Meaning to Human Life Essay Example for Free

Meaning to Human Life Essay Is there any meaning to human life? After listening to the first two lectures I gathered what I felt to be Professor Amrbosio’s definitions of the hero and the saint. I took notes and after going back through and reading them it helped me to put a few things together. He asks the question about whether or not human existence is meaningful or absurd. We live in a hostile and deadly environment so we try to find our purpose and meaning so we have some sense of security. It is a defense mechanism. Why is there so much evil in this world? We have the good and the bad. The good being our loving parents and the soldiers who put their lives at risk to defend our freedom and our lives. But then you have the bad and the evil such as the homeless people and the terrorist attacks and the holocaust. It is unfair how there are so many people with nothing and living on the streets when there are just as many people who have much more then they need to survive. The hero and the saint represent traits that can and will be inherited and passed on across different cultures and over time. The hero and the saint are metaphors that humans have used to search for the meaning of life. With the hero, reality is formed and driven by the struggle of humans. They believe in honor and self-esteem along with self-fulfillment and admiration. They always run up against bad things and they believe the good guys will come in last. The Saint believes that reality is made up of our personal and loving relationships. These relationships are based around unconditional trust. They feel like humans really have no goal but they have a purpose. Love and gratitude define them. Some people say life is a wrong turn and it’s down a dead end street. Saints and heroes show us ways we can share and participate in living every day and still asking our questions about life. The best we can do is to live the most meaningful life. Make every day count and always tell the ones you love how much you love them because you never know when it could be the last time that you are able to tell them. Sometimes you just have to trust that our life has a purpose.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Summary

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Summary In what way does Robert Louis Stevenson build intrigue and interest the reader in ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The book ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was written in 1885 in Bournemouth, England and in January 1886 was first published by Longmans, Green Co, and is probably one of Stevensons best-known stories he wrote. The novella is a Gothic mystery story set in the 1880s in London. It is about a man named Mr. Utterson and how he discovers the truth about his friend Dr Jekyll and the horrors that occur as the mystery unfolds. The story is veiled in mist and characters uncertainty. We see the rising actions of Mr. Utterson as he attempts to discover the truth of the relationship between Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the constant theme of the ‘duality of human nature and reputation. The story begins with a trustworthy and sensible man named Mr. Utterson and his friend Mr. Enfield as they are taking their weekly stroll around an area in London. As they pass a very dilapidated door, Mr. Enfield recalls a gruesome story of physical attack. The story depicts how a man named Mr. Hyde ‘trampled calmly over a young innocent girl ‘like some dammed Juggernaut‘. This would immediately create surprise and intrigue in the readers mind. Why would anyone trample a young girl to the ground? The man pays off the girls relatives with a cheque, which was signed by a very prestigious man, named Dr Jekyll. This creates interest and intrigue to the reader and questions would present themselves in their mind. What is interesting is how Mr. Enfield describes Mr. Hyde. He says ‘He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance, something displeasing, something downright detestable [Chapter 1]. Why can Mr. Enfield not describe Mr. Hyde? How can a man make someones blood run cold? Mr. Enfields lack of description makes a pattern in the novel, even later on Mr. Utterson cannot come up with an exact description of this man, only as a ‘troglodyte. It makes the reader find it hard to imagine w hat this character might look like or what he might not, and want to find out more about Mr. Hyde. How can it be that no one can describe him? Mr. Utterson represents the readers intrigue and tries to find out more information. The lawyer visits his friend Dr Lanyon to try to shed some light on Mr. Hyde. Dr Lanyon informs him that he does not speak to Dr Jekyll anymore because they had a scientific difference of opinion that Dr Lanyon refuses to express any detail. He says that ‘Jekyll became too fanciful for me and finds his work ‘unscientific balderdash [Chapter 2]. Questions would become apparent to the reader such as why did Dr Lanyon think that Dr Jekylls was unscientific, or did it go against any of Dr Lanyons beliefs and boundaries? Robert Louis Stevenson makes the conversation very blunt and withholds information by making Dr Lanyon very stubborn as to why they have fallen out. The fallout seems connected to Mr. Hyde even though Dr Lanyon has never heard of such a person. Another question might be ‘Why is Dr Lanyon so irritated by Dr Jekyll? Before this, it is told that they were great friends so something very significant to have broken up such a good companionship. This secrecy i s continuous throughout the whole novel. Robert Louis Stevenson gives the feeling that there is a veil over everyones eyes, even in third person we only follow the journey of Mr. Utterson and as he figures things out so does the reader. London was really the perfect setting for this novel, as during the 19th century, the industrial revolution took place and you would get very dense smog that would smother whole parts of the city for days. This interests the reader because they do not get the whole picture in one page and are eager to find out more. Fog and mist represent secrecy because they can hide what is right in front of you. The whole picture only revealed at the end of the book so you have to follow Mr. Uttersons footprints to get the whole idea. After the appalling incident, involving Sir Danvers Carew Mr. Utterson leads police officers to Mr. Hydes home in Soho it was a very misty day. ‘A great chocolate-colored pall lowered over the heavens, but the wind was continually charging and routing these embattled vapors and ‘it would be dark like the back-end of evening; and there would be a glow of rich, lurid brown, like the light of some strange conflagration [Chapter 4]. This build up to something might be a very eventful day. The suspense created makes the reader interested to find out what is hiding in Mr. Hydes house. Robert Louis Stevenson uses vivid language to captivate the readers imagination and evokes emotions such as apprehension as to what happens next. The weather also might represent how the characters are feeling themselves. The anonymous narrator just describes Mr. Uttersons point of view, only the last two chapters are in Dr Lanyon and Dr Jekylls observations, this makes Mr. Utterson the flagship c haracter of the novel. When Dr Lanyon witnesses the transformation of Dr Jekyll at the end of Chapter 9 Robert Louis Stevenson uses descriptive language to captivate the readers imagination. Robert Louis Stevenson writes ‘He put the glass to his lips and drank at one gulp. A cry followed; he reeled, staggered, clutched at the table and held on, staring with injected eyes, gasping with open mouth and ‘he seemed to swell- his face became suddenly black and the features seemed to melt and alter [Chapter 9]. Robert Louis Stevenson uses vivid language to create an intense and climax. The atmosphere is electrifying throughout the last few paragraphs of Doctor Lanyons Narrative. Stevenson uses colorful language that is very powerful to the reader. Dr Lanyon is so horrified that he dies shortly after. One subtle thing that might interest the reader is the main theme in ‘The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The theme that is stated by Dr Jekyll is ‘the duality of human nature. Dr Jekyll says that ‘man is not truly one, but truly two. The potion that Jekyll created intended to separate the elements of good and evil, and leave him with the good side, but instead it leaves him the pure evil, primitive side. Robert Louis Stevenson takes a very primal approach to Mr. Hyde and how he behaves, and illustrates primeval instincts within him. Mr. Hyde represents a very small, ugly, and hairy man that symbolizes his own moral values. Dr Jekyll says that the human soul is made up of angel and a fiend that are fighting for dominance. As the story progresses we see the ‘fiend Mr. Hyde completely overpower the ‘angel Dr Jekyll. The reader might wonder what happened to the ‘angel at the end of the book as only the ‘fiend was present. It could be anything the reader wants; Robert Louis Stevenson left that to the imagination. There are many ways to interest and intrigue a reader when writing novels. You could use descriptive words, or make something out of the ordinary happen. Robert Louis Stevenson has created a fascinating novel that is full of suspense and intrigue and has enthralled many peoples imagination, and has used powerful and evoking vocabulary to create dramatic scenes and intense atmospheres. I feel that Stevenson has written a story that creates ambiguity and curiosity to all.

Climate Change Impact On The Caribbean Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate Change Impact On The Caribbean Environmental Sciences Essay The purpose of this brief is to provide accurate information on how climate change will impact Caribbean trade, business and the environment. Realistic mitigation and cost-effective adaptation measures for dealing with this phenomenon are needed. On one hand, climate change presents challenging potential environmental problems and threatens the very foundation of sustainable development and economic stability in the region (Nicholas, 2007 and Bueno, Herzfeld, Stanton, and Ackerman, 2008). Most globally acclaimed scientists predict a rise in sea level and temperature and occurrences of increased and intensified extreme weather events (Niles, 2010). Businesses will generally be impacted by increased cost of production due to heightened energy costs, reduction of raw materials and lower amounts of fresh water. On the other hand, climate change delivers unprecedented opportunities for the islands to benefit from much needed international funding and the liberalization of environmental te chnologies, goods and services that will ultimately lessen vulnerability and strengthen resilience. Climate change undeniably impacts trade. Its impacts are already being felt and will continue to be felt as a result of trade liberalization, trade agreements, environmental regulations and standards, and food security. Although the islands partake in several trade agreements and environmental regulations, these come with strings attached, issues like green protectionism and reduced preferential trade regimes exist. The region is facing tremendous increased competition from food imports, particularly genetically modified foods. While these foods have the potential to strengthen the level of food security globally, it has disadvantageous trade implications for the region. Additionally, climate change can produce inconsistencies and reduction in the regions supply of goods for consumption and export. How will Climate Change impact Caribbean Business and the Environment? Caribbean businesses, especially those that are agriculture and tourism related are highly susceptible to the potential positive and negative impacts of climate change. The climate is a key factor in determining the productivity level of agricultural produce. A few predicted positive impacts of climate change on agricultural production in the Caribbean are increases in the productivity of tropical crops, diversity of crops produced, and accelerated maturity growth (Peter Carte, 2009). As climate change occurs, its impact on business operations becomes less predictable. Any reduction in the agriculture yield directly affects the businesses bottom line and breadwinners ability to provide adequately for their family needs. (Joseluise, 2009). Likely negative impacts are increased infestation, crop damage, soil erosion, increased moisture problems and unreliable forecasting (Carter, 2009). Hence, the method of production and harvesting techniques used may have to be discontinued or upgrad ed as the case may be. The tourism industry cannot sustain itself without a healthy environment. As a region, it is imperative that priority be given to the maintenance and preservation of the environment. This initiative can also serve to boost eco-tourism in the Caribbean. The negative potential change in the climate carries significant implications for tourism businesses and increases the cost of doing business. For example, rising temperatures will amplify the need for cooling appliances. If the snow cap decreases and flights to the region continue to become expensive, then visitors may seek cheaper destination closer to their homes. The unfortunate spin-off effect of this situation is decreased profits for businesses, high unemployment rates and reduced gross domestic product rates for countries. Scientists suggest that climate change is linked to increased coral bleaching, oceanic acidification, coastal erosion, saline intrusion, loss of biodiversity, and extinction of species (AOSIS, 2009 and Sookram, 2005). This has far reaching effects on the environment, since coral reefs are the breeding ground and food source for many different types of species. Many locals depend on fish as their main source of protein and fishermen in the Caribbean depend on the coral reefs for the provision of their livelihoods in the form of fishing. Recommendations for Trade, Business and the Environment Thoroughly analyze regulatory measures and economic incentives targeted at addressing climate change issues, since they have long term implications for the region. In relation to trade, more research on emissions trading and alternative sources of energy is needed along with the incorporation of climate change mitigation initiatives in all future development policies. Business as usual cannot be the mantra, climate change calls for decisive and wise decision making. The education system and local media can be used to share information on the positive and negative impacts of climate change. In order to mitigate future impacts on business and the environment, there is a dire need for enforcing stricter building codes, purchasing comprehensive insurance and constructing sea walls where necessary (Mc Donald, 2010 and Economics of Climate Adaptation, 2010). Possible means of adaptation for the agriculture industry are strengthening of the water supply system, changes in production technology and introduction of new crop varieties (Vega, 2008). Tourism industry businesses need to implement and execute a decisive strategy for the way forward in dealing with climate change issues. Additionally, a more environmentally friendly tourism model is needed. For instance, they can use alternative sources of energy (solar and wind) in facilities, utilize energy conservation technologies, cease further coastal tourism development and acquire environmental certification (Sookram, 2005). Intensive carbon producing businesses should immediately begin lessening their carbon footprint in order to prevent further environmental damage. Conclusion Every individual, household, business, community, and government in the Caribbean region needs to adhere to the urgent appeal to mitigate the potential impacts of climate change. A joint regional collaborative effort is immediately needed; the success of future generations depends on how the region responds to the issue of climate change impact on trade, business and the environment. In light of the thorough analysis of the facts presented here, one can definitely conclude that climate change challenges can be overcome if adaptation and mitigation measures are immediately put into place. The time for action is now!

Efficiency and Web Page Design :: Internet Cyberspace Essays

Efficiency and Web Page Design One of the biggest challenges for web designers today is trying to have a ‘killer app’, yet make it efficient enough for the common surfer. We’re talking about file size. Zona Research (June 1999) reported that 70% of online users were only connected at 56K or less. Granted this number may have decreased a bit in the last 16 months, but the fact is, most people have a slow connection. As a surfer browses through the numerous sites on the web, they want to see the information the site has to offer. Some studies indicate that if you page takes longer than eight seconds for something to start appearing, you will probably lose your visitors. You need to be able to deliver your pages and information in a neat yet efficient manner. There are several factors that cause your visitors to have slow downloads. One might be the network or connection speed they have. They may also have poor performing hardware. Not much you can do about these. Maybe it is your server, it could be upgraded; but more than likely it has to do with your files. The size of the files can be caused by large images, or it may just have inefficient code. In order to decrease the download time we will first look at the code and find ways to make the files more ‘lean’; we want to ‘trim the fat’ and get them in the best condition possible. Next we will look at graphics and ways we can optimize them for maximum performance and minimal download time. Finally there are numerous other hints and tricks that can be added to your code to make them download in record times. Making ‘mean’ and ‘lean’ code Every character and space that appears in your code takes up file size The following suggestions can help you to trim up your files and cut second off your site downloads. Make your file names and directory names simple and short. This may sound trivial, but every little bit counts. For example: or Use relative addressing instead of absolute addressing.

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Civil War Essay Before 1861, no one in the USA ever imagined that their country would be torn apart by a savage civil war that would cost over 620,000 lives and shake the foundations of our government to the roots. The American Civil War had many causes, famous battles, influential figures, and outcomes. As of the 1850s the Mason-Dixon Line separated the North from the South, even as Lincoln and the rest of the government tried to keep the country together. Their best efforts failed, and America was thrust into a bloody civil war. The Civil War really began, though, in peoples' minds, as the most important causes all began...with a debate. Slavery was one of the factors that played a key role in the causes of the Civil War. The Missouri Compromise was a debate began as to whether Maine and Missouri would enter the Union as free or slave states. To be fair to the rule of the Mason-Dixon Line, Maine was admitted as a free state, and Missouri, even though it was also in the north, would enter as a slave state. The Compromise of 1850 dealt with whether California, Utah, and New Mexico would be slave or free. California was admitted as a free state, but since it made the ratio of slave to free states unequal, " it also stated that the territories of New Mexico and Utah would determine for themselves whether to become slave or free states."(Wise) The Kansas-Nebraska Act decided that any territory that became a state would have the right to vote on whether it would be slave or free, which made Northerners angry because it changed the terms of the Missouri Compromise. The constant flux of the issue of slavery grew during the years leading up to the war, as the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1859, and the Kansas-Nebraska act con... ...t a few days after the end of the war, and Lee's surrender marked the end of the Civil War and slavery. Each of these outcomes had a significant effect over the years to come in American history. The American Civil war's causes, influential figures, bloody battles, and outcomes will and have left a mark on history forever. It shaped America's future and redefined the phrase "all men are created equal" as well as being a precursor for the Civil Rights Movement a century later. The Civil War made all people consider their Nation's stability and woke them up to the reality of civil war that would repeat in other countries again and again. America came out of it a battered and bruised yet stronger still country, and to this day it strives to maintain this caliber of honor and strength. It seems the saying,"no pain, no gain," has been made manifest in American history.

BP and the Deepwater Horizon disaster Essay

Title: The Analysis of BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010 Due Date: 5/5/13 Word Allocation: 2193 excluding executive summary, headings, tables, references and appendices Executive Summary This report provides an examination into British Petroleum (BP) and the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. It looks specifically at the functional area of organizing from POLC and the framework from how communication and communication networks effected the decision making process on the oilrig. The analysis starts by providing a history of BP and what major decisions throughout time contributed to the organizational structure when the disaster occurred. Findings show that the asset federation model adopted in 1995 took away responsibility from BP’s regional operations and subsequently rewarded each individual site for its performance. This meant the managerial decision making process for each site was geared to time and cost efficiencies rather than that of safety. The establishing of a wheel communication network on Deepwater meant that any proposals put for from line staff, with safety as a priority, were being overwritten by the senior team leader as they were passed on. After the disaster occurred, BP established a Safety and Risk division and instilled staff members on each of its rigs to ensure that the safety message was reinforced on its sites. Table of Contents 1. Introduction Managers are responsible for arranging and structuring work to assist in achieving organizational goals (Robins et al. 2012, p. 14). It is determining what tasks are to be completed, who is responsible for them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom and at which level decisions are to be decided (Robins et al. 2012, p. 14). This report analyzes the area of communication and communication networks, from that of the organizing function in POLC (Robins et al. 2012, p. 13), within British Petroleum (BP) and specifically the Deepwater Horizon disaster. It looks at the communication on safety procedures from senior BP officials down to BP sites, the type of communication on key decisions that ultimately led to the sinking of the oilrig and what control measures were put in place to ensure the sustainability of the company. 2. History of BP and the Deepwater Horizon In 2010, BP was one of the United Kingdoms largest corporations and a world leader in the production of energy (Andrew 2010, p. 7). They supplied consumers with fuel for heat, light, transport, petrochemical production and much more (Andrew 2010, p. 7). However in its early years, success and profitability proved quite difficult to obtain (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). The company that would eventually turn into BP was established in 1909 as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) after William Knox Darcy found oil in Iran after an elongated search (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). Then in 1914, the British Government felt they needed a dedicated oil supply and purchased 51% stake in the borderline bankrupt corporation (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). They held  onto the 51% share until the Thatcher government period of prioritization occurred between 1980 and 1990 and this led to the final stake being sold in 1987 (Andrew 2010, p. 7). At this point, performance was still declining and in 1992, after a loss of $811 million, the company decided to take severe cost saving measures (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). Focusing on a streamlined workforce and portfolio of activities, BP’s status started to change significantly in the mid-1990’s (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). 1998 bought the merger with Amoco and in 2000, the acquisition of Arco (Atlantic Richfield CO.) and Burmah Castrol plc highlighted an aggressive growth strategy (Andrew 2010, p. 9). With the renewed focus on growth, BP also began repositioning itself as a more environmentally friendly company and this lead to a new tagline â€Å"Beyond Petroleum† and an official name change to â€Å"BP† (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). This lead to the launch of an Alternative Energy division and between 2005 and 2009, BP invested $4 billion into this area with a total company investment of $982 billion (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). In May 2007, Tony Hayward was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and his focus was to stem the company growth and reduce production targets (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). Between 2006 and 2009, BP’s workforce fell from 97,000 to 80,300 and four levels of management were cut as Hayward felt too many people were making too many decisions leading to extreme cautiousness (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). However, BP has had a colorful history when it comes to safety within its structures (Andrew 2010, p. 14). In 2005, 15 people were killed and another 180 injured when the BP Texas City refinery exploded (Andrew 2010, p. 14). Then in 2006-2007, BP had to shut down its operations in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska due to over a million liters of oil spilling into the North Slopes via corroded pipelines (Andrew 2010, p. 14). Alaskan state regulators had been warning BP since 2001 that management protocol was out of sync with state regulations and that critical equipment needed to be better sustained (Andrew 2010, p. 15). On the 20th April 2010, a floating semi-submersible Drilling Unit named the Deepwater Horizon, exploded and sunk off the Gulf of Mexico killing 11 people and injuring another 17 (Andrew 2010, p. 16-17). BP had leased the Deepwater Horizon rig from Transocean, an oil based industry support company that specialized in deep water drilling (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). The rig was hired to complete work on the Macondo well, which BP owned the rights too (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). Of the 126 on board, 79 were from Transocean, seven from BP and the rest from other firms (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). As of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon disaster was the biggest marine oil spill to transpire in United States waters with nearly five million barrels of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). Decisions made on the type of well casing, the number of centralizers used and the decision to not perform a cement bond log may have contributed to the well blowing out (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). However, regardless of the ultimate causes, it is worth examining the communication networks within to obtain exactly where the caution over cost message broke down. 3. Managers and Communication Networks Theory Effective internal and external communication is seen as a requirement for organizational success (Ruck & Welsh 2012, p. 1). Organizations need to constantly assess and enhance communication especially in increasingly difficult economic times (Ruck & Welsh 2012, p. 1). Communication can be broken down into two different areas; formal or informal (Robins et al. 2012, p. 405). Formal communication follows a chain of command that typically takes place within the organizational work arrangements (Robins et al. 2012, p. 405). Informal communication does not take place within the organization hierarchy and typically allows employees to satisfy their social interaction needs along with creating an alternative channel to communicate (Robins et al. 2012, p. 405). However this information can flow in a number of different ways. Communication within an organization can move by the following means; downward, upward, lateral and diagonal (Robins et al. 2012, p. 406-07). Table 1 explains how each type and its definition; Table 1: Types of information flow (Adapted from: Robins et al. 2012, p. 406-07) Reinforcement of information flow encourages employees to speak out and adopt a participative approach (Ahmed 2010, p. 122). Mutual dialogue within an organization contributes to the foundations of shared value and trust (Ahmed 2010, p. 122). Both the vertical and horizontal communication flows within an organization can be combined into a number of different patterns labeled communication networks (Robins et al. 2012, p. 407). Researchers have recognized that basic networks of communication can be classified into different types of interaction (Eunson 2012, p. 116) like those shown in table 2 and 3 below Figure 1: Eunson – Types of Communication Networks (Source: Eunson 2012, p. 117) Figure 2: Robins – Three Common Organizational Communication Networks (Source: Robins et al. 2012, p. 407) When examining the theory listed within this paper compared to the types of communication, flow and communication network structures within BP, we can greater understand exactly what lead to the sinking of the Deepwater vessel. 4. Analysis of Communication Networks between BP and Deepwater BP Senior Management In the late 1980s, BP had several layers of management that fell within a matrix structure that made it problematic for anyone wanting to make a decision quickly (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). As business and overall performance at BP was floundering, Robert Horton decided to cut $750 million form BP’s  annual expenses (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Horton, who was appointed BP’s CEO in 1989, removed several managerial layers with the intent of speeding up the decision making process and the pace of business (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). The business was transformed into smaller, more flexible teams with the vision of maintaining open streams of communication (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Horton transferred decision-making authority to the upstream and downstream business divisions and employees at all levels were encouraged to take responsibility and exercise business initiative (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). During the 1990s, John Browne was heading up BP’s Exploration and Production division, BPX (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). He wanted to create a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst his employees and extended the decision-making responsibilities to further levels within the organization (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Decision making authority and responsibility was no longer held with BP’s regional operating companies and was now completed by the site managers (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). The model was known as Asset Federation and was applied company wide when Browne took over as BP CEO in 1995(Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). The asset federation model compensated employees for the performance of their individual site so there was little incentive to share best practices on risk management amongst various other BP exploration sites (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Deepwater Communication The benefits of an all channel network or matrix structure are that the leaderless group has constant information flow between all members within the work team (Robins et al. 2012, p. 407). The potential for brainstorming and exchange of information is great within this type of model (Eunson 2012, p. 118). However information overload and irreconcilable differences due to no emergence of a leader can be a downside (Eunson 2012, p. 118) Figure 3: Deepwater Chain of Command (Source: Ingersoll 2012, p. 20) However, when looking at the chain of command on the Deepwater Horizon (see table 4), it could be seen to form a wheel network rather than that of a  matrix structure (see table 3). Typically, wheel communication flows form an identifiable leader at the top of the wheel (Eunson 2012, p. 117). The leader serves as the hub and the flow of information is typically one way but can be two way, dependent on the leaders willingness to accept information (Eunson 2012, p. 117). This can cause the satisfaction of team members to be low compared to that of chain, circle and channel networks (Robins et al. 2012, p. 407). Wheel networks have the disadvantage of being prone to message distortion (Eunson 2012, p. 118). As the message gets passed from one individual to another, or from one level to the next, the message is edited or mangled by the sender in each interaction (Eunson 2012, p. 118). The distortion in the wheel network is visible when looking at the decision making process for the type of well casing and number of centralizers. Decisions in these two areas were relayed by the engineering team leader, Greg Walz (Ingersoll 2012, pp. 10-11). Greg received input from the engineers in the operations unit on what they thought were best safety practices, however final decisions on the projects were ultimately made due to the cost and time savings (Ingersoll 2012, pp. 10-11). The decision makers on the Deepwater had only been in their positions for a minimal amount of time (Ingersoll 2012, p. 9) and this meant that the lessons learned at Texas City and Prudhoe Bay had not reached the Gulf of Mexico site (Reed & Fitzgerald 2010, p. 156). It could be seen that the safety communication message had flowed downward from senior managers to line manager and staff however line managers felt a greater influence to reward cost and time savings. Control Measures On July 27, 2010, BP announced that Bob Dudley would succeed Tony Haward as BP’s Group Chief Executive on October 1, 2010 (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). In light of the Deepwater disaster and to ensure sustainability of the company, BP leadership announced plans to create a new safety division to oversee and audit the organizations operations worldwide on September 29, 2010 (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). The Safety and Risk function has the authority to intervene in all technical aspects of BP activities to ensure that operations are carried out to that of stated common standards (EHS Today  2010, p. 17). Staff will be imbedded in all of BP’s operating units and will report directly to Mark Bly, head of safety and operations (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). Mark reports directly to the CEO, Bob Dudley to ensure the safety message from senior BP officials filters down into each site (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). 5. Conclusion Communication is continually attributed to a vital variable in determining organizational success (Hargie & Tourish 2009, p. 419). Many business issues stem from poor communication procedures and early action and intervention in this area can avert a disaster at a later date (Hargie & Tourish 2009, p. 3). By conducting analysis into the communication and communication networks at BP, we can ascertain that a number of different factors may have contributed to the BP disaster. The asset federation model took away responsibility from BP’s regional operations and subsequently the company’s safety message. The rewarding of each site and its managers for its individual performance further contributed to the dilution of importance on safety. A wheel network with key decision makers who had not been in their roles for very long, meant that lessons learned from past incidents weren’t filtered into the Deepwater Horizon and decisions were made with the view of saving money and time compared to safety. The establishment of the Safety and Risk division immediately after the disaster ensured that the safety message from senior management would be heard within each site and limit the opportunity for a disaster of this magnitude to occur in the future. 6. Reference List Ahmed, Z 2010, ‘Managerial Communication: The Link Between Frontline Leadership And Organizational Performance’, Journal Of Organizational Culture, Communications & Conflict, 14, 1, Health Business Elite, EBSCOhost, viewed 5 May 2013, p. 122 EHS Today 2010, ‘BP Creates New Safety and Risk Division’, 3, 11, Health Business Elite, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2013, p. 17 Eunson, B 2012, Communication in the Workplace, e-book, accessed 05 May 2013, p. 116-118 . Hargie, O & Tourish, D 2009, Auditing Organizational Communication : A Handbook of Research, Theory and Practice, e-book, accessed 05 May 2013, pp. 3, 419. . Ingersoll, C, Locke, RM & Reavis, C 2012, â€Å"BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010†, MIT Sloan Management, pp. 1-4, 9-11, 20 Reed, S & Fitzgerald, A 2010, In Too Deep : BP and the Drilling Race That Took it Down, e-book, accessed 26 April 2013, p. 156 . Robins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2012, Management, 6th edn, Pearson Australia, Australia, pp. 13-14, 405-07 Ruck, K & Welch, M 2012, Public Relations Review: Valuing internal communication; management and employee perspectives, Volume 38, Issue 2, June 2012, p. 1 7. List of Figures Figure 1: Eunson – Types of Communication Networks Figure 2: Robins – Three Common Organizational Communication Networks Figure 3: Deepwater Chain of Command 8. List of Tables Table 1: Types of information flow

Boston Red Sox Management Report Essay

The Boston Red Sox are a privately owned organization located in the Kenmore Square part of the city. The team plays at Fenway Park, located at 4 Yawkey Way in Boston. The Red Sox Front Offices are also located at Fenway Park. The park is currently celebrating its one-hundredth year, and is the oldest park in Major League Baseball The organization is tall in structure but is also departmentalized by function within this structure. At the top of this structure are the three owners, John Henry, Larry Lucchino, and Tom Werner. This ownership group purchased the Boston Red Sox for $380 million in 2002 (Ozanian, 2012). John Henry is the Red Sox’ principal owner, while Larry Lucchino serves as the President and CEO, and Tom Werner serves as Chairman. This departmentalization can be seen one level down in the hierarchy of the Boston Red Sox. Under the owners, there are sixteen different departments. These sixteen departments consist of the typical organizational departments such as Marketing, Legal, Human Resources and Information Technology departments, but there are also several environmentally specific departments. These environmentally specific departments include Ticketing, Baseball Operations, Fan services and Entertainment, and Ballpark Operations. The heads of these sixteen departments report directly to the President and CEO, Larry Lucchino. The Boston Red Sox are privately owned and operated, meaning that they are not sold and traded on the stock market and that all funding comes directly from the owners themselves. The Boston Red Sox gain most of their revenue through ticket sales, as they are known for constantly having a full ballpark while having expesive ticket prices. In terms of sport, market, stadium, and brand management, they are valued at $912 million, the second highest valuation of the thirty teams in Major League Baseball (Ozanian, 2012). I spoke with Stephanie Maneikis, the Senior Manager for Fan Services and Entertainment with the Boston Red Sox. She is in charge of a plethora of different activities and people throughout the organization. These include managing Fenway Ambassadors, Yawkey Way Hosts, and Family Room staff, being he main liaison for the players’ wives and families, executing the pre-game ceremonies that take place prior to each game at Fenway Park, and overseeing the Yawkey Way and concourse entertainment. Stephanie told me that she began working for the Red Sox in 2006 as a Fenway Ambassador. She graduated from college in 2007 and after that, spent the next year working in a part-time capacity. During that year, she proved herself worthy of more and more responsibility. During the off-season of 2008, her manager at the time left the team and she was promoted to a full-time position as Coordinator of Fan Services & Entertainment. After a year as coordinator, she was named Manager, and was recently promoted to Senior Manager. Stephanie graduated from college with a Bachelor’s of Arts and her major was history. She told me that everything just sort of happened and fell into place for her. She likes to say she was in the right place at the right time, but she told me that she knows that she has worked extremely hard to get to where she is today. I asked Stephanie about the working atmosphere within the Boston Red Sox organization. She told me that working for the Boston Red Sox is a lesson in what it means to multi-task. There is never a dull moment and at any given time Stephanie could be working on 5 different projects, all of the utmost importance. It can be stressful, but at the end of the day she feels that it’s all worth it. Her co-workers make all the difference in the world and everyone within the organization feels like they are part of one big family. I also spoke with Kellie Holden, an Elon graduate who currently lives in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Kellie told me that she is a 6th grade special education teacher and she is responsible for teaching students who have reading and language based disabilities. We discussed how she got started with this type of work, and Kellie told me that she has always enjoyed working with children and during her senior year of high school she had an experience volunteering in an inclusion classroom with regular and special education students. Ever since that opportunity she knew that she wanted to be a special education teacher. I asked Kellie how she got her job and what jobs and experiences have led her to her present position. She told me that all of the practicum and student teaching experiences that she had at Elon were great on her resume, but they didn’t help her too much with connections back in Massachusetts. She had a few family friends who knew a few people in the town she currently works in. They were able to pass along her resume and get her an interview. Clearly, having connections is important in all fields, not just business. Finally, we discussed whether she finds her job exciting or boring. She informed that everyday at her job is different. She is always teaching new things which keeps it exciting, but her students make her job the most exciting. Working with special education students, nothing is ever simple but they make her smile every day. Lastly, I spoke with Patty Vattes, the Senior Manager of Human Resources with the Boston Red Sox. I asked Patty what makes a successful hire for the Boston Red Sox. She told me that the Red Sox view a successful hire as someone who is hard working, dedicated, innovative and willing to go the extra mile. Next we discussed the Red Sox’ approach to hiring and whether promoting from within is an important approach for the organization. She informed me that the Red Sox strive on the success from promoting from within. With almost all positions, the Red Sox look at internal candidates first and Patty told me that they are working on methods to improve that process. Lastly, I asked Patty what mistakes she has observed of unsuccessful candidates seeking to work with the Boston Red Sox. Patty said that an unsuccessful candidate with the Boston Red Sox is one who wants to work for the Boston Red Sox in any capacity and does not have a specific skill set or knowledge of the type of job they’d like to have. She told me that there have been many occasions when someone says they’ll do anything just to work for the Red Sox, and that is never a good statement to make. Clearly, like any business, the Red Sox want people with various skill sets and a not someone who just wants the glamour of working for a Major League Baseball team.