Talent Practices at Home Depot Essays

Talent Practices at Home Depot Essays Talent Practices at Home Depot Essay Talent Practices at Home Depot Essay Discuss how the leadership at Home Depot intended to use its organizational talent to gain a competitive advantage in the Do It Yourself industry. Home Depot has grown to be a retail leader in home improvement with revenues in excess of $90 billion. Home Depot has been in existence for over twenty nine years and has hundreds of stores locally in the United States and globally in other countries. The leadership at Home Depot recognized the importance of talent management in its continued growth over the years. The company has instituted new programs that have lead to the placement of hundreds of human talent that come from diverse backgrounds. The company uses the selection of candidates who are knowledgeable and possess certain skill sets to strengthen and build new strategies for company growth. Home Depot uses pipeline programs to recruit and develop new talent who will advance into key executive roles. It has learned lessons based on its current talent management process. Chief Officer Robert Nardelli has adopted a military approach to management. According to Businessweek, Nardelli utilizes â€Å"ideas and concepts from the military to move Home Dept into a more centralized organization† (Businessweek, 2006). Discuss the key channels that Home Depot developed for recruiting talent. Home Depot used a workforce planning model to identify the types of candidates that were needed to fill key positions in the organization and where they needed to make improvements. Home Depot is a customer based organization so it is critical to recruit individuals who are both service oriented, customer focused and knowledgeable. Home Depot used multiple talent channels to recruit talented candidates. They used the traditional methods of recruitment which included print, media/radio ads, recruiting firms and job boards. They also utilized creative methods to recruit talent by creating strategic partnerships with colleges, universities and other organizations to increase the pool of candidates to fit their talent profile. Home depot created hiring partnerships with governmental agencies and non-profit organizations to reach out in communities for qualified talent with diverse backgrounds i. e. Retirees, Military veterans and Hispanics. Discuss the critical programs used by Home Depot to keep talent in their pipeline. Home Depot is an organization that understands the necessity of talent management. It places talent in positions that are critical to the relationships the company has built with its enormous customer base. Home Depot has established pipeline programs to recruit and develop external talent in leadership positions. The company has instituted two programs that have proved to be successful over the years, the Internal Audit Leadership Program and the Store Leadership Program. The Internal Audit Leadership Program is a two year program that targets high performing college graduates who have some knowledge and business experience. The participants go through a vigorous assessment prior to entry into the program. They are selected to provide business solutions and capabilities to the organization while continuing to progress into various levels of the pipeline after completion of the program. Home Depot has shown that the program resulted in an impressive placement rate and is successful in meeting the needs of the business. The Store Leadership Program is designed to promote individuals with strategic and technical skills to store management positions. This program is similar to the Internal Audit Leadership Program as it also requires a two year commitment and participants go through a vigorous assessment. The difference is this program has a rotational requirement in operations, merchandising and assistant store management positions. This provides on the job learning and encourages strategic thinking as well as leadership concepts. There has also been proven success in this program in addition to the Internal Audit Leadership Program. Since the inception of the program in 2002, there have been 1,142 people hired into Home Depots store leadership program, almost half 528 are junior military officers according to Businessweek (Businessweek, 2006). Discuss three lessons learned by Home Depot related to talent management. The term talent management is best used to describe the selection, recruitment and overall development of human talent within an organization. Talent management initiatives are vast and differ by organization but generally include learning and development, succession planning, career planning, promotion and performance management. Home Depot recognized that its need for talent management is critical to the continued success of the organization. As an organization, Home Depot learned many lessons related to talent management including: ? Get buy in on the business need for the program Do not make the participants too special ?Listen and respond to naysayers ?Give the programs time to work ?Invest in the talent you already have (Silzer Dowell, 2010, pgs. 664-665). One of the most important lessons learned by Home Depot in relation to talent management is obtaining buy in. A program will not be successful without buy in from all the leaders in an organization. It is important that the leaders have full understanding of the program and the impact it will have on the business in order to articulate the information effectively through the organization. Home Depot recognized the business need for a talent management program due to the number of management positions filled internally throughout yearly. It is estimated that 80 percent of leadership placements in Home Depot are internal promotions with a vast number of those placements into key frontline management roles (Silzer Dowell, 2010, p. 655) Another important lesson learned by Home Depot was recognizing the time investment that the program deserves. Talent management can be an enormous undertaking for any organization due to financial aspect and the long term commitment. The value of talent management is not going to be seen immediately so it would be unfair for Home Depot to expect instant results. It will take some time before there is a realization of the return on investment and the overall business impact. One of the most valuable lessons that Home Depot learned is the value that investing in internal talent can have in an organization. It is important to engage everyone when implementing new programs. Development should be accessible to all talent, new and existing, so there is not segregation. This will foster new relationships and participants will recognize their worth in the organization. ?

Your Online Reputation †inspired by the Harvard Business Review

Your Online Reputation – inspired by the Harvard Business Review Last week I covered the issue of Facebook privacy in my article Facebook Privacy? What’s that?   While Facebook raises many privacy issues, your online footprint as a job seeker extends far beyond your Facebook profile. Even if you have avoided Facebook altogether, chances are you have not completely avoided the internet; and this means that you have an online reputation that can be explored- and exploited- by potential employers. The Harvard Business Review published an article on April 3, 2012 by Michael Fertik entitled, â€Å"Your Future Employer is Watching You Online. You Should be Too.†Ã‚   Before I read this article, I had not fully considered all the different ways employers might be researching candidates. I had seen statistics, which   Fertik also shares, that more than 75% of employers actively research candidates online (note this was a December 2009 statistic from Microsoft and is probably higher now), and that more than 70% of employers have decided not to hire a candidate based on what they have found online. I assumed that recruiters were looking at major social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn; but according to this HBS article, recruiters dig much more deeply, looking through â€Å"shopping profiles, online gaming sites, classifieds and auction sites (think eBay and craigslist) – and even in virtual worlds like SecondLife!† You are always a shopper – and you are always the shopped Are you as amazed as I am at the extent of targeted advertising on the web? I get Facebook ads put in front of me for services relating to yoga, healthy diet and personal growth, probably because of the yoga videos, green drinks and books I search for and/or purchase on Amazon. Google has made it spookily easy for advertisers to discover my personal preferences. Clearly, if advertisers can do it, employers can too. There is basically nothing to stop employers from profiling their ideal candidate based on qualities like political inclinations, preferred leisure activities, diet, languages, etc. Of course job history and skills are still the primary considerations, but to narrow down the field, screening for other traits seems a natural extension of what advertisers do every day. Employers can search for you almost like they would for a pair of shoes. What Fertik drives home is that in today’s world, you are really always a job seeker whether you want to be or not. You *are* being researched. Whether you are found is another story. But if you are, you’ll want to look good when the right company finds you. Steps to take In addition to shopping only for items that do not cast doubt on your character, and of course ensuring that your Facebook and LinkedIn profile are professionally presented, there are additional steps you can take to manage your online reputation. Here are three important ones mentioned by Fertik: Check your own Google results. The first five results should make you look good. If they don’t, it’s time for an overhaul of your online reputation. Maybe it’s even time to create a website with the URL firstnamelastname.com or as close as you can get. Does an unsavory character share your first and last name? In that case, address it up front with employers whenever possible so they know to look beyond those initial results. Establish yourself as a skilled professional online. Participate in reputable forums, LinkedIn groups, and anywhere else where you can establish thought leadership online. Don’t assume anything is private. There is always a chance that emails, e-photos, etc. will somehow be discovered or appropriated by a spammer. Privacy settings do not protect you the way you might like. Have you Googled yourself lately? What did you find? Are you active in online forums? Do you think you would be chosen by an employer for the job you want? Please share your thoughts below.

The Civil Rights Revolutions of the 60s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Civil Rights Revolutions of the 60s - Essay Example Since then, leaders and critics have already ceaselessly demanded that people, regardless of race and gender, should be accorded the respect that Whites have so far exclusively enjoyed. However, it was only during the 1960s when black Americans collectively demanded on the street, in churches and dialogues their rights as citizens under the United States Constitution. This mass movement was sparked by several important developments such as the efforts of four Southern students who initiated the Woolworth lunch counter to protest racial discrimination. (Farber and Bailey, p. 13) Then, there was also the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, 1954-1955, wherein it was found that school segregation was unconstitutional. (Sargent, p. 2) Finally, there was also the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What was originally intended as anti-racial discrimination movement, the Rights Revolution came to cover several other issues that made the movements complic ated and far-reaching, especially in the context of reforms achieved. There was the clamor for economic, political and cultural policy-reforms, effectively highlighting the manner by which the Rights movements took the cudgels for several other causes.

Organizational Analysis Groups and Leadership Case Study

Organizational Analysis Groups and Leadership - Case Study Example The teams are small from 3 to 16 members and are formed on a temporary basis as needed. The role of team leader rotates through the team members (Clawson 2005 p.7). FMC Green River is a task-oriented environment where employees are restricted by their job description. The manager of FMC Green River would like to begin utilizing the team concept to see if it can improve production and employee satisfaction. The leadership at FMC Aberdeen has seen a succession of delegated authority and empowered employees. The management style is relationship oriented and involves a great amount of trust. The FMC Green River plant has a larger employee base. Though the manager, Kenneth Dailey, feels he has an interactive style he would like to improve management's relationship with the employees. The scope of the operation is such that it limits relationship building. FMC Aberdeen has a solid communication network that can disseminate information very rapidly to the necessary people. FMC Green River would like to improve their company communications but face several challenges. The team concept used at FMC Aberdeen may not be able to be implemented at FMC Green River. Green River is a highly industrialized environment that works around heavy machinery that is spread out over a large area. They currently work in a group structure. Machine operation may be too specialized to be spread out over a team responsibility. Forming large teams simply for the sake of a 'team in name only' would not have any beneficial effect (Robbins 2003 p.263). However, administrative workers may be able to form teams and share responsibilities. Dailey has a small management team at the FMC Green River plant. This limits the time and amount of employee involvement they can have. FMC Aberdeen is a close knit organization that has an opportunity to see and talk to one another on a daily basis. FMC Green River does not enjoy this and has thus limited Kenneth Dailey's ability to empower the employees or delegate authority based on trust. He may have an unrealistic view of his interactive style. The close geographical environment at FMC Aberdeen makes it easy for quick communications between team members. Communications networks are well established. FMC Green River is more challenged in this area as the employees are spread out and separated from one another both geographically and technically. FMC Green River is also hindered by their computer system (Clawson 2005 p.22). Most employees do not have access to e-mail or the company Intranet. They have also never created or fostered an environment of open communications. Recommendations FMC Green River should begin to form teams in the administrative area as a way to introduce the concept to the facility. Training will need to be conducted to assure that the workers are skilled at team leadership as well as educated in regards to what is expected of the members. Rules will need to be implemented to prevent 'social loafing' and norms for the team will need to be enforced (Robbins 2003 p.269). As systems are replaced in the manufacturing area, they need to be designed with the team concept in mind. It will not be possible for Kenneth Dailey to undertake the management style at FMC Aberdeen. The employee base is too large and installing more middle managers that

Buddhist Traditions Essay Example for Free

Buddhist Traditions Essay Buddhism is an Eastern religion practiced in most Asian countries. The religion was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) in the late 6th century B.C.E. Even though Buddhism is practiced in many ways, a commonality among these ways is a drawing from the life experiences of the Buddha and his teachings. The spirit or essence of his teachings also referred to as dhamma or dharma, serve as models for the religious life. Some of the teachings of enlightenment that have been an influence of the disciples of Buddha are in regard to having an understanding of suffering and finding the end to all suffering, and on having mutual respect by having right mindfulness and right meditation and the principle of ataman. The beliefs and practice of both Karma and Dharma allow an individual to avoid ignorance and allow for mutual respect, which in return grants the individual peace and happiness. Buddha set the stage for future Buddhist with his teachings on The Noble Eightfold Path and The Principles of Mutual Respect, which many in the world can relate to and use today. What is known about the Noble Eightfold Path? What is Mutual Respect? How can Buddhism be used and understood today?History of BuddhaThe many teachings of Buddha were not discovered until the 1st or 2nd century C.E. until the writings of Buaciha Charija (life of the Buddha) by Ashvaghosa gave an account of BuddhaÂ’s life. The Buddha who was born in ca. 563 B.C.E. in Lumbini, a place in North India near the Himalayan foothills, began his teachings around Benares (at Sarnath). “His era in general was one of spiritual, intellectual, and social ferment. This was the age when the Hindu ideal of renunciation of family and social life by holy persons seeking Truth first became widespread.” (Vail, 1982). SufferingBuddha had attained enlightenment while sitting under a Bodhi tree (The Buddha The Bodhi Tree, n.d). He sought to understand suffering, its cause, its end, and the path that led to its end. By the third night he found his answer which is known as the four noble truths. The first noble truth is the life means suffering (Kniermin, 2009). Human nature and the world is not perfect, therefore, inevitably those in the physical life will suffer from sickness, injury, pain, tiredness, old age, and eventually death. Humans also suffer psychologically such as sadness, fear, disappointment, frustration, and depression. The second truth is that the  origin of suffering is attachment. Desire causes suffering as does the pursuit of wealth and prestige. Those that strive for fame and popularity will also suffer. The third truth is ceasing suffering through nirodha. Nirodha is to not make sensual craving and conceptual attachment. To cease suffering means to remove all cause of suffering through ones actions. To attain perfection in ridding all passions and attachments one would gain Nirvana. To have Nirvana means one no longer worries or has trouble. The fourth truth is that is a gradual path of self-improvement will end all suffering and this can be attained through the following of the Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path describes the end of suffering through the practice of mental development which was described by Siddhartha Gautama (Kniermin, 2009b). The goal is to free the individual from attachments and delusions, leading one to understand the truth of all things. The beginning and the end of the path is to have the right view. The right view is to see things as they truly are and understand karma. The first step is to know that all beings suffer and to realize that the view of the world is through thoughts and the right view yields right thoughts and actions. Actions are usually expressed through ones attention. Having the right intentions is having a commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. The three types of right intentions are: 1. to resist desire, 2. strive to avoid feelings of anger, and 3. not think or act in a violent, cruel, or aggressive manner. Although one can have the right intentions one must make an effort. One can have the right effort by preventing unwholesome states. To attain right efforts one must have the right mindfulness. To have a clear consciousness and perceive things as they truly are. The way one conducts oneself is to have the right speech, for words can break or save a person, make enemies or friend, create peace or start a war. Right speech is the practice of not telling lies, abstaining from slanderous speech, abstaining from harsh words, and abstaining from conversation that has no point. Not only is having the right words important, but having the right action. The right actions is to not take life even oneself and to abstain from robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, dishonesty, and sexual  misconduct. The way earns ones living is to have the right livelihood. One should gain wealth legally and peacefully. Some occupations that are not consider to the right livelihood would be prostitution, selling or buying of weapons, raising animals for slaughter or working in a butchery, and selling intoxicants. The eighth principle of the path is to have right concentration. To have right concentration is to establish the mind rightly, which involves all the paths of the noble eightfold (Bhikkhu, 2001 -2009). To establish the right concentration one would use meditation. Tranquil meditation quiets the mind. To enter into right concentration one has to be alert for it can not arise on its own. Once one is able to enter into right concentration one will experience stillness, rapture, and pleasure. Mutual RespectBuddhism teaches one to be mutually respectful of one another since it can lead one down a road of tolerance and acceptance. Mutual respect corresponds to the concept of treat others the way an individual would like to be treated in return. Mutual respect ensures that trust is present in all interactions. Mutual respect operates within the domain of practical reasoning and assists individuals seeking knowledge of what to do and how one should do it, when one wants to build or sustain democracy. However, practical reasoning principles differ from rules. The journey one follows towards understanding, respecting and trusting others winds through hills and valleys. It can be difficult to find the path and even more difficult to stay on the right path. The belief is that it takes true humility, willingness to first listen, a sober look at ones own shortcomings, and commitment over time, however, this approach will not work for everyone. A common thread in world religions are that the teachings are to improve humanity and improve peopleÂ’s ethical behavior thereby improving life on earth. An important leason is for people to learn not to be consumed with material things but to strive to have a balance between material and  spiritual progress. All religions need to work together to make the world a better place. The world needs not only material progress, but also spiritual progress as well. If humans only develop spiritually and do not take care of the material side then people go hungry, and that is not very good either. There needs to be a balance. One does not have to agree with or even necessarily like a person or a religion, but it does ensure that interactions run smoothly. Mutual respect implies recognition that all individuals are human beings together, that in fact, all beings are one. Humans are one and the same, of the same source, each reflecting another aspect of oneself. Instead of looking at differences between groups of people, or indeed between religions, a spiritually oriented person focuses upon similarities. If everyone were to do this, there would be no violence, no wars, no lack of respect for others, and no lack of self-respect. Mutual respect is important because it transforms conflict into peace, compromise, and production. Respect creates an atmosphere that allows for progress to be made. An individual can not expect to receive respect if he or she does not first offer respect. A person is more willing to take part in understanding something if the individual believes that his or her thoughts, opinions, and feelings will be taken into consideration and respected. Mutual respect is created when people treat others as they want to be treated. As mentioned The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” brings forth the idea that all things are connected and in relationship to one another. Mutual respect can “grow from its own process and dynamics. Be the first to accord respect, and with time, it will develop amongst all he conflicting parties” (Beyond Intractability, 2005). If one person is giving respect but not receiving it in return from the other person, conflict is likely to result and could have consequences for both sides. A balance and compromise will result in peace. Buddhism strongly focuses on the anatman, the inner-self, and obtaining the  balance of peace with both the inner-self and outer-self. Therefore, mutual respect greatly relates to the beliefs of the Buddhist religion in respect to eliminating negative energy. Conflicts and not respecting other individuals would only defeat the purpose of what one is trying to accomplish with Ataman. Buddhists also believes in karma, the consequences of oneÂ’s actions. This means that if a Buddhist were to deny respect then in return he or she would suffer the consequences of those actions. This would delay his or her progress towards complete inner and outer peace. The Buddhist religion also discourages ignorance, or lack of knowledge, which can be a result of ignoring mutual respect. “All the problems we experience during daily life originate from ignorance and the method for eliminating ignorance is to practice Dharma” (About Buddha, 2007). Dharma is the act of protecting oneself from suffering and from problems. By practicing mutual respect an individual can avoid any unnecessary conflict or problems that would get in the way obtaining peace and happiness. “Practicing Dharma is the supreme method for improving the quality of our human life” (About Buddha, 2007). By granting mutual respect in all subject matters, an individual improves the quality of his or her life. Buddhist SectsMutual respect is realized in many Buddhist sects. BuddhaÂ’s teachings reached far beyond the area in which he began and formed two primary divisions. The original teachings of Buddha are the Southern School, called Theravada or better known as “Way of the Elders.” Theravada is mainly taught in the Southeast Asian countries. The Northern School is referred to as Mahayana or “The Greater Vehicle,” and is comprised of countries in the North (Fisher, 2002 p. 157). Many writings came from these sects. Those who follow the teachings of Theravada studied older writings called the Pali Canon. A collection of BuddhaÂ’s teachings, the Pali Canon was compiled after BuddhaÂ’s death by a council of five hundred monks who had studied under him. From the Southern School is the Triple Gem which is a collection of Buddha, dharma and sangha. These were used in order for one to convert to Buddhism. Meditations were also very important. One of the techniques was Vipassana meditation. The  word Vipassana can be translated to mean “insight.” This was important because by developing insight helps to calm, focus and watch the mind (Fisher, 2002, p. 161). From the Northern School, Mahayana teachings were referred to as the path of compassion and metaphysics. Though they had the respect of the Southern School, these were teachings that reached beyond those of the Pali Canon. The Mahayanists claimed these scriptures were given only to those kindhearted and enlightened beings. Those scriptures called the Mahayana sutras told of the significance of spiritual understanding. To the Mahayanists, the dharma is not only a term used in writings, but the actual source of a conversion event that makes one realize the need for enlightenment as the absolute significance of life (Fisher, 2002, p. 164). Through the years, Buddha made his teachings in reference to the audience in which he spoke. Buddha in effect, had taught in different levels depending on the willingness of the audience to pay attention to the truth. As time proceeded, the audience changed, and the Mahayanists looked past the Pali Canon which was a teaching to help those with lower capacities to the sutra which would teach the true meaning of the dharma. New Mahayana communities were formed. They called themselves Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas were dedicated to attaining enlightenment. These were teachings that expanded on those taught in the sutra. Bodhisattvas believed that not only were there special people who could gain spiritual growth; it could be obtained by the masses of people also. The goal was to achieve the enlightenment and to see in that enlightenment what you have not seen before, which is the divinity of the world (Loverade, n.d.). In accordance with these teachings, Bodhisattvas should become enlightened and return to help others to obtain the same goal. Those returning would not experience the suffering in which others were exposed. The idea is not only to become enlightened, but also to become like Buddha himself and be an enlightened one who returns to the world. ConclusionBuddha, born in 563 B.C.E brought teaching of enlightenment to the world. He taught that desiring brings suffering. He also taught his followers to respect other religions through an open mind and tolerance. Throughout Buddhisms teachings and beliefs runs the undercurrent of mutual respect and enlightenment. In essence, one cannot reach enlightenment without mutual respect. By integrating the four noble truths and the eight fold path an individual will reach an understanding of anatman and the impermanence that exists in life. Illusions will end and self-centeredness will erode and an individual will eventually be free from attachments and understand the truth of all things. Once enlightenment is reached by an individual, the individual is to become like Buddha and return to the world to help others. References About Buddha (2007). About Buddha. Retrieved July 31, 2009 from http://www.aboutbuddha.orgBerzin, Alexander, (1988). The Berzin Archives. Retrieved July 31, 2009 fromhttp://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/approaching_buddhism/world_today/buddhist_view_other_religions.htmlBeyond Intractability (2005). A free knowledge base on more constructive approaches todestructive conflict. Retrieved July 30, 2009 from http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/respect/?nid=6573Bhikkhu, T. (2001- 2009). Right concentration. Retrieved August 3, 2009 fromhttp://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/suwat/concentration.htmlFail,L.F. (1982). Focus. Retrieved July 31, 2009 fromhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/religion/origins.htmlFisher, M.P. (2003). Living religions (5th ed.). Retrieved August 1, 2009 from UOPrEsource REL133Knierim, T. (2009a). The four noble truths. Retrieved August 2, 2009 fromhttp://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/fourtruths.htmlKnierim,T. (2009b). The noble eightfold path. Retrieved August 2, 2009 fromhttp://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.htmlLoverade, L. (n.d.). Five stages of consciousness in religion and the returning buddha.

Essay on Voltaires Candide - Optimism in Candide :: Candide essays

Optimism in Candide Voltaire's Candide uses anti-heroism as an object of mockery against the philosophers of the Enlightenment. Candide, the hero of the novel travels around the world where he encounters many difficulties. During his travels, he sticks to the teaching of his tutor, Doctor Pangloss, believing that "everything is for the best" (3). Voltaire points out the illogicality of this doctrine, "if Columbus had not caught, on an American island, this sickness which attacks the source of generation [...] we should have neither chocolate or cochineal" (8). The sheer stupidity of these illogical conclusions points out Voltaire's problem with most optimists: the illogical degree to which they would carry their doctrine. Voltaire would argue that noses were not designed for spectacles, but rather spectacles were designed for preexisting noses. Pangloss's interpretation of cause and effect is so ignorant as to be comical. While Candide tells an interesting story, it is more important as a satire. Howeve r, this does not prove Voltaire is a pessimist. Â   During the age of Enlightenment, the philosophes believed that reason could be used to explain everything. The philosophes believed that people could make the world a better place to live in. Voltaire is against such optimism. Ian Bell Says "The 'optimist' argument then, was complex and sophisticated, but like all ironists Voltaire chose to simplify it to the extent that it seemed complacent and absurd, and he went on to cast doubt on our chances of ever securing 'eternal happiness'"(1-2). According to Voltaire true happiness can only be experienced in an unreal world. The multitudes of disasters that Candide endures after leaving Eldorado culminate in his eventual abandonment of optimism. Candide loses four of his sheep laden with priceless jewels due to natural causes, and then sees his two remaining sheep stolen, and the local magistrate indifferent to the theft. "Certainly, [says Candide,] if everything goes well, it is in Eldorado and not in the rest of the world" (42). Candide goes a step further, "Oh Pangloss, cried Candide, you have no notion of these abominations! I'm through, I must give up your optimism after all. What's optimism? said Cacambo. Alas, said Candide, it is a mania for saying things are well when one is in hell" (40). Candide's enthusiastic view of life is contrasted with, and challenged by suffering that he endures throughout the book. Hence, Voltaire uses the book to satirize the foolishness of optimism.

The ways in which Shakespeare uses structure and language to dramatise the comparisons in Twelfth Night

Examine the ways in which Shakespeare uses structure and language to dramatise the comparisons between different kinds of love in Twelfth Night focusing on Act 5, Scene 1 and one or two other scenes of your choice.   Twelfth Night is thought to have been written in 1601, near the middle of Shakespeare's career. The play looks at deception, disguise, illusion and probably most significantly the amazing things that love can cause us to do. Shakespeare does this successfully through clever use of language and structure. Act 1, Scene 1 of the comedy begins with a nobleman named Orsino, pining away for the love of Lady Olivia, a noble Illyrian lady. Shakespeare uses imagery to represent love: â€Å"If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting The appetite may sicken, and so die.† Orsino's language contains images which recur throughout the play such as music, death, love and food while expressing his love. Orsino doesn't mention Lady Olivia until his discussion with Curio soon after, this leads us to suggest that Orsino is in love with the idea of being in love itself, therefore being selfish. Consequently the reference to food can be perceived as Orsino's hunger for love. This hunger we are told leads to sickness and pain, again the imagery of sickness symbolises Orsino's extreme feelings towards love. The idiom ‘If music be the food of love, play on' has become part of British language and has become a frequently used expression. However, Olivia does not desire to be with Orsino and refuses to entertain any proposals of marriage. On the return of a message from Olivia's household, Orsino is told that Olivia has vowed to mourn for her brother for seven years. Orsino accepts this refusal contentedly and is proud of Olivia for paying the ‘debt of love' to her brother. This love towards a sibling is the third love to be found in the scene and indeed Twelfth Night, however despite this seemingly kind act of respect it can also be seen as selfish to shut herself from others especially with the high status and position she has in Illyrian society. The first type of love identified was unrequited love, established and maintained through selfishness and the second type being melancholy love as seen by Orsino's sadness and misery. Despite the differences in the kinds of love Orsino's language remains the same using imagery with the semantic field of flowers, life and death: â€Å"Hath killed the flock†¦ That live in her; when liver, brain and heart†¦ Away before me to sweet beds of flowers† Throughout the scene there has been little change in structure, Orsino has spoken verse throughout, while acting the conventional romantic hero, and through the three kinds of love identified there has still been the use of caesura which is generally used to give a dramatic effect. However, whilst Orsino was thinking of his own love at the beginning there was much more caesura used. Shakespeare would have done this to exaggerate Orsino's melancholy love further and also to convey his mood and emotions much more easily. There is also a difference in rhyme. The beginning speech contains two rhyming couplets: ‘more' and ‘before' and ‘there' and ‘soe'er'. While the final speech only contains one: ‘flowers and bowers'. The varying use of structure between the two references to love highlights the difference between a falsified, sentimental, dramatised love and a more relaxed and genuine love towards a sibling. The second scene of Act 1, also establishes the love between siblings as Viola, a young lady of Messaline assumes that her twin brother, Sebastian has died in the ship wreck while she was brought safely to shore. Rather than being glad and rejoicing her own deliverance Viola began to lament her brother's loss: â€Å"My brother he is in Elysium. Perchance he is not drown'd: what think you, sailors?† Again the use of caesura conveys the emotion and panic felt by selfless Viola, particularly by the way the colon hurries on her thoughts to the question directed at the sailors. Viola decides that she must survive in Illyria asking the captain for help. She can not work for Olivia as she in mourning so instead she asked the captain to disguise her as a male using the feigned name Cesario in order for her to work as a page for Duke Orsino. Subsequently, Viola's appearance and disguise as a young male in Illyria causes complication and confusion between both Orsino's and Olivia's household and Viola becomes the main protagonist. Consequentially a complicated love pattern emerges which seems to revolve entirely around Olivia. This identifies an obvious link between the two characters who's names bear quite a resemblance, while both are grieving for their lost brothers they are also both lead the main plot to continue, Olivia continuing the theme of love and the many forms it can take, w hile Viola upholds the theme of concealed feelings and identity. Duke Orsino takes favourably to his new page, unburdening his heart to Cesario telling him about his love towards Lady Olivia. Act 2, Scene 4 sees the Duke neglecting the company of his probable associates and lords who he would have almost certainly been associated with due to his high position. However, instead he listens to soft, romantic music, as in the first scene: â€Å"Give me some music. Now, good morrow, friends†¦ That old and antique song we heard last night: Me thought it did relieve my passion much,† Orsino blindly leads himself into a lifestyle of wallowing in his own misery and self pity, while once again using images of music and illness. This is significant since this language technique is only noticeably used throughout the comedy when Orsino's melancholy love is present. Viola, a selfless lover also begins feeling sorrowful as she is also suffering for the love of Orsino, who she has a deep genuine admiration for even though she is unable display her affection since her entrapment in male guise. She does however, gently hint: â€Å"Say that some lady, as perhaps there is, Hath for your love a great a pang of heart As you have for Olivia: you cannot love her, You tell her so; must she not then be answer'd?† Viola questions the Duke enquiring whether he could love someone who felt as strongly about he as he does for Olivia, whether he would return the love and if not what he would tell her. Orsino denied that it was possible to love as much as he did: â€Å"There is no women's sides Can bide the beating of so strong a passion As love doth give my heart†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To an audience this would be ironic as they would know of Viola's love for the Duke and her true identity while he wouldn't be aware of the real situation or circumstances. Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony provides wit and humour while the character is still talking truthfully. The emphasis on disguise in Twelfth Night means that the comedy is full of dramatic irony. The image of passion violently beating someone is evoked by the metaphor ‘can bide the beating of so strong a passion' this is not a true description but works by making us imagine the painfully strong feelings Orsino believes he has for Olivia. The Duke sends Cesario to deliver Olivia a message however, Olivia is instantly attracted to Cesario which leaves Viola once again in a difficult situation as she is entrapped in her disguise. This completes the love triangle as Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia and Olivia loves Cesario/Viola. The sub plot of Twelfth Night or What You Will contains more humorous and comical scenes involving characters whose status is less than the likes of Olivia and Orsino and also two knights who seem to act foolishly despite their positions. For the play to be a good comedy it has to show human weaknesses, Shakespeare has done this particularly in the sub plot by varying the level of compassion and self control in each character leaving their weaknesses easily identifiable. Firstly, we meet Maria, a chambermaid of Olivia, Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's uncle and his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, two rowdy drunkards. Sir Andrew hopelessly attempts to court Lady Olivia but to no avail, again we see representations of unrequited love and also courtly love. The conversation between Maria and Sir Toby is playful and dim-witted, despite its purpose to instruct and lecture Sir Toby, for the sake of Olivia. Sir Toby replies: â€Å"Why let her except, before excepted.† The light-hearted wordplay can be seen as flirtatious as Sir Toby uses his wit to entertain and charm Maria, although not explicitly told, through Toby's tone and language usage he can be clearly seen to have feelings for her. However, puzzlingly he advises Sir Andrew Aguecheek to accost Maria. Andrew is left puzzled at the meaning of accost, the focus on wooing and courtly love is another apparent type of love. As Sir Andrew plays with the words of Maria the friendly, humorous conversation begins to include sexual references, as Maria says ‘It's dry' she gains the answer: â€Å"†¦I can keep my hand dry.† Bawdy, sexual references would have been gladly accepted by the audience in Elizabethan theatres particularly by the men, as in today's society. The use of a metaphor leaves the context in which this is meant to be decided by the audience. The flexibility of perception is also true of the relationship between the characters involved in the sub plot as they are able to communicate in different tones and about different subjects without actually announcing any true feelings they may have about one another. Maria and Sir Toby can openly flirt with each other and Sir Toby can insult Sir Andrew Aguecheek as he did when we were first introduced calling him ‘Agueface', Sir Toby in fact only wants to use Sir Andrew. This suggests how fragile and false relationships and friendship can be. Malvolio is a character who seems to be unloved throughout the play he is neither loved as a friend or lover and the other characters show no compassion in evilly tricking him. His love for Olivia, is kept only as a fantasy. Malvolio is seen as a vain and pompous character whose only true love lies with himself. This self-love is seen by Olivia: â€Å"O you are sick of self love, Malvolio† This accusation sums up the view felt by the audience as he regularly spoils the fun of the other members of the households in order to satisfy himself. A letter forged by Maria, supposedly from Olivia soon leads to more deceit in the play as Malvolio tries to earn her favour by following the suggestions of dressing in yellow stockings and crossed garters, acting arrogantly, smiling constantly and refusing to explain himself to anyone, it is his own self-conceit that causes him to easily fall into the trap. The sub-plot eventually intertwines with the main plot as a result of the appearance of Antonio and Viola's twin brother, Sebastian, who is still alive but believes that his twin, Viola is dead. Sebastian's friend Antonio seems to care deeply about Sebastian, possibly passionately and sexually, leading us to believe that he may well be homosexual as he follows his friend to Illyria, despite being enemies with Orsino. Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, seeing Olivia's increased attraction to Cesario decide to challenge Cesario to a duel. However, they mistakenly duel with Sebastian. The entrance of Olivia during the confusion causes further bewilderment as Olivia proposes to Sebastian, thinking that he is Cesario, Sebastian is baffled since he has never even met Lady Olivia before. However, he accepts. Since separating from Sebastion, Antonio is arrested for an old crime he committed, he begs Cesario who he thinks is Sebastian for his purse that he had gave him. However, Cesario is confused at this and denies knowing Antonio, which is true. Antonio cries out that Sebastian had betrayed him giving Viola new hope that her brother may be alive. These scenes are laden with dramatic irony, obviously because the audience are the only people who understand that both of the twins are alive, and by the apparent confusion that the other characters are suffering, that no one can tell them apart. This perplexity causes the comedy to be as bewildering as it is, possibly projecting the moral that nothing is as it seems. This can also be interpreted by the alternative title ‘or What You Will' To have five acts in a play was conventional of Elizabethan playwrights, Shakespeare has followed this convention in the play as we see the fifth and final act of Twelfth Night which reveals true feelings and identity, resolving each problematic situation. Feste's behaviour at the beginning of Act5, Scene 1 indicates that he has still not forgiven Orsino for dismissing him and replacing him for Fabian, a less witty and clever entertainer. His cheeky exclamation when being addressed as a friend by Orsino is evident of this: â€Å"the better for my foes and the worse for my friends† This expression signifies that reality can be different from what is expected; again one of the key morals of the play, a further example of this is Feste's sharp wit in contrast with Orsino who is more placid and plain despite his aristocratic status. The entrance of Antonio escorted by Orsino's officers sees an almost different Orsino to the previously sombre character. As the Duke recollects the sea-battle, this reveals Orsino to be a more fierce and influential individual, he recognises Antonio: â€Å"besmeared as black as Vulcan in the smoke of war† this simile makes Antonio sound wicked since black is an evil colour and also the metaphoric link to Vulcan, a vulgar, vicious God presents Antonio as a vicious immoral creature like Vulcan. Orsino now speaks with more thought than his inattentive and egocentric speeches seen throughout the comedy. When Olivia admits her love for Cesario, Orsino becomes angry accusing his page of betrayal and surrenders Cesario despite loving him: â€Å"I'll sacrifice the lamb I love† Again the issue of homosexuality rises as Orsino professes his love to a person he believes to be a man before the issue of sexuality can be dwelled upon the play quickly advances. There is a great deal of dramatic irony in this final scene which adds tension to the reunion of the twins. The audience is aware that both twins are alive, yet, there is still anticipation present from the audience to discover whether the truth that Viola is female will finally be known to the characters of the play. Also, Olivia has married Sebastian, which the audience also know, however, Olivia is claiming that she has married Cesario, which Viola genuinely knows nothing about, this situation is humorous and ironic. Shakespeare had mixed the elements of a tragedy and comedy. Shakespeare also used this situation, in order to illustrate the powerful feelings felt by the characters. Inevitably, the twins are reunited this resolves the theme of concealed identity. Viola regains her name as she discards her disguise, and is no longer trapped. This enables her to take action on her love for the Duke. Malvolio vengefully reappears, and is soon to be made angrier by the clown who mocks him. Malvolio remains the same throughout the play unloved except by himself. The trick played upon him had failed in punishing him for his vanity and arrogance. Antonio also does not gain anything at the end, although he may be forgiven for his past crimes. We are never told whether Sir Andrew and Sir Toby regained their friendship after Sir Toby quit Sir Andrew's company. Whereas, the Orsino and Viola had maintained their love for one another as had Olivia and Sebastian. The resolution for the two couples held true, romantic love for each of them. Orsino confirms with an optimistic statement: â€Å"Golden time†¦ But when in other habits you are seen Orsino's mistress and his fancy's queen† This rhyming couplet shows the real happiness that Orsino has found in contrast to the selfish, melancholy lover, Orsino, until the final scene. It was usual of Shakespeare to make the formal, traditional characters speak in rhyming couplets, until now Orsino's high status had been shadowed by his sadness. Now he fills the role of the stereotypical character we would have first expected we can see his language adapts to the role. Conversely, the clown's final song suggests that the future may not be as happy as is hoped or assumed: â€Å"for the rain it raineth every day† The reference to rain suggests that the future may be stormy and not as sunny as expected. Shakespeare would have intentionally ended the play with music, the same way as the play had started. Almost certainly as an ironic message of hopeful happiness in light of Orsino's beginning expression ‘if music be the food of love, play on'. Conclusively, we can see that Shakespeare used language techniques such as metaphors, similes and rhyming couplets to express different types of love. Generally those characters relating to love spoke in verse while comical characters such as Feste and the two foolish knights spoke in prose.

Why the Policies Adopted by Stalin in the 1920s Differed

In many ways, Stalins policies in the 1920s differed massively from Marxist theories. For example, when Stalin had invaded Georgia, he had gone against the Marxist idea of internationalism in favour of invading Georgia and taking of the republic for the interests of Russian Nationalism. As well as this, after Lenin's death, Stalin wanted to employ a policy of ‘Socialism in One Country’. This meant that he wanted socialism in only the USSR.This again differed from Marxist ideas as it went against internationalism. It was also in contrast with Trotsky, who wanted a ‘Permanent Revolution’ across the world. The main reason Stalin did this was to agree with Lenin’s ideas, as he was trying to appear to be the natural successor to Lenin. In fact, Stalin was so intent on gaining power, that he created the cult of Lenin. This was the elevation of Lenin, his ideas and his life to an almost divine status. This was contrary to Marxist ideas of ‘leadershipâ €™.Marx believed in the dictatorship of the proletariat, which would give way to a communist Utopia where there would be no leadership and no state. Also, in 1924, Stalin wanted to keep the NEP going, even though it went against Marxism as the NEP meant that a mixed economy in which there were features of capitalism. The main reason Stalin did this was because it was a measure brought in by Lenin, and at the time, Stalin wished to make himself seem as loyal to Lenin as possible, to appear to be the natural heir.The introduction of collectivization and industrialization by Stalin were both supposed to end ideological compromise and come closer to Marxist theory. However, many historians have made it clear that these policies created a socialist Soviet Economy which was the opposite of Marx’s theory. State control of the economy was a key feature of Stalin’s totalitarian rule. To conclude, it is quite clear that Stalins theories differed greatly from that of Marx. It is also clear, however, to see that Stalins theories differed purely to try to be as much like Lenin as possible.

5 Ways to Make a Sentence More Concise

5 Ways to Make a Sentence More Concise 5 Ways to Make a Sentence More Concise 5 Ways to Make a Sentence More Concise By Mark Nichol Expressing oneself clearly and concisely in speech is a challenge because one has so little time to order one’s thoughts and choose one’s wording carefully, but writing is easily improved with even the briefest review. Always read over what you have written (whether it’s a tweet or a book manuscript) before you distribute or publish it- not only to adhere to the mechanical basics of grammar, syntax, usage, and style but also to check for narrative flow and conciseness. The following sentences, and the discussions and revisions that follow each one, include advice for paring unnecessary words and phrases. 1. As you establish your policies, it is recommended that you develop a comprehensive list of business activities. When offering recommendations, avoid overly polite entreaties, and simply state the advice as an imperative: â€Å"As you establish your policies, develop a comprehensive list of business activities.† (Other words that signal an expendable phrase are advised, suggested, necessary, and imperative.) 2. Nearly all of the processes and steps conducted during this phase were planned in the early stages. In â€Å"all of the† phrases, of is almost always optional, and the can often be safely omitted as well: â€Å"Nearly all processes and steps conducted during this phase were planned in the early stages.† 3. IPO activity has increased over the past few years, and that presents a great advantage for the company. Be alert for opportunities to condense sentences consisting of two independent clauses into a simple statement. Here, what was an introduced observation is recast as an acknowledged phenomenon, changing the subject from â€Å"IPO activity† to â€Å"the increase in IPO activity†: â€Å"The increase in IPO activity over the past few years presents a great advantage for the company.† 4. Organizations can realize tremendous value from risk management in a cost-effective and efficient way. The presence of way (or manner, or basis, or any similar vague noun) at the end of a sentence signals a sentence in need of abbreviation. Simply dismantle the phrase that ends with the noun and convert the adjectives that precede the noun into adverbs: â€Å"Organizations can cost-effectively and efficiently realize tremendous value from risk management.† 5. There are core sets of critical activities and critical communications that must be performed at this stage. When a sentence or clause begins with an expletive (â€Å"There is/are† or â€Å"It is/They are†), consider omitting the phrase and beginning the sentence with the noun or noun phrase that follows (and delete the now-extraneous that that follows the subject): â€Å"Core sets of critical activities and critical communications must be performed at this stage.† Taking Conciseness Too Far Be cautious, however, about overzealous conciseness, as in the case of multiple nouns and noun phrases stacked in a dense swarm of words. Relaxing a sentence can be just as effective as tightening it in improving a sentence: Overly concise: Executive management and board of directors’ expectations about scalability can be unrealistic. Relaxed: The expectations of executive management and the board of directors about scalability can be unrealistic. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should KnowBetween vs. In BetweenCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Confusing I and Me

Confusing I and Me Picture this: Jesse Kasserman, a high school senior with a strong academic record and high hopes, walks into the office of Dr. James, an admission representative of XYZ University. â€Å"Thank you for inviting my mom and I to see the campus,† he says. The college representative cringes. Which is Correct? Jesse might have blown the interview already. Why? Jesse should have said â€Å"my mom and me.† Smart people everywhere agonize over the misuse of â€Å"I† and â€Å"me.† It’s one of the most common mistakes in word usage. People seem to fear the word â€Å"me†Ã‚  and  to many people, it sounds just as wrong to hear the sentence, â€Å"The secret is just between you and I.† But its correct.   â€Å"I† is a nominative pronoun and is used as a subject of a sentence or clause, while â€Å"me† is an objective pronoun and used as an object. Sound too technical? Then think of this: The trouble with â€Å"me† usually begins when speakers are stringing together two or more objects in a sentence. â€Å"I† is not an objective case word, but people try to plug it in as an object because it just sounds smarter. Examples All you have to do is leave out the second object. Look over these examples, and you’ll see it’s really simple. You might be tempted to say:WRONG: â€Å"Would you explain that to John and I?† But then, when you omit the other object, you’ll have:WRONG: â€Å"Would you explain that to I?† Now that just sounds silly. Try this: RIGHT: â€Å"Would you explain that to John and me?†RIGHT: â€Å"Would you explain that to me?† Practice Now practice with these: WRONG: Leave the decision to Laura and I.RIGHT: Leave the decision to me.RIGHT: Leave the decision to Laura and me. WRONG: Please join Glenna and I for lunch.RIGHT: Please join me for lunch.RIGHT: Please join Glenna and me for lunch. WRONG: It’s just between you and I.RIGHT: It’s just between you and me. WRONG: The group consists of Laura, Joe, and I.RIGHT: The group consists of Laura, Joe, and me. Dont forget, when composing an essay or any research paper, be sure to go back and proofread carefully.

Three technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Three technologies - Essay Example It creates a collective working environment by maintaining shared documents and information. The technology also enables group members to monitor project management functions including assignments, time management, problem solving, and documentation. Secondly, e-mail is the most simplified means of communication which can enhance group interaction irrespective of the geographical location. According to my opinion, e-mail is the best means to build up effective relations, teamwork, and leadership. People enjoy freedom of expression while using internet because it does not have any external constrains to limit the freedom of speech. Via e-mail members can create strong interpersonal relationship along with their knowledge sharing, private file sharing, and video sharing. Finally, I would suggest the technology of video conference as the effective means of conversational interaction. It is the advanced form of telecommunication groupware that can enable visual collaboration from different locations to facilitate a group project and decision making. Furthermore, it can provide a sense of face-to-face interaction and will have a positive impact on the group’s productivity, performance and total