The First Synthesis Essay Examination Of Worldview

In the first synthesis essay, examination of worldview was identified as one of the most important concepts necessary to understand and interpret medical anthropology. Worldview is the reason that there are many different types of medical systems. As explained in lecture, these include diagnosis, healing, and some form of payment to the healer. The study of these different medical systems falls under the term ethnomedicine. Singer describes ethnomedicine as the idea that all medical systems develop from â€Å"particular sociocultural systems regardless of the scale of the society.† For example our US healthcare system, based on western worldview, is a hierarchy of administrators who tell the doctors what they can and cannot do. Our devotion to the US healthcare system stems from our need to label the symptom or disease such as nasal drip and a cough can be labeled as a common cold. The worldview seen here is the need for immediate cures to avoid interrupting our busy lives. On the other hand, in â€Å"Touching the Timeless† with Billy Yellow from the Navajo tribe, there are many steps to prepare for his healing ritual such as the sweat hogan, where purification rituals are performed, in this case, before a strong spiritual ritual can be done. Thus understanding the worldview that comes with the development of medical systems is vital to understanding why the practices are being used and being able to compare these medical systems cross culturally. The base of most medical systems isShow MoreRelatedIntegration of Narrative Therapy Hristian Counselling3207 Words   |  13 PagesLength: 2,515 words The purpose of this essay is to discuss the positive and negative use of integration within Counselling. Much has been said about the integration of therapies and Christian values. The practice of secular psychotherapies has brought much conflict; many Christian counsellors have taken a different stance regarding the integration of psychology and religion. Some have embraced integration wholeheartedly whilst others reject it just as vigorously and many others fall somewhere betweenRead More Teaching Origins in 20th Century American Public Schools Essay6390 Words   |  26 Pagesacademia , and public schools over the course of the 20th century and continue fighting, or attempting to make peace over, this culture war today. The debate has changed between the time of the Scopes Trial and the present in several important ways. First, creationists have developed many more diverse arguments, and employ not only biblical and moralistic arguments, but scientific evidence, logical arguments , and political rhetoric to counter evolutionary theory. Second, debate was revived by evolutionistRead MoreHerbert Spencer Essay13142 Words   |  53 Pagesemployee of the London and Birmingham Railway. His interest in evolution is said to have arisen from the examination of fossils that came from the rail-road cuts. Spencer left the railroad to take up a literary career and to follow up some of his scientific interests. He began by contributing to The Non-Conformist, writing a series of letters called The Proper Sphere of Government. This was his first major work and contained his basic concepts of individualism and laissez-faire, which were to be laterRead MoreStatement of Purpose23848 Words   |  96 Pagesmeasures—test scores and grades—were most important Ohio Wesleyan University Writing Center  © 2011 Page 1 and used the statement of purpose for borderline decisions. However, of liberal arts faculty who responded, approximately half valued the essays as much as other parts of the application package. ï‚ · Determine the importance of the mentor system. The importance of the statement of purpose increases, as Robert M. Brown notes, at institutions with strong mentoring programs ―because it is the onlyRead MoreMastering Graduate Studies 1e32499 Words   |  130 Pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . The name of each chapter’s author appears in the chapter header bars. Clicking on author names will take you to the Biographies page. Glossary terms on the Glossary pages will take you back to the page on which the term first appears. Chapter 1: Academic and Career Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Read MoreNew World Order in Conspiracy Theory13987 Words   |  56 Pagesa  state atheistic  and  bureaucratic collectivist  world government,  demonized  as a Red Menace, therefore became the main focus of  apocalyptic  millenarian  conspiracism.[13] In the 1960s,  right-wing populist  individuals and groups with a  producerist  worldview, such as members of the  John Birch Society, disseminated a great deal of conspiracy theories claiming that the governments of both the United States and the  Soviet Union  were controlled by a  cabal  of  corporate internationalists, greedy bankers andRead MoreMethods of Qualitative of Data Collection19658 Words   |  79 Pagesintroductory discussion of qualitative methodological assumptions. As the grounding for a selection of methods, we extend that discussion here, using Brantlinger’s (1997) useful summary of seven categories of crucial assumptions for qualitative inquiry. The first concerns the researcher’s views of the nature of the research: Is the inquiry technical and neutral, intending to conform to traditional research within her discipline, or is it controversial and critical, with an 97 04-Marshall-4864.qxd 98 2/1/2006Read MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagestextbook offers a well-integrated synthesis of approaches to organization theory. It will be welcomed by organization theory scholars and reflective practitioners and is a valuable companion for scholars and students of organization theory. Henk W. Volberda, Chair of the Department of Strategic Management Business Environment and Vice-Dean of the RSM Erasmus University, Netherlands At last, a text that brings organization theory into the 21st century! This is the first organization theory textbook toRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesSkills? 360 Questions for Review 360 Experiential Exercise An Absence of Nonverbal Communication 361 Ethical Dilemma Pitfalls of E-Mail 361 Case Incident 1 Using Social Media to Your Advantage 362 Case Incident 2 Should Companies That Fire Shoot First? 362 12 Leadership 367 What Is Leadership? 368 Trait Theories 369 Behavioral Theories 370 Summary of Trait Theories and Behavioral Theories 372 Contingency Theories 372 The Fiedler Model 373 †¢ Other Contingency Theories 375 Leader–Member Exchange

Enron Case Study Essay - 951 Words

Globalization and Corporate Social Responsibility - Corporate Culture and Individual Responsibility 1. Based on Alex Gibney’s film version of the rise and fall of Enron, do you accept Joel Bakan’s argument that the corporation shows â€Å"psychopathic† traits? I agree with Joel Bakan, however, just partially about the corporation Enron showing ‘psychopathic’ traits. Yes there are traits that they were doing unethical actions that completely ruin many people life-long works and their lives; nonetheless, in my opinion, those actions were intentional. The executives at Enron were gambling intelligently, according to the movie, and take a risk so big that it was over their heads at the end, making it an absolute failure. The psychopathic†¦show more content†¦At some point, Enron executives use the deregulation of Californian energy market to raise the price of electricity, getting other company to join in action and make skyhigh profits. At the end, all these illegal, unethical actions they had done snowballed and they could not stop because once they could not hide their debts, and government institutes started to suspect, they are left with nothing to protect themselves. They took a high risk road to profit, followed a strategy of ‘win at all cost’ so it will later come back at them. Throughout company’s history, its culture had been an unethical one, with staffs from executives to accountants to associated firms having joined in their strategies and performed underhand actions. The environment was set for them to success in their scams because they brought in people and company having the same mind set. As for personal values, they executives only cared about themselves and whoever on their side. The financial executive, like Fastow even stole money from the company for himself and it was 40 million dollars. They pocketed millions of dollars so they did not pay much attention to what would happen to their employees once this scam was taken out of the dark. After Enron bankrupted, their employees had nothing in return, not even pension money and shareholders, with the stock price of the company being lower than a sing dollar, lost everything. In conclusion, what happened atShow MoreRelatedENRON Case Study1572 Words   |  7 Pages1. The Enron debacle created what one public official reported was a â€Å"crisis of confidence† on the part of the public in the accounting profession. List the parties who you believe are most responsible for that crisis. Briefly justify each of your choices. Following parties are believed to be the most responsible for the crisis. With any big organization going so bad, the blame starts with the top level executives, there was no different in this case. For Enron the blame started with Enron’sRead MoreEnron Case Study2596 Words   |  11 PagesEnron a Case Study Enron, once known as the worldwide leader in energy trading, began as a natural gas pipeline company. â€Å"At its peak, Enron brokered up to 20 percent of America’s energy transactions. These included basic contracts to deliver natural gas from wells to pipelines for distribution to homes, contracts for the purchase of electrical power facility out port, and more complex financial contracts, which allowed power companies to manage price and market risk† (Ackman)Read MoreEnron Case Study4789 Words   |  20 PagesEXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report will analyse the groupthink’s concerns in the collapse of Enron. The collapse of Enron is less than three months, which Enron from a very prosperous company to a bankrupt enterprise. The collapse of Enron is one of the most grievous business failures in United States. This disastrous business failure had causes a large number of employees lost their jobs and retirement savings. Groupthink leads groups to make faulty judgments. Groupthink occurs when a group makeRead MoreEnron Case Study5921 Words   |  24 PagesEnron Case Study [pic] Part A: Problem Focused Analysis and Recommendations. 1. Brief Case Background. List key events, use timeline. Case Background At one time Enron was one of the world’s largest producers of natural gas, oil, and electricity. It also appeared to be one of the most profitable companies, taking shareholders from $19.10 in 1999 to $90.80 by the end of 2000. Enron’s top management answered to a Board of Directors whose responsibility was to question and challenge new partnershipsRead MoreEnron case study1195 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Q 1: Evaluate Enron profit and cash flow performance during the period 1998 – 2000? Profitability Measures Enron’s reported net income grew from $703 million in 1998 to $979 million in 2000, totaling 35.1% profit growth for the three-year period. Enron was among the leading of â€Å"high performing† companies by sustaining a high earnings growth insight. However, as Table 1 indicates, Enron’s reported profits were microscopic relation to revenues. Net income did not grow at anything near the sameRead MoreEnron Case Study Analysis1699 Words   |  7 PagesBusiness Strategy Enron Case Study 09/08/12 Enron Case Study: From Company to Conspiracy 1. What is the History of Enron, and what current situation does it find itself in? Enron was created by a combination of companies. These companies were Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth. These companies were merged together in July 1985. CEO of Houston Natural Gas, Kenneth Lay became chairman and CEO of the combined company. This happened in February 1986. The company changed its name to Enron on April 10thRead MoreEnron Case Study Summary976 Words   |  4 PagesEnron Case Study The case of Enron is a fascinating one. United States is a country where auditing and accounting principles are so strong. How can something take place on such high level in the United States? The Enron case demonstrates the need to reform the accounting and corporate governance practices in the United States. Moreover, the Enron case made government officials to pay close attention to deregulated energy market. Some of the aspects that struck me are discussed below. One of theRead MoreEnron Case Study1472 Words   |  6 PagesQ 1: Evaluate Enron profit and cash flow performance during the period 1998 – 2000? Profitability Measures Enron’s reported net income grew from $703 million in 1998 to $979 million in 2000, totaling 35.1% profit growth for the three-year period. Enron was among the leading of â€Å"high performing† companies by sustaining a high earnings growth insight. However, as Table 1 indicates, Enron’s reported profits were microscopic relation to revenues. Net income did not grow at anything near the sameRead MoreEnron Tyco Case Studies2163 Words   |  9 PagesRunning head: CASE STUDIES: ENRON’S FALL AND TYCO INTERNATIONAL’S LEADERSHIP CRISIS Case Studies: Enron’s Fall and Tyco International’s Leadership Crisis Grand Canyon University BUS 604 November 4, 2009 Case Study: Enron’s Fall and Tyco International’s Leadership Crisis The tight Federal regulations now governing businesses and their accounting practices came about because one corporation, Enron, took risks their company could not withstand without taking some rather extreme measures inRead MoreEnron and Worldcom Case Study1225 Words   |  5 PagesEnron and WorldCom Case Study This report is based on the demise of Enron Corporation and WorldCom. Both the firms are demised due to the ethical lapses. These ethical lapses come into existence when managements of the firm, uses unethical practices to accomplish the goals of the firm. Maintaining financial and accounting standards in the business practices are necessary. The profession of accounting has become a mockery due to the accounting scandals that took place all over the world in the

H&M Competitive Advantage - Importance Strategic Management

Questions: 1. In which areas do HM have strategic capabilities and what are they? 2. What are HMs threshold and distinctive resources and competences?3. In what areas and functions do HMs strategic capabilities provide for competitive advantage? 4. To what extent can they be sustained? 5. To what extents can other fashion retailers be successful in imitating HMssuccess? 6. Which competitor(s) is/are a real threat to HM? Why? 7. What should HM and CEO Karl-Johan Persson do to sustain and further strengthen HMs competitive advantage? 8. What should they do about areas with only temporary advantages? 9. Are there areas where HM need to develop further capabilities and, if so, in which areas/functions?10. Assess the viability of HM strategy 11. the extent to which global strategy can successfully be pursued in the long term? 12. Discuss the implications of technology for their business model? 13. Contributions Dick Smith case study workshop /analyses? Answers: Introduction The current business market demands for innovativeness that helps the organizations in securing the competitive position. It is necessary to utilize the strategic capabilities to enhance the organizational productivity and sustain in a competitive scenario (Shen 2014). The study will highlight such strategic capabilities that are essential for remaining competitive in this volatile business market. The study discusses the case scenario of HM, which is a leading fashion and apparel retail brand. The company has been looking forward to implement the effective strategic decisions that can sustain the competitive position of the company in a significant way. The use of theoretical approaches will identify the business potentiality for securing the sustainable position of the business in this changing scenario. 1.Areas where HM have strategic Capabilities The strategic capability is widely concerned with the resources as well as competence that an organization could employ to provide values to its customers. Certain areas are such as design, supply chain management and marketing where the strategic capabilities of HM remain. However, the more potential areas of HMs operation where strategies capabilities are highly visible are the competence and resources. Hence, the resources could include the physical facilities such as production officers that hold the responsibilities of coordinating with commissioned as well as approved suppliers and factories across the globe (Shen 2014). The other physical facilities include distribution centre and the warehouses. In the case study, it is mentioned that HM does not own any sort of outlets as well as the firm tends to outsource its production to approved apparel manufacture. In addition, the resource of HM where strategic capabilities remains is human resource and finance (Li et al. 2014). The human resource of HM include leadership, which is three generation of Persson family, the entire legacy remains as the key to HMs culture and highly motivated workforce. At HM, the personal qualities of the workforce matter much more than the formal qualification as well as credential. In addition to this, the finance could include long-term commitment and a strong financial foundation for HM. The case study further imply that financial results as well as ratio still look positive though, the shareholders complain regarding a decrease in total shareholders returns. On the contrary, the competencies include the culture, design, store concept, marketing and CSR (Kant Hvass 2014). It is learnt that the business model of HM is focused at delivering the latest trends at best price in a more effective way building a committed workforce. In order to provide, HM usually rely on its strong culture where the values and the norms such as employment, experimentation and informality are large ly encouraged. 2. HMs Threshold and Distinctive Resources and Competence As discussed above, the resource and the competence are the major areas where strategic capabilities of HM exist. From this discussion HMs threshold, distinctive resource and competences can be categorized. The thresholds of HM are physical facilities and stable finance and this effectively imply that these resources are highly required to meet the demand of the customers (Taplin 2014). Physical facilities such as skilled workforce that effectively contribute to the organizational productivity, manufacturing capacity of the company, developed stores have high impact on competitive advantages. In addition to this, the financial capabilities also fall under threshold resource. As the firm has been running the operation over a long time, it has gained a large amount of capital and the suppliers money also strengthen their financial position. Notwithstanding, it can be added that physical facilities are the threshold resource for HM, as its workforce and manufacturing capacity make the f irm capable of providing unique quality of product. On the other side, distinctive resources of HM are found to be intangible assets and human resources that help the firm to gain the competitive advantages over the competitors. The intangible asset of HM include its brand value, equity as well as IT systems that are consistently enhanced to ensure supply and demand. The enhanced brand name of the firm also helps to monitor the needs and demands of the customers based on the sales pattern (Battaglia et al. 2014). In addition to this, human resource of HM also comes under distinctive resource. The human resource of HM includes culture and highly committed workforce. The culture and workplace at HM influence their performance. Likewise, the competencies of HM are culture, replication, design, store concept and marketing strategies 3. Areas and the Functions do HMs Strategic Capabilities Provide for Competitive Advantages Although, the strategic capabilities have been considered in respect of resource as well as competence and they are evaluated through the lens of their threshold as well as distinctive character. There are other particular ways such as VRIO framework to make the analysis of the competitive advantages (Fernie and Sparks 2014). Figure 1: VRIO Framework of HM to identify the areas holding competitive advantages (Source: Shen 2014) The above-mentioned framework clearly indicates that HM derives a huge amount of its sustained competitive advantages from its unique organizational culture as well as developed human resource management. The firm has the ability to replicate the same store concept across the globe as well as its overall strong brand and market position. All these aspects are intensely embedded in the business model of HM. For instance, the organizational culture in HM is highly influenced by the strong personality of founder Erling Persson (Li et al. 2014). These leaders successfully managed to uniquely place the brand in the market. The uniqueness helps the firms to gain the competitive advantages over the competitors in the market. 4. To the Extents where the Competitive Advantageous can be Sustained The organization HM has the ability to sustain the competitive advantages to higher extent, as the firms organizational culture and HRM practices have are unique and valuable. The competitors might find it difficult to implement until and unless, they have the large capital and increasing sources of revenue. In addition, the marketing strategies of HM are quite innovative such as the design of product, the quality of product. However, the workforce of HM plays a significant role in developing such unique quality of service. The highly developed product at low price in a competitive market creates scope for the firm to gain the profits. On the other side, the brand and the market position of HM is costly to implement and imitate. This quality differentiates the firm from the competitors. In addition to all these, HM develops the areas for sustainability commitment such as clearing expectation about fair living wages and increasing expectation regarding the environmental performance (T urker and Altuntas 2014). It has paid the attention to the clear standards concerning animal welfare in HMs value chain. This has promoted the brand and eventually helping to sustainable competitive advantages. 5. To what Extent can other Fashion Retailers be Successful in Lmitating HMs Success? The above-mentioned discussion helps to learn that the organization HM has unique marketing characteristics that differentiate the firm from others. The threshold resources, distinctive resources and competencies help to know some particular areas such as marketing strategies, HRM practices, replication and culture and leadership are unique and difficult to implement. The competitors could find it difficult to imitate these aspects to gain the competitive advantages. Notwithstanding, it is also observed that design, purchasing and store operations implemented by HM can be implemented by the competitors as well. Moreover, the case study indicates that organization is running the operation in a market where the competitors like ZARA and MS have acquired a large share of the market. ZARA provides high quality of products and it has always maintained its standards in the market (Huang and Sarigll 2014). Conversely, HM is observed to be enjoying competitive advantages over its rivals; nev ertheless, the long-term sustainability of the position is temporary. More specifically, the flexible store layout as well as the unique design collection is valuable as well as rare strategic capabilities. The competitor of HM such as ZARA has the similar competences for shaping their fashion trends. It has the ability to open up the store in popular location. Therefore, it can be ascertained that the competitors like ZARA has the competences to imitate HM to large extent. Alternatively, Entwistle (2015) commented that ZARA itself is one of the leading brand in the clothing industry; thereby it could be a threat for HM as far as market position is concerned. 6. Competitors of HM as the Real Threat The existing studies on HM and the current market scenario indicate that HMs position in the market is poorly secured, due to the presence ZARA, GAP and MS. Although, HM provides high quality of products and strengthens its position in the market, the competitors like ZARA have excellent brand management strategies. ZARA divides the products sold within its stores into lower garments as well as upper garments with the increasing price points being higher for the upper garment (Brannon and Divita 2015). ZARA expects to be perceived as a high-end retailer with the affordable price. In addition to this, this is also observed that Zara does not make large investment on advertisement as the part of the business strategy; instead the firm makes the investment on the advertisement of opening new stores to reach the customers with the products they desire. ZARAs lightning-fast supply chain permits to implement trends as well as provide products in near real time. The strength of ZARA include s strong style, identity and wide store presence with fewer advertising campaign as well as ownership of its production. This ensures firm has better control of its product quality. Therefore, it can be mentioned that ZARA can be a real threat for HM in clothing industry. 7. Strengthening the Sustainable Business of HM Each of the organizations takes the beneficial initiatives in order to strengthen the sustainable business position in this volatile market. Similarly, Karl-Johan Persson, the CEO of HM requires concentrating on the preferable initiatives to strengthen the organizational position in this competitive business market (Crane and Matten 2016). MS has already paid attention towards some of the specific initiatives that are effective enough in achieving the competitive advantage. Apart from these initiatives, it is much essential for the company to keep the concentration on more initiatives that will sustain the competitive position for the future prospects. These initiatives are discussed further: Business Expansion The strategic development is one of the key methods of achieving the competitive advantage. It is essential to keep the focus on the beneficial strategies that will sustain the competitive position in the volatile business market. Accordingly, the CEO of HM requires concentrating on the business expansion process in different countries. It is noticed that the company has been expanding the business in the major cities of India (Sfu.ca 2015). It will be much beneficial for the company if the business can be expanded in other countries as well. However, it is essential for the company to derive the ideas about the traditional and cultural trends that inspire the customers to purchase the products or services. The company will be benefitted if it can generate the supports from varieties of customers (Sabnis 2015). Business expansion process helps in gathering the customers attentions towards the offered products. Moreover, it will be much helpful in sustaining the competitive position o f the business worldwide. Technological Development The current business environment is frequently changing. Business companies are driven by the technological improvements and business innovations. Undertaking the innovative business functionalities is necessary for sustaining in this changing business scenario (McDonagh and Prothero 2014). Similarly, the CEO of the company requires focusing on more technological development to bring more innovations in the business functionalities. For instance, the company can develop the informative websites from where the customers can receive the necessary information. Moreover, the development of the online shopping sites will also be much preferable for the company to create the customer buzz. 8. Areas with the Temporary Advantages The CEO of HRM has been focusing on several temporary advantages, such as branding market position, HRM, and Replication Internationalisation. However, it is noted that these are the areas which indicates the temporary advantages for the business. it is necessary to undertake the long-term initiatives that can be beneficial enough for the longer sustainability of the company in this volatile business market. The major legacy of Perssons Family is to influence the organizational culture. Achieving this temporary competitive advantage is specifically concentrating on the financial foundation (Yamada, Ling, and Nakatsuka 2014). A strengthened financial base is much important for strengthening the competitive position. However, it is necessary for the company to implement the risk mitigation plans. One of the major risks is the inefficient HRM practices can affect these temporary advantages (Seo and Kim 2015). The associated human resource management needs to improvise the organization al functionalities much frequently. The total quality improvement would be one of the most significant strategies to sustain these temporary advantages. 9. Development of Further Capabilities The company has implemented the strategic decisions that can bring the temporary advantages for the company. It is noted that the continuous improvement in the organizational functionalities will be helpful for sustaining the competitive position. The company needs to develop the further capabilities in order to strengthen the competitive position in this changing business market (Sandybayev and Nicosia 2015). Firstly, the company needs to apply the unique leadership style that can promote the long term commitments. Secondly, the company can work on improvising the human resource and culture methods. The effective human resource practices will be beneficial enough in motivating the associated employees and increasing the organizational productivity (Finster and Hernke 2014). Thirdly, the remarkable capabilities of replication and internationalization are the major weapons for sustaining the competitive advantage (Peirson-Smith 2014). Fourth, the company can pay attention towards sust aining the leading position in the high fashion and the strong brand presentation. Focusing on frequent improvements in these areas would be much beneficial for the company to sustain the organizational position in this competitive environment. 10. Viability of HM Strategy The major strategies of HM are mainly implemented for sustaining the competitive position in current business scenario. As per the VRIO Framework, it is noted that the undertaken initiatives are justified for strengthening the organizational position in this competitive market. The strategies undertaken by HM are somewhat viable enough to achieve the determined goals. For example, the application of the unique leadership style can bring the efficient performance outcome of the employees that can improve the organizational productivity (Mo 2015). On the other hand, the effective HRM practices would ensure the proper decision making process for achieving the competitive advantage. Furthermore, the company can even gain the competitive advantage by gathering more customer support. Hence, the brand promotion is the most helpful platform to make the customers aware of the product features and quality. Comparing the business strategies with the competitors suggests that the implemented str ategies are viable for the company to sustain the competitive position. 11. Global Strategy for long term It is essential to recognize the impacts of the global strategy that can establish a long-term sustainability for the company. HM has been implementing the fruitful strategies that are helpful enough in gaining the competitive position that can beat the other competitors in the market. As per the global strategy, the company adopts the participative culture, which is the spirit of the company. The leadership approaches undertaken by the company is emphasizing the direct and straightforward relationship with the employees (Li et al. 2014). On the other hand, it is noted that the HM is much concerned about providing values to the personal qualities much more than the formal qualifications. The company looks for the people with right personality and qualified with proper skills. This strategy is beneficial for establishing a long term employee orientation (Huiru 2011). The constant growth strategy is much commendable. The implementation of the frequent growth strategies has secured the strengthened and leading position for the company in this competitive scenario (Shen 2014). Therefore, the global strategies are useful for pursuing the global strategy for long term. 12. Implication of Technology for the Business Model The business model structured by HM specifies the establishment of e-commerce business. In this era of the globalised business, e-commerce stores have become much profitable and popular. The different search engines available in the internet sources are making the customers search for their preferred clothes much easily. Moreover, development of such informative websites is also helpful in reducing costs by applying e-commerce stores. In spite of such opportunities, it is noticed that the technological development opportunities are much less for the company (Sfu.ca 2015). However, if the company can pay attention towards improving and developing the communication technologies, it will be easier for the company to understand the basic demands of the customers (Manrique 2016). Moreover, it will be more convenient in capturing the markets and build a strengthened brand identity. Eventually, the company can avail the opportunity to gather more customers supports (Sfu.ca 2015). Therefore, it can be inferred that the technological development has the greater impacts on achieving the competitive advantage. 13. Contributions Dick Smith Case Study Analysis The implosion of the Dick Smith Case study provides the insightful ideas about the avoidable circumstances for running a retail business. Dick Smith was the fastest growing consumer electronic retailer in Australian market. The efficient business functionalities helped the company to earn profit of almost $37.9 million (Abc.net.au 2016). However, soon the company collapsed from the profit level due to the disregard for all the stakeholders. The company was accused for not operated by the efficient executive director. Therefore, the company failed to manage the proper investments for the business. The inefficient management decision became the major hindrance in developing the organizational functionalities. In order to establish the long term sustainability, it is necessary for the leaders to look beyond the existing situation. Furthermore, it is even essential to undertake the innovative business procedure that can sustain the competitive position. However, the wrong executive opera tional process was the major reason behind the business failure of Dick Smith (Abc.net.au 2016). Therefore, it becomes clear that HM needs to be cautious enough in taking any management decisions. Especially, in case of making decision with the capital investment, it is necessary to understand the concerns of the stakeholders at the initial stage. The company should recognize the preferences and demands of the associated stakeholders and organize the business functionalities accordingly (Saeidi et al. 2015). Similarly, it will be much helpful in gathering the supports from both the internal and external stakeholders. In fact, the company will be able to implement more relevant strategic decisions that are beneficial enough in sustaining the competitive position. In addition to this, the company can establish the long term business benefits in a significant way. Conclusion The ideas derived from this study depict that HM requires focusing on several suitable strategies that can secure and sustain the competitive position of the business. The company faces direct competition with Zara. Therefore, it becomes necessary for the company to modify the business functionalities by adopting the suitable technicalities. Furthermore, adopting the innovative business process will also be helpful enough in sustaining the competitive position of the business. It is noted that the failure of the business decision making process can decrease the profitability level. However, it is thus essential for the company to keep the concentration on the fruitful business procedure to survive successfully in this unstable business environment. Reference Abc.net.au, 2016. Dick Smith CEO was incompetent, former director says. [online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-07/dick-smith-director-criticises-ceo-and-banks-over-collapse/7823998 [Accessed 9 Feb. 2017]. Battaglia, M., Testa, F., Bianchi, L., Iraldo, F. and Frey, M., 2014. Corporate social responsibility and competitiveness within SMEs of the fashion industry: Evidence from Italy and France.Sustainability,6(2), pp.872-893. Brannon, E.L. and Divita, L.R., 2015.Fashion forecasting. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. Crane, A. and Matten, D., 2016.Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press. Entwistle, J., 2015.The fashioned body: Fashion, dress and social theory. John Wiley Sons. Fernie, J. and Sparks, L., 2014.Logistics and retail management: emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain. Kogan Page Publishers. Finster, M.P. and Hernke, M.T., 2014. Benefits organizations pursue when seeking competitive advantage by improving environmental performance.Journal of Industrial Ecology,18(5), pp.652-662. Huang, R. and Sarigll, E., 2014. How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand equity, and the marketing mix. InFashion Branding and Consumer Behaviors(pp. 113-132). Springer New York. Huiru, D., 2011. The Importance of Strategic Management: A case study of HM. Savonia University of Applied Sciences Unit of Business and Administration, Kuopio. Kant Hvass, K., 2014. Post-retail responsibility of garmentsa fashion industry perspective.Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management,18(4), pp.413-430. Li, Y., Zhao, X., Shi, D. and Li, X., 2014. Governance of sustainable supply chains in the fast fashion industry.European Management Journal,32(5), pp.823-836. Taplin, I., 2014. Who is to blame? A re-examination of fast fashion after the 2013 factory disaster in Bangladesh.critical perspectives on international business,10(1/2), pp.72-83. Manrique, C., 2016. HM: How Fast Fashion Translates into Low Prices and Success. Technology and Operation Management: A course at Harvard Business School, pp.1-3. McDonagh, P. and Prothero, A., 2014. Unpacking Corporate Sustainability.Waste Management and Sustainable Consumption: Reflections on Consumer Waste, p.166. Mo, Z., 2015. Internationalization Process of Fast Fashion Retailers: Evidence of HM and Zara.International Journal of Business and Management,10(3), p.217. Peirson-Smith, A., 2014. Comme on down and Choos your shoes: A study of consumer responses to the use of guest fashion designers by HM as a co-branded fashion marketing strategy.Global Fashion Brands: Style, Luxury History,1(1), pp.57-82. Sabnis, G.M. ed., 2015.Green building with concrete: sustainable design and construction. CRC Press. Saeidi, S.P., Sofian, S., Saeidi, P., Saeidi, S.P. and Saaeidi, S.A., 2015. How does corporate social responsibility contribute to firm financial performance? The mediating role of competitive advantage, reputation, and customer satisfaction.Journal of Business Research,68(2), pp.341-350. Sandybayev, A. and Nicosia, N.C., 2015. Competing in Volatile Markets through Analysis of Agile Supply Chain. Case of HM.Journal of Human and Social Science Research; Vol,6(02), pp.059-066. Seo, M.J. and Kim, M., 2015. A New Integrated Framework for the Sustainable Performance of Fast Fashion Firms. Sfu.ca, 2015. Hennes Mauritz AB (HM) Case Synopsis [online] Available at: https://www.sfu.ca/~sheppard/478/syn/1147/Group_2.pdf [Accessed 9 Feb. 2017]. Shen, B., 2014. Sustainable fashion supply chain: Lessons from HM.Sustainability,6(9), pp.6236-6249. Turker, D. and Altuntas, C., 2014. Sustainable supply chain management in the fast fashion industry: An analysis of corporate reports. European Management Journal, 32(5), pp.837-849. Yamada, S., Ling, F.E.N.G. and Nakatsuka, S., 2014. A Components Analysis of Competitive Advantage in Brand Strategy Management-A case study of Fast Retailing.Innovation and Supply Chain Management,8(3), pp.92-98.

Need for Leadership free essay sample

Harry Truman once said, â€Å"Men make history not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.† The quote that Truman states above is one I live by, it’s true that progress only occurs when someone chooses to take charge and set an example for those who are to coward to step up to the plate. We need more leaders in our society today: young adults that can make a difference in the way we live. I believe that I hold the ability in order to lead others to success. During high school I was involved in extracurricular activities varying from Leadership Council to Darfur Club. Each club demanded a certain type of devotion. Being president of Darfur Club you had to show a level of leadership skills to your peers and figure out innovative ways where you can educate others on the genocide taking place in Darfur. We will write a custom essay sample on Need for Leadership or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page You held a lot of responsibility and stress but you had to show everyone around you that you had it under control. Leadership Council was a club where you learned about becoming a leader but not only for your but your community as well. As a group we accomplished many tasks whether it was raising money for a local charity, or just volunteering at a school event. Being a leader in that club taught me to communicate well with others which brought cohesion between one another. I believe I can enrich your community with a unique perspective, and the ability to want to grow and prosper as a person, but also in the academic division that your community already harbors. With the devotion and perseverance I learned in high school I could apply it to challenges I’m faced within college. Both of my parents didn’t attend college, but every day they push me to succeed and aim for the excellent to not make the same mistakes they did. I want my college experience to help be a good teacher to others. I want to go to college to give my children a better way of life then what I had. My hope for a college experience is to be filled with unforgettable memories, once in a lifetime opportunities, and friendships that will last a life time. It may sound cliche but I’d like my college experience to be just that. Being in an inclusive community that is devoted to excellence and deeper understandings in academics is exactly the place I want to be. A college experience should encompass a good environment with devoted professors that will help you grow as a person not just a student. My goal is to go to Boulder and major in the Pre-Medical program. I know that if I push myself to success it will come with patience. I want to immerse myself in the different cultures and experience a new city, Boulder seems like a beautiful place and I believe it would be an unforgettable experience. Concluding, I believe that I could enrich your community with the determination and leadership skills, and with those skills make light of situations and guide others into their paths of success and teach them to be leaders on their own. I’d also like for my college experience to be a positive one where I can focus on my studies and make a better future for myself and my family.

Information systems in Best Buy

Introduction This essay discusses information systems usage in Best Buy. It starts by introducing Best Buy, and then it proceeds to discussing its business process in general. Having identified key areas, it underlines the involvement of information systems in the business process as well as the improvements they bring.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Information systems in Best Buy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The essay also identifies an issue Best Buy is currently facing, and describes the role that information systems can play in improving the situation. Best Buy in brief Best Buy is an American retailing company, operating in the North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Richard M. Schulze and Gary Smoliak founded it in 1966. The company specializes in consumer electronic products and services. It is now â€Å"the world’s largest multi-channel consumer electronics retailer with stores in the United States, Canada, China, Europe, and Mexico† (Best Buy, par. 1). With 1 billion visits to its websites annually, Best Buy is ranked the 11th biggest online retailer in the North America (Best Buy, par. 1). The revenue of the company in 2012 was $50.70 billion (Yahoo! Inc., par. 3). Its net income for the same year was $1.231 billion (Yahoo! Inc., par. 26). The company is currently listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the SP 500 stock market index. The total assets and equity of the company in 2012 were valued at $16.005 billion and $3.745 billion respectively. Best Buy’s business process in general Best Buy as mentioned above is a retailing company, as such its business process is centred on eight key areas. The first area, which is supply chain management, ensures that customers receive merchandise at the right time and in the proper condition. The second area is warehouse management, which ensures that the company’s inventory is proper ly controlled and managed. The third area, order processing, ensures that orders made by customers are properly serviced. The fourth area is business intelligence, which ensures that the company uses existing raw data to improve its operations and service delivery. The fifth area, performance management, ensures that the company is achieving its short-, mid- and long-term goals in a cost and time efficient manner.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The sixth area is customer relationship management, which ensures that the company’s interaction with its current and future customers is modelled in such a way that it is in synchrony with sales, marketing, technical support as well as customer service. The seventh area, business process automation, ensures that the company’s expenditure and operational costs are reduced through automation of certain manual tasks. The eighth key area is brand management, which ensures that there is brand awareness and recognition for its brand. Map of business process The map of Best Buy’s general business process is shown in figure 1 in Appendix A. The map is prepared using radial circles. Involvement of information system in the business process An information system (IS) is â€Å"a set of interrelated components that collect (or retrieve), process, store, and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization† (â€Å"Andragogy: Information Systems: Definitions and Components † 24). The involvement of information systems in Best Buy’s business process is for two main reasons. The first is to integrate information technology into the process as a means towards reducing operational costs, maximizing sales, and gaining a competitive advantage (Windnagle). The second reason is to encourage innovation, which facilitates the invention of better ways of do ing the tasks, incorporated in the business process (Windnagle). How could information system improve the business process One way in which information systems can improve Best Buy’s business process is by means of decentralization. Decentralization frees up resources and creates time for departmental managers. As such, it facilitates them to take on more strategic level activities. Consequently, the strategic goals of the company have a better chance of being achieved in a time and cost efficient manner. For a given information need, information systems provide in high speed the best available information. In this way, Best Buy’s business process benefits from better and faster decision-making.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Information systems in Best Buy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, a member of staff can provide the best response to a customer’s query without an un necessary delay. As such, many queries can be handled satisfactorily. Better decision making, therefore, leads to the customer satisfaction, increased sales, and reduced operational costs. Information systems can improve Best Buy’s business process by providing better security of the information that customers entrust with Best Buy. Poor information security and age can ultimately lead to heavy lawsuits, which have the potential to bankrupt the company even, such a big enterprise as Best Buy. Therefore, better information security is a vital component in improving Best Buy’s business process. Identify a suggestion for improvement One of the major problems Best Buy is facing is an unfriendly customer service in some of its stores (Loeb, par. 8). Though this problem can be solved through better employee ethics, information systems can also play a significant role. Managing customer relationships through information systems can help Best Buy model its interaction with its existing and future customers in such a way that, the interaction is in line with the customer service as well as technical support. This means that there is a working relation between staff, resources, and customers, allowing Best Buy to attend to customers’ queries on time, fully and satisfactorily. Therefore, information systems dedicated to customer relationship management is only one way in which the company can improve its business process. Summary Since information systems have the ability to provide quick access to information and to present it in a user-friendly way, they are a vital component for improving Best Buy’s business process, which involves eight key management areas. Quick access to information and its presentation in a way which is easy to understand as is done by information systems, facilitates better decision-making, time and cost efficiency, being essential ingredients of any business success. If Best Buy is to maintain or improve its rankings , then its strategic management has to consider exploiting the full potential of information systems.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Andragogy: Information Systems: Definitions and Components 2012. PDF file. 2013. Web. Best Buy. 2013. About Best Buy. Web. Loeb, Walter. Best Buy in turmoil: Will it survive?  2012. Web. Windnagle C. Re: How information systems impact processes.  2012. Web. Yahoo! Inc. 2013. Income statement.  Web. Appendix Fig 1: The map of the business process of Best Buy This assessment on Information systems in Best Buy was written and submitted by user Sadie Glover 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.

Radford University Admissions and Acceptance Rate

Radford University Admissions and Acceptance Rate Radford University is a largely accessible school. Over 80 percent of applicants were admitted in 2016. Along with an application, students will need to send their official high school transcripts. Since the school is test-optional, applicants are not required to submit scores from the SAT or ACT, although they can submit them if they choose to. For complete information about applying, including important dates and deadlines, be sure to visit Radfords website, or contact a member of the admissions team. Campus visits are not required  but are encouraged for all interested applicants. Will you get in? Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) Radford University Acceptance Rate: 81  percentGPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Radford AdmissionsWhat SAT numbers meanBig South Conference SAT score comparisonWhat ACT numbers meanBig South Conference ACT score comparison Radford University Description Established in 1910, Radford University is a public university whose attractive red-brick Georgian-style campus is located in Radford, Virginia, a town situated southwest of Roanoke along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Students come from 41 states and 50 countries. Radford has an 18 to 1  student / faculty ratio, and the average freshman class size is 30 students. Professional fields such as business, education, communications, and nursing are among the most popular with undergraduates. Radford has an active Greek community with 28 fraternities and sororities. In athletics, the Radford Highlanders compete in the NCAA Division I  Big South Conference. Students compete in 17 varsity sports. Popular choices include tennis, softball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, golf, lacrosse, and cross country. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 9,401  (8,453 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 43  percent male / 57 percent female96 percent full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $10,081 (in-state); $22,162 (out-of-state)Books: $1,200 (why so much?)Room and Board: $8,405Other Expenses: $2,900Total Cost: $22,586 (in-state); $34,667 Radford University Financial Aid (2015-16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 79  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 47 percentLoans: 68 percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $8,304Loans: $7,587 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Interdisciplinary Studies, Journalism, Nursing, Physical Education Teaching, Psychology What major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Retention and Graduation Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 74  percentTransfer-out Rate: 34 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 43 percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 58  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Golf, Tennis, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Cross CountryWomens Sports:  Tennis, Softball, Volleyball, Basketball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Golf If You Like Radford University, You May Also Like These Schools: James Madison University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBridgewater College: Profile  University of Virginia: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphRoanoke College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphShenandoah University: Profile  College of William Mary: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphLiberty University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphMarymount University: Profile  University of Mary Washington: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphOld Dominion University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphFerrum College: Profile  West Virginia University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Data Source: Provided by the National Center for Educational Statistics

Social Research & Think Tank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Research & Think Tank - Essay Example any organizations cooperate in a network to accomplish the development of projects whose objectives fostering social research in order to improve the efficiency of a diverse range of organizations. The Work Foundation is a non-profit organization that brings the different perspectives of working organizations together to find the best way of improving both economic performance and quality of life (Theworkfoundation, 2008). Think Tanks take advantage of the services provided by The Work Foundation to provide them with networking capabilities in different locations around the world. The purpose of the Institute and Policy Research is to establish international and domestic policies for different aspects of societal issues such as women’s right, protection for the disabled and national policies to fight world hunger. The establishment of policies is important since they provide guidelines to establish ways to solve social problems. A third important organization that can help the work perform by a social researcher in Think Tank is the Freedom Foundation. The primary goal of the Freedom Foundation is to solve three particular social problems: alcoholism, drug addiction and the fight against AIDS (Thefreedomfoundation, 2008). An aspiring to become a social researcher or somebody already in the game must understand that social research can extend to different social dimension in order to find the root of the problem. Cooperation is essential in social research since the investigator needs the assistance of other entities in order to obtain the data and information needed to create a qualitative or quantitative model to effectively attack a particular social dilemma. The Think Tank operations around the world can become more effective if its networking capabilities are expand by utilizing social research to establish the key alliances needed to obtain greater sources of databases with key social information that can be used to further investigated social areas in

Chinese History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese History - Essay Example Moreover, there was a system of training administration officials which was an innovative approach towards ensuring that the affairs of the state could be managed in an efficient and effective manner. The establishment of a bureaucracy helped to ensure the administration process in an effectual manner (Ebrey, 67). Confucianism was adopted as the major system for running the affairs of the state. Confucian system advocated the belief that each individual must obey the family and have devotion towards the rulers. This helped to instill a sense of discipline among the officials. The top officials of the dynasty were living in the capital where they provided valuable counsel to the emperor. The lower officials would be responsible for maintaining roads and canals. They were also entrusted with the duty of maintaining the process of storing grain. The emperors introduced a system of meritocracy where officials were chosen by their competency and ability. A rigorous test was needed so that they could become officials of the state (Ebrey, 67). Civil servants were evaluated after three years for their performance. Therefore punishment and reward were used in combination with other measures to ensure that officials could perform their duties. The Han dynasty was created when Liu Bang won a civil conflict against Xiang Yu. His model of governance was based upon reducing taxes and creating a centralized state. The harsh punishments were reduced in order win the loyalty of the people. The centralized state was a unique innovation as compared with the nomadic lifestyle of Chinese in previous years. This is because of the fact that the provincial officials had to report to the central government. This made them accountable and transparent which led to sound outcomes (Ebrey, 67). A basic local government was formed in different counties which led to efficiency. Han Wu Ti was the greatest ruler of the Han dynasty. He presided over military expansion while enhancing Chinese col onies as well as increasing influence over Central Asia. The creation of the Silk Road helped to increase the trade and prosperity of the empire. The system of governance that was in place helped the empire to provide more freedom to the people. Social mobility and freedom helped prevent rebellions and insurrections against the government (Ebrey, 67). The Han dynasty led China into an unprecedented era of economic expansion, military achievements, scientific discoveries, and powerful stability. The dynasty was able to achieve this through the development of a powerful centralized state. It was able to focus on ruling the empire in a centralized manner so that it could prevent disorder and anarchy within the empire. This was a significant achievement for the empire. B1 A Confucian system focused on the notion of community rights where each individual would be able to contribute towards its progress. A number of advantages existed for this system such as the fact that an individual wo uld contribute towards the development of society with an emphasis on duty and responsibility. Knowledge and spiritual growth would flourish in such a system while the emphasis would be on meritocracy so that an individual would gain social standing and status based upon their personal actions. Moreover, it encourages respect and kindness as a virtue that can create a humane society. The disadvantages of such a system are that it encouraged the development of a hierarchy which would lead to unfairness (Sinaiko, 91). Confucian system focused on family which had a negative aspect also such as the fact that it led to fights and conflicts in which the entire family was involved if a single member had been hurt or wronged. The system also encourages the subordination of females who must remain obedient to

Multinational Business in Japan and South East Asia Term Paper

Multinational Business in Japan and South East Asia - Term Paper Example Japanese economic growth following the American occupation wars remarkable for its magnitude, speed, and downright relentlessness. Between 1957 and 1984, Japan's gross national product increased from $3.08 billion to $1.261 billion, a 42-fold jump. Moreover, Japan's economy grew at an annual rate of 9 percent per year during the high-growth years of the 1960s. How was this economic miracle achieved? Japan has employed a version of "developmental capitalism" that allows for a much greater government role in promoting Japan's international competitiveness than is typical in Anglo-American liberal capitalism. Japanese business and government leaders started to develop and implement policies aimed at promoting national economic growth following the end of the U.S occupation of Japan in 1952. The government has positively influenced economic growth through wise macroeconomic policies. Business in Japan has maintained very close relations with the bureaucracy and politician.  Japan's gro ss national savings at its zenith reached nearly 40 percent in the post-war period. Between 1960 and 1980, the Japanese saved around 20 percent of their disposable personal income. The high level of savings of households provided banks and other financial institution with ample funds for heavy investment in the private sector. Japan has invested heavily in developing an effective education and training system. Companies are responsible for providing technical training to the persons they hire.  Japan's economic success can be explained by largely the Cold War and the relationship between the United States and Japan that it produced. The cold war rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union led the United States to shelter Japan from the vagaries of international politics, permitting the Japanese to focus their attention and resource on achieving economic growth. Advocates of "free rider" in which the U.S-Japan relationship has supported Japanese economic growth. The Unit ed States provided cheap technology transfer to Japan following World War II and promoted the Japanese economic build-up through its international trade policy. From an economic standpoint, the contrast between the 1990s and the cold war years can be seen by looking at Japan's real economic growth rate. In 1992, Japan's economy entered a period of stagnation with economic growth rates much below the previous average. In retrospect, it is clear that the Japanese economy became dominated by a financial bubble in the 1980s and early 1990s. In May 1989, the government tightened its monetary policies to suppress the rise in the value of assets such as land. By the end of 1990, the Tokyo stock market had fallen 38%, wiping out 300 trillion yen (the US $ 2.07 trillion) in value, and land prices dropped steeply from their speculative peak. This plunge into recession is known as the "bubble economy". The post-bubble recession continued through the second half of the 1990s.  

An Overview of Surgery

An Overview of Surgery Surgery Overseas Surgery is an antique medical specialty, which uses operative labor-intensive and influential procedures on a patient to look into and treat a pathological state such as injuries or diseases. Surgery is an expertise consisting of a corporal intervention on muscle, and tissues. A surgery helps in improving bodily function and appearance and also to repair unnecessary ruptured areas for instance a perforated ear drum. A surgical procedure is an act of performing a surgery. Human beings and animals are subjects or patients on which a surgery is performed. A person who practices surgery is known as a surgeon. People described as surgeons are usually podiatrists, veterinarians, dentists (usually referred to as maxillofacial and oral surgeons) and physicians. A surgical team consists of a surgeon’s assistant or a surgical assistant, a circulating nurse, a surgeon, a surgical technologist and anesthesia provider. A surgery process spans minutes to hours. However, it’s naturall y not a continuing or cyclic treatment or type. A surgical process that can be programmed in advance because it doesn’t include a medical emergency is known as elective surgery. Some of the common elective surgeries or procedures include plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery. As a universal rule, a process is well thought to be surgical when it includes closure of a formerly sustained wound or cutting of patient’s tissues. . Nations such as Argentina and South Africa present the same high standards of surgery as hospitals back in the United States, although with important differences in price- charge savings can be enormous, the surrounding can be more comfortable and there’s also less arguing with the insurance company to cover up the costs of surgery. Procedures such as endoscopy or angioplasty may be deemed as an operation if they include common surgical settings or procedure. These procedures include anesthesia, use of sterile environment, typical surgical instruments, suturing or stapling and antiseptic conditions (Bhatia 21). There are many types of surgeries. Surgical processes are normally characterized by procedural types like invasiveness degree, unique instrumentation and urgency; Principle Based:The type of surgery that is exploratoryis usually performed for confirming or aiding diagnosis. Previously diagnosed condition is treated by a therapeutic surgical treatment. Through organ of body: The performance of s surgery on the organ of structural systems, this could be cashed out involving the system’s organ and the involvement of tissue of the organ. For instance; surgery through gastrointestinal (which is done within the region of digestive and the organs that are accessory), surgery of orthopedics (which is conducted on bones and muscles) and cardiac surgery (which is performed on the heart) Through invasiveness scale:modestly surgery that is invasive includes external little incisions that are to be included in the objects that are miniaturized inside the structure of the body and cavity, like laparoscopic or surgery angioplasty. By differentiating to that, a laparotomy or process that is open surgicalneeds a great incision for the area of interest to access (Bhatia 9). Through procedure type: amputationincludes cutting off body parts, usually a digit or limb; castration is also an instance.Resectionis the elimination of part of or all internal organs or body parts.Replantation includes reattaching the severed parts of the body.Reconstructive surgical treatmentinvolves restoration of a deformed, mutilated or injured or body area.A surgerywhich is Cosmetic always is initiated to advance a usual and otherwise structure. Deletion comprises of the cutting out or removal mainly of an organ, tissue or the other patient’s body parts. A surgery of Transplantation comprises of the body organs substitution with that of different inclusion from other dissimilar being i.e. of human (other living things also) within the patient. It also includes the removal of animals or human beings body organs to conduct a kind of surgery that utilizes organ transplantation (Sullivan 10). Through timing basis:The surgery named ‘elective’is done to repair the situations of a threatening i.e. non-life, and is conducted by the consent and patient’s appeal to the doctors matter of subject and facilities of surgical availability.Another surgery named ‘Emergency’ is a type of operation, which must be implemented without delay to, limb, lifesaving and capacity functionality. Apartially surgery i.e. electiveis the only type that must be conducted to evade death and disability that can be permanent. This type of surgery, for a little time, can be postponed. By using equipment and tools: The surgeryinvolving the use of lasersis known as Laser surgery. Laser can be used for the cutting of tissue as a scalpel substitute or instruments of surgery related to it. The surgery by the name of ‘Microscopic’ involves utilization of microscope i.e. functional for the basic partitioning. This functional microscope is used to see structures that are very tiny. The surgerynamely ‘Robotic’ utilizes a robot for surgery such as the surgical system ‘Zeus’ in which the devices are governed under the surgeon’s sway (Aston, Douglas and Jennifer 12). Modern surgery is always completed in an operating theater. It is done using an operating table, surgical instruments for patients and other equipments at the hospital. The theory of aseptic technique governs the procedures and environment used in surgeries. The aseptic technique includes the strict severance of sterile (which is free of microorganisms) instruments from contaminated or unsterile instruments (Klingensmith, 6). This means that there is average-quality proof that usage of many gloves layers compared to only a single gloving during a surgery process reduces blood stains and perforations on the skin, representing a decline in percutaneous spotlight incidents (Earle 45). The surgery process is always long. The process includes; an opening is made in order for accessing the spot surgically. The vessels of Blood are perhaps being clamped or cauterized for the prevention of bleeding. The usage of retractors helps to keep incision open and to expose site. Due to advancement in the spot surgically can include a number of abdominal surgery incisions and dissection layers (Norton 67). To skin traverse, incision is used within muscles three layers, peritoneum and from that the subcutaneous tissue. Considering sure instances, bones are further amputated always to contact further the bodies inside portion; for instance sternum cutting for surgery of to unlock up rib cage or cutting the cranium for brain surgery. While in surgery safety and health are used to prevent further distribution of the diseases and also prevent infection. Using a head hat, the surgeon is able to remove hair from the eyes and hair. In order to prevent germs from getting into operated bo dy, wrists, forearms and hands are always washed thoroughly. Gloves are always placed onto the hands. To stop any contamination, a PVC apron is always worn. On the situated region of the sick person’s body, a yellow substance- normally an antiseptic iodine result is coated lightly. This stops diseases and germs infecting regions of the body performed on (Jarrell 23). . The surgery work may well involve: Excision – cutting out a tumor, organ, or other tissue. Ligation– tying off blood tubes, vessels, or ducts. Resection– fractional elimination of any organ or other physical structure. Realignment reduction – It is the body’s components movement or the realignment for bringing it back to its original shape. For instance, broken nose diminution includes the manipulation of body cartilage and from their shape displacement of the bone restoring to inventive position of it to normally repair airflow and aesthetics; Tissues, organs reconnection etc. predominantly detached if. Organs and tissues reconnection like reconnection of intestine inclusively. Stapling internally and may be suturing applied. Correlation surgically between various vessels of blood or tubular or void components for example, an intestine loop is referred to asanastomosis. Prostheticinsertion sections required when. Screws and pins used for holding and bones may be used to set. Bone parts may well be reinstated involving the various body parts or shaft prosthetic. The insertion of plate sometimes used for the replacement of the spoiled skull part. Hipnon-natural substitution universally has become common. Heart or valves pace makersperhaps may be included. Different other types of prostheses are most of the times considered. Grafts–Tissue scratch pieces may perhaps be detached involving the different or the same flaps or still tissue of body partially attached risen to a body but for restructuring or rearranging of the site of query of the body. Even though in surgery of cosmetics grafting is used time and again. It well may be gotten from single site sick persons of the body to place it within the body of another. The example issurgery of bypass. It is the surgery where a vessel of blood that is closed and implant bypasses tubes from other body parts. On the other hand, grafts may well be from other animals, persons or cadavers. Stoma construction, opening of a permanent or a half body stable opening The surgery of transfer, the organ contributor (fetched out from the body of the giver) is transferred into the body of the receiver and reassigned to the receiver in all essential ways (ducts, vessels of blood). Arthrodesis– it is a bones adjoining surgical relationship so that the bones can be able to grow collectively into lone.Fusion Spinalis an example of vertebrae adjoiningjoined which allows joining with a single part to grow. Digestive regionmodificationinsurgerybariatric forweight reduction of ahernia refurbishment,prolapsed or fistula Various other treatments include: clearance of blood, ducts clogged or different vessels subtraction of (stones) calculi removal of fluids accumulated damaged, diseased or tissue (dead) by debridement- removal Sex change operations Sometimes surgery is conducted to conjoined twins split Blood or expanders of blood are linked administratively to blood reimburse loss all through the process of surgery. When the action course is completestaples or suturesare used to cease openings. Once the cut is clogged, the agents of anesthetic are reversed and closed, and the patients are discharged for extubation and aeration (if it was administered anesthesia commonly). In the United States, the enlightenment era that starts from the (1680 circa to 1800) is the age of life of the Westerns wars. In this era, the thinkers and writers reject precedent superstitions. Apart from that the writers and thinkers chose to put emphasis on the scientific, cultural life and the intellectual that rolls in the 18th century center. For this the main reason of the legitimacy and authority is the main source of ad vocation. The enlightenment philosophers have envisioned a scientific sense. As the U.S constitution reflects itself the encouragement and desire for the innovation of science and scientific creations. Thus, the U.S has the power and support of Congress that helps develop full art of science by safely securing for limited to inventors and writers the rights exclusive related to their discoveries and writings. This has influencedAmerica to have the most advanced technology on medicine (biology). The expenses of Healthcare in the United States have climbed up gradually. Majority of Americans have preferred to travel overseas for elective processes or have at least considered going overseas as a possibility. In relation to the Times New York book, regarding the citizen of U.S who journeyed Belgian to undergo a hip replacement due to the lack of U.S insurers to cover this claim, this has influenced hundreds of America’s citizens to consider the same path. Earle (1983) tells that, â€Å"In 2007, Shopenn’s Michael surgery cost amount of U.S dollars closes to $100,000. Actually the cost came around to be $ 13,700 including all the fares, fees, medicine and hospital cost. This hospital was in Belgium, Tourhout.’’ Governments abroad regulate fees of medicine, despite the fact that majority of hospital and offices of doctors are managed privately. Some few days past living days, Americans are most agreeable more than willing to travel abroad since they ap preciate the quality found there, whereas several years ago they did not have that opinion. This is supported by the medical tourist association, which is the industry in the United States that facilitates and supports such travel (Hardin and Roberta 34). The increasing amount of American medical tourists and the United States citizens tend to be individuals who don’t have insurance or people whose insurance doesn’t adequately cover the process they need. Their target time and again depends on their literary ties. For instance, Spanish speaking patients and citizens might support Latin America. Ten years ago, many Americans who travelled overseas for less prices concern went to nations like Thailand, Mexico and over the boundary to India. A number of patients are now to Europe travelling, where better care at great hospitals often costs a portion of what is paid in the United States. This is made easy by the private facilitators. The private facilitators help in making arrangements, pairing doctors with patients and hospitals and organizing travel plans (Schumpelick 21). In the most recent years, hospitals and their respective governments in Europe have joined the field and are currently promoting their services. This idea is applied so as to make it simpler for citizens and patients from abroad- whether from Russia, Africa, North America or Middle East to view Europe as a solution due to its reasonable prices and high quality. Thompson 2012 says that â€Å"The East Coast people head from the coast of east to Europe, whereas the coast of west people travels to Asia like Thailand and Korea. There numbers are growing and they go there for the treatment as the U.S healthcare costs are exorbitant. The main factor to drive this is common background and quality.† A consortium of health care providers and hospitals in Europe is considering setting up a plan to magnetize and care for foreign patients. Surgery costs are about one fifth as much in Europe as in the United States. The doctors and the patients agree on a price and must sign an agreement be fore surgery according to the law. Hospitals and clinics in Europe offer an evident advantage for Americans (Thompson 21). Several programs are in line to minimize the cost of surgeries in the United States. This should be considered by the victims who are willing to travel to Europe for surgery process. With a massive increase in demand for mutual replacements as baby boomers period, holding down costs is significant to hospitals as well as patients. But before the readers start booking tickets to overseas, they ought to know that numerous programs are in line to lower the price of joint substitution surgery in the United States. With a huge boost in demand for joint substitution as baby boomers age, holding along costs is vital to hospitals as well as patients. A study by Norton, in the article of basic science and clinical evidence that was published in 2008 found that the programs were two-pronged success: a number of patients if not all choose hospitals that meet their prices. More significant, many hospitals decide to reduce their prices so that patients would be more than likely to choose them. Th e program in the United States includes services like BidMedi that allows lower cost medical care online for patients shopping, whether same or in different country. Surgery is a technology comprising of a physical involvement on muscles and tissues. As a common rule, a procedure is well thought-out as surgical when it involves closing of a formerly continued wound or cutting of patient’s tissues. Whether the surgery that one requires is an urgent medical process such as a gastric bypass or a hip replacement; cosmetic surgery like rhino-plastic or breast implants, there is always a definite advantage and benefit to looking towards surgery overseas. Surgery abroad is made easy by the private facilitators. Works Cited Aston, Sherrell J, Douglas S. Steinbrech, and Jennifer L. Walden.Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier, 2009. Print. Bhatia, Shivani.The Surgery Book: For Kids. Bloomington: AuthorHouse, 2010. Print. Earle, A S.Surgery in America: From the Colonial Era to the 20th Century. New York u.a: Praeger, 1983. Print. Hardin, Sonya R, and Roberta Kaplow.Cardiac Surgery Essentials for Critical Care Nursing. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2010. Print. Jarrell, Bruce E.Nms Surgery Casebook. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2003. Print. Norton, Jeffrey A.Surgery: Basic Science and Clinical Evidence. New York, NY: Springer, 2008. Print. Klingensmith, Mary E.The Washington Manual of Surgery. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2007. Print. Schumpelick, Volker.Atlas of General Surgery. Stuttgart: Thieme, 2009. Print. Sullivan, Deborah A.Cosmetic Surgery: The Cutting Edge of Commercial Medicine in America. New Brunswick [u.a.: Rutgers University Press, 2001. Print. Thompson, Lana.Plastic Surgery. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood, 2001. Print.

His Fathers Pain :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

His Father's Pain All his life Peter had carried the pain about with him. Sometimes intense. sometimes no more than a dull ache. Sometimes for months at a time he was hardly aware of it, but it was always there. He knew that. It had a precise location, always the same, a spot below the ribs, an inch inside, four fingers from the point where his lower ribs met. He could put his fingers in there, feel it. All his life be had been aware of it. He had taken the pain to doctors. They had poked and probed at various intervals. Once they had diagnosed ulcers. They had prescribed milky medications, which had relieved it only for the moment. Then it came back. Sometimes it was so intense he feared it could be cancer, a burning growth expanding inside him. Sometimes he was afraid of dying. It was like a death inside him, so intense, so obdurate. And sometimes the pain would lie low, more of a shadow than a pain, a dis-ease lurking quietly in the rib cage. The pain was with him thirty years, the length of his adult life. Until he found its healer. At first he did not know this would be the healer of the pain. For many weeks, they talked. They talked about the fears, the insecurities, the longings, and the needs. They talked about the rage he had carried with him all his life. They talked about his weakness and his strength. Some of these things he knew, some he didn't. Some of these things they enacted. Always there was the empty chair, his partner, his antagonist. Whoever came to mind was invited there, to sit in it: his wife, his father, his anger, his fear. Whoever came to mind, whoever was necessary to the occasion, whoever needed to be addressed, whoever needed to bc heard from - there was always someone. They came unbidden from wherever it was they lived, from dark, hidden parts of him, from unexamined corners of his body: the awkward tilt of the head, the crick in the back, the back, the avoided gaze. There was always someone. It was weeks, months even, before the healer touched him. When the trust was there. Once the defenses had begun to fall. When the body was ready with its invitation. The first time, the healer went only where he was invited, his fingers probing the depth to which the pain was tolerable.

In what ways are Gatsby and George Wilson similar or dissimilar, to whom is Nick more sympathetic towards? Essay

In what ways are Gatsby and George Wilson similar or dissimilar, to whom is Nick more sympathetic towards? Fitzgerald purposefully contrasts his characters throughout the novel, in order to compare contrasting worlds that were present in American society. Although there are some clear differences between Gatsby and George, there are also superficial similarities between them that each man has to experience and put up with. Drawing upon the more apparent differences between these two characters, it is evident that they have differing wealth. Gatsby is depicted as being rich through the means of the ‘Hotel de Ville’ or ‘mansion'(11) that he owns, and also by the way he holds lavish parties where ‘champagne was served in glasses bigger than finger-bowls'(48). Considering that Gatsby lives in West Egg not only reveals the true extent of his wealth, but additionally it shows that he is ‘noveau riche’ rather than ‘old’ rich like those who inhabit East Egg. Gatsby has only recently acquired his wealth after migrating from the Midwest whilst following the ‘New’ American Dream. The original dream consisted of any American citizen having the right to pursue their goals and dreams through hard work and free choice. It was the opportunity to make individual choices without the underlying restrictions of class, caste, religion, race, or ethnic group, that once overshadowed people. Often, people followed the common saying, ‘Go West young man!’ where the land was uninhabited and extremely fertile. In the case of the ‘New’ dream, it was simply how the dream had become interpreted by the 1920s. It was a distortion from the original dream to the idea of ‘Get rich quick’. Being of ‘New’ wealth, Gatsby tries to flaunt his wealth about. When Nick asks Gatsby whether he is going to go home that night following the vehicular manslaughter of Myrtle by Daisy, Nick describes Gatsby in chapter eight, as wearing a ‘pink rag of a suit'(147).This description suggests how Gatsby wears these expensive, gaudy and colourful items of clothing in order to display his wealth ostentatiously. The idea behind this pretentious displayal of the opulence that he has acquired, may be a method used by Gatsby in order to stand out from the crowd and to break away from periphery and into East Egg high society. This is a means to an end that he requires so that he can get even closer to retrieving Daisy and thus accomplishing his distorted version of the American Dream. In comparison, George lives in the rubbish tip that is the ‘Valley of the Ashes’. All that ‘grows’ on it is dead and the words ‘Ash’ and ‘grey’ that Fitzgerald uses to describe it with in chapter two, not only emphasise the literally dull and unfulfilling nature of the landscape here, but also the dull and unfulfilling lives of those like George Wilson who inhabit this valley. In chapter two it becomes apparent how little respect George’s wife has for her husband, when she says ‘He burrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in.’ This shows how poor he is because he cannot even afford a wedding suit of his own to get married in. In comparison to Gatsby, he has little material wealth. Gatsby appears to have originated from a poor background in the West which is similar to George’s background. However, the effects of this poor background influence both men differently. Originating in the West, rural North Dakota, he followed the ‘New’ American Dream in order to ‘Get rich quick’ and this pushed him towards organized crime, such as bootlegging. During the 1920s, there was a prohibition which imposed the law that alcohol was to be banned. Gangsters like Gatsby, were able to make a fortune out of this time through the illegal distribution of alcohol and trading in stolen securities. This was all a means though of achieving his distorted version of the American Dream, which was to retrieve Daisy. Importantly, he does not abide by the ‘protestant work ethic’ which states that a man should work hard and earn a comfortable living by which he and his family can live a peaceful, enjoyable life off. He also participated in a bit of bond fraud on the side as Fitzgerald notifies the reader in chapter nine (158). A strange caller says to Nick (thinking him Gatsby), ‘Young Parke’s in trouble. They picked him up when he handed the bonds over the counter.’ The way he commits himself to such illegalities is irresponsible on his behalf and it reveals how the American Dream has become revolved around money. Human greediness to obtain money, have corrupted the dream that once was so much more innocent. Comparatively, George does not involve himself in such a tainted world and instead follows a morally acceptable path in life by owning a legal garage. To some extent though, Fitzgerald uses this character to emphasise how such a traditional stance like the one George takes up (where one follows the ‘Protestant work ethic’), is unable to survive in such a morally decayed world that was the Jazz Age. Fitzgerald describes him in chapter two, as ‘mingling immediately with the cement colour of the walls’ of his garage. In some way it shows how the years he has been following this legitimate path, have caused him to effectively fade away into the dull environment that he inhabits. Kathleen Parkinson described Gatsby as ‘a mysterious and ambivalent figure’. This is a true interpretation of Gatsby in the sense that, unlike George, there is a build up prior to his introduction into the novel. At Gatsby’s first party in chapter three, various rumours of Gatsby’s past circulate the party. One guest exclaims that Gatsby is a ‘nephew of Kaiser Wilhelm’ and others go on to say how they heard that he had ‘killed a man’ or ‘been a German spy’ or ‘been in the American army.’ All this mystery serves to stimulate Nick’s curiosity, which possibly leads to his more lenient and sympathetic stance when it comes to Gatsby. It also creates a sense of suspense in the reader that heightened Gatsby’s entrance into the novel. Rumour plays an integral role in the novel as Fitzgerald uses it to provide the reader with the option of deciding whether or not they believe it and this technique evo kes more interest in certain characters like Gatsby. Evidently, Gatsby embodies the idea of the American Dream as is suggested in chapter three where Nick reports on how Gatsby would look across the golf at ‘that green light’ every night. This ‘green light’ would have symbolised various things for Gatsby. It would have been a symbol of generally the American Dream, but also more specifically for Gatsby, the prospect of the ‘green’ colour of money and achieving Daisy. Gatsby appears to have achieved the American Dream to some extent as he has risen from an impoverished child to a young man with great material wealth. He is the main dreamer in the novel; however, it appears that he is following two dreams. His initial dream becomes apparent in chapter nine where Gatsby’s father talks of Gatsby’s ‘SCHEDULE’ that he wrote when he was seventeen. In the ‘GENERAL RESOLVES’ (164) Gatsby wrote ‘Read one improving book or magazine per week’ which reveals straightaway how his dream of becoming rich and fitting into the world of high society, originates from when he was a teenager. Additionally, it uncovers the immaturity of Gatsby and his dream, as he has never allowed his dream to develop and grow up like he has. His other dream was a distorted version of the American dream, (which in some way used the wealth he had gained from achieving the American Dream), which was to retrieve his childhood love – Daisy. This dream was established in the past, and therefore fixates on the past. Gatsby’s naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve personality and his ruthlessness to achieve this dream ignore what Daisy has become and he appears to pursue the ‘old’ Daisy which remains vividly in his dreams. The way in which Gatsby was driven by his undying love for a woman is a reflection of Fitzgerald’s own life and dreams too. He too joined the army (1917) and eventually fell in love with a seventeen year old girl called ‘Zelda Sayre’. Zelda finally agreed to marry him, but her overpowering desire for wealth, fun, and leisure led her to delay their wedding until he could prove a success. Their relationship appears to be like Gatsby and Daisy’s. The following quote reveals the point in the novel at which all of Daisy’s charm and beauty is stripped away, leaving nothing but money to be admired underneath: ‘That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money- that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it.’ (Chapter seven) Gatsby realizes late into the novel, how his dream has been ripped apart into dollar bills as he discovers that for years he has been in pursuit of not love, but cold, harsh money which is hidden behind the disguise of a human face. Following the death of Gatsby and the suicide of George, it becomes apparent that Fitzgerald is using the deaths of a rich man and a poor man who both set out to achieve their unattainable goals, to symbolise the death of the original dream on which America was founded. With consideration given to George, he too shares the American Dream with Gatsby; however he seems to be pursuing the ‘old’ American Dream and not the ‘New’ one like Gatsby. George reveals his dream in chapter seven, where he says: I’ve been here too long. I want to get away. My wife and I want to go West. She’s been talking about it for ten years.’ Clearly his dream is the opposite of Gatsby’s. He wants to migrate West like the original settlers and wants to follow the idea to ‘Go West young man!’ This idea was commonly followed by many families who would migrate out to the West and set up a basis to gather wealth. This is the case for the characters, Tom and Daisy, whose families formed their wealth out in the West through hard labour, so that their children could have better lives than they did. Undoubtedly, George wants his share of this; however, the way in which he says that his wife has ‘been talking about it for ten years’ is possibly a suggestion that it is more her dream than his and that he has been bullied into dreaming of it by her domineering nature. Whatever the case, he almost definitely dreams of a more comfortable life than what he already suffers. Gatsby and George are similar in the ways they both resort to deception in order to attain their originally unattainable dreams. They both resort to this in their relationships. Gatsby is found to do this in chapters four and five. When Nick is informed of the history between Gatsby and Daisy, by Jordan, it appears that she believed him to have wealthy roots when he did not. In chapter five he tells Daisy how ‘it only took him three years to earn the money that bought’ his mansion. He initially created the false perception of himself that fooled Daisy into false hope. Daisy probably saw in Gatsby a future of material possessions and comfort, which she adored. But he did not have this and when he comes round to having this in the latter, he lies about how he came to earn the money. He shields her from his true identity as a criminal, so that once again he can relight the false perception she had of him. George follows suit and lies to Myrtle early on in their relationship. When Myrtle reveals her hatred towards her husband in chapter two, she says ‘I married him because I thought he was a gentleman. I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe.’ As it appears through the use of the word ‘gentleman’, Myrtle wanted to marry someone of higher social status and of wealth, and George apparently gave her the false hope of this. He creates a false persona that fools her into thinking that her dream is coming true. In some way, the relationship between George and his wife is possibly what may have occurred in the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy, if they had run away together in their youth. There is a mirror image or reflection between Gatsby’s relationship and George’s, and Fitzgerald parallels the consequences of both. Comparing both men, they both seem to be solitary figures who are overly involved in their work. For instance, when looking at Gatsby he is clearly a type of ‘loner’ and this may be down to the fact that he is too set upon retrieving Daisy to have anytime for others. The only circumstance that he has friends is when they are a means to an end with Gatsby, as he only manipulates them to get something out of them. For instance, he befriends Jordan and Nick especially as means of getting closer to Daisy. In chapter four, it is clear that Gatsby has manipulated Jordan into sorting out a meeting between him and Daisy, when she says to Nick: ‘You’re supposed to invite her to tea’ (78). The inclusion of the word ‘supposed’, suggests how Gatsby plans what he wants to get out of people. At Gatsby’s first party ‘the girls swoon back into the men’s encircling arms, but no one swooned backward on Gatsby.’ This example shows how Gatsby never socialised with people unless he required something from them, and as Nick shows in chapter three where he says that he ‘hasn’t even seen the host’ (49), hardly anyone really knows who Gatsby is. Also, he constantly thinks of his work. Even at his parties, he rudely has to excuse himself to take calls from places like ‘Philadelphia’ and ‘Chicago’ which are renowned cities for their corrupt environments where gangsters based themselves. This work is funding his dream in a way, as if he had not been gathering money like this, then he would still be poor and he would not have had the money to buy such been close to Daisy. George similarly is a man of solitude due to his wife and work; he is portrayed as having no real friends. He is a sick failure who is reduced to the status of a ‘ghost’. This ‘ghost-like’ appearance or presence is highlighted in chapter two when Tom and Nick visit George at the garage and his wife Myrtle is said to have ‘smiled slowly and, walking through her husband as if he were a ghost.’ This emphasises the lack of presence and authority he has, as his wife walks through him not noticing or caring that he is standing there. She is far more interested in Tom to care about where her husband is. The way he is referred to as a ‘ghost’ – the disembodied spirit or soul of a deceased person – is a link to not only death but more specifically, the death of the land he lives in. Fitzgerald is therefore linking George to the failure of the ‘Valley of ashes’ and it is noticeable that he never does this sort of thing with Gatsby. Gatsby is never linked to the riches of the land of the Eggs, which in a way shows how he does not fit in with the high society of the Eggs and this crucially establishes his isolation within such an environment. George is similar to Gatsby also, in the sense that he always thinks about his work too. This becomes clear in chapter two where he pesters Tom with the question: ‘When are you going to sell me that car?’ This highlights his desperation to make a sale and also suggests that he feels he has to jump on every customer who enters his garage, due to the lack of business he receives. Further, it shows his solitude as he scarcely has any customers and thus does not have any interactions with other people. Nick as narrator, appears to be far more lenient towards Gatsby. Following the deaths of both men, Nick only makes it his duty to sort out Gatsby’s funeral and does not think of George’s. In addition, when Tom wants Nick to meet his mistress in chapter two, Nick says how he had ‘no desire to meet her.’ This statement suggests how Nick feels he is being disloyal to Daisy. He does not think to consider how George would feel knowing about the affair his wife is having with one of his own acquaintances (Tom). Additionally, Nick seems to overlook Gatsby’s criminal behaviours even though he has been given enough evidence to suggest that Gatsby is a gangster. Fitzgerald’s portrayal of both men differs greatly, so much so that they appear to be direct opposites of one another. Gatsby is rich and has a more fulfilling life than George, who suffers the dullness of living in a dump (Valley of Ashes) and the lack of respect from his wife. The relationship between George and his wife is peculiar and goes against the historical view of a married couple. In the Victorian era, women would have had to stay at home in order to attend to maternal duties, whilst the husband would have had to provide the income. Usually the man had the authority over the woman, and in the case of the Wilson’s, there has been a role reversal. However, these two men are linked superficially by their failure to achieve their unattainable dreams which they had been pursuing throughout life. Considering that Gatsby was originally a working class poor man in previous years, and that he and George both die in honour of their failed dreams, suggests that when a poor man tries to enter into a higher social status like Gatsby, their efforts are rendered useless. Not only does this circumstance reveal the divide in society but additionally it emphasises the moral decay of American society amidst the superficial impressiveness of upper-class profligacy.