Organization Analysis The Girl Scouts

History of the Organization Steered by Juliette Gordon Low, The Girl Scouts is an organization that started on 12 March 2012 with the sole agenda of lobbying girls from Georgia and Savannah to form a local girl scout. The reason for her initiative to bring girls together was her hope to see that girls got the necessary assistance for them to develop holistically in terms of their mental, physical, and spiritual capabilities.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organization Analysis: The Girl Scouts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More After a few years, the organization began to agitate for the rights of the girls. Since then, the membership has been growing at a rapid rate. For instance, currently, there are 3.2 million girl scouts. 890000 of them are adults who are working as volunteers while the remaining 2.3 million are girls (The Girl Scouts, 2012). The organization has changed over the years. Different CEO s have steered the organization and hence the changes. Various programs geared at uplifting girls have been initiated. Other changes have been experienced in the number of girls joining the organization as members. The current mission of The Girl Scouts is â€Å"Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place† (The Girl Scouts, 2012). This mission statement inspires and mobilizes girls from America to join hands in a bid to promote sisterhood. Girls should have confidence and courage to take the mantle of leading the country into prosperity. The mission statement of the organization has changed over the years. The quoted one is the ninth mission statement since the organization was formed. Current Organizational Structure, Culture, and Human Resource Every organization has its organizational structure that helps or provides the criteria of delegating duties to ensure that its goals and objectives are met. The organizational s tructure of The Girl Scouts is hierarchical. At the helm of the organization is the Chief Executive Officer known as Anna Aria and Connie Lindsey, the chairperson (The Girl Scouts, 2012). Under the chair is the middle level management that is followed by employees and volunteers. The senior management team or leadership team plays a role of planning, developing, and executing various initiatives and resources to ensure that diverse group of girls, employees, and volunteers benefit across the world. The organization has its headquarters at New York, and has around 112 regional offices located in the councils to provide services to girls in these areas. The employees of the organization are approximately 9,500. They are spread across the country to provide services to the girls. Many volunteers are also part of the human resource that assists girls in various locations. The culture of the organization embraces diversity and freedom of expression. The staff comes from various ethnic ba ckgrounds. The people do not discriminate in terms of gender, race, or status provided someone can add value to the life of girls and the whole organization. The door is open to anyone who feels or cherishes girls besides wishing to support them to realize their dreams.Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, the culture is conducive for promoting cohesiveness and unity between all the stakeholders. When it comes to human resource, employees are selected based on merits regardless of the region from which they come. This has enabled the organization to tap various talents from its employees that have brought diversity in the functioning and operations of the organization (The Girl Scouts, 2012). Environmental Changes affecting the Organization throughout the History Organizations keep on transforming in a bid to match with the current needs of the people they s erve. As a result, The Girl Scouts is one of the organizations that have experienced changes in their governance and the general functioning over years since it was formed. A number of organizational changes have forced the organization to accommodate the inevitable change. One of the changes is technological advancement. This has made the organization change from traditional forms of running organization to digital ones. All the information about the activities of the organization is held or stored in its database, and can be accessed by any person around the globe (The Girl Scouts, 2012). The introduction of technology has also seen the organization train its staff on technology to make it efficient in the way it performs its duties. Another change in the environment is the increase in membership that has forced the organization to establish many regional offices to enable the girls reach their services. Further, this has also seen some changes happen in the governance structure w here more offices have been set up to ensure that the service or the organization performs and achieves its objectives. Due to the increase in membership, the organization has also come up with different strategies of sourcing funds to ensure its success. Apart for the funds that members provide through their subscription, the organization has also established various institutions and businesses that help to generate an extra income that has enabled it run smoothly in a bid to meet the needs of the girls and employees (The Girl Scouts, 2012). Furthermore, the organization has managed to receive members from different regions. This has also led the organization to put in place mechanisms to embrace every person regardless of his or her social status, race, and gender. It has revisited its terms of operations in an effort to embrace diversity. Inquiry The research tool or lens for this paper based on The Girl Scouts organization is human resource. The selection of the lens follows bec ause of its significance in the functioning of the organization. Human resource is the fundamental pillar in the smooth operation of any organization.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organization Analysis: The Girl Scouts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The success stories and strides the organization has made in the 100 years of it existence are solely dependent on the efforts that have been made by the employees (The Girl Scouts, 2012). Secondly, human resource is one of the sections that provide a better employment environment for their employees. This explains why the organization has continued to thrive and experience few or no employee turnover. This explains why I choose to investigate on human resource. This approach has made me learn about the importance of having an effective and competent workforce. Such workforce guarantees better results. The achievement the organization has had can largel y be attributed to its resilient and hardworking workforce. Changes in human capital lead to changes in training and experiences encountered all of which affect the performance and the level effectiveness of employees (Ployhart, Van, Chad Mackenzie, 2011, p. 353). This implies that human capital can change to be productive depending on experiences and training to which the employees are subjected. Organizations that provide continued training often reap from these actions through improved productivity triggered by trainings and experience (Bassey, Tapang, 2012, p. 46). According to the extant theories of strategic human resource management, cultures, and practice postulates, organizations adopt to their own cultures that are distinct to their industry or nations (Levy, 2010, p. 31). They therefore ignore the influence of external environments that might have a negative impact on the organization’s survival. This therefore raises questions about which culture should be adher ed to by the organizations to ensure they achieve their objectives in this modern world though organizations need to diversify because of the changes in the way people live. Technology has made various people with different cultures interact and share views and opinions. Therefore, to reach a larger percentage of people, organizations should embrace diversity by learning other people’s cultures. According to Armstrong (2009), employees require motivation to work hard to increase the productivity of any organization (2009, p. 10). Organizations that have programs geared at motivating their employees by providing opportunities to advance in careers, promotion, and decent working conditions experience a high productivity than those without such programs in place. The Girl Scouts organization has managed to achieve this by improving its employees’ working conditions. This has resulted to efficiency and an increase in the number of girls that are joining the group.Advertisi ng Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Findings and recommendations In view of human resource, it is evident that the organization has created a favorable environment for its employees. The organization offers competitive employment benefits that motivate employees. For instance, it offers a competitive compensation to its employees besides giving benefits of packages such as growth opportunities, variety of flexible working schedules, and various incentives that help to balance between work and personal life. Some of the benefits include medical services, vision, life, dental, short and long-term disability insurance over, subsidized full service cafeteria services, employee assistance programs, and performance recognition programs amongst others. This strategy has helped the company to attract and maintain a talented workforce that has helped it become innovative and productive in its services. The organization is also committed to ensuring that its employees are well-compensated and treated to enable them provide best services to stir growth and productivity of the organization. Investing in human capital has paid off the organization because it has continued to catch the attention of many talented people who would wish to bring new ideas. The leadership of the organization has also shown commitment in ensuring a proper maintenance of human resource besides providing it with the support it requires. Various programs have been set up to educate/train employees to enable them grow in their careers, as well as in their personal development. This has seen reduced cases of employee turnovers. There are few problems, as well as opportunities, attributed to human resource in The Girl Scouts organization. Some of the opportunities that were uncovered in the human resource include the fact that people who have skills and talents from around the world have an equal opportunity of getting employment within the organization. This therefore shows that diversity is embraced. This helps to create positive rela tionships, a sign of exemplary leadership. On the other hand, problems that are associated with human resource in the organization include unclear criteria that are used in providing promotion to the employees that exemplify meritorious performance during their tenure of services. Therefore, I recommend the management to maintain better conditions and terms for its human resource to ensure that it continues to reap from its employee’s skills and talents. Action plan An action plan refers to steps that one needs to undertake to ensure the success of a strategy. In an action plan, the tasks to be performed must be known. The time to be undertaken should be known, as well as resources to be allocated to ensure a successful completion. The action plan below will suffice for The Girl Scouts organization Action required By whom (Lead responsibility) When (deadline date) Comments Budget Completed Date The organization aspires to increase the number of girls joining the group. A committee will be established to carryout a worldwide campaign. 15/12/2012 The committee to consist of members who have skills and knowledge on issues affecting girls They should also be trained on the best strategies to use to ensure that they meet the targets 20Million USD All staffs to be trained on use of information technology in communication and working to enhance or improve the level of productivity Outsourced expertise from well renowned company will carry this out. 1/1/2013 The organization to adapt to the changing environment in the operations of organizations facilitated by the introduction of Information technology to remain competitive to achieve its goals 5Million USD The organization will recruit around 1000 employees in various departments – 15/11/2012 Number of membership to have an adequate number of employees to attend to all their needs The employees to be deployed in various regions to ensure that the increasing numbers of girls joining the organi zation are well attended to. Other employees to go to the headquarters to carry out administrative work 20MillionUSD Renewing of the action plan. This will occur after six months The department of human resource 4/4/2013 All actions to be completed as planned Conclusion The management, employees, and all stakeholders will be involved in the implementation of every goal set. This will ensure that all the stakeholders are accountable to the failure and or the success of the strategies used. It will also contribute towards cohesion among the members of the organization who will feel a sense of belonging to the organization hence promoting teamwork. Reference List Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. Edition: Eleventh ed. Kogan Page. Bassey, B., Tapang, A. (2012). Capitalized Human Resources Cost and Its Influence on Corporate Productivity: A Study of Selected Companies in Nigeria. International Journal of Financial Research, 3(2), 45-80. Levy, J. (2010). Human Resources. New England Review, 31(1), 31-62. Ployhart, R., Van, I., Chad, H., Mackenzie, W. (2011). Acquiring and developing human capital in service contexts: the interconnectedness of human capital resources. Academy of Management Journal, 54(2), 353-368. The Girl Scouts. (2012). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/our-leadership.html This research paper on Organization Analysis: The Girl Scouts was written and submitted by user Tony Medina to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Research Proposal on E-Commerce vs Web Store Front

Research Proposal on E-Commerce vs Web Store Front E-Commerce vs. Web Store Front Research Proposal: With the advent of internet technology, organizations have greatly improved in certain ways. One of the most important facets of the computer and internet technology that have undergone rapid change is the E-commerce (Umar, 2004). Ecommerce or electronic commerce is the act of doing business over the internet through the aid of remote computers linked to each other to form a network. Specifically, it allows the users to transact business over the internet, where very little or no physical contact between the two parties is involved (Umar, 2004). Companies throughout the modern world are increasingly changing from traditional in-store format due to the increased opportunities with online business, as well as reduced cost of doing business (Umar, 2004). Currently, most retail businesses maintain a web storefront, while others have completed deviated from their physical location and moved permanently to the online business location. Traditional Versus Online Shopping It is not necessary that the word shopping have the meaning of exchange of goods and services in a specific physical location, as it was the common definition (Columbus, 2009). For instance, it was the only way for the shopper to leave the physical location and visit to the physical market or store in order to shop. However, in the modern world, shopping has greatly been revolutionized primarily through the internet technology. However, there are facets of this revolution that has brought in certain weaknesses with the shopping method, which are not common with traditional in-store method of shopping (Umar, 2004). Traditional in-store shopping method requires that the buyer and the seller meet in a certain area to do the transaction. The buyers must pay in cash or credit card. This method is very time consuming because all these activities requires time. In addition, in any case where the buyer and the seller have to negotiate on the price and nature of the service or commodity, they must do so within a given time, which increases the time spend on the process. For the buyer to choose the right product, he or she must take time seeing the product or service and verify its worthiness before paying for it. This is an advantage over the modern E-shopping, where even scammers have the opportunity to place fake or unworthy orders or products and feign as honest dealers or buyers. This might be a good way for the dishonest parties to execute their ill-intended actions over the intent (Umar, 2004). The traditional method of shopping is advantageous over the internet as far as this issue is concerned because it allows the two parties to carry out intensive verification of the other party’s intentions and degree of honesty. For example, there is enough time of the two parties to spend together and verify each other’s intentions and degree of honesty. In addition, physical shopping is quick because the buyer does not have to ship, especially for household and other goods, which are required on time and place (Columbus, 2009). Despite these advantages with the traditional method of shopping, several issues are associated with it, which are easily solved with the online shopping methods. For example, this method is highly time saving because it allows both parties to transact business over the internet. In this case, the parties do not need to meet physically, but rather the internet provides the opportunity for the two parties to meet and even discuss from remote places. There are also certain ways to enhance security of the transaction. For example, it is possible to operate secure accounts over the internet provided by trusted companies such as PayPal and iKobo. Ecommerce has increased the ability of doing business in foreign and new places. The internet is perhaps the driving force behind the modern concept of globalization. Globalization is a new dispensation in modern world, which has seen business organizations operate on worldwide scale, rather than dealing in specific regions (Umar, 2004). This new dispensation in business has increased the ability of the business organizations to diversify their business over extensive geographical locations, breaking geographical barriers and thus, distributing their risks and losses. This has further seen business organizations reduce the expense of crossing geographical barriers because they do not necessarily need to have physical outlets or these new offices, and those, which have these offices, are connected effectively the technology (Umar, 2004). Shoppers have the opportunity to go over a large-scale window-shopping before they can settle on the items to buy. Comparison of prices over the internet is also simpler than physical shopping because one needs to browse the prices and products over the computer in a sitting location, which further reduces the time needed to make shopping decisions. Shopping experience at Express Company Express Corporation is an American organization that specializes in clothing, and has several outlets in America, Europe and Asia, most of which were opened and operated before the organization embarked on extensive ecommerce. Currently, the organization operates one of the best and consumer friendly website, from where consumers in any part of the world can browse through the great variety of products and product brands available in the company stores. In addition, it allows the potential customer to use a shopping cart, in which they are free to add or remove any item they wish to or not to purchase. The shopping becomes easy because the online buyers are able to decide on the item they want to buy over a long time, which could even be days. This allows the users to make sound decisions on their purchases. Moreover, the website has extensive list of available and products, alongside their prices, quality and other details. Payment is quite easy because the organization accepts cred it cards online, PayPal and iKobo in addition to E-money services. The transaction can take a number of days, while the shipping can be very quick in cases where the customers are located in one of the 60 countries where the company operates in full scale. In addition to these features, the organization’s website allows the users to define their need and search through the website with just a click, and find their preferred product. Ethical and Legal Issues Concerning the Use of Internet in Business The internet technology has proved to be a tool for improving the methodology for doing business (Columbus, 2009). However, several legal and ethical issues are concerned (Umar, 2004). As a relatively new technology in business, the internet, as applied in ecommerce, has several issues concerning the security of the information, the money on transit as well as the product. For example, the organizations doing business through the internet relies heavily on the information on their website, and the information passed between the two parties. This implies that in case this information is leaked or interfered with, then both parties are likely to lose. Confidentiality of the information is also highly regarded in the business done over the internet (Umar, 2004). Ecommerce further requires high product suitability since there are certain products that are hardly offered on the internet. For example, household products such as sugar, soap, and others may not be sold in retail scale over the internet; rather they need traditional method of commerce. Products such as clothing, vehicles and other machineries, information such as music and games as well as academic materials are highly suitable for internet transaction.

Advantages and Disadvantages of large Sample Size Free Samples

1.In our case being that the population size was sixty nine thousand, a sample size of fifteen thousand represented by over twenty percent covers over one fifth of the population. This sample therefore has a bigger sample size than expected. i.e. 383 bank workers were to make the sample size for this population size (69,000) with confidence level of 95 percent and margin of error of 5 percent. Large sample sizes are therefore associated with advantages and disadvantages. Large sample sizes ensure for the reliability of the sample mean as the estimator of the population parameter. For a sample to fully reflect the correct population mean, larger sample size is always contemplated of. The quantity need to be pinned down. Standard error (Se) of the mean is therefore used to quantify the reflection of population mean. This standard error is essential for all calculated sample means. This is taken as an advantage of the large sample sizes due their wide coverage of the population. Working with large samples is important since it helps in sweeping out the outliers in the sample. Small samples are perceived prone to outliers which may misrepresent the data in the sample. Bigger samples capture greater odds of outliers in the sample. However, in most of the cases, outliers tend to complicate analysis of statistical data but accounting for them help in giving realistic picture and the characteristics of the population. Another advantage of large sample sizes is that they help in obtaining a quality and precise mean. This is so because the mean will have covered many elements of the population. Determination of the mean is important for it help the researchers to do away with the outliers from their data. Outliers in the dataset are important to be dealt with because they totally differ from the mean greatly and may give a deceitful image about the sample or population. Since large sample size is suitable due to its large and wider coverage of the population of study, it is in the same way time consuming and expensive to work with. For instance, sampling 15,000 workers who work in the Belgian bank will require a lot of time and also the expense that will be involved will be high. A lot of time is required since the larger sample size is spread in the manner that the population is spread and thus collecting data from the entire sample will involve much time compared to smaller sample sizes. Due to its wider coverage, the expense that is involved in data collection process is also higher compared to expense that could be incurred in a small sample size. Overrepresentation of population data in a population involves large sample size. Collection of data from this sample size in a well distributive way will require high financial involvement for the success of the process as planned Decision on what sample size to use will depend on the population size i.e. 69,000 bank workers and cost that will be involved in data collection. If the researcher wants to incur low cost in the process, smaller sample size will be preferred. In that case, it will also help in determining how precise we should be with our data. Sampling whole lot of 15,000 Belgian bank workers will mean high cost incurred in the data collection process. Prior information concerning the subject of study will help in determining the sample size for use in the study. This prior information can be considered in deciding whether to reduce the sample size or not. The key elements that will be considered from prior information is the prior mean and variance estimates, this is according to (Moher et al, 1994). Practicality is another factor to be considered when choosing for the sample size. The sample size chosen for use must make sense and practical in real life situation. Margin of error also forms another key factor for it will be relied on in determining how reliable and perfect a sample is. It will be showing the width or interval at which the calculated mean will lie and also help in construction of the confidence interval level. 2.The bank workers who were to be involved in the study were given equal chances of being selected by employing probability sampling methods. The chances will be made in such a way that they are greater than zero; this helps in reducing human biasness that may arise through their judgments thus making the process free and fair for inclusion of all banks and the bank workers in the process (Bacchetti, 2002). Probability sampling method used by the research institutions was stratified sampling method. The research institutions first randomly identified the banks which formed the strata then in the identified banks; they randomly selected the workers for fairness in their selection. Compared to other probability sampling methods like the simple random sampling, stratified sampling method gives more precision of the same sample size. Precision is important in the estimation process of the population parameter, each stratum’s statistic will be calculated and their closeness compared to one another. The process is found to be cost effective as it only involves random selection of different baking institutions and workers over the entire population which makes it half completed because of its precision. It is also flexible in that any number of participants can be selected with ease and efficiency. Also, this process tends to be more effective as it results to accuracy in selection of data since it involves lesser degree of judgment of the researcher. It as well forms easier way of sampling as compared to other sampling methods since it does not involve long and complicated processes. Moreover, probability sampling method does not require any technicality the refore any person can carry it out even non-technical persons. Since it only require random assignment of numbers over the specified strata. This method (stratified probability sampling method) of selecting the sample results to the selection of only specific class of samples. This sampling method is as well time consuming as the researcher is required to follow all due procedure such as first identifying strata and also going down to the strata to do the selection of individuals that will now participate in the process. The process result to monotony as the researcher or the surveyor will be repetitively assigning numbers in order to obtain the required information through this method; this may have further effects such as reducing the efficiency of the surveyor. 3.The chosen sampling method will have influence on the outcome data for use in the analysis. For instance, if the method that was used in sampling the banks was found to be biased, this will affect the results and the conclusions that will be drawn from this sample study (Mann, 2003). So to eradicate such short comings, the researcher is supposed to ensure that they reduce biasness as much as possible to save on the results and their dependability. This can be done through randomization. This ensures that all the possible samples are given equal chances of being selected for the sample of study. This so far is the effective technique that can be applied by the researcher in ensuring for equality of all possible samples when using simple random sampling. To reduce and improve stratified sampling technique, the groups are divided into groups referred to as strata that must be showing relationship that is meaningful in the study. In some cases, responses from the strata may be different from one another in a survey. Stratification is done in response to help in reflecting the population and ensuring that each stratum’s opinion is represented and reflected in the sample. In most of the cases, stratification is done by gender in order to take care of the divergent opinions and have all of them represented. Because each sampling method is concerned with precision in the analysis thereafter, testes methods are supposed to be conducted. This is done with the aim of ensuring that each sampling method chosen for use to satisfy research goals. The level of precision and the cost associated will be important to determine for each potential method. In this case, since standard error will be used, it will help in measuring the level of pre cision whereas the smaller the standard error, the greater the precision of our sample. 4.More often, questionnaires have been widely used in the collection of data from the respondents. In as much it has been preferred method for data collection, it is always associated with some problems (disadvantages). Dishonesty has been a big problem rocking the use of questionnaires in data collection. This arises as a result of the respondents abscond the truth from the researcher when answering the questions. In our case since the questionnaires were sent to the respondents, this may result to lack of clarity of questions for easy understanding by the respondents (Zaza et al, 2000). The matter of dishonesty may be as a result of hiding what they consider private for the fear of disclosure and desirability bias. Though this kind of problem can be dealt with by ensuring them (the respondents) about their privacy and also that their identifications will be hidden. Also, conscientiousness of the responses provided by the respondents can be missed since some of the respondents do not carefully think when responding to the questions. In some cases, they preselect the answers before they go through the whole question to know the requirement of the question. Validity of the data is affected when the respondents try to split the questions and even go further ahead to skip some of the questions thus missing out potential answers. The research institutions involved in this study can collect the most accurate data through structuring simple questions that are easy to read and understand by the respondents. If the questions are not presented to the respondent face-to-face like in this scenario, the respondents may have difficulty with understanding the questions and interpreting them since the researcher is not around to give clarity of what the questions need and offer guidelines. This will lead to a variation in interpretation of the questions thus resulting to different responses which some may not even be meaningful and related in any way with the subject of discussion (Zaza et al, 2000). Skewed results from this can be combated by well structuring the questions and making them easy to read, understand and interpret. Questionnaires should always be made accessible. The choice of which data collection tool to be used should be made by considering the respondents. For instance, people with other forms of physical disability such as visual impairment or hearing impairment, survey should not be used with them to collect data. Problems of this sort are eliminated or dealt with by making appropriate choice of which data collection tool to use. At sometimes, some respondents do have their own hidden agenda and this may lead them to provide biased information. Interest of the participants may steer them towards either the product or services. Questionnaires that only make use of open-ended questions are difficult to analyze by the respondents. Answers obtained through these types of questions are individualized opinions hence they cannot be quantified by the analysts since they vary across all the individual groups. Structuring a questionnaire with many open ended questions will result to more data to be analyzed. So it can be dealt with by reducing the number of open-ended questions and using the closed ended questions instead. Some of the questions remaining unanswered are other problems that are being encountered by the researchers when using questionnaires especially when the questions are optional. This risk can be avoided by making the questionnaires online and terming all the fields required. In the same way, the questions are supposed to be precise and easy to respond to. 5.The dataset that will be used to check for the representativeness of the sample will be obtained from the National Bank of Belgium in conjunction with Employment industry in Belgium. They will be used as the checking point for collected data for study. They will also be used to obtain data that are termed relevant from other sources like from the previous study. Additionally, secondary data provide descriptive information that is used to support the study that is currently being carried out thus helping in the development of the study with facts. Variables used in the study are in most of the cases tested if at all there is a relationship that exist between variables thus helping in building up the model. Secondary data are as well used in data mining where computer technology is used in studying the trend for the previous research by visiting large volumes of data. Among other uses of the secondary data, they are as well used in the identification of relevant sources in order to d o away with plagiarism. Moher, D., Dulberg, C. S., & Wells, G. A. (1994). Statistical power, sample size, and their reporting in randomized controlled trials.  Jama,  272(2), 122-124. Bacchetti, P. (2002). Peer review of statistics in medical research: the other problem.  British Medical Journal,  324(7348), 1271. Mann, C. J. (2003). Observational research methods. Research design II: cohort, cross   sectional, and case-control studies.  Emergency medicine journal,  20(1), 54-60. Zaza, S., Wright-De Agà ¼ero, L. K., Briss, P. A., Truman, B. I., Hopkins, D. P., Hennessy, M. H., ... & Pappaioanou, M. (2000). Data collection instrument and procedure for systematic reviews in the Guide to Community Preventive Services.  American journal of preventive   medicine,  18(1), 44-74.

Economics College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economics College - Essay Example This event has crippled the economy, leading to a quarterly decline of 1.4% in the third quarter. The attack has "shut down the economy for several days and has had a lasting impact on tourism, the airline industry, and other businesses" (Economists Call it Recession 2001). In an annual basis, the US economy only managed to grow by 0.8% during 2001. The economy has entered a moderate state of recovery during 2002 where it posted 1.6% annual GDP growth. Recognizing the slowdown in the economy, the Bush administration planned to stimulate consumer spending and investment through the use of tax cuts. This fiscal policy was implemented in July 2003, taking immediate effect in the next quarter. The US has enjoyed an annual growth rate of 2.5% during that year which is strongly fueled by the rise in personal consumption expenditures coupled by a higher level of government spending. Also, the tax cut has been effective in creating jobs and boosting business growth. From 2004, the US economy has been posting growth at par with its pre-recession rates. GDP in 2004 rose by 3.9%, which 0.2% higher than the 2000 level. Annual growth rates in 2005 and 2006 are 3.2% and 3.4%, respectively.

Medical Precision Systems Human Resources Management Case Study

Medical Precision Systems Human Resources Management - Case Study Example "A share is a unit of ownership. When you own a share you become a part-owner (shareholder) of a company and you will have the right to: receive any dividends paid on each share that you own; receive a copy or summary of the company's annual report A performance management culture exists at MPS and appraisals, remuneration, and promotions are highly performance based. Artley and Stroh (2001, p. 5) reports, "All high-performance organizations, whether public or private, are, and must be, interested in developing and deploying effective performance measurement and performance management systems, since it is only through such systems that they can remain high-performance organizations." For fifteen years MPS has been employing a total quality management (TQM) program. Ten employees are on a team and they elect their leader. Group, or team, leaders hold feedback sessions and report what they gather to the senior production managers. (Beardwell and Holden, 2001, p.742.) A great deal of time, effort, and money is involved in providing excellent training in teamwork, people skills, and job education. Along with all of this training, company benefits, and a caring staff MPS also offers recreational facilities, sports, and social events for its employees. The company has strong values and a clear vision and it lives up to its mission statement, "MPS-working for the health of America". (Beardwell and Holden, 2001, p.742.) In the early 1990s MPS took its business worldwide and expanded into Europe, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and France. The strategy had to be adjusted as the company was now global and the system had to cater to global commitments and developments. Although business on the production and marketing side were going well Last Name 3 and the United Kingdom subsidiary in Bath and the Swedish subsidiary in Uppsala experienced steady growth, the overseas HRM experienced many difficulties. Reports revealed there was much potential for the French subsidiary. ((Beardwell and Holden, 2001, p. 742.) The company faced some disadvantages of going global and the lack of success with HRM that other firms run into. These include, as listed on 03 October 2003 by easterangel-ga (a blogger on Google Answers): -Flexibility and change in mindset: Cultural taboos or sensitivities of the market -Level of commitment -Organizational structure: Ensure multinational legal compliance such as labeling, packaging, product safety, and liability laws) -Language barriers MPS's HRM worked for its home-based parent company but did not do quite as well with its subsidiaries. Expatriate managers exerted strong controls over employees in different countries based on goals in financial and production terms, which were set by the parent company, did not give the local subsidiaries much input. They did not have much say in business activities. (Beardwell and Holden, 2001, p.742.) Keeping unions out or making sure that their influence was kept to a minimum were the

Language and Culture Essay Example for Free

Language and Culture Essay Language and culture reciprocate a fluid relationship. They both interact and shape the structure through which individuals can mediate their lives within a social context. Language and culture are immanent forces that help to define and open up the way we understand various dimensions of our lives, whether through the mass media and advertising, science and technology, slang, diverse vocabulary, changes of meanings. This essay will aim to break down the specific forums through which language is useful to culture and how culture forms the mechanisms and strategies through which we use language. I will begin with a discussion of the relationship between language and culture and then move on to the different paradigms that contain specific uses of language. To begin, it will be helpful to lay a framework upon which to build a working definition of language. According to the University of Princeton’s online dictionary, language is â€Å"a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols† (Language). This is straightforward enough for us to understand that language acts as a medium for communicating. The key terms to highlight here are systematic as well symbols because they stretch the function of the definition to include the power that institutions have over language as well as the way that language can shift and change through semiotics. As a system, language relies upon a specific and formal set of rules in order to function. Grammar, syntax, slang, and meaning are all elicited from the rules of language. The institution of a particular language also varies greatly depending on socio-economic factors as well as through educational strategies. For example, with the rise of information technology and the internet as well as through global capitalism, the English language has taken center stage as a pseudo-global language due to its far reaching capacity and its prevalence in scientific and technological innovations. It will be interesting to see how the role of English changes as the world becomes smaller through interconnectivity and the rise of other global languages such as Chinese. Different cultures, through different languages, create different modes of expression and understanding that give rise to cultural diversity. Cultural diversity relies upon the comparing and contrasting mechanisms through which meaning is ingrained. Semiotics is the realm of language that is concerned with signs and signification. Language is the tool through which we identify particular signs and accord them a meaning, or a signification. This is important because through the sign, or symbol, a culture places specific connotations beyond the traditional denotative structure of language. Language both identifies and distinguishes. This is where varying mediums play a significant role on the way cultures digest and create their lives through language. To illustrate how this works, I will next discuss the role that the mass media has on both the language of culture and the culture of language. The dominance of mass media and advertising over the realms of cross cultural communication cannot be underestimated. Through advertisements, newspapers, television, radio, and the internet, people across the world have instant access to a constant stream of information that shapes the way we live our lives. This can have both positive and negative impacts. On the positive side, mass media acts a vehicle for cross cultural dialogue. It provides people with a common language and a common set of terms through which to discuss the pressing issues of the day. The information presented is current and has a specific point of focus. Depending on a person’s cultural condition and through which avenue of mass media they travel on the information highway, the meaning of the information changes dramatically. In this way, two people from different cultures can watch the same news clip and come away from the experience with two completely different understandings from the same language and information. On the negative side of mass media we can point to what cultural theorists beginning with Antonio Gramsci have termed cultural hegemony. This names a dual process through which competing ideologies are struggled out on the stage of culture and through which subversive or outsider paradigms are brought into the dominant arena of culture in order to assimilate and therefore neutralize the conflict of interests (Chandler). This applies to our discussion of language and culture because it helps explain how the role of the media frames certain issues in order to parlay a particular point of view. For example, here in America hegemony can be witnessed through the way Fox News presents its conservative political agenda against the way that Comedy Central portrays its progressive politics through shows like the Daily Show. The language presented and used in media relies upon subtle ideological functioning in order to suggest at an agenda or viewpoint instead of simply communicating said purpose. As mentioned before, language both identifies and distinguishes. As in the previous example of news presentation, we can see how Fox News identifies its audience through its conservative ideology. By identifying as they do, they also distinguish themselves from the liberal-leaning Daily Show audience. It will be interesting to see how much, if any, influence Fox News can have during the Obama presidency and the rise of liberalism after relying so heavily upon Republican and conservative politics through the Bush administration. The shift in the power of balance in American politics will sway the tide of public opinion in the arena of culture that hegemony frames. We can also witness the way science and technologies rely upon specific uses of language in order to elucidate communication and meaning. Perhaps this arena of culture illustrates the example best. Science and technology create paradigms of knowledge. By this, we can see how biochemists almost literally speak another language than nuclear physicists in their professional lives. Again, this is not a positive or a negative situation; it is a cultural practice that plays itself out through particular frameworks of understanding the world. Another interesting example of how science and technology play out in the realm of language is to consider the macro level. As hinted at earlier, science and technology, with their innovations originating largely from the United States and Japan, have consisted and evolved through the language of not just professional jargon, but specifically and nearly exclusively through English. In his innovative essay, Translingual Travel: The Discourse Practice of Cultural Hegemony, Chinese cultural theorist Dai Xun writes of the impact this phenomenon has in China, â€Å"The primary premise in the rise of cultural hegemony is the advantages and control western countries enjoy over science, technology and information (Xun). This is another form of cultural hegemony that phases out periphery languages at the cost of integrating English into the global vocabulary as well as forming the unbalanced socio-economic relationships of our age. Language is utilized for specific purposes through systematic controls and symbolic gestures. That being said, language is not a monolithic and static entity. Although language relies on specific grammatical and syntactical rules, cultures have always innovated and bent the rules of grammar in an effort to assert their unique cultural conditions. The rise of slang is one of the most important and culturally reinforcing tactics that marginal groups use to coalesce and self-identify. Slang is a part of language, and it follows that it serves again to identify as well as to distinguish. One of the most striking examples of slang can be witnessed in hip-hop music. Hip-hop is rapidly becoming a global phenomena and it goes beyond just the music to include fashion, dancing, music making and lifestyle. In this way, the slang the hip-hop community uses separates them from other groups while also helping them to identify with like-minded people. Hegemony in the realm of hip-hop can help explain how power relations work themselves out through culture. In its infancy, hip-hop was a culture unique to African-Americans in inner-city America. With its popularity and rise through mass media, white, middle-class teenagers are adopting hip-hop into their lifestyles and trying to identify with the conditions that gave rise to it. This is how dominant culture integrates what was previously a subversive and politically threatening subculture into the mainstream. Now we see hip-hop artists in children’s cartoons, at suburban schools and in the malls. In conclusion, language and culture maintain mutually reinforcing relationship. Both dominant and subversive forms of communication are played out on the arena of cultural hegemony. This condition goes beyond the traditional positive/negative paradigm of culture. What is important to some cultures can have very little significance to others. Works Cited Chandler, Daniel. (2000). Gramsci and Hegemony. Marxist Media Theory. Retrieved December 22, 2008 from http://www. aber. ac. uk/media/Documents/marxism/marxism10. html Language. (2008). Wordnet. Princeton University. Retrieved December 22, 2008 from http://wordnetweb. princeton. edu/perl/webwn? s=language Xun, Dai. (2008). Translingual Travel: The Discourse Practice of Cultural Hegemony. Southwest Normal University. Retrieved December 22, 2008 from www. ln. edu. hk/eng/staff/eoyang/icla/Translingual%20Travel

George Bizek :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Georges Bizet, who is best known for his opera, Carmen, has remained somewhat of a mystery as far as his musical education, social life, and personal life. He is not like so many other composers and musicians of the Romantic Period who led a highly publicized life like Hector Berlioz, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, or Johannes Brahms. He spent his short life devoted to music and he did not quite make it into the limelight like these other Romantic composers. The most believable explanation for his obscurity would be the lack of scandal in his life. He had a happy childhood, was well awarded with musical scholarships, and a happy marriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Georges Bizet grew up in a musical house. His father was a singing teacher and his mother was a well-known pianist who had attended the Paris Conservatory. His parents encouraged him in music. His father was confident that his son would become a great musician. His father was actually too supportive of his musical education. He had been known to hide young Georges' other school books so he would not be distracted from his musical studies. He received his first music lesson from his mother when he was just four years old. She was teaching him to read music at the same time she was teaching him his alphabet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bizet was enrolled in the Paris Conservatory when he was nine years old. This was a special exception arranged by his uncle who taught at the Conservatory, since Bizet was still a year younger than the minimum age requirement. Here he studied piano, organ, singing, harp, strings, woodwinds, and composition. His instructors were the composers Charles Gounod, who is known for his opera Faust, and who is considered the greatest musical influence in Bizet's life. And Jacque Halevy, who wrote the opera LaJuive, is also considered an important musical influence. He had a unique, unstructured teaching style. Halevy would listen to and correct his students but he would never require them to do any specific types of composition. This was to affect Bizet throughout his life as he would be known to start and abandon work after work. This was blamed directly on Halevy's lack of discipline. At age fifteen, Halevy tried to convince Bizet to go and compete for the Prix de Rome. Bizet refused sighting his immaturity and need for additional background.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During his time as a student he wrote Symphony in C Major (1855), which was not performed during Bizet's lifetime, but from it's first performance in 1935 it has become an established symphony in a standard repertoire. George Bizek :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Georges Bizet, who is best known for his opera, Carmen, has remained somewhat of a mystery as far as his musical education, social life, and personal life. He is not like so many other composers and musicians of the Romantic Period who led a highly publicized life like Hector Berlioz, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, or Johannes Brahms. He spent his short life devoted to music and he did not quite make it into the limelight like these other Romantic composers. The most believable explanation for his obscurity would be the lack of scandal in his life. He had a happy childhood, was well awarded with musical scholarships, and a happy marriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Georges Bizet grew up in a musical house. His father was a singing teacher and his mother was a well-known pianist who had attended the Paris Conservatory. His parents encouraged him in music. His father was confident that his son would become a great musician. His father was actually too supportive of his musical education. He had been known to hide young Georges' other school books so he would not be distracted from his musical studies. He received his first music lesson from his mother when he was just four years old. She was teaching him to read music at the same time she was teaching him his alphabet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bizet was enrolled in the Paris Conservatory when he was nine years old. This was a special exception arranged by his uncle who taught at the Conservatory, since Bizet was still a year younger than the minimum age requirement. Here he studied piano, organ, singing, harp, strings, woodwinds, and composition. His instructors were the composers Charles Gounod, who is known for his opera Faust, and who is considered the greatest musical influence in Bizet's life. And Jacque Halevy, who wrote the opera LaJuive, is also considered an important musical influence. He had a unique, unstructured teaching style. Halevy would listen to and correct his students but he would never require them to do any specific types of composition. This was to affect Bizet throughout his life as he would be known to start and abandon work after work. This was blamed directly on Halevy's lack of discipline. At age fifteen, Halevy tried to convince Bizet to go and compete for the Prix de Rome. Bizet refused sighting his immaturity and need for additional background.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During his time as a student he wrote Symphony in C Major (1855), which was not performed during Bizet's lifetime, but from it's first performance in 1935 it has become an established symphony in a standard repertoire.

“Letter to Daniel” by Fergal Keane Essay

Task: â€Å"Non fiction is seldom objective. Often it sways your feelings or influences your thoughts.† By referring closely to a work of non-fiction, show how the writer does more than simply convey information. Often non fiction tries to convey emotion and thought rather than simply providing information in order to move the reader. A piece of non fiction which has had a lasting impression on me is â€Å"Letter to Daniel† by the Irish foreign correspondent, Fergal Keane. This piece of writing is written in the form of a letter in which Keane has put across moving reflections about his first child’s birth. To show the strong and great effect his son has brought upon himself and his wife, Keane uses certain techniques such as rich imagery, sentence structure, tone, theme and a personal style of writing to convey his thoughts and feelings. Firstly, Keane immediately makes it clear to me that he is writing in the form of a letter when he begins writing with the phrase â€Å"My dear son†. He then describes to his son how his birth has altered and changed his lifestyle; â€Å"I’m learning the art of one handed typing† This shows that since Daniel was born, Keane has been learning to cope with new things. However by describing the task as an â€Å"art† the writer shows that he doesn’t mind this new way of living. He further describes the idea that Daniel has changed the way he lives by explaining that; â€Å"Since you’ve arrived, days have melted into night and back again and we are learning a new grammar, a long sentence whose punctuation marks are feeding and winding and nappy changing and these occasional moments of quiet.† This extended metaphor caught my attention because it compares the birth of his son to a long sentence and there is also irony in the metaphor as this sentence is long. It relates to his sons birth as a stage of development in his life and shows that time has lost its differenciated routine. The word choice of â€Å"melted† conveys a feeling of warmth and gentleness which shows that Keane is in no way angry because of this new routine and is enjoying it. Keane also shows the change in his way of living when he explains that his mother is asleep. It is six o’clock in the morning which is one of the most peaceful times of the day. It is the beginning of a new day and I think this relates to the beginning of Keane’s family. The birth of Daniel has also resulted in Keane seeing his job differently; â€Å"Your coming has turned me upside down and inside out†¦I have lived a life that, on occasion, has veered close to the edge: war zones, natural disasters, darkness in all its shapes and forms† The word choice of â€Å"coming† gives me the idea that he has waited and wanted for him, and now that he has finally arrived his whole world has been turned upside down. He looks on things differently now and Daniel has caused him to re-evaluate the risks he has taken as a reporter. I feel that the writer’s use of imagery to convey information helps me to understand his thoughts and emotions throughout the letter. The writer also helps to convey emotion and feelings throughout the letter by using an appropriate tone. I can see that Keane uses a personal tone at first as he uses words such as â€Å"you† and â€Å"I† repeatedly. This emphasises the sincerity of his letter and helps to convey his thoughts and emotions. However his tone changes to a more formal one when he begins to describe the disasters and darkness that he has faced as a reporter. He contrasts his child’s actions with these disasters and I can see this through the writer’s wordchoice. He describes his son with gentle and innocent images such as â€Å"sleeping face† â€Å"sigh† â€Å"gurgle† â€Å"glory† â€Å"prizes† and â€Å"praise†. He then shows the difference between his child’s innocence and the suffering that he has seen by using the words â€Å"haunted† â€Å"too much to bear† and â€Å"flooding†. This suggests that his change from a personal tone to a more formal tone is because the memories of suffering and the disastrous images are too much for the writer to bear. Therefore he resorts to listing his experiences and becomes less intimate. He changes his tone because he wants to report it in order to detatch himself from the memories. He describes the last story as being a very personal one, however when he goes on to tell it, is tone is still very formal. The story is anonymous and Keane does not reveal until near the end of the story that it was about his own family; â€Å"in a big city on a january morning with snow on the ground and a woman† The repetition of the word â€Å"a† makes me realise that the writer is being very vague in the story and is distancing himself from emotion. The fact that he tells the story anonymously seemed to have a much bigger impact on me when I realised it was about his own mother and about his own father being an alcoholic. However he shows no anger towards his father as he knows it was not his fault; â€Å"The cancer of alcoholism† He describes his fathers condition as â€Å"cancer†, in other words he sees it as a disease and knows that it could not be helped. This metaphor shows no sense of blame towards his father and also shows that it is killing him. The phrase â€Å"it just was† also gives me a sense of his acceptance of his fathers condition. He loved his family, but he was â€Å"living and dying for the bottle† and the love he had did not save him. He understands what it would have been like for his father to be separated from his family, as he now has one of his own. I think that this is why he decided to reveal that it was his father at the end of the letter. He personalised it because he now understood. He was not just â€Å"a man† anymore, he is â€Å"your grandfather†. The clever way in which the writer has used this tone makes me realise what emotions he feels. Lastly, throughout the letter the writer relates to a particular theme. This theme first becomes apparent to me when the writer uses the phrase; â€Å"Naturally your mother and I were only too happy to believe that.† His wordchoice of â€Å"naturally† gives me the idea that it is normal for a parent to believe that their child is the best thing to come into their life. It conveys the universally acknowledged theme of the love bond between parent and child. This idea is revisited throughout the letter, for example in one of the cases he describes; â€Å"I found a mother and her three young children huddled together where they’d been beaten to death. The children had died holding on to their mother†¦ cling to until we die† The wordchoice of â€Å"huddled together†, â€Å"holding† and â€Å"cling† shows the sacred image between mother and child. He also conveys this idea when he is writing about his mother; â€Å"she gives birth to a baby boy and, just as you are to me, he is the best thing she has ever seen† The parenthesis here is also useful in conveying this universal theme of love. It also acts as a link in the story because I can see that he is beginning to realise the joy his mother felt when he was born. However, one quotation I feel shows this boundless parental love that transcends all borders is; â€Å"That instinct we all learn from birth and in one way or another cling to until we die.† This I feel is one of the most moving sentences in the story and helps me to recognise Keane’s universal message of the love bond between parent and child. Daniel has given Keane an understanding of his own father, and at the very end of the letter he describes his son as â€Å"the sound of hope† and uses wordchoice such has â€Å"innoncence† and â€Å"freshness† to show the stark contrast between his child’s innocence and the darkness that he previously described. I feel that Keane’s choice of theme throughout the letter is very important in conveying his emotions at this time as it shows how important his son is to him. In conclusion, â€Å"Letter to Daniel† by Fergal Keane is one of the most touching and moving short stories I have ever read. The writer’s use of rich imagery, sentence structure, tone and theme all comes together and helps to convey the writer’s thoughts and emotions. He provides the necessary information and also paints vivid pictures of his emotions and if Keane had not used such strong ideas and techniques throughout the letter I am not sure it would have had the same enduring effect on me.

Criminal Justice Integration Project

Criminal Justice Integration Project University of Phoenix Javon Lewis, Prysanthum Armstrong, Brigit Williams, and Deon Hagerty AJS/502 Harry Kirk, Instructor November 12, 2012 Criminal Justice Integration Project There are many prison facilities that are ran privately today. These facilities are known to better rehabilitate those convicted upon entering society again. Team B has developed a private prison to house those individuals who are convicted of committing crimes. Team B has also implemented different programs within the facility in hopes to deter the convicted of being repeat offenders.Unlike other privatized facilities, our major focus is not to lock up as many people as possible. We will actually focus on making them better individuals so that they can reenter the world without having criminal thoughts. The remainder of this paper will include the policies for our facility. This paper also discus the budgets, projected revenue sources and expenditures, communications, and technology. In addition, it will elaborate on cultural or sub-cultural aspects of the organization as a whole. Policies and ProceduresIn order to properly run the private facility, we will have a set of policies to abide by. Without rules and regulations, any organization can and will be chaotic. There will be a zero tolerance for harassment, whether it is towards correction officers or the prisoners. Harassment can lead to law suits and will in turn cost the facility unnecessary money that could have been used for something else. Some forms of harassment can include sexual and discrimination. It is considered unlawful to harass an individual because of their gender.Sexual harassment can include unwanted sexual behaviors, sexual favors, and other verbal sexual content. Harassment does not always have to include sexual intent. It can contain remarks about a person’s gender. This is where discrimination comes into play. If any employee practices harassment in the workplace, the y will be reported and possibly terminated depending on the circumstance. We will also follow a code of ethics. The code of ethics will help the company to remain fair in any given situation that may arise. Budget Our budget will consist of grants, donations, and tax payer dollars.We will apply for state funding yearly and follow all necessary steps in order to receive that funding. According to the state, we will need a certain amount of prisoners in order to receive the amount of grants that we need. Other funding will come from donations. We will hold monthly meetings where the public can share their ideas and views for our facility. At the meetings, we will collect donations to help support our facility and the different programs that we will offer. Last but not least, funding will come from tax payer dollars. This portion of funding will assist the organization out a great deal.Tax payers may be upset about their money going towards a facility but it will help them out as well. They are helping to keep criminals off of the streets. Over the years, we will come up with other ways to generate funding for our facility. Communications Communication is a very important aspect of any venue. In this Criminal Justice Integration Project our communication with inmate to inmate, inmate to guard, guard to guard, and so on. These communication techniques are how we stay accessible to the world. We share information with the family of the prisoners, by using the telephone.If their loved one is in our facility and they have a major issues such as they are gravely ill or in need of a major surgery, we contact them by telephone. The prisoners are entered into a database once they enter into our facility. The database will be on a website on the internet and will be searchable by name, date of birth, or prison number. This database will be available for anyone who has access to the internet as well as to the government site we participate in. They must have the informatio n of the prisoner correct in order to see the prisoner information.When visitors enter the facility they must be on the visitors list. Anyone who comes to the facility without prior authorization will not be acknowledged. Visitors will be allowed to visit the prisoner for a limited time. Conversations between visitors and prisoners will be monitored at all times and maybe used later if needed in a case. In our facility, help groups will be established with the prisoners. Our duty is to try to rehabilitate the prisoners in the system if they want to be rehabilitated. We will have a group of prisoners in a guarded room in the facility, with counselors who can speak to them in a group.The prisoners at some point may be able to help one another understand what their issues have been in the past that helped to lead them to the situation that caused them to be sentenced to this facility. Our goal as a helping group for the inmate is to get them to understand if they are ever eligible for parole what they can do in life to avoid the situation that put them in prison in the first place or ways to think quickly to a less dangerous situation where they will be able to make a better choice in life. Our facility offers one-on-one counseling.This counseling will take place between a prisoner and a criminal social service counselor in a guarded room. The counselor will be able to have multiple sessions with prisoners to find the root of their problem and hopefully be able to work on ways to resolve some of their underline issues. They will be able to find the reasons that lead to them ending up with a prison sentence and find out the base problems of why the prisoners begin to act the way they do and what can we do to change the way they think. What issued cause them to change from an innocent child to a vicious adult are more issues that they will address.Our facility will have prisoner interviews to see what are the thoughts and feelings of the prisoners is after their he lping program to analyze if they are being helped by the programs, if their ideas of life have changed, if they developed any goals and are there any chances or rehabilitation as we hoped. We will assess the prisoners weekly until we have made of final determination of rather they are leading in the right direction truthfully or are they faking their rehab just to try to get an early release. The Components of Prison SecurityAs all prison becomes more and more over crowded and the internal problems continue to rise, it is very important for the facility to be able to maintain control and stability both inside and outside the prison. Although there are several different means of security measures that are put in place, it is hard to say whether or not the security can be achieved because of the layout of the prison or is it due to the trained professional who makes the difference whether or not the facility is secure well enough or not. Both of these factors play a vital role in keep ing the prison facility as safe as it is going to be for both inside and out.Technology and Physical Security The physical layout of a prison is actually very important. The role is twofold: this is made in order to keep society out and the inmates in. This being said, this is why prisons are built with high walls, tall fences, and you cannot forget the different forms of security that are also being used according to the Department of Corrections Services. It is believed that the lay out, design and age and level of maintenance of a prison has a direct on impact on the safety and level of security. Department of Correctional Services, 2003). The department describes physical security as â€Å"the prison building itself, the layout thereof, the design as well as the fixed security systems that are attached to the building as close circuit television, security fences, alarm and detection systems, etc. â€Å"(DCS, 2003). With this being understood, you can understand why the prison designs play a major role in the prison system. Pretty much every day more and more innovations are being introduced as ways to be able to improve security form now and into the future.In 1999, the Federal Bureau of prisons had about 120,000 inmates under their watch, having this many inmates it is great to have technology to depend on in order to keep the prison safe as much as possible. With technology on the side of The Department of Corrections they were able to develop a new system that helps prisons to keep track of all vehicles that come in and leave their facility, this system is called AVIAN- Advance Vehicle Interrogation and Notification System, This system detects the presence of persons hidden in vehicles and notifies security guards of potential escape.Using the data from seismic sensors that are placed or the vehicle, the AVIAN reads the shock waves generated by the human heart, which then couples to another surface or object with which the body is in contact. It colle cts the data and analyzes them with advanced signals processing algorithms to detect hidden persons in less than two minutes. (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 1999)Another form of security is the classification and reclassification, combine with the proper placement of the prisoners, things like this are considered to be very important factors of security.Prisoners are divided up by their different risks they pose to their fellow prisoners, and the community. The prisoners are sorted by different levels or categories and this is decided by how much of a threat the offender is to society (Category â€Å"A† prisoner and very dangerous to society, the police, and the state. ) If someone in this category were to escape they would be considered to be very dangerous to the outside community. Prisoners that fall into the category B do not have to be in such of a high risk security facility, but escape is still made to be very difficult to do.Prisoners who are in the â€Å"C† still cannot be trusted in open conditions, but they do not have the ability or resources to make a determined escape attempt. The prisoners in the â€Å"D† categories are considered to be trust worthy and they are allowed to serve their time without being totally confined, they serve their sentences in an open environment (Price, 1999). An allocation refers to the placement of a prisoner in a certain situations, which can include certain institutions, which includes the local jails, a state penitentiary, or even a federal prison. Cultural AspectsThe culture of prison facilities is very important in terms of positive leadership. Culture sets â€Å"the values, assumptions and beliefs that drive the way people think and behave at work† (Flaherty-Zonis, 2009). It sets the tone of the prison facility and how it operates. In recent discoveries, there has been a proven need for a more unified prison system across the country. They have been shown to â€Å"often operate as if the y are comprised of independent parts—the silos we hear about and experience. The staff of each part knows very well their perceived level of importance and the power of their voice.All too often, voices that are not as highly valued, coming from staff who are nonetheless critical to the running of the facility, are not heard, or are stifled and disregarded† (Flaherty-Zonis, 2009). This process must change. The staff is one of the most important factors to the successful operation of a correctional facility. They know firsthand what it is like to deal with prisoners and the voice of the staff is what keeps the prison’s culture intact. It is very common for prison sub-cultures to exist and create differentiators.This derives from the camaraderie that is being sought. Some discoveries have shown â€Å"the cultures in corrections facilities to be dominated by the following characteristics: conventional, â€Å"don’t rock the boat† thinking; a pattern of dependence, with a value on following rather than leading; avoidance of conflict, leaving many disagreements unresolved and even unidentified; a high level of oppositional behavior, focusing on what is wrong and holding on to past wrongs rather than working to find solutions; and a limited willingness to share power and information† (Flaherty-Zonis, 2009).The goal of our facility is to create a culture of positive leadership for staff as well as prisoners to follow. In the implementation of our â€Å"Positive Leaders Program†, we strive to create conceptualizations to accomplish tasks and create common understandings amongst staff and prisoners. Due to the fact that employees have direct dealings in the facilities with prisoners, we want to give them added responsibility to ensure that they are completely involved in this program. This will allow them to have a distinctive voice and always be interactive.Having strong leadership and employee interaction calls for a gre at deal of readiness and willingness to be direct and straightforward. The involvement of the staff is very important because individual participation forms and strengthens cultural group dynamics. This is where the staff works together to create a common process or understanding. In order to implement a successful and positive culture, we need a strategic planning process which is composed of shared ideology and focuses on strategic thinking, planning, management and response.We believe that following a strategic plan and sharing the ideas of everyone will allow for a great respect towards our culture, organizational diversity and pride. We want to encourage employees to remain involved in the development of a positive culture so that inmates feel like more than just a number. We want to be able to effectively implement programs and community sanctions to help improve the personal lives of prisoners so that they find inspiration to maintain a positive attitude and outlook while ser ving their prison term. DiscussionThe private facility that Team B will start for housing convicted prisoners will indeed be a success. The many programs that we will offer and implement such as the one on one counseling and prisoner interviews will be life changing for them, and assist them with making the right decisions upon entering society again. The security measures that we have in place will secure all inmates as well as correctional officers. The cultural aspects leadership program will aide prisoners to be more positive individuals so that they will have a better chance at not being a repeat offender.Overall, this facility will attempt to focus more on rehabilitation rather than punishment. Everyone deserves a second chance at life, and that’s what we plan on giving our housed inmates. References American Jail Association (1993). American Jail Association Code of Ethics. Retrieved January 28, 2003, from http://www. corrections. com/aja/resolutions/index. html Associ ated Press (2001). Prison escape probe to focus on lax security. Retrieved January 28, 2003, from http://www. clickonsa. om/ant/news/stories/news-20010108-085202. html Department of Correctional Services (2003). Safety and security. Retrieved February19, 2003, from http://www. dcs. gov. za/OffenderManagement/Safetyandsecurity. htm Federal Bureau of Prisons (1999). Introducing AVIAN. Retrieved February 5, 2003, from http://www. heartbeat-detector-avian. com Flaherty-Zonis, C. (2009). Corrections Systems: Creating Positive Culture and Dynamic Leadership. Retrieved October 22, 2012 from http://www. corrections. om/news/article/22540-corrections-systems-creating-positive-culture-and-dynamic-leadership Goldberg, E. & Evans, L. (1995). The prison industrial complex and the global economy. Retrieved April 22, 2003, from http://www. prisonactivist. org/crisis/evans-goldberg. html Johnson, A. (2000, July 28). Security at prison in doubt, union says. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved February 19, 2003, from http://www. dispatch. com/news/newsfea00/jul00/364974. html Liberty (2002, August). Allocation. Retrieved April 22, 2003 from http://www. ourrights. org. uk Price, D. (1999). Questions and answers about security categorization. Retrieved February 5, 2003, from http://www. postcardsfromprison. com/research/catsecfq. htm Schlosser, E. (1998). The prison-industrial complex. Retrieved April 4, 2003, from http://theatlantic. com/issues/98dec/prisons. htm Vertuno. J. (1999). Prison official says guards receive more than recommended training. Texas News. Retrieved April 22, 2003 from http://www. texnews. com/1998/1999/texas/prison0130. html

The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by HG Wells and the Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler Essay Example

The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by HG Wells and the Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler Essay Example The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by HG Wells and the Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler Paper The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by HG Wells and the Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler Paper Essay Topic: Literature Ray Bradbury Short Stories I have been asked to read two stories from the science fiction genre and discuss and comment on the similarities and differences. The two stories that I have read are; The Case of the Stolen Bacillus by H. G. Wells and The Half Pair by Bertrum Chandler. Both of these stories are of the same genre, but science fiction is difficult to define. In order for me to complete this essay, and compare the two stories to their full extent, I feel that I must comprehend what science fiction means and what makes a good science fiction story. Different writers have their own definitions. I have chosen two, which I believe to express simple but different views. Ray Bradburys definition states; Science fiction is really sociological studies of the future, things that the writer believes are going to happen by putting two and two together. Whereas Bruce H. Franklin said; In fact, one good working definition of science fiction may be the literature which, growing with science and technology, evaluates it and relates it meaningfully to the rest of human existence. Both of these definitions are comprehensive and frequently used, although, we have to recognise that they represent the writers own opinions and are therefore subjective. Although the definitions vary, and are influenced from different sources, they could prove useful in considering the likeness of the stories to the definitions and provide a good framework for assessing them. Studying definitions is not the only way to classify the stories as being good science fiction. There are main elements which all good science fiction stories contain that fit into the science fiction genre. They are set in the future, contain a moral and there are often twists in the plots. Usually the human behaviour is determined by the era in which it was written. By both comparing the stories to the main elements and the definitions I shall be able to consider the factors of each story that provide good science fiction. I feel that to help me with the task set it is necessary to know background information about the authors and the time of their writing. The authors upbringing and way of life before and during novel writing is one very important factor that I have to consider when making comparisons between the stories. It is very clear when reading both, that they have been heavily influenced by previous experiences encountered, as well as their general perception of the world around them. Both writers are also heavily influenced by the era in which they grew up and lived, there are many references to aspects unique to these times, as well as to aspects in which each author is opinionated on. These influences affect the way the stories are written as well as the way the characters behave and the language that is used. The influences are shown in many ways throughout both stories. The Case of the Stolen Bacillus was written by H. G. Wells. He was born in 1866 into the cramped life of Victorian lower middle class of Bromley, Kent. Due to unfortunate circumstances involving his father, at the age of thirteen H. G. Wells was sent to work in a drapers shop. His passion for science grew as he got older and he frequently sneaked off to the library to study. His hard work finally paid off when he won a scholarship to study science at the Imperial College, London. It was during his time here where H. G. Wells became increasingly concerned with social justice and got involved with the Fabian society. This society encouraged Wellss belief in the socialist movement, which sought to bring about a fairer society by planning a gradual system of reforms. The Case of the Stolen Bacillus is set, as well as written, in Victorian England, so consequently the story portrays England in a different way from which we know it today. This way of living provoked many different beliefs and ideas on issues that may seem controversial today. One aspect that Wells put across through his story is that of male dominance. At the time when the story was written and set, males were seen to be superior to the women, and were therefore treated with more respect and authority. The main role of women was seen to be bringing up of children and housekeeping. Wells has included references of this within the story by the way he has portrayed the relationship between Minnie and her husband. This is shown in one particular conversation when Minnie is asked a question by her husband, she politely replies, Nothing, dear, because I remember However, she is interrupted abruptly by her husband, which is a typical example of how much respect husbands and wives had of each other during that era. Present within this period was a definite system of class and position within society, with three main sectors; the lower class, the middle class and the upper class. The lower class categorized the poorest in society, and was the lowest group in the system. Nowadays it is often referred to as the working class which reflects the nature of the people within it, who often worked in industry or were unemployed and lived in the terraced slums around a city. The middle class were seen by the Victorians as a group with a higher position within society. They were given more respect compared with the lower class, however were not as rich as the upper class. The upper class were a group defined for the richest in society that consisted mainly of the local gentry. Throughout Wellss story there are many references to the class system, most expressing subtle stereotypical views. Due to his beliefs as a socialist he did not agree with the class system and these heavily influence the story as his opinions are reflected many times throughout. Wells uses ingenious techniques to put across his opinions skilfully without being too direct. He often uses subtle mocking of characters that display stereotypical behaviour of a certain class. We can tell this from the speeches of the cab driver and the bacteriologist. The cab driver is stereotypically portrayed as a lower class Victorian man who has not been educated very well. This is evident when he says, Thats Arry Ilks. Wots he got? The way Wells writes the cabmans speech implies that all cabmen are of his calibre. Wells therefore suggests that all cab drivers are not well spoken and educated. Another character which Wells stereotypes, is the bacteriologist. Wells portrays him as a middle class man and a typical scientist, he says when talking to the Anarchist, Here is the living thing. This is the cultivation of the actual living disease bacteria. This shows that he is a well-spoken character from a well-educated background. He is portrayed as a typical scientist due to the manner in which he behaves. Wells creates his character to seem rather eccentric and lively, this is shown when he reacts instantly and without thinking, when he finds out that the cholera has been stolen. By stereotyping different classes, it is possible that Wellss intention was not to be making fun of the lower class, but mocking the upper class people for treating others less prominent in society the way they do. The Background regarding the Half Pair is very different from The Case of the Stolen Bacillus, even though they both aim to produce a good piece of science fiction writing. Arthur Bertrum Chandler, born in 1912, wrote the Half Pair. Although born in Aldershot, UK he is usually considered as an Australian author. Over half his life was spent at sea on a British tramp steamer and then finally joined the Union Steam Ship of New Zealand. During these passages at sea, he wrote many of his novels, however he retired in 1975 but continued to write until his death. This piece of science fiction writing was written in 1957, but set many years in the future. There are many references to the 1950s within the story as well as futuristic ideas. This is evident when the wife includes within her speech references to everyday chores relating to the 1950s, such as making dinner, as well as futuristic ideas of space. She says, Since when can I do without gravity even though a centrifugal force in the gallery? Youve ruined dinner. Wells often includes within this story speeches that reflect upon the time of writing as well as including ideas that would have been seen as very futuristic, but not as significant nowadays. Another aspect of this story that has been influenced by the authors way of life is the constant references that are made to his time spent at sea. The main setting for the story is a space ship, which is probably done because the author is used to spending time onboard ships and there are therefore many references in the use of language and descriptions to that of a boat. Although set on a space ship, the story is described with many similarities to that of a boat. References such as the use of the word chandler, which is used when referring to the place where the characters bought their equipment. When you get back to mars demand a survey of all the equipment sold by Sorenson the ship chandler The Half Pair and The Case of the Stolen Bacillus, both fit into the science fiction genre but are completely different in content and ideas. However, there are some similarities such as the elements that make up a science fiction story. One of the noticeable differences between the two stories is the time scale. The Half Pair is written in the 1950s, but set far into the future, whereas The Case of the Stolen Bacillus is set and written in the Victorian era. This proves vital in the type of story that is produced, as different eras had different views on English way of life as many things had changed since the Victorian era. This is shown in the two stories by the way the writers express themselves and include references to daily life i. e. the references to nautical terms in Half Pair and references to class in Stolen Bacillus. During the 1950s there was seen to be more freedom within society, which was less inhibited by the class structure that had nearly been abolished. This is one of the biggest differences between the two stories backgrounds, however there are similarities. Although the class system was comparatively non-existent at the time of Half Pairs writing there are still small references to the belief that men were more prominent than women in society. This is evident in Half Pair by the way the wife is stereotypically portrayed as a housewife. An example occurs as she makes dinner for her husband. Bertrum Chandler has also created some humour in regards to the roles of men and women in society. Both the husband a wife have a conversation which makes light of the small belief that men had a greater position within life, but it also shows how women had gained a lot more respect in society and were not as dominated by their husbands. This is shown in a particular conversation between the husband and wife, where the wife says, Some women are fools enough to trust their husbands. Theyre the ones who havent learned the hard way, the same way I did. The husband replies, Some men are fools enough to kid themselves that their wives have an elementary knowledge of pluming. The writers backgrounds are totally different, and consequently, as I have shown, the stories differ greatly as a result. Another aspect of the stories which is affected due to the writers backgrounds, are the plots. Although from the same genre the plots differ extensively. The Case of the Stolen Bacilluss main plot involves an amateur bacteriologist who receives a visit from an undercover anarchist in Victorian London. The anarchist who is nothing other than a stranger to the bacteriologist pretends to be interested in his work and asks to see ongoing experiments. The naive bacteriologist takes the opportunity to boast about his investigation into the newly discovered disease of cholera. The anarchist (now identified by the bacteriologist) steals the cholera bacteria, with plans to release the cholera bacteria into the cities water supply with the intention of infecting the whole city. This incident provokes a cab chase involving the bacteriologist pursuing the anarchist who unintentionally breaks the tube containing the cholera. Consequently, the anarchist drinks the solution as he sees this as the only resort and proceeds to walk round the streets bumping into people with the hope of them catching and spreading the disease. The outcome of this contains a twist within the plot for the readers as the anarchist turns blue. It is revealed that the solution was not cholera, but a disease that turns monkeys blue. The Half Pair differs completely in regards to the plot and is set in future outer space. Its main plot is created by a pair of cuff links and a couple who live onboard a space ship. The cuff links begin the story by one being lost, this is due to being washed down the sink into the ships disposal system and excreted into outer space. This causes certain unease with the couple who seem to be partial to the pair of cuff links. The man decides that he wants to venture into space to retrieve it, although it becomes evident that it is a two person task. The man has no-one to enter space with because his wife has a phobia of space suits, he therefore goes alone. This results in havoc as he runs out of oxygen and his lifeline snaps. The last part of the story contains a twist, as the reader believes that the man is destined for death as he passes out and begins to float into space, however his wife overcomes her phobia and saves him. The plots of these stories contain many techniques that induce the reader to continue reading. The way the climaxes are built up in each story has a major effect on how dramatic they are. In the Stolen Bacillus the climax is built up gradually, Wells does this in two main sections. He firstly creates and air of expectation for the reader which involves the anticipation of a London catastrophe and what the anarchist could do. The tension slowly rises and builds up to the chase sequence, where the anarchist is trying to escape. The climax is resolved with a twist in the plot that also has an effect as an anticlimax. The Half Pair however, contains a slightly more subtle climax. It is built up around a couple having an argument in a domestic situation; the argument causes the tension to build up gradually until the husband finds himself floating around in space in trouble. It is not as dramatic as the climax in The Stolen Bacillus, but resolves itself with a rather cliched happy ending. Both of the stories climaxes are used to maintain the readers interest and I believe that both are effective as the reader is wondering what is going to happen next in many sections. In the past, at the time of writing, another aspect that would have helped to keep readers attention would have been the way that in both stories the writer has included ideas and objects which the readers could have related to the then present day. Nowadays this could also possibly help the interest levels of the reader as they are finding out a different way of life giving a historical perspective of the story. This applies more so to The Stolen Bacillus, as it is further into the past. Both stories are similar in the fact that they contain twists, where the reader is lead to believe a different outcome up till close to the end where it is dramatically twisted another way round. The twist in the Stolen Bacillus was an anticlimax. I believe this was reasonably effective as it created some tension as a result of the possible damage which the anarchist could have caused. It also added humour, which may or may not have been Wellss intention, but I believe is effective. The twist used in The Half Pair is used to create an ending that lasts in your mind. When you find out that the wife has saved her husband it comes as a surprise, which adds excitement to the story. In both plots the main story line involves items going missing i. e. the bacteria and the cuff links, this is another similarity between the stories. Another aspect that makes the stories similar is how they both contain ideas and technology relevant to the era when it was written. The Case of the Stolen Bacillus was written at a time when the UK was rife with many epidemics such as cholera. These diseases, at the time, were not thoroughly known about, so many scientists would have been investigating and researching them. At the time when Half Pair was written, men in space, and space travel was a new idea that was being discovered. Although this is a similarity it can also be a difference as each story has been influenced by a different time of history. Characters are a major feature in stories and contain a strong link between the plots, and the morals and messages they are preaching. In both stories there is a great similarity in the fact that that they both have couples as the main characters. The Stolen Bacillus however, contains another prominent role played as an anarchist as well as also having minor characters included within it. This differs from The Half Pair, as within this story there are no other characters apart from the couple. Both Wellss story and Chandlers stories were of a short length, which means that the authors had a confined amount of time to create and develop characters. Consequently we see in both stories very strong characters displaying strong personalities. In The Case of the Stolen Bacillus there are three prominent characters, the anarchist, The Bacteriologist and Minnie, his wife. Wells uses many techniques to display these three characters in certain ways to try and create a vivid image for readers. I feel that Wells intended for the anarchist to be portrayed as a villain and he uses dialogue, imagery and atmosphere to show this. Wells describes the anarchist a pale faced man and as having deep grey eyes. This dull imagery gives the impression to the reader that the man is up to no good and it is backed up with the language which he uses to suggest that the anarchist is a baddy. It is particularly evident that Wells is trying to conjure up a bad image for the anarchist when the anarchist says, death mysterious, untraceable death, death swift and terrible, death full of pain and indignity would be released on this city. Although I believe Wells tries to conjure up a picture regarding the anarchist as a villain, I feel that he is more successful in creating a character that appears to be ignorant. Wells probably intentionally does this, as he tries to make fun of anarchism and through mocking the anarchist he can achieve this and express his opinions to the readers. This is shown when he says, These Anarchist rascals, are fools, blind fools to use bombs when this kind of thing is attainable. The Bacteriologist is another prominent character in Stolen Bacillus, however very different in personality. Wells portrays him, very stereotypically, as a boastful amateur scientist who wants to appear to be very intellectual. Wells uses the speeches between characters to portray this, especially in is opening speech when he says, This again, is a preparation of the celebrated Bacillus of Cholera the cholera germ. The reader discovers later on in the story that the scientist was leading the anarchist on, and realises that the bacteria wasnt actually cholera. This shows that the character of the scientist is maybe not so stereotypical as Wells first makes out. Although, Wells does included some very stereotypical behaviour regarding the relationships between The Bacteriologist and his wife, Minnie. As I have said before, Minnie is put across as being a typical Victorian housewife, very trustworthy, proper and correct. She abides completely by her husband and is very loyal to him as well as to the rules of the time. This part of Victorian society is shown by Wells when Minnie is keen to make sure that her husband does not leave the house without his hat and coat, as it was seen to be disrespectful in these times. It is shown using dialogue, by Wells when the wife is shocked about the fact that her husband has left not properly dressed and she says, But running around London in the height of the season, too in his socks! Included in the plot of Stolen Bacillus are other minor characters which all have their significances in some way even though they do not have a large part to play. The cab drivers are an example of this. As I have said earlier Wells stereotypes them and portrays them as lower class, using dialogue to help illustrate this. I have also noticed that Wells does n ot name the bacteriologist or the anarchist, he just labels them or describes them, which is probably done to emphasises their characters. The structure regarding the characters in the Half Pair differs in comparison with The Stolen Bacillus as The Half Pair only contains two characters. These prominent characters however, do have similarities between the main characters in The Stolen Bacillus. Similarly to The Stolen Bacillus, in The Half Pair there is a husband and wife as main characters. In The Half Pair the couple remains nameless, similarly to the Anarchist and the bacteriologist in The Stolen Bacillus, the only prominent character to be given a name in either story was Minnie, the bacteriologists wife. The relationships between the two couples in both stories are similar, however they also differ because of the different time of writing. As I have said earlier, The Stolen Bacillus represents a Victorian relationship between Minnie and her husband, which is rife with the idea of male dominance. I also believe that there are some references to this type of behaviour in The Half Pair even though it is set much later on in time. There are some elements of the behaviour between the couple in The Half Pair that also suggest that the wife is dominated by her husband. This behaviour is certainly not to the same extent as the in The Stolen Bacillus, and we also find that it is actually the husband in The Half Pair who is trying to abide to rules of good manners and not lower his standards when he says, We agreed that we werent going to let ourselves lapse, get sloppy The drinks straight from the bottle and the food straight from the can In comparing the characters in each story I feel that Wells conjures up stronger, more meaningful ones that are rife with personality. One way in which both authors have created and defined characters is by carefully selecting the language and dialogue that they use. The language used in each story is different because of the eras they were written in. The Case of the Stolen Bacillus is harder to read and comprehend, due to the changes in English language, between the Victorian era and present day, although it demonstrates the correct manner of speaking at its time of writing. The Stolen Bacillus frequently uses scientific terminology, to make the story more convincing to the reader. Wells uses relatively simple scientific descriptions such as cholera, as to not make the story to complicated. In Wellss story there were not many futuristic descriptions as it was set at a similar time to writing and was mainly based upon something that hadnt happened yet. Bertrum Chandler also includes scientific terminology in his story, The Half Pair. The content however is more futuristic and complicated. This is because the author is trying to predict the future and to do so needs to include advanced ideas. For example Chandler uses descriptions such as centrifugal force. The dialogue present in each story demonstrates more clearly many of the characters personalities. I feel that throughout both stories the dialogue is convincing although there are some elements which I feel were not as believable. For example I feel that in The Stolen Bacillus Wells might have over exaggerated the relationship between Minnie and The Bacteriologist. He achieved this by including speeches between the couple where Minnie simply agreed with everything her husband said, she often used the phrase yes dear. I feet that this became humorous throughout the story as she behaved completely different around her husband than anyone else. Wells probably expressed her character in this way in order to emphasise the stereotypical Victorian female role she plays. The dialogue in The Half Pair seems to be more like the present way of speaking. This is because the characters tended to speak in a more colloquial fashion, with not much use of complicated words and the sarcasm used is more relevant to todays society. An example of sarcasm is when she says, Anyone would think that youd lost the Crown Jewels There are many different ideas within both stories that contain morals and messages that the authors are trying to put across. In The Case of the Stolen Bacillus there are many interlinked morals, messages and ideas. Wells focuses intently on stereotyping individuals and groups of people of the time. This is done so that the messages which he puts across can be stronger, and also, so that he can subtly mock different people. One idea where Wells used this technique was when he referred to the class system, however he did this less obviously and consequently the message is not as strong. Wells also stereotyped The Bacteriologist as being a typical amateur scientist. His idea is put across in the story so that Wells can warn people about the risks of bacteriological research. Wells probably wants to warn people as he studied science and realises the risks and may be angered by the way amateurs have the responsibilities of investigating bacteria. Another one of the main ideas that Wells expresses in his story is that of Anarchy, and how it doesnt fit in with society. He mocks anarchy, and I believe that he is trying to say that anarchists are not necessarily fighting for a cause, but just trying to get attention. Wells shows this in the story due to the failure of the anarchists plan, and how the anarchist believes he can spread cholera by bumping into people, which seems laughable in todays society and to a certain extent the Victorian society. I feel that this message is effective but it is only towards the end of the story that the reader realises that Wells is subtly trying to mock anarchy. The Half Pair differs from Wellss story, as it only appears to put across one main message. I feel that Chandler uses the pair of cufflinks to illustrate his message, loved ones are more important than trivial things dont take them for granted. Chandlers use of the cufflinks is very ingenious and they link the message to the story. The cufflinks at the beginning the play are seen as very important to the man, however towards the end, when his life is a risk, the cufflinks become rather insignificant. Chandler ends the story in a very ingenious way, as the message is only revealed to the reader at the very end of the story when the wife says, I do so hate a half pair of anything and I dont mean only cufflinks! This last line of the story is also clever, as it links it together with the first line of the play, and gives the whole story and the message some significance. Another smaller message which I believe Chandler may be putting across is that people will always have the same sorts of problems thoughts and feelings, no matter what the day and age. Overall I believe that Chandler is trying to say that however much our world changes in the future, relationships and love will still be of upmost importance, and no matter what, couples will still have to overcome mundane problems even with a technologically advanced world around them. I believe that both stories are effective in putting across messages, however Wells includes more, and preaches them more subtly. In The Stolen Bacillus, the messages are there, but you have to look for them. The Half Pair messages tended to be simpler and easier to understand, but this is probably due to myself, the reader finding the story easier to comprehend as they relate to modern day more so than in The Stolen Bacillus. Although in todays society The Half Pair is easier to relate to, I feel that both of the stories relate their messages and content to the societies in which they were written. In comparing the two stories I have found many differences and similarities, however I now have to consider whether each of them are examples of good science fiction. I stated at the beginning of this essay, some definitions of science fiction and elements which writing of the science fiction genre should have. I have looked at each story against the definitions and elements of science fiction, and have seen how they have corresponded. I feel that both stories fit into the science fiction genre and they both contain most of the elements which a good piece of sci-fi writing does. The Case of The Stolen Bacillus contains a moral and a twist but it is not set in the future, however it does contain futuristic ideas. The Half Pair appears to contain all of the elements which I mentioned at the beginning of this essay, however I dont believe that they have been expressed as well as in Wellss story. Each story also tries to put meaningful messages across to a reader of the time of writing, although I believe that these messages are still applicable in society today. The twists in both stories are reasonably effective. I found that in The Case of the Stolen Bacillus the twist was not as well written, and therefore not as effective. Although each story differs in how well they correspond to the element of science fiction, a factor that suggests that both of these pieces are good science fiction writing is that they correlate strongly to the definitions given by Ray Bradbury and Bruce H. Franklin.