Compare Themes of Heart of Darkness and Tess of the...

Throughout the two novels, Thomas Hardy’s â€Å"Tess of the d’Urbervilles† and Joseph Conrad’s â€Å"Heart of Darkness,† the common theme of oppression by using psychological methods prevails. Tess’ parents and Alec can control her by leveraging guilt as a way of victimization which ultimately seals her fate. Mr. Kurtz in† Heart of Darkness† takes control over the weaker African natives to force them into submission. Both stories have this underlying theme of power and domination resulting in feelings of slavery and victims of fate. â€Å"Tess of the d’Urbervilles† is a tale of the tragic life of Tess that results when she accidentally kills Prince, the family horse. Tess’ parents use the guilt that she feels to exploit her and force her to work for†¦show more content†¦Both her community and Angel strongly criticize Tess for her rape, which was not her sin but Alecs. She is seen as someone to be criticized and cast aside because of a terrible thing was done to her, rather than something she did herself. Her final execution draws attention to the feeling that (community of people/all good people in the world), situation/event, and some external force, whether Thomas Tough and strong or a god, have been working against her the whole time as the narrator, he also manages to appear as her only advocate against an unjust world. Tesss hardships are described as mere sport for the â€Å"President of the Immortals,† which contrasts with the Christian idea of a God who has a benevol ent plan for everyone, and connects with the notes of paganism throughout the novel. Hardy points out and emphasizes the multiple unhappy coincidences that take place, like Tess overhearing Angels brothers instead of meeting his father. The story keeps asking the age-old question â€Å"why do bad things happen to good people?† Hardy even muses over the possibility that Tesss sufferings are a punishment for her ancestors crimes, or else that some murderous strain is in her blood, foreshadowed by the dUrberville coach. Both her community and Angel sharply criticize Tess because she was raped, even though she was the victim and this was not her sin. This act was done to her, rather than something she did herself. HerShow MoreRelatedEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 PagesScarlet Letter Great Expectations Sister Carrie The Great Gatsby The Sound and Fury Gulliver’s Travels Sula Heart of Darkness The Sun Also Rises Invisible Man Their Eyes Were Watching God Joe Turner’s Come and Gone The Things They Carried King Lear The Turn of the Screw Major Barbara Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf 2004 (Form B): The most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which a death or deaths take place. Choose a novel or play and write

Decision-Making Models Essay - 798 Words

Decision-Making Models There are several decision-making models to choose from in any given situation. Some of these models available on the Internet are the Responsible Decision-Making Model, the Ethical Decision-Making Model, the Ethics Toolkit PLUS Model, the Vigilant Decision-Maker Process, and some basic ones as well. In general, all decision-making models are the processes we use to make well-thought out decisions. There are three major elements of all decision-making models. These three elements are: how are criteria determined, how are alternatives generated, and how are alternatives evaluated against criteria (Scholl, p. 1). In this paper, we will use the Responsible Decision-Making Model to explain how the process works†¦show more content†¦The Six Criteria for Step Four The six criteria to use in step four of the Responsible Decision-Making Model are as follows (Scarbo, slides 7-8 and 16): Will this decision result in a solution that will: 1) Promote my health and the health of others? 2) Protect my safety and the safety of others? 3) Protect the laws of the community? 4) Shows respect for myself and others? 5) Follows responsibly set guidelines? 6) Demonstrate that I have good character? These six criteria encourage the use of critical thinking to evaluate the possible outcome of each solution. Critical thinking is very important to making better choices in life. When we don’t take the time to analyze a situation, we seem to make the wrong decisions for everyone involved. Our Example of this Model To better understand how the Responsible Decision-Making Model works, we will view how it helped Robin Francis make a very important decision. A few months ago, Robin was working as a switchboard operator for St. Anthony’s Medical Center (SAMC) in St. Louis, Missouri. She received an offer to work as a switchboard operator for Jefferson Memorial Hospital (JMH) in Crystal City, Missouri, which is much closer to her home. Robin wanted to weigh the pros and cons of switching jobs before making a final decision. SAMC is an hour away from her home, never has a set schedule, and she was notShow MoreRelatedDecision Making Models Of A Model Essay1551 Words   |  7 PagesDecision making models come in countless arrangements and complexities. In gathering examples of existing models, I understood the significance of personalizing a model to my own preferences and use. A tailored decision model creates an opportunity to provide a distinct structure that promises greater success in usi ng it on a daily basis for myriad types of decisions, both small and large. The model I configured comprises six stages in the process. I chose to begin my model with the task of recognizingRead More Decision-Making Models Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesDecision-Making Models Negotiations and decisions are a part of everyday business. In order to make a successful decision, it is necessary to understand how to make rational and sound decisions. Decisions that are rash, made on snap judgments, and past experiences can prove detrimental to a business. A deficit in basic thinking and decision making is felt at all levels of an organization (Gary, 1997). Decisions can have long term and short term impacts on organizations and their world in whichRead MoreThe Rational Decision Making Model1066 Words   |  5 Pageswe do the most. All of these things, both small and large require a process that is commonly referred to as the decision making process. Decisions make up every aspect of our daily lives that is remotely imaginable. One of the most common decision making model is called the, rational decision making model. The first step in the model is to construe the problem or the actual decision to be made. Then, you will identify the information needed for the process to go forth. After that, you will weighRead More Decision-Making Models Essay959 Words   |  4 PagesDecision-Making Models General assumptions create the foundation of a persons reasoning. Imperfections with a supposition can create the opportunity for a skewed perspective in a persons reasoning process (Paul Elder, 2002). The process of choosing one course of action over another is commonly known as decision making. Consciously or unconsciously, people make decisions on a daily basis founded on one or more of the various decision-making models (Sullivan, n.d.). This paper examines how IRead MoreRational Model Of Decision Making1287 Words   |  6 Pagesand will be understood by every employee. The first step within the rational model of decision making is to identify the problem or opportunity at hand. This can be anywhere from customer compliments to turnover of staff or mergers that can take place to hiring a new top executive. This stage is all about making improvements and diagnosing them in the proper way. The second step within the rational model of decision making it to think up alternative sol utions. This can be either obvious or creativeRead MoreThe Organizational Model Decision Making1522 Words   |  7 Pages The Organizational Model decision-making process is another that this writer found most useful in this course. Its general characteristics make use of programmed decisions that are usually used well-structured patterns of search but use simple rules of thumb as well as analytical frameworks which are determined by the complexity of the decision to be made. Organizations often make decisions that are optimal to their local sphere, but may not be optimal in the larger totality and is constrainedRead MoreThe Ethical Decision Making Models1576 Words   |  7 PagesEthical Decision-Making Models Decision-making in the field of psychology refers to a cognitive process that results in a selection among multiple possible solutions in a situation (Colman, 2008). Decision-making is based on available information from the environment as well as intrinsic information and existing schemas (Rogerson, Gottlieb, Handelsman, Knapp Younggren, 2011). These internal schemas, along with knowledge and personal preferences, influence the decision-making process. EthicalRead More Decision Making Model Essay854 Words   |  4 PagesDecision Making Model Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Decision making models can be very effective in problem solving. Scheduling is a big problem at Direct HomeHealth Care and a solution needed to be found. Scheduling software which can be very expensive was the only conclusion that could be reached. With much thought and analysis a resolution was reached with critical thought and a decision making model from the Small Business Development Center. Decision making models can be very helpful in analyzingRead MoreClassical Model of Decision Making2120 Words   |  9 PagesBusiness and Management June, 2008 The Classical Model of Decision Making Has Been Accepted as not providing an Accurate Account of How People Typically Make Decisions Bin Li Foreign Languages Department, Guang Dong University of Finance Guangzhou, 510521, China E-mail: viclee_0221@163.com Abstract Decision making is an accepted part of everyday human life. People all make varying importance decisions every day, thus the idea that decision making can be a rather difficult action may seem so strangeRead MoreDecision-Making Model Analysis: 7-Step Decision-Making Model Essay1619 Words   |  7 PagesDecision-Making Model Analysis: 7-Step Decision-Making Process Decision making is defined as the cognitive process leading to the selection of a course of action among alternatives (Decision Making, 2006, para. 1). Decisions are made continually throughout our day. For the most part, our decision-making processes are either sub-conscious or made fairly quickly due to the nature of the decision before us. Most of us dont spend much time deciding what to have for lunch, what to wear, or what

Deception Point Page 105 Free Essays

127 The Triton fell†¦ Michael Tolland staggered to his feet on the inclined deck and peered over the anchor spool at the frayed winch cable where the Triton used to hang. Wheeling toward the stern, he scanned the water. The Triton was just now emerging from under the Goya on the current. We will write a custom essay sample on Deception Point Page 105 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Relieved at least to see the sub intact, Tolland eyed the hatch, wanting nothing more than to see it open up and Rachel climb out unscathed. But the hatch remained closed. Tolland wondered if maybe she had been knocked out by the violent fall. Even from the deck, Tolland could see the Triton was riding exceptionally low in the water-far below its normal diving trim waterline. It’s sinking. Tolland could not imagine why, but the reason at the moment was immaterial. I have to get Rachel out. Now. As Tolland stood to dash for the edge of the deck, a shower of machine-gun fire exploded above him, sparking off the heavy anchor spool overhead. He dropped back to his knees. Shit! He peered around the spool only long enough to see Pickering on the upper deck, taking aim like a sniper. The Delta soldier had dropped his machine gun while climbing into the doomed helicopter and Pickering had apparently recovered it. Now the director had scrambled to the high ground. Trapped behind the spool, Tolland looked back toward the sinking Triton. Come on, Rachel! Get out! He waited for the hatch to open. Nothing. Looking back to the deck of the Goya, Tolland’s eyes measured the open area between his position and the stern railing. Twenty feet. A long way without any cover. Tolland took a deep breath and made up his mind. Ripping off his shirt, he hurled it to his right onto the open deck. While Pickering blew the shirt full of holes, Tolland dashed left, down the inclined deck, banking toward the stern. With a wild leap he launched himself over the railing, off the back of the ship. Arcing high in the air, Tolland heard the bullets whizzing all around him and knew a single graze would make him a shark feast the instant he hit the water. Rachel Sexton felt like a wild animal trapped in a cage. She had tried the hatch again and again with no luck. She could hear a tank somewhere beneath her filling with water, and she sensed the sub gaining weight. The darkness of the ocean was inching higher up the transparent dome, a black curtain rising in reverse. Through the lower half of the glass, Rachel could see the void of the ocean beckoning like a tomb. The empty vastness beneath threatened to swallow her whole. She grabbed the hatch mechanism and tried to twist it open one more time, but it wouldn’t budge. Her lungs strained now, the dank stench of excess carbon dioxide acrid in her nostrils. Through it all, one recurring thought haunted her. I’m going to die alone underwater. She scanned the Triton’s control panels and levers for something that could help, but all the indicators were black. No power. She was locked in a dead steel crypt sinking toward the bottom of the sea. The gurgling in the tanks seemed to be accelerating now, and the ocean rose to within a few feet of the top of the glass. In the distance, across the endless flat expanse, a band of crimson was inching across the horizon. Morning was on its way. Rachel feared it would be the last light she ever saw. Closing her eyes to block out her impending fate, Rachel felt the terrifying childhood images rushing into her mind. Falling through the ice. Sliding underwater. Breathless. Unable to lift herself. Sinking. Her mother calling for her. â€Å"Rachel! Rachel!† A pounding on the outside of the sub jolted Rachel out of the delirium. Her eyes snapped open. â€Å"Rachel!† The voice was muffled. A ghostly face appeared against the glass, upside down, dark hair swirling. She could barely make him out in the darkness. â€Å"Michael!† Tolland surfaced, exhaling in relief to see Rachel moving inside the sub. She’s alive. Tolland swam with powerful strokes to the rear of the Triton and climbed up onto the submerged engine platform. The ocean currents felt hot and leaden around him as he positioned himself to grab the circular portal screw, staying low and hoping he was out of range of Pickering’s gun. The Triton’s hull was almost entirely underwater now, and Tolland knew if he were going to open the hatch and pull Rachel out, he would have to hurry. He had a ten-inch draw that was diminishing fast. Once the hatch was submerged, opening it would send a torrent of seawater gushing into the Triton, trapping Rachel inside and sending the sub into a free fall to the bottom. â€Å"Now or never,† he gasped as he grabbed the hatch wheel and heaved it counterclockwise. Nothing happened. He tried again, throwing all of his force into it. Again, the hatch refused to turn. He could hear Rachel inside, on the other side of the portal. Her voice was stifled, but he sensed her terror. â€Å"I tried!† she shouted. â€Å"I couldn’t turn it!† The water was lapping across the portal lid now. â€Å"Turn together!† he shouted to her. â€Å"You’re clockwise in there!† He knew the dial was clearly marked. â€Å"Okay, now!† Tolland braced himself against the ballast air tanks and strained with all his energy. He could hear Rachel below him doing the same. The dial turned a half inch and ground to a dead stop. Now Tolland saw it. The portal lid was not set evenly in the aperture. Like the lid of a jar that had been placed on crooked and screwed down hard, it was stuck. Although the rubber seal was properly set, the hatch-dogs were bent, meaning the only way that door was opening was with a welding torch. As the top of the sub sank below the surface, Tolland was filled with a sudden, overwhelming dread. Rachel Sexton would not be escaping from the Triton. Two thousand feet below, the crumpled fuselage of the bomb-laden Kiowa chopper was sinking fast, a prisoner of gravity and the powerful drag of the deepwater vortex. Inside the cockpit, Delta-One’s lifeless body was no longer recognizable, disfigured by the crushing pressure of the deep. As the aircraft spiraled downward, its Hellfire missiles still attached, the glowing magma dome waited on the ocean floor like a red-hot landing pad. Beneath its three-meter-thick crust, a head of boiling lava simmered at a thousand degrees Celsius, a volcano waiting to explode. 128 Tolland stood knee-deep in water on the engine box of the sinking Triton and searched his brain for some way to save Rachel. Don’t let the sub sink! He looked back toward the Goya, wondering if there were any way to get a winch connected to the Triton to keep it near the surface. Impossible. It was fifty yards away now, and Pickering was standing high on the bridge like a Roman emperor with a prime seat at some bloody Colosseum spectacle. Think! Tolland told himself. Why is the sub sinking? The mechanics of sub buoyancy were painfully simple: ballast tanks pumped full of either air or water adjusted the sub’s buoyancy to move it up or down in the water. Obviously, the ballast tanks were filling up. But they shouldn’t be! Every sub’s ballast tanks were equipped with holes both topside and underneath. The lower openings, called â€Å"flooding holes,† always remained open, while the holes on top, â€Å"vent valves,† could be opened and closed to let air escape so water would flood in. Maybe the Triton’s vent valves were open for some reason? Tolland could not imagine why. He floundered across the submerged engine platform, his hands groping one of the Triton’s ballast trim tanks. The vent valves were closed. But as he felt the valves, his fingers found something else. Bullet holes. Shit! The Triton had been riddled with bullets when Rachel jumped in. Tolland immediately dove down and swam beneath the sub, running his hand carefully across the Triton’s more important ballast tank-the negative tank. The Brits called this tank â€Å"the down express.† The Germans called it â€Å"putting on lead shoes.† Either way, the meaning was clear. The negative tank, when filled, took the sub down. How to cite Deception Point Page 105, Essay examples

Elizabethan Views Of Richard Iii Essay Research free essay sample

Elizabethan Views Of Richard Iii Essay, Research Paper Douglas Starliper 4/18/00 LT. Kullman My Essay on Whether What Richard III did was Right, or Incorrect King Richard III, in my sentiment, was a greedy, yet determined adult male who would make whatever it took to accomplish the place of male monarch of England. What he did to acquire to this place was incorrect, nevertheless, how he went about accomplishing what he wanted shows that he had intelligence. Having to kill a household member to acquire to where he wanted to be, did non even halt him. I believe that him making this was really dishonourable. Even the book, Shakespeare and the Renaissance Code of Honor says? dishonour is worse than death. ? In this same book I found a piece of information stating? If the Renaissance nobility loved and pursued award intensely, and with it? s whole being. It follows logically that dishonour was the one thing in life which could non be tolerated. We will write a custom essay sample on Elizabethan Views Of Richard Iii Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ? Another quotation mark from the same book on award says? Since award was so extremely esteemed non merely to one? s ain life, but besides the lives of those close and beloved to oneself, might be sacrificed in order to keep one? s repute? , which is about precisely what Richard did. As stated above, in my sentiment, I think that what Richard III did to accomplish his place was incorrect, but he does hold a monolithic sum of intelligence to be able to draw off his maestro program. His end is to go the King of England, and he would travel to any agencies necessary to acquire this. Although what he did turn out to be morally in correct, the besides proved to be intelligent thoughts. For illustration, he sees a way he can take that will take him right to the thrown, but his brother, Clarence, is following in line to inherit it. What Richard does to forestall this from go oning is he has his ain brother murdered. That, in my positions, is one of the most dishonourable things he does in the drama. Yet he executes this program really sagely. The ground behind this being that he hired two hit-men to make it for him, and the governments have no manner of traping this offense on Richard. From one cyberspace site Richard in the Mirror of the Centuries, it says, ? Shakespea re? s word picture of Richard III has been accepted as a historical portrayal? a portrayal of the most wicked of English male monarchs. The inquiry is, whether this is non instead exaggerated? ? After reading farther in this papers, I find that it blatantly says? From the really first beginning, in the gap monologue, Richard tells the witnesss about his ain evil and he truly does turn out a scoundrel! He verifies the feeling we get in the first scene throughout the play by moving and believing the manner he does. Always making what he was? promised? earlier, he appears to be an unscrupulous individual? a night-mare king. ? Which supports my sentiment which says what he does is incorrect. There is besides another type of award that I see broken in this drama, and that? s award to your household. If he honored his household, he would allow things take the class they are supposed to take, and allow his brother Clarence return over as King. I found a quotation mark in the book Shakespeare and the Renaissance Concept of Honor, by a adult male by the name of Castiglione, and the quotation mark says? for it is a great trade less disparagement for him that is non born a gentleman to neglect in the Acts of the Apostless of virtuousness, than for a gentleman. If he swerve from the stairss of his ascendants, he has straineth the name of his family. ? In add-on to this quotation mark, I would wish to advert that this book besides says? Loyalty to one? s household is placed in front of obedience. ? So harmonizing to these instruction, what Richard did, merely killing his brother, appears to be really dishonourable, and that is aside from everything else that he did. In decision to my essay would wish to state that at that place seems to be plentifulness of facts, in books, that proves my sentiment which is, what Richard did was incorrect. Harmonizing to the Elizabethan Laws, All the things that he did was highly dishonourable. All the facts that I found in my mentions are true facts, they are non Torahs that are made for the narrative. I can see how the Torahs, or learning have changed from back in the Elizabethan clip, and now. For an interesting idea, I think that these Acts of the Apostless, to a certain extent, are prevalant in today? s political society. I think that certain people in political relations today exercise the ability to be dishonourable. A batch of times today, people, in general will lie about anything, and back in the Elizabethan epoch, being dishonourable was one of the worst things that you could be known as. If you lost your award, it was like you didn? Ts have anything left. I hope that in this essay I have convinced the reader that what I think, is right. Even though they proved to be intelligent programs, the whole making of it was incorrect. This is my concluding sentiment on this topic. Bibliography Goddard, Harold C. The significance of Shakespear. The University of chicago Press, 1951 Richard III- A Play For Our Time. hypertext transfer protocol: //library.thinkquest.org/26315

The Ins And Outs Of Cancer Essays - Medicine, Cancer,

The Ins And Outs Of Cancer The Ins and Outs of Cancer Cancer has affected the lives of each and every one of us alive today. Many people have know someone with cancer, yet even those who havent have been bombarded with constant reminders of its terrible threat. Although cancer is often referred to as a single condition, it actually consists of more than 100 different diseases, all characterized by the uncontrolled growth, reproduction, and spread of abnormal body cells. All of these diseases are individually unique, yet the basic processes that produce cancers are very similar (Ruddon, 1995). The human body consists of over 30 trillion cells, living in a complex, interdependent harmony. They regulate each others proliferation; normal cells reproduce only when instructed to do so by other cells in their vicinity. This constant collaboration ensures that each tissue maintains a certain size and function that is exactly what the body needs. Cancer cells, on the other hand, violate the entire process. Not only do they ignore the bodys contr ols on proliferation, they possess the ability to invade nearby tissues, and may even metastasize migrate and form tumors in distant sites of the body. How do cancer cells achieve this? For decades, this question plagued scientists everywhere. But over the last 20 years, scientists have uncovered a set of basic principles that govern the development of cancer ( Brock, 1993). Within each cell lies a structure called a nucleus which contains strips of material known as DNA (dioxyribonucleic acid.) Each of these strips is divided into hundreds of genes, which are the codes and templates for all the functions of the human body. Each gene specifies a sequence of amino acids that must be linked together to make a particular protein; the protein then carries our the work of the gene. Two types of genes, which are only a small fraction of the genetic material, play particularly important roles in triggering cancer. Proto-oncogenes induce cell growth and reproduction, while tumor suppressor genes inhibit it. Together, they carefully control the proliferation of cells. However, if a proto-oncogene is mutated, it can become a carcinogenic oncogene, driving excessive multiplication. Tumor suppressor genes, on the other hand, contribute to cancer when they are inactivated by mutation (Ruddon, 1995). Luckily, cancerous tumors are not caused by one little mutation in one cell they are caused by multiple mutations in a number of the cells growth-controlling genes. The number of mutations necessary can be as low as two or quite high, depending on the specific type of cancer. Generally, these mutations occur either from mistakes during cell reproduction, or due to DNA damage caused by carcinogens such as tobacco, certain poisons, and UV rays. So, why dont we all get cancer from these things right away? Consider that one of your cells is damaged by poison and becomes mutated. In order for this cell to turn into a cancer cell, the rest of the necessary mutations must also occur in this very same cell. This in itself, is fairly unlikely. It normally takes decades for an incipient tumor to collect all the mutations required for its malignant growth, which explains why the average age for cancer diagnosis is 67 (Ruddon, 1995). Why, then, do some individuals contract cancer before the typ ical age of onset? In many cases, this is explained by the inheritance of a mutation in a critical growth controlling gene. Typically, this mutation would be a very rare event. However, in this individual, the mutation is present in ALL the cells of the body, instead of in some randomly stricken cell. So, the process of tumor formation skips its first, slow step. No one can actually inherit cancer; rather, they inherit a predisposition to develop a cancer, which is why cancers do tend to run in families, but not all family members are stricken (Brock, 1993). The outlook for people with cancer has improved steadily since the beginning of the 20th century, when few cancer victims survived for very long. Today, 51% of cancer patients survive for 5 years or more, and the American Cancer Society estimates that an additional 25% of cancer deaths could be prevented with earlier diagnosis and treatment (ACS

Pay for Performance in the NFL Essay Example

Pay for Performance in the NFL Essay Example Pay for Performance in the NFL Paper Pay for Performance in the NFL Paper Statistics Project Pay for Performance in the NFL Introduction Pay for performance is a common theme throughout almost all organizations. Merit increases, performance bonuses for executives, and commissions for real estate salespeople are common examples of this concept. Even teachers’ pay in some states is linked to performance of their students. According to the Washington Post, the state of Florida instituted a policy that individual teacher’s raises and performance starting in 2007 will be tied directly to student’s scores on standardized tests. This pay for performance concept has generally been accepted by the new Obama administration and may make its way into more common usage across the United States. In corporate America, examples of pay for performance are quite common, especially for top executives. Most year end bonuses are based on individuals meeting certain criteria established by the board of directors. These bonuses can be quite substantial. According to the Proxy Statement for Meredith Corporation, the total executive bonuses for the year 2007 exceeded $2. 5 million dollars. While pay for performance seems a reasonable concept in general, it is not without its critics. In education, there are a number of critics that question the fairness of the standardized test score results as a measure of teacher performance. They worry about teaching towards the exam at the expense of the overall education of the student. The criticism from Congress and much of the population of the United States over the bonuses paid to AIG executives questions how performance is actually measured. This paper will attempt to partially address the issue of pay for performance in professional sport, specifically in the National Football League. Many different positions in football are difficult to obtain good performance measures. Offensive lineman, special teams players especially do not have good measures of individual performance that are tracked. This analysis will focuses on two groups of NFL players, quarterbacks and running backs where individual performance measures are readily available. Analytical Technique A correlation study will be done on a variety of performance measures and the salaries of both NFL quarterbacks and running backs to see which of the individual performance measures are most closely related to the individuals salaries. The assumption will be that the current salary is based on last year’s performance. In addition to the correlation study, a multiple regression model with the best performance measures will be used to explain the relationship between the measures and salaries. This could be potentially used as a basis of predicting next year’s salary for those players that are in contract discussions or are entering the market as free agents. The data for the study will be obtained from two primary sources, ESPN. com which tracks player performance measures for a number of years, and USATODAY. com for player salaries. Professional football players are compensated in a number of ways, base salary, signing bonus, and other bonuses. This study will be using base salary as the pay in the pay for performance analysis. Performance measures for quarterbacks will include: completion percentage, total passing yardage, touchdown completions, interceptions, and finally QB rating. Performance measures for running backs will include: total yards, yards per game, touchdowns, and fumbles lost. While other measures are collected it is felt that these are the most appropriate performance measures to use for both categories of NFL players. A sample of 22 NFL quarterbacks from the 2007 season was selected while a sample of 13 NFL running backs from 2007 was used. RESULTS NFL quarterbacks: Pearson’s correlation coefficients for all variables in the study were run and are presented in the table below: |   |PCT |YDS |TD |INT |RAT |Salary | |PCT |1 | | | | | | |YDS |0. 43677 |1 | | | | | |TD |0. 230412 |0. 843951 |1 | | | | |INT |-0. 31751 |0. 475031 |0. 247018 |1 | | | |RAT |0. 639073 |0. 45897 |0. 703364 |-0. 41675 |1 | | |2008 Salary |0. 211532 |0. 562896 |0. 428047 |0. 276031 |0. 265671 |1 | As can be seen in the above table the strongest correlation exists between salary and total yards passing (0. 562896) and the number of touchdowns (0. 428047). The other variables have very weak relationships between themselves and salary and will be excluded from further analysis. It seems that only total passing yards is an important variable in understanding the relationship between quarterback’s salary and on field performance. A second part of the study is to use a regression model to predict the next periods salary for free agents and other players whose contracts are up for negotiation. It could be a valuable tool in beginning negotiations between the player and team owner. Since only two variables had anything more than a very weak relationship with salary, two regressions will be run. The first is a simple linear regression with yards passing as the independent variable and the second is a multiple regression with number of touchdowns included. The regression analysis is presented below: Simple linear regression using yards: |Regression Statistics | | | | |Multiple R |0. 62896387 | | | | |R Square |0. 316852343 | | | | |Observations |22 | | | | | | | | | | |   |Coefficients |Standard Error |t Stat |P-value | |Intercept |-1267325. 07 |1976273. 783 |-0. 64127 |0. 528628 | |YDS |1839. 467659 |603. 9569583 |3. 045693 |0. 006383 | Multiple regression using yards and touchdowns: |Regression Statistics | | | | |Multiple R |0. 569677436 | | | | |R Square |0. 24532381 | | | | |Observations |22 | | | | | | | | | | |   |Coefficients |Standard Error |t Stat |P-value | |In tercept |-1596606. 7 |2137031. 816 |-0. 747114146 |0. 464141 | |YDS |2290. 32518 |1148. 639878 |1. 993690591 |0. 060741 | |TD |-50963. 9896 |109649. 6343 |0. 464789417 |0. 647365 | The multiple regression will be excluded from use because the sign of the coefficient is negative, implying that the more touchdowns thrown the lower the salary. This is not logical. The most likely cause is that relationship between total yards passing and touchdowns is stronger than the correlation between touchdowns and salary. This could cause the regression coefficient for touchdowns to be unreliable. The regression equation provides only marginal explanatory power, based on the R square this equation using total yards only explains 31. 68% of salary for an NFL quarterback leaving over 68% of salary unexplained. It usefulness as a tool in negotiation would seem to be very limited. NFL running backs: Pearson’s correlation coefficients for all variables in the study were run and are presented in the table below    |YDS |AVG |TD |FUM |Salary | |YDS |1 | | | | | |AVG |0. 196119 |1 | | | | |TD |0. 382323 |0. 466749 |1 | | | |FUM |0. 017765 |0. 069592 |-0. 31995 |1 | | |Salary |0. 571773 |0. 260196 |0. 38083 |-0. 05109 |1 | Only the total yards gained seem to have anything but a weak relationship with salary. The number of touchdowns being somewhat explanatory of salary and will be used in the multiple regression. Since only two variables had anything more than a very weak relationship with salary, two regressions will be run. The first is a simple linear regression with yards rushing as the independent variable and the second is a multiple regression with number of touchdowns included as well. The regression analysis is presented below: Simple linear regression using yards: Regression Statistics | | | | |Multiple R |0. 57177269 | | | | |R Square |0. 326924009 | | | | | | | | | | |   |Coefficients |Standard Error |t Stat |P-value | |Intercept |-1273523. 69 |1812128. 448 |-0. 702777759 |0. 496798 | |YDS |3659. 184626 |1583. 057254 |2. 311467016 |0. 041192 | Multiple regression using yards and touchdowns: |Regression Statistics | | | | |Multiple R |0. 598119739 | | | | |R Square |0. 57747222 | | | | |Ob servations |13 | | | | | | | | | | |   |Coefficients |Standard Error |t Stat |P-value | |Intercept |-1191870. 48 |1860286. 025 |-0. 64069 |0. 536128 | |YDS |3194. 299878 |1755. 207634 |1. 819899 |0. 098793 | |TD |64585. 6109 |93229. 10033 |0. 692765 |0. 504227 | The multiple regression will be used since it is marginally better in explanatory power than the simple regression model The regression equation provides only marginal explanatory power, based on the R square this equation using total yards only explains 35. 77% of salary for an NFL quarterback leaving over 64% of salary unexplained. It usefulness as a tool in negotiation would seem to be very limited. Conclusion While there seems to be a relationship between player salaries and total yardage for both quarterbacks and running backs, the relationship is not very strong. The use of individual statistics does not seem to explain the greatest proportion of player salaries. It does not seem as if trying to use individual performance measures provides much important information on the value of the player to the team as measured by salary. This could be due to a number of issues. Possibly base salary is not the appropriate measure for player compensation. Maybe the owners look at improvement in individual performance measures over time or the average of the performance measures over time. We also need to consider that qualitative factors play a role in player salaries. It could be the so called â€Å"star power† of the player as an entertainment value. Or maybe the owners do not look at the individual statistics but rather the ability of the player to improve overall team performance. Is the owner actually looking at numbers put up by the player or is the owner estimating how many more games can we win by having this player? Sample Data Quarteracks |NAME |PCT |YDS |TD |INT |RAT |salary | |Tom Brady QB, NWE |68. 9 |4806 |50 |8 |117. | |Tomlinson RB, SDG |1474 |4. 7 |15 |0 |$5,750,000 | | Peterson RB, MIN |1341 |5. 6 |12 |4 |$2,821,320 | |Willie Parker RB, PIT |1316 |4. 1 |2 |4 |$2,900,000 | |Jamal Lewis RB, CLE |1304 |4. 4 |9 |4 |$1,400,000 | |E. James RB, ARI |1222 |3. 8 |7 |4 |$5,000,000 | |Fred Taylor RB, JAC |1202 |5. 4 |5 |2 |$4,000,000 | |Thomas Jones RB, NYJ |1119 |3. |1 |2 |$2,000,000 | |M. Lynch RB, BUF |1115 |4 |7 |1 |$2,635,770 | |Frank Gore RB, SFO |1102 |4. 2 |5 |3 |$2,562,000 | |E. Graham RB, TAM |898 |4 |10 |0 |$1,500,000 | |D. Foster RB, CAR |876 |3. 5 |3 |5 |$1,903,120 | |C. Taylor RB, MIN |844 |5. 4 |7 |5 |$3,000,000 | |L. Maroney RB, NWE |835 |4. 5 |6 |0 |$1,571,720 |

Leading Organizations and Competing in a Global Flat World Essay

Leading Organizations and Competing in a Global Flat World - Essay Example Adaptation to changing requirements while maintaining standards is a challenge of the present. Organizations cannot stay stagnant, they have to perform in a dynamic environment and are forced to continually learn in order to survive. A central concept taken into consideration in the present analysis is the 'learning organization'. The concept stresses that organizations have the ability to improve their bottom-line results and embrace new requirements by developing a culture of learning and adaptation. This can be done with best results, as will be argued further on, at a cultural level, the level of mental models (or views on organizational realities). But it can also be implemented at the individual level, with strategic implication for the career. The concept of learning organization is strictly connected to the concept of quality, referring both to the end products of an organization as well as to its overall activity and performance. Different organizations have different perspectives on quality (different models), each allowing a degree of learning capacity. The ideal, is the total quality mental model diffused in the culture of learning organizations, which states that quality represents a transformation that acts on a deep level within the organization, changing the way people think and work together, what management values and rewards, the way success is measured: "all of us collaborate to design and operate a seamless value-adding system which incorporates quality control, customer service, process involvement, supplier relationship, and good relations with the communities in which we operate" (these being inferior or partial levels of understanding of the concept of quality) (Albert 49). In today's ever changing business and social environments, organizational design is a serious challenge for all managers, irrespective or organization size. Managers recognize that organizational design is critical to performance and must accommodate change and new market or social requirements. This is why career planning has become so difficult. The overall learning behavior of an organization depends on its entire structure, not merely on the sum of its parts. It is important to focus on the whole rather than on specific events that can be misleading. The broader scheme of things is always determined by a complex set of factors. What lacks from the picture is the relationship between parts, that can determine complete different outcomes. Organizations are open systems that relate to their environments and learn from them. There is a circular relationship between the overall system and its parts. There are some patterns that repeat over and over again in a given system. Learning fr om the past receives whole new meanings from this perspective. A careful analysis is capable of determining trends of development and predicting specific directions of evolution. This can be achieved only by taking a look at the whole, at the entire system. But in order to transform the vision shared by an organization, all the mental models of its members have to be slowly directed to a coherent common view on key functional areas of the organization. And a change of this size can only be done at a cultural level. The corporate culture is a vital part of the corporate identity, along with the corporate overall goal, the objectives, the organizational structure