The market allocates resources

The market designates assets Presentation The market designates assets productively by the value framework. The undetectable hand of Adam Smith is an arrangement of costs, which will advance the makers and shoppers settling on their own choice. Buyers settle on buy choices based on utility boost while makers settle on promoting choices as per the rule of benefit augmentation. In view of the adjustments in costs, the business sectors manage assets toward the most effective parts of assignment among flexibly and request. Chandler (1977) introduced that the ventures inside organization and coordination as the obvious hand was supplanting the noticeable hand of market instruments. With the ascent of present day business undertaking and its supervisors, the huge current endeavor was continuously supplanted the little conventional family firm and was assuming control over the coordination capacity of economy exercises and asset designations, just as its supervisory crew were turning into the most powerful gathering of financial chiefs. As a matter of fact, the noticeable hand isn't a forswearing of the obvious hand. The impact of both undetectable hand and obvious hand is restrictive. Subsequently, the noticeable hand was not totally supplanting the obvious hand; it was a sort of supplement and advancement of the imperceptible hand from the viewpoint of authoritative coordination. How viable the market designates assets For showcase, the value framework is the organizing gadget that deals with allotment. Value, which sets balance between the purchasers expectations and the makers gracefully, is accomplished through association in the market. The procedure of market connection is the thing that we call the imperceptible hand. Request and flexibly influence the market cooperation. On one hand, customers interest for a ware relies upon its cost to an enormous degree. The all out interest will go up if the cost goes down. This is the standard of interest. Then again, the all out flexibly of products is additionally dictated by its cost. The complete flexibly will go up if the cost goes up. This is the law of flexibly. Figure 1 shows that when a ware oversupply and the cost will drop, unexpectedly, it will invigorate utilization, with the goal that expansion the interest. Also, it will restrain the creation, consequently lessen the flexibly. Market harmony happens when the gracefully bend and request bend meet. The gathering purpose of gracefully and request should be accomplished through value modifications. Right now, assets will be allotted in an assortment of purposes through cost. The market will out of balance regardless of flexibly abundance request or request invade gracefully. The cost will at that point be balanced until balance returns. Be that as it may, the imperceptible hand isn't a panacea. All things considered, the market has its confinement in assigning assets. The imperceptible hand of market can be adequately just in the entirely serious market. Open products, externality, restraining infrastructure, showcase control slack, just as the lopsided data may prompt the confusion and tumult of the market economy. For instance, as per measurements from Sina Finance, there were 80 major retail chains in 2005 in Beijing. A Beijing people normal buying power was 33% of a people purchasing power in Tokyo, while the quantity of enormous shopping centers was multiple times more noteworthy than it in Tokyo. This Phenomenon made a general decrease in retail establishments financial advantages, in this way shopping centers shut down in a steady progression. It shows that market has a specific level of visual impairment and the market component doesn't generally accomplish their optimal state. The administration was influencing the economy as a Visible Hand Chandler represented the Visible hand of the board, which was playing an ever-expanding key job in the designation of assets. Today, the organizations are not the little workshops any longer in the hour of Adam Smith. Present day business endeavors were supplanting little conventional ventures. Some of them can be as rich as a nation, which have extraordinary forces to legitimately influence national economy and even legislative issues; besides, they may sound good to the connections between nations too. The companys the executives was playing a huge effect on the assignment of assets. Chandler demonstrates that before the ascent of the advanced undertaking, the little actually claimed and oversaw firm was a solitary join firm, which charges a solitary monetary capacity and working a solitary product offering in one area. In this manner the exercises of these little customary ventures were facilitated and constrained by market and value framework. Conversely, the greater part of the advanced business endeavor is multi-unit undertaking, which has its own authoritative office, handles different sorts of items and benefits and works assorted kinds of monetary exercises in various territories. In this manner the movement of these joins together and exchanges between them were disguised. They were facilitated and constrained by salaried directors instead of market components. As certain suggestions which Chandler referenced in The Visible Hand (1977), can give that the obvious hand of the executives coordination was supplanting the undetectable hand of market instruments. Clench hand of all, little conventional business will supplanted by present day multiunit business when authoritative coordination permitted lower costs, more noteworthy efficiency, and higher benefits than coordination by advertise components. Present day ventures interiorized the exchanges, which executed between some specialty units previously. This disguise may lessen exchange expenses and data costs, improve efficiency, give a progressively steady income and along these lines diminish expenses to improved benefits. Also, just by shaping a formal administrative chain of command can the upsides of the inside exercises of numerous specialty units be made. In current business undertakings, center directors control and arrange the creation and circulation in the organization. In the interim, top directors are not just assess and facilitate with the middle of the road supervisors, yet additionally traded the market for future creation and dissemination of asset distribution. Thirdly, the administration framework advances the companys specialization and supportable turn of events. Most of the conventional ventures are organizations and family firms, which were in every case brief. Interestingly, the board pecking order permits the elements of organization be kept up even the staff turnover and makes the salaried directors getting progressively proficient through different conventional trainings. The administrative position and responsibility for can be separated when the business scale and the extent of operational assorted variety of business created to a specific level, in the mean time the chief become increasingly proficient From the perspective of Chandler, to oversee and organize this noticeable hands, contrasted with the undetectable hands, couldn't just bring colossal profitability and benefits, yet additionally improve the seriousness of capital. Along these lines, it could to a great extent advance the profitability and utilization which brought about by the unrest of association the board. That is the thing that called the upset of business venture the executives It can't be denied that the noticeable hand has become an increasingly more critical job in the contemporary economy, however there are still a few deformities in the perspective on Chandlers obvious hand. Above all else, Chandlers over-commendation of the official of partnership is simply mostly sounding good somewhat. Directors may shroud different degrees of advantage and expected craftiness, for example, the Enron embarrassment, just as lucrative CEO outrage. Also, Chandlers comprehension of enormous undertaking isn't totally exact. Ventures are extending for huge undertakings, in light of the fact that there is an advantage particularity. Undertakings growing the scale don't imply that it is sufficiently proficient to develop its quality. Take the American butcher Gustavus in nineteenth century for instance, he maintain a train transport business and cooler processing plant since it was the most ideal way that he could control the quality and proficiency of meat-pressing. He str essed over that he would be plot stealthily by his rival if purchasing transport administrations and coolers from others. It is clearly that inner administration of huge venture would not substitute the administrative activity of market, the noticeable hand would assume a job just on account of the board component can create more noteworthy profitability than the market instrument and inside coordination costs are less expensive than the market exchange costs. To summarize, the market dispenses assets productively by making harmony among request and flexibly through the value framework, while the obvious hand facilitates and allots assets by the board. Each blade has its different sides. Both the imperceptible hand and the obvious hand have their quality and shortcoming. The noticeable hand can not thoroughly supplant the obvious hand, while the noticeable hand is the enhancement and improvement of the undetectable hand from the part of the board coordination. They supplement each other to guarantee the allotment of asset prepared proficiently. References: Alfred D., Jr. Chandler (1977) The Visible Hand The Managerial Revolution in American Business Massachusetts and London: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. P.1-4, P6-9 Eitan Goldman Gary Gorton (2000 ) The Visible Hand, The Invisible Hand And Efficiency. National Bureau of Economic Research. JEL NO.D21, G30 Economypedia [online]. [Accessed 1th December 2009]. Accessible from World Wide Web : Economypedia [online]. [Accessed 1th December 2009]. Accessible from World Wide Web : Jintang Wang Wenfan Zhong (1995) Modern American huge undertaking and American culture. Wuhan: Wuhan University Press. P3-5 Wikipedia [online]. [Accessed 1th December 2009]. Accessible from World Wide Web : Wikipedia [online]. [Accessed 1th December 2009]. Accessible from World Wide Web : Sean, Douma Hein, Schreuder (2008) Economic Approaches to Organizations Essex: Pearson Education. P.3-

Work, People and Productivity Mgt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Work, People and Productivity Mgt - Essay Example The model causes the directors to build up the authoritative concentration by moving from the prosperity and improvement of the representatives to the prosperity and advancement of the association. Undoubtedly, the model aides in the foundation of a versatile, adaptable, stable, and controlled association. Since, association pioneers in an association can't concur on what adds to the adequacy of an association, the model gives the best structure to characterize viability. Moreover, since authoritative culture varies starting with one association then onto the next, the model causes administrators to comprehend and pass the reference hierarchical culture to different partners. The contending esteems model aides in the separation of influential positions and association of the influential positions and character qualities into a sorting out outline, which empowers authoritative pioneers and individual directors to comprehend their obligations. Additionally, the model encourages authoritative pioneers to address certain issues like how to be imaginative, how to sort out and dispense assets, and how to all in all develop and set up hierarchical change. In tending to these issues, the model empowers administrators to accomplish hierarchical adequacy by tending to the contending positive pressures inside the authoritative culture. Without a doubt, the contending esteems model can apply in all angles and levels in associations where it can assist authoritative pioneers with making successful choices, persuade representatives, enlist workers, build up association limit, improve quality, change hierarchical examples, survey budgetary execution, upgrade competency, and assess correspondence inside the association. Supervisors can utilize the language and ideas of the model to connect with individuals at various levels in an association. For sure, the model causes supervisors to analyze and deal with the

Today at SIPA Back-to-Back Events COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Today at SIPA Back-to-Back Events COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog At 4:00 P.M. today SIPA students will have the opportunity to hear from an expert in climate change and economics, and shortly thereafter from a Nobel Peace Prize winner. ____________________________________________ A conversation with Sir Nicholas Stern, author of The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review and   Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chair of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics. 4:00 pm Room 1512, International Affairs Building Sponsored by the School of International and Public Affairs _____________________________________________________ A conversation with Martti Ahtisaari, 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former president of Finland 6:00 pm Kellogg Conference Center, 15th Floor, International Affairs Building Sponsored by SIPA and the Center for International Conflict Resolution. Photo Credit to Wikipedia

Feather Anatomy and Function

Feathers are unique to birds. They are a defining characteristic of the group, meaning simply that if an animal has feathers, then it is a bird. Feathers serve many functions in birds but most notable is the critical role feathers play in enabling birds to fly. Unlike feathers, flight is not a characteristic restricted to birds—bats fly with great agility and insects fluttered through the air several million years before birds joined them. But feathers have enabled birds to refine flight to an art form matched by no other organism alive today. In addition to helping to enable flight, feathers also provide protection from the elements. Feathers provide birds with waterproofing and insulation and even block harmful UV rays from reaching birds skin. Feathers are made up of keratin, an insoluble protein that is also found in mammalian hair and reptilian scales. In general, feathers consist of the following structures: calamus - the hollow shaft of the feather that attaches it to the birds skinrachis - the central shaft of the feather to which the vanes are attachedvane - the flattened part of the feather that is attached on either side of the rachis (each feather has two vanes)barbs - the numerous branches off the rachis that form the vanesbarbules - tiny extensions from barbs that are held together by barbicelsbarbicels - tiny hooks that interlock to hold the barbules together Birds have several different types of feathers and each type is specialized to serve a different function. In general, feather types include: primary - long feathers located at the tip of the wingsecondary - shorter feathers located along the trailing edge of the inner wingtail - feathers attached to the birds pygostylecontour (body) - feathers that line the birds body and provide streamlining, insulation, and waterproofingdown - fluffy feathers located under the contour feathers that serve as insulationsemiplume - feathers located under the contour feathers that serve as insulation (slightly larger than down feathers)bristle - long, stiff feathers around the birds mouth or eyes (the function of bristle feathers is not known) Feathers suffer wear and tear as they are exposed to the elements. Over time, the quality of each feather deteriorates and thus compromises its ability to serve the bird in flight or to provide insulation qualities. To prevent feather deterioration, birds shed and replace their feathers periodically in a process called molting. Sources: Attenborough D. 1998. The Life of Birds. London: BBC Books.Sibley D. 2001. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life Behavior. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.Museum of Paleontology (University of California, Berkely)

The Taming of The Shrew Themes

Lets examine the two major themes that drive Shakespeares  The Taming of The Shrew. Theme: Marriage The play is ultimately about finding a suitable partner for marriage. The motivations for marriage in the play vary enormously, however. Petruccio is only really interested in marriage for economic gain. Bianca, on the other hand, is in it for love. Lucentio has gone to great lengths to win Bianca’s favour and to get to know her better before committing to marriage. He disguises himself as her Latin teacher in order to spend more time with her and to gain her affections. However, Lucentio is only permitted to marry Bianca because he has managed to convince her father that he is incredibly rich. Had Hortensio offered Baptista more money he would have married Bianca despite her being in love with Lucentio. Hortensio settles for marriage to the widow after his marriage to Bianca is refused. He would rather be married to someone than have no one. It is usual in Shakespearian comedies that they end in marriage. The Taming of the Shrew does not end with a marriage but observes several as the play goes on. Moreover, the play considers the impact that a marriage has on family members, friends and servants and on how a relationship and bond is formed thereafter. There is a form of elopement where Bianca and Lucentio go off and marry in secret, a formal marriage between Petruccio and Katherine where the social and economic contract is key, and the marriage between Hortensio and the widow which is less about wild love and passion but more about companionship and convenience. Theme: Social Mobility and Class The play is concerned with social mobility which is ameliorated through marriage in Petruccio’s case, or through disguise and impersonation.  Tranio pretends to be Lucentio and has all the trappings of his master while his master becomes a servant of sorts in becoming a Latin teacher for Baptista’s daughters. The Local Lord at the beginning of the play wonders whether a common Tinker can be convinced he is a lord in the right circumstances and whether he can convince others of his nobility. Here, through Sly and Tranio Shakespeare explores whether social class is to do with all the trappings or something more fundamental. In conclusion, one could argue that being of high status is only of any use if people consider you are of that status. Vincentio is reduced to a ‘faded old man’ in Petruccio’s eyes when he is encountered on the way to Baptista’s house, Katherine acknowledges him as a woman (who could get any lower on the social strata?). In fact, Vincentio is super powerful and rich, his social status is what convinces Baptista that his son is worthy of his daughter’s hand in marriage. Social status and class are therefore very important but transient and open to corruption. Katherine is angry because she does not conform to what is expected of her by her position in society. She tries to fight against the expectations of her family, friends and social status, her marriage ultimately forces her to accept her role as wife and she finds happiness in finally conforming to her role. In the end, the play dictates that each character must conform to his position in society. Tranio is restored to his servant status, Lucentio back to his position as a rich heir. Katherine is finally disciplined to conform to her position. In an additional passage to the play even Christopher Sly is returned to his position outside the alehouse having been stripped of his finery: Go take him easily up and put him in his own apparel again and lay him in the place where we did find him just underneath the alehouse side below.(Additional Passages Line 2-4) Shakespeare suggests it is possible to cheat class and social boundaries but that the truth will win out and one must conform to ones position in society if we are to live a happy life.

Wall Street Crash Free Essays

The businessman and two university students talked about their political point of view. Moreover, the boy looked at the businessman, stared at him, without once blinking his eyes or shifting his stare. The businessman knew about that so he struck up a conversation with the young boy and asked him that who he traveled with. We will write a custom essay sample on Wall Street Crash or any similar topic only for you Order Now The boy answered that his father was along and led them the way to find his father. Therefore, he minted at a long box and said there was his father who was shot in Detroit. The businessman promised that he would fix that immediately. That is a reason why one of the students laughed and asked about the millions of America lost their jobs and many also lost all their savings. In the story, the businessman who had a social position met the young boy whose father was shot in Detroit. The crisis of this story is the boy stared the businessman without once blinking eyes or shifting stare. Moreover, the boy led the way to find his father and pointed at a long box where his father was there and told he reason why his father died. The conflict is showed about the differences between rich and poor or knowledge between people who are on the outside and people who are on the inside. In addition, the businessman promised that he would fix the mistake – just for the boy, it is the story’s central conflict resolved. With regard to me, I think as one on the students in this story that this resolution of the businessman is not satisfying and logical. Because this mistake do not make only the boy and his father were borne, the million people bore it too. With the foreshadowing, the look of boy for the businessman was a staring. It was just like a curious look; but it was also a vague look. The author arranges the causal connections between events are clear and logical because in the beginning of story, the † I † character got on the train and he met the order characters then they had had a conversation before they found the boys father. In this story, the boy and the businessman are the story protagonist because they are two characters who have connection with the other characters and become the factors to resolve any vents or situations. The AD character is the boy and the businessman. The AD character is two university students and the † I † character because the boy and the businessman were showed their character clearly by the author. For instances, the boy showed eagerness, curiousness and his thinking apparently, when the businessman and two students had a conversation or when the businessman asked him where his father was and his thinking about the massacre at Detroit. With the businessman, he presented his angry and abrupt feeling or an expression of satisfaction on his face when one of dents had a wrong or right answer for his questions. Moreover, the businessman showed a sharp gasping feeling when the boy pointed his father’s place. With two university students and the † † character, they are the antagonists so the author do not present carefully their actions and feeling on each event. Like the † I † character, we cannot see the character’s speech all through the story. In addition, two university students showed their felling when they felt angry with the businessman’s answer for their wonder – riots and disturbances. With regard to the story setting, it was written in early sass. This story describes an episode that takes place on a train going away from Detroit to come New York. At this time, in any trains, they were the major means of travel for both rich and poor people of the united States. Moreover, â€Å"On the outside† shows the reader to see the effect of recovering economically from the stock market crash of 1 929 through ten years. It made millions of American lost their jobs and many also lost their savings, become poor and did not have anything. In the story, the author uses metaphor for he depraved economic to make poor people do not have the justice at this time. In addition, the simile was used to compare the thinking about riots and disturbances between rich people and poor people. The author also used the synecdoche to talk about rich people and poor people at this time and the character of synecdoche is the businessman- rich people, the boy and his father – poor people. The style and language of this story are informal because the author uses the short sentences for all answers and † Bosh † is an impolite word which the businessman said with student when they gave a rang meaning about riots and disturbances. In † On the outside the † I † character is the author. The fur coat was worn by the businessman and made him sunk deep in it which is a key factor. Therefore, we can easily see that a fur coat showed for us to know and imagine about the rich of businessman. In this story, the author used the first narrator. Finally, the story was named after† On the outside † because the author wanted to imply that people who are not in one or some troubles do not know and understand about the internal problems and meaning of these problems. How to cite Wall Street Crash, Papers

Google’s Human Resource and Recruitment †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Googles Human Resource and Recruitment. Answer: Introduction Google is an American multinational company deals with online products and services all over the world. The human resource management is an integral part of the companys organizational structure (Marchington, 2016). The employees are the pillars of the company. The HRM makes sure that appropriate candidates are getting hired and their needs are getting fulfilled. They select smart, intelligent candidates who will prove to be a beneficial investment in the longer run. They focus on talents more than some specific skills. Some well though recruiting strategies are applied in the process which is unique and different from most other companies. The employees get great opportunities and benefits working here. Google: Organization and Employer Google works mainly in the mission of organizing all the information in the world and make them useful and accessible globally. Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded the search engine in 1996 which has become worlds most powerful online search engine (Jackson, 2014). It has grown to be more than a search engine; it now deals with social networking, desktop applications, mobiles, operating system and other online services (Our Products: Google, 2017). Every employee is equally important for Google. The company is very open to new ideas of the employees. Not just great work opportunity, the company also offers great salary and various bonus and incentives. It creates such environment that employees can earn more and work on innovating new ideas through hardworking. As Google is one the worlds largest company, it has offices all around the world, so any person with talent and hard can apply and join Google. Google treats with the physical workplace as much they work on their virtual platform. Google offers a complete organizational culture in its workplace. Google generates huge amount of revenue every year so it always provides great opportunity for the employees to earn more. The employees get 20% of their work time in working on their own projects (Gersch, 2013) ). Google has developed a free working culture where the employees are provided with medical support, massage, yoga and healthy snacks. The employees get free lunch at the Google offices. The company wants the employees to always feel motivated so that they can concentrate more on their assigned task. Offering the employees to buy the Google share is a unique opportunity for the employees, through this strategy Google is making them an active member of the family, who will look after the family as his own. The company always gives importance to the employee health, the employees are free to choose their heath care programs an d offer medical leaves to them when it is necessary. New and creative ideas of the employees are always encouraged by the management and if the idea has potential the company offers them financial support to materialize the idea. People from all around the world work for Google and the company employs intelligent and hard working people irrespective of their cultural background. So, the working culture in Google is rich in diversity an open (Coleman, 2016). The employees engage in sharing lifestyles and ideas. As the company provides their service to every kind of consumer all over the world, the diversified ideas are required by the company. The employee motivation and performance is so successful in the Google because the work environment is so free, open and encouraging. It is even more prominent if someone compares the working culture of any other global company with Google. The company always encourages the employee creativity by providing them with flexible working environment and working hours. Human Resource Management Theories and Googles recruitment The human resource management can be defined as the process of managing the human resource of the organization in order to achieve the organizational objectives and satisfaction (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2015). Theories are important for the human resource management to work effectively. Maslows Need Hierarchy theory Maslows theory can help the human resource professional to improve employee retention, employee engagement, understand employee need and meet many organizational goals. According to Maslow in any organizational structure, the need-hierarchy is based on humans need for safety, physiology, social, self esteem and actualization (Taormina Gao, 2013). In the human resource management if the employees physiological needs are not met, they will take decision based on stability, compensation or safety. The human resources management of the company ensures that the lowest level needs of the employees are met properly so that the needs do not move further in the pyramid. The theory of need also includes constant change. Once one step of the need is fulfilled the need will step upward. So there pay rise must be measured and implemented such a way that it will motivate the employees for next few years. Herzbergs theory of two factors By conducting a survey on 200 engineers, Fredrick Herzberg has developed this theory. This theory is based on the employees good bad feeling related to their work experience in the organization (Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl Maude, 2017). The research demonstrated that when the employees felt bad it was related to maintenance factors and when the felt goo it was about the motivation factors. The human resource management of Goggle is working their best to motivate the employees. They motivate the mothers by providing the children to be present in the working place. They recruitment videos also showed that the basic needs are provided to the employees generously, like the employees get free healthy food in the work place. The management believes that the life and work must be maintained well to work better in the office. The employees are provided with 20% of their work time are encouraged to invest on the own individual projects. The company believes that such creative activities and innovations will ultimately lead to organizational benefit. The paid maternity leave and other benefits are paid well (Truong, 2016). By executing management theories Google is significantly attracting fresh talents every day. Challenges Google faces in recruitment process The economic crisis brings difficult challenge for the HR department. Internal supply is more than actual demand in the market, which eventually results in employee lay off. In 2007 Google laid 6100 of the Double click employees and more than 10000 contractual jobs were cut off (Helft, 2008). In 2009 the company closes of many engineering offices and the 100 recruiters were laid off and it is still continuing. Though Google has been struggling to spread its business more than just a search engine but it has not achieved much success yet. This is having negative impacts in the development of Googles homogenous organizational culture which they follow in their recruitment process. Embracing different culture is appreciable but mange them in a singular direction often proves to be difficult in the real world. The employees working outside the main campus of Silicon Valley generally do not get so many opportunities and benefits. Google receives 3000 resumes every day (Cooper, 2016). Google often hires the recruiters on contracts. They work temporarily for the company, so the recruitment process is not as passionate as the company is towards its employees. A similar company Yahoo faced huge financial crisis with stock market crash. Google is recruiting an average of 1275 employees in every 90 days (BORT, 2015). This strategy might make the company face financial crisis. 10 newly recruited employees get irrational packages, which leads the employees believe that they can expect from the company whatever they want. The lower paid or already existent employees might feel as unfairly treated by the company . In such a high rate of recruiting the quality control appears to be most challenging. The recruiters have to manage so many candidates every day and mostly they prioritize their candidate data point. This includes their education, work experience, referrals and feedback from previous interview (Bradley, 2015). The time management for the Human resource managers becomes difficult as they could offer less time for the candidates scoring lower in the list. Filtering the right candidates becomes difficult as well. The recruiting process is often too long. And they do take more time to reimburse the applicants the travel allowances. There is always another side of the coin. Some employees feel differently, who left the company. Whatever they feel about the company, they spread it through social media and other people end up getting affected, which hampers their recruitment process as the future employees get confused by them (Edwards, 2016). Competitors like Fcaebook are hiring Google employees with experience and offering them higher than what they are receiving from Google. Google is failing to offer the employees in the competition as the other rivals deliberately offering high valued stocks. Recommendations Google has been generating its revenue from a same source for years. It might consider engaging with more partners. Google has a long way to go in successfully retaining and recruiting new employees. The company should adopt more detailed and smarter human resource strategies. The public image of the company must be taken care of properly to smooth the hiring process. To manage thousands of recruiting the apparatus should be off a global firm. Google should develop new businesses to decrease the employee turnover. Conclusion The human resource management of Google is creating and developing a dynamic, free and challenging organizational work culture. The company is adopting innovation and creativity to gain efficiency of the employees. The employees also must consider the policies, principles and values of the organizational culture. The leadership in the human resource management apply management theories and strategies to create a suitable working culture for the employees, who will work together to achieve the desired goal. References Alshmemri, M., Shahwan-Akl, L., Maude, P. (2017). Herzbergs Two-Factor Theory.Life Science Journal,14(5). Bort, J. (2015). Google's hiring may have slowed, but it's still adding thousands of new employees.Businessinsider.In. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.in/Googles-hiring-may-have-slowed-but-its-still-adding-thousands-of-new-employees/articleshow/48117685.cms Bradley, S. (2015). "System and Method for Optimizing Job Candidate Referrals and Hiring." U.S. Patent Application No. 14/736,181. Clegg, S. R., Kornberger, M., Pitsis, T. (2015).Managing and organizations: An introduction to theory and practice. Sage. Coleman, A. (2016).Is Google's model of the creative workplace the future of the office?.the Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2016/feb/11/is-googles-model-of-the-creative-workplace-the-future-of-the-office Cooper, S. (2016). Here are Google, Amazon, and Facebooks secrets to hiring the best people.Qz.Com. Retrieved from https://qz.com/675152/here-are-google-amazon-and-facebooks-secrets-to-hiring-the-best-people/ Edwards, J. (2016). Google employees confess all the things they hated most about working at Google.Businessinsider.In. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.in/Google-employees-confess-all-the-things-they-hated-most-about-working-at-Google/articleshow/55947110.cms Gersch, K. (2013). Google's Best New Innovation: Rules Around '20% Time'.Forbes.Com. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2013/08/21/googles-best-new-innovation-rules-around-20-time/#7ae07abd2e7a Helft, M. (2008). A First for Google: Layoffs.Cnbc.Com. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/id/23933196 Jackson, A. (2014).Google: How Larry Page Sergey Brin Changed the Way We Search the Web(Vol. 10). Simon and Schuster. Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R., Kynighou, A. (2016).Human resource management at work. Kogan Page Publishers. Taormina, R. J., Gao, J. H. (2013). Maslow and the motivation hierarchy: Measuring satisfaction of the needs.The American journal of psychology,126(2), 155-177. Truong, A. (2016). When Google increased paid maternity leave, the rate at which new mothers quit dropped 50%.Qz.Com. Retrieved from https://qz.com/604723/when-google-increased-paid-maternity-leave-the-rate-at-which-new-mothers-quit-dropped-50/

Seoul as a Global City Essay Example

Seoul as a Global City Essay Seoul, the capital of South Korea is a key metropolis in the Far East. The Korean peninsula is quite small, comparable to the United Kingdom or New York State in terms of geographical spread. Its geographic location had subjected Seoul to both American and Far Eastern influences. But when it comes to economic prosperity and social equity, Seoul remains a city of contradictions and paradoxes. The rest of this essay will foray into these economic, social and demographic aspects of Seoul and infer its future role in the global stage. The long and colorful history of Seoul, in the broader context of the Korean peninsula gives some indication of the present expectations of it. For instance, the occasion of the Olympics that is slated for later this year presents an opportunity for the inhabitants to â€Å"show the world that their fiercely independent culture was never fully overwhelmed by either of its powerful neighbors† (Townsend, 2002). The speakers of one of the most advanced languages ever conceived, the Korean in general and residents of Seoul in particular are keen to regain the glorious past. For instance, â€Å"Guidebooks sometimes refer to the Korean people as the â€Å"Irish of the Orient,† partly because of their capacity for feuding with one another but mainly because of their feistiness and history of affliction. Again and again a visitor is told that the Korean alphabet is the greatest in the world, the Korean military the best educated and the Korean cuisine the spiciest† (Townsend, 2002). We will write a custom essay sample on Seoul as a Global City specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Seoul as a Global City specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Seoul as a Global City specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The city of Seoul, by East Asian standards, is one of the most modern and its inhabitants the most outgoing, volatile, boisterous and backslapping group of people. Seoul inhabitants are the â€Å"most ethnically and historically homogeneous peoples in the world†. The stoic spirit of the place and its citizens may be partly due to a history â€Å"of war, invasion, occupation, resistance, war, destruction, rebirth, peace-and war† (Louise, 2008). The legacy of such a tumultuous past is still being felt today. Take say, the region of Greater Seoul. It is home to close to 10 million people that include some of the richest industrialists. This part of the city is also the â€Å"political, cultural, educational, and business hub† (Louise, 2008). Seoul is also the favorite destination for some of the biggest transnational corporations to set up their production facilities. The place also attracts allied service providers like public relations industry and other business corporations. Seoul is second to no other city in terms of the research and development activity that is carried out there. The following passage substantiates Seoul claim to be regarded a true global city: â€Å"Manufacturing complexes surround the city. Seoul and its suburbs boast 9,000 factories, employing more than 360,000 workers. They’ve suffered in the last two years, but most Seoul businesses have recovered from the late-’90s Asian flu. It is home to small manufacturers such as Won’s and it also hosts complexes run by large corporations. They are drawn by the suburb’s proximity to Qingdao, Dalian, and other major cities in China, which vies with the U.S. as Korea’s top market for exports† (Smith and Timberlake, 2002). While the aforementioned qualities would place Seoul in the Global city bracket, a few other realities associated with the place might question this assertion. Setting apart the ever present political volatility in South Korea, the distribution of wealth in Seoul remains highly inequitable (Chang-Hee and Myung-Jin, 2003). While South Korea has had a tremendous economic growth period over the last twenty years or so, the percentage of the population of Seoul that lives close to subsistence levels is quite an anomaly. It is true that the annual per capita gross national product was close to 100 dollars five decades ago. Today, it hovers close to three thousand dollars – an impressive thirty-time increase (Louise, 2008). Yet, the statistics on class divisions and the proportions of different socio-economic classes within Seoul has remained quite static. This negative aspect of the city will weigh against it, in its aim to be considered a truly global city (Hill, 2000). The social inequities evident in the suburbs of Seoul are another significant factor going against its stature as a global city. For example, â€Å"South of Inchon lies the suburb of Chun-An, some 40 miles from downtown Seoul. Chun-An has lured financing and facilities from Korea’s financial giant to the East. Japanese manufacturers, especially electronics producers, have settled in the Chun-An Industrial Estate. Korea Industrial Complex Corp. (Kicox), which runs the 25 largest industrial parks across the nation, requires manufacturers who want space in that Industrial Estate to maintain at least a 30% foreign stake† (Shin and Timberlake, 2004). Despite the impressive array of industries set up in the suburbs of Seoul, the lifestyle and incomes of residents there have remained stagnant over the last two decades. For example, just twenty miles south of the city is the information technology region of Suwon, which boasts of hosting leading foreign technology manufacturers in the world. But, this evidence of technological advancement loses its shine when seen in light of the highly populated residential complexes surrounding Suwon, where the socio-economic conditions are very ordinary (Shin and Timberlake, 2004). While the economic aspects of Seoul, marked by the increase in size of its manufacturing and design industries is a sure sign of the city’s advancement into the global stage, certain anomalies associated with this condition undermines this status. For example, the whole of Korea hosts a fifteen billion dollar manufacturing and design industry, with Seoul being the epicenter of all this activity (Shin and Timberlake, 2004). With more growth slated for the immediate future, Seoul’s claim to be a global city seems quite legitimate. But competition from other prominent cities in East and South-East Asia is proving to be a formidable challenge to overcome. For instance, â€Å"Seoul isn’t alone in seeking to boost its global standing through design. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Yokohama all hold ambitions to be design centers. Then there’s global competition from cities like London, Paris, Milan and New York, with many decades as leading arbiters of design. Yet design industry leaders insist there’s big potential in Korea. For one, Seoul beat some 20 rivals, including Singapore and Dubai, to be named ICSID’s first World Design Capital to be chosen through competition.† (BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific, 2008) The volatile and unpredictable relations between and within the North and South Korea has disrupted the growth pattern of both economies. This is no insignificant factor to consider in the process of classifying Seoul as a truly world class city. After all, Seoul is not just the economic capital of South Korea, but also its political capital. And the implications of political instability to the economic scenario are only too well known, as the stark empirical documentation of their relation shows. The diplomatic efforts on part of both neighbors are bound to have a crucial impact on the future prosperity and stability of Seoul. In this context, the recent negotiations between the respective premiers to resolve some longstanding issues are a good sign. But to remind the international community of the delicate nature of North-South relations, the meeting was disrupted by protests from some prominent labor unions (BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific, 2008). Ironically, the demands of the labor are as old as the nations themselves and any agenda of negotiation that does not pay heed to the concerns of the working class will only be an incomplete one. The social realities of this self-proclaimed global city are best captured from the following passage: â€Å"More than 700 disputes continue to fester following a rash of strikes that first broke out in July. At a Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, where walkouts resumed after wage talks collapsed, a striker died and three others were seriously injured when a driver, whom they had beaten, got back into his truck and ran them over. Some 13,000 strikers occupied the yard, smashing windows, setting fire to cars and battling riot police. Late in the week police raided Hyundai and a second occupied plant and dragged away 200 strikers. Alarmed by the disturbances, Kim and Roh vowed to push for revision of South Korea’s labor laws, which largely favor management† (Hieyeon, 2000). What we gather from the above description is a typical case of oppression of the working classes. Consistent with a Marxian view of the world, the legislative climate in Seoul is loaded heavily in favor of vested corporate interests, undermining democratic progress. Until such social inequalities are addressed earnestly, Seoul’s image to the world community will remain tarnished and any pretences of being a truly global city will only be such (Hieyeon, 2000).

Adverbs of Frequency Beginner English Lesson

Adverbs of Frequency Beginner English Lesson Students can now talk about their daily habits. Introducing adverbs of frequency can help give them further expressive capabilities by allowing them to speak about how often they perform daily tasks. Write these adverbs of frequency on the board next to a list of the days of the week. For example: Always - Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday / SundayUsually - Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / SaturdayOften - Monday / Tuesday / Thursday / SundaySometimes - Monday / ThursdaySeldom - SaturdayNever This list will help students associate the adverbs of frequency with the concept of relative repetition or frequency. Teacher: I always have breakfast. I usually get up at 7 oclock. I often watch television. I sometimes exercise. I seldom go shopping. I never cook fish. (Model each adverb of frequency by pointing to it on the board while slowly saying the phrases allowing students to take in the regularity associated with the adverb of frequency being used. Make sure to accent the various adverbs of frequency.) Teacher: Ken, how often do you come to class? I always come to class. How often do you watch TV? I sometimes watch TV. (Model how often and the adverb of frequency by accenting how often in the question and the adverb of frequency in the response.) Teacher: Paolo, how often do you come to class? Student(s): I always come to class. Teacher: Susan, how often do you watch TV? Student(s): I sometimes watch TV. Continue this exercise around the room with each of the students. Use very simple verbs that the students have already become used to using when talking about their daily routines so that they can focus on learning the adverbs of frequency. Pay special attention to the placement of the adverb of frequency. If a student makes a mistake, touch your ear to signal that the student should listen and then repeat his/her answer accenting what the student should have said. Part II: Expanding to Third Person Singular Teacher: Paolo, how often do you eat lunch? Student(s): I usually eat lunch. Teacher: Susan, does he usually eat lunch? Student(s): Yes, he usually eats lunch. (pay special attention to the s ending on the third person singular) Teacher: Susan, do you usually get up at ten oclock? Student(s): No, I never get up at ten oclock. Teacher: Olaf, does she usually get up at ten oclock? Student(s): No, she never gets up at ten oclock. etc. Continue this exercise around the room with each of the students. Use very simple verbs that the students have already become used to using when talking about their daily routines so that they can focus on learning the adverbs of frequency. Pay special attention to the placement of the adverb of frequency and the correct usage of the third person singular. If a student makes a mistake, touch your ear to signal that the student should listen and then repeat his/her answer accenting what the student should have said.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE FINANCE LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

INTERNATIONAL TRADE FINANCE LAW - Essay Example Buy-back and the countertrade, are long-phase trade agreements with the mutual trade flows happening at varied phases of the period. Where readily viable credit facilities and readily acknowledged forms of money exchange are available, markets eschew inefficient and cumbersome countertrade transactions. However, due to governmental restrictions on operation of markets and due to international liquidity issues have motivated many nonmarket economies ( NMEs) and majority of the less-developed countries and industrially developed nations, to usher â€Å" creative â€Å" business transactions that bypass the normal exchange medium of contemporary markets2. It is estimated that about 25 to 30% of international trade are carried through unofficially by way of countertrade or barter system and various empirical evidence prove that whenever there is a financial or economic crisis, there is an increased practice of these kinds of trade. As per Aggarwal, government may persist on countertrad e to safeguard or to kindle the output of domestic industries. This kind of protectionism may kindle counter-purchase or offset deals which in turn may facilitate to purchase much required skills to develop the economy further. According to Lecraw, countertrade practices can be employed to override other guises of protectionists’ trade policies and finally the government policies which attempt to balance and plan its foreign trade, may involve statutory countertrade3. From what has been mentioned above, this research essay, an earnest attempt will be made to find out the legal principles involved in the financing of countertrade transactions in the international oil and gas business with a particular emphasis to whether the present law is adequate to support business in this province with decided cases on the subject, in order to discuss the issue adequately before coming to a conclusion. Legal Principles involved in Countertrade The legal principles in the financing of count ertrade transactions 1. Discrimination principle As per IMF estimates , the countertrade is presently employed by half of its members and is viewed as a guise of exchange restriction and trade which is especially condemned in cases of debt rescheduling by a member nation as in the case of Romania in 1982-1983. In the countertrade , the export revenue will not be distributed fairly and hence there is a legal principle of discrimination exists in countertrade. 2. Protection of domestic industries The WTO Anti-Dumping Agreement states that Member nations may levy anti-dumping duties, where dumping is considered to create ‘material damage’ to the domestic industry. countertrade is frequently said to be means of destabilising or evading anti-dumping law, because countertraded goods lack a translucent, arms-length export price. Hence , countertrade has the legal principle of offering no protection to domestic industries . 3. Consultation principle Countertrade like any other export or import transactions includes negotiation of disputes through alternate dispute mechanism like arbitration etc. 4. Stable basis of trade Countertrade helps to maintain stable prices during the period of extreme exchange volatility and also helps to attain a stable export revenue for a nation. 5. Types of letters of credit framework of agreement obligations Letter of Credits are significant in countertrade transactions concerning parallel L/Cs and are also significant to make sure payment on

Media influences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media influences - Essay Example It is through previously established theoretical traditions and research methodologies developed in countries all over the world that enable us to form knowledge and opinion about different elements within the media. The theoretical conventions include those f the American 'Empiricism', European Critical Theory, Western 'Marxism', British Cultural Studies, Political Economy, and French Structuralism and Semiology. Investigating these methodologies, along with exposure to media itself, can assist us in understanding the relationship between the text, the producer, and the audience, and therefore make sense f the political, economic and cultural meaning f everyday life. The worth f media studies itself includes the preparation for media practice, as well as the preparation for skilled reception by the audience, which we are all a part of. For this reason, media studies in society is a vital skill which will continue to be relevant well into the future. Media studies allows us to examine elements f the media and its affect on audiences, whilst investigating the influences that make up the media that we are familiar with. Cunningham and Turner describe briefly the way in which media shapes our way f thinking and allows us to further our ideas and opinions on particular issues. "We learn about world politics from our newspapers, radio news broadcasts and TV; while we may be aware that the views we receive are necessarily brief and partial, they play an important part in our conception f the world." (The Media and Communications in Australia, 2002) It is difficult to determine exactly how he media affects its audience, as the results are different between individuals. For example, drug use in a movie may deter someone from wanting to use drugs, whilst tempting another to try them. This shows how vital it is to study the media and the particular ways in which it affects its audience. It is essential that we continue to try and make sense f exactly how the media influences our society in order to prevent negative effects. When doing this, we should look into theoretical traditions f media is history such as the American 'empirical traditions and Western 'Marxism' J.B Thompson states his ideas about the important role media plays in self-formation, "individuals are able to gain access to new forms f knowledge which are no longer transmitted face-to-face."Individuals' horizons f understanding are broadened... shaped increasingly by the expanding networks f mediated communication." (The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory f the Media, 1995). This proves the importance f media in everyday life in our society. We are assisting in shaping our own ideas and opinions through the media, in much the same way that we are influenced by people around us. When speaking f such influences, we must examine further the specific elements f everyday life and the way in which theoretical traditions have influenced how we think f the media to this day. Politics are all around us. Political issues can exist in the workplace and at home, as well as in our local, state and federal governments. The general public relies on the media to communicate political messages that could possibly effect how society is run. Unfortunately,

The Role Of Teacher in Written Feedback

The Role Of Teacher in Written Feedback Teacher written feedback plays an essential role in a students writing process. It helps students identify their own strengths and weaknesses, which, in case of the latter, will make students know how to go about improving themselves and become effective writers (Penaflorida, 2002, p. 364). According to Ferris (2002), teacher feedback, if addressed effectively, can also contribute to students overall second language acquisition. Important as teacher written feedback is, there have been several studies comprehensively dealing with the issue. Even with those that do, there exists a lack of consensus over such matters as what aspects teacher feedback should focus on, which forms of feedback are preferable to students, etc. In the context of teaching writing in Vietnam, few studies have been conducted on feedback in general and teacher written feedback in particular. The same situation could be seen at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities-Vietnam National University, Hanoi. In reality, neither an investigation into the current feedback giving practice nor students preferences for teacher written feedback has been carried out at the college. It is, therefore, an open question whether or not current teacher written feedback is beneficial to students at the college. All the aforementioned reasons urge the author to carry out the research entitled A study on teacher written feedback on 1st-year students writings at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities-Vietnam National University, Hanoi. This study is an attempt to examine the real situation of teacher written feedback at the CSSH and to propose some suggestions for the betterment of the current practice. The yielded results is hoped to serve as a useful source of reference for those who concern about the subject matter. I.2. Aims of the study This study is carried out with the aims to: investigate the current practice of teacher written feedback on 1st year students writings at the CSSH-VNU propose some recommendations for the betterment of teacher written feedback at the CSSH. I.3. Research questions In order to achieve the abovementioned aims, the study will be conducted to answer two research questions: In what ways is teacher written feedback given to the 1st-year-students writings at the CSSH VNU? What do 1st-year students at CSSH expect from teacher written feedback to make it more effective? I.4. Scope of the study The research will work on the current situation of teacher written feedback on the 1st-year student writings at CSSH-VNU. The subjects selected for this study are the 1st-year students who are studying English at college. Moreover, the research examines only teacher written feedback but not other types of feedback such as teacher-student conference or teacher taped comments, since teacher written feedback is the main type of feedback at the college. Chapter II: Literature Review This chapter, which reviews the overall background concerning teacher written feedback, will serve as the foundations based on which the study is carried out. II.1. Concept of teacher feedback in writing Concerning the matter of teacher feedback (or respond/commentary), there exist a vast number of definitions given by researchers. Keh (1990) considers feedback as any input from a reader to a writer with the effect of providing information to the writer for revision (p. 294). In other words, it is the comments, questions, and suggestions a reader gives a writer with the view to enhancing his/her writing. The concept of feedback given by Joe (2006) is probably one of the most comprehensive one: Feedback is an inseparable and recursive component of both the teachers instruction and the writing process. It represents a sense of audience and purpose in forming the on-going writing process, while establishing a concept of collaborative reader-editor relationship between teacher and student. The feedback from the reader-editor appears as input for further reexamination and revision of the prior written work by providing optimum opportunities to develop and refine ideas, and may take various forms such as conference and interview. (p. 53) This concept is considered the most thorough one that covers almost aspects of teacher feedback, namely, the positions of feedback in writing instruction and writing process, the relation of student-teacher in process writing, the forms of feedback, and the role of feedback in a writing process. Its thought will, therefore, be used thorough this study. II. 2. Role of teacher written feedback As mentioned above, teacher feedback plays an essential role in a writing process. The importance of teacher feedback can be aptly summed by Straub (1996) It is how we receive and respond to student writing that speaks loudest in our teaching (p.246). In the absence of a face to face verbal writing conference, written response is the only way in which teacher can respond to the individual needs of students. It is via the comments on their writing that students can identify their own strengths and weaknesses, which, in the case of the latter, will make the students know how to go about improving themselves and become effective writers (Penaflorida, 2002, p. 346). Therefore, feedback is considered, first of all, a pedagogical tool that helps enhance students writing competence. Moreover, according to Ressor, teacher feedback is believed to provide students with not only the incentive to improve but also the guidance about how to improve (as cited in Vengadasamy, 2002). Feedback, in this sense, adopts another function; that is, stimulating and motivating student to write. II.3. Features of good teacher written feedback What constitutes good teacher written feedback is a complicated issue. There is little consensus among researchers over the matter as in reality, different individuals may prefer different types of feedback. While some people enjoy negative and direct feedback, other may feel discouraged by the same feedback. Therefore, it is normal to see different sets of criteria for good teacher written feedback. According to Coffin et al. (2003, p. 101), three vital elements of a good feedback are positive comment, criticism and suggestion for improvements. The coexistence of positive comment and criticism, according to Ferris Hedgcock (1998), will bring about the best effects (p. 128). While positive comments can motivate writers, negative ones can constructively show them where they have gone wrong and what action they should take in order to improve their paper. A suggestion is also needed as a guideline for students to make revision. Notably, the aforementioned set of criteria only mentions the elements constituting good teacher feedback. Researchers on teacher feedback also list a large number of other criteria, among which is the one given by Leki (1992). According to this researcher, feedback is only good when teachers concentrate on the content along with a limited amount of feedback on grammar, punctuation, and spelling. According to Baechle Lian (1990) and Mastropiery Scruggs (1994) (as cited in Konold Miller, 2004), high-quality feedback should be timely, accurate, constructive, outcome-focused, encouraging and positive. What is more, good feedback must necessarily avoid unknown abbreviations, codes, ambiguous and unobtainable suggestions for improvement. This set of criteria, in comparison with the two sets mentioned above, is more sufficient since it covers nearly all aspects of good feedback, that is, the elements of good teacher written feedback, the tone of teacher feedback (encouraging and positive) as well as the practicality of the feedback (obtainable suggestions). The existence of different ways to define the criteria of good teacher written feedback indicates that there is no standard type of teacher feedback. It is, therefore, necessary that each teaching and learning environment carry out research to find out the types of feedback that suit their students most. II.4. Major issues of teacher feedback on student writing Providing effective feedback to students has been a matter of concern among writing teachers as well as researchers. A great number of questions have been asked: What should teacher comment on?, To which extent should feedback be?, Which types of comment are most effective? and so on. However, it is the fact that researchers have not reached a consensus over the answers to such questions. Within a small scale study, an overview of the literature of the two main issues, namely content and types of teacher written feedback will be discussed in the following part. II.4.1. Content of teacher written feedback Teachers have been faced with a constant question of what to focus on when giving feedback to student writing. Fathman and Whalley (1990, p.178) notes: much of the conflict over teacher response to written work has been whether teacher feedback should focus on form or content of the writing. Content, in their opinion, refers to comments on organization, ideas and amount of detail, while form involves comments on grammar and mechanical errors. Traditionally, teachers were inclined to identifying and correcting all the surface-level errors; i.e., errors on form (Sommers, 1982). Kepner (1991) explains that teacher corrects errors out of the fear that the erroneous structures would become fossilized in the students. However, the mere focus on form correction would have detrimental impact on student writing. That students receive a corrected draft from a teacher with red-ink correction all over the page would only add to their anxiety when dealing with another writing task. Moreover, a large amount of error correction may draw the students attention to form only but not to the important matter of developing the content (Sommers, 1982). This is because when teacher feedback focuses on form (grammar, spelling, etc.), many students will revise their writing by correcting the surface mistakes and will make few or no other changes. The result is that the students rewriting becomes grammar exercises rather than challenges to clarify meaning. In some other research, there seems an agreement that attention must paid to both content and form for the fact grammatical inaccuracies can have negative effect on the overall quality of the student writing (Raimes, 1992, p. 308). In short, what to feedback on remains a complex issue. Though many studies have been carried out on the issue, a consensus over the matter has not been reached. This indicates that further studies are needed in order to find out the answer to the problem. II.4.2. Types of teacher written feedback This part will present some major types of feedback: positive feedback negative feedback, direct feedback indirect feedback, marginal feedback end feedback. These types of feedback are discussed and compared in pair in a way that the differences between them, i.e., the advantages and disadvantages of one type over the other, are highlighted. II.4.2.1. Positive feedback versus a negative feedback In their studies, Fathman Whalley (1990) suggests that positive comments give students motivation to improve their writings. When students are told they are doing right, they feel motivated to write more and to write better. However, only positive comment is not sufficient enough to motivate students to improve their writing. According to Hyland and Hyland (2001), negative comments are more useful for many students who want their problems to be highlighted. Too much negative feedback, however, may adversely affect students writing. As they re-read the writing with red marks all over the page, students may feel discouraged and stop trying to correct the mistakes. All things considered, it is advisable that teachers get a balance between praise and criticism, since the combination of both kinds will bring about the best effects (Ferris Hedgcock, 1998, p. 128). II.4.2.2. Direct versus indirect feedback Direct feedback is teachers explicit written corrections in response to students errors. With direct feedback, students are expected merely to transcribe the teachers suggested corrections into their texts. Indirect feedback, on the other hand, is when the teacher alerts students to error using general comments, but gives students the opportunity to fix errors themselves (Ferris, 2002). In his study, Ferris (2002) shows that indirect feedback is more helpful to student writers in most cases because it leads to greater cognitive engagement, reflection, and guided learning and problem-solving. Since teachers only point out the mistakes (or suggest the way to correct them), students have to figure out the way to correct the mistakes on their own. This, in the long run, helps promote students thinking as well as the ability to self-edit their own writings. Moreover, when having to correct the mistakes by themselves, students normally remember the mistakes better; therefore, they are more likely to be able to avoid them in the future. Beneficial as indirect feedback to students, for mistakes that are too complicated, direct feedback proves better than indirect one because it saves students from discouragement when they could not solve the problems on their own. All things considered, it would be the best way that teachers combine both direct and indirect feedback when they respond to student writings. II.4.2.3. Marginal versus end feedback Marginal feedback is a kind of feedback that is written in the margin or between sentence lines of the students paper. By contrast, end feedback refers to the summary feedback at the end of the paper. According to Ferris and Hedgecock (1998), there is no conclusive evidence that either marginal or end comments are preferable or more effective. In reality, each type of feedback is used with a certain aim. While marginal comments are more suitable to respond to specific sections of the text, end comments are usually saved for more global concerns affecting the entire composition. To sum up, as the above literature indicates, there is no consensus over what constitutes effective feedback. As a result, in order for teachers to make full use of feedback, they need to adjust the types of comments to the certain kinds of students. Chapter III: Methodology This chapter, which introduces the methodology of the study, covers the research approach, the methods of data collection, and the methods of data analysis. III.1. Research approach A combination of both quantitative and qualitative method was utilized in this study so as to achieve the desired aim. Quantitative method realized by means of a questionnaire to students, proved to be appropriate because it was adequate to find objective answers to such questions as How is feedback given to the 1st-year student writings and What do students expect from their teacher written feedback?. Moreover, thanks to the large number of participants in the study, that is, 80 1st-year students, the information acquired is reliable and generalisable (Nunan, 1989, p.4). In this study, qualitative was also needed since one end of the research was to find out how teachers respond to their student writings and why they respond in such ways. Qualitative study is based mainly on three basic data gathering techniques, that is, participant observation, interview and document or artifact analysis. III.2. Methods of data collection III.2.1. Questionnaire The first method aims at collecting statistical data from students to answers two research questions: (1) In what ways is teacher written feedback given to the 1st-year-students writings at the CSSH VNU? and (2) What do 1st-year students at CSSH expect from teachers written feedback to make it more effective? The data gained not only provided the researcher with an overall understanding about the students opinion about current situation of teacher written feedback given but also some pedagogical implications for the practice of giving feedback at CSSH. The questionnaire included two main parts, namely, the current situation of teacher written feedback and students expectations of teacher written feedback. The subjects selected for the study include 80 freshmen who are in the second semester of the academic year 2009-2010 at CSSH-VNU. The questionnaires were distributed to respondents with the researchers presence so that clarification and disambiguation could be made timely. (A copy of the questionnaire can be seen in the Appendix A). The steps of conducting and distributing questionnaire can be illustrated as follows: Studied available documents and chose the most appropriate data Designed questionnaire Piloted questionnaires Revised questionnaires in terms of language as well as instructions so as to make it clear and reader-friendly Distributed questionnaires to 1st-year students at CSSH Gathered findings from respondents, analyzed and interpreted the data. III.2.2. Student writing analysis Analyzing student writings already responded by teachers served two main functions. First, it gave the researcher an in-depth look at how teacher written feedback is given to the 1st-year student writings. In addition, it provided materials for the interviews with the teachers. Three groups of students were randomly selected. From the four groups, 15 newly-commented writing papers were borrowed and analyzed. The steps of analyzing students writings can be illustrated as follows: Borrowed the writing papers from students Read students writing papers with the teachers written feedback Analyzed the teachers comments in terms of feedback content and types. By this way, the distinctive features of a certain teachers style of giving written feedback could be discovered. III.2.3. Semi-structure interviews In this study, semi-structure interviews with the teachers were used with the views to double-checking the information gained in the questionnaire. The situation of teacher written feedback was, therefore, looked into from two different angles, both from teachers and students perspectives. Three teachers working at CSSH were invited to take part in the interviews. This number was reasonable because if it was greater, the qualitative data would be too enormous to manage. The interviews were carried out informally in the teachers native language so as to elicit the most information from the teachers involved. During the interview, audio recorder was utilized. All the data were then transcribed and translated into English for data analysis. (The content of interview questions and Transcription of the interviews can be seen in Appendix B) In short, the combination of qualitative and quantitative method was utilized so as to yield the most information needed. At the same time, the shortcomings that persisted in individual method would be overcome. III.3. Method of data analysis Since collected in both quantitative and qualitative method in this research, the data, therefore, needed to be processed in different ways so as to yield the most accurate results. As for the quantitative approach, the researcher followed the statistical procedure from coding questionnaire data to summarizing and reporting data in a reader-friendly way. As for the qualitative approach, the method of data analysis was to transcribe the recorded interviews and synthesize them. The recorded interviews were first transcribed in their original language and then translated into English. Only English would be used in the discussion of findings for convenience. CHAPTER 4: Discussion of results IV.1. Current situation of teacher written feedback from students perspective How teacher written feedback in writing skill is delivered at CSSH is reflected in the first part of the questionnaire to students. IV.1.1. Frequency of teacher written feedback The first question asked students how many times their teacher responded to each of their writing assignment in written form. As can be seen from Figure 1, nearly one forth of the respondents stated that their teachers gave feedback to their writing twice per one assignment. This means after getting teacher written comments, students were required to revise and hand in the next versions for further feedback and evaluation. This level of frequency was believed to be appropriate, since it could encourage students to revise and to enhance their writing performance. The majority of students (77%), however, received teacher written feedback only once per assignment. Since the teachers did not require students to revise and hand in the writing after they received teacher written feedback, it is likely that few students had enough motivation to revise their paper. This, in turn, might reduce the usefulness of teacher written feedback. IV.1.2. General evaluation of teacher written feedback It is clear from Figure 2 that the majority of students (75%) got fairly detailed feedback, that is, comments and suggestions/corrections to major mistakes. This way of giving feedback is supported by many researchers who claim that teachers should focus on some typical problems at a time (Ur, 1996; Sommer, 1982). The number of students stating that their teacher feedback was very general, e.g., feedback with only some words like excellent, good or bad was 8, accounting for 10% of all students. There was no student receiving NO written comments from their teachers at all, which means no teacher felt into the trap of being non-corrector. These numbers indicate that the practice of giving feedback at CSSH was fairly adequate. IV.1.3. Content of teacher written feedback Figure 3 shows different categories of teacher written feedback from the view of students. Strikingly, there were very few students who NEVER received teacher written feedback on these categories (except for that on format). The levels often accounted for the highest numbers of students, from the lowest 25 students to the highest of 45. These figures indicate that teachers at CSSH have paid attention to both form and content, though the levels of attention may vary from one teacher to another. Noticeably, the percentage of students who RARELY received feedback on ideas, organization of ideas and format was higher than that on grammar, vocabulary and mechanics. For the level ALWAYS, the highest number of students chose grammar, that is, 42 over 80 students and next-coming was expression, 31 over 80 students. This is predictable since mistakes of surface level (grammar, vocabulary and mechanics) are more identifiable than those of organization and ideas (Ur, 1996; Fathman Whalley, 1990). However, that teachers rarely gave feedback on content may, in the long run, have negative impacts on the students because writing is, in the final analysis, about communicating and presenting thoughts. In summary, two major features of teacher written feedback interpreted from this bar chart are: (1) teachers did pay attention to both the form and the content of students writings and (2) teachers were more likely to respond to surface-level mistakes. IV.1.4. Types of teacher written feedback Concerning types of teacher written feedback (Figure 4), the majority of teachers at CSSH used both positive feedback (i.e., praise) and negative one (i.e., criticism) when responding to students writings. The overall number of students who always, or often received teachers positive feedback far outnumbered that of negative one, that is, 91% to 59%. This reality was an indication that teachers at CSSH preferred giving feedback in an encouraging tone to negative one. Regarding marginal and end feedback, there still existed 16% of students who rarely received end feedback and the other 20% who rarely received marginal feedback. Though the numbers were not high, it was still an indication that some teachers still did not pay enough attention to these two must-have feedback. As can be seen from Figure 4, both direct and indirect feedback was used and the levels of frequency were nearly the same. It is inferable that teachers paid equal attention to both types. It can be concluded that teachers at CSSH employed a wide variety of types of feedback to respond to students writings. However, in order to have accurate judgment of the effectiveness of the types used, in-depth interviews with the teachers are needed. This will be discussed in later part of this study. IV.1.1.5. Comprehensibility of teacher written feedback The last question in the first part of the questionnaire asked about the comprehensibility of students of teacher written feedback. The majority of respondents, 90%, answered that generally, they did. However, there were still 10% (8 students) stating that they were not able to understand teacher feedback. The most common reasons for this were teachers too general feedback (6 respondents) and new words/structures in their feedback (6 respondents). Correction codes, which are initially aimed at systematizing and simplifying teacher written feedback, turned out to make it incomprehensible to understand to a number of students (4 respondents). IV.2. Current situation of teacher written feedback from teachers perspective Emphatically, this study aims at finding out how written feedback is delivered from different perspectives, both of teachers and students. This part will present information on firstly, the way teachers give feedback to students (via analyzing student writings with teacher feedback on them) and secondly, teachers reasoning for the way they give feedback to students (via interviews with the teachers). However, in order to make it easy to follow, the information will be discussed according to the frame of the interviews with the presentation of student writings analysis integrated in it. The following section will be discussed in two different categories, namely, aspects of teacher written feedback and types of teacher written feedback. 21The following table compares the two major aspects form content that have been responded by teachers. The dark columns present the number of mistakes identified by the researcher and then double-checked by a native speaker, and the other columns the numbers of mistakes pointed out, suggested or corrected by the teachers. The ratios of mistakes pointed out by teachers to those by the native speaker gives the researcher an overall assessment of the frequency level of teacher written feedback at CSSH. As can be seen from the table, all the teachers at CSSH paid attention to both content and form of student writing papers, though the level of attention may differ. In order to make the information easy to follow, it was then re-illustrated in the form of bar-chart as follows: While Teacher 1 (T1) seemingly put more focus on feedback on form, Teacher 2 (T2) and Teacher 3 (T3) paid fairly equal attention to both the content and form of the writings. The reason for their emphasis on both form and content was they are equally important (T3). In greater details, If I dont correct mistakes on form (like grammar, word choice, etc), students will be likely to repeat the mistakes, even the simple ones, in the future and they are used to the teaching and learning method at High school where a lot of emphasis is put on grammar that If I dont orient them towards the content of a writing paper, they will perhaps stop at language accuracy only (T3). Explaining her way of giving feedback, T1 responded that the possibility of students making mistakes on content was quite small since students normally get suggestions on idea organization either from the teacher or from the course-book within prewriting stage (T1). Noticeably, though T1 acknowledged the importance of content, she did not manage to treat it equal to form. Concerning the treatments of mistakes, it was notable while mistakes on form were usually corrected by teachers right away; those on content just received suggestions for revision from teachers. Reasoning this, T2 answered its difficult to correct the content directly on their papers and I dont want them to think thats the only way (when I give correction) to go about that. In the same line with this were feedbacks on content, as I said earlier, are suggestive only, theres no one correct way of organizing ideas (T3). In short, all the teachers participating in this study were well aware of the importance of content over form, which helped them avoid being mistake-hunters. However, how much teachers focus on either form or content vary. IV.2.2. Types of teacher written feedback Type of teacher written feedback was also a field marking the differences between the teachers participating in the study. In terms of marginal and end feedback, it was notable that while T1 preferred using marginal to end feedback, T2 tended to enjoy the other way round. T1 stated that her in-text comments were enough for students to revise their papers. Furthermore, the teacher normally did not feel content with her student writings: if I gave an overall comment to my students, that comment would be very negative and it may make them feel discouraged. T2, in contrast, used more end feedback as she wanted to comment on students overall performance. According to T2, the focus of the 2nd semester was free writing, which meant more personal feelings and less teacher intervention. Adopting both marginal and end feedback when responding to student writings, T3 explained they serve different purposes. Marginal feedbacks were handy and suitable with minor mistakes; while end feedbacks were given for general comments. As a consequence, the lack of either marginal or end feedback led to incomprehensive feedback. Relating to the use of negative and positive feedback, it was notable that except from T1, the other two teachers frequently resorted to both types of feedback when responding to student writings. According to these teachers, feedback should, apart from helping students aware of the mistakes they make, be able to motivate students. This idea agreed with what Coffin et al. (2003) listed as the features of good teacher written feedback, that is, positive comment, criticism and suggestion for improvement. T1, who seemed not in favor of the ideas, stated it very much depends on the quality of the writing to decide what to include in the feedback. According to T1, teachers should not just praise students so that they feel at ease when receiving feedback because that may do more harm than good: students may feel that Oh, the teacher says that my writing is good, so why should I revise it or they may feel hurt when the feedback is positive while the mark is actually low (T1). This idea, whi ch had some merits in itself, should be taken into consideration. The types of feedback used have, to a certain extent, reflected the tone to teacher written feedback. While T2 and T3 preferred giving feedback in a friendly, encouraging tone, T1 turned to more serious feedback which was, according to the teacher, more beneficial to students. In short, the data achieved from the interviews, which do conform to those from student que

Carrie Chapter Five

She would not break this time. But of course she did break. It took six hours but she broke, weeping and calling Momma to open the door and let her out. The need to urinate was terrible. The Black Man grinned at her with his jackal mouth, and his scarlet eyes knew all the secrets of woman-blood. An hour after Carrie began to call, Momma let her out. Carrie scrabbled madly for the bathroom. It was only now, three hours after that, sitting here with her head bowed over the sewing machine like a penitent, that she remembered the fear in Momma's eyes and she thought she knew the reason why. There had been other times when Momma had kept her in the closet for as long as a day at a stretch-when she stole that forty-nine-cent finger ring from Shuber's Five and Ten, the time she had found that picture of Flash Bobby Pickett under Carrie's pillow – and Carrie had once fainted from the lack of food and the smell of her own waste. And she had never, never spoken back as she had done today. Today she had even said the Eff Word. Yet Momma had let her out almost as soon as she broke. There. The dress was done. She removed her feet from the treadle and held it up to look at it. It was long. And ugly. She hated it. She knew why Momma had let her out. ‘Momma, may I go to bed?' ‘Yes.' Momma did not look up from her doily. She folded the dress over her arm. She looked down at the sewing machine. All at once the treadle depressed itself. The needle began to dip up and down, catching the light in steely flashes. The bobbin whirred and jerked. The sidewheel spun. Momma's head jerked up, her eyes wide. The looped matrix at the edge of her doily, wonderfully intricate yet at the same time as precise and even, suddenly fell in disarray. ‘Only clearing the thread,' Carrie said softly. ‘Go to bed,' Momma said curtly, and the fear was back in her eyes. ‘Yes, (she was afraid i'd knock the closet door right off its hinges) Momma,' (and i think i could i think i could yes i think i could) From The Shadow Exploded (p. 58): Margaret White was born and raised in Motton, a small town which borders Chamberlain and sends its tuition students to Chamberlain's junior and senior high schools. Her parents were fairly well-to-do; they owned a prosperous night spot just outside the Motton town limits called The Jolly Roadhouse. Margaret's father, John Brigham, was killed in a barroom shooting incident in the summer of 1959. Margaret Brigham, who was then almost thirty, began attending fundamentalist prayer meetings. Her mother had become involved with a new man (Harold Alison, whom she later married) and they both wanted Margaret out of the house-she believed her mother, Judith, and Harold Alison were living in sin and made her views known frequently. Judith Brigham expected her daughter to remain a spinster the rest of her life. In the more pungent phraseology of her soon-to-be stepfather, ‘Margaret had a face like the ass end of a gasoline truck and a body to match.' He also referred to her as ‘a little prayin' Jesus.' Margaret refused to leave until 1960, when she met Ralph White at a revival meeting. In September of that year she left the Brigham. residence in Motton and moved to a small flat in Chamberlain Centre. The courtship of Margaret Brigham, and Ralph White terminated in marriage on March 23, 1962. On April 3, 1962, Margaret White was admitted briefly to Westover Doctors Hospital. ‘Nope, she wouldn't tell us what was wrong,' Harold Alison said. ‘The one time we went to see her she told us we were living in adultery even though we were hitched, and we were going to hell. She said God had put an invisible mark on our foreheads, but she could see it. Acted crazy as a bat in a henhouse, she did. Her mom tried to be nice, tried to find out what the matter with her was. She got hysterical and started to rave about an angel with a sword who would walk through the parking lots of roadhouses and cut down the wicked. We left.' Judith Alison, however, had at least an idea of what might have been wrong with her daughter; she thought that Margaret had gone through a miscarriage. If so, the baby was conceived out of wedlock. Confirmation of this would shed an interesting light on the character of Carrie's mother. In a long and rather hysterical letter to her mother dated August 19, 1962, Margaret said that she and Ralph were living sinlessly, without ‘the Curse of Intercourse'. She urged Harold and Judith Alison to close their ‘abode of wickedness' and do likewise. ‘It is,' Margaret declares near the end of her letter, ‘the only [sic] way you & That Man can avoid the Rain of Blood yet to come. Ralph & I, like Mary & Joseph, will neither know or polute [sic] each others flesh. If there is issue, let it be Divine.' Of course, the calendar tells us that Carrie was conceived later that same year †¦ The girls dressed quietly for their Monday morning Period One gym class, with no horseplay or little screaming catcalls, and none of them were very surprised when Miss Desjardin slammed open the locker-room and walked in. Her silver whistle dangling between her small breasts, and if her shorts were the ones she had been wearing on Friday, no trace of Carrie's bloody handprint remained. The girls continued to dress sullenly, not looking at her. ‘Aren't you the bunch to send out for graduation,' Miss Desjardin said softly. ‘When is it? A month? And the spring Ball even less than that. Most of you have your dates and gowns already, I bet. Sue, you'll be going with Tommy Ross. Helen, Roy Evarts. Chris, I imagine you can take your pick. Who's the lucky guy?'. ‘Billy Nolan,' Chris Hargensen said sullenly. ‘Well, isn't he the lucky one?' Desjardin remarked. ‘What are you going to give him for a party favour, Chris, a bloody Kotex? Or how about some used toilet paper? I understand these things seem to be your sack these days.' Chris went red. ‘I'm leaving. I don't have to listen to that.' Desjardin had not been able to get the image of Carrie out of her mind all weekend, Carrie screaming, blubbering, a wet napkin plastered squarely in the middle of her pubic hair-and her own sick, angry reaction. And now, as Chris tried to storm out past her, she reached out and slammed her against a row of dented, olive-coloured lockers beside the inner door. Chris's eyes widened with shocked disbelief. Then a kind of insane rage filled her face. ‘You can't hit us!' she screamed. ‘You'll get canned for this! See if you don't, you bitch!' The other girls winced and sucked breath and stared at the floor. It was getting out of hand. Sue noticed out of the corner of her eye that Fern and Donna Thibodeau were holding hands. ‘I don't really care, Hargensen,' Desjardin said. ‘If you or any of your girls – think I'm wearing my teacher hat right now, you're making a bad mistake. I just want you all to know that you did a shitty thing on Friday. A really shitty thing.' Chris Hargensen was sneering at the floor. The rest of the girls were looking miserably at anything but their gym instructor. Sue found herself looking into the shower stall – the scene of the crime – and jerked her glance elsewhere. None of them had ever heard a teacher call anything shitty before. ‘Did any of you stop to think that Carrie White has feelings? Do any of you ever stop to think? Sue? Fern? Helen? Jessica? Any of you? You think she's ugly. Well, you're all ugly. I saw it on Friday morning.' Chris Hargensen was mumbling about her father being a lawyer. ‘Shutup!' Desjardin yelled in her face. Chris recoiled so suddenly that her head struck the lockers behind her. She began to whine and rub her head. ‘One more remark out of you,' Desjardin said softly, ‘and I'll throw you across the room. Want to find out if I'm telling the truth?' Chris, who had apparently decided she was dealing with a mad-woman, said nothing. Desjardin put her hands on her hips. ‘The office has decided on punishment for you girls. Not my punishment, I'm sorry to say. My idea was three days' suspension and refusal of your prom tickets.' Several girls looked at each other and muttered unhappily. ‘That would have hit you where you live,' Desjardin continued, ‘Unfortunately, Ewen is staffed completely by men in its administration wing. I don't believe they have any real conception of how utterly nasty what you did was. So. One week's detention.' Spontaneous sighs of relief. ‘But. It's to be my detention. In the gym. And I'm going to run you ragged.' ‘I won't come,' Chris said. Her lips had thinned across her teeth. ‘That's up to you, Chris. That's up to all of you. But punishment for skipping detention is going to be three days' suspension and refusal of your prom tickets. Get the picture?' No one said anything. ‘Right. Change up. And think about what I said.' She left. Utter silence for a long and stricken moment. Then Chris Hargensen said with loud, hysterical stridency: ‘She can't get away with it!' She opened a door at random, pulled out a pair of sneakers and hurled them across the room. ‘I'm going to get her! Goddammit! Goddammit! See if I don't! If we all stick together we..' ‘Shut up, Chris,' Sue said, and was shocked to hear a dead, adult lifelessness in her voice. ‘Just shut up.' ‘This isn't over,' Chris Hargensen said, unzipping her skirt with a rough jab and reaching for her fashionably frayed green gym shorts. ‘This isn't over by a long way.' And she was right. From The Shadow Exploded (pp. 60-6 1): In the opinion of this researcher, a great many of the people who have researched the Carrie White matter – either for the scientific journals or for the popular press – have placed a mistaken emphasis on a relatively fruitless search for incidents of telekinesis in the girl's childhood. To strike a rough analogy, this is like spending years researching the early incidents of masturbation in a rapist's childhood. The spectacular incident of the stones serves as a kind of red herring in this respect. Many researchers have adopted the erroneous belief that where there has been one incident, there must be others. To offer another analogy, this is like dispatching a crew of meteor watchers to Crater National Park because a huge asteroid struck there two million years ago. To the best of my knowledge, there are no other recorded instances of TK in Carrie's childhood. If Carrie had not been an only child, we might have at least hearsay reports of dozens of other minor occurrences. In the case of Andrea Kolintz (see Appendix II for a fuller history), we are told that, following a spanking for crawling out on the roof, ‘The medicine cabinet flew open, bottles fell to the floor or seemed to hurl themselves across the bathroom, doors flew open and slammed shut, and at the climax of the manifestation, a 300-pound stereo cabinet tipped over and records flew all over the living room, dive-bombing the occupants and shattering against the walls.' Significantly, this report is from one of Andrea's brothers, as quoted in the September 4, 1955, issue of Life magazine. Life is hardly the most scholarly or unimpeachable source, but there is a great deal of other documentation, and I think that the point of familiar witnesship is served. In the case of Carrie White, the only witness to any possible prologue to the final climactic events was Margaret White, and she, of course is dead. Henry Grayle, principal of Ewen High School, had been expecting him all week, but Chris Hargensen's father didn't show up until Friday-the day after Chris had skipped her detention period with the formidable Miss Desjardin. ‘Yes, Miss Fish?' He spoke formally into the intercom, although he could see the man in the outer office through his window, and certainly knew his face from pictures in the local paper. ‘John Hargensen to see you, Mr Grayle.' ‘Send him in, please.' Goddammit, Fish, do you have to sound so impressed? Grayle was an irrepressible paper-clip-bender, napkin-ripper, corner-folder. For John Hargensen, the town's leading legal light, he was bringing up the heavy ammunition – a whole box of heavy-duty clips in the middle of his desk blotter. Hargensen was a tall, impressive man with a selfconfident way of moving and the kind of sure, mobile features that said this was a man superior at the game of one-step-ahead social interaction. He was wearing a brown Savile Row suit with subtle glints of green and gold running through the weave that put Grayle's local off-the-rack job to shame. His briefcase was thin, real leather, and bound with glittering stainless steel. The smile was faultless and full of many capped teeth – a smile to make the hearts of lady jurors melt like butter in a warm skillet. His grip was major league all the way-firm, warm, long. ‘Mr Grayle, I've wanted to meet you for some time now.' ‘I'm always glad to see interested parents,' Grayle said with a dry smile. ‘That's why we have Parents Open House every October.' ‘Of course.' Hargensen smiled, ‘I imagine you're a busy man, and I have to be in court in forty-five minutes from now. Shall we get down to specifics?' ‘Surely,' Grayle dipped into his box of clips and began to mangle the first one. ‘I suspect you are here concerning the disciplinary action taken against your daughter Christine. You should be informed that school policy on the matter has been set. As a man concerned with the workings of justice yourself, you should realize that bending the rules is hardly possible or-‘ Hargensen waved his hand impatiently. ‘Apparently you're labouring under a misconception, Mr Grayle. I am here because my daughter was manhandled by your gym teacher, Miss Rhoda Desjardin. And verbally abused, I'm afraid. I believe the term your Miss Desjardin used in connection with my daughter was â€Å"shitty.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Grayle sighed inwardly. ‘Miss Desjardin has been reprimanded.' John Hargensen's smile cooled thirty degrees, ‘I'm afraid a reprimand will not be sufficient. I believe this has been the young, ah, lady's first year in a teaching capacity?' ‘Yes. We have found her to be eminently satisfactory.' ‘Apparently your definition of eminently satisfactory includes throwing students up against lockers and the ability to curse like a sailor?' Grayle fenced: ‘As a lawyer, you must be aware that this state acknowledges the school's title to in loco parentis – along with full responsibility, we succeed to full parental rights during school hours. If you're not familiar, I'd advise you to check Monondock Consolidated School District vs Cranepool or-‘ ‘I'm familiar with the concept,' Hargensen mid. ‘I'm also aware that neither the Cranepool case that you administrators are so fond of quoting or the Frick case cover anything remotely concerned with physical or verbal abuse. There is, however, the case of School District No. 4 vs David. Are you familiar with it?' Grayle was. George Kramer, the assistant principal of the consolidated high school in S.D. 14 was a poker buddy. George wasn't playing much poker any more. He was working for an insurance company after taking it upon himself to cut a student's hair. The school district had ultimately paid seven thousand dollars in damages, or about a thousand bucks a snip. Grayle started on another paper clip. ‘Let's not quote cases at each other, Mr Grayle, were busy men. I don't want a lot of unpleasantness. I don't want a mess. My daughter is at home, and she will stay there Monday and Tuesday. That will complete her threeday suspension. That's all right.' Another dismissive wave of the hand. (catch fido good boy here's a nice bone) ‘Here's what I want,' Hargensen continued. ‘One, prom tickets for my daughter. A girl's senior prom is important to her, and Chris is very distressed. Two, no contract renewal of the Desjardin woman. That's for me. I believe that if I cared to take the School Department to court, I could walk out with both her dismissal and a hefty damage settlement in my pocket. But I don't want to be vindictive.' ‘So court is the alternative if I don't agree to your demands?' ‘I understand that a School Committee hearing would precede that, but only as a formality. But yes, court would be the final result. Nasty for you.' Another paper clip. ‘For physical and verbal abuse, is that correct?' ‘Essentially.' ‘Mr Hargensen, are you aware that your daughter and about ten of her peers threw sanitary napkins at a girl who was having her first menstrual period? A girl who was under the impression that she was bleeding to death?' A faint frown creased Hargensen's features, as if someone had spoken in a distant room. ‘I hardly think such an allegation is at issue. I am speaking of actions following-‘ ‘Never mind,' Grayle said. ‘Never mind what you were speaking of. This girl, Carietta White, was called â€Å"a dumb pudding† and was told to â€Å"plug it up† and was subjected to various obscene gestures. She has not been in school this week at all. Does that sound like physical and verbal abuse to you? It does to me.' ‘I don't intend,' Hargensen said, ‘to sit here and listen to a tissue of half-truths or your standard schoolmaster lecture, Mr Grayle, I know my daughter well enough to-‘ ‘Here,' Grayle reached into the wire IN basket beside the blotter and tossed a sheaf of pink cards across the desk, ‘I doubt very much if you know the daughter represented in these cards half so well as you think you do. If you did, you might realize that it was about time for a trip to the woodshed. It's time you snubbed her close before she does someone a major damage.' ‘You aren't-‘