Guide to Critical Essays on Silas Marner - 1388 Words

GUIDE TO CRITICAL ESSAYS ON SILAS MARNER: 1. 1. SILAS MARNER: A STUDY IN TRANSITION by Shirley Galloway Writer’s thesis: * The story is not a fantasy but a serious work * Main issues are class ( Eliot refutes the common belief that the upper classes are superior) industrialization ( she argues that industrialization dehumanizes and alienates workers) and religion ( she suggests a ‘religion of humanity’ as substitute for failure of organized religion). * The issues are realistically treated, in the context of the author’s time, and through a series of contradictory parallels. Para 2: Explains that novel is set during time of transition and summarises story. Para 3: finishes summary. Para 4: dual story line mirrors†¦show more content†¦Central point of the novel., accounts for different endings of 2 stories. * We can now understand regeneration of two characters. Silas lost faith because LY religion inadequate in encountering a complex world, but repeated mistake by turning to narrow materialism. Weaving and gold provide order and meaning. Eppie frees him from man-made web, connects him to web of life. Love and fellowship act as mediator between individual and alien universe. Escape into over-simplification (miraculous intervention in LY or inhuman machine-like logic in Raveloe) denies need for such mediation. * Loss of faith, then gold, required to bring Silas face to face with reality of human situation. Love for Eppie leads to integration with society and new religious belief, based on love for fellows. * Re-defining oracles of religion carried out in discussions with Dolly. * Godfrey’s regeneration. Natural kindness has survived, and increa singly able to accept alien and ordered universe. Role of Nancy. But also swings from extreme of belief in chance to other, belief in Duty and Nemesis, another oversimplification. Cannot reduce complexity of life to fulfilling legal duties (Nancy also has to learn this). * Stories come into collision when both men claim Eppie. Critical debate. Takes education of both one step further, Eliot’s definition of religion of humanity one step further. * Preparation for this final debate , as well as other thematic concerns, given inShow MoreRelatedLiterature Marking Scheme9477 Words   |  38 Pagespassage-based, essay questions and (on prose and drama texts) empathic questions. There is a choice of three questions on each set text. Paper 2 1 hour 15 minutes Unseen From a choice of two question, each requiring critical commentary, candidates must choose one. One question is based on a literary prose passage and the other on a poem or extract of a poem. Candidates answer one question from each section and must choose at least one passagebased and one essay question. NoRead MoreBelonging Essay4112 Words   |  17 PagesHSC Subject Guide Belonging 2009 HSC: Area of Study – English - related material English HSC 2009 - 2012 is Belonging. What does belonging mean? From the Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus: belong, verb, 1) to be rightly put into a particular position or class; 2) fit or be acceptable in a particular place or environment; 3) belong to be a member of; 4) belong to be the property or possession of. Belonging, noun, affiliation, acceptance, association, attachment, integration, closeness, rapport,

Construction Effectiveness of Risk Management †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Construction Effectiveness of Risk Management. Answer: Introduction: The paper investigates an issue of quality failure or adverse environmental outcome caused due to construction fault. The assignment is executed in the light of the collapse of the West Gate Bridge in 1970 into the Yarra River. The purpose of the report is to analyse a failure of a construction work and its after effect on the environment. The report shows that failures of construction companies to execute and maintain civil construction structures efficiently lead to catastrophes affecting hundreds of people and causing massive damage to the environment and its structures like rivers. It shows that loss of resources and stakeholders. This West Gate Bridge collapse in 1970 was an issue of extreme quality failure, failure to deliver quality product (the bridge over here) and immense loss of life and property. The collapse resulted in immense multitude of environmental pollution when tons of concrete, dust and building material fell into the river below and also spread over the surrounding areas. The section would delve into the material facts of the catastrophic building failure and issues it created. The West Gate Bridge was the most ambitious project in Australia, a part of which collapsed into the Yarra River on October 15, 1970. The accident happened when the construction company, John Holland Construction Company failed the deliver a quality construction. The bridge killed 35 people and left many injured when the span between 112 metres between piers 10 and 11 collapsed 50 metres to the land and the river below. The collapse resulted due to faulty construction, negligence and lack of governance on the part of the contractors and the union. It resulted in huge quantities of concrete, metal, debris and other wastes like immense quantities of dust falling into the Yarra River below which resulted in river pollution. The fire, dust and debris spread in the surrounding area aggravating the environmental pollution and degeneration. The West Gate Bridge collapsed due to building failure on the side of the contractor John Holland Construction Company that was awarded the contract by Victorian State Government. The Victorian Government gave power to Lower Yarra Crossing Authority, a business consortium to build the bridge, the later floated tender for the purpose and John Holland Construction Company got the contract. Maunsell and Partners, a Melbourne based firm was the consultant for the concrete work and Freeman Fox Firm, a London based company acted as the consultant for steel work. It can be pointed out the later had constructed Milford Haven Bridge which collapsed killing four people. The faulty construction was use of low quality materials and maintenance of the bridge by the construction companies and its engineers. Sources also cited the conflict between the management and the union resulted in lack of coordination and planning while constructing the bridge that ultimately led to the collapse (Heraldsun.c om.au. 2017). The collapse of the West Bridge into and around the Yarra River caused massive environmental damage, perhaps one of the most important long-term issues it created. The bridge piers of concrete weighing 200 tonnes of concrete fell into a river causing immense amount of river pollution. The dust and the concrete settled on the bank and the surrounding areas causing massive damage to the environment. The mud and the concrete fell onto the building around and caused damage to them as well. The collapse led to explosion of the concrete, which caused fire. Lubricants and oil added to the multitude of environment damage the collapse resulted in. This analysis shows that the collapse led to massive damage to the environment and the environmental structure below, the Yarra River. Project delivered on time and excessive cost: The slackness on the side of the civil engineering construction company John Holland Construction Company and its consultants, negligence in maintenance and several other factors led to extension of the project and increase in the cost. Ede (2013) in his work states that use of poor quality building materials result in collapse of constrictions like bridges. The reason of the collapse was a small gap of 4.5 inches between two girders. The people tied to balance between two spans, which led to cracks which was a structural failure. The construction companies decided to remove the buckle. The engineers ordered the workers to remove the bolts and that led to the bridge to collapse. The faulty construction and the consequent led to increase of construction from $44 million to a whopping $200 million. The fall of the West Bridge and the subsequent investigation by the authorities uncovered several legal, moral and ethical issues. The commercial organizations functioning in Australia come under the ambit of Safe Work Australia 2008. The act mandates all the commercial organisations including the construction companies follow the act. They are obliged by law to enforce and adopt codes of practices to ensure employee safety. The Act mandates the CEOs of the Australian companies to ensure that their organisations follow it and require them to frame strategies according to the act. The CEOs are supposed to inform the progress their organisations achieve in adopting and implementing Safe Work Australia 2008 (Legislation.gov.au. 2017). This shows that the construction company John Holland Construction Company and its consultants have breached the act. The construction company did not adhere to the safety laws that every civil construction company is mandated to follow while operating in Australia. The investigations also unearthed several ethical and moral issues revolving around the construction of the bridge and its collapse. Freeman Fox and Partners, one of the consultants had reputations of an ethical and irresponsible construction work. There are records of collapses of a number of bridges constructed by the company. The involvement of the company in spite of its bad reputation in the civil construction market internationally points out to the lack of ethics on the part of the main construction company, John Holland Construction Company (Glatzenberger 2015). There are also proofs of conflicts among the company, the engineers and the workers regarding the construction of the bridge. The investigators on moral grounds blamed the Victorian Government, the consortium, the contractors and even the workers for the collapse and the consequent catastrophe. There were also reports of frequently conflicts between the parties involved like the construction companies, the union and t he workers led to faulty building planning and calculations. These legal and ethical issues led to investigation and hearing of the matter at the Royal Commission (Ngundo 2014). Briefing of the issues or the problems: The above analysis of the issues involving the fall of the West Bridge in 1970, points out to four primary issues. First issue was failure to construct the bridge according to the expectation of the client and key stakeholder, the Victorian Government (Prov.vic.gov.au. 2017). The second issue was the massive environmental pollution caused due to collapse and spreading of materials into the river below and the surrounding areas. The third issue was rapid increase in the construction cost and extension of construction time, which was in fact encouraging high cost. The fourth issue was breaches of law, morality and ethics by the authorities and the construction companies. Li, Ng and Skitmore (2013) point out that civil construction companies manufacture bridges and faults in their products (bridges and roads) results in massive damage to the stakeholders. The analysis of the above issue clearly shows that John Holland Construction Company did not act responsibly towards the stakeholders . The collapse resulted in massive wastage of resources and pollution, thus affecting the society and the environment. The collapse led to death and injury to workers and damaged houses surrounding the structure. It shows that the construction company did not protect the interest of the stakeholders like the people, workers and the society at large (Jin et al. 2013). The evidences like photographs, drawings and plans show that actual performance f the construction company, John Holland Construction Company pertaining to the construction of the West Gate Bridge was way below the performance the principle the Victorian Government, expected or specified in the tender documents. The photograph above shows a collapsed portion of the West Gate Bridge. It shows the structures like the span, girder and pillars after the collapse (Savage 2013). The drawing below shows the structure of a cable stayed bridge, the category to which the West Gate Bridge belongs. The diagram evidently shows that the bridge decks hangs on cables and the entire load is transferred to the base through the pillars. The governments build these bridges with the expectations that they would be able to support heavy load of traffic and connect different regions. Adopting of a plan to construct bridges and getting approval from the top ministries involves several legal and political complications and are very time consuming. The ministry building the bridges pay a huge amount of money to the contractors who build the bridges. Langenmayr (2017) states that the governments accumulate this huge amount of resources to offer the contractors from the taxes they collect from the people and the companies. This analysis shows that the contractors by neglecting their responsibility of executing the civil construction work actually breach the expectations of the go vernments employing them for the work and the people (Moreu and Spencer Jr 2015). The figure below is a plan of a cable stayed bridge which showing the pillars or piers and the deck. The figure clearly points out that the deck hangs from the cables, which are in turn attached to the towers, which transfers the weight of the structure to the base. An analysis of the structural fault in case of the West Gate Bridge shows that the crack appeared in the in between the spans. The decks hang from the cables hence, when the decks cracked, the entire super structure of the bridge collapsed. The figure shows the present status of the West Gate Bridge which John Holland Construction Company completed. The bridge is supports a large number of traffic and is the third longest bridge in Australia. The finally has finally proved to be success and the construction company is working towards expansion of the bridge. The above discussion regarding success of John Holland Construction Company in meeting the expectation of the principle client, the Victorian Government can have two inferences based on the evidences. The project of building the West Gate Bridge was one of the most ambitious projects of the Victorian Government and involved a lot of expenditure. So, when the bridged collapsed and the slackness from the side of John Holland Construction Company was proven, it can be construed that the construction company failed to keep up to the performance expectations of the principle (Herps, Buntinx and Curfs 2016). However, the last picture bears evidence to the fact that construction finally succeeded in meeting the performance expectations of the Government of Victoria and the common people who use it to travel. Conclusion: The above discussion shows that failure and negligence from the side of the construction companies result in collapse of bridges. The collapse results in death and injuries to hundreds of people including workers. These bridges collapse into rivers and lakes over which they stand. This causes massive amount of environmental pollution to both the water bodies and the surrounding areas. It can be recommended to the construction companies that they must supervise, plan, control and maintain the civil construction work more strictly to ensure high quality of execution. This can prevent or at least minimise future collapses of bridges and damages to the people and the environment. References: Design 2017.Towers of Suspension and Cable Stayed Bridges -Functions, Design. [online] The Constructor. Available at: https://theconstructor.org/structures/suspension-cable-stayed-bridges-towers-functions-design/18139/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017]. Ede, A.N., 2013. Building collapse in Nigeria: The trend of casualties the last decade (2000-2010).International Journal of Civil Environmental Engineering,10(6). Glatzenberger, E., 2015. Leadership and Growth: The connection between leadership and sustainable growthperceived from a companys and governmental perspective in Sweden and Austria in the construction industry. Heraldsun.com.au. 2017.Who was to blame for West Gate Bridge horror?. [online] Available at: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/melbournes-west-gate-bridge-collapse-left-scene-of-carnage-and-35-dead-in-1970-horror/news-story/ad2863720aefc0b70a6eb4869af7eaea [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017]. Herps, M.A., Buntinx, W.H. and Curfs, L.M., 2016. Individual support planning with people with ID in The Netherlands: Official requirements and stakeholders expectations.ALTER-European Journal of Disability Research/Revue Europenne de Recherche sur le Handicap,10(4), pp.281-288. Jin, Z., Deng, F., Li, H. and Skitmore, M., 2013. Practical framework for measuring performance of international construction firms.Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,139(9), pp.1154-1167. Johnholland.com.au. 2017.West Gate Tunnel : John Holland. [online] Available at: https://www.johnholland.com.au/our-projects/west-gate-tunnel/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017]. Langenmayr, D., 2017. Voluntary disclosure of evaded taxesIncreasing revenue, or increasing incentives to evade?.Journal of Public Economics,151, pp.110-125. Legislation.gov.au. 2017.Safe Work Australia Act 2008. [online] Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2009A00084 [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017]. Li, T.H., Ng, S.T. and Skitmore, M., 2013. Evaluating stakeholder satisfaction during public participation in major infrastructure and construction projects: A fuzzy approach.Automation in construction,29, pp.123-135. Moreu, F. and Spencer Jr, B.F., 2015.Framework for consequence-based management and safety of railroad bridge infrastructure using wireless smart sensors (WSS). Newmark Structural Engineering Laboratory. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.. Ngundo, J.M., 2014. Factors affecting effectiveness of risk management in public housing construction projects in Kenya: a case of Kibera slum upgrading housing scheme in Nairobi. Prov.vic.gov.au. 2017.West Gate Bridge collapse | PROV. [online] Available at: https://www.prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/online-galleries-and-exhibitions/west-gate-bridge-collapse [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017]. Savage, I., 2013. Comparing the fatality risks in United States transportation across modes and over time.Research in Transportation Economics,43(1), pp.9-22. Skyscrapercity.com. 2017.Colorado River Bridge - Page 4 - SkyscraperCity. [online] Available at: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=363201page=4 [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017]. Westgatebridge.org. 2017.The collapse | The West Gate Bridge Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.westgatebridge.org/node/114 [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017].

NEA offers 91 grants, more info Essay Example For Students

NEA offers 91 grants, more info Essay New information programs, new appointments and a slate of new grants to assist the nations artistically underserved communities have been announced by the National Endowment for the Arts.The United States Travel and Tourism Administration has teamed up with the NEA to develop a plan to help instill an increased awareness of Americas cultural diversity to international travelers to the U.S. As part of the cooperative agreement, signed by NEA chairman John Frohnmayer and USTTA head John Keller, African-American, Hispanic Latino-American, Native-American and Asian-American cultural sites and resources will be identified and included in USTTAs promotional ventures for international tourists.In late October, Frohnmayer also announced $6.2 million in grants for FY 91 to reach those who have not had the opportunity to experience and benefit fully from the arts in America. The effort to assist artistically underserved, culturally isolated communities across the country will allot funds in several different categories and will increase by more than $2 million by 1993. This years awards included $2.8 million in States Program grants to 28 state arts agencies to develop arts organizations and broaden public arts access in rural and inner-city communities; $1.9 million in Locals Program grants to 26 state projects to assist in the development of local arts agencies; $397,500 in Expansion Arts Program grants to 11 state arts agencies for regranting to rural arts organizations; $863,600 in Folk Arts Program grants for 24 individual apprenticeships with master traditional artists, and 19 additional grants to provide support for a variety of organizational efforts; and $227,900 for 13 Special Project grants awarded earlier this year to state and regional arts organizations for dance touring projects and jazz programs.The NEA has committed $500,000 this year to six arts organizations under its new multi-year Arts Education Collaboration Initiative to encourage the development of education programs. The goals of the initiative are to provide children with more direct arts experiences; to encourage long-term collaborations between arts organizations and arts and education agencies; and to target arts disciplines which receive little or no attention in most schools: theatre, opera and musical theatre, and dance.The pilot grants include $150,000 to the Childrens Dance Theatre, Salt Lake City; $25,000 to DellArte School of Physical Theatre, Humboldt, Calif.; $25,000 to Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Antonio; $55,000 to Metro Theater Company, St. Louis; $125,000 to the Music Center of Los Angeles, Education Division; and $120,000 to Opera Theatre of St. Louis.It was announced at the August meeting of the National Council on the Arts that the NEA Inter-Arts program has been renamed the Presenting and Commissioning Program. Beginning in FY 93, the Theater and Opera-Musical Theater programs will shift their presenter support projects over to the new programs, and in FY 94, the Dance and Music programs will do the same.The NEA Theater Program is offering a new grant subcategory, Special Projects Individual Theater Artists Collaborations, designed to respond to innovative and exemplary theatre projects involving collaborative work among individual theatre artists. To be eligible, at least one of the collaborating artists must have received a Theater Program fellowship since 1987. Project fellowships will generally range from $7,000 to $20,000.Michael E. Johnson was recently appointed assistant director of the NEAs Opera-Musical Theater Program. Previously the administrative director of the Des Moines Metro Opera, Johnson has also worked extensively as a stage director and performer in both opera and musical theatre.Larry Baden has been appointed deputy chairman for management at the NEA. Baden, who had been director of NEAs grants office since 1986, replaces Cynthia Rand, who left to become director of the Office of Information Resources Management at the U.S. .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 , .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 .postImageUrl , .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 , .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7:hover , .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7:visited , .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7:active { border:0!important; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7:active , .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7 .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u22b2fa417b88fbeff0d5eb2067601dd7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Black Orpheus: A Mythical, Musical Story Essay Department of Transportation.

Penalty Rates across Australia-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: You will write about story one on penalty rates, identifying the problem, analyzing it in terms of the relevant theory and literature, and provide practical solutions. Answer: Introduction Penalty rates are a form of compensation which is provided to the employees when the employees work on either Sundays or a public holiday. These rates are provided in from of additional compensation for the purpose of ensuring that fair compensation is provided in relation to the additional work done by the employees by sacrificing their leisure and free time (Hill, Jones Schilling, 2014). However the governments in Australia have taken a decision to reduce the penalty rate to be provided to the employees. When the employee rates were double the time for an employee working on a Sunday or a private holiday. However these payments in relation to full time employees have been reduced to half and time and in relation to casual employees it has been reduced to half and time. The purpose of this report is to identify the problem as a consultant of an organization operating in the retail industry which has been created through the deduction in penalty rates in relation to various areas of human resource management in the organization. The report initially identifies the problem and then analyze it based on relevant theories and literatures. Subsequent to the analysis the report recommends appropriate solutions in relation to the problem. The Issue As stated by ABC News (2018), the initiative taken by the government with respect to the reduction in the penalty rates across Australia has not been very successful as there has been a failure on the part of the strategy towards the creation of additional jobs and working hours. This is the primary issue which has been identified as a consultant to the organization. This result has been obtained through a survey which has been conducted by Macquarie University and University of Wollongong upon 1351 workers. It has been conducted through the research that no additional working hour has resulted out of the cutting strategy. The decision of cutting the penalty rates was attempted to be justified by the government by stating that the strategy is set to enhance the extent of services offered by the employees along with increase in additional working hours. The research has to the contrary made a finding that the working hours of the employees in the retail sector on Sunday have been decr eased by up to 9% after the new decreased rates have been implemented. In addition there has also been a significant decrease in the percentage of employees who work on Sundays. This has mainly been due to the decision of the employees of not working on Sundays where a lower penalty rate is provided to them. This issue may have a considerable impact of a few areas of HRM which are discussed in the report in The Light Of Relevant Theories And Literature. Strategic Hrm The organization must have the knowledge that Strategic HRM refers to typical components of HR such as hiring, payroll and discipline. The process incorporates the working of the employees in a collaborative way so that a boost in relation to quality, mutual benefit and retention of the employees can be achieved (Barney, 2014). According to the behavioral perspective in relation to strategic HRM there has been in order to get the best out of the employees their behavior in relation to elements like Motivation, expectations, conflicts. When the employees have proper motivation, their expectations in relation to their employment are met and there is minimum conflict which arise out of the workplace they automatically tend to provide more effort towards the organization. It has also been argued by Wheelen et al. (2017) that the satisfaction of employees in relation to the workplace has a significant impact on productivity of the organization. This is because when the employees are satis fied they are able to concentrate on their role within the organization in a much better way. In the present situation where the employees have been imposed with penalty rates which are less than what they use to receive. The primary purpose of a holiday penalties is to provide motivation to the employees to do additional work in a time which has been provided to them for personal use. Therefore it can be evidently stated that as the penalty rates have been reduced the motivation which the employees have to work in the given situation has reduced and the employer are not able to meet the expectation of the employees giving rise to conflict and subsequently low turnout of work of holidays. This statement can further be provided support through the results of the research conducted by Macquarie University and University of Wollongong where the same situation has been depicted through the research. Employee Turnover And Retention It is the duty of the consultant to discuss the impact of penalty rates on employee turnover and retention. One of the most significant challenges which are faced by the HR managers is in relation to their role in the organization is that of employee retention. Retaining employees is of significant importance to the organization (Albers et al., 2017). This is because when the organization is not able to retain employees it has to bear an additional cost in relation to the process of recruitment. In addition where the retrenchment rate of the organization is high the potential employees believe that there is something not right with the management within the organization and therefore refrain from applying in such companies. Out of the two types of turnover (voluntary and involuntary turnover) the one which is a more significant threat to the organization is the voluntary turnover. This is the kind of turnover which is initiated by the employees themselves and takes place in a situati on where the organization wants the employees to be a part of it. There are various reasons why employee turnover takes place. These includes getting better opportunity, not able to maintain a proper work life balance, poor management, conflict within the workplace and payment and compensation system and an overall unhealthy working environment (Slack, 2015). There are a few theoretical perspectives which have been provided in relation to the element of retention and turnover. One of such perspectives is in relation to the theory of distributive fairness. The theory is in relation to the decision taken by people based of the made contribution and the outcome received through it. Employees in the same way also consider the amount of contribution which has been made by them and the amount if compensation which is received in relation to the contribution to determine the feasibility of working with the employer in future. In situation where the penalty rates have been decreased by the government it is evident that the voluntary turnover of the employee would increase (Barney Hesterly, 2015). This is because in addition to the lack of motivation in the employees it can be stated that the employees have will have the view that the amount of additional effort they are providing is much more than the compensation which is being provided to them . Sacrificing personal time to work for the organization would be considered as a significant contribution and the lower penalty rates would be considered as a less compensation against the contribution (Rothaermel, 2015). Motivation, Rewards And Compensation A consultant has the duty to inform the organization about the importance of motivation, rewards and compensation. According to the equity theory a person in order to analyze whether the situation he or she is in is fair or not compares the situation which are faced by others. Thus as per the principles of this theory the ratio of perceived outcome such as working conditions or penalty rates is compared by a person with perceived input such as effort to the same ratio as others. Whether equity is perceived or not determines the consequences of the actions of the individuals. Where the person is able to perceive equity there is no change and where the person is not able to perceive equity there is going to be a change within the behavior and attitude of the person (Morschett, Schramm-Klein Zentes, 2015). When it comes to payment of penalty rates, external equity is taken into consideration by the employees. This means that the employees will tend to compare the penalty rate which they use to receive or what others are receiving in some other industry to perceive equity. In the given situation where penalty rates are different for specific industry employees working in sectors having a low penalty rate will not be able to perceive equity and there will be an evident change in their behavior. In addition it has been argued by Frynas and Mellahi, (2015) that a payment structure which is based on jobs may not result in a behavior which is desired, specifically in an environment which is changing rapidly. Thus penalty rate based on the kind of industry and the type of employment a person is engaged in would also not be suitable to derive the desired behavior from the employees. Diversity And Work Life Balance The organization has to consider the importance of diversity and work life balance in relation to the management of employees. It has been argued by Morden (2016) that providing addition compensation the employees to work on those days which are reserved for their personal use is unethical in nature and also not very effective in the long run as it disturbs the work life balance of the employees. Thus this argument can be taken in favor of the decrease in penalty rates for working on holidays. In addition a holiday on Sunday is a culture in Australia which is only for the purpose of relaxing and indulging into personal work. Allocating work on a holiday to the employer would lead to the operating against such culture. However these practices are totally legal in Australia as they are done for the betterment of market and smooth functioning of trade. In this situation it can be provided that penalty rates have been decreased for the purpose of ensuring that a pooper work life balance is established. However it has also been provided that the sending on consumer products has considerably decreased from the time there has been a reduction in the rates. This evidently provides that the employees are not able to maintain proper life-style due to the less compensation received by them. The situation will therefore have an adverse impact on their work-life balance (Goetsch Davis, 2014). Recommendations As a consultant it would be suggested that a an equal penalty rate opportunity program has to be initiated for the purpose of addressing the issue in relation to the different penalty rates. This program can function in from of an Equal Employment Opportunity plan through which the employees would be able to perceive equality (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2015). The employers have to observe distributive as well as procedural fairness while dealing with those employees who seek to work on Sundays and public holidays. In relation to such fairness the employees may provide the employees some form of fringe benefits in situation where the penalty rates have been reduced. The motivation of the employees to work on holidays has to be enhanced by employers. A lack of motivation is a serious problem which has been indentified in relation to the reduction of penalty rates. Motivation can be enhanced by providing lesser work on holidays where there has been a reduction in penalty rates. The employers have to ensure that the work-life balance of the employees is maintained so that they can contribute fairly towards their role in the organization. Satisfied employees tend to provide more productivity. Work-life balance of the employees can be improved by given them flexible working hours. Conclusion Employment relationship is the core to the success of any organization. As a consultant to the organization it would be stated by me that the organization has to enhance employment relation which can be done through providing employee satisfaction. The organization has to incorporate strategic HRM in order to effectively manage its employees and increase productivity. The lower penalty rates have de motivated the employees to work effectively. Thus the organization needs to address the issue by provided adequate compensation and rewards to the employees as well as a healthy working environment which is inclusive in nature References Albers, S., Baum, H., Auerbach, S., Delfmann, W. (Eds.). (2017). Strategic Management in the Aviation Industry. Taylor Francis. Barney, J. B. (2014). Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage. Pearson higher ed. Barney, J. B., Hesterly, W. (2015). Strategic management and competitive advantage concepts and cases. Pearson. Frynas, J. G., Mellahi, K. (2015). Global strategic management. Oxford University Press, USA. Goetsch, D. L., Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R., Schilling, M. A. (2014). Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., Hoskisson, R. E. (2015). Strategic management: Concepts: Competitiveness and globalization, chapter 3-The internal organization: Resources, capabilities, core competencies and competitive advantages. South Melbourne: South-Western Cengage Learning. Morden, T. (2016). Principles of strategic management. Routledge. Morschett, D., Schramm-Klein, H., Zentes, J. (2015). Strategic international management (pp. 978-3658078836). Springer. Rothaermel, F. T. (2015). Strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education. Slack, N. (2015). Operations strategy. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Wheelen, T. L., Hunger, J. D., Hoffman, A. N., Bamford, C. E. (2017). Strategic management and business policy. pearson.

Application Essay For Graduate School - Writing Your Essay is Not Easy

Application Essay For Graduate School - Writing Your Essay is Not EasyWriting an application essay for graduate school can be one of the most daunting and stressful steps for students who are applying for their first time. You are most likely doing your very first step into becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer and you are looking for any excuse to get into the best universities that you can. So if you are having trouble writing your application essay for graduate school this is how to fix it.Knowing the format and style of each school will help your student's application essay for graduate school to stand out. The next thing that you need to do is make sure you don't skimp on the basics.Know what each school's faculty requirements are. This may not be written anywhere on the application but it will certainly be said in the questionnaire you have to fill out. The majority of schools will not accept applicants with prior discharges from the military. If you were honorably discharged you will not get in.Fill out all the necessary information on your student's application essay for graduate school. It should have the following information: first and last name, current address, phone number, fax number, email address, medical history, and any educational requirements.Writing your essay is definitely a step in the right direction but when it comes to formatting your paper, it's a whole other ball game. You can try out some templates out but the real key to writing a great essay for graduate school is to take your time and really get your hands dirty. Get a pen and paper and make sure that you keep the research organized and easily accessible.There are many sources online that you can use to create your curriculum vitae. It's important to understand that this is not an entry on your resume; this isan application. Take the time to learn about how to format your curriculum vitae so that you have a chance at getting into a great school.You should never attempt to skip over any of the unique requirements that each institution has. You'll be more than glad you did.Using the above tips, you'll have a leg up when it comes to the preparation for your first ever application for graduate school. Good luck!

Yorktown Technologies free essay sample

Technologies, was founded by two gentlemen, Alan Blake and Richard Crockett, with the objective to patent the idea of producing GloFish ® genetically modified tropical zebra fish which would fluorescent all the time. Zebra danio fish are native to India. These fish are clear with stripes on them. The objective of these fluorescent fish is to identify water contamination. After further analysis, patenting this idea was not possible as these fishes where already been developed for research. As a result, Crockett and Blake proceeded in modifying their business strategy to license the packaging and reselling of fluorescent fishes to large industry buyers. Yorktown Technologies founders, met with Dr. Ivan Pruchansky who developed the fluorescent zebra fish and had expressed interest in working with the startup. Dr. Pruchansky eventually decided not to work with Yorktown Technologies for various reasons that triggered him, such as environmental community concerns, involving the university on the licensing of his discovery and jeopardizing his academic credibility. We will write a custom essay sample on Yorktown Technologies or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After the unsuccessful negotiations with Dr. Pruchansky, Blake and Crockett partnered with National University of Singapore (NUS) as they had developed their own fluorescent fish and expressed interested in commercializing their fish. As a result, an agreement was signed which gave Yorktown Technologies rights to NUS line of fluorescent zebra fish and patent that covered all fluorescent ornament fish in exchange for a 16% royalty fee. This agreement would set Yorktown Technologies on a competitive advantage as competitors enter the market. Blake and Crockett implemented successful fundraising strategies which raised $5 million in preparation for the launch of GloFish ® genetically modified tropical zebra fish project. Yorktown Technologies secured two distribution agreements with the largest Florida freshwater ornamental fish producers and distributions in the country, 5-D Tropical and Segrest Farms. Despite the successful efforts in fundraising, Yorktown Technologies first year performance drove a loss of $120,000 compared to the $4 million company surplus projections. Although Yorktown Technologies sales have increased year over year, the main problem in this case is they haven’t reached their geographical targeted audience and facing channel distribution. Analysis and Evaluation As various issues have been addressed at Yorktown Technology, Blake and Crockett still need to evaluate the problems which are hindering the growth of the organization to drive long-term sustainable success. We will focus on five key areas to provide Blake and Crockett on what to expect, this includes: marketing environment, consumer market, channel infrastructure, competition and address any ethical concerns. All of this information will be used to provide a recommendation to Yorktown Technologies board of directors. Marketing Environment: Yorktown Technology faced a variety of environmental challenges, which triggered them to launch their product sooner than planned. There are various environmental agencies which are developing negative publicity of the impacts of genetic fluorescent zebra fish. Negative publicity prohibited Yorktown Technologies in marketing fish to Californian population which historically demonstrated adoption of innovative products. Yorktown has taken action to defend, educate and drive awareness of these fluorescent zebra fish. This effort has been implemented through media, such as television, magazines, newspaper and website. Regardless of the environmental concerns and Dr. Pruchansky’s effort, approval has been granted to market across the country, excluding California. Yorktown Technologies should provide additional report to California government to obtain approval. There is a significant level of market share Yorktown Technologies can obtain as the aquarium industry is worth over $1,000 million (Cato and Brown, 2003). The United States is the number one importer of ornamental fish despite European Union being the largest market for ornamental fish (Livengood and Chapman, 2012). Additionally, the United States produces and sells over 200 million ornamental fish and distribute to over 5,000 retail establishments (Kerin and Peterson, 2012). Moldvay (2012), published the United States 40% of pet owners, own a fresh water fish compared to cats and dogs (refer to table 1). The marketing environment and opportunities to succeed in the aquarium industry is significant just the proper marketing strategy needs to be implemented. Consumer Market: According to Yorktown Technologies, the negative â€Å"buzz† on genetically fluorescent zebra fish didn’t seem to impact initial sales. Blake communicated to USA Today, â€Å"Public demand for GloFish ® fluorescent fish has been extraordinary, even greater than we had anticipated† (USA Today, 2003). â€Å"Finicky† fish consumers accepted the product favorably. Product innovation was implemented after a retailer informed Yorktown Technologies that fish lovers like different, unique fish and that â€Å"variety drives purchases†. It isn’t too late to perform market research analysis on the targeted population to understand the unmet needs. After obtaining the retailer’s feedback and evaluating the flaws of the Red Zebra Danio (i. e. minimal brightness, loss of color), NUS developed a new generation of fluorescent GloFish ® that would address the flaws followed by launching different color fluorescent zebra fish (i. e. green and orange). The next phase should consist of line extension strategy by expanding the color variation to provide variety to consumers. In 2008, over $4 million was estimated to have been spent on Yorktown Technologies products and the United States consumer ornamental fish market is growing at a nine percent rate year over year. This requires Yorktown Technologies to identify the opportunity recognition to differentiate the supply of fluorescent zebra fishes. Concurrently, Yorktown Technologies should invest the time and effort to address the government’s request to enter the California market. This will be a significant win since California is the most populous state reported by the Census Bureau. Historical this population has proven to embrace innovated products. There is a significant consumer market to offer ornamental fish which would benefit Yorktown Technologies. Channel Infrastructure: Yorktown Technologies understands they need to identify the optimal distribution channel to reach their targeted population. There are five distribution options which Blake is evaluating to determine the optimal solution considering the firm’s resources. For instance, Yorktown Technology should strengthen the relationships with â€Å"mom and pop† (independent pet stores) pet shops through marketing not only their products but also these businesses where the GloFish ® products are sold. This will allow optimal display of the fish at the pet shops increasing the likelihood of visibility and increase demand. Although the Census Bureau indicates there is a decline in pet stores, sales are increasing at a substantial annual rate. According to Moldvay (2012), pets are considered part of the family, therefore owners will cut back on personal discretionary spending first before reducing spending on their pets. Another option is establish and strengthen relationships with major retail chains. Yorktown Technologies should present a new case to the three major retail chains demonstrating product line performance throughout the country, including California, and proposed optimal economies of scale that will benefit both parties. Overall, this will require to keep in mind the price sensitive and expert fish lovers. If this attempt fails, then Yorktown Technologies should reach out to medium size pet stores to introduce the product line which slowly will gain exposure and open opportunity to enter into the major retail chains market. According to the IBISWorld (2012) publication, PetSmart and PETCO own 63% of the pet store market share. PETCO recognizes the opportunity recognition by offering the product line at some of the stores now it is time to open the dialogue to roll out the product line across all stores. Blake is evaluating leveraging kiosks to increase awareness, education and sales. Finicky fish hobbyist would be more interested in purchasing the fish in person versus by mail or online. Blake understands that kiosk generate $10 billion annually which is a great appetite to steer positive organization growth. This is a model where other GloFish ® product lines can be cross-sell and proper educational information can be provided to the public. Additionally, Yorktown Technologies can ensure proper display of the fluorescent zebra fish is presented to capture audience attention. Developing a strategic pilot in metropolitan areas where kiosk can be used to initiate interest and sales. Eventually, if the pilot demonstrates to be successful then kiosk expansion discussions can be developed. Unfortunately, the cost to lease a kiosk is extremely costly for Yorktown Technology to invest currently. Another alternative is the internet which is a cost effective channel to sell the GloFish ® product line. The operational cost are minimal which shipping would need to be a variable Yorktown Technologies would need to address. Blake performed analysis on the shipping cost and the cost was greater than the fish value. Mintel (1991) notes that most of the weight of shipment is water and it is expensive to ship a box of water around the country. Per the US Census Bureau, retail e-commerce sales have increased year over year attributed to $60 million and is forecasted to continue to increase. Yorktown Technologies should develop partnerships with independent pet stores or major retail pet stores to request consumers to pick up their online orders at local stores. Not only would this benefit Yorktown Technologies, but the stores will generate extra foot traffic with the possibility of generating additional sales. If shipping is required, a relationship should be established with a package delivery company (i. e. USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc) to determine a flat rate and potentially offer free shipping to the consumers incorporating a satisfaction guarantee offer. This strategy can work if the website provides value, such as educational videos are provided, to sell the product to consumers. Unfortunately, consumers will not be able to select the â€Å"right† fish as variation exist amongst them where satisfaction concerns could not be met. Absolutely a channel to evaluate further as e-commerce growth continues to grow year over year. Finally, going international is another alternative Blake is considering. Although going international requires a significant level of investment, there are tariffs to consider, illegal breeding possibilities and would require to address foreign regulations. The international market is much larger but the US is the number one importer of ornamental fishes (Livengood and Chapman, 2012). Countries such as India and European Union identify a lucrative industry to export ornamental fishes as source for income generation (De and Ramachandran, 2011). Blake indicates there are a few countries with restrictions making it impossible to enter those countries. Yorktown Technologies priority should strengthen the market share and relationships in the United States prior to going global. Competition: Yorktown Technologies has monopolize the ornamental fish, GloFish ®, since they have patent the fluorescent ornamental fish from NUS making it difficult for competition to enter the market. Consequently, there is already and existing market (National University of Taiwan, NUT) with similar products (fluorescent green medaka fish) and lower prices already abroad (Kerin amp; Peterson, 2010). Competing with the medaka fish will be very challenging for Yorktown Technology as they currently don’t have a strong financial foundation to compete aggressively and invest in the international arena. As a result, this could cause the end of this organization. An option could be for Yorktown Technologies to determine if there is business benefit to develop a similar patent agreement with NUT to diversify the product line and legally introduce the fish in the United States. This would be a proactive approach for Yorktown Technologies before a competitor obtains the NUT agreement and competes with them in the United States. A more thorough explanation of the competitive position will be defined through a SWOT analysis. Yorktown Technologies strengths consist of being the first and only organization to patent a fluorescent ornamental fish. It has monopolize the market giving them full market share on fluorescent ornamental fish. Another strength is they have incorporated the trading up offering by leveraging NUS enhancement to ensure the GloFish ® is more colorful and avoid losing the color as the fish matures. Additionally, they have taken a proactive approach to introduce product variation by providing fish lovers’ two additional colors to select. Scientist support the genetically engineered fish since they don’t pose any harm to the environment. With strengths comes weakness, Yorktown Technologies is encountering lack of brand awareness by various environmental communities. They haven’t been able to build a relationship with these environments to address their concerns and educate them on the benefits of the fluorescent engineered fish. Another weakness is identifying a solid distribution channel to maximize their sales force. They are encountering poor display of their products with independent pet stores and unable to successfully distribute to all major pet retailers. Yorktown Technologies is encountering challenges with controlling shipping cost. From outside perspective, Yorktown Technologies has several opportunities that can help the firm reach its full potential. First, management should invest time and effort to provide the report California government has requested to reach ~40 million consumers. Strengthen relationships with retailers to obtain optimal display and offer their products across major retailers. Additionally, Yorktown technologies has the opportunity to develop partnerships with package delivery companies to minimize shipping cost and be able to offer products via their website or request consumers to pick up their order at a local pet store. Another opportunity can be to diversify their product line by developing a patent agreement with NUT which will leveraged their fluorescent green medaka fish. Providing educational material and attending seminars will be instrumental to ensure the companies brand isn’t impacted with the negative â€Å"buzz†. Threats is the final category of the SWOT analysis. The major threat the organization is facing is poor distribution strategy. If the strategy isn’t finalized it will continue to impact the organizations growth opportunity. Additionally, the Asian competition will be required to address as they are manufacturing large volumes of the genetically modified medaka. Another factor to be consider is the validation of altered medaka imports which could/is hinder Yorktown Technologies future growth opportunities. Ethical Concerns: Despite the controversy GloFish ® generated prior and after the launch, various scientist confirmed these genetically engineered zebra fish weren’t a threat. The FDA (2003) announced that these genetically engineered zebra danio fish don’t pose a threat to the environment from the unmodified fish. Dr. Jyotshna Kanungo (2009) observed they are extensively used for research since they are similar to humans in many ways. These fishes have been instrumental in research and have made significant discoveries recently. Additionally, these fish have similar pathways as humans which have vertebrates, liver, pancreas, etc (FDA, 2013). The cost of maintenance is minimal and their fast development are advantages in using this specimen in laboratories. The concerns addressed by the environmental organizations don’t display any concerns to humans or to their species. Ethical issues aren’t a factor for Yorktown Technologies. We live in an environment where products and food are mostly genetically engineered which don’t cause an issue to society. There is confirmation from many scientist and organizations which indicated there is no concern with these fishes therefore the ethical dilemma surfaced aren’t relevant. It is almost a decade since the launch of GloFish ® and no reports have been addressed reporting negative side effects to the environment and original species. Finally, science is used to provide opportunities, hope and success to people and businesses. Hence if there are any concerns in genetically modifying the zebra danio fish then are the issues with in-vitrio where hope is given to couples to become parents. This is definitely a sensitive matter but genetically engineered zebra danios absolutely don’t drive ethical concerns they drive opportunity. Yorktown Technologies recognized the opportunity in the aquarium industry and developed research to partake in this industry. Recommendation Based on the information provided in the analysis, it is highly recommended that Yorktown Technologies dedicates the time and resources to abide with the California government request to enter this geographic arena to expose ~40 million people with this innovative and sophisticated product. Additionally, Yorktown Technologies should build and strengthen the relationships with independent pet stores and major retailers (i. e PETCO) by promoting the pet stores in Yorktown Technologies marketing efforts (i. e. magazines, website, public relations) in exchange of selling the product and providing optimal visibility. Next, Yorktown Technologies should diversify their product line by introducing variations and potentially patenting NUTs fish. This will aid in adding additional complexities for competitors to enter the fluorescent fish industry. Blake is aware that in order to acquire market success, a strong distribution strategy needs to be address. Hence, the internet channel will be the most cost effective channel in comparison of the kiosk. Yorktown Technologies should establish strong relationships with package delivery companies to obtain a cost effective shipping fee. Additionally, consumers can be given the chose to pick up the fish at their local pet shops for their convenience. This would absolutely require partnerships to be built with local and major pet shops to establish a same day pick up program. Finally, Yorktown Technologies should develop education campaigns to address the concerns that have been addressed by various organizations and offer online promotions to increase adoption rates. There are opportunities for Yorktown Technologies to reach its targeted population as one out of eight American households owns a freshwater fish aquarium (Kerin and Peterson, 2010).

Why Ironman Is a Better Superhero Than Batman free essay sample

Throughout his acting career, he has won more than enough awards to last him a lifetime. He has won awards like the â€Å"Best Performance by an Actor† at the Golden Globes, to the â€Å"Man of the Year† at the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. As for Batman, due to the many interpretations of the story throughout these years, it’s difficult for me to keep up with even what the actors’ name is. Not to mention, whomever the 50 actors were who played Batman probably aren’t even half as good looking as Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man and Batman are both superheroes with no actual powers. Bruce Wayne, the first, hidden half of Batman, and Tony Stark, the brilliant man behind that Iron suit are both extremely wealthy men. They have chosen to make good use of their wealth and take advantage of all their money to help save the world. In other words, because they weren’t born with superpowers like most comical heroes, they had enough money to literally invent their own powers. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Ironman Is a Better Superhero Than Batman or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, disregarding their slight similarities, Iron Man is, and foremost, a much greater superhero than Batman. Let’s start with their laboratories—where all the magic happens. Iron Man has not only an amazing lab, but also his house itself is breathtaking. Who wouldn’t adore a multi-million, if not, multi-billion dollar house overlooking Malibu, literally hanging over a cliff? And, from my understanding, Tony Stark actually built his house himself. Back to the point, his lab is spacious, it’s modern, high in technology—I mean, for crying out loud, he built a computer-based assistant who’s just as smart as he is. Nowadays, technology is such a massive part of everyone’s lives. Today, that is what’s going to get you somewhere in life. Batman, on the other hand, after all these years, is still in a cave. Someone needs to remind Batman that he isn’t actually a bat. He is a billionaire; why not use his billion dollars to build himself a decent lab? His house is secluded enough; it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere. This isn’t the 60s, Mr. Wayne. We have new technology in the 21st century. Make us of it. Secondly, their superhero suits. Let’s not forget that the purpose of having a suit is not only to make a bold statement, but to protect themselves. Iron Man’s suit is made of Iron; hence, his name. It’s built with all these high technology devices and weapons integrated into it, it talks to him whenever he’s in battle and needs assistance, and his suits are literally made just for him. They’re programmed to fit only Tony Stark, unless addressed otherwise by him. Batman’s suit is elastic. He’s better off painting a ballerinas’ leotard and tights black and wearing that. His initial defense against a gunshot would be a cartwheel or a simple whole-body swing, but Iron Man doesn’t even need to move. His suit protects him, which is how it’s supposed to be. Batman has to carry his weapons around in the little holes on his black-turned ballerina costume, and his only assistance remains at home—Alfred. Evidently, Batman just isn’t as practical as Iron Man is. Thirdly, Iron Man has better fighting tactics than Batman. Yes, he commits several killings, but he only kills the bad guys—the people who are harming us and do the world worse than they do well. He kills them and everyone walks away, that’s it. Batman is too scared to kill anyone. In a nutshell, what Batman does to his enemies and the bad guys is hurt them, make them feel a little pain here and there, and then send them home to their wives and kids, all beat up. And do they return? Yes. All of the people Batman has fought end up coming back and fighting him again. There is always that aftershock. This brings me to my last point: Iron Man never brought hell on earth. Sure, he blew up a field of terrorists, but he paid for it—literally. All the weapons he blew up with those terrorist were all his. The worst collateral damage was the Stark Industries, which was fine with him, he could just build everything all over again. Batman casted thousands and thousands of innocent people to a death-filled hell on earth. While he was in a nasty prison doing yoga and 100 push-ups with that, his people were dying. I understand that he had to gain his strength back, but if he were as smart as Iron Man, he could just swing his arms and his suits would fly over to him, and he could’ve gotten himself out of their in a matter of minutes. Instead, he waited months and months. Batman just isn’t very smart about this whole superhero thing. The bottom line is, because Batman just isn’t as practical with his money or his life, and his head hasn’t quite snapped into the 21st century yet, Iron Man, objectively, is a better superhero. He is smart, he is funny, he is good-looking, and overall, he just knows what to do. If you’re going to live a double life as a superhero, you have to be concrete. Let’s face it; Batman isn’t concrete. He is literally stretchy. Even Hannah Montana leads a better double-life than Batman does, or at least she’s smart about her other identity.