Candide and Enlightenment

Voltaire’s Candide both supported and challenged traditional enlightenment viewpoints through the use of fictional ‘non-western’ perspectives. Candide mockingly contradicts the typical Enlightenment belief that man is naturally good and can be master over his own destiny (optimism). Candide faces many hardships that are caused by the cruelty of man (such as the war between the Bulgars and Abares, Cunegonde being raped, etc) and events that are beyond his control (the earthquake in Lisbon).Voltaire did not believe that a perfect God (or any God) has to exist; he mocked the idea that the world must be completely good, and he makes fun of this idea throughout Candide. He also makes fun of the philosophers of the time, because the philosophers in the novel talk a lot, do nothing, and solve no problems at all. Candide also makes a mockery of the aristocracy’s notion of superiority by birth. Voltaire also addresses the corruption of the religious figures and the church thus â€Å"destroying and challenging the â€Å"Sacred Circle†. Voltaire’s Candide is the story of one man’s trials and sufferings through life. The main character is Candide. Candide is portrayed as a wanderer. He grew up in the Castle of the Baron of Westphalia, who was his mother’s brother and was taught by, Dr. Pangloss, the greatest philosopher of the whole world. Pangloss taught Candide that everything that happens is for the best. Candide is exiled from the castle because of his love for the Baron’s daughter, Cunegonde. He then sets out to different places in the hope of finding her and achieving total happiness. Candide thought that everything happened for the best because the greatest philosopher taught him that, but everyone around him did not accept that theory. The optimistic Pangloss and Candide, suffer and witness a wide variety of horrors: beating, rapes, robberies, unjust executions, disease,and an earthquake, These things do not serve any apparent greater good, but be a sign of the cruelty and madness of humanity and the lack of sympathy of the natural world. Pangloss manages to find justification for the terrible things in the world, but his arguments are sometimes stupid, for example, when the Anabaptist is about to drown he stops Candide from saving him because he claims that the Bay of Lisbon had been formed specifically for the drowning of the Anabaptist. Other characters, such as the old woman, Martin, and Cacambo, have all reached more pessimistic conclusions about humanity and the world because of past experiences. One problem with Pangloss’ optimism was that it was not based on the real world, but on abstract arguments of philosophy. In the story of Candide, philosophy repeatedly proves to be useless and even destructive. It prevents characters from making realistic judgment of the world around them and from taking positive action to change hostile situations. Candide lies under debris after the Lisbon earthquake and Pangloss ignores his requests for oil and wine and instead struggles to prove the causes of the earthquake. In another scenario, Pangloss is telling Candide of how he contracting venereal disease from Paquette, and how it came from one of Christopher Columbus’ men. He tells Candide that venereal disease was necessary because now Europeans were able to enjoy new world delicacies, like chocolate. The character Candide was the nephew of the Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh, whose sister, was Candide’s mother. The baron’s sister, refused to marry Candide’s father because he only had seventy-one quarterings (noble lineages) in his coat of arms, while her own coat of arms had seventy-two (Candide, 1). This exaggeration makes the aristocracy’s concern over the subtleties of birth look ridiculous. Candide explores the hypocrisy that was rampant in the Church and the cruelty of the clergy using a variety of satirical and ironic situations such as, the Lisbon earthquake that kills tens of thousands of people and damages three fourth of Lisbon; still the Portuguese Inquisition decides to perform an auto-da-fe’ to appease God and prevent another disaster. This serves no purpose because another earthquake strikes in the middle of the hanging of Pangloss and beating of Candide. Church officials in Candide are portrayed as being among the most sinful of all citizens; having mistresses, engaging in homosexual affairs, and operating as jewel thieves. The most ridiculous example of hypocrisy in the Church is the fact that a Pope has a daughter despite his vows of celibacy. Other examples are the Portuguese Inquisitor, who takes Cunegonde for a mistress, who hangs Pangloss and executes his fellow citizens over philosophical differences, and orders Candide to beaten for, â€Å"listening with an air of approval† (Candide, 13) to the opinions of Pangloss; and a Franciscan friar who is a jewel thief, despite the vow of poverty taken by members of the Franciscan order. Finally, Voltaire introduces a Jesuit colonel with marked homosexual tendenci es. The Enlightenment belief, in which a perfect society should be controlled by reforming existing institutions, is made to appear ridiculous, while erhaps all that Voltaire wanted to do was to present the history of his century with the worst abominations. It was probably Voltaire's ability to challenge all authority that was his greatest contribution to Enlightenment values. He questioned his own parenthood and his morals to express his ideas to the world of Enlightenment through the novel Candide. In particular, the novel makes fun of those who think that human beings can endlessly improve themselves and their environment. Voltaire expresses his beliefs on optimism, philosophical speculation, and religion through the main character. Candide, The main character of the novel, is set adrift in a hostile world and unsuccessfully tries to hold on to his optimistic belief that this â€Å"is the best of all possible worlds† as his tutor, Pangloss, keeps insisting. He travels throughout Europe, South America, and the Middle East, and on the way he encounters many terrible natural disasters. Candide is a good-hearted but hopelessly naive.

Ramji Bhai Vasava Essay

G.H.Patel Post Graduate Institute of Business Management, Vallabh Vidhyanagar, Anand In the undivided Bombay province was worked out to build earthen dams and problems faced while building a dam across the rivers Lokmata and Sadmata in northern Gujarat and further issues encountered while a proposal is made to raise the control levels of it. The objective of the case is to maximize the irrigation potential of the dam while respecting the religious sentiments of the people. The options are either to implement the former plan in its present form or the latter by convincing the people of its benefits and deal with the issues faced. The conclusion is to try and implement the new plan resulting in maximization of irrigation and revenues. PROPOSAL 1 PROPOSAL 2 Approximate cost – 1.7 Approximate cost – 1.9 Water impound – 4700 Water impound –5700 Full supply level -592 Full supply level-595 Highest flood level-596 highest flood level-606 OBJECTIVES * Government aim for economic development through agricultural development. * Build the dam PROBLEM * Opposition of people to temple getting submerged * People getting affected due to submerge of villages CONSTRAIN * Location of dam CRITERIA * Maximum irrigation * Minimum people affected * Maximum returns * Minimum time * Minimum cost PRIORITY * Minimum people affected * Minimum cost * Minimum time * Minimum returns * Maximum irrigation ALTERNATIVES * Convincing villages to shift temple * Resettlement of affected people * Raising height of the temple ACTION PLAN Government should follow proposal 1 as temple was saved using gates from flood so that minimum people are affected so the cost incurred is also low and the time required is minimum and also there is irrigation which leads to economic development. CONTINGENCY PLAN * Raising height of the temple * Go with proposal 2 if proposal 1 does not work

Anselms Ontological Argument Essay

St Anselm (1033-1109) fame rests on his belief that faith is prior to reason: â€Å"I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this I also believe- that unless I believed, I should not understand†. Anselm employed his powers of reason in order to establish, by rational argument, the existence of God (Ally 2010:62). Anselm’s ontological argument When we are really thinking of something (and not merely uttering the associated verbal symbol), that thinking is our understanding (2010:63). Of course, we need not understand that it exists, for we may be thinking of something which we believe does not exist, or we may be thinking of something of whose existence we are uncertain (2010:63). But in any of these cases, if we are thinking of something, if we understand it, then it, and not something else, is in the understanding (2010:63). This point applies to our thoughts of anything including God (2010:63). However, in the case of God, we are thinking of a unique thing, for we are thinking of the greatest thing conceivable, the being â€Å"than which nothing greater can be conceived†( Stumph & Abel 2002:107). Now if a being exists in the understanding alone, it cannot be the greatest conceivable thing, for a being that exists in reality as well as in the understanding would be greater (2010:63). Consequently, since God is the greatest being conceivable he must exist in reality as well as in our understanding (2010:63). Or, to put it another way, if the greatest conceivable being exists in the understanding alone, then it is not the greatest conceivable being- a conclusion which is absurd (2010:63). Gaunilos objections Do we in fact have an idea of an absolutely perfect being? This was the question posed by Anselm’s contemporary, Gaunilo, who noted that the sceptic who is not convinced of God’s existence would not grant Anselm’s assumption that people have an idea of a most perfect being (2010:63). To this Anselm could have replied that he was not trying to convince sceptics that God exists, but to provide Christians with a rational understanding of Christian truth (â€Å"I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand†- Anselm 1987:225). In any case, he would have aintained that he could prove that people have an idea of a perfect being (2010:63). Anselm actually argues that we have various experiences of â€Å"degrees of perfection†- for instance, we experience some things as better or more beautiful than others (2010:64). We can make this kind of relative judgement only because we have a standard of comparison: the idea of absolute perfection (2010:64). It will be seen that the argument here turns on the question how can a finite mind transcend and reach an understanding of an infinite object? 2010:64). What a finite mind feels to be an intellectual grasp of an infinite object may be only an emotive response (2010:64). One ought to remind oneself of the need to distinguish between emotive understanding and the kind of meaning needed for philosophical communication (2010:64). So, although â€Å"most perfect being† has a powerful emotive meaning, has Anselm actually provided this phrase with of a meaning that enables us to discuss â€Å"the most perfect being† philosophically and unemotionally? (2010:64). Is existence indeed an added perfection? That is, is a being that exists necessarily greater (more perfect) than one that does not exist? (2010:64). Allowing that people have an idea of a most perfect being, does it follow that a being corresponding to this idea must exist? (2010:64). Anselm’s assumption is that existence is indeed an â€Å"added perfection† (2010:64). If existence is not an added perfection, there is no contradiction in allowing that the most perfect being exits only as an idea (2010:64). Just because I am thinking of a being, thinking of it as the greatest conceivable being, and thinking of it as existing necessarily, does not provide any evidence that there is actually such a being, for the thought of a necessarily existing being is one thing and necessarily being is another. Conclusion What is significant about Anselm’s attempt to prove God’s existence using reason alone is that it demonstrates the possibility of a distinct contrast between faith and reason (2010:65). Questioning such proofs inevitably raises issues about the relation between faith and reason (2010:65). Even in an age of faith, human beings could not get on without using their reason (2010:65). Clearly, they need to know where reason is appropriately used and where it should be set aside (2010. 65). They need a logical decision process that shows what a valid proof is (2010:65). If this decision process discloses that certain articles of the Christian faith cannot be proved, then they need a theological doctrine that shows how faith and reason are related at the point where reason leaves off and faith takes over (2010:65).

Different Styles in Movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Different Styles in Movies - Essay Example The essay "Different Styles in Movies" investigates such movie styles as Soviet Montage, Surrealism, German Expressionism and Impressionism. Equally important is the use of dream sequence to penetrate in to the layers of mind – conscious and subconscious. This style the focuses on the characters’ state of mind, impression of feelings and emotions rather than on the plot or drama of the story. Cinematography and editing are used to illustrate the state of mind, and dream sequences are used to reflect on the conscience. The wide use of impressionist methods is so palpable in Francis Ford Coppola’s film, that brought the internalized life of a detached expert ‘bugger’ Hary Caul on the scene. He would pass for a modern recluse, donned with headphones, holding an extended shot gun microphone. He probes into the private life of Ann and Mark. The film revealed contradictions in the inner and outer life of the protagonist through the subtle emotions on his f ace, physical movements, and also in his dialogue which intermittently gets spiced with silence. The camera opens with a bird’s-eye-view on the busy lunch time at Union Square in downtown San Francisco, with frames having visual details of pedestrians, workers on lunch break, and Christmas shoppers. There emerges the cadence of street musician’s concert which gets mingled with the gruff and hoarse noise produced by certain mechanical devices in the street. The inner conflicts of the character are illustrated through the varying degrees of music and cacophony.

Human Recourse Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Human Recourse Management - Essay Example The external environment of the company, the organisation’s monitoring system of the external environment and how these contribute to its success and occasional hiccups have also been looked into in this paper. To do this, this paper has used several analytical models. Particularly, this paper has used SWOT, PESTEL and the Porter Five forces model as analytical models to look into British Airways adjustment to the external environment. Finally, this paper has made several recommendations regarding how the chosen organisation can respond better to environmental forces. Analysing the External Environment of British Airways Introduction and Background British Airways is among the leading airlines in the global scene and the principle carrier in the United Kingdom. Statistics reveal that the company plays a key role in the worldwide economic landscape. In the financial year 2009/ 2010 it served approximately thirty two million customers and links over three hundred destinations (B ritish Airways Plc., 2010). Their financial statements are impressive since their revenue in the same financial year amounted to 8 billion dollars as stated by British Airways Plc. (2010). ... The present situation in the company is an interesting area of study since an analysis of how it deals with variations in the external environment affect business operations conclusions can be drawn and recommendations can be made. Company’s Profile British Airways has been proficient player in the airline industry since its incorporation in 1924 according to British Airways Plc. (2010). The company engages its activities both at the local and global level. It provides several services including cargo freight, passenger flight services, and mail services among other auxiliary services. Its business is mainly spread across the United States and Europe and serves over five hundred destinations worldwide (British Airways Plc. 2010). The company’s works towards expanding its customer base by offering world class services. There has been increasing competition in the airline business caused by the introduction of modern technology. British Airways has continuously updated it s policies to keep up with changes in the external environment and this is why the company has maintained leadership in business over the years. This business report involves a detailed analysis of the environment of British Airways by focusing on various issues. It will start by analysing the organisation’s external environment, by applying analytical models and ensuring an international focus. Secondly, it will give a critical review organisation’s monitoring system of the external environment. Finally, it will make recommendations detailing how the chosen organisation can respond better to environmental forces. The analytical models used in the report to evaluate the external

Drug Development Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Drug Development Process - Essay Example Each step should follow the guidelines provided by the Food and Drug Administration. Product for development which has been marketed or studied previously will undergo the same steps. According to the February 1993 report by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, one company costs $359 million in U.S. To be able to get one new medicine from the laboratory testing to the pharmacist's shelf, the process usually takes 12 years on the average and only 5 in 5,000 will make it to human testing. And only one of the 5 will be approved.(FDAreview.org).. The first step is to analyze the target to be developed. Before developing a drug, you must identify first the state of the disease and the symptoms to which the development of drug will be base to. It is important to identify the target. The key decision if whether the target for therapeutic intervention is one that will have a positive effect on managing the disease in question. There are some companies who want to further develop their product. For example, a drug for diabetes will be developed; the company should specify what would be the added pharmacological action on their drug. This will be the basis for the clinical testing that the new product should undergo. Metabolic pathway is a new approach in addressing and developing enhanced disease, understanding platforms with the potential to design significantly more effective drugs against many human diseases, including cancer. (Schimdt , 2004). There are several factors that controls the level of drug in the individual patients, including environment, patient compliance and genetic differences. . The metabolic pathway will give insight on the possible kinetic problems that may occur by providing which specific enzyme the drug is metabolized. In this step the drug manufacturer will be able to identify the isozymes responsible for the metabolism in humans. Nowadays, there is several computer aided system in testing the metabolic pathways of a drug. 3) Molecular Specificity In this step the molecules to be added in the drug should be specified for further analysis. Added molecules in a drug can alter the potency and efficacy of a drug. To be able to identify the molecules to be added, there are several new technology which can be of help to be able to shorten the period of this test. One molecule can affect the phamacological action of a drug, for example one molecule added to morphine can increase its painkilling effect. 4) Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) The Quantitative Structure - Activity Relationship or QSAR predict and analyze the drug activity. The QSAR represent an attempt to correlate structural or property descriptors of compound with activities. In QSAR the hydrophobicity, topology, electronic properties, and steric effects, are determined empirically, or more recently by computational methods. Activities used in QSAR include chemical measurements and

Leadership Styles Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Styles Change - Essay Example Further more the definitions suggest that there need to be an" invisible force" to push people to do something in return. It could also be deduced from the definition that having a motivated work force or an environment in which high levels of motivation are maintained remains a challenge for today's management. This challenge may emanate from the simple fact that motivation is not a fixed trait -as it could change with changes in personal, psychological, financial or social factors Against this background, this paper examines this paper examines how different leadership styles changes with respect to the practical application of Theory X and theory Y. The first part of the paper examines theory X and Theory Y, while the second part if the paper looks at different leadership styles. In the third part of the paper, looks at and presents relevant conclusions and recommendations. According to Mac Gregory in this theory, management assumes employees are inherently lazy and will avoid work if they can. The researcher posits further that workers inherently dislike work need to be closely supervised through a comprehensive system of control. The theory X of Mac Gregory further assumes that, a hierarchical structure is needed with narrow span of control at each level. According to this theory, employees will show little ambition without an enticing incentive program and will avoid responsibility whenever they can. Leadership in Theory X tends to believe that everything must end in blaming someone. He or she thinks all prospective employees are only out for themselves (Friedlander, 1966). 1.2 Theory Y As opposed to theory X, Mac posits that, employees are ambitious, self-motivated, and exercise self-control. Mac stipulates further that employees enjoy their mental and physical work duties. A Theory Y leader believes that, given the right conditions, most people will want to put in the best effort to do their work effectively. Leaders of theory Y believe that the satisfaction of doing a good job is a strong motivation. Many people interpret Theory Y as a positive set of beliefs about workers. A close reading of The Human Side of Enterprise reveals that McGregor simply argues for managers to be open to a more positive view of workers and the possibilities that this creates. Theory X and Y are not different ends of the same continuum. Rather they are two different continua in themselves. Thus,

Loyal Nine or The Sons of Liberty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Loyal Nine or The Sons of Liberty - Essay Example 1765:-The beginning of our activities first unfolded by the group hanging an effigy of Andrew Oliver on a tree along Newbury Street. Oliver was the one who was to commission the stamps for Massachusetts. Alongside the effigy, there were large boots with a kind of a devil picture hanging out of it. The whole idea of the group was to show that public that Oliver was deeply associated with the Stamp Act. The outcome of this act was disastrous to Oliver and everything that belonged to him. 1766:-It was an open secret that the group ruled the entire Boston by end 1766...all the Sheriffs kept it low. We had a common purpose, that was to force all the Stamp Distributors to Resign. All the Merchants who declined to cooperate with our idea to â€Å"Non-Importation Act† had pressure applied to them to do so or face our wrath. It was a great success. 1768:-Lucky enough a good number of our members were printers and publishers. This made it easy for us to employ what we simply call â€Å"newsprint propaganda† especially in 1768. Where our achievement and activities were made known to all readers. By the time the Stamp Congress had concluded their business we had developed into a very large organization and it was not easy to just brush us off like a simple militia group. 1770:-We had succeeded in attacking most symbols of the British Authority like the Custom's officers, Gentry, and Companies. During this active Decade of operation, we made sure that all the Stamp Officers in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey underwent a lot of intimidation and had either resigned or if they persist they would be seized and burned. 1775:-We had a well-organized group at this time. All the way we operated with great confidence and Loyalty to our officials with high hopes that parliament would yield to the pressure and repeal the tax.  

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

Portfolio - Essay Example 79). Managing and Developing Self Before joining the university and undertaking bioscience courses, I was not able to manage my schedules and so I had to depend on what had already been planned by teachers. However, my life in the university enabled me to understand how to manage myself, plan my time for different activities and manage my work in a professional way to ensure optimal use of financial, academic and time resources. The professional attribute of the university has assisted me in understanding how to manage my work, follow instructions closely with minimal supervision, plan my work schedule well in advance and ensure that all tasks are completed in a responsible and professional manner. For example, when conducting biological experiments, I ensure that I have read all procedures in advance before commencing the real practical work unlike in the past when I used to conduct experiments without reading all instructions. However, although I am able to manage my schedule well, the only problem that needs a lot of effort is in categorizing issues on the basis of priority. In many instances, I have been giving priority to relatively less difficult issues, thus ignoring higher priority but difficult issues. The consequences have been dire. For example, when choosing elective courses, I have been choosing less difficult courses at the expense of highly competitive ones, which are in most cases difficult (OHLSSON & BORG, 2010, p. 67). University education has given me various opportunities for self-development through constant learning and being a critical learner. I have come to understand that learning is not only about gaining knowledge about a specified subject but also to develop critical skills that would enable one to solve problems, make use of the available opportunity to develop the society, and be a continual learner through a number of avenues such as the Internet or part-time education programs. Further, university education has changed my notion from being a job seeker into being a job creator through a number of business courses that have enhanced my entrepreneurial skills (POSTMAN, 1995, p. 68). Communication Communication is an essential aspect of professional development and human interaction. Through good communication strategies, it is possible to develop positive relationship with people in the learning institution, places of work and the society in general. One of the important aspects of communication I have learnt from Staffordshire University is the use of information and communication in getting sufficient information within a short time and passing messages promptly and efficiently. Since I joined the university, I have learnt many aspects of using the Internet to get information that would have been cumbersome to search through conventional means such as physically looking for a specific topic among a variety of hard copy journals. I can easily surf the Internet and get information within a shot time. Further , online libraries have assisted me in learning different topics in biology within a short duration of time and use the

Economic Globalization and Civil War Essay Example for Free

Economic Globalization and Civil War Essay Researchers Katherine Barbieri and Rafael Reuveny attempt through their study on economic globalization and civil war to find the relation, if any, between the effects of globalization and the occurrence of civil wars in developing countries. Their hypothesis is that globalization has positive effects on developing countries, causing them to have more stability and become less likely to erupt in civil war. Using the examples of 74 civil wars spanning the years of 1970-1999, the researchers compared variables of globalization including international trade, foreign direct investment, foreign portfolio investment, and internet use against periods of civil war in corresponding countries. Their results revealed that when the globalization variables, with the exception of internet use, are more important to a country it is less likely to have a civil war. These variables produce an economic stability that makes people less inclined to interrupt the status quo. Their results showed that poor countries with large populations that were less likely to be economically equal in already dire financial straits are far more likely to see internal unrest. While globalization is unlikely to be the root cause of civil war and can help reduce the likelihood it cannot prevent it as there may be deeper forces at work such as cultural or ethnic inequalities that may be exacerbated by globalization.

Reception of Video Art in Galleries

Reception of Video Art in Galleries Critically examine the notion that the reception of video art is strongly affected by being seen in an art gallery situation Introduction Video art began as an avant-garde movement that challenged the very nature of art in the 1960’s and 1970’s with the likes of Nam June Paik, Bruce Nauman and Stuart Marshall. These artists created powerful pieces in response to the mainstream explosion of cinema and television, and as a challenge to the traditional artistic forms of painting and sculpture. The artists helped to bring art closer to the general public and relieved artists of the need to create specific objects. However, as technology has grown and video art has become more popular, it has moved from the fringes of art to the mainstream setting of the art gallery.[1] Before this the art gallery was a place for traditional forms of art such as painting and sculpture. One of the most interesting topics of discussion regarding video art is how this move into art galleries has changed the reception to video art. It is argued that the reception of video art is strongly affected by being seen in an art gallery si tuation. The aim of this essay is to critically examine this claim, and see how the setting of video art affects the perception of such art. This will be done by look at how setting influences artistic reception, looking at the reception of video art in gallery settings and other settings, and also how the medium of video art itself can influence the gallery experience. Influence of setting on art There are a number of studies and theories regarding the influence of setting on art and artistic reception in various mediums. It is clear that within video art the addition of a gallery setting would change the nature of the art itself. The earliest forms of video art were all on single screens outside of the art gallery setting, and the works were very much of a particular moment in time and had a fairly short lifespan as artistic pieces.[2] However, as video art moved into a gallery setting it merged with other forms of art to create the video installation. This meant the video art was now based in an environment – embedded in a particular time and space. This gave a physical aspect to vide art that had not previously been seen, and has had a major influence on the genre. Installation art is now one of the most common forms of video art, particularly in a gallery setting as it allows video artists to experiment in more ways than ever before. [3] This has meant that video art has merged into other genres, and become part of a larger multi-media, multi-form type of art rather than being a type of visual art on its own. The nature of galleries means that purely video art is being replaced with installation art as it has a more physical presence than traditional video art that was the antithesis of traditional physical art. [4]Another factor worth considering is the psychological aspect of reception towards art in a certain setting. Art that is viewed within a gallery setting may well be seen as more ‘respectable’ and ‘valuable’ than art seen in other settings, but it may also be seen as more ‘traditional’ and constrained than art outside of a gallery setting. There seems to be little research on this particular point, but the researcher supposes that this sort of difference in reception could be possible. Another factor with video art is that the setting of the art might determine how the art is created in itself. Video artists see their projects almost as their children, and therefore want it shown in a particular way as it was intended. If a video art piece was intended to be spontaneous and viewed in a casual setting, then a gallery viewing of such a piece may limit its effectiveness, or even possibly change its meaning altogether.[5] The reception of video art in a gallery setting Video art in a gallery setting is often received differently to how it might be received in a non-gallery setting. Video art in a gallery and video art in another setting may be the separation between what is known as ‘art’ and what is simply known as ‘media’ or ‘television’. The move of video art into the gallery setting has supported its claim to be a mainstream art form. This validation of video art, merely by being seen in an art gallery setting has moved it away from the medium of television and towards the concept of philosophical aesthetics. This is a major shift in the reception of video art from simply a popular culture medium to a valid and critical artistic medium.[6] Another way to look at it is that perhaps the reception of video art is not changed within a gallery setting, but that the actual form of the video art is in fact changed within the gallery setting. Rather than being video art in the form of tape, video art in a gallery setting is either in the form of a live video performance or as an art installation combined with other physical forms of art such as architecture, sculpture, or other interactive multi-media forms. The only way to really determine this is by viewing art exhibitions in both a gallery and non-gallery setting to see if the reception has indeed changed. However, at this point there is very little research on this area as most art pieces are created for one specific setting rather than multiple settings. Therefore, it seems more likely that in many cases the reception of the art is not influenced by setting, but the creation of the art itself is influenced by the setting it is to be placed in.[7] The biggest change perhaps is that video art has moved from the single-screen, non site-specific form to the site-specific installation form. In the original single screen form, which is close to the medium of television, then the gallery setting is unlikely to alter the reception of the art piece. This is because the piece is setting-neutral and will be interpreted individually by each person regardless of setting. However, the form of video art in galleries today is generally installation art, which is site-specific. The art has been created with a specific setting in mind, surrounded by other art forms. In this case the reception of the art would be changed in different settings, but it is unlikely that a site-specific piece would be viewed outside of a gallery or its specific setting.[8] Influence of video art on the gallery experience Video art has been influenced by the gallery setting in its creation more than its specific reception, but video art and other multi-media art has also influenced the gallery experience and changed the way in which art can be perceived. The placement of video art and other multi-media art forms within galleries has challenged the nature of what ‘art’ is and has changed the nature of a gallery. Before this, art in galleries was limited to paintings and sculptures, and therefore the definition of ‘art’ was concerned with things that hung on walls or sat on pedestals. Video art added a completely new element to the gallery space and changed the gallery experience itself. The previous ‘empty space’ in the gallery was now utilized as a part of the artistic framework rather than merely somewhere to display objects. The empty gallery becomes a place for performance and ideas in itself, and space became just as important as the objects within the galler y.[9] Art shifted from the premise of ‘art as object’ to one of ‘art as idea and action’. This not only changed the way in which galleries were seen, but also changed the nature of video art by putting it firmly in the realm of ‘acceptable’ art rather than merely a part of popular culture. It helped to separate video art from the medium of television, drawing a distinct line between the two. It also helped video art to merge into other art forms, and for other forms of art to embrace the influence of video.[10] Furthermore, the acceptance of video art influence the gallery experience by letting other newer formats over the last few years to infiltrate the once sacred gallery space. Computer visuals, Internet exhibits and even live musical and dramatic performance are now part of the gallery experience in many places – something that would have been almost unheard of 30 or 40 years ago.[11] Finally, the acceptance of video art in a gallery setting has influenced the way in which new galleries are designed and laid out. Rather than simply having traditional spaces for paintings and sculptures, new gallery designs incorporate larger areas for performance, installation art and other multi-media art forms. The influence of video art on the gallery experience is perhaps just as strong as the influence of the gallery setting on video art.[12] Conclusion The notion that the reception of video art is strongly influenced by the gallery setting is somewhat misleading. Whilst there is clear evidence that the genre of video art has been massively influenced by the gallery reception, this is more to do with the creation of art rather than its reception. Of course, its reception in terms of its acceptance and standing within the artistic community and amongst the general public has been heightened by its introduction into the gallery setting. However, the major change has been in the move from site-neutral, single screen video art to larger, multi-media installations that incorporate video art and are often site-specific within the gallery setting. Conversely, video art has a significant effect on the gallery experience. It has changed the nature of what constitutes art and what a gallery should look like, as well as pave the way for other newer forms of art to be accepted within the gallery setting. Over the last thirty or forty years, the acceptance of video art into the gallery setting has changed both the way in which video art is commonly created, as well as change the way the gallery setting as a whole is viewed and used. Bibliography Balagopal, R., 2005. Installation Art. (Online). Available at: http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/Research/articles/PFInstallationArt.pdf (Accessed 11th August 2008). Bruce, B.C., 2000. The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction. Journal of Adolescent Adult Literacy, 44(1), p. 66. Carter, C.L., 1979. Aesthetics, Video Art and Television. Leonardo, 12(4), pp. 289-293. Elwes, C., Neshat, S., and University of the Arts London., 2005. Video Art : A Guided Tour. London: I.B. Tauris. Hanhardt, J.G., Villasenor, M.C., 1995. Video/Media Culture of the Late Twentieth Century. Art Journal, 54(4), pp. 20-25. Lisus, N.A., and Ericson, R.V., 1999. Authorizing Art: The Effect of Multimedia Formats on the Museum Experience. The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 36(2), p. 199+. London, B., 1996. Video Spaces. Performing Arts Journal, 18(3), pp. 14-19. Lovejoy, M., 2004. Digital Currents: Art in the Electronic Age. New York: Routledge. McCarthy, K.F., and Ondaatje, E.H., 2002. From Celluloid to Cyberspace: The Media Arts and the Changing Arts World. Santa Monica, CA: Rand. Millard, R., 2005. Notebook: Buying Video Art Is Not at All Simple. Artists Sell to Who They like, and Dictate How the Work Is Shown. New Statesman, 134(4730), p. 41. Phelan, A., 1984. The Impact of Technology and Post Modern Art on Studio Art Education. Art Education, 37(2), pp. 30-36. Suderburg, E., 2000. Space, Site, Intervention: Situating Installation Art. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Footnotes [1] Elwes, C., Neshat, S., and University of the Arts London., 2005, pp. ix-x [2] London, B., 1996, p. 14. [3] Hanhardt, J.G., Villasenor, M.C., 1995, pp. 20-21 [4] Balagopal, R., 2005. [5] Millard, R., 2005. [6] Carter, C.L., 1979, p 289. [7] Carter, C.L., 1979, p. 290 [8] Suderburg, E., 2000, pp. 2-14 [9] Phelan, A., 1984, pp. 30-33 [10] Lovejoy, M., 2004, pp. 101-103 [11] McCarthy, K.F., and Ondaatje, E.H., 2002, pp. 53-54 [12] Lisus, N.A., and Ericson, R.V., 1999, pp. 199-201

Analysis Of Luxury Hotel Emirate Palace

Analysis Of Luxury Hotel Emirate Palace Introduction The Emirate palace is the most luxurious hotel in Abu Dhabi being the second seven star hotel of the world. Construction of the hotel is done with the maximum possible standards of comfort and luxury. It is built in 1000 hectares of beautiful landscapes. Infrastructure of the hotel is highly commendable with all the facilities. It has 20 different places for culinary delights, vast parking place, 2 helipads, 300 rooms, 90 suits, 48 conference rooms, and a huge conference centre. The level of various services provided by the hotel is of very high quality. (Minghetti., 2003) Some of the major services in the hotel industry are the customer services, room services, layout services, quality services etc. These services hold a great importance in the hospitality industry and even more for a hotel like Emirate Palace. Providing good customer services in the hotel industry is the most critical objective to remain competitive and profitable in the long run of the business. Customer service is a very significant facet of the hospitality industry. Customers of hotels need the employees to fulfill their various requirements and thus keep on interacting with them all the time during their stay in the hotel. (Fitzsimmons., 1999) Tourism is an important sector of the UAE and thus the hospitality and tourism industry is flourishing and competitive there. There are a large number of hotels in Abu Dhabi which fulfils all the requirements of location, accommodation and budget of the customers. To gain a competitive edge in the market it is advisable for a hotel to work rigorously for the improvement of the customer services. Providing exceptional customer service is a very critical issue for the hospitality industry. Customers of hotels expect a good level of service from the hotel employees and if not provided than they may often feel dissatisfied but if they are given better service than the expectations they can be made feel special and important for the hotel and can make sure that during the next visit in the city they will stay in the same hotel. The main objective of good customer service is bringing the customers back. This can be done if the level of service provided to the customer is good enough to sat isfy him so that he should a spread a positive feedback about the hotel that will attract more customers to the hotel. The main focus of customer services is the customer satisfaction to gain retention by making strong and long term relations. (Dominici., 2010) Following figure show the service blueprint of a luxury hotel: Mission and Vision of Emirate Palace The mission of the hotel is to provide clients the most exclusive and unique experiences. The strategic vision of the Emirate Palace is to serve as a worlds most luxurious hotel and leisure destination and to lead the industry. Another vision of the hotel is to contribute in making Abu Dhabi the centre of cultural activities of the Middle East and Emirate Palace a milestone in the country which can host any prestigious sporting event in Abu Dhabi. Customer Services in Emirate Palace Following are the main customer services offered in the Emirate Palace: Hotel Reservations Emirate Palace has a very nice facility to make reservations in the hotel. It has an online reservation portal where customer can make advance bookings for their stay in the hotel. Customer can also check the status of availability of rooms on the future dates when he wants to visit the hotel. Many online payment options are available on the website for the convenience of the customer to choose payment option which suits them the most. Reservation portal also gives many offers on the advance booking of rooms. (Dhabi.) Meetings and Conferences The Emirate Palace has 48 conference rooms, a large conference centre, a ballroom with a capacity of 2400 guests, a huge auditorium able to accommodate 1100 seats. These meeting and conference halls are best suitable for a gathering of 1000 people or a private confidential meeting of 10 people. The conference rooms have projectors, LCD screens, microphones, Wi-Fi data system and audio and video conference system preinstalled. (Dhabi.) Guest Relations Emirate Palace used to provide high level of customer service to the guests of the hotels. It is one of the most superior hotels in the world so the list of the hotel guests is also very exclusive. After getting pampered with the world class customer service the customers are welcomed to provide an honest feedback about their stay in the hotel. This feedback is helpful in maintaining long term relationship with the customers. (Dhabi.) Membership The hotel provides the facility of membership with the group. This membership facility is very useful in case of urgent bookings in the hotel. Members of the hotel are the customers who used to visit the hotel more often. This facility is the benefit of the long term relationship between the hotel and its customers. The members of the hotel are given priority in case of unavailability of enough vacancies in the hotel. Comments/Suggestions Collecting feedback from the customers is a critical issue for providing the best customer services in the industry. Words from the customers are very important for the hotel. These feedbacks are used to improve the quality of service if needed. Transit Visas for UAE UAE is the main place of attraction for the tourists all around the globe. Tourism is an important industry in the UAE and people used to visit UAE both for work and fun. The hotel helps its customers to provide transit visas for the UAE during their stay in the country. Acquiring visas is the most time consuming task for a visit in a foreign country. This herculean task is made easy for the customers by the Emirate Palace by providing them the transit visas for the UAE. The Emirate Palace get transit visas of 14 days issued for the customers within 7 working days. (Transit Visas for the United Arab Emirates) Events Calendar Schedule of the coming events in Abu Dhabi, UAE and Emirate Palace is available on the website of the hotel. This information can be very helpful for the customers of the hotel to make reservation accordingly if they want to attend a certain event in the hotel. The event calendar is used for getting information about the latest events going to be held at the hotel. (Dhabi.) IT Butler Service Till now the Emirate Palace used to provide a personal butler for every room and suite but now the butler service has taken a step ahead and the hotel is providing an IT butler for private consultation. This IT butler service is 247 facilities for IT assistance and support of the customer. Emirate Palace is used to host many conferences and workshops for many IT companies. Online Printing In case a customer needs printed copy of some of his document then he does not have to go to a printer to get his document printed. The Emirate Palace provides the service of online printing. The customer has to upload the electronic copy of the document on the web portal of the hotel and order it for printing. Nominal charges are applicable on printing of documents. This service adds value to the customer services provided by the hotel. (Dhabi.) Leisure Healthcare The hotel has unlimited leisure and recreational facilities available. The hotel has health spa, fitness suites, energy zone, tennis and paddle programs for health and fitness of the customers. Many water sports activities are facilitated by the hotel where the customers can enjoy the thrill of the open sea. Sarab Land is a children playground well equipped with slides and swings and many child activities organized by the beach club. (Dhabi.) Analysis of Customer Service Operations in Emirate Palace Service operation management is all bout the process by which organization produce services which are useful for the customer. Operation management takes care of managing the process of production of services. The process of transformation of input resources in the output of services is called an operation. (JPC Media LLC ) The operation process of transforming inputs into outputs certainly adds some value (apart from the cost of input) to the final product or service which is called the value added to the service. The Emirate Palace provides a very high level of service to its customer. This level of service can be produced only if the organization incorporates a service operation management which keeps a watch on the process of production of services. Various customer services in the Emirate Palace are discussed above and here these services are being analyzed on the framework of service operation management. (JPC Media LLC ) Hotel Reservation In the Emirate Palace the hotel reservation system is a customer service. In the operation of this service the inputs given are the web portal for the reservation system where the queries for the availability of rooms on are asked, and information (like number of rooms, number of guests, adults or children, date of reservation) from the customer is also required. Another input is the payment options for the advance booking. The transformation process of this service includes the changes in the database of the hotel reservation system. The database provides the results of the queries made by customer regarding the vacancy of room on the given date. The process of reservation also includes the transaction of amount for the reservation made in the hotel. Output from the transformation process is the customer service for making advance reservations in the hotel. The process provides information about the availability of rooms or suites on the particular date when customer wants it. The process also provides the information about all the types of rooms and suites in the hotel, their specifications, facilities in the rooms, and charges of the rooms. Using this information customer can choose the type of room and services they need. After making the payments for the reservation customer can get his room booked in the hotel on the desired date. (JPC Media LLC ) Meetings Conferences The Emirate Palace is one of the best venues for government conference and summits. Meetings and conferences of many multinational companies are arranged at the conference rooms and auditorium of the hotel. The input in the operation of this facility are the space of the meeting rooms, gadgets like the LCDs, microphones, projectors, other services like, Wi-Fi internet, audio or video conferencing systems. These additional services act as input of this customer service. Another input is the piece of information provided by the customer about his requirements of the meeting or conference rooms. Transformation process of the above input gadgets and services into the desired output of the service include a few steps. Conference rooms or auditorium are booked for various purposes. So first of all the requirements of the customer are studied and an estimation of the budget is given to the customer. If the customer needs any changes then the budget is revised otherwise next step that is installation of the extra facilities like Wi-Fi, projectors, LCDs are done in conference rooms and the rooms are ready and well furnished for the meetings going to held there. Successful business meetings and government conferences and summits without any disturbance or interrupt due to some missing equipment or service are the output of this service operation. Satisfied customer is the intangible and most important outcome from the operation. (JPC Media LLC ) Guest Relations Emirate Palace is one of the few hotels which provide seven star facilities to its customers. So the list of guests of the hotel becomes very exclusive as many government official, Hollywood stars, and sports star used to visit the hotel. The input in the service operation is the guests and the employees of the hotel. The process of the operation involves the interaction between the customers and the employees of the hotel. Guests used to keep on communicating with the hotel staff during all the hours of the day and the response of the staff plays a crucial role in the process of transforming inputs in the desired output. The hotel staff is well trained in the field of hospitality and fulfills all the needs of the guests of the hotel. The output of this service operation is the long term relationship with the customers. A happy guest with the facilities of the hotel will give a positive feedback of the customer services of the hotel. Apart from the positive feedback another important output will be the next stay of the guest in the hotel. Managing healthy and long term relations with the guests is important in the retention of the customers. (JPC Media LLC ) Transit Visas for UAE Emirate Palace helps its customers in getting the temporary tourist visas of the UAE. Input for the service operation is the customers documents, and charges of the visa. These are the requirements for getting the transit visa for UAE for the customers of Emirate Palace. The process of the service operation involves many steps as it has to go through a government protocol which is a bit time consuming but less than what it takes to get a transit visa directly from UAE embassy. Processing of the visa application takes at least 7 working days. The issuance of visas is under control of the Immigration department of Abu Dhabi. Transit visa valid for 14 days from the day of arrival in UAE is the output of the transformation process. A scanned copy on the mail of the customer is sent as soon as the visa is approved. The customer can receive the original copy of the visa from the Immigration office at the UAE airport. (Transit Visas for the United Arab Emirates) IT Butler Service Personal butler service for each room is being provided by many hotels and is not enough for the Emirate Palace so has decided providing a perfect hospitality service according to day todays requirements of the customers. Input in this service is the employee of the hotel who is well trained in the hospitality business and in IT skills as well. The process of service operation is the training of the staff for the role of IT butler. They are trained to solve IT related problems of the customers. Solution of the IT issues of the customers is the output of the operation. The IT butler helps the customers in setting up their office network, companys VPN, or any handy issue with some technical tool or application. The IT butler is available 247 for the service of the customers. Analysis of Supply Chain Management Precisely speaking Supply Chain Management is a set of approaches utilized to efficiently integrate suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, and stores, so that merchandise is produced at the right quantity, to the right location and at the right time, minimizing the cost and improving the service quality. This definition of Supply Chain Management depicts that each and every facility plays an important role in making the product according to customers requirement. The supply chain in the hotel industry is used to provide the best service in the industry to the customers. The Supply chain of the Emirate Palace is designed with a certain objective of each link in the chain. Designing the right service for the customer with flexibility should be delivered to the customer in appropriate quantity, at the right time when he customer really needs it should be provided at the minimal cost. (Supply Chain Management) In the Emirate Palace various decisions are made at times at different levels of management for the advancement in the customer services. Long term decisions are made at the strategic level. Issues like ambience of the rooms and suites, type of customer services etc are decided at the strategic level. Decisions regarding the customer services like what services to provide, how to provide, what should be cost of a particular service etc are taken at this level. Medium term decisions like the menu of the week, theme of a particular party, other offer on services, duty of the hotel staff etc are taken at this level of the chain. The operational level is to take day to day decisions like the attire of the staff, celebrity guest of the day etc. There is a very thin line between the functions of tactical and operational level. Inventory management and Customer service hold a trade off with each other. If the hotel staff start being very rigid with their inventory management system then they will not be able to provide the level of customer service they are providing currently. The Emirate Palace provides a very high level of customer services which will not be possible if the hotel management is more concerned about the stocks in the inventory rather than the customer satisfaction. (Supply Chain Management) Electronic Operations at Emirate Palace The Emirate Palace provides many services to the customer. These services are the measure of customer satisfaction with the hotel. The hotel Management use to manage most of their tasks using technologically advanced resources these operations are also called electronic operations. The major electronic operations of the hotel are the following: (Minghetti., 2003) Reservation System The Reservation System of the hotel is completely web based. A web portal is provided for the customers to check the availability of rooms on particular dates and make reservations if available. There the customers can also look at the images of the different types of rooms and suites of the hotel and choose one of them for their stay in the hotel. Payments are also done online via credit card and many other payment options. The payment link is provided extra web security for security reasons of the customers. Overall the reservation system of the Emirate Palace is a value added service operation of the hotel. Online Printing There is another facility of online printing provided for the customers of the hotel. This facility can be availed by a customer if he has a meeting early in the morning and he needs hard copies of some of his documents of which he has electronic copy. Customer can go to the website of the hotel and click on the link of online printing. Now he can upload the soft copy of his document and order it for printing. The print outs cost nominal printing charges. (Transit Visas for the United Arab Emirates) ATMs The electronic operations of the Emirate Palace include all the electronic services provided by the hotel. There are three ATM machines in the hotel from where customers can make transactions in case if they need cash amount. Internet Facility The Emirate Palace also provides internet facilities to the customers. All the rooms and suites have a Wi-Fi internet connection of 20 mbps. This complementary line is spread in all parts of the hotel. On special demand of the customers a broad line of 80 mbps Wi-Fi internet connection is provided which has additional charges. SWOT Analysis of the Emirate Palace Strengths Exclusive service and features and high brand value. Patronage of the high profile clients thus maintained profits. Weaknesses Extremely heavy cost of rooms so 50% rooms vacant every year. Exclusive and the quality service cost very high. Opportunities Reduction in prices may attract more guests. Threats Another 5 star hotel Burj-Al-Arab is a major competitor. Profits might get reduced because of the global economic melt down. Business Process Map of the Emirate Palace Business process mapping is a methodology to improve the performance and efficiency of the organization by improving the process steps in the delivery of product or service. The business process of the delivery of customer services in the Emirate Palace is depicted in the figure below: (Business Process Modeling) Customer Order for Service Apologize for delay and ask for time. Deliver Service to customer Update Service customer Database Database Service booked for the customer Yes Forward order to Inventory Management No Check time to make available Available? Processing order Check Availability The notations of the various figures are different in the above flow chart of the business process of the. Decision point Activities Actions Events Service Quality Management Quality of the service is the ability of satisfying customer needs and meets his expectations consistently. It is the duty of the hotel staff and employees to provide the level of service which is up to the mark or even better than their expectations. The Emirate Palace is a seven star hotel so the quantity of customer service will be obviously large. But the quality of service they provide should be tested on various dimensions. (Dominici., 2010) Dimensions of Quality The dimensions of quality are: Performance: The services provided by the hotel are very exclusive. The innovation tem of the hotel has worked hard to provide the customers with the unique customer services. Aesthetics: Customer services provided by the Emirate Palace are very lucrative and well designed. The reservation system of the hotel is very user friendly i.e. any newbie can use the portal and book a room for him. Special Features: Each and every customer service of the Emirate Palace has certain unique and special feature in it. Like most seven star hotels provide a private butler for every room and suites. But the Emirate Palace is providing a private IT butler for every room and suite. The job of this butler will be to help the customers with the IT related problems. Conformance: All the customer services of the Emirate Palace are up to the mark of the expectations of the customer. Reliability: The consistent performance of certain customer services in the Emirate Palace is doubtful. Like the IT butler service. (Dominici., 2010) Durability: The services offered by the hotel seem to have a long useful life. All the services provided to the customers today will be also are needed by the future customers of the hotel. The following figure shows the Gap Model of the Service Quality Total Cost of Quality Failure Cost: This cost of quality is the cost of defective and faulty parts of service. The failure cost of quality of the customer services will be high for the hotel. This cost is further classified in two types: Internal Failure Cost: This is he cost when the fault in the service is detected before the launch of the service. Some employees of the hotel must have gone under training of IT skills for doing the job of IT butler. External Failure Cost: All the cost incurred to determine and repair the fault of the service which is detected after it is offered to the customer. Appraisal Cost: This is the cost paid to ensure that the quality of service is maintained during the use of it. Like the cost of maintenance of the database of the hotel reservation system because if the database or the system crashes then one of the most important customer service of the hotel will be finished. Prevention Cost: This cost is paid for the training planning of total quality, customer satisfaction, and quality improvement costs so that defect can be prevented. A separate team of innovation and customer service is always working for the improvement in the current services and remove the faults if any. The Emirate Palace has received the Environment Management System ISO 14001: 2004 Certification of Hospitality Services. Recommendations Suggestions The Emirate Palace provides a wide range of customer services to its guests. Most of these services are value added and costs pretty high for the hotel. The reservation system of the hotel is a wonderful customer services but there are some improvements required in the system so that it can be more valuable for the customers. Reservations made on the web portal cannot be withdrawn later if the customer has any case of urgency. Full amount of the payment is forfeited by the hotel. If a customer has booked a room advance in 1 month but on the day of reservation he got stuck with some important work than the instead of forfeiting the whole amount a particular percentage of the payment should be deducted and the rest should be transferred back. The process of providing transit visas of the UAE is a bit time consuming so the hotel management must try to reduce the time taken in the process. Conclusions The Emirate Palace is one of the worlds few seven star hotels providing excellent level of customer services. These customer services are produced by passing through various processes of service development. Operation management, process design, service supply chain strategies, and service quality management. All these frameworks and tools are helpful for the improvement of services. Developing a service involves 3 phase of giving input, process transformation, and obtaining output. Each service is the output if this process. This objective behind these high levels of services is customer satisfaction. In the hospitality industry the guests should be treated to make hem feel special. Every customer has a certain level of expectations from the service provider and if the service provided does not live up to the expectations of the customer then the customer will never come back to buy the service again. But a satisfied customer is always necessary for spreading the word of mouth about the quality of service of the business. So an organization must always vigorously strive to provide customer services to the guests so that they get satisfied and give a positive feedback of the organization.

Performance Appraisal Essay -- Business, Employee Evaluation, Performa

Performance appraisals are a major component of human resource management systems used by organisations to measure and manage what is considered to be the most valuable resource available to them; human capital. This report aims to evaluate the effectiveness of performance appraisals and its application to both the employer and its employees, taking into consideration various rationales for its implementation. This will be achieved through an in depth review of the concept of performance appraisals, its evolution in corporate organisations and existing literature on the topic, and the effects (both positive and negative) to the organisation as a whole and to its employees. It will be argued that despite being of relative importance to performance management systems in organisations, performance appraisals fail to achieve the lofty ideals and objectives which characterize its implementation. Performance appraisals are a key component of the performance management process in organisations and are used to obtain feedback on performance levels of employees for a given period of time. Performance appraisals have been defined as the process which allows firms to measure and consequently evaluate an employee's achievements and behaviour over a certain period of time (Devries et al, 1981). It is the process of identifying, observing, measuring and developing human resources in organisations (Cardy and Dobbins, 1994). Various organisations use varying performance appraisal systems and have differing opinions on performance goals which cause some sort of confusion on the purpose of performance appraisal systems (Buckley and Wiese, 1998). Performance is thus the critical factor which is being addressed in the understanding and developmen... ...ughout the organisation. This way, management is able to consistently harmonize its operational goals with employee developmental efforts and job expectations. Performance appraisals also give organisations the opportunity to address performance issues without conflict by providing evidence of actual on the job performance and productivity. This way, high achievers and bottom performance are easily singled out with relative recommendations effected. Despite performance appraisals satisfying numerous organisational objectives, the focus of its activities is in providing direction and information to employees to boost performance and job productivity (Latham et al., 1993). This should remain the primary objective performance appraisal systems should seek to address which leads to this article addressing issues which affects the effectiveness of its implementation.

Female Stereotypes In The Media Essay -- Papers

Female Stereotypes In The Media In the media the most common female stereotypes, are the housewife and the blonde bimbo. The Housewife. Chained to the kitchen sink, always cleaning and cooking. An old stereotype. In the advertisement for Shake `n Vac a woman is doing the vacuuming and dancing around shaking Shake `n' Vac on the floor. This is a stereotype for the reason that a man is nowhere to be found. But in advertisements for intelligent matters like finance, it's always a man. At first, when I saw the advertisement for Mc Cain's chips, I thought the woman in it wasn't stereotypical, as she was not cooking the meal, the man was. But after a while I saw that this was just for a joke, as at the end you saw that the man was only able to cook a tray of oven chips and he doesn't even know whether they have a chip pan or not, as the dialogue goes, Man: à ´I spent ages making these chips, slicing the potatoes, frying them in the chip panà  .à ¶ Woman: à ´What chip pan?à ¶ The Mirror's cartoon section has had a cartoon that's been there for years and years called Andy Capp. (See picture A)This cartoon follows the life of a stereotypical northern husband and wife. In the edition I looked at, there's a picture of Andy's wife carrying a bucket and a cloth, walking into the kitchen, blanking the husband whose lying on a couch nearby. He asks à ´What's the matter pet? Is it something I did? à ¶ And she shouts back à ´How? When's the last time you did anything?à ¶ In all of the cartoons, Andy never did any housework, as far as he was concerned that was women's work and he always expected his dinner to be on the table when he came home from ... ... like in the advertisement for shake and vac. The reason why stereotypes exists are usually because when people make up characters (for TV scripts, film scripts, etc.) it's easier to use the image of a woman that someone is familiar with. Most writers are male. As they don't know much about them and they can only write about what they know about, they have to use the images they have of women in their heads. It's the same with other stereotypes, i.e. French people in the media always wear berets and have onions round their necks. When will our views change completely? I think, although new stereotypes are appearing and old ones are evolving, it will take time. But the women will always be portrayed, because they're the child bearers, as being chained to the kitchen sink and planning what to have for dinner.

It530

Assignment Grading Rubric Course: IT530 Unit: 5 Points: 120 Copyright Kaplan University Unit 5 Assignment Outcomes addressed in this activity: Unit Outcomes: Explain flow control and congestion management and their significance to overall network performance Evaluate standard routing techniques and their application to a business’ internet connectivity Recommend a comprehensive security plan Plan and describe methods to secure data including encryption techniques and security protocols Assess LAN communications and management protocols and examine their significance in business environmentsCourse Outcomes: IT530-5: Analyze issues surrounding the connectivity and administration of networks. Assignment Instructions: 1. In recent years, the concept of â€Å"ethical† hacking has grown in importance as more companies consider hiring â€Å"black hat† hackers as security consultants. Research the elements that comprise â€Å"ethical† hacking. In what ways does et hical hacking differ from â€Å"black hat† hacking? Put yourself into the position of a system administrator considering hiring a hacker.How would you ensure that this individual was actually strengthening your company’s network security rather than hacking into your company’s sensitive data? Would you even consider hiring a hacker in the first place? Why or why not? Try to find at least one example of a real world â€Å"ethical† hacker being hired; was it a good or bad decision on the part of the company? 2. Based on your research, write an 8 to 10 page paper that researches the concept of â€Å"ethical† hacking, as well as the ethical dilemmas inherent in hiring a hacker as a security consultant. Preparing your AssignmentThe written essay/paragraph formatted paper should be 8 – 10 pages long NOT including cover page and references. As you research ethical hacking, ALL of the pages must have citations and references. No more than one direct quotation (of 40 words or more) is allowed per page and bullet lists without substantial narrative included are strongly discouraged. There should be no spelling or grammar errors. All written assignments should be in APA format. APA formatted in-text citations and references are required for all sources, and all figures and tables must be captioned in APA format.If you are unfamiliar with APA formatting, please see the Kaplan Writing Center for more information on how to work with APA. Directions for Submitting Your Assignment: Compose your assignment in a Microsoft Word  ® document and save it as Username-IT530 Assignment – Unit#. doc (Example: TAllen- IT530 Assignment-Unit5. doc). Submit your file by selecting the Unit 5: Assignment Dropbox by the end of Unit 5. Assignment Grading Rubric Course: IT530 Unit: 5 Points: 120 Copyright Kaplan University Assignment requirements:All papers must meet these standard requirements: Paper follows APA formatting Length is 8-10 pages long not including references and cover page No more than three bulleted or listed points per paper. No more than one direct quote per page from a reference source and those quotes must be properly cited within the body and in the references at the end of the paper Title page Reference page No spelling errors No grammar errors *2 points will be deducted from grade for each occurrence of not meeting these requirements.Review the grading rubric below before beginning this activity. Unit 5 Assignment Grading Rubric = 120 points Assignment Requirements Points possible Points earned by student Document includes introductory paragraph discussing the general concepts of ethical hacking as opposed to black hat hacking. 0-30 Document includes well supported argument pro or con for hiring a hacker as security consultant. 0-30 Document includes example of â€Å"real world† hiring of hacker and discusses the outcome. 0-30 Discussion of ethical hacking considerations should be substantia l nd flow logically. 0-30 Total (Sum of all points) Less: Standard Requirements points deductedAssignment Grading Rubric Course: IT530 Unit: 5 Points: 120 Copyright Kaplan University Assignment Total For more information and example of APA formatting, see the resources in Doc sharing or visit the KU Writing Center from the KU Homepage. Also review the KU Policy on Plagiarism. This policy will be strictly enforced on all applicable assignments and discussion posts. If you have any questions, please contact your professor.

Amino Acid Chromatography

In this experiment paper chromatography was used in order to identify two unknown amino acids using eight known amino ones. The two unknown ones were identified by comparing the distance they travelled up the chromatography paper and their Rf values to the corresponding values of the other eight known amino acids. The unknown amino acids identified were Glycine and Methionine. Introduction Proteins in cells are important in many ways. There are different types of proteins such as contractile proteins, enzymes, hormonal proteins, structural proteins and transport proteins. They are vital to regular cell functioning.Proteins are made up of amino acids that are joined together by peptide bonds. When fewer than 50 amino acids are joined together, a polypeptide is formed. All proteins have two groups in common. They have a carboxylic group and an amino group. There are 20 types of amino acids that bond together in different combinations to perform different functions. The primary structur e of proteins is the order and number of amino acids. Secondary, tertiary and quarternary structures are formed from chains of peptides that are folded into sheets, ribbons and coils so that they form a 3D shape and are more stable.Different weights of amino acid make them differ in polarity. This characteristic enables the separation of proteins by polarity using chromatography. Paper chromatography is an example of a chromatography technique called absorption chromatography. The paper is the adsorbent, which will bind the components of the mixture. The substance will be â€Å"spotted† onto the chromatography paper and put into a beaker filled with solvent. The solvent will then flow through the paper. The solvent chosen depends highly on its polarity as this will be the characteristic that will separate the different substances.Petroleum, ether, hexanes, cyclohexanes and toluene are some examples of solvents with different polarities as well as increasing polarities. In som e cases, mixtures of solvents are made to reach a certain polarity. If substances that are needed to be separated are polar, then the solvent must be slightly less polar. Non-polar substances need a polar solvent to be separated. The solvent travels faster than the samples. The Rf value is the ratio of the distance traveled by the sample and the distance travelled by the sample.Rf = distance travelled by amino acid sample from the origin in mm distance travelled by the solvent from the origin in mm Factors affecting how far the amino acids travel depend on how high the solvent is allowed to rise on the paper, the type of absorbent, the type of concentration of the solvent, temperature and the distance of the origin from the solvent. One type of test to detect proteins is the Ninhydrin test. This test makes the amino acids spots visible. Ninhydrin is a pale yellow solid and it reacts with the amino group in the amino acids and proteins and produces a purple product.Heat must be used in order to speed up the reaction. Objective The objective of this experiment was to spot various amino acids and an unknown mixture on chromatography paper and run it with a chromatography solvent. The lab period following included treating the samples with Ninhydrin solution and heating it so that the amino acids could be visible. The distance of the samples were then measured in mm from the origin. The measurements were then used to calculate the Rf values for each sample and thus the unknown sample could be identified. Materials Alanine, 1% Solution Arginine, 1% SolutionAsparagine, 1% Solution Aspartic acid, 1% Solution Glycine, 1% Solution Lysine, 1% Solution Methionine, 1% Solution Tyrosine, 1% Solution Unknown, 1% Solution Chromatography Solvent, 20mL Ninhydrin solution, 2%, 10mL Beaker, 600mL Chromatography paper, 20X10 cm Graduated Cylinder, 25-mL Heat source, drying over or hot plate Microtip pipets, 9 Pencil Ruler Spray bottle Stapler Watch glass or aluminum foil Procedur e 1. On a 20cm wide by 10 cm high piece of chromatography paper, a pencil was used to draw a straight line (about 1 cm) from the bottom of the paper from the left to the right side 2.Nine pencil dots were placed 2cm apart on the line 3. The name of each amino acid was written under each dot in pencil. 20 mL of chromatography solvent was then added to the 600-mL beaker 4. A micropipette was used to obtain a small amount of the first amino acid 5. The tip of the pipette was placed above the chromatography paper directly above the pencil dot and a spot of the amino acid was dropped on the dot 6. Steps 4 and 5 were repeated for the eight amino acid solutions 7. With the sample side facing outwards the chromatography paper was turned into a cylinder and the top and bottom edges of the paper were stapled. .The paper cylinder was then placed into a beaker with the chromatography solvent. 9. The beaker was then covered with a watch glass 10. The samples were then allowed to run till the sol vent level was about 1 cm from the top of the paper. 11. The chromatography paper was then removed from the beaker. The solvent height was then marked with a pencil line and the staples were removed 12. The chromatography paper was then left to dry During the following lab 13. The chromatography paper was sprayed with a spray bottle containing 10mL of 2 % Ninhydrin solution 14.The chromatography paper was left to dry for 10-20 minutes 15. The paper was then put in a drying oven or held 10 cm above a hot plate to heat so that the color could develop 16. A dot was placed with a pencil at the centermost point of each amino acid 17. The distance in mm of the solvent traveled from the pencil line till the where the solved stopped traveling was measured. 18. The distance in mm from the origin till where each amino acid traveled was measured 19. The Rf value for each amino acid was calculated ResultsTable 1: Distance and Rf values of the amino acids and unknowns Amino Distance(mm)452427223 015574235/60 Rf Value0. 50. 270. 30. 240. 330. 170. 630. 470. 39/0. 67 The distance traveled by the solvent from the pencil line drawn was 90mm. The unknown samples were found to be Glycine and Methionine by comparing their Rf and distances values to those amino acids with Rf and distance values that were calculated. Discussion Paper Chromatography is used to separate a mixture of compounds into its components.Pens and markers are not used as their ink will be separated too. Instead, pencils are utilized as they are made from graphite which does not separate. Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without any help from external forces. This flow is against gravity as well. This happens because of the intermolecular attractive forces between the liquid and the solid surrounding surfaces. Surface tension and adhesive forces between the liquid and solid also help the liquid rise through the solid.The Rf value is defined as the ratio of the distance travell ed by the amino acid sample from the origin to the distance travelled by the solvent. The ratios, therefore, stay the same regardless of the solvent used. Ninhydrin is used in paper chromatography to identify amino acids. Ninhydrin solution turns the amino acid fingerprints to the color purple, therefore making them visible. For this reason we take care when touching the chromatography paper. The least polar amino acid was alanine as the distance it moved up the paper was the least.

New Orleans: After the Storm

On the 29th of August, 2005, a Category 3 Hurricane swept across the state of Louisiana and dealt major damages to the City of New Orleans, a tragedy never to be forgotten by the American Nation. Though the hurricane never hit the city itself, through its huge rainfall content, it has caused levee breaches which had dealt the most damage as flood devastated the city, and was thus dubbed as the worst engineering disaster in the history of the United States (Kilpatrick & Dermisi, 2007). Lost of lives and property were dealt during the incident, as the crime rates hiked up due to the disorder caused by the hurricane, and images of criminals engaging grand theft auto were seen live on television, as buildings were burning or being wrecked by the flood.Critics continue to blame various groups, individuals and factors for the terrible incident which has scarred the people’s hearts and minds, and has terrorized and affected both individuals and their pets who were residents of the ci ty, still learning who to blame, and being tight in releasing funds for insurance claims, and learning whether the state should pay for the damages or not. Yet, whether damages were paid or remain unpaid, and whether individuals who should be blamed were blamed or left unquestioned, it must be realized that beyond restoring the finances of the people and giving due justice, healing the wounds of each and every resident of New Orleans who currently suffer from the emotional, and psychological baggage which burden each and every one of them must be realized and given due priority.Faulty Urban Planning. The development of cities and industries has caused the increase of population in areas near industrial zones in consideration to the convenience brought about by being near to the jobs present in the area. The continuing increase in the population and demand for cheap homes have been the critical factors in pursuing the building of homes in marshlands, swamps, reclamation areas, and ot her low ground areas by the Government led United States Army Corps of Engineers, in the City of New Orleans. After the construction of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal in 1940, the state closed the commercial waterways which were used before for waterborne commerce, leading to the drastic lowering of the city’s water table.The US Army Corps of Volunteers then built a levee system around the area covering much of the city’s marshlands and swamps, without consideration to the possible subsidence brought about by the compression of underlying soils. These brought about land subsidence of up to 8 feet or 2 meters in some areas which were reclaimed by the US government. A recent study of the Tulane University notes that 49% of New Orleans is below sea level, with the majority of the population on the higher ground. However, the mean elevation of the city has become between 1 and 2 feet below the sea level, with some parts as high as 16 feet and some parts as deep as 10 fe et. The city is also bordered by the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, and is marbled with canals and bayous (Galle, 2007) which maybe considered geologically hazardous.Moving on. Two years after the incident, the residents of New Orleans are still trying to cope up with the emotions, and the losses which they have incurred during Hurricane Katrina. For some individuals, moving on might be a very easy thing to do, especially if they have some other place to move on to. Yet for some, the typhoon was just the beginning, especially if they’re homes have been washed out or burned by some thug or all their assets and even their pets are gone. A year after the typhoon businesses in the high ground started to bloom again, as most of the restaurants are open, the Convention Center began to have bookings, and almost all of the premium office space in the business district is occupied, and the Port of New Orleans is nearly back to normal.Tourists have also started to come back, and almost half of New Orleans’ pre-Katrina population is back mostly crowded into the high ground along the river (Ydstie, 2006). For some individuals, the damage dealt by Hurricane Katrina was something that has made them further down, as insurance companies refused to pay some victims due to some loopholes within the insurance policies such as the wind vis-à  -vis flood, and the flood vis-à  -vis hurricane policies. Some insurance companies claim that individuals could not be compensated for their wrecked homes if their insurance policy says that their houses are insured for hurricane since it was the flooding that has caused the house to be destroyed, a heartless argument that gives no consideration to the logic that there would be no flood if there was no hurricane at all. Worse are the insurance companies who argue that wind was the cause for the houses’ roofs to come off and the flooding did not cause it, thus they would only pay partially for the damages.The se defenses and loopholes of insurance companies made things worst for Katrina Victims, and should be condemned. While most of the individuals suffer from more stressful damages brought about by such insurance companies, what should be stressed for them is the fact that, the first rule of insurance policy construction is that ambiguous policy language is interpreted against the drafter (â€Å"contra proferentem†) which in most cases are the insurance companies, and also that, insurance agents, must also then be sued for their negligence towards their jobs of making such loophole-full policies (Abraham, 2007). Also individuals who lost their houses are troubled by some policies such as the high ground policy which forces them to make their houses higher, individuals who have problems with stairs such as those suffering from arthritis are troubled by this.Pets after Katrina. During the Hurricane, the residents of New Orleans initially saving their lives left their pets behind. Cats and dogs of different breeds and species were lost, and were forced to roam a world which was unknown to them, while being thirsty and unfed, and while some residents were trying to find back their pets some individuals were arrogant about them such as the cop who threw out a dog named snowball out of a bus (â€Å"Snowball! Snowball!†, 2005). A year after the incident, organizations such as the North Shore Animal League of America, helped retrieved pets of New Orleans’ residents. Initiatives to house some of the pets which no one claimed, however there has been a lack of credible population to adopt such pets.Lessons learned. Some individuals say that the impact Hurricane Katrina has dealt is comparable to the impact of the Oakland Firestorm which hit Oakland California in 1991, which then, was a large urban fire which occurred in the northern Oakland, California, and which has killed 25 people and injured 150 others. While some issues of Hurricane Katrina are com parable, such as the amount of damage dealt, and the fact that most of the victims of the Oakland Firestorm were somewhat unaware of their insurance policies just like the victims of Katrina, the issues of complacency and uncompetitive planning are the factors which make the circumstances of the two incidents different. While the damages dealt by Hurricane Katrina were due to the lack of mitigation, and the lack of competitive advantage in terms of planning, the damages brought about by the fire in Oakland California were mainly due to the complacency of the residents and the local municipality in terms of controlling the fire.Reflections. While it holds true that acts of God could never be controlled by man, it must always be taken into consideration, that God has given us our brains for us to analyze and think about what we can do just in case. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, the damage could have been avoided if there were only enough mitigation done, such as holding studies ab out the geography and the soil composition of the area, and taking a close monitor over the movements of the soil and the water levels, and making detailed and well thought off engineering measures to prevent such incident from happening again. It must also be taken into account that there have been not enough measures to provide emotional support for the victims of the typhoon, and such emotional stress and tension must be given consideration and priority by the government and other support groups.ReferencesAbraham, K.S. 2007. In Brief : The Hurricane Katrina Insurance Claims. Virginia LawReview, 93, 157-164.Bach, A., & Miller, C., 2003. Lessons Shared from Oakland-Berkely Hills. Retrieved September14, 2007, from http://www.hillsemergencyforum.org/docs/Media-LessonShared.pdfGalle, J. 2007. Special Reports : Vulnerable Cities. Retrieved September 15, 2007 fromhttp://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/neworleans.htmlKilpatrick, J.A., & Dermisi, S. 2 007. The Aftermath of Katrina: Recommendationsfor Real Estate Research. Journal of Real Estate Literature.Snowball! Snowball! The Little Dog Who Broke A Nation's Heart! Hurricane Katrina'sLittlest Victim. 2005. Muttshack Animal Rescue Foundation, posted Sept. 6 2005. Retrieved, September 14, 2007 from, http://www.muttshack.org/2005/09/snowball-snowball-little-dog-who-broke.html Ydstie, J. 2006. Katrina Victims Still Struggle to Find Way Home. Retrieved September14, 2007 from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5720114

Desertification In Sub Sahara Africa Environmental Sciences Essay

Without a uncertainty, Planet Earth is merely the right topographic point for humanity to brood in. Planet Earth is deteriorating due to the issues and jobs cause by humanity and natural catastrophes. Earth faces many jobs day-to-day and the effects are huge toward humanity. Some parts of Earth are worse than others due to the irresponsibleness of population. Sub-Sahara Africa suffers from many jobs like dirt eroding, deforestation, and desertification but Sub-Sahara Africa ‘s chief issue is desertification. Many parts in Sub-Sahara Africa face monolithic effects of desertification. In Sub-Sahara Africa the society is altering due to desertification and the effects it has on society and furthermore desertification is easy turning and it is a chief job in Africa due to the African tropical conditions and the sloppiness of the people ‘s work toward the land. Sub-Sahara Africa is one of the chief topographic points where desertification is happening due to the overexploitation of land and irresponsibleness of the population. Using land without superior cognition and good apprehension people cause the land to deteriorates. There are many causes of land desertification in Sub-Sahara Africa and many of them are natural causes. One of the natural causes that root the land to deteriorate is soil eroding. Soil eroding is when the surface soil is take or taken away faster than the forming of dirt can take topographic point ( Welcome to the European Soil Portal ) . Soil eroding happens all around the universe in each twelvemonth. When dirt eroding happens, the good dirts are washed off go forthing merely the bad, difficult dirt left for husbandmans to farm, so without the thin dirt bed, barley anything could turn in it. Soil eroding will take a short clip to destruct first-class dirts where good dirts take highly long clip to do. In Ethiopia abou t one million dozenss of top dirt is lost every twelvemonth where there are soil erodings ( William Von Cotthern ) . The 2nd natural cause of land desertification is draught ; and draft is one of the chief causes of desertification in Africa. Every twelvemonth there are checkerss. â€Å" The Sudano-Sahel part, for case, has experienced unpredictable and terrible drouth, the most recent of which lasted about 20 old ages † ( Lilian Ahianga ) . Drought could last a really long clip and when it lasts that long, the society will be in danger. Over 25 states in the continent have faced deficit of nutrient over a decennary ago due to the long lasting of drouth ( Lilian Ahianga ) . Without rain for a really drawn-out clip, land could be tough to farm and afterward the land will be unserviceable for anything. Draught affects a monolithic sum of dry lands and with several drouths each twelvemonth, dry land debasement additions. Factors like the growing of homo and carnal population cou ld besides do desertification ( Lilian Ahianga ) . Land desertifications non merely are they being caused by natural catastrophes but are besides being degrades by humanity. The over utilizing of land is one of the many ways where humanity could do land debasement. Farmers and workers and utilizing land over and over once more without allowing the land remainder and turn back. Farmers non leting grass and land to turn back after animate being grazed on them. Animals maintain on croping on them until they turn brown or ruddy and are no longer able to turn. Colonial scientists blame the African husbandmans and Herders as the cause of the spread of desertification ( Gregory Maddox ) . They overgrazed of land and fire down forest for Savannah. The 2nd job is that there are excessively many people for one little topographic point. There are excessively many people populating on one little topographic point where things are being used every twenty-four hours over and over once more, go forthing the land no clip to turn. Trees and resources do non hold adequate clip to really turn back. Once they are cut, and are renewing, animate beings would come and eat them. The chief ground is that there are more people who cut down trees than those who works them. The populations are cutting down trees faster than trees are able to turn. Peoples did non let the cut trees to turn back alternatively they let the animate beings graze on them. About 30,000 kilometre square per twelvemonth of trees is cut down ( Aldo Bonincontro ) . Destroying trees increases the growing of desertification in Africa. Desertification in Africa causes many jobs for the population ( Jorn Laxen ) . In Sub-Sahara Africa, desertification plays a large function in the population ‘s poorness. Many people, non merely in Africa, have been affected by Desertification. Desertification has many effects on the universe today, particularly in Africa itself. There are many effects cause by desertification, such as: deceases, diseases and poornesss. Thousands of people die due to famishment. Starvation is the negative result of desertification of land which leads to deaths. Besides people deceasing every month. â€Å" Death in Sub-Sahara Africa leads to the deceases of an estimated 3 million people in the mid-1980s † ( P.C Sinha ) . The affects of desertification could do deceases to countless people. Degraded lands are no longer able to supply harvests, nutrient for animate beings, and even firewood for firing. Poverty is besides a chief ground why there is poorness in Africa. Million of people could hold insufficient of nutrient because of the worsening of harvests yield. â⠂¬Å" The consequence is that Sub-Sahara Africa is the lone part in the universe where nutrient production is stagnating, and hungriness is on the rise † ( Jan Baert ) . Hunger and poorness is lifting due to the slow and small production of harvests. Desertification causes farming to decelerate down and bring forth small sum of resources. Since there is small of harvests and resources, the economic system so will raise the monetary values of points such as rice because they are scarce. This will greatly impact the lower category people ( Lilian Ahranga ) . For every job and issue, there are bars and solution. Desertification must be stopped and authoritiess and organisations have been stepping in to assist out. Many methods had already been done to assist set down debasement ; methods such as redressing of flora screen and commanding dirt eroding. â€Å" The job appears to be a deficiency of cognition and likely besides the economic restraints that prevent the optimal use of these valuable resources † ( Jorn Laxen ) . One the best manner to forestall desertification is merely instruction. The authorities and organisation should give some kind of instruction the population, particularly husbandmans. Teaching them how to farm and to utilize the land decently in the right manner where land will non be destroyed ; is one of the chief bar of land debasement. The 2nd manner to forestall land debasement is to protect the environmental resources that are available to them. If they use it heedlessly and destroyed them wholly, they will h old a difficult clip turning back, and besides it will take them a drawn-out clip to turn. â€Å" Adopt sustainable land-use policies and sustainable direction of H2O resources † ( P.C Sinha ) . Bing able to keep the dirt birthrate decently is besides helpful. In 2005 the World Bank and NEPAD launched the TerrAfrica by mobilising alliances, cognition and raising money for Africa ( Jan Baert ) . Alan Paton, the writer of Cry, the Beloved Country, used desertification as an influence to compose Cry, the Beloved Country. The writer chooses to utilize desertification as one of the chief job to why people moved from countryside to the metropolis. In chapter one of Cry, the darling Country, Paton compared the good land with the debauched land. â€Å" Where you stand the grass is rich and matted, you can non see the dirt. But the rich green hills break downaˆÂ ¦ for they grow ruddy and bared ; they can non keep the rain and mist, and the watercourses are dry in the kloofs.Too many cowss feed upon the grass, and excessively many fires have burned it † ( 33 ) . The book started out speaking about the job of the land as a symbolism that it will effects on the characters in the book. All the immature work forces and strong misss left the topographic point to travel to the metropolis to look for work because the land could give them nil. â€Å" The work forces are off, the immature work forces and the misss are off. The dirt can non maintain them any more † ( 34 ) . Boys and misss left the topographic point because of the debauched land. And because of the motions from state side to the metropolis, the metropolis could non keep all of them. That was one of the jobs in the society that clip, there were more people in the metropolis than the state side. Most of them have to populate on the streets. And that is why there were so many black mineworkers in the metropolis. In chapter 30 the land is still in desolation. There were no rains for the land and for farming. Paton stated, â€Å" aˆÂ ¦the dirt is ill about beyond healingaˆÂ ¦they can non plow or works, and there will be hunger in this vale † ( 253 ) . The debauched land awfully effects the society. It seems like it is impossible to retrieve to its standard signifier. If the land can non be healed, the society as good can non be healed. Equally long as the land stays the manner they are now, the society can non travel on. Thingss will ne'er remain the same as they are if difficult plants are putted in. In chapter 32 there was hope at last for the land and for the society at that place, rain eventually came. â€Å" But it was this for which all work forces were waiting, the rain at last † ( 277 ) . Rain eventually came, and there was hope. Hope could merely be at that place if the people really cognize how to farm and take attention of the land. Desertification happens due to the natural causes like dirt eroding and draft, but largely due to the cause by humanity. Desertification can be prevented if instructions and larning are spread to the population. Teach the population how to farm and how to carefully utilize the resources is the first measure to forestalling land debasement. The society will be in a better form and healthier conditions if the environments are clean and good taken cared of. Take attention of the environments and in return the environments will take attention of you. Citations: â€Å" AfricaNews – Africa: Desertification Threatens Livelihoods – Articles. † AfricaNews.com – Sharing Positions on Africa. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/12768 & gt ; . Aluanga, Lilian. â€Å" AFRICA: Human-centered Catastrophe Feared As Desertification Spreads. † Online-Lab | International Institute for Journalism | InWent. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //inwent-iij-lab.org/Weblog/2009/08/20/africa-humanitarian-disaster-feared-as-desertification-spreads/ & gt ; . Bonincontro, Aldo. â€Å" Desertification in Africa – by Aldo Bonincontro – Helium. † Helium – Where Knowledge Rules. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.helium.com/items/1885501-desertification-in-africa & gt ; . Mabogurije, Akin L. â€Å" The Environmental Challenges In Sub Saharan Africa. † MIT. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //web.mit.edu/africantech/www/articles/EnvChall.htm & gt ; . Maddox, Gregory. â€Å" Sub-saharan Africa: an Environmental†¦ † Google Books. Web.22.2011. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //books.google.com/books? id=JFSSMeNTAVkC & A ; printsec=frontcover & A ; dq=Sub-Saharan Africa: an environmental history by Gregory Maddox & A ; beginning & gt ; . Laxen, Jorn. â€Å" Rehabilitation of Degraded Lands in Sub-Saharan Africa. † European Tropical Forest Research Network. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.etfrn.org/etfrn/workshop/degradedlands/themesdrylands2week4sum.htm & gt ; . Sinha, P.c. † Desertification. â€Å" GoogleBooks.Web.22Feb.2011. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //books.google.com /books? id=jZb2Qq9cEz0C & A ; printsec=frontcover & A ; dq=P.C Sinha & A ; hl=en & A ; ei=FY5jTanPDYG8ceDn4dwJ & A ; sa=X & A ; oi=book_result & A ; ct=result & A ; resnum=3 & A ; ved=0CDIQ6AEwAg # v=onepage & A ; q & A ; f=false & gt ; . â€Å" Sub-Saharan Africa News ( SciDev.Net ) | DESERTIFICATION. † DESERTIFICATION | All about Drought, Desertification and Poverty in the Drylands. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //desertification.wordpress.com/2007/10/06/sub-saharan-africa-newsscidevnet/ & gt ; .