Belmont Report

Ethics are an important aspect of doing any n’ everything in one’s life. Be it your daily routine tasks/chores or your job or business environment. We should keep our integrity intact by providing consistency in goods & service. Secondly we should also abide by the regulations and restrain from un-ethical practices during any phase of our businesses in a socially responsible manner so that we can inculcate a sound business environment with least implication and externalities towards the surroundings.Overview:The Belmont Report states the duties of the National Commission on Health about different types of business practices and the ethical issues involved. The report provides a guideline as to how to prevent issues which harm the elements of the environment (including animals). Following are some major targets of the report; ? The basic ethical principles that should be taken into consideration while conducting any type of biomedical and/or behavioral research which inv olves any human subjects. ? To develop the guidelines to be complied so as to assure the particular research study is being conducted in accordance with those principles.The commission was also directed to consider; ? The boundaries between biomedical and behavioral research and the accepted and routine practice of medicine, ? The role of assessment of risk-benefit criteria in the determination of the appropriateness of research involving human subjects, ? Appropriate guidelines for the selection of human subjects for participation in such research, & ? The nature and definition of informed consent in various research settings (Folkman, 2000). Nonetheless scientific research has often produced substantial benefits to the society.It has also raised some problematic ethical questions. Public awareness grew on these issues due to reported abuses of human subjects in certain biomedical experiments (Saunders, 2004). This involved the physicians and scientists who had conducted biomedical experiments on war prisoners. This led to the legislation being made about any type of research involving human subjects that it would be carried out in an ethical manner. Three traditionally accepted principals regarding the implications are; Respect for Persons:Respect for a person includes two ethical convictions i. e. the individuals should be treated as autonomous elements/agents and that people with diminished autonomy should be given protection. Beneficence: Respect for people as individuals isn’t enough. We should also be considering making efforts to secure the well being of individuals. Justice: No individual or group of individual should be denied justice with regard to their right to have it. The benefit therefore to all individuals should be given in a ‘just’ manner without any bias and/or discrimination. Conclusion:Thus the Belmont Report provides a complete and detailed guideline to direct the way how research is being conducted and experimentatio n been done on any of the human subjects and strictly attempts the organizations to abide by it. References 1. Saunders William L. (2004) Lethal experimentation on human beings: Roe's effect on bioethics: An article from: Fordham Urban Law Journal. 2. Engelhardt H. Tristram (1988) The Use of Human Beings in Research: With Special Reference to Clinical Trials: Springer. 3. Folkman Susan (2000) Ethics in Research With Human Participants: American Psychological Association.

Emerging Trends †Business Analytics

The Need: The amount of data being generated globally increases by 40 percent a year, according to the McKinsey Global Institute, the consulting firm’s research arm. Gartner predicts that data will grow 800 percent over the next five years and 80 percent of the data will be unstructured. International Institute for Analytics predicts that â€Å"Big data analytics will top all other areas of growth in analytics during 2012 due to the rapid expansion of social, mobile, location and transaction-based data taken in by various industries. As the volume of enterprise data sky-rockets, an industry is growing up around using this flood of information to help companies operate more efficiently and sustainably. Companies increasingly will be deploying sophisticated software as a key component of their sustainability strategy. Mu Sigma, for example, an Indian firm providing data analytics and decision support services for global enterprise, secured a $108 million investment round led by General Atlantic. My smartphone produces a huge amount of data, my car produces ridiculous amounts of really valuable data, my house is throwing off data, everything is making data,† said Erik Swan, 47, cofounder of Splunk, a San Francisco-based start-up whose software indexes vast quantities of machine-generated data into searchable links. Companies search those links, as one searches Google, to analyze customer behavior in real time. Splunk is among a crop of enterprise software start-up companies that analyze big data and are establishing themselves in territory long controlled by giant business-technology vendors like Oracle and I. B. M. Founded in 2004, before the term â€Å"big data† had worked its way into the vocabulary of Silicon Valley, Splunk now has some 3,200 customers in more than 75 countries, including more than half the Fortune 100 companies. The Usage: Here’s an unsubstantiated anecdote: â€Å"There’s a cell service provider in Japan that collects GPS data from cell phone users. The cell provider collects the data in real time, and keeps track of which people are walking the furthest. Once a month, the cell provider gives an award to the walker who covered the greatest distance. In a way, cell phones are working like sensors to collect and analyze streaming big data. † â€Å"Imagine a consumer walking around downtown in a city, shopping. Now imagine letting a shopping service know where he is, plus maybe the kinds of goods he is looking for. As I walk, the GPS coordinates could stream to the shopping service, and it could point him to stores that match his interests. † â€Å"A lot of people know how to work with data,† observed Anand Rajaraman, â€Å"but now there is a lot more data so the kinds of things you can do with it and the way you work with it can are very different. The founder of companies which have been acquired by Amazon and Walmart, Rajaraman is now senior vice president at Walmart Global e-commerce and co-founder @WalmartLabs, and a professor at Stanford. Traditional users of large amounts of Data — retail, telecom and intelligence — are already comfortable with it. The next big set of users is in mobile-soc ial, especially incorporating geolocation. Some areas have been underserved, such as health care, which is described as the third rail because it has been too hard and too slow. But now health care is experiencing a fundamental change similar to what retail felt when customers came in armed with smart phones and had more information than sales people. Patients are starting to acquire more information and health care providers are developing more analytics. The Education: To arrive at solutions on how to perceive, derive, collate, store, sort and use data for business decisions is Data Analytics. All areas of commerce, business, economics and sciences are using data analysis to arrive at solutions. To do this there is a certain skill set that has to be created, the science of teaching this has grown into what academic institutions call Data Analytics or Business Intelligence programs. The institutions that have taken on the mantle of teaching data analytics are the management institutions with inputs from their engineering, mathematics and statistics departments creating interdisciplinary programs to acquire data mining and interpreting skills. Most management institutions are at the forefront on this learning derivative because business now believes that this skill will be critical to improving their penetration and profitability. The Education programs train students on: Data Collection and Integration Processes for Enterprise Decision Making Advanced Data Analysis Database Management Web Analytics Marketing Analytics Process Optimization Text Mining The Nomenclature of Education Programs: Masters of Science in Analytics Masters of Science in Predictive Analytics Masters of Science in Business Intelligence Masters of Science in Business Analytics Masters of Science in Data Mining Certification in Data Analytics Duration of the Program: 10 months to 18 months Statistical Methods and Models Predictive Analytics Advanced Statistics Financial Analysis Predictive Modeling Data Warehousing Data Mining Techniques Mining Genomics Data Some of the Indian Institutions that are helping students gain data analytic skills are: Institutions Indian Institute of Science http://www. mgmt. iisc. ernet. in Location Bangalore Program Name Master of Management Program Length 24 Months (Full Time) Contact Details Department of Management Studies IISC Bangalore 560 012 Phone: +91-80-2293 2567 (Office) Fax: +91-80-2360 4534 E-mail: [email  protected] iisc. ernet. in The Administrative Officer Executive Education Programmes IIM Bangalore, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore 560 076 Phone : +91-80-26993475 /3660/ 3264 /3742 Fax : +91-80 – 26584004 / 26584050 E-mail : [email  protected] ernet. n Admissions Office Indian School of Business Gachibowli, Hyderabad-500032 Phone: +91 40 2318 7474 /7484 /7494 Fax: +91 40 2300 7099 Admissions office Address: Praxis Business School, Next to Akademia International School, Bakrahat Road, P. O. Rasapunja, Kolkata – 700104 Phone: +91 98368 77599/ +9133 24980553/4 E-mail: [email  protected] ac. in Indian Institute of Management Bangalore http://www. iimb. ernet. in Bangalore Certificate Programme on Business Analytics and Intelligence 12 Months (Part Time) Indian School of Business http://www. isb. edu/ Hyderabad Part of the MBA program Analytics Labs (only for enrolled MBA students) 12 Months (Full Time) Praxis Business School http://praxis. ac. in (Knowledge Partners PWC and ICICI) Kolkata Post Graduate Program in Business Analytics Some International Programs offering Business Analytics: 1. In 2007, North Carolina State University began offering the first graduate degree in Analytics. In just 10 months, students can earn a Master of Science in Analytics through the university’s Institute for Advanced Analytics. The degree program addresses data collection and integration, statistical methods and models and complex processes for enterprise decision making. 2. In 2010, DePaul University announced a Master of Science in Predictive Analytics (MSPA) through its Center for Data Mining and Predictive Analytics, a joint venture between the School of Computing and the School of Marketing. The DePaul program covers data mining, predictive analytics and business intelligence. 3. Northwestern University will begin its first MSPA degree program in the fall of 2011. The new MSPA degree provides core basics such as data mining concepts and applications, and extends into advanced data analysis, advanced statistics, database management, financial analysis, web analytics, predictive modeling and marketing analytics. 4. Students can earn a Master of Science in Business Intelligence (MSBI) from Saint Joseph’s University. The program offers evening classes and addresses technology integration, quantitative skills and analytics within a business context. 5. The University of Denver also offers an MSBI degree rogram through the Daniels College of Business. The program focuses on how to gather and leverage information to lead organizations and guide decisions. The cross-functional coursework covers data warehousing, marketing, finance and operations and incorporates real project work. 6. The University of Tennessee Knoxville offers a Master of Science in Business Analytics through the College of Business Administration. The program provides students with an understanding of business and helps them learn the analytical skills needed to solve business problems. Students can choose one of three areas of concentration: Applied Statistics, Process Optimization or Business Intelligence. 7. Since 2003, Central Connecticut State University has offered a Master of Science in Data Mining degree. The program helps students master the cross-industry standard process for data mining, become proficient with leading data mining software, and to understand and apply a wide variety of mathematical and statistical techniques. It also introduces students to the latest data mining techniques and applications such as text mining and mining genomics data. Student Educational Backgrounds: Any student comfortable with Mathematics and Statistics can opt for these programs. Companies In India hiring for Analytics: Target, Dell, IBM, HP (analytics), Citi, ICICI, PWC, Accenture, etc.

Hilton world wild Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hilton world wild - Assignment Example The rich history and success of the Hilton worldwide makes it a preferred choice by travelers, employees, developers and investors. This hospitality giant offers wide range of top class hospitality services at its various branches around the globe. The company has won several awards and accolades for the exemplary services it has offered in the hospitality industry since its inception in 1919.It was originally known as the Hilton Hotel Corporation. However, in September 2009, it changed its name to Hilton worldwide complete with a new logo and style, it also changed its image, vision and mission (Gilliana & Watson, 2004). Hilton Worldwide, originally called the Hilton Hotel Corporation, is among the top service providers in the hotel industry. The group is known for the exemplary services and products its offers to its clients around the globe. This has made it have a competitive edge over other players in the hospitality industry. Through the 94 years of service, the hotel has maintained a good reputation around the globe and has won several accolades because of this. Hilton Worldwide has diversified with hotels that serve every class of people. The company has high end hotels as well as mind priced hotels. It also offers business class services. This diversification has enabled to attract a high client base throughout the world (Gilliana & Watson, 2004). Hilton Worldwide has an effective framework that helps in facilitating effective coordination of both internal and external communication. The overall purpose of this framework that is used by this hospitality giant is to establish and maintain a good reputation across the globe. The company seeks develop and maintain a good relationship with its employees, shareholders, the media and the general public. This goes a long ways in helping it achieve its goals and winning more clients, investors and developers. This framework is

Transformation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Transformation - Essay Example This is the ultimate goal of my program, Teaching Math for a Better America (TMBA).. Math requires mental discipline and order, and teaches us to look beyond the obvious so our minds reach the abstract. Math as a mental exercise helps us understand and appreciate what we cannot see: great ideas such as good and justice, equality and freedom, nothingness and the infinite. Math helps us appreciate music, tempo, and rhythm, aspects of art that reflect order and proportion in life, nature, and the universe. With abstraction and order come the ultimate possibility of grasping the existence of the spiritual and the divine. I want to use math, and teaching math according to the TMBA principles I would develop, as the focal point of a transformational change in my school, in the way we teach and motivate students, and how we look at our work. Math made it easy for the human mind to handle the great calculations that have transformed our knowledge of the universe. It can also be the agent that would help transform America and the world and bring to learning, teaching, and working the spiritual meaning it sorely needs. The graduate course in education has made me realize that, more than ever, teaching is hard work, and not just because of lesson plans, tests, coping with behavioral problems, and the need to counsel students (Glatthorn, 1999). Teaching is hard work because it is the process of forming the human mind and the human spirit. This insight dawned on me as I went through the course on ethics and justice and saw a deeper meaning in what we do. Most teachers do not see beyond the formal side of teaching and education. Many of us seem to have lost the love and appreciation for our calling as teachers that demand from us a life of sacrifice and dedication. Our schools have become knowledge factories that numbly turn out thousands of minds each year with efficiency. But are we effective I doubt it. Our educational system is producing geniuses without hearts, humans without a conscience and a sense of justice and ethics who later on become scientists, politicians, and businessmen, no doubt great men and women all, who enrich our nation's material riches but who in turn take away our humanity and lay the seeds of our civilization's destruction. This has to end, and I hope to contribute my share in this effort. What makes this call for change urgent is the type of students we have: inner city kids, products of broken homes with drug-crazed or single parents that pass on to their offspring the miserable lives they were dealt and against which they never fought back. Sure, there were a few in our community who succeeded out of sheer determination, or luck, but these were more the exception than the rule. I think it is time to turn this around. We have to bring back a sense of the sublime in the lives of our students and our teachers. Our nation was created out of a strong sense of these same values, and if we want to continue being great, we need to regain that sense. Resistance to Change What I am proposing is not merely incremental,

BMW Brand Equity Analysis Report(BEAR) Research Paper

BMW Brand Equity Analysis Report(BEAR) - Research Paper Example The introduction provides a brief profile of the company. The report will also provide the current status of the brand as well as its investments in the business sector. Challenges that are being faced by the firm will be provided including recommendations necessary for implementation in order to realize success in the company. The recommendations should be taken into consideration if significant success and consistent quality are to be enhanced. Introduction BMW is short for Bavarian Motor Works which began in the early years of the twentieth century. It first began as an aircraft engine manufacturing in Germany. The success of its 6-cylinder BMW IIIa engine saw it become a publicly traded company (Easton, 2008, p. 1). The license to manufacture automobiles was obtained in the year 1928. Throughout the years, it has been able to gain reputation for innovation, as well as, quality in the automobile, aircraft engines and motorcycle fields. Its reputation has continued to grow owing to its award winning performance and impressive designs. BMW was listed by Forbes.com as the most reputable company in the world in the year 2012. The rankings were obviously based on such issues as people’s willingness to invest in the company, to buy, to work for and to recommend. Their perception of the products and the company were useful in the rankings. The BMW group sponsor is Bundesliga’s club and was also an official sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics. In 2010, it made a six-year sponsorship deal with USOC which is short for United States Olympic Committee. It has also sponsored many European golf events both in Italy and Germany. Status of the brand The brand has the right products that they have put in place, and they have continued to keep them competitive and attractive over the lifecycle. They have a lifecycle that follow a specific nomenclature. The nomenclature is applicable for both the automobiles and the motorcycle (Giuliani, 2012, p. 8). The brand ha s its presence in the global world and has the knowledge to delight customers around the globe. The company is looking into expanding globally to ensure that their innovation is present and known globally. This will also lead to an improvement in their reputation as well as in the loyalty of their customers. Their impressive and unique designs have ensured that the brand sticks to the minds of people. The brand is strong especially in innovation and efficiency of fuel. They have an aim of directing the future of the market using its initiatives. Their innovative initiatives have seen the brand grow stronger and have a competitive advantage over its competitors (Giuliani, 2012, p. 8). They have continued to provide luxury and unique brands that offer a different experience. This means that they have managed to further the joy and fascination of the brand. Their earnings and revenues have grown and have also broken all existing records. This is all in the back of dynamic flourishing o f financial services business and car sales volume growth. The earnings were strong and increased in a tremendous way. This is the reason why the brand is strong as opposed to the other car models. Investments in the business sector The brand is striving for a good balance of growth especially in Europe, Asia and America. This is essential especially if they want to achieve economic success in a volatile environment (Annual Report, 2011, p. 15). The group had discovered that there is future growth in such countries as Russia, Brazil,

Rhetoric anlysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Rhetoric anlysis - Essay Example rb indicates that Catton’s style does not emphasize on action images, but on descriptive images that aim to illustrate the paradox of being different, and yet being alike. Another example of atypical syntax is: â€Å"Daring and resourcefulness they had too† (paragraph 15). It is a typical because the predicate â€Å"Daring and resourcefulness† was put first before the subject â€Å"they.† The unique quality of writing emphasizes descriptions of the greatness of these two generals, and how they truly captured the diverse characters of the American identity. Catton focuses more on the backgrounds of the two generals and how they served as the metaphor of their people because they are more important than statistics and dates in representing the greatness of two people uniting for a great common cause. For instance, Catton says that â€Å"Lee†¦himself was the Confederacy† (paragraph 6) and Grant was â€Å"the Westerner† (paragraph 11). By making each general stand for the people they were fighting for, Catton successfully creates a patriotic tone that can unify Confederates and Union supporters because, if their generals, the epitome of who they are and what they stand for, can set aside their differences to attain common interests, then these two groups of people can also do the same. The single sentence in paragraph 3 provides the thesis of the essay. It argues that these two generals are truly different, but they must collide in order to pave a new direction for the country. The purpose of using a single sentence is to emphasize the thesis and to set the tone of writing and attitude of the speaker toward the values and ideals that Lee and Grant represent, individually and jointly. These coordinating conjunctions give special coherence to the paragraphs because they provide the signal posts for talking about differences or similarities between the two generals and the lives they represent. They also support the patriotic, conversational tone that Catton uses, so

Campari Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Campari Analysis - Case Study Example eing borrowed,whether the amount being asked for is realistic and whether it can be paid back in due time.Furthermore the CAMPARI analysis also requires a consideration of the risks and insurance and interest problems involved on the part of J &d D. This is where it can be seen that it might be potentially risky to lend to this business as the business plan has some obvious loopholes in the plan which may be deliberately omitted or otherwise. For example the plan omits the mention of the business relationship with the suppliers(whether its on credit or cash,bulk or just-in-time)The transportation and the duration of the supply of the goods is likewise omitted alongwith the possible perks and discounts this business is getting.These factors are important in assessing the financial viability of any business.So before any bank should decide to finance this business for two decades or more they should be convinced that this business is not a "one" hit wonder and how it plans to keep fina ncing the loan paybacks in the face of new market entrants and fierce competition.The plan is also unconvincing to economic lows and booms in the luxury goods department as rapid changes in income and the fashion market cannot generally account for the rapid changes in demand of these goods.Indeed the case for further or even initial lending is weak.The plan demonstrates a strong capital base but where the question of future income returns and profits begins there seems to be rather unconvincing proposition. Furthermore the plan has also spoken of expansion of the premises and this means that there is a danger of diminishing returns if any further capital is invested here. The problem with these economic factors is that they are unaccounted for in a CAMPARI analysis and thus cloud the view into the market viability of the business in the future. Based on the CAMPARI analysis alone it is hard to decipher the business owners as successful entrepreneurs. Arguably since the CAMPARI analysis focuses solely on financial statements there seems to be a missing link of the contributions the loan acquiring business owners are doing for it.In such a business it is the successful and innovative entrepreneurship rather than the capital base which can ensure stable returns for the bank over the next two decades of repayment of the loans. Furthermore as discussed in the next section the finance and loan sourcing of this business seems slightly shoddy and should be double checked to avoid bankruptcy losses. Identify which critical content is missing from the J & D (Newcastle) business plan, and assess its strengths and weaknesses In terms of critical content even though business plan looks promising and boosts of a thorough understanding of their business strategy which is based on the present demand trends, there are a number of gaps here which do not pertain particularly to financial information but it seems that the "character" analysis of the CAMPARI strategy of evaluation has been downplayed by colloquialisms and over confident statements pertaining to the promising consumer demand of the goods.(See the third,fourth and fifth section of the busine

Relationship between Number of Enrollees and Number of Graduates of US Term Paper

Relationship between Number of Enrollees and Number of Graduates of US Medical Schools - Term Paper Example Using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis, it was found that there is a low positive relationship between number of first year enrollees and the number of graduates from medical schools four years later. Thus, although higher graduates are produced by schools with higher first year enrollees, this may not be a crucial factor and other affecting elements may have to be considered. Table of Contents Page Number Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Presentation and Discussion of Results 5 Conclusion 19 Critique 21 Bibliography 22 Introduction There are a number of factors that influence the volume of graduates from medical schools in the US. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports that for the past decade, there has been a fluctuation in the number of applicants to US medical schools (AAMC Website). However, the number of enrollees and the number of graduates have both seen a constant rate over the past years. This study is interested in finding out if t here is a significant relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later. That is, the research asks the following question: RQ: Is there a significant relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later? To correspond with this research question, this investigation has the following hypotheses: Ho: There is no relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later (r = 0). Ha: There is a significant and positive relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later (r > 0). The independent variable for this study is â€Å"Number of enrollees,† corresponding to the number of first year enrollees in each medical school for the year 2006. The dependent variable for this study is â€Å"Number of graduates,† corresponding to the number o f students who graduated four years later from the same schools, or those labeled as â€Å"Class of 2010.† This topic is of particular interest to me because I have always wondered about the performance of medical school programs in terms of how many people make it past the MCATS and how many actually graduate the university. I personally have the desire to attend medical school and eventually become a doctor. As such, this research will make an impact in my decision to pursue Medicine. I am an ambitious girl, but I do know that ambition is not the only way to get through medical school. Rather, one needs courage as well. This research will determine at the end of the day if I will have the courage to try out this field or to close the doors to medical school behind me. Presentation and Discussion of Results In order to answer the research question, descriptive statistics was first taken from the data in order to have a picture of how the data behave. Then, a scatter plot of number of graduates against number of enrollees was produced to find if there is an existing relationship between the two variables. Finally, the data were subjected to regression analysis in order to find out if Number of Enrollees is a significant predictor of Number of Graduates. The regression analysis conducted also produced the coefficients for the desired regression equation. Table 1. Presentation of Raw Data By Alphabetical Order 30 Selected Medical Schools First Yr Enrollment (2006) vs. Graduates (2010) Name of School First Yr Enrollment (2006) Graduates (Class of 2010) Boston University School of Medicine 179 153 Brown Medical School 91 79 Drexel University College of Medicine 255 233 Florida State University Colleg

Project Appraisal in Transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Appraisal in Transportation - Essay Example This type of modeling involves 04-steps- trip generation, trip distribution, mode choice and trip assignment. The ‘mode choice’ step of such models do not include slow & non-motorized modes like walking. End walks for taking a motorized mode (like bus) and again for physically reaching the destination (office, home, etc.) are not considered as part of traveling in this type of model. Thus, walking, perhaps the most eco-friendly, least expansive and also the oldest and the most conventional form of human movement or traveling finds no place in the conventional transport model. Another view is that this modeling system was developed for evaluating large scale infrastructure projects and not for more subtle and complex policies involving management and control of existing infrastructure or introduction of policies which directly influence travel behavior (TDM Encyclopedia, 2005). Conventional modeling tends to assume that transport progress is linear, with newer, faster mod es replacing older, slower modes (UCI-ITS-AS-WP-005). This series model assumes that the older modes are unimportant, and so, for example, there is no harm if walking conditions and transit service decline, provided that automobile ownership and vehicle traffic speeds increase. From this perspective, such models always find it undesirable to give walking priority over automobile travel. However, it is time that such drawbacks of conventional models are addressed and recently there have been a lot of developments in this direction. The conventional models are being functionally upgraded and their ability for considering slow modes like walking, bicycling, etc. can now be ensured by integrating such models with various sub-models. The conventional modeling approach is getting transformed to the more sophisticated and reliable integrated transport models where in walk-trips and walk-ability are very important considerations. The

How Can High Levels of Corruption in Central and Eastern Europe Be Explained Essay Example for Free

How Can High Levels of Corruption in Central and Eastern Europe Be Explained Essay What impact does it have on societies at large? Corruption constitutes a significant part of politics in Eastern Europe to the extent that â€Å"talking about corruption is the way post- communist public talks about politics, economy about past and future† (Krastov, p 43). Transparency International defines corruption as â€Å"a misuse of public power for the private gain at the expense of the public good†. There are different types of corruption: bureaucratic, political –administrative, political legislative and judicial corruption. (Ott, p 72). Scholars introduced many potential explanations behind the astronomical levels of corruption in Central and Eastern Europe. In this essay I will examine the communist legacies as well as pre-socialist historical and political background as some of the factors that result in modern day corruption. I will additionally assess the impact of the transitional period on the corruption level. Furthermore it I will examine corruption’s negative costs, such as economic inefficiency and distortion of civil society, decline of the rule of law and, the rise in organised crime along with arguably positive consequences such as resolving bureaucracy and increase in productivity among the officials. Corrupt legal and political systems that were indicative of communist states have greatly influenced the region today. This is due to the connection between economics and politics in the socialist system, which is even closer than it is in liberal democracies (Krastev, p 180). People were forced by the system itself to cheat in order to achieve improv their lives. In western democracies, citizens were able to move around freely and had alternative employers, whereas â€Å"in socialist society with technically one employer it was hard to achieve wanted promotion†(Karklins, 80). Frustration at the system endorsed corruption as means of taking revenge at the system (Karklins). Because of â€Å"the legacy of seeking individualized solutions† became so widespread during socialism it had consequences on the macro level (Karklins). This became even more important following the break up of the USSR as â€Å"the politically linked were the biggest winners in the beginning of transition† (Karklins,p 83). For example, Hungarian communist youth organization purchased the main newspaper for only 1. 5 million forints yet in less than a year the paper was sold for over 100 million (Karklins,p 83). Socialism stimulated inequality during transition, when a â€Å"culture of functional friendship served to cover the exchange of favours as something pleasant and kind† (Holmes, p 79). This communist legacy remains strong in some countries, such as Moldova due to the inability of executive, legislature and judiciary to protect enforce a solid rule of law, which in turn forces people to seek for alternative protection, to the detriment of a strong civil society. Another legacy inherited by the region was the poor economic situation which led to a situation where a â€Å"considerable part of this unofficial regime entailed the second economy†(Karklins,p 76). Scholars such as Miller suggests, that this occurred because trust in the public good and social solidarity was undermined as the real socialist society was split up into â€Å"an archipelago of networks whose members were focused on exchanges with fellow network members at the expense of outsiders†(Miller, p). A huge gap emerged as â€Å"private and dysfunctional public structure; moral declined visibly too, replacing old values with â€Å"materialism and individualism† (Miller,p 193). I don’t understand what this means? As a result people were applying rules of the past regime in a new economy. Another factor was transition itself. As discussed by Karklins privatisation of the wealth of the communist states provided huge incentives and opportunities that were ill protected by insufficient regulation (Karklins p 80). Due to the vast opportunities that some exploited there was a sudden â€Å"internationalization of trade and finance†(Miller, p 52. ) Transition was conducted in an extreme environment. Communist regimes outlawed â€Å"independent, social, communal and civic groups but unofficial networks flourished(Miller, p 77). During the transitional period, in Eastern Europe most corruption took places â€Å"during business transactions with public administration and government offices† (Zuzowski, p 137), this in turn discouraged foreign investment. Examples provided by Walezcki state that in 1998 the Czech deputy prime minister and minister of environment resigned as a result of a political scandal concerning secret donations made to the Civic Democratic Alliance by Czech companies. CDA alliance received 1 million into its illegal Credit Suisse account. The party then used the money to pay for its 1996 election campaign (Walezcki, p 244). Political corruption such as this occurred during the transition period at all levels of society and was poorly regulated, which allowed itto become widespread. Additionally, the uniqueness of the eastern European case following the collapse of the centralised state, allowed favourable circumstances and opportunities that almost sanctioned corruption. According to LS (who’s LS? )â€Å"old habits die hard, and established structures and procedures remain to influence, both through inertia and as a safety net in confusing times†(p 89(LS). However, there is an alternative view that suggests that corruption is not culturally inherited and permanent, but is actually temporary. It can be argued that this is due to â€Å"self-conscious awareness of the phenomenon that suggests that the blurring of norms and the tolerance for deviance is regarded by the public only as an exceptional response to exceptional times, public norms and values remain intact†. (Miller, p283). This theory suggests that habits inherited from a communist past don’t influence current norms. However this is disputable , since according to survey 82 percent of Czechs considered corruption to be the most serious problem in their society in 1996 and almost half of the population believed corruption is permanent part of country’s culture (Zuzowski p 138 ). Another explanation of high corruption clarifies may give an insight as to why the levels vary throughout the region. Looking at the history of countries before the communist take overs and the character of those takeovers may provide an alternative explanation. As demonstrated by Holmes, Eastern Europe was under influence of various empires with different cultures before USSR’s capture, for example Romania was under Ottoman Empire, while Hungary was under Austrian influence. Empirical evidence seconds this opinion: firms stating bribery as frequent in Romania is 15%, while Hungary 8 % (BEEPS, 2008). Another factor that explains difference in corruption tolerance is the â€Å"urbanization and economic development†(Holmes, p 160), which also refers to difference in mentalities. For instance, in the Baltics states, tolerance to corruption was lower and in Georgia because Baltics were more developed â€Å"resulting in different attitudes towards personalized power† (Holmes, p 160). The way in which the communists came to power is equally critical as â€Å"an indicator of subsequent popularity some countries came to support communism like Russia, while in others such as Poland the regime was virtually imposed upon a reluctant citizenry by a Soviet army†(Holms). It is thus their way of rebelling against the system â€Å"with no tradition of popular endorsement†,(Holems, p 160). Nevertheless, this explanation has also been challenged by anti-corruption science, which states that corruption is not dependent on culture but is â€Å"characteristic of institutional environments and characteristic of certain policies†, (K, p 31). This is not always the case however as the question of morality and people’s acceptance of corruption as a norm in Eastern Europe compared to West should be considered. Cultural heritage seems to influence perception on corruption; the difference among the region shows it. EU-8 countries have improved their corruption rates due to EU membership, however their levels of corruption increased again: Slovenia’s and Slovakia’s corruption levels rose by 2% between 2005-2008. The question one must ask is why this happened even though EU regulations and policies towards corruption haven’t changed. High levels of corruption have multiple consequences on the whole society; some of them are negative, some of them are paradoxically positive. According to Bayley negative effects include undermining of formal rules and the rule of law (Bayley, p)The meaning of corruption during communist times was uncertain due to the â€Å"overriding importance of power and institutional interests†(Karklins,P 76). Karklins emphasises that negative consequences of these practices affected the whole of society, as they distorted the â€Å"popular attitudes towards law, equal opportunity, merit, fairness†. Corruption also diminishes the role of the political system by being an informal alternative to institutions (Karklins P 80). Consequently corruption undermines democracy and furthermore the rule of law. For example, in Bulgaria the head of Communist Party from 1954- 1989, Zhivkov, appointed his daughter to high positions, which resulted in her being th4 second most important person in Bulgaria (Holmes, p). Corruption promotes social inequality, because the wealthy can always be protected due to the influence of money on the law. It also creates financial inequality, as it provides opportunities for financially secured people, whilst leaving poor in the bigger disadvantage. Likewise, the continuing role of exclusive personal networks is problematic because they â€Å"limit how eager people are to join other groups, thus undermining civil society†(Bayley). It is argued that the persistence of communist-era exclusive networks worsens development of a civil society (p 89. LS). Similarly, proposed by Ott, corruption is potentially a very destabilizing force because of the abuse on the part of those inside the system that may encourage citizens to become distant with he activities of the state and weaken their own willingness to support the state, for instance by refusing to pay the taxes (Ott, p 67). There are some extreme consequences introduced by Bayley. For instance, corruption can weaken the state as, â€Å"The failure of state to enforce rules creates vacuum to be filled by the organized crime. If government and the judicial system are so corrupt that they cannot help the contract to be enforced the only available enforcer is the mafia†( Bayley, p). This may result in organized crime being â€Å"both a source and product of rising corruption†, (krastev, p 9). It may even lead to political instability and revolution. High levels of corruption can become highly problematic since â€Å"systemic corruption it is impossible to control†. (Zuzowski) Conversely, there is also â€Å"useful corruption† as according to W. Clark it cuts red tape and reduces bureaucratic rigidity (Karklin, p 78). Corruption can increase the â€Å"responsiveness of bureaucrats to individual and group needs (Holmes, p 730). For instance, the power holders accepted the use of blat as â€Å"an informal practice to smooth socioeconomic transactions†(Karklins,p 79). Especially in socialism corruption assisted to overcome some economic problems like shortages. Moreover, corruption may result in â€Å"increased allocations of resources away from consumption and into investment. The key element for the corrupted and the corruptor to consume and invest† Scholars argue that corruption may not always represent â€Å"net drain from investment† (Bayley, p) but it may be the case that government servants with unique access to information about prospects for economic development have greater propensity to invest in productive enterprises. Corruption has serious consequences for the whole society, typically they are negative, since â€Å"benefits are primarily in the realm of politics† (Bayley, p 730). However, â€Å"the analysis has shown that net effects of corrupt practices upon economic development are not always of baneful nature†, (Bayley, p 730). It is thus important to consider some benefits of corruption for post-communist countries and not only focus on the negative. To conclude, â€Å"corruption is the most powerful policy narrative in the time of transition†(Krastev, p 93). Even though there are many factors that provoke rise of corruption, the communist legacy is â€Å"singled out as the critical domestic pre-condition for the rise of corruption† (Krastev, p 53). Other factors such as the crisis of legitimacy and the low trust in the public institutions are also part of explanation (Karklins, p 53). Concerning the consequences, it is obvious that corruption can undermining the development of a strong society, as well as having detrimental impact on politics and economics. It is hard however to assess the whole impact due to lack of data, so the picture will always be distorted. â€Å" It is a crime that nobody is interested to report, and the cases of corruption ending in a court are insignificant in comparison with the number of corruption transactions taking place† (G, p 25). Additionally, the rise in corruption can be a result of either increase of corruption or â€Å"increase of corruption visibility†, especially due to the attention that the subject receives from media (Krastev. p 10).

The Structure Of The Supermarket Industry Economics Essay

The Structure Of The Supermarket Industry Economics Essay This assignment will provide a critical analysis of how a Multinational Enterprise Operates domestically but have foreign ownership by looking at how it creates value, analyzing the industry structure in which it operates and the strategies that it uses within that Industry. As the local markets throughout the world are being deregulated and liberalized foreign firms are looking to locate part of the production process in other countries where there are cost advantages. These might be cheaper sources of labor, raw materials and components or have preferential government regulation. 1.1 Foreign Ownership: Shoprite brand is South Africas largest food retailing which comprises 309 Shoprite outlets. Shoprite goes as back to 1997, started as a small chain of supermarkets. Today Shoprite has managed to increase its operation outside South Africa from one store in Lusaka, Zambia in 1995, to 71 stores in 16 countries, Tanzania being among those countries that Shoprite has its operations. In December 2001 the first Shoprite store in Tanzania was opened at Pugu Road giving a wide range of quality products at affordable prices. Currently Shoprite have four stores in Tanzania, Mlimani City in Mlimani Mall in Dar es Salaam kilombero in Arusha, Pugu Road and Mayfair Plaza in Dar es Salaam. With a wide range of products and at lower prices, always Shoprite has attracted many customers over the years. 2.0 Analysis of an Industry Structure: 2.1The Industry Examining the Supermarket industry through Porters 5 forces (as shown below) shows that the Supermarket industry is intensely competitive, particularly in the low price segment, this competitiveness results from a high bargaining power of consumers, meaning they are able to shop around and switch at no cost . Despite high capital requirements, the threat of entry from new competitors is high in the supermarket industry, with new planned entrants in the future years. 2.2Threat of Substitutes- over all threat Medium as industry is susceptible to changes in the economy/income. More people choosing to go to markets and purchase their needs. Generic substitution- Disposable income spent elsewhere, if economy enters a recession consumers are likely to spend money elsewhere ( small shops rather than in Malls and supermarkets) 2.3 Bargaining power of suppliers- overall supplier power is Low/Medium and changes with the external environment. Food Producers have high cost of production and supermarket can easily take the advantage of this during a fall. Large numbers of food producers -Supermarket owners are likely to find the cost of switching to other producer cheaply. 2.4 Bargaining power of consumers overall consumer power is Medium/High Consumers can shop around as there are many supermarkets in markets Low switching costs for consumers- doesnt cost anything to buy products from Game instead of Shoprite. Creation of comparison window shopping, advertisement where consumers will easily be able to compare products prices and just pick the lowest price. 3.0 Threat of Entry from New Competitors It is not only current rivals that pose a threat to firms in an industry; the possibilities that the new firms may inter the industry also affect the competition. Any firm should be able to enter and exit a market and if free entry and exit exists, then profits always should be normal. The capital requirement to enter the industry is high Many supermarkets planned to be opened in the future. Differentiation: There is no gap in the market- already many existing supermarket. Expected retaliation is high from existing Supermarket, could drop prices to squeeze out new entrants, as demonstrated with Nakumatt 3.1 Competitive Rivalry- HIGH High threat of substitutes Competitors are in balance There are high fixed costs There is no differentiation in the industry 4.0 External Analysis Through analyzing the external environment is easy to understand the industry and make strategic decisions. The purpose of Shoprite external analysis is to understand what may affect the future of the company as a whole. Pastel Analysis: 4.1 Political: these refer to government policy such as the degree of intervention in the economy. In the last five years the government of Tanzania has been amending its foreign policies by providing conducive environment to encourage multinational companies and investor to invest in Tanzania. This is an opportunity for Shoprite since there is going to be free movement of labor, goods, within the east Africa countries. 4.2 Technology: New technologies create new products and new processes. Technology is fast growing in Tanzania such as introduction of ATMs, increase in number of telecommunication companies, with recently introduction of Fiber Optic internet which will give more access of information to individual people. This is opportunity to Shoprite to use the advantage of internet, radio, and magazine to market its products. For examples in last ten years there were few ATMs which bores many customers and businesspersons, because they had to make a huge line into banks for them to do transactions but now is not the same people are more reliable using ATMs which facilitates transaction. Also Telecommunication companies have introduced new technology of money transfer such as M Pesa and Zap which give easy movement of money. On line shopping, and computer aided design are all improvement s to the way the business is done as the result of technology. Through technology Shoprite can reduce costs an d encourage innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organization produce the products. 4.3 Economical These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. The increase of fuel cost can result into high cost of production hence affects the price of product to final consumers. The global economic crisis can have a huge impact to Shoprite as multinational company in its operation likewise to demand of individual is ultimately to be affected. 5.0 Internal Analysis To understand a successful of Shoprite, the internal strategic capabilities must be understood. This section will focus on identifying the key internal strengths and weaknesses (from SWOT). This will be achieved by examining the resources and competencies for Shoprite, applying the VRIO model to these resources and looking at the performance of various business functions within the organization. An organizations resources can be Physical, Reputation, Organization, Financial, Intellectual and Technological (Johnson et al, 2004) the below analysis shows the full extent of Shoprite resources and capabilities and only the key factors will be drawn upon here. Although Shoprite has very strong branding and recognition across Africa, it does not necessarily mean that they have a good reputation or good customer relations. It is one of the low price profit making in the supermarket industry yet they have a bad reputation for not purchasing local commodities and have bad relationship with local farmers who produce vegetables. Most clients complain much on how Shoprite operates, they feel the company just takes their money and have nothing in return to society. As referred to earlier, Shoprite has a very simple, yet effective organizational set up based on the low cost strategy which the owners feel is key to Shoprite success. 5.1 Key factors of this strategy are: Improve distribution over the past 12years, Shoprite has expanded its thrust northward beyond South Africa borders. Currently, 198 corporate outlets serve consumers in 16 countries outside of South Africa (fastmoving, 2009). By open more outlets allows Shoprite to widen market share which increase company profit. By using differentiation strategy Shoprite have been able to segment its customer in different categories. Shoprite is composed of the group checkers, checkers hipper, Ushoprite save, House and home, Ok furniture and Ok franchise Division , for example Shoprite focuses on customers from the middle to lower-income consumers in the living standards measurement 3to8. Low prices this has attracted a large group of customers who their purchasing power is low. 6.0 SWOT ANALYSIS 6.1 Strengths and Weaknesses The key strengths identified from Shoprites internal operations are their stable financial position, good branding, a responsive organizational structure, a strong management team and strong distribution operation. With the strong financial, good branding and strong management has been a motivation for the company growth. Currently Shoprite has 382 operation stores across Africa and one in India. The group continued to extend merchandise ranges upward to cater for a broadening middle class, while retaining the full selection of staple products (Annual report Shoprite). Despite the current depressed economic environment Shoprite is looking five years ahead in planning for growth, intends opening 23 stores in the 2010 financial year. The main weaknesses are its bad reputation for not purchasing local commodities/ products and bad relationship with the local farmers and individuals. Shoprite is taking advantage of its strength (low price strategy) and key competencies (strong brand) to sustain a competitive advantage. The Shoprite (and management team) may not have the best reputation in the industry but does this matter? Shoprite has been extremely successful financially and look set to continue this success in the future, high profit and keeping costs low is the strategy that they are successfully achieving. 6.2 Opportunities and Threats After examining the Strength and weakness it can be seen that there area a variety of factors that need to be taken to the consideration. Shoprite has already taken advantage of key opportunity buy branding and positioning itself as the first Multinational Retailing in Tanzania. After Government provide good business environment such as laying of goods regulations many foreign investor have been interested to invest in Tanzania this can be a threat to Shoprite. Also by introduction of the many banks in Tanzania that has enabled many local entrepreneurs to get loans and open mini supermarket in small towns which is the big threat since more people will be motivated to go those stores and that can reduce Shoprite market share. The key opportunity identified in this market are the increased target market from EAC (East Africa Community ) expansion previously there were only three country but now there five countries where Sudan in the process of the joining the community . Since there w ill be free movement of people within the membership countries hence will increase demand. Shoprite have already taken advantage of internet expansion and this will provide further opportunities ad the internet expansion (introduction of Fiber Optic) that allow online Shopping ( E commerce ) . 6.3 VRIO: A model which allows insight into whether the organizations resources and capabilities translate to the potential for sustained competitive advantage (Johnson et al) Value Rareness Imitability Organization Physical Yes Yes No Yes Reputation Yes No Yes Yes Organization Yes No Yes Yes Financial Yes Yes No Yes Intellectual Yes Yes Yes Yes Technology Yes No Yes Yes 7.0 Key Competencies: Good brand awareness-Shoprite has a strong presence in the public eye which has increase awareness its brand across Africa. Likely in Tanzania Shoprite has large market share because it was the first large Supermarket to be opened. Organizational Structure-Through jointure and opening of many branches and using low price strategy has helped Shoprite to satisfy customer needs. Advance Technology-All Shoprite supermarkets, wherever they are` located, are now equipped with the latest scanning equipment and linked directly to the groups main compture centre. This direct access has great improved stock control and replenishment and using the sales analysis provided enabled store management to monitor closely consume acceptance of product not previously available in a particular outlet. Financial Stability-Despite the groble Economic recession the company total turnover has grown to 20.9%. It benefited from the employment created by the mega infrastructural projects being under taken with a view to the 2010 FIFA world cup in South Africa and the increase in the number and size of social grants. 8.0 The Economic Impact of the MNE Mnes may affect many aspects of countrys economy -balance of payments, growth, employment objectives, and so forth. Under different conditions, these effects may be positive or negative, either for the host country or the home country. In addition, potential gains to host countries go up as local environments become more attractive for FDI. 8.1 BALANCE -OF PAYMENTS EFFECTS Why will Tanzania wants capital inflows? Because such inflows give the country the foreign exchange it needs to import goods and service and to pay off foreign debt. Keep in mind that FDI brings both capital inflows and capital out flows. For the government will be much concerned about the net balance of payment effect and about the possibility that when the books are ultimately balanced, the effect of their net balance of payments may be negative. Lets see what Tanzania will benefit from MNEs. A MNE investment in country may result in a significant injection into the economy of the country. This may provide jobs directly of through the growth of local subsidiary business such as banks, insurance. It may be initiate a multiplier process generating more income as newly employed workers spend their wages on consumption. MNEs May provide training and education for employees thus creating higher skilled labor force. These skills may be transferred to other areas of the country. Often management and entrepreneurial skills learned from MNEs are an important source of human capital. MNE contributes tax revenue to the government and other revenue s if they purchase existing national assets. 9.0 The Problems of Multinational Enterprises The MNE may employ largely expatriate managers ensuring that incomes generated are maintained within a relatively small group of people. The attraction for the MNE may be the large supply of cheap manual labour who they can employ at low wages. This may contribute to a widening of the income distribution. It will also not lead to the transfer of management skills. MNE investment in LDCs often involves the use of capital intensive production methods. Given that many LDCs are often endowed with potentially large low wage labout forces and have high level of unemployment this might be considered inappropriate technology. More labour intensive production methods might be a more appropriate option for alleviating poverty and aiding development. Any resulting growth might be considered anti-developmental. MNEs engage in transfer pricing where they shift production between countries so as to benefit from lower tax arrangements in certain countries. By doing this they can minimize their tax burden and the tax revenue of national governments. As many MNEs are very large and have considerable power they can next influence on governments to gain preferential tax concessions and subsidies and grants. Outward oriented economists maintain that the cycles of poverty will not be broken from within the domestic economy. The level of investment needed to raise productivity and incomes is not possible .Thus foreign direct investment through the MNE activity is essential. By investing in areas and utilizing the factors of production where the LDCs have an absolute and comparative advantage MNEs will lead to a more efficient allocation of the worlds resources. However if this leads to overspecialization and overdependence in certain sectors of the economy then the host country will vulnerable especially if the MNE decides for commercial reasons to leave the country in the future. 10.0 Action Plan for Implementation Planning is indispensable for a company, not too ensure that they stick to plan put to know when they are deviating from it. Shoprite would need to develop a board that will deal with improving the relationship with the local communities. It would be advisable Shoprite reduce importing of vegetable from South Africa instead buy form local farmers this will reduce cost of production since all goods will be locally production hence enable to lower price. The key changes for Shoprites business functions in implementing this strategy would be for the production department as the majority of others aspects will be handles by the service provider. 11.0 Conclusion MNEs play a major role in the country economy development, whoever the government should be more careful with the MNEs by putting laws that will guide them. Same time government should this opportunity as the key for developing the local industries and businesses which will increase government revenue, hence high Growth Domestic Production (GDP).

An Argument for Vegetarianism Essay -- Eating Food Vegetarian Vegetari

An Argument for Vegetarianism ABSTRACT: In this paper I propose to answer the age-old reductio against vegetarianism, which is usually presented in the form of a sarcastic question ( e.g., "How do you justify killing and eating plants?"). Addressing the question takes on special significance in the light of arguments which seem to show that even nonsentient life is intrinsically valuable. Thus, I suggest that we rephrase the question in the following manner: When beings (who are biological and thus dependent on the destruction of other forms of life in order to sustain their own) evolve into societies of moral agents are they entitled merely to assume that they retain their license to destroy other life in order to sustain their own? I answer in the negative. I argue that such societies must continually earn that right by engaging in activity that makes up for and augments the values that they destroy. Unlike other biological beings, humans have complete control over what they eat, whether they eat, and whether t hey reproduce. Hence, the appeals to necessity that are ubiquitous in justifications of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets are inauthentic and must be accordingly forsaken. We will have to appeal instead to the value of particular human activities that are fueled by our consumption of other lives. 'So you don't eat animals, but you do eat plants. Plants, like animals, are living things how do you justify killing and eating them?' The mock indignation and air of self-congratulation which invariably accompany this question make it plain that the speaker does not expect the requested information but rather believes that he or she has delivered an original and decisive reductio ad absurdum against vegetariani... ...sort of axiology that last-person arguments are meant to establish. All creatures imaginable are valued and are attributed with at least one sense, from human beings (five-sensed) to leeches (two-sensed) to clods of earth (one-sensed). Any intentional act of violence against any of these is considered sinful, even an act done for a good cause (e.g., to feed human beings). It is odd, then, that Jainism is merely dismissed in environmentalist literature (Nash 1989, 70; Kalupahana 1989, 248; Curtin 1992, 141 n. 12). (3) My complaint here is against the deliberate ascetic. When people lead meager lives on the edge of physical exhaustion and starvation because of the inequities of economic distribution, it is not they but their oppressors who do an injustice to the environment, using the latter to fill their bellies and their wallets through acts of social injustice.

Business attire Essay -- essays research papers

Commonly many Americans wonder what they want to wear to work. There are different styles constantly coming into style in our everyday lives with our constantly changing culture. Most of the time, what Britney Spears and other celebrities wear to their word day isn’t what we should to wear to work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first article that I referenced was found after going to the search engine google (http://www.google.com). This article I found, Business Casual at Virginia Tech, from Virginia Tech’s webpage (http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/BusCasual.htm#ATTIREMENWOMEN). What this site said was that men and women should wear Khaki pants and long-sleeved button down solid shirts. On a casual day what men could wear would be unwrinkled polo shirts when the work needs to be done outside or in a hot location.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What this site also said was that dressing nice isn’t always buying the most expensive clothing. They said that one would want to dress comfortably and that one shouldn’t expect that they need to look like the CEO of the company. Basically all we need to do when it comes to dress is make sure that our clothes are pressed and cleaned appropriately.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The guidelines that men should use to dress are: if you have doubt, wear a tie; dark socks that don’t show skin when you sit down; wear a light blue, white, or conservative striped shirts; have well groomed facial hair, if one has any; no earrings. Th...

Othello Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

Othello by William Shakespeare is a play about a black general who is alone in being black. No one else in either Venice or Cyprus is from Africa as the Moorish Othello is. In fact, with such a high position in the Venetian military, Othello appears to fit right into the role as general; his race is almost of an invisible quality. His race seems invisible because his nobility and the respect others have for him transcend the mistreatment that he might receive in being so physically different. However, this play is not free of racism or noticing race and its connotations. Othello does not truly have a race until he either manifests himself into his race or others choose to notice it. Thus, race is a latent quality in Othello, one not fully apparent until he gets too personal with the fair-skinned people around him and they reject him or he feels rejected and searches for reasons. The important people in Venice replace the awareness of Othello’s race with the great respect that they have for him, which entails that Othello’s capabilities far surpass any racist feelings others feel for him. Iago, who is Othello’s false ensign, even says that he cannot outwardly appear to hate Othello because it would do nothing to get rid of him: each person in Venice needs his skills as a general. Yet, reading what Iago says helps to see what might be the common voice for the other fair-skinned characters in this play on how race and rank interact: â€Å"To be produced †¦ Against the Moor for I do know, the state, However this may gall him with some check, Cannot with safety cast him; for he’s embark’d With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars, which even now stand in act, that for their souls, Another of his fathom th... ...whose solid virtue The shot of accident nor dart of chance Could neither gaze nor pierce?† (67) Lodovico questions Othello’s sufficiency, nature, and virtue. The senate obviously saw all of those things in Othello since they told them to Lodovico but Othello is much changed at this point in the story: he does not feel like the general so does not act like one and in turn loses all of his human qualities. The last step in the characters recognizing Othello for whom they expect him to be comes when Lodovico says â€Å"O thou Othello†¦wert once so good, [but] Fall’n in the practice of a damned slave† (89). The transition is smooth in Lodovico’s mind: he once was the noble general whose skills surpassed his limitations and now he practices the skills of what he truly is, a damned slave.

Catcher in the Rye Song

The song â€Å"Talk†, by Coldplay is about feeling confused about life, especially about the future, and needing to talk with someone about it in order to get all the worries and concerns and fears out in the open, and hopefully try to figure out a solution to them. It is like a conversation between two people, one the person needing help, and the other the advisor. In states, â€Å"tell me how you feel.. well I feel like they’re talking in a language I don’t speak. † This song relates to Holden because its about the loneliness and depression of Holden.The tone of this song is loneliness and isolation. The mood it puts me in is lonely, heartbroken and depressed. The symbol for this song about Holden is the red hat because when he puts it on, he feels safe and makes him feel happier. This song is saying if you talk to someone about what your going through then you will feel better and get through things easier. I think the red hat symbols this song because when Holden puts in on he feels protected and in the song it saying to talk to someone and have a friend there to make you feel protected and cares for you.In the song, it states, When Holden is trying to tell people â€Å"You'll tell anyone who will listen but you feel ignored nothing's really making any sense at all,† is like when Holden is always trying to tell people about himself or about what he thinks about, but no one seems to care and Holden feels like he’s being ignored. For example, when he talks about the ducks in central park, the taxi driver refuses to talk to him about it, calling him stupid. The title it’s self says a lot about Holden already.The title of this song is â€Å"Talk†, which is something Holden doesn’t do much and such do more of. He likes to keep things to himself and when he does talk, people ignore him and think he is weird. Holden doesn’t like to talk to other people about what he’s going through becaus e he feels like they wont care so he doesn’t talk about anything and I feel like Holden should talk to people about what he’s going through so he could have feel like he’s cared for and to get advice and have a someone to guide him to the right direction.When the song says, â€Å"they're talking a language I don't speak† its about how Holden feels so disconnected from everyone else. He felt like everyone was a fake throughout the novel and that he couldn't relate to anyone. The music is very slow and mellow and makes me feel empty inside and when they sing, they say the lyrics very slowly and calm. The chorus is about all the possibilities that life holds, and all the things that we can achieve.In the song is says, â€Å"you could climb a ladder up to the sun, or write a song nobody had sung, or do something that’s never been done. † This song is also talking about his deceased brother, saying how he is â€Å"scared about the future† because he has been in and out of schools so many times it will definitely affect him. This song is about the sadness felt at not having his brother around to give him advice during a difficult time in his life. It's really sad and emotional and the guitar riffs emphasize the anguish and strong emotion.I can relate to this song. It's clearly about trying desperately to talk to someone about something but they can never speak of what's on their mind because they can never get through to anyone, so they keep their feelings to themselves. The main theme of this song is no matter what we do in life, we never do it alone. I think this song is about losing someone you really care about and finding a way to ‘talk’ but can’t get through to them through spirit. It seems to be a song about not relating to the rest of the world, and wondering what the future holds.

Burger Machine

Burger Machine Holdings Corporation, more commonly known as Burger Machine , is one of the notable fastfood companies in the Philippines. It is a sub-company of the Gilmore Food Corporation. Unlike Jollibee and other burger chains, Burger Machine has always been retailing in outdoor stands instead of shops. History It was created in 1981 by Fe Esperanza S. Rodriguez and a sister who both planned to turn two old small buses into mobile stores, an idea they adapted from America. It was their fondness for hamburgers that inspired them to make a business that would serve for the masses. The stores were hen opened near two gas stations in Quezon City. They all began with a capital of P40,000 with nearly two dozen employees working continuously. This non-stop service earned Burger Machine the nickname of â€Å"the burger that never sleeps. † A year later, a third store was opened. The company was nationally recognized. In 1990, the Corporate Office in EDSA started and was called EDS A Business Unit. It was also in this year when the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology confirmed their burgers as â€Å"source of the most nutrients in terms of peso value compared to other eading hamburger chains. † Through the years, Burger Machine launched dozens of branches including stalls and full-scale fast food restaurants. But during the Asian Financial Crisis of the 90's, the company saw more struggles and was forced to close down several branches and restaurants. Burger Machine is now back to its roots operation which is 24/7 burger stands for the masses. Other information One distinctive character associated with the company is the dwarf which appears on every outlet. For a number of years it had been unnamed. Later in 1988, it was given one, Burger Bart through a name contest. 1] Graphic designer/visual communicator Zeus Paredes coined the name â€Å"BURGER MACHINE† and designed the original logo and graphics o n the mobile stores. The business was widely advertised on television in the mid-1990s. Among those who helped promote it include the Philippines' late master rapper Francis Magalona and iconic band Eraserheads. Permit controversy In 2007, it was revealed that a majority of Burger Machine's stores have been operating without business licenses . Because of this, the Market Development and Administration Department gave them 15 days to go with the demands lest Burger Machine s well as its parent Gilmore would undergo such consequences, specifically having those stores closed. Financial Aspects of Business by Brian Hill, Demand Media Finance is a business function that uses numbers and analytical tools to help managers make better decisions. Every business owner must learn at least basic finance principles to effectively run his company. Finance helps management gain a clear understanding of the company’s current financial position, particularly whether the business is profitabl e or not. Companies of all sizes benefit from thorough financial planning to guide the usiness steadily down the path to future growth. Forecasting And Planning During the planning process, management determines numerical goals for the upcoming 12 months, or in the case of a long-range plan, for three years or more. Company management then maps out the actions that need to be taken, and the timeframe, for the goals to be reached. Finance comes into play when the action steps are converted to forecast numbers for revenues and expenses. Managers with financial planning expertise are able to create forecasts that are attainable yet aggressive. They must also have sufficient nderstanding about company operations to build spreadsheet financial models based on assumptions that are realistic. Accounting And Measuring Results Accounting is the branch of finance responsible for recording financial data and generating financial statements that show the company’s operating results, as w ell as other critical functions such as tax compliance. Accounting has its own set of rules and standards for the recording of financial information and the presentation of results, called Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP. Strict compliance with the standards allows ompany management to be assured the statements they receive are complete and accurate. Finance goes one step further and interprets the results. Variance analysis is done to compare actual results to forecast and uncover the reasons for negative or positive deviations. Finance staff members compare the company’s financial results to those of other companies in the industry to see whether the company is performing above or below average, compared with its peers. Monitoring Cash Position All businesses, particularly smaller ones that do not have large cash reserves or borrowing capacity, must always keep an ye on their cash position — the inflows and outflows of cash. The finance department i s charged with forecasting cash flow to prevent potentially disruptive shortages of cash. In a small company this can mean serious problems, such as not being able to pay employees at the end of the week. Investing surplus cash to achieve a maximum return is also part of the finance function. In larger companies these investment activities take place on a daily basis and involve constant monitoring of the financial markets to select the best investments for such things as the company’s employee retirement plan. Analysis for Decision MakingFinance can be likened to a toolbox for company management to use. The tools help answer questions that management must address when making small and large decisions. A small decision might be whether to lease or buy a new copy machine. A large decision for which finance provides guidance could be whether to acquire a competitor in order to grow the company more quickly. The goal of the data gathering and sometimes complex financial modeling utilized in finance is to ensure the company makes the most efficient use of its finite resources, including the capital, human resources and productive capacity.

Cannibalism: Crime or Survival? Essay

Cannibalism has gone through stages of acceptance to morally corrupt and unspeakable. When faced in a dire situation, such as isolation and deterioration of the mind and body, cannibalism becomes an option of survival. When people confess of their actions, is it fair for us to judge? What would a person do in that situation, and can one honestly punish another for survival of the fittest? Cannibalism dates back as far as the earliest signs of human life. By definition, cannibalism is â€Å"the eating of any species by another member of the same species,† (â€Å"Cannibalism†). Wolves, for example, will eat another wolf if there is no other form of nutrition to be found. This is an example of survival of the fittest, an instinct born unto all living creatures. Cannibalism is primitive in human nature, dating back to the Carib Indians of the West Indies. In the Arwakan language, â€Å"carib† literally translates to â€Å"cannibal.† The practice of eating human meat, whether in ritual or punishment, has been practiced in nearly every part of the world. The reason for cannibalistic behavior has varied among the people. Headhunters, for example, believed eating parts of a victim’s body would grant them magical powers. Some tribes ate criminals to punish them or gain revenge for the crime. Primitive rites commonly involved human sacrifice, and it was not uncommon for the sacrifice’s family to eat certain parts of the body. This practice is labeled â€Å"endocannibalism.† As time progressed, cannibalism went from common practice in the east to an unspeakable sin in the west. Cannibalism is most commonly practiced due to the result of extreme physical necessity in isolated surroundings. It has been justified as â€Å"a model of behavior in food processing as a response to nutritional stress,† (Ellis et al. 4) Essentially, cannibalism in such desperation comes down to practical logic. If one is starving, one eats what  is offered. Examples of this include survivors of a plane wreck stranded without food; boat wrecks on isolated islands; or, more commonly, families trapped in a snowstorm in any large mountain range. One of the most recent cases of cannibalism known is that of Andes flight disaster. In 1972, an Uruguayan rugby team, along with their family and friends, were on their way to Chile to compete when the plane crashed in the Andes mountain range. Several died in the initial crash, and more died due to the harsh conditions and injuries from the wreck. Ten days passed before the little bit of food that was rationed ran out. The group lived for two months before rescue came, and in that time they had committed the unspeakable act. As a group, the survivors agreed to turn to cannibalism and endocannibalism in order to survive. Out of the original forty-five, only sixteen came from the mountains alive because of their survival technique. This group had indulged in what is called survival cannibalism. Survival cannibalism is an innate form of survival that anthropologists believe exists in all humans. When the rugby team was faced with their dire situation, they indulged on their native instinct to satisfy nutritional need before abiding to the morals of society. When rescued, the team told reporters that it was a sort of communion; they ate as little as possible so as not to desecrate the dead. â€Å"Jesus gave the disciples His blood and His flesh at the Last Supper, so we were kept alive through Him,† explained one of the survivors when the press demanded an answer as to what they ate to stay alive (Stranded Gonzalo Arijon). The Uruguayan and Chilean publics accepted these survivors, even though the media slandered them and called them inhumane and cannibalistic. Another, perhaps more famous case of survival cannibalism is the story of the Donner Party. The Donner Party was a group of families being led west by brothers George and Jacob Donner in the winter of 1846-47. The unfortunate groups of pioneers were trapped in the snowy Sierra Nevada Mountains because they did not foresee that they had set out too late in the year with too little provisions. The group traveled through the Great Plains, losing much of their cattle due to heat and starvation. As the group headed on, they left the warmth of the desert-like plains and entered the cold and snow of  the mountains. Their food supply dwindled as they tried to make a pass through the Sierra Nevada range, their remaining cattle became buried in the blizzard-like weather conditions, and many wagons had to be abandoned. The party set up camp in a valley, hoping to wait out the storm and continue on. The wait turned from a few days to weeks, then from weeks to months. The food supply ran out; leather books, oxen hide blankets, and tobacco became a daily meal. Relief parties were sent form California, but they could not take everyone at once. â€Å"If we do not find food, we will have to commence on the dead,† stated Tamsen Donner, wife of George Donner, when the first relief party came to take her oldest children out of the mountains (Burton 166). Tamsen was left with five children and her nieces and nephews to feed as well. The party ran out of oxen hides and leather to eat. The only way a mother was to keep her children alive was to feed them the only food source available. Careful not to choose their relatives, members of the Donner Party ate the only food source available: cadavers of those that had died. When reintroduced into the Californian society, the living members were shunned. Was it right of society to judge them so harshly? How could pioneers claim they would not do the same, when in reality it is more probable that they would? Louis Keseberg, the last member of the party to leave the mountains, was tried for murder. The public should not have demanded that that a survivor of such perils be ostracize d just for living. Another conflicting case is that of Alfred â€Å"Alferd† Packer, dubbed â€Å"Colorado’s Cannibal.† Packer was a mountain guide in 1873 Colorado. He was hired to take a group of men through Bingham Canyon, Utah. This expedition did not end as planned. As with the Donner Party, Packer had not realized that his company had set out too late and would lead to a fatal end. Many men turned around when they were rescued from the cold by a group of Indians, but five remained with Packer. The men set of, no heeding the warnings from the Indians. Sixty days after they left the campsite, only Packer emerged from the canyon. Questions arose to which Packer had no answer, so he lied. He told three versions of his story of survival, and only a few facts were found to be truth. Their food supply had run out and  the men agreed to eat whoever died from starvation. Shannon Bell had killed the four other men while Packer was searching for food. Packer killed Bell due to self-defense, and Packer did not resort to cannibalism until starvation overtook his guilt for the deaths of his men. Alfred Packer was called a murderer and sent to jail, even though he killed in self-defense. It was too quick of a decision to send this man, who was in a starved mindset, to a punishment in which he did not deserve. It is true that Packer was epileptic, and very possibly had several psychological problems, but that did not make him a killer. He was just trying to survive. Learned cannibalism is another category of cannibalistic behavior. It is when one is not driven by hunger to eat the flesh of another human. However, learned cannibalism is often thought of as the cause for Hannibal Lecter-style murders. Anthropologists deny that learned cannibalism is what such killers practiced; it is a method of ritualistic behavior that our human ancestors have passed down through generations. The Japanese army adopted such rituals during their last war. Why did the army commit such a primitive act? Some men state it was to bring to troop together, to give them nerves of steel, so to speak. Others claim it was to clear the taboo in case they ran out of food. Still, some say that it was because the soldiers wanted to gain the powers of the enemy, just as the headhunters had done so long ago. The Japanese military kept these cases filed away, not speaking of the ruthless acts the men committed. Now that the files have been uncovered, the question of whether or not this can be classified as a crime must be answered. With finding that answer comes more questions: Which men are right? Were they really starving, or were they just soulless beings? Was murder enacted to pursue this activity, or were the men already dead? So many questions arise that it is nearly impossible to have a clear, truthful answer as to whether this was a war crime or not. The psychological reason behind cannibalistic behavior ranges from starvation to perversion. â€Å"Cannibalism might be seen as the highest level of sexual perversion. This is closely related to the equally rare carving up of bodies, following sexual crimes and sadism,† state psychologists when asked if cannibalism can be considered a true crime, or if it is just a taboo of western culture (Capraro â€Å"Cannibalism is not a Crime†). Cannibalism isn’t listed as a crime;  the only trespasses a person can be tried for are manslaughter and rape. There is no sentencing to accompany the cutting up or eating of the body. Some people say that cannibalism should be labeled as murder. What if it was not murder that was committed? The custom of the sea dictates that, when a boat is crashed or stranded, survivors are to rely on the dead for food. There is no murder involved if the dead had come to be so due to natural causes. Society has become engrossed with stories of cannibals, murderers, and rapists. People gossip and read in depth about such crimes, feasting on the horrible tales which western culture has only read in stories from Edgar Allen Poe and the like. But what about when it happens in their own culture, to people on their own street? One name sticks out when cannibalism comes up: Armin Meiwes. The case of German native Meiwes is tricky because he could not be sentenced since cannibalism is rarely committed in today’s western culture and is not classified as a crime in Germany. Meiwes’s â€Å"victim,† Bernd Brandes, a man who was in a sexual relationship with Meiwes, had conceded to be killed and eaten by Meiwes. Meiwes could only be convicted for killing upon request and disturbing the peace of the dead (i.e. eating the body instead of burying it). Meiwes admits to being a true cannibal, and is acceptance of his branding as a murderer. But cannibalism does not always involve murder. Brandes consented to having part of him cut off and eaten, thus leaving him alive, and then later asked to be killed and consumed. Meiwes will be forever classified as psychotically disturbed and sexually perverse for his disposition on cannibalism. Society is unacceptable of cases such as Armin Meiwes simply because of the horrific act that is involved. The public demands stronger sentencing, or the death penalty as an eye-for-an-eye repayment. Cannibalism has been passed down through generations around the world, and as time has progressed it has become an ugly, horrible act. Yet, we are obsessed with learning about it. The famous book Hannibal by Thomas Harris spawned movies and general interest in the acts that the main character committed. Harris also gives the view of why cannibalism happens. Most cases of cannibalism occur from a deep psychological problem. Maybe the person who committed the act is  extreme obsessive-compulsive and cannot stand to have a mess; therefore, eating the body disposes of the mess and clears the act from the mind. As a child, the â€Å"cannibal† may not have had a strong relationship with their same sex parent and developed an over-dependent relationship with the opposite parent or a si bling. Such as Armin Meiwes, who had no apparent male figure in his life, consuming the flesh of someone he was close to was a way of keeping the person close to himself forever. As stated before, cannibalism can be seen as the highest level of sexual perversion, therefore many of Freud’s theories on oral fixation and sexual aggression can provide a possible explanation of the thought process of cannibalistic people. The perpetrator of the behavior is fixated on sexual pleasure resulting from the mouth. He or she enjoys the acts of sucking, biting, and chewing, often resulting in a need to have something constantly in his or her mouth. The way cannibalism fits in is that the act of eating another human is on a high level of sexual aggressiveness. The orally fixated person gets pleasure from eating another human, both sexually and orally. Many people who have been convicted of murder and the act of cannibalism have shown to eat those close to them. Either it is a companion, a lover, or a relative that is being consumed. The reasoning behind this is that the consumer wants to remain close to whomever it is for as long as possible, and when that person dies, the consumer sees eating them as a way of reincarnation because he or she is becoming a part of the consumer, thus their life continues. Obviously, this way of thinking is psychotically disturbing and when a person is convicted of such acts, they are put into an institution for the mentally disturbed. Can we send a person to jail for committing cannibalism even though they are psychologically unstable? Or do we take the risk of sending them to an institution to be â€Å"fixed,† and slowly reintroduce them to society? The world pretends to be blind of such acts and prefers to shut away those who do them. This is not taking care of the problem. Yes, the world o f the 1800s chose to shut their eyes against the survival techniques of the Donner Party, but that did not solve the issue of how to deal with the survivors. Survivors of such a tragic incident must slowly be reintroduced into the world. They should not feel that the world is an unsafe place just because they survived. People who willingly commit  cannibalism need to see the wrongs of what they did. On the other hand, people need to see why they did it in order to fully understand the reasoning. What the western culture claims is a taboo, the African culture deems it a ritualistic rite. Today, cannibalism has been turned into a sort of joke. In the cartoons, when two men are stranded on an island, one sees the other and imagines him as a big, juicy steak, thus invoking a chase of sorts. Is that not what happens when two people truly are stranded and starving? The custom of the sea states that when a boat is wrecked, the survivors must be willing to eat whatever is available, even if it is one another. Society does not realize that jokes, shows, and books influence the thoughts of everybody. Many times people will say in a joking matter that â€Å"he tasted just like chicken,† when referring to the eating of one another. In reality, people who make these jokes may someday be faced with the choice of living or dying, and the factor that will keep them alive is eating the person who â€Å"tastes just like chicken.† As disturbing as that thought may be, it is true. Humans’ first reaction in life or death situations is to preserve their own lives. When it comes to women in motherhood, they prefer to save their children’s lives first. If a family is faced with the obstacle of living or dying, such as the Donner Party families, their first choice is going to be to live. A mother wants her children to live, to experience life, even if that means do anything possible to survive. If the family must resort to cannibalism, is it a crime? Can the human race look dow n upon one another just for surviving? It would be ludicrous to believe that people should be abolished just because they chose to live instead of succumbing to death. When boiled down, Cannibalism is essentially only in two categories: survival cannibalism and learned cannibalism. The intrinsic side of modern Homo sapiens deals with survival cannibalism and justifies its cause. The moral side of the human brain cannot fathom the reasoning behind learned cannibalism. Why the ancestors began that tradition is a mystery. Was it first started from starvation? Did the first Homo sapiens not find food and decided to turn on one another? Or was it because of their belief in magic, the belief that humans contained magical powers and by digesting their flesh they absorbed the powers unto themselves? This mystery will remain unsolved, just as the mystery of who started the oral legends in Native American cultures. The reasoning behind society’s outlaws of cannibalism, either  survival or learned, is another mystery, yet it is one that can be solved. In native cultures, such as the Caribs, cannibalism was an everyday ordeal. As time progressed, people on the western hemisphere of the world chose to become more sophisticated. This involved the abolishing of all other cultural practices, from the clothes that were worn to the rituals that were participated in. Christianity was taught throughout the world, and cannibalism fell into the gray area of sins. Only anthropologists understood the need for converging into the act of survival cannibalism, and saw the importance of understanding why it was a ritual so long ago. The society that is shown cannibalistic behavior today is horrified by it because the behavior had not been practiced for so long that even the survival technique became unspeakable. Cannibalism started out as a ritual, a rite of sorts that was common to engage in. Then it moved into a state of survival, a technique only used when one is faced with death. Now, it is considered a perverse, revolting taboo that is blasphemed and blown out of proportion by media. Can one really take an opinion on this? Who can honestly, without a doubt, know for a fact that he or she would not turn to cannibalistic behavior when confronted with starvation? No one can give an honest answer to that question until they have been put in the situation. The brain switches from living by the standards of society to the survival instinct possessed by all living creatures. In all honesty, we are no different from the wolves that will eat a member of the pack in order to live. Works Cited Burton, Gabrielle. Impatient with Desire: The Lost Journal of Tamsen Donner. New York: Hyperion, 2010. â€Å"Cannibalism.† Compton’s by Encyclopedia Britannica. 2005 ed. Capraro, Ingo. â€Å"Cannibalism ‘not a crime.’† News24. 14 Dec 2002. Ellis, Meredith A.B. et al. â€Å"The Signature of Starvation: A Comparison of Bone Processing at a Chinese Encampment in Montana and the Donner Party Camp in California.† July 2010. U of Montana College of Arts and Sciences. Stranded: I’ve Come From A Plane That Crashed on the Mountains. Dir. Gonzalo Arijon. Pro. Gonzalo Arijon. 2007. Zeitgeist video, 2008. DVD.