Montana 1948 free essay sample

Paper Montana 1948 â€Å"Don’t accuse Montana! † He stated, â€Å"Don’t ever accuse Montana! † Who is at fault for the occasions of 1948? Talk about Montana 1948, by Larry Watson is novel set in American mid-west that brings up an issue who was at fault for the awful occasions that happened that mid year. David Hayden the storyteller of Montana re-gathers incredible data that maintain his dad Wesley Hayden losing control of himself and his feeling to his little girl in-law because of the reality, she remarked it was the â€Å"wild west† who was at fault. It got dynamic to the peruser, that because of Wesley’s activities that Montana was really essential to him and he would not acknowledge anybody that considered Montana mindful from the occasions the happened inside the mid year of 1948. We will compose a custom exposition test on Montana 1948 or then again any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page By plainly expressing that Montana was not to fault, Sheriff Hayden implies that it was the whites in Montana just as his family and himself who were considered dependable from the occasions that emerged inside the mid year of 1948. The entire white populace inside Mercer County were somewhat answerable for the horrendous occasions of Montana 1948. The social condition was one that supported the white people’s esteem and oppressed the Indians. The Indian’s lived away from the whites in little reservations permitting the Indians to have practically zero contact with the white individuals. This had just demonstrated the racial treatment inside Montana. Moreover Ollie Young Bear was an Indian however he was acknowledged from the whites since he lived as white. He was fruitful through each part of life and wedded a white lady. In any case, the Indians, then again had respect accepting that Ollie youthful bear wouldn’t â€Å"be content until he was white. The white social orders inside Montana were all very much aware of the violations submitted by Frank against the Indians. At the point when Wesley and Gail were to make a move on the cases made by Marie about Frank’s bad behaviors, David heard a comment made by Daisy McAuley saying â€Å"Just the squaws however. † Daisy remark indicated a racial articulation about Indian ladies. It gave the idea that Daisy was advocating against Franks activities, in light of the fact that in her eyes Indian ladies were useless and merited the manner in which they were being dealt with. After the discussion among Gail and Daisy, Gail educated Wesley that it was â€Å"around town more than you understand. † Gail’s explanation demonstrated that a great deal of the residents inside Montana knew about Franks exercises yet decide to â€Å"look away† simply like Len, Deputy Sheriff decided to do. It was the racial treatment of the white individuals that neglected Frank’s activities which drove them liable for what happened inside the mid year of 1948. Julian Hayden is the leader of the family and holds extraordinary force inside his family and the network. Accordingly Wes has a vast arrangement of submission and steadfastness towards him. When Gail advises Wes of Frank’s activities, Wes’ first reaction was â€Å"I don’t need this returning to my dad. † This demonstrated that it was so essential to Wes, that his dad doesn’t not get furious. Nonetheless, it turned out Julian previously was very much aware of his most loved son’s bad behavior however accepting it as a joke by expressing â€Å"I wouldn’t be amazed if there weren’t some youthful ones out on the booking who look a great deal like your sibling. Julian decided to agree with Frank, as he barely cared about the Indians as he considered them to have lower status contrasted with the whites. Julian tested Wes’ capture of his sibling by saying â€Å"Some Indian thinks he put his hands where he shouldn’t and you’re pulling out your identification? † Furthermore Frank additionally holds some obligatio n what exactly occurred in Montana. He mishandled his capacity as a specialist which drove him to kill Marie Little Soldier and in the long run end it all. Frank’s status in the network was that he was a real war saint and a specialist yet tragically, he abused his status by attacking Indian young ladies and now and again assaulting honest ladies during private clinical meetings. Straightforward was shrewd, in light of the fact that he realized nobody would comfort him for his activity as a result of the notoriety of his family name and by the reality he had power. At the point when he went to look at Marie at Wesley’s house, he made a presumption about Indian and how â€Å"they are accustomed to being treated by the medication man. Be that as it may, a specialist comes around and they think he’s the malevolent soul. All through the novel, Wes causes an arrangement with Frank for him to stop what his doing to and he wouldn’t press charges, yet when Frank killed Marie just to ‘get rid’ of his past and all the proof, Wes doesn’t delay to capture his sibling. Therefore, Julian and Frank hold an innumerable commitment to the occasions that happened inside the late spring of 1948. At last, the guardians of the law, Sheriff Wesley Hayden and his agent Len McAuley must hold duty regarding what occasions turned out badly throughout the late spring on 1948. As sheriff, Wes had an obligation to guarantee the law was being maintained similarly for the two races. He neglected to do this for quite a while, first by denying his brother’s offenses â€Å"I’m sure he gets things done to all his patients† and later by denying his capture, â€Å"he’ll need to meet discipline in the great beyond. I won’t effectively organize it in this life. † Due to his absence of obligation it prompted the tragic demise of Marie and David’s section charge of seeing his Uncle Frank at their home upon the arrival of her passing, this affected Wesley to follow up on his sibling Frank. Because of Wes capturing Frank, it brings about additional confusions inside the family. Julian reacted by attempting to free Frank by utilizing brutality and afterward Frank ending his life. Wesley at long last understood that deferring equity from a prior phase of the occasions had himself in some commitment to the appalling passings of Marie and Frank. It was Wes himself, who neglected to maintain the law, had fizzled Marie and all the Indian ladies; in this manner he should be accused for the catastrophe, not Montana itself. Nonetheless, Len neglected to maintain his job as Deputy Sheriff, which followed up on his job in the catastrophe. He committed the Hayden’s, it was them that gave him his situation as delegate â€Å"I have this activity. Appointee Sheriff, which I owe to your granddad and your dad†, hence he trusted in â€Å"knowing when to look and when to turn away. † Therefore, Len was both weak and reluctant to challenge Wes’s inactions. Together, both these delegates of the law hold a duty to the occasions which happened inside Montana 1948. Montana 1948 obviously expresses that the occasions that happened inside the late spring couldn't be accused on the state itself. The Hayden was a piece of a culture that recognized against the Indian individuals and disregarded wrongdoings against these individuals. Because of the prejudice treatment the Indians adapted from the white individuals it drove Frank to pull off his defilements. It appeared that the influence, riches and impact the Hayden had inside the network was significantly more significant than the privileges of the Indians to get equity and regard. Julian and Frank additionally remove a portion of the fault because of them taking advantage of the force they had. In deferring equity for such a long time so as to ensure his family, Wesley wound up denying equity towards the Indians and having commitment in the passings of Marie and Frank. Wesley clearly concedes that Montana shouldn’t be accused for the occasions the happened inside the mid year of 1948, when he assaults his little girl in-law by guarding a theme that implied a ton to him. He shows that the white residents that lived in Montana at that point, his family and he himself were the ones who were to be faulted for the sad occasions that happened inside Montana 1948. Montana 1948 free paper test You don’t need Marie stumbling into difficulty right? † Ronnie broke the occasion. My mom isn't one of those run of the mill moms that remained in the house. She is typically out and with Marie; I don’t feel blue by any stretch of the imagination. Im just twelve years of age and leaving in such a modest community, I can practically do what I need as long as I return home before mum or father does. Marie never tells on me at any rate. At that point at that dry warm night, a youthful Sioux lady lies on a bed in our home. She is hot, woozy, and hacking so hard Im apprehensive she would kick the bucket. My dad bows in the kitchen floor asking my mom to support him. It’s a late spring night and the room is splendidly lit. Little creepy crawlies bunch around the light apparatuses, and the arguing quality in my father’s voice helps me to remember those bugs sharp, obstinate, wild eyed. We will compose a custom article test on Montana 1948 or on the other hand any comparative theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page It is a sound I never heard originating from him. My mom thumped a billion times yet nobody addressed the entryway; not so much as a whine of dissent came out of Marie’s lips when mum opened it. In the event that there is something my mom feared the most, it’s becoming ill. I was on the messy kitchen, sufficiently only to hear mum solicit poor Marie Little Soldier arrangement from questions Im not even sure she gets it. Her fever is high, similar to an ice liquefying in a hot day. At that point similarly as I go into the room conveying a glass of water, she moved to her back and brushed her tangled dark hair away from her limited face. I wish I could do it for her without her understanding reality. Her cheeks presently shined so brilliantly that they looked so difficult. I can’t bear to see her face, at that point just I pulled out the entryway, I got her eyes. They appear

The Common Indoor Air Pollutants Environmental Sciences Essay

Air contamination is a look used to portray the air region when the groupings of synthetic substances, particulate undertaking, or organic specialists noticeable all around surpasses the suggested degrees and turned into a start of wellbeing danger or do awkwardness to universes and different creatures, or cause amendss to the populating common habitat. Contamination can be come about because of semisynthetic everyday mechanical techniques and exercises or by the nature. There are numerous signifiers of poisons strong molecules, fluid beads, or gases. Indoor air contamination can be emerges from indoor and out-of-entryway poison beginnings. People groups, especially understudies, spend around 90 % of their live in fixed controlled situations, EPA ( 2001 ) . These fixed situations may hold poison beginnings that could hold short or long consequences for occupants ‘ health, comfort, prosperity, confidence and productiveness. The quality of the impacts relies upon the level of the nature of within air ( contamination degrees ) . In ongoing mature ages, the issue of indoor air and its quality ( IAQ ) has become a globally perceived issue that got the going to of research laborers and the inhabitants toward bettering the nature of air inside buildings situations. Fanger ( 2006 ) characterizes the indoor air quality ( IAQ ) as â€Å" the longing of human to fathom the air as new and wonderful, with no negative effects on their heath and productiveness † . Many research laborers, for example, Wark and Warner ( 1981 ) and Singh ( 1996 ) explored talked about the beginnings of the outside and the indoor contaminatio n that influenced the indoor air. They found that the indoor air quality can be affected by the out-of-entryway air contamination beginnings, for example, traffic ; mechanical ; building, and consuming exercises and the indoor beginnings, for example, airing hardware, trappingss, and human exercises. Regular Indoor Air Pollutants In this development, the basic indoor air quality parametric amounts and its open air and indoor start in add-on to it is health danger on human will be examined. The regular IAQ parametric amounts comprises of three physical parametric amounts ( room temperature, similar stickiness, and air movement ) identified with occupants ‘ warm solace which is characterized in the old section, eight vaporous tainting parametric amounts ( sulfur dioxide ( SO2 ) , nitrogen dioxide ( NO2 ) , C monoxide ( CO ) , C dioxide ( CO2 ) , formaldehyde ( HCHO ) , radon ( Rn ) , ozone ( O3 ) and hydrocarbons ) and three airborne defilements parametric amounts, particulates undertakings ( PM ) ; bioaerosols ( bacteriums, infections, Fungis and dust, aë†â ¦etc ) and cleans, In add-on to the treatment of olfactory properties. Sulfur dioxide ( SO2 ) This kind of contamination gas has been widely concentrated by many research laborers around the universe in out-of-doorss situations because of it is high tendency to react with wide extent of synthetic concoctions. SO2 is a vapid gas with a trademark sharp olfactory property and results from the petroleum derivatives consuming. Corrosive downpour is one of the out-of-entryway contamination work cased by this gas. Indoor SO2 fixations are ordinarily lower than outside, likely around 0.1 ppm, ( Andersen 1972 ; Yocom, 1982 and Meyer, 1983 ) . Because of it tendency to react with numerous synthetic substances, indoor SO2 can react with structure stuffs and consumed by the building surfaces ( Andersen 1972 ) . This gas can grow dim in H2O and blends in with air in all temperatures. The boss indoor beginnings of SO2 are coal terminating inside hearths and using fuel oil reaches and warmers. Sulfur dioxide causes concern, general awkwardness, uneasiness, and redness of the respiratory real estate parcel, wheezing, lung mischief, and irritation of the eyes, nose and pharynx, gagging and hacking, ASHRAE ( 2009 ) . Nitrogen dioxide ( NO2 ) Nitrogen dioxide is acidic gas with bitter olfactory property and framed in open air from high temperature consuming methodology by the response of the azotic oxide ( NO ) with Oxygen ( O2 ) and Ozone ( O3 ) . Engine vehicles add to around 55 % of the artificial NOx transmissions, EPA ( 2008 ) . The significant beginnings of this gas in inside conditions are gas cookery extents and hotter and baccy seethe, Samet et al. , ( 1987 ) . In a study done by Yocom ( 1982 ) among British school messes with it was discovered that students whom experience the ill effects of diminished respiratory guide are populating in houses with gas ranges. Presentation to low degrees of Nitrogen dioxide ( NO2 ) causes brevity of breath, weakness, affliction and disturbance to the eyes, nose, pharynx, and lungs ; introduction to high degrees cause quick burning, cramps, growing of tissues in the pharynx and upper respiratory land parcel, diminished oxygenation of natural structure tissues, a development of liquid in the lungs, and may take to expire, ( Burgess and Crutchfield, 1995 ; Bascom et Al. 1996 and ASHRAE, 2009 ) . Carbon monoxide ( CO ) CO is an extremely toxicant asphyxiant and non aggravating gas that has no shading, olfactory property or gustatory sensation. This gas delivered by the uncomplete consuming of carbon-based powers ( Yocom, 1982 and Meyer, 1983 ) . Vehicular vapor is a significant start of C monoxide, ( Moolenaar et al. , 1995 ; Girman et al. , 1998 and EPA, 2008 ) . The indoor C monoxide focuses are as often as possible higher than the out-of-entryway fixations because of the spread from gas reaches and baccy rage, ( Yocom, 1982 and Girman et al. , 1998 ) . The central result of this gas on human wellbeing is its partiality for hemoglobin in blood. The breathed in CO blends in with the hemoglobin in the blood and signifiers carboxyhemoglobin that lessens the O shipping limit of the blood vass. CO is multiple times more effective at hemoglobin following than Oxygen, ASHRAE ( 2009 ) . Presentation to carbon monoxide causes concerns, brevity of breath, musculus achings, chest harming, especially in individuals with old chest employments history, hazy vision, energy, sickness/retching, falling flat, disarray, exhaustion, quick chest rate at high degrees, quick profound outside breath at high degrees, blacking out and expire at high degrees, CPSC ( 2008 ) . Carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) Carbon dioxide is a dull, unscented, asphyxiant nursery gas produced from the total consuming of the C with Oxygen. The mean run of the mill groupings of CO2 in the open air and indoor ( nonindustrial ) condition are 350-400 ppm, and 400-1200 ppm, severally, ASHRAE ( 2009 ) . The main beginnings of the indoor CO2 are human natural structure through the transformation method ( supplement ingestion ) , and occupants ‘ action. The health employments related with C dioxide presentation are concerns, energy, anxiety, sentiment of a failure to calmly inhale, disquiet ( cloud sentiment of awkwardness ) , expanded chest rate, expanded blood power per unit territory, visual twisting, debilitated hearing, sickness/spewing, loss of awareness, trance state, eruptions, expire from suffocation ( natural structure cells do non secure the O they have to populate ) , EPA ( 2008 ) . Formaldehyde ( HCHO ) Formaldehyde is a dull with a solid impactful olfactory property and considered as the vast majority of import substance in the aldehydes bunch because of it is to a great extent utilized in the creation method of many developing stuffs, for example, froth insularity, plyboard, floor coverings, consuming contraptions and particle board glues which discharges again the methanal to the indoor condition. The run of the mill indoor methanal fixations extend from 0.05 to 1 ppm, where in the new structures the indoor degrees of the methanal are high, ( Meyer, 1983 ; Samet et al. , 1991 ) and the greater part of the gripes were from structures with formaldehyde foam insularity and traveling places that utilizes plyboard framing, Wadden ( 1983 ) . The pace of dispersion of this substance is a guide of the indoor temperature and mugginess. Presenting to formaldehyde can do wellbeing impacts incorporate oculus, nose, and pharynx disturbance ; wheezing and hacking ; exhaustion ; skin roseola ; horrendous hypersensitive responses, EPA ( 2008 ) . High convergences of methanal may do threatening neoplastic malady and different impacts recorded under natural gases. Radon ( Rn ) Radon is a latent radioactive, dismal, unscented, boring baronial synthetic gas part. Normally, this part can be found as earth gas contained Rn shaped from the rot product of uranium and can remain as a gas under ordinary natural conditions. This contaminant segment can be found inside because of certain beginnings, for example, building stuffs especially that rich with Ra, for example, alum shale-based stuff and phosphogypsum drywall, profound Wellss H2O petroleum gas holding high Rn fixations. Another head starting is the progression of the soil gas into the spots through building clefts, sumps and some other holes or around the solid chunk, Bale ( 1980 ) . Because of snugness of the structures plan, the indoor focuses are typically higher than that in out-of-entryway condition. As of late, this part is considered as cancer-causing agent segment du to it is radiation, which has a basic health peril on structures inhabitants, where it is viewed as the second most ground of lung dan gerous neoplastic malady after casket nail smoke, EPA ( 2008 ) . Ozone ( O3 ) Ozone is an extremely responsive contamination that can oxidize the greater part of the synthetics in nature, for example, aldehydes. In characteristic open air condition, Ozone produces from the result of the daylight on the N oxides and hydrocarbons. Regularly the Ozone focuses in the out-of-entryway condition are higher than that found in inside. The central beginnings of the high indoor Ozone focus are the copiers, optical maser pressmans, electrostatic air cleaners and x-beam generators, ( Yocom, 1982 and Wadden, 1983 ) . These beginnings create electrostatic Fieldss that can deliver incredibly poisonous centralizations of ozone in air. Presenting to low fixation deg

Blog Archive mbaMissions Exclusive Interview with Amanda Carlson, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Columbia Business School

Blog Archive mbaMission’s Exclusive Interview with Amanda Carlson, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Columbia Business School mbaMission was happy to be able to speak one-on-one recently with Amanda Carlson, Columbia Business School’s (CBS’s) assistant dean of admissions, about the MBA program’s resources and admissions processes.   She graciously shared some interesting insight on the following topics: What she feels are CBS’s greatest strengths and resources Her department’s recent efforts to add transparency to the admissions process The CBS interview process and the mind-set of the school’s interviewers toward applicants The trend of ever-increasing GMAT scores and the truth behind some common admissions “myths” What raises red flags for the school’s admissions committee Read on for the full transcript of the conversation. mbaMission: Amanda, thanks so much for speaking with usâ€"I really appreciate your time. I’d love to start with a question about culture. We recently saw the CBS second-year flash mob video and were struck by what that seemed to show and say about the sense of community at CBS. I heard it took a whole year to plan! Can you give me your take on the intensity of the community at Columbia, and can you describe the culture a little? Amanda Carlson: The admissions committee was meeting that night shortly after the flash mob had taken place, and one of the students sent a link to a member of our team, so we got to see it that very night! It was really something, and it just really warmed our hearts, and it was a perfect example of how our students really care about giving back to the community. Our culture embraces people that really want to maximize their opportunities. There are so many different opportunities at Columbiaâ€"academic, professional, social and volunteerâ€"and I think our students recognize that our community-driven culture can help open up opportunities that otherwise might not come about. There’s a lot of comradery among the student population, and it’s very respectful in terms of the students appreciating what each other’s respective priorities are. I think an overarching kind of mind-set is that our students will maximize all opportunities as they come while at the same time being cognizant of giving back to the community and the school. mbaMission: People typically think finance when they think of Columbia Business School. Would you agree with that? What do you feel CBS should be known for? AC: What should CBS be known for? We’ve earned a great reputation as a very strong finance school, but we are so much more than just finance. One of the things that people often don’t necessarily recognize is that Columbia puts a tremendous premium on our core curriculum. All of our students receive fundamentalsâ€"such as statistics, accounting, marketing, financeâ€"that teach them how to be good stewards and great leaders. This core has evolved in such a way that it is woven throughout the curriculum, and this is a great way for students to learn to connect the dots among all the different classes. It encourages our students to think much more broadly and holistically about the different aspects of each of the classes within the core. So our brand really does go beyond finance. Columbia certainly has terrific and tremendous finance programsâ€"don’t get me wrongâ€"but at the heart, it’s about creating a pathway that teaches our students how to connect the dots, and that in turn creates great future business leaders. mbaMission: Great. Aside from the obvious advantage of being located in New York City and so close to Wall Street, what is it about Columbia’s finance program that allows it to stand out so much? AC: I think it’s about the people that make up our community. When I think about the different types of professors we have here, we’re very blessed to have obviously research faculty but also real-world practitioners who come to campus and teach. What’s so special about our research faculty is that they’re able to slide seamlessly between their research and practiceâ€"consulting for governmental bodies or for different multinational companiesâ€"and then they are able to apply that learning, that research, that experience to our students’ academic experience in the classroom. And the practitioners we have are people who may work at boutique investment banks and private equity firms or in asset management as value investors. These people are practitioners by trade, and their real-world experiences make them invaluable to our students. They come here and are able to teach the students exactly what’s going on in real time, as things are happening. And I think that having both types of faculty, that’s a tremendous asset academically as well as professionally for students who are looking for related post-MBA roles. mbaMission: Beyond finance, can you speak about the hidden gems that Columbia has? Is there a department whose profile you feel needs to come out from the shadows and that Columbia Business School should also be known for? AC: Where do I start? There are so many little pieces that collectively make up this experience. Well, I just finished my own executive MBA, the EMBA Global Asia program, which is a program that Columbia has that’s run in conjunction with London Business School and the University of Hong Kong. I took most of my electives here, and I think about a class like the retailing leadership class I took with Professor [Mark A.] Cohen. It was extraordinaryâ€"Professor Cohen used to be the chairman and CEO of Sears Canada. It was a three-hour class that met on Wednesday afternoons, and for the first 20 or so minutes, we would talk about what’s new and different in the retail industry. So whatever topic was trending in the newsâ€"like holiday shoppingâ€"would launch the class for about 20 minutes, and then we would transition into a specific retail case. Later we would hear from a CEO or CFO of a major retail company, which once again showed how the lessons learned in the classroom were bein g implemented in the real world. This past semester, we heard from Michael Gould, who’s the chairman and CEO of Bloomingdales. He’s an alum of Columbia Business School and a member of our Board of Overseers. We also heard from Jerome Chazen, one of the founders of Liz Claiborne. He’s also an alum and a member of our Board of Overseers. We heard from the CEO of Maidenform, the CEO of Gerber Childrenswear, the former CEO of Sears. I mean, it was just extraordinary to be able to hear from so many people who have obviously had tremendous experience in retail and to be able to ask very direct questions in such a small group. I think experiences like these are something we should be known for here at Columbia. I think the Demming Center [The W. Edwards Deming Center for Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness] is at the cutting edge of showing how integral “operations” is in the business space. I took a strategy operations class with Professor Nelson Fraiman  where our class paired up into small consulting groups, and we partnered with entrepreneurs in Latin America that the professors had set us up with. And in addition to the cases we did in class, we had a team of executives from IBM come in and talk to us about all the different opportunities there are to work at IBM, and also what they were doing. mbaMission: I’ve been in this business a long time, and I feel like I know the schools really well, but I think you opened my eyes to a few new things that will help applicants a lot. That’s great. So, you are the “new” assistant dean of admissions for CBS, though I put that “new” in quotes, because I know you’ve been in admissions for more than a few years. Are there any changes in the process that you foresee? AC: In the application process? mbaMission: Yes, in the application process going forward. Anything you see changing for CBS? This year, for instance, there has been a slight de-emphasis on essays as word counts have come down, and some schools are trying new group interview techniques. Are you looking to make any big changes to Columbia’s process, or do you think it is fine that way it is? AC: I feel like what we’re doing has been pretty smooth, and it has served us well. Our admissions team evaluates applications for a number of different programs. We have the August intake, which is the one that has about 550 students in it; we have the January intake, which has about 200 students; and then we have a whole variety of executive MBA programs. We are evaluating a lot of different applications at one time, so our process needs to be efficient and sound, which fortunately I believe it is, but we are constantly looking to improve. One thing that we’ve worked very hard on this year is trying to give people a much more transparent time frame in terms of when they can expect to get a decision. Within about six weeks or so, they’ll learn whether they’ll have an interview or their application is not going to be moving further in the process. And then after somebody has been interviewed, we’ve told themâ€"and I think we’ve done a pretty good job of sticking with thisâ€"that we’ll get them a decision within two weeks after their completed interview report has been submitted. So we’re trying to make small tweaks in our process to make the whole system be more transparent for applicants and much more, I think, palatable, because the rolling admissions is something that has caused confusion for people at times. We want to make it as easy to understand as possible. mbaMission: When you yourself evaluate an application, where do you start? Do you go page by page, or just start with the person’s essays or resume? Can you take us through how you would look at a file? AC: Absolutely. Everyone on our team has their own internal processes as to what we’re most comfortable with and how to get a good sense of the applicantâ€"how to understand who somebody isâ€"but at the end of the day, each application receives the same time and attention and is evaluated using the same measures. One of the things I look at first, certainly, is the resume, so I can get an overarching perspective relatively quickly of where someone has come from since college. Then I try to assess where this applicant wants to go by evaluating their essays. Next, I will look at the letters of recommendation, and then I look at the kind of skeleton details that are provided in the application. So, for example, where does the person live? From where have they come? What is their hometown? What are the specific reasons they’ve had for leaving jobs and making the transitions that they have throughout the course of their career? We can probably make some educated guesses based on a per son’s resume, but I look to other parts of the application to kind of fill in the gaps for me. And then the last thing I look at is whether the applicant has gone through the interview process already, and if so, I would then go look at the interview report. mbaMission: Can you walk us through the entire process? When a file is submitted, what happens next? AC: That’s a good question. We evaluate all the applications onlineâ€"no paper, of course. When an application comes in to us, it gets put into an electronic queue and given a time stamp. Then, we have a team thatâ€"without getting into too much nitty-gritty detailâ€"will assign members of the admissions committee a number of files per week. So somebody who’s reading an application can recommend that the applicant be interviewed or denied. If the recommendation is for an interview, then the candidate will be interviewed, and if the recommendation is that somebody is denied admission, the application would go to a second member of the admissions committee before being evaluated before the larger committee. mbaMission: So let’s say an applicant is denied by the first admissions reader and that person’s application is passed on to a second committee member. If that second committee member also doesn’t want to move the applicant forward, I’m assuming that person is done, right? But what if the second person disagrees and says, “Let’s interview this person”? AC: Then we’ll interview them. Anytime somebody says they would like to have an applicant interview, they go forward for an interview. mbaMission: Okay. And so after someone is interviewed, does that person’s application then make its way to your desk? Do you reconvene in a group and evaluate applicants that way? AC: We meet as a group. If one person says denied, and the second person says denied, it’s basically, “Okay, then, we agree with that.” If the applicant goes forward to an interview, they would have the interview, and then the committee would convene to evaluate the applicant during the final read. mbaMission: Right. So, let me switch gears a bit. In the admissions mythology, there is this sense that a “safe” GMAT score is a 700 total score with an 80th percentile on both sides of the test [Quant and Verbal], but Quant scores in particular have really been going up, meaning the percentile for some previously high scores has dropped. So these days, even a 48 out of a 51, for example, will not be an 80th percentile quant score. Should candidates be worried about the percentiles, or are you looking at their Quant scores in absolute terms? Do you know what I’m saying? AC: I know exactly what you’re saying, and what I can tell you is a resounding, emphatic “No.” That is not accurate and not the way we do things. I understand this whole application process is so daunting; it can be so intimidating. I think people should try to relax and not get caught up in some of the noise they may hear from I’m not quite sure what sources. People do not have to have this 80/80 type of a breakdown to be admitted. I can’t be emphatic about that enough. It’s amazing to me how high so many of these scores are, but it’s something that we take in context with the larger academic aspect of their applicationâ€"what somebody did as an undergrad or what their undergraduate major may have been and what classes they took, and how did they do. And we also consider it in concert with what they’re doing right now for work. There are a host of factors that go into our evaluation, and our goal is to try to get a holistic view of the person rather than fixate on one score or another. mbaMission: What would you say is a red flag for you? What would stand out and give you pause when you’re reading a person’s application? AC: That’s a great question. I think one thing that raises not a red flag but more like a yellow flag is when somebody’s really interested in making a career changeâ€"and I know that a lot of people come to business school to make a career changeâ€"but there needs to be some consistency in their story. So if, and I’m going to make up an example, if somebody wants to go from working in marketing at a financial services company to working in real estate development, what can they claim that shows demonstrated commitment to this interest in real estate development? I mean, is there volunteer work? Is there academic background? Are there continuing education classes? Is there a membership in some type of professional organization that would show that this is actually coming from some place genuine and it’s not just a pie-in-the-sky idea of what they think they might want to do with their MBA? So that’s something that we look at very, very closely. There’s so much for our students to do when they are at school, and we want to make sure that they’re realistic in their expectations about what we can facilitate for them, about what the folks in our career management office can assist with. So we really want to ensure that those yellow flags are addressed before we accept somebody into the program. mbaMission: As you of course know, CBS has its own admissions timetable. Can you discuss the differences between rounds? Should an individual who applies in the regular decision round feel that he has negatively identified himself by not applying early? AC: Thank you for asking that. Again, I have an emphatic “No” to the second part of that question. mbaMission: I think that’s something a lot of candidates worry about, so I appreciate your clarifying that. AC: Great. And let me be really clear: we receive the bulk of our applications during the regular decision period, and that’s when we admit most of our applicants. We know that people are kind of shopping around, trying to figure out what programs are the best fit, and that’s something really important to do, and that takes time. So if people are still trying to figure things out and don’t know if Columbia is an ideal fit for them, then they absolutely should apply during the regular decision period. In the early decision period, there are some candidates who know that this is a dream school for them, and I think that applying early decision will serve them well, because they want their decision sooner. They would like to know in August or September that they’re locked down and have the opportunity to come here next year, if Columbia’s where they want to be. And we want to give them that option. So in terms of the rolling admissions process, basically what it boils down to is that we read applications in the order in which they are submitted, and again, as I referenced earlier, we’re trying to be very transparent with a particular time frame of when candidates will get a decision. That’s really what the difference is and how our approach works. It’s not: if you submit your application on X date, you’ll get a decision on Y date. It’s: we’ll read the applications in the order in which they’re submitted. You’ll hear something within six weeks, and then however long it takes you to set up your interview and for your interview feedback to be submitted, we’ll get you a decision within two weeks after that. Hopefully, knowing that type of a time frame will make people feel much more comfortable with rolling admissions. mbaMission: The next question that I haveâ€"and you kind of touched on it with your example of the marketing individual who wants to enter real estate developmentâ€"is about why CBS asks about goals in its essays. So many students change their minds when in school. What’s the benefit of a goal statement? AC: That’s a great question. I think what so much of that boils down to is that there are 24 hours in a day, and recruiting starts just six weeks after a student steps foot on campus, so recruiters are comingâ€"and again, we have this blessing of our location in New Yorkâ€"and there’s so much to take advantage of, from brown bag lunches to recruiting receptions to different guest speakers. We had more than 450 speakers come to campus last year, and somebody could really have their head spinning in terms of figuring out “what is it that I want to do?” while at the same time going through the various opportunities available in every 24 hours at Columbia. You don’t get a second chance to do business school, and we don’t want people to miss this opportunity to really be able to achieve and maximize what they can from their business school experience. So we want people to have a pretty good idea of the path they’d like to pursue. I feel like our students can really be kids in a candy store, given everything at the Office of Student Affairs Career Management. It’s not that they can’t change their minds, but they need to understand that it’s important to have some type of a general focus and to keep their eye on the prize so they can maximize all the abundant resources there are at Columbia. mbaMission: Let’s shift a little to interviews. Can you start by walking us through a typical admissions interview? What can an applicant expect, and what should applicants do to prepare? AC: Sure. I always encourage applicants to prepare for a business school interview just like they would for a professional interview, and to put themselves in the shoes of the interviewer. If you were interviewing somebody for your alma mater, what would you want to know? Most of our interviews are conducted by our alumni, and the interviews are blind, so the only thing the interviewer knows about the candidate is what they tell the interviewer. I also encourage applicants to try to be relaxed and natural. Look, when we do interviews, we’re always rooting for the candidates, and I think our alums bring that perspective as well. It’s their opportunity to talk about Columbia just as it is to learn about what the next generation of Columbia students is going to look like, and we’re always championing people. So I think the candidates should kind of take a step back and think, “Okay, if I’m interviewing somebody from my alma mater, am I going into it thinking I really want to like this person or I really don’t want to like this person?” Of course you’re going to want to like the person. So that really should put people at ease when they’re meeting with us. But all that said, you should still prepare as you would for a professional interview. Reread your application. The admissions committee is of course going to look for consistency in your story. It should not come as a surprise to anybody that if a person who’s interviewing says, “Well, I’d like to go into health care” to the interviewer but said, “I want to go into real estate development” in their application, that’s clearly going to be something that gets our minds percolating. mbaMission: How often does that happen? AC: You’d be surprised. Of course, I’m making up an extreme example, but inconsistencies happen more than you might think. mbaMission: What should someone expect during a Columbia interview itself? AC: We don’t give the interviewers a script per se. They’ve got some general guidelines as to what they should be asking, but there is nothing that should take a candidate by surprise. Think about goals. Think about fit. Think about larger business issues. Think about community. When I meet with people, I always think to myself and will even sometimes be forthcoming and just say, “Look, I’m not trying to trick you or trap you. We’re just trying to get to know you a little bit better.” And I think the more relaxed and natural people can be, the better they’re going to do. mbaMission: Right. And interviews are typically about a half hour long? AC: They can last anywhere from half an hour to an hour. A few weeks ago, I went down to Washington, DC, because we had a large number of applicants who needed to be interviewed. Some were 30 minutes and others 60 minutes. One thing I’ll say is that the length of your interview in no way hints at your chances of admittance. I’ve had 30-minute interviews where people were admitted and 60-minute interviews where they weren’t. The reverse of both of these is certainly true as well. mbaMission: And so you occasionally jump in if there’s too much demand, or do you look at someone’s file and say, “Wow, that’s an interesting person. I’d like to talk to that person”? AC: No I don’t cherry pick interviews. If there’s a need due to high demand, geographical constraints or other circumstances, then I’ll jump in. Or if we have to Skype interview somebodyâ€"that’s when the admissions committee would actually do the interviews. mbaMission: And when do you use Skype to interview people? Is it just when they’re just so remote? AC: Yes. Perhaps somebody is a part of the military and deployed abroad, or they’re off doing something in a distant locationâ€"that would generally be when we use Skype. It’s certainly not ideal, that’s not what we strive for, but if we need to do it that way, we’re able to. mbaMission: Right. And why do you primarily use alumni to conduct your interviews? AC: The alumni bring an invaluable perspective to interviewing prospective students. And we of course love to keep our alumni engaged. We love to hear their perspective, and it’s really heartwarming when we hear from the alumni that they’ve really connected with somebody so much so that they’d even like to give a candidate a job offer or an internship over the summer while they’re here. I also think it’s beneficial for the candidates to be able to hear from somebody who’s gone through the program. They can ask them all the nitty-gritty questions that perhaps a member of the admissions committee who hasn’t gone through the program wouldn’t be able to answer quite as well. mbaMission: Let me ask just one more question on interviews. What if an interview just doesn’t go well? Let’s say I am a candidate, and I have just a disastrous experienceâ€"I don’t know, my alumnus woke up on the wrong side of the bed and was totally disengaged and I could tell, or even I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and I’m generally a great interviewer, but I just floundered for some reason. Is there anything I can do, or is that just life? AC: We are always open to hearing that feedback. We may not always be able to accommodate somebody with a second interview, but it is not unheard of that if somebody gives us that feedback, we might bring them in to meet with us or match them up with a second interviewer. That’s not unheard of, but we wouldn’t guarantee that for everyone. mbaMission: Right. The vast majority of alumni are great, of course, but when you’re dealing with such a large and diverse group, every once in a while, someone just misses. AC: Sure. The way I look at itâ€"and I mean this from the bottom of my heartâ€"is that when we bring people in, we really really want to like them, so we want to do everything we can to give them every shot to put their best foot forward. mbaMission: Definitely. So many people perceive the admissions committee as being so negative and punitive, like they’re just sitting there waiting to reject people, and it’s really not like that at all. AC: No. Not at all. We wouldn’t be in this business if we were like that! mbaMission: That’s a great way of ending this interviewâ€"on that note. Thank you so much for this. AC: Sureâ€"thank you! Share ThisTweet Admissions Officer Interviews Columbia University (Columbia Business School)

`` Dream Story `` By Arthur Schnitzler - 1419 Words

Arthur Schnitzler was an Austrian novelist and playwright who wrote about lust and infidelity in twentieth century Vienna. His narrative, â€Å"Dream Story†, was first published in 1925. The story tells of a married couple living a comfortable lifestyle. The husband is a thirty-five-year-old doctor. The younger wife is occupied by her responsibilities as wife and mother. In 1999, Stanley Kubrick released Eyes Wide Shut, which is his adaptation of Schnitzler’s â€Å"Dream Story†. In Kubrick’s film, Schnitzler’s protagonists, Fridolin and Albertine, are renamed Bill and Alice Harford. The similarities between Eyes Wide Shut and Schnitzler’s â€Å"Dream Story† is astonishing. The film’s narrative is updated from turn of the century Vienna to present-day New York, however the plot of the novella remains intact. In both stories, a wife tantalizes her husband with erotic reminiscences of her desire and lust for another man. A s a result, the envious, resentful husband sets out on a nightly excursion to try and alleviate his damaged dignity and to fulfill his unsatisfied sexual desires. The plots of both works are approximately the same, with only a few alternations affecting how the audience views the film. Kubrick integrates changes to the novella in order to clarify the film. Thesis? Albertine’s dream in â€Å"Dream Story† is more extensive and detailed than Alice’s dream in Eyes Wide Shut. When Fridolin arrives back home from the orgy, his wife Albertine wakes up from a dream thatShow MoreRelated`` Dream Story `` By Arthur Schnitzler973 Words   |  4 PagesArthur Schnitzler’s piece, â€Å"Dream Story,† constructs the tale of a man’s desire to stray from the norm where he wishes to lose himself and reality. In Schnitzler’s work, there is a loss of mindfulness for modern society in order to explore a more coveted lifestyle full of pleasures. The aut hor’s tactics encompass foreshadowing, symbolism, and figurative language to give a full account on this gentleman’s journey to a warped reality. â€Å"Dream Story† employs the use of symbolism to differentiate theRead MoreStream of Consciousness in Arthur Schnitzler ´s Fraulein Else580 Words   |  2 Pages In Arthur Schnitzler’s novella Frà ¤ulein Else, the stream of consciousness narrative form creates a more in-depth portrait of Else’s mindset and thinking. Even though the narrative may seem contradictory and erratic at first, this is only a result of the more extensive portrayal of her mental process, which includes elements not present in a more conventional narrative. The path of Else’s thoughts is indirect and recursive, but this portrayal of thinking is closer to the actual process of thinking

Causes Of Imperialism - 1107 Words

Imperialism Essay Growing up, many children play the board game â€Å"Battleship,† where a player’s main goal is to conquer his opponent’s ships and, eventually, land. Similarly, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the nation of Europe and other countries took over and influenced countries that they believed were inferior to them. This process, known as imperialism, is defined as â€Å"a policy of extending a countrys power and influence through diplomacy or military force† (google.com). Clearly, both children in military board games and Europe in the real world used imperialism when they seized lesser countries like Africa and the Philippines. However, there were many different factors that caused countries to be†¦show more content†¦Clearly, making money was important to European nations, so that is how the economy influenced imperialism during this time period. The economy was not the only force responsible for imperialism in Europe; anothe r very important cause was the political aspect that related to government affairs. According to Raymond Aron, imperialism was caused by â€Å"political ambitions†¦ the nations’ will to power†¦ [or] glory or national greatness.† This means that Europe used imperialism because they wanted to be the most powerful force in the world and have glory over everyone else. Specifically, this political power was apparent in the French military because they had the strongest weapons, warships, soldiers, and cannons (Gian, Phantom Thanh). Therefore, they were easily able to take over other any desired country and go wherever they wanted without resistance. Furthermore, another political cause of imperialism was that many nations wanted to gain land and natural resources by taking over lesser countries. One of these unfortunate countries was Africa, as shown in a 1914 map. In it, Africa was divided into numerous territories that were ruled by seven total countries: Britai n, France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy, and Spain (African Map in 1914). Only one territory was independent and not conquered yet, which really shows how imperialism spread all across Europe in this time periodShow MoreRelatedCauses Of Imperialism843 Words   |  4 Pages1914. Instead they have narrowed it down to some main causes. The main factor that lead to the outbreak of World War 1, was the desire by the nations of Europe to expand their empires. Along with this there were some less significant contributing factors to the outbreak, such as previous historical tension and nationalism. Supporting evidence shows that imperialism was the main and most significant factor of the outbreak of World War 1. Imperialism is defined as the domination of one country’s politicalRead MoreCauses Of New Imperialism1120 Words   |  5 PagesNew imperialism was a period of colonial expansion by European powers during the late 19th century and early 20th century. It is distinguished by the continuous territorial acquisitions of Africa and Asia by European powers. These powers include Great Britain, France, Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium (Tusan, Scramble for Africa, October 23rd). There were many reasons behind this aggressive competition. To them, these newfound lands were an opportunity to expand their power and exploit further resourcesRead MoreCauses And Effects Of U.S. Imperialism812 Words   |  3 Pagesanalyzing the causes and effects of United States Imperialism from 1870 to 1916, one finds that there are three main factors. These major factors of United States Imp erialism in this time period are: Hawaii, the Spanish-American war, and Theodore Roosevelt. In this time period Hawaiian islanders were very happy to live traditionally, but Americans were not content with the traditional ways of the Hawaiians (Buschini, n.pag.). Even though America seemed to be on the road to imperialism with Hawaii,Read MoreThe Cause of WWI was Imperialism Leading to a Bad Economy Essay722 Words   |  3 PagesOne of the main causes that started World War 1 was the fact of imperialism. The main cause was imperialism and not nationalism because the government was always unequal and always favored themselves. When the government did this, it would lead to a terrible economy, and be forced to trade with other surrounding countries. All of this created a big build up in war and tension between Europe and other surrounding nations. I believe that imperialism was the main cause of World War 1 because it is whatRead More The Compelling Motives of European Imperialism Es say794 Words   |  4 PagesThe Compelling Motives of Imperialism The presence of Europe in Africa in the late nineteenth century was one of extreme power. The countries of France, Britain, and Germany had especially large claims to the African continent during this time. The motives of imperialism for these countries greatly define Europe at this time. Insatiable desires for economic markets, power and political struggles, the motivating belief in Social Darwinism, and the European idea of superiority were the drivingRead MoreNegative Effects Of Imperialism1139 Words   |  5 Pagesevents are talked about. That just shows what imperialism causes. Imperialism is when a dominant country seeks to increase their size and forces (either by war or diplomacy) a smaller country to submit to their rule. The Age of Imperialism began in the 1870s and went until World War 1. During this time imperialism was very prevalent and the events that took place during this time had lasting effects and still affect us to this day. While imperialism could be seen as beneficial, especially to theRead MoreImperialism656 Words   |  3 PagesEuropean Imperialism in Africa? During the 19th century, King Leopold II of Belgium compared Africa to a cake. At the Berlin Conference in 1885, seven European nations took slices of Africa for themselves without discussing any details with Africans. From a 21st century perspective, this seems like a selfish thing to have done, so why did Europeans engage in imperialism? Certainly, political factors, cultural causes, and technological advancements were important. But the primary cause was economicRead MoreEssay about Mark Twains War Prayer Rhetorical Analysis734 Words   |  3 Pagescaught up in the idea of imperialism, or extending their influence to other countries using military force. Mark Twain’s essay, The War Prayer, was written during this time, but argued against the popular philosophy of imperialism. Twain’s essay was too controversial and Harper’s Bazaar believed it was not suited for the public to read, so it went unpublished until after his death and after the idea of imperialism had lost its fervor. Twain’s essay discusses imperialism and its consequences. TwainRead MoreEssay about The Pros and Cons of Imperialism540 Words   |  3 Pagescalled as imperialism. Imperialism is often separated into two sects. The first one is old imperialism, which was the period from the 1500s to the 1800s, where European nation started to colonize many areas such as the Americas, and parts of Southeast Asia. On the other hand, the new imperialism was the period between the years â€Å"1870-1914†, where Europe became more focused on expanding their land into Asia and Africa. Imperialism had many pros and cons. In addition, it also had many causes led by theRead MoreEssay on Imperialism In World War 11103 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Imperialism in World War 1 Imperialism was one of the four contributing factors to the cause of World War One, along with secret alliances, militarism, and nationalism.   It is the most important cause of WW1, because it created a build-up of tension in Europe and outside of Europe, and through imperialism, the three other causes were able to affect the beginnings of the war. Imperialism is defined as the governing of one people by another country, which was a recurring dilemma prior to WW1 due

Compensation - 949 Words

Compensation Luis A Galloza University of Phoenix Human Capital Management in Puerto Rico HRM/571 PR December 21, 2011 Marta Angeli Rivera, PH-D. Compensation Compensation is everything the employee values and want and what the employer is able to offer in return for the contributions of the employee (Cascio 2006). This compensation system is composed of financial and non-financial incentives. Financial compensation are direct payments (wages) and indirect payments (benefits). Non-financial company, recognition, training programmes, decisions etc. involve everything in the work environment that helps increase your self esteem and respect of his teammates (Cascio 2006) Sales force compensation plan is†¦show more content†¦As the expansion of Puerto Rico is very recent some benefits that are offered in the parent company (401 k, payment of University studies, seminars, etc.) were implemented later when the company is more stable in the island. Interclean company offering this package of compensation for employees and demonstrate how important are for the organization. Interclean is facing a difficult process, but if the company have employees with compromise and motivated the success is something secure. References Cascio,W. (2005). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits (7th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Hernandez, Rosa M, 2006, Managing compensating in times of inflation, Caribbean Business, January 26, 2006. Maslow, Abraham (1943). A theory of human motivation, recuperate from books. Google. es. Mondy,R.W.(2008). Human Resource Management (10th ed.) . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY: I certify that the attached paper is my original work. I affirm that any section of the paper which has been submitted previously is attributed and cited as such, and that this paper has not been submitted by anyone else. I confirm that I have cited all sources from which I used language, ideas, and information, whether quoted verbatim or paraphrased. Any assistance I received while producing this paper has beenShow MoreRelatedCompensation1425 Words   |  6 PagesINTERNAL EQUITY (ALIGNMENT) AND EXTERNAL EQUITY (COMPETITIVENESS) After reviewing the Wilson Brothers Case Scenario, as Director of Human Resources for the organization, what conclusions can you draw with respect to the status of the company’s compensation strategies that are currently in place? What would you do to begin to address this situation? (3 Marks) Provide Constructive Feedback to at least two other student’s postings. (2 Marks) HINT:-reference both internal equity (alignment) and externalRead MoreCompensation1324 Words   |  6 PagesCompensation Philosophy Paper Name ________ Professor ______ Introduction Compensation is viewed differently, depending on the individual persons perspective (e.g. employee, manager, stockholders, etc.). An employee may view compensation as what is owed to him or her for work performed, while a manager may view pay as an expense. In order for an organization to have an effective compensation strategy, it must consider the various perspectives when creating the organizations compensationRead MoreCompensation1833 Words   |  8 Pagesdoes the opposite of these things. What is a strategic compensation strategy? Simply stated, it is the compensation of employees in ways that enhance motivation and growth, while at the same time aligning their efforts with the objectives, philosophies, and culture of the organization (Bohlander Snell, 2010. Compensation includes all forms of pay and rewards received by employees for the performance of their job. Employees desire compensation systems that they perceive as being fair and commensurateRead MoreCompensation518 9 Words   |  21 PagesExecutive Summary Now day’s compensation strategies are charged with supporting the company’s mission and objectives through the development and implementation of strategies, which ensure that valuable workers feel secured at their work place and rewarded for their accomplishment. A successful company focused compensation strategy including tuition reimbursement, bonus and paid time off. They are valuable programs and creating attraction process for most common compensation programs. These strategiesRead MoreExecutive Compensation And Compensation Management Essay1793 Words   |  8 Pageswithin executive compensation. This is important because executive compensation is such an integral part of a company or organization’s functions. Executives are the ones tasked with making the decisions within an organization, and their pay can sometimes be linked to how well or how not well their decisions pan out. To look at these opinions, research and high quality analyses from various data sources were used. Some of these sources included the in-class textbook, â€Å"Compensation† by George MilkovichRead MoreCeo Compensation944 Words   |  4 PagesThe Debate over CEO Compensation Analyzing Managerial Decisions: The Debate over CEO Compensation 1. Do you think the fact that most American CEOs are paid so much more than rank-and-file employees suggests CEOs are overpaid? Explain. I do not believe that just because American CEOs are paid much more than rank-and-file employees suggest that they are overpaid. Many CEOs whose salaries and compensation packages are discussed in the news are the CEOs from the largest American corporationsRead MoreCompensation and Benefits1695 Words   |  7 Pages | |Compensation and Benefits | |Human Resource Management Coures | | Employee compensation and benefits are critical factors in the new hire acceptance processRead MoreCeo Compensation1988 Words   |  8 Pages| CEO Compensation | | Introduction Recently CEO compensation packages have high rocketed making many people question the validity of their compensation. Many questions have been risen to find out if CEO compensation if excessive. Through this paper we will discuss why we feel CEOs in America are grossly overpaid. We will start off by talking about the ethics on the matter and then the pay-performance connection within organizations. We will also touch on the real wages of employees and howRead MoreExecutive Compensation2864 Words   |  12 PagesDisney fame received $203 million as executive compensation. Although this award was inflated by Eisner s exercise of stock options, many examples of compensation in millions and tens of millions raise questions on how CEOs should be paid. Critics dispute that CEOs are deserving of their pay. CEOs downsize companies or perform badly, yet continue to draw a substantial salary. Unlike low level managers, it seems there is no formula for executive compensation. The disparity be tween the executive pay inRead MoreCompensation Plan1851 Words   |  8 PagesAssignment 2 – Compensation Plan Outline Ginger Renee Wigglesworth Dr. Anthony Jacob Compensation Management December 2, 2012 Evaluation of Coca Cola s Compensation Plan Introduction Coca Cola uses a market-based compensation plan in which employees receive compensation that is comparable to the market rate. The market-based system is used for hourly employees and for entry level managers that receive a salary. The company also uses a merit pay system for increases, with

Global human resource management of Vodafone & Hutchison Essar

Question: Describe about Vodafone and Hutchison Essar? Answer: Executive Summary Vodafone and Hutchison Essar, is among the top companies in the Telecommunication sector. The merger and acquisition of these two companies brought a positive wave in this sector which benefitted the customers mostly. Both the companies are famous for their massive innovations which easily attracts the customers towards their products and services. They have their commitments towards their customers and they fulfill them with much interest. In International merger and acquisitions the inter-cultural issue is one of the major problems but with trainings it can be solved and after that the merger and acquisitions of those companies will reach their goals and take the companies to the next level. Introduction Vodafone, as a company was integrated in the year 1984 under the English Law as Racal Strategic Radio Limited. After changing their name various times at last it was named as Vodafone Group Plc. According to Vodafone, businesses required a partner for communications who will be giving them solutions and will adapt with any change required for the company. For voice calls and emailing people need smart calls and that was on the best move by Vodafone by launching handsets under their brand and for calling, video conferencing and sharing of data to any location and for that they introduced the subscriber identity module (SIM) under their brand so that their consumer can contact with people staying at any part of the world. Vodafone came with many more new innovative ideas which are very useful for their customers and they will easily grasp this type of opportunities. Vodafone also introduced both pre-paid and post paid SIM so that customer can use any connection according to their wish. The commitment of Vodafone in the community is very massive. They extended their operations beyond their services and products which they offer to the community. Vodafone has their commitment towards their society also and they fund the society from their annual contributions and the name of their body for societal care is Vodafone Group Foundation. Their foundation works in 27 countries which supports the society by involving themselves directly in different activities both nationally and globally. Vodafone is always committed in delivering useful and innovative ideas. In the year 1991, they first launched first international roaming call from mobile. In the year 2002, Vodafone Live was launched and they set a totally new concept of mobile communication through internet access. Recently Vodafone introduced the idea of money transfer through mobile and it has become one of the new craze among the customers that without going to the bank they can transfer their money whenever and wherever they want without any risks. In the mobile phone industry Vodafone has recently stirred the market by launching their most low cost mobile handset till now. Hutchison Essar, one of the leading brands in the Indian market of the year 1994. Hutchison Essar was formed by the Essar group and Hutchison Whampao. It was one of the top mobile service provider companies. They have their services in all the five continents and Hutch was one of the companies who started providing their services of cellular phones in India. Hutch has expanded their business in all over the country with their tag line wherever you go, our network follows. Both postpaid and prepaid services are provided by Hutch with much value added services to their customers. The market share of Hutch was 22% and their base amount on their customers was around 2.44 crores. The yearly turnover of Essar group was US$ 2.2 billion the value of their enterprise was US$ 15 billion. Hutchison Essar has their business both in the service sector and also in the manufacturing sector like- Constructions and engineering, Telecom BPO, Oil and Gas, Steel etc. In the year 1983, In Hong Kong Hutc hison Whampoa introduced themselves in the market of mobile business. In the year 2007, Vodafone decided to acquire Hutchison Telecom International Ltd, which is a part of Hutchison Whampao. Vodafone took almost half of the share and changed the name of Hutchison Essar into Vodafone Essar. Merger and Acquisition (MA) of both international and domestic companies has three main determinants. A. The factors of the acquiring companies and their targets. B. Factors of transactions between the companies and C. the process after combining the two companies. Mainly the merger or the acquisition is done when a company is sinking then a big company comes and buys that company if they thinks that they will be benefitted after the merger or when a company wants to expand their business in another country and finds out that a well known company is doing well in a certain country but they are facing certain problems and the acquiring company will be highly benefitted after the merger and acquisition then they goes for the deal. Before dealing for the merger and acquisitions specially internationally the acquiring company sees certain aspects and those are- the personal benefit of the company, benefit they will be getting strategically, their marketing motives and also their economic benefits. Many companies goes for the acquisition if they sees that they will be benefitted totally in a new direction like taking over of Land Rower by TATA, where TATA was totally benefitted towards the technology side and it was totally new for them and specially in the foreign land. In MA, mainly the home government encourages the foreign companies for the merger and acquisition because the foreign companies will invest in their country which will highly benefit them in employment and also improve their economic status. Merger Acquisition Of Vodafone And Hutchison Essar In 2007, worlds one of the largest telecommunication country from revenue point of view Vodafone played a major role and decided to expand their business in Indian by acquiring 52% of shares of Hutchison shares by dealing with the Hong Kong HEL. In the Indian telecommunication market it was one of the biggest and best deals. They wanted this deal to expand and make growth in the Indian market. After Vodafone acquired HEL, India became the number one country in the telecommunication business replacing China. To keep their position intact Vodafone has still kept their rates low and making their most of the profit in the global market. Hutchison Essar was one of the key players in the telecom market but they mainly used to operate in the urban areas of India and they were planning of expanding their business in the rural areas. HEL was among the top ranked company in average revenue per user (ARPU) and also they are giving less return in their investments. Through this deal HEL was also benefitted because they also wanted to open their business in European countries (Weber, and Yedidia Tarba, 2012). While signing the deal Vodafone had to face multiple obstructions and in the initial stage they got objections from the partners of Hutch and Essars. Their competitors were also assertive with this deal but after lot of effort at last Vodafone cracked the deal by outpacing their competitors. According to critics in spite of making profit Vodafone has cracked the deal by making loss. Vodafone has paid more money to Hutch than required but according to Vodafone it was worth paying in this competitive market of telecommunication (Schuler, Khilji, and Rul,2015). In todays world global merger and acquisition is growing immensely. These are mainly referring to those merger and acquisition which is taking place internationally. Global mergers are also known as cross border or international mergers and acquisitions (Singh, 2012). Internationalization and inter-continental financial improvement have contributed together in the betterment of merger and acquisition to a certain extent. Global merger and acquisition are taking place in the market in various forms like vertical mergers, congeneric mergers, horizontal mergers, conglomerate mergers, dilutive mergers, reverse mergers etc (Gupta, 2014). Global mergers and acquisitions are mainly performed for the motive of acquiring certain strategic benefits in the market of certain countries. Multi-national companies also enjoy numerous benefits like market dominance and economies scale with the help of global merger and acquisitions (Shah, 2013). International acquisitions and mergers play a vital role behind the growth of the organizations. The deals and the transactions taking place between the big companies help them to acquire the market and also see that they are reaching the economies of scale. They also motivates the foreign direct investment (FDI) (Cole, 2013). The well known global mergers and acquisitions companies provides with training and programs on education so that they can increase the number of experts in the sector of merger and acquisitions and also increase the knowledge of the expertise who are already working in this sector (Islam, Sengupta, Ghosh, and Basu, 2012). In international mergers and acquisitions the rules and polices keeps changing and it is important for the companies coming under the global merger and acquisitions to follow this rules and be updated with this policies. Lots of professionals in the investment banking sector give their important views to their clients who deals with the mergers and acquisitions (Shah, 2013). The famous line of Hutch wherever you go , the network follows has been adopted by many and liked by the customers. The merger and acquisition of Vodafone and Hutch is also the punch line of Hutch. After battling a lot with the deal at last Vodafone was able to acquire Hutch by 100 million USD. Many thought that despite being competitors why Vodafone acquired Hutch with lots of risks and what is the difference between merger and acquisitions? By Merger, it can be easily understand that two companies come together and merge into a big company and mostly after merger a name is acquired. Mainly the stocks of the companies makes the companies agree for going into merger despite numbers risks involved in the deal. An acquisition is almost like merger but it is named as acquisition due to marketing and political reasons to avoid problems (Whalley, and Curwen, 2012). One company is acquiring the other company or two companies are merging together to make profits and growing as a big company in the market without creating a total different entity in the market. An acquisition is always on a friendly basis not like the merger because in merger the acquired company always has to follow the rules of the acquirer. If a company buys shares without the knowledge of the other company then it is a aggressive decision and this type of ventures mainly takes place in merger but if the company is buying the shares by keeping the other compan y informed then it is a acquisition and shows the friendliness among the companies (Nalwaya, and Vyas, 2014). So, the merger between Vodafone and Hutch is on friendly basis so it is an acquisition. While taking a company the acquiring company has to keep certain things in mind. The merger and acquisitions is mainly done to increase their growth in the market and also maintain the reputation of their brand image (Park, and Ghauri, 2011). So before going into such dealing the acquiring company has to keep all this things in their mind that whether this merger and acquisition will give profit to them or not, the merger and acquisition is beneficial for the acquiring company or not. Merger and acquisition plays an important role in building the brand image of the company and it will also show that the acquiring company is powerful or not among their rivals (Cartwright, and Cooper, 2012). Factors Affecting International Mergers and Acquisitions Few elements influence in the global merger and acquisition are- governance of corporate, laws of the companies, work capacity of the workers, customers expectations, and political factors of the country, countrys culture and tradition (Ferris, Jayaraman, and Sabherwal, 2013). The HR department of the organization also has to face few challenges. The role of HR department is to look after the whole organization. The HR head has the opportunity to influence their employees and organize events so that the organization beat his competitors but before doing that the HR should secure his position first throughout and after the process of merger. HR is responsible for smooth working of the organization. No cultural issue should create any problem in the organization working structure. In the higher level of the organization also HR can play an important role (Weber, Rachman-Moore, and Tarba, 2012). After the merger new leadership need to be introduced and work should be done on that regularly despite any issues. Team and personal assessment need to be done which will help the workers to work together and give a positive result. In merger and acquisition the HR has the opportunities to plan and execute their ideas so that the company can go for cost saving and ma rketing alliance. The merger and acquisition of the company will work or not is decided by the working style of the employees (Sarala, Junni, Cooper, and Tarba, 2014). The HR has huge responsibilities to make the employees work because the working structure of the newly combined employees will decide whether the company will be rising upwards or going downwards. The HR has the power to change the culture of the organization if there is any need. When a merger takes place mainly the HR department of the acquired company gets eliminated and the work load totally falls on the acquirer company. If the HR department of both the companies works together then there is no such work pressure on any particular department but then comes the question of taking decisions, power of autonomy and independence and policies of the organizations. If there is any issue with debt with the acquired company then the acquirer company has to finance that and then the company goes for cost cutting and HR dep artment is the first one in the organization who has to go through this phase (Reddy, Nangia, and Agrawal, 2014). Recommendations and Conclusions According to the research mainly 70 % companies who go for merger and acquisitions fails to succeed because they do not takes the necessary measures which are need to be taken. Cultural difference is one of the main issues in merger and acquisition and if there is a global merger then the culture issue is the most important issues for the organization which they need to deal with foremost (Weber, (Ed.). 2013). For the national employee it is very difficult to adopt the third culture but if it accepted well by the employees then it is one of the successful mergers for the organization and also for the world. In International mergers and acquisitions training on cross cultural awareness should be given to the employees to develop the intercultural issues among the employees (Gomes, Angwin, Weber, and Yedidia Tarba, 2013). These types of training will help the employees to understand the cultural issues of their colleagues and will provide the employees with opportunities so that they c an develop their un-segregated approach towards the culture of the company and for global merger and acquisition it is very much needed (Weber, and Tarba, 2013). In the merger and acquisition of Vodafone and Hutchison Essar, the culture difference was one of the issues but the mangers working for them worked on it and brought a wide diversity in the organization culture which worked in a positive way for the organization. The company took the inter- cultural training which was effective for the organization and it developed the working structure of the employees and they started working as a multicultural team and it increases their strength and it also benefitted the culture of the organizations acquisition (Erel, Liao, and Weisbach, 2012). Reference Cartwright, S., and Cooper, C. L. (2012).Managing Mergers Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances. Routledge. Cole, A. (2013).Research Proposal, Mergers and Acquisitions in the telecomunication industry India. GRIN Verlag. Erel, I., Liao, R. C., and Weisbach, M. S. (2012). Determinants of cross border mergers and acquisitions.The Journal of Finance,67(3), 1045-1082. Ferris, S. P., Jayaraman, N., and Sabherwal, S. (2013). CEO overconfidence and international merger and acquisition activity.Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis,48(01), 137-164. Gomes, E., Angwin, D. N., Weber, Y., and Yedidia Tarba, S. (2013). Critical Success Factors through the Mergers and Acquisitions Process: Revealing Pre and Post MandA Connections for Improved Performance.Thunderbird international business review,55(1), 13-35. Gupta, N. (2014).Opportunities and challenges of MandA in India(Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Islam, M. S., Sengupta, P. P., Ghosh, S., and Basu, S. C. (2012). The Behavioral Aspect of Mergers and Acquisitions: A Case Study from India.Global Journal of Business Research,6(3), 103-113. Nalwaya, N., and Vyas, R. (2014). Merger and Acquisition in the Telecom Industry: An Analysis of Financial Performance of Vodafone Plc and Hutchison Essar.Journal of Marketing and Communication,9(3). Park, B. I., and Ghauri, P. N. (2011). Key factors affecting acquisition of technological capabilities from foreign acquiring firms by small and medium sized local firms.Journal of World Business,46(1), 116-125. Reddy, K. S., Nangia, V. K., and Agrawal, R. (2014). Farmers Fox Theory: Does a country's weak regulatory system benefit both the acquirer and the target firm? Evidence from Vodafone-Hutchison deal.International Strategic Management Review,2(1), 56-67. Sarala, R. M., Junni, P., Cooper, C. L., and Tarba, S. Y. (2014). A sociocultural perspective on knowledge transfer in mergers and acquisitions.Journal of Management, 0149206314530167. Schuler, R. S., Khilji, S. E., and Rul, H. (2015). 6. Role of human resource management in international mergers and acquisitions and international joint ventures in emerging markets.Handbook of Human Resource Management in Emerging Markets, 122. Shah, S. M. (2013). Impact of Overseas Mergers and Acquisitions on Value Creation of Indian Companies.Available at SSRN 2461110. Shah, S. M. (2013). Impact of Overseas Mergers and Acquisitions on Value Creation of Indian Companies.Available at SSRN 2461110. Singh, P. (2012). Mergers and Acquisitions: Some Issues and Trends.International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology (IJIET). Weber, Y. (Ed.). (2013).Handbook of research on mergers and acquisitions. Edward Elgar Publishing. Weber, Y., and Tarba, S. Y. (2013). Sociocultural Integration in Mergers and AcquisitionsNew Perspectives.Thunderbird International Business Review,55(4), 327-331. Weber, Y., and Yedidia Tarba, S. (2012). Mergers and acquisitions process: The use of corporate culture analysis.Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal,19(3), 288-303. Weber, Y., Rachman-Moore, D., and Tarba, S. Y. (2012). HR practices during post-merger conflict and merger performance.International Journal of Cross Cultural Management,12(1), 73-99. Whalley, J., and Curwen, P. (2012). Third time lucky? An exploration of Hutchison Whampoa's involvement in the mobile telecommunications industry.info,14(2), 17-41.

The Gadfly. Interrupted Friendship Review Essay Example

The Gadfly. Interrupted Friendship Review Paper Essay on The Gadfly. Interrupted Friendship This book made no less impression on me than the Gadfly. I always wanted to learn how Arthur Burton, cute, a bit naive, kind, touching the young man turned to Felice (Felix) Rivarez, ruthless, sarcastic, hard, mistrustful, lonely, strong Gadfly, which for the sake of its objectives and principles are not willing to accept help from the man so much loved and hated at the same time. He would prefer to die than to escape, betraying themselves and their ideas, something for which he fought and risked, knowing full well that he faces. In this novel, I have seen first and foremost the establishment of the future revolutionary fighter. He can not, will not be able, he does not want to trust the people and will never forgive them their mistakes. The fact that he immediately decided that Renà © and Margarita betrayed him, said lisch his huge, overwhelming feeling of loneliness and suspicion. He so often hurt, it then no longer believes in a disinterested friendship, love and the other a pass ion of others, which they fill their lives. No, not as Felix, all that was best in Arthur, Felix managed to turn into nothing, to destroy, to get rid of it. Although not quite. But Gadfly is another, he will never forgive those who betrayed him. After all, he himself said that the so eager to forgive, seek, try, if you want, but you can not. That door is closed. Most of all I remember the last page, where the aged Renee tells her son about people like Rivarez, only such, probably no more. If you ever met a person and it will show you different from you and other one of those rare people who are among us as dazzling stars try not to forget that these people know a great happiness, but love them dangerous We will write a custom essay sample on The Gadfly. Interrupted Friendship Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Gadfly. Interrupted Friendship Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Gadfly. Interrupted Friendship Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

The Many Uses of PBT Plastics

The Many Uses of PBT Plastics PBT, or polybutylene terephthalate, is a synthetic, semi-crystalline engineered thermoplastic with similar properties and composition to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Its part of the polyester group of resins and shares characteristics with other thermoplastic polyesters. Its a high-performance material with high molecular weight and is often characterized as being a strong, stiff, and engineerable plastic. Color variations of PBT range from white to bright colors. Uses PBT is present in everyday life and common in electrical, electronic, and automotive components. PBT resin and PBT compound are the two types of products used in various applications. PBT compound comprises various materials that can include PBT resin, fiberglass filing, and additives, while PBT resin includes only the base resin. The material is often used in mineral or glass-filled grades. For use outdoors and where fire is a concern, additives are included to improve its UV and flammability properties. With these modifications, its possible for a PBT product to be used in numerous industrial applications. PBT resin is used to make PBT fiber as well as electronic parts, electrical parts, and auto parts. TV set accessories, motor covers, and motor brushes are examples of the uses of PBT compound. When reinforced, it can be used in switches, sockets, bobbins, and handles. The unfilled version of PBT is present in some brake cable liners and rods. When a material with high strength, good dimensional stability, resistance to various chemicals, and good insulation is needed, PBT is a preferred choice. The same is true when bearing and wear properties are determining factors. For these reasons, valves, food processing machinery components, wheels, and gears are made from PBT. Its application in food processing components is largely due to its low moisture absorption and its resistance to staining. It also doesnt absorb flavors. Advantages The major advantages of PBT are evident in its resistance to solvents and low shrinkage rate when forming. It also has good electrical resistance and because of its fast crystallization is easy to mold. It has excellent heat resistance up to 150 degrees Celcius and a melting point reaching 225 degrees Celcius. The addition of fibers enhances its mechanical and thermal properties, allowing it to withstand higher temperatures. Other notable advantages include: Excellent stain resistanceExcellent machining characteristicsHigh strengthToughnessExcellent stiffness-to-weight ratioResistance to environmental changesExcellent machining characteristicsBetter impact resistance than PETExcellent dimensional stabilityBlocks UV radiationHigh electrical insulation propertiesGood variety of grades available Disadvantages PBT has disadvantages that limit its application in some industries, including: Lower strength and rigidity than PETLower glass transition temperature than PETProne to warp when glass is used as a fillerDoesnt present satisfactory resistance to acids, bases, and hydrocarbons Future of PBT Demand for PBT has regained footing after the economic crisis in 2009 caused various industries to lower production of certain materials. With growing populations and innovations in the automotive, electrical, and electronics industries, the use of PBT will steadily increase. This is apparent in the automotive industry, given its increasing need for lighter, more resistant, low-maintenance, and cost-competitive materials. The use of engineer-grade plastics such as PBT will increase due to issues surrounding corrosion of metals and high costs to minimize that problem. Many designers looking for alternatives to metals are turning to plastic as the solution. A new grade of PBT that offers better results in laser welding has been developed, providing a new solution to welded parts. Asia-Pacific is the leader in the use of PBT, which hasnt changed even after the economic crisis.  In some Asian countries, PBT is mostly used in the electronic and electrical markets, while in North America, Japan, and Europe, PBT is mostly used in the automotive industry. Its believed that by 2020, consumption and production of PBT in Asia will considerably increase compared to Europe and the U.S. This prediction is reinforced by numerous foreign investments in the region and a need for materials at a lower production cost, which is not feasible in many Western countries.

Posthumanism cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Posthumanism cinema - Essay Example Still, these films backup the idea of posthumanism, which forces human beings to think about their future. Thesis statement: The compare and contrast study on the films X-Men and Blade Runner proves that both the films are based on the same theme, but differs in the portrayal of humans and aliens/cyborgs (special references to posthumanism/ transhumanism). Compare study: First of all, both the films support the idea of posthumanism, the idea that human intelligence/ knowledge should bring forth peaceful coexistence in nature. Pramod K. Nayar states that, â€Å"Posthumanism as a philosophical approach involves a rethinking of the very idea of subjectivity because it sees human subjectivity as an assemblance, co-evolving with machines and animals† (8). Besides, both the films are symbolic of the after-effect of human effort to go beyond the limits of post-humanist theory. In the film X-Men, humans and aliens/cyborgs are portrayed as different varieties within the same group of h uman beings. To be specific, alien/cyborg in the film is named as mutant, superior to human species. Similar to the film X-Men, the film Blade Runner portrays another type of cyborg called as replicant. To be specific, this replicant is symbolic of the technological innovation in future. In the first film, mutants are less in number and they possess certain supernatural skills. Most of the mutants are not aware of their supernatural skills that differentiate them from human beings. But in the second film, replicants are produced by an international corporation named as Tyrell Corporation. So one can see that the origin of replicants is not spontaneous, but linked with the development in the field of bioengineering. In the film X-Men, the mutants like Magneto and Professor Charles Xavier are aware of their importance as mutants. For instance, Magneto decides to add more human beings to their group and to gain control over human race. Similar to this, the replicants in the second film are aware of their power, enough to challenge and control human beings. In the first film, mutants named as Professor Charles Xavier differs with Magneto because he tries to create warm relationship with human beings. Joshua David Bellin states that, â€Å"As such, by the time the final battle between the X-Men and Magneto’s forces is waged, its suggestive backdrop-the Statue of Liberty-comes to seem no more than a prop or a set piece to enhance the spectacular qualities of a conventional, and tidily moralizing, scuffle between normal and freak†(199). This difference in opinion and its after-effect is the core aspect of the film. This film portrays the story of mutants, not human beings. So, one can see that the film X-Men deals with mutation and its after-effects on human beings and the mutants. Similar to this, the female replicant in the second film named as Rachael considers itself as a human being, not as a replicant. Besides, one can see that this replicant poss esses some human qualities and emotions. Basically, this film is based on the misunderstanding between replicants and human beings, and its after-effects. The director of the film X-Men makes use of the character Professor Charles Xavier and followers as his mouthpiece to convey his message to the viewers. Similar to this, the director of the second film makes of the character Rachael (say, a replicant) as a tool to prove that human beings are responsible for the problems faced by the living

Home Depot and Lowes Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Home Depot and Lowes - Case Study Example They were initially set up as a local hardware store but it turned out to be a nationwide chain of home improvement stores. They serve to all the needs for complete home improvements like products from bathrooms to the storage rooms and paints to safes. Lowes store has approximately 216, 000 employees all over its stores. Home Depot was started in the year 1978 and is operating currently in all 50 states of United States. They were initially a warehouse and then turned out as one of the America's best home improvement retailers providing products from appliances to hard wares. They have approximately 209, 300 employees working with them through out their stores. Both these organizations provide all the home improvement products under one roof. Lowes and Home Depot have their own websites for the customers to browse through and purchase products. They offer variety of facilities as an online shop. In the recent decade online shopping has become on of the most comfortable and preferred was of buying goods and services. The E-commerce times (2005) stated "Online shopping has increased over last year because both new and experienced Internet buyers are not only researching products and comparing prices online before making a purchase, but they are also finding good holiday discounts online," said Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst, Nielsen//Net Ratings. It is important to keep the information and the content interesting so that there is a high inflow of new and existing customers to the site. There are few factors that are very essential for a website. The Gantt chart below represents the important aspects of a website from the Polls result of Port 80, Australian web industry association. Good functionality 1 4.35% Site content 9 39.13% Meeting customer's expectations 3 13.04% Search engine optimization 2 8.70% Good graphic design 2 8.70% Keeping content current 1 4.35% Professional presentation 2 8.70% User friendliness 3 13.04% Security of site where apply eg credit cards, privacy 0 0% A study on the websites of the home improvement retailers Lowes and Home depot: Lowes' website: Lowes has an exclusive website, www.lowes.com. The site is simple and neat which has its name and their caption which is "Let's build something together". The focal point is the photo at the centre of the home page. The picture simply demonstrates the availability of all the home improvement products at the store. The picture has all the products required for a complete living providing a spacious atmosphere interpreting the availability of modest merchandises. The description below that states "Campus kick off", which insists on the availability of all the home improvement products with them under one roof. The first glance of the site provides idea about the products available at the store, the offers at the store, quick link to other services and the service desk. The products in the site are separated according to the departments and rooms. This helps in easy identification and selection of products. The page also helps customer choose products by the offers at the store and ther e are a lot of useful information about Lowes in the home page. The

Experiences of Afro Caribbeans and Asian migrants to Britain

Experiences of Afro Caribbeans and Asian migrants to Britain The second half of the twentieth century saw a transformation of British society in which peoples from areas of the world that had formerly constituted colonies of the British Empire migrated to Britain in large enough numbers to have a significant impact upon the host community.   Since Elizabethan times, Britain had been host to significant numbers of black people. Yet their impact had never been felt as profoundly as it was in the late twentieth century, when many parts of Britain became what successive governments chose to term ‘multicultural.  Ã‚   This change did not come about without resistance and upheaval.   The impact of migration was often traumatic, especially upon those individuals who had left their homes to seek a different life in what they had looked upon as the Mother Country.The term ‘Mother Country is well-known and widely used.   However, during the period of the British Empire it was used as a trope that assumed a very particular meaning whe n applied to the relationship between the colonial power and its dependent territories.   During the nineteenth century, the expansion of the Empire was accompanied by a discourse that cast Britain in the role of parent and protector, as may be seen in visual products of the period, such as the Punch cartoon from 21 April 1894 in which John Bull is depicted discovering a black baby on his front doorstep, wrapped in a cloth marked ‘Uganda, and with the caption: ‘THE BLACK BABY.   Mr Bull: â€Å"What, another!! Well, I suppose I must take it in!!†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   David Dabydeen, in his first collection of poetry Slave Song (1984), includes an illustration of ‘Britannia and the Natives, from a publication dated 1814, in which Britannia is shown on a raised pedestal surrounded by kneeling and supplicating black people with, in the background, the figure of Justice with her scales.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Britannia is thus configured as the ideal mother.   Such im ages gave Britain a benevolent and protective role (albeit with the reluctant undertones of John Bull), whilst to the colonies there were attributed the characteristics of immaturity, loyalty and submissiveness. However, in the history of Britains relations with its colonies, there is copious evidence of a breach in this unwritten contract of mutual loyalty and support.   At home and abroad, Britain exploited, rejected and abused the ‘Children of the Empire, yet the bonds were not easily broken and the twentieth century saw a significant number of colonial (or ex-colonial) peoples seeking a first-hand encounter with Britain.The growth of migrant communities has been termed ‘diaspora, a term that was   borrowed from its traditional role in describing the dispersal of Jewish people, and it carries with it ideas of banishment and trauma, suggesting ‘a linkage asserted in the context of exile from a homeland, and a unity maintained in varying circumstances confronting a scattered population. Beginning with the slave trade and continuing with indentured labour and the economic migrations of the later twentieth century, the British Empire was a significant force in the global migrations of successive communities of African and Asian peoples.   Postcolonial literature and the theories that it has produced addresses the issue of migration and the dismantling of the European imperial and colonial enterprise.There are two important strands to postcolonial discourse that, rather than opposing one another, are often overlapping and inter-related: the first is one that might be termed pessimistic in that it concentrates on the debilitating effects of colonialism and the racism with which it went hand in hand, and the second is a more optimistic view of the transformative power of migration discourses that reveal that ‘truth is relative and that the shifting viewpoints of ‘outsiders and minorities have more to reveal about modern life than a totalising and deterministic central power.  Ã‚   The ‘pessimistic viewpoint is usually one that is concerned with militant protest and the recovery of history and culture that had previously been denigrated and undermined and it has to be seen in the context of the negative effects of loss and dislocation suffered under the colonial system.   Any examination of migration must devote attention to the economic and social conditions which cause migrant peoples to seek opportunities away from their home communities and the structures of colonialism were particularly conducive to population movements, usually forced or encouraged by Britain for its own economic advantage.   The late twentieth century migration of Caribbean and Asian people to Britain was initiated by Britain for economic reasons and was accomplished by the combined mechanisms of active government policy and the poor living conditions which many hoped to escape. It is clear that the economic rationale for the system of colonialism was exploitation and colonies inevitably remained underdeveloped because they were used as sources of cheap raw materials. Poverty was endemic; work was unskilled, low paid and intermittent; the reliance on foreign capital gave overseas companies a stranglehold over the economy; processed goods were all imported, including most staple food stuffs; housing was overcrowded and lacking in sanitation; the child labour force was large; spending on education was low and illiteracy was widespread .  Ã‚  Ã‚   The neglect of any political development towards self-determination and independence was also a feature of twentieth century British colonialism: executive control was centralised in the British parliament and, prior to the independence movements of the nineteen sixties, any expression of local government was chiefly confined to the representatives of the colonial power.  Ã‚   The denial of the cultural heritage of the black peoples of the Empire was also a vital part of the colonising process.   It particularly affected those who were able to become educated through the system of providing scholarships to the most able pupils, who continued their studies to secondary and sometimes university level.   All education was dictated by European standards French, Spanish, Latin, English literature, English history were all taught, whilst local history and geography were ignored.   The language of education was standard English: local accents, vocabularies and grammatical constructions were denied a voice.   The intention was to inculcate a sense of loyalty and belonging to Britain, creating a local educated elite whose knowledge and values were determined by colonial rather than national standards.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The long-term effect of this has been variously interpreted: Caribbean writer Kenneth Ramchand has written of a ‘cultural void‘   a nd poet Edward Kamau Brathwaite has referred to the ‘fragmented culture‘   of the Caribbean.   Yet Amon Saba Saakana claims that the indigenous communities retained many of their African characteristics and were in conflict with the imposed colonial culture official culture may have been European, but many aspects of the alternative African culture remained intact, even though under siege.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Such diversity of opinion illustrates the dilemma of a society which had traditionally been unable to develop any real perception of itself, except in the terms dictated by an imperial foreign power.   It is impossible to ignore the fact that, for the first generations of twentieth century colonial and postcolonial writers, the system under which they were educated was colonial in outlook and many of them continue to be preoccupied by their responses to European influence and the artefacts of European culture.   For the individual growing up in a colonial society, the difficulty of developing any real sense of self was compounded by the constant conflict between the standards and values of the indigenous community and the official norms imposed by the ruling power; a dual sense of perception was often the result of these competing discourses.   The image of a psyche that is alienated, divided, open to exploitation, overawed and unable to assert itself in the face of the imperial aggressor particularly pervaded the earlier literature which was concerned with migration (for example in Jean Rhyss Voyage in the Dark or V.S. Naipauls The Mimic Men). The twentieth century had thus perpetuated its own version of the nineteenth century discourse that figures the colonial subject as child-like and in need of parental protection.   Although the historical evidence suggests the contrary that, in the Caribbean at least, colonialism was aggressively imposed and required the stationing of quite large garrisons of troops to suppress opposition throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries  Ã‚   nonetheless, until quite recently the belief in the passivity and powerlessness of the local population was widely held and has found its way into literature.   The myth of British superiority therefore had to be confronted when migrants had a firsthand experience of Britain and it is the dismantling of this myth that can be seen as a vital aspect of the postcolonial literary project.   One of the seminal texts of postcolonial literary theory is entitled The Empire Writes Back and this aspect of   ‘writing back t o the imperial power, when previously colonised peoples create work which ‘adopts, adapts, and often rejects the established European models has become a key idea in postcolonial literature.  Ã‚  Ã‚   From this idea of the liberating of postcolonial voices and the opening up of a new form of discourse a second, more optimistic, strand of thought has developed that is particularly concerned with the postcolonial experience of migration.   For writers such as Salman Rushdie and Hanif Kureishi, the newly emergent identities of migrants can be sites of excitement, new possibilities, and even privilege. The migrant seems in a better position than others to realise that all systems of knowledge, all views of the world, are never totalising, whole or pure, but incomplete, muddled and hybrid.   To live as a migrant may well evoke the pain of loss and of not being firmly rooted in a secure place; but it is also to live in a world of immense possibility with the realisation that new knowledges and ways of seeing can be constructed out of the myriad combinations of the ‘scraps‘ which Rushdie describes knowledges which challenge the authority of older ideas of rootedness and fixity. The cultural commentator Homi K Bhabha, in his book The Location of Culture emphasises this notion of marginality and regards the crossing of boundaries as an exciting new departure in the construction of identity, not merely in terms of the individual, but also for communities.   The migrant has a crucial role:Standing at the border, the migrant is empowered to intervene actively in the transmission of cultural inheritance or tradition (of both the home and the host land) rather than passively accept its venerable customs and pedagogical wisdom. The argument is that hybridity, liminality and the postcolonial condition are positive and productive and it forms the basis of a more optimistic reaction to the essentially negative history of slavery, Empire and colonisation.   However, it is possible for this approach to be seen as over-optimistic, in that it is produced from a cosmopolitan and educated elite (Rushdies experience of migration consisted in being educated at a top British public school and later joining the celebrity literary society of London and New York).   Smith warns that, for many migrants, ‘disconnection is not necessarily a comfortable state of being and that there is a danger in celebrating a very privileged form of mobility and in ignoring typical, everyday experience of localized forms of control and resistance. During the latter half of the twentieth century, the first substantial number of Caribbean migrants travelled to Britain on the S.S. Empire Windrush in 1948, and were greeted at Tilbury Dock by newspaper reporters whose banner headlines read ‘Welcome Home‘.  Ã‚   The idea of Britain as ‘home was one which had been deliberately encouraged in the British Empire and had served to alienate colonial peoples from their actual homelands.   Once in Britain, the idea of home was transposed onto the places that had been left behind.   Home therefore became a contradictory idea and was displaced from actuality into the imagination, never in the here-and-now, but always in the desired future or the remembered past.   John McLeod utilises Salman Rushdies essay ‘Imaginary Homelands to argue that the migrant experiences the concept of home as ‘primarily a mental construct built from the odds and ends of memory that survive from the past,  Ã‚  Ã‚   yet it is a lso true to say that, for many migrants, ‘home had always had a dual aspect: it was partly situated in the the ideologically determined concept that was the originating location of British education, law, language and culture but it was also located in their ancestral homelands in Asia or Africa.   The migrant experience is therefore one of liminality, poised on the threshold, never fully occupying the space called ‘home.   Just as identity within the colonial context was a contested site of contradictions, so the effect of migration on identity has become a recurrent theme of tension and conflict.   The ways in which postcolonial writers have found methods of replying and re-writing, rejecting, utilising and transforming European traditions and canons of literature has been complicatedly affected by migration.   As Anne McClintock remarks, the ‘tenacious legacies of imperialism continue to dictate ‘the sanctioned binaries colonizer-colonized, self-other, dominance-resistance, metropolis-colony, colonial-postcolonial, making strategic opposition problematic: ‘such binaries run the risk of simply inverting, rather than overturning, dominant notions of power‘.  Ã‚   The existence of these binaries is often explored thematically in the literature and can be detected in the oppositions of the past and the present; the places from and to which the migration occurs; the wider so ciety and the individual; the language and culture of two (or more) places.   The perpetual tension created by the contradictions of postcolonial experience is explored through these oppositional themes.   The sense of self and the identity of the migrant is thus a divided one and, whether optimistic or pessimistic in outlook, the creative fertility of this division is what the postcolonial writer seeks to explore. By reading a few examples of postcolonial literature it is possible to weigh the positive and negative strands of theory and to explore to what extent the writers demonstrate that the contradictions and complications of migration and the muddle and pain of rootlessness have been outweighed by the excitement of discovering a fertile site of new identity. In the discussion that follows, the poetry of Linton Kwesi Johnson and Grace Nichols will be explored, together with David Dabydeens novel The Intended and Ayub Khan-Dins play and film East is East.   Not every work will necessarily be discussed in each chapter, as the different literary works exemplify the experience of migration in differing ways.   However, the thematic concerns of all of these works will, it is hoped, be seen to be so closely intertwined that each chapter will represent a facet of the whole. The contrasting experiences of the past and present of the migrants experience is a common theme within much of the literature of migration.   As has been previously discussed, the colonial past was a brutalising political system.   David Dabydeen has taken up the theme of migration in Caribbean literature in terms of the shattering of illusions, ‘trauma and alienation‘, ‘personal disintegration and ‘shared vulnerability and dependence‘.  Ã‚   His novel The Intended is intensely concerned with the colonial past and he uses Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness as its inspiration and organising theme.   Dabydeens view of Conrads novel can be summarised by his comments from his A Readers Guide to West Indian and Black British Writing:Conrads Heart of Darkness offers a powerful denunciation of the horrors of Imperialism in its depiction of the cruelty of Europeans and the decimation of native Africans.   In the greed for ivory and quick profit, life is smashed up and squandered. Dabydeen comments on the confusion, grotesqueness and absurdity depicted in the novel as the hallmarks of imperialism and he contrasts the brutal reality with the dreams and aspirations which had originally impelled it.   The figure of Kurtz degenerates from noble idealism to a squalid end:At the beginning, he is a classical missionary figure, full of noble ideals about torch-bearing, about setting the bush alight with the concepts of European civilization. †¦ Instead of the fulfilment of these burning ideals, Kurtz degenerates into an emaciated figure crawling on all fours and the only burning that takes place in the novel is fire which destroys the grass shed and which exposes the Europeans as ineffectual buffoons in their attempts to control it.   Conrads theme is the turning of a dream into a sort of confused nightmare and Dabydeen has used this idea as the theme of his own novel.   For Dabydeens migrants, the journey from Europe to Africa is reversed, but their migration from their homelands to London, the heart of Empire, has a similarly brutalising and corrupting effect.   They also experience a descent into corruption, as they become increasingly involved in prostitution and pornography.   Whilst the desire to exploit the commodity of ivory is the motivating force for Conrads empire builders, Dabydeen turns this desire into an exploitation of white female flesh as a commodity.   Dabydeen has used Kurtzs name for his fiancà ©e ‘the intended as an ironic title for his own book in order to highlight the gap between aspiration and actuality.   The narrators comment to his girlfriend, Janet, reveals to him and to the reader this gap: ‘But you are fragrant, you are everything I intended, I blurted out, the words seeming to come from nowhere, and as soon as they were uttered, sounding foolish.   In one accidental sentence I had finally confessed all the dreams that I had stuttered out to her in a year of meetings, always trying to structure the expression of my desire for her so as to make it impersonal, philosophic, universal, but always failing, my plain needs leaking through the cracks in words. However, in this very ability to articulate himself, the narrator, like Conrads Marlow, shows him able to distance himself and thus survive the brutality that surrounds him.   This is in contrast to figure of Joseph, who, in committing suicide by setting light to himself, recalls the futility of Kurtzs ‘burning ideals.   Throughout Dabydeens novel, Joseph is depicted as the person least involved in European culture.   The narrator imbibes European culture through his contact with Western literature, as he reads Chaucer, Milton and Conrad.   Illiteracy frees Joseph from these influences and he is often depicted as a character who can take an outside, alternative view of things.   His adoption of Rastafarianism also aligns him with a more elemental Africanness and a closer association with his Jamaican origins.   Joseph stands outside European culture and is therefore a more trenchant critic of its negative forces.   It is he who comments that ‘Ivory is the heart of the white man  Ã‚  Ã‚   and he similarly exposes the sterility of the narrators attitude to literature in the dissection of poetry that is an   uncritical mimic of his teachers methods: Poetry is like bird†¦ Joseph remarks, You turning all the room in the universe and in the human mind into bird cage.  Ã‚   Yet Jo seph is unable to use his insight to gain freedom.   He is repeatedly confounded by his own ignorance, even to the extent of being unable properly to operate the video camera which is his chosen method of intercepting and interpreting his experiences.   His attempt to film ‘the wind as it brushed against the   leaves †¦ capturing on film the invisibility of the wind leaves him ‘dangling dangerously by the waist high up in a tree and is misunderstood by witnesses as an attempted suicide.  Ã‚   Such an image is used to evoke other familiar images of slaves being punished, particularly one which Dabydeen has used in his own article on ‘Eighteenth-century literature on commerce and slavery (see below).  Ã‚   This illustration was based on a 1773 eyewitness description.   The background shows skulls on posts reminiscent of a scene in Heart of Darkness and also alludes to Josephs preoccupation with bones and skeletons. It appears, therefore, that Josephs function in the novel is to represent the past in which the enslaved African was denied access to education and so was rendered inarticulate and, in terms of history, silent.   Joseph is eventually reduced to crouching in a derelict building, emaciated and silent, vainly attempting to scratch letters into the soil with a stick.   He has been unable to organise and record his experience in anything but confused and fragmentary images and in this way Dabydeen demonstrates the inarticulacy of the state of slavery and the ways in which modern historians and writers must reconstruct a past from inadequate evidence.   In telling Josephs story, the narrator of The Intended preserves Josephs history through the written word, but, just as in the history of slavery, it must always be a third person narration because, without access to reading and writing, Josephs own I is lost when he himself dies. Although it has been argued that the characters in Dabydeens novel ‘suddenly materialize, having no history, the past as empty as their pockets   this is not true, for Dabydeen is using the past figuratively and the past of his characters is often not a personal one, but is implied by their relationship to history.   The novels narrative swings between the past, present and future of the narrators experience, relating his sense of ‘shame and unreality in the present, as he feels himself to be in a state of suspension between the past from which he has come and the future to which he aspires.   For him, the past and the future are always present, creating conflicting images of who he is, what he has been and what he will become.   In this way, he demonstrates the constant crossing and re-crossing of temporal boundaries and thus lives in the liminality of which Home K Bhabha has written.    Dabydeen is not unique in his attempt to come to terms with the violence of colonial history and the aspiration towards a different future.   East is East illustrates the relationship between the past and the present through the intergenerational conflict in the Khan household.   The Khan children have no memory of a past elsewhere because they have been born in Britain; instead they are an example of the youthful offspring of the migrant generation who have an uncertain sense of where they truly belong and are alienated by their inability to find acceptance in the host community.   Having little or no sense of their past, their fragmented responses to identity are governed by their differing attempts to ‘assimilate‘.   George Kahn‘s inability to relate to his children and their aspirations symbolises the tension between the past and the present.   Though he is frustrated by his own inability to govern his family in traditional Pakistani ways and though he has failed to inculcate Muslim values into his children, George has a strong sense of his personal identity which his children seem to lack.   He is concerned at the current war in Kashmir   and he has a sense of personal involvement, feeling members of his family to be at risk.   The progress of this conflict on the television and radio acts as a background noise in the familys life, just as the past of colonial conflict is a background to their current situation.   The British Raj had united the disparate parts of the Indian subcontinent, but with independence came partition and the creation of East and West Pakistan.   The political events to which the film alludes are the rumblings of war and discontent which continued into the 1970s, with the separation of Pakistan and Bangladesh.  Ã‚   The past seems to offer no hope for the alienated generation of children who have been born in Britain.   The history of empire, whose repercussions continue to be felt, both poli tically in Asia and culturally in Salford, does not seem to offer a transformative or positive trope for the characters in Khan-Din‘s drama. Linton Kwesi Johnsons central concern is with this generation that has little or no sense of a past elsewhere or of the history which has moulded their identity.   In his work the theme of   ‘giving voice to the present and making sense of the past is always significant.   He has commented on the positive effects for the older generation of having memories with which to identify: ‘at least we could still identify with home because we came from somewhere else†¦ [Young people] born in this country †¦ dont have any other home to identify with.  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this way, he describes the migrant experience of ‘routes that have to act as a substitute for ‘roots, as McGill argues: ‘Preferring routes to roots, Johnson operates in what Homi Bhabha calls the â€Å"interstitial passage between fixed identifications.†Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, Johnson can juxtapose his current experience of Britain with his memories of a distant homeland in very overt ways , for example in the trope of the letter home in ‘Sonnys Lettah (Anti-Sus Poem).   This poem illustrates Johnsons strategy in its title, by uniting the writers relationship with the past (as a son, he is explicitly identifying his place within the generations of history) and the present political situation (the hated sus law which enabled police to stop and search and was perceived as a racist weapon against young black men).   The poem opens with the address ‘Brixtan Prison / Jebb Avenue / Landan south-west two / Inglan which by its spelling, defamiliarises Britain.   The following greeting, Dear Mama, / Good Day, is rendered in normal English spelling, yet it uses an expression that is specific to Jamaica, since Good Day is not a way in which a British person would begin a letter.   Johnson is thus re-working both the spelling and familiar modes of British address in order to weld the past of Sonnys warm and secure childhood to the brutality and grief of the pr esent experience of Britain.   Johnsons elegiac attitude to the ‘home of Jamaica is also clear in his poems Reggae fi Dada and ‘Jamaican Lullaby‘, which both exemplify the importance of memory in the present and a connection to the past from which the migrant has come. In her poem One Continent/To Another, Grace Nichols demonstrates that it is futile to separate the theme of past and present from the sense of place.   The passage of slaves and later migrants moving from one continent to another is a transition in space as well as time.   In her book I is a Long Memoried Woman, Nichols seeks to relate the past to the present by her focus on the subject of slavery and in poems such as One Continent/To Another she describes the experience of the slave as a movement in time and space: from the past of bleeding memories in the darkness to the future of ‘piecing the life she would lead‘.   Nichols uses the confusion between beginnings and endings to suggest the notion that past, present and future are simultaneous: Being born a womanshe moved againknew it was the Black Beginningthough everything said it wasthe end. This is an example of what Easton describes as ‘the imaginative, in particular metaphoric processes by which Nichols transforms the historical African-Caribbean female experience into positive images.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Easton also comments that ‘Forgetting †¦ is to be silenced.  Ã‚   Just as Joseph in The Intended is silenced by his inability to record his experiences, so in the work of Nichols, the inability to call up memories is another form of silencing of the past and, through it, the present.   In the poem One Continent/To Another Nichols uses the repeating of a negative phrase to convey a positive sense of the past when she describes the woman who hasnt forgotten / hasnt forgotten.   As the title of this poetry collection suggests, the theme of memory is central to Nicholss intention and her construction of memory as a double negative in this poem not merely remembering, but, more importantly, not forgetting illustrates the experience of memories that on the surface are emphatically negative but that can actually be transformed into the positive and life-giving experience of the present.   In this way, Nichols transforms the memory of the experience of slavery into a discussion of the present experience of migration.   One Continent/To another records the first experience of enforced migration: that of the slaves in the middle passage womb of crossing the Atlantic who encounter a metaphorical giving birth to a new New World self.   Each migrant experiences the sense of figuratively stumbl[ing] onto the shore, being dragged down, thirsting, the disorientation of displacement, yet Nichols turns this negative, bereft of fecundity into her final affirmation of the future: the life she would lead.   Nichols thus succeeds in changing an essentially brutal experience into one of affirmation and strength.   The transformational potency of migration is thus embedded not in the experience itself, but in the memory of survival and in th e imaginative power of the migrant.   In this way Nicholss work can be interpreted as an example of the power of the imagination over the ‘scraps of disparate experience to which Salman Rushdie refers (as discussed by John McLeod, above). For David Dabydeen, too, the time shifts in the narration of The Intended are also geographical shifts.   Large portions of the book are concerned with the narrators childhood in Guyana and these memories of a distant homeland which are juxtaposed upon his experience of Britain.   During the time of the period of the British Empire there was always a sense that England and especially London was the dominant metropolitan centre, while the colonial homeland was regarded as dominated periphery and was denigrated as inferior.   Unable to define themselves, except in contradistinction to the imperial centre, the inhabitants of the colonies looked upon their own homelands with a sense of unreality because they were undefined in terms of the dominant colonial discourses.   In seeking to create his own homeland as a setting for his novel, Dabydeen creates multiple literary landscapes, not only enshrining London and Oxford as markers of education and achievement, but also giving sta tus to the homeland in which his imagination was formed. Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin have discussed the crisis of migration in terms of the ambivalent relationship between identity and place that often distinguished the colonial experience:A major feature of postcolonial literatures is the concern with place and displacement.   It is here that the special postcolonial crisis of identity comes into being; the concern with the development or recovery of an effective identifying relationship between self and place. For the postcolonial writer, to re-cast their own homeland as a reference point against which to see Britain is a reversal of the pattern of the past in which all other countries were contrasted with the ‘normative core of British literature, landscape and history.  Ã‚   What is perhaps most crucial to Dabydeens use of Guyana as a setting is its interweaving with the narrators experience of London in a way that always tends to dominate and qualify London.   For example, in his first reference to Guyana, the narrator begins with a metaphor: I walked down Bedford Hill feeling sorry for myself, wishing I had a family to go home to.   Nasims mother was like my grandmother who waited by the roadside and when I stepped of the bus at Albion Village would take my hand tightly in hers and lead me