Pre-modern China essays

Pre-modern China essays A nineteenth Century Japanese Politician once described China as an elephant that is unable to quickly change speed or direction. Identify and explain factors that would inhibit Chinas ability to respond to changing circumstances. Remember to include physical, cultural, political and economic factors. The dynamics of Chinese society were radically different to those of Western societies at the time. The value system that was behind every facet of Chinese civilisation created a different way of evaluating new circumstances and thus different ways to respond. The educational system that formed the backbone of the government system was based upon conservative, traditional thinking that involved applying traditional techniques rather than seeking solutions to new circumstances. The social hierarchy placed little value on the merchant class who would have been a potential driving force for technological and economic adaptation and development, and instead preferred to rely upon the traditional peasant class to provide for the country. This was made possible by the vast fertile lands surrounding the three major rivers in Middle China. On top of these internal factors, the Chinese view of the history of the world led to a conclusion that China was the civilised centre of the world and t hus all problems could be solved internally. Confucianism provided the values and principles that dictated how to act in all situations. Confucianism was based upon strict, unquestioning, obedience to the Hierarchy of society . The importance of utmost respect for elders naturally made Chinese society more conservative and left less room for new generations to question the past traditions and develop ideas of their own. Confucianism venerated the past and the old whether customs, traditions, learned texts, ancestors, or societys elders and therefore resisted change . This value system brought about a society that att...

Best Analysis Money and Materialism in The Great Gatsby

Best Analysis Money and Materialism in The Great Gatsby SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In The Great Gatsby, money is a huge motivator in the characters' relationships, motivations, and outcomes. Most of the characters reveal themselves to be highly materialistic, their motivations driven by their desire for money and things: Daisy marries and stays with Tom because of the lifestyle he can provide her, Myrtle has her affair with Tom due to the privileged world it grants her access to, and Gatsby even lusts after Daisy as if she is a prize to be won. After all, her voice is "full of money- that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. . . . High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl. . . ." (7.106). So how exactly does materialism reveal itself as a theme, how can it help us analyze the characters, and what are some common assignments surrounding this theme? We will dig into all things money here in this guide. Roadmap Money and materialism in the plotKey quotes about money/materialismAnalyzing characters via money/materialismCommon assignments and analysis of money/materialism in Gatsby Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. Money and Materialism in The Great Gatsby In the opening pages, Nick establishes himself as someone who has had many advantages in life- a wealthy family and an Ivy League education to name just two. Despite not being as wealthy as Tom and Daisy, his second cousin, they see him as enough of a peer to invite him to their home in Chapter 1. Nick's connection to Daisy in turn makes him attractive to Gatsby. If Nick were just a middle-class everyman, the story could not play out in the same way. Tom and Daisy's movements are also supported by their money. At the beginning of the novel they move to fashionable East Egg, after moving around between "wherever people played polo and were rich together," and are able to very quickly pick up and leave at the end of the book after the murders, thanks to the protection their money provides (1.17). Daisy, for her part, only begins her affair with Gatsby after a very detailed display of his wealth (via the mansion tour). She even breaks down in tears after Gatsby shows off his ridiculously expensive set of colored shirts, crying that she's "never seen such beautiful shirts" before (5.8). Gatsby's notoriety comes from, first and foremost, his enormous wealth, wealth he has gathered to win over Daisy. Gatsby was born to poor farmer parents in North Dakota, but at 17, determined to become rich, struck out with the wealthy Dan Cody and never looked back (6.5-15). Even though he wasn't able to inherit any part of Cody's fortune, he used what he learned of wealthy society to first charm Daisy before shipping out to WWI. (In a uniform she had no idea he was poor, especially given his sophisticated manners). Then, after returning home and realizing Daisy was married and gone, he set out to earn enough money to win Daisy over, turning to crime via a partnership with Meyer Wolfshiem to quickly amass wealth (9.83-7). Meanwhile, Tom's mistress Myrtle, a car mechanic's wife, puts on airs and tries to pass as rich through her affair with Tom, but her involvement with the Buchanans gets her killed. George Wilson, in contrast, is constrained by his lack of wealth. He tells Tom Buchanan after finding out about Myrtle's affair that he plans to move her West, but he "[needs] money pretty bad" in order to make the move (7.146). Tragically, Myrtle is hit and killed that evening by Daisy. If George Wilson had had the means, he likely would have already left New York with Myrtle in tow, saving both of their lives. Hardly anyone shows up to Gatsby's funeral since they were only attracted by his wealth and the parties, not the man himself. This is encapsulated in a phone call Nick describes, to a man who used to come to Gatsby's parties: "one gentleman to whom I telephoned implied that he had got what he deserved. However, that was my fault, for he was one of those who used to sneer most bitterly at Gatsby on the courage of Gatsby's liquor and I should have known better than to call him" (9.69). In short, money both drives the plot and explains many of the characters' motivations and limitations. Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Key Quotes About Money Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,I must have you!" - THOMAS PARKE D'INVILLIERS The epigraph of the novel immediately marks money and materialism as a key theme of the book- the listener is implored to "wear the gold hat" as a way to impress his lover. In other words, wealth is presented as the key to love- such an important key that the word "gold" is repeated twice. It's not enough to "bounce high" for someone, to win them over with your charm. You need wealth, the more the better, to win over the object of your desire. "They had spent a year in France, for no particular reason, and then drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together." (1.17) Our introduction to Tom and Daisy immediately describes them as rich, bored, and privileged. Tom's restlessness is likely one motivator for his affairs, while Daisy is weighed down by the knowledge of those affairs. This combination of restlessness and resentment puts them on the path to the tragedy at the end of the book. "There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor-boats slit the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam. On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city, between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains. And on Mondays eight servants including an extra gardener toiled all day with mops and scrubbing-brushes and hammers and garden-shears, repairing the ravages of the night before†¦." (3.1-3.6) The description of Gatsby's parties at the beginning of Chapter 3 is long and incredibly detailed, and thus it highlights the extraordinary extent of Gatsby's wealth and materialism. In contrast to Tom and Daisy's expensive but not overly gaudy mansion, and the small dinner party Nick attends there in Chapter 1, everything about Gatsby's new wealth is over-the-top and showy, from the crates of oranges brought in and juiced one-by-one by a butler to the full orchestra. Everyone who comes to the parties is attracted by Gatsby's money and wealth, making the culture of money-worship a society-wide trend in the novel, not just something our main characters fall victim to. After all, "People were not invited- they went there" (3.7). No one comes due to close personal friendship with Jay. Everyone is there for the spectacle alone. He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray. While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher- shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange with monograms of Indian blue. Suddenly with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily. "They're such beautiful shirts," she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. "It makes me sad because I've never seen such- such beautiful shirts before." (5.7-8) Gatsby, like a peacock showing off its many-colored tail, flaunts his wealth to Daisy by showing off his many-colored shirts. And, fascinatingly, this is the first moment of the day Daisy fully breaks down emotionally- not when she first sees Gatsby, not after their first long conversation, not even at the initial sight of the mansion- but at this extremely conspicuous display of wealth. This speaks to her materialism and how, in her world, a certain amount of wealth is a barrier to entry for a relationship (friendship or more). "She's got an indiscreet voice," I remarked. "It's full of- - " I hesitated. "Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly. That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of money- that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. . . . High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl. . . . (7.103-106) Daisy herself is explicitly connected with money here, which allows the reader to see Gatsby's desire for her as desire for wealth, money, and status more generally. So while Daisy is materialistic and is drawn to Gatsby again due to his newly-acquired wealth, we see Gatsby is drawn to her as well due to the money and status she represents. I couldn't forgive him or like him but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. . . . (9.146) Here, in the aftermath of the novel's carnage, Nick observes that while Myrtle, George, and Gatsby have all died, Tom and Daisy are not punished at all for their recklessness, they can simply retreat "back into their money or their vast carelessness†¦ and let other people clean up the mess." So money here is more than just status- it's a shield against responsibility, which allows Tom and Daisy to behave recklessly while other characters suffer and die in pursuit of their dreams. Money: the ultimate shrug-off. Analyzing Characters Through Materialism We touched on this a bit with the quotes, but all of the characters can be analyzed from the point of view of their wealth and/or how materialistic they are. This analysis can enrich an essay about old money versus new money, the American dream, or even a more straightforward character analysis, or a comparison of two different characters. Mining the text for a character's attitude toward money can be a very helpful way to understand their motivations in the world of 1920s New York. If you analyze a character through this theme, make sure to explain: #1: Their attitude towards money. #2: How money/materialism drives their choices in the novel. #3: How their final outcome is shaped by their wealth status and what that says about their place in the world. Character Analysis Example As an example, let's look briefly at Myrtle. We get our best look at Myrtle in Chapter 2, when Tom takes Nick to see her in Queens and they end up going to the New York City apartment Tom keeps for Myrtle and hosting a small gathering (after Tom and Myrtle hook up, with Nick in the next room!). Myrtle is obsessed with shows of wealth, from her outfits, to insisting on a specific cab, to her apartment's decoration, complete with scenes of Versailles on the overly-large furniture: "The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles" (2.51). She even adopts a different persona among her guests: "The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur. Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air" (2.56). In Myrtle's eyes, money is an escape from life with her husband in the valley of ashes, something that brings status, and something that buys class. After all, Tom's money secures her fancy apartment and allows her to lord it over her guests and play at sophistication, even while Nick looks down his nose at her. Obviously there is physical chemistry driving her affair with Tom, but she seems to get as much (if not more) pleasure from the materials that come with the affair- the apartment, the clothes, the dog, the parties. So she keeps up this affair, despite how morally questionable it is and the risk it opens up for her- her materialism, in other words, is her primary motivator. However, despite her airs, she matters very little to the "old money" crowd, as cruelly evidenced first when Tom breaks her nose with a "short deft movement" (2.126), and later, when Daisy chooses to run her over rather than get into a car accident. Myrtle's character reveals how precarious social climbing is, how materialism is not actually a path to happiness/virtue. In this novel, actual mountain climbing is safer than social climbing. Common Assignments and Discussion Topics About Money and Materialism in The Great Gatsby Here are ways to think about frequently assigned topics on this the theme of money and materialism. Discuss Tom Daisy as people who "smash things and retreat into their money" As discussed above, money- and specifically having inherited money- not only guarantees a certain social class, it guarantees safety and privilege: Tom and Daisy can literally live by different rules than other, less-wealthy people. While Gatsby, Myrtle, and George all end up dead, Tom and Daisy get to skip town and avoid any consequences, despite their direct involvement. For this prompt, you can explore earlier examples of Tom's carelessness (breaking Myrtle's nose, his behavior in the hotel scene, letting Daisy and Gatsby drive back to Long Island after the fight in the hotel) as well as Daisy's (throwing a fit just before her wedding but going through with it, kissing Gatsby with her husband in the next room). Show how each instance reveals Tom or Daisy's carelessness, and how those instances thus foreshadow the bigger tragedy- Myrtle's death at Daisy's hands, followed by Tom's manipulation of George to kill Gatsby. You can also compare Tom and Daisy's actions and outcomes to other characters to help make your point- Myrtle and Gatsby both contribute to the conflict by participating in affairs with Tom and Daisy, but obviously, Myrtle and Gatsby don't get to "retreat into their money," they both end up dead. Clearly, having old money sets you far apart from everyone else in the world of the novel. Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. What do Nick's comments about money reveal about his attitude towards wealth? This is an interesting prompt, since you have to comb through passages of Nick's narration to find his comments about money, and then consider what they could mean, given that he comes from money himself. To get you started, here is a sample of some of Nick's comments on money and the wealthy, though there are certainly more to be found: "Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my reaction- Gatsby who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn." (1.4) "My own house was an eye-sore, but it was a small eye-sore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor's lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires- all for eighty dollars a month. (1.14) "They had spent a year in France, for no particular reason, and then drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together." (1.17) Nick's comments about money, especially in the first chapter, are mostly critical and cynical. First of all, he makes it clear that he has "an unaffected scorn" for the ultra-rich, and eyes both new money and old money critically. He sarcastically describes the "consoling proximity of millionaires" on West Egg and wryly observes Tom and Daisy's restless entitlement on East Egg. These comments might seem a bit odd, given that Nick admits to coming from money himself: "My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this middle-western city for three generations" (1.5). However, while Nick is wealthy, he is nowhere near as wealthy as the Buchanans or Gatsby- he expresses surprise both that Tom is able to afford bringing ponies from Lake Forest ("It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that" (1.16), and that Gatsby was able to buy his own mansion ("But young men didn't- at least in my provincial inexperience I believed they didn't- drift coolly out of nowhere and buy a palace on Long Island Sound" (3.88)), despite the fact they are all about 30 years old. In other words, while he opens the book with his father's advice to remember "all the advantages [he's] had," Nick seems to have a chip on his shoulder about still not being in the highest tier of the wealthy class. While he can observe the social movements of the wealthy with razor precision, he always comes off as wry, detached, and perhaps even bitter. Perhaps this attitude was tempered at Yale, where he would have been surrounded by other ultra-wealthy peers, but in any case, Nick's cynical, sarcastic attitude seems to be a cover for jealousy and resentment for those even more wealthy than him. Why does Gatsby say Daisy's voice is "full of money"? What does it reveal about the characters' values? Gatsby's comment about Daisy's voice explicitly connects Daisy the character to the promise of wealth, old money, and even the American Dream. Furthermore, the rest of that quote explicitly describes Daisy as "High in a white palace, the King's daughter, the golden girl†¦" (7.106). This makes Daisy sound like the princess that the hero gets to marry at the end of a fairy tale- in other words, she's a high-value prize. Daisy representing money also suggests money is as alluring and desirable- or even more so- than Daisy herself. In fact, during Chapter 8 when we finally get a fuller recap of Daisy and Gatsby's early relationship, Nick notes that "It excited [Gatsby] too that many men had already loved Daisy- it increased her value in his eyes" (8.10). In other words, Gatsby loves Daisy's "value" as an in-demand product. But since Daisy is flighty and inconsistent, Gatsby's comment also suggests that wealth is similarly unstable. But that knowledge doesn't dampen his pursuit of wealth- if anything, it makes it even more desirable. And since Gatsby doesn't give up his dream, even into death, we can see how fervently he desires money and status. Connecting new/old money and materialism to the American dream In the world of The Great Gatsby, the American Dream is synonymous with money and status- not so much success, career (does anyone but Nick and George even have a real job?), happiness, or family. But even Gatsby, who makes an incredible amount of money in a short time, is not allowed access into the upper echelon of society, and loses everything in trying to climb that final, precarious rung of the ladder, as represented by Daisy. So the American Dream, which in the first half of the book seems attainable based on Gatsby's wealth and success, reveals itself to be a hollow goal. After all, if even wealth on the scale of Gatsby's can't buy you entry into America's highest social class, what can? What's the point of striving so hard if only heartbreak and death are waiting at the end of the road? This pessimism is also reflected in the fates of Myrtle and George, who are both trying to increase their wealth and status in America, but end up dead by the end of the novel. You can read more about the American Dream for details on The Great Gatsby's ultimately skeptical, cynical attitude towards this classic American ideal. Connecting money to the status of women Daisy and Jordan are both old money socialites, while Myrtle is a working class woman married to a mechanic. You can thus compare three very different women's experiences to explore how money- or a lack thereof- seems to change the possibilities in a woman's life in early 1920s America. Daisy maintains her "old money" status by marrying a very rich man, Tom Buchanan, and ultimately sticks with him despite her feelings for Gatsby. Daisy's decision illustrates how few choices many women had during that time- specifically, that marrying and having children was seen as the main role any woman, but especially a wealthy woman, should fulfill. And furthermore, Daisy's willingness to stay with Tom despite his affairs underscores another aspect of women's roles during the 1920s: that divorce was still very uncommon and controversial. Jordan temporarily flouts expectations by ""[running] around the country," (1.134) playing golf, and not being in a hurry to marry- a freedom that she is allowed because of her money, not in spite of it. Furthermore, she banks on her place as a wealthy woman to avoid any major scrutiny, despite her "incurable dishonesty": "Jordan Baker instinctively avoided clever shrewd men and now I saw that this was because she felt safer on a plane where any divergence from a code would be thought impossible. She was incurably dishonest. She wasn't able to endure being at a disadvantage, and given this unwillingness I suppose she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was very young" (3.160). Furthermore, by the end of the novel she claims to be engaged, meaning that like Daisy, she's ultimately chosen to live within the lines society has given her. (Even if she's not actually engaged, the fact she chooses to tell Nick that suggests she does see engagement as her end goal in life.) Myrtle feels trapped in her marriage, which pushes her into her affair with Tom Buchanan, an affair which grants her access to a world- New York City, wealth, parties- she might not otherwise have access to. However, jumping up beyond her roots, using Tom's money, is ultimately unsustainable- her husband finds out and threatens to move out west, and then of course she is killed by Daisy before they can make that move. Myrtle- both working class and a woman- is thus trapped between a rock (her gender) and a hard place (her lack of money), and perhaps for this reason receives the cruelest treatment of all. So all three women push the boundaries of their expected societal roles- Daisy's affair with Gatsby, Jordan's independent lifestyle, and Myrtle's affair with Tom- but ultimately either fall in line (Daisy, Jordan) or are killed for reaching too far (Myrtle). So Gatsby ultimately provides a pretty harsh, pessimistic view of women's roles in 1920s America. What's Next? In The Great Gatsby, money is central to the idea of the American Dream. Read more about how the American Dream is treated in The Great Gatsby and whether the novel is ultimately optimistic or pessimistic about the dream. Money (or the lack of it!) is also why the novel's symbols of the green light and the valley of ashes are so memorable and charged. Read more about those symbols for a fuller understanding of how money affects The Great Gatsby. Want the complete lowdown on Jay Gatsby's rags-to-riches story? Check out our guide to Jay Gatsby for the complete story. Thinking about indulging in a little materialism yourself al Gatsby? We've compiled a list of 15 must-have items for fans of The Great Gatbsy book and movie adaptations. Looking for other literary guides? Learn more about The Crucible, The Cask of Amontillado, and "Do not go gentle into that good night" with our expert analyses. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Mockery in Order Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mockery in Order - Essay Example Therefore, the development of control structures is useful in maintaining order as well as enforcing discouraging protocols. The establishment of order has its own draw backs which are useful in the creation of controls that are useful in the maintenance of orderliness in the society. The reduction of freedom of choice to a restricted module or activity is the principal drawback of order creation. In a bid to create uniformity and orderliness in society, there is the creation of laws, rules, and regulations which are useful for the development of the systematic way. Military personnel are easily identified because of the set of the uniform they wear; the same applies to police service and school going children. Some of the personnel may view the uniform as an infringement on rights to dress as they wish which is the paradox of order. According to Barthes, the infringement of one's rights in the army through uniforms and the set of rules is a mockery to order (Barthes 40). He refers to submission in the army as fanatic and a blind act (Barthes 40). Think of students in uniform! Uniform gives an impression of equity and order in school, but does it mean that they love wearing it? A clear no. Some of the students will always abuse the uniform. As a result, dressing chords are implemented to enforce order of which later results to strikes and the so called â€Å"cases of indiscipline†. What a mockery of order! The students feel that the order created infringes their rights and forces them to adopt what they cannot live to. In a football match, the separation of the two groups of fans and supporters help in the creation of order. Imagine, that there was no separation between the groups. What could be the consequence of such an action? There would be strife and fighting within the group leading to disharmony and strife. The separation of the groups leads to the creation of order in the match. The separation is a creation of that reduces or limits freedom of movement between the two groups. In the real sense, human beings need to interact with each other, to enjoy freedom of movement. This privilege is lost in order for the order to exist in the match. The existence of a physical barrier separating the two groups is obviously an infringement on the right for movement and association that is accorded to all human beings. Despite the success of the physical barrier, there are still problems facing maintenance of order in situations such as play interruption as a result of pitch invasion by supporters as wi tnessed in matches in Italian and Russian football leagues. Additionally fans may clash in the street with some fans obtaining injures or even death in the street confrontation. The solution to the problem has always been the designation of routes to reduce meeting of the two supporter groups. The route designation minimizes freedom and association movements. The restriction of movement and association is the price of order creation; thus, it creates a scenario in order to gain publicity, and show a need for order creation. According to the chaos theory, in order for the order to be created disorder must first exist and vice versa. The creation of order, is based on, the drive to make an organised structure from, a disorganised state. The creation and innovation experienced in the world is as a result of need for order in all spheres of life. It is vital to state that the need for order

Operations Management - Aggregate Planning Assignment

Operations Management - Aggregate Planning - Assignment Example Disaggregation refers to the process of breaking down the contents of the aggregate plan into particular product requirements to determine the inventory requirements, labor requirement, and materials (Reid, 2002). The inputs of the master schedule are forecast demand; inventory costs, production costs, inventory levels, lot size, customer orders, capacity, supply, and production lead time. On the other hand, the outputs of the master schedule are projected available balance, staffing levels, amounts to be produced and quantity available that is promised (Reid, 2002). 2 MRP, which is the acronym for Materials Requirements Planning is regarded as an inventory control and production planning system that is mainly used to manage the manufacturing processes. It acts as a bridge between both production and master planning. The MRP inputs are a single or a multi-level bill of materials as well as the quantity of all the final products to be produced, which are derived from the sales orders or the sales projections. The outputs for MRP are the recommended production schedule and the recommended purchasing schedule (Reid, 2002). The MRP process is quite extensive and it passes through a number of stages in order to manage the manufacturing processes via the inventory control and production planning system. Starting with the end items, the first step is to establish all the gross requirements needed. Secondly, the net requirements are determined by subtracting both the receipts as well as the projected hand inventory from gross requirements. The third step is to time phase all the net requirements. Finally, the last step is to determine the order releases that are planned (Reid, 2002). Below is an example of a table illustrating the MRP process 3 The main goals of JIT are to have a balance rapid flow. The supporting goals are to make the system to be flexible, to eliminate waste particularly the excess inventory and to eliminate disruptions.

Accounting System Paper Essay Example for Free

Accounting System Paper Essay Kudler Fine Foods has done a wonderful job with its current accounting system by manually tracking data and not having a uniform system for providing information about that data. Data is the raw and unorganized version of information while information is categorized and decipherable data that correlates to the business. Kudler Fine Foods is making a transition from the less efficient and more labor intensive accounting methods to a technology based accounting system which saves money being that it is more efficient and more robust. The core features, benefits, and cost will be discussed as you continue to read this paper. As mentioned earlier, Kudler Fine Foods is making a transition to a computerized accounting system which will have the ability to communicate with all branches of the business. Kudler Fine foods will utilize an accounting system which is integral part of the Enterprise resource planning software that is being deployed in the Kudler Fine Foods environment. The ERP software will be able to capture real time data directly from the point of sale (cash registers) and automatically adjust inventory and profit data. See more:Â  Social Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay The accounting software will also use a compliance management feature will provide complete transaction audit trails and rules-based controls and advanced reporting capabilities which are compliant with laws and regulations. More benefits are advanced financial forecasting the can accurately predict and estimate potential profits and pending losses, revenue and cash flow. This gives Kudler Fine Foods the ability to analyze past trends to help make better business decisions in the future. In addition, the accounting software will give Kudler Fine Foods the ability to deep dive into the cash management aspect of their business by more accurately assessing current and future cash needs and track all transactions that directly impact available cash levels. In an ERP environment, Kudler Fine Foods will adopt a client/server system. The Client/Server technology model is the model in which today’s softwares are developed. A Client/Server model is one in which the client computer is identified separately from the server computer. This will require servers with Windows serve 2008 and networking equipment which will allow all workstations to communicate to application servers, shared data drives and communicate with the outside world. With the added benefits of an ERP system in the Kudler Fine Food environment, comes an added expense of support of the system. Currently, Kudler Fine Foods can anticipate an expense of twenty-five thousand dollars with a potential ceiling of two hundred fifty thousand dollars. References Top 10 ERP. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.top10erp.org/sap-erp-software-comparison-technology-140 Technology required for Erp. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.vkinfotek.com/erp/erp-technologies.html

American Airlines Competitive Strategy Essay -- essays research papers

Evaluate American’s 1992 announcement of a new rate structure: a. What changes did American make? American Airlines (American) made four fundamental changes to its rates. First, it moved to a four-tier rate structure; American offered first-class rates and three tiers of coach: full-fare, 21-day advance purchase and 7-day advance purchase. Overall, it expected to reduce coach fares by 38% and first-class fares by 20% to 50%. Though full fare coach prices dropped by about 38%, advance-purchase fares dropped by 6% when compared to the advance purchase tickets already being offered. Through this fare structure, American also eliminated deep discount tickets. Second, American eliminated the negotiated discount contracts of many large companies. Though it intended to fulfill any outstanding contracts, it did not intend to renew any of these contracts. Third, American realigned its pricing with its costs. Under the new structure, American fares were more distance based (therefore cost-based) than they had been in the past. Finally, American changed its non-refundable policy. Advance pu rchase tickets could now be rescheduled for a $25 processing fee. b. Which customers benefited most from the move? Were any customers made worse off? There are five groups of customers that are affected by the rate changes. Travel agents are affected financially by reduced fares that will result in reduced commissions. On the other hand, American’s four-tier structure substantially reduced the numb...

Diversity in Abercrombie & Fitch

Defining diversity, it is any dimension which can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. It is also the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. Diversity can be branched out into three different categories such as levels of diversity – organisational and individual, forms of diversity – external and internal and types of diversity – gender, age, etc. In a good way, diversity can benefit individuals in the way that one can learn to interact with others in meaningful ways and also learn new things from each other. On the other hand, diversity can also be a cause of problems when people deal things with it incorrectly. As we look in depth into diversity issues found at a workplace, there are four different types of issues that companies always trigger upon and they are social, personal, disability and work issues. From the article I have found on Abercrombie & Fitch, there are two main diversity issues found in Abercrombie & Fitch and they are both social and personal issues. The main sub-issue under social issue will be race and under personal issue will be appearance. The reason towards why Abercrombie & Fitch has these two diversity issues is because according to the article, it states that Abercrombie & Fitch hires only young and attractive salespeople based on race whom mostly are white Americans. One of the salesperson whom recently lost his job at Abercrombie & Fitch even commented that, â€Å"the greeters and the people that worked in the in-season clothing, most of them were white, if not all of them were white. The people that worked in the stockroom, where nobody sees them, were mostly Asian American, Filipino, Mexican, Latino. † So how exactly had these two main diversity issues affected the working environment in Abercrombie & Fitch? Looking at the way how Abercrombie & Fitch employs salespeople by focusing highly on people’s appearance and race, this certainly destroys every non-white, average Joes’ and plain Jane’s opportunity to be employed. According to the article, a former salesperson commented that the store is dominated by Caucasians whom are skinny and tall, have blue eyes and blonde hair and this proofs that the store do not hire any other races such as African or Asian Americans. This certainly deals unfairness to people who are not white and just as average looking, denying them a chance to work at any of the hundred stores across the country. However, even though Abercrombie & Fitch do employ other races, they are often appointed to do only the cleaning of the stores at closed hours and stocking up of goods whereby they do not really face customers upfront. Besides that, Abercrombie & Fitch has also committed a racial discrimination in their company whereby they favour only white people to have good positions. In order to cope with these situations, World Organisation for Human Rights USA has to step in and introduce a training and development program for Abercrombie & Fitch to follow. This includes by setting certain rules for them to follow when they are doing staffs employment or rising ranks of employees working there. Such as by increasing the number of other races employees and also giving them the opportunity to uphold higher working positions in the company. Communication is also an important point to look out for in order to make sure that racial or other discriminations are being avoided. However, Abercrombie & Fitch has made a big mistake in terms of that. One ex-employee commented that he had lost his job after resuming for work from his Christmas break as he was being told that there were too many Filipinos. Hence, being a Filipino, he was denied for work just for that. This type of discrimination will tend to be a direct racial discrimination whereby it is easy to be recognised and noticed. Also, Abercrombie & Fitch has discriminated employees in terms of their appearance whereby two of the store’s employees, one who was an ex-model, commented that corporate representatives would visit the store to spot any staffs who did not reach his standards or expectations. If there are any, they would cut their pay for that. Besides focusing on how the diversity issues affect a working environment, Abercrombie & Fitch has also done a racial discrimination against other races in terms of the product they sell. One example will be that last year, they sold a T-shirt with the slogan ‘Two Wongs can make it White. ’ This has caused much outrage amongst Asian Americans. In conclusion, I think that Abercrombie & Fitch should reduce their aim of recruiting employees in terms of appearance from races. By doing that, they will certainly be stereotyping as they think that only white people are good looking whereby not giving people of other races a chance to be part of the company. By being an ‘all-white’ apparel company, not only did Abercrombie & Fitch have caused much dismay under the working environment, this will eventually lead to disagreement among many customers. As they think that what Abercrombie & Fitch did was unfair and unlawful, they would not want to shop at a store with such racial discrimination issues. Therefore, if Abercrombie & Fitch do not want to lose their businesses, they would have to eradicate the two main diversity issues.

Art George Washington

The reason is because it is a portrait of a person it cannot have parts hat correspondent to one another; they are not equal. When I mean not equal, I mean if you fold the painting in half the painting is not alike both sides are different. The portrait has symbolic meaning behind it because he was our first president and in the portrait he is surrounded with objects of his public life during the service of his country. Now analyzing the painting more thoroughly, one can notice his clothing attire was suitable for his position in power, since he was the president of the United States of America.The suit symbolizes a switch toa public fgure from general to president. The sheathed sword is ceremonial; it distinguished him as a â€Å"fine gentlemen† and is symbolic in a sense because it distinguished him as being head of state. i The subject matter of this portrait is George Washington, who is posing as the first president. The reason I was drawn to him is because he is our first President and I wanted to do a piece on a famous person that everyone in the United States knows.I believe that the artwork is placed perfectly; after all, it is in the American wing of the useum alongside other political paintings. This is the first painting of George Washington however; the original Lansdowne is not in the museum. The original one was done in 1796. The name of the portrait comes from William Petty, the first Maqguis of Lansdowne who was a British supporter of American independence. Gilbert Stuart painted numerous copies of this famous piece, one of which was made for Ms. William Bingham of Pennsylvania and another is the one displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The portrait shows the movement of the ratification of he Jay Treaty and the transatlantic political alliance brought together during George Washington's second term. ‘ Similar material painted around this time in 1817 was John Trumbull's oil canvas â€Å"Declaration of Independence,† located in the United States Capitol Rotunda. ii Gilbert Stuart was a renowned artist who was known for capturing the inner character, which he believed was reflected in their physical features. He believed Washington features indicated a man with great passion. ‘ The George Washington portrait brought Gilbert Stuart fame.This period in time a person like George Washington would give the artist more sitters. iii In addition, reproducing this portrait gave Stuart more money, either painting it wit n his own two hands or having engravers paint it, which he held the copyright to as well. This portrait is a key turning point for Gilbert Stuart that made him a successful artist. â€Å"He is surrounded with allegorical emblems of his public life in the service of his country, which are highly illustrative of the great and tremendous storms which have requently prevailed. v These storms have abated, and the appearance of the rainbow is introduced in the background as a sign. † †Advertisement for the first exhibition of the Lansdowne portrait in 1798 â€Å"Lansdowne Portrait retains a place of special significance within the history of American art. â€Å"- Dr. Bryan Zygmont. v As you can see from the historians/critics they concur that the artwork is a famous portrait in history. The artwork is a contention of being the best artwork in American History.

Astatine Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Astatine Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements Atomic Number 85 Symbol At Atomic Weight 209.9871 Discovery D.R. Corson, K.R. MacKenzie, E. Segre 1940 (United States) Electron Configuration [Xe] 6s2 4f14 5d10 6p5 Word Origin Greek astatos, unstable Isotopes Astatine-210 is the longest-lived isotope, with a half-life of 8.3 hours. Twenty isotopes are known. Properties Astatine has a melting point of 302Â °C, an estimated boiling point of 337Â °C, with probable valences of 1, 3, 5, or 7. Astatine possesses characteristics common to other halogens. It behaves most similarly to iodine, except that At exhibits more metallic properties. The interhalogen molecules AtI, AtBr, and AtCl are known, although it has not been determined whether or not astatine forms diatomic At2. HAt and CH3At have been detected. Astatine probably is capable of accumulating in the human thyroid gland. Sources Astatine was first synthesized by Corson, MacKenzie, and Segre at the University of California in 1940 by bombarding bismuth with alpha particles. Astatine may be produced by bombarding bismuth with energetic alpha particles to produce At-209, At-210, and At-211. These isotopes can be distilled from the target upon heating it in air. Small quantities of At-215, At-218, and At-219 occur naturally with uranium and thorium isotopes. Trace amounts of At-217 exist in equilibrium with U-233 and Np-239, resulting from the interaction between thorium and urainuam with neutrons. The total amount of astatine present in the Earths crust is less than 1 ounce. Element Classification halogen Melting Point (K) 575 Boiling Point (K) 610 Covalent Radius (pm) (145) Ionic Radius 62 (7e) Pauling Negativity Number 2.2 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol) 916.3 Oxidation States 7, 5, 3, 1, -1 References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.) Â   Return to the Periodic Table

Here We Come Group Energizer Theatre Game

Here We Come Group Energizer Theatre Game Sometimes teachers and other group leaders need new ways to get students energized and loosened up for classes or rehearsals.  The activity below has been around awhile. It is called â€Å"Here We Come!† How You Play 1. Divide students into two groups. Groups may be as large as 10 to 12 students. 2. Teach students the following lines of dialogue: Group 1: â€Å"Here we come.†Group 2: â€Å"Where ya from?†Group 1: â€Å"New York.†Group 2: â€Å"What’s your trade?†Group 1: â€Å"Lemonade.† 3. Explain that Group 1 must discuss and agree upon a â€Å"trade†- a profession, job, or activity that they will all mime after they have responded with â€Å"Lemonade.† (Group 2 should not be within earshot of their discussion.) 4. Once Group 1 has chosen its â€Å"trade,† the members of Group 1 line up shoulder-to shoulder on one side of the playing area facing Group 2, also lined up shoulder-to-shoulder on the opposite side of the playing area. 5. Explain that Group 1 will begin the game by delivering the first line in unison (â€Å"Here we come†) and taking one step towards Group 2.  Group 2 delivers the second line (â€Å"Where ya from?†) in unison. 6. Group 1 then delivers the third line in unison (â€Å"New York†) and takes one more step towards Group 2. 7. Group 2 asks, â€Å"What’s your trade?† 8. Group 1 responds with â€Å"Lemonade† and then they begin miming their agreed-upon â€Å"trade.† 9. Group 2 observes and calls out guesses about the group’s â€Å"trade.† Group 1 continues miming until someone guesses correctly. When that happens, Group 1 must run back to their side of the playing area and Group 2 must chase them, trying to tag a member of Group 1. 10. Repeat with Group 2 deciding on a â€Å"trade† to mime and beginning the game with â€Å"Here we come.† 11. You can keep score of how many tags a group makes, but the game works without the element of competition. It’s just fun and it gets students moving and revved. Some Examples of â€Å"Trades† PhotographersFashion ModelsTalk Show HostsPoliticiansManicuristsBallet DancersPre-school TeachersStep DancersCheerleadersWeight LiftersHairdressersWeather Forecasters What Constitutes Success in This Theatre Game? Students must offer and accept ideas quickly. They must work together as an ensemble when they mime their â€Å"trade.† For example, if the group chooses Pre-school teachers, some group members may play the children that the teachers teach. The more precise the mime that the students perform, the more quickly the game will keep moving. Guideline and Tips Remind the members of Group 1 that their goal is to engage in mime – which requires silence. No dialogue, no sound effects, no reactions to the guesses that Group 2 makes until they hear a guess that is correct.Remind the members of Group 2 that when they go to tag a member of Group 1, they need to aim for a shoulder and tag lightly. The tag is not a slap or a slug.If noise level is a concern, you may want to establish a rule of no screaming or shouting during the chase.Requiring the chase to be performed in slow motion is another way to curb noise and lessen the chances of trips, falls, and overly rambunctious activity.

International Human Resource Management and organisational behviour Essay

International Human Resource Management and organisational behviour - Essay Example In the case of running an enterprise or organization, the staffing function is a continuous process, and so the leader or the manager particularly the Human Resource Manager should perform the staffing function at all times. It is necessary that the management must ensure a constant availability of sufficient number of efficient employees from managers, executives, technical persons to labourers, for the efficient functioning of the enterprise. Overall, the selected personnel should be physically, mentally, emotionally and temperamentally fit for the job. This can be achieved by adopting or by having an optimal staffing process. According to Koontz and O’Donnell, â€Å"The managerial function of staffing involves managing the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal and development of personnel to fill the roles designed into the structure†. This optimal staffing process and the resultant optimal performance of the organization will diffe r according to the nature or the type of the organization. That is, organizations may be divided into national firms and Multinational firms. National or indigenous firms are normally started or established by the ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’, or citizens of a particular nation, while Multinational companies (MNC) will be established in particular nations by foreigners, with the native people only playing a secondary role. Due to this difference in origination, the staffing process for these two types of organization will differ. So, this paper will discuss the perspective that staffing a Multinational Company is fundamentally different from staffing a national firm, by analyzing it through case studies. Recruitment forms the first and the main part of the staffing process, whatever is the type of the organization. The HRM perspective stresses that each activity including Staffing should form part of the whole process of people management. (Price 2002) Normally, organizations