Chinese Filial Piety essays

Chinese Filial Piety essays After observing the concepts regarding filial piety and Chinese civilization, it becomes apparent that it greatly impacted the lives of men, women and children. Many aspects of this can be seen through some of the greatest ruling Chinese dynasties. The views expressed affected the decisions made by many people in their everyday lives. While analyzing filial piety one must take into consideration that respect, which children owe to their parents is a major concept within the Chinese culture. Coupling this is the idea that wives were and are obligated to show a certain respect to husbands. When such righteousness is obtained at home, its should carry over into everyday life. This type of mindset should reflect your choices made on a day to day basis. According to Chinese tradition filial piety was the primary duty of all Chinese, in particular family members. The parents were expected to be honored and respected by their children. The most important duty was assigned to the filial son. Essentially his main job was to ensure that his family line would continue. It was also believed that children were to serve and nourish their parents when they were alive, and sacrifice to them when they died. Children were obligated to lead a good moral life and be a credit to their parents. Also they were never to dishonor or disgrace them. This concept involved the sons complete obedience to his parents. Taking care of your parents during their lifetime as they grew old was arguably the most important responsibility to be fulfilled by the son. Concerning the parents, dying without a son was one of the worst offenses that could be committed. A sons status in a Chinese family was considerably much higher than that of the wifes. This idealis tic patriarchal society degraded women and left men as the dominant role in Chinese culture. As for the women who in effect became part of the husbands fa ...

martin luther king and mass media essays

martin luther king and mass media essays Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Mass Media Martin Luther King Jr. was a very significant and influential man. Though his life was cut short at 39 years old, he left a big mark on today's society. From the Prayer Pilgrimage of May 17, 1957, an event and a date that marked King's entre into the field of national Negro leadership to the unforgettable March on Washington. (Bennett 10) King was determined to reach his goal, which was to have blacks and whiter united and treated equally. King was faced with many obstacles, including the press. At first, there was hardly any print about King's events and protests. When the events did get recognition King's name wasn't mentioned at all. Not until many years later when the protests sparked violence and death was King's name mentioned and even then, it was used in negative way. In this paper, I will discuss how the news magazines Time, Newsweek, and the U.S. News went about distorting, neglecting, and eventually praising King and his events. In order to help understand the Civil Rights Movement and it controversy you have to start at the beginning. On the way home from work as a seamstress Mrs. Rosa Parks boarded a Montgomery City Line bus. When asked to give up her seat for a white passenger Rosa Parks refused. The bus driver left his seat and summoned the police. The police officer arrested Rosa Parks for violating the cities segregation ordinances. ( Bennett 59) Rosa Parks arrest sparked a one-day boycott that stretched out to 382 days. That event started the Civil Rights movement and changed the spirit of Martin Luther Kings, Jr. Time magazine was the first of the newsmagazines to pick up the story of the bus boycott. (Lentz 26) Newsweek didn't print the story until five months after it happened. In addition, not until then did King's name was mentioned by it or Time. Neither King nor the cause grabbed the attention of U.S. News & World Report. What they d...

Aortic Dissection Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aortic Dissection - Research Paper Example Other persons complain of shortness of breath, arm and leg pains, weakness and loss of consciousness. If arteries supplying the heart are affected, it may result in heart attack. If the arteries supplying blood to the brain are affected the patient may suffer a stroke. Diagnosis of aortic dissection includes a complete examination of blood pressure, heart, and pulses. An electrocardiogram may be used to show complications of the dissection. X-rays may be used to show enlarged aorta. However, x-ray and ECG may fail to show aortic dissection. The most efficient and frequently used tests to diagnose aortic dissection include a computed tomography scan, transesophageal echocardiogram, and magnetic resonance imaging. Therefore, accurate diagnosis of the condition is critical for reducing the mortality rates of patients facing aortic dissection. The goals of treating a patient diagnosed with aortic dissection are to control the team, find out whether the repairing the tear may benefit the patient and treating any other associated complications. The tear can be controlled by reducing the blood pressure as much as possible. Various medications are available to reduce blood pressure and lower heart rate. Such blockers include diltiazem and verapamil. Based on the evaluation of the patient, surgical treatment may be considered. Immediate surgery may be considered for a patient diagnosed with type A dissection. For type B dissection, medical treatment is usually considered and surgical treatment is not recommended.

Christian Counseling vs. Professional Psychotherapy Essay

Christian Counseling vs. Professional Psychotherapy - Essay Example This discussion highlights that  advice is statement, which helps the person to make the right decision.   It is not as specific as counsel is and has the aim to lead the counseled individual to the right decision.   Advice provides several alternatives and individual decides which alternative is more acceptable to him/her.This paper outlines that  wisdom is a different concept than counsel and advice.   It is not even the trait of the character, but rather the ability to make right decision based on the previous experience and the ability to reason, to consider different alternatives and to make the best decisions.   From Biblical perspective, wisdom comes with the acceptance of the Godly lifestyle and belief into God, while from the general perspective the person is regarded as wise if all of his decisions are logically and ethically right.   The concept of wisdom is introduced in the Bible from the first book:   â€Å"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.   She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it†.  Wisdom is also the ability to be tolerant to others, the ability to listen to people and to accept their point of view, even if it is very different from the own. Being wise is not about knowing answers to all questions but rather about hearing others, analyzing the situations and finding the most appropriate solution, as the above verse supposes.  ... In this verse, the "counsel" has a different meaning - it indicates the way of life unbelievers have. Advice Advice is statement, which helps the person to make the right decision. It is not as specific as counsel is and has the aim to lead the counseled individual to the right decision. Advice provides several alternatives and individual decides which alternative is more acceptable to him/her (Butler 2003). "Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him" (Ex 18:19, Kohlenberger 2001). In this verse the advice is the recommendation but very specific one - the person is recommended to make the specific choice (to become the people's representative) and assume the specific responsibility (to bring the disputes of people to God). "Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do" (2 Sa 16:20, Kohlenberger 2001). Advice in this verse is self-explained: Absalom asks Ahithophel "what shall we do" - he is asking for the direction in life, the alternative course of act ion. Advice is asked for when someone is aware that some choice has to be done, but he is not able to decide which one is better. "When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, "Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says If not, give us your opinion" (2 Sa 17:6, Kohlenberger 2001). The meaning of advice in this verse is an alternative, possible course of action. It can be either accepted or rejected by the one who receives it. Bible leaves the right to make decision to the individual, who is the only one to decide what is better for him

Immorality of Excessive Gambling Essay Example for Free

Immorality of Excessive Gambling Essay Excessive gambling is immoral because it causes people to exhaust their resources on an activity with uncertain results which can result to bigger problems in the end. Those who gamble should practice moderation in their ways so that they will be able to avoid the possibilities of gambling dependency on one’s future and of drying-up one’s financial resources just to satisfy an earthly pleasure. Instead of going to casinos and playing card games on a regular basis, people should only do so as a pastime so that they can a lot most of their time to more rewarding activities that are certain to compensate for their efforts. If a person gambles too much, the tendency of the individual is to use most—if not all—of his financial resources just to satisfy his desire to gamble (Kusyszyn, 1984). An excessive gambler does not mind if the odds of winning are small compared to the odds of losing. Moreover, an excessive gambler no longer minds if the money he has gambled has already reached to amounts that are already way beyond the ordinary. The excessive gambler, therefore, is so devoted to spending a luxurious amount in the hopes of winning his bet which, if he did win, he will then again use to gamble. While the case of an excessive gambler is not always beyond repair, the damages that his deeds can inflict not only to himself but also to his family can certainly alter the course of their lives for the worse, if not the worst. For one, financial debt can never be far behind because an excessive gambler will find ways just to fuel his addiction—including loans either from lending institutions or other people. This will certainly affect the financial security of himself and of his family. Another thing is that excessive gambling can lead to loss of time for work and for the family. If the excessive gambler losses time for his work, there is a great chance that he will be losing his job which can cut-off his or his family’s source of income. The loss of time for the family is also negative consequence because it causes family members to lose emotional bond. If the gambler is a father, there is the risk that his children will no longer see him as a fatherly figure or, probably worse, they may reach the point where they will no longer miss his presence in the household while he is out in the casinos gambling. More importantly, excessive gambling is immoral because it takes away the opportunity for families to develop and grow in many ways. Instead of spending the money on gambling, the money could have been better spent on household furniture, on paying monthly bills, family vacation and other things that could have brought the family closer together. The latter options are certainly the better options to take instead of gambling too much. The omission of these good options in exchange for the worse option is certainly not a moral thing to do when the person could have just chosen the option that was primarily beneficial to everybody in the household and its future. From a utilitarian perspective, disregarding the option that maximizes benefits to the most number of individuals concerned is not the moral thing to do (Freeman, 1994). Thus, excessive gambling is immoral from a utilitarian standpoint. Aristotle’s philosophy of moderation suggests that human beings should avoid the extremes because the excess and the deficiency of anything are vices whereas the moderation of it is considered to be a virtue (Yu, 1998). The same principle can be applied to contemporary gambling. For example, an individual’s deficiency of playing slot machines in casinos or anywhere else where there ways to gamble is considered as a vice. On the other hand, spending too much time, attention and resources on playing poker in a Las Vegas casino is also considered to be a vice. The best option that should be taken is a moderate gambling practice because, according to Aristotle, the moderate way is the virtuous way which can lead to the good life. Instead of going regularly to casinos or spending more time in the race track than in the household, the excessive gambler should practice moderating his addiction. He can instead cut the time and money he is spending on his vices and devote more of them to his family. He can also choose to work harder in the office or spend more time with his children so that he will have less time for gambling. The bright side to that is that he becomes less of a person addicted to gambling while being more of a normal person at the same time. The point is not to siphon all of your time, resources and attention to gambling as it deprives you of some of life’s better activities. It does not mean, however, that the person should altogether abandon gambling. The thing is that gambling can still be a part of a person’s life, only that this time around gambling is no longer an addiction but rather a leisurely activity spent for pastime. In fact, moderate gambling can be a source of emotional bond for family members especially for the adult parents. For instance, a couple can decide to go on vacation in Las Vegas and spend a bit of time and money in a casino where they can play together for fun. If they lose, not much is lost because the primary goal was to establish more emotional bond together. If they win, however, their financial winnings can be considered as mere ‘bonuses’ to their primary intent. This perhaps best explains why gambling can also be a good deed so long as it is within moderate limits. It is easy to see and understand why excessive gambling is immoral. For the most part, it is a menace that tears down family bond and deprives people of spending their lives on better activities. Although excessive gambling is immoral, the moderation of gambling can still be considered as a good thing for it can also bring families closer together. References Freeman, S. (1994). Utilitarianism, Deontology, and the Priority of Right Utilitarianism, Deontology, and the Priority of Right. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 23(4), 313-349. Kusyszyn, I. (1984). The Psychology of Gambling. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 474, 133-145. Yu, J. (1998). Virtue: Confucius and Aristotle. Philosophy East and West, 48(2), 323-347.

Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get," suggests Tom Hanks in the motion picture "Forrest Gump". He utilizes this metaphor to align a box of chocolates as a symbol for life. Symbolism serves as a useful tool to convey a message or point subtly so that the concept lingers in the mind of the reader, who then establishes a relation in his or her mind with that object and the message. Hawthorne uses symbolism in The Scarlet Letter extensively to express the underlying truths about the stifling nature of Puritan society and the dispositions of the characters in the novel. Such elements as nature, color, and light; the scarlet letter itself; as well as the scaffold, where the three pinnacles of the plot occur, operate on a firm foundation of symbolism. Nature, color and light are used as symbols throughout the novel to illustrate several areas of the story (Waggoner 154). The prison door, for example, was described as being composed of â€Å"oak and iron† and its coloring â€Å"sad† and â€Å"gray†, symbolizing the rigidity of the Puritan society against sinners (Waggoner 154). The rosebush situated outside of the prison door is like a â€Å"moral blossom† growing amongst the bitter weeds of society, in the â€Å"most unlikely of places† (Hawthorne). The placement of the rosebush in such a dank, improbable position as outside of a place housing sinners (the prison), imparts the fact that such an element of beauty and innocence is nevertheless able to be born out of a station with such an ill aura. Pearl is symbolic of the rosebush in that she was spawned from the same evil air of sin (Waggoner 156). However, her purity is just as real as that which comes from a origin of virtue (Waggoner 156). She is often associated with roses (Waggoner 156). For example, in the governor’s she cries and pleas that she must have one (Waggoner 156). In addition, her very name is an indication of the symbol she conveys (Waggoner 157). Like a pearl comes from the mangled, impure exterior of the oyster, Pearl comes from the equally impure and squalid exterior of the sin her parents willingly committed (Waggoner 157). Another nature related symbol comes in the forest. The forest itself holds its own variety of symbolism. â€Å"Freedom† is one expression of the forest. There is no reason for Hester and Dimmesdale to be secretive among the trees where no one can witness their union (Matthiessen 299).

Links Between Hr Strategy/Policy and National/Organizational Culture

2. Explain the links between HR strategy/policy and national/organizational culture. Recent research suggests that the management of human resources has become increasingly important for business success. Employees are said to be one of the most valuable assets to an organization; as a result the effective management of these employees is essential. Management literature has had a tendency to associate human resource management (HRM) with firm performance. It is this link which has been the underlying cause for the abundance of research regarding HRM practices and their effects on a firm.However, there is a substantial debate within the literature that argues that HRM practices do not directly impact organizational performance (Boxall & Purcell, 2000), with claims that there is a missing link between the two. In regards to this ‘black box’ the concept of organizational culture has emerged. It is said that organizational culture is manifested in the behavior of its employ ees (Ngo & Loi, 2008), and is entrenched in the everyday working lives of cultural members (Martin, 2004).Culture is claimed to affect employee’s job attitudes, efficiency and productivity (Mahal, 2009), and can impact the ability to carry out an organizations plans and meet strategic goals (Chan, Shaffer & Snape, 2004). With these assertions, organizational culture could in fact influence a firm’s productivity and their overall performance. This paper examines the relationship between HRM, organizational culture and firm performance. The next section of this paper defines and explains the organizational culture concept.I then investigate the relationship between HRM and organizational culture by exploring the overarching themes which emerge from the literature regarding this link. Finally, I explore the relationship between HRM, organizational culture and firm performance. The Link between HRM and Organizational Culture Previous literature has identified and focused a round two common sources of organizational culture: (1) founders of the organization, and (2) national culture. Barney (1986) claimed that firms are historically bound. In line with Schein (2004) he argued that a firm’s culture reflects the unique personality of its founders.Along with these unique personalities a number of scholars have alleged that culture originates in the values and assumptions articulated by top management, which in turn, play an important role in shaping cultural views and employee’s behaviours (Chew & Sharma, 2005; Mahal, 2009). These values are then reinforced in a number of ways. Smircich (1983) articulated that top managers mould organizational cultures, and thus the values and beliefs held by employees, to suit their strategic ends; in turn the corporate culture should reflect the vision of the firm (Ngo & Loi, 2008).Values are also reiterated in hiring employees with similar priorities to top management as well as thoroughly socializing new employees to elicit those desired behaviours (Martin, 2004). Furthermore, national culture plays a prevailing role in shaping organizational culture. National culture refers to the culture specific to a national group (Chew & Sharma, 2005), and is entrenched deeply within individual’s everyday lives. These ingrained values will subconsciously affect how management practices are both carried out and received in an organization, and therefore how employee’s will behave within the firm (Chew & Sharma, 2005).Consequently, acompany’s culture is said to be linked to the founders of the organization and the values which they demonstrate, as well as the National culture in which the organization was first founded. A third relationship has begun to emerge out of management literature. There have been claims by a number of scholars (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004; Cabrera & Bonache, 1999; Lau & Ngo, 2004; Wilkins,1984) that organizational culture is related to HRM and the human r esource practices which are implemented by the organization.HRM has become an increasingly important activity within an organization. Its function is to attract, develop, motivate and retain employee’s who ensure the effective functioning of the organization (Jackson & Schuler, 1995). Relatively little is known about the link between organizational culture and HRM, as few empirical studies testing this relationship have been conducted (Platonova, 2005). However, a few overarching themes emerge from the literature regarding this HRM-culture relationship. HRM Practices Influence Organizational CultureWithin the HRM-organizational culture link lays a belief that firm’s HRM practices will motivate employees to adopt certain attitudes and behaviours, and will therefore elicit a certain corporate culture (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004; Cabrera & Bonache, 1999; Chow & Liu, 2009; Lau & Ngo, 2004; Ngo & Loi, 2008; Wilkins, 1984). One of the earliest views on this HRM-organizational cul ture link was from Peters (1978), who suggested that management systems (e. g. HRM systems) could be thought of as mechanisms to transmit values and beliefs of the organization which, as a result, help to shape its character.With organizational culture comprising a range of social phenomena there are certain situations in which organizational norms are not the result of shared values among employees; rather, they are determined by the rules and practices an organization implements (Cabrera & Bonache, 1999). Tichy (1983) thought that the way in which HRM systems are designed can communicate important and useful information about the organizations culture to employees. Schwartz & Davis (1981) also argued that HR practices provide information to employees.They convey standardized information to employees about expected patterns of activity and acceptable behaviours which allow the firm to achieve its objective. Lewicki (1981) argues that HRM practices answer three questions for employe es, providing information to staff about the acceptable behaviours: (1) what does the organization expect from its employees? (2) What kind of behaviour does the organization reward? And (3) what are the dos and don’ts of proper social conduct within the system? (p. 8). Ulrich (1984) iterates this view using an example of socialization programs.Her belief is that socialization and induction programs play a significant role in transmitting corporate culture to individuals entering into the organization. They ensure that acceptable behaviours and cultural norms are passed down to new employees, thus keeping organizational culture consistent. It is through this shared information as well as the experiences of employees that behavioural norms are established, thus becoming the means through which culture is created and sustained within the firm.Building on the HRM-organizational culture link, Ulrich (1984) advocates that procedures and practices implemented by HR executives becom e rituals within the company. Ulrich deems rituals to be customary and repeated actions within a firm. They take on a meaning within the organization. As we identified earlier, rituals are a symbolic tool in which values are manifested. These rituals, which include evaluation and reward procedures, help guide the behaviour of employee’s as they establish boundaries and behavioural norms within the firm.Wilkins (1984) asserts a different view; that HR systems can create career paths for employees as well as groupings of people who remain in the firm for a long enough time for a company culture to form. This outlook suggests that firms can implement HR practices that foster job security and internal career development in order to keep turnover low, and maintain those social phenomena that comprise organizational culture (values, beliefs, norms, assumptions) within the organization, and therefore forming a strong organizational culture.While a number of scholars claim that HRM p ractices lead to organizational culture, few studies have been conducted on the relationship. Lau and Ngo (2004) studied 332 firms HR and organizational development practices in Hong Kong. The board purpose of this study was to explore the link between culture, HR systems and outcomes. The research found that HR practices which emphasize training, performance based reward as well as team development help to create an organizational culture that promotes innovation.Organizational culture was said to play a mediation role between the HR system and the firm’s outcomes. That is, the HR practices implemented by the firm had an effect on the organizational culture, which in turn had a direct impact on employee’s behaviours and outcomes. This study demonstrated that a company’s culture was significant in affecting employee’s outcomes; regardless, the culture needs to be supported by an HR system that elicits those behaviours needed to achieve the desired outcome s.High Commitment Management Practices Influence Organizational Cultures Following on from the view that human resource practices can influence employee’s behaviour is an argument that only certain practices will be beneficial to an organization’s culture. Corporate culture will only be an advantage when it is seen as appropriate in order to achieve a certain objective or organizational goal (Chow & Liu, 2009); not all practices will elicit an appropriate culture.High Commitment Management (HCM), or best practice, is a theory that has outlined a number of HRM practices which are believed to help a firm achieve competitive success from its workforce (Pfeffer, 1995). It is a common held belief within the literature that â€Å"systems of high commitment HR practices increase organizational effectiveness by creating conditions where employees become highly involved in the organization and work hard to accomplish the organization’s goals (Whitener, 2001, p. 516).Pfe ffer (1998), the founder of best practice, believed that there were seven core practices which characterized the most successful organizations: employment security; selective hiring of new personnel; self managed teams; high compensation contingent on organizational performance; extensive training; reduced status distinction and barriers; and extensive sharing of information throughout the organization. When implemented these practices would lead to high levels of job satisfaction, retention and motivation of employee’s, which in turn influence a firm’s effectiveness and performance.It is thought that these HCM practices shape work force attitudes and values by framing employee’s perceptions of what the organization is like and help to influence their relationship with the organization. Employee behaviours and attitudes are said to reflect their perceptions and expectations about the organization; their behaviours respond to the treatment they receive from the f irm (Whitener, 2001). Accordingly, HCM practices are said to act as a culture embedding mechanism (Hartog & Verburg, 2004), playing an important role in reinforcing certain behaviours within employees and therefore shaping corporate culture.Kerr & Slocum (1987) demonstrate this relationship. They state that some organizations have cultures emphasizing the value of teamwork and security. These values foster loyalty to the organization and give employees a long term commitment. They iterate that other organizations consist of cultures which emphasize personal initiative and individual rewards. These values reinforce norms where organizational members do not promise loyalty and where the company does not provide job security. These authors point out that the practices, specifically HCM practices implemented by an organization, bring out certain behaviours from employees.For that reason, a firm can manipulate its culture by implementing practices which foster the behaviours they want to achieve from employees, and those behaviours that will help the company achieve their strategic goals. A small number of studies have been conducted exploring the relationship between certain best practices and organizational culture. In her study of 170 individuals views on compensation systems, Kuhn (2009) found that a bonus being rewarded on the basis of individual outcomes, compared to team or organizational performance led to the organizational culture being regarded as relatively more individualistic.Sheridan’s (1992) longitudinal study of 904 college graduates hired in six public accounting firms found that the firm’s organizational culture had a significant effect of the retention rates of these employees. Those firms that had a culture fostering the interpersonal relationship values of teams and respect for people stayed 14 months longer than those hired in firms whose culture emphasized the work task values of detail and stability. These two examples, in whi ch both show the implementation of HCM or best practice, illustrate that organizational culture is contingent upon the HRM practices implemented.Practices will elicit different behaviours from employees. In addition claims are made that these behaviours will facilitate or hinder performance and efficiency within a company. Strategy Shapes HRM Practices which in turn Shape Organizational Culture In accordance with the view that HRM/HCM practices influence organizational culture, employee’s behaviours are said to be indirectly affected through a company’s strategy (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004; Chow & Liu, 2009).The term Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) has emerged within recent management literature to cover the relationship between a firm’s strategy and their HRM system. This perspective of HRM is commonly seen as comprising integrated functions which are linked to organizational strategy (Macky, 2008). The guiding logic behind this view is that a firmâ€℠¢s human resource practices must, â€Å"develop employees’ skills, knowledge and motivation such that employees behave in ways that are instrumental to the implementation of a particular strategy† (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004, p. 05). Given a certain strategic goal, a set of HRM practices should be implemented to help the organization attain these goals. Different business strategies will therefore require the implementation of a varied set of HRM practices in order to elicit certain behaviours from employees’. Attention should be paid to designing an HR system that is best able to link the desired culture and business strategy. For innovation-oriented firms, HR must implement innovation-enhancing practices to obtain the desired behaviours associated with innovation (Lau & Ngo, 2004).With strategy affecting HRM practices, culture is indirectly affected. This culture will be an asset for an organization if it encourages the behaviours that support the organizations int ended strategy (Cabrera & Bonache, 1999). Organizational Cultures Influence HRM Practices There is a belief, held by a small number of scholars, which challenges the previous, more widely accepted view that HRM practices (and HCM practices) influence organizational culture. While this view appears within some industrial psychology literature, it is a less common perspective among management scholars.These scholars find that prominent core values within an organizational culture have a strong influence on management practices and in shaping HRM systems (Ferris et al. , 1998; Aycan, Kanungo, & Sinha, 1999). This view asserts that firstly values and other social phenomena form within the organization, while HRM practices occur because of the organizational culture already entrenched within the firm. The social context model, developed by Ferris et al. (1998) claims that the attitudes, beliefs, and values which make up the corporate culture drive the development of HRM policies, practic es, and systems.These scholars profess that a well-defined culture within a firm should drive the development of consistent HRM policies, as employees values are reflected in the formation of these policies. Furthermore, these policies should drive the design of a set of mutually supporting and integrated HRM practices which form a cooperative system. Bowen and Ostroff (2004) expand on this view. They allege that organizational assumptions and values shape HRM practices, which, in turn reinforce cultural norms and routines which shape individuals performance. Aycan et al. (1999) as well as Aycan et al. (2000) advocate the model of culture fit.This model contends that managers implement HRM practices based of their assumption about the nature and behaviour of employees. There needs to be a rationale behind the practices which HR implements; they do not evolve within a vacuum. For this reason HR practices are there to reinforce the values, behaviours and assumptions which already exis t within the organization, and to further develop these social phenomena. The Link between HRM, Organizational Culture and Performance Scholars have long asserted that the way in which an organization manages its employees can influence its performance (Delaney & Huselid, 1996).HRM is therefore an organizational issue which firms cannot afford to ignore. Much of previous HRM and organizational culture literature is based on this assertion that human resource practices and corporate culture are linked to organizational performance (Platonova, 2005). The underlying assumption of the link between HRM, organizational culture and performance is that HRM practices lead to employee knowledge, skills, and abilities, which in turn are said to influence firm performance at the collective level (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004).While a small number of empirical studies have tested the relationship between HRM and organizational culture a copious amount of research exists on the HRM-firm performance link . In addition, a number of empirical studies have also focused on the organizational culture-performance relationship. The relationship between comprehensive sets of HR practices and firm performance has been frequently demonstrated within the literature. Becker and Gerhart (1996) explain that HR decisions can influence organizational performance through increased efficiency or revenue growth.Barney (1986) notes that increased firm performance is often attributed to higher profitability, while Bowen and Ostroff (2004) argue that increased motivation from employees leads to higher firm performance. A large number of empirical studies have been conducted on the relationship between HRM practices and firm profitability. Pfeffer (1995) identified a certain set of best practices which companies can implement to manage their employees. He argues that these practices are universal in nature, and will have a positive effect on organizational performance.The implementation of HRM practices c an contribute to firm performance by motivating employees to adopt desired attitudes and behaviours. They tend to unify people around shared goals which will shape and guide employee behaviour. In addition HCM practices are said to create an internal atmosphere where employees become highly involved in the organization and work hard to accomplish goals the firm sets. In his study of steel minimills, Arthur (1994) found that reward systems provided considerable motivation for employees, which in turn contributed to an increase in productivity.His study also found that higher rewards contribute to a decrease in turnover among staff. Merit or incentive pay systems provide rewards for meeting specific goals; in turn employees will be motivated to achieve these goals (Delaney & Huselid, 1996). Koch and McGrath (1996) found that investment in recruitment and selection procedures was positively related to labour productivity. Their findings suggest that labour productivity is related to th ose proactive firms, those firms who plan for their future labour needs, and those that make investments in getting the ‘right’ people for the job.In addition a number of claims have been made alleging that HRM practices can influence performance by impacting employees’ knowledge, skills and abilities. Practices fostering extensive training can be considered a source of competitive advantage, as they involve keeping employee’s skills and knowledge up to date. Training is said to have a positive impact on performance (Delaney & Huselid, 1996) by impacting dimensions such as product quality. In their study of 590 firms, Delaney and Huselid (1996) found positive associations between practices such as training and firm performance measures.Pfeffer (1998) also conveys a link between training of employee’s and profits. Some scholars assert that HRM practices will lead to increased performance when there is a high level of fit between the practices and the organization’s strategy. This is commonly known as the configurational perspective of SHRM. This perspective maintains that an organization should implement HRM practices that are congruent with the firm’s strategy, and are consistent with one another. Two practices can work together to enhance each other’s effectiveness; consequently a powerful connection is formed (Delery, 1998).The implementation of firm specific training programs combined with highly selective staffing practices can work together to generate a talented pool of employees with high productivity. It is therefore thought that HR practices which complement each other and the firm’s strategy will have a positive effect on organizational performance (Lengnick- Hall, Lengnick-Hall, Andrade, & Drake, 2009). Overall, there is a strong view in the literature that certain HRM practices lead to increased organizational performance.However, studies on this relationship often differ as to the exten t a practice is likely to be positively or negatively related to performance (Becker & Gerhart, 1996). Some scholars also express concern regarding the causality between this relationship; do empirical studies actually prove that HRM practices cause increased performance? It has been said that HRM practices are not the only factor which could affect a firm’s performance; many other organizational and environment factors could in fact be attributed to performance (Boxall & Purcell, 2000).Barney (1986) developed the Resource Based View of the firm (RBV). He argued that certain organizational resources and capabilities can lead to a sustainable competitive advantage for the firm, and therefore can increase organizational performance through superior financial performance. Barney (1986) affirmed that a firm’s organizational culture can in fact be one of these resources. However, he asserts that not just any culture will lead to a competitive advantage; corporate culture mu st be valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable, and be of value to the entire organization.If a company’s organizational culture meets these four criteria it has a better opportunity to be a source of sustained competitive advantage. In addition an appropriate HRM system can create and develop organizational capabilities which themselves become sources of competitive advantage (Lau & Ngo, 2004). For example, one of America’s most successful retailers, Nordstrom, attributes their success to its culture of customer service. This culture is seen as a unique, valuable and hard to imitate resource and has become a source of competitive advantage for the company (Carmeli & Tishler, 2004).Since organizational cultures and HRM systems can be a valuable resource for companies they have a key role to play in the firm performance link. Conclusion This paper has focused around the concept of organizational culture. It has primarily explored the relationship and different views between HRM and culture. While a number of challenging views exist in regards to the HRM- culture link, it is commonly found that HRM practices influence organizational culture, by providing information to employee’s that impacts their assumptions, values and attitudes.In addition, certain HCM practices are said to shape work force attitudes by framing employee’s perceptions about the organization; in turn leading to higher levels of job satisfaction, retention and motivation; all of which influence a firm’s performance. Furthermore, an organization’s strategy has been alleged to influence corporate culture indirectly through the implementation of HRM practices that help the organization attain their goals. Organizational culture has been considered a valuable resource for companies and could in fact lead to a competitive advantage for the firm.While HRM has been argued to affect organizational culture, and in turn lead to firm performance we need to be wary of arguing that current evidence proves this relationship. There could, and probably are, a number of other organizational elements that provide a link between HRM and firm performance. More studies regarding the organizational culture and performance link need to be conducted before we can deduce this causality relationship. In saying this, organizational culture has been shown to be an important aspect of a firm, as it can, and does affect employee’s behaviours, motivation and value.

Japan Political System Essay

Japan is a constitutional monarchy like British government, which is a parliamentary democracy country with ceremonial emperor. The Empire of Japan was dissolved in Japan’s 1947 constitution. After the defeat of Japan in the Second World War, the Japanese political system was being constructed, which is based on the principles of sovereignty that respect human rights and the encouragement of peace. According to separation of powers, the political system of Japan officially divided into executive, legislative and judicial branches. This essay will discuss and classify the political system of Japan, followed by the argument whether Japan is better to describe as a democracy or a monarchy. The monarch, in other words, the Emperor is the head of state and no longer holds a real power. The role Emperor of Japan is the symbol of the country and focuses for unity of the people. The head of government and Cabinet is the prime minister who holds the executive power. The prime minster has the right to nominate the Cabinet members. The Cabinet is composed of prime minster and ministers of state, which is responsible to the National Diet. The main political power is held by the prime minister and the elected members of the National Diet. The prime minister is elected with winning a majority vote in the National Diet through single-member plurality for a 4-year term. Single-member plurality refers the candidate win most votes on the first in the election that only ballot in each single-member district. Legislative power is vested in the National Diet which consists of an upper house, named the House of Councillors, and a lower house, named the House of Representatives. The House of Councillors is composed of 242 members for 6-year term. The House of Representatives is the powerful house in National Diet and comprised of 480 members for 4-year term. The national Diet is designated as the highest organ of state power that the political responsibility is decided by elected legislature. Unlike the political system of Japan in wartime, the political responsibility was rested with the emperor and a cabinet (Ishida and Krauss 1989:39). The Supreme Court is the highest judicial branch that is independent. The judicial members are nominated by the emperor with the agreement of prime minister and cabinet. The major function of Supreme Court is to settle the legal disputes by establishing judicial polices and rules for lower courts. The judicial conference consists of 15 members, which is responsible for decision-making about proposing rules and regulations and in charge of the general secretariats of the Supreme Courts (Itoh 2010:40-41). Japanese political system can be classified as democratic country. Liberal democracy refers a system of government that is elected through free and fair election and limited by law to place on the power of democratically elected government (Hague and Harrop 2010:84). For instance, The House of Representatives in comprised of 480 members. In 480 seats, 300 seats are elected from single-member voters and the other 180 seats are elected 11 multi-member voters by a system of proportional representation. Proportional representation means the number of seats won by a party is proportionate to the number of votes received (Hague and Harrop 2010:184). The House of Representatives can be dissolved by the no confidence vote of the Prime Minister or a Cabinet. 42 seats of the House of Councillors, 146 seats are elected by electoral district system and the remaining 96 seats are elected based on a proportional representation system (Schoppa 2011:47). A half of members from the House of Councillors are re-elected every three years by parallel voting system. Parallel voting is two separate elections without mechanism to get a proportional result (Diamond and Plattner 2006:205). Another feature of liberal democracy is to prevent the government from becoming too powerful. The executive, legislative and judicial powers in Japan’s political system are separated. The judicial is totally independent (Dean 2002:347). Unlike the independent judiciary in most of the western countries, the independent judiciary in Japan is the principle that judicial power of a state is to be implemented independently and fairly by the courts (Goodman 2008:191-193). Even the head of government cannot use his power to control the judicial system. The separation of power of Japan’s government is to avoid the abuse of power. Moreover, based on the Article 20 of Japanese law, Japanese citizens are free to choose their religions. It reflects one of the features of liberal democracy that is to ensure the minorities not being repressed by majority. For example, Christian cannot repress Muslin. All the people deserve equal chance to choose the religion. The advantage of separation of power is to prevent the members of the National Diet or the government become too big and abuse the power. In addition, the different branches will regulate the members from other branches. However, there are some drawbacks. The disadvantage of complying with separation of power affects the effectiveness of implementation of the legislation. The process of implementing the policy is rather rigid. One of the significant features of liberal democracy is that the individual human rights are being guaranteed. According to article 21 the Japanese law, Japanese enjoys wide ranges of rights and freedoms. One of the ‘rights and freedoms of the spirit’ is that Japanese enjoys freedom of assembly and association as well as speech; press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed (Foote 2007:263). These are the examples of rights that should be guaranteed. Nevertheless, some people argue that whether is better describing Japan as a monarchy or a democracy. Japan still has the emperor as the head of state although it is a liberal democratic country with all the features about liberal democracy. A monarchy represents that a government is ruled by only one single absolute hereditary ruler. The ruler held an absolute power in hand. The Japan in pre-wartime was a monarchy. The monarch is the emperor, known as Tenno, who had the whole political power to make the decisions of the whole country. However, the defeat of Second World War led to the Japan’s government reconstructed. The political system reform led to the change from a monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. The form of modern Japan’s government is belonging to constitutional monarchy. That is different from a monarchy. Constitutional monarchy refers to separate out the duties of the head of state and the head of government. The head of state is only ceremonial in nature and their political power is very little, even they no longer have the political power. While the head of government is the prime minister and his cabinets, all the decisions of a country are drawn by the head of overnment and the national Diet. According to Aristotle’s the classification of governments (Kelsen 2009:283), a government ruled by one ruler is monarchy while a government ruled by many rulers is a called democracy. The parliamentary government reflects that the government is ruled by all rulers, which is a democracy. Unlike a monarchy, is ruled by only one ruler. It is clearly show that Japan is better described as a democracy. Aristotle’s classification based on two dimensions which are the number of people involved governing. It captured the extent of involvement in a political system. Besides, the second dimension is whether rulers governed by common interest or in their own interests. Although the emperor of Japan still exists, the emperor has no political power to control the government by himself. Only the head of government can exercise the political power and the national Diet is the highest decision-maker as the national Diet holds the most political power. Moreover, the political system of Japan is divided into three branches, including executive, judicial and legislative branches. Each branches composed of a large group of people to make decisions and handle national activities. All the decisions are made by the constitution instead of the emperor in Japan. As the emperor in Japan has no political power, Japan cannot be described as a monarchy. Overall speaking, Japan is a parliamentary government with ceremonial emperor and it is a liberal democracy based on the theory of Aristotle. Liberal democracy is free to express the views as well as the individual rights are being protected. In addition, people in Japan can enjoy freedom of expressions and they will have a free and fair election to select the preferred government. These are the main features of a liberal democracy. Furthermore, Japan is better to describe as a democracy rather than a monarchy. Since the emperor has no real political power and the government consists of a large group of people to handle different kinds of national activities, such as establish and pass new policy, international cooperation and make decisions. The political power of a country is being separated into different constitutions, which means all rulers, such as legislature, executive council and judicial courts, control the government.

Politidcal theory essays

Politidcal theory essays The ideas of the Enlightenment became popular during the American and French Revolutions. These main ideas of the Enlightenment philosophers were that every natural phenomenon had a cause and effect. They felt that truth is arrived at by reason and there is a natural law that governs the universe. In America in the mid 18th Century the consciousness of the colonists were triggered. They realized their distance from the King in Great Britain and rethought their loyalties. They felt that the king did not have a right to profit off the land they worked on. Money was a central factor in rebellion. Because the British protected the colonists in the French Indian War and the crown spent manpower and money to protect the colonies they felt that the colonists must repay the debt. Therefore, they enforced the Stamp Act, which taxed documents and newspapers. The colonists felt that taxation should be the job of a local government and not of one overseas. Later the British enforced the Declaratory Act, which emphasized the British right to tax the colonies, and further taxed import and exports. This infuriated the colonists who boycotted goods coming to America. This is the beginning of the American Revolution. Soon after the First Continental Congress was formed and on July 4th 1776 the 2nd Continental Congress signed the Declaration of independence. Finally in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris the United States was legally given independence. In 18th Century France the system of aristocratic privilege and serfdom dominated politics and society. The Church received tithes and paid no taxes. The nobility was exempt from most taxes, collected dues from the peasantry, and held virtually every government office, simply because they were born into the right families. The rapidly growing middle class, or bourgeois, and peasantry paid all the taxes and had no political power and little social influence. These inequalities were based...

Character Names 19 Methods Tips for Naming Characters Step-by-Step

Character Names 19 Methods Tips for Naming Characters Step-by-Step Character Names: 19 Methods Tips for Naming Characters Step-by-Step Your character names have the ability to transform the perception readers have of your book and story.If you think about itcharacter names are actually a specific literary device you can use most sneakily.And if you want readers to love, adore, and care for your main character, giving them the best and most memorable name can make all the difference.Use these methods for naming characters in your book:Using baby name websitesThe Root-Meaning methodMash-up character naming methodThe Add-on methodDevelop-First naming methodMaking character names up from scratchNaming-by-era methodUsing similar-to-real-life names11 tips for getting character names rightNOTE:Are you ready to give your characters a real home? Check out our VIP Fundamentals of Fiction and Storytelling Self-Publishing Program to learn how. Learn more about it hereNaming Characters Intentionally: Why Character Names MatterCharacter names have the power to transform your readers perception of your character entirely.Lets use the example of names from How to Train Your Dragon, the animated film.Character name example: HiccupWhy this character name matters: This name is extremely fitting to the type of character Hiccup is. The reason for a silly, weak name like this is because that is what the creators want you to think of when you hear the name. They want you to have low expectations so that when this character rises above, the emotional impact is far greater than if he had a typical hero name.You can use this same ideology for villains. One in particular with a famous name is from Harry Potter.Character name example: Lord VoldemortWhy this character name matters: From the beginning, Rowling crafted this name to be foreboding. In fact, this character himself chose the name because of that. As the author, you can craft your villains name based on your intentions. If you want readers to underestimate them, choose a silly name like Bob. But if you want readers to fear the wrath of your villain, choose a mor e fitting name like Lord Voldemort.Character Name GeneratorsIf youre looking for the easy way out and would rather someone else do the work in naming your characters, there are tools online for that.Here are some of the top character name generators:Character Name Generator This one allows you to fill in several different defining factors in order to produce a character name that fits your character best.Fantasy Name Generator Are you writing a fantasy novel and need some character name ideas? This generator offers several different options for theme-based character names for your fantasy book.Name Generator for Fun With this one, you can choose from several categories, like villain names, rap names, superhero names, and more.Name Generator This character name generator also gives you options to narrow in on details about your character for a more fitting name. However, this one has more real-life names than uniquely created, so it may serve better if youre writing in the conte mporary book genre.Writers Character Name Generator While very random, this one may just allow you to stumble upon your next main characters name.Character Name GeneratorHow to Come Up With Character NamesNaming your characters is one of the best and scariest parts of writing a novel.Using one of these methods will help ease the process while providing higher quality final results.#1 Baby Name WebsitesOne of the most popular methods of coming up with new character names is to pretend theyre your babyliterally!Baby naming websites have been serving up characer names for writers for years.Oftentimes, these websites even offer name meanings, trending names, and even names that were popular doing different years.Here are some great baby name websites to discover your characters names:NameberryBaby Name WizardBaby Name CenterNymblerBaby NamesBabble Baby Names#2 Root-Meaning MethodWelcome to the most common, tried-and-true method to name characters in books.People use this method in re al-life to name their children, too!The root-meaning method simply refers to using a core meaning or belief or even origin of a name for symbolism in your book.Here are some examples of this:Tobias Kaya in The Saviors Champion: His name means goodness and is very much meant to align with who his character is and his role in the series.Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings: Little do most people know, the name Frodo originated from the old English word frà ³d, which translates to wise by experience.Katniss Everdeen in Hunger Games: This books author really took the name meaning seriously when crafting her main character. Katniss is a plant in the genus Sagittaria, which roughly translates from Latin as archer.You can easily find the meanings of names by venturing to baby naming websites. You can also type in a name you like to Google and it will usually pop up.#3 The Mash-UpOne of my personal favorite ways of creating new names is to simply mash real-life names together until I find s omething thats real-sounding but also unique to my world and characters.This method of coming up with character names is better learned through seeing than a simple explanation:Josh and Riley = Joley, Jile, Rosh, RisheCasey and Michael = Cachel, Cachael, Casel, Misey, Miche, Michey, MaseyEmily and Rochelle = Emelle, Echelle, Romil, Romily, Rochil, RocilyObviously, some combinations will be better than others, but this is a quick way to generate new but realistic character names.Heres the step-by-step breakdown for how to create simple character names with this method:Choose or find 2 real-life namesMatch them side by sideTake the first half of the first name and mix and mach it with the last half of the second nameRepeat step 3 but vice versaYou should have a list of several different sounding namesChoose a few to keep that you likeRepeat this process with several pairs until you have a roster of character names to choose from#4 The Add-OnThis method is super similar to the previou s method but with more freedom.This is another personal favorite and how I manage to come up with cool and interesting names that are also unique to my story.Instead of taking two names and matching the beginning of one with the end of the other, simply choose real names and swap out the endings or add on to them completely.Heres what this looks likeRebecca = Rebera, Rebilla, Rebyr, Rebine, ReborraTaylor = Tayr, Tayora, Tayrin, Taysila, TayserraCory = Corrin, Corel, Coreesa, Coryn, Corros, Cortsa, CortaJohn = Johva, Johrrin, Johk, JohreyThe steps for this one are pretty obvious. Choose a random real-life name and simply swap out the endings for a combination you create on your own.I always try to do varying combinations, remembering that double consonants work well, as does changing the length of the vowel sounds by adding or changing those letters.I do this often and keep a spreadsheet with names I like, as in the image below.#5 Develop-First NamingSometimes choosing a characters name too early will make you subconsciously develop that character into someone who fits that name.This can be bad if you need that specific character to act and behave in a certain way.With this character naming method, you will develop your character in full first and then choose their name. The reason for this is to ensure youll write that character with intention.For example: in the Harry Potter series, the mood tends to be more serious. Rowling created Ron Weasley as comedic relief. While Ron is much more than that, the intention is still for him to be a goofy, funny character.The name Ron Weasley supports this development.Had she named him a more serious name like Reginald, Theodore, or Christopher, crafting those scenes may have been very different.The same can be said for another character called Draco Malfoy. This name is far more dark than it is funny, which is fitting for his character.The steps for this character naming method are simple:Download and fill out this charac ter development worksheet.Understand your characters role in the story. Do you want them to be serious, funny, silly, foreboding?List names that make you feel the way of your intentions.Ask friend and family to tell you what each name makes them think of personality-wise.Narrow down your choices to 3 and ask another group.Decide on the best-fitting name.#6 Make Them UpIf you want to have 100% unique character names (like Lhonniadreah, a character in the book Im writing, Lhonni for short), youve got to get creative.But youre a writer, so you know how to get creative.This particular method doesnt have many rules.Essentially, you can simply think up a random name. Perhaps you have a base or a beginning that you like.For example, my full original name for the character mentioned above was Lhonni. But I felt her character needed a longer name to fit with the traditional style of the names in her culture.Secondly, I decided to pull from the common letter match-ups this culture sees often . In this case, the combinations of the dr sound with long vowels is popular.I went on to create several combinations of potential full names:LhonnidrayLhonniyadraLhonniodrinLhonnidraUltimately, the name I chose best fit her as a character, and I decided afterward that her mothers name would be Dreah, so that her name is a namesake thats in common format for the culture I created.Heres how you can replicate this process:Write down a sound or start or end of a name you like (this can be a -ly ending, an ash- beginning, or even an -eer- middle of a name.Decide if you want the name to hold any significant meaning the way mine does. This does not have to be the same meaning. You can even find base words in English or Latin to use.Take into account any world-specific cultural influences on the name. Your world building expands to even your characters name. Dont forget this! (If your book takes place in this world, think about family spellings and such as a substitute)Create a list with s everal different versions and variations. Remember your characters name can take on very different meanings and intentions based on the sound (and look!) of it.Choose the name that feels right and embodies your intentions for the character. And let it stew for a few days! Now, even if your character is brave and strong, like in the Hiccup example, using a less-than-obvious name can provide a unique perception that fosters a better reaction later.#7 Name-by-eraOne of the biggest mistakes you can make is unintentionally destroying your readers suspension of disbelief by naming a character something wildly out of the ordinary for a time period.If youre writing historical fiction or just a story from 10-15 years ago, you want to make sure your names are realistic for the time period.This trick is also helpful if you want to give your out-of-the-real-world novel a specific time era vibe.Here are some resources for baby names by era:Popular Baby Names by EraBusiness Insiders Baby Name Li st from the 1880s onVictorian baby namesBaby Center Baby Names Through the Centuries#8 Using similar but different real namesThe most famous author who uses this method is George R.R. Martin in his infamous series Game of Thrones.What Martin did in order to give this epic fantasy series realistic but medieval sounding names is simply alter just a few letters in a name.Here are some examples of names from Game of Thrones with more common real names:Gregor GregoryJoffrey JefferyBrienne BrianneTheon Theo / TheodorePetyr PeterJorah JonahGilly LillyPodrick RodrickMartin has a way of completely transforming these very similar-to-real-life names into something with both a. fantastical and medieval twist in order to further transport us to his world. Of course Game of Thrones also features completely unique names like Daenerys and Tyrion along with real-life names like Robert and Jon. Martin uses this combination to his advantage- and you can too!Top Tips for Naming Characters in Y our BookNo matter which method you choose for naming your characters, youll need a few tips to make it more effective.Here are the best tips for naming book characters with intention.#1 Remember, length mattersThis is particularly true if you have several characters who will interact with one another regularly.If you have all very long names, your reader will be exhausted.You dont want thatWhat you do want is a reader who doesnt have to focus on the pronunciation or longevity of several character names.Using a combination of long, short, and medium length names will allow your readers to read easier so they can focus more on visualizing whats happening.Heres an example of this with names from my work in progress:EssadraVhieDailanLhonniadreahRiddickKetThis combination allows several of these characters to be in the same scene without exhausting or confusing the reader.#2 Keep nicknames in mindYou can use your characters name as a plot device if you really wanted to.Maybe the reveal of your main characters full name is important to the story and your character has only been called by a nickname their whole life.Nicknames can also serve as a way to show and not tell within your writing as well. Those close to your character are more likely to use a nickname and therefore, you dont have to dumb as much exposition in order for them to learn.Just make sure the nickname is also fitting and not too similar to other characters names.#3 Make sure the name fits the characterWeve already mentioned this tip a number of times but its worth mentioning again.If your characters name is very, very ill-fitting, it will stand out in a bad way to readers.This is why getting feedback and understanding your character fully is so vital for the naming process.#4 Make sure the name fits the settingWhere your story takes place can change the names you use for your characters.Whats the location?Does your story take place in a cold, harsh climate or in a dry, warmer environment?The lo cation matters because the names used can help enhance or take away from the mood youre trying to create within that environment.For example, harsher climates tend to pair well with curt, quipped names to mirror this. But if you want your character in this specific place to stand out, you can give them a name thats ill-fitting in order to focus on this contrast.A great example of this is Ygritte from Game of Thrones. Yet again, George R.R. Martin has named someone who lives in a tough, gritty environment with a suitable name that gives off this vibe.What are the cultural influences?As mentioned in a few of these tips, culture plays a large role in your characters names.Does your culture, whether you make it up or its real, influence your characters name in any way?For example, in a certain culture in my work in progress, names can often be namesakes. However, instead of simply naming a baby the full name of whomever theyd like to honor, they add the name to the start of another.Lhon nidra is a common name in a certain place of my book. However, her mother Dreah died. Her father then named her after her mother, but in this world, that would translate to Lhonniadreah instead of just Dreah.Ask yourself if there are any cultural influences and if there isnt (and youre completely making up this world), feel free to add some!What is the intended time period?Even if your book takes places in a completely different world, you can still allow readers to get a sense of the intended time period youre going for with the names you use.For this method, use old victorian names or names from medieval times as a base when also using another method for coming up with a unique name.Victorian name example: EmalineCreated for a unique world while maintaining the same vibe: EmariseYou can tweak the names until you find something that feels right.#5 Consider how each name soundsThere are several literary elements that touch on the way similar or contrastingly different sounds can pl ay into the attractiveness of writing.Although most people dont read novels out loud, unless theyre reading to their kids, we all still have a voice in our head that is out loud.And that voice is drawn to names that sound appealing.This can often be a subjective element when coming up with character names, but you can probably recognize names that sound good versus names that sound bad.But you can also use this to your advantage for further character development as well.Ugly sounding names are a great fit for characters youd like your audience to interpret as just that. Its all about what intention you have for that character.An example of this is the name James Bond. I think we can all agree this is a great sounding, tough name that fits the character well.#6 Get feedback on the namesOther people are a better judge of the first impression of a character name simply because its fresh for them.Enlist 7-10 people you can get feedback from when it comes to these names.Send the name al ong with 2 sentences describing the character (physically and personality) and ask them if they sound like they fit.Oftentimes, we might really like names that are hard to read or pronounce for new readers. In that case, youll want to problem solve for a solution.#7 Dont be afraid to go crazy with itThis is your book! This is your world and if you have names that are a little out there, thats okay!The only reason youd want to reel in the craziness is if the names are too complex for readers to easily comprehend and remember.Nobody wants a character whose name people forget when talking about the book. After all, characters are one of the first things raving fans gush about with a new book they love.That being said, dont be afraid of creating your own names in your own world. Real-life parents make up names for their children every day. You can do the same for your characters.#8 Create cultural similarities in your worldThis is mainly for authors writing in a unique world they make up on their own.Different cultures and languages have very different names and common ways to spell and pronounce those names.Heres a quick example of several names from opposite sites of the world in my story: If your characters are from very different areas, the names should reflect that, just like in life.#9 Avoid using already-popular book character namesUsing the name Harry or Katniss isnt the best idea. At leastnot if you want your characters to be remembered as your characters.With infamous names, itll be very hard to set your character (and therefore, your book) apart.If you want to use a name and arent sure if its in another super popular book, just do a Google search for Name in book and if it doesnt populate a very specific result, youre in the clear.#10 Avoid similar names if your character is based on someone you knowAll writers draw inspiration from the real world. Theyre lying if they say otherwise.BUT, if you do base a character on someone you know in real life (which we recommend you change enough that they wouldnt know anyway), dont use a name thats similar for the character.This can make people feel very uncomfortable, not to mention itll be that much more obvious to ou tsiders who know you.#11 Bring your characters to lifeDont just name your characters and leave them to exist only in your imagination and future conversations of friends or family asking you if youve finished your book yet.Give them a world by finishing and even publishing your book.Weve got some tips to help you with that in this free video training.Save your spot by signing up below!

Portfolio Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Portfolio - Coursework Example In addition to that media aids influence issues voters should care concerning the elections and the criteria that should be used to evaluate contenders2. And my opinion is that the political life starts to conform highly to the political image portrayed on TV. Through a process known as quasi-Darwinian, scandals, events of media, and other forms of political and entertainment s eventually takes control facing out other forms of information of politics and public debate, changing the sense of public disclosure. In this manner objectives of political transparency can be beaten by what come into view as the vital mechanisms: revealing the secrets, proliferating information and holding political officials responsible for their actions. 2. A lot has been written about the culture of secrecy of late. The article says that government is keeping some information from the members of the country as believed by most Americans. Potion of the members of congress is calling for the access to the secret documents, federal agencies last to withhold a huge amount of information claiming it is crucial for the national security, upholding secrecy entrenched in the cold war3. This new book is examining who in the government is keeping what information from the public, how they do it, and why a concern to the members of the public4. Causal scholars, attorneys and journalists survey the rules of federal intellect agencies and presidents particularly Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Clinton to ensure that information are kept secret5. My opinion is that the Currency is protected by the spirit of house hold and generally the spirit of robbery specially, and the best locks and way of hiding that can be mustered. 3. Social media is playing more and more famous role in our culture. The article says Social media became a new battle ground for the nationwide both presidential and parliamentary elections6. A horde of politicians, who at first sight it seems adequate and

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Summary - Essay Example The study aimed at â€Å"investigating the quantity and quality of household waste in terms of socio-economic groups and family size in the Dehradun city, India† (Suthar and Singh, 56). The article provides the reasons for the increased MSW in developing countries in Africa and Asia as increasing population growth in urban centres. The causes of the high population are provided by rural-urban migration, urban lifestyle changes, economic growth, and social improvement. The study was conducted in Dehradun City in India, which is the fastest growing City in India with information on HW quality and quantity conducted between March to May 2011 from 11 blocks consisting of 144 households. ANOVA and descriptive analysis aided in the analysis of HW data collected allowing for the determination of the significant difference in the garbage generation rate in households earning different income levels. Wide statistical parameters including median, range, skewness, standard deviation, kurtosis, steam-and-leaf- plots, and variance were determined using descriptive statistical analysis. SPSS statistical package was used in the study for data analysis purposes. The study found out that biodegradable waste makes up a huge junk of HW including paper waste and food/vegetable waste. Recyclable wastes comprised a small percentage of HW and the authors believe that the reasons for the few percentage of recyclable waste were the screening by households of HW for reusable/recyclable waste. The lack of plastic, glass, metals, fresh paper, cardboards, among others in HW is because of resale by HW to recycling dealers/Pheriwalas (Suthar and Singh, 57). The research also concludes that t he absence of secondary waste collection points creates health and environmental issues in the city. Owing to the high percentage of biodegradable waste in HW, generation of value-added products including compost, digestive slurry, and biogas is possible from HW. I strongly