Behaviorism-reinforcement Free Essays

China - Literature Development, Confucianism and Revolutions Essay

China - Literature Development, Confucianism and Revolutions - Essay Example Also, the exposition examines the way of thinking of Confucius thus alluded as Confucianism and how it has impacted the lives of the individuals of China as a general rule to date. At long last, the paper gives an inside and out investigation of the 1911 †1949 transformation as the upset with the best effect on China socially, financially and strategically. A concise outline end will be given that sums up the considerations in this article. Redness or red in a manner of speaking was a term used to allude to specific mentalities that were political and ideological. They were endorsed by the regulation of Maoist. The master then again normally compared with the reds was utilized to mean extraordinary aptitudes or information in science or innovation. As such pressure existed between the two gatherings in the twentieth century in China with the two terms utilized in juxtaposition to each other (Schoppa, pg.112). Along these lines redness had to do with the political and ideological perspectives while specialists were erudite people in this period. As such during the twentieth century, the different sides clashed with convictions that the two were fundamentally unrelated and couldn't be consolidated. Strauss, (578 - 580) clarifies: As the different sides contrasted in belief systems it got hard for them to find some kind of harmony between the two in China. Chinese writing was without a doubt exceptionally essential for country building having a versatile conventional social heritage. Subsequently it characterized Chinese patriotism. Along these lines finding some kind of harmony among reds and specialists became one incredible test for this country. The country at that point took to do training changes from the 1950s onwards and Chinese writing ensnared with the country building. As such the nation’s culture was characterized by its writing. In the wake of a development called the new culture, Kaozheng (reds) strategy came to be first given. This was in 1917. Through this, a novel was written in vernacular concentrating on sanctifying the writing of Chinese.

James Joyce, Portnoys Complaint, and the Exuberance of First Books A Chat with Wayne Johnston

James Joyce, Portnoys Complaint, and the Exuberance of First Books A Chat with Wayne Johnston In The  Son of a Certain Woman, Wayne Johnstons Giller Prize-nominated tenth book, we meet Percy Joyce, a disfigured boy coming of age (and having deeply Oedipal feelings for his beautiful mother) in 1950s St. Johns, Newfoundland.  The novel, which you can read an excerpt from here, weaves together this young mans struggle against Catholicism and convention with the dark and exotic St. Johns to create a narrative that will engross you or at least it did me!  Son of a Certain Woman was my pick for the best book of September, and I happily had the opportunity to sit down with Wayne Johnston author, thinker, and nouveau member of the Twitterati to chat about his new novel. ____________________________ BG: I wanted to congratulate you on the Giller long list!  Its been a great year for Atlantic Canada [a third of this years long list is made up of authors from that region]. WJ: Yeah, it has.  Well have to see how it all plays out, but its great.  Now let me think. Ever since the Giller was started, Ive had five books, and all of them have either been short-listed or long-listed.  Somebody suggested yesterday in the Ottawa Citizen that it might be a record. BG: Thats really interesting, because I was going to ask you about the experience of being part of that awards world.  Douglas Coupland once told me that the experience of being a Giller nominee is deeply creepy. WJ: [laughter] BG: So youve done it a lot more often than he has.  Im wondering what the experience is like for you. WJ: Well, I wouldnt say that its deeply creepy!  But you know, its an ongoing thing.  They have it layered out so well these days with the long list and the short list, and then of course the award.  Its kind of like a preliminary round followed by a disqualification round. The prize has evolved over the years.  I dont think I was nominated for the very first one, because I dont think I had a book out, so I think my first one might have been  Colony of Unrequited Dreams  and I had no idea what to expect and didnt know the people involved.  But I was amazed at how quickly they had put together the whole package and how right away it became so visible in the book world.  I dont think its been replicated by anybody else.  Other people have tried with the best of intentions, but somehow they tapped into something that needed to be tapped into. The experience.  Yeah, the experience itself is suspense and anticipation; you get on the long list and you breathe easily so you do your thing, because by then youre touring and not really thinking about it; then the short list… I like it! Giller night itself can be pretty nerve-wracking.  The prize, sort of opposite to most prizes, has become more and more important as time has gone by. Itll be an interesting fall.  Thats for sure. BG: Well well be wishing you the best of luck.  I loved the novel.  Ive been telling anyone who asks me about it that its  Portnoys Complaint  meets the Newfoundland Gothic.  I was wondering if you have any thoughts on that characterization. WJ: Thats a great quote.  I read  Portnoys Complaint  years ago.  Some of the tone is similar, and of course the explicitness.  The family and sexuality within it.  Theres definitely an echo there. And the Newfoundland Gothic, or I call it Atlantic Gothic and I think other people call it Maritime Gothic, because there does seem to be a gothic element throughout Atlantic literature as its being written in the last twenty years. Its a good description.  Ive quoted it to many other people! BG: I think especially of the religious tension.  In this novel its Roman Catholic versus a Pagan-Atheist kind of ideology.  That echoes for me, too, with the stress Portnoy experiences.  Trying to come of age within a very prescriptive religious world. WJ: Portnoys immediate pressure comes from his parents, though eventually from a Rabbi as well.  Percy has a kind of insulating layer because of Penelope and to some extent Medina and even Pops, and then by a benign accident the Arch-Bishop who, although his motives are suspect, does bail Percy out of a childhood that could have been much worse than it is. BG: And Penelope is a marvelous character.  Its impossible not to understand Percys feelings for her, because as readers we fall in love with her, too. WJ: I always, if its plausible, like to have a character in a novel, usually a major character, who is not only a brilliant person but self-taught because they dont have access to an institutionalized education.  Thats one of the reasons she appeals to me so much. Some people have suggested that she has so many gifts as to be implausible, as if to say that a beautiful woman cant be brilliant.  But she is.  And shes an auto-didact.  Shes self-taught.  And she gives Percy a historical context in which to view his own life, which really does help him out a lot: the books she talks about and that he overhears her talking about, and that she quotes from sometimes to an audience that doesnt understand her. Penelope is part of a long line of characters dating back to Sheilagh  Fielding  in  Colony of Unrequited Dreams, even Landish Drukin in  A World Elsewhere, characters who are very bookish but kind of had to deconstruct an institutionalized education and acquire one of their own. BG: And it allows them to be freethinking, interesting characters, which complicates peoples preconceived notions of Atlantic spaces and the possibilities therein.  A reader perhaps does not imagine a woman like Penelope existing in the world that she exists in.  And she offers this other possibility of life for Percy, something outside of the staid world of his school and neighbours. WJ: Yes.  One of the things Ive often noticed is that people assume that everyone in Newfoundland and definitely in St. Johns in the 50s, 60s, and 70s followed the company line.  But, if you think about it, there would have been at home, when the doors were closed and other people werent there to overhear rebelliousness and irreverence.  Because otherwise I dont think people could have survived.  And what the Joyces do in the book is live just beneath the surface.  If they went any further, they would be destroyed.  But they just barely hold it all together, Penelope and Medina.  Even Penelope and Pops, to do what they do, would have gotten Pops fired. They are carrying on a little insurrection at number forty-four. BG: That brings me to a question about the city and the way it is depicted.  Its almost as if Percy and St. Johns, with their shared birthday and symbiotic relationship, become co-protagonists in the novel.  Its not the first of your books for place to take such a prominent role, and youre not the first Newfoundland writer to put St. Johns in the role Im thinking of Michael Winter and Lisa Moore and others and Im wondering what it is about the city that lends itself to such exquisite characterizations in fiction. WJ: There is something ineffable about St. Johns.  Whenever I go home, Im re-reminded of why I cant live there.  Because I find the city is so rich that is overwhelms me and I cant pick and choose the things I want to write about. Theres just so much coming at me.  But to actually put your finger on what it is, its kind of like asking what makes New Orleans New Orleans, or what makes Paris Paris.  What makes a persons personality come alive and anothers seem kind of drab or plain?  Its usually something that no one has contrived.  Its just something that has developed over the years. If I were to kind of break it down in sociological terms, the most important thing is that you start with the island of Newfoundland.  Its an island.  You dont have that massive country to the south, the US, right on the border with its tsunami of culture that comes across that border.  To be independent of that makes an enormous difference.  If you look at Australian culture, you cant deny that its very different from anywhere else on earth, and the reason is that its an English-speaking country completely removed from the colonial power of England and from the United States.  So you have that first of all. And then in St. Johns now and it informs the past as well you have an incredibly cosmopolitan feel.  People will be surprised to hear this.  But because of the ships that could come and go from the harbour, as remote and isolated as this city might seem from the outside, it was nothing in 19th and even 18th century Newfoundland for people from all over the world to be walking around the city.  People from fishing vessels and cruise ships, all sorts of things. So many people I know who live now in St. Johns were not born in Newfoundland at all, but they went to St. Johns for a month and they wound up never leaving. My best way of describing St. Johns is the way I actually do it in the book.  You take the feeling that it gives you and for me it conjures up a kind of benign homesickness.  So I draw on that to try to portray the city as a particular place that stands for the universal. BG: And it works exquisitely well alongside Percy, because it is this space that is different and exotic and maligned in the same way Percy is. WJ: Yes, he very much embodies the city he inhabits, and vice versa.  And I dont beat the reader over the head with it.  Theres a kind of ahistorical quality to  The Son of a Certain Woman.  I dont touch on politics the way I did in  The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, but its there.  And Percy and the city are in a way interchangeable. I dont know if you picked up on this or if it matters to you, but the book is a bit of an homage to Joyces  Ulysses.  Ulysses  takes place on June 16th, and there are many June 24ths in this book because its Percys birthday.  Percys father is named Jim Joyce.  His mother is Penelope, the wife in the  Odyssey, which is what  Ulysses  is based on.  Whole scenes in the book have counterparts in  Ulysses, like the catechism section parallels the scene where instead of having Dedalus and Bloom meeting, we have the catechism.  And its very funny!  And the very last scene in the book, which I call the Big Do at the Big D, is a parallel of Molly Blooms soliloquy. Its there for people who are interested in that.  I wrote an essay for Hazlitt and some people have been picking up on it. I actually quote Joyce in the book several times, from  Portrait of the Artist.  And I quote  Ulysses  at the very end.  The last words of my book are the last words of  Ulysses. BG: Youre driving me to a reread now, Wayne.  I feel like I did when I got about half-way through my second reading of  Baltimores Mansion [Johnstons memoir of his father]  and I finally got all the Arthurian legend references. WJ: In the past Ive done it and almost no one has noticed, so this time Im really putting my foot on the pedal.  You know, when I wrote  The Divine Ryans, I thought the title would be enough to point to the fact that the book was based loosely on  The Divine Comedy.   And nobody picked it up!  So I thought, this time, theyre getting it.  Theyre gonna get it. Theres a quote from  Portrait of the Artist  that Penelope says to Percy: When the soul of a man is born in this country, nets are flung at it to hold it back from flight.  In Joyce, the nets are language, religion, nationality.  In this book, its Percys facial affliction, the Church, things like that.  She draws that analogy for him, though he doesnt know where shes getting this stuff from. BG: Well the reviews this time have been phenomenal. WJ: They have.  And very very bright reviews, too.  Its been great to see, no question. BG: Were you at all anxious about how the book would be received?  To me, it feels simultaneously like it fits exactly within what youve been doing, but its also a departure from it. WJ: In terms of where it fits with my other books, I think you could go from book to book and it proceeds in an orderly fashion, but this one jumps the queue.  I never really thought about it as I was writing, but I think thats what happened.  I think in another universe I would have written this fifteen years from now.  But it just happened to come now. It is early days in terms of controversy.  With  Colony of Unrequited Dreams, the controversy didnt start until there was an upswell of it in Newfoundland.  And I havent done any Newfoundland publicity, touring, or anything else yet.  And the books only been in bookstores a short time.  So I dont know how it will be received in Newfoundland.  All of those places mentioned in the book, the basilica and the schools, those are all real places.  Bonaventure Avenue is a real place.  I didnt change anything.  So it will be interesting to see how people read the book.  I can see how for readers it can be odd to walk down Bonaventure Avenue while reading  Son of a Certain Woman  and being surrounded by things that are in the book.  I think it could be kind of exhilarating.  I hope it is. BG: As a last question, at Book Riot were focused on readers, so I thought Id end by asking you what youre reading and enjoying. WJ: Well I was asked this by a magazine in the UK when the paperback of  A World Elsewhere  came out.  I didnt plan it this way but I was reading back-to-back three first novels.  Actually, almost back-to-back, six.  In one case it was  The Bell Jar, but its not a first novel because its an only. But I read Margaret Atwoods  The Edible Woman, Jeanette Wintersons  Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, and Martin Amiss  Rachel Papers.  All first novels of people who were very precocious, very young when they wrote their first novels, but went on to fulfill their promise. Often when I am writing, I will go back to books like those.  Theres a certain energy about first novels.  Its the only time you will ever write without the pressure of doing again what you did before.  Theres this freedom that writers of first novels have.  And I think this is why so many writers, especially in the US because of the whole media machine, but so many writers to America only wrote one book.  Not even one great book and five or six half decent ones. Look at Harper Lee.  To Kill a Mockingbird  is her only book!  Henry Roths  Call It Sleep, thats his only book.  Even Sylvia Plath, I often think, what would she have gone on to write?  Margaret Mitchell,  Gone with the Wind, thats it.  No more.  Why is that?  I think that you have that sense of exuberance and freedom and youre wiring purely for the page.  Youve never been reviewed or criticized.  That will never be the case again. BG: That is a beautiful way to characterize first novels.  Thank you for this chat, Waye oh, and finally, welcome to Twitter, by the way!  Are you enjoying it? WJ: I am, yeah!  I did not have a clue about Twitter, not that Im an expert now.  I didnt know how immediate it is.  You can put a post on Facebook and come back two days later and have got some reaction.  But on Twitter you tweet something and the reaction is instantaneous.  Its pretty addictive!  When I get back to my desk writing I have to wonder, will I be able to still do this?  Well see. ____________________________ Sign up for our newsletter to have the best of Book Riot delivered straight to your inbox every week. No spam. We promise. To keep up with Book Riot on a daily basis, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, , and subscribe to the Book Riot podcast in iTunes or via RSS. So much bookish goodnessall day, every day.

Pursuit of Happiness Movie Review and Exploring My Own...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well, what about happiness? Some would say that happiness is simply apart of life, while others feel it is something that one should chase. Nevertheless, in 1981 Chris Gardner a salesman from San Francisco, California in the award winning movie The Pursuit of Happiness had big dreams for his family but things did not turn out the way he intended. However, Christopher Gardner continued to strive and take a chance to chase his happiness even if it took loosing his wife and his home. A general synopsis of this movie could be that it was about a salesman (Chris Gardner) from San Francisco, California who had big dreams for his family. He adored his son and loved his wife but when Chris could not sale,†¦show more content†¦However, I say that the real meaning to this movie was completely deeper then this general synopsis. It was about being happy, not through money but by being able to provide and given a chance in life. It was about the expr ession he saw as his son cheered for his winning team at the baseball game in which he was asked to join through a â€Å"potential† client. But most importantly, it was about the feeling Chris Garden had as he walked out of the office of the internship as a new stockbroker for Dean Witter. He finally pursued his happiness. The moral to the story is this; happiness is a responsibility. We are responsible for our individual happiness; therefore, we can not depend on what others do to make us happy. We have to pursue it for ourselves. The story may have gone a little different if Chris dwelled on the fact that his wife left him or that he could not make money to pay his bills. Nonetheless, he knew that because of various reasons he had to be persistent in his responsibility of being happy, thus his success in being offered the position that he then endeavored. The point of the movie is this; strive until you find your happiness but better yet, know how to get there as well. You heard of the saying that nothing in life is free, well that includes happiness. Sometimes we have to be ready to sacrifice (as Chris Gardner did) in a period of life, in order for the remaining of our life to maintain theShow MoreRelatedFrankenstein Study Guide14107 Words   |  57 PagesRegis A New Life by Ramsey Campbell The Golem by Isaac Bashevis Singer . . . That Thou Art Mindful of Him by Isaac Asimov Test About the Work Frankenstein by Mary Shelley In Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein, a young scientist brings on his own destruction by constructing an artificial man and bringing it to life. Through the characters of Dr. Frankenstein and his creature, this powerful novel explores the themes of ambition, science, moral responsibility, social isolation, and psychologicalRead MoreOrganisational Behavioure23151 Words   |  93 Pagesexperience. 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What is needed is a text that will give a good idea of the breadth and complexity of this important subject, and this is precisely what McAuley, Duberley and Johnson have provided. They have done some sterling service in bringing together the very diverse strands of workRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesPrinciples of Management, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus IndianapolisRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesManagement Course: MBA−10 General Management California College for Health Sciences MBA Program McGraw-Hill/Irwin abc McGraw−Hill Primis ISBN: 0−390−58539−4 Text: Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition Cohen Harvard Business Review Finance Articles The Power of Management Capital Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum International Management, Sixth Edition Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh Contemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell Leadership, FifthRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pages Employee Involvement 20 How Organizations Involve Employees 20 Employee Involvement Implications for HRM 20 Other HRM Challenges 21 Recession 21 Off Shoring 21 Mergers 22 A Look at Ethics 22 Summary 23 Demonstrating Comprehension: Questions for Review 24 Key Terms 24 HRM Workshop 25 Linking Concepts to Practice: Discussion Questions 25 Developing Diagnostic and Analytical Skills 25 Case 1: Work/Life Balance at Baxter 25 Working with a Team: Understanding Diversity Issues 25 Learning an HRM Skill:Read MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 Pagesthe customer and what they want. 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Leadership Development The Entergy s Fleet Development...

Leadership development is a way of teaching others through a social learning processes how to interact appropriately with others, create relationships, delegate and coordinate activities, create bonds with others in the organization while learning what organizational resources are available (Getha-Taylor, Fowles, Silvia, Merritt, 2015). The Entergy’s Fleet Development Leadership program is essential to the continued success of not only Entergy, but also to the fleet department. The plan will focus on improving current leader’s ability to lead others while training employees to become future servant leaders. It will concentrate on developing servant leader’s skills in a variety of areas such as compassion and sensitivity, composure,†¦show more content†¦They will be able to motivate and inspire their employees; they will be competent and capable of conducting their daily duties. They will have met all of the criteria stated earlier in this paper and they will be a great asset to the department. Plan Phase I The first phase will consist of conducting leadership assessments, enrolling members in formal training, and a brief introduction into non-formal training techniques and last they will begin looking for a mentor. This phase of the plan will allow individuals to discover how their personality treats affect their leadership skills. †¢ The assessment will begin by having participants taking personality and emotional intelligence analysis. The analysis will include personality assessments such as the big five, Myers Briggs personality, along with several others that can be found for free online. †¢ They will also participate in a 360 ° feedback model created strictly for the fleet department. †¢ They will take a survey of satisfaction that will later be used to measure the success of the program. †¢ Participants will be enrolled in Entergy’s formal leadership development program and they will be required to repeat this two-year program every five years †¢ They will be briefed on non-formal training such as journaling, voluntary leadership book club, mindtools.com, personal development plan workbook by James Manktelow, reflecting on experiences and other tools. †¢ Participants

Urban Tourism Regeneration Newcastle City Free Essays

string(50) " care of itself and as such it had to be managed\." Introduction Newcastle city has in the recent years grown to become one of the most vibrant cities in the UK with great shopping malls and cultural attractions, elegant Georgian architecture, first-class museums and galleries, art, music, sports and nightlife among many other features (Emms 2008). It has earned its place as one of the capitals of north, attracting an increasing number of visitors. Of course, this was not the case in the past. We will write a custom essay sample on Urban Tourism: Regeneration Newcastle City or any similar topic only for you Order Now If we are to recall that during the 1970s, there was an increase in unemployment following the collapse of the traditional heavy industries such as ship building, steel manufacture and coal mining (Robinson 1997). This dealt a devastating blow on the city as growth stagnated for many years. The decline in the manufacturing industry left the city with little hope for the future. In fact, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, only a few people would have considered taking a vacation or visiting the city for a trip (Robinson 1997). But at the close of the 20th century, regeneration of the city slowly followed with increased investments. Since then, there has been an increasing number of people who visit Newcastle city to gaze upon its cultural attractions, iconic waterfronts, festivals and events, and the unique mix of modern and historic architecture (Emms 2008). In view of the above, this paper analyzes how and why Newcastle has grown to become a city that is now. This includes conducting a brief overview of the history of the city and examining the reasons for its decline. The paper also critically discusses the nature of the city’s revival and highlights the experiences that it now offers. Finally, the paper concludes by highlighting whether the regeneration has been sustainable in its current form. In order to understand how and why Newcastle has grown to become that it is currently, it would be important to conduct a brief overview of the history of the city and examine the reasons that led to its decline. A brief history of Newcastle Newcastle has in the past enjoyed prosperity in the UK as a centre of shipbuilding, coal mining and heavy industry. In fact, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, this region was named as ‘the workshop of the world’ (Park 2009). During that time, the biggest source of coal could be found in Northumberland and Durham (Park 2009). However, after World War II, a crisis occurred in the region that led to the collapse of the manufacturing economy. Following the end of Second World War, there was a collapse of two of the most important industries in the region: coal and shipbuilding (Park 2009). Newcastle lost prosperity in shipbuilding and the UK subsequently lost its position as a strong supplier of ships to the rest of the world. Countries such as Sweden and Japan emerged as strong shipbuilders and challenged UK’s strong position in the shipbuilding industry (Moffat Rosie 2005). Between 1960 and 1965, the shipbuilding industry in the UK felt by 17% whereas the Japanese shipbuilding industry experienced a growth of over 200% (Vall 2001: 59). There was also a collapse of the coal industry during the post-war period even though its heyday lasted a little longer unlike the shipbuilding industry (Park 2009). Nonetheless many pits were closed down in the 1960s as a result of exhaustion and other economic reasons. The growth of other alternatives such as oil and gas led to a decrease in the demand for coal, a situation that led to the collapse of the coal industry and increased unemployment in the region (Park 2009). With the manufacturing industry that brought prosperity to the region collapsing, this led to a decline in the economy. Since the 1970s, Newcastle has had to struggle with the declining situation of the traditional heavy industries. With the collapse of its manufacturing economy, it was clear that the traditional heavy industries in the region would no longer contribute to the success of Newcastle. After Newcastle lost its industrial base, it had to struggle for decades before its regeneration. Newcastle’s regeneration occurred in the late 20th century with the transformation of the area into a commercial, leisure and residential hub (Emms 2008). This regeneration transformed the city whilst retaining its rich historic fabric (EU report 2007). The city has today a rich historic fabric with approximately 2000 listed buildings, 1 historic Battlefield, 14 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, 11 designated Conservation Areas and 7 Registered Parks and Gardens (EU report 2007). Newcastle city is also home to one of UK’s 21st century social housing developments, the Byker Estate (EU 2007). How Newcastle City was renewed Regeneration of Grainger Town As a part of a regeneration programme of Newcastle city, the Grainger Town project was established in 1997 with the aim of addressing the declining growth in the city and reversing the trend (EU 2007). Led by Grainger Town partnership, this ambitious ˆ178.5m project was part of the holistic approach towards ensuring urban regeneration. This project combined ˆ59.5m of public funding, grant aids from government departments, and a small amount from English Heritage, and Newcastle City Council (EU 2007). Back in the days, Grainger Town was an area that attracted a number of tourists but in the early 1990s, the economic base of this once prosperous area of the city declined significantly (Howe 2013). According to a detailed audit and assessment conducted in 1992, the area exhibited many symptoms of urban decay including the vacant floorspace, low standards of public realm, decreasing residential population, a high percentage of buildings at risk and a general lack of investor and occupier confidence (EU 2007). Based on the findings obtained from the audit, Newcastle City Council came together with English Heritage to develop a programme of conservation-led property development. This programme helped in tackling the problem of buildings at risk and halted the spiral of decline by utilizing the rich architectural assets in the area (EU report 2007). In 1996, both parties felt that the area could not take care of itself and as such it had to be managed. You read "Urban Tourism: Regeneration Newcastle City" in category "Essay examples" Whilst Grainger town was largely acknowledged as possessing the potential to revive economic growth in the city, the main issue was how Grainger town was going to be managed to ensure regeneration in a way that is sustainable. In 1996, consultants were commissioned to carry out an ‘in-depth’ analysis of the area and to produce a regeneration strategy for Grainger Town (EU 2007). This included conducting a detailed building audit in the area. They found that the area represented a complex urban system and as such, regeneration had to be done in a ‘holistic’ manner that would ensure respect to the fine grain nature. They thus agreed on the Grainger Town project driven by a ‘civic vision’ and based on 7 inter-related regeneration themes: Business and enterprise development Social housing development Quality of environment – improvements in major public realm along with installation of public art and creative lighting schemes (EU 2007) Non-housing property development Creation of jobs and increasing access to opportunities Arts, culture and tourism: organizing of promotional events, arts and culture and fostering tourism (EU 2007). Increasing investment in ‘heritage’ This project turned out to be a huge success. However, this was not without challenges. Problems such as poor perception of the area and issues of multiple property ownership held back investment and slowed the process of regeneration (Tallon 2009). But these problems were addressed through promotion and marketing which reversed the perceptions of the area and encouraged investors and property developers to increase their stake in Grainger Town. Thus, whilst the project faced some hurdles, it turned out to be a success in the long run. Grainger Town is today the historic heart of Newcastle city covering approximately 36 hectares and comprising of a mix of buildings of architectural and historical importance (Tallon 2009). Its takes its name from the classical streets of Tyneside conceived and built by Richard Grainger during the 1830s (Smith 2006). Also included in the area are the Mediaeval Dominican Friary of the 13th century, Victorian Buildings and remnants of the old Town Walls (EU report 2007). Regeneration of Newcastle Quayside. Sir Terry Farrell, a British architect, also appears to have played a dominant role in the regeneration of Newcastle quayside. The quayside in Newcastle upon Tyne which was once a busy commercial dockside has in the recent years become run-down and redeveloped to provide an environment for modern arts, music and culture (Emms 2008). Along with the new housing developments, the Quayside has become a top ten attraction in Newcastle. The regeneration of the quayside following Terry Farrells master plan of 1991 has resulted in the acclaimed Millennium Bridge, Baltic art gallery, and development of a Regional Music Centre (Emms 2008). As a result of the regeneration, Newcastle Quayside has become a major focus for leisure with concerts, music, art and ship events conducted on the Quayside. Cultural regeneration Cultural regeneration also appears to have played a role in attaining the City’s new status. In 2000, Newcastle councils formed a partnership with Gateshead in order to pursue a shared ambition of ensuring cultural regeneration with the aim of promoting the area as a tourist destination (SERIO 2010). More recently, a strong partnership was established that involves the private, public and third sectors with the aim of pushing the cultural agenda forward despite, have lost the European Capital of Cultural bid (SERIO 2010). In 2006, Newcastle launched the Cultural Leadership Programme and rolled it out region-wide (SERIO 2010). Through such cultural programmes, the city has been able to reach to people of all spectrums and experienced an increase in visitors. However, whether cultural developments have led to the regeneration of urban cities is a question that has been debated by many authors. Could it be true that cultural regeneration in the city has changed the image of Newcastle and increased tourism in the areaThis new trend that involves a combination of culture and urban regeneration is not only done in Newcastle, but occurs across the globe with many national governments adopting culture-led urban regeneration approach (Gibson Stevenson 2004). Whilst this approach has gained increasing importance over the past few years, there seems to be paucity in research with regard to the impact of culture on urban development. It is easy to conclude that cultural developments help increase tourism activity in cities, yet it is hard to identify quantitative or qualitative evidence indicating the direct impacts of cultural developments on tourism as the nature of visitors’ activities and consumption is often complex (Park 2009). As argued by Bianchini (1994), culture can be used by politicians as a ‘carnival mask’ for concealing social problems. A number of other authors including Mcguigan (1996) and Bailey et al (2004) have questioned whether culture can indeed contribute to urban development. Bailey et al (2004) argues that the impact of culture-led regeneration on the economy is uncertain and that culture-led regeneration programmes have been based on assumptions rather than concrete evidence. In a similar vein, Miles (2005) pose a question about the evidence used by city councils in deciding on cultural investment. Of importance to point out is that infrastructural development has been part of the regeneration and rebranding of Newcastle city. As such, it is hard to identify whether the trend of increasing visitors relates specifically to cultural and heritage development or infrastructural development. With that said, could culture-led urban regeneration have contributed to the transformation of the city into leisure, commercial and residential hubThis remains a question that needs further documentation. Nonetheless, over the past two decades, the city of Newcastle has had co-ordinated strategies for investment in arts and culture (EU report 2007). This has been based on a shared belief that investment in arts and culture would help the city recover from its social and economic problems. And indeed, there have been an increasing number of visitors who have toured the area over the last 10 years (Robinson 2003). Economic impacts of regeneration Development of transport infrastructure The growing number of tourist visitors has contributed positively to the growth of local transport infrastructure. Although the city initially had a well established railway system (Metro) in the 1970s and a local airport, the growth in the number of visitors, the growth of the vibrant city centre and population has acted as a catalyst for growth and development of transport infrastructure (Robinson 2003). In fact, Newcastle International Airport is one of Britain’s fastest growing regional airports. In 2007 alone, the air passenger figures were estimated at around 5.7 million passengers (Robinson 2003). Forecasts also predict that by 2016, the airport passenger figure could rise up to a high of 9.5 million passengers (Robinson 2003). When easyJet started its operations in Newcastle in 2003, it heralded the start of the low-cost phenomenon in the North East and led to an increase in airport passenger figures. Further, the plans to develop a new 4* luxury hotel at the airport which were unveiled in 2006 and is currently underway will no doubt increase the number of visitors (Robinson 2003). In addition, significant investment has been made to the cruise ships in the port of Tyne in Newcastle. In between 2004 and 2007, there was an increase in the number of cruise ships by 162.5%. A further ?5million investment on cruise ships has been made in the new Northumbria Quay Business tourism Newcastle has also seen a significant growth in business tourism in the past 10 years particularly in the conventions and meetings market (PCG 2009). Not only is this important in terms of economic benefit gained through conferences, but research has also shown that over 40% of this business visitors’ return to the same destination for leisure visits (PCG 2009). This growth in Business tourism has resulted due to improved perception of Newcastle as exciting conference destination, and due to increasing number of conference facilities and hotels as well as improvement in travel links to North East England (PCG 2009). If we are to recall, in 2002, Newcastle did not even appear among the top destinations as revealed by the UK Conference Market Survey. But three years down the line, it emerged 6th in the top destinations used by corporate markets (Robinson 2003). The conference industry contributes significantly to the economy of North East England. According to estimates, around?100million is collected every year through conference and meetings in this region (Robinson 2003). Job creation The regeneration process has resulted in the growth of hospitality sector which subsequently has created more jobs for the local communities. As a result of regeneration of Newcastle city, leisure and business tourism has increased in the area driving development in hotel and transport infrastructure and increasing the number of job opportunities available in the hospitality industry (John 2009). Social impacts of regeneration Increased cohesion The cultural programme in Newcastle has also brought together people and created a strong sense of cohesion. This programme has brought together people of Newcastle to develop events and festivals that shine a light on their cultural activities and beautiful natural iconography (Robinson 2003). Key to successful cohesion has been the involvement of the young people in the regeneration process (City council report 2012). The city council has implemented a programme that ensures the participation and engagement of young people in the regeneration process. The cultural sector has also been challenged by the government to support the cohesion agenda through offering programmes that support interculturalism and through establishing a team of skilled staff that co-ordinate cohesion activity (City council report 2012). Improved social status of the locals Further the local community have benefited from Newcastle New Deal for Communities (NDC), an ambitious ?55 million programme that was established in 2000 to transform the inner West End (City council report 2012). This programme has successfully implemented a range of schemes including enhancing provision of childcare, improving housing and reducing crime rate. The success of the programme has been achieved through involvement of the local residents in decision making, investment in community capacity-building and by working effectively with other partners to address issues from a strategic approach (City council report 2012). Other important social impacts of the regeneration include a change in the image and reputation of Newcastle City, a change in residents’ perception of the area and an increase in social capital (Robinson 2003). Disadvantages of regeneration The regeneration process, however, is not without its drawbacks. Whilst commendable, the urban renewal strategy which has been implemented in Newcastle is likely to disadvantage its own growth and development. Recently, Lake Macquarie Council raised concerns that Newcastle’s ongoing urban renewal strategy could stunt growth of the rest of the region (Cronshaw 2013). In March this year, the council made a submission seeking assurances that the $200 million plan for the renewal of the city will not impact on the availability of funds in other areas of the region (Cronshaw 2013). Also, the proposal to limit business expansion outside of the CBD is likely to stifle growth in other areas of the region (Cronshaw 2013). By focusing solely on the CBD, there is a higher possibility that growth in other areas of the region could come to a standstill. The state and federal government should ensure that a focus on regeneration of the Newcastle city is not going to be at the expense of growth in other parts of the region (Cronshaw 2013). A further drawback to the regeneration has been an increase in gas emissions which is likely to contribute to global warming. The concentration of development in the inner-city and the increase in population migrating to the city for employment, business activities and leisure will no doubt that increase the emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere (Bulkeley Betsil 2005). But these emissions to the environment are significantly lower than that of an industrial base. It remains to be seen whether this concentration of development will have significant environment impacts in practice. What the future holds? Despite these drawbacks, the transformation of Newcastle City has been commendable. Newcastle city has rebranded itself from a rundown manufacturing based city to a vibrant city with elegant architecture, great cultural attractions and rich historic fabric (Park 2009). However, it remains questionable whether the regeneration is going to be sustainable. More recently, the city council unveiled its plans to withdraw all of its grants that it normally provides to 11 organizations in the city, raising doubts about the sustainability of tourism in the area (Higgins 2013). Such cuts will likely to put Newcastle’s cultural renaissance at risk. Clark-Jenkins, the regional director of Arts Council England, in fact points out that whilst recognizing the need to reduce the budget of the city council, the move to cut investments in arts will put the city’s cultural renaissance at risk (Higgins 2013). Against the view that of a lack of evidence base linking culture-led regeneration with urban development, it should be noted that sustained investment in culture has in the past decade made Newcastle a centre of culture and home to the most treasured and exciting galleries, museums and theatres. Should the council cut investments in culture by 100%, all of this will be put at risk. Conclusion It is clear from the above that regeneration of Newcastle has been attributable to culture-led regeneration programmes, increased investment in heritage, and regeneration of Grainger Town and Newcastle Quayside. The regeneration of the city has no doubt significantly contributed to the economy in terms of development of transport infrastructure, business tourism, and job creation. Further, the cultural programme in Newcastle has increased cohesion, improved health and well being of local residents and changed the image and reputation of Newcastle city. But this has not been without drawbacks. Concerns have been raised about the likelihood of the renewal strategy to stunt growth of the rest of the region. The proposal to limit business expansion outside of the CBD and the focus on regeneration of the city at the expense of other areas is likely to disadvantage growth and development. Further, the concentration of developments in the inner-city may have implications on the environment. Also, considering that sustained investment in culture had made Newcastle a centre of culture and home to the most treasured and exciting galleries, museums and theatres; the move to cut investments in arts is likely to stifle future growth. Nonetheless, the regeneration is sustainable in its current form. Reference Bailey, C., Miles, S. and Stark, P., 2004. ‘Culture-led urban regeneration and the revitalization of identities in Newcastle, Gateshead and the North East of England’. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 10 (1), 47-65 Bianchini, F., 1994. Cultural policy and urban regeneration: the west European experience. Manchester: Manchester University Press City Council report, 2012 . Developing sustainable cities: NewcastleGateshead 2030. Newcastle City Council Crilly, M., Charge, R., Townshend, T., Simpson, N., and Brocklebank, C., 2004. Want to liveShaping attitudes to urban living and housing options in Newcastle Gateshead. Global Urban Research Unit Cronshaw, D., 2013. Lake concerns over Newcastle renewal plan. Newcastle Herald Emms, H., 2008. Regeneration in Newcastle upon Tyne. Newcastle City Council EU report, 2007. Investing in heritage: a guide to succesful urban regeneration. England: European Association of Historic Towns and Regions (EAHTR) Gibson, L. and Stevenson, D., 2004. ‘Urban space and the uses of culture’. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 10 (1), 1-4 Higgins, C., 2013. Culture clash as threat of 100% cut in arts funding divides Newcastle. The Guardian. [Viewed on 18th April 2013] available from http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2013/jan/29/culture-cut-arts-funding-newcastle Howe, P., 2011. Grainger Town project. Newcastle City Council John, F., 2009. Conservation in the age of consensus. Routledge McGuigan, J., 1996. ‘Urban regeneration’. In: McGuigan, J., Culture and the public sphere. London: Routledge Miles, M., 2005. ‘Interruptions: testing the rhetoric of culturally led urban development’, Urban studies, 42 (5), pp.889-911 Moffat, A. and Rosie, G., 2005. Tyneside: a history of Newcastle and Gateshead from earliest times. Edinburgh: mainstream publishing. Park, G., 2009. Cultural developments on the Quayside and increased local tourism: how to interpret the relationship between themUniversity of Leicester Project Control Group (PCG), 2009. Newcastle city centre renewal report to NSW government. Hunter Development Corporation Robinson, F., 1997. The city challenge experience – a review of the development implementation of Newcastle City Challenge. Robinson, F., 2003. A decade of world-class culture. University of Durham Smith, M., 2006. Tourism, culture and regeneration. CABI Socio-economic Research and Intelligence Observatory (SERIO), 2010. Culture and regeneration: opportunities for Plymouth. University of Plymouth Tallon, A., 2009. Urban regeneration in the UK. Routledge Vall, N., 2001. ‘The emergence of the post-industrial economy in Newcastle 1914-2000’. In: Calls, R. and Lancaster, B., Newcastle upon Tyne: a modern history. Chichester: Phillimore and Co. Ltd. How to cite Urban Tourism: Regeneration Newcastle City, Essay examples

The Atchison Corporation free essay sample

The Atchison Corporation (A) Price Millman’s comments in his informal meeting with divisional vice presidents were honest and forward, the types of comments that people at Atchison could both respect and fear. While the company was built on ethics and honesty, Millman’s comments, while honest, give the impression of a shift in the way Atchison does business. His philosophy is very much different, with a â€Å"fight until you die† mentality, very confrontational. This is very much the case in his closing comments, stating that he’s thinking of a new format for the company, and laying it on the line by stating that each month will must be better the last. This is very confrontation stance, and in most cases I would strongly disagree with taking it. But with a new format coming, he can take this type of approach, to see if in fact his vice presidents will try very hard to increase sales. We will write a custom essay sample on The Atchison Corporation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Millman is already fighting an uphill battle. Employees tend to resent change. But he has one thing going for him in that respect. He can offer a change that will increase employee wealth, by offering those things that Atchison did not. While Jerome Atchison may have prided himself with â€Å"taking case of family† he in reality was not helping his family at all. With little to no compensation plan, employees have been offered no drive to work better or harder. Instead, they simply do enough work not to get fired. When you look at management, you see that his policy was further counter productive, because no manager could be fired, unless with a review from the top, and basically had to be on dishonesty or some other ethic reason. These, coupled with the idea of lifetime careers no longer stand clear today, and Millman fighting spirit will likely do away with this old-style thinking. The first thing to implement is a policy change. Broad sweeping compensation plans from top to bottom. You have to give employees something to work for. Second, you set forth a policy to have those over 55 retire. Managers in there mid 70’s are only holding the company back with older ideas, that often times are highly conservative. Also, management reviews on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. No longer can managers think that just increasing sales is going to keep their jobs. We need profit. Besides, if you increase sales, but lose money, what good is it? If sales stay the same, but you decrease your budget, and cut your costs, and you end up making a profit, I think that tends to be better. Another policy that would have to change is the idea that only the president and CEO can fire managers. This policy, whether written or was simply the unspoken standard, has got to go. You have to allow people below the top make decisions. Also, the idea that you can only fire some one because they are dishonest is just plain foolish. If an honest man costs you 100 million in sales, what should you do? Continue to allow him to work for you? No, you fire him, and that is what Millman has to do. The second thing would be to gain a firmer grasp on the numbers, through outsourcing of some accounting functions. With only one central accounting office working for all divisions, the numbers obtained do not necessarily show what is happening in a particular division. The idea that these numbers are only obtained once a quarter is also not helpful. With only one report a quarter, these divisions are not able to make the appropriate changes that are needed in the market place at the time. I would have each division outsource their accounting, therefore cutting costs, allowing better reporting of the trends that are happening in each division, and allowing the central accounting office to coordinate only company wide numbers. The same would be true for manufacturing numbers. Outsource each plants accounting, and have better numbers obtained. Having currently only one check, and the being a very rough number, does the company no good in determining what shifts in procurement procedure need to take place, or where expenses need to be cut. With outsourced accounting taking place across the board, you can now move away from quarterly reports only to bi-weekly to monthly reports on the divisions levels, allowing for a better flow of information, and allowing faster reaction time to changes in the market. By now, old management is going, new management is coming in, and the numbers are really starting to tell you something. Now, you outsource your marketing, and invest a significant sum of money into making sure that the Atchison brand name shines. From updated packaging to an advertising campaign showing casing Atchison as a â€Å"best value† with this consumer group, you have to make sure that consumers know Atchison is working for the them, finding ways to make cheaper, better products. You implement divisional marketing as well, allowing market research to take place. This will allow each division to see what there core selling products are, what the people want. Once you have a better understanding of that, then marketing campaigns can be tailored for those regions, allowing for increased sales. Now, you work on the sales divisions. You get rid of the quota of people they can hire. If division A has too many people and is not making money, fire them. If division B needs more people to meet demand, you allow them to hire. The idea that the corporate level has the insight to see every local sales office as needing only X amount of sales people is absurd. You must allow management to set these types of things themselves; otherwise, you’re always a step behind. You still give them a price list, but you make sure that they have power to change it, as needed. You shift the focus of the sales divisions away from trying to reach sales highs without respect to budgets and costs. Budgets must be met, or sales highs mean nothing, because no profit is made. Based on numbers received from the new accounting firms for each plant, you probably can see that procurement is costing way too much with so many suppliers. The idea of vertical integration probably comes to mind. By creating a subsidy and making its job raw materials, you can allow partnerships with main raw material providers, and have a better supply chain management. This could cut procurement and raw material costs significantly, allowing for overall cheaper products, and allowing the profit margin on each product to rise slightly, while passing some savings onto the consumer. Since manufacturing is the companies one strong point, it can continue to function as it is, but must meet the same standard accounting an review sessions as the other divisions. During all of these changes, the thing that must be kept in mind is keeping current employees and new employees happy. As change occurs, some of the former polices that were once in place often will no longer be available. With the Atchison families’ decreased role in the company, the trust fund to help employees is most likely lost. A new fund must be set up. Scholarships and grants to further employee education must continue to be in place. The more knowledgeable our workers, the better off we can be. At the same time, we must make sure to keep our turnover low on or core knowledge workers. Without this core, there will be additional down time in profits once all changes are made to the way the company functions. From training new employees, to moving existing employees to higher positions, this change must be minimized as much as possible. We must decrease fear and uncertainty. These changes as outlined here would greatly move forward Millman’s ideas of a fight to win company. It would greatly increase future profits, and again make the company a darling in the eyes of present and future stockholders, as well as stakeholders. By simply hitting these main areas: †¢Policy Changes, including compensation plans and mandatory retirement, as well as management and employee reviews †¢Outsourcing of accounting in regions divisions †¢Outsourcing of marketing, both at the corporate level and regional divisions level †¢Change in hiring practices †¢Keeping current education scholarships and grants These main items would work greatly in pushing forward Millman’s plan to again reach each month better then the last. At the same time, at some point, this will begin to diminish, until a globalization plan occurs, at which point it will then level out after several growth years.