Thursday, August 27, 2020

Civil Rights Definition

Social liberties Definition Social liberties are the privileges of people to be secured against unjustifiable treatment dependent on certain individual qualities like race, sex, age, or inability. Governments order social equality laws to shield individuals from separation in social capacities, for example, instruction, business, lodging, and access to open housing. Social equality Key Takeaways Social equality shield individuals from inconsistent treatment dependent on their individual attributes like race and gender.Governments make social liberties laws to guarantee reasonable treatment of gatherings that have generally been the objective of discrimination.Civil rights vary from common freedoms, which are explicit opportunities of all residents as recorded and guaranteed in a coupling report, for example, the U.S. Bill of Rights, and deciphered by the courts. Social liberties Definition Social liberties are a lot of rightss of social liberties incorporate the privileges of individuals to work, study, eat, and live where they pick. To dismiss a client from an eatery exclusively as a result of their race, for instance, is a social equality infringement under United States laws.â â Social liberties laws are frequently established so as to ensure reasonable and equivalent treatment for gatherings of individuals who have generally confronted segregation. In the United States, for instance, a few social liberties laws center around â€Å"protected classes† of individuals who share qualities, for example, race, sex, age, handicap, or sexual direction. While now underestimated in most other western vote based systems, thought for social equality has been falling apart, as per global observing organizations. Since the September 11, 2001, fear based oppressor assaults, the worldwide war on dread has driven numerous administrations to forfeit social equality for the sake of security. Social equality versus Common Liberties Social equality are frequently mistaken for common freedoms, which are the opportunities ensured to the residents or inhabitants of a nation by an abrogating legitimate pledge, similar to the U.S. Bill of Rights, and deciphered by the courts and officials. The First Amendment’s option to free discourse is a case of a common freedom. Both social liberties and common freedoms contrast inconspicuously from human rights, those opportunities having a place with all individuals paying little mind to where they live, for example, opportunity from subjection, torment, and strict mistreatment. Worldwide Perspective and Civil Rights Movements Essentially all countries deny some social liberties to some minority bunches either by law or by custom. In the United States, for instance, ladies keep on confronting separation in employments generally held only by men. While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, embraced by the United Nations in 1948, exemplifies social liberties, the arrangements are not lawfully official. Subsequently, there is no overall norm. Rather, singular countries will in general react contrastingly to pressure for instituting social equality laws. Generally, when a critical part of a nation’s people feel they are dealt with unjustifiably, social equality developments rise. While frequently connected with the American Civil Rights Movement, comparable eminent endeavors have happened somewhere else. South Africa The South African arrangement of government-endorsed racial isolation known as politically-sanctioned racial segregation reached a conclusion after a prominent social liberties development that started during the 1940s. At the point when the white South African government reacted by imprisoning Nelson Mandela and the vast majority of its different pioneers, the counter politically-sanctioned racial segregation development lost quality until the 1980s. Under tension from the United States and other Western countries, the South African government discharged Nelson Mandela from jail and lifted its restriction on the African National Congress, the significant dark ideological group, in 1990. In 1994, Mandela was chosen the primary dark leader of South Africa. India The battle of the Dalits in India has likenesses to both the American Civil Rights Movement and the South African enemy of politically-sanctioned racial segregation development. In the past known as the â€Å"Untouchables,† the Dalits have a place with the least social gathering in India’s Hindu station framework. In spite of the fact that they make up one-6th of India’s populace, the Dalits had to live as peasants for a considerable length of time, confronting segregation in access to employments, instruction, and permitted marriage accomplices. Following quite a while of common defiance and political activism, the Dalits won triumphs, featured by the appointment of K. R. Narayanan to the administration in 1997. Filling in as president until 2002, Narayanan focused on the nation’s commitments towards the Dalits and different minorities and pointed out the other numerous social ills of standing segregation. Northern Ireland After the division of Ireland in 1920, Northern Ireland saw brutality between the decision British Protestant dominant part and individuals from the local Irish Catholic minority. Requesting a conclusion to separation in lodging and business openings, Catholic activists propelled walks and fights demonstrated after the American Civil Rights Movement. In 1971, the internment without preliminary of more than 300 Catholic activists by the British government started a heightened, frequently fierce common defiance crusade headed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The defining moment in the battle went ahead Bloody Sunday, January 30, 1972, when 14 unarmed Catholic social liberties marchers were shot dead by the British armed force. The slaughter electrifies the British individuals. Since Bloody Sunday, the British Parliament has established changes ensuring the social liberties of Northern Irish Catholics. Sources and Further Reference Hamlin, Rebecca. Social equality. Reference book Britannica.. U.Civil Rights Act of 1964S. EEOC.Shah, Anup. Human Rights in Various Regions. Worldwide Issues (October 1, 2010).Dooley, Brian. Dark and Green: The Fight for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland and Black America. (Passages) Yale University.Bloody Sunday: What occurred on Sunday 30 January 1972? BBC News (March 14, 2019).

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Physical Health Is Wealth Essay

Great wellbeing is a favorable position. It is the real gem of life, the most valuable responsibility for. In the event that a man misfortunes his wellbeing, the world misfortunes all it charms for him. A decent abundance of wellbeing can be found in various strategies. It needs ordinary exercise, great food, great contemplations, and neatness. A solid individual doesn't burn through cash on drugs and visit specialists. Simply coordinating, a latent individual is another type of unlawful of sicknesses. Sound brain in a sound body is a youth saying. Solid people can work for protracted hours without getting worn out. They can like all the delights of life, anyway unfortunate people can't. The world has no intrigue for them. They are continually stressed because of their physical troubles. Riches has no significance for them. To keep commendable wellbeing no money is required. It very well may be cultivated uniquely through our endeavors and great medicinal services. We can support great wellbeing just on the off chance that we know about various variables which influence our wellbeing. There are sure things which are fundamental for keeping our figure of liberated from illnesses. Sound food starts things out. We should take just that food which has nutritious worth. Some normality in life is likewise significant for good wellbeing. We ought to get up brief in the first part of the day, go out for a walk, take in outside air to keep our lungs new and in great request, and go for energetic stroll, move arms while strolling. Keeping up clean propensities is likewise significant in such manner. On the off chance that we don’t wash up all the time, don't wear clean garments, don't eat new food, we may create physical challenges over the long haul. Henceforth regularities, great propensities and neatness have extraordinary incentive in keeping up great wellbeing. Adjusting rest and rest are likewise helpful in such manner. Satisfaction is the best medication of good wellbeing. In this way, we should try to avoid panicking by conquering outrage, avarice, dread, jealousy and ill will. Life of a solid man is his enduring riches. It makes him ready to appreciate life without limit. The individuals who are affluent may not generally be solid yet the sound individuals are consistently well off.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Research How Subtle Class Cues Can Backfire on Your Resume

Research How Subtle Class Cues Can Backfire on Your Resume So, we all know content and presentation matter when it comes to resumes but what happens when there are hundreds of candidates who all have relevant skills, education, grad average and a perfectly formatted resume?Ever wondered how a recruiter makes a choice if the only thing differentiating you and other candidates are job-unrelated qualities, such as: gender, class, religion or marital status?What is the exact impact of these seemingly irrelevant personal traits? How important is recruiters’ persona in this whole process?In the last couple of years, a few studies strived to provide answers to these exact questions.To put it plainly, researchers tried to inspect whether and to what extent personal traits of a candidate can affect a person reviewing his/or her resume (i.e. his/her job application).This article will deal with results of these studies: whether class cues on a resume affect recruiters’ decision-making process and if so, what can be done to prevent potential negativ e effects thereof.RESUME: NECESSARY BUT POTENTIALLY TRICKY TOOLOne thing is sure: a well-written resume is crucial for a successful job hunt!Being aware of the incredibly competitive global labor market, it is completely logical that high-quality self-promotion became more significant than ever.Resume is an essential part of every job application and an extremely valuable self-marketing tool which should be used to highlight one’s skills, experience and qualities.But it’s not all rainbows and butterflies!A good resume is a piece of work and its drafting requires time, commitment and effort.Most importantly, just as there are not two identical candidates, there should not be two identical resumes.A resume should reflect your specific background, qualities and why exactly you would be the best fit for the respective position (bold text is intentional).This is not an easy task!And nowadays, it is not unusual for people to hire a professional to help them draft a perfect resume.In m y opinion, this only highlights the significance of this tool in today’s extremely competitive professional environment.A recent research has shown that an average recruiter spends approximately 8-10 seconds to screen a resume and decide whether a candidate will proceed to the next step of the recruitment process.If you think about it in real time, this is an extremely fast call, hence, every detail in your resume should be exactly on point.And yes, this also applies to the personal information you decide to disclose there. Let us kick off this topic by first reflecting on the concept of a personal information… PERSONAL INFORMATION AND EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATIONThis category includes (not exclusively) one’s:name, address, email address, phone number,race, nationality, ethnicity, religious or political beliefsage, sex, sexual orientation, marital statushealth care history including information on physical/mental disabilityeducational, financial, criminal, employment history etc. Depending on local laws and regulations, some of this information can be considered private and confidential.If applicable, such classification protects you from the obligation to disclose it or talk about it, even if explicitly asked by the interviewer.And although there is an obvious tendency towards stricter legislation in this field, there is still a visible discrepancy between legal regulations and reality.The biggest practical problem with discrimination on the work place and especially, discrimination of candidates during the recruitment process, is the apparent lack of evidence.It is extremely difficult to prove you haven’t been hired for a specific discriminatory reason unless this has been explicitly brought up and you have it somewhere on record.Unfortunately, recruiters are rarely that naiveNumerous studies have been conducted, motivated by a desire to inspect the exact range of employment discrimination.The goal was to see whether this kind of behavior can be tracked to resumes pre-screening phase already.All experiments were usually conducted in a comparable way, by sending fake resumes to real employers.These resumes were seemingly identical when it comes to education, experience and skills but differed in specific class cues, such as: gender, religion, class, sexual orientation etc.Some of these cues were obvious and could be identified immediately, e.g. gender (obvious from the candidate’s name).The others, such as class, religion or sexual orientation were only subtly indicated or could only be presumed from certain details in the tested resumes.Let us start by reviewing effects disclosure of class and background cues had on the recruitment process…CLASS AND BACKGROUND CUESA number of studies (published in American sociological Review) examined effects of class and gender cues in a resume. Resumes used were pretty much identical and the only thing differentiating candidates was either their gender or class/social status.Gender could be determined from a candidate’s name, while social class position has been indicated via common and generally accepted categories, e.g. hobbies, awards and extracurricular activities.You are probably thinking to yourself: How does one indicate his or her “class” on a resume? Are we still in the 16th century?Indeed, I also found the idea of class indications on a resume slightly disturbing. I will try to explain the way in which this has been done:Higher-class candidates participated in traditionally “upper class” sports and activities, e.g. polo, sailing, badminton or played classical music. Lower-class candidates engaged in activities with lower financial barriers, such as: football, basketball, athletics or local music club.Regardless of how subtle these indications were, results demonstrated significant differences in the treatment of four relevant categories: higher- and lower-class male candidates and higher- and lower-class female candidates.Higher-class man did extrem ely well in comparison to all other categories: he received more invitations to an interview than all other applicants in the whole study combined!Tragically, he did significantly better than higher-class woman, whose resume was identical to his except for a name…Yet, none of these findings surprised me as much as this one: Higher-class women had the worst treatment of all categories, including lower-class women!I neither saw it coming nor understood the logic behind such results.Fortunately, researchers behind these studies took additional efforts and tried to provide explanations for these results.Higher-class men are perceived as a better fit to other people working in high-rank firms, firm’s clientele and a general image these firms usually strive to uphold.They are presumed to come with some typically “high-class” assets such as, network of high-class peers, family connections or wealth.Naturally, all of this does not apply to categories of lower-class male and female c andidates.When it comes to higher-class women, it is not exactly clear what are presumed advantages of their status, probably the same as for higher-class men.On the other hand, studies did explain why they are the least desirable of all categories.Higher-class women are generally considered unmotivated for demanding jobs!Their status is associated with wealth or, at least, financial stability. And if money is not a motive, how are these women to be expected to compete, grow and do long hours? Well, they are not…Furthermore, “family” is a risk factor frequently attributed to candidates from this category.Namely, there is a wide-spread belief these women tend to abandon their well-paid but demanding jobs to be able to dedicate themselves to raising a family.On the other hand, such reasoning does not apply to lower-class female candidates.Career wise, they are considered more dedicated, driven by a wish to secure their, otherwise uncertain, financial situation.Finally, one impor tant remark must be made: test sample of these studies is limited, for only several law and audit firms in the US have been included in the testing.Nonetheless, one can easily presume that similar studies in different branches and/or locations would result in comparable findings which is why these results shouldn’t be disregarded easily.Personally, I found them intriguing albeit extremely disturbing.A clear demonstration that, in some respects, we really have not advanced much since the 16th century! Class segregation and stuck up attitudes towards women may not be that openly talked about today but are still very, very real.And while this study only tackled the issue of gender discrimination, there have been many studies and experiments dedicated to inspecting the range of gender discrimination on today’s labor market in a lot more detail…Discrimination based on  Gender and Family Status CuesGender as a ground for discrimination Much has been said about gender discrimination which is why I won’t state the obvious and dwell on this topic too long.Salary gap, bias towards women in leadership and limited possibilities for women are all real issues and unfortunately, we are still far from reaching tangible solutions in this field.Nevertheless, in this article, I was rather interested to see how far-reaching gender discrimination is when it comes to stages of the recruitment process.Let’s put it this way: can it really be that a recruiter looks at my resume and throws it away simply because I’m a woman?A recent research (Derous, Ryan Serlie, 2015) explored how characteristics of a job and specific biases of a recruiter, e.g. ethnic prejudice or sexism, combine to influence the subsequent decision regarding a concrete candidate.Unfortunately, the effect of sexism proved to be substantial…When the role was traditionally more male or female oriented, it dictated perceptions of fit.To give an example: women were presumed to be better at client relations and interpersonal exchange. Unsurprisingly, they were considered worse fitted for “high demanding” jobs than men.But having a recruiter consider your fitness for a position and judge it poorly is not even the worst-case scenario…Imagine being turned down for a fantastic job, you would be excellent for, based solely on your name!This is not a myth and numerous academic papers already demonstrated the significance of one’s name (male or female) by a decision who will proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.The case of a woman changing her name from Erin to Mack and boosting her resume response rate from 0 to 70 went viral and backs up the statement that “name bias”, which is actually just another name for gender discrimination, still affects too many female candidates worldwide. Marital and family statusAnother personal information which may appear innocent but can heavily affect your job hunt, is the information about your marital/family status.In the past, this was a common information to be included on a resume but those times long passed.Nowadays, it became quite uncommon, if not even harmful, to disclose this information, for it leaves a lot of room for discrimination.Divorced, separated, widow, single or married…Depending on a person reviewing your resume, each of these can be considered wrong, bad or unrepresentative.I can easily imagine a recruiter thinking to him- or herself: “You failed in marriage so why should we expect you to succeed in your career here?”On the other hand, you are happily married with two children. Who cares? Are children a feature which will help you do your job better?Especially for female candidates, the sole mention of marital/family status can open door to major discrimination!A woman with a family is considered demotivated for work…Engaged woman is expected to have a family at some point and that is a clear minus.Finally, a single woman may be considered unfit for the corporate “family” cu lture.The list of possible prejudices is never ending…Sounds harsh and demotivating, I know.Yet, people do tend to hold certain ideas, prejudices and biases and these inevitably affect their decision-making processes (at times, without them even being aware of it).Therefore, if not specifically required, it may be better to leave your marital/family status out of your resume…Discrimination based on Religion, Race EthnicityReligion as a ground for discriminationBeing a believer may be honorable and price-worthy but note that your future employer may have a completely different attitude when it comes to this topic.Multiple studies have confirmed the following: Religion on your resume can severely hurt your employment chances!In one of these studies, researchers from the University of Connecticut sent 3,200 fake applications to 800 jobs (South of the US). Each employer received four resumes of applicants with comparable job qualifications.The sole difference between these four res umes consisted in their affiliation with a certain religious organization, such as: atheist, Catholic, Jewish or Muslim organization. A control group mentioned no religious affiliation.It turned out that religious affiliation on a resume is a major no go!Applicants who expressed a religious identity were 26 % less likely to receive a response from recruiters.The only group which did not experience any discrimination whatsoever, were those candidates affiliated with Jewish religion and some recruiters even favored them in comparison to other candidates.Muslims were least likely to be contacted by employers, receiving 38 % fewer e-mails and 54 % fewer phone calls than the control group.Overall findings of this study confirmed that even very subtle cues indicating one’s religion can affect the recruitment process heavily.You may be wondering about the legal perspective of this issue:Religious freedom protects from any kind of discriminatory treatment based on a person’s religion or belief and this protection stretches (at least in theory) to include the recruitment process as well.That be said, nobody should be denied employment based solely on his or her religion.The problem is that job candidates rarely learn religious indications on their resumes took them out of the run for a position. And even if they doubt it, to get an evidence to support such a claim is very hard if not even impossible.Occasionally, job experience or a volunteering position at a certain religious organization may be worth mentioning, for it constitutes a valuable experience and a recruiter may appreciate the knowledge you gained from it.Also, you may be applying in other religiously affiliated organizations and your previous experience is a clear plus.However, more frequently, work experience affiliated to a specific religious organization will not be relevant for a position you’re applying for and in such cases, you may want to consider taking it down from your resume.In any event, you should make sure to know the exact requirements for a desired position and be aware of consequences the sole mention of your religion could have on the application process.Race EthnicityRace and ethnicity have been a common ground for discrimination since the old times. Therefore, it is no wonder researches wanted to test effects of race and/or ethnicity on the hiring process as well…Researches were conducted in a comparable way: Identical resumes were sent to employers, the only difference being the name of a candidate. Chosen names clearly indicated belonging to a certain race or ethnicity.Results of these studies only confirmed what we all suspected… Candidates with names which sounded “white” experienced a much higher call rates for interviews in comparison to candidates whose names “sounded black, Hispanic or Asian”.Another study specifically tested two groups, “white” and “black” candidates, and reached the following results: White names received 50 % more callbacks for interviews!These studies also revealed prevalence of what’s called unconscious bias, hence, a scenario in which people screening resumes do not realize they are stereotyping.When put it in the context of racial stereotyping, this scenario looks something like this: non-white candidates are considered less-qualified for a job without the existence of any real evidence to support such conviction.All that be said, it is no wonder that many people who fall into a racial or ethnic group that is likely to experience negative bias realized the risk and decided to downplay racial and ethnic associations as much as possible.And yes, in some cases, this even involved changing a name on a resume to sound more “white”!Unfortunately, candidates frequently fear that there is a good chance they could experience judgement and discrimination based on their race or ethnicity and results of above-mentioned studies clearly demonstrate such concerns have a solid ground.STRONG S EPARATION OF BUSINESS AND PERSONAL: PROS AND CONS Bearing in mind all that has been stated previously and somewhat disturbing results of studies and research conducted in this field, one cannot help but wonder: Is there any personal information that does belong in a resume?Indeed, nowadays there is an overall tendency to include as little personal information as possible when applying for jobs.While researching, I noticed that there is an overall preference to not include age, marital status and address in a resume.The general tendency seems to be in favor of the complete separation of business and personal. A good resume should include your name, email address and telephone. If your place of residence is in the same country, even this information is considered irrelevant.One of the apparent pros of such an approach is that you’re only including relevant work-related information, hence, are not burdening a recruiter with what he/she doesn’t need.The second obvious advantage is t hat such an approach leaves a lot less room for discrimination and potential biases recruiters may hold.Following up on the above-mentioned studies and research, it is obvious that revealing less may at times be saving you a lot of unnecessary trouble!On the other hand, not revealing anything personal may leave your resume looking blank and dull. Recruiters love stressing out the importance of a personal touch and diversity… And this makes sense. Imagine yourself reviewing some 80 resumes a day… You would also be looking for something which catches your attention!Also, not including some relevant experiences, e.g. job in a religiously affiliated organization, may leave gaps in your resume and leave you appearing less experienced than you actually are.And who would want that? Especially for a young professional, every experience counts!Finally, not revealing relevant personal data may be considered misleading or even fraudulent.So, what is it that you can do? What is considered p ermitted when it comes to adjusting personal information and revealing class cues in a resume?POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND WAYS TO AVOID THESE SUBTLE CUESIt depends…It depends on the information you wish to neutralize and the effect you want to achieve.For example, in the case of age, address and marital status, you would be well advised to simply skip these information, for they are probably not relevant for a position you are applying for.Note that there could be a few exemptions to this general rule, e.g. physically intense job.In this case, it may actually make sense to note your age on the resume. Or a job including frequent travel… In this specific case, being young, single and without children may in fact bring you some advantage.Furthermore, religion also does not necessarily belong in your resume: chances are that religious affiliations will open door to discrimination while being completely irrelevant for a job you are applying for.Exception to this general claim are jobs an d positions in other religious organizations/institutions, where your previous experience will be an obvious advantage.When it comes to other class cues, other cases may be less clear and more problematic, e.g. the fact that you are a woman and have a female name.Is it worth trying to shorten it or put a more masculine version on your resume?The same dilemma applies to names which can be associated with a specific race or ethnicity. Should you consider modifying your name so that it sounds less “black”, Hispanic, Arabian, Jewish or Muslim?Unfortunately, there is no single “right” answer to these questions.You can try some of the above-mentioned strategies.You may end up facing a fairly surprised, annoyed or even a very mad interviewer. If this happens, you again won’t achieve the desired result.If the difference in names is small and can be reasonably justified, this strategy may end up working out.However, if you are considering a real name change, you may want to underta ke this in a more formal way (official name change).This dilemma also has another dimension.Are you sure you wish to downplay your personal qualities which in many ways determine your identity and persona?How would you feel if invited to an interview after a name change, knowing that with your real name, that same company failed to consider you?It is difficult to say and the answer varies depending on specific circumstances of a particular case.One thing is clear: The issue of discrimination is still very real.The issue is real in our everyday lives and apparently, on the job market as well.Perhaps a name-change or a clearance of a resume from all personal information can provide short-term solution for some but this is not what we should be striving for!What is needed is a complete shift in the perception, more talk and long-term solutions in this field. Recruiters need to become fully aware of all biases they hold and how this affects their everyday job.On the other hand, we must become fully aware that differentiating between two equally qualified and skilled candidates solely based on their names or social status is not acceptable in the 21st century! And it is only after we realize this, that we can hope for some actual results and improvements.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Supernatural, Supernatural And Supernatural - 1327 Words

The â€Å"Supernatural† is something that defies the laws of physics, and is said to exists above and beyond nature. In early British texts many writers used the supernatural and magical power to enhance their characters being. They made them above others and noble, in a way that no other character was. Reflecting on the different approaches people conduct when they read and analyze literature, there is a multitude of ways that the supernatural can be interpreted. A reader should consider what is supernatural about a certain situation in the text. Are there faeries, witches, wizards and ghosts? What about spells, dragons or angels and devils? By observation, the supernatural or magical senses usually involve a character with certain power,†¦show more content†¦Every person has there own religion, or none at all but in the same way they are all supernatural to humans. Unless you are a devout Christian, you will not believe in the people that are said to be real. Since there is no proof of a God, a devil, angels, or demons, it becomes supernatural to those who do not believe in them. These stories have significant Christian background as well as all of British literature, which creates the sense of supernatural or magical forces to a reader who is not familiar with them. A person believes in something supernatural, a person believes in Christianity; therefore putting each thought on the same level. Tying Christianity to being a supernatural belief, thought or force, will give insight to how much they both played a role in literature. The supernatural permeates â€Å"Doctor Faustus.† It appears everywhere in the story, in a big and small sense. Angels and devils fly all around, magic spells are being cast, dragons pulling chariots and two ostlers, Robin and Rafe, learn enough magic to beckon demons. These occurrences aren’t truly real, they are just a thought, and they are things that don’t actually happen in real life, making them supernatural. In this piece, the supernatural does not have any significant impact but it is clearly present. Faustus conjures up grapes, plays tricks on people and explores the

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Rising from Recession Market Strategies of Cisco Systems - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2719 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American-based multinational company that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking and communications technology and services. Headquartered in California, Cisco has more than 65,000 employees and annual revenue of US$40 billion as of 2010. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Rising from Recession Market Strategies of Cisco Systems" essay for you Create order Cisco is one of the worlds biggest technological companies (Bloomberg 2010). This assignment examines the strategies adopted by Cisco to tackle recession in the US markets during the years 2008-2009. During the recession of 2001, Cisco was caught unaware of what John Chambers called the 100 year flood leading to the write down of inventory worth US$2.2 billion. The company reported a loss of US$2.69 billion. The dot-com bubble was a stock market bubble which burst in 2001. It was fuelled by the rise of Internet sites and the tech industry in general. Many companies folded and those that survived learnt valuable lessons. Investors lost astronomical sums of money on the dot-com bubble. Several factors combined to cause the dot-com bubble. Low interest rates, the jump in internet-users were seen by most companies, potential customers-this resulted in numerous start-ups. These companies came to be referred to as dot-coms, after the .com in many web addresses. (WiseGeeks 2010) Many of these companies engaged in unusual and daring business practices with no sustainable business model, all they were hoping to achieve was a bigger slice of a pie; equating bigger pie to bigger consumer base therefore believing profits will follow. Unfortunately for many companies and investors, the growth of the tech sector proved to be illusory. A decline in business spending (due to a hike in interest rates) combined with market correction to deal a serious financial blow to many dot-coms, and tech companies began to fold, one by one. (Wise geeks 2010) Cisco, as mentioned, wasnt spared either. Let us now examine what Cisco could have done, couldnt have seen and/or shouldnt have done, not only did Cisco serve as a plumber to the tech-world, it was a beacon of inspiration for organization leadership and management. CISCOS Environment Ciscos customer base was not concentrated in any one industry; Ciscos customers fell into one of four categories: Enterprise: Large organizations with 500 and more staff requiring complex networking needs across multiple computer systems. Clientele include corporations, government agencies, utilities, and educational institutions. Service Providers: Organizations providing data, voice, and video communication services to businesses and consumers. Small/Medium-Sized Businesses: Businesses with fewer than 500 employees and a need for internal networks for itself and for its business partners connected to the Internet. These customers were generally limited in their resources, as such Cisco designed and built easy to use and install systems at affordable prices. Consumers: Individuals with a need for networking devices and services to connect themselves to the Internet from within their homes. During the time of the dot-com, Cisco Systems was a decentralized company organized around 3 lines of business. Each focusing on a customer segment as shown above, for the easy communication we will group small/medium-sized businesses and consumers under one LOB. Each LOB produced customized products for that segments needs this generated enormous growth during the dot-com years. As we know that came to an abrupt end in 2001, Cisco was forced to lay off 18% of its work force and incurred losses amounting to $2.69 billlion. Cisco did survive unlike many other companies, what it then did was make a series of organizational changes that continue to this day. It centralized functions from each of its LOBs so that heads of each division reported to the CEO rather than the presidents of the three LOBs. Customer focus was maintained by, creating three cross-functional business councils, each responsible for one of the customer segments. A functional head chaired each council, leading both a function and business council. (Kilman 1985) This s tructure is a type of matrix organization called the two-hat model. Cisco used this functional structure to create an appropriate cost basis for the downturn, as functional organizations drop costs in two ways. First, by consolidating engineers into specialist groups, the company minimizes the number of engineers needed, the engineers are placed in a pool where they can be shared across lines. For example, under the old LOB organization, each LOB might have required two-thirds of a sound engineer. Resulting in Cisco hiring three engineers, one for each LOB. Under a centralized concept, the sound engineering group hires just two sound engineers and works them across the product lines, allowing fewer people to do a given volume of work. Secondly, functional organizations reduce costs by decreasing duplication and standardizing product and process designs. When revenue is growing and margins are high, redundancy is a small price to pay but when revenue drops and margins shrink, d uplication is a good process to do away with. In the early 2000s, Cisco wasnt able to keep up with the demand for its products and some of its customers were looking elsewhere and those that did wait had to wait up to 15weeks, as Cisco suppliers could not keep up with the high demand, Cisco pushed manufactures and suppliers to stock up on inventory, committing itself to buying stock before having even sold them-This proved fatal when the recession came, leaving Cisco with huge inventories. At Cisco, duplication was reduced by centralizing the engineers and combining them into common groups. This standardization achieves economies in having one design instead of three. Manufacturing gets volume in producing one high-volume product rather than three low-volume products; procurement gets volume discounts on fewer but common components. (Porters Value Chain Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance 1985) Logistics reduces total inventories with one lar ge stock, rather than three smaller stocks. Similar savings can also be achieved in other functions as the number of transactions and processes are reduced. (Porters Value Chain) In this way, Cisco responded to the downturn by reorganizing, seeing as functional organizations increase efficiency, lower costs all while minimizing the number of people needed without compromising on quality. They worked smarter in achieving better results. The Cisco cost structure clearly benefited from the reorganization. But Cisco also made sure not to standardize to such an extent that the end-user experience suffered. Focus on the Customer Many companies achieve balance over time between standardizing, cost reduction, customizing and customer satisfaction. Restructuring can waste energy, result in winners and losers, and cause top talent to leave. Fortunately, Cisco did not walk this path and instead simultaneously organized around customer segments and functions, counterbalancing the biases of a functional structure, Cisco added cross-function business councils for each customer segment. These councils supported their respective customer segments. The same people who had positions of power in the functional structure staffed the councils, so when the engineers proposed standardizing a product, the salespeople who were representing customer segments had a debate to contest the engineers. (KastRosenzweig 1972), Cisco adopted an open system where feedback was viewed positively. However, not all product differences are duplications, as some are required by customers. For example, large organizations would ha ve required more faster servers and products as opposed to smaller business whom neither had the need or want, so there were times when sales needs conflicted with product standards. Cisco understood that it was important for them to get close to their customers, as it would help them know if recession had impacted their revenues and profits. Cisco worked closely with its customers to expand its technology and business relationship. Cisco and its partners formed strategic alliances a co-operative partnership for mutual advantage. (MillerDess 1996; YoshinoRangan 1995) Open Communication Cisco made much of its corporate information available to its employees and shared relevant information with suppliers and customers. They shared much more information than anyone thought was prudent. Cisco gave the employees themselves all the information. In a lot of companies, information is power. At Cisco, information is empowerment. Technology clearly plays a big role in doing this. The IT infrastructure was both sophisticated and integrated across the company, Cisco opened up the the infrastructure to both its clients and suppliers. There were business rules codified in the IT infrastructure that described who got access to what information. For instance, all Cisco employees had access to key information such as customer satisfaction, overall revenue, and total costs, while more differentiated information was restricted. Customers only had access to product information such as how to configure a router, and suppliers were given access only to the s ales data necessary for planning their inventory. (Quantitative Management Viewpoint, Management Information Systems Pg .56) For the most part, however, Cisco gave out more rather than less information. Making information available created opportunities for communication. For example, the employee directory made all employee information available from the CEO to the newly employed, all contacts and organizational information was available. This allowed Cisco employees to contact anyone in the company without having to go through a chain of command. Empowerment Ciscos employees had great latitude in doing their jobs. The goal of the IT is to empower the employee to give them freedom of space, scope and access to all kinds of information. (Herzberg 1966) Cisco employees were expected to take initiative. For instance, customer satisfaction was taken quite seriously. Employees are empowered to do right by Cisco and the customer. They are given full autonomy to make decisions that are customer centric and are measured on the impact we have had on them. (Richard HackmanGreg Oldham 1980) Quality Team HUMAN RESORCE Cisco planned on hiring the top 10% of the employees that they interviewed and release the bottom 5% annually. Cisco employees were brilliantly driven people. Cisco not only put effort into hiring good people, but also spent time and resources training them. Cisco had complete and thorough orientation-programmes, specialized training for departments like sales, and ongoing training for all employees. A Cisco employee, on average, attended six training classes a year, a third of which were web-based. The meticulous selection process and the investment in training that were offered were practices that differed from those in other companies. (Scientific Management Taylor 1985) Integrity When asked about the principles that underpinned many of Ciscos policies, employees often mentioned trust. Empowerment, communication, innovation and risk taking are clearly all big parts of our culture. StevensonGumpert (1985) entrepreneurial characteristics. How much trust to give to employees was a topic of discussion early in Ciscos history. They decided from the get go that if we trusted our employees, we were not going to create policies for the bottom .2% of the employees instead were going to create guidelines for managers to do the right thing, the reinforcement theory has an important implication for management in achieving organizational objectives. (VillerHartman 1991) Cisco was prepared to provide the context in which one makes the right decision by influencing certain parameters. Once hired as an employee, Cisco trusts that the individual has not joined this company in order to steal and that the employee as an individual has the companys best interest and th at the individual will attempt to make the best decision possible given all the supporting information. (Mcgregor 1964, Theory Y) The decision to trust employees laid the basis for relationships, trust worked between managers and their employees. Employees were thought to think that everyone was supporting each other working towards that one same goal. Managers had to make sure that they were providing employees with the right information, the right support bearing in mind not to stifle room for execution and free play. Employees had to believe that their managers were just and fair, that proper transparent systems of job allocation and promotions were in place. POLITICAL Cisco was also actively pursuing federal government related business in the area of cyber security and cooperation between public and private sectors. The company appointed former white house cyber security advisor Melissa Hatway as a consultant to liaison with the government authorities. She helped the company identify the product line that could be useful to the government. (Favorability influence Kotter1979; Harcourt2003 Political activity management pg.91) FINAL ACT Cisco came out of the 2001 recession stronger, leaner and more agile. All its policies are working well and are considered to be works in progress, Cisco continually seeks to improve and adapt. By the time Cisco faced the recession of 2008, it had built up its strategic alliances, based on the collaboration model. Councils and boards were in place -councils looked at US$10 billion opportunities and boards took care of US$1billion opportunities, during which Cisco was able to invest on other companies, for example WebEx Communications Inc to support its Telepresence project. (Bloomberg 2008) As an example during the recession Cisco focused on existing clients and noticed their need for infrastructure upgrades on many of the existing platforms-as the world processes so much more data, existing platforms suffered from wear and tear and overall inability in supporting its businesses. Cisco predicts that by year 2013 infrastructure upgrading was likely to reach US$50 billion. (CISCO 2001) It is in my expert opinion that Ciscos model is an inspiration to other organizations, Cisco bounced back from recession stronger, leaner and meaner (series of acquisitions). Naturally every model adopted by any one organization is a continual work in progress, however when aided by such open systems, it has the ability to access itself and quickly make adjustments-whenever they may arise or suddenly come. Cisco focused itself around its customers (externally), they listened to their needs and wants, they engaged them thoroughly, they designed forums within the functional groups to hash out differences in product design-the customers had a voice within the scheme of things, their feedback was seriously considered. Internal to Cisco they created strategies facilitating open communication, staff empowerment and their human resource is managed effectively, efficiently and fairly as possible. Cisco aspires to hire the right staff for the company-forward thinking and highly motivated individuals. Cisco then believes in providing them with the right tools to upgrade and keep on top of their field, Cisco does not adopt a punitive form of management, they believe that they have hired the right person for the job Cisco empowers, places faith and allows the person to have a real go at the task at hand What Cisco aims to achieve is what I like to believe a hybrid system. The term hybrid was originally coined by Peter Keen in the mid 1980s, but received its most precise and most quoted definition by Michael Earl:A person with strong technical skills and adequate bus iness knowledge or vice versa . hybrids are people with technical skills able to work in user areas doing a line job, but adept at developing and implementing IT application ideas (Peter Keen 1980) Cisco is a company for the future-it seems well aware of this and it knows how to get there as seen above. The importance placed on training, open communication internally and on their environments (mega and task), human resource- and the need for continuous awareness, systems are in place to keep them in check. How the future may unfold, will there be a double dip? Will there be a global meltdown? No one can fully predict apart from watching and listening closely for the signs (stock market, key interest rates, etc). Cisco is doing what it can and must do, it has thoroughly engaged its clients and customers, it created a highly synergized working environment where their staff are empowered and entrusted in making the best decision for the future of the company. They are investing i n technologies and technological companies that are future oriented they are placing themselves in the future today. They are building a Cisco future for the world. A Cisco you and I inevitably will need and want. References and Suggested Readings Cisco: Strategy is Recession Proof, Reuters, January 08, 2008. Dr. Jay R. Galbraith:How to manage in a Down Turn, www.cedma-europe.org, August 2009 DotCom Bubble, www.wisegeeks, August 2010 Ellen McGirt, How Ciscos CEO John Chambers is turning the Tech Giant Socialist, www.fastcompany.com,November 25,2008 Ciscos CEO On How To Weather The Downturn, www.fastcompany.com,December 01,2008 At Cisco, Downturn Screams Long-Term Opportunity, www.businessweek.com,March12,2009 Stephen Lawson, Ciscos Chambers Sees Hope After Recession,www.pcworld.about.com,May18,2009 Andy Greenberg,Cisco Preps for Recover,www.forbes.com,November02,2009. Reshaping Cisco, The World According To Chambers,www,economist.com,August27,2009 https://investor.cisco.com https://newsroom.cisco.com www.cisco.com www.bloomberg.com

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin - 778 Words

Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† tries to shed light on the conflict between women and a society that assign gender roles using a patriarchal approach. Specifically Margaret Bauer highlights, that most of Chopin’s works revolves around exploring the â€Å"dynamic interrelation between women and men, women and patriarchy, even women and women† (146). Similarly, in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† Chopin depicts a society that oppresses women mostly through the institution of marriage, as women are expected to remain submissive regardless of whether they derive any happiness. The question of divorce is not welcome, and it is tragic that freedom of women can only be realized through death. According to Bauer, the society depicted in Chopin’s story†¦show more content†¦Unfortunately, Bauer highlights that a woman lack of identity and voice was uniform across all marriage institutions even within the confines of love as depicted by M rs. Mallard statement â€Å"And yet she had loved him—sometimes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chopin 261; Bauer 150). According to Bauer, it seems like marriage is an institution that saves women from their own inadequacy because they are not in a position to reason on their own. This perception obviously brainwashes women and they stop thinking of a life beyond their husbands (Bauer 151). From the story, although Mrs. Mallard is excited about the newly found freedom, she is so brainwashed and she starts lamenting that There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination. (Chopin 260) The above quote indicates that society expects women to forgo their interests and strive to please the men in their lives. As a result, the kind of suppression that a woman is expected to undertake brainwashes their mind and takes away theirShow MoreRelatedThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin1241 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is a wonderful short story bursting with many peculiar twists and turns. Written in 1894, the author tells a tale of a woman who learns of her husband’s death, but comes to find pleasure in it. Many of the elements Kate Chopin writes about in this story symbolize something more than just the surface meaning. Through this short story, told in less than one thousand one hundred words, Kate Chopin illustrates a deeper meaning of Mrs. Mallard’s marriage with herRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin855 Words   |  4 PagesThe Story of an Hour In the â€Å"Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, is about pleasure of freedom and the oppression of marriage. Just like in Kate Chopin’s story, inside most marriages, even the ones that seem to be the happiest, one can be oppressed. Even though, one might seem to be happy deep inside they miss the pleasure of freedom and living life to the fullest. Just like, in this story Mrs. Mallard feels trapped and when she hears about her husband’s death she first feels distraught, but ultimatelyRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin1457 Words   |  6 PagesEmotions and Death Everyone who reads a story will interpret things slightly different than the person who reads it before or after him or her. This idea plays out with most every story, book, song, and movie. These interpretations create conflict and allow people to discuss different ideas and opinions. Without this conflict of thought there is no one devoting time to debate the true meaning of a text. Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† tells about a woman who is informed of her husbands deathRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin987 Words   |  4 PagesIn Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† reader’s see a potentially long story put into a few pages filled with rising action, climax and even death. In the beginning of the story, character Louise Mallard, who has a heart condition, is told of the death of her husband by her sister and one of her husband’s friends. Afterwards Mrs. Mallard is filled with emptiness and then joy of freedom. This joy of freedom is actually what consequently leads to her death in the end when she discoversRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin1061 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, readers are introduced to characters whose lives change drastically in the course of this writing. Through Kate Chopin’s story we can identify many different themes and examples of symbolism in her writing. Chopin’s choice of themes in this writing are no surprise due to the time frame of which this story was written. Chopin often wrote stories with of women’s rights, and is noted as one of America’s first open feminists. As this story of an ill, helplessRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin972 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin expresses Ms. Mallard’s feelings towards her husband’s death in an appalling train accident. Due to her bad heart, her sister Josep hine had to be the bearer of bad news and approach his death gently to her. According to the quote, â€Å" But now there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought†, it lets us know thatRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin998 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The story of an hour† by Kate Chopin was a story that was ironical yet profoundly deep. As a student I have been asked to read â€Å"a story of an hour† many times, and every time I’m surprised by how I enjoy it. People can read thousands of stories in their life times and only a handful will every stand out to them, stories that can draw out an emotion or spark a thought are the ones that will standout more. For me and â€Å"a story of an hour† the thought of freedom is what draws me the most as a teenageRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kat e Chopin1542 Words   |  7 PagesIn the short story, â€Å"Story of an Hour†, Kate Chopin writes about a woman with heart trouble, Mrs. Mallard, who, in finding out about the death of her husband, Mr. Mallard, experiences some initial feelings of sadness which quickly transition into the exhilarating discovery of the idea of a newfound freedom lying in front of her. When it is later revealed that her husband is not actually dead, she realizes she will not get to taste that freedom. The devastation kills her. What Mrs. Mallard goes throughRead MoreThe Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin596 Words   |  2 PagesIn â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† Kate Chopin focuses on the idea of freedom throughout the story. Mrs. Mallard is a lonely wife who suffers from heart trouble. She is told by her sister Josephine and her husband’s friend Richards that her husband has passed away in a train accident. She locks herself in a room expecting to be devastated, but instead feels freedom. Later, she exits her room and her husband walks through the door, causing her to die of a heart attack. Chopin uses this story to demonstrateRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin886 Words   |  4 Pages In Kate Chopin â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, the reader is presented with the theme of prohibited independence. In Kate Chopin â€Å"The Storm†, the scenery in this story builds the perfect atmosphere for an adulterous affair. The importance of these stories is to understand the era they occurred. Kate Chopin wrote stories with exceptional openness about sexual desires. In â€Å"The Storm†, a short story written by Kate Chopin in a time when women were expected to act a certain way and sexual cravings was considered

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

African Face Painting Essay Sample free essay sample

His face is covered in rich. dark aglow tones. of natural minerals dug from the Earth. The designs are luxuriant and painted with utmost item. demoing his contact characteristics. Sunglassess of xanthous environment his zygomatic bones go forthing his eyes bare. full of power and maleness. The festival has begun and he must turn out to her that he entirely is the most beautiful and capture her with his vigorous moves. Like many other folks of Africa the Wodaabe folk uses face painting to pull beauty. African face picture has been a thing of wonder to many in the western civilisation. Many folks in Africa practiced face picture for grounds of festivals. rites and position symbols and for other events. Face picture is frequently seen in tribal festivals. The Wodaabe folk of Niger use face pigment in their celebrated festival of beauty known as the Gererwol Festival ( African 1 ) . In this festival the work forces apply magnetic colourss of gold and rich colourss of ruddy on their face and dance to win the Black Marias of the environing adult females. Like James wood said â€Å"the adult females do the judgment and honor the victors with a dark of love† ( wood 1 ) . This festival is a similar beauty pageant in the West but the work forces are the contestants and they paint their face alternatively of seting on mascara. The Gerewol festival is where work forces and adult females go to happen their partner. In this festival a adult male can come with his married woman and leave with a different 1 merely as a adult female can come with her hubby and take a new one ( wood 1 ) . Wodaabe work forces go to the festival looking for a new married woman and knowing that theirs married womans might non be theirs any longer so they dance to score the adult females around them. In the Wodaabe civilization. beautiful eyes and white dentitions are found attractive by adult females so the work forces paint their lips black to do their dentitions brighter. They besides paint their zygomatic bones and olfactory organs with colourss like yel low and ruddy to pull attending to their eyes and their facial bone construction. This festival is all about showing beauty through dances and about work forces demoing off their expressions and the work forces of the folk usage pigment to demo beauty utilizing diverse colourss. In some ancient Tribal faiths face painting along with masks is used during rites. In the article titled â€Å"cultural face painting† . it states that. â€Å"ancient rites frequently summon dieties. liquors of ascendants and animals† ( Sevcenko 1 ) . During these Rituals either a mask or a face pigment of wild and bizarre designs are applied which implies that the wearer was possessed by the liquors or anima1s ( Sevenko1 ) . Besides the Podo folk of South Africa celebrates a tradition called umgidi. This rite is where a adult female is initiated to go diviner or a priestess of the folk ( African 1 ) . She appears bare to the waist with her organic structure painted with white clay and embellished with foliages. These forms are complex and they symbolize the nexus to her ascendants who are believed to be the grounds for her unwellness and well-being. The Xhosa folk besides in South Africa uses face painting during the rite of manhood called the Abakwetha. To get down wi th. the immature work forces paint their faces with white clay. so they are circumcised and their face is painted with ruddy clay to mean the preparedness for grownup male duties ( African 1 ) . In each of these rites the art of face painting holds different significance and typify different phases of a ritual. Face picture is besides used to typify different positions. Like for Example the Karo folk of Africa have three types of designs painted on their faces. One type was for the folk head. The Chief’s facial pigment is more luxuriant and orderly so everyone else’s. Almost his whole full face is covered in white pigment but his jaw line. his cheek castanetss. and his olfactory organ were left bare demoing his dark and smooth tegument in two perfect consecutive lines ( Erick 1 ) . The other design is for a warrior the design is like the heads but a batch less orderly ( Erick1 ) . The last type of design is for the regular common man which consists of apparent white pigment. Face and organic structure picture was highly of import and symbolic to tribes like the Karo because it showed who they were and where they belonged. African folks besides use face picture for other events. The Sumra folk of Ethiopia usage face and organic structure painting during their wild and violent stick contending competition called the donga. Unlike the Gerwol festival. this no dance or beauty festival. it is but a competition of nervus and beastly strength that is meant to settle personal Vendettas and to win married womans. During this competition 100s of work forces come to a specific topographic point to contend with 15 pess sticks refereed by the head ( Donga 1 ) . The battle done in heats and is done in unit of ammunitions until there is merely two staying. The victor of the last unit of ammunition wins the whole thing. Any adult male can dispute hover he wants and decease is non uncommon. The lone regulation is no adult male can hit another adult male when he is down ( Donga 1 ) . The rivals fight to be the greatest warriors and to win so that they can give a miss the award if being their day of the month or married woman if she wishes ( Donga 1 ) . When the work forces fight they are wholly bare except for pigment that covers them from caput to toe. The buildings of the organic structure pigment have a batch of lines and are wholly done by manus. The designs painted on the man’s organic structure stand for his maleness and is meant to strike fright into his opponent’s bosom. The picture is an of import portion of the competition and because the more bewitching and terrorizing it is the more attending and fear the contestant will acquire from his oppositions and the crowd. With his last attempt he gives the adult females his most seductive expression and he dances in a more bewitching mode. The dance is done and he stands in the Sun with the bright ruddy and xanthous pigment looking as though the Sun was radiating from him. The adult female he has been eyeing through the whole festival comes and they leave into the sundown. With the aid of his beautiful pigment on his face his end has been forward filled and he leaves with a married woman. African folks apply face pigment at festivals. during rites. to typify position and for other grounds and events. The art is harmonic and beautiful and it connects all the folk of the huge continent.