The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Five

November 2, Saturday Dear Diary, This morning I woke up and felt so strange. I don't know how to describe it. On the one hand, I was so weak that when I tried to stand up my muscles wouldn't support me. But on the other hand I felt†¦ pleasant.So comfortable , sorelaxed. As if I were floating on a bed of golden light. I didn't care if I never moved again. Then I remembered Stefan, and I tried to get up, but Aunt Judith put me back to bed. She said Bonnie and Meredith had left hours ago, and that I'd been so fast asleep they couldn't wake me. She said what I needed was rest. So here I am. Aunt Judith brought the TVin,but I don't care about watching it. I'd rather lie here and write, or just lie here. November 3,Sunday (10:30 p.m.) I've just read over yesterday's entry and I'm shocked. What was wrong with me? I broke off in the middle of a sentence, and now I don'teven know what I was going to say. And I didn'texplain about my new diary or anything. I must have been completely spaced out. Anyway, this is the official start of my new diary. I boughtthis blank book at the drugstore. It's not as beautiful as the other one, but it will have to do. I've given up hope of ever seeing my old one again. Whoever stole it isn't going to bring it back. But when I think of them reading it, all my inner thoughts and my feelings about Stefan, I want to kill them. While simultaneously dying of humiliation myself. I'm not ashamed of the way I feel about Stefan. But it's private. And there are things in there, about the way it is when we kiss, when he holds me, that I know he wouldn't want anybody else to read. Of course, it hasn't got anything about his secret in it. I hadn't found that out yet. It wasn't until I did that I really understood him, and we got together, really together, at last. Now we're part of each other. I feel as if I've been waiting for him all my life. Maybe you think I'm terrible for loving him, considering what he is. He can be violent, and I know there are some things in his past that he's ashamed of. But he could never be violent toward me,and the past is over. He has so much guilt and he hurts so much inside. I want to heal him. I don't know what will happen now; I'm just so glad that he's safe. I went to the boarding house today and found out that the police had been there yesterday. Stefan was still weak and couldn't use his Powers to get rid of them, but they didn't accuse him of anything. They just asked questions. Stefan says they acted friendly, which makes me suspicious. What all the questions really boil down to is: where were you on the night the old man was attacked under the bridge, and the night Vickie Bennett was attacked in the ruined church, and the night Mr. Tanner was killed at school? They don't have any evidence against him. So the crimes started right after he came to Fell's Church, so what? That's not proof of anything. So he argued with Mr. Tanner that night. Again, so what? Everybody argued with Mr. Tanner. So he disappeared after Mr. Tanner's body was found. He's back now, and it's pretty clear that he was attacked himself, by the same person who committed the other crimes. Mary told the police about the condition he was in. And if they ever ask us, Matt and Bonnie and Meredith and I can all testify how we found him. There's no case against him at all. Stefan and I talked about that, and about other things. It was so good to be with him again, even if he did look white and tired. He still doesn't remember how Thursday night ended, but most of it is just as I suspected. Stefan went to find Damon Thursday night after he took me home. They argued. Stefan ended up half-dead in a well. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened in between. I still haven't told him that I went looking for Damon in the graveyard Friday morning. I suppose I'd better do it tomorrow. I know he's going to be upset, especially when he hears what Damon said to me. Well, that's all. I'm tired. This diary is going to be well-hidden, for obvious reasons. P.S. I wonder who our new European history teacher will be? She tucked the diary under her mattress and turned out the light. Elena walked down the hallway in a curious vacuum. At school she was usually peppered with greetings from all sides; it was â€Å"hi, Elena,† after â€Å"hi, Elena,† wherever she went. But today eyes slid away furtively as she approached, or people suddenly became very busy doing something that required them to keep their backs to her. It had been happening all day long. She paused in the doorway of the European history classroom. There were several students already sitting down, and at the chalkboard was a stranger. He looked almost like a student himself. He had sandy hair, worn a little long, and the build of an athlete. Across the board he had written â€Å"Alaric K. Saltzman.† As he turned around, Elena saw that he also had a boyish smile. He went on smiling as Elena sat down and other students filed in. Stefan was among them, and his eyes met Elena's as he took his seat beside her, but they didn't speak. No one was talking. The room was dead silent. Bonnie sat down on Elena's other side. Matt was only a few desks away, but he was looking straight ahead. The last two people to come in were Caroline Forbes and Tyler Smallwood. They walked in together, and Elena didn't like the look on Caroline's face. She knew that catlike smile and those narrowed green eyes all too well. Tyler's handsome, rather fleshy features were shining with satisfaction. The discoloration under his eyes caused by Stefan's fist was almost gone. â€Å"Okay, to start off, why don't we put all these desks in a circle?† Elena's attention snapped back to the stranger at the front of the room. He was still smiling. â€Å"Come on, let's do it. That way we can all see each other's faces when we talk,† he said. Silently, the students obeyed. The stranger didn't sit at Mr. Tanner's desk; instead, he pulled a chair to the circle and straddled it backward. â€Å"Now,† he said. â€Å"I know you all must be curious about me. My name's on the board: Alaric K. Saltzman. But I want you to call me Alaric. I'll tell you a little more about me later, but first I want to give you a chance to talk. â€Å"Today's probably a difficult day for most of you. Someone you cared about is gone, and that must hurt. I want to give you a chance to open up and share those feelings with me and with your classmates. I want you to try to get in touch with the pain. Then we can start to build our own relationship on trust. Now They stared at him. No one so much as moved an eyelash. â€Å"Well, let's see†¦ what about you?† Still smiling, he gestured encouragingly to a pretty, fair-haired girl. â€Å"Tell us your name and how you feel about what's happened.† Flustered, the girl stood. â€Å"My name's Sue Carson, and, uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She took a deep breath and went doggedly on. â€Å"And I feelscared. Because whoever this maniac is, he's still loose. And next time it could be me.† She sat down. â€Å"Thank you, Sue. I'm sure a lot of your classmates share your concern. Now, do I understand that some of you were actually there when this tragedy occurred?† Desks creaked as students shifted uneasily. But Tyler Smallwood stood up, his lips drawing back from strong white teeth in a smile. â€Å"Most of us were there,† he said, and his eyes flickered toward Stefan. Elena could see other people following his gaze. â€Å"I got there right after Bonnie discovered the body. And what I feel is concern for the community. There's a dangerous killer on the streets, and so far nobody's done anything to stop him. And – † He broke off. Elena wasn't sure how, but she felt Caroline had signaled him to do it. Caroline tossed back gleaming auburn hair and recrossed her long legs as Tyler took his seat again. â€Å"Okay, thank you. So most of you were there. That makes it doubly hard. Can we hear from the person who actually found the body? Is Bonnie here?† He looked around. Bonnie raised her hand slowly, then stood. â€Å"Iguess I discovered the body,† she said. â€Å"I mean, I was the first person who knew that he was really dead, and not just faking.† Alaric Saltzman looked slightly startled. â€Å"Not just faking? Did he often fake being dead?† There were titters, and he flashed that boyish smile again. Elena turned and glanced at Stefan, who was frowning. â€Å"No – no,† said Bonnie. â€Å"You see, he was a sacrifice. At the Haunted House. So he was covered with blood anyway, only it was fake blood. And that was partly my fault, because he didn't want to put it on, and I told him he had to do it. He was supposed to be a Bloody Corpse. But he kept saying it was too messy, and it wasn't until Stefan came and argued with him – † She stopped. â€Å"I mean, we talked to him and he finally agreed to do it, and then the Haunted House started. And a little while later I noticed that he wasn't sitting up and scaring the kids like he was supposed to, and I went over and asked him what was wrong. And he didn't answer. He just – he just kept staring at the ceiling. And then I touched him and he – it was terrible. His head just sort offlopped †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie's voice wavered and gave out. She gulped. Elena was standing up, and so were Stefan and Matt and a few other people. Elena reached over to Bonnie. â€Å"Bonnie, it's okay. Bonnie, don't; it's okay.† â€Å"And blood got all over my hands. There was blood everywhere, so much blood†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She sniffed hysterically. He stood up and paced around the center of the circle, his hands opening and shutting nervously. Bonnie was still sniffling softly. â€Å"I know,† he said, the boyish smile coming back full force. â€Å"I'd like to get our student-teacher relationship off to a good start, away from this whole atmosphere. How about if you all come around to my place this evening, and we can all talk informally? Maybe just get to know each other, maybe talk about what happened. You can even bring a friend if you want. How about it?† There was another thirty seconds or so of staring. Then someone said, â€Å"Your place?† â€Å"Yes†¦ oh, I'm forgetting. Stupid of me. I'm staying at the Ramsey house, on Magnolia Avenue.† He wrote the address on the board. â€Å"The Ramseys are friends of mine, and they loaned me the house while they're on vacation. I come from Charlottesville, and your principal called me Friday to ask me if I could take over here. I jumped at the chance. This is my first real teaching job.† â€Å"Oh, that explains it,† said Elena under her breath. â€Å"Does it?† said Stefan. â€Å"Anyway, what do you think? Is it a plan?† Alaric Saltzman looked around at them. No one had the heart to refuse. There were scattered â€Å"yeses† and â€Å"sures.† â€Å"Great, then it's settled. I'll provide the refreshments, and we'll all get to know each other. Oh, by the way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He opened a grade book and scanned it. â€Å"In this class, participation makes up half your final grade.† He glanced up and smiled. â€Å"You can go now.† â€Å"The nerve of him,† somebody muttered as Elena went out the door. Bonnie was behind her, but Alaric Saltzman's voice called her back. â€Å"Would the students who shared with us please stay behind for a minute?† Stefan had to leave, too. â€Å"I'd better go check about football practice,† he said. â€Å"It's probably canceled, but I'd better make sure.† Elena was concerned. â€Å"If it's not canceled, do you think you're feeling up to it?† â€Å"I'll be fine,† he said evasively. But she noticed that his face still looked drawn, and he moved as if he were in pain. â€Å"Meet you at your locker,† he said. She nodded. When she got to her locker, she saw Caroline nearby talking to two other girls. Three pairs of eyes followed Elena's every move as she put away her books, but when Elena glanced up, two of them suddenly looked away. Only Caroline remained staring at her, head slightly cocked as she whispered something to the other girls. Elena had had enough. Slamming her locker, she walked straight toward the group. â€Å"Hello, Becky; hello, Sheila,† she said. Then, with heavy emphasis: â€Å"Hello, Caroline.† â€Å"What's going on?† she demanded. â€Å"Going on?† Caroline was obviously enjoying this, trying to draw it out as long as possible. â€Å"Going on with who?† â€Å"With you, Caroline. With everybody. Don't pretend you're not up to something, because I know you are. People have been avoiding me all day as if I had the plague, and you look like you just won the lottery. What have you done?† Caroline's expression of innocent inquiry slipped, and she smiled a feline smile. â€Å"I told you when school started that things were going to be different this year, Elena,† she said. â€Å"I warned you your time on the throne might be running out. But it isn'tmy doing. What's happening is simply natural selection. The law of the jungle.† â€Å"And just whatis happening?† â€Å"Well, let's just say that going out with a murderer can put a cramp in your social life.† Elena's chest tightened as if Caroline had hit her. For a moment, the desire to hit Caroline back was almost irresistible. Then, with the blood pounding in her ears, she said through clenched teeth, â€Å"That isn't true. Stefan hasn't done anything. The police questioned him, and he was cleared.† Caroline shrugged. Her smile now was patronizing. â€Å"Elena, I've known you since kindergarten,† she said, â€Å"so I'll give you some advice for old times' sake: drop Stefan. If you do it right now you might just avoid being a complete social leper. Otherwise you might as well buy yourself a little bell to ring in the street.† Rage held Elena hostage as Caroline turned and walked away, her auburn hair moving like liquid under the lights. Then Elena found her tongue. â€Å"Caroline.† The other girl turned back. â€Å"Are you going to go to that party at the Ramsey house tonight?† â€Å"I suppose so. Why?† â€Å"Because I'll be there. With Stefan. See you in the jungle.† This time Elena was the one to turn away. The dignity of her exit was slightly marred when she saw a slim, shadowed figure at the far end of the hallway. Her step faltered for an instant, but as she drew closer she recognized Stefan. She knew the smile she gave him looked forced, and he glanced back toward the lockers as they walked side by side out of the school. â€Å"So football practice was canceled?† she said. He nodded. â€Å"What was that all about?† he said quietly. â€Å"Nothing. I asked Caroline if she was going to the party tonight.† Elena tilted back her head to look at the gray and dismal sky. She remembered what he had told her in his room. He could see better than a human, and hear better, too. Well enough to catch words spoken down forty feet of corridor? â€Å"Yes,† she said defiantly, still inspecting the clouds. â€Å"And that's what made you so angry?† â€Å"Yes,† she said again, in the same tone. She could feel his eyes on her. â€Å"Elena, that's not true.† â€Å"Well, if you can read my mind, you don't need to ask me questions, do you?† They were facing each other now. Stefan was tense, his mouth set in a grim line. â€Å"You know I wouldn't do that. But I thought you were the one who was so big on honesty in relationships.† â€Å"All right. Caroline was being her usual bitchy self and shooting her mouth off about the murder. So what? Why do you care?† â€Å"Because,† said Stefan simply, brutally, â€Å"she might be right. Not about the murder but about you. About you and me. I should have realized this would happen. It's not just her, is it? I've been sensing hostility and fear all day, but I was too tired to try and analyze it. They think I'm the killer and they're taking it out on you.† â€Å"What they think doesn't matter! They're wrong, and they'll realize that eventually. Then everything will be the way it was again.† A wistful smile tugged at the corner of Stefan's mouth. â€Å"You really believe that, don't you?† He looked away, and his face hardened. â€Å"And what if they don't? What if it only gets worse?† â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"It might be better†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stefan took a deep breath and continued, carefully. â€Å"It might be better if we didn't see each other for a while. If they think we're not together, they'll leave you alone.† She stared at him. â€Å"And you think you could do that? Not see me or talk to me for however long?† â€Å"If it's necessary – yes. We could pretend we've broken up.† His jaw was set. Elena stared another moment. Then she circled him and moved in closer, so close that they were almost touching. He had to look down at her, his eyes only a few inches from her own. â€Å"There is,† she said, â€Å"only one way I'm going to announce to the rest of the school that we've broken up. And that's if you tell me that you don't love me and you don't want to see me. Tell me that, Stefan, right now. Tell me that you don't want to be with me any more.† He'd stopped breathing. He stared down at her, those green eyes striated like a cat's in shades of emerald and malachite and holly green. She never got to finish the sentence. It was cut off as his mouth descended on hers.

Financial managment Essay

Education  in Pakistan – KoolFree. Education  is only the weapon by which one can fight and conquer the battle of life. Theeducation  has been a very essential part of the different civilization of the  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5. Education  problem in Pakistan  Essay  | Study Aim www. studyaim. com/2014/01/15/education-problem-in-pakistan-essay/? Jan 15, 2014 –  Education  problem in Pakistan  Essay. Here we discuss about the problem  education  system in pakistan so all viewers read  essay  with. Essay on Education  in Pakistan | Pacans Online – A Free  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ww. pacansonline. com/content/essay-on-education-in-pakistan/? Jul 19, 2013 –  Education  is a fundamental human right. Pakistan is among those developing countries where people are mostly deprived of good quality  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7. Why Is  Education  so Important  Essay  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Ask. com www. ask. com †ºÃ‚  Q&A  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚  Society  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚  Other? Writing an  essay  on the importance of  education  for all is a great topic. Include statistics about drop out rates and the unemployment problem. Essay on education  system in Pakistan | Pacans – IELTS Lahore www. pacans. om/†¦ essays†¦ essays/essay-on-education-system-in-pakista†¦? Dec 5, 2013 –  Essay on education  system in Pakistan. The education system in Pakistan is not very good. It needs a lot of financial resources to establish so  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9. Education  system in Pakistan –  Essay  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Notes of life www. aamirilyas. com/education-system-in-pakistan-essay/? by Aamir Ilyas  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  in 52 Google+ circles Aug 24, 2012 –  An  essay on education  system in Pakistan, levels and types of education and educational institutions. English medium, run by education  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10. Education essay  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ College  Essays  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Tmjohnson04 – StudyMode. com www. studymode. com †ºÃ‚  Home  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚  Education? Rating: 4. 5 – ? 2 votes Tabitha Johnson Professor Penner English 1551. February 21, 2011. Education EssayEveryone would agree that  education  is a fundamental way of life. Searches related to  essay on education essay on  importance of  education short  essay on education essay on education  is the key to success what is  education importance of  education essay on education  system quotes  on education essay on  terrorism.

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone Communications break boundaries and bring connections between people. In â€Å"Some Friends and I Started Talking: Conversation and Social Change,† Margaret J. Wheatley describes communication as â€Å"a timeless and reliable way for humans to think together† (312). As human, communication is an essential need for everyday survival. It also brings people closer as they have a better understanding of each other through communication.For many cases, it takes people a lot of courage to step out of their own comfort zone and start conversations with others. When I came to the United States, the language barrier was keeping me from communicating with everyone around me. I barely spoke any English at the time. I would avoid talking to everybody. In class, I would sit by myself, putting my head down during lectures and avoid to be called on. But being so quite didn’t mean I was invisible to the bullies. During 8h grade, I was bullied by a group of Hispanic boys.They would throw my books into trashcans, made fun of my accent and pushed me as I walk through hallways. I was so afraid to come to school. My grades were dropping as the semester went by. I knew I needed to talk to somebody about it. Stepped out of my comfort zone, I seek my counselor Jane for help. Our conversation lasted for about two hours, but it changed my life completely. Wheatley mentions, â€Å"a simple conversation gave birth to actions that can change lives,†(312) in her essay.I soon found myself confronting the bullies and stopped them from bullying other people that were just like me. My grades also improved as my social life improved. This proves how communication is a â€Å"powerful tool in society† (Wheatley 313). Communication opens up new points of views and changes life for those who take courage and effort to begin a conversation. â€Å"We are hungry for a chance to talk. People want to tell their stories and willing to li sten to yours†(Wheatley 312). Communication is also the key to friendship and relationships.

Shakespeare adaptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Shakespeare adaptions - Essay Example Taking into account the works of Zeffirelli and Luhrmann, it is possible to agree with Tatspaugh and her vision of film adaptations and new approaches to the tragedies of love. Critics underline that modern adaptations of Romeo and Juliet comprise a composite art of story-telling, by which the film maker claims and rewards the attention of his viewers while ensuring that they will be alerted to everything they should know. Alterations may also be justified because of the centuries that stand between Shakespeare and the modern audience. Following Zeffirelli, it is the responsibility of film makers to bridge this gap to the classics and imagine that the author had been able "to write that play today for us" (Zeffirellia 257). So Romeo and Juliet's love-making in the film was appropriately more physical than Shakespeare's circumstances permitted. A movie-maker who seeks a popular audience must also mediate boldly between the original theatrical medium and film: "cinema creates a different chemistry with the audience, a different taste, and the attention of the audience moves so fastfantasy gallops in the audience in movies (Zeffirellia 261)your mind flashes-f lashes-flashes" (263). Dramatization of the timeless conflict between generations allows film maker to attract young audience to the play. Film adaptations of Romeo and Juliet are linked to youth culture and the pedagogical implications of Shakespeare's popularization on film. Popularization has meant the proliferation of representations, on the one hand, and thus an enlargement of what can be legitimately studied as part of the Shakespeare canon. Critics admit that these changes lead to the disappearance of a single, unified Shakespeare whose works. Two reasons make Zeffirelli's success as a "popularizer": costs of filmmaking and power to make audiences laugh and weep. In his approach to Romeo and Juliet, his characteristic accent on youth was of the essence. For his production of the play he chose unusually young principals and cast. Certainly his film draws on similar youth-culture, generation-gap appeals. As he recounts in his Autobiography, the fact that a Hollywood producers teenage son was moved by what he saw of the film in progress was crucial in the producer's decision to fund its completion (Zeffirellib, 228-29). For the most part Zeffirelli seems to let the story tell itself, pausing in places to admire the beauty of the lovers' faces and bodies, but in a compelling away entering into the story's own pace, rhythm, and points of climax, which he emphasizes by lavish use of background music. Deliberately calling attention to a social space, the film makers appropriates Romeo and Juliet as a mirror in which youth might confront the romantic relations and their prevailing social order. Luhrmann attempts to change the "original" staging conditions and portray the play as a modern drama. Romeo and Juliet is no less integrated, but in it the director's hand is less obtrusive. As before he allows his inventiveness several virtuoso displays-the opening brawl, the ball, the duels-all of them handled in his characteristically supercharged, richly textured style. Luhrmann changes em otional gears in mid-course, as he delineates the problems that confront the marriage (Palmer n.d.). Aspiration toward timeliness, although it helps to attract paying customers, need not lead to a cheapening of the original. The film makers have not succumbed to the too-easy updating that can come with

Ethical Issue Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Issue Case study - Essay Example There are existing statutes that cover the case of patients like the Somali immigrant. Several cases have already been resolved by the American courts with regards to treatment to forced treatment of people with contagious diseases. This coerced consent, according to Scutchfield and Keck, is not obtained as a sham of an informed consent, but as a way to obviate the need for physically forcing the treatment on the patient (72). I can also, as an alternative, resort to outright coercion. While this is extremely rare, this is not something that is unheard of. The case is quite extraordinary. First, the patient refuses treatment because tuberculosis is supposedly a death warrant in Somali culture. Secondly, her family also acceded to her wishes and supported her decision. Finally, there are no other medical alternatives left that would accommodate the cultural beliefs of the patient. Asking for legal advice to this action is crucial as well. But this is a matter of life and death and the fact that there is the danger of to the public variable. The civil authorities are always found to rule in support of healthcare decisions made in emergency situations that are dispensed with in good faith. The patient can only contest a forced treatment if they could provide evidence that: 1) the patient’s decision was contrary to what it would have been considered consequence of the involuntariness; and, 2) the treatment resulted into harm for the woman. I am basing my decision out of the principle of Act-Utilitarianism which argues that an action is right or wrong according to the consequences it resulted. If the result is good, then the act itself must be good as well and vice versa. Put in another way, the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its utility or those that are intrinsically valuable under the utilitarian’s theory of value (Thomas and Waluchow 19). One may argue that Act Utilitarianism is just another version of the-end-justifies-the-me ans argument but such is not the case. Utilitarianism is not really about instances like fraud being committed in order to achieve some higher purpose. Instead, there is a moral dimension, which requires a moral agent to decide for the achievement of happiness and benefits for all. The decision-maker under Act Utilitarianism always makes the following claim: An act is right and only if there is no other action I could have done instead which either (a) would have produced a greater balance of utility over disutility; or (b) would have produced a smaller balance of disutility over utility (19). There is the need to decide in a forward-looking manner with an emphasis on the examination of the impact of such decision to those affected individuals. It is ethical because, first, it is unselfish. The decision-maker makes the decision for the good of all. Secondly, it promotes happiness, well-being or positive benefits to those affected. In moral theology (from where most of our concepts o f goodness and evil comes from) there is always a concept of the unavoidable evil in order to achieve good results if that is the only way to do so. This rationale is expressed in a duty-based morality that a doctor can use in order to address the problem posed by the woman refusing treatment. I would like to discuss the behavior of the patient from the utilitarian perspective. She is suffering from a

E-business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

E-business - Essay Example In order to cater to a wide variety of audience and considering the hectic life schedules of the target customer, the firm has introduced an online store named ‘scoop shops’. Access to the web page would help a customer to find the product as well as the different product specifications including nutritional requirements. The web page also has a store locator that helps customers to locate a particular store. In addition, the web page also has a section that is devoted to generating feedback from the customers. This helps in gathering a large database of customers as well as analysing the demands of the customers. It also helps in garnering knowledge about any gap in the product or service offering. However, the organization’s website does not have a section that can help customers place orders directly over the internet. This limits the scope of the website as customers can only view product information. The web page, however, has a section that links it to socia l networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. This has enabled it to get access to millions of internet users in a highly cost effective manner (Singh, Becker & Wiliams, 2009, p.134). The website of Ben and Jerry unlike its competitor Baskin and Robbins do not have a section that segments customers based on their needs. ... Moreover, the web page is designed in a manner so that it attracts and suits the needs of the US based consumers. This is detrimental to the company’s strategy of international business expansion. Consumers may often get confused as they would not find any section dedicated to their personal needs. The web page also does not provide information regarding the detailed pricing of the products of the store. Hence, online consumers would find it difficult to compare the food items of the firm. It is also important to note that pricing constitutes one of the most important factors that influences the decision making process of the consumer. Hence, non availability of pricing data emerges as one of the key constraints of the web page. In order to address these constraints, the firm must undertake a radical change of the layout of its website. The opening page emerges as a highly attractive one but should also contain more specific information regarding the product line of the organi zation. It should also contain a section that would effectively try to segment the customers based on the product requirements. This would enable easy navigation for the customers who can easily find the product of their choice. This would reduce the confusion among the customers and would also serve to segment the customers on the basis of their needs and wants. The organization should also make efforts to provide more details of the product offering which would compulsorily include pricing details of the products. This would tend to offer a more informative outlook to the customers. The section of customer feedback must also be modified to an extent that on one hand it tries to analyse the demands of the customers and on the other hand, it tries to portray any gaps in the product

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Research - Essay Example The common characteristics of all social networks are the provision rather the requirement of making a profile that usually demands some personal information including contact information. A national survey conducted by the American Life Project in collaboration with the Pew research center (as cited in Lenhart & Madded, 2007), revealed that more than half of the teenagers, aged between 12 and 17 years of age regularly use online social networking. A technology being used at such a rate definitely would be having some effects on the lifestyle of its users. According to Pew Internet (cited in Chartier, 2009), a survey in 2008 revealed that the ratio of adult versus teen users of online social networks is 1:2. Teenagers form a group almost double in size to that of adults comprising social network users. Such findings lead to the speculation that adults and teenagers might have different opinions regarding the usability, security issues, productivity and impacts of social networking on one’s life. This study aims at identifying and presenting the differences in opinion that exist among adults and teenagers regarding the usage of online social networking. The main objective is to explore the areas of perceptions regarding online social networking in which the two age groups differ. Different surveys conducted by Pew Internet in 2007 and 2008 have revealed that teenagers use online social networking twice as much as adults do. Keeping in view these striking differences, it is speculated that opinion differences regarding the usage of online social networking might also be prevalent among the two groups. This study is an attempt to reveal such perceptional differences among the two age groups. It is hoped that it will contribute eventually in bridging these opinion gaps among the two groups. If the findings are utilized properly, the study can lead in spreading proper awareness about

Theoretical Communication Concepts and Its Application in Management Essay

Theoretical Communication Concepts and Its Application in Management - Essay Example Galloway & Thacker 2007 proposed a nonhierarchical structure to organizational communication; the network model, which is an interactive model of communication. SMCR model is a one-way communication model, the sender encodes a message which is then channeled to a receiver through a medium, the receiver then decodes the message. Limitations of this models lie in the fact that there is no feedback display from the receiver, this undermines the core purpose of communication in that it does not reveal the impact of the message on the receiver (Mullins, 2008, 72). It also assumes a one-way mode of communication clearly marking the beginning and end of communication implying the receiver lacks a response. This communication model can only be in a formal organization setting which mainly focuses on structure (top-down structure) whereby the position of the communicator and the recipient is highly considered. This form of communication is mostly written in the form of company magazines, handbooks, and manuals that stipulated organizational requirements, in this case, interactions between the two parties is not necessary, the top level management simply communicates policies and guidelines to employees (Murton, Inman & Osullivan, 2010). This model of communication is efficient as a human resource tool in the sense that it is simple to administer and can generally address all members of the organization. The network model proposed by Galloway and Thacker is a two-way communication model, it encompasses two linear models that enable response from the receiver, hence the receiver acts as the sender as the response message is channeled to the actual sender (Martin & Fellenz, 2010, 45).  

Patrick Lee and Robert P. George The Wrong of Abortion critically Essay

Patrick Lee and Robert P. George The Wrong of Abortion critically analyzing their argument. Clearly spell out how and why the premises lead to the conclusion - Essay Example That is true to a certain extent. When it comes to the fact that an unborn child is growing inside the mother, that does not mean she has the right to abort the pregnancy. It may be a fact that involuntary childbirth has caused deaths (Lee and George 2005). However, some people do not look at the fetus as a person. People forget, when it comes to abortion, that the unborn child and the mother are two separate entities. Thus, in all actuality, the child is only hitching a ride with mother for only a few months until it is ready to make its way into this world (Kidd 1999). The mother may have rights to be happy. But even our own government, which is full of hypocrites, wrote into our Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and are endowed rights by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Kidd 1999). This proves that even the fetus that is being carried by the mother has the right to live since it was created by God. Furthermore, if a woman pregnant with child is killed by someone, that person is going to be charged with two murders, not one. The law even takes in account the unborn child and prosecutes for the untimely death of the child inside the mother’s womb as well as the mother herself (ChristiaNet). Some people would lead us to believe that the fetus is not a person until it has the ability to be sentient and think for itself. The problem I see in that statement refers to young newborn children. If you say yes that a fetus is not a person since it cannot think for itself, then you must think that a newborn is not a person either. Newborns do not have the ability to think for themselves either. However, we still consider them people. Biologically, how can a fetus not be considered a person? At six weeks of gestation the fetus begins to develop a heartbeat. Thus, to me this essentially shows us that the fetus is a person. Also, it has been proven that a

Romanticism as Literary Period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Romanticism as Literary Period - Essay Example Even Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey, a confessional account of how nature is more than a memory of youth ("And I have felt a presence that disturbs me with joy / Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime / Of something far more deeply interfused, ) was coming from a man whose social and intellectual moorings reflected not just rustic roots. More particularly, the poem renders philosophical and meditative aspects of the sophisticated thinker often found in cultural and urban centers, which consequently finds ways to go back to the original sources of inspiration, mystery and awe, peeling the layers of stale customs and traditions to reveal the workings of nature or even the supernatural, (as portrayed by Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner). The Lyrical Ballads, objectively speaking could be said to a political statement asserting the primacy of the individual's feelings and imagination, and it has done so, moreso in intent. Execution-wise it was a bit too grandstanding, as other writ ers of other periods could also be called "romantic". The way that Wordworth's self-consciously and literally chose ordinary individuals and the rustic life as the worthwhile romantic subjects was an attempt to further drive down the point that poetry should be democratic (an offshoot of the influences of the French Revolution) and that it is the individual that matters, not custom and traditions. Shelley In the last two lines of A Defence of Poetry, Shelley sums up the power of poets to change society and awaken the masses: "Poets are the hierophants of an unapprehended inspiration; the mirrors of the gigantic shadows which futurity casts upon the present; the words which express what they understand not; the trumpets which sing to battle, and feel not what they inspire; the influence which is moved not, but moves. Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world." The poets, according to Shelley, belong to those classes of men in which the excitability of passions is strongest, and which the impressions or going-ons of nature and society work their magic - the apprehensions of the formerly "unapprehended", and consequently, this is communicated by the poets to society which is responsible for the continuity of language, and thus of society. Furthermore, according to Shelley, "the great instrument of moral good is the imagination; and poetry administers to the effect by acting u pon the cause." It is not that poetry directs or points out the rights and the wrongs, but in as much it moves mankind to the pursuit of what are sublime and beautiful and the eternal, and these have been the common goal of poetry since the ancient times. Shelley's poetry in awe-inspired tones invokes this spirit of poetry as a mover of mankind and society, primarily in they way that this spirit moves them, the poets. In Mutability, the endurance of human beings, rooted in nature's unchanging mutability, day in and day out is upheld. In Mont Blanc, Shelley regards the mountain as containing the "secret Strength of things / Which governs thought. More emphatically, Shelley in Ode to the West Wind, pleads for this

Critical Thinking Week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical Thinking Week 2 - Essay Example Nothing is accepted on face value and every aspect of a communication, whether oral or written, is questioned to clearly identify the issues, stated conclusions, arguments, evidence in support and assumptions/omissions/fallacies. This should lead to the right conclusions and right decisions. Clear thinking is all about ‘the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking’ (Anon., n.d., philosophy.hku.hk). According to Study Guides, clear thinking involves ‘placing the facts and information in a pattern †¦ and †¦ accepting or rejecting the source values and conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Anon., n.d., studygs.net). In the following paragraphs, a memo from the Director of Human Resources, Federated State Employees Union (FSEU), Local 343 to its President, in response to the proposal of the Governor of the state of Illinois for economizing the budgeted personnel cost of the department of transportation (DoT) through outsourcing its information systems m anagement, is analyzed applying the critical thinking process through its various steps (Browne and Keeley, 2007). Analysis Step 1: Issue and conclusion The memo lays down the union’s opposition to privatization of jobs as a means to curtail costs, dilates on the perils of the proposed action on union and its members, and attempts to justify the opposition on multiple grounds. The prescriptive issue conveyed is: Should the Governor’s proposal to cut costs by eliminating certain jobs by resorting to privatization be allowed to be implemented? The conclusion is: It is not only a bad idea but also bad in law, and is in effect an attempt to control the union. Step 2: Reasons offered FSEU is questioning the rationale of eliminating jobs through outsourcing, which opens up the possibility of permanent unemployment of the concerned union members. Since outsourcing would potentially invite foreign agents with their unfair advantage of low-wage workers, the proposal is seen as anti-American and as a forerunner for similar attempts in other departments too. Further, it would lead to reduced wages as a result of competition from foreign workers. Dispersal to other departments and potential wage reduction are attempts by the management to gain control over the union. Displaced workers, if at all they get new postings, would need to learn new skills and to cope with new environs, in spite of their age, experience and merit. It is contended that employee reduction/displacement through privatization runs contrary to the Pendleton Act of 1883. Step 3: Ambiguity in reasoning The Wikipedia reference to the relevance of Pendleton Act of 1883 is tenuous and not specific. Words and phrases like ‘instability, most likely, similar, attempt to drive out old experienced workers’ are ambiguous in context and not supported by reason or evidence. Step 4: Value assumptions/conflicts The major value assumed in the memo is the union’s right to protect the i nterests of its members and for citizens at large, both on the present issue and for future. Further, it is argued that yielding by the union on the issue would weaken its position for future negotiations with the management. At the same time, the assumed threat for the union members is sought to be used to garner votes

Effect of Stimulus Uncertainty Essay Example for Free

Effect of Stimulus Uncertainty Essay Participants The participants of the card sort experiment, were twenty-one psychology students enrolled in psychology 213W. Four of the students were male and seventeen of the remaining students were female. Students participated in this experiment to satisfy a course requirement. Setting The experiment took place in room 337, the experimental psychology lab room in the science building of Queens College, CUNY. Materials The participants used a standard deck of playing cards, which had 52 cards in four suits. Participants used cellular devices with 1 second precision, as time keeping devices and a pencil or black or blue ink pen to record data on a piece of paper. The internet based program VassarStats was used to calculate the T-Tests. Experimental Design A within-subject counterbalanced experimental design was used for this study (ABBA). In this design, each participant received each condition and served as his or her own control. The independent variable in this experiment was the method of sorting; condition A was a 2-sort alternative and condition B was a 4 sort alternative. The dependent variable in this experiment was the change in the response time, which was measured in seconds. Response time was the time it took the participant to sort all cards into corresponding piles, until the last card is on the table and no longer in the hand of the participant. The Null hypothesis in this study was the differing levels of the independent variable will produce no change in the dependent variable. The alternative hypothesis was the changes in the independent variable would result in changes of the dependent variable. Procedure The twenty-one participants divided into groups of two, because there was an odd number, there was a group of three. When groups were settled into their cubicles, one participant counted the cards, to make sure the deck contained 52 cards. Once the participant finished counting, cards such as joker and informational cards were taken out. The cards were than shuffled, three times, for randomization. Before the experiment could start, one student would take on the role as a participant and the other as the time keeper. The time keeper used their cellular device to time all 4 trials. Before the experiment could begin, the students counted the cards, to make sure that there were 52 cards. After counting the cards, a student used the bridge method to shuffle the cards. Each trial began when the time keeper said â€Å"go!† For all four trials, the experimenter timed the participant once he/she began sorting the cards and stopped the time once the participants hand was no longer hold ing the last card. Trial 1 (A), included the participant holding the deck of cards face down , and he/she must sort the deck of card into 2 piles, one pile being a black suit pile and the other a red suit pile. In between the trials, the experimenter (also the time keeper) shuffled the cards. Trail 2 (B), again, holding the deck of cards, face down, the participant is asked to sort the cards into 4 piles this time, one for each suit; diamonds, clubs, spades, hearts. Once Trial 3 (B) is finished, the cards are shuffled again and handed to the participant. Trial 4(A), is a repeat of trial 1, the participants had to separate the deck of card into 2 groups, by alternative color. For each trial, the participant was timed as to how long it took them to complete the sorting, for each trial. The results were recorded on a piece of paper. Once all four trials were completed the experimenter and the participants switched roles. The procedure was repeated for the new participant. After the data was collected, the groups, calculated their means. Results Sorting by color (M(mean)=48.33 seconds) was significantly faster then sorting by suit (M(mean)=66.43 seconds). The results were significant at t(-11.78), with p.0001. Figure 1 shows the means of the 2 sort groups and the 4 sort groups. The participants were able to sort the cards in condition A significantly faster than condition B. Therefore, we accept the alternative hypothesis and reject the null hypothesis. Figure Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1 The Y-Axis represents the averages of the groups. The X-axis shows the two types of sorting methods. Group means were lower for the color sort (2 sort), than for the suit sort (4 sort).

Human Resource Planning Reflective Statement Business Essay

Human Resource Planning Reflective Statement Business Essay In a perfectly competitive market if companies are to maximize profits, they need to manage their human resources better. An example can be cited to explain that better. Presuming the selling price of an article is $15. If profits are to be maximized, prices cannot be increased because perfect competition exists. If the cost price of the article was considered to be $13, it is evident that the profits in such a case would be $2. The only way the company can maximise its profit is by cutting down on the cost of production of the article as the option of providing the same quality at an increased price is not a viable option. Since it is not feasible on its part to influence the prices of the raw materials, it is left with the only option of trying to influence its man-power to increase its efficiency and as such facilitating better and higher production. It is further to be noted that man power is the only cost-of-production factor which can be effectively and hugely influenced with a little better supervision. Introduction Human man-power are the most important wealth of an organization. The success or failure of an organization greatly depends on the ability of the people working therein. Without positive and innovative contributions from humans, companies cannot progress. If an organization wants to achieve its goals, they need to recruit people with the necessary skills, qualifications and experience (Jackson Schuler, 1995, Sparrow, Paul, et al 2004)). While doing so, they have to keep the present as well as the future requirements of the organization in mind. Human man-power is the most important wealth of an organization. The health of an organization can be largely attributed to the skill of the man-power currently employed by it . For the organization to be successful in the long run it has to be able to tap its man-power skills most cost-effectively . If it aims to be successful in the long run, the organization should be able to recruit the rightly qualified man-power and which it can further train most cost effectively to achieve its dreams (Jackson Schuler, 1995, Sparrow, Paul, et al 2004)). Nevertheless, the organization aims and goals have to be always kept in mind while recruiting manpower. Targeted Training and Development The unending spirit of self-motivation amongst the manpower at Infosys and an organizational obligation to continuous self development keeps the company ahead in a fast-developing industry. This constant self development programme at Infosys is structured around a host of dedicated workshops for its employees (Infosys, 2010). These include key schemes such as the Infosys Leadership Institute and also various in-progress management development and personal improvement programs. A lot of training programs also include technological training to keep employees abreast with the latest technology.   The training plan provides a succession of efforts as employees advance their career. When an employee joins the company, he begins his training with an induction programme and later leadership trainings are given as and when they take more responsibilities. Training at Infosys includes the following: Technical training by Education Research department: The company has an entry-level technical training program, lasting 14 weeks. Academic institutions have certified this training as being of the level of a BS training in America. The Education Research (ER) department at Infosys provides many regular training sessions to middle level employees also. Quality Process Training: Quality is a major factor at Infosys and there are tailor made training programmes for specific role jobs such as Software Engineer, Programmer Analyst, etc. Personal Effectiveness and Managerial Programs:   The company also has training programs to improve the managerial skills and leadership abilities, achieve company goals and create high performing multicultural teams.   ILI: The Infosys Leadership System: The Infosys Leadership System (ILS) and the Infosys Leadership Institute (ILI) deal with the subject of continuous growth and helps create a system for developing leadership abilities in Infoscions.   ILI is based at an ultra modern building, in Mysore, India The learning mantra at Infosys has been to bestow the participants with the understanding to find the best result, instead of showing a single method of work and also to relate to real life conditions. They also encourage employees to undertake further studies with fee refund if they are eligible. The selected few 400 of the 58,409 employees identified as high potential Infoscions go through a three-year leadership journey that includes training, actionising personal development programme, communicating with other participants, understanding the company better and resolving real business issues. The note prepared by the ILI faculty enumerates the nine pillars for leadership development as (The Hindu, 2010): 1. 360 degree feedback In order to know about the ability of an employee and how he is performing, the company collects information from other employees in his department; both juniors and seniors and also from clients. With the help of this feedback, personal development plans (PDPs) are set for each employee and he is allocated an ILI faculty member who guides the individual on how to follow the PDP. 2. Development assignments On the basis of the above PDPs, employees with good capability are chosen and are entrusted jobs outside their department and areas of speciality. This helps them attain leadership skills beyond their existing areas of specialization. 3. Infosys Culture workshops Culture workshops are organized with a view to underpin the Infosys culture amongst the employees. These workshops also help employees improve communication skills because of continuous interaction amongst themselves. 4. Development relationships This exercise involves communicating on a one-to-one basis during work and mentoring is an essential part of this. This helps in improving communication among employees and also in sharing of knowledge. 5. Leadership skills training These exercises are conducted by top officials of the company including CEO and Managing Director and participants are the Tier 1 employees. These are held in order to inculcate leadership skills among them through the vast experience of the CEOs and Directors. 6. Feedback intensive programmes These programs are similar to 360 degree feedback, but there is one difference that these are based on both formal and informal responses obtained from other workers that the concerned employee interacts with. 7. Systemic process learning This exercise is conducted with a view to enable the participant to obtain a general understanding of the processes of the company and how it functions. This helps in improving the employees as also the systems. 8. Action learning This exposes the individual to on-the-job problems and involves solving the same, albeit as a team. 9. Community empathy The company realises the importance of fulfilling its obligations towards the society and justifies the same by organizing various socially motivated schemes both educational and developmental in nature. These programs cultivate a sense of responsibility amongst its leaders towards the society. Staffing Policies Apart from its regular staffing process which includes campus recruitment, advertisement on major job portals (monster.com, naukri.com and timesjobs.com) and internal recruitment it also goes in for temporary reinstatement of retired executives and staff that the company has already laid off if the company is not able to find a suitable candidate by the regular staffing methods. Also there is the Infosys Internship Program, Instep where students from schools such as Stanford Graduate School of Business, MIT Sloan School of Management, Harvard Business School and the Said Business School of Oxford have been competing to visit Infosys Bangalore campus. Infosys Technologies Ltd. recently announced its first large-scale plan to recruit 300 college graduates from universities in the United States and 25 graduates from the United Kingdom as part of an ongoing commitment to create a diversified, global workforce. In 2005 06, Infosys doubled the percentage of non-Indian employees, hiring more than 25 different nationalities (Karnataka, 2006). Infosys Technologies Ltd (Infosys) has been recognized amongst the top 16 Asian companies to be listed in the prestigious Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises (MAKE) study, 2009. Infosys has won the Asian MAKE award six times in the past and is one of the five Indian companies amongst the leading Asian corporations to have won the award this year (Infosys, 2010). Linking Corporate Strategy with HR Strategy Corporate Strategy HR Strategy Expand Geographically Creation of diverse workforce. The company has employees from 70 nationalities working across 90 countries. Providing best business solutions Employing the best quality human resources Vision To be a globally respected organisation that provides best of breed business solutions, leveraging technology, delivered by best in class people. The primary corporate strategy adopted by Infosys is globalization viz geographical diversification. It has very well linked this strategy to its HR strategy of creation of diverse workforce having over 91,000 employees from 70 nationalities working across 90 countries. Any company intending to be global mainly needs to focus on their  corporate culture.  Most companies have an ethno-centric  corporate culture.  Initially when Infosys was small, it had all its clients and employees in India.  All its executives were and still are of Indian ethnicity. Therefore its  corporate culture is mainly influenced by Indian culture. When newer development centres are opened in other countries, the Indian corporate culture un-intentionally permeates and tries to inspire the local culture. If these two cultures are totally opposite, the company finds it difficult to maintains its leadership as it might tend to hamper the manpower productivity. As such, ethno-centric  corporate culture  may restrain the aim of any company going global. Nevertheless, if it were to have executives at the top with different cultural background , this ethno-centric corporate culture can easily be managed and motivated to achieve the organisation goals. As such, Infosys needs to have multi-ethnic executives at its top level before it can concentrate on its ground-level multi-ethnic workforce.  That will have a long term and positive effect on the multi-cultural background workforce and help the organization in attaining a truly global nature.  That is the  only  way for Infosys or any other company to achieve globalization (IT Strategy, 2010).    Also, another corporate objective of Infosys is providing the best business solutions among all its competitors. In taking this strategy forward, the company being in a knowledge based industry, emphasizes on the quality of human resource. The company mostly recruits people with the best academic records, in other words the crà ¨me de la crà ¨me of the graduates. The major issues challenges faced by HR Manager are: Health Welfare, retirement, change management, compensation, Employee rewards, HR effectiveness measurement, HR technology selection implementation, industrial relations, Leadership development, Learning and development, Legal/Regulatory compliance, MA integration/restructuring, Organizational effectiveness, Outsourcing, Staffing: mobility of employees, Recruitment and availability of skilled local labour, retention and succession planning. Professor Ghoshals 3 P Approach (Ghoshal Bartlett, 1998) Todays leading companies are built around the three Ps of Purpose, Process and People. Leading from the forefront, men at the top have to inculcate organisational values amongst its workforce including the fact that the goal of the organisation is common and can be achieved only if was shared by all. It is utmost important that the complete workforce transpires to achieve this common goal by all doing their part/work to their best. As such the management has to actively and constantly thrive/work to continually self-motivate the work force and help them work to their potential while at the same time bringing it most clearly out in the open their own commitment towards achieving the common goal. In this process they help cultivate this feeling of self-importance amongst the work force. As Ghoshal states: You cannot have faith in people unless you take action to improve and develop them. He further emphasises that the achievement of the goals of a business entirely depends on the skills and self-motivation of its manpower and to be able to achive such a situation, he further promotes the thought that organisations need to develop a new moral contract with their people.   True for Infosys!! The attitude of management towards their employees is the key factor here. Here is a company that gives utmost importance to its work force who they believe are the main people and because of which the company is on its pre-planned course to achieving its goals. As its saying goes Powered by Intellect. Driven by Values is absolutely true for this company. In order to be able to achieve its pre-planned objectives and critical strategies, Infosys believes in deploying the right candidates with the right skills at the right time and place. The existing work force is taken into account before it takes any initiative/steps to overcome the possibilities of man power shortage in the near future and which might hamper its aim to achieving its goals. It also takes into consideration alternative ways of organizing jobs for example Production at its helm could be handled by temporary workers or allowing the regular work force to work for extended hours. As regards to the supply of employees, it takes into account the effect of various HR programs on employees joining the company. It then determines how well the existing programs are doing before forecasting the need of additional programs. Accurate forecasting also plays an important role as their might be big gap between current HR situation and desired HR situation. Various uncertain-factors including new competitors, changes in technology, changes in social, political and economic climate, unstable product demand, etc., and factors which promote stability including competitive position, slow developing technology and stable product demand also play a key role helping the company to forecast. Hiring Strategy Infosys recruits candidates who have had a consistent background in their academic life-time. For more skilled jobs, the knowledge of the required skill is the preferred selection criteria. The written test normally encompasses simple puzzles from books of renowned writer like Shakuntala Devi. The main criteria is for average communication skills and of-course the proper knowledge of the English Language. The Equity Continuum (TWI Inc., 2010). Though Infosys has full faith in its current top leaders, it has inducted into its future leadership program a group of 400 people, who have been selected from all over the globe, which it believes and intends to train to take over the helm of the company in the near future. This is in tune with the companys multi-ethnic employees culture where the only factor of consideration is the individuals skill and aptitude. Its diverse workforce of over 91,000 employees from 70 nationalities working across 90 countries rationalises its score of 5 on the Equity continuum. Armstrong (2006) outlines that the rewards such as employee benefits and non financial compensation are given in accordance with   the employees contribution to the firm , skill level and their market   worth as dictated by current factors in the internal and /or external   environment . Infosys was one of the first companies in India to introduce an Employee Stock Option Scheme. The company introduced the iRace (Infosys Role and Career) program under which only those professionals who have proved their set-skills over a period of time are eligible for further promotions (Infosys 2010). However there were a few employees (about 5% of the total workforce), who did not co-relate with the initiative because they felt that there would be disheartenment among the fellow team members if this criteria was to be strictly followed. Besides at Infosys a few staff was demoted from their existing positions. This was a cause of resentment amongst quite a few of the workforce. In order to make it more appealing to a wider section of workers, the policy of demotion should be removed or done in the rarest of cases. Sources of Recruitment Internal Sources External Sources Promotions Campus Recruitment Internal Notification Job Portals Transfers -Management Training/Internships Recall Schemes Forced Applications The main recruitment processes at Infosys include campus recruitment, internship programme advertisement on major job portals (monster.com, naukri.com and timesjobs.com) and internal recruitment. Besides, the company also goes in for temporary reinstatement of retired executives and staff that the company has already laid off. Every IT graduate aspires to be a part of the Infosys team and the company employs the best people in the industry. Needless to say, the recruitment process is very good. Selection and Induction To select mean to choose. Selection is the process of picking persons who have applicable credentials to fit into relevant jobs in an organisation. The central purpose is to select the right candidate with the requisite set of skills most appropriate for a job. To fulfil this requirement, the company takes into consideration the candidates age, qualifications, skills, experience, etc. so as to match the required skill-set with the profile of the candidate. The be-fitting candidate is then selected from amongst all the aspiring. How well an employee is matched to a job is very important because it is directly proportional to the amount and quality of an employees work. The selection methods generally adopted by Infosys are preliminary interview, ability test with special stress on English proficiency, general aptitude test and final interview. The general aptitude test is similar to the GMAT taken at most B-Schools the difficulty level of which is quite high thus ensuring that the best talent in the industry is recruited. Thus the organisations selection methods are of quite high standard. The disadvantage of such a selection process however is that, at times a great deal of time is lost before the right candidate can be employed for the position besides being a costly affair on the companys part. Instead of such a time consuming procedure, the company can resort to employing people from competitors in similar positions. Induction refers to the process of familiarisation with the organisation and settling into the job. The selection process is only the beginning of the employee-employer relation the future of which solely depends on how satisfyingly . Labour obsolesce is highest among newer recruits and the required efficiency is reached only after the candidate has adjusted well into his role and to his work environment. Success Factor Scale (1 to 5) Review the positioning of the induction 4 Coverage of the induction programme 5 Appoint a mentor 4 Plan the induction and involve and inform others 5 Prepare the work area 5 Introduce the recruit to the organisation and the department 5 Emphasize the importance of organization policies and procedures 5 The induction programme at Infosys covers general organizational induction training, technical and departmental induction training as well as managerial executive induction training (wherever applicable). It is thus quite extensive and covers everything that a new recruit should know. The employee who is to be appointed as mentor is informed in advance and a mail about the induction is circulated within the department where the new employees have been recruited. Often the selected new recruit is sent to DC or Development Centres for a period ranging from 3-6 months whereby he/she works on live projects. In the general organizational induction training, the employee is given a rigorous training as regards the organization policies and procedures. There is a three-tier mentoring process at Infosys (The Hindu, 2010) Tier-1 of the Infosys Management Council, which consists of the companys board of directors, mentors Tier-2 leaders who in turn guide the Tier-3 group. About 45 executives are a part of the companys Tier-1 of the management council. And each of the leaders undergoes exhaustive and sustained training through the companys personal development programme PDP. Infosys training programmes are designed to enable company professionals enhance their skill sets in tune with their respective roles. The spirit of improvement, constant individual and professional growth is most apparent in how the company manages its physical, technology, or human resources. Projects such as the Infosys Leadership Institute are targeted continuous managerial growth and personal improvement. A multitude of technology advancement and other training programs provide training to employees in explicit areas of know-how, management, leadership and communication skills. Employees can also pursue their interests in areas such as arts, culture, or sports. Besides having an, Art Gallery which displays art made by employees of Infosys, there are daily quizzes and regular music gatherings that keeps creativity alive at work.   Inculcom hosts cultural programs for Infoscions. Apart from these, one can see food courts (offering Chinese, Indian, continental, etc). at Infosyss campus. Theres also a swimming pool, theres a library, internet access volley ball courts, tennis courts and the reason why all this has been done is the company believes in flexible work hours. InSync, an internal communication program focuses on keeping the Infoscion aware of the latest developments in the organization. Then there is the Toastmasters Club. It provides a platform for employees to develop communication and leadership skills. Such a relaxed atmosphere at work keeps the employees stress free and draws them more to work rather than being on leave. It also motivates them to perform better and with increased zeal and energy. However, too much of a relaxed attitude at work may lead to callousness and taking work also with the same easy going spirit. The founder of Infosys, Mr Narayan Murthy has a straightforward slogan for success keep your employees happy. He views that only those organizations can survive in the near future in which the work force shares a common goal with those of the organization (Express India, 2010). The company can do every possible thing under the sun to make its employees happy and flexible working is one such scheme. Especially for an employee who has kids or dependent parents to look after, such a scheme can ensure lifetime loyalty towards the organisation. However, this scheme is not free from disadvantages. For example a scheme such as work from home does not help cultivate the spirit of team work or working together as a team. Trainee employees are devoid working alongside qualifies technicians. Providing equal opportunities is the fundamental part of the recruitment and selection process at Infosys. Applications are always encouraged from the under-represented groups of the society. Apart from a few solitude individual cases of labour lawsuits against the company where an India-born American citizen, is supposedly alleged that her bosses at  Infosyss  Fremont, California office discouraged her from taking day off on American holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and refrained from paying her extra for working on a holiday according to California law, the Infosys has been practically devoid of any claims of discrimination. It can be said that the recruitment and selection process is pretty robust. As regards the dismissal process, it is said that Infosys is a company where employees can easily think of retiring. To be more precise, dismissals at Infosys have only been heard of at the initial selection stages and once an employee has gone through the induction process, dismissal is a very rare phenomenon.

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment One of the diseases that has severely impacted the lives of people these days is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) which is a condition that is fatal and rare which has impact on the brain of human being. CJD causes damage to the brain that gets worsened with the passage of time. The patients diagnosed with the disease die within one year as people become immobile (Solassol et al., 2006). CJD is usually caused by an abnormal protein known as prion. Before prion is understood, proteins function for body must be clarified. For every human being, proteins are important for life and are present in body of all living things. Every part of humans body has good composition of protein such as muscles, hair, fingernails, bones, skin, blood, body organs and eyes. After water, protein is the second most important constituent of body (Belay et al., 2003). According to LiveScience Staff (2012), protein is mainly used for building, maintenance and repairing of body tissues; it is present in various forms which perform many jobs in human body and the structure of each protein determine its function. The building blocks of proteins are long strings of amino acids which get folded and curled into complex three dimensional shapes which allow proteins to perform their job. Dr. Stanley B. Prusiner from University of California i.e. San Francisco purified an agent which was infectious made of unique kind of protein and referred to it as prion in 1982; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to him in 1997 for discovery of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) that was mainly caused by prions. Prions get accumulated in brain at much higher levels that cause permanent damage to the nerve cells which cause various neurological symptoms. These infectious particles are different in behavior from conventional bacteria and viruses which cannot be destroyed by exposing to heat and radiation. Even antiviral and antibacterial medicines have no effects on prions; hence, presently, there is lack of valuable treatment for CJD (Belay et al., 2003). Understanding Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Basically, CJD is a very rare form of deadly form of dementia which can spread fastly in the body from brain. Prions are mostly found in brain and are harmless; when they are not given proper shapes, they may have effects that can be devastating which can even attack brain, kill its cells and create holes or gaps in tissue of brain (Ironside, 2009). Prion diseases have been found in both animals and humans; such diseases were in news of mid 1980s along with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic which was referred to as Mad Cow disease, it is a cattle disease. In humans, it is known as CJD. The disease is found in about one to two people among million people worldwide. Types of CJD There are basically two types of CJD i.e. Classic CJD and Variant CJD (vCJD). The three types of classic CJD are Sporadic CJD, Familial or genetic CJD and Iatrogenic or Acquired CJD. Sporadic CJD More than 90% of people diagnosed with CJD are suffering from this type of CJD and it is mainly found in people aged in between 45 to 75. There are no specific symptoms for this CJD (Shah et al., 2009); however, some early symptoms such as depression may be present but it can quickly progress into confusion and problems of memory which is commonly observed in dementia, followed by loss of balance and coordination along with progressive blindness (Piouti et al., 2012). Familial or genetic CJD Familial or genetic CJD is one of the rare genetic condition in which the persons genes are inherited from one parent who causes the protein to get mutated into a prion in later stages of life that trigger the symptoms of CJD. In other words, it appears in families that have abnormal gene. About 7% of cases have this type of CJD. In order to diagnose it, blood test is done; person having this abnormal gene has 50% chance of transmitting it to children. The other rare form of this CJD are Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) and Gerstmann-Strà ¤ussler-Scheinker (GSS); both of these are rarely found in people (Brand et al., 2006). It occurs in people who have age of 50 years. Iatrogenic or Acquired CJD This type of CJD is rarely found in people as it is found in those people who get CJD while accidental transmission that takes place during a medical procedure like corneal grafts, instruments in neurosurgery, human pituitary hormone therapy or human dura-mater grafts (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010). Variant CJD People having average age of 28 years are found to be suffering from Variant CJD. It is usually developed from eating of beef that was infected with BSE. It can even occur with blood transfusion in which variant CJD is transmitted from one person to other. Once the symptoms are identified, the disease spreads quickly in the body (Tattum et al., 2010). Signs and Symptoms of CJD In many of the cases, classic CJD looks similar to various other dementias; the disease comes on fastly and then declines the ability of thinking as symptoms start appearing. Some of the most commonly found symptoms are that the person may have swings in mood, problems related to memory, interest absence and not behaving like oneself, having difficulty while walking such as keeping balance, dementia rapid progressions such as loss of memory and other thinking capabilities, problems in vision such as blindness, stiffening of limbs, twitching or jerks in muscles, feeling of clumsiness, speaking problem such as slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing and akinetic mutism in which person can move eyes and appear to be alert but can neither move voluntarily or speak (Espinosa, Bensalem-Owen, Fee, 2010; Sikorska et al., 2004). However, people who are in CJDs later stages face problems such as losing awareness as it can be seen in various neurological examinations. While the disease in the early stages, CJD patients are scared and it can be a distressing situation for them; it is usually associated with hallucinations that are visual which means seeing things that are not present there which might develop uncomfortable feeling in them (Andrews, 2012). People who are suffering from sporadic CJD usually live than twelve months after the appearance of signs and symptoms; the maximum life is two years. Before death, some people fall into condition of coma; the main reasons of death are heart failure, pneumonia or respiratory failure such as breathing problem (Rossetti Dunand, 2007). Among the most common symptoms found in Variant CJD people are changes in behavior, depression, withdrawal from social gatherings, difficulty in walking, dementia that is progressive, unable to do movement or speak and pain and odd kind of sensation in limbs or face (LiveScience Staff, 2012). Causes of CJD According to studies of Ironside (2009) and Tattum et al. (2010), CJD is caused by slow virus or other small organisms. The agent that causes this disease has several characteristics which are different from viruses and bacterias. The organisms are difficult to kill as they dont have genetic information on them in the form Nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA and has long period of incubation before symptoms are made visible. However, it has been found that it is mostly caused by prion proteins that can occur in both normal and infectious form. The normal forms have same shapes as that of amino acids but infectious ones differ in their shapes from normal proteins. Once they appear, abnormal ones start to get aggregated which start affecting the brain. Only 5-10% cases are inherited ones that arise either from mutation or changes in gene which are responsible for controlling the formation of normal prion proteins. Diagnosis of CJD CJD is difficult to diagnose especially when it is in its initial stages; there is no specific test available for diagnosing in living person. Only way to make sure that person had CJD is by examining the tissue of brain after his death. However, there are some other tests and procedures can be used for diagnosis of the disease such as medical history examination as it will help doctors in learning the persons symptoms and signs when they get started as CJD gets spread quickly; Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in which brains picture is taken to identify the difference between various types of CJD; Computerized Tomography (CT) scan in which brains picture will be taken to diagnose the disease; Puncture of Lumbar which means taking fluid form the spine of a person by using syringe and a needle, it is done to identify the infections of brain; blood tests to identify if there is any chance of genetic CJD; Electroencephalogram (ECG) in which electrical activity of brain is measured and b rain autopsy in which tissue of brain is examined after persons death (Puoti et al., 2012; Shah et al., 2009). Treatment for CJD Up till now, there has been no success in developing right treatment for CJD. The researchers have done numerous tests with many drugs such as steroids, antiviral agents, antibiotics, amantadine, acyclovir and many more but they have not been able to find perfect cure for this disease (Puoti et al., 2012). Some studies are still in progression to develop appropriate treatment for patients but none of them have been successful in benefiting the human beings. The treatment for CJD that is being followed by various doctors is aimed at alleviation of symptoms and trying to make the individuals as comfortable as the experts can do so that they have the will power of fighting against the disease. Some of the opiate drugs can relieve pain when people suffer from it but the drugs such as Sodium Valproate and Clonzaepam definitely help in relieving of myoclonus. When the disease is in later stages, position of person is changed frequently so that he gets comfortable and bedsores can be prevented. For draining urine, a catheter can be used as it helps in controlling the function of bladder and artificial feeding can also be used. Precautions for CJD Although there are chances that CJD gets transmitted by being careless during medical procedures but still people need to take care of various things that can help them in remain protected from this disease. CJD is not a contagious disease that can be transmitted either by social or sexual contact or via air or feeding, touching or even taking care of person suffering from CJD at home. some of the basic precautionary measures that need to be followed are washing hands either before eating or drinking, covering wounds or cuts with bandages that are waterproof, protecting face and hands from being exposes to blood or fluids of body of person who is affected by this disease and taking special care in blood transfusions so that CJD infected person does not give his blood. In order to avoid variant CJD, beef from selected countries should be eaten; countries that have high risk of TSE are more vulnerable to risk. The only options available for avoiding this type of CJD are either to eat beef from countries that emphasize on strict regulations on its quality and avoid eating parts of cattle that have high risks such as spinal cord, intestines, brain and eyes. Conclusion Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD) is among the fastest growing disease that is being faced by many people worldwide. It has become important for researchers to identify right course of treatment for this disease so that patients can get full recovery. In order to make sure that people who have genetic CJD are given appropriate treatment before symptoms start to become visible, it is important that people get their blood tests done at regular intervals. When any of the signs and symptoms is observed in people, it is advised that they contact a doctor immediately who can ensure that right tests are done for identification of this disease. Still, the researchers have to do extensive work for identifying the main causes of CJD along with developing a remedial solution. Among all the available options, the best one is to contact any well-known doctors who are specialist in neurology who will take the patient in right treatment method. Hence, everyone needs to make sure that they have complete information about this disease so that they can face it with determination and strong will power. Palliative Care for Cancer Patients | Literature Review Palliative Care for Cancer Patients | Literature Review Gretha Cabral Literature Review Cancer has become a global concern in the recent decades and various researches have raised the need for palliative care for cancer patients besides the treatment that they receive from their respective hospitals. Researches show that palliative care prolongs the life of patients more as compared on relying the treatments alone. According to research conducted by Julia Medew, patients who are suffering from lung cancer could enjoy longer, quality life and low depression where they bestowed palliative care immediately after they are diagnosed with lung cancer, as opposed to starting at the late stages of the disease. According to this study, Medew aimed that; the findings would change the views of both the patients and the doctors on the quality of palliative care (Medew, 2011). The care aims at improving the quality of life of the for patients with progressive, serious illnesses through paying high attention to the control of their symptoms and pain, recognizing their spiritual and p sychological needs and providing the necessary support to the patients and their families. Medew`s study divided 151 patients with lung cancer into two groups in order to clearly outline the quality of palliative care (Medew, 2011). The first group of lung cancer patients was to solely rely on the standard treatment that the patients would receive from the health facilities while the second group was to receive the same treatment that would be accompanied by immediate referral to palliative care within a time range of twelve weeks after diagnose. Consequently, the findings showed that, the average survival period of patients in the second group was around three months longer and those patients reported living a high quality life and far much better moods as compared to the first group. Moreover, this American study was seconded by Ian Haines, who was a Melbourne cancer specialist who recommended that, palliative care should be administered by doctors to cancer patients. This suggestion was made because most health professionals, cancer patients and many other individuals realized that palliative care can serve as the only default measure of managing cancer when all other measures have been exhausted. He also suggested that, if early referral of cancer patients to professional palliative care can be an expensive measure, the governments should subsidize by increasing the allocation of more funds to the ministry of health since its value outweighs the costs that may be associated with it (Medew, 2011). Professor Haines also gave another case study that recently followed 333 cancer patients up to their death. The study also divided the patients into groups where one involved patients who were hospitalized to receive cancer treatments while the other group was treated and discharged in order to receive additional palliative care at their respective homes. The study findings showed that, patients in the first group died within a short time interval than those in the second group. In addition, those patients in the first group also experienced emotional and physical distress than those patients in the second group who died while receiving palliative care at their homes. The study concluded that, faster occurrence of deaths in patients who are admitted in health facilities was highly contributed by high extents of grief and more post-traumatic stress that arose from the family members and friends of those patients (Medew, 2011). His study also established that early referral of patients to palliative care helps caregivers and patients to understand their treatment options better especially at the end of their life. Furthermore, this early referral helps to reduce debilitating expensive treatments such as chemotherapy and excessive utilization of limited medical resources. In addition, most cancer patients are not used to palliative care in most countries and this unfamiliarity calls for the need for providing information to patients, their family members and friends sensitizing to them the quality of palliative care. According to research conducted by Ms. Etheredge, one of the officials of hospice palliative care society, she found that, palliative care frightens most individuals including cancer patients since most people are used to the tradition of patients being admitted to hospitals for treatment. Therefore, discharging cancer patients after treating them and then requiring them to seek palliative care at their respective homes elevate stress to patients since the latter concludes that they are being sent to meet their deaths at home. She suggested that, the governments should construct a cancer hospice in a strategic point since according to her, the environment where palliative care is provided matters most (Furse, 1999). She further suggested that, any other hospice to be constructed near to water and bus route since these are the two primary necessities that assist the caregivers and the families. Moreover, she also seconded the decision of the health minister of Australia in launching the national palliative care awareness week that would inform people about the equity and access of this care (Brigid, 2011). During the launching of this palliative care awareness campaign, the health minister also outlined the palliative strategic plan to inform the services that palliative care offers. In addition, brochures printed in Greek, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian and polishes were distributed to different people during that week outlining palliative care services. This distribution of brochures was to enhance the reach of palliative care information to more people especially those who both don’t speak English and are not aware of the services provided by palliative care. In addition, according to Mark Colvin, most of the cancer patients in Australia are not aware of the existence, quality and the services that are provided by palliative care centers because most doctors do not sensitize and refer these patients to palliative services. According to study that surveyed a sample of one thousand doctors all over the country and within the duration of one year, more than eight hundred doctors do not refer cancer patients to palliative care. Merrilyn stone, for example, was not referred to palliative care when she was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990 (Barrett, 2004). This lack of referent made her to still firm her believe that palliative care is intended for the dying people and this made it harder for her to understand the value of palliative care when her condition came back eleven years later. Moreover, according to Afaf Girgis, this lack of referring patients to palliative care during the early stages of cancer development enhances the perception of the community and the patients that palliative care is intended for individuals who are at the death`s door and this is much untrue. Girgis further outlines this lack of referring cancer patients to palliative care predisposes the patient to more and severe consequences when the disease progresses to its advanced stages. In the long run, the particular patients live less additional days, as opposed to when they would have been early referred to palliative care services (Barrett, 2004). However, according to Rebecca Barrett, the study found that, very few health professionals who used to refer their patients to palliative care. In addition, in case these health professionals happen to refer cancer patients to palliative care, the latter was mostly intended to control pain but not for emotional or psychological support or legal and financial support. Consecutively, according to Dr. Sundquist, most health professionals concentrate more on curing the cancer patients and most are unaware of the quality of palliative care. He further challenges this doctors` works and suggests that, the latter needs to understand more is needed to cancer patients besides treatment services (Barrett, 2004). Moreover, cancer patients need additional services that include practical and emotional support that involves palliative care. Moreover, in Australia, Whyalla hospital developed project of constructing Whyalla cancer treatment Centre that would cancer services almost at par with the same treatment services that were offered in Adelaide. Initially, many cancer patients were forced to travel long distances in order to access cancer services at Adelaide hospital (Bruce, 2012). The construction of Whyalla cancer Centre aimed at reducing the transportation burden of cancer patients to long distances. According to whale news, the cancer center would offer a wide range of palliative services to the cancer patients especially those who were recently diagnosed with cancer. According to the chairman of his cancer project Mr. champion, the cancer Centre would offer services such as creating space for training activities and research, counseling of cancer patients, chemotherapy, outpatient care services among others. Additionally, the Whyalla cancer Centre would operate in cooperation with the already established Adelai de health facility in order to share health professionals and other technical equipments. This cooperation statement was echoed by Mr. Champion who said â€Å"the specialists will determine if the complexity of the cancer requires the patient to receive treatment in Adelaide or if they can remain in Whyalla.† (Bruce, 2012) However, the recent researches show that most patients suffering from cancer would prefer to meet their deaths at their homes rather than at the health facilities. These researches recommend that health professionals should follow the wishes of cancer patients on where the latter wants to receive palliative care. In connection to this, Eurobodalla health services have provided ambulance protocols that would facilitate doctors to respond to the emergency calls from the homes of cancer patients (Oconnor, 2014). These services would enable cancer patients to receive palliative care at their homes as they wish. References Barrett, R. (2004). Cancer patients missing out on palliative care; palliative support. Sydney, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC Premium News Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/458087832? Brigid, O. (2011). Palliative care boosted. Melbourne, News Digital Media. Vic.Sunday Herald Sun Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/867896592? Bruce, K. (2012). Good news for cancer patients. Whyalla, S. Aust, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. Whyalla News Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1081480966? Furse, L. (1999). Strategy for better palliative care. Canberra, A.C.T, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1012751431? Medew, J. (2011). Early palliative care could prolong life. Canberra, A.C.T, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1020447587? Medew, J. (2011). Palliative care extends length and quality of life. Sydney, N.S.W., Fairfax Digital. Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/854392582? Oconnor, K. (2014). Treatment available closer to home for palliative patients. Batemans Bay, N.S.W, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited. Bay Post Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1516592167? Gretha Cabral s3483440

Italian City :: History

Italian City The Renaissance was the period from 1350-1600. The Renaissance began first in the city-states of Italy for many reasons. Although most of Europe had become a big economic crisis during the late Middle Ages, Italy managed to avoid everything and their towns remained important centers of Mediterranean trade and boost their production of textiles and luxury goods. Town life was bigger in Italy than in other parts of Europe. Therefore, most Italians could easily discard feudalism and other medieval institutions. Because Italy was wealthy and successful, they became independent city-states, each of which included a walled urban center and the surrounding countryside. The Italian city-states started a new social order. It was that wealth and ability mattered more than aristocratic titles and ownership of land. Wealthy merchants and bankers replaced the nobles in the upper class. Shopkeepers and artisans ranked below the wealthy merchants, forming a moderately prosperous middle class that employed a lot of poor workers. Most of these workers came from the countryside. And at the very bottom of the social ladder, were the peasants who worked on the country estates for the wealthy classes. During the Renaissance, Italy was not under one government, but was divided into the city-states. Each of these were ruled by wealthy families whose fortunes came from commercial trading or banking. A lot of times, workers rebelled against the upper classes. Their demands for equal rights and lower taxes, however, remained unspoken. During the 1400s, social conflicts became so bad, that many city-states decided to turn over all political authority to one single powerful leader to restore peace. These leaders were known as signori. At times, city-states would have territorial disputes. Since military service would interfere with conducting business and trade, the signori chose to replace citizen-soldiers with hired soldiers known as condottieri. The major city-states were Florence, Venice, Rome and Milan. A banking family known as the Medici ruled Florence in the 1400s. The Medici rulers helped to keep the spirit of humanism alive in the city-state’s scholars and artists. With the spirit alive, Florence became known as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Lorenzo de’ Medici (also known as â€Å"the Magnificent† as a result of the city’s prosperity and fame) ruled Florence from 1469-1492. He used his wealth to support artists, philosophers, and writers, and to sponsor public festivals. During the 1490s, Florence’s economic prosperity began to decline due to increasing competition with English and Flemish cloth makers.