Organizational studies Essay

Prof. Andras Tilcsik, Rotman School of Management andras. tilcsik@rotman. utoronto. ca (preferred contact method) https://portal. utoronto. ca/ 416-946-0610 (email preferred) 95 St. George St. , Room 7018; Thursdays 2:30-3:30pm & by appointment TBA Course Scope and Mission Organizations are all around us in society: we study in them, work for them, rely on them for goods and services, and we are regulated and influenced by them. Understanding organizations, therefore, is key to becoming more effective actors in the organizations that we are, or will be, part of. Organization theory is the scientific study of how organizations function as collective social systems in their particular environment. Applied to business, organization theory primarily focuses on how different organizational design choices facilitate or hinder the achievement of organizational goals (e. g. , profit, survival, growth) in competitive marketplaces. In this course, we will explore organization theory with an emphasis on understanding organizations as systems, and on the practical applications of these theories for organization management. The primary focus of our course materials, analysis, and discussion will be on organizations (not the people who comprise it). Thus, this course—like organization theory more generally—offers a unique perspective for those interested in business and management. By the end of the course, you will achieve the following to become a more effective organizational actor: ? Familiarity with key elements of organizational structure, design, processes, and context 1 of 10 ? ? Skills in organizational analysis and the diagnosis of strengths and  weaknesses Ability to apply organizational theory to real world organizations Course Prerequisites RSM260H1/ MGT262H1 Course Exclusions RSM360H1/ MGT363H1 Required Readings ? ? Daft, R. L & Armstrong, A. (2012). Organization Theory and Design (2nd Canadian edition). Toronto: Nelson. (ISBN-10: 0176503684 / ISBN-13: 9780176503680) Supplemental material will be occasionally handed out in class, or posted on Blackboard. Evaluation and Grades Grades are a measure of the performance of a student in individual courses. Each student shall be judged on the basis of how well he or she has command of the course materials. Work Class Participation & Attendance Individual Short Paper Team Project Proposal Presentation Report Closed-book short quizzes Open-book final exam Bonus credit 10% 15% 0%* 5% 30% 10% 30% (up to 3%) Due Date Ongoing January 28, 2013 February 11, 2013 Variable March 18, 2013 Variable FAS final period (March 25, 2013) * Final project reports from groups that fail to submit the proposal on time will NOT be graded. 1. Class Participation & Attendance (10%) In each class, I might randomly call five to six students to present their work or ideas or to lead class discussion at any time. It is likely that I will open the class by asking someone to summarize the readings or cases briefly, or answer a short question. Please be prepared to participate in class by ensuring that you have read the assigned material before class. I also strongly recommend taking detailed in-class notes and reviewing them after class, while the material is fresh in your mind. I expect you to attend every class on time, and stay for the entire session. If you have an unavoidable conflict, which makes it impossible for you to attend a particular session, please notify me at least 24 hours in advance. 2 of 10 2. Individual Short Paper on Management Fads (15%) This assignment asks you to gather some information on a current and a past trend or fad in management and consider the causes and effects of these fads. This assignment is explained in more detail in Chapter 5 of the textbook (p. 195, â€Å"Chapter 5 Workbook: Management Fads†). Make sure that your address all three questions in the assignment. Your report should read like a coherent (short) essay, rather than just a set of disconnected answers to different questions. If it is helpful for your analysis, you might consider how the institutional perspective on organizations (pp. 188-193) helps explain your findings. The paper should be approximately 800 words, typed double-spaced. Write clearly and concisely and indicate all your sources. If you are not sure where to start looking for information, or how you might think about these questions, please see me well in advance of the due date. 3. Team Project (35%) In teams of 5 to 6, you will analyze a case—or a set of cases—by applying appropriate theories to generate insights about organizational theory, design, and change. The project also requires you to be creative in how you present the insights. More information about the final case project will be posted on Blackboard and provided in class on January 28, 2013. 4. Closed-book Short Quizzes (10%) To enhance your overall learning effectiveness, I will give 4 short pop quizzes through the semester. Your best 3 quiz scores will count towards your grade. Further details will be announced in class. 5. Open-book Final Exam (30%) The final exam will be an open-book written examination, in which non-electronic aids are permitted. The final will cover all readings and course content (e. g. , lectures, class discussions). 6. Bonus Credit (up to 3%) Organizational scholars sometimes run experimental studies to test new hypotheses. You can earn extra credits up to 3% by participating in research studies conducted through the Rotman Participant pool between January 7, 2012, and March 25, 2013. These credits will count towards your cumulative course grade, and your participation in a study will help contribute to cutting-edge research on organizational behavior, marketing, or other business issues. You will receive 1% extra credit for each hour of research in which you participate. To participate in a research study, sign up for an account online at http://rotman-credit. sona-systems. com. When you request an account, make sure you fill out all of the information accurately, including selecting the correct course and section, to ensure that you receive credit. Once you have an account, you may read over the descriptions of research studies that are posted online. When you identify a study in which you would like to participate, you may view available timeslots for that study and sign-up online to participate. Participation in the actual research study will take between 45 and 60 minutes. You will be debriefed at the end of the study, and you will be asked to answer a question about some aspect of the study. Once you correctly answer the question, you will be given credit for completing one study. COURSE FORMAT AND EXPECTATIONS For Written Assignments: Please note that clear, concise, and correct writing will be considered in the evaluation of all your written work for this course (i. e. , individual short paper, team project report, and final written exam). That is, you may lose points for writing that impedes communication: poor 3 of 10 organization, weak paragraph development, excessive wordiness, hard-to-follow sentence structure, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Students who require additional support and/or tutoring with respect to their writing skills are encouraged to visit the Academic Success Centre (www. asc. utoronto. ca) or one of the College Writing Centres (www. writing. utoronto. ca/writing-centres). These centres are teaching facilities – not editing services, where trained staff can assist students in developing their academic writing skills. For Class Participation: It is my hope that our class can serve as a riskless environment in which we all feel comfortable testing new ideas and pushing the boundaries of our thinking. This may be a different experience than you have had in previous classes, but exploring your ideas out loud by participating in the discussion will serve you well in other classes and in your future careers. I know that some of you may be shy or uncomfortable speaking publicly and/or English is not your first language. If you are particularly worried about your in-class contributions, please check in within the first two weeks of the semester, and I can work with you in creative ways to help your contributions. There is, however, no alternative to participating in class discussions. But if you do fall into this category, please come see me early in the term, and we will work together to come up with ways to facilitate your participation. There is no charge for the instruction and support. For Group Work: The final project requires students to work in teams of 5 to 6. Learning to work together in teams is an important aspect of your education and preparation for your future careers. That said, project-based teamwork is often new to students and you are therefore reminded of the following expectations with respect to behaviour and contributions to your team project. 1. Read the document entitled, â€Å"Working in Teams: Guidelines for Rotman Commerce Students† which is available on the RC portal under the Academic Services tab. 2. When working in a team, Rotman Commerce students are expected to: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Treat other members with courtesy and respect; Honour the ground rules established by the team; Contribute substantially and proportionally to the final project; Ensure enough familiarity with the entire contents of the group project/assignment so as to be able to sign off on it as original work; Meet the project timeline as established by the team. 3. Resolving differences: Conflicts can – and do – occur. Conflicts are part of the team’s process of learning how to work together effectively and can actually generate exciting debate and creative solutions – if managed appropriately. Student teams are collectively expected to resolve disputes or misunderstandings as soon as they arise (and prior to submission of the final project). In cases where teams are unable to reach a mutually agreeable solution, the entire team must meet with the Rotman Commerce Team Coach** as soon as possible. The Coach will listen to the team and help develop options for improving the team process. All members of the project team must commit to, and, utilize their action plans. ** The Rotman Commerce Team Coach, Nikoleta Vlamis, may be reached 4 of 10 at nikoleta@nikoletaandassociates. com for an appointment. Nikoleta is an expert in team dynamics and facilitation. Note that Nikoleta’s role is to provide guidance, support and advice on team matters – not to formally evaluate or assess teamwork for academic purposes. 5 of 10 WEEKLY SCHEDULE (subject to change) Session 1 Date Jan 7 Topic and cases Introduction: Organization Theory & Design Textbook readings Chapter 1 2 Jan 14 Organization Design & Strategy Chapter 2 3 Jan 21 Organizational Structure Short Case: Aquarius Advertising (pp. 124-127) External Environment & Inter-Organizational Relationships Final case project announced Organization Design in an International Environment Short Case: Ivanhoe Mines (pp. 236-238) Halfway Point: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead Case: Tim Hortons (pp. 510-513) Chapter 3 Chapter 4 & 5 Individual short paper due Chapter 6 4 Jan 28 5 Feb 4 6 Feb 11 Team project proposal due No class Feb 18 University Closed (Family Day). No Class. 7 Feb 25 Organization Size, Life Cycle, and Decline Short Case: I Love Rewards Inc. (pp. 348-350) Organizational Culture Short Case: Closing the Gap (pp. 386-387) Innovation & Change Management Case: The Hospital for Sick Children (pp. 514-520) Chapter 9 8 Mar 4 Chapter 10 9 Mar 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Team project report due Chapter 13 10 Mar 18 Decision-making 11 Mar 25 Conflict, Power & Politics Final team presentations (1) Final Review & Debrief Final team presentations (2) 12 April 1 N/A TBA by FAS. FINAL EXAM All course materials 6 of 10 POLICY AND PROCEDURE Missed Tests and Assignments (including midterm examinations) Students who miss a test or assignment for reasons entirely beyond their control (e. g. illness) may submit a request for special consideration. Provided that notification and documentation are provided in a timely manner, and that the request is subsequently approved, no academic penalty will be applied. In such cases, students must notify Rotman Commerce on the date of the missed test (or due date in the case of course work) and submit supporting documentation (e.g. a medical certificate) to the Rotman Commerce Program Office within one week of the originally scheduled test or due date. Students who do not provide Rotman Commerce or the instructor with appropriate or sufficient supporting documentation will be given a grade of 0 (zero). Note that the physician’s report must establish that the patient was examined and diagnosed at the time of illness, not after the fact. The Faculty will not accept a statement that merely confirms a later report of illness made by the student to a physician. Late Assignments Assignments are due at the beginning of the class of the weeks specified in the outline. The grade will normally be reduced by 10% if the assignment is not received by the specified time, and by an additional 10% per day late. Students who, for reasons beyond their control, are unable to submit an assignment by its deadline must obtain approval from the instructor for an extension. Supporting documentation will be required as per the policy on missed tests and assignments. Accessibility Needs The University of Toronto is committed to accessibility. If you require accommodations for a disability, or have any accessibility concerns about the course, the classroom or course materials, please contact Accessibility Services as soon as possible: disability. services@utoronto. ca or http://www. accessibility. utoronto. ca/. Attendance of Other Sections I teach two sections of this class on Monday. You must attend the section in which you are registered. Under exceptional circumstances, however, you may attend a different section on the same day (each section will cover the same material) provided that you receive permission from me at least three days in advance. Email Policy & Office Hours At times, the course instructor may decide to communicate important course information by email. As such, all UofT students are required to have a valid UTmail+ email address. You are responsible for ensuring that your UTmail+ email address is set up AND properly entered on the ROSI system. For more information please visit http://help. ic. utoronto. ca/category/3/utmail. html Forwarding your utoronto. ca email to a Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or other type of email account is not advisable. In some cases, messages from utoronto. ca addresses sent to Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo accounts are filtered as junk mail, which means that important messages from your course instructor may end up in your spam or junk mail folder. 7 of 10 Blackboard and the Course Page The online course page for this course is accessed through Blackboard. To access the course page, go to the UofT Portal login at https://portal. utoronto. ca/ and log in using your UTORid and password. Once you have logged in, look for the My Courses module where you’ll find the link to all your course websites. If you don’t see the course listed here but you are properly registered for the course in ROSI, wait 48 hours. If the course does not appear, go to the Information Commons Help Desk in Robarts Library, 1st floor, for help, or explore the Portal Information and Help at www. portalinfo. utoronto. ca/students and review the Frequently Asked Questions. Classroom Norms Consistent with the general goal of mutual respect for all course participants, students are expected the following: Attending the class. Each class benefits from the attendance and participation of all students. Your grade for participation will be affected by absences. You should sit in the assigned seat, if relevant, and display a legible name card at all times. Arriving on time. Late arrivals are disruptive to both lectures and class discussion, and show disrespect to those who are on time. Class starts 10 minutes after the hour. Minimizing disruptions. All cell phones and pagers should be turned off during class. You should not leave and re-enter the class. You should avoid engaging in side conversations after class has begun. Focusing on the class. Laptops, iPads, and other electronic devices should be turned off during class. Being prepared for class. You should be ready to discuss any assigned readings and to answer any assigned questions for each day’s class, including being ready to open a case assigned for that day. Respect. You should act respectfully toward all class participants. Prepare using only class materials. Before a case is analyzed in class, you should neither read an analysis of the cases nor discuss it with students who have previously discussed it in class (either in a previous year or in a different course or section). Similarly, you should not share the notes handed in class with another student who may take the course at some later time. If you are in violation of this policy, or know of someone who is, please discuss it with the professor. How to Prepare for Class For all lectures: ? Start by skimming the readings, looking at headings and subheadings to understand what the reading discusses. ? Then, delve into the readings and consider the following questions. What are the central points of the reading? Why are these points important? What is not addressed? What assumptions are being made? 8 of 10 For cases: While there is no set method of case preparation, one approach involves the following: 1 ? Start by reading the textbook or any theoretical readings or articles that are also assigned. Consider what the case is designed to accomplish—why this case, now, in this course? Use the other readings as a way to frame your reading of the case ? Read the exhibits (if any) first. What do they say about the case? Then, skim the case. ? Read the case. Take notes on important issues. Draw links between the other readings and the assigned case. Apply any tools discussed in the other readings. ? Reread the exhibits (if any). ? Also, don’t forget what we’ve learned in prior classes. Often, using our tools of analysis will give you new insights into a particular case. ? It’s often helpful to summarize your perspective of the case on a single page of notes. It requires you to focus on the larger issues at hand, rather than feeling that every fact is important. ? Take a stand. What are the core issues in this case? Why are they so important? What should be done? What will happen if your idea is implemented? Academic Integrity Academic Integrity is a fundamental value essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarships at the University of Toronto. Participating honestly, respectively, responsibly, and fairly in this academic community ensures that the UofT degree that you earn will continue to be valued and respected as a true signifier of a student’s individual work and academic achievement. As a result, the University treats cases of academic misconduct very seriously. The University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters http://www.governingcouncil. utoronto. ca/policies/behaveac. htm outlines the behaviours that constitute academic misconduct, the process for addressing academic offences, and the penalties that may be imposed. You are expected to be familiar with the contents of this document. Potential offences include, but are not limited to: In papers and assignments: †¢ Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement. †¢ Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor. †¢ Making up sources or facts. †¢ Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment (this includes collaborating with others on assignments that are supposed to be completed individually). On test and exams: †¢ Using or possessing any unauthorized aid, including a cell phone. †¢ Looking at someone else’s answers †¢ Misrepresenting your identity. †¢ Submitting an altered test for re-grading. 1 This section borrows from Prof. Anita McGahan’s notes on case preparation (article forthcoming) 9 of 10 Misrepresentation: †¢ Falsifying institutional documents or grades. †¢ Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including (but not limited to), medical notes. All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated by the following procedures outlined in the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. If you have any question about what is or is not permitted in the course, please do not hesitate to contact the course instructor. If you have any questions about appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to seek out additional information from the instructor or other UofT resources such as College Writing Centres or the Academic Success Centre. Recording Lectures Lectures and course materials prepared by the instructor are considered by the University to be an instructor’s intellectual property covered by the Canadian Copyright Act. Students wishing to record a lecture or other course material in any way are required to ask the instructor’s explicit permission, and may not do so unless permission is granted (note: students who have been previously granted permission to record lectures as an accommodation for a disability are, of course, excepted). This includes tape recording, filming, photographing PowerPoint slides, Blackboard materials, etc. If permission is granted by the instructor (or via Accessibility Services), it is intended for the individual student’s own study purposes and does not include permission to â€Å"publish† them in anyway. It is absolutely forbidden for a student to publish an instructor’s notes to a website or sell them in any other form without formal permission.

Business communications

I will be explaining the legal and ethical Issues that relate to the use of business information. I personally think that legal and ethical issues are usually to do with something that involves people having to abide to a law, in most cases there will be a consequence for not abiding with the law. Most businesses have different information about people working for them, that's when the Data Protection Act 1998 protects the Information held about people being misused.The information usually n the companys database must be: obtained fairly and lawfully, only to be used for the purposes stated during collection, adequate relevant and not excessive in relation to the intended use, accurate and up to date, not kept for longer than necessary, proceed in line with your rights and also protected from transfer to an area outside the European Economic Area unless adequate protection exists for that data in the area. There is also Freedom of Information Act 2000 (that came to effect in 2005) th is Includes Right of access to information held by public authorities.This Is when a person request Information to public authority, the authority has to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds information of the description specified in the request, and if that is the case, to have that information communicated back to them The Computer Misuse Act 1990 it is a law that does not allow certain activities when using computers, this include: hacking into other people's systems, misusing software or helping a person to gain access to protected files on someone's else's computer.There are also ethical Issues that are dealt with using organisational pollcles and codes of practise such as: use of email, internet and whistle blowing. These go under business ethics meaning moral principles concerning acceptable and unacceptable behaviour by business. Whistle blowing is also one of the ethical issues users can use and relate to. This is when an employee raises a concer n about a business practise either to management within the company or to an outside organisation like the press.Operational Issues In relation to the use of business Information, Including security of Information, backups, health and safety, business continuance plans and costs. Organisations have to store and manage countless pieces of information with some being far more important than others. To make sure that information is managed appropriately, a number of policies and procedures have to be put in place, concerning; security of information, backups, health and safety, organisational pollcles and business continuance plans and cost. ailable as and when they need it, in order to make good business decisions. Information security management deals with maintaining the integrity and availability of organisational information and knowledge. Backups is also one of the operation issues as most businesses have developed programs constantly to try to minimise the risk of losing vital i nformation stored on IT servers. This involves producing backups of information stored on the servers. Some companies back up constantly and some less frequently.Health and safety is also one of operational system and so are business continuance plans and costs. Business continuance plans are the steps that a company puts into place to make sure it is capable of surviving a worst-case scenario. M2 Legal issues are the laws raised by different companies so that users or customers will be aware of them. Ethical issues involve right and wrong or what is considered good, and what is considered evil in a society. Legal and ethical issues for businesses are usually different from business to business.

New Cultural Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

New Cultural Experience - Essay Example India is a democratic and secular country. It is the second most populous country in the world and people of several religions live there. India is a Hindu majority country, and Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jain, are minority in this country. I have had a worthwhile experience of staying in India and take part in the rich cultural heritage of the country. Overview of experience A short or long stay in a foreign country in the midst of a new culture might be exhilarating and personally rewarding. Personally, I feel that this experience is highly intellectually stimulating. According to my opinion, a stay in a foreign country is not free of undesirable experiences. However, both pleasant and awkward incidents together make the experience intellectually stimulating. A person learns to accept new things and adapt into new circumstances. In this section I shall explain my experience as a minority in India. Types of experience vary according to the period of time spent in the cou ntry and the level of adaptability of the visitor (UNESCO, 2003). Visiting a country as a part of foreign trip implies a short stay, mainly for the purpose of visiting different sites and shopping. However, I have stayed in India for a period of five years for the purpose of making an in depth study of the Hindu religion. ... Participation in cultural activities Traditional dinner I personally prefer taking part in the activities of the country that I visit. Therefore, I made a prior research about the traditional activities, festivals and games that are popular in India. I had stayed in the house of a Hindu family in Kolkata. The family is well known as a well to do family in the city. They are quite modern and have liberal views about the world. Yet, I noticed on the first dinner with the family that the members dearly hold certain traditional norms. Some of these norms are very similar to the Catholic norms, while others were unknown to me before I visited India. During my stay I took part in a traditional dinner with my host family at their ancestral home in Kolkata. It was the annual meeting of all the members of the family. There were specific Bengali dishes that are favored by the Bengalis. Among other food, fish was one of the main ingredients. There were various preparations of fish, starting fro m fry, to curry to even a sweet preparation called ‘chutney’. Bengalis consider fish as a part of their traditional diet. I did not have a taste for fish before I ate Bengali food. Initially, I faced problems with fish since it has a typically strong smell. But, very soon I adapted with the culture of having fish in the main course in both lunch and dinner. Analysis During my stay I have mixed with the people of the country with the desire of in-taking a rich essence of their culture, faith, religion, environmental concern, food habits, sports and other activities. Went new to a country, it seems confusing to identify these norms or follow them as an outsider. However, the key

Accounting field Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Accounting field - Essay Example rategic capability which includes a typical know-how , a set of skills , or a special insight that creates high returns and competitive advantage , fosters organizational agility that is difficult to duplicate.( Bruner, 2004,p.914). A study by McKinsey Consultants has revealed that companies can undertake non-synergic acquisition deals to their advantages. It has found that a diverse group of business organizations like Sara Lee, Thermo Electron and Clayton, Dubliner & Rice have developed astonishingly and seized continued returns of 18 % to 35% per annum by venturing into non-synergic business acquisitions. Further, a study conducted by Harvard Business School also corroborates that companies can venture into non-synergistic advantageously. Hyan (1989) revealed that about fifty percent of all acquisitions are planned to be only partially taxable or to be completely tax-free. Gonzalez et al (1998) held that more probable to be targets of acquisition by foreign companies were undervalued U.S companies. Kish and Vasconcelos (1998) viewed that a formidable relationship existed between exchange rate movements and acquisition activity. (Bruner, 2004, p107). As competitive businesses tackle globalization while attempting to remain competitive and to maintain productivity when confronted with emerging markets, they encounter demoralizing difficulties particularly when attempting to expand internationally. (Sinha , Khanna & Phalepu 2005). Acquisition has become an active strategy nowadays as it enables the fear of being taken over and corporate revitalization keeps managers on their toes. (Japanese firms 2007). (Lloyd, 2006, p1). As per various earlier empirical studies, a business acquisition helps to attain a strategic capability which includes a typical know-how, a set of skills, or a special insight that creates high returns and competitive advantage, fosters organizational agility that is difficult to duplicate. Whether the acquisitions have transformed the

Discuss the differences and similiraties for the characters, content Essay

Discuss the differences and similiraties for the characters, content and writing style for the Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and - Essay Example The families are segregated and discriminated by the dominant society and pushed to take resort to isolation. It is the isolation that makes the parental characters violent, neglectful and careless to their children. In return, the children also are forced to isolate themselves from the family as well as from the society. The most haunting theme that both of the two novels contain is the association of whiteness with every sphere of a black’s life in a white dominated society. It is not a mere phenomenon of life; rather it is the prerequisite for love and romance; the standard of beauty, symbol of decency for Pecola. In the same manner, whiteness, especially, blond hair is the symbol of beauty. Since she is a fat black girl, she is in constant self-admonishment that she is ugly. Both of the two novels deal with the devastating impacts of color-based on the growth of teenage psychology as well as on the whole black community. The color-based racism misguides them to find their worth in color, that is, the beauty or whiteness of their skin. Whereas Pecola finds relief from this color-based beauty in her service a white woman’s home, Maya seeks relief and feels confidence in herself by learning to challenge the white dominance. Both of them feel that they are ugly and longs for beauty. But neither of the two can surpass the stern reality that they are black and therefore ugly by birth. Maya describes the unbearable pain of being segregated and humiliated by the whites in the following lines My race groaned. It was our people falling. It was another lynching, yet another Black man hanging on a tree. One more woman ambushed and raped. . . . This might be the end of the world. If Joe lost we were back in slavery and beyond help. It would all be true, the accusations that we were lower types of human beings. (Angelou 58) Indeed their tragic flaw lies in the fact that they taught by the society believe that beauty lies in whiteness. But when Maya learns a bout the insidious nature of racism and finds her worth in being able to revolt against this racism and learns that white beauty is nothing but the racial discrimination of the white society in which she lives, Pecola’s relief in working for the white woman dooms her further by deeply rooting the belief in her mind that she is cursed by birth and she can never have Caucasian blue eye and whiteness. Indeed Pecola blindfolded by her romantic notion of love that if she does not have the blue eye, she will not be loved, as the narrator says, â€Å"It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights—if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different† (Morison 89). But she cannot perceive that the white definition of beauty and blue eye is essentially the result of racial discrimination. Therefore she further becomes vulnerable to an eternal depression. Indeed whe reas Maya gets vigorous support from her grandmother, Pecola is deprived of such familial support. In this regard, Pecola is in utter contrast with Claudia and Frieda who are mentally strong in the face of racial adversaries. They vigorously and actively take a stance against the discrimination as well as any adversaries of life. They continued to support Pecola

Was Geoffrey Chaucer Machiavellian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Was Geoffrey Chaucer Machiavellian - Essay Example In this respect, they have greatly influenced leadership models that have been adopted through time. Emergent philosophers have also borrowed heavily from the insights that were initially put forth by this philosopher. Perhaps the most pronounced in this regard was Geoffrey Chaucer. Notably, his life was greatly influenced by the Machiavellian principle. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of how Chaucer exhibited Machiavellianism. To enhance coherence, it begins by underscoring the principles of this philosophy. Basically, Machiavellian principle places great emphasis on the concept of governance. In particular, it addresses the notion of idealism and suggests informative ways through which the government of a given population can operate with utmost ease. In detail, this philosophy advocates for a type of leadership that is manipulative, objective and overly dictatorial. The chief proponent of this philosophy proposes that any mode of governanc e needs to be augmented by the services of a strong army. He posits that this offers a strong basement upon which a strong state can be established. With respect to virtuous living, Machiavelli believes that no leader can be virtuous enough to satisfy the expectations of all his subjects (Pearsall 59). Nonetheless, leaders need to strive towards attaining virtuous living in order to maintain credible performance and safeguard their reputation. A review of Chaucer’s life, works and general philosophy indicates that he is Machiavellian. He borrows heavily from the preceding principles and seemingly, these inform his decisions, career, education, social life and general way of life. In his biographical review, Pearsall indicates that Chaucer came from a well to do economic background (Pearsall 61). Probably, his father was one of the richest merchants in the region. This enabled him to attend good schools and gain quality education from a very tender age. From this point of view , his background was already grounded on the Machiavellian propositions regarding a strong army. Strength in this regard can be defined in terms of knowledge, strength and expertise. His strong education implies that Machiavellianism greatly influenced his decisions from the very initial stages of his life. In 1357, he enrolled in the house of Elizabeth to perform court responsibilities. Historical evidence indicates that persons from the middle class faction were mostly placed in these positions in order to familiarize themselves with the duties of the royalty. After two years, Chaucer was recruited to serve in the army under the leadership of Edward III. Although he was captured during the offensive at Reims, he was ransomed later on. Then, he was given a chance to serve in diplomatic missions and effectively represented the government abroad. At this point, it is worth appreciating that his career life revolved around serving in governance and in the arm. From their point of view , Chaucer and Larry ascertain that elative decisions were informed by the need to remain assertive in the society (Chaucer and Larry 71). Typically, the roles of the army tend to involve violence and fighting. Cruelty and objectivity are notions that are intrinsic to the values and attitudes that are assumed by the army men. From this consideration, it is certain that Chaucer’s career related decisions were greatly influenced

Genetic drift Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Genetic drift - Research Proposal Example But it is not quite easy to confirm the exact path an evolutionary process would take. One way of tracing evolutionary history of an organism would be to trace it by examining available fossils but their availability in an exact chronological sequence is also a very big question mark. Further, there is absolutely no guarantee that fossils would be discovered in exactly the same chronological order in which they had formed as new fossils keep being discovered every year. There is intense desire to know how human species has developed and study of fossils have, though provided important insights, are still not a complete and comprehensive record of our evolution as a specie. Dating of objects found in burial sites have helped us to get a glimpse of our evolution so also study of cultures in different ages but extinction of our close evolutionary relatives prevent us from unambiguously visualizing our evolutionary process. Research Question In spite of the fact that humans exhibit genet ic diversity and mutations through generations, does our inability to categorically chart our evolutionary process give us the right to believe that we are not subject to the laws of evolution? Reference Enger, Eldon D., Frederick C. Ross, and David B. Bailey. Concepts in Biology. Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill, 2005.