Pride and Prejudice Study Guide

'Pride and Prejudice' Study Guide Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen that satirizes issues of marriage and social class. It follows the relationship between the quick-to-judge Elizabeth Bennet and the haughty Mr. Darcy as both learn to mend their errors in judgment and look beyond markers of social status. First published in 1813, the bitingly funny romantic comedy has endured as both a popular favorite and a literary classic. Fast Facts: Pride and Prejudice Author: Jane AustenPublisher: Thomas Egerton, WhitehallYear Published: 1813Genre: Comedy of mannersType of Work: NovelOriginal Language: EnglishThemes: Love, marriage, pride, social class, wealth, prejudiceCharacters: Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Jane Bennet, Charles Bingley, George Wickham, Lydia Bennet, William CollinsNotable Adaptations: 1940 film, 1995 television miniseries (BBC), 2005 filmFun Fact: Researchers named a pheromone in male mice that attracts females â€Å"Darcin† after Mr. Darcy. Plot Summary Pride and Prejudice opens with the Bennet familys reaction to a bit of social news: the nearby Netherfield house has been leased to Mr. Bingley, a wealthy and single young man. Mrs. Bennet expresses the belief that Bingley will fall in love with one of her daughters. Her prediction proves true at the neighborhood ball, where Bingley and the sweet eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, fall in love at first sight. At the same ball, the strong-willed second daughter Elizabeth Bennet finds herself the object of disdain from Bingley’s arrogant, antisocial friend Darcy. Caroline Bingley and Mr. Darcy convince Mr. Bingley of Jane’s disinterest and separate the couple. Elizabeth’s distaste for Darcy only grows when she befriends Wickham, a young militiaman who claims that Darcy ruined his livelihood out of spite. Darcy expresses interest in Elizabeth, but Elizabeth harshly rejects Darcy’s self-absorbed proposal of marriage. The truth soon unravels. It is revealed that Wickham spent all the money Darcy’s father left him and then tried to seduce Darcy’s younger sister. During a trip with her aunt and uncle, Elizabeth visits Darcy’s estate, Pemberley, where she begins to view Darcy in a better light. Her positive impression of Darcy grows when she learns that he has secretly used his own money to convince Wickham to marry, rather than abandon, her sister Lydia Bennet. Darcys aunt, Lady Catherine, demands that Darcy marry her daughter, but her plan backfires and instead leads to Darcy and Elizabeth finding their romantic happiness alongside a reunited Jane and Bingley. Major Characters Elizabeth Bennet. The second of the five Bennet daughters, Elizabeth (â€Å"Lizzy†) is the story’s protagonist. Playful and intelligent, she prizes her ability to make judgments quickly. Her journey of self-discovery is at the heart of the story, as she learns how to discern the truth beneath first impressions. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Mr. Darcy is a haughty and wealthy landowner who snubs Elizabeth when they first meet. He is proud of his social status and is frustrated with his own attraction to Elizabeth but, like her, he learns to overcome his previous judgments to come to a truer perspective. Jane Bennet. The sweet, pretty eldest Bennet daughter. She falls in love with Charles Bingley, Her kind, nonjudgmental nature leads her to overlook Caroline Bingley’s malice until it is almost too late. Charles Bingley. Polite, open-hearted, and a little naà ¯ve, Bingley is a close friend of Darcy. He is easily influenced by Darcy’s opinions. He falls in love with Jane but is persuaded away from her, although he learns the truth in time to make amends. George Wickham. An outwardly charming soldier, Wickham’s pleasant demeanor hides a selfish, manipulative core. Though he presents himself as a victim of Darcy’s pride, he is revealed to be the problem himself. He continues his bad behavior by seducing young Lydia Bennet. Major Themes Love and Marriage. The novel focuses on the obstacles to, and the reasons for, romantic love. Most notably, it satirizes expectations about marriages of convenience and suggests that genuine compatibility and attraction- as well as honesty and respect- are the foundations of the best matches. Characters who try to subvert this thesis are the targets of the book’s biting satire. Pride. In the novel, uncontrolled pride is one of the biggest obstacles to the characters’ happiness. In particular, pride based on notions of class and status is framed as ridiculous and unfounded in real values. Prejudice. Making judgments about others can be useful, but not when those judgments are formed erroneously or quickly. The novel posits that overly confident prejudice must be overcome and tempered before the characters can reach happiness. Social Status. Austen famously satirizes the manners and obsessions of class distinctions. While none of the characters are socially mobile in the modern sense, obsessions with status are presented as foolish and arrogant. Wealth and inheritance do matter, though, as evidenced by Mr. Collins’ presence as Mr. Bennet’s heir. Literary Style Austen’s writing is famous for one particular literary device: free indirect discourse. Free indirect discourse is the technique of writing thoughts that seem to come from an individual characters mind, without shifting into first-person narration or using action tags such as she thought. This device gives readers access to inner thoughts and helps to solidify the characters’ unique voices. The novel was written in the Romantic period of literature, which was at its peak in the first half of the 19th century. The movement, which was a reaction against the onslaught of industrialism and rationalism, emphasized individuals and their emotions. Austen’s work fits into this framework to a degree, as it emphasizes decidedly non-industrial contexts and focuses primarily on the emotional lives of richly drawn individual characters. About the Author Born in 1775, Jane Austen is best known for her sharp observations of a small social circle: country gentry, with a few lower-tier military families in the mix. Her work prized the inner lives of women, featuring complicated characters who were flawed yet likable and whose internal conflicts were as important as their romantic entanglements. Austen shied away from over-sentimentality, preferring instead to mix heartfelt emotions with a helping of pointed wit.

What’s a Good ACT Score for 2018

What’s a Good ACT Score for 2018 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Planning to take the ACT in the 2017-18 school year? In addition to studying for the test, you'll need to know what score to aim for. What is a good ACT score for 2018? What's a good score for each section? Has the definition of a good ACT score changed over time? We’ll start by looking at what are considered good ACT scores for 2018 using the average score and percentiles. After, we'll go over how to set an ACT goal score and then examine historical ACT score data to see whether the definition of good ACT scores has changed in recent years. What Is a Good ACT Score for 2018 Overall? First off, what is a good ACT score for 2018, broadly speaking? We can answer this question by looking at the average ACT score for 2018and the national ACT score percentilesfor 2018.Both averages and percentiles can be used to see how your ACT score stacks up against those of other test takers. This data is important to know since colleges regularly compare applicants' test scores during the admissions process. So what are percentiles exactly? In short, percentiles tell you what percentage of test takers you scored higher than, either on the test as a whole or a particular section. Thus, the higher your ACT percentile is, the better your ACT performance will be (compared with other test takers). But before we can answer the question, "What is a good ACT score for 2018?" we need to review how the ACT scoring system actually works. The ACT uses a scoring scale of 1-36, both overall and for each of its four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. (There’s also an optional Writing section, whose score- which uses a scale of 2-12- doesnot factor into your composite ACT score.) Now, let’s look at some data: according to ACT, Inc., the average ACT score for 2018 is 20.9.In general, any score above average can be considered "good," any score below average can be considered "poor," and any score at or right around average can be considered "OK." The higher your score is above the average, the better your score (and the higher your percentile) will be. Similarly, the lower your score is below the average, the worse your score will look to schools. Here are the ACT score percentiles for 2018 and what they say about your performance: Percentile* English Math Reading Science Composite 90th (excellent) 29-30 28 31 27-28 28 75th (good) 24 24 25 24 24 50th (OK) 20 19 20 20 20 25th (poor) 14-15 16 16 16-17 16 10th (very poor) 11 14 13 13 13 Source: ACT.org *For percentiles not reported in official data, estimated ACT scores/ranges have been given. In this chart, we can see that to get a good ACT score for 2018, you’ll typically need to aim for at least the 75th percentile, or 24-25, on each section. If you’re aiming for a particularly high ACT score in the top 10 percent, you’ll have to get at least 28-30 on each section (coming out to a composite score of 28).Interestingly, this total score is a whole 8 points below 36, a perfect ACT score. In other words, to get an excellent ACT score, you don’t even need to break 30! On the opposite side are the poor scores, which are anything (significantly) below average.For example, a 10th percentile ACT composite score is 13, meaning that any score in the range of 1-13 is a pretty low score. Therefore, you’ll definitely want to do better than this on the test before you send ACT scores to schools. But what does all of this data mean for you specifically? Keep reading to learn how you can use this information to set a personal ACT goal score for 2018. What Is a Good 2018 ACT Score for You? While all of these 2018 ACT score percentiles and averages are helpful to know, they don’t tell you what a good ACT score for you is in particular. Ultimately, what's more important than hitting a certain percentile is getting an ACT score that's high enough to get you accepted to your chosen schools. This â€Å"goal† score can vary depending on the schools you’re applying to.For example, for someone applying to Caltech, a good ACT score would be something close to a perfect 36. However, for someone applying to Mississippi State, a good ACT score would be a lot lower, around 27. As you can see, your ACT goal score isn't always going to be the same as someone else’s- this is OK! Not everyone applies to the same schools, so there’s really no point in comparing your goal score with those of your friends or classmates. All you need to know is that this score is your ideal score. If you can hit it, you significantly raise your chances of getting accepted to your top schools.But how do you find your ACT goal score? How to Set an ACT Goal Score for 2018 Setting an ACT goal score is a pretty simple process. Follow the three steps below to get started! Step 1: Make a Chart A chart helps you easily visualize what kinds of ACT scores your schools look for in applicants. Write the names of the schools you’re applying to in the leftmost column. Then, write the headings â€Å"25th Percentile ACT Score† and â€Å"75th Percentile ACT Score† horizontally across the top. (We'll explain more about what these headings mean in the next step.) Here's an example for reference: School 25th Percentile ACT Score 75th Percentile ACT Score Northeastern Boston College NYU Brandeis Brandeis University (John Phelan/Wikimedia) Step 2: Find ACT Score Info for Your Schools Now, it’s time to start filling out your chart. The easiest way to find ACT score info for your schools is to search â€Å"[School Name] PrepScholar† on Google. Click the link to your school’s â€Å"Admission Requirements† page in our database. Once on this page, scroll down until you get to your school's ACT score info. Here’s an example of an Admission Requirements page for Northeastern University: In the ACT score info section, look for the 25th and 75th percentile ACT scores for your school. These are located directly under the "school competitiveness" graphic. In the screenshot above, you can see that Northeastern's 25th and 75th percentile scores are 31 and 34, respectively. But why these percentiles? What do they mean? The 25th and 75th percentiles for a school are the middle 50 percent, or average range, of ACT scores for admitted applicants.These percentiles tell you precisely what kinds of scores successful students have had when applying to your school. If you can’t find your school in our database, search online for â€Å"[School Name] 25th 75th percentile ACT† or â€Å"[School Name] average ACT score.† Try to look for links to your school’s official website so you can verify that the info you find is accurate. Let’s take a look at our sample chart again, now with each school's ACT scores filled out: School 25th Percentile ACT Score 75th Percentile ACT Score Northeastern 31 34 Boston College 30 33 NYU 28 32 Brandeis 29 33 Step 3: Find Your Goal Score Now that you’ve got all of the info you need, it’s time to use your chart to find your ACT goal score. Look for the highest 75th percentile score in your chart. In our example, the highest score is 34 (for Northeastern). This score will be your goal score, as it’s the one most likely to get you accepted to all of the schools in your chart. Since your composite ACT score is the average of your four section scores, you can use your goal score to estimate what score to aim for on each section.For example, if your goal score is 28, you'll know to roughly aim for 28 on the four sections, too (so that the average of them, or your composite score, comes out to 28). That being said, if you're stronger at certain sections or topics, you might want to aim for higher scores on those sections and lower scores on the others. For instance, if your goal score is 30 and you're really good at math but not so great at reading, you could aim forsomething like 32 on Math and 28 on Reading (instead of 30 on both sections). In this case, you'll still be able to hit your goal score- you're just using a different combination of section scores to get there. How Have Good ACT Scores Changed Over Time? We now know what a good ACT score for 2018 is, both overall and for you specifically. But how has the definition of a good ACT score changed over the years? Has it changed dramatically, or has it generally stayed the same? To answer these questions, let’s look at some data. The following table shows the average ACT scores for the past decade: Average ACT Scores 2007-2017 Year English Math Reading Science Composite 2007 20.7 21.0 21.5 21.0 21.2 2008 20.6 21.0 21.4 20.8 21.1 2009 20.6 21.0 21.4 20.9 21.1 2010 20.5 21.0 21.3 20.9 21.0 2011 20.6 21.1 21.3 20.9 21.1 2012 20.5 21.1 21.3 20.9 21.1 2013 20.2 20.9 21.1 20.7 20.9 2014 20.3 20.9 21.3 20.8 21.0 2015 20.4 20.8 21.4 20.9 21.0 2016 20.1 20.6 21.3 20.8 20.8 2017 20.3 20.7 21.4 21.0 21.0 Sources: ACT 2017 National Profile Report, ACT 2012 National Profile Report, ACT 2011 National Profile Report As this chart indicates, average ACT scores clearly haven’t shifted much over time. The biggest change in points in any column is just 0.6 points, which isn’t a huge difference in the grand scheme of ACT scoring.Thus, we can say that ACT averages have stayed fairly consistent over time and are likely to continue to do so based on these trends. What about percentiles, though? Above, we used percentiles to show what good, OK, and poor ACT scores look like. But have the scores associated with these percentiles changed over time? Below are ACT composite scores and their corresponding 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles for the past decade: ACT Score Percentiles 2007-2017 Year 75th Percentile 50th Percentile 25th Percentile 2007 25 21 17 2008 25 21 17 2009 25 21 17 2010 25 21 17 2011 25 21 17 2012 25 21 17 2013 25 21 17 2014 25 21 17 2015 25 21 17 2016 25 20 16 2017 25 20 17 Like the first chart, we can see that changes over the years are extremely minimal. The 75th percentile score stays at 25 the entire decade, while the 50th and 25th percentile scores exhibit only a nominal change of 1 point starting in 2016. It's safe to say, then, that the definition of a â€Å"good† (or an â€Å"OK† or â€Å"poor†) ACT score has stayed relatively stable over the past decade. The fact that ACT scores and their percentiles don't change much is helpful to know if you want to compare a more recent ACT score with an older one. For example, if you wanted to compare your 2017 ACT score with your older sister’s 2012 ACT score, you can easily do this using percentiles- without having to takeinto account test years or dates. Recap: So What’s a Good ACT Score for 2018? There are a couple of ways to determine what good ACT scores for 2018 are. One way is to look at averages and percentiles. According to the most recent data, the average composite ACT score is 20.9. In general, any score at or around average is OK, any score higher than average(75th percentile)is good, and any score lower than average(25th percentile) is poor. Because the definition of a good ACT score hasn’t changed much in the past decade, you can easily compare scores across the years without having to adjust for test dates or testing years. In the end, though, a good 2018 ACT score for you depends not on averages or percentiles but on the schools you wish to attend. This ideal score is your ACT goal score, and it’s the one most likely to get you into all of the schools you’re applying to.Hit this score and you'll give yourself your best chance at getting into the college of your dreams! What’s Next? Still got questions about what constitutes a good ACT score? Check out our in-depth guide to good, excellent, and poor ACT scores. Need help getting started on your ACT prep? Follow our guide to developing a foolproof ACT study plan, and get expert tips on the best ACT test dates. Looking for ACT tips to improve your score and help you hit your goal?Our guide offers a compilation of the best ACT tricks and advice out there! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Eassy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Eassy - Essay Example The best way through which a manager can be able to know the areas that they are strong in is through feedback analysis. Within a short period of about three years, this simple method can always show a manageable areas in which they are strong and those in which they are weak. With knowledge of one’s strength a manager should seek to improve their strength in order to maximize their productivity. A manager should also be aware of the ways through which their intellectual arrogance can lead to ignorance something that can be very costly to the business they run. People usually have different ways of doing things. It is important for a manager to know exactly how they usually work. The way in which people work is usually highly influenced by their personalities. However, the good thing is that a person can always change the way they work (Drucker, 1999). People might not be able to completely change the way they work, but they can be able to slightly modify the manner in which they work. A manager should be able to be aware of their own values. For instance, there are people who easily gain knowledge through listening while the other would easily gain knowledge through reading. People are rarely able to be good in getting knowledge through both means. This implies that a manager who does not know where their values are might end up opting for the wrong methods. With the lack of understanding of one’s values it is clearly evident that the manager will never be able to reach their full potential. However, a manager with the full knowledge of their values can always know those things that complement their values and bring out the best from them (Mintzberg, 1975). With full knowledge of oneself a manager can be able to know exactly where they belong. Some managers usually find themselves not being able to perform as expected of them. This is not always because they are incapable of performing, but because

What is meant by Project Planning and why we need a detailed project Essay

What is meant by Project Planning and why we need a detailed project plan for every project - Essay Example The present study would focus on project planning as an essential part of project management. It refers to the use of specialised tools such as Gantt Charts in order to plan and monitor the progress of a project. The use of project planning ensures that the project environment is stewarded continuously so that any known and unknown risks are monitored and dealt with in order to optimise the project cost and schedule. Typically, project planning begins with the definition of project scope. This ensures that fitting methods are determined in order to take the project to completion. Once project scope is well defined, the next step is to define activity structure. The various tasks required to execute the project are listed down as activities and the estimated time for these activities is listed down. These activities are grouped together and the resulting structure is known as the work breakdown structure (WBS). The WBS provides a fitting insight to how various tasks and activities are fitted together in terms of their dependencies on each other. Generally, the WBS tasks and activities are defined through the use of an activity network diagram. This tool allows the determination of the critical path which in turn provides information regarding: - all activities and tasks needed to complete the project that are arranged within a WBS; - the duration of time required to complete these activities and tasks; - the various kinds of dependencies between various tasks and activities. ... This optimisation is carried out in order to comply with the overall project goals and objectives. This process is known as resource levelling and it is carried out to ensure that all activities and tasks are carried out with the optimal use of resources and time. When resource levelling is carried out, the formed plan is known as the baseline. As the project proceeds, the baseline is used to compare the status of physical activities on ground with the agreed objectives. Generally, the baseline is used throughout the entire project life to both monitor and steward progress. The process used to compare actual progress to the baseline is better known as earned value management (Fleming, 2005). The major inputs required for the project-planning phase include the concept proposal as well as the project charter while the outputs are the project requirements, the project management plan and the project schedule. These inputs and outputs are used in tandem and may be revised as the project proceeds. Most projects that are executed are unique in nature and so entail unique requirements. This requires that projects are planned individually and executed accordingly including any changes that may be required as the project proceeds. 2. Need for Project Planning Planning is required for all sorts of processes that have economic value in order to ensure that these processes are competitive. The lack of planning lends credence to the fact that execution would be inefficient and would cost more than usual. In addition, projects are generally unique by their intrinsic design so that the tasks and activities are differentiated from one project to the other. When projects are being

A milimeter too far Essay -- Medical Research

A millimetre too far: Discuss metastatic melanoma (skin cancer) with particular reference to the genes involve. Introduction In 2008 11,767 new cases of malignant melanoma was reported in the UK (UK, 2011) . Melanoma involves melanocytes of the skin which have a role in protecting the deeper layers of the skin from UV light emitted from the sun. Metastatic melanoma occurs when a primary tumour travels into the bloodstream and spreads to other body parts i.e. liver or lymph nodes. The survival rate for people with metastatic melanoma decreases the later the diagnosis and the bigger the spread (metastasis) of the cancer. Scientists have therefore investigated ways in which treatment for melanoma can be improved by diagnostic markers and by targeting the genes involved in the development of melanocytes; also the genes involved in uncontrolled proliferation as seen in metastatic melanoma. BRAFV600E Mutation of BRAF gene (a member of the RAF family of serine-theronine kinase (Gorden et al., 2003) has led to countless research on therapeutic treatments that target BRAF gene and inhibit its expression. Before melanoma gets to the metastatic stages there are a series of somatic mutations in melanocyte genes that leads to the transition from radial growth phase to vertical growth phase (Tan, 2012). Over activation of BRAF gene (somatic mutation) in melanoma leads to the uncontrolled proliferation and survival of melanoma cells via activation of the RAS/RAF/MAPK pathway (Gorden et al., 2003); the attachment of BRAF to RAS proteins activates the MAPK pathway involved in melanoma proliferation and the regulation of genes involved in the metastatic cascade. Recent studies showed that 92% of melanoma samples had a substitution (l... ...M., Elder, D. E., Hsu, M. Y., & Herlyn, M. (1994). Regulation of Mel-CAM/MUC18 expression on melanocytes of different stages of tumor progression by normal keratinocytes. [Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.]. Am J Pathol, 145(4), 837-845. Tan, W. W. H., J.E.;Schulman, P. (2012, 29 Feb 2012). Malignant Melanoma Retrieved 15 March, 2012, from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/280245-overview Toh, B., Wang, X. J., Keeble, J., Sim, W. J., Khoo, K., Wong, W. C., . . . Abastado, J. P. (2011). Mesenchymal Transition and Dissemination of Cancer Cells Is Driven by Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Infiltrating the Primary Tumor. Plos Biology, 9(9). doi: ARTN e1001162 DOI 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001162 UK, C. r. (Producer). (2011, April 5). Skin cancer - UK incidence statistics. Retrieved from http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/skin/incidence/#Trends

Management and Organisational Behaviour Qantas

Assignment 3 Management and Organisational Behaviour Prepared for Dr Retha Wiesner Faculty of Business & Law University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba, Queensland by Student name: W. Amal Peiris Student number: U1031128 MGT5000 INTRODUCTION Qantas faced the crisis in 2011. However it has commenced in 1990 when it was deregulated the government through privatization. Culture of Qantas remained unchanged and it operated as a government organization. Since Qantas was a government owned organization its cost base was not competitive compared to other Airlines.Qantas responded with low-cost Jetstar and just like Virgin Airways, the latter also moved into international flight paths to provide an alternative to passengers. Since then Qantas set out on a modernization path whilst adapting to the global environment. However its cost base continued to climb. Three unions went on a strike and it resulted in 80,000 passengers being affected, more than 600 flights cancelled and seven aircraft g rounded. The impact has been felt at both domestically and internationally. On 29 November 2011, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce made the decision to ground the airline’s entire fleet.This action stranded 68,000 passengers around the world and locked out Qantas employees in response to the protracted industrial dispute. Since parties have failed to resolve the dispute within 21 days, went through a binding arbitration. As consequences to the Qantas crisis the main challenges are to rebuilding of trust, restoring good working relationships and rescuing Qantas’ reputation with its staff, customers, the government and other stakeholders. CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE POWER ISSUES EVIDENT FROM THE CASE Power could be define as, the ability to mobilize resources (human and machine) to get things done. * a resource, not an act. It is an ability, a capacity, a potential; and it does not have to be used. * something which is positive in terms of its output. * conception of powe r which sees it as the means whereby common objectives are achieved. * a resource which can be expanded and shared to the mutual benefit of all parties. Power over refers to the ability of one party to impose its will on another. Power is an essential managerial resource. It is demonstrated by the ability to get someone else to do what you want you to do.However, if power holders manipulate and impose such power on someone else to achieve individual objectives rather than common objective, a power issue is arose. Bases of Power Bases of Power refer to what power-holders control that allows them to manipulate the behavior of others. These are: Position power, including: ? Reward power – power based on the distribution of rewards that others view as valuable. ? Coercive power – power that is based on fear. ? Legitimate power and formal authority – the power a person receives as a result of his or her position in the formal hierarchy of an organization, including p rocess and information power.Personal power including: ? Expert power – influence wielded as a result of expertise, special skill, or knowledge. ? Referent power – identification with a person who has desirable resources or personal traits, the power of being likable. As the CEO of Qantas, Alan Joyce possesses the legitimate power and formal authority. In the given case it’s evident that Alan Joyce has used his power base in several circumstances, those have been critically analyzed bellow; The fleet groundingCEO announced the immediate—and unprecedented grounding of all Australian domestic and international Qantas flights as a result of the proposed lock-out of the airline's staff in response to continued industrial action against the company. This resulted grounding of 108 planes at 22 airports, domestically and internationally. Further it was estimated to cost $20 million a day. This can been seen as a action taken by the CEO based on the his legitimat e power and formal authority, which resulted in addition to the revenue loss a loss of goodwill too.However, one can argue that he made this decision with the best interest of the Qantas and but not anything against the unions. In his words he said that â€Å"All I’m concerned about is Qantas. This was not anti-union, this was pro-Qantas †¦ I’ll make whatever tough decisions are needed in order to ensure the survival of this great company† Actions to minimize cost As further explained in later part of this analysis, due to the deregulation of airline industry, management headed by Alan Joyce had to make following decisions to be competitive in terms of cost. Qantas decided to operate with low-cost Jetstar flights. Jetstar capacity is very limited too. * Qantas announced a restructure which will see 1,000 jobs slashed as part of a new emphasis on Asia; which would help the management to cut cost and be more competitive. However, before making these decisions management did not consult the parties who were going to be impacted. Based on the legitimate power and formal authority management used a top-down approach in terms of these changes. From the side of the employees, they could argue that this approach was not the right approach to change.From the other side one can argue that these decisions anyway had to be taken to the survival of Qantas, hence he had done these in good faith. CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE CONFLICT ISSUES EVIDENT FROM THE CASE AND HOW THE RESPECTIVE PARTIES HAVE DEALT WITH THE CONFLICT. The crisis which faced Qantas during 2011 is said to have commenced due to the following changes made by the management in Qantas; As a result of airline industry started going through a deregulation by the Australian government, by end of 1995, Qantas previously being a government owned organization became a public company which is listed in Australian Stock Exchange.However, as a result previously being a government owned organizat ion, Qantas existing cost base wasn’t competitive compared to other global airlines. Hence, management had to take following initiatives. * Qantas decided to operate with low-cost Jetstar flights. Jetstar capacity is very limited too. * Qantas announced a restructure which will see 1,000 jobs slashed as part of a new emphasis on Asia; which would help the management to cut cost and be more competitive. As a result of these changes following conflict issues were arose between management and its employees.Parties| Conflict Issues| Action| Engineers| Engineers felt vulnerable for fear their work would be sent overseas and they wanted only limited outsourcing. | * They went on strike over pay and conditions. * Later moved to arbitration, describing it as the appropriate outcome for the appropriate time. | Baggage and catering Staff| Their Concern was for job security and outsourcing – rather than pay. | * They went on strike over pay and conditions| Long-haul Pilots| To en sure Qantas flights are operated by pilots paid at Qantas rates, not the lower Jetstar rates. The only action Qantas pilots had been taking was inflight announcements about the industrial dispute, as well as the donning of red ties that carry the message †Qantas flight, Qantas pilots†| However, Fair Work Australia â€Å"FWA†; industrial umpire managed to bring the disputing parties to the negotiation table. FWA gave 21 days to disputing parties to resolve the dispute. But, within this period parties failed to reach a solution. Hence, FWA brought the dispute between Qantas and three unions to a close through binding arbitration.On the other hand, Unions argued that Qantas has failed to display good faith in the negotiations and reaction from Alana Joyce was totally out of proportion to the issues. CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE LEADERSHIP STYLE OF QANTAS CEO, ALAN JOYCE AS EVIDENT FROM THE CASE AND THE CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT HE HAS USED IN DEALING WITH THE STRIK E. Leadership style It’s evident from the research made on the â€Å"Crisis leadership† that leaders play a central role in crisis through sense making and the viable mental models. In this regard in depth knowledge on the crisis is very much crucial to a leader.In a crisis situation leaders’ actions are always depends on the leadership style of that particular leader. A leader always makes decisions to cope with the crisis and to change the context in which it occurs in line with his/her leadership style. However, these actions may not always steady and directed towards the given crisis situation. In the given Qantas case, when the industrial dispute occurred, Alan Joyce as the CEO of Qantas decided to grounding of all Australian domestic and international Qantas flights as a result of the proposed lock-out of the airline's staff.Further, he decided to reimburse accommodation costs for those left stranded by the fleet grounding, and refund those who were expect ed to fly with the airline. Afterward, he expressed his opinion on his actions saying that â€Å"All I’m concerned about is Qantas. This was not anti-union, this was pro-Qantas †¦ I’ll make whatever tough decisions are needed in order to ensure the survival of this great company† Hence, in this situation one could argue that the leadership style of Qantas CEO is authoritarian or Autocratic where workers have low bargaining power.In late 1940s, based on the research made by the University of Michigan it was derived two basic forms of leadership behaviors; employee-centered and production-centered. In the employee-centered environment it’s expected that leaders are sensitive to the employee’s feelings and emphasizes more on interpersonal relations. In the production-centered environment it’s expected that leaders are more concerned with spelling out the task requirements and emphasizes more on the technical aspects of the job.When conside ring the above decision and comment made by the CEO on the industrial dispute, it’s evident that CEO is authoritarian or Autocratic and relied more on the production-centered behavior. Change management strategies Typically, change initiatives are met by some resistance. In general, resistance is managed best if it’s recognized early in the change process. This mainly can be done through education, communication, participation and facilitation. In the given case it’s evident that management of Qantas had used Top-down approach to change.In this approach CEO believed that one-way communication backed by the formal authority of their position is enough to implement the change. However, it’s evident from the case that this approach is not effective. Victims argued that Qantas has failed to display good faith in the negotiations and this one-way communication of change process made number of issues in Qantas. E. g. The engineers, felt vulnerable for fear thei r work would be sent overseas. The pilots union wants to ensure Qantas flights are operated by pilots paid at Qantas rates, not the lower Jetstar rates.The Transport Workers Union, which represents baggage handlers and catering staff, wants to restrict work being sent outside Qantas. As a CEO, who plays major role in top management, Alan Joyce does not have a monopoly on expertise, information and inputs. In such situation, two-way communication would have given addition perspective to the change management process. Hence, in general it can be concluded that leadership style and change management strategies used by the Alan Joyce are ineffective. THE SURVIVAL OF QANTAS MAY BE AT STAKE IF THE ISSUES AREN’T RESOLVED IN THE FUTURE.IN YOU VIEW, IS A CULTURE CHANGE REQUIRED IN QANTAS? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWER BY CRITICALLY DISCUSSING THE CURRENT CULTURE OF QANTAS AND EVALUATING WHETHER A CULTURE CHANGE IS NECESSARY. Although the Qantas and Australian Airlines were merged and Qantas was privatized, As a result of previously being a government owned organization the company’s cost base wasn’t competitive compared to other global airlines. The culture of Qantas including organizational structure, strategies, and cost base remained unchanged with the changes in Ownership.With the privatization, Qantas could have changed their culture including strategies, and cost base to be in competitive within the airline industry. Autocratic leadership was applied where workers have low bargaining power and there were no proper processes for performance evaluation, health and safety and benefits (Compensation) of employees. Leadership style should be arranged to enhance problem solving, effective decision taking, where performance evaluation, health and safety and benefits (Compensation) of employees is considered.They have failed in dealing with disputes with employees where dispute has had a profound effect on customers, suppliers and other third parties. Due to l ack of communication Qantas failed to provide adequate notice of anticipated interruptions to normal operations. Also Qantas has failed to display good faith in the negotiations. Therefore it is important to implement proper policies for resolving conflicts. Dividend has not been paid to the shareholders company since early 2009 and according to CEO there won’t be any growth in the short term.Company’s cost base is not supportive for make profits and further adding to the pressure on Qantas is the severe competition from Virgin Australia in the domestic market. In a summary, changing culture of Qantas is very important to achieve objectives of rebuilding of trust, restoring good working relationships and rescuing Qantas’ reputation with its staff, customers, the government and other stakeholders. Existing cultural web – Qantas Myths & Stories: * Lack of job security * Poor Management – employee relation Symbolic Aspects: * Top management remote fro m workers * One way communicationsPower structures: * CEO call the shot * Belligerent union * Complaint work force Organization: * Top down Mgt hierarchy * Still follow Bureaucratic style * Strong union Control systems: * Lack of open honest two way communications & Info sharing The Paradigm: * Focus product not people * Atmosphere of mistrust * Structure, order & stability Rites & Routines: * High Safety RECCOMENDATIONS Power As the CEO of Qantas, Alan Joyce possesses the legitimate power and formal authority. In the given case it’s evident that Alan Joyce has used his power base in several circumstances. E. g. He announced to ground all Australian domestic and international Qantas flights as a result of the proposed lock-out of the airline's staff in response to continued industrial action against the company. * As a result of the deregulation of airline industry, management headed by Alan Joyce took some decisions to be competitive in terms of cost. These decisions resulte d rate reductions and voluntary rate redundancies. However, affecting parties were not consulted before making these decisions. Earlier part of this analysis, it was concluded that a power issue is evident from these actions.Alan Joyce could have used his legitimate power and formal authority more acceptable way as his decisions created conflicts between Qantas and unions. This could have been done by way of; * Using the power to mobilize resources to get things done efficiently and effectively. * Using the power and politics to achieve common goals of all parties. * Creating friendliness use of flattery, creation of goodwill, acting humble, and being friendly prior to making a decision. * Coalition – getting the support of other people in the organization to back up the decision. Bargaining – use of negotiation through the exchange of benefits or favours. * Assertiveness – use of a direct and forceful approach such as demanding compliance with requests, repeati ng reminders, ordering individuals to do what is asked, and pointing out that rules require compliance. Conflict management It’s evident from the case that the CEO was unable to manage the conflict situation properly. Three unions were not happy about the approach used by the management. As conflict in an organization can be dangerous, CEO could have given more attention to the conflicting issues.All conflicting situations cannot be considered to have negative impacts. There are two sides to a conflict. i. e. constructive side and destructive side. CEO could have identified constructive side of the conflict. It could have offered the management to identify otherwise neglected problems and opportunities. Further, it could have helped Qantas to become more innovative in the given issue. Hence, CEO could have understand the issue that causes the disagreement to be in a better position to manage the conflict and use the conflict to the organization’s advantage.This could h ave been done by; * Listening carefully to unions to prevent misunderstanding. * Clearing the air with regular meetings that give unions a chance to discuss their grievances. * Offering as much information as possible about the changes to minimize confusion. * Developing conflict management strategies. Leadership CEOs’ actions against the industrial dispute brought number of conflicts on to the surface. This is mainly because unions were in the opinion that Qantas has failed to display good faith in the negotiations and CEO was totally out of proportion to the issue.However, leaders should play a central role in crisis through sense making and the viable mental models. In this regard CEO could have used an approach like case-based knowledge as it likely to equip a leader with the best basis for problem-solving under crisis conditions. Case-based knowledge appears most applicable in crisis leadership as case-based knowledge is known to be integral to planning and it provides i nformation that is relevant to generating viable responses to the crisis situation.Even though it is impossible to predict a crisis, as a leader CEO could have taken precautionary actions to prepare for such crisis. These may include; * Cataloguing potential crisis situations * Devising policies for their prevention * Formulating strategies and tactics for potential crisis * Identifying who will be most affected by the crisis * Devising effective communication channels to those affected to limit the damage the organization’s reputation. Associated change management strategiesIn the given case it’s evident that management of Qantas had used Top-down approach to change. In this approach CEO believed that one-way communication backed by the formal authority of their position is enough to implement the change. However, it’s evident from the case that this approach is not effective. Instead CEO could have used an approach like shared power and planned change. To mini mize the likelihood of resistance one of the best approaches to change is, put strong emphasis on involving all parties affected by the change. Following steps could have been followed by the CEO. Education and communication – educate the unions about the change before its implemented and help them to understand the logic of the change. * Participation and involvement – Allowing unions to help design and implement the change and allowing them to contribute ideas and advice. * Facilitation and support – Actively listen to the complaints and problems of the different categories of staff and providing training in the new ways, helping to overcome performance pressures. * Negotiation and argument – Offering incentives to actual or potential resistors. Manipulation – Using covert attempts to influence others. E. g. buying off leaders. * Explicit or implicit coercion – At last resort, using force to get people to accept change. Organizational cult ure * Organizational culture should be change to in accordance with structure to achieve its common goals. * Build strategies in accordance with structure, culture, and HR policy. * Implement proper procedures for resolving industry disputes. * Start by changing people’s behavior. * Decide proper plan for voluntary redundancies. Intervene in the cultural communications; that is, those things that communicate culture, and try to get people to adopt the new beliefs and values. * Intervene in the hiring and socialization of members. Hire people who would ‘fit in’ with the desired culture, and teach them the rules, norms and expectations of the organization. * Remove any ‘deviants’ from the organization. LIST OF REFERENCES University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Business and Law, 2012, MGT5000 Managing organizational behaviour, Study book, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, pp. 20-141. Wood, Zeffane, Fromholtz, Wiesner, Creed, A2010, Org anisational Behaviour core concepts and applications, 2nd Australian edn, , John Wiley ; Sons Australia Ltd, Milton, Qld, Australia. ABC (2011) What is the Qantas dispute all about? http://au. finance. yahoo. com/news/What-Qantas-dispute-abc-2933944078. html? x=0 ABC Updated October 31 Val Gostencnik and John Tuck (2011) Six lessons from Qantas, http://www. corrs. com. au/THINKING/INSIGHTS/SIX-LESSONS-FROM-QANTAS/ http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/2011_Qantas_industrial_disputes; viewed on 31 May 2012.

The Paradox of Heroism in Homer’s Iliad - 1951 Words

The Paradox of Heroism in Homer’s Iliad The Iliad presents a full range of valorous warriors: the Achaians Diomedes, Odysseus, and the Aiantes; the Trojans Sarpedon, Aeneas, and Glaukos. These and many others are Homer’s models of virtue in arms. Excelling all of them, however, are the epic’s two central characters, Achilleus, the son of Peleus and, Hector, the son of Priam. In these two, one finds the physical strength, intense determination, and strenuous drive that give them first place within their respective armies. Further, in their inner struggles they together present a complete archetype of the hero. The Homeric vision of the hero presents Achilleus and Hektor resolving the paradox of embodying the ideals of their†¦show more content†¦At last he is left alone to face Achilleus outside the walls of Troy, where he realizes the futility of his situation: either the Trojans will say, Hektor believed in his own strength and ruined his people, or he will perish at the hand of Achilleus (22.107-10) . The cycle of shifting motives is complete when Achilleus—who had previously thought the fighting unworthy of his energies—kills Hektor, who is finally more concerned for his own name than that of the city for which he had so bravely fought. One sees the heroes defining and defined by their allegiance either to their own glory or to the needs of others. When the heroes choose Other before Self, and thus integration above alienation, they are able to demonstrate unmatched, charismatic leadership, although this too has dimensions of isolation and unity. Rather than moving from one end of a spectrum to the other, however, Hektor is united with his men throughout most of the battle (one with them), while Achilleus consistently distances himself from those he commands (one among them). Achilleus is never able to withdraw from the warrior’s stance, even as all his men rest from the fray: Food and drink mean nothing to my heart / but blood does, and slaughter, and the groaning of men in the hard work (19.213-14). Later, when the Achaians hold games in honor of Patroklos, Achilleus presides instead of participating (23.257-61). He acts with great solemnity in judging theShow MoreRelated The Immortal Heroes of Homer’s Iliad Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Immortal Heroes of Homer’s Iliad In Homer’s Iliad, a warrior can only attain heroism and immortality by embracing an early death. Jean-Pierre Vernant describes this paradox in his essay, â€Å"A ‘Beautiful Death’ and the Disfigured Corpse in Homeric Epic.† According to Vernant, heroes accept the fact that life is short and â€Å"devote themselves completely and single-mindedly to war, adventure, glory, and death† (53). 1 Curiously, this is because heroes overcome death only when they embrace itRead MoreThe Iliad : A Wide Scope Of Courageous Warriors1964 Words   |  8 PagesThe Iliad shows a wide scope of courageous warriors: the Achaeans warriors entailing Diomedes, Odysseus, and the Aiantes; and the Trojans Sarpedon, Aeneas, and Glaucus. These heroes and many others are Homer’s models of virtue in arms. Exceeding all of them, however, are the novels two main characters, Achilles, the son of Peleus and, Hector, the son of Priam. In these two Heroes, they find the physical s trength, intense determination, and vigorous drive that give them top command within their respectiveRead MoreSatan as a Hero Essay1433 Words   |  6 Pagesand revoke the high Decree, Unchangeable, eternal, which ordained Their freedom; they themselves ordained their fall.† (lines 124-128) Therefore the choice of being good or evil was given to Satan. This is another ingredient of his tragic heroism: he knows he is evil but refuses to accept forgiveness and choose goodness. This evil part of Satan is a characteristic of him that most humans will not identify with, but the free will God has given his creations is something that mankind can sympathize