Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Management proposal The WritePass Journal

Management proposal Abstract Management proposal ). One of the essential duties of a HR manager is to analyse salary trends in the company as well as determine competitive compensation plans. This professional is directly responsible for the creation of suitable policy within the organisation, with focus on ensuring equal employment opportunities and employee benefits (Cushway, 2008). Different policies, regulations and reporting mechanisms should be maintained properly in order to ensure adequate compliance with standards in the field. In addition, a HR manager is expected to evaluate industry trends that could help the organisation grow in the future (Patterson et al., 2011). Furthermore, a HR manager screens and recruits employees when there is a need to fill vacant positions in the organisation (Cushway, 2008). New employee orientation is adequately planned by the manager in an attempt to ensure positive attitude towards the company’s culture and goals. A HR manager should complete reports and recommend procedures that could lead to the decrease or elimination of absenteeism and turnover in the organisation (Bareham, 2012). This professional is also responsible for contracting with outside suppliers to provide appropriate employee services and relocation services. A Person Specification for the HR Position   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The HR position includes key competencies, such as degree or equivalent, evidence of professional development, extensive contribution to organisational change, experience in delivering reliable HR practices, and experience in developing HR policies (Brewster et al., 2011). Having a professional qualification in the field along with evidence of professional development is a necessary component of screening candidates’ education and training capacity. Focus on organisational change is important considering the fast pace in which modern organisations develop (Bareham, 2012). In addition, a HR manager should demonstrate an extensive experience in the HR field, which would serve as a strong basis for developing successful practices in the organisation. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The paper discussed inconsistencies in the employee selection process at Top Travel. Store managers demonstrated practices that did not lead to the selection of the right people. Therefore, the paper included important sections on recommending a strategy to improve the selection process along with details on a job description for the position of a HR manager and a person specification for this position.   Ã‚  References Bareham, S. (2012). HR in a Nutshell: Making Good Managers Great! Birmingham: Summa Publishing. Brewster, C., Sparrow, P., Vernon, G. and Houldsworth, E. (2011). International Human Resource Management. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Cushway, B. (2008). The Handbook of Model Job Descriptions. New York: Kogan Page. Mathis, R. L. and Jackson, J. H. (2010). Human Resource Management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R. and Switzler, A. (2011). Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Installing Perl Modules From CPAN

Installing Perl Modules From CPAN There are several ways to install Perl modules from the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network on your Unix-based system. There is always more than one way to do things with Perl, and this is no different. Before embarking on any installation, download the module, unzip it and check out the documentation. Most modules are installed using the same method. Activate the CPAN Module The simplest way to install Perl modules to use the CPAN module itself. If you are the system administrator and want to install the module systemwide, youll need to switch to your root user. To fire up the CPAN module, just get to your command line and run this: If this is the first time youve run CPAN, its going to ask you a series of questions- in most cases, the default answer is fine. Once you find yourself staring at the cpan command prompt, installing a module is as easy as install MODULE::NAME. For example, to install the HTML::Template module youd type: CPAN should take it from there, and youll wind up with the module installed in your Perl library. Installing from the Command Line Lets say youre on your system command line and you just want to install a module as quickly as possible; you can run the Perl CPAN module via command line Perl and install it in a single line: Its always advisable to download a module yourself, especially if youre having problems installing with CPAN. If youre on the command line, you can use something like wget to grab the file. Next, youll want to unzip it with something like: This unzips the module into a directory and then you can go in and poke around. Look for the README or INSTALL files. In most cases, installing a module by hand is still pretty easy, though, although not as easy as CPAN. Once youve switched into the base directory for the module, you should be able to install it by typing:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Aging population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Aging population - Essay Example Shakespeare has beautifully described the life of a man. He further describes it, in terms of ages and names it seven ages of a man's life. These are ages are: an infant, a child, the lover, the soldier, the justice, the old age and finally mental dementia and death. In short, they were considered as a useless part of the society and were thus isolated. This very idea had and probably has penetrated the business community as well. This fact was quite reflective in the marketing activities and campaigns launched until recently. However, the time is changing now; the old people are getting more prominence in the business society. They are now considered an important segment of the society. Business society is giving more attention the aging population, especially in the industrialized world. Their changing needs and behaviors are tried to be addressed by the marketers in more efficient manner than ever before. This matter is quite encouraging that the need has been realized; however, a s a matter of fact, what is really missing is the direction to cater their changing behaviors and needs. Thus this paper is aimed to address the fact that how the old population in the industrialized country does affects the business strategist seeking to respond their changing needs.In formulating this paper, we would start with the fact that who the aged ones are, in current scenario. Later, we would explore the key features of the aging population and what characteristics and features make them different from others After discussing this, our discussion will lead to the point that what are the corresponding marketing challenges faced by the marketers, furthermore, we will evaluate the efforts of the business community done so far to address these challenge. Lastly, we would like to know that what can be done further to address those issues. (Heibing and Cooper 2004) What is 'Old' Universally there is not any agreed upon age for being called the 'old'. However, usually those who have passed a considerable age of their life are now retired or about to retire are considered as old. Though the age for retirement also varies from country to country, however, in general that ranges between fifty to sixty years. Thus any person beyond the age of retirement is considered as old. If we accept this definition and start to look for the generation that is going to be the old or aging population, we find that our recent aging population is baby boomers. Before moving further, it is essential to know who are baby boomers are, since it would help in building this topic further. Those people who are born between 1946 and 1964 in United States are called baby boomers. (Hess and Markson 1991) Though this phenomenon is referred to US population only but the people who were born in the same period in other industrialized countries also share the same features. The baby boomers w ere born during the economic upsurge in those economies. As a result, they were fortunate to have best possible education, as compared to rest of the world. On account of the fortunate period in which they were, in general, they had a wonderful childhood leading to a promising career and prosperous youth and adult life. Now this generation that has made a lot of money is entering in to the old age. Obviously, the big sum of money that they have gathered in this period has the potential to make them one the greatest market for the marketers of the industrialized world to capture. Aging Population in Various Countries Moving further, we can

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International Marketing - Essay Example The country of origin has been traditionally considered as a major criterion in the development of consumer choices within the international marketplace. It should be noticed that consumer opinions regarding a specific product/ service cannot be precisely estimated and evaluated because they tend to change continuously. Regarding this issue it is stated by Hall (2002, 24) that ‘consumers "change their minds" about a product, then they change their attitude, and then they act’. In other words, marketers cannot rely on the consumer preferences for a particular product/ service in a specific period of time. They would rather have a series of elements that present the trends of consumers within the particular market in general terms (i.e. not specifically at a particular time point). If the above issue is not taken into consideration, the marketing strategy based on the consumer choices made during a specific period (or under a specific social, financial or political framewo rk) are very likely to be proved inappropriate after a specific time period will be differentiated. On the other hand, the introduction and the application of a specific marketing strategy within the international marketplace should be combined with the appropriate research. If not, the marketing strategy attempted to be implemented will be led to a failure. The above issue has been examined by Diamantopoulos et al. who stated that ‘the methodological pitfalls of international research often lead to questionable research results’.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Conflict & Stress Management Essay Example for Free

Conflict Stress Management Essay 1.0 INTRODUCTION Stress and conflict are two major issues any organisation faces. They are inevitable in all facets of life, be individual or organisational. If not handled well they can be a hindrance for the company performance. Conflict and stress both varies according to the organisation and its culture. But both need to be managed well to avoid unnecessary problems. Conflict is a perception. Surveys show that employees spend as much as 42% of their time engaging in or attempting to resolve conflicts and 20% of managers’ time is taken up by conflict related issues (Gupta, Boyd, Kuzmits, 2011). This valuable time can be utilised in making the organisation a more efficient and an effective one. Organisations which fail to address conflict have the risk of losing their competitive advantage. Conflict can be viewed in many ways and there are different management styles which can deal with conflict. The leadership of the organisation must be involved in dealing with conflict as they would have to negotiate and bargain in order to overcome conflict. Stress is a major concern with today’s working people. This is because the world is developing in a faster pace which requires constant adaptation. Stress not only affects ones work-life balance, but also their personal life which creates chaos for individuals. According to some estimation, humankind losses 100 million workdays every year due to the aftermath of stress (Treven Potocan, 2005). Work stress needs to be managed well so it can actually improve the well being of the individuals as well as the organisation. Both of these factors will be viewed in the context of Nippon Lanka and will be analysed thoroughly on how they overcome these issues to maintain a healthy relationship with employees. Improvements and recommendations for the current methods will also be discussed. 2.0 OVERVIEW Nippon Lanka Pvt Ltd (NPLK) is a joint venture (JV) between the Nippon PLC Japan (NPJ) and Silicone Coatings Pvt Ltd (SC) Sri Lanka where the NPJ brought over 60% of Silicones shares. This joint venture is advantageous to both parties where NPJ is able to use this as an entry method and SC as an opportunity to be a part of a global industry. Formation of this JV took almost a year where Nippon Lanka studied SC and the relevant industry as whole to get an idea of the present market conditions. It was found that there was no better time to enter the Sri Lankan market due to the post war era development. Therefore SC was considered due to their strong presence in the market. Today after about three months from successfully forming the JV the company is going through a transition period. There aren’t any major changes to positions in the hierarchy but there are role changes and employees are finding it difficult to adapt to their new roles. Example: The Managing Director (MD) of the company who was the owner of the company still is the MD how ever to day the person is a salaried employee. The General Manager who was reporting directly to MD today has to report to the Board of directors where MD is just one out of the five directors. When examining the company culture towards conflict, the company culture and the value system which has been there for 35 years from the date of the establishment is now being changed. SC was established in 1979, as a small scale manufacture and a distributer of paint related ancillaries. By the time Nippon approached SC it had grown into the largest local player in the market where it was second only to the global giant Akzonobal by a 3% margin. It is evident that SC has been a one man show up to the time of the JV, the full value system and the operational procedures were laid down by the founder himself and not most of the managers found it enticing to be part of. Therefore the HR turnover was such that on average about six key resources left the company. In this back ground let’s see how the conflict and stress management function takes place within the organization. 3.0 CONFLICT AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 3.1 Conflict Management Styles Conflict can be defined as the process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something the first party cares about (Robbins S., Judge T. Vohra N., 2011:441). It is that point in an ongoing activity when an interaction crosses over to become an interparty conflict. Conflict can be seen as good and bad with corresponding positive and negative outcomes where this would all depend on how one views conflict. There are three basics views of conflict. These are the Traditional view, the Interactionist view and Managed conflict view. The traditional view sees conflict as bad and something that must be eliminated through the use of authority. Poor communication, lack of openness and failure to respond to employee needs could be seen as few of the causes. The interactionist view is that conflict is desirable, necessary for high performance teams and should be encouraged. The contemporary view is that conflict is inevitable and it may be positive or negative but it must be managed to be beneficial. Nippon Lanka follows a more interactionist view where conflict is encouraged and the company is of the view that a perfectly cooperative, harmonious group would hinder dynamism, creativity and innovation where a minimal level of conflict is needed to prevent a lacklustre, uninterested attitude among the group. As mentioned earlier, not all conflicts are good, and this view only supports functional conflict. Functional conflict is a constructive form of conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves performance. The type of conflict at hand would distinguish a functional conflict from a dysfunctional conflict. Although these are distinct types of conflict, the occurrence of one type of conflict can lead to a conflict of another type taking place. For example, the process of costing has been kept confidential, and this has led to the tension between the sales team and the costing team. 3.2TYPES OF CONFLICT PRESENT IN NIPPON LANKA 3.2.1Relationship conflict Conflicts between two people are known as relationship conflicts. These conflicts arise as a result of miscommunication, disagreements or misunderstandings between people. One such situation at Nippon Lanka arose between the Brand Manager and the Marketing Manager. The Brand manager has been with the company for 5 years and has previously worked with two Heads of marketing. Once the new marketing manager was appointed, it was found that the latter was less experienced and was not willing to corporate with the Marketing Head. This triggered huge problems for the new comer. The management was aware of this, but wasn’t able to remove him from the position due to the valuable connections the customers. However, the Marketing Manager understood this inferiority complex of the Brand Manager. Having gone through the initial hardships the new marketing manager somehow managed to win the trust of the Brand manager. Now they are working harmoniously, directing all their efforts towards the benefit of the company. 3.2.2.Data Conflict This occurs when decisions are made without adequate information. At Nippon Lanka, the costing department works in isolation. They do not consult the sales and marketing team when arriving at the costs, so more often than not, the cost of the product is either too high, depriving them of valuable orders and potential growth, or at times its too low depriving the opportunity for the company to charge a premium price on an innovative product or to achieve efficiency through specialisation. 3.2.3Interest Conflict Conflicts of interest mainly deal with psychological issues, where an individual or organisation behaves in a certain manner, with the aim of meeting a particular interest which is not shared by everyone else. The JV with the Japanese company was not disclosed or made public, even though doing so would have been acting in the best interests of the company. The MD did not like the idea of publicising the 60:40 JV that was taking place, as it would be viewed as a takeover. However, the rest of the company felt that some amount of public awareness would have positively impacted the companys future performance. Another example would be when the HR department wanted to minimise the over time cost they imposed a rule where all sales vehicle needs to be back at the HO by 5 pm. As an example what the Sales representatives would do is when they need to deliver goods up to Negombo, covering Wattala, Ja-ela, Seeduwa and Negombo. They would turn back from Seeduwa at 3.30 pm in order to make it back to office by 5 pm, without covering their full distance to Negombo. What followed was a delay in the delivery and travelling additional mileage, having to revisit incomplete routes taking the same path. 3.2.4 Structural Conflict Structural conflict arises from unclear and undefined roles and reporting lines. The RD and the production manger are directly reporting to the MD. The other managers report to the GM, where the GM reports to the MD. Currently when a sales representative needs to develop a sample for a particular customer, the sales representative will not have the adequate support since the request from the sales rep will not be taken seriously from the RD manager and the GM cannot question them for not doing it right. Only 10 out of 1 samples are successful and yet the RD manager has managed to survive, distracting the control and supervisory system of the top management since there is no clear reporting structure. 3.2.5 Value Conflict A value conflict comes about when two people or groups have dissenting views on moralitythat basic understanding of what is naturally right or wrong. As mentioned earlier, the cost manager considered himself and his department superior than the other departments, with the notion that the information handled need not be disclosed to anyone else. At present, the cost manager is in prison, facing charges of fraud. Although the environment helped the person to carry out fraud, this is a clear example of conflicting values. 3.3 THE CONFLICT PROCESS Figure 1: The Conflict Process (Source: Robbins S., Judge T. Vohra N., 2005:444) 3.3.1Stage I: Potential opposition or incompatibility The first stage talks about the conditions that are needed for conflict to arise. They may not directly lead to conflict, but they need to be present for conflict to surface. They can be referred to as the causes of conflict and can be condensed into three general categories, namely communications, structure and personal variables. Communication, either too much or too little information passed between members can result in potential opportunities for conflict to arise. At Nippon Lanka, the manner in which the costing of the products is carried out is not communicated to the members in the other dept and this has been the initiating factor for conflict to set in. Structure includes several variables such as size, degree of specialization in the tasks assigned to the group members, role clarity, member-goal compatibility, leadership styles, reward systems, and the degree of dependence among groups. The sales and promotions manager at Nippon Paints follow an aggressive, predator style of leadership where excuses were not tolerated and was only interested in the achievement of results and targets. An example would be, the samples taken from the production team that is used for sales and promotion does not meet the required standards of quality where 9 out of 10 samples would fail. Same time, the Sales and promotions manager would also be very demanding of the sales representatives in terms of getting the desired targets. In some cases, employees have resigned due this demanding nature. Personal variables are mainly due to differences in personal traits of individuals. Diverse issues such as prejudice and disagreements over ones contribution to the group, as well as the rewards one deserves. For example, at Nippon Paints, the General Manager is prepared to hire new trainees at Rs. 15,000/=, whereas the Sales and Promotions Manager feels that the market rate of Rs. 30,000/= should be paid to them. The low salaries have deterred attracting the talented individuals and therefore not achieving the fullest potential. 3.3.2Stage II: Cognition and Personalization If the conditions mentioned in stage I negatively affect something one party cares about, then the potential for opposition or incompatibility surfaces in the second stage. One or both parties must be aware and perceive that these conditions exist. However, just because it is perceived does not make the conflict personalized. It may not have an effect on either or both parties. The conflict has to be felt, for individuals become emotionally involved, leading to anxiety, tension, frustration or hostility. 3.3.3Stage III: Intentions Intentions get in the way of peoples perceptions and emotions and act as decisions for them to react the way they do to the situation at hand. They are important, as one has to make inferences of the other partys intentions to know and understand the reason behind that partys behavior and to respond accordingly. Conflicts tend to escalate at this point merely because of the wrong inferences being made. Sometimes a behavior might erroneously reflect the persons intentions. Two dimensions are used, namely cooperativeness (the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy the other partys concerns) and assertiveness (the degree to which one party attempt to satisfy his or her own concerns) to identify five conflict handling intentions. This has been attached to Appendix 1 with the styles explained. 3.3.4Stage IV: Behavior This stage includes actions, statements and reactions made by the conflicting parties. Intentions of each party are implemented through these behaviors and can be seen as a dynamic process of interaction. Conflicts usually start slow; characterized by indirect rather subtle forms of tension and escalate as the tension builds. At this latter stage things could become highly destructive where such conflicts are almost always dysfunctional. 3.3.5Stage V: Outcomes Behavior would lead to outcomes, where some are functional in that the conflict results in an improvement in the groups performance or it may also be dysfunctional in that it hinders group performance. Functional conflict can be beneficial for the company as it provides a medium through which problems can be aired and tensions released. This improves the quality of decisions, stimulates creativity and innovation, encourages interest and curiosity among group members and it forces and environment of self-evaluation and change. Some companies discourage conflict as they prefer yes-men, loyal to the higher ups to the point of never questioning company actions. As for dysfunctional conflict it would reduce group effectiveness and group cohesiveness. At the extreme, conflict can bring group functioning to a halt and potentially threaten the groups survival. Refer Appendix II for the example of a conflict Process at Nippon paints. 3.3 NEGOTIATING AND BARGAINING Before the organisation starts negotiating they should be aware of the nature of the conflict. There is a certain process that needs to be followed in negotiation. Negotiation is by definition the management of crossed demands, where each one of us expresses requests hoping the other will try to fulfil them (Lempereur, A. 2012). As it is said â€Å"Everything is negotiation in life†, so every party involved in the process would like to take the best out of it. 3.3.1 Bargaining Strategies There are two bargaining strategies that could be discussed. Distributive bargaining and integrative bargaining. In the current context what is more obvious is integrative bargaining which makes both the parties involved satisfied creating a win-win situation. An example for this was when a sales representative requests for a personal vehicle they need to achieve a certain level of sales targets. If they maintain the sales targets for a sustainable period they will be given a personal vehicle. But by any chance if they do not keep up to the said targets their salaries will be reduced in accordance with the cost of maintaining the vehicle by the company. Through a situation like this, what is created is a long term positive relationship for the company. As a company, they increase the sales levels and the employees will also be satisfied as their needs are also met. 3.3.2 Negotiation Process Negotiation can happen in 5 steps; these are preparation and planning, definition and ground rules, clarification and justification, bargaining and problem solving and closure and implementation. Some do not have a positive ending or a closure. But negotiations that have an effect for the organisation will go through a process. An example of this would be when the company needs to host certain function in hotels they would negotiate with them for the best bargain. As they have cost constraints, there are certain limitations and getting the best bargain with the best outcome would be the perfect scenario. Before the start of the negotiation with the relevant hoteliers the in-charge person will prepare the list of things that need to be discussed. These would be the pricing, menu items, additional services that are required and assess what the other party goals and prepare well for them. In this instance a budget per person would be Rs. 3,000. But the relevant hotels cost was higher. Then the menus for these relevant amounts will be compared. In the Sri Lankan context rather than a 4 or 5 course meal, action stations with koththu and hoppers have a vibrant feeling and also cost less. So in the negotiation table the other alternatives will be put across. Since information is all gathered, the representative will develop a strategy. The person will also determine the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). So here the BATNA will be to get cost per person at Rs. 3,000 having action stations with cocktail menu. The person will determine when and where to have the appointment. The ideal place would be at hotel premises because then the ambiance where service capacity can also be viewed. The meeting would be planned in the best time where both parties are not strained with other commitments and can concentrate for a best outcome. Once the initial stance is made then there will be further clarifications and explanations. Then both parties will try to come up with concessions in order to make a decision. Once both parties are satisfied they will formalize the agreement. In this process Nippon Lanka representatives will stress on the fact that if one event is made a success; then the hotel is winning a long term corporate client. This enhances their business. 3.3.3 Third Party Negotiation This is crucial for Nippon Lanka as they deal with lot of suppliers and customers. Advertising is a crucial part for this organisation and dealing with media is important to get a good advertising deal. Earlier they were dealing with the television and radio stations by themselves and it was quite strenuous. Getting a good deal that is worth their money was tough and time consuming, having deal with different organisations, so they decided to obtain third party involvement. The outcome was to get a consultant to act on media buying for the organisation. A consultant is a skilled and impartial third party who attempts to facilitate problem solving through communication and analysis (Robbins S., Judge T. Vohra N., 2011:457). They are there to improve the current status and to get a win-win solution for both parties. When Nippon started using a third party advertising firm to do media buying, they were able to get good deals from media as they have a high bargaining power. 4.0 WORK STRESS STRESS MANAGEMENT Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, demand, or resource related to what the individual desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important (Robbins, Judge Vohrs, 554). Most of the time stress is discussed in the negative contest but this is not true at all times. Stress can be taken into the system as an advantage. In the current organisation stress factor is not talked openly even though people are put under stress levels it is not considered as value adding option for the organisation. In the organisation currently what is seen is the challenge stresses but sometimes these same factors do become hindrance stressors for the employees. 4.1 Sources of stress The main sources of stress in the organisation comes from environmental and organisation factors. When it comes to environmental factors; the three types of uncertainties are economic, political and technological. These play a minimal role compared to organisational and personal factors. In considering environment factors; the workers are stressed on the technological aspect. Research and development team is always under pressure in getting a new product development before their competitors. Organisation heads are concerned about the Political uncertainty. Whenever a new rule or regulation is passed by government with regard to the consumer protection or protecting environment this takes a toll in the organisation activities. They must be aware of the new laws and how to tackle them, this adds a lot of strain in the management as they need to alter or change certain decisions according to political scenarios. Change in economic policies and recessions or booms in the economic cycle create stress on the organisation. Current economic down turn have made a toll in the sales teams as consumers are spending less and government projects have considerably reduced. At the same time government is not paying their debt and collections have become harder. Organisational factors are the ones that are created by the organisation which creates stress on employees. Task demands such as collecting debts in 90 days have a strain on the employee. This increases the job pressure. Role demands relate to pressure that occurs due to the job role. Managers and above have high role related pressures compared to subordinates due to the heavy work load which needs to be performed in less time. Most employees complain that they are given more work than they can handle and it stresses them out a lot. At the same time many complain the targets given are not practical. There is a minimal level of interpersonal demands where other employees are not supportive. Personal factors which increase stress are different to every individual. But this does create a hindrance in the organisation performance. All or some of these factors create a high turnover or absenteeism, reduction in productivity and decrease in job satisfaction. Sadly Nippon Lanka has not recognised the importance of stress management in order to curb it or cure it. The main organisational stress come comes from the current management change, this is because the task and role demands have changed and employees need to adjust to the new roles. Personal factors too trigger stress level of the employees. 4.2 Managing Stress at Nippon Lanka Pvt Ltd Based on the study, it is visible that Nippon Lanka uses stress as a positive motivator, but at some points it goes out of hand where it depletes the collaboration and coordination amongst the teams and also inter department. Based on the job roles, the department heads can think of the stress levels which can be imposed on the team members to get results and to meet targets. However the stress levels should be correctly managed so that it motivates results and not deplete and impede the team building and performance drive within the teams. As it is observed, some amount of stress comes from the non-alignment of the reporting lines. Therefore the suggestion is to relook at the reporting lines so that stress does not occur due to incorrect alignment of the business structure which has a negative impact and which creates unnecessary types of stress within teams. Together with the Job role enrichment, reporting lines should also be re-aligned so that the company will only be left with stress which causes the company to perform and not to impede. 5.0 CONCLUSION In conclusion conflict, negotiation and stress are all visible in Nippon Paint. Conflict is unavoidable at the organisation due to the dealings they have among the departments and the third parties. To overcome conflict certain understanding among employees and stakeholders must be implemented. It can be seen that conflict, negotiation and stress are interlinked with each other on some level. Organisational conflict styles may shape an organisations social environment, affecting the level of ongoing conflict and thus the level of stress among employees. Nippon Lanka to a great extent follows an integrative style of conflict management which leads to lower task conflict, reducing relationship conflict, which reduces stress. However, there are many instances where the management has not come up with a solution to the conflict at hand, where they are not willing to step in and the employees are left to resolve the matter, which at most times remains unresolved. The recommended improvements with regard to this has been discussed in Section 3.4. It is important that with the JV taking place, the new management plays an active role in resolving these long running issues so that the organisation and its performance does not get affected. The current JV could also trigger new conflicts and stress levels within the organisation where it is crucial that these issues are identified and resolved. The new management must take this opportunity to place greater prominence of recognizing the on-going stress levels within the organisation and deal with them appropriately. Improved management of conflict, negotiations and stress would benefit the individuals and the organisation in terms of high performing, content, dedicated employees who deliver results.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay: The Importance of Setting

The Importance of Setting in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream  Ã‚      The two locations of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' are essential to the development of the plot, although their presentation relies wholly on the characters we meet there, their adventures and their descriptions of these places. Athens is not an accidental choice of location: although much of the detail of the play is quintessentially English, the classical setting enables Shakespeare to introduce the notable lawgiver, who has had his own problems in love; it makes plausible the reference to the severe law, and it allows Oberon to refer seriously to Cupid and Diana without the play's seeming blasphemous. Theseus is an enlightened ruler, notable for his wise judgement but there is a limit to his abilities: the problem Egeus gives him seems incapable of solution, so he tries to buy time and work on Egeus and Demetrius. But there seems little hope that the "harsh Athenian law" will produce a solution acceptable to all parties. The wood is mentioned first by Lysander, who has been there with Hermia and Helena on May Day, and in the following scene by Bottom. Neither seems to have any inkling of what they may meet there. The wood may be unremarkable in the daytime but at night it is a place of danger and confusion. The young lovers experience the confusion but do not know its cause. The mechanicals go to the Palace Wood because they wish to rehearse unseen, little knowing that the wood is full of spirits (not to mention the four young lovers).    Lysander's literal losing of his way anticipates his metaphorical losing of his way, in pursuing the wrong woman. Demetrius speaks to Helena in a manner no gentleman would care to use ... ...men's own strange standards the device is flawed, since Thisbe is left to find the dead Pyramus by (imagined) "starlight". The performance of Starveling also gives Theseus and Hippolyta the chance to crack some very topical jokes about changing and waning.    The play opens in Athens. We see how the young lovers and the mechanicals leave (for different reasons) this known and familiar place and enter the wood. This is the proper domain of the fairies, and no place for men, who enter at their peril. In the symmetry of the play, we see this process reversed in Act 5. Here the fairies come into Athens into the home of Theseus. But they are in no danger, not even of discovery. While they can promote the general fertility of the natural world in the wood, the importance of Theseus and Hippolyta requires a more direct overseeing of the conception of their heir.    A Midsummer Night's Dream Essay: The Importance of Setting The Importance of Setting in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream  Ã‚      The two locations of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' are essential to the development of the plot, although their presentation relies wholly on the characters we meet there, their adventures and their descriptions of these places. Athens is not an accidental choice of location: although much of the detail of the play is quintessentially English, the classical setting enables Shakespeare to introduce the notable lawgiver, who has had his own problems in love; it makes plausible the reference to the severe law, and it allows Oberon to refer seriously to Cupid and Diana without the play's seeming blasphemous. Theseus is an enlightened ruler, notable for his wise judgement but there is a limit to his abilities: the problem Egeus gives him seems incapable of solution, so he tries to buy time and work on Egeus and Demetrius. But there seems little hope that the "harsh Athenian law" will produce a solution acceptable to all parties. The wood is mentioned first by Lysander, who has been there with Hermia and Helena on May Day, and in the following scene by Bottom. Neither seems to have any inkling of what they may meet there. The wood may be unremarkable in the daytime but at night it is a place of danger and confusion. The young lovers experience the confusion but do not know its cause. The mechanicals go to the Palace Wood because they wish to rehearse unseen, little knowing that the wood is full of spirits (not to mention the four young lovers).    Lysander's literal losing of his way anticipates his metaphorical losing of his way, in pursuing the wrong woman. Demetrius speaks to Helena in a manner no gentleman would care to use ... ...men's own strange standards the device is flawed, since Thisbe is left to find the dead Pyramus by (imagined) "starlight". The performance of Starveling also gives Theseus and Hippolyta the chance to crack some very topical jokes about changing and waning.    The play opens in Athens. We see how the young lovers and the mechanicals leave (for different reasons) this known and familiar place and enter the wood. This is the proper domain of the fairies, and no place for men, who enter at their peril. In the symmetry of the play, we see this process reversed in Act 5. Here the fairies come into Athens into the home of Theseus. But they are in no danger, not even of discovery. While they can promote the general fertility of the natural world in the wood, the importance of Theseus and Hippolyta requires a more direct overseeing of the conception of their heir.   

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Quotes from All My Sons by Arthur Miller Essay

CHARACTORS Joe Keller â€Å"I saw your factory on the way from the stations. It looks like general motors†p150 Allusion-Savy businessman â€Å"Well that’s only your business, Chris†p100 Inability to stand up to Kate â€Å"in hopeless fury, looks at her, turns around, goes up the porch, and into the house slamming screen door violently behind him† p126 Shows he can be neurotic â€Å"Chris†¦ Chris, I did it for you†¦For you! A business for you.†p158 Keller deals with guilt by blaming others and unfortunately taints his love for his son â€Å"A man can’t be a Jesus in this world†p169 Allusion He is realistic but slightly jaded you can try to fulfil your moral and social responsibility â€Å"I’m his father and he’s my son and if there’s something bigger than that I’ll put a bullet in my head!†p163 Dramatic irony and prolepsis- family is the most important thing for him commendable but leads to his downfall as he convinces himself that he shipped the cylinder heads for his family rather than himself â€Å"(Chris with admiration) Joe McGuts†p116 He is very brave â€Å"But I think to him they were all my sons. And I guess they were† p170 Recognition that he has social responsibility can’t live with the realisation â€Å"I can’t sleep here; I’ll feel better if I go†p170 He shows determination there is a metaphorical recognition that he needs to die he is admirable even in death â€Å"The†¦man who knows how many minutes a day his workers spend in the toilet† p59 He has worked hard to be successful he has tried to follow the American dream â€Å"I’m surprised you remember his birthday, Frank. That’s nice.†p91 Exudes self-confidence and likeability â€Å"I want a clean start for you, Chris† p124 Does love his son â€Å"Joe wants to bring you into the business when you get out†p135 Emphaises his benign nature by referring to himself in the third person-When he gets scared he tries to buy people off Kate Keller â€Å"If I tell this to Mother and she has a fit about it† p100 Shows Kate is mentally unstable, has not accepted that Larry is dead and is protected by Joe and Chris. Adds to the tension of the play as we realise she might not be able to hold it together â€Å"Your brother’s alive, darling, because if he’s dead, your father killed him†¦God does not let a son be killed by his father† p156 Dramatic irony Kate reveals her supposition and her desperation to keep Larry alive in her mind as her argument is not a good one â€Å"(Mother smashes him across the face)†p155 Onomatopoeia-Shows she is capable of violence â€Å"It takes a certain talent-for lying. You have it and I do. But not him† p160 Shows that Kate has known about Keller’s deceit all along. Highlights the theme of deceit â€Å"(She finds herself reaching out for the glass of water and aspirin)† p109 From a Freudian view point her emotional turmoil is manifesting itself as physical illness â€Å"Be smart now, Joe. The boy is coming. Be smart† p126 Repetion-Shows that she wants to manipulate George â€Å"(frightened at the thought you can’t say that to her)† p99 Shows she is a difficult character to understand and is neurotic as even her husband and son don’t know how she’s going to react â€Å"He hasn’t been laid up in fifteen years† p152 Colloquial-Shows her careless side and shows she is a little bit stupid â€Å"The minute there’s trouble you have no strength†p162 Uses illness to manipulate characters to act benignly towards her â€Å"Forget now. Live†p171 Clearly loves Chris â€Å"I ‘m smarter than any of you†p148 Shows she knows she can manipulate them â€Å"I’ll find you a girl and put a smile on your face.. You remember Mr Macy’s daughter† p149 Clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d-Shows her manipulation can be a benign force Chris Keller â€Å"Because sometimes I think you’re†¦ ashamed of the money†p124 Hesitation dosen’t want to talk about crime Reveals Keller’s suspicion that Chris is aware of his crime. It shows that Chris is an idealist â€Å"Oh, Chris, you’re a liar to yourself†p143 Shows Chris is self-deceiving â€Å"Everytime I reach out for something I have to pull back because other people will suffer†p100 Shows he is selfless â€Å"Oh Annie, I’m going to make a fortune for you!†p122 Hypocritical of Chris shows an idealism commercialism clash â€Å"It’s time she realised that nobody believes Larry is alive anymore† Only acts on his idealism when it suits him has let Kate pretend that Larry is alive for the last three years until he wants to marry his wife shows his hypocrisy â€Å"But I’m just like everyone else now†p166 Shows Chris’ arrogance in thinking that he was special â€Å"I’m practical now. You made me practical†p166 Repetition of practical highlights it’s significanceSignals Chris’s conversion from Idealism to pragmatism â€Å"A man can be a Jesus in this world†p169 Idea of Chris as Christ figure if you take his name metaphorically just add t to his name this is reinforced by this quotation Ann Dever â€Å"I’d like you to tell him that Larry is dead and you know it† p165 Stands up for what she thinks is right â€Å"It’s wrong to pity a man like that. Father or no Father†p117 Ashamed of her Father’s role in the shop incident and deludes herself that Keller is right based on very little evidence â€Å"I want you to set him free and then I promise you everything will end†p164 Ann tires of moral responsibility like Chris she loses her idealism and becomes more realistic she abandons her father for a chance to be happy â€Å"The female version† of Chrisp132 Gives up her idealism for pragmatism (starting a new life with Chris) is responsible for tragedy â€Å"This is filthy, didn’t you bring another shirt?†p138 Ann acts as a maternal force for George â€Å"You understand me? I’m not going out of here alone. There’s no life for me that way. P164 Determined to get what she wants won’t listen to others George Dever â€Å"say, you’ve gotten a little nervous, haven’t you†p139 Uncomfortable in the role of justice â€Å"Because you believed it† p143 Trusts Chris â€Å"I’ll find you a girl and put a smile on your face†p149 Clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d-He is swayed by the promise of a happy and easy life â€Å"You look terrible, George†p150 Standing up for his father has taken a toll â€Å"I told you to marry that girl† Lost out by being in the war Jim and Sue Bayliss â€Å"It takes a certain talent for lying. You have it and I do. But not him†p160 Jim wants to be idealistic but has sold out to become a good father â€Å"I†¦ studied a certain disease. It was beautiful. And then she came, and she cried. And I went back home with her. And now I live in the usual darkness† p160 Repetition of she and her Jim sacrifices his dream of being a researcher and his idealism â€Å"I told her to take up the guitar. It’d be a common intrest for them† p110 Kate believes the Bayliss’ have too little in common â€Å"Everybody knows Joe pulled a fast one to get out of Jail† p131 Colloquial-Show that the neighbourhood think Joe’s guilty foreshadows revelation that he is adds tension â€Å"They give him credit for being smart† p132 Colloquial-Show that Keller is well liked and respected Frank and Lydia Lubey â€Å"I’ve studied the stars of his life! Somewhere in this world your brother is alive!†p154 Satirical and dramatic irony Discredits fate as a force in this play as Larry is dead â€Å"Does dad expect a parole soon?† p114 Both have a habit of making tactless comments which makes them disagreeable despite their amicable nature â€Å"You’re still making your own clothes? Ain’t she classy† p147 Demonstrative of a couple living the American dream THEMES Confession â€Å"The structure of a play is always the story of how the birds come home to roost† Miller There is always the discovery of the past and a confession this is what makes a good tragedy â€Å"Forget Now. Live†p171 Short scentances-The confession is for the better â€Å"[Desperately. Lost]†p164 The confession evokes pity/fear â€Å"The star of one’s honesty†¦ he (Chris) probably just wanted to be alone to watch his star go out†p160 This is the effect a confession has on others â€Å"[hopless fury]†p126 Simile Causes anger â€Å"I was afraid†p158 Difficult to confess emphasised by short sentences â€Å"I’m not trying to hurt you Kate† â€Å"My God†p165-166 Confession usually causes pain Guilt and Shame â€Å"It’s wrong to pity a man like that. Father or no Father†p117 Colloquial-Ashamed of her Father’s role in the shop incident â€Å"Chris†¦ Chris, I did it for you†¦For you! A business for you.†p158 Keller deals with guilt by blaming others â€Å"What am I, a stranger? I thought I had a family here, what happened to my family?†p161 Repetition of family Guilt and shame plays a role in the development of Keller’s relationship with his father â€Å"I can’t look at you this way, I can’t look at myself†p168 Keller’s confession leads to shame for Chris â€Å"(She finds herself reaching out for the glass of water and aspirin)†p109 Kate is so ashamed of her deception she has a mental and physical breakdown from a Freudian viewpoint â€Å"(a shot is heard in the house)†p171 Shame and guilt over the cylinder heads could arguably lead to this but I think If this had been the case Keller would have killed himself a long time ago instead I think larry and Chris’s disownal of him and his realisation that he has a social responsibility cause him to kill himself he tries to make amends by killing himself and thus exonerating steeve and his family â€Å"I can’t live with myself anymore†p169 Larry kills himself because of guilt that he has helped build a business that has killed American pilots and shame that his father and father-in-law have made a decision that kills his compatriots. â€Å"They killed themselves for each other†p121 Chris has survivors guilt he feels responsible for everyone Deception â€Å"I suspected my father and did nothing about it†p166 Chris is self-deceiving â€Å"But there’s God so certain thing s can never happen†¦Ann, you know I’m right!† p113 Dramatic irony-Kate is self deceiving she gives a flimsy argument and clearly doesn’t truly believe that Larry will come back as she’s horrible to Ann so if he ever does come back Ann will not want Kate to be part of their life â€Å"It takes a certain talent for lying. You have it and I do. But he (Chris) doesn’t†p160 This is Chris’ tragic flaw â€Å"Poplars cut off view† p89 Delusion that Keller can cut himself off from the world Loss â€Å"I’m practical now. You made me Practical†p166 Repetition of practical Chris sacrifices his idealism for his family â€Å"I†¦ studied a certain disease. It was beautiful. And then she came, and she cried. And I went back home with her. And now I live in the usual darkness† p160 Repetition of she and her Jim sacrifices his dream of being a researcher â€Å"Chris, I did it for you† p158 Keller sacrifices his morality for his family â€Å"I thought I had a family here. What happened to my family? P161 Loss of relationship between Keller and Chris and Kate â€Å"I told you to marry that girl† p148 Loss of future between George and Lydia â€Å"It’s wrong to pity a man like that. Father or no father†p117 Colloquial Loss of relationship between Ann and Steve â€Å"I was going to tell them†¦ it was too late† p157 Clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d Loss of opportunity to warn about the faulty parts â€Å"four-foot high stump† p89 Symbolises the loss of Larry â€Å"Because if he’s not coming back, then I’ll kill myself† p107 Bathos How Kate deals with loss of Larry = loss of mental stability â€Å"We’re like at a railway station waiting for a train that never comes in† p106 Simile Chris deals with loss of Larry by trying to move on â€Å"[Increasing demand]†p113 Conflict over different ways of dealing with the past and the loss of Larry each character tries to get their point across â€Å"Those dear dead days beyond recall†p110 alliterationLoss of the benign past â€Å"I want a clean start for you, Chris† p124 Idiom Deals with loss of past by breaking from it â€Å"Let’s†¦ raise some hell around here, like we used to before Larry went!† p110 idiomAnn deals with past by resurrecting it Suicide â€Å"I can’t bear to live any more†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"I read about dad being convicted†p169 Larry commits suicide because of guilt does this make him a coward or a tragic hero? â€Å"If he’s not coming back I’ll kill myself†p107 Bathos Irony as Larry has killed himself foreshadows this discovery â€Å"I’m his father and he’s my son and if there’s something bigger than that I’ll put a bullet in my head!†p163 Bathos Dramatic irony â€Å"You stop that!† p163 Short scentance emphaises shockMother’s reaction to suicide â€Å"[A shot is heard in the house]† p171 Keller’s reaction to Larry’s suicide â€Å"They killed themselves for each other†p121 Chris has a different attitude to suicide than his parents War profiteering â€Å"What you have is loot and it has blood on it†p121 Metaphor Chris is ashamed of it â€Å"Did they ship a gun or a truck out of Detroit before they got their price?†p168 Allusion-Realism argument it is too idealistic to expect people to work for nothing â€Å"Chris, I did it for you† p158 Keller’s attitude is that war profiteering is fine if it is done for the family â€Å"But I think to him they were all my sons. And I guess they were† p170 Shows Keller’s change of mind he can no longer justify war profiteering through his family he now believes he has social and moral responsibility Moral Responsibility â€Å"I†¦ studied a certain disease. It was beautiful. And then she came, and she cried. And I went back home with her. And now I live in the usual darkness† p160 Repetition of she and her Jim neglected being true to himself â€Å"The star of one’s honesty†¦ he probably just wanted to be alone to watch his star go out†p160 Simile Lack of honesty from all characters even eventually Chris â€Å"It’s wrong to pity a man like that. Father or no father†p117 Colloquial Lack of forgiveness from Ann and initially George â€Å"I said he’s dead.I know!†p165 Ann shows moral responsibility when she bravely tries to convince broken pscyotic women that her son is dead as she has found out â€Å"I can’t bear to live anymore†p169 Larry can’t forgive â€Å"I want you to set him free and then I promise you everything will be at an end†p164 Metaphor Ann tires of moral responsibility â€Å"I can’t look at you this way. I can’t look at myself†p169 Can’t emphasised Chris finds it hard to forgive and stay true to himself â€Å"A man can’t be a Jesus in this world†p169 Allusion Keller lies about Steve and his involvement with the faulty parts Social responsibility â€Å"I’m his father and he’s my son and if there’s something bigger than that then I’ll put a bullet through my head†p163 Irony and bathos Keller’s initial delusion about social responsibility his journey through the play is the discovery that there is more than this â€Å"But I think to him they were all my sons. And I guess they were† p170 Recognition that he has social responsibility can’t live with the realisation â€Å"To him the world had a forty-foot front; it ended at the building line†p163 Shows Larry initially ignored his social responsibility â€Å"I can’t bear to live any more†p169 Realises he has social responsibility and that he has been indirectly forced by his father to neglect this but does he neglect his social responsibility by killing himself taking a pilot away from benefiting his country? Heroism â€Å"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself† Joseph Campbell (American folklorist) A tragic hero is â€Å"A man not pre-eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune however, is brought upon him not by vice or depravity but by some error of judgement† Aristotle Miller was aware of this definition â€Å"I’m his father and he’s my son and if there’s something bigger than that then I’ll put a bullet through my head†p163 Bathos and irony Joe is a hero according to Campbell’s definition â€Å"Forget now. Live†p171 Short scentances show shock Through death he is able to save his family from long term suffering â€Å"I can’t sleep here; I’ll feel better if I go†p170 He shows determination there is a metaphorical recognition that he needs to die â€Å"Well that’s only your business Chris†p100 He doesn’t want to confront his wife so he becomes alienated from his son Chris knows Keller is â€Å"no worse than no men. I thought you were better. I never saw you as a man. I saw you as my father†p168 Cylinder heads cause break with Chris and tragedy â€Å"I suspected my father and did nothing about it†p166 Chris is self-deceiving although it could be argued that fate takes a part as Keller’s deception could have remained hidden from the outside world through the court paper. Keller’s mistake has already destroyed his family the real tragedy as everything he’s worked for has been for them â€Å"for you, a business for you† â€Å"She finds herself reaching out for the glass of water and asprin†p109 Causes a mental and physical deterioration for Kate â€Å"Oh my God†p166 Refuses to believe her son is dead despite all the evidence â€Å"I’d hoped that if I waited, mother would forget Larry and then we’d have a regular wedding and everything happy, but if that can’t happen then I’ll have to get out of here†p101 Ironically Mother drives Chris away by refusing to agree with the evidence â€Å"It’s wrong to pity a man like that. Father or no father†p117 Abandons her father and believes Joe only to find out she was wrong to do so â€Å"Oh Chris, I’ve been ready for a long, long time† p120 Repetition of long Although she is not responsible for Larry’s death a great tragedy in her life she does kill his memory by getting engaged with Chris â€Å"The female version† of Chrisp132 Gives up her idealism for pragmatism (starting a new life with Chris) is responsible for tragedy â€Å"He won the war, Frank†p148 George lost the love of his life to Frank â€Å"I told you when you went away, don’t try for medals†p145 Aphorism He was initially eager to get away from the neighbourhood and become a soldier â€Å"I†¦ studied a certain disease. It was beautiful. And then she came, and she cried. And I went back home with her. And now I live in the usual darkness† p160 Repetition of she and her Jim is responsible for his own tragedy but is a hero as he remains a good husband and conformed to the prosaic â€Å"The world had a forty-foot front it ended at the building line†p163 Larry recognises that this is not the case and tries to make amends for it by suicidially fighting for his country Return of the Past â€Å"The past is always present and cannot be ignored, forgotten or denied† Centola Idealism vs. Commercialism Chris, Jim, George and Ann vs. Joe and Sue â€Å"When you marry never count your husband’s money p110 Aphorism The majority of the characters advocate idealism over commercialism â€Å"Because sometimes I think you’re†¦ ashamed of the money†p124 Hesitation shows conflict Keller thinks Commercialism can act as a benign force â€Å"Oh Annie, I’m going to make a fortune for you!†p122 Hypocritical of Chris â€Å"For you, a business for you†p158 Keller and Chris have the same attitude when they have a family they both ultimately want to work for them â€Å"The business! The business doesn’t inspire me†p102 More interested in idealism but has still sold out for money but in denial that he’s done so â€Å"And he’s got money. That’s important, you know†p130 Suggests that Chris can afford to be idealistic sue values materialism â€Å"As soon as a woman supports a man, he owes her something. You can never owe somebody something without resenting them†p130 Money affects relationships â€Å"I†¦ studied a certain disease. It was beautiful. And then she came, and she cried. And I went back home with her. And now I live in the usual darkness† p160 Repetition of she and her Jim has made a compromise between the two â€Å"Joe wants to bring you into the business when you get out† p135 Uses the third person Compromise between commercialism and idealism he knows Steve will not want to work for the better of the business â€Å"I’m practical now. You made me Practical†p166 Repetition of practical Chris sacrifices his idealism for his family Family Relationships Keller Family Keller and Larry â€Å"If Larry were alive he wouldn’t act like this. That was a boy we lost. Larry.†p163 Irony Larry is his favourite son he understands him â€Å"I think to him they were all my sons. And I guess they were†p170 Keller is prepared to change his views for Larry Keller and Chris â€Å"I’ve been a good son too long, a good sucker†p102 Colloquial They don’t understand each other but are ultimately prepared to make compromises for each other â€Å"Chris†¦Chris, I did it for you†p154 Keller taints there relationship by trying to put the blame for the cylinder heads on Chris â€Å"I’m his father and he’s my son and if there’s something bigger than that then I’ll put a bullet through my head†p163 Irony and bathos Shows that he does love Chris Chris and Larry â€Å"(Chris is discovered sawing the broken-off tree, leaving stump standing alone)†p127 Tries to clear away Larry’s memory Mother and Chris â€Å"She’s Larry’s girl†p155 Colloquial Seems to care about Larry more â€Å"Forget now. Live†p171 Short scentances Her maternal side comes out to Chris once Larry is dead Mother and Larry Irony and bathos â€Å"Because if he’s not coming back then I’ll kill myself†p107 Can’t let go of Larry â€Å"I knew I could stop him†p105 Irony Believes she can save Larry Keller and Kate â€Å"I wear the pants and she beats me with the belt†p150 Kate emotionally blackmails Keller Deever Family â€Å"Ann, George and their absent father might be viewed as the opposite of the Keller’s† Ann and Steve â€Å"It’s wrong to pity a man like that. Father or no father†p117 Colloquial Abandons her father and believes Joe with little evidence â€Å"I’ll do nothing about Joe† p164 Sacrifices Steve being exonerated for her future happiness Ann and George â€Å"You’re coming with me†p144 He is prepared to sacrifice her happiness for his idealism they don’t have a very strong relationship â€Å"This is filthy, didn’t you bring another shirt?†p138 Ann acts as a maternal force for George Steve and George â€Å"I didn’t see him once when I got home from the war!†p141 George initially chooses idealism over his father Wears â€Å"(your fathers)† hat139 Eventually compromises and wears his hat as he loves him Lubey Family â€Å"I don’t know why you can’t learn to turn on a simple thing like a toaster!† p94 Demonstrative of the perfect family without idealism living the American dream American Dream â€Å"The American dream is a subjective term usually implying a successful and satisfying life. Perceptions of the American dream are usually framed in terms of American capitalism, and the freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Bill of rights† â€Å"I’ll get out. I’ll get married and live some place else†p101 Freedom â€Å"I want a family, I want some kids, I want to build something I can give myself to†p102 Tricolon of want Belief that you can achieve what ever you want if you work hard for it â€Å"I don’t know why you can’t learn to turn on a simple thing like a toaster!† p94 Demonstrative of the perfect family without idealism living the American dream â€Å"I†¦ studied a certain disease. It was beautiful. And then she came, and she cried. And I went back home with her. And now I live in the usual darkness† p160 Repetition of she and her Jim sacrifices his dream of being a researcher he is not living the American dream â€Å"I was the beast†¦ Except I wasn’t†¦ Fourteen months later I had of the best shops in the state again, a respected man again; bigger than ever.† P116 Metaphor Failure of American dream should be in prison as has broken the law Hope â€Å"She’s dreaming about him again†p99 Kate hopes that Larry will return â€Å"I want a family, I want some kids, I want to build something I can give myself to†p102 Tricolon-Ann and Chris want to marry and be successful-live the American dream â€Å"Chris†¦Chris, I did it for you†p158 Keller wants to provide a significant amount for his family Humour â€Å"I would love to help humanity on a Warner Brothers salary†p93 Foils provide comic relief in act 1 contrast to later tragedy â€Å"My love, My light†p93 Sarcasm from Jim â€Å"I like to keep abreast of my ignorance†p96 Major character is introduced through humour contrast to his serious and idealistic nature â€Å"Don’t talk dirty (They laugh)†p134 Keller provides comic relief in act two and makes him more likeable Justice Justice is a main theme within the play ‘All My Sons’, and an example of justice being symbolised is the idea of Joe telling the children that he has a jail in the basement of his house.Although simple, this metaphor is quite powerful, as it suggests to the audience that he could be hiding more than just a basement to the people of the street. It could also suggest that he is keeping justice locked away within the Keller house, and as the children keep asking about the jail, there is an underlying idea that the truth about Joe could surface sometime within the play. ‘I spoiled the both of you’ Something that is apparent throughout the book is the amount of money that Joe has earned through his business. Some may assume that Keller bribed his way out of prison, due his frequent reference to, as well as his constant reliance on money. He uses this later in the play as a way to try and justify to his family that if he had gone to jail then he wouldn’t have been able to make all this money for them. â€Å"Everybody knows Joe pulled a fast one to get out of jail†. Whilst this may first seem as a cheap dig at the Kellers, this is confirmed when Jim says (to Kate) â€Å"I’ve always known†. This would be negatively viewed, as because of these actions an innocent man (Steve) is in jail instead of Joe. Therefore, the characters are just as guilty as Joe for letting an innocent man rot in jail. â€Å"if [George and Anne] wanted to open up the case again†. Joe’s prediction is actually correct though, and it is the arrival of George which helps to uncover the truth about the cylinder heads. George therefore does a very good job or prosecuting Joe. A clever inclusion into the play is that George is actually involved with the law, as opposed to it just being a metaphor, like the other parts of the courtroom analogy. We get this idea through Chris’ question to him â€Å"How’s the law†. â€Å"You’re not even an animal, no animal kills his own, what are you?† â€Å"I’m not going to do anything about it† Throughout almost all of the play Chris, Anne and Kate represent Joe’s defence.Chris suddenly becomes a prosecutor, voicing his fury and shame to his father Perhaps here we see a highly uncaring side of Anne, as she will gladly let her father rot in prison even though she now knows that he is innocent. Religion â€Å"Every Sunday ought to be like this†p90 The play starts on a sunday morning which is a religious time of the week â€Å"chris† Chris’ name could be interpreted as ‘Christ’ which would suggest a kind of moral superiority that he at least tries to achieve â€Å"downstage, stands the four-foot high stump of a slender apple-tree whose upper branches lie toppled beside it, fruit still clinging to its branches†p89 The apple tree is incredibly important in terms of religious symbolism. It obviously has connotations of the tree of knowledge – the tree which was in the story of Adam and Eve. It’s significant that it’s there as it is an indication of the ‘fall’ that’s about to happen (in the same way that eve fell from god’s grace by eating the apple). It represents in this sense the knowledge of Larry’s death and the real causes. â€Å"living next door to the holy family† p131 The tree is a holy symbol however it is broken.the broken tree signifies that in reality, the Keller’s aren’t as ‘holy’ as they seem. â€Å"the trouble with you is that you don’t believe in anything† â€Å"now I live in the usual darkness† My personal opinion is that Jim represents non belief in terms of religion. The idea that he lives in darkness suggests that there is no light from religion in his life. And perhaps his unhappiness is a result of this non belief. Although, as an alternative interpretation, you could say that the way he admires Chris (â€Å"he meets a man and makes a statue out of him† p131) and the fact that Chris could be interpreted as ‘Christ’ means that he isn’t a total non believer. â€Å"Nobody in this house dast take her faith away, Joe† p 107 Although this is a references to Ann’s faith in Larry, it potentially has further reaching meaning. The use of â€Å"dast† is not in keeping with the general colloquial tone of the dialogue in the play, so it stands out. It almost sounds as if it could have been quoted from the bible. It is keeping with the idea that Mother is hijacking religion as reasoning behind her argument that Larry is alive â€Å"I never believed in crucifying people† p117 Keller says this, and although it’s clearly a view that he has gained because he is guilty, it’s also representative of a forgiving figure. However, it’s also incredibly ironical since he’s put Steve through jail for something he didn’t do which is worse than crucifiction . â€Å"He was falsely accussed once and it put him through hell† p133 Chris says this to Ann and the irony is that Keller lied and put Steve in prison actions that Christians believe would put him through hell the next time he is accused he will commit suicide an action Christians also believe will result in the perpetrater going to hell â€Å"George, you don’t want to be the voice of God, do you?† p140 â€Å"And truer love hath no man!† p 148 it has biblical echoes. â€Å"Is it junk to feel that that there’s a greater power than ourselves?† p 154 â€Å"That’s all, nothing more til Christ comes†. P155 There’s great irony in this statement from Chris. By â€Å"til Christ comes† he’s refering to Judgement day (and therefore implying that they should never talk about the problem again). But in reality, judgement day is approaching (the day when the truth emerges and the day of Keller’s death). â€Å"God does not let a son be killed by his father† p 156 This is the whole concept that has led to Kate’s adamant belief that Larry is still alive. Play Act One The Keller’s home is describe as a ‘secluded atmosphere’ and something about ‘poplar trees’. This creates he effect of the Kellers home in having something to hide perhaps, which is reinforced by anne’s comment that ‘the poplars have gotten thick’. Also Their house is described as ‘on the outskirts of an american town’. Well ‘an’ could suggest that this does not only apply to the Keller’s, but the whole of american society including the audience who are viewing the play. Also look at Frank entrance. He ‘saunters in’ creating a sense of mystery and slowness about the place. Also look at the introduction to the materialistic goods such as the ‘malt mixer’, something which would have been fairly new, considering the context. Also there is a lot in Chris war speech, you could basically write a page on that single section and it is also good for linking in with the section ou ha ve been asked. Remeber, always link this section to the rest of the play, without this you won’t get an A. Act Two Act Three

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Picasso’s Background And Life Experiences Essay

Picasso was arguably the most influential artist of the twentieth century. He had some degree of influence in all styles of painting which were used during his time, and was known and respected by almost every art enthusiast on the face of the planet. Pablo Picasso, born Pablo Ruiz Picasso, came into the world on the 25th of October 1881 in the southern Spanish town of Malaga. Pablo was an artist from early in his life – he was a child prodigy. He began his career as a classical painter. He painted things such as portraits and landscapes. But this style didn’t satisfy Picasso, he was a free man and wanted to express himself and ultimately leave a lasting mark on art, as we know it. Picasso turned his attention to cubes. He invented Cubism – a radical art form that used harsh lines and corners to display a picture instead of the usual soft curves. Picasso won a lot of fame for his Cubist paintings, but was criticized for it also. He designed and painted the drop curtain and some giant cubist figures for a ballet in 1917. When the audience saw the huge distorted images on stage, they were angry, they thought the ballet was a joke at their expense. Cubism lived on despite this. Other artists mimicked Picasso’s Cubism, and it took hold. Picasso had only just begun his one-man art revolution. In the late 1920s, Picasso fixed himself upon an even more revolutionary art form – Surrealism. Surrealism emphasized the role of the unconscious mind in creative activity. Surrealists aimed at creating art from dream, visions, and irrational impulses. Their paintings shocked the world – particularly Picasso’s – it was unlike anything a nyone had ever seen before. He took advantage of this fact and also the fact that he was extremely famous, to make a few political statements, statements that would go down in history. 1936 saw the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Fascist revolutionaries, led by Francisco Franco took hold of Spain and imposed a fascist dictatorship upon the country. Due to poor economic control and disregard for the people on the part of the Fascists, the country went through hell. The unemployment rate was phenomenal. The majority of the population were peasants and lived in appalling conditions. Impoverished gangs scavenged in fields and rubbish heaps for anything they could find. A vast horde of ragged, jobless people  wandered around from town to town. On top of this the Fascists operated as a police state and therefore anyone who opposed it would be executed. This incident sparked the most important time in Picasso’s life. On April 26 1937, Nazi German bombers flying under orders from General Francisco Franco, laid waste to the town of Guernica, in the Basque part of Spain, killing many innocent civilians. The bombing of Guernica was an extremely cruel example to th e rest of Spain of what would happen if the Republican resistance continued. This action prompted Picasso to paint Guernica; some say his greatest masterpiece ever. It shows the suffering and destruction of the town, as well as Picasso’s own horror and outrage at what happened. The painting depicts death and carnage on a large scale. A grief stricken mother is holding her dead child, a woman is burning, a severed arm holding a broken spear is lying next to a dead man and a horse, which represents the people, has been speared through the heart and is in agony. The bull stands alone, above everything else. The painting shook not only the art world but also the political world. Guernica is Picasso’s major political expression of all his paintings. Even though it is a single painting, it did so much. And even though it is painted using expressionism, it is still so powerful and it made people realize what was going on in Spain and struck up sympathy for the Spanish people, and hatred for the fascists. Even though Picasso only aimed to express his own horror, outrage, suffering and sorrow of the Spanish people. By unleashing Guernica on the world, Picasso achieved more than he set out to do. Guernica struck up mixed emotions. The Nazis thought of his work as â€Å"degenerate† art – not only did it defy â€Å"the rules† of painting; his artwork was anti-Fascist and therefore anti-Nazi. On the other hand, the British, Americans, French etc. loved his work because it expressed, as nothing else could, the horrors and atrocities of Fascism. When Nazi occupation of Paris came, Picasso’s work was prohibited from public exhibition. Picasso then took on a new role. He refused to leave Paris while the Nazis were there – his fame protected him. But Picasso’s refusal to co-operate with the Germans also made him, as a person, a symbol of freedom, of the â€Å"unvanquished spirit† After the war however, Picasso’s work was not  met entirely with open arms. In Paris, those still influenced by Nazi propaganda, violently protested against Picasso. But this wore off and Picasso went down in history as not only one of the greatest artists ever, but also a hero, and a figure of defiance against Fascism. Works Cited Page  ·Ã¢â‚¬ Pablo Picasso: The Early Years†. E-Library Article Preview. http://ask.elibrary.com  ·Picasso and Braque : pioneering cubism : [exhibition] Museum of Modern Art, New York, September 24, 1989-January 16, 1990.  ·The Artist and the Camera : Degas to Picasso, by Kosinski, Dorothy M.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Theories of the Origin and Evolution of Human Language

Theories of the Origin and Evolution of Human Language The expression language origins refers to theories pertaining to the emergence and development of language in human societies. Over the centuries, many theories have been put forward- and almost all of them have been challenged, discounted, and ridiculed. (See Where Does Language Come From?) In 1866, the Linguistic Society of Paris banned any discussion of the topic: The Society will accept no communication concerning either the origin of language or the creation of a universal language. Contemporary linguist Robbins Burling says that anyone who has read widely in the literature on language origins cannot escape a sneaking sympathy with the Paris linguists. Reams of nonsense have been written about the subject (The Talking Ape, 2005). In recent decades, however, scholars from such diverse fields as genetics, anthropology, and cognitive science have been engaged, as Christine Kenneally says, in a cross-discipline, multidimensional treasure hunt to find out how language began. It is, she says, the hardest problem in science today (The First Word, 2007). Observations on the Origins of Language Divine origin [is the] conjecture that human language originated as a gift from God. No scholar takes this idea seriously today. (R.L. Trask, A Students Dictionary of Language and Linguistics, 1997; rpt. Routledge, 2014) Numerous and varied explanations have been put forth to explain how humans acquired language- many of which date back to the time of the Paris ban. Some of the more fanciful explanations have been given nicknames, mainly to the effect of dismissal by ridicule. The scenario by which language evolved in humans to assist the coordination of working together (as on the pre-historic equivalent of a loading dock) has been nicknamed the yo-heave-ho model. Theres the bow-wow model in which language originated as imitations of animal cries. In the poo-poo model, language started from emotional interjections. During the twentieth century, and particularly its last few decades, discussion of language origins has become respectable and even fashionable. One major problem remains, however; most models about language origins do not readily lend themselves to the formation of testable hypotheses, or rigorous testing of any sort. What data will allow us to conclude that one model or another best explains how language arose? (Norman A. Johnson, Darwinian Detectives: Revealing the Natural History of Genes and Genomes. Oxford University Press, 2007) Physical Adaptations - Instead of looking at types of sounds as the source of human speech, we can look at the types of physical features humans possess, especially those that are distinct from other creatures, which may have been able to support speech production. . . . Human teeth are upright, not slanting outwards like those of apes, and they are roughly even in height. Such characteristics are . . . very helpful in making sounds such as f or v. Human lips have much more intricate muscle lacing than is found in other primates and their resulting flexibility certainly helps in making sounds like p, b, and m. In fact, the b and m sounds are the most widely attested in the vocalizations made by human infants during their first year, no matter which language their parents are using. (George Yule, The Study of Language, 5th ed. Cambridge University Press, 2014) -   In the evolution of the human vocal tract since the split with other apes, the adult larynx descended to its lower position. Phonetician Philip Lieberman has persuasively argued that the ultimate cause of the human lowered larynx is its function in producing different vowels. This is a case of natural selection for more effective communication. . . . Babies are born with their larynxes in a high position, like monkeys. This is functional, as there is a reduced risk of choking, and babies are not yet talking. . . . By about the end of the first year, the human larynx descends to its near-adult lowered position. This is a case of ontogeny recapitulating phylogeny, the growth of the individual reflecting the evolution of the species. (James R. Hurford, The Origins of Language. Oxford University Press, 2014) From Words to Syntax Language-ready modern children learn vocabulary voraciously before they begin to make grammatical utterances several words long. So we presume that in the origins of language a one-word stage preceded our remote ancestors first steps into grammar. The term protolanguage has been widely used to describe this one-word stage, where there is vocabulary but no grammar. (James R. Hurford, The Origins of Language. Oxford University Press, 2014) The Gesture Theory of Language Origin - Speculation about how languages originate and evolve has had an important place in the history of ideas, and it has been intimately linked to questions about the nature of the signed languages of the deaf and human gestural behavior in general. It can be argued, from a phylogenetic perspective, the origin of human sign languages is coincident with the origin of human languages; sign languages, that is, are likely to have been the first true languages. This is not a new perspectiveit is perhaps as old as nonreligious speculation about the way human language may have begun. (David F. Armstrong and Sherman E. Wilcox, The Gestural Origin of Language. Oxford University Press, 2007) - [A]n analysis of the physical structure of visible gesture provides insights into the origins of syntax, perhaps the most difficult question facing students of the origin and evolution of language . . .. It is the origin of syntax that transforms naming into language, by enabling human beings to comment on and think about the relationships between things and events, that is, by enabling them to articulate complex thoughts and, most important, share them with others. . . . We are not the first to suggest a gestural origin of language. [Gordon] Hewes (1973; 1974; 1976) was one of the first modern proponents of a gestural origins theory. [Adam] Kendon (1991: 215) also suggests that the first kind of behaviour that could be said to be functioning in anything like a linguistic fashion would have had to have been gestural. For Kendon, as for most others who consider gestural origins of language, gestures are placed in opposition to speech and vocalization. . . . While we would agree with Kendons strategy of examining the relationships among spoken and signed languages, pantomime, graphic depiction, and other modes of human representation, we are not convinced that placing gesture in opposition to speech leads to a productive framework for understanding the emergence of cognition and language. For us, the answer to the question, If language began as gesture, why did it not stay that way? is that it did. . . . All language, in the words of Ulrich Neisser (1976), is articulatory gesturing. We are not proposing that language began as gesture and became vocal. Language has been and always will be gestural (at least until we evolve a reliable and universal capacity for mental telepathy). (David F. Armstrong, William C. Stokoe, and Sherman E. Wilcox, Gesture and the Nature of Language. Cambridge University Press, 1995) - If, with [Dwight] Whitney, we think of language as a complex of instrumentalities which serve in the expression of thought (as he would sayone might not wish to put it quite like this today), then gesture is part of language. For those of us with an interest in language conceived of in this way, our task must include working out all the intricate ways in which gesture is used in relation to speech and of showing the circumstances in which the organization of each is differentiated from the other as well as the ways in which they overlap. This can only enrich our understanding of how these instrumentalities function. If, on the other hand, we define language in structural terms, thus excluding from consideration most, if not all, of the kinds of gestural usages I have illustrated today, we may be in danger of missing important features of how language, so defined, actually succeeds as an instrument of communication. Such a structural definition is valuable as a matter of convenience , as a way of delimiting a field of concern. On the other hand, from the point of view of a comprehensive theory of how humans do all the things they do by means of utterances, it cannot be sufficient. (Adam Kendon, Language and Gesture: Unity or Duality? Language and Gesture, ed. by David McNeill. Cambridge University Press, 2000) Language as a Device for Bonding [T]he size of human social groups gives rise to a serious problem: grooming is the mechanism that is used to bond social groups among primates, but human groups are so large that it would be impossible to invest enough time in grooming to bond groups of this size effectively. The alternative suggestion, then, is that language evolved as a device for bonding large social groupsin other words, as a form of grooming-at-a-distance. The kind of information that language was designed to carry was not about the physical world, but rather about the social world. Note that the issue here is not the evolution of grammar as such, but the evolution of language. Grammar would have been equally useful whether language evolved to subserve a social or a technological function. (Robin I.A. Dunbar, The Origin and Subsequent Evolution of Language. Language Evolution, ed. by Morten H. Christiansen and Simon Kirby. Oxford University Press, 2003) Otto Jespersen on Language as Play (1922) - [P]rimitive speakers were not reticent and reserved beings, but youthful men and women babbling merrily on, without being so particular about the meaning of each word. . . . They chattered away for the mere pleasure of chattering . . ..   [P]rimitive speech . . . resembles the speech of little baby himself, before he begins to frame his own language after the pattern of the grownups; the language of our remote forefathers was like that ceaseless humming and crooning with which no thoughts are as yet connected, which merely amuses and delights the little one. Language originated as play, and the organs of speech were first trained in this singing sport of idle hours. (Otto Jespersen,Language: Its Nature, Development and Origin, 1922) - It is quite interesting to note that these modern views [on the commonality of language and music and of language and dance] were anticipated in great detail by Jespersen (1922: 392-442). In his speculations about the origin of language, he arrived at the view that referential language must have been preceded by singing, which in its turn was functional in fulfilling the need for sex (or love), on the one hand, and the need for coordinating collective work, on the other. These speculations have, in turn, their origins in [Charles] Darwins 1871 book The Descent of Man: we may conclude from a widely-spread analogy that this power would have been especially exerted during the courtship of the sexes, serving to express various emotions. . . . The imitation by articulate sounds of musical cries might have given rise to words expressive of various complex emotions. (quoted from Howard 1982: 70) The modern scholars mentioned above agree in rejecting the well-known scenario according to which language originated as a system of monosyllabic grunt-like sounds that had the (referential) function of pointing at things. Instead, they propose a scenario according to which referential meaning was slowly grafted upon nearly autonomous melodious sound. (Esa Itkonen, Analogy as Structure and Process: Approaches in Linguistics, Cognitive Psychology and Philosophy of Science. John Benjamins, 2005) Divided Views on the Origins of Language (2016) Today, opinion on the matter of language origins is still deeply divided. On the one hand, there are those who feel that language is so complex, and so deeply ingrained in the human condition, that it must have evolved slowly over immense periods of time. Indeed, some believe that its roots go all the way back to  Homo habilis, a tiny-brained hominid that lived in Africa not far short of two million years ago. On the other, there are those like [Robert] Berwick and [Noam] Chomsky who believe that humans acquired language quite recently, in an abrupt event. Nobody is in the middle on this one, except to the extent that different extinct hominid species are seen as the inaugurators of language’s slow evolutionary trajectory. That this deep dichotomy of viewpoint has been able to persist (not only among linguists, but among paleoanthropologists, archaeologists, cognitive scientists, and others) for as long as anyone can remember is due to one simple fact: at least until the very recent advent of writing systems, language has left no trace in any durable record. Whether any early humans possessed language, or didn’t, has had to be inferred from indirect proxy indicators. And views have diverged greatly on the matter of what is an acceptable proxy. (Ian Tattersall, At the Birth of Language.   The New York Review of Books, August 18, 2016) Also  See Where Does Language Come From?: Five Theories on the Origins of Language Cognitive Linguistics  and  Neurolinguistics

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Complex Question Fallacyâ€Definition and Examples

Complex Question Fallacys A complex question is a  fallacy in which the answer to a given question presupposes a prior answer to a prior question. Also known as (or closely related to) a  loaded question, a trick question, a leading question, the fallacy of the false question, and the fallacy of many questions. Have you stopped beating your wife? is the classic example of the complex question. Ralph Keyes has traced this example back to a 1914 book of legal humor. Since then, he says, it has . . . become the standard allusion to any question that cant be answered without self-incrimination (I Love It When You Talk Retro, 2009). Examples and Observations Lets talk about Glaucon.  Where did you get the poison  you used on him?I never!His whole family died- wife, children, mother, the lot. Surely you feel badly about that?Didymus passed his hand over his eyes. I didnt poison anyone.†(Bruce Macbain,  The Bull Slayer: A Plinius Secundus Mystery. Poisoned Pen Press, 2013)  He was woken two hours later and presently a doctor examined him.What drugs were you on? he asked.Wilt stared at him blankly. Ive never taken any drugs in my life, he muttered.(Tom Sharpe,  Wilt in Nowhere. Hutchinson, 2004)   The Unjustified Presumption Plurium interrogationum, which translates as of many questions, is otherwise known as the fallacy of the complex question. When several questions are combined into one, in such a way that a yes-or-no answer is required, the person they are asked of has no chance to give separate replies to each, and the fallacy of the complex question is committed... Did the pollution you caused increase or decrease your profits?Did your misleading claims result in you getting promoted?Is your stupidity inborn? All of them contain an assumption that the concealed question has already been answered affirmatively. It is this unjustified presumption which constitutes the fallacy... The complex question has to be broken into simpler ones; and often the denial of the fact presumed invalidates the larger question altogether.(Madsen Pirie,  How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic, 2nd ed. Bloomsbury, 2015)   Trick Questions The fallacy of complex question is the interrogative form of the fallacy of begging the question. Like the latter, it begs the question by assuming the conclusion at issue:Before rushing to answer a complex question, it is best to question the question: a) Have you stopped beating your wife?b) Did John ever give up his bad habits?c) Are you still a heavy drinker? In each of these questions there lies an assumed answer to a previous question. Did John have bad habits? is the unasked question whose answer is assumed in question b. We need to withhold any answer to question b until this prior question has been resolved. In some instances of this fallacy, considerable struggle may be necessary in order to liberate ourselves from the misleading influence of a complex question. The serious consequences of complex questions can be appreciated by considering these trick questions, which would be out of order in a court of law: d) What did you use to wipe your fingerprints from the gun?e) How long had you contemplated this robbery before you carried it out? (S. Morris Engel, With Good Reason: An Introduction to Informal Fallacies, 3rd ed. St. Martins, 1986) An Implicit Argument Although not an argument as such, a complex question involves an implicit argument. This argument is usually intended to trap the respondent into acknowledging something that he or she might otherwise not want to acknowledge. Examples:Obviously, each of the questions is really two questions.(Patrick J. Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic. Thomson Wadsworth, 2005) Have you stopped cheating on exams?Where did you hide the marijuana you were smoking?