The Host Chapter 29: Betrayed

Maybe I should have run the other way. But no one was holding me back now, and though his voice was cold and angry, Jared was calling to me. Melanie was even more eager than I was as I stepped carefully around the corner and into the blue light; I hesitated there. Ian stood just a few feet ahead of me, poised on the balls of his feet, ready for whatever hostile movement Jared might make toward me. Jared sat on the ground, on one of the mats Jamie and I had left here. He looked as weary as Ian, though his eyes, too, were more alert than the rest of his exhausted posture. â€Å"At ease,† Jared said to Ian. â€Å"I just want to talk to it. I promised the kid, and I'll stand by that promise.† â€Å"Where's Kyle?† Ian demanded. â€Å"Snoring. Your cave might shake apart from the vibrations.† Ian didn't move. â€Å"I'm not lying, Ian. And I'm not going to kill it. Jeb is right. No matter how messed up this stupid situation is, Jamie has as much say as I do, and he's been totally suckered, so I doubt he'll be giving me the go-ahead anytime soon.† â€Å"No one's been suckered,† Ian growled. Jared waved his hand, dismissing the disagreement over terminology. â€Å"It's not in any danger from me, is my point.† For the first time he looked at me, evaluating the way I hugged the far wall, watching my hands tremble. â€Å"I won't hurt you again,† he said to me. I took a small step forward. â€Å"You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to, Wanda,† Ian said quickly. â€Å"This isn't a duty or a chore to be done. It's not mandatory. You have a choice.† Jared's eyebrows pulled low over his eyes-Ian's words confused him. â€Å"No,† I whispered. â€Å"I'll talk to him.† I took another short step. Jared turned his hand palm up and curled his fingers twice, encouraging me forward. I walked slowly, each step an individual movement followed by a pause, not part of a steady advance. I stopped a yard away from him. Ian shadowed each step, keeping close to my side. â€Å"I'd like to talk to it alone, if you don't mind,† Jared said to him. Ian planted himself. â€Å"I do mind.† â€Å"No, Ian, it's okay. Go get some sleep. I'll be fine.† I nudged his arm lightly. Ian scrutinized my face, his expression dubious. â€Å"This isn't some death wish? Sparing the kid?† he demanded. â€Å"No. Jared wouldn't lie to Jamie about this.† Jared scowled when I said his name, the sound of it full of confidence. â€Å"Please, Ian,† I pleaded. â€Å"I want to talk to him.† Ian looked at me for a long minute, then turned to scowl at Jared. He barked out each sentence like an order. â€Å"Her name is Wanda, not it. You will not touch her. Any mark you leave on her, I will double on your worthless hide.† I winced at the threat. Ian turned abruptly and stalked into the darkness. It was silent for a moment as we both watched the empty space where he had disappeared. I looked at Jared's face first, while he still stared after Ian. When he turned to meet my gaze, I dropped my eyes. â€Å"Wow. He's not kidding, is he?† Jared said. I treated that as a rhetorical question. â€Å"Why don't you have a seat?† he asked me, patting the mat be-side him. I deliberated for a moment, then went to sit against the same wall but close to the hole, putting the length of the mat between us. Melanie didn't like this; she wanted to be near him, for me to smell his scent and feel the warmth of his body beside me. I did not want that-and it wasn't because I was afraid he would hurt me; he didn't look angry at the moment, only tired and wary. I just didn't want to be any closer to him. Something in my chest was hurting to have him so near-to have him hating me in such close proximity. He watched me, his head tilted to the side; I could only meet his gaze fleetingly before I had to look away. â€Å"I'm sorry about last night-about your face. I shouldn't have done that.† I stared at my hands, knotted together in a double fist on my lap. â€Å"You don't have to be afraid of me.† I nodded, not looking at him. He grunted. â€Å"Thought you said you would talk to me?† I shrugged. I couldn't find my voice with the weight of his antagonism in the air between us. I heard him move. He scooted down the mat until he sat right beside me-the way Melanie had hoped for. Too close-it was hard to think straight, hard to breathe right-but I couldn't bring myself to scoot away. Oddly, for this was what she'd wanted in the first place, Melanie was suddenly irritated. What? I asked, startled by the intensity of her emotion. I don't like him next to you. It doesn't feel right. I don't like the way you want him there. For the first time since we'd abandoned civilization together, I felt waves of hostility emanating from her. I was shocked. That was hardly fair. â€Å"I just have one question,† Jared said, interrupting us. I met his gaze and then shied away-recoiling both from his hard eyes and from Melanie's resentment. â€Å"You can probably guess what it is. Jeb and Jamie spent all night jabbering at me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I waited for the question, staring across the dark hall at the rice bag-last night's pillow. In my peripheral vision, I saw his hand come up, and I cringed into the wall. â€Å"I'm not going to hurt you,† he said again, impatient, and cupped my chin in his rough hand, pulling my face around so I had to look at him. My heart stuttered when he touched me, and there was suddenly too much moisture in my eyes. I blinked, trying to clear them. â€Å"Wanda.† He said my name slowly-unwillingly, I could tell, though his voice was even and toneless. â€Å"Is Melanie still alive-still part of you? Tell me the truth.† Melanie attacked with the brute strength of a wrecking ball. It was physically painful, like the sudden stab of a migraine headache, where she tried to force her way out. Stop it! Can't you see? It was so obvious in the set of his lips, the tight lines under his eyes. It didn't matter what I said or what she said. I'm already a liar to him, I told her. He doesn't want the truth-he's just looking for evidence, some way to prove me a liar, a Seeker, to Jeb and Jamie so that he'll be allowed to kill me. Melanie refused to answer or believe me; it was a struggle to keep her silent. Jared watched the sweat bead on my forehead, the strange shiver that shook down my spine, and his eyes narrowed. He held on to my chin, refusing to let me hide my face. Jared, I love you, she tried to scream. I'm right here. My lips didn't quiver, but I was surprised that he couldn't read the words spelled out plainly in my eyes. Time passed slowly while he waited for my answer. It was agonizing, having to stare into his eyes, having to see the revulsion there. As if that weren't enough, Melanie's anger continued to slice at me from the inside. Her jealousy swelled into a bitter flood that washed through my body and left it polluted. More time passed, and the tears welled up until they couldn't be contained in my eyes anymore. They spilled over onto my cheeks and rolled silently into Jared's palm. His expression didn't change. Finally, I'd had enough. I closed my eyes and jerked my head down. Rather than hurt me, he dropped his hand. He sighed, frustrated. I expected he would leave. I stared at my hands again, waiting for that. My heartbeat marked the passing minutes. He didn't move. I didn't move. He seemed carved out of stone beside me. It fit him, this stonelike stillness. It fit his new, hard expression, the flint in his eyes. Melanie pondered this Jared, comparing him with the man he used to be. She remembered an unremarkable day on the run†¦ â€Å"Argh!† Jared and Jamie groan together. Jared lounges on the leather sofa and Jamie sprawls on the carpet in front of him. They're watching a basketball game on the big-screen TV. The para-sites who live in this house are at work, and we've already filled the jeep with all it can hold. We have hours to rest before we need to disappear again. On the TV, two players are disagreeing politely on the sideline. The cameraman is close; we can hear what they're saying. â€Å"I believe I was the last one to touch it-it's your ball.† â€Å"I'm not sure about that. I wouldn't want to take any unfair advantage. We'd better have the refs review the tape.† The players shake hands, pat each other's shoulders. â€Å"This is ridiculous,† Jared grumbles. â€Å"I can't stand it,† Jamie agrees, mirroring Jared's tone perfectly; he sounds more like Jared every day-one of the many forms his hero worship has taken. â€Å"Is there anything else on?† Jared flips through a few channels until he finds a track and field meet. The parasites are holding the Olympics in Haiti right now. From what we can see, the aliens are all hugely excited about it. Lots of them have Olympic flags outside their houses. It's not the same, though. Everyone who participates gets a medal now. Pathetic. But they can't really screw up the hundred-meter dash. Individual parasite sports are much more entertaining than when they try to compete against each other directly. They perform better in separate lanes. â€Å"Mel, come relax,† Jared calls. I stand by the back door out of habit, not because I'm tensed to run. Not because I'm frightened. Empty habit, nothing more. I go to Jared. He pulls me onto his lap and tucks my head under his chin. â€Å"Comfortable?† he asks. â€Å"Yes,† I say, because I really, truly am entirely comfortable. Here, in an alien's house. Dad used to say lots of funny things-like he was speaking his own language sometimes. Twenty-three skidoo, salad days, nosy parker, bandbox fresh, the catbird seat, chocolate teapot, and something about Grandma sucking eggs. One of his favorites was safe as houses. Teaching me to ride a bike, my mother worrying in the doorway: â€Å"Calm down, Linda, this street is safe as houses.† Convincing Jamie to sleep without his nightlight: â€Å"It's safe as houses in here, son, not a monster for miles.† Then overnight the world turned into a hideous nightmare, and the phrase became a black joke to Jamie and me. Houses were the most dangerous places we knew. Hiding in a patch of scrubby pines, watching a car pull out from the garage of a secluded home, deciding whether to make a food run, whether it was too dicey. â€Å"Do you think the parasites'll be gone for long?† â€Å"No way-that place is safe as houses. Let's get out of here.† And now I can sit here and watch TV like it is five years ago and Mom and Dad are in the other room and I've never spent a night hiding in a drainpipe with Jamie and a bunch of rats while body snatchers with spotlights search for the thieves who made off with a bag of dried beans and a bowl of cold spaghetti. I know that if Jamie and I survived alone for twenty years we would never find this feeling on our own. The feeling of safety. More than safety, even-happiness. Safe and happy, two things I thought I'd never feel again. Jared makes us feel that way without trying, just by being Jared. I breathe in the scent of his skin and feel the warmth of his body under mine. Jared makes everything safe, everything happy. Even houses. He still makes me feel safe, Melanie realized, feeling the warmth where his arm was just half an inch from mine. Though he doesn't even know I'm here. I didn't feel safe. Loving Jared made me feel less safe than anything else I could think of. I wondered if Melanie and I would have loved Jared if he'd always been who he was now, rather than the smiling Jared in our memories, the one who had come to Melanie with his hands full of hope and miracles. Would she have followed him if he'd always been so hard and cynical? If the loss of his laughing father and wild big brothers had iced him over the way nothing but Melanie's loss had? Of course. Mel was certain. I would love Jared in any form. Even like this, he belongs with me. I wondered if the same held true for me. Would I love him now if he were like this in her memory? Then I was interrupted. Without any cue that I perceived, suddenly Jared was talking, speaking as if we were in the middle of a conversation. â€Å"And so, because of you, Jeb and Jamie are convinced that it's possible to continue some kind of awareness after†¦ being caught. They're both sure Mel's still kicking in there.† He rapped his fist lightly against my head. I flinched away from him, and he folded his arms. â€Å"Jamie thinks she's talking to him.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Not really fair to play the kid like that-but that's assuming a sense of ethics that clearly does not apply.† I wrapped my arms around myself. â€Å"Jeb does have a point, though-that's what's killing me! What are you after? The Seekers' search wasn't well directed or even†¦ suspicious. They only seemed to be looking for you-not for us. So maybe they didn't know what you were up to. Maybe you're freelancing? Some kind of undercover thing. Or†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was easier to ignore him when he was speculating so foolishly. I focused on my knees. They were dirty, as usual, purple and black. â€Å"Maybe they're right-about the killing-you part, anyway.† Unexpectedly, his fingers brushed lightly once across the goose bumps his words had raised on my arm. His voice was softer when he spoke again. â€Å"Nobody's going to hurt you now. As long as you aren't causing any trouble†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged. â€Å"I can sort of see their point, and maybe, in a sick way, it would be wrong, like they say. Maybe there is no justifiable reason to†¦ Except that Jamie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My head flipped up-his eyes were sharp, scrutinizing my reaction. I regretted showing interest and watched my knees again. â€Å"It scares me how attached he's getting,† Jared muttered. â€Å"Shouldn't have left him behind. I never imagined†¦ And I don't know what to do about it now. He thinks Mel's alive in there. What will it do to him when†¦?† I noticed how he said when, not if. No matter what promises he'd made, he didn't see me lasting in the long term. â€Å"I'm surprised you got to Jeb,† he reflected, changing the subject. â€Å"He's a canny old guy. He sees through deceptions so easily. Till now.† He thought about that for a minute. â€Å"Not much for conversation, are you?† There was another long silence. His words came in a sudden gush. â€Å"The part that keeps bugging me is what if they're right? How the hell would I know? I hate the way their logic makes sense to me. There's got to be another explanation.† Melanie struggled again to speak, not as viciously as before, this time without hope of breaking through. I kept my arms and lips locked. Jared moved, shifting away from the wall so that his body was turned toward me. I watched the movement from the corner of my eye. â€Å"Why are you here?† he whispered. I peeked up at his face. It was gentle, kind, almost the way Melanie remembered it. I felt my control slipping; my lips trembled. Keeping my arms locked took all my strength. I wanted to touch his face. I wanted it. Melanie did not like this. If you won't let me talk, then at least keep your hands to yourself, she hissed. I'm trying. I'm sorry. I was sorry. This was hurting her. We were both hurting, different hurts. It was hard to know who had it worse at the moment. Jared watched me curiously while my eyes filled again. â€Å"Why?† he asked softly. â€Å"You know, Jeb has this crazy idea that you're here for me and Jamie. Isn't that nuts?† My mouth half-opened; I quickly bit down on my lip. Jared leaned forward slowly and took my face between both his hands. My eyes closed. â€Å"Won't you tell me?† My head shook once, fast. I wasn't sure who did it. Was it me saying won't or Melanie saying can't? His hands tightened under my jaw. I opened my eyes, and his face was inches away from mine. My heart fluttered, my stomach dropped-I tried to breathe, but my lungs did not obey. I recognized the intention in his eyes; I knew how he would move, exactly how his lips would feel. And yet it was so new to me, a first more shocking than any other, as his mouth pressed against mine. I think he meant just to touch his lips to mine, to be soft, but things changed when our skin met. His mouth was abruptly hard and rough, his hands trapped my face to his while his lips moved mine in urgent, unfamiliar patterns. It was so different from remembering, so much stronger. My head swam incoherently. The body revolted. I was no longer in control of it-it was in control of me. It was not Melanie-the body was stronger than either of us now. Our breathing echoed loudly: mine wild and gasping, his fierce, almost a snarl. My arms broke free from my control. My left hand reached for his face, his hair, to wind my fingers in it. My right hand was faster. Was not mine. Melanie's fist punched his jaw, knocked his face away from mine with a blunt, low sound. Flesh against flesh, hard and angry. The force of it was not enough to move him far, but he scrambled away from me the instant our lips were no longer connected, gaping with horrorstruck eyes at my horrorstruck expression. I stared down at the still-clenched fist, as repulsed as if I'd found a scorpion growing on the end of my arm. A gasp of revulsion choked its way out of my throat. I grabbed the right wrist with my left hand, desperate to keep Melanie from using my body for violence again. I glanced up at Jared. He was staring at the fist I restrained, too, the horror fading, surprise taking its place. In that second, his expression was entirely defenseless. I could easily read his thoughts as they moved across his unlocked face. This was not what he had expected. And he'd had expectations; that was plain to see. This had been a test. A test he'd thought he was prepared to evaluate. A test with results he'd anticipated with confidence. But he'd been surprised. Did that mean pass or fail? The pain in my chest was not a surprise. I already knew that a breaking heart was more than an exaggeration. In a fight-or-flight situation, I never had a choice; it would always be flight for me. Because Jared was between me and the darkness of the tunnel exit, I wheeled and threw myself into the box-packed hole. The boxes crunched, crackled, and cracked as my weight shoved them into the wall, into the floor. I wriggled my way into the impossible space, twisting around the heavier squares and crushing the others. I felt his fingers scrape across my foot as he made a grab for my ankle, and I kicked one of the more solid boxes between us. He grunted, and despair wrapped choking hands around my throat. I hadn't meant to hurt him again; I hadn't meant to strike. I was only trying to escape. I didn't hear my own sobbing, loud as it was, until I could go no farther into the crowded hole and the sound of my thrashing stopped. When I did hear myself, heard the ragged, tearing gasps of agony, I was mortified. So mortified, so humiliated. I was horrified at myself, at the violence I'd allowed to flow through my body, whether consciously or not, but that was not why I was sobbing. I was sobbing because it had been a test, and, stupid, stupid, stupid, emotional creature that I was, I wanted it to be real. Melanie was writhing in agony inside me, and it was hard to make sense of the double pain. I felt as though I was dying because it was not real; she felt as though she was dying because, to her, it had felt real enough. In all that she'd lost since the end of her world, so long ago, she'd never before felt betrayed. When her father had brought the Seekers after his children, she'd known it was not him. There was no betrayal, only grief. Her father was dead. But Jared was alive and himself. No one's betrayed you, stupid, I railed at her. I wanted her pain to stop. It was too much, the extra burden of her agony. Mine was enough. How could he? How? she ranted, ignoring me. We sobbed, beyond control. One word snapped us back from the edge of hysteria. From the mouth of the hole, Jared's low, rough voice-broken and strangely childlike-asked, â€Å"Mel?†

People and Organization- Human Resources, Semco

Section one: Introduction to SEMCO I don't want to know where Semco is headed. It doesn't unnerve me to see nothing on the company's horizon. I want Semco and its employees to ramble through their days, to use instinct, opportunity, and ingenuity to choose projects and ventures. † – Ricardo Semler, CEO, Semco Semco was established in 1953 by Austrian engineer Antonio Curt Semler. Company started with manufacturing of centrifuges for vegetable oil industry but soon owing to development in naval area it sown its seeds in manufacturing of variety of equipments like hydraulic & load pumps, axles,etc. In 1980’s when Ricardo Frank Semler, founder’s son took over, company explored various other segments & started manufacturing industrial refrigeration equipments, air-conditioners, food processors & mixers for chemical & mining industry. In 1990’s company moved into innovative service area. ERM Brazil (Environmental consultancy), Cushman & Wakefield (real estate consultancy), Semco Johnson controls (facilities in industrial sector), are the classic examples of companies efforts to establish network across the globe. Year 2000 onwards Semco extended its arms into electrical and civil maintenance services by forming Semco Manutencao. It formed partnership with Pitney Bowes & marked its existence in postal and document management solutions. Semco venture also entered bio-energy market and formed BRENCO (Brazilian Renewable Energy Company) in 2006. (web1) Purpose of Study To study standard organizational design & structure, theoretical models of human resource planning in terms of recruitment, retention, success planning & to compare these aspects with similar models operational in Semco organization, to define the deviations & to critically evaluate the approach used by Semco. Organizational Structure Conventional v/s â€Å"Semco Way† Every organization has its own structure & culture. Organizational structure is basically framework which can be defined and altered over a period of time while culture cannot be altered. It is very difficult to design or change culture within the organization. Structure and culture within organization goes hand in hand. It is essential for the organization designer to classify tasks based on mainly four concepts of Function, Territory, Product & Time-Period in order to get work done in organized manner. (Torrington, 1998) â€Å"Organizations are as different and varied as the nations and the societies of the world. They have different cultures-sets of values & norms ad beliefs-reflected in different structures & systems and the cultures are affected by the events of the past and by the climate of the present, by the technology of the type of work, by their aims and the kind of people that work in them† (Handy 1993, p. 180) best defines the organizational structure & culture co-relation. Three forms of conventional organizational structures are compared with the democratic form of Semco’s organizational structure. THE ENTREPRENEURIAL FORM OF STRUCTURE CONVENTIONAL THEME 1. This form emphasis central power. . Power is concentrated in hands of one person or a group called as ‘key entity’. 3. As the business expands this type of structure becomes unviable since too many peripheral decisions cannot be made without taking approval of the ‘key entity’, 4. This form is suitable for small and growing organizations as they owe their existence to expertise or initiat ive or just one or two members. 5. It is difficult if by any means ‘key entity’ leaves the organization. It would be difficult to maintain business in the event of new non potential ‘key entity’. SEMCO WAY 1. It is a unique kind of ‘open management model’ wherein power and rights are equally distributed amongst the group members from the respective departments, but care is taken to see that it’s not misused. 2. The hierarchical signs are removed, everyone is treated equal. 3. Peripheral decisions can be made by implementing democratic way. 4. This form is suitable for developed and expanding organizations which are financially strong. 5. Even if the ‘key entity’ leaves the organization the system is in place and the process of production or delivering services is not affected. FUNCTIONAL DESIGN CONVENTIONAL THEME . Positions, terms & departments are designed based on specific activities. 2. It is most widely used & accepted form of departmentalization, since grouping tasks and employees by function can be efficient & economical. 3. It is possible for members in group to undertake similar tasks & troubleshoot similar problems. 4. Employees are not in direct contact with the clients; hence they fail to meet the customer’s expectations, except marketing product line. 5. It is effective for organizations having narrow product line, competing in uniform environment, pursuing low cost or focused business strategy. hellriegel, 2005) SEMCO WAY 1. Positions, terms & departments are designed by the owner based on functions. Labors are allowed to select wages & their own managers. 2. The employee has only four titles Counselors who are like vice presidents, Partners who runs the business units, Coordinators who are part of first level management, & Associates who are workers. 3. The factory workers set their own production quotas, come in on their own time, help to redesign the products they make & formulate the marketing plans. 4. The ompany is divided in individual business units which are self governed, managers run business units with freedom, determining business strategies without interference from the top. 5. Semco undertakes part nership with established foreign companies & give them access to customers, risk monitoring & extensive network of contacts. They seek partner who has domain in their product & services. (web 2) PRODUCT DESIGN CONVENTIONAL THEME 1. Self contained units are established. Each unit is capable of developing, manufacturing, marketing & distributing its own goods or service. . Organizations that produce multiple goods & services generally adapt this type of structure. 3. Problems arise when new product line is established or there are diverse customers or there is complexity in technological advances in functional design. Product design takes care of these limitations. 4. Company generally start with functional design & add some features in order to meet limitations of the functional design in terms of management aspects. Generally company doesn’t completely discard the features of function organization. hellriegel, 2007) SEMCO WAY ORGANISATION STRUCTURE OF SEMCO THREE CO –C ENTRIC CIRCLES FIRST CIRCLE CONSIST COUNSELLORS SECOND CIRCLE CONSISTS PARTNERS THIRD CIRCLE CONSISTS ASSOCIATES 1. Semco devised a new structure which had three concentric rings. 2. The small innermost circle consisted of 6 counselors who determined general policy & strategy, and attempted to catalyze the action of those in the second circle. Each of the counselors took a six month turn as a CEO. 3. The second circle, known as partners included 7-10 leaders of each Semco division. . All remaining employees comprised the third circle, scattered within this circles are the triangles representing permanent & temporary team leaders. Marketing, sales & production managers, engineers and foreman all fell within this classification. 5. The managers work as facilitators providing workers with the tools they need make informed decisions. Managers provides training, information (financial & operations), & all other necessary support for workers to perform their jobs more effectively. (Maveri ck, 1993) Critical Evaluation Semco’s organization is based on three core values employee participation, profit sharing & free flow of information. These core values are in line with the variables of socio-structural model of empowerment which are power, information, knowledge & rewards. Hence the hypotheses which were derived from the author’s understanding of the theories were easily verified. Other companies may have achieved workplace democracy in other ways by having their own pattern of working. Liberty given to the employees would benefit only if there is supervisory control otherwise it may happen that there is misuse of the available resources. Human Resource Planning Recruitment & Retention Recruitment plays a vital role in any industry. Whenever there is vacancy, individual is recruited after he is being thoroughly evaluated. It is essential to find out how the vacancy is generated, either because someone has left the job or there is the expansion within the company. Recruiting a person just because there is vacancy owing to person leaving the job is the appropriate way but not mandatory. Employer can reorganize the work within present employees, or ask them to work overtime, subcontract the work or make it part time in order to reduce the expenses. It would be ideal to find out the nature of job, aspects of the job that specify type of candidature, highlight the job profile to the applicant before recruiting a candidate. There are several ways through which people are recruited. Once employers realized a need to fill the vacancy within the department or in organization, he can recruit by several means. Survey (Torrington, 1998) Investigated the method used by more than 1000 professionals when they were questioned (Torrington 1998) Table: Usage of various methods of recruitment by more than 1000 professional questioned. Advertisement in regional press87% Advertisement in specialist press80% Advertisement in national press78% Job centers71% Employment agencies62% Recruitment consultants61% Executive search consultants36% Career Conventions35% Open days32% Recruitment fairs 32% University ‘milk rounds’21% Radio advertising17% Other forms of recruitment6% (Source: Torrington Hall, 1998) There are various selection methods available and employer needs to implement combination of those available since one method won’t suit the requirements. Choice is generally dependent upon selection criteria for the post to be filled, administrative ease, accuracy, cost, time factor, abilities of the staff involved in the selection process etc. Interviewing is the most popular method of selection. Bio-data of the candidate is initially asked for. It is checked whether candidate meets the necessary specification and has relevant work experience in the same field, if found so he is been called for the interview or rounds of interview, where his domain is thoroughly checked either through verbal interaction or through written test. Written test generally includes Aptitude tests, General Intelligence test, Trainability test, Personality test & Attainment test. Critical features of test use being validity, reliability, use of interpretation & context of texts. Group selection methods are also used if there are more candidates applying for one job. Three main types of group tasks were invented by Plumbley (1985) Leaderless group, command or executive exercises & group problem solving. Also at times for critical job profiles there is factual as well as character check wherein candidate is asked to get references. Other methods include hiring a consultant or recruitment agency that would already interview the candidate and filter out the one from the masses. It reduces efforts of the employer since candidate is interviews before by the agency for the desired profile. Also sometimes candidate is asked to fill the application form and submit it, wherein entire details of the candidate are asked for. Application form is customized per the need of profile unlike bio-data which has information which may or may not be useful for that particular job profile. (Torrington Hall 1998) Retention is generally maintained by introducing attractive policies for welfare of the employees, giving employee shares of the company at very low rate, market supplements, revising salary structure, providing with additional perks and cost to company components, depending upon the nature of appraisal received from colleagues and subordinates. Providing employees with free medical facilities, pension schemes, and loans at affordable rates encourages employee to stay with organization. Semco has altogether different way of recruiting people and retaining them. Ricardo Semler, CEO of the company believes that workers or the Associates have the liberty to recruit their managers. In short the subordinates have the right to choose with whom they wish to work. Since everyone is treated equal in Semco, owner doesn’t interfere with the decisions taken by the subordinates. People that are to be hired to leadership positions are interviewed and approved by all with whom he/she will be working with. Twice a year subordinate receives questionnaire that enables them to anonymously say what they think about their boss and evaluate their performance. Anyone that gets constantly bad grades at the evaluation usually leaves Semco (average is 80 out of 100) Preference is also given to friend or acquaintances of employees, but no family member is considered for job at Semco if all these ways fails then they move for head hunters & newspapers. Semco business unit has a committee comprising everyone from different operations. Members in the committee have time off, with pay to do their work they also have job security as in they cannot be fired while they serve on committee. Semco has another salary programme called as ‘risk salary’in which about third of employees have the pay cut of upto 25% and then receiving supplement raise of 125% of normal salary if company is making profit. (Maverick, 1993) References: 1. Torrington & Hall (1998) Human Resource Management. Edition 4. Prentice hall, Europe 2. Slocum/Hellriegel (2007) Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior International student edition, USA. 3. Semler, Ricardo (1993). Maverick! Century random house UK. 4. Semler, Ricardo (2003). The Seven Day Weekend. UK Century. 5. Hackman, J. R, & Oldham, G. R (1980). Work Redesign. Reading, MA: Addison-wesley publishing company Inc. 6. web1: http://semco. locaweb. com. br/en/content. asp? content=1&contentID=610

The risks posed by money laundering and corruption to the global Essay

The risks posed by money laundering and corruption to the global financial system and international business - Essay Example This is because it involves breaching of one’s duty. Moreover, corruption has been linked with money laundering. This is because money laundering entails concealing funds that have been generated through illegal means. Money laundering is often conducted internationally since the concealing of the illegal funds entails transferring it across international borders. The money is then deposited or invested in legitimate institutions to make it appear as if it was generated legally. Therefore, there is need for comprehensive strategies to deal with corruption and money laundering. This is because money obtained through corruption is often used for laundering purposes. Consequently, money laundering and corruption crimes are often interwoven and require to be dealt with concurrently. This essay focuses on analyzing the risks posed by money laundering and corruption to the global financial system and international business. Additionally, the essay will entail identification of the s ufficiency of the current international efforts in dealing these threats. Currently, corruption is considered one of the major obstacles hampering global economic development. This is because it is a major crime affecting many nations and impedes sustainable economic development. Furthermore, corruption is a major global concern since it hampers global business. Moreover, global corruption is more complicated since it requires cooperation of different governments to deal with it. On the other hand, money laundering is considered a major profit driven crime facing international businesses and financial systems. Actually, the corruption and money laundering are closely linked. Moreover, they continue to play a big role in threatening international business operations. This is because money laundering accelerates corruption and vice versa (Lilley 2006; Chaikin & Sharman 2009). Risks Posed By Money Laundering and Corruption to the Global Financial System and International Business In th e past, money laundering was viewed as a means of cleaning dirty money obtained through criminal activities such as drug trafficking. However, it has been realized that money laundering entails more that this and it is a crime. Since most criminal activities involve corruption, money laundering enhances corruption by enabling criminals conceal their activities. The effects of corruption are eminent in social, economic, and politic settings. In case of international business, corruption and money laundering contribute to distortion of the financial markets. This is because these misconducts spread from one financial market to another easily (Chaikin & Sharman 2009). Corruption and money laundering are an international concern. This is because there is increasing imitation of the forms of corruption used from one country to another. In cases where money obtained through corruption mean is transferred and invested in another company elsewhere, the companies involved might start conflic ting. Therefore, corruption and money laundering threaten international business relations since they create international disputes. Such disputes often involve banks (Lilley 2006). Money laundering leads to creation of illegal schemes aimed at concealing unlawfully earned assets. Therefore, it becomes hard for corruption cases to be identified. Therefore, corruption and money laundering affect the judicial system making it hard to prevent cases of corruption, which are hard to detect. Actually, the

The Confucian Business Ethics Equal importance to Profit, Process and Essay

The Confucian Business Ethics Equal importance to Profit, Process and Principles - Essay Example Li gives importance to etiquette and defined process in any business. Any simpleton will not buy a diamond from a beggar. Each business has its own set of etiquette to be followed without which it cannot prosper. A merchant dealing with diamonds should look and act refined manner matching his customer’s status to sell his products to them. Each of this quality is important to do business ethically and properly. Practical Difficulties in Implementing Ethics Several business gurus and universities teach the young executives only about gaining more profits and winning over others. They do not teach them about the ways to do it ethically. As a result the business industry has grown into a massive barbaric ground where each one tries to swallow the other. Taking ethical decisions in everyday life is neither easy nor practical. Even if one person inclines to act in an ethical way, the company principles and the other fellow workers cease to co-operate with them. It is near impossibl e for any business executive or a business as a whole to stay very ethical in their business process. How Confucianism Connects Business with Principles These arguments might sound quite convincing for any normal man. But, there are still a thousand ways any person can stay ethical, if they choose to follow the Confucian principles in day to day life. O.C. Ferrell lists a few practices which result out of declining ethical standards. They are 1. Misuse of company resources 2. Abusing the fellow employees 3. Stealing from the company by altering accounts 4. Producing defective products 5. Bribing the government officials to market them Half of these non-ethical practices are directly related to individuals and others as a... The researcher f this essay focuses on the analysis of the Confucian philosophy on business management, that is giving equal importance to profit, process and principles and is refered as the right way to manage modern day trade and commerce. The Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 B.C.) laid down clear rules on how to do business and live life generally. He believed business could be done in harmony with others without exploiting anyone, with collective interest in mind. The Confucian theory of business concentrates on four main principles, such as Ren – the quality of compassion towards fellow human beings, Xin – honesty and trustworthiness, Yi – giving importance to collective goodness more than personal profits and Li – following a etiquette and uniform process. Today, the western world views the business Confucianism only through the way the Chinese immigrants work. They interpret their sacrifices and hard work as hard and violent most of the time. The researcher mentiones that though most of the businesses in China struggle with the western influence, there are some like the example cited in this essay which have its strong ethical roots. It is such businesses that are transforming China into the next economical superpower, capable of lending millions of dollars to the US government. In conclusion, the researcher suggests that the Confucianism business ethics should be followed not only for the sake of ethics and profits, but to gain sheer peace of mind and happiness.

American Art Education in 1980s through today 2012 Research Paper

American Art Education in 1980s through today 2012 - Research Paper Example In the 1980s, art curriculum for K-12 focused on progressive education and self-expression. American technology education on art was founded, which is based on the cultural industrial education history.This focus addressed the need to develop art talent in children while nurturing their natural abilities. Art teachers taught painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, and other forms of art skills. The result of this approach was quite impressive. Many children were able to grasp the skills and produce aesthetic work. Another notable thing with revising of the art education curriculum in the 1980s is that it revitalized art education. Art education looked at history, traditional systems, and broader aspect of art to make art education interesting to pupils and the teachers. The 1980s curriculum stressed on art making while blending it with studies of art history, aesthetics, and criticism. The art education curriculum of the 1980s did stress on visual art education. Many art students sta rt by learning art through visual art. Apparently, the current visual art education curriculum is similar to the curriculum of the 1980s. In the 1990s, art education in the United States had some new development. For instance, in visual art education, researchers of art education argued that everyday realities and personal realities would bring diversity to art education. This argument led to the push for more realistic studies in art over the formal system. Notably, art education in the 1990s has emphasized the need for visual art in all aspect of art education.

Effects on the 9-11 Attack Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Effects on the 9-11 Attack - Essay Example The final airline was meant to crash at Washington D. C. but crashed in Pennsylvania (Gould and Esteban 1459). This is known to be the worst terrorist attack in history that resulted to the loss of approximately three thousand lives and destruction of property worth millions of dollars. One of the most commonly discussed issue across the globe is relation to stereotypes against some of the people from the Gulf States. This got worse after the 9/11 attacks where people from the Muslim religion were treated with mistrust and suspicion (Gould and Esteban 1460). The media has been playing a key role in propagation stereotypes against Muslims as they are depicted as being violent and are treated with suspicion. Although, Muslims have been treated with suspicion over the years, the situation got worse after the 9/11 attack. Following the 9/11 attacks, serious concerns were raised concerning airport security during this period (Gould and Esteban 1461). It became apparent that terrorists were managing to go through the security checkpoints that had been put in place and board airlines with not hindrances. Security measures across were beefed up across airports, ports and public places including schools, malls and bus stations and all other places that could be a target for terror attacks. This was in a move to prevent similar attacks from taking place. Before the attack, airport security was provided by private contractors however, after the attack, the transport Security Administration was put in charge of screening in all US airports (Roberts 45). Additionally, bulletproof cockpits were introduced as a standard to all commercial airlines. Passengers are not allowed to enter into the cockpit and some planes have CCTV cameras to keep an eye on cabin activity. During the 9/11 attacks, the terrorists had tampered with the metal detectors allowing them to pass through the metal detectors (McEachern 229). This led to the tightening

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Case Study Example One such penetration was the historic September 11 attacks, which led to formation of 9/11 Commission. One of the commission’s recommendations was that the government of the US is not positioned to meet all its own obligations towards the Americans in prevention of terrorists’ entry without collaborating with other governments. In this, the US was supposed to exchange information on terrorism with other trusted allies as well as raise the American and global standards of border security for border crossing and travel via extensive international cooperation (Howard, 2006, p. 459). This recommendation forms the basis of this paper’s case study. The paper wishes to assess the progress of this recommendation for DHS’s view. September 11 attacks marked a great change in the world. This day cannot be considered as a mere media hype as many historians are referring to this date as the real start of the 21st century. It is a bit early to establish whether such assessment will bear out though it cannot be dismissed in simple terms. In fact, 11 September attacks ended the notion that the US could float above all the other nations across the globe and thus have incorporated their contribution in the war against crime (Belasco, 2011, p. 1). US cannot foster the false impression that what takes place in the other parts of the world affects them in no way. Thus, it is more important than ever before for nations to understand the kind of world they are living in as well as what the US has and/or is doing to make the world what it is (Rollins, 2010, p. 21). Collaboration has been a big lesson in combating terrorism and remarkable achievements have been noted. Many nations are getting out to the others as well as asking the Homeland Security, emergency management and law enforcement, health department etc. to ensure more cohesion on what appears as common threats irrespective of the nation under such threat (Laurent,

Keynesian Theory of Inflation and Unemployment Essay

Keynesian Theory of Inflation and Unemployment - Essay Example Inflation, on the other hand, referrers increase in prices of products and services in any given economy, with a particular period duration. Essentially, when prices are high, amount of goods and services, which can be, bought using a particular amount of money becomes fewer (Burda & Wyplosz 1997). Disequilibrium positions of inflation Keynes disagrees with the economists of the classical argument. According to the argument by Keynes, market systems do not lead to automatic full-employment equilibrium (Warburton 1966). However, the economic systems could attain equilibrium at any range of unemployment. This implied that the interventionists’ policies would not apply. Keynesian argument can be represented in a circular flow of revenue (Warburton 1966). Extra aggregate demand within the economic system forces firms to absorb more employees. According to Keynes, markets are bound to exhibit disequilibrium of various forms (positions) of inflation, which have been pointed in the K eynesian theory of inflation. ... Similarly, aggregate supply can be indicated by Y = C + S because the market value of the total p[roduction of one year is called national income may be divided into consumption and saving. In this way, national income will be determined at the point where following conditions will be fulfilled; aggregate demand = aggregate supply; total expenditure = total income; C + I = C + S; I = S. This can be explained by the help of the following diagram: In the above diagram, along X-axis we have measured national income and employment level and along Y-axis consumption and investment. C curve is consumption curve which moves from left to right upwards. The assumption is that investment remains the same at all levels of income, so C + I curve will remain parallel to C.C + I curve indicates aggregate demand or the total expenditure at different levels of income. The income will be in equilibrium at the point where C intersects Y. in other words, aggregate demand is equal to aggregate supply or total expenditure is equal to total income when income is OM. From the point where Y and M intersect, to M, gives the effective demand since at this point, aggregate supply is equal to aggregate demand. If income is higher than OM, aggregate supply will be greater than aggregate demand and there will be overproduction. The profits of the producers will fall and they will produce less in the next year, so income will decrease. Similarly, if income is lower than OM, aggregate demand will be greater than aggregate supply and it will be profitable to produce more and more and as a result of this, income will increase. In this way, income will be determined at OM and this is the

Using examples, discuss the ways in which any one of the genres Essay

Using examples, discuss the ways in which any one of the genres explored on the module can be analysed either in ideological terms or in terms of the construction of gender or race - Essay Example This is further depicted with the passage of equality laws, and the existence of civil rights groups, whose intentions is to promote human rights. This includes equal representation of both genders. The major interest of this paper is on the media industry. This paper seeks to examine the manner which the sitcom genre, is able to construct the concept of gender and race, within the society. Sitcom as a genre of comedy constantly features characters sharing the same universal setting, for example residence or place of work, with time after time comic conversation. Sitcom is the abbreviation of situation comedy (Morreale, 2003). Programs like these originated from radio, however these days, sitcoms are found frequently on television as one of its prevailing story forms. A situation comedy television program may possibly be created in frontage of studio viewers, depending on the programs creation set-up. The use of laugh trucks imitates the sound effects of a live studio audience. The usage of these laugh trucks is one of the major characteristics of the sitcom genre movies. Situation comedy contrasts with the other types of comedy like the sketch comedy and stand-up comedy as it has a plot and ongoing characters in, basically a comedic narrative plot. The situation is often made up of comedic sequences lay down within a family unit; place of work, or amongst a set of associates (Eduardo, 2011). Before and during the 20th century, comedy sketches were offered within a series of shows and assorted with tuneful presentations, as in vaudeville. The growing mass medium of radio allowed audiences to often return to the programs, so programs could display the same characters and situations in each and every episode and look forward to audiences to be well-known with them (Eduardo, 2011). Friend, aired for ten full seasons in 1994, is a renowned comedy show in the United

Frankenstein - Knowledge As A Force Essay Example for Free

Frankenstein Knowledge As A Force Essay Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein brings out a very prominent and unavoidable theme: the dangers of knowledge. It is often said that there is nothing wrong with learning new things, but Shelley makes it a point to prove that wrong. Dr. Frankenstein’s voracious and successful approach to necromancy proves that very distinctly. Though the novel does not explicitly state that there are things best left to higher powers, the novel does highlight, very pointedly, that a man should act as such, and should not interfere with either that which he is not meant to, or that which opposes the natural way of things. Dr. Frankenstein does both. It is not a matter of controversy that humans are not meant to play God, and reanimating a corpse constructed from the remains of various other corpses falls very firmly in the realm of actions classifiable as both unethical and unnatural. Effectively, the entire book may be paraphrased, as â€Å"Dr. Frankenstein was a perfectly cheerful student, until he played God, following which, his entire life crashed around him, and he lost virtually everyone and everything he loved.† Shelley does not explicitly state that there are things solely in the realm of God, but the books makes it clear nonetheless that some things were made to transcend human knowledge, and that violating this law will have natural and terrible consequences. Shelley wishes, then, to paint knowledge as a formidable force that should be approached with intense caution. Her Frankenstein is a warning. Three of the prominent characters in the novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein, Robert Walton and the monster, all share a thirst for knowledge that ultimately leads to downfall in one way or another. Shelly, in her novel, portrayed how Victor’s journey to seek knowledge led to a life of misery and sadness. Even upon meeting Walton, Victor says, â€Å"You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been†(Shelly 62). Although this quote only implies that his downfall was due to the monster, in reality, his downfall began long before even the monster was created, as evidenced by Victor’s (literally) inhumane quest for knowledge. From a very early age, Victor Frankenstein had a thirst for knowledge. He was captivated by the sciences; he spent all his time just studying from the work of the older scientists. In the university, when he was told that all his time spent studying has been a waste, as new discoveries have been made, he became angry. Ironically, his obsession with science became even stronger and he devoted his life acquiring even greater knowledge. This obsession was where it all began. Victor’s quest for knowledge was a selfish quest of sabotage; his obsession to create a life form was so deep that he ignored everyone he knew. This thirst to surge beyond the accepted human limits and access the secret of life led to one disaster after another. Similarly, Robert Walton desires knowledge beyond limits. Walton’s quest to reach the northernmost part of the earth is similar in spirit to Victor’s quest for the secret of life: both seek ultimate knowledge, and both sacrifice the comfort of the realm of known knowledge in their respective pursuits. When Walton says, â€Å"What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?†(Shelly 50). It becomes certain that Walton is ready to surpass any limit for the pursuit of total knowledge. Light in this context, is a symbol for goodness and knowledge. If we closely examine, we discover that Robert Walton possess the same desires as Victor Frankenstein, and can be addressed as â€Å"a potential Frankenstein, another man . . . seeking out ultimate knowledge by conquering the world’s uncharted regions†(Claridge 85). Victor, seeing Walton having the same thirst, warns him; â€Å"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow†(Shelly 81). Knowledge not only destroys Victor Frankenstein’s life but also of the monster. Firstly, He was the creation of Frankenstein’s desire to gain knowledge. He would have never come to life if Frankenstein had control over his obsession. Secondly, the monster delves deeper into sadness when he acquires knowledge the world has to offer him â€Å"I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but  sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh, that I had forever remained in my native wood, nor known nor felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat!† (Shelly 146). If the monster did not have any knowledge, he would have felt none of the emotions or reflections that people have inflicted upon him. Finally, the greatest impact of the monster’s actions is due to the knowledge that of him alone in the world â€Å"I am an unfortunate and deserted creature, I look around and I have no relation or friend upon earth. These amiable people to whom I go have never seen me and know little of me. I am full of fears, for if I fail there, I am an outcast in the world forever, without any love or affection†(Shelly 158), this knowledge, beyond his basic sensations, makes him a so-called â€Å"Monster† and the cause of all mayhem. This, conclusively, is Mary Shelley’s severe warning to the reader. It is a strict warning to the reader to remain humane and reasonable in their quest for knowledge. The text, then, also professes a deep romanticism in that it shows, very clearly, that one should not stray from that which is natural. It preaches that things are exactly how they are, but also warns that knowledge is not something to be trifled with. The text also carries with it, a long standing theme of consequences; Victor defied nature and raised the monster, and it then seemed like everything around Victor was dedicated to driving him to depression or death. Eventually, defying nature got the better of him and he died, desolate and alone, away from his home, and nature claimed yet another human that defied it.

Zappos Organizational Structure Chart Marketing Essay

Zappos Organizational Structure Chart Marketing Essay All the organizations which meets up with there goals and reach greater heights are because they make there costumers satisfied and do not hang back to fulfill the needs of the costumers. Zappos is one of the upcoming e-commerce web site, which is reaching to greater heights of the success very quickly. It is one of the co-operations that deal in shoes and now expanding towards electronics, fashion and many more products. This company start up was in 1999 and less than 10 years it became a billon dollar co-operation. The question which arises here is that how does Zappos manage to hold their clients for a long run. The trust, honesty and clientage, which Zappos develop in a costumer, is the reason for the same. INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT History, origins, structure, activities (Anna Levina) The history of founding company Zappos began in 1999 with Nick Swinmurn who was working at that time as a Webmaster for Silicon Graphics. Nick was walking around a mall in San- Francisco. He wanted to buy a special pair of shoes with a special colour, style, brand and size. After long searching he was not able to find a pair of specific shoes and came back to home. At home he tried to find online a nice pair of boot, but again he was unsuccessful. At that time there were online stores with selling shoes, but there was no online retailer who focused primarily on selling shoes. He thought why not to be first online shoes retailer. With $150,000, Swinmurn started his online shop Shoesite.com in June of 1999 in San Francisco. Later on Shoesite.com has been renamed to Zappos.com (the name came from Spanish word zapatos which means shoes). In 2000 Tony Hsieh (24) jointed to Zappos.com. At the beginning to fulfil orders that were placed online Zappos redirected orders to major shoes distributors to deliver shoes to customers. In 2000 company already had 30 employees and gross sales of $1.6 million. As Zappos rapidly grew, order fulfilment became a challenge. Zappos could not always guarantee the timeliness of supplier drop shipments to individual customers. To meet the expectations of its online retail customers, Zappos acquired its own warehouse and fulfilment centre in Kentucky. In 2003 gross sales of Zappos rose to $70 million. In 2004 they moved head office from San- Francisco to Las Vegas (Nevada). In the end of 2005 the annual revenue at Zappos.com reached $370 million. By 2006, Zappos.com revenue was $597 million. Since 2007 Zappos extended its product categories with including eyewear, handbags, clothing, watches and kids goods. Ebags.coms footwear and accessories e-tailer 6pm.com is acquired by Zappos.Gross sales at Zappos hit $840 million. Online shop had over 1200 brands and 200,000 different styles (P. Robbins, 2009). In 2008 Zappos Insights is launched to help leaders, managers, and employees from other businesses to learn success of Zappos. Gross sales at Zappos hit $1 billion. In 2009 Amazon purchases Zappos.com for $1.2 billion (Zappos Tony Hsieh Delivers Happiness Through Service and Innovation, 2011, para 17). In 2009 Zappos.com was ranked # 23 Fortunes Top 100 Companies to Work For, 2010- # 15, 2011- # 6, 2012- went down # 11. (100 Best Companies To Work For, 2011-2012) The company has an informal organisation structure. The company represents 10 departments, which include; Zappos.com, Inc. implies Facilities- including the responsibilities of food and vending for Zappos and also shipping and receiving, office supplies and equipment, maintenance, cleaning in Las-Vegas, Henderson. Finance  Treasury And Accounting Help Desk- includes scheduling, travel, shuttle services and the last one organizing events. Human Resources- members contacts, benefits, recruiting. IT- it can help a company to keep systems up and working efficiently. Legal- legal requirements to safe and prevent risks for Zappos Family of Companies. Pipeline Team- The aim is to support growth and learning which involves all system of training (4 week), where teachers teach new workers about Zappos Family Culture and how to amaze customers. As well as they teach management classes like Microsoft Office. Zappos IP, Inc. which is included; Development (Software) Project Management Team Zappos Development, Inc. Content Team- these team are responsible for writing the product descriptions Creative Services drafting WEB design CS creates the look and feel of the site Marketing. The User Experience Humans- Their aim is to always improve the quality of online website with utilization of interface, organization of figures, interactive design, where clients could find everything what they need. Zappos Merchandising, Inc. is included developing relation with vendors and purchasing the products. Zappos Fulfilment Centres, Inc. contains storeroom, logistics and delivery of the products. Warehouse around 80,000 sq.m Conveyors length -280m Zappos CLT, Inc. calls, live chats and emails. Online shop customer service works 24 hours, seven day per week. Zappos Insights, Inc. Culture Training, Customer Service Training. Zappos Gift Cards, Inc. They only can sell gift cards. Zappos Retail, Inc. online store on Zappos.com 6pm.com, LLC -online seller on 6pm.com Unlike other shoe companies, Zappos.com became the first company in the world by free shipping on the next day and return the product 365 days per year (The Zappos phenomenon, 2012). ZAPPOS Organizational Structure Chart Customer Customer Focused Team Customer Focused Team Customer Focused Team Customer Focused Team Professional services Marketing QA / Support System OPS Sales Finance Admin HR Product Chief Operating Officer VP Operations Chief Financial Officer Chief Executive Officer Culture of the company (Paula Prieto Cisneros) That sounds like a Cinderella story and from afar one could see it that way. But there were no guarantees it would work and Zappos could have crashed and burned a few times. Tony summed up the company perfectly when he said Back in 2003, we thought of ourselves as a shoe company that offered great service. Today, we really think of the Zappos brand as about great service and we just happen to sell shoes. (A Lesson from Zappos , 2011) Zappos as an individual company has their own unique culture, which is based in the Zappos Family Core Values. Zappos has grown a lot as a company and it became more important expressing the essential values from which Zappos development three of their most important things inside of the company: culture, product and industry strategies. Zappos company has ten values but the ones that are related to the employees and the actions that happen inside if the company are: Pursue Growth and Learning, which means that employees need to grow in two areas: personality and professionally. Yet no matter how much better we get, well always have hard work to do, well never be done, and well never get it right. (Zappos.com) Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit. This is one of the most important aspects of their culture inasmuch as they place a lot of emphasis on it. Zappos family believes in while employees work well in their own, they need to be able to work better with people from the company and also with each other outside the office atmosphere. Be humble: as the word humble says, Zappos are always concerned that doesnt matter if they have grown quickly and with success, they will always have challenges to overcome. Furthermore, they have a sentence that says that no matter what kind of challenges they have because they need to be considerate with their co-workers. Another of their values in their inimitable culture is what they call do more with less. This means that their tasks are never complete or fixed and employees need to do as much as they can with big labours. Furthermore, those operations have to be done seriously. And while the company tries to become the best company worldwide, they want their employees to be the best. The last value that affect the internal environment of the company is what they call be passionate and determined, which means that workers need to be positive and optimistic in order to become a better company. This is reflected in the position of Zappos corporation. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT Paula Prieto Cisneros: Historical and social perspective of Zappos Zappos website had made a huge progress in the past few weeks- Nick said. Zappos was getting $2000 worth of orders a week and the number of clients was growing. First of all, Zappos was not making money because when a command was ordered, the owner ran to the resident shoe shop, purchase the product and then transport it to the costumer. After that, the owner (Nick) decided to start a website to demonstrate that costumers would be enthusiastic to buy their shoes on the Internet, therefore Zappos corporation would take commands from clients online, then transfer the order to the creator of the different brands and styles, which would send the product directly to the clients of Zappos. This was what they called drop ship relationship, which existed in many businesses dedicated to other fields. However, they were the first shoe company. Furthermore, drop shipping was one of the most important causes that made costumers buy Zappos products. (Hsieh, 2010) According to the social perspective of Zappos, the owner of the company wanted employees to use the social networking sites and the internet to create a real relation with costumers in order to overcome one their core values, which is called build open and honest relationships with communication. Hence, Zappos employees Hence, Zappos workers have presence in different social sites such as: The first one is Twitter, as we know nowadays Twitter is the second social networking site worldwide, after Facebook. Zappos corporation has its own Twitter account with five hundred worker recorded. Furthermore, the owner of the company is one of the most followed people on Twitter, with 1.85 million of followers. The aim of this, apart of creating relation with costumers, is the employees to use their accounts in order to have a spontaneous communication instead of the classic communication such as promotions or advertisings. (Kelly, 2011) Another social site that Zappos use is YouTube. As a modern company, it has subjects in it, which complements their other nets. In their YouTube account, Zappos can post videos, which show their culture, family and the company itself. Furthermore, they also post clips, employees interests, experiences, etc. Zappos has an account in the first social networking site worldwide called Facebook. They use it, apart of promote their business, to discuss with costumers about the outcomes of their corporation, in an effectively and realistic manner. The last social site that Zappos use are blogs. Nowadays, many companies use them in order to have a closer relation with the clients. Zappos use them to discuss with their costumers about different topics. Some examples of Zappos blogs are: CEO blog, Fashion Culture, etc. Cultural, geographical and financial perspectives (Sajal Garg) What is culture? Cultural in a business considering external environment can be defined as the relationship between the consumer and the service provider. Zappos has a great relation with their customers. They provide a WOW service to them, which is entirely a different way, which can even, be beyond ones imagination. The service department works on innovative and unconventional ideas for the same. The current director of the company also mentioned that WOW service is something, which is not related to the money directly. This kind of service is good for the companys status and customers attraction for the long run. All the customers are treated in the same way and in a better way. There are 24*7 hot line services, which provide one to one live chat service. Zappos build a strong, positive and honest relation with the customers, which normally lacks in many of the service providers working in the same field. This is one of the reasons why Zappos is growing on a faster pace. They want every customer to be emotionally attached to them and provide the kind-hearted, welcoming, loyal treatment. This accomplishes the hardest task of the company, which is to build trust between the consumer and Zappos. The communication between the buyer and the seller should be true and Zappos follow the same policy and is honest with their customers which is effective and open too. Good communication always reaches a mile more than a normal communication. (Zappos Family Core Values, 2010) Geographic or location is one of the key factors of any organization. Zappos has a number of corporate offices, workshops and head quarters all over the world. But the most recent and fascinating on is in Las Vegas, Nevada USA. Which is recently built on a large track of land, approximately consisting of more than 150,000 sq. ft. The developer of Las Vegas, Mr. Liberman supports and explains how has the city grown in past few years. When Zappos wanted to shift the headquarters to Las Vegas the council of the city asked the company to make use of the City Hall Building which is the part of the governing body. After spending the amount of $65 million finishes the renovation, the company will hire 1200 new employees and provide them accommodation to almost 2000 employees. (Dodds, 2011) Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has a sharp brain of marketing. He started sponsoring events like start up businesses, first Friday, etc. The repositioning of Zappos headquarter will generate an atmosphere for more people to set up business and will also give motivation to people to life in the city. Zappos employees are happy working in that company and the prove of the same is when a survey tell that Zappos stand at fourth position amongst top 100 best companies to work for. The improvement in the building is not cheap; the expense for the same is $40 million. And during this recreation of the building there will be more than 100 construction job done. This is not finished yet, the businesses which will gain profit because of Zappos plan of shifting the headquarter are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Food services and drinking places à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Real estate establishments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Physicians, dentists and other health care providers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Employment services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Couriers and messengers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Private hospitals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Private household operations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Retail Stores Food and beverage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Retail Stores General merchandise (Riggleman, 2012) The tense attention to the costumer and then type of honest service provided to the costumers have helped Zappos to reach to a level of being a billion dollar company per year in less than a span of 10 years. Being the sole proprietor of making and selling a million pair of shoes, not the company is moving to words making more products like electronic products, fashion products and many more. Hsieh also adds that he would enhance the customer experience as it generates customer repetition. Zappos will also spend a small amount of money in advertising as they did last year, which was $18 million. The reputation build of this company is because of the services like free delivery overseas, promotional upgrades, 365 days exchange policy and most importantly 24*7-customer care service. (Borden, 2012) Conclusion Concluding this whole report about Zappos, we can say that Zappos is a company that came up to the greater heights in the shoe market and enhanced their financial and economical position really well in a short span of time. According to the history of the company, Zappos started up the business in 1999 and from 2000 to 2003 the company touched the greater heights of sky and success, which is an impressive progress for a company as in order to grow, expand and be a billion dollar company in a short period of time. Furthermore, the culture followed by Zappos makes it unique, as they always targeted to have a big family (inside of the company with more employees) while having the best communication with the costumers, according to the 10 core values. The most exclusive and matchless service provided by Zappos to their costumers is the WOW service, in which the costumer is being satisfied beyond his or her imagination. Moreover, the owner and the CEO of the company have incredible power of judging a business outcomes and new areas where he could put his feet in, which is seen through the accomplishment of it. In addition to this, the company has a very optimistic, hospitable and a true relation with the cli ents, which makes the working scenario creative, attractive and open to any ideas of suggestions from employees and clients. Adding to Zappos never advertised before but started it few years before and spent a small amount of money ($18 million) on the same in 2010. According to the activities that Zappos perform, the main part is to manufacture and do the marketing for shoes but from 2007 they started mounting their business into fashion industry making different types of products such as bags, sunglasses, clothing, electronic products, etc. One the most important actions that made costumers buy Zappos products was the drop ship, which was a totally new strategy never done before. Furthermore, serving the costumers by 24*7 through a service hotline and live chats, which builds honest relation between clients and Zappos family. We think that this type of service is lacking in most of the companies who are dealing in this business environment. As Zappos decided to shift the headquart er to Las Vegas, promising the government to give employment and use the RGS building, which will benefit the government through taxes and revenues. In contrast to this, businesses like food services, real estate, health care centres, private house holdings, retail stores and many more businesses, were benefited in a positive manner. As this is not the end of Zappos history until now and we live in a modern world, which has a lot of resources and opportunities, Zappos company will keep growing and expanding their business to different countries, and maybe to other continents.

Anne Frank Essay -- essays research papers

On June 12, 1929, at 7:30 A.M. a baby girl was born in Frankfurt, Germany. No one realized that this infant, who was Jewish, was destined to become one of the world’s most famous victims of World War II. Her name was Anne Frank, and her parents were Edith Frank Hollandar and Otto Frank. She had one sister, Margot, who was three years older than she was. Anne led a happy and normal childhood, and on her 13th birthday she received a diary from her parents. It became special to her as years went by. It is through this diary that much about World War II and Anne’s life has been learned. In 1933, her and her family left Frankfurt, a large Jewish community, and settled in Amsterdam. Her father foresaw that Hitler’s power boded disaster for the Jews. In May 1940, the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands took place, which cast a shadow on Anne’s happy childhood. The situation became worse with the restrictions placed on the Jews. One restriction was that Jewish children were only allowed at Jewish schools. Anne went to the Jewish school called The Jewish Lyceum. In July 1942, Anne’s family went into hiding in the Prinsengracht building. Anne’s family called it the â€Å"Secret Annex†. During these times people they knew like, Miep and Jan Gies and many others, brought the family’s food. You would have to be very brave to take on a job like that because, if you got caught you could be killed. Life in the Annex was not easy at all. Anne had to wake up at 6:45 A.M. every morning. Nobody could go outside. No one could turn on lights at night. Anne mostly read books or wrote stories. Much of Anne’s diary was written while in hiding. Most of the families got separated, but Anne’s family never was. For this, they were lucky. In 1944, their hiding place was revealed, and they were taken into custody. The day after their arrest they were transferred to the Huis Van Bewaring, a prison on Weteringschans. On Aug. 8, they were transported from the main railroad station in Amsterdam to the Westerbork detention camp. For a month, the Franks were kept in the â€Å"disciplinary barracks†, not as ordinary prisoners, but inmates convicted of a crime. The crime was hiding. On September 3, 1944, aboard the last transport to leave the Netherlands, Anne’s family and those who were with them, were brought to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. By then more than 100,000 Dutch Jews had been ... ... Auschwitz, near Krakow, was the largest concentration camp, with inmates from all over Europe. Many Jewish and non-Jewish inmates performed industrial labor. The Nazis subjected some prisoners to medical experiments and gassed Jews and Roma (Gypsies). They also shot thousands of inmates, while others died from starvation or disease. Large crematories were constructed to incinerate the bodies. By the end of the war in 1945, millions of Jews-as wee as Slavs, Roma, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Communists, and others targeted by the Nazis-had been killed or had died in the Holocaust. In my opinion Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl is a very sad, distressing book. It revels the life of a young innocent girl who is forced into hiding from the Nazis because of her religion, Judaism. It is also a very informing and very enlightening book. It introduces a time period of discrimination, unfair judgment, and power crazed individuals. With this it shows you the effect it has on the defenseless. Anne and her family are just one of the hundreds of thousands of families that were tortured. The thing that makes her story so intriguing is that it shows war in the eyes of a little girl.

Essay on Exploring Death in Death in Venice -- Death in Venice Essays

Exploring Death in Death in Venice      Ã‚  Ã‚   Death in Venice by Thomas Mann, is a story that deals with mortality on many different levels. There is the obvious physical death by cholera, and the cyclical death in nature: in the beginning it is spring and in the end, autumn. We see a kind of death of the ego in Gustav Aschenbach's dreams. Venice itself is a personification of death, and death is seen as the leitmotif in musical terms. It is also reflected in the idea of the traveler coming to the end of a long fatiguing journey.    It must also be noted there are no women in the story with prominent roles. The hero's wife is long dead and his daughter has been married and gone for many years. Any women in the story are merely in the background, unnamed and colorless-totally insignificant. Mann has purposely left them out because they are life givers, the symbol of fertility and birth. (The only one scene where women have an active role is in the degrading and violently promiscuous dream.) There are definite homosexual overtones evident almost from the moment Aschenbach sees Tadzio-the object of his obsession. By far the most important level of death appears in the crumbling of Aschenbach's life principles: the giving up and letting go of all those ideals that molded his character and had shaped his work and guided every aspect of his entire life. It is a complete handing over of oneself to all that was heretofore anathema to him. The mind, reason, rationality, and all that goes with it: service, dignity, and restraint all buckle and die-all fall in the wake of the onslaught of passion and chaos.    Dreams play a major role in the story, and, throughout the history of literature, sleep has often been consid... ...one can surmise perhaps Aschenbach's shade would then have been rowed across the Styx (in a black gondola), or more possibly he would have followed Tadzio's outwardly pointing finger and joined Poseidon's ranks, plunging "into an immensity of richest expectation" (75) seeking "refuge . . . in the bosom of the simple and vast" [ocean] (31). Gustav thought of the boy as Phaeax, one of the sea god's sons (29). He had seen this godlike creature "with dripping locks . . . emerging from the depths of sea and sky" (33).    What more fitting manner of leaving the earthly fray than by returning to "the birth of form . . . the origin of the gods" (33)? Works Cited Freud, Sigmund. Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. Chps. 9, 14. Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia Vol. 24, p. 388. Mann, Thomas. Death in Venice. 1911. New York: Vintage, 1958.   

Capital Punishment Must be Abolished :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Capital Punishment Must be Abolished       Evidence suggests that the death penalty does not deter people from committing crimes. It is a cruel and cold blooded form of punishment and there have been instances where innocent people were sentenced to death.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most common methods of execution are hanging and shooting. Countries like the U.S. use electrocution, gas chambers and lethal injections to dispose of the convicted. Some countries, like the U.S., have tried to minimise the pain of execution by introducing the electric chair. In some parts of the world, more pain is deliberately inflicted on the condemned, such as in the Islamic countries and Nigeria. In Nigeria the executions are done in public by a firing squad. The convicted are executed slowly, by firing bullets at intervals, starting at the ankles. In Islamic countries the condemned are stoned to death. But there are   special rules for these executions; (Amnesty International article1), "The Islamic Penal Code of Iran stipulates: "In the punishment of stoning to death, the stones should not be so large that the person dies on being hit by one or two of them."1 This is the kind of cruelty which is inflicted on the executed in those countries. Other methods of execution, like the electric chair and hanging, are also quite cruel to the convicted.   That is one of the reasons the death penalty should be abolished.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Does the death penalty really deter criminals?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is very little valid evidence to suggest that capital punishment deters criminals. The most recent study of research findings on the relationship between the death penalty and homicide rates, conducted for the United Nations Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, in 1988, has concluded that:"this research has failed to provide scientific proof that executions have a greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment."1. Many murders are committed under the influence of alcohol and drugs, some murderers might be mentally ill. If one of these factors influenced a person, how could he/she control and asses what he/she is doing or be deterred from committing the crime? It would be impossible, and after the incident he/she might not remember it. A cover story in the "Time"3 presents a report about a man called Doug McCray, then 32. He had a reasonable education after dropping out of college one and a half years later to enlist in the army. He was given a medical discharge seventeen months later.He married and went back to college. But his marriage didn't last long and he dropped out of college again and turned to alcohol. Sometime between October 13

Online Learning

There are debates nowadays over online learning versus traditional learning. The article titled â€Å"Why Online Education Works†. It targets on the positive aspects of online college classes. The article states that online learning changes how universities teach which in turn there are significant advantages to it. The author, Alex Tabarrok describes the advantages of online education as leverage, which includes that the college student possesses the opportunity to be taught by the finest instructors, teachers can easily access more students, it can be time-saving, and it gives the student flexibility as well as more individualized teaching. I selected this subject because I understand the importance of online education and I as well think it is a great alternative to attending class. Many students nowadays are not the conventional learner and have to work and don't possess the time to commit in a classroom because of the type of employment I do. Needing to work a full-time job without having a regular schedule can make it tough to make it to school in time, this really is a primary reason it does work best for me. There is a lot to consider when deciding which course type, online or conventional will work best for you so you must be sure you are taking into account all sides, weighing out the advantages and drawbacks. The discussion Alex Tabarrok is establishing in the article is that online learning is significantly increasing the productivity and quality of educating. The argument relies on the author's analysis regarding how there has been little change to educational institutions that had been in a position to maintain their existence and how online education can possibly reach more students. He provides examples of the drawbacks to late night classes and how fatigue generally sets in after 9:30 pm. He also offers the argument of learners not being able to retain as much when they take a night course or their instructor being as sharp as they need to be due to the fatigue. The quality of knowledge being given or what the student is retaining will decrease due to being exhausted. The student will never be giving their best and they will not be getting the best from their instructor either (Tabarrok, 2012). Alex Tabarrok claims that the learners can be taught by the best instructors online and teachers may teach students from worldwide. To support this claim he uses the example of how his 15-minute TED talk video was among his best 15 minutes of teaching and was viewed over 700,000 times. That is similar to 175,000 student hours. Though TED talks are not regarded as a course that can count toward a degree, these are totally free and we can learn from them. He compares teaching today to a stage play, and online education is more similar to a movie. The reasons used to back up the claim of quality in the instructor is because, for a movie, the actors are better compared to the typical stage actor. Movie actors are better than the average stage actor for the reason that you have more time to prepare to be sure it is your best work. This is one-way online education leverages the power of the best instructors (Tabarrok, 2012). This is often regarded as biased since he is making the assumption that an online teacher is superior to a classroom teacher. Comparing a classroom teacher to a stage actor and an online instructor to a movie star is not a good explanation. An objection referred to with online education is the fact the classroom experience provides a greater opportunity for individualized learning, Alex Tabarrok see's it as the exact opposite.His argument is because online learning may be much more customized because you are not sitting in a classroom with 100 different students, it is more one on one along with you and the teacher. You will have the chance to ask questions and interact with the professor along with other individuals through electronic mail and discussion posts. His analysis demonstrated that at Virginia Tech, classes of 100-plus are not uncommon. It can be difficult for anyone in the classroom to have a chance to ask questions due to if every student has a question to ask, you will not have any time for the lesson. An example provided is in a class of 50, in the event that each learner got a question, there would be no time for a lecture. Questions could be asked at any time and do not interfere with a session. Also, professors who teach online courses are placed to a greater slandered due to the possibility of review. Which means that errors made by the teacher through online learning are easily caught through the classroom, the likelihood is no one is going to catch it. For instance, in the event that a student asks an instructor a question in the classroom, the teacher may answer incorrectly and it would most likely never be caught however this is not the case with online courses in which everything the instructor communicates is documented. He additionally points out that when in a classroom and 20% of the class requires something repeated, 80% of the students that got it are experiencing to hear it over again while the online students are actually in power over what they need to listen to the second time (Tabarrok, 2012).The most significant benefit of online learning is the flexibility. You can focus on your assignments when it is most convenient for you given that online programs offer 24/7 accessibility to the lesson's materials. A number of individuals may do their best work in the morning while some might at night, this allows you to do your work in the course of the hours you will be most productive (Hickey, 2017). It also helps if you are working full time and can't conveniently make it to school.Although Alex Tabarrok has a credential as an author, co-author, chairperson, director of research and co-founder of the online educational platform Marginal Revolution University and Professor of Economics at George Mason University, his arguments do not possess a lot of credibilities and are biased. For example, he uses the Ted Talk comparing it to teaching which is assuming that viewing the video is the equivalent of learning. He also fails to provide any specific counterarguments in his article to compare any other side. Although he gives numerous examples to back up his reasons he fails to present outside resources to back up each of his claims. Without having outside sources, it is hard to understand if the information he is providing in his argument is reliable or not.My point of view of my alternative argument is the fact that online learning can work and does provide many advantages. My premise is that technology has a positive roll in student learning since it is convenient and you obtain faster feedback on online education. I produce this claim as a result of the e-assessments which have been carried out and the results for online learning have been positive. This argument considers the effect of e-assessments. An e-assessment is referred to as the iterative procedures of developing what, how much and how well students are learning with regards to the education goals and projected results in an effort to inform designed formative feedback and support further learning (Baleni, A.G. pg2). A number of weak points in this argument are that online education might not work for everyone and additional research needs to be done to conclude if it is in fact better.An opposing side of the argument that I notice is the fact there is an intense requirement for self-discipline and although technology can play a positive role there can be limitations also. Alex Tabarrok doesn't discuss either of them in his argument of how online education is better nevertheless I consent that this could be an issue. When it comes to self-discipline, the article mentions how meeting the deadlines for assignments and tests can be hard unless you possess time management techniques and organization skill sets to stay on top of your work. With regards to the technological innovation, you must be sure that you always have accessibility to the internet considering that for any reason your system crashes or perhaps you don't have accessibility to the web you will have a backup plan.personally, I think that as a result of online education works for me, I am can be biased. The flexibility has afforded me the possibility to continue my learning while working full time. I don't always catch on as fast as other individuals so I need more time to work on assignments and usually require additional clarification on precisely what is expected however I am still capable to get it done due to the overall flexibility. In a classroom, I don't think I would feel at ease asking questions so it is less difficult online in which the communication between learners and the teacher is mainly one on one. I want to be open-minded and examine all sides of the arguments and feel that online education will work but may not be for everybody.Basically, I feel that online learning is beneficial but you need to be very self-disciplined and make sure you stay in front of your work and be prepared for any kind of challenges you may encounter. You have to create a connection with the professor and peers and stay engaged in the discussions. It will be helpful to be computer literate making sure you are utilizing all assets provided to you by the school.My initial opinions after reading Alex Tabarrok's article was that he made many legitimate points. That was not until I conducted further research and allowed myself to step back, reevaluate and ask questions that I understood his article was way more one-sided and biased. The questions I looked at to answer were, exactly what resources did he use, was his argument based upon facts and evidence or maybe opinions, furthermore, did he offer reasons why you should support his statements that were convincing. I had to ask myself how strong was his argument and can I find leads to refute it based on evidence. I had to put in writing a number of reasons exactly why I supported his side and then the reason why I would not examine whether an individual could argue that with me. How certain was I of my argument? This assisted me to believe logically and provide you with my conclusion. I think everybody is a little biased but we have to make sure we are doing the proper research and holding an open mind. It truly is about the facts along with the proof to support the claim. Keeping an open mind and trying to concentrate on the facts and proof will help everyone greatly in our daily lives. Often we jump to conclusions and allow our emotions get in the way. I have usually said doing the right thing is normally the toughest and trying to not be biased and act on emotions can be extremely difficult. We are only human and will fall short every day, it is about striving our best to look at all sides and doing unto others as we want to be done unto us. Giving every person the benefit of the doubt. Online Learning There are debates nowadays over online learning versus traditional learning. The article titled â€Å"Why Online Education Works†. It targets on the positive aspects of online college classes. The article states that online learning changes how universities teach which in turn there are significant advantages to it. The author, Alex Tabarrok describes the advantages of online education as leverage, which includes that the college student possesses the opportunity to be taught by the finest instructors, teachers can easily access more students, it can be time-saving, and it gives the student flexibility as well as more individualized teaching. I selected this subject because I understand the importance of online education and I as well think it is a great alternative to attending class. Many students nowadays are not the conventional learner and have to work and don't possess the time to commit in a classroom because of the type of employment I do. Needing to work a full-time job without having a regular schedule can make it tough to make it to school in time, this really is a primary reason it does work best for me. There is a lot to consider when deciding which course type, online or conventional will work best for you so you must be sure you are taking into account all sides, weighing out the advantages and drawbacks. The discussion Alex Tabarrok is establishing in the article is that online learning is significantly increasing the productivity and quality of educating. The argument relies on the author's analysis regarding how there has been little change to educational institutions that had been in a position to maintain their existence and how online education can possibly reach more students. He provides examples of the drawbacks to late night classes and how fatigue generally sets in after 9:30 pm. He also offers the argument of learners not being able to retain as much when they take a night course or their instructor being as sharp as they need to be due to the fatigue. The quality of knowledge being given or what the student is retaining will decrease due to being exhausted. The student will never be giving their best and they will not be getting the best from their instructor either (Tabarrok, 2012). Alex Tabarrok claims that the learners can be taught by the best instructors online and teachers may teach students from worldwide. To support this claim he uses the example of how his 15-minute TED talk video was among his best 15 minutes of teaching and was viewed over 700,000 times. That is similar to 175,000 student hours. Though TED talks are not regarded as a course that can count toward a degree, these are totally free and we can learn from them. He compares teaching today to a stage play, and online education is more similar to a movie. The reasons used to back up the claim of quality in the instructor is because, for a movie, the actors are better compared to the typical stage actor. Movie actors are better than the average stage actor for the reason that you have more time to prepare to be sure it is your best work. This is one-way online education leverages the power of the best instructors (Tabarrok, 2012). This is often regarded as biased since he is making the assumption that an online teacher is superior to a classroom teacher. Comparing a classroom teacher to a stage actor and an online instructor to a movie star is not a good explanation. An objection referred to with online education is the fact the classroom experience provides a greater opportunity for individualized learning, Alex Tabarrok see's it as the exact opposite.His argument is because online learning may be much more customized because you are not sitting in a classroom with 100 different students, it is more one on one along with you and the teacher. You will have the chance to ask questions and interact with the professor along with other individuals through electronic mail and discussion posts. His analysis demonstrated that at Virginia Tech, classes of 100-plus are not uncommon. It can be difficult for anyone in the classroom to have a chance to ask questions due to if every student has a question to ask, you will not have any time for the lesson. An example provided is in a class of 50, in the event that each learner got a question, there would be no time for a lecture. Questions could be asked at any time and do not interfere with a session. Also, professors who teach online courses are placed to a greater slandered due to the possibility of review. Which means that errors made by the teacher through online learning are easily caught through the classroom, the likelihood is no one is going to catch it. For instance, in the event that a student asks an instructor a question in the classroom, the teacher may answer incorrectly and it would most likely never be caught however this is not the case with online courses in which everything the instructor communicates is documented. He additionally points out that when in a classroom and 20% of the class requires something repeated, 80% of the students that got it are experiencing to hear it over again while the online students are actually in power over what they need to listen to the second time (Tabarrok, 2012).The most significant benefit of online learning is the flexibility. You can focus on your assignments when it is most convenient for you given that online programs offer 24/7 accessibility to the lesson's materials. A number of individuals may do their best work in the morning while some might at night, this allows you to do your work in the course of the hours you will be most productive (Hickey, 2017). It also helps if you are working full time and can't conveniently make it to school.Although Alex Tabarrok has a credential as an author, co-author, chairperson, director of research and co-founder of the online educational platform Marginal Revolution University and Professor of Economics at George Mason University, his arguments do not possess a lot of credibilities and are biased. For example, he uses the Ted Talk comparing it to teaching which is assuming that viewing the video is the equivalent of learning. He also fails to provide any specific counterarguments in his article to compare any other side. Although he gives numerous examples to back up his reasons he fails to present outside resources to back up each of his claims. Without having outside sources, it is hard to understand if the information he is providing in his argument is reliable or not.My point of view of my alternative argument is the fact that online learning can work and does provide many advantages. My premise is that technology has a positive roll in student learning since it is convenient and you obtain faster feedback on online education. I produce this claim as a result of the e-assessments which have been carried out and the results for online learning have been positive. This argument considers the effect of e-assessments. An e-assessment is referred to as the iterative procedures of developing what, how much and how well students are learning with regards to the education goals and projected results in an effort to inform designed formative feedback and support further learning (Baleni, A.G. pg2). A number of weak points in this argument are that online education might not work for everyone and additional research needs to be done to conclude if it is in fact better.An opposing side of the argument that I notice is the fact there is an intense requirement for self-discipline and although technology can play a positive role there can be limitations also. Alex Tabarrok doesn't discuss either of them in his argument of how online education is better nevertheless I consent that this could be an issue. When it comes to self-discipline, the article mentions how meeting the deadlines for assignments and tests can be hard unless you possess time management techniques and organization skill sets to stay on top of your work. With regards to the technological innovation, you must be sure that you always have accessibility to the internet considering that for any reason your system crashes or perhaps you don't have accessibility to the web you will have a backup plan.personally, I think that as a result of online education works for me, I am can be biased. The flexibility has afforded me the possibility to continue my learning while working full time. I don't always catch on as fast as other individuals so I need more time to work on assignments and usually require additional clarification on precisely what is expected however I am still capable to get it done due to the overall flexibility. In a classroom, I don't think I would feel at ease asking questions so it is less difficult online in which the communication between learners and the teacher is mainly one on one. I want to be open-minded and examine all sides of the arguments and feel that online education will work but may not be for everybody.Basically, I feel that online learning is beneficial but you need to be very self-disciplined and make sure you stay in front of your work and be prepared for any kind of challenges you may encounter. You have to create a connection with the professor and peers and stay engaged in the discussions. It will be helpful to be computer literate making sure you are utilizing all assets provided to you by the school.My initial opinions after reading Alex Tabarrok's article was that he made many legitimate points. That was not until I conducted further research and allowed myself to step back, reevaluate and ask questions that I understood his article was way more one-sided and biased. The questions I looked at to answer were, exactly what resources did he use, was his argument based upon facts and evidence or maybe opinions, furthermore, did he offer reasons why you should support his statements that were convincing. I had to ask myself how strong was his argument and can I find leads to refute it based on evidence. I had to put in writing a number of reasons exactly why I supported his side and then the reason why I would not examine whether an individual could argue that with me. How certain was I of my argument? This assisted me to believe logically and provide you with my conclusion. I think everybody is a little biased but we have to make sure we are doing the proper research and holding an open mind. It truly is about the facts along with the proof to support the claim. Keeping an open mind and trying to concentrate on the facts and proof will help everyone greatly in our daily lives. Often we jump to conclusions and allow our emotions get in the way. I have usually said doing the right thing is normally the toughest and trying to not be biased and act on emotions can be extremely difficult. We are only human and will fall short every day, it is about striving our best to look at all sides and doing unto others as we want to be done unto us. Giving every person the benefit of the doubt.