management is the Resource Based View of an organization (Barney, 1991; Wright, 1993). This theory of strategic management is different from environmentally-focused and externally motivated theories (e.g., Poter, 1980; Tichy, et al, 1982; Devanna, et al, 1984). It mainly focuses on the inside out view of the organization (Barney, 1991), its strategy and its performance (Hill and Jones, 2007). Furthermore, the Resource Based model of competitive advantage is mainly organisation- focused as compared to strategic management analysis by Porter and Devanna, which are industry environment- focused (Mc Williams and Smart cited in Wright, 1994). Resource Based View of an organisation Resource based view of a company as described above, emphasizes upon the internal resources of the company as a major factor in competitive success and sustainability (Wright, et al, 1994). It is therefore, imperative to briefly focus on the definitions of resources, competitive advantage and sustained competitive advantage. Resources within Resource Based Theory According to Barney(1991:101) the resources in a firm are all assets, capabilities, organizational processes, firm attributes, information, knowledge, etc. controlled by a firm that enable a firm to conceive of and implement strategies that improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Barney also classifies these resources in to three categories, such as, physical capital resources, human capital resources and organizational capital resources (Wright, et al, 1994). Since our focus is on human capital resources, therefore, according to Barney, it includes such things as experience, intelligence of both managers and workers in an organisation. Competitive and sustained competitive advantage When discussing the RBV of a firm, the above mentioned resources are in fact the source of competitive advantage. Barney (1991:102) believes competitive advantage is being achieved when a firm is implementing a value creating strategy, not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors. In contrast, in the environmentally motivated strategic models (e.g. Porters 1980; Devanna1984), the resources are considered to be mobile and that companies can create or purchase, resources held by the other firms (Wright, et al, 2001). The second definition is the sustained competitive advantage. Some authors have suggested that a sustained competitive advantage is simply a competitive advantage that lasts long period of calendar time (e.g. Jacobson 1988; Porter1985) (Barney, 1991). Whereas, the new theory is that sustained competitive advantage occurs only when the competitors are unable to copy the benefits of a competitor advantage at the first place (Wright, et al, 1994). Therefore, the criteria chalked down by Barney (1991) for sustained competitive advantage in his resource based theory is VRIO: Value should be created through resource There should be an element of uniqueness or rarity in the resource as compared to its competitors in the market The resource should not be imitable The resource of an organisation should not be substitutable with resources from other competitors Human Resource under VRIO Framework We have established that human resource is one of the components of sustained competitive advantage. Let us now further discuss it under the resource based (VRIO) framework (Barney Wright: 1997). Human Resource as Valuable As mentioned above, in order for human resource to become the source of sustained competitive advantage, it needs to add value to the firm (Elliot, 2003). According to Barney (1991), resources must possess additional characteristics, in order for them to add value to the organization. Other researchers believe that because of the variable level of skills and abilities of employees, there is a variance in individual contribution to the firm, consequently adding to the ability of human capital to provide value. (Wright, et al, 1994). In addition, value can also be created within the organisation for its human resource through regular training and development activities (Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005). Human Resource as Rare In contrast to the idea of rarity of human resources, it can be argued that labor pool is in fact homogenous due to existence of fairly high levels of unemployment, leading to an excess of supply of labor (Elliot, 2003). However, it is widely believed amongst the HR strategists that rarity in a human resource is derived from their variable levels of competencies and skills. For example, cognitive is an ability which is rarely found in all levels of human resource (Wright, et al, 1994). Since these rare competencies are distributed uniformly amongst the talent pool, therefore, quality human resource is rare (Lado and Wilson 1994). Human Resource as inimitable According to Wright et al (1994), If the competitive advantage gained through having a high quality skilled worker is easily imitable, then it not possible for human resource to constitute as a source of sustained competitive advantage. According to the RBV of competitive advantage, SHRM researches argue that the high quality workers can be imperfectly imitable, if they possess pre-requisites such as, unique historical background, casual ambiguity and social intricacy (Elliot, 2003). Furthermore, to sustain a competitive advantage, the human resource must also be imperfectly mobile i.e. that cannot be traded as regularly as possible (Amit Shoemaker; Grant; Peteraf, cited in Elliot 2003). However, William (1992) argues that nothing lasts forever and no matter what the organisation does, its competitive advantage will eventually be copied by its competitors. Therefore, he purposes the idea of First mover advantage- how fast an organization can maneuver across a range of competitive co nditions. Human Resource as non-substitutable Not able to be substituted mean that there must be no strategically equivalent valuable resources that are themselves either not rare or imitable (Barney 1991:111). Alternatively, if the resources are not rare and imitable, the other firms will be able to easily create and implement same business model and strategies, thus, invalidating the benefits of competitive advantage (Barney, 1991). However, it is widely argued that the biggest advantage to human resource is the fact that every person is genetically unique in a way that no two people are exactly identical, thus they are heterogeneous resource (Barney Wright, 1997; Wright et al, 1994; Pfeffer, 1995). In addition, human resources is the only source in an organisation, which has the potential to not to grow obsolete and can be easily introduced to new technologies, products and markets (Wright, et a, 1994). Furthermore, the time human resource spends in an oragnisation, adds to the experience which in turn adds to the total valu e of the organisation (Barney Wright, 1997). Applying RBV to SHRM and sustained competitive advantage As it is mentioned in para.2.1 that SHRM is a set of those HR policies and practices, which are designed to achieve long-term organizational goals. Though field of SHRM has not directly born of the RBV, it has clearly been instrumental to its development (Wright; Dunford; Snell: 2001). It was largely due to the fact that RBV shifted the view from external (environmental) factors to internal firm resources as a source of competitive advantage (Hoskisson: 1999). Therefore, amalgamation of RBV into SHRM should come as no surprise to the practitioners around the world. HR practices and sustained competitive advantage The potential of HR practices to establish a source of sustained competitive advantage has been argued greatly amongst academic researchers (Wright, et al: 2001). Two arguments came in quick succession in 1994. Wright et al (1994) suggested that HR practices (tools used to manage human pool), when studied under the RBV, VRIO framework (Barney and Wright: 1997), does not form the basis of sustained competitive advantage. As, individual HR practices can easily be imitated by competitors. Alternatively, they proposed that only the human resource capital (highly skilled and highly motivated workforce) has the potential to become the source of sustained competitive advantage for a firm (Elliot: 2003).In contrast, Lado and Wilson (1994) argued that HR practices are in fact the source of sustained competitive advantage for firm because HR systems (opposite to individual practices) can be unique, informally ambiguous and synergetic in way they develop firm competencies. Thus, HR practices wi th all its complementariness and interdependencies would be impossible to be copied by another competitor. This argument seems valid in the current SHRM paradigm (Wright, et al: 2001). Development and performance management The constant development in the field of SHRM has rendered RBV to achieve some consensus on the role of human resource in achieving sustained competitive advantage (Wright et al: 2001). These factors are illustrated in Fig.2.5. Fig.2.5: A model of basic strategic HRM components C:UsersShahrukhDesktop1-s2.0-S0149206301001209-gr1.gif Source: Journal of Management (2001) The components depicted in Fig.2.5 are only the levers by which a pool of human capital can be developed (Wright et al, 1994). The role of managers in a firm is inherently limited, when it comes to defining the sources of sustained competitive advantage under VRIO framework (wright et al 2001). However, Wright et al (1994) argues that the managers can play a vital role in developing a pool human capital (highly skilled and motivated workers) by superior HR practices such as: Extensive selection and recruitment process Systems to attract, identify and retain high quality employees Training programs aimed at increasing and developing individual skills and competencies Attractive wages and compensation packages Based on Wright et als(1994) model, Elliot(2003) suggests that the next aim of an HR manager is to affect the individual behavior of employees by introducing Performance Management Systems supportive of firms competitive strategy. For example, Reward systems, Appraisal systems, communication systems and socialization systems and encourage employees to improve their individual performance, where by, they can deliver and act in the best interest of the organization (Wright et al, 1994). Link between theory practice- Cafà © Expresso Here, we will link theory to practice, by practically, adding the example from the case-study on Cafà © Expresso. After Ben Thomson (CEO) decided to re-launch Cafà © Expressos business strategy, the main emphasis of his program was the refurbishment of HR department. As, this discussion focuses on modern HRM theories and practices in light of RBV, it is evident that the new HR director, Kam patel, applied almost the same strategy. For example: To start with, they set aside the external (outside-in) environment (Michigan model by Devanna et al (1984) and Porters forces model (1985)) and focused on the firms internal (Inside-out) HRM strategy and practices (RBV of the firm by Barney (1991) and Wright et al (1994)). Due to high turn-over of employees in the industry and weak retention, they identified the key human capital of the company, as a source of competitive advantage (based on Wright et al, 1994). Kam Patel, with her futuristic and modern approach, transformed the HR function as Partner Resources (based on Holbeche, 2009; Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005). She introduced performance management systems, for example, objective and development needs, in relation to knowledge, technical skills and behavioral skills. Performance appraisal was conducted bi-annually and feedback from customers and peers were included in the process. (Based on Wright et al, 1994; Elliot, 2003). Under the VRIO framework (Barney, 1991), Cafà © Expresso did manage to create Value, Rarity, Inimitability and non-substitutability through their superior HR practices. Value and Rarity by introducing learning and development feature in their HR practice, for example, new recruits were encouraged to spend time on the floor. They spent a day in Cafà © Expresso development Centre, learning the company history and coffee industry. They were made Cafà © expresso ambassador by taking part in the coffee master program. They were groomed through mentor system, where both baristas and managers were provided with a buddy, who would support and provide assistance in their job. In addition, the new resourcing technique (window advertsing and word of mouth) meant that most of their selected partners were actually loyal customers in the past, which is a rare human resource pool in a firm (Harzing Pinnington, 2011). In-imitability and non-substitutability is measured by the fact that cafà © expresso possessed a unique team of partners (mostly former customers) with the same love and passion for coffee house experience amongst them. Furthermore, the retention strategy offered was of high quality and included wide range of benefits, for example, share option scheme and discount of 30% was offered to partners on all cafà © expresso stores. In addition, they empowered their partners to provide suggestions and ideas. Partner Voice a company magazine was introduced, by which all employees were kept aware of all the activities of the company (Harzing Pinnington, 2011). Conclusion One of the objectives, set in the introduction part of this paper was to analyse the HRM strategy of Cafà © Expresso in light of Barneys (1991) Resource Based Theory. It is proven from the discussion that Cafà © Expresso did work on its HR policies and practices based on the reigning Resource Based Theory by Barney and Wright. The link between Cafà © Expressos HR practices and companys performance has been established through the above mentioned theory. For example, when Ben Thomson did not find any solution in the external (industrial) environment, he turned his focus inside the company and immediately discovered problems in the internal resources; out of which the most important one was the HR function. With RBV of the firm he added value to the firm by employing an experienced HR director Kam Patel. She in turn added more value and rarity to the firm by introducing empirical HR strategies and unparalleled performance management systems. The result was that Cafà © Expresso star ted to grow and moved to second place in the industry (Harzing Pinnington, 2011). It has been established that human resource can become a source of competitive advantage in the industry, as well as, a possible source of sustained competitive advantage when scrutinized under VRIO framework (Wright et al, 1994). Furthermore, Cafà © Expresso did achieve the competitive advantage they hoped for, but the true test of the robustness of their strategy is in fact sustainability and development of the same. Finally, is it enough for Cafà © Expresso to not to worry any more about their current competitive advantage, as, they have fulfilled all the prerequisites of the Resource Based Theory of competitive advantage laid down in the paper? The answer will be discussed in the Recommendations part. Recommendations Despite the debate amongst strategists and scholars continue, regarding the effectiveness of RBV, there is no denying the fact that sustainability is the function of companys key resources and their immobility (Brahma Chakraborty, 2011). Undoubtedly, the question is what makes these resources absolutely, valuable? Petraf and Barney (2003:312) state that, Resource Based Theory (RBT) is not the only or a best substitute for industrial level analytical tools, such as five-force analysis (Porter, 1980) or for group analysis or analysis of macro environment. It is relatively an additional tool to complement all these tools, where by, one can search for possible causes of sustained competitive advantage. In view of the above, I have come up with following recommendations for cafà © expresso and their issue of sustained competitive advantage: Aphorism: Innovate or Die is a famous saying these days, which warns companies to innovate or face the consequences of being driven out of the market for good (Barney, Ketchen Wright, 2011). Rapid advancement in the field of Information sharing technologies, Globalisation and dynamic economic environment are some of the factors, which pose an existent threat to any companys competitive advantage in the market. Companies, such as Cafà © Expresso, should not only rely on one successful strategy for long but should constantly revise and develop new ideas to develop and maintain their competitive advantage. How time affects strategy? The common denominator is time; this approach helps managers become proactive in creating change- in policies, in practices and in processes. Williams (1992) suggested this theory for sustained competitive advantage, which I believe holds much valid in todays fierce business environment. The success in this theory is embedded in the managers ability to change the rules of the game so entirely that the competitors are left behind in the chase. The management of cafà © expresso should keep their options open and avoid fixation. Futuristic leadership at all levels in the organisation is one of the key factors to sustained competitive advantage. A visionary team of managers will push the organization towards innovation and creativity, avoiding stagnation in the process. Ben Thomson (current CEO) should constantly monitor market for new avenues and trends in the coffee house industry. He should also develop and train his key managers to become visionary and creative. Capacity for change is an all-time important element of a sustained competitive advantage. Due to highly fluid business environment, where new technologies and features enter the market every day, a company should possess a capacity to change its internal business ethos accordingly. Human resource in an organization has a great capacity to change and being exposed to new environments. Being Customer focused is last but not the least of worries for a company such as, cafà © expresso. The kind of industry in which it operates is directly involved in customer service and satisfaction. Much study has been done on customer service and retention in the past two decades or so, because the focuses of almost all the businesses have now shifted in the direction of its customers. The future of entire coffee house business is embedded in this single aspect.