What is Discipleship Essay Example

What is Discipleship Essay When most people hear the word disciple, they immediately think of the twelve disciples of Jesus, which is, in a way, correct. A disciple is someone who follows another, Jesus in this case, physically and spiritually. I think there are five factors that are crucial to be a true disciple and in through these discipleship can be summed up; to heal, to teach, to preach, to believe and to serve. Jesus called his first four disciples one day when he was walking by Galilee. He saw Simon Peter and his brother Andrew and he said to them: Come with me and I will make you fishers of men. Simon Peter and Andrew immediately left their boats and followed him. Later on he saw James and John by the lake also and told them to follow him too and they did so. The calling of the first four disciples shows straight away that Jesus had not come for those who were highest in society or those who had the most authority, but for everyone. Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John were only simple fishermen and yet Jesus has chosen them as his disciples to give up what they had to follow him. We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Next came the call of Levi. Levi was a tax gatherer. Tax gatherers were generally seen as dishonest and were disliked by society but still Jesus called him to be a disciple and Levi got up and followed him. This shows that Jesus was willing to forgive those who wanted forgiveness and that we would exclude nobody if they were willing to repent of their sins. One day, Jesus sent the twelve disciples out on a mission to preach and to heal, and he gave them authority over evil spirits. This mission is a good example of the disciples healing others. Their healings of others showed their faith, because they could not have healed without faith. By giving them such a responsibility this also showed that Jesus had faith in them. They followed Jesus instructions and by healing all those that asked to be healed. Jesus taught that to be a true disciple, you have to make sacrifices. This is displayed in the Bible when a rich man asks Jesus what he must do to win eternal life and Jesus tells him he must sell everything he has and give to the poor before he can have riches in heaven. At this the rich mans face falls. The rich man could never be a true disciple as although he was a good person he would always worry about his money more than God. Discipleship is all about priorities. Jesus taught that to become a disciple you must make yourself last and servant of all and God should be your first priority. You should always honour and respect God, and be obedient and respond to his call. You should put nothing else before God. This links on to the aspect of serving. To be a disciple, you must serve God not only directly but also indirectly by serving other. Jesus says in the Bible: Anything you do for one of these men here, you do for me. He was trying to show that helping other people and putting them before you plays an important part in serving God. This can sometimes be extremely hard. For example, if you were with one other person in a sinking boat and there is one life jacket, a disciple should offer it to the other person. As Jesus said, the last person in earth will be the first in the Kingdom of God. To be first in heaven you need to put everyone else before you on earth. Another large part of discipleship is obviously faith, as you cannot follow someone unless you have faith in them. Sometimes, the first twelve disciples faith in Jesus wavered, for example, when they were fishing and a huge storm arose. Jesus was asleep in the boat so they woke him, frightened of what might happen as the storm was so strong. Jesus told the storm to be still and asked the disciples Have you still no faith?. The disciples had not thought as Jesus wanted them to. If their faith in Jesus was really as deep as they thought it was, they would not have worried and would have realised that Jesus would not have let the storm harm them. This shows that they had not fully realised who Jesus was. Faith is important, because it comes from the inside and it cannot be shown wholly in actions. Whether you have faith is a more personal, individual feeling and its something you have to confirm in yourself to be a true disciple. Once you have faith and understanding, you should follow by preaching to others and teaching them of your faith. The way that Christianity spread was through preaching and a disciple should preach what they follow in order to spread their faith. A true disciple would truly want to spread the word of what they believe and to turn others to their faith. The Gospels are full of teachings on these things. Jesus shows in many ways eg. Through parables, how true disciples of God should act and what they should truly believe . They should always be prepared to follow Jesus in thought, word and deed. Evaluation In some ways, it is a lot harder to be a true disciple in the modern world, but I do think it is possible. An obvious way in which it was harder for the first Christians was that it was illegal then, so they faced not only persecution but also often torture or death. This does still sometimes happen in a few countries across the world, but in most parts of the world, Christianity is widely accepted. Nowadays in the Western World, although Christianity is not outlawed, Christians can still be emotionally hurt by people laughing at them for their beliefs or persecuting them for their faith. For example, if there was a Christian person amongst a group of non-Christian friends, it could be hard for them to keep following their faith because of pressure from their friends. Another problem a person may have trying to be a true disciple in todays world is, like the rich man, getting his or her priorities right. We live in a materialistic, consumer-orientated world, where most are obsessed with material objects and luxuries. With so much commercialism surrounding us it is hard for a disciple to remember that serving God should always be put first and foremost. This should be prioritised over clothes, money and work. As possessions and material objects seem so important today, it would be hard to give it all up in order to follow your faith. Still, through the difficulties they face, I think if a person really believes they want to stay a true disciple, its not impossible. Many of the controversial issues around today were indeed still relevant for the first Christians. They were too persecuted and faced with temptation . However, today Christians have Jesus teachings in the New Testament, and those who are truly dedicated Christians should be able to use this at times of weakness for guidance and support. Those who are willing still should be able to follow Jesus in todays world and be a true disciple. What is Discipleship Essay Example What is Discipleship? Essay The word disciple means, follower or adherent of any leader of thought, art or conduct. In Christianity it means to follow the teachings and beliefs of Jesus Christ. It is a challenging way of life to be a disciple and you must be willing to devote your mind, strength and soul to God. There are three main stages a disciple must go through, called sacraments of initiation. These are Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. These sacraments are sacred rituals, which a person must go through to become a disciple. Christians believe God is especially present during a sacrament. When a Christian wants to become a disciple he starts off at the first stage, Baptism. This usually takes place when the Christian is a young baby. He is washed with holy water as a symbol of his/her original sin being washed away. Catholic parents and godparents make the baptismal vows on behalf of their children soon after they are born and promise to bring up the child in their faith. At Baptism the child is being introduced into the church and Gods family. We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What is Discipleship? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The second stage is Confirmation. At Pentecost the disciples received a special gift from God to enable them to go out and preach His Word and at confirmation the candidate receives a special gift from God. During Confirmation, unlike Baptism, the person is able to make his own decision whether he wishes to continue with the Christian way of life. The person confirms the baptismal vows, which were made on his behalf by his parents and godparents. This is where he decides that he wants to become a member of the Church. The bishop confirms the process of initiation into the church, which was begun at Baptism. The third stage to discipleship is Eucharist. This is believed by some to be the most important sacrament because it re-enacts the last supper. The person confesses their sins and is forgiven by God. They receive the body and blood of Christ, which are symbolised by bread and wine; this brings the spirit of God closer to the people and delivers the message of God. The Commission Go out to peoples everywhere and baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 16v15 After the person has completed these three sacraments of initiation they have three ways of fulfilling their vocation. They can become a member of the lay ministry, part of a religious congregation or become a member of an ordained ministry, all three of which I will explain in detail. You dont have to be a priest or a bishop to be a disciple. If you believe and follow in the teachings of Jesus Christ then you can serve as a layperson. Lay Ministry A person can become part of the lay ministry by being baptised and becoming a full member of the Catholic Church. Lay people can love and serve God just a much as a priest or Bishop. They express their love for God in prayer and service to others and feel they have a responsibility to repay God through helping others. Lay people explain the principles, which Christ taught in different ways. They help the Bishops and Priests and assist them at mass. At our school the children and teachers help the priests by reading and taking up the offertory gifts. Some people teach for example at Sunday school or Bible groups and others do missionary work Christians have travelled all over the world spreading the word of God They offer their skills and talents to help others in everyday life. We see this in everyday life, particularly in hospitals and schools where many people have chosen to work so that they can help other people. One of the vicars at St Jamess Church in Weybridge gave up a lucrative job in the City of London to train, as a vicar because he felt it was a more worthwhile way of life. Lay people are called to defend Christs teaching through Hope, Prayer, Faith and Love They stand up and defend the church against all those who oppose it, All who are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of them on the last day. Mark 8v34-38 Many early Christians were martyred for their beliefs and even today in some parts of the world people are prosecuted for spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ. In Afghanistan the Taliban have imprisoned aide workers whom they suspect have been preaching Christianity. Love your neighbour as you love yourself. Mark 12v33-34 Lay people help those in need by providing houses for the homeless and helping those with alcohol or drug problems. For example members of the Salvation Army have provided warmth, shelter and food for the homeless for many years. In my own area members of the congregation of the Wey Christian Fellowship have been helping street children in South America. If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest, and if one of you wants to be first he must be your slave. Matthew 20v24-28 Lay people dont help the rich or those who dont need their help. They help the ones who are in trouble and need their company. Jesus set an example of this. People who are well dont need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to all respectable people to repent, but outcasts. They obey the churchs rules and teachings. Teach them everything I have commanded you, and I will be with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28v20 They are to be kind, generous and good Christians. Do onto others as you would want them to do onto you. Lay people support the priest by prayer, helping at communion and reading at mass, they can also cooperate in presenting the word of God to the parish by instructing others or by joining one of the organisations connected to the church. Lay people can also help within the church by contributing any special skills they may have for example a trained accountant could help with the church accounts and a builder could help with church repairs. Mrs Kenny, a teacher at the junior school uses her experience with children to run a youth club at the local church. Other people can help members of the church by sharing their problems with them. I asked my father, a member of our local church, How do you contribute to your church and fulfil your vocation? he answered, I try to fulfil my vocation by following Christian teachings in all aspects of my life, and helping those less fortunate then myself. I also asked my sister how she has contributed to a Christian way of life and she said, This year I accompanied a group of disabled men and women on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. This is an example of a person who isnt a priest or a bishop but is playing a role of a layperson in the church. Bring the good news to the poor. Luke 4v8 CAFOD are an example of people voluntarily going out to poor countries and providing relief for the people living there. CAFOD make a link between the continents of Asia Africa and Latin America and the people who wish to help then back at home. Some of the works CAFOD do are: Community development Food production Water supplies and irrigation Penetrative medicine Vocational training Adult education CAFOD operate because it believes all people should be equal in the sight of God. They also believe that human dignity demands a reasonable standard of living and people all need basic food, housing, education and clothing. Lay people use the beatitudes as a guideline to reach discipleship and to become closer to God: Happy are the poor in spirit. Matthew 5v3 Lay people dont show off that they are holy, they are discreet but God knows they are true believers. Happy are those who mourn Matthew 5v4 Lay people mourn for others and show respect to the friends and family of those who have died. Happy are those who are humble. Matthew 5v5 Lay people put others before them selves and dont aim to be great and powerful. Happy are the merciful. Matthew 5v7 Lay people are merciful to others and forgive anyone who they have fallen out with. Happy are those who are pure in heart. Matthew 5v8 Lay people should be true believers, they shouldnt pretends, if they do believe in Christ then God will reward them. Happy are those who work for peace. Matthew 5v9 Lay people spread peace in the world and try to prevent violence and corruption. Happy for those who are prosecuted for doing what God requires. Matthew 5v10 If you are sent to prison or in trouble for doing what God wants then you are a true lay person and God will reward you in Heaven. Lay people have a duty to serve others and to help those in need. They must stand up for the church and what God taught them. For example Mother Teresa spent her whole life helping people in India because she knew what she was doing was right. People like Mother Teresa are examples for all people. Although mother Teresa was a member of a religious order, she is an example to all Lay People. Love your God. Lay people follow this by using their talents to love and help everyone around them Ordained ministries To join your ordained ministry is another way to serve as a Christian disciple. A lot of thought must be given before someone decides to join the ordained ministry because it involves a lifetime of devotion to God, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men, Matthew 4v19 Like the disciples many sacrifices have to be made to become a member of the ordained ministry, you must not have any sexual relationships or get married. This is because being in the ordained ministry requires total love for God and members can put all their energy into doing Gods work. The first stage is when a man becomes a deacon. Deacons appear in close association with bishops. As the deaconate developed in the early Church, the deacon became the bishops assistant, responsible only to him and ordained by him alone. He embodies or represents the servant ministry of Christ. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the liturgical functions of the deacon involve helping or serving the celebrant. The next step is to become a priest. The priest is especially consecrated to the service of a God and through who worship and prayer is offered to God. In the Roman Catholic Church the priest is a member of the sacerdotal ministry. The priest has the power to celebrate Mass and to administer the sacraments, except holy orders (reserved for the bishop), matrimony (administered to one another by the couple and witnessed by the priest), and confirmation (usually performed by a bishop). The next step for some is to become a bishop In the Roman, a bishop is an ecclesiastic who, through sacramental consecration, holds special powers of the ministry as well as special administrative prerogatives. Consecration to the order of bishop is usually performed by three bishops (one of them a metropolitan), this number having been customary from post apostolic times. The bishop is supreme ecclesiastical ruler of the diocese over which he presides. He is responsible for the spiritual welfare of all the faithful, both clergy and laity, and for the government of all ecclesiastical institutions within his diocese. He has the power to ordain bishops, priests, and deacons. He is the ordinary minister of the sacrament of confirmation. The next step is to become an archbishop. Archbishop have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province. He superintends certain activities of the other bishops in his province and also exercises Episcopal authority in his own diocese. In the Roman Catholic Church, archbishops occupy certain important sees and enjoy limited provincial authority The next step is to become a cardinal. The cardinals are appointed by the pope and constitute the Sacred College. The pope is not obliged to consult them, but does so as a matter of course. Their number has varied at different times; in 1586 Pope Sixtus V fixed it at 70. The cardinals are chief members of the Sacred Congregations of the papal government. They meet in consistory, or assembly, over which the pope presides. Cardinals are limited in their duties according to age; like other high prelates, they are expected to retire at the age of 75 from administrative duties. At 80 they are no longer permitted to serve as papal electors. The next step is to become a pope, Pope, in Latin, papa, from the Greek pappas, meaning father, a Christian Besides the designation pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church also holds these titles: vicar of Christ; successor of St Peter; supreme pontiff of the universal Church; patriarch of the West; primate of Italy; archbishop and metropolitan of the Roman province; sovereign of the State of Vatican City; and servant of the servants of God. Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires. Matthew 5v10 People in the ordained ministry help others in the church and out of the church by standing up and defending the church and listening and acting out everything God wanted us to do. Religious Orders Another way of serving as a disciple is by joining a religious order or congregation. There are two types of religious orders, Apostolic and Contemplative. Joining either of these orders requires total devotion to God and confinement. Living a life of celibacy is hard for the brothers and sisters but they believe that they will be rewarded in heaven, Happy are those who are pure in heart, they will see God. Matthew 5v8 Religious orders are consecrated to three vows; these are poverty, chastity and obedience. Poverty means to have the bare minimum and live like Jesus did. An example of this is the rich young man, You must give up all of your possessions and follow me, This story tells us not to be corrupt with money and possessions. Chastity means not to have a sexual relationship with anyone. This is so people can focus on following God. An example of this is when Jesus said, Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men, Matthew 4v19 The disciples left their families and homes to follow Jesus. Obedience means to obey priests, bishops and the pope. An example of this is in the commission, Teach them to obey everything I have taught you. This tells us to obey Gods teachings and all who work for God. Apostolic orders are the first type of religious orders. They live a life of voluntary community work. They tend the sick and old and care for the homeless. You should send for the church elders, who will pray for them and rub olive oil on them in the name of the lord. This is an inspiration to apostolic orders to heal the sick and is the reason for the sacrament, anointing of the sick. Examples of apostolic orders are Notre Dame, Brothers of the Christian Schools and mother Teresa. Brothers of the Christian Schools, religious community, commonly called Christian Brothers, established by the French educator St John Baptist de la Salle, at Reims in 1680 and sanctioned by Pope Benedict XIII in 1725. The brothers take the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, plus two vows peculiar to their institute: service to the poor through education and fidelity to their institute. They do not, however, enter holy orders. In the mid-1980s community residences numbered more than 1,250 throughout the world. About 10,000 brothers taught approximately 800,000 pupils. Contemplative orders are the second type of religious orders. Their lives are a journey to God in prayer and worship in solitude, silence and community. Examples of contemplative orders are Carmelites, Poor Clares and Carthusians.The Carthusians were a monastic order founded by St Bruno, who in 1084 retired with six companions to the solitude of the valley of Chartreuse, near Grenoble. There they lived as hermits, wearing poor clothing and eating vegetables and coarse bread. After the order received Papal approbation in 1170, it expanded rapidly. It dates from 1180 in England, where the name Chartreuse Houses was corrupted into Charter Houses. The order is now conducted under the rules approved in 1682 by Pope Innocent XI. The Carthusians were divided into two classes, fathers and lay brothers. Each father occupied a separate cell, with a bed of straw, a pillow, a woollen coverlet, and the tools for manual labour or for writing. Monks left their cells only on festivals and on days of the funeral of a brother of the order. Three times a week they fasted on bread, water, and salt, and several long fasts were observed during the year. Meat was forbidden at all times and so was wine, unless it was mixed with water. Unbroken silence was enforced except on rare occasions. As Peter and Paul gave up their homes and families to follow Jesus, Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men, Matthew 4v19 Members of religious orders give up their homes and families to serve God in prayer and worship and in community service to fulfill their vocation.

I Could Never Be So Lucky Again Essays - Doolittle Raiders

I Could Never Be So Lucky Again Essays - Doolittle Raiders I Could Never Be So Lucky Again I Could Never Be So Lucky Again By General James h. Jimmy Doolittle This book is about a famous pilot in World War II named Jimmy Doolittle. When Jimmy was 14 he had a taste for boxing. To encourage Jimmy to quit boxing his mom bought him a motorcycle. So he boxed professionally under the name of Jimmy Pierce. When he was 16 he met a girl named Josephine, but she was called Joe. For three years Joe ignored Jimmy but then she started to accept him and they started to like each other. But Joe didnt like Jimmy boxing so he again started to box under the name of Jimmy Pierce. But when Joe found out she was mad. He then went to junior collage. When he was young Jimmy had two goals, to see the world and to build things. Back then only engineers could build things and only two kinds could see the world, civil engineers and mining engineers, he choose to be a mining engineer. The first two years of the mining engineer course was the same as the other engineering courses, math and science. He went to the famous Comstock Lode, thought the rush was over. Some thing happened that summer, a mining elevator cable broke with the mining boss and a miner on it and it fell 2,900 feet to the bottom of the shaft. Since Jimmy was the only one with first aid training he was lowered down. When he got to the bottom he found the cage, his light went out so he had a hard time finding the door, but when he found it and dropped in, the people were dead. He was raised up and miners suddenly loved him. When Jimmy completed collage he and his friend joined the armed forces. His friend joined the infantry. But Jimmy joined the air force. First he became an instructor. On time he and a student were landing, a plane under them hit the bottom of their plane and crashed, when Jimmy landed he went over to the other plane but the propeller had taken the pilots head off. Then he became a test pilot. While he was a test pilot he tested several very valuable safety instruments such as the Turn and Bank indicator and the homing beacon. But Jimmy had a stunt sprit so he was the first to do the out side loop and set several speed and time records. Jimmy also won several races. After awhile Jimmy left the air force to work with shell. While he was at shell he flew to South America for advertisement. He flew across the country setting a new record for the shortest amount of time. When World War II started he rejoined the air force as a major skipping the rank of captain. He was given a top secret project that was to bomb Tokyo and other major cites. The purpose of this was to inflict fear into the hearts of all Japanese who had been told that they were invincible. When he got back he was awarded the Metal of Honor much to the delight of Jimmy and Joe who was Jimmys wife. Then he asked to go to Europe to be in battle against Germany. At that time there were several air force divisions, the 8th, 12th, 6th, and the 9th. The 8th is the supreme air force. He commanded the 12th for a while, but then was made commander of the 8th. When he was commanding the 12th he flew a lot of missions that he was not supposed to fly because he was a person that knew about ultra, the German code that the British broke. When he was made commander of the 8th then he stopped flying missions. He also met up with Bruce, a friend from his test pilot days, who had been discharged for smuggling tequila and other things. Before planes had good bombsights planes would drop bombs on the friendly troops because when the winds changed pilots thought that the target was under the smoke, so Jimmy said that they needed more effective bomb sights which he got. By the end of the war he was

(Real)Assessment of the Higher Education Administration Program at Research Paper

(Real)Assessment of the Higher Education Administration Program at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University - Research Paper Example The aim of the college is to train highly skilled experts from varied backgrounds, for organizations both out of and in education, who have the same profound concern for the condition of human beings. Most academic programs in Peabody College consist of a powerful practice orientation. The college admits over 1,200 undergraduates and over 600 professional or graduate students, with the full-time teaching staff numbering 125. Many teaching faculty members are great leaders of professional organizations, are scholarly journals editors’ while others are recognized nationally for their research (â€Å"Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt,† 2010). The college’s twelve faculty members are holders of named, conferred professorships. The faculty has five departments namely department of Psychology and Human Development; department of Special Education; department of Human and Organizational Development; department of Teaching and Learning; and department of Lead ership, Policy, Organizations (Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt, 2010). This paper gives an assessment of Peabody College’s Higher Education Administration Program. ... The college received the last accredition in 2007 and will receive the next interim report on March 2013 (â€Å"Vanderbilt University Accreditation,† 2010). Every year, the United States’ News & World Report reviews Peabody College externally vis-a-vis other graduate schools of education. The report indicates that for the last one and a half decade, the college has held a top ten position. The report also indicated that for 2012, the college was in the top spot among the national graduate school of education and that this was the third successive year. Additionally, Peabody College consistently scores highly for student selectivity, a large quantity of funded research, and a low student-to-faculty ratio. Peabody, among the first five schools, has the largest number of programs incorporated in the specialty rankings of United States’ News & World Report (â€Å"Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development,† 2011). The United Sta tes’ News & World Report further indicates that Peabody attained nine points up ahead of its closest competitor with a general score of one hundred, with programs in Special Education along with Administration/Supervision being number one in the rankings. Other recognized programs were programs in Elementary Education and Educational Psychology, which were ranked fourth; programs in Education Policy, which were ranked fifth; programs in Instruction/Curriculum, which were ranked eighth; and programs in Higher Education Administration, which were ranked ninth. The yearly rankings of graduate schools are derived from surveys of about 13,000 academics and over 1,200 programs carried out in fall 2010 while individual program rankings are derived from deans of graduate studies and

Applied Research Technologies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applied Research Technologies - Case Study Example The company is also known for its entrepreneurial spirit and the same can be gauged from the fact that the company currently owns 60 different business units, many of which are acquired in last 2-3 decades. Decentralized decision making is their strength to bring solution to the issues and speed up jobs across all business units. The company’s innovative strength can be assumed from the fact that almost 30% of the company’s revenue from each business division comes from the products that has been developed in the last 4 years. The company constantly strives to find new business opportunities and inspires business units heads and others to come up with fresh business ideas and proposals that can maintain its leading position and competitive edge in the market. To continue with the spirit of innovation, the company taps talent globally without any restriction or regional bias and accordingly, the company opens India Technical Center (ITC) under the auspices of the corpora te R&D group of the company. While working as a general manager at the Filtration Unit of the company, Vyas is in the process of developing a prototype mini water-oxidation product with an aim to exploit the product commercially that can purify waste water. Previously, over the past three years, two such attempts have been unsuccessful in developing the product. So far, the Filtration unit has only one profitable line of business and it has failed to bring new products in market in keeping with the company’s image of innovativeness. In a way, the Filtration Unit is quite vulnerable and so is the position of Vyas, if he fails to launch a new product successfully in the market third time. Vyas is quick to realize this and that is why he has formed a team full of entrepreneur-minded individuals. Though ITC technologists develop a promising product that is approved by Wagner, its first generation version is rejected for its foul odor and the second version of the product is rejec ted for its high power consumption. Without getting perturbed from these failures, Vyas harps on the true entrepreneurial spirit of the company taking clue from the CEO David Hall’s entrepreneurial concept that states: â€Å"I expect all our managers, and particularly those on the front line, to create, promote, and back promising ideas. But we understand that when you go for the big leap, you won't always clear the bar. So there is no shame in failure when you are stretching for big objectives. Around here we routinely celebrate what we call "worthy attempts"—even when they are unsuccessful† (Bartlett & Beckham, 2010). Though Vyas has been managing the global challenges quite well yet it appears that Vyas has missed something in the beginning – on deciding about some essential minimum requirement pertaining to the features of the product under development while giving a brief to the ITC technologists. Had the required features of the product been streaml ined earlier then the valuable time spent on developing two versions of the product would have been conserved. Any new product needs to be made available at not only affordable cost but also it should have minimal operating and maintenance cost (minimal fuel consumption, power etc.) maintaining ease of operation for the users. It is true that all this will depend upon what kind of customers or which segment of the market is going to be catered; however, the fact remains that clear guidelines were not given by Vyas to the technologists on required features of the product that eventually resulted into the failure of two products and loss of resources. As front-line manager, Vyas has been effective in managing people as he forms a team full of en

External Environmental Scan Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

External Environmental Scan Paper - Essay Example The analysis of the external environment has made Apple has spread its operations to different parts of the world like Korea, Cork, China, Ireland and Czech Republic (Hassan, 2013).   The most important external environmental factor in the remote, industry, and external operating environments of Apple include political, economic, social, and technology. By operating in different parts of the world, political factors normally affect the operation of Apple. A country with stable governance systems like UK and the US provides the company with a favorable environment for the operation because such countries hold an enviable and strong position in global politics. However, there are risks posed by terrorist elements that hinder their operation. The current political challenges that affect the company are, therefore, the sagging popularity of some countries like the UK and the increasing terrorist threats (Newlands & Hooper, 2009). Economically, the company has been greatly affected by the economic downturn experienced throughout the world. This has affected the financial systems of many countries as it has resulted into fluctuation in exchange rate particularly when dealing with their foreign trade. The global crisis has also led to slow economic growth that has reduced the profit margins for the company particularly in weak economies (Hassan, 2013).   These factors have massively contributed to the companys success in terms of increased sales volume. Increased education levels and increased the number of people, institutions and companies that buy through the internet has resulted in the tremendous increase in growth of the company. Another factor that has greatly impacted the company is a technology. Due to fast technological changes and heavy competition, the company has increased its expense on research and development so as to be ahead of their competitors by improving their design and performance continually (Hassan,

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) Summary and Analysis

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) Summary and Analysis The Motorcycle Diaries, directed by Walter Salles traces an 8000-mile journey of two close friends, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, who would become the iconic Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara and his friend, Alberto Granado. As they travel from Argentina to Peru by motorcycle, truck, raft and foot looking for adventure, they gain a new perspective of the world that they never expected to garner. As Ernesto and Alberto cross of thousands of miles across Latin America, from one country to another, the borders between each country vanish and the continent itself surfaces as a whole, one entity united. Ernesto, toward the end of the movie, poignantly makes his birthday speech before a toast, â€Å"This journey has only confirmed this belief, that the division of America into unstable and illusory nations is a complete fiction. We are one single mestizo race from Mexico to the Magellan Straits.† The extensive landscape scenes show an immense geographical diversity, from dense forests to snowy mountains to arid deserts to thick jungle, from the wild to the rural to the urban. Yet in each place, the two Argentinians feel connected to the people, to the land, and its history. On the journey, Che and Granado see poverty and oppression constantly haunting all across Latin America and lend a helping hand to the oppressed. They realise that the injustices and suffering of poor and powerless Latin Americans are not confined by frontiers but that they almost characterise the continent as a whole. The young men who were initially looking forward to a trip full of adventure and romance find lines of indigenous people on the mountain roads, homeless in their own land. They meet a peasant couple who has been forced onto the road and lost many friends because of their communist beliefs. Che enrages at a copper mining companys maltreatment of the workers who must beg for work in the brutal mines. During their visit to the ruins of the once splendid Inca city of Machu Picchu, the two comrades dolefully compare it to the vast slums of Lima in Peru established by the conquerors. While Granado dreams of a peaceful return to the glories of the past, Che muses on the power of guns and on how a civilisation of such magnificence and beauty could have been destroyed by the creators of such a polluted, decayed city of Lima and blurts out, â€Å"A revolution without guns? It will never work.† As the journey continues, Ernestos connection to people in need grows more and more tangible throughout the film. In Peru where Che and Granado volunteer for three weeks at the San Pablo leper colony, refuses to wear rubber gloves during his visit choosing instead to shake bare hands with startled leper inmates. There, Guevara sees both physically and metaphorically the division of society the staff live on the north side of a river, separated from the lepers living on the south. At the end of the journey and after his stay at the leper colony, Ches egalitarian, anti-authority beliefs grow in him and, at his birthday toast, puts much emphasis on a united Latin American identity that transcends the narrow-minded provincialism and the limited boundaries of nation and race. That night, Che makes his symbolic final journey when despite his asthma, he swims across the river that splits the two societies of the leper colony, spends the night in a leper shack, instead of in the cabins of t he doctors. It symbolises his adamant and fierce desire to bring justice and equality to the oppressed, to the society and to Latin America. These encounters with social injustice transform the way Guevara sees the world and allegedly motivates his later political activities as a revolutionary. And there is an urgent question posing itself before Che: on which side of the river is he going to spend all his life? Which side of the tracks? Che is challenged by all that he has seen. By the end of the journey, Che has undergone a conversion. â€Å"I think of things in different ways, something has changed in me.† The testimonies of the many downtrodden South Americans that he has encountered have inspired Che to begin his search for this solution.

Colonialism and Imperialism - European Invasion Depicted in Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

The European Invasion in Heart of Darkness       The viewpoint of the European invasion of Africa, as seen through the eyes of Marlow in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, takes a dramatic turn. At first, Marlow sees through the European viewpoint, where the invasion is a heroic attempt to tame a mysterious culture, while reaping the rewards of the ivory trade. The descriptions of the natives are inhuman, monstrous and fearful. The shift in perception occurs as Marlow begins to see through the eyes of the natives. The result is compassion for an ancient civilization that is very much human in there fear of being conquered. Part of Marlow's European viewpoint stems from people he respects. From his " excellent aunt's" Christian viewpoint, there is a duty in " weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways"(Longman, P.2199). Marlow becomes influenced by the members in the partnership mostly concerned with obtaining ivory " I also was a part of the great cause of these high and just proceedings"(2202). The European viewed conquering the ignorant and using their ivory for wealth as heroic. The description of he manger's office walls contained "a collection of spears, assegais, shields, knives was hung up as trophies"(2208). In addition, the mission of Kurtz becomes " a very important one, in the true ivory-country, the very bottom there" (2204). Here the European viewpoint of invading Africa is heroic verses horrific. Through the description of hoe Marlow first view the natives; there is an expression of fear felt toward the uncivilized race not viewed as human. After the death of Marlow's African helmsman, Marlow question his sorrow for the loss for a " savage who was no more than a grain of sand in a black Sahara"(2227). In addition, when approaching Kurtz, Marlow's fearful description of an approaching native is " Some sorcerer, some witch-man, no doubt! It looked fiend-like enough" (2237). The fear of the unfamiliar culture unfolds with " mysterious niggers armed with all kinds of fearful weapons"(2204). In this viewpoint, fear is the European excuse for the invasion. The shift in Marlow's perception towards the natives develops as compassion for the fear Europeans have inflicted occurs. Marlow sees though the eyes of the natives with " The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief" (2221). Unfolding is the discovery that the savages are human after all.