The Costs Controlling Methods Essay Example

Essays on The Costs Controlling Methods Essay The paper "The Costs Controlling Methods" is a good example of an essay on finance and accounting. Proper bookkeeping creates notable and remarkable differences in smooth operations with lots of sustainability when it comes to the administrative functions of a business organization. By getting informed of where the cash business money and funds are coming from as well as going to, an accountant can easily streamline his or her accounting activities. The costs controlling methods play significant roles in the maintenance of good reputation and getting rid of disputes arising on legal matters. The standard rule in accounting is that liabilities get recorded on the debit side of a cash book and at the same time invoiced as an expense (Hoggett). For the case of assets, the get debited on the cash book and invoiced as income. Liabilities are always regarded as costs since they involve cash flowage outward or from the business accounts or even the business’ cash at hand being given away. For the case of assets, they are considered as income since they involve money flowing into the company, which can be through sales and other interests gained on loans (Hoggett). In this case, there is a brokerage fee of $3,000 when a corporation (publicly listed) issued bonds. This particular brokerage fee is considered as an expense since it involves the flow of cash from the business to the individual broker who identifies a potential customer to buy the bonds from the company. Therefore, it means that the $3,000 is a liability that must be expensed on the invoice. The amount received from selling the bond or rather the price of the bond is invoiced as revenue to the firm (0-edu.knotia.ca.orca.douglascollege.ca). The net value of the bond is therefore gotten by finding the difference between the selling price of the bonds and the brokerage fee. The brokerage fee in the process of selling the bonds is considered as a transaction fee. This is mainly because the to get a clien t and persuade as well as convince him or her to buy them at the prevailing price set by the business organization some fee must be incurred. These particular fees are what get regarded as transaction costs in the matter. Therefore in the process of making an invoice, they are invoiced as expenses.

What Is The Rule For Forming Questions Within The Simple...

Question 5 (10 points) What is the rule for forming questions in the simple present and simple past in English? Questions in the simple present can be formed in a couple of ways with questions lacking question words such as â€Å"Do† and â€Å"Does† (examples: Do you read short stories? and Does Frank play the violin?), and questions containing question words such as â€Å"What,† â€Å"When,† and â€Å"Where† (examples: What do you type on your laptop?, When does your brother go to school, and Where do you visit your relatives?). To form a question in the simple past, the auxiliary â€Å"did† and the infinitive form of the verb are needed; some examples would include Did I play baseball?, Did you play baseball?, and Did he play baseball? Question 6 (10 points) Give 3 situations in which it is appropriate to use the present perfect. The present perfect tense pertains to talking about things in which a connection exists between the past and the present. For example, She has written five songs. So she began writing songs at some point in the past. Up to now, she has written five songs. She could write additional songs. Accordingly, three situations in which it is appropriate to use the present perfect would include unfinished actions, finished actions, and with â€Å"been† and â€Å"gone.† The present perfect is appropriate when referring to unfinished states, actions, or habits that began in the past and still apply to the present. It typically is indicated for â€Å"how long† with the words â€Å"since† or â€Å"for† needed.Show MoreRelatedEssay on Cancer Cells Made Henrietta Lacks Immortal1165 Words   |  5 Pagesscience and life as we know it today. Her life has finally been portrayed in a very intimate story that not only does her life some justice but also transcendentally brings to mind the philosophical issues concerning medical ethics both of the past, present, and the future. 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East Asian Economic Crisis Essay Example For Students

East Asian Economic Crisis Essay A large economic downturn in East Asia threatens to end its nearly30 year run of high growth rates. The crisis has caused Asian currenciesto fall 50-60%, stock markets to decline 40%, banks to close, and propertyvalues to drop. The crisis was broughton by currency devaluations, bad banking practices, high foreign debt,loose government regulation, and corruption. Due to East Asias largeimpact on the world economy, the panic in Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, andother Asian countries has prompted othercountries to worry about the affect on their own economies and offer aidto the financially troubled nations (Sanger 1). The East Asian crisis has affected almost all of the Asiannations, but the three hardest hit countries are Thailand, Indonesia, andSouth Korea. The panic began in Thailand in May of 1997 when speculators,worried about Thailands slowing economy, excessive debt, and political instability devalued the baht as they fled formarket-driven currencies like the American dollar. Indonesias economysoon fell soon after when the rupiah hit a record low against the U.S. dollar. Indonesia is plagued by more than$70 billion worth of bad debts and a corrupt and inefficient government. Thailand and Indonesia also suffer from being overbuilt during real estatebooms thatReven2 were the result of huge influxes of cash by optimistic foreigninvestors. South Korea faltered under the weight of its huge foreign debt,decreasing exports, and weakening currency (Lochhead 4-5). Other major countries touched by the crisis are Japan, China,Malaysia, and the Philippines. Japans economy is burdened by $300 billionin bad bank loans and a recession. Chinese banks may carry bad banks loansof up to $1 trillion. The banks lend 66%of Chinas investment capital to state-run industries that only produce12% of Chinas industrial output (Manning 2). Malaysia and the Philippinesare both faced with devalued currencies and lowered stock markets(Lochhead 5). The implications of the Asian financial crisis are many. Adeclining Asian economy will reduce demand for U.S. and other countriesexports. The devalued currencies of East Asia will make Asian imports seencheap and will lead to increased American imports, thus increasing our trade deficit (Lochhead 2). A worldwide bankingemergency could result if the embattled Asian economies failed to pay backtheir loans to the U.S. and other countries (Duffy 2). If the Asianeconomies fall further, in a desire to raise cash, they might sell the hundreds of billion dollars of U.S. treasuries they now own, leading to higher interest rates and an Americanrecession (Lacayo 2). An article in the Economist reported that the Asianeconomic turmoil and the layoffs that may result, could instigateincreased discontent and possibly give rise to violent strikes, riots, andgreater political instability (1-2). Reven 3Since the financial tumult causes instability in the world market,several solutions have been proposed designed to restore the health of theAsian economy. The International Monetary Fund is offering $60 billion inaid packages to Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea (Lacayo 1). The aid will be used for converting short-termdebt to long-term debt and to keep currencies from falling lower in theworld market (Passell 2). Lower currency values make repaying loans toother nations more difficult (Sanger 1). The aid packages are tied to measures that will ensure that therecipient countries reform their economies. Some of the measures thenations must follow are increasi ng taxes to decrease budget deficits,ending corruption, increasing banking regulation,improving accounting information so investors can make better decisions,closing insolvent banks, selling off inefficient state enterprises, andincreasing interest rates to slow growth and encourage stability (Lacayo3). .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 , .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 .postImageUrl , .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 , .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716:hover , .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716:visited , .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716:active { border:0!important; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716:active , .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716 .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf1f76fe96927f5b5e92989d4dbd99716:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Multilple Personality Disorders EssayHopefully these market reforms will allow East Asia to improve itseconomic outlook. Since most of the Asian nations have balanced budgets,low inflation, cheap labor, pro-business governments, and high savingsrates, the long-term outlook for these coun tries is very good (Marshall1). The financial crisis, instead of destroying the Asian tigers, willmerely serve as a much needed lesson in debt management, orderly growth,competent accounting practices, and efficient government. Considering thesize of Asias contribution to the world economy, a rapid recovery will begreatly anticipated.

Survey Results

Introduction Research has been a useful instrument in many aspects of human life. Other than natural science studies, which are very common among natural scientists, social science research has gained relevance over the recent years. Kurtz (2008) observes that the society is very dynamic. Many activities in society change due to technological developments.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Survey Results specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Because of this, there has been an increasing desire to conduct research, which may answer several questions emerging in our current society. Social science research focuses on human behavior. Unlike in pure sciences where a specimen can be put in some controlled environment, human behavior cannot be put under restricted conditions. Moreover, a human being can change his or her character or provide untrue answers once he or she realizes that there is a study being conducted on his or her behavior. This would therefore demand social scientists to master the art of studying human behavior. This may not be very easy because in most cases, there is always a need to be closer enough to the object being studied. In case the subject being studied is a human being, it would be challenging to conclude research findings successfully. Human behavior is subject to change. Researchers should note this and device ways of dealing with it. Surveys offer the best way through which human behavior can be understood. A researcher may decide to conduct a study through surveying. Churchill and Lacobucci (2004) assert that a survey has proved to be a very effective method of conducting research. A researcher can decide to utilize an interview method in gathering data. Furthermore, the technique could as well be supplemented with surveying. This is important as the researcher would generalize from his or her own observation and use the results from the interview to validate or m odify the study. Research Methods Every research project applies a specific research method to achieve its objectives. This may actually depend on the goal of the project. The researcher in this paper intends to find out the prevalence of drug abuse in the state of Arizona. The society detests the habit of drug addiction. Not many people will admit that at one time or another, he or she was involved in drug abuse.Advertising Looking for case study on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They would provide information that would not expose their behaviors in relation to drug abuse. The researcher therefore devices a method that would back up the findings received from various respondents. A survey could be used to support the interview. For the interview, the researcher designed questionnaires that would guide respondents in answering structured questions. The questionnaire was designed to gather information pertaining to respondent’s gender, their involvement in drug abuse and their encounters with police officers. The researcher was keen to exclude some statements from the questionnaire. In the questionnaire, the researcher deliberately avoided asking questions such as whether the respondent was a drunkard when the accident occurred. Such questions are intimidating and can change the mood of the respondent leading to biased answers. In this scenario, the researcher made a concerted effort to design questions in a way that would not make respondents feel guilty either as drunkards or as drunk drivers. The researcher succeeded in doing this in his third question, which inquires about any encounter with the Arizona State officers. This question was designed to push the blame on state officers. This lifts the guilt from the respondent hence increasing the chances of extracting required information from the respondent. To maintain ethics in this study, the researcher explained the purpose of the study and its intended use. Application of the Scenario The concept used in the above scenario would be applicable in a business research. In most business researches, there is always the need to gather information without intimidating respondents. The questionnaire in this scenario was designed technically. Therefore, it is appropriate to ensure that respondents are not subjected to questions that are intimidating. In case there is a question that needs to be addressed, it should be structured in a way that would not make respondents feel guilty.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Survey Results specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is always very important to limit uncertainties when collecting data. This would call for application of appropriate probability concepts when collecting data. In this research, it would be appropriate to use empirical probability concept. This is because the data will be given a h istorical analysis. Empirical approach would limit uncertainties that always come with data collection techniques (MacLean, Mohr, 1999). In any research, it is always vital to identify discreet outcomes. In the case provided, the researcher was able to gather discreet data from respondents by carefully designing the questionnaire to avoid biased answers. It is always necessary to ensure that the data collected is as accurate as possible. Most researches are always useful in formulating policies that may be applicable in various fields in society. As Kabani (2009) explains, accuracy and precision of various probability concepts is important if information is to be of any use. However, these probability concepts always have some degree of assumptions. These assumptions may jeopardize the accuracy of results. On the other hand, the need for accuracy and precision may also render a concept irrelevant. This will call for a balance between the need for accuracy or precision and the appli cability of a concept. This should be done in a way that would allow accuracy while still accepting the practicability of the concept used. Hamilton (2004) explains that in a bid to ensure maximum accuracy, care should be taken to ensure that necessary assumptions are taken into considerations. Similarly, the assumptions should not override the need for accurate data. Data gathered through survey indicate that majority of drivers in the state of Arizona are men. The survey also indicates that majority of these drivers are always involved in drug abuse. From the survey, over 80% admitted that at one point, they were involved in drug abuse. From the interview, it was also ascertained that police officers in this state are not keen on identifying the culprits. Many cases of drug abuse always go unnoticed and this endangers the lives of other members of society. Care should be taken to ensure that this issue is addressed fully. Indeed, many people have perished due to drug addiction. Po licy makers have a role to play as far as drug abuse is concerned. No action can be taken without sufficient data.Advertising Looking for case study on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, proper investigation should be carried out to identify the major causes of the problem in the state of Arizona. Researchers would therefore employ data collection techniques that are precise in order to come up with accurate information. Conducting research is the first step in solving any problem afflicting society. References Churchill, G., Lacobucci, D. (2004). Marketing Research with Infortrac: Methodological Foundations. New York, NY: Southwestern Publications. Hamilton, A. (2004). Handbook of Project Management Procedures. New York, NY: TTL Publishing. Kabani, S. (2009). The Zen Of Social Media: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue. Dallas: Ben Bella Books. Kurtz, D. (2008). Contemporary Marketing: Designing Customer Oriented marketing Strategy. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. MacLean, M., Mohr, M. (1999). Teacher-researcher at Work. Berkeley, CA: National Writing Project. This case study on Survey Results was written and submitted by user Madison Sargent to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Dispose of Mercury Safely

How to Dispose of Mercury Safely Mercury is an extremely toxic heavy metal. Though you might not have any mercury thermometers in your home, chances are good you have other items that contain mercury, such as fluorescent or other mercury-containing light bulbs, or mercury-containing thermostats. If you break a mercury thermometer, thermostat, or fluorescent bulb you need to be a lot more careful cleaning up the accident than you might think. Here are some things not to do, plus recommendations for the best way to clean up after a mercury release or spill. You can visit the US EPA site for additional help in cleaning up after an accident involving mercury. What Not to Do After a Mercury Spill Dont vacuum up the spill or breakage. This will release mercury into the air and greatly increase the level of contamination.Dont sweep up the mercury or broken glass with a broom. This breaks up the mercury into smaller drops, increasing its surface area so that more mercury gets into the air and spread around.Dont pour mercury down the drain. It can clog your plumbing and seriously pollute your septic system or the sewer system into which your plumbing drains.Dont wash mercury-contaminated clothing. This contaminates your washing machine, all of the other clothes in the load, and the water that is washed down the drain. If you use a clothes dryer afterward youre releasing mercury into the air and essentially poisoning yourself. By now you probably see a theme. Dont do anything that would spread the mercury or cause it to become airborne. Dont track it around on your shoes. Dont re-use any cloth or sponge that came in contact with the mercury, ever. Now that you have an idea of what to avoid, here are some steps to take. How to Dispose of a Broken Fluorescent Bulb Fluorescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury. Heres what to do if you break a bulb: Clear the room of people, especially children, and pets. Do not allow children to help you clean up.Shut off the heater or air conditioner, is applicable. Open a window and allow the room to air out at least 15 minutes.Use a sheet of paper or cardboard to scoop up glass and metal pieces. Deposit the breakage into a glass jar with a lid or a sealable plastic bag.Use sticky tape to pick up the smaller pieces of debris. Drop the used tape into the jar or bag.While paper and tape should be sufficient to clean up breakage on a hard surface, you may need to vacuum a carpet or rug. Vacuum only after all visible remains have been cleaned up and then dispose of the bag or debris with the rest of the clean-up. If your vacuum has a canister, wipe it clean with damp paper towels and dispose of the used towels. If the break occurred over clothing or bedding, the material should be wrapped up and thrown away. Check with the waste disposal regulations where you live. Some places will allow you to throw away broken fluorescent bulbs with other trash while others have more stringent requirements for this type of waste disposal. Cleaning up a broken mercury thermometer is somewhat more involved, so Ill post those instructions separately.

Soft Determinism Explained

Soft Determinism Explained Soft determinism is the view that determinism and free will are compatible. It is thus a form of compatibilism. The term was coined by the American philosopher William James (1842-1910) in his essay â€Å"The Dilemma of Determinism.† Soft determinism consists of two main claims: 1.  Determinism is true.  Every event, including every human action, is causally determined. If you selected vanilla rather than chocolate ice cream last night, you could not have chosen otherwise given your exact circumstances and condition. Someone with enough knowledge of your circumstances and condition would have been able, in principle, to predict what you would choose. 2.  We act freely when we are not constrained or coerced. If my legs are tied, I am not free to run. If I hand over my wallet to a robber who is pointing a gun at my head, I am not acting freely. Another way of putting this is to say that we act freely when we act on our desires. Soft determinism contrasts with both hard determinism and with what is sometimes called metaphysical libertarianism. Hard determinism asserts that determinism is true and denies that we have free will.  Metaphysical libertarianism (not to be confused with the political doctrine of libertarianism) says that determinism is false since when we act freely some part of the process leading up to the action (e.g. our desire, our decision, or our act of will) is not predetermined. The problem soft determinists face is that of explaining how our actions can be both predetermined but free. Most of them do this by insisting that the notion of freedom, or free will, be understood in a particular way.  They reject the idea that free will must involve some strange metaphysical capacity that each of us has–namely, the ability to initiate an event (e.g. our act of will, or our action) which is not itself causally determined. This libertarian concept of freedom is unintelligible, they argue, and at odds with the prevailing scientific picture. What matters to us, they argue, is that we enjoy some degree of control over and responsibility for our actions. And this requirement is met if our actions flow from (are determined by) our decisions, deliberations, desires, and character.   The Main Objection to Soft Determinism The most common objection to soft determinism is that the notion of freedom it holds onto falls short of what most people mean by free will. Suppose I hypnotize you, and while you are under hypnosis I plant certain desires in your mind: e.g. a desire to get yourself a drink when the clock strikes ten. On the stroke of ten, you get up and pour yourself some water. Have you acted freely? If acting freely simply means doing what you want, acting on your desires, then the answer is yes, you acted freely. But most people would see your action as unfree since, in effect, you are being controlled by someone else.   One could make the example still more dramatic by imagining a mad scientist implanting electrodes in your brain and then triggering in you all sorts of desires and decisions which lead you to perform certain actions. In this case, you would be little more than a puppet in someone else’s hands; yet according to the soft determinist notion of freedom, you would be acting freely. A soft determinist might reply that in such a case we would say you are unfree because you are controlled by someone else. But if the desires, decisions, and volitions (acts of will) that govern your actions are really yours, then it is reasonable to say that you are in control, and hence acting freely.  The critic will point out, though, that according to the soft determinist, your desires, decisions, and volitions–in fact, your entire character–are ultimately determined by other factors that are equally outside your control: e.g. your genetic make up, your upbringing, and your environment.  The upshot is still that you do not, ultimately, have any control over or responsibility for your actions. This line of criticism of soft determinism is sometimes referred to as the â€Å"consequence argument.† Soft Determinism in Contemporary Times Many major philosophers including Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, and Voltaire have defended some form of soft determinism. Some version of it is still probably the most popular view of the free will problem among professional philosophers. Leading contemporary soft determinists include P. F. Strawson, Daniel Dennett, and Harry Frankfurt. Although their positions typically fall within the broad lines described above, they offer sophisticated new versions and defenses. Dennett, for instance, in his book Elbow Room, argues that what we call free will is a highly developed ability, that we have refined in the course of evolution, to envisage future possibilities and to avoid those we don’t like. This concept of freedom (being able to avoid undesirable futures) is compatible with determinism, and it’s all we need. Traditional metaphysical notions of free will that are incompatible with determinism, he argues, are not worth saving.

History Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

History Questions - Essay Example Cuneiform writing was practiced as an art. Ancient Greece was characterized by islands, Peloponnesus, and mainland. It was surrounded by Mediterranean Sea and had few rivers, rocky soil and a mountainous land with the lack of subsistence farming and no irrigation scheme. My analysis demonstrated that Ancient Greece had no central political system hence lacked unity and was characterized by policies of humanistic and secular. Ancient Greece only took part in art and trade as the primary social activities and this system led to no significant economic achievement characterized by less population and high poverty. The two societies that showed long stability history and imperial dynastic rule are Ancient Egypt and Ancient China. Ancient Egypt had a precious natural resource surrounded with regular controlled flooding surrounded by political borders and a governed centralized system that facilitated political stability and a high population with less foreign interference. Its culture was uniform with a religious perspective and a point of direction in their way of life that unified the whole community. Ancient China was characterized by mountains, deserts, and rivers. The community in Ancient China practiced comprehensive agriculture that led to unification and communal working. The practice of religion adjudicated Unity in Ancient China and emphasize on respect to elders. They also mined bronze and took part in the art as a culture. The axial age is a time between 900-200 BCE when people began laying spiritual foundations that guide the common religions today. Urban civilization under priestly ruling brought communities together and encouraged trade activities. The Urban way of life started to expand leading to social, political and economic conflicts that disrupted order leading to questioning of conventional beliefs. Interaction between different communities exposed individuals to realities like

Educational Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Educational Systems - Essay Example OBTE focuses on measuring empirically student performance outcomes as compared to PBTE which places emphasis on improving the performance of the teacher by laying out perceived best practices in professional conduct. OBTE does not relyon specifications or requiring any particular style of teaching or learning. The important point is that the student's performance is assessed and must demonstrate that they have learned the required content and skills. The paper is a critical analysis of Outcomes Based Teacher Education (OBTE) versus Performance Based Teachers Education (PBTE) in developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. In doing so, it becomes necessary to delineate clearly the ideas underpinning OBTE and PBTE. I would be analyzing the effectiveness and disadvantages of both by drawing upon available literature regarding the experiences of elements of educational systems. This paper includes the review of the Teacher Quality aspect of each country, the students' ability to learn and assessment of its curriculum. This paper is aimed at providing an analytical and credible study and assessment of the nature of OBTE and PBTE. The results of this study is hoped to provide a useful guidepost in the development of the educational system on whether to pursue OBTE or PBTE. This paper also aims to be a useful related study to those who would want to perform such a similar analysis in the future. 2.0 Proposed Research Structure The research could possibly include six (6) chapters: Chapter 1 - Introduction and Aims of the study; Chapter 2 - Review of Related Literature/Studies; Chapter 3 - Methodology; Chapter 4 - Systematic Presentation of the Data and Important Points; Chapter 5 - Discussion, Analysis and Interpretation of Data and Chapter 6 - Summary and Conclusions. 3.0 Data Sources The researcher had chosen developing countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom as a research target for these countries are known for their advancement in terms of education and technology. Philosophers, famous educators and latest inventions mostly are from these countries. Residents of these continents pay much attention to the academic aspect of life. As early as one-year old, children are being sent to pre-schools and nurseries for their first hand education. Universities such as the Oxford and Harvard and many other famous universities are situated in these areas. In the course of study, data will be gathered from published papers and reports that are directly concerned with the topic. I will be fist scanning the material that is present in peer-reviewed academic journals so as to obtain highly credible data sources and proceed to obtain data from newspaper reports, magazine articles and other published material. It is advised that previous studies and overviews regarding the topic be reviewed in order to gain further knowledge about the issues and conflicts of the chosen topic.I have also conducted a preliminary survey of data sources in the internet. It turned out that there is a wealth of literature regarding the topic. The Yahoo.com and/or the msn.com are the largest provider of different kinds of websites all over the world. Below are website links which may help the researcher to gather relevant information

Poisonwood Bible Essay Example for Free

Poisonwood Bible Essay Adahs Development In Barbara Kingsolvers novel The Poisonwood Bible, the Price family, Nathan and Orleanna Price and their four daughters, travel to the Congo to convert the locals to Christianity. Kingsolver constructs a multi-voice narrative and in doing so Kingsolver constructs five different personalities: Orleanna Price, Rachel Price, Leah Price, Adah Price, and Ruth May Price. As the novel progresses, each of the characters experiences a dramatic change throughout the book and through the use of textual evidence and deep analysis of the diction and rhetoric used for the character Adah Price; leading us to discover how she transforms in the novel and what this variation is exactly. Adah, who is a cripple since birth, has never been able to move the left side of her body and is psychologically a mute. This enables her to see the world from a different perspective and strangely views things backwards. She believes that her life has no value to her or anyone else. Adah has a twin sister Leah who is perfectly normal and Adah carries a lot of hatred toward Leah because its her fault that she is handicapped. Oh, I can easily imagine the fetal mishap: we were inside he womb together dum-de-dum when Leah suddenly turned and declared, Adah you are Just too slow. I am taking all the nourishment here and going on ahead. She grew strong as I grew weak. And so it came to pass was cannibalized by my sister (Kingsolver 34). This view held by Adah comes into play many times in the novel and even Leah can tell that here is some hostility between them. Young Adah also has this fascinating plan. She is believed to be mute because of what doctors had told her parents, but in fact she is very intelligent and she insists on not talking in order to simplify her life and act more as an observer rather than a doer. Her naturally detail-oriented nature is well illustrated by the diction and tone she uses. the women working their field will stand up one after another, unwrap the pagne of bright cloth stretch it out wide before retying it. They resemble flocks of butterflies opening and closing their wings (Kingsolver 137). The initial observation of the way these women work the field is unlike the other girls who merely comment that the women pound the manioc. Adah observes and analyzes the women in a factual manner and yet that last sentence reveals more about her character. She oes from making a remark that almost scientifically evaluates the womens movements to making a statement that brings an artistic form of examining the actions and uses powerful imagery for the reader to associate with. However, Adah does not stay like this throughout the whole novel. She experiences an event that shifts her character in such a way that although it does not have an immediate impact, it changes her completely in the long run. Live was I ere I saw evil (Kingsolver 305). On the frightful night when Kilanga, the village were the Price family was living, was swarmed by a massive group of ants known as Nsongonya Adah was left behind. She woke to the sound of screams and felt ants all over her. Her mother ran into the room, baby Ruth May bundled in her arms. Adah, for the first time perhaps pleaded for help. Help me (Kingsolver 305). Orleanna stared at her crippled daughter and turned away. This was a huge turning point for the young girl. In the simple plea alone, the way Kingsolver phrased it l [Adan] spoke out loud, tn only time: help me (Kingsolver 305), one could see that this was a simple phrase; not shouted or screamed, simply stated. When Adahs plea was not answered she was left dumbstruck and proceeded to fght for her life. Although Adah originally believed that everyone found her life to be of no value she was still horror struck when her mother did not come to her aid, but she still decided to save herself because she realized her own self-worth. No longer was she an idle observer, she became a doer. If her mother would not save her, then Adah would do it on her own because she knew her life was worth saving. This fateful night carries on into the rest of her days, perhaps not immediately, but it does affect her character in the end. When Adah finally returns to the US with her mother, Orleanna, she has almost completely ndergone her transformation. The Journey from Africa alone had left a great mark on Adah because of her mothers tenacity to bring her daughter home safe and sound. Adah was astounded by her mothers ferocious protection of her. When they finally do get home however, Adah immediately applies to Emory University and studies the medical sciences which she takes up as her religion. However, much has changed. Adah finds that without anyone to speak for her she must get used to speaking rather than observing and is shocked at first by the sound of her voice, but this is not the greatest change. The most dramatic alteration is one that she only picks up on for a moment in the final part. She states that she has always sacrificed life and limb and half a brain to save the other half (Kingsolver 410). Adah finds it unusual to now owe her mother something when her own life has been a constant struggle. My habit is to drag myself imperiously through a world that owes me unpayable debts. I have long relied on the comforts of martyrdom (Kingsolver 410). The very tone of this phrase represents beautifully the realization that has struck Adah like a lightning bolt in this moment. The word imperiously gives the reader perfect imagery of a disgruntled and displeased Adah who hates the world and yet that second sentence reveals something else. She has come to know what it feels like to owe someone an unpayable debt and that her whole life has been driven from this one disability. The words comfort and martyrdom are so opposite that they balance out the sentence and give the reader an understanding of how Adah felt about her handicap. What is even greater is the physical transformation that follows this mental one. Adah meets a neurologist who informs her that he can help er overcome her limp. This intrigues her and after several months Adah no longer has to bear her physical disability. She is at first amazed that this cross she has born all these years could somehow be taken care of like that. However, as she progresses through the novel she finds that this recovery is balanced out by the inability to see words and phrases backwards and in a completely different perspective like she used too. At times she limps purposefully around [her] apartment trying to recover [her] old ways of seeing and thinking (Kingsolver 492). This sentence shows ow she still longs for the days when she was different and had something to wield against the world. The imagery provided allows the reader to vividly imagine Adah trying with all her might to limp and be as she once was, but away from the public eye. She continues to live as the recovered individual that she is now and only seems to regret the loss of an edge that she once held. Adahs transformation in the novel was one ot a seemingly helpless child into a tully tunctioning adult who nad experienced things that no one in her community could top. She realized a self worth that she did not possess at the beginning of the novel. Adah Price was a cripple. Adah Price is a cripple. The genius girl that went to the Congo is not the same one that returned and lived the rest of her life in the US. She no longer has a physical handicap that got her mocked and looked down upon, but she does not have that special outlook on the world either. Adah now knows people whom she can work with and share time with because she will talk now, but she owes her mother an unsettled debt, that may never be resolved in her heart and mind. Adah has changed for better or worse is uncertain. In the end experiences add up and the results always balance each other out.

Jfk: Was His Assassination Inevitable? Essay -- essays research papers

A popular misconception is that President John F. Kennedy's assassination was an isolated event perpetrated by one man. This could not be farther from the truth. Instead, it was the result of a complex combination of domestic and foreign events. When President Kennedy was in office, he had to deal with many issues, ranging from business and finance to crime-fighting and war issues. Perhaps it is not as important to decide who it was that killed him, but why. President Kennedy's decisions and courses of action were not popular with everybody, and thus it is not surprising that his assassination was inevitable. The people who might have wanted John F. Kennedy dead can be classified into the following groups: Russians, Cubans, Mobsters (Organized Crime/Mafia), Special Agents (CIA), G-men (J. Edgar Hoover's FBI), Rednecks and Oilmen (Right-wing Extremists), and the MIC (Military Industrial Complex). Each group had its own motives for killing John F. Kennedy. Many of these groups that wanted JFK dead are very closely intertwined, so in order to understand each group, they will each be analyzed seperately.In order to better understand the relationship between JFK, the Cubans and Russians, several important events must be mentioned and discussed. Two of the most important foreign affairs in Kennedy's presidency were the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. During Eisenhower's administration, Cuba was torn apart by revolution. The Cuban dictator, Batista, was an extremely corrupt man. While he was enjoying a luxurious life, the people of Cuba were in poverty. Thus it was not surprising when a rebellion, led by a man named Fidel Castro, took place. Batista, knowing that the majority of Cuba wanted him out, chose to flea rather than be caught and face execution. Once Batista was out of the way, Cuba was Castro's for the taking.One of the first actions Castro took while in charge of Cuba was to close down all casinos. The people running them were either imprisoned or deported. Exploitation of Cuban workers by American was unacceptable to Castro, and he took immediate action against this. He believed American capitalists were taking advantage of the Cubans. Angered by this aggressive attitude toward American "interests", the United States government established a trade embargo, hoping the Cuban people would overthrow Castro and reinstate a more &... ... the veracity of these sources leaves something to be desired). However if this is true, the Mafia would definitely consider JFK and his brother going after them as a double-cross, and this would have been a more than strong enough motive for the them to kill Kennedy. It is important to note that the Mafia felt that no person was above them, that nobody is immune from their power. If the Mafia wanted Kennedy dead, and had a motive, is it that unlikely that they did it?The events that would have happened if Kennedy was not to be assassinated were extremely vital. Kennedy was going to remove a thousand soldiers from Vietnam by 1963, and was committed to withdraw all troops by 1965, when Lyndon B. Johnson took office, neither happened. He was going to smash the CIA into a thousand pieces, and replace J. Edgar Hoover as Director of the FBI, this didn't happen. He may have been going to drop Lyndon B. Johnson from the presidential ticket in 1964. Had he not been assassinated Johnson would have never become president. When Johnson took over, he signed NSAM 273, considered to be the opening of the Vietnam war. The commitment meant the MIC would continue to make money, and lots of it.

Dissertation Sample †Is it Possible to Reduce the Harm Caused by Human Trafficking?

Abstract This paper reviews the practice and extent of human trafficking across the globe in order to assess the harm which is inflicted upon victims. This paper utilises case studies and academic research from the USA and Northern Ireland in order to find that regardless of the activity or the experiences of victims, all experiences psychological trauma. However this paper finds that there is also an informational black hole which can potentially impact upon the treatment of victims following a period in captivity, Introduction The phenomenon of human trafficking has increased as a problematic national international issue in recent years. Both state in non-state actors have attempted to combat this industry, however the focus upon the experiences of harm which victims experiences remains part of a subjective construct. This paper assesses what harm victims experience but in doing so seeks to address the extent and scale of human trafficking as a local and global issue. This paper utilises academic research and state policies from the USA and the Northern Irish Province of the UK in order to make findings in relation to the harm which human trafficking causes. This paper concludes that all victims of human trafficking experience psychological harm regardless of the role which they were expected to undertake. In essence, victims are reduced to being defined as begin vulnerable as a result of their experiences. What is Human Trafficking It is estimated that human trafficking earns criminal syndicates around $32 billion per annum (Haken 2011). The human trafficking networks which exist across the globe impact upon. It is a system that can be evidenced in almost all countries and of people who reside in those states (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC), 2011). The natural conclusion to any research on the subject of human trafficking tends to conform to an idea that it concerns the transportation of a large number of vulnerable people from the periphery to the core (UNODC, 2011). A number of centres of gravity have been established where trafficking gangs tend to concentrate their efforts. These areas include, but are not limited to, Western Europe, Dubai and the USA. However, other markets also exist in countries such as India where there is a market in both the internal relocation of victims, in this case predominately children, of trafficking, and externally to the aforementioned locations (Finnegan 20 08). Global approaches to human trafficking are overseen by the United Nations (UN) which defines the practice as being the ‘recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation’ (UNODC 2000: n.p.). The UN working definition has been commuted in to the legal frameworks of domestic jurisdictions which, despite being semantically different they are, for all intent purpose, they possess the same underlying meaning as that of the UN’s. In the USA for example, the practice of human trafficking is legally defined as being ‘Trafficking in persons† and â€Å"human trafficking† have been used as umbrella terms for the act of re cruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion’ (US Dept of State, 2014: n.p.). In the UK, In the UK, the racquets which organise human trafficking are defined as being ‘those involved, normally working with others, in continuing serious criminal activities for substantial profit, whether based in the UK or elsewhere† (SOCA, 2013: n.p.). A number of international bodies also are incorporated into the fight against human trafficking. The World Bank, for example, possesses its own definition human trafficking as ‘the abuse of public power for private benefit’ (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2011: 5). Other organisation which are active in the fight against human trafficking includes the International Labour Organisation (2013: n.p.) which supports a perspective that women make up just over half of all trafficked people, with males and children making up the remainder. In essence, the issue and prevalence of human trafficking is considered to be an important issue on global as well as domestic terms and incorporates state and non-state activity (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2011: 4). In the USA, the local perspective considers that human trafficking is akin to a form of modern slavery (US Dept of State, 2014: n.p.). Modern Slavery Discourse With human trafficking being considered as akin to modern slavery is a label which is highly relevant to this subject area. Figures regarding trafficking to the USA are wide. For example Baldwin, Eisenman, Sayles, Ryan & Chuang (2011: 1) suggest that eighteen thousand are trafficked there annually, whilst Hughes (2001: 9) presented estimated of over one hundred thousand per annum. In this instance it is arguable that both may be correct. Recent years have seen US border controls and immigration fall within the remit of Homeland Security (Dept for Homeland Security, 2014). In their article, Hepburn and Simon (2010: 1) note that legislative definitions of human trafficking are similar. The reason for this is that all states take their leads from the UN policy. The UN definition, therefore, can be considered as being all encompassing and constitutes a policy which the majority of, if not all, states agree upon. Indeed a number of third party non-governmental organisations also have policies and working definitions in this area. One country of focus for the USA in its fight against human trafficking is Moldova which the USA sees as being a main country of origin for those trafficked to its shores. Additionally the US government argues that ‘women and children (are) trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation to the Balkans; other European countries; and the Middle East’ (Embassy for the United States: Moldova 2013: n.p.). One factor for the discrepancy for the difficulty in calculating the numbers of victims of trafficking is the nature of the activity. Since it incorporates criminal actions which seeks to secrete victims into a host nation, the possibility of creating accurate figures is an extremely challenging task. Indeed this is a reality which the UK government realised when attempting to evaluate the extent of the practice in that country as well as the wider European Union space (HM Parliament, 2009: 9). At this point it is to be noted that there is a clear difference between the transportation of people by illegal or criminal organisations via human trafficking and the international migrant trade. In the latter of these, willing participants pay syndicates to move to another country. Finnegan (2008) notes that human trafficking routinely involves further criminal offences including fraud, deception and coercion, and can result in the employment of people in, for example, forced labour and prostitution. In the vast majority of cases it can be assessed that those victims who are trafficked are aiming to escape from social deprivations, conflict, violence and poverty (Finnegan, 2008). Similarly there tends to be a level of state involvement through corrupt practices by individual state agents (Finnegan 2008). UNODC (2013) argues that trafficking for the purposes of prostitution and sexual exploitation comprises the vast majority of cases. This narrative provides a greater insight into the phenomenon of human trafficking in affected countries however on a personal scale the impact upon the victims can be considered to be more devastating. Harm caused by Human Trafficking It is noted that in the UK, the devolved Northern Irish authority argues that there must be three components for human trafficking to occur. These components are the act, the means and the purpose (Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland, 2012).Each of these components must be in place for the offence of human trafficking to be considered as a crime. The referred to act concerns the recruitment of people; the means brings into play coercion, threats or intimidation; whilst the threats or force in order to coerce people whilst the purpose equates to the role being carried out, for example, prostitution, forced labour et al (Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland 2012: 4). Where all three of these elements have been confirmed, the possibility for prosecution is increased. Similarly a support network for victims is initiated. In the USA victims of human trafficking are predominately considered as being an issue for health care providers (Baldwin et al., 2011: 2). This policy is based upon statistical research which argues that over a quarter of all people who have been trafficked are in need of medical care whilst under the control of their captors (Baldwin et al., 2011: 2). These findings have placed the US healthcare system at the forefront of the fight in identifying victims and, by implication, the controlling criminal racquet. However Baldwin et al. (2011: 2) highlight the fact that information regarding the impact of trafficking on victims remains scant and argue that this finding is based upon a lack of data from state organisations such as law enforcement agencies, health care providers and human rights groups. Baldwin et al.( 2011: 1-3) reach this outcome despite the widespread practice which they argue can be found across the USA in over ninety cities and in thirty states. However the scant inf ormation which has been reflected thus far in this paper, in terms of state led assessments and academic research also suggests that the extent of human trafficking remains part of a subjective narrative. The US based National Human Trafficking Response Centre (2014: n.p.) notes the extent of trafficking is almost half of that which was argued by Baldwin et al. (2011) and is also different form that discussed by Coonan (2004). These outcomes impact upon the policy responses to issues related to harm which is experienced by people who have been trafficked, particularly where there are a number of medical or psychological interventions needed to assist victims in recovering from their experiences. The study conducted by Coonan’s (2004) utilised a number of victims of human trafficking, many of whom had originated from Mexico (Coonan, 2005: 208). All, bar one, had been employed in the sex trade with the latter being used for domestic servitude. All of these participants showed symptoms of mental health issues which related to a strong desire for physical security. However it is to be noted that Coonan (2004) failed to question victims on the rationale for this desire. As such, this area too remains part of a subjective concept and represents an inherent weakness in Coonan’s (2004) The need for physical security could potentially relate to a psychological fear of being taken and forced back into the activity which they were previously undertaking, or it could provide evidence of a need for safety from physical beating. Either way the strong desire for physical security is indicative of mental strain and evidence of trauma. As a further failing in Coonan’s ( 2004) paper it is to be noted that he did not discuss the experiences of being caught up in the human trafficking trade. This is a missed opportunity to gain a greater insight into the harm done by experiences. A further study by Hepburn and Simon (2010) provides details of the experiences of victims and, as a result, provides a greater insight into the harm done during time in captivity. Hepburn and Simon (2010: 6) state that women who were trafficked to join the US sex trade had to have sex over six hundred times simply to pay off their debts. Added to this were accommodation and food bills, resulting in a continual captive state. In this particular instance these women had to live in a condemned building, had no choice but to drink contaminated water and trap pigeons in order to eat. As such, in this case, long term physical illness cannot be ruled out. Similarly the exposure to regular sexual activity means that sexually transmitted disease cannot be ruled out (Hepburn and Simon, (2010: 6-7). One area where Hepburn and Simon were successful in their study was to concretise the need for physical security, where here, it can be evidenced that a fear of being recaptured was an overriding factor in the low mental health status of victims. Hepburn and Simon (2010: 8) also highlighted that women had been, in part, exposed to domestic US life, resulting in additional men tal stress and trauma Harm Reduction Programmes The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2009: 9) notes the psychological impact of trafficking upon victims and argues that the experiences of people are akin to a state of Stockholm syndrome. Here, captives are psychologically attacked to their captors and are subsequently mentally aligned to their captors (Graham, (1994: xvi). In essence the experiences of trafficked people is not dissimilar to the psychological experiences of those who have been taken hostage, cult members or long term prisoners of war (Graham, 1994: xvi). This is a factor which the Northern Irish authorities have recognised and people who have been liberated from trafficking are subsequently placed in a secure accommodation setting for six weeks in order that they can reflect upon their experiences whilst in captivity (Public Prosecution Service, 2012: 15). The process also helps victims to come to terms with a number of other areas of their experiences, obtain medical assessments and access the relevant tr eatments. The main overriding factor which affects all people is the psychological issue. This occurs regardless of the role which was undertaken. A further benefit of this approach is that it allows victims to open upon about their experiences and can help law enforcement agencies gather information in order to improve their intelligence assessments of the extent and practices which occur within their jurisdiction. However the overriding factor in the approach which the Northern Irish authorities utilise is based upon recognition that victims are vulnerable. It is this recognition that informs subsequent intervention processes from a plethora of state organisations. In essence, victims in Northern Ireland experience a multi agency response which is highly individualised and may include health specialists, social services, mental health services, law enforcement and immigration services. One further factor to note is that victims in this Province are also granted an immigration one year stay of execution in order that the relevant authorities can oversee their integration back in to civil society prior to being returned to their homeland and families (Public Prosecution Service, 2012: 13-22). Conclusions In conclusion, information regarding the harm caused by human trafficking is still evolving. Where information is available it is evident that all victims experience mental trauma as a result of their experiences. In achieving this finding this paper has assessed the scale and extent of the practice and has considered academic and state led research and practices. The mental harm experienced is indicative of a psychological state which is akin to Stockholm syndrome; as a result victims can be classed as being vulnerable and are in need of individualised levels of care. Knowledge of this outcome has the potential to reduce the harm caused by human trafficking however the evident lack of complete information is hampering the ability of institutions and state agencies to limit the harm done. As an issue of best practice the Northern Irish system can be seen as being the best approach to limiting harm and to promote a successful recovery. Bibliography Baldwin, S., Eisenman, D., Sayles, J., Ryan, G., & Chuang, K., (2011), Identification of Human Trafficking Victims in Health Care Settings, (J), Health and Human Rights, Vol. 13, (1), pp. 1-15. Coonan, T., (2004), Human Trafficking: Victims Voices in Florida, (J), Journal of Social Work Research and Evaluation, Vol. 5, (2), pp. 207 – 218. Dept for Homeland Security, (2014), Fixing Our Broken Immigration System Through Executive Action – Key Facts, (online), available at http://www.dhs.gov/immigration-action?utm_source=hp_feature&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=dhs_hp, (accessed on 01/12/14). Embassy for the United States: Moldova, (2013), US Government Report on Moldova (online), available at http://moldova.usembassy.gov/reports-on-moldova.html, (accessed on 06/12/14), Finnegan, W., (2008), The Counter Traffickers, (online), available at http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/05/05/the-countertraffickers, (accessed on 06/12/14). Graham, D., (1994), Loving to Survive: Sexual Terror, Men’s Violence, and Women’s Lives, New York New York University Press. Haken, J., (2011), Transnational Crime in the Developing World, Washington DC: Global Financial Integrity. HM Parliament, (2009), The Trade in Human Beings: Human Trafficking in the UK, London: HMSO. Hughes, D., M., (2001), The â€Å"Natasha† Trade: Transnational Sex Trafficking. (J), National Institute of Justice Journal, Vol. 246, (1), pp. 9-15 International Labour Organisation, (2013), Quick Facts about Human Trafficking, (online), available at http://www.endhumantraffickingnow.com/quick-facts-about-human-trafficking/, (accessed on 06/12/14). Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (2012) Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Human Trafficking. Belfast: Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland. Serious Organised Crime Agency, (2012), Organised crime groups, (online), available at http://www.soca.gov.uk/threats/organised-crime-groups, (accessed on 06/12/14). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (2000), The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and two supplementary protocols: Article 3, (online), available at http://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNTOC/Publications/TOC%20Convention/TOCebook-e.pdf, (accessed on 06/12/14). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (2009), Anti Human Trafficking manual for Criminal Justice Practitioners, New York: United Nations. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (2011), The Role of Corruption in Trafficking in Persons. Geneva: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. US Dept of State, (2014), Definitions and methodology, (online), available at http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2013/210543.htm, (accessed on 06/12/14).

Catastrophic Predictions Essay

The most recent predictions were observed on the date December 21, 2012; for which the Mayan calendar ran out. Other prediction statements involved the earth being centered in the middle of the Milky Way and the planets becoming lined in such a manner that would affect the earth’s polarity. There have been a countless amount of catastrophic disaster predictions foretold for many years. Even some famous individuals like Nostradamus have made predictions that caused panic and havoc amongst believers. Incidentally, most predictions are challenged by scientist; to prove that they are truly false statements and can be provide evidence against them. So, why do we want to assume the worst before hearing all the facts? Catastrophic predictions for December 21, 2012; expressed the concerns that doomsday or Armageddon were at hand. Two of the most popular predictions were the Mayan calendar and the planetary alignment. Between the two predictions several individuals have derived a conclusion; that on a certain date changes in our earth’s astrological makeup will be involved in changing our lives. Now, does that mean the end of time as we know it or just an event which occurs in cycles? In the course of scientific evaluations; each element has been logically examined to provide answers to contradict the beliefs that these predictions will be the end of times. Scientists and historians working together can explain the prediction of the ancient calendar of the Mayans. The Mayan calendar is about to end its cycle and the new beginning arrives on December 21, 2012. Doomsday believers feel that the Mayan’s stone calendar is the real thing this time. These believers feel that the government is withholding the truth. In fact, the Mayan calendar differs from our current system that we use today. Our calendar holds only twelve months per cycle year. The Mayan calendar is often referred to as the Calendar Round. â€Å"The Calendar Round covers a time period equal to 52 solar years or 73 ritual years. The time is significant because in every Calendar Round all the possible combinations of haab and tzolkin cycles will have been experienced and they will re-synchronize at the same starting point (Bellenir, 2004).† Scientific explanations for this prediction of the end of days show that it has been misunderstood by many individuals. Basically, the haab cycle consist of eighteen months of twenty days per month and an additional five days at the end of the cycle (Lewin , 2011). Each day in the haab months is given a name from the tzolkin list. It is similar to our list of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The exception is that the zolkin list has unique names for each one of the twenty days. Evidence dated during a prior Mayan calendar ending cycle has been found. The theory of climate change could be observed in the discovery. Scientists are researching what seems to be a plant that once lived during a previous Mayan calendar cycle. â€Å"5,200-year-old plants flash frozen. Millennia ago when the last great calendar cycle of the Mayan came to an end, rapid climate change shook up the world and devastated habitats (PR Newswire Association LLC, 2009).† Could there be other evidence that has yet to be found to show what happens during that cycle? Certainly, there will need to be more studies done, but until then, individuals will express their own beliefs and opinions regarding the predictions using the Mayan Calendar. â€Å"The planetary alignment with Earth suddenly at the center of the Milky Way in 2012 — causing untold destruction as the earth’s crust ruptures, seas swamp our coastlines, volcanoes erupt and continental fault lines shatter (Machosky, 2009).† Can planetary alignment really cause the Earth’s magnetic poles to reverse and cause havoc across the planet? Disasters that maybe experienced from such an alignment could result from environmental changes. Followers of this prediction feel that we are already experiencing effects with the Earth’s weather elements and the earthquakes felt around the planet. The polar ice cap is still melting at a slow rate. Could this cause the water level to rise in areas if the poles reverse? Scientists and meteorologists feel that this prediction has will not cause any catastrophic disaster for us. The equinoxes (and solstices) has caused concerns and is often misunderstood when this cycle event happens. â€Å"The Sun is not a pinpoint object and takes some time to cross the galactic equator; they coincide once a year for several years (Stuart, 2011).† Winter solstice was observed on December 21, 2012; which is when the Sun has reached its furthest southern point and starts heading a northerly direction. â€Å"A few days before and after the winter solstice, the change is so slight that the Sun’s path seems to stay the same, or stand still (Yankee Publishing, Inc., 2012).† Does this mean it is a sign of a catastrophic event? No, this happens all the time and our Earth has no drastic affect. Individuals can often seek more reliable proof through specialist. Even the best scholars and scientists will often bump heads during their investigation period of a prediction. The difference between the two groups of specialists is the way they use the â€Å"results base factor†. Scholars will derive their material from proven result factors; along with any theory that is applicable. Scientists mainly need to have actual facts for a proven base result. Both will probe at the task, until satisfied in their findings. It would be hard to keep any catastrophic disaster a secret. Why would they? They have just as much to lose as everyone else if the Earth was going to be in harm’s way. If we take a look back at some of the famous writings of Nostradamus and his prediction materials we would find encoded messages; which have been studied by other scholars even today. â€Å"Nostradamus’s deeply arcane approach; including obscure astrological methods and the use of an esoteric code known as the â€Å"Green Language† (Abbott, Gold, & Rotella, 2000).† Nostradamus did not make it easy to read his predictions and for many years individuals have tried to break the code. His followers believe that much of Nostradamus’s predictions have already happened and that he was gifted with the sight of true predictions. Furthermore, the slightest misdirection or code breaking could result in a false statement predicting that the end is near. Who should we believe when it comes to the facts that a catastrophic disaster is coming our way? Many movies have been created with different outcomes of a catastrophic disaster. Each film is pointing the finger; that we are not prepared enough. The government is in control on the way things will be handled during a catastrophic disaster, even in the moves. We can feel confident that our government would inform us that the world was in danger. They would even have a plan set in place just for such an event. Many individuals have even started their own game plan for action during doomsday. Preparing for any expecting disaster is often taken seriously by individuals believing that the predictions are about to come true. Some believers handle it in different ways; for example: they might have planned to attend a celebration party. Others may celebrate the passing event in private settings. If this sounds familiar, it should because that is what they did on the Millennium (2000). A brief reminder of that prediction was that computers were not going to work. Which turned out to be just a small programming issue and computers still work today. Many bank account customers rushed to withdrew funds; in fear that their money would be lost. What are we afraid of? Is it the not knowing what? Or could it be the not knowing when a disaster will occur that has many getting ready ahead of time? Those individuals who believe in the disaster will shift into a survival mode. Survival supplies are stockpiled for the long duration of the event. The amount of supplies depends on the individual’s needs and type of disaster being observed. Water is one of the major items on the list; both for drinking and cleaning needs. Using special care not to store plastic bottles of water in direct sunlight; for research is still pending on the harm from toxicants produced during prolonged sun exposures (Rogers, 2012). Food and medical supplies are another demand on a stockpile list for survival of a disaster. Having a list ahead of time can help keeping track of the inventory. In addition, individuals may take it even future by seeking out a place to hold out until the disaster is over. Underground shelters have been designed and are in place for safety measures; at a high purchase price. Believers in the catastrophic prediction will gladly spend money on solid, reinforced, deep underground shelters; designed to withstand most disasters. These shelters are equipped with electrical power or self-contained with solar power. The price range depends on the size verse the structure. â€Å"Diameters of 8†², 9†², 10†², 11†² 12†² x 20†² to 50†² lengths are available on custom orders. Prices start at $49,900 (Atlas Survival Shelters, 2012).† This example is for the shelter itself; the property cost is additional. Shelter manufacturers have different floor plans to choose from, remember the buyer could be living in it for a long time. It depends on what you believe in; there is another type of believer and they will reach for the heavens in time of need. Religious communities will often come together to make peace. In times of despair many churches will have gatherings for prayer so members can join together with each other. Past religious cults even had predictions that their group called â€Å"Heaven’s Gate† of 1997 was to meet with a spaceship. That prediction cost thirty nine individuals their lives. Of course, no spaceship ever arrived for them.The news media was quick to report this sad event; massive suicides are common when misadvised individuals want to believe what someone tells them. Once the danger passes the due date; how do we react finding it was indeed another false statement? Some individuals start to unpack their underground shelter and others may keep it ready for the next prediction. While others just feel like it is another day; glad that they disbelieved in the predictions. Everyone has a choice to believe or disbelieve in the predictions. We should be able to give more thought into the research results of specialists; for indeed there are more explanations in favor of nothing going to happen. Another perfect example has passed by on â€Å"December 21, 2012† for the outcome has been proven that in view of the scientific spectrum no evidence occurred that put us in danger of existence. Future false statements will be tested each time by professionals and facts will be shared openly to us all. Giving us a safe and secure feeling to continue our daily lives; until next time. References Abbott, C., Gold, S. F., & Rotella, M. (2000). The Secrets Of Nostradamus: A Radical New Interpretation of the Master’s Prophecies. Retrieved 2012, from Publishers Weekly: http://www.lirn.net/services/proxy?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/197051024?accountid=40833 Atlas Survival Shelters. (2012). Galvanized Corrugated Pipe. Retrieved from Atlas Survival Shelters: http://www.atlassurvivalshelters.com/aboutus/nbc/corrugated/ Bellenir, K. (2004). In Religious Holidays & Calendars. Retrieved from Credo Reference: http://www.lirn.net/services/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.credoreference.com/entry/ogirholidays/the_mayan_and_aztec_calendars Lewin , N. (2011). The Haab. Retrieved from THE MAYAN TRADITION – THE OTHERS CALENDARS: http://www.4-ahau.com/en/The_Haab.html Machosky, M. (2009). Apocalypse now? Well, more like, three years from now. Retrieved 2012, from ProQuest: http://www.lirn.net/services/proxy?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/457147731?accountid=40833 PR N ewswire Association LLC. (2009). What if the Maya Were Right and Doomsday is Just Around the Corner? National Geographic Channel Investigates the Science Behind Ancient Clues in 2012: Countdown to Armageddon. Retrieved 2012, from ProQuest: http://www.lirn.net/services/proxy?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/447787532?accountid=40833 Rogers, C. D. (2012). Are Clear Water Bottles Safe for Sun Exposure? Retrieved from National Geographic Society: http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/clear-water-bottles-safe-sun-exposure-20417.html Stuart, D. (2011). The Order of Days: The Maya World and the Truth about 2012. Retrieved from Gale Science in Context: http://ic.galegroup.com:80/ic/scic/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/AcademicJournalsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Journals&disableHighlighting=false&search_within_results=&prodId=SCIC&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA263992162&userGroupName=lirn_crevc&jsid= Yankee Publishing, Inc. (2012). First Day of Winter 2012: The Winter Solstice. Retrieved from The Old Farmer’s Almanac: http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-winter-winter-solstice

Brosimum alicastrum, The Ancient Maya Breadnut Tree

Brosimum alicastrum, The Ancient Maya Breadnut Tree The breadnut tree (Brosimum alicastrum) is an important species of tree that grows in the wet and dry tropical forests of Mexico and Central America, as well as in the Caribbean Islands. Also known as the ramà ³n tree, asli or Cha Kook in the Mayan language, the breadnut tree usually grows in regions that are between 300 and 2,000 meters (1,000-6,500 feet) above sea level. The fruits have a small, elongated shape, similar to apricots, although they are not particularly sweet. The seeds are edible nuts which can be ground and used in porridge or for flour. The Breadnut Tree and the Maya The breadnut tree is one of the dominant species of plants in the tropical Maya forest. Not only its density very high around ancient ruined cities, particularly in the Guatemalan Petà ©n, but it can reach a height of around 40 m (130 ft), producing abundant yields and with several harvests possible in one year. For this reason, it is often still planted by modern Maya near their homes. The widespread presence of this tree near ancient Maya cities has been explained variously as: The trees could be the result of a human-manicured or even deliberately-managed tree farming (agro-forestry). If so, it is likely that the Maya first simply avoiding cutting the trees down, and then eventually replanted breadnut trees near their habitations so that now they propagate more easilyIt is also possible that the breadnut tree simply grows well in the limestone soils and rubble fill near ancient Maya cities, and the residents took advantage of thatThe presence could also be the result of small animals such as bats, squirrels, and birds which eat the fruits and seeds and facilitate their dispersion in the forest The Breadnut Tree and Maya Archaeology The role of the breadnut tree and its importance in ancient Maya diet has been at the center of many debates. In the 1970s and 80s, archaeologist Dennis E. Puleston (son of the famous environmentalist Dennis Puleston), whose unfortunate and untimely death prevented him from further developing his research on breadnut and other Mayan subsistence studies, was the first to hypothesize the importance of this plant as a  staple crop for the ancient Maya. During his research at the site of Tikal  in Guatemala, Puleston recorded a particularly high concentration of this tree around the house mounds compared to other species of trees. This element, along with the fact that the breadfruit seeds are particularly nutritious and high in proteins, suggested to Puleston that the ancient inhabitants of Tikal, and by extension of other Maya cities in the forest, relied on this plant as much as or perhaps even more than on maize. But Was Puleston Right? Furthermore, in later studies Puleston demonstrated that its fruit can be stored for many months, for example in subterranean chambers called chultuns, in a climate where fruit usually rots rapidly.  However, more recent research has significantly decreased the role and importance of breadnut in the ancient Maya diet, defining it instead as an emergency food source in case of famine, and linking its unusual abundance near ancient Maya ruins to environmental factors more than human intervention. Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Mesoamerica , and the Dictionary of Archaeology and the guide to Plant Domestication. Harrison PD, and Messenger PE. 1980. Obituary: Dennis Edward Puleston, 1940-1978. American Antiquity 45(2):272-276. Lambert JDH, and Arnason JT. 1982. Ramon and Maya Ruins: An Ecological, not an Economic, Relation. Science 216(4543):298-299. Miksicek CH, Elsesser KJ, Wuebber IA, Bruhns KO, and Hammond N. 1981. Rethinking Ramon: A Comment on Reina and Hills Lowland Maya Subsistence. American Antiquity 46(4):916-919. Peters CM. 1983. Observations on Maya Subsistence and the Ecology of a Tropical Tree. American Antiquity 48(3):610-615. Schlesinger V. 2001, Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya. A Guide. Austin: University of Texas Press Turner BL, and Miksicek CH. 1984. Economic Plant Species Associated with Prehistoric Agriculture in the Maya Lowlands. Economic Botany 38(2):179-193 Updated by K. Kris Hirst

Learn About the Life and Death of Activist Chico Mendes

Learn About the Life and Death of Activist Chico Mendes Environmental activist Chico Mendes (1944-1988) spent his entire life living in and fighting for, the rainforests of his native Brazil and its inhabitants. But his commitment to preserving a sustainable way of life cost Mendes his own life.   Chico Mendes: Early Life Chico Mendes was born Francisco Alves Mendes Filho on December 15, 1944 in the small Brazilian village of Seringal Santa Fà ©, outside of Xapuri. His was a family of rubber tappers, people who make their living sustainably by tapping the sap of local rubber trees. Like many rural people, his family also supplemented their income by harvesting nuts and fruits from the rainforest. Mendes started working when he was nine years old, and never received any formal schooling until late in life; by some accounts, Mendes never learned to read until he was about 20 years old. Some of his education was influenced by Euclides Fernandes Tavora, described as a middle-class Communist who, in the 60s, was on the run from Brazils military. Tavora introduced Mendes to books, newspapers and labor unions. Mendes and Organized Labor Mendes began to organize rubber tappers in the region, and he was soon elected president of the Xapuri Rubber Tappers Union. Mendes was also instrumental in organizing Brazils National Council of Rubber Tappers in the mid-1980s; he was soon elected leader of the group. There was (and still is) immense economic pressure, however, to clear the rainforest for cattle grazing. Despite evidence that harvesting the forests rubber, fruits, nuts and other commodities is a more sustainable practice that creates more income over a longer period of time, clear-cutting the rainforest was occurring at an accelerating rate in the 1980s. When 130 ranchers expelled some 100,000 tappers from the rainforest, Mendes and his laborers fought back, rallying whole families to stand in front of chainsaws and block bulldozers. Their efforts met with some success and attracted the attention of the international environmental community. Mendes was placed on the United Nations Environmental Program Global 500 Roll of Honor Award in 1987; he also won the National Wildlife Federations National Conservation Achievement Award in 1988. Mendes vs. Ranchers and Loggers When rancher Darly Alves da Silva attempted to clear-cut an area of rainforest that was planned as a nature preserve in 1988, Mendes succeeded in stopping the planned logging and created the preserve. Mendes also gained a warrant for da Silvas arrest for a murder he had committed in another state. For his efforts, Chico Mendes and his family received constant death threats in 1988, Mendes himself predicted he wouldnt live past Christmas. And on the night of December 22, 1988, Chico Mendes was shot to death by a single shotgun blast outside his familys house. Mendes was the 19th activist to be murdered in Brazil that year. Mendes murder sparked international outrage and massive protests in Brazil, eventually resulting in the arrest and conviction of Darly Alves da Silva, his son Darly Alves da Silva Jr., and a ranch hand, Jerdeir Pereia. The Legacy of Chico Mendes Partly as a result of Mendes murder, the Brazilian government stopped subsidizing logging and ranching operations and established many rubber preserves and nature reserves, including one named after the activist, Parque Chico Mendes. The World Bank, which once financed development in the rainforest, is now financing nature reserves that function as sustainable rubber plantations. But all is not well in the Brazilian rainforest, by most accounts. Clear-cutting continues, and according to some reports, fighting development in the rainforests of Brazil has cost some 1,000 activists their lives since 1988. Much work remains to be done to honor the legacy of Chico Mendes.

Brief history of the telephone and communication network highlighting Term Paper

Brief history of the telephone and communication network highlighting major events and technologies from 1845 to the present including the major impacts of regulation - Term Paper Example ercial telegraph, the code used by the transmitter and receiver was still the Morse code but in this case a telegrapher closed a switch or telegraph key in a particular pattern of short and long closures that represented a letter of the alphabet at the transmitting end. A person’s distance of communication increased into thousands of miles, the time taken to deliver a message reduced to seconds and the amount of information was maintained in the limit of five to a hundred words per minute with the entrance of the electric telegraph and laying of the transoceanic cable in 1858. The first telephone was the magneto-telephone on which both transmission and reception were done using the same instrument. A speaker’s voice was converted into patterns of electrical energy that were sent over fairly long distances through wires to a receiver. The receiver would convert the energy patterns back to the original sound waves that the listener could understand. This system was more efficient and advanced than the telegraph since apart from providing long distance communication capabilities, speaking and hearing could be done directly making its use suitable for everyone. Its information transfer rate was only limited by the human speech rate. Today telecommunication uses the telephony technologies related with the electronic transmission of fax, voice and other information over long distances using systems that were initially associated with the telephone. The radio was invented in 1901 by Guglielmo Marconi. This was after Heinrich Hertz discovered the electromagnetic wave in 1888. Marconi had begun experimenting with wireless telegraphy in 1895. In 1906, the radio was built in the United States of America as the first commercial voice transmitting device that utilized electromagnetic waves. The invention of the radio opened up new opportunities for wireless communications. A wartime ban on nonmilitary broadcasting delayed acceptance of the radio until in 1920 when the

Tikal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tikal - Essay Example The temple pyramids were made of limestone blocks and lorded over other surrounding structures. Lattice of stone were also added in Maya roof comb to make it as a grand-looking edifice. Architects considered the Maya site in Tikal of Guatemala as the most extraordinary construction of buildings as a work of art. The site is imposed with temples of the Giant Jaguar (ca. A.D. 700), Masks (ca. A.D. 699), and the North Acropolis (Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2010a). It was believed that at the core of the Giant Jaguar temple is a high priest’s tomb with hundreds of vases and jade as offerings. A quiet sanctuary was also built intended for worshipper at the top of the nine-tiered pyramid (Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2010a; Totten, 1926). The rooms in these temples are accordingly narrow and design for ritual or ceremonial activities only. Some perceived that the design and alignment of these rooms are significant and imply a certain value to the inhabitants. Other eye-catching structures in the city are palaces in single-storey platforms with several rooms and with interior courtyards (Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2010b). The nunnery in Uxmal also looked like a palace (Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2010b). Rulers, elites and the noble families are presumed by archaeologists to have occupied these structures and those cell-like rooms in some structures were probably rooms of religious leaders in their communities e.g. priests, monks, and nuns (Ching, Jarzombek, & Prakash, 2011). They also had this structure known as Temple of the Sun at the Palenque and some sturdy edifice of a Great Gate at Labna (Ching, Jarzombek, & Prakash, 2011). This form of Architecture is considered quite expressive of sophisticated decoration of arts, carvings, and wall paintings of ancient symbols (Ching, Jarzombek, & Prakash, 2011). Those building are interconnected by roads made of stones, also known as causeways. Although experts criticized that Maya city was

PHYSICS (SOLUTIONS) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PHYSICS (SOLUTIONS) - Essay Example 100Pa). Here, it is essential that the pressure decreases exponentially, i.e. without local minimums and maximums (with the exception of atmospheric fluctuations); so, our criterion mb is valid. Roughly, from the graph attached we can localize km, say, km. e) Let us analyze the pressure curve . It is necessary to note that values of altitude are in log-scale. Nevertheless, even in linear scale dependence is non linear; see ('Atmospheric pressure' 2008) and (Ahren 2000). This can be explained by 'exponential atmosphere' model. This is very rough model for a column of gas extending to a great height; see details in (Feynman et al 1964). Such gas column is supposed to be at thermal equilibrium without any disturbances, so in the model. Model gives an obvious relationship where is the mass of the gas molecule (supposed to be constant in the model), is the acceleration due to gravity, and is the total number of the gas molecules in the unit section of a gas column. Solution of this relationship is ; here . So, the pressure exponentially decreases with increasing of altitude. Such decreasing depends upon the mass of gas molecule: the pressure of lightweight gases (e.g. hydrogen) decreases more slowly with altitude then the pressure of heavy -weight gases (e.g. oxygen). Here, and are weights of a ball... oxygen). Task 2 This task can be solved using Archimedes' principle. Let us make schematic illustration for a helium balloon and all the forces applied to it: Here, and are weights of a balloon and helium inside it, is the net force of buoyancy (for both balloon and helium inside). In accordance with Archimedes' principle, or the law of upthrust, a balloon is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the displaced air. A balloon is in state of rest when resulting force equals to zero, i.e. when . a) A balloon is assumed to be a sphere with a diameter of 20cm, so m. Hence, its volume is , or m3, or roughly litres (because 1 litre equals to m3). b) Let us estimate the mass of helium in the balloon. Let us suppose that helium is an ideal gas at and atmosphere. The ideal gas law gives volume occupied by a mole of an ideal gas: litres; here is universal gas constant (Feynman et al 1964). Therefore, the balloon contains moles of helium. The relative atomic mass of helium is 4, so a mole of helium weights 4 grams. Hence, helium in the balloon weights approx. grams. c) Using the graph attached for the task 1, namely dependence , let us define where km. Roughly, mb, say, mb or atmosphere. Let us estimate density of the air at the altitude km. For exponential model of atmosphere we have ; see (Feynman et al 1964). The ideal gas law or allows us to make estimations in terms of air density ; here grams per mole is the mean molar mass of air. For isothermal atmosphere () , so . Then, , so . Let us compute , the density of air at sea level: grams per litre. Let us estimate , the density of the air at the altitude km: or grams per litre. d) It is necessary to note that almost all numeric

Mission statement organizations vision translated into written form

Mission statement organizations vision translated into written form Mission  Statement A mission statement is an organizations vision translated into written form. It makes concrete the leaders view of the direction and purpose of the organization. For many corporate leaders it is a vital element in any attempt to motivate employees and to give them a sense of priorities. (1) A mission statement should be a short and concise statement of goals and priorities. In turn, goals are specific objectives that relate to specific time periods and are stated in terms of facts. The primary goal of any business is to increase stakeholder value. The most important stakeholders are shareholders who own the business, employees who work for the business, and clients or customers who purchase products and/or services from the business. A mission statement  is a brief description of a companys fundamental purpose. A mission statement answers the question, Why do we exist? (1) The mission statement articulates the companys purpose both for those in the organization and for the public. For instance, the mission statement of Canadian Tire reads (in part): Canadian Tire is a growing network of interrelated businesses Canadian Tire continuously strives to meet the needs of its customers for total value by offering a unique package of location, price, service and assortment. The mission statement of Rivercorp, business development consultants in Campbell River, B.C., is: To provide one stop progressive economic development services through partnerships on behalf of shareholders and the community. As you see from these two mission statement samples, mission statements are as varied as the companies they describe. However, all mission statements will broadly describe an organizations present capabilities, customer focus, activities, and business makeup (5). The difference between a mission statement and a  Strategic Intent  is that a mission statement focuses on a companys present state while a Strategic Intent focuses on a companys future. Every business should have a mission statement, both as a way of ensuring that everyone in the organization is on the same page and to serve as a baseline for effective business planning Mission statements often contain the following Purpose and aim of the organization The organizations primary stakeholders: clients, stockholders, congregation, etc. Responsibilities of the organization toward these stakeholders Products and services offered So, when you are preparing your Mission Statement remember to make it clear and succinct, incorporating socially meaningful and measurable criteria and consider approaching it from a grand scale. As you create your Mission Statement consider including some or all of the following concepts. The moral/ethical position of the enterprise The desired public image The key strategic influence for the business A description of the target market A description of the products/services The geographic domain Expectations of growth and profitability Strategic Intent A Strategic Intent  is sometimes called a picture of your company in the future but its so much more than that. Your Strategic Intent is your inspiration, the framework for all your strategic planning. A Strategic Intent may apply to an entire company or to a single division of that company. Whether for all or part of an organization, the Strategic Intent answers the question, Where do we want to go? What you are doing when creating a Strategic Intent is articulating your dreams and hopes for your business. It reminds you of what you are trying to build. While a Strategic Intent doesnt tell you how youre going to get there, it does set the direction for your business planning. (For more on the role of your Strategic Intent in business planning, Thats why its important when crafting a Strategic Intent to let your imagination go and dare to dream and why its important that a Strategic Intent captures your passion. Unlike the mission statement, a Strategic Intent is for you and the other members of your company, not for your customers or clients. Corporate vision is a short, succinct, and  inspiring  statement of what the organization intends to become and to achieve at some point in the future, often stated in competitive terms. Vision refers to the category of intentions that are broad, all-inclusive and forward-thinking.   It is the image that a business must have of its goals before it sets out to reach them.  It describes aspirations for the future, without specifying the means that will be used to achieve those desired ends. Warren Bennis, a noted writer on  leadership, says: To choose a direction, an executive must have developed a mental image of the possible and desirable future state of the organization. This image, which we call a  vision, may be as vague as a dream or as precise as a goal or a mission statement. A  strategic intent  is a companys vision of what it wants to achieve in the long term. It must convey a significant stretch for your company, a sense of direction, discovery, and opportunity that can communicated as worthwhile to all employees. It should not focus so much on todays problems, which are normally dealt with by company visions and missions, but rather on tomorrows opportunities. To achieve great things, you need ambitious visions. And it does not matter that vision cannot be laid out in details. It is the direction that counts. Mission Vision Goals Figure 1.0 Its significance on the Organization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visions incorporate goals for the future: but whose goals? Make sure the goals set out by your organization are shared by the community you serve. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visions are often value-laden statements. Values should be broad and inclusive to incorporate as many people and perspectives as possible. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visions should be optimistic and inspiring: to you, organization staff, and the community you serve. We believe in the equality of all people, regardless of race, class, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation. (2) In short, the mission guides the organization in its daily work, and the vision inspires the organization and the community to never give up on its future goals. Vision Mission Values Strategic Goals Tactics Figure 2.0 (5) Strategic Business Management and Planning The Strategic Position Strategy in Action Strategic Choices Capability Environment Culture Purpose Corporate Level Business Level Innovation Evaluation International Processes Organising Resourcing Changing Practice Figure 3.0 The Exploring Corporate Strategy model (4) Strategic Position: Understanding the strategic position is concerned with identifying the impact on strategy of the external environment, an organizations strategic capability and the expectations and influence of stakeholders. The sort of questions this raises are central to future strategies. The Environment Environment plays an important role in building up the strategies and how it affects the organisation strategies and goals looking out for the opportunities and threats from the outer world. Therefore it is very important to evaluate the environmental impacts on the organization. The capabilities Capabilities depends upon the resources and competences within the organization. One way of thinking about the strategic capability of an organization is to consider its strengths and weaknesses. Look for the core competences and USPs which the competitors will find difficult to imitate. Purpose The major influences of stakeholder expectations is organizations purposes. Purpose is summarized in an organisations vision, mission and values. This is important since it clarifies who should the organization serve and how should it work. this reflects the corporate social responsibilities and ethics. Culture These influences directly either on organizational, sectoral or national. Corporate Governance Corporate Governance is concerned with the structures and systems of control by which managers are held accountable to those who have legitimate stake in an organization. (4) There are many other reason which has made its presence an important issue for the organization. Out of which the three main reasons are as follows; The separation of ownership and management control which means that the organization works with hierarchy or within the chain of governance. This chain basically represents those groups that influence an organization through their involvement in either ownership or management of an organization. Scandals by the corporate have increased a lot of public debate about different parties in the governance chain should interact and influence each other. Most notable here is the relationship between shareholders and the boards of businesses as well as relationship between government or public funding bodies and public sector organizations. Increased accountability to wider Stakeholder interests has also come to be increasingly advocated; in particular the argument that corporations need to be more visibly accountable and responsive , not only to owners and managers in the governance chain but to wider social interest. Governance Structure Strategic Purpose Social responsibility and ethics Stakeholder expectations Figure 4.0 Influences on strategic purpose (4) The governance chain explains completely the roles and relationships of different groups which are present in the governance of an organization. The chain is very simple to understand it is similar like a family tree. It has shareholders, family members, managers and a board. It is a large and publicly quoted organization with more investors layers as well. Hence good corporate governance can be achieved only if it is an embedded part of corporate life: part of the DNA of the organisation, its internal processes and the way it makes information available externally. In many countries most companies are run mostly for the benefit of the shareholders, the rightful owners.  But there is another model, where companies are run for the benefit of other significant groupings as well such as customers, the general public or employees. This is the stakeholder model. Choosing a board for each of these models or something in between requires people with different backgrounds and outlooks. The following table  compares the shareholder and stakeholder models: Shareholders Stakeholders Maximize shareholder value and look after shareholder interests Look after all stakeholder interests, especially public Seek profitability and efficiency Look for survival, long term growth, and stability Hard-nosed and commercial Less concerned with profit than value for money A Stakeholders mapping can be used appropriately to understand the stakeholders influence. Stakeholder mapping can define his expectations and power and helps in understanding political priorities. It emphasizes the importance of two issues: Interest of the stakeholder group on organizations purposes and choice of strategies Power of stakeholders to actually do it They are described in a quadrant of four different types based on level of interest and their power, as follows Figure 5.0 Stakeholder Mapping Low High High A Minimal Effort C Keep satisfied B Keep Informed D Key Players Level of Interest Power (7) Non Profit Organizations A  non-profit organization  is an  organization  which does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals.  Examples of NPOs include charities (i.e.  charitable organizations),  trade unions, and public  arts  organizations. Most governments and government agencies meet this definition, but in most countries they are considered a separate type of organization and not counted as NPOs. They are in most countries exempt from  income  and  property taxation. Profit Organizations An  organization  is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals, controls its own performance, and has a boundary separating it from its environment. It is a business which has a primary goal of making profit and a proposed goal such as helping the environment. Differences between Profit and Non-profit Organization Ownership is the quantitative difference between for- and not-for-profit organizations. For-profit organizations can be privately owned and may re-distribute taxable wealth to  employees  and  shareholders. By contrast, not-for-profit organizations do not have owners. They have controlling members or boards, but these people cannot sell their shares to others or personally benefit in any taxable way. While they are able to earn a profit, more accurately called a surplus, such earnings must be retained by the organization for its self-preservation, expansion and future plans. Earnings may not benefit individuals or stake-holders. While some non-profit organizations put substantial funds into hiring and rewarding their internal corporate leadership, middle-management personnel and workers, others employ unpaid volunteers and even executives may work for no compensation. However, since the late 1980s there has been a growing consensus that nonprofits can achieve their corporate targets more effectively by using some of the same methods developed in for-profit enterprises. These include effective internal management, ensuring accountability for results, and monitoring the performance of different divisions or projects in order to better benefit from their capital and workers. Those require satisfied management and that, in turn, begins with the organizations mission There are a variety of perspectives, models and approaches used in strategic planning. The way that a strategic plan is developed depends on the nature of the organizations leadership, culture of the organization, complexity of the organizations environment, size of the organization, expertise of planners, etc. For example, there are a variety of strategic planning models, including goals-based, issues-based, organic, scenario (some would assert that scenario planning is more of a technique than model), etc. Goals-based planning is probably the most common and starts with focus on the organizations mission (and vision and/or values), goals to work toward the mission, strategies to achieve the goals, and action planning (who will do what and by when). Issues-based strategic planning often starts by examining issues facing the organization, strategies to address those issues and action plans. Organic strategic planning might start by articulating the organizations vision and values, an d then action plans to achieve the vision while adhering to those values. Some planners prefer a particular approach to planning, eg, appreciative inquiry. Some plans are scoped to one year, many to three years, and some to five to ten years into the future. Some plans include only top-level information and no action plans. Some plans are five to eight pages long, while others can be considerably longer. For-profit and nonprofit business plans have many similarities. For that reason, nonprofit personnel would benefit from reading the links in the section above, For-Profit Business Planning. Some of the terms are different, but in most cases they can readily be translated into words more commonly used in the nonprofit sector. For example, balance sheet is what nonprofit call a statement of financial position, profit and loss statement (or income statement) is essentially the same as a statement of financial activities, and so on. One of the key difference between a for profit and a non profit plan is the marketing section. In a for profit business, the served customers are generally those who provide the revenues needed to cover expenses and continue operations. For a non profit, often the served constituents do not provide this sustaining funding, and it must be sought from a third party donors. This means the marketing plan must describe both how the organization will communicate its services to its service target market and how it will communicate its need for funding to its funding target market. This means detailing these two separate marketing messages and two strategies for marketing.   Another key difference is the non profit part of the business plan. Financial plans for a non profit do not have to show net profit, and, if they do, there must be some explanation of what those retained earnings will be used for. They cannot be distributed as dividends, as the organization is technically owned by the public and not by the directors or board. However, profits can be accumulated for the purposes of creating an endowment or capital fund for future expenditures. An accountant should be consulted for any decisions of this nature.   International dimensions of strategic business management and planning Going global is one of the key visions of most of the organizations. Choosing globalization increases the option for the organizations range of products or services and how to manage across the borders. Through international strategy framework it becomes achievable in a better way. International strategy as the core theme, depends upon two things, the external environment and organizational capabilities. If you see the figure 6.0 it focuses more on internationalisation drivers and on the capabilities side it emphasises on international and national sources of advantage. Figure 6.0 International strategy framework Internationalisation drivers Market selection Sources of competitive advantage Mode of entry International Strategy (4) Market Drivers Similar customer needs Global customers Transferable marketingInternationalisation Drivers Figure 7.0 Internalisation Drivers International Strategies Cost Drivers Scale economic Country-specific differences Favorable logistics Government Drivers Trade Policies Technical Standards Host Government Policies Competitive Drivers Interdependence between countries Competitors global strategies (4) Market globalization drivers There is a general belief that several markets are converging around the world. There are several reasons for this. First, the convergence of Gross National Product (GNP) per capita in the developed world is leading to a convergence in markets sensitive to wealth and level of income such as passenger cars, television sets, and computers. Second, there is evidence to suggest that in some industries, customers tastes, perceptions, and buying behaviours are converging, and that the world is moving towards a single global market that is basically Western and, more specifically, North American. In a landmark article titled The globalization of markets Levitt (1983) predicted that globalization drivers such as new technology would lead to homogenization of consumer desires and needs across the world. He argued that this would happen because generally consumers would prefer standard products of high quality and low price to more customized but higher-priced products. Third, in the quest to build a global brand and company image, multinational firms are increasingly favouring a global standardization of marketing and advertising efforts. This does not mean identical marketing and advertising campaigns, but the use of similar themes that send the same message across the world. Recent developments in broadcast media, particularly direct-broadcast satellite and international media, are making this more possible. CNN, for example, broadcasts standard adverts around the world. Cost globalization drivers Several key cost drivers may come into play in determining an industry globalization level. One key factor is global scale economies. That is, the costs of producing a particular product or service are often subject to economies or dis-economies of scale. Generally, economies of scale arise when a product or a process can be performed more cheaply at greater volume than at lesser volume. This is often the case when the product or service is standardized; hence it becomes hard for multinational firms to differentiate themselves, and cost becomes key in achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage. Producing different products for different countries leads to higher cost per unit. This is because multinational firms serving countries with separate products may not be able to reach the most economic scale of production for each countrys unique product. Multinational firms could reduce the cost by using common parts and components produced in different countries. Another factor is sourcing efficiencies. Global sourcing efficiencies may push multinational firms towards a global strategy. The prices of key resources used in the production process have a strong impact on the cost of the product or service, the cost of inputs depends on the bargaining power of the firm with their suppliers. For example, large firms purchasing large volumes have more clout with their suppliers than their small rivals. Hewlett-Packard (HP) is a good example. In the past, country-level subsidiaries used to solicit bids for insurance coverage independently. Each subsidiary chose the local provider who bid less than the competition. However, HP now belongs to a global insurer-insured pool which provides rebates based on business volume. In addition, as noted earlier, some countries provide a cost advantage because of low cost of raw material, low cost of labour, or low cost of transport because of location. Thus multinational firms locate their activities in different countries to benefit from these advantages. Further, in sectors where transportation cost is low, closeness to customers is not important, and urgency to distribute the product is low, multinational firms tend to concentrate their production in large plants producing large-scale products. Finally, high cost of product development drives multinational firms to focus on core products that have universal appeal to control cost. Government globalization drivers Governments have different policies for different industries. While (as discussed above) the general trend is lower trade barriers and less regulation, for a few sectors trade barriers are prohibitive and highly regulated by governments. In addition to trade barriers and regulations, technical standards are becoming similar around the world. For example, several countries have accepted new international accounting norms and standards. In Europe, the International Accounting Standards (IAS) are quickly becoming the norm. This will allow direct cross-border comparison of financial statements, and facilitate communication between subsidiaries and the centre. Companies like Nokia, the Allianz group, and Novartis are working to bring about a convergence of US accounting standards with IAS. Competitive drivers Because of tight interlinks between key world markets, intense competition across countries, and the continuous increase in the number of global competitors, multinational firms are adopting a globally centred rather than nationally centred strategy. According to George Yip, the increase in interactions between competitors from different countries requires a globally integrated strategy to monitor moves by competitors in different countries. He notes that by pursuing a global strategy, competitors create competitive interdependence among countries. This interdependence forces multinational firms to engage in competitive battles and to subsidize attacks in different countries. Cross-subsidization is only possible if the multinational firm has a global strategy that monitors competitors centrally rather than on a country-by-country basis. Globalized competitors drive industries to adopt a global strategy. Yip noted that when major competitors, especially first movers, use a global strategy to introduce customers to global products, late movers adopt the same strategy so as to achieve economies of scale or scope and other benefits associated with adopting a global strategy. Last, the ability to transfer competitive advantage globally drives multinationals to adopt a global strategy. For example, IKEA succeeded in transferring its locally developed advantage to a global market. Conversely, sectors where the competitive advantage is locally rooted and hard to transfer across countries, multinationals tend to adopt an international strategy rather than a global one. (8) Strategic Management Strategic Management is a term which underlines the importance of managers with regards to the company strategy. Strategy needs to be defined by the people especially the managers who also implement them. Strategic Management involves a greater scope than that of any one area of operational management. It is characterised in way it makes easy for the managers to make decision and judgement based on the conceptualisation of difficult issues. Corporate strategy is defined as the identification of the purpose of the organization and the plans and actions to achieve that purpose. Corporate strategy consist of two main elements: corporate level strategy and business level strategy .See figure 7.0 At Corporate Level: All the decisions need to be taken over what business the company is in or should be in. The culture and leadership of the organization are also important at this broad general level. Corporate strategy is the pattern of major objectives, purpose or goals and essential policies or plans for achieving those goals, stated in such a way as to define what business the company is in or be in and the kind of company it is or be. (9) At Business Level: corporate strategy is more alarmed with the competing for customers, generating value from the resources and the underlying principle of the sustainable competitive advantages of those resources over rival companies. Figure 8.0 The essence of corporate strategy At the individual business level: How do we complete successfully? What is our sustainable competitive advantage? How can we innovate? Who are our customers? What value do we add? At the general corporate level: What business are we in? What business we should be in? What business our basic directions for the future? What is our culture and leadership style? What is our attitude to strategic change? What should it be? What is the purpose of the organization? And what are our strategies to achieve this? (10) The three main areas of strategy At both the levels of corporate strategy every organization has to manage its strategies in three main areas: Organizations internal resources; External environment within the area of organization operates; Organizations ability to add value to its organizations process. Resources Strategy Resources of any organization includes human resource skills, investors and the capital. Organizations need to build a good strategies to optimise the use of the resources. In particular, it is essential to investigate the sustainable competitive advantage that will allow the organization to survive and prosper against competition. Environmental strategy Environment encompasses all the aspect external to the organization itself: not only the economic and political circumstances, which depends place to place but competitors, customers and suppliers, who may vary widely around the world, but also competitors, customers are particularly important here. Hence organizations therefore needs to develop corporate strategies that are best suited to their strengths and weakness in relation to the environment in which they operate. Adding Value Apart from environment and resources organizations still need to add value to the supplies brought into the organization. For long term survival, an organization take their supplies seriously and then deliver its output to its customers. The main purpose of corporate strategy is to make the organization create and add vital values to make sure the organization adapts the changes and continue to add value in future. Core areas of Corporate Strategy There are three core areas of corporate strategy are strategic analysis, strategy development and strategy implementation. Strategic analysis: The organization, its mission and objectives have to be examined and analysed. Corporate strategy provides value for the people involved in the organization, its stakeholders but its the managers who decide the objectives of the organization. They also analyse the resources and examine the objectives as well as the relationship with the environment. Strategy development: A strategy options has to be developed and then the right has to be selected. To be successful, the strategy is build upon a particular skills of the organization and the special relationship that it has or can develop with the other outside suppliers, customers, distributors and government. Strategy implementation: The selected options now has to be implemented and the organization will find many other difficulties in terms of motivation, power relationships, government negotiations, company acquisitions and many other matters. Hierarchical Characteristics of Strategy Strategy can be formulated on three different levels: Corporate level Business unit level Functional or Operational level, While strategy may be about competing and surviving as a rum, one can argue that products, not corporations compete, and products are developed by business units. The role or the corporation then is to manage its business units and products so that each is competitive and so that each continues to corporate purposes. While the corporation must manage its portfolio of businesses to grow and survive, the success of a diversified firm depends upon its ability to manage each of its product lines, While there is no single competition to Textron, we can talk about the competitors and strategy of each of its business units. In the finance business segment, for example, the chief rivals ate major banks providing commercial financing. Many matagers consider the business level to be the proper focus for strategic planning. Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy fundamentally is concerned with the selection of businesses in which the company should compete and with the development and coordination of that portfolio of