Discussion Week 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Week 5 - Essay Example They also tend to hold more than one view. Mindlessness on the other hand is an illusion people create for themselves that deceives then that they are in control of each and every situation which is not entirely the case. Mindlessness leads to an individual having a narrow self-image, they acquire learned helplessness and they often lose control leading to unintended cruelty. A social worker that is mindful is able to handle the challenges that come with their work. They are bale to for example convince patients about the importance of their health through appealing to their mindsets and using their innovation to assist them change their behavior for the better. By appealing to their minds, they will have led to a behavioral change (Langer, 2014). Social Workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course. How does Life Course theory assist us in gaining, organizing and using this critical information? How is Life Course theory different from traditional life-span theories? Provide clear examples to distinguish theories. Life course theory discusses a variety of human concepts and do not limit themselves to only a particular course. They handle concepts such as the social changes, the structural contexts, and the historical as well as socioeconomic context of their lives over a period of time. These therefore means that in analyzing the behavior of people using this theory, the social workers will cut across different disciplines from history to biology, sociology, psychology and even economics as they all affect the human behavior throughout the course of their life. People are therefore able to compartmentalize the information they receive throughout their life and assist in being mindful of what they do and say. Traditional life span theories only focus on the developmental aspect of an individual’s life and hence they leave out other aspects that are important especially to the behavior of an

Is War Ethical Essay Example for Free

Is War Ethical Essay The question, is war ethical, should always be the first question asked and the first question answered before engaging in such a world altering, life changing endeavor. One must be sure that purpose of war is to bring peace. â€Å"That its essential aim is always peace, so if peace is forthcoming in any guise, it is morally critical for all parties to seek a return to a permanent peace rather than a momentary lapse of war† (Moseley). Unfortunately, this is not the mindset of Falcon, one of the charters in The Sirens of Baghdad. He is militant; consumed with Thanatos and with an â€Å"appetite for destruction† (Hedges 251) towards the American troops; Falcon in the event below is determined to deceive and poison the minds of his brethren against the Americans troops. The event with Falcon takes place at the barbershop in Karfr Karam. Falcon and the elders of the town are gathered there, discussing the capture of Saddam by the American force in Iraqi. After some of the elders expressed their gratitude for the Americans capturing Saddam. Falcon takes this opportunity to place his seeds of doubt. He tries to unethically persuade his brethren. He expresses to them that the Americans had no right to go after Saddam and insists that it was the people of Iraqis responsibility. He believed it was because of every Iraqi’s cowardice that Saddam tyrannized them. He references this when he said, â€Å"People have the kings they deserve† (Khadra 32). He then expressed that Saddam may have been a monster but added that he was their monster. Falcon went on to explain that Saddam was one of them and shared their blood. He added that Saddam may have been a tyrant but he was Iraqi and therefore the Americans had no business touching or going after him. Falcon expressed that he would rather have Saddam still in power rather than the infidel American troops in Iraq. Falcon believed it was the Americans’ force, not Saddam that put Iraq in dire straits. Falcon says, â€Å"Look at what they’ve made of our country: hell on earth† (Khadra 33). Falcon’s behavior is fueled by Thanatos just as the behavior of the Islamic clerics was when they were determined to convert their countrymen into devout Muslims. â€Å"They spurned the decadence of the West including what the clerics condemned as the West’s loose sexual mores, drug use and thirst for sensual gratification†(Hedges 260). In that very moment Falcon was purposely lying to demoralize the American troops. He was trying to persuade his audience that the Americans did not come to free Iraq and bring peace. Falcon felt Saddam was an excuse to take Iraq’s resources and pillage their towns and cities. He tried to fill his audience’s minds with doubt and mistrust. He was unethically deceiving his community the same way real life insurgents behave in the Iraqi war. Tariq say’s, â€Å"More and more Iraqis were fooled by the insurgents propaganda, and the attacks aimed at Americans and their supporters increased. My country †¦ has suffered greatly from the insurgency, and we have lost many people who believed in the U. S. message† (Abandoned in Iraq). Falcon, just like the real insurgents in Iraq dedicated to their unethical war, chose an unethical path. He spread deceitful lies and led his brethren into the jaws of Tahantos instead of guiding them towards a life of peace and happiness. The next event in The Sirens of Baghdad is fueled by the insurgents’ use of deceitful tactics. In pursuit of their unethical war, they purposely caused innocent lives to be lost in order to create media propaganda to recruit the naive young men of Iraq. They dressed in civilian clothing and hid among the people. They used the innocent women and children for cover and human shields. â€Å"A populace†¦. held hostage by a group of ragged, starving ‘rebels,’ armed with filthy rifles and rocket launchers† (Khadra 76). Their actions and behaviors are very similar to those of the real insurgency and their unethical war in Iraq. An example of this is when they gave young school children realistic toy guns to play with at the very same check points their relatives work at with US troops. This was obviously done to cause innocent bloodshed which, in turn, will create some type of media propaganda for their cause. Specialist Raven Jenks says, â€Å"It’s to train the kids to use real weapons, and also to provoke us into killing civilians (Iraq’s young Blood). The insurgency uses this unethical tactic to create media propaganda of war. This is for the sole purpose of causing despair and rage within the people of Iraq to brainwash them and turn them against the forces that are sent to help. In the event described below, Yassen is one of the first young men in the Sirens of Baghdad to be won over by this unethical war tactic. The event takes place in the cafe in Kafr Karma. Seeds of doubt and deception have already reached the minds of Kafr Karma’s youth about American troops. Before departing for Bagdad, Sayed, Falcon’s son, purposely left a parting gift of a television for Kafr Karam’s youth at the cafe. He did this in hopes the youth would not forget his message and â€Å"that the young men of Kafra Karam would not lose sight of their country’s tragic reality† (Khadra 74). Along with the seeds of doubt and deception already planted within the young men’s minds, this gift â€Å"proved to be a poisoned chalice† (Khadra 83). It served its purpose well. The youth were griped with the images of war and enraged by the lost of innocent blood shed of their people. They began to sway to the side of the insurgency unethical war; â€Å"applauding successful ambushes and deploring skirmishes that went wrong† (Khadra 84). The young men of Kafr Karam were growing closer to Thanatos everyday and the temptation to â€Å"honor false covenants †¦. and gender† (Hedges 250),such as Saddam, was taking affect. Fully aware of the unethical wrongs Saddam committed, the youth still began to further familiarize themselves with him. Their initial delight for his capture turned to frustration. One of the youth, Yaseen, felt the publicity portraying the capture of Saddam portrayed him as a rat; dirty, confused, unshaven, and exposed to the cameras of the world. Yassen took offense to this and announced â€Å"by humiliating him like that, they were holding up every Arab in the world to public opprobrium† (Khadra 84). Yassen was clearly won over by the insurgency’s propaganda and unethical chose to aid in spreading its lies and deceit. The insurgency’s seed of doubt and deception enforced by their media propaganda enforced their campaign for the loyalty (Hedges 250) and paid off. The insurgency gained a new recruit from Kafr Karam to join their unethical war. The final event described below from The Sirens of Baghdad is a fictional example of the ultimate insanity of the insurgency’s unethical war. The Iraqi insurgency preys on the young men and boys who have been submerse in violence; â€Å"the closest analogy may be to the Taliban in Afghanistan. They offer these orphans of war a different kind of family structure cemented by the bonds of Islam†(Iraq’s Young Blood). These young Iraqis want to belong but more importantly crave purpose. Their minds are impressionable, easy to manipulate and brainwash. Making them the perfect candidates to turn into suicidal human weapons. The event described below from The Sirens of Baghdad bear witness to this product of unethical war. The main character (the narrator) turns himself into human weapon. The final event takes place in Beirut, Lebanon. The narrator has been groomed by his cousin Sayed (a member of the insurgency) since his arrival in Baghdad form Kafr Karam. The narrator, who has longed to become a suicide bomber, now receives his chance. Fully aware of his cousin’s fate, Sayed still makes the unethical decision to offer the narrator the mission. Sayed says, â€Å"you wanted some action†¦. Well, the miracle has taken place†¦. mission is now possible† (Khadra 236). The narrator accepts the unethical mission. Delighted, but aware of the possibility the narrator may change his mind before the mission, Sayed makes the unethical discussion to manipulate his young cousin once again. He says, â€Å"Kafr Karam, the forgotten, will take its place in history† (Khadra 237). Those words send the narrator into a state of purpose and honor. This is evident when he says, â€Å"He had lifted me up into the ranks of those who are revered† (Khadra 237). The narrator has made the unethical choice to become a human weapon.

Fannie Flaggs Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe :: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe

Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe My first impression of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafà © was that it was a â€Å"woman’s'; novel. This was because the movie, which was more popular than the book, was advertised as a â€Å"chick flick';. To say the least, I was wrong. The novel poses many issues that face the people of the 1920’s and 30’s, and makes one think about what people have struggled through. The novel addresses the issue of racism before the time of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. It tells of the struggles women must go through when they reach menopause; the big change. However, the main plot line tells the story of two women, Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, and the trials and tribulations of their life in the 1920’s and 30’s. Idgie and Ruth are business partners, best friends, and in the eyes of many, also lesbians. â€Å"[Fried Green Tomatoes] represents around the issue of lesbianism, depicting a strong and intense friendship between two white women (the tomboy Idgie Threadgoode and the fern Ruth Jamison), but never committing itself one way or another'; (Pelligrini 7). There have not been many stories written about homosexuality in the first half of the twentieth century. That is why Fannie Flagg does not just come out and say that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians. In turn, the idea that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians is a subject that has been under heated debate. However, there are many episodes between Idgie and Ruth that are undeniable proof that they are homosexuals. The idea that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians is rampant throughout the story. It is evidenced by the way they speak to each other and act towards each other, but the idea is subverted due to the fact that everyone in the town sees Idgie as a man. The idea that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians can be misunderstood. To say that they are a lesbian couple does mean that they are sexually involved with each other. However, whether or not Idgie and Ruth are sexually involved is a decision that is left up to the reader. Flagg does not describe in the novel any sexual experiences between Idgie and Ruth. This is because the idea of lesbianism is a touchy subject and could have changed the idea that novel was trying to get across.

Goodnight Mr.Tom Review

Review of Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian Goodnight Mr. Tom is set in the midst of World War II and the German attacks of London. In the novel many children are sent away from England? s capital onto pacific places for protection. These children are called refugees and they are to stay in the houses of the inhabitants. This is then, the destiny of little William Beech who is sent to Little Wierwold to Tom Oakley, the man who shelters him. The child was being abused by his mother so he is very shy. Therefore, Mr. Oakley helps him confront his problems and Willie drastically changes.He starts to make friends like Zacharias Wrench, or Zach for short. They become best friends and have marvelous moments together. Afterwards, Williams’s mother asks for him to go back to London as she is sick. Beech? s mother really is insane and when they enter the house she says she has a surprise. The surprise was that Mrs. Beech has had a baby. He actually returns to the nightmare he lived before being a refugee, so Mr. Oakley foresees that Willie is passing a terrible time and rescues him from the tiny room in which Mrs.Beech has locked him up. Mr. Tom immediately buys train tickets for Little Wierwold and so, they returned to their home in this little town. Months later, Mrs. Beech commits suicide as a result of her loneliness and Mr. Tom caringly adopts William. The story ends when William? s best friend Zach dies because of a bomb. Will then confronts his friend? s death having both good and bad experiences, which helps him grow physically and mentally. The main characters of this novel are William Beech, Tom Oakley, Zacharias Wrench and Mrs. Beech.William Beech, at the beginning of the story is an apprehensive, emaciated boy who does not have any self-confidence and is very mistrusting. Although he is very different on the inside, Will founds this throughout the book. When Willie starts his life with Mr. Tom, he changes abruptly and transforms into a talkative a nd active little boy. He also discovers he is an excellent artist and makes drawing his favorite hobby. What I really appreciate about this character is that he emerged from being a shy child to a talkative one who loves socializing with others around him.Tom Oakley is also a very important character in this novel. Mr. Tom is at first a grouchy old man who is immerged in the four walls of his house but when Willie arrives to his life he transforms into a social, caring and loving man who supports Will in everything he needs. Tom was very depressed because his wife had died giving birth and soon after his son, William, also died. At first Mr. Oakley took this as a coincidence, assuming William was a common name in London. Although as the months went by he realizes it this is not just a coincidence but something much deeper.Fate had brought them together so that both Tom and Willie could cure the injuries and pains they had been absorbing and keeping inside themselves. Another very im portant and special character is Zacharias Wrench â€Å"Zack for short† as he says in the novel. This character is a boy about the same age as Willie, who is a very swinging boy who likes talking to everybody. As soon he sees someone nice he immediately approaches to the person and starts talking to it as if he knows it for a long time. Zach becomes Willie? s best friend and because of him William lets â€Å"escape the Zach from him†. Goodnight Mr.Tom is definitely an incredible story. I enjoyed it so much that I have read it two times. My favorite moment on the novel is the end because Willie has improved amazingly and says to Mr. Tom who is now his dad: â€Å"Dad, I? ve grown†. I find this particular moment very emotive because despite all the challenges he has faced, he moves on with an amazing courage. I can definitively recommend this book to both adults and children (11 years +) as it makes you reflect a lot and it’s a very deep novel. I would also love to read another book by Michelle Magorian because she is a very good writer.

Billing and Payments Monitoring System

I. INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background of the Study One of the most important things to remember when you have a business or a company is keeping records. Monitoring bills and payments are very important. People are assigned to different positions such as cashiers, treasurers, finance managers and others that involve handling money. Without such records, a company will not be able to keep track of their transactions, which would lead to negative results such as being broken or having more expenses than income. The process of recording bills and payments are done in different ways.Most companies would do it manually, a cashier or any other qualified person would do the computations and write it down and keep it. Our client company, however, only has two people that have access to their records. In this situation, the cashier has no assistants so that the job is very difficult as she manages everything by herself. The proponents intend to propose and develop a Billing and Payments Monitoring System for Minerva Trading; the House of Motorcycles Inc. ; it would computerize the tiring manual process of writing everything down in paper.It would keep the records, and it would allow the users to keep track of their customers and their corresponding ledgers. It would show the total price and record factors that might affect changes in payment such as discounts and advanced payments. 1. 2 Overview of the Current System Our interview with Mr. Dustin Sacay the Officer in Charge of Minerva Trading, Novaliches branch and Ms. Rosie Pascual the cashier, went well as we talked about how we could help their company with the system that we intend to develop.They gave us all the data that we needed, and they were very cooperative while we were conducting the interview. Our client, Minerva Trading; the House of Motorcycles Inc. the company that accepted our proposal had to do everything manually, they write all the transactions and records on papers. While that is the most common way of k eeping records, there are certain problems that would arise from time to time. These problems might include ink erasures, writing the wrong data, misplacement of records, and restocking of paper constantly.Minerva's trading has a simple step by step process to be followed whenever a transaction was made. First, the customer would fill up an application form; he/she would select his/her payment type, installment or cash. If the customer chooses cash, he/she gets the bill and the transaction is finished. If its installment, the OIC would do a CI (Checking Investigation) to do some background checking on the customer, if the customer passes or fails the CI, he/she would be notified.If the customer is approved by the OIC, his application form and order detail would be submitted to the cashier. The cashier would then fill up a contract and a ledger that would give the payment details for the customer. The customer subsequently gives a down payment and afterwards pays the rest of the amou nt whenever he can until he/she completes the whole amount. 1. 3 Significance of the Study The following will be the beneficiaries of this study: * Company The system would reduce the time that they spend on manually writing down everything in paper. Cashier The cashier would be the primary beneficiary. She does nearly 90% of the paperwork in Minerva Trading. Once they receive and use the system, their work would be a lot faster, easier and more organized. * OIC (Officer In Charge) Other than the cashier, the OIC is the only other person that has the authority and access to all the records. He would find the system useful as it will simplify and lessen their work. * Customers The customers might also find the system helpful, especially during transactions.Filling up forms and other paperwork might shorten the time that they need to wait or to get their receipts and other things that usually involved the manual writing processes. * Proponents The proponents would also benefit from th is, as it would expand our knowledge when it comes to system development, it helps us practice our interpersonal skills as we communicate with different people, it helps us practice writing in English with the documentation, and last but not the least, the subject itself is going to prepare us for other thesis subjects in the coming semesters. Future Researchers This might also be of some of the use to future researchers as it is distinct from the typical proposals that involve systems that seem common to both teachers and other proponents alike. We believe that learning about a system that is different from the usual proposed titles would expand their knowledge and maybe even help them think of their individual concepts in creating their own systems.

Free Essays on Globalization and Music

From Dean Martin to Wyclef Jean: The Affects of Globalization on Music â€Å"Won’t you help me sing these songs of freedom?† -Bob Marley The influence that music has throughout the world is immeasurable. Music evokes many feeling, surfaces old memories, and creates new ones all while satisfying a sense of human emotion. With the ability to help identify a culture, as well as educate countries about other cultures, music also provides for a sense of knowledge. Music can be a tool for many things: relaxation, stimulation and communication. But at the same time it can also be a tool for resistance: against parents, against police against power. Within the reign of imported culture, cross cultivation and the creation of the so-called global village lies the need to expand horizons to engulf more than just what you see everyday. It is important to note that the role of music in today’s world is a key tool in the process of globalization. However, this does not necessarily provide us with any reasons that would make us believe that music has a homogenizing affect on the world. Globalization is becoming one of the most controversial topics in today’s world. We see people arguing over the loss of a nation’s cultural identity, the terror of westernization, and the reign of cultural imperialism. Through topics such as these we explore the possibilities or the existence of hybridization of cultures and values, and what some feel is the exploitation of their heritage. One important aspect that is not explored is that such influences can also be more than just a burden and an overstepping of bounds. These factors can create an educational environment as well as a reaffirmation of one’s own culture. With the music being the highly profitable, capitalist enterprise that it is today, it is no wonder that it is controlled and regulated by a few large conglomerates that exist is today’s world. It is important to m... Free Essays on Globalization and Music Free Essays on Globalization and Music From Dean Martin to Wyclef Jean: The Affects of Globalization on Music â€Å"Won’t you help me sing these songs of freedom?† -Bob Marley The influence that music has throughout the world is immeasurable. Music evokes many feeling, surfaces old memories, and creates new ones all while satisfying a sense of human emotion. With the ability to help identify a culture, as well as educate countries about other cultures, music also provides for a sense of knowledge. Music can be a tool for many things: relaxation, stimulation and communication. But at the same time it can also be a tool for resistance: against parents, against police against power. Within the reign of imported culture, cross cultivation and the creation of the so-called global village lies the need to expand horizons to engulf more than just what you see everyday. It is important to note that the role of music in today’s world is a key tool in the process of globalization. However, this does not necessarily provide us with any reasons that would make us believe that music has a homogenizing affect on the world. Globalization is becoming one of the most controversial topics in today’s world. We see people arguing over the loss of a nation’s cultural identity, the terror of westernization, and the reign of cultural imperialism. Through topics such as these we explore the possibilities or the existence of hybridization of cultures and values, and what some feel is the exploitation of their heritage. One important aspect that is not explored is that such influences can also be more than just a burden and an overstepping of bounds. These factors can create an educational environment as well as a reaffirmation of one’s own culture. With the music being the highly profitable, capitalist enterprise that it is today, it is no wonder that it is controlled and regulated by a few large conglomerates that exist is today’s world. It is important to m...

Better Discipline With a Sample Behavior Contract

Better Discipline With a Sample Behavior Contract Every classroom has at least a few children who are need of a little extra attention. This may be because they are disrupting the teacher or the other students or just over challenging to handle. Whatever the case may be, teachers have found behavior contacts to be an effective way to reach these types of students. Here are a few quick tips for using behavior contracts in your classroom as well as an example of how you can create one of your own. Using Behavior Contracts Here are 3 tips for implementing behavior contracts into your classroom. Make sure that you follow each of these tips to ensure that the contract is a success. Keep them Simple: Organize the contract so that it is simple and easy for the child to read. Make sure that it is clear and concise and  the student can easily understand it.Set Attainable Goals: Make sure that they goals are easy for the student to reach. The easier the goal is the easier the child will buy into the contract.Be Consistent: It is essential that you are consistent with the contract. If the student sees that you are not, then they will think that they can get away with inappropriate behavior, and that is the last thing that you want.   Sample Contract Student Name:_________________________Date:_________________________Room:_________________________ [Student name] will demonstrate good behaviors each day at school. [Student name] is expected to follow the teachers directions the first time she asks him to do something. He/she is expected to do so promptly and with a good attitude. Each time that [Student name] does not meet these expectations, he/she will receive a tally mark for the day on the tracking sheet. These tally marks will determine the rewards and consequences that [Student name] receives, as shown below. Zero tallies in one day A chance to roll the die after school for one of the rewards listed belowOne tally in one day Does not get a chance to roll the die that dayTwo or more tallies in one day Loss of recess the next day and/or other consequences as determined by Mrs. Lewis (number rolled on a die) 1 One table point for his table2 One raffle ticket for monthly class drawing3 One piece of candy4 Gets to be first in line for the next school day5 Gets to help teacher after school that afternoon6 Five marbles for the class marble jar We agree to the terms of this behavior contract as set forth above. ___________________[Teacher Signature] ___________________[Parent Signature] ___________________[Student Signature]

How to Use the Ball Game as an Icebreaker for Groups

How to Use the Ball Game as an Icebreaker for Groups An icebreaker game, activity, or exercise is a great way to kick off a class, workshop, meeting, or group gathering. Icebreakers can: Serve as introductions for strangersFacilitate conversationEncourage group interactionBuild trustEnergize group membersEncourage teamworkBuild team skills Icebreaker games are most effective in groups of three or more people. To give you an example of how an icebreaker works, were going to take a look at a classic icebreaker game that can be used for both small and large groups. This icebreaker game is traditionally known as the Ball Game.   How to Play the Classic Ball Game The classic version of the Ball Game is designed to be used as an icebreaker for a group of strangers who have never met each other. This icebreaker game is perfect for a new class, workshop, study group, or project meeting.   Ask all of the participants to stand in a circle. Make sure they are not too far apart or too close together. Give one person a small ball (tennis balls work well) and ask them to throw it to someone else in the circle. The person who catches it says their name and throws it to another person who does the same. As the ball moves around the circle, everyone in the group gets to learn one another’s name. Ball Game Adaptation for People Who Are Acquainted With Each Other The classic version of the Ball Game doesnt work very well if everyone in the group knows each others names. However, the game can be adapted for people who are acquainted with each other but still dont know each other very well. For example, members of various departments within an organization might know each others names, but since they dont work closely together on a daily basis, they might not know very much about each other. The Ball Game can help people get to know each other better. It also works well as a team-building icebreaker.   As with the original version of the game, you should ask group members to stand in a circle and take turns tossing a ball to each other. When someone catches the ball, they will state something about themselves. To make this game easier, you could establish a topic for the answers. For example, you could establish that the person catching the ball has to state their favorite color before tossing the ball to the next person, who will also call out their favorite color.   Some other sample topics for this game include: Say one thing you like about your jobDescribe yourself in one wordName your favorite bookIdentify your biggest strengthIdentify your biggest weakness Ball Game Tips Be sure that you remind participants to throw the ball gently so that nobody gets hurt.Make this icebreaker game more fun by timing the exercise and seeing how fast the participants can get the ball around the circle.Try to select a topic that fits the participants and the goal of the icebreaker.

Business Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Strategies - Essay Example This essay discusses ways to develop and execute different Business Strategies. In the process of developing a Business Strategy the firm uses its competencies to gain, sustain and enhance its strategic or competitive advantage. The source of competitive advantage for any business operating in an industry arises from the skillful use of its core competences. A combination of organizational behavior and resources ultimately leads to the development of capabilities that a firm used to build competencies. These competencies are used to gain a competitive advantage against rivals in an industry. Competitive advantage results in above average returns to the company. Businesses need a set of strategies to secure competitive advantage. The concept of strategies is not consensual in nature and has significantly evolved during the past decades, influencing the development of business strategy theories. In literature, it is usually considered that one can distinguish four main theoretical appr oaches to business strategies. These business strategy theories can be grouped into four main approaches: 1. Classical; 2. Evolutionary; 3. Processualist; and 4. Systemic. All these approaches are covered in this essay as well as concepts developed by the main thinkers associated with these four main approaches: Chandler, Ansoff, Porter, Cyert & March, Mintzberg, Pettigrew, Hannan & Freeman, Williamsons, Granovetter, Whitley. This essay also states that the nature of the power balance within organizations is an important consideration when discussing strategy development. ... According to Mintzberg (1998), strategy emerges from a pragmatic process of learning and adaptation. |in fact, the focus of this approach is the enterprises internal resources and their capacity to generate the firms' competitive advantage. This implies that strategy is all about long term construction and consolidation of distinctive internal competences. In the same way evolutionary strategies theories during 1980's state that environment is normally unpredictable to anticipate effectively and hence future oriented planning becomes unrealistic. It is the market which makes the important choice not the managers as established by the classical approach. For long term survival basically depends on best strategy which concentrates on maximizing chances of survival. The only real comparative advantage is relative efficiency; hence managers must concentrate on cost leadership. In 1990's the systemic approach emerges, taking the relativist position and considering that the objectives and practices of strategy depends on the cultures and powers of the respective local systems. Strategies may pursue objectives other than profit maximization if their social background frames other interests for them (e.g. personnel pride, managerial power, excellence). In this view, the parameters that guide strategy drive not so much from human cognitive bounds as from the cultural rules of the local society. As a result companies from different systems have different strategies i.e. strategies vary according to socio-political-economic systems & geographical locations. Almost all the strategies basically focus on private organizations and on competitive markets and consider profit maximization as their ultimate aim of strategy

Local Politician Event in Ireland Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Local Politician Event in Ireland - Assignment Example In here, the work starts in planning, staffing, delegating, handling of resources and finances, monitoring the flow of the plan, execution of plan, implementation and post production endeavors. In other words, in handling a certain event one has to understand the 3 P's of it- The Pre Production, Production and the post production. There are several varieties of even and production with different purposes. In dealing with such things, one has to understand the nature of the event and intended outcome. This paper will deal on handling even wherein there is a fundraising event for a local politician running for election. This paper will delve on things and key aspects with regards in realizing the success of an event in this kind of nature and how areas of concern are addressed in order to fulfill the objective of the event. In order to determine the necessary steps in handling events, the aid of relevant literature is crucial in determining the needed tasks and process in order to fulfill the requisites needed by a certain event. Special events magazine have described and defined common problems encircling issues with regards to event handling. "OFTEN, EVENT planners have a fairly consistent set of questions on their mind: I have a limited budget, yet I need AV - how do I set priorities in my budget If I want lighting, sound, video, staging and decor, should I just give each part of the production a smaller piece to make sure I get some of everything (Poulos 2005)" Dealing with events and production requires knowledge, expertise and views of critics explaining the tasks and essence of handling events and productions. Also, locolobo events (2007) further stated that "Event planning can come from anywhere; parties you've attended, magazines and library resources or more conveniently, the internet. Before you initiate the research process, create a task list. Do this by visualizing your definition of a flawless event, then note all the intricate details you need to create that winning outcome. Your list should contain all the elements needed for seamless event production. Venue selection, catering, tent or flatware rentals, entertainment, invitations and favors are just a snippet of the planning and preparation that goes into event production. The responsibility can be overwhelming for many people, especially for those trying to juggle event production with their every day responsibilities. With the right event planning tips, throwing a soiree do esn't have to be taxing." Local politician event in Ireland (Chinese National Day Ball Dublin) 3 Proposal to the client Before entering a discussion to the client regarding budget and related concerns with regards to event that is to be handled, one has to find and research possible information regarding the client and the event that he wanted to realize. Upon knowing this information, the client would know that you are interested in doing business with him and this thing would further strengthen the chance in obtaining the deal with him. In relation to this, the event organizer must also know if the client is new in encountering the event or has previous experiences which would be a basis in giving your proposal to him. The proposal must contain the

Articles Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Articles Review - Essay Example Given these trends in the past (with respect to the transportation of items), the articles raises doubts through the questions of a number of researchers whether a similar trend would influence the working of the super information highway of modern times, which is popularly known as the Internet. The article says that one of the most prominent reasons for the growth of the internet has been the 'openness' and 'uniform' feature of the net that has made no distinction between the type of information being transferred. In order to support this claim, the article cites a paper published by Andrew odlyzko that talks about the willingness of telecom companies towards introducing a pricing system for different types of information that would be transferred through their networks. The article also discusses about how deviations in the earlier pricing and tariff systems were used indiscriminately, which caused an outburst among the people. The government and the regulatory bodies of those times then had to step in so as to bring about the requisite changes that ensured smooth transport of goods thereafter. While the article says that such price discrimination has in the past worked towards reversing the fortunes of some places such as Beverly beck, it also raises questions as to whether changes to the uniform pricing of internet based services would have similar effects. In view of this argument, the article ultimately concludes that the given the enormous size of the Internet, a flat based system would work much better and encourage users to utilize the services in an extended manner. In my opinion, price discrimination has been there all along in the modern times and it has been the trend with telecom companies that happen to be the core providers of the Internet infrastructure. one is not surprised to see the different kinds of services provided and the differing price tags that each one is attached with. Subscribers are charged different tariffs for services such as phone calls, SMS, MMS, email, multimedia etc. moreover; some companies also discriminate on the basis of the subscriber being new or a regular one, wherein the former is charged higher rates than the latter. The reason service providers have not been able to implement such a policy over the internet has been predominantly due to the fact that the providers of such services over the internet are other companies different from these providers and the mode of information transmission is bits in any case. As such, service providers as of now do not have any software or hardware applications in place th at is capable of distinguishing between the types of information by simply examining the bits being transmitted. Therefore, any possible solution towards implementing any tariff based structure on the internet by these service providers can only be possible in the current time by forging alliance with the providers of these internet based services such as chat, VoIP, entertainment etc. given the facts that the number of such software providers runs into millions and that a mighty proportion of such services are for free would make it impossible to implement a service based pricing system in absolute totality. In fact, it can be compared to the marketing strategy of Apple inc.

Is the Brazilian Social-Democratic Model Replicable Outside of Latin Essay

Is the Brazilian Social-Democratic Model Replicable Outside of Latin America - Essay Example This report explores that majority of the socialists embraced the name of social democrats in order to differentiate themselves from the socialists who are against the idea of democracy. In today’s world scholars think that social democracy is not different from other forms of political ideologies. There are various viewpoints regarding this ideology. Some scholars do not consider this form as a distinctive one; instead they say that it is an unstable mixture of Marxism and liberalism. In other words social democrats do not have their own mottos. On the other hand, the people who support this idea of democracy say that this is a perfect model to implement specific policies and maintain certain principles. These certain principles are to create equality and solidarity among the upper and the lower class. This essay declares that values and social theory are two parts of the ideology that social democracy carries. The values basically signify what should be our social development and social life should be made of. And social theory provides us with the mechanism through which we can control both social development and social life. Freedom, equality and brotherhood were the slogan in the French revolution which gave social democracy its main values. All these can be combined together to form democracy as real democracy creates all of these in a society. In social democracy, work and the right to work are seen as a vital part of people’s life which helps them in the development of not only their professional but also personal and social life. In this theory the main factor of production is the labour as because of labour all other factors of production like raw materials, land, capital and technology are utilized. This in return brings about a boost in economic growth. This also means that it is due to the working conditions that we can determine how the society looks and how well is the economy doing. In today’s world social democrats are favouring the capitalistic market economy which goes hand in hand with a strong government. Human rights and environmental issues have become major goals of many social democratic parties instead of the old-style goal of making a socialist government. Generally, social democrats support a number of agendas that ensure their support for human rights. They strongly support the wide system of social security in order to protect people from poverty and save them from loss of income if they are ill or unemployed. This system is mostly followed in European countries.

Project Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Management - Coursework Example Having a team willing to follow is what marks a good leader’s success, and that only comes when a leader is capable of being followed. Having focus, direction and dedication will likely be more effective in uniting a team than being given authority, whether formal or informal. For example, I was once a part of a team which had no formally appointed leader but rather had an informal self-appointed leader in one of my fellow members. As our project proceeded, differences arose between the team and that leader based on conflict of goals. Despite not being a leader, formally or informally, I stepped up by taking into account the views of my team and then uniting us all on a commonly agreed goal. As we proceeded to work towards that goal, I found my team turning towards my lead as I expressed not only my capability of achieving that goal but also my desire to unite us and work cohesively. The creator of Dilbert, Scott Adams states ten Great Lies of Management. These statements have not been made by many project leaders as these statements are not appropriate to be stated in the initial phases of the project. These comments may act as an obstacle for maximum productivity to be derived from the employees. If these comments are given by the project leader, then the employees may overlook the importance of understanding the way the project has to be done and instead divert their focus towards the rewards that are to be given. In open door policies, employees may come up with unnecessary issues that may not be having any productive result. Successful leaders do not plan failures; they plan the path to success. By stating the management lies given above, the employees would be kept in darkness about the true scenario of the organization and its current financial standings.  

Is the Brazilian Social-Democratic Model Replicable Outside of Latin Essay

Is the Brazilian Social-Democratic Model Replicable Outside of Latin America - Essay Example This report explores that majority of the socialists embraced the name of social democrats in order to differentiate themselves from the socialists who are against the idea of democracy. In today’s world scholars think that social democracy is not different from other forms of political ideologies. There are various viewpoints regarding this ideology. Some scholars do not consider this form as a distinctive one; instead they say that it is an unstable mixture of Marxism and liberalism. In other words social democrats do not have their own mottos. On the other hand, the people who support this idea of democracy say that this is a perfect model to implement specific policies and maintain certain principles. These certain principles are to create equality and solidarity among the upper and the lower class. This essay declares that values and social theory are two parts of the ideology that social democracy carries. The values basically signify what should be our social development and social life should be made of. And social theory provides us with the mechanism through which we can control both social development and social life. Freedom, equality and brotherhood were the slogan in the French revolution which gave social democracy its main values. All these can be combined together to form democracy as real democracy creates all of these in a society. In social democracy, work and the right to work are seen as a vital part of people’s life which helps them in the development of not only their professional but also personal and social life. In this theory the main factor of production is the labour as because of labour all other factors of production like raw materials, land, capital and technology are utilized. This in return brings about a boost in economic growth. This also means that it is due to the working conditions that we can determine how the society looks and how well is the economy doing. In today’s world social democrats are favouring the capitalistic market economy which goes hand in hand with a strong government. Human rights and environmental issues have become major goals of many social democratic parties instead of the old-style goal of making a socialist government. Generally, social democrats support a number of agendas that ensure their support for human rights. They strongly support the wide system of social security in order to protect people from poverty and save them from loss of income if they are ill or unemployed. This system is mostly followed in European countries.

Hamlet-sin and salvation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Hamlet-sin and salvation - Essay Example It is the difference between seeing purgatory strictly in the terms of the sins that brought the souls there and that talking about purgatory is a way of asking for salvation from the same. It is two opposing ways of reviewing Ophelia’s suicide. Sin and salvation are present throughout the main conflicts of the play, so sin and salvation, in general, is the main dichotomy of the play. Hamlet is about sin and salvation. One of Hamlet’s sin is his act of killing Polonius, which, in turn, led to Ophelia’s ultimate sin and presumptively usurped her chances for salvation. Hamlet kills Polonius in the Act 3, Scene 4, knowing full well what he was doing. He was in Gertrude’s suite, confronting her about how she could be with her own brother in law, when he heard Polonius’ cry from behind the tapestry. At this point, Hamlet plunges his dagger at the tapestry, pretending to kill a rat, but knowing that Polonius was behind the tapestry and was being murdered. This leads to Ophelia’s sin, in that Ophelia goes mad and kills herself because she was grieving for her father, and she was fragile in general. While non-religious people of today understand that suicide is not necessarily a sin, but, rather, a desperate act of a desperate person, this was not the case in the Elizabethan age, as suicide is considered to be the ultimate in sin. That Ophelia’s suicide was considered to be sinful is evident in both the speeches of the gravedigger who was digging her grave, and the priest who was conducting her funeral. For instance, the gravedigger showed evident disdain for Ophelia for killing herself when he stated that â€Å"the more pity that great folk should have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves more than their even Christian† (V, i, 24-27). In other words, Ophelia was rich, and allegedly had more freedom to drown herself than the ordinary Christians, implying that most Christians do not have this

Interview Questions for Manager Profiles Essay Example for Free

Interview Questions for Manager Profiles Essay Q1.What do you think are the challenges for Hero MotoCorp at this moment? Q2.What steps would you take to meet the challenges? Â  Q3.Describe a situation in which you were required to handle an unsatisfactory customer. Q4.How has your previous company benefited from you? Â  Q5.What are the most important skills that are required for this job profile? Which of these do you have and don’t have? Q6.What life lessons does a management degree teach? Â  Q7. Tell us about a time when, as a team leader, you had to deal with a difficult situation professionally. How did you solve the issue keeping the team members in purview? Q8.What are the two significant trends in the two wheeler industry today? Q9.Describe a situation when you had to convince a non-supporting team member to consider your plan of action. Q10.What was your specialization in your management studies? Q11.What was going on in your mind when you decided on the management specialization subjects? Q12.How has your previous job experience helped you personally and professionally? Q13.Describe your usual work week. What kinds of works do you do as a manager? General Interview Questions for Hero MotoCorp Ltd Q1.Tell us something about yourself. Q2.What are your hobbies? Q3.What is your vision for Hero MotoCorp? Q4.How did you come to know about Hero MotoCorp? What made you apply here? Q5.Give us reasons why you want to work in this company and not any other. Q6.How do you think will you make a difference in the company? Q7.Which product or service of Hero MotoCorp interests you the most? Why? Q8.How do you see yourself 5 years from now? Q9.What is your expectation in terms of salary? Q10.Tell us about the competitors of Hero MotoCorp. How do these competitors rate in comparison to this company? Q11.How would you describe your role in Hero MotoCorp, if you are hired?

Development Of Cruise Industry And Time Sharing

Development Of Cruise Industry And Time Sharing Abstract Since the last ten years the market has seen an extensive growth in the contemporary cruise industry and there has been an increase in customer research on the innovative naval design ideas, lengths of the cruising ships, including splendid destinations on the global scale, including on-board and on-shore activities, as these are the plans that can help the people in getting the vacations they want. OBJECTIVES This paper will attempt to explore Cruise Market Timesharing along with important market predispositions, and important and valuable markets for the cruising business. The paper will also explore the competitive nature of the cruising industry along with the major competitors in the cruising industry also taking into account the leading business strategy. INTRODUCTION Development of Cruise Industry Cruise industry symbolizes a small part of the vacation business environment which itself is a very small portion of the leisure business. The cruise industry is attributed by extraordinary value proposition, great demand, favorable guest demographics, high guest fulfillment rate and positive supply vs. demand balance. The business has seen a large development over time and it is anticipated to grow more in the following years. Though, in 2009, the development in business has turned down, but it is anticipated to lift up again as the global economy improves progressively from the recession. Seeing the development potential in cruise industry, the number of competitors has raised and the existing competitors will be growing their capabilities in the following years. (Middlemiss McNulty, 2007) The cruise industry has its roots dating back to the 1970s and this is the era that has been seen an enormous growth in the North American industry. It has been seen that there has been an increase of popularization that is considered as a key factor in the tourism sector with an increase in the cruising business becoming an important economic factor. Cruise industry is an important example of the globalization having many destinations all around the world, the customers of cruising industry belong to various countries as well as the employees of the cruising industries are from various continents. In addition to this an important fact is that in the past there was an increased level of detachment from the rest of the societies and the countries that are now reduced along with an increase in an economic, legal, ecological and social implication. A crisis-resistant industry with a varied offer of airlift choices and ports that are more modernized have made people choose cruising as an option for having vacations as there is an increase in the consumers knowing the fact that cruising is more relaxing, eventful and an adventurous choice for more than a million consumers coming in to cruise from global destinations. Cruising is now considered as a dynamic business that has been known for an increase in the products that it has offered with a development in potential markets. As observed there has been an average 8.5% increase in the annual growth in cruising industry since the last 20 years, with an addition of almost 90 million passengers since the 80s. the reports have suggested that more than 60% of the current customers have been generated in the last ten years . since that time there has been no slowing down as there were more than 13 and 13.5 million passengers between 2008 and 2009 as compared to 13 million in the year of 2007, and these increases are also being observed in the coming years. An important part to be considered in the case of cruising industry is the capacity and since the last ten years and more there has been an increase in the capacity of cruise industry. The history has it that there were only 40 cruise ships in 1980s, with an addition of 80 vessels in the 1990s, with a 40% increase between the years of 2000 and 2005. These years these fleets have joined newly designed ships that have caused a 25% increase in the cruise ships. Recently there has been an increased investment in newer and more innovative ships that have a capacity of more than 3,000 passengers. These ships promise to offer lower shipping and cruising rates thereby helping in developing a better economy of scale . Some of the activities that are offered by these ships include multi-story shopping centers, cafes, restaurants, art galleries. Thereby these ships offer more than just the cruising experience to the customers. In the case of cruising ships it has been seen that there is a fleet that has a capacity to carry more than hundred cruise ships having the capacity of carrying more than millions of passengers. These ships travel and cruise through many geographical locations on the global scale that can cover more than 500 destinations worldwide. Of these, these days, Caribbean cruises are the most popular ones, than the Mediterranean cruises and European cruise ships that have reached destinations that include Barcelona, Athens and the Greek Islands, Amsterdam, the Scandinavia Fjords, Helsinki, and San Petersburg. However, the North America is the main market for cruise trade. Though the area signifies the most mature marketplace of cruise business, with mainstream of travelers originating from the United States, it is still immature with large potential. Therefore, business players are working to raise their ship capabilities and lower berth capabilities to fulfill the increasing need of the business. Europe is the 2nd largest marketplace after North America, symbolizing the fastest developing marketplace. The European cruise business continues to boost its share of the international cruise marketplace, with United Kingdom being the biggest shareholder in the European marketplace. (Anonymous, 2006) The major strengths of the cruise line market are its extreme desirability among customers. Cruises attract to the US citizens desire of adventure. The 2nd strength is that cruise lines industry has demonstrated a great capability to modify their product to fulfill famous social trends and extend into untapped marketplaces. The current trend to present a large range of entertainments and the current fame of Theme Cruises has been a worthwhile asset. The presenting of different priced cruises is also sign of the industrys capability to change and as a consequence expand their marketplace. The spreading out into foreign marketplace is further proof of this strength (Mancini, 2003). The cruise line market has shown the capability to not only discover new marketplaces, but to take over them as well. And the final benefit is that the cruise line business operates at 100 percent capacity. The international cruise business is now looking towards Asia as a key development engine. The Asian cruise industry is increasing at a good growth pace. With the increasing middle class group and the growing interest of individuals in cruising businesses, this area gives ample development potential for the players. Being among the top ideal destination for passengers, the Australian and Singapore cruise market can witness large development in upcoming years. With an increase in the business of the cruising industry there has been an increase in the demand of better organizational structures and better planning and strategic structures that can increase competition on the global scale. These competitions are based on the potential markets that are being focused and that have been able to generate higher revenues with an addition of the markets from North America and Britain. Safety and Security Recently it has been found that the number of tourists worldwide who hire cruise vacations stands at approximately 13.4 million, symbolizing around 1.8 percent of the total global travel market, as anticipated by the World Tourism Organization. Roger Cartwright and Carolyn Baird, 2007 also mentioned that the far from being disheartened at this existing level of market portion, the business fully identifies the opportunities ahead as players expand into modern forms of cruises (containing the niche budget option); set their objectives on various demographic groups; and, head for new waters. (Cartwright Baird, 2007) Within one year there are more than 13 million passengers who enjoy the cruising each year and the main aim behind these cruises is to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the cruising customers. The help of extra protection provided by law enforcement agencies, FBI and U.S. Coast Guard, ensures the safety of the customers. In order to maximize the protection of the customers there are numerous codes that are to be followed by the cruise lines. CLIA policies have been recently approved that ensure an increased level of security. On an annual basis an examination known as Control Verification Certificate examination is conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard. An important part of the cruising industry is a Security Committee that is composed of security officers. These security officers are responsible for meeting the law enforcement and intelligence agencies in order to discuss the issues that relate to ship security and intelligence assessments. Competition in Cruise Industry Currently the cruise line business has been undergoing a period of huge development over the last 10 years. By some calculations, the cruise market in US alone has earned over $32 billion during 2005. Such income makes sure that the cruise business remains one of the very competitive across all marketplaces. Even smaller marketplaces have been experiencing a boost in cruise business operations. The Canadian marketplace has seen some ports increased over ninety cruise ship callings on a yearly basis and this is a large amount of traffic for a conventional smaller market. Therefore, the competitive profile for the business has boosted in terms of market share and competitive contention. (Dickinson Vladimir, 2007) These days it has been seen that the cruise shipping volume is smaller as there are barriers associated with the entrance and exits along with higher costs of selling and purchasing the cruise ships. In addition to this there are higher investments needed in the managing cruise lines as there are influences of these purchases on the multiple strategies related to organizational and management of these cruise lines. Important actors that have been identified in the case of increased and changing bargaining power and capability of the cruise industries in order to gain advantages of better economies include the size of the market that is effective in two different ways; a) There are a lesser shipbuilders and technology developers in the cruising industry that are able to accept the prices that are offered to them; b) There are a large number of suppliers and equipment thereby there is a great choice of bargain; Thereby there are a lesser number of companies left that are more vary of the potential threats that are faced by the companies for the clientele in order to provide the customers with options as improved vacation strategies, sightseeing vacations, including thematic parks. There are many opportunities that have caused planning diverse strategies that can help the specialization in specific areas of business. Newly designed strategies have also helped in the development of better cruising products that help to serve massive consumer markets. There has been a great change in the marketing strategy along with a great change in the brand image that has caused an improvement in the commercial environment. DISCUSSION The cruise industry has been seen to be threatened by such events as Achille Lauro hijack in 1985, the Iraq and Kosovo wars, and September 11 attacks, and these include the process of restructuration and merging in the cruising sector. Among the cruising companies, Renaissance Cruises was among the first ones to file for bankruptcy in 2001, after this American Classic Voyages and ten well-known brand names, a result of which there was a cease in operations thereby leaving the market open for the largest cruise companies that include Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruise Limited and Star Cruises. The Carnival Corporation, having a headquartered in Miami and London is considered as a leader in the cruising industry. This is the company that has over 12 cruise brands in North America, Europe and Australia operating more than 89 cruise ships, along with more than 65,000 shipboard employees and 170,000 guests all around the world. It has been seen that the corporate offices of some of some of the cruise companies are located in the United States and Europe as the clients of these organizations. The companies have their fleets registered in the countries as Panama, Bermuda, Liberia, and Bahamas. Some of the main revenues that are generated in this case are from the passengers and by the help of maintaining the clients that helps in the financial stability. On the other hand, it has been seen that the cruise fares play important roles in the commercial relations of the cruise industry. These days there is an increase in the number of items and services provided by the cruising ships for the customers. For instance as compared to the older days there is an increased number of spa and personal care services, shipboard stores and boutiques, photography departments and art auctions at prices that have been the cause of an increased competition. Some of these services are offered by the concessionaires and subcontractors. Other than these there are some Cruise companies that have started to introduce varied practices in order to build the customer base that makes them spend more money. These services include cybercafà ©s, satellite telephone services, restaurants and bars, and diverse revenue-generating schemes in passengers cabins that include the interactive multimedia and TV, minibars. One of the main aims that are linked with cruising includes relaxing and having a vacation whereas there is one class of consumers that are more into enjoying all kinds of services that are being provided along with enjoying all the destinations. Thereby there has been an increase in the kind of activities that are being offered at the cruise ships that include gambling, videogames, adventure sports, computers, culinary workshops, and virtual reality centers, theme nights and so on. On the other hand it has been seen that passengers on the cruise ships are also encouraged to participate in an increasing number of onshore activities. The marketing campaigns of these activities on the ships began in the 1980s and since that time there has been an increase in the number of excursion tours and port lecturers, contracted with local concessionaires and tour operators so that later on it can be sold to passengers onboard. Cruising may last for several hours as the time increase when there is anchoring and the ship is docked. These dockings also provide different themes and a number of activities that include sightseeing, as there are sites that include natural, ecological and bio spherical locations. Along with these the destinations include wildlife viewing; adventure sports excursions, adventure tours, along with diverse environments that include natural environments; and historical places and cultural tours, museums and monumental heritages. It has been seen that these days the cruise industry has been able to maintain good relationships with the land-based tourism industry. In addition to this the bargaining power has also increased in the recent years and these have impacts on the services and these bargaining powers have also provided additional income from selling of such products and services. It has been estimated that there is an additional income associated with an arrangement of the On-shore excursions and visits to ports for many cruise companies. Thereby as a service it has been seen that passengers are provided with a map from which the passengers can select their destinations. These maps also include service shops that are associated with the cruise shops along with commercial establishments in a specific area.. In the year of 1990, it was seen that there were changes in these strategies provided to the passengers as there was an introduction of the concept of Private Island. This concept was developed by Norwegian Cruise Lines and was later on adopted by other companies that were providing the cruising services in the Caribbean waters. These strategies have been the cause of additional incomes for these companies. Newer cruise companies have an additional control over some shops. Other than onboard revenue, there are many alternative ways by the help of which cruise industries are making money having better economic results as there has been an increase in the economies of scale and there has been an improved in the management systems. Economic scales have also shown changes in the case of cruising industries as there has been an increase in the port-related activities with an increase in the port based activities. Thereby ports are now the source of an increased incomes even since the 9/11 attacks, as there has been a redesigning of the cruise routes as these routes are now closer to United States. These changes in routes have now caused a great change in the market trends in the case of Caribbean cities that have offered a reduction in the port charges. One of the most important facts in this case illustrates the fact that cruise companies are now playing important roles in an economic development along with a port facilities and infrastructures. Future Trends Within a short time, there has been an increase in the potential growth of cruise industry with an increase in the capability to move ships and fleets with an increase in the cruising demands. There has been an increase in the fuel price in the face of economic crisis, an increase in the terrorism, along with an increase in the political instability have been some of the most important challenges that are being faced by the cruise industries. Since the last ten years, cruise companies have ordered new and improved ships on the daily basis. On the other hand, the new ships that have been ordered are the ones that the new ships have added additional 20 billion dollars with an addition of 85,480 berths in the cruising market. It has been estimated that until 2012 there will be an addition of 4.2 million passengers. On the other hand, cruising companies including Royal Caribbean International have been ordering more innovative and luxurious ships that have additional capacities that also include Genesis-class vessels, and these have the cost of around $1.65 billion. On the other hand it has been seen that these new ships have an additional capacity of 5,400 passengers and 2,100 crewmembers. However one of the main changes that have taken place is that there are slower economic changes that have caused reconsideration in the business having a control over the costs and a reduction in the costs. But there have been some studies carried out by the financial analysts and they have argued that there will be no effects of these economic changes on the passengers. There have been many arrangements made by these companies with additional fleets that are equipped with more innovative services and technologies. These services promise better services to the passengers as there has been an increase in the innovative ships that can offer better services and better environments to the passengers. Many cruise executives are convinced that the current economic situation has an advantage on the cruise companies. CONCLUSION It has been seen that the cruise companies is now a more competitive market business. There has been an increase in the development of the cruise business with an increase in the business competition with latest and more innovative ships and improved technology. With this there is an addition of many clients and customers that have become more demanding with increased demands of 24 hour entertainment. There is an increase in the strains that are being faced. There is a need to increase the clients as these clients are the only source of profits as there is a need to market share and sales volume. Thereby there is a need of new clientele that can help the cruise industry to compete with greater and better challenges. These days it has been seen that the companies are now competing for new Asian markets , Middle East, Amazon and Brazil, Greenland and the Antarctic regions, as it has been realized that there are regions that offer better prospects for profits.

Death: The End or a New Beginning Essays -- Loss of Life, Perspective

What is death? Looking up the meaning in the dictionary would probably read â€Å"the loss of life† or â€Å"ceasing of all vital functions†. As human beings the word could mean one of many things depending on what you believe in. To most of humanity throughout history it meant the end of a life, to others a shortcut to avoid the inevitable, or even what might be the beginning of something new. Unfortunately, today in our modern time our conception of death has changed drastically throughout history. Many like you and me will never truly understand death’s true meaning unless experienced firsthand. â€Å"The subject of death is shrouded in mystery, folklore, and different meanings from every culture on this planet†. Although death should not be something to be feared, for it’s a natural part of life. Nevertheless it shouldn’t be taken lightly; it could happen to any of us at any moment, but it shouldn’t stop you from living your life to the fullest and making every last second count. â€Å"Throughout history, specific cultural contexts have always played a crucial role in how people perceived death. Different societies have held widely diverging views on the â€Å"breath of life† and on â€Å"how the soul left the body† at the time of death.† In the past, death was embraced and was believed to be caused by some sort of divine intervention. In ancient Egypt, Egyptians believed that preparing for their death will allow them to cross into the afterlife. It was popular amongst the people even the Pharos of Egypt would undergo a mummification process and be buried with their belongings to ensure their place in the afterlife. Many other cultures would perform similar or other rituals to hold on to their belief that death wasn’t the end. If they had a strong eno... ...ays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson. New York: Doubleday, 1997. Print. Bryan, Susan Montoya. "NM Ruling Will Allow Doctors to Help Patients Die." Santa Fe New Mexican. 14 Jan. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. http://sks.sirs.com. Wood, Daniel B. "When Does Life End? Two Emotional Cases Probe the Complexities." Christian Science Monitor. 19 Jan. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. http://sks.sirs.com "Death." Britannica School. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. . "Death Rite." Britannica School. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. . "Capital Punishment." Britannica School.Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. .

Importance of balance of trade

Importance of balance of trade Balance of trade data is a very important piece of understanding the global puzzle of international trade, and thus, forex. Much like an income statement, balance of trade data clearly defines whether a trade deficit or trade surplus is in play. Why Balance of Trade Matters Balance of trade data shows the imports and exports of goods and how a country competes in a global marketplace. Balance of trade numbers can run a trade deficit, showing that a country imported more than it exported, or they can reflect a trade surplus, exporting more than was imported in a specific time period.Imports and exports can include physical goods and intangible services. Luxembourg, which is a popular banking destination, has one of the highest per capita service exports because its banking system is used internationally. Likewise, Middle Eastern nations have stronger physical exports due to the international oil trade. Just as a negative balance of trade is a bad sign fo r a country's long run economic health, high export figures can be equally poor for domestic trade. China, which has for a long time been a net exporter, has fought several bouts of domestic inflation as money flows into the country from all over the world.When the supply of money rises internally at pace faster than the relative increase in wages, internal consumption and demand can be temporarily stymied, causing recessions. However, all things considered, a country would much prefer to attract too much foreign export purchases than too few, as a negative balance of trade cannot be sustained forever. In addition, negative trade increases the possibility of high national debts or inflation from the central bank to maintain domestic currency levels. Making Use of the DataBalance of trade data is released once per month and may be revised as time passes and the numbers become clearer. Since tallying all the exports flowing out of a country and all the imports flowing in requires a su bstantial amount of record keeping and manpower, these reports on trade surplus or trade deficit may be revised for years following their first release. From a forex trading point of view, balance of trade statistics are best used in conjunction with balance of payments. While a net importer cannot show a positive balance of trade, it can, and in many times does, show a positive balance of payments.This is because net importers have to borrow from other countries to sustain their current consumption, and they routinely borrow more funds than are needed in a single time period or calendar year Factors that can affect the balance of trade include: Measuring the balance of trade can be problematic because of problems with recording and collecting data. As an illustration of this problem, when official data for all the world's countries are added up, exports exceed imports by almost 1%; it appears the world is running a positive balance of trade with itself.This cannot be true, because all transactions involve an equal credit or debit in the account of each nation. The discrepancy is widely believed to be explained by transactions intended to launder money or evade taxes, smuggling and other visibility problems. However, especially for developed countries, accuracy is likely. * The cost of production (land, labor, capital, taxes, incentives, etc. ) in the exporting economy vis-a-vis those in the importing economy; * The cost and availability of raw materials, intermediate goods and other inputs; * Exchange rate movements; Multilateral, bilateral and unilateral taxes or restrictions on trade; * Non-tariff barriers such as environmental, health or safety standards; * The availability of adequate foreign exchange with which to pay for imports; and * Prices of goods manufactured at home (influenced by the responsiveness of supply How to calculate BOT Trade balance shows how countries interact with each other in the international market place. Trade balance is also kno wn as net exports. The trade balance shows if a country exports more than it imports.A positive trade balance means the country exports more than it imports. A negative trade balance shows a country imports more than it exports. Having a positive or negative trade balance is neither good nor bad. Trade balance is also part of the calculation for gross domestic product. 1. Use the U. S. Census Bureau to find net imports for the period for which you seek the U. S. trade balance. The Census Bureau releases these statistics periodically on its website. On the Census Bureau website, click â€Å"Balance by Partner Country† on the left-side of the screen. Then select a country.For example, select Ivory Coast. Then select the year to analyze. In the example, select 2010. In the example, for January 2010, the United States had net imports of $221. 9 million from the Ivory Coast. 2. Use the U. S. Census Bureau to find net exports for the period. In our example, U. S. net exports to the Ivory Coast were $24. 3 million 3. Subtract net imports from net exports to determine the trade balance. In our example, $24. 3 million minus $221. 9 million yields a trade balance of negative $197. 6 million, which the Census Bureau rounds to $197. 5 million.The balance is negative because net imports is greater than net exports. Goods and Services Deficit Decreases in February 2013 The Nation’s international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $43. 0 billion in February from $44. 5 billion (revised) in January, as exports increased more than imports. | Goods and Services * Exports increased to $186. 0 billion in February from $184. 4 billion in January (revised). Goods were $132. 2 billion in February, up from $130. 8 billion in January. Services were $53. 8 billion in February, up from $53. 6 billion in January. February imports were $0. 1 billion more than January imports of $228. 9 billion (revised). Goods were $192. 4 billion in February, down from $192. 5 billion in January. Services were $36. 5 billion in February, up from $36. 3 billion in January. * For goods, the deficit was $60. 2 billion in February, down from $61. 7 billion in January (revised). For services, the surplus was $17. 3 billion in February, up from $17. 2 billion in January. Goods by Category (Census basis) * The January to February increase in exports of goods reflected increases in industrial supplies and materials ($1. billion); other goods ($0. 5 billion); and automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0. 2 billion). Decreases occurred in capital goods ($0. 8 billion); consumer goods ($0. 3 billion); and foods, feeds, and beverages ($0. 1 billion). * The January to February decrease in imports of goods reflected decreases in industrial supplies and materials ($2. 6 billion) and other goods ($0. 3 billion). Increases occurred in automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($1. 1 billion); consumer goods ($0. 7 billion); capital goods ($0. 3 billion); and foods, feed s, and beverages ($0. billion). Services by Category * Exports of services increased $0. 2 billion from January to February. The increase was mostly accounted for by increases in other transportation ($0. 1 billion), which includes freight and port services, and travel ($0. 1 billion). Changes in the other categories of services exports were relatively small. * Imports of services increased $0. 2 billion from January to February. The increase was more than accounted for by increases in other transportation ($0. 1 billion), travel ($0. 1 billion), and passenger fares ($0. 1 billion).Changes in the other categories of services imports were relatively small. Goods by Geographic Area (Not Seasonally Adjusted) * The goods deficit with Canada decreased from $4. 8 billion in January to $2. 6 billion in February. Exports were virtually unchanged at $23. 1 billion, while imports decreased $2. 2 billion (primarily crude oil) to $25. 7 billion. * The goods deficit with China decreased from $27 . 8 billion in January to $23. 4 billion in February. Exports decreased $0. 1 billion (primarily soybeans and nonmonetary gold) to $9. 3 billion, while imports decreased $4. billion (primarily cell phones and other household goods) to $32. 7 billion. * The goods deficit with Mexico increased from $3. 6 billion in January to $4. 3 billion in February. Exports decreased $0. 3 billion (primarily computer accessories, electric components, and semiconductors) to $17. 7 billion, while imports increased $0. 4 billion (primarily automobiles, automotive parts, and accessories) to $21. 9 billion India Balance of Trade India recorded a trade deficit of 561. 19 INR Billion in March of 2013. Balance of Trade in India is reported by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.Historically, from 1978 until 2013, India Balance of Trade averaged -113. 01 INR Billion reaching an all time high of 13. 91 INR Billion in April of 1991 and a record low of -1111. 46 INR Billion in October of 2012. India had been recording sustained trade deficits due to low exports base and high imports of coal and oil for its energy needs. India is leading exporter of petroleum products, gems and jewelry, textiles, engineering goods, chemicals and services. Main trading partners are European Union countries, United States, China and UAE. This page includes a chart with historical data for India Balance of Trade

Economic Growth and environmental problems Essay

The industrial revolution, which began around 1750, ushered human beings into a new era of modern civilization. While the remarkable progress in science and technology has improved people’s lives greatly, our earth is changing and the environment around us is becoming worse and worse. According to Booth (1991, p.552), the† long-run economic growth relies on the creation of new industries and new forms of economic activity, these new forms of economic activity create new kinds of environmental problems†. Focusing on these aspects, the economic growth will bring about serious environmental problems such as water pollution, air pollution, ozone depletion, and acid rain. One of environmental problems is water pollution that is caused by economic growth and is very widespread and serious in the world. Industrial wastewater is one of the water pollution that people are focusing on nowadays. As we know, with economic growth, there must be setting up more industrial factories in order to satisfy people’s needs. On the other hand, more or less, these industrial factories will drain off wastewater; as we know, these wastewater contain many toxic and harmful chemical substances, such as, SO2, NO, waste gases and some other aromatic compounds. Therefore, we can see that the rapid growth of the urban industry and the high speed of economic development caused a great deal of effect on water pollution especially on industrial wastewater. In addition, with the rapid economic growth, some out of date used water supply systems in developing countries can result in water pollution, especially in the populous mega-cities. The population in developing country mega-cities is increasing so fast that the piped water supply and sewer systems cannot follow the needs of the increasing population. Many sewer networks in developing countries still stay at the standard of colonial period. Therefore, most rivers and canals in developing countries are seriously polluted by untreated waste, sewage and toxic chemicals. Some rivers like the Teito River in Sao Paolo and the Huangpu River in Shanghai have become lifeless rivers (Rampal &Sinding, 1996). As the same time that  the surface water is polluted, various wastes also seriously defile ground water. In the Journal â€Å"2000, Planets Earth at the Crossroads’, the author Jim Motavalli showed â€Å"in developing countries, more than one-third of people lack access to clean water†(1999). Meanwhile, water pollution also aggravates water shortages. With rapid economic growth, the increasing human activity is the major reason for air pollution, especially on global warming, acid rain and smog. Obvious climate changes are the results of a great deal of human-caused greenhouse gas emission. In order to satisfy the needs of continued population and economic growth, people burn more fossil fuel to get enough energy and use more fertilizer on farmland to plant more crops. In these processes, lots of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (NO) are released in to the atmosphere. These gases are generally called greenhouse gases because they can absorb infrared radiation reflected from the earth surface and create â€Å"Greenhouse Effect†. According to Rogers & Feiss (1998,p.301), with the increasing atmosphere concentration of CO2 and CH4 since 1800, the average temperature of the earth rose about 0.5 C during the 19th century, which is about 20 times the natural temperature change. And based on the prediction of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (in Rogers & Feiss, 1998, p.301) in early 1996, the global temperature will increase from 2 C to 6 C by the year 2100. Some evidence supports that the prediction about global warming is true. For example, except for1991 and 1992, the rest eight years from 1985 to1995 have become the hottest years of the past century; among this decade, the average temperature in 1995 was 0.07 C higher than in 1994. With this rising rate, the global temperature will increase over 7 C by the end of the 21st century (Rogers & Feiss, 1998, pp.300-302). Thus, we can how the global temperature has been changed by increasing human activities accompanied by fast economic growth during past 200 years. Global warming may result in some serious consequences, such as the expansion of tropical desert and arid regions; the reduction of agricultural production in tropical area; the increase of sea level; population migration from coastlines to inland; and abnormal weather including more tropical  storm, blizzards, and droughts and so on. The increasing emission of greenhouse gases will continue to affect the global worming more obvious than before. Up to now, people had no idea how to solve these potential environmental problems that will be caused by global warming. Widespread acid rain and smog comes from burning large amount of oil and coal. All kinds of automobiles, factories, industrial boilers, power plants as well as heating devices of households emit thousands tons sulfur dioxide(SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide(CO) and ozone(O3) into the atmosphere everyday. When SO2 and NO2 dissolve in rainwater and increase rainwater acidity, acid rain is formed. Acid rain can acidify many lakes and streams, and it kills all kinds of fish; it also can erode soil and make plants die. Now, in the eastern United States, eastern Canada, as well as Europe, the problem of acid rain is severe. On the other hand, these gases compound with water and dust in the atmosphere, and then form smog. Smog usually stays in the populous mega-cities and contributes to lung decease. 100 years ago, London was famous for its smog. Now, most of the 20 largest cities in the world have smog problem to some degree. Human-caused air pollution is threatening peopleâ⠂¬â„¢s health and our environment. People have entered the new millennium. The global environment has been changing over time due to rapid economic growth. Meanwhile, the economic growth will be ongoing. It is difficult to control the environmental problems that caused by economic growth although people are trying to make some policies to limit and minimize these serious problems. Up to now, rapidly increasing economic growth has seriously influenced the earth environment. All activities are due to the need of population growth and economic development. With economic growth continuing, the environment will worsen. Therefore, to reduce the world’s environmental problems, it is important to control economic growth.

Comment on an Experience in Your Life Essay

I was a little worried writing about my mother because I thought it would seem like I was looking for sympathy, but I figured it was a good topic to write about because it had the largest effect on me. My goal became to write an essay that didn’t focus on the death or loss but on the change and growth that took place. Being active is something that has always been important to me, and I learned this from growing up with and observing an expert. My mother was more active and involved than anyone I have ever known. She had an endless energy for life, and love for my two brothers and me, and I have tried to be the kind of person that she was. The phrase on her headstone reads: â€Å"A joyous and boundless energy.† My mother was a highly respected kindergarten teacher for twenty years. In addition to working with children as a professional, she was always involved in my elementary school years, as a class mother or President of the PTO. In the summers there were more children, as we would go to sleepaway camp in Maine and she would be in charge of the youngest group of campers. She was always running, playing, consoling, planning, and caring for children. At home, she was just as active. I remember doing homework with her every night and she got so involved with it that she would practically do it for me, which I thought, at the time, was a pretty good thing. We were always going places, visiting friends, just learning, and there was never a dull moment. Though I didn’t know it consciously at the time, she was setting an example which I was bound to follow. Over seven years ago, my mother died after a long battle with melanoma. I was ten at the time, in fifth grade, and I suppose I didn’t really understand it all that well, or as well as my older brothers did. This essay is not about that loss or death, but on the change that took place. After she was gone, things were so drastically different, because there was so much dull time with nothing to fill it but thoughts. I think I learned from my mom about how to be active and I must have decided, subconsciously, to continue in her path. I saw how happy she and the rest of my family were, and I wanted to perpetuate that. Though it was a small beginning, I began the next year by becoming class president. I joined every club I could and participated in different sports. I wanted to do as many different things as I could. One of my memories of junior high was being busy every lunch period with meetings: the math team, student government, Junior National Honor Society. I was the this little tiny kid, the smallest in my grade, and I was always running around and talking. I remember being scolded many times for what I thought was having too much energy. I was always taught, by my mother, that energy was a good thing, and when it got me in trouble it was very confusing. I continued with this energy and involvement throughout my high school years. I come from a very small school, and that has had a positive effect in allowing me to explore many different activity options. I wouldn’t have been able to experiment the way that I did if I had come from a larger school. I found myself involved in athletics, student government and publications, community service, academic competitions, and drama productions. This experimentation allowed me to see what activities I liked the most, and it gave me a good idea of what I want to continue doing. I loved going to my high school and felt close to the 82 other students in my grade. I think I would like to pursue education at a small school which would allow me to continue to participate the way I have. I don’t think it really matters to me exactly what I am doing. I just want to be doing something. I want to be involved and be around people instead of just sitting home. I wouldn’t have had nearly as much fun if I hadn’t participated. I have met so many new people and had so many different experiences. I learned this from my mother and I think it’s a very important lesson. I like to think that my life, and all that I do, is part of a tribute to my mother’s legacy, and that I have inherited some of her â€Å"joyous and boundless energy.

An Urban Renewal Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

An Urban Renewal Project - Research Paper Example These steps are taken in order to use privately-owned property for development projects such as urban renewal project (Grogon and Proscio, 2001). The process of urban renewal is seen in both positive and negative ways by various people. To most of people, it acts as a symbol of economic development and positive reforms and for some it acts as a means of establishing control. It is a good way of recreating communities that exist and make them seem better but at the cost of demolishing certain neighborhoods. However, with the passage of time a change has occurred in the way people think about urban renewal projects which is seen now as more oriented toward investment and renovation and less toward destruction (Jones, 2004). The paper will highlight the local project at Los Angeles that had been named as Bunker Hill project and will discuss the circumstances that led to this decision of accomplishing an urban renewal project in Los Angeles. The role of power elite, pluralism, mobility, economic competition and government regime has also been discussed in the paper throughout. Bunker Hill is the Los Angeles’ oldest plan of redevelopment that spreads over the area of 133 acres. The project adopted in 1959 by the city council of Los Angeles got transformed into a project of area redevelopment in 1968. The project area considered to be bounded by Hill Street (east), First Street (north), Fifth Street (south) and Harbour Freeway (west) (Dawson, 2008). The area had been relocated to include twenty-five developmental sites of large mass. The developmental plan also included the construction of a new street system in order to control the steepness of hill and to connect the steep area with nearby flatlands. The four sites out of the twenty-five major developmental sites were under the ownership of CRA/LA whereas two were owned by County. The project of Bunker Hill had been the result of continuous struggle against the lawsuits by City Council that won its case in f avor of urban renewal project in 1964. The funds raised for the completion of project were initially $33 million and few complaints were submitted against the plan. However, in 1968 the project was renamed as Bunker Hill Redevelopment project which previously was known as urban renewal project (Fante, 2002). It is worth-mentioning that the area had been remained unattended for the period from 1800’s to 1920’ due to the lack of water system and other services that had not reached that place at the time. The Bunker Hill due to the steep topography had been the difficult project to accomplish and it was the necessary to reconstruct it in order to provide room for neighborhoods that were becoming overcrowded (Fante, 2002). The Great Depression had also contributed in the negligence of this hilly area in terms of renovating the site. Therefore, in 1940’s it was almost impossible to think of reconstructing the area and investing a lot of money in doing so at the time when the country was facing economic crisis and crime acts at the peak. In the past the site had been the place of Victorian mansions which now became urban decay. Extensive surveys and researches were conducted to measure the physical, economic and social impacts. The results of the surveys identified the