14 Quotes for a Funny Wedding Toast

14 Quotes for a Funny Wedding Toast If youve been asked to give a wedding toast, chances are youre taking your  role seriously. Perhaps too seriously! Often, the best wedding toasts start with a joke, even if they wind up with a sincere wish for the couples future happiness. Why Give a Funny Wedding Toast? Weddings  bring up complicated emotions. For the bride and groom, theres joy along with (in many cases) tremendous anxiety. Sometimes the anxiety is related to the very idea of a permanent commitment; other times its related to aspects of the wedding itself. Will the caterer show up? Will my divorced parents  get into a fight? Will Aunt Jane get drunk and fall into the wedding cake? Similarly, complex emotions come up for parents who are both thrilled and saddened as their child steps into a new role and a new stage of life. Siblings may be delighted, jealous, or even angry about some aspect of the wedding. Best friends may feel left behind. Humor is almost always the best way to break the ice, lower anxiety, and just have fun at a wedding. If youve been asked to give a  wedding toast, chances are you have a close relationship with either the bride, the groom, or both. That means you know which kinds of humor are likely to get a big laugh, and which wont. Funny Wedding Quotes to Choose From Not all of these famous quotes will be right for you, but youll almost certainly find one or two that connect with your particular wedding party! Henny YoungmanThe secret of a happy marriage remains a secret. John MiltonBiochemically, love is just like eating large amounts of chocolate. Henry KissingerNobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There€s too much fraternizing with the enemy. Cathy CarlyleLove is an electric blanket with somebody else in control of the switch.​ SocratesBy all means, marry; if you get a good wife, youll be happy. If you get a bad one, youll become a philosopher. Rita RudnerI love being married. Its so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. Mickey RooneyAlways get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesnt work out, you havent wasted a whole day. Henny YoungmanI take my wife everywhere I go. She always finds her way back. Ralph Waldo EmersonA mans wife has more power over him than the state has. Honore de BalzacThe majority of husbands remind me of an orangutan trying to play the violin. Anne Bancroft The best way to get most husbands to do something is to suggest that perhaps theyre too old to do it. Erma Bombeck Marriage has no guarantees. If thats what youre looking for, go live with a car battery! Anonymous A good marriage is one where each partner secretly suspects they got the better deal. Winston  Churchill My most brilliant achievement was my ability to persuade my wife to marry me.

Summary On The Articles About Second Hand Smoking Essays - Smoking

Summary On The Articles About Second Hand Smoking Essays - Smoking Summary On The Articles About Second Hand Smoking Secondhand Smoke, Is It a Hazard? In the 1950's and 60's scientists gave the people a lot of evidence on the deadly effects of smoking where the tobacco companies on the other hand tried to put the doubt in peoples minds through the campaigns to show that it is not all true. By the time people actually decided to take care of their health and finally saw how life-threatening smoking could be by real life examples, the tobacco companies already got rich from its sales. Nowadays, nobody doubts that firsthand smoke is deadly to your health and it causes lung cancer and heart disease in adults and asthma and bronchitis in children. Now the industry is onto the secondhand smoke. Scientists and researchers are representing a lot of evidence and research that has been done throughout the years showing that the secondhand smoke can also cause a lung cancer in nonsmokers. The study has been done of people who have been long exposed to secondhand smoke and it shows that 26 out of 33 published studies indicate a link between secondhand smoke and lung cancer. The study estimates that the people that were breathing secondhand smoke were 8 to 150 percent more likely to get lung cancer. The tobacco companies are trying to argue the facts and are still in serious debate about the health hazards of breathing a secondhand smoke. A lot of anti-smoking organizations are trying to turn smoking in public into a private activity that does not have to involve nonsmokers breathing secondhand smoke. What is even more important is that many of these organizations convinced a lot of smokers to cut back or quit completely. The problem of secondhand smoke is increasing because it is so common in our society. It makes secondhand smoke the third-ranking cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. Mothers who live with a smoking spouse have to realize the ill effects of secondhand smoke on children even before they are born. The smoking components reach the developing fetus through the mother. Infants that are born in a smoking environment weigh less and have a weaker chance of becoming a fully developed child. Secondhand smoke leads to blood clots and damages arterial linings which are the two most leading factors in the development of heart disease. The tobacco companies got scared of the effect that the secondhand smoke research can do to the cigarette makers. The tobacco companies started their own secret studies on how to fight the growing success of antismoking activists. They are trying to show the people that there is no definite evidence to prove that the secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer or any other diseases that the scientists accuse it of. The tobacco industry is trying to influence the science by commissioning a research from sympathetic scientists and sponsoring scientific meetings where they try to carefully bring out their point of view and publish the results in the medical literature. Only 4 percent of the articles that were published from the meetings that were sponsored by the tobacco industry said that the secondhand smoke was unhealthy. The debate on secondhand smoke has reached the boiling point. When different scientists are using different study designs and different researches and still come up with the same result, it is time to start paying more serious attention to secondhand smoke. When the human evidence is combined with the laboratory experiments showing that the secondhand smoke can cause cancer it is impossible to ignore it any longer. The nonsmokers should have the right to breathe smoke-free air. It is important to have restrictions on where people are allowed to smoke and in particular to keep the work place as a smoke-free environment. The declining rates of smoking show that people can actually quit. Everybody should make an effort to quit for the sake of the people they love.

Assignment 6 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

6 - Assignment Example Some of the differences between managers are leaders are that managers are administers while leaders are innovates and that managers are never original in their positions or even capacities but leaders are original (McCue & Jack 42-51). A manager tends to maintain status quo, focusses on control, and has a short-range view while a leader develops, focuses on people, inspires trust, and has a long-range perspective. Managers ask how and when, has eye on the bottom line while leaders ask what and why, and have eye on the horizon. A leader or a manager are two words that are used interchangeably to describe individuals holding formal authorities in organizations irrespective of their behavior in such positions. A manager does not necessarily exercise leadership in positions in which they are appointed even though leadership is just part of management. Generally, there are skills or traits that an effective leader is required to have as explained by various theories both old and contemporary theories. Some of the main traits that appear in leaders are ambition, zeal, intelligence, self-directive, and self-confidence (McCue & Jack 45-57). At times, physical characteristics, capability, and persona may be important aspects used to summarize what a leader is. There are six distinct characters that popular effective leaders have such as honesty and integrity. In addition, drive, motivation, cognitive ability, and business knowledge are also other characteristics of leaders. These traits would definitely distinguis h whether a manager will be an effective leader or not. Leaders are incredibly ambitious persons who are never afraid of taking inventiveness as well as people whom apart from willingness to lead, are especially ready to take charge. Furthermore, leaders usually have technical expertise in their businesses and are straightforward people who fulfill their promises. Leaders are individuals who

Self-Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-Reflection Paper - Essay Example Therefore, there is a need for quantitative problem solving skills for the managers. The QRB course aims to do that. Careers in finance and accounting depend on the managers and the employees employing the latest in trend forecasting and other kinds of analysis to fit the models at hand. Accounting, in particular depends a lot on the ability to do number crunching. Thus, finance and accounting need advanced mathematical skills to succeed. Economics is all about numbers and the way in which one reports the same in annualized GDP numbers, growth forecasts or other such forecasting methods. A quantitative approach and learning quantitative methods are thus useful for any student planning to make a career in these fields. My taking the QRB course has benefited me as it has refreshed my understanding of econometrics and use of ratios and trying to understand financial statements. It has given me an opportunity to revisit and learn new things from the module. I hope to apply these concepts when I study further and in my career. The theoretical framework that I have learned has meshed with the statistical side of the problem solving model and in this respect the QRB course has come in handy. I have learnt the details that go into the numbers and am now confident of taking further courses in Economics, Finance and Accounting that have a need for these skills. I intend to take as many courses as possible in these

Latino Urbanism in Los Angeles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Latino Urbanism in Los Angeles - Essay Example In this report, research into the Latino community is carried out in all thats considered as common ground by the community (Rojas 44). The research is done on the streets, abandoned train yards, residential home front yards and backyards, designated sacred sites, burial sites, cafà © and shops among other social hubs. The Latino community makes use of all space outdoors, forcing the researcher to base the research on the outdoors. In conducting research on a social platform, James gathered most of the data via personal observation. Since his report is derived from the behavior of the community, observing the community trends is the preferred data gathering technique. Although it is not indicated in the report, James interviewed some of the community members to get a perspective on their mode of living. James illustrates the improvisation, innovation and use the Latino community makes with the few resources they have. He introduces the personalization element adopted by the community in the absence of government

The Varying Definition Of Politeness Across Cultures English Language Essay

The Varying Definition Of Politeness Across Cultures English Language Essay CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study The definition of politeness varies across cultures and the claims for universals have shown divergence and also lack of clarity as they have received serious attention since the Brown and Levinson theory was proposed (1978, 1987). Lakoff (1989) defined the term Polite as the use of politeness rules regardless of expectation whereas the term non-polite behaviour refers to the act of not using politeness rules when they are not expected. The Brown and Levinsons (BLs) model has contributed a lot in the study of politeness discourse although there are many criticisms that have been made by some researchers due to its lack of clarity concerning the definition of politeness and concomitant concepts of across studies and within the same studies (A. J. Meier, 1995). Furthermore, the BLs theory is said to be ethnocentric because it is derived directly from the high value which is based on individualism in the Western culture (Kasper, 1990: 252-253) and the fact that their distinction between the negative and positive politeness is dubious (Meier, 1995: 384). Goffmans (1967) work has also contributed a lot in the field of politeness discourse and has become one of the most significant in the research of language use. Goffman has introduced the notion of face (BL, 1987: 61). The BL defined the term politeness in terms of speakers need to say things which enable them to mitigate the imposition inherent in speech acts and also the face that those speech acts threaten including the face of the speaker as well as the face of others. A mitigated form is a form that is used in speech by expressing a given prepositional content in order not to offend others (Linde, 1988). According to Leech (1983), politeness is needed and important in the theory of linguistic pragmatics in order to explain the reasons that cause speakers to violate Grices Co-operative principles and its maxims. Self-politeness is taken seriously in Leechs framework. The self-politeness is important in the theo ry of linguistic politeness because it involves the face of the speaker which tends to be as vulnerable as the face of the hearer. This vulnerability is viewed in two ways and is described in the BL model. First, there are speech acts that threaten faces of others and speech acts that threaten the self-face. Second, the face of the speaker can also be attacked by the hearer just as the face of the hearer can be attacked by the speaker in a conversation. Brown and Levinson have devoted an entire book of politeness although its concept is never actually defined. They focused on two types of politeness strategies which are the negative and positive strategies that are used in order to reduce the imposition or threat to an addressees face upon the enactment of an inherently face-threatening act. Negative strategies are characterized as expressions of restraint, formality, and distancing whereas positive strategies are described as expressions of solidarity, intimacy, informality, and familiarity (A. J. Meier, 1995). These strategies focus on the positive and negative face notions. Positive face refers to a persons self-esteem and how he or she wants to be appreciated and accepted by the society. On the other hand, negative face refers to a persons freedom to act. Every individual has the rights to be involved in making decision. Speakers have to perform various speech acts in communication and these acts tend to threaten the face of the speaker or the hearer or both which can cause misunderstandings among them. There are five superstrategies that were proposed by the Brown and Levinson theory which are: Without redressive action, baldly Positive politeness Negative Politeness Off record Withhold the FTA Rudeness is the contrast of the term politeness. Lakoff (1989) defined the term rude as an act that disregards politeness rules when they are in fact expected although there is no clarity in considering what politeness rules consist of and on what basis they are determined in order to be considered as polite (A. J. Meier,1995). An apology is an act of politeness which is stated in Holmes (1990: 156) and is practised in most cultures of the world. According to Britain (1992), high rising tones which are used in declarative sentences are considered as markers of politeness in New Zealand English. In the work of Bublitz (1980), the terms please, just, passive voice, and tag questions are considered as the expressions of politeness. Politeness routines such as Thank you and Youre welcome are also essential in communication. In order not to sound rude when speaking to others, the appropriate politeness strategies should be implied and practised which can avoid misunderstandings between th e speakers and hearers. According to Janney and Arndt (1992), tact resembles the BLs concepts and it is important in order to avoid conflicts. Blum-Kulka (1989:67) on the other hand considers tact as an aspect of the appropriate polite behaviour. Kasper (1990:200) argued that the strategies and means of politeness are not exactly endowed with politeness values, which creates a question mark in ones mind. If polite strategies are not always polite as what is said by her, one would wonder what qualifies them as politeness strategies to begin with. Furthermore, some would argue that there is no particular style nor particular syntactic constructions (Fraser and Nolen, 1981; Zimin, 1981) can be polite or impolite. Many would question when and where to be polite and this is when sociolinguistic competence becomes important. Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of appropriate language use (Joseph A. DeVito, 2008). Lakoff (1989: 103) made an equate clarity with non-politeness where she maintained that politeness only differs in importance depending on the discourse genre which she believed that the more transactional the interaction is, the less important politeness will be. 1.2 Statement of the problem The universality of politeness is yet to be clarified because politeness varies across cultures which create problems in establishing objective measures for application across cultures. In this case, misunderstandings in communication can occur when one is unaware of another ones culture. Ehlich (1992) has warned of the dangers of ethnocentricity in determining the standards of politeness that apply to all groups whereas Hymes (1986:49) emphasized on the cautions of the tendencies in seeking the satisfaction of universal framework without considering the empirical inadequacy of them. Malaysia is a country that consists of various ethnics that have different practices, cultures and beliefs. Its biggest ethnic groups are the Malays, followed by the Chinese, Indian, and lastly the minority ethnics. Politeness is important because it can cause misunderstandings if it is not taken seriously. However, due to the culture differences politeness is viewed differently by different groups of so ciety in Malaysia. The BLs model cannot be applied in some of these cultures because they do not seem to fulfil each others wants. Gu (1990) argued that the BLs concepts are not adequate to account for aspects of Chinese and Matsumoto (1988, 1989) argued that the BLs notion of face with its individual territorial rights cannot be applied to the Japanese since the Japanese are more concerned with positional relation to others rather than with the individual territory. Everyone has the tendency to be rude when speaking to other people and they can in fact choose to be or not to be rude whenever and wherever they want. However, does this mean that they do not know the rules of politeness? According to the BL theory of politeness, an utterance is considered polite when there is an implicature that is generated due to the violation of the conversational maxims in order to save the face of others. An utterance can be polite even though the implicature is not. If that is so, how can someone tell when someone else meant to be polite or rude? A speakers communication competence is correlated to the degree of politeness. In order to be a competent speaker, one must possess communicative competence which consists of four types of competencies which are Grammatical competence, Sociolinguistic competence, Discourse competence, and Strategic competence. Grammatical competence is the mastery of the language and Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of app ropriate language use. Discourse competence on the other hand means the knowledge of how to connect utterances in a text in order to make sure it is both cohesive and coherent. Finally, strategic competence refers to the mastery of the strategies used by speakers to compensate for breakdowns in communication as well as the strategies that they use in order to enhance the effectiveness of the communications. The BLs model agreed with Grices co-operative principles and the conversational maxims which consider politeness as part of rational communication. Grices theory assumed that communication involves the intention of a speaker which is directed at a hearer and intended to be recognized (Brown and Levinson, 1987:7) and that communication is governed by a rational Cooperative Principle and also a number of maxims which give rise to conversational implicatures (1987:3). The co-operative principles emphasized four maxims which are the maxim of quantity, maxim of quality, maxim of relation, and maxim of manner which are formulated under the assumption that the common purpose of the talk exchange is to be maximally efficient and reliable. If one has to follow the BLs concepts, one probably has to flout the co-operative principles. Ones utterance can be polite even if the speaker doesnt mean anything polite. One can be rude even though it is not done on purpose and one can be polite even thou gh it is not meant. According to Grice (1957:219, 1968:122), in order to mean something by an utterance one must have the intention to produce some effect in an audience by means of the recognition of this intention. In short, one can choose to follow the Brown and Levinsons concepts or neglect its message to save the face of others. Interruptions are not tolerated in the English language but it is tolerated in the Italian language. It is considered rude for a person to interrupt another persons speech in the English culture. (Brian Paltridge, 2005). Interruption is also considered as a Face Threatening Act. (Jonas Pfister, 2010). For this reason, interruption is considered rude among Malaysians for example interrupting a persons conversation when he or she is not finished talking. If this is true, what about the practice of interruptions in a debate competition? One may question when and where can politeness be applied. Some would even consider interruption by permission in a conversation is tolerable. If so, one may question the accuracy of the definition of the terms rude and polite. Both competent and incompetent speakers can choose to neglect the politeness rules whenever they want and yet, they are still considered as competent and incompetent speakers of a language. 1.3 Objectives of study This study seeks to: To investigate the politeness practices among competent and incompetent speakers of English in Malaysia. To understand the many reasons that lead to rudeness among most incompetent and competent speakers of English in their conversations. To give guidance to incompetent and competent speakers of English in helping them to understand the politeness strategies. To help us understand the needs in educating these incompetent and competent speakers of English in language usage. 1.4 Research questions The following are the research questions for the study: 1.4.1 What are the factors that cause incompetent and competent speakers of English to have the tendencies to sound rude in their speeches? 1.4.2 What are the ways that may help the incompetent and competent speakers of English in improving their speeches? Who are responsible in helping the incompetent and competent speakers of English in improving their speeches? When and where should the incompetent and competent speakers of English be polite when having a conversation with others? Significance of the Study This study is important in order to help us understand about the problems faced by the incompetent and competent speakers of English in their everyday conversations. This study is also concern whether there is a need for maxim of politeness in our everyday conversation. Politeness is hardly defined due to the lack of clarification of its term and its definition has been argued by many researchers in their various theories of politeness. Researchers such as Lakoff (1973), Leech (1983), Kingwell (1993), Davis (1998), and Kalia (2004, 2007) believed that a maxim of politeness is needed in our everyday conversation and their views will help us to understand the significance of the term polite. This study also explores the competent and incompetent speaker of English in Malaysias point of views of the term polite based on their own understandings and practices since politeness can differ across cultures. I will also explain why the Brown and Levinsons theory is not satisfactory and cannot be universally accepted. Through this study, a Malaysian perspective of the term polite can be explored, understood and compared. Scope of the study This study is conducted in Fakulti Bahasa Moden dan Komunikasi (FBMK) UPM which is confined to the population of 12 selected ESL learners in Malaysia. All of the respondents are picked randomly from 3 major races in Malaysia which are Malay, Chinese, and India besides. However, the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are not included. Definition of Terms For the purpose of the study, the following terms are defined below in order to facilitate a better understanding of the studys main concern. 1.7.1 Polite The term polite refers to the use of politeness rules regardless of expectation (Lakoff, 1989). Besides that, an utterance is considered polite if and only if there is an implicature that is generated due to the violation of a conversational maxims because of concerns of face (Brown and Levinson, 1987). 1.7.2 Non-polite The term non-polite refers to the behaviour of not using politeness rules and yet not expected (Lakoff,1989). 1.7.3 Rude The term rude on the other hand includes the disregarding of the politeness rules when they are in fact expected (Lakoff, 1989). 1.7.4 Positive Face The term Positive face refers to the want that the wants be desirable to others and also the wants be approved of by others (Brown and Levinson, 1987). 1.7.5 Negative Face The term Negative face refers to the want of every member that his wants be desirable to at least some others. Negative politeness is said to be more polite than the positive politeness.

The search for self in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye :: essays research papers

Search for self in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Catcher in the Rye   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone wants to know who they are, and why they were put here. People often wonder about their futures and what kind of person they really are. In the novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Catcher in the Rye, both of the protagonists, despite the different settings, the other characters, their restrictions and the different people that they are, are searching for the same thing - themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a timeless tale of a young boy who escapes his society that keeps trying to â€Å"sivilise† him and retreats down the Mississippi river with a runaway slave. On his journey he meets many different kinds of people on the banks of the river, some bad and some good, they all help Huck on his journey to self discovery. Catcher in the Rye is a story of a young boy named Holden who leaves his prep school in New York and ventures alone into the city. On his journey he meets a number of people. Holden is quite cynical and he denigrates nearly everyone he meets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Set in pre-civil war America, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn takes place along the Mississippi river. As Huckleberry travels along it he learns lessons about life, society and most importantly; himself. Surrounded by a world of prejudice and racism, Huck is forced to learn to make decisions on his own. He is able to learn from the imperfections in the rest of the world as he views them. While on the river, Huck and Jim are at peace. The river symbolizes freedom for both Jim and Huck. The river is Jim’s path to freedom from slavery, and it is Huck’s freedom from society. When Jim and Huck journey onto the banks of the river they see the inhumanity to man that goes on in the world. This juxtaposition of the river and the land help emphasize the peacefulness of the river in comparison to the crazy society on land. Huck learns to think for himself, and tries not to conform to the ways of the people on the land. Although the world that he lives in teaches him to be a racist, his journey down the river teaches him to use his own mind, and find out what he really believes in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York city is the setting for this more contemporary novel, yet it has many similarities to the older, more timeless Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Beowulf Questions

Question 1 What is the name of the castle where the first few sections of the poem take place? Â   Â  HeorotCamelotWulfingHrothgarQuestion 2 Who is the king at the beginning of the poem?UnferthHrothgarHeorotBeowulfQuestion 3 Grendel is a descendant of what Biblical figure?SamsonCainLuciferNoahQuestion 4 Where do the people make offerings to try to get aid from Grendel's attacks?Muslim mosquesPagan shrinesCatholic cathedralsJewish templesQuestion 5 Beowulf arrives to help the DanesOn footOn horsebackOn the back of a dragonBy shipQuestion 6 Which character is jealous of Beowulf?HygelacWealhthowUnferthHrothgarQuestion 7 During the feast, Beowulf describes what kind of contest in which he competed against Breca?SwimmingRunningJoustingStorytellingQuestion 8 How long is Beowulf king of Geatland before the dragon wake?50 years10 years25 years5 yearsQuestion 9 What wakes the dragon?Grendel's mother wakes the dragon to help her fight Beowulf.An intruder handles and removes a gem-studded goblet from the dragon's lair.Beowulf confronts the sleeping dragon in his lair.The dragon's eggs begin to hatch.Question 10 Where does the dragon's treasure come from?It is the cache of a highborn race of people who have all died.It is Beowulf's inheritance from King Hygelac.It belonged to the dragon's father.It belongs to Hrothgar and the Danes.Question 11 What is the dragon's primary weapon when he attacks the homesteads?His sharp talonsThe fire that he breathesA sword that belonged to the ancient godsUnferth's sword HruntingQuestion 12 What does the dragon destroy that upsets Beowulf?Beowulf's homeBeowulf's armorThe castle HeorotThe tree of lifeQuestion 13 Who volunteers to fight the dragon?UnferthHygelacHrothgarBeowulfQuestion 14 What weapon finally kills the dragon?A daggerA cannonBare handsA torchQuestion 15 What regret does Beowulf express as he is dying?He was unable to kill the dragon.He never married.He is leaving the Geats penniless.He never had a son.

Competitive Market Study in the United Arab Emirates

Competitive Market Study in the United Arab Emirates Background According to Butt, the performance of the oil and gas industry of the United Arab Emirates in the local and international markets is influenced by the work of the industry players and the productivity of the workforce (231).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Competitive Market Study in the United Arab Emirates specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Productivity is influenced by the availability of skilled personnel who are well trained to use modern technologies to perform the upstream, midstream and downstream oil exploration and production activities. According to Butt, skilled personnel contribute significantly to the competitive positioning of a firm in the market (232). To ensure efficiency and effectiveness, companies operating in the global and local oil and gas industries use the 360 degree performance appraisal system to evaluate the level of employees (Vessenes, 11). This appraisal system enable s the management of the companies to set goals and objectives for employees and the firm as an entity to work at the improvement of managerial effectiveness. The approach enables the management to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of employees who can positively affect the competitive market position of the companies operating in the industry (Vessenes, 11). Dessler argues that the upsurge in the demand for oil and gas in the local and international markets has necessitated the industry to employ skilled personnel to perform the tasks of oil and gas exploration and production (1).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To achieve excellent performance targets which have a positive effect on the competitive positioning of the firms in the local and global markets, the oil and gas companies have adapted the 360 degree performance appraisal system to manage em ployees and the expatriates who work in the industry. Here, most of the expatriate employed in the oil and gas industry in the United Arab Emirates joined the companies from other countries as soon as the government discovered oil and gas in the country. Expatriates came in because of the shortage of skilled personnel to address the challenges and problems the companies operating in the oil and gas industry were experiencing. According to Langley and Guest, the need to respond to the increasing demand for oil and gas necessitated the country to embark on an ambitious program of sourcing for highly skilled personnel from other countries between 1990 and 2000 (2). The newly recruited employees working in the industry consisted of 91% expatriates of the country’s 2.4 million people by 2006. It is important to note that the public sector was the greatest employer because of the attractive benefits employees enjoed from the government. According to Randeree and Chaudhry, the urgen t need for trained and skilled personnel to work in the fields based on the exploration and production of oil in the United Arab Emirates was the reason for the ministry of labor and social services and the UAE council of ministers to identify training and development needs of the people (8). Here, the Government partnered with training institutions to teach skills required for the exploration and production of oil to the local people.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Competitive Market Study in the United Arab Emirates specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the companies which operate in the sphere of exploration and production of oil and gas undergo significant challenges in employing the local people who demand higher salaries, better job security, shorter working hours, and greater employment benefits (Rees, Mamman Braik 2). The employees in the oil and gas industry in the UAE positively influence th e performance of the oil and gas sector in the international market, which is partially driven by the underlying population growth in the consumer market, and the rise in the demand for oil and gas in emerging markets such as China, South East Asia, and Africa. 50% percent of the market position and performance of the oil and gas industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is influenced by the performance contributions of each individual employee against established objectives and standards (Rees, Mamman Braik 2). The financial performance of the companies in the industry makes significant contributions to the sharp rise in oil and gas prices in the international markets which contribute to the strength of the market position of the firms. The phenomenon was observed before the 2008 sharp fall in the international prices of oil and gas which created a decline in the market position and financial performance of the companies in the international and local markets. A summary backgroun d investigation shows that the exploration and production of oil in the United Arab Emirates is run by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), which was established in 1971, and operates a consortium of subsidiary companies. Zakum development company (ZADCO) is one of the subsidiary companies that make ADNOC with a workforce which is involved in the exploration, mining, and production of gas and oil in the UAE. Employees with specialized skills in the production of oil and gas have contributed significantly to the increased production capabilities of the companies under the directions of the top level management which uses the 360 degrees performance appraisal technique (Business Monitor International United Arab Emirates Oil Gas Report, 1).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To achieve the objectives of the desired market position, the management of the companies has integrated a performance appraisal system for all employees who work in the industry to evaluate their contributions to the performance of the oil and gas industries. The management is responsible for the management of customers, the analysis of the market positions, the ultimate pricing of oil in context of the global oil prices, the quantity and quality of oil production, the market size, the customer value, maximization of market share and profit in the oil industry. Scope of the oil and gas industry in UAE This study focuses on the effect the oil and gas companies, which use the 360 degree performance appraisal system for performance evaluations, have on the local and international markets. An examination of effect of the 360 degree performance appraisal system on the performance of the human resource and the market position of the oil and gas industry in the United Arab Emirates is cri tical in answering the research questions. The Oil and Gas Industry in the UAE A study by Rees, Mamman and Braik shows that the workforce in the oil and gas industry contributes 90% to the performance of the sector which is the key driver of the economy of the United Arab Emirates, which possesses 10% of the world’s oil reserves (12). An effective workforce has contributed positively to the industry by transforming the economy from a desert region to one of the best performing economies in the Middle East by increasing the revenue required for the provision of social services and for the rapid economic growth and expansion. Expatriates working in the oil and gas sector consist of 85% of the 4.337 million workers according to the 2012 statistical data. The licensing of the companies involved in the exploitation of oil and gas in the United Arab Emirates is done according to the constitution of the UAE. Under the constitution, the licensing for the development of the oil and ga s resources is an exclusive task of each Emirate. Typically, around 95% of the oil produced in the UAE is from Abu Dhabi. The main companies involved in the production of oil and gas in the UAE include ADNOC, Dubai Petroleum Company (DPC) for upstream operations, Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO), and Dubai Natural Gas Company (DUGAS), which is owned by the state and responsible for the production and transportation of gas from the offshore fields. A critical review of the licensing of the production of oil and gas in the UAE shows that ADNOC holds the majority shares and is considering limiting the number of foreign companies involved in the exploration and production of oil in the UAE. The United Arab Emirates has an ambitious investment plan on the upstream production activities to enhance the recovery of oil and gas. The strategy is to raise the production capacity to 3.5 million barrels a day by investing a US $60 billion in the next five years to achieve the targe t. To enhance competitive exploration and production of oil and gas, the government of the UAE has awarded contracts to Hyundai worth US $1.88bn for the exploration and production of oil from the Satah al-Razboot (SARB) regions, the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC), and Petrofac Emirate and Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering (DSME) respectively for the production of oil and gas in other fields. Market Position Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) The market is the key driver that has significant effects on the financial performance of the company and its competitive position. To improve the performance and effectiveness of the company, it was important to restructure the main company into five autonomous business units under a directorate. Each directorate offers services in the exploration, production, and marketing of oil and gas. To improve accountability, the restructuring, which was implemented, affected different companies under the coordination of ADNOCâ €™s project directorate, which coordinates the management, human resource, and administration units. In this case, the critical components that contribute to the competitive strategy formulated by the company are the five new autonomous units of the main company (Rutledge, 9). ADNOC operates as a joint venture with other companies and has invited western countries, which contribute skilled personnel, enabling the company to improve its market strategy and competiveness. Employees in the industry do not like the 360 degrees performance appraisal system as a tool to determine the marketing strategy of the oil and gas industry in the country. The critical components of the performance appraisal system that affect the performance and marketing position of the oil and gas industry include the assessment centers, human resource accounting, and behaviorally anchored methods. Managerial effectiveness provides the organization with an evaluation of complete assessment of the effectivenes s of the oil companies performance and the development needs of the company. Market position A report by the Business Monitor International United Arab Emirates Oil Gas Report shows that 61.4 % of employees consider the 70% market share held by the company to be a direct result of the 360 degree performance appraisal system (1). A positive impact is created on the market position held by the company because of the impact caused by the 360 degree. Over 60% of the employees regard current market position and the competitive strategy to be as a result of the problem solving capabilities of the management, the promotion of teamwork, management competence in creating the right company mission and vision statements, ability to create strategic awareness, management drive to achieve organizational goals and objectives, and the ability of the management to enhance teamwork and motivate employees toward improved performance. Employee contributions to the company’s upstream interests in the production of oil and gas with its commercial production concentrated in the Dubai Natural Gas Company (DUGAS), which started the commercial production of oil and gas in 1980 (1). That is in addition to other national companies that ADNOC has invested its shares in. Besides, the company is undertaking different expansion projects to increase its production capacity (Vessenes, 11). The strategic aims of the company is to boost oil and gas production and market share in the oil and gas market, both locally and internationally and enhance the performance of the downstream operations of the company at different refineries. To enhance the performance of the downstream and upstream, the management has strategized to use technology to design and develop the latest engineering components to perform downstream activities with efficiency and effectiveness (Business Monitor International United Arab Emirates Oil Gas Report, 1). Zakum development company (ZADCO) ZADCO was constituted in 1977 under the promulgation of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan of law No. 9 to incorporate the company into the development and production of oil in its present area of work. ZADCO is a high performance subsidiary of the fully integrated oil and gas company ADNOC in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the wider perspective of carrying out petroleum industry business related activities, which include mining and exploration for oil and gas. ZADCO is a subsidiary that deals with the production of oil in the Umm Al Dalkh, Satah, and the upper Zakum fields using the latest oil mining technologies, which have given the company a competitive edge, enabling it to become the leading oil mining company in the UAE (Stauffer, 9). Methodology A literature review of secondary sources including books, articles, journals, and online sources will provide the required data for the study to determine the competitive market position of the oil and gas industry in the United Arab Emirates. The resear ch method will consist of a combination of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to answer the research question on the competitive market study in the oil and gas industry at the national and company levels. The choice of the method of study is based on the online availability of information on the market position and performance of the oil and gas industry of the United Arab Emirates. Different articles will be studied and the results will be deductive from the sources of information used as sources of data. Findings According to the results in the appendix, 15% of organizational employees agree that the management needs to improve on problem solving skills, managerial skills, and decision making skills to improve the performance of the organization in the oil market. 90% of the employees agree that the management has driven the employees to improve the productivity of the firm, 85% regard management as excellent in strategic planning, 90% regard management as having cellar mission and vision statements. The factors that contribute to organizational performance including teamwork, effective communication, and problem solving skills are rated above 50%. Analysis ZADCO holds a 60% market share of the oil and gas industry in the UAE and a 10% share in the global market which has been improving significantly. The reason for continuous growth is in the performance of the employees in the companies. Conclusion The effect of the 360 degree performance appraisal system on the performance of the employees who work in the oil and gas industry in the United Arab Emirates shows a direct positive effect on the market position of the firms. The results have shown that the competitive market position of the United Arab Emirates oil and gas companies show a positive relationship with the performance of organizational employees. The appraisal system enables management to understand and determine the rationale for continuous learning and the ability to make changes at management level by restructuring the company. That is in addition to increased levels of trust the employees develop, and the ability to collect information from different sources for effective decision making and improved performance, which contributes to enhanced organizational performance and market position. Business Monitor International: United Arab Emirates Oil Gas Report 2013. Web. Butt, Gerald. ’’Oil and Gas in the UAE.† United Arab Emirates: a New Perceptive. Ed. Ibrahim Abed and Peter Hellyer, London: Trident Press Ltd, 2001. 2331-249. Print. Dessler, Gary. Human Resource Management, 13th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print. Langley, Ian, M, and Mark Guest, 2012, The Global Oil Gas Workforce  Survey, 2012. Web. Randeree, Kasim, and Abdul Ghaffar Chaudhry. â€Å"Leadership in Project Managed Environments: Employee Perceptions of Leadership Styles within Infrastructure Development in Dubai.† International Review of Business Re search Papers 3. 4 (2007): 220-232. Print. Rees, Christopher J., Aminu Mamman, and Aysha Braik. â€Å"Emiratization a Strategic HRM Change Initiative: Case Study Evidence from a UAE Petroleum Company.† The International Journal of Human Resource Management 18.1 (2007): 33-53. Print. Rutledge, Emilie. Monetary Union in the Gulf: Prospects for a Single Currency in the  Arabian Peninsula. London: Routledge, 2009. Stauffer, David. The Power of Competitive Intelligence, Cambridge: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2003. Print. Vessenes, Peter. â€Å"Cash Is King, but Marketing Is Everything.† Journal of Financial  Planning 16.12 (2003): 1-19.Print. Appendix This questionnaire is used to collect data on the effect of the 360 degree performance appraisal system on the performance of the employees at the Zakum Development Company (ZADCO), and the direct effect it has on the performance of ZADCO development company in the local and international oil markets. Any informati on provided by the respondent is confidential and cannot be used for any other purpose except to conduct this study. You are kindly requested to fill and submit the questionnaire. Questions about the management Experienced and understands the management skills Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Solves problems, seizes opportunities plans for action Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Is proactive in making tactical decisions Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Technical and professional skills Is expertise in area of specialization Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Positively solves technical problems and anticipates problems Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Solves problems innovatively Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Is strategically aware of the financial position of the company Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Communicates clearly Strongly agree Agree Di sagree Strongly disagree Positively influences teamwork Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Creates business strategy Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Mission and vision statement of the company exists Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Has a structured planning mechanism Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Manages to gain an edge over competitors Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Makes the company products available than the competitors Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Strives to make higher profits Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Results Ranking Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total The management 1 2 3 4 Scale Experienced and understands the management skills 7 5 3 5 20 Solves problems, seizes opportunities plans for action 3 4 7 1 15 Is proactive in making tactical decisions 3 10 3 0 16 Technical skills Strongly agree Agree D isagree Strongly disagree Results Is expertise in area of specialization 10 2 1 13 Positively solves technical problems and anticipates problems 15 4 1 20 Solves problems innovatively 11 9 20 Is strategically aware of the financial position of the company 18 2 20 Communicates clearly 18 2 20 Positively influences teamwork 10 7 17 Creates business strategy 17 1 18 Mission and vision statement of the company exists 18 2 20 Has a structured planning mechanism 17 3 20 manages to gain an edge over competitors 16 2 1 19 Strives to make higher profits 18 2 Analysis of the results Management competencies Ranking Rating between high =7 and low=1 percentage Self Manager Peer team Average Influence 1 4 1 1 2 4.3 61.4 Communication 2 1 7 6 3.5 4.2 60 Impact 5 3 9 2 5 4.9 70 Problem solving 7 2 3 7 5.1 3.7 52.9 Strategic awareness 5 6 3 4 5.1 4.9 70 Vision 9 7 2 2 5.6 4.3 61 Organization 4 5 8 7 6 4.8 68 Teamwork 3 9 3 9 6.3 4.1 59 Drive 8 8 3 4 6.4 3.5 50

Free Essays on Nikeof Samothrace

Nike of Samothrace and the Portrayal of Nike in Greek Statuary "Styx, the daughter of Okeanos, lay in love with the giant Pallas (a Titan), and in his mansion gave birth to a Zelus (Emulation) and fair-ankled Nike (Victory) in the house. Also she brought forth Cratos (Strength) and Bia (Force), wonderful children." (Theogony, lines 383-385). From Theogony, the myth of Nike was born. She was depicted frequently through the centuries in Greek art. The style supports her depiction as commemorating a victory in the lives of the Greeks. One of her most famous renderings is called the â€Å"Winged Victory† or â€Å"Nike of Samothrace†. The Winged Victory was discovered in 1862 in Samothrace, Greece. Samothrace is an island claimed by the Micaneans. Much of the Nike is damaged. Originally the Nike was found in over 200 pieces with the base missing for decades. The head, right foot, and arms have never been recovered. Cracks from reconstruction cover the body. Still, much of the Nike has been restored to a recognizable and detailed sculpture. â€Å"†¦it was in the exedra or portico of the elevated Sanctuary of the Great Gods that this massive Nike was displayed, shown as if she were alighting on the prow of a ship. The sculpted prow itself was a set in a pool of water, whose surface must have been ruffled by sea breezes† (Spivey 207) The piece is a free standing sculpture made of Rhodesian marble. The date of the piece is highly debated because of the wide period that the style took place in. After the conquest of Alexander the Great, the High Classical style was frozen in time for centuries with few stylistic changes. However, most scholars attribute the work to have been commissioned between 300 BC and 31 BC by Demetreius, son of Alexander the Great. The cause for construction was a victory, most likely the great naval battle of Ptolemy off the islands of Cypriot Salamis and led by Demetreius. Demetreius was accepted as a self proclai... Free Essays on Nikeof Samothrace Free Essays on Nikeof Samothrace Nike of Samothrace and the Portrayal of Nike in Greek Statuary "Styx, the daughter of Okeanos, lay in love with the giant Pallas (a Titan), and in his mansion gave birth to a Zelus (Emulation) and fair-ankled Nike (Victory) in the house. Also she brought forth Cratos (Strength) and Bia (Force), wonderful children." (Theogony, lines 383-385). From Theogony, the myth of Nike was born. She was depicted frequently through the centuries in Greek art. The style supports her depiction as commemorating a victory in the lives of the Greeks. One of her most famous renderings is called the â€Å"Winged Victory† or â€Å"Nike of Samothrace†. The Winged Victory was discovered in 1862 in Samothrace, Greece. Samothrace is an island claimed by the Micaneans. Much of the Nike is damaged. Originally the Nike was found in over 200 pieces with the base missing for decades. The head, right foot, and arms have never been recovered. Cracks from reconstruction cover the body. Still, much of the Nike has been restored to a recognizable and detailed sculpture. â€Å"†¦it was in the exedra or portico of the elevated Sanctuary of the Great Gods that this massive Nike was displayed, shown as if she were alighting on the prow of a ship. The sculpted prow itself was a set in a pool of water, whose surface must have been ruffled by sea breezes† (Spivey 207) The piece is a free standing sculpture made of Rhodesian marble. The date of the piece is highly debated because of the wide period that the style took place in. After the conquest of Alexander the Great, the High Classical style was frozen in time for centuries with few stylistic changes. However, most scholars attribute the work to have been commissioned between 300 BC and 31 BC by Demetreius, son of Alexander the Great. The cause for construction was a victory, most likely the great naval battle of Ptolemy off the islands of Cypriot Salamis and led by Demetreius. Demetreius was accepted as a self proclai...

How have the culture and mentality of the Chinese contributed to their Research Paper

How have the culture and mentality of the Chinese contributed to their success as entrepreneurs - Research Paper Example This unusual success is based on the Chinese culture and customs. Chinese school of thought Confucianism has deep roots with the entrepreneurship. Confucianism evokes qualities like hard work and constant struggle and also suggests that people should do such actions which become a source of pride for not only their family but for the state also. The Chinese custom of saving money and not using more than their needs, help them to investment in their business. Confucianism allows its followers to lead a loyal and modest life, and not using corruption as a tool to progress. Along with other qualities like interpersonal relation, self discipline and risk taking, the importance given by Chinese government on education has helped them to come up with latest and innovational solutions in the field of science and technology. The state is now taken extra steps to motivate young individuals to enter in the world of entrepreneurs and try to facilitate them in every way. Loans, coaching and help are offered to the interesting candidates. Thus their culture and the policies offered by the country helps the Chinese entrepreneurs to succeed beyond others. ..

Developmental stages of children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Developmental stages of children - Essay Example To assist in the study of these types of development, various developmental tasks are commonly divided into four primary domains: physical, cognitive, social, and emotional. By defining and applying these domains to the pre-school developmental stage, it is possible to identify activities that may assist the child in successfully achieving the primary goals of this stage. Unsurprisingly, physical development refers to the actual growth of the child's body structure. This includes muscles, bones and organs as well as all motor and sensory development. Motor development is largely dependent on the child's muscle strength and coordination. Actions such as standing, sitting, and running involve the large muscles of the body. Other activities such as speech, vision and the use of hands and fingers require increasing mastery of the smaller muscles of the body. As most people are aware, sensory development refers to the increasing awareness of the five senses: sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing. â€Å"The coordination and integration of perceptual input from these systems are controlled by the central nervous system† (Roditti, 2002, p. 11). Thus, activities that promote physical development will concentrate on preparing the core muscles for greater use and encourage exploration of abilities and senses. A child's cognitive development is also important in understanding these opportunities. Cognitive development takes place through activities such as thought, memory, reasoning, problem-solving and abstract thinking. One of the most difficult cognitive activities is using language because, although speech is technically a motor activity, the use of symbolization and memory in producing meaningful speech is a highly specialized thought process. Comprehending and expressing language is a complex cognitive endeavor that is encouraged as well by the child's social development. Social development refers to the child’s interactions with other people and their involvement in social groups. The earliest social function of a child is the attachment to mother. This attachment then leads to the â€Å"development of relationships with adults and peers, assumption of social roles, adoption of group values and norms, adoption of a moral system, and eventually assuming a productive role in society† (Roditti, 2002, p. 12). All of these also contribute to and are shaped by the child's emotional development. Emotional development refers to the maturing of personal behaviors and characteristics. This can include developing an individual identity and self-esteem along with the ability to enter into mutually fulfilling emotional relationships. Pre-School Physical Development Sensory and motor domain development is perhaps most noticeable during the first year of life when the child is doing the majority of his or her physical growth. This growth begins to slow at about one year of age. There are many things parents worry about at this stage. Fo r example, they may notice that their child has a suddenly decreased appetite at this point or be concerned about the apparently misshapen body as the child begins to walk. However, there is often no cause to be concerned. As the physical growth starts to slow, the body no longer requires such high intake of building blocks. As children begin to walk, their posture appears bow-legged with the belly sticking out and a sharply inward curved back. While