The Apostle Paul Had Four Missionary Journeys. These Journeys Are Resp

The Apostle Paul had four missionary journeys. These journeys are responsible for the spread of Christianity and created many churches throughout countries of the Mediterranean. On his first journey, Barnabas, Saul, and Mark, church leaders, accompanied Paul travel to the island of Cyprus and parts of Asia Minor. Paul would preach the gospel and start many churches. His journey started in the city of Seleucia and concluded in Antioch of Syria. The first missionary journey was around the year of 46-48 AD. After separating with Barnabas from a disagreement they had, Paul chose Silas, a Christianity follower, to accompany him on his second missionary journey. They traveled north to Asia Minor. Their goal for this journey was not to start churches, but to encourage the existing churches to have strong faith in Christ. The young Timothy, another Christianity follower, joined Paul and Silas in Lystra. The Apostles journeyed to Macedonia, and in the city of Philippi, Paul and Silas were imprisoned. On Paul's third missionary journey, the apostle traveled to Ephesus and holds a revival at the church. In Ephesus, Paul preached to the people about the Holy Spirit. He also went to Macedonia to visit the troubled church in Corinth. This church had a problem about turning away from God. He stayed there for three months preaching and teaching the gospel. Paul's fourth voyage was to Rome and this voyage was about to fulfill God's plan. Since he was jailed in Jerusalem and Caesarea, the apostle appealed to Caesar and was sent to Rome. When he arrived at Rome, he would preach to the Roman guards from his imprisoned room and would also write several letters to the churches in Asia Minor. As years went by, he was set free and still preached the gospel to people, but didnt travel as much.

buy custom Hiroshima and Nagasaki essay

buy custom Hiroshima and Nagasaki essay The decision made by the U.S. to drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima at the end of the Second World War remains one of the extremely controversial issues in Japanese history (Compton 2002, p. 54). Pellegrino (2010, p. 15) indicates that the bombing of these cities is the only documented event where atomic weapons have been used in any war. It is regrettable to note that this event that was conducted at the order of Harry S. Truman, the then U.S. President, resulted in an enormous loss of lives and property. Grachev (2011, P. 10) notes that on August 1945, the entire world dramatically entered into the atomic age without any prior precedent or warning, as one of the American plane dropped a nuclear bomb on the city of Hiroshima, killing more than 90,000 people on the spot. After three days, another atomic strike was made on Nagasaki, killing more than 37,000 people and injuring thousands of other innocent civilians. It is notable that between these two b ombings, the U.S. was joined by the Soviet Russia in a war against Japan, thus breaking the non-aggression treaty made between the Soviet Russia and Tokyo. By doing this, Japanese forces were extremely weakened, thus contributing to an easy attack on the city of Nagasaki. According to the Hiroshima health department, it is approximated that of all the those people who died during that day of explosion, at least 59 % died from the flame or flash burns, 25% from the falling debris, while the rest from other notable causes resulting from the explosion (Compton, 2002, p. 50). During the subsequent months after the bombing, a large number of innocent civilians died from radiation sicknesses or effects of burns among other causes. As a result of this enormous devastation, Japan was forced to surrender to its allies, a factor which led to the end of the Second World War. Based on the above facts, the United States was not justified in dropping bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima due to the sho rt and long-term health as well as social-economic and political effects, which continues to hinder the development of Japan. It is notable that up until the early 1960s, there was a predominant view that the United States was fully justified to use nuclear bombs against the Japanese (Compton 2002, p. 50). In most parts of the world, people accepted at face value that leaders from the U.S. had established that Japan would not surrender in the foreeeable future, a factor that could have further resulted in deaths of more Japanese civilians and U.S. solders. They claim that the total human cost associated with the bombing was the ultimate price which had to be paid by the Japanese. This was in order to avoid the possibility of more losses of lives had the United States invaded the home island in Japan (Compton 2002, p. 53). As argued by Grachev (2011, P. 10), saving the lives of the Japanese was not the main goal of these two bombs. This was just used as a justification for the wrongs carried out against Japanese nationals and the rest of the world. To understand this concept, it is appropriate to realize the underlying reasons that led the U.S. to attack the two cities of Japan. First, the U.S. wanted to revenge due to the embarrassment they had faced at the Pearl Harbor, where the Japanese forces employed sneak method of attack on the U.S. forces. This was not the first instant when the Japanese forces had launched surprise attacks against the U.S. For instance, between 1904 and 1905, during the famous Russo-Japanese war, the Japanese forces were enormously hailed due to their innovative methods of attack (Compton 2002, p. 55). Based on their experiences, they were able to intelligently attack the American solders on the Pearl Harbor, thus defeating them. Secondly, there were many ongoing debates regarding the extent to which Roosevelt and the U.S. government knew about the attacks as well as the timing of breaking-off diplomatic negotiations by Japan (Grachev 2011, P. 10). Though the attack on the Pearl Harbor was technically impossible, this should not have been a great surprise that the Americas pacific Fleet would be attacked (Compton 2002, p.53). However, the techniques employed by Japan ultimately shocked as well as galvanized the American publics support towards the war. As a result, it meant that the level of public outcry towards the use of atomic bombs in Japanese cities would not invoke large public outcries (Compton 2002, p. 63). The other reason as to why the U.S. dropped atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima was to demonstrate the power of the U.S. to the Soviet Union, who was their emerging rival (Compton 2002, p. 94). During the time of war with Japan, the United States had enormously indicated the range and power of the B-29 bomber. The B-29 bomber was responsible for the Tokyo bombings, which took place on March 10, 1945, killing more than 90,000 civilians (Pellegrino 2010, p. 15). During the Potsdam Conference, the U.S. president categorically indicated that they had adequate information from spies that Japan was not ready to give up in the war, a factor that accelerated the need for the U.S. to show off the real life power of its new weapons. This resulted in Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings on August 6th and 9th respectively. Further, the timing of these bombing was also accelerated by the rapid changing relationship between the USSR and the U.S. For instance, the SU (Soviet Union) had already declared war on Japan, three months prior to Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing. As a result of this, the U.S. viewed the deteriorating situations that were developing in the European region, thus preferred not to face a similar situation in the Asian continent, thus, in Japan (Grachev 2011, P. 10). As argued by Compton (2002, p. 94), the strongest argument against the use of the atomic bombs on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima is the terrible nature exhibited by this kind of weapon. As seen in most memorials in these two cities, many people lost their lives, families, and properties among others things (Compton 2002, p. 77). Atomic bombs are well-known for high levels of radiations, such as x-ray radiations. As recently witnessed after the destruction of the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, due to 8.0 earthquake, atomic radiation highly affects human beings and other animal in many aspects, hence, it should be avoided at all cost (Grachev 2011, P. 10). From the above information, it is clear that the bombing of the city of Nagasaki and Hiroshima was fully unjustified. The main aim of bombing the two cities was for the U.S. to show-off its military strength and to revenge for the defeat they encountered on the Pearl Harbor among other notable factors (Compton 2002, p. 58). As a result of this, many Japanese, especially those living in the affected cities, continue to face numerous health problems among other risks. In future, countries should seek for alternative ways of solving conflicts rather than engaging in war. Further, international and regional bodies, suck as the United Nations, should ensure that different countries adhere and respect all the policies and treatise that enhance international peace (Grachev 2011, P. 10). Buy custom Hiroshima and Nagasaki essay

PEMEX Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

PEMEX - Coursework Example The company comprises of four subsidiary entities that practices production, exploration, commercialization and transformation activities for natural gas and oil in the local and international markets (Blowfield, 2013; p. 67). The company also conducts refinery of crude oil and supplies petrochemicals on top of conducting business overseas via PMI Comercio Internacional. This paper explores the sustainability of the company in the global business with major focus on environmental sustenance and economic stability. The country has positioned to provide assurance of the distribution of primary energy products and has therefore input to considerable change and growth in Mexico. In order to guarantee that the company would proceed to contribute significantly to the development of the nation, the company created a business plan in 2010 where the strategies were approved. The government aims to transform and recognize the company as an efficient, safe, modern, profitable, sustainable, transparent and modern firm is set forward. Through the organization the government has established a business plan which is the result of an attempt to focus on the fundamental plans that deal with the major aspects integral to describe the course and objectives of the organization. The business plan can be summarized by the diagram below. In satisfying the company’s and government’s objectives the company has recognized four routes of actions with various specific strategies. These include the growth, corporate responsibility, efficiency and management modernization (Lourdes, 2012; p. 3). The society has so much expectations and attitudes towards the organization and its contribution to sustainability. As a major element of achievement, the society expects that the government through the company to transparently comprehend the effect of their activities at the economic, social and ecological

Consideration In Total Quality Environment Essay

Consideration In Total Quality Environment - Essay Example Consideration in a total quality environment is to take care of all employees. It is the duty of the leaders to take care of the needs of their subordinates and to keep them motivated at all levels of management. Consideration is considered very important as it is the key to keep up the spirits of the employees and makes them loyal to the organization. Giving employees a sense of belonging to the organization is very crucial in increasing productivity which in turn increases the sales and profit margins gradually (Gupta & Valarmathi, 178). For this very reason many scholars have formed various models in order to retrench employee motivation through extended consideration like the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Fredrick Herzberg’s motivator – hygiene factors theory. Consideration in the context of Total quality management needs to be implemented at all levels as in total quality control environments the quality of the productivity of all employees has to be in good health and furthermore enhanced. Consideration is not only to take care of employees needs but it also deals with providing them with a vision to work towards as without a given direction employees tend to feel alienated from the organization. To keep employees productive and satisfied they should not only be given monetary benefits but also a set of goals and tasks that have to be accomplished within a given amount of time. This helps the employees to be satisfied with their job as they feel that they are linked with the foremost working aspects of the organization (Wu?stenhagen, 228). Therefore consideration is one of the core elements in total quality management as without proper employee consideration leadership and management an organization will not be able to succeed the qualit y of its productivity, its services and its organization and/or production processes. Consideration is now given a priority even in the organizations which are far from the total quality concept as employees are the backbone and without a strong backbone an organization cannot succeed (Total Quality Management, 312). INITIATING STRUCTURE Initiating structure is to organize the order in which information flows within the levels of the organization and the accountability of an employee to its superior, in simpler context it means getting people organized. It is also the way in which a leader sets and creates expectations for their subordinates and holds the employees accountable. Organizational structure is very important as it is responsible for a smooth flow of decisions, duties, goals and information from the up to downstream of employees. All activities are allocated in the best way to achieve the strategies and objectives of the organization. Initiating structure is to lay down a foundation of operating procedures on which routine tasks are placed and organized. It also helps to define the importance of one individual over another through their position in the organization and also decides which individuals in the organization are responsible for decision making processes. Without a definite structure an organization is more likely to break apart. In a total quality environment it is important to see if the structure of the organization is prominent enough to give the employees a direction and understanding of how things are carried out and how tasks are performed. A lack in the initiation of structure will result in ambiguity of tasks and actions of the employees, noise in the information flow and eventually directly affect the productivity of all employees. Total quality management refers to the improvement of all aspects of the organization to improve productivity on the whole and so without proper initiation of structure the total quality management pri nciple holds no value. CONCLUSION There are two types of leaders one who give importance to consideration and others who consider initiation of structure more important than consideration. Moreover, in several research

Managerial Personality Essay Example for Free

Managerial Personality Essay The characteristics of a person’s personality determine his leadership capabilities. Leaders from around the world all have distinct characteristics which define their leadership style and abilities. In a corporate culture, these personality traits can be capitalized upon to direct an organization towards its goals and to do so requires an in depth understanding of the different styles of personality traits that define every individual. A grasp on this knowledge would allow any leader to have a huge impact on the culture and performance of an organization. An observation to be made is the leveraging of personality traits may be utilized in order to achieve corporate goals. To create a competitive advantage, management’s focus must be on cooperation and inspiration. A clear link exists between culture and performance, as shown by Mindy L. Hall (Hall, 2005.) A leader’s personality shapes the environment in which employees function, and can either inspire extraordinary results, or devastating outcomes. Hostile conditions in the workplace will cause anxiety, stress, lack of energy, disengagement, or high turnover. Subsequently, organizations with these issues experience a lower quality of output. This negatively affects the relationship between consumers and businesses, who may find the competition more appealing. A positive engagement between management and employees excite a higher level of performance. From this, a company experiences higher quality output and satisfied customers. A best way to manage a company doesn’t exist; it must be studied, understood, and honed to best match or shape the organization’s culture. The key issue to choosing the appropriate manager in any organization is appreciating what goals and desires are sought after. This report is focused primarily on management as leaders and employees as subordinates. However, it must be understood that subordinates can also play the role as leader in their own context, and it should be encouraged. For example, a group of four employees are assigned to a project. Among this group will emerge a leader who directs the mission to accomplish said assignment. Although this individual does not possess a management title he or she is still leading. That being stated, an organization must possess a deep understanding of its business culture, and employ these concepts when prospecting for competent employees and management. Furthermore, management can recognize certain personality traits among individuals in a team, and manipulate and combine them in a synergetic way. In general, the comprehension of the various personality traits can be used as a measurement of how an individual may respond and perform in an organization’s culture. However, there is much debate as to the extent to which personality can predict behavior, and the extent to which behavior arises from the dynamics of a given situation (Kendrick, Funder, 1991.) The key issues in a corporate context include the big five personality traits, Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, attitude, and emotional intelligence. The Big Five Personality Traits General agreement exists among researchers regarding the big five personality traits. This model categorizes personalities into five distinct categories: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness. An understanding of these categories often referred to as OCEAN, gives insight to an individual’s underlying personality and how an individual would react in day to day operations of an organization. However, research has shown situational factors play a role in how individuals move between the two extremes of each personality factor. Each factor is a range of two extremes, which most individuals lie somewhere in between. Given this fact, the majority of decisions made by people are representative of their fundamental personality traits. Only when abnormal or extreme situations arise does an individual shift towards the extreme of either end on one or more factors. Managers seeking to create a winning team would do well to not only understand his own personality type, but also individual team member’s personality types. Intimate knowledge of each person among a group will allow for a more harmonious and efficient team effectively utilizing strengths and mitigating weaknesses. Attitude Attitudes of managers and employees contribute greatly to the working environment. An attitude is a collection of beliefs and feelings brought on by life experiences or learned from others, and a positive or negative analysis of one’s environment. Similar attitudes of a leader and a team can create a positive working environment that flows all the way down to the end consumer. Leaders of an organization who commit to reinforcing positive attitudes contribute to a successful business model. Individuals who are satisfied with the work environment make their duties a part of life, and commit skills and knowledge to drive progress of a business. A study conducted by MBA’s and one professor from India, (Tandon, Mishra, Singh, 2011,) explored the relationship between attitude and how an organization perceives its position in society. The study begins by stating that business behavior has both economic and relational impact. Over recent decades there have been significant changes in the social expectation from business and managers. This study found that one’s personal beliefs, values, and attitude drive commitment to social responsibility. In this writing social responsibility can be thought of as organizational commitment or responsibility. The study took a specific look into how spirituality, materialism, relativism, and idealism discriminate between high and low corporate social responsibility (CSR).The study conducted found idealism and spirituality to have a positive influence on CSR, and materialism and relativism had a negative or less of an influence. This implies that managers with more of a concern towards society’s beliefs and values, and less towards material things, will have a greater concern towards creating a positive internal working environment. Moreover, a manager with this attitude may push subordinates towards the same ideals, which create a more efficient environment. In contrast, materialistic and relativistic attitudes contributed negatively towards CSR. This suggests that individuals with these attitude types can create an environment where monetary gain and possession of assets are the only goal, and right and wrong is near irrelevant. This mentality can have a devastating effect on society’s perception of a corporation. Moreover, the connection between working peers can be non-existent, and coordination would lack causing inefficiency. A manager’s attitude can bring about the benefits of a positive working environment by keeping a positive attitude towards a given position in an organization. An attitude based on working towards an end goal, which produces the greatest good for society and a corporation, would be an ideal mentality for any organization. Attitudes contribute to a successful business model because individuals who are satisfied make their duties a part of life, and commit their skills and knowledge to driving the progress and success of the business. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a theory of human motivation based on increasing levels of needs. This theory suggests that human needs are fulfilled one at a time by accomplishing basic needs and proceeding upwards towards advanced needs. Although there is much debate as to the accuracy of these levels research has suggested a correlation between the fulfillment of these needs and happiness. Managers with an understanding of what level individuals in a team are on can manipulate motivation techniques to stimulate productivity and efficiency. Maslow’s hierarchy can be applied to compensation, job design, management techniques, or anything that requires a higher level of motivation. Maslow’s hierarchy is a systematic way of thinking about the different needs employees have at any given point and explains different reactions they may have to similar treatment (Carpenter, Bauer, Erdogan, 2009.) The definition provided implies that each individual perceives needs differently, and managerial techniques in this context must be applied more specifically. For example, two employees receive a raise after a massive project was finished. The first employee is satisfied with the raise because her safety, and subsequently her physiological, needs had been fulfilled. The second employee felt his needs had not been satisfied. His goal in finishing the project was to prove his worthiness as a manager. His intention through his hard work was to climb the corporate ladder. He was looking to fulfill his esteem and self-actualization needs. Physiological needs are satisfied through compensation, since a paycheck allows individuals to find nourishment, shelter, etc. Compensation can satisfy more than one need, however. Safety needs can be satisfied through benefits such as 401K, health plans, or paid time off. In many ways, compensation satisfies both physiological and safety needs. In addition, organizations must take in consideration the physical safety of employees. Managers have a duty to enforce safety precautions where working conditions may be hazardous. When a position requires employees to take physical risk an organization is expected to protect workers from unnecessary harm, and to compensate for the higher risk. When feelings of anxiety are low safety needs have been fulfilled. Social needs can be met through satisfactory social interaction with others in which there is interaction. The goal in satisfying this need is to cause individuals to feel accepted and loved. In a business context there must be a focus on acceptance over love. Creating a friendly environment is a great start to satisfying this need. Company sponsored games, events, holiday parties, and other social activities are great examples of how to socialize a staff. Also, team meetings where the staff can voice their concerns or ideas can allow team members to better understand each other. Esteem needs can be satisfied after one feels she has been accepted into a group. These needs can be fulfilled through recognition. It must be stressed that individuals enjoy being praised for their accomplishments, but praise only works for a limited amount of time. Managers must look to promote individuals with a high need for esteem. A raise in position and pay communicates an achieved status, and reinforces her ability to achieve corporate goals. Esteem needs lead into self-actualization. This need lies on the top of the hierarchical pyramid. Similar to fulfilling esteem needs, self- actualization can be met by giving an employee more responsibility, greater challenges, or more stimulating opportunities. Self-actualization is characterized by an individual having met all previous needs, and is now using his or her full potential and capabilities. Maslow’s hierarchy is important for organizations to apply. Humans are motivated by particular needs according to their current life situations and future goals. Furthermore, individual needs are in accordance with cultural backgrounds such as race, religion, or country of origin. It must also be noted that individuals are not always striving to fulfill the same needs. The needs model must be applied on an individual basis. Managers who realize their needs are being fulfilled can be used as a resource for understanding their subordinates needs, and act accordingly. When an organization applies this model to a workforce there is an increase in job satisfaction and loyalty. Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is the ability to control extreme changes in mood and emotions, and is a characteristic of an effective and competent leader. When a manager cannot control temporary emotions that are brought on by day to day interactions it can bring an entire organizations progress to a halt. Emotions are contagious and create a domino effect. Simply realizing when a certain emotion is present allows one to better handle temporary emotional fluctuations, while containing it as to not affect others. That being said, it is of utmost importance for a manager to possess a deep understanding of his or her own emotions (self-awareness), and how to deal with each. An individual who is self-aware is humble enough to accept constructive criticism and mature enough to address the areas of concern. The impact of hiring individuals with high emotional intelligence is high productivity and retention of high-quality employees. Golnaz Sadri, PhD, defines E.I. as the ability to accurately perceive emotions, access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth, (Sadri, 2012.) The ability to accurately perceive emotions allows one to recognize facial and bodily gestures, and interpret their meaning. A manager who has this ability can intercept other’s cues, or tells, that signal irritability. This skill is recognized as constructive when dealing with scenarios such as a team who can’t come to an agreement, a irate client or customer, or when negotiating. For the most part, emotional intelligence is a learned skill, and an indicator of useful experience. Conclusion Manipulating strong personality traits and striving to improve negative personality traits can have a huge impact on a manager’s career, and more broadly can impact a corporation in tremendous ways. Today manager’s has access to information to help them maximize team productivity using psychology. Using psychological strategies to hire the right employees and build teams is the competitive edge companies need in this tough economic climate. REFERENCES Camgoz, S., Karan, M., Ergeneli, A. (2011). Part II Leadership, Social Capital, and Personality: Relationship Between The Big Five Personality and The Financial Performance of Fund Managers. 15, p139 Carpenter, M., Bauer, T., Erdogan, B. (2009). Need-Based Theory of Motivation. In Principles Of Management (10th ed., p14.1) Hall, M. (2005). Shaping Organizational Culture: A Practitioner’s Perspective. 2(1), p1-16 Kendrick, D. T., Funder , D. C. (1991). Situation versus Personality Debate. Retrieved from http://wilderdom.com/personality/L6-3SituationVsPersonality.html McCrae, R., Costa, P. (1995). Domains and Facets: Hierarchal Personality Assessment Using The Revised NEO Personality Inventory. Journal of Personality Assessment, 64(1), p23 Pannapacker, W. (2012, April 15). Screening Out The Introverts. The Chronicle. Sadri, G. (2012). Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Development. 41(3), p536 Tandon, A., Mishra, S., Singh, E. (2011). What Discriminates The Prospective Manager’s Attitude Towards Corporate Social Responsibility? 10(3), p54-60 Whitbourne , S. K. (2010, October 19). The Neuroticism Paradox | Psychology Today.Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201010/the-neuroticis m-paradox Witt, L.A., Andrews, M.C. (2006). The Predisposition to Engage in Interpersonal Deviance at Work. pHR-F2

The Ghost Of Hamlet’s Father Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

The Ghost Of Hamlet’s Father  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   What would Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, be like without the character of the Ghost? The drama simply wouldn’t BE! The Ghost, though not a human character in most senses of the word, is crucial for the development of the play. This essay will analyze this interesting character.    The ghost’s apparition has deep significance. It touches the very spiritual underpinnings of the Denmark state. Frank Kermode in â€Å"Hamlet† explores the spiritual dimension of this spectral visit:    But meanwhile the ghost – â€Å"this thing† – has appeared. (Horatio as skeptic raises questions as to its status which could have been avoided.) There has been speculation as to its purpose, but one thing seems sure: it has to do with the state of the nation – it   â€Å"bodes some strange eruption to our state† – and with the armaments drive now in progress under the threat from Norway. That it genuinely has to do with the state of the nation – its spiritual rather than its merely political state – we shall learn; and to give us a â€Å"musical’ sense that this is so, there is the unexpected speech about Christmas (1138).    Let it be said that the Ghost makes his appearance even before the drama has begun. Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes the ghost’s activity prior to the opening scene of Shakespeare’s tragedy:    The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the guard is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in succession, just as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a figure dressed in complete armor and with a face like that of the dead king of Denmark, Hamlet’s father. A... ...: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Excerpted from Stories from Shakespeare. N. p.: E. P. Dutton, 1956.    Edwards, Philip. â€Å"The Ghost: Messenger from a Higher Court of Values?† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from Introduction to Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Philip Edwards. N. P.: Cambridge University P., 1985.    Kermode, Frank. â€Å"Hamlet.† The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.    Mack, Maynard. â€Å"The World of Hamlet.† Yale Review. vol. 41 (1952) p. 502-23. Rpt. in Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism. Rev. ed. Ed. Leonard F. Dean. New York: Oxford University P., 1967.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.      

Senior Citizens

Over the past few years, with the help of modern technology, people have obtained access to virtually anything they desire at the simple click of a mouse button. Now, information can be accessed through various websites without having to visit a library, go to a store, a friend’s or relative’s home, or even travel agencies. The Internet is for all people- regardless of age, race, ethnic background, class, or religion. When it comes to marketers and which strategies will be most effective and efficient to become a successful website, every product in the market is geared towards a specific target group, regularly based on demographics. Whether it is where a person lives, their marital status, age, or occupation, marketers try to target one particular area where they feel that their product will be benefited the most and where profits will be most generated for the business. One particular area that has been expanding not only in website visitations but also in new website formations is the senior citizen age group. Now, seniors are the fastest growing audience on the Internet. What is more interesting is the fact that they put their money where their â€Å"mouse† is. This age group’s frequent use of the Internet is absolutely amazing and unbelievable. There are hundreds and hundreds of websites designed to be most suitable or more geared for this target group. The websites are specifically designed to meet the needs of older adults about the ages of 60 and above, and grandparents. It does not steer towards a certain economic or religious class. The majority of these websites provide much information on healthcare, health issues that affect them, relationships, money, news, entertainment, and childcare. Part1B- Competitive Analysis Under the top 10 most popular sites for â€Å"www.seniorcitizens.com†, I chose the top four websites to analyze the areas in order to compare and contrast where www.seniorgold.com is strong and where it needs some work. The first site is called www.senior.com. Like any website, it will have many strengths and weaknesses. Allow me to discuss this website’s strengths first. The page was downloaded quite easily, with no error messages to refresh the page. Overall, the designs of the pages are colorful and have very clear graphics. The text is very clear without being too wordy and misleading. The home page also has a search engine that allows the user to quickly find what he/she is looking for. In addition, it has a large variety of topics to choose from with easily accessible features. This website does contain a vertical and horizontal scroll bar on its homepage which makes the first impression for users a tedious one. It becomes very frustrating when someone has to keep scrolling up and down to search any information. The contents on the homepage of a website should be clear, brief, and concise allowing you to link to it if more information is what is desired of the user. Another weakness would include the arrangement of topics on the homepage. They begin with serious news that then descends down to tacky, irrelevant links. Although the content of the text itself is clear, it looks all jumbled up, busy, and confusing. In order to be simple, and to the point, the topics should become more condensed, including the amount of links it has. Compared to www.seniorgold.com, this website is more visually appealing to the eye. It appears to be more youthful through the use of cartoon characters and bold color schemes. The second website, www.elderweb.com, has tab links at the top of the homepage which allows the user to click on the tab which is relevant without having to search endless rows of subcategories to see which one applies to their information search. There are no distracting side links that allows the user to choose to read the information or simply click on where they wish to go on the site. Unlike www.senior.com, the page is very consecutive with the stories and features. The current headlines are brief and to the point. And, each headline gives the user a good sense of what each story is about without getting too wordy or redundant. There aren’t any banner ads that enable the user to concentrate more on his/her search without being distracted. One feature that I felt was quite important (especially since it is geared toward an older age group) was a button right on the home page that says, â€Å"Increase Text Size†. This is one feature that I had never seen on any of the other websites for senior citizens. This is an important feature because, unfortunately, there are many senior citizens that do have visual impairments, and by using this feature, it facilitates their use of the website. A weakness that this website had was that it contained the same dull format and style throughout the whole website. The uninteresting graphics were all the same no matter which link you clicked on to view. The use of mute colors did not make this website very visually stimulating or appealing. This site also had a scroll bar, which, again, made the layout of the page seem very busy and unorganized. This was the first senior website that did not have a search engine located anywhere. So, if you wanted some information, regardless of how consecutive or concise the text and layout may appear, you would not be able to simply type in what you were looking for to search. Compared to www.seniorgold.com, Elderweb has a very dull appearance. It looks very plain and old fashioned. It seems as though this site is geared more towards seniors that have a more traditional or conservative way of thinking. They prefer simplicity (i.e. light, dull colors, same graphics, etc) over complexity (i.e. bold/bright colors, cartoons, modern graphics, etc). The third website, www.thirdage.com, I would have to say is the best website for senior citizens-conservative and avant-garde. It contains a great color scheme of white and a soft green with no overwhelming or any dull graphic design. It does not have too many divertive banner ads. The search engine appears on every screen for easy access. It has a modern, strong homepage that is visually appealing with more interesting topics and subcategories geared more towards advice and different lifestyle levels. This page does have a scroll down bar which could have been easily prevented by filling in the right side with that information. The whole right side is completely blank. This should have been used to condense the homepage without having to scroll down. Editorially, this page is not set up well. It has many scattered features, which makes everything look disjointed. The pictures all depict a youthful, healthy person. Obviously, the illustrations, which seem unrealistic, are not very reflective of their target audience. Measured up to www.seniorgold.com, this website is more appealing visually. The topics are not as condensed or as easily accessible as that of the one referenced above. And lastly, www.1travel.com, is the website which I felt was least relevant to senior citizens. It may have special discounts for them, however, on the homepage, it is not mentioned at all that any senior citizen discounts exist. This means that if there are any discounts, the user has to go searching for it. It is not easily accessible from it’s main page. It does not indicate at all that this site is geared toward senior citizens. It is another website to make travel/car/hotel reservations. Why not visit any other travel websites that could probably give better bargains? A good feature on this website includes easy search methods (several search engines for each category). Also, the layout is immediate, it is in your face and very easy to gain access to. It contains excellent searching options and subcategories along with any questions with regard to the user’s travel needs. The layout of it has very basic colors- not too bold, yet not too boring either and there aren’t many banner ads in this page. This website does contain vertical and horizontal scroll bars. The graphical layout overwhelms the text. The site seems to appear very busy, too wordy, or too much text perhaps. The text is also not very concise it seems scattered everywhere and is extremely redundant with several topics (ie FAQ’s, etc). Part1C-Site Analysis Seniorgold.com makes information searching very obtainable through the use of its shortcuts, word searches and options located on the left of the homepage layout. The layout is very colorful. The drop down menus are very resourceful in enabling the user to find what he/she is looking for without having to search the whole website to find it. However, this site has a few weaknesses as well. One includes the busy-looking and visually unclear graphics. The site looks too full of activity with banner ads whose color schemes clash with the site’s design. Another important thing to note about this site is that it is outdated! I couldn’t help but notice that on the home page of this site it still had the link to: â€Å"Thanksgiving Preparation†. We’re in December!!! Websites that are not updated lose the interest and use of their web visitors. It is crucial for web page designers to keep their websites up-to-date with any new events. Users may see this and see it a site deficiency. Part2A-Drive More Traffic To This Site I would recommend that the website changed its design layout. It should have a color scheme that compliments the text. The use of the drop down menus is very clear and concise. However it should concentrate on condensing the home page (it’s three pages long!). One way of driving traffic to the site is to create banner ads for other senior citizen sites, as well as for nursing home sites, parenting sites, travel sites, and recreational activity sites. What could also be done is to pay major Internet servers such as America Online, Yahoo, MSN, etc. for keyword bidding, Part 2B-Create A Stronger Community Among WWW.Seniorgold.Com Site Members I believe that this web site has a strong community as long as the above changes are made. This website does provide recreational activities such as casino resort trips and other activities that they could consider joining. Another addition may include the access to play games. For example, Bingo is a recreational game that senior citizens are notorious for. Another feature that I believe is important in creating a strong community is the chat rooms. Senior citizens, since retirement or death of a loved one, feel a little lonely at times. I feel this is a great opportunity for them to communicate with other people without spending money. This website does have chat rooms. My experience of trying to enter a chat room, became well, quite discouraging. Under â€Å"Directory Word Search† I typed in â€Å"chat†. Once I got to the next page, it did not take me to any chat rooms or choice from various ones. Instead, it took me to a page where I could find out where my roots come from!!! After scrolling down almost to the bottom of the page, I found a link to chat and clicked on it. I never reached a chat room. The website needs to create word searches that facilitate the search, not make it more difficult. In addition to chat rooms, I think it should develop a variety of rooms where people can interconnect discussing similar hobbies such as golf, or crocheting, etc. Senior citizens need a sense of community and what best way to do it than by helping them find other people who feel the same!