The Middle Ages vs. Renaissance

 ·Writers and thinkers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries introduced the idea that they were part of a distinct era—the Renaissance. They looked at ancient Greek and Roman civilizations for models. They found the ideals of com/ga-ccgps-english-language-arts-9-a-cr-quizes-for-unit-test-1/">the ancient Greeks and Romans to be superior to those found in the feudal and religious literature of the Middle Ages. ·Burchhardt identified a difference between the medieval man, who was controlled by faith throughout his life, and the Renaissance man, who strove for the highest individual development. The medieval man is not an individual, but rather one in a group. The Renaissance man wanted to be unique, to stand out, to be different and to make an impression on others. This man was aware of the real world and was talented in many fields. ·In contrast, W. T. Waugh found little evidence of a distinct period. Rather, he saw continual intellectual activity throughout medieval Eu rope. If there was a renaissance, it began in 1000, during the Middle Ages, not with the humanists of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Medieval scholars read the Greek and Roman classics. Therefore the humanists have exaggerated their importance. The â€Å"renaissance† was no more than the high point of the Middle Ages. ·Petrarch was a humanist who was concerned with things of this world—not heaven. He was a man of the Renaissance. ·Erasmus was critical both of the religious orders and the Church, who, he believed, were interested only in money and drink. In contrast, Erasmus viewed the secular rulers as knowledgeable leaders. He admired the English court and King Henry VIII, who, he hoped, would provide leadership. ·DaVinci, a complex man of the Renaissance, was interested in anatomy and the realistic portrayal of the human body. He was the ideal man of the Renaissance due to his many talents and interests. ·Kepler, an astronomer, used observation and m athematics to prove his thesis. He did not accept what he was told by the Church or the ancients. Instead, he proved his theories. ·There were many universities founded in the twelfth through fifteenth centuries, leading to the conclusion that there were centers of learning established and thriving in Italy, France, and Great Britain throughout the Middle Ages.

The Lottery Comparison of Tradition

Margaret Urquhart Professor Daniels ENC1102 15 March 2013 An Outrageous Tale Standing in line for hours, impatiently waiting for the front doors of our favorite stores to open, to be nearly trampled upon for discounted items, is a tradition we, as Americans, like to call Black Friday. Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, often regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. To get people in the spirit, most major retailers open before the sun comes up and offers promotional sales to kick off the holiday shopping season.Americans consider â€Å"getting in the spirit,† by waking at the crack of dawn to pry items out of other people’s hands while at the same time getting pushed and shoved by crazy amounts of people on the same hunt. We call a tradition; a belief or behavior passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance that has origin from the past. Black Friday is the one tradition that I thought was the worst until reading â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson. Jackson uses irony to suggest an underlying evil, hypocrisy, and weakness of human kind.Jackson shows many important lessons about human nature in this short story including barbaric traditions in a supposedly civilized village, the community’s hypocrisy, and how violence and cruelty take place. â€Å"The Lottery† tells the story of an annual tradition in a small village, where the people are close and tradition is paramount. The Lottery is a yearly event in which one person in the town is randomly chosen, by a drawing, to be violently stoned by friends and family.The villagers don’t really know much about the lottery’s origin but try to preserve the tradition nevertheless; they believed that someone had to be sacrificed to insure a good crop. â€Å"Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon,† said Old Man Warner. The villagers allow an outdated tradition to run their liv es and control whether they live or die. The black box symbolizes death; the name of the â€Å"winner† to be stoned is drawn from the box at every lottery, it represents tradition in the fact that it is old and worn.It has been in existence seemingly forever and though there is talk of replacing it, the reader can infer that there will be no such change. The villagers are aware that the sacrifice is inhumane but none want to stand and voice their opinion because they are afraid of how it may affect their lives. â€Å"The lottery† has been practiced in this town for such a long time that it makes tradition so powerful, it’s like a force of nature, and the people of the village can’t imagine rebelling against it.The black box represents tradition in aspects to it being old; the characters mention that they did not want to get rid of the old box because it was made of splinters of the original box. The town is so focused on how things were and how things hav e always been that they cannot see any new or improved ways of living. Nevertheless, the lottery continues simply because there has always been a lottery. In â€Å"The Lottery,† the idea of hypocrisy is seen throughout the story. This theme is evident by the tradition of the lottery itself as well as the characters’ actions.The theme of hypocrisy is often attached to the idea of religion. Mr. Adams questions the traditions of the lottery and Mr. Summers says, â€Å"There’s always been a lottery,† and that it would be â€Å"nothing but trouble. † With these statements I feel that this tradition has been around for such a long time that if they were to get rid of it, in return it would turn the town upside down and the villagers wouldn’t know how to react to not having it. They keep the tradition alive yet they create nothing but trouble in determining who dies. The character Mrs. Hutchinson’s best friend, Mrs.Delacroix, is one of the f irst to casually discuss the lottery and in contrast she is the first to pick up a rock to stone her so called friend. Jackson’s use of such a tradition and these everyday characters demonstrates how hypocritical we are in society and is cautioning readers to questions those ideas set in stone. Shirley Jackson shows us that violence is a part of human nature, and that it can be disguised in many ways. The setting of the story is seemingly civilized and peaceful, while the stoning is a cruel and brutal act. This shows us that horrifying acts of violence can take place anywhere at any time, by ordinary citizens.Violence and cruelty are a major theme because we do not live in a â€Å"perfect† world where nothing bad ever goes wrong; there is violence and cruelty all around us. We see human cruelty in its worst form because there is no excuse for it. Jackson's example illustrates how mankind can become a victim to its own mindless traditions. For example, one child in the story was depicted this way: â€Å"Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example. †(Jackson 194) This quote shows how people are mindless followers just because everyone else is doing it.This strange tale is twisted in ways that show us so much about human nature and the way we are in society. The themes that are unraveled throughout the story are shocking, teaching us about human nature on a different level. People live by the term, â€Å"If everyone else is doing it, then I should too. † This shows how even though the tradition has been going on for so long, no one actually knows when it originated; they only continue it because it’s the tradition of the town. The violence and cruelty that comes into play is brutal in the sense that Mrs.Hutchinson’s friends were the first to stone her and not have any problem with it, which shows the hypocrisy of human beings. The people of the town disguise th e evil tradition of the lottery by following orders without asking any questions. Getting pushed and shoved in line for long hours for an item is a tradition that we should not have in America anymore, but still do because everyone does it. In the same sense, dying is drastically worse than getting pushed and shoved; they can’t stop the tradition of â€Å"The Lottery† because it’s what everyone in town does.

Country and Rap Music Essay

The types of music that people listen to are very diverse. Country and rap music are just two of these types of music and the composition of audience that listen to these types greatly vary. The primary reason is that country music is commonly identified with white people who live in the countryside while rap music is commonly associated with black people living in urban cities. For the most part, rap music is relatively a new type of music as compared to country music which, as a result, makes it more appealing to the younger generation. The older generation, on the other hand, are more inclined to listen to the type of music that grew up with, especially country music. One of the unique features of rap music is the way in which the lyrics are vocalized. The sound of rap music usually involves the rhythmic speaking of rhyming lyrics dubbed with the so-called â€Å"beats†. The beats are usually created separately through the use of percussions and other synthesizers. On the other hand, country music usually involves distinct guitar picking patterns with a slightly â€Å"blues† feel. More often than not, country songs involve the use of acoustic guitars although there are instances when the electric guitars are also used in certain parts of the song. The way in which the lyrics are sung is melodic, aptly cohering with the chord pattern of the song. Most country songs are easy to listen to since country music is less of the aggressive type, so to speak. These songs usually tell the story of the country life where the days are reminiscent of the outdoor life close to nature. There are also times when country songs express the love affairs of individuals. But unlike other forms of music, country music is â€Å"a more gentle approach to putting emotions† into music, in a manner of speaking (Lewis, p. 44). Rap music, on the other hand, usually expresses the experiences of an individual in the suburban or urban areas. Most of rap songs commonly involve the narration of how a young black American has to survive and rise to meet the challenges of surviving in a cruel society. These songs also have become stereotyped as the music of young people with a rebellious attitude who are part of violent gangsters in local neighborhoods. Thus, it is not hard to identify rap music as an aggressive type of music. Because of the wide generation gap between the time when either one of the two gain much prominence, there is likewise a great deal of difference between rap and country music in terms of its audience or followers. Rap music, being a relatively new type of music emerging and gaining prominence only in the later part of the 80s—with the exception of the theory that the origins of rap being traced as far back as the time when African-American slaves were chanting rhymes while doing work—the composition of its audience can also be said as younger (Sullivan, p. 613). On the other hand, country music has been around long before the birth of rap music. That being said, a large part of the those who listen to country music belong to the older generation although, of course, it can also be said that there are also young people who listen to country music. Not surprisingly, a portion of those who listen to country music may likewise be composed of those who live in the countryside since they can easily relate to the messages behind each country song. The same can also be said about rap music; those who live in more urban areas have the tendency to lend their ears to rap songs as they can easily relate to the message of most rap songs. For example, the rap songs of the artist â€Å"50 cent† may appeal more to younger people who reside in cities and other urban areas whereas the country songs of Johnny Cash may appeal more to older people who live in the countryside. However, these comparisons do not necessarily mean that there are no countryside people who listen to the rap songs of 50 cent or that there are no urban people who listen to the country songs of Johnny Cash. The point is that it is more likely for urban people to easily associate themselves with the songs of rap artists whereas it is more likely for countryside people to easily relate themselves to the songs of country artists. Rapping can also be done without the accompaniment of any musical instrument. It can even be done in simple impromptu gatherings in common places such as in local streets in the neighborhood. As for country music singing, it is difficult to say if a song is sung in a country music style without the accompaniment of musical instruments such as guitars. At the least, a singer would have to need a guitar in order to sing a country song or to make the song sound â€Å"country† in a recognizable way. In more recent times, rap music has been gaining a steady stream of following from the public with the increasing prominence of several rap artists. Country music, on the other hand, has been kept alive by several younger artists although the likes of Johnny Cash and his generation of country musicians have kept a steady support from the public listeners through the years. If there is one similarity between the two distinct musical genres, it has to be the fact that both country and rap have become cultures on their own. Rap music has become a culture tat has been embraced by individuals which, as a matter of fact, has even resulted to certain divisions among its musicians—the so-called East and West sides. Likewise, country music has created its own sense of culture manifested in the rural areas. Works Cited Lewis, George H. â€Å"The Creation of Popular Music: A Comparison of the ‘Art Worlds’ Of American Country Music and British Punk. † International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music 19. 1 (1988): 35-51. Sullivan, Rachel E. â€Å"Rap and Race: It’s Got a Nice Beat, but What about the Message? † Journal of Black Studies 33. 5 (2003): 605-22.

Managerial and Cost Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managerial and Cost Accounting - Assignment Example This is because managerial accounting provides information and reports that may be used by organizations to identify areas within the organization that needs additional investigation and examination. Managers use information provided by managerial accounting such as budgets to make decisions and plans. The information provided by managerial accounting can be used by managers to solve problems. Therefore, managers can use such information to develop alternatives to issues arising from budgets and production changes. Managerial accounting information is used by managers to make estimations of product and service costs and profitability. In addition, managers understand customer orientation through managerial accounting. Managers are able to evaluate the business from the cross-functional perspective by use of managerial accounting information. Managerial accounting also provides information that is useful in improving total quality by an organization (Rich and Jones 667). Through manag erial accounting, managers can formulate and implement an organization’s strategic activities. It also enables managers to do their work efficiently and effectively, adding value to the organization. This is because managerial accounting creates organizational alignment throughout the organization and facilitates continuous learning and improvement (Davis and Davis 4). This paper investigates the application of management accounting practices in one of the Saudi organizations, SABIC. In the analysis, the use of both financial and managerial information in decision making are evaluated. This analysis is done in comparison with the application of MAPS by UK companies that produce foods and drinks. The study also analyses the financial and nonfinancial benefits of using MAPs to an organization. This study fills the gap that exists between literature and practice. The information of this study can also be used in the educational sector. Literature Review In 1993, Altamira and Maj bour carried out a research on management accounting in Saudi Arabia. This study was a comparative analysis of Saudi and Western approaches, which investigated the differences and similarities in management accounting practices between companies owned and managed by Saudis and joint venture companies in Saudi (Altamira and Majbour). In the investigation, the managerial use of accounting, a sophistication of management accounting systems and the role of accountants in decision making and control were investigated. Similarities and differences between the researched companies in terms of accounting system sophistication and managerial use of accounting and the accountants’ role of in decision making and control were also studied (Altamira and Majbour). The study was only descriptive. It was established from the study that Western joint venture companies based in Saudi Arabia have sophisticated accounting systems, compared to Saudi owned and managed companies (Altamira and Majbo ur). Also, accountants of Western joint venture companies based in Saudi Arabia play a greater role in decision making and control, compared to Saudi owned and managed companies. In addition to the aforementioned findings, it was found out, in the study, that managers of Western joint venture companies based in Saudi Arabia fully depend on accounting information in decision making and control (Altamira and Majbour).

Identy theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identy theft - Essay Example A high percentage of credit card companies send out checks for the purpose of paying off other cards, or to use like cash. The checks often arrive with your statements, and are sometimes sent separately. As the consumer, you do not know when they are sent. Unfortunately, some of the credit card companies do not know when they send them. The criminals can get their hands on your checks in many ways. They can be stolen right out of your mailbox. They can be misappropriated by a postal employee. They can be shanghaied with other mail from a mail truck. There are probably a hundred other methods, but you get the picture, it is easy for the criminal to get his or her grubby hands on your financial documents. The most successful approach is a proactive one. The most effective solution is to ensure the checks are not sent at all, and to this end I recommend you cancel your credit cards. If you have no credit cards, you will receive no credit card checks. At a minimum, call all of your credit card companies and ask them to stop sending the checks, they will be happy to oblige. Another approach is to have them sent only upon your request. This way you can still have the use of the checks, and you can track roughly when, and how many, are sent. You might ignore this advice, as I would have at an... The check clearing companies do not care about consumers, they do not even use the driver's license information that most proprietors verify when a check is written! If you are unlucky enough to have this happen to you, you will undoubtedly be shocked, as I was, to hear the police tell you that you are not the victim! The victims are the stores that cashed the check, or the check clearing companies, because they will eventually be the ones with actual monetary losses. These steps are just the first of many if you truly want to protect yourself. They will potentially save you; a lot of grief, time spent trying to get agencies to help, a considerable amount of money, frustration, and stress in general. For more information, check out . This site is an excellent entry point for you to educate yourself about the many aspects of identity theft. Protect yourself, be proactive, and tell everyone you know the same. Brochure Front cover: IDENTITY THEFT AN INVISIBLE CRIME Victims of identity theft usually do not even know that they have been targeted until it is to late. Identity theft can take years and a lot of money to clear up, and until it is credit is ruined and lives are destroyed. As with other crimes we cannot completely control if we are victims, but we can be aware how criminals obtain our private information, how to reduce the risk of being a victim and some helpful information on what to do after the crime is committed. Inside How Does Our Private Information Fall Into The Wrong Hands Stealing records from their employer, Bribing an employee who has access to these records, or Hacking into the organization's computers. Rummage through your trash Obtain

Technical Manual Covering the Construction of a PC System Essay

Technical Manual Covering the Construction of a PC System - Essay Example 1. Open up the case by undoing the screws and removing the side panels. 2. Insert the Power Supply Unit (PSU) taking care to line up cooling fan with case vent. Attach firmly with supplied screws and ensure the three-pin AC power cable is free and ready to be attached to the motherboard. 3. Carefully take out the motherboard from its antistatic bag and match up the holes in the board to the holes on the case. Then add the plastic stand-offs (supplied) to those holes. At this time, also make sure that the rear of the motherboard matches the bracket at rear of case. If not, remove case bracket and replace with compatible bracket which will have been supplied by motherboard manufacturer. Before fixing the motherboard to the case, it is easier to attach the CPU and fan assembly to the motherboard first. 4. Installing the CPU and heatsink/fan: a. On the motherboard, raise the CPU (processor) retaining latch. b. Remove CPU from antistatic bag by its edges, place into processor socket and push retaining latch back into position. c. Add some heatsink compound (don’t skimp on the quality of this seemingly unimportant item. Buy the best) to the heat spreader on top of the chip. Some instructions suggest ‘mounding’ compound in the centre of the heatsink. Follow whatever particular instructions come with your processor. The heatsink/fan assembly will sit on top of this. d. Because we are adding a regular Intel heatsink/fan unit, we need to align four pegs on the corners of the heatsink/fan assembly with holes in the motherboard.

Recombinant DNA tech, RNA tech, Protein Expression, Protein tech Assignment

Recombinant DNA tech, RNA tech, Protein Expression, Protein tech - Assignment Example Question Two For a plasmid to act as an effective cloning vector that can transfer the gene of interest into the target cells, it must exhibit the ability to replicate upon entry into the target cells. Moreover, it must have several cloning sites that allow the insertion of the gene of interest. The plasmid must have a defined origin of replication and effective promoters that ensure successful expression of the foreign gene. Question Three Polymerase chain reaction is one of the ways in which the 1kb gene may be quantified. This process yields many copies of the gene of interest, making other analytical processes possible. The modern Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) exhibits a high level of automation, and yields multiple copies of the gene. The second way of yielding great amounts would involve insertion of the gene into bacteria. After replication of the plasmid in the bacteria, the gene of interest multiplies. Question Four In order to identify the genes in the human liver whose e xpression occurs only when under pressure, a cDNA library would be the most effective. This library would focus on the fragments that undergo transcription and expression. Construction of such a library would require the sequencing of the genes of interest and inserting them into a plasmid vector. The library would also have reverse transcribed messenger RNAs for the genes, and this would involve the use of reverse transcriptase to yield DNA complementary to the messenger RNA. Question Five Type II Restriction Endonucleases do not degrade bacterial chromosomal DNA because they exhibit specificity for foreign DNA. It would be irrational for these endonucleases to cleave the host DNA. Therefore, they limit their activity to breaking down foreign DNA into fragments but preserving host DNA. Such specificity has enabled geneticists to develop DNA fragmentation techniques using restriction enzymes found in bacteria. Question 6 A double stranded circular DNA with four recognition sites for the HindIII, would be fragmented into four fragments after digestion. The restriction would cleave the circular DNA at the four recognition sites yielding four independent fragments, contrary to the five that would result after linearization of the DNA. The difference would emerge because of the evident practical observation made by geneticists who have highlighted that circular DNA yields one less fragment after digestion with restriction enzyme, compared to linear DNA with the same restriction sites. Question 7 In order to screen a cDNA library, the high-density screening method would prove to be highly effective. This method requires the use of high concentrations plating. The choice of this screening factor would be motivated by the fact that it presents a platform for the geneticist to analyze the different fragments through the visualization on a single plate. The technique also proves effective when the gene under study codes for a specific protein. Part 2 Question 1 In orde r to separate cells obtained from tissues of normal mice compared to those obtained from mice engineered with highly active muscle cells, a specific method of analysis is required. The first step would involve isolation of cells from both tissues. After isolation of those cells, effective culture would follow to prepare the cells for effective analysis. It would be necessary to isolate the mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA from both types of cells. Muscle cells have

Judicial activism of the European Court of Justice Essay

Judicial activism of the European Court of Justice - Essay Example In spite of this, the ECJ tends to take a cautious approach in adopting the policy. It is worth noting that the ECJ has a constant need to develop general principles for procedural purposes, which can sometimes be interpreted as activism (Kelly 315). Unlike federal states, there is no hierarchy relation between European community laws and national laws. Therefore, these two sets of laws coexist in the European judicial environment. As such, there is a need for certain comprehensive principles to resolve problems arising from conflict between these two sets of laws and the ECJ took up this boundary-pushing duty of setting up principles such as the direct effect and primacy. The EU Treaty does not assign the ECJ federation duties and its assumption of this role can be interpreted as judicial activism (Kelly 315). Member states, institutions and individuals in the EU are bound by the constitutional principles developed by the ECJ when they act within the community. In a series of decisi ons, passed in the 1960s and 1970s, the ECJ established doctrines that have served as precedents of a theory of legal intervention into the relationship between Member States and the Community. In an apparently activist approach, the ECJ held that the provisions of the Treaty could have a direct effect in its ruling on the 1963 Van Gend en Loos case. This essentially means that individuals and private citizens could sue national governments in the national courts for failing to enforce the Treaty. In its declaration, the ECJ stipulated that the Treaty is superior to an agreement that creates mutual obligations between contracting states insisting that the Community constitutes a new legal order of international law limiting the sovereignty of states within limited fields (Abels and Joyce 59). In the case of Costa v. ENEL, the ECJ established the supremacy doctrine meaning that state transfers of legal powers were irreversible and permanently limited their sovereign rights. In its ru ling, the ECJ decreed that the EEC treaty was no ordinary international treaty and had its own legal system which upon enforcement of the Treaty became an integral part of the legal systems of Member States and their courts were bound by the system. It further stated that the creation of a community of unlimited duration, with its own institutions, personality, legal capacity, capacity of representation on the international plane and most importantly, real powers limiting sovereignty of Member States or the transfer of power from the states to the Community, members had effectively limited their sovereign rights, within limited fields, creating a body of law binding their nationals and themselves(Abels and Joyce 59). In the Francovich case, the court resolute that the failure of Member States to swap orders amounts to a breach of Community law and as such were obliged to compensate harm suffered by individuals. The court in its ruling held that the complete efficiency of Community r ules would be compromised, and the protection of the rights they grant weakened if individuals were denied redress when their rights were infringed by violation of Community law for which a Member State was responsible (Dougan 157). The ECJ developed the preemption doctrine in a series of cases. This doctrine implied that

Discuss critically the central aspect of the US Chapter 11 model of Essay

Discuss critically the central aspect of the US Chapter 11 model of corporate bankruptcy and reorganisation - Essay Example PART I: CHAPTER 11 BANKCRUPTCY STATUTE: In term so of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy1 the influential commercial law2 process starts â€Å"with the filing of a petition with the bankruptcy court serving the area where the debtor has a domicile or residence. A petition may be a voluntary petition, which is filed by the debtor, or it may be an involuntary petition, which is filed by creditors that meet certain requirements3. A voluntary petition must adhere to the format of Form 1 of the Official Forms prescribed by the Judicial Conference of the United States. Unless the court orders otherwise, the debtor also must file with the court: (1) schedules of assets and liabilities; (2) a schedule of current income and expenditures; (3) a schedule of executory contracts and unexpired leases; as well as (4) a statement of financial affairs.† Further, the law indicates that the debtor is an individual (or husband and wife), there must be more document filing prerequisites4. The debtors must: fil e a certificate of credit counseling and a copy of any debt repayment plan crafted through credit counseling; evidence of a possible payment from employers that had been received 60 days prior to the filing; a statement of monthly net income as well as anticipated ballooning in income or expenses after the debtor’s filing; and a record of any interest that the debtor has in either federal or state qualified education or tuition accounts5. Further, a husband or wife is allowed to file a joint petition or individual petitions6. After filing the $1,000 case filing fee7, Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8, the law also indicates the limits to only four the number of installments for the filing fee8. In addition, when filing a voluntary petition for relief under chapter 11, the debtor is automatically metamorphosed as a "debtor in possession9." The term refers to a debtor who keeps possession and control of the entities’ assets during the reorganisation exp lained under chapter 11, without the appointment of new case trustee. The debtor in possession can run the business. The debtor remains a debtor in possession until the debtor's plan of reorganisation is approved (confirmation); the debtor's case is dismissed or converted to chapter 7, or when a chapter 11 trustee is selected. The selection of a trustee happens rarely. Normally, the debtor, as "debtor in possession," controls the entities’ operations and implements many acts of the job responsibilities that a trustee sets into motion in cases under other chapters10. Further, the contents of the plan must include a classification of claims and should indicate how each class of claims must be treated under the plan11. The entities’ creditor claims can be identified as "impaired," i.e., those whose contractual rights are to be enhanced or who will be paid less than the full value of their claims under the plan, put the proposed rehabilitation plan to a ballot box voting12 . After the disclosure statement is approved by the United States court and the ballots are collected and tallied, the court will put into motion a confirmation hearing to determine whether to confirm the plan13. In terms of Debtor in Possession. Chapter 11 bankruptcy law dictates a corporation or entity lives as distinct and apart from its investment

Financial analysis and risk management of Kingfisher Plc Essay

Financial analysis and risk management of Kingfisher Plc - Essay Example The major retail brands of Kingfisher Plc are B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot and Screwfix. The company is also operating in Turkey in 50% joint venture with Koc Group. The market capitalisation value of Kingfisher Plc is  £ 9100.92 million. The sales turnover of the company as on February 2014 was around  £ 11.1 billion and the pre-tax adjusted profit was  £ 744 million. Asia is its key sourcing market, along with Eastern Europe, Turkey, South America and Middle East. The main competitors of the company are Wolseley Plc, Homebase limited and Leroy Merlin (London Stock Exchange, 2014). The financing of the company includes a number of debt funding instruments such as, bank borrowings, leases, medium term notes and US private placement debt (Kingfisher, 2014b). Keeping in view the international nature of Kingfisher’s business and growing globalisation across the world, certain strategic factors need to be considered by the company regarding its geographical location, financing and its degree of completion. From competitive position, the company presently belong to one of the top-performing companies in retail sector and major strategic advantage of the company is its tendency to acquire small businesses. The company has undertaken joint venture to enter the Turkish market, which is considerably an important strategy. Hence, the company’s entry strategy differs from market to market. The SWOT analysis of Kingfisher Plc shows that the major strengths of the company are dominant market position, healthy business ratios and innovative products and services. The weaknesses include less investment in research and development and excessive dependence on France and UK market. The opportunities of the company are growth in e-retail an d global home improvement industry while the company can face threats like slow economic growth of European market, rising cost of manpower and high competition. The financial trend analysis has been done on last

Terrorism Threats the World Essay Example for Free

Terrorism Threats the World Essay The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union did not bring the peace for the world. Many global issues still affect directly our security, like ethnic conflicts, pollution, weapons propagation, overpopulation, and terrorism. Nowadays, terrorism is considered as a most dangerous issue which is treating the humanity. Politically, terrorism is defined as motivated violence and illegitimate use of fighting against civilians by groups of people for political, nationalist, and religious goals[1]. Terrorism becomes globally phenomenal because there are many sides involved in this issue. This paper will discuss two ways that make terrorism a global issue which are terrorism’s networks and psychological impacts of terrorism. Also, this paper will be examined on real life examples and takes Al-Qaeda as and example of a famous terrorism organization. Brief description of Al-Qaeda and the War Against Terror History of establishing Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda is an Arabic word which means the base or the foundation. Al-Qaeda is an armed Sunni Islamist organization. This organization has hundreds to thousands of members; extremist groups Egyptian Islamic Jihad and parts of al-Gamaat al-Islamiyya, the Islamic movement of Uzbekistan and the Harakat ul-Mujahidin also fall under the umbrella of Al-Qaeda. Historically, Al-Qaeda was starting with the group of Arab Mujahideen (fighters) in 1979 during the war between Russia and Afghanistan. Those groups went to Afghanistan to help the Muslims people, who are like them, from Russia occupation. Then, those groups expanding their fighting to different places, such as Bosnia and Sudan. Since 1989 after the withdrawal of Soviet forces, Osama bin Laden recognized as the group’s leader. In 1998, Bin Laden, Al Zawahiri, and other Islamist leaders issued a fatwa (religious decree) of the World Islamic Front for Jihad Against the Jews and Crusaders and Muslims who do not pay attention to th is call are confirmed apostates[2]. Al-Qaeda’s Goals and Ideologies The goals of Al-Qaeda are to obliterate Israel, expel Westerns, especially Americans, from Islamic lands, and fall pro-Western despotism around the Middle East. Al-Qaeda wants to destroy America as a specific because America supports Israel against Palestine. That unfair and unjustified attitudes of America, which is considered as most powerful country, create the hatred feeling in Al-Qaeda group. Moreover, Osama bin Laden said that he hopes to reestablish Islamic nation connecting to the rule of the first Caliphas[3]. That means not only US is in dangerous, but the treat seems to loom larger. For example, the triple bombings on May12, 2003 in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, incurred apartment complexes housing Westerners. This act related to Al-Qaeda and it left 23 people dead, including nine Americans, and that illustrates Al-Qaeda’s strategies and goals[4]. Starting the War Against Terror The war against terror started after Al-Qaeda’s attack on September 11,2001 in United States . The attacks become the most shocking in American history because it caused a very huge costs. The costs are 3,000 people killed, the devastation of four commercial airliners, the disintegration of both World Trade Center Towers, and damaging of the Pentagon. In response, the United States launched different types of forces against terrorism. On the other hand, Al-Qaeda is not centralized in a specific place which makes them easily to be destroyed, but they have independent cells in more than 50 countries, including Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen, KSA, and USA. According to this fact, President Bush said that the war against terror is a different kind of war, fought on many fronts in many places[5]. Al-Qaeda’s Networks Al-Qaeda is like any other organizations which need financial support to achieve the aims. This organization should work in different fields, mostly illegal fields, to get money and carry their plans. Moreover, Al-Qaeda must have communication networks to communicate between their collaborative cells which are existing multi states. These two important networks, finance and communication, expend Al-Qaeda’s effects globally[6]. Al-Qaeda’s Financial Networks Al-Qaeda, like all other terrorist organization, needs strong financial support, so Al-Qaeda does not have only one source of money, but it has many sources. According to US 911 Commission Report, Al-Qaeda requires 30,000 USD/year to conduct its operation[7]. Financial resources for Al-Qaeda can increase in both legal and illegal ways. Al-Qaeda receives money from charities, profitable front-organizations with similar believes and ideologies, and by laundering money from legitimate Muslim organizations. Also, these money can be provided from the members of Qaeda. For example, Osama bin Laden invested millions in terrorism and this is from his billionaires family in Saudi Arabia. His father was a wealthy contractor who renovated the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Some estimates place the terrorists worth around $300 million, however, the United States has frozen a large portion of his money. Another way that Al-Qaeda relies to have money is on organized crime, such as robbery , drug trafficking, and kidnapping. These crimes may incurrence many people in different states in dangerous[8]. Al-Qaeda’s communicated Networks If Al-Qaeda was in 40 years ago, it would face some difficulties in communicated between its different cells which are in different regions in the world. Today, communication technologies have dramatically changed. Websites, e-mails, satellite telephones, mobile phones, and fax transmissions have provided facilities for Al-Qaeda to contemplate a global strategy. In addition, new communication technologies are not used only in communication, but it use in other things. By using internet, Al-Qaeda members have migrated online to escape detection in an atmosphere of increased international precaution. Moreover, the organiztion’s use of the internet is incresing in recruitment, financing, and publicity. Al-Qaeda has especial websites for this purposes[9]. For example, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s, Al-Qaeda movement in Iraq regularly, liberates videos in the wedsites apotheosizing the activity of jihadist suicide bombers[10]. Psychological Impacts of Al-Qaeda The attacks of Al-Qaeda are carried out in such a way extend psychological impacts and fear. More than other forms of violence, Al-Qaeda agitates insecurity and deep fear in civilians feeling because terrorists smash randomly without warning innocent civilians. By creating fear, Al-Qaeda wants to show for the civilians the weakness of their governments, which Al-Qaeda thinks that those governments are bad, and how they can not protect their civilians[11]. Also, Al-Qaeda trys to attack national symbols to quake the foundation of the state or to show its power. Al-Qaeda uses this method when Al-Qaeda attacked the World Trade Center that symmbolizes as Al-Qaeda economic threaten. Globally, all people around the world, Muslimes’ world or Westren world, live in a fear because they await that Al-Qaeda may plan to attack their state because they are westren people or they are in westernization[12]. Conclusion This research paper showed how terrorism is a global issue and gave example of terrorism organization from the life which is Al-Qaeda. Then, it explained Al-Qaeda’s networks and its impacts in civilians’ feelings. Al-Qaeda’s goals do not concentrate in one point in the world, their goals extent to take the whole world. The main goals for Al-Qaeda is to rebulid an Islamic nation and destroy westernization which is in Muslimes countries. Therefore, Al-Qaeda also attacks Arab and Muslimes countries not only Western countries, but the qustion is why did not Al-Qaeda attack United Arab Emirates, espeacially Dubai, which consided as a westernization country more than the others?! That questions may fetch to another question which is, is realy that Al-Qaeda’s goals is to destroy the westernization from Muslimes’ states or Al-Qaeda has other goals?!

Bob Knowlton Self Concept Essay Example for Free

Bob Knowlton Self Concept Essay Analysis As part of the analysis we examine Bob’s Self-Concept and the following characteristics with regards to complexity, consistency and clarity. Bob’s locus of control is also considered and the impact this had on his relationships at work with his colleagues. Fester’s individualism is also considered. Bob’s Self Concept Bob’s Low Self-Concept Complexity Bob has a low complexity as he perceives his most important identity to be work related – he defined his self-concept by his work. The positive side of Bob’s low complexity enabled him to become a relatively successful, skilled engineering, as he invested more in his skill development and focused his attention on his work. However, the low complexity caused Bob great stress when his main self-concept, defined by his work), was threatened by the arrival of Fester, a much more brilliant, driven engineer. Bob perceived Fester’s arrival as a threat by challenging all aspects of Bob’s self-concept, not only his technical expertise, but also Bob’s leadership of the team when Fester became the informal leader by default as Bob conceded defeat and essentially abandoned his role as group leader. Bob’s Low Self-Concept Consistency Bob’s has a low self-concept consistency. Bob’s leadership style was focused on teamwork and collaboration and he prided himself on motivating his team by including them in group problem solving and decision making. However, this self-concept was inconsistent with how Bob really perceived himself and the disconnect present between his position as team leader and his ability to lead. Bob acknowledged to himself that the team’s collaborative style brought him a sense of security in that he did not actually have to lead the team. Bob focuses on the team to the exclusion of his leadership role essentially using his team to mask his insecurities with respect to his ability to lead. Another example of Bob’s low inconsistent self-concept is his accepting Dr. Jerold’s praising of Fester, when he clearly did not agree. Bob’s Low Self-Concept Clarity Bob has low self-concept clarity; he does not have a clear, confidently defined, stable self-concept. This is apparent early in the case as evidenced by his belief that his â€Å"stumbling upon† a significant breakthrough led to what he considered his â€Å"miraculous† promotion to team leader of the Photon Unit rather than it being based on his skills and abilities. Bob lacks the confidence to deal with Fester, who he perceives as more brilliant and driven. As the case progresses and Fester brings group conflict and openly challenges Bob’s leadership, we see Bob become inconsistent with his behavior. Fester challenges Bob’s collaborative approach with the team and Bob’s lack of confidence meant that he in essence surrendering his leadership by agreeing to re-examine how the team works together and make it about individual updates. Bob’s Locus of Control and Self-Evaluation Given Bob’s behaviors and reaction to Fester, Bob has a low locus of control and is externally motivated. Bob didn’t feel in control of his environment and was unwilling or unable to take steps to control the environment. We have seen that Bob already believes he received the promotion because of external â€Å"miraculous† forces. Although initially, he does feel he has control as team leader, his underlying external focus of control becomes more apparent when Fester is introduced to the group. Fester’s group interactions and individuality presents a new situation for Bob. Bob internalizes the conflict with Fester and openly wonders if he is there to replace him, causing Bob a great deal of stress as he feels he does not have control over the situation. The situation quickly deteriorates as Bob visibility and relevance to the team are diminished and Fester’s increases. Bob’s Self-Concept Conclusion Bob’s low or negative Self-Concept (low complexity, consistency and clarity) greatly influenced Bob’s behaviour and ultimately his decision to resign. Bob’s low self-concept created a great deal of stress and he experienced immense amount of internal-intra personal conflict and tension. Bob’s low Self-Concept meant that Bob could not adapt to what he perceived as threats outside his control. His perceived inadequacies meant that he was not able to face the issues and overwhelming internal conflict he was experiencing. He consistently avoided confronting any of the issues and thus the only action he could take to release himself of this conflict was to resign. Fester’s Individuality and Group Norms Fester is introduced to the group unexpectedly and although initially helps the team solve a problem previously thought to be unsolvable; he goes against established group norms and almost immediately creates conflict. Fester is clearly â€Å"more brilliant† than any of the team members and his individual approach is in direct contrast to the team –based, collaborative approach establish by Bob. He challenges the group norms directly, suggesting the team meetings are a waste of time and is openly dismissive of others. Fester is very confident in his abilities but lacked the social skills to integrate successfully into the group. Although Fester individuality isolated him from the rest of the group, he dominated the leadership of the group to the point of essentially forcing Bob to change the structure of team meetings, from teamwork based to individual updates. This reinforced Fester’s individual approach. Fester’s individuality influenced the group, and particularly his negative influence on Bob grew and went unchallenged, and the conflict it brought ultimately had a negative impact on the Photon team and Simmons. Recommendations 1. Jerrold should meet with Bob and find out the true reasons for Bob’s resignation. Jerrold should ask Bob to return to Simmons by telling him of the plan to increase Bob’s team and offer Bob a substantial raise to return to Simmons. 2. Jerrold should consider undergoing leadership and communication skills training to help him develop the prerequisite skills to manage his teams effectively. 3. Jerrold should become more involved with the teams under his leadership, through developing a clear and compelling direction for the team and ensure his articulates that directly to this team. 4. Jerrold should strive to increase communication and participate in regular team meetings and incorporate individual meetings to ensure his is aware of and understands any issues or concerns. 5. In the future, the team leader (Bob’s replacement) is included in the recruitment and selection of new team members. 6. Dr. Jerold should meet with the Photon team members individually to gain an understanding of how the situation affected the team and get their feedback on what their needs. Team building and intergroup communication skills should then be introduced to ensure team members have the tools to work effectively together.

Conflict Management in Aviation

Conflict Management in Aviation Conflict Resolution Conflicts occur when there are disagreements between an individual or groups. When an individual strongly oppose each other’s ideas a conflict may start. Conflict can start anytime and at any place between anyone. A conflict results in verbal arguments, abuses and also spoils relationships. What should be noted is no matter how well you manage your organization conflicts may arise no matter what. Conflicts are always not bad for an organization. If managed properly conflicts can generate a positive outcome to the organization. Different skills are used by the authorities to solve conflicts. Discussed below are few strategies used to manage conflicts. Accommodating- this strategy essentially gives the opposing side what it wants. The use of accommodation often occurs when one of the parties wishes to keep the peace or treats the issue as minor. Avoiding- The avoidance strategy tries to put off conflict before it happens. By delaying or ignoring the conflict, the avoider hopes the problem resolves itself without a argument. Those who actively avoid conflict frequently have low esteem or hold a position of low power. In some circumstances, avoiding can serve as a profitable conflict management strategy Collaborating- This works by joining ideas set out by multiple people. The main objective of this strategy is to find a creative solution acceptable to everyone. Collaboration, though useful, takes significant time to be solved Compromising- This strategy typically calls for both sides of a conflict to give up in order to establish an acceptable solution. This strategy prevails most often in conflicts where the parties hold approximately equivalent power. Competing- This strategy usually results in which one side wins and other loses. Highly assertive personalities often fall back on competition as a conflict management strategy. Although this is not the best solution for a conflict it is widely used by the management to solve conflicts. On the topic of conflict management George Kohlrieser states that, ‘Conflict management plays a very important role at workplaces to prevent conflicts and for the employees to concentrate on their work. The team leaders must ensure that the roles and responsibilities of each and every employee are clearly passed on to them.’ Managing conflicts is very vital for the organization because if not handled properly they can affect the productivity of the company output. Training the staff of such situation can be advantageous to the organization by many ways. If the necessary training is given to the staff the conflicts can be prevented and be handled in a more professional manner. The employer would also feel the importance of conflict management and also would make sure to contribute to prevent it at any cost. Merit 02 Conflict Transformation One perception of a conflict is that it can be good for the organization. If a conflict has come up it is verily due to one of the weakness within the organization. Once this weakness is identified the organization or business is able to rectify it and operate better. Conflicts are classified into two as long term and short term. Short-term conflicts can be relatively easily resolved while long-term conflicts involve non-negotiable issues that tend to resist resolution.Conflict may be a burden to the organization if it goes long term. As we have discussed before, an unresolved conflict may affect the productivity of the company and would result in the downfall of the organization. The following texts are taken from Challenges of negotiating long term concerns (2010),‘to protect the future interests of their organization, negotiators sometimes must accept fewer benefits or absorb greater burdens in the short run to maximize the value to all relevant parties – including future employees and shareholders – over time.’ If the conflict is not resolved the organization would take every possible measure to solve it. Negotiators are brought in by the company if there is no short term solution for the conflict. This measure is taken by the organization to prevent the conflict to be a long term one because it would then become a more complex problem. The negotiators would try to accept the demands put up by the parties who are affected even if it’s not highly beneficial for the organization. If a conflict does become a long term issue it would be a highly complex problem for the organization to solve. Then the organization would have to make sure to have constant interaction with the parties who are involved so that the conflict can be solved without any further due. Distinction 02 Reasons for a conflict Reason for conflict- The subordinate of the airline feels ignored by the superior and complains that the company is not bothered about the physical welfare of the individual and also feels that he is not satisfied with the return he gets on all the hard work he puts in. Solution- The best solution the superiors can come up with is to first have a meeting with the sub ordinate to discuss the issue. Here they can discuss all the problems the individual is going through and a solution for it. Since the subordinate feels that he’s presence is not felt by the airline, the superior should get them involved during any decision making process of the company. Airlines should also have meetings and agendas to discuss the problems of the company and its employees. In this way the business is able to build a rapport between the superiors and its sub ordinates. This would make the employees that their idea is looked into and they feel that they too are important assets of the company. Since the employee feels that he doesn’t get enough return for all the hard work he puts into, the airline decides to pay him extra for every additional hour he works. They also decide to give him an allowance for transport since he might have to travel late in the night during overtime. The airline should make sure when giving solutions that the other employees are also treated fairly. Therefore before coming up with the solution the airline should study the operations first and then provide the solution after thinking wisely because an unresolved conflict could hamoer the potential production of the airline. Task 04 Conventions Tokyo Convention This convention is also known as Convention of Offences and certain other acts committed on board of the aircraft. This was basically an international treaty which concluded at Tokyo on the 14th of September 1963. The Convention is valid to offences against penal law and to any act which tends to jeopardize the safety of persons or property on board civilian aircraft while in flight. Coverage includes the commission of or the intention to commit offences and certain other acts on board aircraft registered in a Contracting State in-flight over the high seas and any other areas beyond the territory of any State in addition to the airspace belonging to any Contracting State. Criminal jurisdiction may be exercised by Contracting States other than the State of Registry under limited conditions. For the first time in the history of international aviation law this convention recognized certain powers of the aircraft commander who on international flights may restrain any person he has reaso nable cause to believe is committing or is about to commit an offence liable to interfere with the safety of persons or property on board or who is jeopardizing good order and discipline. The Hague Convention TheHague Hijacking Convention(formally theConvention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft) is multilateral treatyby which states agree to prohibit and punishaircraft hijacking. The convention does not apply to customs, law enforcement or military aircraft, thus it applies exclusively to civilian aircraft.The convention concludedon 16 December 1970, the convention has currently has 185 state parties. The convention only addresses situations in which an aircraft takes off or lands in a place different from its country of registration. The convention sets out the principle that a party to the treaty must prosecute an aircraft hijacker if no other state requests his or herextraditionfor prosecution of the same crime. Montreal Convention This convention was formally known astheConvention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air. This convention was signed by 105 parties on the 28th of May 1999. It amended important requirements of theWarsaw Convention rule concerning compensation for the victims of air disasters. The Convention attempts to re-establish a new set of rules relating to the international carriage ofpassengers,baggageand cargo. The following texts were taken from Handling disruptive passengers (1998), ‘Unruly and violent passengers create a massive safety risk to the aircraft and its passengers. They can also prove to be very expensive to airlines. In some cases, captains have been forced to divert a flight to eject the violent passenger. British Airways has said that the average cost of an unscheduled landing is 40,000 pounds sterling.’ Airlines try their best when handling disruptive passengers because in aviation or any other business customer is considered as king. When it comes to airlines, they make sure to follow the specific guidelines provided to by IATA. Airlines are advised not to take drunken passengers in the aircraft. During flight if the airline feels that a passenger is getting too drunk, they can refuse to serve them more alcohol because it could make them unruly later on. Unruly and disruptive passengers are not tolerated by airlines because they can jeopardize the safety of aircraft, therefore airlines follow a strict set of rules when it comes to handling them. The airline crew can go to the extent of killing a disruptive passenger if they are trying to enter the cockpit forcefully. In minor cases such as verbal or physical abuse the cabin staff would use constraint belts to tie up the passenger. Merit 03 Aspects of Conflict There is a theory stating that conflicts have its own life cycles. At first stage it would not be that effective then during transformation it would reach an emotional level and event may lead up to a violent climax and then disappears and often reappears again. There is a reason why and individuals or groups have goals: Goals may be mismatched (different from one another) When goals are mismatched an issue would arise. A party with unrealized goals would feel frustrated Frustration then would lead to aggression which would also lead to verbal or physical violence. This violence would affect conflict with the goals and objectives. In this way a conflict would never be resolved. A simple conflict may combine with other conflicts and turn into a very complex situation where the solution can be complicating, On the topic of conflict transformation Johan Galtung states that, ‘a conflict may almost get eternal life, vexing and waning, disappearing and reappearing, the original, root, conflict recedes into the background like when cold war attention focused mostly on such means of destruction as nuclear missiles. Conflicts have both life-affirming and life-destroying aspects. Once formed, conflicts undergo a variety of transformational processes. .Conflict transformation is concerned with five specific types of transformation, focusing upon the structural, behavioral and attitudinal aspects of conflict: a. Actors– modifying actors’ goals and their approach to pursuing these goals, including by strengthening understanding as to the causes and consequences of their respective actions; b. Contexts– challenging the meaning and perceptions of conflict itself, particularly the respective attitudes and understandings of specific actors towards one another; c. Issues– redefining the issues that are central to the prevailing conflict, and reformulating the position of key actors on those very issues; d. Rules– changing the norms and rules governing decision-making at all levels in order to ensure that conflicts are dealt with constructively through institutional channels; e. Structures– adjusting the prevailing structure of relationships, power distributions and socio-economic conditions that are embedded in and inform the conflict, thereby affecting the very fabric of interaction between previously incompatible actors, issues and goals. For conflict transformation to happen, tensions between parties to the conflict must be overcome by ensuring that all actors recognize their interests not through violence. Conflict transformation looks beyond clear issues and is characterized by creative problem-solving. Conflict transformation involves a third party, in order to help actors modify their emotional views on the ‘Other’, thereby helping to break down divisions between the two parties involved in the conflict. Distinction 03 Policy Regarding Unruly Passenger Unruly and disruptive passengers are common sight which occurs in airports and also during flights. Passengers usually become unruly when they are drunk. Flight delays and or poor customer service are few other contributory factors for disruptive passengers. Airlines usually try their best to avoid such situations because it could affect the goodwill of the airline. Therefore airlines handle these cases with much precaution because they are highly sensitive. The following texts are taken from Disruptive passenger behavior, ‘The problem of unruly passengers is constantly increasing within the airline industry. Although unruly passengers represent only a minute proportion of our passengers as a whole, we must never forget that one aggressive passenger can jeopardize safety on board.’ Airlines try to take immediate measure when handling unruly and disruptive passengers since they could jeopardize the safety of the aircraft. When it comes to handling these cases airlines usually follow the guidelines provided by IATA regarding handling unruly and disruptive passengers. If the pilot in command feels that that the passenger has done or is about to do anything which may jeopardize the safety of the aircraft the pilot is entitled to take reasonable measures To protect the safety of the aircraft. Protect persons on board Disembark unruly or violent passengers. Such measure could include physically restraining the violent passengers. Every reasonable effort to protect passengers against any offences by unruly and disruptive passengers should be made. Passengers who are likely to be unruly and disruptive must be carefully monitored, and if necessary, refused embarkation. The flight crew is also trained to handle violent passengers. Alcohol is considered to be one of the root causes for unruly passengers therefore the crew makes sure to monitor the behavior of the passengers who consume alcohol. They also make sure to stop serving alcohol to passengers whom they feel will go to a state of drunkenness. Airlines make sure to handle disruptive and unruly passengers in an appropriate manner so that the passenger’s feelings are not hurt because in fact the customer is king when it comes to any business. Reference Page Journals Conflict Management (2005) by George Kohlrieserpg5 Available at: http://www.imd.org/research/publications/upload/PFM149_LR_Kohlrieser.pdf?MRK_ CMPG_SOURCE=webletter-july-07> Handling disruptive passengers (1998) by Martin Pittpg9 Available at: http://www.ukfsc.co.uk/files/Safety%20Briefings%20_%20Presentations/Cabin%20Safety%20-%20Disruptive%20Passenger%20Guide.pdf> Conflict transformation (2000) by Johan Galtungpg10 Available at: http://www.transcend.org/pctrcluj2004/TRANSCEND_manual.pdf> Websites Challenges of negotiating long term concerns (2010) by Pon Staffpg 6 Available at: http://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/conflict-management/conflict-management-the-challenges-of-negotiating-long-term-concerns/> Disruptive passenger behavior (1998) by Tim Chealpg 12 Available at: http://www.ad-aero.com/airrage_causes.php> Distruptive passenger behavior Pg 12 Available at: http://www.hemmingfire.com/m/fullstory.php/aid/1702/Fight_or_flight.html> 1

LGBT Rights on Wall Street Essay -- Wall Street, Employee, Trends

Two important trends facing Wall Street are its expansion of LGBT employee rights over the past decade and its entrance into non-traditional banking centers. These trends are interrelated and deeply affect the LGBT community. As Wall Street has greatly improved its treatment of LGBT employees, it has an opportunity to share this accepting attitude as it expands into new markets. The 1980s were notorious for rampant homophobia on Wall Street, where traders routinely screamed â€Å"faggot† on the trading floor and a closeted culture prevailed throughout firms. In 1983, a small group of gay bankers formed an anonymous support group entitled the New York Bankers Trust. Bankers Trust meetings were held in private homes and mailings were addressed to â€Å"Mr.† and â€Å"Mrs.† because many closeted male bankers pretended to be married to women. This homophobic macho-driven culture continued throughout the 80s and 90s, even as society became more accepting of gays and lesbians. In 1999, there was one openly gay member of the 1,365-member New York Stock Exchange. And although many banks had, on paper, banned discrimination based on sexual orientation, a 1999 article in the New York Magazine reported widespread discrimination, lawsuits, fear of harassment and underrepresentation of openly gay men and women. After the turn of the millennium, things began to change. Quickly. In 2002, J.P. Morgan led the way and was the first bank to receive a perfect score on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. In 2003, Lehman Brothers joined. In 2004, Deutsche Bank, Citi, UBS, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs joined. The dam had been broken. A 2006 Bloomberg article noted this change and suggested a few important catalysts: societal changes, such as same-sex marriage,... ...s in these areas. I believe that if banks offer LGBT benefits, citizens will see these policies and respond positively through the political process to promote gay rights. Beyond offering equal benefits, banks can take the next step and speak out where they see injustice, as they have done in the United States. Gay rights do not exist in a vacuum. Many articles I read linked the decline in sexual harassment toward women with the acceptance of gays and lesbians in the workplace. Similarly, in many countries where gays and lesbians are imprisoned or executed, women are treated as second-class citizens, subject to female genital mutilation and high illiteracy rates. As banks have promoted gay rights in their local regions, such as New York State, they can work to expand gay rights in new markets. This is an important mission for banks and I want to be part of it.

The Status of African-American Soldiers in the Regiments of Massachuset

The Civil War, which began in April of 1861, was a war that most saw as ending by the end of the year – not one person expected it to turn into the long and drawn out slaughter that it became. It was a war that came about originally because of the secession of Southern states from the Union in the belief that the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency would render emancipation inevitable. Only white soldiers fought against each other at the outset of war but by mid-July of 1862, Henry Wilson – a Senator from Massachusetts who strongly opposed slavery – had passed a bill that allowed the President to bring African-Americans into active service in the Union army and following the Emancipation Proclamation the President finally allowed the recruitment of colored regiments. By creating a position for African-Americans in the army the status of these men in northern society was increasingly under question. This reflects recognition of the fact that as slavery became the main issue of the war something had to be done in relation to the position of these men in northern society. However, the changes that occurred could not go unnoticed by the South or by Northern whites and put a final stamp on the sectional division. The institution of slavery and the increasing strain it brought between North and South made questions about the position of African-Americans in society increasingly prominent both amongst whites and blacks. Since they had been removed from their home environment and branded as slaves, a process beginning in 1619, the status of blacks had remained one of inferiority to white Americans. Although Lincoln originally argued that the Civil War was about keeping the Union together, a change would have to occur if the N... ...ntry, 1863-1865. Boston: Boston Book Co., 1894. Fitzgerald, Michael. Splendid Failure: Postwar Reconstruction in the American South. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2007. Glatthaar, Joseph. Forged in Battle: Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers. New York: Free Press, 1990. Greenberg, Kenneth. Masters and Statesmen: The Political Culture of American Slavery. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985. Hapgood and Adams, eds. Western Reserve Chronicle. May 20, 1863, image 2. Smith, John. â€Å"Let Us All Be Grateful That We Have Colored Troops That Will Fight.† In Black Soldiers in Blue: African American Troops in the Civil War Era, edited by John Smith, 1-78. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002. Williams, George. A History of the Negro Troops in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1888.

Lsd :: essays research papers

LSD The use of drugs among Americans is rapidly rising. They can be bought and sold almost anywhere, from the streets to hallways of schools. A drug on the rapid rise from the 70's is LSD. Some people attribute this to the fact it is extremely inexpensive, $2-4 a hit, the wrong belief by users that it is a safer drug than marijuana because it isn't physically addicting. However, LSD is a hallucinogenic drug that is very dangerous, despite popular belief. LSD stands for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. Lysergic acid is extracted from the fungus Ergot, and then left to crystallize until it is pure. It was first accidentally discovered by Albert Hoffman in 1938 in Switzerland, who was searching for possible therapeutic uses of Ergot. Hoffman continued his experiments, but never came in contact with the crystals until1943. (LSD can be absorbed through the skin.) Hoffman then sent LSD around the world to be tested and investigated to find medical uses. Lysergic acid deviates were found to relieve migraines and control postpartum hemorrhage because it causes veins to contract, but also caused gangrene of the limbs, and so further experimentation with the drug was abandoned. In the late 50's, however, LSD was used by the CIA as an interrogation drug for spies. However, it was proven to be unreliable and was later replaced with other interrogation drugs. LSD comes in the forms of crystals, liquids, tablets, gelatins, or blotting squares. The squares have designs on them such a flowers, dragons, shapes, animals, and cartoon characters to make them more attractive to young children. Often called acid, white lightning, stamps, microdot, and grateful dead, LSD is usually taken orally. There are 4 levels of experience an LSD user will go through. The first takes place within 45 minutes of ingestion. The user begins to feel enhanced senses. Colors are brighter, sounds are more distinct, and a user may feel dizzy. The second level is the plateau. Between hours one and three, the user will "see" sounds and "hear" objects. This experience of a mingling of the senses is called synethesva. Patterns within material such as sweaters and blankets appear. A user may see figures within smoke from incense, or spend extended periods of time examining lines on the palm of their hand. Clock time becomes distorted and slows almost to a stand still, whole minutes seem to pass like hours. Slight hallucinations may appear. The third stage from hours 4-7 is the climax. Colors are greatly magnified, while once familiar shapes distorted beyond recognition. The hallucinations become intense, and total unreal objects may appear.

Washington, Adams, Jefferson Presidencies

Washington, Adams,and Jefferson Presidencies Washington Inauguration elected by electoral college unanimously April 30, 1789 1st real test of constitution defined lots of roles and traditions of executive Washington's Crew Sec. Of State- Jefferson Sec. Of Treasury- Hamilton Sec. Of War- Henry Knox Attorney General- Edmund Randolph Pres. met with these men regularly for advice on major policies Creating Court System only court mentioned in the constitution was supreme court Judiciary act of 1789- one chief justice and 5 associate judges could make decisions on constitutionality 3 district courts and three circuit courts of appeals Hamilton to address the govt. financial difficulties assumption- consolidate debts from states to natl. govt. and pay off protect the â€Å"infant† industries- high tariffs to collect duties on all imported goods and limit competition natl. bank- depositing govt. funds and print bank notes to stabilize US currency Arguments of the national bank Elasti c clause- can create laws which are necessary and proper loose constructionist constitution permitted everything not expressly forbidden Washington agreedFeared that states would lose power that the federal govt. gained strict constructionist forbade everything it didn’t permit weak central govt. in favor of states Birth of Political Parties Federalist- Hamilton, Adams and Marshall aristocracy encouraged industry favored alliance w/ great Britain strong central govt. Dem-Republicans-Jefferson and Madison associated w/ masses development of agriculture Washington and NA's Indian intercourse act 1790- congress regulate trade w/ Indians and western land acquired by treaty Americans continued to settle on Indian lands ed to bloody scrimmages TIMMMMMMMMBBBBEERRRRRRR! Battle of Fall Timbers NW Ohio US army led by General Anthony Wayne defeated some Indians Treaty of Greenville Ohio territory given to Americans and open to settlement Whiskey Rebellion angered by excise tax on distil led whiskey small band of PA farmers march toward Philly attacking tax collectors on the way Washington sent 15,000 troops led by Hamilton causes rebellion to collapse Jefferson disagrees new govt proves effective in handling crisis West SideAfter states gave up western land claims congress encouraged western settlement Public Land Act (1796) orderly procedures for dividing selling federal lands at a reasonable price VT '91 KY '92 TN '96 Proclamation of Neutrality (1793) believed America could not handle a European war went against popular belief and chose to stay out of war Jefferson resigned from the cabinet in disagreement Disrespecting Washington French minister Edmond Genet continued pressure Washington after Proclamation broke all and talked directly to the people to support the French WA wanted ambassador removedJefferson supported the removal french recalled Genet remained in US and became citizen Jay Treaty (1794) Jay was sent to Britain to talk about seizures of US ships B ritain agreed to withdraw troops and pay damages for ships America agreed to pay debts angered French supporters maintained neutrality Pinckney Treaty effect of Jay Treaty Spain wanted to consolidate holdings in America Thomas pinckney minister to Spain Spain agreed to open lower Mississippi and New Orleans to America without paying duties Spain agreed to accept US claims to Florida’s northern boundary US agreed on nonaggression in WestWashington's Farewell Address wrote letter to American people warned about : not getting into European affairs, no political parties, no permanent alliances, avoid sectionalism left after two terms and set the precedent for future presidents Election of 1796 active political parties participated in election federalist candidate- John Adams Dem-Republican candidate-Jefferson Adams won by three votes Jefferson became vice president runner-up becomes vice presidents XYZ Affair French warships and privateers began seizing American merchant ships Ad ams sent delegation to Paris to negotiate inisters known as XY and Z requested bribes to enter negotiations America Reacts millions for defense but not one cent for tribute most Americans were outraged and wanted war with France Adams popularity sky rocketed when he refused and raised and army led by Hamilton waged undeclared naval war convention of 1800- no more alliance and don’t have to pay for cargo Federalist strengthen public anger against France strengthened the federalist in congress hoped to enact laws to limit their political opponentsNaturalization Act ncreased the years needed to become a US from 5 to 14 years most immigrants voted Dem-Republican Violating Rights to prevent french revolutionaires from entering the country and crippling Dem-Republicans Alien acts- authorized the president to deport any aliens considered dangerous Sedition act- made it illegal for newspaper editors to criticize govt. KY and VA resolutions state legislatures enacted nullifying laws o f alien and sedition acts KY and VA adopted a resolution- written by Jefferson and Madison both declare states had a right to nullify a federal law Judiciary Act of 1801 o ensure that federalists would continue to control courts Adams used this to add last minute appointments known as â€Å"midnight judges† Marbury v. Madison John Marshall ruled that supreme court did not have power over Jefferson judiciary act of 1789 unconstitutional Jefferson was awarded victory in exchange for Judicial Review Election of 1800 federalists lost popularity hatred of alien and sedition acts taxes for maintaining an army republicans nominated Aaron Burr and Jefferson federalists nominated John Adams Revolution of 1800Thomas Jefferson and Aaron burr tied with 73 votes Hamilton supported Jefferson and HOR elected Jefferson first transition from 1 party to other w/o violence indication constitution would endure federalists changed power Dem-Republicans Ease of Transition maintained national bank and debt repayment attempted to win trust of federalists carried out neutrality policies set by Washington and Adams Republican Principles reduce military eliminated a number of federal jobs repealed excise taxes lowered national debt only republicans were named to his cabinetLouisiana Territory french gained territory from Spanish napoleon wanted to sell the land fighting British stopping rebellion in Santo Domingo US interested Spanish officials revoked right of deposit duty free use of New Orleans prevent America from getting involved in European affairs. Lewis and Clark started in St. Louis in 1804 and arrived on west coast in 1806 increased geographic and scientific knowledge of new territory strengthened us claims to Oregon territory improved relations with natives developed maps and land routes Negotiation for the TerritoryJefferson sent ministers to France to accept an offer no higher than 10 million no deal British American alliance napoleon offered 15 million minister acce pted purchase of louisiana territory americans approved power to purchase land not in constitution purchased land for good of country used power to make treaties senate ratified Consequences of Purchase doubled size of country remove foreign presence from borders extension of western lands strengthened Jefferson vision of agrarian society increased Jefferson’s popularity showed federalists to be weak.

Challenges Faced by Fisrt Year Students Essay

You are expected to submit the pre-writing stage before final submission of the essay The pre-writing stage should be a clear outline of how you are going to write your final essay and an annotated bibliography of not less than five sources.. The purpose of the assignment is to; 1. help you develop the ability to research, reflect on and write an academic essay 2. develop the ability to integrate sources ( i.e. direct quotes, paraphrases and summaries) in your work to demonstrate your perspective on the assignment topic 3. The paper should be written in an academic writing format and should be word processed, font Roman Times or calibri, size 12, line spacing 1.5 and not more than one and a half pages long. 4. The paper should be well researched and thought-provoking. All sources from which your information was obtained should be properly cited using the APA style, and a reference list written at the end of the paper. 5. The reference list should be in a separate page Choose any of the following topics and write an academic essay. 1. Is the law that prohibits the use of cellular phones while driving in Botswana fair? 2. Why is the media important in society? 3. To what extent does the mass media (TV, radio and newspapers) influence an individual’s personality? 4. Damage of the environment is an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in the standard of living. Discuss 5. 6. 7. 8. What are the challenges faced by students at university level that may lead to poor performance. Discuss the different ways through which poverty can be eradicated What is culture? Discuss the different elements of culture. Exams often do little more than measure a person’s ability to take exams so exams should be abolished in favour of another form of assessment 9. Evaluate the importance of a counseling centre in a university 10. What is the difference between sex and gender? What are gender roles? Deadline for pre-writing stage: 03 March Due date: 08 March

More sports in school Essay

More Sports in School Did you know six of seven of the world population like more than one sport? Our school needs more sports. Some of the students like sports, but we do not have enough sports. Some students want to be a player when they grow up. Sports make your body stronger. We need more sports for the students, so they can become talented. Students can learn about teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship. This can contribute to their development as solid citizens. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry website, in two thousand eight between sixteen percent and thirty three percent of children and teens were considered obese. In organized team sports, students work together to accomplish a task and learn from their mistakes. Nicole M. LaVoi wrote school should have more sports to have fun, mastery, teamwork, and become professionals. There are a lot of sports like soccer, basketball, tennis, football, volleyball, hockey etc. Website: http://blogs. edweek. org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/2013/10/ny_times_hosts_roundtable_ on_ pros_and_cons_of_youth_sports.html Academically weak students are able to excel in sports and are challenged to improve their abilities. Furthermore, D. E. builds teamwork and units thee class as a group, living cultural or social background behind. In doing sport on regular basis, students become fitter and thus. Their self-steam is increased, but most importantly, it is fun. Many students who do not have the opportunity to participate in physical activities outside of school are thankful to do sports in school. If student enjoy sports they are more likely to care about education in general and in doing so improve their schoolwork. Sports only keeps the students healthy, but also gives them a fun break of other schoolwork. That is approximately one in four children who is over the suggested body fat limit for their age. Anyone is able to participate in sports and since a D. E. program in school offer different kind of sports. Some students argue about the fact that school should only be and not fun, because they are two different things. The time should be used to study instead of doing D. E. just the contrary is true. There are schools where students have D. E. lesson every day. org/essay/sports-is-a-necessary-part-of-168936. html Sports can help the students to improve their abilities. Sports are fun and students were exercising while playing sports. Soccer is the most exercised sports, because you have so much running to do. If there are more sports in school, it will be easy for the students to become talented and to be professional players. If student enjoy playing sports their more likely to care about their education. Sports keeps you physically fit, mentally strong, builds characters, and it is a way to take your mind off of school and other things.

Why Zoos Should Close

1. Limited enrichment. Animals need to have their mind active while they are in captivity. Good zoos do this by offering them toys or puzzles to figure out, by hiding food in the exhibit so they have to exercise their natural hunting. scavenging instincts and by using training. Training also helps with medical needs, a lot of animals are trained to lift their feet so they can be checked out, or to expose their side/rump in order to give injections safely. Zoos that do not work on enrichment or training leave the animal unnecessary stress.Have you ever seen tigers or bears pacing in their enclosure? That's a stereotypical behavior of animals in captivity when they are not stimulated enough. Bad sign. 2. Lack of education, research and conservation. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an international group that gives accreditation to facilities that strive to improve the welfare of their animals, educate the public about the wild and captive animals and environment and spend mone y on research to help both education, conservation and wildlife.Zoos that are not accredited by the AZA may do these things, but it is unlikely. â€Å"Roadside zoos† are only there to make a profit. They make sure that their animals stay alive so they can make money off of them, but have no commitment to keep them healthy and they do not contribute to the scientific community. 3. Poor breeding programs. AZA institutions are part of an international breeding program with a huge data set that includes the genes and health records of all the animals that are used in breeding programs.There's even individual committees in charge of each species or groups of species to make sure that breeding is done only to make healthy offspring that can contribute to the genetic pool of captive animals. Good zoos very rarely use wild animals to breed, so they do not affect any of the natural, wild populations. Bad zoos, however, can partake in the illegal blackmarket pet and exotic animal trade . These animals can be taken directly from the wild, illegally, and/or bred with other animals with absolutely no consideration to their genetics. Inbreeding is a big problem, and is never done in good zoos.

John’s Descriptions

Jon’s descriptions may be defined as the only Revelation that describes Antichrist. It is known that this word is not used in other Revelations. Religious communities are interested in revealing who Antichrist is and what influence he has had on religious development and bible compilation. However, Apostle John is the only person who pays attention to Antichrist. John writes that Antichrist is coming: â€Å"Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us†. (1 John 2:18, 19) When John was writing the movement was already present and, therefore, John uses present to prove that the last hour has come. John defines ‘antichrists’ as ex-church member who has abandoned their faith. It means that Antichrist was a Christian, but it was no single individual. Antichrist is liar who denies Jesus the Christ, as well as Father and the Son. John writes that he is not pleased with such people as they have betrayed the real faith. The God can’t be a spirit that denies Jesus Christ. Such spirit is Antichrist and he is present in the world: â€Å"For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist†. (2 John 1:7) The teachings of Antichrist aimed at showing that Jesus had not come in the flesh. Many people believed that Christ was divine, but erroneous belief that flesh was evil prevented them from faith expansion. John argues that humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ are central to Christian faith.

Legal aspect of the gas and oil industry Coursework

Legal aspect of the gas and oil industry - Coursework Example A country with natural resource (usually oil and gas) allows companies to explore areas for oil and gas. When the enterprise generates revenue through oil exploration it first covers the expenses such as materials, machinery, and operational costs. The rest is the profit that is usually split in 20/80 ratio. The 20% share goes to the company, and the government takes the remaining 80% share. This is still highly profitable for companies. Contractual arrangements are divided into two main categories; service contracts and production sharing contracts. The difference between the two depends on whether or not the contract receives compensation in cash or in-kind (crude) (Johnston, 1994). Generally speaking, both contracts are referred to as production sharing contracts (PSC) or production sharing agreement (PSA) because of the commonalities. The Philippine government alternatively refers to their contractual arrangements as either a service contract (Johnston, 1994). The oil community does a similar thing but ordinarily calls it a PSC. The PSC is a risk service contract because the contractor pays a fee for conducting exploration and production operations. The contract of the century is a term used for a PSA between 11 major oil companies and Azerbaijan for exploration of oil in this region (Ciarreta & Nasirov, 2012). This form of contract is highly feasible for developing countries. The petroleum fiscal systems in the majority of developing countries are opting for PSCs (Pongsiri, 2004). Settings of PSC are not unique or a recent invention. Upon analysing the spirit of the contract, it would seem quite similar to the agreements already in existence in places like Indonesia. For this reason, it was much easier to implement the terms of the PSC for oil exploration in Indonesia. The country already had the concept of â€Å"crop sharing† between the farmers and the landlords that

Review of of John Kotter and Dan Cohen's book, The Heart of Change Essay

Review of of John Kotter and Dan Cohen's book, The Heart of Change - Essay Example For people to change their behaviour, they should be shown the truth that influences their feelings. Failures in change management occur mostly in large organizations where managers deal with mergers, acquisitions, new strategies, globalization, cultural transformation, e-business, new technologies, and new structuring of the whole organization or departments of an organization. The two authors found out that: Successful organizations know how to defend the organization against anything that rejects changes. The organizations know how to avoid risks and make use of arising opportunities. They recognize the importance of continuous improvement and know that taking big leaps have bigger rewards. That change is a complex affair that goes through eight stages. The stages are; creation of a sense of urgency, creation of visions and strategies, putting together a guiding team, removal of barriers of action, effective communication of vision and strategies, carrying out short term wins, cre ation of a new culture and making it persist, and keeping the work consistent (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 2). Main focus in change management in the eight stages is the people’s behaviour. ... Ivancevich, Robert Konopaske and Michael T. Matteson†. Discussion Summary of ‘Organizational Behaviour and Management’ by John M. Ivancevich, Robert Konopaske and Michael T. Matteson The book covers organizational management through explanation of various issues in organizational behaviour, organizational culture, individual differences and work behaviour, perceptions, attributions and emotions, and motivation. Organizational behaviour: This is viewed in a multidisciplinary manner. This explains various points about it. Organizational behaviour is believed as operating at individual, organization and group levels. These levels must be defined when studying organizational behaviour. Organizational behaviour makes use of theories, principles, models, and methods from other disciplines. A third point is that organizational behaviour encompasses a distinct humanistic orientation. People and their learning capacities, attitudes, goals, perceptions and feelings are very important to the organization (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2011). Organizational behaviour is performance oriented. The book recognises the role of leaders in organizational behaviour. It describes how everything facing a leader in an organization is in motion and churning. It also explains that a leader accomplishes success through properly aligning the human resources of the organization with the changing conditions, understanding of the organizational structure and design, the organization's environment, group behaviour, individual characteristics, decision making, and organizational change processes. It communicates the following about workers. That workers feel important when recognized, individual behaviours are modified by

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 21

Business Ethics - Essay Example To that effect, the image of Shell has been falling down worldwide. In order for Shell to counter this negative publicity that has tarnished its image, it should operate in an ethical manner. It should adopt the utilitarian view of ethics whose goal is to provide the greatest good for the greatest number. The Ogoni people in this case constitute the greatest number of people who have been negatively affected by the operations of Shell so they deserve to get better treatment from this company. The management of Shell should also ensure that their actions do not violate the rights of the local people such as the right to live in a clean and safe environment. It has been observed that the company’s failure to uphold ethical principles has impacted negatively on its operations. Therefore, the company’s goals and objectives should be shaped by different ethical principles in order to fulfill the interests of the stakeholders who may be affected by its operations. 2. There are various implications to Shell and its stakeholders (Interest of conflict between the foreign owners and the local citizens) that need to be considered in order for it to operate ethically. Whilst Shell may argue that it is primarily concerned with generating profits that would benefit the stakeholders, there is a conflict of interest where it can be observed that its actions negatively impact on the local communities. In order to operate ethically, Shell should try to create a fine balance between its profit needs as well as fulfilling the needs and interests of the members of the local community. Enlightened companies encourage their managers to be socially responsible and try to seek ways to protect the long run interests of their stakeholders and the environment (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). Essentially, all companies operate within a certain environment and it is their obligation to protect that same environment. In case of Shell, it

Two creation story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Two creation story - Essay Example ristian creation stories proves that the former deals with the philosophical aspect of life and the latter deals with the practical aspect of life, and the both can help human beings to view life in today’s society from a different but positive angle of view. As pointed out, the creation stories related to Hinduism deals with the philosophical side of life. To be specific, the Hindu idea is interconnected with the belief that human beings belong to pure consciousness. This pure consciousness is beyond creation and is not destroyable. On the other side, the Christian creation story is based upon a single text, named as Holy Bible. To be specific, the creation narrative (say, the Genesis) is the fundamental principle of Christian creation theory. But the Hindu creation story is based on the belief that all living things share the same pure consciousness. Jim Ollhoff stated that, â€Å"In Indian mythology, some gods come to earth in the form of people, animals, or even other gods† (4). If an individual is not ready to go beyond the limits of the material world, that individual will be forced to undergo rebirth. So, individuals must try to break this cyclic process and they can attain the pure consciousness/eternal freedom or ‘M oksa’. In the Bible, the God’s direct role is pointed out as the base of creation of the world as a whole. For instance, the God took around six days to create everything. In the end, the God decided to create human beings as an experiment. David Adams Leeming stated that, â€Å"It contains the creation myth that forms the basis of the Judeo-Christian tradition† (126). This sort of creation myth-based upon six days-is seen among different religious groups. On the other side, the Hindu creation story does not decline the fact that the Earth was created before millions or billions of years ago. Besides, Hindu creation story is based upon the God’s role in creating human beings and other living things. Similarly, Hindu mythology is of