Total Quality Management (TQM): Barriers to Implementation

Total Quality Management (TQM): Barriers to Implementation PREFACE This Dissertation Proposal submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements forms part of a Dissertation study for the Award of Master of Science MSc in International Construction Management by the University of Bath through its distance learning programme. The programme operates in Hong Kong in conjunction with Hong Kong Universitys School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPACE). This study examines the barriers faced by introducing to Vietnamese construction organisations the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). RATIONALE Total quality management (TQM) is still a new issue for organisations in the Vietnamese construction industry. Many construction organisations outside Vietnam have embraced the philosophy and techniques of TQM with enthusiasm and success, while Vietnam has been reluctant because of issues and problems in introducing TQM systems and programs. These organisations need to establish a new strategy towards quality management if they wish to be more effective and successful to give these construction organisations better competitive advantages. Although various studies have been undertaken into the factors affecting delays, cost overruns, quality, safety, and productivity, etc. and other problems in specific types of construction projects, these studies seldom discuss common and general problems of construction projects. Thus, comprehensive studies on these problems are essential. Since the problems are rather contextual, the research will focus on a framework for the implementation of TQM in Vietnamese construction organisations. The turnover of the construction industry represents about 10 per cent of the GDP of most countries. The construction industry is therefore a vital element of the economy and has a significant effect on the efficiency and productivity of other industry sectors. The Construction industry, though it is a major contributor to the economy of any country, is facing the problems of high fragmentation, low productivity, poor quality and lack of standards. It has not followed the lead of the manufacturing industry. Within the construction industry, architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, contractors and various other specialists all have, in addition to their special technical skills, their own trade or professional customs and practices. These have an effect on the construction process either individually or collectively. These participants have differing traditions and often conflicting objectives. A key determinant that has inhibited industrys performance has been found to be its fragmented and loosely coupled supply chains. All these made the management of quality a difficult and complex task for all. As a result, projects in the industry are plagued by time and cost overruns. Frequently one reads in the newspaper about construction projects that take too long to construct, go over budget, or include disputes that may need to be resolved by legal means or arbitration. The construction industry therefore has been accused of being, at its worst, wasteful, inefficient and ineffective. Thus the reputation of the Vietnamese construction industry is ill suited for meeting competitive challenges of todays fast changing world where competitive edge is with those who manage their resources most effectively and offer a timely response to the demands of the market. The construction industry in Vietnam still has some way to go in terms of developing and implementing appropriate quality initiatives across the board. INTRODUCTION Total Quality Management is a management approach that originated in the 1950s and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980s. Total Quality is a description of the culture, attitude and organisation of a company that strives to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. TQM is a method by which management and employees can become involved in the continuous improvement of the production of goods and services. It is a combination of quality and management tools aimed at increasing business and reducing losses due to wasteful practices. The culture requires quality in all aspects of the companys operations, with processes being done right the first time and defects and waste eradicated from operations. One aspect of TQM that has frustrated the construction industry the most has been the measurement of quality. Although Total Quality Management has been a magic word, methods and techniques to implement the Quality Management program in the Vietnamese construction industry are still to be systematically and technically developed. The Vietnam construction industry is being viewed as one with poor quality emphasis compared to other sectors like the manufacturing and service sectors (Kubal, 1994; Kanji and Wong, 1998; Wong and Fung, 1999). Many criticisms have been directed to the construction industry for generally shoddy workmanship. It not only the final product that is subject to criticisms but the processes, the people, the materials etc are under tremendous pressure for better quality in construction. Total quality management (TQM) is increasingly being adopted by construction companies overseas as an initiative to solve quality problems in the construction industry and to meet the needs of the customer continuously (Fung and Wong, 1995; Wong and Fung, 1999; Kanji and Wong, 1998; Jido, 1996; Sommerville, 1994). TQM has the potential to improve business results, greater customer orientation and satisfaction, worker involvement and fulfillment, team working and better management of workers within companies. However, Vietnamese construction firms have been continually struggling with its implementation (Haupt and Whiteman, 2004). The implementation of a TQM philosophy within the organisations requires a cultural change (Sommerville et al, 1999) and its being recognised as an important aspect of total quality development (Adebanjo and Kohoe, 1998). The primary purpose of TQM is to provide excellence in customer satisfaction through continuous improvements of products and processes by the total involvement and dedication of each individual who is in any way a part of that product/process. It is a structured approach to improvement. If correctly applied, it will assist a construction company in improving its performance. Quality management is a critical component to the successful management of construction projects. Quality on construction projects can be regarded as the fulfillment of expectations (i.e. the satisfaction) of those participants involved. The quality is a critical factor in determining project acceptance and resultant contractual payment levels. Unfortunately the Vietnamese Construction industry, and generally, has lagged behind other industries in implementing TQM. There are various methods, which have been used by organisations in the construction industry to improve quality, employing mainly two major techniques: management techniques such as quality control, quality assurance, total quality management; and statistical techniques such as cost of quality and customer satisfaction. However, this does not mean that construction organisations have achieved the required quality standard. On the other hand, the quality performance found in the construction industry is worse than before, as more serious problems continue to happen in the industry. The primary objective of this study is to develop and implement an effective TQM framework model that would help Vietnamese construction organisations to establish a foundation for TQM programs and ensure continuous improvements and be more competitive- with tools and methodologies for the identification of construction processes for continuous organisational improvement and customer satisfaction within the Vietnamese Construction Industry. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Research Questions and Objectives A statement of the specific aims and objectives of the study is considered necessary to help frame the issue sufficiently to enable it to be studied effectively and to measure the extent of its achievement. AIM: Main aim is to investigate and identify the barriers of introducing Total Quality Management (TQM) in Vietnamese construction organisations and make preliminary proposals and considerations of TQM implementation outlining the basic steps in managing a transition to a new quality system such as TQM. OBJECTIVES: To examine the TQM practices in Vietnamese construction organisations To investigate the affects of TQM on organisational performance To examine the relationship between TQM and organisational performance (commitment, resistance to change, culture) To develop a mindset of the organisations effectiveness of quality management initiatives To determine if there is organisational or individual resistance to change by using TQM techniques To develop and formulate how to implement a TQM program HYPOTHESIS: The authors research technique will be a problem-solving approach, hence formulating a hypothesis will not deem applicable in this study. INITIAL CORE QUESTIONS: The research questions and stated objectives are translated into the following operational statements: Position of the affects of TQM on organisational current performance Position of barriers to introducing TQM in Vietnam construction organisations Position of the relationship between TQM and organisational performance or QMS (quality management systems) Position of organisations and individuals resisting to change Position to provide evidence to suggest that western management practices such as total quality management (TQM) can be implemented successfully in Vietnam despite high cultural and organisational barriers. Position of implementing TQM systems within the Vietnamese construction industry to be an effective continuous improvement RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: LITERATURE RESEARCH The objective of the research is to assess TQM barriers of introducing and implementing initiatives in a number of Vietnamese contracting organisations to explain and identify similarities and differences in the implementation approach, benefits achieved, difficulties experienced and critical success factors. The field study will be based on the guidelines suggested by Yin (1989) and thus focus on contractor selection, focus on inquiry, which sort richness in data and data gathering procedures. Below are the proposed research stages: A comprehensive review of the relevant literature including a computer-assisted search will be undertaken in order to develop an understanding of previous work in the field of TQM. The exploration will be achieved through unstructured interviews and questionnaires with approximately 15-20 companies/organisations that have stated they have a TQM system. Further examination will decipher if these organisations have evidence of a systematic TQM system in place. Interviews with the aid of the authors questionnaire will take place to evaluate the level of quality effectiveness. The author will use these organisations once examined to study the possible implementation of a systematic TQM. This stage will bring together and review the information collected in the previous stages in which the present TQM system has been studied. This stage will involve writing up the content of the dissertation and should cover the chapters proposed in the following content: Proposed Contents of Dissertation Introduction Total Quality Management (TQM)- The Concept Implementation of TQM Designing the case study and research methodology Analysing and evaluating the case study evidence Conclusions and further studies References and Appendices FIELD STUDY DESIGN AND CONTRACTOR SELECTION The study research and report for this paper will be carried out in Vietnam, where an estimate of fifteen- twenty contracting organisations will be approached about the nature of the research. The contractors considered for the study are considered to be well-established contractors who are capable of procuring a wide range of construction facilities (building and civil engineering). Each contractor has several offices throughout Vietnam. Table 1 (sample at present) will provide characteristics about the contractors used for this study. For reasons of confidentially the author cannot provide any more detail than that presented in Table 1. The information that will be provided by senior management will only be estimates so as to provide the reader with an idea about the size the organisations involved with the research. The following descriptions are drawn from Gay and Diehl (1992) and relate to the two main methodologies used in the research: CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH Correlational research attempts to determine whether, and to what degree, a relationship exists between two or more quantifiable variables The purpose of a correlational study may be to establish a relationship, or the lack of it or to use relationships in making predictions. Correlational studies typically assess a number of variables believed to be related to a major complex variable, such as leadership. Variables found not to be highly related are eliminated from further consideration; variables that are highly related may suggest causal-comparative or experimental studies to determine if the relationships are causal. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH Once again from Gay and Diehl (1992), Descriptive research involves collecting data in order to test hypodissertation or answer questions concerning the current status of the subject of the study. A descriptive study determines and reports the way things are. One common type of descriptive research involves assessing attitudes or opinions towards individuals, organisations, events, or procedures; pre-election political polls and market research surveys are examples of this type of descriptive research. Descriptive data are usually collected through a questionnaire survey, interviews, or observations. COMPETING OR LINKED RESEARCH PARADIGM? Whilst undertaking the Dissertation which will precede this Proposal; and whilst preparing the Dissertation itself: it became evident that the debate concerning the merits of quantitative vis-a-vis qualitative methodologies were relevant to considering how the research was to be conducted. As pointed out by Sekaran (1992), In the management and behavioral areas it is not always possible to conduct investigations that are 100% scientific Still, to the extent that we can design our research to ensure purposiveness, rigor, and the maximum possible testability, replicability, generalizability, objectivity, parsimony, and precision and confidence, we will have endeavoured to engage in scientific investigation. There exists a multi-methodological approach where, it is quite usual for a single study to combine quantitative and qualitative methods and to use primary and secondary data, (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2000). They continue, There are two major advantages to employing multi-me thods in the same study. First, different methods can be used for different purposes in a study The second advantage of using multi-methods is that it enables triangulation1 to take place. Based on this pretext, the multi-methodological approach has been used for this research study. 1 Triangulation refers to the use or different data collection methods within one study in order to ensure that the data are tailing you what you think they are telling you. For example, semi-structured group interviews may be valuable way or triangulating data collected by other means, such as a questionnaire. RESEARCH AND DATA COLLECTION Interviews with questionnaires will be used as the primary source of data collection to focus the investigation and to ensure that a consistent line of inquiry is followed (Yin, 1989). The research will be carried out on as many competent construction organisations as possible (approximately 15-20) and are prepared to participate. In order to attempt to maximize the participation, the study will be introduced to the industrys senior executives, middle managers and contract managers who are direct employees of their organisations. This will help to eliminate noise factors that would result, if the study reached down to indirectly engaged multi-layers of domestic sub and sub-subcontractors. The research will be carried based on the following general methodologies: Examination of existing TQM practices of these organisations (if they exist) Survey based on questionnaire submitted by this author (refer to Appendix 1 for sample questionnaire) Statistical analysis to test for correlation in matched data from (a) and (b) (Interviews and examination of secondary data (reports, instructions, procedural documents) to test the suitability of the organisations ability to ascertain if TQM could be implemented as an evaluation tool for use in the Vietnamese construction industry). DATA STORAGE The data storage provisions for all data pertinent to this study will be in accordance with Bath University policy and the guidelines contained in Dissertation Notes Booklet. These provisions include that the original research documents (such as verified interview transcriptions, returned pilot and final questionnaires) will be retained by Bath University and a copy by the researcher, for a minimum period of five years. ETHICAL ISSUES: All research for this dissertation will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines of Bath University. The research trail will be transparent and written consent will be sought from the construction organisations comprising the study group. Anonymity and confidentiality will be maintained at all times and all participation (including, individual/group interviews and questionnaire response, will be voluntary. Any private individual names (except those in public office) referred to on the interview tapes/Mini Discs, will not be transcribed. The tapes/Mini Discs will be erased once the transcripts have been verified as a true account of the interviews conducted. Transcripts, returned questionnaire forms, subsequent coded information and data analysis will be archived securely by the researcher, for the appropriate time required. FACILITIES AND RESOURCES: The researcher for this dissertation proposal will be responsible for meeting all expenses, including (but not restricted to) travel, translation, transcription, printing, postage, stationary, computer software and consumables required to complete the research programme. LIMITATIONS: The limitations of this study are perceived to be as follows: Only competent construction companies in Vietnam will be considered as the survey population; To date there is no evidence or records (but will require further research) of previous studies or data analysis as a comparison to other industries in Vietnam or abroad at this stage. REFERENCES Adebanjo, D., and Kehoe D.,(1998), An evaluation of quality culture problems in UK companies, International Journal of Quality Science, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 275-286. Flood, R. L., (1993), Beyond TQM, John Wiley and Sons Fung, P. Wong, A. (1995) TQM in construction industry Hong Kong context, Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on ISO 9000 and TQM, De Montfort University, Leicester, pp. 29-34. Gay, L.R. and Diehl, P.L., Research Methods for Business and Management. New York: Maxwell Macmillan International, (1992). Hart, D.R. (1994) Quality Handbook for the Architectural, Engineering and Construction Community (Milwaukee, WI, ASQC Quality Press). Haupt, T. C., and Whiteman, D. E., (2004), Inhibiting factors of implementing total quality management on construction sites, The TQM Magazine, vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 166-173. Hildebrandt, S., Kkistensen, K., Kanji, G. Dahlgaard, J.J. (1991) Quality culture and TOM, Total Quality Management, vol.2, no.1, pp. 1-15. Jido, J. (1996), Quality management with TQM in Takenaka Corporation, Proceedings of International Conference on Quality, Yokohama. Kanji, G. Wong, A., (1998), Business Excellence model for supply chain management, Total Quality Management, vol. 10, no.8, pp. 1147-1168. Kanji, G.K. Wallace, W., (2000), Business excellence through customer satisfaction, Total Quality Management, vol. 11 no. 7, pp. 979-998. Kotter, J.P. and Heskett, J.L., Corporate Culture and Performance, The Free Press, New York, NY, 1992. Kubal, M (1994), Engineered quality in construction : partnering and TQM, McGraw-Hill, New York. Oakland, J S., (1993), Total quality management, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Oakland, J., (2000), Total quality management Text with cases, 2nd edition, Butterworth-Heinemann. Rowlinson, S.M. Walker, A. (1995) The Construction Industry in Hong Kong (Hong Kong, Longman). Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. Research Methods for Business Students. Pearson Education Limited, England, (2000). 98-100. Sekaran, U. Research Methods for Business: a skill building approach. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, (1992). 14. Sommerville, J. (1994), Multivariate barriers to total quality management within the construction industry, Total Quality Management, vol.5, no.5, pp. 289-298. Sommerville, J., Stocks, R. K. Robertson, H. W. (1999), Cultural dynamics for quality: the polar pot model, Total Quality Management, Vol.10, Nos. 45, pp. 725-732 Wong, A. Fung, P., (1999) Total quality management in the construction industry in Hong Kong: a supply chain management perspective, Total Quality Management, vol. 10, no .2, pp. 199-208. Wong, A., (2000), Integrating supplier satisfaction with customer satisfaction, Total Quality Yin, K. R. (1989) Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA

Symbolism in The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov Essay -- Papers Cherr

Symbolism in The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov Mamma! Are you crying, mamma? My dear, good, sweet mamma! Darling, I love you! I bless you! The Cherry orchard is sold; it?s gone; its quite true, it?s quite true. But don?t cry, mamma, you?ve still got life before you, you?ve still got your pure and lovely soul. Come with me, darling, and come away from here. We?ll plant a new garden, still lovelier than this. You will see it and understand, and happiness, deep, tranquil happiness will sink down on your soul, like the sun at eventide, and you?ll smile, mamma. Come, darling, come with me! The Cherry Orchard has been acclaimed as one of the greatest theatrical experiences of all time. It is clearly seen through the use of the more subtle, submerged, and persuasive techniques that he uses in writing this, his most famous play. The Cherry Orchard is important for three reasons: First, for its intrinsic textual richness, linguistic power and subtlety as a piece of dramatic prose; second, because of its crucial position in Russian cultural history as the culmination of all ?realist? nineteenth-century fiction and as the first classic of a new, arguably ?symbolist? or ?absurd? literature; third, because of its seminal role in the evolution of Twentieth-Century theater. The plot structure in The Cherry Orchard is not as meaningful as the impact of events on the inner sensibilities of the characters. Chekhov divides his characters in The Cherry Orchard in a variety of ways so that the orchard and its sale take on different meaning for each of them. It is necessary then to examine the loss of the cherry through some of the major character; Yermolai Alexeyitch Lopakhin, Peter Trophimot, and Madame Ranevsky. When writing TCO he us... ...and repression; by Lopakhin, the business man and spokesman for hard economic facts, the one who thinks of it primarily as a means to a wiser investment, and by Madame Ranvesky, who sees in it her childhood happiness; it is seen from these characters that are woven by their brilliant selection. Thus, The Cherry Orchard is simplistic, yet complicated at the same time. It has poetic strength and is naturalistically composed, which makes it all the more controversial. The interweaving in the play, the relationships between one generation and another, between the sexes, and ranking of different social classes add to The Cherry Orchard?s interesting balance. It is not hard for one to see why The Cherry Orchard is considered to be Anton Chekhov?s greatest work, and why it shall remain a classic for many years to come.

Biblical and Mythological Allusions in Moby Dick :: Moby Dick Essays

An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.    Writers often use biblical and mythological allusions to which their readers are familiar.   In Moby Dick, Herman Melville frequently uses biblical and mythological allusions.   With these allusions the reader begins to understand the topic of discussion and is also exposed to the wisdom and knowledge Melville possess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first allusion appears in the first line of the novel.   â€Å"Call me Ishmael.† (Melville1).   Ishmael was the biblical son of Abraham and his servant Hagar.   He was disowned in favor of Isaac, Abraham’s son with his wife Sarah.   An angel prophesied to Hagar.   â€Å"his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.† (Genesis 16:12).   The name â€Å"Ishmael† has since become used commonly for an outcast, which is appropriate since he is inexperienced when it comes to whaling and is viewed as AN outcast to the other sailors upon the Pequod.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another biblical allusion is of the prophet Elijah and Captain Ahab.   Elijah WARNS Queequeg and Ishmael of Ahab.   Ishmael says he and Queequeg ARE boarding the Pequod because they have just â€Å"signed the articles† (Melville 68) and Elijah responds â€Å"Anything down there about your souls† (Melville 68).   This conflict between Elijah and Ahab goes all the way back to the bible.   I Kings describes the conflict between King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.   Elijah tells Ahab that â€Å"in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick they blood, even thine,† (I Kings 21:19), and that â€Å"the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezrell† (I Kings 21:23).   This allusion is significant for foreshadowing the destruction of the Pequod.   In Moby Dick the characters names are not so different than names in the Bible and neither is the outcome of those characters so different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Melville not only used a number of biblical allusions in Moby Dick, but he also used many mythological allusions.   He used Greek mythology in describing the tattooing on the Queequeg.   â€Å"The counterpane of the patchwork, full of odd little parti-colored squares and triangles, and this arm of his tattooed all over with an interminable Cretan labyrinth of a figure† (Melvine 19).   The Cretan labyrinth was the maze, which imprisoned the half-bull, half-human Minotaur.   This adds immensely to the visual imagery of Queequeg.   Being able to imagine this large, black harpoon with a   â€Å"Cretan labyrinth of a figure† (Melville 19) the reader has a more appealing and specific picture of him. Biblical and Mythological Allusions in Moby Dick :: Moby Dick Essays An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.    Writers often use biblical and mythological allusions to which their readers are familiar.   In Moby Dick, Herman Melville frequently uses biblical and mythological allusions.   With these allusions the reader begins to understand the topic of discussion and is also exposed to the wisdom and knowledge Melville possess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first allusion appears in the first line of the novel.   â€Å"Call me Ishmael.† (Melville1).   Ishmael was the biblical son of Abraham and his servant Hagar.   He was disowned in favor of Isaac, Abraham’s son with his wife Sarah.   An angel prophesied to Hagar.   â€Å"his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.† (Genesis 16:12).   The name â€Å"Ishmael† has since become used commonly for an outcast, which is appropriate since he is inexperienced when it comes to whaling and is viewed as AN outcast to the other sailors upon the Pequod.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another biblical allusion is of the prophet Elijah and Captain Ahab.   Elijah WARNS Queequeg and Ishmael of Ahab.   Ishmael says he and Queequeg ARE boarding the Pequod because they have just â€Å"signed the articles† (Melville 68) and Elijah responds â€Å"Anything down there about your souls† (Melville 68).   This conflict between Elijah and Ahab goes all the way back to the bible.   I Kings describes the conflict between King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.   Elijah tells Ahab that â€Å"in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick they blood, even thine,† (I Kings 21:19), and that â€Å"the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezrell† (I Kings 21:23).   This allusion is significant for foreshadowing the destruction of the Pequod.   In Moby Dick the characters names are not so different than names in the Bible and neither is the outcome of those characters so different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Melville not only used a number of biblical allusions in Moby Dick, but he also used many mythological allusions.   He used Greek mythology in describing the tattooing on the Queequeg.   â€Å"The counterpane of the patchwork, full of odd little parti-colored squares and triangles, and this arm of his tattooed all over with an interminable Cretan labyrinth of a figure† (Melvine 19).   The Cretan labyrinth was the maze, which imprisoned the half-bull, half-human Minotaur.   This adds immensely to the visual imagery of Queequeg.   Being able to imagine this large, black harpoon with a   â€Å"Cretan labyrinth of a figure† (Melville 19) the reader has a more appealing and specific picture of him.

Joe Paterno: He Is Penn State :: Essays Papers

Joe Paterno: He Is Penn State The college football world has gone mad. Conferences are doing battle in courtrooms instead of on the football field. Teams are leaving their conferences and throwing tradition and loyalty out the window for a bigger paycheck. The Bowl Championship Series was supposed to end the confusion in the college football post season. It was supposed to crown a true champion. Instead, the B.C.S. has only brought more light to the fact that in college football it is all about money and TV contracts. Teams that have no right going to a major bowl game go because of who they are and, more importantly, who their fans are and how much money the fans are will to spend. Players are failing classes, stealing, doing drugs, breaking almost every law imaginable, and they are still suiting up to play on Saturday. In this new age of college football, there is a man who is as old school as having goal posts right on the goal line. He is short in stature, but he is larger than life. He has given millions of dollars back to his university, and he has put his heart and his soul into molding young me. Joe Paterno has become an icon of college football. In these modern times, however, his morals and his coaching style seem outdated. Now, in the twilight of his career, he has to battle a grueling Big Ten schedule, the media who made him a legend and who are now looking to make him into a fool, and even his once loyal fans who have turned their backs on him. Joe Paterno has his back against the wall; it seems everything is working against him. He could walk away now and forever be remembered as a great football coach, or he can keep running out of that tunnel and work on putting Penn State football back on the map. He can take back the title that is rightfully his, the greatest college football coach of all time. Joe Paterno should remain in charge of the Penn State football program. Along the way, he deserves every Penn State fans support, win or lose. Joe Paterno has found a way to win in college football. More importantly, he has found a way to win and keep his morals and the morals of the University. Paterno could have retired two years ago, after he reached victory number 324.

Baseball vs. Football

If you’re like most Americans, you probably have a favorite NFL team. You probably watch football games on TV and if you live in a city with an NFL team, you may shell out the cash to buy a game ticket to cheer them on. That is to say, no matter where you live, you almost certainly watch the Super Bowl, even if it’s just to check out the exciting commercials. In fact, if you’re not wearing an NFL team logo hat, T-shirt, or jacket today, you’ll almost certainly run into someone who is. The NFL, it seems, has become an unavoidable presence in American culture. Although baseball is know as America’s favorite pastime, professional football is the country’s most popular sport, and has been since the 1960’s. According to Forbes Magazine, the NFL is economically the strongest sports organization in the world today. (Vogan, T. 2011) On the other hand, baseball legends like Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Roberto Clemente will always be remembered, especially for their outstanding accomplishments and remarkable sportsmanship. What happened to America’s favorite pastime sport? I grew up playing my favorite game baseball. I remember playing and dreaming of being one of my favorite players. I knew the stats of every player in the baseball league. In particularly, I loved going to the ball park, eating ball park franks, and watching my baseball hero’s play. This was the most exciting childhood memory for me. For this reason, I feel sorry for today’s children. They don’t know what it’s like to sit back and enjoy baseball, like it was back in those days. My greatest fear is that baseball is no longer America’s favorite game. What caused baseball to lose its popularity? It’s not easy to pinpoint. I can only speculate as to how this happened. For one thing, all the scandals, the controversy issues, and the trikes, fans have been disappointed by the unsportsmanlike conduct that resulted from this. The 1990 season bought major controversy. For example, Pete Rose was ruled ineligible for the hall of fame by major league baseball for gambling on games. Lets not forget about the Barry Bonds incident in 2007, that convicted him for the use of steroids in every vain of his body. Certainly, all of the steroid talk led other players down the same road. Players were randomly selected and busted on drug tests, the hitters in baseball have taken a backseat to the pitchers which no one wants to see. Another key point to why baseball is losing its swag, is because the ridiculous salaries paid to the players. USA today provided a detailed report, showing the total payroll for the New York Yankees. The payroll was at a whopping $202,689,025. The average salary for each player was $6,756. 300. (USA Today, 2011) Compared to the NFL New York Giants, total payroll was a mere $138,354,866 and averaged $2,470,622 per player. (USA Today, 2011) Consequently, this has caused a lot of controversy amongst the players, owners, and the league. Let’s talk reality, baseball owners are forking out a huge amount of money, to buy themselves a World Series. In my books you can’t buy a championship. To put it another way, NFL players must display a supreme test of strength and endurance. Unlike baseball, football has a high risk factor for injuries. When comparing the compensation of two sports, it appears the risk factor hasn’t been taken into consideration. In comparison to baseball, football has gained more popularity and amongst our generation today. In 2004 Gallup polls reported that, â€Å"64% percent of Americans identified themselves as football fans, 52% said they were baseball fans. (Isley. K, 2006 pg. 1) In the NFL, we see extremely talented NFL players. Day after day, these men go out and take a beaten. They earn the salary and gain the respect they deserve. You never hear the football league talking about strikes or walkouts. Of course, there are a few football players that embarrass the profession; but the numbers are a lot less noticeable. How many World Series can compare to the excitement of the last couple Super Bowls? The NFL has been able to make the Super Bowl not only exciting with the parity of the league, but they make it the most entertaining of all championship games. In Conclusion, in football we see talented players in the game, making less money then baseball players. They appear to be more loyal and genuine to the game of football. As a kid, I was huge fan of baseball, but I don’t love what it has become. Even though my heart will always be in baseball, I can honestly say that, â€Å"I’m a bigger football fan, at this time in my life†. It appears to be true that baseball is not nearly as popular any more as it once was. Clearly, baseball is not the favorite mass media sport anymore, and hasn’t been for the last 40 years. As television replaced radio as the preferred entertainment medium, football replaced baseball as the preferred sport to watch. References Keith, Isley (2006, August 18) Really? Is baseball less popular? Hard Ball Times, Retrieved from http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/really-is-baseball-less-popular/ USA Today. (2011) Salaries Databases. Retrieved from http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/baseball/mlb/salaries/team Vogan, Thomas. (2011, May 02,) Historians, storytellers, mythmakers: NFL films and pro football experience. Proquest Dissertation and Theses. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/862727108?accountid=87314

College Life Essay

College was always my main goal throughout my whole entire education life school was not for me but I managed to make it to college. I graduated from a Catholic High School with all boys who have already mentally allowed me to focus on other issues and concentrations of focuses. I still sometimes wonder what I am going to do with my major and completion of college. I need to know my future and when I leave for school I am going to have to use my morals and higher education to help me understand and cope with other everyday experiences. There are three main categories of things that I want to gain in my life experience. I want to gain moral things, also strengthen my personality, and gain a higher knowledge. After I graduation from high school, I had plan to do several things. The most important thing I plan to do is go to college, because there are so many other detractions other than a degree, from a college education I plan to pursue higher learning, to begin a career, and to make history in my family. Making history in my family is the most important thing I hope to gain from a college education. My mother was the one parent that parents graduated from college, I have two brothers and a sister who did attend college which motivated me to want to go to college; my other relatives a least graduated from high school. Taking a look back has motivated me to reach farther. Being able too graduate of a catholic department system and also a highly respected person in my senior class. I plan to make history in my family by being the first also to get a Degree in History. Pursuing higher learning, beginning a career, and making history in my family are things I hope to gain from a college education other than a degree. It is very important that I accomplish these goals so that I will have continued success. If I believe it, then I can achieve it. I am not after the meaning of life but by the grace of God I know all of these things that I know and able to learn more whenever possible. College is a step in my lifelong search for knowledge that will hopefully bring me closer to my goals. Lastly one thing I hope to gain from a college education is higher learning. Learning goes far beyond a high school education and is very necessary in today’s society. It allows us to be familiar with our environment and everyone in it, and it allows us to maintain assurance of ourselves. A lot of us would be lost without any learning at all, and our world would be very confused. One must learn to do such things as apply math skills as well as be responsible and independent. I know that a college education would allow me to acquire this ability.

Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious Essay

As Antonia Peacocke quotes in her essay, â€Å"The show Family Guy is one of the first in history that has been canceled not just once, but twice† (300-301). The show was brought back in August 2000 and again in July 2001 when fans could not get enough of the adult cartoon. As well as being a fan favorite, Family Guy is also a controversial topic for critics all over the world. In the essay, â€Å"Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious†, Antonia Peacocke analyzes the show and gives her reasons why it is not all negative and crude humor. Antonia Peacocke is a student at Harvard University. She is also a National Merit Scholar, and has won awards such as the Catherine Fairfax MacRae prize for Excellence in both English and Mathematics. She was asked to write this essay specifically for the book They Say, I say: with readings. The Peacocke’s main point of her entire essay is that she wants to let readers know why Family Guy is not a bad show, in her and others opinions, but one that has been criticized for solely bringing entertainment. Peacocke does a successful job in portraying this, but it is not completely clear until the end, where her thesis can be found. The very last sentence of the essay is her thesis: â€Å"While I love Family Guy as much as any fan, it’s important not to lose sight of what’s truly unfunny in real life – even as we appreciate what is hilarious in fiction† (Peacocke 308). Peacocke’s thesis could be a little more clear throughout her essay, therefore, I do not feel it is as effective as it could be, but the author clearly states her argument and presents her case. Peacocke starts the essay of by saying, â€Å" Before I was such a devotee, however, I was adamantly opposed to the program for its particular brand of humor† (Peacocke 300). She makes it clear her feelings about the show in the very beginning. Although she is a fan, she at one time disliked the show. She quotes Stephen Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics, as saying â€Å"a cartoon comedy that packs more gags per minute about race, sex, incest, bestiality, etc. than any other show [he] can think of† (Peacocke 300). She backs up her one time opinions by saying â€Å"It will come as no surprise that I was not alone in this view; many still denounce Family Guy as bigoted and crude† (Peacocke 300). Although the show is currently very successful, she says â€Å"It must be one of the few shows in television history that has been canceled not only once, but twice†¦ The show ran until August 2000, but was besieged by so many complaints†¦that Fox shelved it until July 2001† (Peacocke 300). Also, she says, â€Å"I must admit, I can see how parts of the show might seem offensive if taken at face value† (Peacocke 302). At one point Peacocke realized, â€Å" [I found myself] forced to give Family Guy a chance. It was simply everywhere â€Å" (Peacocke 302). One of Peacocke’s main points is that Family Guy has gained much positive attention. On Facebook, as Peacocke explains, â€Å"there are 23 universal separate Family Guy groups with a combined membership of 1,669 people (compared with only 6 groups protesting against Family Guy, with 105 members total). Users of the well-respected Internet Movie Database rate the show 8.8 out of 10† (Peacocke 303). As you can see, â€Å"among the public and within the industry, the show receives fantastic acclaim; it has won eight awards, including three primetime Emmys† (Peacocke 303). Also, when the show was on the brink of cancellation, â€Å" fans provided the brute source necessary to get it back on the air† (Peacocke 303). The more she was around the show, the more positively she viewed it. Peacocke then goes on to say that those who do not often watch the show, â€Å"could easily come to think that the cartoon takes pleasure in controversial humor just for its own s ake† Peacocke 303). The next main point that Peacocke claims is that viewers who â€Å"pay more attention and think about the creators’ intentions can see that Family Guy intelligently satirizes some aspects of American culture† (Peacocke 304). The next paragraph is a segment from an episode in season 4, which shows Stewie reading a book only because it was on the Oprah reading list. Peacocke says â€Å" [Brian and] Stewie demonstrate insightfully and comically how Americans are willing to follow the instructions of a celebrity blindly – and less willing to admit that they are doing so† (Peacocke 304). The jokes that Family Guy is known for, â€Å"attract a different kind of viewer. Such viewers are†¦conscious and critical viewers† (Peacocke 304). In my opinion, the very last sentence is the most powerful in the whole essay. Peacocke states â€Å"They are not – and I cannot stress this enough, self serving as it may seem – immoral or easily manipula ted people† (304). Peacocke says that it sheds light on, and allows viewers â€Å" the ability to analyze what they are watching, the creators of Family Guy point out the weaknesses and defects of U.S. society in a mocking and sometimes intolerant way† (Peacocke 305). A good example of this is the segment from the episode â€Å"I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar.† In this episode, â€Å"the ‘instructional video’ quoted above becomes not only funny but also insightful. In its satire, viewers can recognize the sickly sweet and falsely sensitive sexism of the 1950s in observing just how conveniently self-serving the speaker of the video appears. The message of the clips denounces and ridicules sexism rather than condoning it† (Peacocke 305). The last main point that Peacocke makes is that â€Å"Family Guy does not aim to hurt, and its creators take certain measures to keep it from hitting too hard†¦ Seth MacFarlane plainly states that there are certain jokes too upsetting to certain groups to go on the air† (Peacocke 307). Also, Peacocke states that â€Å"I believe Family Guy has its intelligent points, and some of its seemingly ‘coarse’ scenes often have hidden merit† (Peacocke 308). In the next sentence Peacocke does admit that â€Å"sometimes the creators do seem cross – or, perhaps, eagerly race past – the line of indecency† (Peacocke 308). In her closing paragraph, Peacocke questions the fact that â€Å"while Family Guy can provide a sort of relief by breaking down taboos, we must still wonder whether or not these taboos exist for a reason† (Peacocke 308). All three main points that the author makes are valid, and as seen in quotes, each main topic is backed up by main points. The first main point is that Family Guy is gaining positive attention. Although this is a valid point, as seen by the popularity, and the awards, this isn’t reason enough to call the show ‘good.’ As the author states, at one point she was not a fan of the show but it later turned onto it by exposure. The content of the show did not change for her opinion to change, she just gave the show a chance and realized she liked the humor. The second main point is that the show makes intellectual references to American culture. This is a valid point as to why the show is good. Any show with a little bit of substance makes references to the past and current topics. It tells what is going on in the world, and explains topics everybody should be aware of. The last main point is that Family Guy breaks rules that no other major TV program or network has been able to break. Although many critics believe these are rules that shouldn’t be broken, the creators believe it needs to be done. This makes it a ‘good’ because it crosses boundaries that others are afraid to cross. Conclusion will link back to first comparison to Freud. Work Cited Peacocke, Antonia. â€Å"Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious.† They Say, I Say: with readings. Ed. Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst, and Gerald Graff. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 300-308. Print.