buy custom Small Team and Group Paper essay

buy custom Small Team and Group Paper essay Modern work environment incorporates a great use of team work because of the higher level of effectiveness in performance that team work offers to the organisation compared with separate individual contributions. Team work has been given immense importance in research studies, such as by Tuckman in 1965 relating to the stages of team development and work. It is crucial to set targets of the team, organise teams, assign roles and measure performance of the team effort. The main reason behind using team work in organisations is to benefit from the different perspectives and insights that each member contributes to achieve the targets but working in a team is not an easy task at first. Business schools for this reason prepare their students to work in teams and learn to work out differences and make the best out of each others strengths. Working in teams has allowed our groups to achieve the target we were given quite effectively and successfully and we have found that working in a team is nothing like working individually on a project. But most useful thing that has come out of working in a team is to get a hint of how formal group work takes place in organisations which we all will be soon taking part in. Our team progressed which comprised of 5 members through the five stages of team development based on the team development theory of Tukman. The first stage of forming began as the group first assembled and sat down to discuss the presentation assigned. The topic and related information that each member had about it was jotted down. Each member was asked to self-evaluate themselves relating to the grasp of concepts and based on the strengths of each, the roles were assigned informally and tasks were distributed. The group members were asked to further explore the topic and bring back to the next meeting any disagreement or contribution they have. The next meeting was much more heated with several disagreements as members discovered some new ideas and strengths for which they required separate tasks to be assigned to them. It was then understood that in order to settle down the disagreements a strong leadership was required and the one with the most effective communication skills and leadership skills, based on previous personal experience in the school, one of the members was chosen to be leader. This was the second stage : storming, where arguments were settled. The leader allowed the group members to choose the sub topics themselvs, and a coordinator was chosen to transfer information and bridge all gaps among the group members and using minimum authority and avoiding strict control the members were requested to transform their ideas into writing and paper to bring to the next meeting. In the next meeting, the leader evaluated each members work, in the form of drafts of the subtopics of the presentation. He evaluated the actual strengths and weaknesses of each member based on their work. The member were clearly communicated the evaluation and based on the analysis of the drafts prepared by each member, they were assigned new tasks, that is the subtopics that they were found to be better at. This resolved all conflicts and the team came into harmony. This was the start of the third stage: norming. By the end of this meeting, the leader gave each member the sources to make use of for gathering the information and requested each to use others if necessary and complete the content required for the presentation. This marked the start of the fourth stage: performing. Members were asked to communicate with the coordinator, with each other and the leader at all times so as to help each other out, when needed. The leader communicated by now that these two essential components are to be kept intact and should be followed. Communication allowed social learning to take form among the members. During the perfuming stage, the members benefited from communities of practice theory of learning. Lastly, it requires a practice. The practice implies the performance to achieve the goals of the domain. This theory was largely depicted practically when the team started to function. The members communicated to each other, sought help from others whom they thought knew about something they didnt and had access to a source they required to use for preparing their part. Some people had difficulty using powerpoint, which was settled by others who had expertise in that area. This allowed social learning to cultivate among all members. During the performing stage, several meetings were held, where each member showed and discuss his or her findings and progress of the work and allowed others to critique and suggest improvements. Viewing each others work, the members were able to improve their own work and learned how to better communicate. This allowed preparation for the presentation even before the preparation for preseenting had begun. Each member was given freedom to suggest and critique and explore new sources. This depicted the very important foundation of the management of the group which the leader had established in the earlier stage, empowerment. One by one each of us came up with excellent strategies for improvement and when the implementation period came, we were allowed to request any of the other members to assist us if we required any help. It taught an important lesson about empowerment. The final stage was adjourning, when we were ready to deliver our presentation. At this stage, the group understood and learned several of real organizational lessons. In the group work several problems were faced which related mainly to what to include and what not to include as upon hitting Google, we found that the brands were common in news, blogs, research journals, newspapers, etc. thus, to find out which piece of information was necessary and relevant for the paper and which wasnt was a challenge on its own. Our group leader was the most profound in this regard who created a system whereby each of us, with whatever information we obtained regarding the companies, was supposed to produce original reflections on it, and record it as we proceeded. By the end of week 1 of our research, we had gathered ample original reflections with their sources mentioned. These were peer reviewed to discover the ones not required and were discarded. When we began to prepare the report, the indiv idual reflections came in great use in producing a plagiarism free report and citation was also easily conducted. Being part of group work at three different areas, the group learned the successful traits of a leader, in terms of getting work done effectively from people to meet the deadline. The leaders job is not just to get the work done but to inspire the subordinates to do a work that is worth appreciating. Also, the team learned that through group work the importance of empowerment, and how well workers can work under decision making power vested on their hands and how well it eventually works out for the leader himself in the end. As the team progressed through stages namely: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning, a different form of group based learning and motivation took place which contributed towards the overall performance and accomplishment of the target assigned to the group. Buy custom Small Team and Group Paper essay

Hush and Just Do It

Hush and Just Do It You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do. ~Henry Ford Recently, I had a young family member tell me that his grades were down because he hadnt adapted this special way of studying, and that next semester, hed have better grades because of this new-found method of learning. In a nice but firm way, I told him that I didnt want to hear what he was going to do. I only wanted to see what hed done once he accomplished it.   Social media abounds with promises and plans on how someone is going to create, be better, make great strides. In my experience, we lose the energy surrounding those goals Derek Sivers, in a 2010 TED Talk, suggests we keep our goals to ourselves. https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself Tests done since 1933 show that people who talk about their intentions are less likely to make them happen. Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you’re less motivated to do the hard work needed. Theres somewhat of a myth, a common suggestion, that if you tell people what you are going to do  that it makes you more accountable. Ive never seen that proven. Sure, we have our writers groups and critique groups, but do they make you follow through? Not really. You are the only person who can make yourself follow through. And its nobody elses fault that you dont. A journalist with Forbes, Jamie Farrell, curiously wondered what would happen if she quit talking about herself and what she planned to do. For one day, I decided to stop talking and start doing.   And here’s what I found: First, I found that I was lonely.   I was so accustomed to my ego being stroked And Im not giving you permission to blame social media, either. What Id love for you to do is talk less about the doing  and just do more. On this, our last newsletter in 2017, in a year I did so much less than I have in over a decade, I am making 2018 about DOING. Not talking about doing, but following through. And I look forward to hearing from you when you have all those new announcements to make about what you DID. Happy New Year!

Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology Essay

Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology - Essay Example As per the rating system based on animal and human data by The International Agency for Research on Cancer, where an agent, mixture, or exposure circumstance is assigned to one of five categories, Bis chloromethyl ether, Benzene and Styrene belong to group 1, which means that the agents are carcinogenic to humans (Gottschall et.al, 2002). Of the three, Benzene is the most potential carcinogen causing carcinoma of various internal organs and tissues. It is followed by Bis -chloromethyl ether in potency, which is a known carcinogen of the lungs and Styrene known for its mutagenic effects. The Bologna experiments at the Bentivoglio Experimental Unit of the Bologna Institute of Oncology proved for the first time that benzene is an experimental carcinogen. These experiments demonstrated that benzene was carcinogenic when administered by ingestion and by inhalation and could cause tumors in the various tested animal models. They also showed that benzene is a multipotential carcinogen, as it produces a variety of neoplasias in one or more of the tested animal models, including Zymbal gland carcinomas, carcinomas of the oral cavity, nasal cavities, skin, fore stomach, and mammary glands, as well as angiosarcomas of the liver, hemolymphoreticular neoplasias, tumors of the lung, and possibly hepatomas. The Bologna experiments have also provided a clear-cut dose-response relationship in benzene carcinogenesis (Maltoni et.al, 1989). Bis-Chloromethyl ether

Assessment task 6.1, guidance,this module is assessed by the Essay

Assessment task 6.1, guidance,this module is assessed by the completion of 3,500 words assessment - Essay Example The role of the social worker with regard to the assessment, decision making and planning in this backdrop is analysed based on the data or information available in respect of the case. 1. Residential Care for Older Patients in Hospital Facts of the case in brief Mr. Harris was admitted to hospital having been found on the floor with a slight head injury. Mr. Harris was happily married for 53 years, had an active social life and many friends before his wife died unexpectedly less than a year ago. He has been diagnosed as having Parkinson’s disease. His daughter Beatrice, Mr. Harris’ only child, has two children. Her younger son is 10 years old and has a form of autism. She lives in the town and has been visiting twice a week. Assessment of the Case For the assessment of the cases, collecting complete information is necessary  to develop interventions and treatment planning. ... Proper assessment is very essential for taking various decisions involved in the treatment and for planning and coordination. Perception of inadequacies in the set-up is very important to take corrective measures to improve the situation. Parkinson’s Disease â€Å"Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system resulting in a lack of dopamine in the brain, among other changes. Dopamine, a chemical produced by cells in the brain, is necessary for smooth, controlled movement of muscles...researchers do not know what causes Parkinson’s disease at this time... â€Å"(The Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center, 2008) Confusion and lack of motivation on the part of Harris can be attributed to the disease. According to the Institute, in addition to the well-known symptoms of tremor, slowness and imbalance, other problems such as excessive saliva, a soft voice, as well as hand and foot cramps may occur. Depression, anxiety and a nu mber of sleep disorders are quite common.   The observation of the physiotherapist â€Å"uncooperative with exercise programmes and lacking motivation† is understandable. Local authorities where the patient ordinarily resides reimburse the charges to the hospital if they are responsible for any delay in discharge from the hospitals due to lack of arrangements for community care. Notice has been issued under the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act, 2003. Also, Community health care centre is ideal for treatment to Harris, rather than a hospital set-up. The statement made by The National Council for Palliative Care (2009) â€Å"â€Å"NCPC’s Neurological Conditions Policy Group has been

Achievement Motivation Essay Example for Free

Achievement Motivation Essay What is it? This links personality with the degree of competitiveness shown by an individual. Its main focus is the extent to which an individual is motivated to attain success. Some Theories about it   Murray (1938) indicated that it was natural for individual to strive to surpass another (genetically) like trait. Bandura (1977) believed that a competitive drive was a product of learning (social learning). Atkinson and McCelland (1976) has the view of an interactionist and predicts achievement motivation is generated through a combination of personality and situation factors. Atkinson and McCelland view of achievement motivation as a personality trait which is activated by a situation, the situation comprises the probability of success and the incentive value of success. -Probability of success;the extent to which success is likely;For example success is more likely of the task is found by the individual to be easy. -Incentive value of success;the incentive value experienced by the individual after success-been achieved. For example the harder the task the greater will be the incentive value because the probability of success is reduced. There are two personality types to determine achievement motivation and these are; 1.High need to achieve (high Nach) Linked with the low need to avoid failure (Low Naf). With these characteristic, desire to succeed overcomes the fear of failure. These performers=high in achievement motivation (high achievers) 2.Low need to achieve (Low Nach) Also linked with high need to avoid failure (High Naf). These characteristics the fear of failure overcome the desire to success. These performers=low in achievement motivation (low achievers) Characteristics of high and low achievement motivation personality traits. High Nach Personality Characteristics Low Nach personality characteristics High need to achieve Low need to achieve Low need to avoid failure High need to avoid failure Approach behaviour is adopted Avoidance behaviour is adopted Challenges is accepted Challenges is rejected Risks are undertaken Risks are declined Shows persistence and perseverance when task is difficult Curtails effort when task is difficult Success tends to be attributed to external factors Failure tends to be attributed to internal factors Failure is seen as a route to success Failure is seen as the route to further failure Aspire to mastery orientation Adopt learned helpessness Key Terms Approach behaviour-describes behaviour that accepts a challenge Avoidance behaviour-describes behaviour that rejects a challenge Attribution-The process that predict reasons for success or failure Mastery Orientation-The strong motive to succeed found in the high achievement. This type of person will expect to succeed but will persist when failure is experienced Learned helplessness-The belief that failure is inevitable and that the individual has no control over the factors that cause failure. Atkinson and McCelland Their theory of achievement motivation is best at predicting behavioural responses in situations where there is a 50/50 chance of success. This will trigger motivation for those performers with high achievement traits=likely  to display approach behaviour and mastery orientation characteristics in these circumstances. Incentive value=high when chance is evenly balanced. In contrast to performers who show low achievement motivation would experience greatest anxiety in situations with a 50/50 chance of success— later adopt avoidance behaviour and experience learned helplessness. Approach or avoidance behaviours likely to arise when in a evaluative situation=Situation in which an individual believes they are being assessed. Drawbacks 1.Achievement or success can interpreted in many ways. Some performers regard success as victory over others. For example a long jump athlete winning an event. These people are said to have ego goal orientation. Those with this believe that ability and comparison over others=criteria for success. 2.Others judge on the basis of person improvement in a given task-For example a second long jump athlete may view success as the achievement of an improved performance. These people are said to have task orientation. Those with the task orientation value internal goals and believe that effort and comparison with self=criteria for success. Sport Specific Achievement Motivation(Competitiveness) Competitiveness in this context means- motivation to achieve in sport. Gill and Deeter (1988), using their own test called the ‘Sport Orientation Questionnaire’ (SOQ), confirmed that athletes were far more competitive than non-athletes. As as statement, this would appear obvious. Evidence of greater significance-athletes favoured performance goals (task orientation) while non-athletes emphasised the importance of winning (ego orientation) The type of goal set by the teacher as the measure of success in sport-related activities has, therefore, a significant influence upon the decision to adopt and sustain an active and healthy lifestyle. The important association between sport-specific motivation (competitiveness), confidence and goal setting.

Circuit Board Fabricators Case Essay -- Business Case Study

CBF has hired you to help determine why they are not able to produce the 1,000 boards per day. 1. What type of process flow structure is CBF using? The company is using a batch shop process flow structure. CBF, Inc. bases its board fabrication process on the average job size or on its typical order. This means that the company proceeds with the manufacturing process in batches so as to meet the specific requirements per order. The typical contract that the company currently gets is 60 boards per order. However, due to persisting factory defects, they manufacture a total of 75 boards per batch in order to compensate for 20% of the boards that they typically reject during the process. 2. Diagram the process in a manner similar to exhibit 6.7. According to the book, the diagram is an operation and route sheet that specifies operations and process routing for a particular part. It conveys such information as the type of equipment, tooling and operations required to complete the particular part. The "Setup Hr." is derived from dividing the setup (minutes per job, as illustrated in exhibit 6.9) by 60 minutes. Likewise, the hourly capacity of each operation (Rate Pc. Hr.) is solved by dividing 60 minutes by the run (minutes per part, as shown in exhibit 6.9). 3. Analyze the capacity of the process. The first thing to consider is the process of cleaning and coating of the boards. This particular process involves the set-up of the machines, the loading of the boards, and the actual cleaning and coating of the said boards by the machines. From the computations above, it is clearly illustrated that there is a disparity between the loading of the boards into the machines and the output of the cleaning and the coati... ...es. 2) Enhance or re-engineer the cleaning and coating machines to improve capacity. Basically, the focus of the recommendations is to reduce the disparities between the capacities of the processes involved. Ideally, their outputs must be equal if not, similar to the preceding and succeeding procedures in order to achieve an efficient manufacturing process. The company is also faced with a 20% reject rate that is absolutely unacceptable. A lot of the produced boards go to waste, and a lot of resources are compromised. Moreover, it contributes to the manufacturing strain, as the production team must start with at least 20% more than the required output just to give allowances to the defects. CBF, Inc. should implement a more rigid supervising/monitoring program with the manufacturing processes in order to pinpoint and arrest the cause of these defects.

Dr. Pepper Essay

By using the same supplier means that DPS have to follow what the competitors such as Coca Cola and Pepsi have done for the worldwide market in particular in US. This may cause costs to grow in the future but the supplier could have the advantages in producing their product by using own distribution and packaging in long term. DPS has the opportunity to expand into international markets and to growth in the Hispanic population. Bargaining Power of Supplier Threats Economic stability is a threat that will affect DPS. At this moment of recession, consumers don’t spend money and at the same time prices for natural gas, corn, pulp and other commodities that are necessary for the company increase. Also, health concerns, preferences may affect the industry. -Substitute Products Opportunities The company may see the best opportunity in high growth and high margin categories, as well as energy drinks, ready to drink teas, juice drinks and other functional beverages. Positive external trends or changes that may help an organization improve its’ performance. Substitute Products Threats Dr. Pepper Snapple group should be aware on the substitutes product offered by the competitors. The company should maintain an excellent relationship with wholesalers and retailers such as supermarket, convenience store because they are the company promoting and selling the product to the buyer. This is in case if competitors use similar characteristics and taste as DPS, the competitors may possibly dominate the market and eliminate DPS from the industrial market. -Political-Legal Opportunities The company will follow all requirements with all laws regarding political contributions. There are surely some states that allow DPS to make political contributions surrounded by specific limits and reporting supplies by using a state beverage association. The company can not use their own facility, funds or any assets to support any political candidate unless it has an approval from Government Affairs and the General Counsel’s office. The nominal legal contributions of DPS products are allowed. -Political-Legal Threats -Technological Opportunities The company recognized that they needed to increase its efforts in advertising and distribution. Therefore, the company launched a television commercial by using famous celebrities to endorse DPS by referring to the taste and flavor and stating â€Å"Trust me, I’m a doctor. † This commercial was use in the late 1980 and early 1990s, which the strategy that worked for the company. If they come out with new commercials or old commercials with new generation it may help DPS to get more sells. -Technological Threats The larger advertising budgets of competitors can be a threat to maintaining market. Some of the technological threats may be billboards, super bowl and television.

Humanities and Architecture †Gio Ponti Essay

Sculpture is created by merging durable or plastic material, commonly stone either rock or marble, limestone, ivory, and/or granite. Sculptures are created through carving and/or assembled, built together and welded, or molded by sculptors. In addition, sculptures are three-dimensional art-work that can be seen commonly in public places. In renaissance period, many sculptors were known in Europe. Some of the sculptors known in continental Europe were Giovanni and Michelangelo. Example of a sculpture is the Pantheon that was made by Marcus Agrippa, a Roman sculptor. On the other hand, architecture can be defined through as process and as a profession. As a process, architecture is the act of drafting and constructing buildings and other physical structures, principally to draft buildings. In literary context, architecture takes into account more of the designs of the structures. From the macro level of how a building combines with its surrounding landscape (e. g. rural design, and landscape architecture) to the micro level of construction details and, sometimes, furniture, architecture plays a major role in its construction. Basically, architecture is the activity of drafting any variety of system. System integration Merging architecture and sculpture in modern world is called Archi-Sculpture. Innovations applied in construction and project designs through modern day technologies and discoveries new materials allowed architects to draft buildings with sculpture type designs. One of the purpose of mixing architecture and sculpture in buildings make sense in designing structures that are historical, exquisite and scenic depending on the type/kind of buildings. Example of structures in which Archi-sculpture can be seen includes Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and Crypt of the Church of Colonia Guell by Gaudi. Implicitly, sculpture and architecture are two different areas of studies which are overlapping in nature. Sculpture became more useful and tectonic, making a link with the geometric designs which are fundamentals of architecture. Likewise, architecture became revolutionary with the used of sculptural concepts and/or ideas. In example, the dramatic architecture of R. Steiner defined the propinquity between anthropomorphous architecture and figurative sculpture. In our modern day living, the Blob architecture of Greg Lynn and Lars Spuybroek are examples of Archi-sculpture. The pre-World War II era (1900’s) was recognized as the Age of Sculpture, today. In the history of architecture, the curved walls in Gallery exemplify a good example of sculptural style in modern day structural design. On the whole, sculpture and architecture are two different studies that can be mixed, wherein statues and buildings complement to each other, designs and drafts could include sculpture concepts, and sculptures are better seen along and within structures. Demarcation between sculpture and architecture Sculptors are the laborers of their own work. They are the ones who carves, mould rocks, stones, and marbles to make statues and figures. Unlike architects, they are only responsible for the design of the buildings. They are not the ones who make the buildings; the engineers are the ones who implement/follow the designs of the architects. In addition, sculptures are more of aesthetics, beautifications, historical and part of culture. Architecture focus on how to design structures, involves drafting, used of materials, designs, used of geometric forms, and concerns with space. While the rationale of sculpture is to entertain, architecture’s focal point is to create/draft structures. Consequently, sculpture is more of subjective (art) than objective nature (and vice versa for architecture concepts). Gaudi and Mies architectural style Gaudi’s gothic architecture was remembered as stylistic insult during the later part of renaissance. It was described with pointed arch, the ribbed vault and flying buttress. Many of the old churches, universities, castles, and palaces were designed using gothic architecture. The Sagrada Familia, one of Gaudi’s greatest designs, combines sculptural and architectural ideas. Until today, the construction of Sagrada Familia is still continuing. With the project’s vast scale and peculiar design, Barcelona made its way in top tourist attractions in the world. Its style was celebrated as irregular and fantastically obscure. Gaudi’s architectural style describes a complete and straightforward method, providing an example of the spontaneous and basic methods. His artistic style allowed him to attain balanced forms comparable to which nature offers. Gaudi’s architecture portrays the totality of his artistic contribution of combining materials, methods and poetics (which is sculptural). His approach to furniture design was a graceful spatial continuum that goes beyond structural expression and integrates with the sculptural idea. Conversely, Mies structural designs of traditional custom houses were pulled away by critics/progressive theorists for attaching historical ornament unrelated to a modern structure’s underlying construction. The earth-resting structure of Mies defies the concept of earth-rooted type of architecture. Critics suggest Mies designs which do not reflect to the environment. The structures built by him do not complement with the landscape or the environment itself. Mies architectural designs are more of an isolated type of structures which doesn’t fit to most of the people’s interest. Earth-resting architecture does not relate to the earth or landscape of the buildings which appears to be off-nature to the progressive theorists/critics of Mies.

Bulgars, Bulgaria and Bulgarians

Bulgars, Bulgaria and Bulgarians The Bulgars were an early people of eastern Europe. The word bulgar derives from an Old Turkic term denoting a mixed background, so some historians think they may have been a Turkic group from central Asia, made up of members of several tribes. Along with the Slavs and the Thracians, the Bulgars were one of the three primary ethnic ancestors of present-day Bulgarians.   The Early Bulgars The Bulgars were noted warriors, and they developed a reputation as fearsome horsemen. It has been theorized that, beginning in about 370,  they moved west of the Volga River along with the Huns. In the mid-400s, the Huns  were led by Attila, and the Bulgars apparently joined him in his westward invasions. After Attilas death, the Huns settled in the territory north and east of the Sea of Azov, and once again the Bulgars went with them.   A few decades later, the Byzantines hired the Bulgars to fight against the Ostrogoths. This contact with the ancient, affluent empire gave the warriors a taste for wealth and prosperity, so in the 6th century they began to attack the nearby provinces of the empire along the Danube in hopes of taking some of that wealth. But in the 560s, the Bulgars themselves came under attack by the Avars. After one tribe of Bulgars was destroyed, the rest of them survived by submitting to yet another tribe from Asia, who departed after about 20 years. In the early 7th century, a ruler known as Kurt (or Kubrat) unified the Bulgars and built a powerful nation that the Byzantines referred to as Great Bulgaria. Upon his death in 642, Kurts five sons split the Bulgar people into five hordes. One remained on the coast of the Sea of Azov and was assimilated into the empire of the Khazars. A second migrated to central Europe, where it merged with the Avars. And a third disappeared in Italy, where they fought for the Lombards. The last two Bulgar hordes would have better fortune in preserving their Bulgar identities. The Volga Bulgars The group led by Kurt’s son Kotrag migrated far to the north and eventually settled around the point where the Volga and the Kama rivers met. There they split into three groups, each group probably joining with peoples who had already established their homes there or with other newcomers. For the next six centuries or so, the Volga Bulgars flourished as a confederation of semi-nomadic peoples. Although they founded no actual political state, they did establish two cities: Bulgar and Suvar. These places benefited as key shipping points in the fur trade between the Russians and Ugrians in the north and the civilizations of the south, which included Turkistan, the Muslim caliphate at Baghdad, and the Eastern Roman Empire. In 922, the Volga Bulgars converted to Islam, and in 1237 they were overtaken by the Golden Horde of the Mongols. The city of Bulgar continue to thrive, but the Volga Bulgars themselves were eventually assimilated into neighboring cultures. The First Bulgarian Empire The fifth heir to Kurts Bulgar nation, his son Asparukh, led his followers west across the Dniester River and then south across the Danube. It was on the plain between the Danube River and the Balkan Mountains that they established a nation that would evolve into what is now known as the First Bulgarian Empire. This is the political entity from which the modern state of Bulgaria would derive its name. Initially under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Bulgars were able to found their own empire in 681, when they were officially recognized by the Byzantines. When in 705 Asparukh’s successor, Tervel, helped restore Justinian II to the Byzantine imperial throne, he was rewarded with the title caesar. A decade later Tervel successfully led a Bulgarian army to assist Emperor Leo III in defending Constantinople against invading Arabs. At about this time, the Bulgars saw an influx of Slavs and Vlachs into their society. After their victory at Constantinople, the Bulgars continued their conquests, expanding their territory under the khans Krum (r. 803–814) and Pressian (r. 836–852) into Serbia and Macedonia. Most of this new territory was heavily influenced by the Byzantine brand of Christianity. Thus, it was no surprise when in 870, under the reign of Boris I, the Bulgars converted to Orthodox Christianity. The liturgy of their church was in Old Bulgarian, which combined Bulgar linguistic elements with Slavic ones. This has been credited with helping to create a bond between the two ethnic groups; and its true that by the early 11th century, the two groups had fused into a Slavic-speaking people who were, basically, identical to the Bulgarians of today. It was during the reign of Simeon I, the son of Boris I, that the First Bulgarian Empire achieved its zenith as a Balkan nation. Although Simeon evidently lost the lands north of the Danube to invaders from the east, he expanded Bulgarian power over Serbia, southern Macedonia and southern Albania through a series of conflicts with the Byzantine Empire. Simeon, who took for himself the title Tsar of All the Bulgarians, also promoted learning and managed to create a cultural center at his capital of Preslav (present-day Veliki Preslav). Unfortunately, after Simeons death in 937, internal divisions weakened the First Bulgarian Empire. Invasions by Magyars, Pechenegs and Rus, and reignited conflict with the Byzantines, put an end to the sovereignty of the state, and in 1018 it became incorporated into the Eastern Roman Empire. The Second Bulgarian Empire In the 12th century, stress from external conflicts reduced the Byzantine Empires hold on Bulgaria, and in 1185 a revolt took place, led by the brothers Asen and Peter. Their success allowed them to establish a new empire, once again led by Tsars, and for the next century the house of Asen reigned from the Danube to the Aegean and from the Adriatic to the Black Sea. In 1202 Tsar Kaloian (or Kaloyan) negotiated a peace with the Byzantines that gave Bulgaria complete independence from the Eastern Roman Empire. In 1204, Kaloian recognized the authority of the pope and thus stabilized the western border of Bulgaria. The second empire saw increased trade, peace, and prosperity. A new golden age of Bulgaria flourished around the cultural center of Turnovo (present-day Veliko Turnovo). The earliest Bulgarian coinage dates to this period, and it was around this time that the head of the Bulgarian church attained the title of patriarch. But politically, the new empire wasnt particularly strong. As its internal cohesiveness eroded, external forces began to take advantage of its weakness. The Magyars resumed their advances, the Byzantines took back portions of Bulgarian land, and in 1241, Tatars began raids that continued for 60 years. Battles for the throne among various noble factions lasted from 1257 to 1277, at which point peasants revolted due to the heavy taxes their warring overlords had imposed on them. As a result of this uprising, a swineherd by the name of Ivaylo took the throne; he wasnt ousted until the Byzantines lent a hand.   Only a few years later, the Asen dynasty died out, and the Terter and Shishman dynasties that followed saw little success in maintaining any real authority. In 1330, the Bulgarian Empire reached its lowest point when Serbs slew Tsar Mikhail Shishman at the Battle of Velbuzhd (present-day Kyustendil). The Serbian Empire took control of Bulgarias Macedonian holdings, and the once-formidable Bulgarian empire began its last decline. It was on the verge of breaking apart into lesser territories when the Ottoman Turks invaded. Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Turks, who had been mercenaries for the Byzantine Empire in the 1340s, began attacking the Balkans for themselves in the 1350s. A series of invasions prompted the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Shishman to declare himself a vassal of Sultan Murad I in 1371; yet still the invasions continued. Sofia was captured in 1382, Shumen was taken in 1388, and by 1396 there was nothing left of Bulgarian authority.   For the next 500 years, Bulgaria would be ruled by the Ottoman Empire in what is generally viewed as a dark time of suffering and oppression. The Bulgarian Church as well as the empires political rule was destroyed. The nobility either were killed, fled the country, or accepted Islam and were assimilated into Turkish society. The peasantry now had Turkish lords. Every now and then, male children were taken from their families, converted to Islam and raised to serve as Janissaries. While the Ottoman Empire was at its height of power, the Bulgarians under its yoke could live in relative peace and security, if not freedom or self-determination. But when the empire began to decline, its central authority could not control local officials, who were sometimes corrupt and at times even downright vicious.   Throughout this half a millennium, Bulgarians held stubbornly to their Orthodox Christian beliefs, and their Slavic language and their unique liturgy kept them from becoming absorbed into the Greek Orthodox Church. The Bulgarian peoples thus retained their identity, and when the Ottoman Empire began to crumble in the late 19th century, the Bulgarians were able to establish an autonomous territory.   Bulgaria was declared an independent kingdom, or tsardom, in 1908. Sources and Suggested Reading The compare prices links  below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the books page at one of the online merchants. The visit merchant links will take you to an online bookstore, where you can find more information about the book to help you get it from your local library. This is provided as a convenience to you; neither Melissa Snell nor About is responsible for any purchases you make through these links. A Concise History of Bulgaria(Cambridge Concise Histories)by R. J. CramptonCompare prices The Voices of Medieval Bulgaria, Seventh-Fifteenth Century: The Records of a Bygone Culture(East Central and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450-1450)by K. PetkovVisit merchant State and Church: Studies in Medieval Bulgaria and Byzantiumedited by Vassil Gjuzelev and Kiril PetkovVisit merchant The Other Europe in the Middle Ages: Avars, Bulgars, Khazars and Cumans(East Central and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450-1450)edited by Florin Curta and Roman KovalevVisit merchant Armies of the Volga Bulgars Khanate of Kazan: 9th-16th Centuries(Men-at-Arms)by Viacheslav Shpakovsky and David NicolleCompare prices The text of this document is copyright  ©2014-2016 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is   not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please   contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/europe/fl/Bulgars-Bulgaria-and-Bulgarians.htm

Benefits of Reading Aloud

Benefits of Reading Aloud Reading  hasnt always been a silent activity and  the experience of reading aloud can be enjoyed by people at any age. Back in the fourth century, tongues started wagging when Augustine of Hippo walked in on Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, and found him . . . reading to himself: When he read, his eyes scanned the page and his heart sought out the meaning, but his voice was silent and his tongue was still. Anyone could approach him freely and guests were not commonly announced, so that often, when we came to visit him, we found him reading like this in silence, for he never read aloud.(St. Augustine, The Confessions, c. 397-400) Whether Augustine was impressed or appalled by the bishops reading habits remains a matter of scholarly dispute. Whats clear is that earlier in our history silent reading was considered a rare achievement. In our time, even the phrase silent reading must strike many adults as odd, even redundant. After all, silently is the way most of us have been reading since the age of five or six. Nevertheless, in the comfort of our own homes, cubicles, and classrooms, there are both pleasures and benefits in reading aloud. Two particular advantages come to mind. Benefits of Reading Aloud Read Aloud to Revise Your Own ProseReading a draft aloud may enable us to hear problems (of tone, emphasis, syntax) that our eyes alone might not detect. The trouble may lie in a sentence that gets twisted on our tongue or in a single word that rings a false note. As Isaac Asimov once said, Either it sounds right or it doesnt sound right. So if we find ourselves stumbling over a passage, its likely that our readers will be similarly distracted or confused. Time then to recast the sentence or seek a more appropriate word.Read Aloud to Savor the Prose of Great WritersIn his superb book Analyzing Prose (Continuum, 2003), rhetorician Richard Lanham advocates reading good prose out loud as a daily practice to counter the bureaucratic, unvoiced, asocial official style that anesthetizes so many of us in the workplace. The distinctive voices of great writers invite us to listen as well as to read. When young writers ask for advice on how to develop their own distinctive voices, we usually say, Keep reading, keep writing, and keep listening. To do all three effectively, it certainly helps to read out loud.

Target Marketing for Agrium Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 19

Target Marketing for Agrium Inc - Essay Example Agrium has approximately 500 retail units in South America and the United States of America and they operate under the brand names of Crop Production Services, West Farm Services and Agroservicios Pampeanos SA (Agrium, 2012). The retail units deal directly with farmers in selling its agricultural nutrients and specialty fertilizers. Its affiliate, the Crop Production Services has the vision to be a leader in the production of agricultural inputs in all segments of its market and in doing this; it has embarked on a policy to retain talented employees in its services so as to provide high-quality services to its customers. The organization seeks to build its brand name by assisting college students to achieve higher education by paying their fees.  Through its wholesale unit, the company provides nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers to retailers who in turn sell these products to farmers. The wholesale unit, in achieving its targets, treats its customers as partners in the business and it does this through honesty and integrity in dealing with them. The company has a distribution network of over 100 supplied by thirteen production unit and these results into the timely supply of the products to their customers. The company has initiated technological devices such as Ag Tracker and loading hours to enable customers to access critical product information and operating hours of various plants of the organization.  The advanced technological unit produces specialty fertilizers and focuses on environmental sustainability (Agrium, 2012). This unit targets consumers, agricultural and horticulture market and organizations engaging in sports such as golf, due to the profession turf. In achieving its objective, the company markets and sells its products through distributors in the United States of America and Canada.