Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Research paper - Essay Example It is true that for many reasons the whole idea seems relaxing, dependable and reliable there are people who take advantage of the same. There are very many benefits of online shopping that make it so popular among various people with different reasons of shopping online. For instance, people do not have to move around the city searching for something, instead, they only need the internet connection, and they get to select every item that they need at their own time and speed. With the improved technology, they can as well shop from their mobile phones from wherever they are (Filipe & Obaidat, 2008). Online shopping also gives consumers a variety of items to choose from with various outlets to select from making it very effortless for people to virtually get anything they need. There is also the advantage of locating everything usual online as opposed to physical retailers where it is easy to miss something someone needs. Though the online shopping has only been praised for many people, there are some cases where it can be regarded dangerous. For example, if people are not very keen while doing online shopping, they could find themselves in the hands of cyber thieves and end up losing a lot of money. This may come as a shock thinking that people have believed online shopping to be the safest place to buy items, but someone may be targeted and conned easily. This is why people are advised to manage their online shopping properly and be keen on the people they communicate to regarding online shopping. Another disadvantage of online shopping is that a person first pays for an item before it is mailed or delivered to them unlike at retails shops where people get to carry their items to their destination. People are advised to perform online shopping to stores with excellent status (Filipe & Obaidat, 2008). There is also the disadvantage of wrong product being delivered to the customer and there are no re funds in most of the online

Balanced Score Card (BSC) Advantages and Disadvantages

Balanced Score Card (BSC) Advantages and Disadvantages Abstract The study reports an evidence of the efficiency and usefulness of the Balanced Score Card (BSC) as a management control and communication strategy. This paper firstly examines the available literature on management control and communication which has identified elements of strategic control and effective communication. Secondly, this study presents a model of control and communication significant to the Balanced Score Card. Thirdly, the study further investigates archival and practical interviews data to represent the utilization and also evaluates the effectiveness of control and communication of the Balanced Score Card. The study incorporates data collected from the various departments of a large, international manufacturing company. Data is collected from Indian administrators, managers and the Balanced Score Card designers whose divisions are the purpose of Balanced Score Card. The study congregates evidences in respect to the challenges encountered by many and as in this case even by a large, well financed multinational corporation associated with the implementation and designing the Balanced Score Card. These results may be broadly suitable to other companies planning to adopt or adopting the Balanced Score Card as a management and strategic control tool. The data points out that this particular Balanced Score Card, as applied and designed, is definitely an effective tool for managing corporate strategy. Obtained results also illustrate stress and divergence amongst the top and the middle level management concerning the suitability of certain aspects of the Balanced Score Card as an evaluation, communication and control mechanism. Certain aspects include conformation of laid-back relations amongst successful management control, positive effects, motivation and strategic alignment of the Balanced Score Card. These positive effects include the changes in development and implementation of both the customer focused services and the Balanced Score Card. In contrary, unsuccessful management control and communication originate conflicts and acts as a source of poor motivation in respect of the use of Balanced Score Card as an assessment device. Data Availability: All the data gathered for this research is regulated and supplied under a strict non-disclosure agreement, which necessitates the researcher to safeguard the company’s proprietary information and identity. Introduction The available academic and professional strategy literature asserts that numerous multi-nationals have discovered time-honoured performance measures (e.g., profits, return on investment, and ex post costs) to be inadequate strategies for judgmental action in today’s speedily changing, super-competitive environment. Solitary dependence on present, financial performance measures does not perhaps mirror the significance of present resource verdicts for upcoming financial performance (e.g., Dearden, 1969). However, several years ago, some organisations identified the significance of non-financial performance measures (e.g., General Electric during 1950’s), budding global competition and the mounting up of the TQM movement has broadened the appeal for non-financial measures of performance. Authors have piled up, both the academic and professional literature with suggestions to believe more on non-financial performance measures for both evaluating and managing organisations since the 1980’s (Berliner and Brimson 1988; Dixon et al. 1990; Johnson and Kaplan 1987; Nanni et al. 1988; Rappaport 1999). Along with the normative arguments, empirical research studies can also help in establishing the effectiveness and roles of non-financial measures of performance. Numerous studies have attempted to relate some specific non-financial performance measures to the financial performance (Ittner and Larcker 1998a; Behn and Riley 1999; Foster and Gupta 1999; Banker et al. 2000).1 Results of numerous human resources literature illustrates that, it’s the systems of non-financial performance measures that seems to be comparatively more reliable determinant of firm’s performance than the individual measures themselves. (Huselid 1995; Huselid et al. 1997; Becker and Huselid 1998). The purpose of this research is to study the impact and process of administering an organisation using the non-financial measures of 1 The ever rising body of research study which has examined empirical associations amongst the financial and the non-financial performance measures in a variety of industries and firms also includes Foster and Gupta (1990, 1999), Banker et al. (1993), Barth and McNichols (1994), Banker et al. (1995), Amir and Lev (1996), Banker et al.(1996), Ittner and Larcker (1997, 1998a), Perera et al. (1997), Behn and Riley (1999), Banker et al. (2000), Ghosh and Lusch (2000), Hughes (2000). These research studies repeatedly found significant associations the financial and non-financial measures of performance, although research studies of the effects of performance of including the non-financial measures in the compensation plans are comparatively less steady and consistent. Given the growing empirical and extensive theoretical support, it is not at-all astonishing that several companies report that they are switching to non-financial, forward-looking information for both evaluating present performance as well as for guiding decisions (Ittner and Larcker, 1998b). Performance, particularly in the context of Balanced Scorecard (BSC), a comprehensive structure of performance measurement system. The Balanced Score Card, popularized by Kaplan and Norton (1992, 1993, 1996a, 1996b, 1996c) and also accepted extensively across the globe, has been presented as a better and superior blend of financial and the non-financial measures of performance. 2 Balanced Score Card is projected to direct strategy growth, execution and communication because it clearly focuses on the financial as well as the non-financial measures of performance. Moreover, a well designed Balanced Score Card could also provide some unfailing feedback for performance evaluation and management control. Atkinson et al. (1997) regarded Balanced Score Card as one of the most momentous developments in the field of management accounting, justifiably attaining a strong research attention. Silk (1998) assessed that approximately 60 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies are experimenting or have by now implemented a Balanced Score Card. Despite its elevated profile, astonishingly very little academic research has actually focused on either the outcomes or the claims of the Balanced Score Card (Ittner and Larcker 1998b). An expected question that arise is: does the Balanced Score Card’s use, content, implementation or format have recognizable effects on either the outcomes or the business decisions that could not be achieved with existing ways, in combination or alone? In the very first study of its category, Lipe and Salterio(2000) identified effects in decision making connected with the format of the Balanced Score Card. The layout of the performance measures in four associated groups appears to communicate decision-related information to subjects presenting a laboratory assessment task. Most of the other previous and current studies, however, are comparatively uncritical explanations of Balanced Score Card adoptions. Kaplan and Norton (1996b) debates that the Balanced Score Card is not principally an evaluation process, but it is a communication and strategic planning device to (1) explain links amongst leading and lagging measures of non-financial and financial performance and (2) offer some strategic assistance to the divisional managers. The Balanced Score Card asserts to describe the necessary steps for reaching financial success; for example, investment in some particular types of knowledge to improve the processes. If these links are valid replications of a company’s economic opportunities and productive and administrative 2 An identical approach for merging the numerous performance measures, the tableau de bord, has been implemented by certain French organisations for numerous years (Epstein and Manzoni 1997). processes, then the Balanced Score Card symbolizes and can also communicate the company’s working strategy. Moreover, communicating these links effectively throughout the company can be decisive to implementing that strategy fruitfully (Tucker et al. 1996; West and Meyer 1997). Some organisations may possibly also use non-financial measures as a basis of performance measurement. On the other hand, they might judicially use the financial performance measures for the purpose of evaluation or they can also enhance the performance by using the Balanced Score Card as a vade mecum to financial success (e.g., Rappaport 1999). The present research is aimed at investigating the management-control and communication attributes and the efficacy of a successful, large, multi-national company’s Balanced Score Card model. The research comprises of qualitative and archival data gathered through interviews with the managers, Balanced Score Card designers, and users to (1) measure the observed attributes of the Balanced Score Card as both a control and strategic communication device and (2) find confirmation of the Balanced Score Card’s evaluation impacts. The present research does not test as to if the company’s Balanced Score Card is a statistically suitable model of the company’s performance and activities. This attribute of the Balanced Score Card shall be tested in succeeding research (Malina 2001). The company commenced using the Balanced Score Card to enhance its strategy. The Balanced Score Card has largely affected the view point and the action of users, both adversely and beneficially. When all segments of the Balanced Score Card are effectively communicated and well designed (as per the criteria mentioned in the study), the Balanced Score Card appears to persuade and inspire the lower-level managers to correspond their activities to the company’s strategy. Additionally, as per managers beliefs these changes result in enhanced sub-unit performance. In spite of this, there is also a consistent confirmation that the weaknesses in strategic communication and the flaws and imperfections of the Balanced Score Card design have affected the relationships amongst some middle and top level managers adversely. The stress survives because the Balanced Score Card design aggravated strong differences amongst their views of upcoming future opportunities. Gaps and weaknesses in communication generate unwillingness and mistrust to change. While certain specific shortcomings and flaws could be exceptionally unique to the company studied, these results appear to reflect largely on the issues of the Balanced Score Card uses and its design. The second section of this research study builds up a research question on the basis of reviewing the literature on communication standing by the features of effectual communication of strategy. The third section then builds up another research question with a synopsis of the attributes of management control tools that successfully control strategy. The fourth section later illustrates the company’s Balanced Score Card and the research site. Then the fifth section discusses about the practices used to analyze and obtain the qualitative and archival interview data. This part also displays a theoretical model for describing the effectiveness of the Balanced Score Card. The following sixth section then derives an empirical model for the effectiveness of the Balanced Score Card and also addresses the raised research questions. Lastly, the final section of this study encapsulates the conclusions and also offers certain suggestion for future research. Literature Review The Balanced Score Card and Communication of the Strategy Kaplan and Norton (1996 c) states that, â€Å"by articulating the outcomes the organization desires as well as the drivers of those outcomes (by using the Balanced Score Card), senior executive can channel the energies, the abilities, and the specific knowledge held by people throughout the organisation towards achieving the business’s long-term goals.† Therefore, Kaplan and Norton (1996 c) claims that not merely just the Balanced Score Card exemplifies or helps to create organizational knowledge and strategy, however even the Balanced Score Card itself effectively communicates knowledge and strategy. Merchant (1989) contends that failure in communication is one of the main reasons for poor organizational performance. Because neither the organization’s strategy nor its knowledge succeeds or exists apart from its chief human actors, the capability to communicate effectively may itself be a basis of competitive benefit (Amit and Shoemaker 1990; Grant 1991; Schulze 1992; Daft and Lewin 1993; Tucker et al. 1996). If the Balanced Score Card does articulate the organizations strategy and knowledge in a better manner, then it could act as a foundation of competitive advantage, at-least until all other competitors implement it equally well. However, the organisational communiquà © literature recognizes an intricate set of features that influence the effectiveness or quality of communication in the organisations. Based upon a review of the present literature, an organisations communication system or device could be characterized with the elements of its (1) exchange and creation of knowledge, (2) support of the organisational culture, and (3) messages and processes. These communication characteristics have been briefly reviewed below: Exchange and Creation of Knowledge Knowledge, which could be a tactic or an objective, is the foundation of strategy implementation and formulation.3 Thus, an effectual system of communication holds up an organisations strategy by fostering both tactic and objective knowledge. An effective system 3 Objective knowledge is expressible and observable in the normal language – outcomes and production processes, for instance. However, unspoken language is understood and known but it is not easy to convey in language – an individual’s insights or experiences, for instance. This subsection draws greatly from Tucker et al. (1996). of communication exchanges the objectives (observable) of knowledge amongst the most important individuals so that everyone is aware of the organisations present status. Organisations construct objective knowledge from the integration and development of the new knowledge by individual experts. Objective knowledge generally derives itself from the sharing and refining of the individuals tactic knowledge, which is recognized but not yet usable or articulated by the organisation. Thus, a system of effective communication enables and encourages the individuals to share their experiences and also gathers those shared experiences. This may best possibly be accomplished by frequent and intense sharing, and might also be by dialogue rather than a one-dimensional reporting. Perhaps significantly for the effectiveness of the Balanced Score Card, de Haas and Kleingeld (1999) further debates that participating in the design of the performance measurement system is an essential element of an effective communication of strategy. Support of Values, Beliefs and Culture As per the traditional sight of an effective organisational communication, it supports individual interests and the organisational culture by focusing on certain desired patterns of beliefs, shared values, and behaviour. Effectual communication exhibits that the organisation accomplishes its promises and that group or individual rewards are predicted based upon their actions (Goodman 1998; Tucker et al. 1996). Communiquà © by leaders which steadily articulates shared values, beliefs and goals (Goodman 1998; Tucker et al. 1996) is also efficient in directing behaviour and reinforcing culture. Moreover, effectual communication ought to encourage behaviour coherent with organisational values, beliefs and goals (Goodman 1998). Kaplan and Norton (2000), the proponents of the Balanced Score Card, debates that it can also be a tool of strategic and cultural change. Coherent with Kotter’s (1995) study of change processes, the Balanced Score Card could facilitate change by effectively communicating and creating a convincing realistic vision of and also a method for attaining change. Communication Messages and Processes Individuals make use of and rely on communication only if its messages and processes are observed as trustworthy and understandable. Other features of effectual organisational communication procedures are reliability, predictability, completeness, and routineness (Tucker et al. 1996; Goodman 1998; Barker and Camarata 1998). Besides this, communication is also more successful if it applies well defined terms and concise messages (Goodman 1998). Moreover, effectual communications system prevents misrepresentation of performance or repression of truth. There should be no equivocation concerning the differences between â€Å"looking good† and truthfulness or coherence with winning. An effective system of communication and its operators will be indignant of â€Å"spin, deniability, and truth by assertion† (Goodman 1998). As a result, organisational communication shall be effectual if the messages and processes are a valid and convincing representation of the performance. In a nutshell, effectual organisational communication strategies should hold the recognizable attributes of: Knowledge sharing – including participation and dialogue Support and assistance of organisational culture – changing or existing Valid messages trustworthy, understandable and reliable The organisational communication literature foresees that a Balanced Score Card, which comprises of these above mentioned attributes, shall create positive organisational outcomes, positive motivation, and strategic alignment. The foremost research area shall be: Question 1: Is the Balanced Score Card an (in) effective device for communication, creating (negative) positive organisational outcomes, (in) effective motivation, and (non) alignment? The Balanced Score Card and The Management Control of The Strategy general condemnation of managing the organisations on the basis of financial performance measures is that these measures persuade the managers to make short-run, myopic decisions. The financial measures incline to emphasise on the present impacts of the decisions, lacking an obvious link between long run strategy and the short run actions (current criticisms include Luft and Shields [1999], McKenizie and Schilling [1998]). Moreover, the traditional financial performance measures could work in opposition to the knowledge based strategies by considering the enrichment of resources like human capital, which might be crucial to implementing a strategy, such as current expenses (e.g., Johnson 1992). Dixon et al (1990) debates that the time-honoured financial measures, by dispensing costs of many developments, as well work opposing to the strategies based on reduction of manufacturing time, flexibility and quality. For numerous lower level employees, most of the financial measures of performance are excessively comprehensive and also very far isolated from their actions to offer helpful feedback or guidance on their decisions. They may need certain measures that relate more accurately and directly to the outcomes that they can persuade. (McKenize and Schilling 1998). A numerous studies have found proof that the financial, traditional performance measures are utmost helpful in conditions of low complexity and relative uncertainty; and not in the conditions faced by many trans-national organisations today (e.g., Abernethy and Brownwell 1997; Govindarajan and Gupta 1985; Govindarajan 1984; Gordon and Naranyan 1984). Lynch and Cross (1995) debates that all set performance measures should motivate the behaviour contributing to constant improvement and development in certain vital areas of competition, such as productivity, flexibility, and customer satisfaction. Therefore, they should replicate a cause and effect amongst strategic outcomes and operational behaviour (Keegan et al. 1989; Ittner and Larcker 1998a).4 Moreover, as and how an organisation recognizes new strategic goals, it shall also comprehend a requirement for new measures of performance to persuade and supervise its new actions (Dixon et al. 1990). 4 Contemplation of the time lags might be really important for illustrating these cause and effect relationships (e.g., Norreklit 2000, Banker et al. 2000). Hence, organisations optimally and perhaps sensibly might implement a varied set of measures of performance to demonstrate the diversity of management efforts and decisions (e.g., Ittner and Larcker 1998b; Feltham and Xie 1994; Banker and Datar 1989; Homstrom 1979). The empirical evidences in support of these propositions is narrow and limited but growing.5 The Case of Management Control For The Balanced Score Card Kaplan and Norton (1996 b) had organized various measures of performance into the Balanced Score Card, which is itself a admissible expression in most of the Western business management models.6 Indeed, the Balanced Score Card might have diffused extensively throughout the globe on the power of its internal logic and intuition. Kaplan and Norton (1996b) asserts that the Balanced Score Card offers two noteworthy improvements over the traditional non financial or even the financial performance measures. Firstly, the Balanced Score Card discovers four associated fields of activity that might be crucial to almost all organisations and also to all levels inside the organisation: Increasing financial success Providing Customer value Improving the effectiveness of internal processes Investing in growth and learning capabilities Following the rationale of the Balanced Score Card and disregarding the cost benefit considerations, almost every organisation can implement measures in all the four areas to persuade and supervise actions suitable to organisational strategy. An appropriately constructed Balanced Score Card in its utmost basic use, can offer a complete picture of the status of an organisation, similar to a vehicle’s dashboard showing temperature, oil pressure, fuel levels, speed, engine RPM and coolant. 5 For instance, Banker et al. Offers empirical support with the help of widespread time series data in a service firm for the relations amongst lagging financial performance and principal non-financial measures. Moreover, they employ an event-learning method to locate beneficial performance results from incorporating these non-financial measures in the management performance assessments. 6 The advocates of EVA ® or economic value added, also assert improvements over the traditional financial performance measures, but that is also a synopsis of the financial measure, even though the one that rectifies for the claimed financial reporting faults and errors. EVA ® do not integrate the non-financial, complementary performance measures. Therefore, the Balanced Score Card could encourage positive and constructive organisational outcomes like improvements and developments in all the four areas of organisational activity, which comprises of administrative activities and the Balanced Score Card itself. Evaluating this first level of usefulness and effectiveness is the major objective of this study. Moreover, the Balanced Score Card also seeks to connect these measures into one model so as to accurately replicate the cause and effect relationship amongst the individual measures and the categories. Employing the automobile correspondence, the Balanced Score Card encourages a change in the car’s performance (e.g., speed) specified a designed increase in the engine RPM and fuel consumption (and maybe other factors). A model like this may back-up operational decisions, provide trustworthy feedback for performance evaluation and learning, and make forecasts of results given environmental conditions and the decisions.7 The Role of The Balanced Score Card for Performance Measurement and Strategy Implementation The proponents of the Balanced Score Card emphasise its alliance of the critical measures with the links and the strategy of the measures to the valued outcomes. Additionally, the literature on management control recognizes other features of the control systems that might be crucial for the successful operation and implementation of the strategy and shall apply to the Balanced Score Card.8 To be efficient and effective, Balanced Score Card measures ought to be verifiable, objective, and accurate. 7 Whereas the primary claim for value of the various performance measures would create few debates beyond the considerations of benefit and costs, the secondary claim is a rigorous and bold hypothesis. A potentially testable and literal explanation of the balanced score card is that, it explains lagging, leading, or contemporaneous relations amongst the performance measures. For instance, improvements in growth and learning like reduced time of cycle (e.g., Luft and Shields 1999). Similarly, progress in the in-house processes will predictably result in an enhanced customer value (e.g., market share and satisfaction). Lastly, progress in the customer value shall lead to some predictable increment in the financial success (e.g., profits). Generating such a coherent and comprehensive model is an inspirational objective which is similar to imitating the business model of the company itself. Achieving such an experiential result shall not establish any causality amongst the balanced score card elements because (1) factors absent from this model might be correlated alongwith both effects and causes, (2) the causes of earnings might not be generalizable further beyond the context of a particular firm (Norreklit 2000), and (3) few of the proposed measures might not be self-governing and independent. 8 Unless otherwise mentioned, this particular section draws from the summaries in Merchant (1989, Chapter 2) and Simon (2000, Chapter 11). If not, the measures shall be manipulated and will not be able to replicate the performance, or even the managers could in good belief attain good quality measured performance but in-turn cause harm to the organisation. Even if the managers can attain high measured performance by fraud, cheating or any other method, then the system shall lose its required motivational effect and credibility rapidly. Moreover, the combination of Balanced Score Card measures should entirely illustrate the organisations crucial performance variables; instead it should be restricted in number so as to maintain the measurement system administratively and cognitively simple. A comprehensive set of measures of performance shall accurately replicate the difficulty of the organisations tasks and responsibilities, but a lot of measures might be costly, confusing, and distracting to administer. Nevertheless, Lipe and Salterio (2000) failed to find confirmation of any information overload from the various measures used in their experimental study of the Balanced Score Card. Optimistic motivational impact persuades managers to put forth effort for achieving the organisational goals. While enlightening but not manageable the performance measures might be essential, optimistic motivation demands that in some way or the other few of the Balanced Score Card measures should replicate manager’s conduct and actions. For instance, relative performance assessment (e.g., across alike business units), which is capable of identifying â€Å"influenceable† however, not absolutely controllable results, can be an essential constituent of the Balanced Score Card (e.g., Antle and Demski 1988), but it shall not be adequate by itself. Widespread goal setting researchers validate that the performance should be correlated to demanding but achievable targets (e.g., Locke and Laltham 1990). Without such unequivocal Balanced Score Card targets, the performance would likely be comparatively lower than what could be realistically achieved. Finally to fabricate the goal commitments, the Balanced Score Card shall be linked to well understood and prompt penalties and rewards. Rewards which are ambiguous, uncertain, or delayed shall be unsuccessful motivational devices. Consequently, even if an organisation’s Balanced Score Card replicates its crucial performance variables and the links to valued and appreciated outcomes, it might be unproductive and disastrous as a successful management control tool if it lacks the other attributes. For instance, Ittner et al (2000) asserts that bias in a bank’s Balanced Score Card escorted it to both the bank’s deterioration to its interim financial measures of performance and little advantageous impact. To recapitulate, an effective and successful management control device, which is competent to promote required organisational results, shall have the subsequent, apparent management control elements to, firstly, achieve strategic alignment: A complete but economical combination of the measures of crucial performance variables, correlated with strategy; Crucial performance measures just casually correlated to valued organisational results; and Successful and effective – accurate, purpose, and confirmable – measures of performance, which seems to be associated to effectual communication. Secondly, to further encourage positive motivation, an efficient management control tool should have the attributes of: Measures of performance reflecting the managers influenceable actions or/and controllable actions, e.g., measured by relative or/and absolute performance; Appropriate standards or performance targets that are demanding but attainable; and Performance measures which are associated to meaningful and significant rewards. The Management control theory forecasts that, if the Balanced Score Card contains these attributes, then it becomes probable that the Balanced Score Card shall encourage positive outcomes and motivation and strategic alignment as well. Consequently, the secondary research area/question which complements the first is: Question 2: Is the Balanced Score Card an (in) effective device for management control, creating (negative) positive organisational outcomes, (in) effective motivation, and (non) alignment? Subsequent explanation unfolds the information of a model which replicates the two stated research questions. This model, supported and based on the review of all literature, demonstrates that the Balanced Score Card’s communication characteristics and management control generate results by creating motivation (or not) and strategic alignment. This research also explains about the labour and efforts put in for collecting the data on an applied Balanced Score Card’s organisational communication attributes and management control, along with the facts confirming the Balanced Score Card’s effects on organisational outcomes, motivation, and  strategic alignment. It is audacious to judge the efficiency and the efficacy of the Balanced Score Card against the facts from a non experimental, single Balanced Score Card implementation. Though, a careful and detailed assessment of a crucial case could be generalizable to the theory and instructive (i.e., analytical generalisation, Yin [1994, 10-32]), which in this particular case is that the Balanced Score Card could be an effective management control and strategy communication device. The Characteristics of Balanced Score Card and The Research Site Synopsis of The Research Site The research site is an Indian Economic Times 500 company having over 15000

Ambiguity and Uncertainty in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay

Ambiguity and Uncertainty in Young Goodman Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚   In "Young Goodman Brown," Nathaniel Hawthorne, through the use of deceptive imagery, creates a sense of uncertainty that illuminates the theme of man's inability to operate within a framework of moral absolutism.   Within every man there is an innate difference between good and evil and Hawthorne's deliberate use of ambiguity mirrors this complexity of human nature. Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown, is misled by believing in the perfectibility of humanity and in the existence of moral absolutes. According to Nancy Bunge, Hawthorne naturally centers his story upon a Puritan protagonist to convey the "self-righteous" that he regards as the "antithesis of wisdom"(4). Consequently, Young Goodman Brown is unable to accept the indefinable vision of betrayal and evil that he encounters in the forest. The uncertainty of this vision, enhanced by Hawthorne's deliberate, yet effective, use of ambiguity, is also seen in the character of Faith, the shadows and darkness of the forest , and the undetectable boundaries that separate nightmarish dreams from reality.    The ambiguity surrounding Young Goodman Brown's wife, Faith, immediately becomes apparent at the story's beginning. As Young Goodman Brown is leaving his comfortable and reverent Puritan home to embark upon this mysterious journey, Faith unexpectedly plunges her "pretty head into the street" allowing the wind to tousle and "play with the pink ribbons of her cap"(1199). Hawthorne uses natural imagery, such as the image of the wind "playing" with Faith's pink ribbons, to convey Faith's attachment to nature; the dark and mysterious part of life that is somewhere outside the constraints of Puritan society. In fact, the image... ...rne: A Study of Short Fiction. Ed. Nancy Bunge.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. 136-41. Bunge, Nancy. Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Study of Short Fiction. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. Dolis, John. The Style of Hawthorne's Gaze. Tuscaloosa: U of Alabama P, 1993. Elder, Marjorie J. Nathaniel Hawthorne: Transcendental Symbolist. Ohio: Ohio UP, 1969. Fogle, Richard Harter. "Hawthorne's fiction: The Light and the Dark." Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Study of Short Fiction. Ed. Nancy Bunge. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. 133-35 Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." Norton Anthology of American Literature. Vol1. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. New York: Norton, 1994. 1198-1207. Millington, Richard H. Practicing Romance. New Jersey: Princeton UP, 1992. Ponder, Melinda M. Hawthorne's Early Narrative Art. New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1990.

How Does Priestly Present Mr. Birling in an Inspector Calls

J. B. Priestly presents Arthur Birling as a self obsessed, work oriented â€Å"hard-headed business man† in Act1. The stage directions describe him as a â€Å"heavy-looking, rather portentous man† giving an impression that he looks rather threatening. He is very traditional and speaks formally, even around his family. He has worked hard to raise himself up the social ladder and is proud to think that he’s going to be knighted.Even at his daughter’s engagement party, Birling’s head is still wrapped around business and this is evidently shown when he says â€Å"Your father and I have been friendly rivals in business for some time now†¦. and now you’ve brought us together, and perhaps we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing†¦. † He also states that the party is â€Å"one of the happiest nights of my life† but this could have a double meaning for not only is Sheila getting married, but it can be seen as a business opportunity.These quotes show that Birling is very work oriented and uses Sheila’s marriage for his own selfish reasons. As well as being selfish, Birling is rather overconfident in his opinions. His mistaken view of the â€Å"unsinkable Titanic† is an example of dramatic irony. This is ironic as the Titanic actually sank but only the audience is aware of this. Another example of the use of dramatic irony is when Birling says â€Å"The Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war†¦..I say there isn’t a chance of war† This is also ironic as two years after this play was set, WWI began, followed by another. Priestly uses this device, in this sense to show how foolish and naive Birling is and therefore the audience will begin to question his other views. As he is talking to Eric, he says â€Å"You’ve got a lot to learn yet† suggesting that Birling thinks he knows more than others. We can tell that he lik es the sound of his own voice, when he says â€Å"Just let me finish, Eric.†It implies that he doesn’t want to hear anyone else’s opinions but wants other to hear his. His egotistical personality includes Birling’s ignorance of social responsibility. â€Å"Still, I can’t accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it? † This shows us how selfish and self centered Birling can be. â€Å"†¦. a man has to mind his own business† This quote tells us that Birling opposes to socialism and he shows this throughout the whole of Act I.

Learning Team Assessment Through Flexnet Course

Learning Team Assessment Strategies Paper and Presentation Introduction With Flexnet course being one of the best flexible course design it therefore means that the learners can always log in online anytime for the classes and complete their coursework within their own pace. These has helped in cases of diverse students as they all can log in at different time and study and finish their work on time without any worries. The only deadline that on the students will be the fact that when the class ends the assignments should all be done and completed at that time.In some cases they are flexible and they can only attend the physical lectures at least once. When it comes to assessment it presents a challenge especially for a course where the students enrolled are diverse like in our case. That means each of the student has different and varying learning styles, and also the experience in the healthcare is varied so do the ethnic and cultural background of each of the five students who are employees at different hospital having different systems. The evaluation and assessment methods that we shall use will not be different from the ones held in the physical campus.Assessment Methods for FLEXnet course With the class having five different students, each is expected by the end of the course to have; been able to identify patient confidentiality issues, identify various types of work-related harassment and the consequence of such actions, and be able to relate the need to maintain confidentiality of patient information and proprietary organizational information to work-related situations. Therefore various method of assessment can be used to know whether the objectives have been achieved or not.Some of the assessment methods that can be used for this course include: Timed Tests: For the timed tests to be administered the learners have all to be online as the tests can only be offered on the Learning Management System platform. With the timed tests the students will not have assignment deadlines instead the students will only sit for the exams when they are ready and once they start the exams, there is a limited time they are expected to finish the test. The timed- tests will normally consist of multiple choice questions, questions that require short answers, true or false questions and even atching questions. For example the types of work-related harassment would be very appropriate for this type of questions as most answers required will be short and precise and also the aspect of true or false questions can be relevant in this case. Since most of the time will be spent online and the course itself is offered online, the administration of questions and even grading is done automatically with the Learning Management System which will mark each students work automatically.This means that it will be very convenient and can be adopted and implemented very fast especially since the instructor will spend little time grading the tests done by the studen ts thereby, reducing the time spent by the faculty in assessment instrument development and grading. The test scored will be done objectively without the aspect of human subjectivity and error. For a group it will be appropriate to use this in some units in the course. The main disadvantage will be basically measuring the students’ ability superficially and therefore it will not match the specific objectives of the course.In cases of the five different students it will not be easy to check the changes that would need to be made for the objectives to be achieved just by referencing to the timed test. Projects: When a project is given the main objective of it will be to help the student in learning and understanding a concept. The instructor can decide to give the students different numbers of responsibilities that they need to research for example the students would be told to research on the patient confidentiality issues and therefore they will use the hospital as the places of research interviewing both the patients and the doctors.The main purpose of the project will be to enable the students to analyze the information given and go ahead and think even outside the box and finally they will present their work in a structured manner in this case the project will be written, compiled and submitted to the instructor. For projects as a mode of assessment means that the project will have to be either handed in personally during the physical session or they can be sent over to the instructor.By using the projects the instructor will be able to get the students perspectives in the learning process on the given assignment as such it is student-centered therefore the students will be motivated and active when doing their own research. The project on the downside can be costly for the students and also time consuming and requires a lot of labor while doing the research and in the end it becomes quite intimidating to the students. In addition it will require tra ining on how to conduct the research on the instructor’s part.Writing Essays: Essays can be set in such a way that every topic that is taught during the course can be assessed through it. In the five students case the topics like work-related harassment will require an essay on it. By writing an essay the main activities that the students will do will be research and also participate in thinking critically on the said topic as much as they will be expected to possess effective writing skills. By having the writing skills, the students will be assessed on the basis of their skill level and also the mastery of the topic and the unit given.The submission of the essays will mostly be through the email or the FLEXnet platform that the faculty is using. The students will be creative when it comes to essay writing and also the essay will be summative or formative depending on the scope required by the instructor. The essay on the instructor’s part will have to be meticulously designed if it is used to assess the student’s ;earning outcome and also consideration should be given on the student’s ability therefore the instructor should not be subjective.Quizzes: For the course, quizzes will also be relevant as they will be testing the students’ knowledge especially after a portion of the units and course given has been completed. The quiz will be shorter than the timed tests and their purpose will be to allow the evaluation of the student’s learning by the instructor and for the students’ part, they can use the quizzes as a way of self-assessment to know how well they have learned and understood the area set in the quiz.When the student scores a low grade on the quiz the student will know that a particular topic was not well understood and therefore he or she can go back and read the said topic or the chapter taught previously. This will give the student an opportunity to prepare for the timed test when the unit has been covered. Just like the timed-tests the instructor’s time is saved and the work is reduced as he or she has to do minimal mark in terms of grading and setting the exam as the quiz is marked automatically be the FLEXnet platform software. Evaluation of the students on an individual levelFor Maria Sanchez who is fluent in English and Spanish, during the lessons essay writing would be the most appropriate mode of assessment as she has mastery of the language and the prior health care work experience will offer her a vast opportunities to put the experience in a written perspective for the instructor to gauge her skill level of understanding. For the projects will be relevant too with the experience she has it will work to her advantage as she is able to interact with staff members in the healthcare sector that she has worked in.Maria is able to analyze given topic objectively. With Olga Bartold being new in the United States and furthermore coming from a German speaking country w ith no experience of working in the healthcare environment, special attention will have to be given to her. This is further made by the sense that Olga is not fluent in English but fluent in German. If the course has no extra language option it will imply that in the beginning emphasis will be laid on the quizzes and timed tests for her.The quiz will be simple and so will be the timed tests especially the true or false/ yes or no questions. Furthermore the online tests will have to be manually changed in order to give Olga ample time to complete the exams. With time the essay will be introduced with simple topics and areas for her to cover. If there is a language option then it will be prudent to provide the lessons in both the English and German language for her. Projects will be complicated unless submitted in German since it will look intimidating for her. With Dr.Ranzin having a vast experience in the healthcare environment, it will be easier when it comes to the assessment of D r. Ranzin. This is made better by the fact that the language of instruction will be English and Dr. Ranzin knows the language very well. By the virtue of the experience that the doctor possess, the most appropriate method of individual assessment will be through project work as that data can be collected from the healthcare work station that he used to work in. Essay too will be relevant after each and every portion of work done.Joe Antone will not have a language problem apart from the fact that he does not have prior working experience in the health care environment therefore he will have difficulty in getting the correct concept of essay writing and project writing. More time will have to be given to him in relation to that but it will be perfectly okay for him to attend and sit for the quizzes and timed tests even without prior experience as the answers are normally short and some are provided in the multiple choices.Just like Dr. Ranzin and Maria Sanchez, Martha Scott is also e xperienced when it comes to working in the healthcare environment therefore it will be relatively easy for the concept to be taught to them as they all know what it entails in the healthcare systems differently. For the language factor since she is from Midwest she should be fluent on the English language and therefore any method of assessment whether by quiz or project it is expected that Martha will be able to tackle the assignment given.Conclusion When it comes to assessment methods several factors have to be put into consideration. In our FLEXnet course the language and the experience will be a factor on how the course will be offered and since the course is supposed to be flexible, each student’s needs, will have to be considered for an equal learning outcome in each and every given unit. This is to enable all the objectives set to be achieved. References Jackson, N. , Jamieson, A. & Khan, A. (2007). Assessment in medical education and training: A practical guide. Abingd on: Radcliffe. Mayer, I. , Mastik, H. , & International Simulation and Gaming Association. (2007). Organizing and learning through gaming and simulation: Proceedings of Isaga 2007. Delft: Eburon Michaelsen, L. K. (2008). Team-based learning for health professions education: A guide to using small groups for improving learning. Sterling, Va: Stylus.