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Periodical Essay Definition and Examples

Periodical Essay Definition and Examples A periodical essay is an essay (that is, a short work of nonfiction) published in a magazine or journalin particular, an essay that appears as part of a series. The 18th century is considered the great age of the periodical essay in English. Notable periodical essayists of the 18th century include Joseph Addison, Richard Steele, Samuel Johnson, and Oliver Goldsmith. Observations on the Periodical Essay The periodical essay in Samuel Johnsons view presented general knowledge appropriate for circulation in common talk. This accomplishment had only rarely been achieved in an earlier time and now was to contribute to political harmony by introducing subjects to which faction had produced no diversity of sentiment such as literature, morality and family life.  (Marvin B. Becker, The Emergence of Civil Society in the Eighteenth Century. Indiana University Press, 1994) The Expanded Reading Public and the Rise of the Periodical Essay The largely middle-class readership did not require a university education to get through the contents of  periodicals and pamphlets written in a middle style and offering instruction to people with rising social expectations. Early eighteenth-century publishers and editors recognized the existence of such an audience and found the means for satisfying its taste. . . . [A] host of periodical writers, Addison and Sir Richard Steele outstanding among them, shaped their styles and contents to satisfy these readers tastes and interests. Magazinesthose medleys of borrowed and original material and open-invitations to reader participation in publicationstruck what modern critics would term a distinctly middlebrow note in literature.The most pronounced features of the magazine were its brevity of individual items and the variety of its contents. Consequently, the essay played a significant role in such periodicals, presenting commentary on politics, religion, and social matters among its many topics.  (Robert Donald Spector, Samuel Johnson and the Essay. Greenwood, 1997) Characteristics of the 18th-Century Periodical Essay The formal properties of the periodical essay were largely defined through the practice of Joseph Addison and Steele in their two most widely read series, the Tatler (1709-1711) and the Spectator (1711-1712; 1714). Many characteristics of these two papersthe fictitious nominal proprietor, the group of fictitious contributors who offer advice and observations from their special viewpoints, the miscellaneous and constantly changing fields of discourse, the use of exemplary character sketches, letters to the editor from fictitious correspondents, and various other typical featuresexisted before Addison and Steele set to work, but these two wrote with such effectiveness and cultivated such attention in their readers that the writing in the Tatler and Spectator served as the models for periodical writing in the next seven or eight decades.  (James R. Kuist, Periodical Essay. The Encyclopedia of the Essay, edited by Tracy Chevalier. Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997) The Evolution of the Periodical Essay in the 19th Century By 1800 the single-essay periodical had virtually disappeared, replaced by the serial essay published in magazines and journals. Yet in many respects, the work of the early-19th-century familiar essayists reinvigorated the Addisonian essay tradition, though emphasizing eclecticism, flexibility, and experientiality. Charles Lamb, in his serial Essays of Elia (published in the London Magazine during the 1820s), intensified the self-expressiveness of the experientialist essayistic voice. Thomas De Quinceys periodical essays blended autobiography and literary criticism, and William Hazlitt sought in his periodical essays to combine the literary and the conversational.  (Kathryn Shevelow, Essay. Britain in the Hanoverian Age, 1714-1837, ed. by Gerald Newman and Leslie Ellen Brown. Taylor Francis, 1997) Columnists and Contemporary Periodical Essays Writers of the popular periodical essay have in common both brevity and regularity; their essays are generally intended to fill a specific space in their publications, be it so many column inches on a feature or op-ed page or a page or two in a predictable location in a magazine. Unlike freelance essayists who can shape the article to serve the subject matter, the columnist more often shapes the subject matter to fit the restrictions of the column. In some ways this is inhibiting because it forces the writer to limit and omit material; in other ways, it is liberating, because it frees the writer from the need to worry about finding a form and lets him or her concentrate on the development of ideas.  (Robert L. Root, Jr., Working at Writing: Columnists and Critics Composing. SIU Press, 1991)

Business Strategy of Smith Radiators Inc Case Study

Business Strategy of Smith Radiators Inc - Case Study Example A review of the current HR policies of Smith Radiators revealed that these do not support the current business strategy of a reactor. After identifying the strengths and weaknesses, the organization should address these and eventually assume the business strategy of a defender. There are various weaknesses noted in the current HR policies that ultimately stem for the centralized decision-making process and the lack of formal training and development programs. The recommended HR approach that the organization should take should focus on reviewing their policies on recruitment, selection, maintenance (particularly training and development programs), and other HR policies. Specifically, a closer look into decentralized decision-making to involve the management team and other crucial employees would be expounded; (2) a review of the contract and agreement with the Union in terms of benefits, compensation, and security concerns of employees should be delved into; (3) a review of current j ob descriptions are required; and (4) a closer coordination with other government agencies that affect work conditions such as the Department of Labor, the US EEOC, and the OSHA, must be forged to fit the defender strategy.  Using Miles and Snow typology of organizational strategies, it is eminent that Smith Radiators, Inc. is applying the reactor business strategy in view of addressing the issues presented from the Automobiles of America, Inc. (AAI) letter. AAI proposed two relevant actions that need to be addressed to enable Smith Radiators to continue supplying radiators to them: (1) requirement for Smith Radiators to be a fully certified AAI supplier within 20 months from the receipt of the letter; and (2) the application of Just-in-Time (JIT) delivery of radiators within three months, or by July 15, 1991. As a reactor, the organization sees that a major change would be required but their ability to change is not quick enough due to the following reasons: (1) it would require an evaluation of the current policies and operating functions that would be affected from the proposed changes and the time frame needed within which they could comply; and (2) it would have to design appropriate strategies that should be adopted to achieve the defined goal. Currently, the Human Resources (HR) department implements policies that do not support the business strategy as a reactor. The following policies are currently enforced: Recruitment Policies: (1) use of internal sources through referrals of current employees in recruitment; (2) giving a $500 monetary incentive to employees for referring new recruits who would stay beyond two years.