The Sundale Clubs

The Sundale Club I. Problems A. Macro 1. Division within organization due to poor relationships among personnel. 2. Lack of leadership and direction within organization. B. Micro 1. Johnson’s (reputed) behavior. 2. Loss of members. 3. Chain-of-command difficulties: Frank Havens unable to talk to boss, Bob Watts uninterested in problem. 4. Poor staff morale; treatment of Pat indicates problem. II. Causes 1. No recognition/follow-through for staff. Pat overlooked for promotion. 2.Personal relationship between Chuck Johnson and Ted Ellis detracts from goals of organization and from staff morale. 3. Bob’s upcoming retirement detracts from interest in problems. III. Systems affected 1. Structural – personal relationships and director’s lack of interest hurt chain-of-command effectiveness. 2. Psychosocial – low morale within staff due to favoritism, disinterest, loss of membership, lack of direction of system. 3. Technical – none apparent. 4. Manag erial – organization’s purpose and source of money undermined by personal interests and lack of direction.Managers who had authority, such as Bob Watts, are unwilling to take action. 5. Goals and values – there is no sense organization goals among management or staff despite declining membership. Staff and even some managers are increasingly interested in protecting their jobs or finding another job elsewhere. Consequently, there is little concern for providing service to the membership. IV. Alternatives 1. Leave as is. 2. Let Bob Watts retire; explain problem to new director. 3. Unite staff (as Carol has started); include in meeting with new director/board. 4.Carol Happ hire OD practitioner to intervene and unite staff, but this will be difficult as Watts seems to be â€Å"coasting† until retirement. V. Recommendations Realistically, not much can happen until Bob Watts retires. Before Watts retires, some of the staff could unite under the leadership of C arol Happ and meet with Bob. But this has definite risks, particularly for any staff under Ted Ellis. Approach Watts from viewpoint of helping increase memberships and how unity, etc. , is needed for this to occur. If Happ and the staff can gain Watts’ support, hire an external OD practitioner.

Book Critique Family to Family Essay

Author Information The authors of the book are Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee. Content Summary In the book, Family to Family, Families Making a Difference, the writers detail the major premise of the work within its first few pages: â€Å"Family to Family will help you discover God’s purpose for your family, develop a family mission statement, establish core values, make time for quality and quantity family time centered around God’s purposes, and equip you to lead your children to Christ and mentor them spiritually† (3). The book’s purpose is to maximize family time in the Lord, bringing family members closer together by helping them actualize their standing first in Christ, and then as they relate and interact with each other. The book promotes the idea of discovering â€Å"the critical link between being on mission as a family and passing the baton of your faith on to your children† (3). This line of thought is prevalent in the book and it seems to summarize the mission of the writers. The book views itself as being based and rooted in the solid foundation of the scriptures, and the authors express as much: â€Å"The bottom line–God’s plan for the family has been revealed in His Word†¦ The success of our families will be determined by our commitment to know and live the principles of God’s Word† (3). In the first chapter of the book, the writers make the contention that many families are not healthy and are not spending quality time with one another. The writers reference research gathered from The American Family Association and George Barna. Through the accumulated research, the writers state that, â€Å"only 34 percent of America’s families eat one meal together each day. (In addition) the average father spends only eight to 10 minutes a day with his children. This includes meal times.† (6) Another alarming statistic that they present to their audience is that â€Å"only 12 percent of America’s families pray together, (and) the average couple spends only four minutes of uninterrupted time together a day† (6). After the writers finish sharing some alarming statistics, they proceed to identify what a healthy Christian family should look like. They call for persons to examine their own families and to ask the following questions: Is it a cohesive unit or a disjointed collection of individuals? Is it on mission for God or unsure of its mission? Is it flowing or fumbling? Disciplined or destructive? Purposeful or pointless (7)? From the second chapter onward, the writers seek to allow the book to serve as a guide to nurture an unhealthy family as they move towards an improved level of spiritual health. The writers begin by proposing a family mission statement, stating that, â€Å"A family mission statement will serve as a centerline and guardrails for your family on the road through life† (25). The writers lead us on an extensive exposition on the importance of a familial mission statement and how to initiate one and incorporate one into our families. In chapter two, they present seven realities, which are geared towards accepting and incorporating the fact that God is and can be an ever-present reality within your family. The writers then discuss the importance of teaching and sharing the Gospel with children. They present the fact that 90 percent of all Christians have accepted Jesus before the age of 25, and therefore, place a premium on passing the baton onto the next generation as early as we can (51). The remainder of the book becomes a summary of other evangelical programs and ideas, shared in an effort to encourage the entire family to become an evangelizing force together. They include the models of concentric circles (75) and other familial evangelistic ideas, which are geared towards the family being unified and presenting that unification before others as a witness to their unity in Christ. In the final chapter of the book, the writers detail the importance of Biblical based evangelism for all of those persons involved in the family unit. The writers advocate what they call the FIRM approach to evangelism, which involves: F – ask about family, I – ask about their interests-listen, R – ask about religion-listen, and M – share the message (114-115). Lastly, the writers provide some practical methods for sharing the Gospel, which include some scripture memorization and tips on a salvation-testimony presentation. Evaluation The book seeks to establish a rationale for the disunity of the modern family and then to provide mechanisms to promote unity within the family through the Word, then to evangelize through the family as a united front in Christ. The book is short, efficient and to the point. It allows for easy reading and presents an effective rationale for families being unified first in Christ (with each other), and then presenting that unification as an active, vibrant testimony to others. The writers identify early on that this is a book for families in crisis, and the greatest contributing factor to that difficulty involves time and busyness within the members of the family itself. Due to the simplistic presentation of the material, the writers allow for a potential impact for a wide variety of persons and family units (beyond the traditional ones). The writer’s presentation of unhealthy families and the facts provided which detail children who have fallen away from the church cannot be understated in its level of importance, and serves to provide the reader with a foundation for the rest of the work. The flow of the work involves a clever method employed by the writers that mixes conversational and anecdotal stories with necessary information, which is important to hold the interest of the target audiences. The writers may have perhaps offered a more compelling argument, had they given their target audience a little more background information concerning the statistics they compiled, rather than just highlighting that information in endnotes. The chapter on mission statements feels rushed, and gives the impression that research for the work appears to be somewhat lacking. Case in point: there is no citation offered concerning the comparison of Jonathan Edwards and the Jukes families. This cannot help but offer the audience the false notion that the writers composed the necessary research to develop the notion they are putting forth (24-25). The writers provide another example without properly citing and giving credit to the source on page 26, in the example of the bucket of sand and the big rock and the little rock. This is an illustration which has been used by many in the past, and the writers are not the original source of it. They state, â€Å"Perhaps you have seen the illustration of the big rocks and little rocks† (26). Again, this may be nitpicking; however, I believe that they need to demonstrate responsibility, since the book is a Christian work. The book contains relevant study questions and provides a plethora of workbook-like material. That being said, the work is ideal for small group studies in the church and provides a foundational approach for working with families. Beyond being simple enough for the new convert to understand, the book is filled with practical and insightful applications for all believers to use in their endeavors to spread the Word within their families and to others. The writers have fulfilled their purpose in the book. It is obvious to see, with the statistics presented and the commentary offered, that families are in trouble and the church needs to respond to their needs. The church is comprised (mostly) of families. The enemy is aware that if he destroys the family unit (as presented in scripture), then he goes a long way to placing a major injury on the church. Pipes and Lee are to be commended for their efforts. They wrote Family to Family: Leaving a Lasting Legacy, as a reply to the susceptibility of even supposedly Christian families to the status quo. This status quo, as presented by the writers, involves an adherence to one of the varying levels of dysfunction that many families experience. The outline for families in the scriptures is one man, one woman, and if they are blessed, then children. This work provides an excellent evangelistic modality within which to engage all types of families (single parent, no children, etc). This is due to the fact that, regardless of the construction of the particular family, salvation is needed within and should be displayed cohesively to the world. That being said, one can see that, once a family mission statement is adopted, the potential for manipulation within a family is obvious. Potential problems could arise should one of the parents attempt to use the mission statement to manipulate their children to act and perform in the manner that they desire. Should conflict and divorce arise in the family (which is a startling reality for the church as well as the world), then these paradigms constructed originally to help could instead be used to further divide the entire family. With any risk of developing methodology and then instructing others to incorporate this methodology into their lives, without being able to control all extraneous variables (which only God can), there is the potential danger for some using the writer’s material for abusive purposes. Yet in taking this risk, the writers succeed. This is largely due to the fact that they speak the truth of the scriptures in love, and are to be applauded for developing and exhorting others to incorporate these methods into their lives to improve their families and evangelize the lost. There is something pure and right about someone trying to assist others whom are in desperate struggles in this life. The writers have presented a unique and challenging way for the church to implement and instruct families which are in desperate need of such tutoring. A most wonderful encapsulating quote is found on page 114, which states, â€Å"The bottom line is sharing the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. This is what this book is all about: raising your family to follow Christ. Following Christ means sharing the gospel with those who do not know Him. Jesus said, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men’ (Matt.4:19). If you are not fishing, you are not following. You and your family are on mission to be fishers of men† (114). This is a rousing call to families and the Body of believers. Those who endeavor to heed the call must realize the writer’s purposes in desiring to show them a way to raise their families to serve and follow Jesus. BIBLIOGRAPHY Pipes, Jerry and Victor Lee. Family to Family, Families Making a Difference. Lawrenceville, GA: Jerry Pipes Productions, 1999.

Collaborative Ventures Essay

1.0 Summary The competitive nature of today’s international business world pushes the companies to find a common ground between each other. Even market giants have considerable tendency in creating collaborative arrangements with their competitors in order to keep their positions in the market. The competencies of competitor companies differ from each other often. Collaborative agreements provide companies to gain varied knowledge and specialties with less R&D costs. Also competitors can access each other’s established markets with collaborative ventures. Nevertheless, the accomplishment of an international collaborative venture depends on the harmony between national and organizational cultures of the partners. Hence, the cultural examination of the venture has a crucial role in the success. The partners should state a suitable integration method considering the cultural impacts in the negotiation period. 2.0 Introduction 2.1Definition of the International Collaborative Venture Collaborative ventures, sometimes called international partnerships or international strategic alliances, are essentially partnerships between two or more firms. They help companies overcome together the often substantial risks and costs involved in achieving international projects that might exceed the capabilities of any one firm operating alone. (Cavusgil, et al. 2011) Cavusgil, et al. (2011) also state that there are two basic types of collaborative ventures: equity joint ventures and project based, non-equity ventures. In this essay we are going to examine an equity joint venture between Sony and Ericsson. Equity joint ventures are traditional collaborations of a type that has existed for decades. (Cavusgil, et al. 2011). According to Wallace (2004, citing in Ahmed and Pang 2009), joint ventures are usually formed on the basis of a common objectives or mutual goals of all the parties. This objective should serve the needs of the companies in a proportionate manner otherwise the success of the joint venture will be short-lived. 2.2The motives for Collaborative Ventures Daniels, et al. (2011) state the motives for collaborative ventures as: ââ€"  Spreading and reducing costs: When the volume of business is small, or one partner has excess capacity, it may be less expensive to collaborate with another firm. Nonetheless, the costs of negotiation and technology transfer must not be overlooked. ââ€"  Specializing in competencies: The resource-based view of the firm holds that each firm has a unique combination of competencies. Thus, a firm can maximize its performance by concentrating on those activities that best fit its competencies and relying on partners to supply other products, services, or support activities. ââ€"  Avoiding or countering competition: When markets are not large enough for numerous competitors, or when firms need to confront a market leader, they may band together in ways to avoid competing with one another or combine resources to increase their market presence. ââ€"  Securing vertical and horizontal links: If a firm lacks the competence and/or resources to own and manage all of the activities of the value-added chain, a collaborative arrangement may yield greater vertical access and control. At the horizontal level, economies of scope in distribution, a better smoothing of sales and earnings through diversification and an ability to pursue projects too large for any single firm can all be realized through collaboration. ââ€"  Gaining knowledge: Many firms pursue collaborative arrangements in order to learn about their partners’ technology, operating methods, or home markets and thus broaden their own competencies and competitiveness over  time. ââ€"  Gaining location-specific assets: Cultural, political, competitive, and economic differences among countries create challenges for   companies that operate abroad. To overcome such barriers and gain access to location-specific assets (e.g., distribution access or competent workforce), firms may pursue collaborative arrangements. ââ€"  Minimizing exposure in risky environments: The higher the risk managers perceive with respect to a foreign operation, the greater their desire to form a collaborative arrangement. 3.0 Information and analysis 3.1Information about Sony Ericsson Joint Venture (SEJV) 3.1.1The brief history of the SEJV Sony Ericsson, the mobile telephone company formed by Ericsson and Sony in 2001, was born of two, coincidental, serious crises. April 24, 2001, saw the announcement that the Swedish telecommunications equipment company Ericsson was merging its mobile telephone operations with Japan’s Sony, forming Sony Ericsson with each company owning 50 %.The new, mutual company was headquartered in London. Originally, the two companies were compatible partners for the joint venture. Sony was a major electronics brand with expertise in the industry and Ericsson was a leading company in the communications sector. (Nilsson undated) Finally, Sony acquired Ericsson’s share in the venture on February 16, 2012. (Sonymobile 2012) 3.1.2The main motives for the SEJV ââ€"  Spreading and reducing costs: Sony was desiring to increase its market share in the mobile phone industry. Ericsson had major financial problems due to delays in the production. Eventually, Sony made less amount of investment to the industry and Ericsson continued its business by reducing its costs. ââ€"  Specializing in competencies: One of the essential objectives of the venture was to merge Ericsson’s know-how in the telecommunication area to Sony’s wide experience in the electronics. ââ€"  Avoiding or countering competition: Ericsson desired to be the market leader. Also Sony wanted to increase its market share. So they combined their resources and knowledge to receive a bigger share. ââ€"  Securing vertical and horizontal links: Ericsson had serious problems in the value added chain due to its supplier Philips. Also, before joining, Ericsson had a problem of manufacturing their goods cheaply, which Sony’s affiliates and manufacturers solved for them. (Tharp 2009) Moreover, the brand awareness of Ericsson was an area which Sony is reputable. ââ€"  Gaining knowledge: While Sony was accessing the wide knowledge of Ericsson in the telecommunication, Ericsson also gained access to Sony’s expertise in the visual and digital technology. 3.2Examination of the SEJV from Sony’s perspective 3.2.1Examination of the main motives from Sony’s perspective One of the main purposes of a joint venture is to share the cost of building a new organization. Sony wanted to take a chance of the opportunities that were rising in the mobile phone industry in the early 2000’s. Despite that, the business environment in this industry was carrying a high risk for the new players. It would have been a great cost for Sony to form a new organization, which can challenge with top players like Nokia and Motorola. Consequently, Sony decided to enter the mobile phone market on a leading company’s coattails. (Tharp 2009) Ericsson was the 3rd big mobile phone manufacturer in the beginning of the 2000’s. Sony had hegemony in the audio, vision and chip technology for the electronic devices however; it had defects in the software and patenting in the mobile technology. With some 33,000 granted patents, Ericsson is the largest holder of standard-essential patents for mobile communication. (Ericsson 2013) Therefore, the specialization of Ericsson in the mobile phone industry provided a major advantage for Sony. Sony was not a preferable brand in the mobile phone industry in the beginning of 2000’s with a market share of less than 1%. Sony may not have been able to counter a competition in this industry by itself. Simultaneously, Ericsson was the 3rd major player in the industry  and was trying to get over its dramatic fell in the market share. Moreover, Sony, which had virtually no presence in mobile phones outside Asia, would gain a foothold in Europe and America, where Ericsson had distribution agreements with major operators. (Kapner 2001) Thus, Ericsson would be the ideal component partner for Sony due to its situation in the market. Sony had lack of the R&D management in the mobile phone technology. Despite that, Ericsson had an experienced R&D team specialized in the mobile technologies. This team fulfilled the gap of R&D management in Sony. Sony accessed the long-term gained knowledge of Ericsson in the mobile technology area with this joint venture. Sony was planning to integrate this knowledge into its specialized know-how in the electronic devices. 3.2.2Examination of the problems in the SEJV, which Sony encountered As we examined above the main motives about SEJV that Sony had, we would have expected a compatible partnership with Ericsson. Nevertheless, the implementation was not so successful. Bryan Ma of IDC Asia-Pacific said â€Å"They originally came together to incorporate the Ericsson technology and the Sony brand, but they haven’t been able to achieve much with the combination,† (BBC 2011) Moreover, â€Å"When the joint venture was formed, mobile phone technology was simple and Ericsson’s inputs in that area suited Sony’s purposes,† said Tim Charlton of Charlton Media. (BBC 2011) Parallel to these thoughts; SEJV was not at the place in the market where they desired to be in the beginning. Charlton also stated that now things have changed. Phones are much more advanced and Sony feels it is hampered by the fact that Ericsson doesn’t bring much to the table with regard to the smartphone segment. (BBC 2011) Analysts said the 50-50 partnership has played a role in hurting the company’s product development. Melissa Chau of IDC Asia-Pacific stated that whenever decisions are made at one end, they need approval from the other. That has hindered their ability to bring new products to the market at a fast pace. (BBC 2011) Sony expected to gain more knowledge and technology from Ericsson; however Ericsson didn’t contribute both of them enough to the partnership. The lack of R&D activities revealed phones, which were not representing an innovation. Consequently, the release of the brand new models of SEJV delayed and also disappointed the market. As a result of this, it gave a particular damage to the corporate image. Cultural separation was another problem in the SEJV. As mentioned by Lane and Beamish (1990) IJV partners from different national cultures tend to experience greater difficulty in terms of communication and coordination (Lane and Beamish 1990 cited in Pothukuchi et al. 2002). If we look at the organizational culture of both the partner companies, we see that there is also a significant difference on this account. The only similarity among them is the professional orientation towards work and open system that exist within the organization. When we make this comparison with Sony Ericsson, we find out that the culture integrated at Sony Ericsson is quite similar to that of Ericsson. The reason may be due to both the companies are based in Europe and also there is very less difference in their respective national cultures. Another reason for showing similarity with Ericsson is that the ratio of Swedish employees working at Sony Ericsson is quite high, thus giving a similar notion. It can be assumed that the culture incorporated at Sony Ericsson is partially based on some commonalities between the parent firms and partially influenced by the national culture as well. (Ahmed and Pang 2009) As a result of these facts, Sony acquired Ericsson’s share in the venture on February 16, 2012. While hailing the past decade’s partnership with Ericsson, Sony president and chief executive Howard Stringer pointed out that the market had drastically shifted since 2001 from focusing on loss-making simple mobile phones to highly profitable smartphones. The separation from the Swedish company was therefore a logical and strategic step that would enable Sony to more efficiently deliver devices that can connect to each other and open up new entertainment possibilities. By taking full control, Sony can integrate its smartphone operation with its tablet, hand-held game console and personal computer businesses to save on costs and better synchronize development of mobile devices. (Anon 2011) 3.3Examination of the SEJV from Ericsson’s perspective 3.3.1Examination of the main motives from Ericsson’s perspective As it was mentioned in the annual report 2001 of Ericsson (2002); year 2001 was a tough year in the telecom business. Like most of competitors, Ericsson incurred considerable losses for the year. Relative market position of Ericsson improved, however, and after decisive restructuring and cost  control efforts, Ericsson’s objective for 2002 was to achieve an operating margin of over five percent. Ericsson was looking for a partner to share the cost of this organizational restructuring in order to stay competitive in the industry. Sony was a reliable brand for Ericsson to keep on its business. Wojtek Uzdelewicz, managing director at Bear, Stearns & Co. (2001) mentioned Sony-Ericsson deal as a perfect union. He said â€Å"Ericsson has done a poor job of building brand awareness. That’s what Sony is famous for.† Furthermore, Ericsson would also gain access to Sony’s expertise in combinin g audio, visual and digital technology, a skill whose importance will grow with the introduction of a new generation of phones with Internet connections and other advanced features. (Kapner 2001) Another advantage for Ericsson was Sony’s expertise in mobile handset technology, which was a key sector Ericsson was hoping to break into at the time. (Tharp 2009) The annual report 2001 of Ericsson (2002) stated that the industry has a strong growth potential and Ericsson look forward with optimism on Ericsson’s role as the top-class vendor to top-class operators. Due to the uncertainty in the telecom market under current economic conditions, Ericsson believed a solid upturn may be a couple of years away. The long-term financial objectives of Ericsson were unchanged to grow faster than the market, which means a growth of more than 20 percent in a few years. This marketing objective was a crucial motive for Ericsson to create a joint venture. Indeed, Sony was known as a marketing genius worldwide. Both companies would benefit from each other’s established markets, making them fifth largest mobile phone producers in the world. (Tharp 2009) In 1998, Ericsson had b egun to experience technical problems with its telephones. For the next three years the company would be forced to admit to a number of problems and unexpected events, ranging from problems with circuits and new model delays to a fire at a subcontractor and lack of back-up systems. Still, the largest problem was probably the lack of skills with consumer products most clearly shown in the legendary answer to the question of why the Swedes did not try to imitate the highly successful Finnish telephone design: â€Å"If you want a phone that looks like a piece of soap, then† (Nilsson undated) In spite of that, Sony was a reputable consumer product manufacturer due to its quality management and design innovations. Also, Ericsson had a problem of manufacturing their goods cheaply, which Sony’s affiliates and manufacturers  solved for them. (Tharp 2009) Sony was a great information source for Ericsson to access. First of all, Sony was a global giant in the consumer electronics. The expertise of Sony in audio, visual and digital technology was fulfilling the gaps in Ericsson’s knowledge. Besides technology, Ericsson was also searching for a remedy to its marketing problems. Conveniently, Sony was famous for its branding, marketing and commercial activities. 3.3.2Examination of the problems in the SEJV, which Ericsson encountered Sony wanted to gain the market, which Ericsson already established in a long-term. Nevertheless, a deal would do little for Ericsson’s market position. Sony sold just five million phones in 2000. Adding them to Ericsson’s 43.3 million would increase Ericsson’s market share just one percentage point, to 10 percent worldwide, leaving it in third place behind Nokia of Finland (35%) and Motorola (14%). (Kapner 2001) At this point, Ericsson trusted the brand-new mobile phones, which were developed with its new partner, would have boosted their sales. In spite of that, their sales dramatically decreased in 2002 and 2003 and they even lost their position in the market share. Indeed, the average marketing management of Sony also disappointed Ericsson and caused this situation. As we mentioned before, Ericsson had a problem of manufacturing their goods cheaply. The pricing strategy of SEJV was quite high in comparison with the market average. This caused lower profits than they aimed. Furthermore, according to Hofstede (2001) research, the national culture of Ericsson can be described as having low power distance, low uncertainty avoidance, high individualism, very low masculinity and low long-term orientation. (Ahmed and Pang 2009) On the other hand, Sony had a high power distance, very high uncertainty avoidance, low individualism, very high masculinity and high long-term orientation national culture. (Ahmed and Pang 2009) These contrasts in the national cultures lowered the performance of Ericsson’s R&D teams. Moreover, due to this lack of performance, they have started lay-offs in the R&D departments. Eventually, this chain linked to outdated products. 4.0 Conclusions International collaborative ventures allow companies to reach their mutual  objectives by accessing each other’s resources, knowledge, specializations and established markets. Nevertheless, an ICV can be successful as long as the partners fulfilled each other’s gaps. The motives for the companies may be seen flawless; however the problems can rise in the implementation. The motives of Sony and Ericsson were also fitting perfectly to each other in the initial negotiations. Their interests in spreading and reducing cost, benefiting from each other’s competencies, increasing their market share, having a greater control and access in vertical and horizontal levels and gaining each other’s expertise knowledge were matching excellently in the theory. Sony was looking for a reliable partner in the mobile phone industry to increase its market share. Ericsson was under pressure due to crisis in the industry and had tendency to cut-off its production and R&D costs. Sony had competency in the electronic and digital technology, as Ericsson had the competency in the telecommunication technology. Ericsson had problems in the branding, marketing and manufacturing management. Sony had a worldwide reputation in these issues. Lastly, Sony and Ericsson had reputable expertise know-how in their areas. When we combine these assumptions, we might expect a new innovative brand in the mobile phone industry. Nevertheless, the implementation of the theory failed. The cultural differences between these two companies revealed unforeseen conditions. Ericsson could not represent its R&D department’s skills sufficiently due to Sony’s low-individualist culture. This result caused the manufacturing of outdated products. Outdated products decreased the profits and the percentage in the market share. Besides these, Sony could not successfully implement its branding, marketing and manufacturing management due to cultural discrepancy with the Ericsson’s native personnel. The new SEJV lost its 3rd place in the mobile phone industry as a result of these management failures. Finally, Sony broke this chain by owning the JV totally. Nowadays Sony uses the advantage of know-how which gained from Ericsson in the last decade and applies its marketing and manufacturing management fully. 5.0Recommendations In the initial periods of creating an IJV, the future partners should consider the cultural impacts. Thus, cultural researches should be done and examined carefully before negotiations for following a suitable management  path. Each partner also should realize the other’s competencies accurately and should leave those zones for the better one. Furthermore, partners should avoid hiding knowledge from each other because it brings only loss to the venture. In the Sony Ericsson example, if Sony had left the control of R&D department to Ericsson totally, the R&D failure would not have happened. The Sony management couldn’t able to notice the cultural differences at this point. Besides, Sony should have been focused on the marketing and branding activities more intensively. (Headlines, subheads and reference quotation information (author date) are excluded) 6.0References  ° Ahmed A, Pang Z (2009) â€Å"CORPORATE CULTURE IN AN INTERNATIONAL JOINT VENTURE† A case study of Sony Ericsson, Master Thesis, School of Sustainable Development of Society and Tecnology, Malardalen University. Available at: http://mdh.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:224194/FULLTEXT01.pdf [Accessed 12 October 2013].  ° Anon (2011) Ericsson and Sony go separate ways. The Local, 27 October. Available at: http://www.thelocal.se/36986/ [Accessed 12 October 2013].  ° BBC News Business (2011) Can Sony succeed where Sony-Ericsson partnership failed? Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk /news/business-15285258 [Accessed 12 October 2013].  ° Cavusgil S T, Knight G and Risenberger J R (2011) International Business: The New Realities (2ndedn), Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-245327-1  ° Daniels J D, Radebaugh L H and Sullivan D P (2011) ‘Chapter 14: Direct Investment and Collaborative Strategies’ in International Business. Available at: http://drgeorgefahmy.com/labteachingtips /daniels14_im.doc [Accessed 10 October 2013].  ° Ericsson (2013) The Leader in Mobile Communication Patents. Available at: http://www.ericsson.com/the company/company_facts/patents [Accessed 11 October 2013].  ° Ericsson (2002) The Annual Report 2001 Financial Statements. Available at:http://www.ericsson.com/res/investors/docs/annual-reports-1970-2002/annual 01_financial_en.pdf [Accessed 12 October 2013].  ° Kapner S (2001) ‘Ericsson and Sony Discussing Mobile Phone Joint Venture’. The New York Times, 20 April. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/20/business/ericsson-and-sony-discussing-mobile-phone-joint-venture.html [Accessed 11 October 2013].  ° Nilsson T (undated) The formation of Sony Ericsson. Available at: http://www.ericssonhistory.com/the-ericsson-files engelska/Foretaget /Sony-Ericsson/ [Accessed 10 October 2013].  °Sonymobile (2012) Sony Completes Full Acquisition of Sony Ericsson. Available at: http://blogs.sonymobile.com/ press_release/sony-completes-full-acquisition-of-sony-ericsson/ [Accessed 10 October 2013].  ° Tharp A (2009) Joint Venture: Sony Ericsson. Available at: http://tortora.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/joint-venture-sony-ericsson/ [Accessed 10 October 2013].  ° Wallace, R. (2004) Strategic Partnerships: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Joint Ventures and Alliances, Chicago: Dearborn Trade, A Kaplan Professional Company. ISBN-13: 978-0-79-318828-4

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Archaeology Home work - Essay Example Anthropology entails studying the life of man. Studying the life of man entails looking into man’s behavior and traits, also known as culture, and man’s physical characteristics. Anthropologists get answers ascribed to humans by living within communities and examining them. Archaeology, on the other hand, is about studying the history of man, which is the origin of humanity and the evolution of man through examining the physical remains of their existence. These remains include tools and buildings. One of the greatest challenges that archeologists face is acquiring knowledge on the interpretation of material culture in relation to humans (Renfrew & Bahn, 2012, 12). For instance, archaeologists may discover historical tools but fail to interpret with accuracy how man used them. To understand man’s use of specific material artefacts, ethnography has become a part of archaeology. Ethno archeology enables archeologists to live within communities so that they develop a better understanding of the use of material culture. Archaeology qualifies both as a science and as a humanity. Archaeology qualifies as a science through its involvement in the collection of evidence, performing experiments, the formulation of a working hypothesis and undertaking additional tests on this hypothesis against additional data, and finally coming up with a deduction. In addition to that, archeology employs scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating, which helps to estimate the date when an artifact existed, scientific analyses and experiments undertaken on residues found in pots. Archaeology has developed greatly in the recent past, expanding the field it covers from the earliest periods to the later times. Archeology serves to not only provide an insight into the life of man as it was more than 10, 000 years in the past, but also helps in explaining human civilization (Renfrew & Bahn, 2012, pg15). One of the most

Microeconomic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Microeconomic - Essay Example This academic paper will be focused on the logic behind warranties as signal of quality as well as what limits the attractiveness of warranties as signals for high-quality firms. Grossman (1981) argued that indicating enhanced efficient functioning of a perfectly competitive market in a situation where there is information deficiency. Warranties offered by most production companies are considered common types of signal sent by high-quality production companies. This is at reducing consumer’s quality doubt and information gaps in the product’s quality. Quality has been used to refer to observable and unobserved product characteristics in terms of product performance and durability. The common assumption is that firms producing low-quality products find it very expensive to offer a warranty. This product assumption makes offering of product warranty a credible signal of unobservable product performance and durability among many other features. In the production industry, product failures are highly linked with product quality and workmanship hence the cost of offering the warrant will be higher for poor quality products. As a result of innovation and technological advancements, the information asymmetry between consumer and manufacturer is great. This comes about due to an increase product modifications and releases on an annual basis. In the situation of new products, consumers have very little information on product information and quality due to the unavailability of past experiences and third party reviews. The injection of costly warranties in asymmetric information implies that warranties serve as pertinent projections of product quality in the production sector. The primary objective of all businesses remains profit-making through cost minimization and revenue maximization. In case the producers manufactured goods with high chances of product failures, they will be forced to incur high costs through repair and repl acement which will

Being American Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Being American - Essay Example The author intends that the readers understand about the American identity of American residents. Most of them are from diverse lands and their parents or grandparents have immigrated to America after which, America has taken its current form. Belonging to a diverse cultural background, I can relate to the poem. ‘To the Lady’ is composed by Mitsuye Yamada. She expresses anger towards Japanese Americans and other Americans’ silence when Japanese Americans were captured in war camps. She as a Japanese American represents the voice of her people. She talks about a report in San Francisco by a lady which â€Å"why did the Japanese Americans let the government put them in those camps without protest?† (Yamada 523)and shows her reaction about the pride of American people and existent discrimination on the land.She uses the sentences â€Å"social order moral order internal order† (Yamada 523) to show discrimination in America. She uses the symbols of war in the poem such as ‘bombed’, ‘self-immolation’ and ‘six million’ indicating towards killing of Jewish people. She further refers to the famous incident of murder of ‘Kitty Genovese’ who got murdered on street.Being an American, every happening can be related to us. ‘Facing It’ is written by YusefKomunyakaa who is an African American ethnically. Komunyakaa connects his experience of being Black with the memorial of Vietnam War. The poet is standing in front of the Vietnam memorial reading names of people and finding his own. He sees his reflection in the memorial and considers that the difference between the memorial and him is that of stone and flesh. He can feel the pain of his history while the memorial cannot. He says, "My black face fades,/hiding inside the black granite" (Komunyakaa 525) showing his connectivity with the memorial. He also refers to a name, ‘Andrew Johnson’ written on the

General Electric (GE) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

General Electric (GE) - Assignment Example There are numerous core competencies and capabilities of the company which act as the major drivers of success and sustainability of the business in the global corporate segment. The success of General Electric has been rooted to the use of effective corporate and strategic management systems in the business. The company has also been revitalised from time to time through the induction of adopting and self-confidence tools like Change Acceleration Process (CAP) to different types of business units in the various industries of operation for the segments of the conglomerate (Chaffee, 2005). General Electric was the first ever company in the global frontier which systematically applied multiple strategic and corporate management concepts and strategies simultaneously within the business verticals. The success and strong performance of GE has also been driven by other factors like strong corporate portfolio management functions, management of talent and movement of ideas (Cameron, 2012). The adoption of three key companywide performed and growth initiatives including Six Sigma Quality, services and globalization have enabled GE to integrate higher levels of sustainability in the business. Another core capability of the company is that many of the large business segments of the business are able to differentiate their outputs with the production of high quality goods and services while at the same time controlling the costs of operations incurred for per unit of the produced goods.

Criminal Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Criminal Law - Assignment Example The criminal liability of Claire in the present case is getting involved in the murder of her husband. The criminal law always protects the interests of the persons who are forced to commit violence. This holds good especially in those cases where self-protection takes the priority. In several occasions, the people may undergo mental tension for long term affecting their regular mental state and in the events of unforeseen nature, they will be compelled to take some action immediately. In these cases, diminished responsibility may be applied while deciding the nature of the punishment. Claire is involved in killing her husband, but her mental state which was disturbed due to the unacceptable behavior of her husband and the thinking of protecting the genuine interests of her daughter led to this incident. Hence, she should be protected under criminal law and she was forced to indulge in this act only due to the circumstances happened during this period. The possible defense for Claire is discussed as follows: 1. Claire has not initiated any violent action from her end, rather she was patient for last 15 years with the unacceptable attitude of her husband. She knew that her husband was not in the process of transformation and hence she was very much convinced about his violent behavior. She was forced to protect herself and children and hence her mental balance was severely affected leading to the murder of her husband. Tony would have been punished for his forceful attempt for forcing his daughter to have sex with him if he had been alive by the court of law. ... Claire has not initiated any violent action from her end, rather she was patient for last 15 years with the unacceptable attitude of her husband. She knew that her husband was not in the process of transformation and hence she was very much convinced about his violent behavior. She was forced to protect herself and children and hence her mental balance was severely affected leading to the murder of her husband. Tony would have been punished for his forceful attempt for forcing his daughter to have sex with him if he had been alive by the court of law as in the case of Regina Respondent v R. Appellant4, 5. In this case, the husband was punished for attempting rape on his wife against her will and who has applied for divorce. According Section 1(1) of Sexual Offences Amendment Act (1976), any person who is indulged in attempting rape or any other sexual violence would be punished under court of law (S. v. H.M. Advocate6; Advocate, H.M. v. Duffy7; Reg. v. Casewell8). In the present case study, the attempt was made by Tony to rape his daughter which is unacceptable. There was no chance for her to stop him from that attempt and hence she decided to stop him and in that process, she committed a murder. The punishment of persons indulged in forceful sexual intercourse was also justified in cases such as Reg. v. Jackson9; Reg. v. J. (Rape : Marital exemption)10; Reg. v. Sharples11; Reg. v. Roberts12. This case is similar to that of R v Rose13 where a son has murdered his father to protect his mother from the serious assault. Moreover, the diminished responsibility and provision of partial or complete defence in cases of gross provocation and fear of serious violence was well documented in final recommendations of English Law

Comparison of Philosophers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Comparison of Philosophers - Essay Example At the closing stages of the series, he said, the objects present no longer relative, but absolute. Aristotle believed philosophy to have an "ennobling effect on the philosopher, such that he or she is brought as close as possible to divine state." As you know, the common belief now days are that philosophy will provide contentment, or some kind of consolation because of a particular broadening of the mind. For a start too many philosophers' personalities are so different, yet they have fundamentally the same knowledge, which clearly means philosophical knowledge does not make for a particular reaction. A lot of those who do have the stereotypical personality trait associated with being a philosopher have had it ever before they started philosophy, which is equally well known. You often hear people saying it is particular Note in Book 1 chapter 1 how Aristotle carefully distinguishes between the man of experience and the man of wisdom. Wisdom for Aristotle, aims at knowledge for its own sake, not for the sake of producing anything (e.g. health, material goods, etc.). And since Metaphysics is the science, which seeks after knowledge for its own sake, metaphysics is often referred to as the "first philosophy." "Clearly then, Wisdom is k... . of existence And for no other reason than knowledge, wisdom, and therefore Metaphysics, is the sort of knowledge that deals with causes and principles of things. Knowledge becomes the one of the primary basic human goods that they pursue. What do you think of 'choice' as being that which first comes to play in a life We make choices and 'prioritize' which goods we wish to pursue. Aristotle states that the philosopher's subject (which is existing things qua existing) must have a principle which is not a theory or hypothesis. And it is the philosopher's job to know what it is. The principle is commonly known today as: The Principle of Non-Contradiction. Indeed, Aristotle calls this principle the most certain of all principles (i.e. of any knowledge whatsoever). Namely, "the same attribute cannot at the same time belong and not belong to the same subject and the same respect.' And this principle Aristotle believes is the point of departure for all further knowledge. This principle, of course, has been debated over since then. Aristotle's Book IV demonstrating this "most certain of all the principles." Expressed in Aristotle's language, the law reads: "It is impossible for the same attribute at once to belong and not to belong to the same thing in the same relation." This means two things. 1) It is impossible for something to be and not to be at the same time, and in respect to the same thing. For example, a man is either alive or dead. He cannot be halfway between life and death, and he cannot be both dead and alive at the same time. 2) It is impossible for a substance to be a particular something and to be its opposite at the same time and

Parkinson's Disease Discussion Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Parkinson's Disease Discussion - Research Paper Example Management of motor response changes, for example, nighttime deterioration, dyskinesias, early morning deterioration, and psychiatric problems can only be successful if there are strategies for treatment. Although tremendous efforts and developments have been made in comprehending the pathophysiology that lie beneath this condition, the cause is not yet known, and there is no treatment that is curative. This paper will look at the video â€Å"My Father, My Brother, and Me†, and attempt to discuss issues that surround Parkinson’s disease. Firstly, there is a personal drive to understand Parkinson’s disease. The disease has affected the actor’s family members. During his undertakings, he meets with various remarkable people who are doing research about the disease. The researcher’s meeting with frozen heroin addicts results in a monumental step forward. An individual who had suffered from this disease got a reformed living by going through the surgery of the brain. Moreover, he encountered a geneticist who assisted in identifying some of the mutations responsible for Parkinson disease. It has also been noted by specialists that at least six genes can cause Parkinson’s disease. Secondly, there is a belief that the debate involving genetics and environment is adequate because there has not been an answer to it. A development of the connection between genetics and environment has led to the improvement of Parkinson’s disease research hugely in the last few years. Thirdly, it is fascinating to know that even with the progression in the embryonic cell therapies; the research was stopped in 2006 by the former United States president, George Bush. He did this by vetoing the bill that was supposed to increase funding for stem cell research. He was largely responding to pressure from various religious groups. Fourthly, there is an illustration of the different treatment, medication of interest,

Ethical behaviour in business Essay Example for Free

Ethical behaviour in business Essay In this task I will be explaining how my business (Ben and Jerry’s) could change or alter some of its practices and showing how these changes would contribute to improved ethical behaviour. The ethical issues I will be working on are CSR and trading fairly. Corporate social responsibility: Businesses do not exist in isolation nor is it simply just to make money; a lot of factors come into play. Customers, suppliers and the local community are all affected by the business and its operations. Ben and Jerry’s products, and the way they produce them all have an impact on the environment. CSR is all about businesses understanding the effects that they have on the community/wider world. Businesses will use this impact in a positive way to benefit both their business and the wider world. CSR means that business such as Ben and Jerry’s will have to take responsible attitude, going beyond the minimum legal requirements (as being ethical is strictly something you don’t have to do by law) and following basic principles that apply. How Ben and Jerry’s are responsible to society? Ben and Jerry’s take on corporate social responsibilities, taking action to achieve more desired goals to expand their business growth and also maintaining open line communication with employees to gain a better outcome. Ben and Jerry’s conduct various CSR activities, some of these include: Use of Fairtrade ingredients- Ben and Jerry’s first started using Fairtrade certified ingredients in 2005; they pledged in 2010 that by the end of 2013 they will go fully Fairtrade. Ben and Jerry’s work with dairy farmers and other farmers from third world countries, they source ingredients like cocoa, vanilla pods and various other ingredients. Fair Trade standards ensure that employees in these countries have good and safe working conditions, work reasonable hours and paid a fair amount for their work. Corporate Philanthropy- Corporate philanthropy in simple terms means a business’s care/love of humanity. Ben and Jerry’s a portion of its pre-tax profits to corporate philanthropy in attempts to become more socially responsible. Corporate philanthropy is led by employees through the BJ’s foundation and community action teams. Ben and Jerry’s award 1.8 million dollars to a philanthropy (an organisation that helps communities and the welfare of others) every year in and around Vermont, where Ben and Jerry’s  was initially set up. Engaging the Community through Community-based Projects- Another way in which Ben and Jerry’s is engaging in corporate responsibility to society is by setting up community –based development projects. The Vermont Dairy Farm Sustainability Project, which was launched by Ben Jerry’s in 1999, set out to develop practical methods that could be used on day-to-day dairy operations to keep the water quality safe from nitrogen and phosphorus while not sacrificing the economic viability of the farm and making the farm a sustainable business. How can Ben and Jerry’s change/alter corporate social responsibilities (listed above) to contribute even more to improved business ethical behaviour? Ben and Jerry’s do all they can to make sure that they are socially responsible to stakeholders. They have engaged in a wide variety of activities/projects to insure that they do what they claim to do and that is to be as responsible to the wider community as much as they can, this includes Fairtrade, good working conditions, humanitarian concerns and other key factors in making sure that the community is affected in a positive manner. There is no denying that Ben and Jerry’s are very successful in their business operations and also their responsibility toward the society. But there are instances where they can improve on certain things. First of all the business follow all ethical procedures from Sourcing ingredients fairly to protecting the environment to the best of their ability’s, but if you were to be p icky Ben and Jerry’s are unethical in the sense that they are promoting unhealthy food. Now to most people this will not seem like a huge deal, but because obesity levels are on the increase and campaigns have been set up to tackle obesity and unhealthy eating, it seems somewhat of a contradictory move by Ben and Jerry’s to promote and sell Ice cream. This is being very, very picky however as they, like mentioned earlier, they ensure various factors are done ethically. You can argue that their advertisements and marketing techniques do not in any way state the products are healthy, so it’s not that they are misleading people. Some people may say that all Ben and Jerry’s do is sell unhealthy, fattening, chocolate rich ice creams, which can be considered a bit unethical. So in order to tackle this issue and make the company an even more ethically operating organisation, they can introduce healthier ice-cream or produce something alongside their standard ice-creams which is significantly healthier. They can use ingredients that  are healthier/low fat and implement a recipe that is just as good if not better than the original. This would contribute to better ethical behaviour by Ben and Jerry’s because it allows them to give people concerned an option of purchasing healthy (healthier) ice-cream. This will also mean that they are somewhat promoting healthier eating as people will look at them and think highly of them as they are taking these obesity concerns into consideration and doing something about it. Trading fairly: Trading fairly is a movement which strives for fair treatment for farmers. In a fair trade agreement, farmers will negotiate with the purchasers in order to receive a fair price for their products. Farmers who engage in fair trade also aim to pay their workers a fair price, and engage in environmentally-friendly practices. How Ben and Jerry’s trade fairly? Ben and Jerry’s have multiple tasks/missions they conduct to ensure that their operations are done fairly. First of all they are using fair trade. Using the Fairtrade method means that farmers who supply the ingredients get a fair pay, working and living environment. Another way in which they trade fairly is that they give back to society. This may seem like it is not directly trading fairly but Ben and Jerry’s do give something back to society. What they do is that they â€Å"operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally and internationally† ( Source Ben and Jerry’s website). So while they are producing high quality ingredients at the same time they are giving back to society locally, nationally and internationally. How can Ben and Jerry’s change/alter trading fairly (listed above) to contribute even more to impro ved business ethical behaviour? Like with the previous point I struggled to really find an area within Ben and Jerry’s that they need improving on so I had to be picky, the same goes for trading fairly. Ben and Jerry’s seem to tick all the boxes when it comes to trading fairly; I mean they do everything from Fairtrade to providing the community that little something back. But If I were to be picky I think there is one thing that they might have to improve on ever so slightly and that is the marketing of  the products. The criticism that I have for their marketing is that they have allegedly a couple of times offended customers with the names of their ice creams. Now this may not seem like it has nothing to do with trading fairly but it is. The reason as to why it is because customers are ultimately the ones keeping your business going, now if they were offended with the marketing techniques such as naming then they will be put off in the future. Although Ben and Jerry’s have admitted to using â€Å"cheeky names† on their ice creams they do not do this with the intention of offending people although they have mislead/offended a few. Although they have now changed the names of those products and it was a one off incident they’ll be keen to make sure that this does not happen in the future. (The source where I found out about the names of products offending customers- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/19/hazed-and-confused_n_5845650.html) So in order to alter the trading of products Ben and Jerry’s can make sure that in future releases of new Ice cream they choose names carefully and make sure that they do not refer to anything in a bad light . Ben and Jerry’s are known for their innovative names but in order to prevent people from getting offended they can make sure they choose names that are simple in the sense that people won’t get offended. They will have to take into consideration various factors that could offend people and make sure that names that are obvious to offend people are not used and well away from the products they make.

Interaction with teacher Essay Example for Free

Interaction with teacher Essay It was all what I wanted. It was what I dreamt of long before. But it was all taken for granted by the people around me. I was always the top student among all the six graders in our school, and due to that I am one of those whom they regards as their priceless gem because I always come up with something, like a new idea about a certain issue. I have been one of those sent for if there are contests. They say I act and think like an adult already. Not like any other regular students, I also happen to excel in sports and other curricular activities. I am also a runner. I have always been running on track since I was in grade three. I exerted much effort in it because it is my passion. Day after day I spend time in training and being exposed to tracks to win in future races but i never forget to maintain my good grades in my academics. In class, I have this very close teacher in Math. I also love Math at that time that is why I also like my teacher. It so happened that my Math teacher also happens to be our classroom adviser. Sometimes, after classes and I do not have any practice in the track, we always have chitchats and she would always advise me to pursue whatever dreams I have in mind and never to forget to remember the people around me that had help me in achieving things in life. She also told me not to be sidetracked and still give importance with my studies because that is the most important achievement in life. There were difficult times during my training but I still managed to persevere because I have a goal and that is to win. I never thought of quitting the training even how tired it gets. I continued to pursue my dreams and visions that one day I will reap my reward in due time if I will not fail and go frail. I can say that I am very determine and aggressive to reach my dreams that time. I think I just deserve every victory I get as i go along with my chosen path because of the diligence that I have manifested. Time came when I joined a race. Every people would know me would say that I have great chances of winning the first place because of my hard trainings and my trained skills. The event came and I was all set out to win the race but to my surprise, my coach talked to me in private and asked me not to win the first prize. I can be in second place or third place as long as I won’t be the champion. I was so devastated upon hearing this coming from my coach, my mentor, the one who served as my model. I wouldn’t know what to do. I was so troubled and kept thinking whether to agree and follow my coach or to go on the different way and achieve my dreams. It was the most difficult part of my life, to choose something that no one would be hurt. My conscience, my will to win and my loyalty to my coach we’re all fighting. What would I choose then? The event proper came, and the race started. I was on track and was leading. Many of my friends and families were all cheering for me. This made me more determined to go on faster and faster. The finish line is almost near when I remembered what my coach told me. My heart was beating as I saw the finish line. For the finish line would mean victory and success but for now, it meant devastation and tragedy for me. A few seconds before I reached the finish line I slowed down, giving the others opportunity to win. When I slowed down I noticed one girl who was always at my back during the track was now leading the race. Finally, the girl made it to the first place while I was the second placer. All my friends, families and relatives were all dismayed by what happened. They all expected that I would win the race. I was down and weary, to the point that it already affected my performance in school. I felt so ashamed and so coward for not fighting what is right. I have low self- esteem for quite some time and my grades got lower and lower. Then one Thursday afternoon, my Math teacher and classroom adviser called my attention. She and I talked in her office. I knew she was going to reprimand me for my poor performances at school. Well, at the back of my mind that time it was alright if she will reprimand me because I just deserve it. But to my surprise I was wrong, totally wrong. The moment I entered the room she smiled at me. Smile? Why would she smile to someone who is a loser? Then she offered me a seat. During those moments I am still very clueless on what would happen as we talk. Then she asked me if I am alright, so I said yes but I said it tears just fell on my eyes. She told me to be true to myself and whatever I feel I should share and let it out. So, I expressed my frustrations and everything that happened in the race. She told me that she understand why I was having low performances at school the past few weeks. But my life should not stop there. She told me that I am still very young and that many opportunities would still knock on my door and if that happens I should grab it immediately. She told me that everything happens for a reason and for a purpose that is to shape and mould us to become a much better person than what we are. She told me that my life should not end there because there is still so much in store for me in the future. Stubborn as I am, I told her that I do not want the future, what I want is now. She then answered me that I should live one day at a time and take one step at a time. With her words of wisdom, I was cheered. It really matters if you talk with someone who has a lot to say about life, like my teacher. I could not imagine that she would help me out because all along, I thought she was just a Math teacher, nothing more, but it was proven wrong. My teacher really touched my heart and transformed my life. After that talk, I started again and now with a positive outlook in life that no matter how I fall I should make a choice to rise up again. That was how I think even though I was just in sixth grade that time. Later it was found out that the father of the girl, who was the champion, paid my coach so that I won’t win at all. Imagine, all along my opponent knew that I was really something. They knew that I can really win the race that is why they were all threatened by my victory. I was a threat to everyone who was in the race that eventually made the father of the other girl bribe my coach to destroy my vision, my goals. But no matter how they put me down, the truth came out and it was on my side. Success, winning and victory are not about running a race after all. It is more of having a clear conscience that you made it that far because you never cheated, hurt anyone and stepped on other’s shoes for you own gain. I thank my teacher for the words of wisdom she has shared to me during the lowest point in my life. Teachers really do make a difference in this world. They are not just there to teach you academically but they are always there to support you and mould your being for you to become a better individual that every society dreams of having especially in this cruel world right now.

Long term sustainable approach to Forest Schools

Long term sustainable approach to Forest Schools The idea behind Forest Schools is that it is a long term sustainable approach to outdoor play and learning. Its about providing children with holistic development; it looks at every area in terms of their physical development, intellectual development and cognitive skills, also looking at their linguistic and language, both verbal and non-verbal. Forest Schools also looks at their emotional, social and spiritual development. Whats interesting about the culture in some Scandinavian countries is being in and outdoors are a part of how the family and culture works what? Sorry -I dont understand. But in Britain children are getting more and more isolated from the natural world. Forest Schools is very much about giving children the opportunity to learn in and from nature. Forest Schools is also about free play, its about self directed learning but its also about allowing the children to develop freedom and choice in order to be able to become competent and effective adults. In Every Chid Matters it states that every child should make an equal contribution. (Ref). The only way that children can do this is if they have sound self-esteem and sound emotional well-being and sound social skills and function in as many social situations as they choose. Forest Schools is about allowing children given their developmental dependant age the ability to be able to achieve social comfort. Forest Schools is an inspirational process that allows children to access outdoor space in order to grow and develop into successful, happy, rounded individuals. There is a misconception that Forest Schools is for Early Years; some of the most successful projects have been with older young people, adults with mental health problems and children in secondary education. (Ref). The ..?..about allowing children and young people to grow with a sense of value of who they are and giving a positive contribution. Its all about using nature as the teacher as opposed to being adult lead. LO5 Activity Plans and Evaluation. Plan (see appendix .), Rationale behind choice of activity and Learning Objective. This activity was chosen as the reception class were looking at the Handa Surprise book and focusing on healthy foods. The day the activity was carried out a new student was present with his mother which added extra pressure for all the professionals. The learning environment offered opportunities for the children to experience tasting different fruits as the kitchen area was adjacent to the table in which the activity was carried out. The setting also had a large copy of the story so all the children were able to see the story (for Communication, Language and Literacy) and had all of the elements needed to create the masks (Creative Development). I thought the topic would lend itself to the next days topic of healthy lunchboxes, which the whole school were focusing on. I chose to focus on any existing knowledge the children may have of different fruits and try and extend their understanding of why fruits are good for us. This leads into Early Learning Goal () of ..'(QCA, 2000). My main learning objective, therefore, was to introduce the children to new fruits and tastes, using language and listening to each other to find out what each child thought, in an accessible and enjoyable environment, so as to encourage respect for each others views and turn taking. What happened? The week before carrying out the activity, I prepared the resources needed in school and discussed the other activities that my fellow practitioners would carry out. This involved printing, cutting and laminating the necessary pictures and masks. Also finding all the different fruits that were in the story. I was unable to find one fruit in particular so I improvised with a fruit drink that was made from the fruit so at least the children were able to taste the favour. I carried out this activity with a mixed ability group of 9 children. I began by asking the children to wash their hands as they were going to be eating fruit. When all the children were back in their seats, I gave each of them a bowl and a cup. I asked the children if they could remember the fruits in the story of Hands Surprise which was read earlier. The children seemed to have a positive attitude about being able to remember. With a small copy of the book I asked the children which was the first fruit that the monkey took out of Handas basket. I then cut the banana in pieces and gave each child a piece and asked questions such as what does the banana taste like? How does it feel? Do you like the banana? The children gave mostly good descriptions of the fruit and used appropriate vocabulary such as creamy, slippery and lovely. I carried out the same routine of cutting the fruit into sections and passing a section to each child and asking them to describe what it tasted like and ho w it felt and whether they enjoyed it. With the Guava fruit (which was the fruit I could not purchase) I informed the children of the situation and showed them the picture of the fruit on the carton of juice. I gave each child a taste and asked their opinion, the overall opinion was that the fruit tasted delicious but one child said that they didnt like it. The most interesting discussion came when i asked the children what they thought the passion fruit would look like inside, one child said that it might look like an orange, the same child that said the banana was creamy (extension). Overall most of the children enjoyed the fruit tasting apart from one (standard) child who kept giving negative reactions to the fruit saying that he doesnt eat fruit at home. I was happy that at least he had tried some. While the fruit was being eaten I passed around picture cards of the fruit and asked each child in turn to pronounce the name of the fruit after me, most children had no problems with the pronunciations but one child struggled with avocado. I encouraged each child to have a little taste of each fruit and if they didnt like it then they didnt have to eat it and well done for trying was always encouraged. The extension child suggested that trying different fruits was good for us, as fruit was good for us. Which then led a child that was refusing to try a certain fruit to try it. At one point the dismissive child asked if we were finished and could he go and play. Once all the children had tried all the fruit and we had discussed them and I asked the final question which was everyones favourite and their least favourite, the overall result being orange best, avocado worst. I then told the children that they could go put their bowls in the sinks and wash their hands and go and play. Evaluation. I believe this activity resulted in all the children achieving the main learning objective of introducing the children to new fruits and tastes, using language and listening to each other to find out what each child thought and to encourage respect for each others views and turn taking. The idea that the childrens peer could influence the decision of another child .. An effective learning environment does not leave children entirely to their own devices, but builds on what they can already do and challenges them to try new things. The role of the practitioner is vital in this process and sits within the social constructivist approach to learning. This theory was popularised by Vygotsky (1978, in Smith, 1999), who identified the zone of proximal development, (ZPD) as being a reason why childrens learning can be helped by others. Smith (1999) explained: The ZPD is the distance between the childs developmental level and his or her potential level of development under the guidance of adults or more competent peers (Smith, 1999: 429). As this was a hands on activity, the children were taking an active part in their own learning progress. It was Piaget (1966, in Smith, 1999) who first postulated that the child is a lone scientist, processing information and constructing meaning through encounters with their world. Most of the children focused their attention on the fruits they enjoyed using positive language and engaging in using words to describe what something tasted like or felt. One child tried to extend the activity to see what the fruit sounded like when bounced on the table saying the orange sounded like a ball, this then encouraged the children to continue testing the sounds of fruit by knocking on them. The (extension) child asked if there was nothing in the fruit would it sound the same? The relative success of this activity highlighted that children of this age learn best through concrete experiences. When working with children of this age group it is preferable to adopt teaching strategies which allow for plenty of practical activities and exploration. The fact that one child lost interest in the activity, implies that I might need to develop this activity in some way to keep the attention of the less able or enthusiastic children. This was particularly noticeable when asking some children to use descriptive words to describe the fruit, as some children just repeated the word that their peer before them used. The language of one child was not as developed as the other children in the group, and this excluded them from full participation. On reflection, a different teaching strategy could have been employed to involve them more fully into the activity. It could be that they were more of a kinaesthetic do you know what this means?learner than the others, as he kept looking at the children playing, so maybe using an activity that involved movement may have kept his attention. Also the activity was extended longer than anticipated as I had to cut each individual fruit into segments. If this activity was done again in the future maybe cutting the fruit into segments before the activity took place would be a more successful approach. As a result of this evaluation, I would have changed my plan to include more opportunities for the children to be involved in the activity in a more physical way, perhaps by using safety acceptable knives the children could help me cut the fruit. This may help some of the children with their fine motor skills as well. Also another way of engaging less able children might include asking them to participate in the preparation of the resources by asking them to bring their favourite fruit from the story in so they feel they have a more personal involvement. Finally, the only thing I would change would be to ask the children to put on aprons, as it got very messy, including me, as I too got very messy. Conclusion In conclusion, recently there has begun to be a realization in the UK that play is important. There has been a surge of initiatives funded by government, such as Arts Council projects on creativity in schools and communities. The publication of Excellence and Enjoyment by the National Primary Strategy (DfES, 2003) puts a major emphasis on the importance of embedding the Foundation Stage and the Birth to Three Matters Framework in the work of local authorities across the maintained, voluntary and private sectors. Increasingly, research findings indicate the importance of the first years of education. Childrens ability to use spoken and written language fluently and with confidence and for a range of purposes enables them to access at an early age what education has to offer. The adults working in early years settings and classrooms have both the opportunity and responsibility to affect the future learning of their pupils in a far reaching and powerful way. Play is, it seems, about the universe and everything. It often has to function in a hostile environment, but when it is encouraged, supported and extended, it makes a major contribution to, and sophisticated impact on the development of individuals and humanity as a whole.

Cherokee Indians Essay examples -- History Indians Native Americans Es

Cherokee Indians The Cherokee Indians were one of the civilized tribes in the United States. They were located in the southeastern part of the U.S. This includes the western parts of North and South Carolina, The northern parts of Alabama and Georgia, Southwest Virginia and the Cumberland basin of Tennessee. It appears the Cherokee settled in 1000 A.D. to 1500 A.D. Their development took place in two stages or phases. The Pisgah which took place 1300 A.D. to 1540 A.D. and the Qualla which took place 1540 A.D. to 1750 A.D. The first period was primitive and the second was influenced by European contact. They were a large tribe that was part of the Iroquian language group even though their language is very different. Despite this the Cherokee developed written language due to contact with the white men. They were very interested in learning the white men ways. Although there is a lot written about the Cherokee and Europeans, the focus here will be Cherokee life including daily life, marriage, governme nt, and war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cherokee villages consisted of groups of relatives that included members of at least four clans. They grew crops outside their villages. There were also some fields inside the villages. Each family had a marked section of the field. Both men and women helped in farming every section. As with many tribes the men were responsible for hunting, fishing, building houses and council lodges, made important decisions, performed religious ceremonies, trained young boys and defended the village. The Cherokee women were responsible for the home, raising the children, helping in the fields, preparing and gathering food, washing and making clothes, and making baskets and pottery. Even though The Cherokee were a matrilineal society only certain women were allowed to have input in council decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cherokee had many rules and regulations to live by and since they have a strong sense of tradition these rules were not challenged until they came into contact with the European. An example would be women were not allowed to marry until they had their first menstruation. During a young woman’s menstruation she is separated from her family and taken to a special place outside of the village where she stays for seven days. No one is allowed to touch her because she is believed to be unclean. Even she can not touch her own food therefore another w... ...g the warriors not to be afraid for God would help them if they trusted him. A priest would pray and the war party would set out. After returning home from battle, the warriors stayed at their own village council houses for twenty-four days. During this time they went under intense purification rituals before returning to their families. Being given a new name honored warriors, who fought well in battle. The new name usually gave them new status in the village.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cherokee life is full of traditions that helped the tribe survive as long as it has. Even though they have been separated, the Cherokee still have a strong sense of being. There is so much more to learn about the Cherokee Indians and their cultures that it will be a while before it is all revealed. Bibliography Mails, Thomas E. 1992 â€Å" The Cherokee People† Marlowe and company Mooney, James 1891 â€Å" Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees Starkey, Marion 1946 â€Å"The Cherokee Nation†, New York Steele, Phillip 1974 â€Å"The last Cherokee Warriors† Pelican publishing company Wilkins, Thurma 1970 â€Å"Cherokee Tragedy† London, The Macmillan Company Woodward, Grace Steele 1963 â€Å" The Cherokees, University of Oklahoma press. Cherokee Indians Essay examples -- History Indians Native Americans Es Cherokee Indians The Cherokee Indians were one of the civilized tribes in the United States. They were located in the southeastern part of the U.S. This includes the western parts of North and South Carolina, The northern parts of Alabama and Georgia, Southwest Virginia and the Cumberland basin of Tennessee. It appears the Cherokee settled in 1000 A.D. to 1500 A.D. Their development took place in two stages or phases. The Pisgah which took place 1300 A.D. to 1540 A.D. and the Qualla which took place 1540 A.D. to 1750 A.D. The first period was primitive and the second was influenced by European contact. They were a large tribe that was part of the Iroquian language group even though their language is very different. Despite this the Cherokee developed written language due to contact with the white men. They were very interested in learning the white men ways. Although there is a lot written about the Cherokee and Europeans, the focus here will be Cherokee life including daily life, marriage, governme nt, and war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cherokee villages consisted of groups of relatives that included members of at least four clans. They grew crops outside their villages. There were also some fields inside the villages. Each family had a marked section of the field. Both men and women helped in farming every section. As with many tribes the men were responsible for hunting, fishing, building houses and council lodges, made important decisions, performed religious ceremonies, trained young boys and defended the village. The Cherokee women were responsible for the home, raising the children, helping in the fields, preparing and gathering food, washing and making clothes, and making baskets and pottery. Even though The Cherokee were a matrilineal society only certain women were allowed to have input in council decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cherokee had many rules and regulations to live by and since they have a strong sense of tradition these rules were not challenged until they came into contact with the European. An example would be women were not allowed to marry until they had their first menstruation. During a young woman’s menstruation she is separated from her family and taken to a special place outside of the village where she stays for seven days. No one is allowed to touch her because she is believed to be unclean. Even she can not touch her own food therefore another w... ...g the warriors not to be afraid for God would help them if they trusted him. A priest would pray and the war party would set out. After returning home from battle, the warriors stayed at their own village council houses for twenty-four days. During this time they went under intense purification rituals before returning to their families. Being given a new name honored warriors, who fought well in battle. The new name usually gave them new status in the village.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cherokee life is full of traditions that helped the tribe survive as long as it has. Even though they have been separated, the Cherokee still have a strong sense of being. There is so much more to learn about the Cherokee Indians and their cultures that it will be a while before it is all revealed. Bibliography Mails, Thomas E. 1992 â€Å" The Cherokee People† Marlowe and company Mooney, James 1891 â€Å" Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees Starkey, Marion 1946 â€Å"The Cherokee Nation†, New York Steele, Phillip 1974 â€Å"The last Cherokee Warriors† Pelican publishing company Wilkins, Thurma 1970 â€Å"Cherokee Tragedy† London, The Macmillan Company Woodward, Grace Steele 1963 â€Å" The Cherokees, University of Oklahoma press.

The Real Rochester in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre essays

The Real Rochester in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre    John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester was one of the most infamous rakes from the Restoration period. While Wilmot’s debauched lifestyle was well recorded, his deathbed conversion became even more popular. Through these early biographies and the poetry written by Wilmot, Charlotte Bronte became familiar with this historical figure. Bronte modeled her character of Edward Rochester on Wilmot. There are many instances in the novel Jane Eyre that link the two figures. In his essay "John Wilmot and Mr. Rochester" Murray Pittock establishes the link between Rochester and Wilmot. Pittock does such a thorough job of supporting the claim that Rochester and Wilmot are related. However Pittock fails to explain why Charlotte Bronte chose to compare her Rochester to the historical Rochester. The key to understanding Bronte’s motivation in selecting John Wilmot as the model for Rochester lies in Wilmot’s deathbed confessional. By the end of his short life Wilmot repented h is immoral lifestyle. After his death, Wilmot became the focus of a number of religious tracts publishing his deathbed conversion. It is this aspect of Wilmot’s career as the rake that intrigued Bronte. In Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte not only establishes a connection between John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester, but she also links Rochester’s reform to the reform of Wilmot. However, unlike Wilmot’s reform which occurs on his deathbed, Bronte allows her character to reform and continue his life. The similarities between John Wilmot and Edward Rochester go far beyond the traits associated with the rake. Charlotte Bronte uses names for her characters that link the two characters. Wilmot’s title as the Earl of Rochester directly relates to the name of Edward Rochester. John Wilmot’s grandfather had the name Sir John St. John (Pittock 464). Edward Rochester’s main rival for Jane’s affection is St. John Rivers. Again the use of a name closely related to John Wilmot is remarkable. The repeated usage of names links the character of Edward Rochester with John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester. That Charlotte Bronte would have been familiar with the second Earl of Rochester is undeniable. In his Lives of the Poets, Samuel Johnson included a biography on Wilmot. That Bronte would have been familiar with Johnson’s work can be established in the references she makes to Johnson’s novel Rasselas. Gilbert Burnet, a Scottish Bishop and famed historian, wrote Life and Death of John Rochester based on interviews he had with Wilmot on his deathbed.

Saving The Animals? :: essays research papers fc

Saving the Animals? In Buffalo New York on October 23rd of last year, Dr. Barnett Slepian was murdered. He wasn’t killed because of his financial status or because of a dispute he had with a patient. Someone who never really knew Dr. Slepian, someone who never met his family, a person who didn’t agree with Dr. Slepian’s job, took his life. This is a great example to show how a disagreement in ideology can lead to actions that no one has the authority to take. An animal liberator bombing a meat processing plant is like the pro-life activist killing the doctor who performs abortions. Both of the actions don’t achieve the results that are intended, they both claim that they help save the lives of the innocent, and they are both hypocritical. The results that are wanted can not be achieved through causing pain and suffering to the opposing party. When a sniper took the life of Dr. Slepian he was trying to move the cause of pro-life forward. The end result was not what he had wanted; the medical community was outraged and the people who believed in the right to choose strengthened their resolve. This quote by Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the country’s best-known pro-abortion crusader, illustrates this point very accurately. "This is a sign of the moral bankruptcy of the so-called pro-life movement. It bespeaks their frustration and rage at the fact that they have not been able to convince the public of the rightness of their cause," (Cnn 2) The frustration that Dr. Morgentaler mentions is even further enhanced when the pro-lifers see that their cause is regressing from public empathy. The example of the murder of Dr. Slepian is a good analogy to what the bombing of the meat processing plant would cause. The people in the factory would be massacred and the people who don’t support the cause of animal liberation would be outraged. The intended result of lower consumption of animal meat would not be achieved because the pub lic would not see the righteousness of the cause; and where there is demand for meat there will be suppliers to meet the demand, this is a basic law of economics. Even if the bomber would bomb every single meat-processing plant in the country, intrepid businessmen would find ways to meet the demand in the country. Murder has always been an unacceptable action in modern society.

Do males and females have different abilities when estimating size?

Question: Do males and females have different abilities when estimating size? Abstract This science research the different abilities in reckon sizes between males and females. And the research was taken from an experiment with 20 Chinese teenagers between 15 and 18. The hypothesis was males’ abilities when estimating sizes is better than females†¦. Introduction As we all know, males and females are different in many abilities, and this research for testing difference between males and females estimating size.And this ability also is affected by the cultivation from the child, their brain have different talent. The hypothesis was those males’ abilities when estimating size is better than females’ abilities. Research Methodology In this experiment, there had 10 males’ and 10 females’ age from 15 to 17 as experiment objects. Firstly, a textbook (width: 20. 7cm), a MP3 (length: 8cm) and an ID card (width: 5. 4cm) were measured by a ruler. In each s ubject, everyone stood one meter away from me, and then they could observe each one for 10 seconds.After that, they should tell me their estimation. Finally, the data was collected into the table to comparison and prove the assumption. Research Results The results were inconsistent with my previous hypothesis; females can estimate stuff more accurate than males. The raw data of males’ and females’ measuring results of textbook, MP3 and ID card were cleared up to Appendix 1 and Appendix 2. The table below shows that the experimental results of different gender of teenagers from 15 to 18 have different estimated capacity.As we can see clearly from the mean about textbook, males was 20. 24cm and females was 18. 4cm, which shows males had 0. 46cm of the deviation and females had 2. 3cm of the deviation. And from the result of MP3 and ID card, the males were 7. 11cm and 4. 61cm, however, females were 7. 5cm and 5cm, these describe females’ measuring results were more accurate. | textbook (20. 7cm)| MP3 (8cm)| ID card (5. 4cm)| | Mean (cm)| Error| Mean (cm)| Error| Mean (cm)| Error| Male| 20. 24| 0. 46| 7. 11| 0. 89| 4. 61| 0. 79| Female| 18. 4| 2. | 7. 5| 0. 5| 5| 0. 4| *Error means actual value – average and all values are absolute value Discussion Compare the results and the hypothesis, the results show females’ ability in estimating sizes is better than males’ captivity. So this result is not the same as the hypothesis we put forward. We can see from these two tables below, when males and females estimate the bigger size (textbook), the accuracy of males guessing sizes is more accurate than females, and the mean of males’ result is 20. 24cm, the error just is 0. 46cm,

Watchmen

The Mysterious Building My favorite short story was the â€Å"Sonata for Harp and Bicycle† written by Josh Alike. The story was taking place during Halloween In London and about this guy Jason that wants to know why everyone has to leave work by 5 o'clock every night. Only certain people know why. MISS Golden (Bernice), a friend of Jason, knows why but can't tell anyone. One night, Jason went inside the building using the fire escape to see what goes on in the building after dark. Jason went through doors and heard a bell that was ringing quietly and then was silenced. Then Jason heard this person whispering â€Å"Daisy, Daisy† (Ms.Bell). Jason said that he wasn't Daisy and the voice said he was on private property and he shouldn't be here. This person was pushing Jason to the fire escape. Jason ran down the fire escape as fast as he could. The next day Miss Golden saw Season's hair and it was a stippled silver color. Miss Golden asked Jason if he went into the building last night after everyone left. Jason said â€Å"Tell me the true story. † This guy William Heron, the wailing watchmen, had a crush on Ms. Bell. Ms. Bell would each people the harp, and at eleven dock each night they have a picnic supper.One night, the watchman was going to propose to her but she never showed up. Ms. Bell was using a graham bell to wake herself up at ten to meet him and that night the bell failed and she missed meeting William. So MISS Golden and Jason thought they can get the watchmen and Ms. Bell back together because if you see the watchmen you have five days to live. One night they went into the building to get them back together. They woke up Ms. Bell to go meet the watchmen. The watchmen and Ms. Bell got together at last. Miss Golden and Jason Jumped out of the fire escape together. Sonata for Harp and Bicycle† is my favorite short story because of suspense, the setting and symbolism of Ms. Bell and the watchmen. Suspense is one of the literary elements that helped makes this story a little scary. It was suspenseful when everyone had to leave the building by 5 clock pm. I wondered what Jason Is going to find in the building when he went in there after hours. Is Jason going to live for five days after he left the building? A suspenseful moment Is when â€Å"Jason opened a door at random; then another, offices lay everywhere about him, empty and forbidding† (50).Jason thinks he shouldn't be in there. Everything seemed like people just left but he could still feel a presence of someone there. The setting is another part that is my favorite literary element that helped make this story come to life. The setting was in London during Halloween at night. Jason and Miss Golden went down the fire escape ten minutes before midnight. Then Jason said â€Å"We don't want our evening to be spoiled by the thought of a curse hanging over us† (56). Jason wants to make sure the curse will not come true.Jason and Miss golden Jum ped out of the building so they don't have to deal with the curse If It ever comes true. Lastly, symbolism Is one of the literary elements that helped make this story unique. The flowers mean love. The harp means Ms. Bell Is around playing/teaching her harp. The bicycle means the watchmen is around somewhere. The watchmen supper every night at eleven† (52). They had a very strong relationship. Whoever you are, you are always unique. Suspense, setting and symbolism of Ms. Bell and the watchmen made â€Å"Sonata for Harp and Bicycle my favorite short story.This story was kind of scary but also a love story. Suspense, setting and symbolism all fit in this story because they all have their important parts. I think Miss Golden and Jason should have lived instead of going down the fire escape. I liked how the watchmen and Ms. Bell had different talents. I also think that the book should have went on and said what the watchmen and Ms. Bell did after the watchmen propose to her. This is my favorite short story because I think it had a lot of different parts when suspense came in so you want to keep on reading.