The Simpsons As The American Family Of The 1990s Essays

The Simpsons as the American Family of the 1990's Meet the Simpsons Over time, the definition of what exactly "family" means has changed with time. Usually, what constitutes making up a family is relative to a specific culture, but as always, there are exceptions to the rule. Ever since the golden age of television had sprung upon American culture, television has tried to mimic the "ideal" American family through it's programming. Even as early as the 1950's, television producers made programming that would represent what exactly the ideal American family was. Take for example the show "Leave It to Beaver". While I am not going to go in detail about each character, I am going to summarize the family structure and the role of the member. There was a father figure, his job, or responsibility rather, was to financially support the family, while being an exemplary father to his children. The mother on the other hand, was solely responsible for being a typical housewife, while not neglecting the rearing of her children. The children did not have any real responsibility, but they respected their parents and attempted to stay out of trouble. Television shows for the most part in this early era of programming followed among these lines. There has always been at least one show each decade that followed the evolution of American life. In the 1960's, there was the "Andy Griffith Show". In the 1970's, there was a different spin on family life with the show "All in the Family", which did not have the typical white collar father, and its emphasis was not on raising the children, rather it was after the children had grown up. While in the 1980's there was a split in the television programming representation of American families. There were still shows that represented the "ideal" American family, such as "Different Strokes" and "Family Ties" as well as "The Cosby Show", but there was also a more realistic representation of American life in "Married With Children". However, it is not in a drama that American family life is best represented in the 1990's. Instead, it is in the animated series, "The Simpsons". "The Simpsons" follows suit with the other dramas that reflected the decade in which they aired. According to the U.S. consensus for March 1998, the majority of households in America are married couples (U.S. Consensus pp. 1, 3,4,6). The Simpson's meet this. Also according to the consensus, the average married couple has approximately 2.6 children per household (U.S. Consensus, Household Characteristics p.1). Since there cannot be six-tenths of a child, I will round up to three children, in which the Simpson family has: Bart, Lisa and Maggie. Also, the average American is a blue-collar worker. The father figure, Homer, meets this factor with his job at the nuclear power plant within his hometown of Springfield. So according to the statistics, the Simpson family could be considered an average American family. In the next part of the essay, I will look at each individual character of the Simpson family, and try to relate how that individual could be considered a typical American. I attempt to avoid using stereotypes, but nothing is full proof. I will look at some of the character's traits and try to relate how that is a parody of an American. First, I will begin with discussing the character of Homer Simpson. As you might know, Homer is the father figure of the household, whose responsibilities include financially supporting the household, since he is the household's primary source of income. He has his flaws like any person would, but somehow he and his family tend to work it out. Some of his mishaps are very similar to those that most of us have had to face. For example, he leaves the keys in his door to the house quite often (Hall, "The Homer File" p. 2). Another example, would be the time when he attempted to un-jam a toaster by shoving a knife in and out of it (Hall, "The Homer File" p.2). Homer also expresses concerns over his obesity as well as being a bad father (Hall, "The Homer File" p. 3). He also has a problem with his cursing, as well as his

Overcoming College Student Homesickness

Overcoming College Student Homesickness You may have spent so much time preparing for college that you may not have considered how much youd miss being back home. While homesickness is common for the majority of college students, it can be difficult to overcome. The key to handling it is understanding where its coming from and knowing what you can realistically do about it. Dont Be Too Harsh on Yourself Being homesick is often a sign that you have happy, healthy relationships with people back at home. You may miss your family, your friends, your boyfriend or girlfriend, or just your old routines and familiarity. Even though many students wont talk about it, a very large number of first-year and transfer students experience homesickness during their first few months at school. So, even if no one you know is talking about it, rest assured that many of your classmates are going through the same thing. Dont be too harsh on yourself for experiencing something that is completely normal and part of many students college experience. Let Yourself Be Sad... For a Little While Trying to fight your way through homesickness can often be futile. But letting yourself process through your emotions can be a great way of dealing with them. Trying to be stoic might end up backfiring on you, and since homesickness is a part of many peoples college experience, its important to let it process itself out. So give yourself a day here or there to be sad about all that you left behind. But make sure to pick yourself up and not be too sad the ​next day. A pity day here or there is alright, but if you find yourself having many in a row or feeling overwhelmingly sad, you may want to think about talking to someone in the campus counseling center. You definitely wont need to worry about being the first student in there who misses home! Be Patient With Yourself If youre a first-year student, youve probably made more major changes in your life than you ever have before, and if youre a transfer, you may be used to being in school, but not this school. Consider what youve done: youve started at an entirely new institution, where you probably dont know anyone at all. You might be in a new city, state, or even country. You have a new lifestyle to manage, where every hour of your day is unlike how you spent your time even 4 or 6 weeks ago. You have new responsibilities that are pretty heavy, from managing finances to learning a new academic system and culture. You may also be living on your own for the first time and learning all kinds of things that you hadnt even thought to ask about before you left. Any one of those changes would be enough to throw someone for a loop. Wouldnt it be a little surprising if someone didnt experience homesickness from everything? So be patient with yourself, just like you would be with a friend. You probably wouldnt judge a friend for being homesick after making such major changes in his or her life, so dont judge yourself unfairly. Let yourself be a little sad, take a deep breath, and do what you can to make your new school your new home. After all, wont it feel fantastic when you realize that, next summer when youre back home, youre homesick for school to start again?

Castel sant's angelo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Castel sant's angelo - Essay Example The monument was constructed on a special site which was on the river edge built on solid ground. The actual architectural layout of the mausoleum is uncertain even today in terms of construction and decorative. The monument composes of three overlaid bodies of architecture which are a square base, a cylindrical body, and the last piece that was a cylindrical shape too but smaller. On top of this last piece was a statute of Hadrian pulling a quadriga. The cylindrical body of the monument was filled with an embankment of earth with a hanging garden for cover. The structure which was built at the Roman period is unrecognizable now. However, some parts still survive including the foundations and masonry of the square base, the entire masonry nucleus, the entrance built with stone blocks, the ramp leasing to the top floor, and funeral hall (Zirpolo, 2010). In all transformations that have taken place in this castle, these constructions have remained the core areas. The castle was transformed into a fortress from a mausoleum in the middle ages. This transformation also changed the layout of the structure. These changes had been taking place for over ten centuries because the building was linked to the town walls, it was built around Rome, and the changes were carried out by a military architect, Nicolo Lamberti. The castle also had a defensive role because it was positioned at a point where the northern access city route was located. The castle gained immense significance throughout the transformations that took place. There was also a dispute in the middle ages regarding the possession of the castle. Papal Court took possession of the castle when he came to Rome in 1377. Eventually in efforts to make the castle a safe place, an internal passageway was created in the cylindrical body, the Roman entrance and the spiral ramp was closed. A new entrance was created on the half way f the cylindrical mole and was linked by

Management Strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Strategies - Assignment Example This is because the opinions and the level of exposure to an industry vary with the individual. The study also elaborates how managers in other fields can fit in the management of unfamiliar fields by applying universally adapting strategies. Managers, therefore, emerge as resourceful personnel if they have a wide scope of experience rather than being centralized to one line of thinking. When Barnevick was chief executive officer at ABB, profitability was based on acquisition of firms as a means of diversity to enhance the competitiveness. The plan worked well for the firm noting the changes in profitability and the return on capital. The maxim on ‘thinking Global while acting local’ relieved massively on acquiring firms which had local impact in their respective regions. The products offered were standardized for the markets, hence global. This is evidenced by the fact that some were being exported to other areas such as Africa. While dealing with global products, the f irm was profitable. The down trend in ABB started after the change of management when Barnevick stepped down as CEO. The scenario explains the consequence of change in management in an organization. It expresses the need to hire leaders who can impart continuity in the operation. The close down of Combustion engineering was a case poor market choice. It expresses the need to research extensively before carrying out an investment. Though operating separately, firms under the same umbrella should be controlled by sound centralized structures. The competitiveness of ABB became widely challenged due to minimal bureaucracy. With a compact structure, signals of failure become detected at early stages facilitating counter action. After handing over to Lindahl, the profitability reduced to making losses due to different management styles. Lindahl, however, acted like an economist by consolidating the market to areas which offered a competitive strategy. The new CEO concentrated on using the Asian markets where costs of production were low. The case explores how managers implementing the same strategy can embrace different roles. Barnevick’s focus relied on firm acquisition while Lindahl focused on labor intensive manufacture. The new leadership strategy once again increased the profitability of the conglomerate. Lindahl’s successful leadership was not satisfactory since the position was handed over to another CEO, Jorgen Centermann, who held the position of the Automation business. Centermann’s strategy focused on customer segments. Centermann can be noted as a modern manager due to the indulgence in the use of internet in the business. The strategy introduced, however, drove the firm back to making losses rather than propel it forward. All the CEO’s above relied of the global standardization in order to enhance competitiveness. A totally different perspective came into being with the replacement of Centermann with Dormann. This CEO did not have knowledge of the electrical engineering field like the previous CEO’s. Within a short period, Dormann was able to uncover the deficiencies in the firm and set out to eliminate them. With the keen leadership, the board became aware of various investments done for the firm under the leadership of Barnevick and Lindahl. The firm unearthed interests vested in assets such as jets and armored limousines. They also discovered that pension schemes set up in the past for the two CEO’

Free cash flow Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Free cash flow - Research Paper Example It is therefore the cash flow that remains after the firm makes investment in property, plant and equipments. Often, financial analysts consider free cash flow to be more efficient in measuring the strength of a business than the cash flow from operating activities. To remain competitive large companies and other forms of businesses will need to invest in new equipments in order to maintain its competitive nature. These investments affect the level of free cash flow that the business is able to maintain (Yuangchih, 412). â€Å"This study investigates the ability of Free Cash Flow to predict performance in capital intensive and non-capital intensive industries†. (Nunez, 120). Nunez argues that, â€Å"many financial scholars and researchers have focused on studying the effectiveness of operating cash flow as a measure of a firm’s performance although other researchers have proved that free cash flow is a better measure since it greatly considers capital intensity†. â€Å"Free cash flow as a measure of a firm’s performance is not easy to manipulate compared to the other measures such as earnings, Nunez states. He further states that, â€Å"there are various methods used by different firms in determining their actual free cash flow but there is however no specific guidance given regarding the calculation and this is because its disclosure is not a requirement by the US GAAPs†. â€Å"The few firms that report their free cash flow therefore use the operations based met hod while others use the income based method† (Nunez, 121). Nunez stresses that, â€Å"Firms that base their calculation on operations use a capital maintenance perspective whereby free cash flow is calculated as cash flow from operating activities less capital that are necessary to maintain the firm at a productive capacity and this observes the guidance provided in the International Accounting Standards Board (IAS 7)†. â€Å"The operations based method also uses a perspective

Authors illustrate what is creativity

Authors illustrate what is creativity What is creativity? (not meant to provide an encyclopedic view of its primary object-matter Creativity has a rich and long history. Yet, the intriguing thing about it is that most people feel intuitively what creativity is, but find it hard to define it. The cause is the terms complexity and vagueness. There is, in fact, no single, authoritative perspective or definition of creativity. A few â€Å"personal definitions† by various famous authors may illustrate this disparity of views: Originality is the essence of true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of the true scholar. Nnamdi Azikiwe The creative person is both more primitive and more cultivated, more destructive, a lot madder and a lot saner, than the average person. Frank Barron Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen. Robert Bresson A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something. Frank Capra I have great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift. Septima Poinsette Clark Our inventions mirror our secret wishes. Lawrence Durrell â€Å"The creative individual is a person who regularly solves problems, fashions products, or defines new questions in a domain that is initially considered novel but that ultimately becomes accepted in a particular cultural setting.† Howard Gardner (1993): From things that have happened and from things as they exist and from all things that you know and all those you cannot know, you make something through your invention that is not a representation but a whole new thing truer than anything true and alive, and you make it alive, and if you make it well enough, you give it immortality. That is why you write and for no other reason that you know of. But what about all the reasons that no one knows? Ernest Hemingway Everything vanishes around me, and works are born as if out of the void. Ripe, graphic fruits fall off. My hand has become the obedient instrument of a remote will. Paul Klee An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail. Edwin Land The artist produces for the liberation of his soul. It is his nature to create as it is the nature of water to run down the hill. W. Somerset Maugham Creativity is not merely the innocent spontaneity of our youth and childhood; it must also be married to the passion of the adult human being, which is a passion to live beyond ones death. Rollo May When all is said and done, monotony may after all be the best condition for creation. Margaret Sackville Our current obsession with creativity is the result of our continued striving for immortality in an era when most people no longer believe in an after-life. Arianna Stassinopoulos â€Å"The ability to produce work that is both novel (original or unexpected) appropriate. The creative individual persists in the face of resistance.† Robert J. Sternberg (1992) In order to create there must be a dynamic force, and what force is more potent than love? Igor Stravinsky The imagination imitates. It is the critical spirit that creates. Oscar Wilde â€Å"Creativity is the ability to illustrate what is outside the box from within the box.† -The Ride It is almost as if you were frantically constructing another world while the world that you live in dissolves beneath your feet, and that your survival depends on completing this construction at least one second before the old habitation collapses. Tennessee Williams A line will take us hours maybe; Yet if it does not seem a moments thought, Our stitching and unstitching has been naught. W. B. Yeats What, then, is Creativity? Firstly, here is what it is not: Its not just a faculty reserved for artists (musicians, painters, actors), only for writers/authors, scientists, business leaders, or academic ‘stars Its not just for children. Throughout our lives it is a part of us and of our personality. Some people display and apply it more than others, and by doing so it defines their lives. Creativity is timeless. Verdi composed Falstaff at the age of 80. Titian painted many of his best works late in life, and lived to be 100. Tolstoy wrote Resurrection ten years before his death, 82 years old. Creativity has several meanings defined by the transitions Person?Process?Product The meaning of creativity is descriptive: Johnny is so creative! = Person The meaning of creativity is a happening: Children lose track of time when immersed in play = Process The meaning of creativity is the end result: What is produced or completed. = Product (www.sla.org/conf/conf_sar//Barrancotto%20-%20creativity.ppt ) A commonly accepted view of creativity is that it is a mental and social process resulting in the generation of new ideas, terms or concepts. In rare instances these new ideas, terms, or concepts may be original, i. e. unknown previously. Most often, however, they emerge as a result of new combinations of known (existing) ideas or concepts, improvements on them, and associations between them. The mental and social process called creativity must run in some real or virtual environment. This environment has been studied from many points of view and in many scientific disciplines, for instance in philosophy, behavioral and social psychology, psychometrics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, economics, business, and management. The studies have focused on everyday creativity, exceptional creativity and even artificial (computer enhanced) creativity. The results of the studies show clearly and convincingly that whatever approach is creative in one field of human endeavor can hardly be applied directly in a different field and produce creative results. Thus, an approach that leads to some creative results in, say, mathematics or psychology, will not necessarily produce any creative results in art, business, or psychology. The studies, however, have not lead to any unique and generally applicable definition of creativity. In the absence of a generally valid and accepted definition of creativity, it is always possible to set up a pragmatic set of requirements creativity should satisfy. They might run as follows: Creativity must result in something â€Å"new† as perceived by the people involved. The term new can have a variety of meanings, possibly requiring litigations to prove the validity of this or that meaning. Creativity must result in something that in the eyes of the creators is â€Å"better†. Again what is better? It is a matter of individual or group choice and preference. At this point, we disregard ethical issues stemming from situations in which the creative effort of an individual or a group leads to something â€Å"better† is perceived as something (considerably) â€Å"worse† by another individual or group. Creativity must affect the human life in some way. This implies that the creative result can be or has been implemented, often by technical means. Creativity, as considered in this book, reflects the creativity of the typical segment of the human population, rather than the unique blend of ability, motivation and serendipity dramatically exceeding the social and psychological norm, and resulting in major breakthroughs. Such exceptional abilities were manifested in the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, or Fuller, to name a few exceptionally creative people. Creativity is a property inseparable from the creative man. It does not exist suspended in the nowhere. For this reason, a number of psychologists studied the circumstances under which creativity in man manifests and what the peculiarities of that person are. Before we review the most significant research efforts, it is good to review briefly the fields of human activity in which creativity has played a major part. Creativity in various contexts There are many perspectives and contexts in which creativity and its importance can and must be studied. This plurality of of views of creativity makes it hard, if not impossible, to file creativity under a single heading. The simplest solution is to consider the various approaches as undisciplinary, rather than trying to form a coherent overall view. The following sections examine some of the areas in which creativity is seen as being important. Creativity in psychology and cognitive science Psychology and cognitive science are the primary arenas for the study of the mental and social process resulting in the generation of new ideas, terms or concepts and any other forms of creative thought. A large number of famous psychologists have contributed to the study of the mental and social processes. Their work is reviewed in a separate section. Examples of psychological thinking and research can, however, be found in most branches of human endeavor. (A psychodynamic approach to understanding creativity was proposed by Sigmund Freud, who suggested that creativity arises as a result of frustrated desires for fame, fortune, and love, with the energy that was previously tied up in frustration and emotional tension in the neurosis being sublimated into creative activity. Freud later retracted this view.[citation needed]) Creativity in science and mathematics Mathematics is a highly abstract discipline that, nevertheless, permeates more and more other disciplines. At the same time, mathematics scares most students. From the point of creative thinking it is therefore natural to ask: How does a mathematician think to produce something new, better, and affecting the human life? Several outstanding mathematicians have described their thinking and summarized their views of creative mathematical thinking. The French mathematician Jacques Hadamard described the process in his book Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field, using introspection. Hadamards thinking differs from that of authors for whom language and cognition are inseparable in that it is, in his own words, wordless and often accompanied by mental images. Hadamard asked 100 leading physicists in the beginning of the previous century how they arrived at their problem solutions. Among his test subjects were giants of science, like Gauss, Poincarà ©, Helmholtz. He found that many of the responses were the same as his own, i. e. They viewed the whole solution suddenly and spontaneously (Hadamard, 1954, pp. 13-16). Helmholtz and Poincarà © ere personalities of their own class. ***** Referring to Helmholtz, Hadamards process comprises four steps (i) preparation, (ii) incubation, (iv) illumination, and (v) verification. It thus differs from the five-step model proposed by Graham Wallas in that Step (iii) intimation, was left out (ibid. p. 56). Another outstanding mathematician interested (in his latter days) in the methodology of problem solving was George Polya, of the ETH, Zurich. He wrote four books on the methods that people use to solve problems, and to describe how problem solving should be taught and learned. The books (the publication year is that of the issue used) are: How to Solve It (2004), Mathematical Discovery:On Understanding, Learning, and Teaching Problem Solving (1981); Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning Volume I: Induction and Analogy in Mathematics (1990), and Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning Volume II: Patterns of Plausible Reasoning (1990). The most important among these books probably is How to Solve It, in which Polya provides general heuristics for solving problems of all kinds, including mathematical ones. The book offers advice for teaching students of mathematics and comprises a mini-encyclopedia of heuristic terms. It sold over one million copies and was translated into many languages. Other mathematicians who made statements on the topic of problem solving include G. H. Hardy and Marie-Louise von Franz. In his Mathematicians Apology (1941), Hardy states, among others: I am interested in mathematics only as a creative art. The mathematicians patterns, like the painters or the poets must be beautiful; the ideas, like the colours or the words must fit together in a harmonious way. Beauty is the first test: there is no permanent place in this world for ugly mathematics. A mathematician, like a painter or poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas. I believe that mathematical reality lies outside us, that our function is to discover or observe it, and that the theorems which we prove, and which we describe grandiloquently as our â€Å"creations,† are simply the notes of our observations (Hardy, 1941). Marie-Louise von Franz collaborated with psychiatrist Carl Jung who worked on archetypes and patterns. According to Jung, archetypes organize images and ideas. This is an unconscious process that cannot be detected until afterwards. Marie-Louise von Franz discovered an important recurring factor: the simultaneity with which the complete solution is intuitively perceived and can be checked later by discursive reasoning (von Franz, 1992). Creativity in diverse cultures Creativity is a scientific concept that is mostly rooted within a Western creationist perspective. Franà §ois Jullien (1997, 1989) examines the concept from a Chinese cultural point of view. Julliens point of departure is the necessity to work on reducing the distance that separates the Chinese and the European modes of thinking, and restart philosophy. Fangqi Xu et al. (2005) reported on the availability of creativity courses in various countries. Lubart and Sternberg (1999) studied extensively the cultural aspects of creativity and innovation. The authors conclude that creativity, like intelligence, is something everybody possesses. Creativity can be developed. Creative people are able to generate/intuit new and possibly unpopular ideas. They can also work with determination to make these ideas accepted by others. Creative people have the willingness to take sensible risks to go against the crowd in effective ways. Creativity in art and literature Requirements on creativity in the arts and literature differ from the requirements in other fields. While in most fields of the human endeavor, both originality and appropriateness are necessary (Amabile, 1998), in the fields of art and literature creativity is reduced to originality only, as a sufficient condition. Yet, the fields of art and literature for most people represent the true domain of creativity. The different modes of artistic expression do not represent an entirely homogeneous environment. Yet, a continuum extending from â€Å"interpretation† to â€Å"innovation† can be postulated in all established artistic movements and genres. Here, practitioners gravitate to the interpretation end of the scale, whereas original thinkers strive towards the innovation pole. In spite of this coarse division, some â€Å"creative† people (dancers, actors, orchestral members, etc.) are expected to perform (interpret), while others (writers, painters, composers, etc.) get more freedom to express the new and the different. In judging theories of art, several alternatives can be considered. One alternative is the artistic inspiration, comparable to invention. It provides a taste of â€Å"the Divine† in the form of transmission of visions from â€Å"divine sources† such as the Muses. Another alternative is the artistic evolution, comparable to crafts. It focuses on obeying established rules and imitating or appropriating, which results in subtly different but conflict-free and understandable work. Finally, if the creative product is the language, there is the artistic conversation, as in any â€Å"-ism,† stressing the depth of communication. One of the basic questions in looking at artistic creativity, given the uniqueness of the artistic product, is the question of authorship. Many scholars have worked on it. Two rather similar views, even though a generation apart, are the views of the French philosopher Michel Foucault and the Serbian scholar Davor DÃ…Â ¾alto. Foucault claims that all authors are writers, but not all writers are authors. He exemplifies his thesis by the fact that a private letter may have a writer it does not have an author (Foucault, 1969). An author, according to Foucault, exists only as a function of a written work, as a part of its structure. However, the interpretive process is â€Å"the author function.† Thus, for a reader to assign the title of author to the writer of any written work is to confirm that certain standards of the text are working in conjunction with Foucaults idea of â€Å"the author function.† DÃ…Â ¾altos work (DÃ…Â ¾alto, 2003) is based on examination of the relations between personhood and authorship in the context of the post-modern society and the globalized world. His theory stipulates that art represents an expression of the personal identity of the human being, having an existential importance. Human creativity is a basic feature of both the personal existence of the human being and art production. Creativity is thus a basic cultural and anthropological category, since it enables human manifestation in the world as a â€Å"real presence† in contrast to the progressive â€Å"virtualization† of the world. In other words, approaching artistic creativity Foucault focuses on the author function, whereas DÃ…Â ¾alto talks about a real presence of human manifestation in the (possibly virtualized) world. Creative industries, professions and services Creativity is perceived as increasingly important in creative industries and related professions. Creative industries constitute a family of human activities that generate a non-tangible value expressible in monetary units, either by means of creating and exploiting intellectual property or by means of providing creative services. This heading covers such activities as art and antiques markets, architecture, advertising, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, publishing, computer software services, radio, TV, and the like. Creative professions are any of those involved in the activities listed, including some aspects of scientific research and development, product development, marketing, strategy, curriculum design, some types of teaching, and similar activities. The creative professional workforce is becoming a more integral part of the economies of industrialized nations. It is estimated that in the USA alone, approximately 10 million people work as creative professionals, but there may be twice as many. Accurate estimates are difficult to make, since many creative professionals actors and writers in particular also have a secondary job. Creativity in engineering and sciences Fields such as science and engineering have experienced a less explicit (but arguably no less important) relation to creativity. Simonton is one of many authors who show how some of the major scientific advances in science and engineering can be attributed to the creativity of individuals (Simonton, 1999). Borderline cases exist, too. A good example is accounting. â€Å"Creative accounting† is a popular term denoting unethical practices. However, Amabile suggests that accounting, too, can benefit from creative approaches if these are kept within ethical borders (Amabile 1998). Excellent example of the â€Å"creative leap† can be found in the realm of sciences, be it mathematics, physics, chemistry, medicine, or any other branch of science. Isaac Newtons law of gravity is popularly attributed to a creative leap he experienced by Newton when observing a falling apple. Creativity in organizations According to Amabile, to enhance creativity in business, three components are necessary (Amabile, 1998): Expertise, i. e. technical, procedural, intellectual and tacit knowledge, creative thinking skills, i. e. the flexibility and imagination with which people approach problems, and motivation, particularly its intrinsic variety. The importance of the combination of knowledge and creativity is best exemplified by the unprecedented success of some far-eastern nations, notably Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea and Thailand, which have in recent years been joined by India and China. Economic views of creativity Almost a century ago, Joseph Schumpeter (1942) introduced the economic theory of creative destruction, to describe the creative way in which old ways of doing things are destroyed from within and replaced by new ways. Economists like Paul Romer see creativity as an important element in the recombination of elements to produce new technologies and products. Romer (articles published in 1986 and 1990 amounted to) constructed mathematical representations of economies in which technological change is the result of the intentional actions of people, such as research and development. This is how economic growth becomes a reality and leads to capital. Romer also saw the importance is conditions that demand change, as follows form his popular saying: â€Å"A crisis is a terrible thing to waste†. Creativity is also an important aspect to understanding entrepreneurship. The creative class is seen by some to be an important driver of modern economies. In his 2002 book, The Rise of the Creative Class, economist Richard Florida popularized the notion that regions with â€Å"3 Ts of economic development: Technology, Talent and Tolerance† also have high concentrations of creative professionals and tend to have a higher level of economic development. Florida, R. (2002). The Rise of the Creative Class. New York: Basic Books. Romer, P. (1986). â€Å"Increasing Returns and Long-Run Growth†, Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 94, No. 5 (Oct. 1986), pp. 1002-1037. Romer, P. (1990). â€Å"Endogenous Technological Change†, Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 98, No. 5, â€Å"Part 2: The Problem of Development: A Conference on the Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise Systems.† pp. S71-102. Schumpeter, J. A. (1942). Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. New York: Harper and Brothers. 5th ed.

fight club Essay -- essays research papers

Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club, that perhaps gained more exposure through the film adaptation, is narrated by a character whose name is never revealed but who is often referred to in critiques and reviews as Joe, a reference to the character’s discovery of an old Reader’s Digest article in which the bodily organs and functions of various people refer to themselves in the first person. The name ‘Joe’ is used in this context throughout the novel to comically articulate the character’s mood or mentality, for example on page 59, he says I am Joe’s Raging Bile Duct. Joe discovers a cure for his insomnia in various support groups for diseases that he does not have, taking solace in the pain and open suffering of others until he encounters Marla, another ‘tourist’ as he describes her, who disrupts his self prescribed ‘therapy’. After his apartment mysteriously explodes while away on business, Joe moves into a dilapidat ed house with what is later revealed as an alter ego in the form of the character Tyler Durden. The pair set about creating an anarchistic ‘club’ where the primary physical objective is to fight, for reasons that will be textually observed in relation to this notion of identity. Tyler and Joe eventually develop what is essentially a small organisation, which is often narrated in almost militaristic descriptions, where a group of followers receive instructions and engage in seemingly anarchistic activities that are orchestrated by Tyler, motivated by issues of socio-econ...

Alcohol’s Effects on Teenagers

The number of teenagers who are into â€Å"alcohol† nowadays is increasingly alarming. The physiological effects, as well as, the physical and behavioral consequences are equally disturbing as well.â€Å"Permanent brain damage, depression, poor school performance, psychological distress / serious behavioral problems, and attention deficit disorder† are some of the physiological effects on teenagers who drink alcohol (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.). On the other hand, the physical and behavioral consequences include the following: â€Å"in-denial, self-pity, excessive anger, blaming others, and hurting oneself & other individuals† (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Physiological Effects Teenagers who are into too much drinking may experience â€Å"permanent brain damage† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.). This claim is backed up by an expert named â€Å"Dr. John Nelson†, a member of the American Medical Association (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).Moreover, according to the â€Å"National Health and Nutrition Survey† girls who drink experience depression â€Å"four times more likely than those who do not engage in drinking† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).Furthermore, teenagers who drink also suffer from low grades; in fact, according to the â€Å"American Medical Association†, those who drink get lower scores on â€Å"vocabulary, visual-spatial, as well as, memory tests† as compared with those who do not engage in drinking (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).In addition to that, some teenagers who drink develop â€Å"psychological distress†, as well as, â€Å"serious behavioral problems†; this is according to the statistical information gathered by the â€Å"Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).Last but not least, a study conducted by the â€Å"Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration† confirms that teenagers who are regularly drinking may develop â€Å"attention-deficit disorder† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.).Physical and Behavioral EffectsTeenagers who engage themselves in alcohol drinking may also suffer from the following physical and behavioral effects:First of all, teenagers may develop problems accepting unfortunate occurrences in their lives (Garrett, 2002, n.p.). They may turn â€Å"in-denial† and make use of alcohol as a â€Å"defense mechanism† every time he or she is reminded of the truth especially in cases where he or she gets offended (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Second, some teenagers may feel pity for themselves while some tend to get excessively angry which may actu ally result in severe drinking (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Third, some teenagers drinking severely may experience troubles accepting their faults (Garrett, 2002, n.p.). Thus eventually, they blame somebody else for the untoward incidents that occurred to them (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Finally, some teenagers who drink too much may experience hurting other people or even oneself (Garrett, 2002, n.p.).Summary / ConclusionIndeed, teenagers who engage themselves in drinking alcohol are faced with dangers including physiological and behavioral/physical ones (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.). â€Å"Physiological effects† include the following: â€Å"permanent brain damage, depression, poor school performance, psychological distress / serious behavioral problems, and attention deficit disorder† (The Marin Institute, n.d., n.p.). Meanwhile, physical ones include: â€Å"in-denial, self-pity, excessive anger, blaming others, and   hurting oneself & other individuals† (Garrett, 20 02, n.p.).ReferencesGarrett, F.P. (2002). Excuses Alcoholics Make. Retrieved April 1, 2009 fromhttp://www.bma-wellness.com/papers/Excuses_Alcoholics.htmlThe Marin Institute. (n.d.). Physiological Effects of Alcohol on Teenagers.Retrieved April 1, 2009 fromhttp://www.marininstitute.org/Youth/teen_alcohol_use.htm   

Its Development, Differences, and Relationship with other Psychological Fields Essay Example

Its Development, Differences, and Relationship with other Psychological Fields Essay Example Its Development, Differences, and Relationship with other Psychological Fields Paper Its Development, Differences, and Relationship with other Psychological Fields Paper Biological psychology studies the physiological basis of human behavior (Johnstone, 2003, p. 15). This evolved because of the need of the venue to further understand the behavior, no longer in the nurture aspect, but on the biological viewpoint. Henri Pieron was considered the leader of biological psychology in Europe, who had an interest in revealing mechanisms behind behavior in a more hard-core scientific way. American psychologists ignored this perspective, though there are available information of the relationship of that time animal behavior to their morphology and physiology (Archer, Hansen, and Larsson, 1991, p. 2). I was in the 19th century when the context of present societies was studied on their biological context, relating the characteristic behavior of the society as evolutionary (Shinobu and Cohen, 2007, p. 79). Thomas young, a physicist, was one of the leading scientists who contributed profoundly in the developments in psychology, specifically on the biological scene (Weiner, Freedheim, and Schinka, 2003, p. 51). The hormones, the genetic materials, the brain, and the central nervous system’s influences are given emphasis. Controversial questions are being raised towards the depth that biological psychology can penetrate. These questions depict psychology in many ways, and also act as a way of understanding what biological psychology is. For example is the suicidal tendency of a person, if it can be traced in the genes this kind of behavior. Biological psychology answers also the percentage of our behavior that we inherited from our parents. More importantly, if there is a connection of our mental state to the physical illnesses that we might experience. The nature vs. nurture and the endless debate on it is still up to now divides the view of psychologists, and basically, biological psychology resides with nature (Johnstone, 2003, p. 15). One of the focuses of biological psychology is the study of developments in medications that are successful in treating depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders. It has connected the mind and the body which is a crucial step in understanding, measuring, and conquering stress. With the help of biological psychologists, physiological components of illnesses were uncovered. Because of this, establishment of interrelatedness of the illness of the mind and illness of the body was made possible (Johnstone, 2003, p. 15). Theorists like Wolfgang Kohler, a German psychologist, supplied the missing link in understanding the evolutionary aspect of biological psychology, as pioneered by Charles Darwin. He supplemented the organic behavior of humans, and the evolutionary relationships in human development and behavior. On the other hand, in the time of Avicenna who lived in 980-1037 A.D., dated was the first study of biological psychology. According to the Canon Law of Medicine, physiological psychology was recognized in the treatment of emotional sickness, and developed an association with the inner feelings and the pulse rate. Avicenna had the concept of black bile that emanated from the brain causing melancholy or a sad feeling (Stein, Kupfer, and Schatzberg, 2005, p. 6).

Why You Need an Experienced SSD Lawyer

Why You Need an Experienced SSD Lawyer Why You Need an Experienced SSD Lawyer on Your Side Approximately 50 million Americans live with disabilities. Unfortunately, disabilities can cause physical, emotional and financial strains that are too much to handle alone. One of the most challenging aspects is that those who were once able to work and earn a livelihood find the pain to be too much, and can no longer complete the work they used to do, or cannot complete any other kind of work.With their livelihoods stripped away, their entire lives are turned upside down, and they don’t know how to provide for themselves and their families or where to turn.The Social Security Administration offers Social Security Disability (SSD) to those who meet its disability and work credit requirements. Applying for SSD can be overwhelming and complicated, and one mistake could cost a person who desperately needs benefits to start the process all over again, which could take months to years.Let’s take a closer look at why an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer can make all the difference.Hiring an Attorney to Help with Your Initial Application Can Improve Approval Chances If you are disabled, navigating through the complicated process of applying for benefits, including all of the paperwork and medical evidence, can be daunting and confusing. You need to focus on your health, and you’re not expected to be an expert on applying for disability. You’ve likely never been through this before.An experienced Social Security Disability Attorney can walk you through the entire process, filling out necessary paperwork correctly and on time. An SSD lawyer with a proven track record of handling cases such as yours has an in-depth knowledge of the system and the skills to help you receive the benefits you deserve. They will answer all of your questions and provide compassionate and personalized attention to your case.Turning to an experienced lawyer from the beginning can make the process smoother, eliminate errors and help you get accepted on th e first try. An experienced SSD lawyer can help eliminate delays caused by inaccurate documentation and other common mistakes that could be costing you your benefits.An SSD Lawyer Can Successfully Represent You in an Appeal Hearing If you have applied for disability and were denied, you will need to file an appeal to continue your journey to obtain the benefits you deserve. At this stage, it is critically important to hire a skilled SSD lawyer to represent you and handle everything for your hearing. Experienced SSD lawyers will work tirelessly for you, and have experience representing clients just like you in court to make a thorough case for your benefits.A skilled SSD attorney will answer all of your questions, gather crucial evidence for your case, prepare legal memorandums, opening and closing arguments during court, cross-examination of vocational an or medical experts and other filings.Its important to note that waiting for an appeal and waiting for a decision can be a very le ngthy, drawn-out process. Some disability applicants wait years for an appeal. You have already invested a lot of time into applying for benefits, and with your health and future on the line, you can’t risk drawing out the process further. An experienced SSD lawyer can help bear your burdens and work to win your benefits.A Law Firm That Specializes in Social Security Disability Provides You With a Unique Advantage When looking for an SSD lawyer to help with your application or appeal process, look for an established firm that focuses on Social Security Disability. Through focusing solely on SSD, these lawyers know the complexities of the law inside and out and are uniquely qualified to represent you. When an entire law firm dedicates itself to practicing one type of law, they do it better.We Can HelpIf you are disabled and unable to work, call  Disability Attorneys of Michigan  for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthl y check and help you determine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Disability Attorneys of Michigan  works hard every day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the  Social Security Disability benefits  they need. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental, or cognitive impairment, call  Disability Attorneys of Michigan  now for a free consultation at  800-949-2900Let Michigan’s experienced Social Security Disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan, Compassionate Excellence. Michigan Social Security Disability Attorney, Michigan Social Security Disability Lawyer

Marks & Spencer and performance analysis Assignment

Marks & Spencer and performance analysis - Assignment Example The business operates in a highly competitive business environment, taking competitive market share losses from other stores such as NEXT, the Gap, House of Fraser, and BHS. Well-known domestic brand names continue to adjust their competitive strategies, thus forcing Marks & Spencer to continuously consider whether its current core philosophy should continue to be promoted in the pursuit of competitive edge or whether new branding/advertising/marketing strategies are required to achieve top performance. This report identifies the processes, strategies and systems that drive alignment toward meeting performance targets and analyses the environment in which Marks & Spencer operates today. The business environment Marks & Spencer continuously attempts to diverse its product offerings, launching new business opportunities in key test markets in order to create a business profile that is secure for a new generation of customers. The company has worked consistently to combat negative perce ptions about the core brand philosophy, attempting to emerge from a staunchy and proud brand that has been a trademark of traditionalist buyers in the UK for decades. Because of this, the company has shifted its focus away from its traditional home and personal fashion philosophy to extend into foods services in an effort to compete with major grocers and also in terms of how the company promotes itself to a new class of buyers. This new focus changes the internal dynamics of management and also the supply chain in an effort to support new business function and principles. For example, M&S has realised that there is a growing trend in a new generation of buyers to secure the interests of the natural environment and reduce the carbon footprint left by operations. The business identifies that 80 percent of its buyers are concerned with sustainability issues, thus the company has developed over 100 different eco-targets to eliminate landfill waste and become carbon neutral (Palmer, 201 0). Much of this is accomplished by establishing a new supply chain that consists of suppliers with sustainable raw materials (Palmer). In order to develop and maintain a sustainability programme, certain operational components must be altered and a new management focus developed. As part of this eco-focus, Marks & Spencer developed what it referred to as Plan A, a sustainability programme that involves waste reduction, the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and using renewable power to supply 23 percent of the firm’s total electricity inputs (Nagappan, 2009). Why is this important for aligning the business when other competitors continue to develop similar sustainability programmes? M&S has recently been forced to lower prices on merchandise, especially in the clothing sales division (Bokaie, 2008). This has been in response to lowering sales as older customers who were once loyal to the business in the mid 20th Century have been replaced with younger buyers who have a h igher disposable income and a new preference for fashion and home merchandise. The difference between Marks & Spencer and other competition is that the business is using advertising and other marketing-based activities to sell eco-friendly sales in order to rebuild a damaged brand reputation. If 80 percent of customers have been identified through qualitative or quantitative research to have a significant concern over the environment when choosing a brand, M&S aligns the operational function of the company to meet this concern using a new positioning

Motivating Employees Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Motivating Employees - Assignment Example For employees whose drives and needs are focused on satisfying lower order needs (physiological, social and security needs), extrinsic factors (money or compensation) could be the most effective motivators. However, for employees who crave for satisfying higher-order needs (self-actualization and fulfillment), intrinsic factors must be the most effective motivators of performance. The motivational theories that were evidently applied included Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as well as Herzberg’s two factor model (Martires & Fule, 2004). By accurately identifying the level of needs, as well as the motivational (or hygiene) factors, employers are assisted in designing motivational programs that would keep employees productive, satisfied and motivated. Based on one’s personal and professional experiences and from the readings, one would recommend that employers need to accurately assess the needs and drives of employees to enable them to design motivational or incentive programs that match these needs. As disclosed, intrinsic and extrinsic factors (or hygiene and motivational factors) need to be incorporated in the job to make the tasks inherently interesting, challenging, satisfying, and rewarding. Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions. Retrieved December 28, 2014, from Contemporary Educational Psychology: