Managing Diversity at Workplace

Outline Workforce diversity should be treated as a business initiative and not a human resource or personnel department function. There is a strong business case for diversity in the workplace. The 21st century enterprises have a felt need to value, and leverage diversity. It is top agenda item for successful CEOs. It is commonly accepted business reality that heterogeneous groups outperform homogenous groups.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing Diversity at Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Heterogeneous groups are better at problem solving, effective at decision making, and they are particularly well equipped in generating creative ideas. The advantage comes from the fact that the diversity of the workforce background itself imparts a fertile launch pad for creativity to work at its best. Two brains are better than one is a truism aptly applicable to business situations. The power of brainstormin g to create a dramatic impact in finding creative solutions to business problems is enormous. Modern work teams can do wonders in workplace. Productivity, and work quality significantly go up when employees have, or perceive they have, a full opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. 3M typifies such philosophy abundantly. There is a sense of job ownership, project ownership, ownership of the outcome. Even the most die-hard critic of workforce diversity will be unable to refute the obvious benefits of diversity. Introduction We live in a society that is known for its differences. Diversity in terms of multiculturalism, gender politics, affirmative action, preferences, and mandates have become part of our existence. We are today more actively dividing ourselves by race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, cultural norms, physical ability, and socioeconomic status, than in the past (George, 1961). Though diversity is in existence since long, it is only recently that it has attracted greater attention from the corporate mandarins. Managing diversity is nothing but changing the organisational culture or its standard operating procedures. The fostered culture should enable employees to closely examine their values and beliefs and question themselves as to why others look different for them. Diversity management must essentially create an environment that works naturally for the total diversity mixture. Keeping this in view the present paper attempts to clarify some of the real life business challenges in an environment characterised by diversity in workforce.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Why Diversity Management? Human beings tend to see through their own views and interpret the views by what is accustomed to them. There is an addiction to seek the aggregation of those makes a lot of agnate to them for the acquisition and assurance in similarities. It is difficult for humans to conceive power, and history shows that it is rarely done voluntarily. They abide by the external changes and always strive for an accompaniment of homeostasis. This amusing absoluteness makes an atmosphere appropriate for diversity, which includes anybody; adolescent, old, abandoned and affluent, Hindu or Muslim or Christian. Assortment calls for anniversary being advancing to agreement with his or her attitudes, beliefs, and expectations about others and accepting abundance with the differences. To achieve from the affluence of talents and perspectives that can alone appear from accepting an advanced array of humans in adjustment of authoritative roles, managements accept to alternation advisers to accept the differences that abide aural cultures and as well amount the similarities that abide amid capricious cultures. Even to absorb humans with altered backgrounds and characteristics who are able with appropriate skills, organisations acc ept to ensure that such advisers are not appropriate for their different claimed and cultural ancestry as the amount of inclined behaviour in the organisation; they may acquire their own way to other firms who wish them on their own terms. Different organisations are viewing diversity’ in different ways. By diversity, we commonly mean differences based on ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability, national origin and sexual orientation. But technically speaking, â€Å"diversity goes beyond these visibilities and encompasses an infinite range of individuals’ unique characteristics and experiences including communication styles, physical characteristics such as height and weight, speed of learning and comprehension, socioeconomics, and education† (Anthony, 2005, p. 1). The diversities associated with education, socioeconomic and work experience are, of course, considered more critical for organisational success today. In this context, diversity has become a res ource for organisations.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing Diversity at Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the workplace, diversity, if properly managed, optimises the willingness and ability of all employees to contribute to the organisational success by encouraging each employee to draw fully on the talents, different points of view, skills, and practices that have been brought into the system for the benefit of both the individual and the organisation. Today, flourishing companies are taking action to appeal people who are blessed with talents, adventures and perspectives, socioeconomic accomplishments and again to alone and aggregately empower them to accord aggregate they accept in adjustment to attain business objectives. The ambition of assortment is not to calculate humans by category, but to account from the best mix of humans of such a category. It is the organisations that could ins til variety into the organisation in tune with their eyes and cardinal objectives accept reaped added benefits. Different Dimensions People exhibit abundant differences in how they recognize changes in the organisation based on claimed characteristics. Of course, there is a hypothesis in psychology, which says that behaviour of an individual is an action of the being interacting with his or her environment. For example, an annoyed worker gets balked while alive for a close that requires approval of place from abounding levels. That is how assortment in the workforce fosters mixed responses, ideas, and outputs in the organisation. Researchers observe particularly seven major differences: Humans alter in productivity; humans alter in adeptness and talent; humans differ in their ability for accomplishing top superior results; humans alter in how abundant they wish to be empowered and involved; humans alter in the appearance of administration they adopt and need; humans alter in their c harge for acquaintance with added people; and humans alter in their bulk of charge and adherence to the firm. Personality differences are another source of diversity. The personality factors such as sociability, affecting stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, artlessness to experience, self-monitoring of behaviour and affecting intelligence make an impact on employee’s achievement at work places. It determines how an employee gathers and evaluates information. Sensation displays individuals’ ability to accept and orderliness in their job action area as employees’ admiration to accept an all-embracing viewpoint and as well adore analytic new problems. Feeling blazon humans are about conformists and by all agency try to abstain disagreement. Contrarily, cerebration blazon individuals await added on their ability rather than affect to break problems.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is believed that a diverse work force is always superior to a homogenous group. A heterogeneous group is proved to be capable of producing higher-quality ideas and is likely to take quality decisions for greater the diversity, greater will be the innovation in the organisation. A company’s mere willingness to employ diverse workforce such as people from different races, genders, cultural backgrounds, the disabled, etc., may make it a darling of the market and thus give a boost to its market cap and sales volumes (Gregory, 1980). Organisation image: The image of an organisation follows same connotations and meanings as that carried by an individual in real life. The organisations also exhibit same traits and behaviour as exhibited by individuals. So organisations must create a culture that values diversity; practices policies that foster mutual respect, a sense of belonging for all, and the acceptance of differences, promote a culture where diversity is valued; and corporat e wide diversity training serves to promote this image. Concern for equality: In their practices, organisations must demonstrate equal respect for minority and majority group members. To achieve this, companies must develop performance expectations and reward systems that are unbiased. Often, minority-group members feel that they work harder than majority group members, but still are not compensated equally (Orlando, 2000). Career development: Companies that want to create a climate where diversity is valued must promote minority group members with the opportunity for development and promotion. Most important, they must provide minorities an access to top-level management positions. Minorities who hold high-level positions can send a message to those in the lower ranks that this is a company that values diversity. Hiring practices: Organisations must work hard to recruit and hire multicultural employees. At the same time companies must provide those prospective workers with an oppor tunity to be hired into well-paying positions, equal to the opportunities extended to majority groups. Companies can benefit from setting goals and guidelines for minority hiring. Unfortunately, some organisations seek to build a diverse work group by hiring many minority group workers into low-paying, unskilled positions. Rather than creating an image of a positive multicultural environment, however, this crowding of minorities at lower positions fosters negative feelings. Minority members sense that they must do the â€Å"dirty work† and feel they are being used by the organisation (John, 1982). Benefits of Workplace Diversity In the global economy, lack of cross-cultural understanding among the business people may lead to delays in getting the job done right, poor performance, decreased revenues and lost opportunities. Similarly, the need for adaptability is found to be quite essential for success in the globalised economy and diversity enhances adaptability. It is only by employing a wide assortment of people; richness of talents and perspectives can be brought into organisations. There are thus more than one reason why companies deliberately take initiatives to build diversity among its employees, of course, in tune with its stated vision and mission statements. Organisations that manage their diverse workers can increase their productivity substantially through many ways, one of which is increased problem-solving ability. Such productivity may result from increase in creativity that has been hypothesised to be related to heterogeneity. For example, bilingualism and biculturalism have been found to be related to divergent thinking, which in turn has been hypothesised to be associated with creativity (John, 1995). Recently, it has been demonstrated that ethnic heterogeneity in small groups is associated with increased quality of ideas generated for solving problems. Increased heterogeneity also brings in another benefit the prevention of group think phenomenon that occurs only in cohesive groups. Such factors however depend on how factors such as amount of diversity, ease of discussing differences, cultural awareness training, and background information on group members affect the quality of idea generation. With the advent of digital economy one of the greatest challenges facing the organisations is the increasing diversity of workforce. It has become an essential business concern. There is a talent war raging among companies to retain their best talent in a bid to retain their competitive advantage. Diversity management and change management go hand in hand. They mutually support each other (Anton, 1970). Organisations that adapt themselves to change are more likely to be comfortable with managing diversity better. Likewise, organisations are comfortable with diversity and are more likely to be able to anticipate and adapt to changes in the globalised business environment. They will be nimble footed to react instantaneously to the situational demands. It is known that organisations that are ready to accept changes can be stronger inherently as it would benefit them in terms of achieving adaptability to manage complexity, contradictions, and paradoxes. Office technology has felt the revolutionary nature of change the most. The technological sophistication is a natural enabler to the manage diversity in a planned and systematic manner. Technology offers a level playing field to each individual regardless of gender, race, age, and so on. It is a great equaliser (Bertallanfy, 1968). It eliminates the human bias. Electronic meeting is case to point as an example. It is a way of exchange ideas for free. Everyone has an active participative role shot. An electronic meeting paves the way for a secured atmosphere in which ideas and suggestions can be shared and proposed easily. As a marketing strategy in today’s global economy it makes eminent sense to make the workforce represented by people from all wa lks of life covering a broad spectrum like different ethnicities, races, ages, abilities, genders. To ensure that their articles and casework are advised to address to this assorted chump base, advancing companies are hiring people, from those walks of activity for their specialised insights and knowledge. Similarly, companies having direct interface with the clientele are finding increasingly important to match the profile of the workforce with the profile of their customer base. Homogeneous workforce always result in less external interaction and communication and companies that retain such a workforce would not be effective in framing policies and programmes in consultation with people of different tastes and preferences. To stay competitive the workforce diversity helps the companies as a capacity-building strategy. They need to sprint in order to stay where they are. The dynamics of change is no more evolutionary in nature rather it is revolutionary. Companies that advance acce pt the accommodation to actually break problems, bound acclimate to new situations, readily analyse new opportunities and capitalise on them instantaneously. The scope of talent, experience, knowledge, insight, and acuteness accessible in their workforces can go a continued way in architecture the accommodation for the enterprise. Whatever may be reasons that prompt companies, it is an obvious fact that companies that diversify their workforces will have a distinct advantage over those that don’t. The huge allowances of workforce diversity will be experienced, not by the companies that accept abstruse to apply humans in animosity of their differences, but by the companies that accept abstruse to apply humans because of them. Diversity Management and implementation of diversity policy The acceptation of workforce diversity has been a cause for worry in contemporary years. Not continued ago, diversity referred to a person’s gender or indigenous group. Diversity today enc ompasses differences in age, administration in an organisation, educational background, human acclimatisation or preference, concrete abilities or qualities and amusing status, bread-and-butter status, lifestyle, religion, ethnicity, and genders a part of abounding added characteristics (James, 2001). Also the abstract suggests that diversity administration refers to efforts to animate a amalgamate workforce to accomplish up to its abounding abeyant in an candid plan ambiance area no one accumulation has advantage or disadvantage. Its focus is on alone differences rather than ability differentials. The main arguments identified in these definitions can be summarised by defining diversity as: Diversity is an authoritative behaviour, which acknowledges and ethics differences and similarities a part of humans and how the differences can plan to advance the organisation. It as well agency compassionates the authoritative environments with an acknowledgment for gender, culture, and indig enous lifestyles. Developing and maintaining programs that foster diversity have proven difficult for companies in which embracing diversity amounts to a cultural change. Because, company cultures are deeply rooted and the resulting beliefs are widely held, and culture is difficult to change. Many organisations have attempted to find quick fixes for diversity enhancements, but sooner or later those firms have learned that there is no such thing as a quick fix. Fostering and managing diversity requires a comprehensive and carefully planned approach. Given below is a diversity management model that the authors have developed through extensive literature review and issues raised by researchers and scholars in the field. The differences in ethnicity, culture, gender, age, and lifestyle impart variety of perspectives to the workplace. All perspectives are not only essential but should be actively sought. The spirit of alternate regard, cooperation and investment through acquainted accomp lishment to advance development of agents leads to synergy the action in which alive calm yields after-effects greater than the sum of alone efforts. Proactively create and sustain an internal climate of equal opportunity for all through work force development initiatives such as job growth opportunities, through mentoring, job shadowing and training, tuition reimbursement, employee recognition, and improved communication on relevant issues and activities. The link between workplace diversity and good management The organisations are also waking up to the fact that managing workplace diversity is imperative. Though organisations acknowledge the importance of maintaining a diverse workforce, efforts are not in tandem with the prominence given to the issue. Workforce diversity is throwing up complexities no doubt, but looking at the broader picture, we see that there has been a movement from simple to complex in all realms of the workplace. System thinking has replaced a simplistic ca use- effect relationship. Managements are trying to integrate and benefit from a diverse workforce by coming up with options like flexi time benefits. Gender diversity training programs aimed at highlighting the politically correct work practices and individual behaviours are gaining popularity worldwide (Christopher, 2000). The flip side is that some managers feel that increased workforce diversity may cause management problems. Diversity brings with it the need for more flexibility, which makes management more complicated (e.g., scheduling, compensation plans, interpersonal communication, ethnic differences) (Philip, 1974). The crux of the issue lies in the fact that women in workforce is a reality and the aim of organisations must be to think of how best to harness this vast pool of talent and not glorify the issues as complications. The boards of companies, which expressed faith and backed their women employees, have been rewarded handsomely. Management research is now focusing on a feminine style of management that highlights the success of adopting a feminine or a softer approach to managing people. Many studies have shown that women in fact can make better managers. Workforce diversity can be managed only through a change in the mindset. Integrating the people working in an organisation successfully should be a product of the organisational culture and not a stand-alone training program. The day the women in organisations are accepted as being indispensable, just as in a family, that will be the day the term gender diversity with its negative connotations will cease to exist. Efforts to build a diverse climate and creation of multicultural opportunities will not by themselves create an organisation that values diversity unless management practices reflect this commitment (Robert, 2001). If diversity is to be optimised, top managers must recognise the capabilities of all employees, take their ideas seriously, and support both minority and majority-group employees. Managers must communicate effectively and accept employees who do not speak the local language. Finally, managers must respect the cultural beliefs and needs of employees and truly value the diversity of the workforce. Strategies that can lead to diversity include diversity-awareness training and the hiring of managers and top executives who reflect variety in gender, race, and ethnicity. The role administration practices plays in acknowledging assortment highlights the charge to appoint and advance top-level agents associates who are acute to the apropos of multicultural employees. The management can do this by incorporating this in their hiring practices to hire people who are sensitive and can relate to multicultural workforce. Conclusion Diversity among workforce becomes an asset business. It enables organisations to have a command over choice. Diversity brings to organisations unique perspectives. Understanding the demographic differences among the workforce can help organisations capitalise on diversity and avoid negative stereotyping. If managed properly, diversity optimises the willingness and ability of all employees to contribute to organisational success besides, encouraging each to draw fully on the talents, different points of view, skills, and practices that have been made available by diverse workforce. Diversity, if managed badly, can become a liability. References Anthony, Ferner, Phil Almond and Trevor Colling (2005), Institutional Theory and the Cross-National Transfer of Employment Policy: The Case of ‘Workforce Diversity’ in US Multinationals. Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 36, pp 1- 86 Anton, C. Zijderveld (1970), The Abstract Society-A Cultural Analysis of Our Time, Penguin Books, Middlesex, England Bertallanfy, Von Ludwig (1968), General System Theory: Foundations, Development and Applications, George Braziller, New York Christopher, Earley P. and Elaine Mosakowski (2000), Creating Hybrid Team Cu ltures: An Empirical Test of Transnational Team Functioning, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No1, pp-26-49 Gregory, Bateson (1980), Steps to an Ecology of the Mind (chapter on Double Bind Theory of Schizophrenia), Ballantine Books, New York George, H. Sabine (1961), A History of Political Theory (Chapter Hegel: Dialectic and Nationalism’pp-620-668), George G Harrap co. Ltd., London James, Collins et al (2001), Good to Great, Why Some Companies Make the Leap and others Don’t, Random House, New Zealand John, Naisbitt (1995), Global Paradox, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London John, Naisbitt (1982), Megatrends, Warner Communications, New York Orlando, C. Richard (2000), Racial Diversity, Business Strategy, And Firm Performance: A Resource-based View-Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 164-177 Philip, Herbst (1974), Socio-Technical Design, Tavistock Publications, London Robert, J. Keller (2001), Cross Functional Project Groupsin Research and new Pro duct Development-Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 44, No 3, pp-547-557 This report on Managing Diversity at Workplace was written and submitted by user Kaylynn Hebert to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Inequalities on ACT Math Strategies and Practice

Inequalities on ACT Math Strategies and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Inequality questions come in a variety of shapes and forms on the ACT, but, no matter their form, you will see approximately three inequality questions on any given test. This means that inequality questions make up 5% of your overall ACT math test. Now, 5% of your test might not sound like a lot, but with only a quick brush-up on inequalities, that's an additional 5% of your questions that you're bound to rock! This will be your complete guide to inequalities on the ACT: what they are, the different types of ACT math problems on inequalities, and how to solve them. What Are Inequalities? An inequality is a representation that two values are not equal or that two values are possibly not equal. There are different types of inequalities and different symbols to denote these different relationships. ≠  is the "unequal" sign. Whenever you see this sign, you know that two values are not equal, but nothing more. We don't know which value is greater or less than, just that they are not the same. If we have $y ≠  x$, we do not know if $y$ is greater or less than $x$, just that they do not equal one another. is the "greater than" sign. Whichever number or variable is facing the opening of the sign is always the larger of the two values. (Some of you may have learned that the sign is a "crocodile" and that the crocodile always wants to eat the larger value). For instance, $x 14$ means that $x$ can be anything larger than 14 (it can even be 14.00000000001), but it cannot be 14 and it cannot be less than 14. is the "less than" sign. Whichever number is facing away from the opening of the sign is the lesser of the two values. This is just the greater than sign in reverse. So $14 x$ is the exact same equation we had earlier. $x$ must be larger than 14, 14 must be smaller than $x$. ≠¥ is the "greater than or equal to" sign. This acts exactly the same as the greater sign except for the fact that our values can also be equal. Whereas $x 14$ meant that $x$ could only be any number larger than 14, $x ≠¥ 14$ means that $x$ could be equal to 14 or could be any number larger than 14. ≠¤ is the "less than or equal to" sign. Just as the less than sign acted as a counter to the greater than sign, the less than or equal to sign acts counter to the greater than or equal to sign. So $x ≠¥ 14$ is the exact same thing as saying $14 ≠¤ x$. Either way, we are saying that 14 is less than or equal to $x$, $x$ is greater than or equal to 14. Each symbol describes the relationship between two values, but we can also link multiple values in a string. For instance, we can say: $5 x 15$ This gives us both an upper and a lower limit on our $x$ value, because we know it must be both larger than five and less than 15. If we only had $5 x$, the upper limit of $x$ would stretch into infinity, and the same with the lower limit if we only had $x 15$. For tips on how to keep track of which signs mean which, check out this article. The inequality crocodile is always hungry for the most it can get, om nom nom. How to Represent Inequalities We can represent inequalities in one of three different ways: A written expression A number line A graph Let's look at all three. Inequalities as written expressions use only mathematical symbols and no diagrams. They are exactly what we have been working with above (e.g., $y 37$). An inequality number line allows us to visualize the set of numbers that represents our inequality. We use a dark line to show all the numbers that match our inequality, and we mark where the inequality begins and/or ends in two different ways. To mark the beginning of an inequality that is "greater than" or "less than," we use an open circle. This shows that the starting number is NOT included. To mark the beginning of an inequality that is "greater than or equal to" or "less than or equal to," we use a closed circle. This shows that the starting number IS included. We can also combine these symbols if our inequality equation requires us to use two different symbols. For instance, if we have $-3 x ≠¤ 3$, our number line would look like: And finally, we can have inequalities in graphs for any and all types of graphs on the coordinate plane (more on the coordinate plane coming soon!). "Greater than" will be above the line of the graph, while "less than" will be below the line of the graph. Greater: This is true no matter which direction the line of the graph extends. Less: In terms of markings, inequality graphs follow the same rules as inequalities on number lines. Just as we use an open circle for "greater than" or "less than" inequalities, we use a dashed line for inequality graphs that are "greater than" or "less than." And just how we use a closed circle for "greater than or equal to" or "less than or equal to" inequalities, we use a solid line for our graphs that are greater or less than or equal to. And now to dive right in to ACT inequality problems! (Awkward flailing optional). Typical ACT Inequality Problems There are three different types of inequality questions you'll see on the ACT, in the order from most to least common: #1: Solve an inequality equation (find the solution set) #2: Identify or answer questions about an inequality graph or number line #3: Find alternate inequalities that fulfill given information Let's look at each type- what they mean and how you'll see them on the ACT. #1: Solving an Inequality Equation This is by far the most common type of inequality question you'll see on the ACT. You will be given one or two inequality equations and must solve for the solution set of your variable. Inequality problems work exactly the same way as a single variable equation and can be solved in the same way. Just think of the inequality sign as being the same as the equals sign. So you will perform the same actions (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing) on each side. For instance: $9 + 12x 45$ $12x 36$ $x 3$ The only difference between equations and inequalities is that the inequality sign flips if you multiply or divide each side by a negative. For instance, $10 - 4x 50$ $-4x 40$ $x -10$ Because we had to divide each side by -4, we had to reverse the sign of the inequality. Alternatively, we can also use the strategy of plugging in answers (PIA) or plugging in numbers (PIN) to solve our inequality problems. Because all ACT math problems are multiple choice, we can simply test out which answers match our equation (and which do not) or we can choose our own values for x based on the information we know, depending on the problem. Let's look at an example of how this looks on the ACT, whether we solve the problem algebraically or by PIA. The inequality $3(x+2)4(x-3)$ is equivalent to which of the following inequalities? F. $x-6$G. $x5$H. $x9$J. $x14$K. $x18$ Solving Method 1: Algebra First, distribute out the variable on each side. $3(x + 2) 4(x - 3)$ $3x + 6 4x - 12$ Now, we must isolate our variable just as we would with a single variable equation. $6 x - 12$ $18 x$ Just as we saw back in our definitions, we know that we can also flip the inequality sign if we also switch the sides of our values. So $18 x$ is the same as saying $x 18$. Our final answer is K, $x 18$ Solving Method 2: Plugging in Answers Though it will often take a little longer, we can also solve our inequality problems by testing out the values in our answer choices. Let's, as usual when using PIA, start with answer choice C. Answer choice C says $x$ is less than 9, so let us see if this is true by saying that $x = 8$. If we plug in 8 for $x$ in the equation, we'll get: $3(x + 2) 4(x - 3)$ $3(8 + 2) 4(8 - 3)$ $3(10) 4(5)$ $30 20$ This is true, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is the correct answer. Just because we know that $x$ can be equal to 8 or less doesn't mean it can't also be greater than 8. All we know for sure is that we can eliminate answer choices F and G, since we've problem that $x$ can be larger than each of them. So let us now go the opposite route and look at the highest value $x$ can be, given our answer choices. Answer choice J gives us $x 14$ and answer choice K says that $x 18$, so what would happen is we gave $x$ a value between the two? Let us say that $x = 16$ $3(x + 2) 4(x - 3)$ $3(16 + 2) 4(16 - 3)$ $3(18) 4(13)$ $54 52$ Because our inequality works for $x = 16$, we know that $x$ can be greater than $x 14$ and can, therefore, be greater than all the answer choices except for answer choice K (the answer choice that gives us our largest possible value for $x$). This is enough to tell us that our final answer is K. Our final answer is, again, K, $x 18$ #2: Inequality Graph and Number Line Questions For these types of questions, you will be asked to identify a graph or a number line from a given equation. Alternatively, you may be asked to infer information from a given inequality graph. Either way, you will always be given the graph on the coordinate plane. We know that the sum of $x$ and $y$ must be greater than 1, so let us imagine that one of those two variables is equal to 0. If we say that $x = 0$, then y alone has to be greater than 1 to make the sum of $x$ and $y$ still be greater than 1. We also know that we indicate that a value is "greater than" on a graph with a dashed line at the value in question and a filled in area above the value. The only graph with a dashed line at $y = 1$ and that has a shaded area above this value is graph J. This means graph J is more than likely our answer, but let's confirm it just to be safe. Because the sum of $x$ and $y$ must be greater than 1, the alternative possibility to $x = 0$ and $y 1$ is that $y$ equals zero, so $x$ must be greater than 1. To show this, we would need a dashed line at $(1, 0)$ and a shaded area above it, all of which graph J has. Now, to finish confirming that graph J is indeed our answer, we would simply do what we did to locate the lower limit of our graph in reverse so that we can find the upper limit. If $x + y 2$, then, when $x = 0$, $y$ must be less than 2, and when $y = 0$, $x$ must be less than 2. This would give us dashed lines at $(0, 2)$ and $(2, 0)$, both of which are on graph J. Our final answer is J. #3: Finding Alternate Inequality Expressions The rarest form of inequality questions on the ACT will ask you to use given inequalities and find alternate inequalities that must be true based off this given information. Let's look at one of these in action, to better see how this type of question works. If $x$ and $y$ are real numbers, such that $x1$ and $y-1$, then which of the following inequalities must be true? A. $x/y1$ B. $|x|^2|y|$ C. $x/3-5y/3-5$ D. $x^2+1y^2+1$ E. $x^{-2}y^{-2}$ There are two different ways we can solve this problem, by plugging in our own numbers or by working through it based on our logic and knowledge of algebra. We'll go through both methods here. Solving Method 1: Plugging in Numbers (PIN) Because we have a problem with multiple variables in both the problem and in the answer choices, we can make life a little easier and give our variables numerical values. Now, we do have to be careful when using this method, however, because there are infinite variables to choose from for both $x$ and $y$ and so more than one answer choice might work for any given variables we give to $x$ and $y$. If two or more answer choices work, we must simply pick new variables- eventually only the correct answer will be left, as it must work for ALL values of $x$ and $y$. When it comes to picking our values for $x$ and $y$, we can also make life easy by picking values that are easy to work with. We know that we must divide both $x$ and $y$ by 3 in answer choice C, so let us pick values that are divisible by 3, and we know we must square our values in several answer choices, so let us pick numbers that are fairly small. Now let's just say that $x = 6$ and $y = -9$ (Why those numbers? So long as they fulfill the given information- and they do- then why not!) And let us plug these values into our answer choices. Answer choice A gives us: $x/y 1$ If we plug in our values, we get: $6/{-9}$ $-{2/3}$ This is NOT greater than 1, so we can eliminate answer choice A. Answer choice B gives us: $|x|^2 |y|$ If we plug in our values, we get: $|6|^2 |-9|$ $36 9$ This is correct, so we will keep answer option B in the running for right now. Answer choice C gives us: $x/3 - 5 y/3 - 5$ If we plug in our values, we get: $6/3 - 6 {-9}/3 - 5$ $2 - 6 -3 - 5$ $-4 -8$ This is correct, so we will keep answer option C in the running for now as well. Because B and C are both correct, we will need to come back and test them both again with different values later. Answer choice D gives us: $x^2 + 1 y^2 + 1$ $6^2 + 1 -9^2 + 1$ $36 + 1 81 + 1$ $37 82$ This is NOT true, so we can eliminate answer choice D. Answer choice E gives us: $x^{-2} y^{-2}$ $6^{-2} -9^{-2}$ $1/{6^2} 1/{-9^2}$ $1/36 1/81$ Now this is indeed true, but what if we had chosen different values for x and y? Let's say that we said $x = 9$ and $y = -6$ instead (remember- so long as the numbers fit with the given information, we can use any values we like). $x^{-2} y^{-2}$ $9^{-2} -6^{-2}$ $1/{9^2} 1/{-6^2}$ $1/81 1/36$ Whoops! Answer choice E is no longer correct, which means we can eliminate it. We are looking for the answer choice that is always true, so it cannot possibly be answer E. Now we are left with answer choices B and C. Let's look at them each again. While we saw that our values for $x$ and $y$ meant that answer choice B was indeed true, let's see what would happen if we choose a much smaller value for $y$. Nothing is stopping us from choosing -6,000 for $y$- remember, all that we are told is that $y -1$. So let us use $y = -6,000$ instead. $|x|^2 |y|$ $|6|^2 |-6,000|$ $36 6,000$ This inequality is NOT true anymore, which means we can eliminate answer choice B. This means that answer choice C must be the right answer by default, but let's test it to make absolutely sure. Let us try what we did with answer option E and reverse the absolute values of our $x$ and $y$. So instead of $x = 6$ and $y = -9$, we will say that $x = 9$ and $y = -6$. $x/3 - 5 y/3 - 5$ $9/3 - 5 {-6}/3 - 5$ $3 - 5 -2 - 5$ $-2 -7$ No matter how many numbers we choose for $x$ and $y$, answer choice C will always be correct. Our final answer is C, $x/3 - 5 y/3 - 5$ Solving Method 2: Algebraic Logic As we can see, using PIN was successful, but required a good deal of time and trial and error. The alternative way to solve the problem is by thinking of how negatives and positives work and how exponents and absolute values alter these rules. We know that $x$ must be positive and $y$ must be negative to fulfill the requirements $x 1$ and $y -1$. Now let us look through our answer choices to see how these expressions are affected by the idea that $x$ must always be positive and $y$ must always be negative. Answer choice A gives us: $x/y 1$ We know that any fraction with a positive numerator and a negative denominator will be negative. And any negative number is less than 1. Answer choice A can never be correct. Answer choice B gives us: $|x|^2 |y|$ An absolute value means that the negative sign on $y$ has been negated, so this might be correct. But y can be any number less than -1, which means its absolute value could potentially be astronomically large, and $x$ can be any number greater than 1, which means its absolute value might be comparatively tiny. This means that answer choice B is not always correct, which is enough to eliminate it from the running. Answer choice C gives us: $x/3 - 5 y/3 - 5$ Now let's look at each side of the inequality. We know that any fraction with a positive number in both the numerator and in the denominator will give us a positive value. This means we will have some positive value minus 5 on the left side. We also know that any time we have a negative value in the numerator and a positive value in the denominator, we will have a negative fraction. This means we will have some negative value minus 5 on the right side. We also know that a negative plus a negative will give us an even greater negative (a smaller value). If we put this information together, we know that the left side may or may not be a negative value, depending on the value of $x$, but the right side will only get more and more negative. In other words, no matter what values we give to $x$ and $y$, the left side will always be greater than the right side, which means the expression is always true. Now this should be enough for us to select our right answer as C, but we should give a look to the other answer choices just in case. Answer choice D gives us: $x^2 + 1 y^2 + 1$ We know that if we square both a positive number and a negative number, we will get a positive result, so the negative value for $y$ is no longer in play. This inequality will therefore be true if the absolute value of $x$ is greater than the absolute value of $y$ (e.g., $x = 10$ and $y = -9$), but it won't be true if the absolute value of $y$ is greater than the absolute value of $x$ (e.g., $x = 9$, $y = -10$). This means that the inequality will sometimes be true, but not always, which is enough to eliminate it. Finally, answer choice E gives us: $x^{-2} y^{-2}$ We know that a number to a negative exponent is equal to 1 over that number to the positive exponent (e.g., $5^{-3} = 1/{5^3}$). This means that each value will be a fraction of 1 over the square of our $x$ and $y$ values. This will give us two positive fractions and $1/{x^2}$ will only be larger if the absolute value of $x$ is smaller than the absolute value of $y$. But, because our $x$ and $y$ values can be anything so long as $y$ is negative and $x$ is positive, this will only sometimes be true. We can therefore eliminate answer choice E. This leaves us with only answer choice C that is always true. Our final answer is C, $x/3 - 5 y/3 - 5$ "Win a war," "Rock the ACT"- we'd say the two are basically one and the same. ACT Math Strategies for Inequality Problems Though there are a few different types of inequality problems, there are a few strategies you can follow to help you solve them most effectively. #1: Write Your Information Down and Draw It Out Many problems on the ACT, inequalities included, appear easier or less complex than they actually are and can lead you to fall for bait answers. This illusion of ease may tempt you to try to solve inequality questions in your head, but this is NOT the way to go. Take the extra moment to work your equations out on the paper or even draw your own diagrams (or draw on top of the diagrams you're given). The extra few seconds it will take you to write out your problems are well worth the points you'll gain by taking the time to find the right answer. #2: Use PIN (or PIA) When Necessary If all you know about $x$ is that it must be more than 7, go ahead and pick a value for $\bi x$. This will help you more easily visualize and work through the rest of the problem, since it is generally always easier to work with numbers than it is to work with variables. As you use this strategy, the safest bet is to choose two values for your variable- one that is close to the definition value and one that is very far away. This will allow you to see whether the values you chose work in all instances. For instance, if all you know is $x 7$, it's a good idea to work through the problem once under the assumption that $x = 8$ and another time under the assumption that $x = 400$. If the problem must be true for all values $x 7$, then it should work for all numbers of $x$ greater than 7. #3: Keep Very Careful Track of Your Negatives One of the key differences between inequalities and single variable equations is in the fact that the inequality sign is reversed whenever you multiply or divide both sides by a negative. And you can bet the house that this is what the ACT will try to test you on again and again. Though the ACT is not engineered to trick you, the test-makers are still trying to challenge you and test whether or not you know how to apply key mathematical concepts. If you lose track of your negatives (an easy thing to do, especially if you're working in your head), you will fall for one of the bait answers. Keep a keen eye. #4: Double-Check Your Answer by Working Backwards (Optional) If you feel unsure about your answer for any reason (because so many of the answer choices look the same, because you're not sure if you handled the issue of negative numbers correctly, etc.), you can work backwards to see if your expression is indeed correct. For instance, let us look at the inequality we had earlier, when talking about the function of negatives on inequalities: $10 - 4x 50$ Again, we would go through this just as we would a single variable equation. $-4x 40$ $x -10$ But now maybe that answer doesn't feel right to you or you just want to double-check to be sure. Well, if we're told that $x$ must be greater than -10 to fulfill the inequality, let's make sure that this is true. Let us solve the expression with $x = -9$ and see if we are correct. $10 - 4x 50$ $10 - 4(-9) 50$ $10 + 36 50$ $46 50$ This is correct, so that's promising. But we found that $x$ needed to be greater than -10, so our expression should also be INCORRECT if $x$ were equal to -10 or if $x$ were less than -10. So let us see what happens if we have $x = -10$. $10 - 4x 50$ $10 - 4(-10) 50$ $10 + 40 50$ $50 50$ The inequality is no longer correct. This means that we know for certain that the solution set we found, $x -10$ is true. You will always be able to work backwards in this way to double-check your inequality questions. Though this can take a little extra time, it might be worth your peace of mind to do this whenever you feel unsure about your answers. Ready, set? It's test time! Test Your Knowledge Now let's put all that inequality knowledge to the test on some real ACT math problems. 1. The inequality $6(x+2)7(x-5)$ is equivalent to which of the following inequalities?A. $x-23$B. $x7$C. $x17$D. $x37$E. $x47$ 2. 3. If $r$ and $s$ can be any integers such that $s10$ and $2r+s=15$, which of the following is the solution set for $r$? A. $r≠¥3$B. $r≠¥0$C. $r≠¥2$D. $r≠¤0$E. $r≠¤2$ 4. Which of the following is the solution statement for the inequality shown below? $-51-3x10$ F. $-5x10$G. $-3x$H. $-3x2$J. $-2x3$K. $x-3$ or $x2$ 5. Answers: E, E, E, H, D Answer Explanations 1. This is a standard inequality equation, so let us go through our solve accordingly. First, let's begin by distributing out our equation. $6(x + 2) 7(x - 5)$ $6x + 12 7x - 35$ $12 x - 35$ $47 x$ Because we did not have to divide or multiply by a negative, we were able to keep the inequality sign intact. And because the expression $47 x$ and $x 47$ mean the same thing, we can see that this matches one of our answer choices. Our final answer is E, $x 47$ 2. We are given two graphs with equations attached and we must identify when one equation/graph is less than the other. We don't even have to know anything about what these equations means and we do not have to fuss with solving the equations- we can simply look at the diagram. The only place on the diagram where the graph of $y = (x - 1)^4$ is less than (aka lower than) the graph of $y = x - 1$ is between $x = 1$ and $x = 2$ on the coordinate plane. In other words, this inequality is true when $x 1$ and when $x 2$, or $1 x 2$. Our final answer is E, $1 x 2$. 3. We know that $s 10$ and it must be an integer, so let us make life easy and just say that $s = 11$. Now we can use this number to plug into the equation. $2r + s = 15$ $2r + 11 = 15$ $2r = 4$ $r = 2$ We know that $r$ can be equal to 2 and that it is the nearest integer to our definition. This means that our answer will either be C or E. So let us now find which direction our inequality sign must face. Let's now try one integer larger than 11 to see whether our solution set must be less or equal to 2 or greater than or equal to 2. If we say that $s = 12$, then our equation becomes: $2r + s = 15$ $2r + 12 = 15$ $2r = 3$ $r = 1.5$ We can see now that, as $s$ increases, $r$ will decrease. This means our solution set will be that $r$ is equal to or less than 2. Our final answer is E, $r≠¤ 2$ 4. Though this problem is made slightly more complex due to the fact that it is a double inequality expression, we still solve the inequality the same way we normally would. $-5 1 - 3x 10$ If we think of this expression as two different inequality equations, we would say: $-5 1 - 3x$ and $1 - 3x 10$ So let us solve each of them. $-5 1 - 3x$ $-6 -3x$ Because we now must divide by a negative, we must reverse the inequality sign. $2 x$ And now let's solve our second expression: $1 - 3x 10$ $-3x 9$ Again, we must reverse our inequality sign, since we need to divide each side by a negative. $x -3$ Now, if we put the two results together, our expression will be: $-3 x 2$ Our final answer is H, $-3 x 2$ 5. Because we have a number line with two closed circles, we know that must use less than or equal to and greater than or equal to signs. We can see that the right side of the graph gives us a set of numbers equal to or greater than 3, which means: $x ≠¥ 3$ The left side of the graph gives us a set of numbers less than or equal to -1, which means: $x ≠¤ -1$ Our final answer is, therefore, D, $-1 ≠¥ x$ and $x ≠¤ 3$. And now, your reward for solving your inequality problems is oodles of Cuteness. The Take-Aways Inequalities are so similar to single variable equations that it can be easy to treat the two as the same. The test-makers know this, so it pays to be careful when it comes to your inequality questions. Remember the key differences (multiplying or dividing by a negative reverses the sign, and you can flip your inequality signs so long as you flip both sides of the expression) and keep careful track of the details to avoid all the common pitfalls and bait answers. After you've mastered the art of answering your inequality questions, that's another 5% of the test that you've dominated. You're well on your way to that score goal of yours now! What's Next? Want to brush up on any of your other math topics? Check out our individual math guides to get the walk-through on each and every topic on the ACT math test. Been procrastinating on your ACT studying? Learn how to get over your desire to procrastinate and make a well-balanced study plan. Running out of time on the ACT math section? We'll teach you how to beat the clock and maximize your ACT math score. Looking to get a perfect score? Check out our guide to getting a perfect 36 on ACT math, written by a perfect-scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Writing Assignment - Model in Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Assignment - Model in Action - Essay Example Trinity College of Management was in the process of formulating a business proposal to attract funds from a funding agency. The project was the continuation of a public welfare program.. However the College fell short on the target of the number of beneficiaries in the previous year’s implementation. Though this short fall was quantitatively less, it was limiting the chance of the college getting continued funds. The ethical decision making process involved in the scenario was the analysis of the alternatives proposed to solve the problem. Three alternates were suggested, of which the first was to have relentless efforts in order to achieve the shortfall in the number of beneficiaries by the time the proposal was submitted. Another possible option was to hype figures in the proposal than the actual achievements and the last alternative was to keep the proposal going with the actual figures. These alternates were evaluated in the ethical decision making process. Though no ethical issue was realized in the first and the third alternatives, the suggestion to hype the figures involved an ethical issue and had to be evaluated for its intensity. The hype in the number of beneficiaries was found to be miniscule in comparison with the total achievement and the total cost involved. The moral cause of the project was not affected hugely due to the shortfall and thus the hype was found not to be a major ethical concern. The individual factors for alternative evaluation include Quantitative factors and Qualitative factors. (Nair & Oommen, 1994).The proposal for the trial to achieve the shortfall failed in this evaluation process as the quantitative factor of operational cost for its implementation could not be afforded. A minor qualitative factor of the inter-organizational relationships was realized in the second option but the success of the project implementation and the resultant improvisation in the relationships with the

Caffeine and the Brain Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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3 smart goals that the student has for his future Essay

3 smart goals that the student has for his future - Essay Example My goals for the future are to become a criminal lawyer, have greater economic stability and increase my personal self confidence. Criminal law is an exciting field of study which helps an individual to analyse society as well as the various different kinds of people that live within it. It has been my dream to be able to assist people in the name of justice and thus I would like to become a successful criminal lawyer. Crimes are a large part of society today and it has become vital to support just and fair rules; every man thinks he is right and thus I would like to step in there, litigate and be able to provide my expertise and judgement in order to help every individual out of his dilemma and thus help the welfare of society. A good college education will help me become a good criminal lawyer so that I can serve society tomorrow. Getting into a reputed and highly recognized law institute or college will help me to enhance my speaking and arguing skills; not only this but it will also help to provide me with a better environment to learn and nurture my skill and talent. Excellent law schools all over the country help to inculcate the aspect of mooting and debating among the law students and thus, gaining a good college education will help me become a better litigator for the future, and in this way will help me to recognise my goals and aspirations with respect to studying criminal law. Furthermore, getting a good college education will also improve the kind of internships that I undertake because the name of the college I belong to will make a difference to the recruiters. My second aspiration is to gain better economic stability; I will be able to achieve the same only if I am able to do well in life. It is tough to be at a position where every individual is able to get whatever it is that he wants; however, I am ready to accept the challenge and will not falter. I want to be able to reach a level where I am stable

Organisation of the Retail Sector

Organisation of the Retail Sector For the purpose of this assignment, I shall start off the assignment by defining the term retailing. I shall then describe how the retail industry is organised include many ways and places in which retail is conducted and finally I shall describe the changes that are taking place in the industry structure. Retailing is to provide services and products and at a profit. Retailing consists of the sale of goods for personal or household consumption operating from an appropriate location offering wide range of access to its target audience. For example, Retail Park in (Lakeside) ensuring adequate stock is available to meet customer demand as well as offering attractive and distinctive products. Ways and places in which retail is conducted There are immense ways and places in which retail may be conducting in current environment, however the aim of all types of retails is to engage with customer effectively and achieve the organisation aims and objectives through the various strategies that may suit them. Some of the ways and places are mentioned in detail as following. Classification of types of store There are several classifications of types of retail store as shown in the table below. Type of retailer Example Independent Corner shop such as Multiple chains Pharmacy, Department stores John Lewis, Selfridge, Tesco Metro Supermarkets Iceland, Morrison, Mark Spencer, Tesco Catalogue stores Argos, Empire direct, kays Discount stores Pc World, Maplin, Currys, Comet, Superdrug Emerging store types There are number of new store formats have appeared recently as mentioned below Shopping village Outlet Stores, Factory Shops, Factory Outlets, there are many names but only one concept, and that is to bring you designer products at discount prices. For example, shopping village in Oxford provides designer cloths at discount prices through website. Factory shops The factory shop is attached to a factory. A factory shop normally sell imperfect produced in the adjacent factory. In other words goods that may not be satisfactory produced in nearby factory. For example, The original factory shop offering a wide range of merchandise Ladieswear, Menswear, Kidswear, Sportswear, Football, Electricals, Housewares, Toys and Gifts, Beauty and Fragrance all discounted. Much of what they sell is either branded or is originally made for other high street stores and supermarkets. Television sales channels In recent years cable or satellite channels companies have dedicated shopping channels such as QVC and Express Shop to allow the consumer to order online instantly through remote control. E -Retailing The internet has tremendous change on the shopping habit of consumers and selling and buying products over the internet continues to gain popularity. This is because the internet has tree main advantages such as Convince shopping over internet allows consumer to shop online without having to leave their house Choices this is seen as the biggest advantages as the internet allows access to wide range of products from across the world for example EBay, this gives advantage to internet over shopping centre. Cost in general, goods sold online are much cheaper than those sold in shops and the expenses to run the website is relatively less than running physical shops. Online and physical stores The combination of technology and physical appearance of store is combined together, for example an electric store Pc World attempts to combine both an online web store and a physical store as it allows customer to surfer to order online and pick up from the store as well as delivering at their doorsteps. Service versus product retailing Organisation providing high proportion of services emphasis on providing effective marketing mix, such organisation includes banks, estate agents, cafes e.t.c. however product retailer emphasis not as much as service providing organisation. It is because service can exists within customer and organisation for long time such as Tenants and agents and therefore the agents has to provide effective service to convey customer and not loss it, on the other hand retailer selling cable electrical products, if once sold to customer then it will be used as long as the fault becomes. Therefore the service can exist for a long time where as providing products can be flexible and quick. Classification of retailers Retailers can be classified from variety of viewpoints, for example higher number of employees and sales turnover is indication of a tall structured organisation. There are other factors as well such as the size and product strategy, for example very large stores such as ASDA and Morisons selling a full range of food and non food products. In the UK 11% of all enterprises are retailers operating from around 280,000 retail outlets. Location The places of shopping have become more diverse, todays there are local, city centre and out of town retail parks, plus regional shopping developments. Local Local shops are located and serve suburban areas or smaller towns. They generally consisted of significant number of stores. The aim of such stores is to provide flexible shopping for consumers in a given locality enabling them to shop close by where they live rather than having to travel far away. In town stores and shopping centres It is commonly known as typical high street which is consisted of Department stores (such as Mark Spencer) Multiples (such as new Look) Service retailer (such as building societies and banks) The aim of such town stores and shipping centres is to provide large coverage and access to all possible products and services that is commonly used by consumers such as cloths, food and non food products, banking e.t.c. it is to maximising the efficiency of providing everything at located places. Out of town retail parks and regional centres There are huge regional shopping complexes located in several out of town sites in the UK. They have more attraction than shopping mall on large scale, these provides wide range of facilities such as restaurants, cinema, cash points as well as train stations and motorway access. Other out of town includes stores such as Comet, Dixons, Pc World, MF and BQ. The reason for such stores is that it is easy to park, prices are competitive and the size of these stores is huge means a great variety of goods is on sale. Ownership The ownership of retail stores reflects the diverse nature of the industry. Independent retailers are organisation with fewer then ten branches. Independent retailers tend to offer specialist range of products for example medicines, they also sell a range of products including groceries household goods, wine and spirits. Multiple retailers are organisation with more than ten branches. Some multiples are classified as specialist such as Burtons for clothing. Multiple variety stores like Boot s and Mark Spencer offer wide range of food. These stores tend to be in busy shopping areas and the prices tend to be relatively low. Voluntary chain retailers choose to buy most of the stock from the certain wholesalers whose price tends to be relatively low due to their buying power such as SPAR. Franchised retailers are granted the rights in a geographical area. In simple words, it is legal right given to a person who wishes to run the branch of established business or organisation an example would be Mc Donald or KFC. The franchisee pays a fee based sales or even agrees to buy supplies from the franchisor. Structured of the retail industry The structured of the retail industry has become more diverse due to expansions of brands in different type of location. The structure of retail can be noticed from number of perspectives such as the size and profitability, Trends in sale and other aspects. Size The size of UK retail industry continues to grow but not as rapid as it was from year 2000 to 2007. This is due to competitive market and economic turmoil in the current environment which is forcing industry size to be limited or even reduce it as the sales begin to slump. Trends in sales Form the past two year the retail sales have fallen dramatically due to the affect of recession on their sales, some retailers have reported of 10% sales being fallen. This has reduced the growth rates of the UK retailers. UK retail sales values fell 0.1% on a like-for-like basis from August 2008, however Retail sales in central London in November were 13.3% higher on a like-for-like basis than a year ago, when sales had fallen 0.4%, as financial turmoil hit consumer confidence especially in the City. This shows the glowing picture of sales. Profitability The formula for better profit is high sales and similarly low sale contributes to low profit. The retailers from across the country have reported improved sales from the last three years this means presumably healthy profit. however it cant be neglected that the uncertainty still remain in the British economy. But for the mean time the retailer are enjoying the volume of profit. Store size and location Some of the retailers such as Tesco have expanded in terms of the size and location. The management have made changes into physical structure enlarging it even further in some of the stores. Tesco have also begun to deploy stores in community such as Tesco Express in local community where the local shops are also operating. In general, it is noticed that retailer are committed expand the physical size as well as location such as retail park to provide maximum access to consumers. Not-for-profit and public place retailers There has been a growth in not for profit retailers such as Oxfam, Cancer research. They sell goods brought in by donors and use voluntary staff. The growth can be as people are becoming aware of their aims and objectives and thus feel compassionate towards their cause. Public retailers also have common variety of diverse venues, for example there has been noticeable rise in the products available from vending machines as it provide more services such as hot drinks. Similarly, there has been increased in retailers in main rail station for example, WHSmith is a common sight at many UK rail stations. Employment characteristic The retail industry employee approximately 3 million people, over the last five years employment in retailing has grown by 141,000. However, from the last year there has been decline in retail employment due to economic turmoil and the demand of employment has reduced significantly. Conclusion In this assignment, I have defined the term retailing described how the retail industry is organised through many ways and places in which retail is conducted and I have described the changes that are taking place in the industry structure

Tess of the dUrbervilles- summary of part I :: essays research papers

Tess of the d’Urbervilles Chapter I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The scene begins with a middle-aged peddler, named John Durbeyfield. Making his way home, the man encounters Parson Tringham, who claims to have studied history. The Parson tells Durbeyfield that he is of noble lineage, the d’Urberville family, and his family has prospered for many generations until recently. Tringham tells his him however that this heritage comes from such a long period of time ago that it is worthless. At this the seemingly drunk man sits near a road and beckons a young boy to fetch him a horse and carriage to take him home in his newly liberated state. Chapter II   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tess, the eldest daughter of the Durbeyfield family, has accompanied the other women in the village, young and old, to celebrate May Day. All of the women are clothed in white, but not the same shade of white, as noticed by the narrator. They all hold white flowers in one hand and a white wand made from oak in the other. This celebration commemorates the coming of spring, and all the women enjoy it, as it seems, because it allows them to forget their insignificant role in society. In the middle of the procession, John Durbeyfield rides along in his carriage, making quite a spectacle. Tess is embarrassed, and three very attractive (and obviously rich) brothers walk in. Only one of them, the youngest stays to dance, while his brothers continue their journey. All the women are anxious to be picked to dance by him, for all dream of a better life as the wife of a gentleman. Tess is chosen to dance with the young man, and before they can even exchange their names, the b oy runs off to catch up with his siblings. Chapter III   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Upon Tess’ arrival home after the festivities, her mother, Joan confronts her with two important pieces of news. She relates that their family has been found to be of noble blood, and that John has been diagnosed with a heart condition. Tess sees the Compleat Fortune-Teller, a book full of superstitions that her mother follows for guidance. Mr. Durbeyfield is not home, but rather at Rolliver’s, the local inn and drinking hole, celebrating the news of his new â€Å"wealth†. Obviously, the man spends a many hours there, and it is no surprise that he has not returned home. Joan, leaving Tess to tend her 5 siblings, leaves to fetch her husband.

Energy Requirements In Post Combustion Environmental Sciences Essay

Recently there has been increased involvement in C gaining control engineerings. There are a figure of factors act uponing this increased consciousness. There is increased credence that important decreases in CO2 emanations are required to avoid earnestly impacting the planetary clime, these decreases are improbable to be achieved through decreases in planetary energy demand. Therefore capturing CO2 before it enters the ambiance becomes a feasible option to cut down emanations. Post-combustion CO2 gaining control ( PCC ) engineering is a promising engineering that has possible to significantly cut down CO2 emanations from big point beginnings such as power workss. The chief advantage that station burning gaining control engineerings have over other gaining control methods is that bing power workss can be retrofitted with the engineering leting for a more immediate decrease in C emanations than is possible with the other possible engineerings. This is an of import consideration as the typical lifetime of a coal fired power works is 25 old ages which means that merely PCC can efficaciously turn to emanations from most of the universes presently runing power Stationss. However, PCC incurs higher energy punishments than pre-combustion gaining control engineerings and because there are non sufficient fiscal and legislative punishments for CO2 emanations PCC has yet to be demonstrated on a full graduated table footing and hence these energy costs can merely be quantified on a theoretical footing. Coal holds the largest portion of worldwide electric power production by a broad border, accounting for 40 % of universe energy supply in 2008. With this figure merely expected to somewhat diminish to 37 % by 2035 [ 1 ] . Because of coals laterality of the energy production sector and the higher C emanations associated with the combustion of coal we will concentrate on the energy efficiencies associated with using PCC to these workss. Modern coal fired power workss operate by using powdered coal. This coal is assorted with air and so fire in a boiler. The steam generated is used to turn a turbine generator and the waste burning gases are released to the ambiance. These gases consist chiefly of nitrogen plus H2O and CO2. Additional merchandises, depending on the pureness of the coal used, can include sulphur dioxide and N oxides. A typical powdered coal power works emits about 743 g/kWhr of CO2 [ 2 ] . As CO2 typically merely accounts for 12.5-12.8 % of the entire flue gas volume the separation of this from the other constituents is non a simple undertaking and requires energy input to accomplish.Minimum Energy RequirementThe thermodynamic lower limit specific energy demand for CO2 gaining control is shown in Figure. If an mean provender gas mole fraction of 12 % is taken so we can see that about 20 % extra energy is required in order to accomplish 100 % CO2 separation. Figure: Minimum specific energy demand for separation as a map of molar fraction in the provender gas for different fractional remotion ( T= 313 K ) [ 3 ] . In add-on to being separated from the remainder of the fluke gases the CO2 besides needs to be compressed from atmospheric force per unit areas to force per unit areas of typically 15 MPa, which are more contributing for station burning storage or transit. The minimal energy demand in order to accomplish a compaction from 0.1MPa at a temperature of 313 K to 15 MPa is 0.068 kWh/kg CO2. Figure shows the minimal energy demand for separation both with and without compaction procedure, presuming a gas mole fraction of 12 % . If we take the Siemens system for PCC as a criterion ; it removes 90 % of CO2 [ 4 ] from the flue gases. This represents 0.114 kWh/kg CO2 theoretical lower limit energy demand. Figure: Minimum specific energy demand for CO2 gaining control and compaction ( 12 % molar fluke gas concentration ) as a map of fractional CO2 remotion: separation merely and separation with compaction to 15 MPa [ 3 ] .CO2 Absorption ProcessThere are a figure of different methods being developed to divide CO2 from the other end product flue gases. Currently absorption procedures appear to be the taking engineering so they will be the focal point of this treatment. Figure shows a typical schematic for a station burning CO2 soaking up procedure. First, the fluke gases are passed through a ice chest, which is required to cut down ammonium hydroxide release in the absorber and diminish the volume of the flue gases. A fan is so required to pump the gas through the absorber which contains the chemical absorbents. The absorbent stuff which now contains the chemically bound CO2 is pumped to the desorber via a lean-rich heat money changer. The desorber regenerates the chemical absorbent by utilizing an addition in temperature ( 370-410 K ) and pressures between 1 and 2 bara. Heat is besides supplied to the re-boiler to keep regeneration conditions for the chemical absorbent which means the procedure incurs an extra energy punishment as the heat is required for steam production which acts as a denudation agent to divide the CO2 from the chemical absorber. The steam is recovered and fed back into the stripper while the extremely pure CO2 gas ( & A ; gt ; 99 % pureness ) leaves the compressor. The absorber chemical, which has had the CO2 removed is fed back into the absorber [ 3 ] . Figure: Schematic of typical station burning gaining control procedure [ 5 ] . Clearly this procedure involves a serious energy punishment as the extra procedures add much greater losingss to the system than the theoretical lower limit energy demands calculated earlier. Table shows the important works efficiency punishment which is the cost of the C gaining control procedure. This efficiency bead is due to increasing resource ingestion per unit of electricity produced and additions in chilling H2O ingestion per unit of electricity produced. Power works and gaining control system type Internet works efficiency without CCS Internet works efficiency with CCS CCS Energy PenaltyAdditional energy input per cyberspace kWh end productDecrease in net kWh end product for a fixed energyinput.Existing subcritical Personal computer, post-combustion gaining control 33 % 23 % 43 % 30 % New supercritical Personal computer, post-combustion gaining control 40 % 31 % 29 % 23 % Table: Valuess for cyberspace pulverised coal power works efficiencies with and without CCS [ 6 ] . This lessening in efficiency means that more fuel is required in order to bring forth the same sum of electricity as before the PCC procedure was added. From Table it can be seen that newer, more efficient workss suffer lower energy punishments when PCC is applied. The bing subcritical powdered coal works a 43 % addition in energy input per kWh end product compared with 29 % for a new supercritical pulverised coal works. Thermal energy demands are the most important factor in the increased energy demands and are the chief challenge confronting efforts to diminish these losingss.Thermal Energy RequirementsChemical soaking up is normally used in industry to take gases and drosss from high value merchandises like H or methane. The issue that arises in using this engineering to the power coevals sector is that it consequences in much larger decreases in efficiencies. while taking H2S from H for illustration may merely take 2.5 % [ 2 ] of the energy content of the H, this loss is much lar ger in power coevals as antecedently shown.Binding Energy RequirementThe heat which is required to interrupt the bond between the CO2 and the absorbent is an of import factor to be taken into consideration. This can be reduced by the usage of aminoalkanes as they can possess a lower binding energy for CO2. Absorbent material Heat of soaking up ( GJ/tonnes CO2 ) MEA-H2O 1.92 DGA-H2O 1.91 DIPA-H2O 1.67 DEA-H2O 1.63 AMP-H2O 1.52 MIDEA-H2O 1.34 TEA -H2O 1.08 Water 0.39 Table: Typical Heat of Absorption for Common Liquid Absorbents [ 7 ] . Table shows the values for heat of soaking up for the most normally used liquid absorbents. MEA-H2O possesses the highest value for adhering energy to the CO2. If this value could be reduced the sum of energy which would be required to divide the CO2 from the absorbent could be significantly decreased. Future developments in chemical absorbents could see the debut of hydrogen carbonate formation, which has been shown to hold the lowest binding energy of any chemical absorbent [ 3 ] taking to important lessening in the energy punishments encountered by the system.Heating of Absorbent in DesorberThe energy consumed by the absorbent heating up in the stripper can be reduced by take downing the heat money changer attack temperature and diminishing the volume of dissolver flow through the desorber. This can be achieved through the usage of 2nd coevals sterically hindered aminoalkanes. This has possible to duplicate the molar capacity of the absorbent. This could take to a bead in energy d emand from 1.2 GJ/tonne CO2 to 0.8 GJ/tonne CO2 which represents two tierces of the first coevals demands. Further betterments in these countries could finally take to 0.08 GJ/tonne CO2 which is predicted for 4th coevals aminoalkanes and attack temperatures [ 3 ] .Reflux RatioDepriving steam in the desorber has to drive the CO2 through the desorption procedure and supply the heat demand of the overall desorber and releases this heat when condensed and this heat is lost in the chilling H2O. Typically the reflux ratio achieved, expressed as H2O/tonnes CO2, is 0.7. This can be improved through the usage of absorbents that posses a higher Carbon dioxide to H2O ratio at the desorber issue. With a 0.1 ratio seen as possible for 4th coevals absorbents.Entire Thermal Energy Requirement ReductionsTable shows how these factors could diminish the thermic energy demand as new coevalss of chemical absorbents are introduced. Decreases in entire thermic energy demand of up to 80 % may be possible if these engineerings can be implemented. Procedure Generation Status G1 G2 G3 G4 Binding Energy ( MJ/kmol CO2 ) 80 70 55 30 Desorber attack temperature ( K ) 15 10 5 3 Solvent Flow ( m3/tonnes CO2 ) 20 10 8 4 Reflux Ratio ( metric tons H2O/tonnes CO2 ) 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.1 Entire Thermal Energy Requirement ( GJ/tonnes CO2 ) 4.56 3.31 2.29 0.95 Table: Possible thermic energy demand betterments [ 3 ] .Power RequirementsPower is required to drive a figure of facets of the PCC procedure: Fan power demand which is determined by the flow rate required and per centum remotion of CO2 sought. Liquid absorbent pump power. Affected by the degree of absorptive regeneration and other such procedures Compaction power demands which depend on the CO2 belongingss and the degrees of compaction required. Current coevals power demand is 0.154 MWh/tonnes CO2 with the mentality for power economy outlined in Table. Procedure Generation Status G1 G2 G3 G4 Entire Power ( MWh/tonnes CO2 ) 0.154 0.138 0.122 0.105 Table: Possible power demand betterments [ 3 ] .DecisionWhile involvement and investing in research in the country of PCC has increased in recent times the procedure is still in the really early phases of development and at the minute the energy costs involved in using this engineering to char discharged power workss make it highly inefficient and economically impracticable. Table shows that in all cases PCC can take to enormous lessenings in the sum of CO2 which emanating from coal fired power workss. However, first coevals PCC engineerings lead to a 40 % lessening in the works efficiency ensuing in 65 % addition in coal ingestion to bring forth the same sum of electricity. PCC Generation Status G1 G2 G3 G4 Efficiency with no gaining control ( % ) 35 41 46 50 CO2 Emission ( No gaining control ) ( metric tons CO2/MWh ) 0.928 0.792 0.706 0.650 Efficiency with 90 % gaining control ( % ) 21.2 31.6 39.7 45.8 CO2 Emission ( with gaining control ) ( metric tons CO2/MWh ) 0.153 0.103 0.082 0.071 Increase in Coal usage due to Capture ( % ) 65 30 16 9 Table: Overall mentality for PCC [ 3 ] . Because these engineerings are in the really early phases of developments there is a immense range for efficiency betterments in both the thermic energy required and the power demands for the procedure. It is seen as an accomplishable end that as engineering is developed that PCC could ensue in every bit small as a 4.2 % lessening in overall works efficiency and a 9 % addition in coal ingestion. These decreases are cardinal to the future use of PCC engineering as if it is non economically feasible for the procedure to be used it will ne'er be adopted.

Bel Ami

French 0080 December 13, 2004 The Devil’s Workshop The American dream sustained by millions of immigrants in the last three centuries is built upon blind, optimistic faith that hard work and effort will bring about good fortune to good and righteous people. However, this dream does not always become reality and many times, it is the people who work the least who are the most fortunate in terms of wealth and success. In three famed French novels, the effects of money, power, and idleness in Bel-Ami, The Immoralist, and The Vagabond are made known as this degeneration of the morals and/or self-worth of the characters involved are depicted.Maupassant’s novel, Bel-Ami, tells the tale of Georges Duroy and his climb up the social ladder in the 1880’s. At the beginning of the novel, Duroy is a simple clerk who works hard for very small wages and who is forced to husband his resources so that he can afford the rent for his apartment in the slums and his one meager meal p er day. This existence bores and disgusts Duroy however, due to his lack of formal education and social connections he is unable to find a better paying position until his chance meeting with an old army friend, Forestier.With a gift of forty francs for a set of evening clothes, he is catapulted into aristocratic society as he is invited to dine with Forestier, his wife, and several business colleagues and friends. Although his personal experiences are limited, he regales his fellow dinner guests with stories about his time spent in Africa and before the evening is over, he is commissioned for an article on a cavalryman’s view of life in colonial Africa.The journalist’s position is drastically different from the occupation which he currently occupies given the flexibility with work and with an improved salary and Duroy jumps at this opportunity to promote himself into a more respected job. However, he finds himself unable to compose the article that is requested of him and approaches his friend for help. When Forestier instructs Duroy to go to his wife for aid, Duroy was nervous â€Å"wondering what he was going to say and uneasy about the welcome he might receive† (34, Bel-Ami).He is aware at this point that such behavior, visiting someone’s wife early in the morning and while she is dressed in a negligee, is not appropriate. However, he is encouraged by both Forestiers and spends time with alone with Madeleine, an act which was not socially acceptable at the time, and stays until the article is completed by her. Again, Duroy’s conscience forces him to hesitate signing his name to the article entirely composed by another, but he is compelled to by Madeleine. With the article written and completely disregarding this dishonesty, Duroy submits it to the newspaper as his own work.This act of plagiarism is markedly the first step that Duroy takes up the social ladder and the first step down the ladder of morality. Duroy is engage d as an employee of ‘La Vie Francaise’, the newspaper where Forestier works, and the second installment of his series on Africa is requested of him the next day. This position offers him nearly twice his former pay in terms of salary alone and he is also offered commission per line per article. He starts his days at 3 pm each day, rather than at 10am and his line of work is significantly less strenuous than before.However, on the first day when his article is printed, he quits his former job and spends the entire day buying frivolous items before going back to the newspaper offices, sans article. He is briefly reprimanded for his laziness by Forestier and is sent on his first mission with another journalist, St. Potin, to interview two visiting dignitaries. On this outing, St. Potin ‘shows Duroy the ropes’ by taking him out for drinks and gossiping about everyone and everything involved in the paper. He criticizes M. Walter, the head of the paper, and pokes fun at him with Jewish stereotypes.He openly makes inappropriate references to Mme. Forestier and her relationship with the Comte de Vaudrec, despite Duroy’s position as a friend to her husband. Duroy, unaccustomed to such blunt and uncouth conversation topics experiences extreme discomfort and battles â€Å"an urge to insult and slap the face of this gossip-monger† (50, Bel-Ami). The meeting ends with St. Potin telling Duroy how he has no intention to actually interview the two dignitaries and instead will rewrite an old article from an interview with similar foreigners.Again, Duroy is rather surprised but does not voice any opposition he may have to these dishonest acts. The next day, he is also informed that it is possible to get advances on one’s salary at the newspaper, ridding Duroy of the necessity of waiting and saving his money. He continues his work at the paper and becomes a very well known reporter but due to his expenditures, the advances on his al ready increased salary are insufficient and he lives just as poverty stricken as he did before, regardless of the change in his income. The next step that Duroy takes down the path of immorality is his association with Mme.De Marelle, one of the women who he had met at his first dinner with Forestier. After visiting her, she invites him out to dinner with her and the two Forestiers. He accepts and soon all four gorge themselves with delicacies, fine wines and champagnes, and make incredibly inappropriate sexual comments and advances to each other. When discussing love, Duroy is again shown as a bit of a romantic who believes that there is some goodness in the world when it is said that â€Å"[he] believed that [love] could last, creating a bond, a kind of tender friendship, a mutual trust† (64, Bel-Ami).However, this is not enough to keep him from gossiping with the other three and he vocalizes his contempt for love and tenderness despite his beliefs. Shortly after, he and Mm e. De Marelle become lovers and one result of this is another strain on Duroy’s already too scanty salary. She enjoys to be taken out and to experience life while he works to afford his rent and his meals. He quickly falls into debt with everyone and owes the most to the cashier office at the newspaper. After confessing this to her, he finds that Mme. De Marelle adopts the habit of leaving money around his apartment or in his clothing.At first, he is mortified by this turn of events and his â€Å"feelings in a turmoil of fury and humiliation† (82, Bel-Ami). He vows to return the money to her but instead spends it on lunch and paying off debts. Although he confronts her over the issue, Mme. De Marelle continues to leave him tokens of her appreciation. He is duly humiliated each time, but he does not return the money or refuse it. He becomes a prostitute for her and uses her money for all of his purposes, such as food, debts, and even sex from a prostitute at the Folies- Berger.This descent into amorality continues as he continues to make more progress in climbing the corporate ladder. Duroy is eventually caught by Mme. De Marelle when she discovers that he has been paying a prostitute with her gifts and he finds himself strapped for money. After Forestier refuses to lend him a substantial sum and insults him when Duroy doesn’t perform his job well enough, Duroy almost immediately begins plotting against Forestier by thinking â€Å"You wait, I’ll get you†¦I’m going to have your wife, old man† (88, Bel-Ami). Given that only shortly before he had been ready to hit the man who implied Mme.Forestier’s infidelity to her husband, Duroy’s character has obviously changed. Until this point, the only revenge that Duroy sought was at his former place of employment when he insulted his boss and this thought marks the very beginning of the noticeable changes from his decent self to his corrupted and vile counterpart . Duroy continues on his ascent into society and eventually does obtain the hand of Mme. Forestier after her husband’s death. He inherits his money, social position, and occupation and completely assumes Forestier’s position in life.He has achieved the life that he had set out to make for himself. However, he is haunted by the memories of the dead man and soon, the life that he has is insufficient for him. One of the biggest catalysts for Duroy’s descent into amorality is the suspicion of his new bride; he comes to the conclusion that she has been unfaithful to him and he writes off all women, believing that â€Å"all women are whores, you have to use them and not give them anything of yourself† (181, Bel-Ami). He is embittered by this turn of events and becomes ruthless in his plans to achieve the most money and wealth that he can.When Madeleine’s patron, the Comte de Vaudrec, dies and she inherits all of his wealth, Duroy forces her to give him h alf of the sum. Duroy later turns to Mme. Walter, the wife of the head of the newspaper, and uses her to get the top of the company. After using and discarding her, he discards Madeleine after arranging to catch her in an act of infidelity. His lust for money and power ultimately bring about his immorality, while being one of the richest men in his circle. Money has ultimately corrupted him. In The Immoralist, Michel is a man of independent means.Born into a middle class family, he does not have to struggle to make it into society as Duroy did. He already has a comfortable occupation and on his honeymoon, spends his wealth on things of comfort and pleasure. He travels south with Marceline, his new bride, and for one of the first times in his life, leaves his work of books and study behind him. On the way to his destination, he has a severe bout with tuberculosis and nearly dies. He reflects that he â€Å"worked to the end, did [his] duty resolutely, devotedly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (19, The Immoralist) which reflects his lack of zest for life.He resigns himself to death, but the care of his wife keeps him alive and helps him to recover. Marceline chooses a lovely location for him to recuperate but he shows little interest in his surroundings and is too exhausted to do any work of any kind. He states that â€Å"being is occupation enough† (22, The Immoralist). Michel is an idle man, a man who has never known what it is to truly work hard to achieve something. However, faced with his mortality, he develops a renewed zeal for life and begins to spend his wealth with more abandon than before.On his return back to Europe, the architectural sites mean nothing to him any longer and he only wants to experience life at the fullest. He takes himself and Marceline to a farm that he possesses in Normandy and it is at that farm where he loses his idleness and becomes the best type of man that he ever is during the novel. One can argue that it is at this farm where he spends the majority of his time at work, at various occupations that require him to put forth manual labor rather than being lazy, and that is the cause of this semi transformation.He is, however, called to accept a teaching position at one of the more prestigious universities in Paris and when he takes this position, begins his cycle downward. Going to Paris, he spends enormous amounts of money as he and Marceline struggle to furnish their new apartments, which â€Å"the cost of furnishing the new apartment would exceed [their] income for the year† (88, The Immoralist). Rather than settling for what he could afford, Michel recklessly spends what he needs to get what he wants.As his idle time increases, Marceline’s health decreases and Michel uses her failing health as an excuse to quit his new job, for he has become bored and disillusioned with it, and drags her back to his farm in Normandy. No longer interested in working for the betterment of the property, Michel takes up with poachers and ruins his own lands, making them undesirable and causing them to lose whatever profits they had once made. It seems that his idle hands are aching to be occupied with some matter and given that he is no longer interested in working, he becomes a voyeur into the lives of the most debauched around him.The farm is soon ruined under his direction and he forever ruins his relationships with the people who had worked for him and his father for years. He is confronted by one of the sons of his employee who tells him that it was [Michel] who taught [him] last year that property involves certain responsibilities – but [Michel] seems to have forgotten† (138, The Immoralist). Michel is not moved by this statement but rather becomes disgusted with his work and informs the grounds keeper that the farm is to be sold.Despite Marceline’s increasing health troubles, Michel picks up and leaves the farm as soon as he becomes disillusioned with it and with the peo ple around him and drags Marceline on a trip through Europe and back south to where they had spent their honeymoon. On this flight, Michel has nothing to occupy his time or capture his interests except for multiple acts of immoral behavior. He spends his money recklessly, without abandon, and never takes into account Marceline’s needs or desires. Instead, he constantly justifies his own selfishness by blaming these things on Marceline’s needs.Her health worsens as he drags her to climates not healthy for her ailing lungs, but he is so preoccupied with experiencing the debauched lifestyle that he does not care about it and refuses to acknowledge that he is slowly killing his wife. In a sick way, Michel seems excited by his prospect of wasting his riches for he claims that â€Å"A reversal of fortune†¦should teach as much as a reversal of health† (144, The Immoralist). Finally, his selfishness and inability to distinguish right from wrong cause the death of M arceline. Michel is left alone, without work or meaningful occupation.However, instead of working or attempting to rebuild the life that he purposefully destroyed, he is content to do nothing except exist. At the end of the novel, he states that â€Å"nothing discourages thought so much as this perpetual blue sky. Here any exertion is impossible, so closely does pleasure follow desire† (170, The Immoralist). This last statement of him shows truly how far he has descended into this state. The Vagabond is different from the aforementioned novels in that its main character is not one who does not appreciate the value of money or the importance of work.Rather, its heroine, Renee Nere, works at first because she must but finally because she wants to rather than condemn herself to a life of servitude to a husband. Renee is a thirty-something divorcee who sings, dances, and acts in a second rate performing troupe and who is eventually courted by a rich, handsome man who embodies mon ey and idleness. Rather than openly accepting the life of luxury he offers, Renee ultimately rejects him because he cannot understand her aversion to a married life in captivity.Max, her suitor, is an extremely rich man who has no occupation at all and who lives off of the money provided to him by his family. Max cannot understand the importance of a job in Renee’s eyes and ultimately, it is this inability to comprehend her motives that cause their budding romance to fail. In a short passage, Renee displays her opinions on the effects of idleness on an actor. She states that she is touched by the concern of one of her colleagues who wants â€Å"to save [her] from hard times and the idleness which demoralizes out-of-work actors, diminishing their powers and making them go to pieces† (101-102, The Vagabond).She feels that it is necessary to keep oneself occupied and it is that reason as well as the fact that she does not want to repeat her past experiences with her ex-hu sband that she rejects Max’s advances. The major conflict between the two is the impending tour of the theater group with whom Renee works. Many times in the novel, Max voices his desire for her to remain and to leave the theater and to accept a less strenuous life with him. However, Renee doesn’t respect him for his self-imposed inactivity and she likens him to a prostitute as he is the first man she had ever met who was idle.She states that â€Å"he has no profession and no sinecure behind which to conceal his lazy freedom† (140, The Vagabond). Max constantly asks her why she won’t leave the industry and he often rebukes her for her occupation. She replies to him that he has â€Å"the means to live otherwise†¦but as for [her], what would [he] have [her] do† (143, The Vagabond). When he offers to provide for her, she finds the idea repugnant and humiliating. When discussing the plans for the tour, Renee and her mentor, Brague, begin to discus s her relationship with Max.When Brague asks her what business Max is involved in, Renee replies, slightly embarrassed that Max does nothing at all. Brague finds that admission to be rather fascinating, stating that â€Å"it’s staggering†¦that anyone can live like that. No office. No factory. No rehearsals. No racing stables† (163, The Vagabond). Neither of the two working people can possibly understand nor sympathize with the motives of a person who does not take part in the simple task of human work. Another source of conflict between Max and Renee is the issue of money; Max has too much, Renee not enough.An example of this problem is highlighted when Renee is packing for the tour and is planning to share a trunk with Brague in order to save on the costs. The total proposed sum to be saved is two hundred francs, but Max does not agree with such a situation and tells Renee that the situation was â€Å"sordid† and that â€Å"it’s all so paltry† (167, The Vagabond). She is horribly offended by this dismissive attitude to money, but she recognizes that Max would not â€Å"have learnt that money, the money one earns, is a respectable, serious thing which one handles with care and speaks about solemnly† (167, The Vagabond).In the end, it is Max’s dismissive attitude to everything and his desire to control Renee that ruins their relationship; Renee goes on with plans to further her chosen career and leaves Max with best wishes for romance in his future. In Bel-Ami, The Immoralist, and The Vagabond, money and idleness are major factors that determine the path of each of the characters involved. In Bel-Ami, the more money Duroy obtains, the less work he does for it and his moral state shows much worse for the wear.The Immoralist discusses Michel and how he becomes a degenerate being with self-imposed idleness and his strong desire to cast away all ties to his prior lifestyle. Renee in The Vagabond shows how self-r eliance and independence is extremely vital to a successful relationship and how depending on one person for all of life’s pleasures can only lead to disillusionment and failure. These lessons, though not all good, are important to be learned in order to successfully prioritize one’s life.Only one of the three characters above became financially successful and he ruthlessly sacrificed the reputations, happiness, and sanity of others in order to achieve his goals. Apparently, the ‘American dream’ does not always have the desired fairytale ending but one can derive this lesson from these tales; riches may not be guaranteed, but the chances of living a fulfilling life are greatly increased by keeping oneself occupied and focused on the future, rather than being lazy and uninvolved with life and the world around him. As can be concluded from these novels, idle hands are truly the Devil’s tools.