Beowulf and Roland essays

Beowulf and Roland essays Over the years, previous research has confirmed a high incidence of communication problems among male and female juvenile delinquents. Researchers have documented challenges in a broad range of communication skills including articulation, fluency, semantics, morphology, and syntax (Cozad; Falconer). Basically these findings resulted from assessment procedures that relied primarily on standardized tests rather than analyses of conversational skills or other means of assessing how individuals use language functionally in their everyday social interactions. Standardized speech and language tend to focus on mastery of discrete skills and rarely assess communication performance in real life situations. Standardized testing has shown that juvenile delinquents have a high incidence of communication problems. A productive study was conducted to explore communication problems in juvenile delinquents. There were forty-five female participants residing at a correctional institution for adjudicated youths. Ages of the participants ranged from fourteen to eighteen years. They had to be convicted of committing one or more misdemeanor or felony offenses. Twenty-nine of the participants were Caucasian, six were Native American, four were African-American, four were Hispanic, and two were Asian American. They were all from lower socio-economic or working class families. This has all been referred from their parents occupations. Institutional and school records revealed that all participants had IQ scores ranging from 81-116. About one-third of the youths had received special education services at some point during their education. This included seven participants who had received services for learning disabilities. Two of the seven plus four more had received speech services for articulation problems; and four had received services for behavioral disorders. All participants engaged in conversations about commu...

SAT Curve Is It Real

SAT Curve Is It Real SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many high school tests are curved, but what about the SAT? Is the SAT curved? Canwhen or whom you take the exam with affect your final SAT score? In this article, we'll answer all ofyour questions about the SAT curve. First, we'llclosely examine whether there actually is an SAT curve and discusshow the SAT is scored. We'll then look at SAT curve trendsand give you tips on how you canuse SAT curves to your advantage. Is the SAT Curved? Contrary to what you may believe, there is no SAT curve. This means your SAT score willnever be affected by how other test takers perform on thetest. So even if everyone you took the SAT with were to performpoorly on it, the College Board would not raise everyone's SAT scores to account forthe surplusof low test scores. In other words,you will never receive an SAT score higher than what you actually earned on the test, regardless of whom you took the test with. But if the SAT isn't curved relative to other test takers, how does its scoring system work? Is an 800 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) on one SAT the same as a perfect EBRW score on another? Or is it more difficult to score highlyon certain test dates? To account for slight differences in difficulty among SATs, the College Board uses a system known asequating. This processensures that SAT scores areconsistent across tests and will always indicate the same level of ability no matter when youtake the SAT.Soa 650 Math score on one SAT will always correspondto a 650 Math score on another SAT- even if one test contains easier Math questions. Inthe College Board's words: â€Å"This [equating] process ensures that no student receives an advantage or disadvantage from taking a particular form of the test on a particular day;* a score of 400 on one test form is equivalent to a score of 400 on another test form.† *Emphasis mine. Through this equating process, or "SAT curves," the College Board can account for slight variations in difficulty among SATs to give test takers on different test datesthe same opportunityto achievetheir goal scores. As a result, there is no single besttime to take the SAT. Regardless of how easy or difficult a test may be,all SATs are equated so that getting a certainscaled score will always require the same amount of effort and level of ability. So how is the SAT scored? Andhow is it equated? Read on to find out. How Do SAT Curves Work? Before we get into the SAT equating process, let's do aquick recap of the scoring system. Both theEBRW and Math scores use scales of 200-800andcombine to give youa composite score range of 400-1600. But you likely know therearen't 1,600 total questions on the SAT. So then how are these scaled scores calculated? On the SAT (excluding the Essay), you earn one point for every question you answer correctly. (You do not lose any points for incorrect or blank answers.) All of your correct answers combine to give you araw score for each section. If you were to correctly answer 45 out of 58 Math questions, your raw Math score would equal 45. This raw score is subsequently converted into a Math section score (i.e., your final scaled score). But the process is a little more complicated for the Reading and Writing sections. Like the Math section, your Reading and Writing performancesare assigned raw scores based on the number of questions you answered correctly. Theseraw scores are then converted into test scoreson a scale of 10-40. Finally, the test scores are added together and multiplied by 10 to give you an EBRW score (on a scale of 200-800- the same as it is for Math). But here's the caveat: raw scores on one SAT willnotnecessarily convert into the same scaled scores on another. Why is there this discrepancy? Each SAT varies slightly in content and difficulty, and so to account for these variations, the College Board translates raw scores into scaled scoresusing individualequating formulas for each test. This essentially meansyou'll never be able to know before you take the SAT how a raw score will convert into a scaled score. That said,by looking at ascore conversion table from an official SAT practice test, we can get a rough idea as to how the equating process works for each SAT. These conversion tables- which differ slightly with each test due to differences in equating formulas- show us how raw scores convert into scaled scores for different sections of the test. The two tables below are based on the score conversion tables forPractice Test #6and Practice Test #7(both of which are copies ofreal SATs!). SAT Practice Test #6 Raw Score Conversion Chart Raw Score Math Section Score Reading Test Score Writing and Language Test Score 0 200 10 10 1 200 10 10 2 210 10 10 3 230 10 11 4 250 11 11 5 260 12 12 6 280 13 13 7 290 14 14 8 310 15 15 9 320 15 16 10 330 16 16 11 340 17 17 12 350 17 18 13 360 18 18 14 380 18 19 15 390 19 20 16 400 19 20 17 410 20 21 18 420 20 22 19 430 21 23 20 440 21 23 21 450 22 24 22 460 22 25 23 470 23 25 24 490 23 26 25 500 24 27 26 510 24 27 27 510 25 28 28 520 25 28 29 530 26 29 30 530 26 30 31 540 27 30 32 550 27 31 33 560 28 31 34 570 28 32 35 580 29 33 36 590 29 34 37 590 30 34 38 600 30 35 39 610 31 36 40 620 31 36 41 630 32 38 42 640 33 39 43 650 33 39 44 660 34 40 45 670 35 46 670 36 47 680 37 48 690 37 49 700 38 50 710 39 51 720 40 52 730 40 53 740 54 760 55 770 56 780 57 790 58 800 Source: Scoring Your SAT Practice Test #6 Overwhelmed by all of the numbers? Time for kitty therapy. SAT Practice Test #7 Raw Score Conversion Chart Raw Score Math Section Score Reading Test Score Writing and Language Test Score 0 200 10 10 1 200 10 10 2 210 10 10 3 230 10 10 4 250 11 11 5 260 12 12 6 280 13 12 7 290 14 13 8 310 15 14 9 320 15 15 10 330 16 15 11 350 17 16 12 360 17 17 13 370 18 18 14 380 18 18 15 390 19 19 16 400 20 19 17 420 20 20 18 430 21 21 19 430 21 22 20 440 22 22 21 450 22 23 22 460 23 24 23 470 23 25 24 480 24 25 25 490 24 26 26 500 25 26 27 510 25 27 28 510 26 28 29 520 26 29 30 530 27 29 31 530 27 30 32 540 28 31 33 550 28 31 34 550 29 32 35 560 29 32 36 570 30 33 37 580 30 34 38 590 31 34 39 590 31 35 40 600 32 36 41 610 32 36 42 620 33 37 43 630 34 39 44 640 35 40 45 650 35 46 660 36 47 670 37 48 680 37 49 680 38 50 690 39 51 700 39 52 720 40 53 730 54 740 55 760 56 770 57 790 58 800 Source: Scoring Your SAT Practice Test #7 Just byglancing at these charts, you can probablytell there are several minor differences in how the raw scores for Math, Reading, and Writing convert into scaled or test scores. For Math, a raw score of 40 would net you 620 on Test #6 but only 600 on Test #7! This hints thatthe Math section on Test #7 is a little easier than thaton Test #6. How can we tell? OnTest #7, you must answer more questions correctly (and obtain a higher raw score of 42) to get a scaled score of 620. The trends are similar for Reading.You could get a perfect 40 on Reading on Test #6, even if you were to miss a question (and earna raw score of 51). On Test #7, however, missing just one question reduces your Reading test score to 39. Once again, we can see a minute difference in difficulty: the Reading section on Test #6 is slightly more difficult than that on Test #7, and has thus been equated so that even if you were to miss aquestion you willstill get a perfect score. You'll find similar differences among the Writing scores, too.A raw score of 42 will nab you a near-perfect test score of 39 on Test #6 but a noticeably lower 37 on Test #7. Ultimately, through these tables, we can confirm thatraw SAT scoresdo not consistently convert into the same scaled scores for each test. So while you can't know for sure how many questions you'll need to answer correctly on the SAT in order to get the scaled scores you want, you can use the tables above to give yourself an ideaas to how your raw scores may translate into scaled scores on test day. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! How Has the SAT Curve Changed Over Time? Because the new SAThasn’t been around that long,we can't determine yet how much the SAT curves have changed with each testing year. That being said, we can look at some of the officialscore range tables for previous testing years (for the old, pre-2016 SAT) to get a feel for how the new SAT might experience similar trends. Score range tables show us how raw scores convert into scaled scores for entiretesting years. For this analysis, we'll be looking at a10-year difference using the 2005-06and 2015-16raw score to scaled score range tables. 2005-06 SAT Score Range Table Raw Score Critical Reading Raw Score Mathematics Raw Score Writing (Multiple Choice) 67 800 65 790-800 60 710-740 55 660-680 54 800 50 620-640 50 710-750 49 800 45 580-600 45 650-690 45 700-770 40 550-570 40 610-640 40 630-670 35 520-530 35 570-600 35 570-610 30 490-500 30 530-550 30 520-560 25 460-470 25 490-510 25 480-510 20 420-440 20 450-470 20 440-470 15 390-410 15 410-430 15 400-430 10 350-380 10 370-390 10 350-380 5 290-330 5 310-340 5 300-330 0 200-270 0 210-260 0 210-260 -5 200 -5 200 -5 200 Source: SAT Raw Score to Scaled Score Ranges 2005-06 2015-16 SAT Score Range Table Raw Score Critical Reading Raw Score Mathematics Raw Score Writing (Multiple Choice) 67 800 65 790-800 60 710-740 55 650-680 54 800 50 610-630 50 700-730 49 800 45 570-590 45 650-670 45 690-720 40 540-560 40 600-620 40 620-650 35 510-520 35 560-570 35 560-600 30 480-490 30 520-530 30 510-550 25 450-460 25 480-490 25 470-500 20 420-430 20 440-460 20 420-460 15 380-400 15 400-420 15 380-410 10 340-360 10 350-380 10 340-370 5 290-320 5 300-330 5 280-320 0 200-240 0 220-260 0 200-240 -5 200 -5 200 -5 200 Source: SAT Raw Score to Scaled Score Range 2015-16 Before we analyzeeach SAT curve chart, keep in mind that these tables are for the old SAT; therefore,the Reading and Writing scores are not combined for an overallEBRW score asthey are currently. In addition, unlike the new SAT, on the old SAT you could score lower than a 0 due to penalties for incorrect answers. Let's start with the SAT Math curve. According to the data above, araw Math score of 50gave test takersas high as 750 in the 2005-06 testing year but onlyas high as 730 in the 2015-16 testing year. Similarly, if you look at the highest possible scaled score for each Math range, you'll findthat the 2005-06 maximums are consistently (albeit only marginally) higher than those on the 2015-16 table. What thispattern tells us is that, on average, the Math sections on the 2005-06 SATs were slightly harderthan those on the 2015-16 SATs. This is evidenced by the fact youtypically needed to score more raw points in 2015-16 to get the same scaled Math scores in 2005-06. But what about the other sections? On Writing,you used to be able to earn up to 49 raw points. In 2005-06, you could score as high as 770 with a raw score of 45 but only as high as 720 with the same raw score in 2015-16. And with theSAT Critical Reading curve, the 2005-06 and 2015-16 ranges are mostly the same, give or take10 points. Based on all of this information, then, what can we conclude about the SAT curve? The tables indicate that the number of questions you must answer correctly to get certain scaled scores has stayed roughly the same over the years. Generally speaking, the variations among scaled scores on each section are minimal- usually only 10- or 20-point differences at most. Therefore, these patterns- along with the fact thatSAT percentiles hardlychange each year- imply that the difficulty of the SAT has stayed relatively consistentover time. Using theSAT Curve to Your Advantage: 5 Do's and Don'ts By now you may be wondering how theSAT curve can helpyou, personally. Below, I give you thedo’s and don’ts of what to do with this knowledge about the SAT equating system,so thatyoucan give yourself a better shot at getting the SAT scores you needfor college. Do: Use raw score conversion tables toestimatehow many correct answers you’ll need to get the scaled scores you want.My recommendation is tofirst figure out your SAT goal scores.Once you have these scores, use any raw score conversiontable from anSAT practice test (or multiple tests) to get a feel for the raw scores you'll need on each section in order to hityour (scaled) goal scores on test day. (Tests #5, #6, and #7 are all former SATs, so these are great tests to use!) Take the SAT curvewith a grain of salt. Although the equating process can be helpful, at the end of the day nobody (except the College Board!) knows the exact equating formula for the SAT you’re going to take. So don’t worry too much about raw scores and how they convert into scaled scores- just know that while you can use equating tablesto help you estimate the number of correct answers you'll need, this data will never be 100-percent applicable to your particular test. Don't: Confuse the SAT equating process with a regular curve. As I mentioned before, there is no SAT curve- at least not in the traditional sense. On the SAT, how other test takers score has zero bearing on your score (though it does affect your SAT percentile).The only factor that influencesyour scaled score is the equating process, which varieswith each SAT to ensure scaled scores represent the same levels of ability across tests. Assume when you take the test willaffectyour score. Again, this is a common misconception. Many people believe certain tests areeasier to score higher on than others due to variations in difficulty or different abilities of test takers. But this isn't true! The equating process makes it so you don't gain or lose any likelihood of attaining a certain score, no matter when or with whom you take the SAT. Try togame the system.Because you can't know for certainhow your raw SAT scores will convert into scaled scores, it's impossible to use what we know about theequating process to cheat the system and guarantee yourself a higher score.Anyone who claims this is possible is flat-outwrong! Now, sit back and grab your popcorn- it's time for the recap! Recap: What Is the SAT Curve? How Does It Work? So is the SAT curved? In short, no, the SAT isn't curved.However, the College Board does use an equating system, which ensures scaled SAT scores always correlate tothe same levels of ability, no matter when you take the test. Although there's no way of knowing forsure just how your raw scores will convert into scaled scores, you can use raw score to scaled score range tables from official SAT practice tests to help you approximate the number of questions you'll need to answer correctly on test day, so you can get the scaled scores you want. Unfortunately,these tables aren't a hundred percent reliable, as each test uses a different equating formula (that only the College Board knows). Lastly, don't try to use the SAT curveto cheatthe SAT. As long as youstudy hardand usehigh-quality resources, you'll be on your way to a high SAT score (and hopefully the college of your dreams) in no time! What’s Next? You understand how the SAT curve works- but what about the scoring system? Read our in-depth guide to how the SAT is scoredto learn more about theequating process andhow subscores and cross-test scores come into play. Want to learn more about SAT scores?Find your goal score with our step-by-step guide and learn about the current averages. Once you're finished with those, check out my article on SAT scores for colleges to see what kinds of scores you'll need for popular schools! If you enjoyed this article, you'll love myanalysisof the ACT curve! Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Current performance of Islamic bank around the world Dissertation

Current performance of Islamic bank around the world - Dissertation Example However, some countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia and Jordan are offering the services of Islamic banking through traditional banking services. In some countries like Pakistan, there are banks that are operating in accordance with the Islamic laws and at the same time there are some banks that are practicing conventional banking and at the same time some of their branches are offering Islamic banking services. Not only there has been an increasing trend of Muslim majority countries practicing Islamic banking products but certain Western countries including United Kingdom, United States and Australia have been also observing an increasing trend in regard to the Islamic banking. Although the industry of Islamic banking is still growing and an emerging industry, but in different parts of the world this industry has been achieving very high profits unlike United Kingdom. However in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain this industry has been growing. In Pakistan, Islamic banks have reported a profit of 5.7 PKR which is approximately 59% of the total market share in the year 2011 (The News, 2012).). In Bahrain, Islamic banking industry is also one of the fasted growing industries of the countries and still there are several opportunities in the countries (Laxman, 2011). In addition to this, Islamic banking industry is showing good progress and is giving tough time to traditional banks in several other western countries. Financial performance of Islamic financial institutions in UK United Kingdom and particularly London has been considered as an important market place by investors and in this part of the world; both Islamic and non-Islamic banks have inve sted. Initially Islamic banks started their services in London by offering simple products like house financing however with the passage of time the quality of products as well as the complexities involved increased (Ainley, Mashayekhi, Hicks, Rahman, and Ravalia, 2007). after analysing different opportunities for profits and growth, number of Islamic banks invested in United Kingdom and tried to capitalise on these opportunities. Some of the most prominent names of Islamic banks in UK are: Islamic Bank of Britain HSBC Amanah Lloyds TSB The products and services offered by Islamic banks are not only for Muslims but for non-Muslims as well and this is one of the reasons why it has become highly famous in UK despite of the challenges it faces. However recently the performance of the Islamic bank has not been satisfactory and the opportunities that every one identified had not been capitalised by these Islamic banks. This is one of the reasons why one of the leading Islamic banks, Isla mic bank of Britain had to be bailed out in the year 2010 by Qatar after several successive years of losses. After the financial crisis, the Islamic banks in United Kingdom have suffered a lot. Lloyds Islamic bank also removed its investment from United Kingdom as they did not see bright future in the country (Goodway, 2010). Islamic Bank of Britain which has been able to make a name in the United kingdom is also losing its customers. in 2009, the Islamic bank had lost almost 50,000 customers as the total loss of the bank increased to ?9.5 million from ?5.9 million. Considering the situation of the bank, IBB had to raise additional capital of 2009. Then

Public Speaking Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public Speaking - Speech or Presentation Example This only occurs when the speaker has a wide database of information to stand on and speak aloud of and in. Such questions which could be probed into are the following (which are broad lines to what should be asked)worth asking and must be asked to the representative are such as follows(in means and understanding that whether the speakers would be interested in the following questions or not when spoken about to them): The information to convey should be positively building a view of the scope of the company the speaker is speaking about. How far interested are they in the development of the speech into other components of discussion such as administration management of females and males relation in the office and ability to communicate between both genders in the company. The activities that are discussed concerning the look and overlook of the women to a male discussion and what men see and convey from meanings and what women tend to understand and what men in return tend to understand when women speak to them or discuss a topic with them. AreAre the executives willing to probe into such discussions Can the speaker openly discuss the opinions from a social point of view and personal to find a policy that is effective and reaching between two extremes (the manner of behavioral attitudes between men and women at work). Having on mind that men and women have examples of conveying understanding through physical appearances and jestures: how could I tell that the board is accepting what I say and what I do not say(men tend to be up and straight-forward and women could be quiet and chit chat among themselves). What are the issues that the board needs to discuss mainly (social, political, economical..) What trials

Busiess Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Busiess Taxation - Essay Example this expenditure is not an operational variable, it is charged in the balance sheet as an asset rather than expenditure in the profit and loss account. However, usage of the fixed asset over time is shown in the profit and loss account as a depreciating charge. Tax is applicable for companies on profit figure at the end of the tax year. Since the tax is fixed rate, the higher the profit the company shows, the higher tax it has to pay. Therefore to evade paying higher taxes, companies understate their profits by depreciating their fixed assets on a high value. This reduces the profit and hence the tax payable. Since this practise promotes immoral and unfair picture of the accounts, the government of UK introduced the concept of Capital Allowance through corporation tax. The case of IR Commrs vs Duke of Westminster (1936), exactly points out this need where it states that everyone â€Å"is entitled, if he can, to order his affairs, so that the tax attaching under the appropriate acts is less than it would otherwise be†. The government has fixed a rate of relief that is received on the purchase of capital goods. Companies can claim this type of tax relief when buying and investing. In practice this does the exact same thing a depreciation does since a company is able to set off a proportion of the costs of purchases against the profits it makes so that the total tax bill is reduced. Most capital allowances allow you to write off a percentage of the value of the asset against profits over several years. They are available at a variety of rates and these rates depend on the product bought, the time it was bought in, the nature of the asset and the size of your business. (Georgina, 2006; S. J. D. 2007) As mentioned in the previous section, tax relief can be claimed by companies on the purchase of capital goods. According to the Business Links Website, these capital allowances are available on three types of products, plant and machinery, buildings and research and

Leadership and Supervision Issues in Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea Essay Example for Free

Leadership and Supervision Issues in Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea Essay Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea describes the tragic final voyage of the Nantucket-based whaler Essex in 1820. The Essex was a floating factory, a comparatively small but sturdy vessel designed to travel great distances to find, kill, and process whales, thus yielding the extremely valuable whale oil and other products. In the Heart of the Sea also describes a series of errors, mishaps and miscalculations—often with fatal results—in the management, leadership and supervision of the enterprise. These events, despite the distance in time, provide scenarios to compare and contrast present-day concepts of leadership and supervision. The story of the Essex illustrates numerous instances of (a) poor planning before and during the journey, (b) poor staffing decisions before and during the journey, (c) indecisive and/or poor leadership and (d) poor supervision which contributed to the difficult journey, the sinking of the Essex and the horrible aftermath. Typical of the practices of the era and locale, Essex was captained, but not owned and provisioned, by a sailor-officer who had risen through the ranks. This would be the first command voyage of Captain George Pollard, Jr. By all accounts he had successfully risen to First Mate of the Essex on previous voyages and was given captaincy when the former captain was given a newer and larger vessel. Unfortunately he inherited a worn ship soon to be out of commission. Accordingly the owners spent as little as possible on repairs of the vessel and even less on provisions for the multi-year cruise. There is no indication Pollard had any input in either decision. As this was his first command he was likely to remain in his employers’ good graces and refrain from insisting on better repairs and outfitting. To further compound these initial as well as future problems was the wage payment structure in which Pollard and the crew were essentially working on commission. Payment to officers and seamen alike would be a portion based on rank and seniority paid only if the valuable whale oil was safely in port. Other experienced captains had the ability and option to add to the original provisions. Pollard either decided to set sail despite the meager provisions or was unable to supplement them by his own means. This system strongly contrasts to management practices of the day as well as contemporary practices. Owner-operated businesses were not at all uncommon in the era with a strong â€Å"hands-on† style of leadership. Most striking would be the owner-operated vessels with a captain well-versed on ship maintenance and outfitting. Obviously today anyone would be considered naive at best and insane at worst to take on such a logistical task of any sort without having been given decision-making authority. Today even with companies having distant or publicly held ownership the leadership and decision-makers of the company are urged to â€Å"buy into† the company in the sense of making decisions and leading in a manner consistent with actual ownership. If Pollard can be excused to some extent for the poor decision-making at home port, the disastrous lack of planning during his maiden voyage is his burden alone. After almost loosing his ship virtually at the onset of the voyage he is either unable or incapable of tactical or strategic planning when the Essex is destroyed. With a previously damaged vessel prudence would dictate some sort of â€Å"disaster plan† short of a belief that lightening will not strike the same place twice. While the Essex was sinking it was the foresight of others who managed to salvage essential items. Some decisions defied common sense. Instead of cooking and preparing a substantial amount of available turtle meat he simply placed two live turtles with each surviving whaleboat. Perhaps Pollard did not think the unthinkable could happen again. Such planning and preparedness is not something novel, for his era or ours. It is simply the ability to survive the unexpected and the wisdom to learn from it. Contemporary leadership in management, government, and virtually any other field must be prepared for the unexpected. The unexpected and the disastrous will certainly occur, usually when least expected. It then also becomes a learning experience for leadership to plan and think for the â€Å"unplanned and unthinkable†. Consistent with the idea of poor or non-existent planning was the Nantucket concept of staffing vessels with the unskilled. Pollard’s ship was manned by a significant number of â€Å"sailors† who had never lived in Nantucket nor experienced life on a whaler. Other â€Å"sailors† included inexperienced Nantucket youngsters anxious for their first cruise as well as officers sailing in newly-promoted ranks. It was expected of Pollard and his officers to essentially conduct on-the-job training for the unskilled staff. However, once again, if Pollard can be excused for having to deal with something out of his control, the staffing decisions made during the disaster were his alone. Most glaring was the decision regarding the placement of the survivors in what would become their lifeboats. No consideration was given to skill, ability or health. Instead, it was a system based on whether a sailor was black or white, Nantucketer or not. Apprenticeships and on-the-job training are time-honored practices dating back centuries and still valid today. Both systems are based on both a lengthy or at least sufficient period of time and a non-critical or at least supervised situation. The apprentice or OJT worker will make mistakes and is given the opportunity to make them and learn from them in a controlled situation. Once skilled, the staffing pattern must be developed to maintain whatever production or quality standard is to be met. In an emergency situation such decisions must be made by leadership without being distracted by pointless issues of race, class, or place of birth. Again, Pollard can be shielded to some extent by the customs and practices of his day. Contemporary leaders have no such excuse. Decision-making is often made in the lonely vacuum of sole command, something that Pollard, at times, was unable or willing to do. â€Å"Leadership by consensus† was not something he learned, but he did indeed practice. Additionally, indecision is in fact a decision, and one that eats time. After the initial near-fatal keeling of his ship Pollard commits both errors: he abdicates sole leadership, procrastinates, reverses himself, and by trying to lead by consensus ultimately leads his ship to disaster. Again, forces work against Pollard. To turn back with a damaged empty ship would result in no wages and possibly a loss of command. By deciding to continue the voyage with a damaged ship, lost provisions, and lost whaleboats Pollard was not talking a calculated risk, he was essentially dooming his ship and crew to disaster. Modern management case studies abound with the disastrous stories of managers failing to decide and having that â€Å"activity† yield worse results than a bad decision. Most missions are time-critical and while many, if not most missions can have a built-in method of correcting erroneous decisions there is no method for reversing time lost in indecision. The texts are equally full of the horror stories of leaders who take the â€Å"ahead at all costs† attitude without a realistic appraisal of whether their â€Å"ship† can handle the journey. This inevitably results in the learned experience that â€Å"profitability at all costs† is very unprofitable. After the sinking of the Essex a variety of decisions were made, some based on common sense, or lack of same, and others based on the nautical knowledge of the time. Perhaps the most glaring was the decision to allow the surviving whaleboats to operate in an individual fashion, without tying together during the night. While a questionable seafaring decision, it casts some light on broader contemporary issues. During critical situations, whether a production run or a full-scale emergency it is common sense and a practical necessity to maintain communication and command. Failure to maintain either can jeopardize the personnel and the mission. In the Heart of the Sea is filled with numerous examples of poor supervision. From the very onset there is no indication Pollard really supervised the repair and provisioning of his vessel; it all likelihood he delegated a great deal of this responsibility to his First and Second Mate. There is no indication he did a thorough, hands-on investigation of his damaged vessel after the initial near-sinking. Once whaling he was out in a whaleboat, as was the custom, instead of being in a position on deck to supervise all of the events that would unfold. There is no indication he personally undertook a surveillance of Henderson Island to determine if it could sustain the crew, or in the alternative, if it could better provision the survivors on their continued voyage. During many of the catastrophic events Pollard seemed overwhelmed and incapacitated by the situation. He was unable to command and supervise what can only be described as life-threatening or life-saving activity unfolding in front of him. Once all was lost he decided to allow the boats to go their own way, and was unable to maintain the supervision of survivors when that was his most critical duty. Throughout the disastrous journey the questionable command of Pollard is and will be debated. What is certain is there was considerable doubt at the time that he exercised the decision-making responsibilities in a prudent manner. The captain of a ship and the leader of a corporation must be able to face a situation, whether mundane or critical, and make very quick and decisive actions. First and foremost is the decision of whether to take a â€Å"hands on† approach or delegate responsibility. There is no easy or set answer, and either method can be disastrous, if a leader usurps a subordinate’s better command of a situation or if responsibility is delegated to someone incapable of handling the situation. However, the command of a ship is unique and very similar to many organizational situations in that the leader at the very top is expected to be well-versed and capable of every function in the entire organization. If that is not the case, then the leader must have a clear understanding of his personal abilities and limitations as well as that of all of the subordinates in the chain of command. Throughout the narratives and accounts which the book is comprised of there is mention of, and no doubt that the captain knew his ship better than anyone. However, it became very obvious at the onset that his knowledge of his and his officers’ capabilities was suspect. At only one point was Pollard described as acting with the authority and decisiveness normally required of a ship’s captain. He quickly and ferociously responded to an early â€Å"protest† by the crew relating to what they considered poor rations. His outburst and threatened action quelled the protest and certainly left the crew with no doubt of his intent. However, what is missing is the not-unusual comments and attitude from crewmen indicating complete respect of their captain and their willingness to follow his commands, regardless of outcome, because of their knowledge of him and his ability. It is imperative upon leaders to not just know their workplace, but to know their staff. It is not enough to â€Å"go ballistic† once in a while to let the staff know what will happen if something is discovered amiss or in response to what behavior is not to be tolerated. Command through intimidation is foolhardy; what is necessary of leadership is to prove competency to staff and subordinates to the point where there is no doubt there is respect in the leader’s ability. At that point leadership becomes â€Å"natural† if and when the staff and subordinates believe the leadership will in fact lead, but do so in a manner that takes into account the well-being, if not survival, of all. In modern society â€Å"survival† is often economic survival, and depending on the organization or industry economic survival must be paramount in management’s priorities. Pollard lost on both counts; the voyage was a complete economic disaster and resulted in the deaths of the majority of his crew. The journey was a voyage of poor planning, staffing, decision-making and supervision. It is an epic of missed opportunities and unrealistic goals. It is a blueprint for any manager or leader in what not to do. Leadership cannot afford to be unprepared in any of the areas noted above. Each interact and influence the other, often in ways unanticipated and noted only too late. It is easy, but very necessary to look at situations with twenty-twenty hindsight if lessons are to be learned and errors prevented in the future. There is a host of what-if questions presented by In the Heart of the Sea which every leader should take to heart.

Ensnared by the Gods in Oedipus Rex Essay -- Oedipus the King Oedipus

Ensnared by the Gods in Oedipus Rex      A citizen of Periclean Athens may not have been familiar with the term entrapment, but he or she would surely have recognized the case of Oedipus as such.   The tragedy of Oedipus is that he was ensnared by the gods.   As Teiresias points out, "I say that with those you love best you live in foulest shame unconsciouslyÃâ€"" (italics mine)   God is continuously indicted for having caused Oedipusà ­ troubles.   The chorus asks, "What evil spirit leaped upon your life to your ill-luckÃâ€"?"   And Oedipus himself is well aware of the source of his troubles:   "It was Apollo, friends, Apollo, that brought this bitter bitterness, my sorrows to completion."   Blinded and humiliated, Oedipus thanks Creon for bringing his daughters to him:   "God bless you for it, Creon, and may God guard you better on your road than he did me!" The Athenian audience probably did not obsess with the unfairness of it all.   Since the audience would have been well aware of the story and its details, the draw, and the entertainment would have been seeing the storyà ­s lessons portrayed in a way that emphasized   human failings, particularly the illusions that we hold concerning our mastery of affairs.   Oedipus himself is described as "masterful," yet watching his story, which we know so well, we find it dripping with irony at the kingà ­s every proud utterance.   In his argument with Teiresias, Oedipus accuses the seer of being "blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes."   Teiresias responds that Oedipus is but a "Ãâ€"poor wretch to taunt me with the very insults which every one soon will heap upon yourself." Oedipus is indeed convinced of his own virtue, and why not?   As the play opens, the priest lavishes praise upon the k... ...ce of men reverence at least the flame that gives all life, our Lord the Sun, and do not show unveiled to him pollution such that neither land nor holy rain nor light of day can welcome." Oedipus, at the last, seems to concur in this acceptance of Godà ­s will.   When the Chorus suggests he "would be better dead than blind and living," Oedipus replies, "Ãâ€"ità ­s unfit to say what is unfit to do.   I beg of you in Godà ­s name hide me somewhere outside your country, yes, or kill me, or throw me into the seaÃâ€""   In other words, Godà ­s will be done.   Whatever our mortal designs, we are caught in a far greater design, or web, which can grab us and pull us down at any time.   As the play concludes, "Count no mortal happy till he has passed the final limit of his life secure from pain."   Or, as a modern ballplayer put it, "Donà ­t look back.   Something might be gaining on you."