Organizational Culture Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Organizational Culture Analysis - Essay Example The essay "Organizational Culture Analysis" presents the analysis of the organizational culture as the defined whole set of values, personalities, norms, assumptions, behaviors, beliefs, ideas and tangible and intangible signs of the organization in its internal and external environments of business conduct. Such tangible and intangible artifacts include organizational goals such as mission and vision. Culture is a tool for the manager to inculcate a set of values, beliefs, and ideas in the employee whose vision is then transformed into that of the organization’s vision. According to Edgar Schein organizational culture is â€Å"A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems". Schein has provided one of the most thought-provoking definitions to organizational culture and goes on to claim that of all the attributes of the organization, culture is perhaps the most difficult to transform. He identifies three attributes in the organization culture. Next Geert Hofstede identified five dimensions as the basis for organizational culture. Hofstede actually preceded Schein the latter theory’s importance is much greater. It has been given the preference in this paper. A number of other scholars produced their theories on organizational culture too.

Effective Social Work Approaches

Effective Social Work Approaches To practice without a theory is to sail an uncharted sea; theory without practice is not to set sail at all Susser 1968 cited in Lishman, 2005 pg 87. Therefore, this essay uses the task centred approach and the solution focused therapy to explain what is happening in the Banks family and how it affects Mark. It will predict Marks future behaviour and it will suggest a plan of actions for intervention in order to make a difference in Marks life. The problems identified in the banks family are; Marks bullying behaviours, both at school and at home, his failure to form relationships with his counterparts, and lack of progress in his education. The essay will discuss the similarities and differences in the identified theories. It will also investigate the advantages and disadvantages of each of the theories. At the same time, the essay will explain how the concept of the anti discriminatory practice can be employed to underpin the interventions whilst using the identified theories. Theoretically, Social work is influenced by the relationship between theory and practice from different perspectives in meeting the clients unique needs in a desired situation and at a particular period of time (Coulshed, 1988). Again, applying theory to practice involves different schools of thought whereas practitioner-client relationship maybe a difficult subject (Taylor and Devine, 1993). However the mandate here is to explain two major theories or approaches but highlights on a third is necessary. Firstly, Solution focused approach developed by Ericksons (1963) and De Shazer (1972) at the therapy centre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The theory is regarded as a positive solution building approach focusing on the client. Clearly the aim is to explore the principles of anti-oppressive practice and involving the client in finding a solution to their problems. This approach does not focus on the past but what is happening in the present and future. It is focusing on two important issues, supporting clients to preferably explore their own future and taking into consideration when, where, with whom and how is it all happening to reach the desired outcomes in a shortest route. The features of solution based approach is to keep the client at the centre of their activity and encouraging them to bring about problems that need attention, furthermore, move from the problems to make slight changes in their behaviour and make some improvements. Nevertheless, it is assumed that clients feel part of their problems. The key concept of this approach is that focus is based upon the here and know with positive thinking and avoiding pre-judgmental. Above all solution based approach has no time limit as it tries to move from the centre to where clients can feel happier by reducing the problems step by step. In another of school of thought, task-centred approach has been considered as a structured way of working with clients in a time limit framework. The most important part of the task-centred approach is partnership and empowerment; this involves two or more people working with a common purpose. Moreover, this theory builds on clients strength and avoids talking about their faults by providing the necessary help they need. According to coulshed (1988), those trying to bring about models for ethnic-sensitive practice favour task-centred approach that promotes anti-oppressive practice (Doel and marsh, 1992). Task centred is unique in that it breaks down the problems into small manageable components, it involves the social worker and the service user identifying the main problem(s) and then working out how to reformulate them in to easily manageable tasks. After the tasks have been agreed the next step is to divided them between the social work and the service user and then decide who is going to work on which task and over what period of time. Using this approach the social worker and service user look very closely at the presenting problem(s) and reformulating them into a range of small practical tasks. The task centred approach fits together well with anti discriminatory practice because it encourages the social worker to do what they do best by bring their expertise into the relationship and work alongside the service user. Okitikpi et al, (2010) argues that the core aspects of the task centered approach that include working with partnership, collaboration, service users strengths, building on confidence, systematic and responsive communication are the same core elements that characterise ADP. Task-centred approach is seen to be effective with interpersonal concerns like those of mark. (Ramos and Tolson 2008 cited in Hepworth 2010 pg 379) Says that this theory is, incompatible with mandated clients who refuse help or are unable to identify changes that they wish to change. By direct contrast, the third approach, Attachment theory by Bowlby (1973) which grew out of rejection of some aspects of psychoanalysis and childhood raring with no separation could have been used but it is not relevant in this case study. Examining the influence of the task-centre approach and the solution-focused therapy, there are similarities and differences which have to be highlighted. Firstly, the case scenario of the Banks family clearly indicates that there need to be an intervention process by using the task-centred approach or solution-focused approach. Ride and Epstein (1972) hypothesised on the task-centred approach as effective and more durable. Time-limit on the approach shows that changes could occur rapidly as all participants are motivated (Maslow, 1943). This involves eight areas of concern among which Behavioural problems, reactive emotional distress and difficulty in role performance are selected target problem areas. However, there are steps to be taken in task-centred approach: The first step is problem exploration, Agreement; second step is, formulating an objective, achieving the task(s), and finally terminations stage. To start with there were behavioural problems identified in the case of Mar k, like yelling, fighting and disruptive. But as required the focus here is to move from what is wrong to what is needed to be done. Similar to the task centred approach is the solution focused approach; it is action oriented and uses a number of strategic questions to find out the solution to a series of problems that the client has. (Trepper et al 2006) cited in Hepworth (2010. Pg. 356). When using TCA with minors like Mark, the tasks involved in this are that there is need to work with the parents and teachers in a collaborative and anti-oppressive way to solve the problems, discuss basic care needs interest in how to help Mark to do his work in class, and work on his tantrums and arguments, discuss with parents how to get Mark to interact with other children and make arrangements for Mark to visit his father in order to came him down. (Enos 2008) cited in Hepworth (2010. Pg. 357) argues that lack of mandated contact from a family member can cause fear, a sense of failure, concer ns about status and use the attitudinal weapons at their disposal may react with anger and a minimum refuse to cooperate. Marks parents need to reduce his inappropriate behaviour by developing skills to improve parent-child relationships for instance, listening and negotiating skills, teach Mark skills of approaching others, how to introduce himself, interact with others by engaging in conversations. In evaluating the two approaches in the scenario there are advantages and disadvantages. In the solution-focused therapy, Mark is the focus and his self esteem is promoted. The problem is the primary concern not the client. SFA offers a positive approach working with the service users. The emphasis of engaging the service user to talk about solutions not just problems is an empowering method. The commitment to service users empowerment, a focus on strengths and service users capacities towards improving their situations and reaching solutions is a significant contribution. In contrast, there is negative focus and there will be problem as poor communication skills will lead to poor practice by social workers. Some aspects of the SFA have been criticised for being directive in nature in particular the assessing of tasks and the emphasis on solutions. Research conducted by the family therapist using the approach revealed discrepancies between the clients experiences and the observations made by their therapists related to the outcomes, (Metcalf et al 1996) (Cited in Hepworth 2010 pg.406). Storm (1991) and Lipchik (1997) cited in Hepworth 2010 pg. 406) maintain as a result of their work the primary focus on adherence to solution was embarrassing to some clients. The positive trust of the approach prevents the service user from discussing their real problems and to avoid talking about their concerns. In the task-centred approach, the problem is the main concern not Mark. He is empowered, considering his self esteem and independence. The approach is short termed and time-limited. In contrast, there is lack of motivation in this approach, the underlying problem has not been addressed, there is tendency that social workers might force Mark through coaching as to complete tasks. Payne (1997) cited in Wilson et al (2008 pg371) suggests task centred approach may not be effective in situations where there are constant difficulties, where long-term psychological problems are the main issues or where users do not accept the right of the social worker or the agency to be involved. Reflecting in this case scenario it is seen that Ken comes from a dysfunctional family which made him spend most of his teenage life in the care of the local authority and this may have affected him psychologically and he may not want to cooperate with the social worker in order to make the approach effective. Doel and Marsh (1992) suggest the service users ability to think and reason is a key ingredient to the success of the approach. In those cases where social work is appropriate but where the reasoning is impaired such as people with considerable learning difficulties or great degree of confusion, task-centred work is often not possible in direct work with that person, (Doel and Marsh 1942 cited in Wilson et al 2008 pg 99). However in the case scenario all the family members are in sound mental state so the approach is suitable. A further disadvantage of task-centred is that where a wide range of problems is experienced, each of which interacts with other problems which threaten to over whelm the family the approach seems rather a weak response. It is argued that unless one is able to deal with problems on many fronts, the combination of these problems will continue to undermine the functioning of family members. For example if one family member has the capacity to reason, but when other members of the family are not prepared to engage in the same process and consistently undermine the efforts of the social worker and service user, the approach may not achieve much. In relation to the case scenario the approach will not be effective if Mark who has multiple problems refuses to cooperate. In conclusion effective social work practice is based on principles and the application of theories or approaches give to different explanations and lead to different practice (Howe, 1987). According to research in to service-users views of social work practice has highlighted that effective practice depends on the combination of good interpersonal skills and clear, organised practice. It is argued that when social work activities are clearly focused, problems clearly identified and specified goals set with service users, then studies produce positive results. This essay has looked at two approaches and how they can be used by a social worker to help engage the Banks family in order to get the necessary support to improve Marks behaviour problems.

The American :: essays research papers

At night I toss and turn watching my mind’s replay of people jumping out of the WTC, a hundred stories up. I hold back tears at every US flag flying at half-mast, at every sign of solidarity. I struggle to talk, to smile, to hope. I’m explosive. My fury is the rumbling building; my heart pumps jet fuel. My mind burns and tears at the walls of reality, and my world crumbles. All that is left is a bent and smoldering fury and not a soul upon which to direct it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  War. Our flag waves war. Red, war. White, war. Blue, war. I see war in our faces. I hear war in our voices. It parades down streets, it titles our resolve: New War. I have heard citizens call for war, my father demand war, my country declare war. My humanity screams war! And then falters without a guilty people, without a guilty country, without a guilty religion upon which to wage it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yet I struggle to find an enemy; we all struggle to find an enemy to rise against and crumble. I want to destroy their cause, their existence. I want to rage. But I am left unaided to commune with my country, the world -- humanity. We weep amidst rubble and smoke, death and fear. We weep at the tragedy; we weep without justice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do we strike? Bomb Afghanistan, bomb the Taliban, bomb countries that may have transgressed against us? There is our war! Do we not have the greatest power in the world? Our might is legendary. Our power, beyond challenge. Why should we entertain repose, even for a moment? Let us strike first and then consider!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why find the Terrorist who wielded destruction on America? Are they all not to blame? Why wait? We know who they are; we know where they are. So, let us bring the mighty hand of America upon their doubtful heads and shatter them into a thousand pieces like so much sand in the wind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But is that not what we should fear? From one hateful group, we spawn a thousand. In one death a thousand stand furious, determined. Will not their violence reap violence a thousand fold? And thus we will be forced to fight them all, tens of thousands, and one by one a thousand born.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And should we believe that a single man could do so much? As if terrorism sprouted from a single soul whose removal would allow tranquility’s return?

Kiddy thinks Essay

In this essay, â€Å"Kiddy Thinks,† Alison Gopnik explains the importance of the cognitive development of children in the first few years of their life. She also attempts to break the traditional view that children, in their early stages, think quite differently than adults. Gopnik uses a logical standard of evaluation to provide information on the different stages children go through when developing important cognitive skills. She supports her information with a variety of experiments as a researcher, and personal experiences as a parent. Unfortunately, she concludes her essay with political and social issues, which weakens her argument as it drifts away from her purpose. Though it did turn into a political paper, Gopnik is able to use examples that have logical reasoning and evidence, therefore allowing her to create an effective argument. In summary, Gopnik explains the different stages of growth as she provides evidence from her experiments. She lays those stages out starting from when they are just born until they are at the age of four. She explains the typical behavior, starting from when they can imitate facial expressions at birth, and then proceeding to discovering and differentiating others’ and their own emotions. They go on to learning and perfecting the concept of hiding. Gopnik was able to experiment with kids in the different age groups and provides the results to back up her theories. Another significant point that was brought up was the comparison of the thought process between babies and scientists. Babies and scientists â€Å"think, observe, formulate theories, make predictions, and do experiments. They also change their theories as they accumulate counter-evidence to their predictions† (Gopnik, 237). One of the prominent weaknesses is the conclusion of Gopnik’s essay. Throughout the whole essay, she uses science and experience to strengthen her argument, but she concludes her essay with the mention of social issues.

Espana – creative writing

It was the first time I had seen a large wound, well the first I had remembered, and the first I would never forget. We were on holiday, the perfect holiday from my point of view. There were about twenty of us, varying in age, some from Birmingham, a couple from America but the majority from London. We were going on a road trip, ultimately to Spain but stopping on the way in Dijon, France. As incredible this holiday was starting to sound, the finest part to me was probably the fact that my parents were not here. I had come with my hyperactive 18 year old brother, my cousin who was a medical student, my two aunts, one of whom had brought her grandson along, my beloved nephew. I don't think I can remember a single moment where I wasn't laughing, smiling or simply enjoying the company of my family and the many friends we had made. The journey was astounding; it became one of those trips that could never be able to forget. Stopping in Dijon for a couple of days was amazing. It was the little things that made it unique, for instance my cousin, brother and I would take my nephew, Prem for walks in a stunning rose garden that was simply tranquil. He would want to be with us everywhere, reminding us of ourselves when we were younger and innocent, just he seemed to have five times as much energy as we did. Spain was an experience of wonder. From the people, the night life, foods, activities and that feeling I felt throughout the trip of sheer freedom. It seemed to be absolutely perfect, from the swimming pools to the beach nearby and the balconies that overlooked the entire city that just lit up at night. Being is such a magnificent place, it automatically made me get to know the people I had come with to a great extent. Having this great bond between us all, certainly made us experience Spain just that bit more. In fact, they had made an intense itinerary of things to do for the upcoming week; cram packed with everything you could possibly to in Spain. They had arranged places of great interest that sounded exceedingly pleasurable, but something else had caught my fascination and made be completely obsessed for the next week. It was the swimming pool, including the attached slides, diving facilities, an island with a connecting bridge and a general contemporary look that made it seem as if it was a pool from the next century. Addicted, is the only word that could describe me and my new passion for simply swimming for hours on end, feeding this new obsession of mine. It was here where I learnt how to do my first back flip dive, here where I found out that my swimming shorts could actually drop off if I was not careful, and here where I met my new friend Sarah. She had come to Spain every year for the past 6 years and being Flemish, communication was quite a task but it seemed worth it. We had become inseparable, giving me some of my most treasured memories, one of which was our incessant trips to the swings. I had a new blissful life full of ecstasy, one I would not want to ever give up. I still remember everyday day and moment of the idyllic time I had there. I can distinctively recall upon one day in particular. One I rather forget. It was the three days before I had to leave the resort and that morning, we got up and went straight into the swimming pool. Living life to the greatest, we were enjoying everything we possibly could. Doing our usual routine; Prem, Sarah and I were just taking pleasure in messing about in the pool. Sarah seemed to have gone swimming so much from her various holidays; she had learnt a few tricks. They were astonishing and she tried teaching them to me. Of course I wasn't the best at water gymnastics, but I tried hard and managed to learn some fragments! Soon enough I had got a decent trick of diving into the pool doing a half summersault. Ecstatic about my new accomplishment I forgot about Prem. He was at the back of my mind but to me he would just be playing around, kicking water while staying afloat from armbands. The next thing I remember was when I saw him, climb out of the pool, with some difficulty and strike a pose the way I did when I was just about to do my new diving trick. He shouted right across the pool to where I was and screamed, ‘Hey, Shradha look at me! ‘. That's when I froze. He definitely was not going to be able to make it and the edge of the pool was lined in a fashionable but extremely unpractical layer of sharp broken stones and sand merged together. In a matter of seconds I watched him jump, watched him scrape his shin deep as he twisted and watched him land in the water. At that point I swam as fast as I possibly could to him and jumped out of the pool, pulling him up as well. At this moment it hit me how no one we knew was here but had taken a trip to the beach, how I was left in charge of him and how I had been so irresponsible. As I examined his wound, I saw the deep gash in his leg between his knee and foot, and saw the blood trickling out. That was when a colossal wave of both guilt and worry hit me at once. Along with panic, it was a terrible combination. I was a mess of emotions that clouded my thinking and just made me confused, panicked and flustered. I was trying to comfort Prem and luckily Sarah ran into the hotel and called for help, which came quite fast. She had been the much more practical one, thinking ahead and trying to help the situation. I felt that I could not have been any more negligent and inattentive and that I was to blame for every tear that rushed down his face. The hotel staff came and got him in a relatively stable position but said that Prem should go get it cleaned up and bandaged properly. The hotel managed to contact my aunts and I didn't even know, as I was too wrapped up in other problems. In a matter of what felt like two minutes, my aunts came and saw Prem's leg. Being a doctor, my aunt inspected his leg and succeeded to rustle up a variety of things from the Hotel Staff and Manager. By now I had handed Prem over, and watched as he was being dealt with. I was simply amazed at his courage and bravery. He had stopped crying completely. Even when he was with me, I had not heard a complaint, moan or any sign of making things a hundred things worse than it was. I was learning so much from him, in such a short space of time. The whole incident seemed to have gone in a matter of minuets, but I had felt so many emotions flow through me. It was one of those days I would never forget, and from that day forward I understood so much more about my nephew. How he faced that day made me look at him from another light. For the next day, he complained about wanting to go swimming again. Also, when we got back to France, my cousin, brother and I would once again take my nephew, for walks in stunning rose and lilly gardens because he begged us to take him and never once did we refuse him.

The Life of Abigail Adams essays

The Life of Abigail Adams essays This was written in the first person... I was born in November 11, 1744. My mothers name was Elizabeth Quincy Adams and My fathers name was Reverend William Smith. My mother was a descendent of the Quincys. A descendent of a 17th century puritan preacher, Thomas Shepard of Cambridge. My father and other forbearers were Congregational ministers. My father was a well-educated man. He was well-off. He was easy going and very friendly. He told me to "to say all the handsome things you could of persons, but not evil." I often went with my mother to help the needy. We would take food, fuel and clothing to them. We also visited the sick. As a child I was stubborn but shy. I was always sick. My parents, specially mother worried that I would have a short life span as many children that time did. I often complained to my sisters about my mother. I complained about how she was very protective. My mother Elizabeth expected obedience and good conduct out of her children. My father lightened things up a little. Our hou sehold wasnt very severe. My father balanced things out. People at the time believed that only boys should be admitted to the schools. So I like other woman that time didnt receive any formal education. But my grandmother taught me what I needed to know. But the lack of formal education spurred a interest in reading for me. Id read anything from the Bible, to poems, history, philosophy, essays, and sermons. I loved it, I was curious to know more and that was the way I learned. Reading created a bond between John Adams and me. John Adams was a graduate from Harvard, and started a career in law. John and I met a my sister, Marys wedding. I think John might at first been intimidated by me because he was intimidated my intelligent women. When we met I was fifteen and he was twenty-seven. We talked and read together. One evening, in the middle of a storm john g ...

The eNotes Blog How to Use Hyphens, En Dashes, and EmDashes

How to Use Hyphens, En Dashes, and EmDashes This is part two  in our original grammar series. It turns out the little horizontal lines you’ve been sticking between words when you weren’t sure what sort of punctuation should go there are actually different lengths for a reason. Go figure. Which of the following should fill the blank? 1. The confident student begins the well_proofed punctuation test with no fear. 2. This cunningly_written masterpiece poses no threat to the smart student. 3. The student returns devastating right_ and left_handed punctuational volleys. 4. She thinks the score is 3_0 and is almost sure she’s winning_but is she? 5. The 21st_century_punctuation_loving student turns to the answers with trepidation. Answers 1. a. 2. d 3. b 4. c 5. c Hyphens (-) To smoosh or not to smoosh? Since hyphens (the shortest of the little  horizontal lines) are used primarily in compound terms, you probably mostly encounter them when you’re trying to figure out when two or more words are functioning as one word. You tried the dictionary, but it wasn’t there. What now? Phrasal adjectives (also called compound modifiers) are words that work together to modify nouns. Some examples are â€Å"Dumbledore-scented candle† (real thing), â€Å"equitably distributed chocolates† (not real thing), and â€Å"high-paying jobs for English majors† (jury’s still out). To figure out whether or not to hyphenate, start by asking yourself these questions: If I don’t hyphenate, can anybody interpret the phrase in a way I don’t intend? For example, a â€Å"snuggly purple porcupine† is a porcupine that is both snuggly and purple (yes hug); a â€Å"snuggly-purple porcupine† is a purple porcupine whose color looks soft (no hug). Both constructions are just fine grammatically, and which one you use just depends on what you mean. Does my phrasal adjective come after a verb? If yes, then typically you don’t hyphenate. For example, you could write â€Å"My well-educated porcupine is well educated.† You would make no sense, but you could take comfort in your grammatical excellence. Does my phrasal adjective end in â€Å"ly†? Great. That makes it easy. No hyphens for you. You may comment on â€Å"this writer’s disturbingly frequent references to porcupines† with grammatical impunity. How many words are in my phrasal adjective? More than two? For the most part you can apply the rules above to get constructions like â€Å"seventeenth-century purple-porcupine artwork† and â€Å"chocolate-dumbledore-candle-eating English majors.† Once in a while, however, it changes the rules for clarity’s sake, as in â€Å"On the contrary, I find this writer’s not-so-disturbingly-frequent porcupine references charming.† Omissions can also be taken care of with hyphens when you feel silly saying things like â€Å"right-handed and left-handed porcupines.† To get rid of any silliness, you may write â€Å"right- and left-handed porcupines,† using the dash to signal the omission. Prefixes are horrible things for hyphens. I wish I could spare you, but I can’t. You pretty much just have to look them up, either in your trusty dictionary or, failing that, your style guide. En dashes (–) An en dash is a dash the length of two hyphens, and has almost nothing to do with hyphens (I share your relief). It is used as follows: between scores and number and date ranges to mean â€Å"to† or â€Å"through,† as in â€Å"The body of a porcupine is 2–3 feet in length,† or â€Å"My teacher has asked me to read pages 1–1,000,000 tonight,† or â€Å"I won the en dash contest 46–3.† with no spaces on either side of it. only when not preceded by the word â€Å"from†; tragically you have to spell out â€Å"I was fascinated by porcupines from 12 to 22.† only when you decide to write your numbers as numerals; if you spell them out, there are no dashes for you in â€Å"I was fascinated by porcupines from twelve to twenty-two.† in the case of  directions, where you want to talk about your â€Å"Seattle–Chicago flight† (the en dash again means â€Å"to†). There is one more case where you can use the en dash, and it’s really weird. If you want to describe a split between the right-wing and the left-wing porcupine political factions, it would be confusing to run it all together with hyphens since two distinct  hyphenated ideas are being joined: â€Å"right-wing-left-wing polarization.† Instead, you stick an en dash between your two hyphenated terms, like this: â€Å"right-wing–left-wing polarization.† Even if the second term isn’t hyphenated but still functions as a unit, you would use an en dash, as in  post–porcupine  takeover. The en dash lets your readers know to take the words porcupine and takeover together and understand you are referring to the period after the rodent revolution. Swap the en dash for a hyphen and youre suddenly talking about the takeover that happened post-porcupine- that is, after all the porcupines died.  It is madness and a level of nit-pickery that you may ho pe to seldom encounter. Em dashes (- ) Finally, we’ve arrived at the one you actually can sprinkle throughout your writing when you’re not sure what kind of punctuation to use. Well, sort of. Em dashes  are the equivalent of three hyphens in length and  can replace commas, parentheses, and colons. Why would you make the swap? Mainly because you feel like it, or are being overrun by your other punctuation. You’re also free to use them to indicate a break in thought or an interruption. Enjoy your rare grammar freedom as in the following examples: An interruption: The hospitalized writer reflected, â€Å"Hugging the porcupine seemed like a good idea at the time, but- † â€Å"No, it didn’t,† the porcupine-hugger’s friend interjected. Replacing a colon: I’m going to change the subject now to something different- snakes. Replacing parentheses: Snakes are not as nice as porcupines- though they are nicer than spiders- and I thought my readers might be getting tired of porcupines. A break in thought: Your readers aren’t getting tired of porcupines- they’re getting tired of dashes. Replacing a comma: You may be right- so I’ll cap it here.

How to Conduct Yourself at Work

How to Conduct Yourself at Work Workplace success relies on much more than simply fulfilling the requirements of your job description. â€Å"Professionalism,† is a valuable trait, and its basic tenets can be applied to any job in any field. If you want to truly excel not just in your job, but also as a contributing member of your organizational culture, make these 10 simple practices part of your personal conduct code. 1. Punctuality PowerArriving on time to work and for meetings demonstrates commitment to your job. Chronic lateness, meanwhile, is a blatant show of disrespect for your coworkers, superiors and entire organization. Keep an eye on the clock both at the start of the day and during your lunch break to make sure you arrive and return on time.2. Keep It PositiveBad days. Everyone has them. But bringing your bad attitude into work not only reflects poorly on you but also accomplishes nothing. Resist the urge to take out your bad feelings on others and instead commit to check your attitude at the doo r. Focus your energy on the positives: what can you do to make a bad situation better?3. Dress for the Job You WantYou may have heard the expression, â€Å"Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.† Even if you’re happy in your job it’s still important to look your best. This doesn’t necessarily mean wearing a suit, but it does mean looking neat, clean and well-groomed at all times. Practice good hygiene and avoid overly casual wardrobe pieces, such as shorts and flip flops.4. Lend a HandThe stereotypical â€Å"dog eat dog† office environment has been replaced by cultures which value collaboration beyond all else. If your coworker needs help with a project, offer to pitch in. Remember that the accomplishments of your colleagues also reflect well on you and your entire organization.5. Listen UpJust as you should be willing to share your knowledge and talents with your coworkers, you should be equally receptive to the contributions of oth ers. The expression â€Å"many hands make light work,† holds true in the workplace for those willing to accept the assistance of others.6. Give Up on GossipNo one expects you to like all of your coworkers, but sharing your negative opinions and personal gossip interferes with productivity. This doesn’t just pertain to talking about others, but also to talking about yourself. Being friendly with your coworkers is one thing but chronically airing your dirty laundry over the water cooler is unprofessional.7. Learn From Your MistakesIn life, no one is immune from mistakes. It’s inevitable that workplace mistakes will occur, but acknowledging your errors, making your best effort to correct them, and learning along the way can help you recover and avoid future falters.8. Stay in ControlWhen coworkers are exasperating and deadlines are intense, work can be a stressful place. Keep your temper in check during challenging situations. If you can’t control your emoti ons, walk away until you’re in a calmer state of mind.9. Understand Office EtiquetteDo you text during meetings? Leave dirty dishes in the communal kitchen? These office no-nos are disrespectful and can interfere with how you’re perceived by others. Pay careful attention to office etiquette and make sure your behavior is in line with expectations.10. Honor Your CommitmentsProcrastination is a fact or life, but in the workplace it can lead to frustration between colleagues. Follow through on your responsibilities and your coworkers will view you as reliable. Conversely, show appreciation to coworkers who do the same.11. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.Independent of level or title, every person in your workplace deserves to be treated with respect. The more respected team members feel, the better you’ll be able to communicate and collaborate for optimal results.The best part of these 10 rules of office conduct? They’re simple to execute and yet offer big rewards. For more i nformation on the 21st century job market or to sign up for job match alert visit TheJobNetwork.

CLIMATE CHANGE Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CLIMATE CHANGE Exercise - Essay Example Australia is trying to minimize the carbon emissions so that it can control the climate changes. The reduction target laid down by Australia is quite possible to achieve in ten years given the budget allocated to the new plans. The basic plan of cutting down the carbon emissions arose when Australia witnessed many droughts and spontaneous weather changes. The decision of cutting down the carbon emissions is quite right but according to some experts the cut in emissions is quite less in comparison to the alarming rates laid down by different environmental agencies. In my view the decision taken by Australia is quite right even though it is not cutting the emissions by a great percentage because if this decision is not taken then the rate of emission would only increase rather than decrease. The approach that Australia has adopted is a realistic one as cutting down the emission by 15% is possible. They have proposed new legislative measures which would hold the industries accountable f or the carbon emissions and have even levied taxes on the sources which are emitting such gases (Australian Government Department of Climate Change 2008;CSIRO 2010; BBC News 2008). Australia has realized the grave danger that the carbon emissions put the state into and have taken a stand on it. By taking an action on reducing these emissions they have urged other developed and undeveloped countries to do the same and make the earth a better to live. If other states do not follow the same schemes put forward by Australia then these spontaneous climate changes would go on with great disasters (BBC News 2008; McCaffrey 2006). Climate change all over the world is alarming not only to the developed countries but also to the undeveloped countries. Bangladesh is one of the examples of undeveloped countries which has realized the potential of emissions and has taken a stand on it. They have proposed

Knowledge of water-only systems may influence the incident commanders Essay

Knowledge of water-only systems may influence the incident commanders incident action plan - Essay Example In case of a fire emergency, the knowledge of when and where the water is available will influence significantly which strategy the incident commander will adopt depending on whether or not the water will be available. The relevance and conciseness of the plan will depend on the knowledge of water-only systems. The commander will be able to create a plan that suits the emergency by assessing the availability of water in a particular area. When laying out a strategy to curb fire in a deserted area, the plan needs to include the sources of water to stop the fire or other sources to stop the situation such as fire extinguishers. Lastly, the knowledge on water systems will be essential to make timely and complete plans. The information on water systems will be critical to the execution of the project to avoid hindering efficiency and compromising safety (Haraway, 2010). For example, with the knowledge of where and when water will be available, a fire extinguishing company will be able to lay out a complete and timely plan of what shall be needed in the event. In conclusion, knowledge of water-only systems plays a crucial role in determining the objectives to be set, the strategies to be laid and the tactics to be applied in the case of emergencies. The knowledge enables the plan to be timely, accurate and

Do an analysis synthesis of the chosen texts, cross pollinate issues Essay

Do an analysis synthesis of the chosen texts, cross pollinate issues raised in various texts - Essay Example In Gogol's The Overcoat, one can see the personification of this 'common man', in Akaky Akakiyevich who lived almost an invisible life in the society until he felt a wish to have a distinct identity by acquiring a new overcoat, a wish that costs him his life (Gogol). In the beginning of the story itself, he is depicted as some one â€Å"who cannot bite back† (Gogol, 29). Gogol has spend a lot of his narrative time explaining the name, Akaky Akakiyevich, even referring to his family name, Bashmachkin, which is supposed to have originated from the word, bashmak, which meant, shoe (29). Here, accidently, but rather meaningfully, we see a reference to shoe both in Heaney's poem as well as in Gogol's story. And the word shoe, is synonymous with the concept, downtrodden, in both these contexts. Throughout Gogol's story, Akaky Akakiyevich is treated as a shoe, which is a symbol of getting insulted, getting trampled under the feet. A shoe is thrown away when it is of no more use. In t he same way, the protagonist in this story is replaced by some other person in his office without worries from any side, as soon as the story of his death reaches there (Gogol, 55). Akaky Akakiyevich had been a man who was deeply immersed in his mechanical ways of work and life as if he himself was a well-oiled machine until he saw that his overcoat was worn out and it was making him cold while moving outdoors (Gogol, 35). It was using the savings from depriving himself of the meager comforts that he could afford added with an act of benevolence from his director that Akaky Akakiyevich could find the money to buy a new overcoat. Once he bought the coat and started using it, he was elated from his position as a commoner though for a brief while (Gogol, 44). A party was held to celebrate his new overcoat but after the party, as he was returning home, his coat was stolen, his efforts to get a legal remedy was stiffled by official apathy, he was insulted and fell ill and soon he dies (G ogol). In the narrative, Akaky Akakiyevich passes away just like the shoe that is dipped into the water and grows cold with an â€Å" unpredictable fantail of sparks Or hiss† (Gogol, Heaney 4). And Gogol has said in the story that, â€Å"at last he began to curse, uttering the most horrible words, so that his aged landlady crossed herself, never in her life having heard anything of the kind from him† (54). This image is so similar to the sparks or hiss that came out from the shoe just before the heat died out (Heaney). And it is a wasted protest. The progress of the story on these lines, show that when a down trodden person tries to improve his social status, it is treated as a crime and the punishment is death. When Heaney, in another poem of his titled At a Potato Digging, says that, â€Å" going down and down/ for the good turf, digging,† the same concept is implied- a search for dignity and depth that ends up in darkness and unending toils (23-24). An effort to rise above one's social backwardness appears to be an individual's personal problem on surface, but once he/she actually makes an effort to do that, suddenly it becomes evident that there are forces in action which would not let it happen. And

Facebook Growth, Challenges And Milestones Essay

Facebook Growth, Challenges And Milestones - Essay Example More users are signed each day. Despite of the great achievement, the company is facing stiff challenges such as competition by the micro blogging service â€Å"Twitter†, managing the needs and expectations of young, tech savvy adopters who need more open social interactions, maintaining the old users who require limited and selective social realms and the radical changes on the user’s home pages. The face book quest to become the leading social interaction website and an essential business and personal networking tool for all who are connected is being hampered by massive challenges such as competition from rival firms, privacy issues, lawsuits as well as need to provide better interaction services while still maintaining its credibility. This paper discuses the contradicting opinions aired by the users and members against those of the face book management and executive arm. The main emphasis of the paper are the recent radical changes in face book home page that has d rawn contradicting views from its 200 million users. After a detailed review of the article the reader generates conclusive decisions that can be adopted by the company. Rhetorical analysis The main purpose of the article is to expose the many challenges faced by Facebook in spite of there success. The author stipulates that, even though Facebook registrations have grown massively, there is no time for celebration due to the challenges faced by the firm and the milestone achievement expected by the executive arm of the corporation. The author illustrates how the recent changes in Face book home pages have seriously devastated customers especially those who prefer limiting their friends and privacy. By collecting materials and information from the company's executives and the general public as well as reviewing published work concerning the new WebPages, the author seeks to enlighten the general public about the shortfalls of Face book as well as exposing the management inconsiderate view to customer's complaints. To analyze the current quagmire facing the company, the author relies on speeches made by the management, photos, messages from Facebook company to show its importance as a socializing ecosystem site as well as critic its current unconcern and inconsiderate nature towards it customers who aren't comfortable with new interaction methods. The author also evaluates speeches, articles and messages written and posted by the members with a view of gaining imperative information about the problem. The author also provides statistical evidence to prove that the company expansion theorem without considering the needs and complains of the people is un-justified and un-achievable. According to the writer's perspectives, there are two main views expressed by the author. The executive's views, who feel that they have the dream of the company at hand and will do anything to propel the company forward and the Facebook users who feel that they have a right to democracy and they can propose what they like. On the management side, their main aim is to promote more socialism on the Webpage's and enhance interactions. According to the executives, strategizing to get more customers, attracting the young tech-savvy members, enhancing interaction and socialization, enforcing rules and regulation, allowing web pages to update immediately without refreshing the page, getting more clients, promoting advertisement on their site to earn more profits are their main aim. As Zuckerberg states, it is possible for a prime minister to get in touch with school teachers. This is right in some way as the company has to look

Endangered African Wildlife Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Endangered African Wildlife - Research Paper Example There are so many factors that are causing wildlife extinction in the African continent. Rapid human population growth, unsustainable use of wildlife resources, lack of local support for conservation policies, inadequate government funds allocation for enforcement policies against illegal activities, commercialization, and so on are few of the reasons that are endangering African wildlife. So, the central issue of endangerment of wildlife species in the African environment and its causal factors is discussed. Furthermore, the impacts of habitat loss, over-exploitation, and poaching of the endangered species along with its conservation measures are also analyzed. Africa is a continent rich in biodiversity because it harbors thousands of species of flora and fauna. â€Å"Africa is home to some one quarter of the world’s 4,700 mammal species, including 79 species of antelope. It also has more than 2,000 species of birds – one fifth of the world’s total – and at least 2,000 species of fish, alongside 950 amphibian species†.1 The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has over 2 million km of protected eco-regions mainly for their biodiversity values. These eco-regions include the Savannah habitats, Ethiopian montane forests, Western Guinean lowland forests, the succulent Karoo and Bioko area. According to the Red List categorization of IUCN, some of the endangered species of Africa include the Giant Golden Mole, white-tailed Rat, Riverine Rabbit, African Wild Dog, and Mountain Zebra. Threats of wildlife species extinction continue to increase, despite global measures to reduce the impact of the external pressures. It is estimated that among â€Å"the 44,838 species included in the 2008 IUCN Red List database, about 17,000 (38%) are threatened with extinction†.2 Killing and exploitation of these wildlife species and importantly habitat loss are the major reasons for the increase in endangered species count. The

Motivation Concept Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivation Concept Analysis - Essay Example Hull states to have observed repeatedly that rats and monkeys perform all kinds of activities that are not drive reducing in nature. Such behaviors tend to have a self-reinforcing effect, caused, for example, by a drive to explore. "Hull produced an algebraic theory of behavior that permitted quantitative predictions about the persistence, vigor and selectivity of action. Hull's theory postulates that behavior is a response to habit and the motivational factor drive. Habits are the product of reinforcement" (Banks and Miller 1997, p. 56). The situations chosen for analysis are high spoilage rates in production and lack of (poor) interpersonal communication between employees. This theory would not be applicable to high spoilage rates in production because it does not take into account external drivers and satisfaction. Work satisfaction would be caused by factors quite different from those leading to job dissatisfaction. Satisfaction results, according to the theory, when a person performs well, carries some responsibility, earns promotion, and receives recognition. Consequently, she or he will experience opportunities for growth. These aspects of the work content are called motivators or intrinsic factors. A neutral or indifferent attitude occurs when one or more intrinsic factors are not more than partly fulfilled or even absent. Dissatisfaction on the other hand is caused by aspects of the work context, such as physical work conditions, social relations, and company policies. When these are not fulfilled, the person gets the experience of being blocked in his/her growth opportunities. Again a neutral or indifferent attitude develops when these factors are adequately present. It is difficult to predict 'persistence, vigor and selectivity of action' among factory workers if they dissatisfied with insensitive schemes and management support (Banks and Miller, 1997). Outcomes actually received provide them with more or less satisfaction, depending among other things on the effort they had to exert and the extent to which outcomes received coincide with what they aspired. This result--the relation between outcomes received and the degree of satisfaction--is fed back to both motive and behavior. High spoilage rates can be caused by low level of skills and knowledge, low level of professionalism and inadequate. A person can be motivated but he/she can feel dissatisfaction caused by lack of skills and training. At the workplace, many activities are not aimed at drive reduction or at achieving homeostasis (Frey and Osterloh, 2001). Hull's theory is not applicable to poor interpersonal communication between employees. Hull admits that motivation stemmed from physiological need deprivation which "drove" organisms to engage in random activity until, by chance, the need is satisfied and the drive is thus reduced. On subsequent occasions, cues in the situation would be recalled so that organisms would take suitable action rather than engage in random trial and error. The difficulty with this theory is that not all motivation stems from physiological needs (e.g., curiosity, self-efficacy). Second, not all need deprivation leads to an increase in drive. Third, partial need satisfaction sometimes leads to increased drive. Finally, organisms, including people, often are

Endangered African Wildlife Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Endangered African Wildlife - Research Paper Example There are so many factors that are causing wildlife extinction in the African continent. Rapid human population growth, unsustainable use of wildlife resources, lack of local support for conservation policies, inadequate government funds allocation for enforcement policies against illegal activities, commercialization, and so on are few of the reasons that are endangering African wildlife. So, the central issue of endangerment of wildlife species in the African environment and its causal factors is discussed. Furthermore, the impacts of habitat loss, over-exploitation, and poaching of the endangered species along with its conservation measures are also analyzed. Africa is a continent rich in biodiversity because it harbors thousands of species of flora and fauna. â€Å"Africa is home to some one quarter of the world’s 4,700 mammal species, including 79 species of antelope. It also has more than 2,000 species of birds – one fifth of the world’s total – and at least 2,000 species of fish, alongside 950 amphibian species†.1 The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has over 2 million km of protected eco-regions mainly for their biodiversity values. These eco-regions include the Savannah habitats, Ethiopian montane forests, Western Guinean lowland forests, the succulent Karoo and Bioko area. According to the Red List categorization of IUCN, some of the endangered species of Africa include the Giant Golden Mole, white-tailed Rat, Riverine Rabbit, African Wild Dog, and Mountain Zebra. Threats of wildlife species extinction continue to increase, despite global measures to reduce the impact of the external pressures. It is estimated that among â€Å"the 44,838 species included in the 2008 IUCN Red List database, about 17,000 (38%) are threatened with extinction†.2 Killing and exploitation of these wildlife species and importantly habitat loss are the major reasons for the increase in endangered species count. The

The literature relating to Effects of Internet Essay Example for Free

The literature relating to Effects of Internet Essay This chapter discusses the literature relating to Effects of Internet use and Internet Addiction (IA). The first section introduces the background of the Internet and identifies the prevalence of IA. The second section discusses the definitions of addiction and their relevance to IA. Background of the Internet The Internet was established in the early 1960s and subsequently became a mainstream communication vehicle (Moschovitis, Polle, Schuyler, Senft, 1999; Schneider, et al., 2006). Since that time, there has been remarkable growth in the Internet‟s functionality, capacity, accessibility and convenience. These improvements have encouraged more people to use it more often, and it has become a powerful application in modern society. As of 2010, 28.7% of the worlds population used Internet services (Internet World Stats, 2010b). The Internet is a massive, computer-linked network system used globally to access and convey information, either by personal or business computer users; it is also used for communication, research, entertainment, education and business transactions (Kraut, et al., 1998; Schneider, et al., 2006). Today, the Internet can link all online computers so that people can use it to communicate throughout the world (Schneider, et al., 2006). Prevalence of IA. The prevalence of IA has been examined in many countries among school student cohorts (see Table 2.1). IA has been reported at a wide range of rates, from a low of 1% in Greece (Tsitsika, et al., 2009) to a high of 36.7% in Italy (Milani, et al., 2009). Most research has reported a prevalence rate 10% or less, for example, 1.6% in South Korea (Kima et al., 2006), 2% in Norway (Johansson Gà ¶testam, 2004), 2.4% in China (Cao Su, 2006), 4% in South Korea (Lee, et al., 2007), 4.6% in Australia (Thomas Martin, 2010), 6% in Poland (Zboralski, et al., 2009), and 7.1% in China (Lang, Jia, Li, Su, 2008). However, a few studies have reported a high prevalence rate of IA among students, for example, 10.7% in South Korea  (Park, Kim, Cho, 2008), 10.8% in China (Lam, et al., 2009), 18.2% in Taiwan (Ko, et al., 2007), and 36.7% in Italy (Milani, et al., 2009). Internet addiction. The first study of IA was conducted by Young (1996), who reported that 79.88% of 496 general Internet users were classified as Internet dependents, using the 24 Diagnostic Questionnaire DQ via email and telephone survey. IA has increasingly been recognized as a potential problem since the introduction of the term by Goldberg in 1996 (Marshall, 1999). While different approaches to different addictions fill the literature, essentially the same ideas about addiction and many of the same behaviours are being described, whether it is substance dependence, pathological gambling, or technology addiction, (Horvath, 2004; McIlwraith, et al., 1991). IA has generally been defined as an inability to control the use of the Internet, causing psychological, social, family, school and work impairment (Davis, 2001; Young Rogers, 1998). However, the terminology or labels for IA are inconsistent in the literature. This study uses the term IA to encompass all the various terms used in the literature. As yet, there are no standard diagnostic criteria for IA agreed upon in the literature. Nevertheless, most researchers acknowledge the existence of IA. As Griffiths (1998) noted, â€Å"Excessive use of the Internet may not be problematic in most cases but the limited case study evidence suggests that for some individuals, excessive Internet use is a real addiction and of genuine concern† (p. 73). Researchers have also tried to develop an accurate assessment tool in order to diagnose IA. For example, a well known assessment tool to classify IA was introduced by Young (1996) in the form of an eight-item Diagnostic Questionnaire (DQ) which was based on pathological gambling criteria. The DQ utilizes a set of yes/no questions regarding preoccupation with the Internet, the amount of time spent on the Internet, and the negative impacts of the Internet use. Since the introduction of Young’s instrument (Young, 1996), several other assessment tools have been developed.

GST system: Hurdles to implementation

GST system: Hurdles to implementation Executive Summary The differences between the current Sales and Services tax structure and the proposed GST system is also analysed. The current single stage sales and services tax is from 5% to 10% while the proposed broad based GST is 4%. This report also determines the importance of GST to the governments fiscal policies and the potential negative impacts of the proposed GST system to business entities and the people. The main purpose for introducing GST is to make the current taxation system more comprehensive, efficient, effective, transparent and business friendly. The potential negative impact is the problem of price hike as a result of inefficient price control and the additional compliance costs for businesses to have additional work to track input taxes paid. The possible hurdle Malaysia government faces in the process of implementing this new system is also being discussed. The significant informal sector makes the tax system inequitable. Besides, lack of transparency bred uncertainty among the business community. The huge maintenance cost each year of RM8.5 million is burdensome. Moreover, choosing the most suitable tax rate and determine the goods that should exempt take long time. Finally, because exports are generally zero-rated, this is often where GST fraud occurs. This report also critically discusses the tax issues that have arisen as a result of implementing GST/VAT in certain developing countries. The major reason for the decline in Ukraines VAT to GDP ratio lies in the Ukraines tax administration. On the other hand, the VAT evasion, hidden economy size and corruption in Ukraine are closely related. In doing this reports, we conducted our researches through books, journals, online materials, government websites and electronic newspapers. However, there were several limitations while conducting the study. There were only limited numbers of countries which have implemented GST successfully until today. In addition to that, most countries that adopted GST were developed countries such as Australia, Singapore and etc. There were limited numbers of Asian developing countries which has implemented GST. In conclusion, GST can be an effective indirect tax. To make it a success, effective educational programmes and private and public sector partnering is necessary. In planning and implementing the GST, countries like United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore can be used as learning examples for Malaysia. The contributions of our tax systems, especially the consumption taxes to the development of our countrys socio-economic system Accoding to OECD (n.d.), the main purpose for the introduction of tax is to finance the public expenditures as well as addressing socioeconomic concerns. In the globalized market today, most of the companies and individuals are required to pay taxes. Malaysia has adopted a fiscal-like system for the past few decades. Malaysia taxation system comprises of direct and indirect taxation. Examples of direct taxation income and corporate tax whereas indirect taxation includes sales and services tax and also others. Refering to the table 1 below, in 2008, direct taxes accounted for about 51.4% of total taxes and 19.1% comes from indirect taxes (Zakariah and Sulaiman, n.d.). Out of this 19.1%, sales and services tax (consumption tax) accounted for 7.3% of the indirect taxes. Therefore, consumption tax does plays a vital role in total revenue in the country. Table 1: The breakdown of Indirect Tax Revenue in 2008 Table 1: The Gross National Product in Malaysia from 2005 to 2009 Source: http://www.tradechakra.com/economy/malaysia/gnp-of-malaysia-152.php Table 2: Gross National Income expressed in Purchasing Power Parity Dollars Source: http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdimet=ny_gnp_mktp_pp_cdidim=country:MYSdl=enhl=enq=gnp+malaysia Table 2: Gross National Income expressed in US dollars Source:http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdimet=ny_gdp_mktp_cdidim=country:MYSdl=enhl=enq=gdp+malaysia Correction of Market Failures Consumption tax in our country provides a way of changing the pattern of consumers demand by differentiating the prices of goods, this in turn affect their spending decisions. For example, demand for different types of transports will get affected by the total amount of duties charges. From this point, we can see that consumption tax in Malaysia is considered as an instrument in correcting related market failures, for example, externalities. Moreover, in this context, consumption tax is used as a tool in making the polluter pay as well as internalizing the costs of consumption. Increase Overall Productivity Consumption tax in Malaysia is said to have a lower negative impact on the work incentives. This is because sales and service tax leave the choices to the people and is unlikely to distort the alternatives that consumers have to between work and leisure. People tend to work harder when they are allowed to keep more of what they earn. This will then impact on the economic positively and increase the overall productivity of the country. As shown in the figure above, Malaysia GNP and GDP has been increasing over the past 20 years. Improve economic and social overheads Malaysian economy experienced the rapid growth on the GDP from US100Billion in 2002 to US221Billion in 2008. In addition, according to governments data, our country also sees the drop in budget deficit from 7.4% in 2009 to 5.6% in 2010. It is believed that the decrease in budget deficit mainly due to the revenue collection from tax and it is able to stimulate the economic growth by financing investment, which in turn generates higher income and employment through the multiplier effects. Thus, government is able to gain access to immediate rise in money and invest them in the economic and social overheads. In a developing country like Malaysia, consumption tax can be an important instrument of growth as it promotes capital formation, especially in the promotion of social overheads as well as infrastructure. The diagram below shows the importance of sales and service tax in contributing their part to the economy in the indirect tax form. The importance of GST to the governments fiscal policies and our countrys economy Despite the average surpluses of 2% during 1993-1997, Malaysia is brought back to deficit after financial crisis in 1997 (Mahbob Zakariah, nd). Year 2009 saw the biggest fiscal deficit. In responding to the fiscal pressures, Malaysia government focuses on importance of tax rates, an important element under fiscal policies, to alleviate the recession effects. Many developed countries such as US and UK often raise their taxes to overcome fiscal deficits. Often than not, fiscal imbalance tends to lower national savings, thus cause slower economic growth. In order to overcome the problem, government will need to reduce government expenditures and/or raising tax revenues. In fact, the International Monetary Fund reported that it is important for Malaysia to introduce Goods and Services Tax (The Star, 2010). The government managed to lower the fiscal deficit from 7.4% in 2009 to 5.6% in 2010 (The Star, 2010). Besides that, to avoid the middle-income trap, the introduction of GST would help with the socio economic development. An additional estimated RM1billion revenue collected from GST can be well spent and further improve the Malaysias development initiatives, such as transportation, healthcare, education and targeted added value activities. With this, the way GST is utilized will determine whether our country can achieve develped country status by year 2020. Fiscal Policies Create an effective management of tax system GST is imposed at the stages of production and distribution; therefore incorporate a self policing mechanism that lowers the possibility of revenue loss through tax evasion. The proposed GST model will not involve cascading/pyramiding affect (Mahbob Zakariah, nd). This is because tax levied on any goods is determined based on its final value, but not the total number of distribution channels that a particular good passes through. Moreover, in order to avoid the double taxation effect, the output tax to be paid will be offset against the input tax. Widen Malaysias tax base The introduction of GST alleviates the heavy reliance on direct taxes (for example, income tax) and petroleum tax, thus widen Malaysias tax base. Petroleum revenue is reported to be unsustainable in the long run as it is depleting (Mahbob Zakariah, nd).. However, the main issue here is that government has increased its dependence on petroleum revenue as shown in the diagram. When comparing against income tax, GST would be a much stable source of revenue as it is less vulnerable to economic uncertainties. GST is a consumption-based tax, an individuals concumption will determine the amount of tax ones pay. Economic Growth Attract foreign direct investments According to Zainal (2007), Malaysia has been engaging in activities that attract foreign direct investments but it is not fast enough. Koong (2010) reported that proposed GST in Malaysia would be able to allow for a further reduction in the current corporate and indirect tax rate, thus draw in more foreign direct investment to the country. This is because proposed GST would be able to provide a more broad-based tax collection and revenues. Currently, Malaysias corporate tax rate is relatively high compared to other neighbouring countries (Amin, 2009). This is one important key to achieve high-income developed status by year 2020. The introduction of GST assertively realizes high value added economic paradigm. In addition to this, with effective in reduction in corruption, Malaysias GDP will be improved. According to Datuk Akbar Ali (2010), a study showed that an increase of one point in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) will attract FDI which is equivalent to 0.5percent of the G DP and pushed up the average income by 4 percent. Boost the growth of SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) GST is not a progressive income tax and it is flat at the determined rate. Therefore, GST preserve the incentive to work and encourage the growth of small medium enterprises. According to Khoo (2010), in line with the proposed GST, it is also important to consider the broadening of tax allowances to include shopping malls, conventions and office buildings will help in reducing corporations burdens. This is especially for those SMEs which incurred high costs and risks in doing business with limited funds. Tax allowances will be able to allow them grow more quickly. Differences between Sales and Services tax structure and the proposed GST system The current sales and services tax is from 5% to 10% while the proposed GST is 4%. 1. Single versus multiple stage GST is charged on the consumption of goods and services at every stage of the supply chain while the current sales tax and service tax is levied at only one stage of the supply chain. 2. Goods and services subject to tax Both GST and Sales Tax operate on a negative concept all goods and services are subject to GST unless specifically exempted. Service tax, on the other hand, operates on a positive concept where only services that are specifically prescribed are taxable. The wider tax base of GST provides more revenue for government and simplifies the task of identifying taxable services under the service tax system. 3. Tax payment and accounting periods In existing structure, sales tax becomes due and payable when there is a sale. On the other hand, service tax is only due when payment is received, and where payment is not received, the tax is accounted for at the end of the 12-month period from the date of invoice issued. Time of supply determines when one should account for GST in the GST returns. The approach used by many countries when adopting GST is that a supply is considered to have taken place at the earliest of the following three events: the time an invoice is issued; or the time any payment is received by the supplier; or the time a taxable supply is made. The GST concept of time of supply is therefore generally wider and there will potentially be changes to the enterprises cash flows under the new tax. 4. Imported services and intangibles Presently, imported services are not subject to service tax. In many GST regimes, imported services are subject to GST through the concept of a reverse charge whereby a supply received from overseas is treated as being made by the recipient of the service rather than by the provider of the service overseas. The recipient of the supply is responsible for the output GST on the imported services. 5. Group registration Company can file consolidated GST returns via group registration to reduce their GST administration costs, where supplies made within a group would be disregarded for GST purposes. This resulted in better cash flow management for the group if goods and services are regularly supplied between group companies. On the other hand, the existing tax structures do not allow consolidated tax filings. In service tax, group relief is available for certain professional services when provided to companies within the same group and subject to certain limitations. The negative impacts of the proposed GST system to business entities and people Timing Problem The present climate of the Malaysian economy is not conducive for the implementation of new tax system. The impact will be contractionary as GDP drop 139% in 2010 compared to 2005 while inflation has been increasing from 2% in 2008 to 5.4% in 2009 due to increases of prices of major inputs like oil prices (CIA World Factbook). Negative impacts to people Currently only 1.8 million individuals from total of 12 million in the workforce paid tax for their salary, but with GST, the entire workforce will be required to pay tax (Malaysian Digest.com, 2010). People earning below average salary will be forced to spend extra annual expenditure in the midst of inflation due to the regressive nature of GST. It is predicted that a slight increase in the prices of goods and services is unavoidable. Although the GST will probably be 4%, the scope of goods and services affected by GST will be very much wider. Moreover, inefficient price control by government results in price hike by unscrupulous traders. This phenomenon is shown in the multiple-fold escalation in prices in almost all products as a result of slight increase in oil prices. Negative impacts to business Economy of Collection indirect and direct compliance cost: GST imposes additional compliance costs for businesses to have additional work to account for the tax, tracking of the input taxes paid, undertaking reconciliations and filings of GST returns (Zaid,2010). In addition, where a business has short credit periods from its suppliers, business need extra finances to purchase supplies when GST is first introduced, result in cash flow burden. Therefore GST is less effective according to Adam Smiths cannon of effective tax system in relation to economy of collection. Neutrality Altered consumer behaviour: One of G.W. Normans qualities of taxation depends on non-interference, i.e. a tax should not impact on the price or volume of commodities traded. Norman argued that value added tax are interferent, as they create imperfections in the market for goods, and in particular for preferences between imported and domestic produce. 90% of Malaysian is not in taxed category and this group of people have to pay taxes for their daily consumption if GST is implemented, which will dampen their spending mood. This would affect SMEs who depend on this group of customer base. Higher bank charges for credit card transactions as a result of GST implementation will raise prices in certain products, adversely affecting SMEs. Experiences in other countries have shown that customers generally go on a shopping spree shortly before the introduction of the tax, followed by a period of relative inactivity after the tax is introduced. Companies may seek extra financing to build up stock to cater for a pre-GST rush. However stock in hand may not be entitled to any input tax credit. Cash Flow issues: GST will hit the cash flow of SMEs, especially businesses with significant funds tied up in unpaid invoices. Businesses need to meet their immediate liabilities to suppliers, staff and the IRA, particularly around tax time. Some businesses were forced to adopt unfavourable ways such as higher deposits or stiffer terms of trade which make small businesses less competitive (Zaid,2010). This condition worsens if tax refund mechanism is not efficient. To register or not to register: Business not subject to the GST would not be entitled to claim the input tax credits on purchases. In a situation where the customers of the business are other GST registered businesses, the supplier may be obligated to license itself as it is likely that the customer would insist on buying from another registered person to enable him to claim the input tax credit (Zaid,2010). Consequently, these SMEs will have to charge higher prices to the customers, eroding their price competitiveness (Zaid,2010). A Supply-Demand Analysis of a GST-Taxed Market Deadweight loss happens if the income lost by the economy is greater than the governments income; the tax is inefficient. While distortions occur, GST are often considered superior because they distort incentives to invest, save and work less than most other types of taxation in other words, a GST discourages consumption rather than production (Zaid,2010). Hurdles to implement GST faced by government Government need to balance the conflict between simplicity and to cater for social needs. However, the more social needs are catered for, the more complex the tax becomes and the more costly it is for the Government to administer and for businesses to comply with it (Trade Chakra, 2010). Informal economy Emran and Stiglitz (2005) argue that VAT is likely to reduce rather than improve social welfare because informal economy like agriculture sector and unregistered business are able to escape commodity tax coverage dominates DTE (Developing and Transitional Economies). According to World Bank, informal economy constitutes 31% of Malaysian economy, almost double the percentage in other Asian countries such as Vietnam (15.6%) and Singapore (13%). The producers of close substitute of the formal VAT-liable commodity will get high profit without bearing tax while formal sector producer may get lower profit and bearing tax. As a result, resources will be channelled more into informal economy, causing inefficiency in resource allocation. Thus the potential tax base is rather narrow which reduce the growth and development. Therefore, achieving equity as proposed by Adam Smith in order to have an effective tax system is difficult through the implementation of VAT in a country that has significa nt informal sector. Lack of transparency PricewaterhouseCoopers Taxation Services Sdn Bhd senior executive director Wan Heng Choon said the lack of transparency bred uncertainty among the business community. The industry guides that will provide guidance of how the GST law will affect various industry sectors have not provided the certainty that was promised. Cost BN government aims to gain RM1 billion through GST, but within the implementation process, a sum of RM222 million has been allocated as initial cost to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of GST system in Malaysia. The allocation will cover the cost of developing the GST computerisation system at RM139 million and the additional operations cost of RM83 million for the agency implementing the system, Malaysian Customs Department. The maintenance cost each year is estimated at RM8.5 million (Office of the Prime Minister, 2010). Rate of tax and exemption The government should carefully choose the most suitable tax rate so that the tax will not burden the poor. If the government offers lower tax rate on necessities with the intention to help the poor, in fact this will benefit the rich more because they will spend relatively less of their income. But high rate in luxury goods trigger the intention to lower tax liability either legally or illegally. Choosing the most suitable tax rate and determine the goods that should exempt are not easy for government and may take long time. Fraud Because exports are generally zero-rated, this is often where GST fraud occurs. In Europe, the main source of problems is called carousel fraud. Large quantities of valuable goods (often microchips or mobile phones) are transported from one member state to another. During these transactions, some companies owe GST, others acquire a right to reclaim GST. The first companies, called missing traders go bankrupt without paying. The second group of companies can pump money straight out of the national treasuries. Reasons of initial failure in GST implementation in two countries example Value Added Tax (VAT) works better than other general sales tax in many of the developed and developing countries. This does not mean that VAT always works well. There are many different reasons for the above conclusion, however only two main issues will be highlighted in the following examples. They are problems with VAT design which were left behind by the policy process and how VAT plays its roles particularly in the low-income countries. Is the country capable enough to administer VAT? The case study below will discuss the problems faced by Ukraine when implementing VAT. A case study in Ukraine Like many other developing countries, VAT has been the workhorse in generating revenue in Ukraine. The way of VAT works will determine the performance of Ukraines entire fiscal system. However, table below shows that Ukraines VAT was in trouble since the tax fully came into effect in late 1990s. The collection inefficiency of VAT lead to the decrease in revenue with respect to the countrys GDP, thus widen the gap between actual revenue and potential revenue (Bird, 2005). In general, as GDP grows, VAT yield should also rises, with at least at the same rate as GDP. However, when Ukraines real GDP rose by 49% from 1998 to 2004, the VAT to GDP ratio was decreased by 33%. Moreover, the increasing dependence of VAT on imports caused the collection of VAT on domestic consumption fell markedly by 4.3% to 1.4% of GDP in 2004 (Bird and Gendron, 2006). It is very clear that VAT system in Ukraine is less efficient in generating revenue for the government. According to Bird and Gendron (2006), the decline in VAT to GDP ratio before 2002 could be explained by the ineffectiveness in the Ukraines tax administration, for example the erosion of tax base in the form of increased exemptions which started immediately once the VAT was introduced. There were just too many exemptions in the VAT. For example, many food processing were taxed at a special rate while later on were allowed to claim the refund. The VAT system later became more complicated as it seemed to give ways for possible evasions and corruptions. However, there was no base changes occurred during 2003-2004 that could possibly explain the decline. There were many Ukraine taxpayers tend to evade when they were trapped within the VAT system. They could possibly hide in the hidden economy. Meanwhile, the VAT evasion, hidden economy size and corruption in Ukraine are closely related. Recently, there was a study found that there was a positive correlation between evasion level and Transparency International (TI) index of perception of corruption (Bird, 2005). Additionally, the evasion in Ukraine was twice the corruption index, which was about 38%. This not only reflects the weak administration but also weak management in structural problems such as the prevalence of underground economy. For example, just two years after the introduction of GST, there were over 83% of the Ukraine VAT registrants filing tax returns annually. In addition, there were also problems with tax administration that related to the application of VAT at the border. A country like Ukraine which is unable to apply VAT on imports properly is said to be facing higher level of difficulties in applying the system to domestic economy. Most of the time, the initial legislation of VAT was closely related to standard international model with participation of international experts. It may look simple at the initial stage, however, as time goes; many countries found that VAT tends to become much complex and difficult to manage. The case study below will discuss the problems faced by Pakistan when implementing VAT. A case study in Pakistan In 1990, Pakistan introduced the GST for the country to replace its Sales Tax Act. As a developing country, Pakistan decided to take the initiative and move a big step forward to introduce GST as GST was said to have futuristic dimensions and political recognition. However, several issues were addressed in relation to the introduction of GST, which remain part of continuously reform process. Undeniably, the introduction of GST in the country has brought about significant improvement in the revenue collection (as shown in the table below). Despite the good performance in revenue collection, there were several shortcomings that were addressed. Multiple Tax Rates In 1992, Pakistan introduced VAT at the rate of 12.5%. In 1995, the rate was then raised to 18% in order reduce the budget deficit by meeting the need for extra revenue. However, there was great pressure from taxpayers in 1998, thus the rate was again reduced to 15%. While on the other hand, industrial raw materials were imposed with a higher rate of 20% (Shahid, n.d.). Moreover, in 1999, a penalty system was established in which a 3% tax was imposed on the supplies made by the registered body to unregistered body. Nevertheless, all these decisions have made the VAT system much complicated with multiple tax rates and create many difficulties for the tax administrative. Additionally, cost of compliance has also increased respectively for the taxpayers (Ehtisham, 2010). The rate was then stabilized at 15% in 2004 (Shahid, n.d.). Registration When GST was first introduced in Pakistan, taxpayers were all required to submit a large amount of documents needed for VAT registration purposes. This then cause unnecessary delays during the physical verification process by the VAT staff as there were just too many documents (Ehtisham, 2010). However, a centralized Registration system was introduced in July 2004 in which it utilized Risk Based Registration Module to handle the paper based registration problems (Shahid, n.d.). Tax Compliance Low tax compliance in Pakistan is another issue that has to be looked into. There were only about half of the tax registrants file their monthly returns. This is mainly due to the negative relationship between the tax administration and tax registrants as mentioned earlier under the registration section (Ehtisham, 2010). The facilitation strategy was then designed and the taxpayers were educated on the related strategy in order to overcome the problem. Adjudication There were numbers of adjudication after the introduction of GST in Pakistan due to unaffordable rate. There was a markedly increase in the number of appeals when the appellate foras were introduced (Shahid, n.d.).. The costs involved were time and revenues. The cost of doing business for taxpayers has been significantly increased due to the involvement in the settlement of the cases. The issue has been addressed and discussed for a couple of years before any action was taken. According to Shahid (n.d.), tax administration finally came up with Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism in which consists of an independent judicial committee to deal with the cases. Conclusion The main purpose for introducing GST is to make the current taxation system more comprehensive, efficient, effective, transparent and business friendly. GST is expected to increase government income and dependence on oil revenues is hoped to be lessen. Besides, GST is aimed to reduce public administration deficit which hit a more than 20-year high of 7.4 per cent of gross domestic product in 2009 (Zaid). Additional RM1bil in revenue will be received for the first year, while the business sector would save RM4.1bil and export sectors would save RM1.4bil (Zaid). The potential negative impact of the proposed GST system is the problem of price hike as a result of inefficient price control by government. GST also imposes additional compliance costs for businesses to have additional work to track input taxes paid, and undertaking reconciliations and filings of GST returns. Malaysians who are not in taxed category have to start paying taxes for their daily consumption, which will dampen their spending mood. As a developing country, it is important for Malaysia to review its fiscal policy continuously. To enhance the competitiveness in the international market, Malaysia must always prepare itself for any possible economic uncertainties. Malaysian government should always make sure sufficient revenues are raised for the country with minimum impacts on its people and resources, while at the same time improve the living standards of the poors. Moreover, government should always seek for ways to lower poverty level in the country, thus a more equitable society can be achieved. In conclusion, Malaysia govenrment and the people in the country have not get themselves ready for the tax reform. There should be continuously review of the policy and the tax reform should only be implemented once the impacts on the country and people is minimized.

Analysis of Passage in Shelleys Frankenstein :: Mary Shelley

Letters Frankenstein This passage is out of letter three, paragraph three. I chose this paragraph because it sounded interesting and it plays a very important part of this novel. Mary Shelley wrote this novel during the Industrial Revolution. The characters in this passage approached the North Pole, challenging the Northern Sea in July. The Northern Sea is deadliest sea in the world. The navigation in the sea is only possible for three months of summer. The other nine months your life will be at risk and you may not even survive. Even the Native Eskimos don't travel during the nine months period of deadly winter. They camp near the Big Land to avoid traveling to the Northern Sea. Now a day, it is a very dangerous and risky adventure to take a ship to the Northern Sea. We are so much advanced in technology but still no one would want to risk their lives. The captain and his crew were traveling during the navigation season but they were facing fog and icebergs on their way. They were stuck in ice and mist for a whole day. Finally, around two o?clock the fog and mist was gone and they could only see the endless ice surrounding them. Some of the captain?s crew began to regret their situation and even the captain had some anxious thoughts. They realized that it could be a dead end. They were uncertain where to go and of their situation. Suddenly, they noticed something was passing by them in a distance of a half a mile. ?We perceived a low carriage, fixed on a sledge and drawn by dogs, pass on towards the north.? It was very strange to see another human/carriage on ice. It was a shock to the crew to see a single man on sled drag by dogs through Northern Sea. Comparing to a well equipped ship, the sled looked like a deadly ride. As mentioned earlier you could only see the endless ice surrounding them and they couldn?t believe that a single man would travel far from the Big Land. However, the man on a sled was a gigantic stature and most likely he was a strong and a brave man. The crew watched through telescopes, as how the sled rapidly passed by them.

John Rawls And Utilitarianism :: Rawls Utilitarinism Philosophy Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The social contract theory of John Rawls challenges utilitarianism by pointing out the impracticality of the theory. Mainly, in a society of utilitarians, a citizens rights could be completely ignored if injustice to this one citizen would benefit the rest of society. Rawls believes that a social contract theory, similar those proposed by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, would be a more logical solution to the question of fairness in any government. Social contract theory in general and including the views of Rawls, is such that in a situation where a society is established of people who are self interested, rational, and equal, the rules of justice are established by what is mutually acceptable and agreed upon by all the people therein. This scenario of negotiating the laws of that society that will be commonly agreed upon and beneficial to all is what Rawls terms "The Original Position and Justification". Rawls states that for this system to work, all citizens must see themselves as being behind a "veil of ignorance". By this he means that all deciding parties in establishing the guidelines of justice (all citizens) must see themselves as equal to everyone paying no mind to there economic situation or anything else that they could keep in mind to negotiate a better situation to those qualities. For example, if everyone in this society has an equal amount of influence toward the establishing of specific laws, a rich man may propose that taxes should be equal for all rather than proportionate to ones assets. It is for this and similar situations that Rawls feels that everyone must become oblivious to themselves. Rawls believes that the foundational guideline agreed upon by the those in the original position will be composed of two parts. The first of these rules of justice being one that enforces equal rights and duties for all citizens and the later of the two one which regulates the powers and wealth of all citizens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the conception of utilitarianism possessed by Rawls, an impartial spectator and ideal legislator are necessary components. The impartial spectator is one who rational and sensitive to all of the desires of society. The impartial spectator must feel these desires as if they were his own desires and by doing such, give each of them priority over other desires and organize them into one system from which the ideal legislator tries to maximize satisfaction for all citizens by manipulating and adjusting the policy for that society. By this theory of utilitarianism, Rawls argues that the decision making process is being integrated into one conscience and that this system

Perserving Nature, Perserving Us Essay

When John Berger suggests, â€Å"It is within this bleak natural context that beauty is encountered, and the encounter is by its nature sudden and unpredictable† (Berger 92) he establishes that even though there are rare moments of beauty found in nature, none of them are permanent. He goes further to explain that these moments of beauty are examples of art: â€Å"Art is an organized response to what nature allows us to glimpse occasionally† (Berger 94). This suggests that nature is only beautiful when these infrequent flashes are captured in art. For example, the idea of the white bird that Berger discusses in his essay is taken from nature and is molded into a delicate, precious handmade piece. When the real bird is mentioned in his essay he says, â€Å"Outside, in minus 25 °C, the real birds are freezing to death† (Berger 94). His outlook on nature is portrayed as beastly. Only the idea of the white bird sculpture is beautiful to him. Though the suffering bird isn’t the most appealing thought; it is nature, it is real. He is referring to his idea that â€Å"within these bleak natural contexts, beauty is encountered.† of beauty, how can these people continue to be so dedicated with preserving nature? It is advocated that nature is consistently beautiful alone. These organizations and groups are devoted to preserving and allowing nature to be beautiful permanently. Like Berger says art is the permanence of nature’s beauty, the goal of these people is to transform the art, or the instant of beauty into an endless aesthetic. A picturesque moment in the eyes of Berger is instants that provoke aesthetic emotion. These brief seconds in time portray hopefulness within nature. He says that by organizing these hopeful and beautiful moments in time, art is therefore formed. Art by definition is â€Å"any of various pursuits or occupations in which creative or imaginative skill is applied according to aesthetic principles† (OED). These moments are found so sparingly because nature is and will always be uncertain. Even in today’s world with all the technology, we are still not prepared for the wrath of nature, let alone to fathom how harsh or when these unstable moments will arise. The idea Berger offers that nature solely has brief periods of beauty supports my question of why people try so hard to preserve nature itself. Today people are involved with  environmental programs such as Greenpeace and recycling, all with the same goal of trying to preserve and save the future of our planet. If Berger’s point of view is that nature only has a certain extent of beauty, how can these people continue to preserve nature? We see beauty all around us. It starts right here at home. Being a student at NYU it’s customary to walk through Washington Square Park each day. While in the park we see many forms of art. The question arises that why in an urban city do we have parks? We have an assortment of parks, from central park to Union Square Park and many more through out the city. Well the logic behind having these parks is that they portray beauty in the most desolate areas. After a long day of being locked up in classes, the only thing that acts as an outlet from classes and school is sitting in Washington Square Park. The park not only acts as an escape, but it allows one to find peace within the stressful and chaotic city. When I am in the park I can clear my mind as well as be one with nature. Nature is beautiful. Nature or these parks will always be beautiful even in the winter. How many times have you seen pictures of Washington Square Park with snow covered benches, and the frozen fountain, and it still be the most breath-taking scene? The community and these organizations thrive on upholding, and protecting parks such as these. It is because of people like this, people who care, people who see beauty where it may not be all the time is why nature and these parks are aesthetic. Ann Zwinger, the author of â€Å"A Desert World† allegorizes the representation that nature holds. Her core ideas of endurance, empathy, and anguish that each grain of sand holds exemplify her reason for constructing this essay. Nature gives us a certain consideration for how the world cultivates itself and how it has fashioned our daily lives. Zwigger views the most desolate environment as beautiful and hopeful. Similarly, Berger’s essay implies that nature’s beauty comes and goes whereas Zwinger makes it clear that nature always demonstrates beauty and stories. She furthers her thinking by clarifying, â€Å"I tally the physiological adjustments of blood and urine, hearing and seeing, of adaptations in behavior that make life in the desert not only possible with verve, qualities seen and unseen that spell out not only survival, but survival with zest† (Zwigger 416). These things that survive in nature are not hardly getting by, but yet they flourish because of innovation forced upon them when evolution occurs. It is important to remember how the world  came to be signifying the optimism of aesthetics, and yet there is still an immense area for development. The sight of a visually appealing landscape is irreplaceable, but also a memorandum of where we come from. If we take a step back and try and interpret what Zwinger is trying to say, she is saying beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. To me what may be beautiful is the opposite of what Zwinger thinks. She views the cave and the desert to be the most beautiful thing. However, to me I find the sparkling waters in the Caribbean simply spectacular. As she finds the ability of animals to survive and evolve in the desert to be beautiful and intriguing, comparably, I find these sea creatures to be the same. The amount of ocean life that is flourishing that we don’t even know about is not only unfathomable but is beautiful. Even the unknown of nature is beautiful. Damien Hirst perfectly depicts art that is nature frozen in time similarly to the concept that John Berger discusses in his essay. Hirst’s series â€Å"The White Cube,† are these simple, transparent glass boxes with motionless animals inside them. These animals are not just examples, but they are nature’s beauty captured by art. This explicitly illustrates my thoughts on the biggest contrasts between how Berger views nature and my own views. I feel that by capturing these moments they become stuck or full of tension. Moreover, Hirsts artwork can are arguably not be beautiful in that life cannot be seen in these still pieces of art. On the other hand, to further my thinking, Zwinger may view his work to imprison nature. These freely roaming creatures are now fixed. The question posed in this essay was why do we preserve nature? I believe that nature is kept preserved because if we do not uphold nature, we will not be alive. There are many things in this world that we take for granted, nature being one of them. Even Berger describes nature as being â€Å"energy and struggle† he goes further to articulates, â€Å"Nature has no promises.† Berger fully understands the delicacy of nature but he fails to recognize its overall beauty. Furthermore I think that from nature’s beauty humans can learn about themselves. An example of this can be hunting. Humans hunt for animals, however hunting teaches you a lot more then just how to shoot a gun. Hunting teaches you how to be patient. It teaches you to respect and to be thankful. Hunting is a form of nature. It is a way of life that happens within nature everyday. If we keep these positive attributes of nature in mind we will want to preserve the wilderness. The more we look into why we  keep nature around the more we can learn about ourselves. Works Cited Berger, John. â€Å"The White Bird.† The Sense of Sight. NY: Vintage, 1993. 5-11. Zwinger, Ann. â€Å"A Desert World.† Trans. Array Occasions for Writing- Evidence, Idea, Essay. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2008. 415-416. Print.