Electronic Cigarette Sustainable Business in Japan- External Analysis Assignment

Electronic Cigarette Sustainable Business in Japan- External Analysis - Assignment Example PESTEL analysis is the best tool for making market analysis for external factors that might affect the operation of a business. External factors affecting Magpie Pty Limited include environmental factors, political, social cultural, technological, legal and economic factors. Consequently, in order to capture or maintain maintain a market, strategic measures to curb changes in these factors must be enforced by a company (Berg, 2009). The political environment of any nation is crucial in operating a business. Some of the political factors likely to affect the operations include, government stability, corruption levels, tax policy which includes rates and incentives, freedom of the press and government involvement in trade unions. It is important to have good relations with the political class in foreign markets. This is because of the value of political lobbying in business. This is not different in Japan as several laws have been enacted to deal with electronic smoking in the country. The Japanese health sector enacted some laws in 2003 inhibiting smoking of electronic cigarettes in public. The implementation of the laws about smoking electronic cigarettes in Japan operates on a two tier system. The first tier allows partial permission for smoking electronic cigarettes on the condition that they are nicotine free. The government has not yet given out a medical license to electronic cigarettes that contain nicotine. Magpie Pty Limited must adhere to the regulations set including analyzing the transport industry, local authorities and property owners. The transport industry includes airports if the cigarettes are meant for export and further distribution. Some airports however do not allow use of electronic c igarettes. The political environment in Japan is partially seen to be supporting sale of electronic cigarettes. This can be evident by the fact that electronic cigarettes are not exposed to the same tax laws as compared

Interpersonal Communication Essay Example for Free

Interpersonal Communication Essay The capability of every individual create effective and efficient communicative mechanisms can help prevent the further escalation of a conflict. Each action, movement, speech is important in establishing such idea. Thus, proper facilitation of interpersonal communication can bridge the gap between two parties and help create possibilities for cooperation. Analyzing the problem critically, there are certain communicative lapses present between the parents and the owner of the day care. These lapses tend to create different perceptions and ideas that in the end result into conflict among members of the group. Another issue that can be argued revolves around the responsibility of the owner of the daycare. It has been elaborated that there are only certain parameters of care that the organization has to offer which is mandated by the handbook of DHA. These contending of ideas of how responsibility of care is administered also bring about struggles and conflict that can further impede and deteriorate the process of interpersonal communication. With these, solutions must be created to administer proper changes and facilitate communication. One important aspect to consider is to be sensitive to the situation and cultural background of the individuals. â€Å"A stereotype, a fixed impression about a group, may influence your perceptions of individual members; you may see individuals only as members of the group instead of as unique individuals. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 4’, p. 1) The next thing to consider is the importance of creating effective listening skills both to individuals and groups. However, there are many factors that affect the way people listen and comprehend things. â€Å"Members of different cultures vary on a number of communication dimensions that influence listening: speech and language, nonverbal behavioral differences, and preferences for direct and indirect styles of communication. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 5’, p. 1) In addition, individuals must be gender sensitive when it comes to listening. â€Å"Men and women may listen differently; generally, women give more specific listening cues to show theyre listening than do men. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 5’, p. 1) Thus, different strategies must be created to facilitate better avenues for listening. The next possible solution can be characterized how people perceive and interpret communication by means of verbal and non-verbal messages. The way to creating effective interpersonal communication is the advancing and merging of both listener and speaker. â€Å"Meaning is more than words and gestures; meaning includes what speaker and listener brings to interpersonal interaction. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 6’, p. ) With this, words, gestures and other meanings given are important in establishing interpersonal communication. â€Å"Meanings are context-based; the context heavily influences the meanings that words and gestures are given. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 6’, p. 1) Thus, these ideas prove to be a main catalyst in achieving interpersonal communication. The last process in trying to resolve this conflict is the communication process itself. The conversation between the listener and speaker plus the mechanisms that were used can be a vital tool in shaping the outcome of interpersonal communication. â€Å"Maintaining conversations depends on the principle of cooperation; the maxims of quantity, quality, relation, and manner; the principle of dialogue; and the principle of turn taking. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 9’, p. 1) With mechanisms in place, conversation may be able to bridge the communication gap brought about by conflict. â€Å"Preventing conversational problems may be aided by the disclaimer, a statement that helps to ensure that your message will be understood and will not reflect negatively on the speaker. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 9’, p. 1) In the end, giving solutions to the problem of communication revolves around the capability of an individual to harness and foster efficient and effective mechanisms that will create an environment of understanding, collaboration and sensitivity among the group/s. References DeVito, J. A. (2005) ‘Chapter 4:Perception in Interpersonal Communication’ in Pearson Education. [on-line] Retrieved December 9, 2007 from http://wpscms. pearsoncmg. com/ab_devito_intrprsnl_11/43/11047/2828208. cw/index. html DeVito, J. A. (2005) ‘Chapter 5: Listening in Interpersonal Communication. In Pearson Education. [on-line] Retrieved December 9, 2007 from http://wpscms. pearsoncmg. com/ab_devito_intrprsnl_11/43/11047/2828276. cw/index. html DeVito, J. A. (2005) ‘Chapter 6: Universals of Verbal and Non-verbal messages’ in Pearson Education. [on-line] Retrieved December 9, 2007 from http://wpscms. pearsoncmg. com/ab_devito_intrprsnl_11/43/11048/2828345. cw/index. html DeVito, J. A. (2005) ‘Chapter 9: Conversation. ’ in Pearson Education. [on-line] Retrieved December 9, 2007 from http://wpscms. pearsoncmg. com/ab_devito_intrprsnl_11/43/11049/2828563. cw/index. html

Canada and Chemical Weapons :: Canadian Canada History

Canada and Chemical Weapons Chemical weapons date back the Peloponnesian war of 428-424 BC when they were used against the Spartans; the chemicals used were incendiary devices and sulfur-based gases that were blown by the wind onto besieged cities. The chemical weapons used then aren't nearly as deadly as those used in more recent times such as mustard gas, they were more to cause there enemies to retreat. There have been many incidents in history in which chemical weapons have been used as I have found in two articles on the history of chemical weapons. The articles I found are "A Short History of Chemical Weapons", and "Creating the Faith: The Canadian Gas Services in the First World War". Chemical weapons have been used in many occasions in war, including Ancient Times, The Middle Ages, World War I, and World War II and so on throughout time. Many kinds of chemical weapons have been used but modern chemical weapons started on April 22, 1915, with the Germans use of Chlorine gas on the Allie troops in WWI. In this incident 6,000 cylinders of the gas were released by 2 battalions along a 6 kilometer of the front, and the wind dispersed the clouds of gas killing 5,000 soldiers and putting 1,500 more out of the war. This caused great panic because nothing like this had happened before and wasn't expected by the allies. Previous to this event in the Middle Ages they used such things as arsenic and more natural things as chemicals which were as powerful as the chlorine gas ended up being in WWI. Chemical weapons were used many times after the Germans used chlorine gas in WWI, chlorine, phosgene, benzyl bromide, hydrogen cyanide, and then mustard gas in 1917. Mustard gas bec ame the worst and most popular chemical weapon used when it came out because of how harmful it was to the enemies; in addition it was figured that 1,300,000 soldiers were killed by the chemical weapons by the end of WWI. This essay stated that: "If the first World War had continued for yet another year it would indeed have been called the first Chemical War" (A Short History of Chemical Weapons) In WWII the use of chemical weapons decreased a lot and was only used in the Far East. Since WWI has really been called the birthplace of chemical weapons Tim Cook starts his article there with the Germans use of chlorine gas and how chemical weapon use escalated from that point.

Essays --

BUSINESS ECONOMICS ASSIGNMENT--3 Question: 1)(a)Analyse both the conventional and unconventional tools used by central banks. Monetary policy means the measures that are adopted by the Central bank of the different nations implement in the country to achieve certain goals like: Goals of Monetary Policy- ïÆ'Ëœ Controlling Inflation: The monetary policy helps in controlling the inflation by controlling to supply of money. ïÆ'Ëœ Economic Development: It performs exceptionally viable part in pushing economic development by giving sufficient credit to gainful sectors. ïÆ'Ëœ Expand in the Rate of Employment: It has an alternate destination is to attain full job yet without increase in the inflation rate. ïÆ'Ëœ Distribution of Credit: It should additionally guarantee that appropriation of credit ought to be fair and deliberate. The credit necessity ought to be provided for backward territories. 1. Conventional Tools: ïÆ'Ëœ Change the reserves requirements that are Cash Reserve Ratio and the Statutory Liquidity Ratio: Every bank has to have a certain amount of reserves with them from the total deposits that have come in the bank this called as the statutory Liquidity ratio. And the amount of reserve that the bank needs to maintain with the central bank is called the cash reserve ratio. The central bank decides on the percentage of those reserves that the banks hold. ïÆ'Ëœ Open Market Operations:In this conventional tool the Central bank buys and sells financial assets from banks to maintain the economic stability in the country. ïÆ'Ëœ Change of its official interest rate; Bank Rate:The third conventional method that the Central Bank uses to maintain economic stability is change of its official interest rate on the loans taken by the commercial ban... ...on which will in itself require less non-renewable energies like the petroleum merchandise. CITATION- Pigou’s.L(1935) Theory Of Unemployment, Journal of Economics, 286-335 Stanley.D.M. & Warell Thomas, A( 2005) Economics For Business, UK : Prentice hall, Financial Times Press Soloman, H & Hinderston .K (2007) Regression Analysis, Quantitative Survey, Journal Of Business Surveys,299-315 Romer. (1982) Advanced Macroeconomics, New York : McGraw Hilton Alesina, K & M.Toyle(1997) Business Economics, Journal Of Business Economics, 67-89 Kuznets, H(1948) National Income: A new Version, Advanced Macroeconomics, 89, 102 Chapman, Greg.K(1997) Economics: An interactive Study Guide, Longman University: Melbourne Barzun, L(1958) Advanced Macroeconomics, Journal of Economics, 123-48 Keynes, J.M(1936) The General Theory Of Unemployment, Interest, MacMillan: London

A short analysis of “The Bucket Rider” and “A Country Doctor”

The Bucket RiderThis short story, typical of Franz Kafka’s surrealist writing, would bring the reader into some false hopes that the speaker would somehow get through the dilemma or problem he is in, but ends in frustration and despair. Such false hopes that the narrator would somehow get some coal that she/he desperately needs are created by the magical elements in the story. Somehow likened to Aladdin’s flying carpet, the bucket becomes the narrator’s humble vehicle which safely brings her/him to the destination, the coal dealer’s cellar. Nevertheless, unlike Aladdin, the speaker shows extreme dependence on the bucket and what it should contain, i.e., coal. We could likely interpret the bucket and the coal as the narrator’s source of security that ought to be filled up once it goes empty.Probably it could be one’s desire for love or (to be Freudian about it) it could be the libidinal desire for sexual gratification. In one way or another, t he characteristics of the bucket could be likened to human emotions: like emotions the bucket â€Å"flies,† and like emotions, the bucket, likened to a steed, could not resist. There could probably be many other interpretations on what the bucket and the coal may represent (as well as what the coal dealer and his wife, and all the other elements in the short story represent) but one thing clear is the ending: that eventually, coal would run out and when it does at the point when one is without means (but to beg) to get a new supply, then one would have to end in despair, in the regions of the ice mountains. This is the recurrent Kafka theme: that human life is inescapably frustrating and riddled with anxiety, riddles that seem not to have any answers.The Country DoctorThis short story stands out for its repeated use in classes in demonstrating Freudian psychoanalysis. A number of psychology and literature professors fancy using this short story to show how a classic surrealis t literature could be Freudian. True, the elements of this short story could well be translated in Freudian terms but that I shall not pursue in length. It may be enough for the purposes of this short essay to say that the groom, the doctor’s alter ego, could very likely represent his id, the hidden erotic side of his personality, and that being a professional could simply be the sublimation of his sexual desires.Such would bring a whole new paradigm in the short story; nevertheless, I would want to point out, not how the entire short story could very well demonstrate Freud, but the theme of how frustrating human existence could be. The district doctor is ironically portrayed as powerless to attend to his own needs and desires. Torn by the call of duty, he did not have the power to stop the groom from running after Rose when he explicitly said that he does not have the intention of handing the maid to the groom.It should be mentioned that the groom and the horses magically ca me from the doctor’s own pigsty, which made Rose say, â€Å"You never know what you’re going to find in your own house.† Such a frustrating existence could very well be seen in the patient’s house as the doctor once again is caught in the frustrating dilemma of a healthy boy wanting to die, only to be reversed afterwards, i.e., after diagnosing that the boy indeed is sick, this time the boy wants to live. While in the patient’s house, the doctor is constantly troubled by the horses, the parents, the sister, and other human beings like the village elders. Again he proved to be helpless when his upper garments were removed from him.He managed to escape but this time his magical horses would not canter but would rather go slow. The doctor, now in between the patient’s house and his own, gives a cry of despair: â€Å"Never shall I reach home at this rate; my practice is done for.† All of what he has, i.e., his home and his maid as well as his profession are all now gone, all because he made a mistake to respond to a false alarm. These entire surrealist events point to the meaninglessness of it all, the frustrating existence of the country doctor who is incapable of saving his own self.ConclusionThough there are obvious differences as regards the characters, the use of symbols and elements, etcetera, we could say that the two essays are similar in a number of ways: the theme, i.e., inescapability of frustrations and powerlessness in human existence; the use of surrealism and magic; and the possible use of Freudian paradigm to interpret the elements of the stories. All these we have seen in our discussion above.

the child and society essays

the child and society essays Growing up in Brooklyn was never always an easy thing to go through; however, it did have its moments. There were the summer time games of stick ball and rat tag, corner cards and dice, but what brought a smile to Tonys face the most as he sat reminiscing the days gone by, was the people. The people were always great, they had their faults and issues, but they were his people, and this was his home. And, as Tony sat on his balcony in the same old wooden chair his father use to sit on all those years ago, he felt at ease, a surge of wisdom running thru his mind as he stared onto the streets of his neighborhood. Some children gathered around a fire hydrant shooting water out of one spout, in their shorts, as he had at the same hydrant all those years ago. That hydrant was always easy to open. The old men sat out side Vitos Deli playing checkers and talking politics. Vito died many years before, but the men still came and the name never changed. The younger men, slicked back hair, leath er jackets and smoking non-stop sat out side the local pool hall and bar, whistling at the young girls walking to the market. This was the same Brooklyn he had run away from. It had never changed, clothes hanging from the balconies and rooftops, the shops were the same, and even the old cars were still driven and parked along the streets. Most of all, the people were the same, maybe they were the sons and daughters of the old generation, but they were still the same people. How strange the world is, Tony thought, you can never know what to expect. He remembered what his mother said to him when he was sixteen, he never understood it then, he thought she was just trying to translate some old Italian proverb, but now he understood, now he knew what she meant, if he only he had realized then, things would have been so different, but how was he to know, he was only a kid, and kids were not expected to know adult things at that age. Children were at ...

Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essays

Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essays Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essay Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essay Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Ashley Gatt Glen Providence XCOM/285 July 31, 2011 Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report What can a company do in order to boost the employees’ morale, to improve productivities, to enhance efficiencies, and to retain good employees for a long-term? What can a company do to ensure that the business succeed (goals)? Companies cannot operate their businesses without the employees. For this reason, companies need to provide their employees a benefit package that will promote the companies’ concern and consideration for employees’ well being. Many companies offer standard employee benefits package that the employees take it as a typical employment package. Instead of offering common employee benefits package, those that provide tuition reimbursement (employee educational assistance) program experience positive results in organizational development and employee retention. Many successful companies that provide tuition reimbursement program showed that they have low employee turnover rate while enjoying high productivities and enhanced efficiencies from the employees (Babcock, 2009). In this paper, new professional opportunities that the employees with the business and communication bachelor’s degree can pursue are identified. Detailed information of types of careers and the earning potential of people with the degree often have are presented. At the same time, this paper elaborates both tangible and intangible benefits that the company can realize by implementing the tuition reimbursement program. As soon as employees earn the bachelor’s degree in business and communication, the opportunities for a new profession will become tangible and within reach. The employees with the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication can explore new professional opportunities to work in the areas of advertising, marketing, business management (administration), human resources, and corporate training. The bachelor’s degree programs in business and communication require students to take courses in sociology, finance, business management, economics, marketing, and other business related courses that will round out the candidate’s business and communication skills in order to advance within the workplaces. Additionally, the employees with the business and communication specialties (skills) can take aim in research and development or public relations division to grow into a professional public relations manager, trainer, or director (executive). The employees with the newly attained bachelor’s degree were taught and trained to develop diverse skill set. In addition to gaining the skill set to handle the administrative tasks, the newly minted graduates would have gained additional skills that may include: * Marketing and public relations * Speech presentation * Responding to public and consumer inquiries Maintaining contacts * Critical thinking and creativity * Strong research skills * Problem solving * Competitiveness and enthusiasm * Learning how to work with a wide range of clients * Understanding market demands * Research and analysis * Conflict management * Strong writing skills (ULinks. com, 2007) People with the degree often work as a mediator, buyer, sales manager, supervi sor, development officer, labor relations specialist, business trainer, benefits administer, mediator, corporate relations officer, communication specialist, customer sales representative, college recruiter, and others. People with the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication have choices of professions that vary in range from government agency jobs to Fortune 500 company jobs. Employers who are seeking to hire people with the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication are mainly looking for people with strong relational skills, computer skills, writing skills, and critical thinking abilities along with specialized business education that includes accounting, finance, economics, business law, management, public relations, marketing, and sociology. The undergraduates in business and communication majors are especially adapted to the latest computer technologies such as Internet, e-commerce, e-mails, and other electronic communication. Two of the most desired skills many employers seek are social and writing skills learned from the business and communication courses. Because business and communication skills are in demand in the diverse industries, those with the bachelor’s degree in the field do not need to limit their prospects. Other industries that offer employment opportunities for the undergraduates are technology, government, education, social services, broadcasting, and even religious professions (ULinks. com, 2007). When it comes to work, the employment benefits are one of the criteria that people seriously weigh before making the final decision. The employment benefits college-graduates are typically offered are quite different from those offered to employees without a degree. While high school graduates try to hold on to their low paying jobs, people with higher degrees tend to weigh on the potential benefits the companies offer. A college degree offers graduate students extra benefits (earning potential) such as wider career options, better promotion opportunities, and lower chance of unemployment. Many college graduates can work in the fields that are unrelated to their major field of study while people without college degrees struggle to keep the ones they already have. Companies are more favorable toward promoting college graduates because those employees with college degrees are perceived as more dependable and serious about their jobs. People with degrees have higher chances of keeping their jobs than those people without the college degrees. Earning potential of people who have the bachelor’s degree is proven to be higher than those who do not. According to the an article in USA TODAY, Census Bureau conducted a survey among people with and without college degrees and discovered that the people with the degrees earn nearly $1 million more over his or her lifetime than a high school graduate (USA TODAY, 2002). Moreover, a college graduate can earn $2. million working full-time job during the typical period of work-life (between ages 25 to 64) whereas a high school graduate can expect to earn $1. 2 million during the working years (USA TODAY, 2002). Implementing tuition reimbursement program not only benefits the employees who take the advantage of such program, but it also benefits the company. The tuition reimbursement program, sometimes known as employee educational assistance program, can boost employee mo rale while generating greater work efficiency resulting from highly motivated and knowledgeable employees. Many human resources gurus believe that tuition reimbursement program is one of the best and most affordable employee retention tools around (Business and Legal Reports, Inc. , 2010). While employees gain new skills and knowledge by completing the degree courses, the company (employer) spends less money by supporting its employees earn college degrees than paying for the employees to attend seminars, classes (marketing or language), or training new employees. According Jodi Albin, a human resource specialist for Pacific Continental Bank, the investment in upgrading employees’ educational levels actually translate into long-term employee loyalty (low employee turnover rate) (Shufffler, J. , 2008). The companies can use tuition reimbursement program as an effective recruitment means. The employees who work for the company that demonstrates its appreciation by boosting the company morale and culture will be more productive and efficient; thus, the company will benefit due to the improved production and efficiency. Successful companies recognize that investing in employees in attaining new skills and education is beneficial for the companies as well as for the employees. Companies that extend their employee benefits package by including the tuition reimbursement program have lower rate of employee turnovers, higher productivities, and improved company morale. To be specific, the tuition reimbursement program, a worthy investment, improves the workplace environment, increases productivities and efficiencies, and, turns around, brings many intangible benefits to the company. Employees who earned college degrees in business and communication can elevate higher flexibility to apply their newly learned skills in other departments. Overall, the companies that implemented the tuition reimbursement program reap benefits also because most of the employees who attain the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication are highly motivated and productive, tend to stay loyal (employee retention), and look for advancement within the companies. References Babcock, P. (2009). Always more to learn. HRMagazine, 54(9), 51-56. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from EBSCOhost database. Business and Legal Reports, Inc. (2010). Does tuition reimbursement benefit employers? Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://hr. blr. com Shuffler, J. (2008). Tuition programs are good investments. Oregon Business Magazine, 31(9), 51, Retrieved July 31, 2011, from EBSCOhost database. ULinks. com. (2007). Business Communication Degree: Business Communication Class, Business Communication Training. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from ulinks. com USA TODAY. (2002). Amount of schooling affects earning potential. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from usatoday. com

The Invention of the Saddle Stirrup

The Invention of the Saddle Stirrup It seems like such a simple idea. Why not add two pieces to the saddle, hanging down on either side, for your feet to rest in while you ride a horse? After all, humans seem to have domesticated the horse around 4500 BCE. The saddle was invented at least as early as 800 BCE, yet the first proper stirrup probably came about roughly 1,000 years later, around 200-300 CE. Nobody knows who first invented the stirrup, or even in which part of Asia the inventor lived. Indeed, this is a highly controversial topic among scholars of horsemanship, ancient and medieval warfare, and the history of technology. Although ordinary people likely do not rank the stirrup as one of historys greatest inventions, up there with paper, gunpowder and pre-sliced bread, military historians consider it a truly key development in the arts of war and conquest. Was the stirrup invented once, with the technology then spreading to riders everywhere? Or did riders in different areas come up with the idea independently? In either case, when did this happen? Unfortunately, since early stirrups were likely made of biodegradable materials such as leather, bone, and wood, we may never have precise answers to these questions. First Known Examples of Stirrups So what do we know? Ancient Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huangdis terracotta army (c. 210 BCE) includes a number of horses, but their saddles do not have stirrups. In sculptures from ancient India, c. 200 BCE, bare-footed riders use big-toe stirrups. These early stirrups consisted simply of a small loop of leather, in which the rider could brace each big toe to provide a bit of stability. Suitable for riders in hot climates, however, the big-toe stirrup would have been no use for booted riders in the steppes of Central Asia or western China. Interestingly, there is also a small Kushan engraving in carnelian that shows a rider using hook-style or platform stirrups; these are L-shaped pieces of wood or horn that do not encircle the foot like modern stirrups, but rather provide a sort of foot-rest. This intriguing engraving seems to indicate that Central Asian riders may have been using stirrups circa 100 CE, but it is the only known depiction of that region, so more evidence is needed to conclude that stirrups were indeed in use in Central Asia from such an early age. Modern-style Stirrups The earliest known representation of modern-style enclosed stirrups comes from a ceramic horse figurine that was buried in a First Jin Dynasty Chinese tomb near Nanjing in 322 CE. The stirrups are triangular in shape and appear on both sides of the horse, but since this is a stylized figure, it is impossible to determine other details about the construction of the stirrups. Fortunately, a grave near Anyang, China from approximately the same date yielded an actual example of a stirrup. The deceased was buried with full equipage for a horse, including a gold-plated bronze stirrup, which was circular in shape. Yet another tomb from the Jin era in China also contained a truly unique pair of stirrups. These are more triangular in shape, made of leather bound around a wooden core, then covered with lacquer. The stirrups were then painted with clouds in red. This decorative motif brings to mind the Heavenly Horse design found later in both China and Korea. The first stirrups for which we have a direct date are from the tomb of Feng Sufu, who died in 415 CE. He was a prince of Northern Yan, just north of the Koguryeo Kingdom of Korea. Fengs stirrups are quite complex. The rounded top of each stirrup was made from a bent piece of mulberry wood, which was covered with gilded bronze sheets on the outer surfaces, and iron plates covered with lacquer on the inside, where Fengs feet would have gone. These stirrups are of typical Koguryeo Korean design. Fifth-century tumuli from Korea proper also yield stirrups, including those at Pokchong-dong and Pan-gyeje. They also appear in wall murals and figurines from the Koguryeo and Silla dynasties. Japan also adopted the stirrup in the fifth century, according to tomb art. By the eighth century, the Nara period, Japanese stirrups were open-sided cups rather than rings, designed to prevent the riders feet from becoming entangled if he or she fell off (or was shot off) of the horse. Stirrups Reach Europe Meanwhile, European riders made do without stirrups until the eighth century. The introduction of this idea (which earlier generations of European historians credited to the Franks, rather than Asia), allowed for the development of heavy cavalry. Without the stirrups, European knights could not have gotten onto their horses wearing heavy armor, nor could they have jousted. Indeed, the Middle Ages in Europe would have been quite different without this simple little Asian invention. Remaining Questions: So where does this leave us? So many questions and previous assumptions remain up in the air, given this somewhat scanty evidence. How did the Parthians of ancient Persia (247 BCE - 224 CE) turn in their saddles and fire off a parthian (parting) shot from their bows, if they did not have stirrups? (Evidently, they used highly arched saddles for extra stability, but this still seems incredible.) Did Attila the Hun really introduce the stirrup into Europe? Or were the Huns able to strike fear into the hearts of all Eurasia with their horsemanship and shooting skills, even while riding without stirrups? There is no evidence that the Huns actually used this technology. Did ancient trade routes, now little remembered, ensure that this technology spread rapidly across Central Asia and into the Middle East? Did new refinements and innovations in stirrup design wash back and forth between Persia, India, China and even Japan, or was this a secret that only gradually infiltrated Eurasian culture? Until new evidence is unearthed, we will simply have to wonder. Sources Azzaroli, Augusto. An Early History of Horsemanship, Leiden: E.J. Brill Company, 1985.Chamberlin, J. Edward. Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations, Random House Digital, 2007.Dien, Albert E. The Stirrup and Its Effect on Chinese Military History, Ars Orientalis, Vol 16 (1986), 33-56.Sinor, Denis. The Inner Asian Warriors, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 101, No. 2 (Apr. - June, 1983), 133-144.

Sexual Ambiguity in As you like it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sexual Ambiguity in As you like it - Essay Example The first slightly questionable relationship the reader sees within the play is that of Celia and Rosalind. They are cousins, but when Orlando is leaving, Le Beau alludes to the fact that they do in fact share a bond that is out of the ordinary. The answer to the question of how close two individuals can be can often take physical and emotional dimensions. Rosalind and Celia are undeniably more than just friends. One can judge the relationship between the two as both emotional and physical. When Shakespeare introduces the two characters (Rosalind and Celia), Celia uses flowery expressions to describe Rosalind. She refers to Rosalind as â€Å"my sweet rose, my dear rose† ideally, one would expect such kind of descriptions to come from a man when describing a woman who is his lover. When Celia was later defending Rosalind against her father, she accepted that Rosalind is a turncoat following the fact that they had â€Å"slept together.† Having slept with Rosalind, Celia a dmits that she too should be branded a traitor if her friend, Rosalind is considered to be a traitor. The use of phrases such as â€Å"slept together†, as well as â€Å"inseparable† by a lady in reference to another lady is in itself complex enough as regards sexuality (Bloom 54). Normally, anyone would expect to hear a man use such terms when referring to his lover or when a woman is referring to her male lover, but in this case, here are two women exhibiting some uncommon sexual bond between them. How sophisticated can it be? The two sisters are presented as two swans that belong together and cannot be separated from one another. Further, Rosalind puts on male cloths to disguise herself against any probable assailant when they set off for the Forest of Arden from the palace. After choosing a male figure, Touchstone, to go with them, his presence as a male companion was enough security for them. They were no longer alone travelling through the forest. In spite of the presence of Touchstone, Rosalind readily agreed to put on male cloths, which puts into question gender role as she takes a masculine responsibility. Rosalind had no reason for disguising herself in male attire to keep off possible attackers because they had Touchstone at their disposal. The fact that she goes ahead to wear male cloths invokes a sense of sexual ambiguity in the play. The relationship between gender roles and attires is brought into focus through cross dressing. Rosalind easily slips into male attire, which enables her to move around with much ease, issue advice and mingle with other men easily without any trouble. The freedom accorded to her courtesy of her dress code gives her the authority to initiate courtship. Rosalind appears to be more active than her friend Celia, who remains largely passive as she retains her female identity. When the two friends are in the Forest of Arden, it is quite fascinating to see Celia, who assumes a female identity sits back and wait for fortune to knock at her door and deliver a man in her life. On the contrary, Rosalinda who dresses up like a man and takes a more masculine role actively seeks for courtship. Sexual ambiguity in the play As You Like It also manifests when Shakespeare presents scenes that contradict the possibility of any sexual relationship having taken place between Rosalind and Celia. As it later emerges, both friends, Rosalind and Celia, are much enthusiastic about getting involved in relationships with Orlando and Oliver. Rosalind and Celia are much willing to take in Orlando and Oliver as their male lovers. Their readiness to accept heterosexual relationships

Operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operations management - Essay Example However, in some situations, intangible factors may lead to the specialization of the company in a certain area. Some of the companies may not be aware of the intangible specialization and are therefore faced with serious problems in their attempt to shift from a certain market segment. Intangible specialization can be simply defined as specialization of a company in a certain area due to some intangible factors mainly brought about by the routinized activities of the company in performing its different operations relating to the production of the main product the company produces. The intangible factors include routinized and path-dependent decision-making routines that help in the regulation of the process and product design and renewal of the product (Maielli, 2005, p. 250). In addition, intangible specialization is mainly concerned with the internal routines and the accumulation of intangible capital in the designing and manufacturing of certain products, making the company effic ient in the production of such products, as well as other products. Intangible specialization may restrict the company in a certain field and hinder its attempt to change the area of its operation. It reduces the output mix flexibility of the company even if the company has technical flexibility in its production technology (Maielli, 2005, p. ... The company should therefore device means of reaping maximum income from the area of specialization, as attempts to shift into other areas will be difficult in most cases. Knowledge of the intangible specialization also helps the company in formulation and application of strategies that will aid the shift to other areas in the supply chain. Intangible specialization is categorized into the evolution theory of economic change. The theory emphasizes the importance and effects of routinized and path-dependent decision-making and output-mix decision-making (Maielli, 2005, p. 250). In addition, intangible specialization usually affects the way a company reproduces the technical skills that aid in the manufacture of certain types of products (Maielli, 2007, p. 285). It usually comes up involuntarily as a response to the domestic market in the area of operation of the company. Intangible specialization may be advantageous or a limitation to the company. This is mainly dependent on the strat egies that the company formulates while factoring in the strengths and weaknesses due to its intangible specialization in a certain area of operation. One of the main benefits of intangible specialization is that it may help a company overcome different financial difficulties if efficient strategies are put in place to enable it to have output-mix optimization in the area where it has intangible specialization. 2. How did Intangible Specialization affect Fiat’s strategy and output-mix optimization in the 1970s? Fiat is an Italian company mainly involved in the manufacture of cars. The company has a strong reputation in the manufacture of city cars, though it also manufactures other types of vehicles. Intangible specialization has made the

Race and gender assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Race and gender - Assignment Example But Crashs weaknesses far outweigh its strengths. It fails to delineate and explain the differences between forms of bias found in different communities, reduces discussions of race to discussions of feeling and bias, ignores social institutions and different access to privilege and resources, and focuses discussion on race while masking other important factors such as class and gender. Jensen and Wosnitzer explain, â€Å"The central theme of the film is simple: Everyone is prejudiced -- black, white, Asian, Iranian and, we assume, anyone from any other racial or ethnic group. We all carry around racial/ethnic baggage that’s packed with unfair stereotypes, long-stewing grievances, raw anger, and crazy fears. Even when we think we have made progress, we find ourselves caught in frustratingly complex racial webs from which we can’t seem to get untangled†. This is a fair enough point, but is it true? Is everyone equally embroiled? No. Internalized racism is certainly a problem, as is racialized resentment towards a dominant class (e.g. whites, men, etc.) But not all groups are made equal when it comes to their expression of racism and bias. Blacks express the desire to live in integrated communities overwhelmingly; it is whites who are opposed (Defina). Further, more subtly, there is a big difference between the prejudiced attitudes of those who are the oppressed, the underdogs, of societys social structure, and the attitudes of those who are on top. It is the difference between the hatred that the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto felt for the Nazis and the hatred the Nazis felt for the Jews. The hatred might be equally virulent and violent, but the first is defensive and is in response to the perceived actions of the second. The Jews did not think that Nazis were genetically or culturally inferior, vermin who needed to be extinguished; blacks did not think whites were too stupid to manage their own affairs and deserved to be enslaved. It is the dominant group that

MHE503 Survey of Emergency and Disaster Mgt Module 1 SLP Essay

MHE503 Survey of Emergency and Disaster Mgt Module 1 SLP - Essay Example People had their own reasons as to why they chose to stay; no matter what, the clear matter to understand is the fact that they placed that reasoning way before the capability of escaping the dangers of staying in their area during the drastic occasions of the disasters. From the dates Oct 21, 1988 (Philippines) and Nov 19, 1988, the same storm visited both countries and as seen from the results of the disaster, the number of deaths in the Philippines mirrored with the number [3,902,424] compared to that of the deaths in Thailand during the same occurrence of disaster in Thailand killing only [664] makes a huge defining indication with regards the process of disaster response that both countries use. Particularly, the areas affected by the storm in the Philippines are of course higher in number. No matter, it could be observed that the willingness of the people to follow instructions from the government immediately makes a great difference in the rate of deaths on both countries. Floods and storms had been noted to be among the most common disasters in Thailand and the Philippines.2 It could be noted through this comparison though that the Philippines have an undeniable higher rate of deaths in connection with these disasters. Truthfully, the import ance of heeding warnings when given is an important factor to consider on the part of the civilians living in the areas affected by the disasters at a specific time. 3. Explain reasons for the differences in frequency and impact, citing academic journals or references. Besides the fact that the population of residents between Thailand and Philippines differ so much in number creates a great implication that the entire process of warning people might

John Stuart Mill and Aristotle's Viewpoints in Their Epistemological Essay - 6

John Stuart Mill and Aristotle's Viewpoints in Their Epistemological and Metaphysical Attitudes - Essay Example The researcher states that Mill and Aristotle have different viewpoints over what constitutes satisfaction in life. In his writings on Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill upholds utility as the ultimate happiness principle. In this sense, an individual should strive towards maximizing one’s pleasure and works towards minimizing pain. Mill, therefore, holds that pleasure and the absence of pain are the ultimate ends in a person’s life. On the other hand, in Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes the ultimate end of life as leaving in virtue and reason. Aristotle argues that happiness is a subjective concept that differs in every person. He refutes honor as concerned with seeking legitimacy among other people. In this sense, honor is not necessarily the legitimacy that it represents. Aristotle argues that a satisfied person must master the intellectual virtue and the moral virtue. Besides, satisfaction demands that a person possesses the ability to use one’s facultie s of reasoning in the appropriate sense. John Stuart Mill and Aristotle disagree over what makes up correct knowledge. Aristotle, in the Organon, developed a method of logic that comprised a system of principles for establishing syllogisms. In this sense, individuals could utilize their intuition to develop logic. Such forms of arguments start with a core premise that precedes a conclusion. On the other hand, Mill, an empiricist, believed that knowledge could only form out of senses. Forming logic depends on observing a system of related instances that bear a premise true. In his System of Logic, Mill created hegemony between deductive thinking and inductive thinking. In deductive thinking, a conclusion leads towards the development of principles that support it. On the other hand, inductive thinking involves drawing a conclusion from clearly stated premises.

MHE503 Survey of Emergency and Disaster Mgt Module 1 SLP Essay

MHE503 Survey of Emergency and Disaster Mgt Module 1 SLP - Essay Example People had their own reasons as to why they chose to stay; no matter what, the clear matter to understand is the fact that they placed that reasoning way before the capability of escaping the dangers of staying in their area during the drastic occasions of the disasters. From the dates Oct 21, 1988 (Philippines) and Nov 19, 1988, the same storm visited both countries and as seen from the results of the disaster, the number of deaths in the Philippines mirrored with the number [3,902,424] compared to that of the deaths in Thailand during the same occurrence of disaster in Thailand killing only [664] makes a huge defining indication with regards the process of disaster response that both countries use. Particularly, the areas affected by the storm in the Philippines are of course higher in number. No matter, it could be observed that the willingness of the people to follow instructions from the government immediately makes a great difference in the rate of deaths on both countries. Floods and storms had been noted to be among the most common disasters in Thailand and the Philippines.2 It could be noted through this comparison though that the Philippines have an undeniable higher rate of deaths in connection with these disasters. Truthfully, the import ance of heeding warnings when given is an important factor to consider on the part of the civilians living in the areas affected by the disasters at a specific time. 3. Explain reasons for the differences in frequency and impact, citing academic journals or references. Besides the fact that the population of residents between Thailand and Philippines differ so much in number creates a great implication that the entire process of warning people might

Loss Prevention Policies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Loss Prevention Policies - Assignment Example Fraud continues to increase alarmingly with each passing moment recording a new or even more sophisticated form of fraud. The situation is made worse by an increasing adoption of information technology that networks and connects the information infrastructure in businesses. Hard economic times are also tempting employees to engage in fraud. This paper will review the benefits of a comprehensive fraud control program and give a conclusion at the end. Fraud is a big problem even for large established global corporations; consider the case of dell Computer Corporation. In 2007, it had to redo its financial reports between 2003 and 2006 due to a deliberate manipulation of figures to meet quarterly budgetary targets. John Rigas, former chairman and founder of Adelphi Communications and his son Timothy who served as the CFO (Chief financial Officer) at Delphi were convicted for massive fraud in 2007 (Stanek, 2007). This illustrates the extent of fraud in organizations where even the senior leaders who are supposed to be role models actually initiate and commit heinous acts of corporate fraud. However, a comprehensive fraud monitoring system can come in handy to help detect and therefore help an organization reduce its risk to fraud. Comprehensive fraud monitoring involves the use of technology that incorporates forensic techniques to analyze data and information paths regularly to detect anomalies, to detect fraudulent acts while the re is still time to stop or mitigate the fraud. An effective fraud monitoring system is difficult to achieve by using the existing requirements and regulations necessitating the need for a comprehensive fraud monitoring system especially where senior management can be involved in fraud. A comprehensive fraud monitoring system continuously and constantly monitors happenings in a company’s financial system tracing the movement of cash, which can be used to trace back or detect potential fraud. A

Juvenile Deliquency Essay Example for Free

Juvenile Deliquency Essay How does juvenile delinquenct affects an individual education The investigator has discovered that juvenile delinquency effects on individual education in many ways majority of the respondents said that criminal record viewed possessed by a juvenile delinquent is viewed negatively when applying for a job or trying to go overseas because of delinquent activities the juvenile the juvenile caught doing by the law. Failure to achieve set goal is cause by juvenile hiding away from school to do delinquent activities. Another factor is that juvenile could be expel from school because of getting into fights, stealing and having arguments with teacher. When applying for a job is also another factor which juvenile delinquency may affects an individual’s education due to the fact that the juvenile as expel from school and didn’t get subject needed to qualify for the job. Common causese of juvenile delinquency Having concluded on the deemed roots of juvenile delinquency the resident believed that poverty mostly causes juvenile delinquency in community x. This is because most parents in this community are unemployed and cannot feed their children, so out of hunger these children will go of the out way to do delinquent things just to have a meal. Neglect also causes juvenile delinquency reason being is that every juvenile needs love and attention. If a child is not getting attention they needs due to the fact that he/she is living in a single parent family, the child will seeks the easiest and quickest way to get attention. Thus this child might get attention from someone who is delinquent and this person might motivate the juvenile to do negative act, this was stated by the resident. Peer pressure was also indicated as a cause by the resident this is because every child do what they are motivated to do or what they see their peer is doing and things its good. A small amount of the responden ts agrees that physical and mental is a cause. They said that every juvenile who is being abuse tend to react negatively to person in the society and have an hatred in their heart who tries to be nice to them. Effective ways to reduce juvenile delinquency There are many effective ways which could be used to reduce juvenile  delinquency. A large percentage of the stated that juvenile needs more access to information because if they get more information the juvenile will know the penalties which they have to face after committing the delinquent act. Introducing more guidance is also another way to reduce juvenile delinquency because if the juvenile is guided in the right path they will not stray from it. Having seminar will help delinquent persons to learn certain values and attitude, and that if being delinquent they will only be poor contributors to the society. Parenting skill seminars will also help reduce juvenile delinquency because parent attends the seminars would be thought certain things like they must not be neglect full to their children which may leads to juvenile seeking attention and find it at the wrong place.

Compare And Contrast Federalism Under Fdr Politics Essay

Compare And Contrast Federalism Under Fdr Politics Essay Federalism, a political system which is aimed on establishing a strong central government -which in return is constitutionally mandated to share equal powers with its local and state governments. It sounds straight and simple but some of American historys most enduring and complicated issues have resulted because of this political concept. Before the passage of the US constitution -there were people at one side of the political confederacy the pro-nationals, demanding a strong national government as the key answer for bringing America on its feet after its independence from the British while there were some, pro-states- who believed in investing all the powers in the states as the only solution. The American constitution -later adopted by the founders of the country is a blend of these both sides embedded with federalism. Even, after this historical political settlement -there have been US leaders previously and now- who tend to favor and accordingly set their governments policies e ither being a pro-national or pro-state. For the purpose of this essay, I will be comparing and contrasting federalism under the administration of specific US presidents -FDR, Nixon, Clinton and Bush. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) came into power during the worst economic crisis-the great depression-in the American history. He expanded the governments power not just on central level but at municipal, state and local level as well -in order to better handle the loss caused by the great depression. His philosophy was no matter how big a government might get -it should have involvement and be responsible for its citizens .Its purpose should be to serve the common man on the street. His government was fundamentally dedicated on creating a political system which is largely focused on the welfare and care of its people; to help them out and pull the country out of this economic mess -where banks, stocks and all other major government financial institutions had collapsed. He formulated a program calling it the New Deal which involved on large scale federal-state cooperation in funding and power sharing. He initiated the welfare system, social insurance for the poor, elderly and the une mployed. According to FDR, the only way for the recovery would be if both the central and state governments worked together in joint effort-sharing equal powers. Through this transfer and shuffling of power, he established a system of dual federalism. He is the spearhead of many federal and state run programs that are running in the country today-directly affecting the lives of the millions living in here. I personally feel he was the first one to truly practice federalism in its essence- in his every day policy making and administration while being in power. When republican president Nixon took office, like many of his successors before and after him-had his own judgment about the division and assigning powers from the high level -national authority to the lower state or local agencies. He adopted a stricter managerial approach in the effort of making the overall governmental system more efficient and competent. He felt that the central government had been encumbered with unnecessary load of power and policy implementation which on the other hand could be carried out much more efficiently at the local government level. He based his administration on a pro-state approach-directing money and power from the central federal government and into the hands of smaller locally and state run agencies. He did this by mandating grants-in-aid into block grants -a devolution- by transferring power from the central side and giving much authority and money to the smaller state run governments. He believed that such a pro-state federalism will serve the community better as the state and local agencies have the easy access and better understanding to reach the areas in need. Bill Clinton like Nixon had main aim of making the federalist government more competent in nature but had a watchful approach towards granting more power to states. He was well aware of the importance of states having its self-sufficiency and powers but not at the cost of putting the central government at a vulnerable position. He viewed states as laboratories for implementing and experimenting policies passed by the national government. Although, throughout his reign, Clinton mandated strategies that gave more power to states- but ultimately favored devolution targeted towards making the national government stable and strong in nature. Unlike Nixon, Clinton was not in favor of smaller state run federalism. George Bush like Clinton shared a similar background before becoming the president. Both were governors but Bush era differed from Clintons in the way Bush adopted, shifted and granted powers to the states. Bush was an ardent advocate of small pro-state federalist government. Bush reversed Clintons proposed policies in regards to making states accountable and liable to the national government- in the matters such as setting national standards and rules for environmental guidelines. Bush made it harder for the central government to overrule and interfere in states decisions .He favored rule implementation by the states and less interference of the central government in the matters of the local government. The debate over federalism and the choice of being a pro-state or pro-national is an age old argument for our country. Our presidents- past and present may had differences in political opinion and formulated different policies geared towards handing more power to either states or national level but all shared the same admiration and regard for the government. They all agreed on the vitality and influence of government in a nation. American Federalism- the main idea seeded by the founders of this great nation -is yet to play many roles and touch our lives in many ways in the years to come.

Car And Bicycle Brakes :: essays research papers

Caliper Brakes Effectiveness: good mechanical advantage as it allows the operator to brake with little effort on the hydraulic lever, which needs to be squeezed. Material: Calipers are fixed mount, opposed piston calipers cast from aluminium alloy. Calipers are the hydraulic clamp portion of the disc braking system. Manufactured from either ferrous or non-ferrous materials and bolted firmly to the suspension upright(or knuckle) the caliper holds the pads in place and, through the action hydraulic pistons actuated by the master cylinder, force them against the rotating surface of the disc when pressure is applied to the brake pedal. Friction Material: non asbestos brake pads Car differences: size is one major difference in car and bike systems. The systems can be totally different but still use hydraulic mechanisms. Cantilever Brakes Effectiveness: provide good power and modulation. They are very effective in stopping the bike because they provide a large stopping force, but the rider’s heel will hit the brake and may irritate the rider and cause the brakes to ruin. Material: includes 2 brake shoes and a brake pad Friction Material: non asbestos brake pads. Car differences: size and shape. Also consists of lighter materials. V Brakes Effectiveness: basically the same as above. Material: Friction Material: Car differences: Drum Brakes Effectiveness: Very good brakins system as they wear very slowly and are not afftected by weather. Also used with Disc Brakes. Being on the rear. Material: A bike drum brake is hand operated which is attached to the hub of the wheel, the shoes press on the inside of the drum. Friction Material: Non asbestos fibre. Car differences: In bikes they are hand operated and in cars they are foot. Drum brakes are completely different to hydraulic brakes. Hydraulic disc Brakes Effectiveness: Hydraulic brakes have a great mechanical advantage therefore are a very good design of braking system.

Patty Herst vs. Connie :: essays research papers

Patty Campbell Hearst Vs. Connie   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Where are you going, where have you been?† is a story about a young teenager named Connie that is rebelling against her parents and discovering her sexuality with older boys. No one can really control Connie; she sneaks around and hides what she does from her parents. Her character reflects a person named Patty Campbell Hearst who was kidnapped in the seventies. I am going to compare these two people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of Patty Hearst is a bizarre one. First of all Patty is the granddaughter of the famous newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. That’s why she was kidnapped in the first place. She was taken on February 4th 1974 by an activist group who called themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. This uncanny group was trying to wage a war on those of status and money. When the SLA abducted Patty there was media frenzy over it. Anyway she went missing for two months then something most unexpected happened. She appeared on a surveillance tape helping the SLA rob a San Francisco bank. This bizarre twist of events is still being debated today. Why would a girl join her captors and help them in crime?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now I’ll compare how Connie resembles this concept. During the story Connie keeps going farther and farther with older and older boys. Keep In mind that she’s a young girl much like Patty Hearst. Toward the end of the story a much older man named Arnold Friend arrives at her doorstep attempting to seduce Connie into â€Å"going for a ride† with him. She was alone and he knew it. At first she kept telling him to leave but he started getting under her skin. He just kept trying to reassure her that he wouldn’t hurt her and that he was her friend. But Connie knew from the start that he was a dangerous man and that something wasn’t right. He knew all sorts of things about her. Arnold told her exactly where her family was at the time they we’re talking without her saying anything. It was obvious that he’d had an eye on her. However Arnold Friend still hadn’t convinced Connie to go with him. Then he started leaving hints that he was going to take her. For instance he said: â€Å"Connie, don’t fool around with me, I mean don’t fool around.† Eventually he was really getting to her and she threatened to call the police.

Death into the Wild Essay

Into the Wild was Jon Krakauer’s best selling non-fiction novel about the adventures of Christopher McCandless. In essence it was an expansion of his earlier work entitled â€Å"Death of an Innocent† which appeared in the January 1993 issue of Outside. The novel chronicles the experiences of Chris McCandless, the 24-year-old nature enthusiast who left his suburban Washington, D. C. , home in 1992 for a wilderness trek through Alaska’s backcountry. Equipped with a 10-pound bag of rice, a small-caliber rifle, and not much else, McCandless fashioned himself into a modern-day American Adam determined to explore the nation’s â€Å"Last Frontier. † The excursion, however, came to an abrupt end four months later with McCandless’ emaciated corpse discovered in an abandoned school bus not far from the boundaries of Denali National Park. Into the Wild presents Krakauer’s account as to what drove McCandless to such a fate. Between the time of its appearance in 1993 to its publication as a book in 1996, Krakauer’s story elicited numerous responses, including many from Alaska residents who derided the author for glorifying what they saw as nothing more than a young man’s folly. For these readers, McCandless represented just another ill-advised individual who ventured unprepared into dangerous country in the hope of discovering answers to his life, which was merely met by â€Å"mosquitoes and a lonely death† (72). As I reckon such a perspective fails to account for the significance of Krakauer’s novel within the genre of narrative non-fiction. In lieu of this, what follows is an explication of the role of Krakauer’s methodology in the process of explicating the story of McCandless into the wild. Narrative non-fiction takes the form of a documentary as far as it opts to elucidate the objective conditions underlying the formation of a particular situation. A literary work within the genre of narrative non-fiction may thereby be understood as a â€Å"creative treatment of actuality† (Carroll 154). The aforementioned notion works on the assumption that literature may be able to shape reality creatively through the introduction of an artistic dimension within a literary piece. Such a dimension however, which necessitates the introduction of an aesthetic aspect within the text contradicts the foundations of works of non-fiction which involves the maintenance of objectivity within the text. Objectivity in this sense is assessed through the author’s general appraisal of the events presented within the text. In that sense, objectivity takes the epistemological form of objectivity wherein it understood as objectivity in judgment. Such a form of objectivity is maintained within works of non-fiction since such works are understood as the author’s account of an event. To understand a work as an account enables the application of fluidity upon the work since it is presented as open to interpretation as well knowledge and truth coercion. Such a process of truth coercion may be seen in Krakauer’s narrative of McCandless’ journey into the wild. Into the Wild begins with a narrative exposition wherein the reader is introduced to the major characters of the story along with the necessary background information needed to contextualize the discovery of McCandless’ corpse. The beginning of Krakauer’s Into the Wild thereby is highly similar to the expository beginning of a novel. Such a beginning enables the skillful orchestration of a preconceived conception of McCandless’ story. It enables the conception of McCandless as an individual who ventured for the discovery of his self through the discovery of a presumed unknown territory. Krakauer’s work thereby functions as a vehicle for the reader’s discovery of McCandless journey towards himself. Such a journey was enabled by the collage of various materials that enabled the factual retelling of McCandless’ life up to the point of his demise. The process of contextualization mentioned above was made possible by using materials from interviews as well as McCandless’ journal along with photographs, letters, and other secondary research materials that enabled the explication of the conditions as to McCandless’ adventures. The use of these varied materials enabled the book to be a moving literary piece formulated through the combination of journalistic, historical, nature and travel writing, as well as memoir writing. It should be noted that these materials as well as the formation of the collage of the aforementioned materials were constructed by the author. Into the Wild thereby presents us with Krakauer’s account of the events. As I reckon, it is the construction of the narrative as well as Krakauer’s presentation of the account, which serves as his take into the events that governed McCandless’ existence. Other individual’s perceived McCandless’ act as an act of folly however, Kraukaeur presented it in such a manner that it focused on the adventure and drama, which he perceives as intrinsic to the act of finding or discovering one’s self. Within the book, he represented McCandless as an extraordinary individual whose existence was governed by courage and skill evident in his demonstration of McCandless’ desire to survive within an unchartered territory. Kraukauer’s analysis of the risks examined as well as the narrative structure of text presented Krakauer’s judgments as to the life that McCandless led. Works Cited Carroll, Noel. â€Å"Fiction, Non-Fiction, and the Film of Presumptive Assertion: A Conceptual Analysis. † Philosophy of Film and Motion Picture: An Anthology. Eds. Noel Carroll and Jinhee Choi. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Villard, 1996.

Beautiful Beach

The school holidays has finally arrived, my parent's have decided to bring me and my little brother, Shepherd to go on a vacation at (Beach name). We have already planned this trip a few months ago and have done all our preparations. We were very excited to go on this trip because we have not went on a family trip since I was 12. We have brought foods such as rice, chicken, snacks, and drinks like Coke or Juice. We also brought some equipment to prepare the foods. I would never forget my fishing rod, because there is a good area for fishing.We left our house at 2 in the afternoon ND the Journey to the beach took approximately an hour , therefore we arrived at the beach at 3:00 P. M. It was very fun on the way to the beach. My brother and I looked out the window and check out the villages and the view there during the Journey. I would request to stop for a while to take some pictures of a beautiful view. We enjoyed looking at the traditional houses, green farms, and a river connecting to the sea. A village close to the beach sells fresh seafood. My mother stopped by there to buy some fresh seafood there such as shrimp, crab, and fishes to prepare our early dinner at the each.Upon our arrival, we looked for good spots at the beach, because it would be very crowded on weekends or holidays. We selected a cool place under the trees, and extended a mat on the white sand. The wind that blew through the trees softly made the weather cool and pleasant. Peace came into my heart when I looked at the very beautiful long white sand. People were playing all sort of games on the beach; for instance they played volleyball. Some of them swam in the shallow sea. There were some kids that were trying to build a sand castle. Everybody looked happy at that time.

Individuals and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Individuals and Teams - Essay Example The assembly line followed in this company will be tested during this experiment in order to find the variation of effectiveness between teams and individuals within the manufacturing process. In the Recruitment stage, the applications are invited for positions like tailors, cutting experts, tacking experts, finishing experts and finally, supervisors. There is a need for 24 tailors, 8 cutting experts, 12 tacking and quilting experts, 12 finishing experts, and 4 supervisors to oversee these four activities. In the Selection stage, there are interviews and practical tests to find which applicant is best suited for which job in the operational activities. Also, they are questioned regarding their leadership abilities so as to find four supervisors who also know enough about the job. This brings us to the final phase known as Functional Study. By working in a group, the supervisors held meetings with each other at the end of the day. This brought about better communication and synchronization of activities. Also, they got a chance to discuss any strengths and weaknesses so as to garner second and third opinions on tacking and taking advantage of the same. This led to standardization of activities along the lines of a set formula. ... Motivate each individual appropriately. Get maximum cost economy from each group. Restrict material handling quantum by dividing the amount of material to be handled among various individuals. Find ways to break monotony in repetitive activities. This brings us to the final phase known as Functional Study. By working in a group, the supervisors held meetings with each other at the end of the day. This brought about better communication and synchronization of activities. Also, they got a chance to discuss any strengths and weaknesses so as to garner second and third opinions on tacking and taking advantage of the same. This led to standardization of activities along the lines of a set formula. By implementing these rules, the following was the motion and time study at the end of the second month: Old Method New Method The number of yards workers covered per day was reduced 500 120 Average number of tons per man per day 34 68 Average earnings per man per day $2.20 $2.90 Average cost of handling a ton of 1500 lbs $0.055 $0.025 Team 2: The following is the structure of the team working at the Banff and Buchan Education Office: (Source: Aberdeen Council) The job descriptions for the various positions were well coordinated through the following features: 1. Administrative Officer Line management of Admin. Staff Manage accommodation issues within Woodhill House Annexe Monitor and manage central budgets for accommodation improvements, furniture

Starting A Business Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Starting A Business - Personal Statement Example I got candle (manufacturing) business is most appropriate for me. For idea generation I used the approach is market driven and the method used is "Growth Products" by which I tried to clearly perceive and think of growing products, which have experienced a regular and remarkable growth in demand. As I found that electricity problem is a greater problem here and during nighttime a few areas covered by electricity so people have to use oil lamp as alternative but the price of oil is out of their capability of purchase so, candle will be the best alternative for them and yet there is no candle manufacturer company. As the market is huge and no threat of competitor except some substitutes so the market has no entry or exit barrier and the profitability is high enough (shown in table below). As this business require a very little investment of BDT 10,00,000 ($20,000) the risk is very low and no intervention should comes from government as Govt. always encourage investing in this country a t any sector. The project is about 20 years. And Govt. of Bangladesh had a contact with China to work on Development in Electricity sector after 30 years as a project of water plant is already running. So till the completion of my target deadline my project is secure enough. Along with assumption, SWOT analysi

Behaviorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Behaviorism - Essay Example Write a speech to be delivered in front of politicians, appealing to them to act for a drug-free state MATERIALS AND RESOURCES Instructional Materials: Copy of the poem Pad paper for writing Ballpen Pictures of street people doing drugs Resources: â€Å"We Real Cool† A Poem by Gwendolyn Brooks INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN Sequence of Instructional Procedures/Activities/Events (provide description and indicate approximate time for each): 1. Review/Assumptions Students already know the basic concepts in analyzing a poem such as persona, addressee and situation. They should know that the persona and the author are different. Although there are times when the situation in the poem relates closely with the experience of the author, it should be assumed that the author is thinking of another persona as his poem’s persona. 2. Presentation of New Information or Modeling: The teacher provides a brief introduction about the author, Gwendolyn Brooks and how famous her poem is (5 minutes). 3 . Guided Practice: The teacher shows the way to write a speech by asking students to think of a thesis statement they can use to start the speech and asking them to identify three points for discussion. The teacher checks if the students are able to write these four ideas before they proceed with the writing (5 minutes). 4. Independent Student Practice: Students work in pairs to write a persuasive speech based on their reaction to the poem. After writing, one of the students in the pair reads the speech in front of the class (20 minutes). 5. Culminating or Closing Procedure/Activity/Event: Students choose the best speech and tell the reasons why they like it (5 minutes). Pedagogical Strategy (or Strategies): Partner work; Reader-response Approach Differentiated Instruction: Students with difficulties will be paired with those without difficulties, in the same way that those who are good in English writing will be paired with those who are not. The students are encouraged to think of three points to discuss in their speech but there is no requirement as regards the length of the speech. Student Assessment/Rubrics: The following rubrics will be used to evaluate the speech made by students: Criteria 1 2 3 4 5 1. The speech has a well-defined thesis. 2. The speech contains three main points that support the thesis. 3. The speech is persuasive; its main points are clear and true to the real-life scenario. 4. The speech is free of grammatical errors. 5. The speech is free from biases and fallacies; direct to the point and informative. â€Å"We Real Cool† A Poem by Gwendolyn Brooks The Pool Players.   Seven at the Golden Shovel. We real cool. We Left school. We Lurk late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon.   B.   Discuss how you could modify the lesson plan you provided to incorporate behaviorism. 1.   Justify a curriculum content modification in the lesson plan that incorporates behaviorism. Setting the mood of st udents is an important feature of the behaviorist classroom (Wheldall, 2012). Behaviorists try to avoid negative behaviors by reinforcing positive ones (Wheldall, 2012). In the given lesson, the teacher could say, â€Å"

Customer Value by Amway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Customer Value by Amway - Essay Example The present research has identified that Amway ensures that its products are satisfactory. This attracts the interest of customers and clients in the products and promotes the brand image. Customer retention and customer value are also realized. Constant research aimed at finding ways of improving the quality of Amway’s products and ensuring adherence to customers’ preferences is undertaken. The company does this through the over 500 active research employees it has employed. The company takes part in corporate responsibility programs (CSR) at an international level. This is a benefit to communities living within Amway’s business environment as they also gain from the company’s profits. Amway services the customer and not a global market or organizations. Its concentration is on the customer and ensuring that his needs and demands are met. This is expressed in the company’s vision. From the case study presented, it is clear that Amway ensures that c onsumers benefit from its products by offering quality products and indirectly rewarding the clients through corporate social responsibility.

How successful is the EU in providing a regional response to the Essay

How successful is the EU in providing a regional response to the problems arising from globalisation - Essay Example e the United States, Canada and Mexico share NAFTA, the North American Free-Trade Agreement, much of Western, Central, and now Eastern Europe subscribes to the tenants of economic and political integration through what is arguably one of the most potent transnational organizations in the world, the European Union. The EU today has more than two dozen members and is in the process of further expansion. Will Turkey one day join the European nation of families? Will Serbia, the largest state of the former Yugoslavia, regain the favor of Western Europe and one day become a full-fledged member of the European Union? To what extent has the European Union been successful in providing a regional response to the problems arising from globalization? Globalisation has provided increased political pressures for the EU to expand and this arguably is the major challenge that it has faced over the past 20 years (Fierke & Wiener, 1999, 44-46). Seeking to analyse the EU’s pressures to expand i n a globalised world, the following aims to address how the EU has responded in a holistic fashion to expansion in an era globalisation. Created following the tumultuous events of the Second World War, the European Economic Community was an important precursor for the establishment of the European Union. Accordingly, the European Union is an international organization which is estimated to generate 30% of the worlds total Gross Domestic Product (Almond et al, 2002, 100). As an economic powerhouse with significant stature on the global stage, the European Union is presently in the process of increasing its membership and aims for near total European integration in the political, judicial, economic and social spheres (Almond et al, 2002, 101). The evolution of the European Union has occurred in tandem with the globalisation of the world community and the EU has fundamentally changed in composition since its inception. Accordingly, since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the EU has

Economics P3 Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics P3 Assignment - Essay Example Short-Term Interest Rates In most cases, the Federal Reserve use either contractionary or expansionary money policy to influence the short-term interest rates of fund. In a contractionary period, there is a higher level of short-term interest rate as shown in the figure below this means that the banks will avoid borrowing money from the Federal Reserve banks as they keep their reserves at the authorized level. As a result, the banking institutions will change a higher rate as it lends less money out, because they are borrowing money at a higher rate thus, loans become expensive, and the economy slows down. In addition, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) issue trading on the open market operations as it promises higher returns on interest rates reduces the quantity of money supply (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2012). When the Fed uses the expansionary monetary policy, the interest rates fall leading to cheaper interests rates and banks consequently borrow mo re funds from the Federal Reserve banks to maintain their reserve requirement rate. At this point, the open market operations that were bought earlier from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) are sold at a higher interest rate leading to increase in money supply in the economy. (Mankiw, 2012) Foreign Exchange Rates Just like, local exchange rates that are affected by the monetary policy tools, the foreign exchange rates are also affected. As a result, conventional monetary policy that are implemented by the Federal reserve has a greater influence on the exchange rate as foreign exchange interventions take place to control the economy's demand and supply of money (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2012). As a result, contractionary monetary policy implementation by the Federal Reserve creates shocks in the economy, as it allows the foreign exchange rate to appreciate for a shorter period and thereafter, the exchange rate depreciates with time to its original leve l. Long-Term Interest Rates More than often, the Federal Reserve decision to use the tools of monetary policy affects long-term interest rates in the economy. Depending on Fed uses, contractionary and expansionary monetary policies the effects will be realized in the long-term interest rate (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2012). With an increase in the discount rate, reserve requirement and open market operations, the long-term interest rates will increase over time. This is because, banking institutions will have less funds as compared their reserve requirement to lend out to its customers with the ever-increasing long-term interest rate. However, expansionary monetary rate increases the money supply as the interest rate reduces and increased credit is widely available leading to lower long-term interest rate. As a result, the demand for money increases leading to more investments. The Amount of Money and Credit in the System In most instances, the Federal Reserv e uses the tools of monetary policy to influence the availability and cost of money and credit in its economy. As a way of tightening money supply and credit availability, the Federal Open Market Committee FOMC directs the New York stock exchange to sell government securities (Mankiw, 2012). As a result, it collects funds from the public and collect payments through the banks by reducing their reserve account in the main Federal Reserve Bank. In the end, banks have less money to lend to its customer

Understanding the affordable care act Essay Example for Free

Understanding the affordable care act Essay Understanding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(PPACA or ACA) can be difficult but it is not as confusing as it may seem. This paper will highlight some of the provisions that have already been implemented and will discuss how it affects me, healthcare workers, and the citizens of Arkansas. There are two provisions I will discuss that went into effect on January 1, 2011. One is known as the Medical-Loss Ratio(MLR) and the other is a policy focused on Bringing down healthcare premiums. The MLR policy will put an end to insurance companies being able to raise rates without explaining their actions, or justifying the reason for their high premiums. The policy aims to bring transparency to the healthcare rate changes by requiring â€Å"that all insurers seeking rate increases of 10% or more in the individual or small group market publicly disclose the proposed increases and the justification for them†. (Insurance Rate Increases, Posted: December 21, 2010, para. 4) These proposed increases will be analyzed further by the affected state before approval to determine if they are in fact reasonable. The ACA provides funding to states in order to strengthen or create rate review processes and consumers will be provided with detailed information on proposed increases from their insurance provider. The other significant policy made effective at the same time is one that will bring down the cost of insurance premiums. Under this provision, insurers must spend 80% (for individual or small group insurers) or 85% (for large group insurers) of premium dollars on health costs and claims, leaving only 20% or 15% respectively for adminis trative costs and profits. If an insurer fails to meet this requirement, there is no penalty, but a rebate must be issued to the policy holder. (Key Features of the ACA, n.d.) This affects me by protecting me from unreasonable rate increases. As I get older, I make more frequent visits to a healthcare provider for both acute and chronic illness. The costs add up quickly and with a limited source of income, anything that I can save helps greatly. A common feeling among insurance holders is that we are paying for something that we never use so the idea of a rebate for overpayment of premiums will be welcomed by all. There is one provision that became effective on September 23, 2010 that was a relief to my family in a time of despair. My mother underwent many procedures and surgeries in the last few years of her life and we were concerned about limits on annual or lifetime coverage placed on her by the insurance company. Under the law, insurance companies are prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits, and their use of annual dollar limits on the amount of insurance coverage a patient may receive will be restricted. Her medical bills were significant, but we never had to worry about her coverage expiring. The American Nurses Association has fighting for health care reform for many years. By doing so, the ANA is promoting our core value of patient advocacy. We have been taught that we should represent our patients’ best interests in regards to healthcare at all times. So supporting measures that will allow for more affordable healthcare, is what nurses should do. The ANA has been working to ensure that RNs are â€Å"fully included as leaders and eligible health care providers in new, patient-centered, team-based models of care, and accountable care organizations. ANA continues to urge federal agencies to include advanced practice registered nurses as primary care providers, and for nurse-managed clinics to qualify as essential community providers.† (Still The Law, August 2012, para. 7) Arkansas has put much effort into forming our Health Insurance Benefits Exchange, called the Arkansas Health Connector. It is a program through which our more than 500,000 uninsured Arkansas can shop for affordable health insurance. The plans are required to offer 10 essen tial services. Some of which include prescription drugs, emergency and hospital care, doctor visits, maternity and mental health services, rehabilitation and lab services. â€Å"The Arkansas insurance Department(AID) has been awarded a one year, $1 million planning grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight CCIIO) to assist with studying options for development of the best possible Insurance Exchange for Arkansans.† (Planning for HBE, n.d., para. 2) This Arkansas Health Connector makes it easier for uninsured individuals to shop for comparable and affordable health plans. The requirements placed on these plans are also greatly needed in order to provide complete healthcare and prevent future healthcare related costs. The only cons that I will mention are that not enough people know about the availability of this program and that if people do not already know, they will found out rather abruptly when they are assessed a $95 penalty on their filed income tax return. The ACA  outlines plans to reduce episodic based care and increase population(community) base d care. The idea is to provide a higher value of healthcare instead of volume, while reducing readmissions for nosocomial infections, preventable diseases, or complications from chronic conditions and illnesses. By implementing community based programs to promote healthcare, we can reduce healthcare costs and help patients live healthier lives with reducing the risks of significant and recurring medical problems as well as their associated costs. Regardless of arguments against the ACA, the most important aspect is that it helps Americans to become and remain healthier people. It teaches our next generation to value healthcare, and to take an active role in being healthier adults. The ACA will affect me professionally as well as personally. Another provision of the ACA provides for the increase of payments for rural healthcare providers. The majority of communities who are most in need of higher quality and more affordable healthcare, are located in the rural areas of our country. These communities often have trouble attracting and retaining medical professionals. My wife is also a nursing student, and we live in a rural area, so we plan to take advantage of these incentives to provide a hig her standard of healthcare to those in need. A similar provision worth mentioning calls for the rebuilding of the primary care workforce. In order to strengthen the availability and quality of healthcare, there has been increased funding for scholarships and loan repayments for primary care physicians and nurses working in underserved areas, as well as tax free student loan payments for these health professionals. (Key Features of the ACA, n.d.) Again this affects my wife and I directly through scholarship opportunities and reduced financial burden after we graduate. Also affecting me is the increase in the number of patients seeking healthcare due to more people have health insurance. This will increase the demand for both registered and advanced practice nurses in episodic based care as well as in the community. Our role as an educator will be more important than ever when teaching patients who have never had affordable health care. There are many arguments against this legislation, but as an aspiring nurse, I have yet to fin d one that suggests ACA is not the best option we have for making a healthier future for America. References Affordable care act is still the law. (August 2012). Retrieved from http://www.theamericannurse.org/index.php/2012/08/06/affordable-care-act-is-still-the-law/ Key features of the affordable care act by year. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/timeline/timeline-text.html#2010 Planning for the arkansas health benefits exchange. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://hbe.arkansas.gov/Planning.pdf Shining a light on health insurance rate increases. (Posted: December 21, 2010). Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Fact-Sheets-and-FAQs/ratereview.html

History And Overview Of Frances Beauty Industry Economics Essay

History And Overview Of Frances Beauty Industry Economics Essay France is ranked 16th in the Global Competitive Report up two places from last year and demonstrating a number of competitive strengths, such as an infrastructure that is ranked second in the world, a healthy workforce, a high quality of education, a sophisticated business culture and leadership in the area of technological innovation. On the other hand, as indicated in the Global Competitive Report, France suffers from high non wage labour costs and strict rules on hiring and firing and poor labour employer relations. There is also a govern GDP Per Capita, (US$), 2007..$41,511.2 GDP: (US$ billions), 20072,560.3 GDP (PPP) as share (%) of world total, 2007à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.3.17 Total Population: (millions), 200760.9 Median Age: 39 Land Area: Largest land area of all EU members Unemployment: 7% 2008 Current President Nicolas Sarkozy ment budget deficit which is above the EU threshold of 60% and national savings rates are low. (Global Competitive Report, 2008/09 p.19) Although France is currently in a good position in 16th place, the global economy is changing and new competitors are closing in. This paper will examine the challenges that France and their beauty industry are facing. France key facts: source: The Global Competitive Report 2008-09 Exhibit A Economic PerformanceFrances Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has aligned with the European average somewhat, although, as the graph below illustrates, France has fared better than the EU within the last year. Exhibit B This chart created on the Eurostat website, compares Frances Real GDP with the European Union (EU) average. Real gross domestic product (GDP) is a macroeconomic measure of the size of an economy adjusted for price changes (that is, adjusted for changes in the value of money: inflation or deflation.) source: Real gross domestic product. Web. ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_gross_domestic_product>. Legend:Blue = FranceGreen = EU (27 countries)source:http//epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do?tab=graphinit=1toolbox=typelanguage=enpcode=tsieb010plugin=0http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do Frances Gross Domestic Product per capita (PPP US$)The Human Development report and the Global Competitive Report demonstrate that Frances purchasing power parity (PPP) has declined since 1993 to 33,000 plus/minus. Human Development Report 2009 Exhibit C Human development index 2007 and its components GDP per capita (PPP US$) HDI Rank Country 2007 1 Norway 53,433 1 2 Australia 34,923 3 Iceland 35,742 4 Canada 35,812 5 Ireland 44,613 1 6 Netherlands 38,694 7 Sweden 36,712 8 France 33,674 9 Switzerland 40,658 10 Japan 33,632 11 Luxembourg 79,485 source: http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/91.html accessed March 29 2010 source: Global Competitive Report 2008/09Exhibit D Innovation MeasuresThe Global Competitive Report says Although less-advanced countries can still improve their productivity by adopting existing technologies or making incremental improvements in other areas, for countries that have reached the innovation stage of development, this is no longer sufficient to increase productivity. Firms in these countries must design and develop cutting-edge products and processes to maintain a competitive edge. (Global Competitive Report, 2008/2009, page 6) Exhibit D shows France in blue is ahead in the percentage of GDP for RD. This hides the fact that Germany one of Frances competitors which we will discuss later in the Cosmetic industry analysis, spends a considerable amount more than France. Although France in blue is ahead in the percentage of GDP they spend on RD another important aspect of innovation is patents. Exhibit E shows that Germany has double the amount of patents. Gross Domestic Expenditure on RDExhibit D France = Blue EU = Green Germany has double the amount of patents than France Exhibit E Analysing the date from the Global Competitiveness Report it is clear that France is suffering in the ranking for innovation and sophisticatio n as illustrated below. Exhibit F France is losing behind Germany who is winning currently in 4th place Exhibit F: Innovation and sophistication factors According to Porter, a nations competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade. Companies gain advantage against the worlds best competitors because of pressure and challenge. (Porter, On Competition, p.171, 2008) In Exhibit F France is holding steady in 14th position an explanation for their lack of improvement is shown in Exhibit G state of cluster development, where France is low and their rate of patent development is low compared to its competitors, for example, Germany, Japan and the U.S.A. source: Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009Exhibit G France P E S T Analysis POLITICAL LANDSCAPE Overview French political system can be described as semi-presidential form of democratic republic. France has improved considering the rule of law and accountability. France ranks in the 91.3 percentile on voice and accountability as of 2007, which is an improvement from 2002, when it was ranked in the 84.1 percentile. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. Page 3) However, France is still considered as a highly centralized country and the elite group is significantly involved in the state and corporate sectors. Moreover, corruption seems to be one of the main issues in French politics. Strengths Political stability can be considered one of Frances strengths. Elections are fair and transparent. Although initially the socialist parties were more popular and therefore winning the elections, lately the majority of the society has voted for pro-reform parties. Before the elections president Sarkozy made following promises: a reduction of unemployment, flexible labour laws, pension reform and tax changes. Frances approach to preventing terrorism is considered to be one of the most effective in Europe. However, it did not come free and the price was limiting civil liberties. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 14) Weaknesses Although the current French government is definitely pro-reform, the rest of French society seems to be opposed to the changes. For example, the government wants to simplify public administration and bureaucracy, promote the competition in the market as well as make minimum wages flexible. (www.lemonde.fr)(EWA I sort of know what you mean but can you include a couple of the changes that the government want to bring in. I understand that the citizens would be unwilling to accept any change that would lower wages but does the French government want to lower wages that would also go against what Porter says is the point of being competitive. The population is unwilling to adopt any measures that cause a decrease in wages. One of the reasons would be the decline in purchasing power of the French population. As already mentioned in exhibit B above France is already showing a decline in GDP (PPP US$) per capita. Improving the pension system and modernizing the labour market has been delay ed because of the unwillingness of French citizen to accept change. In general, the reforms are being delayed. Moreover, the liberalization process is also not as dynamic as hoped for, in effect, president Sarkozy is losing his popularity. In regional elections on 21st March the Socialist Party gained 54 % while UMP 35 % only. (Web. . Accessed March 15 2010). Opportunities Improving French foreign policy has been one of president Sarkozys main goals. So far he has been successful. France has returned to NATOs military command. It has helped US in isolating Iran because of its nuclear power. In general, France has been lately very active in international relationships. With no doubt improved foreign relations will help the economic relations with these countries. French National Assembly composition Source: Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 39. President Sarkozys administration has also finally improved French bureaucracy which now should be more transparent and efficient. Threats In France, the government has continued to play a prominent role in business compared to many other EU countries. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. Page 16) A concentration of elite citizens in power helps corruption practices and also help to influence government policies which in effect can block development. (Political Science: An Introduction, Michael G. Roskin, June 2005, P. 79) Moreover, since the government becomes more unpopular while trying to implement the reforms (can we get a list of the reforms then I can weave that into this paragraph pension system reform, health care system reform, public administration reform, reform of work conditions regulations un contrat unique, reform of public finances, tax system reform, corporation tax reform) there is a risk that it will become populist to gain power back. There have been a number of protests against reform measures. ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE Overview The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that France faced a 3 % fall in growth in 2009. The decrease of income and wages combined with rising unemployment will affect domestic consumption. Because of the opposition implementing Sarkozys reforms is not going smoothly. Frances credit rating might be affected. That will increase the cost of funding for future governments and business enterprises.(Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 14) Strengths President Sarkozys pro-reform approach affected in general review of public policy. This caused the improvement in public services and therefore reducing the public costs. French infrastructure is one of the best in Europe. There are over 10,000 km of well-maintained highways in France. That is better result than in Germany or UK. French railway network is also very well established. France is seen as global air transport hub with 27 airports. The world-class infrastructure network enables France to offer international investors excellent conditions for doing business and also drive the overall economic engine of the nation. ((Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 18) Weaknesses French external debt is above the EU limit of 60% and most probably will stay this way. Moreover, the share in exports in the Eurozone has fallen by 16% during 1999-2007. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 18) As the reasons for this situation can be named low level of industry specialization and poor price competitiveness of French industries. Moreover, Frances effective corporate tax burden is higher than EU average. Opportunities The privatization of telecommunications, electricity, gas, postal services, rail freights as well as the services sector has been in place for a while. The government has also introduced stimulus plan. The hope is that increased investment spending will stimulate domestic consumption. Threats The financial system in France is still significantly being regulated and administrated. What has helped French economy now to recover from global crisis, might create a problem in the future. Structural reforms in public enterprises, pensions and the constitution need to be completed now; otherwise France will lose the competition with countries with more liberalized systems like UK or Germany. SOCIAL LANDSCAPE Overview While social structure considered an aging population and relatively high unemployment rate seem to be main issues. As well as deficient educational system; (Global competitive report, Porter and Schwab, p.19) describes the education system as a whole is high/strength but the flexibility of the labour force is the problem as well as poor labour relations) this partly can be blamed for high unemployment rate. Unemployment rate was 10 % in January 2010. Web. Accessed March 15 2010. Monthly unemployment rates August 2008 January 2010: Strengths Taking into consideration social parameters in general France has been rather successful. For example, life expectancy at birth is in France 80 years; in terms of gender equality there is a positive social climate for women. France has one of the highest birth rate in Europe. Unlike in many other European countries although the rate is decreasing, France is still doing well. Frances birth rate of about 1.8 children per woman in 2006 makes it the only European country with the possibility of maintaining its current population. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. p. 22) Weaknesses An aging population and early retirement are serious issues on French social landscape. These issues have not been given enough attention by policy makers which now may cause big problem of additional government expenditure. Low labour participation is another issue as well as the fact that French workers work relatively low hours yearly. Source: Web. Accessed: March 15 2010 Another challenge is educational system which has not kept with changing industrial order. Opportunities New scheme Active Solidarity Revenue (RSA) has been introduced by French government. The aim is to prevent unemployment and poverty. The programme will persuade people to look for a job rather than living off social benefits. Threats Frances wage hikes have not seen an equal increase in productivity or increase in output. Thus, wage increases have become unrealistic. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 22) By continuing this policy while the wages are increased but the productivity is not increasing is a serious threat for economic growth. Moreover, France is losing competition on global market where products from emerging Asian countries are present. French government has passed new rules regarding immigrants who want to live in the country or acquiring French nationality. On one side it will help to stop illegal immigrants, however on the other side it will also put off well educated foreigners to work in France. TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE Overview RD situation in France is satisfying, although far from perfect. The level of public investment in RD is around 2 % of GDP while EUs aim is 3 %. Moreover, private sector funding is still not pleasing. Public involvement is declining and private sector funding still not increasing. This situation might cause problems in future. To improve this condition the Agency for Industrial Innovation has been established. Its main task is to support innovation in large companies. Web. Accessed March 15 2010 Strengths What can be considered as main strength is relatively large number of patents received by France. France ranks fourth in the world in terms of number of patents granted for its innovation. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 24) This situation is caused by the approach of successive French government to RD. Research and higher education are priorities of the current government. Large amount from yearly budget is dedicated to support these domains. Political commitment to RD is therefore high in France. Weaknesses Although RD is considered as an important issue by politicians Frances expenditure is at 2 % of GDP only. For comparison it is 2.68% in US and 3.18 % of GDP in Japan. Moreover, the spending on RD as a percentage of GDP by French government is declining. In addition, the input from private sector is still not rewarding. This situation will without any doubts influence future technological development of the country. Opportunities French national research and innovation policy aims to promote innovation, increase the participation of private sector, and improve the cooperation between public and private sector. The goal is to increase the spending on RD to 3 % of GDP and one third of this amount should come from private sector. Threats France lacks the coordination and one clear policy regarding RD sector. There are many research and knowledge institutes which objectives are overlapping each other. One united strategy is needed. Furthermore, there is lack of efficient communication between research institutes and private companies, therefore resources are not being used fully. Moreover, the lack of the connection between the producers and consumers of the technology can be observed. Public RD centres very often do help in application of new technology in industry. In effect, efforts and costs will be duplicated. Beauty products in France cluster analysis 1/ Description of the cluster, cluster size and performance The cosmetics and toiletries (CT) industry in France is estimated at 8 billion EUR in sales and can be divided into the following categories:       * Skincare, colour cosmetics:    37%       * Hair products :    23 %       * Perfumes :    20 %       * Toiletries:    19 %       * Other :    1 % Although in total export value, the CT industry in France shows growth of 6.5% between 1999 and 2005, in terms of global market share, France has declined from 31,6% to 28,5% during the same period. Despite this, France is still a dominant market leader with its export value sales double the amount of the second and third largest exporters Germany and USA with export value of just below 4 billion EUR respectively.Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.14 Frances beauty care industry has two specialised regional sub-clusters the PASS cluster (Parfum, Arà ´mes, Senteurs et Saveurs perfume, aromas, scents and flavours) in the Provence-Alpes-Cà ´tes dAzur region, and the Cosmetic Valley cluster (Sciences de la Beautà © et du bien à ªtre Science of beauty and well-being) based in the Centre and Normandy region.ClickPress, July 2008 [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] The beauty products cluster consists of just few large corporations and over 400 Small medium enterprises (SMEs) with 25 250 employees. There has been an estimation of 855 companies in the CT industry with less than 10 employees. Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.4 Major companies include LOreal which is the global market leader with annual sales of US $ 17.7 billion, followed by Japanese owned Shiseido (US $ 5.4 billion), LVMH (US $ 2.7 billion) and Yves Rocher (US $ 1.8 billion). Smaller companies include Chanel, Clarins, Pierre Fabre Dermo Cosmetique and Yves Saint Laurent. Beauty packaging, October/November 2005 [http://www.beautypackaging.com/articles/2005/10/top-20-global-beauty-companies.php] International groups in the cosmetics sector such Beiersdorf, Henkel, Coty Inc, Puig Group and Pacific Europe have a strong presence in France and benefit from a vibrant business environment that also serves as a test market. France also offers expertise in associated industries, such as bottle manufacturing and the production of aromas and scents. Invest in France agency press release at ClickPress [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] Institutions for collaboration The Cosmetic Valley and PASS regional sub-clusters support active cooperation between companies, research organisations, training institutions, laboratories, universities and suppliers. International investment into the industry is promoted and facilitated by the Invest in France Agency (IFA). ClickPress, July 2008 [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] Cluster Map 2/ History The reason behind the perception of France as the cradle of beauty and luxury goes back to the 16th century when it became the center of cosmetic industry starting with the manufacturing of parfumes. Although historically the first European parfume makers originated in Venice, the trade with parfumes developed strongly during the 17th century in France which is today recognised as the dominant parfume manufacturer. This is the result of the attention and support given to the industry by the King Louis XIV whose policies stimulated luxury trade. The use of parfumes spread among the aristocrats and the trade flourished with first parfume guild being established in 1729 in the Provence region. By the 18th century, the original parfume makers started selling other beauty products such as hair dyes, powders, rouges, soaps and white face paints. The industry started being commercialised after the French revolution in 1789 as manufacturers seeked ways to avoid the association with aristocracy. The guild system was abolished in 1791 and first cosmetic shops were opened in Paris, exports to neighbouring countries also started during this time. In the 19th century, French manufacturers developed chemical processes of replacing aromas obtained by natural means with beauty products based on scientific research. This has led to inventions of completely new scents that were not just à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡copying existing natural scents. Separate male and female fragrances were also introduced during this period. Increased demand led to need for larger production facilities. First parfume factory was built in 1840 in Parisian suburb La Villette by an entrepreneour L.T. Piver. Distribution channels were developed as prices of cosmetics became more accessible to the common man and manufacturers were by now producing branded products as well as private labels for department stores. During the late 19th century, an entrepreneur Francois Coty made a major impact on the cosmetic business. His achievements include setting up own salesforce (unheard of in the cosmetics business until than) and using designer bottles for parfumes (until than parfumes were sold in pharmacy-like simple bottles) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ to attract the eye as much as the nose. His aim was to keep the perception of cosmetic s  as a luxury that more people can afford and he succeeded in bringing cosmetics and parfumes to the masses. By the end of 19th century three quarters of French parfumes and beauty products were sold abroad thanks to the developed infractracture which made it easy to export products to Europe and the US. Typically sales were managed through local import agents. Some bigger manufactuterers such as Coty or Piver later established their own shops in other countries (Pivor in London, Coty in New York). In 1907 Eugene Schueller started new company Socià ©tà © Franà §aise de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux selling hair dyes for hairdressers. The vision of the company was to doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡research and innovation in the interest of beauty. Later renamed as LOreal, the company had by 1950s over 100 researchers. Today LOreal is a leader in the beauty products industry. Geoffrey Jones, 2007, Imagining Beauty: The History of the Global Beauty Business, p.16 38 3/ Competition and trends According to the Global Insight Inc, the world cosmetics market grew between 2000 and 2006 in Europe and China but declined slightly in US and Japan (Exhibit 2). EU15 United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Luxemburg, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Italy EU 12 Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Cyprus EU 27 = sum of the above Exhibit 2 The forecasts show expected further growth especially in developing regions such as China and central eastern Europe (EU12). (Exhibit 3) Exhibit 3 France has kept its dominant position as the leading exporter of beauty products over many years selling double the amount than its closest competitors Germany and US. The growth in value is 6.5% between 1999 and 2005. This however is lower compared to EU average (8.3% growth) as well as compared with the rest of the major beauty exporters in world USA, China and Japan (8.1% growth). This means that on the global scale, France is losing market shares. (Exhibit 3) Exhibit 3 Revealed comparative advantage Global Insight Inc measured the Revealed comparative advantage of nations exporting beauty products and in its findings we see that France is positioned in the upper right quadrant (Cosmetic Industry RCA Analysis, Exhibit 4) the threatened industries. The graph shows us that France is by far the largest exporter, is well positioned but its position is weakening due to lesser growth compared to other countries. On the other hand, the only countries showing intensive growth are developing nations that started at a much weaker base. The market for French products has matured in the developed regions of western Europe and the US which have been traditionally the largest export countries for French products. As a conclusion, France will now have to be more aggressive in creating a strong position in the developing markets of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries + central and eastern Europe to regain its growth. This assumption is supported by the data from French customs which point to fast growing cosmetics sales to the emerging markets, while the EU plays a less important role in French exports (50% against 64%). Between 1998 and 2008, sales growth in emerging countries was two times faster than it is for all exports of cosmetics. The share of emerging countries in total sales of cosmetics rose from 14.9% in 1998 to 24.6% in 2008, with particularly strong sales in China and Russia. A trend confirmed by Jean-Paul Agon, the Managing Director of the LOreal Group, in an interview to the French newspaper Le Monde, dated November 6: In the ten coming years, our customers will mostly be Chinese, Indian, Brazilian or Indonesian. While the group LOreal already achieves 60% of its business outside Europe, this proportion is expected to rapidly rise to 90%, according to Jean-Paul Agon Sooner or later sales catch up on demography, he claims. Exhibit 4 Frances second largest competitor in Europe Germany shows a better performance in terms of growth and is slightly gaining market shares from 13% in 1999 to 14% in 2005. Although this might seem only a slight improvement, in terms of growth in absolute numbers, Germany has grown faster than European average and almost twice as fast as France (10.9% growth for Germany versus 6.5% for France). Compared to other three top exporters of cosmetics (France, US and UK), Germany is the only country growing in market shares. In 2007, German exports rose by 14.4% compared to previous year and summed up to EUR 964 million in the first half of 2007, with highest demand from France, the United Kingdom and Russia. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] The growth of German exports is driven by local SMEs which are strategically managed by IKW the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association (Industrieverband Kà ¶rperpflege- und Waschmittel e. V.) whose mission is to help German SMEs to enter and conquer foreign markets. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] As a result of its strategic focus and investment, German SMEs have developed quality cosmetics for almost all segments. Etre Belle Cosmetic Vertrieb GmbH is an interesting illustration of those successful German SMEs. The company is now present in more than 35 countries. The brand has developed complete fragrance and skincare ranges segmented by skin types. German companies are also world leaders in some specific niches, such as organic and natural cosmetics which shows the most dynamic growth in western Europe and USA. (German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce, [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15 ]) Udo Frenzel, director of economic affairs at IKW, the German Cosmetics, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association, sums up the success behind Germany growth: The exports of the German cosmetics, toiletry and perfumery industry in the last ten years are a story of success based on the quality image of Made in Germany. There is nearly no country on the entire globe where not at least one German brand is available on the market. At present German exports of our industry are 68% higher than imports to Germany. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] Research and Development French companies sustain their comparative advantage by investing heavily into research and development which is a key requirement to stay competitive in the cosmetics industry. As the following table shows, Frances RD expenditure in 2001 was 2.5x higher than that of the second largest competitor Germany in 2004. (Exhibit 5) Data for other leading countries are unfortunately not available but the assumption is that France is a leading investor into RD worldwide. This is also supported by the fact that the French government actively supports research and has introduced a competitive RD tax-credit system, which reimburses 50% of RD costs in the first year. This provides incentives to non-French companies to set up research facilities in France. Companies that have done this include Pacific Chemical Corp. (South Korea), Takasago (Japan) or Hutchison Whampoa (Hong Kong).Invest in France agency press release at ClickPress [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml Exhibit 5 Productivity The most significant threat to the ongoing competitiveness of the industry in most EU countries but mostly relevant to France and Germany, is relatively low productivity combined with high unit labour costs which shows a wide gap between EU companies and the U.S. and Japan. Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.4 Although only average EU15 (refers to the first EU countries before entry of post-communist nations) data for productivity in the beauty products industry are available, given the size of the French market, the weighted average is likely to be similar to the actual data for France. Referring to the source above, the rest is an assumption, therefor