Four Common Idioms from Shakespeare

Four Common Idioms from Shakespeare Four Common Idioms from Shakespeare Four Common Idioms from Shakespeare By Maeve Maddox What do the following examples from the Web have in common? Changing my mind  is not something that happens often.  Its a simple case of  me  stating  my  point and  refusing to budge an inch  from it.   US Recovery Cold Comfort for Unemployed Are your kids  eating  you  out of house and home  during the summer? . I made the mistake of buying him an egg salad sandwich, even though  in my heart of hearts I knew  he wouldnt like or eat it. Each one contains a phrase from Shakespeare that is still in widespread use. refuse to budge an inch In the frame story of The Taming of the Shrew, drunken Christopher Sly has been thrown out of an inn. An inn employee threatens to call the law on him, but Sly refuses to be intimidated by the threat. He tells the employee to call whom he will, but that he’ll â€Å"not budge an inch.† Sly uses the expression literally: he will not physically move from the place where he immediately falls asleep. In modern usage, the idiom is usually used figuratively with the meaning, â€Å"stand firm,† â€Å"refuse to change one’s mind on a matter.† cold comfort Shakespeare uses this expression in two plays: The Taming of the Shrew and King John. In the Shrew, Grumio uses the expression in a lengthy and bawdy punning exchange with another servant. In King John, the king, dying of poison, suffers from a burning fever. When his attendants inquire how he feels, he responds hyperbolically, personifying Winter and chiding them for not asking winter: to make his bleak winds kiss my parched lips And comfort me with cold. I do not ask you much; I beg cold comfort; and you are so strait And so ingrateful you deny me that. In modern usage, â€Å"cold comfort† is used figuratively in contexts in which something that is good in one sense is not adequate consolation for those who do not benefit from it. For example, the news of a drop in unemployment is â€Å"cold comfort† to people who remain unemployed. to eat one out of house and home In Henry IV, Part 2, Hostess Quickly of the Boar’s Head tavern has called the law on Falstaff because he has run up an unpaid bill of 100 marks. When the Lord Chief Justice asks for details, she says, â€Å"He hath eaten me out of house and home; he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his.† In modern usage, the expression seems to be especially common in reference to teenagers. in my heart of hearts Shakespeare puts the expression in Hamlet’s mouth, although without a plural: Give me that man That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart. Hamlet is praising Horatio for being the kind of man who can be trusted. In modern usage the phrase â€Å"heart of hearts† means, â€Å"the seat of one’s truest feelings.† The expression is especially popular on dating sites. For example: The most important question to ask yourself is this:  In your heart of hearts, do you believe that he or she is the one and only? Happy Birthday, Shakespeare! He was not of an age, but for all time!- Ben Jonson (1572-1637) William Shakespeare Born: April 23, 1564 Died: April 23, 1616 Related posts Shakespeare’s Vocabulary Book Titles From Shakespeare Sources of Titles Drawn from Shakespeare 20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays The Most Unkindest Cut of All Thou Lily-livered Boy Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?44 Resume Writing Tips7 Proofreading Steps

Crawford Surname Origin and Last Name Meaning

Crawford Surname Origin and Last Name Meaning Derived from the Gaelic word cru meaning bloody, and ford meaning pass or crossing, the CRAWFORD surname is believed by most to mean a crossing of blood. Believed to be first assumed by the proprietor of the lands and barony of Crawford, in Lanarkshire, Scotland, Crawford is often a  habitational name  derived from several different places called  Crawford  (e.g. in South Lanarkshire, Scotland; Dorset, England; and Somerset, England). A possible similar derivation for the Crawford last name comes from crawe meaning crow and ford meaning pass or crossing. Alternate Surname Spellings:  CROFFORD, CRAWFFORD, CRAUFURD, CRUFORD. Also a variant of CROWFOOT. Surname Origin: English, Scottish, northern Irish Famous People with the Crawford Surname Joan Crawford - American film and theater actress, and pin-up girlCindy Crawford - American model, film actress and television personality Genealogy Resources for the Surname Crawford Meanings of Common English SurnamesUncover the meaning of your English last name with this free guide to English surname meanings and origins for the most common English surnames. CRAWFORD Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Crawford ancestors around the world. FamilySearch - CRAWFORD GenealogySearch or browse for free access to digitized records and lineage-linked family trees for the Crawford surname on FamilySearch.org, the website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. CRAWFORD Surname Mailing ListFree mailing list for researchers of the Crawford surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - CRAWFORD Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Crawford. Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name Meanings Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nursing - Essay Example There is progress, but it is considered to be a very slow trend which needed to be sped up to deliver the potential gains of the strategy (Department of Health, August 2010). An aspect of the End of Life Care Strategy wherein the Department of Health focused on its initial implementation is the care planning (inclusive of assessment) which comes after the identification of people approaching the end of life and will follow the step of coordination of care in the care pathway. It is also where nurses, being part of the multidisciplinary health care team, have active involvement whether working in hospitals or in community settings, more particularly in assessing the patient and the family regarding their needs, wishes and preferences, and is involved in initiating reviews of the care plan to the team if with patient’s permission, thus influenced the selection of the strategy’s aspect to be discussed by this paper. This will explore the implications of the care planning a spect for community heath care providers (nurses in particular), service users (patients) and significant others (family and carers). Community Health Care Providers The Strategy will give emphasis on the nurses’ role in assessment and documentation of patient’s needs, wishes and preferences in addition to her roles regulated by international, national and local policies during the end of life care. As per the code in Nursing & Midwifery Council (2008), nurses are responsible in gaining patient’s trust, treating them as individuals, respecting their dignity, working with others, providing high standard of care, being open and honest, acting with integrity and uphold reputation of profession. This will require nurses to assess and record the needs, wishes, preferences and agreed set of actions of the dying patient (advanced decisions, where to die, etc.) and to participate with the review of the care plan. An example is the Advanced Decisions to Refuse Treatment as a valid and applicable legally-binding document where the nurse is obligated to follow the physicians’ order to withhold life-preserving treatment as stated therein (NHS, 2010). Other options to be considered are the advanced statement and the DNACPR (Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). Service Users (Patients) The care planning of the Strategy aims to enforce assessment and recording of needs, wishes and preferences of patients undergoing their end of life. This will grant patients with greater autonomy in making decisions for their own health, including decisions on where they would like to die. Moreover, it will enforce the community health care providers to assess and record their needs, wishes and preferences even if the patient or family have not yet initiated the discussion of these matters, thereby raising patient’s awareness on his treatment options. The Strategy slightly decreased the number of patients dying at the hospital and die at home inst ead by offering the patient an option to die at home instead (Department of Health, August 2010). Significant Others Families and/or carers of the patient in end of life are also included with the care planning of the Strategy in terms of reviewing the care plan, yet not as specific as the

Should monetary policy be boring and has this been the case for the UK Essay

Should monetary policy be boring and has this been the case for the UK and the USA over the last ten years - Essay Example With the use of monetary policy, U.S. and UK can counter-act inflation and economic recession or depression. In this paper, the historical strategy used in the monetary system of U.S. and UK will be elaborated. Through the historical events associated with the U.S. and UK monetary policy, we will be able to conclude whether monetary policy is boring or not. Many people have been praising the work of Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan i for making the U.S. monetary policy in 1990s very successful. (Mankiw, 2001) The Fed was at the center stage during the Asian financial crisis between the years 1997 – 1998 including the failure of hedging the Long-Term Capital Management of funds in 1998 created a worldwide financial crisis and Globalization in the 20th century. The U.S. monetary policy together with the help of fiscal discipline, the U.S. government budget deficit was converted into surplus. Prior to the Mexican crisis in 1994 and the Asian crisis in 1997, the economic performance of U.S. has been very stable. At that time, the real GDP growth of U.S. has increased more than 3% over the fourth quarter of 1996, inflation and the unemployment rate was maintained at a low level. Because of the continuous economic growth in U.S., the nominal wages and salaries of the workers increased faster than the prices of commodities. The increase in salary and wages resulted to increasing the efficiency of production output by investing on new technologies. During the last quarter of 1996, a lot of companies have been laying off employees. This causes the U.S. unemployment rate to increase. Also, consumer debt, credit card delinquencies and personal bankruptcies was very high. In February 1997, the Federal Reserve became very concern about the risk of inflation because of the sudden appreciation of the U.S. dollar. During the height of U.S. economic activities, high inflation should be avoided since it would weaken the long-run economic growth

International Terrorism and Global Politics Essay Example for Free

International Terrorism and Global Politics Essay In the 21st century, it would seem that the term â€Å"terrorist† has become an all encompassing description of anyone whom civilized people feel is a threat to innocent civilians, domestic tranquility, and the everyday life that most people take for granted. Government officials declare â€Å"war on terrorism† and the like. Expanding upon, and deviating from the typical definition of a terrorist, Charles W. Kegley’s 2002 edition, The New Global Terrorism: Characteristics, Causes, Controls, contains a chapter entitled â€Å"Is There a Good Terrorist? †, which asserts that one nation’s terrorist may fairly be considered another nation’s patriot. This paper will maintain the argument that no terrorist is a â€Å"good terrorist†, in contrast to the presentation of Kegley in his volume. Defining Terrorism To begin, a valid argument can be made against so-called â€Å"good† terrorists by establishing a baseline definition of terrorism. In some of his other writings, Kegley has maintained that one of the problems in condemning terrorists is that the act of terrorism itself is so hard to define; in other words, as was mentioned previously, a terrorist may not be considered a terrorist by everyone, because ultimately, some group of people or nation is supposedly benefitting from the terror inflicted on another group. However, by fine tuning the definition of a terrorist, it will be possible to reinforce and build upon the argument of this paper- that there is no such thing as a good terrorist. In order to make that assertion solid and tenable, one must realize that the term terrorism should in fact refer to acts of violence, war or sabotage inflicted upon innocent civilian populations by a person or persons not affiliated with an organized army and outside of the scope of declared warfare. Within this context, we are not talking about the soldier who serves his country by defeating enemies in combat, but we are talking about extremists who detonate car bombs near schools and hospitals. In using this definition, it is possible to further bolster the argument. Terrorism is about Targets as Well as Intentions A second assertion that can be made in critique of Kegley’s presentation comes from a discussion of the issue of the targets of terrorism as well as the intentions of terrorists, as earlier defined. For example, a terrorist, for all of his claims that he is trying to free other people from the oppression of another group, change a bad situation, avenge previous wrongs and the like, is violating international law as well as the basic moral codes when the terrorist inflicts casualties among defenseless civilians, such as when terrorists launch attacks on religious centers, public places or even private residential areas, there is a tremendous wrong being done, no matter what noble cause the terrorist claims to support or advance. Simply put, the means do not justify the end. A Fine Line between Patriotism and Vigilantism A key point continues to echo throughout this research- the fine line between defeating enemies and violating the written and unwritten laws of humanity. Indeed, one could make the argument, for example, that the founders of the United States in some ways inflicted terrorism according to our previously stated definition, for many of them were un-uniformed, taking up arms against an organized, sovereign government, no matter how noble the cause was for which they were fighting. However, when looking at terrorists in regard to being those who step over the line of legality and morality for the sake of their causes, again the message returns that there must be at least some level of decency in the world, even among those who adamantly oppose one another, for if opposing groups are allowed to continually launch terror attacks upon each other, all of humanity will soon degrade to chaos and anarchy, serving no one’s interests. Indeed, it is morally, ethically and legally wrong for people to take the law into their own hands; therefore, all potential or actual terrorist acts must be dealt with in the harshest possible terms. Conclusion In this paper, the argument has been made and supported that there is no such thing as a good terrorist, no matter what the intentions, motivations or goals of the terrorist, keeping in mind that there are certain criteria which define what makes a terrorist. Therefore, it must be remembered that patriots are not those who blow up women and children, poison reservoirs or destroy public gathering places, nor are those who wear the uniform of their country and fight in declared wars terrorists. Once that differentiation is made and adhered to, all of humanity will be all the better for it. Conversely, if we allow these grey areas to exist where a potential terrorist thinks they will receive rewards, either in this world or the one to come, the death toll of innocents will continue to swell. Hopefully, this key distinction will be realized by the people of the world before it is too late.

Winning is the only thing :: essays research papers

Randy Roberts and James Olson in their book, Winning is the Only Thing: Sports in America since 1945, explored the world of sports since the end of World War II. Their book covers the many aspects of sports, from the athletes and management to the fans and the media. The authors first make clear differences in the way people viewed sports before the war and how they did after the war. The book talks a lot about the astounding transformation of sports in America during the post war era. The objective of sports before world warII matched up to the original idea of such games. Athletes, for the most part, â€Å"played â€Å"to do just that- every sports as their hobbies (Roberts, Olson xi) games were intended to be fun for the players; and just as a board game of â€Å"candy land,† sports were activities in which the game was on the court, field, diamond, or whatever the â€Å" game board† was. The minds of people were filled with war and the everyday challenges of life (xi). Thus, people found sports to be a way of escape from all that they faced fans as well as athletes. However, in a matter of a few years the entertainment of sports changed dramatically. After World War II, it could be said that Americans put their identity, worth, and security in sports. They felt the need to stand up to the world to show them who their country was and what it stood for. â€Å"Americans came to take sports very seriously, and they watched and played for the highest economic, politic, and personal stakes†(xii).other countries began to represent themselves through sports as well; and, in a sense, the war continued though the means of these â€Å"games.† Especially in the Olympics, whole countries fought to win and be seen as the superior. Sports was a way of, not only representing pride in the athletes, but also a way of showing the world who its government, communities, families, and all that America stood for. Roberts and Olson describe athletes during this era as national soldiers of sport (19) as in the defeat of war, when America lost in the name of sports, it was in no way gone unnoticed by the majority of the country. For America, losing many of the medals during the 1960 Olympic games was a reason to make excuses for such an unfortunate happening of the country(22.

Cognitive psychology Essay

Cognitive psychology focuses on how a person interprets a picture or message. For example, a double figure drawing such as the top down example below is one part of the cognitive thinking process. Another mental exercise is the bottom-up perception of drawings and messages.   Often times, the judge in court cases would ask the professional interpretation of the psychologist to help mitigate or aggravate the current sentence of a criminal offender. The following paragraphs explain in detail what cognitive psychology means. 1. what advice would you give a judge to persuade her or him of the potential danger of wrongful conviction based on eyewitness testimony as the sole or primary kind of evidence? Support your claim using cognitive psychology research. The judge should not base his sentencing only on the sole eyewitness’ statement. For, the judgment should be mitigated or aggravated by the professional opinion of the psychologist.  Ã‚   It is a standard procedure for the U.S. judge to ask the Forensic psychologist  Ã‚   to give a psychological profile of the defendant. The psychologist will then make a profile of the psychological well –being of the person charged in court. The psychologist then applies the theories of cognitive psychology to determine the behavior, pathology and motivation and submit his findings to the judge. The judge will then include the psychologist’s professional opinion increase the defendant’s sentence for aggravating reasons (Burke 1). On the other hand, the judge could also decrease the defendant’s sentence for mitigating reasons. And the psychologist’s findings will be used either as an aggravating or mitigating evidence.   Normally, the psychologist can draw up the behavioral tendencies of the defendant by viewing the other evidences on the crime scene, the statements of various witness, friends, neighbors and relatives and prior psychological findings.   The psychologist is very much needed in the juvenile courts because the child’s behavior is not as mature as those who are eighteen yrs old and above. Generally, the juveniles commit crimes because of their psychological growth is not normal ( or abnormal?), The psychologist can recommend to the judge to transfer the child to child rehabilitation center for psychological rehabilitation(Barsalou 5). Likewise, the psychologist can persuade the judge to lessen the sentence in adult criminal cases.   The psychologist can opine that the sexual offense was psychologically caused by the defendant’s state of mind at the time of the crime. He or she could have been abnormal then. The psychologist can recommend a plea bargaining agreement with the Judge using his psychological findings in order to reduce the sentence that has been mandated by the criminal laws of the United States( Berger 10). In addition, the psychologist can issue his opinion to the courts regarding the reliability of the lone witness’ psychological profile. For, the witness may not qualify as a lone witness if the psychologist opines that witness’ statements were hallucinations, a big lie, or simply made because of the witness had misinterpreted the situation as what is was not. The psychologist will then assess the stimuli – response   makeup (cognitive psychology) of the offender. The psychologist can also assess the criminal offender’s impulse control and potential for the individual to commit crimes. Likewise, the psychologist can opine to the judge that he defendant cannot psychologically defend himself or herself in the witness stand (Gillespie , 27). This will then be a ground to decrease the sentence of the defendant upon conviction. To reiterate, the psychologist can tell the court that the defendant was psychologically abnormal when he or she committed the crime. Thus, the judge must compulsorily use the psychologist’s evaluations of the defendants and the witnesses to plug the holes in his sentencing process. Also, the sex offenders would need the psychologist’s hand to help them. The psychologist would then tell the court that the sexual offender’s sentence be reduced to being jailed at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center.   The psychologist would go about by stating that the defendant’s psychological makeup is the main cause of his continuing spree of sexual abuse cases. 2. Describe what implicit memory is. Based on Reber (1993) how is implicit learning and memory different from explicit learning and memory. Implicit memory states that prior experiences affect the current behavior of a person even though the person does not intentionally exert a single effort to ponder over his or her prior experiences.   Likewise, repressed memories of the past are equated with implicit memory.   For example, improving ones’ job performance falls under implicit memory and learning. This is the main reason why many companies prefer to hire and give higher salaries to people who have many years of hands –on experience behind them when they apply for a job. Definitely, a carpenter that has worked in house construction for the past twenty years would definitely be more skilled than a carpenter has tucked under his belt only one week’s hands –on experience.   Whereas, explicit memory is the conscious and intentional recalling of a person’s past experiences and informational data (French 26). A very clear example is trying to remember what today’s itinerary or hectic schedule is.   It would include a ride in the park with the family, a meeting with the board of directors in the company, or a customer dropping by to purchase new products. Another is trying to recall the details asked for in the Civil war classroom test. Further, trying to recall the ATM password or the email address log –in username and password when withdrawing money from the ATM machines falls under Explicit learning and memory. In short, explicit memory and learning entails effort exertion which includes thinking about one’s past experiences.   It also includes talking about one’s past experiences and writing them done. Further, it includes studying ones’ past experiences. For, they will surely increase one’s expertise on doing a specific job assignment (Esgate 15). Reber stated that implicit learning refers to the variances in the behavior of a person that is influenced by past experiences. However, the person is not aware or exerts effort to try to recall the past experiences. Reber proved his theory through countless experiments including probability learning.   His probability experiments prove that the subjects were able to recognize or learn the variance in probabilities of recurring events without their knowing that their prior experiences in the same situation have improved their changes of choosing the next probable event. One Reber experiment shows that the subjects were placed in a training phase. The subjects were told to observe   1,000 scenes at the rate of two scenes in one second in one experiment. The findings of this experiment shows that the subjects were able to learn what the next outcome would be in increasing accuracy as the test went on (Reder, and Schunn 46). Another Reber experiment shows that a person that solves several problems of the same will increase his or her speed and accuracy in solving such problems due to experience. However, the subjects were not aware of that their prior acts had influenced their current speed and accuracy. This is very true in classroom math exercises (Reder, and Schunn 69). Reber further emphasizes that memory and learning consists of conscious (Explicit) and unconscious (Implicit) learning processes (O’Brien-malone, and Maybery 38).   And, Reber insists that the questionnaire index test is an explicit learning process (O’Brien-malone, and Maybery 38). 3. Define what cognitive psychology is about. Cognitive Psychology is that branch of psychology that delves into the process of how a person uses his mind to find solutions to problems, memory as well as communication. It had metamorphosed from the Gestalt school of Max Wertheirmer, Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Koffka. However, it was Jean   Piaget who increased interest in Cognitive Psychology with his theory that people have different cognitive processes from infancy to old age. Naturally, he emphasized that child cognitive learning is much different from a married person’s cognitive learning. Going deeper, cognitive psychology involves how the brain solves mathematical and other real life problems. And, the cognitive scientists believe that the problem solving cognitive process boils down to the basic stimulus and response theory.   For, each stimulus gives different responses to different people (Fleck, 6). What are the main topics? History. Cognitive psychology had branched out from mainline psychology into its own specialized field in the 1950s and 1960s as discussed in Donald Broadbent’s masterpiece entitled Perception and Communication in 1958.   It focused on the processing of information with the incorporation of Donald Broadbent’s paradigm theory. Basically it was a study on how a person thinks and reasons as he tackles each problem or situation in real life or in the classroom. Broadbent emphasized that the brain is a the central processing unit of the human being.   Then, George Miller created the WordNet which is the foundation for many machine ontologies today. This was also the basis that has permeated from cognitive psychology to other fields like social psychology, personality psychology, abnormal psychology,developmental psychology.   Currently, current cognitive theories are being attacked from many sides. One such side is the dynamic system proponents. Further, cognitive psychology has gathered the fruits of researches in artificial intelligence and other fields of expertise in the 1960s and the 1970s (Esgate 15). Major research areas.   Currently, the major research areas of cognitive psychology are general perception, psychophysics, attention, pattern recognition, object recognition and time sensation (Berger ). Cognitive psychologists.   The list of cognitive psychologists continues to grow through the years. Some of the more famous ones are Johan Anderson, Robbie Case, Lev Vygotsksy, Alan Baddeley, Frederic Barlett, Aaron T. Beck, Donald Broadbent, Reber, Jerome Bruner, Fergus, Craik, Keneth Craik, Hermann Ebbinghaus. Albert Ellis, and Jean Piaglet (Berger, 4). What are some basic assumptions? Cognitive process involves a stimulus and the corresponding response to such stimulus. Basically, cognitive theory states the problems in math and other real life situations can be easily accomplished with the use of algorithm. Algorithm is the set of rules that will give a specific solution for a set of inputs. For example, one plus one (inputs) is equal to two ( the algorithm here is to count how many ones are there). Here, the rules for cognitively solving problems are rather vague or too complex for the simple -minded person to comprehend.  Ã‚   Logically, there is another way of cognitively solving problems. This is what is called in psychology circles as heuristics. In sharp contrast, heuristics shows that the rules of solving classroom and real life problems are clearly understood but the final solution varies from one situation to another. What are some of the different methods employed by cognitive psychologists? The psychologists employ several methods to deepen their study of cognitive psychology. One such method is the scientific method. Another method is to use a person’s cognitive outfit in terms of belief, motivation and desire that are part of the mental processes. But, they always use subjects in their researches on how a person interprets a picture, a messages or other types of communication signals passing his or her way.

Becton Dickinson: World Wide Blood Collection Team Essay

Problem Identification Becton Dickinson a manufacturing company, with operations worldwide, and revenues of over $2.7 billion was founded in 1897, and had ten core businesses organized into two product sectors: medical and diagnostic. Mainly US domestic operation was beginning to give way to expanding international sales, warranting a separate division in Europe. By 1970s, the company was organized by business divisions centered in US and focusing on the largely domestic US market, and an International sector. Since most revenues were earned from the domestic market, priority tended to be domestic, which frustrated managers in foreign countries who wanted to focus more on the resources on their local market. Going international, better said, transnational was the beginning of an evolving problem that Becton Dickinson would face in the upcoming years. Causes of Problem Becton Dickinson and Company (BD) was a supplier of medical products and diagnostic systems to healthcare professionals, the medical industry, hospitals and the general public which included mostly medical gloves, hypodermic needles and intravenous catheters in the medical sector. Blood collection devices, automated systems to detect and identify bacteria and blood cell analysis systems were one of the few diagnostic products that Becton Dickinson produced. During the 1970s BD’s managers did not really take the international market as serious as they should do. Orders were only processed, when the domestic ones were filled out and completed. Furthermore, the managers’ refusals to accept and consider new product requests from abroad were a big threat to the company. In 1980, BD’s senior executives decided to take attempts to develop products and strategic ways to meet the worldwide demands of marketing needs for medical technologies. The competition did not sleep and started expanding into Europe, which began to be another threat to Becton Dickinson not only for the international sector, but also for the US market. Realizing this, BD started to build European Strategic Business Units (SBUs) that reported to the headquarters in the US. Growing concerns about emphasis given to international sales,  especially with European managers voices becoming loud, concerns led to a study senior management’s readiness to consider a new structure of BD’s worldwide activities. A consulting firm offered two structural solutions: â€Å"The Worldwide Product Division† and â€Å"Europe as an Equal Partner†, which was appealing as a way to ensure greater dedication of resources to Europe, but also threatening to duplicate efforts and costs, with the danger of different strategies slowly emerging in each division. After meeting with Harvard professor Christopher Bartlett and his colleague Sumantra Ghoshal â€Å"The Transnational Solution† was born in cooperation with the senior managers. The solution has three faces to it. The first was the challenge faced by MNCs to simultaneously achieve global efficiency, local responsiveness and worldwide innovation. The second was that these objectives needed an environment of international differentiation and asymmetry. Thirdly, they advised firms not to merely change formal reporting lines, but to focus on underlying cultures and values. A typical chain reaction was, that these circumstances affected how Becton Dickinson faced a challenge in implementing a structure that would overcome challenges posed by the growth of business outside of USA. Lack of clear vision and goals by previous management, a lack of clear articulation of the same to second line management and other employees down the chain of command are just some of the few problems that BD had to solve. Alternatives Changes to the existing organizational structure. A change to the existing structure is urgently needed, so that there’s a shift from a corporate mentality to an organization driven by Strategic Planning. This would include meeting the need for a global collaboration and local flexibility that they so badly needed as a fast growing multinational company. Managers and company itself were not prepared, which the case showed, and the lack of anticipation for the need of a suitable structure for a growing company then led to the issue, of quick fixes. This means that whenever managers in other parts of the world were discontent, only then did top management in the US would start to respond and make quick fixes to structural issues.  Cooperation and commitment between top management, middle management and employees is another important part of the change. With no cooperation, and divisions going in different direction the company soon showed signs of urgent need for structural re-designing. Disadvantages to this re-designing could result in a complete departure from the existing task based matrix structure, while others wanted to retain the structure but with minimum changes. This could as well lead to dissatisfaction within the managers and even employees. Secondly, another problem to restructuring is how well conflicts are managed or avoided all together as the company continues to have more divisions out of its central control. Open Research and Development plants in Europe and Japan. With the more and more growing market in these two sectors, Becton and Dickinson should focus on creating R&D centers within these areas and not only in the US with organizations in non-US divisions. Kozy’s thoughts about the future should also include that the European sector is an immensely fast growing one. Within seven years the net trade sales increased by over a $100 million, whereas the US sector increased by â€Å"only† $80 million. Looking at the numbers, you can see that Europe is on the move. A Research and Development center in England, for example, would help to produce local needs and act faster than going through the whole process of talks with US R&D departments and the European R&D organizations. Knowing that with Dufresne BD has a â€Å"champion† on its boat, he should be able to set up his own team of researchers, build a real Development center and take some things in his, better said, the European division’s hand. Japan not to exclude, which has also rising numbers and different marketing needs would also profit from an own R&D plant. Different needs require different solutions, therefore having the US as the only R&D plant, will not help the company nor its divisions. Even with regional R&D managers, like Dufresne, and R&D organizations outside the US, he still does not have team to work and interact with on a day-to-day basis. This would also help to accelerate new product development and quality standards, while maintaining the current distribution systems Budget restrains are a major disadvantage in BD’s case. Total expenses are high in Europe and the numbers jumped in the years from 1985 – 1992 from ca. $10,000 to a high $31,000. The plant would not only bring extra costs, but land had to be bought, people would have to be hired, and machines would have to be purchased. Another negative aspect looking at a plant in Europe or Japan would be the loss of power that the US headquarters and R&D currently have. Becton Dickinson’s US division still wants to have a certain power over its foreign ones. Therefore giving up the R&D department to a certain extent would not be everyone’s favorite in the senior management’s committee. Give Europe and Japan divisions more operating power. As for now, BD’s European and Japanese divisions are quite under the control over the â€Å"parental† guidance and supervision of the US division. The evolution from this classic structure to a new transnational company is a very important part in the future of Becton Dickinson. Even with the introduction of World Blood Collection Team (WBCT), I think that a division in itself should have more power in deciding which products to introduce, which marketing steps should be taken, etc. In the early 80’s the Japan division suffered from not being heard upon on what is need in this division. BD lost small market share in that time. The WBCT illustrated in Exhibit 8(p. 385) illustrates the Strategic, the Operations and the Marketing Team within the whole company including the whole World Blood Collection Team. In my eyes, a smaller group separated in regional divisions would help the success of the company. For example, they could combine the President BC Europe, the Director Manufacturing Europe and the Director of Marketing Europe in one group to run the regional division Europe. They would then have the power to decide which steps should be taken, what to manufacture and how and where to do the marketing. The negative aspect of this approach is that this might leave the path that WBCT and BD in general have taken up until now and again this alternative might run into problems and dissatisfaction with the headquarters. It could also lead to complete separation of the diverse division from the headquarters mission and plans on where the company wants to go. Best Alternative Looking at Becton Dickinson’s past and the way they used to business, the best alternative would be the first one mentioned of the three. Changes to the existing organizational structure, which is also part of the third alternative, would be affecting the outcome the most. The way the company will be working, how the employees will be situated within the company and most importantly how the whole company will be structured, not just domestically, but in the transnational field, is what makes them more competitive. Implementation Steps It would appear that the phenomenal growth of the business was an ambition in the managers’ plans, but they did not make any efforts to construct a structure that would suit for a company whose operations were growing with big leaps. However, there is need to make some changes to the existing structure, so that there’s a shift from a corporate mentality to an organization driven by Strategic Planning. In order to create organizational learning, top management has to create a sense of shared purpose and belonging for all divisions and individuals in the company. There is no better way to do it than to implement an organizational structure that allows and pushes free flow of information from division to division, and back to corporate headquarters without a feeling of restrictive set-ups. The main task of the top management is to shape behaviors of people and create an environment that enables them to take initiative and be more and more cooperative. Another important step is to restructure systems to reflect a willingness to accommodate different geographical and product needs. The old system was structured to suit an operation around the US, and was only slightly changed to accommodate European operations, which were still not considered equal by the US headquarters. Now with sales and operations fully developed outside of the US, it is wise to decentralize some decision-making centers so as to  allow for innovation, local responsiveness and flexibility.

Your Guide through the Receptionist Interview Maze

Your Guide through the Receptionist Interview Maze Are you on the hunt for the perfect receptionist position? Finding the ultra-competitive job search jungle a bit daunting? Best-Job-Interview.com helps you catapult to the front of the interview pack with an inside look at the sort of questions you can expect on the big day.Your potential next boss will want to know if you have the experience to hit the ground running and start making his or her office run smoothly and efficiently from day one. Expect to hear the following questions: â€Å"What were your primary responsibilities?,† â€Å"How many calls did you take on an average day in your last job?,† â€Å"What sort of people did you interact with on a daily basis?,† and â€Å"What sort of inquiries did you have to handle?†They’ll also want to know if your receptionist skills are top notch, so be ready for the following sorts of questions as well: â€Å"What are the most important skills for a receptionist?† and â€Å"What computer skills do you have?†Great receptionists can always think fast on their feet, multi-task like champs, and come up with effective strategies for handling any situation. Therefore, expect interview questions designed to task your on-the-job behavior and ability to think fast when it’s needed: â€Å"Tell me about a recent situation where you had to handle a difficult customer?,† â€Å"Describe how you organize your tasks for the day?,† â€Å"Tell me about a tough problem you had to sort out recently,† and â€Å"Can you give me an example of where you used your initiative in your previous job?†Beyond a great receptionist background and stellar skills, potential employers will want to know if they’re hiring someone with a motivated and positive work attitude and ethic. After all, receptionists are typically the face of the organizations they work for and have to work with every department and person in the office. Be prepared to hear the following questions on the day of your interview: â€Å"Why do you want to work as a receptionist for this company?† and â€Å"What do you like and dislike about working as a receptionist?†Now that you know the sort of questions you should expect when you’re on an interview you should invest some time leveraging your experience and skill set to craft the perfect responses to dazzle potential employers. Forewarned is forearmed!

The Marshall Plan

The Marshall Plan Initially announced in 1947, the Marshall Plan was a U.S.-sponsored economic-aid program to help Western European countries recover following World War II. Officially named the European Recovery Program (ERP), it soon became known as the Marshall Plan for its creator, Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The beginnings of the plan were announced on June 5, 1947, during a speech by Marshall at Harvard University, but it wasn’t until April 3, 1948, that it was signed into law.  The Marshall Plan provided an estimated $13 billion in aid to 17 countries over a four-year period. Ultimately, however, the Marshall Plan was replaced by the Mutual Security Plan at the end of 1951. Europe: Immediate Post-War Period The six years of World War II took a heavy toll on Europe, devastating both the landscape and the infrastructure.  Farms and towns were destroyed, industries bombed, and millions of civilians either killed or maimed.  The damage was severe and most countries didn’t have enough resources to help even their own people. The United States, on the other hand, was different.  Because of its location a continent away, the United States was the only country that did not suffer major devastation during the war and thus it was to the U.S. that Europe looked for help. From the end of the war in 1945 until the beginning of the Marshall Plan, the U.S. provided $14 million in loans. Then, when Britain announced that it could not continue to support the battle against communism in Greece and Turkey, the United States stepped in to provide military support to those two countries. This was one of the first actions of containment outlined in the Truman Doctrine. However, recovery in Europe was progressing much slower than initially expected by the world community.  European countries compose a significant segment of the world economy; therefore, it was feared that the slow recovery would have a ripple effect on the international community.   Additionally, U.S. President Harry Truman believed that the best way to contain the spread of communism and restore political stability within Europe was to first stabilize the economies of Western European countries who had not yet succumbed to communist takeover.   Truman tasked George Marshall with developing a plan to carry out this goal. Appointment of George Marshall Secretary of State George C. Marshall was appointed to office by President Truman in January 1947.  Prior to his appointment, Marshall had an illustrious career as the chief of staff of the United States Army during World War II. Because of his stellar reputation during the war, Marshall was viewed as a natural fit for the position of secretary of state during the challenging times that followed.   One of the first challenges Marshall faced in office was a series of discussions with the Soviet Union regarding the economic restoration of Germany.  Marshall could not reach a consensus with the Soviets regarding the best approach and negotiations stalled after six weeks.  As a result of these failed efforts, Marshall elected to proceed with a wider European reconstruction plan. The Creation of the Marshall Plan Marshall called upon two State Department officials, George Kennan and William Clayton, to assist with the construction of the plan.   Kennan was known for his idea of containment, a central component of the Truman Doctrine.  Clayton was a businessman and government official who focused on European economic issues; he helped lend specific economic insight into the plan’s development. The Marshall Plan was crafted to provide specific economic aid to European countries to revitalize their economies by focusing on the creation of modern post-war industries and the expansion of their international trade opportunities.   Additionally, countries used the funds to purchase manufacturing and revitalization supplies from American companies; therefore fueling the American post-war economy in the process.   The initial announcement of the Marshall Plan occurred on June 5, 1947, during a speech Marshall made at Harvard University; however, it did not become official until it was signed into law by Truman ten months later.   The legislation was titled the Economic Cooperation Act and the aid program was called the Economic Recovery Program. Participating Nations Although the Soviet Union was not excluded from participating in the Marshall Plan, the Soviets and their allies were unwilling to meet the terms established by the Plan.  Ultimately, 17 countries would benefit from the Marshall Plan.  They were: AustriaBelgiumDenmarkFranceGreeceIcelandIrelandItaly (including the Trieste region)Luxembourg (administered jointly with Belgium)NetherlandsNorwayPortugalSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUnited Kingdom It is estimated that over $13 billion dollars in aid was distributed under the Marshall Plan.  An exact figure is difficult to ascertain because there is some flexibility in what is defined as official aid administered under the plan.  (Some historians include the â€Å"unofficial† aid which began after Marshall’s initial announcement, while others only count aid administered after the legislation was signed in April 1948.) Legacy of the Marshall Plan By 1951, the world was changing. While the economies of Western European countries were becoming relatively stable, the Cold War was emerging as a new world problem. The rising issues related to the Cold War, particularly in the realm of Korea, led the U.S. to rethink the use of their funds.   At the end of 1951, the Marshall Plan was replaced by the Mutual Security Act.  This legislation created the short-lived Mutual Security Agency (MSA), which focused not only on economic recovery but also more concrete military support as well.  As military actions heated up in Asia, the State Department felt that this piece of legislation would better prepare the U.S. and its Allies for active engagement, despite the public mindset that Truman hoped to contain, not combat communism. Today, the Marshall Plan is widely viewed as a success.  The economy of Western Europe rebounded significantly during its administration, which also helped to foster economic stability within the United States. The Marshall Plan also helped the United States prevent the further spread of communism within Western Europe by restoring the economy in that area.   Concepts of the Marshall Plan also laid the foundation for future economic aid programs administered by the United States and some of the economic ideals that exist within the present European Union. George Marshall was awarded the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in creating the Marshall Plan.

Intercultural encounters Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intercultural encounters - Assignment Example differently to such encounters of cultural difference for instance some people may accept such cultural difference, others may reject while other may make the adaption (Gert et al., 2002). Communication and lingo is one of the mainly common intercultural encounters that a person is likely to face in the world today. Smiling for example is a non-verbal gesture of communication use in the world. However, a smile is often misinterpreted because it has different meanings in different cultures. In the Angolan culture, for instance a smile is used as a friendly gesture of welcoming another person. A smile in Asian cultures may often be used to signify discomfort, confusion, or even embarrassment. In some cultures, a smile is only for family and friends for instance in Germany. A smile in the Middle East has a significant difference from other parts of the world especially a smile from a woman to a man. Such a smile may mean sexual attraction (Deardorff, 2009). Different cultures have different interpretation of a particular aspect of life. Smiling for instance is a communication gesture that may be applicable across the world. Nonetheless, different cultures apply and interpret a smile differently. It is therefore important for a person to understand cultural interpretation and meaning of different aspects otherwise a risk of misinterpretation is very likely. It is obvious that different cultures conflict in a number of ways for instance a smile from a woman to a man in the Garman culture may signify friendship while in the Middle East it signifies a completely different thing and that is sexual attraction (Gert et al.,2002). The conflict and culture is indeed applicable in the day-to-day encounters of an individual particularly with the aspect of globalization and the world becoming a global village. One of my life experience regarding conflict and cultural differences was in Japan. Japanese interpret a smile as a sign of discomfort or confusion while people from