The Use of Historical Method Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Use of Historical Method - Term Paper Example Some historians are also interested in asking how and so what. Various questions in history are hard to answer because: 1) sources do not fully describe what happened, or do not honestly explain why they did something; 2) sources sometimes use â€Å"couched† or â€Å"diplomatic† words to express themselves; 3) history is a complex combination of numerous factors, such as culture, morality, beliefs, et al., that affect language and ways of communicating and understanding each other; 4) definitions are not universally agreed upon; and 5) subjects change throughout time. Proper historical writing seeks out facts. In reality, however, facts can be presented with biases, because historians themselves have different viewpoints on what happened and why/how they happened. Proper historical writing should also differentiate facts from assertions. If historians want to talk about interpretations or arguments, they must be clear about this intention in their writings. History shou ld not be about what they think happened, but what truly happened. In the absence of facts, historians offer conjectures and theories about history. Some fields of science accuse social science as a â€Å"phony science,† because it is open to researcher bias and methodological weaknesses. Social science research, however, can respond to these weaknesses and reduce writer bias and methodological flaws, thereby improving the validity of their methods, findings, and conclusions. The problems of social science research are: researcher bias, bad data set, logical fallacies, relativism and normative definitions, level of certainty and variations, credibility of sources, misleading statistics, misinterpretation of facts, conspiracy theories, and other research problems that concern language. Like other research, their analysis and conclusions can also be prone to fallacies in reasoning. Some of the common problems with writing are: 1) not knowing who your audience is, and so the lan guage and writing style do not fit their level of knowledge and expectations, 2) using biased language that alienate or discriminate other groups, 3) not using the right punctuation marks, and 4) not proofreading. Proofreading is essential because it catches and corrects typographical, grammatical, spelling, and usage errors. Student should maximize existing writing centers. These centers can help them make their thesis, outline, and first draft. The advantages of primary source are that writers can interpret the primary sources for themselves, instead of relying on the interpretations of others, and primary sources gather data firsthand, thereby reducing bias from having someone interpret it. Secondary sources are helpful in gathering background or historical information about a topic, and in expanding understanding on events or subjects, by exposing the readers to different perspectives, interpretations, and conclusions. Secondary sources also already synthesize or combine studies and facts, thereby reducing time needed to read them all. What historians add or not add to â€Å"history† impact their narration of â€Å"facts.† It is interesting how world history books, for instance, include or do not include certain events, people, and conjectures. This may be due to the need of condensing material, but this can also be linked to what the writers and publishers think as important and unimportant. Sometimes, I read history and ask, how about the women? What

Subtle Issues in Revenue Recognition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Subtle Issues in Revenue Recognition - Essay Example This is not to say that management should ignore social responsibility such as protecting consumers, paying fair wages, maintaining fair hiring practices and safe working conditions, supporting education and becoming actively involved in environmental issues. Stakeholders other than stockholders can no longer be enrolled. These stakeholders include creditors, employees, customers, suppliers, communities in which a company operates and others. The impact of decisions must be recognized. The Enron controversy resulted to different political and economic changes which affected both government and private agencies. Enron has developed into becoming a part of America’s top ten companies in the span of nearly two decades. Their sudden rise to power seemed impossible to many industries in the financial world. However, the scam which brought upon Enron success was discovered. Deception was the name of the game for Enron. They concealed their controversial and suspicious dealings and transaction with their growing debt so that they appear debt-free and admirable to stockholders and the public. At last, every lie and cover up was made known to many when the company suddenly and unexpectedly filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. That was their last resort. Not even company partnerships and affiliations could save the money and the glory of Enron. When the news of bankruptcy of Enron was revealed, the reasons behind Enron’s downfall remained unclear and uncertain. There were mixed reactions among businessmen, politicians, stockholders, and others. Most of them were enraged while some felt concerned. There were those who were not surprised that the discrepancies with the financial statements could actually happen. It was as if it was the common habit among those who wish to decrease their debt. Questions such as the reason behind the downfall as well as the possible ways and means for preventing bankruptcy rose among the interested public.  

The Iron Giant By Ted Hughes English Literature Essay

The Iron Giant By Ted Hughes English Literature Essay By using literary devices and humorous events to connect with children, Hughes kept  The Iron Giant  from being too frightening. For example, his beginning with a giant clumsily stepping from the side of the cliff exemplifies his methods of creating a childrens story because this beginning sets a comical, non-threatening tone as the foundation of the story. For instance, by using similes such as, tearing the wire from the fence post, rolling it up like spaghetti, and eating it, Hughes creates a humorous picture of a giant creature. Viewing a giant in this light-hearted way contrasts giants in typical childrens stories, such as ones present in Jack stories, where the giants are menacing creatures. By using comical situations, Hughes enables himself to address serious issues without being unbearable to children. This humorous depiction of the giant also strays from the portrayal normally seen in classic fairy tales and other fantasy stories. For instance, although in the story Hogarth is a small boy who wants to help save humanity, the giant ultimately saves the day. Because the giant takes on the hero role, it is very different from classic tales, where the giant normally portrays the bad guy. For instance, in classic Jack stories, such as  Jack the Giant Killer,  the giant plays the role of a wicked antagonist outsmarted by the boy. Contrary to this, Hughess giant poses virtually no threat to humanity, save the fact he eats all the metal that he sees; the giant does not fit the stereotypical giant role. This atypical character, an important development in recent fairy tales, shows itself in works such as  The Reluctant Dragon, where the dragon refuses to be a dragon. Zipes explains the reason for including atypical characteristics. He does not fit the stereotypical dragon that fights against men while breathing fire, but instead the boy and he work together to find a solution. This partnership effort of defeating an enemy also presides in  Jack and the Devils Daughter,  when Jack is able to outsmart the Devil with help from the Devils daughter. Likewise, there is a similar partnership shown in the end of  The Iron Giant  when the giant, after being persuaded by Hogarth, uses his intelligence and non-human capability of withstanding fire to defeat the space bat angel dragon. Therefore, the giants portrayal creates a non-traditional giant story allowing for a deeper meaning. For example, Hughes uses the giant to address heavy issues that delve into meaningful subjects. These meaningful subjects include ones such as nuclear power, hidden beneath the complex story of a giant that appears bad but turns out to not be that way at all. Hughes excels in presenting the giant as a strong hero character. Hughes uses the giant to create an intelligent character, enabling the story to have the capacity to reach into profound subjects addressing threats to humanity. While Hughes used the giant as a hero, the space-bat-angel-dragon seems at first to act as the ultimate enemy; although, this character turns out to cause paranoia more than threatening situations. In his first showing in the story, for instance, the dragon fits the stereotypical adversary in classic tales, such as  Red Riding Hood  where the wolf seeks to devour a small girl and a helpless grandmother. This storys character reaches deeper than his apparent devastative actions of ruining humanity, though. The space- bat-angel-dragon possesses a deeper character than the typical shallowness of the bad guys in classic fairy tales.   For instance, the dragon, after being defeated by the giant, breaks down, revealing he wasnt always a menacing monster the space-bat-angel-dragons ambivalent name suggests his complex character. For example,  space,  bat, and  dragon  paint a haunting or sinister character, while angel  implies kindness and helpfulness. In the story, the dra gon evokes feelings around both these types of characters. For example, at first he was threatening, but he eventually became helpful to humanity. This personality allows Hughes to suggest strong points concerning the use of power, The confrontation of serious topics and suggestions about society carries through the ending of  The Iron Giant. Because the space-bat-angel-dragon realizes he does not need to be destructive and can benefit humanity, the anti-war and environmental protection theme jumps out.  The Iron Giant  concludes with a typical fairy-tale, happily-ever-after ending, but the story also presents strong statements about humanity and the way Hughes thinks humanity should exist. The former intimidating dragon causes peace on earth with his singing, Hughes ends his childrens story with his personal wish for all humanity-that humanity will live peaceable together without destructive motives. By using this message he sets his tale apart from other childrens tales by addressing these serious issues. While this message appears frightening, it is an important message that remains poignant and relative to todays society. Through its story-line and message,  The Iron Giant  presents itself as an entertaining story for children and adults. Its methods of making the story a childrens story, giants and space-bat-angel-dragons portrayals, the purpose, and the ending intermingle with ideas of the world and humanitys actions in the world. Hughes believed that children deserve to know the truth about the world they live in, which he accomplished in this story, while not frightening people of young ages.   With this belief, Hughes used strong overtones to create a meaningful childrens story about a desire for peace that is pleasing for many ages of people to read, while keeping the traditional fairy tale happily-ever-after conclusion.

Political Liberalism Essay -- Politics Political Science Liberal Essay

Political Liberalism Norman Davies describes liberalism as "being developed along two parallel tracks, the political and the economic. Political liberalism focused on the essential concept of government by consent. In its most thoroughgoing form it embraced republicanism, though most liberals favored a popular, limited, and fair-minded monarch as a factor encouraging stability." (A History of Europe, p.802) At the core of liberalism was the idea of freedom of thought and expression. People were now not only able to think for themselves, but also express those same thoughts. Popular sovereignty was also a very strong tenet of liberalism. Popular sovereignty advocated that government derives its power from the people and sovereignty is never unlimited to anyone. Political liberalism centered on the ideas of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press, the natural rights of man, the freedom to own property, and that status is not a birthright but an extension of talent. Property also represente d a very strong idea in the minds of many liberals. Davies concludes, "nineteenth-century liberals also gave great weight to property, which they saw as the principal source of responsible judgement and solid citizenship." (A History of Europe, p.802) However, property soon became defined as a natural right. Davies expresses, "economic liberalism focused on the concept of free trade, and on the associated doctrine of laissez-faire, which opposed the habit of governments to regulate economic life through protectionist tariffs. It stressed the right of men of property to engage in commercial and industrial activities without undue restraint." (A History of Europe, p.802) Hence, both economic and political liberalism had the right of property as a core ingredient. Property was a major element in the minds of the liberals because it enabled them to be known as a citizen. The liberals were the working middle classes, those with money but no birthright. Liberalism was translated into a pursuit of wealth by the middle class. "The principal concern of early-nineteenth-century liberalism was protecting the rights of the individual against the demands of the state", explains Davies. (A History of Europe, p.802) Here, the liberals were concerned with the state interfering with the natural rights of man. The tenets of liberalism affected the political deve... ...he natural right of man. As a result, nationalism and liberalism want people to live together in harmony. Also, nationalists were ignited with an inner spirit and the belief that their state was the best. "Most nationalists were liberals who viewed the struggle for unification and freedom from foreign oppression as an extension of the struggle for individual rights. Few liberals recognized that nationalism was a potentially dangerous force that could threaten liberal ideals of freedom and equality." (Sources of the Western Tradition, p.141) Hence, both liberals and nationalists were fighting for equal individual rights of man. In conclusion, "liberals advocated a constitution that limited the state's authority and a bill of rights that stipulated the citizen's basic freedoms." (Sources of the Western Tradition, p.171) Liberals were heavily concerned with the basic rights of man and other rights, such as freedom of thought and expression. However, they were also concerned with the idea of property. As a result, liberalism, which had a profound effect on the early nineteenth century, grew and had an impact on the ideas or ideologies presented in the later nineteenth century.

Breaking Up with Someone You Love Essay

During my first year in college, I fell in love with a co-freshman. We went steady after a two-month courtship. However, only after a few months of seeing the movies together, eating at our favorite restaurants, visiting the most exciting bars in the locality, staying up late together to study, and just even staring into blank space together, we finally broke up. Allow me to share with you the details of our break up: On a Sunday morning, while I was jogging around our neighborhood as part of my daily routine, somebody called me on my cellular phone. The caller, who is actually someone that I go to English class with first asked how I am doing, which I answered with the typical response, â€Å"Hi, fine I guess, thank you, and how about you? † She actually did not pay attention to my question, which I found very odd since she is the type who would always politely respond to anything an individual asks. After that she asked if I was already done with our project/homework that is due the following day. Again, I thought that was really bizarre, she is very independent as a student and does not engage herself with such. I felt really weird and so I eventually had the courage to ask her why she really bothered to call me. After a lot of â€Å"uhmms†, â€Å"errs†, and other speech impediments, she finally said it. She saw my boyfriend being exceedingly intimate with another girl. I believe I heard her say goodbye after saying â€Å"take it easy, girl, leave him and get on with life; there are too many guys out there who deserves to be with you far better than him†. I was not able to respond though. Right then and there, I felt extreme weakness; I could no longer go on with my jogging, in fact, I could barely walk. Then I told myself, â€Å"I have not seen him do that† or â€Å"Maybe that was a cousin whom he is extremely close with† or â€Å"Maybe my classmate in English just wanted to make fun of me†. Those lines did not help to make me feel better though, in fact, it became worse. I felt excruciating pain, like a cold knife that cut through my heart. I felt absolutely terrible. When I arrived home, I decided to weigh things over again. I told myself, â€Å"My classmate may be telling the truth, but I actually haven’t seen it for myself†. So with that, I felt a little better. I decided to change from my sporty attire to a casual one since I needed to go to the bookstore and buy a few things required by the school. Upon arriving at the bookstore, I first went to the books section to check on the new releases, as well as, the best sellers for the week. To my dismay, I saw my boyfriend there at the fiction section getting intimate with another lady. With what I saw, I already forgot what I was going to do or buy there, what I did was: I immediately rushed out the door and went home. I stayed in my room, just sat in my bed, and stared into blank space. Then I went down to the kitchen to prepare a few dishes, just like what I always do when I am terribly pressured, stressed or in a lot of pain. I also cleaned the refrigerator, took out the veggies that seem to be no longer edible, and then reorganized everything inside it. I also cleaned my room. Then I called him up and asked if we could meet. He excitedly and gleefully said yes and decided on the meeting place. When I arrived at the coffee shop we agreed to stay in, I sat for a few minutes, composed myself, making sure I would not cry or get mad before I told him this, â€Å"I was told about what you did†¦I did not believe it at first, however, when I saw you earlier today at the bookstore, I realized, my classmate was not at all making fun of me†¦I am sorry but this is goodbye†. I even asked him if there was anything he wanted to say but he simply nodded so I smiled at him to show him I wasn’t bitter and that I am happy I discovered his dishonesty early then I left the premises. Works Cited * Since this is an essay which entails a personal experience, no reference has been utilized for this.

Frankenstein Encounters Of The Third Kind Comparative

One prominent novel that displays this is Mary Shelley Frankincense (1818). Victor, the scientist, creates a being that sadly gets rejected by society and even its own c aerator, with devastating consequences. Whereas in another concentration novel, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1947), by Steven Spielberg, the Aliens are secretly welcomed by a select group of scientists, and a small group of ‘normal every people from the general public. In both novels, the main characters each neglect thee r families, suffer mental trauma, and have an obsession over something.To begin, in Frankincense , Victor thoroughly neglects his family for two whole years without having any contact with them, while he is creating the creature. In the midst of creating the being, he says, â€Å"And the same feelings which made me neglect the e scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles a absent. † (Shelley 45) Victor does not think that it is important to sta y in touch with his f rinds and family, and thus suffers even more when he is sick after the successful creation n of the monster.When he succeeds in bringing the creature to life, he is disgusted by t, neglects it, and abandons it. The monster says, â€Å"l, the miserable and the ban done, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on. † (Shelley 231 ) The creature is not loved by Victor, or anybody else that it encounters, which is pa art of it's motivation to retaliate by committing crimes and making Victor miserable. Kisses, in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Roy Nearly also rejects his fame ill in his pursuit of the ‘aliens' and ‘Fuss' .He is fired from his job, and constructs a 10 cookout platform on top of his garage, where day after day, he passes away the time eating for the Buffo's to come back. Like Victor Frankincense, in the midst of Roy Nearly actions, he forgets about his family and detaches himself from them, barely spending any time with them. His wife says, â€Å"Roy was sitting in his patio chair on the platform he had built on top of the garage roof. .. Roy didn't seem to hear Toby calling. He didn't see m to hear anybody these days. (Spielberg 39) This shows how Roy only really cares ABA UT looking for the BUFFO'S, and doesn't think about his family and how he is neglect ting them by not spending any time with them, but rather ignoring them. Secondly, Victor Frankincense deprives himself of rest and health when he is constructing the creature, and he experiences significant mental trauma whew n his creation comes to life. He has horrific nightmares, and exclaims how, â€Å"l was life less and did not recover my senses for a long, long time. † (Shelley 53) He also says how he contained a â€Å"nervous fever†(53).After the death of Victor's dear friend Henry Cleaver, Victor is shocked, and feels guilty that it was his fault for his friends death, beck cause he suspects that it was the mon ster who killed Henry. Victor says how he was doomed o live and in two months found myself as awaking from a dream , in a prison, stretched on a wretched bed†¦ â€Å"(Shelley 183) This line describes how miserable Victor is; how he is essentially stuck in a nightmare for two long months. He is in a prison, and his mental state is obviously deteriorating to the point where he is very depressed, and ‘ doomed to live'.Similarly, Roy Nearly puts himself in various situations which make the reader wonder if he is going insane/ crazy. After his encounter with the Buffo's, he is ‘compelled' to go somewhere or find something, but he doesn't know what it is he is searching f r. He first creates a small model of a mountain (â€Å"Devils Tower†) out of shaving cream, an d then proceeds to make a infection tall representation of the same mountain in his Paving room. His family wakes up in the morning to Roy throwing anything in he can find, like dirt, chicken wire, etc into the house.Nearly exclaims how, â€Å"If I don't do this†¦ L will need a doctor. † (Spielberg 154) His wife and children then proceed to drive away in their car, leaving Roy behind, and his wife?s last words to him are, â€Å"For what†¦ To see the me take you away In a straitjacket? (Spielberg 1 57) This shows how Ray's wife and chill drew think that he is going insane, and feel like he will eventually be taken away to a mental hospital/ institute. Both Roy Nearly and Victor Frankincense suffer serious mental deterioration and trauma as a result of their compulsions/ their specific pursuit.In Victor's case; bringing a human back from the dead, and in Rosy case; trying t o find out more about the Buffo's and Alien visitors. Lastly, Frankincense, and Robert Walton are obsessed with their own single need pursuits. Victor is obsessed with pushing the boundaries Of science, and Robe t is obsessed with finding a passage to the North Pole/ the Northwest passage. In Vi ctor's pursuit of knowledge, he doesn't stop to think about the consequences of his actions; he says how he was â€Å"Attacked by the fatal passion. † (Shelley 54).This eventually c asses his downfall, and the deaths of many of his friends and family. In Wallow's bobs session, he puts his crews lives at risk by continuing on their journey. He says how he an d his crew â€Å"voluntarily endured cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep. † (Shelley 3) Walt on is obsessed with continuing forward, even whenever he knows that he and his c ewe have a very low probability of being successful, and ultimately of surviving. Similarly, Roy Nearly forms an obsession with the Buffo's that he witnessed that one night.After the strange event, he spends his days up on top of the garage ROR f, neglects his family, and his mental state becomes questionable. He is obsessed with if ending what is hidden at â€Å"Devil's Tower', and even a government military can't keep him from getting to it. This also shows how ambitious Roy is. When he is on his way to if ND what is at Devil's Tower, he says, â€Å"he [Roy] wasn't all that sure he could successfully escape the GM nerve gas†¦ He was on his way to something important and blindly pus heed on. (Spielberg 175) Roy is obsessed in a simpleminded pursuit, and is also ambition us and brave for not letting himself get stopped by the ‘nerve gas'. He ‘blindly' pushes on, not worrying about his personal safety/ health or the consequences of his actions. In , when Victor first creates the monster, even though he has spent years researching and creating the being, as soon as it comes to life, he is disgusted by it and repels it. The sociological and mental effects soon affect Victor, and he wonder s how anybody will ever accept him once they find out about the unethical thing he has done.Victor knows that society would most likely repel and reject the creature just lie eke Victor did when it came to life, which is exactly what happens, propelling the create re to become a ‘monster and take it's revenge out on Victor and his beloved friend s and family. In contrast, in Close Encounters of the Third Kind , Roy Nearly is compelled to find out more about the OF he experienced, not giving any thought or care to what a nobody else in society would think about him once they found out.

Free sample - People and Organization 2. translation missing

People and Organization 2. People and Organization 2Introduction The management of resources in businesses and organizations is one of the major factor that is deemed important in the contemporary corporate world. Above all, the management of human resource has remained on top of the agenda among these businesses and organization organizations. Notably, the human resources in the contemporary corporate world are some of the determining factors on whether a company or organization would rise or fall. In connection to this, it is important to note that the management of human resources begins from the recruitment of talent, to training and equipping them with different knowledge and skills which will enhance the capability of these employees to handle challenges that arises on a daily basis in their respective fields or rather department. In reference to Silzer and Dowell (2010, p.3), for good or ill, people make the decisions and takes the actions that result in success or failure of their organizations. This report will therefore focus on some of the major issues which are considered when by companies in selecting the appropriate personnel. Notably, whereas education was a major factor which was considered in recruiting personnel in businesses and organizations, this has changed. Arguably, there are many other factors which are considered as important which must be considered to assist businesses and organizations across the globe to gain a comparative advantage over their peers in a particular industry. According to Mullins (2005, p.35), people bring their own perceptions, feelings and attitudes towards the organization, systems and styles of management, their duties and responsibilities, and the conditions under which they are working. In other words, education is not the only factor that matters in the selections process of personnel for a company. Therefore, among the issues which will be considered are; individual personality/attitudes: motivation, group and team behavior, orga nizational design and conflict resolution. Consequently, this report will focus on other factors apart from education in the analysis of the approaches that a company can use to select appropriate personnel, their effectiveness and finally on their shortcomings. Armstrong (2000) asserts that the recruitment strategy should explore methods not only of recruiting the number of people required, but also of finding staff who have the necessary skills and experience, who are likely to deliver the sort of behavior required and will fit into the organization’s culture readily. Therefore, the aim of examining the selection process would be to determine how effective a particular method is and some of the weaknesses which are reflected in the method. In addition to examining the effectiveness and weaknesses of selection processes, this report would also scrutinize the ideal profile of sales representative in a company that produces and sells cosmetics. Apparently, education is the major determinant of whether a person would be recruited by a company or not. However, this is not the case. Note that apart from education, there are other factors that increase the chances of a person being recruited. On the other, it is also assumed that all employees in a particular position must possess certain similar skills to be recruited in this department. However, this is a misleading perception since different employees have different tasks which require different knowledge and skills in different companies. For instance, a sale’s person in the motor industry needs different skills and knowledge from the one in the cosmetics industry. In line with this, a specific profile which is fit for a sales person in a company that produces and sells would be analyzed. In addition, the best selective method of a sales’ representative would also be analyzed. Needless to say, the method that is employed to select personnel determines by a lar ge percentage whether such an employee would an asset or a liability to the company. In line with this, there are different selection methods that have been identified in the corporate world. Selection Approaches Used in Selecting Personnel There are numerous approaches which have developed over time which are used to select appropriate employees who will increase the level of competitive advantage of the particular company or organization. In this respect, the hiring team is required to understand the context under which these approaches can be utilized and the factors to consider under each approach. The understanding of these factors determines by a large percentage whether the recruitment process would a success or would fail from the onset of the recruitment process. According to the Leading experts from Baker McKenzie lawyers and the Macquarie Graduate School of Management (2009), the recruitment and selection process must consider three main activities, namely; defining needs, attracting candidates and selecting candidates (p.218). In this regard, the selection processes are composed of various approaches. These include; individual personalities/attitude, motivation, group and team behavior, organizational desig n and conflict resolution. Individual Personality/Attitudes To begin with, the selection approaches to selecting appropriate employees who would raise the standards of the company or organization is utilizing individual personality and attitudes approach. In consistent with this, it is important to mention that individual personalities and attitudes are some of the most important factors which define the perspectives of the employees towards the available vacancy. In reference to Robbins (2009, p.108), factors such as job demands, the degree of required interaction with others, and the organization’s culture are examples of situational variables that moderate the personality –job performance relationship. In relation to this, individual personality and attitude plays a vital role in determining whether a person would be able to deliver results when employed. Remarkably, there is a difference between personality traits of a person and his or her overall skills for a particular job position. However, it is important to understand that the personality and attitude of a person determines the decisions which are made by the employees when faced with certain tasks. For instance, when a person is employed in the customer care department, the approach that such a person uses to deal with customer can easily be influenced by the attitude and the personality of a person. Therefore, a person can either be rational or irrational due to influences by his or her attitude and personality character. Consequently, whereas personality can determine the way employees respond to issues at the workplace, there effect is less influential. In regard to this, the use of personality as a way of determining whether an applicant is the right one for the job or not does not allow companies and organizations to recruit effectively. According to Kusluvan (2003, p.438), one does not need to modify style or curtail certain aspects of unique personality to be successful. This is irrespective of the fact that personality tests are critical in helping companies and organizations to understand individuals while at the same time helping these individuals to understand themselves. Therefore, whereas this is an important aspect in helping employees to realize some of their strengths and weaknesses, it has a lot of limitations in the sense that a good personality does not necessarily means that a person would be successful and vice versa. Motivation Motivation is another aspect or rather approach that is used to recruit personnel in companies and organizations across the globe. In this regard, the contemporary corporate world has greatly shifted from just being a ‘dry’ workplace to an enhanced workplace where employees need to be motivated to increase their productivity. On the contrary, lack of motivation at the workplace may result in low productivity and incomprehension. Therefore, by considering employees with the capability to motivate others, companies and organizations can be able to select appropriate employees for different positions. However, this is valid to a certain limit. Accordingly, Grant (2004, p.212) argues that the motivation index determined for a candidate will likely reflect motivation during the early days of employment. One of the potential shortcomings of motivation is the fact that individual motivation is affected by the conditions which have been set by the company or organization and the corporate culture which has been fostered by the company or organization. Therefore, the dependability on this approach as a way of selecting appropriate personnel is limited. Group and Team Behavior Group and team behavior play a significant role in the increasing production of companies and enhancing their comparative advantage in its industry of operation. Basically, the ability of individuals to fit in a particular group or team in the company is an important factor or rather attribute in a prospective employee. More to this point, employees are also required to work in some situation on their own. Therefore, the employee selection team need to consider both the ability to fit in a group or a team and the also the ability to work on their own. Van Velsor, McCauley Ruderman (2010, p.482) argues that some programs are structured specifically around small group activities, discussion, and personal reflection, whereas others offer hands-on opportunities through business simulations, artistic exploration. Team-building exercises, and new-skills practice. In addition, most members of the group learn through groups and teams. Therefore, understanding the ability of a person to fit in a particular group or team is an important selection aspect that must be taken into account when recruiting personnel for companies and organizations. Selecting employees using their ability to either fit or manage groups and teams may not be some of the effective way of recruiting talent into companies and organizations. This is as a result of the fact that individuals are required to fit both in teams and groups as well as work on their own. There are various limitations which have been identified along the way in using this approach in the selection approaches of employees. To begin with, since most members learn through groups and teams while on the other hand receiving orders from group or team leaders, this may affect their ability to think rationally on their own since they have learnt to depend on the decisions which are made by the group as opposed to individuals. Organizational Design In reference to Chang (2010, p.92), the organizational design must be flexible to effectively serve the purpose at hand. Therefore, while recruiting employees into the company, the selection team must consider organizational design as a way of ascertaining whether the prospective employees would be able to fit in a particular organization design based on their qualification. Notably, organizational design defines the purposes of the organization to a particular limit and therefore, any new member who is brought on board must meet certain standards before being accepted on the personnel team. Chang (2010, p.92) organizational strategies refer to preparatory activities and tasks related to workplace design, job design, employee selection and development, employee rewards and recognition, and the introduction of applicable tools for serving customers. Organizational design assists in selection of employees who are able to meet the targets which has been set by the organization or company in question. As a result of this, employers are able to acquire the exact talent that is required for their success. However, one of the weaknesses which have been noted lies in the fact that organization design changes with time. These changes have been found to affect the ability of some employees to perform in the company. This may affect the overall production of the company. Conflict Resolution According to Iyer (2000, p.8), it is clear that business principles differ across countries and these differences often translate into fundamental differences in employee selection and hiring procedures, conduct of business negotiations, information provided to consumers, pursuit of self-interest motive, to name but a few. Some of the issues which are considered are conflict resolution which falls under the ethical issues. Therefore, using conflict resolution as an approach in selecting appropriate employees is an important issue in positioning a company or organization to acquire comparative advantage. For a company to recruit personnel effectively based on their skills and knowledge in conflict resolution, these employees need to have a background understanding of the ethical issues which have been formulated not only by the company but also by regulatory bodies in the country of operation and across the globe. Nonetheless, using conflict resolution approach in dealing with the selection process is a limited way of personnel selection approach. The weaknesses of this approach in employee selection is based on the fact different department have different needs. In other words, not all departments need people to be involved in conflict resolution based on the nature of work this department handles. In line with this, conflict resolution approach is not necessarily an excellent way of recruiting appropriate personnel in the businesses and organizations. Sales Representative in a Company that Produces and Sells Cosmetics The kind of environment in which one is working is an important determinant of the qualities which are needed by such person. In line with this, different professionals are required to acquire certain skills and knowledge to be able to work in a specified environment. In consistent with this, a Sales Representative in a company that produces and sells cosmetics must possess key characters or rather qualification for him or her to be deemed as the most appropriate employee for this company. References Armstrong, M 2000, Strategic Human Resource Management: a Guide to Action. Kogan Page Publishers. Chang, CM 2010, Service Systems Management and Engineering: Creating Strategic Differentiation and Operational Excellence. John Wiley and Sons. Grant, PC 2004, The law of escalating marginal sacrifice: explaining a plethora of heretofore unresolved motivation phenomena. Maryland: University Press of America. Iyer, GR 2000, Teaching international business: ethics and corporate social responsibility. London: Routledge. Kusluvan, S 2003, Managing Employee Attitudes and Behaviors in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry. New York: Nova Publishers. Leading experts from Baker McKenzie lawyers and the Macquarie Graduate School of Management 2009, Australian master human resources guide 2009. CCH Australia Limited. Mullins, LJ 2005, Management and Organizations Behaviour. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Robbins, S.P. (2009). Organisational behaviour: global and Southern African perspectives. Cape Town: Pearson South Africa Silzer, RF and Dowell, D 2010, Strategy-Driven Talent Management: A Leadership Imperative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Van Velsor, E, McCauley, CD Ruderman, MN 2010, The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development. John Wiley and Sons.

Bigraphy on Michael Jordan essays

Bigraphy on Michael Jordan essays I recently read a biography on Michael Jordan by Mitchell Krugel. This book gives out accurate info on Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan know as the best player in the NBA recently. He retired with no specific reason. He was a phenomenal superstar with many extraordinary abilities. He was the most recognizable athlete in the world , not only the top player of his era, but was possibly the best player ever to wear the uniform of an NBA It all started as a young boy in North Carolina where he was born and raised by his parents. Michael Jordan grew up dreaming of being a sports star and with the love of sports in his heart. He grew up playing baseball when he was young. He was the MVP for his team when they won the championship. When he was in Junior High School he began to play basketball. He got a love for this game that persuaded him to practice hard and give it all he had. He practiced by playing with his big brother. His brother, with his height advantage, beat him majority of the time. And Michael with his competitiveness and the hate of being the loser tried even harder. He tried to make himself taller any way he could, one time he even went to some Monkey bars hung on them trying to stretch himself. Maybe it worked because he was short. When Michael attended Laney High School, he tried out for the Varsity basketball team. When he found out he didnt make it, he went running to his house, ran straight to his room and started crying. He kept on practicing and begging the coach to put him on the team but sadly the coach told him just to try out again next year. After practicing hard, Michael had experienced his first dunk as a freshmen in Highschool. When I finally became known as an outstanding high school player, I was known as a guard because I was 6-foot-6, Michael recalled. I didnt have the body of a forward, and I did have the skills of a guard beca...

How Many Zeros in a GoogolA Googolplex

How Many Zeros in a GoogolA Googolplex SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What’s a googol, and does it have any relation to that similarly-named website? And what about a googolplex, how many zeros does it have? In this guide, we’ll give you googolplex and googol definitions, show how you can write them out, explain how they’re useful, and give examples on how you can start to understand huge numbers like these. What Is a Googol? That’s not a misspelling! The search website Google did get their name from this very large number. A googol, officially known as ten-duotrigintillion or ten thousand sexdecillion, is a 1 with one hundred zeros after it. Written out, a googol looks like this: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. The scientific notation for a googol is 1 x10100. Even though we see a million and a billion as large numbers, there are 1 x1094 †millions† or 1 x1091â€Å"billions† in a googol, which shows you how much larger a googol is than these numbers. â€Å"Googol† got its name in 1938, when nine-year-old Milton Sirotta came up with the name and suggested it to his uncle, mathematician Edward Kasner. When the founders of Google were looking for a name for their website (back then called â€Å"BackRub†) that would demonstrate the vast amount of information it could provide, they chose â€Å"googol† but accidentally misspelled it, and a star was born. A googol is such a large number that our minds can’t even comprehend it, and because it’s so large it doesn’t have a particularly important role in mathematics. It’s even estimated that there are only 4 x 1079atoms in the universe, which is less than a googol. This means there isn’t a googol of anything on earth, not grains of sand, not drops of water in the oceans, etc. They don’t even come close to a googol which can help us get some grasp of how incredibly huge this number is. Therefore, the only times a googol is a somewhat accurate estimate of anything is for hypotheticals. A common example is that it’s estimated that there are 1 x10123 ways a game of chess could be played, which is fairly close to a googol. This is a very rough estimate, but it’s easy to see how the number could become so large. After each chess player makes their first move, there are 400 potential board setups. After each player has made two moves, there are 197,742 setups, after three moves there are over 100 million, and the number continues to increase exponentially from there. What Is a Googolplex? If a googol isn’t big enough for you, there are even bigger numbers out there! One of them is a googolplex, which is a 1 followed by a googol of zeros. The scientific notation for a googolplex is 1 x 1010^100 As massive as a googol is, a googolplex is many, many times larger, such that it’s impossible to write all the zeros out. There’d be ten-duotrigintillion of them! Counting to a googolplex would be even more impossible. We can’t calculate how long it would take, but it’s estimated it would take longer than the age of the universe. As a comparison, counting to a trillion would take roughly 31,709 years, and a trillion is only a 1 followed by twelve zeros! Edward Kasner and his colleague James Newman wrote this about a googolplex in their 1940 book Mathematics and the Imagination: â€Å"You will get some idea of the size of this very large but finite number from the fact that there would not be enough room to write it, if you went to the farthest star, touring all the nebulae and putting down zeros every inch of the way." Wow! So what’s the point of such a large number? Kasner discussed googol and googolplex to show the difference between incredibly large numbers and infinity. Kasner believed people overused the term â€Å"infinite† when they really only meant a large number, so he developed googol and googolplex to differentiate between the two concepts. Other Large Numbers You Should Know Guess what? There are even larger numbers than a googolplex, although not many. If you want to learn about all the large numbers and see a chart that makes it easy to compare them to each other, check out our guide to large numbers. One of the numbers larger than a googolplex is Skewes’ number. Skewes’ number, developed by mathematician Stanley Skewes, is 10 to the 10th to the 10th to the 34th, or this: . Skewes was especially interested in prime numbers, and when his number was introduced in 1933, it was described as the largest number in mathematics. However, Skewes’ number is no longer considered the largest possible number; that title now goes to Graham’s number. Graham’s number, which can’t be written with conventional notation, was developed by mathematician R.L. Graham. It’s so large that, even if all the matter in the universe was converted to pens and ink, it still wouldn’t be enough to write out the number in its entirety. Summary: How Many Zeros in a Googolplex? What is a googol? A googol is a 1 followed by 100 zeros. The number was first introduced by mathematician Edward Kasner, who got the name for the number from his young nephew (and which Google later used for their own name). Kasner also coined the term googolplex. And how many zeros in a googolplex? A googolplex is a 1 followed by a googol of zeros. It’s impossible to write out, but in scientific notation it looks like 1 x 1010^100. These two numbers are too large to have any practical value (they are far, far larger than the number of grains of sand or drops of water on earth, or even the number of atoms in the universe), but Kasner used them to discuss the difference between extraordinarily large numbers and the concept of infinity. What's Next? Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about?Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you. Taking the SAT or ACT?Students often struggle most with the Math section of these tests, but check out our comprehensive guides to SAT Math and ACT Math for everything you need to know to ace these math questions. What's Vygotsky scaffolding? It actually has nothing to do with buildings! Learn everything you need to know about this important education term in our complete guide to Vygotsky scaffolding.

Time managemant strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Time managemant strategy - Essay Example I have placed this as a high priority as it allows me to participate in many activities and provide myself many necessities. My next priority is personal fitness, because it is important for my physical and emotional health. Following these elements I place my social life. I believe my social life is important as it contributes to my personal happiness and personal development. Finally, my last priority is at-home entertainment, such as television, reading, or watching movies. In scheduling my activities I have chosen an online calendar. I chose this method because I have regular access to the calendar. I am also able to check it daily and make changes in a quick and efficient way. This digital calendar is also effective as it allows me to schedule-in events that may be occurring well into the future with ease. Through this specific time management strategy then at the beginning of the week I will schedule in all the events and activities that I know I am responsible for. After scheduling in these activities and events I will have a strong perspective on my workload for the week. After recognizing this specific workload I will be able to determine if there are problem areas where I may be too limited in my time requirements. In these situations I will consider my list of priorities and reschedule my time to ensure that I have adequate time for the one’s highest on the list. I recognize that there may be activities I will have to limit in order to meet the requirements of my top priorities. In this way I will have to limit the amount of television I consume. Oftentimes I have watched televisions shows for extended periods of time and short-changed the effort I put into my scholastic work. Another important element I will have to limit is the amount of time I exercise. Many times I prefer to exercise with friends in the pool or at the gym. While this makes the experience more enjoyable I often have to

Psychological Experience of Colonialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Psychological Experience of Colonialism - Essay Example On the other hand, those who resist the new order are often isolated into lonely lives from the rest in desolate lives. Colonialism had serious psychological effects not only on the colonized, but also on colonizers who did not share the same ideologies with their fellow Europeans. In Burmese Days, Orwell presents an important aspect in Flory’s predicament as an inner struggle between joining the exploitative fellow Europeans and siding with natives. Flory’s inner conflict results from his guilt of being a ‘colonizer’ enjoying many privileges at the expense of the exploitation and victimization of the natives. This eventually leads to torturous inner conflict after which Flory commits suicide. This suggests when an individual is overwhelmed by their inner conflict and is helpless in solving them, they lose their essence and the only resolution to such a predicament is death. Flory is much awake to the economic motives of colonialism and is strongly opposed to it, denying it in his mental level, but unfortunately the conflict is just trapped in his mind and; he sometimes acts like the same colonizers. Importantly, fighting and rejecting the status quo seldom leads to redemption, but leads him to be more caged, as Flory is observed lonely with only a few friends. This is the painful but conscious choice taken by an individual due to their awareness of the exploitative nature of colonialism Ironically, Flory lastly portrays his exploitative nature through sexual abuse of Burmese women as he dumps and sacks his mistress, Ma Hla May, for interfering in his relationship with Elizabeth, and for being a financial burden to him, after exploiting her for sexual favors. Flory’s give and take relationship with his Ma Hla May signifies how colonizers treat the colonized, characteristic of how the whites exploited Burma for economic benefit but left after becoming a financial burden after the Second World War Similar to how Burma is of no im portance in the colonizer’s eyes, Ma Hla May is devoid of value and identity in Flory’s eyes as she is discarded easily like an object. Therefore, Flory does not fit well in the colonizer’s framework as brought out by Memmi as he neither fully condemns nor supports the exploitative nature of the colonizers. The painful inner conflicts are not a preserve of the colonizers as the colonized similarly face such strong internal struggles, leading to negative perception of self. In Not out of Hate, Way Way best exemplifies serious inner struggles resulting from exploitation by the colonizer. Way Way is submissive and passive, conforming to the expected colonizer- colonized system where the colonizer has the right to make all decisions, though she suffers serious inner conflicts as her desires are not in tandem with the system. Way Way finds U Saw Han to be over controlling, which leads her to feel depersonalized, in which her life has to revolve around performing role s and responsibilities around and according to him. Way Way increasingly feels caged as she lives her life different from her desires and will. This crushes her so much that he loses touch with herself and in fact she is so depersonalized such that her identity is not different from U Saw Han. Way is not just passive in the whole predicament, but struggles greatly with her internal conflict. She even had sought solace at the monastery after her

SOC 318 Project T2 Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

SOC 318 Project T2 - Research Proposal Example The question of whether science or religion is more dependable for humans to go forward in life has been a million dollar question since the end of middle ages. The truth of religion became a lesser truth, as science evaded the intellect of humans with a full fledged armoury of reason. From this crisis, emerged several attempts to prove that there is no contradiction between both. These attempts were both in the field of content as well as the methods of scientific investigation. One of the scholars who came in defence of religion was Alister McGrath (1999) who has argued that models and analogies are used by humans to describe complex entities (p.144) in a similar way in religion and science. These entities can be an atom or a molecule in science. They can also be god in religion. Thinkers and scholars like McGrath since then have always tried to draw parallels between these two major schools of thought that exist in human mind. Natural sciences use certain models to describe some aspects of such a complex systems. Primarily, a simple structure of the model is created and tested for accuracy and then it is developed to include hitherto ignored and more complicated features of a complex system. McGrath (1999) has cited the kinetic theory of gases as an example for such scientific models (p.145). In science, when the pressure, volume and temperature of gases were changed, the behaviour of all gases was found to be according to certain laws irrespective of their chemical identity. Boyles’ law and Charles’ law were the major among these laws. Combining these two laws, a perfect gas equation was derived, according to which, gas particles are visualised as invisibly small balls which are in constant collision with the walls of the container. So the pressure on the walls can be calculated from the rate of change of

Mental Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mental Illness - Essay Example Panic attacks usually last for a short duration of time in which a person is subject to stress and overload of anxiety and they have a sudden intensity of that anxiety. A panic attack is characterized by a person having heart palpitations, sweating, trembling and shaking, shortness of breath, a feeling of choking, chest pains, nausea, dizzy and lightheaded sensations, numbing or tingling sensations, a feeling of distance from reality or from oneself, a fear of dying, losing control or going crazy (Panic attack, American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Panic attacks can often lead to panic disorder. This is mental illness that is characterized by a series of panic attacks that a person experiences over a period of time due to anxiety and stress. It is a recurrence of this unexpected panic attacks that create the disorder. Many times it is diagnosed with or without agoraphobia present (Panic disorder with agoraphobia, American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Agoraphobia is the condition in which a sufferer of the panic disorder often begins to have continuous concern that another panic attack will come on. It is the anticipation of going to a certain place where they fear that a panic attack will occur. It is often difficult for people to travel beyond their comfort zones without suffering from severe anxiety. Many people find it hard to go to shopping malls, ride a bus or attend theater or sports performances because of the urge to need to find a quick route to get out so that they do not become embarrassed if they were to have an anxiety attack (Anxiety Disorders Association of America, 2011). Patients are worried that certain situations will cause them to have a panic attack and therefore sometimes start to avoid situations which make them anxious or nervous. They are often afraid to do something as

Global Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Global Strategic Management - Essay Example The industrial gases sold by the company have a variety of uses. They are used by oil and natural gas companies, health care providers, steel and general processing companies, chemical and food processing companies and research institutions such as NASA among others. Most packaged gases are sold to magnetic resonance imaging and electronics industries in the United States of America (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2010). Industrial gases are extracted either through separation process or chemical synthesis. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is the largest supplier of Helium and Hydrogen in the world. The company has wide global distribution channels (branches) in nearly all continents. The company has branches in Africa (Algeria and South Africa), America (Brazil, Canada and Mexico), Asia (China, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand), Europe (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Turkey and United Kingdom), Middle East (Israel, Qatar, Turkey and United Arab Emirates ) and West Indies (Trinidad and Tobago) among other countries. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is performing exceptionally well. ... In 2010, common shares out standing were 213,802,865 which increased from 211,260,264 in 2009. In 2009, packaged gases constituted 25.2 percent of the total market and generated $11.2 billion (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2010). Managing globally dispersed operations of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc can be complex and challenging to any manager. Harrison and St. John (2009) argued that managing global firms is challenging to managers because resources, business practices and values vary. However, if the company’s management prepares well for international opportunities through strategic planning and timely implementation, the task would be easier. Strategic management involves a number of functions and actions by all key stakeholders. The actions and functions are performed mainly by the board of directors in consultation with the top management and employees. Identifying and selecting a global governing structure, management systems, networking global o perations, managing physical and non-tangible assets including employees and enhancing their capabilities is critical to strategic global management. It also involves enhancing sharing of information across boarders. Furthermore, the company need to pursue corporate social responsibilities and collaborate with critical stakeholders to gain competitive advantage against other players in the international market. This will enable the company to minimise competitive and environmental risks in the environments in which it operates. Heckscher-Ohlin model According Gandolfo (1998), Heckscher-Ohlin model is an important international trade theory that states that countries produce and export goods and services whose factors of production are abundant and easily available in that country. On

Criminal Justic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Criminal Justic - Research Paper Example It was established in the eighties. Born in a poor family, Escobar got involved in drug business. By the time he was 22, he had become a millionaire. In 1989, he was the seventh richest person in the world. He became so influential that he could offer bounties for killing of an ambassador of the United States. He was one of the big three of the Medellin Cartel. His death was a significant step on the way of the United State’s efforts war on drugs. This essay will examine the rise and fall of Columbian Drug King Pin Pablo Escobar. The United States had to combat the growing threats of violence, corruption and murder used by the Medellin drug cartel to traffic cocaine into United State’s borders, and it declared an all out war on terror. The massive import of cocaine, subsequent effect on the price of cocaine leading to increasing cases of drug abuse necessitated the United States to act directly and take part in the efforts of the Colombian Police’s hunt for Escobar. Ultimately the United States were instrumental in imparting enough skills and training to the Colombian police to track down and bring down Escobar, the ruthless drug lord and murderer who had practically ruled Colombo for larger part of almost a decade. The experience of dealing with the Medellin cartel and the method used to hunt down Escobar also helped the United States to establish a system to deal with foreign drug cartels. It is thus important to study the way that the United States dealt with the menace of the Medellin drug cartel. The Medellin cartel was established in the early eighties by the drug lord, former car thief Carlos Lehder. Because of its geographical location favorable both for import of raw material from Peru and Bolivia and export by smuggling in to the United States, Colombia was a major country where cocaine was produced. Earliest references to the Medellin drug cartel date back to 1977, when the expression was first used in

Global Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Global Strategic Management - Essay Example The industrial gases sold by the company have a variety of uses. They are used by oil and natural gas companies, health care providers, steel and general processing companies, chemical and food processing companies and research institutions such as NASA among others. Most packaged gases are sold to magnetic resonance imaging and electronics industries in the United States of America (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2010). Industrial gases are extracted either through separation process or chemical synthesis. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is the largest supplier of Helium and Hydrogen in the world. The company has wide global distribution channels (branches) in nearly all continents. The company has branches in Africa (Algeria and South Africa), America (Brazil, Canada and Mexico), Asia (China, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand), Europe (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Turkey and United Kingdom), Middle East (Israel, Qatar, Turkey and United Arab Emirates ) and West Indies (Trinidad and Tobago) among other countries. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is performing exceptionally well. ... In 2010, common shares out standing were 213,802,865 which increased from 211,260,264 in 2009. In 2009, packaged gases constituted 25.2 percent of the total market and generated $11.2 billion (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2010). Managing globally dispersed operations of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc can be complex and challenging to any manager. Harrison and St. John (2009) argued that managing global firms is challenging to managers because resources, business practices and values vary. However, if the company’s management prepares well for international opportunities through strategic planning and timely implementation, the task would be easier. Strategic management involves a number of functions and actions by all key stakeholders. The actions and functions are performed mainly by the board of directors in consultation with the top management and employees. Identifying and selecting a global governing structure, management systems, networking global o perations, managing physical and non-tangible assets including employees and enhancing their capabilities is critical to strategic global management. It also involves enhancing sharing of information across boarders. Furthermore, the company need to pursue corporate social responsibilities and collaborate with critical stakeholders to gain competitive advantage against other players in the international market. This will enable the company to minimise competitive and environmental risks in the environments in which it operates. Heckscher-Ohlin model According Gandolfo (1998), Heckscher-Ohlin model is an important international trade theory that states that countries produce and export goods and services whose factors of production are abundant and easily available in that country. On

Geological Influence on the Battle of Gettysburg Essay Example for Free

Geological Influence on the Battle of Gettysburg Essay Battles fought on land have always been influenced by topography as well as geology. Soil conditions, and types and strengths of bedrock are important considerations for building fortifications. Availability of water may determine where military is installed. Mountainous areas may provide cover for guerilla troops. All such topographical and geological considerations combined are studied by military geologists (Haneberg). The information thus gathered is called â€Å"terrain intelligence (Haneberg). † Geology had a major influence on â€Å"[t]he greatest battle of the Civil War,† that is, the Battle of Gettysburg (Copley). Brown describes the area where the battle was fought thus: Each year thousands of sightseers clamber over Little Round Top and Devils Den on the Gettysburg battlefield, and gaze with awe over the mile of treeless plain across which Pickett’s men charged toward â€Å"the little clump of trees† on July 3, 1863. All are impressed by the rocky heights—the Round Tops, Cemetery Ridge, Cemetery Hill, and Culps Hill—against which Lee’s men hurled themselves in vain throughout three days of bitter fighting. Few, however, know that these heights are the outcrop of a diabase sill, appropriately enough called the Gettysburg sill, that about 200 million years ago intruded the Triassic sandstones and shales that floor the broad Gettysburg plain. Even fewer have any concept of the extent to which the movements of the two armies toward Gettysburg, and the battle itself, were influenced by the geology of the region in which the campaign was conducted. The Gettysburg battlefield covers an area of about 15 square miles. The battle, however, was but the climax of a campaign that covered an area of about 11,000 square miles (Brown). The area of the campaign was 140 miles in length, from Fredericksburg on the Virginian river called Rappahannock to Harrisburg on the Pennsylvanian river called Susquehanna; and 80 miles in width, â€Å"from a line drawn on the southeast through Fredericksburg, Washington, and Baltimore, to the northwestern edge of the Great Valley of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania (Brown). † The Battle of Gettysburg was fought on lowlands of the Triassic Age and â€Å"rocky ridges† that are believed to have been developed on diabase of the early Jurassic Age (Cuffey et al. ). Militarily, the most important hills of diabase were said to have been â€Å"formed on a York Haven Diabase sill running from Culp’s Hill†¦ in the north through Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge, and Little Round Top to Big Round Top†¦ in the south – the Union ‘fishhook’ (Cuffey et al. ). † The Battle of Gettysburg began when Confederate General Lee commanded his troops on to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, referred to as â€Å"the hub for ten roads (Cuffey et al. ). † This was done in order to drive out the army of the Union from an outcrop of Gettysburg sill (Brown). G. G. Meade responded by marching north and ordering the Federal armies to reach the battlefield (Cuffey et al. ). On the first day of the battle, July 1, 1863, deep cuts on a railroad that was unfinished played an essential role in the action (Copley; Cuffey et al. ). During late afternoon, the Union had to start using the diabase-sill strategically for its defense (Cuffey et al. ). The area where the Union army defended itself was shaped like the hook of a fish (Copley). It extended to the north approximately three miles from the Round Top through the Little Round Top and the Cemetery Ridge to the Cemetery Hill; it also extended south and east to the barb of the area shaped as a fish hook, that is, Culps Hill. The Round Top is known to stand at approximately 785 feet, while the Little Round Top stands at 650 feet above sea level. Between the Cemetery Hill and the Little Round Top, the ridge is said to drop to approximately 570 feet above sea level. The town of Gettysburg itself has an elevation of around 500 feet above sea level (Brown). The fish hook was strategically important on the second day of the battle as well. The Seminary Ridge is â€Å"the trace of a diabase dike,† an offshoot of the Gettysburg sill; it rises approximately 560 feet; but where it rises to the north, it is around 650 feet at the Oak Ridge (Brown). Confederates were positioned on Seminary Ridge before they tried to move across the lowland in order to displace the Union army. The latter moved away from the fish hook before returning to it again as the Confederates had started to gain some ground. In the evening, the Confederates tried to displace â€Å"the Federal right (Cuffey et al. ). † However, â€Å"breastworks of timber† in addition to boulders of diabase on the Culp’s Hill proved themselves almost invincible (Cuffey et al. ). On the third day of the battle, the â€Å"Union center† was heavily bombarded (Cuffey et al. ). The Confederates had launched the attack from their previous position against the Cemetery Ridge. A downpour accompanied this day of the battle. According to Cuffey et al. , â€Å"[d]espite the difficulty of entrenching, crude fences of diabase boulders had provided the Federals with adequate cover in many sectors. † The importance of the diabase sill to the Battle of Gettysburg must be reconsidered in order to understand the outcome of the battle. The diabase sill is resistant; it is closely attached to the surface. As a matter of fact, the bedrock of diabase is so closely attached to the surface that it is virtually impossible for army men to dig in. Stone walls are the only form of protection, for example, rock outcrops and boulders that are isolated. Because the Union army was unable to find a place to thoroughly entrench itself, it suffered a great number of casualties. This was the defending side throughout the Battle of Gettysburg. The Confederates, on the other hand, suffered a greater number of casualties while trying to attack the Union army on the flanks and in the center. Because the Confederates were well-entrenched, they did not lose as many men as the Union army when the latter attacked them (Brown). On July 4, the two armies were burying the men they had lost and succoring those that were suffering from wounds. A day before they had faced each other across the Rapidan River. The bridges across the river had to be rebuilt within ten days before the Confederates could try to cross it. But, as soon as it was made possible to cross the Rapidan River, the armies found themselves facing each other across the river, once again, in the position they had occupied on July 3 (Brown). Geology as well as topography came into focus for a victory another time. The most terrain-intelligent army was, of course, expected to win the ultimate war. Works Cited Brown, Andrew. â€Å"Geology and the Gettysburg Campaign. † Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Jun 2006. 23 Oct 2008. http://www. dcnr. state. pa. us/topogeo/education/es5/es5. pdf. Copley, Judi. â€Å"The Battle of Gettysberg. † 23 Oct 2008. http://www. scsc. k12. ar. us/2000backeast/trip/members/CopleyJ/Default. htm. Haneberg, William C. â€Å"Geologic and Topographical Influences on Military and Intelligence Operations. † 2008. 23 Oct 2008. http://www. espionageinfo. com/Fo-Gs/Geologic-and-Topographical-Influences-on-Military-and-Intelligence-Operations. html. Cuffey, Roger J. , Robert C. Smith, John C. Neubaum, Richard C. Keen, Jon D. Inners, and Victor A. Neubaum. â€Å"Lee vs. Meade at Gettysburg (July 1-3,1863): The influence of topography and geology on command decisions and battlefield tactics. † Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and State Tree. 23 Oct 2008. http://www. dcnr. state. pa. us/topogeo/gsaabstr/gettysburg. aspx.

Human Rights And Global Justice

Human Rights And Global Justice The principle of human rights aims to identify the fundamentals required by each individual to live in a good life. The emergence and success of human rights are emphasized by three allied features; human rights are distinctively modern, are a political invention and are inherently revolutionary. To say that human rights are a distinctively recent construction does not refute the long history of values which have facilitated human rights into becoming the leading idealism it is today. Until a few centuries ago, a vast majority of political philosophers held the stance that rights were natural, god-given and self evident. Thus this essay will focus explicitly on the three allied features to explain how the nature of human rights is neither grounded in eternal truth or self evident. It will also look at significant figures involved in drafting the current ideas of human rights. Lastly, it will then proceed to demonstrate that only in recent times that it has become agreeable that right s are social constructs, open and subject to change determined by evolution of society. (www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-rights.html) The emergence of human rights is primarily due to societys reaction to ideas of natural and revolutionary rights. Natural rights are those rights allowing one to act as an individual for his own comfort and happiness, in a manner which does not affect the natural rights of others. These were seen as undeniable rights, rights that individuals intrinsically possess, which cannot be revoked by anyone. Natural rights were also juxtaposed heavily to the laws of nature. The comparison of the rights to the laws of nature however proves to be rather flawed. Laws of nature cannot be violated, yet for centuries, the human rights of people have been breached through situations in instances such as war and slavery. (introduction, Inventing Human Right: A history (New York: Norton, 2007) The modern era of human rights stress two significant concepts; the concept of human rights which dominated Europe during the Eighteenth-century (and societies to follow ) and the idea that peoples rights were determined by god. The concept of rights during the Eighteenth century was anchored by hierarchical establishments whereby rights were pertained to social classes rather than an individual. Right of citizens were not based on a liberal concept of society, natural law and human reason, but based on the conception that those capable of human reason posses rights. In other words, only those from higher classes were capable of reason, and thus, capable of possessing human rights. Interestingly, this contradicts our understanding of universal human rights. All human beings by virtue have certain fundamental rights; in an ideal world, these fundamental rights cannot be taken away from any one person; there is nothing one can do to deprive others of these rights. Disturbingly however, Those who confidently declared rights to be universal in the late eighteenth century excluded from political process those without property, slaves, and free blacks and in some cases, religious minorities. This raises the question of whether these declarations in fact contained any real emancipatory meaning. (introduction, Inventing Human Right: A history (New York: Norton, 2007) Although it can be argued that founders and declarers can be judged discriminatory for their inability to consider everyone truly equal in rights, their actions were what essentially prompted the political invention of human rights. Human rights are, debatably, a product of political invention rather than a result of societal evolution. Monarchist Hobbes and philosopher Locke are two predominant figures .Hobbes innovation was to suggest that by state of nature all individual should be viewed as equal however be subject to an all powerful ruler in order to prevent anarchy. In direct contrast, Lockes interpreted this to potentially justify political revolution by making authorities dependant on Governments consent. Lockes perception that political powers were better off lying in the consent of government rather than in the consent of divine authority ensured that human rights remain protected. Lockes argued that the whole objective of government was to protect and maintain public rights; the state could never have the power to destroy or impoverish its subject. If in the case a government begins to do this and breaches the contract, people have a right to replace it. This, in turn, imposed limits on what rulers co uld do, and limited the power that rulers could exercise, ensuring yet again that human rights were not violated. This resulted in a profound transformation in societys reactions to natural rights. As human rights emerged into a more modern form, allowed the fostering of humanism, rationalism and individualism, which is now embodied in modern human rights. Through its reliance on reason as a justification, human rights ultimately transcend and thus threaten traditional values and beliefs, grounded in eternal truth. (introduction, Inventing Human Right: A history (New York: Norton, 2007) Rights were often seen as god-given and self-evident. Thomas Jefferson, in the declaration of Independence declared that we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In saying that, Jefferson is essentially saying that human rights are god given and self-evident. Had Jefferson provided an adequate explanation for his claim, the self-evidence of the claim would have evaporated as an assertion which requires argument. Jefferson sidestepped this by simply claiming that rights are self-evident. The mere fact that ongoing debate still exists in regards to Jeffersons declaration, shows that Human Rights are anything but obvious. (introduction, Inventing Human Right: A history (New York: Norton, 2007) Human rights exist not just because of reason, but also because of emotion. In this sense, rights thus are not found, but depend on the shift of emotional regimes and the means by which society sees others within themselves and society as a whole. In respect to the act of torture, much of our response to torture is a result of the emotional response and what anti-torture organizations play on our emotions. The practice of torture has a long history in the worlds democracy dating back from ancient Greece to Rome. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education and coercion, being carried out on government orders to those who had committed the more serious crimes. Torture was performed in public to demonstrate the consequences other citizen would also encounter if they decide to perform the same deed. Nevertheless, as people developed the ability to look beyond social boundary and see others as people who shared the same moral universe, a profound transformation occurred through which, people adopted an emotional lead that torture was a violation of ones basic human rights. This shows that Human rights are subject to revision and change as circumstances changes, more specifically, where there exists a psychological shift in the way people understand the concept of equality and fair justice. Human rights thus were an invention not because of philosophers and revolutionaries logically derived them from first principle, but rather as a result of the acceptance of equality, regardless of social status and order. Critiques of figures such as Jefferson have had a lasting repercussion on the understanding of human rights. The tension which exists between individual rights and social responsibility is an ongoing tension, something which influences human rights today, yet again showing that rights are not at all self-evident. They are without doubt a reason construction, subject to change determined by the evolution of societys moral values. QUESTION 3 Human rights is an interdisciplinary quest through which various theories of knowledge in field such as medicine, political sciences, law and history contribute to each other and form a more comprehensive understand of what rights and wrongs. The rise of concerns in respect collective rights, not just the right to self determination and protections against discrimination, but also rights to live in a secure society, clean environment, food and basic human needs shapes our political perspective of what encompasses human rights. A broader understanding of human rights further facilitates in enabling experts in fields of law and medicine to create convincing theories and enforce standards to protect its violations in respect to mental health and female circumcision. A comprehensive understanding of human rights assists in regulating the relationship between individuals and public authorities such as medical professionals. The primary purpose of practioners is to provide care. The world medical association, in its Declaration of Tokyo, advocates that it is the privilege of the physician to practice medicine in the service of humanity, to preserve and restore bodily and mental health without distinction as to person. Violations of these practices, undertaken in the forms of torture, rape and genocide or inadequate health care can have an adverse effect on a persons mental health. The complementary nature between mental disability and the rights of humans positions human rights to serve as a tool to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of persons with mental disability. Through the implementation of these rights, medical professionals are given a sense of guidance as to what is meant by accepted good practice and the necessity to act in the interest of patients; especially in the case of treating those with mental disability. Doctors finding on what factors trigger mental disability, whether it be inside or outside governments control allows states to ensure rights arent being breached, or improve the standard of care where needed. (Declaration of Tokyo, Human Rights and Global justice student reading guide, page 176) Complementing the medical perspective (who diagnose the factors resulting in mental health) the states are required to improve the meant health of individuals by providing decent economical facilities such as hospital-based treatment. The idea of human rights does not rely on government beneficences but rather asserts that these rights and freedoms are possessed by people simply as a result of their humanity; they are neither granted nor can they be denied by government. However, International human rights, an evolving body of law holds the promise for advancing the welfare of rights of a person with disabilities through providing fundamental rights to fairness and protection from governmental interference with autonomy, bodily integrity and liberty. (Beyond moral claims: A human rights approach to mental health, medicalization of female circumcision) Another instance in which an understanding of human rights integrates into the works of both medical professionals and the law is the practice of female circumcision. Challenges to the practice of female circumcision as a violation of human rights can be taken on through both a legal and medical perspective. Although legislations prohibiting the act of female genital cutting were introduced in Guinea in 1965, prosecutions under the law in regards to this practice were rare. This was primarily a result of sexuality being a private issue and sexual behaviour being largely determined by cultural beliefs. In most cases, those who have been subject to circumcision often felt morally or socially accepted proceeding the event, and argue that the practice does not breach violations of human rights. In this circumstance, it cannot be argued that those involved are opposed to the practice of circumcision. However, through the argument of right to health, an act which considers female circumcis ing to produce menacing health problems presents the means by which the womens right to health were being breached. Beyond moral claims: A human rights approach to mental health, medicalization of female circumcision) Thus it can be seen, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding whether human rights are being breached, one must not only be knowledgeable in any particular field, but have a collective idea of rights based on these disciplines. Both the legal and medical understandings of factors resulting in mental health ensure that both the needs of those with mental health are met in a medical environment whilst ensuring that their fundamental rights to freedom and healthcare are not violated. Similarly, in the case of female circumcise, both legal and medical implications must be understood in order for convincing theories to be derived in regards to the health and further enforce standards to protect violations of basic human rights.

Communities of Lantern Yard and Raveloes Influence on the Development

Communities of Lantern Yard and Raveloe's Influence on the Development of Silas Marner's Character Silas Marner, "The Weaver of Raveloe" was, in my opinion, greatly influenced by the two communities in which he spent his life. The first, Lantern Yarn was a religious community that is going through a period of industrialisation during the novel, whereas Raveloe, where we remain for the large part of the novel, has not yet felt the industrial revolution and is the countryside of community and society. It is ironic that the two communities were so different yet they both drove Silas to turn inward (though the influence of certain Raveloe citizens eventually made him turn outwards again). In George Eliot's novel, we learn a lot about community and we can see a clear definition of what this means. In Lantern Yard, the community shares its potent Christian beliefs while Raveloe habitants all share a love for social behaviour and share an understanding of a clear class system. While both groups of people (Lantern Yard and Raveloe) are very different, they both show us that a community is the people of an area who share their origins, beliefs and/or interests. In Lantern Yard, Silas was a highly regarded, prominent member of the community. He was well educated and it was in Lantern Yard that he started to turn away from the knowledge of medicinal herbs that his mother had taught him. In Lantern Yard, Silas was extremely trusting and open. We also see early on in the novel that Silas had a clear ability to love. A religious man, he found enjoyment in the debate of religious matters and he fell in love with a woman named Sarah. He was, however, betrayed by his best friend William Dane (Waif) and brought to a... ...harp contrasts with chapter twenty-one. Eliot also uses colours to create a more vivid image for the reader, one you can almost feel yourself being part of and while Lantern Yard is, to Eppie at least a "dark, ugly place" and "worse than the workhouse" Raveloe remains light, friendly and ""a pretty home"." In conclusion, Silas Marner's character was greatly influenced by the two communities in which he spent his life. Firstly, Lantern Yard, his original home, caused him to turn inward and forced him to enter into a downward spiral, something from which he was eventually lifted by the Raveloe community. While Raveloe did, at first allow him to carry on in isolation, the community eventually changed his character, and aided him in the path to self discovery as he subconsciously endeavoured to learn to trust again, learn to love again and how to be loved. Communities of Lantern Yard and Raveloe's Influence on the Development Communities of Lantern Yard and Raveloe's Influence on the Development of Silas Marner's Character Silas Marner, "The Weaver of Raveloe" was, in my opinion, greatly influenced by the two communities in which he spent his life. The first, Lantern Yarn was a religious community that is going through a period of industrialisation during the novel, whereas Raveloe, where we remain for the large part of the novel, has not yet felt the industrial revolution and is the countryside of community and society. It is ironic that the two communities were so different yet they both drove Silas to turn inward (though the influence of certain Raveloe citizens eventually made him turn outwards again). In George Eliot's novel, we learn a lot about community and we can see a clear definition of what this means. In Lantern Yard, the community shares its potent Christian beliefs while Raveloe habitants all share a love for social behaviour and share an understanding of a clear class system. While both groups of people (Lantern Yard and Raveloe) are very different, they both show us that a community is the people of an area who share their origins, beliefs and/or interests. In Lantern Yard, Silas was a highly regarded, prominent member of the community. He was well educated and it was in Lantern Yard that he started to turn away from the knowledge of medicinal herbs that his mother had taught him. In Lantern Yard, Silas was extremely trusting and open. We also see early on in the novel that Silas had a clear ability to love. A religious man, he found enjoyment in the debate of religious matters and he fell in love with a woman named Sarah. He was, however, betrayed by his best friend William Dane (Waif) and brought to a... ...harp contrasts with chapter twenty-one. Eliot also uses colours to create a more vivid image for the reader, one you can almost feel yourself being part of and while Lantern Yard is, to Eppie at least a "dark, ugly place" and "worse than the workhouse" Raveloe remains light, friendly and ""a pretty home"." In conclusion, Silas Marner's character was greatly influenced by the two communities in which he spent his life. Firstly, Lantern Yard, his original home, caused him to turn inward and forced him to enter into a downward spiral, something from which he was eventually lifted by the Raveloe community. While Raveloe did, at first allow him to carry on in isolation, the community eventually changed his character, and aided him in the path to self discovery as he subconsciously endeavoured to learn to trust again, learn to love again and how to be loved.

Networking :: Free Essay Writer

Networking For my independent study, I have created a network in my house. A network by definition are more than one computer that are linked together electronically via a protocol (common language) so the computers can communicate and share resources. This network improves the day-to-day life by adding value and usefulness to the computers. The processes and ideas that I have learned thru this experience can be applied directly into today’s rich electronic business environment. Identifying the needs of the user is the first step for building a well-designed Network. A professional installation was needed to maintain the aesthetics of the rental house. Most of the wires are run in the attic and then down plastic conduit attached to the wall. The conduit is run all the way to the wall boxes where the Ethernet ports are located. Every wire is clearly labeled and included in an easy to read schematic of the house. This way future tenants will have the ability to utilize the network. Next, every room needed to have access to the network. In order to minimize the overall use of wires, hubs were placed in strategic locations. An 8-port 10/100-megabit auto-sensing hub is located in the computer room and a 5 port 10-megabit in the sound room. There, needed to be docking stations, so laptop users or visiting computers could easily plug into the network and utilize the pre-existing monitor, keyboard, and mouse. These are the basic needs that have been put int o the design of the network. Each computer setup is unique with certain strengths and weaknesses. The network takes advantage of the strengths of each individual computer and makes them available to all users. A network essentially expands the capabilities of each computer by increasing functionality thru resource sharing. In the house, there are a total of four computers and two laptops. Processing speed and an abundance of ram is not essential for a server with such low traffic. Thus the most antiquated computer was elected for this function. Between all the computers, we have several extra pieces of hardware such as a zip drive, CDRW, DVD ROM, scanner, and multiple printers. Each piece of hardware is dispersed between the computers. There were several immediate efficiencies that occurred when the network went operational. The zip drive is located on the server while the CDRW is located on one of the individual workstations. Networking :: Free Essay Writer Networking For my independent study, I have created a network in my house. A network by definition are more than one computer that are linked together electronically via a protocol (common language) so the computers can communicate and share resources. This network improves the day-to-day life by adding value and usefulness to the computers. The processes and ideas that I have learned thru this experience can be applied directly into today’s rich electronic business environment. Identifying the needs of the user is the first step for building a well-designed Network. A professional installation was needed to maintain the aesthetics of the rental house. Most of the wires are run in the attic and then down plastic conduit attached to the wall. The conduit is run all the way to the wall boxes where the Ethernet ports are located. Every wire is clearly labeled and included in an easy to read schematic of the house. This way future tenants will have the ability to utilize the network. Next, every room needed to have access to the network. In order to minimize the overall use of wires, hubs were placed in strategic locations. An 8-port 10/100-megabit auto-sensing hub is located in the computer room and a 5 port 10-megabit in the sound room. There, needed to be docking stations, so laptop users or visiting computers could easily plug into the network and utilize the pre-existing monitor, keyboard, and mouse. These are the basic needs that have been put int o the design of the network. Each computer setup is unique with certain strengths and weaknesses. The network takes advantage of the strengths of each individual computer and makes them available to all users. A network essentially expands the capabilities of each computer by increasing functionality thru resource sharing. In the house, there are a total of four computers and two laptops. Processing speed and an abundance of ram is not essential for a server with such low traffic. Thus the most antiquated computer was elected for this function. Between all the computers, we have several extra pieces of hardware such as a zip drive, CDRW, DVD ROM, scanner, and multiple printers. Each piece of hardware is dispersed between the computers. There were several immediate efficiencies that occurred when the network went operational. The zip drive is located on the server while the CDRW is located on one of the individual workstations.

Business Strategy BMW

Bayberries Motormen Worker GAG (English: Bavarian Motor Works) with headquarter in Munich is one of them. Founded 1916 as a producer of aircraft engines BMW is one of the ten largest car manufacturers in the world today. The company operates in three business segments: automobiles, motorcycles and financial services. However the core business Is still the production is one of the leading car manufacturers with the aim to achieve profitable growth and become the number one in next few years. The global acting company had a business volume of 53,7 billion Euro in the year 2009.Currently 96. 000 employers work at 17 different production places all over the world for BMW. In last year the BMW Group sold 1. 3 million cars of its three non-overlapping premium car brands Mini, Rolls-Royce and BMW. The brand recognition and high investments in research and development seems to be the trumps of BMW (BMW, n. D. : BMW Education Programmer n. D. ). This report will give a more detailed view at t he current situation of the BMW Group with an analysis of the company's strategies but also with a look at the issues and a final evaluation of the authors of this report. . Strategic Analysis Integral to the understanding of the organization BMW Group is a detailed strategic analysis of the company. Appendixes 1 and 2 both contain various tools for analysis, namely a SOOT and a PESTLE analysis. One can draw upon these when analyzing all the forces and factors affecting a company as an aggregate. It is also important to place the findings of these analyses in a context. In this case, a strategic analysis of BMW Group should not only consider the information contained in both these analyses, but also the context in which the firm operates.As mentioned, in Appendix 1, a SOOT analysis considers the current position of a company. In the case of BMW Group, the position is currently enjoys is a very strong one. When critically analysis the mentioned weaknesses and threats it becomes appar ent that each of these are common to most companies and car manufacturers in the market segments chosen by BMW Group and its subsidiaries. In a sense this leads to a canceling out effect, which will be discusses below.For example, in terms of threats to automotive manufacturers, existing and fierce competition applies to the vast majority, as does being affected by the volatility of fuel prices. To a large extent the price of raw materials also poses a threat to all manufacturers, however this varies by small degrees when one considers that in a anthropometry environment many cars do not share similar materials. This is due to manufacturers seeking competitive advantage through vehicle parts and structures being made of differing alloys, in attempts for qualities such as greater strength and lighter weight.In spite of this, steel remains a predominant material in the automobiles of BMW Group. Having similar â€Å"threats† appropriate to most manufacturers means they are all c ompeting amidst similar circumstances, so no firm is solely disadvantaged as a result. It is a similar case when one considers the weaknesses of BMW Group. Despite minor differences, most manufacturers in the market segments operated in by BMW Group share most weaknesses. All premium carmakers are faced with stiff competition, as it is the nature of the industry. All suffer from a perception of high prices.Again, there may be slight variations within this surmise such as slight variations in perceived value but as an aggregate, the premium car sector is partly characterized by high prices. Associated with keeping design and construction of the automobiles of BMW Group within Germany, and various other Western countries. This is due to higher labor sots, and greater levels of taxation. Keeping the majority of production and all of the design and engineering in Germany has both advantages and disadvantages. It has been listed in the SOOT analysis as a weakness, purely due to the impac t on the bottom line of the firm.It is a similar story for the other major German competitors BMW Group. Certain American (Lexus) or Swedish (Volvo) rivals face a similar problem in terms of higher cost. -Chinese competitors do not. Being engineered and assembled in Germany has to also be mentioned as a strength. This is as a result of German engineering having an international petition for being of some of the highest quality engineering in the world. This creates a perception of quality, which is common to most manufacturers in the premium car segment, but more so to the vehicles created by BMW Group.There is perception that BMW, along with Mercedes Benz are of a higher standard of quality than their third major German rival, Audio. As well as a SOOT analysis, a PESTLE analysis is important for furthering knowledge of the environment in which BMW Group operates. As Appendix 2 outlines, a PESTLE considers the external forces which impact upon the strategic implementation and runnin g of a firm. Political forces are present, however they have an effect on the industry as an aggregate. Within Germany, the country in which a lot of the cars of BMW Group are manufactured, laws dictate maximum emissions vehicles are allowed to produce.They also affect BMW Group in that they dictate minimum wages and minimum level of corporate responsibility. For most other countries, taxation laws and customs laws determine prices at which BMW Group products are sold at. Different countries have different levels of tax and import duties, however generally most countries will charge some form of import duty on valuable goods, which in turn increases the price at which local retailers sell the vehicles. In some cases there are certain charges on top of this – of example in Australia there is a Luxury Car Tax imposed on vehicles worth more that ****.But as aforementioned, this type of political influence affects all manufacturer in the premium car market segment. Ecologically t here are a lot of influences shaping the direction of BMW Group automobiles. The main one being the increased societal awareness of the popular concept that is Global Warming. As a result of this many nations and manufacturers re imposing, whether voluntarily or as a legal requirement, goals of reducing emissions. This is done through setting targets and can be quite costly – in most cases being where the majority of research and development funds are spent.In the case of BMW Group, this is certainly so. The quest for more efficient engines is ongoing, and can also be attributed to the other major ecological factor – the growing scarcity of natural resources. The natural resource whose scarcity affects motorists globally is crude oil. There are socio-cultural factors at work, also. BMW uses positioning to reach certain target markets. As such, a lot of their vehicles are financially out of reach for demographics. Due to this, things such as median incomes and average p roperty prices dictate where BMW outlets will be placed geographically.Also in the case of BMW Group, an image of exclusivity primarily exists, though more recently there has been an effort to make their products within reach of more people. This is being conducted by making smaller, more affordable cars whilst retaining an image of prestige. In an industry such as the car industry, technology is the most influential force toward a company such as BMW Group. Technology is where a lot of manufacturers obtain their competitive advantage, and for BMW Group this is certainly the case.They invest vast sums of money into research and development in a bid to create more efficient engines with which they can compete with other manufacturers and obtain a competitive advantage. This also applies on fronts such as safety of cars, durability of cars, and power of cars. With current market trends drifting towards efficiency being a high priority for most customers, this is something that plays a n integral role in the strategic goals, plans, and implementation of plans of BMW Group. Economically, there are many forces that exert influence over BMW Group.Varying exchange rates are a primary factor, and have a direct impact upon sales within a given country, as they play a large role in determining whether or not a customer will buy a substitute good. BMW Group have a strategy in place to manage this known as â€Å"hedging†. High prices for raw materials such as steel and various alloy metals also play a part in determining corporate strategies, as does the volatility in the price of petrol in various countries in which BMW Group sells their goods. The legal factors are very similar to the aforementioned political factors, as they mostly include legislations to do with emissions and safety.There are other laws which vary by degrees between countries in which BMW Group goods are produced. This mainly involves certain labor laws, such as minimum wage laws and occupationa l health and safety laws. BMW Group consider these forces and the elements of a SOOT when developing corporate strategies and implementing them. The firm devises ways in which they can manage this uncertainty, and minimize the amount of turbulence they encounter spite being part of such a competitive and volatile industry. These will be covered in a later section of this report. 3.Strategic directions Especially in the high competitive market of the automobile industry a clear vision and mission statement is important to hold the internal and external stakeholder support on a high level (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). As one of the worlds leading car manufacturer BUM'S vision statement is nothing less than â€Å"To be the leading supplier of premium products and premium services for individual mobility. † (BMW AAA, p. 180) To do that BMW sets its main focus traditionally on sights quality standards and best possible service for its customers.BMW mission statement is embo ssed by sustainability and responsibility. In the centre stand the three â€Å"Or's†: resources efficiency, risk minimization and reputation. With resource addition the company tries to save energy by optimizing their current engines and providing new drive systems like hydrogen engines. The aim of the company is â€Å"to use resources sparingly and efficiently' (BMW 2005, p. L). To lead the company in successful future for BMW it is important to recognize risk in an early stadium and try to avoid them (BMW 2005).Reputation is especially for BMW as a company with a very high brand value important. So BMW wants to â€Å"enhance the Company's reputation by acting responsibly towards employees and society'(BMW 2005, p. L). Every individual of the BMW group is supposed to maintain the sustainability of that three parts and everyone in the company should implement these objectives in the every days work life. Simultaneous BMW sees its staff as an important part on the way to rea ch its mission and provide its employees with best conditions and supports the professional and personal development (BMW 2005). Key strategies BMW has several strategies to survive in the strong competitive automobile market. One is the strategy of differentiation (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). Cars of BMW stand for quality and exclusivity. Customers are willing to pay more money for a BMW than for an equal car of another brand. BMW is able to create the awareness of differences in its consumers mind and satisfies its customers wants and needs at a very high level. The cars of BMW have an attractive and sportive design. In connection with the high price BMW underlines its status as a premium brand.Furthermore BMW attracts through its sportive aspect and focus on innovation especially younger people. Expensive marketing campaigns force that in an impressive way. The result is an extremely high brand recognition and binding of a large number of loyal customers all over the worl d. That unique position of BMW makes it difficult for competitors to take advantage of the market in the short and medium term. BMW follows a diversification strategy, too. It has three non- overlapping car brands and a motorcycle brand.They are able to use their high knowledge and engineering experiences for all three different car brands and rover there are several synergies between the car and the motorcycle production. Especially in the expensive development of engines both segments profit similarly and the total risk for the company is lowered down because the company is less vulnerable for unexpected economic or competitive changes (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). As a third the mastication of profit is one of the major strategies of the company for the next years.BMW has to fight against decreasing sale numbers caused by the economic crisis. Therefore the firm has to find new ways to generate more earning to satisfy its shareholders. A logical consequence is to reduce cos ts and increase efficiency. BMW tries to do that by different methods and techniques (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). 5. Strategic implementation In the centre of Bum's strategic implementation stand the realization of strategic plan called â€Å"Number ONE†. BMW propose two sets of goals and strategies – one to lead BMW into 2012, one to lead BMW into 2020 (BMW 2007).At present, for the short worldwide. This is inclusive of all of their car brands, Mini and Rolls Royce. To do this they are increasing the variety in their model line-up. Also, for this short term, they re among the industry-leaders in adapting to new and different target markets, by producing cheaper, better quality cars which are accessible to a greater array of potential buyers. The other major short-term strategy to achieve this is to greater â€Å"recession-proof† their interests by engaging in hedging in the $ASS (BMW 2007: Horntail 2009).The goals and strategies which BMW hopes to achie ve by 2020 are much more ambitious, but no less achievable. They have adopted a â€Å"less input, more output† ethos, and as such are aiming to cut cost-centers and save the targeted figure of 6 billion Euros. As part of this plan, that 6 billion Euros is earmarked to then be invested into research and development in order to gain a competitive advantage through greater efficiency of their products. Instruments like flexible work and shifts models make it possible to adjust the product capacity of each plant contemporary.The number of employees will be reduced naturally – without dismissals (BMW 2007: Horntail 2009: Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007, p. 102). Because of the strong position of the Euro against the US Dollar in the last years BMW will increase the utilization of the placement in United States. Also the company want to profit of the well qualified but cheaper labor of China through extensions of productions placements in China. The movement to China means also shorter ways to the new growing market and using of cheaper local suppliers, which moreover reduces the costs further (BMW 2009).High investments in marketing are an important element in the strategic implementation of the BMW Group as well (BMW 2009). The high marketing budget attends to save its main competitive advantage: the high brand recognition. The concept of the â€Å"ultimate driving machine† creates an emotional connection to customers world wide. Thereby BMW goes within its marketing strategy not the easiest way and make the same advertisements and marketing campaigns all over the world. The BMW Group analyses the specific customer groups of each region and try to listen and respond to the customers.Whereas people in America still want big engines in their cars, the environmental aspects in Europe getting more important. So BMW not only offers the same cars with different engines, also its marketing strategies for America, Europe and Asia are different. BMW controlled its distribution network more than most of its competitors. The results are again benefits for brand management. The company has the reputation to be near its customers. The brand BMW stand not only for quality, also service is linked with BMW. So the after sales service is another important part of the strategic implementation.The people should see that the company cares about them also after the buying which is in important fact in binding the customers as well (BMW 2009). Finally BMW will fulfill the new carbon dioxide regularities of the different governments. That means also a reaction of a changing of the customer wishes and a conformance to the companies mission BMW2009). 6. Key strategic implementation issues 0 Raising competition Environmental issues Global recession Changes in demand The external environment is a major contributor to this in the form of cut-throat competition, which is rife throughout the automotive industry.BMW don't have brand cannibalism to w orry about, but the existence of suitable alternative goods which may also appeal to potential buyers' (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). Another key issue is those faced by the research and development department. Competitors wish to achieve the same outcome, for the same reasons, therefore BMW eave to remain competitive on a number of fronts (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). This is also in keeping with having to work within the confines of various regulations.As they are the manufacturer of automobiles they must adhere to environmental and safety regulations in all the countries in which their goods are sold, and, due to globalization, this counts for the vast majority of nation states (Hill, 7. Evaluation of strategy The strategy of differentiation is important for a brand like BMW which do not serve the whole market. There are a few competitors in the premium segment of the automobile market and BMW has to do a high effort to keep its position and reputation in the long ru n. But BMW has to be careful.The company invests a lot of money in research and development. That could keep the danger that competitors imitate Bum's new products and inventions faster than the company can take real advantages of its investments. The high brand recognition is surely safe for the short and middle distance but in the long run BMW has to maintain its competitive advantage. Because of its relative small size in comparison with its main competitors tragic alliances will probably become a key position in BMW future strategic direction to achieve economies of scale and finally high profit margins.This is also a good possibility to reduce the costs of research and development and to realize especially cost intensive big innovations like the development of new engines for example the electric or hydrogen technologies. 8. Conclusions BMW seems to be good prepared for the future. The strong brand image gives the company a unique position in the marketplace, which is quite ess ential in such a high competitive business environment like the automobile industry. The key strategy Differentiation† works and the strategy plan for the next years â€Å"Number ONE† shows a sustainable and moreover feasible concept which should be successful.