Culture Change for Barclays Bank

Introduction Culture is a way of saying or doing things. The transformation of goals, strategy, structure, management, resources, product, services, and procedures is called change. Organizational change is the transformation of various business segments to fit a business strategy (Armstrong-Stassen 1998). Organizational change can be partial, or complete.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Culture Change for Barclays Bank specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Organizational culture is a patterned way of feeling, thinking and reacting to business transactions. Two factors affect the level of transformation in an organization. The factors include culture and politics. Thus, organizational culture can be manipulated and managed (Olson Tetrick 1988). Organizational culture influences the growth and stability of the firm. We will apply relevant theories to analyze the culture change in Barclays Bank. Organizational culture Organizational culture comprises the following; Norms. Beliefs: Values. The change in organizational culture is influenced by three factors namely, Management. Organizational change. Expansion. Factors affecting organizational change Organizational culture can be resisted by the employees. Thus, the management must determine a suitable method of change (Nord Jermier 1994). The factors, which affect organizational culture include; The feelings, attitude and perception of the employees. The inclusion of the employees in the decision to change. Management. Feelings attitude and perception of the employees Employee’s perception of the change process can affect the organizational culture (Nadler 1987). Cohesion between management and the employees influences organizational culture. Employees are scared of losing their jobs and will resist any change in organizational culture.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fi rst paper with 15% OFF Learn More The inclusion of employees in the decision to change The communication gap between the management and the employees threatens the need for change. The transformation in organizational culture must be communicated to the employees (Nelson, Cooper Jackson 1995). An employee who receives the information from a colleague may resist the change. Change management The management must implement a perfect plan. The framework for the process must be flexible and plain (Goodman Truss 2004). When the plan is open and plain, employees will not doubt the reason for the change. Culture theory and model The change in organizational culture can be categorized in three stages Traditional culture: The pattern of the organization is influenced by administrative regime. Traditional culture is characterized by beliefs and values. Competitive culture: Organizational culture is motivated by different business trends (Goltz Hietapelto 2002, p, 20). Competitive culture may not work for two organizations. The reason for the change must complement the organizational strategy. Transformational culture: Transformational culture is influenced by organizational structure. Kotter’s theory of change Kotter proposed 8 steps for organizational change Urgency. Coalition. Vision. Communication. Empower. Create short-term plan. Develop. Adapt. Schein’s culture model Schein proposed three levels of culture model namely, Artefacts. Values. Assumptions. The outer layer is called Artefacts. Artefacts can be identified by the organization. Artefacts include punctuality or lateness, daily reports, communication and cleanliness of the organization (Oreg 2006). The inner layer is called values. Values cannot be directly observed. Values include the purpose, mission, vision and objectives of the organization. Characteristics of organizational culture Identity. Group emphasis. People focus. Integration. Control. Risk control. Reward pattern. Conflict resolution. Orientation. System focus. Topologies of culture Handy (1993): Handy proposed power, task, role and person.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Culture Change for Barclays Bank specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Pheysey (1993): Pheysey proposed power, role support and achievement. Scholz (1987): Scholz proposed evolution-induced, internal-induced and external-induced dimensions. Hall (1995): Hall proposed assertiveness and responsiveness. Deal Kennedy (1982): Deal Kennedy proposed work-hard, tough guy, bet and process. Culture change for Barclays Bank We can analyze the culture change initiated by Barclays Bank using different theories and models. The bank management must utilize models of culture change to manage the employees. The inclusion of the employees in the change decision will determine the success of the plan. The management must confront the employees as the agents of transfromation (Piderit 2000). The feeling, perception and attitude of the employee should be observed prior to the change. The change must be announced before the time for implementation. The management must organize a meeting with the employees before the change. The management must adapt to business trends. Kotter’s steps to change proposed the need for urgency, speed and direction. Employees are driven by the change mechanism (Martin, Jones Callan 2005). The management must provide short-term wins to motivate the employees. Employees must be convinced about the change. The change must align with the objectives of the organization. The management must form a coalition with the employees. The change must be measured with a short-term goal. Employees can access the benefit of the change through the short-term goals. Finally, employee’s attitude, employee’s inclusion and management will affect the culture change in Barclays Bank.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Implications of the research The management determines the success of the strategy. Employees are the agents of change. Culture cannot be consciously manipulated. Culture change must be transformational or manipulative. References Armstrong-Stassen, M 1998, ‘The effect of gender and organizational level on how survivors appraise and cope with organizational downsizing’, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 125-142. Goltz, M Hietapelto, A 2002, ‘Using the operant and strategic contingencies models of power to understand resistance to change’, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, vol. 22. no. 3, pp. 3-22. Goodman, J Truss, C 2004, ‘The medium and the message: communicating effectively during a major change initiative’, Journal of Change Management, vol. 4. no. 3, pp. 217-228. Martin, A, Jones, E, Callan, J 2005, ‘The role of psychological climate in facilitating employee adjustment during organizational change’, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, vol. 14. no. 3, 263-289. Nadler, A 1987, ‘The effective management of organizational change’, in Handbook of Organizational Behavior, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Nelson, A, Cooper, L, Jackson, R 1995, ‘Uncertainty amidst change: the impact of privatization on employee job satisfaction and well-being’, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, vol. 68, p. 57-71. Nord, R, Jermier, M. 1994, Overcoming resistance to resistance: insights from a study of the shadows, Public Administration Quarterly, Blackwell, Canada vol. 17. no. 3, pp 396. Olson, A Tetrick, E 1988, Organizational restructuring: the impact on role perceptions, work relationships, and satisfaction, Group Organization Studies, Routledge, London, vol. 13. no. 3, pp. 374-388. Oreg, S 2006, ‘Personality, context, and resistance to organizational change’, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psycholog y, vol. 15. no. 1, pp. 73-101. Piderit, K 2000, ‘Rethinking resistance and recognizing ambivalence: a multidimensional view of attitudes toward an organizational change’, Academy of Management Review, vol. 25. no. 4, pp 783-794. This essay on Culture Change for Barclays Bank was written and submitted by user D'KenNeraman1 to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

5 Disadvantages of Bad Time Management

5 Disadvantages of Bad Time Management Poor planning and bad time management are often part of the learning experience for many new students in college. For others, however, poor planning becomes a habit. The consequences of putting that paper off, not turning in your work on time, and missing key deadlines, however, can be much more of a problem than you might initially think. Things May Get Expensive If you miss housing deadlines, incur late registration fees, or apply too late to get priority when your school is allocating financial aid, things can quickly become even more expensive than normal. Having good time management skills can help you avoid costly mistakes later. Things Can Become Harder Logistically If you think studying for your Spanish final is a pain in the brain, wait until you see what happens if you dont pass it/sleep through it/generally dont plan for it. You May Miss out on Opportunities Because You're Too Late That amazing study abroad program, Spring Break trip, and summer internship all have deadlines for a reason. If you apply too late or dont have everything you need ready in time, youll miss out on what could have been the experience of a lifetime. You May Miss out on Opportunities Because People Notice Your Pattern of Lateness and Disorganization People who you think dont notice your frequent lack of planning and lateness may, in fact, notice more than you realize. When your favorite professor is trying to think of students for an awesome summer research gig, you might get passed over because she knows you wont have your stuff together when needed. Keeping your schedule balanced and your time managed may open doors you dont even realize are there. You Will Always Feel Behind Not sure if you have poor planning skills? Ask yourself to remember the last time you felt ahead of the game. If it wasnt recently, chances are youre constantly feeling behind- because you are. Bad time management skills mean you are always playing catch-up and experiencing stress. And with all thats going on in your college life, why add more stress to the mix?

Robots Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Robots - Essay Example lfunction resulting to great losses, they have also been used in the warfare leading to deaths of innocent civilians as well as leading to artificial relationships, which could result to negative psychological effects. The paper looks at one of the key merits of the robot as well as three key problems resulting from the same. One of the key advantages of the robots is the fact that it has improved human life in various ways and has made it better than when the robots were not used. The robots, for instance, has facilitated education to disabled students with chronic heart disorders as well as lung diseases and who are unable to attend school but because of the robots are able to connect to other students at the school with the help of the robots. This has been evident as according to Robbie Brown, a chronic disease student Lexie have been using a robot named as VGo due to his chronic heart disease and has controlled it while at home using a computer while the robot is at school with its fellow students. Other students who have healthy problems and are unable to attend classes have employed the same. Those students could be unable to interact with their classmates as well as fall terribly academically, but the VGos has enhanced both interactions as well as improvement in their academics. Other examples of robots such as washing machines, dry cleaners, and lawn mowers among others have greatly reduced human physical work as well as reduced the time on which a particular item takes to be done thus resulting to an improvement in human life (Brown, 2013).

Methods Employed in Business Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Methods Employed in Business Research - Essay Example Quantitative research emphasizes quantification in the data collection and analysis. It entails a deductive approach on the correlation between research and theory, wherein emphasis is put on testing theories (cited in Bryman & Bell, 2007, p.28). Quantitative research combined norms and practices of positivism and scientific model. It supports the view that social reality represents the objective reality. In contrast, qualitative research emphasizes the importance of words instead of quantification in data collection and analysis (cited in Bryman & Bell, 2007, p.28). It entails an inductive approach on the correlation between research and theory, wherein the emphasis is put on generation of theories. Qualitative approach rejected the norms and practices of positivism and natural scientific model. It focuses on the interpretation of individuals with their social world. It supports the premise that social reality is constantly shifting (cited in Bryman & Bell, 2007, p.28). Quantitative methods reflect the â€Å"positivist† approach in conducting researches. Positivism is based on the premise that the world is explainable, controllable, and measurable. Experts argue that the world exists and functions externally; thus, its properties should be studied and measured through objective means. Positivism asserts that knowledge which can be observed and quantified is considered as valid (cited in Brown & Remenyi, 2004, p.243). Positivism stresses the need to objectively and accurately perform observations. Researchers who adhere to this perspective concentrate on eliminating biases and values. They identify factors that lead to a particular event (Marlow, 2010, p.9). Qualitative methods are associated with interpretivism as its general philosophy. Positivism is driven to explain the phenomena to predict and manipulate them while interpretivism concentrates on the interpretation and understanding. Interpretivism supports the premise that reality is not single, obj ective, and divisible, but it is multiple, contextual, and socially constructed. It concentrates on individuals and their manner of making sense and interpreting the reality (Holloway, 1997, p.93). Holloway (1997, p.93) noted that researchers should not consider individuals as existing in a vacuum but as inseparable to the context of their lives. Researchers who adhere to this perspective believe that understanding the individual experiences is as indispensable as the positivist belief in the importance of explanation, prediction, and control (Holloway, 1997, p.93). This ontological premise suggests the use of multiple methodologies. It emphasizes on the richness instead of the amount of data collected (Phillimore & Goodson, 2004, p.157). Qualitative research focuses upon the relations with employees, managerial work, organizational control systems, and identity and gender at work. However, researches which utilized qualitative methods were infrequently presented in practitioner and academic outlets of the business field (Cassell, Buehring, Symon, & Johnson, 2006, p.17). Researchers stress the need for researches that employ diverse sources of data. These researchers further reiterated that conventional research studies led to studies that support repetitive topics and narrow paradigms. They

Over the next 30 years, what are the risks to National Security posed Essay - 5

Over the next 30 years, what are the risks to National Security posed by increased competition for energy and food resources; and what initiatives might Qatar pursue to reduce these risks - Essay Example having numerous deposits of oil and natural gas, Qatar and other countries in the GCC face a lot of challenges that are likely to threaten theory national security in the future(Bailey, 2013). In the next thirty years for instance, the competition for energy resources in Qatar is likely to be challenging to the extent of threatening national security (UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, 2011). Current issues that Qatar faces are likely to sabotage progress of the energy sector thereby affecting national security. Among the issues Qatar faces include the inadequacy of energy production to meet the requirements of the population while consuming a lot of water resources are being use in the production process. A huge chunk of the countries food security is vested in international trade thus exposing the country to price risks. The political crisis in a few countries in the GCC and the Arab spring is also likely to affect competition for natural resources in Qatar thereby threatening national security for the next thirty years (Sharma, 2011). Qatar can however avoid this challenges that are likely to threaten the future of the state by diversifying its production process and the whole economy to incorporate different forms of commodities (Bailey,

Characteristics Affecting Consumer Behaviour

Characteristics Affecting Consumer Behaviour Consumers buying behaviour has been comprehensively researched by marketers in order to understand how, what and why customers buy products and on what are the basis of their decisions. The fundamental basic approach into analysing consumer buyer behaviour is considered the Stimulus Response model developed by Pavlov shown in Figure . In this model consumers are subject to marketing stimuli as well as other stimuli such as economic, technological, political and cultural events. These are then evaluated by the customers black box which is based on personal buyer characteristics and decision processes, and hence different buyer responses are observed (Kotler Armstrong, 2001). Figure : Model of Buyer Behaviour Kotler Armstrong (2001) define the traditional buying decision process in five consequent steps which consist of: Problem identification Information search Evaluation of Alternatives Purchasing decision Post purchase behaviour The above model implies that the buying process initiates quite before the actual purchase and continues after. The process starts with the need recognition where the consumer recognizes a problem or a need, which could be caused by internal or external stimuli. The consumer will hence start to search and gather information in order to satisfy their needs. Information can be obtained from a variety of sources such as personal sources, commercial sources, public sources, and experiential sources. Once the consumer is armed with the required information, the consumer uses this information to evaluate alternatives in selected the brand. Following the evaluation of the options available, the consumer is required to make the purchase decision and select which brand to purchase. The loop doesnt close with the purchase of the product, but rather post purchase behaviour recognises whether the product meets the consumers expectations. Customer satisfaction is key because it will result in rep eat customers and positive word of mouth. Characteristics affecting consumer behaviour Consumer behaviour is highly influenced by external and internal factors. The external factors are divided into five sectors: Demographics, socio-economics, technology and public policy; culture; subculture; reference groups; and marketing. The internal factors include a variety of psychological factors, such as beliefs and attitudes, motivation, perception, learning and self-image (Malcolm, 2001). Studies have shown that these factors and others that fall beyond the marketers control have a significant impact on consumers behaviour and purchasing decisions (Dibb, et al., 2001; Solomon Stuart, 2003). Shah (2010) refers to traditional consumer behaviour in purchasing goods and services as the process of selecting, purchasing and consuming of goods and services that satisfies consumer wants. Consumers select the product they would like to consume by identifying the good or product that provides them with the greatest value in return. Hence the consumer will focus on the available spending power to obtain the commodity. Following the analysis of cost and price of the commodity, a final decision is taken to select the best option that satisfies the consumer needs. This process does not occur in vacuum, and is highly influenced by various factors such as social, cultural, personal and psychological factors. Although marketers have little or no influence on the mentioned factors, they still have some very important tools which may affect the buying decision process. The marketing mix, also known as the 4Ps product, price, place and promotion, is the set of controllable marketing tools that the firm uses to influence consumers behaviour in order to obtain a desired response from the target market (McCarthy, 1960). Online Buying Behaviour Since the expansion of the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s, the Internet has grown to become one of the most powerful distribution channels with a rapid increase in ecommerce transactions. This raised the need for marketers to discover the customers online behaviour and understand their decision making process when making purchases online. There are substantial differences between offline and online consumer behaviour. In his study, Vijayasarathy (2001) tried to clarify consumer online shopping behaviour by integrating web specific factors into the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Furthermore Song and Zahedi (2001) examined the effects of website design on the adoption of internet shopping by developing on the model of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Oppenheim and Ward (2006) argue that consumers are motivated to buy online because of the convenience provided. The internet provides unlimited opportunities for potential customers to purchase products at any given time and place. The internet also provides limitless information about products and services which is easily accessible to online visitors. Furthermore when comparing online shopping to traditional shopping, there are no waiting lines for shoppers on the internet and no pressure coming from sales people (Smith Rupp, 2003). However studies show that the internet has become a useful tool for comparative shopping, where users browse the web to search and compare products, whilst making it easy to abandon the purchasing process (Degeratu, et al., 2000). Furthermore Anfusos research (2004) shows that the online search for information about products drive offline sales. Consumers prefer to search for product information online since it is much more convenient, and hence purcha se the product from a brick and mortar store. Different authors have identified various divergent personas describing what the online buyers look like. Marker (2011) suggests that online buyers tend to exhibit the following psychological characteristics: egocentric, impatient, impulsive, educated, informed, thrifty, private, cautious, indecisive and pleasure-driven. In their study Donthu and Garcia (1999) propose that online shoppers tend to be convenience seekers and tare easily influenced by marketing campaigns. Furthermore they also put forward that internet users are less price and brand conscious, whilst also suggesting that these have a higher purchasing power. Other studies show that online customers are more likely to be of a young age with a high disposable income. It is also propose that they have a solid level of education especially in computer literacy, as well as being big retail spenders (Allred, et al., 2006). As mentioned earlier there are various factors which impact the traditional consumer behaviour. Liang and Lai (2000) suggest that online consumer behaviour has similarities with the traditional consumer behaviour, where consumers recognize a need for a product or service, use the internet to search for information, evaluate alternatives to choose the best solution and finally purchase the product followed by post purchase evaluation. However other studies indicate that there exist various factors that differ from the traditional consumer markets to the online environment. Refernce groups effecting consumer behaviour online have taken the form of virtual communities, consisting of blogs, forums and other forms of discussion groups (Huarng Christopher, 2003). Social influences, such as experiences, recommendations and tastes of online bloggers have an effect on online consumer buying behaviour and have a significant impact on the final decision the consumer makes. In their study Hasslinger, et al., (2007) highlight the fact that cultural differences also highly influece online consumer behaviour, especially the difference in social class the consumer belongs to. Consumers who form part of a higher social class have a higher probability of owning a computer with internet access, and thus they are more likely to purchase online than consumers from lower social classes. Personal influences effecting online behaviour also relates to the income the consumers earn, since there exists a positive correlation between households with higher income and computer possession, internet access and advanced level of education (Monsuwe, et al., 2004). Age was also recognised as being another determinant for effecting online shopping behaviour (Smith Rupp, 2003). Younger people are more pertinent in using the internet as a shopping medium compared to the older generation, since the latter tend to have less technical know-how and are far less inclined to commit and trust online vendors. Furthermore Smith and Rupp (2003) classify motivation, perception, personality, attitude and emotions as the set of psychological characteristics influencing online consumer behaviour. With the launch of Web 2.0 in 2004, the interaction between online consumers and vendors has become a reality, which became possible due to evolution of high-speed broadband connections. Web 2.0 consists of a collection of interactive tools and social communication techniques which are aimed to increase user participation and engagement online through its virtual word of mouth (Chaffey, 2011). In their study, Wirtz, et al., (2010), identify social networking and interaction factors as the two most important factors affecting online consumer behaviour from the Web 2.0 era. Moreover social networking provides online consumers with enhanced trust factors and helps retain online customers, which is fundamental for online retailers (Jarvenpaa, et al., 2000). In their research, Cheung, et al., (2003), analysed 351 publications and classified the theories used to understand online consumer behaviour. They conclude that the principal models in assessing this area are the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) together with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Other theories which have been tested include The Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT) and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT). Table provides the list of the most frequently tested theories in the area online consumer behaviour together with their references. Cheung, et al., (2003) take a holistic view of the online consumer purchase process, where they investigate the connection between the intention, adoption and continuance of purchase from online consumers. Their Model of Intention, Adoption and Continuance (MIAC) recognised that businesses primarily focused their efforts in attracting online customers. However due to stiff competition, organisations changed their attention from initial purchase to retaining customers and building customer loyalty. Table : References of Online Consumer Behaviour Research Online marketers persuasion tools Consumers are subject to influences from marketers which might impact their purchasing behaviour. Marketers provide stimuli to the consumers black box in order to try and influence the consumers decision prior to making their purchase decision (Kotler Armstrong, 2001). The set of controllable (i.e., traditional marketing) and uncontrollable (i.e., environmental factors and personal characteristics of the consumer) factors between online and traditional markets do not vary fundamentally, where both markets have factors which are within the influence of marketers and some factors which fall beyond their reach. As discussed above, most uncontrollable factors are quite similar for both the traditional and online markets (Dibb, et al., 2001; Solomon Stuart, 2003). However a thorough analysis of the online consumer purchasing decision indicates that the controllable factors influencing the traditional markets are distinct from those influencing the online market. Although most of the traditional marketing activities, such as mass advertising and sales promotions, can be applied to the online market in order to try and influence the online consumer behaviour, they are likely to be futile due to the changing nature of the online consumer (Urban Hauser, 2003). Moreover, Constantinides and Geurts (2005) suggest that traditional marketing tools are ineffective when targeting potential global online customers dispersed across different geographical regions. Since most of the interactions between online customers and online vendors occur on the web, a logical assumption is that the main marketing influences produced from the online vendors are experienced by customers online. Online marketers can influence the online consumer behaviour primarily by delivering the proper online experience, more known as the Web Experience. The virtual marketing elements constructing the online consumers Web Experience are under the e-marketers control and can shape or influence the consumers behaviour during an online interaction (Constantinides, 2004; Constantinides Geurts, 2005). Forces influencing customers purchase intention (Model) The Web experience is a combination of online functionality, information, cues, stimuli and products/services (Constantinides, 2004). The company website is primary medium of delivering the Web experience, which is the gateway between the organisation and the online customers. Constantinides (2004) explores the idea of introducing the Web experience as one of the controllable marketing factors influencing the online consumers behaviour. Figure illustrates the controllable and uncontrollable elements influencing the online consumer behaviour. Figure : Forces influencing the online consumers behaviour Source: Based on Constantinides framework (2004) Web Experience Web Experience Elements Content Category Aesthetics Marketing Mix Psychological Category Trust and Commitment Functionality Category Usability Interactivity

Literary Utopian Societies Essay examples -- essays research papers f

Literary Utopian Societies â€Å"The vision of one century is often the reality of the next†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nelson 108). Throughout time, great minds have constructed their own visions of utopia. Through the study of utopias, one finds that these â€Å"perfect† societies have many flaws. For example, most utopias tend to have an authoritarian nature (Manuel 3). Also, another obvious imperfection found in the majority of utopias is that of a faulty social class system (Thomas 94). But one must realized that the flaws found in utopian societies serve a specific purpose. These faults are used to indicate problems in contemporary society (Eurich 5, Targowski 1). Over the years, utopian societies have been beneficial in setting improved standards for society. By pointing out the faults of society, improvement is the most likely next step. Citizens should take advantage of utopian literature in order to better future societal conditions (Nelson 104). Because it is impossible to create a perfect society in whi ch everyone’s needs can be met, society must analyze utopias in order to improve their existing environment. Plato’s Republic was the first â€Å"true† work considered to be utopian literature. In fact, the Republic influenced almost all later text written on the subject of utopia (Manuel 7). Although the Republic was one of the most influential works in utopian literature, the society that it represented also had many obvious flaws. First, Plato’s utopia had a distinct class system (Morely iii, Bloom xiii). The privileged class that ruled the society also enforced censorship in order to keep control over the Republic (Manuel 5). To perform all of the lowly tasks of the society, a system of slavery was enforced (Manuel 9). In addition, different forms of propaganda were used to keep the citizens in check (Manuel 5, Bloom xiv). The political and economic systems, in which the wealthy class controlled all the funds, were extremely restrictive (Mumford 4, Bloom xiii). With the society being in opposition to change, it would have obviously failed. A static society, in which propaganda is used to promote the State, disrupts the creative thinking process. And, without the creative thinking process, intellectual growth as a whole also slows (Mumford 4, Benz 3). Yet another famous Utopian society that appears to thrive on the surface is that of Sir Thomas More’s Utopia. More’s society was ... ...us. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1932. Kateb, George, ed. Utopia. New York: Atherton Press, 1971. Manuel, Frank E., ed. Utopias and Utopian Thought. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1966. Morley, Henry, ed. Ideal Commonwealths. New York: Kennikat Press, 1968. Mumford, Lewis. The Story of Utopias. New York: The Viking Press, 1962. Nelson, William, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Utopia. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1968. Taragowski, Henry W. Utopia. 6 Jan. 1999 . Thomas, John L., ed. Looking Backward 2000-1887. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1967. Utopia and Utopian Philosophy. Ed. Jon Will. 1999. Utopia Pathway Association. 6 Jan. 1999 . Validation of Electronic Sources Phillip Benz received a Master’s Degree in English Literature and currently teaches in France. Philip Coupland is a professor at Warwick University. Jon Will is the Vice President of the Utopia Pathway Association. Henry Taragowski is a professor at Xavier University. Peter Fitting is the Chairman of the Society for Utopian Studies.

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer's â€Å"The Canterbury Tales† is more than just an entertaining collection of stories and characters; it is a representation of the society Chaucer lived in. In the late 14th century England the traditional feudal system was changing as the church was losing its importance and more people were becoming part of the emerging middle class. Chaucer's â€Å"Canterbury Tales† is a microcosm of this society because it demonstrates the social divisions known as the Estates, it illustrates the growth of the middle class and the decline of the feudal system, and it shows the corruption and power of the Church, and it embodies most aspects of the Middle Age.Feudal society was traditionally divided into three â€Å"estates†, which were roughly equivalent to social classes. The â€Å"First Estate† was the Church, the â€Å"Second Estate† was the Nobility, and the â€Å"Third Estate† was the Peasantry. The rigid division of society into th e three traditional â€Å"estates† was beginning to break down in the late 14th century England, and by the time of Chaucer, there was a rise of the middle class. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer is highly conscious of the social divisions known as the â€Å"Estates.† While the genre of The Canterbury Tales as a whole is a frame narrative, the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales is an example of â€Å"Estates Satire,† a genre which criticizes the abuses that occur within the three traditional Estates.Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales embodies most aspects of the Middle Ages, whether it is in the form of immoral religious clergyman, poor, virtuous farmers, or the honorable knight. All these characters provide excellent examples of the many omnipresent themes of the Middle Ages. The prevailing values and themes of the Middle Ages included violence and revenge, religion and corruption, and social status and hierarchy.The times in which Chaucer's The Cant erbury Tales is set are tumultuous and are filled with suffering, conflict, and general animosity; as such, the ideas of revenge and thus violence are fairly prevalent. In a great many of Chaucer's tales, this theme is framed perfectly. An example near the end of  the Reeve's tale after the miller discovers the scholars' treachery. â€Å"He [the miller] grabbed Allan by the Adam's apple, and he, in return, roughly grabbed the miller and hit him on the nose with his fist† (Chaucer 83). In this instance, not only a quick resort to violence is exhibited, but violence is used as revenge as the miller attacks Allan after realizing that he has slept with his wife. Evidenced by this, violent tendencies were often the most common, and the most appropriate response.In all of England, violence was seen as something of a way of life Curtis Gruenler, in a literary analysis, states, â€Å"[V]iolence on a large scale held English attention as spectacular victories against the French ear ly in the Hundred Years War were followed by a series of costly, disastrous campaigns† (Gruenler). War was a profession of many people in England including a character of Chaucer's, the Knight had fought in at least 15 battles and had essentially built out his entire livelihood based upon the battles he was called upon by his lord to take part in. In essence, violence was a universally recognized form of justice and retribution something that was explicitly pointed out in Chaucer's stories.Yet another theme is the presence of religion, or more specifically, the presence of corruption within religion. Many members of the pilgrimage have ties to religious office, and all but the Parson have in some way violated their vows or otherwise acted somewhat out of their bounds as a high ranking member of the Church. Chaucer illustrates this elegantly in the form of the Pardoner's prologue where he states â€Å"make an offering to my relics in this church [. . .] make an offering in the name of God, I shall absolve them by the authority of which was granted to me by papal bull† (Chaucer 288).After telling the pilgrims of this trick, clearly aimed at pocketing a good deal of money, he explains, â€Å"By this trick I have gained a hundred marks year after year since I became a pardoner† (Chaucer 288). The Pardoner is not, however, the only immoral religious character involved in the pilgrimage. The Friar, for example, has broken his vows as a clerical member of the Church, most prominently his vow of chastity.The Friar has engaged in relationships that have violated this vow, and when a child comes as a result of this interaction, he has gone so far as to marry the woman to her  lover so as to cover his own tracks. All of these aspects of church corruption in The Canterbury Tales eventually come down to a desire for pleasure and money, something that plagued the legitimacy of the Catholic Church and eventually led to the religious reformation.Among th e characters a sort of social hierarchy became quickly apparent in the midst of these many travelers. A general character emerged that separated the pilgrims based upon their economic and social standings. There was a rather large contrast between the richest of the travelers and the poorest. For example, the Franklin was an owner of a large estate and lavish personal goods. Although he is deeply in debt, his social status is still far higher than that of say, the Plowman. The Plowman is one of the poorer members of the pilgrimage, but despite this he is one of the more cheerful and charitable members of the pilgrimage. This can be seen as Chaucer's means of expressing his feelings toward the social hierarchy of the times.Chaucer also weighs in on feudalism, the socioeconomic system of the time. â€Å"[Chaucer represents the] feudal arrangement of society [. . .] around the figure of the knight as a conception of nobility, and around the labourer a conception of commonality† (Morgan 8). Chaucer seems to see feudalism as a system that divides people into the wealthy nobles and the poor laborers. Chaucer also seems to recognize the presence of a middle class that seems to rise out of feudalism. For example, the figure of a merchant who gains his wealth by his own accord, specifically money trading, and is almost entirely independent of the feudal system.The Merchant is described in the general prologue as â€Å"[a] responsible man [who] kept his wits about him [. . .] Nevertheless he was really a worthy man† (Chaucer 6). In short, Chaucer saw the social structure of his time and saw certain things he had disapproval of, but indeed, he saw some other parts of it as beneficial to the betterment of society.To close, Chaucer's masterpiece The Canterbury Tales exhibits many prevalent themes and in such a way paints a picture of the times. He does this by talk of violence, religious corruption, and social structuring, all of which were very pertinent bit s of society in the time as they all formed a system that  is looked back on and interpreted through works of fact and fiction such as The Canterbury Tales.

Quit as Predicate Adjective

Quit as Predicate Adjective Quit as Predicate Adjective Quit as Predicate Adjective By Maeve Maddox Does anyone else cringe at the use of quit in the commercial that says: 44% of †¦ users were quit during weeks 9 to 12 of treatment. The context screams for quit as a verb, not as a predicate adjective: 44% of users †¦ had quit after nine weeks. The OEDs entry for quit in predicative sense offers these illustrations: When the book was restored the borrower [was] declared quit. (1866) This charter confers the right of having one man quit from tallage in every royal borough. 1928 Ralph is not quit of his wartime melancholy. (1945) He is tired of Sophina. He wishes to be quit of her, but she cannot afford to leave him. (1997) The example from 1866 sounds a bit like legal jargon. The one from 1928 uses from where we might say of. Those from 1945 and 1997, which include the particle of, sound perfectly idiomatic. When starting to write this post, Id expected to argue that nobody uses quit with a being verb without the of, but Ive found many examples of the infinitive phrase to be quit, mostly in informal writing in comments and forums, and mostly in connection with beating the cigarette habit: I am grateful to be quit. It is 5 months and 3 weeks. But one thing I have not lost sight of:   How truly truly grateful I am to be desperate to be quit. Smoking was a [habit] that had to be quit. David Gelkin has it right – the idea quitting is always bad – is an idea that ought to be quit. But after hearing Ms. Rice’s description of Christianity, I’m thinking it deserves to be quit. Idiom is tricky. The statements with to be quit dont offend my ear the way that drug commercial does. Is it just me? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive AtUsed To vs. Use ToEpidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

Voting Behavior essays

Voting Behavior essays In the 2000 presidential election the public looked at each of the candidates personal traits and their issues in order for them to decide, who they thought would be the best person to be the President of the United States of America. Most voters said that they were most concerned with the candidates issues, however when it came right down to it the voters were most concerned with the candidates personal traits. Thus they based their votes on which candidate they liked better based on their personal traits. One personal trait that they based their vote on was the candidate's competence. For most people, they stuck with the candidate that was representing the party that they belonged to. However, the Independent party voted for George W. Bush believing that he was the candidate that had the most competence. Thus, the overall public believed that Bush had the competence than Gore. The media played an important role in the way that the public saw the candidates. The media in the 2000 presidential election campaign had a big influence on the way in which the candidates were portrayed, especially when it came to their issues and personal traits. One particular trait that the public focused on was that of the candidate's competence. A reason that the public paid more attention to what was being said about each candidate was that there was more televised coverage than there has been before. The public believed that a certain candidate was receiving the most biased coverage against him, and that candidate happened to be Bush, with Gore in second place, Nader in third, and Buchanan in fourth. During a survey done before the election there was a question, which asked the public which of these candidates do you think would have the best chance of winning the election in November? The candidate that had the most votes was in fact Bush. Another reason for the media having had such a big influence on the election was that the press...

MIH512-Demography and Health (Module 5-SLP) Essay

MIH512-Demography and Health (Module 5-SLP) - Essay Example The total fertility rate (births per women) has come from 3.1% to 2.7% and is expected to further go down to 2.4%. The crude birth rate (per 1,000 population) has also come down from 25 (in 2001) to 21 (in 2010) and is expected go down to 18 by 2020. Comparatively, the mortality rates have drastically come down. The infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births) has come down from 66 to 49 and expected to go down to 35 by 2020. The net migration rate remains at a constant of -0%. The population of China has grown from 1,270,744 in 2001 to 1,330,141 in 2010, which is further expected to increase to 1,384, 545 by 2020. The growth rate had been constant for the past 10 years (at 0.5%) though it is expected to reduce to 0.2% by 2020. The total fertility rate has also been maintained at 1.5%, which is expected to increase to 1.6% by 2020. The crude birth rate has also been maintained for last 10 years at 12, which is expected to come down to 11 by 2020. The infant mortality rate has come down from 27 in 2001 to 17 in 2010 and is expected to be 13 by 2020. The net migration remains at constant of -0%. The mid year population of United Kingdom has grown from 59,723 in 2001 to 61,285 in 2010, which is expected to further grow to 63,068 in 2020. The growth rate has been constant and is expected to be constant at 0.3%. The fertility rate has been maintained at 1.7% constantly over the last few years and is expected to be maintained. The crude birth rate is also at a constant of 11. The infant mortality rate has been maintained at 5 for last 10 years and is expected to be down to 4 by 2020. The migration rate is maintained at 2% constantly and is expected to be maintained. The mid year population here has steadily increased from 12,622 in 2001 to 14, 753 in 2010 and is expected to increase to 17, 601 in 2020. The growth rate has been maintained at 1.8% for the last 10 years but is expected to be low by 2020 to 1.6%. The fertility rate has been reduced by 0.6% in past few

High Turnover concerns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

High Turnover concerns - Essay Example ve due to the fact that the customers are not willing to pay more money to for the guards and the company has to make a profit from each of them if it was to stay in business. High staff turnover is also another issue that may need to be addressed. Like most other guard companies, Omega Security Services is faced with high rates of staff turnover and this makes it more difficult for the firm to be able to provide good services. There are certain factors that have led to the high rate of staff turnover in Omega Security Services. To begin with is the problem of the fact that the jobs are low-paying and there are better paying jobs in the government is an issue. Most of the officers are likely to be looking for better pay elsewhere in the government or even in other private security firms. With regard to Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, more issues then come up such as the issue of the highs risk environment in that the guards have to work in a hospital where the issue of likely infection is a challenge. Insufficient training is also another issue that has increased high rates of staff turnover. There is also the problem of miscommunication between the staff (guards) and the management and this means that the Gerard’s dint feel that their issues are being taken care of. In a nutshell, overall job dissatisfaction is major cause of the high rates of staff turnover. As Lyma (1974) points out, the first short term cost that is imposed on the firm due to high rate of staff turnover is the selection and recruitment cost. Recruiting even for such low level jobs is always a hard task and it costs the firm not only money but also time (Jeanne & Pau, 1987). Every time there is an officer who needs to be replaced, this means that the firm will incur cost and this is not acceptable. There is also the issue of training cost increasing every time there is a new officer who needs to be trained. Although these officers who are recruited are already trained to be security