Human resource management--Should U.S. companies use offshore Essay

Human resource management--Should U.S. companies use offshore locations to enjoy lower wage rates Are there ethical issues or concerns about employee morale t - Essay Example Outsourcing in the field of Information Technology is nothing new as in recent years it has changed shape several times to reflect new, and arguably better-planned, organizational objectives. And best practices for creating contracts are now evolving that promise to move outsourcing from a road often pockmarked with potholes and lawsuit-bound to a more reliable relationship for both provider and customer. There has been a general perception that outsourcing means taking jobs away from a region, particularly if we talk about the US. From a financial standpoint, the debate regarding the United States businesses spreading into offshore locations is more pertinent than anything else within the lengths and breadths of the nation since financial health has ensured decent composition of an economically secure nation and US is sure to thrive on the same premise. (Hom, 2005) What remains to be seen is to realize that US authorities could do a lot more than raising the offshore locations’ cutting down on wage rates since they need to understand the bigger picture and forget about the short term incentives, if any, they have in sight. The US businesses would suffer immensely due to the high offshore costs in terms of the employee insurance and the like since it would encourage outsourcing of jobs which would have been easily completed had the individuals been given the offshore guarantees, coming from the US land alone. Much needs to be done in the relevant context and that too quickly. (Domberger, 1998) As far as US is concerned, this could be made appropriate if the offshore policies and strategies are proportionate with the policies that have been laid down time and again within the US. What this means is that the laws that allow for the effective handling of employees as well as the workers within the US need to be followed so that the top management understands what is best for them and how they can contribute in

Gender Inequality: Causes and Impacts

Gender Inequality: Causes and Impacts Research Paper:  Gender Inequality For many centuries, men have been the dominant gender and women have been the minority. Men were the breadwinners† and women just stayed home and took care of the housework and children. Women barely had any rights. Their husbands could abuse them and get away with it easily. Fortunately, over a period of time, things have slowly changed. However, this is still a very serious and widespread problem. Women are still at the bottom of the chain. What was the cause of this inequality and what will be the consequences if this problem continues to linger? Gender inequality, in my definition, is the unequal and biased treatment between the two sexes. I strongly believe that the unequal treatment of women is something that should have stayed in primitive times. We are in the present now and we are far more advanced than we ever were and yet we are old school in our thinking of how men and women should be treated. I can strongly identify with gender inequality because many of my closest friends have faced it or still face it. Materialist theories define gender inequality as a result of how men and women are tied to the economic structure of society. They believe that womens role as a mother and wife are devalued by society and deny access to highly respected public opportunities. Gender inequality is definitely something that we often take for granted; it is accepted and seems so normal in society. These differences often seem invisible to us even though it happens in our everyday life in everything from employment and education to polit ics and the media without us being aware of it. Before we look at the gender inequalities in paid employment, it is vital to look at unpaid labor and the discriminations that women face. History has shown us that the roles and responsibilities for men and women were already chosen for them. In the United Kingdom, there was a trend of male dominance in employment until World War II where women gained male-orientated jobs for the first time whilst the men fought in the front line. Before this, the males were often the breadwinners and therefore provided for their family. On the other hand, the females were more inclined to be involved in unpaid labor often labeled as housewives who performed chores around the family home and looked after the children. You could apply Leslie Feinberg’s theory to this as back then it was just accepted and seen as the way of life for men and women. It was found in a study in 2006 that on average ‘women spent 180 minutes per day on housework; that’s 78% more time than men who spent only 101 minutes per day.’ This reveals that even in current society women are still accepted to partake in unpaid labor through housework rather than be in employment and this reflects the past in the United Kingdom. A very good example of this are the employment rates in the UK as it was around 79% for men and 70 % for women which has remained unchanged since 1999. (Office of National Statistics, 2008). It has to be said that in recent times, the division between males and females is less evident but inclination towards male dominance in employment is still shown. It was reported that the gender pay gap in the UK is one of the highest in Europe: women who work full-time earned 17% less per hour than men and women working part-time earned 39% less per hour than men working full-time. (Office of National Statistics, 2008) In the United States, the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. However, women’s place in society and in employment has improved greatly since the Equal Pay Act of 1970. Over the years, there has been an increase of women in the workplace with women working in a larger number of senior positions. This reveals that even though there have been improvements in some areas, men often still have the upper hand in employment. Today, this gender inequality is accepted in society which reveals a strong unfairness against women in employment. Men and women still follow very different career paths. Men are much more likely than women to be employed in skilled trades whereas women are more likely than not to be forced into working lower paid labor jobs such as cleaning. ‘Women tend not to put their whole bodies into engagement in a physical task with the same ease and naturalness as men’ (Young, Iris. M, 207). There is the national organization for tradeswomen called ‘Women and Manual Trades (WAMT) who support training women to wo rk in plumbing, building and electricians for example. As well as this, they address the problem of low female representation in such work. Although there are organisations such as the WAMT who support women working in skilled trades the likeliness of women to partake in such a job is still very low and shows little improvement. This, yet again, reveals the strong dominance of men in employment worldwide. The notion of being a female is considered to have more challenges than male within the mass media. There is an unbalanced and stereotyped representation of women in the media and a lot of the time they are dominated by men in their roles. Gender inequalities traditionally were greatly enforced in media output with women being used in advertisements to sell anything from cars to tobacco. As well as this, women were often portrayed as ‘sex objects’ in the media, especially in the 1980’s when men’s magazines were first distributed. This still happens in rec ent times as women are displayed in the magazines mostly for male entertainment which is a major gender inequality as it uses the objectification of women. As well as this, women often feel insecure and are forced to impress men by copying what they see in the magazines. This happens in most of the media from the magazines and newspapers to advertisements in television they are such powerful forces which influence society to a great extent. Furthermore, women in more contemporary media are still sexualized and the men still look at women in the same way as before. It was discovered in the late 1990’s that ‘44% of music videos contain sexual imagery. Women are far more likely than men to be presented in provocative or revealing clothing and sexually objectified.’ This links to female stereotypes and sexualization which are abused in this present day in media especially with the rapid growth of the internet in recent years often through sexual images of women linke d to the sex industry such as pornography being easily accessible on the internet which often depicts women as mere entertainment for men. The nature of pornography is a prime example of the sexualized representation of women in society. Gender inequality is not an issue that can be resolved within a day or two, and reaching our final goal of equality is not going to be an easy step, all we can do is break it down into many factors and give it time to pay off. First part of our resolution is educational wise, which is basically teaching our young ones counter gender stereotypes from kinder-garden, and holding on to these beliefs all the way till college. This can be done by showing both sexes that there aren’t any male or female biased sports, there isn’t a major that a girl shouldn’t get into because it’s a â€Å"man major†, those stereotypes should be totally eradicated from all new generations. Another part of our resolution is promoting equality in the labor fields; maybe have a long lasting initiative to promote equality in all labor fields. Some people might say that women cannot perform many jobs that men do like construction working, well during WW2, women were the only ones doing these â€Å"men jobs† while all the men were gone to fight in the war. Another possible way to resolve our issue is through celebrities and TV. Nowadays, everyone’s role model is a Hollywood star, a singer, a model, so basically a celebrity. Why don’t we make these celebrities indirectly implant the idea of equality in our human brains, why don’t they show us that males and females are capable of doing the same jobs and quests and that segregation is not needed. Again, I repeat that this won’t be an easy process and it might take a very long time but at the end of the day, gender inequality is a very big issue and it has to be resolved sooner or later. Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why are women viewed as less than equal? These old attitudes are drilled into us from the very beginning. We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible. We have a lot of work to do, but we can get there if we work together. Unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. With determination, commitment and strong belief, we can achieve our goal.

Comparing Frances Zefferilli’s Hamlet and Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay ex

Comparing Frances Zefferilli’s Hamlet and Shakespeare’s Hamlet I believe Frances Zefferilli’s version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, made in 1990, is one of the best versions of the play to be put onto screen. The film, starring Mel Gibson as Hamlet, and Glen Close as Queen Gertrude, takes a different look to the play. Zefferilli explores the physiological stability of Hamlet very well, especially in Act 3, Scene 4. My interpretation of that scene in the text was different to the one given in the movie. After reading the scene, I had the notion that Hamlet was already quite confused - he had just come out of a scene where he could have killed the king, but his blunted purpose gets in the way. The killing of Polonius in the text gave me the idea that Macbeth was anxious to find out who h...

The use of recombinant technology can only benefit humans

Recombination is a way in which meiosis produces new combinations of genetic information. During synapsis, chromatids may exchange parts with other chromatids, leading to a physical exchange of chromosome parts; thus, genes from both parents may be combined on the same chromosome, creating a new combination. Recombinant DNA technology is a series of techniques in which DNA fragments are linked to self-replicating forms of DNA to create recombinant DNA molecules. These molecules in turn are replicated in a host cell to create clones of the inserted segments. I think that recombinant technology only benefits humans as it allows us much greater control over genetic manipulation, which we can then use to our advantage. Indge, Rowland and Baker (2000) summarises some of the ways that recombinant technology has been beneficial to humans; > Genetically engineered micro organisms- large amounts of insulin and human growth hormone can be produced cheaply. > Genetically modified plants- Desirable plants can be transferred from an organism to a crop plant. > Genetically modified animals- human proteins such as haemoglobin and blood-clotting factors, are already produced in the milk of transgenic cows, goats and sheep. > Human gene therapy- gene therapy involves inserting a ‘normal' gene into an organism's body to correct a genetic disorder. ; Mapping human chromosomes (the Human Genome Project)- scientists in over 1000 laboratories around the world are contributing to the Human Genome Project. Their aim is to create a map of all human chromosomes, identifying the precise location of every gene. This will help to develop new gene therapy treatments. The ability to clone genes through the use of recombinant technology is a big advantage to humans. The production of human insulin is now done on a very large scale and benefits many thousands of diabetics. Kent (2000) states that human insulin made by recombinant DNA technology produces fewer side effects than insulin prepared from cow or pig pancreatic extracts, previously the main source of insulin. But diabetics are not the only people who are benefiting from recombinant technology. Jones and Jones (1999) show that considerable advances in genetic engineering are making gene therapy possible. Gene therapy is intended to correct inherited disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, which are caused by a defective gene. If the ‘correct' gene could be inserted into the affected person's cells, then they should be free of the disease. Recombinant technology is also beneficial to humans when it comes to crop production. Genetic engineering is used to produce pest resistant varieties of crop, which means that fewer pesticides would have to be used on the crops and they would produce a greater yield. Jones and Jones (1999) say that tomatoes have been produced containing genes that result in them remaining fresh for much longer than usual after picking. This makes it much easier, and therefore cheaper, to transport them form grower to sale point, so they have a much longer shelf life. But genetically modified crops can also cause problems in the environment. If crops are produced containing a gene making them resistant to herbicides and are then sprayed with the herbicide to kill weeds, this gene might then somehow spread to wild plants and affect the balance of the ecosystem. Although recombinant technology is of great use to humans when it comes to gene therapy and genetically modified crops it can also be a threat if used in the wrong way. Jones and Jones (1999) state that the techniques of genetic engineering could be used deliberately to create new organisms that could infect and kill humans. There are, of course, already many organisms that can do this, but little use had been made on biological warfare. About half of the nations of the world signed a treaty in 1972 pledging not to produce biological weapons of any kind. However, the concern remains, and it is certainly possible that new, highly dangerous forms of infectious organisms could be used deliberately.

Challenges of Scholarly Writing

Writing is a means of expressing oneself through words and even a method of sharing information about different fields of study. Many have enjoyed and appreciated various forms literature that have transformed readers to another place or make them feel that they are someone else. The benefits of writing are endless. More so, it has become an integral part of a person's life and an inevitable component of the society. For without it, the world today would be bland and monotonous. Since we were toddlers we were trained to read and write so that in our adult years, we will be equipped with a tool that can advance our status in the society which can either be for personal or professional purposes. For me, writing has been an arduous but rewarding part of my life. At first, I was a little apprehensive about writing because it requires the writer to know a lot about sentence constructions, proper usage of punctuations and others. It seemed that writing was a tedious task that demanded time and effort in order to produce high-quality outputs. But after numerous writing exercises and trials, I was able to get used to with the rules and guidelines involved in writing. Because of this, I was able to be exposed to various forms of writing such as creative, technical and scholarly writing. Among the three, creative writing is the easiest and most enjoyable because it gives freedom to the writer to write about anything under the sun. It is like typing on the keyboard or scribbling on a piece paper everything that pops in your head. Meanwhile, technical writing demands technical knowledge about a certain subject which makes it harder than creative and scholarly writing. However, scholarly writing is a different story because it is arduous to write but the end results are beneficial and helpful particularly to the academe. During my days as a student, I was bombarded with a lot of scholarly papers which helped us to learn more about the courses that we took in college. There were days that ideas just came flowing in your mind that helped me finished my research or writing papers in a short amount of time. But there are also moments when you can not seem to extract any good thoughts from your brain even if you spend hours and hours researching, reading and brainstorming. This type of incident is famously known as writer’s block wherein the writer experiences a short-term inability to start or continue the writing process which is frequently caused by the lack of drive and creativity. Also, another writing obstacle is the generation of ideas or thoughts. The most difficult part of writing is the beginning and the conclusion phase. As a writer, I found it hard to organize and develop properly my views and perceptions about a certain subject matter. Even though there is a lot of information, sometimes it is difficult to synthesize all of them to make coherent and logical paragraphs. Aside from this, writers particularly students also go through many obstacles in scholarly writing such as poor structure of writing composition, incorrect usage of grammar and words, citations and plagiarism. When these factors remained unnoticed, the likelihood of generating a solid writing material would be impossible. The key to producing a well-structured scholarly paper is that the thesis statement must be direct and concise. Also, it should be supported by strong arguments at the body of the paper and followed by a conclusion that summarizes the main points and answers the thesis statement. More so, grammar and language used should be appropriate to the topic to make the paper credible and smooth-flowing. However, the most important factor to consider in writing is using proper citations to avoid plagiarism. In writing, it is inevitable to borrow ideas from other writers or previous studies. In order to avoid committing a professional misconduct, writers should cite all sources that they have used in their scholarly papers as a sign of acknowledgment that the incorporated information were taken from other publications. As an alternative, it would be better if writers tried to create their own ideas instead of copying other people’s work thus their skills in writing and critical thinking would be further developed. There is no shortcut in making excellent scholarly papers. Writers must learn the basics of writing before they can be able to yield productive outputs. Moreover, there is no alternate for sitting down and jotting down your ideas on paper so writers should make the best out of writing and try to be honest and responsible .

Should You Really Join an SAT Summer Camp

Should You Really Join an SAT Summer Camp SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips SAT Summer camps are cram school for the SATs. They include long hours and intensive sessions, promising students increases in their SAT scores or their money back. They range from online tutoring programs held over the summer (there are a lot of these), day camps like Elite's Summer Test Prep, and month-long residential camps where students live and breathe SAT prep and college admissions, like Columbia University's SummerFuel. They all promise score increases, and some even guarantee them. But how do you know if you even need an SAT summer camp? Keep reading to find out! Why Do People Go to SAT Summer Camps? Students I’ve spoken to have given a number of reasons for why they’re doing an SAT prep program. The number one reason? Their parents signed them up for one.However, there are other reasons why you might want to attend an SAT summer camp. You may need help boosting your low scores. You may have already tried self study and found it too difficult to maintain a rigid schedule. You may find it beneficial to look into a summer prep program, where you can receive targeted SAT prep in a short span of time. You may have a moderate or even above average SAT score, but it isn't enough for your top choice school and you really need those 800s. If this is you, then what you need is improvement on taking the SAT itself, not the content. A specialized program can help you in this situation. You may not have taken the SAT before, but you want to get it right on the first go. Maybe you have a strict application deadline because you plan to graduate early, or maybe you know you’ll have a lot of other exams to worry about in your junior year. Whatever the reason, if you want a perfect SAT score on the first try, then an SAT prep program might be an important first step. You may need help figuring out what sort of study methods you need for the SAT. You might need a personal tutor to structure a study program tailored to your needs. If that is the case for you, then you might benefit from a specialized SAT prep program. How Many Hours Does an SAT Summer Camp Take? There are a lot of variations in SAT summer programs and the hours of study they offer. They range from one week courses to over four weeks. And they can vary from three to nine hours of SAT prep a day depending on how intensive the program is. Other than time, the greatest variation in SAT summer programs is price. The cost can vary from $25 an hour with an online tutor where you might take classes twice a week to those intensive residential programs that cost over $5000 per course. There are commercial and non-commercial options and they vary by price and hours offered, as well as the study material used. Depending on the program, you have a responsibility to ask the right sort of questions, to make sure that you and your parents are getting your money’s worth. How Much Can a Summer Camp Raise Your SAT Score? This can vary a lot depending on the program you choose, and, unfortunately, a bad program could result in no improvement to your SAT score. However, average improvements after participating in a summer camp range from 50 points to more than 250 points. Some programs even guarantee that if you are not satisfied with your score results that they will continue to offer you support until you are. What Should You Look for in a Top SAT Summer Camp? Right off the bat, you should know that any good program will begin with an assessment test. This needs to be done so that they can analyze your results and place you in the type of program that would best address your weaknesses. No matter the course, a good program will offer practice tests at least a once a week. They may boast between two to six hours a day of teaching and practice for a day camp or ten hours a day for an SAT prep and college admissions residential camp. Either way, make sure that they are offering you enough testing practice, and then after, analysis of your results. A really good summer camp will offer one-on-one personalized programs with at least 48 hours of tutoring at around 12 - 15 hours per week, minimum. This will ensure that you get the practice that you need and the specialized attention that you deserve. Things to Consider When Choosing an SAT Summer Camp If you're looking to pick a summer camp there are some things you need to consider before you decide on any particular one! You should figure out how much time youneed to study to hit yourtarget score goal. Once you know this, you will be able to pick a summer program with the correct number of hours that will help you achieve your goal. You also should look at the score improvements that summer programs promise at the outset and see if they are guaranteed. If they are, then that might be an indication of a reliable program. Be sure to ask them - if your scores don't increase, can you retake the program? Before you sign on with a program, make sure you completely understand what's included. Will books or educational material be included in the advertised price? Because of the high variance in price, it might be better to decide on how much you are willing to spend before you look for a program that fits your needs within your budget. Day camps and summer camps also vary in price significantly, so consider that when you plan your budget. What Are Alternatives to an SAT Summer Camp? A great SAT summer camp can really boost your score, but it will also likely require a lot of time and money. Below are some other options for improving your SAT score. Compared to an SAT summer camp, each of these options is more individualized so you can tailor your studying to fit your needs. They are also typically cheaper and more flexible with scheduling than SAT summer camps. Online SAT Prep Online SAT prep allows you to set the schedule, costs significantly less than an in-person summer camp, and lets you move at a pace comfortable for you, while also allowing for specialized instruction. When you use an online SAT prep program, you'll be guided through a relevant course of study, with regular checkpoints along the way, to make sure you're making progress. You'll alternate between learning lessons and taking practice quizzes or full-length exams. PrepScholaroffers an online program that guides you step by step throughwhat you need to focus on and structures your learning, so you get the advantage of a prep camp and a tutor at a much lower cost. Individual SAT Prep With a Tutor Individual tutoring gives you personal attention but can be more affordable than an SAT summer camp. You can tailor your own approach, just focusing on the areas you know you have trouble with. This way you won't waste your time rehashing your strengths. For example, if you know that the reading section will be a knockout for you, then you don't have to spend extra time on it. You can focus your hours on math or writing instead. Tutors will test you on your weaknesses and guide your study, but they are mainly a supplement to more extensive study on your own time. Costs can vary from $25 an hour with an online tutor where you might take classes twice a week to $100 an hour with an in-person tutor. Studying on Your Own With proper strategies, even studying on your own can be as effective, and far more cost friendly than an SAT camp.With self study, you can make sure that you really understand one topic before moving onto the next one. You'll move at a pace comfortable for you and won't feel rushed or stressed. You can study a lot for the topics and concepts that you find difficult and just skim over things you find easy. You can find plenty of online resources that can guide your self study. If you are thinking of self study, plan to set aside at least one week to prepare a course of study for your summer. And then, follow it. Use the free resources at PrepScholar to help you plan out your SAT summer self study.I've included some links at the bottom of this article, check them out! Summary In my honest opinion, it’s better to study on your own, hire a tutor, or join an online prep program tailored to your needs rather than summer programs that charge lots of money. If you choose one of those alternative options, you can tailor your own approach, and you'll have more flexibility to choose a study method that fits your schedule and budget. However, if you like the idea of group learning and being in an environment of high pressure, intensive study, and you don't mind the monetary investment, then go for it - a summer program may be for you. What’s Next? Only have a month to study for the SAT?Don't worry- our extensive guidewalks you through the steps you'll need to take to be able to hit your goal score within just 30 days. Not sure what SAT score to aim for on test day?Learnwhat a good SAT score isfor youandfor the colleges you're applying to. Need extra help studying for the SAT?Check outour top 21 SAT tipsand learn everything you need to know aboutacing the SAT! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

law and society essays

law and society essays The function of law in a society is more or less universal. It acts as a deterrent to control the evil and treacherous behavior of humans, to maintain discipline and imposes restrictions on some freedom. We live in a chaotic and uncertain world. Without an orderly environment based on and backed by law, the normal activities of life would be lacerated with chaos. Law is a social norm, the infraction of which is sanctioned in treat or in fact by the application of physical force or by a party possessing the socially recognized privilege or so acting. It provides a society with order and predictability, resolving disputes, protecting individuals and property, providing for the general welfare and protecting individual liberties. Law and the predictability it provides cannot guarantee us a totally safe world, but it can create a climate in which people believe it is worthwhile to produce, venture fort, and to live for the morrow. It prevents the state of nature, which would be total anarchy had there been no laws. Societies today are more complex and interacting. Maintaining good order and discipline have far reaching implications on a societys prosperity. Laws are in acted daily through out different societies for the protection and security of individuals, property, businesses and states. It permits an orderly, peaceful process for dispute resolution and provides us with the programs to establish and enable corporately, what would be impossible, or at least prohibitive, to do as individuals. Laws should be designed to protect the individual personal and civil rights against those forces, which would curtail or restrict them. Some examples of this are freedom of speech, religion, the press, the right to a fair trail and the freedom from cruel and unusual punishment. In the United States the respect for the law is paramount and disobedience to the la ...

The Most Famous Arsonist in Ancient Greece Wanted to Be a Star

The Most Famous Arsonist in Ancient Greece Wanted to Be a Star The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were famous even in antiquity, but not everyone loved gorgeous architectural marvels. Heres a tale of the ancient worlds most infamous arsonist, who burned down one of the greatest buildings of the Mediterranean. The Burning of the Temple The burning of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus  in modern Turkey, which was first built in the sixth century B.C.E., happened on the same day Alexander the Great was born in 356 B.C.E.  According to Plutarch, a guy named Hegesias the Magnesian quipped that Artemis  (Diana for the Romans), goddess of childbirth, among other things, was too busy welcoming the future king of Macedon and much of the Mediterranean into the world to keep an eye on the temple. The Ephesian priests, dubbed the Magi, took the destruction of the temple as a much bigger portent. Looking upon the temples disaster as a sign of further disaster, [they] ran about beating their faces and crying aloud that woe and great calamity for Asia had that day been born. Of course, that danger was baby Alexander, who would  eventually brutally conquer most of Asia. The Ultimate Punishment:  Being Forgotten Forever! The criminal responsible was a man named Herostratus. What made him commit such a heinous act? According to first-century author  Valerius  Maximus: Here is appetite for glory involving sacrilege. A man was found to plan the burning of the temple of Ephesian  Diana so that through the destruction of this most beautiful building his name might be spread through the whole world. This madness he unveiled when put upon the rack. In other  words, after being tortured, Herostratus admitted he torched  the temple for personal fame.  Maximus added, The Ephesians had wisely abolished the memory of the villain by decree, but Theopompus’s eloquent genius included him in his history. Herostratus was the most hated man around...so much so that a   damnatio  (meaning his memory was to be obliterated forever)  was decreed! The second-century C.E. Roman writer Aulus Gellius noted that Herostratus was dubbed inlaudabilis, namely, one who is worthy neither of mention nor remembrance, and  is never to be named. It was decreed that no one should ever mention the name of the man who had burned the temple of Diana at Ephesus.   If Herostratuss name and  memory were banned,  then how do we know about him? Most sources followed the rules and never mentioned his name, but Strabo disagreed. He was the first to break the rules in his Geography, stating the Ephesian temple was set on fire by a certain Herostratus.  The priest Aelian even  associated Herostratus  with atheists and enemies of the gods. After Herostratus did his dastardly deed, the Ephesians didnt hesitate in resurrecting their holy spot. According to Strabo, the citizens constructed one more magnificent. Howd they get the cash for such an extravagant building? Strabo said the tax collectors brought in ornaments of the women, contributions from private property, and the money arising from the sale of pillars of the former temple to pay for a new one. So the temple was even more awesome than before, all thanks to a firebug.

Olympia, ancient game effect art and religion and vice versa Research Paper

Olympia, ancient game effect art and religion and vice versa - Research Paper Example These religious rituals ultimately transformed into Olympic Games1. Nothing exactly can be said about the occurrence of the first Olympic Games. However, it is believed that Olympic Games were held first time in 776 B.C. To some extent, Olympic Games helped to change the war-like situation among the city states into a temporary peace as Sparta, the most aggressive city state, used to lull sending its warriors into battle until the games are over. This tradition was followed by other city states in true letter and spirit. Surprisingly, women had been forbidden to take part in the games. Death penalty was awarded to them even if they watched these games. However, in 396 B.C., a woman from Rhodes broke this tradition by watching Olympic Games. According to narrated story, his husband died before the event and hence she prepared her son for the boxing competition. She watched the game of her son in disguised as man but caught after jubilant shouts. Her death penalty was pardoned as a special case. Milo of Croton was considered as the greatest athlete of ancient games. He won the wrestling crown six times in 500 B.C. It is narrated that he was so powerful that he used to carry a full grown bull on his shoulders. Artists from all over the Greek used to witness the event. The famous Greek poet, Pindar wrote many odes narrating the capabilities and potential of the winners of the game. The buildings which were constructed in Olympia portrayed the rich heritage of Greek architecture2. There was a strong relationship among Olympic Games, religion and art in ancient times as well as in modern day of the games. The charter of modern Olympic Games coined a term ‘Olympism’ that it defines as â€Å"a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind†. Thus, the term ‘Olympism’ describe a religion without divinity3. The Olympic Games in Greek were being played with

Amazon Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Amazon - Case Study Example , the organization was an online bookstore but it diversified its operations to include services such as DVDs and VHS tapes, software, electronics, video games, music CDs, furniture, clothing, MP3s, and food items. Technology ensured that E-books could eclipse the sale of hard copies and Bezos took advantage of it (Stone, 2012). This was in recognition to what Amazon had done in making online shopping popular. In order to ensure that its products are closer to the customer, Amazon operates different retails websites for several countries including US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, China, Spain, Italy, France and Japan. In addition, the organization operates international shipping lines to given countries for delivery of its products to its customers there (Enright, 2010). The main competitors for the organization are Apple Inc., eBay Inc., buy.com, Google, Barnes & Noble, Inc., Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC, and Catalog & Mail Order Houses. This is because the companies are in the same business and they have been able to establish themselves in the market as well. These competitors operate several websites that customers can use to purchase their wares. In addition, the competitors such as Apple Inc offer a diverse number of services that can be used to rival Amazon. However, in order to stay ahead of the game Amazon ensures that it produces services that are not available in the other online retailers. For, example it was the first to introduce an international shipping line for transporting goods to its customers (Enright, 2010). The relationship between Amazon and publishers based in New York is very good because Amazon is able to sell books everywhere (Stone, 2012). This means that the organization has already established itself and thus customers trust its operations. Because of its policies, which are to satisfy the customer at all the times, Amazon has been able to create a huge client base. In addition, the existing clients for Amazon act as its marketers

Critically examine the government's definition of a sustainable Essay

Critically examine the government's definition of a sustainable community and explore the problems associated with applying the concept to poor, inner city area - Essay Example rldwide has led to the need for change of the structure of cities in order to meet the current social and cultural trends; however, the relevant decision should not be taken without a careful examination of the resources available as well as of the potential consequences of these initiatives to the environment. In this context, the appearance of sustainability could be explained at the level that the specific concept could offer the required framework of urban development ensuring the quality of life of people in modern cities. Despite all the measures taken for the application of the principles of sustainability – as they have been developed through the years – in practice it has been proved that in modern urban environment the use of techniques and construction rules that are based on the principles of sustainability is not an easy task; the above phenomenon can explain by the fact that the resources available for the realization of these projects are usually limited, the cost involved is high and the intention of the governments to fully align the urban development of cities with the principles of sustainability is not as strong as required for the promotion of the specific concept in countries around the world – no matter the strength of their economy or their social/ cultural characteristics. The problem seems to be more severe in cases that efforts are made in order to develop relevant projects – based on the principles on sustainability – on areas that are not developed – referring especially to the poor inner city areas. In case that such an initiative is undertaken, the potential risks could be many as it is explained analytically below. The examination of the effectiveness of the governmental plans related with the promotion of sustainability across a country is developed in this paper referring to the case of Britain; the sustainable development of the country’s projects – including the protection of the environment – is achieved

The effect of using Treadmill on patients with cardiovascular diseases Research Proposal

The effect of using Treadmill on patients with cardiovascular diseases - Research Proposal Example Blood is carried back and forth through the capillaries, veins and arteries, from the heart to the lungs, known as (pulmonary circulation) and from the heart to the rest of the body (systemic circulation). World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations body on health has recently come out with the findings that heart disease is the number one killer disease all over the globe, followed by infectious diseases and cancer. The findings of a detailed study on the subject indicate that cardiovascular diseases claim about 29 percent of lives each year1. Once cardiovascular disease grips the individual, a number of precautions are advised for improving the diet schedule, exercises etc. Treadmill is one such option, which helps in performing the exercises of running and walking. While working out with a treadmill, it is often noticed that the heartbeat of the individual goes up with brisk walking or running. Under normal circumstances, such a machine helps in walking or running, even when the individual is not able to go out owing to the busy schedule or a rainy day. But, in case the individual is suffering from cardiovascular disease, then he or she might like to know as to how safe it is to do the work outs on a treadmill. Doctors often come out with the recommendation that regular aerobic exercise can lower the blood pressure and help in controlling the weight. But in general it is easier said than done. Maintaining the regularity and discipline often becomes a big casualty in the way we end up spending our time. Objectives of the Study This study is primarily being undertaken to study the different aspects of cardiovascular diseases in general and what type of precautions need be taken particularly while doing work outs with a treadmill. The study will try to seek answers to the following key objectives; i. Analysing the rising number of heart ailment cases around the world ii. Analysing the different aspects of cardiovascular diseases and the early signals. iii. Analysing some of the practical difficulties being faced by the person suffering from cardiovascular disease iv. Studying some of the physical fitness exercises being endorsed by the doctors for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases v. Studying the effect of treadmill in particular on persons suffering from heart ailments vi. Finding out how best an individual can use the treadmill in such a manner that instead of becoming a health risk, it becomes a tool for healthy living Research Methodology Research approaches and methods radically influence research content and, consequently, the policies designed in response to that content. Research philosophy is a belief about the way in which data about a phenomenon should be gathered, analyzed and used. This dissertation is a qualitative case study which focuses on an analysis of the cardiovascular diseases in general and studying the impact of using a treadmill for health reasons. To carry out such a study in general we resort to two main approaches; Deductive reasoning, which works from the more general to the more specific subjects. Sometimes this is informally called a "top-down" approach. In such approach we take up the 'theory' and then try to apply it to the hypotheses that we intend to test.

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle East politics Essay

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle East politics - Essay Example Shi’ite Islam was declared as the state religion and widespread reforms, covering nearly every department of the state, were introduced. This also resulted in the restructuring of the foreign policy of this company. The new leaders of the state had a whole new perspective for the world, especially their neighboring Middle Eastern states. This new foreign policy was to change the face of Middle Eastern Politics forever. To analyze this new order of politics, we must have a proper insight of the foreign relations between Iran and the other Middle Eastern countries. The first country that may come in mind is Iraq (Menashri‎, 2001, p.‎46). After the dismissal of the Shah of Iran, Shah Raza Pahlavi, who was always considered as a liberal Shah who had ‘strayed’ the people of Iran from the true path of Islam, there was a sudden change of the international views of Iran. This also inducted a huge change in the local policies between countries, such as Iraq and Iran. With the Iraq-Iran war between 1980 and 1988, there was a focus towards the Kurdish factor between the two states. This gave rise to a Kurdish conflict between the two states which was promoted by both of the states. Iraq promoted the movement known as the KDPI (Kurdish Democratic party of Iran) to function inside the Iranian territory at different spots which included Nowdesheh and Qasr-e-Shirin. KDPI was supplied with weapons and various military arms throughout the war and wanted to develop liberated zones inside the state of Iran (Bernard, 1995, p.‎428). Similarly, Iran also indulged in a Kurdish movement as a counter retaliation against Iraq. By 1983, they started funding Kurdish parties such as KDP (Kurdish Democratic Party) and PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) to function inside the Iraqi Premises and cause various un-settlements within the state. This threatened Baghdad

Innovation and Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Innovation and Change - Research Paper Example Change is often taking place in an organization based on the innovations in product, process or strategy. Radical and incremental innovations are usually taking place in the organizational world. Both radical and incremental innovations have the ability to cause huge changes in the organizational world. This paper analyses the importance of innovations and changes in the corporate world. Introduction According to Bordia, et al (2005), â€Å"Innovation is the ability to define and develop new products and services and deliver them to market. It is the fundamental source of value creation in companies and an important enabler of competitive advantage†(Bordia, et al, 2005, p.1). On the other hand Anjani, & Dhanapal (2011) defined organizational Change as a multifaceted process which is much more complex than human behavior. In their opinion, individuals are prone to organizational changes and have a normal inclination to react in the same way towards the type of organizational ch anges (Anjani, & Dhanapal, 2011, p.103). In any case it is a fact that change is inevitable in business or organizational world since science and technology are advancing rapidly. Traditional business principles have given way for innovative business strategies as competition is growing day by day in the business sectors. In fact the whole concept of business has been changed from domestic circles to international circles as a result of globalization and liberalization. It is impossible for a prominent organization to think about doing business only in the domestic circles and survive in the market. As the market is getting increasingly globalized, competition from external players is growing day by day. Changes in business strategies become inevitable under the above context. Innovation triggers many changes in organizations. Many of the traditional business principles have given way for modern business strategies as a result of the innovations in the organizational world. Structur al, functional, managerial, cultural and strategic changes are taking place in modern organizations because of the rapid growth of innovation taking place in and around the organizations. Findings According to Susman et al., (2006) Innovation usually takes place based on products, processes and markets (e.g., new ways to serve customers (Susman et al., 2006, p.16). many people have the illusion that innovation means the development of new products alone. In fact the development of new processes and new business strategies are examples of innovation. Innovations based on products The story of Apple Company is the most relevant example to learn more about how well innovative products change the fortunes of a sick organization. In the 80’s and 90’s Apple struggled to survive in the market because of the heavy competition from arch rival Microsoft. However, during at the beginning of 2000, Apple bounced back from the verge of destruction with the help of its innovative â⠂¬Å"I† series products such as ipod, iphones, ipad, imac, itouch, itunes etc. All these products provided new experiences to the consumers all over the world and many people started to visualize Apple as the most important technological company in the world. Pfizer is another company which used innovative products for the sustainment of their growth. For example, Viagra is a revolutionary product introduced by Pfizer to cater the needs of sexually impotent people. Pfizer

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle East politics Essay

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle East politics - Essay Example Shi’ite Islam was declared as the state religion and widespread reforms, covering nearly every department of the state, were introduced. This also resulted in the restructuring of the foreign policy of this company. The new leaders of the state had a whole new perspective for the world, especially their neighboring Middle Eastern states. This new foreign policy was to change the face of Middle Eastern Politics forever. To analyze this new order of politics, we must have a proper insight of the foreign relations between Iran and the other Middle Eastern countries. The first country that may come in mind is Iraq (Menashri‎, 2001, p.‎46). After the dismissal of the Shah of Iran, Shah Raza Pahlavi, who was always considered as a liberal Shah who had ‘strayed’ the people of Iran from the true path of Islam, there was a sudden change of the international views of Iran. This also inducted a huge change in the local policies between countries, such as Iraq and Iran. With the Iraq-Iran war between 1980 and 1988, there was a focus towards the Kurdish factor between the two states. This gave rise to a Kurdish conflict between the two states which was promoted by both of the states. Iraq promoted the movement known as the KDPI (Kurdish Democratic party of Iran) to function inside the Iranian territory at different spots which included Nowdesheh and Qasr-e-Shirin. KDPI was supplied with weapons and various military arms throughout the war and wanted to develop liberated zones inside the state of Iran (Bernard, 1995, p.‎428). Similarly, Iran also indulged in a Kurdish movement as a counter retaliation against Iraq. By 1983, they started funding Kurdish parties such as KDP (Kurdish Democratic Party) and PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) to function inside the Iraqi Premises and cause various un-settlements within the state. This threatened Baghdad

Rise and Fall of Medieval Chinese Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Rise and Fall of Medieval Chinese Empire - Essay Example Consequently, it occurred that the ruling class gradually became alienated from the population, and became deprived of their support during such crisis. In the imperial history of the world, religion has played an important role to hold the people of different races and ethnicities within one empire as Charles Issawi says, "the most important single factor holding India together, and enabling it to survive repeated conquests, has been the Hindu religion. Likewise, the conversion to Roman Catholicism of the native populations"1 Even if the religious belief played a significant role to unite the fragmented Chinese demography, as Issawi says, "Confucianism and Taoism helped China recover its unity after the breakdown of the Han Empire in the third century A.D. and the fragmentation and retrogression caused by the barbarian invasions"2, religion was not the one and only tool that contributed to the unity of the population. The role of religion in empire building during the Tang dynasty w as such that no prevalence of one religion was allowed to suppress another religion. Rather religions were treated and manipulated equally to create the sentiment -of the people- that is committed to the stability and solidarity of the empire. Such religious policy of the Tang Empire was in complete concordance with the 'divergent people in one state' policy of Tang Daizong.3 Therefore, the following factors can be held responsible behind the rise and fall of the Chinese empire during the Tang Dynasty: 1. Culture committed to the solidarity of the Empire4 2. Religions ensuring social stability and at the same time, nourishing the freaks among the population5 3. Effective administrative policies and politics Nature of Rise and Fall throughout the Chinese Imperial Era Throughout the passage of time, the rise and the fall of the medieval Chinese Empire were associated with each other in such a way that the rise of the empire during one dynasty was embedded in the fall of its preceding one and at the same time, the empire collapsed due to its failure to manipulate the variables that contributed its rise. One of the most common factors that contributed to the rise and the fall of the medieval Chinese empire is that the empire, in the first place, was able to unify the population of a vast area either with the consent of the people or by subjugating them with the power, culture, and religion. The role of religions in making the ancient Chinese Empire was not as significant as it was in the making of the medieval Chinese Empire. The less significant role of religion lies in the fact that religions with plural gods and goddesses were not strong enough to play a role in the making of the Chinese. Even if any religion played a role, it was mainly because of the humanistic zeal of the religion that inspired both the Chinese population and empire builders to adopt it as a means to social peace and harmony. Simply religion

The Impact Of Globalisation On Chile

The Impact Of Globalisation On Chile Chiles economy is ranked as an upper middle income developing economy by the World Bank, and is one of South Americas most stable and successful nations, leading Latin American nations in human development, income per capita, competitiveness, economic freedom, globalisation, and low perception of corruption (ranked 21 CPI). However, it has high economic inequality, as measured by the Gini index. Chile has a population of approximately 17.1 million people and has a total land area of 756,950km2(38th). Chile has high living standards (ranking 39th in the world) and a solid foundation for growth, despite employment shortages, with a Gross National Income per capita of $US 9,470 in 2010 (in purchasing parity terms, which accounts for exchange rate effects). Chile has been one of the fastest growing economies since the mid-1980s. During the past 20 years -the period following the return of democracy in 1990- the economy has averaged almost 4.1% annual per capita growth, raising per capita income for the 17 million Chileans to more than $7,000, making them among the most well-off people in South America, and creating a flourishing middle class. Per capita income has doubled in real terms and the comparative income gap between Chile and high-income OECD countries has decreased substantially. Today, only 18.7% of the population lives below the poverty line, compared, for example, with 38.7% in Brazil and 62.4% in Bolivia. At this pace, Chile will become Latin Americas most prosperous nation. The government of Chile is a structure of a democratic republic, where the President of Chile is both head of state and head of government. Chiles legal system is civil law based. Chiles current Constitution was approved in a national referendum in September 1980, under the military government of Dictator Augusto Pinochet. For the duration of the Pinochet government, Chile moved out of economic statism to adopt a free market economy, which encouraged an increase in foreign and domestic investment. Following Pinochets power in the 1988, the country was ready to continue with a referendum; and as a result the Constitution was amended to ease requirements for future amendments to the Constitution. From the time of the return of democracy in 1990, Chile has been committed to proceeding economic reforms, a transparent public administration, proactive social investments, and a stable, consensus-based government. In March 2010, Coalition for Change candidate HE Mr Sebastian Pià ±era was elected president, putting an ending to twenty years of rule by the Consertacià ³n political movement. The current president attained office after the worst tidal wave and earthquake in Chiles history. In response to the emergency, the governments plan prioritised reconstruction during the first part of Pià ±eras term. Chiles economy is based on the export of minerals, which account for more than one-fourth of GDP, with commodities making up approximately three-quarters of total exports. Copper is the nations most valuable resource providing alone one-third of government revenue. Chile is the worlds largest producer of copper. The major mining company based in Chile is BHP-Billiton, holding a 57.5 per cent stake of the worlds largest copper mine, Escondida, located in northern Chile. Additionally agriculture is the main employment industry of about 15% of the population; accounting for about 6% of Chiles national wealth, and producing less than half of household wants. The Coastal valleys of Chile are the countrys primary agricultural area; its vineyards are the basis of Chiles wine industry *(Chile is the worlds fifth largest exporter of wine and the eighth largest producer). Grapes, apples, pears, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, onions, beans, and asparagus are the most grown and harvested crops. Livestock production includes poultry and beef. Sheep farming is the leading pastoral occupation, providing meat and wool for domestic use and for export. Lumbering and fishing are also important economic activities. Chiles industries largely process its raw materials and manufacture a range of consumer goods. The main products are copper and other minerals, iron and steel, fish, processed food, transportation equipment, textiles, and wood and wood products. The dependence of the Chilean economy on copper prices and the production of an adequate food supply are two of Chiles major economic problems. Chiles main imports are petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas, and electrical and telecommunications equipment. The primary trading partners of Chile are the United States, China, Brazil, Argentina, and South Korea. Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeSource: Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeAustralian Government: Department of foreign affairs and trade: Chile Country brief 2011 Factors that may inhibit ongoing development in Chile While Chilean salmon and cabernet (red wine grapes) have achieved global success, copper alone still accounts for 46% of all exports; and this is one main challenge Chile faces, there is a need to diversify its copper-dependent economy, for commodities have never been able to absorb the entire workforce, and service industries have not developed satisfactorily to make up the gap. As a result, Chile, the worlds leading producer of copper, felt the impact of the global economic crisis as export markets contracted. Low external demand had weakened industrial production, raising unemployment and reducing investment. It is evident, even with growth of 6% to 6.5% GDP in 2011, due to the vast demand from China for Chilean copper, unemployment is wedged at 8.6%. Amongst people under the age of 24, the rate is virtually three times higher, in part because of firm labour laws that make part-time jobs scarce. But employers also mention a skills deficit. Spending on education, at 4.2% of gross domestic product, lags behind the 8.1% Malaysia spends, for example, or the 6.4% Finland budgets. Currently, the level of education of Chiles labour force is consistent with the countrys level of income. However, there is evidence that the quality of education is not as good as the countrys high enrolment rates would suggest. Furthermore the curriculum also must be modernized to include more science, math and reasoning skills (speaking English) needed in the workplace. In the latest World Competitiveness Yearbook, compiled by the International Institute for Management Development, Chile ranked low at 41st among 60 nations on the quality of its science education. In summary, it is clear that the quality of education in Chile is low, but this may be the result either of inefficient education expenditure, or of high income inequality, or both. More research needs to be done to separate these effects. Estimates suggest that increasing the quality of education can offer quite a large boost to economic growth. Lastly, it is important to point out that the payoffs of improving quality of education take time to deliver significant results. The children that today could receive good education will be a large proportion of the labour force in about 20 more years. For this reason is important to also look for improving abilities of people already in the labour force through training programs. However, despite these lags on the effects of education, improving its quality is a powerful tool for equalizing opportunities, and for integrating poor families to the benefits of economic progress. Although Chile has keenly invested in social protection programs, middle- and low-income households remain susceptible to crises. Despite the significant improvement recorded over the past 20 years, public services and infrastructure are still out of reach for many Chileans. Furthermore, Inequality remains high in Chile. Despite considerable improvements in living standards in 2009, 15.1 percent of Chileans live below the poverty line while many millions survive unsteadily just above it. The annual income for the most of Chileans remains low. Income distribution is one of the most uneven in the world and there are few favourable circumstances for growing social mobility. Also little progress has been made in ensuring the equal distribution of wealth and the closure of income gaps. Despite strong economic growth and specific policies such as Chile solidarity, the income ratio among the highest and lowest incomes remained mostly unchanged between 1990 and 2009. The 20/20 ratio shows that the average income of the wealthiest 20 percent of Chileans was 12 times larger than that of the poorest 20 percent in 2009. The Gini Coefficient continued to be persistently high in 2009, at approximately 0.53, where the 10 percent of households with the highest income re ceived 46 percent of total income while the 20 percent with the lowest income received just 3.7 percent. Over all, although Chile does have a high level of inequality, Chile has largely avoided the distortions that often hamper growth in countries with similar levels of inequality. However, other understanding shows that the trade-off between efficiency and inequality is ever-present in public policy and cannot be avoided. An example is the minimum wage. Finally, growth itself helps in the implementation of good policies. Inequality is only one aspect of a countrys living conditions, and in a country with a fairly unchanged income distribution from 1998 to 2008, a period of doubling income per capita is also a period of doubling of the incomes of the poor. Indeed, the poverty rate in Chile declined over this period, from 45 percent of the population to 19 percent. This has allowed public policy to focus on easing poverty without creating significant distortions in economic growth. Although a countrys income distribution changes slowly, and no recipe for dramatic change in the distribution is available, growth can reduce the distortions that inequality imposes on policies and institutions. Additionally Chile must also redouble efforts to acquire foreign investment, which lately has been floating around $3 billion a year. The current governments efforts to lure cutting-edge industries, such as biotechnology and software, have tumbled, somewhat because the government refuses to offer the types of generous tax incentives that lured Intel Corporation (INTC ) to Argentina and Costa Rica. Chile has had more success with companies such as Eastman Kodak (EK ), Delta Air Lines (DAL ), and Unilever, which have established regional back-office operations and call centres in Santiago, tapping its modern, low-cost telecommunications infrastructure. More over for inspiration and ideas, Chile is looking to the efficient economies of New Zealand, Finland, Ireland, and Malaysia. Chiles congress recently permitted a special tax on mining profits earned as a result of current record-high prices and will feed the proceeds (around $US175 million) to researchers and companies developing and innovating technologies or processes that will diversify exports and boost productivity and efficiency. A public-private committee will select only projects that could be commercially profitable. The problem being that Chile has always had a low level of RD expenditure, and the increase since 2001 has been small compared with the East Asian countries, and even compared with the world average. The most recent data from the OECD show that Chile, with RD expenditure of 0.6 percent of GDP, spends less on RD than the average of a sample of developing countries (0.7 percent of GDP). Also the composition of RD in Chile is very different from what one typically finds in the rest of the world, which raises the question of whether that composition is efficient. In 2005 about 55 percent of Chilean RD expenditure was in basic science, as opposed to applied research. In the industrialized countries and in the East Asian countries, this share is generally between 10 and 20 percent. Nevertheless, Chile should try to increase its RD expenditure, and the additional spending should be devoted mainly to applied RD. Increased spending on RD would surely help the country grow faster. Finally the first trading partners a country should have are its neighbours. Distance, language, and culture should be the basis for integration into the world economy. Even when neighbouring Economies have similar structures; intra-industry trade can help to increase the basis for trade. Unfortunately, intraregional trade in Chile and Latin America is low and although it has increased in recent years, it remains comparatively low. Recent trade disputes such as the problems over natural gas with Argentina and Bolivia, have affected the Chilean economy. http://www.algor.com/news_pub/cust_app/marco/Truck%2021.jpghttp://www.flavourofwines.com/Grapes.jpghttp://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/326047/326047,1232551720,5/stock-photo-specific-architecture-where-poor-people-live-in-th-chile-mountains-in-valparaiso-23672302.jpg Q 3 Examine the impact and responses of this Economy undertaken by the government or specific industries to the challengers and/or opportunities presented by globalisation https://worldgeopost07.wikispaces.com/file/view/chile2.gif/31650489/chile2.gif Describe Provide characteristics and features Analyse Identify components and the relationship between them; draw out and relate implications Examine Inquire into http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:nLiQ3vcW5CgJ:web.worldbank.org http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/chile.html#ixzz1KOclJ2In Chile: Economy Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0857288.html#ixzz1JwAjQkzx

How Do The Characters in An Inspector Calls Reflect 1912 Society? :: English Literature

How Do The Characters In An Inspector Calls Reflect 1912 Society? J.B Priestley, born in 1894 in Bradford. He went to Bradford Grammar School but did not decide to go to University but to follow his passion for writing, first he wrote articles for the local London papers before going on to be a playwright. He joined the army in 1914 at the age of 20. After being on the frontline in the Second World War, Priestley became very political and started to involve his political opinions in his work, as in 'An Inspector Calls' which he wrote in the second week after the Second World War which only took him a week to finish. He put his message across to the audience through the play, which states that people of all the social classes must learn to get along with each other since everyday is spent together. The play 'An Inspector Calls' is set in 1912 but written in 1945. The characters reflect the society of 1912 in many ways. There are six main characters that reflect 1912 society and one character, the Inspector, who takes control and who basically expresses the opinions of Priestley. The Birling family are the stereotypical upper class family of 1912, they own a 'large suburban house', the father of the family is a wealthy businessman and all have high social status. Mr Arthur Birling is the man of the house he has his wife Sybil, his son Eric and his daughter Sheila. He is a hard headed businessman, only concerned with wealth, profit and social status. He reflects a stereotypical upper class businessman of 1912 because the husband would go out to work, run the business and earn the money. Mr Birling is the person who got the Birlings their high social position, this is all he cares about for example when he realises that Eric stole money from his office he says, "I've got to cover this up as soon as I can. You damned fool" here he shows how concerned about his social position he is. This is what Priestley gets at. Priestley is annoyed about the fact that the upper-class businessman, such as Birling, had no outlook on others, mainly the working class, and Priestley tries to get his message across to the audience that people in Birling's position should not act as arrogantly as he and realise the value of others across the community. Mr Birling thinks very highly of himself and it shows especially where he talks about the First World War and how war was impossible, "Just because the Kaiser makes a speech or two, or a

Why Should I Be Moral? :: essays research papers fc

Why Should I Be Moral? The question of morality proves to be a complex interrogatory. Should I be moral? If I should be, then why? Why is morality important to society? An assumption can be made that morals derive from a purely religious perspective or the Golden Rule approach. We are told that it is right to be moral. This is an ineffective answer, since it does not apply to someone outside the moral circle (Olsen, 79). This in mind, there is really no way to prove this too a person who wants to know why he/she should be moral. According to Olen, the only answer to them would be "because you are". Happiness could also be included in the list of moral reasons. I personally feel that this is the best supported reason for being moral. Although there will be times when the moral decision will not be pleasurable, it will eventually lead to happiness. Morality is important for society as a whole, as it makes life livable. Now expanding on the happiness theory, I will discuss the ideas of Aristotle. Aristotle believed that happiness is the quality of whole human life. We all have misconceptions about happiness. Most of us believe that happiness is experiencing a lively feeling of joy or pleasant feelings. We can be happy at one moment, but not the next. Aristotle on the other hand said that true happiness includes pleasures, joys, and successes as well as many pains, griefs, and troubles in ones life. A happy life is not cause by the pleasures we've had, nor marred by the displeasures we've had. Aristotle also contended that children could not be happy as the requirement for happiness was a complete life. For instance, an old man looking back on his life and being able to say that it was good, is happiness. Aristotle defined the things that make happiness as health, wealth, friendship, and good moral character. Aristotle stated that happiness was also the highest good leaving nothing more to be desired. Life is made perfect by possession of all good things. We seek happiness for its own sake. All others are sought for happiness. Aristotle believed to become happy one must have good character and be willing to suffer to obtain the greater good later on. We should seek the good in the long run. Most men/women will not do this. We take the immediate pleasure. Most people think that happiness is unique to each person. Aristotle believed that there is only one true conception and that it holds the same for all humans. Power is not an attribute to happiness because

Laissez-Faire Racism Essay

In â€Å"Racial Attitudes and Relations at the Close of the Twentieth Century,† Lawrence Bobo discusses the concept of laissez-faire racism. Laissez-faire racism describes how racial attitudes in America have shifted from the overtly racist policies of Jim Crowe racism to more subtle forms. As opposed to during the Jim Crowe era when African-Americans faced blatant racism like segregation, they now face underlying racism educationally, socially, and politically. The four main characteristics of laissez-faire racism, as described by Bobo, are â€Å"a continued acceptance of negative racial stereotypes; a belief in a level playing field; the belief that due to this level playing field, anyone can succeed by working hard and playing by the rules; and our country’s belief in justice, so our country’s people behave consistently according to just principles. † Although there are many instances of this within the institutional policies and practices in our country, the two main examples that best illustrate the concept of laissez-faire racism are education and the criminal justice system. The most prominent example of laissez-faire racism is our country’s education system. Although clearly our country does not still have overtly racist policies such as the separate but equal doctrine, there is still a clear disparity between the education received by white Americans and African-Americans and other minorities. The fact of the matter is, African-Americans and other minorities are still living in poorer neighborhoods, in which the quality of schools simply does not compare to those in richer neighborhoods. Students are held to lower expectations at these schools. The textbooks and curriculum are outdated, and job resources are not available to these students. The drop out rates are much higher for African-Americans and minorities, SAT scores are much lower, and overall success rates simply cannot compare to those of white Americans living in richer neighborhoods with better schools. A second example of laissez-faire racism lies within our criminal justice system. There is a huge disparity in the death penalty between African-Americans and minorities as compared to whites. The chances of receiving the death penalty are much higher if an individual is African-American and convicted of murder than if that same individual was white. The facts are even more repulsive when analyzing victimology. If a white person kills a black person, the odds of them getting the death penalty are slim. If a black person kills a white person, the odds are significantly higher. The disparity lies in how we value a life, depending on the color of an individual’s skin. Bobo came to two conclusions based on data collected throughout his research. For one, the United States â€Å"has experienced a genuine and tremendous positive transformation in racial attitudes† . However, he also concluded that â€Å"racial discrimination remains a barrier to the full economic, political, and social participation of African-Americans in institutions† . The fact that discrimination continues to remain a barrier to the participation of African-Americans in society can be clearly seen by the two examples mentioned. So, the question remains: how do we fix this situation? How can these problems be addressed to achieve greater racial equality? In order to address the issue of education, our country must create a way to fund all schools equally. Although the federal government does give money to public schools across the country, schools in each district are mostly funded by the taxpayers living in that district through property taxes. This leads to a small amount of money that is dedicated to schools in poorer districts, and a larger amount of money dedicated to schools in richer districts. The results of this policy are very obvious when comparing the quality of schools in richer districts to that in poorer. There are a few ways that this policy can be crafted. The policy created by our government could direct more aid to schools in poorer districts in order to improve their infrastructure and curriculum, thereby improving quality of their students’ performance. The policy could also redirect education money from richer districts to poorer districts, which would have the same effect. Either way, a policy needs to be put into place in order to get more money to the schools in these poorer districts, which need the money the most. In order to address the issue of the death penalty, our criminal justice practices must be analyzed. There must be a solid standard for what type of crime receives the death penalty, so that minorities do not face the death penalty at higher rates than white Americans. There should be strict guidelines for who receives the death penalty, with no subjectivity. For example, if Congress passed a law that required the death penalty for all premeditated first-degree murders, the law could not be applied broadly based on the biased judgments of a jury. A white man who commits first-degree murder would be subject to the death penalty, just like an African-American man, or any other minority individual for that matter. And this is just an example. Laws must be concrete and inflexible, that is, unable to be bent by a jury in order to hold minorities to stricter standards than that of white Americans. Essentially, to white people, race is something that has been dealt with as seen by the â€Å"level playing field† that supposedly exists today. To African-Americans, race is a constant reality that they must face every day. This idea continues to be reemphasized through our laissez-faire racist policies in education and our criminal justice system. By eliminating this subtle discrimination and other policies like it, our country will be able to fully move on from our discriminatory past and achieve greater racial equity.

Psychology and Motivation

This essay examines the topic on ‘psychology and motivation’, where money has long been considered the most effective motivator of staff. Therefore, three specific management theories would be used in this paper to evaluate the use of monetary incentives in employee motivation. Motivation is purely a simple active process of leadership behavior. It creates conditions which drives an individual to do things right. Motivation is a built-in response in an individual and it appears within an individual instead of establishing from the outside (Baldoni, 2005). Motivation is the key to performance improvement. Unfortunately, in today’s working society, the traditional approach of monetary incentives tempts individuals only to a certain extent. Though monetary incentives are able to fulfill the basic needs (hunger, thirst and daily necessities) of an individual, it cannot ‘buy happiness’ like work satisfaction or help people attain power. Money makes people feel self-sufficient. Human beings are thus more likely to put forth effort to attain personal goals (Buchanan, 2009). Instead of using the traditional approach, employers can consider adopting another method of motivating their staff – Maslow’s theory of motivation – Hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s motivation theory shows that individuals are being motivated by unfulfilled needs (Clifford & Thorpe, 2007). According to Maslow, there are five types of needs. These needs are illustrated in the figure below. Maslow Theory of Motivation – Hierarchy of Needs (tutor2u) Maslow identified these five needs which are considered the â€Å"deficiency needs. † When one is motivated to satisfy these needs, one will work hard to achieve it. Therefore, these needs must be satisfied in order for work productivity to be improved. When these needs are satisfied, naturally, employees would want to remain in the company. Thus, employers can motivate individuals by satisfying these five types of needs mentioned by Maslow differently. For physiological motivation, employers can provide sufficient meal breaks for employees. This is done in the hope that employees can not only have sufficient time to eat a proper meal, but also time for them to rest and to be re-energized. This time can also be used for the employees to run their errands, since most shops are often closed for the day when these employees knock off. To meet the employees’ safety needs, employers can provide a safe working environment that is generally free of threats to the employees. In this way, employees would feel at ease during work as their safety is being well taken care off. If the employees have job security, it also enhances their satisfaction. For social needs, employers have to ensure that employees do feel a sense of belonging with the company. In order to do so, employers can maintain traditions and working characteristics to create a sense of belonging and of shared values and objectives. By using all means of communications, employers can create a relaxed and collaborative mood between all workers, and also to encourage a team game and a sense of responsibility in the employees. However, this would also mean transferring some of the control from the employers to the employees. For esteem motivators, employers can recognize employees’ achievements by appreciating their work in forms of incentive pay systems. Other than monetary forms, employers can also recognize their efforts in the company’s annual dinners by showing their appreciation with medals or trophies that enhance the rewarded employee’s status, allowing them to feel valued and appreciated for their hard work. Lastly, for self-actualization, employers can offer more challenging and meaningful work assignments which would require employees to be creative and innovate, so that they can progress with accordance to their long-term goals. However, not every individual is motivated by the exact same needs. Employers have to recognize such needs that each employee is pursuing and try to fulfill these needs with reasonable solutions that would benefit both parties. Thus, with employers trying their best to satisfy these five needs as mentioned by Maslow constantly, employees would be more motivated to continue working with the company as they feel valued and appreciated by employers. Thus, this shows that not only monetary incentives are able to motivate employees, the basic needs of an individual are equally essential for employees to fulfill as well. According to Frederick Herzberg’s two factory motivation theory, individuals are affected by two factors; motivation factors which include personal satisfaction and psychological growth and hygiene factors like dissatisfaction. Some typical hygiene factors that Herzberg discovered during his investigation in the U. S. A. would be working conditions, feelings of security, job, interpersonal relation and status (Management. net, 2009). Therefore, if these hygiene factors are not sufficient to the employees, they can be turned into the sources of dissatisfaction with work. For employees’ personal growth, motivation factors like recognition for achievement, responsibility of tasks and advancement to higher level tasks are needed as they are able to create job satisfaction. These factors can help to motivate an individual to perform and achieve above-average performance and effort. However, all hygiene factors must be met first in order for motivation factors to be fulfilling. The different combination of hygiene factors and motivation factors results in four scenarios. A high hygiene but low motivation factor results in an environment where employees have few complaints but are not highly motivated because they merely work for a living. If employees are motivated and yet still have complaints, this shows that the job is full of excitement and challenging, but the wages and working conditions does not meet the minimal individual requirements. The worst situation is the combination of low hygiene and low motivation where unmotivated employees have lots of complaints. Of course, the perfect situation is the combination of high hygiene and high motivation where employees are highly motivated and have fewer complaints (Tutor2u. net, 2010). Herzberg suggested that employers should focus on the people-oriented approach which emphasizes on job satisfaction through job rotation, an arrangement where employees are able to engage in a variety of jobs in the same organization to increase interest and motivation, and also to discover which is the most suitable job for them. In addition, job enrichment is yet another method where employers can enhance individual jobs, allocating more responsibilities to individuals with the aim of rewarding and inspiring the staff. A combination of the previous two methods is likely to result in the best result (Fisher, Schoenfeldt, & Shaw, 2003). In today’s work and other contexts, motivation does not necessary mean using the traditional approach of monetary incentives. Other incentives, for instance, free travel packages, movie tickets or other impromptu recognition rewards are also able to motivate employees to high performance work levels, often without the usage of large monetary incentives (Tan CH, D Torrington, 2004). In â€Å"The Human Side of Enterprise†, Douglas McGregor examined theories of individual behaviors at work, thus formulating two theories which can be categorized as Theory X and Theory Y (Accel-Team, 2010). According to McGregor, Theory X assumes workers work mainly for money and security, and dislike work and would avoid it if possible. Thus, in order for Theory X workers to achieve organizational objectives, various kinds of rewards offered by employees would be the most popular and appropriate motivator to such employees. However, on the other hand, Theory Y assumes there are workers who enjoy challenges in their work and would want more from their jobs than just mere monetary incentives. Therefore, for Theory Y workers, employers have to create a creative working environment or culture in order for employees to show and develop their creativity (Tutor2u. net, 2010). Under Theory X, employers must be careful to maintain a delicate balance between the two extremes – hard and soft approach towards employees. The hard approach refers to management using coercion, micromanagement, and reining a tight control over the employees, while a soft approach relies on taking a permissive and harmonious approach towards them, in the hope that they will cooperate when required. However, McGregor asserts that using such approaches are not the most efficient because it might result in hostility from employees if the former approach is used, or cause repeated requests for various benefits when a soft approach is used to entice the employees. On the other hand, under the Theory Y, employees’ personal goals can be aligned with organizational goals by using the employee’s own quest for fulfillment as the motivator (NetMBA. com, 2007). McGregor stressed that the soft management approach does not apply to Theory Y management and it is also recognized that some individuals may not be able to reached the level of maturity assumed by Theory Y and therefore, tighter controls can be gradually reduced as employees develops their independence. The discussion thus far leads to the conclusion that people with more money tend to be happier than those with less – but only up to a certain extent. Money’s impact on happiness suffers from diminishing returns: once an individual have sufficient food and shelter, more cash does not bring much extra joy (Buchanan, 2009). Researchers believe that extra capital leave people less worried about their financial health, and are thus less stressed. However, ‘experimental experiences’ such as trips to the theatre or travel trips sponsored by employers brings more happiness and joy to employees rather than just monetary incentives. Though monetary incentive seems more appealing, a good experience is still able to wield its power to bring pleasure to employees.

Jim Jarmusch: Reflecting the History of Independent Films in America Essay

Films, just like people, possess colorful history. Its origin can be rooted as early as 1860s when devices to capture motion pictures were invented. The year 1888 marked the making of the world’s earliest film—the Roundhay Garden Scene—by Louis Le Prince. But early filmmakers felt no contentment in silent and black-and-white films. Thus, the succeeding movies slowly gained narratives, followed later on by musical scores, inserted with sound effects, and then became colored. However, the evolution of film never ended there. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, another milestone in filmmaking took place—the birth of independent films. One of the most- acclaimed and popular indie film directors in the United States who made a great impact during that time is Jim Jarmusch. Until now, his films are regarded, not only in America but also in European and Asian countries, as some of the finest independent films ever made. His life and works became an inspiration and model for other filmmakers and film critics, which probably caused Juan Suarez’ to write his biography. About the Book Jim Jarmusch ( Contemporary Film Directors), the title of Juan Suarez’ book, in a biographical sketch of the American director Jim Jarmusch, not merely narrating the latter’s life, influences, works, and achievements, but analyzing as well the content and themes of his films by relating them to history and socio-political issues present during these films were created. Summary: A Stranger Here Myself The introductory paragraphs of the book talk about the salient characteristics of Jim Jarmusch’s films. Jarmusch is known for his unique style— emphasizing slow- movements, minimalistic space, characters’ exploration, intimate scenes, cynical humor, blank effect, and art cinema during 1960s to 1970s. His characters are often distant from the spectators, alone and aloof, but not necessarily sad or tragic. His plots, on the other hand, are based more on non- dramatic situations rather than on conflicts. In addition, Jarmusch focuses on the visual and aural aspects of film. Meanwhile, the themes of Jarmusch movies are based on postmodern politics, specifically on issues of transients and immigrants. He is also fascinated in exploring ethnicity, nationality, and social classes. Juan Suarez then enumerates his objectives in writing the book. First is to analyze what makes Jim Jarmusch’s films distinct, and second is to analyze those films in a larger context, separate from the director, using them in understanding historical developments, such as the New York vanguards, rock n’ roll, punk, hip hop, Beat literature, postwar art and cinemas, structural films, European surrealism and others. Akron/ The Cinematheque/ Lightning over Water This particular section discusses about the early life and works of Jim Jarmursh, as well as his early influences. The above keywords—Akron, The Cinematheque, and Lightning over Water—all played a vital role in his life. Jarmusch was born in Akron, Ohio in 1953, which by then is an important industrial point. Here, he was immensely exposed to rock n’ roll, radio DJ’s, and cars that eventually became appeared in his films. After studying college in Columbia, he went to Paris where he was exposed to Henri Langlois, founder of the art gallery Cinematheque. Langlois was also one of Jarmusch’s influences and who was known for his participation in the French New Wave. When he went back, Jarmusch enrolled at New York University where he was appointed as a student assistant to Nicholas Ray. With this, Jarmusch was exposed in Ray’s ongoing film The Lightning over Water. Right after this, Jarmusch made his first film, Permanent Vacation. His early influences were reflected in this particular work—â€Å" classical American cinema, European art, and downtown experimental culture † ( Suarez, p. 9). Downtown Post-Pop The section tackles downtown New York being a topic in Jarmusch’s films, particularly during the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Experimental art during such times was still a combination of pop, minimalism, and performance; experimental cinema, on one hand, focused more on narratives and social contextualization. In addition, Suarez included in this section the status of experimental art in various fields, as well as the people concerned (i. e. The Kitchen). Punk The author particularly discusses in this section Jirmusch’s contribution in the blurring of boundaries between experimental art and mass art. His made his works through the punk or new wave culture, particularly focusing on the role of music. Punk filmmakers introduced again the use and role of content in experimental films by utilizing â€Å" pastiched film noir, thrillers, exploitation and television serials † (Suarez, p. 17). Most of these films were rooted on the themes tackling trash culture and rock n’ roll: the 1960s underground. Venues of these films, on the other hand, were taken inside downtown clubs such as Mudd, Club 57, and Max’s Kansas City. With the loud sound offered by the nightclubs, experimental films became known for the following characteristics: encouraging spectators to be distracted by loud music, dancing, drinking, and socializing, rather than to be in full concentration when viewing. Similarly, the characters were mostly punk musicians such as John Lurie, leader of Lounge Lizard, for the film The Offenders. Jim Jarmusch, in fact, was a member of the band Del Byzanteens. Pretty Vacant Although Jarmusch tried to disconnect punk scenes from his films Permanent Vacation and Stranger than Paradise, he nevertheless acknowledged the influence of punk culture in his filmmaking. Permanent Vacation was made possible through the money granted to him by the Louis B. Mayer Foundation. Because of its length, the film was turned down when Jarmusch presented it as his graduation project. The movie explores the life of Allie, â€Å" a tourist on a permanent vacation † (Suarez, p. 21). The story was told in first-person point- of- view. Allie was recounting his remaining days in New York before leaving for Paris. Here, he narrated his intentions for his girlfriend Leila, visited his mother Ruth who is in psychiatric hospital, met several friends and acquaintances, and stole a car. The movie is said to be an early manifestation of Jirmusch’s navigation towards magic realism that will be evident in his future films, infusing fantasies and dreamlike features in the story. For example, Allie first speech was: â€Å" I can’t get any sleep†¦I have my dreams while I am awake. † ( Suarez, p. 22). This statement clearly shows the blurring of reality and dreams in the said film. Even the music used in this particular film was somehow eerie and creepy, composed mainly of Javanese gamelan music. In addition, most scenes were static takes and focused on minimalistic details. This style presented in the Permanent Vacation is truly characterized by Jirmusch’s unique way of blending minimalism, stories of outsiders, downtown themes, and â€Å" stylized narratives that subtly blend the real and the unreal †(Suarez, p. 27). Work Cited Suarez, Juan Antonio. Jim Jarmusch Contemporary Film Directors. USA: University of Illinois Press, 2007

Corporate Finance Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Corporate Finance Assignment - Essay Example Sales increase from year 1 to year 2 by 1.5 times, but in the 3rd year it appears that the sales only increase by 1.33 times, which shows a decline as compared to the previous financial year. Variable cost is included as a percentage of the sales for the month, which is 30% of the sales for the year. All the fixed costs are assumed to be directly attributable to the project and thus are included in the cash flows. As mentioned in the project, the useful life of the facility will be three years, thus it will be depreciated on a straight line basis over three years. Depreciation is a non-cash item, but it is included in the cash flow forecasting because of the tax shield, since depreciation is also tax deductible. In first year, the company will have taxable loss, so it is assumed that the company will have taxable profit in the future, against which this taxable loss will be utilized, resulting in tax savings. Depreciation is added back and the net cash flow is discounted through the use of the required rate of return in order to calculate the Net Present Value. 2. The principal risk of the project There are several principal risks that surround the project. Hi-Tech Industries operates in the technology industry, which is subject to rapid changes in many fields such as standard equipment, operating procedures, and laws and regulation. The project under consideration requires a careful estimation of all the relevant costs and revenues; a misjudgment in the forecast will cause an error in the project net present value, which might result in the acceptance of a project which is not financially viable. The initial capital expenditure must be carefully projected. In order to do so, it is of prime importance that the company obtains quotations from several companies in order to project the current market value of component. An artificially higher price will put a declining effect on the net present value of the project, and an artificially lower price will cause the o pposite. Another risk that is present in the financial appraisal of the project is that the company might not have estimated the correct useful life of the equipment. The IT related hardware and equipment are subject to becoming obsolete at a greater pace as compared to the other kinds, so this risk is present. While making an investment appraisal decision, it is imperative to consider the impact of inflation in the future cash flow. The information provided does not include any relevant information about the price inflation over the three year period, which can significantly impact the expected NPV. The director of the company must also consider the sources from which the financing will be obtained for the investment. Financing decision is significant, as the company would have to pay finance charge to the bank or any other financial institution, and the company must have enough cash flow in the future for the payment of these finance charge. In order to commence any investment ven ture, the director must receive the approval of the shareholders.