Wednesday, May 13, 2020
How Did the Greek King Agamemnon Die
King Agamemnon is a mythological character from Greek legend, most famously appearing in Homers The Illiad, but also found in other source material from Greek mythology. In the legend, he is the King of Mycenae and the leader of the Greek army in the Trojan War. There is noà historicalà verificationà of either a Mycenaenà kingà name Agamemnon, norà a Trojanà Was as described by Homer, butà someà historians findà tantalizingà archeological evidence thatà theyà may beà based in early Greek history. Agamemnon and the Trojan War The Trojan War is the legendary (and almost certainly mythical) conflict in which Agamemnon laid siege to Troy in an effort to retrieve Helen, his sister-in-law after she had been taken to Troy by Paris. After the death of some famous heroes, including Achilles, the Trojans fell victim to a ruse in which they accepted a large, hollow horse as a gift, only to find that Achean Greek warriors had hidden inside, emerging at night to vanquish the Trojans. This is tale is the source à of the termà Trojan Horse, used to describe any supposed gift that contains the seeds of disaster, as well as the old saying, Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts.à à Yet another oft-used term to come out of this legend is face that launched a thousand ships, which is a description used for Helen, and now sometimes used for any beautiful woman for which men will perform superhuman feats.à The Story of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra In the most famous story,à Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus,à came home to a very unhappy household in his kingdom of Mycenaeà after the Trojan War. His wife, Clytemnestra, was still justifiably furious that he had sacrificed their daughter, Iphigenia, in order to get fair sailing winds to sail to Troy. Bitterly vengeful toward Agamemnon, Clytemnestra (Helens half-sister), had taken Agamemnons cousin Aegisthus as her lover while her husband was away fighting the Trojan war. (Aegisthus was the son of Agamemnons uncle, Thyestes, and Thyestess daughter, Pelopia.)à Clytemnestra had installed herself up as the supreme queen while Agamemnon was away, but her bitterness increased when he returned from the war not repentant, but in the company of another woman, a concubineââ¬âa concubine, the Trojan prophetess-princessââ¬âas well as (according to some sources) his children borne by Cassandra.à Clytemnestras vengefulness saw no bounds. Various stories tell different versions of the exact way Agamemnon died, but the essence is that Clytemnestra and Aegisthus murdered him in cold blood, out of vengeance for Iphigenias death and other slights he had perpetrated against them. As Homer recounts inà theà Odyssey,à when Odysseus saw Agamemnon in the underworld, the dead king complained, Brought low by Aegisthusââ¬â¢ sword I tried to lift my arms in dying, but bitch that she was my wife turned away, and though I was going to Hadessà Halls she disdained even to close my eyelids or myà mouth. Clytemnestra and Aegisthus also slaughtered Cassandra. Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, demonized in later Greek tragedy, ruledà Mycenae for a time after dispatching with Agamemnon and Cassandra, but when her son by Agamemnon, Orestes, returned to Mycenae, he murdered them both, as beautifully told in Euripidess Oresteia.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Managing Conflicts Within Groups Free Essays
| Organisational Behavior Individual Course Paper | Lim Jin Sheng Jason| | Section: ES1| | Introduction In order to meet the requirements of the individual assignment, this paper uses a specific project management experience to highlight some of the main organisational behaviour (OB) concepts in a real-world professional setting. The two main OB concepts chosen are: a) Managing Conflicts within Groups b) Multi-Party, Multi-issue Decision Making Framework In doing so, it is hoped that this paper will highlight the importance of utilizing these OB concepts in other similar situations encountered in the future. Professional Work Experience My professional experience involves managing acquisition and RD projects for the armed forces, under the Defense Science and Technology Agency (DSTA). We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Conflicts Within Groups or any similar topic only for you Order Now DSTA is the national authority for centralized defense procurement and related RD under the Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) in Singapore. My specific roles include managing projects related to naval systems and scouring the local/overseas defence industry for emerging naval technologies. For example, if the plans department in the Singapore Navy requires a certain naval craft to meet their operational requirements in the near term, my department will spearhead this initiative by helping to source the market for such a product, purchase it and deliver it to the users. The whole process basically involves the following: ) Get approval for the operational requirements and budget to fund the acquisition project. b) Source the market for companies who are able to provide such products or services, evaluate their bids and negotiate for the eventual contract. c) Perform acceptance testing for the product/service before delivering the product/service to the end users. Managing Conflicts within Groups Before the initiation of a project, the envisioned operational requirements for the weapon system/service and budget required to fund it needs to be approved by the required level of authority. Usually, a panel of experts will convene in a forum to discuss and debate the issue and will send their recommendations to the final approval authority (which can be the Minister for Defence or service chiefs, depending on the importance and value of the acquisition). In one of my projects, the requirement was to acquire several unmanned crafts to replace a fleet of existing patrol vessels to save maintenance and personnel costs. Hence, the operational requirements was done up by the plans department in the Navy and the budget was done up by my team in DSTA. The justifications for both were well thought out and presented clearly in a paper which was submitted to the relevant forum for discussion and approval. The forum in this case was comprised of the unit commanders of all the relevant braches in the Navy (Operational, intelligence, logistics, security and training departments, etc). However, as a newly appointed project manager, I was unaware of the ââ¬Å"under-currentsâ⬠that was brewing prior to the forum presentation. Even though the justifications were sound on paper, there were several factions within the Navy community that were inherently against the idea. This opposition only surfaced during the day of the forum presentation and took my team by surprise. Subsequently, we had to re-work the whole approach in getting the approval from the forum. Basically, the issue was that the replacement of an entire fleet of patrol vessels by a newer technology will mean that an entire squadron will need to be down-sized and re-trained. Although the maintenance costs were lower in aggregate, this also meant the workload of certain logistics departments will more than double. Also, there was a history of bad blood between the commanding officer of the plans and squadron departments. So in reality, this means that certain members of the forum will not be happy with the proposal regardless of how sound it is and old grudges will likely flare up during the forum presentations. On hindsight, being aware of possible conflicts within a group will help to prevent this type of scenario from happening in the first place. By understanding the different types of group conflicts (task, relationship and process) and engaging all stakeholders before the forum approval will help in reducing the effort spent and maintain good relations with all stakeholders. Multi-Party, Multi-issue Decision Making Framework Once the approval for the operational requirements and budget for this project is obtained, my team selected a suitable overseas defense contractor to build and deliver the product according to our specifications. The arduous task of negotiating for the best possible terms for the least price for this contract begins. Due to the complexity of the equipment acquisition involved, the discussions will require many subject matter experts from their relevant domains to discuss the technical issues with their counterparts. I had an experienced procurement manager who advised the team to first agree on all the complex issues internally first before starting negotiations with the supplier. In practice, this meant that my team had to prioritise which issues are important and non-negotiable and which issues are good to have but not essential in the success of the project. Without this understanding, every single representative from my team will try to press for the best terms within their domains because everyone thinks their own issues are important. Furthermore, the supplier will never agree to every single issue as they will lose money on this contract. My team decided to group and consider all the issues simultaneously and agree on the relative importance of each issue before starting contract negotiations. My job as a project manager is to take a step back to keep track of the issues discussed and place focus on the ââ¬Å"Tier-oneâ⬠issues rather than haggling for every possible terms. This multi-issue, multi-party framework helped my team to cut down on a lot of unnecessary time and effort for future contract negotiations. Conclusion Organisational behaviour is an important and evolving topic which is important for success in managing inter-personal relationships in the workplace. As discussed using some of my personal work experiences, a good understanding and relevant application of OB concepts will help the professional to navigate through the complexities of managing stakeholders in an increasing dynamic environment. How to cite Managing Conflicts Within Groups, Papers
Monday, May 4, 2020
George Washington Carver Essay Introduction Example For Students
George Washington Carver Essay Introduction George Washington Carver was born near Diamond Grove, Missouri in 1864 on a plantation owned by a slave owner. His father, Moses Carver, and his mother, Susan Carver, were slaves on that plantation. As a young infant, George along with his mother was kidnapped by Confederate night raiders and was taken to Arkansas to be sold into slavery. Moses Carverââ¬Ës owner searched for George and finally found him and reclaimed him, but his mother was already sold. The man who owned George at the time didnââ¬â¢t want to give George back, so Mosesââ¬â¢ owner traded a horse for the boy. George was given back to his father suffering from a terrible case of whooping cough, and ended up with a noticeable stutter. Back on his fatherââ¬â¢s ownerââ¬â¢s plantation, George was now too sick to work out in the fields, so he mainly worked indoors. He helped around the kitchen and in a small garden. It was the garden that George came to love the most. He was often called ââ¬Å"The Plant Doctorâ⬠because of his love of plants. After the Civil War, George was set free at the age of 10. Once he was free, George set out to get an education. While trying to overcome many frustrating and bitter obstacles, George finally made his way through high school. George went to school until the age of 30, but his age didnââ¬â¢t stop him from finding more education. George tried applying to many colleges and all of those attempts failed. George almost gave up until Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa finally accepted him as a freshman. To support himself through college, George had odd jobs such as ironing and washing the clothes of his fellow and more fortunate classmates. In 1891, George was transferred to Iowa State College of Agriculture, which is now Iowa State University. It was there that George became the first African American to get a Bachelorââ¬â¢s Degree and a Masters Degree in bacterial botany and agriculture. After his graduation, George started teaching classes about agriculture and chemurgy. In 1897, Booker T. Washington, the founder of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute for Negroââ¬â¢s, convinced George to come there and serve as the director of agriculture. It was at this Institute that George made many discoveries that led to many of his inventions. He would grow plants such as sweet potatoes, peanuts, and soybeans and then do experiments with them. These experiments led to inventions such as: certain beverages, pickles, sauces, meal, bleach, wood filler, washing powder, metal pol ish, paper, ink, plastics, shaving cream, rubbing oil, linoleum, shampoo, axle grease, synthetic rubber, adhesives, buttermilk, chili sauce, fuel briquettes, instant coffee, mayonnaise, meat tenderizer, pavement, shoe polish, talcum powder, wood stain, and of course, peanut butter. George also discovered the miracle of crop rotation at the Tuskegee Institute. George worked there until he died in 1943. It kind of makes you wonder, what would our world be like with out all his inventions? How would life be different for us all if he had been kept as a slave, not given his freedom and the opportunity to share his talents with the world? And, how many George Washington Carvers has the world lost because they werenââ¬â¢t able to have his opportunities? It is not the style of clothes one wears, neither the kind of automobile one drives, nor the amount of money one has in the bank, that counts. These mean nothing. It is simply service that measures success. ââ¬â George Washington Carver
Monday, March 30, 2020
Svenska Handelsbanken Case Analysis free essay sample
Customer-orientation (Christian, to provide live example) Autonomy (elaine, to provide live example from her own company to support this point). 3. What does this tell us about the key sources for success of ANY decentralized business? empowerment/autonomy (control responsibility down to branch) foster the competition among decentralized units. use KPI to closely monitor the performance of decentralized units. Shared value amongst all branches. systematic support from head office for all units. ( ) 4. What are the challenges that Lars Kahnlund faces in this particular organization, in his efforts to drive change and accelerate growth? alance the culture of autonomy and directive approach. =gt; branch has strong motivation to control its own product and service. =gt; from perspective of entire company, new competitive products may be also needed. really hard to control the decentralized unit, because there are so many branches out there and structure is so flat. how would he get his strategy executed effectively and efficiently ? how can we keep them in order ? too many culture in different areas, so he needs to take care culture conflicts. We will write a custom essay sample on Svenska Handelsbanken Case Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page resistance from employees is expected. (elaborate on this later, including the perservative culture)
Saturday, March 7, 2020
An interview is the opportunity to organize your future and develop your carrier, so take your preparation for it very serious and do not miss the following things.
An interview is the opportunity to organize your future and develop your carrier, so take your preparation for it very serious and do not miss the following things. Score twice before you cut once on interview Searching for a job or just preparing for the after-graduating period? Thatââ¬â¢s wonderful you turned to set your attention at this writing. If you are only starting your new carrier, there should be some tips and secrets that you are to be aware of to avoid failure. No matter even if youââ¬â¢re not sure this is the very job role, train your behavior during the interlocution, which will definitely bring you the required success. Of course, we do not suggest or motivate you to lie. We just want to pay your attention to that fact that alternative representation of the information makes a difference. Thus, you should show your interest and emphasize all the possible positive aspects. So you are in your final year and occupied with writing your thesis or any other pre-graduating activities. And as it often occurs, you have not worked anywhere yet. The way you answer to the item concerning professional experience can be: ââ¬Å"I have noneâ⬠and that is one step to failure. More effective variant will be: ââ¬Å"I have none, since I devoted all my time to study. But now I possess sufficient theoretical background and am eager to implement what I know, develop my skills and grow in respect of professional attitude.â⬠Tell us about yourself This question is often to happen during any interview. It seems to be very easy with no pitfalls, but this question should not be underestimated. Do not retell the details of your resume, or other things that your interviewer already has at his or her disposal. It makes no use for you. Giving the respond to these words, convince the person you are talking to that you deserve to take this job position. Mention your personal qualities or appropriate experience that will definitely be required for this job. While preparing to interview, think over a couple of your achievements that show all your best features and can attract the attention of the employer. How did you find out about us? Seems to be a question with no traps? It's not all that simple. The resources investigating which you got to know about position can show your kind of personality and what intentions you have. Thus, in case you send resumes without the purpose concerning the job you strive to obtain, that wonââ¬â¢t be appreciated in the interview. In case you discovered on one of the job search sites, look through the important info in regard to the company and mention that you follow the activities of the firm and concern yourself with this stream of business. If you learned about the job role here by your friend, who works at the company, it is even better to mention, since it is like some kind of recommendation for you. Why exactly you should be hired for this position? Within the interview you can be asked questions of the following sort, ââ¬Å"Why do we need to hire you?â⬠or ââ¬Å"What distinguishes you among other candidates?â⬠. Do not lose your courage by hearing this. Such questions grant you one yet another chance to show your interest and passionate desire to work exactly at this company. You can also one more time mention about your best skills, which will be very suitable for this position. Do not speak words of praise concerning you and your skills, just give reasonable but positive assessment of your knowledge, experience and abilities. Show your motivation and willingness to work and gain best results. What are your salary expectations? This is the distinctive part of the interview, for which you should also prepare, since the financial aspect is of great importance and you cannot make a slip. Before interview make a little investigation to find out the average salary rate within this sphere. Search on the sites like Payscale or Glassdoor, there you can get the required information. Orientate on these numbers and announce a bit higher salary. In such a way you will show that you appreciate your skills and deserve an appropriate reward. At the same time you can demonstrate your desire and pliancy to discuss details in order to get the position. Do not treat these advices unserious when getting ready for an interview. Think what you say and receive the best job. Good luck!
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Technology integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Technology integration - Essay Example AT&T is a telecommunication company that offers a wide variety of products and services to Americans. The following factors has made the companyââ¬â¢s success in the integration of technology. AT&T Company is well known in contacting immense research at all times. This enables them to capture a broad range of customers which determines their profit at the end of the day. The company has an extremely qualified research team that embarks on constant research work and working close with the product designers, and they can come up with the latest products meeting the customerââ¬â¢s needs (Yee and Oh, 2013). The company is working on the internet of things and bringing new technological gadgets beefed up with 3 & 4G networks which make the users download products from websites in few seconds. These products are as a result of constant R&D, that the company has heavily invested. AT&T Company has the best innovative team that has ever been known in history. They constantly keep innovating so as to meet the rising needs and even goes to the extent of making products which make the life of the user even more comfortable. The company also achieves this through the issuance of patents which makes its team broader. From their official website, the company in the year 2014 issued at least one patent a day, and that has seen them have over 10000 patents issued in various parts of the world. In this case, the company will always have state-of-the-art technology at all times ensuring new and improved products to meet a broad range of customer needs (Iansiti, 1998). It is very true when a company becomes very aggressive in the above-discussed sectors of constant innovation and R&D, it will undoubtedly succeed. AT&T Company not only utilizes the two aspects, but also works out with mergers and acquisition that makes the company widen its
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Total cost minimization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Total cost minimization - Essay Example These activities relate to different fields of engineering including Textile Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Agricultural Engineering. One field of engineering that has been very dominating in all ages is the Civil Engineering. There have been unique ways and standards of construction throughout the history. Examples include carved caves to make space for living made by a nation who perished away many centuries ago, the Egyptian Pyramids whose construction reached its apogee ââ¬Å"with the Great Pyramid of Khufuâ⬠(Freudenrich, 2012, p. 1), and Taj Mehal made by the Mughal Emperor Shahjehan, to Burj-Al-Arab that is the emblem of civilization and technological power of the present age. A detailed study of the engineering of the past and that of now suggests that man has always practiced the most complicated engineering methods to develop sophisticated and unique structures. The fundamental factor that has changed the most between the engineering of the past and the engine ering of the present age is the ways of construction. Manual work has been increasingly replaced by machines. As a result of this, more work can be achieved now and of higher quality in lesser time unlike the past, when it took several months or even years of uninterrupted labor and yet, the finishing would understandably be not very fine. With the advancement of technology, revolutionary changes have occurred in all fields of engineering and for the most part, the changes have been for the better. Changes in Automotive Engineering Since it is integrally linked with technology, there have occurred revolutionary changes in the automotive engineering over the centuries as a result of increase in the pace of development of technology. Presently, a lot of research is being conducted to improve the competitiveness in the automotive industry on the global scale. The academia-industry linkage is playing a special role in it. For example, presently, the focus of the researchers at Loughboro ugh University is to develop radical and innovative technologies of automation to provide the companies working in the automation industry with different kinds of business advantages. A potential example of this is the business driven automation (BDS) project. ââ¬Å"In this fast-moving sector, the ability to change automated assembly and production systems quickly and efficiently, at minimal cost and risk across multiple global locations, is vitalâ⬠(lboro.ac.uk, 2012). The contemporary automation systems are complicated in terms of service, integration, optimization, and reconfiguration. Benefits of Cost Minimization Cost minimization is frequently used in the process of product design and introduction into the market in order to bring the cost down and increase the profitability of business. As the name implies, this technique minimizes the costs. Cost minimization is extensively used in many fields in general and pharmacoeconomics in particular as a tool to compare differen t drugs that have equal tolerability and efficacy. In the study of cost-minimization, the individual needs to identify and compare all costs that are incurred in the process of therapeutic intervention so that the most cost-effective alternative can be selected from among the interventions of equal tolerability and efficacy. The concept of cost-minimization can be extended to the manufacturing industries that have
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