Compare and Contrast Billy Budd versus Bartleby Essay

A Comparison/Contrast Analysis of Billy Budd and Bartleby Several comparisons and contrasts can be made concerning the two stories, Billy Budd and Bartleby, written by Herman Melville. The setting of the two stories reveals an interesting comparison and contrast between the British Navy on the open sea, and the famous Wall Street of New York. The comparison and contrast of characters, Billy Budd, Captain Vere, and Claggart in Billy Budd, and the `narrator and Bartleby in Bartleby, at times are very much alike, and also very different. The conflict, climax and resolution of the two Melville stories contain similarities and differences. These two stories, on the exterior, appear to be very different, and on the interior†¦show more content†¦The setting for Billy Budd is on a British naval ship, sailing on the sea during the late 1700s. This was a critical period for the British Navy. Great Britain was at that time an imperial presence all around the world. This included the Americas, Africa, Australia, India, and the Far East. All these territories had stretched British Naval forces beyond its capacity to govern and control such a huge empire. These complications eventually led to its decline. In contrast, the setting for Bartleby was New York Citys Wall Street. During the early to mid 1800s, Wall Street was the center of Americas financial and business life. The banking and credit institutions, insurance companies, and the growing stock exchange were all revolutionizing the American economy. The comparison and contrast of the characters will begin with who the main characters are. In the story of Bartleby, the main characters are the unnamed `narrator, who is the employer at the copying office; and Bartleby, the hired scrivener, or copyist. There are several minor characters in this story, and their symbolism is of some small significance to the story. In Billy Budd, the main characters are Billy Budd, the handsome sailor; Claggart, the master-at-arms; and Captain Vere, the commander of the ship. The

Marketing $100 Laptop Free Essays

Mr. Negroponte wanted to create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a low cost laptop. This laptop will have educational software to provide children with otherwise unavailable technological learning opportunities. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing $100 Laptop or any similar topic only for you Order Now OLPC provides an interesting vantage point from which to examine the dynamics between non-profit and for-profit competitors because of the rapid development of the low-cost laptop market. OLPC was undoubtedly the innovator in this category of low-cost laptops with their â€Å"$100 laptop† concept. However, now that for-profit companies have entered the market and released a slew of similar products, OLPC must find ways to maintain its competitive advantage. OLPC was facing some marketing challenges and some the non-marketing challenges. The $100 price for the laptops is to be achieved by operating with no profit, cutting all unnecessary frills including marketing campaigns and assembling large quantities of computers. Negroponte estimated the program will launch with a distribution of at least 5 million computers, and said he hopes to increase that number to 100 million by the second year. He predicted that as the laptop design improves, the per-unit price will go down. Marketing Challenges: †¢ Marketing a low-cost, lightweight laptop seemed contradictory to recent products that are lightweight and ultra-thin that were typically more expensive and harder to manufacture. †¢ Most children using $100 laptop would not have ready access to electricity. †¢ Consumers criticizing OLPC for discounting the value of teacher training and curriculum development using the device. †¢ Governments opting out to put its resources toward traditional method of education. †¢ Prices for the OLPC don’t seem to stay at $100 causing different price floats. †¢ Competition like Intel(for profit companies) launching its own cheaper laptop targeting developing nations as well. Offering enhanced capabilities and the ability to run version of Linux or Window XP 3. Analysis: Differentiation: Price and Technology OLPC should differentiate its product, the XO, from direct competitors such as Intel’s Classmate PC and indirect competitors in the netbook category such as Dell Mini product lines. Differentiation must be visible on three distinct levels; price, technology, and brand. Price: OLPC is currently the cost-leader in this category. The Intel Classmate PC, which is OLPC’s most direct competitor, is currently priced at $285. The OLPC’s XO is priced at $175. Since both OLPC and its competitors are serving government education programs, cost will be extremely important as a number of nations are creating bidding wars for purchasing contracts. Even though OLPC is the lowest cost offering at this point, maintaining this price advantage will become increasingly difficult as competition in the market for low-cost laptops heats up. OLPC overcame some of the challenges by keeping laptop at low-cost by outsourcing the major design work and key part of the operating systems to different countries. Technology and Innovation: OLPC had a first-mover advantage in this market as its XO offering was perhaps the first entrant into the affordable netbook category. OLPC is specialized for its market of children ages 6-12. The design and child-friendly operating system is very unique. The unique connectivity is important for rural areas with sparse communications infrastructure. The XO is built for ultimate adaptability. Even its power sources can be diversified. OLPC has done an admirable job differentiating its product from its competitors through its innovative technologies and education-specific software and hardware. Competitive Strategy: Though OLPC is a leader on price and feature set, sustaining this advantage will be extremely difficult when facing competition from the largest computer companies in the world. Thus to keep its top position, it must leverage its advantages as a non-profit organization. OLPC must create value from its non-profit status to build reputation and trust. As a non-profit, OLPC can build goodwill in ways that for-profit companies are not able. Also being a non-profit enables OLPC to finance and maintain pricing schemes that are different than the competition. In terms of cost savings, OLPC has the advantage that many companies are eager to produce components for the OLPC. For example, Microsoft has gone out of its way to create a version of Windows to run on the OLPC. This is a cost savings that competitive firms are unable to match. To exploit this advantage further, OLPC could even attract advertisement agency to advertise on their PCs to further lower the cost of each machine. How to cite Marketing $100 Laptop, Essay examples

Lateral Thinking Essay Example

Lateral Thinking Paper 1. Introduction As human beings, people have different ways of thinking. The way they think will influence their decisions. Nowadays, some people try to improve their potential to think uniquely. This type of thinking can be called Lateral thinking. This concept is very useful for people who are working in business organisation especially when they make a decision. This report will illustrate more about lateral thinking, the method to improve lateral thinking, and how to use this concept in corporate world. 2. Lateral Thinking There are three basics ways of thinking, which are logical thinking, common sense, and puzzles science. Logical thinking is where people do not over look to the reason why they consider thing as correct. For example, a car will not run without fuel and most people know it without comprehend this problem. The second basic method is common sense. In this method where people find solution for their problems based on their experience. The third method is Puzzles and science where people try to find solution for certain problem. (Mero 1990, pp. 11-36) Mero has overlooked a new method of thinking which called Lateral Thinking was first introduced by Edward de Bono. He stated that lateral thinking is the way of thinking which approach different principles and ideas (Lateral thinking 2006). An example to describe Lateral thinking: â€Å"You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper. † (de Bono 1992, p. 52) From this example, Edward de Bono emphasized that people should look at things from different alternatives and perception. Thinking of different alternatives will help people to eliminate conventional way of thinking and find new solution to their problems. (de Bono 1992, p. 53) 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Lateral Thinking specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Lateral Thinking specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Lateral Thinking specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Lateral Thinking in relation with creativity and Innovation Altering concepts and perception lead people to think laterally. This changing process involves creativity to generate new ideas. According to De Bono (1992, p. 55) assert â€Å"The term â€Å"lateral thinking† is very precise. Lateral thinking is based on behavior of self-organizing information system. † Even though the basic pattern of lateral thinking is focusing on searching of perception and concepts, its still considers the shifting of its process. In other words, creative thinking is a process of finding new concepts and ideas to solve a problem. (de Bono 1992, p. 5) Characteristics of creative thinkers are innovative and creative, imaginative in problem solving, arranged mind, positive thinking, and hard working (Tanner 1992). The first characteristic is creative and innovative which means creative thinkers dislike of being stagnant and they will do creative act to make changes. Their creative way of th inking may contribute to the benefit of themselves and their community. Second characteristic is imaginative in the way of searching alternatives for problem solving, â€Å"They do not grab at the first idea to solve a problem but take the time to search for alternatives†. Third characteristic is arranged mind. At this point, creative thinkers will adopt the situation and try to get the idea from that situation. Fourth characteristics of creative thinkers is positive thinking, it means they see things even problems in positive way. The last characteristics is hard working which means creative thinkers always focus and concentrate their mind and put effort on their goal. (Tanner 1992) 4. Access to Understand Lateral Thinking There are several accesses to understand lateral thinking which are â€Å"reading materials, seminars and lectures, group and individual practice. (Bono 1971, p 158-163) Reading materials is the first access to understand lateral thinking, where people can find the information from book. However, there will be misunderstanding of this subject when people only read and try to understand from books. The second access is attending seminars and lectures which only cover the background of lateral thinking theory because seminars and lec tures only concentrate to one technique (de Bono 1971, p. 158). The last accesses that people can use are group and individual practice. According to De Bono (1971, p. 58), group practice will give pictures about lateral thinking methods. Moreover, people can learn lateral thinking by individual practice. â€Å"The purpose of individual practice in lateral thinking is to acquire skill and confidence in this type of thinking. † (De Bono 1971, p. 158) 5. Methods to Improve Lateral Thinking Nowadays, people have to improve their skill to think laterally. There are many methods to develop lateral thinking that were introduced by Edward de Bono. Particularly, this report will only concentrated on six thinking hats method and the creative pause method (Bono 1992). . 1 Six thinking hats method Six thinking hats method is â€Å"a model that can be used for exploring different perspective towards a complex situation or challenge. † (Bono 1985) The purpose of this method is to h elp individuals directly accept the difference point of view of one thing. Edward de Bono uses different colors to explain this method. For example, white represents objective facts, red represents justification, black represents logical negative views, yellow represents looks for benefit, green represents new ideas and blue represents organizer. Trained employees who attend this training wear one hat to put them selves in other person’s position. From this process, employees can learn to see one subject from different point of view. The advantages of this system can develop communication skill among the employees within organisation and help decision making. (de Bono 1979 and de Bono1985) 5. 2 The Creative pause method This method is the easiest way for people to train their lateral thinking skill. However, in order to make this method effective people should give special attempt and high commitment to learn the method. de Bono 1992) â€Å"The creative pause is an interruption in the smooth flow of routine in order to pay deliberate attention at some point. † (De Bono 1992, p. 86) When using this method, people will focus to some objects or problems and many questions will come into their minds which respond intention the situation that occur. For example, â€Å"Why we eat in the restaurant? †, â€Å"Wh y we do not eat at home? †, â€Å"How about if we do not eat anything tonight†. (de Bono 1992, p. 86) Motivation plays an important role in learning the method, when people have the right motivation it will give them benefits, and that is being able to think creatively. In addition, hope also gives a significant impact since there is a new possibility for a solution. (de Bono 1992, p. 87) As mentioned above, this method is the easiest way to learn lateral thinking; therefore it does not require any special system. De Bono (1992, p. 88) stated, â€Å"the main point of the pause is to give attention to something and to place that point in your mind as being worthy of attention. † To think creatively, people should think slowly in order to concentrate on particular point. For example, when drawing it is important to take time in order to get a good inspiration to be applied on the painting. (de Bono 1992, p. 88) People should understand the difference between creative pause and selecting important parts of the problem. Essentially, creative pause only concentrate in creating new idea about the problem. (de Bono 1992, p. 89) 6. Application of lateral thinking in Business Organisation Today, many large business organisations are trying to look at creative thinking method which founded by Edward De Bono. This method becomes famous in UK and many companies send their representatives to take advantage of this method. Several companies that have been applying lateral thinking within the organization are IBM, Federal Express and British Airways. Those companies are implementing the theory of lateral thinking by establishing program of thinking creatively and systematically using six thinking hats method which already explained above. (Evans 1994) Another company that has applied Lateral thinking is NDS (Norse Dairy System) which based in Columbus, Ohio. They were applying lateral thinking method by creatively made various types of ice-cream cones in 2003. NDS was the first ice-cream cones supplier that created cones in flavors, iced oatmeal cookies, and chocolate vanilla cookies covered with chocolate. That kind of innovation in the ice-cream industry was created by thinking outside the box because at that time, there was no other competitor who had the same innovation. (Be a Trend Setter 2003, pp. 6-7) Implementation of Lateral thinking in business organisation has made many companies succeed and become more effective and efficient. More over, the most important of applying this method is making modern corporate world more innovative and creative (Evans 1994). 7. Conclusion In conclusion, lateral thinking is very important for problem solving in modern world because with lateral thinking people can observe one thing in different perspectives and try to find new solution for the problem. The founder of lateral thinking, Edward de Bono, has made significant changing in corporate world which lead many organisations to be successful by implementing lateral thinking.

Bcom 275 assignment 1.1 Essays - Email, Communication, Free Essays

Bcom 275 assignment 1.1 Essays - Email, Communication, Free Essays Bcom 275 assignment 1.1 Assignments Exercise 1.1: Communication Process Model Directions: Think of a misunderstanding you experienced when communicating with someone else at work, home, or school. Then fill in the blanks of the chart below. Misunderstanding Number 1 Who was the sender? My Manager Dan Who was the receiver? Myself What was the message? My manager was communicating to be the way the produce department was to be reset and stocked. What channel was used to send the message? Verbal communication. What was the misunderstanding that occurred? His instructions on the way that the produce was to be stacked was clear but the information on where each item was to be reset at was unclear. How could the misunderstanding have been avoided? This miscommunication could have been avoided in my manager would have given me an outline of where each item was to be place. 1.What did you learn about the communication process from this activity? With this communication process what I learn is that when unsure of something ask more questions and make sure that all instructions are all completely understood that are given. 2.What seemed to be the main causes of the misunderstandings? The main cause of this was the lack of communication between the two of us and making sure that the receiver had complete understanding of what the message was saying. Misunderstanding Number 2 Who was the sender? Supervisor Gale Who was the receiver? Myself What was the message? Time requested off What channel was used to send the message? Email What was the misunderstanding that occurred? A few months prior to needing time off I submitted a request for a few days off. A few day before the time that was needed off I emailed my supervisor to remind her that I would be off the next few days off. She called me and informed me that she had sent me an email back that she had denied me the time off. Found out later that day that she had sent the message to another person in the building with the same name and that the other employee had forgot to tell me or forward the email to me. How could the misunderstanding have been avoided? This type of misunderstanding could have been avoided if I would of followed up with another email or making a call her after not hearing back within a week of sending the email. 1.What did you learn about the communication process from this activity? That one should always follow up when important message are sent to other to prevent a lack of communication between the sender and receiver. 2.What seemed to be the main causes of the misunderstandings? The main cause for this misunderstanding was that my manager Gale or I did a follow up to make sure that the messages was received.

Prehistoric Life During the Devonian Period

Prehistoric Life During the Devonian Period From a human perspective, the Devonian period was a crucial time for the evolution of vertebrate life: this was the period in geological history when the first tetrapods climbed out of the primordial seas and began to colonize dry land. The Devonian occupied the middle part of the Paleozoic Era (542-250 million years ago), preceded by the Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian periods and followed by the Carboniferous and Permian periods. Climate and Geography The global climate during the Devonian period was surprisingly mild, with average ocean temperatures of only 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (compared to as high as 120 degrees during the preceding Ordovician and Silurian periods). The North and South Poles were only marginally cooler than the areas closer to the equator, and there were no ice caps; the only glaciers were to be found atop high mountain ranges. The smallish continents of Laurentia and Baltica gradually merged to form Euramerica, while the giant Gondwana (which was destined to break apart millions of years later into Africa, South America, Antarctica, and Australia) continued its slow southward drift. Terrestrial Life Vertebrates. It was during the Devonian period that the archetypal evolutionary event in the history of life  took place: the adaptation of lobe-finned fish to life on dry land. The two best candidates for the earliest tetrapods (four-footed vertebrates) are Acanthostega and Ichthyostega, which themselves evolved from earlier, exclusively marine vertebrates like Tiktaalik and Panderichthys. Surprisingly, many of these early tetrapods possessed seven or eight digits on each of their feet, meaning they represented dead ends in evolution since all terrestrial vertebrates on earth today employ the five-finger, five-toe body plan. Invertebrates. Although tetrapods were certainly the biggest news of the Devonian period, they werent the only animals that colonized  dry land. There was also a wide array of small arthropods, worms, flightless insects and other pesky invertebrates, which took advantage of the complex terrestrial plant ecosystems that started to develop at this time to gradually spread inland (though still not too far away from bodies of water). During this time, though, the vast bulk of life on earth lived deep in the water. Marine Life The Devonian period marked both the apex and the extinction of the placoderms, prehistoric fish characterized by their tough armor plating (some placoderms, such as the enormous Dunkleosteus, attained weights of three or four tons). As noted above, the Devonian also teemed with lobe-finned fish, from which the first tetrapods evolved, as well as relatively new ray-finned fish, the most populous family of fish on earth today. Relatively small sharkssuch as the bizarrely ornamented Stethacanthus and the weirdly scaleless Cladoselachewere an increasingly common sight in the Devonian seas. Invertebrates like sponges and corals continued to flourish, but the ranks of the trilobites were thinned out, and only the giant eurypterids (invertebrate sea scorpions) successfully competed with vertebrate sharks for prey. Plant Life It was during the Devonian period that the temperate regions of the earths evolving continents first became truly green. The Devonian witnessed the first significant jungles and forests, the spread of which was aided by the evolutionary competition among plants to gather as much sunlight as possible (in a dense forest canopy, a tall tree has a significant advantage in harvesting energy over a tiny shrub). The trees of the late Devonian period were the first to evolve rudimentary bark (to support their weight and protect their trunks), as well as robust internal water-conduction mechanisms that helped to counteract the force of gravity. The End-Devonian Extinction The end of the Devonian period ushered in the second great extinction of prehistoric life on earth, the first being the mass extinction event at the end of the Ordovician period. Not all animal groups were affected equally by the End-Devonian Extinction: reef-dwelling placoderms and trilobites were especially vulnerable, but deep-sea organisms escaped relatively unscathed. The evidence is sketchy, but many paleontologists believe that the Devonian extinction was caused by multiple meteor impacts, debris from which may have poisoned the surfaces of lakes, oceans, and rivers.

Soya-bean Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Soya-bean - Essay Example However, now doubts have been raised by scientists, doctors and nutritionists that soy is not that healthy after all and that soy poses special health risk A very interesting account of the historical travel of the soy plant in the Western world has been documented by Hymowitz (1990). While his idea that the soy plant was a saviour, or manna from heaven itself, for many people can be and is subjected to much debate, the historical account of the origin of the plant is well worth a read. Soya bean is a gift to the new world from the ancient oriental (Chinese , Japanese civilization). Before we take up the issue of the actual debate of the nutrient value and the positive and negative effects of this miracle plant, it would be worthwhile to have a brief glimpse into the origin and historical path travelled by it. Recorded history traces of its origin dates back to 2838 BC in China and to 6th century in Japan. Ibn Europe the records show an introduction of the plant as late as the 17th century , with America eventually catching up. Nonetheless, the USA produces one-third of the world's supply and indeed has seen a rise in the actual sales of soy product by nearly 3 times in the past decade. Like most legumes and beans, soy bean... Interestingly they also contain a high proportion of fat, however since this is mostly unsaturated fat, the effects of such lipid forms are mostly beneficial for an individual. However it is important to address that this nutrient content profile is applicable to Whole Foods and not Supplements. Much of the research to date has examined dietary soy in the form of whole foods such as tofu, "soymilk," or as soy protein added to foods, and the public health community mostly concurs that these whole foods can be worthwhile additions to a healthy diet. The recently raised concerns, however, focus on specific components of soy, such as the soy isoflavones daidzein and genistein, not the whole food or intact soy protein. In this respct we need to understand the nutrient content of soy been at the micronutrient level. This is also important since there has been an increase in chemicals, available over the counter in pills and powders, which are both, advertised and marketed as dietary supplements for use by women to help lessen menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. While it may be possible that soy bean, in whole food has some efficacy for improving a lot of diseased condition, it is imperative to understand that teasing out individual chemicals would not be a good practice. This problem has been very accurately summarised by Wood; "There are probably hundreds of protective compounds in soy [foods]. It's just too big a leap to assume that a pill could do the same thing" (Woods, 2000). The need to exercise caution hence is clear and care must be taken in hailing soy as the food that can do only good. Nonetheless, there is much effect in the literature which supports the increased prevalence of soy bean as a health food. C Soybean as Food While not every form

Corporate Social Responsibility for Multi-national Organizations Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility for Multi-national Organizations - Essay Example Companies like GE, BP, Starbucks, Dell, Pfizer, and Apple are loved and hated by many people for many different reasons (Colvin, 2006). However, none of these companies can afford their brand name and image to be tarnished in any way. Undoubtedly, we are living in the information age and even rumors about a company’s suppliers maltreating employees in China, or the company’s employees facing racial as well as gender based discrimination can have real effects on the bottom line of the company. Even though it is possible for a company to be appreciated based on its financial performance alone (Forbes, 2005), greater appreciation comes with social responsibility along with financial performance (Natural Health, 2005). The combination of these two forces means that a company has to be extremely careful in maintaining its image as well as its profits. Social responsibility is not merely an idea for exceeding the ethical responsibility of a company; it is the chance to seek out an image that has remained exclusively in the domain of NGOs and social organizations i.e. being a ‘green’ company. While this implies being environmentally friendly, the environment includes a lot more than making sure that the smokestacks of the industry do not create more than an acceptable level of pollution. In the context of social responsibility, the environment also includes the business environment of the company including who supplies material to the firm and who buys its products. Strangely enough, GE has been rated as the most admired company in America (Fisher, 2006) as well as the world (Demos, 2006) yet it has only published two corporate responsibility reports in all its existence. The first one was published in 2005 and the second one was published this year (GE, 2006). Considering that several other companies have been publishing such reports since 1995,