Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business strategy - Essay Example Globalisation has led to the creation of a situation where firms are desperately trying to generate a distinction for their products and services. The present study would analyse the business strategies of Google in the wake of the turbulence in the markets. The internet search engine industry has an oligopolistic market structure with only three major players namely Google, Yahoo and Microsoft having a majority market stake (Fabos, 2005, p.189-192). The value of this attractive industry segment has been pegged at 16.6 billion US dollars as of 2010 in the North American market alone (SEMPO, 2010, p.1) Task 1 Strategic formulation Vision Corporate vision statement largely displays the direction of a company that it seeks to intent for achieving its set of objectives. The vision statement largely defines the possible future strategies of the organization. A good vision statement not only helps shareholders and customers but also seeks to induce a motivating effect on the employees of t he organization (Fitzroy & Herbert, 2009, p.157). Google’s vision statement is reflected as a ten point strategic framework named as ten things. The ten point vision framework largely includes ensuring simplicity, innovation and ethics (Google-a, n.d.). Core competencies The core competency of Google is based on the aspect of the simplistic yet innovative nature of the product offering of the organization. Google core competencies lie in its ability to produce diverse product with large scale innovations that delights the users by the simple yet effective performance. The core competence of Google also comes from its unique search engine algorithm that has made it the most popular search engine of the web (Sugano, Goncalves & Figueira, 2009, p.57). Mission Statement The mission statement is a single and short statement that describes the purpose of existence of an organization (Kaplan, Norton & Barrows, 2008, p.3-4). The mission statement of Google is stated as follows: †Å"Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful† (Google, n.d.). Stakeholder Analysis Google is a public company which has its shares listed on the bourses of the NASDAQ stock exchange. The stakeholders of Google include suppliers, government, trade associations, employees as well as the employee unions. The company aims to ensure the continuous welfare of the shareholders and ensures a good return on their investments (Morrow, 2008). Environmental and Organizational Audit PESTEL PESTEL is a tool that can be used to analyse the external environment of an organization. PESTEL is an acronym that stands for Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 2008, p.65). Political Political factors largely include government polices and legislations. Google is based in USA but it also has operations and business units spread around the globe. Google is being continuously affected by legislations related to censorship of its contents and

Porous Multishell Hollow Cu2O Microspheres Experiment

Porous Multishell Hollow Cu2O Microspheres Experiment Preparation of Porous MultishellHollow Cu2O Microspheres and their catalytic activity in photodegradation of Rhodamine-B Lingling Sun, Deyan Han*, Ruirui Haoà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’Guohong Wang* Abstract In this study, Porous Multishell Hollow Cu2O Microspheres were fabricated by One-Pot solvothermal method of copper(II) with glutamic acid under 160à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. The as-prepared monodisperse Cu2O hollow microspheres were characterized by Xà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), and thermogravimetryà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­differential thermal analysis (TGà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­DTA). The formation of hydroxyl radicals ( ·OH) on the surface of UVà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­illuminated Cu2O is probed by photoluminescence using terqaephthalic acid as a probe molecule. The photocatalytic activity of monodisperse Cu2O hollow microspheres have been tested by degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and PL spectral changes of terephthalic acid under UV light. The results showed that the optimum add of glutamic acid is 0.05g and reaction time was 24h, respectively. Introduction Transition metal oxides with different nanostructures have drawn much attention in recent years because of their fascinating applications in optoelectronics and outstanding structureal flexibility combined with unique properties with potential applications.[10à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 17à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 19] So the transition metals oxides are an important class semiconductors. Among these transition metal oxides, Cuprous oxide ( Cu2O ) is a pà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­type semiconductor material with a narrow band gap (2 eV) and a large excition binding energy of 140 meV, it is non-toxic, inexpensive and abundand that widely used in photocatalysis, gas sensors, lithiumà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ion batteries, electronics, solar energy conversion, magnetic storage, and so on. To date, different Cu2O nanostructures use capping agent or surface active agent have been synthesis, such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were widely used to synthesize Cu2O nano wires, Cu2O nanotubes, Cu2O nanothreads, Cu2O nanocubes, flowerà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­like Cu2O, urchin-like Cu2O, hollow Cu2O spheres. Hollow spheres have attracted great interest because of their special properties including low density, high surface area, good surface permeability and distinct optical properties. [15] Wang’s group add of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide developed a facile room temperature solution route for synthesis of doubleà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­wall Cu2O hollow spheres. Zeng et al. [9] reported the preparation of hollow Cu2O nanospheres from a reductive conversion of aggregated CuO nanocrystallites and the formation of CuO microspheres by a twoà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­tiered organizing scheme. However, the poor conductivity limite Cu2O further application. In the present work, Porous Multishell Hollow Cu2O Microspheres have been synthesized using oneà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­pot solvothermal method of copper nitrate with glutamic acid under 160à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ after different hydrothermal time. Morphological, structural and optical properties and thermal behavior of the products have been identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Xà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformer infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-visibleà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­NIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetryà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­differential thermal analysis (TGà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­DTA) and photoluminescence (PL). The other aim of present work is the investigation of the photocatalytic degradation of RhB under UVà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­light radiation at ambient temperature and using of Cu2O nanopowders synthesisd with different hydrothermal time. The porous Multishell Hollow Cu2O Microspheres exhibit a high photocatalytic activity due to the fact that Cu2O Microspheres have a high specific surface area and a larger band gap. Experimental 2.1 Synthesis of Hollow Cu2O Microspheres Analytical grade copper nitrate (Cu(NO3)2 †¢3H2O, purity: 99.5%), Là ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ glutamic acid, and Rhodamineà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­B (C28H31ClN2O3, purity: 99.5%) were purchased from SigmaAldrich and were used without further purification. Deionized water was used for all synthesis and posttreatment processes. In a typical synthesis, 0.645 g Cu(NO3)2 †¢3H2O and 0.05g glutamic acid were dissolved in 75 ml absolute ethanol stirred until Cu(NO3)2 †¢3H2O was completely dissolved to form a navyà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­biue solution. After filtered with the filter paper, the filtrate was then transferred into a stainless steel autoclave with a Teflon liner of 100 ml capacity and heated at 160 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ for different time. After cooling at room temperature, the product was centrifuged, washed with deionized water and absolute ethanol several times and dried in an oven at 60 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ for 12 h. 2.2 Characterization Xà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify product phases and cprresponding crystallite size. XRD patterns were obtained using a D8 Xà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ray diffractometer (Bruker AXS, German) with CuKÃŽ ±1 radiation (ÃŽ » = 1.5406 Ã…). The accelerating voltage, emission current, and scanning speed were 40 kV, 49 mA and 0.02à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯/s, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed with a S3400 SEM (Rili, Japan) at an accelerating voltage of 15 kV. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis was conducted using a Tecnai G20 microscope at an accelerating voltage of 200 kV. The Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) of the samples were recorded on a Nicolet Forier 5700 spectrometer in the range of 400-4000 cm-1 using conventional KBr pellets. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the samples were measured at room temperature with a Hiachi FLà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­4500 fluorescence spectrophotometer, with an excitation wavelength of 315 nm, the scanning spee d is 1200 nm/min, and a PMT voltage of 700 V. The width of the excitation slit and emission slit was 5 nm. For thermal analysis, 10 mg of the dried Cu2O powders was used in TGà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­DTA thermal analyzer (Pyris Diamond TG/DTA) at a heating rate of 10à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯C/min from 20 to 800 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯C in an inert gas atmosphere. 2.3 Photocatalytic performance Photocatalytic activity of the Hollow Cu2O Microspheres was evaluated by the degradation RhB aqueous solution under a 15 W ultraviolet lamp at room temperature (ca. 20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™). In each experiment, 0.04 mg of the prepared powders were dispersed in 30 ml of RhB aqueous solution with a concentrstion of 1.0Ãâ€"10-5 M in a rectangle cell (52W Ãâ€" 155L Ãâ€" 30H mm), and the solution was placed in the dark for 30min before illumination to ensure the establishment of an adsorption-desorption equilibrium between the photocatalyst powders and RhB. Then the solution was irradiated with a 30 mW/cm2 UV light (ÃŽ »=365 nm), and during irradiation about 3 ml of the suspension was taken from the mixture at regular intervals (20 min) and centrifuged to separate the photocatalyst particles. To determine the degree of degradation the supernatants was analyzed by a UVà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­vis spectrophotometer (Uà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­3010) to measure the concentration of RhB which exhibits characteristi c absorption at 554 nm [11] 2.4 Analysis of hydroxyl radical ( ·OH) The formation rates of hydroxyl radicals ( ·OH) on the surface of the UVà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­illuminated Cu2O were performed by a photoluminescence (PL) method using terephthalic acid as a probe molecule method as follows. 0.04 g of Cu2O powder sample was dispersed in a 30 ml of 5 Ãâ€" 10-4 M terephthalic acid aqueous solution with a concentration of 2 Ãâ€" 10-3 M NaOH in a dish with a diameter of about 9.0 cm. The experiment was carried out under UV irradiation using a 15 W ultraviolet lamp (25 cm above the dishes). The average light intensity striking on the surface of the reaction solution was about 30 mW cm-2, as measured by a UV radiometer with the peak intensity of 365 nm. PL spectra of generated luminescent 2à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­hydroxyterephtalic acid (TAOH) were measured on a Hiachi FLà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­4500 fluorescence spectrophotometer. After UV irradiation for every 15 min, the reaction solution was à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ltrated to measure the increase of the PL intensity at 390 nm of TAOH ex cited by 315 nm light. Results and Discussion 3.1 XRD analysis The crystalline structures of the as-prepared samples were examined by Xà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­ray diffraction. Fig. 1 shows the XRD patterns of the asà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­prepared samples synthesized with different amounts of glutamic acid. The results illustrate that with increase glutamic acid from 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 0.05 to 0.06 g all the samples appear the sphere Cu2O[JCPDS No, 01à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­1142]. For the samples prepared with the amount of glutamic acid below 0.05 g, the intermediate product copper hydroxynitrate is dominant, but there is a amount of sphere Cu2O found in it. The peak at 2ÃŽ ¸ = 12.8 ° corresponds to the (011) plane diffraction of the copper hydroxynitrate [JCPDS No, 03-0061], with the amount of glutamic acid increase the diffraction peak of copper hydroxynitrate become weaker to disappears and the sphere Cu2O peaks intensities steadily become stronger, implying that glutamic acid acted as a reducing agent in the reaction process. To investigate the growth process of porous multishell hollow Cu2O microspheres, time-dependent experiments were studied by hydrothermal reaction. Fig. 2 shows that the products obtained at 160 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ with 0.05 g glutamic acid for 2 h are 5à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  ÃŽ ¼m hollow microspheres were wellà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­crystallize but still the intermediate product copper hydroà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­xynitrate. With increase reaction time to 24 h, the intermediate product copper hydroxynitrate complete transformed into cubic symmetry Cu2O, no obvious diffraction peaks of impurities were observed, indicating the high purity of the synthesized products. Also the intense and sharp diffraction peaks indicate that well crystallized Cu2O nanocrystalss can be obtained under reaction time is 24 h. But further prolongation of reaction time to 48 h resulted in the intensities of the diffraction pesks of Cu2O are not increase significantly. It can be founded that with increase in reaction time the intensity o f diffraction peaks increased, indicating the improvement in the crystallinity. [8] The diffraction peaks becomes narrower as the reaction time increased, indicating the increase in the crystallite size. 3.2 FTIR Studies. Fig. 4 showed the FTIR spectra of the Cu2O samples synthesized with additi0on of different amount of glutamic acid in the region of 400à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­4000 cm-1, which are relate to IR-active fundamental vibrations of Cu2O itself and vibrations associated with surface adsorbates. The intense vibrational bands at 3000-3600 cm-1 were attributed to Oà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­H stretching vibrations and at ~1635 cm-1 corresponded to Hà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­Oà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­H bending vibration all of surface adsorbed H2O. [30] The bands at 3000-3600 cm-1 was split into two components centered at ~3184 and ~3403 cm-1, corresponding to chemically adsorbed water complexes and physically adsorbed H2O, respectively . Besides, the IR band ~1346 cm-1 and ~1652 cm-1 are assigned to the surface monodentate carbonate-like (CO3) and bicarbonate species (HCO3) vibrational modes that because of adsorbed CO2 from the atmosphere. A metal oxide generally gives absorption bands below ~1000 cm-1 that arises from stretching vibration mode of Mà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­O bond. So the IR-active fundamental vibrations of Cu2O nanocrystals appear in 400à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­1000 cm-1, the band at 456 cm-1 and 633 cm-1 are attributed to the stretching vibrations of Cu1+à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­O bond confirm the formation of Cu2O phase. 3.3 SEM and TEM images. 3.4 Mechanism for the formation of porous multishell hollow Cu2O microspheres The formation of porous multishell hollow Cu2O microspheres can be explained by a self-transformation process of the metastable aggregated particles accompanied by the Ostwald ripening [11à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 31].Similar mechanisms have been involved in the preparation of Cu2O, TiO2 and CdMoO4 hollow spheres [31]. The formation of mechanism of porous multishell hollow Cu2O microspheres in this work is proposed as illustrated as illustrated in Fig. During the Ostwald ripening process in order to reduce the higher surface energy, the crystallites at the central relocate themselves to the shell that formed the hollow structures. [14] Initially in the synthesis process, under the 160 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ hydrothermalconditions the uniform distribution of Cu2+ ions combine with glutamic acid to form Cu2(OH)3NO3 as intermediate hollow microsphereà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­template. The aggregated spherical particles have many voids in the surface, the reducing angent quickly though the channels in the intermedi ate hollow microsphereà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­template precipitate product in the internal surface of the shell form double shells. Also the internal microsphere sueface is loosely with many voids that not used up intermediate would grow third shells on the inner double shells and so on. At last form porous multishell hollow Cu2O microspheres. With the solvothermal time increase, glutamic acid contributed to the morphological evolution on the microstructure transformation and acted as a reducing agent the copper (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¡) reduced to copper (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚  ), last cuprous oxide precipitated out because it have a low solubility in ethanol. 3.5 Photocatalytic Activity. The photocatalytic activities of the asà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­prepared porous multishell hollow Cu2O microspheres were ecaluated by photocatalytic degradation of RhB dye in aqueous solution under UVà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­light irradiation at room temperature. The RhB characteristic absorption at 554 nm was chosen to monitor the amount of RhB left during photocatalytic degradation process. Fig. 6 shows the UVà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­vis absorption spectrum of the RhB aqueous solution in the presence of (0.04 g) porous multishell hollow Cu2O microspheres under UVà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­light irradiation. For comparison, the photocatalytic activities of the Cu2O nanoparticles synthesized were all evaluated under the same conditions. It is observed that with time extended the absorption peaks of RhB diminish gradually, indicating the photocatalytic degradation of RhB. During the whole process there is no new absorption peak appear indicates the complete photodegradation of RhB. It can be seen that the samples of use 0.05g glutamic acid at solvothermally treated time increased from 2h to 48h, the degradation rate increase from 8.43% to 35.78%. Among them solvothermally treated 24h show the best performance, which show a 55.3% decrease of RhB after 40 min UV irradiation. Based on the above experimental results, this is not surprising because of the Cu2O band gap is 2.17 eV and it can be excited by photons with wavelengths below 349 nm (our light source is 365 nm UV light). [P2499] Also the unique porous multishell hollow structure which can be considered as an ideal transport way for reactant and product molecules moving in or out of the photocatalyst, making the chemical reactions occurring more quickly and easily. According to the present study nanoparticles size and crystalline nature play an important role in influence the photocatalytic activity.

Cloning :: essays research papers

The History of CloningThe theory of being able to make a genetic copy (a clone) of another animal has been around for quite a while. In this section as the title reads I will show the history of cloning.400 million years B. C.- Plants have been cloning themselves since not to long (as far as the Earth is concerned) after their introduction to our planet. They send out runners that create an identical copy of the parent plant. 1938- Hans Spermann, of Germany, envisions what he calls the "fantastical experiment". He suggests taking the nucleus from a cell in the late-stage embryo and transplanting that nucleus into an egg.1952- Scientists Robert Briggs and T.J. King use a pipette to suck the nucleus from the cell of an advanced frog embryo, they then add it to a frog egg. The egg didn't develop.1970- John Gurdon tries the same experiment with the same procedure. The eggs developed into tadpoles but died after they were ready to begin feeding. He later showed that transplanted nuclei revert to an embryonic state.1973- Ian Wilmut just finishes his doctorate at Cambridge University when he produces the first calf born from a frozen embryo. Cows only give birth to five to ten calves in a lifetime. By taking frozen embryos produced by cows that provide the best meat or milk then transferring that to surrogate mother it allows cattle farmers increase the quality of their herd.Mid to late 1970's- Scientists cut down small forests publishing research papers arguing the ethics of cloning and if it can be done. While they do this other researches around the world are actually investigating if it can be done. 1981- Karl Illmensee and Peter Hoppe report that they clone normal mice and embryo cells. It is later found to be a fraud.1982- James McGrath and Davor Solter report that they can not repeat the mouse cloning experiment. They conclude that once mouse embryos reach the two cell stage they cannot be used for cloning. Others confirm their results.1993- Embryologists at George Washington University cloned human embryos: they took cell groups from 17 human embryos (defective ones that an infertility clinic was going to discard), all two to eight cells in size. They teased apart cells , grew each one in a lab dish and a few got to 32 cells- a size when they can be planted into a surrogate mother, although they weren't.

Building Effective Teams & Evaluation

Performance evaluation is needed in order to determine the effectiveness of the employee or the team member. Evaluations can also provide the management and shareholders the value of the employee and the amount and quality of contributions s/he gives to the team and the company. One of the traditional ways of measuring performance of an employee is through the personal assessment and observation of the employee’s immediate supervisor. Though this may be one good way of knowing how the employee is performing, it is not the most effective method.This measurement tool is only based from one viewpoint – the immediate superior’s. Though the supervisor may be known to be as objective as s/he can be, there is still no assurance that there is no touch of bias in evaluations of some employees or team members. A much better way in evaluating an employee’s performance at work is through the so-called 360 degree feedback. As defined in the article â€Å"360 degree fe edback [Performance Appraisal† (n. d. ), â€Å"[it] incorporates multiple perspectives by using feedback from a variety of sources. These sources include peers, subordinates, customers, self, and supervisor.† Feedback is essential in understanding how an individual performs his jobs. A constructive feedback is an effective tool to help an individual be aware of his/her strengths and areas for improvement. This can help the person enhance those skills where s/he is good at and improve or modify his ways to lessen the areas for improvement. A constructive feedback can help build a better individual and employee at the same time. If different feedbacks come from different sources as mentioned above, there will be a much better understanding of an individual’s performance in all aspects.This eliminates the possibility of missing out things that are not being observed by the supervisor if s/he is the only one providing feedback. It is common to everyone, no matter wha t nationality s/he belongs to, to be not so open and perform differently when the boss is around than when the boss is not present. Most people would show extra effort when they know that they are being observed by their superiors. However, they may act differently when they are not being observed by any manager. A 360 degree feedback can effectively show the real performance and ability of an individual.It also shows how the person is working with other people in the team which is something that a supervisor’s observation may not notice. All the positive and negative things in all aspect of the employee’s work performance can be identified, which makes this type of feedback more effective than the traditional one. In a global-based team, a 360 degree feedback is definitely helpful as the different qualities and skill sets can be effectively assessed by the manager. The employee’s tolerance to diversity, for example, can better be evaluated by his/her peers from other cultural background.The views and comments of other team members to an individual is important in this kind of team setup, especially when they are not located in a single geographical location and no physical observation can be done. In essence, a 360 degree feedback is indeed recommended to be used as a performance measurement tool for the team members, as well as for the managers. It is one of the most, if not the most, effective method in evaluating the overall performance of an employee or team member. Reference 360 degree feedback [Performance Appraisal]. (n. d. ). Retrieved August 1, 2006 from http://www. citehr. com/360-degree-feedback. php

12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose

The movie â€Å"Twelve Angry Men† by Reginald Rose is a drama that displays twelve jurors' in-depth reasoning to decide a unanimous decision on the defendant's sentence. There are many assets and liabilities of the group that play a role in their decision making. The jurors are all defined in terms of their personalities, backgrounds, prejudices and emotional tilts. This paper will argue that when pride, jealousy, frustration and prejudice all emerge we see irrational and rational decision making methods.The assets of group is shown when juror#8 starts a different approach to evidence by showing the knife that was thought to be rare. It starts the process of participation in problem solving by other jury members who may have made up their mind or were just feeling conformity pressure. Greater sum of individual's total information starts to helps jury make a better decision. Liabilities of a group are show when every one except juror# 8 raise their hand feeling conformity press ure. There is desire of individual shown by juror# 3 to dominate and win the argument rather than finding a best solution.Lack of interest is shown by juror# 7 to reason or spend time to solve problem. There are prejudice feelings shown by juror# 10 and 7, they think juror# 5 and 11 do not know much because of their backgrounds. Each group determines assets and liabilities of their group's problem solving. As long disagreement is not personal and is in interest of best solution it's healthy. Time required to solve a problem is uncertain, members might get impatient and solve problem without reasoning. Risk taking is either good or bad depending on how a group uses it.Each group has a different problem to solve and different personalities to work with which is why each group can use assets and liabilities positively and negatively. Throughout the film, Juror Ten is violently prejudiced against anyone who comes from a slum. â€Å"You can't believe a word they say,† he declares – take note that Juror Ten does not say â€Å"he,† meaning the defendant, but â€Å"they,† the group of slums as a whole. This proves that he cannot make a fair judgment about individual guilt.Juror Nine, the senior man with accumulated life experience, notices this and rebukes immediately saying â€Å"Since when is dishonesty a group characteristic? † The intolerance of Juror Ten continues before finally erupting in a long speech that leads the other jurors to reject him. The message is clear that such irrational prejudice is incompatible with justice. Juror Four also shows signs of such prejudice, though he couches it in more acceptable words: â€Å"The children who come out of slum backgrounds are potential menaces to society. When a person hears the word prejudice, he or she might think it only refers to the racial prejudice often found between those with light skin and those with dark skin. However, prejudice runs much deeper than a person's color. Prejudice is found between gender, religion, cultural and geographical background, and race. People have discriminated against others based upon these attributes from the beginning of time. Prejudice has become a complex problem in our society; for example, if someone were to walk in a secluded area at night and pass a group of senior citizens, he or she will, most likely, not feel threatened.However, if instead of senior citizens, three teenagers dressed in ripped jeans and t-shirts wearing metal chains around their necks passed the person is more likely to feel threatened. Prejudice is the sad truth of today’s society. Whether it’s from watching the local news or reading the newspaper, many people base stereotypes on the media or personal experiences. Although these are the most convenient ways to judge someone, they are also the worst. Whenever dealing with the media, events are dramatized and slowly build into the subconscious. The affects of prejudice then influen ce our decisions without us even realizing it.

Chiquita Company

Chiquita Company Introduction The case of Chiquita Brands International illustrates the ethical violations that can be committed by companies operating in developing countries. In many instances, these organizations do not follow any norms of the corporate social responsibility. Nevertheless, the failure to comply with these principles can significantly tarnish the reputation of these businesses.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Chiquita Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, it can eventually lead to considerable financial losses. One should keep in mind that the senior managers of this corporation have long tried to conceal some of the unethical practices adopted by this enterprise. Nevertheless, there have been several scandals that attracted public attention to this firm. For instance, one should consider such issues as dangerous environmental practices and even cooperation with military groups such as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia. In turn, this paper is aimed at examining the violation of workers’ rights. In particular, much attention should be paid to the harsh working conditions in the plantations run by Chiquita Brands International. Apart from that, it is important to discuss the strategies that were supposed to prevent employees from unionizing. One should explore the main factors that contributed to this problem. Moreover, it is necessary to explain how the management can address these challenges. This task is necessary for ensuring the sustainability of modern businesses that can represent various industries. The root causes of the problems It is important to remember that in many cases, companies like Chiquita Brands International operate in the countries in which there is no rule of law. Admittedly, local governments can adopt various legislative acts that should ensure the proper work of businesses. For instance, one can refer to the laws that guarantee the ri ghts of workers. However, such rules are not always enforced. Moreover, foreign companies can easily bribe local officials (Emett, 2014). In turn, these officials disregarded the lack of safety practices that had to be adopted in the ships owned by Chiquita Brands International (Emett, 2014). Furthermore, journalists believe that the managers of this company tried to prevent workers from unionizing in a forcible way (Schotter Teagarden, 2015). In particular, this corporation relied on the right-wing militia that intimidated those employees who supported the work of trade unions (Emett, 2014). Additionally, in many cases, employees were exposed to dangerous chemicals that could have long-term effects on their health (Esty, 2009, p. 185). Overall, workers employed by this corporation did not receive any protection.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Very often, th ey were left to their own devices (Emett, 2014). So, the management assumed that the company would not have to face any consequences. However, this assumption was completely flawed.  Moreover, the countries in which these businesses operate are affected by various military conflicts such as civil wars. To a large degree, this argument is relevant to Colombia that was affected by internal military conflicts and drugs. In turn, the managers of this company had to give money to such an organization as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia. To a large degree, this money was supposed to buy protection (Tricker, 2014, p. 375). It was later revealed that this group was involved in drug trafficking and kidnapping (Tricker, 2014, p. 375). Furthermore, Colombia was severely affected by unemployment, and people were looking for any jobs that could help them sustain themselves. Thus, the bargaining power of employees was not very strong. So, this situation can be partly explained by the legal and economic environment of many developing countries such as Colombia struggling with many internal problems. Nevertheless, more attention should be paid to the absence of ethical safeguards that can prevent business administrators from adopting unscrupulous practices. In particular, the senior managers of this organization believed that they would never be held accountable for such actions. Moreover, they did not attach much importance to such values as integrity and workers’ rights to dignity, decent wages, and safe labor. They did not focus on the needs of these employees because they were not protected by American laws. Furthermore, the managers could be driven by the desire to maximize the revenues of this corporation. Some of them could stick at nothing to achieve this objective. These issues should be identified because they are useful for explaining the underlying causes of such behavior. Very often, the ethical standards adopted by international companies are determined by the policies of local officials. Sometimes, they do not want to enforce the existing laws. In turn, the permissiveness of such governments is the main thing that attracts international companies from various advanced countries in which legislative norms are enforced more efficiently.  Admittedly, one can argue that Chiquita Brands International complied with the standards set by the government of Colombia. Moreover, the representatives of this corporation stated that other American firms had adopted the same practices (Kline, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Chiquita Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, it is not a sufficient excuse for violating the ethical norms. Apart from that, the senior executives of this company wanted to show that it acted as a responsible corporate citizen. Nevertheless, their policies did not live up to their rhetoric (Schotter Teagarden, 2015). It is one of the main details that should be taken into consideration. Additionally, the company incurred considerable losses. For instance, this company had to pay the fine that equaled $ 25 million (Schotter Teagarden, 2015). One should also keep in mind that the stocks of this corporation declined dramatically when the information about its practices was made public. In part, this outcome can be explained by the fact that many buyers can evaluate businesses in terms of their environmental practices and labor relations. Furthermore, some of them do not want to buy the products of companies violating the rights of workers in developing countries. As a rule, these buyers are more educated, and they are not very price-sensitive. It is one of the main trends that should not be overlooked by senior executives. They should not suppose that the absence of legal safeguards enables various malpractices that are not admissible in any advanced country. Such attitudes can have disastrous effect s on the work of businesses, at least in the long term. Preventive and corrective measures The senior executives of this company can use several strategies that can be helpful for addressing such problems. At first, they should consider preventive practices. In particular, one should mention the adoption of the ethical code that should be followed in every case, regardless of the legal environment in which a company operates. The provisions of this code should cover such aspects as HR practices adopted by the organization. For instance, there should be requirements for working conditions, minimal wages, and safety policies. Additionally, these provisions should explicitly prohibit any attempts to bribe local officials. Apart from that, senior managers should enforce the norms of this code. In some cases, this objective can be achieved by penalizing those business administrators who try to act in an unethical way. This argument can be relevant to those managers who disregard safety s tandards. Some of them hope that in this way, they can minimize operational costs.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sometimes, these managers can be dismissed. It is one of the policies that should be used by the senior executives of this corporation.  Nevertheless, more attention should be paid to the educational activities that can be useful for preventing possible dangers. For instance, every business administrator should be informed about the consequences of non-compliance with the ethical standards. At first, they need to keep in mind that such practices can profoundly influence the attitudes of many customers who are now more informed about the unethical practices of corporations. As a result, they may be unwilling to buy the products offered by the company. So, the profitability of the organization will be reduced. It is one of the dangers that should be avoided. The key issue is that the attempts to reduce operational costs at the expense of workers can undermine the performance of a company.  One should also consider the role of leaders who can play several roles. In particular, they can openly object to unscrupulous practices that can impact clients or employees (Maxwell, 2002). In many cases, these individuals should express opinions that can contradict the views held by the majority. For instance, these people can state that some cost-cutting initiatives are not permissible from an ethical perspective. Moreover, in some cases, they have to act like whistle-blowers who raise people’s awareness about unscrupulous business models. These professionals will ensure that the company is not involved in any corporate scandals. Admittedly, their actions can cause the discontent of those business administrators who are mostly concerned with the need to maximize revenues. However, their ethical responsibility is vital to the sustainability of firms working in developing countries.  Furthermore, one should mention certain corrective measures. In particular, the company should hire those workers who could be dismissed only because they disagreed with the policies of the company such as the blatant disregard of safety rules. Apart from that, business administrators should ensure that the health and lives of workers are not exposed to any threats while working on the plantations owned by Chiquita Brands International. Admittedly, this policy can lead to greater operational expenses. However, one should remember the cost of non-compliance can be much higher. To a large degree, Chiquita Brands International has already incurred considerable losses due to its unscrupulous practices. So, the management of this corporation should reject the unethical policies that were adopted previously. It is one of the details that should be taken into account. Discussion The analysis of this case can be of great use to many business administrators, especially if they work at the international level. They should remember that integrity and ethics are the essential prerequisites for the success of the organizations. Indeed, corporate social responsibility does n ot immediately contribute to the financial performance of businesses. It is not directly associated with the increased profitability of enterprises. Nevertheless, these principles are necessary for avoiding potential losses. Moreover, they are essential for attracting customers who focus on the ethical practices of businesses. They do not look only at the prices of products or their quality. This change can be partly explained by the fact that the development of the Internet has made information more accessible. So, buyers can learn more about the practices of businesses and unethical decisions that could be taken by the management. Conclusion The example of Chiquita Brands International suggests that international companies should single out the core ethical principles that should be followed in every case. They should not believe that the absence of proper legislation or poor functioning of the state enables businesses to neglect the rights of workers. Apart from that, one should not suppose that the public will never learn about the cooperation with corrupt policy-makers. In the long term, such policies can adversely impact the profitability of these businesses. In turn, one can also say that the adoption of higher ethical standards has several benefits. At first, this strategy can reduce the risk of fines that can be eventually imposed by the state. Furthermore, this approach is vital for securing the trust of customers. Finally, one should consider the inherent value of such policies. They can demonstrate that the actions of a person can live up to the rhetoric of senior executives. Chiquita Brands International can become more resilient to possible risks if it meets higher standards of the corporate social responsibility. So, the executives of this organization should change their attitudes towards the role of ethics that should not be regarded as a burden. More likely, it is a guide for reducing various risks. Reference List Emett, A. (2014). Blood and Bananas: Chiquita’s Deadly History of Drugs,  Corruption, and Cover-ups. Web. Esty, D. (2009). Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy  to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage. New York, NY: John Wiley Sons. Kline, H. (2012). Historical Dictionary of Colombia. New York, NY: Scarecrow Press. Maxwell, J. (2002). Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know. New York,  NY: Thomas Nelson Inc. Schotter, A., Teagarden, M. (2015). Blood Bananas: Chiquita in Colombia. Boston,  MA: Harvard Business Review. Tricker, B. (2014). Business Ethics: A Stakeholder, Governance and Risk Approach.  New York, NY: Routledge.

Free Essays on Symbolism In Faulkners Barn Burning

Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† takes place in the Deep South during the 19th Century and is a story about the relationship between a father and son. A father with a need to burn the barns of aristocrats resulting in dragging his family down with him; along with his knowledgeable son. This story presents itself through a lot of symbolism linked to Christianity. The first and main symbolism is fire. The meaning of the fire is taking into many ways, the character’s personality and the Biblical beliefs. Abner is very much like the fires he sets, uncontrollable and destroy anything in its way, having respect for nothing. Abner’s son, Sarty, attempts to put out the fire inside of Abner because he’s sick of what his father is doing to the family and forcing them to share his punishments. Faulkner kind of writes this story as a moralist, portraying why a sensible approach to hardship and disappointments are essential in life to avoid someone’s problems to get so bad that it devours them like an inferno. But fire can be seen not only as destruction but also as a way to purify. It cleans out what was there before, leaving ashes to make new soil and a new land. Fire was present when God spoke to individuals in the Bible. When God chose to speak to Moses, "... the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed" ( Exodus 3:2). 1 Kings 18:24 speaks also of God communicating to people by fire, "'Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.' All the people answered, 'Well spoken!'" Christianity, in addition to the tradition contained within the Hebrew Bible, also refers to fire in the New Testament. Before the beginning of Jesus' ministry, John the Baptist was asked quite frequently if he was the messiah. In Luke 3:16, "John answered all of them by saying, 'I baptize you with water; b... Free Essays on Symbolism In Faulkner's Barn Burning Free Essays on Symbolism In Faulkner's Barn Burning Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† takes place in the Deep South during the 19th Century and is a story about the relationship between a father and son. A father with a need to burn the barns of aristocrats resulting in dragging his family down with him; along with his knowledgeable son. This story presents itself through a lot of symbolism linked to Christianity. The first and main symbolism is fire. The meaning of the fire is taking into many ways, the character’s personality and the Biblical beliefs. Abner is very much like the fires he sets, uncontrollable and destroy anything in its way, having respect for nothing. Abner’s son, Sarty, attempts to put out the fire inside of Abner because he’s sick of what his father is doing to the family and forcing them to share his punishments. Faulkner kind of writes this story as a moralist, portraying why a sensible approach to hardship and disappointments are essential in life to avoid someone’s problems to get so bad that it devours them like an inferno. But fire can be seen not only as destruction but also as a way to purify. It cleans out what was there before, leaving ashes to make new soil and a new land. Fire was present when God spoke to individuals in the Bible. When God chose to speak to Moses, "... the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed" ( Exodus 3:2). 1 Kings 18:24 speaks also of God communicating to people by fire, "'Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.' All the people answered, 'Well spoken!'" Christianity, in addition to the tradition contained within the Hebrew Bible, also refers to fire in the New Testament. Before the beginning of Jesus' ministry, John the Baptist was asked quite frequently if he was the messiah. In Luke 3:16, "John answered all of them by saying, 'I baptize you with water; b...

Osmotic Pressure and Tonicity

Osmotic Pressure and Tonicity Osmotic pressure and tonicity often are confusing to people. Both are scientific terms pertaining to pressure. Osmotic pressure is the pressure of a solution against a semipermeable membrane to prevent water from flowing inward across the membrane. Tonicity is the measure of this pressure. If the concentration of solutes on both sides of the membrane is equal, then there is no tendency for water to move across the membrane and no osmotic pressure. The solutions are isotonic with respect to each other. Usually, there is a higher concentration of solutes on one side of the membrane than the other. If youre unclear about osmotic pressure and tonicity it might because youre confused about how the difference between diffusion and osmosis. Diffusion Versus Osmosis Diffusion is the movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration. For example, if you add sugar to water, the sugar will diffuse throughout the water until the concentration of sugar in the water is constant throughout the solution. Another example of diffusion is how the scent of perfume spreads throughout a room. During osmosis, as with diffusion, there is a tendency of particles to seek the same concentration throughout the solution. However, the particles may be too large to cross a semipermeable membrane separating regions of a solution, so water moves across the membrane. If you have a sugar solution on one side of a semipermeable membrane and pure water on the other side of the membrane, there will always be pressure on the water side of the membrane to try to dilute the sugar solution. Does this mean all of the water will flow into the sugar solution? Probably not, because the fluid may be exerting pressure on the membrane, equalizing the pressure. As an example, if you put a cell in fresh water, the water will flow into the cell, causing it to swell. Will all of the water flow into the cell? No. Either the cell will rupture or else it will swell to a point where the pressure exerted on the membrane exceeds the pressure of the water trying to enter the cell. Of course, small ions and molecules may be able to cross a semipermeable membrane, so solutes such as small ions (Na, Cl-) behave much like they would if simple diffusion were occurring. Hypertonicity, Isotonicity, and Hypotonicity The tonicity of solutions with respect to each other may be expressed as hypertonic, isotonic or hypotonic. The effect of different external solute concentrations on red blood cells serves as a good example for a hypertonic, isotonic and hypotonic solution. Hypertonic Solution or Hypertonicity When the osmotic pressure of the solution outside the blood cells higher than the osmotic pressure inside the red blood cells, the solution is hypertonic. The water inside the blood cells exits the cells in an attempt to equalize the osmotic pressure, causing the cells to shrink or create. Isotonic Solution or Isotonicity When the osmotic pressure outside the red blood cells is the same as the pressure inside the cells, the solution is isotonic with respect to the cytoplasm. This is the usual condition of red blood cells in plasma. Hypotonic Solution or Hypotonicity When the solution outside of the red blood cells has a lower osmotic pressure than the cytoplasm of the red blood cells, the solution is hypotonic with respect to the cells. The cells take in water in an attempt to equalize the osmotic pressure, causing them to swell and potentially burst.

United States-Centric Views Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

United States-Centric Views Comparison - Essay Example At the same time, we consider women among Christian Americans usually go to work. Besides, we share the same opinion that one can identify secular content in education of Christian Americans. They are with moderate political values but governed by Biblical law. But political environment among the same is open to both sexes. They are socially inclusive, socially compliant and feminists (applicable to male and female members). There are a number of aspects which my friend and I share the same opinion on Muslim and Arab Americans (see appendix 1 and 2). For instance, both of us consider that Muslim and Arab Americans are oppressive to women, women folk are homemakers, and their society is patriarchal society. Besides, both of us consider that there is high religious content in their educational system. So, they share conservative political values, governed by the Qur’an, and are fanatically religious. The texture of male-domination can be seen in their political environment, socially exclusionary behavior. But Louise Cainkar states that the Arab Americans face oppression and marginalization in American society (Cainkar, 2009, p.96). So, both of us consider that Muslim and Arab Americans are socially oppressed and sexists. The appendices (see appendix 1 and 2) prove that there exists a number of dissimilar opinions about Christian Americans, Muslim and Arab Americans. For instance, I consider Christian Americans as good neighbors, immodestly dressed, well educated, law abiding, who considers religion as the part of government, peaceable, and with strict moral values. But my friend does not share the same opinion on foretold view points. On the other side, I consider Muslim and Arab Americans as modestly dressed, undereducated, religious values perpetuated in politics, violent, and with flexible moral values. But my friend does not share same opinion on foretold view points. But both of

Fashion Promotion - Dior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Fashion Promotion - Dior - Essay Example The paper "Fashion Promotion" analyzes the channels and ways that brands, such as Dior, use in their promotion. The existing communication channels used by Dior have been thoroughly studied and also additional recommendation to improve the existing channels and introduce newer ways has also been included in the study. It was found that Dior is very restrictive in selecting its communication channels, so as to maintain the luxurious brand image of the company. Conservative communication channels are utilised by all the luxury product companies, but Dior could utilise a few other channels too to increase its brand recognition without hampering its highly sophisticated and luxurious brand image. Dior is a luxury retail brand based in France. The company is named after the founder of the company Christian Dior. Dior mainly deals in clothing, accessories, perfumes, beauty products and also timepieces. Nowadays, women buy perfume according their personality, so Christian Dior also makes pe rfumes to suit the different personality traits of women around the world. The company mainly targets a niche customer group, such as people from the wealthy class and also the high income groups. Since the global recession or economic depression does not really affect the purchasing power of luxury consumers, so Dior has not felt the sharp punch of economic slowdown. The strategy of the company is to focus on their product range and infuse creativity and innovation, for offering luxury goods to the customers. The brand generates about 13 percent of its revenue from Perfume and cosmetic segment, as stated in figure 1. In this study we would be focusing on the perfumes segment of Christian Dior. Figure 1 Source: (Christian Dior Group, 2012). Dior Story As we already know Dior is named after the famous fashion designer, Christian Dior, who introduced a new trend of fashion in Europe. He focused on the curvy shape of a female figure and designed his dresses accordingly. Christian Dior had worked under several famous fashion designers and in famous fashion houses before floating his own fashion house. Dior started as a fashion house which focused mainly on clothing for women and also men. The new fashion trend was a major hit in Europe and women in Europe liked and accepted the new trend with open arms. The company then launched its first fragrance under its subsidiary company Parfums Dior in the year 1947. It was named as Miss Dior, after the name of Christian Dior’s sister Catherine. Christian Dior passed away in 1957, but the brand name Dior has become famous around the world. Dior has become a synonym for luxury, elegance, beauty, fashion, and beautiful fragrance. It is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world and has about 135 fragrance base. Dior perfumes are made using these fragrance bases. Christian Dior’s revenue tripled since 1998. The company was bought by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) Group in the year 1987. Since then the LVMH group

Using the I Can Problem Solve Program in W.G. Rhea Elementary School Research Paper

Using the I Can Problem Solve Program in W.G. Rhea Elementary School Kindergarten - Research Paper Example Research on Dr.Myrna Shure's program I Can Problem Solve for early elementary (how it has been used, where it has been used, results, etc) along with other programs or information that use problem-solving techniques and cognitive methods.An analytical framework of using ICPS Program for helping children in various aspects is presented.The approximation is based on series of generalizations and specific assumptions. However, these are valid for a wide range of real life situations.ICPS Program teaches the critical thinking skills children require to solve problems on their own. After receiving this program, children learn to generate solution and alternative solutions to problems. They learn to go one step ahead and think of the situation that will arise once the decision is taken. Ability to plan properly the steps to be taken to reach the main goal is developed on their own.How Here, students are helped to solve problems on their own by using real life situations and using fun and e xciting methods such as using colorful pictures, puppets etc. Discussions among groups of students and role plays are also done during the program to help them understand and come up with various solutions and alternative solutions to situational problems .They are then allowed to find out for themselves which would be the best solution to the problem considering the consequences. The program teaches students basic skills and problem solving language. They learn word concepts, how to identify problems, come up with solutions, find out factors behind problems, generate alternate solutions and also study consequences. Children learn to be sensitive. They recognize not only one's own feelings but also others. Children tend to be empathetic and understand problems others face from their point of view. And hence they are able to respond to others problems and influence their responses in turn. Children become better decision makers. Many role plays are conducted during this program enact ing problematic situations. They are requested to come up with solutions and alternative solutions to such situational problems. And they finally choose the best solution on their own after studying the consequences to their decisions. This enables them to manage and solve everyday problems more effectively. Relating lessons learned to other areas, extension activities, activity sheets and other interactive activities are included. (Shure,1992) Where Initial research, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health in Washington, DC, was conducted with low-income African-American youngsters. Subsequent service evaluations beginning in grade 3 were successfully conducted with diverse ethnic and income groups, as well as those with special needs including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Results: (What effect does the ICPS program have on behavior): Children were found to be more patient and less

Strategic Information Systems Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Information Systems - Case Study Example the investment and brand-building phase and have yet to show a profit. However, as e-businesses shift their focus (Hoffman, D.L. and Novak, T 2000) from building a customer base to increasing revenue growth and profitability, they should re-evaluate their current business strategies, if any, and develop strategies that provide a clear path to profitability. Networking and Internet technology have been successfully implemented at REI to create a very strong value chain. In the mind of the consumer, all three REI entities (seventy stores, two Web stores, and an adventure-theme travel service) can be viewed as one. E-commerce is fundamentally changing the economy and the way business is conducted. E-commerce forces companies to find new ways to expand the markets in which they compete, to attract and retain customers by tailoring products and services to their needs, and to restructure their business processes to deliver products and services more efficiently and effectively. However, despite rapid and sustained development of e-commerce, many companies doing e-business are still in the investment and brand-building phase and have yet to make a profit (Zwass 1998). ... tailoring products and services to their needs, and to restructure their business processes to deliver products and services more efficiently and effectively. However, despite rapid and sustained development of e-commerce, many companies doing e-business are still in the investment and brand-building phase and have yet to make a profit (Zwass 1998). Many e-businesses (or Internet companies) have focused on the visual attractiveness and ease of use of their Web sites as the primary method of increasing their customer base. However, as e-businesses shift their focus from building a customer base to increasing revenue growth and profitability, they should re-evaluate their current business strategies, if any, and develop strategies that provide a clear path to profitability. This study uses McCarthy's According to McCarthy (1960) and Perreault and McCarthy (1999), a firm develops its marketing strategies by first identifying the target market for its products or services. It then develops a marketing mix-a particular combination of product, price, promotion, and place (i.e., distribution and delivery functions in the supply chain) designed to enhance sales to the target market. A unique mix of these elements in a given industry allows firms to compete more effectively, thus ensuring profitability and sustainability. For example, by coordinating various product offerings and associated price discriminations with sales promotions and effective logistics, a firm can increase its sales and profit. Since the Internet has a significant impact on the makeup of this marketing mix, Internet companies should develop strategies that take the unique nature of online marketing into account.

ACCION International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ACCION International - Essay Example These initiatives aimed at improving economic growth in the places that had been affected by acute poverty. This article will provide a general opinion regarding the readings concerning the economic performance. This organization provided financial services in the form of loans and business training to enable the poor individuals to sustain a decent lifestyle. In both cases, they have developed microfinance institutions that are able to achieve several financial factors (Chu 5). This enables them to attain a significant scale in the market. All contributions made were directed to the economic development of the poor countries. Therefore, they used two methodologies to develop commercial microfinance institutions. The first method involved performing a transformation of the Non-Governmental Organizations to microfinance institutions. The second priority was based on creating equity funds, which will enable to provide a capital base for the microfinance institutions (Chu 9). The Non-Governmental Institutions could also be transformed into financial institutions to manage the economic crisis. In conclusion, this will enhance partnership in most commercial banks and maintain a strong leadership position in the microfinance industry. Furthermore, the transformation will entail the development of certain methodologies that enable the microfinance institutions to serve individuals from the low-income population. This will substantially boost the outreach of the microfinance segment in the society (Chu 17).

Introduction to services marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Introduction to services marketing - Essay Example Marketing of services has attained greater significance over the years, due to globalization and the increasing competition at a global level (Cunningham, Young, Ulaga & Lee, 2004). The services sector is has grown substantially in the recent years and hence has become an integral part of economy. In order for firms to survive in such a highly competitive industry, marketing of services is inevitable (Lovelock, Wirtz, 2004). In the realm of marketing, innovation holds supreme significance. It is only through innovation that firms can differentiate their products / services in the market and generate value and relevance for their services or products in the eyes of their target market / segments (Kleinknecht, 2000: 169-186). The development of technology fuelled by a simultaneous development in the field of information and technology, has led to a complete transformation with regard to delivery and execution of various services. It has now, completely revolutionized the manner in which services were executed, and hence widened the scope to product and process the services. The opening of various global economies has further expanded the playing field for various firms, thus further intensifying the competition at a global level.... According to Pride and Ferrell (2006) the term customer contact is defined as "the level of interaction between the service provider and the customer necessary to deliver the service" (Pp. 367). High contact services, include such services as observed in: healthcare, real estate, legal issues, hair care, healthcare services etc., while low-contact services include: tax preparation, auto repair, dry cleaning etc. High-contact services entail the presence of the customer at the time of service delivery while there is no such requirement in case of low-contact services. For instance, in hospitality industry, the customer presence is necessary and inevitable to enjoy or avail the services, while in case of low-contact services such as auto-repair, for instance, the customer need not be present while the repair work is in progress (Pride and Ferrell, 2006). In case of high-contact services, the customer is generally required to visit the service site, while there is no such pre-requisite in case of a low-contact service. Instead, access to the service is made available to the customers, via a method called self-service, for instance, as is observed in case of e-card delivery; buying from a kiosk; or via the internet. The contact points are usually held in remote places, and there is no actual physical contact between the service providers and the customers. Thus, in each service transaction the customers have very low contact with the service provider, as compared to that in case of a high-contact service. The service marketing system with regard to high-contact and low-contact services can be better explained with the help of the following diagrams: Figure 1: Service delivery system in a high-contact service Figure 2: Service delivery system in a

ACCION International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ACCION International - Essay Example These initiatives aimed at improving economic growth in the places that had been affected by acute poverty. This article will provide a general opinion regarding the readings concerning the economic performance. This organization provided financial services in the form of loans and business training to enable the poor individuals to sustain a decent lifestyle. In both cases, they have developed microfinance institutions that are able to achieve several financial factors (Chu 5). This enables them to attain a significant scale in the market. All contributions made were directed to the economic development of the poor countries. Therefore, they used two methodologies to develop commercial microfinance institutions. The first method involved performing a transformation of the Non-Governmental Organizations to microfinance institutions. The second priority was based on creating equity funds, which will enable to provide a capital base for the microfinance institutions (Chu 9). The Non-Governmental Institutions could also be transformed into financial institutions to manage the economic crisis. In conclusion, this will enhance partnership in most commercial banks and maintain a strong leadership position in the microfinance industry. Furthermore, the transformation will entail the development of certain methodologies that enable the microfinance institutions to serve individuals from the low-income population. This will substantially boost the outreach of the microfinance segment in the society (Chu 17).

Response to a classmate's post Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Response to a classmate's post - Assignment Example For me, I felt that the work lacks a clear definition of concepts and proper outlining of facts that bring out the issue of race. Also, you did not include any thesis statements in the essay. You simply explained the various characteristics that the Homo sapiens have such as the color of the skin, shape and the type of hair. Nonetheless, it is commendable how you note how anthropologists find it meaningless to use the term race since the term has been overtaken by events. I think this gives a strong point in the defense of your answer. You also give a clear explanation of the disparities of the different genetic variations such as polytypic and polymorphic variations. It is also good that you mention the emerging trends in the humans, such as mutations of the human race. It would be good if you add a conclusion that summarizes the major thoughts in the essay. Your paragraphing is also wanting. Though the work has strong points, you would have made the work better through a proper org anization of thoughts.

Examine Malaysias Inflation Rate Economics Essay

Examine Malaysias Inflation Rate Economics Essay Based on the topic given, we are ordered to examine the Malaysias inflation rate over the past 10 years by knowing the factors that contribute the inflation and the measures taken by the Malaysias government to overcome or combat the inflation. In general, inflation  is a rise in the general  level of prices  of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. When the price level increases, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Meanwhile, inflation rate is the annually increase of percentage in the price of goods and services. When the price level rises rapidly, the inflation rate is high, and when the price level ri Examine Malaysias inflation rate over the past 10 years and discuss its trends. Inflation can be defined as one of the phenomena of general price level rises steadily in the long run and no limitations. For the past 10 years of Malaysias inflation, we decided to analyze from the year 2003 until year 2012. The graph shows the inflation rate in Malaysia from the year 2003 to 2012. It can clearly be seen that there has been a highest rate in year 2008 by 5.4 percent while the lowest rate by 0.6 percent in year 2009 then Malaysias inflation rate became normalized to the 3.2 percent in year 2011. According to The Department of Statistic Malaysia, which is one of the department that responsible to analyze the inflation rate in Malaysia was recorded the average 1.70 percent in October 2012. While, in year 2003 indicates the inflation rate was 1.1 percent. After that, the slow growth shows the difference between year 2003 and 2004 was 0.3 percent. It is mean that in year 2004, the rate of inflation increase to 1.4 percent. Then, it rises considerably over year 2005 by 3.0 percent. It is shows that starting in year 2005, the inflation rate increased rapidly from year 2004 which is the difference was about 1.6 percent. Continually in year 2006, it has been a steady increased, with around 3.6 percent rate of inflation. Suddenly, the rate falls by 2.0 percent in year 2007 because of the certain factors that can affect the rate of inflation. Next, the rate rose dramatically by 5.4 percent in 2008 due of the increasing in fuel prices on that time. The rate does not longer because in 2009 it decreased by 0.6 percent. Malaysias inflation rate starts continuously slightly increased to 1.7 percent in year 2010. The rate slowly goes up in 2011 by 3.2 percent. However, the inflation rate in Malaysia was recorded at 1.30 percent in September of 2012. To sum up, the overall years from 2003 to 2012, it shows that the trend for inflation rate over the past 10 years is fluctuated trend. From starting year at year 2003 to 2006, the graph shows slowly increased and achieved the highest rate between these four years in year 2006. After that, the graph drops in year 2007 and rise largely in year 2008. In year 2009, the rate of inflation falls dramatically and starts increased back in 2010 and 2011. But the rate still decreased in September 2012. As a conclusion, the lowest rate was 0.6 percent in year 2009 while the highest rate was showed as much 5.4 percent in 2008. In whatever way, the government has decided to decrease the inflation rate and became normalized in 2011. What may be some of the factors that contribute to the inflation rate trend? In Malaysia, inflation rate shows the fluctuated of the inflation rate trend. It was indicated that the highest inflation rate between years 2003 to 2012 was 5.4 percent in 2008. By the way, during year 2009, the rate was dramatically goes to 0.6 percent and the trend was normalised back to the 3.2 percent in year 2011. By referring the Keynesian theory, the three type of inflation which is demand-pull inflation, cost-pull inflation, and built-in inflation. Based on the inflation rate trend between 2003 to 2012 in Malaysia, there are may be some of the factors that contribute to this inflation trend, such as the factor that can affected the aggregate demand and aggregate supply that nearly can affect the inflation in many ways. For example, quantity of money that government print, the interest rate, the government expenditure, the tax cut, the increasing of Purchase Power Parity and an increase in money prices of raw material and wage rate. In this country, the inflation rate measures a board rise or fall in prices that consumers pay for a standard basket of goods. The highest inflation rate was at 5.4 percent in 2008 because of the increasing in raw material such as fuel prices. When the fuel prices increased, then the firms will decrease their supply of goods and services. This will lead to the increase in price of other goods and services that will contribute to the inflation in the country. This situation proved when the world price of fuel was increase, the price of goods such as household goods will also increase. In addition, the fuel price is decided by the government, however, government must take it seriously when decide to increase the fuel price. This may cause two negative effects towards the consumers. Firstly, for instance, as a big population of Malaysian society owns a car, the increase in a fuel price, will increase the cost of the car users. Secondly, the overall operating cost of doing business in Ma laysia will also increase due to the higher cost of fuel. The quantity of money that the government print will increase the money supply which one of the major factors that contribute to the inflation. This is because the higher the money supplied, the higher the inflation rate. For example, if the government cuts the interest rate, this will cause the quantity of money increase. Since a lot of money in the market, the production of goods will decrease because the demand of the products is higher. Most of government today control their money supply. As more money offered in the market, the highest the inflation especially through printing more bills. The printing of new money allows goods to be purchased without the real exchange. On the other hand, when the money supplied is higher in the economy, this make the consumption and investment also increase and there are more job opportunities and this will encourage the growth of economy in the country. An increasing in money wage rate also contributed to the inflation. As many of labour work in the country, then the higher the wage for one unit of force. Therefore, to increase the output of the country, the more of labour will be used and the higher the marginal cost of labour, the price had to be raised. As the wages are high, aggregate supply in the economy will decrease and this will contributed to the inflation occurs. In addition, the increasing of purchase power parity (PPP) is also one of the factors that contribute to the inflation rate trend. Purchase power parity means the equal value of money. When there were increasing in purchase power parity, consumers demand of the goods and services is also increase. However, the goods and services offers in the market become less. Moreover, the other factors are the increasing in the government expenditure and the tax cut from the government. Firstly, an increasing in government expenditure. Government expenditure can be divided into two, which are operating expenditure and development expenditure. An increasing in the government expenditure can encourage the increasing in the aggregate demand and at this time, the price level will continually increase. Secondly, the tax cut. If the government cut the tax, then demand will increase due to the cut in price of goods and services, the continuous increase in aggregate demand in the economy and have reached full employment will impact, the price level will increase. Hence, any factor that increases aggregate demand can cause inflation. However, in the long run, the government can overcome this problem by increasing the quantity of money in circulation faster than real growth rate of the economy. All of all, it can be said that, all the factors stated above can contribute to the inflation occurs. Based on the inflation trend between the last ten years, the trend shows fluctuated trend over the ten years. Generally, during the past ten years, the inflation is already become lower and moderate inflation after our country faced the high rate of inflation, called hyperinflation during the economic crisis. Hyperinflation is caused by an excessive growth of the money supply and refers to the growth of higher price level and the growth is continuously increased. The rate of inflation in Malaysia may at low or moderate inflation that contribute the fluctuation trend during the last ten years. This trend occur when the money supply growing faster than the rate of economic growth. Measures undertaken There are some measures are undertaken by our government in order to combat inflation in Malaysia. One of the actions taken by our government is supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the market. Small and medium enterprises are important for every country because they can help to boost up a countrys economic growth. As we know one of the factors that cause inflation is demand-pull inflation which means a demand of a good or service increases in the market, but the supply of the particular good and service remain the same due to the number of supplier is limited in producing the product and service. Therefore the price of the product or service will rise as the demand is higher than supply and this will cause the consumers need to pay more in order to satisfy their needs. Hence inflation occurred. In order to solve this problem, our Malaysia government is implementing Special Government Funds for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The main purpose of these funds which provided by our government is to develop and nurturing more small and medium enterprises in our country in order to increase the productivity of products and services in Malaysia. In year 2007, Malaysia has provided 105 Special Government Funds for small and medium enterprises with a total amount of RM31.8 billion. For example, our central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia has allocated a total of RM 6.75 billion is small and medium industries 2, RM 2.85 billion in new entrepreneurs and also RM 1.30 billion in food industries. Besides that, Micro Enterprise Fund (MEF) has launched by our central bank in year 2008 and this is to help those enterprises which started up with a small capital and less employers able to operate their business in the business market. Bank Negara Malaysia has approved to use RM4.2 million to help mirco enterprises and there are 241 micro enterprises get benefits from Micro Enterprise Fund (MEF) in year 2008. Through these fund provided by our government, there are more mirco, small and medium enterprises producing products and services in the market. Therefore, productivity of Malaysia will increase and it solved the problems of demand-pull inflation. Moreover, our central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia applied monetary policy to combat inflation. Deposit interest rate is also one of the ways to combat the inflation in our country, Bank Negara Malaysia is responsible to set a most suitable interest rate on a specific time for money saver. For example, when there is high inflation rate in our country, Bank Negara Malaysia will need to adjust the deposit interest rate to higher rate in order to encourage people to save more their money in the bank and indirectly to reduce the quantity amount of money in the market which can prevent the value of our money to become less value. Besides that, since the interest rate has increased, this will discourage investors and firms to borrow money from the banks. Therefore, it will reduce the investment and consumption in the market and consequently the inflation rate will decrease. Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Average interest rate 2.69 2.84 3.51 3.50 3.51 2.11 2.56 2.88 Based on the graph and table above, we can see that as our countrys inflation rate increases, the interest rate offered by the bank increases as well in order to encourage people to save money in the bank to reduce the quantity of money in the market in order reduce the inflation rate. Due to the economic Stimulus Package, the interest rate is still high even though the inflation rate in year 2007 has decrease from year 2006. Conclusion

Just Another Scar :: Personal Narratives

Just Another Scar It began on one smoldering hot day in Tucson. This was another usual day for the residents of Tucson, so hot we could cook an egg on the sidewalk. My dad was outside working on the car, sweating more and more with every turn of the wrench. My brother was shooting hoops in our driveway trying to improve his skills. With the sun shining down and the bouncing of my brother’s basketball I realized I needed to be outside having fun and getting tan as well. I grabbed my sunglasses, laced up my Nike’s and headed outside for some fun in the sun. I played an intense game of one-on-one with my brother. Of course he beat me drastically. My dad had paused occasionally to cheer me on and then continued working on the car. The sun was getting hotter and I was getting weary of playing basketball. I decided to take a ride on my bike. I had this incredible bike that I got the year before for my 13th birthday. It was a vibrant teal color with black stripes below the handlebars and along the side. It was my first mountain bike. I checked my tires to make sure there was enough air and pulled my bike out into the driveway. Our driveway is not concrete so it was hard to get started and ride my bike to the road through the deep piles of gravel. Once I got onto the road it was exhilarating. The sun was scorching, so it felt good to have the cool breeze blowing through my hair. I turned right onto the street and started to ride, I had just gotten used to changing gears while streaming down the road so I was ecstatic. I live in a neighborhood that has tons of hills, so I knew right away that my bike ride was going to be a fun one. I wore shorts and a tank top so I felt the sun beating down on me from above. There was a slight hint of barbeque in the air and it made my mouth water. The trees were rustling around me and I was off! I darted around the first corner of my neighborhood and sped off down the hill that followed. I was good enough to take my hands off the handlebars while I was riding because the momentum of the bike kept me going straight, it was like being on a roller coaster, throwing my arms up in the air and ride. Just Another Scar :: Personal Narratives Just Another Scar It began on one smoldering hot day in Tucson. This was another usual day for the residents of Tucson, so hot we could cook an egg on the sidewalk. My dad was outside working on the car, sweating more and more with every turn of the wrench. My brother was shooting hoops in our driveway trying to improve his skills. With the sun shining down and the bouncing of my brother’s basketball I realized I needed to be outside having fun and getting tan as well. I grabbed my sunglasses, laced up my Nike’s and headed outside for some fun in the sun. I played an intense game of one-on-one with my brother. Of course he beat me drastically. My dad had paused occasionally to cheer me on and then continued working on the car. The sun was getting hotter and I was getting weary of playing basketball. I decided to take a ride on my bike. I had this incredible bike that I got the year before for my 13th birthday. It was a vibrant teal color with black stripes below the handlebars and along the side. It was my first mountain bike. I checked my tires to make sure there was enough air and pulled my bike out into the driveway. Our driveway is not concrete so it was hard to get started and ride my bike to the road through the deep piles of gravel. Once I got onto the road it was exhilarating. The sun was scorching, so it felt good to have the cool breeze blowing through my hair. I turned right onto the street and started to ride, I had just gotten used to changing gears while streaming down the road so I was ecstatic. I live in a neighborhood that has tons of hills, so I knew right away that my bike ride was going to be a fun one. I wore shorts and a tank top so I felt the sun beating down on me from above. There was a slight hint of barbeque in the air and it made my mouth water. The trees were rustling around me and I was off! I darted around the first corner of my neighborhood and sped off down the hill that followed. I was good enough to take my hands off the handlebars while I was riding because the momentum of the bike kept me going straight, it was like being on a roller coaster, throwing my arms up in the air and ride.

Kant Essay -- Psychology, Human Reasoning

In the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant undermines many of our moral certainties. Our Western philosophical tradition teaches that choosing the right path to virtue is in ones own hands. Aristotle’s understanding of virtue comes from our moral bearings, which are taken from exemplars of virtue. Kant’s idea of morality is sought from a single individual. Only few people are universally accepted as this ideal conception of morality, such figures like Gandhi or Jesus. Kant believes that we cannot derive this idea of morality simply from examples of those around us but we can only decide morality from a specific principle. This notion of morality is rooted from an idea that is not used by most individuals. He has little faith in human morality because he sees them as easily corruptible; the Kantian moral method can only be true on the basis that human nature often struggles with desires and passions that don’t always fit in line with morality. Kant argues that human reasoning is limited in its ability to provide an example of true morality. In his essay, he states that what humans perceive as good morals does not necessarily fit the conditions of what can be categorized as universal law of morality. Kant believes that people must hold morality not solely as an idea or set of exceptions but as an absolute idea (Kant 408). This absolute idea should be free of human rationalization in order to create a pure example. He believes this to be the case because within this form of rationalizing what is good from what is wrong there are often cases that stray away from true virtue such as human behavior. Kant sees this as a unique quality in humankind; that they can act in accordance with acceptation to the law (412). He worries ... ...annot help themselves. Experiencing the process that happens between the realization of someone needs help to the solution is vital to understanding how to carry out a moral law. Without this someone may know what is moral but not have the means to know how to help. Morality in Kantian terms provokes many questions to the ordinary concepts people have placed it in. Having a universal law of morality, free from examples of others is hard to reach for any human being. It is possible for someone to create their own imperative to reach a working set of moral means. Many people could actively use a basic independent concept of morality. But this is not sufficient for the greater good. In order to understand the roots of universal moral law one must fully understand it through examples and experience so they can proceed through their own followings and incentives.

The Symbolism in “A Rose for Emily”

The Symbolism in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† â€Å"I want the best you have†¦ I want arsenic. † Emily was purchasing rat poison. Did she really have rats? Or did she poison her husband Homer Barron? William Faulkner used a few ciphers in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† to get his readers to explore their imagination. It is an extremely suspenseful, on the edge of your seat, story with a shocking ending. It is a short story about an old women who loses her father and eventually her husband; she is the talk of the town and after she dies, everyone realizes exactly how insane she was.Faulkner uses many symbols that have meanings of their own and also for something else. â€Å"A Rose for Emily† has numerous symbols. Some more important the others, a minor symbol would include her father’s whip. It symbolizes his control and domance over her. It was as if he was fighting off all the men in Emily’s life with his whip. It may also suggest that he is incred ibly strict with her and didn’t want her to have much of a social life. When Emily’s dad died, Emily was devastated; she did not want to leave his body. Shortly after, Emily took comfort in a man named Homer Barron.The death of Emily’s father left her miserable, when Homer left town for a few days, she thought she might loose him like she did her father. When he returned home, everything went down hill. â€Å"And that was the last we saw of Homer Barron and of Miss. Emily for sometime. † A slightly more important symbol would be the old, creepy house where Miss. Emily lived. The house symbolized a mystery; the whole town thought Miss. Emily was bizarre and that house just added to their suspicion. The house had a distinct smell. It was a kind of rotting smell, as if something, or maybe someone, had died in there and was never disposed of properly.It got so bad the mayor, along with a couple other residents of the town, snuck onto the property and put deod orizer on her front lawn. After Emily’s death, the towns people were finally able to explore the house. What they found wasastonishing. Everything seemed somewhat normal up until they got to the locked door. The men broke it down and found a room that looked as if to be prepared for a wedding covered completely with an inch or two of dust. When they turned around, they found a decomposing body! The last symbol was definitely the most important.Next to the body was a long gray hair. To some it might not mean anything; but to other intellectual readers, it might have great importance. If you look deeper into it, Emily had long gray hair, she was tremendously insane, and bought rat poison that would â€Å"kill anything up to an elephant. † Could she have killed Homer? Could that long gray hair symbolize Emily going up to the room at night and cuddling up with Homer’s dead body? Faulkner leaves it up to us to decide. He uses the power of symbolism to test our mind a nd really make us think about what we are reading.The symbols in this story make it what it is, a fine piece of literature. Faulkner really puts the power of symbolism to work in â€Å"A Rose for Emily. † In this story, through the use of symbolism, Emily is exposed as the true crazy person that Faulkner met to portray her as. If you put your mind to work, Emily may have used arsenic to murder her husband, kept his body locked up in a barricaded room, and slept with his rotting corps night after night. Symbolism can make or break a story; in this case it made â€Å"A Rose for Emily† great. It constantly tests the mind and keeps the reader guessing what will happen next.

Ethical issues in international business Essay

When we pay a large tip to secure a specific table in a restaurant. There is usually some personal happiness-related reason behind our action. Among many of our reasons could be that we want to be nearer to performers on the stage in order for us to secure a better view for our enjoyment. Another reason could be that we want to have a specific view available for us while we dine. If we do not pay a large tip, then there is a bigger risk that we would not get the table that we want. Therefore paying the large tip reduced that risk significantly and makes us likely to get what we want. This case is the same as when a business company pays a bride to certain entities in order to secure a contract. When perceived in Bentham’s perspective, â€Å"happiness† to a business may be equated to progress and profit which in turn may be acquired through appropriate business actions such as securing profitable contracts. The company pays a certain amount in order to get more business which will eventually pay back several fold. This is exactly the utilitarian principle that Bentham explained which may be neatly applied to both cases. In the restaurant, the customer pays a larger tip in order to enjoy the â€Å"happiness† of a specific table. In business, the company pays a bribe in order to enjoy the â€Å"happiness† of obtaining a contract. Although one of the two situations is illegal, that does not mean that the principle between the two situations are different. In as much as companies are not allowed by law to make bribes for contracts, slipping a $50 for a waiter to secure a seat often happens without the knowledge of the waiter’s supervisor. In that sense we may see that both actions to have moral repercussions. It is just that one tends to be more pronounced with respect to its consequences than the other.

European Women’s History Essay

The role of women in society has greatly evolved. Prior to the emergence of today’s modern world, women were restricted and confined by the norms and dictates of society. Gender inequality greatly prevailed especially during the early societies. There was little room for progress for women. More often than not, women were prohibited from pursuing careers. Such personal growth was attributed solely to men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, with the evolution of the society came the change in perception of the role of women. It can be said the change in society’s perception with regards to the role of women was initiated by the querelle des femmes, or the debate over women. Such debate began in the 14th century and lasted until the 18th century.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the said period, various questions were raised with regards to how women should be viewed or treated in society. The status of women in society became the center of the debate. Questions regarding the rights of women as well as their capabilities were likewise raised. Misogyny was likewise an important issue that continuously raged on in the debate. Primarily, the basic question that emerged was regarding the capability of women for rational thought. Men and women argued on whether women are rational beings who could determine what is logical and rational. In other words, such question dealt with whether women have the ability to make decisions on their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From such debate emerged the changes in society’s perception over the role and status of women. Various assumptions were developed and were brought about the long debates and arguments. Among the most vital assumptions that were developed was one that concluded that women were indeed rational beings. Women were capable of rational thought and thereby had the inherent ability to make decisions for themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To supplement such nature of women, education for women was encouraged. Many philosophers argued that educating women was vital in order to establish their place in society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, it is not only with the querelle des femmes that questions over the role and status of women were argued upon. Such questions were continuously discussed even with the emergence of the enlightenment period. In both cases though, gender equality was the main point of debate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another assumption that emerged from such debates dealt with the fact that the role of women is society is a product not just of misogyny of men but with the education of women. Before the said period, women were educated in such a way that they would become submissive to men. Such mindset is one of the reasons why women were viewed as inferior beings in society. With the emergence of women writers in the aforementioned periods, the call for a change in the education of women began to emerge. The15th to 18th centuries saw an abundance of literary works that called for equal education between men and women. As previously mentioned, education was one of the key questions in the debate. Moreover, such literary pieces called for society to treat women as intellectual equals of men. In other words, the proponents of the movement demanded that women be considered intellectuals and thus be given intellectual education. It was no longer enough that women be trained to become mere housewives. The debate changed the type of education that women usually received. The debate reformed the view that women were ignorant and that they were only capable of performing household duties. With the many arguments raised in the centuries-long debate, such perceived nature of women was changed. The pro-women stand had several proponents. Each of them took on the battle using their pen and paper. It is through literature that women combated the misogynists of the time. Various literary works emerged that tackled the many questions that arose from the querelle des femmes. Women writers were at the forefront of the battle for a reformation of women’s rights and more importantly, the nature and role of women in society. The negative view of women was tackled directly and indirectly through prose and poetry. In each literary work, women writers such as Pizan and Wollstonecraft signified women’s desire to be considered as equal of men. More importantly, such works pinpointed the wanting of women to be viewed as intellectuals who deserve the proper training and education that will allow them to pursue further personal growth and development. The pen served as the weapon of choice for women. Through the pen, women were able to prove that they were intellectually capable of rational thought. Through the pen, women were able to voice out their dislike for the manner by which men and society in general viewed their importance and role.

Retail industry of UK has been one of the most growing industries over Dissertation

Retail industry of UK has been one of the most growing industries over the years - Dissertation Example Introduction: 17 3.2. Research Purpose: 17 3.3. Research Strategy and Method: 18 3.4. Research Design: 19 3.5. Data Collection: 19 3.6. Methods and Tools used for Collecting Data: 20 3.7. Analysis Techniques: 20 3.8. Validity and Reliability of the Research: 25 3.9. Ethical Considerations: 26 3.10. Summary: 26 4. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 27 4.1. Introduction 27 4.2. Financial ratios 27 4.2.1. Profitability Ratios 28 4.2.2. Liquidity Ratios 39 4.2.3. Activity Ratios or Efficiency Ratios 47 4.2.4. Leverage Ratios 51 4.2.5. Market Ratios 57 5. CONCLUSION 63 5.1. Summary of the findings 63 5.2. Recommendations 65 5.3. Lessons learnt from the study 66 5.4. Limitations 67 5.5. Further research 67 1. introduction 1.1. Background Of The Study Retail industry of UK has been one of the most growing industries over the years, specifically the food retail industry. Because of recession, the overall world economy was not growing despite of that, food retail industry has been one of the industries wh ich reported considerable amount of growth. The food retail industry of UK has a long and solid history. During the fifties and sixties the concept of supermarkets and self service shops became popular; this has been marked as the starting of retail industry in the United Kingdom (Hamlett, Alexander, Bailey, & Shaw, 2008). Despite of the fact that the UK economy was going through recession, the overall sales of the industry had increased in 2009 as it reached a figure of over ?285billion. It has been estimated that this figure will further increase in the years to come. Also with the world economy and UK economy recovers itself from recession, retail industry would be one of the most beneficial industries as this would further increase the total revenue of the firms in the industry (The Scottish Government, 2010). By the end of 2010, the total retail units in the kingdom were approximately 286,000 (Arch, 2010). The food retail industry is an important industry for the UK economy as over the years it has been able to contribute a lot to GDP of the country. In addition to this, food retail industry is a significant one for United Kingdom economy as it has been able to consume considerable portion of the employment. According to a report, there are more than half a million people working in the industry representing almost 13% of the total workforce of United Kingdom. Food retail industry consumed more than 12,750 permanent jobs throughout 2010 which represents an annual growth of 2.1% in the jobs of food retail industry from the year 2009 (The Scottish Government, 2010). There has been an increasing trend of online shopping for people in the UK and this has attracted more people to start online businesses. There are more than 150,000 online retail businesses in United Kingdom and more than 600,000 people are employed because of e-retail industry either directly or indirectly. At present, the online retail business contributes only 7% of the total retail industry revenues (Experian Hitwise, 2008), however it has been predicted that the contribution from online business would further improve with the passage of time. The total sales of online retail industry equalled ?2.8 billion from December, 2009 to December, 2010 i.e. in a year the total sales of the industry was equal to ?2.8 billion (Internet Retailer, 2011). Tesco is the market leader in the UK food retail industry for years and it has been dominating the market with market share of almost 31% (Tesco, 2011). Tesco is