Thomas Becket

Describe the state of the church in Chaucer's middle ages. The king's immediate successors paid little attention to the issue of division of power between church and state. Richard the Lion-Hearted spent his reign in France and on the Third Crusade to recover Jerusalem, and John was a tyrant who spent much of his time overtaxing and angering his subjects. But from time to time, the issue of who would control the judicial system of England resurfaced and other differences between church and state arose. It was not until the rule of Henry VIII that the struggles between king and pope were resolved.Henry VIII settled the issue by separating England from the Catholic Church altogether. â€Å"Thomas Becket. † IJXL Biographies. Detroit: 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. 16. What is the Magana Carta? What historical impact did it have? The Magna Carta (a Latin phrase meaning â€Å"Great Paper† or â€Å"Great Charter†) was originally an English docum ent issued in 1215. An army led by English barons forced King John (1167-1216) to sign it. The purpose of he document was to clarify the king's power over the barons, the church, clergymen, and the free people of certain towns.

Behaviour in the Classroom Essay

Everybody shall: use properly and carefully the school facilities, classrooms, wood and metalwork, fittings, furniture and things made available to us, as well as ours and our teacher’s and class-mates’, at all times; and bring to class the material needed (coursebooks, hand-outs, homework done, white sheets of paper, a plastic folder and something to write with) and have it out on the desk, ready to start working, as soon as the teacher goes into the classroom. No other material shall be on or in the desk. If you forgot to bring in any of the things needed, you must ask someone to share hers with you before the teacher gets in. Those who aren’t ready and haven’t done their homework are given a written assignment and dismissed. If the majority haven’t done it, they will do it on their own and expect a question about it on the next exam. PARTICIPANTS will either – speak, when the teacher chairing the meeting asks to do so, after raising one’s hand up, doing it in a polite way (not judging -‘That is .. ‘-, but expressing personal reactions and reasons -‘I agree/disagree with that opinion because †¦ ‘-), in a low voice, without fear nor shame, to truly (not hiding one’s contradictions, handicaps and mistakes and getting rid of the masks and disguises) ask for clarification or say something that has to do with the matter dealt with (relevant) as clearly and briefly as possible, based on the notes taken while listening; – be silent (mouths closed), listening actively (ears open, eyes looking to the person speaking or the text read and with the mind focused on understanding what it is being said and, then, thinking further meanings of it like: Do I agree? What are the reasons that base it? Does it explain anything? What details and nuances should be taken into account? Can I think of an example? ) and taking notes on the interesting ideas said and on one’s own doubts, questions and visions; – be with one’s hand up and silently miming or gesturing the answer to a question made; or – nod to show agreement with the person speaking. In PAIR & GROUP work, voices shall lower & everybody will speak taking turns clockwise.

International Business Law 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Business Law 2 - Essay Example Hiring manpower from the Indian outsourcing company is permitted under the Contract Labor Act, 1970 (Majmudar & Co n.d., 4). Considering the strategy of Stone Technical Ltd, it can be assumed that the company can be regarded as a principal employer, because its business is not of an intermittent nature in respect of contracts (Majmudar & Co n.d., 4). If the Stone Technical Ltd will hire 20 or more contract workers, it is required to comply with the provisions of the Contract Labor Act (Majmudar & Co n.d., 4). As well it is necessary to take into consideration the fact that Indian law should govern the outsourcing contract; this measure will enable the client to restrain contractor in case of the breaching an outsourcing contract (Majmudar & Co n.d., 4). So as the Indian employee laws are considered to be relatively restrictive, Stone Technical Ltd need to be concerned about the employment rules relating to holidays, flexible working hours, etc. (Mohapatra n.d.). Privacy and data protection is a matter of concern in India because of the lack of a comprehensive legislation (Chawla 1, 2007). There is neither a specific statute for dealing with this legal issue nor a comprehensive data protection law (Eisenhauer 7, 2005). However, it is possible to derive the protection of privacy and data from different laws concerning the information technology, crimes, intellectual property and contractual relations (Chawla 1, 2007). Even though there is not enough stringent data protection laws in India in order to protect the Indian outsourcing market, there are some provisions in the Act 17 (Sinha 2009). Also the Indian government has enacted a set of electronic commerce regulations, known as the Information Technology Act 2000, which addresses breach of confidentiality provisions, hacking and damage to computer source code (Eisenhauer 7, 2005). For violation of data

Under the background of globalization, the impact of financial policy Essay

Under the background of globalization, the impact of financial policy on urbanization process - Essay Example ination of how much interest rates can be charged, and the budget that the government operates with as well as the labour market, the national ownership and more other sectors that the government provides intervention in the economy of that particular company. These policies are normally subjective of international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund or The World bank and also the political beliefs that are harboured as well as the policies that the parties that are affected have. Globalisation has many scopes and it brings out different meanings to different people who are In different academic disciplines where others look at it as economic capitalism while there is a group that perceives it as a way of coming up with a culture that has high breed characteristics. Generally, globalisation can be seen as the increase in the amount of interconnectedness that exists in the world and is escalated by the blitz of market capitalism that has taken place all over the world and the improvements in electronic communication and the technologies that are related to transport. The forms of urbanisation that exist in the post-globalisation era exhibit an increased growth and concentration of population in the cities that are larger and urban economic growth has progressively contributed by services sectors, deteriorating share of industrial sector and greater labour output. Largely, the growth consequences of these relative analyses suggest a need for going on with econo mic globalisation and for a national methodology for the improvement of large cities (Narayana, 2010, p. 91-116). Agglomerations in the services which is normally measured by the specialisation index of the region multiplied by the size in the financial intermediation has normally been seen as having a positive impact on the growth and this kind of results can have implications that are particular for urban regions since financial intermediation mainly exists in the areas that are

Supreme Court Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Supreme Court - Assignment Example Relying on the letter of the amendments would therefore be retrogressive and be a threat to justice in the contemporary environment (Exploring Constitutional Conflicts, n.d.). Opinion that the constitution is an outline of regulations from which actual rules should be derived is another justification of the non-originalist perspective to interpretation of the constitution, is valid because of the diverse needs that cannot be outlined and provided for in a legal document, and validates non-originalist theory. Existence of minor variations in phenomena explains this (Schults, 2009). In addition, the legal system allows for independence in judicial decisions if facts of a case justify such independence. Applications of case laws, distinguishing precedents in particular and especially based on difference in facts to a case, explains the need for relativism in interpretation of laws. Based on this acceptable practice in the judicial system, and variation in facts on cases, it becomes a ne cessity for interpretation of the constitution to consider the changes (Antoine, 2008). Interpretation of the second amendment is actually a good example because the current environment, with security personnel, undermines needs for arms as provided for by the amendment. The position for a non-originalist perspective is therefore rational and reliant on contemporary facts. Exploring Constitutional Conflicts. (n.d.). Theories of constitutional interpretation. University of Missouri-Kansas City. Retrieved from:

What does it mean to say a school is doing well Essay

What does it mean to say a school is doing well - Essay Example The awareness and importance of laws and regulations to be followed can only be developed in the early learning phases; hence, it is unjustified to ignore these important areas in the core policy making of educational systems (Eisner 2001). The rationalization of education system is the concept, which according to the research and my personal opinion, forms the basis of a powerful and knowledgeable future generation. The rationalization approach mainly focuses on the consequences of any educational activity. The future or goal oriented approach to education is simply a move towards a better learning environment and future outcomes. The use of the standard educational system cannot be classified as completely irrelevant to the future development or useless but the rationalized system obviously tends to be more fruitful. The goal oriented approach to education leads to a better system where education is seen as a ways of achieving goals. The schools need to be provided with clear under standing of what is expected of them rather than what is expected of the students in the future. The clear indication of the outcomes of the system, policies and instructions simply direct a person, an institution or a system towards a known goal. The achievement of those goals also motivates the people involved and help in maintaining the pace of achievements in the future. The rationalization approach is not a generalized assumption of achieving goals, but it rather provides a target-setting approach which helps in the measurement of the outcomes achieved (Eisner 2006). The targets in the educational system need to be realistic and measurable. However, the...Nowadays, the educational systems are criticized for the lack of coherency, completeness and measurability of the outcomes. This paper aims to support a reform in terms of educational systems and supports the rationalization of educational system to increase the credibility of the learnt concepts and their practical advantages being enjoyed by the larger society. It would revolve around the basic concepts that a school really requires so that it can be said that it is going well (Eisner 2001; Karen 2006). The educational systems are basically aimed at providing conceptual and theoretical knowledge to the students. These students are hence, equipped with theories, knowledge and power to use that knowledge. But this only what we expect of the educational environments and systems. The reality, however, is sometimes different. The lack of supervision on the students and the educational institutes give rise to newer and more complex problems. The students are often found to be guilty of breaking the rules of the school like rules on plagiarism, attendance, assignment submission, copying, bribery and so on. Those these appear to be a few general issues yet the implications of these issues are devastating. The recommendations of standardized testing and rationality should be analyzed as they do not form a part of the performance of school.

Organ Donation in USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organ Donation in USA - Essay Example Advanced countries have managed to create a balance between deceased and living organ donation while developing countries are accused of practices such as transplant tourism and organ commercialization leading to ineffective organ transplant practices. As such, the paper proposes tax policy implementation in order to address the issues facing the organ transplant practice in an effective manner globally. As replacement human kidneys was initialized in more than the past six decades, particularly the introduction of deceased-donation systems in the U.S. the Western model associated with organ donation is heavily linked to unpaid giving. This form of donation takes place due to altruistic reasons. This means that the donor of an organ does not do so to realize material gain. Since organ transplantation has spread to different parts of the world, the unpaid donation model has not followed the different social, medical, and legal settings. Nevertheless, in the past 25 years, professional and intergovernmental organizations have come forth to make organ donation a global ethical norm. Since this practice remains tenuous, the gains made to safeguard the interests of susceptible, desperate organ sellers from exploitation may be lost easily (Capron, 2014). Presently, organ transplantation is carried in more than 100 countries globally, although the rate at which it is carried out varies tremendously. In 2011, for instance, approximately 112,631 organ transplants were reported worldwide, an 11.6 percent from 2008, after the adoption of the Istanbul declaration targeting transplant tourism and organ transplant. Deceased organ replacement grew by more than 5.5 percent annually during this period. As such, World Health Organization (WHO) proposed that the organ transplantation practice should be implemented to its utmost therapeutic potential. Here, living donors are essential, particularly if they are legally,

Thinking about cover, then and now Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thinking about cover, then and now - Assignment Example Conflicts between Coulton and Glee based on baaed on the arrangement of ‘Baby Got Back’. Both Glee and Coulton were not original song writer but it was a cover of a cover as Glee covering Jonathan Coulton covering Sir Mixalot. Sir Mixalot’s arrangement are different from Coulton covering and uniquely Colton’s. When Glee covered the song, it became obvious to Coulton and supported the origin of the arrangement as it was quite similar as Glee covering incorporated Colton’s line Johnny C’s in trouble’ while in Mixalot’s original song had, ‘Mix-A-Lot‘s in trouble and line was dropped by FOX in Glee performance. As the cover song was aired and sold in iTunes, it dealt Coulton a blow finically as Glee was given unethical and uncredited exposure by FOX as TV shows had stolen from Coulton. It is quite evident that legally Glee was right but ethically wrong by ripping from where he had not sowed. Even though, the work was not Coulton, he had to be credited when Glee took his arrangement based on ‘Baby Got Back† as he interpreted and created the song. Glee ought to have paid royalties as he earned from covering which would not be possible without the work of other artist. Another unethical covering is taking place in YouTube with over 40000 people having covered ‘Rolling in the Deep’, 6000 covering, ‘Somebody That I Used to Know and 11000 covering, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ driven by non-commercial benefits being done out of love by fans of original songs hence no negative on market value of original but is a creativity criminalized as it done without synchronization license. Other examples of cover are those bought from Tom Waist’s Orphan Collection including such covers exposing his lounge as a singer from a different planet. ‘Sea of Love’ from Robert Plant’s Honey-drippers being covered by over billion people with Waist’s weird take but interesting. Alabama 3 album has also covered ‘Hotel

Mice and Men and Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Mice and Men and Great Expectations Essay Of Mice and Men and Great Expectations, have many similarities. They both show the way certain characters are treated by society. These similarities may be strong but there are natural differences that come from the different times and places the stories are set in.-as well as the way the authors approach the topic.  Steinbeck begins Of Mice and Men by creating a tranquil scene where everything is seemingly at peace. Steinbeck creates with words images of paradise such as when he writes: A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hill-side bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool. A river, which is said to run deep, is calm and slow moving. Its water is clear too, twinkling over yellow sands, it has warm water too and seems perfect-almost too good to be true. Inevitably it is. Of Mice and men is set in the 1930s during Americas great depression. After the stock exchange crashed in New York, money and jobs became hard to find. There was poverty all over America and California, which affected everything. Like the American dream, paradise can only exist with money. Therefore only the wealthy can enjoy this and even then it is spoilt by the poverty surrounding it. The American Dream is a paradox, just like the paradise of Salinas River. They cannot exist because they contradict themselves. Paradise is bliss but how can this exist with so much poverty and suffering in the world? The Salinas River seems briefly to have escaped the paradox. There is no sign of poverty, just peace and tranquillity. Then human life enters the scene. Human life is introduced when a path is described; There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the highway. Its the point that the track has been beaten hard that really emphasises what effect humans have had on the river. Other animals leave tracks that are temporary and blend into the scene. Humans have left their path permanently, like a scar it proves that not even the Salinas River can reach paradise. But it is not the only scar, In front of the low horizontal limb of a giant sycamore there is an ash pile made by many fires; the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it. Two more scars. The introduction of humans into the scene sees the end of the animal life in the scene. As the humans approach all the wildlife is scared of and the area is completely deserted. For a moment the place was lifeless. The peace is broken and with it any chance of the Salinas River truly becoming paradise.  The story is set in California where few people owned land. They had either lost it due to the financial problems the depression caused or were just too poor to afford any in the first place. The people needed to find work; one of the most common jobs was to work on a farm. These people became known as migrant farmers. They would drift from one farm to the next, rarely settling for long. The two characters that enter the scene are migrant farmers and are looking for work. This is the first introduction of human life into the scene. Great Expectations is set in Victorian England, where just like in 1930s California, the rich thrived and the poor suffered terribly. Even more distressing perhaps was the disease that swept through towns and killed many children as well as adults. This led to an increase in orphans, who have the same feelings of being alone and poor. They have the same problems as many others and werent much better off than the criminals in jail. Criminals were treated like animals, as were the poor community as a whole. Just like during the dust bowl, if you werent rich then you were a social outcast. After introducing the character Pip, Dickens begins describing his surroundings. Dickens goes into great detail to set the scene. He describes the area as Marsh Country which stretches for twenty miles up to the coast. Pip is in a secluded graveyard overgrown and derelict. Beyond the graveyard is a dark flat wilderness, Intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes. It is a raw afternoon towards the evening. The setting is dark and there is a sense of evil and death about the place. It seems to be building upto something sinister, and does so when the criminal enters the scene. He is described as a fearful man, in all course grey with an iron on his leg. He almost represents death in this scene, an evil presence trying to seize Pip.

Promote Professional Development Essay Example for Free

Promote Professional Development Essay Principles * Professional development deepens and broadens knowledge of content. Knowledge of a common core of content—which we deï ¬ ne as including the â€Å"various ways of knowing† that are intrinsic to each discipline—allows us to communicate, to work together toward common ends, to function as a cohesive democratic society, and to ï ¬ nd shared ground on which to build tolerance for our differences. * Professional development provides a strong foundation in teaching. * Professional development develops an understanding of: 1. The most useful ways of representing ideas 2. The most powerful illustrations and analogies for representing a concept 3. It makes learning speciï ¬ c things in a content area easy or difï ¬ cult; 4. It bring kinds of questions that help to reveal and develop understanding 5. It is the most effective strategies to address the misconceptions that commonly arise with regard to particular content at particular developmental levels, given with speciï ¬ c background experiences and prior knowledge. see more:what are the components of a personal development plan * Professional development provides knowledge about the teaching and learning processes. 1. Creates and maintains appropriate, orderly teaching and learning environments 2. It brings any assessment issues and clears any misunderstanding. * Professional development contributes to measurable improvement in one’s achievement. * Professional development is intellectually engaging and addresses the complexity of one’s job role. * Professional development is job-embedded and site speciï ¬ c that helps in the day to day growth of one’s knowledge and skills. * Importance: It is a tool for self-management of your development. It can provide a framework to support your development in a number of different ways. Fundamentally, its a question of regularly setting yourself objectives for development and then charting your progress towards achieving them. Its about being clear where you are, where you want to be, how you plan to get there, and how this meets current and future business needs and it is about a continuing process of reflecting on your learning and your experience to maximise its value. There is an expectation that regulators will be life-long learners in order to keep their professional skills, knowledge and experience up to date in an ever changing legislative, social and economic environment, and to ensure positive development through the right experience, and by getting the most (in terms of learning) from that experience. As a professional, you have a responsibility to keep your skills and knowledge up to date. It helps many of us already to externally verify our accreditation. Reflective learning provides a positive opportunity to identify and achieve your own career objectives. Reflecting on past experience and planning for the future in this way makes your development more methodical, and helps you to assess, and get the most from your learning. Potential Barriers to professional development: * Time Time is a crucial factor in personal growth and development, and many individuals lack enough of it. Between work responsibilities, childcare issues and just trying to survive on a day-to-day basis, you may find yourself lacking the hours necessary to devote to your own goals. * Attitude A negative attitude is a major factor in this area. If you start out with the belief that positive development is unlikely to occur, then no matter how hard you work on it, your belief will sabotage any efforts you may make. * Family Family also can be a hindrance when it comes to personal growth. Often, individuals are entrenched with ideas from their families about how much someone can develop as a person, so they dont seek to move past these set levels. * Peers Peers also can complicate our efforts to improve ourselves. Peers often try to sabotage our goals, either consciously or unconsciously. They degrade our efforts toward growth because those efforts remind them of the growth they could be pursuing, but have chosen to forgo. * Motivation Lack of motivation can be an enormous barrier to personal development. Without motivation, you have little energy to accomplish tasks leading to growth. With the right amount of motivation, however, those tasks can seem easy, and even enjoyable, to accomplish. * Money Personal growth does not have to take a great deal of money to accomplish, but depending on your goals, a lack of it can stall your efforts. Materials to learn about new topics and ways of living often cost money, but they are an investment in you. * Failure to Plan Lack of proper planning and preparation can lead to haphazard attempts to fulfil goals a recipe for wasted energy and efforts. If you are trying to break a habit, start a new career or glean insights into your thought processes, be sure to have at least a rudimentary plan to reach these goals. * Distractions Distractions, whether in the form of minor demands or activities that offers immediate gratification, can be counted on to undermine your efforts toward personal growth. * Perseverance Finally, when trying to reach personal goals, we often forget that perseverance is a key. Dont expect to achieve your dreams overnight. Overcoming obstacles consistently is the only way to become the individual you want to be. Different sources and systems of support for professional development The following are the different sources and systems of support for professional development * Inductions given for new staff. These includes giving information regarding the policies and procedures, what the company expect from them, their rights, etc. (copy of 24 hour induction form attached) * Appraisals The Annual Staff Appraisal scheme is based on objective setting in all aspects of an individual’s job, based on the contributions that they make. The review period will cover the previous 12 calendar months * Development plans A Professional Development Plan (PDP) is a short planning document that examines an individual’s current CPD needs, looks at how these might be met and lists objectives for the future. It helps the individual to structure and focus one’s training needs and should address the following points: Where am I now? Where am I going? How am I going to get there? In producing a PDP, one should: Consider once current job and the skills they need to do it competently. What changes are likely to occur in the next few years? The individual should list both short and long-term ambitions. Be realistic about their ambitions and the time needed to achieve them. Think about the areas in which they will need to target the CPD to achieve their ambitions – be realistic and prioritise. A PDP is not a request for unlimited training. Their employer will be interested in the business case for their PDP. Look to the future; don’t restrict one’s self to thinking about current professional responsibilities. Should they strengthen existing skills or develop new ones? List their priorities for the next two years. These will form the basis for deciding what CPD opportunities to take up. It is important to remember that their priorities are not cast in stone; they may decide to change them in the future. They should review and update their PDP regularly to respond to changing needs, challenges and opportunities. * Shadowing – when an individual require more supervision to ensure the quality of their job and provide teaching how do we expect them to work. * in-house training – providing all the in house training will make an individual feel that they are valued and this help them to practice in a safe way. * Training organisations – using other training organisations helps build relationship outside and helps with building competence in dealing with other individual. * Mentoring is providing support and encouragement to individual to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be. * Supervisions is one of the most important drivers in ensuring positive outcomes * Reflective Practice Reflective practice is a way of studying your own experiences to improve the way you work. It is very useful for health professionals who want to carry on learning throughout their lives. The act of reflection is a great way to increase confidence and become a more proactive and qualified professional. Engaging in reflective practice should help to improve the quality of care you give and close the gap between theory and practice. The following examples of reflective practice which will provide some idea of the various methods one can choose from. Gibbs reflective cycle Gibbs reflective cycle is a process involving six steps: * Description What happened? * Feelings What did you think and feel about it? * Evaluation What were the positives and negatives? * Analysis What sense can you make of it? * Conclusion What else could you have done? * Action Plan What will you do next time? It is a cycle because the action you take in the final stage will feed back into the first stage, beginning the process again. Johns model for structured reflection This is a series of questions to help one think through what has happened. They can read the questions here This can be used as a guide for analysing a critical incident or for general reflection on experiences. John’s model supports the need for the learner to work with a supervisor throughout the experience. He also recommends that the student use a structured diary. He suggests the student should ‘look in on the situation’, which would include focusing on yourself and paying attention to your thoughts and emotions. He then advises to ‘look out of the situation’ and write a description of the situation around your thoughts and feelings, what you are trying to achieve, why you responded in the way you did, how others were feeling, did you act in the best way, ethical concepts etc Rolfe’s framework for reflective practice Rolfe uses three simple questions to reflect on a situation: What? so what? and now what? He considers the final question as the one that can make the greatest contribution to practice. * What is the problem? was my role? happened? were the consequences? * So what was going through my mind? should I have done? do I know about what happened now? * Now what do I need to do? broader issues have been raised? might happen now? Factors to consider when selecting opportunities and activities for keeping knowledge and practice up to date * Relevance -It has to be relevant to the job role. * Time The length of the activity should be consider/ or how long will it take for you to finish the training or course. Sometimes you can get bored and loose the motivation because it is dragging to your job role or to your other responsibilities. * Benefits – It has to benefit the company, yourself, other staff and most especially people receiving your service. * Benefits for you: 1. enhanced reputation and job satisfaction 2. increased confidence and self esteem 3. improved career prospects and employability 4. improved professional status 5. Development is a transferable skill. * Benefits for your other staff: 1. better quality training 2. up-to-date advice and information 3. training that employs new approaches and methods 4. training that better meets needs 5. Greater confidence in the training provided for your organisation. * Benefits to the people who receives service: 1. enhanced reputation more likely to be seen as credible and reliable and to become a trusted organisation in care 2. more influence from the MDT’s 3. Family and friend of the people who uses services can be good ally and so as the service user 4. A more exciting learning environment and opportunities to learn from each other. (MDT’s) * Benefits to the organisation: 1. staff who can do the job 2. more likely to achieve evolving organisational goals 3. managers can be confident that staff skill levels are compliant and up-to-date with requirements 4. improved employee engagement 5. enhanced external reputation * Refresher course to be available – This help you update if there is a refresher course available for some of the trainings you take. * Cost – cost of the training usually is an issue especially if the training budget should be distributed amongst staff. Check for charity organisations who provide courses and take the opportunity to take it as long as it is related to your job role * Availability – it is difficult when the training you like to do is not available straight away and you will need to wait for it to be available. This can be frustrating at times and hinders the development plan. Beyond these factors it is good to get a balance of learning across: * Maintenance and development needs What you need to keep refreshed and up-to-date against what will be new areas of learning for you. * Specialist subjects and training skills/knowledge If you train in a particular subject area you will need to maintain you technical abilities and knowledge, as well as developing your skills and knowledge as a trainer. * Performance requirements and personal aspirations As well as the learning you have to undertake for your job and professional requirements, you may also have personal aspirations or long terms plan you want to prepare for. * Different learning methods Even if you have a preferred learning style it is important to involve yourself in a range of different approaches. Challenge your preferences sometimes – maybe opting for a highly participative learning activity, even though you would normally choose to learn through researching or reading – and develop your other styles in doing so. Continuing professional development (CPD) is the action we take to maintain, update and grow the knowledge and skills required for our professional role. As the name suggests, it is an on-going commitment, lasting for as long as we remain within our profession. There are many reasons why we are motivated to learn new things. The fact that we are in this profession suggests that we are already enthusiastic learners. CPD requires us to focus a part of our learning specifically on areas that are related to our profession. One of the key features of CPD is that it has to be: SMARTSpecific – be clear about what you want to achieve; what is the actual result or outcome that you want?Measurable – how will you know that you have achieved? What will you see, hear and feel that will tell you that you have achieved?Achievable – the objectives in your plan should be realistic and achievable steps to take you closer to your overall ambitions.Relevant – your objectives should be steps to larger career and personal aspirations, not just random pieces of learning.Time-bound – each outcome should have an achievable end-date – ideally within the timescale of your CPD planning period.|

A strategic analysis of Estee Lauder

A strategic analysis of Estee Lauder In the world of business today, where competition is one of the major challenges that every organisation is facing, the need for strategic planning and analysis arises. These are essential for the survival of an organisation as well as determining the direction in which an enterprise is going in relation to its environment in order to achieve a competitive advantage by formulating a competitive strategy. It is important that an organisation grabs every opportunity that is coming along its way, and responds to any risks and limitations presented by the external environment. In order for an organisation to make and take correct decisions, it requires an understanding and knowledge about the impact the environment can have on the organisation. This is strategic management. It is therefore important not only to look at what is best for the organisation, but also to take the needs of shareholders into consideration. For effective strategic management, it is important to have a strategic analysis. The reason for an analysis is because; the issues that are being analysed are often quite complex even if there may be enough information available Fleisher. C Bensoussan .B (2002). This study is organised as follows; Chapter two defines important terms which will help in the further understanding of this study. Chapter three introduces the company Estee Lauder. Chapter four evaluates the strategic analysis of Estee Lauder by looking at techniques, models and processes, and chapter five concludes. Chapter 2 Strategic Analysis This is where a strategy is formulated by carrying out a research on the organisation and the business environment in which the organisation operates (BNET Business Dictionary.) However, Professor Les Worrall defined it as,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a theoretically informed understanding of the environment in which an organisation is operating, together with an understanding of the organisations interaction with its environment in order to improve organisational efficiency and effectiveness by increasing the organisations capacity to deploy and redeploy its resources intelligently. 2.1 Strategic model Managers must take in to account three major factors when strategic decisions are made; The shareholders expectations and objectives it is important that organisations are clear about their long-term objectives. However, due to factors that an organisation does not have any control over may influence the organisation to change its objectives, thus conflicting with the shareholders. Therefore, management must know how to reconcile the shareholders expectations while setting the objectives of the organisation. Available resources for an organisation to achieve its objective Depending on the strengths and weaknesses of organisations resources, the firm can pursue its strategies. However, these may change with the prevailing environment. Total environment within which the organisation operates Forecasting what the future may bring is a difficulty that managers face, because the environment is uncertain. This factor also has an influence on what strategy can be pursued. Taking each of the above three factors into consideration is known as strategic analysis. 2.2 Aim of strategic analysis It understands an organisations strategic position. Strategic analysis forms a view of the key influences on the present and future well-being of the organisation and what opportunities are afforded by the environment and the competencies of the organisation Baily. P, Farmer. D, Jessop. D, Jones. D (2005). 2.3 Importance of strategic analysis. Strategic analysis is important in providing an organisation with meaningful insights and with a clear framework so as to prepare itself for change. Its importance lies in evaluating patterns and trends for the organisation. It is also important in the identification and assessment of the opportunities available to the organisation Fleisher. C Bensoussan .B (2002). It also helps the organisation understand its strategic position by providing information such as; what is happening in the business environment and industry, and what competencies should be developed so as to stay competitive. It gives the description of strategic goals and the firms business strategy. Strategic analysis also leads to goals that are clear and relevant, helps in the taking of decisions with better quality, and provides a secure future by preparing the organisation with what may happen in the future. Strategic management This is a process of making and implementing strategic decisions. The organisation must also analyse the competencies already present in the organisation. These competencies help in formulating strategies. The process should consist of the following elements; The analysis of a strategy- Understanding the changes going on in the environment in which the organisation exits, and how these affect the organisation, its activities, its strength of resources and the expectation of stake holders, also analysing competitor strategies through assumptions, focusing on weaknesses and threats. The choice of strategy- This is concerned with all the possible causes of action which may be taken. Eliminating out many other strategies chosen, and putting in order of importance. An evaluation of each of the causes identified- The selection of those which the organisation must attempt to follow, and therefore discuss at length the strategies short-listed. Implementation of selected planned strategy- This is turned into an effective caused action. Discuss on implementing, but not actual implementation. 2.4 Importance of strategic management It is a planned process that needs to be followed Its considers the future and anticipates what it could bring It increases organisational growth as it brings in opportunities It also looks at the threats the external environment may poses and works on how to get rid or manage these Helps companies remain stable by foreseeing what the future may bring. Chapter 3 3.1 An Organization is a consciously coordinated social entity, with a relatively identifiable boundary, that functions on a relatively conscious basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals. Richard, (2002) Estee Lauder was founded in 1946. It is a globally recognised company, whose headquarter is in New York, but is in over 140 countries. It manufactures and markets hair care products, fragrances, skin care and makeup. The company has 29 brands, some of which are; Estee Lauder, Clinique, M.A.C, Aramis, Bobbi Brown, Darphin and many more. Estee Lauder is technologically advanced and has a reputation for innovation, superior quality and sophistication. 3.2 Estee Lauders Strategy Koontz and ODonnell describes strategy as a decision about how to use available resources to secure a major objective in the face of possible obstructionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.such as competitors, public opinion, legal status, taboos and similar forces. Their strategy is to build a diversified business base, which they believe will strongly boost up their growth globally. Their focus is to remain a distinguished leader in the global prestige cosmetics. Their three essential growth strategies are: Their geographic presence should be expanded and strengthened Their product categories should also be strengthened Their channels of distribution should also be strengthened and diversifiable. 3.3 Vision Mission A companys mission and vision is for its employees and customers. The Mission defines and reflects the company, its core purposes, its values and principles. The vision however, provides an image of the future. The Vision Statement of Estee Lauder: Bringing the best to everyone we touch. By The best, we mean the best products, the best people and the best ideas. These three pillars have been the hallmarks of our Company since it was founded by Mrs. Estee Lauder in 1946. They remain the foundation upon which we continue to build our success today. 3.4 Objectives They are energetic, innovative and first for customers Power endeavour to do our very best and enhance the companys leadership throughout the world Building strong global brands through innovative delivery of products and increase revenues Look after our people so they can look after our customers Understand customers better than anyone and Use our strengths to deliver unbeatable value to our customers Business relationships Through distribution channels, reaching the customers globally Trust and respect each other 3.5 Scope According to Mintzberg and Quinn there are five definitions of strategy: Strategy as a plan Strategy as a pattern Strategy as a position Strategy as a perspective Strategy as a ploy Estee Lauder adopted: Plan Estee Lauder has good planning and they strongly believe all their success is all because of its planning. Perspective Estee Lauders perspective was to increase its company growth globally by 2008. This was achieved mainly because of the international business, mainly from emerging markets such as China and India. Chapter 4 4 Estee Lauders External environment analysis 4.1 PESTEL Analysis for Estee Lauder: PESTEL analysis  is the external analysis of the different macro-environmental factors that a business must consider. Kotler (1998)The PEST analysis is a useful tool for understanding the position, potential and direction for a business as well as the market growth or decline. The radical and ongoing changes occurring in society create an uncertain environment and have an impact on the function of the whole organization Tsiakkiros, (2002). Hence the analysis of the macro-environment is very important to identify factors which could affect various variables and arrangements within the organisation. Macro-environmental analysis assist Estee Lauder management to increase its attentiveness of appropriate environmental changes thus improve strategic planning by enriching its industrial and market analysis. The PESTEL analysis in addition to Porters Five Force model and SWOT can be applied by an organization to review its strategic direction. These have been discussed below. Political factors The political environment within which an organisation exists has far reaching consequences. The political environment most obviously operates at National level, but may also be significant at local and international levels. Estee Lauder gives direction to countries through the way they exert control over the economy. Estee Lauder should not only be cognisant with the politics of a country, but also with the media, industry and labour leaders. The following political factors can affect the business environment: Level of government involvement in business Stability Liberalisation Taxation Co-operation and integration, e.g. EU Economical factors This is concerned with the nature and direction of the economy in which a firm operates. Estee Lauder looks at the interplay of market forces that dictate the state of the economy and implications on both commercial and non-commercial organisations. Prices vary from brand to brand and product to product, but these are usually in the higher ranges of an industry. The factors include: Exchange rates Interest rates Spending power Inflation and employment Socio, Cultural Factors The socio cultural influences on businesses vary internationally. These affect a societys basic values, perceptions, preferences and behaviours. It is vital that such factors are considered if an organization wants to achieve its proposed objectives. Factors include: The dominance of the religion Education and belief The impact of language upon the diffusion of products onto markets When do customers have time for shopping The roles of men and women within society and depending upon that the products should be launched Estee Lauder has received customer complaints regarding the fact that new products are being tested on animals first. They have to look into this matter as it can pose serious issues with the customers. Technological factors More and more businesses are affected by technology. Technological factors affect the operations of the firm since technological changes serve to avoid obsolesce and to promote innovation of relevant techniques in the industry. Estee Lauder has rapid technological changes in its products, and these products can be accessed online via the internet. Some technological factors are: IT rapid growth Innovation Government spending on research New discoveries and developments R D expenditure Product life cycle Environmental Factors These factors are also known as the Natural factors. These factors help Estee Lauder in showing strategic doubts and their worth in the predicting and planning processes using environmental aspects. There have been emissions of harmful gases and fluorocarbons, which Estee Lauder must take care of as it is and environmental threat. Its increases the significance of the following factors: Shortage of raw material Increased pollution Increased governmental intervention Legal Factors Estee Lauder functions within a structure of Government regulations and legislations. These laws and regulations should be considered when running businesses: Labour laws and industrial relations Municipal licenses Formation Taxation Competition Copyright and patent laws Minimum wages laws and Employment law Demographic Factors These factors may also exist under the macro-environmental factors. Following factors must are considered with regard to the key Demographic trends by Estee Lauder: World population growth Changing household Geographic population shifts Better-educated, more white-collar workforce Increasing Diversity Changing age structure Population consists of generational groups. Distinct segments typically exist within these generational groups. 4.2 Porters Five Force Model This model evaluates a companys competitive position. Any business works to develop an edge over its rival firms. This model helps in the understanding of the industry context in which Estee Lauder operates. Below is a diagrammatical representation of the model. http://www.maxi-pedia.com/Five+Forces+model+by+Michael+Porter Barriers to entry This is low in the case of Estee Lauder as it has made its position pretty strong and hence new entrants will not pose a threat to it as it will be difficult for these to enter into the market as the barriers are pretty high. They also have good access to their distribution channels and the correct knowledge of the segments they are operating in. Substitutes This is also low in the case of Estee Lauder. Customers have built a customer loyalty. Estee Lauder also provides the best quality products whose performance is to the mark as is the name, therefore threat of substitutes will be low. Bargaining power of suppliers The suppliers would have a low bargaining power as Estee Lauder is a huge brand and the volume of goods required from the suppliers around the world is also huge. There would be very many suppliers willing to supply such a company, hence it is important for the suppliers to provide the company with what they require and something that is unique from its competitors. Bargaining power of buyers This is high as buyers can easily switch to other big brands as the number of these brands present in the market segment is high. However, due to customer loyalty to the brand, it does not face much of this as it provides its buyers with what they want and how they want it. Competitive Rivalry This is high in the case of Estee Lauder. Its major competitors are; Avon, LOreal, PG, Max Factor, Revlon, etc. Estee Lauder therefore needs to have constant innovation of its products so as to stay ahead of competition. There are various brands under the company, therefore, it is important that the range of price is good and they can differentiate their products well without customers facing high switching costs. Estee Lauder created the line designed for men in 1976. It was called skin supplies for men (Estee Lauder 2003a). Avon, Max Factor and Revlon did not have men lines. 4.3 SWOT analysis for Estee Lauder A SWOT analysis is important as a clear basis is provided to examine the performance of a business. It is also very important for the products a company offer, as it is essential in the branding and marketing of the company products. This model helps in the understanding of the firm and its surroundings. Internal Strengths Weaknesses Strong brand name Research and development focus Strong distribution network Robust revenue and profit growth sales Weak liquidity position Customer concentration Weak performance in a few markets External Opportunities Threats Demographic trends in the United States Cosmetics markets in emerging nations Growing riches- Rich getting wealthier Counterfeit products Intense competition Increasing regulations Strengths The brand name, Estee Lauder itself is a strength. The name is linked to quality and luxury. The company is also a global licensee for other big brands like; Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karen, etc. Estee Lauder leads in each market segment in the industry as it develops new products, redesigns existing ones and identifies and considers consumer preferences. It has a large network of retail. This therefore increases the market penetration opportunities and creates closeness to target customers. It has a strong management strategic perspective, and is also having a great growth. It also has various innovations such as; offering shopping via the internet (it was the first major cosmetic firm to have offered shopping via the internet.) Weaknesses The company bargaining power could be lowered by it concentrating on a single biggest client. They also have a poor cost structure in some areas, hence a decline in the performance of sales in certain regions. The company could be exposed to the debt market due to low liquidity levels, and this could thus affect the company growth. It is the Family members that have most of the power over the company. The companys organisational structure is not easily distinguished. In America, there are particularly lower sales in the fragrance category. Opportunities Estee Lauder targets aged people and therefore makes products to suit these people. Its revenues could be boosted by having a strong and great presence in its segments, thus also increasing growth. The cosmetics markets are doing good in emerging markets like India and China, as there are many beauty contests that take place. This cosmetics market is growing due to younger and middle aged women that are being more style conscious. Estee Lauder is also well positioned in these emerging markets. There is also a demand in the luxury goods. More money is spent on these goods. Therefore, the needs of these wealthy people are also taken into consideration, and products made to meet their needs and wants. Threats Many fake products are being sold, thus affecting Estee Lauders sales. This can lead to the company losing its exclusivity of the brand. This could thus harm the image of the company. Customers may also be dissatisfied with these products as the fake product may harm them, thus the company would lose out on customers. Many big brands such as; Revlon, LOreal, would increase competition in the market. The government may also impose certain rules and regulations on the products saying that the product has high levels of chemicals which are harmful to people. This may thus lead to an increase in the cost of developing the products and also in the launching of the products. Chapter 5 Conclusion Businesses are different in many ways; therefore every organisation needs to have a business plan, which needs to be reviewed in order to keep it up to date. The plan at Estee Lauder is articulated by corporate leaders, who give the organisation direction, so as to avoid a strategic drift. They create a vision of a possible future that allows both the managers and others to see clearly the direction to take, building upon the companys current capacity and strength. To gain competitive edge and analyze the external environment, Estee Lauder could further use the Value chain, BCG growth model and scenario analysis for its strategic analysis. Recommended strategies that Estee Lauder could use are; Forward, backward, horizontal integration, product and market development, market penetration and more diversification. Estee Lauder took the approach of providing great customer service, great quality and staff ownership, hence making it different from the rest. References Advanced Diploma in Business Administration Corporate strategy Syllabus. Baily. P, Farmer. D, Jessop. D, Jones. D (2005). Purchasing Principles and Management. Pearson Education. FT Prentice Hall. Fleisher. C Bensoussan .B (2002). Strategic and competitive analysis: Methods and techniques for analysing business competition (Prentice Hall, 2002) Johnson and Scholes . Exploring Corporate Strategy (Prentice Hall, 1999) Richard H.(2002) Organizations. 8th Edition. India: Prentice Hall India. p.189 GLL Brochure and Guide book Web references http://www.auburn.edu/~boultwr/html/strategic_analysis_model.htm (accessed on 21th November 2010). http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/Strategic+Analysis.html (accessed on 21th November 2010). http://www.maxi-pedia.com/Five+Forces+model+by+Michael+Porter(accessed on 21th November 2010). http://www.fragrancewholesale.com/somhisbacofe.html (accessed on 23th November 2010). http://hubpages.com/hub/Importance-of-Strategic-Management (accessed on 23th Novenber 2010) http://www.toponereport.com/why-you-need-a-swot-analysis/ (accessed on 23th November 2010). http://www.is4profit.com/business-advice/business-/swot-analysis.html?gclid=CNWztveJvaUCFUUe4QodhWttXw (accessed on 24th November 2010). http://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com/estee-lauder-executive-summary (accessed on 24th November 2010). http://www.fragrancewholesale.com/somhisbacofe.html (accessed on 24th November 2010). http://www.elcompanies.com/the_company/executive_messages.php(accessed on 25th November 2010). http://www.netmba.com/strategy/pest/(accessed on 25th November 2010). http://www.slideshare.net/guest78d8ca/sm-case-jisha-remya2 (accessed on 25th November 2010).

American Hegemony in the Twenty-First Century: Consensus and Legitimac

American Hegemony in the Twenty-First Century: Consensus and Legitimacy Abstract: Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been the world’s only unquestioned superpower. How the United States evaluates its position as global hegemon has important consequences for American foreign policy, particularly with regards to the potential for future policy constraints. Thus, this paper seeks to consider the question: How durable is American hegemony? The paper first defines the state of American hegemony and then considers the primary challengers: Europe, Russia, China, Japan and imperial overstretch. It will conclude that in the long-term, East Asian geopolitical instability poses the greatest threat to American hegemony, but that in the short-term, the hegemony will prove to be quite durable as long as the United States can counteract the phenomenon of imperial overstretch. In order to diffuse both internal and international threats to hegemony, American leaders should work to pursue national interests within a framework of consensus an d legitimacy as much as possible. American Hegemony in the Twenty-First Century: Preserving the Status Quo by Fostering Consensus I. Introduction: Why Hegemony Matters The Soviet Union’s collapse at the end of the Cold War left the United States without its major global rival. Now alone at the top, the United States’ strategic imperatives have shifted remarkably. The shift has been significant enough to prompt fundamental questions about the international order and whether this new â€Å"unipolar moment† will last. Indeed, since 1989, political scientists have clamored to define the United States’ status relative to the rest of the world. Indispensable nation? Sole super... ...002. Mastanduno, Michael and Ethan B. Kaplan. â€Å"Realism and State Strategies after the Cold War.† Unipolar Politics: Realism and State Strategies after the Cold War. Eds. Ethan B. Kapstein and Michael Mastanduno. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. 1-27. Nye, Jr., Joseph S. The Paradox of American Power: Why the World’s Only Superpower Can’t Go It Alone. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Rielly, Dr. John. â€Å"The Future of American Hegemony,† Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 29 November 2004. Sicherman, Harvey. â€Å"A Cautionary Tale: The U.S. and the Arab-Israeli Conflict.† In Eagle Rules? Foreign Policy and American Primacy in the Twenty-First Century. Ed. Robert J. Lieber. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002. 152-172. Wohlforth, William C. â€Å"The Stability of a Unipolar World.† International Security, 24.1 (Summer 1999), pp. 5-41.

Dracula Essay -- essays research papers

Bram Stoker’s Dracula Lords of the darkness, Darkling Dancers, Nosferatu, Vrikolakas. And the list goes on like this. The vampire concept is thought by the most to be a myth that has crept into almost every culture. It has influenced many writers to write novels on them and many directors to shoot films on. Vampire myths go back way into the times of first recorded history. Many different legends are known about them varying from the Chinese belief of the glowing red eyed monsters with green or pink hair to the Greek Lamia who has the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a winged serpent and the Japanese belief in the vampire foxes. The most commonly known legend which is widely used in filming is the blood drinking man who can transform into a bat or mist, wearing a black cape with a suit and with fangs in his mouth. This significant type is the one that is been explained widely in the eastern European myths. This vampire preys on human victims which are chosen at random by biting and sucking bloo d from the veins in the side of the neck at night time. The prey also becomes a vampire and joins the world of the undead. These specific vampires are the ones who cannot stand the sunlight which will burn them and they usually sleep in a coffin during the daytime. It is believed that these vampires are most active during full moon. They are immortal and they can only be killed if a wooden stake is run through the heart or when they are beheaded. In the year of 1879 an Irish writer, Bram Stoker, unheard with his previous novels and short stories gets inspired on this and writes the most famous books of all times. Here we are at the close of 1998, looking back and seeing the over two hundred theatrical performances and movies made on it. What’s more is that it is the second best seller book after The Bible in Western communities. This cult figure created by the crazy Irishman has effected us in our actions or emotions in some way. Crudely every single person on earth must have heard his name. But why? Looking onto the novel, there is a perfect gothic look presented to us with its every aspect. Infact every single concept covered comes deep from mythology. It talks about blood and fire, death and love, good and bad, fantasy and magic. And the Count; who sometimes happens to be an atrocital monster, a romantic lover†¦ No doubt, these make the novel even... ...e. These women are both Dracula’s lovers and daughters. And this is an example of Freud’s Odysseia Complex which is the base of Sophokles’s Odysseus tale. In Dracula’s character we also see signs of fascism. At the very beginning of the story when he and Jonathan are having dinner, he gets angry with Jonathan because what he speaks about disturbs his thoughts on his background and he pulls his sword out. In addition, he is always in a fascist approach to the Turks and the Gipsies. With these aspects of his, Dracula follows a political opinion and with his style and manner reminds us of the Nazis. Keeping all of these in mind we can see why the story of Dracula is so attractive to us. The Dracula character being a cult figure is because of the fact that his character carries the sins and the emotions of the 20th century: killing, rape, incest, fascism†¦ On the other hand, despite all these Dracula did not forget his true love. Maybe everyone of us finds his/her darkness in the Count and that’s why many people sympathise with him. Whatever it is, the truth is that in the end Count Dracula dies but in real world he has promoted to immortality as a heroic and charismatic character.

Nike’s CSR Challenge Case Study

In 2005 after reporting on its widespread abusive treatment in factory plans Nike’s came back to report on its social and environmental practices. Some of the Challenges that Nike and other apparel industries face in its supply chains around the World are many. Companies like Nike needs to consider people, planet and profit from now on. Nike understood as well as other competitors that seeking good societal relations should be seen as both good to society and good for profitability. The company understands now that the strategic shift for Nike’s Management can not only been seen as a close system. Its future depends on the reshaping the signals that are being sent to customers, suppliers, investors, so that the company can also operate in a sustainable way, which is also financially viable. Just changing rules and regulation at the factory’s plants is not enough, companies also have to engage in Leadership and by this I don’t mean the traditional Leadership which involved leading people towards goal of the employer. Employees should engage in transcending leadership and get in a dialogue, action to address systemic problems and resolved them, or engage people on collective goals. The only sad thing is that without changes to the financial markets, Nike may find its efforts in vain. The Statement by a Nike representative that â€Å"consumers are not rewarding us for investments in improved social performance in supply chain†. It meant that although Nike improved conditions and outcomes for its employees and sub contractor and that they slightly better working conditions to their third world employees and banned the hiring of children, they thought people in general would buy more stuff from them, just because Nike decided to be a bit nicer to employees and cost them money. Apparently Nike is saying it wasn’t worth investing money into being more humane because at the end it did not resulted in more shoe sales. A stakeholder must be distinguished from a stockholder. They own a share of the corporation. A stakeholder is any group or individual that has a vital interest in the doings of the corporation. There are several other stakeholders of the corporation. These may include employees, customers, suppliers, local community to name a few. Managers need to understand the open systems approach in order to construct support Systems. Examples of changes in practices of abroad factory plants like in this case Nike made some changes and are examples of the adaptation that organizations have to exercise to respond to the demands of the open system. This means that firms need to watch their customer needs, their employee’s needs, and the needs of the community. In international ventures, understanding the local culture and relying on the network of relationships created in that subsystem will be keys to increase their success. What they mean by â€Å"Leaders beyond borders†. All it is is people who can see across borders created by others, take action and address systemic problems within an organization in this case. The social and environmental challenges are known and numerous. But by rethinking they also represent some of the best opportunities for business. I don’t think there is a perfect science to achieve a compatibility of profits with people and planet, but I think it is the responsibility of all, as a business, as a consumer to try to meet a middle ground in which all three people, profit and planet gain a decent benefit from one another.

Stalin and Clay Perspectives

Do you think communism was contained well after WWW? I believe that communism was not contained very well after WWW because communism managed to spread to Korea, Vietnam, China and Cuba. Communism parties took control in these countries. This spread of Communism was exactly what we didn't want because If Communism spread too much then we would lose control of It and then It would spread to most of the Middle East. Losing control of communism would be a disaster, If Communism spread to most of the Middle East hen who knows where else it will go.Luckily Communism didn't spread to as much of the Middle East as I had feared it would. What is your perspective on the Blockade? I personally believe that the Berlin blockade move made by Stalin was an act of war because by blockading off the vital railways and roads to West Berlin, the USSR were starving a whole civilization. This action was also demonstrating that Stalin was trying to force us to give him our (U. S. Britain, Italy) parts of Berlin to him and this was a very aggressive move, trying to bend us to his will. Why do you hold this perspective?I hold this view because starving a whole civilization and forcing other nations to give him land cannot be anything less than an act of war! Stalin knows this is an act of war but he's so focused on controlling all of Berlin that he will do what it takes to try bend us over to his demands. We were not going to give in though; I knew that I had to think of a way to deliver supplies to West Berlin. Believe that this move by Stalin was also due to his hatred of the German people. Although what Russia and Stalin suffered during WWW was terrible, he should not be punishing innocent civilians like his in a time so soon after war.What actions did you take as a result of your perspective? We knew we couldn't let the West Berliners starve, but we also couldn't give in to Stalin. I originally was going to move Tanks up to the blockade to Intimidate Stalin and make him move the b lockade but others thought this might cause war. We decided to airlift supplies to West Berlin, although this was very expensive it was a perfect idea, we used the Berlin airways to send planes over to deliver food and other needed supplies. This would mean that we could supply to Berlin while not taking an aggressive move towards Stalin.What is your perspective on the airlift? The Berlin Airlift was a great success! We managed to supply tons and tons of food to Berlin, we had airplanes landing in West Berlin and taking off every three minutes. We were sending five thousand tons of food every day! This was far more than when we were supplying via railway. Even though I originally wanted to take a more down the planes due to this being considered a war act. He did fly planes extremely close to our planes though. Just under a hundred pilots died because of this aggressive act by Stalin.Why do you hold this perspective? The airlift is what saved the Berliners and also what saved our pa rts of Berlin. If we didn't airlift then either West Berlin would starve or we would have to give away our parts of Berlin. The airlift was the perfect counterpart to Stalin's blockade. He thought he had us in a corner but the airlift proved him wrong. We could supply huge amounts to Berlin quickly and effectively. I believe that Stalin shot himself in the foot by putting up the blockade. We managed to get huge amounts of food to the Berlin people, and we kept our parts of Berlin.This is the opposite of what Stalin wanted. I truly believe that the airlift was one of the best decisions made during the Cold War due to it being non-aggressive and how successful it was for supplying to West Berlin. What are your views on WWW ally USSR now becoming a foe? I think it is a great loss to lose USSR as an ally. They were a very strong fighting force and practically won the war as hard as it is to admit. They did sacrifice a lot to defeat Germany, USSR had 8,806,000 casualties during WWW and t hat far exceeds everyone else's. Russia became too greedy after the war though.They wanted to keep Germany weak and wanted to take too much of Germany. I do hope that someday we could become allies again with USSR. Why were you going to take an aggressive approach to the Blockade by moving tanks up? I believe that the Berlin blockade by Stalin was an act of war, and this deserved to be replied to with an aggressive act. I believed that by bringing tanks to the blockade, we could intimidate Stalin and make him take down the Blockade. I believe this would have been a good option, the airlift urine out to be a better option though.By moving tanks up to the blockade this could have started a war so I am glad that we chose to airlift supplies instead of a more aggressive approach. During the Blockade what did you think the relationship between USA and USSR would be like in the future? I believed that the relationship between us and the USSR wouldn't be the same for a long time. I knew th at for at fifty years there would be tension between us due to what is happening right now. There already was tension during WWW before the blockade but now because of the blockade the tension will be rater than ever.I knew that someday, If we became allies, the tension would easy, but that day wouldn't be for a long, long time. Interview with USSR leader Joseph Stalin: What is your perspective on the Blockade? The blockade was absolutely necessary! The Allies were taking most of Berlin when it was USSR who sacrificed the most during WWW. To make matters worse, the allies merged their parts of Berlin together as to say that they are friends and we are enemies! We didn't sign any agreement saying that the allies could have access to our railways through to our part of Berlin anyway.We also needed to keep Germany weak and not let them get back to power by supplying so much to them. Why do you hold this perspective? I believe that the blockade was necessary because it us who had 806,00 0,000 a formal agreement letting allies have access to West Berlin. I put up the blockade because we deserve more of Berlin! If I did nothing and Just let the Allies have most of Berlin then we could never demand anything again. Another reason the blockade was put up was because we have to keep Germany weak! If we keep giving them applies and feeding them, giving them an economy and more luxuries then they will get back to power again.We must keep Germany weak because I will never forget how they treated us, and how many they killed. What is your perspective on the Airlift? The airlift was most definitely propaganda. The allies are saying that they are airlifting simply to supply to West Berlin and not give in to my demands but I know that the airlift is purely for propaganda purposes. All the sweets and luxuries they are supplying to West Berlin are sending a message. The allies are saying that their art of Berlin is better, living is better, you will get these luxuries, they are s aying for everyone come on to their part of Berlin.Why do you hold this perspective? I hold this perspective because the Allies can fool everyone else with their thoughtful, caring airlift, but I know this is Just their plan to advertise their part of Berlin. This airlift though, the allies were managing to supply more than before because of this propaganda, I tried flying planes close to their planes but I knew that it was only a matter of time before something happened such as someone shooting a plane down ND then that would mean I declared an act of war, even though the airlift was an act of war, I couldn't display this or a war would start.What actions did you take as a result of your perspective? The blockade had the potential to start another war, because of this I knew had to take the blockade down, although this pained me to do so, I knew I had to do it because the blockade was only benefiting the allies and sooner or later, an act of war would have occurred. None of us want ed a war so soon after WWW had ended. The results of another war would have been devastating for everyone. Also because of he new nuclear technology I believe that another war would completely demolish the world as we know it.What did you aim to achieve by blockading West Berlin? I was aiming for the allies to give in to my demands and give me their part of Berlin, if they gave me their part of Berlin, then I'd lift the blockade. One other thing I was trying to achieve was keeping Germany weak; I didn't want their capitol to become so strong suddenly after WWW. If we kept giving them supplies then they would become strong again Just like after WWW, and they would start another war. What are your thoughts on the Berlin Wall? The Berlin wall was a very smart move by Nikkei Khrushchev.Although it wasn't me who put up the Wall, I would have done the same thing if I was still leader. The Berlin Wall was an effective solution for separating the Berliners. It was a lot better than when the re was Just barbed wire and guards guarding the border. The rate of West Berliners escaping to other parts of Berlin dropped drastically when the Wall was built in 1961. I am extremely glad that this decision to create the Wall was made; it separated the Berliners very well and meant they could not leave West Berlin and we

A Case Study of Virgin Airlines Essay

Internationalization of the business nowadays apparently became a trend for the organizations to expand their market position and gain the competitive advantage among their contemporaries. The extent and nature of business activities are almost as diverse and comprehensive as the totality of the social and economic interest of a man. Various business activities acknowledged the opportunities that the internationalization may deliver. Through their ability and capacity to expand their business operations, internationalization is highly possible. For most of the time, the high degree of the competition under the umbrella of an industry and the number of competitors that are engaged in the creating the same product and/or services or often referred as the competitors that are closely related can cause market stiffening and will tend to saturate the resources. This idea is one of the reasons on why the businesses are moving into foreign markets. See more: Old Age Problem essay Background of the Study There are businesses that in the start of the operation had a great investment and one of which is the airline industry which can perform in either local and/or international markets. This kind of service is one of the broad classifications of the business services. Part of the business operation should cater to personal needs of people or with rendering of a personal service. In this industry, the passengers or the travellers needs the efficiency in travelling in form of safe and friendly services. One of the organizations is Virgin Atlantic Airways that is considered as one of the leading airlines. Like the other companies that play actively in the international market, there are challenges and experience different changes in their operation. But unlike the other business’s ideas, the VAA believed in the option that it is more positive and much less risky to invest in a long-term change program to satisfy the need to grow in the future (Blue Sky, 2009). Apparently, the airport dominance has grown competitive in the hospitality industry. In the accommodation of this competitive growth, the aviation or airline industry plays an essential role in helping the economy to survive although this type of business is a huge investment. The strategies applied in this kind of industry can help the entire organization in finding the dominant position (Bilotkatch, 2007). The connection of the Virgin Airline is outrageous because of the media that serves as a huge market competency advantage. Their strategy is using the media such as television, radio, internet, and even newspaper gave the business an opportunity for promotion. Virgin Atlantic started back in 1984 with a single 747-200 and flying in route of London to New York. Aside from the gasoline, the business was fuelled with two ideas – to offer low price and have a better service. Passengers are the treated as visitors and the business thought of the things to serve better meals, offer more entertainment, create fun, and acquire smiling and enthusiastic flight crews. For over the years, the airlines shook the industry with the project for innovation to provide the quality of service and entertainment. The airline is the first to offer two choices of meals, even in economy class, and spa-services. Thus, they became the industry most favourite in airlines and second largest long-haul carrier on the route of London to New York (Rifkin, 2004). Statement of the Problems Based on the background of the study, it is highlighted that Virgin Atlantic Airlines (VAA) gained the expertise through the market and operational experiences that they performed. In addition, the organization’s openness in the innovation and technology and implementing various marketing strategies to acquire their unique position in the market. But despite of the benefits that the VAA may receive in performing in the competition, the local market knowledge is missing in the marketing formula of the organization. In association to this observation, there are three interrelated problems identified which can be the centre of the study: Â · What is the importance of the local market knowledge in performing even in the international settings? Â · In what ways do the local market knowledge affects the business operations of VAA? Â · What are the key drivers of local market knowledge in determining the success of VAA? Research Aim and Objectives The main aim of the study is to investigate the importance of the local market knowledge towards the success of the Virgin Airlines. The local market knowledge is very broad which can definitely affect the current and even the future performance of an organization. In order to facilitate the investigation of the study there are objectives that needs to be considered. First is to determine the factors that need to be considered that are related in recognizing the components of local market knowledge. Second is to assess the applicability of the local market knowledge in the VAA strategies and business operations. Third is to measure the extent of applying the local market knowledge towards the VAA business performance. And fourth is to recognize the impact of the local market knowledge in formulating the desirable business operations. These objectives are used as the guidelines in the study in order to answer what was the paper needed. Significance of the Study The significance of the study is not only to simply consider the importance of the local market knowledge and its components but to apply the local market knowledge in the business settings. It is such a challenge to consider the application of the local market knowledge in international settings because of the characteristics of the business, the business environment, the diversification of markets, the involvement of changes, possibilities, and other expectations. Local market knowledge is a basic concept that is usually applied in the local businesses or in the small and medium enterprises. It is also a part of the business objectives because the creation of business mirrored the present situation of the market. However, when the local market knowledge and concept is applied in the international setting will raise various uncertainties, criticisms, and questions that falls particularly in the effectiveness of the local market knowledge in contributing to their success. Through the assessment of the study, there is an opportunity to answer these queries and can be part of the academic context in promoting the strategic business management and operation. In addition, the study can also serve as another output within which the organization can use as reference in their action in determining the local market knowledge. Research Design The proposed method in the study is through the use of quantitative method. The appropriate approach is through the help of the survey process that is also considered as the primary source of information. This is promoted in the study because of the contribution that can be provided by the participants, making it appropriate in the study. Furthermore, the conduction of survey is facilitated by consulting the related theories that might be addressed in the study. Through the means and reviewing the related theories, there is an assurance that the result of the survey will explain and interpret the views of the participants regarding the topic presented before them. The objective of the method is to determine the attitudes of the respondents through the quantifiable measurement. Data Analysis Once the target participants are identified, the appropriate method should be applied. Since the participants are the primary source of data, their perception will treat seriously and manifested in the results of the survey. Quantitative research method is possible in many ways and the use of surveys or interviews are common. The most important objective of the methodological section is perhaps to make a comprehensive data which can be analyzed and aligned with the aims and objectives of their entire study. The collected information can be analyzed through the use of factor analysis. With the help of the theoretical basis or background, the result can be posted well. Therefore, there is a need for factoring the result on to two aspects (a) correlation of the results and (b) consideration of the factors, elements, or structure on designing good local market knowledge. In presenting the results, the study will review the theories consulted and determine in which among those theory/ies manifested in the study. At the end of the study, the research can definitely give the strong points that centers in the aims and objectives of the study.

The Play Develops Essay

Eddie, Beatrice and Catherine, living a cocooned life in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Then came Marco and Rodolpho, Beatrice’s cousins from Italy, and their insignificant world was turned upside down, and a series of events lead to Eddie’s demise. During the first act of the play, there are three important events to take into consideration when discussing Eddie and Beatrice’s relationship. Catherine is offered a job and is delighted at the opportunity to earn money and become a working woman. However, she wants to gain Beatrice’s support before telling Eddie about this chance. When she does tell Eddie he is defiant that she will not take this job. This upsets Catherine because she needs Eddie’s approval, as she sees him as a father figure. Beatrice encourages Catherine, but Eddie is pessimistic about the whole opportunity. He makes up excuses as to why she shouldn’t accept the job; such as â€Å"I don’t like that neighbourhood over there. † In reality Eddie is keen to protect her a while longer, and he doesn’t want to let her go and gain independence. In Eddie’s eyes, no one is good enough for Catherine, and he doesn’t want her to be talked about the way Longshoreman talk about other girls. Eddie never admits to protecting Catherine, and Beatrice never actually says this, but it is implied. This is one trait of their relationship- Beatrice’s respect for Eddie in the way that although many things are implied, Beatrice never comes out and says them in case she offends Eddie. This is obvious in the first act of the play, but towards the end this changes. This is also one of the first times there is an implication of an unnatural relationship between Eddie and Catherine. Eddie loves her greatly, and Catherine sees him as a father figure, but Beatrice can see a different side to Eddie’s love, and implies that he loves her in the wrong way. This is only implied all the way through the play, until right at the end. Before the cousins arrive there is an air of expectancy and anticipation. Nai ve Catherine asks what happens if someone asks about the cousins, and Eddie is quick to tell her ‘If you said you knew it, if you didn’t say it you didn’t know it. † There is a code of conduct to be obeyed, and that code is that you never talk about the immigrants or admit knowledge of them- you simply feign ignorance. No one would dare tell the Immigration Bureau for fear of being ostracized from the society. The irony of this code of conduct can be seen later on when Eddie rings the Bureau and snitches on Marco and Rodolpho. When the cousins finally arrive, there is some chemistry between Catherine and Rodolpho, and the audience can see something may develop between them. Eddie senses this, and when talking to the cousins, focuses his attention on Marco. Catherine and Beatrice appreciate Rodolpho’s good humour and enthusiasm, and this makes Eddie uncomfortable. Eddie attempts to prevent Rodolpho from forming a relationship with Catherine. Beatrice feels he should not be interfering, but only implies this. The cousin’s arrival is a turning point in Eddie’s life, as Catherine starts to gain independence and discover the fact she can love someone who is not Eddie.

An Analysis Of Shaffer’s Equus

An Analysis Of Shaffers Equus The play is in two acts, the first consisting of twenty-one; the second of thirty-five scenes. It is not realistic in that it includes flashbacks performed onstage (like a movie). However, it is an explanatory one with Shaffer’s notes while read. It is a play consisting of individuals rather than types. Each character has his/her individuality along with his/her own perspective of life. We learn about the characters from what other characters tell about them; from what they tell about themselves; as well as from Shaffer’s explanation about them within parentheses. Although it is an open ended play it goes far from the lineer plot structure with its amazing climax. The forward and backward action of the play makes it a different one. Moreover while the play has speech when the time is present, it contains action when it is backward. It is a symbolic play and can be called â€Å"a journey into the mind† of Alan Strang, a seventeen year old boy. It analyzes Alanâ⠂¬â„¢s religious obsession with horses which is based on his complicated feelings due to his religious background and his increasing sexual side as a teenager. This confusion of religion, in fact, is a consequence of some signals from his religious, middle-class mother and his atheist, working-class father. Alan’s perception of religion and sexuality is conflicted and his way of praying becomes a fear of a horse spirit named Equus. He ends up with blinding six horses in the stable because of the fact that they have watched him with a girl. Rosefeldt states that Equus is â€Å"†¦inspired by a real-life event of which the author had very little details. Someone told Shaffer about a boy who blinded horses† (Rosefeldt 89). Equus, the horse gradually becomes a source of freedom and worship for Alan. As he worships Equus passionately, Alan goes away from being ‘normal.’ There are two main characters in the play, Martin Dysart and Alan Strang, the protagonis t. While the play is Alan’s story, it soon becomes Dysart’s story, too. Dysart is a psychiatrist and is asked to treat Alan Strang. Dysart admits to treat Alan as a patient, believing his lawyer friend Hesther Salomon that the boy has something special. In Act I, the audiences learn that Alan comes from a Christian mother – Dora Strang – and an atheist father – Frank Strang who have argument in agreeing how to raise Alan. Alan’s mother tries to impose religion on Alan and does not avoid talking about sex as well. As he grows up and becomes a teenager, his mother’s words become confusing for him. Alan’s obssesion with the horses is actually a typical result of his mother’s words: Dora. †¦ I used to tell him a funny thing about falling off horses. Did you know that when Christian cavalry first appeared in the New World, the pagans thought horse and rider was one person? Dysart. Really? Alan. (sitting up, amazed) One p erson? Dora. Actually, they thought it must be a god.

The Blockbuster as the Defining Characteristic of Post-Classical Essay

The Blockbuster as the Defining Characteristic of Post-Classical Hollywood - Essay Example Bordwell (2006) explains that blockbuster is often used not to denote a genre of film per se but to describe the performance of a movie on the market. In simple terms, blockbuster is often associated with hit or good movies that generate a lot of revenue for filmmakers. One would then ask whether in the pre-blockbuster era there were no good movies. The answer is no. there were good and hit movies but after movies like Jaws started showing the possibility of amassing so many profits from the box office, the focus of filmmakers now shifted to finding the trick of making huge box offices in each and every movie they made and that started the blockbuster era. So in general terms, the writer agrees that blockbuster came to take off as the defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood. However, the writer refuses to agree to the often negative connotation given to blockbuster as the defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood. In the opinion of the writer, therefore, blockbu sters came as a good and positive phenomenon and continue to remain so. One of the first reasons why the writer disagrees with the argument that the blockbuster is a negative defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood is that blockbuster actually came in to serve a dying situation. This is to say that the trend of the blockbuster was very important in saving the Hollywood film industry from absolute and total collapse. Clearly, bankruptcy was taking over the film industry and so there was every justification for a process that would salvage the situation. Two clear examples can be given in the cases of Heaven’s Gate, which was produced in 1980 by Michael Cimino and One from the Heart, which was produced in 1982 by Francis Ford Coppola. Heaven’s Gate actually made a loss of 40.5million USD after earning $3.5 million in box-office as against a $44 million production cost. One from the heart earned merely $636,000 out of $26 million. The said now that such giant players behind the film industry actually run into bankruptcy since those losses. Without any doubt, the industry would have been seriously affected if the pursuit for profit-making through the production of ‘hit’ films was not followed as what was earned in 1975 with the making of Jaws. On the grounds that blockbuster was necessary to rejuvenating the efforts of filmmakers to seek ways of producing films that were good enough to make them stay in the industry is thus a positive rather than a negative phenomenon of the blockbuster as the defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood. It is even interesting to note that blockbusters do not necessarily have to be of good quality to make profits but there have been newer introductions such as technology backed publicity by the use of social and popular media to ensure that blockbusters sell. The second point that makes the writer take a stand against the idea that blockbuster is a negative defining characteristic of post-classical Hollywood is that not much has changed in terms of concept.  

Evolution Seminar Unit 8 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evolution Seminar Unit 8 - Research Paper Example When scientists use the term â€Å"theory†, it already has years of research behind it before it has been presented for scientific evaluation. However to a non-scientist theory is something that is â€Å"cutting-edge† science and needs to be taught to the children Antibacterial resistance of bacteria and pesticide resistance are good examples of natural selection. Since resistance is a genetic characteristic, not all bacteria had the gene that would induce resistance against an antimicrobial agent. However, a few bacteria did have resistance against the agent and hence nature â€Å"selected† them for survival. Therefore the later generation too had this gene carried forward to show resistance against the antimicrobial agent and hence evolution occurred. 6 Charles Darwin died before Gregor Mendel, also known as the Father of Genetics, shared his discoveries on the inheritance of traits. However, their research definitely complements one another. How could further research into genetics continue to help us understand the process of evolution? Genetics is today the most important tool in understanding everything about the origin and life of earth as well as that of human beings. Using molecular tools we will be able to understand the origin of man and how exactly we evolved and so on. It is not only man that we can study but also how man and other animals are linked and construct phylogenetic trees more

Death of a salesman - play response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Death of a salesman - play response - Assignment Example The sound effects were perfect with echoes employed especially during the flashbacks. The director Powell also manages to shift the tome of the play depending with the occurrence especially using tonal variations of the actors. The most striking feature of the play in terms of sound is when Willy crushes his car indicating the end of the play. The lights then go off. The Director used light to depict different moods in the play. Instances of somber moods were braced with dim lights while brighter lights braced happy moments. The actor’s participation was perfect especially with stage position at the stage while Willy and His Son’s were conversing. The actor’s participation was so real that it managed to moved the audience. The play was full of laughter, murmurs, while other shed tears at the tragic death of the salesman. Willy’s participation and expressions of anger and somberness made this play look very real. Background music employed especially vocal t unes carried away the audience making the play to look so real. Use of gestures and stage movement encouraged actor’s participation. Symbolically Willy decides to plant a garden in the play, which is a symbol of satisfaction. Willy wanted to make his son achieve the American dream but his son Biff denounces him when he finds him cheating on his mum with a mistress. During this time, Willy picks a hoe and goes to the garden to pant some seeds. The actions look real even though this play is a stage performance the director Anthony Powel has managed to draw this symbolism. Willy’s action with his wife is marvelous. During the opening stage of the play, he holds his wife and tells her, â€Å"Linda people laugh at me when I tell them am feeling kind of temporary about myself and after all the highways, the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive†. The director of this play hints Willy’s tragic death, which still