Comparing Stories: The Astronomers Wife & The Chrysanthemums :: essays research papers

Recently, I saw a movie about female tennis champion – Billie Jean King, and although I have never been into the feminism (neither can I say that I quite understand it), her character woke up some other kind of sensitivity in me. After this – to me significant change – I could not help myself not to notice different approaches of John Steinbeck and Kay Boyle to the similar thematic. They both deal with marital relationships and it was quite interesting to view lives of ordinary married couples through both â€Å"male† and â€Å"female eyes†. While Steinbeck opens his story describing the Salinas Valley in December metaphorically referring to the Elisa’s character, Boyle jumps directly to Mrs. Ames’s inner world. Although both writers give us pretty clear picture of their characters, Boyle does it with more emotions aiming our feelings immediately, unlike Steinbeck who leaves us more space to think about Elisa Allen. Mrs. Ames from â€Å"The Astronomer’s Wife† and Elisa Allen from â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†, two women in their best ages, did share similar lives. They were loyal wives, of decent beauty and good manners. They were married for some time, without any children and they were fighting the dullness of their marriages. At first, it looked like they were just caught in marriage monotony, but after the surface has been scratched deeper, it was clear that these two women were crying for attention: but they had different reasons. While Boyle describes Mrs. Ames as elegant, gentle, and quiet, Steinbeck gives to Elisa more strength. Her face was â€Å"lean and strong†, and her figure looked â€Å"blocked and heavy in her gardening costume†. Both women find their own ways to cover lack of happiness in their everyday lives. The astronomer’s wife is managing the house finding the silliest things to keep her busy: â€Å"†¦from the removal of the spot left there from dinner on the astronomer’s vest to the severe trashing of the mayonnaise for lunch†. Elisa spends her days in garden raising chrysanthemums â€Å"bigger than anybody around here.† The fact that these two women did not have any children can mislead us to the conclusion that they were both trying to satisfy the instincts they were probably having at the age of thirty-five. While this is the case with Elisa, the astronomer’s wife had different problem: the lack of communication with her husband and inca pability to understand the world he was in.

Making a Job Offer

Making a Job Offer Klaudia Barsi ORG 522 – Managing Performance for Results Colorado State University – Global Campus Dr. Danielle J. Camacho April 20, 2013 1. Recommend whether Jane should receive a best shot, competitive or lowball offer? Why? Clean Car Care (3Cs) should make the best-shot offer to Jane. She is a high-quality finalist, and her current employer is a strong competitor regarding the benefits she receives. Jane is an excellent employee of her current employer.She is also up for a promotion and soon receiving 2 weeks of vacation a year. Jane’s employer will most likely make a counteroffer, if Clean Car Care extends the offer to her as the manager. Therefore; Clean Car Care should make the best-shot offer to her with strong incentives that could make her leave her current employer. The best-shot offer also needed to compensate her for the job's requirement for working on the weekends. Clean Car Care needs to go present the best overall offer to be ab le to employ Jane.Unfortunately, the low ball offer would be uncompetitive with Jane’s current employment situation. She is an excellent employee who is also up for promotion, making a competitive salary with benefits including health insurance with no co-pay. She is only willing to change jobs if the terms are right. Additionally, the competitive offer would still be unlikely to make Jane leave her current job and to accept the job offer from 3Cs. Especially, that she prefers not to work on the weekends and Clean Car Care requires her to work both Saturday and Sundays.A competitive offer could potentially match Jane’s current employment terms in salary and benefits; however, she is likely to be promoted shortly; which would make 3Cs â€Å"competitive† job offer pretty much a lowball offer. 2. Recommend other inducements beyond salary, health insurance, vacation and hours schedule that might be addressed in the job offer and why. There are different inducements that could be offered to Jane and convince her to leave her current employer. I would recommend Clean Car Care to offer Jane a one-time hiring bonus and relocation assistance.I would leave out offering the hot skill premiums. The one-time hiring bonus would be helpful for Jane and it would only be a one-time expense to Clean Car Care. In this scenario, Jane is willing to move and work for Clean Car Care if the terms are right. Since she is willing to move, the relocation assistance, such as paying for moving expenses and providing house hunting services should be included in her offer letter. This would help the transition from Jane’s existing work and home to her new work and home.OFFER LETTER Clean Car Care (3Cs) Company April 20, 2013 Ms. Jane Roberts 2423 Fenton Parkway Tucson, AZ 87658 Dear Jane: On behalf of Clean Car Care (3Cs) company, I am pleased to offer you the position of manager at 3Cs’ Northside facility. You will directly report to Arlan Autospritz, Pre sident, Clean Car Care. This is an exempt position with an initial annual salary of $33,500, which equates to $1,288. 46 per bi-weekly pay period. Annual merit increases can be earned based on your job performance.We have established Tuesday, June 4, 2013 as your first date of employment. Please report to our main office located at 4356 Northside Dr. , Tucson, AZ 23456 at 8:30 am. Your benefits go into effect as of your date of hire. Your benefits include, health insurance, flexible work schedule, and vacation time. Clean Car Care would be happy to assist you in the relocation process by providing $1,500 for house/apartment hunting and $5,000 for normal and reasonable moving expenses.Additionally, we would like to provide you with $2,000 of signing bonus. This offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check; a drug screening test; signing this offer letter; and any attached documents and returning those signed documents to our Human Resources department. Aga in, Jane we look forward to your joining Clean Car Care (3Cs) Company and wish you a prosperous career here. Please indicate your acceptance of this offer below no later than April 22, 2013.Please keep a copy of this offer for your personal records. If you have any questions regarding this offer, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Arlan Autospritz President Clean Car Care I accept the offer as stated above. I understand and acknowledge that this offer does not guarantee me employment for any period of time and that the employment relationship between Clean Car Care and me will be â€Å"at will†, which means that either the Company or I may terminate the relationship at any time.However, we will request that you provide at least two weeks notice of your intent to terminate your employment with us. /// I also understand and acknowledge that the Company may change the terms and conditions of my employment at any time. Signature: __________________________________________ ______________________ Jane Roberts Date References Heneman, H. G. & Judge, T. A. (2012). Staffing organizations (7th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

What Is Love “The Great Gatsby”

The great depression, bootleggers, Jazz, flappers and changing lifestyles are all part of the roaring 20’s. A time when women redefined themselves and music grew to an all time high. This revolutionary and dynamic decade is the setting for The Great Gatsby and â€Å"Winter Dreams† both by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in New York, The Great Gatsby is the story of James Gatz, a newly rich man who tries to regain the love of his past girlfriend, Daisy, who is already married.The story â€Å"Winter Dreams†, set in Minnesota, is the story of Dexter, a boy who falls in love with an even younger girl, Judy Jones, who falls back into love with Dexter despite the constant attention of her previous husband , who seeks her love explains their complicated love lives. In both, works The Great Gatsby and â€Å"Winter Dreams† Fitzgerald discusses the theme of unrequited love, in which two men spend their entire lives and effort to win over a woman’s heart even though their loves goes unreturned Winter Dreams† shows the theme of unrequited love. To establish this theme, the reader finds out that â€Å"his heart turned over like the fly wheel of the boat, and, for the second time, her casual whim gave a new direction to his life†(Fitzgerald). This shows us that Dexter’s heart is totally enveloped in Judy and he is madly in love with her. It also shows that, even the slightest sound sends him over the edge. A man doing anything for a girl is also clear in The Great Gatsby. Furthermore ,The theme of unrequited love is shown in The Great Gatsby.To help demonstrate this theme, the reader finds out that â€Å"Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay†(Fitzgerald, 83). This shows that Gatsby is obsessed with Daisy and will do anything to be near her. Finally, it indicates that Gatsby will do anything to keep an eye on her, even if it means moving or buying a house near her. In both the novel and the s hort story, men almost go crazy to possess the girl of their dreams, but both are tragically denied this opportunity only after they have spent all their time and effort pursuing unrequited love.In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is murdered for something that Daisy does, and in â€Å"Winter Dreams† Dexter must realize that he will never be able to have his love and that it is best for both of them to give up. in that day, women where considered coquette today, we call them flirts. Women should not have been taking advantage of the men by walking all over the men but men should not have fallen for their selfish ways. So much for the American dream of true love.

Nowadays corporate governance

Nowadays corporate governance is seen as the key of attracting investors. Capital flow seems directed towards the companies, which practice fair and transparent ways of governing their organizations. With the changing global business scenario the need of understanding and effective practice of fair and technologically advance corporate governance has also increased. In my speech I will first explain the notion of Corporate Governance. ICAEW (2002) has explained corporate governance in a very effective and comprehensive manner as â€Å" Corporate governance is commonly referred to as a system by which organizations are directed and controlled. It is the process by which company objectives are established, achieved and monitored. Corporate governance is concerned with the relationships and responsibilities between the board, management, shareholders and other relevant stakeholders within a legal and regulatory framework.† Sir Adrian Cadbury (1992) defined corporate governance as ‘the whole system of controls, both financial and otherwise, by which a company is directed and controlled’. There are no hard and fast rules for corporate governance, which can be prescribed for all the countries. These rules can be different for different countries according to their needs and cultural settings. According to ICAEW (2002) with all the contrasts present in the rules and regulations of different countries emphasis is given to generic corporate governance principles of responsibility, accountability, transparency and fairness. Responsibility of directors who approve the strategic direction of the organization within a framework of prudent controls and who employ, monitor and reward management. Accountability of the board to shareholders who have the right to receive information on the financial stewardship of their investment and exercise power to reward or remove the directors entrusted to run the company. Transparency of clear information with which meaningful analysis of a company and its actions can be made. The disclosure of financial and operational information and internal processes of management oversight and control enable outsiders to understand the organization. Fairness that all shareholders are treated equally and have the opportunity for redress for violation of their rights. According to Meigs et al. (1999) this information meets the needs of users of the information-investors. Creditors, managers, and so on-and support many kinds of financial decision performance evaluation and capital allocation, among others. (P.07) Corporations resolutely focus on maximizing profits and a ‘legal obligation to act in the best interests of their shareholders. By and large, this excludes acting ethically or socially responsibly†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(Slapper and Tombs, 1999). (Shah, 2002) states that some Trans-national corporations make more in sales than the GDPs (Gross Domestic Product) of many countries. In fact, of the 100 hundred wealthiest bodies, 51 percent are owned by corporations. While this can be seen as a success story from some viewpoints, others suggest that these and other large corporations are largely unaccountable for the many social and environmental problems that they leave in their wake, and that their size means that their effects are considerable. It is not that every single corporation is inherently bad or greedy, but commonly, the very large, multinational corporations who naturally have vested interests in international development and trade policies (like any group) are able to deploy enormous financial resources in an attempt to get favorable outcomes. The political power that is therefore held by such a small number of people impacts the planet significantly. As a result a few of these corporations make up some of the most influential sources of political and economic power. Naturally, with such influence it is not clear   ‘who’ the regulator is. And as Clarkson’s (1999) earlier quote suggests money and power, in corporate activity, are paired. And where profit supersedes safety and power supersedes regulation there stands the conflict of interests, for the victims of corporate crime. These are for the most part neither wealthy nor powerful although, when they are liability is certainly applied copiously. For example in the case of Enron the former chief accounting officer, Richard Causey was indicted on charges of ‘ fraud, conspiracy, insider trading, lying to auditors and money laundering for allegedly knowing about or participating in a series of schemes to fool investors into believing Enron was financially healthy’ (findlaw.com). The ‘victims’ in this case were the investors who were identifiable and influential. Violations, which impact on financial systems, are subject to more scrupulous legislative administration, compared with social infringements (snider 1991 cited in Slapper and Tombs 1999:89). Increased attention to corporate crime would mean relating to large companies as ‘criminals’ (Slapper and Tombs, 1999). An issue, (Sullivan, 1995 cited in Clarkson, 1998) renders impossible on the basis that ‘crimes can only be committed by human, moral agents’. Media attention will focus on financial aspects of corporate crime due to its impact on a political scale and the sensational-factor that is the ‘respectable’ figures committing crime as well a the belief/knowledge that ‘scandal sells’. Scandal, is common reference for this financial aspect but noting the influence of language Slapper and Tombs (1999) note that this sets a’ scale’ for perceptions, rendering it uncommon/unusual. Another scale, which has been set in the last few decades, is the increasing complains of the least risk disclosure by the companies in their annual reports and financial statements. This is also accompanied by the misuse of the accounting techniques by the executive officers and managers of the corporations. As in case of Enron the technique of off balance sheet reporting was used in negative manner. Investors are often aware of the risks they take and in itself, off-balance-sheet financing is no vice. Companies can use it in perfectly legitimate ways that carry little risk to shareholders. The trouble is that while more companies are relying on off-balance-sheet methods to finance their operations, investors are usually unaware that a company with a clean balance sheet may be loaded with debt — until it is too late. (Morgenson, 2001) A change is required in the regulations. The accounting firm should not perform the consulting and auditing services both. The Companies should be required by the Government to increase their degrees of disclosure. The top-level management should be held more responsible by tightening up the regulations. They should also be held responsible in case of any frauds and regulatory violations of their subordinates. This in turn will give rise to the sense of responsibility in the people related at all levels. (Hanson, 2002) References Cadbury Sir Adrian, (1992). Report of the Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance, Gee & Co Ltd., UK Clarkson, Max (Editor), The Corporation and Its Stakeholders: Classic and Contemporary Readings, University of Toronto Press, 1998. ICAEW, (2002). What is Corporate Governance? Institute of   Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Retrieved 30/10/2007 from Hanson, K., (2002). Lessons from the Enron Scandal, interview about Enron by Atsushi Nakayama, a reporter for the Japanese newspaper Nikkei, March 5, 2002, Retrieved 30/10/2007 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/ethicalperspectives/enronlessons.html ICAEW, (2002). Corporate governance developments in the UK, Institute of  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Retrieved 30/10/2007 from Meigs, Robert F., Williams, Jan, R., Haka, Susan F. & Bettner, Mark S., (1999). Accounting: The Basis for Business Decisions, Eleventh Edition, Irwin Mc Graw-Hill, p. 07 Moregenson, G., (2001). Are New Woes Lurking in Financial Nether World? The Associated Press, December 23, 2001, Retrieved 30/10/2007 from http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/articles/isthisdebt.htm Slapper, G.,   & Tombs, S., Longman, (1999). Getting Away with Murder, Corporate Crime, Reviewed by Chris Moore, Issue 47, May 2000 Shah, A., (2002). Corporations and the Environment, Page Last Updated Saturday, May 25, 2002, Retrieved 30/10/2007 from               

Cultures in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cultures in Organizations - Essay Example Among other tools used by managers to control behavior of employees, include working language, beliefs, symbols and acceptable habits at the organization. Such tools constitute an organizational culture and subcultures. Communication is an essential cultural aspect that influences the productivity of an organization. The management of the organization therefore invests most of its resources to manage the flow of information within the organization. Information for example is an equally important asset in an organization since the information influences the management, production and marketing among other important features of the organization. This explains the various policies that control the flow of information in the organization. Working language is a primary feature that manages the flow of information besides influencing the culture within the organization (Jex & Britt 77). Most organizations have an official operational language within the organization. Besides the use of a specific language, organizations also have specific channels of communication with certain media considered official. The use of video conferencing, telephones and emails have become official channels of communication th at expedites management operations. Deal and Kennedy define organizational culture liberally as the manner in which organizations operate. In their definition, they provide a number of organizational cultures defining the relationship among the employees and managers within the organization and the influence of such relationships in the productivity of the organization. Among the organizational cultures the two scholars propagate, include work hard play hard culture. The culture explains the operations of restaurants and fast food cafes. Such cultures have low risks and rapid results. Such cultures require cohesive organizations with the coordination between the management and the employees. Effective

Should the United States pursue free-trade agreement Essay

Should the United States pursue free-trade agreement - Essay Example The benefits of the free trade agreements for the United States and other relevant arguments will be discussed further to support this statement. First of all, free-trade agreements (FTAs) provide the United States with greater opportunities to open up foreign markets to U.S exporters (Textbook, 41). Reduction of trade barriers and tariffs for export, diplomatic and national security, increased stability and transparency of both investment and trading environment, positive public relations with potential investors – are the main benefits the U.S. and its FTA partner country/countries will gain (Trade.gov, n.p.). As FTA’s involve smaller number of countries, the negotiation process is more flexible and has substantially greater chance for success than multilateral trade negotiations (Ewing-Chow, 264). Not only the United States will benefit from the new FTAs but also the other countries involved. Moreover, some experts believe that the other countries will be even in more beneficial position than the USA due to smaller sizes of their economies (Arnold, n.p.). Proponents of the multilateral trade agreements and trade liberalization might criticize this position, arguing that this will undermine the role of WTO and Doha Round multilateral trade liberalization agreement. Even though, the WTO has undertaken some efforts and initiatives for global trade liberalization and increased market openness, the final agreement has not been achieved. The Doha Development Agenda, launched in 2001 as the first round of global trade negotiations, has reached an impasse (Francois, van Meijl, van Tongeren, 350). One of the reasons of the series of launch-delays is the divide of the interests of the major players: developed and developing countries (Evenett, 143). With the increased global â€Å"weight† of such countries as China, and India, it might be very challenging to reach mutual agreement. Developing countries do not want to being taken advantage of by the developed

Research psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research psychology - Essay Example The feared situations can vary from interpersonal social interactions in small groups to talking to strangers. Performance fears, such as speaking in public, also are common. People with social anxiety disorder either avoid feared situations or experience them with extreme anxiety. Most individuals with the disorder have the more severe, "generalized" type, in which the person has other social fears in addition to the common fear of public speaking. Many researchers have conducted research in the area with varying recommendations. Much has been researched on social anxiety and how it affects peoples’ lives. Usually many researches have looked at the causes of social anxiety and how it could be treated. SARA W.holds that one–fifth of patients with social anxiety disorder also suffers from an alcohol use disorder (AUDs). They have argued that one of the theories that can be attributed to this is the tension reduction theory, which proposes that people with social anxiety use alcohol to alleviate their fears. This expectation that alcohol reduces anxiety may motivate alcohol consumption even if pharmacological studies do not support that assumption. She holds that social anxiety disorder is treatable with both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Some researchers have also attributed social anxiety disorders to environmental risk factors such as parenting (Ollendick & Hirshfeld-Becker, 2002). Although the role of parenting has emerged as a small but significant risk factor, less research has focused on parent psychopathology. This lack of attention may be due, in part, to the difficulty in separating out genetic contributions from environmental impact. Despite this, there is some evidence that parents with specific disorders contribute significantly to an increased rate of many childhood and adolescence disorders, potentially even within a particular developmental pathway (Stranger 1999; Burstein