A Bar at the Folies-Bergre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Bar at the Folies-Bergre - Essay Example There is also a seemingly displaced symmetry of the lights that have been placed on the pillars that are behind the woman. The illusions on the reflection of the woman on the mirror prompt one to change their thoughts great meaning about the woman on the painting. The comparison of the woman’s frontal image and the image of her that is reflected on the mirror that is behind her conveys a certain the painting can be difference and a form of tension. This tension can be interpreted to be the difference between the way that a customer at the bar sees the woman and the way that the painter sees her, or the difference between the illusion of the calm that the woman presents and the reality that is the chaos in her life.. In other words, the woman is not necessarily what she seems. The use of classical iconography in the painting can be studied to provide clues as to whom the woman really is. The roses that are on the painting have been placed in a glass of water have great meaning. The white rose is a symbol of purity while the pink rose is a symbol of divine love. There are also white roses on the woman’s corsage. This is done to present the woman as a representative of ancient deity in modern times. There is also a crystal bowl of tangerines that have been placed on the bar. The tangerines provide color to the painting as they are glossy and are also an iconographic representation. This is because they are often used as a substitute for apples in the Christian iconography.

Organizational behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational behaviour - Essay Example Passos and Caetano (2005) offer that conflict is absolutely necessary in order to improve team performance and maximize group effectiveness. This viewpoint of the team environment realizes that there will be conflict between group members as a natural element of the group dynamic. However, there are methods available in which group leaders can regulate the way in which conflict is mediated, creating the opportunity for more healthy discussion about the group project. For example, a diverse project team is having issues about specific teams members who are not motivated to succeed, which is hindering the project. Animosity and anger would be the most likely conflict emotions involved in this situation. A competent leader would recognize that these problems exist and either call for a meeting to discuss the groups’ differences or to create a reward system by which to show the unmotivated group that those who perform will be compensated in greater proportion to the unfocused. In this situation, genuine conflict creates the opportunity to discuss issues and build relationships through positive business interactions. Khaneja (2004) supports that conflict can be a healthy part of team activities, suggesting that healthy disagreement should actually be encouraged as a means to build better team problem-solving and group innovation. The project manager or team leader must ask a variety of questions and allowing others to offer recommendations on the project. When recommendations are given, the leader should challenge these assumptions and criticize others in order to spark healthy, competitive debate. The author further proposes that these sessions should continue throughout the duration of the project to keep conflict as a means to get more quality ideas and solutions. Two specific business professionals take a radically different viewpoint on conflict when they state, â€Å"It is a common illusion that an enterprise is one big happy

Concept Development And Testing Marketing Essay

Concept Development And Testing Marketing Essay Concept Development and Testing A two-phase stage in the development of a new product in which potential buyers are presented first with the idea or description of the new product (concept testing) and later with the product itself in final or prototype form (product testing), in order to obtain their reaction. http://www.coolavenues.com/know/mktg/cc.php3 The most important part in this step is predicting the income and expenses of the product and to do market research, predicting who will buy the product. A product concept is an elaborated version of the idea expressed in meaningful customer terms. During this stage, the product ideas that form the new product implementation list must be defined more precisely JOURNAL OF PRODUCT BRAND MANAGEMENT, VOL. 5 NO. 6 1996 Here is a general view of how we incorporate research and creative concept into a concept development engagement. http://www.powerdecisions.com/consult-concept-development.cfm http://www.powerdecisions.com/images/Cpics/BrandPositioningFlow.gif We have to clearly define every part of the product to determine the cost of the product. We need to look at raw materials, labour, fixed costs, variable costs, costs to sell and possible return of investment. There are multiple ways to determine the selling price of your product. Pricing based on cost This is the primary basis for determining the cost price and selling price of a product. All the costs of producing the product are added together with a margin of profit, to come up with a price. The consumer or market will eventually determine the price of the product and not the producer. Possible competitor prices should also be taken into account. Pricing based on demand This is the opposite of the cost based pricing. Target costing is demand based. It means designing a product so that is satisfies costumers and meets the profit margins desired be the firm. Target costing makes the final price an input to the product development process, not an outcome of it. You estimate the selling price people would be willing to pay for a product and extract a profit margin. HANDBOEK 8. Famous brands that use this demand based pricing are: Sony and Isuzu. Pricing based on competition With this pricing method you look at what all other possible competitors are doing. The price of your own product can be higher, lower or identical to that of your competitors. This method depends on quality and customer loyalty. Price leadership is the procedure by which one or more dominant firms set the pricing practices that all competitors in an industry follow. HANDBOEK 8 BL 393 Pricing based on breaking-even Even before selling the product you determine how many you would need to sell to make a profit. This quantity that should be sold to break even would be seen as a sales goal. Break-even analysis is the process used to determine profitability at various levels of sales. The break-even point is the point where revenues from sales equal all costs. The formula is as follows, Break-even point (BEP) = Total fixed costs (FC) Price of one unit (P) -Variable cost (VC) of one unit The effect of this on the product is immense. It will determine the price of the product and the amount of materials needed to produce the product. The price of the product will determine the quantity that the consumer will buy which will determine the revenue and the profit made from the product. In this step of the production process the product can be a success or a failure Fixed costs are the costs that remain constant no matter how many products are produced or sold. Variable costs are the costs that change given the amount of products sold. Target group You need to determine the target group. With this product it is all golfers old and young amateur or professional. The next step is to do market testing. A prototype of the product is produced and given to the target group of the consumer and asked to test the product in a basic environment and give their opinion on the quality, size packaging and price. If the reception of the product is positive and the manufacturer is sure that nothing about the product can be improved the product is ready for the next step. Marketing and commercialization. The effect of the opinions of the target group on the product could lead to the restart of the entire procedure and the product could need to be refined or completely redesigned. The importance of team work and the amount of time needed on each of the different steps as set by this table. Bronne Copyright  © 2000-2010 Zebra Networks 10 April 2010 [Online] Available. http://www.coolavenues.com/know/mktg/cc.php3 Copyright  © 2000-2010 Power Decisions Group 10 April April 13, 2010 [Online] Avalable http://www.powerdecisions.com/consult-concept-development.cfm Book Author Boek naam Copy right ding Gedeelte Journal Rama Yelkur and Paul Herbig, (Bingham and Quigley, 1989) JOURNAL OF PRODUCT BRAND MANAGEMENT Global markets and the new product development process VOL. 5 NO. 6 1996 page 39 Angel MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´nez-Sa ´nchez, Manuela Pe ´rez-Pe ´rez and Pilar de-Luis-Carnicer European Journal of InnovationManagement Teleworking and new product development Vol. 9 No. 2, 2006 page 206, 208

Crime and Punishment Essay :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By the end of Dostoyesky’s Crime and Punishment, the reader is no longer under the illusion of the possible existence of â€Å"extraordinary† men. For an open-minded reader, and even perhaps the closed-minded ones too, the book is a journey through Raskolnikov’s proposed theory on crime. It is a theory based on the ideas that had â€Å"been printed and read a thousand times†(313) by both Hegel and Nietzsche. Hegel, a German philosopher, influenced Dostoyesky with his utilitarian emphasis on the ends rather than the means whereby a superman existed as one that stood above the ordinary man, but worked for the benefit of all mankind. Nietsche’s more selfish philosophy focused on the rights to power which allowed one to act in a Hegelian manner. In committing his crime, Raskolnikov experienced the ultimate punishment as he realized that his existence was not that of the â€Å"extraordinary† man presented in his theory. In cha pter five of part three in Crime and Punishment, this theory is outlined by its creator, Raskolnikov. Such an innovative theory would clearly have placed him in the â€Å"extraordinary† category, but when he fails to meet its standards, by submitting to the common law through his confession, the theory crumbles right before the reader’s eyes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The majority of Raskolnikov’s theory seems logical until the reader arrives at its single essential flaw. Raskolnikov’s idea that â€Å"the enactment of a crime is invariably accompanied by illness†(311) was one aspect of the theory which, through its accuracy in Raskolnikov’s crime, seemed to lend validity to the entirety of the theory; several brief experiences with â€Å"faintness† on the character Raskolnikov’s behalf, insinuate the veracity of his ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After inferring from the rationality of Raskolnikov’s hypothesis on illness that the rest of his working theory would too be correct, the reader is led down a path of definite expectations for his/her â€Å"extraordinary† narrator. This path would have been one whereby Raskolnikov was able to implement widespread well being as a result of his murders. Furthermore, he would have been able to avoid submission to the common law of the â€Å"ordinary† people in order to preserve his greatness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is not, in fact, what happens though. Rather, Raskolnikov is forced to confess by several factors including the very fear of being discovered. This fear is emphasized to illustrate his displacement from the â€Å"extraordinary† man; an â€Å"extraordinary† man would not have possessed such fears since he would know that he had a right to execute such actions .

Name Professor Subject Date Behavioral Genetics and Human Personality

People do possess certain behaviors that make us unique from one another. People do vary in their behavior or the way we think, feel and act. The complexity of human behavior and understanding its nature has been the main interests of those studying behavioral genetics. We all know that if we inherit our physical attributes with our parents we also inherit their behavior which we call genotypes.We are also aware of the role of the society, culture or the environment in shaping one’s behavior. Which of the two then exerts the greatest influence in our life? In order to identify which really molds human behavior a family studies, adoption studies and twin studies where conducted. In these three settings the siblings are compared with their shared and non-shared experiences. The environment provides the child with care, education and other experiences.People differ in many ways in terms of intelligence, mental states, social ability, self-concept or self-esteem, attitudes, belief s and preferences. Genetics versus environment can also be called nature versus nurture in shaping behavior. The debate between the two tries to challenge the fact that genotypes or the nature of a person’s behavior can be altered by the environment or the inherited traits will remain the same and control the person no matter how strong the influence of the environment.Suicidal tendencies and anti-social behavior for example are studied if it is inherited or purely environmental. In my own opinion the behavior could depend upon the individual’s personal adjustment or resistance to the environment that can create a difference in our behavior. Work Cited Haimowitz, Avi. Heredity versus Environment: Twin, Adoption and Family Studies. November 2005. Rochester Institute of Technology: Great Ideas in Personality 4 June 2009

St. Augustine’s ‘The City of God’

‘The City of God’ is a book written by the 5th century Church Father, St. Augustine. Augustine wrote the treatise as a general defense of Christianity, that is, to admonish the assumption that Christianity was the cause of Rome’s downfall. Augustine also intended the treatise to be an exposition of Christian orthodox beliefs (against the Arians and Schismatics). The historical context in which the book was situated, Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire. Many Christians dominated the politics of Rome (the emperor himself was a Christian). The Roman state persecuted the adherents of pagan religions. A significant portion of the Roman budget went to the construction of elaborate basilicas and churches. Pagan philosophers saw these events as proofs of the evil intent of Christianity. The impending fall of Rome was the work of Christianity. Christianity weakened the Roman state by imposing its own will on Rome’s future. It destroyed traditional Roman virtues. It replaced militant nature of the Roman army by preaching the efficacy of peace and universal love. Christianity, in general, put Rome into a state of anarchy and loss of patriotism. Taking into account these facts, St. Augustine sought to establish a logical, transcendental approach in answering the criticisms of the pagan philosophers. He argued that the existence of the Roman state is first and foremost subject to Divine will. According to him, the destiny of nations and states is determined by God, the source of legitimate political authority. No nation, state, or even community could last for eternity. For Augustine, the existence of the state is temporary, for its elements are temporary, created by the minds of man – whose existence is also material. It was the destiny of Rome to fall under the hands of the barbarians – a fact which cannot be comprehended by the human mind. St. Augustine wrote, â€Å"Whether the same world remains intact throughout or whether it keeps setting into disintegration and rising into newness with each rotation of the wheel of time. Whereas, if one rejects the periodicity of identical patterns, one is left with an infinite diversity of events which no knowledge or pre-knowledge could possibly comprehend† (Curtis, 429). Thinkers such as Smith, Nietzsche, and Gibbons rejected the above-mentioned assumption of Augustine. These thinkers argued that it was clear that the fall of Rome was due to ‘the ineptness of the Christian religion, its impracticality as an imperial religion, and indecency as a political and religious movement’ (Toynbee, 219). One need not determine empirical data to prove Augustine’s thesis. Michael Schmaus argued that the fragile nature of the state is due primarily to its origin. The state is the expression of man – a being whose existence is temporary. Hence, if a state is to last for eternity, according to Schmaus, it must be immune to the weaknesses of man – from outright desire of the flesh, from political conflicts, from the intrigues of the human mind. Schmaus stated: â€Å"The term ‘eternity’, in essence, only refers to the Divine Being. The state, in particular, is not in any way an everlasting entity, for it is wholly man’s creation – a derivation of man’s innate qualities. These qualities, we may describe, as momentary, capricious, and overtly devoid of divine significance. Man, by himself, cannot affect a change in the state of nature, or his predilections capable of uniting the elements of political life† (Schmaus, 57). St. Augustine based his arguments on the notion that the state is a necessary evil. Augustine derived this statement from basic theological truths. The first ‘truth’ attested to the integrity of man before the fall. In traditional Christian theology, the first human beings possessed, besides righteousness and holiness a genuine partnership with God, the so-called preternatural gifts (justitia originalis), gifts of integrity, freedom from suffering and death, from inordinate appetites and ignorance. The sin of Adam greatly weakened these gifts. Man became vulnerable to weakness, to death. Hence, according to Augustine death belongs to the nature of man. But as a result of sin it has the added character of punishment; that is to say, what belongs to the nature of man, his transitories, is now bound up with anxiety, pain and glaring absurdity. Because the state is a necessary evil, then man itself is bound by such necessity. He must live in that necessity, and of course its consequences. A necessary evil man must endure, for it is his temporary refuge. It is a temporary refuge from the ineptness of savagery, from irrationality, and from the affects of nature. The state was created as a temporary refuge of man – an entity which inhibits man’s innate savagery and irrationality – things which were consequential of the fall. The state, according to Augustine, is lead by pride and flesh. The state is the embodiment of worldly desires and passions. Although it inhibits man’s lust for materiality, it is in itself the efficacy of such materiality. The state though is necessary because it enabled man to work in groups, to limit man’s obsession with himself, and to protect man from the dangers of the natural world. The state, however, is not necessarily good. Man must endure the world of politics, deception, and outright political chaos. Hence, the state is a temporary state of nature. Again, Augustine’s argument makes sense because of the assumption that the state is a temporary association. Philosophers like Aristotle, Hobbes, and Locke supported this argument. These philosophers agree that the state is a temporary refuge of man – that is, it was borne out of man’s own innate weakness. However, these philosophers disagreed on the nature of man’s weakness, whether either borne out of lack of faith on a Divine entity or just the condition of the state of nature. Augustine’s arguments were not immune to criticisms. One of the weakness of this argument is provided by Schoonenberg who argued that it is impossible to attach the social origin of the state with the theological origin of man. According to him, a distinction must be made between what is political and what is epistemological (Schoonenberg, 58). Schoonenberg argued that the origin of Christianity is separate from the origin of the state, as far as orthodoxy is concerned. Here, it is possible that Augustine may have committed this particular mistake. Now, Augustine examined the origin of man’s weakness in relation to Divine Providence. St. Augustine argued that the fall of man is caused by man’s desire to make himself an equal of God. The evil which befallen man is neither the work of God or nature; it is the work of man. Here, St. Augustine discussed the nature of evil and free will. According to him, evil comes into the world in a kind of privation. Privation is desire for things which are less real and not good. Evil is love of the world of shadows and allusion – a perversion of Divine will. According to Augustine, the origin of sin is free will, that is, individual freedom. Free will presupposes that man is independent of God, which man, by his own nature, can succeed apart from God (Schoonenberg, 329). For Augustine, the arrogance of man is in itself the rejection of God and the acceptance of the ‘temporary state of nature. Man loves this arrogance because it increases his fidelity to himself; that is, arrogance is the fruit of deception – that man can wander by himself, that he can, apart from God, measure the knowledge and the inertia of God. Augustine wrote: â€Å"The fundamental fallacy of these men, who prefer to walk in round about error rather than to keep to the straight path o f truth, is that they have nothing but their own tiny, changing human minds to measure the divine mind, infinitely capacious and utterly immutable, a mind that can count things without passing from one to the next†¦ Without having a notion of God, they mistake themselves for Him, and, instead of measuring God by God, they compared themselves to themselves† (Curtis, 415). St. Augustine argued that the end to man’s suffering is the establishment of the City of God, a place where Christ reigned. The City of God is synonymous with the Second Coming of Christ, whose authority has no equal. Augustine pointed that the founding of this city is unlike any other city on earth. It is everlasting. It is immune from the intricate weaknesses of man – from his passion, idolatry, and irrational manifestations. The City of God is the manifestation of God’s desire to free humanity from suffering and death. From an orthodox theological point of view, Augustine’s argument is consistent with the notion of a God-saving being, merciful, and full of inertia. Man’s choice is either to accept this promise or reject it. It may be impossible here to prove Augustine’s point, but from a Christian viewpoint, his argument seems to navigate on the ideas of Divine love and justice, which are evident in the doctrinal conjugation of today’s Christian sects. In the Confessions, Augustine proudly asserts, â€Å"What then is my God, what but the Lord God? For who is Lord but the Lord †¦ sustaining and fulfilling and protecting, creating and nourishing †¦ Thou owest nothing yet dost pay as if in debt to Thy creature† (Confessions, 24). Conclusion The ‘City of God’ is both a defense of orthodox Christianity from the attacks of pagan philosophers and a summary of primary Christian beliefs. Augustine dismissed the notion that Christianity was the cause of Rome’s downfall. In addition, Augustine stated that the state is a necessary object of man’s existence. Its origin lies entirely in the facet of individual social constructivism, not in the crucial malivolence of an evil entity.