Luck Or Opportunity Essay Essay Example

Luck Or Opportunity Essay Paper Oprah Winfrey, Luck Or Opportunity Assignment: Carefully read the following quote from Oprah Winfrey: Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. What do you think the speaker was trying to say about the notions of luck and opportunity? Do you agree or disagree with the speaker? In a well-developed essay, discuss what you think this quote means and whether you agree with it or not. Use specific examples from your studies, personal experience, and/or observations to support your interpretation. Oprah Winfrey once said, â€Å"Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity†. This can be interpreted as meaning that luck is more than just random chance, or being at the right place at the right time, but that it involves being ready and taking active steps to get to that right place at that right time. Many people make statements such as â€Å"I am lucky to be alive†, â€Å"I am so lucky I won†, and â€Å"I’m just not lucky† and truly believe that luck is something that is beyond their influence or control. They do not think that any amount of preparation would improve their luck since it is just a random event. Some believe that it is a supernatural force similar to a deity that does as it pleases with no method or reason behind its actions and that we are subject to its whim and desires. I disagree with those schools of thought and find my personal opinion in agreement with Ms. Winfrey’s statement. We will write a custom essay sample on Luck Or Opportunity Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Luck Or Opportunity Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Luck Or Opportunity Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Merriam-Webster defines luck in many different ways, but two definitions caught my attention were: â€Å"the things that happen to a person because of chance† and â€Å"success in doing or getting something†. When people hear the word luck, they often think of the former definition. Good examples of this definition in action would be a person playing poker and a person betting on a horse race. In both scenarios, though the players and gamblers do have the opportunity to achieve victory, it is completely determined by factors that are beyond their control. The poker player may have a very good hand of cards and the gambler may have bet on the favorite horse that has won numerous races in the past, but this is not enough to guarantee that they will win as another player might have a better hand or bluff them out of the game and the famed prize-winning horse may suffer an unexpected injury during the race. I do not believe that this common definition of luck is the one tha t Ms. Winfrey had in mind when she made her statement. If the word luck was replaced with that definition in her statement, it would not make much logical sense: the things that happen to a person because of chance [are] a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. Chance, by definition, means â€Å"the way that events happen when they are not planned or controlled by people†. If the chance is not planned or controlled, then it cannot be something influenced by preparation. In my opinion, Ms. Winfrey was referring to the second definition â€Å"success in doing or getting something†. When we substitute the word luck with this definition, the statement is logically valid: success in doing or getting something is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. I believe this is a true statement. Although there is a certain degree of chance still involved (hence the idea of â€Å"meeting opportunity†), taking a proactive role is key and has a positive effect on your chances of achieving success. A good example to illustrate this point is a person seeking a job. If they sit at home and do nothing, then their lack of success is almost guaranteed: since they are neither prepared nor seeking an opportunity, none will come. However, if they take the time to create a detailed resume and cover letter, post their resume online, apply to jobs that fit their level of experience and research the companies they are applying to, practice interview questions, dress appropriately for their interview, and speak confidently and clearly at the interview, they will make themselves a good candidate to a hiring manager. Although their success is not completely guaranteed, they will increase their opportunity, which Merriam-Webster defines as â€Å"a good chance for advancement or progress†. In conclusion, if we want to better understand the meaning of a statement, we need to analyze the person who made it. Oprah Winfrey is an African American woman who grew up in extreme poverty and hardship, experienced many cases of abuse and setbacks, yet still overcame those circumstances to become one of the wealthiest and influential people in the world. Many people say that she is lucky: lucky to be alive, lucky to have overcome, lucky to be rich and famous. Without knowing much else about her, they would assume that her â€Å"luck† was due to random chance, but she is very vocal in expressing her opinions on hard work and achieving success. I would like to close with another statement that she made which coincides with and demonstrates her position on personal responsibility and action: â€Å"What I learned at a very early age was that I was responsible for my life. And as I became more spiritually conscious, I learned that we all are responsible for ourselves, that you create your own reality by the way you think and therefore act. You cannot blame apartheid, your parents, your circumstances, because you are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.† (O Magazine, January 2007).

Collapse of the Roman Empire Essays

Collapse of the Roman Empire Essays Collapse of the Roman Empire Essay Collapse of the Roman Empire Essay The Collapse of the Roman Empire: Military Aspects Modern historians explain the collapse of the western Roman empire in the fourth and fifth centuries in one of two ways. One group follows an institutional approach, which finds the reasons in the long-term and looks closely at internal structures. A second group has adopted a political approach and looks at short term causes of collapse. The long-term approach is the more traditional of the two. This argument suggests that Diocletian (284-305) and Constantine I (305-337) sowed the seeds of collapse. These emperors split the army into border and mobile components. The border troops became soldier-farmers and declined rapidly in efficiency, though they were still paid. Diocletian and Constantine also allowed many barbarians into the army, which had the result of decreasing its fighting efficiency. These historians argue that the weakness of the border troops meant that emperors needed more mobile troops, so they expanded the army. This in turn increased the number of recruits needed, while a simultaneous reluctance of landowners to lose scarce workers led to the recruitment of the militarily inferior barbarians. External problems exacerbated the internal crises of the empire. The small barbarian tribes who had opposed the early empire now banded together to form more powerful confederations such as Goths, Franks and Alamanni. However, some historians are doubtful about the increased power of these groups. Vigorous emperors like Diocletian, Constantine, Constantius II (337-361) and Valentinian I (364-375) kept the barbarians beyond the borders. Then the Huns arrived and drove the Goths into the Empire, defeating the army of Valens (364-378) at Adrianople in 378.

Corporate Financial Reporting and Taxation Essay

Corporate Financial Reporting and Taxation - Essay Example The year 2012 has been marked the company’s growth in the value of net assets. This, therefore, essay covers analysis of the company’s financial statements for the year 2012, risk of a possible corporate failure and the importance of the objectivity and integrity in the preparation of the financial statements (Financial Statement: the IP group, pp. 1-9). Return on capital employed (ROCE) – capital employed is total assets – current liabilities. Therefore, return on capital employed ratio indicates the return generated by every pound invested as capital employed. Concerning the IP group, the ROCE for the year was 15.5%. The interpretation of the ratio goes that in 2012, 15.5% of the company’s net profit was generated by the company’s capital employed. This ratio can also be used by investors to determine the required rate of return on investments. Generally, a lower return on capital employed than the cost of capital is not preferable to investors (Duncan Hughes, Asset management in theory and practice, pp. 42-44). Net profit margin – the ratio indicates a company’s financial health after meeting the cost of sales and the operating expenses. It also indicates the company’s ability to pay for future operating costs. Concerning the IP group, the ratio for 2012 was 77.5%. This means that in the year 2012, 77.5% % of the total revenue were net profit, whereas, the remaining 22.5% of sales were consumed by the company’s operating costs. From this analysis, it can be concluded that the level of operational efficiency for IP group was high due to the effective cost management strategy. (Sarngadharan M. & Kumar R. S. Financial analysis for management decisions, pp. 121-135). Net profit margin before tax – this ratio shows how well a company manages its operating expenses. The higher the ratio, the lower the operating expenses of a company. The opposite is true.

Business in Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business in Literature - Essay Example In the novel The Ladies Paradise, the new recruit Denise is not used to displaying her salesgirl charm and feel violated, defenseless and naked because she is treated like a machine for modeling clothes. The job requirement was that the women had â€Å"to be attractive for the sales rooms† she consents to be attractive according to the stores standards to the leering men and the unethical Monsieur Jouve who would harass the girls that worked in the store by forcing them to buy into his good-will and making sexual advances towards them which was seen as a privilege given his position as the owner. This goes against the moral concept of the market as the Monsieur is only seeking to maximize his profit in this case his sexual gratification. The fulfillment of self-interest will contribute to the common good in the market according to John Stuart Mill; the Mauss theory acknowledges that the market cannot ignore the ethics of self interest in the market. His anthropology is based o n the aspect of giving and receiving in the market as a basis for social integration that is important in the economic interactions. Honesty and respect acknowledges the morality of exchange and interdependence of social relations in the market. Mauss anthropology emphasizes that responsibility is a fundamental constituent of ethical subjectivity therefore responsibility for other human beings legitimizes economic actions. Tono Bungay novel offers an ethical critique of the impact of the late nineteenth century capitalist modernization in the homeland. The story also traces the effects of the accelerated economic transformation to the social arrangements and classes in the society. The ethical dilemma arises where the aristocrat society subjects the bourgeoisie to exploitation and machinations in entrepreneurship. There is a struggle of capital and labour. This also describes the modern

The United States' Invasion of Afghanistan Assignment

The United States' Invasion of Afghanistan - Assignment Example As a superpower, the United States interferes with the affairs of Afghanistan though it is a sovereign nation. Machiavelli’s theory on moral tradition condemns immoral practices that States use to maintain power. The theory advocates for diplomacy because morality is the basis of constituting governments. Based on a realist perspective, the US was not strategic when invading Afghanistan making their invasion qualify as intimidation as noted by Fiscus (1969). The US did not adhere to the principles of diplomacy that Machiavelli advocated for in his literary works. Instead, they focus on Machiavellism while carrying out their mission. Machiavelli believed that morals should guide nations in their pursuit. Therefore, it was unethical for the United States to use force though they claim that they are merchants of peace. It would have been better for the United States to refrain from using force while promoting stability in different places around the globe (Fiscus 2001). Politics should not be divorced from ethics as evident during invasion of

Findings Chapter on Resilience Research

Findings Chapter on Resilience Research Chapter four: Stage 1 qualitative data collection, analysis and empirical findings Introduction This chapter discusses the first stage of empirical study, including its data collection, data analysis and findings. This chapter discusses how different data collection and analysis methods were used during the research to find answers to the research questions. In particular, this chapter describes the use of semi-structured interview method to collect data for the research (next section). Sampling techniques used for the study are discussed, followed by the development of interview questions and process of conducting interviews. Then the qualitative data analysis approach will be discussed. Empirical findings of the stage one are presented and explained in detail. This chapter will also highlight the contribution to the concept of resilience. This would be achieved through incorporating empirical findings to refine the Proactive Performance Measurement for SC resilience (2PM-SCR) framework earlier developed from the literature. Four matrices have been developed to define the relations between the three main constructs of supply chain resilience: risks, KPIs, and capabilities. Sampling technique The number and content of interviews was based non-probability sampling techniques; Purposive (Judgmental), and Snowball sampling. The initial participant sample is based on the participants interest to participate in the research. In purposive sampling, participants were selected based on pre-selected criteria which will best enable the researcher to answer the research questions. Thus, purposive sampling ensures adequate representation of important themes. Then each interviewee was asked towards the end of the interview whom they may think would be suitable for a similar interview and who may be knowledgeable about the phenomena (snowball sampling). Thus, recommendations will be taken from people who know people who know that they are suitable for similar lines on questioning around the research framework. Purposive sampling represents a group of different non-probability sampling techniques. Also known as judgmental, selective or subjective sampling, purposive sampling relies on the judgement of the researcher when it comes to selecting the units (e.g., people, cases/organisations, events, pieces of data) that are to be studied. Usually, the sample being investigated is quite small, especially when compared with probability sampling techniques. In purposive sampling technique, the suitable interview participants were identified through industry contacts after they have been assessed based on the following criteria as stated earlier: The sample should be from the FMCG industry covering any of the FMCG categories such as (Food, Home, Personal Care, Agriculture, Retail, Medicinal Herbs, Bakery, Beverages, Dairy products, fast food) The company must be at least medium-sized (From 10 to 249 Employee) or Large-sized (Greeter than 249 Employees). SC manager interviewed must have a level of experience of more than 5 years. Company Type / Function ( Manufacture Distributor Supplier Retailer) To cover at least 3 categories of FMCG The sample should provide access to its key information (primary data) In application to my research, two informal meetings were conducted with experts from the SC Council Middle East Chapter based in Egypt. I was recommended to look for 35 companies from the FMCG that have appropriate SC activities. So I have emailed all the 35 companies and I have got 25 responses out of the 35 that were willing to participate in my research. From those 25 companies, 5 companies were neglected because either their SC activities are very limited or the people involved in the SC activities have less than 5 years of experience which will subsequently give a lack of understanding of the issue of y research. After the 25 companies were chosen, snowball sampling was obtained by asking participants to suggest someone else who was appropriate for the study. For example, Americana Olives SC manager was asked to suggest other companies which could contribute to the research, he recommended Americana Cakes SC manager. Nevertheless, based on the researcher knowledge and judgement , some companies were found to be not suitable for this research. In order to have a good sample to the research, 30 companies have been chosen that apply to the criterias that previously stated. The companies were selected by taking into consideration their position in the FMCG SC (i.e. supplier/manufacturer/distributor/retailer). It is essential to have companies that are continuously managing their SC in order to get a deeper understanding of the risks and different problems that face the entire network. The companies shall continuously manage their SC and be medium sized or big companies. Its important to get interviews with people with the right competence within the company in order to get the most insight from the interviews. Each expert who participated in the interview had direct involvement of the respective SCM position in MER and they all had direct work experience in supply chain for more than 10 years which indicates the high level of skills, in the field of supply chain. The choice to use a smaller number of cases were deliberate as it makes it possible to have  a more in depth study of the cases and is in this case more suitable. All interviewees were contacted over the phone by explaining the research topic, research questions, objectives and purpose of the interviews, in order to obtain their consent to participate in the interviews. All interviews were conducted on-site and were audio recorded with the consent of participants for word-for-word transcribing purposes. One interview was on average of 1.5 to 2 hours in duration. More information about the interviews will be discussed in the next section. The data collection will help in generating theory by jointly collecting data and analysing them to be the building block of the iterative conceptual model. Saunders et al. (2009) suggest to continuingly collect qualitative data such as by conducting additional interviews, until data saturation is reached; in other words until the additional data collected provides few, if any, new insights. In this study, interviews were conducted with 30 companies in the FMCG industry. Moreover, to cover different sectors in the industry; such as diary, food, retailers, and healthcare. Interviewing the 30 companies helped to gain adequate information to be able to generalize the findings. Apparently, there was an intention to involve a larger sample size since different participants might have different opinions and perceptions. But as the same time, if a large sample is used, data becomes repetitive (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). This is called the saturation point when the collection of new data wont add further insight to the research performed. The idea of data saturation in studies is important; nevertheless, it does not provide a practical guide for when this point has been touched (Guest et al., 2006). Moreover, authors argued that analysing interview results can be one of the methods that help to figure out the point at which data saturation has been attained (Bernard, 2012). Thus, owing to the exploratory nature of this research, saturation was not less below the 30 companies interviewed since new risks, capabilities, and KPIs were explored based on the companys place in the network (i.e. supplier/manufacturer/distributor/retailer) and the category of FMCG underneath the company falls. Empirical data collection After setting the criteria for the companies that could be part of this research, it has been assured that each SC manager who participated had direct involvement of the respective SCM position in MER and they all had direct work experience in SC for at least five years which indicated the high level of skills in the field of SC as previously stated in the previous section. The 30 companies have experience in SC shown in Table 4.1 representing manufacturing, supplier, distribution and retail sectors in MER. The category, country, company, size, level of experience, and the type of the company are shown in the columns of Table 4.1. The number of employees column provides an indication of the company size. In other words, the sample consists of mid and large scale companies with various business natures. Moreover, an interview template (see Appendix 1) was developed and used for this study and there was always freedom for participants to express their ideas with respect to the context being discussed. For further details about the background of the companies please check Appendix 1. Table 4.1: Summary of the companies involved in the empirical phase Category Country Interview with Food 8 Multinational 15 Supply chain top and middle management 5 Home and Personal Care 1 Local 15 Supply chain top management 25 Food and Personal Care 1 Company Size Type Agriculture 1 Medium-sized 2 Manufacture Distributor 13 Retail 4 Large-sized 28 Manufacture Distributor Supplier 10 Agriculture and Medicinal Herbs 1 Experience Manufacturer 1 Food and Bakery 1 More than 15 years 10 Retailer 4 Beverage 2 More than 10 years 9 Manufacture Retail 2 Dairy 5 More than 20 years 3 Medicinal Herbs 1 More than 5 years 6 Fast Food 2 More than 25 years 2 Dairy and Cheese 3 Conducting interviews The interviews were conducted in person to over a period of 15 months from May 2015 to August 2016. Interview times ranged from 90 minutes to 120 minutes, depending on the interviewees schedule and availability. Ethical issues have been considered as stated earlier through gaining informed consent and making confirming that the interview data will be treated as confidential to be used only for research purpose. Thus, a permission of audio recording the interviews was asked for in the beginning of the interview. The audio files were highly useful to help transcribe all interviews word-for-word in order to reduce the biasness and increase the reliability and validity of the research by obtaining confirmation for each transcription from respective interview participant. Moreover, this was because taking notes during the interviews might cause the researcher to lose focus of important data. Additionally, notes taking consume time due to interview time limitation. The researcher started the interview by introducing himself and giving an overall brief about the research conducted. Then, respondents were free to express themselves on any question asked. The interview template consists of nine sections (See Appendix 1). It starts with general questions asking about the company and the interviewee, then general specific SC questions are asked to know an overview of how the network looks like. Then, the researcher gets more specific sections to ask about the four main SC functions; purchasing, warehousing, planning, and logistics. The last three sections are concerned about the risks that the company faces, and a section asking about the risks facing the entire SC, and a final section questions regarding the SC resilience awareness, SC capabilities and resilience KPIs. After each question, the researcher confirmed with the interviewees about the meaning of their answers to make sure that the answers are well understood. Moreover, asking open-ended questions gave the interviewees to incorporate more data, themes, and attitudes towards some issues that may be useful while analysing the data collected. However, the intention of the interview questions was not just to confirm the important factors in the literature but rather to discover other new factors to be able to refine the 2PM-SCR conceptual framework pre-developed earlier. Data analysis process Qualitative data analysis consists of identifying, coding, and categorizing patterns or themes found in the data. The analytical skills of the researcher highly affects the clarity and relevance of the findings. Consequently, these skills would be either a great strength or weakness of any qualitative based research. However, it is crucial that the researcher reports and documents the analytic processes and procedures fully and truthfully so that others can evaluate the credibility of the researcher and their findings (Braun and Clarke, 2006). The Qualitative analysis process as proposed by Creswell (2009) starts by data collection and management, then the raw data are organized to be coded and described, after that comes the stage of conceptualization, classifying, categorizing, and identifying themes to be connected and interrelated together. At last, it is the interpretation process by creating explanatory accounts that provide meanings to the identified themes. The data collected through semi-structured interviews were qualitative data of participants opinions and ideas on the subject being discussed. Each interview audio file was transcribed word- for-word in order to avoid missing any element from the responses given by the interview participant. The analysis of the data started with some prior knowledge, initial analytic interests and thoughts. The transcription process was also an excellent way for the researcher to begin the process of familiarizing themselves with the interview data and creating meanings from them. According to Bird (2005), transcription is a key phase of data analysis within an interpretative qualitative methodology. The majority of the recorded interviews were first translated from Arabic into English and then transcribed. Therefore, during this stage, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the collected data to the extent that he was familiar with the depth and breadth of the content. Afterwards, transcripts were carefully edit ed to clean them from irrelevant phrases which were not relevant to the interview topic. A combination of two qualitative data analysis methods have been used (see Figure 4.1) to analyse the cleaned transcripts: thematic analysis (Tharenou et al., 2007; King and Horrocks, 2010) and comparative analysis (Miles and Huberman, 1994; Dawson, 2002). The thematic analysis has been used to allow new SC resilience themes (i.e. capabilities, KPIs and risks in this case) to emerge by coding openly and to confirm existing themes from the transcripts and documents, whilst comparative analysis method has been used to examine the set of themes across the 30 companies to detect the strength of evidence from empirical data (Dawson, 2002; Tharenou et al., 2007). The coding step comprised 3 key activities: identifying and confirming the themes of what, how, why and with-what for the risks, capabilities, and KPIs based on the frequency of occurrence of empirical data support from the 30 companies. Then the categories were derived and the findings were associated to relevant categories/topic s in order to increase the understanding of integrative work on SC resilience. Finally, the initial conceptual framework was refined, by integrating and summarizing the empirical findings. Since there was a high volume of interview data, NVIVO software was used in this research because it has various advantages, such as reducing the manual tasks and giving more time to discover tendencies, recognize themes and derive conclusions (Wong, 2008). Figure 4.1: Qualitative Data Analysis steps Integrating thematic and comparative analysis methods Thematic analysis and comparative analysis were used in order to analyse qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with SC managers from the 30 FMCG Companies. The themes were identified through coded data and categorized using thematic analysis. Therefore, thematic analysis should be seen as a foundational approach for qualitative analysis and can be defined as an approach that is used for identifying, extracting, analyzing and reporting patterns (themes) within the collected textual materials and then organizing and describing those themes in detail (Braun Clarke 2006). The step of generating the initial codes started when the researcher had become familiar with the data through the generation of an initial list of ideas about what was in the data and what was interesting about them. The QSR NVIVO was used to perform the second step of the data analysis. This was done by grouping and naming selections from the text within each data item. As suggested by Braun and Clarke (2006), the researcher coded as many potential themes and patterns as possible as it is never possible to know what might become of interest later on. The result of this step was a long list of the different codes that the researcher had identified across the data. In searching for themes, there was a need to re-focus the analysis at a broader level than had been undertaken with the codes. This required sorting and organizing all the different relevant codes into potential themes. This step ended when a collection of possible themes and sub-themes was generated, together with related codes. A thematic map was then refined to consider whether the collated codes for each theme appeared to form a coherent pattern, whether the individual theme was valid in relation to the entire data set, and if the thematic map accurately reflected the meanings evident in the data set as a whole (Braun Clarke 2006). After the step of searching for themes, the researcher came up with a set of themes. Throughout the analysis, the researcher identified a number of themes following the three phases underlined by King and Horrocks (2010): [1] Descriptive coding (first-order codes): the researcher classifies the transcribed data from the interviews that allocates descriptive codes and help in answering the research questions. [2] Interpretative coding (second-order themes): The descriptive codes allocated which seems to carry common meaning are grouped allocated are grouped and an interpretive code is created. [3] Defining overarching themes (aggregate dimensions): Overarching themes that can describe the main concepts in the analysis are identified. In application to this research, the second-order themes were identified using first-order codes, and they were categorized as aggregated dimensions to reveal the main categories of risks, capabilities, and KPIs. The comparative analysis is closely connected to thematic analysis (Dawson, 2002) and used with thematic analysis in this research. Using this method, data from different companies is compared and contrasted and the analysis continues until finding got saturated from the data collected. Comparative and thematic analyses are frequently used together within the same research data analysis, through moving backwards and forwards between transcripts, memos, notes and the literature in order to confirm the themes emerged through thematic analysis (Dawson, 2002; King and Horrocks, 2010). Comparative analysis was used to confirm the second-order themes discovered in the empirical findings for the three main SC constructs (risks, capabilities, and KPIs) to identify the similarities, agreements, and dis-agreements across the 30 companies interviewed. Consistent with the scaling structure adopted by Rihoux and Ragin (2008) shown in Table 4.2, the second-order themes are counted based on how frequently is referred to in the empirical data. Triple ticks (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) represent strong evidence, double ticks (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) represent average evidence, single tick (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) represents weak evidence, and no ticks represent no evidence supported. Table 4.2: Scales used for comparative analysis Scale Symbol Frequency ofoccurrence No evidence [blank] Zero Weak evidence à ¢Ã…“â€Å" Between 1 and 4 (1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤xà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤4) Average evidence à ¢Ã…“â€Å"à ¢Ã…“â€Å" Between 5 and 8 (5à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤xà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤8) Strong evidence à ¢Ã…“â€Å"à ¢Ã…“â€Å"à ¢Ã…“â€Å" More than or equal 9 (9à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤x) Source: Rihoux and Ragin (2008) Empirical findings that have been presented in narrative discussion above, will be analysed with existing studies. The purpose of this analysis is to examine whether evidences confirm, unconfirmed or existing studies. comparative analysis used  particularly to confirm the discovery of knowledge determinates and knowledge flows  (in the knowledge network model) revealed through thematic analysis. Empirical findings from stage one The most common way of writing up the thematic  analysis is to describe and discuss each overarching theme in turn, stating examples from the data and using quotes to facilitate theme characterisation.Braun and Clarke  (2006) argue that the aim of compiling the thematic analysis is not merely a descriptive  summary of the content of the theme, but rather building a narrative that informs the  reader how research findings have cast light upon the issue in hand. Moreover, Symon  and Cassell (2012) highlighted that whatever approach is selected, the use of direct  quotes from the participants is necessary. These quotes should normally include both  short quotes to aid the understanding of specific points of interpretation and more  extensive passages would provide readers a flavour of the original texts.

World War II Essay -- History, War

World War II brought peace and economic prosperity to the Allied nations, which allowed for the fertility rate in North America to increase. This caused an explosion in the population of the U.S. especially, with around 78 million babies born by the end of the 1940s-1960s, according to Colombia Dictionary. Similarly, Canada experienced a surge of 479,000 babies following the 1950s (Henripin, Krotki 1). A large population amounts to a shift in demographics, and subsequently the social system of North America started to change gradually in order to adapt to the new baby boom generation. As a result of a new economic affluence in the continent, North American society became materialistic and consumerism seized a big part of the economy (Owram 309). Children became an important demographic for companies, leading to the toy industry benefitting and expanding (Gillion 5). Technology advanced considerably, too: in the 1950s, the television became a ground-breaking medium that helped people spread ideas, see what was going on in their country and the rest of the world, much like what the printing press did for the Renaissance. Although the post-WWII baby boom only occurred in a few countries, namely the U.S. and Canada, this time period transformed the West and the world immensely—the areas of life that were affected during the baby boom went on to greatly influence later generations and decades due to the change and reform it yielded, which replaced the outdated and unethical traditions of the old West and the world. Prevailing social and political attitudes of the baby boom were much more liberal than they were in the pre-war decades. Numerous social issues found their way into the spotlight, such as women's rights and the sexual rev... ...ame needs as an effect of consumerism on the baby boom generation. The same materialism of the 1950s conceived a new consciousness in the 1960s, equating to new values for the baby boom generation, such as self-actualization, social consciousness and tolerance. During the 1950s, the U.S. achieved the highest standard of living in the world, metamorphosing the working class into the new middle class (Monhollon xvi). The richest generation in North American history and the 21st century has left behind a plethora of valuable lessons that will not be forgotten soon. In conclusion, the baby boom, which lead to a long cycle of prosperity and growth in the post-WWII years is crucial because it redefined the traditional and rigid values people wrongfully harbored in the past and spearheaded dramatic change on a global level, bringing the West and the World closer than ever.

Compare the way the poets write about love Essay

A sonnet is traditionally a love poem, with 14 lines and generally ending with a couplet. The two sonnets I am comparing discuss the nature of love, but portray two completely different relationships between lovers. While Browning’s poem is an ode to a pure, simple and almost childlike love, Shakespeare’s is a critique of his relationship, in which both sides play a game of double-bluff. This poem mocks the idea of true love. We sense simply from the titles that, while Browning’s â€Å"Sonnet† is an expression of heartfelt emotions, Shakespeare’s â€Å"Sonnet 138† is just another meaningless work out of many, perhaps like his mistresses. Browning’s work is extremely feminine and is almost certainly about her husband, as she was married, as opposed to the masculine view of women in Shakespeare’s era that mistresses were disposable. I believe that Shakespeare has written this sonnet about a mistress rather than his wife, Anne Hathaway, because the untruthfulness in the relationship shows a lack of commitment between the two lovers. In these poems, the attitudes of the poets to their relationships and partners are extremely different. When Browning says, â€Å"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach†, she implies that she cannot live without her lover, so of course this is why she stays with him. However, in Shakespeare’s case, he stays with his mistress because he knows he is past his prime and no longer a handsome, young virile man. Her lies of being faithful and her reassuring him that he is young in her mind flatter his ego, despite his knowledge of her untruthfulness. Perhaps by saying â€Å"thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young†, he is trying to make himself believe this, because he says, â€Å"Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue†, so he actually respects her for considering his feelings. He cannot be angry with her for lying to him because he reciprocates in the matter. He is happy in the situation, and believes that his lover thinks he is nai ve and â€Å"unlearned in the world’s false subtleties†. He seems to fear being alone and not being able to obtain another mistress. This is in sharp contrast to Browning’s sense of security with her lover, and feeling of openness and honesty. There is a quality of immortality to her love that is suggested in the phrase, â€Å"I shall but love thee better after death†. The nature of the two relationships differ a great deal ; we sense that , while Browning conveys a love that is very spiritual and uncomplicated, Shakespeare’s relationship is more sexual without much actual love. Religious words and imagery, such as â€Å"Grace†, â€Å"Praise†, â€Å"Faith†, â€Å"Candlelight† and â€Å"God† are used to reinforce the feeling of purity in â€Å"Sonnet†. Meanwhile, in â€Å"Sonnet 138†, Shakespeare says, â€Å"Therefore I lie with her, and her with me†, using the double entendre of sex as well as untruthfulness and suggests that he has purely sexual motives for being in the relationship. He poses the idea that they are kept together by the fact that they lie to each other, because he creates the situation of them in bed together as they have not broken up as a result of being truthful. The language used in both poems gives more reinforcement the conflict between the two sonnets. In â€Å"Sonnet†, many of the lines begin simply with the words, â€Å"I love thee†. This simplistic, repetitive style gives Browning’s piece a childlike quality and supports the message of innocence that is interweaved into the poem. She says she loves him with her â€Å"childhood’s Faith†, showing that she loves him wholeheartedly and has no doubts, like a child loves it’s parent because they know no better. She could therefore see her husband as a father figure as he protects her and gives her stability. On the other hand, language is used to the opposite effect in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Sonnet 138†. The childhood aspect of this poem is related to gullibility. He makes use of negative words such as â€Å"lies†, â€Å"unjust†, â€Å"untutor’d† and â€Å"false† to show that he does not believe in love. Using these words in rhyming couplets – â€Å"lies† and â€Å"subtleties† – even more pronounces the negative imagery. The sonnet out of the two that I prefer is â€Å"Sonnet 138† by Shakespeare. This is because he has made a break from the traditional style of sonnets, which usually exhault the ideal of love and describe it in all it’s beauty. He takes the idea of love and almost mocks it, satirising the orthodox style of other sonnets. More complex language is used within the sonnet, unlike Browning’s simple prose. The impact of both of the poems is that they make us think about love in very different ways.

Media Influence On Nursing Image

?The media and especially Hollywood have been one of the most influential factors on how the public view nursing as a profession. As nurses we need to recognize both the negative and positive images the media have on nursing and try in our day to day interactions with the general public to change these perceptions. Negative stereotypes are everywhere and involve almost everyone no matter what profession or business you are in. A nurse has long been stereotyped as â€Å"helper† and still is in today’s world.Many patients I work with now still feel that, when they are admitted to the hospital the nurse is to do everything for them including catering to their activities of daily living, although they can do it themselves. For example, I assist a patient out of bed to the wash basin to wash their face and brush their teeth and they sit waiting for the nurse to come in and perform these tasks as’ it is their duty’. Here I have to redirect and encourage them to do as much as the can and staff will assist to take of the rest. It is safe to say the media and especially television seem to get a’ kick’ out of portraying nurses negatively.Almost all TV shows I can think of portray nurses in a negative way. Although there may be a positive as seen in ‘Mercy’ where the doctor told the interns, ‘these are the nurses, they should be your be your best friend, they most times know more than you do’ holds so much truth in that statement and should be seen as a positive. The same show over shadows this positive with numerous negative behaviors of the same nurses. I am not a big fan of television but happened to see one episode of’ Nurse Jackie’ that made me very upset. I can just imagine the negative image of the uneducated public watching such a television show.At Halloween the nurse is portrayed as a sex symbol in tight, short and skimpy costumes, when in fact nurses are neatly attired and depict professionalism on and off the job. It is our duty as nurses to practice professionalism at all times so that the public can differentiate the Hollywood portrayed TV nurse as opposed to the professional nurse they will meet in the healthcare system. We can talk to the public at health fairs, church, schools etc. about the nurse’s roles and scope in nursing practice so they will have informed impressions of nurses. Media Influence On Nursing Image The media and especially Hollywood have been one of the most influential factors on how the public view nursing as a profession. As nurses we need to recognize both the negative and positive images the media have on nursing and try in our day to day interactions with the general public to change these perceptions. Negative stereotypes are everywhere and involve almost everyone no matter what profession or business you are in. A nurse has long been stereotyped as â€Å"helper† and still is in today’s world.Many patients I work with now still feel that, when they are admitted to the hospital the nurse is to do everything for them including catering to their activities of daily living, although they can do it themselves. For example, I assist a patient out of bed to the wash basin to wash their face and brush their teeth and they sit waiting for the nurse to come in and perform these tasks as’ it is their duty’. Here I have to redirect and encourage them to d o as much as the can and staff will assist to take of the rest. It is safe to say the media and especially television seem to get a’ kick’ out of portraying nurses negatively.Almost all TV shows I can think of portray nurses in a negative way. Although there may be a positive as seen in ‘Mercy’ where the doctor told the interns, ‘these are the nurses, they should be your be your best friend, they most times know more than you do’ holds so much truth in that statement and should be seen as a positive. The same show over shadows this positive with numerous negative behaviors of the same nurses. I am not a big fan of television but happened to see one episode of’ Nurse Jackie’ that made me very upset. I can just imagine the negative image of the uneducated public watching such a television show.At Halloween the nurse is portrayed as a sex symbol in tight, short and skimpy costumes, when in fact nurses are neatly attired and depict p rofessionalism on and off the job. It is our duty as nurses to practice professionalism at all times so that the public can differentiate the Hollywood portrayed TV nurse as opposed to the professional nurse they will meet in the healthcare system. We can talk to the public at health fairs, church, schools etc. about the nurse’s roles and scope in nursing practice so they will have informed impressions of nurses.

The Atomic Cafe Essays

The Atomic Cafe Essays The Atomic Cafe Essay The Atomic Cafe Essay He stated that the mob would not start a chain reaction in the water, converting it all to gas and making all the ships in the ocean drop down to the bottom. He continued by saying the bomb would also not blow out the bottom of the sea and let water run down the hole. It would not destroy gravity and lastly he stressed that he was not performing this test to satisfy any of his personal desires or whims. When I saw this clip in both films, I thought that it seemed silly to think that had even a possibility of happening UT later on in the movie, I started to see how frequently people worried about the A- bomb and I probably would have been equally as worried if I grew up during that era. Something that The Atomic Cafe © incorporated into the film that I had not seen elsewhere was the use of U. S. Army training videos and Army information films. One of the training videos showed a communist advocate and then showed U. S. Oldies telling her to be thankful for the country she lives in because she would not have the opportunity to openly protest over in Russia. This then lead into the discussion of the Rosenberg spies and their execution. The film showed the protests of their death and signs that read: Dont fry them, theyll stink too bad and Dont let two children be orphaned. Radio clips allowed the whole execution processed to be documented and presented to the American public. The A tomic Cafe © definitely incorporates many propaganda clips that were most likely used to persuade Americans to accept the A-bomb. For instance, there were any clips of more experienced soldiers assuring younger soldier that the tests are safe and equipping them with safety precautions such as film badges that supposedly could detect lethal doses of radiation. The film also showed clips of classrooms where the youth were being educated with duck and cover techniques and learning how to pack survival kits in case they ever needed to live in a bomb shelter. Homes at this time were even adding bomb shelters to their layout, which a clip humorously added, any mother needs for days when her children are too hectic. There were critics to these methods of spreading information who believed that it was implanting ideas into the heads of Americans and Russians that would get them thinking more about the possibility of war. I enjoyed viewing The Atomic Cafe © because it showed more of the effects of propaganda during the era of the A-bomb. There were many film clips of dancing, cheering and lots of uplifting music that I can understand lifting citizens spirits during a time where many lived in fear. The first hand testimonies that I enjoyed in owe media was meant to positively alter a persons opinion on nuclear weapons. Its also important to note that the film pokes fun of the propaganda used at this time without altering it in anyway. The ending was also effective because throughout the film, you are persuaded that the bomb is a positive thing and then it explodes and you are left with your own reaction to determine for yourself if you were prepared or caught off-guard from the explosion, Just as anyone from this time period had to determine.

How has Human Civilization Advanced Because of our Knowledge of Fluid Essay

How has Human Civilization Advanced Because of our Knowledge of Fluid Mechanics - Essay Example s a diverse field in physics that have several branches such as fluid dynamics that studies effects of forces on fluid motion, fluid statics that studies fluids at rest, and fluid kinematics that studies fluids in motion. Fluid mechanics works hand in hand with hydraulics and has existed for a long time. Engineers also use fluid mechanics in aerodynamics when designing planes, ships, trains, and cars, designing mechanical systems such as engines and machines and town planning (Braben 45). Fluid mechanics has solved many problems since the ancient civilization to the modern world. In fluid mechanics, Civil engineers try to solve problems in floods by constructing better bridges and roads; they solve drainage problems by designing proper sewage systems, and design underground aquifers that supply water. The existence of fluid mechanics has contributed largely in the advancement of human civilization by affecting many areas. In the ancient civilization, many countries such as Egypt, India, China, and the Mayan people in South America used fluid mechanics in the construction of many structures. In the present day, application of fluid mechanics is seen in the construction of water reservoirs such as dams, wells, and boreholes. These serve humans in storage of water required for irrigation and drinking. Wells have existed since the ancient civilization, and they are actually used in the analysis of fluid mechanics. Other constructions include dams and boreholes (Braben 52). In the ancient civilization, human beings used pumps that dug shallow wells and boreholes. There was no technology to help dig deeper ones, and the pumps were manual and driven by hand. This caused contamination of water most of the times and people died of water borne diseases. In the present day, engineers use electrical and automated machines to drill deep wells and boreholes of up to 100 to 400 feet and this has helped a lot in solving such a problem. Unlike in the past where people went to

The Total Gross External Area of the Building Research Paper

The Total Gross External Area of the Building - Research Paper Example Viewing the property from all directions the building is not been altered since construction, the walls are made of bricks and covered by a tile roofing which is still in good condition. The ground floor contains a kitchen, dining and living, and a garage attached to the side of the building. The first floor contains 4 bedrooms of which one is the master bedroom and bathroom. All the rooms in the house are fully furnished. The house is located within an already established residential estate. It is located at the junction of Worthing road and north road in the west of Sussex. The exterior walls, on the other hand, are made of brick and the inside is finished with solid concrete, the floor is made of thick concrete which is in good condition and no sign of dampness was evident. The reinstatement cost is the cost that may be incurred in the rebuilding of a house, Household insurance is calculated in two parts, this includes building an insurance and content insurance, building insuranc es cover the building and other building fittings, content insurance on the hand covers. There are various methods used in the valuation of buildings, in our case we have used the Gross external area method in estimating the value of the residential property, the residential property market price is 299,995 while the estimated value is 263,000 and given the condition of the house the market price is much higher than the estimated price, therefore the house is far overvalued in the market and purchasing the house may lead to resale problems in the future.