Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Athlete compensation - 1936 Words

Athlete Compensation The idea of paying college athletes has been an ongoing debate since the early 1900s. With current television revenue resulting from NCAA football bowl games and March Madness in basketball, there is now a commotion for compensating both football and basketball players beyond that of an athletic scholarship. Because of the title â€Å"Student-athlete†, college athletes have the obligation to be a student first, and an athlete second and should not be paid to play. There have been ongoing arguments for the past decade of whether or not college athletes should be paid to play. Many argue that they do not have the time to get real jobs because the requirements for the sports that they participate in are far too†¦show more content†¦But frankly, the details of this agreement are well known by all involved, and rather strangely, no one seems to mind when signing them. Throughout the history of the NCAA, college athletes have always, in some way, received compensation beyond that of a full college scholarship (e.g., room and board, tuition, books). While such compensation is illegal, athletes like Reggie Bush and others receive under-the-table benefits as evidenced in the Slack survey (Sack). The public knows that this is happening, the other non-athlete students of the college know that it is happening, but if your team is doing goo people tend to just turn a blind eye. Aside of compensation, these athletes receive special attention and privileges from the school staff. Privileges that non-athlete students would not get, such as later due dates on assignments, extra help on work, or just exempting them from a project or assignment all together. Then adding on a dollar amount compensation to that would just add to the frustration that non-student-athletes feel. Additionally, many athletes in â€Å"big time† programs do not receive a degree for their efforts in the athletic arena. Universities routinely admit students who are strong Quintero 6 athletically but weak academically. As studies show, many athletes that aspire to be academically successful soon loseShow MoreRelatedShould Student Athletes Receive Compensation for Upholding a Higher Standard?922 Words   |  4 PagesStudent athletes entertain fans at their local resident arena, which generated five million and six hundred thousand dollars in ticket sell in 2012 (National College Athletic Association). This is not fair to student athletes that are solely responsibility for contributing to these financial statistics. Student athletes are leaders in the classrooms and on the field. Student athletes uphold the standards requirement by the NCAA to maintain their eligible to play sports. As leader on the fieldRead MoreCollege Athlete Compensation : College Athletes2260 Words   |  10 PagesCOLLEGE ATHLETE COMPENSATION When the topic of college comes up, many things come to mind. Those are the glory days for most of us. The college parties, the struggle to find a balance between having fun and maintaining a good GPA, and not to mention the amazing athletic departments that colleges offer. Everyone enjoys sports but does anyone ever stop to wonder how much goes into preparing for those games? There’s very much work that goes in the preparation of a student athlete other than just showingRead MoreCollege Athlete Compensation : College Athletes2251 Words   |  10 PagesCollege Athlete Compensation When the topic of college comes up, many things come to mind. Those are the glory days for most of us. The college parties, the struggle to find a balance between having fun and maintaining a good GPA, and not to mention the amazing athletic departments that colleges offer. Everyone enjoys sports but does anyone ever stop to wonder how much goes into the preparation for those games? There’s much more effort that’s put into it other than just showing up for practice.Read MoreCollege Athletes Financial Compensation4427 Words   |  18 PagesNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) panel, to include its president Mr. Mark Emmert to modify the current NCAA amateurism by law 12.02.1 making it feasible for college athletes to receive financial compensation. The primary issue with the current regulation is that because of the rule many student athletes are living in poverty like conditions. The current by law is also affecting various aspects of domestic and Internati onal students ability to continue to meet eligibility requirementsRead MoreThe Ban On Student Athlete Compensation1426 Words   |  6 PagesRight now the ban on student-athlete compensation is insufficient and is not doing the student-athlete any good. Student-athletes should be paid for their efforts no matter what the rule has always been. These athletes hard work is being taken advantage of by the people around them. A change to a competitive labor market with less restrictions on student-athlete compensation might be a necessity (Sanderson and Siegfried). In 2013 a man by the name of Jay Bilas, an ESPN basketball analyst, loggedRead MoreFair Compensation For Student Athletes1554 Words   |  7 PagesResearch Paper: Fair Compensation for Student-Athletes It’s early fall 2014 and this year’s NCAA collegiate sports season has taken off like a full court press. Dedicated fans of collegiate football and basketball will crowd into stadiums or huddle around their TV to proclaim their allegiance to a school of their choice. Regardless of their declarations, many fans and spectators will be pleased by the seasons end when only a handful of schools are declared the winners and able to clutch one of theRead MoreCollege Athletes Receiving Compensation For Their Efforts1644 Words   |  7 Pages Emily Zatopek once said, â€Å"An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head.† This is relevant to the controversy that surrounds college athletes receiving compensation for their efforts in sports. College athletics have gained much attention and popularity over the past few decades. Due to these actions by sports fans across the United States, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is bringing in huge amounts of money yearRead MoreCollege Athletes Deserve Compensation Essay861 Words   |  4 Pagesprefer college. The only difference between professional and college athletics is the lack of payment to student athletes. The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) receives millions of dollars in revenue from college mens basketball and football, and college coaches of top schools are paid the same amount as professional coaches. Fans of both college and professional athletes can proudly show their commitment by purchasing jerseys or other merchandise. College basketball and footballRead MoreCollege Athletes Need Support Not Compensation1284 Words   |  6 Pages College Athletes Need Support Not Compensation Before entering college, high school athletes work very hard honing their skills, hoping for college recruiters come to their games to scout them. Parents are hoping that their athlete child gets a full scholarship to college which will unburden their parents and give their child an open door of opportunities to become successful. Once in college, the student works even harder training sometimes multiple times a day and even playing on a nationalRead MoreShould Colledge Athletes Receive Compensation for Playing? Essay756 Words   |  4 PagesAthletic Association, there are over 400,000 student athletes attending a university this year. Its a debate that has been going on for the last twenty years, Should student-athletes receive compensation for playing? This argument has gone on for a while, but recently received media attention, when the O’Bannon v. NCAA started taking place. Athletes believed that they were being exploited on video games, and believed that they deserved compensation for that. Now there are multiple sides to this debate

Monday, December 16, 2019

Selecting, Developing, Managing and Retaining Knowledge Workers Free Essays

Do HR departments have the right strategies to select, develop, manage and retain knowledge workers? As Peter Drucker recently quoted, the new knowledge economy will rely heavily on knowledge workers who are not, as a rule, much better paid than traditional skilled workers but also see themselves as professionals. Knowledge technologists are likely to become the dominant social and perhaps, political force over the next decades. Thus, it is very important to have the right strategies in place to select, develop, manage and retain knowledge workers. We will write a custom essay sample on Selecting, Developing, Managing and Retaining Knowledge Workers or any similar topic only for you Order Now But before we proceed to analyze if HR departments do have these strategies, we need to understand what the term ‘knowledge workers’ means. A knowledge worker is one who works primarily with information or one who develops and uses knowledge in the workplace. In a knowledge-driven economy, a knowledge worker is oriented more towards research, analysis and manipulation of the symbols, as in information, rather than the mechanical tools. These individuals have domain knowledge expertise and may include broadly: architects, finance experts, graphic designers, fashion designers, pharmaceutical scientists, researchers, teachers, and policy analysts, to name but a few. In order to focus on strategically critical knowledge workers, it is necessary to move beyond merely creating a supportive culture or a best place to work. Top innovators understand their worth. These workers are independent and entrepreneurial, for instance like the originators of eBay, Google and Facebook. To keep such people, it is necessary to make them feel like they are building their own businesses within the larger organization. This can be achieved partly by recognizing their status as thought leaders but it is also important to give them a stake in the new lines of business they develop. The bottom line is that organizations need to view key talent as partners, rather than as employees or â€Å"resources†. The balance of power has shifted such that highly skilled innovators need to be seen as partners or they are gone. In the past, human resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists performed the administrative function of an organization, such as handling employee benefits questions or recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new staff in accordance with policies established by top management. Their task was to attract, motivate, and retain the most qualified employees and match them to jobs for which they are best suited. Today the role of human resources workers is more than just managing these tasks, but, increasingly, that of strategic planning in consultation with top executives. They have moved from behind-the-scenes staff work to leading the company in suggesting and changing policies. Many organizations claim to have a commitment to developing their employees and phrases such as â€Å"our people are our most valuable assets† are often spotted on motivational posters in companies. In my opinion, however, very few companies embrace a structured approach to training and retention programmes. HR departments may claim to have several strategies to select, develop, manage and retain employees, but what is important is that the psychological contract, which is vital to building and sustaining a win-win relationship, needs to be reinforced. Research shows that several well-intended training and development initiatives fail to deliver the desired results. In fact, during economic slowdowns the budget which is often the first to be cut back on is the training budget. Adopting a structured approach to employee training and retention requires a change in mindset at the very top-level of the organization. The entire issue of staff retention needs to be treated in a strategic way and this is where most organizations lack. The first step in the development of an employee retention strategy is identifying the pinch points for the organization, the areas where the company regularly suffers from a high staff turnover and the particular concerns and problems of the targeted staff groups. It is also important to have a clear understanding of the expectations and aspirations of your employees; only then can you develop the strategies needed to meet some of these aspirations and begin to develop a workplace that is a great place to work and employees who see the company as a good company to work for. A good retention strategy should address issues such as:   support in the workplace, progression, opportunities for development, remuneration, working time, and flexible working. The focus should be on retaining existing talent and keeping the available organizational knowledge intact rather than searching for new talents. The key to success will be the integration of training and development within the retention strategy. Training and development provides the means of supporting staff to operate effectively and enabling staff to access the opportunities provided by the retention strategy. Levels of remuneration and flexible working will signal the right environment but it is through using training and development as a mechanism to demonstrate investment in employees on an on-going basis that will turn an organizational commitment into a reality. The techniques and processes that help new hires learn quickly are also the techniques and processes that help retain organizational knowledge. Knowledge sharing techniques such as communities of practice, mentoring, lunch and learn sessions, business process maps, expertise directories of staff are just as useful for retaining organizational knowledge as they are for fast learning by new employees. A good knowledge sharing technique should address questions such as ‘What does it offer me? ’ ‘What does it offer us? ’ ‘What does it offer to the organization? Once these techniques fill the personal and group learning needs of staff, they will also evolve to sharing strategic information. Techniques such as communities of practice can be HR’s role in strategic information management for the organization. The success of an organization in its strategy will be judged ultimately by its success in engaging individuals in development activities, not in simply having them available. The key to success will be how relevant and appropriate the development activity is and how accessible it is to employees. It requires talent to retain talent. The successful employer of the future will be a keen competitor in the skills market. They will compete for the best recruits but not in terms of purely financial rewards but by offering them the best working experience, one that offers security as well as progression and personal growth. They will focus on retaining the available organizational knowledge and harnessing it to the maximum rather than on hunting for new talents. How to cite Selecting, Developing, Managing and Retaining Knowledge Workers, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Environmental Sustainability Human Health -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Environmental Sustainability Human Health? Answer: Introduction Nike, Inc. is an American footwear manufacturing company that does business worldwide. 47% of the global sports shoes market is covered by the company and it is at the top of its business. The company generated 6% more revenue in 2016 than 2015 as total amount of 32.4 billion dollars were earned from worldwide revenue. In 1964 Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman founded the Blue Ribbon Sports that transformed into Nike in 1972 (Gibson, 2012). The company effectively promotes a strategic management and marketing campaign that primarily focuses on innovating and inspiring athletes shoes (About.nike.com, 2017). The organization operates in 700 stores in 45 countries outside USA. Their marketing strategies focus on maximizing the number of buyers so they offer various ranges of products for diverse number of people of different ages and background. Though the company promotes that everyone is an athlete and their products are suitable for everyone but the price ranges mostly highlights that th e company aims for the high income groups. Reebok and Adidas are two main competitors in the footwear market that demonstrates high competition for the company (Team, 2017). Strategic Foundations Nike, Inc. is leading the global corporate market in the footwear manufacturing area through their programs that are values their service providers, stakeholders, employees and customers. Nike claims to be the biggest seller of sports footwear in the world (Kell, 2016). The company acts as competitive enough in all the necessary areas footwear competition like reliability, price, product, quality, marketing, promotion, customer- employee support and performance. The mission statement of Nike says "To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world."The mission statement echoes what the founder Bill Bowerman said If you have a body, you are an athlete. The strategic goal of the company is well reflected by their mission statement as it aims to reach out to maximum number of global consumers with their sports apparel, shoes and equipments (Brohi et al., 2016). The analysis of the mission statement highlights that the main three components of the mission statement are inn ovation, inspiration and satisfying every athletes in the world. The management leadership sets a winner mindset for all the team members through their inspirational goal that reflects the slogan Just Do It (Anegon, 2014). Company strategic management involves continuous improvement of their service through applying innovative technologies and bringing new products at regular intervals. Vision Statement The company is also careful about its corporate social responsibilities as the CRS vision highlights that Nike is working in order to develop a sustainable economy that keeps the balance among the profit, people and planet (Newell, 2015). The company highlights that in the process of achieving desired sustainable profit the consumers takes a major role. The vision statement can be broken down in three parts where the initial part focuses on the consumer importance and satisfaction, then the stress is on the sustainable economy and third part is keeping the balance in the business (Teckchandani Schultz, 2014). The company ensures that it is not just the company that benefits from the business but everyone gets the benefits as well. Strategic Managers Nike, Incs Board of Directors includes multiple internal and independent directors like Philip Knight as chairman, Mark Parker as CEO and other independent directors like Timothy Cook and John Donahoe (Investors.nike.com, 2016). There are both independent directors and management directors present in the board of directors of Nike, Inc. the combination of both kinds of director helps the company to gain internal and external experiences (Burgelman, 2015). The outside helps the company to implement experiment and encourages the management to think outside the box. In the formulation and implementation of the designed and proposed strategies the board of directors plays the most significant role. Products Nike, Inc. produces various sports foot wears, sports related lifestyle apparel and other sports equipments. The initial product was just the running shoes but now the company makes shoes, shorts, and jerseys for various sports like Cricket, Football, Basket Ball, base ball and Hockey. Few most popular products by the company are Nike 6.0, Nike Air Max, Air Jordon and many others (Store.nike.com, 2017). The brand related itself with premium performance. Nike, Inc owns various other important companies like Converse, Hurley X, Jordon, Cole Haan and Bauer Hockey they together cover a significant part of the company annual revenue. Future plan By 2020 the company aims to generate 50 billion of revenue. In last 5 years Nike, Inc has increased its sales revenue by 18 billion as it reached to 30 billion in 2015, therefore almost 4 billion sales increase in each year (Forbes.com, 2017). The company had set their goal of 36 billion revenue for the year 2017 which is about to get fulfilled as predicted by the market analysts. The management has employed Adam Sussman as their first CDO or Chief Digital Officer who the company expects that will help to increase the revenue in e-commerce by 6 billion by 2020 (GalbRaith, 2014). The company has designed various apps like Nike+ and other fuel band apps that will help them to maximize the customer satisfaction through measuring it properly. The womens apparel is another area where the company aims to grow to 11 billion within coming 4 years. PESTLE analysis of Nike The macro environment which is external to any organizational structure is evaluated and scanned through the PESTLE framework (Gillam Siriwardena, 2013). Factors like political, social, economic, technological, environmental and legal form the PESTLE framework. Political Factors For any large organization the political factors play signification role in their survival and performance. The home country of the company that is USA government has always engaged in growth oriented policies that helped the company to get benefitted from the nations market. The American Government incorporates tax arrangements that are suitable for international competitive market, stability in currency exchange and the effective low interest rates (Whitehead, 2012). The government support is ever improving and supporting the organizational infrastructure. The free trade policies are expanding as well that helps the company to utilize the opportunity well (Houlihan, 2013). Most major markets where the company operates are politically stable that helps the company to business smoothly. However as Nike manufactures and sells physical materials, the changes in manufacturing or related tax laws are capable of affecting the business. The rising political conflicts in certain countries a ffect the process of importing and exporting difficult. Economic Factors The business performance of Nike, Inc. largely depends on the economic stability of the business location. There are three aspects of the economic domain that influence the companys performance. The developed market like the economy of USA provides the company with economic stability that develops a sustainable economic opportunity for the company (Summers, 2014). The developing countries like India is growing rapidly that creates opportunity for the company financial benefits as well (Maddison, 2013). However the Chinese economys fluctuation proves the company to become a threat for the company (Lu, Liu Rahman, 2017). The company utilizes the ever growing consumer demand through establishing brand equity. The local labors are given financial opportunities in underdeveloped nations by providing job opportunities and maintaining corporate social responsibilities (Whitehead, 2012). Social factors The world wide social awareness regarding health consciousness ensures the demand for the sports foot wears are ever increasing (Tilman Clark, 2014). The public wealth is expanding in the developing countries which are creating great opportunities for the company. In the Asia Pacific regions the company has exported most of its manufacturing. The use of labors with minimum wages including children affected the company reputation and CSR (Plambeck Taylor, 2015). To resolve and minimize such issues the company has engaged itself in greater transparency in keeping the manufacturing and human resource records and provides certain facilities to the manufacturers of certain locations. Also the company had published Memorandum of Understanding that clarifies its objectives and conducts to its subcontractors and suppliers (Child, Rodrigues Tse, 2012). In the modern globalized era of internet any wrong doing or ethical misconduct is likely to reach global public rapidly. Technological factors Nike, Inc. is incorporating innovative technologies in their marketing activities in order to ensure the sustainability of the good performance. The website like Nike iD assist the consumers with the opportunity to compare the foot wears at various prices and help them to choose the most suitable one (Yu Park, 2014). The website has proved to be the top personalization website in the sports wear industry (Nike.com, 2017). As the world has transformed itself into a more digital based system so the online payment system via mobile phones, help the company to achieve more customers (Purkayastha Rao, 2015). The digitalization enhances the work speed but also capable of reducing the employment and deteriorating the organizational work force. Legal aspects In countries like USA or UK the legislative framework is common for the whole nation so the organization has to face less intervention from the government in their organizational activities. However in countries like France or Germany the states operate in code based legal systems so the organization there has to consider interests of wider stakeholders (Legendre Coderre, 2012). The health-safety regulations and the consumer laws are expanding in the developing countries that are creating better opportunity for the company to perform better in the developing countries. The legal challenges from the past help the company to analyze certain situation and take precaution from any legal damages (Jennings, 2015). Environmental factors Most European countries and USA and in countries like Japan the environmental consciousness is really high. Nike, Inc. appointed multiple sustainability champions who are responsible to monitor the elimination of wastes and carbon emission in their projects in the home country and in the overseas (Kaplan Montiel, 2016). Most countries where the company is operating are improving and expanding their environmental laws that create huge opportunities for Nike. The climate changes also affect the lifestyle of the people that is potential to increase the demand of the companys products. SWOT Analysis of Nike, Inc. Nike has always proved to be a highly competitive organization with their innovative management and marketing strategies. The just do it slogan is reflects their strong attitude towards the business for maximizing the profit (About.nike.com, 2017). The company does not own any manufacturing unit as it outsource all its manufacturing activities overseas that helps them to gain maximum human and material resources at the cheapest price. By saving the high labor cost the management focuses more on the research and development for innovating and improving new services. The brand of Nike is globally recognized which proves to be a great strength for the company. The consumers trust easily on the brand so do the stakeholders. The resilience and quality of the Nike products is well known to the athletes and to the common man. When its competitors suffer from the market fragmentation the Unique Selling Proposition of the company helps it to race ahead of its competitors. Weakness The company majorly depends on the footwear this might prove to be problematic for the companies as dependence on limited service makes the options for revenue generation are limited. The outsourcing of manufacturing is strength for the company, but Nike, Inc has often being criticized because of its labor management in foreign countries (Baldassarre Campo, 2014). The sweatshops or the sweat labors have criticized by the global media that affected the companies brand image. The company has not included retailers that are exclusive as their business strategy but the retailers play major role in the business so the exclusivity might get sacrificed. The products are often been criticized as too premium or expensive. Opportunities In the emerging markets of India and China Nike is seeing greatest opportunity to expand its business. The consumers in such developing countries are in billions of number who are adapting western lifestyle increasingly (Sun, DAlessandro Johnson, 2014). This provides the company great platform to expand their business. The company is also expanding their business in various other products going beyond just the foot wear and producing other diverse products. The company engages in continuous modification of the existing designs that also creates great opportunity for business expansion. The affordable price products are being offered by the company though in limited numbers which bringing newer consumers to the company. Threats The trade laws and practices in the international market greatly influence Nikes international business. The international trade laws and regulations are subject to change so the changes can prove to be threats for the company. The unethical business practices affected the companys reputation and brand and as the company performs on a global scale the similar issues can arise. The competitors like Reebok or Adidas are also capturing the global market rapidly that is becoming bigger threat for the company. Suppliers bargaining power The suppliers bargaining power in the case Of Nike is low. It operates in more than forty five countries in more than 700 stores but the individual suppliers are not strong enough compared to the company. That reduces the challenges from the supplier for the company. Nikes RSL or the restricted substance list and the codes and conducts have to b obliged by the suppliers. Buyers bargaining power Buyers bargaining power is moderate for the company. The consumers switching cost is low as there are other influential companies like Adidas and Reebok or Puma but there are other local brands as well. However the quality of the companys product is well known to global consumers. Threat of substitute Threat of substitute is high for Nike. There are large numbers of competitive brands in the market. There are competitors like Fila, Puma, and Converse, Under Armour, New Balance, ASICS, Li Ning and K-Swiss. Except the main competitors Nike is experiencing challenges from substitute sports footwear that are cheaper and gaining popularity. Threat of new entrants Threat of new entrants for the company is low to moderate. The company is quite influential in the global market however there are still requirements that are yet to be fulfilled. Te competitors might take advantage of it. However the supply chain management requires huge investment that is in favor of the company. For a new entry it is quite difficult to create such level of brand easily. Competition Rivalry Competition rivalry is strong for Nike in both home and international market. The other two top sports footwear companies that are present in the market are Adidas and Reebok (Team 2017). Adidas earned revenue of more than 19 billion where Reebok earned 3 billion (Adidas-group.com 2017). Though the strong rivals are in fewer numbers but they are expanding their business fast as well. Struggling Apparel Business The apparel industry in this case the apparel related to sports or footwear is struggling in global market. The consumers in most countries do not want to spend much money on purchasing apparels. The apparel stores of Nike are suffering the challenges as well. A recent report by Morgan Stanely demonstrated that the growth in the apparel stores will decrease by -5% (Botter, 2017). Losing demand for certain products The company has created its brand over the years mostly based on certain high quality products like Nike Air Jordon shoes. However the demand for the most popular products are getting decreased day by day as the style is considered to be out of style and the newer substitutes are failing to match their standard. Like the apparels for basket ball is alarmingly losing its popularity. Woman products market The woman products are facing more challenges as many companies only produce these products focusing more on the better quality and cheaper price. The companies like Lululemon or Under Armour are dominating the global market in most of the global market in this domain other niche brands like Bandier or Sweatbetty promotes more fun than the competition that Nike products promote (Schlossberg Lutz, 2017). Conclusion The money that the company spends in the signature footwear must be balanced with the money that is spend in the non footwear products as the company is clearly struggling in keeping the same standard in those products. Another good strategy could be manufacturing casual footwear along with the sports foot wear. Building professional relationship Nike should build a personal and professional relationship with the world known influential athletes that will bring more customer loyalty and new consumers as most consumers idolize their favorite athletes. Internet and social media The internet and social media platform could be used more effectively by the company to establish consumer relationship and retain customer sustainability. The company can implement certain innovative technologies where dedicated consumers can design their own foot wears online and the company should evaluate them and consider the most feasible one. Remuneration and rewards The employee satisfaction could be achieved through remuneration and rewards for the deserving employees. The company must monitor and evaluate their organizatio0nal management practice to eliminate any ethical misconduct within the organizational structure. The company is leading the global market in the footwear business if the company resolves the issues by implementing discussed strategies it will effectively maintain its competitive edge in the global market with the assurance of improved business performance. Reference Adidas-group.com. (2017).Adidas with record sales and earnings in 2016. [online] Available at: https://www.adidas-group.com/en/media/news-archive/press-releases/2017/adidas-record-sales-and-earnings-2016/ [Accessed 03 Oct. 2017]. Anegon, I. (2014). Preface: In 2013 gene therapy is a Nike; for 2014, just do it!.Current gene therapy,14(1), 1-1. Baldassarre, F., Campo, R. (2014). Child labor and business ethics: The approach of apparel companies.Advances in business management. Towards Systemic Approach, 154. Botter, L. (2017).Nike Is Hurting More Than Wall Street Thinks, Top Analyst Warns.TheStreet. Retrieved 4 October 2017, from https://www.thestreet.com/story/14286530/1/nike-drops-in-premarket-on-morgan-stanley-downgrade.html Brohi, H., Prithiani, J., Abbas, Z., Bhutto, A. H., Chawla, S. K. (2016). Strategic Marketing Plan of Nike. Burgelman, R. A. (2015). Complex Strategic Integration at Nike: Strategy Process and Strategy-as-Practice Combined. Child, J., Rodrigues, S. B., Tse, K. K. T. (2012). The Dynamics of Influence in Corporate Co?Evolution.Journal of Management Studies,49(7), 1246-1273. GalbRaith, J. R. (2014). Organizational design challenges resulting from big data.Browser Download This Paper. Gibson, C.H. (2012).Financial statement analysis. South-Western. Gillam, S., Siriwardena, A. N. (2013). Leadership and management for quality.Quality in primary care,21(4). Houlihan, B. (2013). Commercial, political, social and cultural factors impacting on the management of high performance sport.by P. Sotiriadou, V. De Bosscher.New York: Routledge, 17-29. Jennings, M. M. (2015).Cengage Advantage Books: Foundations of the Legal Environment of Business. Cengage Learning. Kaplan, J., Montiel, I. (2016). East vs. West Approaches to Reporting Corporate Sustainability Strategies to the World: Corporate Sustainability.Comparative Perspectives on Global Corporate Social Responsibility, 49. Kell, J. (2016). Adidas Is Once Again No. 2 in America. Fortune. Retrieved 4 October 2017, from https://fortune.com/2016/10/25/adidas-under-armour-nike/ Legendre, S., Coderre, F. (2013). Determinants of GRI G3 application levels: the case of the fortune global 500.Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management,20(3), 182-192. Lu, X., Liu, H. W., Rahman, M. (2017). The impact of corporate social responsibility on customer loyalty: a case of Nike and Adidas in China.Strategic Change. Maddison, A. (2013).Economic progress and policy in developing countries. Routledge. Newell, A. (2015). How Nike Embraced CSR and Went From Villain to Hero.Triple Pundit, 1-2. NIKE, Inc. - Investor Relations - Investors - Corporate Governance. (2016).Investors.nike.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017, from https://investors.nike.com/investors/corporate-governance/?toggle=directors NKE - 5.31.2014 - 10K. (2014).Sec.gov. Retrieved 4 October 2017, from https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320187/000032018714000097/nke-5312014x10k.htm Plambeck, E. L., Taylor, T. A. (2015). Supplier evasion of a buyers audit: Implications for motivating supplier social and environmental responsibility.Manufacturing Service Operations Management,18(2), 184-197. Purkayastha, D., Rao, A. S. (2015). Digital Marketing at Nike: From Communication to Dialog. Schlossberg, M., Lutz, A. (2017). 19 up-and-coming athleisure brands that aren't Lululemon. Business Insider. Retrieved 4 October 2017, from https://www.businessinsider.in/19-up-and-coming-athleisure-brands-that-arent-Lululemon/articleshow/50848624.cms Store.nike.com. (2017), Retrieved 4 October 2017, from https://store.nike.com/us/en_us/ Summers, L. H. (2014). US economic prospects: Secular stagnation, hysteresis, and the zero lower bound.Business Economics,49(2), 65-73. Sun, G., D'Alessandro, S., Johnson, L. (2014). Traditional culture, political ideologies, materialism and luxury consumption in China.International journal of consumer studies,38(6), 578-585. Team, T. (2017).Forbes Welcome. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2017/01/05/nike-the-calendar-year-in-review/refURL=https://www.google.co.in/referrer=https://www.google.co.in/ [Accessed 04 Oct. 2017] Team, T. (2017).Forbes Welcome.Forbes.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2017/05/26/is-nike-on-track-to-hit-50-billion-in-sales-by-2020/refURL=https://www.google.co.in/referrer=https://www.google.co.in/ Teckchandani, A., Schultz, F. C. (2014). The vision thing: an experiential exercise introducing the key activities performed by leaders.Journal of Leadership Studies,8(1), 63-70. Tilman, D., Clark, M. (2014). Global diets link environmental sustainability and human health.Nature,515(7528), 518-522. Whitehead, R. (2012). Olympic shame: Meet the Cambodian garment workers paid just 10 a week to make Adidas' 2012 Games fanwear.Daily Mail Online. Yu, U. J., Park, J. (2014). Consumers' Virtual Product Experiences and Risk Perceptions of Product Performance in the Online Co?Design Practice: A Case of NIKEiD.Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal,43(1), 29-46.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Ready to die free essay sample

Hip Hop artist Notorious B. I. G released his debut album Ready to Die under the Bad Boy Records label. This was marked as the first release on their label. Ready to Die made the Notorious B. I. G. A star and vaulted Sean Puffy Combs Bad Boy label Into the spotlight as well. Its recognized as one of the greatest hardcore rap albums ever recorded. The album reached quadruple platinum with infamous tracks Juicy, Big Poppa and One More Chance. In June of 1995, the single One More Chance debuted at number five in the pop singles chart, tying MichaelJacksons Scream / Childhood as the highest-debuting single of all time. Ready to Die continued to gain popularity throughout 1995, eventually selling two million copies. Producers who took part of the album were DC Premier, Easy Mo Bee, Puffy etc. The album cover is an infant with similarities of the artist sporting an afro. We will write a custom essay sample on Ready to die or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page B. I. G. Had been influenced by everyone from Cool G Rap to NNW, Too Short to Slick Rick. The concept behind it is the artists life from birth to death. This album cover is considered one of the best Hip Hop covers of all time. Its always easy to see elements f Biggie in his narrators and of his own experience in the details; everything is firmly rooted In reality, but plays Like scenes from a movie. His storytelling skills brought a huge impact to the future of rap music. He made the things that he said so clear and vivid. The stakes were raised, says Www-Tang founder and producer RAZZ. Before 8. 1. G. , you might put out anything, now you knew, okay, Its real out there, you goat come correct, cause this cat Is spending time on his salt. Even other producers and Macs knew that Biggie was very talented.SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF BIGGIE: Christopher Wallace, a. K. A. Biggie Smalls, was born in Brooklyn, New York, May 21, 1972. He was raised in the poor Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant as the son of a preschool teacher. Dropping out of high school at the age of seventeen, Biggie became a crack dealer, which he proclaimed was his only source of Income. Hustling was the way for a common young Black man trying to make a living in the ghetto. His career choices involved certain risks. However, a trip to North Carolina for a routine drug exchange ended being the soon-to-be MAC a nine-month stay behind bars.Once released, Biggie borrowed a friends four-track tape recorder and laid own some hip-hop tracks In a basement. The tapes were then passed around and played at local radio station In New York. Not extremely attractive, Wallace named dark skinned, and had a crook in his eye, yet he was a charmer. A young impresario and sometime producer by the name of Sean Combs (Daddy) heard Baggies early tapes. Impressed, Puffy went to sign Biggie to his new label, Bad Boy Records. Puffy and Biggie worked on the artists first album, and the Notorious B. I. G. Was born. Biggie was first heard on a remix of a Mary J. Bilge song and a track on the Whos the Man? 1991 soundtrack. After these successes, the album worked on earlier went through its final touches and was released in 1994, titled Ready to Die. The record was certified platinum quickly, and the Notorious B. I. G. Was named MAC of the Year at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards. After the quick success of the album, Biggie went back to get his friends, some who didnt even rhyme. He had several run-ins with the law, on charges that ranged from beatings, to drugs and to weapons, while all claimed that Biggie was a gentle person. INTRO: Just listen man, your mother giving you money Amiga?

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Clever Quotes From Great Thinkers

Clever Quotes From Great Thinkers Would you like to sound smart? Do you want to impress your peers with clever words? Here are some clever quotes rescue you when the situation arises. Kiss those thinking caps goodbye because who needs to think on their feet, when they have clever quotes handy? Henry FordWhether you think you can or whether you think you cant, youre right. Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. George Bernard ShawYou see things; and you say Why? But I dream things that never were; and I say Why not? We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience. Bertrand RussellMost people would rather die than think; in fact, they do so. Maya AngelouA bird doesnt sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. Groucho MarxOnly one man in a thousand is a leader of men the other 999 follow women. Albert EinsteinTwo things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and Im not sure about the universe. When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. Thats relativity. Benjamin FranklinWine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. Harry S. TrumanYou want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. Elbert HubbardEvery man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit. Ralph Waldo EmersonThe years teach much which the days never knew. Johann Wolfgang von GoetheEnjoy when you can, and endure when you must. Toni MorrisonIf you surrender to the wind, you can ride it.

Friday, November 22, 2019

A History of the Palace of Versailles, the Jewel of the Sun King

A History of the Palace of Versailles, the Jewel of the Sun King Beginning as a humble hunting lodge, the Palace of Versailles grew to encompass the permanent residence of the French monarchy and the seat of political power in France. The royal family was forcibly removed from the palace at the onset of the French Revolution, though subsequent political leaders, including Napoleon and the Bourbon kings, spent time in the palace before it was transformed into a public museum.   Key Takeaways The Palace of Versailles was originally constructed in 1624 as a simple, two-story hunting lodge. King Louis XIV, the Sun King, spent nearly 50 years expanding the palace, and in1682, he moved both the royal residence and French seat of government to Versailles. The French central government remained in Versailles until the beginning of the French Revolution, when Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI were forced from the estate. In 1837, the estate was refurbished and inaugurated as a museum. Today, more than 10 million people visit the Palace of Versailles annually.   Though the main function of the contemporary Palace of Versailles is as a museum, it also plays host to important political and social events throughout the year, including presidential addresses, state dinners, and concerts.   A Royal Hunting Lodge (1624 -1643) In 1624, King Louis XIII ordered the construction of a simple, two-story hunting lodge in dense woodlands about 12 miles outside of Paris. By 1634, the simple lodge had been replaced by a more regal stone and brick chateau, though it still maintained its purpose as a hunting lodge until King Louis XIV took the throne. Versailles and the Sun King (1643-1715) Louis XIII died in 1643, leaving the monarchy in the hands of the four-year-old Louis XIV. When he came of age, Louis began work on the family hunting lodge, ordered the addition of kitchens, stables, gardens, and residential apartments. By 1677, Louis XIV had begun to lay the foundation for a more permanent move, and in 1682, he transferred both the royal residence and the French government to Versailles. King Louis XIV, pictured here arriving at Versailles, commissioned most of the expansion on Versailles during his 72-year reign. adoc-photos / Getty Images  Ã‚   By removing government from Paris, Louis XIV solidified his omnipotent power as a monarch. From this point forward, all gatherings of nobility, courtiers, and government officials happened under the watchful eye of the Sun King in his Palace of Versailles. King Louis XIV’s 72-year reign, the longest of any European monarch, afforded him the ability to spend more than 50 years adding to and renovating the chateau at Versailles, where he died at the age of 76. Below are the elements of the Palace of Versailles that were added during the reign of King Louis XIV. The King’s Apartments (1701) Built as the private residence for the king within the Palace of Versailles, the kings apartments featured gold and marble detailing as well as Greek and Roman artwork intended to represent the king’s divinity. In 1701, King Louis XIV moved his bedchamber to the centermost point of the royal apartments, making his room the focal point of the palace. He died in this room in 1715. King Louis XIV moved his bedchamber, making it the focal point of the palace both inside and out. Pictured here is the outside of the king’s bedchamber, flanked by two wings of the Palace of Versailles. Jacques Morell / Getty Images   The Queen’s Apartments (1682) The first queen to reside in these apartments was Maria Theresa, wife of King Louis XIV, but she died in 1683 soon after arriving in Versailles. The apartments were later dramatically altered first by King Louis XIV, who annexed several rooms in the palace to create his royal bedchamber, and later by Marie-Antoinette. The Hall of Mirrors (1684) The Hall of Mirrors is the central gallery of the Palace of Versailles, named for 17 ornate arches fitted with 21 mirrors each. These mirrors reflect the 17 arched windows that look out onto the dramatic gardens of Versailles. The Hall of Mirrors represents the enormous wealth of the French monarchy, as mirrors were among the most expensive belongings during the 17th century. The hall was originally constructed of two lateral enclosed wings, linked by an open-air terrace, in the style of an Italian baroque villa. However, the temperamental French climate made the terrace impractical, so it was swiftly replaced by the enclosed Hall of Mirrors. The Hall of Mirrors, Versailles.   Jacques Morell / Getty Images The Royal Stables (1682) The royal stables are two symmetrical structures built directly across from the palace, indicating the importance of horses at the time. The great stables housed the horses used by the king, the royal family, and the military, while the small stables housed coach horses and the coaches themselves. The Grand and Small Stables, named for purpose rather than size, are visible on the left and right sides of this illustration.   Hulton Deutsch / Getty Images   The King’s State Apartments (1682) The King’s State Apartments were rooms used for ceremonial purposes and social gatherings. Though they were all built in the Italian baroque style, each bears the name of a different Greek god or goddess: Hercules, Venus, Diana, Mars, Mercury, and Apollo. The only exception is the Hall of Plenty, where visitors could find refreshments. The final room to be added to these apartments, the Hercules Room, served as a religious chapel until 1710, when the Royal Chapel was added.   The Royal Chapel (1710) The final structure of the Palace of Versailles commissioned by Louis XIV was the Royal Chapel. Biblical illustrations and statues line the walls, drawing the worshipers’ eyes toward the altar, which features a relief depicting the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Biblical illustrations and statues line the walls of the chapel, guiding worshipers’ eyes to the altar.   Print Collector/ Getty Images   The Grand Trianon (1687) The Grand Trianon was built as a summer residence where the royal family could take refuge from the ever-expanding court at Versailles. The Grand Trianon is only a single story to emphasize the connection with the gardens.   Hans Wild / Getty Images   The Gardens of Versailles (1661) The Gardens of Versailles include a promenade that faces east to west, following the path of the sun in honor of the Sun King. A network of paths open to pavilions, fountains, statues, and an orangery. Because the expansive gardens could be overwhelming, Louis XIV would often lead tours of the area, showing courtiers and friends where to stop and what to admire. The gardens of Versailles encompass nearly 2,000 acres and feature fountains, pavilions, statues, and an orangery.   Imagno / Getty Images   Continued Construction and Governance in Versailles After King Louis XIV’s death in 1715, the seat of government in Versailles was abandoned in favor of Paris, though King Louis XV reestablished it in the 1720s. Versailles remained the center of government until the French Revolution.   View of the Chateau of Versailles seen from the Place d’armes in 1722† by Pierre-Denis Martin. Adoc-photos / Getty Images  Ã‚   Louis XV (1715-1774) King Louis XV, great-grandson of Louis XIV, assumed the French throne at the age of five. Known as commonly as Louis the Beloved, the king was a strong proponent of Enlightenment ideas, including science and the arts. The additions he made to the Palace of Versailles reflect these interests.    The King’s and Queen’s Private Apartments (1738) Allowing for more privacy and comfort, the King’s and Queen’s Private Apartments were truncated versions of the original royal apartments, featuring low ceilings and undecorated walls. The Royal Opera (1770) The Royal Opera is constructed in an ovular shape, ensuring that all in attendance can see the stage. Additionally, the wooden structure gives the acoustics a soft but clearly audible violin-like sound. The Royal Opera is the largest surviving court opera house. The wooden elements in the Royal Opera give the acoustics a violin-like sound.   Paul Almasy / Getty Images   Petite Trianon (1768) Petite trianon was commissioned by Louis XV for his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, who did not live to see it completed. It was later gifted by Louis XVI to Marie-Antoinette.  Ã‚   The Petite Trianon, gifted to Marie-Antoinette by Louis XVI. Hans Wild / Getty Images   Louis XVI (1774-1789) Louis XVI ascended to the throne after the death of his grandfather in 1774, though the new king had little interest in governance. Patronage to Versailles by courtiers dropped off quickly, fueling the flames of the budding revolution. In 1789, Marie-Antoinette was in the Petite Trianon when she learned of the mob storming Versailles. Both Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI were removed from Versailles and guillotined in the subsequent years. Marie-Antoinette altered the appearance of the queen’s apartments several times during her reign. Most notably, she ordered the construction of a rustic village, The Hamlet of Versailles, complete with a functioning farm and Norman-style cottages. Marie-Antoinette’s Hamlet featured Norman-style cottages, including one for her exclusive use.   Heritage Images / Getty Images Versailles During and After the French Revolution (1789 -1870) After King Louis XVI was guillotined, the Palace of Versailles was forgotten for almost a decade. Most of the furniture was either stolen or sold at auction, though many of the paintings were preserved and brought to the Louvre. In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte was coronated as the first emperor of France, and he immediately began the process of moving the government back to Versailles. His time at Versailles was short, however. After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was removed from power. After Napoleon, Versailles was relatively forgotten. It wasn’t until the Revolution of 1830 and the July Monarchy that Versailles received significant attention. Louis-Philippe commissioned the creation of a museum at Versailles to unite the people of France. On his order, the prince’s apartments were destroyed, replaced by portrait galleries. Below are the additions made by Louis-Philippe to the Palace of Versailles. The Gallery of Great Battles (1837) A portrait gallery made from the demolition of some of the royal apartments, the Gallery of Great Battles features 30 paintings that depict centuries of military success in France, beginning with Clovis and ending with Napoleon. It is considered to be the most important addition by Louis-Philippe to the Palace of Versailles. The Gallery of Great Battles documents France’s military success from Clovis to Napoleon.   Archive Photos/ Getty Images   The Crusades Rooms (1837) The Crusades Rooms were created with the sole intention of appeasing the nobility of France. Paintings depicting France’s involvement in the Crusades, including the arrival of troops in Constantinople, hang from the walls, and the entrance is marked by the Rhodes Door, a 16th century cedar gift from Sultan Mahmud II of the Ottoman Empire. The Coronation Room (1833) The famous painting â€Å"The Coronation of Napoleon,† which hangs in the Louvre, inspired the Coronation Room. Napoleon never spent much time at Versailles, but much of the museum is dedicated to Napoleonic art, owing to Louis-Philippe’s nostalgia for the Napoleonic era.    The Congress Chamber (1876) The Congress Chamber was constructed to house the new National Assembly and Congress, a reminder of the governmental power once held at Versailles. In a contemporary context, it is used for addresses by the president and to adopt amendments to the constitution. Yves Forestier / Getty Images  Ã‚   Contemporary Versailles   Renovations in the 20th century by Pierre de Nolhac and Gerald Van der Kemp sought to revive the estate. They dismantled many of the galleries established by Louis-Philippe, rebuilding the royal apartments in their place, and used historical records to design and decorate the estate in the styles of the monarchs who had once resided there. As one of the most frequented attractions in the world, millions of tourists come to the Palace of Versailles annually to see the 120 galleries, 120 residential rooms, and nearly 2,000 acres of gardens. Over the centuries, much of the art and furniture that was stolen or auctioned off has been returned to the palace. Versailles today is used to house symbolic meetings of Congress, state dinners, concerts, and other political and social gatherings.   Sources   Berger, Robert W.  Versailles: The Chateau of Louis XIV. The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1985.Cronin, Vincent.  Louis XIV. The Harvill Press, 1990.Frey, Linda, and Marsha Frey.  The French Revolution. Greenwood Press, 2004.Kemp Gerald van der., and Daniel Meyer.  Versailles: Strolling through the Royal Estate. Editions DArt Lys, 1990.Kisluk-Grosheide, Danielle O., and Bertrand Rondot.  Visitors to Versailles: from Louis XIV to the French Revolution. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.Lewis, Paul. â€Å"Gerald Van Der Kemp, 89, Versailles Restorer.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Jan. 2002.Mitford, Nancy.  The Sun King: Louis XIV at Versailles. New York Review Books, 2012.â€Å"The Estate.†Ã‚  Palace of Versailles, Chateau De Versailles, 21 Sept. 2018.  The Oxford Handbook of the French Revolution. Oxford University Press, 2015.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Gender and Women's Studies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender and Women's Studies - Assignment Example The relevance of Myth of Scarcity to Gender & Women’s Studies relates to the manner in which the men respond to crises, blaming the women, who are incapacitated, for not taking part in solution finding (Rosie the Riveters of World War II). b) An example of White privilege at work is the ability of a white rapper like Eminem to market himself through alternative radio stations such as rock, rap, RnB and pop, whereas the black counterparts seldom receive airplay outside the realm of rap. c) The relevance of White privilege to Gender & Women’s Studies is the manner in which feminine traits are deemed weak. As a result, women end up being paid less than men for performing identical work are. For instance, male clothing designers and chefs are paid more than their female counterparts are (SCWAMP 7). a) Definition: A term used to describe the tactics that are used to make oppression successful by involving the victim in it. The victim is confined in a negative image and message environment, victim hating and violence, with a result of self-blaming and low self-esteem (Pharr 59). c) The Relevance of Blaming the Victim to Gender & Women’s Studies is when the male workers blame the female counterparts for not performing as much as them, as it was the case in the World War II (Rosie the Riveters of World War II). a) Definition: A term used to describe the phenomenon in which the oppressor leads the victim of oppression into believing his or her negative views, with a result of self-hatred, which can be expressed through self-abuse, despair and depression (Pharr 60). a) Definition: A term used to describe the tendency of a member of an oppressed group, who has been led to self-hatred through internalized oppression, to express hatred, prejudice and even lacking hope for the group and its members (Critical Terms Sheet). b) Horizontal Hostility takes place when women, who have been rape victims before, condemn all the subsequent rape victims, terming them as agents

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

ART APPRECIATION - Understanding and Evaluating the Arts (U1IP) Essay

ART APPRECIATION - Understanding and Evaluating the Arts (U1IP) - Essay Example The artist’s technique in painting on an arid wall with the use of paint that was not dissolved with water produced an output that easily deteriorates as soon as Michaelangelo completed the painting. The great Royal Portal (c.1150-70) at Chartres Cathedral in France is wonderful sculpture which serves representation functions. It has a tympana depict that includes several subjects such as the Ascension, the Apocalypse, and the Incarnation of Christ. Aside from this feature, the sculpture also has several columns which serve as the foundation of door jambs below. The great Royal Portal is a transitional monument which embodies Romanesque appearance as well as the incorporation of a framework depicting Gothic style. URL: http://fenway.boston.k12.ma.us/library/art_resources/gardner_slides/prehistoric-gothic.htm Temple of the Pantheon of the Gods is found in Rome. This architecture functions as a monument used to worship the Roman gods. This temple has become a well-known tourist attraction throughout the years. Classic Alfred Stieglitz photograph, The Steerage exemplifies exceptional assemblage of black and white photos. Stieglitz started his career with the use of soft-focus photographs which can be proven by his styles, the medium and the subjects that he uses for his early photographs. Most of his art work is shot at the New York City with the negatives of the images being etched into printing plates. An example of printmaking art is "The sleep of Reason creates monsters", conceptualized and created by Francisco Goya. This art work has a personal meaning to Goya. It was his way of expressing his mental restlessness which resulted to unusual techniques and subjects. An example of conceptual art is Sol LeWitt (American, 1928-2007), Wall Drawing #263. These directions call for dividing a wall into sixteen equal parts with all one, two, three and four part combinations of lines in four directions. The first row of this

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot Essay Example for Free

The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot Essay The Waste Land is a modernist poem by T. S. Eliot caused a sensation when it was published in 1922. It is today the most widely translated and studied English-language poem of the twentieth century. This is perhaps surprising given the poems length and its difficulty, but Eliots vision of modern life as plagued by sordid impulses, widespread apathy, and pervasive soullessness packed a punch when readers first encountered it. Pounds influence on the final version of The Waste Land is significant. At the time of the poems composition, Eliot was ill, struggling to recover from his nervous breakdown and languishing through an unhappy marriage. Pound offered him support and friendship; his belief in and admiration for Eliot were enormous. Pound, like Eliot a crucible of modernism, called for compression, ellipsis, reduction. The poem grew yet more cryptic; references that were previously clear now became more obscure. Explanations were out the window. The result was a more difficult work but arguably a richer one. Eliot did not take all of Pounds notes, but he did follow his friends advice enough to turn his sprawling work into a tight, elliptical, and fragmented piece. Once the poem was completed, Pound lobbied on its behalf, convincing others of its importance. He believed in Eliots genius, and in the impact The Waste Land would have on the literature of its day. That impact ultimately stretched beyond poetry, to novels, painting, music, and all the other arts. John Dos Passoss Manhattan Transfer owes a significant debt to The Waste Land, for example. Eliots take on the modern world profoundly shaped future schools of thought and literature, and his 1922 poem remains a touchstone of the English-language canon. Major Themes Death Two of the poem’s sections â€Å"The Burial of the Dead† and â€Å"Death by Water† refer specifically to this theme. What complicates matters is that death can mean life; in other words, by dying, a being can pave the way for new lives. Eliot asks his friend Stetson: â€Å"That corpse you planted last year in your garden, / Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?† Rebirth The Christ images in the poem, along with the many other religious metaphors,  posit rebirth and resurrection as central themes. The Waste Land lies fallow and the Fisher King is impotent; what is needed is a new beginning. Water, for one, can bring about that rebirth, but it can also destroy.. Hence the prevalence of Grail imagery in the poem; that holy chalice can restore life and wipe the slate clean; likewise, Eliot refers frequently to baptisms and to rivers – both â€Å"life-givers,† in either spiritual or physical ways. The Seasons The Waste Land opens with an invocation of April, â€Å"the cruellest month.† That spring be depicted as cruel is a curious choice on Eliot’s part, but as a paradox it informs the rest of the poem to a great degree. What brings life brings also death; the seasons fluctuate, spinning from one state to another, but, like history, they maintain some sort of stasis; not everything changes. In the end, Eliot’s â€Å"waste land† is almost seasonless: devoid of rain, of propagation, of real change. The world hangs in a perpetual limbo, awaiting the dawn of a new season. Lust Perhaps the most famous episode in The Waste Land involves a female typist’s liaison with a â€Å"carbuncular† man. Eliot depicts the scene as something akin to a rape. This chance sexual encounter carries with it mythological baggage – the violated Philomela, the blind Tiresias who lived for a time as a woman. Love The references to Tristan und Isolde in â€Å"The Burial of the Dead,† to Cleopatra in â€Å"A Game of Chess,† and to the story of Tereus and Philomela suggest that love, in The Waste Land, is often destructive. Tristan and Cleopatra die, while Tereus rapes Philomela, and even the love for the hyacinth girl leads the poet to see and know â€Å"nothing. Water The Waste Land lacks water; water promises rebirth. At the same time, however, water can bring about death. Eliot sees the card of the drowned Phoenician sailor and later titles the fourth section of his poem after Madame Sosostris’ mandate that he fear â€Å"death by water.† When the rain finally arrives at the close of the poem, it does suggest the cleansing of sins, the washing away of misdeeds, and the start of a new future; however,  with it comes thunder, and therefore perhaps lightning. History History, Eliot suggests, is a repeating cycle. When he calls to Stetson, the Punic War stands in for World War I; this substitution is crucial because it is shocking. At the time Eliot wrote The Waste Land, the First World War was definitively a first the Great War for those who had witnessed it. There had been none to compare with it in history. The predominant sensibility was one of profound change; the world had been turned upside down and now, with the rapid progress of technology, the movements of societies, and the radical upheavals in the arts, sciences, and philosophy, the history of mankind had reached a turning point.Eliot’s poem is like a street in Rome or Athens; one layer of history upon another upon another. The five parts of The Waste Land are titled: 1. The Burial of the Dead 2. A Game of Chess 3. The Fire Sermon 4. Death by Water 5. What the Thunder Said - The Waste Land Section I: â€Å"The Burial of the Dead† The first section of The Waste Land takes its title from a line in the Anglican burial service. It is made up of four vignettes, each seemingly from the perspective of a different speaker. The first is an autobiographical snippet from the childhood of an aristocratic woman, in which she recalls sledding and claims that she is German, not Russian. The second section is a prophetic, apocalyptic invitation to journey into a desert waste, where the speaker will show the reader â€Å"something different from either / Your shadow at morning striding behind you / Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you; / [He] will show you fear in a handful of dust† (Evelyn Waugh took the title for one of his best-known novels from these lines). The almost threatening prophetic tone is mixed with childhood reminiscences about a â€Å"hyacinth girl† and a nihilistic epiphany the speaker has after an encounter with her. These recollections are filtered through  quotations from Wagner’s operatic version of Tristan und Isolde, an Arthurian tale of adultery and loss. The third episode in this section describes an imaginative tarot reading, in which some of the cards Eliot includes in the reading are not part of an actual tarot deck. The final episode of the section is the most surreal. The speaker walks through a London populated by ghosts of the dead. He confronts a figure with whom he once fought in a battle that seems to conflate the clashes of World War I with the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage (both futile and excessively destructive wars). The speaker asks the ghostly figure, Stetson, about the fate of a corpse planted in his garden. Analysis Eliot’s opening quotation sets the tone for the poem as a whole. Sibyl is a mythological figure who asked Apollo â€Å"for as many years of life as there are grains in a handful of sand† (North, 3). Unfortunately, she did not think to ask for everlasting youth. As a result, she is doomed to decay for years and years, and preserves herself within a jar. Having asked for something akin to eternal life, she finds that what she most wants is death. Death alone offers escape; death alone promises the end, and therefore a new beginning. Eliot’s poem, like the anthropological texts that inspired it, draws on a vast range of sources. Eliot provided copious footnotes with the publication of The Waste Land in book form; these are an excellent source for tracking down the origins of a reference. Many of the references are from the Bible: at the time of the poem’s writing Eliot was just beginning to develop an interest in Christianity that would reach its apex in the Four Quartets. The Waste Land Section II: â€Å"A Game of Chess† This section takes its title from two plays by the early 17th-century playwright Thomas Middleton, in one of which the moves in a game of chess denote stages in a seduction. This section focuses on two opposing scenes,  one of high society and one of the lower classes. The first half of the section portrays a wealthy, highly groomed woman surrounded by exquisite furnishings. As she waits for a lover, her neurotic thoughts become frantic, meaningless cries. Her day culminates with plans for an excursion and a game of chess. The second part of this section shifts to a London barroom, where two women discuss a third woman. Between the bartender’s repeated calls of â€Å"HURRY UP PLEASE IT’S TIME† (the bar is closing for the night) one of the women recounts a conversation with their friend Lil, whose husband has just been discharged from the army. She has chided Lil over her failure to get herself some false teeth, telling her that her husband will seek out the company of other women if she doesn’t improve her appearance. Lil claims that the cause of her ravaged looks is the medication she took to induce an abortion; having nearly died giving birth to her fifth child, she had refused to have another, but her husband â€Å"won’t leave [her] alone. Analysis The first part of the section is largely in unrhymed iambic pentameter lines, or blank verse. As the section proceeds, the lines become increasingly irregular in length and meter, giving the feeling of disintegration, of things falling apart. As the woman of the first half begins to give voice to her paranoid thoughts, things do fall apart, at least formally: We read lines of dialogue, then a snippet from a nonsense song. The second half of the section is a dialogue interrupted by the barman’s refrain. Rather than following an organized structure of rhyme and meter This is perhaps the most poetically experimental section of the entire poem. Eliot is writing in a lower-class vernacular here that resists poetic treatment. This section refutes the prevalent claim that iambic pentameter mirrors normal English speech patterns: Line length and stresses are consistently irregular. The two women of this section of the poem represent the two sides of modern sexuality: while one side of this sexuality is a dry, barren interchange inseparable from neurosis and self-destruction, the other side of this sexuality is a rampant fecundity associated with a lack of culture and rapid aging. The comparison between the two is not meant to suggest equality between them or to propose that the first woman’s exaggerated sense of high culture is in  any way equivalent to the second woman’s lack of it; rather, Eliot means to suggest that neither woman’s form of sexuality is regenerative. The Waste Land Section III: â€Å"The Fire Sermon† The title of this, the longest section of The Waste Land, is taken from a sermon given by Buddha in which he encourages his followers to give up earthly passion (symbolized by fire) and seek freedom from earthly things. A turn away from the earthly does indeed take place in this section, as a series of increasingly debased sexual encounters concludes with a river-song and a religious incantation. The section opens with a desolate riverside scene: Rats and garbage surround the speaker, who is fishing and â€Å"musing on the king my brother’s wreck.† The river-song begins in this section The speaker then proclaims himself to be Tiresias, a figure from classical mythology who has both male and female features (â€Å"Old man with wrinkled female breasts†) and is blind but can â€Å"see† into the future. Tiresias/the speaker observes a young typist, at home for tea, who awaits her lover, a dull and slightly arrogant clerk. The woman allows the clerk to have his way with her, and he leaves victorious. Tiresias, who has â€Å"foresuffered all,† watches the whole thing. After her lover’s departure, the typist thinks only that she’s glad the encounter is done and over. A fisherman’s bar is described, then a beautiful church interior, then the Thames itself. These are among the few moments of tranquillity in the poem, and they seem to represent some sort of simpler alternative. Queen Elizabeth I in an amorous encounter with the Earl of Leicester. The queen seems unmoved by her lover’s declarations, and she thinks only of her â€Å"people humble people who expect / Nothing.† The section then comes to an abrupt end with a few lines from St. Augustine’s Confessions and a vague reference to the Buddha’s Fire Sermon (â€Å"burning† ). Analysis This section of The Waste Land is notable for its inclusion of popular poetic forms, particularly musical ones. The more plot-driven sections are in Eliot’s usual assortment of various line lengths, rhymed at random. â€Å"The Fire Sermon,† however, also includes bits of many musical pieces’ the use of such â€Å"low† forms cuts both ways here: In one sense, it provides a critical  commentary on the episodes described, the cheap sexual encounters shaped by popular culture (the gramophone, the men’s hotel). But Eliot also uses these bits and pieces to create high art, and some of the fragments The opening two stanzas of this section describe the ultimate â€Å"Waste Land† as Eliot sees it. The wasteland is cold, dry, and barren, covered in garbage. Unlike the desert, which at least burns with heat, this place is static, save for a few scurrying rats. Even the river, normally a symbol of renewal, has been reduced to a â€Å"dull canal.† while Buddha can only repeat the word â€Å"burning,† unable to break free of its monotonous fascination. The poem’s next section, which will relate the story of a death without resurrection, exposes the absurdity of these two figures’ faith in external higher powers. That this section ends with only the single word â€Å"burning,† isolated on the page, reveals the futility of all of man’s struggles. The Waste Land Section IV: â€Å"Death by Water† The shortest section of the poem, â€Å"Death by Water† describes a man, Phlebas the Phoenician, who has died, apparently by drowning. In death he has forgotten his worldly cares as the creatures of the sea have picked his body apart. The narrator asks his reader to consider Phlebas and recall his or her own mortality. Analysis While this section appears on the page as a ten-line stanza, in reading, it compresses into eight: four pairs of rhyming couplets. Both visually and audibly, this is one of the most formally organized sections of the poem. It is meant to recall other highly organized forms that often have philosophical or religious import, like aphorisms and parables. The alliteration and the deliberately archaic language (â€Å"o you,† â€Å"a fortnight dead†) also contribute to the serious, didactic feel of this section. The major point of this short section is to rebut ideas of renewal and regeneration. Phlebas just dies; that’s it. Like Stetson’s corpse in the first section, Phlebas’s body yields nothing more than products of decay. However, the section’s meaning is far from flat; indeed, its ironic layering is twofold. The Waste Land Section V: â€Å"What the Thunder Said† The final section of The Waste Land is dramatic in both its imagery and its events. The first half of the section builds to an apocalyptic climax, as suffering people become â€Å"hooded hordes swarming† and the â€Å"unreal† cities of Jerusalem, Athens, Alexandria, Vienna, and London are destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again. A decaying chapel is described, which suggests the chapel in the legend of the Holy Grail. Atop the chapel, a cock crows, and the rains come, relieving the drought and bringing life back to the land. Curiously, no heroic figure has appeared to claim the Grail; the renewal has come seemingly at random, gratuitously. Eliot launches into a meditation on each of these aspects of the thunder’s power. The meditations seem to bring about some sort of reconciliation, as a Fisher King-type figure is shown sitting on the shore preparing to put his lands in order, a sign of his imminent death or at least abdication. The poem ends with a series of disparate fragments from a children’s song. Analysis The final stanzas of The Waste Land once again link Western and Eastern traditions, transporting the reader to the Ganges and the Himalayas, and then returning to the Thames and London Bridge. Eliot’s tactic throughout his poem has been that of eclecticism, of mixing and matching and of diversity, and here this strain reaches a culmination. The relevant Upanishad passage, which Eliot quotes, describes God delivering three groups of followers -– men, demons, and the gods -– the sound â€Å"Da.† The challenge is to pull some meaning out of this apparently meaningless syllable. For men, â€Å"Da† becomes â€Å"Datta,† meaning to give; this order is meant to curb man’s greed. For demons, â€Å"dayadhvam† is the dictum: these cruel and sadistic beings must show compassion and empathy for others. Finally, the gods must learn control – â€Å"damyata† – for they are wild and rebellious. Together, these three orders add up to a consistent moral perspective, composure, generosity, and empathy lying at the core. The initial imagery associated with the apocalypse at this section’s opening is taken from the crucifixion of Christ. Significantly, though, Christ is  not resurrected here: we are told, â€Å"He who was living is now dead.† The rest of the first part, while making reference to contemporary events in Eastern Europe and other more traditional apocalypse narratives, continues to draw on Biblical imagery and symbolism associated with the quest for the Holy Grail. The repetitive language and harsh imagery of this section suggest that the end is perhaps near, that not only will there be no renewal but that there will be no survival either. Cities are destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed, mirroring the cyclical downfall of cultures. The meditations upon the Upanishads give Eliot a chance to test the potential of the modern world. Asking, â€Å"what have we given?† he finds that the only time people give is in the sexual act and that this gift is ultimately evanescent and destructive: He associates it with spider webs and solicitors reading wills. Just as the poem’s speaker fails to find signs of giving, so too does he search in vain for acts of sympathy—the second characteristic of â€Å"what the thunder says†: He recalls individuals so caught up in his or her own fate—each thinking only of the key to his or her own prison—as to be oblivious to anything but â€Å"ethereal rumors† of others. The third idea expressed in the thunder’s speech—that of control—holds the most potential, although it implies a series of domineering relationships and surrenders of the self that, ultimately, are never realized.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Salespeople Motivation Essay -- Human Resources

Introduction Salespeople are often internally driven and self-motivated (Srivastava and Rangarajan, 2008), and are increasingly becoming consultants who sell value-added services (Smith and Rupp, 2003). Nowadays more industrial companies employ sales engineers (SE) and therefore they represent an emerging class of knowledge workers on sales (Darr, 2002). I will first discuss my experience in Festo, before briefly addressing some theories about motivation, related to it. Was there a mismatch between theory and business as I knew it? If so, I will try to identify it and to explain why Festo's incentives failed with me. Finally, I will suggest how Festo should have motivated its SE, based on the theory discussed. What is a SE? Although having studied engineering, I have mostly worked as a salesperson. Thus, I can ask: what is a SE? A salesperson with a strong technical knowledge on the field he/she is selling. Furthermore, a SE could be defined as a technical-consultant salesperson or a knowledge worker (Darr, 2002). These ideas somehow extend Lidstone's (1995) definition of a technical salesperson: someone who sells industrial products, equipment or highly engineered components, has a major emphasis is his/her technical know-how but are often worried with technical details and tends to forget his/her job is to sell. SE at Festo Festo Argentina had around 20 SE (2007) nationwide (from a workforce of 120), half of them farther away than 400 miles from main office. Needless to mention, every SE had a different emotional background (psychological characteristics), engineering field (industrial, electronic, mechanical), and socioeconomic situation (some married, some young and single; middle-aged, well-off, working class, etc.... .../2010]. Pritchard, R. and Ashwood, E. (2008). Managing motivation: a manager’s guide to diagnosing and improving motivation. New York: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Smith, A. and Rupp, W. (2003). An examination of emerging strategy and sales performance: motivation, chaotic change and organizational structure. Marketing & Intelligence Planning, 21/3, pp.156-167. Smyth and Murphy (1969). Compensating and motivating salesmen. New York: American Management Association. Srivastava, R. and Rangarajan, D. (2008). Understanding the salespeople’s â€Å"feedback-satisfaction† linkage: what role does job perceptions play?. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 23/3, pp. 151–160. Steers, R. and Porter, L. (1987). Motivation and work behaviour, 4th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc. Stewart, G. (1994). Successful Sales Management, 3rd edition. London: Pitman Publishing.

Monday, November 11, 2019

A Comparison between Eastern and Western Philosophy Essay

Have you thought about the question—â€Å"Is the world around us knowable?† For most Westerners, the answer is positive. But if you ask a Chinese the same question, you would get the reply like: â€Å"I don’t know.† or â€Å"Does it matter?† The reason behind it is the difference between Eastern and Western philosophy. A variety of philosophy schools around the world have pondered these kinds of philosophical problems for thousands years and some of them are highly representative (like Confucianism for Eastern and Platonism for Western). Though they are confronted with the same questions, the focal points are usually different from each other, which is caused by the disparity of their opinions toward the importance of philosophical problems. Western philosophy can be divided into Ancient Greek philosophy, medieval philosophy, modern philosophy and contemporary philosophy, while Eastern philosophy includes Chinese philosophy, Indian philosophy, Japan ese philosophy etc. There is no doubt that the similarities between them are obvious, yet the focus of Eastern philosophy is in society whereas Western’s is in universe. Because the understanding from a single side is always partial, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the major differences between the focus and methodology of Eastern and Western philosophy traditions and explain the possible causes behind it. When it comes to philosophy, Eastern philosophers take an individual inner world as starting point and put the principles of social life at the first place while Westerners will speculate on it from a universal perspective and try to figure out the principles behind the world. As Fung (1984) states that from a philosophical perspective, the highest achievement a man could realize is to be a sage and the daily task of dealing with social affairs in human relations is a part of the process of being a sage. However, for Western philosophers, they are inclined to put the origin of all things in the universe at first place, and then analyze how the world works. As Windelband (1956) illustrates, the history of Western philosophy is â€Å"an i nsight into the origin of European science in general†, which shows the reason behind Western philosophers’ preference. This difference also appears in Eastern and Western philosophy’s attitudes toward politics. In the ancient period, both Eastern and Western philosophers played the role of policy maker. Dong Zhongshu, who is one of the most successful Confucian in political area in  Chinese history (as his theories had been taken as the general embodiment of the policy of running the country), put forward the â€Å"Three cardinal guides (ruler guides subject, father guides son and husband guides wife)† and â€Å"Five constant virtues (benevolence righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity)† to help emperor Wu to strengthen his domination (Queen, 1996). All of these principles are highly related to social life since Dong believes the core of philosophy is humanity and the society needs to be ordered by regulating people’s social life. Similarly, Plato, who is a representative figure of ancient Greek philosophy, also offered his political opinions, which is highly relat ed to his theory of forms. As for Plato, the structure of a state is similar to a human body. The workers represent the abdomen; the warriors represent the chest and the philosopher kings represent the head, which are corresponding to productive, protective and governing respectively (Gaarder, 1996). It is noticeable to point out that while the Confucians’ political view is based on human nature since they take individual citizen as the basic unit of society, Platonism tries to analyze the structure of a state from a general perspective, which is focus on a general perspective. The difference between the methodology of Eastern and Western philosophy is also a big concern. As Spirkin concluded that â€Å"Methodology is a system of principles and general ways of organizing and structuring theoretical and practical activity, and also the theory of this system.† Nonetheless, there is no concept like methodology that appears in most Eastern philosophy classics. There are famous Chinese philosophical classics like the Analects of Confucius and Tao Te Ching, which are not monumental masterpieces but express their ideas through a philosopher’s sayings and behaviors. Does that mean there is no methodology in Eastern philosophy? The fact is the methodology of Eastern a nd Western philosophy is extremely different from each other and we cannot use the definition of Western philosophy to judge Eastern philosophy. As Easterners do not have a system of principles and methods to solve problems, they take the principles of social life as methodology, which can be summarized as doctrine of the mean. In contras, Western philosophy has a set of theories of reasoning (like syllogism and deductive reasoning), which can form people’s decisive mind habit. As Hamilton and Webster (2009) states in their book about culture difference â€Å"Difference in approach can also be seen in negotiations.Ð ¸Westerners expect to focus on contentious issues and try to achieve the most beneficial outcomes for themselves. In contrast, the Japanese prefer to discuss areas of agreement, with the expectation that harmony will lead to the resolution of details.† In other words, as a result of putting high value on social relationship, the methodology of Eastern philosophy comes from predecessors’ experiences and people chronically take other’s feeling into consideration, whereas Westerners usual ly take themselves as starting points, advocate independent and rational thoughts as well. For another instance, both Eastern and Western world had experienced a lot of reforms, but the leader of the reform would take totally different approaches. During the period of hundred day’s reform, which happened in China in 1898, Kang YouWei, who is the leader of this reform, spread his ideas of reform by annotating Confucius classics (Karl and Zarrow, 2002). Likewise, there is also a famous reform that happened in France in 1800s—the Age of enlightenment. The leaders of this reform set up their own theories of society and pointed their arrows toward feudal class directly (Dora, 1979), which is extremely different from Kang’s approach. One of the greatest reasons for the difference between Eastern and Western philosophy is geography. As Windelband (1956) notes, the history of the philosophy of the Greeks, like the history of their political development, requires a larger conception of its political relations would imply. This shows that geography plays a significantly important role in the development of philosophy. Generally speaking, the two main sources of Eastern philosophy—China and India—are ag riculture countries. â€Å"There are two expressions in the Chinese language which can both be translated as the world. One is ‘all beneath the sky’ and the other is ‘all within the four seas’.† (Fung, 1948). As agriculture activities are regular and predicable, Easterners prefer to believe past experience rather than abstract principles. That’s why the sayings and behaviors of a sage can be the best philosophy lesson for Easterners—because they are specific and comprehendible. And yet, Western countries are very close to ocean. As Windelband (1956) cites homer â€Å"The natural link of the three great continents was this sea, with its islands and coasts occupied by the most gifted of people, which from the earliest historical times had settled all its coasts.† As a result, most Western countries are highly commercialized and industrialized. Innovation and  breakthrough are always greatly required, which means only the theories based on logic and reasoning can be valued. As Confucius once said, â€Å"The wise move; the good stay still. The wise are happy; the good endure† (Confucius and James, 2010). Though it is not his original meaning, this saying shows th e difference between the personality of the ancient Chinese and Greeks from a geographical perspective. Let’s move back to the question at the beginning—â€Å"Is the world around us knowable?† The different answers toward it imply the real reasons behind the differences between Eastern and Western philosophy and that is the ways they look the world. While Easterners pay attention to the balance of the inner world, Westerners are trying to conquer the outside world. This is why Westerners will say â€Å"Yes† to this question because they have achieved a lot of accomplishments in discovering the secrets of the world already. But for most Easterners they pay more attention to their daily life and relationships with others, which make them cannot respond to this question with a certain answer. Both the differences of emphasis and methodology can be explained from this perspective. To a great extent, geographical factors contributed enormously to this process and sometimes make the gap grow. Eastern and Western philosophy need to learn from each other, as it is t he only way to recognize the advantages and disadvantages of themselves. We all have a belief that he different philosophy will melt with each other rather than against in the future.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Opening

It is named Al-Fatihah, the Opening – in light of the fact that it opens the Book and by it the recitation in supplication starts. It is additionally named Umm al-Qur'an, the Mother of the Qur'an, and Umm al-Kitab, the Mother of the Book in light of the way that the noteworthiness of the whole Qur'an is outlined in that. It is in like way named Sab'ul-Mathani, (the Seven Often Repeated Verses), Al-Hamd, (the Praise), Al-Shifa (The Cure) and Ar-Ruqya, the Spiritual Cure. Its recitation is a condition for the reasonableness of the demand. It is the Mecci Surah of the Holy Quran, which construes that it was found on the Prophet of God while He was in Makkah, i.e. before movement to Madina. It was at first the fifth part to be revealed yet after Furqan e Hameed was assembled, it was put toward the start. Al-Fatiha itself infers â€Å"The Opening† as this territory comes content with beginning of the Holy Book and fills in as a Gateway to look at Quran Majeed further. In addition, it in like way fills in as the beginning of Salah. It in like way has the pleasure of being the standard Surah that is made known totally. Disregarding the way that it includes 7 Ayats just, yet despite it explains the Veneration of the Almighty in an incredibly comprehensive way and also is a sensational system for supplication of advancing toward Allah for keeping one on the correct way. THEME: Allah has instructed in this Surah to mankind to offer supplication to Him, who is the Lord of this universe before chasing down course and Who alone can permit it. The reader should have a firm conviction that the Creator of the universe is the wellspring of all data and the examination of Quran can give him guidance. Islam requires a man to start everything with the name of Allah. By doing this he will keep himself a long way from questionable and wrong deeds. By then there is offered to of Allah Who is Master, Owner, Sustainer, Provider, Guardian, Sovereign, Ruler, Administrator and Organizer. By then it is consolidated that He is the Master of the Day of Judgment, in this way, everyone is responsible for his deeds. Humankind is only admirer of the Lord and thusly, mankind is requesting bearing in each walk around life. The course which make mankind positive is required. The individual will's character off track will continue on through the savagery of Allah (SWT)VIRTUES: There are many virtues related to this Surah.Hazrat Abu Saeed al-Khudri narrates: â€Å"While on a journey we finished at a place. A young woman came to us and expressed: â€Å"The leader of this group has been stung by a scorpion and our men are truant, is there anybody among you who can recite something upon him to treat him?† Then, one of our men obliged her in spite of the way that we didn't deduce that he knew any such treatment. In any case, our sidekick went to the manager and examined something upon him and the supervisor was cured. Instantly, the manager gave him thirty sheep and gave each one of us deplete to drink. When he returned, we asked our buddy: â€Å"Did you know anything to introduce upon him to cure him?† He expressed: â€Å"No, I just talked about Umm al-Kitab (i.e. Surah al-Fatiha) upon him.† We said that don't do anything until the point that the moment that we accomplish Madinah and ask the Prophet as for this (sharpen and reward whether the sheep were lawful or not for us). In the wake of accomplishing Madinah, we depicted this to the Prophet (PBUH), whereupon he remarked: â€Å"How might he come to understand that Al-Fatiha can be used as a cure? (PBUH) Distribute your reward among yourselves and a ton an offer for me likewise†.† (Sahih Bukhari) TAFSEER OF SURAH AL-FATIAH:In the Name of Allah The main ayah of Surah Fatiha is: For the sake of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful. (Al-Fatiha: 1) This expression is known as the bismillah. It regards recount it before doing any activity. The Meaning of the letter Baa The Baa in the Arabic dialect can have three distinct implications:With – With/for the sake of AllahSeeking help – Seeking help of the name of AllahSeeking favoring – Seeking favoring with the name of Allah The Meaning of al-Rahman and al-Raheem Both these names are gotten from a similar root letters: raa, haa, meem; which intends to show kindness.They are in this way comparable in importance and both are associated with Allah's (SWT) Mercy. The way that Allah (SWT) notices two of His Names which show to do with Mercy, instead of Might and Power or so on, demonstrates exactly how essential this Attribute is. The distinction between al-Rahman and al-Raheem is that al-Rahman alludes to Allah's (SWT) Mercy to all of creation. It is His Mercy which is stretched out to the two adherents and doubters; creatures, and everything that exists. He says in the Qur'an: My Mercy envelops all things. (Al-A'raf: 156) Al-Rahman in this manner shows the outrageous boundlessness of Allah's (SWT) Mercy. It is said in a hadith that Allah (SWT) isolated Mercy into 100 sections and sent down just a single part to this dunya. It is from this one a player in His Mercy that creatures indicate kindness to their posterity (Sahih Muslim). Al-Raheem alludes to Allah's (SWT) Mercy which is particular for the devotees. He says in the Qur'an: Also, He is Full of Mercy to the Believers. (al-Ahzab: 43) Al-Raheem in this way demonstrates the doing of an activity. All Praise is because of Allah The second ayah is: All acclaim be to Allah, the Lord of the considerable number of universes. (Al-Fatiha: 2) The Meaning of Hamd and the Difference amongst Hamd and Shukr Hamd implies applaud and furthermore appreciation. The researchers contrasted with regards to the connection between the words hamd and shukr. Some said that they both have a similar importance. In this way, the significance of hamd, in their view, is the same as shukr (appreciation, appreciation). Hamd is something which must be finished with adoration and veneration, however shukr does not require this. Shukr is helped in light of out which is done to a man however hamd is done basically on the grounds that the one being lauded and said thanks to is deserving of that. The Meaning of Rabb Rabb is normally deciphered as Lord yet it is significantly more including than that. It likewise incorporates the importance of Nurturer, Sustainer, Cherisher et cetera. The Rabb is the maker, ruler, ace and the person who controls everything. It originates from the root letters raa, baa, baa: which intends to have dominance and control over something. The Meaning of ‘Aalameen A portion of the contrasting perspectives about it are that it alludes to: 1-Everything which exists other than Allah ta'aalaa 2-Mankind and the jinn 3-Those things which have an insightfulness, and they are four: humankind, jinn, holy messengers, and fiends 4-Those things which have souls The best view is the first, the confirmation being ayah 23 and 24 of Surah Shu'ara. (23) Said Pharaoh, â€Å"And what is the Lord of the universes?† (24) [Moses] stated, â€Å"The Lord of the sky and earth and that between them, on the off chance that you ought to be persuaded.† The Beneficent, The Most Merciful The third ayah is: The Beneficent, The Most Merciful. (Al-Fatiha: 3) The clarification of these two names has just been given. Why at that point is it rehashed? This is to by and by accentuation the significance of the nature of leniency. Likewise, when something is rehashed in the Qur'an, at that point you should take a gander at the ayah before it and after it, to perceive how they are connected. For this situation, the past ayah specified that Allah (SWT) is the Rabb of the considerable number of universes. In this way, His rehashing the words, al-Rahman al-Raheem from that point forward, demonstrates to us that His being the Rabb – His taking of and supporting and accommodating us – is all piece of His Mercy towards us. Ace of the Day of Reward The fourth ayah is: The Only Owner of the Day of Recompense. (Al-Fatiha: 3) The Meaning of Maalik: The principal expression of this ayah can be discussed in two courses: either as â€Å"Maalik† (with a madd after the meem) or as â€Å"Malik† (without the madd). Maalik implies ace, and it alludes to â€Å"drain† – the responsibility for. Malik implies ruler, and it alludes to â€Å"mulk† – the domain of a man. God is the Lord of the Day when all ages of humanity assemble on request to render a record of their lead, and when every individual will be at long last remunerated or rebuffed for his deeds. The portrayal of God as Lord of the Day of Judgment following the say of his generosity and sympathy demonstrates that we should recollect another part of God too to be specific, that He will judge all of us, that He is so totally intense, that on the Day of Judgment nobody will have the power either to oppose the requirement of disciplines that He declares or to keep anybody from getting the prizes that He chooses to give. Consequently, we should not exclusively to love Him for supporting and managing us and for His sympathy and kindness towards us, however ought to likewise hold Him in amazement on account of His equity, and ought not overlook that our definitive bliss or hopelessness rests totally with Him. You (Alone) We Worship The fifth ayah is: (Only you) we love and (only you) we request help. (Al-Fatiha: 5) Now, there is a move in the Surah from educating us about Allah (SWT) and commending Him, to tending to Him.†We revere† implies we comply. Love is dutifulness and self-humbling. It intends to lower yourself before Allah (SWT) and to submit to His Will. Apparently it is self-dishonor, however actually, it is eminence and beautification. The ayah certifies the Lordship of Allah and asserts that love is because of Him. â€Å"Iyyaaka nasta'een† implies we look for help, support and achievement. As a rule, in many sentences the verb starts things out and after that the protest; yet in this ayah the question of the verb is specified first and after that the verb. So why would that be? It is with a specific end goal to append significance to it, to Allah (SWT). It likewise alludes the status of the slave and his love which is bring down so it will come in the wake of specifying the Lord, Allah (SWT). Guide us on the Straight Path The 6th ayah is: Guide us on the Straight Path. (Al-Fatiha: 5) This ayah is a dua which we make to Allah (SWT). We request that he demonstrate to us the Straight Path and to direct us on it, with the goal that we will get His Guidance which moves us nearer and closer to Him. We have to battle towards Allah (SWT) by doing great deeds and by avoiding every single terrible deed which will separate us from Him. The Meaning of Siraat Siraat is a street or a way. Be that as it may, there are sure conditions which it needs to satisfy keeping in mind the end goal to be a siraat else it would be called something unique, for example, tareeq or sabeel which additionally mean a street. The conditions are that it must be straight. It must achieve the objective and it must be the most limited course to arrive. It should likewise be wide and sufficiently roomy for everybody who needs to movement it. The Meaning of MustaqeemMustaqeem is gotten from istaqaama, which intends to be straight, upright, amend. We as of now said that for a street to be a sirat it must be straight, so this modifier of mustaqeem again accentuation the straightness of this Path. Another significance of mustaqeem is to stay firm or to stand firm without tilting. For instance, a tree that is solidly grounded when the breeze passes up it. Along these lines, the Straight Path is a way on which individuals are immovably grounded. The Path of Those The seventh and last ayah is: The way of those you have favored, not of those with outrage on them, nor of the individuals who are off track. (Al-Fatiha: 7) Who are the general population who have been honored by Allah (SWT) and whose Path we request to manual for? This is clarified by Allah (SWT) in another ayah where He says: Whosoever obeys Allah, and the Messenger, they are with those whom Allah has favored, the Prophets, the earnest, the saints and the equitable, and these are the best organization. (Al-Nisa': 69) In this way, the favored and favored individuals are the Prophets, the equitable, the saints and the devout. What's more, who are the general population with outrage on them and the individuals who are off track? This is clarified by the Prophet. ‘Adi ibn Hatim (RA) got some information about those with outrage on them and he answered that it alludes to the Jews. He at that point got some information about the individuals who are off track and he answered that it alludes to the Christians. This is accounted for by al-Tirmidhi and is credible.Effect on the life of a Muslim1-Forgoing gaining His dismay and endeavouring to acquire his supportIn a Hadith described by Companion Abu-Sa'ad (RA), a section read: â€Å"I will instruct a Surah which is the best Surah in the Quran before you leave the Masjid†. At that point he grabbed hold of my hand and when he planned to leave [the Masjid], I asked him, â€Å"Did you not state that you would show me a Surah which is the best Surah in the Qur'an?† He answered, â€Å"Yes. It is [the Surah initiating with], ‘All acclaim and thanks are because of Allah'. It is the Seven Oft-Repeated verses and the Great Qur'an that has been given to me.† 2.The regularly adoring, consistently managing nature of God The petition incorporated into the part is routed to God following the revelation by the devotee that he looks for assistance from nobody else however God. This equitable indicates the hugeness of the idea that, God alone is the turner of fortunes, the reliever of agony and the planner of predeterminations. Along these lines, an adherent ought to dependably swing to God for help as no one but He can change things around for him. This idea helps the devotee to enjoy supplication for his improvement. 3.Have confidence in God's Mercy The verses of this section incorporate a stressed specify of God's kindness. It expands the psyche of an adherent to realize that God is dependably there to hear us out, excuse us and better our lives. This general concept gives the devotee an extreme shelter; the asylum of God's unfathomable kindness. It's that place of refuge you can simply swing to if your expectation is honorable and confidence is clear. 4.Affirmation of God's characteristics The verses say God's lordship over the world and the great beyond. It passes on the adherent a basic thought that whatever lies in this world is made, kept up and directed by God alone and whatever lies past and after this world; the great beyond, is likewise represented by God in totality. This sets being an unassuming hireling of God and partner all acclaim because of Him. The Opening â€Å"In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"(All) praise is (only) Allah's, the Lord of the Worlds.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Beneficent, The Merciful.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Master of the Day of Judgement.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thee (alone) do we worship and of Thee (only) do we seek help.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Guide us (O' Lord) on the Straight Path.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy bounties, not (the path) of those inflicted with Thy wrath, nor (of those) gone astray.â€Å"The Opening (Surah e Fatiha) has a different opening tone as compared to other surahs, its tone is extraordinary and has a particular style which is clearly different from others. The others surah of Quran includes commands for the mankind from Allah, whereas Surah e Fatiha is a way for the mankind to speak and communicate to their creator Allah Almighty without any mediator.It is a Mecci surah of Quran which means it was discovered by Prophet PBUH when he was in Makkah. It is kept at the the beginning of Quran and serves as a gateway to read the Holy Quran. It consists of 7 surahs and it is also a way to salah.Theme:Surah e Fatiha is described as the Mother of the Quran and the Seven oft-repeated verses. It describes the basic tenets of Islam, belief in Allah, the Prophet Muhammad PBUH and the purification of the soul and character. In many ways, Surah e Fatiha is a summary of the main themes of the Qur'an. The scholars have mentioned that the Qur'an is broadly divided into 3 main themes. Number one the Quran speaks about Allah, number two about the Prophets and past nations, and number three about the halal and haram.Allah: In the first three verses of the surah Allah Almighty tells about the very first principle that is to know Allah about His creation, His power, His attributes, His names. It gives us the message of Tauheed. It tells us that Allah is the most merciful and most beneficent and that He is the owner of the day of Judgement.Prophet:In the next verses of Surah, the second principle is described. It tells us to follow the Prophet PBUH his sacrifices, his life, his way of living, his character. It tells us to follow the straight path, the path of Prophet Muhammad PBUH to follow his Sunnah. And that he is the best example to follow.Halal and Haram:After following the first two principles a person heart becomes pure and it allows a person to do only those things that Allah lov es and follow the Sunnah and straight path of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH this helps a person to do halal deeds which leads to attain Allah's grace, blessings and love.Whereas if a person will not follow the first two principles it will lead to the creation of an evil person who does bad deeds and we only get Allah's wrath and anger.Virtue of Surah e Fatiha:There are many virtues of Surah e Fatiha such asIbn ‘Abbas narrated:†While Jibril was with the Messenger of Allah, he heard a noise from above. Jibril lifted his sight to the sky and said: â€Å"This is a door in the Heavens being opened, and it has never been opened before now.† An Angel descended from that door and came to the Prophet and said: â€Å"Receive the glad tidings of two lights that you have been given, which no other Prophet before you was given The Opening of the Book (Al Fatiha) and the last verses of ‘al-Baqarah.' You will not read a letter of them except that you will gain its benefit.† (Sahih Muslim).B) Impact of Surah e Fatiha On the Life of Muslim:There are many impact of surah e fatiha on the life of a Muslim. It is a blessing and holds a great position in the heart of every Muslim. By accepting every single word of it a person submits himself to Allah and because of submission of a person to Allah SWT we shape our lives in every manner possible. We recite surah e fatiha 17 times a day and without it our prayer remains incomplete. It helps us solve all our problems in daily life and connect us to Allah. It creates a mentality in the believer that the road to every moment of happiness and contentment. Every word of each verse nurture a sense of gratitude for the losses, hardships, and disappointments we face in life, by realizing that Allah offers us an opportunity to gain nearness to Him and forgiveness and rewards through patience during such events in life.C) Tafseer of Surah e Fatiha:The first verse:The first ayat of Surah Fatiha is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful. It is known as bismillah. It is good and necessary to recite before every action. The Meaning of al-Rahman and al-Raheem:Both these names are derived from the same root letters: raa,haa, meem; which means to have mercy. They both similar in meaning and both are connected to Allah. The fact that Allah and mention of two of His Names which have to do with Mercy, rather than Might and Power, to show just how important this is. The difference between al-Rahman and al-Raheem is that al-Rahman refers to Allah mercy to all of creation. It is His mercy which is extended to everything that exists.Al-Raheem refers to Allah's mercy which is specific for the believers. It indicates the doing of actionsThe second verse:The second ayat is: All praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. The word hamd means praise and thankfulness. The meaning of hamd, is the same as shukr. Hamd is something which must be done with love and affection, but shukr does not need this. Shukr is done in response to a favour which is done to a person but hamd is done simply because the one being praised and thanked. The Meaning of Rabb and Aalameen:Rabb is usually means and translate as Lord but it is much more. The Rabb is the creator, the king, the master and the one who controls everything in this universe. It comes from the root letters raa, baa which means to have control over everything.Aalameen means everything which exists other than Allah that is mankind, jinn, angels, and devils. In short, all those things which have souls.The third verse:The third ayat is: The Beneficent, The Most Merciful. The explanation of these two names has already been given. Why is it repeated? This is to once again emphasize the importance of the mercy. Also, when something is repeated in the Quran, then you should look at the ayat before it and aft er it, to see how they are related. In this case, the previous ayah mentioned that Allah is the Rabb of all the worlds. So, repeating the words, al-Rahman and al-Raheem after that, shows us that being the Rabb He provides us mercy.The fourth verse:The fourth ayat is: The Only Owner of the Day of Recompense.The Meaning of Maalik. Maalik means master and refers to â€Å"milk† that is the ownership of something whereas Malik means king, and it refers to â€Å"mulk† that is the dominion of a person. God is the Lord of the Day of Judgement. He will judge us He is powerful, that on the Day of Judgement no one will have the power either to resist the enforcement of punishments that He decrees or to prevent anyone from receiving the rewards that he decides to bestow. Hence, we should not forget that our ultimate happiness or misery rests completely with Him. The fifth verse:The fifth ayat is: You (alone) we worship and You (alone) we ask for help. Now we are addressing Allah. Worship means to obey, it means to submit yourself before Allah and to His Will. The ayah tells us that lordship and worship is due to Him. â€Å"Iyyaaka nasta'een† means we seek help, support and success. Usually, in most sentences the verb comes first and then the object but here the object of the verb is mentioned first and then the verb so to attach importance to it, to Allah refers the status of the slave and his worship which is lower so it will come after mentioning the Lord, Allah. The sixth verse:The sixth ayat is: Guide us on the Straight Path. This ayah is a dua which we make to show us the straight path and to guide us on it, so that we will get guidance and get closer to Him. We must prevent ourselves from doing bad deeds so that it doesn't draw us far away from Allah The Meaning of Siraat and Mustaqeem:Siraat is a road or a path. The ways to fulfil a siraat is tareeq or sabeel which also mean a road. The conditions are that it must be straight,reach the goal, it must be the shortest route to get there, must also be wide and spacious enough for everyone who wants to travel it.Mustaqeem is derived from the word istaqaama, which means to be straight, upright.The adjective of mustaqeem is to emphasize again the straightness of this path. The seventh and final verse:The seventh ayat is:The path of those you have blessed, not of those with anger on them, nor of those who are astray.So, the favoured and blessed people are the Prophets, the martyrs and the pious. And who are the people with anger on them and those who are astray? This is explained by the Prophet. ‘Adi ibn Hatim (RA) asked him about those with anger on them and he replied that it refers to the Jews. He then asked him about those who are astray and he replied that it refers to the Christians. This is reported by al-Tirmidhi and is authentic.