Starting Up a Cookie Company

Starting up a cookie company on-campus You and your roommate are preparing to start a company producing cookies in your oncampus apartment. By starting up this business, you want to provide fresh cookies to starving fellow students late at night. However, you still have to figure out some aspects of the business model such as the price to charge, whether you will be able to make profit and how many orders you can accept. The business concept You have an extraordinary idea: to bake fresh cookies on delivery, using a customer chosen combination of ingredients.The cookies can be picked up at your apartment within one hour. Several factors will enable you to be different from your competitors such as store-bought cookies. First, the cookies will be fresh since they will only be produced after the order is received. Therefore, the buyer will be getting cookies that are literally hot out of the oven. Second, you will have a variety of ingredients available to add to the basic dough, includ ing chocolate chips, M&M’s, chopped Heath bars, coconut, walnuts, and raisins. Buyers will telephone in their orders and specify which of these ingredients they want in their cookies.Consequently, you will have the freshest, most exotic cookies anywhere, available to your fellow students next to campus. The production process Baking cookies is simple: mix all the ingredients in a food processor, spoon out the cookie dough onto a tray, put the cookies into the oven, bake the cookies, take the tray of cookies out of the oven, let the cookies cool and finally, take them of the tray and pack them in a box. You and your roommate already own all the necessary capital equipment: a food processor, cookie trays and spoons. Your apartment is equipped with a small oven that is able to hold one tray at a time.Your landlord pays your electricity. As such, the variable costs are merely the cost of the ingredients (estimated to be 1 Euro/dozen), the cost of the box in which the cookies are packed (0,30 Euro/box, each box holds a dozen cookies), and your time (what value do you place on your time? ) A more detailed description of the production process is described below. The first step of the whole process is to take the order. Your roommate has figured out how to do this quickly and This case is an adapted version of the Kristen Cookie case, Harvard Business Review. ith 100% accuracy: by using electronic mail to accept orders and to inform customers when the order will be ready. Since this process runs automatically, it does not take any of your time. Therefore, this step will be ignored in further analysis of the process. You and your roommate have timed the necessary physical operations. The first physical production step is to wash out the mixing bowl from the previous batch, add all of the ingredients, and mix them in your food processor. The mixing bowls hold ingredients for up to three dozen cookies.You then dish up the cookies, one dozen at a time onto a cooki e try. These activities take about six minutes for the washing and mixing steps, regardless of how many cookies (i. e. , one or more dozens). However, dishing up the cookies onto the tray takes two minutes per tray per dozen. The next step, performed by your roommate, is to put the cookies in the oven and set the thermostat and timer, which takes about one minute. The cookies bake for the next nine minutes. So the total baking time is 10 minutes, during which your roommate is busy setting the oven during the first minute.Since the oven only holds one tray, a second dozen takes an additional 10 minutes to bake. Your roommate also performs the last steps of the process by first removing the cookies from the oven and putting them aside to cool for 5 minutes, then carefully packing them in a box and accepting payment. Removing the cookies from the oven takes only a negligible amount of time, since it must be done promptly. Furthermore, it takes two minutes to pack each dozen and about o ne minute to accept payment for the order.As experienced bakers know, the description above contains some simplifications. For example, the first batch of cookies for the night requires preheating the oven. However, such complexities will be put aside for now. Please begin your analysis by developing a process flow diagram of the cookiemaking process. Question before starting up your business To launch your business, you need to set prices and rules for accepting orders. Some issues will only be resolved after you get started and try out different ways of producing the cookies.Before you start, however, you at least want a preliminary plan, which as much a This case is an adapted version of the Kristen Cookie case, Harvard Business Review. possible specifies, so that you can do a careful calculation of how much time you will have to devote to this business each night, and how much money you can expect to make. For example, when you conduct a market survey to determine the likely dem and, you will want to specify exactly what your order policies will be. Therefore, you will have to answer the following operational questions: How long will it take you to fill a rush order? -How many orders can you fill in a night, assuming you are open four hours each night? -How much of your own and your roommate’s valuable time will it take to fill each order? -Because your baking trays can hold exactly one dozen cookies, you will produce and sell cookies by the dozen. Should you give any discount for people who order two dozen cookies, three dozen cookies, or more? If so, how much? Will it take you any longer to fill a twodozen cookie order than a one-dozen cookie order? How many food processors and baking trays will you need? -Are there any changes you can make in your production plans that will also allow you to make better cookies or more cookies in less time or at lower cost? For example, is there bottleneck operation in your production process that you can expand c heaply? What is the effect of adding another oven? How much would you be willing to pay to rent an additional oven? This case is an adapted version of the Kristen Cookie case, Harvard Business Review.

Management of Organisation Essay

Change management may be defined as the planning, initiation, realization, control and the stabilization of change processes both at the corporate and personal level. Change usually may occur at the strategic level of the organization or involve the personal development of the personnel. Change is a powerful force which is often resisted by most individuals whether it occurs at the corporate or personal level. Despite the resistance, change is a good thing. In fact it is a . livelihood of business in any organization. This is so because any possible failure to see and adjust to change may lead to a spiral downward fall that may lead to reduced efficiency, productivity, band productivity. Therefore the effects of change on personalities need to be resolved effectively but the change process must go on. At no point should the change process should be stopped because of its effects on the human component of the organization (Burke, 2002: pp. 55-7). Change may be described by a number of adjectives such as confusing, fulfilling, challenging, liberating, disorienting, empowering frustrating etc depending on the magnitude of the impact it has on an individual. Employees will always view change negatively. They have a negative perception and attitude towards change. The negative attitude of employees toward change is as a result of their fear of losing their jobs, positions, statuses social security and fear of the resulting higher workload. The employees may or may not be justified to view change that way but generally, the effects of change on employees are negative but the interests of the organization should always remain higher than those of personalities. Even those who survive retrenchment that comes with change will still view change negatively because of two reasons. First, they feel guilty because retaining their jobs makes others jobless and second, the high workload that is likely to come with the change. The remnants can only be willing to the resulting workload if they are given a pay rise. These emotions that result from change may put considerable stress on the changing organization. The stress though is short-lived and after some time the employees tend to forget and move on (Kaufman,1995: p. 12). Based on the employees general view of change, implementation of change in an organization, division, department, project etc may not be easy but the management need to be strong to see the organization through the change process. There will always be casualties of change. Change should start with the managers. It is often said that leadership is a message. Whatever the manager says or doesn’t say is a message. Therefore the message needs to be clear, consistent and repetitive. This is so because it takes time for people to hear, understand and believe the change carrying message especially if they don’t like what they hear. It is human nature to resist change and this is precisely the reason why they should be prepared beforehand. Prior communication may make the transition exciting or at least satisfactory. Change implementation is a foursome affair. First, there is need for the establishment and maintenance of the organization’s vision. When you know where you are going it is rare that you can get lost. Second, there is need to establish and maintain a realistic business plan which ought to be in sync with the vision. Third, communication needs to come in time to pass the synchronized organizational vision and business plan to the organization’s personnel. Finally, there is need for action so as to put into practice what has been communicated in the bid to exercise what is in the business plan which is in sync with the organization’s ultimate vision. Successful implementation of change can thus be seen to be represented by the following equation: Leadership + Vision + Communication + Action = Successful Change. The actions need to be measured and evaluated with the results being compared and deliberated upon. It is common knowledge that what gets measured gets done and anything rewarded gets repeated over and over again (Spector etal, 2007: pp. 156-8). Change can be discerned through finding out what people out there say about the organization. What is the organizational ranking out there? Does the organization need to do something to gain a competitive edge in the market? All these questions test the inevitability of change. Another way involves the challenging of all the organization’s products, services and policies in a bid to question their relevance to the present corporate, personal and market context. It is through questioning that you get to understand when change is necessary, how it can be communicated and implemented and how can the favourable results of the change on the organization’s performance measured. Change is often expensive especially when it involves technology. Technology changes fast and thus if any organization that needs to adapt needs to learn rapidly so as to keep up with the pace. Change is often triggered fro without the organization. Linkspan for instance needs to improve technology to keep up with the changing technology. The effect of technology in market enhancement can no longer be ignored. Further, most people have become technology oriented and are likely to choose a service provider who is technologically compliant that the one who is still struggling with indecision whether to embrace technology or not (Martel,1986: pp 45-54). As stated earlier, the first step in the implementation of change is the detailed review of the organization’s vision. Linkspan management needs to question the direction they are taking whether they are in line with the company’s vision. I believe that any company will have its vision focussing somewhere close to having an advantageous edge in the market. No organization sets a vision to make losses. The target is always making huge profits that will lead to the expansion of the organization. Once the vision has been internalized, the management needs to ask itself one very important question; is the intended change necessary? If so, how is the change likely to supplement the organization’s efficiency and performance? Is the change in sync with Linkspan’s ultimate vision, objectives and goals? Once all these issues are established, then it should be officially declared that the change is inevitable and the reasons warranting the change. These reasons and the inevitability of the change need to be recorded. The next step will be an in-depth study on how the change is likely to affect both the strategic corporate and personal components of Linkspan. Study how the change is going to affect the market, the employees, the organization’s expenditure and income, the shareholders, the customers etc. In short measure and evaluate the effects of the change on every party. Once the measurement and evaluation of the effects of the change has been made, it is necessary to carry out the speculation of the cost of the change. The speculation must factor the costs of employee layoffs, the cost of pay increments for those that remain based on the skills that they will be trained on and the market rates, the cost of training and professional development processes, the cost of the technological component of the change such as the new cranes, integrated bridge systems, autopilot, refurbishments, the cost of other loading and unloading equipment updates etc. In general, the full cost of the change process need to be speculated and this needs the involvement of professionals to carry out the speculations in each sector of the change. These professional speculators need time to carry out a detailed research. Once they have all submitted there reports i. e. he personnel pay rise and lay off speculation report ( featuring effects of the change on each class of employees rating them from the most affected to the least affected by the change, the number of personnel to be laid off, and those to be retained, lay off packages based on positions of employees, pay rise for the remaining staff based on additional training and responsibilities, criteria for the layoff and retention process and its legality and the time frame for the layoffs) , the technological investment plan report (featuring the cost of the new technology equipment and the labour for the installation of new and overhaul of the old technology, refurbishments etc, the best service provider and their charges and the time the process is likely to take), projection report on how the change is likely to add the company’s profitability and efficiency and how it is likely to enhance the company’s market position. This should feature a comparative approach where the major competitors are studied and analyzed to determine the market advantage the change is likely to offer the organization (Drucker,1995: pp. 96-103). Once all the reports have been submitted, the management of Linkspan need to take time, study them and the recommendations and thus determine the total cost, legality and time span of the change process. The company’s capability of funding and sustaining the change process shall also need to be evaluated to establish a conclusive decision of whether to carry out the change or not. If the decision is yes then the management needs to go ahead and start communicating the lurking change to all the stakeholders. As stated earlier, the communication needs to be repetitive consistent and above all very clear. After a blanket communication, the specific phase of communication phase follows. This phase involves communication of the change effects to specific groups of personnel. Start with the most hit and tell them the possible effects the change is likely to have on them. The company’s plan to compensate them, train them, motivate them e. g. through pay rise etc. Give each group time to respond and let the emotions run. Change is emotional. The management needs to be keen to give convincing reasons for the inevitability of the change. State that the company’s interests are higher than any personality. State examples of other companies that have done so and the legality of the process based on the reports. Note the acceptance or denial of the layoff or pay rise packages and consider the victims proposals offered immediately or later. They might not offer the proposals immediately because the message may still be devastating especially for those to be laid off. There is need for professional counselling to enhance speed acceptance of the change process. Remember to communicate to these employees the time span of the change process to enable them feature this into their personal financial, social or even psychological schedules (Sanderson, 1995: pp. 178-190). The end of communication to all stake holders marks another session of review of all the recommendations with a committee whose members are drawn from each division of the organization harmonizing the paperwork of the change process and briefing all the stake holders of the status of the change process. The committee has the mandate of identifying the changes noted between the reports recommendations and the actual status. Harmony is then established through deliberative meetings between the management and the affected parties. The committee has to be time conscious because agreements may take time to be reached and in case agreements are not forthcoming, the management should exercise its discretionary powers (Beitler, 2006: pp. 156-9). The review ushers in the actual implementations at the expiry of the notice offered. Actions should be carried out in such a way that the organizations activities don’t grind into a halt. For example, the layoff needs strategy. Do not yet layoff personnel required before the change process is over. Start with those that are not needed immediately the change implementations start. The refurbishments and fitting of the technological equipment should start with tendering process considering the service providers recommended in the report. Consider their quotations and compare with those quoted in the reports. Consider the quality even though it is still important for the process to be cost effective quality inclusive. The tender winner needs to start working immediately. The winner needs to understand that link span need not stop operations and thus should work within the schedule given by Linkspan. The carriers need to be refurbished and fitted with the technological equipments in shifts say maybe four at a time (Spruyt, 1990: pp 200-7). Those employees belonging to the first batch of the carriers that need to be laid off, trained etc need to be subjected to the appropriate exercise as their carriers get to be worked on. After all the batches have been worked on, then Linkspan needs to communicate to the customers for the second time the completion of the upgrading process. For the second time because it is necessary that they are alerted first before the upgrading of the carriers (through a press release) about the limited services to be rendered due to the lurking upgrading. Launch the new fleet and newly trained and new packages together with a farewell party for those laid off. It is important to consider a possible increment of prices of the new services to be offered and if tenable, then communicate them at the launching party and later through a press release The workability of the change needs to be reviewed from time to time say annually. This is specifically important as a way of noting the parts of the process that are not working and the possible remedial measures to be taken. Remember that, always, the most successful companies thrive on change and Linkspan need not be an exception.

Serial Killer and Baby Killer, Janie Lou Gibbs

Janie Lou Gibbs murdered her husband, three children, and a grandson by poisoning them with arsenic so she could collect on the life insurance policies she had on each victim. Good Home Cooking Janie Lou Gibbs, from Cordele Georgia, was a devoted wife and mother who spent much of her free time giving to her church. In 1965, her husband, Marvin Gibbs died suddenly at home after enjoying one of Janies good home cooked meals. Doctors concluded an undiagnosed liver disease caused his death. An Act of Giving The show of sympathy to Janie Lou and her three children from the church was overwhelming. So much so, that Ms. Gibbs decided to give part of Marvins life insurance money to the church to show her appreciation for their stellar support. Marvin, Jr. With Marvin gone, Gibbs and her children pulled together but within a year tragedy struck again. Marvin, Jr. age 13 seemed to have inherited his fathers liver disease and after collapsing with severe cramps, he too died. Again, the church community came to support Gibbs through the painful death of her young son. Janie, overwhelmed with appreciation gave a portion of Marvin, Jr.s life insurance payment to the congregation. A Family Plagued How so much could go wrong with one family was hard to understand, but one could not help to admire Gibbs inner strength especially when just a few months later, 16-year-old Lester Gibbs began complaining of dizziness, headaches and severe cramping. He died before ever getting to the hospital. Doctors decided the cause of death was hepatitis. To Give Is To Receive With disbelief but with the usual sympathy and support, the church helped Gibbs through her terrible loss. Gibbs, now broken hearted with all that she had to endure in two years, knew she could never have made it without the support of the church, and again, offered a portion of young Lesters life insurance payment to them to help show her undying gratitude. Grandmother Janie Her last and oldest son, Roger, was married and the birth of his son, Raymond seemed to lift Janie out of despair. However, within a month both Roger and his perfectly healthy newborn son were dead. This time the attending physician asked for an investigation into the deaths. When the tests came back showing that Roger and Raymond had been given arsenic poisoning, Gibbs was arrested. Goodbye Janie Janie Lou Gibbs was found guilty of poisoning her family May 9, 1976, and received a life sentence for each of the five murders she committed. In 1999, at age 66, she received a medical release from prison because she was suffering from the advanced stages of Parkinsons disease. Source Murder Most Rare The Female Serial Killer by Michael D. Kelleher and C.L. Kelleher Schechter, Harold. The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Paperback, Revised, Updated edition, Gallery Books, July 4, 2006. Deadly Women - Discovery Channelï » ¿

Where to Find Expository Essay Samples Mla

Where to Find Expository Essay Samples Mla The Chronicles of Expository Essay Samples Mla Writing an expository essay can really be an enjoyable experience if you approach it the appropriate way. It's quite convenient because the introduction and conclusion that are extremely concise don't make it possible for you to provide a good deal of unnecessary specifics. From its name, you can guess you ought to have a crystal clear picture of a specific thing to be able to give your reader with a crystal clear and concise explanation. Obviously, there isn't any definite response to the question I used as a title. The Number One Question You Must Ask for Expository Essay Samples Mla An essay must be clear and unbiased. Regardless of what it is about, most analytical or expository essays conform to a specific structure. You can't begin writing an essay without a sharp clue about what things to write. There are several methods about how to compose an expository essay. Writing your essay by yourself isn't always possible due to a number of constraints like time crunch, an emergency, etc.. Moreover, our English-speaking writers make sure every order has original content and a suitable structure. Many times, individuals become excited over adding new info, making a messy paper free of direction, so cut down should you need to. If you would like to simplify the procedure, you can try activities like listing, clustering, freewriting, and questioning. The Fundamentals of Expository Essay Samples Mla Revealed Notably, there's been great confusion in regards to the 2 varieties of essays mentioned previously. As a very good student, you must expose yourself to the major formatting requirements in the academic world like MLA and APA. You can't, you might wind up contradicting yourself whether you didn't start looking into your sources carefully. There are a lot of less orthodox connections, but they're less well-formed. Vital Pieces of Expository Essay Samples Mla Your essay is supposed to concentrate on why schools insist their students learn a foreign language and the way it can really help in an individual's overall improvement. You might also want to incorporate a brief discussion of more research which should be completed in light of your work. As of this moment, study in the area of artificial intelligence both stands unmoved and develops because lots of the first goals are dropped. Professors like to assign an expository paper since it's an excellent means to challenge students about how to execute in-depth research and demonstrate their comprehension of a particular topic. The Pain of Expository Essay Samples Mla Try to remember, though you might not be crafting the upcoming great novel, you are trying to leave an enduring impression on the folks evaluating your essay. Some ideas, naturally, can be borrowed, but due credit has to be given. At times, the best method to learn and understand new information is by way of seeing and understanding work which is already completed. For example, some folks will just earn a list of their thoughts and choose the ones they like. It's relative to the simple fact that, it's the expository essay thesis statement which offers guidance when writing the remainder of the paper. An expository essay outline presupposes a crystal clear structure, which isn't tricky to embody. The other portion of the paper which forms the most important section of the remainder of the paper is body. You've got to compose your paper in objective and unbiased way. Expository Essay Samples Mla Help! When you are in possession of a well-formulated topic, it's a half success of your final writing. In addition, there are times when you really feel like you don't need to write anything. In this kind of essay, you should describe something without being metaphoric. If you're going to compose an expository essay, be ready to devote much time hitting books. The intent of any expository writing is to reveal the characteristics of notions indicated in this issue. When you proceed through various samples, you won't only get ideas on distinct topics but also know how to apply unique practices to increase your writing skills. Ideally, expository essays attempt to pass details about a particular element, all the ideas about the stated aspect have to get tied together. An introduction is easily the most significant part your bit of writing. The expository essay definition might be complemented with a few features. Other region of the structure is called the thesis statement. There are various kinds of essay and they require the special outline. When you compose an argumentative essay which uses quotes as evidence. Expository Essay Samples Mla Secrets The introduction should also include a description of the topic, in brief, to allow the reader to comprehend what the topic is about. To begin with, you should secure the significance of the expository essay def inition and decide on the topic you understand well or at least find it interesting to find out more about. How narrow your topic is will also be dependent on how much you intend to write. While writing an expository essay, specificity with regard to the topic is essential. Expository Essay Samples Mla: the Ultimate Convenience! Click the one which you like to see the most. There's quite a few essays completed by them. As you consider your topic, look at making a graphic organizer to receive your thoughts in order. What the In-Crowd Won't Tell You About Expository Essay Samples Mla It's also normal for the writers to use anecdotes, interviews and a few of the experiences. It is vital that the writer references the works from different writers. Expository essay intends to inform readers about some subject with good evidence. Irrespective of the quantity or variety of research involved, argumentative essays must set a very clear thesis and follow sound reasoning.

The Molding Hand of Oppression Forming an Identity in...

Ruby Instructor Bachman Writing Across the Arts (Porter 80A-21) 2 November 2012 (1278 words) The Molding Hand of Oppression: Forming an Identity in Persepolis Every person is unique. However, there are many similar parts that go into creating every person’s identity. Of course, there is the biology, the genetics. Then there are outside forces, the nurturing of a person. When trying to form an identity, there are numerous outside factors that contribute, such as gender, culture, and environment. For Marji, the protagonist of the Persepolis series, being an Iranian woman is absolutely a factor that featured prominently in the shaping of her personality. She was not allowed to experiment with her identity by her clothing or style,†¦show more content†¦For example, Marji takes a long bath in the water tub to feel like to be in a cell filled with water, when God appears to her. She is trying to experience what it feels like to be tortured, like her captured relatives and countrymen. God just randomly appears to her to ask, â€Å"What are you doing?† (Persepolis 1, 25). In that panel, The main color is white. White is a co lor like purity and spirituality, which makes sense, because God is in it. However, in the next panel, the background is entirely black. This panel does not have God in it. Instead, it is just Marji almost connecting to the pains of her grandfather. So the simplicity of the black background helps show the beginning of her internal conflict (McCloud 192). Marji is learning about how cruel the government truly is, and even God cannot help her understand why. Because Iran was very connected to religion, she always has a spirituality about her. The government forced a certain religion on Marji. Even though she did not always believe in that religion, she was still shaped by her conversations with God. Even though God doesn’t appear later on, believing in a religion as a child was able to lay the foundation for a spirituality that would last her the rest of her life. Living through war is very difficult. Because of war, many of Marji’s families and her neighbors met death. Satrapi’s graphic style, which is mainly composed of black and white, depicts violent

Creating Safe Spaces

Question: Analyse what workplace should be and thorough exploration of an example that of a safe or for that matter unsafe space, and also offer recommendations for improvement of the welfare of the space where applicable. Answer: 1. Introduction: 1.1 Background: Cultural awareness is the very foundation of the communication process which entails over the faculty of being aware and observant of various cultural values and beliefs and perceptions. It becomes a focal point when interactions happen between different individuals and evaluate things in diverse practices. Being aware of the rather complex cultural dynamics is not something which is conscious to everybody (Flanja, 2016). 1.2 Scope: The experiences which individuals inculcate on a daily basis along with value system help them to see and do things in a specific pattern. In the light of globalization, and increased diversity in the workplace along with multicultural and multi-ethnic dimensions coming to the fray, cultural awareness has become an essential tool in the industry. 1.3 Aim: The following account bears in-depth analysis of what workplace should be and thorough exploration of an example that of a safe or for that matter unsafe space, and also offer recommendations for improvement of the welfare of the space where applicable. This report aims to delve in the essence of cultural diversity in the light of the selected video clip to portray the subtleties of humour and resistance and uptight attitude of abiding by cultural multifarious aspects. 2. Summary of video clip: The video clip is taken from the BBC Great Comedy series, The Office, in which an employee named Gareth consistently refuses to understand a practical joke or office humor played on him by a co-worker or colleague, named Philip. The joke centres on the supposed immersion of Gareths stapler by Philip in some edible jelly. When Gareth is furious and askes his manager David Brent and Solomon to discipline Philip, they, specially his manager, deals with the situation smoothly by cracking a few jokes and pacifying both the employees. Later, Gareth tries to make up for his smugness by retorting that he didnt want office equipment to be damaged ("Gareth's Stapler - The Office - BBC", 2016). When interviewed, onscreen, he says that he dislikes workplace humor and gives a further demonstration of his uptight attitude by plainly refusing Philip his stapler. Philip, to teach him a lesson, throws the stapler out of the office window and says that it was Gareth who propelled him to do this act. 3. Summary of literature: The literature encompasses a series of articles written by eminent authors who have not only compiled a series of quotations of culture and cultural studies by prominent names in the field but also has self-analysed their personal hermeneutical situation including studying humor in multicultural British society through the ages. Nevertheless, the literature that is most of the relevance here are Sigmund Freuds The Joke and Its Relation to the Unconscious which pioneered the modern scientific study of the psychology of humour and its interpretation, misinterpretation and its relationships with the unconscious, social structures of power and their transgression which forms the core essence of jokes and funniness (Villarouco et al., 2012). 3.1 History and analysis of Humour: Much of western civilization has been concerned with jokes and humor in classical antiquity; comedy was essentially viewed as inferior to poetry and tragedy, but nevertheless, it revelled in satirizing prominent persons, enemies, and hierarchical power structures. Jokes and humor influence our daily lives in multicultural societies. Specialists have studied their effects when subjects of diverse cultures and lifeworlds encounter and blend with each other. In modern day office parlance, often multiculturalism is not the only factor that goes into misinterpretation of practical jokes. In the middle ages, comedy was much derided, and laughter was considered an instrument of the Devil. However, the middle ages also had a carnivalesque aspect and apparently abject and gross versions are found in many great names of the era (Holley Steiner, 2016). With the renaissance in Europe, comedy and satire regained their lost places that had once allotted to them in antiquity. With the advent of mo dernity, and the European enlightenment, laughter, humor and comedy became a staple recipe of western writing cultures. One of the first exercises in comedy in the scientific study of comedy was made by the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Since then, the serious study and usage of comedy and humor, in their many guises has been a staple of western writing and intellectual faculty. States of mind and previous job occupational training are also relevant constructs in giving rise to sign system in which people sometimes fail to understand the epistemological praxis of the other (Villarouco et al., 2012). 3.2 Cultural self-awareness: To understand and appreciate various discursive structures belonging to a variety of cultural lifeworlds and mediated by the praxis of the immersed human subjects, it becomes relevant to realize the characteristics of the terminology culture. This realization is fundamental to distinguish and identify safe spaces in culture. The appreciation of culture is significant in all facets of various forms of societies- from overcoming communication hurdles to the discernment of socio-politico-cultural lifeworlds. There are three primary essentials that underlie the groundwork of what is better known as cultural self-awareness and are formed within a culture (Oatey, 2016). These three fundamentals include behaviour, experience, and knowledge. The itinerary of cultural intelligence can only be started by one in appreciating and undergoing cultural self-awareness. Cultural intelligence assumes obvious proportions in a spectrum of situations where one is unfamiliar with the particular ambiance. Sudden and anxiety causing culture shock can take place when journeying in a different country than ones own, or when employed with specific groups of individuals who are much dissimilar regarding age, expertise, knowledge and competence. When one fails to comprehend the diverse interpersonal abilities and semiotic markers such as body language, facial expressions and tone of voice or for that matter one feels like a "fish out of the water. Subsequently, one would start to undergo the four stages of culture shock that is, The Honeymoon stage, the crisis stage, the recovery stage and the complete adjustment stage (Quappe Cantatore, 2016). 4. Observations/description of video: The video clip that of BBC Great Comedy sequence, The Office, it is observed that Gareth unswervingly fails to decipher the joke or sarcasm being played on him. Philip is the other character associated with the scheme of things. The incident, in particular, focuses on the presence of a stapler as the visual hook that leverages the visual discourse of the clip. Here, it is interesting to note that Gareths name is inscribed on the stapler and thus indicating his ownership over the same ("Gareth's Stapler - The Office - BBC", 2016). The stapler acts as a logocentric sign which by its presence fuels a heated exchange between Gareth and his colleague, named Philip. Although Gareth had already mentioned that the stapler belongs to him yet, he fails to decipher the subtle nuances in the practical joke played by Philip on him. Gareth, due to his previous experience of being in the Territorial Army, experts more discipline in the workplace and even fails to perceive why David smooths the situ ation. 5. Discussion: In the video clip, Gareth's journey to cultural intelligence is thwarted by his stubborn refusal to get culturally self-aware. The visual discourse of the clip is elucidated in the table below. Scene Number/ Time frame Physical factors Communication factors Inclusion/ Exclusion signs Display/ lack of Cultural Intelligence Clip from Gareths Stapler-The Office-BBC (2.36 minutes) Light colors are used in costumes and camera filters to emphasize the formality, yet light-hearted office ambiance. A stapler is used as a semiotic marker to metaphorically represent Gareths uptight and stiff approach ("Gareth's Stapler - The Office - BBC", 2016). An uncomfortable silence and lack of direct eye contact are used due to the creation of an awkward situation by Gareth's misinterpretation of the practical joke. David cracks joke to ease the situation and the awkwardness of the situation is evident through eye and body movement. The Stapler has Gareth's name on it, and Philip's symbolic action of throwing it outside the window marks Gareth's exclusive nature. It is noteworthy that misinterpreting of a harmless practical joke, and nursing the grudge by not letting Philip borrow it, Gareth all the more marks himself as an outsider in a friendly office environment. Lack of cultural intelligence is obvious in Gareth as he remains stubborn in his position refusing to educate himself culturally from the previous experience. 6. Recommendations: Sociological and cultural studies of humour have primarily centred on jokes as a deliberate and possible imaginary that by its very essence of transgressing any social or for that matter cultural taboo, makes fun of it but also subconsciously reinstates it all the more. Although this previous view mostly stemmed from Freud, semioticians later have decoded the complex constructs of various sociocultural and institutional discourses to analyse how jokes and humour go into undermining, criticizing and sometimes reinstating the same. As Gareth endangers his stakes in the office and marks himself as an uptight outsider who still adheres to the nature of his previous workplace in the army, he naturally fails to be marked as an insider in the office ambiance. It is highly recommendable that Gareth shed his inhibitions about working in a friendly environment and becomes culturally intelligent enough to blend in. Furthermore, he is ought to appreciative of the subtle aspects of office humor t hat is prevalent in such environments. The office would be much safer and culturally inductive place if Gareth could be more flexible and begin the journey of cultural self-awareness to attain cultural intelligence in his overall approach. 7. Conclusion: Humour has always been a significant facet of cultural discourses in society, by and large. The overall analysis depicts the key issues of the lack of cultural intelligence and its implications in an office environment. Here, Gareths Stapler is selected as a semiotic indicator to mark his position as an outsider in a friendly office environment. The clip from the office portrays how a friendly environment may turn out to be otherwise if one is not in culturally self-aware and hence culturally intelligent. A safe space in the office environs can only be realized if one begins the culturally educative itinerary to positively mould ones praxis to the specific occupational life world. The overall analysis of the nuances of humour and multicultural ethnic elements embedded in cultural dimensions of office environment puts forth the fact that joke and wittiness are existent in organizational perspective and the same may be observed in best of spirits. References: Flanja, D. (2016). Culture shock in intercultural communication. go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.cdu.edu.au. Retrieved 30 May 2016, Gareth's Stapler - The Office - BBC. (2016). YouTube. Retrieved 30 May 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1PHpkdvNOsfeature=youtu.be Holley, L. Steiner, S. (2016). Safe space: student perspectives on classroom environment. go.galegroup.com. Retrieved 30 May 2016, Oatey, H. (2016). What is Culture?. www2.warwick.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2016, Quappe, S. Cantatore, G. (2016). What is Cultural Awareness, anyway? How do I build it?. www.culturosity.com. Retrieved 30 May 2016, Villarouco, V., Soares, M., Costa, A. P. L., Andreto, L. (2012). Evaluation of a work space based on an ergonomic design methodology of the built environment. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 13(2), 203-224.

Role of Shanghai

Introduction Shanghai is found on the western shore of the pacific sea and at the innermost part of the north-south shoreline of china. Shanghai is on the western side borders of jiangsu and zhejiang. The country’s land area covers more than 6000 square kilometers while the water mass covers more than 100 square kilometers. It is believed that the shanghai chongming island area covers around 1050 square kilometrs and said to be the third largest island in china.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Shanghai specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first Fig shows the map of shanghai while Fig two shows where shanghai is located in china Fig:1 Fig:2 Shanghai as the leading town in china, is believed to be one of the foremost socioeconomic centers. The country is said to have been performancing a principal task in the nations change and opening movement, including industrial advancement, science and technol ogy transformation. In the beginning of 1990, the innermost administration decided to speed up the expansion of shanghai into a world trade and industry, economic and trade center and to encourage financially viable expansion of the entire yangtze river region where the town is situated. The town has attained an astonishing financially viable expansion from that time. All these have made the city be the most important interface between china and the rest of the world. The below pictures shows some activities of shanghaiAdvertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Industrial Studies in shanghai shanghai sciences yangtze river playes a great role in the history and current status of china. Through the help of the yangtze river, the ancient people gained a lot of experience. This came up as a result of the continued flood that kept flooding at the river. The flood gave up them the experience on how t o fight the flood and a nationwide characterstics showing a well-built will of never giving up. After the continued issues like wars and famine in the ancient history, yangtze river currently changed raising up peoples filled with hope and energy. This gave the importance of yangtze river in the shanghai country. The below picture shows the yangzte river what makes shanghai the modern china city is the new technologies. This has been enabled by the fast growth of education resulted by the high test scores gotten by the students. The high score in shanghai is said to have been caused by a number of reasons. First, the public schools in shanghai knows how how to utilize the hours of the day which gives them enough time of studying which is unlike the other countries. some issues like continuos watching of televisions and working while under the age of 16 is prohibited by the chinese law which creates enough time of education which is rarely considered in many countries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Shanghai specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The picture below shows a condusive environment and students studying in shanghai A big sum of salary given to the teachers in shanghai unlike the other countries gives them the morale as well as motivation while teaching the students . it is also clear that every teacher in shanghai should be have all the certificates required by the government so as to qualify being a teacher which is also unlike to the other countries. since shanghai is said to have the quality school scheme, many students here get entrance to the most selected collegies and universities in the world. All these have enabled the growth of education to great heights in shanghai. (Kaplan) Conclusion Shanghai is well known for its growth since it is said to have all the potential that is required to meet its target. Shanghai won the battle of success through education. Educatio n boosted a lot this country in terms of economy and growth. It is through the tactics they had attained that enabled the country have high education. For instance, shanghai was strict in studying and they cared the teachers in terms of pay. These among others ensured a gradual growth of shanghai in terms of economy and education. Works Cited Kaplan, Robert. Shanghai Express. June,2010. Web. January,14,2011. http://shangaiexpress.blogspot.com/2010/05/geography-of-chinese-power-robert-d.html This essay on Role of Shanghai was written and submitted by user Esme H. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.