Merseyside Essay

This case involves the dilemma between two mutually exclusive projects that Victoria Chemicals wants to proceed with, but can only choose one earning them 7% increase in polypropylene output per plant. The two proposals will be proposed by the plant managers and evaluated according to corporate criteria. They are to be evaluated on four credentials; Net present value, IRR, payback, and growth in EPS. However the two proposals are fairly different. The Rotterdam projects calls for the expenditure of 10. 5 million GBP spread over three years, firmly committing Victoria Chemicals to the new process technology. The Merseyside project calls for 12 million GBP for renovations, retaining the flexibility to later add the technology in the future. The question is which project should the company take on based on the financial calculations including the company decision criteria. Rotterdam Proposal The Rotterdam proposal consisted of a 90 page document with strategic analyses, and financial projections. The basic discounted cash flow (DCF) shows the project having a positive NPV of 11 million GBP with a IRR of 15. 4%. The initial invest spread over 3 years would help convert the plants polymerization line from batch to continuous-flow technology and to install sophisticated state-of-the-art process controls throughout the operations. This process has already been installed in several other production facilities in Japan and the improvements in cost and output had been positive on average. This proposal consists of 90 pages and already is giving a hint. In this proposal there can be a lot of bogus information which cant lead to false and misleading predictions. It can be looked at as very sketch as to why it seems to be the â€Å"better† proposal. In essence, the Rotterdam proposal seeks to accomplish their goals by having the option to purchase the pipeline for GBP3. 5 million in initial capital investment for overhauling the plant, having a value of 6 million GBP which can be later sold 15 years later for approx.. 40 million GBP. This violates the stand-alone principle. Subsequently, the plan calls for spending another GBP5 million in 2001, GBP1 million for 2002, and another GBP1 million for 2003. Total investments are roughly GBP10. 5 million, spread out in 3 years. These initial investment figures have a negative impact on the firm’s finances, affecting a series of other factors, which raise concerns among board of directors and executives. One major concern is that in the financial associated with this project they include 40 Million GBP from the selling of sale of the right-of-way pipeline in there cash flows in year 15 when in fact this is not substantial cash flow directly associated with the project. Some senior Victoria Chemicals executives firmly agreeing with this speculation saying â€Å"Our business is chemicals, not land speculation. Simply buying the right-of-way with the intention of reselling it for a profit takes us beyond our expertise. Who knows when we could sell it, and for how much? How distracting would this little side venture be for the executive committee? This then can affect the NPV as well as the IRR. The proposal also doesn’t account for the 3 percent inflation that is expected which also can change the estimates of gross profit also affecting the free cash flows for this project. As a result of these loses in output the first three years (from 2001-2003), there is also a reduction in gross profit. The report shows loses of -7. 79 GBP for 2001, -GPB5. 73 for 2002, and –GBP3. 40 for 2003 caused from the initial investment of 10. 5. The total loses amount to a staggering –GBP16. 92, a substantial amount for the firm during these first three years of upgrades and preparation for the new technology. These loses have a direct impact in sales figures, noticeably, thus creating a longer payback period for this project around 11 years, meaning that the project is a bit more risky considering a given 10 percent discount rate. I also noticed that this project seems to have the higher NPV of 14. 87 when they factor in the 40 million GBP from the sale of the pipeline in 15 years. Without that it then falls under the other proposal and is not the preferred project and has a lower NPV of 5. 29. Merseyside Proposal The Merseyside proposal consisted of a 12 million GBP expenditure creating significant opportunities for improvement in polypropylene production. Other opportunities stemmed from correcting the antiquated plant design in ways that would save energy and improve the process flow: relocating and modernizing tank-car unloading areas, which would enable the process flow to be streamlined, refurbishing the polymerization tank to achieve higher pressures and thus greater throughput, and renovating the compounding plant to increase extrusion throughput and obtain energy savings. No question that Morris’ plan is the more conservative of the two, suggesting a phased-in approach to the upgrades. In essence, Merseyside sees the need to make some technological upgrades as well. They want to slowly upgrade to the new controls system, and after a few years, make the full switch to the new software. In all, this 12 million GBP proposal retained the flexibility to add the technology in the future. The entire renovation would cause the plant to be down for 45 days causing the customers to go to other suppliers and competitors for the needed products due to the fact the other nearby plant (Rotterdam) is already working at maximum capacity. Some benefits of the renovations would be the improvement on gross margin up 1 % from 11. 5-12. 5. As you look at the financials associated with this project you notice that Merseyside met all the requirements for the corporate criteria with a greater NPV that Rotterdam when they do not include the 40 million sale of the pipeline. They also include and take inflation into account when giving their proposals as well. The initial investment is a bit more that Rotterdam but essentially the payback period is lower with only around 4. 1 years. This means this proposal is less risky then the other, both assuring the expected return of 7%. However there is a crossover rate at 15. 2 meaning with the discount rate at 15. there is no proposal that is preferred to one another if Rotterdam includes the 40 Million. Without the 40 million Merseyside project will always be preferred to Rotterdam because the NPV will always be greater. According to the case and my calculations I have come to the conclusion that it is best to accept the Merseyside project and reject the Rotterdam. Based on many financials and the corporate criteria Merseyside seems to be the best option. While evaluating both proposals I noticed that the Rotterdam project purchases a right-of-way pipeline for 3. 5 million included in the 10. million GBP investment to later sell in 15 years for 40 million GBP violating the standalone principle. However being that they are not in this type of business and are in the plastic manufacturing industry producing a wide variety of products; including medical supplies, carpet fibers, and automobile components, they should not account for the sale which would then put the NPV for this project from 14. 87 to 5. 29, which is then lower then the NPV for Merseyside which is 9. 12. When comparing mutually exclusive projects you want to focus on NPV and the project with the higher NPV is usually preferred to the oth er like in this case. Also when making my decision to choose Merseyside I noticed there was a smaller payback period meaning it will take a shorter time to recover your initial investment proving that the project can be less risky as well. I was also a little sketched out when the plant manager for Rotterdam presented a 90-page proposal. This can mean the managers put in a lot of false and misleading info to get the project approved. This can rest my case as to why I would prefer to choose the Merseyside project to the Rotterdam.

Compare the Ways

To highlight this attention has to be given to the story and roots of youth work in England. One of the first types of youth work provision was the early network of Sunday Schools founded by Robert Raises and Hannah Moore in 1780. Their idea was to morally educate the children and young people of the working classes because at this time less than a third of children of school age actually attended school; hence the young population, especially females, were uneducated (Smith, Bibb).However the working class attempted to create bottom-up forms of education themselves with the formation of the Young Man's Christian Association in 1844 by George Williams. Within the association were the early characteristics of a youth work approach and an emphasis on healthy spiritual well-being especially for city dwelling young males (Smith, AAA; Smith, Bibb).This reflects the morally upright and patriarchal Victorian views of the time along with the recognition of youth as a discipline in its own ri ght (Staunton Rogers, 2004). By the mid nineteenth century the struggles of the working class had been all but lost with the influx of top-down institutions which were mainly church led. Toward the end of the century young sections of the population were identified as needing activities to engage in to improve their leisure time and to maintain social control.It was widely accepted that this leadership would be undertaken by a range of philanthropic institutions and state run establishments. One of the most significant youth organizations of this period was the Scouting movement started by Robert Baden-Powell. To accentuate the importance of state social control and the Liberalism's political agenda school attendance became compulsory up to the age of ten with the introduction of the 1880 and 1902 Education Acts (Smith, AAA).It was also around this time and Britain's early globalization and the changing social and economic conditions that prompted the Politician's and educated membe rs of society to develop country wide youth practice as observers believed that the youth of English nation were experience new and harsh encounters and a lot of this was to do with the newly constructed phase of adolescence, this new breed of child needed discipline , protection and some nurturing(Davies,1967).As Russell and Rugby commented â€Å"some of the challenges were domestic. As the demand for unskilled especially child) labor reduced more and more young people were neither in school nor work† they felt that the young adolescence leisure time was not being fulfilled and the young â€Å"indulge in ‘one main amusement gambling (Russell & Rugby, 1908: 10-11). D The youth of the country were seen as being tested, too, within a new international context who should, who could, take on these emerging responsibilities?Pragmatic and often major compromises with the laissez-fairer principles which had so shaped Victorian Britain had already been made – in order f or example to errant public health and spread elementary education to the whole population. Nonetheless, in this later nineteenth century period and even into the early decades of the twentieth century the state remained, at best, an unwelcome intruder into the personal and social spheres of people's lives. For responding to the newly identified leisure-time needs of young people, a state role was therefore never apparently considered.Self-evidently, these were suitable fields for voluntarily supported clubs' (Berry, 1919: 96) – a task for thinking people who felt something must be done†¦ (Russell and Rugby, 1908: 12); for those who were conscious of what their ‘happier fortune has bestowed on us from our circumstances' (Button, 1985: 14); who were fortunately placed' and therefore felt very strongly that in some way (action) was incumbent on us' (Chill, 1935: 5). By the early decades of the twentieth century the result was a network of local independent boys and g irls clubs across the I-J.From the sass, under the influence of William Smith, military-style brigades for boys and girls also took hold and by the sass were being supplemented and indeed often underpinned by Baden Bowel's Boy Scouts and later the Girl Guides. In due course these sought mutually supportive links by setting up a range of local, regional and national associations and federations. The Boer War highlighted the need for a fitter, healthier generation of young men and this was supported by social research (Staunton Rogers, 2004).In response to these findings the Children Act 1908 was introduced to establish a Juvenile Justice system, specific medical treatment and free school meals specifically for minors. However, despite young people during this period beginning to be recognized in heir own right there was an ulterior political and philanthropic agenda to enforce social control and Christian morals for both girls and boys (Staunton Rogers, 2004). Nevertheless society be gan to change during World War One as young men were conscripted into the horrors of war and returned transformed.Whereas women were no longer perceived as, â€Å"delicate maidens of Victorian sensibilities† but instead began to be recognized as capable individuals with their own identities (Staunton Rogers, 2004: 4). Subsequently it was recognized that state intervention was needed ND powers and funding were given to local authorities to invest in Juvenile Organizing Committees (Smith, AAA). Up until this point it was still normal to talk about work with or among boys and girls (or young men and women or youth).In the late sass we see the growing use of the term ‘youth work'. The first booklet in the UK appeared with it in its title: Methods in Youth Work (Walked et al 1931). Bibliography Davies, B. And Gibson, A. (1967). The social education of the adolescent, London: University of London Press. IPPP. Laudable, J. (1989) ‘Children in history: concepts of nature and society In: Scarce, G. Deed) Children, Parents and Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. IPPP-20. Russell, C. E. B. And Rugby, L. M. 1908, Working Lads Clubs, London, MacMillan and Co Ltd. Smith, M. K. (AAA) Youth Work an Introduction. Http://www. Infer. Org/youth's/b-WY. HTML [accessed 08. 11. 12]. Smith, M. K. (Bibb) ‘Hannah More: Sunday schools, education and youth work' The Encyclopedia of Informal Education. Http://www. Infer. Org/thinkers/more. HTML [accessed 9. 11. 12]. Poverty was abundant and with the start of the industrial revolution it was inevitable that children were used as cheap labor (Laudable,1989. Smith, 2002).

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Impact of Economics in Political and Social Change

Impact of Economics in Political and Social Change Please use the following three reasons to explain why economics is the most important factor in the globalisation process that has been used in relation to a host of social, economic, cultural and political factors. The impact of economic globalisation in the form of the international division of labour (growth of industry in China, India, etc and the deindustrialization of sections of the so-called developed societies). Moreover, the significance of migrant labour. The relative size and importance of MNCs as economic agents (as compared with nation states). Point to the centrality of economic matters in the relations between governments, to the importance of the growth of the cultural economy in relation to cultural globalisation. 1. In a world without an international division of labour, each individual state would have to provide itself with all its needs. It would need to grow every fruit, herb, cereal and vegetable; to rear its own animals; to manufacture its own products; to extract all its own minerals and energy; to provide all its own financial, domestic and professional services; to engage in its own research, exchanging ideas only among its own academics and developing only those new products designed exclusively within its own borders; and of course it would have to train a labour-force capable of sustaining these multifarious tasks. Even the U.S., bountiful in natural resources and with an educated labour force, would struggle to do this. And of course there is no need to. The very same logic underpinning the domestic division of labour – saving labour by sharing divisible tasks among specialists – provides an argument in favour of extending that division internationally. Ideally thos e states with endless acres of pampas (Argentina) would provide the world’s meat; those with plenty of spare ground would farm for vegetables, flowers, fruit (Zambia); those highly educated (the U.S., Scandinavia) would do the research; and those densely populated and not as highly educated would provide the industry (China, India). This is ‘ideal’ from the perspective of efficient production; and only for now: there is no reason (from the point of view of efficiency) why China should not in time overtake the U.S. as the world’s research base, forcing Americans into the factories. We are moving towards this ideal, but there seem to be two main reasons why it has not been reached. Firstly, in spite of their avowed commitment to free trade and their exhortations to developing countries to open their markets, Western nations have been reluctant to cede total management of their domestic economies to the global market. This is because their constituents wish t o retain traditional industries; hence the protectionist rows over the C.A.P. in Europe (particularly in the traditionally agricultural states of France and Ireland) and over cotton and steel in the U.S. Consequently the international ‘division’ is neither efficient nor equitable. Secondly, a fair international division of labour would entail rather different prices for goods, for example food, energy and research and development. This is contrary to the interest of those currently benefiting most from the international economy, the Western states. So we have a qualified international division of labour. But even so, the extraordinary importance of several developing nations is beginning to be felt. China, India and Brazil now account for a significant share of international trade, and consequently wield increasing influence in international trade negotiations and supranational organisations (e.g. WTO, WB, IMF). 2. It is well known that the turnovers of many multinational corporations are larger than the GDPs of many developing nations. Of the top 100 economies in the world, roughly half are corporations. Wal-Mart is bigger than 161 states, including Israel, Poland and Greece. Mitsubishi is larger than Indonesia; General Motors than Denmark; Toyota than Norway. Hyperglobalists such as Ohmae (Held, 1999) argue that we are witnessing the restructuring of the international system from the Westphalian system in which states were rule makers to a post-Westphalian era in which states are frequently rule takers. In this new era not just states but MNCs as well as sub-, trans- and supra-state actors increasingly determine the outcome of international relations. Thus Ruggie has argued that there has been an ‘unbundling’ of the relation between sovereignty, territoriality and state power (1998). Sceptics such as Hirst and Thompson, however, deny such heady claims (Held 1999) . They argue that states are the architects of globalisation, and its chief beneficiaries. They point to the ability of even developing nations such as China to manage information flows into their country (c.f. deal with Google to censor web-searches), and such as Bolivia to renationalise private international energy firms (in favour of the state-owned Yacimientos Petrolà ­feros Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB)). Moreover most putatively ‘multinational’ corporations are strongly rooted in their home state. Most corporations invest heavily in their national market, maintain almost exclusively national board members, are subject to mainly national legislation and in the case of financial crisis are often saved by their national governments.[1] Even those corporations that do conduct the majority of their operations internationally are generally managed from home; in 1992 for example, Nestle conducted 92% of its trade internationally but limited nonSwiss voting rights to 3% of the total.[2] In short, sceptics argue that although large, MNCs are not unruly: they are the creatures of their national governments. The truth seems to lie somewhere in between. Held has argued for a ‘transformationalist’ account of the relationship between MNCs and states, which recognises the novelty of the international system without denying that the new arrangement is still state-centred (1999). On this view, MNCs do have new authority and power issuing from their relation to new international networks and their increasing hard power, but they are nevertheless answerable to elected governmental control. 3. To coincide with Tony Blair’s visit to New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveiled a  £1.2bn India Airlines order for 43 Airbus jets.[3] Such is a very common phenomenon, and not only confirms the thoughts above but shows the symbolic significance of healthy economic relations between states. Scholars point to the significance of two sources of power in international relations. ‘Hard power’ is the ability to coerce others to bring about your preferred outcomes by means of military or economic threats or rewards (Nye 2005). Realists argue that international relations are determined by the distribution of hard power resources, which ‘balances’ the various international actors’ expectations (Nye 2005). In this era, with both nuclear weapons and increasingly significant global pacifistic norms, the importance of military power is waning. Economic force now trumps military force in hard power efficacy. But, as suggested, normative resources are increasingly significant. ‘Soft power’ is the ability to realise preferred outcomes by getting others to want what you want; to co-opt rather than coerce (Nye 2005). A state’s interests will be more attractive if the national culture is perceived to be benign. Until the Iraq War, for example, the norms and culture of the U.S. – liberty, democracy and equality – were held in sufficiently high international regard to sanction a number of controversial U.S. foreign policies. Since the perceived injustices in that conflict U.S. negotiating power has diminished. From this we can extract two points. Firstly it is clear that even the U.S.’s overwhelming military predominance cannot ensure its preferred international outcomes. Secondly international normative interdependence ensures that soft power –perceivedly benign intent – and hence the content of a state’s culture increasingly determines the effectiveness of th at state’s international ambitions. Bibliography Held, D., 1999. Global Transformations. London: Polity Press. Nye, J., 2005. Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics. London: Public Affairs. Morgenthau, H., 1992, Politics Among Nations. New York: McGraw Hill Publishing. Ruggie, J.G., 1998. Constructing the World Polity: Essays on International Institutionalisation. New York: Routledge. Waltz, K., 1979, Theory of International Politics. New York: McGraw Hill Publishing. 1 [1] Information from http://www.rcgfrfi.easynet.co.uk/marxism/articles/glob131.htm. Accessed 07 August 2006. [2] Ibid. [3] Information from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4221678.stm. Accessed 07 August 2006.

Zora Neale Hurston: The Woman and the Writer Essay -- Essays Papers

Zora Neale Hurston: The Woman and the Writer To most people, the name Zora Neale Hurston is associated solely with Their Eyes Were Watching God, her most famous work. In some cases her name is synonymous with the Harlem Renaissance. However, very few people are informed about the aspects of Zora's life that influenced her writing of Their Eyes , nor do they know about how she arrived in New York to become one of the most famous Black female writers of her time. Robert Hemenway's Zora Neale Hurston: A Literary Biography and Valerie Boyd's Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston both seek to educate people about the life of this writer and to give the reader information about her other literary works. Both authors also draw from other sources to tell the story of Zora's life, including interviews with friends and colleagues and Zora's own words. However, the differences are apparent in terms of what Hemenway and Boyd chose to emphasize and what they do not. In the introduction of Zora Neale Hurston , Hemenway discusses his objectives in writing the biography. â€Å"Zora Neale Hurston is a literary artist of sufficient talent to deserve intensive study, as an artist and as an intellect,† he writes. â€Å"She deserves an important place in American literary history†(Hemenway xx). In writing the biography, Hemenway is hoping to help push Hurston into her rightful place in the history and achievements of American literary tradition. He also explains that, as a White male author, he does not feel that writing a â€Å" ‘definitive'† biography is his job. He feels that â€Å"a definitive book†¦.[should] be written†¦by a black woman†(Hemenway xx). His main objective in writing Zora Neale Hurston was â€Å"to contribute a new, closer exami... ...ry Louis and McKay, Nellie Y. New York: 1997. 1 Hemenway's interest in critical analysis of her work as well as his audience seems to be explained by his background as an educator. He is currently chancellor of the University of Kentucky, and has been for over thirty years. 2Crisis was the name of the NAACP's magazine during the Harlem Renaissance. 3 Jessie Fauset was another Black female writer of the Harlem Renaissance. According to Norton , she was responsible for the encouragement and discovery of many famous Black Harlem Renaissance writers (Gates and McKay 951). 4 Richard Bruce Nugent, who was, as Boyd puts it, â€Å"chronically broke,† lived with Zora briefly and sometimes used her apartment to work on his writing. 5 Madam C.J. Walker was America's first Black self-made millionaire, who was the creator of many hair care products for Black women.

Conrads Heart of Darkness and the Dehumanization of Africans Essay

Heart of Darkness and the Dehumanization of Africans      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Western world, generally speaking, is not kind to Africa and its native inhabitants. We acknowledge Africa's existence, but we do not want to see or understand anything about it beyond the obvious: overt things that are open to criticism like Apartheid (a European invention). The occasional praiseworthy entity is given momentary applause, but felicitations are short-lived and quickly forgotten. These statements refer just to politics, so one can imagine the rightful indignation by twentieth-century African writers when their work is largely ignored in favor of such enlightening fare as Heart of Darkness. One writer, Chinua Achebe, seeks to change this view by illustrating the complex, unquestionably civilized rituals and protocols of day-to-day African life. He is not alone in his endeavor, as several other writers also portray an Africa worthy of respect while they crumble the long-standing traditions of ignorant bias and patronization. Can Achebe really change the perception that Africa is nothing more than the heart of an immense darkness that surrounds all of us? That is exactly what he tries to do in his essay on racism. He ascertains that "white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked." He further questions the classification of Heart of Darkness (or any work that dehumanizes Africans) as a "great work of art" (12). Obviously, this essay is more direct in its attack on the standard view of Africa than his novels, but Achebe uses the essay forum to state his hopes about the future of African literature in the West. He wants to rehabilitate this image that he keeps seeing from everyone who ha... ...oroughly rehabilitated me towards Africans in literature. Only a few billion more to go until Achebe can call his project a success.    Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness." Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays. New York: Anchor, 1990. -- -- --. No Longer at Ease. London: Heinemann, 1960. -- -- --. Things Fall Apart. 1958. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Expanded Edition, Vol. 1. Ed. Maynard Mack. London: Norton, 1995. Ba, Mariama. So Long a Letter. 1980. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Expanded Edition, Vol. 1. Ed. Maynard Mack. London: Norton, 1995. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Signet, 1997. Soyinka, Wole. Death and the King's Horseman. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Expanded Edition, Vol. 1. Ed. Maynard Mack. London: Norton, 1995.

John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Essays Papers

Of Mice and Men Summary This story is about Lennie Small and his friend, George Milton, both of them were forced to leave weed because Lennie was accused of raping a girl. This book was set in Salinas Valley, California. The book begins with the two of them hiding from the mad townspeople. Lennie had a tendency to grab things and not let go, yet he was unaware of his own strength. This problem got them into trouble a lot. Chapter One: Lennie and George are hiding. They were forced to leave Weed because Lennie was accused of rape. They went from ranch to ranch. They sit and talk and disgust their plans are for the next day, then they go to a ranch and George does all the talking. Chapter Two: Lennie and George arrived at the ranch were his new home is. He asks them for both of their names, and where they worked before and what skills they have. George answers every question for Lennie that makes the boss curious. He asks George why he always answers the questions for Lennie, thinking that is trying to get Lennie’s pay. Then he tells him that Lennie is a little slow. After he left, Candy came in and so did Curley. Once he left, George and Candy talked about him. Candy said that Curley hates men who are bigger than him. Candy also said that Curley's wife is a flirt. Soon after, Curley's wife entered looking for her husband. After flirting with George and Lennie, she leaves. Chapter Three: Slim's dog just had puppies and Lennie asked if he could have one. Slim said yes. George told Slim about the incident in Weed. He also told him that Lennie had a problem where he has to touch pretty things, so he grabbed a girl’s dress. The girl started to scream. So he held on tighter because he was confused. The girl accused Lennie of rape and they had to leave town. Carlson tried to convince Candy to shoot his dog because it was so old and in constant pain. Candy finally said yes after arguing and then he shot the dog, and buried it. Several minutes later Curley came into the bunkhouse looking for his wife. He was told that no one had seen her around and was about to leave but he noticed that Slim was not there, either.

Carl Robbins Case Study Essay

Carl Robins is a new campus recruiter who is on the fast track to success. However, as a new employee, he is not fully informed on processes of the company. From my analysis, I conclude that Carl Robbins is not organized and did not assemble training plan for the new recruits. New employees can acquire a situation too deep and too fast. It takes at least six months to a year for someone in a new position to understand his or her role within a company. Carl Robins is doing too much too fast. A plan needs to be in place and reviewed before any new trainees were hired. Background  Carl Robins, a new recruiter with ABC, Inc., has a dilemma. Because a training plan was not put in place and the proper research was not done, Carl runs the risk of an unsuccessful orientation. Carl’s position has the role of coordinating tasks and gathering information for new people coming to the company. If the process is unsuccessful, it will leave a bad impression with not only Monica Carrolls, Operations Supervisor, but the new trainees as well. As the coordinator, Carl has not put in the research required to obtain the information needed for the trainees. Key Problems  Several problems exist for Carl Robins. The first issue is that he is six months into his position and is not aware of certain policies and procedures within ABC, Inc. The next issue is that a training plan does not exist for Carl to follow to make sure trainees meet the requirements. Last, being new to his position Carl did not do the research or ask questions on what needed to be done. He just assumed. An action plan or schedule should be active before the new trainees were hired. Carl did not prepare for the orientation; he runs the risk of not possessing the space or materials to conduct the orientation. Alternatives  Preparing a group of people in a new environment to do a job takes time and planning. In my analysis I have found several alternatives to solve Carl’s problem. First Carl needs to confront his supervisor and explain that he is not prepared and what went wrong. At that time, Monica and he can work together to get the manuals and booklets prepares, drug tests and physicals scheduled, and talk to technology services to work out an agreement for access to the training room. Carl will have to work diligently to contact the trainees and update them on the new information. If all goes well, the orientation will be successful. The second route would be to create a list of tasks that need to be completed for the training in order of importance and due dates. The next step would be to meet with the operations supervisor to get her input, and ask any questions he may not know the answers to. Asking questions and staying organized leaves little room for error. Once Carl has met with his supervisor, he should keep track of what tasks are complete and when completed. Carl should also keep the trainees informed of any issues and forecast any problems that arise. Reccomendations  Carl Robins is a new employee eager to prove himself. Carl has a great deal of confidence but he let it get in the way of his responsibilities. I would recommend my second alternative, which requires Carl Robins to make a list of all tasks that need to be completed and keep his supervisor involved throughout the process. This way Carl can get insight to policies and procedures of the company. The supervisor may also be able to forecast any problems that may arise with his training plan from her experiences. I would also recommend that Carl practice time management and communication skills to help him learn how to approach situations such as the current one. In any organization there are individuals who like Carl, are just starting out and believe they can conquer the world. Some people let their confidence level get in the way of success. Carl Robbins has a responsibility to the new trainees to prepare them to do a job. Because this is his first recruitment effort, Carl is already not meeting expectations. Anyone in a recruiter position should be knowledgeable and have an action plan. If my recommendations are put into action, Carl Robins will lead a successful orientation.

Explain how the following link to your practice Essay

Bullying In my work place there is an anti bullying policy in place also all the children and staffs are educated on bullying and how it can affect people differently. The school also takes bullying very seriously and any accusations are dealt with straight away. Cyber bullying In my work place we have an cyber bullying policy also we educate the children and the staff on signs to watch out for and how to prevent it from happening also what to do if it does happen to you. The school also has posters in the ict room about bullying and where you can get help from. The school also send out leaflets so the parents can read them and educate themselves. Rewards At my work they are different rewards for different year groups and tasks. Some off the reward systems are ; star chart, this is mainly used on a 1-1 basis to help the child concentrate on the tasks set for them. Cloud and rainbow this is a whole class reward as it is not just focused on one child, if a child is behaving well they can go on the rainbow but if the child is not completing a task they will go on a cloud. There is also house points when a child is doing well they will get a point for their team and at the end of the week the points are added up throughout school and the team with the most points are moved along in the race. The team at the end of the year who wins the race will get a reward each. Sanctions There are different sanctions depending on the severity of the situation. One of the main sanctions is that if you are told more than once about something your name will go on the bored and if you still continue to misbehaving you will get a tick against your name, three ticks and you will spend playtime and dinner time in class doing extra work. Impact on personal factors This all depends on the situation for example; A child could be going through bereavement and they may act out e.g anger,  lashing out, withdrawn. If the school knows about an incident occurring they will take the child to one side and explain what has happened and how they might feel but that they can always talk to them if needed. Managing pupil behaviour They are different methods when dealing with pupil behaviour depending on the situation. If the child has additional needs they may be behaving differently due to confusion or anger. Two of the methods that are used most in my school are setting up a 1-1 support and also have a reward chart. Inclusion In my work place we try and treat everyone with respect and try and involve everyone no matter what. One of the ways we do this is buy changing the lesson plan so it can fit to the needs of the individual also if there is any other additional equipment needed such as a chair cushion it will be provided. Training Training is provided to all members off staff. If there is any additional training that is needed it will be provided such as first aid and food hygiene.

Critics on the ” Discourse on the Arts and Sciences”

It can not be denied that with the development of science and technology, people live in a more comfortable way which they can never image one hundred years before. Sciences and arts change people's thoughts and improve human culture. Some changes may be good, others may be not that delightful, but no matter how, we still go forward in the wave of science revolution. What scientists do is all about human needs, not like Rousseau argued, which is only a result of pride and vanity.For example, do we  need cars, trains, planes? No, surly we can walk to anywhere by our own feet, no matter how long it takes or how dangerous it can be. Do we need phones? Of course not, I can yell from one mountain to the other trying to tell my mother I will get home later. Excuse for my sarcasm and please no offense, but I have to quote the criticism from Jules Lemaitre who thought the instant deification of Rousseau as ‘one of the strangest proofs of human's stupidity'.Material abundance also bri ngs some problems and the critical one is inequality which is the most important argument arised by Hippies. The conclusion they give is no more material, and we should all go back to primitive or so called as ‘noble savage'. Obviously it is an unadvisable and unrealistic idea. Inequality can not be absolutely avoided whether we use forks or not. Once wolves work together for hunting, there is an Alfa as a leader who is the strongest one of the term and will get more food for its protection from enemies.Is that fair for other members gain less because they are born weaker? Should they just abandon eating for avoiding unwanted impurity? Above all, I can't say agree to Rousseau for his attitude to sciences and ars. If there are any unfairness caused by sciences, what we should do is to creat more material wealth for everyone can afford luxury. There will be no inequality which is the same as primitive society, and the difference is ample material.

Jacksonian Democracy Dbq

Kathy Dai M. Galvin AP USH Period 1 Jacksonian Democracy DBQ The Jacksonian democracy of the 1820s-1830s is often associated with an expansion of the political influence, economic opportunities, and social equality available to â€Å"the common man,† a concept of the masses which President Andrew Jackson and his newly founded Democratic party came to represent. The new administration certainly saw gains for the majority; namely, public participation in government increased to unprecedented levels, and several economic decisions were made to favor the people over monopolies.Beginning with their exaggerated portrayal of the â€Å"corrupt† 1824 election however, the Jacksonian democrats also left a legacy of substantial miscalculations in policies and acts of hypocrisy that conflicted with their claimed intents to promote and protect popular democracy. In particular, the dangerous implications of various political and economic policies, along with the deliberate disregard of social inequality, are aspects of the Jacksonian age that most clearly demonstrate discrepancies between Jacksonian ideals and realities.The political field saw the first advances accredited to the Jacksonian democracy in the forms of extended suffrage and increased government participation, but it also involved many questionable federal acts that conflicted with the vision of political democracy. With Andrew Jackson’s election in 1828 introducing the first president from West of the Appalachians, the common men that Jackson championed naturally arose to the political stage as well.States all across the country adopted universal suffrage for white males on their own in the 1820s, but Jackson indeed bolstered the democratic trend through influence in newspapers, popular campaigning, and even a huge inauguration party at the White House open to the masses. In terms of campaigning however, the election of 1828 was the first in which the political parties directly attacked eac h other’s candidates through the press.The increase in voter participation led to a negative pattern of smear campaigning that aimed more to sway the masses than convey the truth that a healthy democracy needs. Furthermore, Jackson’s presidency was characterized by use of the spoils system and the systematic rotation of officeholders. These stipulated that federal jobs were strictly given to loyal Democrats and that federal offices could be held for only one term. While these practices were meant to emphasize equal political opportunities and build party loyalty, they inherently promoted government corruption.In fact, the power that Jackson wielded by trading federal positions for party loyalty both overextended his executive power and practiced the same corrupt bargaining of office that the Democrats accused John Quincy Adams of in the election of 1824. Thus, the Jacksonian democrats dealt clear detriments and hypocrisies to the system of popular democracy that they s o strongly advocated, despite their encouragement of universal white male suffrage and participation in office.Similarly, the Jacksonian age affected the economy both in accordance with the Jacksonian ideal of equal economic opportunity and against it; an executive branch act and a judicial branch decision were made with the intent of favoring the people, but substantial opposition highlighted the negative side effects that undermined the Jacksonian goal. President Jackson represented the executive branch with his bold move of vetoing a bill which proposed a rechartering of the Second Bank of the United States.As conveyed by Jackson’s dramatic veto message on July 10, 1832 the democrats maintained that the national bank’s monopoly on trade catered too frequently to foreign and wealthy stockowners, thus posing a threat to the ideal of equal economic opportunity that they claimed to protect (B). The Jacksonians stuck with their vision of themselves in this sense, but opp osing reactions to the veto pointed out that the attack on the bank was unnecessary and dangerous.Daniel Webster’s reply to the veto correctly asserted that by raising the alarm about an encroachment of economic freedoms, the Democrats were really harming the stability of the economy needlessly (C). Webster’s analysis was proven accurate by the Panic of 1837, during which a bubble of inflation caused by the end of the national bank was abruptly burst, and several years of depression followed. The recession and unemployment caused indirectly by Jackson’s cancelation of the national bank did more harm to public economic opportunities than good, despite the Jacksonians’ passionate belief in the threat that the Bank posed.Also in 1837 however, Chief Justice Roger Taney’s Supreme Court decision of Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge was a decisive victory for the Jacksonian ideal of equal economic opportunity. Taney interpreted a 1785 charter for a br idge on the Charles River loosely so that a new bridge could be erected across the same river, thus dispelling a monopoly and financially benefitting the people (H).The Jacksonians evidently believed in their roles as the protectors of economic equality, but the results of the changes their administration made were again varied in agreement with their ideals. Finally, the Jacksonians most clearly drifted from their claimed ideals in the social sphere, as they actively neglected to guard the individual liberties of minority groups and women. The Jacksonian’s rosy call for extended suffrage only applied to white males, and the issue of slavery was deliberately avoided to prevent unwanted conflicts between the states.In fact, the Jacksonian administration even put in place a â€Å"gag rule† in 1836 that allowed Congressmen to file away abolition petitions without discussion because the Acts and Resolutions of South Carolina threatened independent state action if SC did no t receive national and sectional support in controlling its slaves (F). The slaves quickly lost any support from the proclaimed Jacksonian ideal of individual liberty when pitted against the preservation of the Union.Likewise, the administration did not hesitate to pass the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which revealed that grandiose Jacksonian ideals yielded to the American desire for new land as well. The Act forced thousands of Native Americans to resettle in the West, with no regard for their personal liberties either. Even President Jackson outright denied to protect the ideal when he refused to enforce the Supreme Court’s decision on Worcester v. Georgia in 1832; John Marshall had ruled that the Cherokee had a right to their land, but Jackson would not stop the army from pushing the Cherokee out of Georgia regardless.The only evidence of any agreement with the Jacksonians’ vision of guarding liberties is a romanticized painting of the Cherokee migration. The painted Cherokees appear comfortable, unified, and still dignified, implying that the painter must have either imagined this as the reality of the situation or painted an ideal version of the scene (G). The painting actually contrasts sharply with the chaos and tragedy of the Cherokees’ â€Å"trail of tears,† but it is important that the Jacksonian intent is present. Although the mixtures of realized and neglected Jacksonian ideals in the political and economic ields were more even, the Jacksonians’ goal to preserve individual liberty was not entirely lost in the social issues of the age. In conclusion, the Jacksonian democrats certainly believed in their roles as guardians of political democracy, equality of economic opportunity, and individual liberty, but their intentions were often misguided or secondary in the face of greater challenges. The few clear strides made by the Jacksonian age were interspersed with instances of failure in realizing its democratic ideals, particularly in the social sphere.

Strategic Management Decision Making Term Paper

Strategic Management Decision Making - Term Paper Example There have been many avenues for a company to expand its business. Sometimes the reasons for expansion include moving into other industry, expanding in the same industry and expanding in foreign countries. In each of the cases, the company has the choice of setting up business on its own or else going through mergers, acquisitions or any other consolidation processes. In this case, both companies are from the same country. The acquirer company, Games Workshop, would like to expand its business to some other areas which are quite related to what they are into right now. Setting up is the costliest process to come up with. For this reason, the company has decided to go with either merger or acquisition. Valuation is quite an important fact in the whole process. The positive value of the acquired firm is very much desirable. Valuation and other financials have been discussed in a later topic. Later on, it is time to think whether the acquirer would like to go for merger or acquisition. A comparative and tactical study has been done to choose the best way among these two. While the firm and the process have been chosen to be appropriate to carry on the acquisition process, it is of much importance to zero down on the tactical funding strategy. For this economic gain has been taken into account to have an idea about the proper funding strategy which is also in accordance with the financial structure of the Games Workshop. One of the main aims to go for expansion is adding shareholders’ value, which is of quite an importance to a business entity. The calculation has been done to calculate the shareholders’ value addition for each of the companies so that shareholders can have a much better idea about the situation and the added shareholders’ value after the transformation.

Leadership and managmement in early childhood setting Essay

Leadership and managmement in early childhood setting - Essay Example Leadership, no doubt, is an important element, which plays a vital role in the development of people by following some principles of governance. In early childhood setting, leadership in educational sector deals with children, families, managers and stakeholders. Dr. Goh Keng Swee was a great and successful leader of Singapore. He became Minster of education and developed new sense of education in the general public and gave an improved educational system (Lee, 2010). According to Dr. Goh Keng Swee, educational leaders should be empowered and more autonomy should be given to them so that the students can be facilitated with better educational opportunities. Dr. Goh Keng Swee is one of the great examples of successful leaders, and I agree that I have learnt a lot of traits from this great leader and tried my best for adopting these traits. The traits that I learnt from the great leader are persuasiveness, strength, keeping vision, supportiveness, goal orientation, having influence, de cision-making power and much more. The first and foremost thing that a leader should have is knowledge because faith fails when the leader lacks knowledge. Therefore, faith comes after knowledge. He knows how to work in a team, how to motivate the team members, how to assist in application of different financial assistance schemes, he has to make alerts to the Director of every matter that is crucial to the well-being of the children and staff and much more. In order to become a successful leader in the field of education, I must know the way to constantly improve and add values to the curriculum so that it meets the goals and many other things, which are helpful for the students. This is in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side. I have a need to develop a sense of judging the situation in right way and that is what will give me strength. I was an office manager before entering early

Marketing communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing communications - Essay Example It initiates as mental imageries such as emotions, pictures, thoughts and ideas. Mental images in formed when one person desires to convey these images with another. The sender is described as a person who wants to communicate. Moreover, these images can be transferred by sender through translation and transpose of these images in to symbols. This process of transposing images that can be understood by receiver is known as encoding. The next level of communication and transmitting message to receiver is done through visual media, printed materials, telephone communication and face-to-face interaction (Fill, 2009, p.64). Additionally, the decoding process occurs; when message is being effectively received by another individual. The effective process of communication occurs, when message is decoded precisely as proposed and envisioned by sender. When feedback are received in the form of changed behaviour and actions, then sources will understand that communication have been sent succes sfully. This entire process of communication is known as basic communication model. In 1948, Hazel Gaudet, Bernard Berelson and Paul Lazarsfeld formulated two-step flow model of communication in the book the People Choice. This communication model is one of the theories of communication that suggests and recommends that mass media outlets have less influence on determining public opinion than that of interpersonal interactions. This model is also known as Multistep Flow Model. The Two Step Flow of Communication Model states that ideas and notions flow from mass media to judgment frontrunners to widespread population. It is believed that opinion formed by most people is primarily based on opinion leaders. These opinion leaders are those who interpret based on their personal views and judgments. Moreover, they are exposed to particular media content. These opinions are infiltrated by opinion leaders with the help of general public

The concepts of supply chains and distribution channels Essay

The concepts of supply chains and distribution channels - Essay Example However, initially, the concepts and practices were not clearly spelt out as it is now. Most of the activities were carried out in an ad hoc manner (Lavassani, Movahedi, & Kumar, 2009, pp. 85–98). Integration of distribution and warehousing (logistics) The concept of supply chain in the company has evolved over time. Most of the segments of supply chain were loosely interconnected. However, as the company developed it had to integrate the logistics, distribution and warehousing together to take advantage of efficiency that supply chains provided. When the company realized that, it had to upgrade its operations due to efficiency brought about by the integration. The company decided to merge the two concepts to form logistics. This made the border between warehousing and distribution became transparent. However, the two ends were still loose, and the management tries to consider making the links stronger and increased the level of resource sharing. This was also coupled with red uced costs and time to market. This was the beginning of evolution in the company (Mentzer, et al, 2001, pp. 1–25) Integration if logistics with production and purchasing The company later decided to optimize the advantages of integration. The company integrated purchasing, distribution, warehousing, and production. The concept worked out right, and the saving was exceedingly. The four functions were integrated, and the core activities under each concept were conducted under the same roof. This was the birth of supply chain in this company. The company managed to align the separate function in the sequence bellow:    Leveraging lean and agile The concept made the company too agile. This is one thing the company has been searching for, the supply chain concept provided the agility required by the company and the company optimized its supply chain concept and leveraged its production to achieve the required competitive age. However, this conceit is long overdue in the company . This has also contributed to the company profitability as the company became more agile. The demanding market and growing competition made the company more profitable due to its agility. The comment managed to increase its product lines and categories (Larson, &, Halldorsson, 2004, pp. 17-31). According the to Kouvelis, Chambers, &, Wang, (2006, pp. 449–469), the volatile and less predictable market just made competition better, and visibility of the company amidst the masses was achieved through agility and leanness Lean concept The modern SCM in companies must be lean; the concepts of leanness help the company to hold the required stock only and assets that can slow down the response time and increase cost are shed. These concepts offer sufficient service levels that can meet growing demand in companies. As a product portfolio, companies must know how to valance between lean and agile. By fine tuning, this company achieves an optimal product portfolio. The different produ ction, which is in the company portfolio, must be treated accordingly (Movahedi, Lavassani, &, Kumar, 2009, pp. 75–88). characteristics of a contemporary Supply Chain concept Lean: The company aims at forecasting at the generic level Economic order Quantities Maximized efficiencies Agile: Demand driven operations effectively Localized Configuration Maximized effectiveness   Then backbone of stable agile and lean supply chain is operations efficiency that brings about6 sustainable competitive advantage. This is based on the supply chain concept that offers a sufficient service level in the face of growing demand   (2) Identify and describe the supply chain and distribution channels

Checkpoint kinases (CHK2) Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Checkpoint kinases (CHK2) - Lab Report Example According to the figure 3,the list indicates several transcripts from the same gene and different SNP effect.The reason to this is as shown in the figure 4 which has all the splice variants(27) of the CHK 2 gene.In the figure 4 ‘‘protein coding† implies that the transcript encodes a CHK 2 protein variant. The reason why we see GAA/GAG yet the SNP was T/C change is that it is a silent mutation whereby GAA and GAG code for glutamic acid.Also the reason why the new C(GAG) is more frequent in some populations is because there was a successful mutation. Basing on the analysis above, we can see that the SNP resulted to silent mutation. By definition, silent mutation is a type of a point mutation that leads to a codon which codes for different or same amino acid but without any functional change in that particular protein. Hence, it does not cause change in the sequence of amino acid, thus, the protein will remain functional. In this regard, they are taken to be evolutionarily neutral. In relation to this, the CHK2 SNP (T/C) is considered to be silent mutation because the sequence of the protein which is GAA/GAG remains unchanged. Therefore, its function remains the same. It can therefore influence splicing because the nucleotides sequence has been altered. While most of the RNA transcripts from protein encoding genes of the human genome are related to physiological splicing, pathological splicing has been found in cancer tissue (Berge et al, 2010). The Chk2 is known to be a multi-organ susceptible gene that provides a barrier to tumorigenesis to maintain a genomic stability, and this gene has found mutated in both hereditary and somatic cancer. Despite the fact that other genes’ alternative splice forms have been found to have a negative impact on the wild type molecules, the CHK2 splice protein variants function is still not clear(Berge et al, 2010).For instance, the mRNA splice variants for Chk2 gene

Final Exam - Marketing Audit Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Exam - Marketing Audit - Research Paper Example The company revolutionized the concept of computing by introducing iPhone, iTune, and iPods to customers. 2.0 Answer 1 My impression about the company before visiting Apple’s store was dependent on various factors like product quality, state of art technology they offer. I am impressed with the Stylish product line such as iPhone, iPad and iTune offered by the company. Before visiting the store I thought of purchasing stylish product like iPhone from the store. 3.0 Answer 2 My impression about the company has changed after visiting their store. I am amazed with the staff behavior and their sales service. I am also impressed with the banners and designs they use (part of sales promotion) to attracts customer. Before visiting the store I was only thinking about their product quality but now I believe Apple has achieved market leadership due to their customer friendly behavior and superior sales service. Sales person of the company helped me to understand unique benefits of iPhon e 5 (product I am planning to purchase). Sales person told me that iPhone 5 is 20% lighter, 18% thinner than previous iPhone models. I am advised their staffs to visit Apple’s facebook page in order to join their community. Community membership will help me to get latest news and updates of from Apple. Overall impression about the company has changed from good to excellent after visiting Apple’s store. ... Staffs of the shop gave me highest priority when I visited their store. They also advised me to contact immediately for any kind of product related problems. I left the shop with a big smile complemented with satisfaction. 5.0 Answer 4 I have observed that management style of Apple has motivated the retail store to present their product in innovative manners. During product presentation staffs were trying to discuss minute details with customers. I have also observed that management of the retail store gives importance on creating systematic operational structure. Staffs have treated me with utmost importance and during my stay in the shop I have not observed any kind of chaos or irrational behavior from the staffs. Each of the staff is well trained and knows very well how to handle customers. I am impressed with the systematic management functions of Apple store. 6.0 Answer 5 Sales staff of the store helped me to select right iPhone model suiting in accordance to product specificati on I mentioned to them. I purchased the product after hour long discussion with the staff of the store about various application of iPhone. I have also visited other parts of the store to go through various items like iPod, iTV and iTune offered by the company and each of the time I was welcomed by warm smile by staffs. Staffs of the store also helped me to understand various customer loyalty schemes offered by the company and gave me advised to select right loyalty program in accordance to my personality. I have thoroughly experienced the buying process during my last visit to Apple store (Noh, 2008, p. 14). 7.0 Answer 6 I have registered to membership program designed by Apple stores for their customers. I have purchased

Women's Voices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women's Voices - Essay Example As a specific brand presented across different showrooms in major US cities, Wacoal’s product line btempt’d appears to be creating a commercial space for swimwear and lingerie exclusively oriented toward women and their well being. However, the way these products are exhibited and advertised suggests that the company uses stereotypical concepts on women’s beauty and practically undermines the genuine comfort and health issues.Discussion  Wacoal has created a powerful commercial cult around its recently launched swimwear-cum-lingerie range named btempt’d. This brand specific space can be regarded as a highly distributed conceptualization and materialization of the company’s lingerie products across various media. Wacoal showrooms with btempt’d swimwear have been prepared along with other evolving business methods like online retiling and web based marketing. According to the website of Wacoal, â€Å"Making women look and feel their best has always been a part of Wacoal’s mantra† (paragraph 1). Such a stance might appear to be pro-feminist for a while. Having desire to look beautiful can be regarded as an innate property of human beings irrespective of gender. For a young girl, honing beautiful looks or proper grooming and dresses can lead to an effective makeover in a positive direction aimed at harnessing a better personality. Visiting the website of btempt’d product line or a showroom exhibiting Wacoal swimwear.... a young girl, honing beautiful looks or proper grooming and dresses can lead to an effective makeover in a positive direction aimed at harnessing a better personality. Visiting the website of btempt’d product line or a showroom exhibiting Wacoal swimwear, a spectator can easily find out that the presentation techniques used are highly dedicated to the beautification of women in general and young ladies are being particularly targeted. In the words of Wacoal, btempt’d is actually a range of â€Å"sexy, sophisticated, and flirty lingerie† (Wacoal, paragraph 2), aimed at exciting young girls. Implementing an analytical point of view, however, it can be stated that this approach of Wacoal is quite inter-contradictory. On one hand, the company states that it is concerned about women’s health and comfort issues, and the main target is to provide utility oriented innerwear. On the other hand, it is highly reluctant of using a bulky or less attractive girl (say, w ith dark complexion or a blunt nose) as its model or ambassador for practically exhibiting the lingerie. Clearly, this is a kind of prejudice which gives rise to internalized oppression. From the perspective of women in general, such an approach on the part of a commercial giant will attach extra value to physically more attractive women in the society. Furthermore, the company’s claims about its sense of corporate social responsibility remain quite ambiguous. The company states that it is committed to spreading awareness on breast cancer, whereas its sole publicity stance is based on women’s physically beauty and sexy appearance. The concept behind visualizing the ideal female model for a lingerie product is based on the perspective and desires of men, not women. So a young girl must feel good when she is

The Downfall of a Dictator Essay Example for Free

The Downfall of a Dictator Essay Ferdinand Marcos, the man who would be President: his was a story of success. It was a long, arduous climb to the highest office in land. He worked hard to achieve it. It was not an easy road – there were frustrations, obstacles, and public scandals along the way. But he made it. Despite seemingly irreversible defeats, he fulfilled what he promised his mother: â€Å"For every tear you shed now, there will be victory.† (People Power: The Philippine Revolution of 1986) Ferdinand Marcos: The unforgettable among the Presidents of the Philippines, even over the world, then and now. When we here this name the first thing that always come to our mind is Marshall Law or the dictator. In Marcos time corruption reached its apex. The Marcos government was labeled a kleptocracy, literally meaning that it was a government ruled by thieves. A kleptocracy can be defined as a dishonest form of governmental corruption where the government exists solely to increase the personal wealth and power of its officials and the ruling class without regard for the wider population. On September 21, 1972, Marcos declared Martial Law. This marked the beginning of the Marcos dictatorship. Proclamation 1081 placed the entire country under the military. It was signed on September 21, 1972 and announced to the nation in the evening of September 23, 1972. His main reason for declaring Martial Law as to save the Republic and to reform society. He explained that the growing violence in the nation, caused by the leftists and the rightist’s elements had come to certain magnitude that required martial law. During this time, violation of human rights of the people in the rural areas was rampant. Upon his orders, the military picked up and detained thousands of Filipinos suspected of rebellion. Hundreds of detainees were tortured by their captors. Some disappeared and were never found again. Many were held in military detention camps for years without trial. As a result of the foregoing measured, the crime rate in the country was reduced significantly. People became law-abiding. But these good gains did not last long. After a year of martial law, crime rates started to soar. By the time Marcos was removed from power, the peace and order situation in the country had become worse. The rampant violation of human rights of the people in the rural areas suspected of being NPA sympathizers, the injustices committed by some government officials and powerful and influential persons, and the continuing poverty of the people were used as propaganda of the NPA in attracting idealistic young people. Even priests and nuns who were witnesses to the oppression of the Marcos dictatorship join the NPAs. The assassination of Aquino was reported to have awakened the Filipinos to the evils of Marcos as a dictator. Millions of Filipinos who sympathized with Ninoy’s bereaved family, joined the funeral march to mourn for the death of an intelligent leader and to express their feelings against Marcos. August 13, 1985 was the beginning of the end for Marcos. Fifty-six members of Parliament called for his impeachment for graft, corruption, and other high crimes. Marcos called a new election for 1986. His opponent was Corazon Aquino, the widow of Benigno. Marcos claimed a 1.6 million vote victory, but observers found a 800,000 win by Aquino. A People Power movement quickly developed, driving the Marcoses into exile in Hawaii, and affirming Aquinos election. Ninoy Aquino was a great lost to the Philippines. I think that he could have been a great president. Even though some say that he was a â€Å"fake hero† because he really didn’t accomplish anything and that he was â€Å"fighting for himself only† which is according to some comments that I read in some sites, for me he’s really a hero and these things that they said is absurd in my opinion.

The media & role in society Essay Example for Free

The media role in society Essay The media plays a crucial role in society. It is responsible for developing viewpoints through the images it represents. People form opinions through what the media provides. However, more often than not, the media is also responsible for presenting inaccurate and biased images which greatly influence the perception of people. Naturally, the wrong kind of representation sends the wrong kind of message. The 2004 movie â€Å"Crash† is a good example of how the media promotes unfair judgment, as its story increased the stereotyping of African-Americans through the negative depiction of one of its black characters. The movie â€Å"Crash† is not a typical film with one story told in a linear fashion. Instead, it presents multiple vignettes woven in a web of a single narrative. In essence, the movie is about the different lives of people living in Los Angeles. It features the life of a police detective and his lover partner, 2 car thieves, a locksmith, a store owner, a TV director and his wife, the district attorney and his wife, and 2 police officers. While the stories of the characters are introduced to each other’s lives through car crashes, these are more importantly connected by one thing: racial discrimination. The issue of race sits at the core of the story, as the film exhibits the conflict created by the various races of people residing in Los Angeles. All races are represented in the movie: African-American, Asian, Caucasian and Hispanic. These races collide in the story and the end result reveals the prejudices they have against each other. The story of each character ends differently; while some change for the better, some remain the same. Hence, â€Å"Crash† can be considered as the film which explores racial discrimination and its consequences through the point of view of diverse personalities. Upon watching the movie, Director Paul Haggis seems to convey two messages through his masterpiece. He intended the audience to recognize two realities that are often overlooked. First, he wanted to show that everyone is guilty of racial discrimination. Regardless of which race a person belongs to, this person may have judged another based on their race. The traditional notion is that only white people are guilty of having prejudice towards African-Americans and other races. However, the movie showed that those who are often victims of racial discrimination are also guilty of participating in it. The second reality that Haggis intended to show through his film is the interconnectedness of people. No matter how different people are, they are all linked in the society they live in. He showed that actions of one individual affect the actions of another, which explains the gravity of the consequences of racial discrimination in society. Thus, the intention of the filmmaker was to open the eyes of the audience about two realities. â€Å"Crash† can be considered as a remarkable piece of cinema, but it does have its flaws. It is an award-winning film with a socially relevant story to convey. Nevertheless, despite the film’s noble intention to preach against racial discrimination, it is guilty of giving a negative depiction of African-Americans, specifically the character of Anthony. Anthony, who was played by rapper Chris â€Å"Ludacris† Bridges, is a young African-American man who is a thief by profession. With his friend Peter Waters (portrayed in the film by actor Larenz Tate), Anthony steals vehicles to be sold to a chop shop. In fact, the first time they appear in the movie is when they steal the Lincoln Navigator which the Rick and Jean Cabot (Brendan Fraser and Sandra Bullock) own. However, it is not only the act of stealing that gives Anthony’s character its negative portrayal. It was the discrepancy between his attitude and actions that set him in a negative light. Anthony is depicted as an African-American fighting against the racial discrimination of his race. When Anthony first appears on screen, he was ranting to Peter about the unequal treatment he received from the African-American waitress. He complains that he was not served at the same speed as white customers, despite the fact that the waitress was of the same color as he. At this point, the audience recognizes Anthony’s awareness of the racial discrimination African-Americans suffer in society, sometimes even from people of the same racial background. Then, Anthony reveals his hatred of white people when Rick and Jean Cabot walk towards their direction; he becomes enraged when the Jean clings closer to her husband when she sees Anthony and Peter. Eventually, both men force the white couple out of their vehicle and steal their vehicle. Throughout the story, Anthony continues to react against the discrimination of blacks in society. He says that he would not hurt his fellow African-Americans, though by the latter part of the story he broke this promise. The depiction of Anthony’s character is negative because it shows the audience the contradictory nature of African-Americans. Anthony is a character who strongly opposes the unfair treatment against his race. Initially, such fervent opposition may seem as a good thing. However, his own actions encourage others to discriminate about him. While he hates the way white people discriminate against African-Americans, he gives these people enough reason to unfairly judge his race. The fear of white people towards blacks originates from the crimes or criminal activities that African-Americans are associated with. Instead of doing good things and proving society wrong about black people, he steals cars and justifies the fear. At one point, he even robbed an African-American man (Cameron Thayer as played by Terrence Howard). In addition, his actions also reflect his discrimination of others. He has extreme hatred of white people. Just as the white people discriminate against them, he also discriminates against them. He is also guilty of racial discrimination towards Asians; he ran over an Asian man he called â€Å"Chinaman. † Hence, the character of Anthony was depicted in a negative light as an African-American man who does not like to be discriminated but participates in the discrimination of others. The character of Anthony is also depicted negatively because it follows the stereotype of African-Americans in media. The media has often portrayed African-Americans as involved in criminal or illegal activities. The portrayal of Anthony is no exception. He was a young black man who lived on stealing other people’s vehicles. A stereotype is a representation of those who belong to a specific group which upholds common belief or unjustified bias. The stereotype of African-Americans in the media paints an unpleasant picture of a race, as it presents them as citizens who disrespect the law. Due to Anthony’s depiction in the film â€Å"Crash,† this stereotype remains. Again, African-Americans are categorized as those that are not capable of living without breaking the laws. In real life, this is not the case. While there are black people who are involved in criminal activities, there are also African-Americans who live honest lives and earn money through hard work. Because of the stereotype that is used in the movie, the behavior of those who abide by the laws are discredited while the behavior of those who break the laws overshadow them. The negativity of a portrayal or depiction is based on the unpleasant or unfair presentation of a character. For instance, Anthony is negatively depicted because the movie upheld the stereotype of black people being criminals. The existence of such stereotype is obviously pleasant and remarkably unfair. As was earlier established, not everyone from the African-American community is involved in illegal activities. Because Anthony was portrayed as a car thief in the movie, the general perception of people that blacks are criminals still remain. Through Anthony’s negative portrayal, the movie contributed to the existing stereotype of African-American people. â€Å"Crash† by Paul Haggis is a movie which explores racial discrimination in Los Angeles. It highlights the existing tension between different cultures and races. While it is a distinctly fine film, it contributed to the stereotyping of African-Americans through the negative portrayal of the character of Anthony. By presenting a black man as a criminal who also discriminates against others, the movie helped little in improving the general perception of black people in society. Instead, it furthers the public’s unfavorable opinion about people of color. Therefore, the story of the movie â€Å"Crash† increased the stereotyping of a group. Reference Reimer, R. , Korbelin, J. , Grasic, M. (Producers) Haggis, P. (Director). (2004). Crash [Motion picture]. United States: Lionsgate.

Biography of Ernst Ruska

Biography of Ernst Ruska ERNST RUSKA INTRODUCTION Mankind has come a long way since the dark ages in the field of science and medicine. We have seen many great inventions and discoveries that have helped shape our lifestyle. The electron microscope was one such invention which helped scientists and medical practitioners detect deadly diseases and viruses. The electron microscope helped scientists detect differences between the virus that caused smallpox and the virus that caused chicken pox. Today the electron microscope continues to be an integral part of many laboratories helping researchers to examine biological materials, medical biopsy samples and the characteristics of various surfaces. However, due credit should be given to the man behind the invention of this great apparatus. That man was none other than Ernst Ruska. Ernst Ruska came from a humble family whose intellect surpassed other children his age. Boisterous and full of life, Ernst went on to create history when he collaborated with Dr. Max Knoll to invent the world’s first electron microscope. So what drove Ernst towards the complex field of mathematics and science? What were the difficulties he had to face before becoming the man who today is known as the father of microscopes? Let us go back in time and explore the journey of Ernst Ruska and witness firsthand his rise to glory. THE BIRTH OF A GENIUS It was a typical cold morning on 25th December 1906 in Heidelberg, Germany. Julius Ruska and his wife Elisabeth welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their family. Elisabeth had tears of joy as Julius gently caressed the baby with affection. The baby was christened Ernst Ruska by the proud parents. Ernst’s father, Julius was a professor, a passionate botanist and a mineralogist who had the big Zeiss microscope kept in his study. For an innocent child like Ernst, the microscope seemed very unique and strange. Ernst was fascinated by this strange looking artefact and wanted to see it in person. However, his father strictly forbade him to touch the microscope. But, like all children, this only heightened Ernst’s curiosity. Ernst’s father noticed the keen interest his son showed towards the microscope. So, he would take time off his busy schedule and show Ernst magnified objects with the invention. Ernst’s uncle was in charge of an observatory on a hill overlooking Heidelberg. As a result, Ernst would often visit the observatory to meet his uncle and see the telescopes in action. After graduating from school, Ernst wanted to study engineering but his father, Julius was not too happy with the decision. Julius was very judgemental of his son’s decision to become an engineer. â€Å"How could the son of a Professor choose an inferior educational path?† thought Julius. However, Ernst was adamant about his decision to study engineering and got himself enrolled at the Technical College in Munich in the autumn of 1925 and later moved to Berlin. EARLY YEARS Ernst was extremely energetic as a student and began involving himself in studying high voltage and vacuum technology at the institute of High voltage under the tutelage of Adolf Matthias. Sometime around the end of the summer term in 1928, Mr. Matthias formed a small team to develop a high-performance cathode ray oscilloscope. When Ernst heard of Mr. Matthias’ plan, he jumped at the opportunity and joined the small team created by Matthias becoming the team’s youngest member. The team was headed by Ernst’s classmate called Max Knoll who was an electrical engineer. Ernst noticed that the cathode in the oscilloscope emitted a beam of electrons which could be used to form a dot or a writing spot on a fluorescent screen. But, the beam emitting from the cathode was unstable. Ernst and his team put all their energies into improving the cathode and sharpening the focus of the electron beams. During their research Ernst came across an article in a journal called ‘Archives Elektrotechnic’. The article was written by a professor named Hans Busch. In the article, Busch stated that the short coil present in the cathode generated a magnetic field that made stimulated electron particles behave in the same way as light when it passed through a convex glass lens. Ernst remembered his childhood and realised that the same type of lens was found in his father’s microscope. Unfortunately, Busch was unable to bring his brilliant theory to practical use due to unavailability of newer data. However, Ernst was fascinated by Busch’s theory and decided to make it a part of his thesis which he submitted in his graduate years in May 1929 at the age of 23. In his thesis, Ernst calculated the characteristics of the magnetic coil. He tested whether it could actually be used to unite electron rays and focus on a target. He was successful in his approach and with the use of the coil; he managed to gain the first recorded electron ocular images of the anode orifice of the cathode ray tube. Ernst was elated to say the least. He had just brought Busch’s theory to life! An accomplishment which even Busch was unable to achieve! A SLOW PATH TO SUCCESS Ernst had an innovative outlook towards his profession. Yes, he was successful in obtaining images but his main agenda was to create an electron microscope. However, it wasn’t an easy task. In 1930, at the age of 24 Ernst tried to create a cheaper version of this experiment as part of his diploma thesis but failed to come through. So, Ernst went back to his original idea of using coils as lenses. Using two coils, Ernst managed to build a tube similar to the microscope. Ernst tested the apparatus for the first time and noted that the magnification factor of his unique invention was a mere 15 units. Even though the magnification of the apparatus was far lower than what Ernst had expected, he had managed to prove to his peers that it was possible to obtain magnified images using electron beams and magnetic fields. One day while working on developing the apparatus further, Ernst noticed that the electrons in the machine emitted a huge quantity of heat. The heat was destroying the objects that were being viewed by Ernst through the machine. Ernst was a bit disappointed with this outcome. There was no use of creating modestly magnified images when the objects in view could be burnt to ashes. Thus, Ernst along with colleague Bodo von Borries and Max Knoll ventured on building a new and efficient microscope. However, Ernst knew that in order to impress the scientific society, his microscope would have to be better than the current light microscope which was being used. During the process of constructing his very first electron microscope, Ernst noted that the trick to compressing the magnetic field to a tiny area relied heavily on the shape of the coil. The coil had to be designed in a way that the focal length could be kept as short as possible. Keeping the focal length short was a must so that the apparatus could obtain images with high magnification. To achieve this, Ernst and his colleague Bodo constructed a coil cocooned by iron with a small gap in the center which helped to compress the magnetic field. Ernst and Bodo named their coil the â€Å"pole shoe lens† and had it patented in 1932. Finally after a year of thorough research and sleepless nights, 27 years old Ernst and his colleagues built the first electron microscope in 1933. Unlike Ernst’s previous invention which had a magnification factor of merely 15 units, this new microscope had a magnification factor of a humongous 12000 units. Finally, after years of research and dedication, Ernst finally managed to achieve his dream. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES The feat of inventing the first ever electron microscope in the world should have brought joy to Ernst. But, on the contrary Ernst wasn’t too happy as he couldn’t convince the industry to invest in the production of his microscope. The problem of overheating the objects under the lens of the microscope was still a major concern. Ernst noticed that the electron microscope would mostly be utilized by biologists. He also realised that the vacuum tube present in the microscope dehydrated the specimens and the electrons damaged them. On most occasions the heat generated burnt the specimen to ashes. Ernst was in a fix as he was unable to come to a solution to this particular problem. He turned to his younger brother, Helmut Ruska for assistance. Helmut Ruska was a medical practitioner with a positive attitude. He was sure the microscope would work if certain improvements were made. As a result, Helmut approached Richard Siebeck who was the director of the medical clinic at the Charity Hospital. Richard was also Helmut’s former medical professor and so, he managed to convince Richard to invest his time and effort into his brother’s invention. Richard was initially reluctant but after 3 years on 2nd October 1936, Siebeck praised Ernst’s invention and explained how the microscope could help doctors in analyzing the cause of diseases. He credited Ernst by stating that the microscope was capable of advancing research into identifying infectious agents that caused diseases which on paper seemed similar to each other. Diseases like measles, smallpox, and chickenpox seemed to have similar symptoms but Richard knew that the infectious agents causing the diseases were different. And he backed Ernst by stating that the microscope would be helpful in distinguishing the agents. Richard Siebeck’s testimony was enough to convince industries and companies to take the financial risk and and invest in developing electron microscopes. A renowned company called ‘Siemens’ hired Ernst and Bodo von Borries in 1937. Together Ernst and Bodo began work on producing microscopes. In late 1939 Siemens delivered the first series of microscopes branded â€Å"Siemens Super Microscope† to the laboratories of I.G. Farben in Frankfurt-Hochst. Ernst was eager to make his instrument famous all over the country. So in order to promote his invention, he suggested to the CEOs of his company Siemens to set up a visiting institute so that biologists and doctors could carry out their research using his microscope. The Institute of Electron Optics was built in 1940 when Ernst was 34 years old. Ernst along with German and foreign scientists managed to publish around 200 scientific papers from the institute by 1944. Ernst was obviously involved in the development and mass production of the electron microscope. Following the Second World War which proved to be devastating for Germany, the Institute of Electron Optics was disbanded. As a result production of microscopes had come to a halt. The demand for the instrument was huge and so in order to meet the demands of his customers; Ernst reconstituted the institute. FINAL YEARS In order to further develop the microscope, Ernst began working at the German academy of Sciences in Berlin from August 1947 to December 1948. In 1949, at the age of 43 he was made the head of department at the Fritz Haber Institute. After spending almost 20 years at Siemens, Ernst left the company at the age of 49 in 1955. After two years at the age of 51, Ernst was made Director of the institute of electron microscopy at the Fritz Haber Institute on 27th June 1957. In 1960, Ernst’s contribution to the field of medical science was acknowledged when he was awarded the Lasker Award. Ernst spent the 1960s serving as Director at Fritz Haber. He also held lectures at the Technical University of Berlin and Free University where he would talk about the basic principles of electron optics and electron microscopy. On 31st December 1974 at the age of 68, Ernst stepped down as Director and officially announced his retirement. In 1986, 80 years old Ernst received the Nobel Prize for his contribution to science. 25th May 1988 was a gloomy day in West Berlin. 82 years old Ernst Ruska left the world peacefully. He was cremated in West Berlin. TRIBUTE Even though Ernst left the world, his invention of the electron microscope continues to help biologists and medical practitioners till date. His ability to think out of the box was a quality that helped him reach a stage of grandeur. Ernst was all alone during the initial years of his studies when he stated that an electron microscope could be developed. Many doubted him and scoffed at his idea that an apparatus of such great significance could actually be built. The same people had to eat their hats when the microscope was finally invented. What one should learn from this legendary inventor is that one should never lose the will to succeed. Ernst’s life would have been very different had he chosen to give up on his dreams. Like they say, man is the maker of his own destiny and Ernst deserved every accolade that he received for his ingenuity. Here’s saluting the legendary inventor and genius known as Ernst Ruska.