Geopolitics in Asia Essay

The study of the relationship among politics and geography, demography, and economics especially with respect to the foreign policy of a nation. The study of geographic influences on power relationships in international politics. Geopolitical theorists have sought to demonstrate the importance in the determination of foreign policies of considerations such as the acquisition of natural boundaries, access to important sea routes, and the control of strategically important land areas. The term was first employed in the early 20th century by the Swedish political scientist Rudolph Kjellen (1864 – 1922). Geopolitical factors have become less significant in the foreign policies of states because of improvements in communications and transportation. Geopolitics in Asia: Russia, India and Pakistan-China Cooperation With Russian President Vladimir Putin planning to visit Pakistan, some of my Indian friendsjournalists believe that the proposed trip is a kind of punishment for India because of Delhi’s ‘proAmerican’ foreign policy. I think that such a simplistic explanation underestimates the complexity of the situation in the southern part of central Eurasia, which will experience new changes after foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan. And then a new geopolitical equation will emerge, where Pakistan and its geopolitical alliance with China will surely be the central element due to historical reasons and geographical circumstances. In 1950, Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China, while in the 1960s to early 1970s it remained Beijing’s most steadfast ally during a period of a relative international isolation of the latter. China appreciates this support by providing Pakistan with both military, and technical and economic assistance, including the transfer of nuclear technology. Some experts believe that strengthening multilateral connections between India and the U. S. will make strategic alliance relations between Islamabad and Beijing even closer, even more so, because the Pakistani elite considers the partnership with China to be a security guarantee. Military-technical cooperation (MTC) of Islamabad and Beijing is carried out in three main areas: Rockets: Pakistani armed forces have short range and medium range missiles that experts regard as a ‘modification of Chinese allistic missiles’; Combat aircraft: the Pakistani Air Force has aircraft of Chinese design – JF-17 Thunder and K-8 Karakorum, as well as the co-produced interceptor aircraft. In addition, the Pakistani Air Force uses the early warning radar system made in China (U. S. experts believe that the delay in the transfer of the remains of the stealth helicopter that took part in the elimination of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, was associated with its preliminary study by t he Chinese military); Nuclear program: it is believed that China could have transferred to Pakistan the technologies that are critical to the production of nuclear weapons. In addition to MTC, Pakistan and China are actively developing economic relations; their development acceleration was caused by a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement of 2008. By some estimates, the bilateral trade is approaching $15 billion. With China’s help, long-term infrastructure projects are being implemented in Pakistan, covering road construction, minerals development (including copper and gold), the classical energy manufacturing as well as several projects in the nuclear / non-classical energy field. An important object of the joint activity was the construction of the deepwater port of Gwadar in Baluchistan Province (the port complex operation was started in December 2008. ). This port, located at 180 nautical miles from the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 40% of the world’s supply of oil by water is accomplished, is of strategic importance to Beijing as well. First, it provides diversification and hydrocarbons-supply protection and, secondly, it is possible to access the Arabian Sea through Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), which is important for the overall economic security of China. Formally, Pakistan has two main strategic allies – China and the United States. However, in the light of the events in 2011 the country’s ruling circles have lost confidence in America and increasingly rely on China, referred to, at an informal level, as the ‘all-weather ally’. (An important factor in the growth of Islamabad’s distrust to Washington was the US-Indian ‘nuclear deal’ that has in fact excluded India, according to Pakistani officials, from the nuclear non-proliferation regime. ) The decision by China to build two nuclear reactors in Pakistan, in addition to the existing ones, was a vivid demonstration of mutual trust. However, there are still some problems in the ‘all-weather allies’ relationship. China’s elite is concerned with the high level of political extremism in Pakistan. Beijing is worried about the growing militancy of the Uighurs operating from the tribal area of Pakistan. According to experts, a significant number of Uighurs who attended madrassas in Pakistan in the 1980s have been subsequently mobilized to units operating on the territory of Afghanistan – first against the Soviet troops and later against the combined forces of the U. S. and its allies in their fight against the Taliban. A certain faction of the Uighurs – ‘Mujahideen’ – apparently returned to China. Another cause of concern in Beijing is the frequent attacks of political radicals against Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on contract (more than 10,000 people). The situation is particularly difficult in the province of Baluchistan, in the western part of the country. Therefore, Beijing, preoccupied as it is with the safety of its citizens as well as the country’s prestige in the Muslim world, does not put a special emphasis on combating terrorism in Pakistan, in fact, entrusting a major role in this campaign to the United States. In its turn, Washington takes into account China’s growing concern over proactive forces of political Islam in Pakistan, seeing the coincidence of the United States’ and China’s long-term strategic interests in combating radicalism. China seeks to maintain a strategic policy toward Pakistan that blends the two contradictory principles: 1) restriction of the geopolitical influence of the U. S. and India in South Asia, and 2) protection of the Celestial Empire against political extremism emanating from the Pakistani territory. This task is solved both by the balanced development of relations with Islamabad and Delhi, and through the promotion of good neighbourly relations between the two ‘historic rivals’. This, among other things, is due to the relatively ‘impartial’ policy of the Middle Kingdom, in particular regarding the ‘Kashmir problem’. Such a compromise position of Beijing is apparently connected with the fears of a possible impact of the ‘demonstration effect’ of fermentation in the ‘big’, i. e. historical, Kashmir on tentative ethnic and religious turmoil in Xinjiang and Tibet. PT-2 A point of view has long been firmly established among Indian political analysts that the only function of relations between China and Pakistan is that of ‘containment’ of India in South Asia. It is difficult to deny the logic of such geopolitical constructions, but this position underestimates the importance of trends that cause a significant external impact on the internal political situation in China during the last decade. The permanent destabilising impact of events in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) on the overall development of China is a recognized fact. Moreover, political circles in Beijing do not rule out the possibility that supporters of the ‘independent Uighur state’ operating from the KhyberPakhtunkhwa or North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) territory of Pakistan are supported by the USA and some Muslim states. Therefore, Beijing endeavours to use various options to neutralise the forces of political Islam in Xinjiang, including those at the state level (Xinjiang is a home to over eight million Uighurs, the most radical of them are seeking to establish an independent state – ‘East Turkistan’). In this direction the China’s policy towards Pakistan has adopted new important points. On the one hand, Beijing was satisfied with a full support of action to eliminate disturbances in Urumqi in July 2009 by the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, the leader of a ‘core’ Muslim state that has formally dissociated itself from the ‘International Islamic Resistance Movement’ in Xinjiang. On the other hand, China has doubts about the Pakistan authorities’ ability to exercise effective control over all its territory. Beijing is not fully convinced in the effectiveness of such controls and some of Islamabad’s steps taken against extremists, in particular the stringent restrictive measures against the Uighur settlements and their religious schools in Pakistan that have become ‘nurseries’ for the future separatists. The doubts took the form of a direct agreement on multilateral cooperation between the PRC Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The goal of the agreement is establishing direct contacts with the NWFP leaders in order to suppress the activities of Islamists carried out from the territory of the province. The agreement, however, has a significant socio-economic content. Its ‘supporting structure’ seems to be the broadening (with China’s help) of the Karakorum Highway, which is strategic for both countries and (through the Khunjerab pass located at an altitude of 4,693 metres above the sea level) connects Xinjiang and NWFP. The Pakistani authorities seek to persuade China about the appropriateness of using the Karakorum Highway as a main international communication link for the delivery of imports to China from Pakistan’s ports, particularly from Gwadar in the Arabian Sea that has been modernised with the Beijing’s help. The agreement also provides for cooperation in the field of interregional trade, science and technology, culture, education, health, agriculture, sports and tourism. It can be noted: filling the NWFP agreement with specific content, China will seek to engage as much of economically active population as possible in the bilateral interregional ties cycle, and thus bind their potentially destructive to China activities in Xinjiang. Interregional relations are only a part of the Beijing’s general course for stabilising the situation in Pakistan. The PRC leadership is aware that Pakistan’s problems are of structural and systemic origin, and that they are generated by the state’s government course that is constantly and on an extended basis reproducing the contradictions that threaten the unity and territorial integrity of the country. Beijing wants to diversify its geopolitical strategy towards Pakistan and the South Asia as a whole. First, Beijing seems to be confident that because of its involvement in military activities in Afghanistan, the U. S. positions in Pakistan have been subtly but irreversibly weakening. The new ‘equation’ of geopolitical power in Central Asia is indicative of China emerging as a dominant economic â€Å"actor† in the area. Beijing carries out the tactics of gently pushing the U. S. out of Pakistan through the time tested and proven practice of foreign economic relations expansion. In addition, Pakistan is counting on China’s substantial financial assistance, as well as cooperation in the ‘classical’ energy field, primarily the construction of hydropower stations along the lines of tested Chinese projects (based on the experience of the ‘Three Gorges’ project on Yangtze River) in the mountains. Second, true to its strategic principle of ‘economy defines geopolitics,’ China actively participates in the modernisation of transport infrastructure in Pakistan. In fact, the implementation of projects in this area is subject to reaching a two-in one objective: to ensure safe transportation of energy carriers on the Persian Gulf – South China Sea route and limit the U. S. influence in the regions of the Middle East, South and Central Asia that are a ‘sensitive’ spot for China. The above-mentioned project – the Gwadar port in the north-western part of the Arabian Sea – is an ideal place for observing the movement of vehicles and naval vessels coming from the Persian Gulf towards the East, and – if necessary – can be used to protect the vehicles delivering energy resources to the Far East. In particular, the active participation of experts from China in modernising bases and stations of Pakistan Navy submarines, which can also be used by Chinese submarines, speaks in favour of this assumption. Third, according to media reports, China intends to seek permission to open a military base in Pakistan. Military experts believe that there are at least three strategic objectives pursued: providing a ‘soft’ military-political pressure on India; limiting U. S. influence in Pakistan and Afghanistan; direct supervising over the activities of the ‘Uighur separatists’ in the NWFP of Pakistan. Fourth, according to Indian press, China has become a major supplier of military equipment to Pakistan. Currently, the Pakistani army is allegedly armed with Chinese military equipment to the tune of 70 percent. Moreover, citing some military sources in Delhi, the Indian press says: If the prospect of receiving the Russian fifth generation fighter by the Indian Air Force is materialised, Pakistan will turn for help to China also carrying research in this area of military construction. And finally, for Pakistan, China remains an indispensable ally and partner in the improvement of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems since 1976. And there is no evidence of terminating that assistance in the foreseeable future.

Google the Best Company Essay

The competition is steep for any company seeking to become one of the Best, and certainly for any company that shows up in the #1 slot. Yet Google chose a great role model to help them create the special culture that has supported their success. While definitely creating and following their own path, leaders at Google also turned to Genentech (#1 on the Best Companies list in 2006) as a source of ideas and wisdom to guide their growth as a company. And they have grown well, with confidence that their unique culture and approach to work life have contributed to the overall suc- cess of the organization. In their Culture Audit (a key component of the Best Com- panies evaluation process) they state, â€Å"There is no hard data that can ever prove that a free lunch and a multicultural, campus-like environment con- tribute to the organization’s success and profit. What can be proven is that Google is growing at an immense pace – retention of employees is high, attrition is low and revenues are strong ($6. 1B in 2005). People are eager to work at Google and applications to our job openings are exceedingly high (approximately 1,300 resumes a day). † Google’s employees confirm what is reported in the Culture Audit, with 95% of the employees who responded to the employee survey part of the Best Companies evaluation process saying, â€Å"Taking everything into account I’d say this is a great place to work. That’s an extraordinary sentiment for a fast paced, stressful yet exhilarating work environment. Even people who leave Google to try something different do so reluctantly (SF Chronicle, 1/7/07). Google’s leaders have figured out the formula that works for them by treating people with respect, supporting their creative endeavors, and working hard to adhere to their motto of â€Å"Don’t be evil†. It’s not magic, or rocket science or paternalism or entitlement. In some ways it is plain common sense. As they explain in their Culture Audit: â€Å"Our employees, who call themselves Googlers, are everything. Google is organized around the ability to attract and leverage the talent of exceptional technolo- gists and business people. We have been lucky to recruit many creative, principled and hard working stars. We hope to recruit many more in the future. As we have from the start, we will reward and treat them well. â€Å"

Advantage and Disadvantage of Telecommunication

Although face-to-face communication would be the preferred method of conducting an intervention, it is likely that elephone interventions will be used by most pharmacies at some stage. This brief guide will help you and your staff communicate more effectively when using the telephone as part of the NMS. The words we use make up less than 10% of the way we communicate in a face-toface situation, with the way we say these words (paralinguistics) and body language making up the remaining percentage. When you are dealing with someone over the telephone you cannot see them, which deprives you of most of the information you would normally have about the other person (body language, eye contact etc). Related article: Disadvantages of Aquatic Plants You can base your judgements only on the words you can hear and the way they are being said, which can sometimes present challenges. Advantages and disadvantages Some of the advantages and disadvantages of telephone communication are: Telephone communication Advantages of communicating by telephone: †¢ ofteneasiertoreachsomeonebyphone than by trying to arrange to see them in person; more convenient for patients †¢ morelikelytosucceedincontacting someone – especially if a time / date has been agreed (few people are able to ignore the telephone and leave it ringing) telephoneconversationsare,onaverage, shorter than face-to-face conversations as it’s easier to control the conversation and take the initiative. Disadvantages of communicating by telephone: †¢ it’smoredifficulttoestablisharapporton the telephone, as you don’t have all the visual signals that help you to get on the â€Å"same wavelength† as the other person †¢ whenphonin gsomeoneit’spossibleto intrude at an inconvenient time and not realise it †¢ it’seasytoassumethatyouhavetheother person’s undivided attention †¢ youaremorelikelytogetdistractedand let your attention wander itismoredifficulttoavoid misunderstandings – you cannot use visual behaviour to get feedback on whether your message has been understood or if there are things left unsaid †¢ somethingsareimpossibletocheckover the telephone such as inhaler techniques †¢ youaremorelikelytobelieveyoucando other things at the same time as using the telephone – DON’T! Voice matching Thefirstthreesecondsofaphonecall are important, as this is when the other person makes a judgement about the caller. When making an outgoing call listen to the pitch, speed, volume and tone of the other erson’svoicewhentheyfirstspeakandtry to â€Å"match† it. Matching is a good way of building rapport, which can otherwise be difficultoverthetelepho ne,andmakesthe other person feel more comfortable. Tips for effective telephone interventions Opening the conversation NMS intervention Introduce yourself clearly and ask to speak to the patient using their preferred title / name. Check it’s still convenient to speak to the patient. If the patient is concerned about disclosing sensitive personal information over the telephone and cannot besatisfiedthatthecallerisringingfrom he pharmacy he / she may contact the pharmacy directly instead. Explain in a clear, simple manner the purpose of the call – check the patient understands the nature of the NMS and the reasons for the discussion. Youshouldalsoconfirmconsentatthis stage. Inform the patient you will be asking a series of questions about their new medicines and that you will be making notes as you go along. Listen to the patient’s responses as you work though the questions – resist the temptation to interrupt. Demonstrate you are listening by making noises such as â€Å"um†, â€Å"yes†, and â€Å"really†. Use assertive behaviour to stay in control of the call – use open / closed questions as appropriate (open questions invite detailed answers whereas closed questions invite single word answers). Body language Body language, even though it can’t be seen, can affect our voice when on the telephone. Therefore, think about your posture whilst on the phone. If you are comfortable and relaxed your voice is likely to reflect this. Remember to smile – even though it can’t be seen it will be â€Å"heard† and you will sound friendly and assertive. If you are standing up whilst n the telephone this can also make you sound more assertive, and it is another way of ending a telephone call if you stand up during a conversation. Using a closed question for example is often helpful in stopping an enthusiastic patient digressing from appropriate lines of questioning. Do not rush through the call. Talk at the patient’s pace and pause after providing advice or of fering solutions to a problem to allow the patient to air their views about this. Finally agree the time / date for any followup intervention. Remember to give the call your undivided attention! Advantage and Disadvantage of Telecommunication Although face-to-face communication would be the preferred method of conducting an intervention, it is likely that elephone interventions will be used by most pharmacies at some stage. This brief guide will help you and your staff communicate more effectively when using the telephone as part of the NMS. The words we use make up less than 10% of the way we communicate in a face-toface situation, with the way we say these words (paralinguistics) and body language making up the remaining percentage. When you are dealing with someone over the telephone you cannot see them, which deprives you of most of the information you would normally have about the other person (body language, eye contact etc). Related article: Disadvantages of Aquatic Plants You can base your judgements only on the words you can hear and the way they are being said, which can sometimes present challenges. Advantages and disadvantages Some of the advantages and disadvantages of telephone communication are: Telephone communication Advantages of communicating by telephone: †¢ ofteneasiertoreachsomeonebyphone than by trying to arrange to see them in person; more convenient for patients †¢ morelikelytosucceedincontacting someone – especially if a time / date has been agreed (few people are able to ignore the telephone and leave it ringing) telephoneconversationsare,onaverage, shorter than face-to-face conversations as it’s easier to control the conversation and take the initiative. Disadvantages of communicating by telephone: †¢ it’smoredifficulttoestablisharapporton the telephone, as you don’t have all the visual signals that help you to get on the â€Å"same wavelength† as the other person †¢ whenphonin gsomeoneit’spossibleto intrude at an inconvenient time and not realise it †¢ it’seasytoassumethatyouhavetheother person’s undivided attention †¢ youaremorelikelytogetdistractedand let your attention wander itismoredifficulttoavoid misunderstandings – you cannot use visual behaviour to get feedback on whether your message has been understood or if there are things left unsaid †¢ somethingsareimpossibletocheckover the telephone such as inhaler techniques †¢ youaremorelikelytobelieveyoucando other things at the same time as using the telephone – DON’T! Voice matching Thefirstthreesecondsofaphonecall are important, as this is when the other person makes a judgement about the caller. When making an outgoing call listen to the pitch, speed, volume and tone of the other erson’svoicewhentheyfirstspeakandtry to â€Å"match† it. Matching is a good way of building rapport, which can otherwise be difficultoverthetelepho ne,andmakesthe other person feel more comfortable. Tips for effective telephone interventions Opening the conversation NMS intervention Introduce yourself clearly and ask to speak to the patient using their preferred title / name. Check it’s still convenient to speak to the patient. If the patient is concerned about disclosing sensitive personal information over the telephone and cannot besatisfiedthatthecallerisringingfrom he pharmacy he / she may contact the pharmacy directly instead. Explain in a clear, simple manner the purpose of the call – check the patient understands the nature of the NMS and the reasons for the discussion. Youshouldalsoconfirmconsentatthis stage. Inform the patient you will be asking a series of questions about their new medicines and that you will be making notes as you go along. Listen to the patient’s responses as you work though the questions – resist the temptation to interrupt. Demonstrate you are listening by making noises such as â€Å"um†, â€Å"yes†, and â€Å"really†. Use assertive behaviour to stay in control of the call – use open / closed questions as appropriate (open questions invite detailed answers whereas closed questions invite single word answers). Body language Body language, even though it can’t be seen, can affect our voice when on the telephone. Therefore, think about your posture whilst on the phone. If you are comfortable and relaxed your voice is likely to reflect this. Remember to smile – even though it can’t be seen it will be â€Å"heard† and you will sound friendly and assertive. If you are standing up whilst n the telephone this can also make you sound more assertive, and it is another way of ending a telephone call if you stand up during a conversation. Using a closed question for example is often helpful in stopping an enthusiastic patient digressing from appropriate lines of questioning. Do not rush through the call. Talk at the patient’s pace and pause after providing advice or of fering solutions to a problem to allow the patient to air their views about this. Finally agree the time / date for any followup intervention. Remember to give the call your undivided attention!

Describe a football game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Describe a football game - Essay Example So the last game was to determine who would win the title. Manchester City was on top of the league table position because of the goal advantage though; to become a champion of England only one thing was left to do. Manchester City had to earn more points in the last game of the season against the club from London than its rival, Manchester United; only this way the City would finally win the title. In other words, Manchester City fans couldn’t demand anything less but the victory and three points, which had to secure the title for their club. The game started at 1:45 pm UTC sharp. Etihad Stadium was full with the City fans carrying Manchester City flags with bold letters written on them: â€Å"LOUD, PROUD, And LOYAL† (Steinberg, n.p.). Everybody seemed to know the importance of that game; even the players themselves appeared keen and energetic as they marched from the dressing room to the pitch, while all the City fans were rising up in celebration. The Etihad Stadium was full of joyous noise as each City fan was celebrating the success of the team, which everybody was sure about. When the referee Mike Dean blew his whistle to indicate the start of the game, every Manchester City fan rose up; what followed was a deafening noise as the fans tried to show their support to the selected eleven men on the pitch who were to carry on their backs the great responsibility for the success of the club, which had not won the Premier League title for many years. The game started on a high note as each team was trying to score a goal. The importance of this game and its result would have an immense effect on both teams. The feelings and emotions of the players were high as each team tried to secure the needed result from the game. Meantime, twenty minutes of the game passed: Manchester United scored in their game against Fulham. Etihad Stadium went mute as fans knew that if the City happened to lose or draw, then the United win would help them take the league title again. Faces of players on the bench could be compared to that of a crying baby wanting her mother to come over and pick him up. 38 minutes passed: Manchester City broke the deadlock with Zableta scoring a supremely amazing goal from a close range. At that moment, the stadium went wild, with the City fans holding each other’s arms and singing the club’s anthem in unison. Someone could mistake Manchester City coach for a teenager as he was jumping all over the field celebrating. Manchester City fans were holding and hugging each other and someone could mistake it for a world hugging day. This did not last long as QPR responded with an exceptionally stunning goal from Cisse. The few QPR fans at Etihad ran wild. Their little number could not be compared with the wild noise they made in their celebration. The other corner, City fans, was so quiet that one could think the world was coming to an end. At half time the result remained 1-1. This appeared to make the City coach insane as he kicked every water bottle around him while heading to the dressing room (Steinberg, n.p.). After half time, the City fans though being shocked with the result seemed to encourage their players whatever it took. They kept singing the club anthem, which they did while holding each other’s arms when the City scored first. Their celebration got a blow at 68th minute, when QPR scored another super goal. At this instance, both the City technical team and fans appeared to be shocked. Every City fan was quite, and their wrinkled faces spoke for them even more

General George S. Patton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

General George S. Patton - Essay Example As a way of expressing his feelings and thoughts he was also writing poems. General to be George Patton was born in 1885 in San Gabriel California to the wealthy family of an attorney. His parents, being well educated themselves, were also giving good education to their son from an early age, main subjects being classic literature and history. The other subject his father grounded him in was the Bible, which Georgie, as he was known later throughout his life, knew mostly by heart. Christianity became a guiding light in his life, along with his passion for battles and war. Though he had an early start with the education and was very intelligent, he did not know how to read or write until the age of 11. It seems Patton suffered from dyslexia, which could not be diagnosed at that time. It manifested itself in George’s inability to spell properly, and his problems in mathematics. George Patton Jr. attended Virginia Military Institute just like his father and a grandfather. He had a blood of a military officer running through his veins. His grandfather was a colonel in the Confederacy in the War Between the States, and was killed in one of the battles; many of George’s uncles were also participating in the war. After the war has ended, many war heroes were visiting Patton’s house and George was listening to stories told by the battle veterans themselves. Patton’s father also told his son many stories about the war and battle heroes; he took his son to visit battlefields of Civil War. All this had such a great influence on George Jr. that at the age of 10 he set a goal of becoming a hero and a famous general. He was very determined to reach this goal, and spent most of his childhood in studying what he thought a general needs to know. Entering Virginia Military Institute was a next step toward his dream. His problems in mathematics continued so much so that he had to have a permission to repeat the first year. However, his learning disabil ities did not hinder him from graduating successfully. Being good at sports also helped him in obtaining his diploma. His sport achievements were so great that Patton represented the United States in the Olympics of 1912 in Stockholm. He placed 5th out of 46 in the first modern Pentathlon. Patton really liked physical competitions, and believed in the fair play. Also, when in army, he was initiating forming teams for different sports such as football and polo. While at Cavalry School in France, he also learned how to fence. While still a student, he designed and taught a course in swordsmanship. Later he received orders to return to Kansas, and continued teaching fencing. The title of â€Å"Master of Sword† that he received was his rightfully. During all these years Patton never engaged in the real battle. Pursuing his dream of becoming a hero, Patton asked General John J. Pershing to accompany him in the Mexico Border campaign, in 1915. During this time Patton got recognitio n from the general and notoriety back in United States. This campaign became the first real war combat Patton had engaged in. When the WWI began, Patton was accompanying General Pershing, the commander of Headquarters Troop, in his trip to France. Patton was promoted to Captain, then, temporarily, to the Major. He was given a command of the Army Tank Corps – a novelty in the Army at that time. The Battle of Cambria was the first battle where large number of tanks was used. Patton attended this battle only as an observer, but, after what he had witnessed, he was convinced

Information Technology Management Phase 1 DB2 Essay

Information Technology Management Phase 1 DB2 - Essay Example the article states, the employees spend a lot of time talking to their families, friends, and their specific target market noting market trends and emerging needs. Through these exposures, they are able to design products which are suitable to the lifestyle of their market. It should also be noted that Pottery Barn’s employees are aligned with the company’s goals. They have absorbed a culture of developing nice looking, high quality, and reasonably priced product. When planning to penetrate their market, these strategies can also be pursued by Pottery Barns. Their employees should also be strategically aligned with the customer value that the company wants to deliver as well as market-driven. The SWU identifies their clients as â€Å"post-college singles, newlyweds, and new families.† From these descriptions there is a common need which SWU wants to fulfill—to be able to design, manufacture, and sell products which bring convenience but are priced significantly lower in order to maximize the purchasing power of the market. The key strategy in SWU is cost leadership that is, offering high quality products at a lower cost. On the other hand, Pottery Barns customer base has branched out from newlyweds, to kids, and even to teens. The company is now looking at the needs of almost the entire market for furniture because of the huge profit and business opportunity. Aside from emphasizing a low-cost strategy, however, Pottery Barn has the strong commitment of providing really high quality products which makes living in this fast paced world more convenient and comfortable. The company draws its strength in the unique and customer-driven designs as well as reasonable pricing scheme for its various products. Thus, in a sense Pottery Barn is a direct competitor of SWU when it comes to serving post-college singles, newlyweds, and starting families. However, Pottery Barns market is relatively larger than that of SWU. From the conception of a product to its sales in

Channel Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Channel Management - Essay Example The insurance industry too has begun using hybrid marketing channels. The objectives of marketing channels can be understood better by analysing their four functions - facilitating the exchange process, alleviating discrepancies, standardizing transactions and providing customer service. A marketing channel's most important aim is to facilitate a smooth exchange process between a firm and an individual. As marketing is a process of exchange between a buyer and a seller, channel members are considered exchange facilitators. When a marketing channel fails to deliver goods that match customer expectations, discrepancies occur. These can be corrected through activities such as sorting, accumulating, allocating and assorting. Organizations produce a variety of products for several reasons. Some reasons are: Distributors facilitate the task of sorting products so that their identification becomes easier and they can be delivered fast. Accumulating is the process of collecting the same product in large quantities. Distributors help both buyers and sellers protect themselves against price and supply fluctuations. Allocating is the process by which larger quantities of homogeneous products are broken down into smaller quantities. Manufacturers sell their products in bulk to wholesalers, who in turn, sell these in bulk to distributors. The distributors sell these products in smaller quantities to customers. Assorting is the process by which the customer's exact requirement is ascertained for a target group of customers. Distributors facilitate the marketers' task of assorting the products for different consumers according to their tastes and preferences. Another major objective of marketing channels is standardizing transactions. Let us consider the example of a milk delivery system here. In this case, the distribution is standardized throughout the marketing channel so that consumers do not need to negotiate with sellers on any aspect, whether prices, quantity, payment method or products location. Customer service includes installation, training and maintenance of the product and other forms of service required by customers. Distributors too offer these services. In a typical distribution system, there are two tiers between the manufacturer and the final consumer - the wholesale distributor and retailer. In a marketing channel, working with distributors and resellers creates more problems than it solves. This is because it is feared that intermediaries are interested in maximizing their profits and are not concerned about manufacturer's profits. To further this end, they prefer manufacturers with products and brands in high demand. Though this may be considered rational, it creates problems for manufacturers who are introducing new products in a new market. This forces the manufacturer to set-up a direct-distribution channel in international markets. Established companies, when entering international markets, choose emerging markets first. As they have limited exposure in these markets, they sell their products through local distributors who are independent in nature. Initially, though there can be a fast growth in sales, as the time passes, manufacturers start realizing and identifying problems with the distributors (Arnold,

Corporate Strategy of Emerson Electric ACP Company Case Study

Corporate Strategy of Emerson Electric ACP Company - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that profit pools are the highly relevant business strategy which analyzes organizational activities and managerial processes to provide the firms with the competitive advantage by creating a value chain for the product and services. According to Porter, the value chain comprises of five primary and four secondary activities. Primary activities are inbound and outbound logistics, operations, marketing and sales, and services. Secondary activities include procurement, human resource management, technology development, and infrastructure. The firm’s analysis of these factors helps it to develop the appropriate strategy to maintain its market position and gain the competitive advantage in the industry. Few of the various activities that the firm analyzes and then implements the changes to improve and improvise its performance outcome can be briefly described as under. The process facilitates the creation of effective logistics for the sup ply chain of raw materials and the network of wholesalers and distributors so that the quality goods and services can reach the consumers timely and efficiently. The core business strategy of any business heavily relies on the market and sales strategy that facilitates its products and services to meet the needs and requirements of the people at large. Competitive pricing and a strong market position are major business compulsions that are need driven. They use various types of marketing metrics in order to gauge the preferences of the people and help evaluate the strength and weaknesses in its strategies to improve its business performance.

Patterns Of Recidivism Related To Case Dispositions Of Thesis

Patterns Of Recidivism Related To Case Dispositions Of Alcohol-Impaired Driving Offenses. Harsher Punishment Means Less Recidivism Theory - Thesis Example This should act as a specific deterrence, whiche means that the offender is less likely to offend again. This is both because the greater charge will necessarily bring greater punishment, and the greater charge may be used to enhance penalties for future charges. If an offender pleads guilty to a driving while intoxicated, as opposed to pleading guilty to some other charge, like a driving while ability impaired, then that person has to contend with the harsher sentence of the DWI in comparison to the DWAI. He or she also has to contend with the consequences that radiate from this higher insurance rates, license revocation, etc. And, the offender must also know that, if he or she gets arrested again, he or she already has one DWI on his or her record, as opposed to having a DWAI on his or her record, so the penalties will be enhanced. Therefore, the basic premise of this study is that harsher penalties will result in less recidivism. The study at hand will hopefully illuminate whether this hypothesis is correct, as well as look at the effect that harsher penalties has on specific deterrence for the offender. Another basic premise is that plea bargaining to a lesser offense does not provide the proper deterrence to DWI offenders. The literature review will look at studies which shed light on this hypothesis, although whether or not harsher penalties, actually reduces recidivism or is the best method of reducing recidivism, is an open question. There are studies ( Moffatt & Poynton, 2007; Salzburg & Paulsrude, 1984; Yu, 1994) which state that harsher penalties do in fact reduce recidivism, but the literature also suggests that other methods may also reduce recidivism, perhaps to the extent that harsher penalties do or even more than harsher penalties. For instance, studies (Streff et al., 2001; Guerin & Pitts, 2002) suggest that a pre-trial diversion, which means that the offender does not plead guilty to any charge, but, rather, agrees to enter a rehabilitation p rogram and, upon successful completion, will have the charges against him dropped, are successful in preventing repeat offenders. Ignition interlock is another method which has shown promise in this regard(Popkin et al., 1992 ). Therefore, harsher penalties are not necessarily the final word on whether or not an offender recidivates, and the challenge of this study is to determine if the harsher penalties, and lack of plea bargaining, offers a better outcome for recidivism then do alternative methods. Literature Bolstering The Theory that Harsher Punishment Means Less Recidivism One of the theories regarding criminal recidivism is that it is generally reduced when the punishment is swift, certain, and severe (Moffatt & Poynton, 2007). However, it is unclear whether swift, certain, and severe punishment actually do deter repeat offenses. For instance, Nichols & Ross examined the literature surrounding whether actual incarceration results in less recidivism. They looked at several stu dies which tracked recividism rates for offenders who were incarcerated at either a general facility, like a jail or prison, or a special facility, such as an intensive treatment lockup. In reviewing these studies, Nichols & Ross found that, in five of the studies, there was no reduction in recividism. One study which found that traditional lockups did not reduce recividism, but special facilities did. One study which found that a traditional prison and a special facility showed no difference in recividism. And one study which found that incarceration reduced recividism for first-time offenders. Since

Ethical Lens Essay Example for Free

Ethical Lens Essay During the Ethical Lens Inventory exercise that I did, I learned that I do not really have a personal preferred ethical lens. I see the gifts and the weaknesses of each lens and I am able to move fluidly among them to adapt the right tools to each situation to assure the best outcome. I am able to use my reasoning skills to determine my duties, as well as the universal rules and the systems that will assure fairness and justice for everyone. I also listen to my intuition to determine the greatest good for each individual, as well as the virtues that will best serve the community. I have either a mature ability to use the right tools in a given situation or a paralyzed belief that everyone has a valid point. Although each of us has preferred lens, some who are ethically mature and able to use the tools of all the lenses, adapting them as appropriate in a given situation, test in the center of the grid. Others who test in the center of the grid actually have underdeveloped ethical skills. Those without skills tend to be paralyzed by their ability to see all sides and are too desperate to please everyone. I personally think I do more of the being desperate to please everyone than the not being able to see all sides of the situation. I was able to get this information from the exercise I did at: http://www. ethicsgame. com/Exec/Eli/EthicalLensResults. aspx? R=1 My Core Values are: Autonomy, Equality, Rationality and Sensibility. I value autonomy and equality equally and I value rationality and sensibility equally. My Classic Values are: Temperance, Prudence, Justice and Fortitude. I am able to manifest all four classic virtues depending on what the circumstances require. My Key Phrase is: â€Å"I make ethical choices for myself and others. † I am able to see myself and others clearly, therefore I do not make assumptions about why people act the way they do or how things should be done. My Definition of Ethical Behavior is: Doing the Right Thing. I tend to hold this high standard for myself but I do not judge others who fall short, so long as their intentions were honorable. My Tools for Analyzing Problems are: Reason, Experience, Authority and Tradition. I am comfortable using all available tools to analyze a problem. These can include critical thinking skills, reference to experts, my own past experience and the traditions of the community. My Gift to the community is balance among all four lenses, because I can see the benefits of each of the lenses and I can use the tools of all of them. The mature expression of this position has no blind spot. I am able to see both the strengths and the weaknesses of each lens and to harmonize the four core values of autonomy, equality, rationality and sensibility. Discernment comes with ethical maturity and provides direction in specific situations. My Risk is: Inaction. I run the risk of seeing everything and deciding nothing if I am not self-aware. As one who sees the legitimacy of everyone’s point of view, I am particularly prone to delay or outright inaction. My Temptation is: Superiority. Believing that my balanced vantage point gives me a superior ability to resolve ethical dilemmas, I may convince myself that I have all the answers and do not need any input from others. My Vice is: Insistence on Agreement. By insisting that everyone validate all points of view as I do before moving forward, I become tyrannical and may actually provoke dissenters into sabotaging the process as the only way they feel they can maintain the integrity of their different viewpoint. My Crisis is: Confusion. Unless I develop the practice of mindfulness and reflection, at some point I will become confused and find that I have lost my moral compass. The downside of being able to see everyone else’s perspective is that I can lose track of my own. My Seeing Clearly is: Listen to my heart; use my head; act with confidence. To see more clearly, I need to first consider the nature of the problem. Then I need to use both my head and my heart to discern which course of action will best manifest interdependence. Once I have assessed the ramifications of the various options, I will need to act with confidence and courage. Although there may be more than one way to resolve a problem, some actually are better than others. I think I could use my personal ethics to determine a course of action by knowing how I feel about the situation along with all the circumstances involving the situation.

Study on the Relationship Between Stress and Illness

Study on the Relationship Between Stress and Illness Symptoms of stress can be evident in different ways including physically, emotionally or mentally. This is dependent on what is causing the stress to occur. Physical A stressful situation can cause the body to display various symptoms including tension headaches, inability to sleep, raised blood pressure, problems with the digestive system, nervousness, alopecia, and strokes. A cause of physical stress could be a car accident or starvation such as that associated with eating disorders. Emotional Stress which affects the mind can cause emotional responses such as anxiety, depression and irritability, inability to cope with day to day situations, memory loss and an inability to concentrate. Emotional stress could be caused by a bereavement. Mental A person who experiences long term stress may develop psychological problems. This can manifest as social isolation, phobias, compulsive behaviours and eating disorders such as over eating for comfort. Mental stress can be caused by the person having a bad day at work. Stressors, the cause of stress, can be described as situations that are experienced as a perceived threat to ones wellbeing or position in life, when the challenge of dealing with which, exceeds the persons perceived available resources. When a person experiences stressors the body responds with fight or flight. This reaction triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol which increase the heart rate and decrease the digestion rate. The bodys blood supply is diverted to the large muscles providing a burst of energy and strength. The reaction lasts for the duration of the perceived danger and the body returns to normal. The reaction may not completely diminish in someone experiencing chronic stress which can lead to long term health problems. The general adaptation syndrome (GAS) was described by Hans De Selye during the 1920s. It is the short and long term reaction of the body to stress and is a three stage process. The first stage of GAS is called the alarm reaction. During this stage the fight or flight response is activated within the body as an immediate reaction to the stressful situation. This response can lead to the person being susceptible to illness due to their immune system being suppressed. The second stage of GAS is called adaptation. Continued stress causes the body to adapt to the cause of stress to reduce the effects on the body. This could be the situation for someone with an eating disorder whose body adapts to absorb the maximum nutrients from the food eaten or to conserve energy. The third stage of GAS is called exhaustion where the body has been exposed to a stressor for a prolonged period of time and is no longer able to deal with the stress. The result in the body could be severe limitation in the ability of the immune system to fight disease and the person may experience cardiac arrest. The general adaptation syndrome identifies three stages of reaction to stressful situations an individual may experience. This theory identifies that the more prolonged the exposure to stress is the more severe the reaction is in terms of their health. A strength of GAS is that if an individual is aware of the processes involved they will be able to seek help before their symptoms become life threatening. This would rely on the person being able to identify that intervention is needed at the earliest opportunity. A limitation of the theory is that whilst identifying the stages a person may experience it does not offer any solutions to alleviate the stress. Friedman and Rosenman (1974) identified two types of personality relating to how individuals respond to stress. Type A personalities were identified as being impatient, competitive, ambitious, aggressive they may also experience difficulty in relaxing. A person with Type B personality was identified as being less driven, more easy-going, patient and able to relax. Friedman and Rosenman carried out research over 8 years monitoring the health and lifestyle of 3500 healthy men. The study concluded that a person with Type A personality had a significantly increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. This study showed that the population can be divided into two distinct groups of personality traits. A persons reaction to stress is according to this study directly related to the personality type the person has. This theory is limited by the need to know the personality type a person is in order to identify if they are at an increased risk of developing health concerns related to stress. An advantage of this theory is that by being aware of the personality type strategies can be put into place to prevent stress from causing health problems. Brady (1958) conducted a behavioural stress study on monkeys. The monkeys were paired and strapped into chairs before being given electric shocks every 20 seconds. Each monkey had levers and lights which warned them of the imminent shock. One monkey the executive was able to use a lever to prevent the shock from being administered. The other monkey yoked was not able to control the shock. The executive monkey experienced stress in having to press the lever at the correct time. Brady found that over a period of time the executive monkeys developed gastric ulcers and may have died however the yoked monkeys did not develop ulcers as they did not experience the same level of stress due to their behaviour not influencing the administration of the shock. This study was conducted on monkeys not humans who may have reacted differently to the stressor the executive monkeys were exposed to. The response in humans might not have been so severe in that they may not have died. The study was not concerned with the welfare of the monkeys used. The limitation of this study is that by conducting it on monkeys it is not necessarily accurate to relate the results to human stress as the results could have been different. An advantage of this study could be that forced behaviour has been identified as a cause of stress which can cause health issues. Marmot et al (1997) conducted research into a cognitive approach to stress. The aim of the study was to establish if a lack of control in the workplace caused an increase in the occurrence of stress related illness. The research was conducted over a period of three years using over 10,000 civil servants. Self report questionnaires were completed to assess the level of job control the participants had. There were also assessments carried out by personnel managers. The researchers then compared the results to incidence of stress related illness. The study found that workers with less work control were at a significant increased risk of dying from a heart attack than those with more control. The workers with less control were also found to be more likely to have other stress related illnesses. A limitation of this research into a cognitive approach to stress is that the study focussed on one specific group of workers whilst the results indicated that stress related illness increased among those with the least control in the work environment the study does not identify if this is true for the entire population. An advantage is that the study could be applied and repeated in other workplaces to identify if there is a lack of control felt by employees. This would allow employers to increase the level of control with the aim of preventing stress related illnesses. In conclusion it is possible that all areas discussed show how stress can affect us and can cause illness as a result. Stress caused through a combination of cognitive and behavioural factors creates physiological symptoms which in turn have a harmful effect on our body. The human body is able to adapt to a certain level of stress however if the stress continues long term it can have a disastrous effect on the body.

Barbie Essay -- essays papers

Barbie Since the beginning of time, toys have often been an indicator of the way a society behaves, and how they interact with their children. For example, in ancient Greece, artifacts recovered there testify that children were simply not given toys to play with as in the modern world. The cruel ritual of leaving a sick child on a hillside for dead, seems to indicate a lack of attention to the young (Lord 16). The same is true of today’s society. As you can see with the number of toy stores in our society, we find toys of great value to our lives and enjoy giving them to children as gifts. Ask just about any young girl what she wants for Christmas and you’ll undoubtedly get the same answer: â€Å"A Barbie.† But what exactly has caused this baby boomer Barbie craze, and how did the entire world get so caught up in it? The answer lies in Ruth Handler’s vision for the first children’s adult doll. Mrs. Handler’s eleven and one-half-inch chunk of plastic began causing problems even before it’s public debut in 1959, yet has managed to become one of America’s favorite dolls. Ruth Handler and her two young children, Barbara and Ken, were merely sightseeing in Lucerne, Switzerland, when Mrs. Handler first saw the doll she herself had been trying to create (Lord 29). In the window of a small gift shop was an eleven and one-half-inch tall plastic doll with a slender woman’s body and a long blond ponytail. Her name was Lilli (â€Å"Bad Girl† 1). She had been created from a cartoon character in a West German tabloid similar to the National Inquirer (Lord 8). Dressed provocatively, and with a seductive look in her eye, Lilli had become a â€Å"popular pornographic gag gift for men† (â€Å"Bad Girl† 1). Excited to see her long-time idea a reality, Mrs. Handler bought three of the dolls and hurried home to begin work on her own doll (â€Å"Bad Girl† 2). It was 1956, and within three years, Mattel Creations began marketing the â€Å"teenage fashion model† as â€Å"a new kind of doll from real life† (Tosa 30). The new doll, deemed â€Å"Barbie†, was named after her own daughter Barbara, who’s many years of play with paper dolls had actually inspired her to begin designing the three-dimensional adult doll (Lord 30). Though Mrs. Handler’s version of the doll was not as racy or alluring as Lilli, her imitation of the â€Å"German streetwalker† would come back to haunt her many years later (†Bad ... ...body and a new focus, she has plans to become even more spectacular with many new adventures and many new friends. Barbie’s new look includes a wider waist, smaller hips, a less â€Å"torpedo-like† bust, and flat rather than pointy-toed feet (â€Å"Bad Girl† 3). She is also playing an active role in new research in prosthetics. Jane Bahor, a woman who makes replacement body parts, had experimented with the plastic knee joints in Barbie’s legs. She has found that they work well as prosthetic fingers for her patients because they â€Å"are more realistic-looking and useful†. So far, Bahor has provided the replacement joints for more than a dozen of her patients and has been extremely successful in her studies (â€Å"Bad Girl† 27). As Barbie gets ready to turn the big 4-2, it is unreal to think that she has completed her last makeover. No doubt that as time changes and people’s attitudes towards life change, this timely doll will also be forced to adjust to the needs of society. With more than 75 successful careers, her own official website, and a namesake magazine, this little doll has become more than a child’s plaything. Whether we love her or hate her, she will always be a part of us all.

Bus Boycott Essay -- essays research papers

During the first half of the twentieth century segregation was the way of life in the south. It was an excepted, and even though it was morally wrong, it still went on as if there was nothing wrong at all. African-Americans were treated as if they were a somehow sub-human, they were treated because of the color of their skin that somehow, someway they were different. In the south it was almost impossible to find any aspect of life that was not segregated. The schools were segregated and the restaurants were segregated. There was â€Å"Colored Only† bathrooms, and â€Å"Colored Only† drinking fountains and segregation was definitely present in public transportation. Martin Luther King Jr. could not have said it better when he addressed the massive crowd at the first meeting of Montgomery Improvement Association and said, â€Å" . . . we are here, we are here because we are tired now.†1 On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks, a seamstress who lived in Montgomery, Al, refused to give her seat up to a white man who had nowhere to sit on the bus. Because she would not move to the back of the bus, she was arrested for violating the Alabama bus segregation laws. Rosa was thrown in jail and fined fourteen dollars. Enraged by Mrs. Parks arrest the black community of Montgomery united together and organized a boycott of the bus system until the city buses were integrated. The black men and women stayed of the buses until December 20, 1956, almost thirteen months after the boycott their goal was reached. The Montgomery Bus Boycott can be considered a major turning point in the Civil Rights Movement because it made Martin Luther King Jr. public leader in the movement, starting point for non-violent protest as an effective tool in the fight for civil rights, showed that African-Americans united for a cause could stand up to segregation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being president of the Montgomery Improvement Association taught Martin Luther the skills and gave the exposure to become a great leader of a movement as large as the civil rights movement. The thing that Martin Luther King is remembered most for was his oratory skills. M.L.K was a master speaker and his speeches and the greatness of them will always live on forever. His Speaking style has been compared to such great people as Gandhi, Jesus and Fredrick Douglass because he knew how to dramatize the truth.2 This is evident when he... ... the Bus Boycott Martin Luther King Jr. went on to become the leader of civil rights movement and the one who the most closely associated to the civil rights movement. Some many things have happened because of Martin Luther King Jr. and everything involved with the boycott. Just think, it all would have never happened if one person, Mrs. Rosa Parks, would have let that the bus driver trample over her and not stand up for what she know is right.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Martin Luther King Jr’s book, Stride Towards Freedom, he sums up the whole boycott very nicely. â€Å"The Story of Montgomery us the story of 50,00 Negroes who were willing to substitute tired feet for tired souls and walk the streets of Montgomery until the walls of segregation were finally battered by the forces of justice.†5 End Notes 1Taylor Branch Parting the Water: America in the King Years, 1954-1963 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988) 140 2Lerone Bennett Jr. Before The Mayflower: A History of Black America (New York: Johnson Publishing Company, 1969) pg. 314. 3Branch 139 4 Branch 143 5 Juan Williams, Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965 (New York: Viking Penguin Inc., 1987) 89

The Success of The Woman in Black as a Ghost Story Essay -- The Woman

The Success of The Woman in Black as a Ghost Story Susan Hill believes that the ghost depends on 'atmosphere' and 'a sense of place'. However, a believable storyline and characters does help bring out the atmosphere and place. 'The Woman in Black' is about a man, Arthur Kipps. He is the narrator throughout the novel. Arthur Kipps tells his most haunting revelation that had happened to him, and how by writing his story as a novel, it was hoping to help exorcise the ghost that still haunts him. He tells the story of when he was a junior solicitor and, how he was ordered by his firm's partner to travel up from London to attend a funeral and then sort out the papers of the dead woman. While in Crythin Gifford he glimpses a young woman with a wasted face, dressed all in black. He sees her at the back of the church during Mrs Drablow's funeral, and again later in the graveyard to one side of Eel Marsh House. He is the only one that appears to see her. However, soon the lady in black slowly reveals herself to him, as is her purpose. The first passage is extracted from the chapter 'Across the Causeway'. The first sighting that Arthur Kipps has with the woman in black is in the churchyard after Mrs Drablow's funeral. Susan Hill picks the right place to have Arthur Kipps' first sighting of the woman in black. She has the setting in a churchyard. When the reader comes across 'churchyard' you get the image of fear and decay. Using this Susan Hill goes into describing the churchyard in detail 'Ahead, where the wall ended in a heap of dust and rubble, lay the grey water of the estuary'. Susan Hill makes the image very precise. She also uses distinct contrast, 'across the tall grasses, and wild flowers of white and ... ...' the question Arthur is asking himself 'why is it rocking?' He is asking himself as well as the reader. 'someone has just got out of it' However Arthur is the only one in the house. There is a sense of unease as the windows are all closed so no one can get out. Susan Hill makes the readers ask themselves questions why? Who could it be? She keeps the reader in suspense. Susan Hill Believes that a good ghost story depends on the 'atmosphere' and 'a sense of place'. There are many points which a good ghost story should have unfamiliarity, a mystery, description and much more. However I personally believe that without a believable characters and storyline there is no basis of having atmosphere or a sense of place. So overall, yes a ghost story does depend on 'atmosphere' and 'a sense of place' but it must contain a believable story line with characters.

My Belief System

A belief system is the combination of thoughts, opinions, or convictions on the most profound questions of life. What is a human being? What is the meaning and purpose of life? What is righteous behavior and what is sinful? Why is so much suffering caused and does it have any purpose? How can a greater and lasting happiness be found in life? What happens at death? What happens thereafter? Is there anything such as judgment? Will the righteous be rewarded? Such are the questions that weigh heavily upon any person seeking a deeper meaning of life, and possibly the way to salvation.They are no easy self-evident answers to these questions. One cannot come to any clear-cut conclusions to these questions using thinking and analysis, although philosophers do try to do so. The ultimate questions of life belong to the dimension of metaphysics, and have to be largely accepted as a matter of belief or faith. The articles of a believer's religious faith are not conclusions derived by ratiocinati ve, discriminating mind. Mind has little to do with them, they are more related to the heart and the soul of a person.For example, the existence of soul itself is not something one can infer from rational analysis or physical dissection. Yet the existence of soul is central to nearly every religious belief system on the earth. Logical thinking cannot make anything of such a belief. Similarly, the presence of God is something beyond the reach of human mind to comprehend. Yet, a belief in God is again the core of nearly every religious belief system. I myself follow a deeply Christian belief system that is founded upon the Glory of God and the mystery of His creation.When we enter the domain of a religious system, we have to leave the mind behind and follow the voice of the heart. I believe that we should follow a belief system not because our parents followed it or the people around us follow it, but simply because there is a resonance between the elements of that particular religiou s thinking and oneself. Of course, usually one finds this special affinity to the religious tradition one is born into, and that is the case with me too.I am a Protestant Christian and I find that the Protestants have a direct and intimate approach to religion. I am at home among Protestant Christians and particularly in my church and denomination, the Baptist Christians. Though I myself belong to the Baptist church, and have certain strong convictions concerning theological/metaphysical matters in accordance to my particular belief system, I try to regard other denominations and even faiths with an open mind. I believe that deep down, the religious impulse of men and women all over the world is the same.Further, the courage or abstractness of thought needed to allow the heart to believe in completely unseen things is also more or less the same, although I acknowledge the fact that in a majority of cases, religious belief are just a matter of custom which do not have serious implica tions in a person’s life. But when religion is taken seriously, the essential nature of divergent belief systems can be the same though the contents differ, sometimes radically as between Eastern pantheistic religions and the strictly monotheistic Judeo-Christian religion.I believe that God’s mystery is so great that it can perhaps equally validate widely differing religious belief systems. Let me offer a relevant example here from the world of physics: an electron can be a particle and also a wave at the same time. Common sense tells us that something cannot be a particle and a wave at the same time, surely that is impossible in the very nature of things — and yet in reality it can happen and in fact this is how things are. Similarly, God’s mystery can be so vast that it can accommodate two or more apparently conflicting metaphysical viewpoints.Thus, almost paradoxically, although I am strong believer in the tenets of my own faith, I do not fanatically o r arrogantly claim or even think that my denomination, my sect, my religion, is exclusively correct and all others wrong. I believe that ultimately, the mystery of God cannot be contained by any particular belief system. I also believe that more than the specific doctrines of a belief system, what is more important is the passionate intensity of the believer in God, whatever may be the name of the God. I believe in the efficacy of prayer and the total need to feel personally connected to the divinity of God.To me, that divinity is represented in the image of Jesus Christ. As everyone knows, Baptists insist that one has to fully accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as a personal conscious choice, not as just a matter of course. The event of Baptism marks this choice or decision. Although all Christians follow the ceremony of Baptism, and I respect that, I personally think (and not simply because I myself am a Baptist) that such a most sacred event in one’s life which confirm s one’s personal relationship to God cannot be simply imposed on children who are not mature enough to make decisions for themselves.Making Baptism into a matter of tradition and custom, instead of being a reflection of the most deeply heart-felt conviction is trivializing it. And I am proud that I am born into a particular system of faith that recognizes this and places so much importance on the act of being â€Å"born again. † For me, being born again is not just a matter of belief of doctrine, but a tremendous inspiration at every step of my life. I also personally believe that being â€Å"born again† is not a one-time event associated with Baptism and does not end with it, in fact it only begins with it.One has to be born again and again in spirit. One’s faith in God has to be renewed, rejuvenated and reaffirmed every day, only then the stream of faith can be kept flowing instead of becoming frozen. The belief in God, after all, is not simply a matter of belief — anyone can believe anything, and it does not make much difference; what makes the difference is the living energy and intensity that goes into prayer which forms a personal connection between the soul and God. There are numerous distinctive tenets in the Baptist faith that are the result of a well-grounded biblical, theological reasoning.However, as I mentioned already, ultimately belief goes beyond reasoning, in its intensity and authenticity it even transcends the particular forms and structures it outwardly conforms to. Let me reiterate the fact that religion is a personal heart-to-heart affair between the soul and God. It is more like a love relationship than a particular type of world-view. The religious quest begins with questions such as what is the meaning of life, what happens after death and so on. A belief system provides or is supposed to provide answers for them. But how do I know that they are true, and absolutely true?In this context, people usuall y say that that is the meaning of â€Å"belief† – one accepts a certain element of belief as a matter of faith rather than a demonstrable fact of knowledge. I agree to that entirely. But I would like to go a little further. To me, my particular belief system does not provide all the answers to all the questions, such as why innocent children have often to suffer so cruelly, or why millions of people are dying in Africa from hunger and disease. In a world governed by a compassionate and infinitely wise God, how can such and so many other atrocious things happen constantly and everywhere?There are no easy answers. My belief-system does not provide satisfactory answers to these questions, but my personal faith in the wisdom and power of God allays my questioning mind. There are no clear and distinct answers, but the questions themselves become amorphous and disappear in the burning intensity of one’s faith. To have faith in God means to have faith that whatever is happening, is happening for certain reason, though it may not be easy for us to comprehend God’s ways. To a praying heart, ultimately, the one answer it needs is found in the joy and upliftment to be found in the act of prayer.

Developing Yourself as an Effective Human Resource Practitione Essay

The CIPD developed a map depicting the HR profession that signifies the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed by those in HR and Learning and Development professionals. The two inner core professional areas in the HRPM, Strategy Insights and Solutions and Leading HR, requires a deep understanding of the business activities, strategies and plans to drive business performance through the delivery of human resource strategy and solutions. Leading HR in particular focuses on the organisation requirements and that human resources employees are fully engaged, working collaboratively and all understand the drivers that create value within the organisation. Both of these core areas are to be reflected within all HR roles at any stage of a successful HR career regardless of location or working within an organisation or alongside one. The other 8 professional areas identify the knowledge and skills required within each band level to provide specialist HR assistance. There are 4 band levels, each band level signifies professional competence and is linked to the professional areas within said band level at every stage of the professionals HR career. To progress from one band to another there are three transitional pathways that identify what the professional must follow in order to progress. There are 8 behavioural areas clustered into 3 groups that identify how professionals at the relevant band level in their career need to carry out their duties and make a contribution to their organisations success. They include; Band One; Personally Credible; Builds a reliable reputation using experience and expertise and does so with integrity and in an objective manner. Collaborative; Works effectively with colleagues, customers, and individuals both within and outside of the organisation. Driven to deliver; Demonstrates a strong work ethic, consistent in their duties and take accountability for delivery of results. Plans, prioritises, monitors performance and holds others accountable for delivery. Band Two; Advises on and manager HR related issues and has a clear understanding of the evaluation process. Whilst at band two, the professional will demonstrates the Personally Credible and Driven to Deliver Behaviour Areas seen in Band One while also demonstrating other Behaviour Areas; Courage to Challenge and Skilled Influencer. Courage to Challenge; Shows confidence and courage to speak and challenges others when confronted with unfamiliar circumstances. Skilled Influencer; Demonstrates the ability to influence and to gain commitment and support form a wide range of diverse stakeholders for the organisation benefit. Band Three; Requires the professional to show a high understanding of the Behaviour Areas Courage to Challenge and Skilled Influencer. These are to be demonstrated at an expert level before progressing to the band level 4. The professional has the skills to lead in a Behavioural area and addresses key HR challenges at an organisational level. Band Four; Professionals are required to be an expert in their field, lead and manage the professional area or the organisational responsible for developing and delivering organisational and HR strategy. The professional is required to cover 3 Behavioural areas; Role Model, Curious and Decisive Thinker. Role Model; leading by example and implying sound personal judgement in all interactions. Curious; Demonstrates an active interest in the internal and external environment, shows a willingness to learn and active in the development of self and others and organisation levels and individual. Decisive Thinker; Demonstrates the ability to analyse information quickly and constructively to make defendable decisions using knowledge, experience and personal judgement. As a learner just starting out my HR career my experience and knowledge is limited and I believe to sit at Band One on the HRPM. Band One supports colleagues with administration duties and effectively manages data and is customer driven. The Professional Areas suited for Band One insure that all people within the organisation possess and develop the skills and knowledge to progress not only within the organisation, but their career by becoming motivated to learn, grow and perform. High performance within the organisation is promoted by rewards that are equitable and cost effective, given when rewarding skills, capabilities, performance and experience. While Band One focuses primarily on Performance and Reward and Learning and Talent Development as professional areas, the HRPM also depicts that the behaviours at Band One level are to be achieved. These include; Personally Credible, Collaborative and Driven to Deliver. The two core Professional Areas (Strategy Insights and Solutions and Learning and Talent Development) are at the very heart of any HR professional and should be the core values of any professional undertaking a HR career or an expert in their field.

The effect of a net economy

In order to arrive at a better understanding of what a net-economy is and how it stresses the relevance of software, it is first important to discuss the concept of a net-economy.   Net-economy is basically defined as a digital network that allows for the transfer of information from one source to another.This transfer has a value that then creates its own economy that takes advantage of the different electronic platforms that exist between parties.   It is also an economy that takes advantage of the development of information technology.   This brief discourse shall attempt to highlight the relevance of software in this growing economy and how it has changed the way by which business is conducted by shifting from people based focus to software dependent methods.The effect of a net economy can be seen clearly through the impact that the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry has had on certain economies.The reason for this is that BPOs have opened up the world markets and has shown that, according to Friedman, there really is a flat world that allows the factors of production, in this instance information, to flow from one part of the world to another.   In his book entitled The Flat World, Friedman has cited the information exchange and the net-economy as one of the major forces that is currently changing the way businesses are run on a global level.This recognition of the net-economy has now stressed the importance of software to its success.   As Friedman elaborates, the impact of this is that software or the means through which information is transferred becomes more important than the people.The success of the net-economy is now dependent on the speed and velocity by which information can be processed from the source to the market.   Presently, most of the companies that are based in 1st World Countries that are engaged in IT require specialized talent, which can be found in other developing countries, in order to function.The depletion of talented individuals and workers is now forcing these companies to search for the required technical assistance in other talent rich countries located outside of the developed countries such the United States, such as India and China.   Without software, there is no way by which this information or talent can be accessed, it becomes increasingly important, therefore, to ensure that there is enough software to support the net-economy.The main contribution or impact that software has had with regard to the economic aspect is that the net-economy has greatly increased the relative wages that individuals now receive with those engaged in the IT sector earning relatively more in the present than ever.The salary range for programmers in other countries is significantly lower than that of most developed countries with a higher standard of living and therefore even by relocating the entire business process to other countries and factoring in the movement costs and expenses, the companies that resort to outsourcing still save more than they would if they chose to continue all business operations in the developed countries.This means that people as a cost of doing business is a factor that can be changed and is now variable.   This also signifies that software development is quite integral to this process because it allows businesses to relocate the variable factors without a decrease in productivity.In a very serious, competitive environment, companies have to concentrate on their core competency and they want to outsource everything and reduce cost and therefore the world is seeing the trend toward offshore outsourcing increasing.As technology continues to improve and the business world becomes more and more competitive, the growing role of a net-economy becomes crucial.   Yet in order for the net-economy to take full advantage of the situation it needs to lay the infrastructure for such which lies in the information technology development and software.The prom ise of increased velocity for information transfer between business units and lower costs can only be achieved with the establishment and creation of this technology backbone.   Therefore, while people, as a business resource, are important, in a net-economy the key to survival and to remaining competitive lies in the software.

The Role of Relative Isolation in the African Continent

The concept of relative isolation when talking about the African continent is determined by the cultures and the way the people lived in this time. Relative isolation played a major role in the diversity of the cultures on the African continent. When certain things went wrong in these societies, they had to adapt and change what they were doing to make it work and not get killed off or wiped out as a whole. As said in our lecture, people create labor, which creates surplus. Then when there is surplus (food) in the society, then this creates specialists.All of these things occur when things are going well for the people. But this was not always the case. This relative isolation also caused many problems for these societies and civilizations. When these people were isolated as they were, it makes it very difficult for them to escape things that happened at these times like climate change and many diseases, such as Malaria and malnutrition. This occurred on both a macro and micro level. On a micro level of relative isolation, such as smaller civilizations, problems such as disease and malnutrition were reoccurring issues.But relative isolation was not always a bad thing for these smaller civilizations and societies. It helped them become stationary with a certain group of people that they would eventually build cultures around consisting of customs and laws, as stated in the lecture. The more people and labor they had, the more food they had. This seems like a good plan in theory, but when a severe climate change occurs and they lose crops, or a disease comes through and kills half of their civilization, it is very difficult for them to escape these deadly problems and thrive as a whole.When they are all isolated in a small area, it is virtually impossible to prevent things like that from happening. It is also very difficult when these things occur, and the people left have to migrate as a whole. For example, as stated in Civilizations of Black Africa, â€Å"It h as very often happened in Africa that a society migrates, and moves, for example from the forest to the savanna. † It happened often to these societies and sometimes they were not able to thrive in the new environment like they once were. On a macro level of relative isolation, the African continent is isolated geographically and because of its climate.The seas and deserts around them did not allow them to expand and learn the ways of other thriving cultures and societies. The climate also added to the isolation because of the heavy rainfall. Many places were not suited for the crops they needed. More and more people were coming about, and not enough food was being made. These factors, as well as diseases made the African continent relatively isolated. Diseases were frequent, food was scarce at times, and the climate was incredibly hard to deal with when it came to trying to provide for your civilization.

Option Pricing Model in Valuing a Company in the Context of Pfizer Dissertation

Option Pricing Model in Valuing a Company in the Context of Pfizer - Dissertation Example His constant guidance and positive attention helped researcher to concentrate more on the research topic. The researcher would also like to thank his other professors for acting as a support system when required along with helping and guiding when needed and required. The support and cooperation of the University in allowing access to the library helped in referring to different study materials that further help in understanding the research topic in a sound manner. The researcher would also like to thank his family for being there as a strong support system often guiding and supporting along with enhancing the level of motivation and excitement through kind and positive feedback. The researcher feels blessed to have friends who not only shared their views and opinions on the research topic bust also brainstormed to add more value to the research topic. Overall, the researcher would like to acknowledge the efforts and support of everyone playing an important role in the entire resear ch process. Without the support and cooperation of above mentioned people, the research would have been an aimless journey lacking depth and understanding. The researcher expresses his deep gratitude for all the support and guidance along with being thankful to everyone for being so kind and supportive throughout the research journey. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1.Introduction 4 1.1 Introduction to the Research Topic 4 1.2 Research Aims and Objectives/ Questions 5 1.3 Scope of the Research 6 1.4 Rationale for the Research Topic 7 1.5 Limitations of the Research 8 1.6 Methodology 9 1.7 An Overview of Pfizer 10 1.8 Summary 11 Chapter2.0 Literature Review 12 2.1 Introduction 12 2.2 An Overview of Options 12 2.3 Types of Options 14 2.4 Factors Affecting Options 16 2.5 Application of Option Pricing Model 18 2.6 Option Pricing Model in Real World 19 2.7 Option Pricing Model and Historical Data 20 2.8: Summary 21 Section 3.0 Research Methodology 22 3.1 Introduction 22 3.2 Research Philosophy 22 3.3 Research Approach 23 3.4 Data Collection Methods 23 3.5 Data Analysis Methods 24 3.6 Ethical Considerations 24 3.7. Strengths of the Methodology 25 3.8: Limitations of the Methodology 25 Chapter 4.0 Findings and Analysis 26 4.1 Introduction 26 4.2 Value based Management 26 4.3: Economic Value Added 28 4.4: Market Value Added 29 4.5: Option Pricing Models 30 4.6: General Findings 32 4.7: Summary 34 Chapter 5.0 Conclusion and Recommendations 35 5.1 Introduction 35 5.2 Conclusion 35 5.3: Recommendations for Future Research 36 5.4: Recommendations for Pfizer 36 5.5: Reflection 37 5.6 Summary 37 BIBLIOGRAPHY 38 CHAPTER-1.0: INTRODUCTION 1.1: Introduction to the Research Topic Business environments have always been unpredictable and hard to understand and therefore, it becomes important to understand the intricacies of business environments and financial concepts that will help in understanding the growth and development of organsiations. In finance, the time value of assets and o rgansiations is calculated through the analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic values that vary in a great manner (Aswath, 2008). In finance, the concept of â€Å"Option† is defined as a derivative financial instrument specifying a contract between two parties for a future transaction revolving around an asset at a reference price (Aswath, 2008) In today’s time, the concept of option pricing has emerged as a safeguarding tool for a number of organsiations willing to

IT Oversight Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IT Oversight - Case Study Example Consequently, these issues have created greater demand for the organizations to adopt effective IT governance and address the issue of oversight in order to effectively deal with the emerging issues. Presently, companies are identified to face problems in the area of IT governance and oversight framework with respect to proper management and maintenance of existing IT infrastructure. Additionally, companies fail to understand the importance of IT in formulating organizational strategies. Due to increased complication associated with management of IT infrastructure, companies are witnessed to be challenged with ensuring reliability, security and quality of the existing IT system which are deemed to be important for carrying out the day- to-day operations of a company. Companies lacking knowledge about IT infrastructure are unaware regarding software, information and hardware that are owned and implemented, which in return is affecting the companies from leveraging the best outcome from their IT investment. The failure of companies to review reliability and security measures has led to service disruption. There is also the issue of inappropriate project management system owing to which companies are identified to face problems in tracking inventory, orders and revenues. A number of organizations are also identified to face IT-related issue in relation to the implementation of legacy system. Inappropriateness of legacy system adversely affects accounting department of companies in updating as well as accounting financial information and other relevant data due to which data might become out-of-date. Companies are also under the threat of legal problem of intellectual property which in turn is causing a rise in distraction costs and affecting business inefficiency (Nolan & McFarlan, 2005). Companies are required to develop a matrix based on which the management might be able to determine the position of the

Chinese Birth Control Policy and gender discrimination Research Paper

Chinese Birth Control Policy and gender discrimination - Research Paper Example On the other hand, opponents of this policy have criticized the legislatures claim, and they argue that this policy had violated human rights especially when married couples are forced to an perform abortion or forced to use birth control methods. Additionally, in its approach towards population control, Chinese government has been established to discriminate against women. For instance, a report released by a United Nations Agency indicated that nobody in China reports cases of sex selective abortions, prohibition of infanticide and abandonment of female infants (Goh 15). In the current world, China has the highest population of over 1.2 billion, or 20 percent of the world’s population (Goh 57). However, the ratio between male and female is 120 males to 100 female (Goh 57). As the Chinese population control remains a significant issue in the Chinese government, the search for demographic goals has overshadowed the needs and interests of women and girls. This has led to seriou s discrimination against women in offices, abuse by officials and civil servants, and use of physical violence against women (Thoma 24). For instance, in many Chinese communities, women and girls are forced to be sterilized or use contraceptives, as a birth control method. ... ited for a number of significant achievements such as its international influence, huge and powerful military, its role in the free-market capitalism, and its growing prosperity. However, the issue of â€Å"One-Child policy†, which it introduced in the last three decades, still remains as a controversial issue, in the Chinese government. Communist Party officials insisted that they had to check population growth rate, and reduce the population to 1.2 billion by the year 2000 (Thoma 9). In 1980, the party officials also announced that several couples will not be allowed to have more than one child, with the exception of some few individuals. Earlier in 1949, after decades of war, unrest and epidemics, which were perceived as economic boom, Mao Zedong claimed â€Å"Even if China’s population multiplies many times, she is fully capable of finding a solution; the solution is production† (Thoma 43). Mao’s main motive was that a larger population was a necessity for a modern industrialized state. After some years of economic growth and prosperity, Chinese legislatures realized that the growing population was almost overtaking the country’s food supply. In 1955, several political leaders, led by Deng, reversed Mao’s claim, and vigorously campaigned to promote birth control. In 1962, a massive famine hit China, and over 30 million people were pronounced dead. This made political leaders to intense their campaign for population control, and between 1970 and 1976, the China’s population had dropped by half the initial population (Thoma 56). China’s â€Å"One-Child† Policy In the aftermath, a policy that required married couples, especially from Han community, to give birth to one child was introduced. This policy, however, exempted ethnic minorities. Under the

Business Aspect of Social Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Aspect of Social Networking - Essay Example However, the higher levels of enthusiasm shown by people in the interesting features and entertainment potential of such sites bring about negative trends in the new generation in some areas of their expectations. This essay looks deep into the influential changes of social networking trends and their merits and demerits in the individual lives and education of the new generation and those affecting the modern world. Advantages of social networking sites In the technology-driven social life today, anything that promises guaranteed effort to time-saving aspects takes a step higher than any other benefit science can bring to man. Social networking sites such as facebook, twitter, likedin and Google+ offer extensive scope for sharing ideas by connecting people from wherever there is internet. Especially, facebook has a vast scope of promoting business through its banners and paid pages for advertisements apart from the usual walls. The scope of facebook today is unlimited for the busine ss enterprises, especially for its amazing popularity. According to Westwood (2011, p. 95), facebook, which was started primarily as a student based networking now has grown a social networking site with growing opportunities for companies for setting up their own dedicated site as facebook groups or for creating applications or company advertisements. Similarly, other sites such as twitter, Myspace and Likedin etc contribute their own share in the field of benefits to the business society. The most noticeable element of these sites is their immediate access to an open public and the easiest solution to the quest for a review of new proposals of companies and organisers of events. In most contexts, the success ratio can be predicted from the digitalised review of the advertisers’ views by the readers on facebook and thereby necessary changes can be made in the actual presentation. In the field of education, social networking and internet access at home and school has proved s ubstantially good for the students’ career excellence. Effective use of such websites allocate for combined study times and online updating of current status of learning among classmates. Some of the groups formed by students themselves can act as a group learning virtual classroom and work accordingly for better results. More interestingly, the BBC reports (Coughlan, 2009) reveal that the approval of facebook use in the campus reduced drop-out numbers and students are becoming more enthusiastic to learning by sharing information among co-students and teachers regarding their curriculum based assignments. Even for the people, the entry of social networking sites as the greatest means to plan their daily activities and getting connected among similar interest groups for obtaining information on politics, travel, health and entertainment apart from their purchase needs. Challenges of social networking sites Social networking sites are worthy of connecting people and their ideas beyond imaginable limits. However, they pose serious threats to personal as well as organisational objectives if they are not