Habermas and the Public Sphere

Introduction In 1962, Harbeneas introduced the concept of public sphere as an ideal and also as an empirical description through his seminal work â€Å"The structural transformation of the public sphere: an inquiry into a category of Bourgeois society†. Through his work, he created the impression that the public sphere was an arena where different people would come together to discuss issues of social interest.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Habermas and the Public Sphere specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In his opinion, every person was an equal participant and had an equal chance to participate in the open discussions (Colhoun 1992). Bennet et al. (2004) adds a contemporary twist to the public sphere definition by stating that it is â€Å"the collection of places and spaces-from neighbourhood cafes to internet chat rooms- where private individuals can speak their minds in public, form opinions and becom e independent agents in governing the state† ( p. 437). In the contemporary society, the media has assumed a major role as an informer, educator and an entertainer to the masses. In capitalist societies, it also takes a mediating role between the social life, the economy and the state. In Kellner (2006) opinion however, the media have been neglecting its mandate as a tool to promote democracy and serve the public interest. As such, the author argues that the media has for decades now forfeited the crucial role of aiding the formation of a democratic society. Drawing similarities between the current day communication media and what Habermas refers to as the â€Å"steering media†, Kellner (2006) argues that the media has a major role to play in the public sphere and especially in regard to promoting democracy, yet is has failed to rise to the occasion allowing a crisis in the public sphere to take place. But does Habermas theorise the functions and nature of present-day c ommunication media? Well, his writings suggest that he perceived the media as a tool for information transmission. To him, the media was not as important as debates and the eventual consensus building that formed the basis of democratic process (Habermas 1992). This explains why he chose to highlight the dissimilarity between â€Å"the communicative generation of legitimate power on hand and the manipulative deployment of media power to procure mass loyalty, consumer demand and compliance with systemic imperatives on the other† (p. 452). Analysing the above quote one gets the impression that Habermas did not consider the media as a tool that could bring about democratic transformation as he perceives it (media) as a tool that can easily be manipulated, and also interested in power and money. This means that Habermas excluded the media from contributing to the democratization process through giving people a platform where they could equally participate in debates and social di scussions (Relic 2005).Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Kellner (2006), Habermas’ rigid perception of the media is partly explained by the fact that his perception of public sphere was defined at a time when print media was the only prominent form of media. During this time, Kellner (2006) observes that the print media fostered arguments that were rational, objective and agreeable. Being a writer who got his opinions and concepts published in print media, Kellner (2006) believes Habermas had an open bias against other forms of media, which include broadcast (radio and TV) and the internet. This is despite the fact that broadcast media and the internet was presenting the society with new forums where public debate could be held. In Kellner’s observation, the public sphere as stipulated by Habermas would be incomplete in its democratization attempt s without the active participation of the ‘fourth estate’ as the media is commonly known. But why does Kellner reach to this conclusion? Well, in most democracies, governments constitute three arms namely: the executive, the judiciary and the legislature. While these three arms of government are meant to maintain the checks and balances that would prevent abuse of power, the media, usually plays the crucial role of highlighting some of the shortcomings in government that the three arms would naturally keep mum about. In an apt definition of its role, it’s right to say that media in democracies play a watch-dog role in all institutions of government. If one was to define democracy using Abraham Lincoln’s terms, it is â€Å"government by the people, of the people and for the people†. This then means that the governed people have a key role to play in a democracy. Notably however, people cannot play an active role if they are not properly informed. Her e is where the media chips in. According to Kellner (2006), the media balances power by providing the necessary checks and balances to a government. In their additional role, they should serve as informers and cultivators of active citizens who are ready to participate in governance whenever the need arises. Failure by the media to inform and educate the citizens, or failure to check the excesses of government would lead to a crisis in the respective democracies. In Habermas’s theories, one gets the impression that the media is a sounding board through which social problems can be voiced to the political system.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Habermas and the Public Sphere specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Based on his description of the public sphere, this essay holds the opinion that the contemporary media can easily fit into the public sphere. This is because, the media is able to gather information fr om different corners of a society, broadcast the same, and encourage people to react on the same and even raise discussion issues where people can debate and exchange opinions regarding the same. According to Kellner (2006) the democratic theory requires the public sphere to highlight social problems, give them a theme and if possible amplify them in such a manner as to catch the attention of the law makers. Out of the debates that take place in the public sphere, possible solutions can also be given to the law makers or other branches of government. The contemporary media fits this discussion as it provides the public with a discussion forum outside the political confines and as a result, people are free to debate specific social issues and come up with possible solutions that they would like to see implemented by the government. According to Sani (2009), for the contemporary media to fit the public sphere as defined by Habermas, it needs to be free, fair and objective. This means that whenever the media is laying down an agenda for the public to pursue, then it would have no hidden motives. Rather, it would be pursuing the need to promote and preserve democracy and the independent institutions of the government. Further, the media should be accountable as a watchdog. The equal platform offered by media for people to debate and discuss issues conforms to the public sphere definition. According to Sani (2009), the free and fair media should hold the notion that every person has a valuable contribution that he or she can make. This is supported by the idea that â€Å"there is no way of telling where a good idea will come from; valuable contributions come in different forms; a person’s contribution has the capacity to stimulate better ideas in others. It can also be refuted, reformulated or some value added to it† (p.5). In one of its critical roles, the media serves as an information tool that disseminated educative and informative information to the masses, which in turn leads to development in given societies. In democracies, the role of the media is voicing the lowly voices which otherwise would not be heard is crucial to fair representation (Sani 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More More to this, the media acts as the public informer on the activities of the government. According to Sani, â€Å"the public has a legal right to know what its government is doing and the press is the representative of the public in finding that out† (p. 12). In a participatory society, the public’s right to information is crucial since it avails the information needed to create social awareness, which is in turn important in bringing out the truth about political controversies. Giving a voice to public opinion The media in democracies is expected to voice public opinion objectively to allow the respective governments understand what the public supports or dissents. However, political reality suggests that the newsmakers have a major effect on the news aired by the media unlike the ordinary citizens. Political observes however note that the news makers are often representative of the public opinion although this is not unanimously agreed (Sani 2009). It is also apparen t that sometimes the media fails to keep in touch with public opinion since it lacks the necessary connection with the public. Sani using the example of the media in the United States notes that while free speech is allowed, the degree of which the media is ready to engage in the same is often questionable. In some cases, the media is very outspoken and often seems to investigate all leads to the story, while other stories are treated more cautiously. The language, the tone and emphasis used by the media when covering stories affect how the public perceive the public event. Accusations of biasness in the media also seem to jeopardise its role in the public sphere. The US media for example reporting about the war in the Middle East seems biased towards Palestine. Most highlights create the impression that Palestine is the perpetrators and attracts the wrath of the Israeli’s. But is this usually the case? Or do the US media deliberately shield most of the atrocities by the Isra elis towards the Palestinians? While journalists may be to blame for this kind of partial reporting, where they gather their news from is the most likely sources of their biases. According to Sani (2009), news sources mainly feature selected institutions, which exclude the general public. More to this, opinions voiced by elite people in the society are given more weight than opinions from the ordinary citizens. Views expressed by ideological dissenters are also ignored. This goes against Habermas concept of equality in the participation of debates held in the public sphere. Sani notes that opinions voiced by the public receive quaint treatment often being ignored or simply published on the back or inner pages of the media. This however changes when electoral politics are concerned. Suddenly, public opinions become important because after all, the public forms the electorate and therefore the power to elect people to governance posts lies with them. The same scenario is repeated in m atters that require public support. Even in such issues, the media needs to play an important role in alerting people that they need to judge the political scene in order to influence politics in their jurisdictions. Public sphere According to Sani (2009), â€Å"the public sphere is the means through which democratic decisions are reached† (p. 20). For media to be seen as a public sphere however, it needs to be accessible to all publics and also needs to be representative of all people. Traditionally, the media provided the link between the government and the governed people. Considering the definition of democracy discussed earlier in this essay, it is clear that the role of the media as an informer and an educator of the masses is almost a clear cut. By providing the public with the right information, the media empowers them to not only make informed decisions regarding the form of leadership that is most appropriate for them, but also enable the public to hold the governme nt accountable. In the liberal theory, the public sphere â€Å"is an arena between the distinct areas of state and civil society that guarantees the protection of an individual† (p. 20). This suggests that the liberals perceive the public sphere as a political domain, while media is associated with the government. Considering that liberals believe that the civil society should have more powers over the government, it is clear that the media in their perspective is expected to meet the information needs presented by the society. Notably however, privatisation and conglomeration which are current trends in the media industry hampers free flow of information, which in turn means that the media does not fully meet its democratic ideals (Sani 2009). In the contemporary society Kellner (2006) argues that the public sphere needs to be redefined in order to include political struggles, discussions, information sharing and contestations that take place in public forums. The new defini tion according to the author also needs to take account of new developments in the media and hence needs to include new discussion platforms such as the cyberspace, face-to-face discussions as well as the wide array of broadcast media. These forms of media are creating public spheres where debate, information sharing, and discussions can take place. The platforms advanced by the new forms of media can be used by intellectuals and activists to engage the masses for purposes of intervening in affairs affecting a specific society. With internet use becoming commonly used among a sizeable fraction of the population, a new public sphere is in the making and it would be foolhardy to ignore the developments occurring therein. Blog sites have now presented people with real time discussion platforms where they are able to voice their opinions regarding a specific issue. As such, Kellner (2006) observes that the web platforms have the capability to revitalize democracy by increasing the distr ibution of progressive and critical ideas to the masses, in addition to creating new possibilities for promoting positions, attaining social control and manipulating the masses. To stress the role that the media plays in the public sphere, Kellner (2006) predicts that political wars in future will be fought not only in the traditional sites like parliament and the streets, but will also penetrate new realms in the computer world as well as other broadcast media. To this end, the author suggests that people interested in the culture and politics of the future should be willing to delve in the new public spheres created by information technologies. The new challenge with information technologies producing a new form of public sphere lies in ensuring that the platforms created are not used as manipulative tools, but are rather used to educate and inform the masses. According to Kellner (2006), this can only be attained if people engaged in the democratic process teach the masses on the right and beneficial way of using the new technologies. Such would include teaching them how top articulate interest and experiences on the new platforms and ways through which people can promote beneficial and objective debates amongst themselves. By doing this, the World Wide Web would create a new platform where new ideas would be shared amongst people and even common issues affecting everyone in the world like climate change would be discussed and solutions proposed. The advantages of the new public sphere are identified by Abrash (2006) as easy access; social networks; and scalability. In regard to easy access, everyone who has access to the internet can participate in the relationships and online debates. The social networks on the other hand are not structured. Rather, people join voluntarily thus meeting the standards set by Habermas that debates would be open to all willing participants. Regarding scalability, Abrash (2006) notes that the social networks where public debat es take place start small and gradually grow to massive numbers. In some cases, participants are able to consolidate resources that promote growth and development in their respective areas. Unlike traditional broadcast media which is regulated by the media code of ethics, and in-house rules that sets the boundaries of what can be published or not, there are concerns regarding the regulation of new technologies (Kellner 2006). More to this, there are also concerns about funding and accountability. No doubt these are challenges that will need to be addressed as the internet progresses to a fully fledged public sphere where democratic principles can be exchanged. There is also no denying that the open participation structure adopted by contemporary media can turn chaotic. This then raises the need for a structure, which not only regulates the debates, but also sets specific rules on how participants can behave (Abrash 2006). This would ensure that the new public spheres are accountable , but does not means that people cannot speak as freely. There is also the challenge of misinformation generated in new public forums as well as polarized discussion that seem to favour one group of the divide. Using the example of popular blog sites in the US, Abrash (2006) notes that white men are the dominant contributors. In such a case therefore, one would expect that the debates would not be inclusive of female opinions as well as opinions from people from other races. In future therefore and in an attempt to promote democratic tendencies in such media, there will be a need to ensure that such media include diverse voices from different sections of the society. Sustainability of the new media is also a key challenge. This is especially the case considering that the internet is a highly competitive environment, which would need a solid foundation and support from the participants in order to survive. Abrash (2006) further notes that sustainability would also call for the public media to engage with the market-driven economy in order to secure sponsorship and funding. There is no ignoring that the web-based media will be subject to policy issues. At present, it seems that the web-based media is yet to receive the protection needed to ensure it survival and longevity in the public sphere. This then means that policies need to be formulated and enforced in order to encourage people to nurture and protect the public sphere created by the internet. Such policies could also encourage citizens to participate in the public spaces created. According to Abrash (2006) however, the media holds opportunities for the public sphere unequalled by any other platforms where people can meet and discuss issues. For example, the media is capable of â€Å"modelling new public behaviours† (p. 8). This assertion is informed by the fact that media has given the public a platform where opinions can be voiced. In an attempt to diffuse polarized opinions, the media uses moder ators who set a coherent discourse of a debate. The ability of the contemporary media to broadcast over long distances sometimes transcending continental boundaries means that the participation and engagement of the public is also wider. The contemporary media also encourages public spheres to be concentrated on shared interests and issues (Abrash 2006). Again, the ability if contemporary media to transcend national and geographical boundaries means that groups with similar interest regionally, nationally or globally can share their ideas and opinions on a common media platform. With the internet gaining a central place in all these, face-to-face discussions are replaced by real-time virtual discussions. But what benefits has this had on the public sphere? Well, according to Relgic (2005) the technological innovations in the media have opened political possibilities that were unattainable in the past. For example, the authoritarian governments that prevented people from accessing in formation are finding it harder to prevent such information from circulating. However, this does not in any way mean that the democratization process is easier to attain with the information age; Rather, how governments and the public use the new forms of media to create awareness is what really matters. Examples Media use in peace times As indicated elsewhere in this essay, climate change is affecting people of all walks of life regardless of where they are in the world. This then is an issue of public importance that is being discussed in numerous forums. While meetings between countries are only occasional, the debate on the climate change and the environmental impact that people are experiencing as a result is an ongoing debate in the media. As Dobson (2008) notes, the environment is a common-pool resources, which is subject to abuse by some self-serving people at the disadvantage who are interested doing their part to maintain it. In a website that publishes articles that cover ecological and sustainability issues in the world, Dobson (2008) offers his opinion about what is jeopardising efforts to conserve the environment. More specifically, he zeros in on ‘free-riders’ who take no active role in conserving environment, yet they benefit from the same environment in equal measures and possibly even more than who take conservation measures do. Dobson (2008) uses the platform availed by the web to pass his arguments to readers that tradable carbon permits, which have been advocated as a solution to the climate change problem and those who continue to abuse the climate is not a solution, but only enhances the problem. He argues that carbon traders set the prices at ridiculously low prices thus jeopardising the entire notion of carbon cap trading. He proposes a different type of solution where the public need to be informed that environment conservation should be a priority not because of the self benefits that people can accrue from the same, but because it benefits each and every individual in equal measure. Yet, Dobson (2008) correctly predicts that such a process would still be dogged by the ‘free-rider’ problem. To this, he notes that the solution to climate change would have to include cultural, economic, political and technological ideals in order to be successful. Most of all, the government would need to expand and protect the public sphere for environment protection to take place. According to Dobson, privatisation of key public sectors is putting the public interests at compromised positions because private properties are protected by law. By privatising key public services, the government is aiding in the corrosion of public sphere as well as the interest of the majority of the people. In his argument, Dobson (2008) believes that privatisation is having a major impact on the public sphere and no wonder pool resources like the environment are being exploited by self-seeking private citizens. In a plat form like the one used by Dobson, one gets the impression that a wide access of by people who have been wondering about government’s approach to environment conservation could have elicited more comments. Presently, only one person has commented on the article meaning that either people have not yet accessed the forum, or do not find Dobson’s argument worth commenting about. This then raises doubts about effectiveness of new media as a debate platform in the public sphere. Hobson (2009) observes that public debates regarding climate change often involve opinions voiced from cultural understandings, personal experiences and also from scientific understanding. When such varied opinions are brought together on a public forum, the participants perceive the debate as highly significant since it relates to policies set by government and practices observed by the public. Such debates are therefore more likely to shape the public collective perceptions about environmental matt ers. The just concluded coverage of the British elections is an example of media coverage in peace times. Though the British media is supposed to give all parties equal coverage in the run-up to the general elections, Labour party and its leader Gordon Brown received 53 percent of the total media coverage, while the Conservative party and its leader David Cameron received 32 percent of the total media coverage. The Liberal Democratic Party and its leader Nick Clegg received the least coverage with only 15 percent coverage (O’Leary analytics, 2010). War time example The media has always been an information tool during war time, not only providing up to date information of the happenings in the battle fields, but also creating a sense of unity among the government, the army and the public (Stevenson 1995). The Falklands war, which occurred in Britain in the 1980s is such one example where the media took an active role in disseminating information and creating forums where peopl e could voice their opinions regarding the war. As one would expect, war times are laden with tension and the public have deep concerns about the welfare of the country. As Stevenson (1995) notes, the Falklands War was no different. The media at the time was not as liberal as the case today and depended much on the directives offered by the Defence minister during their coverage. Lobby systems also affected the news that was aired to the public as well as the judgement held by journalists regarding what the public would like to hear. Stevenson (1995) notes that the media had an open bias during the war. He argues that the media coverage misrepresented women by portraying them in their traditional home making roles despite the fact that they (women) were more actively engaged in economic activities following large numbers of men going to war. Meyer Moors (2006) argues that the media did not attempt to go above the prevailing societal norms that did not perceive women as part of the public. â€Å"From a man’s viewpoint, the female public spheres had to be secret, and were thus invisible and inaccessible to men† (p. 122). Media bias was especially evident in the coverage of the Iraq War by Western media. A statement released by journalism analysts about the state of the news media in 2005 reported that Fox News, which is a major cable Network in the United States, was openly biased in its coverage of the war in Iraq. Fox news was not alone in this. According to Global policy forum (2009), a lot of media in the US fed the public with sensational and one sided stories. According to Relgic’ (2005), the media though undoubtedly presenting the public with a platform where they can communicate and debate issues more promptly and with few inhibitions is being affected negatively by biased reporting and lack of objectivity. The author points out on the declining public trust suffered by the media even as the number of media stations and mass media c hannels continue to increase. Notably however, the media is not on this downward trend alone. Politicians and governments are not as trusted by the public as was the case in the past. Relgic’ (2005) however argues that the over supply of media channels to the public is probably overwhelming them and eroding the trust they had in the media. More so, the infiltration of all types of content into the media means that cultural values are being eroded. To the public, this is a worrying trend that not only threatens the national identity, but also the social coherence and democracy that a more society-centred public sphere would have provided. But is there any evidence to support such allegations? Well, if the negative perceptions radiated by people and the declining participation of people in electoral processes especially in the western democracies are anything to go by, then this might be indeed true (Calhoun 1992). Do the media meet the criteria of public sphere? Contemporary m edia in the world is either open in their news discourse and the ability to encourage public debate or closed where news content is determined by the elite (Bennet Et al., 2004). In different times, especially when countries are embroidered in war, the media is not consistent in it coverage giving away their biases and lack of objectivity to the public. In the 1992 riots that occurred in Los Angeles, the US media was for example very candid in their coverage. The media gave rioters a forum where they could air their grievances to the government (Bennet et al., 2004). However, the exact opposite can be said about the coverage of the 1991 gulf war. While the debate about the war was valid, the media did not give the dissenting voices as much coverage and as a result, their opinions did not grasp the attention of the government and politicians as would have been the case if the media had covered their plight with a more dedicated intensity. In journalistic training, journalists are tau ght about how to distinguish what is newsworthy and what is not. Bennet et al. (2004) observes that conflicts that involve the elite are especially news worth airing. Stories that engage the public interest are also considered newsworthy. For example, presidential declaration, speeches or interventions always attract news coverage as do tragic news that includes deaths. Extraordinary happenings, which typify the clichà © â€Å"man bites dog†, are also considered newsworthy as is the case with scandals, which feed the appetite of sensational journalism. Overall, news is gathered by indexing, strategic communication or coverage of breaking news. In some cases, journalists are able to combine the three to come up with a story. The ultimate test of public involvement however can be measured through gauging if the news has covered diverse voices; identifying and comparing the values in the voices; and the inclusion of opposing views in the story for purposes of upholding objectiv ity. According to Bennet et al. (2004), the more of these measures a news story meets, the greater public sphere does such news give to the public thus allowing more deliberations. The author argues that meeting the three measures allows the consumers of the news to consider the different perspectives highlighted in the story before forming an opinion. Conclusion Today and in line with Stevenson (1995) assertions, the media remains a vital tool in the public sphere for three reasons: Its independence from the state and the economy thus allowing it to occupy an institutional space unmatched by other instruments in the public sphere; public media provides a broad arena where diverse groups can exchange ideas and opinions; and the media is well able of addressing members of the public as individual citizens instead of consumers. However, there is no denying that the media remain weak when compared with the authorities, which dictate the environment through which the media should work i n. While the media succeeds to a large extent in enhancing accountability and transparency in governance, there is no denying that the extent of media coverage is only successful to the extent that the government in power allows it. Often, this happens because the classified government information can not be accessed by the media, unless in situations where someone leaks it to them. Trying to obtain government information through acts that states that the public has a right to information that is in their interest often fails because governments can always use state security as a reason why such information cannot be released to the public. Regardless of the media’s effort to foster discussions or inform the public, this essay holds the opinion that the contemporary media does not come close to the public sphere ideals defined by Habermas, whereby civility, mutual respect and dialogue were defined as the core values of deliberations, while the closure of an issue would involv e recognising other people involved in the deliberations and a final attempt to reach a consensus. Instead, today’s media provides provocative analysis, but the levels through which the public can engage in the discussion or still gain recognition and responses for their contribution is still not as clear cut as the Habermas definition would have it. References Abrash, B. (2006) Digital Media and the Public Sphere. Centre for social media. Web. Bennet, L. Et al. (2004) Managing the Public Sphere: Journalistic construction of the great globalization debate. Journal of Communication, 9(1), 437-454. Calhoun, C. (1992) Habermas and the public sphere. MIT press, Cambridge, MA. Dobson, A. (2008) Climate Change and the public sphere. Web. Global Policy Forum (2009) Media coverage of Iraq. Web. Habermas, J. (1992) Further reflections on the Public Sphere, in Calhoun C (ED) Habermas and the Public Sphere. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. Hobson, K. (2009) Climate change and the re-invigorati on of the public sphere: issues, methodologies and the way(s) forward. Earth and Environmental Science, 6(1), 1307-1311. Kellner, D. (2006) Habermas, the Public Sphere, and Democracy: A critical Intervention. 1-17. Web. Meyer, B. Moors, A. (2006) Religion, media, and the public sphere. Bloomington, IN, Indiana University Press. O’Leary Analytics (2010). UK General election 2010 online media coverage of the parties and their leaders. Web. Relic, D. (2005) Media, civil society and the quest for transparency and accountability of the security sector. Working paper, FG2 (01), 2-11. Sani, M. A. (2009) The public sphere and media politics in Malaysia. Newcastle, Cambridge scholars. Stevenson, N. (1995) Understanding media cultures. Sage, London. The state of the news media. (2005) An annual report on American journalism: Cable TV. Web. This essay on Habermas and the Public Sphere was written and submitted by user L1v1a 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.

A History of the Horn, Better Known as the French Horn

A History of the Horn, Better Known as the French Horn Throughout the last six centuries, the evolution of horns has gone from the most basic of instruments used for hunting and announcements to more sophisticated musical versions designed to elicit the most melodious sounds. The First Horns The history of horns starts with the use of actual animal horns, hollowed out of the marrow, and blown into to create loud sounds announcing celebrations and the start of feasts, as well as for sharing warnings, such as the approach of enemies and threats. The Hebrew shofar is a classic example of an animal horn that was, and still is, widely used in celebrations. These culturally significant rams horns are used to announce major holidays and celebrations, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. However, the basic animal horn does not allow for much manipulation of sound other than what the user can do with his mouth. Rafael Ben-Ari/Getty Images Transitioning From Communication Tool to Musical Instrument Making the transition from a method of communication to a way to create music, horns were first formally seen being used as musical instruments during 16th-century operas. They were made from brass and mimicked the structure of the animal horn. Unfortunately, they provided a challenge for adjusting notes and tones. As such, horns of different lengths were introduced, and players had to switch between them throughout a performance. While this did provide some added flexibility, it wasnt an ideal solution, and horns werent widely used. During the 17th century, additional modifications to the horn were seen, including the enhancement of the bell end (larger and flared bells) of the horn. After this alteration was made, the cor de chasse, or French horn as the English called it, was born. The first horns were monotone instruments. But in 1753, a German musician called Hampel invented the means of applying movable slides (crooks) of various length that changed the key of the horn. In 1760, it was discovered rather than invented that placing a hand over the bell of the French horn lowered the tone, called stopping. Devices for stopping were later invented, which further enhanced the sound that performers could create. In the early 19th century, pistons and valves, instead of crooks, were used, giving birth to the modern French horn and eventually the double French horn. This new design allowed for an easier transition from note to note, without having to switch instruments, which meant performers could keep a smooth and uninterrupted sound. It also allowed for players to have a wider range of tones, which created more complex and harmonic sound. Despite the fact that the term French horn has been widely accepted as the proper name of this instrument, its modern design was actually developed by German builders and is most frequently manufactured in Germany. As such, many experts assert that the proper name for this instrument should simply be a horn. Who Invented the French Horn? Tracing the invention of the French horn to one person is tricky. However, two inventors are named as the first to invent a valve for the horn. According to the Brass Society, Heinrich Stoelzel (1777–1844), a member of the band of the Prince of Pless, invented a valve that he applied to the horn by July 1814 (considered the first French horn) and Friedrich Blà ¼hmel (fl. 1808–before 1845), a miner who played trumpet and horn in a band in Waldenburg, is also associated with the invention of the valve. Edmund Gumpert and Fritz Kruspe are both credited with inventing double French horns in the late 1800s. German Fritz Kruspe, who has been noted most often as the inventor of the modern double French horn, combined the pitches of the horn in F with the horn in B-flat in 1900.

E-Commerce Insider Threats Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-Commerce Insider Threats - Research Paper Example In addition, a major element of the problem appears from poor systems engineering of networks and software. However, to effectively deal with these imprecision and ambiguities in the business information system there is need to minimize the system loop holes and problems regarding the effective management and operational handling. Furthermore, the management of the business information security and operations has turned out to be a main task in business. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the current state of insider threats to computer systems and infrastructure in terms of numbers, costs and potential problems. The main intention of this research is offer a comprehensive overview of the different insider threats to computer systems for E-Commerce. Shaw, Ruby, & M. (1998) outlined that the ideal business information systems protection besides all outer and inner threats is not possible. The main difficulty of monitoring against the business information security threats has been an important aspect of the literature, and business information system development (Shaw, Ruby, & M., 1998). However, the main problem is the inherent complexity of the business systems. Thus, here are problems in terms of some recognized techniques offering business impressions that are not practical solutions. In this case more and more challenges are coming out in form of virus and worms (Graham, 2005). Cho, Chang, Kim, & Choi (2003) stated that in this new age of information corporations are completely dependent upon the complex information systems. In addition, these systems are in a greater danger in terms of vulnerability of systems to computer information security and crime attacks. Thus, the high-tech environment and technological experts are n eeded to develop, manage, and maintain these business information systems (Cho, Chang, Kim, & Choi, 2003). According to (Shaw,

International Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Management - Assignment Example The market was one of rising costs, reduced prices, high competition, and low-cost models. The average selling prices were down by a whopping 35% and there was a clamor for cheaper models in emerging economies and developing markets. The basic phones were available for $ 50, with low end models being available for as low as $ 25 and even $ 10. Multinational set up operations and set new standards for wages, training and technology transfer. An environment of meritocracy was being created and which hard work, ethical behavior and a desire to learn were the watchwords. The fall of the iron curtain in Europe and the transition of State Societies, opened up new markets for Western Europe. Eastern Europe was expected to move towards 100% penetration levels in 2011, from the current 85%. The manufacturing process was being off shored to low cost countries, lately Eastern Europe. Labor costs much lower in Central European Countries than in other Western European Nations. Additionally, they also offered huge advantages in terms of high productivity and simple taxes. However, of late, wage costs were on the rise and labor force was beginning to shrink with people migrating to richer European nations like Britain and Germany. There are three levels of strategy – Corporate Strategy, Business Strategy and Functional Strategy. The corporate strategy deals with the vision and mission of an organization. The Mission of Nokia is â€Å"Connecting people†. Its strategic intention is to â€Å"Build great mobile products†. The word â€Å"Nokia† is named after the Nokia river in Southern Finland. Beginning as early as in 1865 and with a rich history of a century and half of innovation, Nokia transformed itself from a riverside paper mill in Southern Finland to a global telecommunications leader. A conglomerate of paper, rubber, cable and electrical companies, it was only in 1996 that Nokia turned its focus on the telecommunications business. This was an important strategic shift and by 1998, Nokia was the world leader in mobile industry. Its new strategy drive includes changes in leadership and manufacturing specialized products. Its recent strategic direction has taken multi-faceted dimensions : Broad strategic partnership with Microsoft Renew group to capture volumes and value growth Forward investments in next generation technologies Focus on specialized products. The business strategy talks about the strategies related to a specific business of an organization. More specifically, they deal with its products, markets and competitive advantages. Nokia had always prided itself on innovation, differentiation and in building great products through continuous investments in research and development. It does not shy away from investments as well as divestments and focuses on shareholder value by concentrating on core competencies. It always had the larger picture in mind and its decisions were based on global operations and internatio nal strategy and not country-focused. Adapting itself beautifully to global trends, Nokia increased its market presence in China, India, Germany, Indonesia and Russia. It slowly extricated itself form markets like Brazil, Spain and Italy. In 2008, Nokia was the

Finance Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance - Term Paper Example This would be addressed as workers retire and personal investment accounts replace Social Security. The best solution to this is a substantial personal account option and not only Social Security. 2. Formulate a risk management proposal for a fictitious potential client. Using that same proposal, augment your offering to this client. Elaborate about a proposed health insurance plan, pension plan alternatives etc. If appropriate for your fictitious client, include a section regarding alternative risk transfer techniques and bond offerings. An important trend in recent years has been the increased used of derivatives. A derivative is any of your financial assets whose value is derived from the value of some other â€Å"underlying† asset. These derivatives can be used either to reduce risks or as a speculative investment also. In theory, the use of these derivatives should allow one to manage risk better. There are also premiums that can be added to lessen one’s burden of risks. This includes the inflation premium to compensate for the expected loss of purchasing power, the default risk premium just in case there will be default in the borrower and the maturity risk premium compensate for the interest rate risk. Judgment Rating is used when potential losses are difficult to quantify. In this case, statistics is not a reliable source to determine possible losses. In judgment rating, the underwriter must use his experience and intuition to individually evaluate each potential client. A good example of this includes ocean marine insurance. Class Rating is used when losses are quantifiable or statistics are reliable. Here, there is a manual rating where it is classified into brackets which makes it easy to determine pricing in insurance proposals that are offered to customers. It is the established people of parallel situations and the great number of available statistics which permits for the

The Consequences Of Being A Passive Listener English Language Essay

The Consequences Of Being A Passive Listener English Language Essay Listening is an essential part of communication and is different from hearing. Listening means paying constant attention and making sense of what is being said. Hearing on the other hand is merely acknowledging that someone is speaking. Hearing is passive while listening is active. Listening is a non verbal skill. It is the act of interpreting, remembering and understanding what has been said. A listener is of two types; a good listener and a bad listener. A good listener is one who is patient and calm. He is a critical thinker who listens to each word said carefully and without judgment or interruption. He is active, persistent and shows carefully consideration when listening to what is being said. A good listener can place himself in the shoes of others, see how what is being said impacts him and see their point of view. He can tune out distractions and focus on what the speaker is saying. He also makes notes and jots down the important points. He is attentive, does not interrupt and picks out verbal and non verbal cues from the speaker. He knows that listening is the primary source of knowledge. On the other hand a bad listener is the exact opposite of a good listener. He pretends to be listening to what is being said while he lets his mind wander to irrelevant issues. He does not pick out the main idea of what is being said and often finds what the speaker says to be boring. He listens to sounds rather than the words of what is being said. He gives in freely to distractions and is often a noisemaker who distracts the attention of others in the process. He is the person who is mostly to relaxed in class and sits in informal positions. Listening is also of two types; active listening and passive listening. Active listening is the act of hearing the words and identifying the feelings associated with the words. An active listener concentrates on what is being said and is able to tune out unnecessary distractions. To be an active listener one must show empathy, acceptance and willingness to take responsibility for completeness. An active listener shows reactions to prove that he is listening and has understood what has been said, this could be; nodding, making eye contact, facial expressions, asking questions, paraphrasing, not talking too much and so forth. Furthermore he reflects on the main point and summarizes what has been said. He is also able to pick out the verbal and non verbal cues from the speaker. Passive listening according to Baker(1971)is the listening done whereby there is little self perception or personal involvement on the part of the listener. A passive listener is one who is inattentive and uninvolved l does not identify the meaningful signals and cannot interpret what is being said. He listens without reaction and doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t show signs that he understands what is being said.. He is the type who interrupts the speaker before he or she finishes speaking. This is not the best listening habit. A passive listener can be illustrated as a rock, he can be seen but he does not absorb any information. It goes in through one ear and comes out the other. He is the type that easily forgets and stores irrelevant information in his memory. He often misses out on the verbal and non verbal cues given by the speaker during a conversation. He lets his mind wander far and near during a conversation and appears to be listening but is really somewhere else. He does not contr ibute to the subject and doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t give back feedbacks. A passive reader has a short concentration span. Attention is a requirement of learning. We cannot understand, learn or remember something unless we pay attention. Passive attention is uncontrolled and dependant on external factors. There are various consequences of being a passive listener. Some of which are discussed below; Passive listeners practice hearing i.e. they hear only the sounds coming out of the speakers mouth. They do do not cultivate good listening skills i.e. they are not effective listeners. They do not make a habit out of listening attentively and understanding what is being said. They pretend to listen while letting their minds wander supreme, giving in to distractions and so on. Passive listeners have a short concentration span; this means that they only concentrate for short periods of time. Due to distractions which they may give out or receive, they allow their mind to wander to irrelevant issues which do not concern what they are listening to. When they find a topic boring or difficult their state of mind changes towards that topic .i.e. they are instantly put off by it and are not encouraged to learn more, they pretend to listen and understand and do not concentrate on what is being said. Also, passive listeners miss out the key points and the main idea of what is being said. They only surface listen which is pretending to listen. Even though they are physically present there mind is not. They do not watch out for the importance of the lesson. Again due to distractions or voluminous jottings they miss out the verbal and non verbal cues the speaker gives out. In addition to, passive listeners do not focus completely on what the speaker is saying. They often misinterpret his points which could lead to disagreements, talking out of turn and debates between the passive listener and the speaker. Furthermore, passive listeners normally possess bad sitting postures. One should be comfortable while listening but not to relaxed. They are often to relaxed while listening which may give rise to sleep and missing the aim of the lesson. Also passive listeners do not give out positive gestures to show that they are listening and comprehending what is being said. Like nodding of the had in agreement, paraphrasing what is being said, positive or negative facial expressions, asking relevant questions within and outside the topic, clapping, shaking of the head in disagreement and so on. In addition to, passive listeners are the type that makes irrelevant copious notes which distracts them from the importance of the lesson while pretending to be listening. They write down almost everything the speaker says thinking that that is what is important. They do not jot down and summarize the key points of the topic . They do not possess an undivided attention thereby giving in to distraction which are; noise making, using of phones or other gadgets at the wrong time, constantly looking at ones watch, listening to music while listening, etc. Passive listeners do not reflect and put into use what is being said, bring up meaningless points and are mostly the people who come in late and leave early, sit at the back and never in the front rows unless they are told to do so. They are not critical thinkers, they do not think deep about what they are listening to. Passive listeners do not keep an open mind when they are listening; they are not matured listeners and are the type that are easily put off by irrelevant things. They look for the faults in the speaker or in what he is saying rather than grasping the importance of his topic. There are various guidelines or rules one must follow to be a good listener. This includes; stopping anything one is doing when a discussion is going on, ensuring that there are no barriers or distractions around, making observations not copious notes one will not understand in the future but summarizing the key points i.e. year in which events occurred, peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s names, names of cities or countries, occupation of people etc. Sitting at ease but not being too relaxed which may give way to sleep, not allowing oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mind wander away, putting into practice the habit of paying attention to someone and not being discouraged by earlier failures, keeping an eye out for the main points of the lecture, not sitting with people who could be a distraction and not being a distraction our self, getting the information first and not looking out for irrelevant flaws with the speaker. In conclusion, we have learnt what listening is, the difference between listening and hearing, the differences between a good and bad listener, types of listening, guidelines to being a good listener, what one should do when one is speaking, what distractions are, the differences between an active and a passive listener and the consequences of being a passive listener. Therefore one must strive to be an effective and active listener so as to be a better learner.

rights of a woman Essay -- essays research papers

In her article â€Å"Women’s History† Joan Scott states that it is important for historians to be attentive to both â€Å"the ways in which politics constructs gender and gender constructs politics†. First, definitions for politics and gender will be established in order to analyze Scott’s claim. Second, what Scott meant by the claim â€Å"politics constructs gender† will be illustrated. Third, the contradictory claim â€Å"gender constructs politics† by Joan Scott will be explained. Finally, this paper will evaluate why it is important for historians to be attentive to both the notion that politics constructs gender and gender constructs politics. The usefulness of Scott’s claim on our understanding of both politics and gender will also be examined. The point that Scott was trying to get across in stating that historians should be attentive to the circular claim that â€Å"politics constructs gender and gender constructs politicsâ⠂¬  is that an incomplete history will be recorded if both sides of the equation are not considered hand in hand. To portray why Joan Scott believes it is important for historians to be cognizant of both gender’s effect on politics and politics effect on gender we must first establish what Joan Scott’s definitions of gender and politics are. Gender has many definitions that have been developed through the numerous approaches to history and the many other social sciences. The basic debate in defining gender is at what point is the distinction made between the natural (sex) and the cultural (gender). Gayle Rubin’s definition in â€Å"The Traffic in Women: Notes on the ‘Political Economy’ of Sex† is that â€Å"sex† is the raw material on which culture uses to produce â€Å"gender† and that gender is the cultural expectations of the differences between men and women. The important aspect of the definition of gender is that it is culturally defined and does not remain static over time. As society adjusts, so do its definitions of gender. Politics is the other key word in Scott’s statement that must be defined. Politics, according to Scott in â€Å"Women’s History†, is not just formal government but all relationships involving unequal distributions of power. Scott uses this broad definition of politics in order to explain the â€Å"cultural determination of the terms of sexual difference†. In other words this definition allows for a more complete explanation of what has shaped society’s e... ...he role of historians should be to record history and its significance. The third reason historians should look at the relationship between politics and gender is that if historians only look at the way formal politics shapes gender then a black and white picture of gender is portrayed. If a broad definition of politics is used, such as the one used by Joan Scott, then â€Å"arguments about the separate and distinctive qualities of women’s character and experience† can be avoided. As a result a clearer picture of history will be drawn that does not rely on â€Å"fixed distinctions† that have been made between the genders over time and in the present. Finally, by paying attention to the idea that gender and politics have an effect on one another we can get a clearer picture of where women’s history fits into the history books. In conclusion, Scott’s claim that historians should be attentive to both the ways in which gender constructs politics and politics constructs gender is a thought provoking comment that must be considered if an accurate and unbiased history is to be produced. Politics and gender are both socially construed notions and by definition will have an influence on one another.

DRUNK DRIVING Essay

Drinking and driving is a very serious and dangerous problem. Many people every year are killed or injured because of drunk drivers, and almost all of the people who are killed are innocent. The more you drink the more likely you are to have an accident. Driving whilst under the influence of drink is a dangerous situation, and the consequences are appalling, because you can end up killing someone else, losing your own life or even sent to court. Why do people drink while driving? The answer is simply cause there drunk! They are too drunk to think properly, they might have done it before and they think it’s not bad, perhaps too lazy to get a taxi, they feel confident that they can drive extra carefully and avoid incident, Their ability to rationalize is suppressed, leading them to make rash decisions, They want to escape personal problems This is probably one of the most dangerous reasons why people drink and drive. A man / woman in the thick of problems, gets drunk and gets in the car. Caught in his / her emotions, the person doesn’t care what happens anymore. Sadly, among the reasons why people drink and drive, this is a common reason; they are ashamed or afraid to call someone to pick them up. People wake up in cells not realizing they killed a person with their car. Some people drink and drive because they don’t know any better. Some people are not even aware of the legal drinking limits.

Creating New Employment and Business Opportunities

Creating New Employment and Business Opportunities Introduction Job creation remains one of the most important economic engagements for any business or organization. This process is normally coupled with economic development. Therefore, creating new employment and business opportunities is a contributor to economic development. Currently, world economies are struggling with a slow economy characterized by job cuts, layoffs and organizational restructuring.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Creating New Employment and Business Opportunities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Due to this, an organization’s management faces various challenges while trying to re-adjust in order to remain competitive and profitable. This is the reason why the private sector is currently awash with innovations and technologies that are being tried and tested to ensure corporate competitiveness and profitability. While a balance within the private sector can be competitively achieved, t here is always a challenge as far as the public sector is concerned. Therefore, public sector organizations will cautiously and selectively apply practices that contribute to sustainable development. The reason for such a trend is most likely due to the public sector organizations’ resistance to restructuring. It can be noted also that the essence of such organizations is based on their defined structure. Olympics development authority (ODA) is a public sector organization under the department of culture, media and sports of the UK government. This organization is responsible for the organization of Olympics and Paralympics in London in the year 2012. ODA is working together with close to fifteen other stakeholders including Her Majesty’s government to ensure that the Olympic Games are a success and that the UK gets the long term benefits as the host. ODA has developed a number of related policies on various issues that are considered crucial to the success of the 2012 Olympic Games. The intention of this study is to highlight and assess the challenges facing ODA in ensuring the delivery of its employment and business objective which is to create new employment (job creation) and business opportunities locally, regionally and nationally.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Literature Review An evaluation of the ODA’s policy on the management of the upcoming games reveals an elaborate sustainability development policy framework. Indeed ODA has gone to great lengths to develop an employment creation and environment policy for the games. Presently, there are few facts on how an economy can be affected by a sustainable development approach. Nonetheless, ODA has professionally postulated such a sustainable development plan to manage the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics games. Research indicates that numerous economic models have been developed lately alluding to the fact that various economies across the globe are seriously considering implementing environmentally driven policies. However, it remains obvious that sustainability development planning and implementation remains a challenge basically because of social and political barriers. Towards a more positive note on this include research findings from recently held studies indicating positive employment and business impact as a result of sustainability development policy implementation. However, these findings suggest that a societal saturation point is what will ultimately result into such phenomenon. It is on the basis of such findings that ODA has focused in order to derive its policy framework for the games. At this point a foreseeable challenge facing ODA would likely be the context of applying this policy framework. It is likely to take enormous economic, political and social energy to ensure that this policy is seamlessly adopted among ODAâ€℠¢s fourteen partners working on the hosting of the games. Further still if these partners had a consensus on this policy, their approach and rates of implementation will vary greatly. Sustainable development researchers have asserted that employee involvement is increasingly showing a noticeable effect on pollution prevention activities. These findings are likely to be the reason behind restructured employment policies across Europe and the world over being evident in current employment trends that now advocate green jobs (Casey 2004; Jacob 2011; Lefresne 1999). This state is supported by the rapid growth in environmental technology sectors around Europe and beyond. Most importantly though is the fact that the focus in the near future is projected to be on pollution prevention and clean technologies (Hawken 2010; Hawken and Lovins 2008).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Creating New Employment and Business Opportunities specifically for you for only $16.0 5 $11/page Learn More Basing on this trend, ODA has endeavored to ensure these facts are considered during the planning process for the games and evidently so, the committee is focused on setting up a clean energy generation plant to serve the games and the community thereafter (Olympic Development Authority (ODA), 2011). While attempting to link the employment and environmental policies, this study is intended to identify the correlation between these two variables and highlight the likely challenges with a focus on the planners of the 2012 games in London. According to Hewett and Foley 2000, â€Å"there appears to be plenty of evidence and research addressing the employment effects of environmental policies† (p.10). Therefore, ODA proposes an employment and business strategy that will focus on creating new employment and business opportunities locally, regionally and nationally during and after the 2012 games. Accordingly, ODA proposes new employment opportu nities at some stage in the infrastructure building phases of the games venues (ODA 2011). An important area of focus related to ODA’s preparation is the relocation of IBC/MPC close to Hackney Wick. This facility has been offering employment opportunities and this is expected to continue during and after the upcoming games. IBC/MPC will later be converted to legacy use as an educational or commercial centre providing full time employment. The venue itself and the park around it will attract further human resource requirements. This will be the source of employment at the Olympics Park and the neighbouring areas. The physical construction of the park itself is likely to be a labour intensive exercise leading to increase employment opportunities. ODA’s sustainability plan will cover a number of aims including the following: Ensuring that the recruitment and engagement process is fair and offers an opportunity to all. Ensuring that as much as possible and within the cons traints of time and budget, communities have access to training and work placement that will eventually result into sustainable employment opportunities. Ensuring that procurement of work and goods as well as services is transparently and competitively carried out to attract maximum diverse categories of suppliers. Therefore, a deliberate consideration by ODA for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) has been earmarked. These SMEs’ services as subcontractors will expand the employment opportunities bracket as new business opportunities are unveiled.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More ODA’s reliance on social media and internet based methods to reach out with information is aimed at creating awareness about the opportunities for business and employment available due to the hosting of the games. ODA runs a website which has a facility to enable businesses to register their interests concerning tendering for contracts related to the games. ODA will forecast the labour demands and skill requirements to assess the current requirements. This information can then be availed to key partners who will provide funds for training to meet ODA’s supply chain requirements. On a regional scale, ODA will work with members of the five boroughs partnership board sharing all the information necessary to create employment and business opportunities. This will be achieved through the five borough employment brokerage service (ODA 2011). Apparently partnerships here are vital to the success of ODA’s sustainability development plan on business and employment. Some of these partners include the London employment and skills taskforce (LEST) which is an initiative that looks beyond the games focusing on them just as a catalyst for comprehensive regeneration and improved productivity in London for the next two decades. There is also the local employment and training framework (LETF), which focuses on tackling employment barriers and enterprise competitiveness during start up. This is intended to reduce disparities in labour market outcomes, improve skills and maximize the potential for productivity and innovation (ODA 2011). Rationale and Justification of the Data Collection Methods Generally research approaches are either qualitative or quantitative. The qualitative approach to research is an explorative method used to collect data, analyze it and report the data analysis findings based on a certain research question or case study. Under this approach, the research area is identified and a purpose for the research is specified before the data is collected and analyzed and thereafter the results reported and recorded. Data organization and coding is a feature within the qualitative research approach. Quantitative research approach is the other option. This approach requires beginning with a theory. As the research progresses samples are selected based on a scientific theory. This approach also involves the use of mathematical models as a method of data validation. For this study the qualitative approach will be used because this approach allows for the development of ideas and interpretations and case studying which is what has been used here to get data from various ODA publications on policy and planning. The internet has also been used in this research to collect more data in relation to development and implementation of sustainable development strategy with a focus on creation of employment and business opportunities. Findings Analysis and Discussion At the moment a clear relationship between sustainable development age nda such as the one proposed by ODA and how this relates to the creation of employment opportunities may not be well defined. However, conclusions can be drawn from the general trend based on government targets as well as scholarly evaluation reports on future options that involve technological change (Hitchcock and Willard 2009; Illinitch and Schaltegger 2000). Technological change is a direct indicator of new opportunities that require job creation. Currently, the UK government’s climate change strategy intends to establish policies to cut UK CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010 (Harvard Business School Press 2007). It is also proposed to deliver 10% of electricity from renewable sources in the same period. Other government strategies like the landfill and waste have their targets as well. The bottom line to achieving these targets will probably involve increased implementation of clean technology which requires new or combined job skills (Senge, Smith, Kruschwitz, Laur and Schley 2010). All of these targets affect economies in different ways. The government will be preparing for employment consequences. Generally, the government policy in creating the right market framework to encourage sustainable development and planning is an important contributor towards the success of such policies as that laid down by ODA. ODA which comprises the committee responsible for organizing the 2012 London Olympics is going to face a number of challenges based on the committee’s employment and business objective. It is definite that a slowing global economy is not an incentive to business growth let alone employment. With this in mind, ODA is likely to experience challenges in creating these new employment opportunities. It is likely that the sustainability development plan proposed by ODA requires more funds to successfully implement. These funds must be used to try and reduce the disparities arising from diverse perceptions that may be held by ODA’s partners in planning of the games. Lobbying has been known to be one of the ways this can be achieved considering that sustainability strategy development continues to attract social and political barriers to implement (Casey 2004; Nichols and Ball 2006). As such ensuring the creation of employment and business opportunities requires a consideration of the various factors that will cause increased implementation costs. Typically, the UK government is focused on implementing a carbon free city by the turn of a few decades. However, with such a consideration is the need to reassess natural resource utilization that provides the sustainability indicators. Within this campaign and as a government affiliated organization, ODA relies on other partners to facilitate the planning of the London Olympics games 2012. ODA is currently challenged at having a collaborative approach towards sustainable development planning which may not be totally achieved. Since ODA will rely on other partners for funding a nd logistical support, it remains unlikely that all of these partners can fully subscribe to the sustainability development framework proposed by ODA. Therefore, at the local level ODA may easily implement sustainability policies related to employment opportunities which though remain short-lived probably lasting slightly beyond the games season unless a collaborated approach to the strategy implementation is adopted. Though sustainable development planning is considered as a government policy, the real cost of its implementation remains a challenge not just in the culture, media and sports department but in many other sectors within the government and beyond. Research has revealed that a general notion currently in the public domain proposes that the implementation of sustainability development policies will cause job losses. It is expected that this is the public perspective and ODA is likely to face skepticism even in trying to realize their objective of creation of employment op portunities, locally, regionally and nationally as proposed. Convincing the general public otherwise is definitely a cost intensive undertaking which is an indirect challenge as well. Therefore, it might be necessary for ODA to invest much more in public awareness campaign to amplify the employment opportunities that will be created locally, regionally and nationally by a successful implementation of the sustainability development plan for the games. It has been known for some time now that environmental issues have no social or political boundaries. As such it may be necessary for ODA to consider bringing on board all the stakeholders within the five boroughs involved in the planning (Reeves 2005). Conclusion Strategy formulation remains one of the most vital managerial undertakings. Apart from drafting the strategy to run the organization, there is a need to anchor the strategy on a competitive and profitable framework. Currently sustainable development strategy is considered as t he standard strategy formulation of the future. Sustainable development is a major feature in the UK’s government’s which focuses at future scenarios and technologies in the UK. The initial stage is the development and improvement of current technologies, especially within heavy industries thereby creating some ‘breathing space’ during which time policies can be altered to transform the model of economic behaviour. This is going to include the development of cleaner processing technologies which have improved energy efficiency. Most sectors in the UK are currently within this stage. The second stage involves preparing for the change. The change includes increased uptake of renewable energy technologies, transport modes that are sustainable and construction techniques that are less energy intensive. Therefore, the government’s targets for renewables, the decade long transport plan and waste strategy are featured as an attempt by the government to mov e the UK into the preparation for change stage. This stage will also promise increased employment and business opportunities. However, it will be noted that changes in behaviour and technology will not necessarily happen all at once as timing may depend on technological progress or events which change public attitudes. Hewett and Foley, 2000 in their writing indicate that: The University of Bath study also looked at a ‘bottom-up’ methodology developed by AEA Technology to examine the employment impact of energy taxation on manufacturing industry across Europe. The ‘bottom up’ modelling relies on specific information on the costs and characteristics of individual technologies available across different manufacturing sectors. The study concludes that both top down and bottom up models show the potential for modest employment gains flowing from an environmental tax reform. (p.12) ODA has drawn its sustainable development plan for the games based on such findin gs and the government strategy framework. Therefore, though the implementation may still be a little far off especially for certain areas of the policy, the accomplishment of the creation of employment and business opportunities remains in line with the government’s target indicators for achieving sustainable development although this may only be realized on a local level for a start. Recommendations Sustainable development planning is gaining support from many economies and governments around the world especially the developed nations that are quickly drawing and aligning their policies to this framework. These policies propose a green jobs boom as economies finally adapt and implement this strategy framework. However, the challenge lies with a determination of the exact cost of policy implementation based on such a strategy. It is basically true that most of the framework implementation is still in the infancy stages. Considering this fact, ODA will face various challenges when trying to measure the levels of success in creation of employment opportunities (Bach 2005). However, studies are showing that at an appropriate time, organizations around the world will eventually resort to sustainable development planning with noticeable benefits in the human resource sector (Price 2011). The implementation phase of such a plan is going to be actualized in a longer time frame than what was anticipated. As such, creation of employment opportunities as proposed by ODA in their sustainable policy on the games will be realized on local proportions. A more elaborate and sustainable result for such an objective will only be achievable after other related sectors have adopted similar strategy framework probably as formulated by the UK government. Therefore, at the moment challenges towards successful implementation are likely. Reference List Bach, S. ed., 2005. Managing human resources: Personnel management in transition. 4th ed. New York: Wiley-Blackwell. Casey, B. , 2004. The OECD jobs strategy and European employment strategy: Two views of the labour market and welfare state. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 10(3), pp.329-352. Casey, B., 2005. Building social partnership? Strengths and shortcomings of the European employment strategy. Transfer: European Review of Labour Research, 11(1), pp.45-63. Harvard Business School Press, 2007. Harvard business review on green business strategy (Harvard business review) Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Hawken, P., 2010. The ecology of commerce revised edition: A declaration of sustainability (Collins Business Essentials). London: Harper. Hawken, P. and Lovins, A., 2008. Natural capitalism: Creating the next industrial revolution. Boston: Back Bay Books. Hewett, C. and Foley, J., 2000. Employment creation and environmental policy a literature review. [Online] Web. Hitchcock, D. and Willard, M., 2009. The business guide to sustainability: Practical strategies and tools for organizations. 2n d ed. New York: Routledge. Illinitch, A., and Schaltegger, S., 2000. Developing a green business portfolio Long Range Planning, 28(3), pp. 29-38. Jacob, S., 2011. Employment policy confronted with new patterns of governance centred on coordination and performance. International Review of Administrative Science, 77(3), pp. 531-553. Lefresne, F., 1999. Employability at the heart of the European employment strategy. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 5(4), pp.460-480. Nichols, K. and Ball, C., 2006. Organization theory: A public and nonprofit perspective 3rd ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing. Olympic Development Authority (ODA), 2011. Sustainable development strategy. [Online] Available at: https://www.olympic.org/documents Price, A., 2011. Fundamentals of human resource management. London, UK: Cengage Learning Emea. Reeves, T., 2005. Cases in public human resource management. 2nd ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing. Senge, P., Smith, B., Kruschwitz, N., Laur, J., and Sch ley, S., 2010. The necessary revolution: Working together to create a sustainable world. New York: Crown Business.

Common Editing and Proofreading Marks in Composition

Common Editing and Proofreading Marks in Composition When your instructor returns a composition, are you sometimes puzzled by the abbreviations and symbols that appear in the margins? If so, this guide should help you decipher those marks during the editing and proofreading stages of the writing process. Common Proofreading Marks Explained The following proofreading marks have a brief explanation of the definition your instructor is likely trying to convey for your revisions. ab: Abbreviation  (Use a standard abbreviation or write out the word in full.) ad: Adjective or adverb  (Use the correct form of the modifier.) agr: Agreement  (Use the correct ending to make the verb agree with its subject.) awk: Awkward expression or construction. cap: Capital letter  (Replace a lowercase letter with a capital letter.) case: Case  (Use the appropriate case of the pronoun: subjective, objective, or possessive.) clichà ©: Clichà ©Ã‚  (Replace the worn-out expression with a fresh figure of speech.) coh: Coherence  and cohesion (Make clear connections as you move from one point to the next.) coord: Coordination  (Use coordinating conjunctions to relate equal ideas.) cs: Comma splice  (Replace the comma with a period or a conjunction.) d: Diction  (Replace the word with one thats more precise or appropriate.) dm: Dangling modifier  (Add a word so that the modifier refers to something in the sentence.)   emph: Emphasis  (Restructure the sentence to emphasize a key word or phrase.) frag: Sentence fragment  (Add a subject or verb to make this word group complete.) fs: Fused sentence  (Separate the word group into two sentences.) gloss: Glossary of usage  (Check the glossary to see how to use this word correctly.) hyph: Hyphen  (Insert a hyphen between these two words or word parts.) inc: Incomplete construction. irreg: Irregular verb  (Check our index of verbs to find the correct form of this irregular verb.) ital: Italics  (Put the marked word or phrase in italics.) jarg: Jargon  (Replace the expression with one your readers will understand.) lc: Lowercase letter (Replace a capital letter with a lowercase letter.) mm: Misplaced modifier  (Move the modifier so that it clearly refers to an appropriate word.) mood: Mood  (Use the correct mood of the verb.) nonst: Nonstandard usage  (Use standard words and word forms in formal writing.) org: Organization  (Organize information clearly and logically.) p: Punctuation  (Use an appropriate mark of punctuation.) apostrophe : colon , comma -   dash . period ? question mark quotation marks  ¶: Paragraph break  (Begin a new paragraph at this point.) //: Parallelism  (Express paired words, phrases, or clauses in grammatically parallel form.) pro: Pronoun  (Use a pronoun that refers clearly to a noun.) run-on: Run-on (fused) sentence  (Separate the word group into two sentences.) slang: Slang  (Replace the marked word or phrase with a more formal or conventional expression.) sp: Spelling  (Correct a misspelled word or spell out an abbreviation.) subord: Subordination  (Use a subordinating conjunction to connect a supporting word group to the main idea.) tense: Tense  (Use the correct tense of the verb.) trans: Transition  (Add an appropriate transitional expression to guide readers from one point to the next.) unity: Unity  (Dont stray too far from your main idea.) v/^: Missing letter(s) or word(s). #: Insert a space. wordy: Wordy writing (Cut out unnecessary words.) ww: Wrong word (Use a dictionary to find a more appropriate word.)

Plan of Action Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Plan of Action - Term Paper Example Maria has misunderstood things here. She has put the blame upon the company on a totally different tangent altogether. There is no reason why she should be blaming the company for her poor communication skills and traits that she has been displaying over a period of time. She believes that she is being maltreated as there is a bias within the company but this is not something that has been pondered upon deeply by the people who are sitting within the helm of affairs in the company. Maria must know that any company within the business world exists to satisfy not only the customers but its internal publics as well, which comprise of its own employees who are the most prized possessions that these companies can ever have. When Maria says that the company is treating her in a shabby way, it is the bias which is reflected in her understanding and not the way in which work gets done within the domains of the organization in the long run (Kim 2002). What the company has to do in such a sett ing is to make Maria realize that she is in the wrong, and that she shall have to be treated fairly no matter what happens. However at the present, Maria has become disgruntled because she believes that she is being hard done by due to her color and Latin ancestry. The scenario could be avoided if the company took a more proactive approach and told Maria where she was lacking before announcing the promotions for the employees. This could have made the entire effort look genuine and there would not have been any resentment whatsoever.

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Music - Essay Example is first work 9 Variations in C Minor† was published in 1782, when his age was 12.At the age of 14 he was the organist in the court of â€Å"Maximillian Franz, Elector of Cologne.† His meeting with Mozart took place in â€Å"Vienna in 1787.† Mozart highly appreciated the musical talents of Beethoven. In Vienna, he took music lessons from masters like Haydan, Salieri and Albrechtsberger. His talents won him admiration in the music circles of Vienna. â€Å"He composed Opus 1, the Trios for Piano,† in the year 1794. In 1795, he gave â€Å"his first public performance† in an academy known as Vienna and then began his tour to Prague, Leipzig, Dresden, berlin and Budapest. Notwithstanding his music talents, as a person, he was known for â€Å"his impulsive behavior.† â€Å"In 1800 in a new concert at Vienna† he presented â€Å"his first symphony.† With his innovations he was crossing the established norms â€Å"of music.† In 1801, he began to realize that he was turning deaf. This health issue turned him cynical and his life was useless and purposeless with this deficiency, he thought. But his passion for music was too strong and he kept pushing to the front. He engaged himself in what is known as Beethoven music, Sonatas for Piano, the second and the third symphonies, The Eroica and in due course many such creations. He wrote his 3rd symphony in honor of Bonaparte. On April, 7, 1805, the Erocia symphony was played for the first time. His creativity began to flourish. Pastora, Coriolan Overtue and Letter for Elise are some of his immortal creations. He fell in love with several of his students. Beethoven was given an annual grant of 4,000 florins, by his rich admirers and with that assistance it was possible for him to function as an independent composer. He was free to compose what he wanted, a true freelancer, under the command of nobody. When Archduke Rudolph became Cardinal, Beethoven began to composing his mass in D. The ninth symphony was completed in 1823. Soon,