Thursday, October 31, 2019

Position summary letter(supply chain major) Essay

Position summary letter(supply chain major) - Essay Example At the Bayer health care, I would be using those skills to manage the supply chain at an international scale and ensure that the organization’s reputations and profit are taken to another level. On the other hand, at HighJump, those skills would be used to initiate and implement projects to ensure that there is effective service provision need a proper network is established between the organization and its stakeholders. Bayer healthcare (BHC) conducts research and manufactures new therapeutic products and uses scientific technology to create better living conditions for both humans and animals. Research and development is focused on cardiology, women's health care and diagnostic imaging. The company aims at filling the gaps left by other medical and pharmaceutical providers to ensure that its impact is felt by those who really require their services. The company is also supported by manufacturers in different countries who depend on its products to ensure quality and cost-eff ective of its products globally. Responsibilities include initiating activities that will ensure timely and effective supply of the manufactured products to the market place. Thus, the suitable person is expected to be updated on changing demands and improvements in the market as well as within the industry. To liaise with global supply chain systems and synergies to smoothen business deals, reduce costs and ensure that the targeted returns are attained through effectiveness. In addition, the person is expected to provide leadership and have excellent interpersonal relations so that different employee contributions can be recognized and appreciated. Thus, the manager is expected to lead by example through showing accountability both at personal and professional level. The manager will ensure effective communication with the company executives, staff and other stakeholders to the global level to ensure that information is disseminated in a timely and effective manner. My qualificatio ns that make me a suitable and competitive candidate for the position include: I am pursuing a bachelors degree in supply chain and this has equipped me with the necessary knowledge to understand procurement operations. In addition, I have a good understanding of SAP and supply chain management of the knowledge I have gained in my course. I have good leadership and interpersonal skills which I will use to enhance collaboration and ensure that there is transparency in the organization. Moreover, I have good human resource management skills which will come in handy to enhance talent acquisition and creation of international partnerships with the organization's stakeholders. I have good communication skills both oral and written which will enhance communication of both complex and simple issues with the staff and other stakeholders. High jump supply chain management software necessitates the flow of information and inventory in a cost effective and timely manner. The organizationâ€⠄¢s aim to meet market and customer needs through the provision of logistic services, packaging, healthcare, distribution and manufacturing of goods. The company enables its business partners and clients to access their services at low cost and minimizes ownership costs. The company establishes a working relationship with its clients through creating sessions to allow for interactive

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The literature relating to Effects of Internet Essay Example for Free

The literature relating to Effects of Internet Essay This chapter discusses the literature relating to Effects of Internet use and Internet Addiction (IA). The first section introduces the background of the Internet and identifies the prevalence of IA. The second section discusses the definitions of addiction and their relevance to IA. Background of the Internet The Internet was established in the early 1960s and subsequently became a mainstream communication vehicle (Moschovitis, Polle, Schuyler, Senft, 1999; Schneider, et al., 2006). Since that time, there has been remarkable growth in the Internet‟s functionality, capacity, accessibility and convenience. These improvements have encouraged more people to use it more often, and it has become a powerful application in modern society. As of 2010, 28.7% of the worlds population used Internet services (Internet World Stats, 2010b). The Internet is a massive, computer-linked network system used globally to access and convey information, either by personal or business computer users; it is also used for communication, research, entertainment, education and business transactions (Kraut, et al., 1998; Schneider, et al., 2006). Today, the Internet can link all online computers so that people can use it to communicate throughout the world (Schneider, et al., 2006). Prevalence of IA. The prevalence of IA has been examined in many countries among school student cohorts (see Table 2.1). IA has been reported at a wide range of rates, from a low of 1% in Greece (Tsitsika, et al., 2009) to a high of 36.7% in Italy (Milani, et al., 2009). Most research has reported a prevalence rate 10% or less, for example, 1.6% in South Korea (Kima et al., 2006), 2% in Norway (Johansson Gà ¶testam, 2004), 2.4% in China (Cao Su, 2006), 4% in South Korea (Lee, et al., 2007), 4.6% in Australia (Thomas Martin, 2010), 6% in Poland (Zboralski, et al., 2009), and 7.1% in China (Lang, Jia, Li, Su, 2008). However, a few studies have reported a high prevalence rate of IA among students, for example, 10.7% in South Korea  (Park, Kim, Cho, 2008), 10.8% in China (Lam, et al., 2009), 18.2% in Taiwan (Ko, et al., 2007), and 36.7% in Italy (Milani, et al., 2009). Internet addiction. The first study of IA was conducted by Young (1996), who reported that 79.88% of 496 general Internet users were classified as Internet dependents, using the 24 Diagnostic Questionnaire DQ via email and telephone survey. IA has increasingly been recognized as a potential problem since the introduction of the term by Goldberg in 1996 (Marshall, 1999). While different approaches to different addictions fill the literature, essentially the same ideas about addiction and many of the same behaviours are being described, whether it is substance dependence, pathological gambling, or technology addiction, (Horvath, 2004; McIlwraith, et al., 1991). IA has generally been defined as an inability to control the use of the Internet, causing psychological, social, family, school and work impairment (Davis, 2001; Young Rogers, 1998). However, the terminology or labels for IA are inconsistent in the literature. This study uses the term IA to encompass all the various terms used in the literature. As yet, there are no standard diagnostic criteria for IA agreed upon in the literature. Nevertheless, most researchers acknowledge the existence of IA. As Griffiths (1998) noted, â€Å"Excessive use of the Internet may not be problematic in most cases but the limited case study evidence suggests that for some individuals, excessive Internet use is a real addiction and of genuine concern† (p. 73). Researchers have also tried to develop an accurate assessment tool in order to diagnose IA. For example, a well known assessment tool to classify IA was introduced by Young (1996) in the form of an eight-item Diagnostic Questionnaire (DQ) which was based on pathological gambling criteria. The DQ utilizes a set of yes/no questions regarding preoccupation with the Internet, the amount of time spent on the Internet, and the negative impacts of the Internet use. Since the introduction of Young’s instrument (Young, 1996), several other assessment tools have been developed.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Change Management: Ongc Ltd

Change Management: Ongc Ltd Change is a very necessary aspect of human life. One of the few things which have a real permanence in this world is change. Different types of changes occur, such as seasonal changes, changes in nature and behavior of human beings, changes in their biological and physical systems, organizational changes etc. Here, the main concern of the study is what organizational change is and how it should be managed? What are reasons or causes of change and what is the reaction towards it? The meaning of word change is, when there is an alteration in the system whether physical, biological or social. Hence organizational change refers to, the alteration of work environment or work conditions in the organization. It may include different components of the organization such as change in technology, organization structure and design, people working in the organization etc (Prasad L.M., 2007). What is Change Management? Change management is known as the process of developing a planned approach to adapt to the changes in the organization. It is the transition of an organization or individuals, teams or groups in an organization to reach from a current state to a future state for development and improved performance (Tromley C., Mainiero L.A., 2004). The main aim of this organizational process is to make the employees understand the importance of change according to the rapidly changing business environment and accept it with open minds. This will reduce the risk of failure in implementing the changes in the organization. Though this is practically not possible because every time when there is a change people always have resistance towards it. It is the human tendency that nobody wants to accept change which consequently makes it important to understand the reasons behind it and manage it by reducing resistance towards it. Change is often resisted by the employees because it disturbs their set routine s and set new avenues to learn which most of the employees do not want (McCrimonn M., 2008). Change may be planned or unplanned. If the change is sudden because of some external forces such as technological changes or change in the political or legal environment then the organization members has to adopt it forcefully but if the change is done by planning well in advance irrespective of the pressure of external or internal forces then it is called as planned change, which is important to improve the ability of employees to adapt changes in the environment as well as their behavior (Planned Change, 2009, knol.google.com) Change Management in Public Sector organizations The current business environment is changing at a very fast pace and all organizations whether private or public are experiencing the impacts of change. It is important for these organizations to understand the role of change management and how to practically implement it (How to Manage Change, 2009,). Public sector organizations are often perceived to be resistant towards change because of the reason to seek the ability to do things rather than doing those things in a different or changed manner. The changes in the socio-economic, political, legal and technological environment has a major impact on the public sector organizations as it the implementation of these changes is a time consuming process. These reform initiatives have made the development of new approaches in the public sector resulting in the introduction of Business Process Re-engineering, new business models, team building and leadership programmes, improved project management etc. This all involves changes in the mind set of the employees which implies the importance of change management in the public sector organizations (UNDP Capacity Development Resource, 2006). Apart from these changes in the external environment the changes in the public sector organizations is mainly due the pressure of the government and global trends. Though the forces or elements of change are almost same in the public and private sector organizations the implementation is far more difficult in public sector. This is due to the different orientation in the values and objectives of both the sectors. The effectiveness of change is dependent on the outcomes which are expected from the change programme (Osborne P.S., Brown K., 2005). 2.3 Importance of Change Management Change management plays an important role in the organization as bringing change means making alteration in the systematic and planned routine. The task of bringing about change in the organization is not that easy as it involves changing the mindset of individuals and their attitudes towards a particular objective. Changes can be brought about in the organization externally or internally. The process of bringing about change allows the organization to give a proactive or reactive or reactive response in a particular situation (Role of Change Management in an Organization, managementhub.com, 2009). The process of change involves the following steps: Identify the need or requirement of change in the organization Designing the specific requirements to fulfill the needs Making the employees understand that why change is required and what is its importance Making changes in the organizational processes to incorporate the changes By following these steps in an organization it can be ensured that the change management strategies will be effective in long run and help in improved organizational performance (Mateco, 2008) 2.4 About ONGC Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) was set up as a Commission on August 14, 1956. The company was given its corporate identity on June 23, 1993, which has now grown into a full-fledged horizontally integrated petroleum company. Today, ONGC is a flagship public sector enterprise and Indias highest profit making corporate, achieving the record of being the first Indian corporate to register a five digit profit figure of Rs. 10,529 Crore in the year 2002-03. ONGC has produced more than 600 million metric tonnes of crude oil and supplied more than 200 billion cubic metres of gas since its inception, thus fuelling the increasing energy requirements of the Indian economy. Today, ONGC is the most valuable company in India, contributing 77 percent of Indias crude oil production and 81 per cent of Indias natural gas production. To sustain this growth, ONGC has drawn up ambitious strategic objectives, which include doubling the oil and gas reserves. Having accreted six billion tonnes oil and oil equivalent reserves in its first 45 years of operation, ONGC now aims to double these reserves by 2020. The second strategic objective is to augment the global recovery factor from the existing 28 per cent to the global norm of 40 per cent in next 20 years. Out of the six billion tonnes of oil and gas reserve accretion, four billion tonnes is expected to come from Offshore and Deep Waters. To improve the recovery factor from the existing fields, ONGC is investing Rs. 2,000 crore in 15 re-development schemes. 2.5 Corporate Ranking Ranked 326th in Financial Times Global 500 List by market cap; first among Indian Corporates Ranked 133rd in Forbes 400 Top Global Corporates by market cap; first among Indian Corporates Ranked 1st in Economic Times 500 Corporate List by net profit and market cap Ranked 1st in Business Today 500 List by net profit Ranked 1st in Business Today-Stern Stewart Study of 500 Indian Corporates for highest-ever Market Value Added (MVA). ONGC is the only PSU which has both MVA and EVA positive. 3. Aims and objectives of the Study The aim of this study is to understand the concept of organizational change, forces of change in the organization and how manage that change and overcoming resistance of the employees in context to the ONGC Ltd. which is a PSU. Change management plays an important role in the Indian organizations because if there would be no change then the growth trajectory of any organization will become constant and progress of the employees would be restricted what they had learnt in the past. So, this study will help to understand the importance of change management in the public sector organizations and the effective approaches to manage those changes. 3.1 Aim To understand the change management approaches being implemented in ONGC and help in overcoming the resistance towrads change. Objectives The objectives of this study are: To understand the forces of change in public sector organizations. To analyze the various factors causing changes. To study the reasons of resistance towards change. To suggest measures for overcoming resistance towards change. To study the importance of change management To suggest prevalent approaches of change management 4. Review of Literature What Is Organizational Change Management? The concept of organizational change refers to the organization as a whole rather than making smaller changes such as adding a new employee, modifying a programme or a schedule. The examples of organizational change may include change in mission, restricting or reforming of operations or management, some major technological changes, changes in government rule and policies etc (McNamara C, 2005). According to Newstrom and Davis change in any part or function of the organization brings about a dynamic change in the whole organization. It tends to disturb the old equilibrium necessitating the setting up of a new one. The type of new equilibrium depends on the degree of change and its impact on the organization. It is a continuous process which requires subsequent changes in whole organization (Prasad L.M., 2007). The changes could be due to some external or internal factors because of the dynamic business environment. The forces of change are: Nature of the workforce Technology Economic and Social Environment Political and Legal environment Globalization Competition Successful change must be brought about by top management and to manage these activities a change agent plays an important role. A change agent could be a manager or a non manager and his responsibility is to translate the change into a plan and carry out the plan. If the change is carried out in a team or a group the resistance would be low and chances of acceptance would be high (Robbins S. P., Judge T., 2008). 4.2 Resistance to Change Whenever change is initiated, both the managers as well as employees react to it. Though human reaction to change depends on the outcome of change, but the attitude of people play an important role in determining it. There are possibilities of either accepting the change, being indifferent towards it or a strong resistance to change. People normally resist to change because they perceive that change as a threat or feel difficult to cope with it (Kotelnikov V., 2001). Sometimes resistance to change is good because if there would be no resistance and employees will accept the change then the changes of progress in an organization would reduce. At the initial phase of change, employees may react differently. Sometimes the resistance is instant and spontaneous. It easy for the management to deal with this type of resistance. Implicit or slow resistance is difficult to manage because it may have different after effects. The employees may leave the organization, become less committed towar ds the work, lack of motivation may occur which sometimes becomes difficult to recognize (Robbins S. P., Judge T., 2008). Overcoming the resistance to change can be brought about by seven ways in an organization Education and communication Participation Building support and commitment Negotiation Manipulation and cooptation Selecting people who accept change Coercion (12manage.com, six change approaches) Approaches to Change Management There are various approaches adopted by organizations to manage change. Some of them are: Lewins three step model In a model suggested by Lewin he has given three steps of change: unfreezing the status quo, movement to a desired end state and refreezing i.e., new change to make it permanent. Kotters eight step plan Based on Lewin three step model Kotter has suggested an eight step plan for implementing change. Action research It refers to a change process based on the systematic collection of data and then selection of a change action based on what the analyzed data indicates. Organization development It is a collection of planned change interventions build on humanistic democratic values, that seek to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well being. The six interventions used in OD are: Sensitivity training Survey feedback Process consultation Team building Intergroup development Appreciative inquiry (Robbins S. P., Judge T., 2008). 5. Research Methodology Data collection methods Secondary Research Secondary research is the data collected from secondary sources like Online Web Portals, Magazines and published Journals, among many others. The review of literature is a comprehensive analysis of the research already collected on the concerned topics. While collecting the secondary data, we will ensure the following: Reliability Suitability Adequacy Primary Research Primary research is the collection of data that is not already available. The process is designed to serve a specific set of objectives useful for the study. The data is collected through various methods such as interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, online surveys, etc. For this study, we have chosen suitable methods of primary research to learn about the objectives of the study: Quantitative Research: It refers to the data that is numerical, and can be measured and expressed in terms of numbers. The most popular form of quantitative research is the questionnaire/survey method. The survey will be conducted with the employees working in ONGC Ltd. Research Design The study will be explorative as well as descriptive in nature. Sampling design Target population: The target population in this research refers to the employees working in ONGC. The respondents can be of any gender and any income level. Sampling unit The sampling unit is ONGC Ltd. Sampling method For this research we use non-probability sampling. Zikmund (1997) stated that in non-probability sampling, the probability of any particular member of the population being chosen is unknown. The element in the population does not have any probability attached to their being chosen as sample subjects. Size of Sample Survey A sample size of 250 respondents will be considered for this study. Sampling plan: The data will be collected from employees working in the organization. Questionnaire Design: The questionnaire will consist of both open-ended and close-ended questions. The questions will be framed to enable respondents answer the questions like an essay. There is no limit on how much the interviewee wants to say on a particular topic. Data Analysis and Interpretation The data collected from primary research will be analysed and interpreted using Factor Analysis. It is suitable to the study over other tools, because: It provides both subjective as well as objective results, of which subjective can be converted into numbers/scores It can be used to identify and understand the hidden attributes or constructs which would otherwise (in case of direct analysis) have been unapparent It is inexpensive and easier to implement than other tools. 6. Significance of the study The findings of this study should be useful to the top management of ONGC Ltd. as they would be able to understand the causes and effects of change on the employees and the reasons of resistance towards it. It would be easy for them to understand the plight of employees while adapting the change in their system and is it really effective or not. The findings of this study should also provide an insight to the employees in finding out ways in coping with change and understanding its importance for their professional growth. Finally, the findings from this study might add some useful information to the research already being conducted in this area which needs to be highlighted so that the employees as well as the management will understand the better approaches to adopt changes and plausible solutions to this problem. 7. Limitations of the Study The study will be limited to the employees working in ONGC as the researcher is specially focusing on the implementation of change management in public sector organizations. The approaches would be limited to the reasons of changes and then its implementation particularly in ONGC. 8. Organization of the paper Explains the chapterisation plan of the actual thesis. It basically consists of five chapters: Introduction It includes the introduction to change, change management in public sector organizations and it importance. Review of Literature It includes the research on organizational change, forces of change, resistance to change and how to overcome resistance, change agents etc. Research Methodology It includes the research design, sample size, sources of data collection, questionnaire etc. Data Analysis It gives the results and interpretations of the data collected and analyzed from the respondents. Conclusion and Recommendations This chapter will give the conclusions and recommendations which will come from the respondents and strategies which could be employed by the organizations.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Sources of Finance for a Business Essay -- Papers

Sources of Finance for a Business For a business to successfully run, it must have sources of finance. These are methods of financing the running of the business, buying of stock and paying of workers. Small businesses and large businesses have different sources of finance. In this section, I will discuss the different sources of finance used by small and large businesses, and the advantages and disadvantages of each, starting with small businesses. Setting up a business costs money. For instance, setting up a bakery involves buying or renting a shop and buying stocks of flour and so on. One source of finance for a new business is equity or equity capital. This is money which is put into the business by its owners. The baker for instance, may have savings of  £20,000 which are used to buy a lease on a shop and start a sole proprietorship. They may also go into a partnership with another person, with each putting in  £10,000 of their own savings. The advantage of using equity capital is that, as it is the owner’s money, no extra cost or interest is charged when using it. The problem with equity capital is that it is difficult to gather in the first place. It is often difficult for small and medium sized businesses to find individuals to provide equity. Or, if the business is a sole proprietorship, the owner may be short of money to provide equity. Retained profit is also the most important source of finance for large businesses in the UK. Once the business has been set up, it will want to make a profit. This profit is owned by the owners of the business. Retained or undistributed profit is where these profits are kept back for us... ...ho set up their own businesses. They also provide training and support. Other grants are available to businesses which operate in areas of low income and high unemployment. Grants are good for businesses because they are given for free, with no interest or payment charges. However, they are fairly uncommon for everyday businesses and are only given to businesses which need the boost in funds. For a business to succeed, it needs to find the right balance of finance. It is important that it is well-placed to survive any financial problems it might go through. In my business, it is vital to carry out extensive research to ensure that I will have the right amount of funds to carry out everyday running of the business. If this does not happen and I do not find the correct sources of finance then my business will fail.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

History of Non Profit Horse Rescue Essay

At present, there are plentiful of non profit organizations for horse rescue and all of them share the same goals and objectives. These organizations’ main goal and mission is to provide rescue, rehabilitation, foster care, and have a positive environment for those horses and equines that have either been abandoned, abused, unwanted, mistreated, neglected, tortured, retired, or are at risk of going to slaughter. Each non profit organization for horse rescue has its own history. Before long, horses and equines were used for transportation. In 1950’s when motorized vehicles were becoming more practical and affordable, horses were replaced as means of transportation by these lower maintenance and faster vehicles. Because of this, many horses were abandoned and neglected and were being sent to slaughter. Thus in 1952, a non profit horse rescue organization called HorseWorld was established to take care of the many working horses whose jobs were taken away and replaced by the motorized vehicles (HorseWorld, 2008). May wild horses or mustangs or more accurately termed as feral horses freely roam on public lands in several states of America like Arizona, California, Idaho, and Wyoming. But the numbers of mustangs were declining as time passes. Mustangs are horses whose ancestors were domestic horses that first arrived in America with Christopher Columbus on his voyage in 1493 (Lifesavers Inc. , 1997). Many of these domestic horses were freed or escaped from early explorers, native tribes, etc. to become free-roaming horses all across America. In order to protect and rescue these horses, the Wild Free-roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed by Congress in 1971 and many non profit horse rescue organizations have come out to protect, manage, and control wild free-roaming horses on public lands. One of these organizations is the Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue. There are many other non profit organizations that protect and rescue not only horses but also dogs and cats from dangerous situations. The important thing is that these organizations give a chance for these animals to have a better life. This reflects how these animal rescue organizations give value to the rights of animals to safety and just treatment.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Erasmus vs Luther; Discourse on Free Will Essay

The Erasmus-Luther Discourse on Free Will begins with the Diatribe concerning free will, written by Erasmus. Luther then refutes Erasmus’ Diatribe with The Bondage of the Will. The question being debated is whether man is in control of his own will, or whether everything is preordained by God, thus leaving man without free will. Their diverging philosophies have been interpreted as being the basic difference between Catholic and Protestant positions regarding free will. This debate offers two very conflicting views, although both philosophies were basic principles in their respective religions. Erasmus builds his argument without a solid foundation; like building a house without a foundation, it can easily crumble. Thus, Luther convincingly attacks Erasmus’ Diatribe. Erasmus holds that man is left with the choice of doing either good or evil. It is man’s choice and therefore, free will exists. In the opinion of Erasmus, the freedom of the will in Holy Scriptures is as follows: if on the road to piety, one should continue eagerly to improve; if one has become involved in sin, one should make every effort to extricate oneself, and to solicit the mercy of the Lord. Two conclusions concerning Erasmus’ beliefs can be drawn from this statement; firstly that man can himself find repentance and secondly that God is infallible, meaning that a person engages in evil acts with his own will. The definition of free will given by Erasmus is â€Å"the power of the human will whereby man can apply to or turn away from that which leads unto eternal salvation. â€Å" While addressing the topic of Adam and Eve, Erasmus states, â€Å"In man, will was so good and so free that even without additional grace it could have remained in a state of innocence, though not without help of grace could it attain the blessedness of eternal life, as the Lord Jesus promised his people. † Erasmus, therefore, believes eternal salvation is attainable with the help and mercy of God, but Erasmus also believes that Adam and Eve caused man to have original sin. Erasmus goes on to write, â€Å"In those without extraordinary grace the reason is darkened, but not extinguished. Probably the same occurs to the power of the will: it is not completely extinct but unproductive of virtuous deeds. † In short Erasmus believed that man has free will and therefore is punished or rewarded according to the choices he makes. He backs his argument with many quotes from the scripture but so does Luther, thus the argument shifts, and the sense of scripture is the debate. Luther, who wrote The Bondage of the Will to refute what Erasmus had written in the Diatribe, disagrees; stating that man does not have freedom of the will. In the first few pages, Luther proclaims â€Å"The Holy Scripture is no skeptic, and what He has written into our hearts are no doubts or opinions, but assertions more certain and more firm that all human experience in life itself. † Furthermore, he goes on to say â€Å"The essence of Christianity which you (Erasmus) describe†¦ is without Christ, without the Spirit, and chillier than ice†¦ † Luther immediately implies that Erasmus has not been saved. Luther abhors those who claim to be self-reformers, once again contradicting Erasmus. â€Å"You say: Who will reform his life? I answer: Nobody! No man can! God has no time for you self-reformers, for they are all hypocrites. The elect who fear God will be reformed by the Holy Spirit. † Perhaps the quote that best exemplifies Luther’s position is as follows: Thus the human will is like the beast of burden. If God rides it, it wills and goes whence God wills; as the Psalm says, â€Å"I was a beast of burden before thee† (Psalm 72:22) If Satan rides, it wills and goes where Satan wills. Nor may it choose to which rider it will run, nor which it will seek. But the riders themselves contend who shall have and hold it. † This philosophy contends that both good and evil are worked by a higher being. Both authors in this work make reference to Judas and his betrayal of Christ. Both parties acknowledge the foreknowledge of God, but Luther proclaims that God willed it. Thus the Protestant faith grew on the principles of predestination and the absolute belief that the scriptures are to be interpreted literally. At no point does Luther ever stray from the central point of his refutation, proving Erasmus wrong by presenting the conclusive evidence needed. Erasmus, on the other hand, never really plants his feet in this argument. Erasmus covers his tracks by changing the terms of the debate throughout his work. For example, Erasmus fails to define the limits within which the reader should think that the will is being acted upon. One can not conclude that Erasmus does not fully believe what he states in his Diatribe, but he admittedly discloses â€Å"I have always preferred playing the freer field of the muses, than fighting ironclad in close combat. † Erasmus proclaims that their debate is in the sense of scripture, yet how can one who defends free will pigeonhole the interpretation of the reader? Luther is much more direct in laying out his arguments and criticizes Erasmus for stating a bare definition without explaining its parts. The debate has very much become a personal matter by the time Luther’s discourse commences. There is no mutual agreement whatsoever, thus it is easy to see why the views of Catholics and Protestants were so divergent. Erasmus is clearly trying to convince his readers, most particularly Luther, that free will does indeed exist. Luther continues to stay his course and states that God wills all. Everything is preordained, evil included. Of the assertions, Luther simply states â€Å"one must delight in assertions to be a Christian at all! † While Erasmus seems leery to take a firm stance in his debate, he is changing the circumstances of the debate, which clearly is an attempt to prevent Luther from pinning him down in Luther’s The Bondage of the Will. After thoroughly refuting everything Erasmus has stated, Luther proclaims that Erasmus has â€Å"asserted nothing but made comparisons† . Whether there be complete merit in either man’s philosophy, Luther has quite convincingly made Erasmus’ position appear flawed.