Marketing Mix Tesco Poland Case Study Essays

Marketing Mix Tesco Poland Case Study Essays Marketing Mix Tesco Poland Case Study Essay Marketing Mix Tesco Poland Case Study Essay In this report I will discuss the marketing mix for Tesco Poland and also the current and potential treats in the marketing/competition environment and suggested some recommendations. Tesco started its activity in Poland in November 1995 with a strategic investment in the Savia supermarket chain. The first store with Tesco’s logo was opened in 1998. From 1995 Tesco made many mergers and acquisitions (table one p. 13) and this was the first stage in the development of Tescos Poland network, which in the past two years has developed a chain of small size shops in whole country (Figure 1) (Tesco, 2010). Tesco apparently has ambitions to take over the Netto and Billa chains, amounting to 183 retail outlets in total (IFO, 2010). The main strategy of Tesco Poland is to taker over weaker, competing networks and engaging fierce, competitive struggle with others. The strongest Tesco’s competitors currently are Carrefour and Biedronka which use the same methods of competition (table one p. 13). To increase turnover and profits Tesco operates as a limited liability company under the name of TESCO Polska Sp. z o. o.. Figure1. Reflected location of Tesco’s stores across the Republic of Poland Marketing mix using Tesco Poland as an example Marketing mix takes a systematic approach to an analysis of the market and outputs of which enable Tesco to maximise customer satisfaction. Each of the marketing mix factors should not only be internally integrated, but also should have a high degree of efficiency and effectiveness. Traditionally the marketing mix consisted of just 4 Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) but has been extended to 7 Ps (People, Process, Physical evidence) (Dibb Simkin, 2001). 1. 1Products Tesco Poland has a wide range of products designed for different consumer segments: grocery, medication, food supplements and hygiene articles, household goods, toys and gifts, bicycles and scooters, clothing, shoes, entertainment and books, PC, photo, games, home electrical, sound and vision, phones, sports and leisure, furniture and kitchen, baby and toddler, gardening (seasonal outdoor of stores), alcohols and tobaccos, banking, petrol and others. Sir Terry Leahy in 1993 in his National Business Awards was asked: â€Å"What’s your secret for making Tesco, Britain’s number one retailer? and his answer was: â€Å"We sell what people want† (Seth Randall, 2005). And that is a key to the success in Poland as well. Products in Polish branches are split into good quality such as brand products, Polish products and regional products and inferior quality such as discount price, Tesco value and other Tesco products. Figure2. Types of food products in Tesco Poland 1. 2Price Since the expansion in Poland, Tesco has competed over price with its biggest competitors such as Real, Carrefour, Biedronka and Lidl. From the beginning March 2009 Tesco introduced products at discount prices in Poland as well as iscounts of 30 to 88 percent on selected articles (WP, 2010). Through cutting prices offering their own payment cards, vouchers and temporary promotions Tesco became attractive to customers. Price cuts were possible because of the pressure exerted by Tesco on their suppliers (Appendix 1). However not everything is cheap in Tesco. Regional managers usually cut prices of the most popular goods in each store, because in that way Tesco is attractive for potential customers. Of course the customers are buying other, more expensive goods too, so the overall margins are maintained. 1. 3Place The principle of Tesco’s distribution is: â€Å"the right product in the right place, at the right position, at the right time and at the right cost† (Tesco, 2010). Tesco applied composite distributions, which consists of a smaller number of composite warehouses. Warehouses can store a lot of products at different temperatures, and thus provide more efficiency in terms of cost in relation to daily deliveries to all stores. Warehouses operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Delivery vehicles for wholesale composite have trailers, divided into chambers, so they can keep three different temperature levels at the same time. There are three main distribution centres in Poland (Tesco, 2010): Teresin near Warsaw – 55 000 m2 (fresh and dry food) and 30 000 m2 (manufacturers), Strykowo – 18 000 m2 (ensures delivery to the smaller shops) Legionowo – 17 000 m2 (ensures delivery to the smaller shops). Overview of the relations between Tesco and its suppliers is given in Appendix 2. Figure3. The biggest logistics base and the main distribution center of Tesco Poland. Teresin near Warsaw. 9 Promotion Promotion is based on informing consumers about products or services, and the company itself in order to create preferences for them on the market. Tesco Poland uses most of the available means of communication/promotions to gain customers: sales promotion (offer of the week, special offer, hit of the month, buy now pay later, discount price, buy one get one free/half price – rarely used) advertising (TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, internet, adverts on public transport vehicles and Tesco’s transport, adverts in own stores, shopping centres and parking) personal selling (cashiers, shop assistants, call centre consultants etc) direct marketing (correspondence with coupons, monthly newspapers and quarterly catalogues delivered to homes of all inhabitants of town/city) public relations (social campaigns: Tesco for Schools, Clean Up the World with Tesco. Be beautiful with Tesco, Ekstraklasa (graduate scheme), Tesco for you and your family). An overview of the promotion instruments along with examples used by Tesco Poland is in Appendix 2. 10 People Tesco currently employs almost 27 000 people (Tesco, 2010) and offers: Professional training regardless of employees’ positions. A program for graduates (EKSTRAKLASA launched in 2008). A bonus scheme (demanding standards) Employee discounts on goods purchased (after one year of employment). Despite this, Tesco does not belong to the popular employers. Forced overtime together with long hours, minimum wage payments, adverse employees’ contracts and generally poor conditions of work produced weakly motivated and frustrated employees (Macalister, 2008; just-food, 2008; JS, 2009). Also Tesco has a serious problem with mobbing in the workplace. In late April and early May 2009 Tesco was visited by inspectors of the National Labour Inspectorate. As a result of control at one store inspectors issued 50 negative opinion and decisions. That illustrates the scale of the phenomenon – said Michal Olesiak from National Labour Inspectorate (Piatek, 2009). This treatment of employees is not good for the image of Tesco and the average consumer quite often chooses alternatives to Tesco because of his reputation. Figure4. â€Å"Too much, too hard, Tesco† – strikes of the Tesco’s employees in Poland 2008 – 2009 (photos from the private collections of protesting staff). 11 Process In Poland due to the dissatisfaction of workers and the creation of an unpleasant atmosphere around Tesco stores a hotline was created to facilitate customers in making decisions about shopping at Tesco and in dispelling doubt (Tesco, 2010). Consultants of the hotline take over some of responsibility from shop assistants and assistants in customer services. Currently customer service in Tesco looks much better, however there still are problems with dissatisfied staff. Tesco Poland needs accomplish profound changes in personnel policy because weakly motivated and appreciated employees who do not provide customer service in the relevant standard. 12 Physical evidence Tesco is not just a shop but is also a commercial space. Tesco stores are a developed infrastructure with specific interior and surroundings: 1. 7. 1 Parking Inseparable from every Tesco hypermarket is parking (sometimes multilevel). Before Christmas some parts of the parking are turned into marketplace and in spring and summer parts of the parking are turned into space for selling plants and accessories for the garden. [pic] Figure5. Tesco car parks – Poland (psboy, 2010) 1. 7. 2 Buildings Tesco hypermarkets are usually built outside the town/city center. Tesco and unlike the other chains do not form part of a larger shopping complex. This is one of the weak points of Tesco, because when customers choose other supermarkets they have the option to visit shops, restaurants, cafes and even a cinema or bowling. Currently Tesco is changing its strategy and has started building whole commercial complexes. Figure6. Modern Tesco in Krosno with large shopping galleries (Krzanowski, 2010) 1. 7. 3 Stores/decor/furnishings The interior of commercial establishments is designed in the same style for the whole network. Dominant colours are yellow, red and blue and have importance in relation to the psychology of colour: Yellow – associated with the sun, inspires sympathy, improves mood Red – attracts the eye, stimulates the action, energises Blue – the shade used in Tesco is strengthens feeling of security, reliability, honesty and trust. Figure7. Tesco Poland – interior of store (Tesco,2010) Keeping the store clean, regular shelf re-stocking, disposal of empty packaging and the regular cleaning of floors, windows and furniture is the foundation of any Tesco store. Micro environment competition â€Å"The marketing environment is defined as those external trading forces that directly or indirectly influence an organisation’s acquisitions of inputs and generation of outputs† (Dibb Simkin, 2001). [pic] Figure8. Factors impacting on a firm (Loh, 2009) One of the important factors of a micro environment is competition. Giant hypermarket networks on the Polish market suddenly appeared and immediately became a serious threat to local small and medium-sized companies. The real competition takes place between international networks such as Tesco, Carrefour and Biedronka (Ladybird). In estimates of Grupa Muszkieterow the top ten largest retail networks in terms of value sales in Poland are: Biedronka, Tesco, Carrefour, Real, Auchan, Lidl, Intermarche, E. Leclerc, Polomarket and Kaufland (PB, 2010). Figure9. Top 10 retail chains in Poland – turnover in 2008 and 2009 (ITM Pl, 2010) Figure10. Percent market shares retail chains in Poland in 2009 (top five)(PMR, 2010) 2. 1Tesco vs. Biedronka (Ladybird) Signs of rivalry between the two networks can be seen in their advertising campaigns. Biedronka attracts customers mainly by offering low prices. Tesco announce in their advertisements that it holds cut prices for a long time and that shoppers cannot buy cheaper anywhere else. At the same time Biedronka’s advertisement answered: â€Å"Simulate the Ladybird and being Ladybird – that is a big difference! †. While other supermarket chains put on loyalty programs for clients, Tesco mainly lowers prices but also competes by investing in small local shops in areas dominated by Biedronka.

The History of Chemical Explosives

The History of Chemical Explosives An explosion can be defined as the rapid expansion of a material or device that exerts a sudden pressure on its surroundings. It can be caused by one of three things: a chemical reaction that occurs during conversion of elemental compounds, a mechanical or physical impact, or a nuclear reaction on the atomic/subatomic level. Gasoline exploding when ignited is a chemical explosion brought about by the sudden conversion of a hydrocarbon to carbon dioxide and water. The explosion that occurs when meteor strikes the earth is a mechanical explosion. And a nuclear warhead explosion is the result of the nucleus of a radioactive substance, like plutonium, suddenly splitting apart in an uncontrolled fashion. But it is chemical explosives that are the most common form of explosives in human history, used both for creative/commercial and destructive effect. The strength of a given explosive is measured that the rate of expansion it exhibits during detonation. Lets look briefly at some common chemical explosives. Black Powder It is unknown who invented the first explosive black powder. Black powder, also known as gunpowder, is a mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal (carbon). It originated in China around in the ninth century and was in wide use throughout Asia and Europe by the end of the 13th century. It was commonly used in fireworks and signals, as well as in mining and building operations. Black powder is the oldest form of ballistic propellant and it was used with early muzzle-type firearms and other artillery uses. In 1831, William Bickford an English leather merchant invented the first safety fuse. Using a safety fuse made black powder explosives more practical and safer. But because black powder is messy explosive, by the end of the 18th century it was replaced by high explosives and by cleaner smokeless powder explosives, such as what is currently used in firearm ammunition. Black powder is categorized as a low explosive because it expands and subsonic speeds when it detonates. High explosives, by contract, expand as supersonic speeds, thereby creating much more force. Nitroglycerin Nitroglycerin is a chemical explosive that was discovered by Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero in 1846. It was the first explosive developed that was more powerful than black powder, Nitroglycerin is a mix of nitric acid, sulphuric acid, and glycerol, and it is highly volatile. Its inventor, Sobrero, warned against its potential dangers, but Alfred Nobel adopted it as a commercial explosive in 1864. Several serious accidents, however, caused pure liquid nitroglycerin to be widely banned, leading to Nobels eventual invention of dynamite. Nitrocellulose In 1846, Chemist Christian Schonbein discovered nitrocellulose, also called guncotton, when he accidentally spilled a mixture of potent nitric acid on a cotton apron and the apron exploded as it dried. Experiments by Schonbein and others quickly established a means of manufacturing guncotton safely, and because it had a clean, explosive power almost six times greater than black powder, it quickly was adopted for use as means for propelling projectiles in weapons.   TNT In 1863, TNT or Trinitrotoluene was invented by German chemist Joseph Wilbrand. Originally formulated as a yellow dye, its explosive properties were not immediately evident. Its stablity was such that it could be safely poured into shell casings, and in the early 20th century it came into standard usage for German and British military munitions. Considered a high explosive, TNT is still in common use by the U.S. military and by construction companies around the world.   Blasting Cap In 1865, Alfred Nobel invented the blasting cap. The blasting cap provided a safer and dependable means of detonating nitroglycerin. Dynamite In 1867, Alfred Nobel patented dynamite, a high explosive that consisted of a mixture of three parts nitroglycerine, one part diatomaceous earth (ground silica rock) as an absorbent, and a small amount of sodium carbonate antacid as a stabilizer. The resultant mixture was considerably safer than pure nitroglycerine, as well as being much more powerful than black powder. Other materials are now used as the absorbent and stabilizing agents, but dynamite remains the premier explosive for use in commercial mining and construction demolition. Smokeless Powders In 1888, Alfred Nobel invented a dense smokeless powder explosive called ballistite. In 1889, Sir James Dewar and Sir Frederick Abel invented another smokeless gunpowder called cordite. Cordite was made of  nitroglycerin, guncotton, and a petroleum substance gelatinized by addition of acetone. Later variations of these smokeless powders form the propellant for most modern firearms and artillery. Modern Explosives Since 1955, a variety of additional high explosives has been developed. Created mostly for military use, they also have commercial applications, such as in deep drilling operations.  Explosives such as nitrate-fuel oil mixtures or ANFO and ammonium nitrate-base water gels now account for seventy percent of the explosives market. These explosives come in various types including: HMXRDXHNIWONC

Define Groupthink Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Define Groupthink - Essay Example In groupthink consensus overrides common sense and inhibits the urge to present critique, unpopular opinion or alternatives to whatever is viewed as the commonly agreed ground (Wikipedia, 2013). In groupthink the urge to remain loyal to the team and maintain cohesion makes the team members to desist from raising alternative solutions or controversial issues. As a result, independent thinking, uniqueness in thought and individual creativity are lost at the expense of cohesion and loyalty to the group. The eventual outcome is poor problem solving and decision-making. The failed team dynamics of the â€Å"in-group† presents illusions that the appropriate decisions have been attained. Therefore the ‘in-group’ greatly overrates their decision-making abilities, and excessively downplays the decision-making ability of the ‘out-group’ or opponents. As such, team members tend to think or feel that they are more inclined to making the right decisions and offer better ideas and solutions than people from without the group. This happening often hinders the reception of contribution of ideas from non-group members or other groups (Wikipedia, 2013). This source uses the Swissair collapse and the Bay of Pigs Invasion as examples of events in which groupthink was at play when they took place. In the corporate sector suboptimal and ineffective decision-making may negatively impact on the good performance of any company and cause significant losses. Swissair had been a successful airline to the extent that at times it was referred to as the ‘Flying Bank (Hermann & Rammal, 2010).’ However, during this period of success the airline had two symptoms of groupthink (Wikipedia, 2013). These symptoms included the belief in group morality and invulnerability. Additionally, before the collapse fiasco the airline’s board was significantly reduced and people with expertise were eliminated. The board reduction action contributed to groupthink by leaving behind only

The need for a consistent nation wide policy to ensure quality early Thesis - 1

The need for a consistent nation wide policy to ensure quality early childhood education to close the achievement gap - Thesis Example This paper therefore proposes a nationwide policy for early childhood care and education reform that is informed by the evidence revealed over the years. Early childhood education and care policies in the US are three dimensional in nature. First, the federal government or state governments may make provision for early childhood care and education either directly or they can offer subsidies or reimbursement relative to partial casts of private education and care. Secondly, state governments may provide child care and/or education to all US children or they may provide support to a specific class of children. Thirdly, the purpose of child care and education may be looked upon as providing for the child’s development or as a means of supporting working parents. In other words, child care and education policies in the US may be seen as either providing a child development service or a support system for working parents (McCartney and Phillips 2006). This part of the paper examines the development of federal legislation and policies relative to early childhood education and early childhood special education by reference to federal legislation from 1965 to the present. The Head Start project is characterized as among President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society’s â€Å"most popular and enduring legacies† (Vinovskis 2005, p. 1). The identification of the â€Å"other America† at the beginning of the 1960s, drew official attention on the fact that approximately one fourth of Americans were decidedly poor and were segregated from â€Å"the mainstream of American culture† (Washington and Bailey 1995, p. 21). Then President John F. Kennedy theorized that preventing poverty among adults necessarily required starting with the child who are receiving welfare on account of parental death, disability, abandonment or parental

How working environment can impact on motivation Essay Example for Free

How working environment can impact on motivation Essay (A) Describe, with examples, how working environment can impact on motivation and contribute to an effective workplace in travel and tourism, covering:- * Job location In travel and tourism, the holiday atmosphere at resort contributes to a sense of well-being. Customers are happy to be on holiday and it is relatively easy to have a positive attitude to work. Whereas if you were working in a call centre where you are office bound and have to spend most of the talking to customer on the telephone. The organisation has to consider how this poorer environment can be improved so that staff remains motivated. * Working conditions and Hours of work Hours of work vary tremendously throughout the industry- some people are happy to work unsocial hours because it fits in with their lifestyle or they wish to have time off when everyone else is working. However, the overall number of hours per week should not exceed 40. * Health and safety Safety and security factors must be considered in the workplace, and legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 must be adhered to. Specific regulations also apply where food is served or where the chemical hazards, for example in a swimming pool. All these requirements are important. For some organisations a lapse in safety procedures can mean the collapse of the business and even a prosecution. Companies that organise activity holidays for children, for example must make health and safety a priority. Health and safety is important for both customers and employees. Employees need to know that they can go about their work in a safe environment and work together to ensure their customers are safe. * Equipment and Resources Sate-of-the-art equipment and a pleasant environment are important to motivate staff. * Social event Most companies have a Christmas party or social outgoing for staff. These are useful events to create camaraderie amongst staff and build teams. * Theories of motivation The motivation and commitment of employees is key to success of a team and therefore to the company. Several theorists have come up with models of motivation. The two of that we will look at are Maslow and Herzberg. 1. Maslow Abraham Maslow was an American who in the 1940s developed a theory of motivation. The theory is valid still for understanding how people are motivated in the workplace. Employers can use it to provide conditions that fulfil peoples needs at the different levels. Maslow theory is displayed as a pyramid because employees can only move up the levels once the lower levels are fulfilled. So, an employee cant achieve level 4 at work if they are having problems in their personal life or working with colleagues (level 3). Similarly, if they have just been made homeless (level 1) their concern will be finding shelter not performing at work. 2. Herzberg Herzbergs theory is also known as the hygiene theory. Herzberg identified characteristics which make people satisfied with their jobs and those which make them dissatisfied: satisfiers and dissatisfiers. The satisfiers are factors which give people long-term motivation and enable them to enjoy their work: * The type of work * Promotion prospects * Having responsibilities * Sense of achievement * Personal development * Gaining recognition This dissatisfiers or hygiene factors need to be operating well in an organisation but according to Herzberg do not ultimately motivate people. These are: * Salary * Working conditions * Relationships with others- colleagues and managers * Company policy (B) Describe, with examples, how working relationships can impact on motivation and contribute to an effective workplace in travel and tourism, covering:- * Management style Management is about motivating people to act in certain ways so that the team can achieve its common goal. A good manager must inform, motivate and develop the team. The four types of manager/management I will be talking about are:- 1. An autocratic manager An autocratic manager makes all the decisions and announces them to the team. This person is the boss and so has full control. The main advantage of this kind of leadership is that decisions are made quickly, as no consultation is involved. Its other advantages include:- * Where there is a need for urgent action the autocrat will take control * Some team members gain security from being told what to do. Disadvantages include:- * Team members may become frustrated at their lack of control * There may not be room for the team to express creativity * There may be over-dependence on the leaders Autocratic management belongs in a traditional hierarchical structure. 2. Consultative management With consultative management, the leader still makes the decisions but discusses them with the team. The advantages include:- * The team is informed of what is going on * Open discussion is encouraged * The manager spends time with the team The disadvantages are that the team feel involved but frustrated by having no real power. 3. Democratic management With democratic management, the decision-making is shared among the team. The advantages include:- * Ideas are encouraged from everyone * There is greater involvement and commitment from team members * The team is likely to be supportive of the leader * The team is fully informed The disadvantages include:- * Some team members may not be able to cope with being involved in decision-making * The democratic process can take too long * The leader may not agree with the decisions of the team * Powerful team members may take over 4. Laissez-faire management With laissez-faire management the team is left to sort itself out and get on with its work. The manager does not get involved and therefore is not leading the team. The advantages include:- * Highly motivated and skilled people are able to get on with their tasks * The team is empowered The disadvantages include:- * New team members will be uninformed * The team may be left with little or no direction * Teamwork Teamwork skills are essential in the workplace. You must be able to work with other people in a team even if you dont happen to like them. A team is a group of people who are working together to achieve common objectives. Even when you are not physically with other members of your team, you can work together by contributing to a sequence of activities with a common aim. If you were working as a resort representative in Spain, you would still be working in a team with colleagues in head office in the UK. 1. Team roles Good teams achieve synergy; that is, together they can achieve more than the members could individually. More ideas, energy and resources are generated as a group because:- * The team solves problems and makes decisions together * The team focuses on the priorities, with everyone working towards the same aim * The team provides a sense of belonging and a sense of status * The team provides a support network Not everyone in a team is the same- each person has their own strengths and weaknesses. If each person had the same weaknesses, the team could not work; there needs to be a balance of skills. A method of recognising individuals strengths and weaknesses is needed in order to build an effective team. The management expert R.Meredith Belbin has outlined nine team roles necessary for a successful team. One person can represent more than one role, as most people have strengths in more than one area. Belbins roles:- Chairperson/ co-ordinator = The group leader, likely to be relaxed and extrovert, also likely to be a good communicator. They will build on the strengths of team members and give them encouragement. Plant = The ideas person in the team, a person who is creative in looking for solution to problems, but not always good at details, and so may make careless mistakes. Shaper = The task leader, who unites ideas and effort. Needs to be dominated and extrovert in order to make things happen. Monitor/ evaluator = The team analyst, who is not so good at ideas but pays attention to details, thus keeping the team directed towards its target. Implementer = The organiser of the team, who is able to make the ideas of the plant and shaper and turn them into manageable and realistic tasks. A practical, stable and disciplined person. Resources investigator = The person who is outgoing and will explore and report on ideas and developments outside the group; is sociable and enthusiastic and good under pressure. Team worker = A very people-oriented person, sensitive to others needs. The team worker has good communication skills and will be good at motivating other. A natural mediator, who will deal with any conflict within the team, this person is very good to have around in a crisis. Finisher = A person who sticks to deadlines and likes to get on with things. Will probably be irritated by the more relaxed members of the team. Specialist = This person is single-minded and a self-starter and provides knowledge and skills in specialist areas each of Belbins roles acquires a different level of important according to the objectives of the team and the stage in the teams life. 2. team development Formal teams are part of the structure of an organisation and are planned in order to meet that organisations objectives. The formal team will follow rules and regulations and may meet on a pre-arranged schedule and complete administrative procedures. Examples in travel and tourism includes sales teams and marketing teams Informal teams work within or outside formal teams. They are sometimes based on personal relationships between members rather than on work roles. When you complete group work for assignments, you often choose the colleagues you wish. You choose to work with people you like and ones you know will be as committed as you are to the work. This is an informal team. There are several theories of team structure and development, which will help you to understand the effectiveness of teams. Bruce Tuckman (1965) identified four main stages of team development:- * Forming at this stage, team members form their first impressions of each other and establish identities. They are sounding each other out and finding out what is expected of them. * Storming- the team members have, by now, become more used to each other. Members are prepared to put forward their ideas forcibly and openly; they are also prepared to disagree and so there may be some conflict and hostility. * Norming the team now begins to establish co-operation. Conflict is controlled, views are exchanged and new standards introduced. * Performing the team is now working together; it begins to arrive at solutions and achieve objectives. There can also be a fifth stage, called adjourning or mourning, where the team has disbanded and the members miss being part of the team. * Job roles and lines of responsibility An organisation chart shows the structure of the company and how the work is divided into different areas. It also shows the lines of responsibility between staff, so that it is apparent who is responsible to whom. An employee studying a chart will find the possible promotions routes. The chart may show a hierarchical structure or line relationship. This is a very traditional structure and shows a chain of command with each person responsible to the person above them. It is sometimes referred to as a pyramid structure. Many organisations today would be depicted in a chart with a flatter structure. There are fewer layers of management, and each manager has a broader span of control. Restructuring of organisations often involves getting rid of middle managers, hence the flattened structure. * Channels of communication Open communication must be encouraged and ideas should be freely expressed in the workplace. There should be trust and support between team members. An effective leader can encourage good communication and shape the way the team works. * Verbal Verbal communication is the process of sending and receiving messages with words, including writing and there are different ways a person can do verbal communication 1. Telephone 2. Word of mouth 3. Video conference 4. Face to face 5. Presentation 6. Walkie-talkie 7. Meetings 8. Bluetooth/ headset (mobile phone) 9. Radio 10. Sign language * Written Written communication guarantees that everyone concerned has the same information and it provides a long-lasting record of communication for future such as 1. Books 2. Brochures/ leaflets, newspaper 3. E-mail 4. Text (written + electronic + verbal) 5. Fax (written + electronic) 6. Notice boards 7. Minutes of meetings * Electronic Electronic communication means any method used to convey a message that has been transmitted via electronic means such as e-mail, video conferencing, radio, TV, mobile phone, internet, fax etc. * Equal opportunities Legislation exists to ensure that personal receive equal opportunities and that there is no discrimination. The arts of parliament that you should be aware of are:- * Race relations Act 1976 This act makes discrimination on racial grounds unlawful in employment, training, education and the provision of goods, facilities and services. The two main type of discrimination involved in this Act are:- 1. direct discrimination:- discrimination against colour disability, citizenship 2. indirect discrimination:- discriminating a racial group * Sex discrimination Act 1975 This act makes it unlawful to discriminating against someone on the ground of gender, marital status, Gender reassignment or sexual orientation. The act was updated in 1986 to remove restrictions on womens hours of work and then it allowed women to take h=jobs with flexible hours. This act not only covers discriminations in the workplace but in job advertisements and interviews. * Disability discrimination act 1995 This act makes discrimination against people with disabilities unlawful in respect of employment, education and access to goods, facilities, services, and premises. Employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate people with disabilities. Examples include providing specially adapted keyboards for arthritis sufferers, facilitating wheelchair access and relocating people with limited mobility to the ground floor. * Equal pay act 1970 This act was introduced to address the problem of women being paid less than men for the same work. It allows employees to claim equal value in terms of demands made on them, such as effort, skills and decisions made. There is also an EU Directive that state that for the same work or work of equal value, sex discrimination must be eliminated in all aspects of pay. * Other forms of discrimination Discrimination at work is a very serious issue and can result in large amounts of compensation being awarded following successful tribunals, not to set up policies to ensure that the workplace is free from discrimination. Measures to be taken include:- 1. Setting up a comprehensive equal opportunities policy covering all aspects of discrimination 2. Training staff in discrimination legislation and on how to implement the equal opportunities policy 3. Setting up complaints procedures for instances of discrimination * Employment rights act 1996 When someone gets a job they can aspect to receive a contract of employment. This is a legally binding agreement between the employer and the employee. Under the Employment Rights Act, the employer must give the employee a written document including the following information, in writing within 2 months of starting work:- 1. Name of employer and employee 2. Date employment began 3. Rate of pay and interval of pay 4. Hours of work 5. Holiday entitlement and pay 6. Job title and brief description of duties 7. Place of work 8. Notice entitlement and requirements 9. Sick leave entitlement and sick pay 10. Pension and pension scheme 11. Disciplinary procedures and grievance producers 12. Date of end of employment it fixed term 13. Additional details about working aboard if appropriate. * Notice board After one month of continues employment an employee is entitle to one week of notice if the employment ends. After 2 years employment they are entitle to 2 weeks notice, after 3 years, 3 weeks notice and so on. After 12 years the legal maximum 12 weeks notice is reached. A employee must also give notice of leaving to an employer. After one month of continuous employment, an employee must give a minimum of one weeks notice. Employees are entitled to normal pay during notice periods as long as they are working or available for work. * Redundancy Redundancy pay is calculated according to the employees age, length of service and salary. Employees can claim for unfair dismissal if they suspect: 1. There is no real redundancy 2. They were unfairly selected for redundancy Dismissal is treated as redundancy if the whole business is closing or a particular job disappears or requires fewer employees. An employer may offer alternative employment. If the employee unreasonably refuses it they are not entitled to redundancy pay. * EU Directives on hours and pay The European Working Time Directive was enacted in the UK through the Working Time Regulations 1998. This lays down the following: 1. A maximum 48-hours week, averaged over 17 weeks 2. at least 4 weeks paid annual leave 3. a weekly rest period of at least 24 hours in each 7-day period 4. a daily rest period of at least 11 consecutive hours between each working day 5. an in-work rest break of 20 minutes for those working hours or more per day Some sectors are excluded from the regulations; one of theses is transport. * National Minimum Wage Act 1998 This Act provides workers with a minimum hourly rate below which their wages will not fall. Those who work part time benefit most, because they are often badly paid. The Low Pay Commission advises the Secretary of State on the value of the minimum rate. A special lower rate applies to 18-to 21years-olds. * Maternity and paternity leave The Employment Relations Act 1999 provides for basic rights for maternity leave. There are three periods of maternity leave. Ordinary maternity leave is for a period of 18 weeks which coincides with the period for statutory maternity pay. This applies to all employees. Compulsory maternity leave extends to a period of 2 weeks after the birth; the employer must not permit the woman to return to work during this period. Additional maternity leave follows immediately after the original 18-weekperiod and must end within 29 weeks of the birth. Employees with at least one years service with an employer are eligible for the additional maternity leave. Under the same Act there are provisions to allow parents 3 months leave in order to care for a child. This is intended to be taken before the child is five. It is intended to be available to men and to women, in addition to maternity leave. Paternity leave is available to men to: 1. Have or expect to have responsibility for the childs upbringing 2. Are the biological father of the child, or the mothers husband or partner 3. Have worked continuously for their employer for 26 weeks ending with the fifteenth week before the baby is due. Eligible employees can choose take either 1 week or 2 consecutive weeks paternity leave (not odd days) * Statutory sickness pay An employer must pay Statutory Sick Pay to employees who become sick and who normally earn at least à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½79 per week. After 28 weeks, Incapacity Benefit or Income Support must be claimed instead. * Grievance and disciplinary procedures These must be included in the employees written statement or contract, or at least there must be a reference to where they can be found. Disciplinary producers deal with such maters as warnings to be given before dismissal. Warnings might arise from the following:- 1. Lack of capability or qualifications-although the employer has a responsibility to give training 2. Misconduct-which includes habitual lateness 3. Gross misconduct (for example, assault or theft) leads to instant or summary dismissal. Grievance procedures deal with complaints by employees who are not satisfied with aspects of their employment. Employees must be given the name of a person to whom a complaint can b made and should be informed of right of appeal. * Investors in people Investors in people is a UK quality standard development in 1990. Those companies who gain the award have proved that they invest in the training and development of their staff. This is beneficial to employees and also to customers and suppliers. The standard for Investors in people is based on four key principals: 1. Commitment from the top to develop all employees 2. Regular review of training and development needs 3. Taking relevant action to meet those needs throughout peoples careers 4. Evaluating training and development outcomes for individuals and the organisation in order to continuously improve These principals are subdivided into 24 indicators of effective practise, and the organisation provides evidence for assessment against the indicators. Once the organisation gets the award it is entitled to display the Investors in People logo on company literature. * Buddies and mentoring Mentoring schemes are growing in popularity. They offer employees a one-to one relationship with a mentor, someone with greater experience and a willingness to listen and advice. The mentor and the mentee meet regularly and discuss aspects of the mentees job, such as career development. The mentor does not act as a line manager or superior and is never judgemental, but acts as a sounding board and is able to offer ideas and a different outlook on work issues. The Hilton hotel chain runs a mentoring scheme for its staff at all levels. Its purpose is to support staff in their career development. Mentors at the Hilton chain are often colleagues of the mentees doing similar jobs, which departs from the traditional model. All of the mentors have had mentoring training. Some companies have similar, but sometimes less formal, schemes where a new member of staff is given a buddy as a source of information and help. * Job security Many contracts today are fixed term, especially in areas such as visitor attractions. This means that the period of employment is not indefinite but lasts for a period of months or a year or two. The reason for such contracts is flexibility for employers- they can lose staff on fixed contracts at the end of the period without penalty. However, such contracts are demotivating for staff as they worry about their future income and job prospects. C) Describe with examples, how incentives can impact on motivation and contribute to an effective workplace in travel and tourism including: * Remuneration Remuneration means how much you get paid. You would imagine that this is very important as a motivator. In fact, it is an important factor in attracting people to a company but research shows that it is not the most important incentive. * Performance related pay Bonuses are often based on overall profits and awarded to all employees- usually performance related. * Incentive scheme An example of an incentive scheme could be a competition that staff are invited to enter. The competitions may be based on generating new ideas within the company, or how to boost sales, customer satisfaction or commissions on sales. * Discounts Discounts may be given on holidays or travel for those working in the industry. Many who work in travel and tourism receive cheap travel, perhaps by going on standby if they work for an airline or by going on fact-finding trips to a destination if they work for a travel agent. * Holiday entitlement In the UK employees can expect around 4 weeks paid holiday per year. In the public sector more holiday is often given, but this may be balanced against lower pay. * Pension schemes A good pension scheme can act as an incentive for many people who are concerned about security in retirement. * Perks As a perk, employees in the travel and tourism industry are often provided with a uniform. They may get to travel or live aboard and be paid to live there. They may be provided with a company car. * Opportunities for promotion and progression Many employees need a challenge and if they are in the same position, doing a job they find easy, they may become bored and less efficient. Thus, opportunities to move on and face new challenges are an important incentive. Opportunities may arise within an organisation and good people are quickly promoted. You may wish to let it be known that you are interested in progression and ask to be sent on relevant training courses and conferences. D) Described, with examples, how training can impact on motivation and contribute to an effective workplace in travel and tourism including: * Training Those employers who wish o ensure an effective workplace will offer ongoing training and development to staff. There are several benefits to organisations add to their workforces. Training can: * Improve individual performance * Improve team performance * Allow staff to be better informal * Equip staff to deal with change and emergencies * Make for a more flexible workforce * Improve morale * Allow managers more time to manage through delegation of other tasks. * Induction training Employers have to provide instruction and training to ensure health and safety, and this is usually a part of induction training. The induction is the first stage of training and is given to new employees; it is important as new employees need to be made welcome and become effective in their work as quickly as possible. Induction covers: * The nature of the job * Introduction to the workplace and to staff * The lines of responsibility * Facilities such as toilets, lockers, canteen * Health and safety basics * Training opportunities * In-house training Large companies offer their own in-house training and may even write their own materials. These training courses are very beneficial as they are tailor- made to meet the needs of the company. * External courses Thousands of external courses are available. These may be specific to travel and tourism or other professional qualifications in areas such as marketing or human resource management. They may be offered by colleges, by travel associations or by private companies. Companies may allow individuals or groups to attend such courses. Some may be long term, leading to advanced qualifications, so a great deal of commitment is required on behalf of the individual.

The Ghost in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE English Literature Cou

The Ghost in Hamlet      Ã‚   In Hamlet Shakespeare has designed a supernatural, ethereal character who lacks a physical existence, and yet who is a participating character in the drama. It is the Ghost, the subject of this essay.    Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes the ghost’s activity prior to the opening scene of Shakespeare’s tragedy:    The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the guard is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in succession, just as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a figure dressed in complete armor and with a face like that of the dead king of Denmark, Hamlet’s father. A young man named Horatio, who is a school friend of Hamlet, has been told of the apparition and cannot believe it, and one of the officers has brought him there in the night so that he can see it for himself. The hour comes, and the ghost walks. The awed Horatio tries to speak to it but it stalks away, leaving the three men to wonder why the buried king has come back to haunt the land. [. . .] Whatever the message is that has wakened the ghost, it refuses to share it with them. (35)    As Chute indicates, the Ghost makes his appearance even before the play has opened. In the beginning scene of Hamlet, Marcellus, Barnardo and Horatio see the Ghost and trifle with it in an effort to prompt it to communicate with them. Horatio and Marcellus exit the ramparts of Elsinore intending to enlist the aid of Hamlet, who is dejected by the â€Å"o’erhasty marriage† to Hamlet I’s wife less than two month’s after the funeral of Hamlet’s father (Gordon 128). There is a post-coronation social gatheri... ... Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Rosenberg, Marvin. â€Å"Laertes: An Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: Univ. of Delaware Press, 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.

Gregory Crewdson

Crescendo's photographs draw on Gothic Romantic and he as an artist's focuses on dramatic surrealists. Known for overtly cinematic photographs that use tricks of light to convey their mystery. Photographs: often of suburban scenes that exude the kind of eerie terror of Hitchcock films. His photography advocates unanswered questions that the viewer can than answer them Correspond tryst to create transparency, a â€Å"perfect representation† and a â€Å"perfect world. (he does not want grain, pixels, His photos shift focus in the series of away from the strangeness of ordinary life Into the heightened surrealists of dream and fantasy Example o Figurative interior o Subject matter: A figure sitting on the bed, surrounded by roses and twigs, there is a further trail of twigs scattered on the ground leading from the living room to the omens bed, there are two doorways, one gives you a glimpse of the bathroom, the other leads too living room. Large depth of feel because we are able to see into the background Socrates atmosphere using all this light o The color pallet Is balanced by the lighting (subdued warm brown)o (contrast between Interior, night and roses, making the figure stand out) o Taken at levelly and It Is wide angled. O Domestic in time voyeur – looking from outside in o Draws on fears and anxieties. O Ugliness has been made beautiful

Emily dickinsons nature poems Essay

Emily Dickinson’s use of nature imagery in her poetry incorporates elements of both romanticism and realism. These usually contrasting visions allow Dickinson to express a duplicity of perception, a duplicity which can be considered as a part of nature itself, as expressed through human consciousness. Although the overall impact of Dickinson’s nature imagery is romantic and reveals perception of nature as a mode of transcendence, the imagery and diction of Dickinson’s poems also establish a convincing realist tone, which separates her work from strictly transcendentalist nature-poets such as Emerson or Thoreau. It is not difficult to pinpoint individual poems by Dickinson where nature emerges as an obvious transcendent force. Her poem #214 â€Å"I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed† (Perkins, 990) utilizes an obvious metaphorical dynamic: the speaker of the poem is â€Å"drunk† on elements of nature: â€Å"Inebriate of Air — am I — / And Debauchee of Dew –† (Perkins, 990) and the exuberance of the speaker is meant to be both humorous and extreme. The poem strikes a comic tone, due to Dickinson’s belief that â€Å"the comic or humorous is no less serious than the tragic† (Eberwein 150) and in her mind, the â€Å"depths of human existence could never be climbed, would never be plumbed, without a humorous attenuation to the world† (Eberwein 150). The humor in poem #214 is meant to emerge from the irony of a speaker blatantly celebrating their drunkeness. Despite the poem’s comical overtones, the theme of the poem is, in fact, quite serious. The poem’s theme is that nature is a â€Å"gate† through which ecstacy is reached. The true irony of the poem is that liquor is superfluous to true ecstacy; all that is needed is nature itself. In this way, Dickinson is casting a criticism on her society’s reliance on â€Å"artificial† stimulants. Nature will endure where actual liquor runs dry: â€Å"When `Landlords` turn the drunken Bee/Out of the Foxgloves door –/When Butterflies — renounce their `drams` –/ I shall but drink the more! † (Perkins, 990) The seriousness of the poem’s theme is in the implied isolation of the speaker, who is acknowledged only by the â€Å"Seraphs† and â€Å"Saints† (Perkins, 990) who watch â€Å"the little Tippler / Leaning against the — Sun -† (Perkins, 990). It is impossible to escape the feeling that â€Å"Leaning against the — Sun† (Perkins, 990) is a dangerous position even fro an ecstatic poet; so while the poem demonstrates transcendence, it also expresses isolation and alienation. By contrast, Dickinson’s poem # 328, â€Å"A Bird came down the Walk –† (Perkins, 995) begins with a sense of alienation and rigid realistic description and opens toward the end to a transcendentalist vision of nature. The beginning line describe how a bid hopped on the speaker’s walk and â€Å"bit an Angleworm in halves† (Perkins, 995). The poet’s observation that the bird â€Å"ate the fellow, raw,† (Perkins, 995) suggests anything but a transcendental vision of nature. rather, the scene evokes a stark, biologically precise depiction of natural processes. Nevertheless, a duplicity of perception is hinted at in the following lines â€Å"And then he drank a Dew /From a convenient Grass –/ And then hopped sidewise to the Wall/ To let a Beetle pass –† (Perkins, 995) where the previously predatory scene gives way to one of â€Å"civility† and calm. The duplicity of perception is extended by the phrase â€Å"Like one in danger, Cautious† (Perkins, 995) which â€Å"may modify either the preceding â€Å"He stirred his Velvet Head† or the following â€Å"I offered him a Crumb,† hence either the bird or the speaker or both† (Eberwein 85) and, as such, admits an ambiguity into the poem’s diction which is foreshadowed by the imagery. This ambiguity is not quite resolved, but merely turned toward an image of transcendent nature in the poem’s closing lines: â€Å"Too silver for a seam –/Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon/ Leap, plashless as they swim† (Perkins, 995). Whereas poem #214 began with a blatant expression of intoxicated transcendence and ended with an ambiguity of isolation and alienation, poem # 328 begins with a sense of alienation and even violence,but resolves in a harmonious, transcendental uplift of diction and imagery. Obviously, Dickinson aim in her poetry was to represent the duality of human perception and the duality of the natural world which can be resolved in aesthetic expression, but not by methods based solely on rationalism or realism. Works Cited Eberwein, Jane Donahue, ed. An Emily Dickinson Encyclopedia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Perkins, George; Perkins, Barbara. The American Tradition in Literature 11th Edition 2007

Diary entry on a Homeless person Essays

Diary entry on a Homeless person Essays Diary entry on a Homeless person Paper Diary entry on a Homeless person Paper It was another cold, damp night. I sat under the bridge listening and hearing every noise. I could her animals and people muttering in the dark misty night. The wind was getting fiercer now, whistling between trees as it started picking up the leaves of the floor. The stars in the sky were brighter then usual, they were shining and twinkling in the clear black sky. It was like glitter on a black piece of paper. Time was going very slow, I didnt know how to pass time. It was starting to get very cold now, so I curled up into a ball to make sure I stayed warm. As I lay there my mind blank my eyelids started to get heavier and heavier and before a realised I fell into a deep sleep. I woke up in a king size bed; I looked up at the ceiling and smelt burnt toast. It can only have been the misses again as she was late for work. I herd the door slam; the car start and she had gone. We were really happy together, but I dont know what happened, weve been arguing a lot lately and I dont know why. She always wants her own way in life, and she thinks that everybody else is wrong and shes always right. We have been ignoring each other for the past 6 weeks; it was getting out of hand. She always said she is going to move about but I dont know what will happen. I threw my head back on to the pillow and dozed tried to get back to sleep, but it was no use so I got up and did my usual routine. This was to wake up get ready for work and come home and go back to sleep, but todays routine was different everything went as normal so far but when I came home, nothing was there everything had gone such as the furniture and the nearly everything else. There were only two things left. One chair which had a broken leg and a little note on it, saying leave house by 7pm new owners moving in. I walked straight out didnt even lock the door behind my and went to my best m8es house, but he didnt even want to know me. Even my own brother he said nothing nobody wanted to know me at all. Since all my money was in my wifes account I had nothing I even got the sack from my job since I had no home. Next morning I was woken by the community around me, who were on their way to work. Cars zooming past and leaving the horrible whiff of petrol behind polluting the air. I still lay on the floor, not wanting to face his miserable day. At the end I had to get up as my stomach started to churn and grind inside me I was feeling quite hungry. I slowly leaned against the cold rough surfaced wall, and made my way on my feet. I walked on and on until I herd many cars, people making noises in the distance. I was getting closer to the main area of the town. As I approached these smartly dressed people in their flash cars I felt myself sinking inside, as thought I am not welcome here. I slowed my stride and now walking slowly, I looked around to see the others around me. As I walked along the hard surface I could feel the floor, as there was a hole at the bottom of my shoe, it was wet from the little showers last night. I slowly walked on the side of the pavement grazing my wall by accident it was really stinging and I could feel it really starting to burn. I pulled a scruffy white bandage out of my pocket and warped it around my arm. My stomach still churning and grinding I was after some food. I digged my hands deep into my pocket and o only found a couple of pounds as there was once again a hole in my pocket. As I looked up again to see where I was walking I realised I came the centre of attention. I felt a shiver go down my back. Nearly evry1 around me started at me as I went past. I felt scared and angry, angry because people shouldnt stare its rude and scared because I thought they were going to hit me or shout. I quickly scurried past like a mouse tying to avoid a cat, and went into an Asian takeaway. I bought some food and as it was a Wednesday I set of to do my lottery, I did this only once a month, as I couldnt afford it. It was nearly early afternoon and I smarted my self up before I entered the shop and walked up to the counter. I had my lottery numbers and I passed it to the cashier and she grabbed the ticket right from the corner as though it had a disease on it. She kept looking at me from the corner of her eye, thinking I was going to steal something. As soon as I got my ticket I walked straight out of the shop and by now it was spitting so I went to the bridge I lay last night and snuggled up. It was boring sitting there but it I couldnt do anything else as by now it was totally chucking it down. I was just staring into mid air and herd the town clock ring and then a further 8 bells after that. This meant it was 8 oclock. Then I remembered the lottery ticket. I quickly got up, put my jacket over my head and walked on towards one of the TV shops. I walked in the rain it was coming down really fast my jacket was dripping; it must have soaked enough water to fill a pint glass. I quickly walked on it was only around the corner. As I walked faster the rain seemed to get heavier and heavier I couldnt see anything in front. It felt as though my eye sight was getting blurry I nothing was coming out clear bang! I hit something I fell to the ground. My head was thumping as though it was about to burst. The rain trickled from the end of my nose as I lay there it felt as though it was a dream. I shuck my head a couple of time then realised. I jumped to my feet and walked towards the window of the shop. As I looked at the TV then to my ticket several times I realised nothing had changed I didnt win anything it all, my head started throbbing even more now. I felt really lonely didnt care about nothing I just wanted to win really badly. I walked slowly towards the bridge not bothered about anything just really disappointed. As I made my way to my shelter I stamped through puddles make my feet wet and my cloths. The rain was stopping now and I could see the sun peeping out from the clouds. I could even see a rainbow in the distance. As soon as I got to the bridge, I slumped my self down onto the floor. I leaned against the wall whilst I could see little raindrops falling from the top. All the little birds had sat in the corners using it as a shelter too, so I wasnt alone. I lay there my head still throbbing, my mind blank. Time was ticking by so slowly; I didnt know what I could do. I then started to think how long could I last like this living on the streets. It was getting darker very minute now and was getting really tired. I found a blanket next to me, which I covered myself in and eventually I fell asleep. Another day was over.

Macbeth Characters

'Macbeth' Characters The characters in Shakespeare’s Macbeth are, in large part, Scottish noblemen and thanes that Shakespeare lifted from Holinshed’s Chronicles. In the tragedy, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s ruthless ambition contrasts with the moral righteousness of King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff. The Three Witches, evil characters at first glance, act both as agents and witnesses of fate, setting the actions in motion. Macbeth The thane of Glamis at the beginning of the play, Macbeth is the protagonist of the eponymous tragedy. He is initially presented as a Scottish nobleman and a valiant warrior, but his thirst for power and subsequent fear lead to his undoing. After he and Banquo listen to a prophecy delivered by the Three Witches, who proclaim him thane of Cawdor and, subsequently, king, he becomes corrupt. Macbeths wife persuades him to kill Duncan, the king of the Scots, during a visit to their castle in Inverness. He proceeds with the plan despite his doubts and fears and becomes king. However, his actions cause him to fall into a state of constant paranoia, to the point that he has his ally Banquo and MacDuffs family murdered. After seeking the witches advice, they tell him that no man â€Å"of woman born† will ever be able to slay him. He is eventually beheaded by Macduff, who was â€Å"from his mother’s womb untimely ripped.† Macbeth’s characterization can be described as anti-heroic: on one hand, he behaves like a ruthless tyrant, on the other, he does show remorse. Lady Macbeth Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, is a driving force in the play. She first appears on stage reading a letter from her husband, who details the prophecy delivered by the witches predicting that he would become king of Scotland. She thinks her husband’s nature is â€Å"too full o the milk of human kindness† (act I, scene 5) and belittles his manhood. As a consequence, she pushes her husband to murder King Duncan and do whatever it takes to be crowned king of the Scots.   The deed leaves Macbeth so shaken that she has to take command, telling him how to lay out the crime scene and what to do with the daggers. Then, she mostly recedes as Macbeth turns into a paranoid tyrant, if not to remark to their guests that his hallucinations are nothing but a longtime ailment. However, in act V, she becomes unraveled, too, having succumbed to delusions, hallucinations, and sleepwalking. Eventually, she dies, presumably by suicide.   Banquo A foil to Macbeth, Banquo starts off as an ally- both are generals under King Duncan’s rule- and they meet the  Three Witches  together. After prophesying that Macbeth will become king, the witches tell Banquo that he will not be king himself, but that his descendants will be. While Macbeth is enthralled by the prophecy, Banquo dismisses it, and, overall, displays a pious attitude- by praying to heaven for help, for example- as opposed to Macbeth’s attraction to darkness. After the king’s murder, Macbeth starts seeing Banquo as a threat to his kingdom and and has him killed.   Banquos ghost returns in a later scene, causing Macbeth to react with alarm during a public feast, which Lady Macbeth chalks up to a long-term mental ailment. When Macbeth returns to the witches in act IV, they show him an apparition of eight kings all bearing a strong resemblance to Banquo, one of them holding a mirror. The scene carries deep significance: King James, on the throne when  Macbeth  was written, was believed to be a descendant from Banquo, separated from him by nine generations. Three Witches The Three Witches are the first characters to appear on stage, as they announce their agreement to meet with  Macbeth. Soon after, they greet Macbeth and his companion Banquo with a prophecy: that the former  shall be king, and the latter shall generate a line of kings. The witches prophecies have a great influence on Macbeth, who decides to usurp the throne of Scotland. Then, sought by Macbeth in act IV, the Witches follow Hecate’s orders and conjure visions for Macbeth that announce his impending demise, ending with a procession of kings bearing a strong resemblance to Banquo. Although during Shakespeare’s time witches were seen as worse than rebels, as political and spiritual traitors, in the play they’re amusing and confusing figures. It’s also unclear whether they control fate, or whether they are merely its agents. Macduff Macduff, the thane of Fife, also acts as a foil to Macbeth. He discovers the corpse of the murdered King Duncan in Macbeth’s castle and raises the alarm. He immediately suspects Macbeth of regicide, so he does not attend the crowning ceremony and instead flees to England to join Malcolm, King Duncan’s eldest son, to convince him to return to Scotland and reclaim the throne. Macbeth wants him murdered, but the hired assassins take his wife and his young children instead. Eventually, Macduff manages to slay Macbeth. Even though nobody â€Å"of woman born† could murder him, Macduff was actually born via caesarean section, which made him the exception to the witches’ prophecies. Duncan The King of Scotland, he symbolizes moral order within the play, whose values are destroyed and restored as the tragedy progresses. While trusting and generous in nature (his virtues / Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongu’d’I 7.17–19) especially towards Macbeth, he is firm in his punishment of the original thane of Cawdor.   Malcolm Duncan’s eldest son, he flees to England when he finds out his father was murdered. This makes him look guilty, but in reality he sought to avoid becoming another target. At the end of the play, he is crowned king of Scotland. Fleance Banquo’s son, he is ambushed by Macbeth’s assassins alongside his father, but manages to escape. Even though he does not become king at the end of the play, we know that the current English monarchy during Shakespeare’s time descends from Banquo.

Characteristics of Language in Latino Community Essay

Characteristics of Language in Latino Community - Essay Example Latinos in the US are an example of a language community. Their main language is Spanish, but most of them adapted to English after they migrating to the US. Other than language, Latinos also share the same beliefs and cultural practices. The term Latino refers a section of the United States that originated from Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. Latinos trace their history back in 1500 when Spaniards migrated to the US and settled in Texas, Florida and Mexico. Factors that contributed to their migration from Caribbean and Latin America in to the US included expansion of territory by the US, neoliberal economic policies in US, wars and military interventions, and forced cheap labour, among others.Moreover, the history of the Latinos has been overlooked and even forgotten in current discussions and debates over immigration, but it started developing in the late 1980s when more case studies were conducted in New York, Chicago, Texas, Los Angeles and other major cities. H owever, despite the fact that Latinos settled in the US and even adopted their culture, their proximity to the border, constant migration and close ties to their homeland helps them to replenish their culture (Stuart and Hirschberg 443).â€Å"Machismo† is a term that plays an important role among the Latino/Hispanic groups. They use it as a flattering word, which means courage to fight, honour and dignity, protecting ones name, keeping one’s word, respect for others, love for one’s family and affection for children....They use it as a flattering word, which means courage to fight, honour and dignity, protecting ones name, keeping one’s word, respect for others, love for one’s family and affection for children. It can also be used in order to influence a person’s behaviour and to distinguish between sexes. Other examples of word used by Latinos include Corazon which means heart in English, respecto-respect, dignidad-dignity, afecto-warmth and demonstratives, and sensibilidad-sensitivity. The Latinos are said to avoid competition or activities that set them apart from their own group. They claim that standing out among one’s peers places a person in great jeopardy; thus, it should be avoided as much as possible. Latinos say that European Americans are not trustworthy; hence, they teach their children to treat them with a lot of hostility and fear. For this reason, Latinos children do not believe that European Americans professionals want the best for them. Moreover, Stuart and Hirschberg (445), claim that Latinos children are not good at expressing themselves verbally; thus, they are not able to express their emotions to their friends, adults and authority figures. Properties of the Latino language community Since the Latinos started migrating into the US, their population has increased dramatically. Stuart and Hirschberg (448) claim that Latinos were estimated to reach 40 million and become the largest minority g roup in the US by 2010. The most affected states where Latinos have dominated are; New York, California, Texas and Florida. They are now transforming the Unite States into Latino dominated region due their increasing population. Also, they have significantly influenced culture, politics and economy of many states in the US.

Comparative Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comparative Literature - Essay Example Europeans regard cannibalism as a wrongful activity but the writings indicate that cannibals cannot be regarded as savage and brutal people. They kill and eat human beings not for their appetite but for their glory and virtue. Moreover, the killing is not done as massive as is done in civilized societies. According to the writers, the civilized societies can be categorized as more savage and barbarous as compared to cannibalistic societies because humankind is dealt much more brutally and cruelly in civilized societies. The information collected about the cannibals is not a mythic story or some tale but judged events. The cannibals lead a well structured life according to their own setup. They are away from technology and innovation but they are near to nature. The cannibals are governed by natural laws. They also have their own religions and priests who preach them about love and hatred. They show love towards their families. They do not fight for physical belongings but for their valour and glory. They kill their enemies and keep their heads with themselves. They take prisoners, kill them and eat them afterwards by roasting. Europeans show sympathetic attitude towards cannibals on the basis of their own social values. They consider that cannibalistic societies are better than European societies because they do not show greed for physical belongings. This paper contains a detailed account of European attitudes regarding cannibalism in the light of two writers, Jean de Lery and Michel de Montaigne. Cannibalism can be defined as an activity in which, human beings are involved in eating other human beings (Lestringant 1997). Some humans consider other humans as their food in place of taking other types of foods available. The word cannibalism is also employed when one species is involved in eating its own kind. Cannibalism takes place when the enemies or other people are considered less than human and they are regarded as an