Review Of About A Slave Girl By Linda Brent - 2717 Words

Beatrice Legre Literature 121 NW Professor: Flournoy September 28, 2014 Incidence in the Life of a Slave Girl Linda Brent whose life story is narrated in the book â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† is an intelligent, a persistent and courageous, a caring and loving person as well as her relative including her grandmother, her father, brother, uncles and aunty about whom she talks in the book display these qualities just like any human beings contrary to the believe of slaveholders who think that black slaves do not have feelings, and treat slaves like animal, even less than animal. According to the book The Norton Anthology of African American Literature second edition, Linda Brent who’s really name is Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery in Edenton, North Carolina, around 1813. She is the first woman to write by herself a slave narrative in the Unites State (p. 279). However, in her book â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† published in 1861, Linda indicates that she has a happy childhood until her sixth year, and then, she experiences hardship adulthood as a slave. Her parents were a couple living together in a confortable home although slaves. There, she lives lovingly in security and never thoughts to be a piece of properties entrust to her parents until a convenient time for a master to claim her. Her father and mother were both African-American in complexion calls mulattos; which certainly is cause by the mixture of white and black beings; and as much sheShow MoreRelatedIncidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl Summary1734 Words   |  7 PagesJasmine Eguia Reid History 1301 23 October 2017 Book Review: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl â€Å"Reader is not to awaken sympathy for myself that I am telling you truthfully what I suffered. I do it to kindle a flame of compassion in your hearts for my sisters who are still in bondage.† With these words, Harriet Jacobs tells her reasons for deciding to make her personal story of enslavement public. Through this book, she is able to reveal the degradation, sexual exploitation, and unique brutalitiesRead MoreMetaphors from Slavery to Post Emancipation: An Exploration of The Loophole of Retreat and The Veil1613 Words   |  7 Pagesacross audiences was metaphor. This literary device allowed them to code meaning to present information in the dosage that each type of audience needed. This paper will explore â€Å"the loophole of retreat† in Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and â€Å"the Veil† in W.E.B. Dubois’ Souls of Black Folk and examine how the respective authors used these metaphors to code hidden meaning for the various types of readers. This paper will also explore how the use of metaphor changed and remained theRead MoreThe Life of A Slave Girl by Harriet A. Jacobs Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesA slave narrative is to tell a slaves story and what they have been through. Six thousand former slaves from North America told about their lives during the 18th and 19th centuries. About 150 narratives were published as separate books or articles most slaves were born in the last years of the slave regime or during the Civil War. Some Slaves told about their experiences on plantations, in cities, and on small farms. Slave narratives are one of the only ways that people today know about the wayRead More Essay on Traditions in Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl3753 Words   |  16 PagesA Medley of Traditions in   Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl       Though considerable effort has been made to classify Harriet Ann JacobsIncidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Written by Herself as another example of the typical slave narrative, these efforts have in large part failed. Narrow adherence to this belief limits real appreciation of the texts depth and enables only partial understanding of the author herself Jacobss story is her own, political yes, but personal as wellRead MoreEssay on Women Authors of the 19th Century3166 Words   |  13 Pagesbee or two-- A breeze-- a caper in the trees-- And I am a rose! Dickinson’s poems are timeless and will always leave one bewildered and amazed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harriet Jacobs was born in North Carolina in the early 1800s. Jacobs never realized she was a slave until her mother died when she was six. Jacobs then moved in with her grandmother and her white mistress. The mistress died when Jacobs was eleven, and she was then sent to Dr. James Norcom. Jacobs suffered physical and sexual abuse from Dr. NorcomRead MoreBibliographic Essay on African American History6221 Words   |  25 Pagesis available in The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: A Data Base on CD-Rom (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999). Statistics alone tell little about the human conditions; but, the special issue â€Å"New Perspectives on the Transatlantic 2 ï ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼ Slave Trade,† William and Mary Quarterly 58 (January 2001), contains insightful essays that combine sheer numbers with interpretative narratives. G. Ugo Nwokeji, â€Å"African Conceptions of Gender and the Slave Traffic,† (47-68); and, David RichardsonRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesManagement Course: MBA−10 General Management California College for Health Sciences MBA Program McGraw-Hill/Irwin abc McGraw−Hill Primis ISBN: 0−390−58539−4 Text: Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition Cohen Harvard Business Review Finance Articles The Power of Management Capital Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum International Management, Sixth Edition Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh Contemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell Leadership, Fifth

Samuel Langhorne Clemens Essay - 1140 Words

Samuel Langhorne Clemens Samuel Langhorne Clemens or commonly known as Mark Twain was an American writer and humorist. Twain’s writing is also known for realism of place and language, memorable characters, and hatred of bad faith and oppression. Clemens was born in Florida and then later on moved to Hannibal, Missouri, a Mississippi river port, when he was four years old. There he received a public school education. After his father died in 1847, Clemens was assisted to two Hannibal printers, and in 1851 he began contributing sketches to his brother Orion’s Hannibal Journal. Before long he was a master printer in Keokuk, Iowa; New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and other cities. Later, Clemens was a steamboat pilot on the†¦show more content†¦The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), the sequel to Tom Sawyer, is considered Twain’s masterpiece. Huckleberry Finn, which is almost entirely narrated from Huck’s point of view, is noted for its authentic language and f or its deep commitment to freedom. Twain’s skill in capturing the rhythms of that life help make the book one of the masterpieces of American literature. In 1884 Twain formed the firm Charles L. Webster and Company to publish his works and other writers’ books, notably Personal Memoirs (2 volumes, 1885-1886) by the American general and president Ulysses S. Grant. A disastrous investment in an automatic typesetting machine led to the firm’s bankruptcy in 1894. Twains successful worldwide lecture tour and the book based on those travels, Following the Equator (1897), paid off his debts. Stress and sorrow came with the deaths of Twain’s daughter Susy in 1896 and of his wife in 1904. His writings of the late 1890s and 1900s became more pessimistic than ever. Significant works of this period are Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894), a novel about miscegenation and murder, and Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc (1896), a sentimental biography. Some of Twainâ€⠄¢s later writings includeShow MoreRelatedThe Pen Name Of Samuel Langhorne Clemens933 Words   |  4 PagesMark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, one of the most famous writers of American Literature. He was born on November 30, 1835, in the tiny Midwestern village of Florida, Missouri. He was the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. As a four year old, his family moved to Hannibal and he began to become exposed to the social and financial problems of his era when. Hannibal was a small town near the Mississippi River where his father his uncle owned slaves. Twain created his own opinionsRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Samuel Langhorne Clemens1325 Words   |  6 PagesAlexis Timm Mrs. Mirosh 1st hour English 11 21 February 2017 To Read or Not To Read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel published by Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name as Mark Twain, in 1884. The story is more than just a story however as many adults, parents, and educators believe that this book is unfit for a classroom setting. What they are unable or (unwilling) to see are the benefits of reading and analyzing this story. It allows students to understand historyRead MoreChasing Halley s Comet : The Comet854 Words   |  4 PagesChasing Halley’s Comet Halley’s Comet crosses the Earth’s skies every 75 years. Samuel Clemens just so happened to be born following Halley’s comet, and in 1909, he predicted that he would go with Halley’s comet the next year. Clemens stated, â€Å"I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835. Halley’s comet will be coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it† (Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) - Historic Missourians, n.d.). On April 21, 1910, one of the world’s most influential writers diedRead MoreEssay about Mark Twain1654 Words   |  7 Pagesborn with the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri, to John Marshall Clemens and Jane Lampton Clemens on November 30, 1835. While Samuel Clemens was very young the Clemens family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, the inspiration for most of Samuel Clemens novels. John Marshall Clemens worked as a lawyer, but he was very successful, so he also did some work as a land speculator. The Cleme ns family was never very wealthy but they were middle class. John Marshall Clemens was agonistic andRead MoreAgainst The Assault Of Laughter Nothing Can Stand827 Words   |  4 PagesAgainst the assault of laughter nothing can stand. - Samuel Clemens Samuel Langhorne Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, was born November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, the sixth of seven children. An American writer, journalist, and humorist, he is remembered for the novels surrounding the world beside the Mississippi River, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and always legendary Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). Clemens was lauded the greatest American humorist of his ageRead MoreHuckleberry Finn - the Controversial Ending2199 Words   |  9 Pages Works Cited Clemens, Samuel Langhorne. â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: An Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Sources Criticism. Edited by Sculley Bradley. New York: W.W Norton and company, 1977. Trilling, Lionell. â€Å"Introduction to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.† Adventures of Hucklebery Finn: An authoritive text, contents and sources criticism. Second edition. By Mark Twain/Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Edited by Sculley Bradley. A Norton Critical editionRead MoreMark Twain s Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn1562 Words   |  7 PagesMark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) Introduction Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835- April 21, 1910), commonly known as Mark Twain was an American writer whose works act as social commentary on issues including racism, poverty and class distinctions. His most distinguished novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) convey the vanquished way of life in the pre-Civil War Mississippi Valley and life on the river. His unpretentious, colloquialRead MoreEssay on The Importance of Mark Twain in American Literature840 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In these books, Mark Twain recalls his own adventures of steamboating on the Mississippi River. Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born on November 30, 1835 in a small village of Florida, Missouri. His parents names were John Marshall Clemens and Jan Lampton Clemens, descendants of slaves in Virginia. They had been married in Kentucky and move to Tennessee and then Missouri. When Sam was four, his father, who was full of the grandioseRead More Mark Twain Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pages MARK TWAIN a.k.a. Samuel Langhorne Clemens nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;quot;Mark Twain, which is a pseudonym for Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was born in 1835, and died in 1910. He was an american writer and humorist. Maybe one of the reasons Twain will be remembered is because his writings contained morals and positive views. Because Twains writing is so descriptive, people look to his books for realistic interpretations of places, for his memorable characters, and his ability to describe hisRead MoreWho Is Mark Twain? Essay1479 Words   |  6 PagesAmericas most famous literary icon, publishing 28 pieces. He was born on Nov. 30, 1835 as Samuel L. Clemens in the little town of Florida, Mo. He was the sixth child of John Marshall and Jane Lampton Clemens (Quirk). As a young child Clemens had poor health and stayed inside most of the time, causing all sorts of mischief. Spending most of his time with his mother he caught her sense of humor. Later in his life Clemens asked his mother about his poor health then saying: â€Å"I suppose that during that whole

Chronic Renal Failure Progressive Disease †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Chronic Renal Failure Is A Progressive Disease? Answer: Introducation Chronic renal failure is a progressive disease that results in inability of the kidney to maintain normal levels of certain substances such as urea, creatinine, sodium, water, haematocrit and so on. Several risk factors may play part in causing nephron damage ultimately debilitating kidney function. However, not all nephrons are damaged and the surviving ones suffer enlargement due to increased load. Glomerulonephritis may occur in a rapid and severe manner leading to end stage renal failure or in some patients it is progresses gradually (Lo et al., 2009). No functionality of the kidney causes rise in systemic blood pressure and proteinuria. Although initially the nephrons try to adopt cope up for the damaged ones they eventually fail to do so resulting in uremia. Glomerular filtration rate is enhanced in adapted nephrons. The primary complain of Mr Goodpasture during admission was nausea, malaise, low mood and pruritus. He suffers from end stage renal disease, hypertension, seasonal rhinitis and depression. His biochemistry results show a marked increase in urea and creatinine in blood resulting from the kidney disease he suffers from. Blood creatinine value is overwhelming high at 825 micromol/L. Kidney failure is almost always associated with raised urea and creatinine concentration in blood due to retention of the nitrogenous waste products by the kidney. Increased blood urea concentration is a better index for measuring the severity of acute renal failure, whereas increased creatinine concentration provides a better index for chronic renal failure. Hence it is evident that Mr Goodpastures condition has deteriorated markedly and requires immediate medical intervention to prevent adverse consequences. The haematology report further shows serious abnormalities in the patient. The haemoglobin and red cell count are low and levels of white cell count and neutrophils are markedly high. This is a clear sign of acute infection associated with kidney failure or certain other conditions. As the patient is a rural sheep farmer and suffers from seasonal rhinitis, he might be suffering from acute infection. Further, studies have shown that patients suffering from chronic kidney disease have an increased susceptibility towards infectious diseases, probably due to reduced immune function. Kidney is a self-regulatory system that is essential to perform a number of physiological functions and maintain normal health. It relieves the body from nitrogenous waste products, maintains water and electrolyte balance and reduces essential hormones and enzymes. In end-stage kidney disease the chronic gradual loss of kidney function reaches an advanced stage where extreme measures like dialysis or organ transplant is required to sustain life (Levey et al., 2007). Medical History Mr Goodpasture has a medical history of hypertension, end stage renal disease, seasonal rhinitis and depression. As the primary function of the kidney is to filter out waste products from the blood, its functionality hugely depends on the blood pressure, especially inside the glomerulus. High blood pressure exerts increased pressure on the vessel walls, stretching them, which eventually scars and weakens the vessel tissues (Coresh et al., 2007). The same phenomenon may occur in the blood vessels of the kidney reducing the ability of the nephrons to filter blood properly due to lack of oxygen and nutrients. Studies have shown that high blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney disease worldwide. Although kidneys themselves are equipped with controlling the systemic blood pressure prolonged high blood pressure renders them unable to control the same, further worsening the situation (Schiffrin, Lipman Mann, 2007). As the patient was born and raised in a rural community and s uffers from seasonal rhinitis, the allergic syndrome might have play a role in progression of nephrotic syndrome from an early age (Salsano, Graziano, Luongo, Pilla, Giordano Lama, 2007). There are significant evidences supporting the link between allergic rhinitis and nephrotic syndrome especially in children. Lastly the patient also suffers from depression. Studies have proposed a more rapid progression of renal disease in patients suffering with comorbid depression and conversely patients with chronic kidney disease often suffer from depression (Abdel-Kader, Unruh Weisbord, 2009). Hence, both the factors work in a cyclic pattern augmenting the effect of one another. Management Incidence of end stage kidney disease has been increasing in recent years and patients are treated by providing dialysis. However, several associated secondary symptoms are prevalent after receiving dialysis. Managing such symptoms and providing optimal care for those patients are mandatory to maintain a standard quality of living. It has been observed that there is an increased incidence of coronary artery disease, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patient who receive dialysis. Pain is one of the most commonly reported symptoms in patients with end stage kidney disease. However, it may result from renal aetiologies such as polycystic kidney, hyperparathyroidisism or due to non-renal aetiologies such as skin ischemia and calciphylaxis (Liyanage et al., 2015). Medications should be provided taking into account the patients renal status and etiology. Opioids can be prescribed for such patients but non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs must be strictly avoided for pati ents with renal disease. Non-pain symptoms also contribute significantly in maintaining normal lifestyle. Weakness, lack of energy and pruritus are the most common non-pain symptoms reported by chronic renal disease patients. Other non-pain symptoms include loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, dry mouth, muscle cramps and constipation (Murtagh et al., 2007). Most of these symptoms can be kept under control by providing simple healthcare interventions while some other requires medications. Pruritus is managed by administration of phosphate binders and antihistamines. Fatigue, loss of appetite and muscle cramps can be managed by maintaining a healthy diet, encouraging physical activity and evaluating depression. Further, initiation of dialysis can be delayed to prevent secondary symptoms in appropriate conditions with supervision form a nephrologist. Pain management with drugs must be regulated both in terms of dosage and frequency of administration. As kidney is one of the organs responsible for metabolising certain drugs, additional load must be prevented. When the patient is suffering from comorbid life threatening conditions delay of dialysis initiation may prove to be an important decision, which must be taken by collaborative consultation of respective specialists to prevent any detrimental consequences to the patient. References Abdel-Kader, K., Unruh, M. L., Weisbord, S. D. (2009). Symptom burden, depression, and quality of life in chronic and end-stage kidney disease.Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology,4(6), 1057-1064. Coresh, J., Selvin, E., Stevens, L. A., Manzi, J., Kusek, J. W., Eggers, P., ... Levey, A. S. (2007). Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the United States.Jama,298(17), 2038-2047. Levey, A. S., Atkins, R., Coresh, J., Cohen, E. P., Collins, A. J., Eckardt, K. U., ... Powe, N. R. (2007). Chronic kidney disease as a global public health problem: approaches and initiativesa position statement from Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes.Kidney international,72(3), 247-259. Liyanage, T., Ninomiya, T., Jha, V., Neal, B., Patrice, H. M., Okpechi, I., ... Rodgers, A. (2015). Worldwide access to treatment for end-stage kidney disease: a systematic review.The Lancet,385(9981), 1975-1982. Lo, L. J., Go, A. S., Chertow, G. M., McCulloch, C. E., Fan, D., Ordoez, J. D., Hsu, C. Y. (2009). Dialysis-requiring acute renal failure increases the risk of progressive chronic kidney disease.Kidney international,76(8), 893-899. Murtagh, F. E., Marsh, J. E., Donohoe, P., Ekbal, N. J., Sheerin, N. S., Harris, F. E. (2007). Dialysis or not? A comparative survival study of patients over 75 years with chronic kidney disease stage 5.Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation,22(7), 1955-1962. Salsano, M. E., Graziano, L., Luongo, I., Pilla, P., Giordano, M., Lama, G. (2007). Atopy in childhood idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.Acta paediatrica,96(4), 561-566. Schiffrin, E. L., Lipman, M. L., Mann, J. F. (2007). Chronic kidney disease.Circulation,116(1), 85-97.

Mattel Toy Recall free essay sample

Although many observers give the company credit for responding to the crisis quickly with an apology from the CEO and pledges to institute more rigorous product safety checks, Mattel still faces a number of problems, including significant costs associated with the recalls and new monitoring systems, potential lawsuits and a hit to its reputation just as the holiday shopping season gets ready to launch1. Introduction Mattel Inc. has recalled more than 20 million toys it manufactured in China, citing problems with lead paint and concerns about loose magnets that children could swallow. Mattel blames the most recent recall on a practice that may be all-too-familiar to engineers with experience manufacturing in China – namely, a vendor’s furtive change in materials or manufacturing processes2. Tom Debrowski, Mattel’s executive vice president for worldwide operations, explains that a subcontractor hired to decorate parts of the Sarge toy ran out of the paint Mattel specified for the car’s roof and windshield. We will write a custom essay sample on Mattel Toy Recall or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The subcontractor, a company called Hong Li Da (HLD), then substituted a paint that contained lead. Debrowski says HLD acted without informing Mattel or its primary vendor for the car, Early Light Industrial Co. The product safety problem may seem especially pronounced in the toy industry because it relies so heavily on Chinese production. According to the Toy Industry Assoc. , China makes about 80 percent of all toys sold in the U. S. Not all of Mattel’s recall woes can be blamed solely on Chinese manufacturing. In fact, Mattel called back 18. 2 million toys because they contain small magnets that could become loose3. Mattel is working in cooperation with the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other regulatory agencies worldwide. Mattel is also working with retailers worldwide to identify and remove affected products from retail shelves. Where the lead paint is concerned, it was negligent of Mattel not to have specified more concretely, and inspected more closely, what its Chinese suppliers were doing and where the magnets are concerned, it was negligent of Mattel not to have had a better design for its products4. Case presentation Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP) apply to all parties that manufacture, assemble, license or distribute any product or package bearing any of the Mattel logos. GMP provides guidance and minimum standards for all manufacturing plants, assembly operations and distribution centers that manufacture or distribute Mattel products. GMP requires internal and periodic independent monitoring of Mattel’s performance and its partners performance to the standards. Mattel is prepared to end partnerships with those who do not comply5. Mattel’s recall involves 83 products and was discovered by an European retailer in early June 2007. Mattel even helped the contract manufacturer blamed for the recall, due to use of lead paint, to set up its own testing laboratory, which should have guarded against the paint problem. But while Mattel follows strict labour laws at its own facilities in China, it has also followed other manufacturers in relying on dozens of other contractors and sub-contractors. With a supply chain that may contain as many as 3000 factories in China, the task of quality control, audits and inspections becomes increasingly difficult6. Cheating on the use of raw materials, exploiting workers, employing children and paying bribes to avoid safety inspections are all a consequence of markets that have seen the prices of some goods at all time low real prices7. Mattel has years of manufacturing experience there before this lead paint incident8. The company runs its own factories in China and has successfully managed dozens of vendors there over the years. Mattel already has an extensive quality assurance program (GMP) in place long before the bad paint job. That program involved mandatory quality tests by Mattel’s vendors as well as testing of in-process and finished goods by Mattel itself. The Toys delivered were clearly not the ones ordered and specified by Mattel and somehow toxic materials had found their way into the production process. To try and increase profits suppliers will often switch raw materials for something similar and cheaper and have got good at passing audits and appearing compliant without actually being compliant. In many cases, it is the supplier’s sub-contractors and the sub-sub-contractors where the switch occurs and the deeper down the supply chain the problem exists, the more difficult it is to spot. The ultimate responsibility for the product quality rests with the company that owns the brand9. Contracts between the corporations and the suppliers clearly stipulate the materials to be used and not to be used. For instance, lead-based paint for toys or azo-dyes for garments are forbidden10. The problem it seems is not with the contract but with the implementation. It is essential for Mattel to enforce stringent quality controls to catch any vendor who tries to trick them again. At the same time it is also essential for Mattel to ensure that this happens long before the products hit the market and get into the hands of consumers, especially consumers who are kids and vulnerable. Recommendations Long-term quality assurance measures: Quality assurance needs to cover all activities from design, development, production, installation, servicing and documentation as well. Product quality and safety have their roots in the design process. Mattel must screen designs for a range of safety issues long before a part goes into production. For example, they could look for strangulation and suffocation, as well as part features that could pinch, cut or poke a child much before these designs hit the production floor. Mattel needs a quality assurance process that will permit only approved raw materials to be used in the production, will check every batch of goods from the sub-contractor (and sub-sub-contractor) before it reaches the supplier, will check every production run of finished toys from its suppliers to ensure compliance before they reach its customers. Mattel also needs to increase random inspections by both internal and external auditors and quality inspectors. Mattel needs to test failure rather than test compliance, which is the practice in the rest of the toy industry11. Testing to failure has its own benefits as it reveals root causes of problems in ways that often remain hidden with compliance testing. Mattel needs to continue to invite independent and public monitoring of its manufacturing facilities12. To address the above long-term quality assurance measures, it is recommended that a cross-functional, cross-organizational and cross-geographical team be created at Mattel. This team, functioning under the leadership of Mr. Jim Walter, will lead Mattel through this crisis and ensure that all issues that have arisen from the series of product recalls are successfully addressed. Forming the team to address issues that have arisen from the series of product recalls: The team will be charged with developing and implementing of worldwide programs to underscore Mattels commitment to conducting business with the utmost integrity, and continue to enhance the companys leadership role in global citizenship. The team will enhance the already existing GMP with the addition of the above recommendations thereby functioning as an internal audit organization that will monitor Mattel and vendor facilities compliance with Mattels Product Integrity standards. The team must have representation from Mattel’s and its acquired company’s design, development, production, installation, service documentation departments, representation from Mattel’s suppliers’, sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors as well as representation from internal and external auditors. The team will function under the leadership of Mr. Jim Walter, if feasible, or under the leadership of a suitable leader having similar experience and experience with such a product recall situation. The leader’s role must reflect a combination of a directive and participative leader behaviors proposed by House’s Path-Goal theory of leadership13. Team selection predicts team performance: Effective teams base member selection in technical and behavioural competence. A prospective team member’s area of technical expertise, perspective and interest need to be considered in the light of the project team’s scope of work. Effective teams that focus on organisation-wide issues reflect a deliberate diversity of membership across design, development, production, installation, service documentation departments of Mattel and its acquired companies, representation from Mattel’s suppliers’, sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors as well as representation from internal and external auditors. Thoughtful selection processes correspond to high member satisfaction and commitment. Team organization and processes predict team performance: An effective team will establish and adhere to behavioural standards regarding team member roles, team practices, norms, and ground-rules. A mature group must have a social structure with several dimensions. These dimensions include group member roles, role relationships, the communication network of the group and influence patterns within the group14. Typically, effective teams designate a coordinator (who may or may not be an outsider). Typically, the team leader is an effective project manager and coach. Expectations of all roles, including that of team sponsor, are discussed and documented. An effective team will adjust roles, goals, and tasks to match individual team members’ styles and strengths. Potential strengths and weaknesses of the team: The benefit from cross-functional team interaction is the ability to bring greater knowledge and skill together at one time. Creating a team whose members have heterogeneous skills, backgrounds, and experiences increases the probability that each member can contribute the knowledge and skill required to support sourcing team assignments. Unique contributions by individual members, in turn, increase the likelihood that a team will benefit from dynamic cross-functional interaction. A cross-geographical team will ensure incorporation of the knowledge of the local market conditions in business decisions The main drawback in using a cross-functional team is the time required to solve a problem or complete an assigned task. Team interaction may not be the most efficient approach to decision making. For the cross-functional team process to be successful, a trade-off must occur between the additional time often required for team decision making (efficiency) and the ability to reach higher quality and executable decisions (effectiveness) through team interaction and consensus decision making. The other drawback with cross-functional teams is that information must take a form that all users understand, again making decisions difficult. Clarity of role and customer focus could also be issues with cross-functional and cross-geographical teams15. Team leadership and Conflict management: Conflict is inevitable while managing cross-functional, inter-organizational and cross-geographical teams. Conflicts could begin due to poor communication, power struggle; dissatisfaction with management, weak leadership, lack of openness, etc. Inter-organization conflict16 could also arise between Mattel and its vendors over quality and delivery issues. Strong public statements, airing disagreements through media and withholding bad news are the indicators of conflict. Reaching Consensus through Collaboration: The team leader could use the collaborative conflict orientation17 to reach consensus or agreement to manage team conflicts. The ability to use collaboration requires the recognition of and respect for everyones ideas, opinions, and suggestions. Consensus requires that each participant must agree on the point being discussed before it becomes a part of the decision. Not every point will meet with everyones complete approval. Unanimity is not the goal. The goal is to have individuals accept a point of view based on logic. When individuals can understand and accept the logic of a differing point of view, you can assume you have reached consensus. The following guidelines could be followed for reaching consensus: †¢Avoid arguing over individual ranking or position. Present a position as logically as possible. †¢Avoid win-lose statements. Discard the notion that someone must win. †¢Avoid changing of minds only in order to avoid conflict and to achieve harmony. Avoid majority voting, averaging, bargaining, or coin flipping. These do not lead to consensus. Treat differences of opinion as indicative of incomplete sharing of relevant information, keep asking questions. †¢Keep the attitude that holding different views is both natural and healthy to a group. †¢View initial agreement as suspect. Explore the reasons underlying appar ent agreement and make sure that members have willingly agreed. A collaborative orientation can leave the cleanest aftermath when it successfully identifies and satisfies the desires of all parties to the conflict.