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General Strike of 1926 Causes and Impact

General Strike of 1926 Causes and Impact A general strike is the point at which a gathering of laborers from various ventures all stop wo...

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Aristotles Doctrine of the Mean - 1242 Words

In this essay we will discuss and analyze Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean. This topic area can be found in Book II, page 888, 6—15, through 890, 25. The purpose for Aristotle touching on this subject matter was to discern the states of character which are virtuous from those which are not. By this, I mean he is attempting to categorize which virtues are causal of a human â€Å"to be in a good state and to perform their functions well†(888—15). In order to keep this paper orderly and comprehensible, we will work in chronological order through Aristotle’s variety of premises and conclusions which lead to his main idea which is ––––––––––––. Aristotle begins his discussion on deficiency, intermediate, and excess by introducing what he is†¦show more content†¦We can prove this by looking at the opposite situation and reducing it down to an absurdity. Suppose o ne is dining in a fine restaurant. Also suppose the perfect amount of steak to eat relative to him is 3 ounces and he orders a steak of the finest quality but the portion served is 6 ounces. 6 ounces in this case is considered excess and 0 ounces considered deficient. He should restrict eating the entire portion for if he did he may feel excessively full and therefore the steak which was once the finest now seems to him the worst. If he did not eat any at all he would not accomplish his goal of nursing himself. It seems so then that deficiency or excess may also cause one to be in a state of false reality. This concept is what Aristotle is explaining when he refers to ruining a good result. The person who is align with the intermediate is therefore closer to truth. However, returning back to Pythagorean terminology, Aristotle divulges into what is limited versus unlimited. The former being the good and the latter being badness. It follows that the good is what is few and more diffic ult to realize and bad is what is great and easy to realize. Let us now look to another example to demonstrate our understanding. Suppose we are looking at someone preparing for a test. If he is to study day in and day out he is likely to become tired, resulting in a poor score. This is the excess andShow MoreRelatedAristotles Doctrine of the Mean525 Words   |  2 Pagesand the false. But Aristotle shows that knowing the natural end of man enables to tell if it is true of false that an action is right or wrong. So, for Aristotle, what does the vituous life entails? What is his doctrine of the mean? What is the government type that further Aristotles virtue life? Is it a plausible type of society? Virtue is bringing something to perfection. There are two kinds of virtues: the moral virtues, perfecting desire (who submits to reason) for the action, and intellectualRead More Aristotles Doctrine of the Mean Essay1017 Words   |  5 PagesAristotles Doctrine of the Mean When we consider the questions of how we ought to live our lives, we often seek for some schematic that we can employ to help us categorize actions or qualities as good, bad, or indifferent. Such a means of organization would indeed make it easier to determine what the right thing to do is. Aristotle once attempted to formulate a similar plan. His ethics used a scheme by which characteristics could be measured and the right amount attained. Such an account isRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Me Underpin Aristotle s Account Of Citizen Virtue?899 Words   |  4 PagesTo what extent, and how, does ‘the doctrine of the mean’ underpin Aristotle’s account of citizen virtue? In order to answer the question ‘To what extent, and how, does ‘the doctrine of the mean’ underpin Aristotle’s account of citizen virtue?’ it is first important for me to define ‘the doctrine of the mean’ which was developed in Book II of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (II.2.1104a12-26) in the form of a medical analogy. ‘the doctrine of the mean’ is very often dismissed as being unhelpful andRead MoreAristotle s Doctrine Of The Mean1344 Words   |  6 Pagesdecision might be hard, and can be explained, however what is right and wrong when making a moral decision that is still a question today. This essay outlines how virtue ethics is not helpful as we hope when making a moral decision. Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean is a unique theory that is used for ethical views today. His main argument is basely on eudaimonia and how humans can attain that. Most of the time, happiness to humans is enjoying time with friends or loved ones, but to Aristotle happinessRead MoreAristotle Virtuous Character Analysis1284 Words   |  6 Pageshabituation. Aristotle’s theory of a virtuous character is developed by aligning with the Doctrine of the Mean. The philosopher developed the Doctrine of the Mean in Book II of Nicomachean Ethics to serve the purpose of conveying Aristotle’s concept on virtue ethics. A virtuous character can be considered as a person who acts in the right manner through habit and practice rather than reasoning. Aristotle writes, â€Å"Virtue, then, is a state involving rational choice, consisting in a mean relative toRead MoreThe Ethics Of Plato And Aristotle977 Words   |  4 Pagesindependent of anyone’s belief. This was how Plat o observed absolutism. Aristotle’s oversee on what is the ‘good life’ as he used an observed method to ethics. The ‘good life’ as Aristotle defines it as one which has happiness as a characteristic or ‘a life of happiness’. ‘Happiness is a motion of the soul in accord with perfect virtue’. ‘People ought to behave so as to achieve happiness’. I believe that Aristotle’s response will be everyone always ought to follow the middle passage between certainRead More1.In Your Own Words, Define The Term â€Å"Metaphysics† As Used1161 Words   |  5 Pagesphilosophy. Metaphysics is the study of reality. Metaphysicians ask themselves these type questions: what is reality? Does anything exist? Is anything that we see or believe in real? My examples of metaphysics from the book: I will be using Plato and Aristotle’s metaphysics examples. Interestingly enough, â€Å"Plato’s metaphysics claims that there are two kinds of reality† (Lavine 26). He believes in the material and immaterial word. The world of reality and the world of the senses. Plato’s metaphysics actuallyRead MoreExamining the Ethics of Plato and Aristotle Essay1063 Words   |  5 Pagesindependent of anyone’s opinion. This was how Plato perceived absolutism. Aristotle’s overlook on what is the ‘good life’ as he used an empirical approach to ethics. The ‘good life’ as Aristotle defines it as one which has happiness as a characteristic or ‘a life of happiness’. ‘Happiness is an activity of the soul in accord with perfect virtue’. ‘People ought to behave so as to achieve happiness’. I believe that Aristotle’s answer will be everyone always ought to follow the middle course betweenRead MoreAristotles Theory of Slavery1295 Words   |  6 PagesSome aspects of Aristotles theory of slavery Slavery -- natural or conventional? Aristoles theory of slavery is found in Book I, Chapters iii through vii of the Politics. and in Book VII of the Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle raises the question of whether slavery is natural or conventional. He asserts that the former is the case. So, Aristotles theory of slavery holds that some people are naturally slaves and others are naturally masters. Thus he says: But is there any one thus intendedRead MoreAristotle s Highest Good Theorem1037 Words   |  5 PagesPhil 100 A01 Essay 2 Aristotle’s Highest Good Theorem When Aristotle first published his work entitled â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics†, you can imagine that numerous philosophers, scholars, and ordinary citizens were deeply contemplating his idea of the Highest Good Through the actions of virtue and reason, the act contemplation satisfies Aristotle’s characteristics as the Highest Good Being a self-sufficient, and complete activity, the ability to understand our function as human beings through contemplation

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Zara case study Essay - 2280 Words

Coursework Header Sheet 209896-18 Course OPER1027: Operations Mngt: Proc/Value Ch Course School/Level BU/UG Coursework Case Study 1 Assessment Weight 25.00% Tutor J Whiteley Submission Deadline 25/11/2013 Coursework is receipted on the understanding that it is the students own work and that it has not, in whole or part, been presented elsewhere for assessment. Where material has been used from other sources it has been properly acknowledged in accordance with the Universitys Regulations regarding Cheating and Plagiarism. 000718551 Tutors comments Grade Awarded___________ For Office Use Only__________ Final Grade_________†¦show more content†¦There vertical integration allows small batches of produce to be distributed and tested out allow them to save more money and cut inventory backlogs. Zara maintains a low cost by avoiding outsourcing (where possible) and producing all its merchandise and produce in home soil in Spain. Also Zara own many fabric dying, cutting and processing equipment that provided Zara added control and flexibility to adopt new trends on demand. Effectively Zara is able to design and manufacture products as well as deliver them in less than two weeks in contrast to competitors such as Benetton and HM which require at least between five weeks and 4 months lead time to fill orders from its retail operations. One major unique characteristic was that Zara own its in house production which gives Zara the flexibility of quantity, variety, and the frequency of the designs they produce. Another way there strategy contributors to their success is that they have the capability to keep a significant amount of product in home soil in there won factories and reserve approximately 85% of their capacity for seasonal adjustments this way they will be able to rapidly respond to unexpected trends in the industry. Additionally they use foreign factories as many other companies do as cost is much cheaper which allows production to increase and distrusted accordingly, however for fast fashion items Zara produces inShow MoreRelatedZara Case Study : Zara Case2492 Words   |  10 Pages Zara Case Study Name Academic Institution Zara Case Study Executive Summary This case study (Ghemawat, Nueno, Dailey, 2003) of the Spanish retail apparel company Zara, one of the six retail brands owned by Spanish company Inditex, focused on a number of issues confronting the retailer. These issues arose mainly from the consideration that Zara defied many of the dynamics of the retail apparel market. Zara, unlike its competitors, owned most of its production as well as itsRead MoreZara Case Study2762 Words   |  12 PagesQ1. With which of the international competitors listed in the case is it most interesting to compare Inditex’s financial results? Why? What do comparisons indicate about Inditex’s relative operating economics? Ans. The four companies shown given in the case have very different business models. Inditex owned much of the production and most of its stores. Inditex is thus a vertically integrated company. This gave Inditex a competitive advantage, which is quick response to the market requirementsRead MoreZara Case Study1833 Words   |  8 PagesZARA CASE STUDY [pic] Introduction The history of Zara started in 1975, when the first store has been opened in Spain. It has been followed by several other stores all over the world. The company’s owner, Amancio Ortega, accumulated 340 million Euros (according to 2001 datas), which is a remarkable growth if compared with other companies. Zara’s brand has become popular because of its quality and efficiency. The secret of Zara is to understand the customer’s need and demands and respondRead MoreZara Case Study3553 Words   |  15 Pages[pic] CONTENTS 1. Introduction 3 2. Zara as Company 4-5 3. Zara’s Model of Operation 6 4. Company’s Structure Read MoreZara Case Study3306 Words   |  14 PagesJune 6, 2007 Zara Case Study Summary Zara is a clothing retail store for women, men and children, concentrating sixty percent of their effort to the women clothing market. Besides retailing, Zara also designs, produces, and ships their lines of clothing to their Zara stores. Zara s corporate concept is to offer fashionable, trendy, designs at a reasonable price. The key to their corporate success is to offer the latest trends and fashions before their competitors. They believe thatRead MoreCase Study - Zara International694 Words   |  3 PagesJay Case Study: Zara International Fashion at the Speed of Light Question 1: In what ways are elements of the classical and behavioral management approaches evident in how things are done at Zara International? How can systems concepts and contingency thinking explain the success of some of Zara’s distinctive practices? Answer 1: Elements of the classical management approach are very evident at Zara International. The classical management approach contains three branches, which are scientificRead MoreZara International Case Study1000 Words   |  4 PagesZara International was a retail shop originated in La Coruna, Spain in 1975. It was clothing and accessories shop and imitated the latest fashion trends and sold them at a lower cost. It became Zara International after entering Portugal in 1988 and then the United States and France in the 1990s. The distributor for this brand is Inditex and is considered the most successful retail chain in the world. Zara has a business strategy that is very different from the retailers nowadays. If a customer ordersRead MoreZara Case Study986 Words   |  4 PagesZara is the flagship brand of the Spanish retail group, Inditex SA, one of the super-heated performers in a soft retail market in recent years. When Indtiex offered a 23 percent stake to the public in 2 001, the issue was over-subscribed 26 times raising Euro2.1 billion for the company. Zara is unique model in business world today it has its own principles which may varies from its competitors in the same industry starting from production strategy ending with supply chain management strategy, theseRead MoreZara Case Study1656 Words   |  7 Pages3.1 HISTORY and BACKGROUND ZARA is the flagship chain store for the Spanish Inditex Group owned by Amancio Ortega, who also brands such as Massimo Dutti and Bershka. It was first open in 1975 in La Coruna, Galicia, Spain. Originally a lingerie store, then the product range expanded to incorporate women’s fashion, menswear and children’s clothes (5). The international adventure began in 1988, opened its first foreign store in Oporto, Portugal. The market growth remained mysterious and it kept growingRead MoreZara Case Study1404 Words   |  6 PagesCompany Case: Zara: The Technology Giant of the Fashion World Identification of the Problem/s or Issue/s Zara, a Spanish-based chain owned by Inditex, is a retailer who has taken a new approach in the industry. By owning its in-house production, Zara is able to be flexible in the variety, amount, and frequency of the new styles they produce. With their unique strategy, Zara has the competitive advantage to be sustainable. In order to maintain that advantage and growth they must confront certain

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Hindu Doctrine of Karma

Question: Discuss about the Hindu Doctrine of Karma. Answer: Intrroduction: The doctrine of Karma is a persistent belief system in the Indian tradition of religion that strikes the most consistent difference between the western and the Indian religious custom. The Hindu doctrine of Karma unites the self salvation of the own effort with the metaphysical attainment of men. Even though western spirituality makes effective explanation of evil, where the suffering of an individual is accounted for by their previous erroneous activities, the Hindu religious system combines the idea of Karma retributions with the concept of multiple incarnations to explain all the suffering by the previous wrongdoings of the individual. In this way the Indian belief system gives a consistent explanation of evil and human sufferings. According to several researchers, the doctrine of karma and reincarnation provide the Hindu religion an intellectually and emotionally fulfilling explanation of human sufferings and evil than the archetypal western solutions of the evil problems. If the literal meaning is considered, Karma means the doing or the act, which is the outcome of the previous action of an individual. It can also be seen as the principle of cause and effect, or like the action and reaction of the deeds that governs the later life. The Hindu doctrine of Karma refers to the legitimacy of the rules of the universe and is visualized as a cosmic belief where every individual will face the consequences of their own works. The principle puts stress on the responsibility of the actions of each individual consisting their well beings and misfortunes. It also considers the human to be the maker of their own fortune. There is always a belief of justice lying in the clarification of the doctrine. It acts like a guiding principle of Hindu and Buddhist school of belief conducting them in the moral world. In the Hindu belief system, it plays the most significant role, as it determines the place where someone is born in the next life. Many researchers claim that it is a blind faith in the fatalism, but it is certainly not that but is opposed to all the morality. The doctrine highlights the transmigration of spirit and the cycle of life and death, through which the soul needs to pass before they realizes the quest of excellence. Like any other scientific theory, the Hindu doctrine of Karma enlightens regularity, complexity of the phenomena and the simplicity, at the same time it emphasizes certain intelligible experience like other social theory. Both the physical and mental sufferings are considered to be a part of telling of Karma. It is never seen as a punishment of the wrongdoings, rather just the consequence of the law of the universe, therefore rationally defensible. Researchers observed that sometimes Karma acts as a comforting thought in the tragedies of life, stating that the crises are the outcomes of Karma of the individual and not any kind of unjust. The doctrine of Karma started formulating towards the end of Vedic period in India. The concept of rta is found in Rig Veda, which entails the existence of the cosmic law holding the nature in an orderly and rational manner, even the Gods are bound by the supremacy of the law. The concept of Karma is not considered as cruel or merciful, but bound by the morality. However, it is believed that there is no escape from the doctrine, but there is always hope to design the future by strictly watching the actions of an individual in the present life. In fact, in Hindu belief system, the God is considered to be a mere spectator of the functioning of the cosmic law and even he is not powerful enough to interfere the application of the law. In the Hindu religious books like Upanishad, the God is defined as the witness, not the mediator. The Bhagavad Gita has several examples of the doctrine of Karma. When Arjuna denies to fight against the rival army which is comprised of most of relatives and near and dear ones, Lord Krishna advises him to fight for integrity and pursue his niyata karma, which is the predestined duty of the individual. The Karma gets performed without mere expectation of the preferred result. The Bhagavad Gita explains that there is no place in the universe, where the individual can find any escape from their karma. It also defines to be the reason of rebirth and sometimes, the successive lives. However, the later explanations of the doctrine accept the concept of divine grace. In the Bhakti tradition the gurus, with the help of God, were presumed to be capable of improving the consequences of Karma. These modifications provided enough space in avoiding the consequences of the misdeeds of an individual. If the details of the doctrine of karma are stated, it is no less than a complete principle of philosophical functioning, motivation and human thinking. Although the doctrine is considerably vague and open to diverse interpretations, often the understanding of the concept is liable to be varied with the theories of the primary doctrine as articulated in Hindu thought. There are numbers of interpretations of the doctrine and people who are facing major crisis in life and they find no other plausible explanations. For a long time, the concept has been providing convincing explanation to people facing misfortune in lives. The primary concern with the doctrine of karma is more than the philosophical canon; it lies in the popular idea and rituals. The concept also reflects in various narratives of Indian origin. According to Indian beliefs, the karma theory is able to explain every suffering of human life, even the misery of innocent children; however, his is entirely against the Western thoughts. There are numbers of objections raised against this doctrine, which raised some serious obstruction to the concept of Karma. The first objection was the Memory problem, which is concerned with the absolute lack of memory of the previous life. Several researchers try to point out the strangeness of having no memory of previous complex lives. The individual, who is suffering in his present life because of some misdeed in the previous life, he is having no clue about the reasons for the sufferings. Another problem that was pointed out with the Karma theory is the proportionality problem. It cannot give justification to the proper proportionate to the wrong and right, also the degree and kinds of sufferings men see in real life. Those who face torturous sufferings in their life, or innocent children su ffering from serious diseases, it is difficult to accept that all the sufferings are legitimately earned. The third objection raised against the doctrine of karma is the infinite regress problem, dealing with the relationship between the events of previous and present life. The karma theory refers to the events of previous life, in order to define the circumstances of the present life. The question that rises is the how the cycle of karma works. Several researchers question the process of working of karma and found the explanations to be inadequate. Another problem, the doctrine has, is the explanation of death. If the theory is discussed in details, it seems that the death is presented as a punishment, rather presumed. It seems that an individual is punished through rebirths. For most of the explanations of the theory, death is not even taken that critically to define in a proper manner. The final problem rose with the doctrine that many researchers objected the theory of rebirth a s it cannot be verified. There is no evidence to make this theory justified; it remained just as a theory. However, despite the huge array of objections on the doctrine of karma, there is a real connection between the suffering of an individual and the procedure of healing. The doctrine seems to have an unenviable approval by the Indians. Although the principle is called vague an unsatisfying by many scholars, the concern of the common mass was not to dig into the particulars of the doctrine rather to deal with the crisis of life. The focus was mainly upon finding a convincing reason for the sufferings in life. The doctrine provided a culturally certified clarification to felicitate the moving on with life. It seems to be deeply embedded in the mind of Hindus and they also manifest a normal tendency to appeal to this in several situations in life. It is considered more than an anchor in life while dealing with disaster. Among the common mass, especially in India, traditional Hindus view this as a mean to cope with the sufferings and a strategy o reduce anxiety. The doctrine entirely susta ins the faith of and individual and it was evident even though Hindus believe in the theory, they do not rule out the roles of gurus in their religious practice. It is believed that the utilizing of the doctrine as an explanation is a vibrant process. Different situation demands different explanation of the principle and the effectiveness of the doctrine are deep rooted in the faith of an individual and offer a justifiable explanation and rationalization for human sufferings. Reference List Barnett, Lionel D.Hindu Gods and Heroes. Lulu. com, 2015. Fitzpatrick, S. J., Kerridge, I. H., Jordens, C. F., Zoloth, L., Tollefsen, C., Tsomo, K. L., ... Sarma, D. (2016). Religious perspectives on human suffering: Implications for medicine and bioethics.Journal of religion and health,55(1), 159-173. Fuchs, Martin. "Worldview and relationships to the world: The concepts of karma (n) and bhakti in Webers study on Hinduism and Buddhism11From the conference,Translating and editing Max Weber: experiences, insights and irritations, on the occasion of the one hundred an."Max Weber Studies16.2 (2016): 211-227. Gary E. Kessler,Studying Religion: An Introduction Through Cases, 3rd edition (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2008), ch. 8. James C. Livingston,Anatomy of the Sacred: An Introduction to Religion2nd edition (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1993), ch. 10. John Hick,Death and Eternal Life(Glasgow: Collins, 1976), ch. 16. John Hick,Philosophy of Religion4th ed. (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1990), chs 4 11. Michael Peterson, William Hasker, Bruce Reichenbach, and David Basinger,Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, 4th edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), ch. 8. Nick Trakakis and Monima Chadha, Karma and the Problem of Evil: A Response to Kaufman,Philosophy East West57 (2007): 533-56. Roy Perrett, Karma and the Problem of Suffering,Sophia24 (1985): 4-10 Whitley Kaufman, Karma, Rebirth, and the Problem of Evil: A Reply to Critics,Philosophy East West57 (2007): 556-60. Whitley Kaufman, Karma, Rebirth, and the Problem of Evil,Philosophy East and West55 (2005): 15-32.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Problem of Environmental Degradation in Modern World

Introduction Environmental degradation is on the increase, and it is likely to affect the human race in the future. In light of this challenge, many environmental scientists have made several recommendations on how we can prevent destruction of our environment. In this case, several mechanisms can be used to keep the environment clean and safe from destruction.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Problem of Environmental Degradation in Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Poor waste disposal is regarded as one of the key causes of environmental degradation. Waste disposal is not only limited to the disposal of industrial waste materials, but it also involves the items we use and discard daily. There are three basic strategies that can be used to reduce waste disposal and they include the following. Waste Disposal Strategies Reduce it, is the first strategy for reducing waste disposal, and it is the most important of the three strategies. This is because if people can decrease the rate at which they use various products, the amount of things to be recycled or reused will also go down considerably. Moreover, reduction of consumption will also make people to cut back on their expenditure on various products, and this can help in mitigating environmental pollution. In addition, we should try to decrease the toxicity of waste products that are dumped in landfills. â€Å"Source reduction involves reducing waste at the source by designing, producing, and using items that are less toxic for the waste system† (Scott, 2007). This method of reduction can assist in conservation of resources, and decrease pollution. For example, goods can be produced and used in away that they do not affect the environment. Reuse of materials is the second method of minimizing waste products. Apart from reducing consumption, we can also find alternative uses for the things that we have used. Besides thi s, we can also turn used items to other things, rather than recycling or discarding them. Reuse has the following benefits. First, it makes waste management easier since it reduces waste production. â€Å"Secondly, the environment benefits because reusing items leads to less production, which reduces emission of pollutants, and resource harvesting† (Woods, 2010). People should try to be more creative in order to reduce waste materials. For example, a person can use old garments for cleaning or even mending other garments instead of discarding them. One shopping bag can also be used on many shopping occasions. Recycling is the third strategy, and involves making of new products from the used ones. Unlike reusing, recycling requires many procedures. For example, the items to be recycled are collected and then taken for reprocessing. Recycling also demands energy, money, and other materials.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help yo u! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This makes it to be the least preferable method of waste reduction. Nonetheless, recycling decreases the use of landfills, and it also minimizes pollution. â€Å"R’s† will not eliminate environmental degradation, utilizing them will lead to a healthier environment† (Scott, 2007). Solving Environmental Problems Solving environmental problems has not been simple because of these factors. First, many individuals are ignorant about how to manage the environment. Secondly, poverty also makes environmental management complicated. This is because some people destroy resources such as vegetation, and trees in order to get income. The third impediment in this process is the high cost of implementing environmentally-friendly strategies. Conclusion Environmental degradation can be minimized through the three strategies, reduce, reuse, and recycle. â€Å"The solutions to all our environmental problems do not lie in th e capitalistic mindset, the Judeo-Christian value system, or the male-dominated, white cultures of modern man† (McConnell Abel, 2007). The solution is embedded in the values that the indigenous individuals have, and their interaction with the earth. â€Å"But more importantly, the solution lies in aligning ourselves with the values of the millions of other species with whom we share this planet† (McConnell Abel, 2007). References McConnell, R., Abel, D. (2007). Environmental Issues: An Introduction to Sustainability. New York: Prentice Hall. Scott, N. (2007). Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: An Easy Household Guide. New York: Chelsea Green Publishing. Woods, K. (2010). Human Rights and Environmental Sustainability. London: Edward Elgar Pub.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Problem of Environmental Degradation in Modern World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This report on The Problem of Environmental Degradation in Modern World was written and submitted by user Galilea L. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Malaysia Dairy Industries Private Limited Essays

Malaysia Dairy Industries Private Limited Essays Malaysia Dairy Industries Private Limited Essay Malaysia Dairy Industries Private Limited Essay Malaysia Dairy Industries Private Limited (MDI) began in 1963 as a joint venture between a Singapore entrepreneur, Mr. Thio Keng Poon and the Australian Dairy Produce Board. Five years later, the company became a locally owned entity after Mr. Thio and his family bought over the Australian interest in the company. MDI become the first manufacturer of evaporated milk and cultured milk in Singapore and Malaysia. Besides, it also the first to produce 100% fruit juice in both countries. Later, the company also became the first to install an Alfa-Laval UHT Steritherm plant in Asia. In 1994, MDI received the ISO 9002 certificate for Quality Management System in Production and Installation. Over the last decade, MDI has seen a tremendous growth in demand for its perishable products. Demands for pasteurised products have increased form 50,000 litres per month to more than 1.3 million litres per month today. At the same time, Vitagen has become so popular among peoples especially children, that lead MDI has had to expand production capacity to meet the growing demands. Therefore, a trend of continued growth leading well into the next century is expected. As MDI prepares to this growth, it has already built a 5-storey extension to its headquarters to provide greater capacity and scope for manufacturing in the future. While Malaysia Milk Sdn Bhd, its Malaysian subsidiary has also completed its sophisticated new building to meet the needs of the Malaysian consumers. Today, MDI manufactures as many as 21 various product lines, which under the brand Marigold include sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cultured milk, full cream milk powder, pasteurised milk, high calcium milk, long-life milk, fruit juices, yoghurts, and dessert etc. (see appendix for the overview of products). Besides, MDIs research and development laboratory has always played an important role in MDI and especially so in the last few years in order to manufacture products that meet its high standards. In todays environment, companies are operating in an uncertain and turbulent environment, especially due to the US war that will be launch soon. The firms will experiences very high uncertainty while external environmental factors change rapidly. This is because the firms do not have sufficient information about environmental factors to understand and predict environmental needs and changes. Moreover, It will reduce the planning horizon because if the firm operates in an uncertain environment, its management is unlikely to develop plans for more than a few years ahead as they accept that will be subject to large margins of error. Thus, MDI must respond by designing its firm to adapt to the external environment and to influence that environment. The external environment for any organisation includes all elements existing outside the boundary of the organisation that have the potential to affect the organisation, which are the Political, Economic, Social cultural and Technological. Political The political dimension that affects MDI includes government regulations at the local, state, and federal levels as well as political activities designed to influence company behaviour. For the entire product, which produce by the MDI shall in all other aspects comply with the requirements of the legislation that currently enforced in Malaysia i.e. The Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985 which set product standards and particular labelling requirements for milk and milk based products. Each product may by arrangement with a recognised certification body, be marked with the certification mark of that body, provided the product conforms to the requirements of this Malaysian Standard. On the other hand, dairy imports such as milk powder, cheese and butter are required to be certified halal by the Malaysian religious authority, for direct consumption and usage as ingredients for further processing. An import license, issued by the Department of Veterinary Services and Ministry of Int ernational Trade and Industry is necessary for consignments of dairy products entering into Malaysia. Economic The economic represent the general economic health of the country or region in which the organization operates. With the uncertainties over the economy in 2001 and 2002 which due to the war on terrorism since last year, there was softness in demand of dairy product in the local dairy market. The environment today became more turbulent as the terrorism happens everywhere such as the explosion that take place in the Bali in Indonesia, and the Philippine city of Zamboanga. (See appendix about more current issue) Besides, US president was declared to launch war with the Iraq. If this situation takes place, it will mainly affect our economic growth, especially in the Asian countries because the economic problems in US have had a significant impact on the Asian countries as well as the stock market. The world dairy raw material prices will increase due to the inflation of the countries. The dairy product price will therefore increase due to the high cost of raw material. The consumer purch asing power also affect here that the demand of the milk product will be reduces. The consumer may go for select the substitute product which was cheaper than the milk product e.g. soya bean. The unemployment may also take place due to the downturn of economic. Social Cultural The social cultural dimension of the general environment represents the demographic characteristics as well as the norms, customs and value of the general population. In order to meet the consumer satisfaction, MDI have to consider needs of the consumer based on their attitude, taste, age, and the family size. For instance, for the milk it self, it should aimed at various sections of the market i.e. pregnant women, breast feeding mothers, toddlers, children, adolescents, slimmers, active adults, pensioners. For example, a fruit yogurt in Thailand emphasizes health and low calories and is targeted at young women; in Europe, a drinking yogurt in a bright container and featuring a cartoon character on the packaging is aimed at children; elsewhere, a drinking yogurt fortified with vitamins is aimed at active women between the ages of 30 and 40. In this respect, it often seems as if a product is available for every age and occasion. On the other hand, the family also one of the factors affects the producing of milk product. For example, standard packaging of milk in litre and half-litre containers, is well adapted to home consumption, but not well adapted to competing with soft drinks sold from vending machines. For this market, the size of the packaging needs to change (often to between 200 and 350 ml) to encourage sales of milk products, such as flavored milk and chilled coffee, which can compete with soft drinks. Technological Technological dimension includes scientific and technological advancements in a specific industry as well as in society at large. This factor will also affect MDI since the company is using new technology equipment to develop their innovative products. With unceasingly introducing of new technology will be able to develop the innovative products with high quality and high standards. Globalisation means an adherence to universal business principles and practices, which are recognized, respected and understood by the regional and global corporate communities. It is regardless of goods and services that flow across international borders and across vast oceans with few impediments. This also a process which tends to increase the interdependence between national economies. Global markets could offer greater opportunity for people to tap into more and larger markets around the world. It means that they can have access to more capital flows, technology, cheaper imports, and larger export markets. It can be seen, as a movement towards the formation of a single market for goods and services, in which there is no discrimination based on the geographical origin of producers and consumers. Rules of business are changing rapidly and if management is not sensitive to change, their business will be severely affected. Therefore, to survive in the market place, management will h ave no choice but to quickly adapt to continuous changes of globalisation to remain competitive. Opportunity and Threat Today the will to constantly upgrade and to stay at the frontier of the industry remain the key to the companys vision. To meet the challenges ahead, MDI is focusing on the vision which will cover every aspect of business, involving every member of its staff and at every level of the company. Thus, such vision and the principles such as ISO, HACCP become the guiding lights that will plot the companys course in the future. The opportunity to take part in the emerging global economy will also comes to the company. The company will not only establish himself in Malaysia and Singapore but also in other Asia countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, and Myanmar etc. However, over recent months, there had been increasing concern over the global economic slowdown, which was most clearly seen in the US and to a lesser extent, in Europe and some countries in Asia. Apparently, the events of Sept 11 had a significant impact on the global business activities. Foreign direct investment worldwide has declined by nearly 50%, indicating a lack of consumer and investor in the light of growing uncertainties in the global business and geo-political environment. This may become one of the threats to MDI in developing its global business. The company also face tough challenge in competitive environment because the competition in the global market is intense, with several major producers vying for the market share. In order to help the company understand their competitive advantage or disadvantage relative to competitors, and to give an informed basis for developing future strategies to sustain or establish advantage over competitors, competitor analysis of the following are necessary here. Competitor Analysis Porter argue that competition in an industry is determined by its basic underlying economic structure, which are the following five force models: * Rivalry among existing competitors The competitor strategic would be one of the main factors to influence the business of MDI. Competitors such as Dutch Lady Milk Industries, Premier Milk/FN Dairies, Nestle Products, New Zealand Milk Products and the Dumex (Malaysia) are constantly coming up with their own market promotional programs by introducing new and improved products and innovative packaging, in order to gain and maintain their market share. These companies often conduct product demonstrations and conduct sampling in shopping complexes and supermarkets. * Threat of new entrants The second model is the barrier to entry the industry. Where barriers to entry are high, the new entrants are likely to be deterred. While the low barriers generally mean that the responses will be slower and offering more opportunity. The barriers to entry the dairy industry are consider medium. The main barrier that the new entrant face would be the creation of strong brands of the competitors such as Nestle and Dutch Lady. * The bargaining power of suppliers This means the behaviour of supplier and their relative power which can squeeze industry profits. This power may affect MDI as most of the raw materials to produce the dairy products are imported from the foreign country such as Australia, Europe and US. Such countries are playing a major player in the world trade of dairy product and they may attempted to dominant the price of the raw material e.g. raises their price to the industry and hence take over part of the profit for themselves. * The bargaining power of buyers Buyers use their power to trade around the industry participant to gain lower prices or improvement to product quality will also affect profitability of MDI. The high standard of milk product that produced by MDI normally offers a lower price compare to other competitors and thus attract more consumer to buy it, for example the low fat of HL milk. * The threat of product substitutes The substitute products which bring the same need to satisfy consumer will bring down the purchases power of the milk product especially when the price move upwards. For example, when the price of the pasteurised milk move up, the customer may look for soya milk which is more cheaper and healthy than the pasteurised milk. In order to tackle the challenges and competitive environment and to expand the company business to the global market, planning consider the main action to MDI to decide where the company to be in the future and how to get it. In fact, the organization such as Shell, IBM, Royal LaPaige, Mazda and United Way have been undertaken a strategic planning exercise each year for reviewing their missions, goals, and plans to meet environment changes or the expectations of important stakeholders. Thus, planning is an important fundamental action for every organization to achieve their goals. There are four main stages in the planning process, which are the following. Establishing Objectives For planning purpose, it is necessary for MDI to define the companys objectives as to provide a sense of direction. The companys objectives are important because company exist for a purpose and such objectives define and state that purpose. Strategic or long-range planning therefore begins with the specification of the objectives towards which future operations should be directed. The attainment of objective also aimed to create the source of motivation and commitment among the employees because the companys goal will facilitate employees identification with the organisation and help motivate them by reducing uncertainty and clarifying what they should accomplish. The first objective that MDI should define is the mission of the company, which describes the broad purpose and its reason for existence, the nature of business and the customers it seek and satisfy. For instance, the business scope of MDI is manufacturing of dairy products. Meanwhile the purpose of the company is to improve the growing demands of the dairy products towards global economy. Another important objective which relate to the organisation as a whole is the corporate objectives. They are normally measurable and are expressed in financial terms such as desired profits or sales levels, return on capital employed, rate of growth or market share. It is important that senior managers of MDI understand clearly where their company is going and why and how their own role contributes to the attainment of corporate objectives. Once the overall objective of the company have been established they must be broken down into subsidiary objectives relating to areas such as product range, market segmentation, customer service etc. Identify Potential Strategies The following stage to the above is to identify a range of possible course of action or strategies that might enable the objectives of MDI to be achieved. Prior to developing strategies, it is necessary to undertake a strategic analysis to better understand the organisations present strategic situation. This involves SWOT analysis of MDI that assess companys strengths and weakness, opportunity and threats in relation to the internal and environmental factors. Once we understand the SWOT of the company, we will be able to identify alternative strategies for the company. The following are some of the strategic that MDI could be use. * Cost leadership This strategy is the aim at being the lowest cost producer in the industry. A firm that bases its competitive strategy on overall cost leadership must construct the most efficient facilities and obtain the largest share market so that its cost per unit is lowest in the industry. It has the ability to lower price in time of severe price competition and provides a cushion to defend profit levels against competitors. Therefore, experience with building the product is very important such as process of production, delivery and service, which lead to further their cost reductions. To bring the cost to the lowest, MDI have to reduce the import of the dairy raw material form foreign country and examining alternatives suppliers who will give the lowest price of ingredients to the company. MDI also can reduce costs through supporting research into new technologies, and using new technology to improve product value, and increasing productivity, and thus bring down the cost. Besides, the company also can use the incentive pay system in order to motivate worker to produce more of the dairy product.

Friday, November 22, 2019

French Verbs That Take Être as Auxiliary Verb

French Verbs That Take Être as Auxiliary Verb An auxiliary verb, or helping verb, is a conjugated verb used in front of another verb in compound tenses in order to indicate the mood and tense of the verb. In French, the auxiliary verb is either avoir or à ªtre. All French verbs are classified by which auxiliary verb they take, and they use the same auxiliary verb in all compound tenses. Most French verbs use avoir, fewer use  Ãƒ ªtre.  The following is a list of verbs (and their derivatives) that require à ªtre: aller  Ã‚  to goarriver  Ã‚  to arrivedescendre  Ã‚  to descend / go downstairsredescendre  Ã‚  to descend againentrer  Ã‚  to enterrentrer  Ã‚  to re-entermonter  Ã‚  to climbremonter  Ã‚  to climb againmourir  Ã‚  to dienaà ®tre  Ã‚  to be bornrenaà ®tre  Ã‚  to be reborn, born again)partir  Ã‚  to leaverepartir  Ã‚  to leave againpasser  Ã‚  to passrester  Ã‚  to stayretourner  Ã‚  to returnsortir  Ã‚  to go outressortir  Ã‚  to go out againtomber  Ã‚  to fallretomber  Ã‚  to fall againvenir  Ã‚  to comedevenir  Ã‚  to becomeparvenir  Ã‚  to reach, achieverevenir  Ã‚  to come again, come back These are all intransitive verbs that communicate a certain kind of movement. You do get used to these verbs over time and one day youll be able to sense whether to use à ªtre or avoir without even having to think about it.  1. In addition to the above, all pronominal verbs use à ªtre as the auxiliary verb:  Ã‚  Ã‚   Je me suis levà ©.  Ã‚  I got up.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Il sest rasà ©.  Ã‚  He shaved.2. For all verbs conjugated with à ªtre, the past participle has to agree with the subject in gender and number in all of the compound tenses ( learn more):  Ã‚  Ã‚   Il est allà ©.  Ã‚  He went.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elle est allà ©e.  Ã‚  She went.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ils sont allà ©s.  Ã‚  They went.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elles sont allà ©es.  Ã‚  They went.3. Verbs are conjugated with à ªtre because they are intransitive (have no direct object). However, six of these verbs can be used transitively (with a direct object), and when this happens, they need avoir as the auxiliary verb. Mnemonic Devices for Learning tre Verbs: Dr and Mrs Vandertramp There are  certain French verbs  which require  Ãƒ ªtre  as the auxiliary verb in the  passà © composà ©Ã‚  and other compound tenses, and students sometimes have a hard time remembering them. There are 14 common verbs plus numerous derivatives which take  Ãƒ ªtre, and their derivatives usually do too. For example,  entrer  is an  Ãƒ ªtre  verb, as is its derivative  rentrer. Generally speaking, all of the verbs indicate a particular kind of movement, either literal or figurative - lesson on à ªtre verbs.   Intransitive verbs One very important thing to remember is that verbs only use  Ãƒ ªtre  when they are intransitive (do not have a direct object): Je suis passà © huit heures  vs  Jai passà © la maison.Je suis montà © avant lui  vs  Jai montà © la valise. I can promise you that eventually you will instinctively know which verbs take  Ãƒ ªtre, but in the meantime, you might want to try one of these mnemonic devices.   La Maison dtre The French teach  Ãƒ ªtre  verbs with a visual:  La Maison dà ªtre. Draw a house with a door, stairs, windows, etc. and then label it with the  Ãƒ ªtre  verbs. For example, put someone on the stairs going up (  monter) and another going down (  descendre).There are three acronyms that are commonly used to remember  Ãƒ ªtre  verbs. Strangely, none of them includes  passer, which is an  Ãƒ ªtre  verb when used intransively.   DR MRS VANDERTRAMP This is perhaps the most popular mnemonic device for  Ãƒ ªtre  verbs in the United States. Personally, I find DR MRS VANDERTRAMP redundant since it includes some derivatives, but if it works for you, go for it. DevenirRevenirMonterResterSortir VenirAllerNaà ®treDescendreEntrerRentrerTomberRetournerArriverMourirPartir ADVENT Each letter in ADVENT stands for one of the verbs and its opposite, plus one extra verb, for a total of thirteen. Arriver - PartirDescendre - MonterVenir - AllerEntrer - SortirNaà ®tre - MourirTomber - ResterRetourner DRAPERS VAN MMT13 Each letter in DRAPERS VAN MMT stands for one of the 13 verbs. DescendreResterAllerPartirEntrerRetournerSortir VenirArriverNaà ®tre MourirMonterTomber -13  total verbs Tips From Teachers On the  Profs de franà §ais forum, some teachers stated that acronyms dont work - their students remember the letters, but not the verb each one signifies. So they use music or poetry to help students learn and remember à ªtre verbs: 1.  I have the students sing the  past participles  of the verbs to the tune of Ten Little Indians. Its a good way to remember which verbs take  Ãƒ ªtre, plus it helps them remember the irregular past participles: allà ©, arrivà ©, venu, revenu,entrà ©, rentrà ©, descendu, devenu,sorti, parti, restà ©, retournà ©,montà ©, tombà ©, nà © et mort. 2.  I have my students memorize the verbs in a specific order: the 8 -er verbs, which they can learn in about 2 minutes in class. Next is  descendre, because its the opposite of  monter. Then the -ir verbs, the  venir  family, and the beginning and end of life.  Passer par  brings up the grand finale. Most classes can learn them all in less than 5 minutes. And then I put it all together into a little poem: Aller, arriver, entrer, rentrer, rester, retourner, tomber, monter,descendre,partir, sortir,venir, devenir, revenir,naà ®tre, mourir, et passer par.Ces dix-sept verbes sont conjuguà ©s avec le verbe à ªtre au passà © composà ©. Yà ©Ã‚  ! Sometimes I do it in a sing-song voice or rap it. Ive been known to put on a pair of shades; it seems to make an impression and get them all into it. My students seem to be able to remember this order with no difficulty whatsoever, and I see them scanning their quizzes, silently reciting the order of verbs, marking an asterisk next to the ones that need  Ãƒ ªtre, and being quite successful. When I have had those students in more advanced classes through the years, they have remembered my formula. If they slip, all it takes is a gentle reminder:  Aller, arriver...  and to have them all join in to reinforce the verbs. Ive run into students many years later who could still recall them all and wanted to recite them for me. tre Verbs Used Transitively Verbs that require  Ãƒ ªtre  in the  passà © composà ©Ã‚  and other compound tenses are intransitive - that is, they have no direct object. But some of them can be used transitively (with a  direct object), and when this happens, these verbs need  avoir  as the helping verb. In addition, there is a slight change in meaning. descendre Il est descendu.  - He went down(stairs).Il a descendu lescalier.  - He went down the stairs.Il a descendu la valise.  - He took the suitcase down. monter Il est montà ©.  - He went up(stairs).Il a montà © la cà ´te.  - He went up the hill.Il a montà © les livres.  - He took the books up. passer Je suis passà © devant le parc.  - I went by the park.Jai passà © la porte.  - I went through the door.Jai passà © une heure ici.  - I spent an hour here. rentrer Je suis rentrà ©.  - I came home.Jai rentrà © les chaises.  - I brought the chairs inside. retourner Elle est retournà ©e en France.  - She has returned to France.Elle a retournà © la lettre.  - She returned / sent back the letter. sortir Elle est sortie.  - She went out.Elle a sorti la voiture  - She took the car out. Repeating French Auxiliary Verbs - Avoir and tre When using more than one verb in the  passà © composà ©Ã‚  or another compound tense, you can - but do not always have to - repeat the auxiliary verb in front of each past participle. Whether you have to repeat the auxiliary depends on whether the main verbs take the same auxiliary verb. If they are all  avoir  verbs, all  Ãƒ ªtre  verbs, or all pronominal verbs, you dont need to include the auxiliary in front of each one. Verbs With the Same Auxiliary When you want to say I ate and drank, you need to consider the auxiliary verb that  manger  and  boire  require. Since they both take  avoir, you can leave off the auxiliary from the second verb: Jai mangà © et bu Or you can repeat the auxiliary, with or without the subject pronoun:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jai mangà © et ai bu orJai mangà © et jai bu To say I left at noon and got home at midnight, you need  Ãƒ ªtre  for both verbs, so you dont need to repeat the auxiliary: Je suis parti midi et rentrà © minuit But you can also say: Je suis parti midi et suis rentrà © minuit  or  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je suis parti midi et je suis rentrà © minuit The same basic rule applies when youre using only pronominal verbs, as in I got up and got dressed:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Je me suis levà © et habillà ©. However, if you want to repeat the auxiliary of  pronominal verbs, you must also repeat the  reflexive pronoun: Je me suis levà © et me suis habillà ©Je me suis levà © et je me suis habillà ©xxx  Je me suis levà © et suis habillà ©Ã‚  xxx Verbs With Different Auxiliaries When you have a sentence with verbs that need different auxiliaries, or with a mix of pronominal and non-pronominal verbs, you are required use the various auxiliaries in front of each verb. You may also repeat the  subject pronoun:   I worked and went to the bank. Jai travaillà © et suis allà © la banqueJai travaillà © et je suis allà © la banque I got up and went downstairs. Je me suis levà © et suis descenduJe me suis levà © et je suis descendu He ate, left, and went to bed early. Il a mangà ©, est parti et sest couchà © tà ´tIl a mangà ©, il est parti et il sest couchà © tà ´t​ Verbs With Some of the Same Auxiliaries If you have some  verbs with one auxiliary  and some verbs with another, you can still drop the shared auxiliaries when they are alone in the clause (that is, when the clause has only  avoir  verbs,  Ãƒ ªtre  verbs, or pronominal verbs): On a dansà © et chantà ©, et puis (on) est allà © une autre boà ®te We danced and sang, and then went to another club  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As-tu fait ton lit et nettoyà © ta chambre, ou tes-tu douchà © et habillà ©Ã‚  ? Did you make your bed and clean your room, or did you take a shower and get dressed?   When in doubt... Remember that its never wrong to repeat the auxiliary verb (though overdoing it can make your French sound a bit stilted). But it is wrong not to use the different auxiliaries if you have different types of verbs.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Health determinants Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health determinants - Assignment Example The patient encountered hardships as a result of his lack of income. He was unable to provide for his daily needs, which was accelerated by rising cost of living. He was not able to acquire basic education due to his lack of finances and therefore could not cope with the demands of the current job market. Such people are discriminated against in his society and would not be considered for leadership positions. Consequently, this socio-economic instability also affected the patient’s ability to establish and support his own family. Moreno and Warah (2007) state that a significant proportion of the world’s population lack access to a proper living environment. The physical environment in which the patient lived exposed him to health hazards and stress, leaving him without adequate shelter and clothing. This is a significant determinant of health as the patient was not protected from hostile environmental conditions such as rain and mosquito bites, among other harmful issues. Moreover, personal hygiene cannot be maintained without proper shelter and access to safe food and water. Individual risk factors also determine the overall health status of a person. For example, the patient turned to substance abuse as a mechanism of coping with his stress. Maurer and Smith (2013) argue that emotionally stressed people accelerate their demise through a lack of understanding their predicament and by engaging in negative behavior. Stressed individuals tend to seek self-gratification through undignified behavior especially when they lack money and resources. They tend to abuse illicit drugs that are easily obtained through the black market. The patient had a long history of abusing substances such as cannabis sativa and resin. Although these substances made the condition worse, the patient used them as stimulants. Jacobsen (2014) postulates that a minor change in a social system might influence the entire system; therefore, it should not be ignored. It is important for

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

International Marketing Audit and Plan Research Paper

International Marketing Audit and Plan - Research Paper Example However, it will enter the market through local wholesale distributors. Azzure brand is one of the assorted company’s products that will gain wide acceptance in China because of the benefits the product offer to the users. For example, Azzure is herbal cigarette which has therapeutic qualities. The Chinese smokers are many and increasing each year. Women smokers smoke an average of 11.6 cigarettes a day while the male smokers smoke an average of 15.5 cigarettes a day. More specifically, it is discovered that young male adults smoke an average of ten cigarettes daily, while middle aged adults smoke the highest number of cigarettes daily standing at an average of 17 cigarettes per day. The old male adults smoke he lowest number of cigarettes daily standing at an average of 10.1 cigarettes per day. The number of women smokers are increasing as the advertisement, promotions and production are tailored to appeal to the female adult population. The smoking rate in China is one of the highest in the world. It is estimated that 1.7 trillion cigarettes are smoked in china each year. The reason for this high smoking rate is due to the social culture of the Chinese people who fancy cigarettes in most of its social interaction. Cigarette smoking is considered as social activity and is normally given as gifts to friends, government officials and foreign guest especially when one is soliciting for favours. This behaviour fuels the demand of cigarettes across the adult population and ensures that the consumption rate is maintained throughout the year. Most Chinese prefer the cigarettes brands that are produced in the home country. However, foreign cigarettes are often considered as status symbol. There are over three hundred and fifty million cigarettes smokers in the whole of China. Therefore, there is a steady market for about two trillion cigarettes in China annually. Most cigarettes sold in China are

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Great Gatsby and Daisy Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby and Daisy Essay In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are many characters throughout the story. However, Daisy Buchannon seems to stand out the most to me. She is a beautiful, young girl with many different sides to her personality. She can be innocent, and then she surprises everyone with her promiscuous and careless attitude. Her personality and looks pull in a man named, Jay Gatsby, who unfortunately falls in love. Daisy, soon becomes the central corruption of Gatsby’s American dream which was simply just to be happy until he met the malicious Daisy Buchannon. Daisy is portrayed as a very attractive girl even to the point where her voice caught people off guard as well. Nick says, â€Å"That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money-that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it.. High in a white palace the kings daughter, the golden girl..† (127). This shows that Daisy has a irresistible charm to her that most people attract too, and that she is treated like royalty. However, all of her charm hides the fact that the way she is brought up causing her to be selfish when it comes to most things. As nicks states, â€Å"For Daisy was young and her artificial world was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery and orchestras..† (158). Daisy is basically in her own little world where everything is handed to her on a silver platter. This is how she has been since she was a child and it has carried through her adulthood. In the beginning of the book, Daisy is shown to be sweet and innocent. Like when she says â€Å"I’d like to just one of those pink clouds and put you in it and push you around† (99). This gives you an idea of Daisy giving a mindless compliment that shows her sweet side. Also, Daisy is often wearing white. Which is color that is associated with purity and innocence. â€Å"She is dressed in white, and had a little white roadster..† (79). This shows that the color can symbolism Daisy’s innocence. Daisy throughout the book soon loses her innocence and shows how promiscuous she can really be. While daisy is married, she begins to have a love affair with Gatsby. Which she chooses to carelessly show and not to disregards what others think of it. For example, â€Å"as he left the room again she got up, and went over to Gatsby, pulling his face down, kissing him on the mouth† (122). She easily got her husband out of the room, so she could continue to show her affection to Gatsby. She even acted as if she didn’t know her husband at all. When Nick scolded Daisy and told her to not bring Tom. Daisy innocently said, â€Å"Who’s tom?†(88). Daisy’s soon proves to not just be promiscuous, but also extremely careless. Gatsby even said, â€Å"She only married you because I was poor† (137). The fact that Daisy left Gatsby and married Tom just for his money shows that she is careless about Toms feelings and takes advantage of him for only his wealth. Even when Daisy and Gatsby get into a car accident and hit poor Myrtle. A couple days after this accident, Nick finds out that â€Å"she and tom had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them† (172). Daisy is obviously not concerned with the horrible thing she has done and takes off with her husband. As you can see, Daisy Bunchannon appeared to be an innocent girl who fell in love with her old lover. But as the story revolves, her true personality shows and how promiscuous and careless she has proven to be. Her careless mindset causes her to ruin Jay Gatsby’s American dream that was once to be happy and is now ruined by all the money he had spent trying to impress Daisy Bunchannon.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Summary of Expo Center :: essays research papers

An Informative Summary of â€Å"Japanese Hospitality Robots Debut at World Expo† Tsuno, Yoshikazu â€Å"Japanese Hospitality Robots Debut At World Expo.† 9 Mar 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  SpaceDaily 1 Apr 2005 . The 2005 World Exposition in Nagkute, Japan will present technical wonders to the public. The World Expo runs in the central Aichi region for six months starting March 25. Japan uses the expo to display its technological might. Interactive Robots on display will be the main attraction. The Expo includes robots that resemble young women, called Actroid, in information booths that speak four languages. Guest felt awkward due to Actroid’s realistic human features. The designers wanted the most honest reaction from the guest. Three versions of the Actroid with different faces will be mobilized at the Expo. Japan hopes Actroid will draw 15 million visitors to its industrial heartland. There are also security contingent robots on wheels and tiny colorful machines that sing. The Alsok guard robot has a touch panel in its chest to provide directions to visitors. If Alsok detects suspicious people it will try to scare them away with sirens and lights. Alsok can also detect fires and report them to a security center. For small children there is the child-care robot PaPeRo. With built-in cameras and microphones, it can recognize the faces of children and say their names. The PaPeRo also sings with children and quizzes them, recognizing who voice even if they try to trick it. With the expo running for six months, the public will see many advances in robotics created to interact with humans. Even thou we are able to see and interact with them, it will be some time before the public can purchase them. Japanese Hospitality Robots Debut At World Expo Japanese robot venture Kokoro's humanoid robot 'Actroid', able to recognize 40,000 phrases in four languages, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and English, guides visitors at a reception for the 2005 World Exposition Aichi in Nagkute near Nagoya, central Japan 07 March 2005. Japan will welcome the millions of guests at the World Exposition opening this month with hosts trained to greet them in their language, entertain their children and perform rap music with them - the gracious hosts are robots. AFP photo by Yoshikazu Tsuno. by Yoshikazu Tsuno Nagakute, Japan (AFP) Mar 09, 2005 Japan will welcome the millions of guests at the World Exposition opening this month with hosts trained to greet them in their language, entertain their children and perform rap music with them.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How important is the setting in R L Stevenson’s portrayal of a double life in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

The strange case of ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was written in 1886 by Robert Lewis Stevenson. Robert Lewis Stevenson was born and brought up in Edinburgh in the 1850’s. He was part of a middle class family, his parents were strict Christians and it was very important to them that Stevenson behaved respectfully. When Stevenson was a child, Stevenson’s nanny frightened him with stories of hell and suffering which may have contributed to his ideas in the novel. When he was a young man in Edinburgh he may have used a false name or a hidden identity in order to indulge himself in forbidden activities or he may have fantasized about them, like crime, affairs and homosexuality. In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson uses his experiences to describe the unpleasant side of life. The novel is about how Dr Jekyll leads a double life and its devastating consequences. The book reflects Victorian concerns about city life such as crime and poverty. The novel is set in the city of London and is significant in the novel because in general most gothic novels at that time were set far away or in unfamiliar surroundings, yet Stevenson sets the novel in London which shocked readers because it was a place they all knew which made them think that the themes discussed in the novel could be happening near them. This makes it more frightening to the reader and therefore made it a more popular novel. In the novel Stevenson describes London as ‘labyrinths of lamp lighted city’. This suggests that the city makes it possible for people to easily lose themselves in London. We see this in the novel when Stevenson says ‘he was often absent; for instance, it was nearly two months since she had seen him till yesterday’ (the day of the murder). This tells us that Hyde was often absent and it relates back to people losing themselves in the city. Another important aspect of the setting is the weather, which for most of the novel is described as ‘fogged city moon’ This creates an atmosphere of mystery and unknown and it also suggests that something might be about to happen. The chapter which describes the Carew murder case is an important event in the novel because the murder forces Mr Utterson to investigate and piece together the link between his friend Dr. Jekyll and the murderer Mr Hyde. The reader learns, however, that they are the same person. Stevenson sets the murder scene in a lane which the maid’s window overlooked and interestingly chooses the murder to be ‘brilliantly lit by the full moon’. He does this in order to display every detail of the murder and to show the viciousness of the attack. For example the murder is described as ‘a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered’. This tells us how brutal and violent the murder was by the maid being able to hear the victim’s bones being broken. It also gives the reader the full affect of the damage that had been done. The murder is particularly shocking because it enables the maid to describe the murder so well as a result of the murder scene being so brilliantly lit by the moon. The characters’ houses in the novel also suggest something about them, Dr Jekyll’s house, for example, is described as having ‘a great air of wealth and comfort’. Hyde’s rooms are described as ‘well furnished’, but they’re located in Soho which is a seedy area full of unrespectable people. The themes in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, for example crime and concealing forbidden activities touched on issues Victorians were concerned with because it was set in a familiar place and it made people think the sort of themes discussed in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde could be happening around or near them. Darwin’s ideas about evolution and how human beings descended from apes changed Victorian beliefs. His ideas about people being evolved from apes’ suggest that animalistic urges and desires might be present in all men. Victorians tended to see crime as being carried out by the poor, who they thought of as being more ‘brutish’ or animal like. Hyde is described as ‘ape like’ but he is the other side of Jekyll, so Stevenson is saying all men are capable of brutish behaviour, regardless of their class. He is also described like this because of the brutal behaviour he shows during the Carew murder case. This suggests that Hyde is less evolved than other human beings. The reader learns however that Hyde is also Jekyll; this makes the reader think that anyone is capable of ‘ape like’ behaviour. Another theme that is discussed in the novel involves people leading a double life. The idea of a double life, like the one Jekyll leads, would have appealed to Victorian readers because of the familiar background the novel was set in. Also Victorian codes of behaviour and social rules were strict and repressive, so people liked the idea of breaking out of this. In this novel the setting is important because it creates a sense of uncertainty and creates atmosphere because of the novel being set in dark and fog for most of it. Stevenson created a genre called urban gothic, this is because he set the novel in a familiar place and also at the time he wrote the book. He created a modern urban setting in order to engage his readers which mean they feel all the emotions more intensely because they can imagine it happening to them. The idea of the double life in the novel not only is of interest to Victorians but also to modern day readers because of the familiar setting. The phrase ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ personality is used today when someone shows two very different sides of their personality because the book is about Dr Jekyll who leads a double life as Mr Hyde. So by saying a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ personality it is like saying a ‘split personality’. We can see many of the ideas that are in the novel in our present times for example leading a double life and this suggests that the ideas behind the novel are still as relevant today as they were in Victorian times.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

China Inflation Essay

In recent years, China has met price of commodities rising quickly, inflation has affecting the overall economy. In this article, I will analyses last five years status of China inflation, explain the cause and effects, then base on the cause and effects, giving some solution to deal with the inflation. According to the definition of economics, inflation refers to the number of currency in circulation more than economic operation needed, and then cause currency devaluation and a persistently rising price level. In order to precisely explain inflation in China, I selected last five years inflation rate to analyze the overall condition about China inflation. Inflation rate, The following chart shows last five years inflation rate and trend of change. * In these chart, we can clearly see that, after 2008 years high inflation rate, inflation rate has fallen during the 5 years. But the size is not big. Since 2009, the inflation rate was going a new round of the rising trend. On the surface, china inflation is not so high, but some of the industry’s price rising greatly, such as agricultural products and real estate industry. And during last thirty years, overall commodity price in china has kept rising quickly. So China inflation is still a serious problem. The cause of China inflation Demand-pull inflation The inflation because of aggregate demand excessive increase is called demand-pull inflation. In order to deal with the financial crisis in 2008, to speed up the pace of economic growth in China, the central government carried out 4 trillion RMB investments and a series of stimulate measures to expand domestic demand. In China, the fixed assets investment increased 30 %( compared to 2008 )ï ¼Å'the amount of fixed assets investment is 22.46 trillion RMB in 2009( 65.9% in annual GDP ) and 27.81 trillion RMB in 2010( 69.8% in annual GDP ). Depends on the huge number of investment and loans, China economic recovered faster in the world, on the other hand some area assumes the extension expansion, break the balance of economic structure, has formed a serious pressure of inflation. Unhealthy investment is other problem in demand-pull inflation. Cost-push inflation 1. Employee wages rising Wage growth makes the production cost growth, on given price levels, the profit level of manufacturer will decrease, manufacturers willing and are able to supply the number of products will decrease, so that the aggregate supply curve shift to left, is caused the price level increase. In 2008 and 2009, the average worker real wages indexes increase from the previous year were 11% and 13%. Over the same period, the GDP growth rates were 9.6% and 9.2% respectively. Worker average wage index rising more than the GDP growth rate of the same period. Wage growth has led the production costs and the total price level increase. 2. Inflation triggered by the rising prices of raw materials In China, after the financial crisis of 2008, the huge investment in fixed assets need a great number of raw material such as steel, wood and cement to support it. The phenomenon of demand greater than supply causes the rising price of wood, cement and steel. That is the beginning of comprehensive price rising. Imported inflation In May 2011, the middle rate between RMB and us dollar break 6.5. China external dependence is relatively large, the decrease in us dollar will transfer the influence to China. Because persistently rising price of international bulk commodity, the biggest importer and trade processing section—china, has suffered huge pressure in cost growth. On the other hand, china is a biggest importer in oil, mineral, food. So when the price of these goods increase significantly, at the same time, through the imported channel affect the general price level in China, leading the imported inflation. In recent years, because of the good investment prospect and appreciation expectations of RMB, also result in a number of unknown money inflows to China, the hot money inflow to China will cause short-term speculation behavior in capital market and real estate market. In china, the regulation system in this area is not sufficient enough, supervision is relatively difficult, and also cause imported inflation in this reason. The effect of inflation in China (1) The influence on economic growth. 1.1 The error of resources guide. When inflation happened, because the destruct to the currency force the price system disorders, upset the market mechanism, to interfere with the market signals and make the transfer of market signal distortion, cause the allocation of resources disorders, reduce economic efficiency and economic instability. 1.2 Effect on labor force. Inflation caused part of the false demand, and disturbing prices and wages system, give the labor many wrong information, they were attracted in some temporary jobs. And once inflation over, or when it is no longer increased enough, these jobs will disappear, and will cause the new unemployment. 1.3 Affects China export product competitiveness. At present China employee’s wages in the big scale of rising, this year in the coastal areas, appear a shortage of 6 million migrant workers, and in coastal areas, average wage rise 15%-20% to rural migrant workers, and this already transfer from a manufacturing economy to a service industry quickly, and the present China industry majority is labor intensive, and also because the status of â€Å"world factory†, low labor costs is a advantage, low wages low price in accordance with China’s interests upgrade transformation haven’t succeeded, it’s to early into high wage upscale stage, the product export will not competitive, other Asian countries will replace the situation of china in market. Inflation will make higher labor costs; increase the difficulty to Chinese products export. 1.4 Brings huge uncertainty to investment and consumption. In inflation, a kind of commodity price increase is not the real increase due to market demand rising, and just because the speculative impulse or panic of consumers, producers about prices rise further caused. Because not every one of the producers can handle the overall market information, so this kind of speculation from the uncertainty and panic is likely to promote the further investment, at same time consumption has become more chaos. (2) The influence of the development of society Inflation influence on the society mainly displays in the national income redistribution, because it changed the income and wealth possession ratio of original members of the society. 2.1 Low-income families are the biggest victims of inflation. On the one hand, because food prices is the mainstay of this round of inflation, and the lower income families has higher Engel’s coefficient, the damage of food prices rising is deep. On the other hand, because low-income families’ consumption in the larger proportion in income holds, marginal propensity is large, is given priority to the necessities of life, this part of the consumer goods often lack of the price elasticity. So, low-income can’t through maintain and increase assets’ value to against inflation. 2.2 This round of inflation come with asset price (such as stock and property) expanded rapidly, and expand the income distribution gap, increase the unfair feeling to low-income people, at the same time, stimulates the enthusiasm to inhabitants of all kinds of assets investment, this investment enthusiasm lead asset prices to rise further, make capital market systemic risk are gathered together. 3.3 Inflation impact social member’s wealth possession ratio. In inflation, physical assets value added much higher than the rate of inflation, so holder can benefit. Conversely, inevitable damaged. If the holders hold deposit money, they suffered loss because of rising prices and decrease in currencies; if the holders hold securities, and then depend on rate between rising prices and stock price changes. Liabilities members of society reduce the actual debt burden. The government and the enterprise are in the net debt position, is beneficiaries in inflation. And residents in a net creditor position, inflation are victim in inflation. How to manage the inflation in China (1) Build a correct understanding of the essence of inflation; attach importance to the management of currency First of all, should control the issuance of the currency amount from the source, keep balance between money supply and economic development needs. For the currency issue institutions, regulating the procedures, shows the clear responsibility, avoid excessive issued. Second, the government should adopt agile monetary policy. According to the actual economic operation, make use monetary policy efficiently, and try to improve the purchasing power of the money, ease monetary inflation pressure. At the right time, raise the deposit reserve rate and raising interest rates, issue Treasury bonds, open market operations to control money supply amount. The purpose is keep the balance of aggregate supply and aggregate demand basically, maintain price stability and full employment. Since January 2010, China has continued to adjust deposit reserve rate in 12 times, percentage of large financial institutions increased to 21.5% from 15.50%, small and medium sized financial institutions has been increased to 18% from 13.50%. This activity shrunk the liquidity to a certain extent. (2) Establish corresponding early warning mechanism Direct response of inflation is the commodities prices continue to rise. The effect of the monetary policy exist certain hysteresis. If began implement monetary policy after the price rise sharply, it need a period of time to produce the result. That may ease economic fluctuations, but that may produce bad influence to the volatility of the economy too. As far as possible to avoid a control too much, or couldn’t control the situation. So, to the macroeconomic regulation, need to establish the corresponding early warning mechanism, it also requires money management authorities to improve the management level, avoid it before obvious inflation, they should take corresponding measures to avoid economic fluctuations. (3) Adjust foreign exchange policy and keep balance of international payments At present our country executes is mandatory settlement and sale of foreign exchange policy is restrictions. Because of the foreign exchange income of export enterprises must be sold to foreign exchange bank. If foreign exchange is constant, in a floating exchange rate, foreign exchange bank of sell excess foreign currency can lead to exchange rate fall. But China want to keep the stable of exchange rate, forced the central bank to buy a large foreign exchange, in order to maintain the stability of RMB exchange rate. This will form empty demand increase for foreign exchange, increase the investment of the monetary, the base currency produce the multiplier effect, which eventually led to the money supply increased. We can gradually allow Banks to foreign exchange transactions, let the foreign exchange market shunt RMB financing, establish foreign exchange reserve fund, carry out foreign exchange transaction. We can choose some management regulations of the financial management, sound enterprise, allowing him to open a foreign exchange account, to keep foreign exchange funds. keep the balance of international payments; change the trade surplus of excessive situation. By simplifying the import formalities and reduce tariffs, etc way, encourage imports, especially the raw material of the block of domestic scarce import, forming materials reserve, timely bring prices down. (1828 words) Reference Bregger J.E (2009) China Inflation rate’s chart. â€Å"National Bureau of Statistics of China†. From: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/china/inflation-cpi 6 JULY IMF, China; International Monetary Fund China inflation rate’s chart (2012) from: http://www.statista.com/statistics/167115/inflation-in-china/ 6 July 6, 2012 Historic inflation China – CPI inflation (2012) from : http://www.inflation.eu/inflation-rates/china/historic-inflation/cpi-inflation-china.aspx 6 JULY Jain T .R (2006) Microeconomics and Basic Mathematics. New Delhi: VK Publication, Jan 2001 Wang X.Q (2002) Population Dividend Effects and china’s economic growth. March 6 , 2009

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Essay on War

Essay on War The history of the world comprises a number of wars and the students are required to write essays on war such as essay on civil war, essay on Iraq war, essay on world war, essay on cold war, essay on Vietnam war, essay on world war I, essay on world war II, essay on Korean war, war on terror essay and essay on Spanish American war, etc. For writing essays on war, the students should be well read about the war for which they are writing an essay on war. The essays on war should be informative in terms of the war topic that the student is assigned to write on. In an essay on war, you should give certain aspects of wars such as what are the causes of the war, what are the after effects of the war, the destruction that the war has caused and the involvement of parties who are at the back of war. All the aspects of the war should be depicted in an essay on war, which will make it a strong essay. The format of an essay on war should be like that, that the writer must give the background of the war and should gradually move towards its impacts, the affected people and at the end; the havocs of war should be described. All types of essays on war such as essay on civil war, essay on Iraq war, essay on world war and essay on cold war and others should be written by following the same pattern that is described earlier. The essays on war should contain a full-fledged introduction in which you should introduce the war on which you are writing an essay on war. For writing a persuasive essay on war, all the aspects described above should be considered while writing an essay on war because by considering those aspects you will do a deep research in terms of that war. While writing a war essay, you should be neutral which means that you should not depict any kind of prejudice in your essay on the war. An unbiased essay on war will make your essay more persuasive and readable. In your essay on war, you can also indicate the harmfulness of wars that are fought. The countries who fight with one another keep the lives of their citizens on stake and then the citizens face the after effects of war so, your essay on war can also work as peace proposal for the countries who have fought earlier on or who are planning to do a war.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Lets Get Real About Passion

Lets Get Real About Passion New writers/unpublished writers are quick to say I am passionate about writing. I just dont know how to publish. Okay, but thats apples and oranges. To be passionate about anything means you are skilled at it to a certain degree. You may not be a master or a best-seller, but you have written for long enough to make mistakes, learn from them, and have direction. . . at writing. You can self-correct. You have dreams about the stories. Publishing, however, is not writing. Publishing is about the business. You cannot be passionate about being a published writer simply Passion is a strong feeling, emotion, or like. You cannot have passion for another person without knowing them well. Same goes for writing. Same goes for publishing. In other words, you have to do it long enough to tell whether or not its a passion, because a passion sticks with you for a long, long time. . . and youll do anything to make it happen. It doesnt go away. It doesnt get disenchanted. It sticks. Its purpose. Its about making it happen regardless of what gets in your way.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Global Economic Environment and Marketing Assignment

Global Economic Environment and Marketing - Assignment Example had made a net of over $50 million by the end of 1979 and it had become a household name in the United States as the provider of personal computers (Reuters 2014). Wozniak retired in 1985 and Jobs left later that year owing to power issues within the company management. Between Jobs departure and his return to Apple in 1997, Apple went through a rough patch with changes in leadership and loss of consumer confidence thereby reduced growth prospects. Jobs major idea was to rejuvenate Apple by developing more sophisticated and stylish products which were also user friendly (Gillam, 2012). He also opened up Apple stores as the biggest flagship project towards making global the company and its products. He also ensured that software production became a forefront product. His innovative ideas saw Apple become the second most valuable company by 2010 according to Gillam (2012). Today, the company’s main strategy is the improvement of the current products which is well seen in the current unveiling of iPhone 6. It is worth mentioning that the company also owns FileMaker Inc., Braeburn Capital, Hopstop.com Inc. and Locationary Inc. among many others as

Thursday, October 31, 2019

How is the Innovation impact in Starbucks organization Essay

How is the Innovation impact in Starbucks organization - Essay Example Layout for all new stores is developed on computer with software for cost estimating. This not only reduces costs for development, but also helps regional managers to keep costs of new locations below target figures. Planning of new Starbucks spaces down to the last square foot, including layout of cases and brewing equipment allows managers and company representatives to work more efficiently. Starbucks is continuously looking for new ways to offer its products and expand its product lines. Developing partnerships with other food companies such as Kraft, PepsiCo and Dryer’s Grand Ice Cream has allowed the company to reach more customers with more channels for product sales. Starbucks also has established licensing agreements with United Airlines, Marriott Host International, Aramark, Nordstroms and Barnes and Noble to offer products in Hotels, airports, book stores, department stores and college campuses. Strategies for global expansion include choosing â€Å"a reputable and capable local company with retailing know-how in the target host country to develop and operate new stores† (Thomson & Gamble, 1999). Starbucks seeks talent within its organizational structure, so that executives can continue to focus on specific tasks such as buying and planning. Once a hub is established in a major city, managers known as zone vice presidents are relied upon for regional development.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Matrix for diverse learners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Matrix for diverse learners - Essay Example 1. Childrens USA Wall Map (Available at http://www.maps.com/): This well designed map combines geography with state by state information in both pictures and words. What is best about its design is that some pictures may be familiar to the student and some may not. This prompts the children to ask questions of each other and the teacher or parent about them. All of the items are numbered so that you can look up the unfamiliar objects and then go to other resources to find out even more information. For instance if you look towards Memphis you see some strange man with big hair and a red suit singing into a microphone, when you look him up you are introduced to Elvis Presley. All the pictures are cartoon-like and humorous to attract more interest and attention, also adding to the creative nature of the map. The map is best for Early Childhood, as it is informative and entertaining, hearing impaired since it is completely visual, and gifted as it is full of knowledge presented in a very creative fashion. The pictorial representations are also appropriate for the multicultural student. The only flaw that keeps it from being useful in all categories is that it is rather crowded with information and may seem daunting to the learning disabled and certainly to the limited sight children who would surely have difficulty discerning the smaller features. It also may by too busy and distracting for those with Behavior Challenges like Attention Deficit Disorder and the like. There may be too many follow up questions asked to make it a worthwhile map for those children. In fact this company also produces a World Map that is even more crowded and condensed and would be even more inappropriate for these three categories. 2. Eyewitness Dinosaur (Produced by Dorling Kindersley / DK 1997): This Video has cross applicability to all of the seven categories. It describes in simple language, narrated by Martin

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Corporate Social Responsibility In Multinational Corporations Commerce Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility In Multinational Corporations Commerce Essay The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) has the ability to play an important role in the contributions to the development of local economy of a developing country. Such role includes capacity building, employment opportunities and the transfer of technology (Ite, 2004). Corporate Social Responsibility is a concept that has created global awareness. Its popularity arouse as a result of globalization and information technology. According to the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD): CSR is the continuing commitment by business to behaving ethically and contributing to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their family as well as of the community and society at large while (Frederick, 1994) sees it as an obligation of business to contribute to social welfare beyond their role of producing goods and providing services. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) therefore has a major role to play through CSR initiatives, focusing on the development of a developing economy such as Nigeria. However, for many MNCs, CSR is an outcome of public pressure arising from their operations in developing countries in relation to human right, environmental pollution and labour issues. In other words, it has generally being a pragmatic response to consumer and civil society pressures (Raynard Forstater, 2002). This proposal seeks to focus on CSR practices and understanding how CSR theories relates to its practices by MNCs in Nigeria using Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) as an example. Various researches that have been carried out focused on the activities of the MNCs and they have revealed that there was a mounting evidence of gap between the stated intention of business leaders and their actual behaviour and impact in the real world'(Frynas, 2005). Little has been researched on how CSR theories relates to its practices by MNCs such as Shell in Nigeria. Nigeria was chosen because it is the most populous black nation in the continent and the largest producer of oil in sub Saharan Africa. The question this project seeks to ask is, how far is Shell Petroleum Development Company improving on the social welfare in Nigeria? In other words were they able to practice CSR. LITERATURE REVIEW. The literature on CSR has produced much definition over the decade since its emergence on the business scene (Carroll, 2004). The concept CSR has evoked lots of debate among scholars. It is sometimes referred to as business virtue or social responsibilities. It means different things to different people. To some, it means the idea of legal responsibility or obligation and to others it means social responsible behaviour which is sometimes seen as a charitable contribution to the society. According to the foremost scholar of CSR Carroll (1983) CSR involves the conduct of a business so that it is economically profitable, law abiding, ethical and socially supportive. The commission of European communities defined CSR as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in the business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholder in a voluntary basis. As good as the notion of CSR may seem there are different views by different scholars as to what constitute CSR. According to parsons (1961) CSR theory is rooted in four aspects of hypothesis It can be observed in any social system. It adapts to its environment i.e. its relation to resources Goal attainment i.e. its relation to politics Social integration and pattern maintenance i.e. its relation to culture and values. From these hypotheses aforementioned, CSR theory was then classified into four groups Instrumental theory- here it is assumed that corporation is an instrument for wealth creation. According to friedman (1970), the only responsibility of business towards society is the maximisation of profits to the shareholders within the legal framework and the ethical custom of the country. Any organisation that adopt CSR initiative will always have to answer the question to whom are we responsible? the answer to this question is usually to the stakeholder. Stakeholders here include the employees, customers, shareholders, staff in the supply chain and the community living in vicinity where the company is located. Political theory here the social power of corporation is specifically emphasized in its relationship with the society and its duty in the political environment. Davis (1960) introduced business power in the CSR debate. He proposed that business is a social institution that must use its power responsibly. In his own words whoever does not use his social power responsibly will lose its position in the society. Integrative theories it is considered that business ought to integrate social demand. Social demand implies the way in which society relates with business through certain legitimacy and prestige. This goes further to explain that business depends on society for its continuity and existence. Ethical theory firm ought to accept social responsibility as an ethical obligation above any other consideration. Donaldson and Dunfee (1999) proposed the integrated social contract theory. This theory was meant to guide managers to make decision in an ethical way in other words, to get involved with the society. To cynics, CSR is antithetical to sound business practice and serves to weaken its focus on wealth creation ( Clement-Jones,2005; Murray, 2005). Advocates however characterises CSR as necessary for successful business operations and as a gateway for business to look beyond wealth creation and also take into consideration the social welfare of the society in which they operate (Jackson Nelson, 2004; Rudolph 2005). In other words, businesses that are socially responsible can help to solve crucial environmental and social problems. Some studies consider CSR to involve ethical responsibility while philanthropic responsibility is seen as an add on ( Longo et al 2005). Other studies have made discrepancy between CSR as simple legal compliance and CSR as carrying out business operations with high regards to morality (Juholin, 2004). Henderson (2001), attempt to show that CSR distorts the market by distracting business from its primary role of wealth creation. These different views by schol ars have led to confusion as to what CSR practices really entail. Based on the fact that little has been discussed on how CSR practice fit or does not fit with CSR theories, my main project will involve critical analysis of CSR theory and how it relates to its practices by Shell in Nigeria. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE AND RESEARCH QUESTION The central objective of this research is To develop a better understanding of CSR theories and practices. To investigate on the CSR policies of Shell Petroleum Development company and how it relates to the CSR theories. To investigate the effect of their CSR activities in Nigeria. These objectives will be looked into in order to ascertain if Shell really practiced their CSR policies and to what extent does the policy create effect in the community which they operate. Therefore my research question will be to what extent is Shell improving on the social welfare in Nigeria? RESEARCH DESIGN The research strategy that will be adopted for this research will be a case study approach. A case study approach is a single unit of analysis such as a company, an event or group of events. In this case a company i.e. Shell Petroleum Development Company will be used. The case study type is exploratory as well as explanatory in nature. It involves gathering detailed information about the company over a period of time with a view to obtain an in-depth knowledge (Collis et al 2003). A qualitative approach will be adopted for this research because it is designed to study social and cultural phenomena. It will be aimed at conducting an in depth analysis of how Shell practiced Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria. Questionnaires will be used as an instrument for this research. These questionnaires will be administered to the host community where Shell is operating because it is assumed that the community understands the subject matter that is been analysed. The sample size of this research will be classified according to age, gender, academic qualification and the number of years of residency within the community. Simple Random Sampling Techniques will be used to administer the questionnaires to the member of the host community because it gives each member of the population an equal chance of being chosen and it also guarantee that the sample was a representative of the entire population (Saunders et al 2007) DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Data would be collected using questionnaires. Through face to face interaction, the respondents would be gathered at a particular place and instruction would be given to them as to how to fill out the questionnaires. I intend to give out 150 questionnaires. The data that would be collected will include the age, gender, education qualification and the number of years of residency within the community. Secondary data would also be collected from sources like industry journal and other relevant published and unpublished articles. Descriptive method of data analysis would be used to analyse the responses from the questionnaires collected. This method includes the use of charts and tables to describe the data generated. LIMITATIONS Constraint to finance will be one of my major limitations for this research because it will entail me to travel to the Niger Delta region in Nigeria which is the region where Shell operates. Due to the fact that the questionnaires would be handed out by myself, some members of the community would want to be paid before they fill out the questionnaires.