Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Strategic Management - Essay Example Some of the local brands are also considered by the company that includes Aguila, Castle, Snow, Victoria Bitter, Miller Lite, and Tyskie. The company has been successful in creating its position in both the emerging as well as developed markets across the globe (Overview, 2012). The present study has been considered to make an environmental analysis of SABMiller. Environmental analysis involves identification of the environmental factors that can affect a company, and hence their nature and impact on the level of success of the company. Depending on such factors, if identified, a company would be able to consider measures accordingly such that any negative impact may be prevented. SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis, application of Porter’s Five Forces are some of ways through which environmental analysis of a business can be done (Business Environment Analysis, n.d.) and these will be applied in the present study to have an understanding on SABMiller company. Position of SABMiller : SABMiller is older than the state of South Africa itself and has faced several challenges in determining the position that it currently holds. There were several business restrictions that SAB had to fight by ruling over the production of beer along with acquisitioning competitor companies and enhancing the facilities of production and distribution. The large brewing companies accounted for 17 percent of the market in the early period of the 1990s. However, by the year 2009, these companies have started accounting for around 45 percent of the market that reflects on the increasing competition. SABMiller has thus since 2010 considered strategizing more focusing in the impacts of the environmental factors (Johnson, 2010, pp.643-644). SABMiller’s operations in the present day may be represented through the following chart: Figure 1: Summary Scope of SABMiller Operation Today (Moulaeifar, 2009, p.2). SWOT Analysis: SABMiller: SWOT analysis is a technique that enables an underst anding on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a business organization thereby allowing the business to consider measures accordingly for the benefits and success of the company. However, this technique makes the strategic planning of the business highly formal (Jacob, 2009, p.9). From the case study and other readings, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company could be learnt. The strengths of the company are reflected through its operations that are spread across the globe, and taking advantages of locations like India, China, Vietnam, and African markets. The worldwide knowledge of the company is good in terms of entering new markets creating its presence. The market dominance of the company being the second largest brewer too adds to its strengths. In terms of value addition, cost leadership, economies of scale and efficient distribution, the company has a competitive advantage over other brewers. Also the company has a strong presenc e in the US (Johnson, 2010; Moulaeifar, 2009, p.5). The company’s weaknesses include lack of assets in Western Europe that limits the company’s operations in the region. Moreover SABMiller does not have any assets in the markets where there could be major growth for the company. Thirdly, the income level of individuals largely determines the level of

Cultural Influence on Human Development Essay Example for Free

Cultural Influence on Human Development Essay It is important to understand why culture affects and is an integral part of human development and should not be overlooked. Demographic experts predict that the human population will reach 9 billion by 2050, but the rise will not occur equally around the world. The existing demographic divide between the wealthy developed countries and the poor developing countries will only widen because majority of the increase will occur among the developing countries whilst that of the former will actually decline progressively. As it is, the combined population of developed countries only make up 18% of the total world population, and 9 of 10 individuals living here are in the top 20% of the global income distribution. In contrast, about 40% of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars per day (Arnett, 2012). Variations in human development occur because of differences in cultural settings, which in turn are significantly impacted by socioeconomic status (SES) of a group. Educational level, income level, and occupational status are all parameters within the SES. It pervades all aspects of human development, from risk of infant mortality to quality of education and job prospects to affording healthcare in old age. It is no surprise that differences in SES are sharp between developed and developing countries. Like SES, gender and ethnicity are strong drivers of culture and are key factors in development. The dichotomy is blurred now, but throughout our history cultural expectations of men and women have been vastly different. The Hunter-gatherer way of live evolved because our Homo ancestors needed to adapt to the long infant dependency to the mother, who remained in a stable home base caring for the offspring and gathering edibles within reach while the males ventured out to hunt for food. An extreme example of women assuming a secondary role occurred in Imperial China (10th or 11th century) where young women of the wealthy elite who did not need them to work were subjected to painful foot binding to prevent further growth. This was a display of status and became the symbol of beauty in Chinese culture. So deep-seated is the gender difference in Antiquity that it manifested in the ancient conceptions of human development that the three ancient religions – Dharmashastras (Hindu), G reek (conceived by the philosopher Solon), and the holy Talmud (Jewish) – were all written by and for men only. Women were excluded from areas such as religious leadership and philosophy. Religion,  along with race and language, is a component of ethnicity. Recent scientific conceptions of human development also hinge on the influence of the social environment. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005) draws attention to the broader cultural environment beyond the mother-child relationship that people experience as they develop. He distinguishes an exosystem of social institutions school, religion, and media – that have indirect but pivotal influences on development. His more encompassing macrosystem of cultural beliefs and values form the foundation of economic and governmental systems. Middle Eastern countries possess governments and economic systems that are based on Islam. Conversely, developed countries believe in the value of individual freedom and this is reflected in their capitalist economy and democratic government. No matter how we look at it, every aspect of human development be it biological, psychological or social, is invariably intertwined with culture. Moreover, a study on human development that focuses on the 18% of the world’s population living in developed countries that can fund major research undertaking is both inadequate and unfair. Poor developing countries have rich and complex cultural systems that have legitimate impact on human development. Therefore it is vital that we learn about human development as it is experienced around the world.

The Gospel Of St. Paul Essay Example for Free

The Gospel Of St. Paul Essay The Apostle of the Gentiles as Saint Paul is revered as, is a persecutor of the followers of Christ, of Christians. It was on his way to Damascus that Jesus Christ revealed Himself to Saul (the Jewish name of Paul). It is in Chapter 22 of the Book of Acts that the incident was narrated when Jesus Christ asked Paul as to why Paul is persecuting the Lord. Hence, the Lord Jesus commanded Paul to go to Ananias where Paul got the message that the Lord has chosen him to spread his Word and declare His name to all pagans and Kings and nations. This revelation that brought about the conversion of Paul is due to the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ to have dwelt in Paul. Paul awakened to the distinction of the life he wishes and is destined to pursue as a Christian compared to his life as a Jew. Being born with the spirit of Jesus Christ at that instance and thenon caused the Word of God to dwell in him It was immediately clear to Paul who is Jesus Christ and how he will communicate to the whole world about him. It is a paramount teaching and admonition of Saint Paul that mankind should listen to the spirit, as he wrote his First Letters to the Thessalonians (Chapter 5 Verse 13). Paul thus was fully empowered and authorized to spread the Word of God and the Knowledge of God. â€Å"Paul sees himself as a charismatic. Consequently his proclamation rests on the power of the spirit and is accompanied by signs and wonders. He was given the grace of the apostolic office. Through this he has special authority that he can exercise with regard to the church, even if he makes only reluctant use of it. † After the conversion and baptism of Paul in Damascus he went to Arabia to prepare for his mission. He returned to Damascus and started preaching which enraged the Jews. Feeling the threat of such anger, Paul visited Peter and the other apostles in Jerusalem. It was Barnabas who introduced Paul to Peter and the other apostles, declaring that Jesus Christ revealed himself to Paul and spoken to him and that Paul had already preached in the named of Jesus Christ. So when Peter and Paul met together with James, Paul learned from them everything about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter narrated how the event happened and proven as Jesus Christ revealed himself as alive and risen from the dead to hundreds of people So, together with the 12 apostles and the witnesses to Christ’s resurrection, Paul considers his enlightenment as a way of tradition which he relays to those he converts to follow Jesus Christ. â€Å"Tradition was a living and growing thing in the first-century church: the tradition which Paul delivered was fuller than what he received, for he was able to amplify the record of appearances of the risen Lord with his personal testimony. † Peter and the rest of the apostles were wary about Paul as he was known to be a persecutor of Christians. Yet, they all felt and believed that they are indeed being made to be united for the mission that is to declare the Word of God. Paul and the apostles met with the Council of Jerusalem where they encountered the profound issue of the Mosaic Law – the commandments of God has handed down to Moses. One of the mandates that the Jews standby firm is that salvation will only be attained after circumcision in the manner of Moses. The law must be strictly adhered to and the people of Jerusalem believes no other means to heaven. â€Å"The law had a special relationship with Israel, particularly to protect and discipline Israel in the period from Moses to Christ. But that was a temporary role. It should not be assumed, however, that this is the only function of the law and therefore that the coming of Christ means the abolition of the law† Yet, Paul heard how Peter has explained that belief and living by the Word of God in the way Jesus Christ has taught and exemplified and lived and died for is the true message of salvation. It is in such faith, Peter and the apostles thus attested that God’s miracles and wonders that they have seen and done were made possible. It is to adhere to the Word of God and at the same time avoiding all sins of idolatry and lusts. Paul was further enlightened on what Jesus Christ gospels and teachings are geared to. That God is a forgiving and all knowing God. His Divine Plan for mankind is to live in peace and love amongst each other and to revere His Divinity as one and absolute. And as Paul went about his ministry to propagate the faith in such accord, he was known for the solidity of his thoughts, the fluidity of his message and the sanctity of his feelings for mankind. â€Å"Paul’s theology of God was no abstract speculation but sustained and informed by his own experience in conversion and mission and prayer. It is the integration of intellectual rigour, missionary and pastoral effectiveness, and personal experience which makes his speech about God so compelling. † Paul’s teaching about the goodness of God as exemplified in giving to the world His Only Son by dying on the cross. Yet he expounded on the lesson that death from this life is a transition to another, better life. Paul achieved the realization as he painstakingly preached that Jesus Christ proved that it is in dying that man is born to eternal life. â€Å"The power of Christianity inspired by this faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is hard for us now to realize. Eighteen centuries have intervened between our selves and the living witnesses of the resurrection. But then they were living. And yet there were difficulties which Paul had to encounter, and many of them. It was not plain or easy work. † Thus, the preaching method of Paul ventured on showing and demonstrating the goodness he experienced in his vision of Jesus Christ. His change and his commitment to the Lord were all gifted to him. Jesus Christ became the only basis of his interpretation of the goodness of God; what a true relationship to God is all about. It is because as Paul explained in his Letter to the Galatians in Chapter 1, Verses 12 to 16, his enlightenment and conversion and mission do not come from man but from Jesus Christ. â€Å"The connotation of communicated knowledge is reinforced by the fact that, strictly speaking, what is revealed in v. 12 is the ‘good news’ whereas the purpose of the revelation in v. 16 is ‘to preach good news’. In Paul’s case, conversion and call to ministry are inseparable† Bibliography: Abbott, Lyman. The Life and Letters of Paul the Apostle Boston and New York Houghton, Mifflin and Company The Riverside Press, Cambridge, 1898 Becker, Jurgen; Dean, O. C. ; Soards, Marion L. Paul: Apostle of the Gentiles Westminster John Knox Press, 1993 Bruce, Frederick Fyvie. Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000 Dunn, James D. G. The Theology of Paul the Apostle Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006 O’Connor, Jerome Murphy- Paul: A Critical Life Oxford University, 1997 The Holy Bible. King James Version New York: American Bible Society, 1999 New York: Bartleby. com, 2000

History of Furniture Design

History of Furniture Design How did furniture develop through the centuries? Furniture (probably from the French fournir — to provide) is the mass noun for the movable objects (mobile in Latin languages) intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things. The question above is not an easy one to answer. Going through the ages of the past it can easily be seen that people invented loads of different types and shapes of furniture. To try to answer this question we would have to go all the way back to the medieval times. This period in time would have to be the starting point in this matter and the Fourteenth-Centurys Great Hall would have to be our point A. Moving forward in the pursuit of evolution of the furniture we would come across the Fifteenth-Centurys Solar (room) and following that road the typical Tudor Interior from the Sixteenth-Century in which the Elizabethan trend was the strongest one to point out. Another development going forward was presented in the Seventeenth-Century in the age of Stuarts quickly followed up by the Georgian Times with its changes in the furniture art and craft. Late Eighteen-Century was known as the golden age for furniture also names as â€Å"age of mahogany†. Moving forward into the Victori an times and drastic increase in furniture demand and finally put an end to the journey through the development of furniture and settle in the Twentieth-Century and its long history. The pursuit of the answer to the above question will not be straight forward and it will involve getting into details of different fashion and behaviour of people who lived in the periods presented above. The time frames would have to be examined carefully and the conclusion have to be made after comparing and reviewing examples from each period of time. The plan would be to keep the research chronically and go over the terms of years in historical order. That is the best possible way to point out the differences and potential development of the furniture along the ages. The fact that people are the creators of the furniture supports the positive answer to the question as all human beings are unique and persons mind is infinite. Therefore the furniture build by the hand of men can and will vary among the time. MEDIEVAL: The quest through the ages in the aim of furniture development will start in the medieval time. Furniture in that period was created purely to help people with day to day tasks table was used only to eat or draw on it. It was not designed to be a piece of art, it was more of a tool. There was a very little furniture in a medieval home and the piece were all of basic, utilitarian design. One of the most valued items was the wooden bed on which lay the feather mattress, supported on boards or rope mesh. After the bed the chest was the most important article of furniture, the craftsmen were outrunning themselves in the decorative piercing of them. There were also cupboards for storage of food and plate. Benches and long oak solid and trestle tables were popular as well in that time, the families were big and the longer the table the more people could eat at the same time. Practicality was the main purpose of the medieval age furniture. Great Hall was the main room where peopl e used to dine and festive together. Most furniture was made of oak, boarded for the most part and decorated by carving and painting. Medieval Trestle table Medieval Chest ELIZABETHAN / JACOBEAN: The introduction of joined furniture towards the end of the Fifteenth-Century made possible stronger and lighter articles. In the time of the Tudor dynasty furniture was slowly becoming more varied in design and greater in quantity. Oak was still the wood most in use and decoration was by carving and inlay. In the first half of the Sixteenth-Century linenfold panelling was extensively carved to decorate panels for chests and cupboards. The reign of Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 24 March 1603) is a good starting point for the study of furniture. Elizabethan furniture is characterised by the bulbous leg, carved with acanthus leaf decoration (seen in beds, tables, court cupboards and buffets). The four-poster bed made its appearance in this century. The framework of tester, posts and headboard was richly carved over the entire surface. Through still not common, chairs were more numerous than in the previous times. Elizabethan bedroom Elizabethan table STUART: Furniture, as elsewhere in the house had become more adequate and convenient. Additionally to the kitchen table there was always a settle, a dresser, and chairs. In the second half of the Seventeenth-Century the carving of woodwork reached exceptionally high standard of craftsmanship. Classical ornaments were used in carving. Most common ones were egg and dart, bead and reel and acanthus foliage. After the Restoration of the Monarchy (1660) furniture become more decorative but at the same time they were more useful at home. Charles II after his return to England from France brought different methods of making the furniture. Also, use of the other types of wood and the meaning of ornamentation strongly evolved at that time. Craftsmen from France were permanently moving to England and they were improving and implementing their way of creating the furniture to the local ones. The period between 1660 and 1750s was known in the history as the â€Å"age of walnut†. This wood was generally used purely due to the low cost and the colour of it. The construction of the furniture became more delicate and the design of it varied. Legs were turned in bobbin vase or columnar form or as the quality of lathe design improved, in the spiral twist. The day bed appeared along with the usage of more chairs and settees. Solid dining tables were pushed out by the gate-leg design, card and small side tables. Upholstery was in common use for seating furniture, it was covered with turkeywork, velvet or embroidery and edged with fringe and tassels. The appearance of new decorative techniques (veneering, japanning, gesso, marquetry) raised the art of furniture to the next level. Stuart chair Gate-leg table GEORGIAN: The form of classicism followed by architects during this long period changed markedly. Palladianism appeared and developed in the early years of this period (1714 1760). Typical English style restrained and almost austere on the exterior, correct in its classical design and detail, richer, warmer and bold within. The country houses of this type were set in carefully selected exteriors, ideal positioned in laid out parklands. The Eighteenth-Century was the golden age of the English house. The quality of design and craftsmanship in architecture and the decorative arts had been steadily improving since Elizabethan times and this reached its zenith in the years 1760 1790. There was a trend in furnishing design to follow a rapidly changing variety of different source material. The standard of workmanship suffered due to mass production of decorative parts based on the cost and time saving background. In total, the time and patience required to train a craftsman and the money to pay him to produce a superb piece of furniture were running out and the decay of taste was imminent. The general quality of the furniture was dropping down rapidly. Due to quick increase of population classy and stylish furniture were pushed out by simpler quicker to made designs, more efficient and less effective mass products. The golden age was also called the mahogany age in the furniture history. Although walnut was continued in use until mid-century, other woods were also employed. After the abolition in 1721 of the import duties of West Indian timers, mahogany began to enter the country in numbers. It was a perfect wood for a furniture making industry. Strong, suitable for delicate carving (ribband or lyre back chairs and cabriole legs terminating in claw and ball feet), also available in greater widths than walnut what made it ideal for veneered surfaces of larger area and for table tops. It had a beautiful patina and resistance to woodworm. In this period many new designs appeared at a glance, such as tables, chair, stools, settees, bureaux. China and corner cabinets were also popular, along with dumb waiters, mirrors, candle stands desks and commodes. The designs of the first half of the century were larger scale, nicely carved in classic manner and superbly veneered surfaces. 1750s was the time of the Rococo motif in furnishing, followed by Chinese and Gothic forms. 1760s was a more delicate period characteristic with carved mahogany but also painted and gilded beech, harewood and satinwood veneers, ormolu mounts and marquetry and brass inlay. In this period more delicate furniture pushed out the heavier designs from previous years i.e. the cabriole leg was pushed out by the tapering square leg. New items started appearing in the 70s and 80s of Eighteen-Century and Pembroke table was one of the examples. At the end of the century came the Sheraton era, displaying simultaneously strength, function and delicacy in the furnishing designs. Decoration was restrained in painting, inlay and veneer, often with metal inlay and mounting. The design was plain and mostly copied from antique originals Greece. The sofa table evolved from the Pembroke form. Chairs were characterized with by horizontal backs rather than vertical splats, and legs which often curved in sabre design (Egyptian or Etruscan samples). Typical of mirror design was the circular convex type. The long dining table was revived, standing on curved legs and pillared supports. 1740 1750s room 1760s room (Adams Room) Pembroke table Lattice-back chair Rococo set Regency furniture (late 18th cent.) VICTORIAN: Nineteenth-Century period. The interiors of Victorian houses were in marked contrast to the previous century. One of the major reasons for this was the urbanization process and the migration of people from country to the cities. Also, the major growth of population forced the change in the design of the houses and its interiors. Mass-production methods of supplying the needs led to a greater similarity in their designs, which overall resulted in a poorer level of design and workmanship. The early part of this period saw machines beginning to replace hand labour, the beginning of the industrial age.This period created a large gap between the designer and the craftsmen. The factories had changed, the designers no longer had direct contact with the customer. The new machines were introduced to take away from man the back braking jobs and speed up manufacture. They soon began to take over most of the work and the furniture started to be designed around what the machine could m ake, therefore the quality of design declined. The demand for furniture was high, the factories were manufacturing at a fast pace, and a frantic rush for the designers to keep ahead of each other created poor quality design. Interior decorative schemes were in great contrast to the Regency ones. White or light painted wood work had been replaced by dark brown tones. Furnishing fabrics were all darker and richer in hue and most often strongly patterned. There was a strong tendency to drape materials over everything, tasselled velvet covers to tables and chimneypieces, antimacassars on the chair and sofa backs. Upholstery was heavy, button designs were very fashionable. The whole interior was over furnished and over decorated, a profusion of stuffed birds, framed photographs, lace mats and wax fruit. Designers rather used and modified many styles taken from various time periods in history like Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, Neoclassical and others. The clean Grecian lines of the Regency period were out of favour by 1835 and everyone wanted furniture that was showier with plenty of curves. This showier furniture after 1850 led to low prices and poor construction and workmanship that was often h idden by veneer and applied ornament. The Gothic and Rococo revival style were the most common styles to be seen in furniture during this time in history. In the last 20 years of the century colours became lighter again, patterns less vivid, and fewer pieces of furniture were placed in a room. Mass production was still at its height therefore the quality and individualism of the furniture started to extinct. Because of the technical progress in the industry the interior became more casual and was supposed to be functional more than elegant. Furniture was less attractive, it was heavier in design and often over elaborately decorated. In the late century the whole 18th century and the earlier style designs were copied and reproduced for a mass market. It was very hard to establish which the differences between the originals and the reproductions. One of the characteristic Victorian features was the extensive use of the papier mache and to a lesser degree, Tunbridge ware. The balloon back chair and the introduction of brass and iron in the construction of the bedsteads were crucial in the Victorian furniture history. Rocking chairs were v ery popular along with tent beds. Plainer, more traditional furniture was made by a number of designers at the end of the century. William Morris started a rebellion against this trend, founding a company to demonstrate the superiority of quality handmade furniture. Honesty of the handmade joints was his feature of construction. This lead to the Arts and Crafts Movement on the 1880s leading on to Art Nouveau. This drew attention to the merits of 18th Century furniture and led to the practice of purchasing second hand furniture and the antique shop began. Victorian chairs Victorian hall Victorian rocking chair Balloon back chair Tunbridge ware box Papier mache table THE TWENTIETH-CENTURY: Throughout history there has been great change in furniture design, but by far the most rapid and revolutionary period of furniture history was the 20th Century. The two world wars of this century were not themselves responsible for the changes in society. The wars did however act as catalysts speeding up the processes of change. They have created specific barriers before and after the years of struggle with no chance of returning back to the previous existence. All of the above has changed peoples attitude towards change drastically. After each war the position of women and their functionality had altered fundamentally. Middle and upper class housewives found themselves without sufficient labour to run their homes as before needed to arrange labour save equipment and finishes without outer help. Interiors quickly became plain and far lesser furniture was used inside. The history of furniture design in the 20th century reflects the changing tastes and trends within the design community. The early years of 20th century design were dominated by the slow reaction from the mid-Victorian over furnished interior, were the excess of decoration taken place once again. International Arts and Crafts Movement which was quickly followed by Art Nouveau (circa 1910-1920) and Art Deco (circa 1920-1930) became more of a trend than periods in the early 20th century furnishing history. There was a great furniture demand to supply all new build houses after the wars. Machine production had to be established to cope with the needs, however this has greatly impacted the quality of the furniture. Some excellent modern designs were manufactured in Scandinavia and in the 30s were gradually influencing the English product for the better. This flat packed furniture revolutionised the market in the whole Western Europe. By mid century Modern and Post Modern styles accounted for the changing tastes of post-war consumers. Convenience and time-saving became more important to the whole family in the decades after 1945. After World War II, the public as a whole looked to warmer and softer furniture, organic forms, warmer products like timber and upholstered chairs. They wanted to be cared for by their furniture, feel comfortable and most of all have some luxury that had long been missing. Central heating replaced the heating of the individual rooms. These two factors, together with a rising standard of living and a desire for greater privacy for the individual members of the family led to general rearrangement and the new decor of the rooms. The recognition that with a central heating there was no need for a fireplace led to the fact that in most homes the TV receiver became now the focal centre. Smaller, more individual bedrooms appeared in the households. One of the most popular developments of that period was the usage of plastic textiles. In the field of plastic an extensive range of materials has become available to produce colourful, attractive, and easy to care surfaces at home. The plastic materials together with development of synthetic textile fibres, have revolutionised the decoration processes in the furniture industry. Plastics were like the tubular steel of old, it opened up doorways for new furniture design, lightweight and versatile, designers like Joe Colombo, Vernon Panton and Anna Castelli-Ferreri stormed ahead concepting and manufacturing plastic stacking chairs, beautiful and versatile. The industrial style or Hi Tech movement developed in the 70s. The greatest advances were in office furniture and equipment with Olivetti of Italy leading the way. The 80s period of furniture design continued to focus on the industrial sector. Designs were predominately commissioned for retail shopping, hospitals, restaurants, school s and hotels. The favoured materials were metal, perforated metal became popular along with steel reinforcing mesh. Designers of this period searched to find greater meaning and purpose for their furniture design. Some strange and unusual forms were explored like the W.W. Stool by Phillipe Starck a fantasy style piece of furniture that makes you question if you can indeed dare to sit on it! The Soft Heart chair by Ron Arad showed how by using polyurethane foam that the choice of shapes and form was limitless! Clever materials, technology and production methods meant that the only limits were the designers imagination. Going through the period of time and examining all different trends in the history of furniture few interesting conclusions appeared. Bibliography: 1. â€Å"English Interiors a pictorial guide and glossary†, Doreen Yarwood 1983 2. â€Å"The Encyclopedia of Furniture third edition†, Joseph Aronson 1965 3. â€Å"A Century Of Interior Design 1900 2000†, Stanley Abercrombie 2003 4. 20th Century furniture history http://www.slais.ubc.ca/courses/libr559f/04-05-st1/portfolios/G_Bahnemann/Furniture_Design.pdf 5. Victorian Furniture history http://www.interiordezine.com/index.cfm/Furniture_History/Victorian_Furniture

The Elderly in the Workplace :: Psychology, Civil Rights Act

While Industrial and Organizational Psychology can be traced back almost to the very beginning of psychology, it did not truly become the science that it is today until 1964 (Landy & Conte, 2010). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was â€Å"federal legislation that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin† (Landy & Conte, 2010, p. 22). The Act, which made a great impact on the workplace, may not have been directly connected to I/O Psychology, but it appears to have ushered in the modernization of I/O Psychology (Landy & Conte, 2010). The first of many changes that occurred in I/O Psychology occurred in 1973 (Landy & Conte, 2010). It was then that the word organizational was added to the Industrial Psychology name to make it I/O Psychology (Landy & Conte, 2010). This change came about after it became apparent that it was just as beneficial to study group behavior rather than just individual behavior in the workplace (Landy & Conte, 2010). Our textbook says that the name was altered to stress that an individual who is part of an organization will be subject â€Å"to a common goal and a common set of operating procedures† (Landy & Conte, 2010, p. 23). The changing of the name may be one of the most blatant changes in I/O Psychology, but there were other changes as well. For instance, prior to the field being modernized, it placed great emphasis on mental ability tests (Landy & Conte, 2010). Currently, instead of being the main focus, they are now viewed as just being one of many things that are considered important to I/O Psychologists. A second example is that the individual branches of industrial psychology used to see themselves as separate entities and were perhaps competing rather than working together for the same goal (Landy & Conte, 2010). Luckily, the individual branches now see the importance of working together and have switched their views regarding work behavior and have now adopted a systems view (Landy & Conte, 2010). This changed outlook recognizes that there are multiple variables that impact the behavior that is seen at the workplace (Landy & Conte, 2010). One challenge that is affecting today’s workplace and that could be addressed by I/O Psychologists involves the elderly and the technology that seems to be constantly advancing. Elderly people are retiring at a later age than they did in the past, which can be connected to the economy as well as to other things.

Business Communication at Sainsburys and Cadburys Essay -- Business M

Business Communication at Sainsbury's and Cadburys Communication There are several different types of communication in a business such as Sainsbury's and Cadburys. INTERNAL Telephone ? When the business is a big building or is a group of small way which are close or far away when telling another group of colleges something important e.g. Telling them that their supplies have arrived. It is the main way of communicating around the business. Telephones are appropriate when you need to talk to someone when it is quicker to ring them rather than going all the way over to the person. Face to face communication ? This is when two of more colleges talk to each other face to face. This could be general slacking or telling them useful information. It is the quickest way of communicating. But if the receiver doesn?t write the message down they will forget the message and it may be important to the functioning of the business. Face to face is appropriate when you need to tell someone a message quickly and they are next to you or if they are in the same area as them. Meetings ? Sometimes it is important that everyone meets face to face to discuss business issues. Usually, an assistant writes down what was discussed and agreed. These are called the minutes and everyone gets a copy. One problem of a meeting is that they take time and have to be planned in advance to make sure that everyone can be there. Intranet - The advantages of Ict upon communica...

Descartes And The Existence Of a Supreme Being :: essays research papers

Upon cursory examination, one might assume that Rene Descartes is a “non-believer'; in the existence of a heavenly being, a God that presides over humans and gives us faith. However, this is simply not the case – Descartes is simply trying to destroy all of the uncertainties that have come about by the attempted scientific explanations of such a supreme being. For Rene Descartes and all of the other believers in the world, the existence of God provides a convenient answer to unexplained questions, while never providing answers to the questions about God himself. This is evidenced a great deal in the circular argument made by Descartes in the Meditations on First Philosophy. What follows is a brief account of the third and fifth meditations, which provide Descartes’ response to the masked question, “What is God?';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Can one perceive or confirm the existence of an idea that is external to him, an idea such as God? In order to determine the answer we must start by understanding the ways in which we can conclude an objects’ existence. Descartes explains three ways in which a person might come to such a conclusion – the first, through nature; the second, through feeling a value that is independent of the will of the object; and the third, the objective reality of an idea, or the “cause and effect profile.'; The third point is the one that we will primarily spend our time with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Descartes drills us with the idea that an object will have an effect when it stems from a legitimate cause, or an initial idea that precedes with equal or superior properties in one’s intellect. In other words, the mind generates thoughts and ideas about a physical form, and develops a reality for this form, through previous schema and beliefs. “And although an idea may give rise to another idea, this regress cannot, nevertheless, be infinite; we must in the end reach a first idea, the cause of which is, as it were, the archetype in which all the reality that is found objectively in these ideas is contained formally.'; The only problem with Descartes’ argument is when the existence of God arises as a notion, for there is no sustenance or idea for the notion of God to originate from. Is it possible, then, to create the idea of a finite being from an infinite existence, outside of the physical and mental, in a state all of it’s own?