Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Governance Management Essay Essays

Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Governance Management Essay Essays Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Governance Management Essay Essay Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Governance Management Essay Essay Labor development is the work gained from any individual through threatening and non voluntarily avidity of such individual. In the epoch of capitalist economy, the workers were treated merely like trade goods that used to bring forth things. In such capitalistic environment, the labours were exploited at work by non paying them the worth they are working and heightening their ain net income. But after the coming of globalisation, labours are now treated as the resources for the company who are the most outstanding plus for the organisation. But still the labour faces development is the signifier of less paid, labour trafficking, workplace development, domination, kid labour, menaces, physical injury, limitation, debt bondage etc ( Fact sheet: Labour development, 2009 ) . Company Background ( Wal-Mart ) : History: Wal-Mart was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 with the gap of its first shop at Rogers, Arkansas as retail shop for all the consumer goods so as to do the consumer goods at individual shop ( Heritage ) . With the airy leading of Sam Walton, it got incorporated in 1969 and was able to merchandise in New York Stock Exchange by 1972. Through the attempts of invention and leading, Wal-Mart has grown as the universe s largest Discount Department shops and named as the World s Largest Public Corporation by Revenue by the 2010 Forbes Global 2000. With the enlargement and strategic confederation scheme of the company, Wal-Mart successfully installed its China imported merchandises to all over the universe with highly successful in UK and South America though unsuccessful in South Korea and Germany. It is researching its image of the taking transnational company in the whole universe through its enlargement scheme to take the competitory advantage of the planetary market. In the procedure of suc h enlargement, company is be aftering to supply its merchandises and services to the consumers of Middle East specifically in UAE as it is considered as the best hub for trade all the universe ( Our Narrative ) . Location A ; Number of Employees: Wal-Mart serves more than 200 million times client daily as per the demand of the client whether it is retail mercantile establishment or online or through nomadic and other pass oning devices. It operates its operation in 27 states under more than 69 streamers to supply its services to the planetary clients. The gross revenues for the financial twelvemonth of 2012 histories for $ 444 billion while it employs 2.2 million employees world-wide and now it is be aftering to beef up both the place of the company as a taking Multinational company and the Economic development of UAE ( Our Narrative ) . Undertaking Aims: Our undertaking aims at researching the construct of Exploitation of Workers with particular mention to the Wal-Mart Company. The Exploitation of the Workers has been explored by concentrating on the Business Perspective, Government Perspective and the Social Perspective associated with the construct. Furthermore the undertaking aims at acknowledging and researching the importance of Good Corporate Administration to the concern organisations like Wal-Mart in this concern sphere. Undertaking besides includes the account of put to deathing the corporate societal duties by the companies and the fiscal benefits gained by them due to the same. The function played by Government and Society which motivates the company to execute its corporate societal duty. At last the undertaking suggested the rules of Good Corporate Governance. Part I Business Position: Point of View of Wal-Mart about Exploitation of Workers: Wal-Mart is one of the most awful users of workers in world. Wal-Mart has extended its impact to parts of the development scenario where workers are in copiousness and constricts the life out of its human resource for the net income maximization. Wal-Mart has faced about 5000 civil suits yearly for the misdemeanor of human rights and workers development. Wal-Mart considers its workers as the factor of production and simply trade good which is responsible to heighten the organisational production and productiveness. The development of workers in the Wal-Mart can easy be seen systematically through following points: Inadequate sum of rewards, wages and other human resource benefits to employees. Overtime services from the workers without their willingness and off-the-clock labour. Activities against the trade brotherhood. Gender biasness at the workplace particularly against the adult females. Using illegal human resource by the manner of third-party contractors ( Lane, 2010 ) . Attitude of Wal-Mart towards Social Duty: The Wal-Mart CSR scheme aims to salvage money and live better for the clients. In relation to CSR Wal-Mart follows every twenty-four hours low costing scheme so as to assist the clients save their money, stretching their payroll checks and supply the better living criterion for the households. The work of the organisation is non merely limited to the clients but it extends the benefits for the whole community around the universe. The organisation perceives itself as the responsible and the timeserving to convey out the differences that matter a batch for the social sustainable development. Issues such as environment saving, hunger battle, poorness, and Women authorization, healthy and low-cost nutrient are perceived as the duty by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart follows its CSR by committed towards the undermentioned attempts: Environmental Sustainability. Hunger and Nutrition. Women Economic Empowerment. Diversity and Inclusion. Ethical Sourcing. Veterans and Military Families ( Global Responsibility ) . Fiscal Benefits of a Corporate Social Responsibility for Wal-Mart: The fiscal benefits of put to deathing the corporate societal duty to Wal-Mart include assorted benefits including the good corporate and market image and enhanced workers trueness. The fiscal benefits are as follows: Effective executing of Corporate Social Responsibility helps in increasing the production and productiveness of the Wal-Mart which finally leads to increase in gross revenues and net income of the company. Corporate Social Responsibility public presentation helps Wal-Mart in heightening its retail merchandise and services distinction which can carry through the demands of clients with augmented quality and full value for illustration: trade carnival, macrobiotic goods etc. By executing its corporate societal duty, Wal-Mart can diminish its cost of runing the concern operations. For illustration: Wal-Mart can acquire the goods and services from the providers at lowest cost as most possible extent, and through enhanced employees trueness it has to incur low cost in the procedure of enlisting and keeping of employees and decreased the cost of employee turnover. Corporate Social Responsibility will be helpful in the successful execution of the concern undertakings and the enlargement of concern units at maximal locations, globally. For Example: The instance of Wal-Mart vs. Target in which Wal-Mart often faces difficult legal challenges when seeking to turn up new retail shops and has been incapable to come in some market finishs, despite expensive and comprehensive legal struggle, where Target has achieved entry, like Manhattan, New York. Corporate societal Responsibility will enable Wal-Mart to hold enhanced entree to the good-humored relationships with all the stakeholders including spouses, clients, providers, and sellers, employees which finally helps in diminishing the hazard associated with legal and regulative mulcts. The benefits of put to deathing Corporate Social Responsibility includes good market and trade name image and healthy dealingss with the stakeholders which finally helps in carry throughing the organisational aims of net income and wealth maximization, along with assorted ends, mission and vision achievement ( concern instance for corporate societal duty ) . Pressure on the Business Organization ( Wal-Mart ) from Society and Government: Wal-Mart and other companies of US are being enforced to follow the CSR by the authorities and society within the organisation so as to hold sustainable development in environment and the economic system. US authorities has adopted CSR under US Corporate Dialogue in 1984. In 2006, the expressed political determination was taken by committee to forbear the binding statute law on CSR rules. Assorted multi stakeholders forum and social association enforced the organisations to follow CSR for the sustainable development of the state. But still the CSR ever remains as the voluntary scheme of the company. The US authorities and society ever tries to adhere the company with the CSR ordinances so that the misleading of the clients and other stakeholders can be avoided. Rigorous ordinances have been passed by the statute law for maintain the CSR specifically related to societal jurisprudence, labour jurisprudence and the environmental jurisprudence ( Mickels, 2009 ) . Government Perspective: Point of View of Government sing Exploitation of Workers: Exploitation of workers was being practiced by the communistic types of authorities but under the democratic authorities, Exploitation of workers is against the labour Torahs and the human rights as per US authorities norms. The workers should be treated as the worlds and non the trade goods. Government has obligated assorted rigorous legal duty and even punishments for such illegal and social abusing patterns ( Mickels, 2009 ) . How it regulates Business and Society to see Social Duty: The US authorities has enforced CSR norms within the companies through US Dialogue Code 1984 and amendment in the rules in 2006 through which it makes the organisation accountable to describe the human rights and environmental maltreatments within the company and guaranting to describe every bit minimal as they can do. The companies are bounded to follow the rigorous human rights and environmental norms and failure to such norms leads to punishments for such companies ( Mickels, 2009 ) . Influence on Governments from the Business Organization and Society: However the authorities constabularies have bounded the US companies to purely follow the CSR and the human rights against the development of labour but still following CSR is yet kept as the voluntary action in the custodies of the companies and hence most of the companies avoid to follow such duty towards environment. However Wal-Mart and other planetary MNC s follow the CSR on the precedence footing to guarantee the sustainable development of the environment and the state ( Mickels, 2009 ) . Society Perspective: Point of View of Society about the Exploitation of Workers: Society believe that the development of workers as the communistic activity which is used to rule the labour against their human rights. They are threatened to make the work without effectual wages, torment at the workplace and fondness which is wholly non accepted by the society. Through such evil patterns, hapless become poorer and rich become richer which brought down the instability in the society and the economic system. Child labour, sexual torment, human trafficking are the parts of development of labour which are considered as the expletive on the society ( Mickels, 2009 ) . Criticism of Society towards the Business Organization ( Wal-Mart ) and the Exploitation of Workers in general: The social norms purely consider the development as the strong discourtesy against the human rights and the social norms. Assorted Social signifiers and associations have adopted sustainable corporate constabularies though a theoretical account in 1994 known as the three P s theoretical account stands for Peoples ( Human Rights ) , Profit ( Efficiency ) , Planet ( Environment ) . This ternary bottom line concern theoretical account helps to keep the transparent and just concern patterns within the society ( Mickels, 2009 ) . The Influence of the Business Organization ( Wal-Mart ) and Government to the Attitude of Society: Under the influence of the social norms and the governmental duties, the Wal-Mart is following the CSR efficaciously sing the CSR as its ain planetary duty. The attempts of Wal-Mart for CSR comprises of following subparts: Environmental Sustainability. Hunger and Nutrition. Women Economic Empowerment. Diversity and Inclusion. Ethical Sourcing. Veterans and Military Families ( Global Responsibility ) Part II The Impact of external forces on the organisation ( Wal-Mart ) : Technology: Technology plays a really outstanding function in the successful executing of concern operations of the Wal-Mart ; the recognition of success of Wal-Mart is decidedly goes to the proper use of engineering. Technology is an of import external factor which poses both positive and riotous impact on the employee s behaviour and organisational development. Technology systematically helps in streamlining the concern procedures and makes the work easier and comfy, qualitative for employees but the procedure of larning refering to the use of new and latest engineering while keeping the productiveness may be hard and nerve-racking for Wal-Mart. Technology helps the Wal-Mart in beef uping its retail concatenation and holding competitory advantage over others. The elements in the rapid debut of new engineerings leads to make assorted jobs to the Wal-Mart viz. changeless demand for new preparation and development plans, betterment in the concern operational procedure and records care. Technologi es like unfastened sourcing, nanotechnology, and collaborative computer science have a important influence on the concern operations of Wal-Mart, New Technologies have unpredicted effects for the society when they are utilised into extended usage for commercial net income, Wal-Mart should carefully and efficaciously analyze merely the impact of engineerings on its theoretical account of concern strategically, along with the jeopardies imposed by engineering on people including all the stakeholders ( Basker, April 2007 ) . Competition: Wal-Mart faces tough competition with all the parallel retail trade names non merely in the UAE but besides globally. It faces competition in footings of merchandise and services distinction, market cleavage, market placement, aiming the clients, pricing schemes, promotional schemes like price reduction, free offers and strategies, advertisement, gross revenues publicity, famous person indorsement in the publicity of the merchandise and services etc. But the toughest signifier of all the competition is the pricing competition, Wal-Mart is one of the most prima retail trade names globally and it charges really high cost for the merchandises and services and therefore faces competition with the lower cost trade names ( Donald, 2009 ) The Organization ( Wal-Mart s ) Management: Retrenchment: The twelvemonth 2006 noticed the most of import retrenchment for the Wal-Mart since it carried out its planetary enlargement in the early 1990s, in an effort to resuscitate the growing of gross revenues and net income. Wal-Mart, the planetary largest retail merchant, acknowledges licking in its long term venerable operations to perforate efficaciously the retail market of Germany. On July 30, 2006, the Wal-Mart declared that it was manus over its operations in Germany to the Metro AG, a German retail merchant trade name. Wal-Mart had been trying to make its German shops more good commercially for eight old ages. Wal-Mart provinces a pretax loss pertaining to the gross revenues amounting $ 1 billion. Wal-Mart had ab initio declared in May 2006 that it would sell its 16 retail shops in the South Korea ( Donald, 2009 ) . As a portion of its retrenchment scheme ; Wal-Mart besides applied the cost film editing and salvaging policies to the human resource of the organisation. In a amalgama tion with Massmart, one of the taking retail trade name concatenation, Wal-Mart retrenched 503 employees in the twelvemonth 2010 ( June 2010 ) . Employment Discrimination: Equally per as the values and beliefs of Wal-Mart are concern, they are govern by the positions of Sam Walton on which the foundation of the company is based i.e. the regard for every person . It aims at put to deathing concern operations with non favoritism in the procedure of employment. Wal-Mart purposes at making a corporate civilization of common trust and respects which encourage an optimistic work environment. It means that it aims at handling all the stakeholders with the courtesy and equity in all the concern minutess and communicating. Wal-Mart is committed at prolonging a diverse work force and comprehensive work environment. Harmonizing to the values of the company, Wal-Mart will non bear any favoritism associated with the employment and determinations of employment or in the concern minutess on the footing of age, gender, colour, race, caste, credo, faith, lineage, disablement, nationality, relationship position, ethnicity or any other lawfully secured position. It doe s non know apart with its associates, human resource, clients, providers and other stakeholders. But on the contrary there are assorted facts and figure which revels the information sing the favoritism in the employment conditions by Wal-Mart. The first and first issue associated with the employment favoritism is the gender biasness. Almost 2,000 adult females in 48 provinces files civil suits against Wal-Mart, kicking about the employment favoritism associated with the wage and publicities in comparing to male employees ( Non-Discrimination ) . The Principles of Corporate Administration: The importance of Good Corporate Administration in the success of the organisation can barely be overemphasized. It plays a really important function in keeping reciprocally affable dealingss between f the direction and all the stakeholders. The Principles of Corporate Governance are as follows: Principle 1: Fit house foundations for Management and Supervision: In order to hold a Good Corporate Governance, concern organisations should explicate and pass on the accompaniment functions and duties of board of managers and direction. Principle 2: Form the board in order to added value: Organizations should set up a board with effectual size, composing, and trueness to efficaciously dispatch its responsibilities, functions and duties. Principle 3: Endorse Ethical and Accountable procedure of Decision Making: Ethical and accountable determination doing leads to smooth operation of concern operations and guarantee Good Corporate Governance. Principle 4: Maintain Reliability in Financial Reporting of the Company: Honesty in presenting true fiscal facts and figures helps in constructing common trust with all the stakeholders which is a gateway to Good Corporate Governance. Principle 5: Communicating all the needed Information Timely and Impartially: Companies must concentrate on unwraping all the information concern with its operations to all the stakeholders. Principle 6: Value the Shareholders Rights: Companies must value and esteem the stockholder s rights and ease them by supplying entree to the rights. Principle 7: Effective Identification and Management of Risk associated with the Business: Companies must make a sound hazard direction system of hazard in order to hold effectual supervising and pull offing internal control. Principle 8: Compensate reasonably and faithfully: Business Organizations should determine that the degree and foundation of wage is equal and rational and that its association with public presentation is clear and effectual. Principle 9: Promote the Human Resource s enhanced Performance: Companies should place, promote and acknowledge the outstanding and expected public presentation of the employees, board of managers and direction in the organisation. Principle 10: Identify and acknowledge the legal benefits of Stakeholders: Business organisations should acknowledge all the legal duties of all the valid stakeholders and put to death them consequently ( Principles of Good Corporate Governance and Best Practice Recommendations, March 2003 ) . Decision: The Exploitation of workers in the concern organisations is the most rising issue of the today s cut pharynx competition, in order to last and accomplish the net income maximization aim in this tough competition companies exploits their work force blindly. Exploitation of Workers leads to interrupt the common trust and trueness between human resource and the organisation which finally affects the production, productiveness, profitableness and long term growing and sustainability of the concern. If the concern organisation s production gets affected it will finally impact the market and clients and society s demand for merchandises and services. If the society is non satisfied with the trade and commercialism activities so it will finally impact the stableness of authorities and the economic development of the state. So in order to forestall the aforesaid issues and ensures the sustainable development concern organisations should implements the rules of Good Corporate Governance and e xecutes their Corporate Social Responsibilities.

A Brief History of the Tower of London

A Brief History of the Tower of London If you watch a British entertainer on their home soil make a joke about the Royal Family, youll probably see them follow it up with a quip like oh, they’ll take me to the Tower! They dont need to say which tower. Everyone growing up in the mainstreams of British culture hears about The Tower, a building as famous and central to the national myths of England as the White House is to the myths of the United States. Built on the north bank of the River Thames in London and once a home of royalty, a jail for prisoners, a site for executions and a storehouse for an army, the Tower of London now contains the Crown Jewels, guardians nicknamed Beefeaters (they arent keen on the name) and legend securing ravens. Dont be confused by the name: the Tower of London is actually a huge castle-complex formed by centuries of addition and alteration. Described simply, the nine hundred-year-old White Tower forms a core surrounded, in concentric squares, by two sets of powerful walls. Studded with towers and bastions, these walls enclose two inner areas called wards that are full of smaller buildings. This is the story of its origins, creation and the near continual development which has kept it at the center of an, albeit changing, national focus for nearly a millenia, a rich and bloody history that easily attracts over two million visitors every year. Origins of the Tower of London While the Tower of London as we know it was built in the eleventh century, the history of fortification on the site stretches back into Roman times, when stone and wooden structures were built and marshland reclaimed from the Thames. A massive wall was created for defence, and this anchored the later Tower. However, the Roman fortifications declined after the Romans left England. Many Roman structures had their stones robbed away for use in later buildings (finding these Roman remains in other structures is a good source of evidence and very rewarding), and what remained in London was likely foundations. Williams Stronghold When William I successfully conquered England in 1066 he ordered the construction of a castle in London, using the site of the old Roman fortifications as a base. In 1077 he added to this stronghold by ordering the construction of a huge tower, the Tower of London itself. William died before it was completed in 1100. William needed a large tower partly for protection: he was an invader attempting to take over a whole kingdom, one which needed pacification before it would accept him and his children. While London seems to have been made safe quite quickly, William had to engage in a campaign of destruction in the north, the Harrying, to secure that. However, the Tower was useful in a second way: the projection of royal power wasnt just about walls to hide in, it was about showing status, wealth and strength, and a large stone structure that dominated its surroundings did just that. The Tower of London as Royal Castle Over the next few centuries monarchs added ever more fortifications, including walls, halls and other towers, to an increasingly complex structure which became referred to as The Tower of London. The central tower became known as the ‘White Tower’ after it was whitewashed. On the one hand, every successive monarch needed to build here to demonstrate their own wealth and ambition. On the other hand, several monarchs had need to shelter behind these imposing walls due to conflicts with their rivals (sometimes their own siblings), so the castle remained nationally important and a military keystone in controlling England. From Royalty to Artillery During the Tudor period the use of the Tower began to change, with visits from the monarch declining, but with many important prisoners held there and an increase in the use of the complex as a storehouse for the nation’s artillery. The number of major modifications began to decline, although some were spurred on by fire and naval threats, until changes in warfare meant the Tower became less important as an artillery base. It wasnt that the Tower was any less formidable to the type of people it had been built to defend, but that gunpowder and artillery meant its walls were now vulnerable to new technology, and defences had to take markedly different forms. Most castles suffered a decline in military importance, and instead transformed into new uses. But monarchs were looking for different sorts of accommodation now, palaces, not cold, draughty castles, so visits fell. Prisoners, however, did not require luxury. The Tower of London as National Treasure As the military and government use of the Tower declined, parts were opened up to the general public, until the Tower evolved into the landmark it is today, welcoming over two million visitors annually. Ive been myself, and its a striking place to spend time and muse on the history its seen. It can get crowded though! More on the Tower of London The Tower of London Ravens: Ravens are kept at the Tower of London, in part to fulfill the demands of an old superstition†¦ this article explains why.The Beefeaters / Yeoman Warders: The Tower of London is guarded by people called Yeoman Warders, but they’re better known by a nickname: the Beefeaters. Visitors to the Tower should keep an eye out for, what by modern standards, are their unusual uniforms.

Site Management and Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Site Management and Safety - Assignment Example Construction workers often fall from height and lose their life, this is also the leading safety hazard, it is the duty of the architect, client, engineer, site manager and quantity surveyor to ensure that there is proper harness in place, it should be checked properly so that such fatalities can be avoided. Motor vehicle crash is another very dangerous construction site hazard, this can be avoided by following the paths laid in the beginning of the project, the architect is responsible for doing that. Everyone involved on a construction site must ensure that they wear their protective equipment this has helped save many a life in the past and will save more in the future. â€Å"The workplace must be a safe environment. If we all show good practice in the workplace, a lot of industrial accidents can be avoided.† (A Safe Working Environment) Pinpointing Roles Role of an Architect: Design Role: Several fatal accidents occur should the design of the building be wrong, an architec t must meet the client on a regular basis to discuss and have the design approved. There are several local zoning and planning laws which an architect must comply with. Construction Role: An architect prepares and issues site instructions, these instructions are extremely important when it comes to safety, these safety instructions are then followed by the workers and the other important members involved in the construction. Roles of Other Members: The day-to-day running of a construction project is looked after by the site manager, he should ensure that all the workers comply with the safety instructions given to them. Site manager is also responsible for conducting safety and health checks to ensure everything goes on smoothly. Site managers these days are actively involved in communication which again is very essential. â€Å"A construction engineer is a vital player in the construction business. They must survey the area in which the construction will be taking place, estimate costs involved, submit proper paperwork, inform others involved and take part in the planning.† (Duties of a Construction Manager) To conclude it is very fair to say that the architect, client, engineer, site manager and quantity surveyor must work in unison to avoid fatal accidents, this will only happen when active communication between them takes place. Part 2: Different management styles and techniques yield different results, the following section of the paper will juxtapose different management styles and their impact on the results. The behavior of the site team will also be closely analyzed and a suitable conclusion will be drawn at the end. It is extremely important to understand the role of a project manager, a project manager is the one who is almost completely responsible for the success or the failure of a particular project, the way he motivates and communicates with the other people working as a team on a construction site matters the most. The planning, organiz ing and the controlling are more often than not done by a project manager. Desirable results can be achieved should the project manager gain support of the team members working at the site. Support of the team members can be achieved by following the following important steps: Following

The Religion of Ancient Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Religion of Ancient Egypt - Essay Example Ra was one of the main gods in Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian people worshiped Ra because the Sun (Ra symbolized the Sun) was concerned as the main source of life in Ancient Egypt; Ra was known as the ancestor of pharaohs, and the worship of Ra and a pharaoh as his son was sacred for ancient Egyptians; Ra was concerned as a founder of life on the Earth, so Egyptians worshiped Ra as one of the main gods among many others. This paper will support these three causes of the Sun God Ra worship. . The Sun (Ra symbolized the Sun) was concerned as the main source of life in Ancient Egypt: â€Å"The daily cycle, as the sun rose, then set only to rise again the next morning, symbolized renewal and so Re was seen as the paramount force of creation and master of life† (Ra). Ra symbolized eternal life cycle for ancient Egyptians; sunrise, zenith and sunset were associated with birth, life and death. Ra always was given birth in the morning (as a scarab beetle), rode on his boat across the sky in the day, and died in the evening: â€Å"At sunset, he is swallowed by the goddess Nut, who gives birth to him each morning again as Khepri. Therefore, the cycle continued with birth, life and death† (Ra).... .Ra was said, in fact, to be the direct ancestor of the kings of Egypt, and in certain hymns was even addressed as a dead king" (Egyptian religion). In honor of pharaohs such giant architectural masterpieces as pyramids were erected, and the worship of pharaohs was directly connected with that of the Sun God Ra. Pharaoh was the earth embodiment of Ra who provided his power over the nature: "While the king ruled earth, Re was the master of the universe so they were of the same nature and were in effect a mirror image of each other" (Ra). Egyptian pharaohs erected pyramids and temples in honor of Ra - they tried to underline their connection with Ra. The cult of Ra was transforming through the Egyptian history, but it was always associated with pharaohs: "Beginning with the Middle Kingdom (2134-1668 BC), Ra worship acquired the status of a state religion, and the god was gradually fused with Amon during the Theban dynasties, becoming the supreme god Amon-Ra" (Ancient Egyptian Religions ). Heliopolis was the main center of Ra worship during the New Kingdom - it was the time of the greatest development of Ancient Egypt and the cult of Ra as the main god of Egypt. So, ancient Egyptians worshiped Ra as the symbol of king power, and the highest development of the state was associated with the power of pharaoh and Ra as his embodiment. Ra was concerned as a founder of life on the Earth, so Egyptians worshiped Ra as one of the main gods among many others. Cosmological views of ancient Egyptians gave Ra one of the leading places in the pantheon of gods "The early Egyptians believed that he created the world, and the rising sun was, for them, the symbol of creation" (Ra). They believed that Ra created the Earth, haven and all creations on the planet. 3. As was

Drunk Driving Essay Example for Free

Drunk Driving Essay Driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol is one of the most dangerous things you can do. There is a mass of research evidence to show that driving performance and reaction times are seriously affected by alcohol. Our law in Georgia states, that it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds . 10%. Georgia observes a per se law. (Craft) If you drink and drive, you are not only a danger to yourself but also to your passenger, other road users and pedestrians. In fact, every 30 minutes, someone in this country dies in alcohol-related crash. Every 30 minutes! And last year alone more than one million people are injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes. Alcohol is a depressant that slows down body reactions and the working of the brain. Each year drunk driving is responsible for about 25% of these deaths. The risks of drinking are alcohol-related accidents and violence. The effects of alcohol are poor coordination and slurred speech, double vision, decrease of self-control loss of consciousness and death. There are legal consequences due to drinking also. The more a person drinks, the more their ability to make important decisions becomes impaired. After just one drink, a driver can lose their ability to perform the tasks necessary to drive a car. At a certain point, a driver will become illegally intoxicated and can be arrested for attempting to operate a motor vehicle. In every state on out country there is a legal limit to how much alcohol you can have in your body if you are driving. If you drink and drive you can lose your drivers license and even go to jail. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and young adults. More than 5,000 young people die every year in car crashes and thousands more are injured. Drivers who are 16 years old are more than 20 times as likely to have a crash, as are other drivers. There are two main reasons why teens are at a higher for being in a car crash and lack of driving experience and their tendency to take risks while driving. Teens drive faster and do not control the car as well as more experienced drivers. Their judgment in traffic is often insufficient to avoid a crash. In addition, teens do most of their driving at night, which can be even more difficult. Standard drivers education classes include 30 hours of classroom teaching and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training. This is not enough time to fully train a new driver. Teen drivers are more like to be influence by peers and other stresses and distractions. This can lead to reckless driving behaviors such as speeding, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and not wearing safety belts. There is no safe amount that you can drink and still drive. Even one drink can influence your driving offences. Nowadays, drunk driving has become driving while intoxicated, driving while impaired, driving while under the influence, operating while under the influence (impaired, intoxicated, or whatever), and in many states, one can be convicted of DUI even though the police didnt even see you drive. (JMD) It is often too late by the time they seek help. They face losing their license; having embarrassing court appearances, press coverage and heavy fines. Many are just ordinary people who have a few social drinks, get behind the wheel and then get pulled over by the police. Such as Henri Paul that thought he was not too drunk to drive. However, evidence proves otherwise in this report that states, French pathologists drew five separate samples: blood from directly above the heart; also urine, eye fluid, bile and hair. These showed: a. A blood-alcohol level of about 180 milligrams per 100 mil. equivalent to eight or nine scotch whiskies, which is three times over the legal limit in France. b. A little over 20% carboxyhemoglobin, which is inhaled carbon monoxide. c. Traces of two drugs, the antidepressant Prozac and Tiapridal, a drug used to treat alcohol addiction; the Prozac taken regularly since May that year, and the Tiapridal since July. So try to manage your life so that you do not drink and drive. If you go out for a drink, try to go somewhere that you can reach either on foot or by public transportation. Think about sharing the driving on different days with a group of people so that you can take turns at driving. If you do drink even though you meant not to, and you went out with your vehicle, consider taking a taxi or take a Saferide home and leave your vehicle behind. (Saferide) This is a whole lot cheaper than getting prosecuted! Work Cites Craft, Stephen. Interview with Winde Rovira. A ttorney at Law licensed in Georgia and Alabama. 8 March 2000 Saferide. http://www. baddpage. com/saferide. html JMD. DUI Help Website (2000) all rights reserved by jmd-ent. com http://www. dui-help. com/index1. html Bartram, John. The Mysteries Surrounding Princess Dianas Death http://dianaconspiracy. homepage. com/.

hamlet :: essays research papers

Hamlet Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading Hamlet, I have realized that some of Shakespeare’s original play must be abridged for our production. After careful analysis I have decided that of the four soliloquies in the play we should only include two of them. I have discovered that two of these soliloquies are not that important in understanding the meaning of the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to see which two we should include or omit we have to summarize all four soliloquies. The first one, which begins â€Å"O that this too, too sullied flesh...†, is an emotionally violent speech. Hamlet wishes he were dead, complains that suicide is a sin, and describes the world as useless and disgusting. He then talks about his father, comparing him to Claudius. He calls Claudius a half-man half-beast creature. The second soliloquy, which begins â€Å"O what a rogue and pleasant slave am I...†, Hamlet compares himself to a mythical character named Hecuba and wonders what the latter would do in his situation. He then accuses himself of being a coward who can’t even avenge his father’s dead. He also calls himself an idiot before devising a plan to remedy the situation. â€Å"To be or not to be...† (third soliloquy) is basically a debate on life and whether it is worth living. Hamlet here questions death and says that all men fear death. Hamlet ends here by saying conscience makes cowards of us all for when we think of the consequences of an action we do not take it. And finally the fourth soliloquy which begins â€Å"How all occasions to inform against me...† is an expression of Hamlet’s shame and amazement that others can act when he himself can’t. Hamlet here realizes that he can’t escape from his destiny and has a sense of feeling of what is about to happen to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After paraphrasing all four soliloquies a decision has to be made as to what to include. The two which should be included are the first and third ones. The first one should be included because it allows the audience to hear Hamlet’s innermost thoughts. This speech sets precedence for the rest of the play. In this speech Hamlet expresses his grievances toward the people he is supposed to love. It is an outpouring of a man in deep distress. It not only puts Hamlet in confusion but the audience which has to decide if Hamlet is crazy or not as the play develops. The third soliloquy should also be included because it is the most famous speech in all of the English language.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 18

Elena came back to the real world slowly, fighting it all the way. She sank her nails into the leather of Damon's jacket, found herself wondering briefly if removing it would help, and then her mood was shattered again by that sound – a sharp, imperative knock. Damon raised his head and snarled. We are a pair of wolves, aren't we? Elena thought. Fighting nail and tooth. But, another part of her mind supplied, that isn't stopping the knocking. He warned those girls†¦. Those girls! Bonnie and Meredith! And he'd said not to interrupt unless the house was on fire! But, the doctor – oh, God, something's happened to that poor, wretched woman! She's dying! Damon was still snarling, a trace of blood on his lips. It was only a trace, because her second wound had really been healed just as thoroughly as the first, the one across her cheekbone. Elena had no idea how long it had been since she had pulled Damon to her to kiss this cut. But now, with her blood in his veins and his pleasure interrupted, he was like an untamed black panther in her arms. She didn't know whether she could stop him or even slow him down without using raw Power on him. â€Å"Damon!† she said aloud. â€Å"Out there – those are our friends. Remember? Bonnie and Meredith and the healer.† â€Å"Meredith,† Damon said, and again his lips peeled back, exposing terrifyingly long canines. He still wasn't in reality. If he saw Meredith now, he wouldn't be frightened, Elena thought – and, oh yes, she knew how her logical, thoughtful friend made Damon uneasy. They saw the world through such different eyes. She irked him like a pebble in his shoe. But right now he might deal with that unease in a way that would leave Meredith a savaged corpse. â€Å"Let me go see,† she said, as the knock came again – couldn't they stop that? Didn't she have enough to deal with? Damon's arms merely tightened around her. She felt a flash of heat, because she knew that, even as he restrained her, he was holding back so much of his strength. He didn't want to crush her, as he could if he used a tenth of the power in his hard muscles alone. The wave of feeling that washed over her made her shut her eyes briefly, helplessly, but she knew she had to be the voice of sanity here. â€Å"Damon! They could be warning us – or Ulma may have died.† Death got through to him. His eyes were slits, the bloodred light from the kitchen shutters throwing bars of scarlet and black across his face, making him look more handsome – and more demonic – than ever. â€Å"You'll stay here.† Damon said it flatly, with no idea of being a â€Å"master† or a â€Å"gentleman.† He was a wild beast protecting his mate, the only creature in the world that wasn't competition or food. There was no arguing with him, not in this state. Elena would stay here. Damon would go to do whatever needed to be done. And Elena would stay for as long as he thought necessary. Elena truly didn't know whose thoughts these last were. She and Damon were still trying to untangle their emotions. She decided to watch him and only if he really got out of control†¦ You don't want to see me out of control. Feeling him snap from raw animal instinct to icy, perfect mental dominance was even scarier than the animal alone. She didn't know whether Damon was the sanest person she had ever met or just the one best able to cover up his wildness. She held her torn blouse together and watched as he moved with effortless grace to the door and then, suddenly, violently, wrenched it almost off its hinges. No one fell; no one had been listening in on their private conversation. But Meredith stood, restraining Bonnie with one hand, and with the other hand raised, ready to knock again. â€Å"Yes?† Damon said in glacial tones. â€Å"I thought I told you – â€Å" â€Å"You did, and there is,† Meredith said, interrupting this Damon in an unusual attempt to commit suicide. â€Å"There is what?† Damon snarled. â€Å"There's a mob outside threatening to burn the whole building down. I don't know if they're upset about Drohzne, or about us taking Ulma, but they're enraged about something, and they've got torches. I didn't want to interrupt Elena's – treatment – but Dr. Meggar says they won't listen to him. He's a human.† â€Å"He used to be a slave,† Bonnie added, wresting free of the chokehold that Meredith had on her. She looked up at Damon with streaming brown eyes, hands outstretched. â€Å"Only you can save us,† she said, translating the message of her gaze aloud – which meant that things were really serious. â€Å"All right, all right. I'll go take care of them. You take care of Elena.† â€Å"Of course, but – â€Å" â€Å"No.† Damon had either gone reckless with the blood – and the memories that were still keeping Elena from forming a coherent sentence – or he had somehow overcome all his fear of Meredith. He put a hand on each of her shoulders. He was only one and a half or two inches taller than she was, so he had no trouble holding her eyes. â€Å"You, personally, take care of Elena. Tragedies happen here every minute of the day: unforeseeable, horrible, deadly tragedies. I do not want one happening to Elena.† Meredith looked at him for a long moment, and for once didn't consult Elena with her eyes before answering a question involving her. She simply said, â€Å"I'll protect her,† in a low voice that nevertheless carried. From her stance, from her tone, one could almost hear the unspoken addition, â€Å"with my life† – and it didn't even seem melodramatic. Damon let go of her, strode out the door, and without a backward glance disappeared from Elena's sight. But his mental voice was crystalline in her mind: You'll be safe if there is any way to save you. I swear it. If there was any way to save her. Wonderful. Elena tried to kickstart her brain. Meredith and Bonnie were both staring at her. Elena took a deep breath, automatically sucked for a moment back into the old days, when a girl fresh from a hot date could expect a long and serious debriefing. But all Bonnie said was, â€Å"Your face – it looks much better now!† â€Å"Yes,† Elena said, using the two ends of her blouse to tie a makeshift top around her. â€Å"My leg's the problem. We didn't – didn't finish it yet.† Bonnie opened her mouth, but closed it determinedly, which from Bonnie was a display of heroics similar to Meredith's promise to Damon. When she opened it again it was to say, â€Å"Take my scarf and tie it around your leg. We can fold it sideways and then tie a bow over the side that got hurt. That'll keep pressure on it.† Meredith said, â€Å"I think Dr. Meggar has finished with Ulma. Maybe he can see you.† In the other room, the doctor was once again washing his hands, using a large pump to get more water into the basin. There were deeply red-stained cloths in a pile and a smell that Elena was grateful the doctor had camouflaged with herbs. Also in a large, comfortable-looking chair there sat a woman whom Elena did not recognize. Suffering and terror could change a person, Elena knew, but she could never have realized how much – nor how much relief and freedom from pain could change a face. She had brought with her a woman who huddled until she was almost child-size in Elena's mind, and whose thin, ravaged face, twisted with agony and unrelenting dread, had seemed almost a sort of abstract drawing of a goblin hag. Her skin had been sickly gray in color, her thin hair had scarcely seemed enough to cover her head, and yet it had hung down in strands like seaweed. Everything about her screamed out that she was a slave, from the iron bands around her wrists, to her nakedness and scarred, bloody body, to her bare and rusty feet. Elena could not even have told you the color of the woman's eyes, for they had seemed as gray as the rest of her. Now Elena was confronted by a woman who was perhaps in her early-to mid-thirties. She had a lean, attractive, somehow aristocratic face, with a strong, patrician nose, dark, keen-looking eyes, and beautiful eyebrows like the wings of a flying bird. She was relaxing in the armchair, with her feet up on an ottoman, slowly brushing her hair, which was dark with occasional streaks of gray that lent an air of dignity to the simple deep blue housecoat she was wearing. Her face had wrinkles that lent it character, but overall one sensed a sort of yearning tenderness about her, perhaps because of the slight bulge in her abdomen, which she now gently laid a hand on. When she did this her face bloomed with color and her whole aspect glowed. For an instant Elena thought this must be the doctor's wife or housekeeper and she had a temptation to ask whether Ulma, the poor wreck of a slave, had died. Then she saw what one cuff of the deep blue housecoat could not quite conceal: a glimpse of an iron bracelet. This lean dark aristocratic woman was Ulma. The doctor had worked a miracle. A healer, he had called himself. It was obvious that, like Damon, he could heal wounds. No one who had been whipped as Ulma had could have come round to this state without some powerful magic. Trying to simply stitch up the bloody mess that Elena had brought in had obviously been impossible, and so Dr. Meggar had healed her. Elena had never experienced a situation like this, so she fell back upon the good manners that had been bred into her as a Virginian. â€Å"It's nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Elena,† she said, and held out her hand. The brush fell onto the chair. The woman reached out with both hands to take Elena's into hers. Those keen dark eyes seemed to devour Elena's face. â€Å"You're the one,† she said, and then, swinging her slippered feet off the ottoman, she went down on her knees. â€Å"Oh, no, ma'am! Please! I'm sure the doctor told you to rest. It's best to sit quietly now.† â€Å"But you are the one.† For some reason, the woman seemed to need confirmation. And Elena was willing to do anything to pacify her. â€Å"I'm the one,† Elena said. â€Å"And now I think you should sit down again.† Obedience was immediate, and yet there was a sort of joyful light about everything Ulma did. Elena understood it after only a few hours of slavery. Obeying when one had a choice was entirely different from obeying because disobedience could mean death. But even as Ulma sat, she held out her arms. â€Å"Look at me! Dear seraph, goddess, Guardian – whatever you are: look at me! After three years of living as a beast I have become human again – because of you! You came like an angel of lightning and stood between me and the lash.† Ulma began to weep, but they seemed to be tears of joy. Her eyes searched Elena's face, lingering on the scarred cheekbone. â€Å"But you're no Guardian; they have magicks that protect them and they never interfere. For three years, they never interfered. I saw all my friends, my fellow slaves, fall to his whip and his rage.† She shook her head, as if physically unable to say Drohzne's name. â€Å"I'm so sorry – so sorry†¦.† Elena was fumbling. She glanced back and saw that Bonnie and Meredith were similarly stricken. â€Å"It doesn't matter. I heard your mate killed him on the street.† â€Å"I told her that,† Lakshmi said proudly. She had entered the room without anyone noticing her. â€Å"My mate?† Elena faltered. â€Å"Well, he's not my – I mean, he and I – we – â€Å" â€Å"He's our master,† Meredith said bluntly, from behind Elena. Ulma was still looking at Elena with her heart in her eyes. â€Å"Every day, I will pray for your soul to ascend from here.† Elena was startled. â€Å"Souls can ascend from here?† â€Å"Of course. Repentance and good deeds may accomplish it, and the prayers of others are always taken into consideration, I think.† You sure don't talk like a slave, Elena mused. She tried to think of a way to put it delicately, but she was confused and her leg hurt and her emotions were in turmoil. â€Å"You don't sound like – well, like what I'd expect from a slave,† she said. â€Å"Or am I just being an idiot?† She could see the tears form in Ulma's eyes. â€Å"Oh, God! Please, forget I asked. Please – â€Å" â€Å"No! There is no one I would rather tell. If you wish to hear how I came to this degraded state.† Ulma waited, watching Elena – it was clear that Elena's least wish was to Ulma, a command. Elena looked at Meredith and Bonnie. She couldn't hear any more noises of yelling outside on the street and the building certainly didn't seem to be on fire. Fortunately, at that moment, Dr. Meggar wandered in again. â€Å"Everybody getting acquainted?† he asked, his eyebrows working in opposition now; one up, one down. He had the remnants of a bottle of Black Magic in his hand. â€Å"Yes,† Elena said, â€Å"but I was just wondering if we should be trying to evacuate or anything. Apparently there was a mob – â€Å" â€Å"Elena's mate is going to give them something to think about,† Lakshmi said with relish. â€Å"They've all gone to the Meeting Place to resolve the stuff about Drohzne's property. I bet he'll bash a few heads in and be back in no time,† she added cheerfully, leaving no doubt as to he was. â€Å"Wish I was a boy so I could see it.† â€Å"You were braver than the boys; you were the one who led us here,† Elena told her. Then she consulted Meredith and Bonnie with her eyes. It sounded as if the commotion had moved on elsewhere, and Damon was a master at getting himself out of commotions. He might also†¦need to fight, to rid himself of excess energy from Elena's blood. A commotion might actually be good for him, Elena thought. She looked at Dr. Meggar. â€Å"Will my – will our master be all right, do you think?† Dr. Meggar's eyebrows went up and down. â€Å"He'll probably have to pay Old Drohzne's relatives a blood price, but it shouldn't be too high. Then he can do what he likes with the old bastard's property,† he said. â€Å"I'd say the safest place for you right now is here, away from the Meeting Place.† He went on to enforce that opinion by pouring them all glasses – liqueur glasses, Elena noted – of Black Magic wine. â€Å"Good for the nerves,† he said and took a sip. Ulma smiled her beautiful, heartwarming smile at him, as he took the tray around. â€Å"Thank you – and thank you – and thank you,† she said. â€Å"I won't bore you with my story – â€Å" â€Å"No, tell us; tell us, please!† Now that there was no immediate danger to her friends or to Damon, Elena was eager to hear the tale. Everyone else was nodding. Ulma flushed a little, but began sedately, â€Å"I was born in the reign of Kelemen II,† she said. â€Å"I'm sure that means nothing to our visitors but much to those who knew him and his – indulgences. I studied under my mother, who became a very popular designer of fashions in fabrics. My father was a designer of jewelry almost as famous as she was. They had an estate on the outskirts of the city and could afford a house as fine as many of their wealthiest customers – though they were careful not to show the true extent of their wealth. I was the young Lady Ulma then, not Ulma the hag. My parents did their best to keep me out of sight, for my own safety. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ulma – Lady Ulma, Elena thought, stopped and took a deep sip of her wine. Her eyes had changed; she was seeing the past, and trying not to upset her listeners. But just as Elena was about to ask her to stop, at least until she felt better, she continued. â€Å"But despite all their care†¦someone†¦saw me anyway and demanded my hand in marriage. Not Drohzne, he was just a furrier from the Outlands, and I never saw him until three years ago. This was a lord, a General, a demon with a terrible reputation – and my father refused his demand. They came on us in the night. I was fourteen when it happened. And that is how I became a slave.† Elena found that she was feeling emotional pain directly from Lady Ulma's mind. Oh, my God, I've done it again, she thought, hurriedly trying to tune down her psychic senses. â€Å"Please, you don't need to tell us this. Maybe another time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I would like to tell you – you – so you will know what you have done. And I would prefer to say it only once. But if you do not wish to hear it – â€Å" Politeness was warring with politeness here. â€Å"No, no, if you want – go ahead. I – I just want you to know how sorry I am.† Elena glanced at the doctor, who was patiently waiting by the table for her with the brown bottle in his hands. â€Å"And if you don't mind, I'd like to get my leg†¦healed?† She was aware that she'd said the last word doubtfully, wondering how any one being could have the power to heal Ulma like this. She was not surprised when he shook his head. â€Å"Or stitched up, rather, while you talk, if you don't mind,† she said. It took several minutes to overcome Lady Ulma's shock and distress that she had left her savior waiting, but at last Elena was on the table and the doctor was encouraging her to drink from the bottle, which smelled like cherry cough syrup. Oh, well, she might as well try the Dark Dimension version of anesthetic – especially since the stitching was bound to hurt, Elena thought. She took a sip from the bottle and felt the room reel around her. She waved away the offer of a second sip. Dr. Meggar undid Bonnie's ruined scarf, and then began to cut off her blood-soaked jeans leg above the knee. â€Å"Well – you are so good to listen,† Lady Ulma said. â€Å"But I knew you were good already. I will spare us both the painful details of my slavery. Perhaps it's enough to say that I was passed from one master to another over the years, always a slave, always going down. At last, as a joke, someone said, ‘Give her to Old Drohzne. He'll squeeze the last use out of her if anyone can.'† â€Å"God!† Elena said, and hoped that everyone would attribute it to the story and not to the bite of the cleansing solution the doctor was swabbing over her swollen flesh. Damon was so much better at this, she thought. I didn't even realize how lucky I was before. Elena tried not to wince as the doctor began to use his needle, but her grip on Meredith's hand tightened until Elena was afraid she was breaking bones. She tried to ease the grip, but Meredith squeezed back hard. Her long, smooth hand was almost like a boy's, but softer. Elena was glad to be able to squeeze as hard as she liked. â€Å"My strength has been giving out on me lately,† Lady Ulma said softly. â€Å"I thought it was that† – here she used a particularly crude expression for her owner – â€Å"that was leading me to death. Then I realized the truth.† All at once radiance changed her face, so much that Elena could see what she must have looked like when she was in her teens and so beautiful that a demon would demand her as a wife. â€Å"I knew that new life stirred within me – and I knew that Drohzne would kill it if he had the chance – â€Å" She didn't seem to recognize the expressions of astonishment and horror on the three girl's faces. Elena, however, had the feeling that she was groping through a nightmare, on the edge of a black crevasse, and that she would have to keep groping in the dark, around treacherous, unseen fissures in the ice in the Dark Dimension until she reached Stefan and got him free of this place. This casual reference to abomination wasn't the first of her steps around a crevasse, but it was the first she had recognized and counted. â€Å"You young women are very new here,† Lady Ulma said, as the silence stretched and stretched. â€Å"I did not mean to say anything out of place†¦.† â€Å"We're slaves here,† Meredith replied, picking up a length of rope. â€Å"I think the more we learn the better.† â€Å"Your master – I've never seen anyone so quick to fight Old Drohzne before. Many people clucked their tongues, but that was all most dared to do. But your master – â€Å" â€Å"We call him Damon,† Bonnie put in pointedly. It went right over Lady Ulma's head. â€Å"Master Damon – do you think he might keep me? After he pays the blood price to – to Drohzne's relatives, he will get first pick of all Drohzne's property. I am one of the few slaves he has not killed.† The hope in the woman's face was almost too painful for Elena to look at. It was only then that she consciously realized how long it had been since she'd seen Damon. How long should Damon's business be taking? She looked at Meredith anxiously. Meredith understood exactly what the look meant. She shook her head helplessly. Even if they had Lakshmi take them to the Meeting Place, what could they do? Elena bit back a wince of pain and smiled at Lady Ulma. â€Å"Why don't you tell us about when you were a girl?† she said.

Shui Fabrics Question 1 Ans

Economic factors include economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and theinflation rate. These factors have major impacts on how businesses operate and makedecisions. For example, interest rates affect a firm’s cost of capital and therefore to what extent a business grows and expands. Exchange rates affect the costs of exporting goods and supply and price of imported goods in an economy. There are economic differences that influence the relationship between the partners at Shui Fabrics. Chiu Wai, operated Shanghai Fabrics LTC located in China, before it became a joint venture with Rocky River Industries in the United States. When the companies became a venture, Chiu Wai became the Deputy General Manager for Shui Fabrics in China and venturing company Rocky River Industries located in US. Ray Betzell who is the General Manager for Shui Fabrics came to China from Rocky River Industries. Many companies who do business in others countries and cultures fail miserably. Managers must do their homework and learn the business ethic and culture lifestyles before even considering venturing into markets in different counties. To me it seems like neither of the managers did their homework and are having problems maintaining the economic factors that influence their company. A developing country is a non-industrialized poor country that is seeking to develop its resources by industrialization. A developed country is a country that has a high level of development according to some criteria such as income per capita and industrialization. Political-Legal factors include discrimination, consumer, antitrust, employment, and health and safety law. They also include how and to what degree a government intervenes in the economy. Specifically, political factors include areas such as tax policy, labor law, environmental law, trade restriction tariffs, and political stability. These factors can affect how a company operates, its costs, and the demand for its products. Political factors may also include goods and serves which the government wants to provide or be provided and those that the government does now want to be provided. Furthermore, governments have great influence on the health, education, and infrastructure of a nation. Political officials are going to be a big part of the team because they have strong influence on economic life in China. Ray must reach out to them and understand their goals. Success will depend on the personal involvement of top executives. The partners differ dramatically in terms of what constitutes an acceptable financial return. Chiu Wai is happy with achieving a 5% to 6% profit and believes he is viewed as a local hero. Upon achieving his goal he feels that he has done a good job for his country morally and for their side of enterprise by creating jobs for close to 3,000 people. He wants to grow the scope of Shui Fabrics and establish a national brand. Ray Betzell wants a 20% ROI and will only consider growth if it improves profitability, has no interest in creating employment unless it improves the bottom line, is considering maybe having to layoff employees to improve bottom line. He wants to improve quality, and sees no benefit to creating a Chinese brand because it views China as a low-cost manufacturing platform rather than a market. Social factors include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, populations growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safely. Trends in social factors affect the demand for a company’s products and how the company operates. With this being said, Ray needs to move outside his personal comfort zone as a manager. There seems to be a lack of clear, shared strategy between the two partners. When the company started 10 years ago, Rocky River has launched Shui Fabrics, a 50/50 joint venture between the U. S. extile manufacture and the Chinese company, to produce dye, and coat fabric for sale to both Chinese and international sportswear manufacturers. Intent seemed clear in beginning after many obstacles, considerable red tape and several money losing years the joint venture was fulfilling China expectations and those of local government and party officials. It seems there was once a clear strategy that has been forgotten over the course of ten year s. Another social factor that is different between the partners would be that a profit over 20% return on investment may be perceived as Western exploitation. When it comes to doing business in China, respect for people’s feelings is paramount – this sensitivity that needs to be taken in respect to people’s ‘face’. Face – a cliche, is the currency of advancement. It’s like a social bank account. You spend it and you save it and you invest. And when you take away somebody’s face you take way someone’s fundamental sense of security. Because of China’s history of exploitation by foreign countries who colonized China or raided China for business purposes, particularly in the business sphere, Chinese do not want to be seen culturally as having been ‘had’ by Western usinesspeople. (http://www. nytimes. com/2010/12/14/business/global/14iht-busnav14. html)Chiu Wai is pleased with the way the company is operating and feels that Shui is generating just the right level of profit especially because many U. S. -Chinese joint ventures are still operating in red tape. He se es no reason why Ray’s American bosses shouldn’t be more than satisfied with their 5% annual return on investment. This tells me that Chiu is unclear of his company’s strategic goals. Without a clear strategy it is impossible to choose right structure and extent of cooperation with a foreign partner. Unfortunately Chiu Wai attitude at Shui Fabrics jeopardizes the success of joint venture investment. As you can see the partners don’t share the same vision or philosophy at Shui Fabrics, the joint venture within China and the U. S. The disparity in viewpoints can dramatically hamper performance. In order for them to make the company succeed they need to come up with a clear, shared strategy that they both can agree and understand. Power Distance is the extent to which a community accepts and endorses authority, power differences and status privileges. In China, social relationships are formal, hierarchical. People mostcomfortable in the presence of a hierarchy in which they know their position andthe customs/rules for behavior in the situation. The Americans social relationships are informal, egalitarian. People mostcomfortable with their social equals; importance of social rankings minimized. 2. Uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which a society, organization, or group relies onsocial norms, rules, and procedures to alleviate the unpredictability of future events. In China, obligation relationships with other people involve reciprocalobligations. In American, obligation people avoid interdependent relationships andsituations that might entail long term obligations. 3. Individualism and collectivism Individualism stands for a society in which the ties between individuals are loose and everyone is expected to look after him/herself and hisor her immediate family only. Collectivism stands for society in which people from birthonwards are integrated into strong cohesive in-groups, which throughout people’slifetime continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. The Chinese are collectivist because they place higher value on groupcooperation and individual modesty. The Americans are individualism because they place higher value on self-reliance. Self-promotion is more accepted. High value on freedom from externallyimposed constraints. 4. Masculinity/femininity indicates the extent to which dominant values in a society tendto be assertive and look more interested in things than in concerning for people and thequality of life. The Chinese are relationship-oriented maintaining a harmonious relationshiphas priority over accomplishing tasks. Americans have task-oriented relationships that are less important than gettingthe work done. 5. Assertiveness is the degree to which individuals are assertive, confrontational, andaggressive in their relationships with others. The Chinese avoid direct confrontation, open criticism, and controversionaltopics. Concern maintaining harmony and with face. Americans are willing to confront directly, criticize, discuss controversionaltopics, press personal opinions about what they consider the truth. Little concernwith face. 6. Future Orientation is the degree to which a collective encourages and rewards futureoriented behaviors such as planning and delaying gratification. The Chinese pay relatively more attention to the past and the longer termfuture. Americans are less interested in the past they focus on the near-term future7. Gender differentiation is the degree to which a collective minimized gender inequality. In China, traditionally a person’s status in the society was based importantlyon inherited characteristics such as age, gender, and family. This is changing. In America, traditionally a person’s status in the society was based importantlyon inherited characteristics such as age, gender, and family. This is changing. 8. Performance orientation

How to handle anxiety and stress in the workplaceÂÂ

How to handle anxiety and stress in the workplace   The world of work offers many challenges. We get to learn more about our passions and interests, as well as our strengths and areas for improvement, and it gives us opportunities to mature as we take on new responsibilities, gain professional satisfaction, and chart a course for our lifelong career journeys- all key factors in leading a happy and fulfilling life. However- there’s a flipside to the work coin, which includes the reality that work is not always fun and easy. In fact, for most of us, our work lives can be a serious and persistent source of anxiety and stress, and it’s no small matter: It can affect all facets of our lives- not just our time spent at work- and can have lasting effects on our physical and mental well-being.The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) recently conducted a survey regarding workplace stress and anxiety. Among their key findings:Employees say stress and anxiety most often impacts their workplace performance (56 percen t),  relationship with coworkers and peers (51 percent),  quality of work (50 percent), and relationships with superiors (43 percent).More than three-fourths who say stress interferes with their work say it carries over to their personal life, particularly men (83 percent vs. 72 percent for women).7 in 10 adults report that workplace stress affects their personal relationships, mainly with their spouses. Men (79 percent) report it affecting personal relationships more than women (61 percent).The main culprits of work-related stress are deadlines (55 percent),  interpersonal relationships (53 percent),  staff management (50 percent), and  dealing with issues/problems that arise (49 percent).Does this sound familiar? If so, and you’re experiencing anxiety and stress resulting from work, you’re not alone- and you don’t have to suffer through it with no end in sight.Be honest about itWhen some of us feel the weight of workplace stress and anxiety, our firs t impulse may be to write it off as something else. We analyze the symptoms- everything from lethargy to sleeplessness to irritability and changes in mood and behavior- and make excuses. We say that we’re just tired, or we’re just feeling sick, or even that it’s due to the weather. Basically, we do anything but acknowledge that our stress has a direct and obvious source- our jobs. We also try to rationalize that it’s only temporary, and that things will get better after this project or this â€Å"busy period,† even though it often never does. The truth is, these attempts to rationalize and â€Å"explain away† our work stress and anxiety only serves one purpose- to prolong it and avoid confronting it. The first step in handling workplace anxiety and stress is to be honest about it. This empowering move will help you begin to deal with it effectively.Diagnose the problem(s)Workplace stress and anxiety is similar to other problems in life in th at you need to fully understand the issues contributing to the situation before you can turn the tide and overcome it. When you’re feeling the effects of work stress and anxiety, take a step back from things and give yourself the time to fully understand each and every individual source and symptom that is affecting your life. Often, a â€Å"one size fits all† solution to your workplace anxiety is ineffective when there are multiple sources at play. Once you see all of the sources clearly, you can start thinking about effective individual solutions for each. Often, just understanding the problems can alleviate some of the strain and propel you on the path to improvement.Get helpLike other issues involving our jobs, we’re rarely completely alone in having to deal with stress and anxiety. Help is available- whether or not you choose to ask for it and accept it is your call. Depending on the issues that are contributing to your stress and anxiety and your specific workplace dynamic, you may benefit from taking the direct approach- be open with colleagues or bosses regarding the issues in an attempt to come up with effective solutions. Also, don’t forget that friends, family, and peers can be great sources of help and guidance here- especially if they’ve gone through similar situations. Also, don’t count out seeking the help of a professional. Many workplaces offer help through counseling and guidance services (both in-house and/or outside), and you always have the option of hiring a professional for help, the cost of which may be covered by your insurance plan. The bottom line is that you’re not alone here, and seeking help to deal with difficult issues isn’t shameful or embarrassing- it’s smart strategic thinking!Find outletsWhile there are times we can effectively tackle and reduce our workplace stress and anxiety by confronting it head-on, the truth is, sometimes it isn’t quite so easy. Simp ly put, some of us just have to accept that it’s a facet of our jobs. However, what we do have control over is how we spend our time outside of work, and making time for activities that help us offset the negative impact of our work is always a good idea. Get involved in things you enjoy doing in an effort to alleviate workplace stress and anxiety- finding a fulfilling life outside of work is very often the key to finding happiness within it.

How Ballast Water Systems Work

How Ballast Water Systems Work A ballast water system is essential for the safe operation of a ship, but the operation of these systems causes significant threats to the environment and local economy. What Is a Ballast Water System? A ballast water system allows a ship to pump water in and out of very large tanks to compensate for a change in cargo load, shallow draft conditions, or weather. The capacity of ballast water tanks might be millions of gallons on a large vessel. This allows vessels to carry a light or heavy load while maintaining ideal buoyancy and handling conditions in all situations.A ship might discharge all ballast water tanks to pass a shallow area or forward tanks only to raise the bow in rough open seas.Physical components of the system include; raw water intakes, large and small strainers, pumps, distribution pipes, ballast water tanks, treatment system, discharge system, and all the valves, sensors, and controls to run the equipment. Invasive Species in Ballast Water Invasive species are a significant threat to ecosystems and the economies of the affected areas. Researchers think that about one-third of all documented invasive plants and animals are able to travel in the ballast water tanks of ships. Zebra Mussels were introduced into Lake Saint Clair in 1988 when a ship emptied ballast water into the Great Lakes System. The Great Lakes hold nearly twenty percent of the earth’s fresh surface water in a watershed system. The non-native mussels eliminated native varieties once used by industry and have caused an estimated 7 billion dollars (US) in damage by encrusting or clogging underwater equipment essential to industrial and recreational activities.Sea Lamprey and ​Spiny Water Fleas are organisms which feed off of host fish or compete with young fish for food. Many species of fish impacted by these invasive species have significant commercial or sporting value. These animals and others can live in fresh or salt water and may spread into inland waterways from saline ports and harbors.Plants can also travel long distances in ballast water. Eurasian Milfoil is a surface plant which can clog equipment and deter recreation where it forms thick mats. Eurasian Milfoil was introduced to the United States in the 1940s. Because the plant can produce large colonies from only one small fragment it is likely the plant was introduced in the ballast water of a ship. Resolving Ballast Water Issues For years amateurs and professional researchers have experimented with a huge array of weapons to combat invasive species in a ship’s ballast water. Most of the difficulty is due to the fact that huge volumes of water must be treated in a reasonably short period of time. Many land-based systems for treating public supplies takes many hours or days to pass water through their treatment systems. A ship, on the other hand, must be able to discharge ballast water as quickly as cargo is loaded. In emergency situations, ballast tanks need to empty as quickly as possible. A quick pass through most ballast water treatment systems is not enough to kill all the organisms that may be present. Ballast Water Treatment Solutions and Shortcomings No Discharge or Ballast Exchange Rules: International, National, and Local law govern ballast water discharge. Some areas require ballast tanks to be sealed while others allow ballast to be exchanged. Ballast exchange allows tanks to be filled with local waters. Sealed ballast tanks may need to be emptied in an emergency situation and exchange is hindered by the fact that foreign waters must be discharged in close proximity to ​the sensitive area for vessels to operate safely.Mechanical Filters: Filters which are fine enough to remove the small immature young and eggs of invasive species clog quickly and require constant maintenance.Thermal Treatment: The idea is to heat ballast water to kill any unwanted organisms. Unfortunately heating such a huge volume of water is impractical due to time and energy constraints.Other Energy Treatments: Ultraviolet, sonic, and other radiation have all been tried but have similar problems to a thermal treatment; limits on time and energy.Chem ical Treatments: One of the earliest and most dangerous of all the methods used to control invasive species in ballast water. Chlorine bleach and other toxic chemicals will kill existing organisms but the release of these chemicals on the scale necessary to treat every ship would reach toxic levels for all aquatic life near the discharge points. The Future of Ballast Water Treatment Researchers are pursuing this difficult and financially lucrative goal at institutions around the world. In 2011, a team announced their successful small-scale test of a two-phase ballast treatment system which eliminates unwanted organisms and produces sodium bicarbonate as a byproduct. The system is undergoing full-size tests in the Great Lakes. The test for a scalable system is expected to perform well. It is not clear how regulatory agencies around the world will respond to the potential discharge of industrial amounts of sodium bicarbonate into their waters. Sodium bicarbonate is a common and safe chemical in small amounts, but studies must be conducted to assure this method is safe for long term use.

God is Just Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

God is Just - Essay Example The adverts of the latter view tend to believe in fun and joy as the main essence of life (â€Å"Teleological Arguments for God's Existence†). Thus, conventionally, four chief arguments related to the existence of God emerged: 1) the cosmological argument; 2) the teleological argument; 3) the ontological argument; and 4) the moral law argument. The present article deals with teleological argument. It is popularly known as "the argument from design" (Greek meaning of telos is design). According to this argument, the universe confirms the presence of complex life forms, from tiniest creatures to the biggest animals and plants; everything is in a perfect order being inter-linked; moreover, no one modulates these living beings but they are self-modulated in a perfectly controlled manner. The designer or creator has created life forms in a simplistic manner and, therefore, He must be a perfect and well co-ordinated planner to make this world run so smoothly maintaining the harmoniz ation, dexterity and a perfect balance of complex life forms. Thus, there must be a premeditated and decree brainpower behind these synchronizations, here emerges a belief that a force is certain beyond the nature and it is something supernatural! (â€Å"Teleological Arguments for God's Existence†). ... According to William Paley, heavenly bodies wander with perfect accuracy in their fixed paths and orbits. Every living organism possesses a complex life form structure meeting various metabolic processes and their requirements every fraction of second. These intricacies just happen and it is solely the creation of God (â€Å"Teleological Arguments for God's Existence†). Besides, there are individuals called Agnostic who raise the next question: "If God is all-powerful and all-forgiving, why must he send his son to die for his sins. Couldn't God just forgive the sins without sending his son down in human form to die? So what, so God dies for a few hours, how does that in any way forgive a sin...?† God has made us follow the path of truth. There’s a fear of punishment that is deep seated in minds of those who practice truth in every aspect of life, who are honest and do what is right, do justice and stay away from committing sinful acts, such as robbery, theft, murd er or abuse of any kind (â€Å"Good Question...Why Can't God Just Forgive Sin, Instead of Demanding Justice?†) . Although these arguments could convince millions, in the present scenario of rapid science development (with the conception of the evolution of life and various life forms, evolution of planets and the universe, forces behind each movement, theories, interpretations and explanations about the happenings taking place in the universe) teleological arguments are taken to some different path. According to the present arguments, spotlight lies on the fact of "fine-tuning" of the universe to support life. This is an objection to the Paley’s view as the present opposition is based on the theory of evolution and, hence, the aforementioned arguments are less

Business Synoptic Analysis of Nestle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Business Synoptic Analysis of Nestle - Essay Example Western countries led to a shift from the large scale manufacturers to the national discount chains and supermarkets. As a consequence Nestle directed its attention towards the emerging markets in Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe for exploring the growth potential of the regions. The reason for this divergence is fairly simple- rapid growth of the emerging countries. Despite these countries being poor the fast economic growth coupled with the rapidly growing population of the region and the market friendly policies of the government of these developing markets makes these regions lucrative attractive business destinations. Though these countries are relatively poor the growth rate of their economies is commendable. For instance if the most recent growth forecasts are taken into account it was anticipated that by 2010 the population in India and China would reach 700 million. The income level of this population was assumed to be in line with the income level of Spain. With the a nticipated rise in the level of income the consumers are expected to substitute basic foodstuff with branded food items. This offers a host of opportunities for multinational food companies like Nestle. The main strategy of the company is to make a place in these markets before the entry of its rivals and establish its presence in the local markets by selling the items that are locally popular. The aim behind this strategy is to establish a commanding position in each of these markets. Once it is able to build itself then it can shift the focus on the upscale items like chocolates, mineral water, prepared food stuffs and cookies. The emerging markets are also popular on account of the pro-liberalisation policies of the national governments. This encourages the companies as it does not have to face any regulatory restrictions in setting up its operations. It is not likely to face any opposition. In some economies there are restrictions in businesses like retail however as Nestle is a consumer goods manufacturing company it does not have to face any such resistance thereby facilitating its smooth entry into the emerging economies. The emerging markets have been an attractive business destination for the multinational corporations. The main reason for this is that the emerging markets offer high skilled labour at low wages. Other than this the valuable untapped natural resources of the region adds to the potential of the region. Moreover, the rising middle income group of these countries indicates a substantial market for consumer goods (Cavusgil, et al., 2009, p.251). The attractiveness of the emerging markets is validated by Porter’s Five Forces model: 1. Threat of entry of new competitors: In general, Nestle identifies new markets at nascent stages and enters the markets much before its competitors do. This helps Nestle enjoy all the benefits of a first mover and creates substantial entry barriers for new entrants in the market. 2. Intensity of competitive rivalry: Nestle may face competition from 2 different kind of companies – companies native to the markets it is entering & other transnational competitors like Kraft foods. While native compani es are generally way too small for Nestle to pose a significant competition, bigger and resourceful transnational com