Gogol’s Namesake Essay

Immigrants moving to the United States are faced with the pressing question of whether or not to assimilate into American culture. Many of those involved in diasporic situations feel that adapting to the social norms of their new surroundings is an act of betraying their roots in which their heritage and all preexisting traditions will be lost. Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake highlights this struggle through the eyes of the Ganguli family. The novel ultimately shows us that one can simultaneously belong to two cultures, in this case Indian and American culture. Many scholars are hung up on the fact that protagonist Gogol must belong to one culture or the other. Heinze’s â€Å"Diasporic Overcoat?† suggests that Gogol puts on an â€Å"overcoat† through the switching of his name to represent the switching of his identity across various relationships and social situations. In doing so, he says â€Å"by implication one is never totally free of an overcoat, there is no such thing as a pristine and authentic identity†¦ (Heinze 197-198)† This quote demonstrates Heinze taking a stand and stating that there is no fixed identity. I suggest that Gogol does indeed obtain a national and cultural identity. The characterization of Gogol’s identity can be viewed as a spectrum that is continuously changing. At one end of the spectrum is his Indian cultural identity and the other is his American. At different points in his life Gogol has different degrees of American and Indian cultures present within him. So rather than arguing Gogol has no set identity, instead his identity is classified by his movement along his hybrid cultural spectrum. Other scholars that write on the issues of cultural hybridity focus on the idea that the person involved in diasporic situations are caught some where between their two given cultures. The author of an article applying concepts of cultural hybridity in music, particularly Arabian Jazz states that those with hybrid identities create a new â€Å"imagined community’ in which cultures may interact and influence each other in a state of co-existence and a â€Å"third space† is created. He defines this third space as â€Å"the inter- the cutting edge of translation and negotiation, the in between space that carries the burden of the meaning of culture† (Al-Joulan 640). Rather than being part of one culture or the other he is saying that identity of ones culture is defined as being in this third space. For the sake of my argument Gogol’s third space is the area on between his Indian culture and American culture. Gogol’s position in his third space changes at  different points in the novel. Gogol’s birth not only marks the start of his life but it also marks the start of his movement away from the Indian side of his hybrid cultural spectrum. Although it is clear the presented naming process for the Ganguli baby is one that typically appeals to Bengali tradition, American pressures results in the vanishing of those traditions. â€Å"Ashima’s grandmother has mailed the letter herself, walking with her cane to the post office, her first trip out of the house in a decade. The letter contains one name for a girl, one for a boy. Ashima’s grandmother has revealed them to no one.† (25) This quote indicates the importance of naming in Bengali tradition, particularly done by an elder in the family. The fact that the grandmother is leaving the house for the first time in ten years to personally see the letter off shows it is of great importance. However, when the letter does not arrive in time, his parents fail to name him according to Bengali tradition. â€Å"For they learn that in America, a baby cannot be released from the hospital without a birth certificate. And that a birth certificate needs a name.† (27) The Ganguli’s must abide to American laws even if it means abandoning essential Bengali traditions and we see young Gogol’s position on the spectrum of two cultures sway away from his â€Å"Indian-ness.† Perhaps this is Lahiri’s way of communicating to her audience that sacrifices must be made in order to establish a hybrid cultural identity. During the infancy stage of Gogol’s life another series of events instills his divergence from the Indian side of his identity spectrum. The Ganguli’s invite their Bengali friends over in celebration of Gogol’s first consumption of solid food. Gogol is also offered a number of items to represent what profession he will grow to attain. â€Å"Gogol frowns, and his lower lip trembles. Only then, forced at six months to confront his destiny, does he begin to cry.† (40) This quote demonstrates how Gogol’s refusal to participate in traditional Indian rituals, begins at an early age. He does not reach for any of the items symbolizing his rejection of Indian culture ultimately pushing him further towards American assimilation. Throughout adolescence and early adulthood Gogol’s movement along the spectrum continues away from the Indian side. During this stage in his life the movement is represented through the rejection of his name to mimic his rejection of his Bengali heritage. Despite the fact that the pet name given  to him at birth is in fact a Russian name, the concept of having a pet name and good name all together is the â€Å"Bengali way† and not typical for Americans. We see this in Gogol’s petition to his parents to change his name when he asks â€Å"Why do I have a pet name in the first place? I don’t get it†(Lahiri 99). His mother responds simply with â€Å"It’s our way, Gogol. It’s what Bengali’s do†(Lahiri 99). When Gogol is asked by his new college suitemate whether Gogol is his first name or last name, he gives a new answer that is of great significance. â€Å"Normally that question agitates him. But today he has a new answer. ‘Actually, that’s my middle name,’ Gogol says by way of explanation, sitting with them in the common room to their suite. ‘Nikhil is my first name. It got left out for some reason’†(Lahiri 103). We know this statement is false due to the fact that in a previous passage of the novel Gogol’s mother explains to his principle that he does not have a middle name at all, he has a good name and a pet name. In Judith Caesar’s article about Gogol’s namesake she says, â€Å"Although Nikhil is an Indian name, it enables him to try on a sophisticated identity he thinks he wants, sexy, cool, ‘normal’†(Caesar 110). I believe what Caesar is referring to as â€Å"normal† is in fact â€Å"more American†. Making the claim that Gogol is his middle name marks his attempt at appearing like a typical American kid with a first, middle, and last name. In essence he is rejecting his pet name to represent the rejection of his Indian heritage. Conversely the acceptance of this so-called â€Å"middle name† represents his acceptance of American culture continuing his movement away from the Indian side of the spectrum. It is not until the adulthood stage in Gogol’s life that he comes full circle and begins his movement in the other direction, back towards the Indian side of his hybrid cultural identity spectrum. The first way in which he does this is through the development of his relationship with Moushumi. Moushumi, being a childhood family friend also of Bengali heritage, first met Gogol as Gogol rather than Nikhil. It is â€Å"the first time he’s been out with a women who’s once known him by that other name†(Lahiri 193). The fact that Gogol goes through with meeting a girl who already knew his pet name, a Bengali custom, represents a step towards accepting his name and a willingness to begin his movement in the other direction towards his â€Å"Indian-ness.† Ironically the very thing they bond over is their identical  hybrid identity situation. â€Å"They talk about how they are both routinely assumed to be Greek, Egyptian, Mexican – even in this misrendering they are joined† (Lahiri 212). Neither Gogol nor Moushumi ever thought they would date another Bengali due to the fact that it is what their parents had continuously drilled into their heads as their wishes. They know that their blossoming relationship will please both their parents, and they each find some comfort in this surprising thought. The reason the two met up after not seeing each other since childhood was a result of a request by Gogol’s mother. She is the one who suggest he call Moushumi. Gogol proceeding with the call and arranging to meet Moushumi marks the start to his movement and reconnection to his Indian culture. The second way Gogol begins his journey of moving back towards the Indian side, is through his exploration and acceptance of what his pet name meant to his father. In the final chapter of the novel we see adult Gogol returning to his family home in which he goes into his old bedroom, discovering the book by author Nikolai Gogol that his father had given to him years ago. He opens the book to find what his father had written in it â€Å"For Gogol Ganguli†¦ the man who gave you his name, from the man who gave you your name†(Lahiri 288). It is only out of respect for his father that he takes the time to explore what the name meant to him. Had Gogol’s father not have passed away, he may have again snubbed the book and its significance to his father as he did when he first gifted it to him. This may be Lahiri’s way of conveying to readers that although it is too little to late in the aspect of reestablishing a relationship with his father, it is not yet too late to reconnect with his Bengali heritage. The moment Gogol begins to read â€Å"The Overcoat† marks just the beginning of his exploration and acceptance of his Bengali heritage and finding its role in the grand scheme of his double-sided identity spectrum. In conclusion we see different degrees of Indian and American culture present within Gogol representing his continuous changing position across his hybrid culture identity or â€Å"third space†. In the early stages of his life we see his divergence from â€Å"Indian-ness† through his parents failure to name him according to Bengali tradition, his own rejection of important  Bengali ceremonial traditions and the rejection of his pet name. Finally in adulthood he begins his journey in the other direction, his journey at exploring at reconnecting with this Indian roots marking the start of his movement back towards â€Å"Indian-ness.† This movement is achieved through his developing relationship with Moushumi, another Bengali-American character, as well as his acceptance to explore the meaning of his name given to him by his father. Works Cited Al-joulan, Nayef. â€Å"Diana Abu-Jaber’s Arabian Jazz: An Orphic Vision of Hybrid Cultural Identity.† Neophilologus 94.4 (2010): 637-52. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. Heinze, Ruediger. â€Å"A Diasporic Overcoat? Naming and Affection in Jhumpa Lahiri’s the Namesake.† Journal of Postcolonial Writing 43.2 (2007): 191-202. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. Caesar, Judith. â€Å"Gogol’s Namesake: Identity and Relationships in Jhumpa Lahiri’s the Namesake.† Atenea 27.1 (2007): 103-19. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

Baseline Magazine Website Review

Change is the only constant in our new reality. That’s why any IT professional should continuously update his information and continuously learn to have an idea about new concepts, researches and tools to be able to compete among other professionals. This is what the baseline magazine web site provides for IT professionals in generals and IT leaders and executives in specific.This paper aims at reviewing the baseline magazine website by giving a summary description of its structure and purpose, its overall ‘look and feel’ and adequate audience, useful links and interesting things about the site, and finally it gives a bottom-line evaluation of its value. Summary description of its structure and purpose Baseline magazine website enables IT professional in general and technology executives in specific to have an idea about the recent news and updates in the IT field in all forms whether written articles or videos and podcasts.The magazine -itself- has many sections such as: features, topline, jobsite, baseline 500, techknow, workbook, opinion. While the content of the site is separated into main sections which are: compliance, intelligence, news, IT management, projects, and mid market. Other forms are provided such as podcasts, videos, and slideshows which support and enrich the content. The site provides many added values from other sites within the Ziff Davis network.Within the home page, there are other valuable links such as: most read stories, baseline in depth, blogs/opinions, upcoming eseminars, especially top IT resources, most read white papers and research. Links at the bottom of the site enrich the site with adding more features to the magazine’s content such as careers, esiminars, Developer shed.. etc. of course, the site also provides a lot of sponsored content, obviously, to support the magazine. Its overall ‘look and feel’ and apparent target audience Concerning the magazine pages on the site, the design of the site is elegant and professional but unfortunately still traditional.In another word, the user will feel like it is an online entry for the printed magazine. The main focus of the magazine is on technology leaders and executives and this is what mentioned in the registration welcome message and what is reflected by the level of the content. But it is clear that the website could practically benefit any IT professional in general. What you find useful about this site The main advantage is that baseline magazine belongs to the Ziff Davis Enterprise network so the benefits are not only obtained from the content of the magazine. Stories in general really hit the bottom line of IT management and decision making.And the first thing the user notices is that news and stories are edited or filtered and this is an advantage compared with other sites. The mix of written and multimedia content is interesting and doesn’t make the navigation of the site boring at all. Not to mention th e wealth acquired from the integration of all Ziff Davis network sites. Available blogs’ entries are rich and classified into main sub entries. Other interesting thing is that users can subscribe to the newsletter -which gives updates about all different issues belong to the Ziff Davis network- with one subscription form.Links there that you either did or intend to follow up I liked the ‘projects’ page because it is categorized projects into main thirty-two projects sub categories in main topics in IT (Enterprise planning, SOA, outsourcing†¦) and this way it makes it easy for users to track certain projects concerning certain topics. Once I tried to check the research link for example, the first link was titled â€Å"how Google works† where I found all related articles that answer the question â€Å"how Google works†, so I guess this is an added value for any IT professional. That’s why I intend to follow the whitepapers and researches u p.The career link -in my opinion- deserves to be followed up in the future. Also, online videos, e-seminars and podcasts are real added value that enriches the written content. Above all of those links, I really liked the ‘Developer Shed’ mini site and I do intend to follow this link up in the future; especially, the ‘Tutorialized’ section. Any other things about the site that you find interesting I found that the idea of providing a free service offering such as an online magazine is interesting when it is used effectively to attract advertisers in IT domain to bring a business value.I think the heavy advertising on the site prove that they are succeeding in this. Bottom-line evaluation of its value to you In brief, the site is a valuable resource for IT professionals in general and professional who has something to do with decision making -like leaders and executives- in specific. The power of the site comes from the integration of all sites of Ziff Davis network which enables users to get the information and knowledge he seeks in all form whether written articles, researches and white papers, or multimedia content like videos, podcasts, and esiminars.However, I guess they didn’t get the maximum benefit from their service yet. The site should make an effective integration and evolution to replace the old business model which provides what the company has with the new business model which focuses on the customer. Each entry is separated and this makes confusion to the user because the user expects to see services which focus on his needs not a website that provides only what is available.

Letter to Newspaper Essay

Traditionally adult learners are students who are pursuing education in either, college (undergraduate or graduate degrees), vocational or occupational programs, continuing education or noncredit courses, correspondence courses and tutoring, as well as courses and other educational activities provided by employers, community groups, and other providers (â€Å"Adult Learner,† 2012). The average age of an adult learner is 25 years or older, it usually is a diverse group of people (â€Å"Adult Learner,† 2012). These adult learners can be an independent student, employed full time, a person with dependents, a person who as a result of a death or divorce, is now single and wishes to complete a degree program and a veteran of the United States military (â€Å"Adult Learner,† 2012). There also the lifelong learners who generally have additional responsibilities such as family, career, military, or community, and are seeking a degree or other educational offering to enha nce their professional and or personal lives (â€Å"Adult Learner,† 2012). Education is any formally structured learning activity in which there are an instructor and curriculum. According to Bringhamton University (2012), the largest and fastest expanding market segment for higher education is the adult learner. Universities and colleges need to adjust their infrastructure to attract better and serve adult learners. There is less high school graduates entering colleges versus the adult learner (â€Å"Demographics,† 2012). With less traditional aged students and more non-traditional or adult learners there will be less public support, political leverage, and legislative support to finance an educational system that is designed primarily to serve the needs of traditional aged students without considering the special needs of a more age diverse student body (â€Å"Demographics,† 2012). There is a push in Washington for more federal dollars in adult training. They believe the  return on investment (ROI) from adult education and training is posi tive as billions of dollars could be earned, saved, and pumped back into the struggling economy (Gonzalez, 2011). The argument at capital is that adult education actually saves governments money by reducing societal healthcare, public assistance, and incarceration costs. It also improves and expands the nation’s available pool of workers by helping motivated, but undereducated people get jobs (Gonzalez, 2011). The theory of adult learning is the assumptions about how adults learn. Emphasizes the value of the process of learning in adults (â€Å"Adult Learning Theory,† 2007). Malcom Knowles and American practitioner and theorist of adult education defined is as an art and science of helping adults learn (â€Å"Adult Learning Theory,† 2007). Knowles also defined six adult learning principles as adults are internally motivated and self-directed, adults bring life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences and are goal orientated. They also relevancy oriented and are practical learners who like to be respected when in the classroom (â€Å"Adult Learning Theory,† 20 07). As educators, we need to foster the adult learner’s internal motivation to learn. Develop a rapport with the adult learner, encourage them to ask questions and explore concepts. Some adult learners come with years of experience and knowledge, with this as an instructor or teacher we need to harvest this information and have them apply it to their new learning experiences. The need to for effective adult education over the past few years have increased. It is important we support adult learners. As with the increasing adult learning population, we are also increasing our nation’s available pool of workers. It is important that we invest in adult education as it nurture’s creativity, imagination and fulfilling lives. Investing in adult education is also important for families, communities and our country as a whole. Education is an important first step for some adult learners as it is a second chance in learning. Adult education is a great way for students that didn’t finish high school to get their high school diploma and continue on with their lives. Adult education is usually at night, so that the adults who attend it may still continue to go to work. This allows theses adults to continue to progress in their lives while adding more education to their resume and mind. References Becoming familiar with adult learning theory and the six principles of adult learning. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.qotfc.edu.au/resource/?page=65375 Gonzalez, J. (2011). Adult-education leaders visit capitol hill to push for more federal dollars. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Adult-Education-Leaders-Visit/127448/ The effects of changing demographics on higher education. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.binghamton.edu/cice/documents/NYSTAKeynotePPT.pdf Who is an adult learner? (2012). Retrieved from http://universitycollege.illinoisstate.edu/adult/who.shtml

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Doea 'informal social control' have any part in explaining the differential rates of male and female offending - Essay Example The culture is the most dominant factor that has significant impact on the perceived roles of men and women. ‘Boys will be boys’ the famous adage is a prime example of communication behaviour that is appropriate for boys but which would not be suitable for girls. â€Å"women experience linguistic discrimination in two ways: in the way they are taught to use language, and in the way general language usage treats them† (Lakoff). It makes it easier for men to commit crime than women. The religiosity of a particular strata of society or the social structure of that region, contribute to the way people respond towards socially relevant issues and gender inequality. The socio-economical environment and political leanings promote orthodoxy and fanaticism. Patriarchal society endorses male domination that deliberately cast women in the inferior roles and restricts their personal and social development to compete with their counterparts on equal terms. Women, especially in the current time, adopt ways and means to exhibit their independence and empowerment through actions that sometimes border in criminal activities. It is one the reason that explains criminal activities amongst women. According to national statistics, ‘men commit more crimes than women. In 2004, male offenders in England and Wales outnumbered female offenders by more than four to one’ (BCS1, 2004). The survey showed that in all the major crime categories, men out numbered women in committing the crime but it is a distressing fact that the women remained the main target or victims of the crime. It will not be incorrect to say that despite the advancement made in almost all areas of life, the women remain vulnerable target of socio-cultural values. There are various means through which persons imbibe the values that they carry all through their life. Some of them may be through the

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Arguably, the ‘narrative flair’ of this re-telling is little more expressive than unsolicited summaries found on the Internet, and without further literary aide or instruction, does not stand as a solid piece of literature. What is worse, is that instead of allowing a greater breadth of readers to relate and experience tale of the Ramayana, new readers are alienated by it’s convoluted atmosphere. While the task is grand, Narayan’s translation is not listed as an aide to a larger, more in-depth version; it is still a novel and as such needs to be able to stand strong in its own right when evaluated alone. People who have no prior knowledge of the original Sanskrit story, and who have not been raised with the Hindu epic as a part of their life, should be able to pick up this book, read it, and—regardless of how far the tale may go in global history—be able to enjoy one hundred and fifty one pages of literature, without having any prior knowledge, or requiring further research. Having more knowledge, and doing more research on the original epic tale should increase what readers are able to receive from the book, but it should not be necessary in order to understand it. As it stands, without knowing the original tale, new readers are left with very little literary flow and a patchy depiction of what is supposed to be a lush world. At one point, while Bharatha and Rama argue as to who should be the rightful king, their entire episode is related with: â€Å" The argument went on at a highly academic and philosophical level, the entire assembly watching with respect. (Narayan 60) That assertion does not express a deep academic and philosophical argument, but rather states that one was occurring; the reader doesn’t get to experience what transpired between the brothers, or garner any emotion from it. It goes on to almost quite literally depict the event with a he-said/he-said monotony: So be it; if I have the authority—then I confer it on you as the ruler,† said Bharatha at one stage. â€Å"On my command as the ruler, if you desire to think so, you shall be the King. † It went on thus. Rama went on repeating that there could be no word higher than that of a father; no conduct other than obedience to it. Throughout he referred to Kaikeyi in the gentlest terms and always as â€Å"mother†. (Narayan 61) The listed manner in which the plot is unfolded by Narayan’s re-telling is barely more narrative as a piece of literature than an excerpt from that of the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia: Bharatha refuses to profit from his mothers wicked scheming and visits Rama in the forest. He requests Rama to return and rule. But Rama, determined to carry out his fathers orders to the letter, refuses to return before the period of exile. However, Bharatha carries Ramas sandals, and keeps them on the throne, while he rules as Ramas regent. (Wikipedia Contributors) There is very little more efficiency or flair in Narayan’s telling, and in fact, Wikipedia depicts the stages of the long tale with better clarity; if the prose is not going to be linguistically lush and evocative, it may as well be clear (Wikipedia is not only clear, but free of charge as well). It is of course not a simple task to undertake translating an epic poem from a rhythmic language, into prose with a language devoid of the same musicality. However, to the novice reader of The Ramayana, they would not know the difficulty of the task, and thus—however harsh it may seem— should not be a factor in the reviewing of the story as it stands alone. Narayan was by no means an incapable writer, and as winner of numerous awards and accolades—not the least of which being multiple nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature (Rajnish Wattas), he does not need defending that he has great ability as a writer, yet the bottom line remain that when it is stripped of further discussion, research, and introductions, The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic just does not stand on it’s own as captivating modern prose. With nearly each new episode of the tale, Narayan prefaces the action with even more listed information, take for example the introduction to the chapter of Vali: The characters in the drama that follows are Vali, Sugreeva, Hanuman, and Rama. The action takes place in the mountainous forest regions of Kiskinda, a kingdom ruled and inhabited by monkeys. In the Ramayana, the articipants are not only human beings, but many others from God’s creation, intelligent, cultured and with their own achievements of spirit as well as physique: Jambavan was a bear, Jatayu was an eagle, Lakshmana—Rama’s brother—was himself a human incarnation of the Great Serpent Adisesha in whose coils Vishnu rested. (Narayan 90) Again, the story is told by listing statements of what is going on. As with the landscape, and even the characters themselves, nothing is depicted in the story-writing of the prose, but stated, as if the entire epic was a news article being reported by Narayan, as opposed to a vivid history with grand escapades and extreme characters. By translating an epic tale from poetic verse into shortened modern prose, the objective is ultimately to enable a broader audience to relate to and appreciate a classic tale. Poetry is a secluded literary world that does not have the mass appeal that modern prose does; yet Narayan’s re-telling is too constrained and overwhelmed by the amount of story condensed into it. By trying to constrain the length of the story to allow for more readers to get through it, Narayan’s ‘master narrative flair’ seems lost, and the epic tale is a heavy list of events that merely occur on the page.

Organizational Technology Plan Essay Example for Free

Organizational Technology Plan Essay Team C is researching University of Phoenix and the technology used at the school. The team will research new technology, workforce training, and recommendations to stay ahead of future challenges. In addition, team C will cover value chain analysis and primary technology the school uses for instructions. University of Phoenix has extensive support activities that students and instructors access daily. Team C will retrieve information and recommend ideas for UOPX to create a more enjoyable learning environment. The team will also cover the different ways UOPX uses the Internet to market products available to all stakeholders. Challenges University of Phoenix has set itself apart by creating a competitive advantage for working adults seeking to further his or her education. Points of differences include advanced technology and communication networks, service-oriented staff in a virtual environment, and easy access of training modules for students of all levels. Although technology has proved a point of difference for UOPX, it also is a hurdle for those intimidated by new advancements. Fear of technology is a consideration. The target market for UOPX is adults who have been away from college for 10-15 years or more. With this market comes a clientele removed from technology that did not exist when he or she enrolled in high school or college. This supports a strategy of establishing partnerships with organizations such as Microsoft or Apple to assist in managing server workload as well as attracting new customers. Staying ahead of the technology curve is essential, and organizations such as Apple can introduce new customers as well as offer new mediums of communication that can bring more awareness to each brand. One example would be developing an Apple tutorial available within the UOPX library. This would help to train, service the students, and enhance their academic experience. University of Phoenix needs to continue to enhance the on boarding process with orientation classes and a consistent stream of tutorials to engage new students to the online program. The current model includes communication networks including e-mail, blogs, chat forums and online forums. This is effective but will become dated if UOPX does not stay ahead of the technology curve. â€Å"Current struggles with bandwidth size for wireless networks is a good example of the need to anticipate and stay ahead of the competition† (Information Systems and Technology Articles, 2011). In addition to the software, it is important to be aggressive with hiring talent who is current with tomorrow’s technology. Recruiting from organizations such as Microsoft, Google, and other technology companies will inspire creative and innovative thinking that will assist in maintaining a competitive advantage and attract new markets. Value Chain Analysis University of Phoenix is an accredited college that is available for adult learners seeking a learning environment, which is flexible, has challenging curriculum, provides a supportive learning environment and is a top-rated college to attend. University of Phoenix has five goals that help students understand what key subjects are essential to his or her education; professional competence and values, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, information utilization, and collaboration (University of Phoenix, 2011). University of Phoenix primary activities related to value chain analysis is apparent; the learning environment has been constructed. An online campus is available for those adult learners not able to attend an educational campus. The value chain support activities are readily available for any student to research via University of Phoenix website or by calling an academic counselor who can provide information and answer any student or potential students’ question or concern. Primary Activities University of Phoenix was technologically created so learners are provided the same learning experience as those students who attend on-campus classes. Virtual students can feel they are provided the same learning environment and are just as engaged as if sitting in a classroom. This technological edge gives University of Phoenix a competitive advantage over many other universities not offering virtual classrooms or just started to implement virtual learning. Dr. John Sperling, a Cambridge-educated economist and professor-turned-entrepreneur, established University of Phoenix in 1976. He saw an opportunity to cater to working adults seeking higher education by offering convenient class times at local sites (University of Phoenix, 2011). University of Phoenix is the nations largest private university, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs at more than 200 locations as well as online in most countries around the world (University of Phoenix, 2011). Support Activities Many organizations use some type of support services put into place to help the people who need it. At University of Phoenix, there are support systems to help the students who require help. Most of the students at University of Phoenix are online students and the need for technical support and help desks are extremely important to facilitate with the success of the student. When students and instructors need to meet deadlines, the most important system in place is technical support. UOPX even has help desks for the student or teacher help him or herself instead of talking to a support specialist. Often this list is full of questions that can help solve many common problems. University of Phoenix has numerous types of help desks for the students not just for technical questions. (Regan and O’Connor, 2002. p. 246). UOPX has enrollment specialists and staff members available to help the student enroll in the program they are seeking and properly prepare for the upcoming course. Because University of Phoenix is predominantly online campus, help desks and technical supports are necessary from the start of the course to graduation to ensure the success of the instructors and students. These systems are in place and are usually 24 hours so that help is available when needed. Innovative Approaches University of Phoenix uses innovative approaches toward higher learning and uses the business technology to help them approach new information and old. Data mining is utilized by the business world to help them discover how customers like or dislike a certain product or process; University of Phoenix uses data mining to find new and old information that can be used in classes. Harvard Business School is considered one of the top business schools in the world; the professors teach information that can be useful in all business schools. The information taught by the Harvard professors is available online and in websites like those that are available in the UOPX library. By collaborating with sites like EBSCOhost, Gale PowerSearch, and ProQuest students can research information that has been reviewed by professionals from different sources. Another source of information and also a source of friendship that helps the University of Phoenix with communication, learning, and camaraderie are the e-mail, individual class threads. In addition, the new phoenix connect forums that allow students and faculty to keep in touch with each other. The online learning environment is new to many students and the idea that a person can receive his or her bachelorettes’ in an online class is hard for the professional world to grasp. According to a study about the online learning experience, â€Å"In comparing students who had and who had not completed online courses, Dobbs, Waid and del Carmen (2009) found that students who had completed online courses viewed the online experience as positive, would likely take more online courses and wished faculty would put more materials online† (Deggs, Grover Kacirek, 2010). With this in mind, the online education experience is improving and using more technology to help students gain access to the material that is available. Internet Use University of Phoenix uses the Internet to recruit staff, for customer service and marketing purposes. In the instance of recruitment of new staff, one can find job listings on careerbuilder.com and the phoenix.edu site. This is an added benefit for University of Phoenix to uses the Internet to reach a larger demographic of potential staff. Staff recruiters are available via e-mail if there are questions or concerns. University of Phoenix is quite transparent and open for comments and suggestions. When dealing with marketing, one can stumble across a non-University of Phoenix site and see a banner that can be clicked on to, acquire information about the school. â€Å"University of Phoenix is recognized as the pioneer of online higher education and has been at the forefront of advancing education through technology for more than 30 years† (Mary Berry, UOPX). With Phoenix Connect alone, University of Phoenix is not only tackling customer service for students but also a marketing tool for the university. Banners, blogs, videos, and social networking are exceptional ways that University of Phoenix has used the Internet. Potential students want to know that the university is on the cutting edge and can provide a quality education. By having these avenues to research and learn online are additional advantages and benefits to students and potential staff. Organizations to Move University of Phoenix must remain a dynamic organization with regard to technology. Using Michael Porters Value Chain model, technology is a key support system that influences each of the value chains (NetMBA: Business Knowledge Center, Strategy, 2010). For University of Phoenix to continue to look ahead to future opportunities for growth the outbound logistics and operations units will need to adapt to change. The operations value chain for UOPX is the transformation of the raw materials into a finished product or service. This correlates to the network and infrastructure that UOPX uses today. Advances in technology affect UOPX more than most organizations because they rely on this technology as a primary support system to present the finished product to its customers. Technology advances to increase productivity and service will enhance the website, increase the efficiency and speed of service, introduce new tutorials, and change the design and brand of the network used by students . How the product is delivered describes Porters outbound logistics value chain (NetMBA: Business Knowledge Center, Strategy, 2010). Brick and mortar organizations would refer to this as the packaging and presentation. Phoenix presents this value chain as the online experience it provides the students. Enhancements and technology upgrades to the library, blogs, academic advisory center, and access to the writing and mathematics center for excellence contribute to the online presentation that UOPX provides for the students. Advancements in technology will drive change with Phoenix because it is more than just a support system for the value chains. People upgrade technology at home and at work via communication media, smart phones, and wireless technology. UOPX must embrace this change and adapt it to the current model to remain current with the expectations of its customers and faculty. Embracing this change will ensure that UOPX is keeping pace with the expectations of the public, and stay ahead of competition using technology as a point of difference. Manager Responsibility An essential part of organizational change is the learning curve involved in the implementation plan within the organization. The four phases consist of vital key components involved within managements grasp include unfreezing change, learning, change, and refreezing. Unfreezing change is the management skill of making sure that all parties involved within the change ahead, are current, and prepared for the learning curve ahead. Management must create urgency for the need to change toward each individual. The second phase will include a period of learning. This will be considered the urgency brought upon by the first phase of needing to be prepared for adaptation of change. During this period, the change will focus on changing the old attitude so that each individual is acclimated for the new company vision. Vision during the implementation phase is extremely important to guide each individual. The next phase is called the change phase that takes place after the unfreeze phase. The most optimal time to introduce this phase is once everyone has communicated his or her differences or concerns about the phase. This will include organized meetings within the company to brainstorm within each department. Final phase of this process is called the refreeze phase. The refreeze phase will inclusively bring together the entire process and knowledge gathered by each process. Staff will be encouraged to attend the advanced training sessions created to make the change possible. Through attending these sessions or training classes, each employee will unknowingly become more comfortable with the change. Implement Change Participation will allow employees to be part of the planning and implementation process; he or she can contribute to identifying and understanding the goals of the strategic plan. Education is another factor to help overcome resistance to change from employees. Leaders should educate employees about the strategy before and during the implementation process. Education is a method that supplies individuals with information he or she needs to understand the reason for change. A method a leader can use in the negotiating process is to identify and offer incentives to individuals who resist change such as giving him or her important role in the implementation process. Management and Knowledge Every business needs a good manager to be successful. Without a knowledgeable manager the business will not thrive. One of the most important jobs of a manager is the ability to find and recruit new employee’s that will be able to aid in the success of the business (Change Management Learning Center, 1996-2011). Once the manager has the employee trained and ready to work, the manager will need to have the knowledge to manage the employees. Successfully managing employees is not easy and would require the knowledge of the laws and regulations of employee’s rights. The employees represent the business and are the people that the customers turn to for help. If properly trained and managed the employees will be a huge reason that customers will be loyal. Customer loyalty is partly based upon how much the customer can trust and rely on the business. So training employees to be the best representatives is the absolute most import job of a manager. Managers are also responsible for overseeing the daily business to include stock and supply. It is important for a business not to run out of anything that will help them be successful. The manager must oversee that equipment is staying in good repair and that all the employees be responsible for his or her own duties. Also when needed a manager must restructure any plan or process not working up to standards. Because of changing times and constant technological upgrades new processes are a must, and where there is new processes there must also be new training to learn new processes. The manager is the one person who everyone goes to, when there is an issue or problem it is the manager’s expertise and knowledge that will help the employees to have a good working condition Areas of Manager Knowledge At University of Phoenix, management must be knowledgeable of process re-engineering and restructuring, innovating application of goods and services approaches to managing employees as a vital element in the value chain, methods of achieving, and maintaining customer loyalty. To remain and compete as one of the top nation’s largest private universities offering degree programs in 200 locations as well as online courses in many countries around the world. An organization must be aware of what consumers want and need to keep up with the changing times and remain successful. â€Å"Planning is specifying the goals to be achieved and deciding in advance the appropriate actions needed to achieve those goals† (Bateman Snell, 2009) . In today’s world of technology, University of Phoenix must be able to invent new ways of advancing the company, coming up with competitive advantages while staying progressive, looking for revolutionary technological advances. Planning involves analyzing current situations as well as projecting and estimating future requirements. Company Preparedness Top management in any company has the responsibility to communicate the organization’s vision and guide strategic planning. Consistent and clear communication with team members is other key factors to identify desired outcomes. Leaders will achieve success by simply communicating with the team his or her shared vision, achieving milestones, and celebrating large, or small wins. Team members should share in the vision without fear of reprimand because he or she voices an opinion or challenges premises. Internal Resistance Organizations understand that changes in technology are a constant in today’s business. Management needs to understand that with those changes individuals will react differently depending on how the information is conveyed to the employee. Management understands that individuals will have issues or concerns with new technology changes in the workforce. Individuals who have those issues or concerns should understand that management has his or her best interest in mind when making those changes. Organizations that have a direct communication style with those individuals will ask members of his or her staff what his or her thoughts are with the new change. This will give direct feedback regarding what individuals think about the changes. Individuals, who express those concerns, are more apt to understand the change and move forward. Managers who will use this style can understand that not all members of his or her staff will express his or her concern. Management should develop a straight talk with individuals when he or she has gathered information about any changes in technology within the organization. Management should be straightforward with individuals when the information is needed to be communicated with individuals so that the individual can understand the change and how this will affect his or her job. Employees who are included with developing changes will understand those changes and work on developing a positive attitude toward those changes. Management should understand that some individuals will not understand the changes and do not want to make those changes. Individuals who are part of those groups should be addressed as individuals who need extra attention and understand what concerns that he or she has. Those individuals are people who do not understand those changes and should have extra training to help those individuals with his or her issues. Management should include trainers with any new change in technology so that individuals could be trained on the new processes with the company. Trainers with a hands-on approach with employees are a tool that can assist with the negativity an employee may experience. Employees will be more open to express his or her concern with a coworker who is a trainer. The trainer can take that information and pass it on to management. Management can sit down and come to positive conclusions for all parties involved to provide better solutions to employees. The solution to resistance from employees during technology changes can be implemented differently. It depends on the individual and not every individual will be positive with any change in an organization with technologies. Management needs to let people know the benefits of those changes, and involve as many people as possible to ensure people can understand the changes. Involvement and open talk with employees with make the resistance dwindle as much as possible. Management must prepare for those changes and be open with individuals to show him or her change. Effective Communication of Change Companies are prone to change regardless of how hard an organization attempts to limit changes. Companies like University of Phoenix embrace change because they know it drives the competitive edge. Recently University of Phoenix went under some drastic changes for the betterment of the school and most important the students. This was highlighted in the media as well as on the Internet. One example of how the university effectively communicated changes was by having their representatives speak to the media and reporters about why they were changing compensation for employers and eliminated staff members. The following is a statement from a representative at University of Phoenix about changing compensation, â€Å"We are the first to do so among proprietary schools, and it is an important change that is clearly something that regulators and policy makers in Washington want to see† (De Groote, Michael of Deseret News). This statement alone lets any potential student know that the reason for the change is to align with what the government wants to see. This puts in the customers mind that the UOPX is serious about abiding to guidelines and policies. Making such a statement is a bold move and advantageous in creating the competitive edge for the university. Because the university is the first to make such a change this allows students whether new or old, know they are serious about the accreditation of the school. They proved this by making a tough decision even though it may have displayed weakness but were essential at the time. Ownership UOPX markets itself as an accredited institution that provides education at the highest level. It provides students an online library with resources that represent the integrity of the university and the product UOPX delivers to its students. This information and the content provided represent the outbound logistics and the sales and marketing value chain for University of Phoenix. The university packages this information to attract students to the benefits and value of the product. Accuracy, quality, and flow of this information (outbound logistics) will determine the success of this value chain and the impact on the entire system. If this value chain breaks down the synergy of the organization will be lost. The raw materials and operations value chains can be managed perfectly but if the logistics of the customers’ access to this information is flawed, UOPX will fail. More important, technology becomes a key support to this value chain because the content, accuracy, and accessibility of this information is a primary point of difference for UOPX. Leaders must have excellent communication with the technology team and logistics team to coordinate the product in a way that offers value to the student but not overwhelming him or her with complicated application to access the information. Accuracy and quality of the information will reflect the sales and service value chain. UOPX markets itself as an institution that affords students every benefit of a traditional brick and mortar university. With that statement UOPX must ensure that all information obtained from the students complies with privacy regulations and material found within the university library is credible. Communicate Change University of Phoenix is at the forefront of technology in an educational environment. The company is continually looking for the best technology to be used in the adult education field. To stay at the top as the largest private university the organization must be able to communicate internally with employees and externally with customers. Different resources reach out to different individuals. Apollo Group is the parent company of University of Phoenix. Within the walls of the company Apollo group uses several ways to communicate with employees about technology changes coming down the road. The organization uses both broadcast e-mail as well as individual e-mail to relay information on technology researched, beta tested, and progressed pertaining to the implementation plan. The organization uses an internal website and network to allow employees to learn more about different projects and give input to the project teams. Employees can access training materials for the new technology implemented or considered for implementation. Social Contract Social contract will meet these principles of social contract through actively contributing revenue earned through the successful implementation of new technology. This shows the benefit rather than just the revenue by exemplifying to the public that this company is in support and contributes to welfare of society and not just focused on maximizing profit. University of Phoenix’s annual report will highlight the progress of our social responsibility on many levels. Including furthering members of society education, minority help, donations to arts, and social welfare agencies that will improve many social conditions. Through implementing a well planned/organized technology, these standards of ethical issues will be met. Ethical issues concur with the science of human duty to one another. Giving social responsibility to society exemplifies an easy and unique decision for our future investors. â€Å"Primary functions, such as product research and development, production, and marketing; and support functions, such as human resources, public relations, and information systems† (Regan O’Connor, 2002, p. 17) are extremely important primary functions involved in actively and directly involving the production and marketing for this product. The IT department expanded to other departments of the new technology will correlate a focus on organization-wide management to develop skills of knowledge management in training and development issues. Ownership Any organization has social responsibilities to the community and the employees. Technology plays a role in that responsibility. Not only does University of Phoenix use technology to service its customers but also to help the employees of Apollo group. The University of Phoenix uses secure technology programs to transmit information with the Department of Education and Direct Loans. The students social security number, birth date, contact information, and sometimes banking information must be secure. Personal information must be protected because of privacy rights set in place by the federal government. One of the largest reasons to protect this information is identity theft. This would be the biggest failure of social responsibility. Technology Technology is used to help employees as well. Apollo group employs people across the nation. Human resources to provide benefits and pay to all employees use technology. Paperwork for different types of leave is transmitted electronically. Changes in personal information are kept on the human resources website. The University of Phoenix uses technology to improve and support the well-being of the employees. Through the internal intranet system, the employees have access to resources to become healthier, physically, and mentally. Through the same HR site, employees can view paychecks, vacation, sick hours, change personal information, and complete training. Technology is continually being used to help employees. Many items have to consider when researching going global. In fact, the world is becoming a smaller place in terms of business. With all the new technology, it is easy for a business to be productive in other countries. E-mail, video teleconferencing, the Internet, and e-commerce are some of the methods used by businesses so that they can be in more than one place. Many rules apply that may make the transition difficult if not known. Possessing an IT manager is a must when going global because of the rules and regulations of other countries for the Internet. Web accessibility in some countries is limited that would make setting up the Internet in another country difficult. Each country has policies and procedures that must be followed in order for use of the Internet to be used (W3C Web Accessibility initiative, 25 August 2006). This means that a company should understand the policies and procedures before they purchase their property in the country. Being online will be one of the m ost important tasks this business will have. Without the use of the Internet the business will be, blind so to speak from their sister locations, and this may pose a problem to the company. The long term effects of cultural and languages differences on a company’s business operations can be positive and negative for an organization depending on how that organization is prepared for that development. Organizations must understand the countries culture when expanding to that country. Different cultures have different customs that is acceptable and unacceptable in that country. The long-term effect of an organization moving into a country and conducting business not fully aware of those habits and customs in that country can result in very negative for that organization. Different nations have different customs that he or she is accustomed too. If an organization crosses those lines in the form of the employee, those employees will not work as effetely as he or she should. This happens because of an individual upset with the organization and spending more resources complaining about what had happen. This result for the organization will take time to resolve to make things work for the better. That organization must communicate with the employees and other members of the community what the goal is for the organization. If the goal is positive for both the organization and country than that business will result in a win-win solution for everyone involved. In an organizations standpoint it should be able to communicate effetely so that miscommunication cannot accrue. If an organization does have miscommunication, the organization must be able to correct that miscommunication as quickly as possible to save the organization from down time. Organizations can benefit from expanding globally if it is done correctly. The correct way to do this is to have research done on the country that the organization is looking to expand. This will ensure that the organization is successful in working with that organization. The long-term effect for doing business that must expand to stay competitive is positive for the organizations and expands employment for other people involved. Expansion is a necessity for organizations. With that necessity, the expansion should have the research needed to support effective communication within that organization. Ownership UOPX markets itself as an accredited institution that provides education at the highest level. It provides students an online library with resources that represent the integrity of the university and the product UOPX delivers to its students. This information and the content provided represent the outbound logistics and the sales and marketing value chain for University of Phoenix. The university packages this information to attract students to the benefits and value of the product. Accuracy, quality, and flow of this information (outbound logistics) will determine the success of this value chain and the impact on the entire system. If this value chain breaks down the synergy of the organization will be lost. The raw materials and operations value chains can be managed perfectly but if the logistics of the customers’ access to this information is flawed, UOPX will fail. More important, technology becomes a key support to this value chain because the content, accuracy, and accessibility of this information is a primary point of difference for UOPX. Leaders must have excellent communication with the technology team and logistics team to coordinate the product in a way that offers value to the student but not overwhelming him or her with complicated application to access the information. Accuracy and quality of the information will reflect the sales and service value chain. UOPX markets itself as an institution that affords students every benefit of a traditional brick and mortar university. With that statement UOPX must ensure that all information obtained from the students complies with privacy regulations and material found within the university library is credible. Communicate Change University of Phoenix is at the forefront of technology in an educational environment. The company is continually looking for the best technology to be used in the adult education field. To stay at the top as the largest private university the organization must be able to communicate internally with employees and externally with customers. Different resources reach out to different individuals. Apollo Group is the parent company of University of Phoenix. Within the walls of the company Apollo group uses several ways to communicate with employees about technology changes coming down the road. The organization uses both broadcast e-mail as well as individual e-mail to relay information on technology researched, beta tested, and progressed pertaining to the implementation plan. The organization uses an internal website and network to allow employees to learn more about different projects and give input to the project teams. Employees can access training materials for the new technology implemented or considered for implementation. Social Contract Social contract will meet these principles of social contract through actively contributing revenue earned through the successful implementation of new technology. This shows the benefit rather than just the revenue by exemplifying to the public that this company is in support and contributes to welfare of society and not just focused on maximizing profit. University of Phoenix’s annual report will highlight the progress of our social responsibility on many levels. Including furthering members of society education, minority help, donations to arts, and social welfare agencies that will improve many social conditions. Through implementing a well planned/organized technology, these standards of ethical issues will be met. Ethical issues concur with the science of human duty to one another. Giving social responsibility to society exemplifies an easy and unique decision for our future investors. â€Å"Primary functions, such as product research and development, production, and marketing; and support functions, such as human resources, public relations, and information systems† (Regan O’Connor, 2002, p. 17) are extremely important primary functions involved in actively and directly involving the production and marketing for this product. The IT department expanded to other departments of the new technology will correlate a focus on organization-wide management to develop skills of knowledge management in training and development issues. Ownership Any organization has social responsibilities to the community and the employees. Technology plays a role in that responsibility. Not only does University of Phoenix use technology to service its customers but also to help the employees of Apollo group. The University of Phoenix uses secure technology programs to transmit information with the Department of Education and Direct Loans. The students social security number, birth date, contact information, and sometimes banking information must be secure. Personal information must be protected because of privacy rights set in place by the federal government. One of the largest reasons to protect this information is identity theft. This would be the biggest failure of social responsibility. Technology Technology is used to help employees as well. Apollo group employs people across the nation. Human resources to provide benefits and pay to all employees use technology. Paperwork for different types of leave is transmitted electronically. Changes in personal information are kept on the human resources website. The University of Phoenix uses technology to improve and support the well-being of the employees. Through the internal intranet system, the employees have access to resources to become healthier, physically, and mentally. Through the same HR site, employees can view paychecks, vacation, sick hours, change personal information, and complete training. Technology is continually being used to help employees. Many items have to consider when researching going global. In fact, the world is becoming a smaller place in terms of business. With all the new technology, it is easy for a business to be productive in other countries. E-mail, video teleconferencing, the Internet, and e-commerce are some of the methods used by businesses so that they can be in more than one place. Many rules apply that may make the transition difficult if not known. Possessing an IT manager is a must when going global because of the rules and regulations of other countries for the Internet. Web accessibility in some countries is limited that would make setting up the Internet in another country difficult. Each country has policies and procedures that must be followed in order for use of the Internet to be used (W3C Web Accessibility initiative, 25 August 2006). This means that a company should understand the policies and procedures before they purchase their property in the country. Being online will be one of the most important tasks this business will have. Without the use of the Internet the business will be, blind so to speak from their sister locations, and this may pose a problem to the company. The long term effects of cultural and languages differences on a company’s business operations can be positive and negative for an organization depending on how that organization is prepared for that development. Organizations must understand the countries culture when expanding to that country. Different cultures have different customs that is acceptable and unacceptable in that country. The long-term effect of an organization moving into a country and conducting business not fully aware of those habits and customs in that country can result in very negative for that organization. Different nations have different customs that he or she is accustomed too. If an organization crosses those lines in the form of the employee, those employees will not work as effetely as he or she should. This happens because of an individual upset with the organization and spending more resources complaining about what had happen. This result for the organization will take time to resolve to make things work for the better. That organization must communicate with the employees and other members of the community what the goal is for the organization. If the goal is positive for both the organization and country than that business will result in a win-win solution for everyone involved. In an organizations standpoint it should be able to communicate effetely so that miscommunication cannot accrue. If an organization does have miscommunication, the organization must be able to correct that miscommunication as quickly as possible to save the organization from down time. Organizations can benefit from expanding globally if it is done correctly. The correct way to do this is to have research done on the country that the organization is looking to expand. This will ensure that the organization is successful in working with that organization. The long-term effect for doing business that must expand to stay competitive is positive for the organizations and expands employment for other people involved. Expansion is a necessity for organizations. With that necessity, the expansion should have the research needed to support effective communication within that organization. To allow a company to grow, the expansion globally may need to take place. Whereas this would be an excellent feat to take on, there are technology issues that can occur in the process. It is best to prepare oneself for any technology issue that may arise. First, it is important to understand where the company plans to spread globally and if that country is capable of meeting the standard s required in the United States. One issue that may arise is some â€Å"countries lack the infrastructure to support such technology† (Encyclopedia of Business, p. 1). If this occurs, a solution may be establishing intermediate technology for the time being. Another problem could be security when business is conducted online. Other countries may not uphold the same privacy acts as The United States therefore customers could suffer because of this. One key issue would be the Internet and how quickly information can be communicated. Looking at University of Phoenix the online students would suffer in another country if they did not have comparable Internet to the United States. This would hinder their schooling, and this would not be something the university would want for the student. Another factor would be the time difference and tech support available for students who need it in other time zones. Hence, it is crucial to research and know the location thoroughly so these technology issues would not take place. Team C completed extensive research on University of Phoenix’s technology plan and current upgrades. UOPX has a business description of giving all individuals the chance to receive a degree to improve his or her marketability and improving his or her lively hood. Technology has an enormous impact on UOPX because a majority of students attends classes on-line. The university has a stringent policy on proper conduct of students and faculty. UOPX requires and expects all stakeholders to respect and treat all students and employees with proper etiquette. In addition, UOPX has students and instructors around the world. This requires UOPX to establish technology and support staff that is well versed in the technology that is used by all stakeholders. UOPX has consistently been on the for-front of technological advancement for on-line classes. The university has consistently sought out the best and brightest individuals in the technology field to stay ahead of all other on-line universities. Because of being on the for-front, UOPX has continued to set the standard with-in the for-profit universities. References Information Systems and Technology Articles. (2011, April). Wireless Infrastructure: Can our Current System Handle Bandwidth Demands. Retrieved from http://www.phonix.edu University of Phoenix. (2011). Introducing PhoenixConnect: The University of Phoenix Academic Social Network. Retrieved from http://www.phoenix.edu/colleges_divisions/business/articles/2011/01/introducing-phoenixconnect-the-university-of-phoenix-academic-social-network.html Regan, E., OConnor, B. (2002). End-User Information Systems: Implementing Individual and Work Group Technologies. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. : A Pearson Education Company. Retrieved from chap7,pg.6 , TEC401 website. Deggs, D. Grover, K. Kacirek, K. (Sep. 2010) EXPECTATIONS OF ADULT GRADUATE STUDENTS IN AN ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAM. College Student Journal, 01463934, Sep2010, Vol. 44, Issue 3 retrieved June 4, 2011 from EBSCOhost Bateman, T.S., Snell, S.A. (2009). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World. (8th ed.) McGraw-Hill. University of Phoenix, (2006-2011), retrieved on June 2, 2011 from http://www.phoenix.edu/ Change Management Learning Center. (1996-2011). An Overview of Change Management. Retrieved from http://www.change-managment.com/change-managment-overview.htm http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700088460/University-of-Phoenix-enrollment-drops-because-of-changes-to-enrollment-recruiting-practices.html NetMBA: Business Knowledge Center, Strategy. (2010). The Value Chain. Retrieved from http://www.netmba.com W3C Web Accessibility initiative. (25 August 2006). Policies Relating to Web Accessibility. Retrieved from http://www.w3.org/WAI/Policy Regan, E. A., OConnor, B. N. (2002). End-User Information Systems: Implementing Individual and Work Group Technologies (2nd ed.). Pearson, NY: Prentice-Hall.

An Overview Of The Book Of Ruth Theology Religion Essay

An Overview Of The Book Of Ruth Theology Religion Essay The Bible is full of inspirational concepts and full of revelatory truth. While the Old Testament points to Jesus of New Testament, it also contains basic doctrines that are established in the New Testament. Hence, words like kindness, faithfulness and mercy have their root in the Hebrew Bible. Hesed is an interesting and fascinating Hebrew word that has a wide range of meaning. The desire to study it makes one to learn a great deal about the characters and attributes of God as it relates to His kindness, faithfulness, goodness, mercy and steadfast love. Hesed was explicitly expressed in the Bible, most especially in the Old Testament. God revealed Himself to His chosen nation (Israel) through His personal attributes and characters (Jenkins,2011:1). No discussion of hesed would be complete without mentioning its role in the interactions of Naomi, her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, and the redeemer Boaz. It is on this fact that this paper answers the following questions: What does the concept of hesed entails? What is the general overview of the Book of Ruth? How is hesed described in the book of Ruth? And what implications do hesed present to the Nigerian Christians? This paper therefore intends to discuss how hesed was embraced and expressed in the Book of Ruth. THE CONCEPTS OF HESED There is a beautiful and rich word in the Hebrew language that powerfully describes the faithfulness, mercy, steadfastness and loving-kindness of the Lord. This Hebrew word is transliterated into English as hesed (Maxey, 2012:1). Hesed (pronounced khesed) is not just a Hebrew word to be translated by exegete as simply loving-kindness or mercy , it is in fact an attribute of God. The hesed of God is a divine characteristic and is at the center of why God acts as He does in real space and time. (Belnap,2009,1) Hesed as Jenkins(2011) asserted can be divided into the following three categories: family relationships, relational and religious (1). He went further to describe its occurrences in the Bible in the following words: Hesed occurs in the family relationships categories seven times in the Old Testament, six times in Genesis, once in 1samuel and once in Ruth. Hesed occurs in nine times in a relational way in the Old Testament- once in Ruth, once in Psalms, once in Esther, once in Daniel, twice in Ezra, once in Job, once Psalms and once Zechariah. Hesed used in a religious category involves forty times in the Old Testament- four timed in Genesis, once in Exodus and Deuteronomy two times in 2nd Samuel, fifteen times in Psalms. Once in 1Kings, once in 2nd Chronicles, once in Job, three times in Isaiah, once in Jeremiah, and once in Ruth. (2) The Bible also reveals that hesed is an attribute that children of God possess and they are commanded by God to emulate and develop it. Being made in God image, Gods people can emulate the divine attribute of hesed. While the idea of loving-kindness and mercy may seem to be only that of positive emotion, it will be demonstrated that Gods loving-kindness is a two-edged sword. Hesed can also mean a mechanism of judgment and accountability before God. People can be described as having the gift of hesed or having no hesed, or no loving-kindness. Hesed is both a Hebrew word and more importantly a Jewish theological concept. Hesed is found approximate 250 times in the Hebrew Bible, with about125 appearances in the Psalms alone. And while the word is not identified specifically as hesed in the Greek New Testament, the Old Testament concept of loving-kindness, mercy and selfless giving can be said to be the very heart of the New Testamnt Gospel. For God so loved the world that He gaveà ¢Ã¢â €š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Jn 3:16) (Emilio, 2012:4). AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK OF RUTH The Book of Ruth is named after one of the main characters in the story. There are two books in the Bible that bear the name of a woman. These books are: Ruth and Esther. While Ruth was Moabites, Esther on the other hand was a Jewess. The Book of Ruth has the records of a Gentile woman who came to live among the people of Israel and became the great-grandmother of David, Isreal greatest king; while in the Book of Esther an Israelite woman was taking into the court of the Gentile king and became a queen who secured deliverance for her people (Cowle, 2008; 22). Also, Tiessen in his write up portrays the book of Ruth as one of the most well-crafted pieces of literature in the Old Testament. He submits that: Despite its lesser status within the Jewish canon and the Christian Bible, the narrative of Ruth is well known. This popular familiarity is largely due to the engaging and challenging story the book offers: The tale of two women who overcome several formidable obstacles and succeed in preserving themselves and the family line, which eventually leads to the great King David (Tiessen,2010:1) The name of Ruth is mentioned twelve times in this book which bears her name (Heijkoop, 1989:7). The meaning of this name is friendship. This meaning according to Harlow (1987) reflected in the relationship of Ruth with her mother in-law (Naomi), and other people that came along her way. Even though she was a stranger in a strange land she blended well with the people because being friendly was part of her (5). This book of Ruth is in connection with the geneology of Jesus Christ as recorded in (Matt 1.5). Heijkoop (1989) also asserted that, The book itself beautifully illustrates how the Holy Spirit gathers up family circumstances in a manner which quite naturally directs the mind and thoughts to a very important truth(7). This special story in the Book of Ruth draws ones attention to the most precious titles of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word kinsman as used here could be translated as Redeemer or Avenger. This little book of only four chapters has drawn tributes from very many, and it has even been described as the Perfect Story. It is told simply and directly. Cundall and Morris (1968) in their own assertions described this book in the following words: The book is a book about friendship. The devotion that Ruth shows to Naomi and the care that Naomi exercises towards Ruth run through the book. It is simple a tale of friendship. The three principal characters of the book are depicted as being mindful of their obligations to the family. Ruth does not forget her duty to Naomi, and consequently to Elimelech, Naomi seeks out a marriage that will preserve the name of her deceased husband while Boaz marries the Moabites to raise up the name of the dead (241). It is better to see the book as a tale told because it is true and because it shows something of the relationship between God and man. The book of Ruth raises the question of whether or not Yahweh can be trusted. The incident suggests to Naomi that God had abandoned her or He is no more reliable. The author of the is unknown, but the last verse of chapter 4 points to the fact that it was written during the time of king David because the is where the list of Ruth descendants ends. (Harlow,1987; 6). The story according to Reid (2000), is told from a female point of view and certainly seems to commend Naomi and Ruth to believers (25). HESED IN THE BOOK OF RUTH The book of Ruth revolves around the concept of hesed. Hesed is an active concept and it is considered as an essential part of the nature of God. The word is frequently used to describe the gracious and merciful practices of God (Farmer, 1991: 96). Human beings, as said earlier are also expected to show hesed to one another. The Book of Ruth is about a stranger who had probably not encountered God personally but might have been hearing her mother in-law talked about that God. This gentile woman acted as an agent of Gods hesed when she showed hesed to Naomi. When Naomi thought that every hope was gone, this non- Israelite woman that brought hope by showing kindness to her mother in-law. In accordance with this, Farmer asserted: Ruths speech in 1:16-17constitutes an act of hesed. By committing herself and her future to the Lord, Ruth becomes the means through which God will transform Naomis emptiness into fulfillment. The Lord will be able to work through the loving-kindness of Ruth to change a crises situation into an occasion for hope. The Book of Ruth is a special book Christians should study and ponder well upon. It has an unhappy beginning, an uncertain middle and a happy ending. The tragedy that befell Naomi made her to forget that YHWH is still in control and that He can still bring redemption. This reflected in her statement: 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back, each of you, to your mothers home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband. Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, We will go back with you to your people. But Naomi said, Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lords hand has gone out against me! 14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 Look, said Naomi, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her. ( Ruth:8-15) NIV Naomi tried to convince the women to go back home She even reminded them of their mothers house. She knew the weak spot of Moabites female. The existence of Moab was the result of willfulness of the part of Moabs first mother, who at all costs had to have a relationship with a man and have children. (Gen 19:30-38) And the daughters of Moab had manifested the same willfulness (Heijkoop 31-33). Naomi directly blames YHWH for the tragic circumstances of her life. Believing that everything came from God. Her situation can be related to that of Job. Job accepted the misfortune that came upon him is from God. He said: Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? (Job 19:21-22). NIV Bruggeman, quoted by Tiessen explained the thoughts of job in relation to that of Naomi in these words: Job asks: Is God reliable? And Job, in his rage, entertains the option that Yahweh is not. Naomi, like Job, is in the throes of tragedy and likewise expresses and entertains the option that Yahweh is not reliable. Notice that in 1:13b Naomi asserts that the hand of Yahweh is against her, and thus she excludes her daughters-in-law who also have experienced profound loss through the deaths of their husbands (4). Naomi also pointed to her lonely position. A life without a husband and no children who would give her hope. All was Gods fault. Not only did Naomi try to keep her daughters-in-laws from joining her by depriving them of any hope of help, but she had also given them a total false picture of God, who actually is the husband to the widows and helper to the strangers. She indicated that God was responsible for all her misfortune, instead of admitting that she had brought those things upon herself by leaving God and His appointed place where they would have blessings (Heijkoop,36). She and her entire family chose to go to Moab neglected the place where they would have had the experience of Gods hesed as the Psalmist expressed: Behold, the Lords eye is upon those who fear Him who revere and worship Him with awe, who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness,  To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine (Ps 33:18-19). Naomis great effort to dissuade her daughters-in-law from accompany her seems strange, especially in view of her desire that they become true children of the Lord God of Israel. However, it seemed to be the only course she could take in view of her dire circumstances (Parker, 1980:144). While Orpah yielded to the advice of her mother in-law, went back to her own people and gods. Ruth clave to her, And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you (1:16-17). The strong desire of Ruth to go with Naomi symbolized her commitment to her and her God. Ruth was neither obliged for expected to become her mother-in-laws source of support. But once they were back in Bethlehem she was the one who went into the fields to glean the bits of grain that the harvests missed. Ruth indeed was a good daughter in-law. Her kindness was a total self sacrifice. She took the initiative in providing for their needs by suggesting that Naomi let her glean ear of corn. Gleaning, according to Parker (147) was a special provision of God written into the law to provide for the poor, especially for strangers, widows, and orphans (Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut.24:19). The practice required that owners should leave at harvest the corners of their fields and the droppings of the harvesters to care for the unfortunate groups of people. The attitude of Ruth towards Naomi by volunteering herself to take care of her is an expression of hesed which actually belongs to YHWH. One would wonder how a gentile could display the attributes that Gods children should possess. Emilio responded in the following words: How then did Ruth, a Moabitess, come by this divine trait which was originally given by God to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? The answer to this mystery is not found in the Holy Bible. However the Talmudic explanation is of value and interest because it helps clarify the theology of hesed which is found in both the OT and NT. Simply put, the Sages held that Ruth was a direct descendent of Abraham by way of Lot. They teach that Ruth was the daughter of Eglon and the granddaughter of Balak who were direct descendents of Moab the son of Lot and nephew of Abraham. Thus Ruth was an inheritor of the seed of lovingkindness which Abraham planted in Lot (Emilio, 2012) The hesed that Ruth showed to Naomi made it possible for her to meet her redeemer. Ruth met Boaz and received unexpected praise and favour. 11  And Boaz said to her, I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people unknown to you before. 12  The Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge! 13  Then she said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord. For you have comforted me and have spoken to the heart of your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants. 14  And at mealtime Boaz said to her, Come here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the sour wine [mixed with oil]. And she sat beside the reapers; and he passed her some parched grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left [for Naomi]. 15  And when she got up to glean, Boaz ordered his young men, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Ruth 2:11-15 The writer of this paper has discovered that Ruth and Boaz are like-minded people. The similarities between them are emphasized. Reid (2000), enumerates their similarities as follows: Boaz praised Ruth for her kindness to Naomi (Ruth 2:11-12) and Ruth praised Boaz for his generous kindness to her (Verses 10, 13). As Boaz enters the field, he pronounced a kindly phrase, The Lord be with you!(verse 4). This suggests that Boaz is such a leader who values and respected his employees. The workers respond, The Lord bless you! Boaz is clearly a good, kind man; who is suitable for good, kind Ruth (41). Studying this Book one will discover that God is at work even in the lives of his people. Ruths story reveals loud and clear that through the ordinary and unpredictable aspects of everyday life, one experience the reality of Gods care (Reid, 2000:25-28). IMPLICATIONS OF HESED FOR NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS Hesed in the book of Ruth is significant to the Nigerian Christians. It expresses how good and faithful YHWH is to His promises. He remembered Naomi in her low estate (Psalm 136: 23), even though she and her family brought the tragedy upon themselves. Many Nigerians Christians today run to Oversee countries because of the economical situation of their father land. Some of them are lost not remembering home again. The writer of this paper is of the opinion that there is still hope for Nigeria. The situation can still be better than what it is, if only Nigerian Christians can hope in God and trust Him absolutely. Similarly, hesed in the Book of Ruth stresses both family and community loyalty. Naomi thought first of the welfare of her daughters-in-law. She always acted with their best interest in mind. Boaz was noble. Ruth was loyal. Kent, (1980) submits that the simple narrative also amply illustrates the Lords providential care. God is clearly at work in the lives of those open to Him (143). Nigerian Christians are to commit to one another so as to be of help to one another in terms of needs; an adage says a friend in need is a friend indeed Also, as God expressed hesed (mercy) to His people, He expects them to reciprocate. God was ever faithful and devoted to His people (Israel) in the ancient time and He is still the same God of the contemporary times. In like manner does He expect faithfulness, total dedication and devotional life from the Nigerian Christians. The Christian leaders are expected to be faithful and dedicated to the position they are holding. They should be mindful of the welfare of their followers. As God is good and loyal to His promises, Boaz was good and kind to his followers so the Nigerian Christians should be good and loyal to one another. Also, Nigerian Christians should see God as a God of love and should demonstrate that love into their personal lives and ministries towards others. By doing this, Christians will be able to demonstrate to the world in words and deeds that their lives are grounded in the character of God who loves and desires to redeem the world through the person and work of Jes us Christ. Furthermore, it is worth noting that God can use anybody, no matter how rough the background may be. Willingness and readiness is what He desires. In like manner, Christians should pay sacrifice of taking other peoples problem upon themselves. They should be mindful of poor and the needy around them. CONCLUSION Hesed, is indeed a word denoting emotion but it is more a word of action. On the other hand, hesed is a gift from God, that is to say, God imparts a measure of His loving kindness to His children. And He expects all His children to express it to one another. Hesed, as used in this paper reveals the characters of three major people, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Many in this world have experienced the tragedy of Naomi and long for God to be present and active amidst situations where He does not always act in the way human beings expect. But absolute trust in Him will end in a happy way.