New Journalism - 2151 Words

Is New Journalism a literary genre? Analyse with reference to the literary techniques used in two examples of New Journalism. Word Count - 2231 I suppose the most common sense point at which to start is by defining New Journalism, or Literary Journalism, as Eisenhuth and McDonald (2007, p. 38) say it is called at the â€Å"upper end of the spectrum.† The Collins Concise Dictionary (1999, p. 995) defines New Journalism as â€Å"a style of journalism, using techniques borrowed from fiction to portray a situation of event as vividly as possible.† Wikipedia (2010) defines it as â€Å"a style of 1960s and 1970s news writing and journalism that used literary techniques deemed unconventional at the time.† The meaning of New Journalism has evolved†¦show more content†¦Interestingly, Capote, along with Mailer and many other authors, never agreed to their styles comparisons to Wolfes school of narration. Much to the contrary, many of these writers would deny that their work was generically relevant to other new Journalists at the time. In a 1966 Atlantic article, Dan Wakefield said that the non-fiction work of Capote elevated reporting to the level of literature. Although praising the work of Capote, this goes some way in saying that literature is better than journalism. This is evidence for what Capote said his critics felt: Combining literature and journalism is little more than a literary solution for fatigued novelists. (Plimpton, 1967, p. 16) Newfield (1967, p. 20) said that, â€Å"This new genre defines itself by claiming many of the techniques that were once the unchallenged terrain of the novelist: tension, symbol, cadence, irony, prosody, imagination.† Gay Taleses 1966 article for Esquire magazine, Frank Sinatra Has a Cold, was a very influential piece of New Journalism that gave a very detailed portrait of Frank Sinatra, without ever having interviewed him. Talese undertook huge amounts of research, as did many of the New journalists, including Capote with In Cold Blood. Unlike Capote, Talese did not invent facts of characters. His article is, therefore, an example of New Journalism that falls under the category of a journalistic genre, as opposed to a distinctShow MoreRelatedEssay on New Journalism2295 Words   |  10 PagesInverted pyramid. Unbiased news gathering. Objectivity in reporting. Professionalism. Routines that would regulate news reports, translating information to readers, regardless of geography. Journalism spent the better part of the 20th century routinizing the news, attempting to shed its seedy past of â€Å"yellow journalism† amid the challenges of new technologies, first the radio, followed by the television. Then came the tumultuous 1950s and 1960s. Suddenly, the same tides of changes that were sweepingRead MoreOnline Journalism : A New Form Of Journalism929 Words   |  4 PagesThe arrival of new media ha s significantly and drastically transformed the concept of journalism. Traditional journalism promotes authenticity, reliable sourcing and valid evidence through major media companies and the use of gate-keeping. This classic process is what provides factual information to their following about current world issues which also creates a trust with their audience. Citizen journalism is a new form of journalism that allows the general public to publish online. Citizen journalistsRead MoreYellow Journalism And Fake News1604 Words   |  7 PagesYellow Journalism and Fake News Throughout history, we have seen several instances of war and peace. These issues are all delivered to us as the common population by means of reports and news. This is the lens that has shaped the way that we see the world and the aspects of the world that have to do with war in our society. We as a community are shaped by the media that we encounter. This is important to note because in an age when media is a part of nearly everything that we do in our day-to-dayRead MoreNews Analysis : News And Journalism2007 Words   |  9 Pages All over the world, the news play an important role in the daily lives of everybody. If not exchanging information on the current issues, then there is the recap of what has transpired. This thus is the critical role played by the news industry collectively known as journalism. All over the world, the media has played a great role in making sure that the masses are up to date with what is happening. All the stakeholders work day and night to ensure the same. Various aspects come into play thoughRead MoreOnline Journalism : A New Wave Essay2132 Words   |  9 PagesAMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH AMITY SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION Cyber Media- Assignment Online Journalism: A New Wave Submitted By: Anubhuti Gupta Course: BJ MC Batch: 2012-2015 Enrolment No.: A2028712062 Introduction News-casting has been moderate to create different structures in reaction to the new settings gave by the web. One quickly creating structure, remarkable to the around the world web, is the weblog. This article audits the cases made by advocates of the structure and investigatesRead MoreJournalism Is Both Old And New. The Profession Has Been1098 Words   |  5 PagesJournalism is both old and new. The profession has been around for hundreds of years, but it is always changing and reinventing itself. With these changes, the question of what is right and what is wrong is not always clear, but journalists still must attempt to answer those questions. Reporters, editors and anyone else practicing journalism must be held to a high standard of ethics across the board. Journalists owe it to the public to practice this high standard of reporting, as journalists workRead MoreBreaking News : Journalism Is Still Alive769 Words   |  4 PagesBreaking News: Journalism is Still Alive Words can be powerful and heavy and most of all complicated. On the other hand, dictionaries cut everything short. The Merriam-Webster definition of journalism, for example, is especially simple and direct—the job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio. This definition fails to recognize though that just because something is written and published in a newspaper or on a news site does not mean thatRead MoreAndrew Stephens s Beyond News : The Future Of Journalism891 Words   |  4 Pagesperson can be objective because we have biases and a variety of conflicts that we bring to our jobs. Mitchell Stephens, author of Beyond News: The Future of Journalism offers an argument against objectivity. Stephens states that objectivity is impossible because as much as one may try to disappear from the work, there is a kind of meditation that takes place in journalism no matter what, (117). By selecting who to interview or which side of a complex political dispute to air, journalists are evaluatingRead MoreOnline Journalism and the New Media; Implications for Man ¡Ã‚ ¦S Social Development2777 Words   |  12 PagesINTRODUCTION The new media announces a new period of media development in the world over, it is the one that preaches the significance of new communications technologies. The new media is not just a kind of information technology but also part and parcel of the social being of man in this modern society. At the threshold of this fairly new millennium (2000 A.D.), there was a sporadic turn-around in the existing branches of the global media. This catapulted the world into a new information orderRead More1) What Ethical Principles Should a Reporter Follow in Reporting/Writing a News Story to Ensure It Meets the Standards of Professional Journalism?1454 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Nowadays, more and more people are place importance on journalism ¡Ã‚ ¦s ethics. It is because everything that a journalist writes or says, or neglects to write or to say, in some or other way has an influence on many people, and that influences can be good or bad. The principles of good journalism are directed toward bringing the highest quality of news reporting to the public, this fulfilling the mission of timely distribution of information in service of the public interest. Therefore

The Problems Of Intellectual Property Rights - 2654 Words

Professor Zili Yang Econ314 11.26.2014 Hyunsup Yoon The problems of Intellectual Property Rights In China Abstract After Deng Xiaoping’s reform and opening up policy in 1978, China recorded an annual average growth rate of 9.67 percent in China. This is approximately three times higher than the average annual growth rate of global economy which is 3.3% within the same period. Past 29 years, due to rapid growth rate, China ranked the 2nd in trade volume and size of economy. However, many side effects are appeared due to the rapid economic growth. This study will measure what is the current state of the world’s counterfeit goods market, why people violate the IPR protection and produce counterfeit goods, what is the problem of IPR law enforcements and how violating law and producing counterfeit goods in China influence the world. Introduction Both economically and socially, influence of China is substantial. Economic and social status of China is firm that it can not be oversighted. However, intellectual property rights have been rising issues in China. First step to solve the problem is realize there is one. It is critical to recognize which elements are violating IPR. Basic systematic error of IPR and counterfeit culture in China are main factors for the obstacles. Current state of the world’s counterfeit goods market â€Å"Carratu International estimates that the global counterfeit market, which already accounts for 9% of world trade, will double in size over the nextShow MoreRelatedThe Idea Of Intellectual Property864 Words   |  4 PagesThe idea of intellectual property has many correlations with the concept of the marketplace of idea. According to a common argument, intellectual property rights spark innovation, creating positive economic growth and benefits for all. Because the marketplace comparison is an economic one, there is a tendency to tie intellectual property with the marketplace of ideas. The key argument arises whether ideas- intangible resources, can be protected as property using the same concepts and social processesRead MoreEconomic And Social Status Of China1549 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction Not only economically but socially, influences of China has been substantial. Economic and social status of China are firm that it can not be oversighted. However, law related intellectual property rights has been rising issues in China. First step to solve the problem is realize there is one. It is critical to recognize which elements are violating IPR. Basic systematic error of IPR and counterfeit culture in China are main factors for the obstacles. Current state of the world’sRead MoreComputer Software Engineering : Stealing Intellectual Property And How It Hurts Legitimate Authors961 Words   |  4 PagesAssignment – 6 CSC 580 Advanced Software Engineering Stealing Intellectual property and how it hurts legitimate authors 1.Introduction of the intellectual property: Firstly, having intellectual property rights lays good foundation for the software industry. Indeed, the intellectual property rights means having the rights for the creation of his work. For instance, considering an example in the software profession if an individual develops a software code then the individual has the full authorityRead MoreLegal Liabilities of Board Members688 Words   |  3 PagesProtecting legal property rights As the global trend is that of delivering more and more services, as opposed to manufacturing or agricultural products, and also in the face of rapidly evolving technologies, content creators are faced with the need to better safeguard their intellectual property. Within the software industry for instance, this requirement is ever increasing in importance, especially since infringements of property rights could lead to severe institutional problems, not short of bankruptcyRead More Copyright and the Internet Essay examples1425 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"The printing press represented a supreme threat to the clergy’s monopoly on idea dissemination; moveable type was the fifteenth century version of Napster† (Copyright Website). 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Commonwealth Bank of Australia Risk for Devices-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theCommonwealth Bank of Australia Risk for Personal Device. Answer: Review Of The Project Financial services refer to a range of financial services provided by various players in the financial industry. They include services provided by banks, insurance companies, and government-sponsored enterprises among others. In broad terms, institutions operating in the financial sector are regarded as highly sensitive especially with regards to the security of their systems. Financial service providers are virtually present all over the world even in remote areas to satisfy the financial needs of individuals, groups, companies and other institutions (Gustav Kabanda,2016). The intermediary role played by financial service industry in Australias economy is quite significant. Individuals, government agencies, businesses and nonprofit organizations rely on this sector to either get funds when need be or dispose of excess cash which is then lent out to those who need it, technologists play a significant role in facilitating this transaction. Clients .Clients are the most important asset to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The bank is focused on establishing lasting cordial relationships with its various clients both depositors and debtors. The bank's clients include retail clients, institutional investors, financial sponsors, entrepreneurs, and corporations. Implementation of the project would mean that these clients needs attended to at any given time and with much efficiency (Felt,et al,2011) Employees. Employees are an important shareholder and an important asset to the bank. The company is focused on nurturing and developing the professional capability of their employees. The project might be limiting to employees to employees without such devices and an opportunity for those with the devices to enhance their professional prowess There are some legislation that would determine the ability of Commonwealth Bank of Australia to implement the project which includes Archives Act 1983, Privacy Act 1988 and Freedom of Information Act 1982 which were established as a necessity as a result of the risks that emanate from allowing employees to bring own devices at the workplace. If it can implement the project, the Bank will, therefore, be required to put in place certain control measures to ensure that it meets all legal obligations (Watkins, 2014). The bank would, therefore, be required to examine the implications of the project to both the business and its overall security. As per best standards requirements, commonwealth bank of Australia would be required to determine the implication of the project by analyzing an already existing real example, identify the existing regulations and legislation to facilitate compliance, put in place various support measures, both financial and technical and finally roll out the proj ect. The realization of this is solely dependent on the ICT department or the technological department of the Bank. Financial institutions are affected by many risks which can be categorized into. Credit risks Credit risks occur as a result of failure by debtors to pay what they owe a bank. Failure to pay can be as a result of inability by the debtor or unwillingness to pay. Credit risks are likely to affect Banks operations, its shareholders as well as its ability to issue fresh loans (Acharya, et al,2017) Legal risks Legal risks occur as a result of violation of legal standards set by government institutions as well as other regulatory bodies in which financial institutions are supposed to abide by. Legal risks affecting financial institutions include violation of security and fraud laws. Legal risks can have adverse effect towards the operation and the reputation of a financial institution like the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Systematic risks Systematic risks occur as a result of changes in the value of an organizations assets. Systematic risks occur mostly a s a result of changes in the prevailing economic conditions such as changes in interests rates, changes in foreign exchange among others. Systematic risks can also have a significant impact on the operations of Bank (Acharya, et al,2017) With the possibility the occurrence of many risks therefore, any Financial Institution is therefore required to be aware of these risks among others so that it can put in place policies of identifying and addressing the risks before they can have a significant impact on their operations. Security Posture Modern organizations are faced with a myriad of challenges which continue to threaten their survival. While challenges can present an opportunity for an organization to put in place measures to avoid more devastating challenges, the emergence of serious challenges that can lead to ultimate incapacitation of an organization. Of major concern is the financial service sector whose data security is paramount especially due to the adverse effects that can result from any serious threat through infringement of banks systems and databases. Such data these would adversely affect not only the bank but also its various stakeholders who depend on the services offered by the bank (Shim, et al,2013)The management of Commonwealth Bank of Australia especially those in the IT department are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that such threats are mitigated. It is their sole responsibility to protect the Banks systems, data and the privacy of its clients by adequately managing the bank's fina ncial information. Amid the increasing level of competition in the Australian financial sector, the Bank has no option but striving at providing the best data security measures in the industry. Commonwealth Bank of Australia has been viewed to be way ahead of its main competitors in as far as information security is concerned. With the many strategies undertaken by the Bank, implementation of the project allowing employees to bring their devices to the workplace is likely to have huge implications on its operations because employees might have unauthorized access to some of its crucial information from their devices which might lead to loss, damage or manipulation of data. While the project might have both positive and negative implications, it will be necessary for the Bank to undertake sufficient research to find out whether the benefits surpass the negative outcomes (Thomson,2012). Monitoring is key in managing any sensitive data or information form an organization. By allowing employees to bring their own devices this practice which is highly encouraged at the Bank is likely to be affected. Among the implications of this project to the bank is the reduction of system security assurance. The bank will also be able to monitor the working of their employees because the use of personal devices makes it relatively hard for the management to distinguish when employees are using the devices for personal undertakings or work-related tasks. The project will also facilitate deviation from the banks secured use of sensitive information to the unsecured use of such information. It is also possible that such devices might be stolen thus risking the Banks sensitive information. The project also comes with an additional budget for the company, implication on its human resources, compliance regulations as well as legal obligations and liabilities. To regulate such implication s, Commonwealth Bank of Australia will need to put in place regulatory policies stipulating the terms of use of personal devices (Miller,Voas Hurlburt,2012). Reasons for implementing a BYOD Policy There are numerous reasons to why an organization can organization can adopt the use of a BYOD policy which include improving the real time productivity and engagement of employees because the policy makes them more satisfied and provide results from any location, creating a smarter and skilled labor force, to introduce a more flexible strategy at the work place, reduce hardware investment by a company among other benefits. Return on Investment is used to ascertain the cost reduction achieved by a project over certain duration of time. This method can be used by Commonwealth Bank of Australia to analyze the long-term impact of implementing a BYOD policy. Return on Investment is calculated as follows Net Profit / Total Investment * 100 Commonwealth Bank of Australia must, therefore, undertake an evaluation of the merits and demerits of the project and its overall implications on the Banks' goals and mission. This will then be followed by formulation of policies to regulate the use of personal devices and the general security of the Banks systems. The Bank may also hire the services of solution providers whose main responsibilities will be assessing the risks associated with the project, formulation of different projects to govern the project as well as coming up with control measures to facilitate implementation of these policies. Commonwealth Bank of Australia will, therefore, be required to notify their employees on what to expect upon implementation of the project regarding the privacy of their personal information which might need to be subjected to company monitoring (Pillay,et al,2013) Implementation of BYOD project will require the bank to consider its ability to remove the banks information from employees devices upon their departure from the bank, clarify on what devices, platforms, and networks that can be used in these devices including any associated prohibitions to use such devices, avail a procedure to address possible theft of these devices in order to protect Banks Information and clarifying on the consequences of any violations from employees regarding the use of personal devices. The bank should also establish its ability to access and have control over information belonging to it including the use of mobile device management system as well as identify support limitations resulting from these devices to ensure that they are addressed. Before implementing the Common program wealth Bank is also required to analyze how the project is likely to affect the various stakeholders and the bank at large and therefore it should solicit views from its employees, th e finance department, its legal advisers and finally its technological team (Ghosh, Gajar Rai,2013). The solution lies in the Banks ability to use smart policies and compliance; such policies would include an adoption of a formal mobile policy that stipulates consequences of violation, sufficient security measures use of training programs to solve mobile liabilities. A mobile policy would include ensuring that each device that is being used by an employee is remote wipe enabled. Although the process might require much time and resources, it will save the Bank a significant amount of resources that it might incur in an instance where these devices are used to break the law (Moyer,2013). Threats, Vulnerabilities, And Consequences Although highly considered for their useful functionality and high efficiency at the workplace, technological devices such as iPads, mobile phones, laptops, and ipads have come with numerous challenges that continue to affect not only employees but also their employers. Recent studies have shown an increase in the usage of usage of own smart phones and tablets for business with the number expected to keep rising (Morrow,2012). The number of Companies allowing employees to make use of their devices for business has also continued to rise with a recent research predicting that at least 38% of global companies will have implemented Bring Your Device into their operations. This is also a trend that has been witnessed 2017 which has recorded a significant increase in the level of usage of personal devices by employees at the workplace. This is to signify perhaps the Importance that some employers attach to the use of personal devices for business. However, adoption of BYOD Policy requires employers to shift their focus to remain updated on changes in technology as well as being mindful of data security and privacy issues (Lebek, Degirmenci Breitner, 2013). For the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the implementation of the project allowing employees to use their devices for business will, therefore, come with threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences for both the Bank and its Employees. As such, the Bank will find it necessary to focus on changes in technology and regularly address security and privacy issues arising a result of the project (Garba,et al,2015) There are various risks associated with the implementation of the project. By allowing its employees to use personal devices for official purposes, the Bank will commit itself to any violations committed by their employees through the use of personal devices, For any offense broken by their employees, Commonwealth Bank of Australia will be held responsible (Ghosh, Gajar Rai, 2013). A good example of such risks would be where a driver of the bank causes an accident because of using a cell phone while driving as it was the case of the COCA-COLA Company driver who hit a woman while on the phone in 2016. The cases of Employers being sued for employee use of personal devices have been on the rise in the recent past ( Bzur, 2013).There, therefore, some risks that Commonwealth Bank of Australia will be faced with as a result of implementing this project. Abstracted driving Distracted driving is one of the most common risks that result from the use of personal devices at work. The impact of this can be quite huge for a company. The use of mobile phones by drivers while driving can result in unwarranted legal battles as well as penalties due to injuries or deaths of road users. Risks associated with distracted driving is, therefore, one of the risks that Commonwealth Bank of Australia is likely to be faced with as a result of allowing employees to use their devices at work (French, Guo Shim,2014). Loss of devices with unsecured data Lost devices can pose risks not only for Companies but also for individuals. Due to the sensitivity of information handled by monetary institutions, loss of personal devices such as phones or tablets used by employees in their daily duties may lead to leaking out of secrets and sensitive information about the Banks Clients and employees. Such information may end up being used against the company in legal suits (Burt,2011). Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment at the workplace is one of the major risks of allowing employees to bring their devices. Sexting is the most common form of sexual harassment used by adults. It is the process where someone sends another person sexually explicit messages or photographs through mobile phones. Sexting is classified together with speaking inappropriately to a colleague at the workplace (French, Guo Shim,2014). However, unlike the use of inappropriate language at the workplace done orally, Sexting using personal devices at the workplace presents concrete evidence that can be used against the Bank. Content posted on social media The final risk that the Bank is faced with has to do with the content posted on social media using employees devices. It is a common practice by some companies that social media sites be blocked from the companys network; however, with the adoption of this project, it might be difficult to regulate what is posted on social media by employees. Some of the risks associated with social media might include racist comments posted on Facebook by an employee using a BYOD device or an inappropriate photo such as that of an employee trespass (Guan, 2012). All these can be used against the Bank in legal suits and therefore making the Bank liable for violation of the Law. Companies cannot afford to ignore the increasing rates of adopting BYOD that has been caused by the rise in the use of technology. By implementing the project, Commonwealth Bank of Australia will allow usage of employees devices such as smart phones, laptops, and tablets for official duties instead of company-provided devices. Among the information stored in such devices might include inventory, mobile schedules, photos and training videos among others to facilitate easy access of data. While the practice of allowing employees to bring their own devices at eth workplace is becoming a norm, there are many consequences that Commonwealth Bank of Australia might be subjecting itself to by implementation of the project (Mansfield-Devine,2012). Resentment by employees By implementing the project, the Bank will force its employees to incur extra costs to acquire the requisite devices for those who might not be having them. Requesting employees to purchase new devices for work purposes might, therefore, leave them unhappy. Additionally, the costs of usage and transportation are also likely to be pegged on employees (Scarfo,2012) It is likely that employees will be unwilling to shoulder this cost. Too much usage of personal devices for work-related tasks also makes them depreciate within a short period. Among the considerations that The Bank might be considered before implementation of the project will be determining who will be responsible for any repairs on the personal devices. Additionally, the issue of costs associated with the loss of the device while at work can also lead to resentment on the part of employees (Zahadat,et all,2015) Reduced productivity Another consequence of the use of personal devices by employees can be associated with their distractive nature. By using their devices at the workplace, employees are more likely to spend a considerable amount of their productive hours on social sites such as Whatsapp, Facebook Instagram, and Twitter. While the Bank desires to maximize profits, the implementation of the project will result in a distraction of employees from their primary duties which will directly affect their productivity. The small amount of time spent by one employee to send a text message to a friend or surf the web can collectively lead to wastage of so much time which will reduce the overall productivity of the Bank (Mitrovic,et al,2015) Little Control over the Device By allowing the use of personal devices, the bank will also have little control over them. Although the Bank might result in restrictions on the files that can be activated by the device there some employees as a result of their technological prowess might jailbreak such restrictions and gain access to restricted content (Wiech,2013). Data Security Risks Increased entry points for hackers The use of personal devices in the workplace increases the chances of hacking of an organizations systems. While hacking in a situation where all the Banks desktops are within its premises might be relatively difficult, having employees work from their mobile phones or laptops makes it possible to hack from multiple points thus making it easier for hackers to get hold of sensitive information from the bank (Downer Bhattacharya, 2015) Access to Unsecured Wi-Fi Accessing of unsecured Wi-Fi can be quite risky to the bank's data. Allowing use of personal devices would mean that employees will use the same devices that they use to access unsecured Wi-Fi Connections at restaurants, their homes or even at the Airport. Such unsecured networks can facilitate easy hacking of the Banks systems (Suby,2013). Discoverability of data This can be the case where there is a loss of the devices. Any loss resulting from theft or employees carelessness puts the employers data which is stored on the device at risk. Additionally, the project also means that the privacy of employees will also be at stake. For example, in the case of any legal proceedings, personal devices being used by an employee might b explored by the employer or a third party if need be. Some of the personal information that could be explored includes information contained in social media accounts, geographical location or even private photos. This could be against the wishes of the employee (Song, 2014). People leaving the Bank Sometimes employees might leave a company abruptly without prior notice. In such a situation where employees leave the Bank without notice, the management might not have time to remove the bank's information and passwords which might facilitate unauthorized access to the Banks systems by former employees (Vijayan Hardy,2015). Creation of a data classification scheme is the first step in the process of classifying data .It is then followed by the creation of security standards which set the appropriate practices of managing data. The following is an example of a data classification scheme Category 1: This category of data is available for public display, and may include a companys contact information. Category 2: This category represents internal data that can be accessed by Companys stakeholders such as an organization chart. Category 3: Under this category is sensitive organizations data whose leakage to unauthorized persons can significantly affect an organization. Example include a companys contracts with third parties Category 4: This category represents highly sensitive data such as customers account information. Its disclosure can lead to legal tussle for an organization Category 4: highly sensitive data that could put the company in legal of financial risk if disclosed, for example, customer account information and employee social security numbers. Data classification Risks Risk Mitigation Category 2 data loss, defective deletion employee education Category 3 data loss digital signatures, encryption, Category 4 Theft Authorization, digital signatures and biometrics Risks and Risk Mitigation for various data categories Conclusion In conclusion, BYOD Policy is a concept that has gained momentum in the recent past as per the recent statistics of the number of organizations that are embracing it. Commonwealth Bank of Australia intends to join the list of companies that use this policy by implementing its project that will require their employees to use personal devices to be used as the main devices for performing their work tasks. However, successful implementation of the program will depend upon an analysis of numerous factors as well as the inclusion of various shareholders within the Organization. Commonwealth Bank of Australia will, therefore, be required to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed project before its implementation as well as the various considerations and measures that will be laid out to facilitate successful implementation of the project. Among the considerations that the Bank will need to look at are the various laws governing the use of personal devices at the workplace by emplo yees to facilitate co0mpliance by both the employees and the management. However, the implementation of the project will come with many challenges that the company will be required to mitigate. The associated threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences will affect both employees and the management. Among the risks that the Bank will be faced with are legal liabilities in case of violation of the exciting laws regarding the use of personal devices by the employees, abstracted driving, increases of sexual harassment among employees, associated risks of social media content ,possibility of loss of devices with unsecured data resentment by employees, loss of productivity for employees and the bank and Managements loss of control over devices used by employees in performing their work tasks. The Bank will also be faced with many data security risks including the risk of its systems being hacked from multiple points, the risk of former employees of the bank being able to access the Banks c onfidential information and the risk of discoverability of data. References Gustav, A., Kabanda, S. (2016). BYOD adoption concerns in the South African financial institution sector. InCONF-IRM(p. 59). Acharya, V. V., Pedersen, L. H., Philippon, T., Richardson, M. (2017). Measuring systemic risk.The Review of Financial Studies,30(1), 2-47. Zahadat, N., Blessner, P., Blackburn, T., Olson, B. A. (2015). BYOD security engineering: A framework and its analysis.Computers Security,55, 81-99. Song, Y. (2014). Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) for seamless science inquiry in a primary school.Computers Education,74, 50-60. Guan, L. (2012). Established BYOD management policies needed.Government News,32(2), 9. Bzur,A.,(2013).4 Risks When Employees Bring Their Own Devices to Work.Inc. Ballagas, R., Rohs, M., Sheridan, J. G., Borchers, J. (2014, September). Byod: Bring your own device. InProceedings of the Workshop on Ubiquitous Display Environments, Ubicomp(Vol. 2004). Moyer, J. E. (2013). Managing mobile devices in hospitals: A literature review of BYOD policies and usage.Journal of Hospital Librarianship,13(3), 197-208. Lebek, B., Degirmenci, K., Breitner, M. H. (2013). Investigating the influence of security, privacy, and legal concerns on employees' intention to use BYOD mobile devices. Suby, M. (2013). The 2013 (ISC) 2 Global Information Security Workforce Study.Frost Sullivan in partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton for ISC2. Mitrovic, Z., Veljkovic, I., Whyte, G., Thompson, K. (2014, November). Introducing BYOD in an organisation: the risk and customer services view points. InThe 1st Namibia Customer Service Awards Conference(pp. 1-26). Burt, J. (2011). BYOD trend pressures corporate networks.eweek,28(14), 30-31. Shim, J. P., Mittleman, D., Welke, R., French, A. M., Guo, J. C. (2013). Bring your own device (BYOD): Current status, issues, and future directions. Smith, A. D. (2009). Internet retail banking: A competitive analysis in an increasingly financially troubled environment. Information Management Computer Security, 17(2), 127-150. Ghosh, A., Gajar, P. K., Rai, S. (2013). Bring your own device (BYOD): Security risks and mitigating strategies. Journal of Global Research in Computer Science, 4(4), 62-70. French, A. M., Guo, C., Shim, J. P. (2014). Current Status, Issues, and Future of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).CAIS,35, 10. Garba, A. B., Armarego, J., Murray, D., Kenworthy, W. (2015). Review of the information security and privacy challenges in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environments.Journal of Information privacy and security,11(1), 38-54. Zahadat, N., Blessner, P., Blackburn, T., Olson, B. A. (2015). BYOD security engineering: A framework and its analysis.Computers Security,55, 81-99. Watkins, B. (2014). The impact of cyber attacks on the private sector.Briefing Paper, Association for International Affair, 12. Ghosh, A., Gajar, P. K., Rai, S. (2013). Bring your own device (BYOD): Security risks and mitigating strategies.Journal of Global Research in Computer Science,4(4), 62-70. Downer, K., Bhattacharya, M. (2015, December). BYOD security: A new business challenge. InSmart City/SocialCom/SustainCom (SmartCity), 2015 IEEE International Conference on(pp. 1128-1133). IEEE. Vijayan, J., Hardy, G. M. (2015). Security Spending and Preparedness in the Financial Sector: A SANS Survey. Morrow, B. (2012). BYOD security challenges: control and protect your most sensitive data.Network Security,2012(12), 5-8. Chin, E., Felt, A. P., Greenwood, K., Wagner, D. (2011, June). Analyzing inter-application communication in Android. InProceedings of the 9th international conference on Mobile systems, applications, and services(pp. 239-252). ACM. French, A. M., Guo, C., Shim, J. P. (2014). Current Status, Issues, and Future of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).CAIS,35, 10. Mansfield-Devine, S. (2012). Interview: BYOD and the enterprise network.Computer fraud security,2012(4), 14-17. Thomson, G. (2012). BYOD: enabling the chaos.Network Security,2012(2), 5-8. Felt, A. P., Chin, E., Hanna, S., Song, D., Wagner, D. (2011, October). Android permissions demystified. InProceedings of the 18th ACM conference on Computer and communications security(pp. 627-638). ACM. Wiech, D. (2013). The benefits and risks of BYOD.Manufacturing Business Technology. Zahadat, N., Blessner, P., Blackburn, T., Olson, B. A. (2015). BYOD security engineering: A framework and its analysis.Computers Security,55, 81-99. Scarfo, A. (2012, November). New security perspectives around BYOD. InBroadband, Wireless Computing, Communication and Applications (BWCCA), 2012 Seventh International Conference on(pp. 446-451). IEEE. Pillay, A., Diaki, H., Nham, E., Senanayake, S., Tan, G., Deshpande, S. (2013). Does BYOD increase risks or drive benefits.Melbourne, The University of Melbourne. Miller, K. W., Voas, J., Hurlburt, G. F. (2012). BYOD: Security and privacy considerations.It Professional,14(5), 53-55.

The mayor of casterbridge Essay Example

The mayor of casterbridge Paper The Mayor of Casterbridge-Thomas Hardy How The Mayor of Casterbridge reflects the social, historical and cultural influences of the period and place in which it is set and during which Hardy lived. The Mayor of Casterbridge was written in the second part of the nineteenth century by the novelist Thomas Hardy. He based it on Dorchester and how he remembered the town from his boyhood days during the 1840s. The story circles around a prosperous businessman, Michael Henchard, his shady past and his prosperous present. It shows the power of the corn trade in the early years and also the impact of a newfound belief in the period- Fate. In this essay I will be analysing the book and its contents to see how it reflects the social, historical and cultural influences of the era in which it is set. As a skilled architect, and having a great eye for detail, Hardy included large pieces of narrative about Casterbridge and the key buildings in his novel. His first, general description about the layout of Casterbridge came early on in the book: It was compact as a box of dominoes. It had no suburbs- in the ordinary sense. Country and town met at a mathematical line. From the centre of each side of this tree bound square ran avenues east, west and south into the wide expanse of corn-land and coomb to the distance of a mile or so. As Elizabeth Jane and Susan entered the town, Hardy added a bit of information about the houses on the main street: There were timber houses with overhanging stories, whose small-paned lattices were screened by dimity curtains on a drawing-string, and under whose barge-boards old cobwebs waved in the breeze. There were houses of brick-nogging We will write a custom essay sample on The mayor of casterbridge specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The mayor of casterbridge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The mayor of casterbridge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There were slate roofs patched with tiles, and tile roofs patched with slate, with occasionally a roof of thatch. Henchards house is also described, but with surprisingly little detail compared to accounts of other houses. It is described as dull red and grey brick, open front door and a very large garden. This building still exists today, even though it is now Barclays bank and there is no sign of a large garden at the back! Henchards yard is described as, flanked by hay barns with wooden granaries on stone-saddles including, a store house several floors high. Into which, if you looked, you could see, A closely packed throng of bursting wheat packs. In contrast, Lucettas house and its features are described in great detail, from the house itself: It was Palladian, and, like most architecture erected since the Gothic age, was a compilation rather than a design. It was rich but not rich enough. A timely consciousness of the ultimate vanity of human architecture. To the keystone of the door: Originally the mask had exhibited a comic leer, as could still be discerned; but generations of Casterbridge boys had thrown stones at the mask, aiming at the open mouth; and the blows thereon had chopped off the lips and jaws as if they had been eaten away by disease. The three mariners is described as: Built of mellow sandstone, with mullion windows of the same material, markedly out of perpendicular from the settlement of foundations. The bay window projecting into the street, whose interior was so popular among the frequenters of the inn, was closed with shutters. In a time where motorcars were practically non-existent, there were only a few limited and slow ways of getting to a destination. Sometimes they might have been seen on foot, sometimes on farmers wagons and sometimes in carriers vans. This was, of course, referring to Elizabeth Jane and Susans journey to find Henchard. The trip must have been rough, but they could afford no more. For those who were much wealthier however, they could afford to use such things as flys and gigs, which were horse drawn carriages. We see Elizabeth Jane using a fly to transport her belongings to High-Place Hall, something she would not have been able to do if she had not met Henchard; Farfrae had his own gig, which is mentioned several times throughout the novel and finally the carriage that was used on Henchards and Susans wedding day; a brougham. Susan Henchard entered a carriage for the first time in her life when she stepped into the plain brougham which drew up at the door on the wedding day. Because of this lack of transport, even distances that we think of as short, such as 35 miles, must have seemed enormous to the people of those days. Hardy does give us an example of this in The Mayor of Casterbridge; two lovers being split up when the male gets a job in another town. It ends up with the two acknowledging that they will probably never see each other again. Thirty-five mile! she murmured. Ah! tis enough! I shall never see ee again! The Mayor of Casterbridge reflects the customs of the time very accurately. It shows Elizabeth Jane waiting on tables in her hotel to earn the right to stay in one of the rooms with her mother. But we are told that in all but the most isolated tows this custom has almost died out. A curfew was still rung in the in the town, but not for the original reasons. Hardy tells us that now, at eight oclock it is rung for the shop owners to shut up shop and go home. We read that the town pump was a regular meeting place of the townspeople. Their own water sources, be they wells or streams were known to be less pure than the water from the town pump, so many people drank from there. The drinking of ale was a different matter altogether. In those days there was no imported beer, and there was very little selection, if any at all, so it was still the custom to brew ale in the pubs themselves. It was also known that people brewed their own beer at home and a favourite breakfast was freshly brewed ale and pigeon pie! But life in the town was not all drinking ale and going to the pub. Some of the bigger and more important customs of the time are reflected in the novel as well. Candlemass Fair was held on the 14th of February, and it was the main day of hiring of hands for the corn yards. Lady day was the day soon after (6th of April) when the current years contracts expired. If you hadnt managed to get your contract renewed or found a new job, this is the day that you were made officially unemployed. When we read about Henchard in the pub for the first time in 21 years, we see that the local choir and musicians from the church go into the three mariners every Sunday for a half pint of ale. When some one died, in this case, Mrs Henchard, there were a few customs that she wanted to be followed. She asked to be dressed in: My coffin clothes; a piece of flannel- thats to put under me, and the little piece is to put under my head; and my new stockings for my feet And theres four ounce pennies, the heaviest I could find, a-tied up in bits of linen, for weights-two for my right eye and two for my left. Bury the pennies, good souls, and dont ye go spending em, for I shouldnt like that. Finally, one of the customs written about in The Mayor of Casterbridge and which plays the biggest part in the whole story is the skimmity, or skimminton ride. Basically a skimmity ride is to name and shame a couple who had an affair or who were considered to have done something wrong. An effigy of each of the persons was placed onto a back of a horse and was paraded around for all to see. Even though this did happen in the story, in real life things of this sort were becoming less and less common. Of course in Hardys day there was no television, radio or computers and so their idea of entertainment is much different to ours. Even though there are only a few references to entertainment in the novel, it is surprising how much we have changed. Near the start of the story we hear Farfrae singing Its hame, and its hame, hame fain would I be, Oh hame, hame, hame to my ain countree! And it is made clear in the novel that this isnt a one off event. It was quite common to go down to the pub and sing or play music for entertainment; the better the voice the more attention that was paid to you. We also hear about a public hanging in Maumbury rings, an old roman Amphitheatre on the outskirts of Dorchester. Great crowds gathered to watch the spectacle and after the main event, articles of clothing, the rope and even strands of hair were put on sale for souvenirs, and were, by some people, believed to have magical healing powers. Like nowadays, people in the past have always enjoyed a good party with lots of dancing, fun and games, and this is shown by all of the preparations that Henchard made for his festivities; He advertised about the town, in long posters of a pink colour, that games of all sorts would take place here; and set to work a little battalion of men under his own eye. They erected greasy poles for climbing, with smoked hams and local cheese at the top hurdles in rows for jumping across the river they lay a slippery pole, with a live pig tied at the other end, to become the property of the man who could walk over there were also provided wheelbarrows for racing, donkeys for the same, a stage for boxing, wrestling, and drawing blood generally; sacks for jumping in. There are many references to costume in the story. The first is of Henchard as a young man of 21 whose profession and life was on the road, looking for work as a hay trusser: He wore a short jacket of brown corduroy, newer than the remainder of his suit, which was a fustian waistcoat white horn buttons, breeches of the same, tanned leggings a straw hat overlaid with black glazed canvas carried by a looped strap a rush basket, from which protruded at one end the crutch of a hay knife, a wimble for hay bonds, being also visible in the aperture. And as his character progresses through the story, his clothing changes to match his status in society. In the Kings Arms when he is first seen as the prosperous mayor of Casterbridge, his wealth was demonstrated clearly in his attire because He was dressed in an old fashioned evening suit, an expanse of frilled shirt showing, on his broad breast; jewelled studs, and a heavy gold chain. When he went to see Lucetta he dressed up in some of his finest clothes; He wore genteel cloth leggings with white buttons, polished boots with infinite lace holes, light cord breeches under a black velveteen coat and waistcoat; and he had a silver topped switch in his hand. But when he made the fatal mistake of predicting the weather, causing him to loose all of his belongings and money, he had to go from living in one of the biggest and cleanest houses in the town to living with Jopp in a small and less than hygienic cottage. He looked a far different journeyman from the one he had been in his earlier days. Then he had worn clean, suitable clothes, light and cheerful in hue; leggings yellow as marigolds, corduroys immaculate as new flax, and a neckerchief like a flower garden. Now he wore the remains of an old blue cloth suit of hid gentlemanly times, a rusty silk hat, and a once black satin stock, soiled and shabby. When we first see Elizabeth Jane she is dressed in modest clothes, dusty from her long journey to Casterbridge, but after she had met her father, and had the opportunity to see what money can buy, she started dressing in more elaborate clothes. We now see her in a black silk bonnet, velvet mantle or silk spencer, dark dress, and carrying a sunshade. In this latter article she drew the line at fringe, and had it plain edged, with a little ivory ring for keeping it closed. Henchard, instead of being cautious of spoiling Elizabeth Jane, eggs her on; Henchard gave Elizabeth Jane a box of delicately tinted gloves one spring day. She wanted to wear them to show her appreciation of his kindness, but she had not bonnet that would harmonise. As an artistic indulgence she thought she would have such a bonnet. When she had a bonnet that would go with the gloves she had no dress that would go with the bonnet. She had no sunshade to go with the dress.in for a penny in for a pound; she bought the sunshade, and the whole structure was at last complete. On her wedding day, Elizabeth Jane went for simplicity, showing how she had matured and had a chance to develop her style. She was in a dress of white silk or satin, he was not near enough to say which- snowy white, without a tinge of milk or cream. During the story there are few descriptions of the dress of the lower classes, but when the furmity seller was called into court for being drunk and disorderly we get a good account of the clothes worn. Attired in a shawl of that nameless tertiary hue which comes, but cannot be made- a hue neither tawny, russet, hazel, nor ash; a sticky black bonnet that seemed to have been warn in the country of the Psalmist where the clouds drop fatness; and an apron that had been white in times so comparatively recent as still to contrast visibly with the rest of her clothes. In Mixen lane there is also a special dress code of many of the women; (There was a) Frequency of white aprons over dingy gowns among the women around the doorways. A white apron is a suspicious vesture in situations where spotlessness is difficult. Hardys novel gives a good insight into the moral values of the time. Everything from the segregation of the classes to what was right and wrong in the eyes of the people of that time. When Elizabeth Jane and Susan enter the fair at the start of the story Susan makes her way over to talk to the furmity seller to see if she could get any information on the whereabouts of her husband, Mike. As she walks over, Elizabeth Jane tries to stop her saying, Dont speak to her- it isnt respectable! and after Susan returned to her daughter after paying the furmity seller for her refreshments, Elizabeth Jane reminds her mother again; It was hardly respectable for you to buy refreshments there. As they arrive in Casterbridge and look for lodgings, Elizabeth Jane comes across the Three Mariners, and even though it would have been too expensive to stay there if Elizabeth Jane had not been able to get a job, she insisted that she and her mother must stay there as, We must be respectable. As the plot progressed and Henchard met Susan at Maumbury Rings, he tells her that as an important businessman, Mayor and churchwarden, he would face disgrace if Elizabeth Jane found out about his past. Eventually Henchard told Susan that he would Meet you, court you and marry you and Susan agreed saying. I like the idea of repeating our marriage It seems the only right course. It appears that they thought that if they told of their past they would probably be ridiculed and snubbed by others, but they had to go through the whole process of courting again as it was counted as extremely suspicious if a man married, or even invited a woman into his house without going through the proper motions of meeting and courting first. Henchards affair with Lucetta, or Lucette as he knew her in Jersey would have posed certain ruin for him and Lucetta. Affairs in those days were total scandal and if people learnt about them, those involved would face a life of misery, being mocked by those around them. Nowadays a relationship that does not end in marriage is commonplace, but in those days it was very serious. Now you will, I am sure, perceive that the one condition that will make any future happiness possible for me is that the past connection between our lives be kept secret outside this isle. Even something relatively insignificant such as the Mayors daughter dancing with the farm manager (Farfrae) was a little out of the ordinary, it would have turned heads certainly. Peoples philosophies and their beliefs were certainly very different to what they are today. As I have said before, the era that The Mayor of Casterbridge was set in was a time of great change, and this was shown especially in the smaller towns of the country. New machines were introduced to make farming easier; the seed drill; Till then unknown, in its modern shape, in this part of the country, where the venerable seed-lip was still used for sowing. The new technology was for some, baffling; It might have been likened to an upright musical instrument with the front gone. That was how it struck Lucetta. Why, it is a sort of agricultural piano. When Farfrae started working for Henchard, he found in his books a mass of numerical fogs. Before his entry onto Henchards business, Henchard used to reckon his sacks by chalk strokes all in a row like garden-palings, measure his ricks by stretching with his arms, weigh his trusses by a lift, judge his hay by a chaw, and settle the price with a curse. But after Farfrae had spent a little time with Henchards company, he started measuring with weights and measuring rods, and recording all transactions on paper. This reflects what was happening all over the country at this time, farmers were abandoning all of their old ways to catch up with technology and produce better goods. We also see that even though newer technology was being developed, at the point of the visit of the royal personage- Prince Albert- we hear that the steam train had not yet reached Casterbridge, and travel by coach was the only way for the Prince to get to where he was going. Education was starting to affect both those who lived in the town and worked on the farm. Even though they still used sayings such as Im as clammy as a cockle snail. Such words as hag-rid and leery were replaced by indigestion and tired. You can see the impact of education on even the smallest of details in the story. At the start of the tale we read the sign outside of the furmity tent as Good Furmity Sold Hear. But when Susan returns to the fair about 18 years later the sign reads: Good Furmity Sold Here. And a definite improvement in spelling is shown. Peoples philosophies were changing as well. Even though education was beginning to make an impact, people in remote towns and villages still maintained some of their own beliefs and limited views. When Farfrae meets some locals in the bar, they comment on his homeland, Scotland, saying: Land of perpetual snow as we may say, where wolves and wild boars and other dangerous, animalcules be as common as blackbirds hereabout. Church and religion was still a major part of many peoples lives, but many of these people were starting to dabble in other beliefs as well. Henchard was the churchwarden, and he had also been religious enough to take a gospel oath 21 years before to give up alcohol, but when in trouble, he went to the weather prophet to try and sort out his problems. Witchcraft was not acceptable, but this did not deter people from trying to sort out their lives with it. Fate was becoming one of the major extra beliefs at the time. People were beginning to think that not everything was done by Gods will and that there may be some other omnipotent force controlling their lives as well. This force became known as Fate. This belief is reflected in Hardys writing very clearly, and he gives us many examples of Fate in the lives of the main characters. Just a few instances are the sale of rum in the furmity tent when Susan had taken Mike in there to avoid the ale and cider in the other tents; Susan returning to Mike just when he was about to marry Lucetta; Farfrae meeting Lucetta when he had gone to see Elizabeth Jane on Henchards permission; the effigy killing Lucetta when she had everything to live for and saving Henchard when he had nothing to loose; Newson turning up just as Henchard was getting closer to Izzy; finally Elizabeth Jane forgiving her father, but finding him half- an- hour after he had died. The whole plot relies on the belief of Fate. But even though all of these new beliefs were appearing, some of the older superstitions were being lost. New ideas were that nature was in fact, indifferent to man and his actions. To demonstrate this, sometimes Hardy wrote so that nature reflected the main characters feelings. We see this after Henchard has found out that Elizabeth Jane is not his own, and in a foul mood he goes for a walk next to the river. As he contemplates on the direction that his life is taking Hardy describes his surroundings, The whole way along here was sunlesswhite frosts lingered here. He also describes the river itself, The river- slow, noiseless and dark- the Schwartzwasser of Casterbridge. And adds that further down the river, The water roared down a back-hatch like the voice of desolation. But sometimes Hardy described the weather to be the exact opposite to what the character was feeling. Just after Henchard had left Elizabeth, and was very upset; The bright autumn sun shining in his eyes across the stubble awoke him the next morning early. In his tale Hardy includes a range of different historical notes that remind us of which era he was writing in, but he also included real events and incorporated real places into his story. In his original preface he tells us that three of the main topics in his story which were based on real events were the visit of a royal personage, the corn trade and the sale of a wife. The sale of the wife was, in my opinion, one of the most crucial points of the whole plot. If it hadnt happened, the whole life of Henchard as we know it would never have happened. Hardy got the idea from an edition of the Dorset County Chronicle between the dates of 1826-1830. The corn trade was also very important. In The Mayor of Casterbridge Hardy demonstrates the power of the corn trade by showing how it can give you all of the money you ever dreamt of, but also take it all away by having just one bad harvest. Henchard was at the peak of his life, he was Mayor, churchwarden and a successful businessman, but by the end of one bad year when he had gambled just a bit too much on the turnout of the weather, he had lost it all, his wealth, business and house. The corn trade continued to toy with farmers lives until the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. Up until then the Corn Laws had forbidden any importation of wheat or corn and so if it was a bad harvest there was a shortage of good bread. Because of this, before the Corn Laws had been repealed the corn trade ruled the lives of everyone involved. The Mayor of Casterbridge is a very accurate and detailed account of life in the 1840s. It is a valuable source of information about the era, and reflects the social, historical and cultural influences of the period in a descriptive, but entertaining and interesting way.

Free Essays on Kants Categorical Imperative

, act as if your action could be a universal law that applies to everyone, at all times. Kant gives four examples that show how certain duties can apply to the categorical imperative. In each case, individuals... Free Essays on Kant's Categorical Imperative Free Essays on Kant's Categorical Imperative Kant starts out from the presumption that an action is moral only if it is good â€Å"in itself†. Moral actions must have pure motivations. Otherwise they would be based on some other motivation separate from the true goodness of the action. Also, moral action cannot be based on a goal. An action with no goal is good in itself and not just good because of a certain outcome. Kant emphasizes the idea that pure moral principles must be grasped a priori. Pure ideas are considered a priori and they are not based on our perception of things. All other things, however, are dependent on the circumstances. Kant describes two different kinds of principles, hypothetical imperatives and categorical imperatives. â€Å"Hypothetical imperatives represent the practical necessity of a possible action as means to something else that is willed.† (87a) So a hypothetical imperative is something that has a motivation, and is aimed at a specific goal. Most of the things people do are hypothetical imperatives. For example, any skill a person might have and practice is aimed at some purpose, therefore it is a hypothetical imperative. â€Å"The categorical imperative would be an imperative that represented an action as necessary in itself without reference to another end-i.e., as objectively necessary.† (87b) Categorical imperatives are good in themselves and are not bases on specific goals and outcomes. Therefore, categorical imperatives are a priori concepts. It is difficult to judge whether someone has a motive other than a pure categorical imperative, so Kant has a universal law to validate it. The law Kant suggests is â€Å"Act as if the maxim of your action were to become by your will a universal law of nature.† (89a) In other words, act as if your action could be a universal law that applies to everyone, at all times. Kant gives four examples that show how certain duties can apply to the categorical imperative. In each case, individuals...

Biography of William McKinley, 25th U.S. President

Biography of William McKinley, 25th U.S. President William McKinley (January 29, 1843–September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States. Prior to that, he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the governor of Ohio. McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist less than a year into his second term as president. Fast Facts: William McKinley Known For: McKinley was the 25th president of the United States; he oversaw the beginning of U.S. imperialism in Latin America.Born: January 29, 1843 in Niles, OhioParents: William McKinley Sr.  and Nancy McKinleyDied: September 14, 1901 in Buffalo, New YorkEducation: Allegheny College, Mount Union College, Albany Law SchoolSpouse: Ida Saxton (m. 1871–1901)Children: Katherine, Ida Early Life William McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio, the son of  William McKinley, Sr., a pig iron manufacturer, and  Nancy Allison McKinley. He had four  sisters and three brothers. McKinley attended public school and in 1852 enrolled in the Poland Seminary. When he was 17, he enrolled in Allegheny College in Pennsylvania but soon dropped out due to illness. He never returned to college because of financial difficulties and instead taught for a while at a school near Poland, Ohio. Civil War and Legal Career After the Civil War began in 1861, McKinley enlisted in the Union Army and became part of the 23rd Ohio Infantry. Under Colonel Eliakim P. Scammon, the unit headed east to Virginia. It eventually joined the Army of the Potomac and participated in the bloody Battle of Antietam. For his service, McKinley was made a second lieutenant. He later saw action at the Battle of Buffington Island and in Lexington, Virginia. Near the end of the war, McKinley was promoted to major. After the war, McKinley studied law with an attorney in Ohio and later at Albany Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 1867. On January 25, 1871, he married  Ida Saxton. Together they had two daughters, Katherine and Ida, but both sadly died as infants. Political Career In 1887, McKinley was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served until 1883 and again from 1885 to 1891. He was elected governor of Ohio in 1892 and held the post until 1896. As governor, McKinley supported other Republicans running for office and promoted business inside the state. In 1896, McKinley was nominated to run for president as the Republican Party nominee with Garret Hobart as his running mate. He was opposed by William Jennings Bryan, who, upon accepting the Democratic nomination, gave his famous Cross of Gold speech in which he denounced the gold standard. The main issue of the campaign was what should back the U.S. currency, silver or gold. McKinley was in favor of the gold standard. In the end, he won the election with 51 percent of the popular vote and 271 out of 447 electoral votes. McKinley easily won the nomination for president again in 1900 and was again opposed by William Jennings Bryan. Theodore Roosevelt ran as McKinleys vice president. The main issue of the campaign was Americas growing imperialism, which the Democrats spoke out against. McKinley won the election with 292 out of 447 electoral votes. Presidency During McKinleys time in office, Hawaii was annexed. This would be the first step toward statehood for the island territory. In 1898, the Spanish-American War began with the Maine incident. On February 15, the U.S. battleship  Maine- which was stationed in Cubas Havana harbor- exploded and sank, killing 266 of the crew members. The cause of the explosion is not known to this day. However, the press- led by newspapers such as those published by William Randolph Hearst- published articles claiming that Spanish mines had destroyed the ship. Remember the Maine! became a popular rallying cry. On April 25, 1898, the United States declared war against Spain. Commodore George Dewey destroyed Spains  Pacific fleet, while Admiral William Sampson destroyed the Atlantic fleet. U.S. troops then captured Manila and took possession of the Philippines. In Cuba, Santiago was captured. The U.S. also captured Puerto Rico before Spain asked for peace. On December 10, 1898, the Paris Peace Treaty was signed. Spain gave up its claim to Cuba and gave Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands to the United States in exchange for $20 million. The acquisition of these territories marked a major turning point in American history; the nation, previously somewhat isolated from the rest of the world, became an imperial power with interests around the globe. In 1899, Secretary of State John Hay created the Open Door policy, where the United States asked for China to make it so that all nations would be able to trade equally in China. However, in June 1900 the Boxer Rebellion occurred, and the Chinese targeted Western missionaries and foreign communities. The Americans joined forces with Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan to stop the rebellion. One final important act during McKinleys time in office was the passage of the Gold Standard Act, which officially placed the United States on the gold standard. Death McKinley was shot two times by anarchist Leon Czolgosz while the president was visiting the Pan-American Exhibit in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901. He died on September 14, 1901. Czolgosz stated that he shot McKinley because he was an enemy of working people. He was convicted of the murder and died by electrocution on October 29, 1901. Legacy McKinley is best remembered for his role in U.S. expansionism; during his time in office, the nation became a world colonial power, controlling territories in the Caribbean, Pacific, and Central America. McKinley was also the third of four U.S. presidents who have been assassinated. His face appears on the $500 bill, which was discontinued in 1969. Sources Gould, Lewis L.  The Presidency of William McKinley. Lawrence: Regents Press of Kansas, 1980.Merry, Robert W.  President McKinley: Architect of the American Century. Simon Schuster Paperbacks, an Imprint of Simon Schuster, Inc., 2018.Morgan, H. W.  William McKinley and His America. 1964.

Seminar Paper for Autobiography of a Face Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Seminar Paper for Autobiography of a Face - Essay Example Lucy appears determined to fight the problems in her life. She appears bold and as she tells about the time she spend in the hospital she has no pity. Her response to the harassment of her schoolmates shows how much she resents the problems she is passing through. This seminar paper analyzes the behavior and reaction of Lucy in the face of the teasing and torment she received from her schoolmates. The reaction displayed by Lucy is a defense mechanism that she employs to shut out her peers.. Her disfigured face attracts a lot of ridicule, teasing and harassment from the boys in her school. Before getting to school Lucy knows nothing much about her appearance (Grealy 124). Her going to school makes her understand that she is not acceptable socially to her peers. Her reaction to the behavior of her school mates is an act of defense as she waits for her situation to change. She hates the treatment she is being given and the only thing she can do is to seek to defend herself from it. This is so because she later runs away from her schoolmates thinking that nobody will want to love her because of her situation (Grealy 125). If she was mature and of good reason she could not have been broken down by the teasing and social isolation. The paper has analyzed the reaction of Lucy to the torment of her peers. She acted as a defense mechanism to distance herself from what was happening in order to hide her hurt. This was so because she later withdraws from her peers because of social isolation and too much teasing probably because her strategy could no longer work for

See the instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

See the instruction - Essay Example nked to this area has the agreement of the Russian elites, and finally because conflicts in Middle East have sensitive implications for Russia’s domestic problems (Ehteshami 66). The G. Bush administration was capable of rallying the military industrial complex, the oil lobby and the Zionist movement in a huge project: to secure a control of the oil fields that run from the Horn of Africa to the Caspian Sea by re-designing the political map on basis of small ethnic states. The region, demarcated not for its populace but for the reserves under its soil, was initially called â€Å"Crescent Crisis† by Bernard Lewis, a University professor and later George W. Bush called it â€Å"Greater Middle East† (Halliday 13). Washington did not hold back on its Middle East â€Å"re-modeling† project. Huge sums of finances were invested in hiring local elites so as their personal interests would be before national interests in the globalized economy context. Most significant was the deployment of a vast military force to Iraq and Afghanistan in order to interrupt Iran, the main actor around the region that outlooks up to the empire. The maps of the region were drawn up and distributed by the Chiefs of General Staff. Every country in the region, including US allies, could be viewed being broken up into innumerable emirates, incapable of protecting themselves, while overpowered Iraq would get divided into 3 federate states ( a Sunni, a Shiite, a Kurdish) imposed by the White House (Ehteshami 23). When it appeared that nothing could stop that domination process from moving forward, the Pentagon handed Israel a task of destroying every secondary fronts before they attacked Iran. The aim was to end the Lebanese Hezbollah and overthrowing the Syrian government. Nevertheless, after submitting a third of the territory of Lebanon under a shelling campaign the likes that which had never been seen before since the Vietnam War, the Israelis were forced to retreat without attained any of its

The Renaissance Period Essay Example for Free

The Renaissance Period Essay The period in time referred to as the Renaissance started in the late   1300s and existed through the 1500s. The term translates into rebirth, and describes the process of intellectual and cultural change that began in northern Italy and eventually made its way to   countries lying further north. In this era, Christianity began to evolve and branch into different directions, weakening the power of the church and allowing the disciplines of philosophy and science the freedom to take new routes encouraging scientific observation as opposed to blind faith, or   reasoning (Gaardner 197, 202).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These changes in Christianity, philosophy and science brought about the new ideas of renaissance humanism. When the author says, We speak of renaissance humanism, since now after the Dark Ages in which every aspect of life was seen through divine light, everything once again revolved around man., he is explaining how man has come to see himself in a new light. In the Dark Ages man viewed himself simply as a pitiful servant to God, unworthy of any form of greatness. During the   Renaissance, man saw himself not as a servant to God, but as an integral and more importantly, unique part of God and his greatness.   Man began to believe that God existed everywhere and in everything, including himself, and so man could now celebrate himself and his individual achievements, which became the basis of the new world view (Gaardner 197, 201).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The new world view consists mainly of two things: the way man viewed himself, and the way he viewed his surroundings. As previously stated, man viewed himself in a much higher light than in the previous era. He now also had a new view of nature. Previously, the world had only been looked at as a place of preparation for the hereafter, but now it was looked at as a place to investigate and explore. There was an exciting environment of freedom and exploration. Many people of the time were very aware that they were living in a special, exciting era of intellectual and cultural growth, and they wanted to play an active role in it. This led to huge advancements in all areas from the arts to the sciences, and to the ideal of the Renaissance man, the desire to be knowledgeable in all of these areas (Gaardner 200, 201).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were three main technological developments that were necessary for the Renaissance   era to come to life. The compass, which made navigation simpler and encouraged the exploration of new lands, accrual of new observations, and information;   firearms, which gave the Europeans military power and made exploring the new lands safer, allowing them to easily overcome any native populations; and most importantly, the printing press, which allowed people greater access to all forms of information, promoting curiosity in the common person and encouraging the desire to know more, to explore, and to ask questions about their surroundings. The printing press also took away the authority of the church as the only source of written knowledge. All three of these developments came together to contribute to the spreading of the new world view over long distances, encouraging the growth of the Renaissance movement and its ideals (Gaardner 198).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The transition from a subsistence economy to a monetary economy also played a large role in the formation of the Renaissance era. The difference between the Renaissance economy and the economy in the Middle Ages was the formation of a large middle class. The formation of the middle class occurred during this time because at the end of the Middle Ages, large cities were fully developed, encouraging the growth of trade and commerce. A monetary economy with banking systems soon followed and the middle class was born, with people having the luxury to be able to buy the things that they needed or wanted. This type of system encouraged people to work harder and smarter, as opposed to feudalism, where working harder would not reap any personal benefits. As the author puts it, This state of affairs rewarded peoples diligence, imagination, and ingenuity.   New demands were made on the individual. This statement reflects the trademarks of individualism, experimentation and exploration that are present in the ideals of the Renaissance era (Gaardner 199).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way that the printing press contributed to the Renaissance was by allowing the Bible to be translated and printed in different languages. Prior to this, in the Catholic church, only priests and monks read the Bible, because it was only available in Latin. Once it was translated and printed,   an individual could read it for himself, and interpret what it said in his own way. This led to an emphasis on an individuals personal relationship with God, and less of an emphasis on a persons relationship with his spiritual leaders. Eventually, it would lead to the Reformation (Gaardner 212).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author speaks of a new religiosity that developed during the Renaissance. He is referring to the fact that thoughts on God in his relation to the individual changed dramatically.   Prior to the Renaissance, there was a belief that the priest was the only person who truly had a special relationship with God, so therefore it was entirely necessary for an individual to seek forgiveness from God through the priest. God was the only gateway to paradise, and the priest was the only gateway to God. Once the Renaissance was in progress, with its newly found importance of the individual and the ability of the common person to read and interpret the Bible for himself, people began to feel that it was possible to have their own personal relationship with God with or without the involvement of the church, which is a view that is still extremely popular today. This view was put forth by Martin Luther, one of the important contributors to the Reformation of the church during the Renaissance (Gaardner 212-213).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of the new views on religion during the Renaissance were prompted by advancements in science. A new scientific method was developed during the Renaissance, and formed the basis for all of the technological and scientific advances that have been achieved from that point onward. The new method incorporated using your own senses and experiences to observe phenomena during experimentation. Two of the most important scientists of this time, in my opinion, were Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton (Gaardner 202).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Galiliei formulated the Law of Inertia, which states that a body in motion or at rest remains in that state until an external force causes it to change. Galilei set up a simple experiment to observe what would happen when two forces   acted on an object simultaneously.   Through his observations, he found that despite what was commonly thought, an object that had been propelled into the air would follow a parabola-shaped trajectory.   This would occur due to the forward force of the propulsion of the object, combined with the force of gravity pulling the object down towards the earth (Gaardner 205-208).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Newton used his own observations to formulate the Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that every object attracts every other object with a force that increases in proportion to the size of the objects, and decreases in proportion to the distance between the objects. He used his newly formulated law in conjunction with Galileis previously stated law and observations to explain exactly why the planets traveled in elliptical orbits around the sun. It is the result of two forces acting on an object simultaneously: linear movement from the force applied to the planets during the birth of the solar system, combined with the movement towards the sun due to its gravitational pull. The combination of these two forces, as Galilei previously stated, is what creates the elliptical movement. Newton was able to show that the same laws applied to every heavenly body in the universe, thereby proving that there was not a special set of laws that applied to the heavens, and a separate set of laws for the earth. This caused the people of the time to begin to question exactly what their place was in the universe(Gaardner 209-211).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To this day, we are still making discoveries that lead people to question what their place is in the universe, and if their belief in God is logical or not. Scientists have made and are constantly on the verge of making some huge, definitely stunning advancements, and it inevitably causes people to further question what their place is in respect to the world, the universe and in God. For example, the issues of stem cell research, cloning, and the manipulation of genes are all very controversial at this time, because people are forced to see that man has the ability to create life in a lab, and that he can go on to guide life in almost any direction he may choose, he can play God, as many people say. My own opinion on science is that it is something that must move forward. There is no reason to fear science.   When I analyze each of the topics mentioned above, I can not think of any logical reasons why we should not proceed experimenting with them. They are simply processes that occur naturally already, we are only directing them to proceed in a manner that will be as beneficial to us as possible. As far as what this means for religion, faith will always be what it has always been faith. True faith is unshakeable, as mentioned by Gaardner in respect to Isaac Newtons belief that his findings only supported proof of the existence of   of the great and almighty God (212). Who is to say that all of these magnificent discoveries and the intricacies on which they are based are not guided by the hand of God?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As to the question of our own age that we are living in, I think that in many aspects it is very similar to the Renaissance era. There is definitely a strong belief in the importance of the individual, so much to the point that I think you could say there is a strong trend towards selfishness and indifference. I think this has been reflected especially in the area of the family unit, with the high rates of divorce and single parent homes. People no longer base their life decisions on what will be best for the family unit, but what will make me happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is also a similarity in that many people no longer feel the need to involve the church in their relationship with God. While most people still have a strong faith in God, or some form of Creator, church attendance has reached record lows. Some people believe that science has become the new religion, but I think that mankind will always feel the need to believe that he will somehow be allowed to continue on, as death seems much too simple of an ending to the elaborate design of a human being and the world around him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite our many similarities to the Renaissance, I think that our era can be defined as the Age of Technology. I believe this era began with the inventions of the computer and the internet. Like the printing press during the Renaissance, these two developments allow the rapid dissemination of information across vast distances. The discovery of these systems has revolutionized every area of science, allowing   information to be rapidly computed and shared.   I think that we are still in the very infantile stages of the Age of Technology, and we can only wonder what developments will arise by the time a new age begins. Works Cited Gaardner, Jostein.   Sophies World (188-215).

Graduation Speech: Carry On! :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I will open with a quote, "a failure is not someone who tries and fails, but rather someone who fails and gives up." I started my freshmen year of high school at East High. From the start I struggled to complete my school work. Low motivation was the major factor that eventually led to me failing english, math, science, physical education, you name it I failed it. As I began to lose more credits and fail more courses my self esteem plummeted along with my motivation. By my sophomore year I felt like a major failure and as such I wanted desperately to drop out of high school. With the little motivation I had left and tremendous support from my mother I continued school for another year. As my junior year wore on however it became apparent that I was falling in short in my courses once again. My failures seemed have stacked up all through high school and I was now left to face a pile of failings a mile high. In a last ditch effort I consulted my high school councilor and discussed what options I had to finished school. After careful consideration I decided that Winema was the option for me. I was wrong if I thought that Winema was just a means of getting my diploma. It goes fare beyond academic instruction only. Winema, I learned, is a place where you form friendships that contribute to your educational learning as well as to the development of your identity. Through the use of traditional and alternative teaching styles the school brings communication, art, and critical thinking into what could be the dry facts of curriculum. When I arrived for my first day at the high school I realized how very diverse we are as a student body. Even at a glance it is obvious that we come from all walks of life, all ages, and all colors. We each have different beliefs and religious affiliations, but we all have one thing in common. We are not failures. In spite of our disappointment at times or just the need to make a change we trudged on in order to get our high school diplomas. We relied on our friends and family and on each other to get through the tough times at Winema. When life was just not going well, and getting to school seemed like a monumental task, we persisted by continuing to attend and plowing the road that led to our diploma.

Professional Development Plan Essay

Part IA: Description of Personal and Professional Goals From a very early age, I was encouraged to attend college by my parents, my grandparents, and a beloved uncle. They all taught me that obtaining an education, particularly a college education, was a privilege that had not always been afforded to people of color and that it should not be taken for granted. They also taught me that education was the best way to attain great success, no matter how I chose to define success. It did, however, take some time before I fully understood what they so passionately attempted to instill in me. It was not until I began working at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), in an environment of academia, that I understood the value and importance of education, and the incredible impact that being part of a learning environment has on a young mind. I have been fortunate to be able to utilize the management skills I learned from my undergraduate studies and through various employment opportunities after obtaining a master’s degree in business administ ration. I have enjoyed my experiences working in the business field, as diverse as they have been, and would love to teach business administration at the university level. I would like to pursue a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree so that I may be considered an authority within the business field and possibly teach at JCSU as an adjunct professor. Eventually, both my degree and my experiences will assist me in achieving the long-term goals that both my husband and I share of operating a non-profit organization for children and a for-profit security business. Our combined goals are far-reaching and our desire to see them accomplished is passionate. I enjoy managing people, events, and projects. I have discovered that I enjoy and am very good at designing and executing plans that make it easier for others to achieve their  objective—which is ultimately the definition of management. That is why I wished to design my own concentration within Walden University’s doctoral program that will combine financial management and leadership skill courses. I also wish to simultaneously obtain my certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt. According to the American Society of Quality (2008): A Black Belt should demonstrate team leadership, understand team dynamics and assign team member roles and responsibilities. Black Belts have a thorough understanding of all aspects of the DMAIC model in accordance with Six Sigma principles. They have basic knowledge of Lean enterprise concepts, are able to identify non-value-added elements and activities and are able to use specific tools. (para. 1) The Walden University outcomes for graduates that I believe are most relevant to my profe ssional goals as a DBA candidate are to: understand and continuously develop and change themselves, the organizations in which they work, and society at large; create new knowledge dedicated to the improvement of social conditions, and to positively impact society by putting that knowledge into practice, by modeling their learning through action, and by being civically engaged; . . . achieve professional excellence as active and influential professionals by applying their learning to specific problems and challenges in their work settings and professional practice; . . . [and] practice in their professional fields legally and ethically. . . . (Walden University, 2008c) These outcomes are directly aligned with my professional and personal goals. Because of the manner in which Walden University has chosen to cultivate professionals and the reputation it has in the e-learning environment, Walden was my first choice in education options. Part IB: Outline and S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths I have several strengths that I believe will be instrumental in obtaining a Doctor of Business Administration degree. Two great strengths are the completion of my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Both degrees are in areas of business in which I have great interest, and that interest has grown with each new professional position that I have obtained. Immediately after completing my bachelor’s degree, I worked as an economic services worker (ESW) for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. I  worked heavily with financial analysis in order to determine the eligibility of applicants for state and federal programs. I enjoyed the financial analysis side of the position but could not bear witnessing the immense poverty of the clients I served in West Virginia. This position brought light to both a strength and a weakness that I possess. I truly enjoy helping others and working with finances and budgets. However, I have a weakness for enabling indiv iduals to continue in their plight by doing for them instead of assisting them achieve independence. During the time that I worked as an ESW in the West Virginia welfare system, I was truly an enabler. I was prompted to leave the position for that reason. I found additional strengths in learning about ethics and compliance in business in my next professional position, as I worked my way up to the position of manager in a compliance call center. I benefited from great grammar skills and obtained additional editing and leadership skills. This position also increased my interest in compliance, particularly as it pertains to corporations and their finances. These interests will no doubt have a large impact on my doctoral studies. The call center management position taught me invaluable skills in managing people of various temperaments and learning how to be creative in getting results from a diverse group of individuals. I obtained great time management and crisis management skills as well that I keep with me and that have shaped my leadership skills. It is these skills that I hope to teach to other young business leaders, in addition to valuable business skills. In my current position as a grants manager and development officer, I complete research on a frequent basis for faculty and staff who wish to write grants that are congruent with the university’s strategic plan. These research skills will most assuredly be invaluable during my doctoral studies. Additionally, the research resources at my disposal will be a great asset. Support from family and friends is essential and it has been given to me unconditionally. It is from this support that I frequently draw strength. However, my primary reasons for not allowing defeat to overtake me when it could have in the past are my two sons. They are my most precious accomplishments, and I will see them succeed in their dreams by instilling in them the promise of education that was instilled in me by my family. Weaknesses Statistical Analysis has always been my least favorite business course. Each time I have survived Statistical Analysis with an admirable grade, but because I have not mastered it, I still fear it a little. I know that I will need to call upon resources at the university where I work for tutoring assistance during my doctoral program in hopes of finally mastering Statistical Analysis. It is my desire to become comfortable and proficient with statistical tools because it will be important for both my academic and professional progression. To be successful in my pursuit of a doctoral degree, I must minimize my propensity to overload my plate with tasks just because I have the ability to do it, knowing full well I do not have the time. At my current place of employment, I am called upon frequently to do things like fix a simple problem with the division printer or a computer, run reports, or complete an administrative task because I can get it done quickly, even though it may be someone else’s responsibility. Although my intentions are honorable, I am enabling others not to perform and am hindering my own efforts. Quickly recovering from errors made will also be a necessity. I cannot afford to brood over failures because it does not benefit my progress in any manner. Practicing these corrections in self-awareness will be no easy task for me. Opportunities With a master’s degree and now a doctoral degree in my future, opportunities are abundant. I am optimistic, even in this current economy with extreme unemployment, that if I do not obtain a promotion at the university where I currently work, I may still have a future in an academic setting. It is my desire to bring quality improvements and greater excellence to Johnson C. Smith University, but the proposal that I am currently developing regarding a division of quality and excellence is a model that will work in most academic settings. The opportunity to complete research that may be published is also a possibility because I work in academia and because of the nature of my job as a development officer. I have had one piece published in JCSU’s quarterly magazine, and it is my desire to have an article published in a scholarly journal through connections with the university. Our current university president encourages scholarly writing, and when given the  opportunity to write, whether for research or for advancing my financial position, I will seize it. If permitted to continue down my current employment path, I believe there will be opportunities for fellowships, which are sorely needed. The American Association of University Women, the National Black MBA Association, and the American Management Association, all offer unique fellowship opportunities to members who have applied themselves and show excellence in their profession. Threats The opportunity for fellowships is extremely important in my effort to obtain a doctoral degree because financial debt from funding my education is mounting. Ironically, the university where I work does not offer any type of tuition assistance toward a graduate degree. It is my hope that I can supplant future loans with fellowships from one of the organizations mentioned above, including any offered by Walden University. In addition to mounting loans, the current economy is weighing heavily on my family budget. Ordinarily, I would be prompted to action by finding another way to bring income into our household. I am now required to depend upon my spouse for that additional support, something I am used to doing myself. Financial sacrifice is not the only burden I have placed on my family. With two children, one with a medical need that requires additional attention in order for him to be successful, I must again rely heavily on my spouse to do what I would be more comfortable doing myself. I will put to work those leadership and management skills I obtained during my call center days in order to appropriately deal with what seems to be increasing political posturing by some of my colleagues. It is still a little difficult for me to believe that anyone would be threatened by my ambitions. However, I must be careful to consider that it as a possibility. The business world is very competitive, but I assumed because I did not work directly in the corporate world that I would be safe from that type of political environment. I will work to reassure my colleagues that my dedication to ethical behavior will not permit me to ruin another coworker  for my own professional gain. Part IIA: Description of Educational Background and Research Proficiencies Academic Experience I was fortunate to enter West Virginia State University, at the time called West Virginia State College (WVSC), with a full academic scholarship that included room and board. I was also awarded the U.H. Prunty Scholarship, which enabled me to purchase books during all four years that I attended WVSC. During my undergraduate experience, I became a well-rounded student through participation in activities such as the NAACP and the WVSC Ambassadors, a faculty/staff-nominated designation where students represent the university and provide guided tours to visiting donors and potential students. I also participated in the Pre-Alumni Club and raised money through volunteer efforts with my sorority that we donated to a local women’s shelter called Sojourner’s. During 1992, my sorority sisters and I were honored with the prestigious Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Community Service Award by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for our community service work. The work we did during that time not only humbled me and inspired me to give back, but also showed me the true meaning of philanthropy and charity. My academic performance during undergraduate school was not stellar, but my experiences combined with my upbringing instilled within me a desire to press further academically. My learning continued, although sometimes not within the traditional academic setting. I attended seminars with regularity and, in 2000, earned my licensure as a life and health insurance agent in ultimate pursuit of a financial analyst career through Primerica Financial Services. I did not complete the training to become a financial analyst. However, I did learn a great deal about financial tools and gained a better understanding of budgeting, saving, and what life insurance is truly for. I am still using most of the tools I gained during that time to perform many of my current duties as a grants manager. It took another 13 years after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration before the academic momentum returned and I was accepted at Strayer University during the fall of 2006. My grad uate school experience at Strayer University fared much better but was actually far more challenging. I combined distance learning with the tremendous tasks of  maintaining my family life as a married mother of two school-age children and working full-time as a development officer and private grants manager at JCSU. I excelled at Strayer, even with these challenges, and found that distance learning was the perfect academic venue to work with my hectic lifestyle. The courses that invoked keen interest were the classes involving strategic policy analysis, project management, and research analysis. It is not surprising that my interest in and enjoyment of these classes were integral to my high performance in these classes in particular. I was cautioned that distance learning required additional discipline in order to be successful in any area of study. I became partial to distance learning because of the flexibility it offered me as a working adult, as clichà © and commercial as tha t may seem. Difficult courses, such as Quantitative Methods, seemed no more difficult through the use of the electronic blackboard system than being physically in the classroom. The use of this online tool in the distance-learning process was ingenious and fun. Our professor demonstrated classroom methods electronically in real time and we were able to ask questions of him in real time. It is a tool I hope to assist in bringing to the continuing and adult education program that is being established at JCSU. Research Experience Research is essential to the duties I currently perform as a development officer and private grants manager at JCSU and an important aspect of the grant-writing process. With the utilization of online tools, I seek potential donors, individuals, corporations, and foundations that will support the university’s strategic goals. I have used Internet tools to research the wealth of individuals who have a relationship with our university, rated their wealth based upon a system that we created for stewardship, and stored the information in a database that the data analyst and I maintain. I research the philanthropic interests of both corporations and foundations and compile the information in profiles that I present to our faculty and staff so that grant proposals may be written to fund the university’s objectives. I also research spending trends of sister organizations to determine whether the spending habits of our division are congruent with what the Institutional Advancem ent divisions of other universities are spending. This information has been vital to our division  vice president and his mission to complete our division’s and the university’s strategic plan. As a requirement of the MBA degree that I obtained at Strayer University, I completed a directed research project (DRP) concerning whistleblower protection laws titled â€Å"Whistling in the Wind: A Study of the Travails of Whistleblowers and the Protection Offered to Them.† These research efforts began at the onset of my MBA program in September 2006 and were completed in May 2008. The scope of the project was to deliver an 88-page research project surrounding a problem that I chose to identify. Required within the research document was an abstract, an introduction that included the context of the problem, a statement of the problem and the sub-problems, delimitations, definitions, assumptions, significance of the study, research design and methodology, an organization of the study, and details concerning the qualifications of the researcher. Also, the DRP had to contain a review of literature, data analysis, and an explanation of the treatment of the data, as well as the conclusion of the research and my recommendations based upon what was found during the research. I relied heavily on the Strayer University online library system, which gave me access to countless university library systems across the country. I also utilized the library at Johnson C. Smith University as well as libraries in Charlotte when I needed hard-copy documents. The basic goals of the project were met in that I completed the DRP in the structure and the length that was required and gained invaluable experience with regard to completing online surveys and interviews of some famous professionals. I received an A on the project, which was quite a stressful undertaking. I chose the subject because it involved ethics in business practices—a subject that has intrigued me since working in a call center that was dedicated to protecting employees, the organizations they worked for, and the organization’s shareholders. I began early, researching famous and infamous whistleblowers, such as Sherron Watkins of Enron. I had substantial information for the literature review. I seemed to develop a problem when it came to breaking down the main problem into sub-problems and found myself redefining the sub-problems as I furthered my research into the topic. One of the major problems I encountered during the process was attempting to devise a rat ional, objective survey that adequately procured the information that I was attempting to obtain without bias. I also had  problems finding enough people to complete the survey for an appropriate sample. In retrospect, I would have solicited advice from professors at JCSU during the process instead of relying only on the resources at Strayer University. It is believed that the analysis of the results could have been done more professionally and efficiently if I had received the results of my survey and interview questions sooner than I obtained them. I was not satisfied with the results because I do not believe that my research significantly contributed to the information that was already available concerning whistleblowers. It is my desire to focus on contributing to the knowledge base and providing information that was not readily available prior to my research. The DRP was an important project to complete because it demonstrated the complexity of not only researching a problem, but the importance of syntax needed to present the information in a coherent, acceptable manner. During my doctoral studies, I would like to focus on how to appropriately analyze the research that is obtained in order to make a significant contribution to the research within a particular subject. Work/Other Experience My employment experiences, while always encompassing management, have been quite diverse. Webster’s Menswear, now defunct, was where I had my first management experience. As the â€Å"third key† manager, I performed inventory counts nightly of the merchandise that retailed for more than $100. I was responsible for running the nightly sales reports, the supervision of other sales associates, and of course, the sale of merchandise. This experience was really my first real full-time employment experience, so it was even more gratifying to be performing work that was included in my course of study. I continued working at Webster’s Menswear until approximately six months after receiving my bachelor’s degree. Because the hours I was scheduled to work were based on sales, which were not exceeding our goals, and there were no benefits, I began looking for other employment. The management experience at Webster’s did engage my creativity. I assisted customers in selecting apparel and it gave me my first experience with sales reports and the consequences of not meeting the demands of the strategic sales plan. Immediately following my work experience at Webster’s Menswear, I secured another management role with the West Virginia Department of  Health and Human Resources as an economic services worker. In this case management role, I determined the initial and continuing economic eligibility of applicants for state-funded Medicaid, food stamps, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children. My experience in this arena of management was no different than one would expect from a public servant’s role. The work was difficult, tiring, and frustrating, and the caseload immense, always exuberantly more than statistics had shown one person should be handling. It took 2 years until I finally succumbed to the tremendous pressure of attempting to serve an economic population that I myself just missed being part of by about $200 per mon th. I left the declining economic plight of West Virginia behind in July 1997 and headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, where I found another opportunity and my current life. In July 1997, I began working for Pinkerton Services Group, Inc. as a communications specialist (CS) in a compliance hotline call center. There, I was able to enhance good interviewing and excellent writing skills as a CS. This opportunity is also where I became interested in whistleblower protection issues, compliance, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Within six months, I had progressed to the role of management again as a quality assurance supervisor in the call center. Our call center grew quickly during the early 2000s with the beginning of the demise of Enron, MCI WorldCom, and Adelphia. Most of the corporate giants were scrambling to obtain a way for their employees to alert the company of improprieties and to comply with new, emerging laws to protect the public and company shareholders. I was promoted as the call center’s operations manager during 2001. In this management role I gained experience doing many different tasks that included, but were not limited to, payroll for approximately 50 employees, order tracking and maintenance of call center supplies, call evaluations of communications specialists, monthly evaluations of quality assurance supervisors, monthly statistical reports on the qu ality of Workplace Alert Reports, and daily communication with executives of vendors whom the company served. With the expansion of the call center, the roles of key management personnel were redefined. We divided the call center’s quality management team into two groups, manager of the communications specialists and manager of the quality assurance supervisors. I was designated as the quality assurance manager over the quality assurance supervisors, the last title I held before leaving the  organization in February 2004. On February 1, 2004, I joined the staff at Johnson C. Smith University, the only historically black college and university in Charlotte, North Carolina. I sought this change for two reasons. The compliance center where I formerly worked split from Pinkerton Services Group and formed a separate company, Global Compliance Services. Many things began to change and the environment was no longer stable. Additionally, I was the only manager on call 24 hours a day to address any issue that arose in the call center. After giving birth, being on call 24 hours a day was no l onger conducive to maintaining a stable family life. For the first time since obtaining my degrees, I accepted a role that did not appear to involve managing individuals. In the role of office manager and executive assistant to the vice president of Institutional Advancement, I did maintain and even enhance some management skills. This assignment required me to be more team-oriented. I became the administrative right hand for a division that included Alumni Affairs, Foundation Relations and Private Grants, Corporate Relations, Public Relations, Development, and the Vice President’s Office. This role gave me the opportunity to become adept with budget management and analysis as I was given the responsibility of managing nine budgets. I also became proficient with fundraising software, the Raiser’s Edge, which was crucial to the division’s success. As the office manager, I became at one point the data analyst and was then responsible for training a new data analyst. We shared the responsibility of database management and reporting. Three years later I was promoted to my current position as the division’s development officer and private grants manager. I retained the responsibility of the divisional budgets and learned different skill-sets, including research, grants administration, and grant writing. While quite adept at research and grants administration, I have yet to write a grant that has been funded. It is my hope that JCSU’s new president, Dr. Ronald L. Carter, will see the need for a budget analyst, as I have proposed to him, and promot e me to this new assignment. Eventually, I would like to work in the capacity of professor at our university. I hope to use all of the skills that I have acquired through previous employment, which seem now to all be interrelated, in order to advance the mission of the university. Experience with issues of compliance that I gained in the call center, writing and editing, managing budgets,  analyzing financial information, combined with my DBA, are all expected to advance my career as a senior-level executive at Johnson C. Smith University. It was initially my desire to use my doctoral project to advance an initiative at JCSU that involves infusing Six Sigma Quality measures in each area of our business, particularly with how we approach education. Because of our current culture and some resistance that I have received from senior-level executives when attempting to propose new ideas, I shied away from this idea. However, after completing recent assignments, reading about the inten t of the doctoral project and how it is intended to interrelate to a candidate’s work environment, I would like to attempt this initiative at JCSU and use this research platform for my doctoral studies. It was David Johnson (2005) who stated that â€Å"the outcome of the research is designed to provide valuable insights to the sponsoring organisation, in addition to contributing to knowledge in the field of practice. In this form of doctorate therefore research is a tool in developing professional practice† (p. 88). I would like my doctoral project to pertain to the following question: How can Six Sigma or Lean Management Quality measures be implemented within JCSU’s education and management systems to advance the university’s strategic and quality enhancement plans? Part IIIA: Individualized Plan of Study The date that has been projected as my anticipated graduation date for my Doctor of Business Administration degree is October 26, 2012. Courses such as DDBA 8110 Business Operations: Systems Perspectives in Global Organizations; DDBA 8120 Information Systems: Global Management Strategies and Technology; DDBA 8130 Marketing: Strategic Innovation in Globally Diverse Markets; DDBA 8140 Finance: Fiscal Leadership; and DDBA 8150 Leadership: Building Sustainable Organizations were all waived, giving me a total of 15 credit hours toward the 60 required for my degree completion. I have chosen to design my own specialization. It is my desire to combine the finance and leadership specializations in order to create a program that will prepare me for a future that includes teaching business courses at Johnson C. Smith University as well as leading the operation of both for- and non-profit businesses. The descriptions under the specialization of finance, particularly the idea that managers can â €Å"maximize their firm’s  value† speaks to specific skills that I must acquire in order for my plan of success to work (Walden University, 2008a). I want to be an agent of change within whatever organization I work for, not just for the sake of change, but change that is positive. The leadership specialization will help me to obtain this goal (Walden University, 2008b). I intend to take DDBA 8523 Seminar in Law and Compliance, DDBA 8541 Seminar in Entrepreneurial Finance, and DDBA 8522 Seminar in Sustainability. During the spring 2009 semester, I will be registered for courses DDBA 8160 Business Strategy and Innovation and DDBA 8427 Applied Research Methods—Qualitative and Quantitative (currently I am enrolled in courses that my evaluation indicated would be waived). The next course that is required is DDBA 8437 Quantitative Decision-Making in Professional Practice. I will take this course with one of the three required DBA specialization courses mentioned ab ove. These two courses will be completed during summer 2009. During the winter 2009 session, I will take the final two specialization courses. There will be a requirement of 20 hours of doctoral study completion courses that will be taken four credit hours at a time for five semesters. With no anticipated breaks within my course of study, I anticipate my completion date to be during spring 2011 instead of the projected October 2012 date. There are two 4-day residencies required for the DBA degree program. It is recommended that the first residency be completed within 90 days of completing DDBA 8005. I will complete my first residency March 18 to 22, 2009, in Lansdowne, Virginia (Walden residency calendar, 2008). The next residency will be completed after completion of my core courses during 2010. The focus of my doctoral project will involve incorporating Lean or Six Sigma Management into higher education. It is my hope that I will be able to implement the Lean design into the curriculum and the management practices at the university where I work after completion of the research on this subject. It is my belief that my fellow colleagues would describe me as a tenacious problem-solver, an optimistic leader who believes there is a solution to every problem. I am always open to constructive criticism and self-improvement. I seek to improve with each obstacle that I overcome. I am also willing to offer constructive criticism to others and have learned the art of how and when to do so professionally and with tact. I like to incorporate humor, where appropriate, in much of what I do because I truly  believe that in order to solve most problems, one must have a sense of humor. These personal skills, or life skills, have come with maturity and much trial and error. I believe each of these skills will be essential to my ability to excel in the Doctor of Business Administration program as well as being integral to my future professional endeavors. Part IIIB: Professional Interview Evelyn Leathers is the director of Corporate and Foundation Relations within the Institutional Advancement division at Johnson C. Smith University. My goal in interviewing Ms. Leathers was to get an in-depth understanding of what role this division will play in the mission of the president, Dr. Ronald L. Carter, in JCSU becoming â€Å"Charlotte’s very own nationally-recognized independent urban university† (Carter, 2008, p. 2). It is my intent to understand what policies may be improved within that department and ultimately the division in order to improve to the level of quality that Dr. Carter intends for the university to fulfill the proposed vision. The role of the Institutional Advancement division is to support the university financially through philanthropic solicitation, community involvement, and improved public relations. For this reason, the division includes the departments of Development, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Grant Research, Alumni Affairs, a nd Public Relations. The division plays an integral role in that it provides money that is not earned through tuition. When enrollment is down, the Institutional Advancement division’s role becomes even more vital. Ms. Leathers, who has served JCSU in several different capacities through two separate terms of employment, remains loyal to the university because she is passionate about the human investment, the students (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). There are many historically black colleges and universities that are currently experiencing financial duress due to a number of factors. According to Ms. Leathers, the university has survived and prospered due to the quality of the Institutional Advancement division and the university’s relationship with The Duke Endowment (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Johnson C. Smith University is fortunate enough to be one of four universities to be included as a beneficiary of The Du ke Endowment’s mission to serve higher education by promoting academic excellence (The Duke  Endowment, 2007). The Duke Endowment provides financial support to schools like JCSU in order to foster excellence in individuals so that they will be inspired to share with the community what they have gained through education (The Duke Endowment, 2007). Although JCSU has exercised fiscal responsibility, Ms. Leathers is convinced that without The Duke Endowment, the university would not be successful, particularly in today’s extreme economic climate (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). The nation is currently experiencing a recession, one that is predicted to last at least until late 2010. Ms. Leathers proposes that her department, Corporate and Foundation Relations, will need to become creative, selective, and savvy in order to remain afloat and remain aligned with the university’s mission (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Creativity will enable the division to utilize initiatives that corporations and foundations will support financially, such as incorporating green initiatives into capital building plans. Selectivity means that the university will not go after or accept just any grant offered by a foundation or corporation. Ms. Leathers explained that sometimes fulfilling the conditions offered by a funder can be costly to the university (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Proposals must be carefully reviewed to ensure that the university is not taking on a financially burdening project. The Institutional Adva ncement division must also be savvy and shrewd in its business dealings in order receive the most return on the investments made by its public relations staff, its development officers, and all of its financial solicitors (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). In today’s economic climate, more than ever, quality in our operational functions becomes very important to the success of the university. The department of Corporate and Foundation Relations will practice quality in its operations by going back to the basics of fundraising, traveling smarter and only within the region to conserve resources, and focusing on research efforts more heavily (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). These efforts will assist Dr. Carter with fulfilling the university’s goal of infusing quality where needed to become one of Charlotte’s elite, premier universities. Ms. Leathers explained that foundations and corporations do not give to people, but to causes. If the university, and the Institutional Advancement  division in particular, focuses on quality programs and eliminating waste, corporations and foundations will be prompted to give to the university’s cause (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). One of the most critical areas within the Institutional Advancement division that could use an infusion of quality is the universityâ€⠄¢s enterprise management system.   Ms. Leathers stated that quality reporting is essential to development, grant writing, and research (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). All staff must be trained to use the system efficiently in order for the division to be effective and practice quality. Once all staff becomes proficient with its operation of the enterprise management system, it will translate to quality in most areas of operation (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Ms. Leathers is able to draw strength from understanding that the mission of the university is to provide a quality education to our most valuable assets, the students. Soliciting funds from foundations and corporations during a recession is not easy and sometimes not enjoyable, but necessary (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Ms. Leathers stated that the outcome will be positive and anticipates it will take another five years before the university realizes benefits from quality initiatives that are just beginning under the new administration of Dr. Carter (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Ms. Leathers and I discussed a quote from John B. Duke, founder of The Duke Endowment: â€Å"Education, when conducted along sane and practical, as opposed to dogmatic and theoretical, lines, is, next to religion, the greatest civilizing influence† (Duke, 1924). In addition to agreeing that the quote is profoundly accurate, we share the hope that the same sentiment will be fostered within the generation that we are educating at JCSU. Because Ms. Leathers is my immediate supervisor, her input during this intervi ew lends insight to the direction she gives me on a daily basis. It also forced both of us to contemplate what changes are needed within our own department to work hand in hand with Dr. Carter to promote his vision for the university. There is additional work to be done in order for the two of us to engender change within our department. The questions proposed and the answers provided will assist me in further developing my doctoral study regarding quality and how one might incorporate Lean and Six Sigma into higher education. References American Society of Quality. (2008). Six Sigma Black Belt certification. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from http://www.asq.org/certification/six-sigma/index.html Carter, R. L. (2008, Fall). President’s letter. The Johnson C. Smith University Bulletin, 2. 88-99. doi:15.555/GGE.64.1.76-82 Duke, J. B. (1924, December 11). Indenture and deed of trust of personality establishing The Duke Endowment. Retrieved from The Duke Endowment website: http://www.dukeendowment.org/downloads/ind.pdf The Duke Endowment. (2007). Higher education. Retrieved December 14, 2008, from The Duke Endowment website: http://www.dukeendowment.org/education Johnson, D. (2005). Assessment matters: Some issues concerning the supervision and assessment of work-based doctorates. Innovations in Education & Teaching International, 42(1), 87–92. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdweb?did=1157097371&sid=1&Fmt=6&clientId=70192&RQT=309&VName=PQD Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). ( 2010). Name of program [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com. Walden University. (2008a). Walden University DBA finance specialization. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Walden University website: http://www.waldenu.edu/Degree-Programs/Doctorate/18391.htm Walden University. (2008b). Walden University DBA leadership specialization. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Walden University website: http://www.waldenu.edu/Degree-Programs/Doctorate/18427.htm Walden University. (2008c). Walden University outcomes. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Walden University website: http://www.waldenu.edu/c/Student_Catalog/8893_9096.htm