Analyze the degree of alignment between the Walmarts stated values and Research Paper

Analyze the degree of alignment between the Walmarts stated values and the organizations actual plans and actions - Research Paper Example Live better† (Scribd Inc., 2013). It is therefore evident that the firm tries to take the plunge into competitive retailing in order to take its portion in the competitive advantage. With its strategy for overall cost leadership, Walmart is able to keep its promise for low-price products and other related offerings. It therefore gives high value to its customers in a way that their satisfaction for low-price products are tantamount to the savings they would incur. As a result, Walmart has become one of the leading retail stores across the world that enjoys the asssociated competitiveness linked up with their plans that are put into actions. Walmart therefore is making sense by establishing its fundamental culture by embracing high value for implementing ethical standards. This would ensure that its human resource and other stakeholders would be able to work in a way that they will produce outcomes that in the long run would add up to actual placing of value for their products, services and above all, their customers. The degree of alignment between the Walmart’s stated values and the organization’s actual plans and actions is therefore evident. It make sense to align values or cultures and the firm’s actual plan in its stategic retailing activity based on Walmart’s

A History of Pakistan Essay Example for Free

A History of Pakistan Essay â€Å"Believe it or not, India and Pakistan were once a solid and unified country: the citizens of the Indian border states of Rajasthan and Punjab were almost looking similar to the citizens of Pakistan† (Paul, 2005). â€Å"So when India became free from the British colonizers in 1947, conflicts between the India and Pakistan started to become intense. Since then, India and Pakistan have continuously been angry and uninterested towards each other—in fact, they have already participated in three major wars—and even during periods of peace, the two country’s relationship had always been on the line† (Jaffrelot, 2005). â€Å"Inspired by their conflicts regarding territories† over the region of Kashmir, anger and hatred developed between the two countries over the years. For Pakistanis, the Kashmir dispute has become a symbol of broken pledges and Indian duplicity, and they are constantly attempting to raise the issue whenever possible, thus drawing strong reactions from India; on the other hand, India considers Kashmir as a vital part of the country, and attempts of the Pakistanis are viewed as an act to smear India’s image (Conboy, 1992). Read more:  Current Political Situation of Pakistan Up to this day, Kashmir remains the worlds largest and most highly militarized territorial dispute. Worse, as the years passed by, many issues have coupled the long-lived dispute over Kashmir, such as: the linked issues of the Siachen Glacier, the Wular Lake Barrage, and the current Kashmiri struggle; communalism and the plight of the minorities; nuclear developments; periodic domestic troubles; the Afghanistan crisis; and the involvement of outside powers (King, 1998). The Benefits of Pakistan Partition â€Å"Economic programs in Pakistan after the period of its partition emphasized on core planning. The Pakistani government established objectives for controlling private industries. The partition was established in order to improve domestic businesses and reduce dependence on foreign trade. These efforts led to the stability of its economic development in the 1950s† (Jones, 2003). However, excellent results stopped coming in the two straight decades. By the early 1970s Pakistan had succeeded in conquering its goal of stability in terms of food availability, â€Å"although this food was not really available to all Pakistanis because of the flawed distribution and shortcomings in the harvest†. In the late 1970s the Pakistani government began to decrease its power over the economy, which led to slowed development toward this goal. By 1991, however, the Pakistani government still controlled or managed many industries, including mining and financing, manufacturing and construction. Economic development enhanced during this time, at least gradually as a result of economic programs supported by foreign loans (Jones, 2003). A financial crisis after the partition stimulated Pakistan to institute major economic reforms. Because the partition resulted into an incredible surge in oil prices, Pakistan was haunted by a barrage of payments problem. To gather loans from well-regarded funding organizations, Pakistan made up its mind to implement programs in order to free its economy. These economic programs eliminated many strict government policies on investment, and established tariff systems that maintained trading at a manageable level. â€Å"Also, reform deregulated many industries and privatized many public enterprises. These reforms continued through the mid-1990s, although at a slower rate because of political changes in India’s government. In 1993 Pakistan permitted Pakistan-owned private banks to be established along with a minority of foreign banks† (Holliday, 2000). â€Å"With the reforms, Pakistan incredibly made a smooth transition from a closed and very restrictive economy to one that is open and free to the world. By 1996 to 1997, foreign investment had grown to nearly $6 billion, up from $165 million in 1990 to 1991. Exports and imports also improved significantly at the same time. Economic growth since the 1980s has brought with it an expansion of the middle class, which was estimated to form 20 to 25 percent of Pakistan’s population in the mid-1990s. As a result, the demand for consumer goods has expanded rapidly† (Mittmann, 1991). In Pakistan, the upsurge of innovative activity seems to have had more to do with the advent of partition than with the Silicon Valley phenomenon. The partition has dramatically changed the market and supply conditions, from being shortage and seller driven to being buyer and competition driven. To survive and grow, firms have to focus on improving their competitiveness. They are realizing that the real source of industrial competition today lies in innovation and the rapid technological change taking place throughout the world. Technology is now a key determinant of strategic change in Pakistani firms. Industrial development based on indigenous technology development is still an elusive dream, but the process of technology acquisition and assimilation is now very much a strategic process, aligned with firms need to build competencies (Kudaisya, 2001). The partition has stimulated the rapid growth of innovation-driven industries such as information technology (IT), communications technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. This has led to a new type of business enterprise known as the knowledge enterprise and a new sector of the economy known as the knowledge economy. This sector is now a significant component of the national economy and accounts for a large portion of economic growth. The partition created renewed interest in innovative entrepreneurship as a key driver for the rapid diffusion of innovation in business and industry. Entrepreneurship occupies centre stage in the wealth creation process in the knowledge economy (Cohen, 2004). References: Cohen, S, 2004. The Idea of Pakistan. Brookings Institution Press. Conboy, K, 1992. Elite Forces of India and Pakistan. Osprey Publishing Holliday, T, 2000. Insight Guide Pakistan. Insight Guides; 3rd edition Jaffrelot, C, 2005. A History of Pakistan and Its Origins. Anthem Press; New edition Jones, O, 2003. Pakistan: Eye of the Storm. Yale University Press; 2nd edition King, J, 1998. Lonely Planet Pakistan. Lonely Planet Publications; 5th edition Kudaisya, G, 2001. The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia. Routledge; 1st edition Mittmann, K, 1991. Culture Shock! : Pakistan. Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company Paul, T, 2005. The India-Pakistan Conflict: An Enduring Rivalry. Cambridge University Pres

Was Stalin a Great Man? :: essays research papers

According to Thoman Carlyle, a â€Å"great man† is one who shapes history and affects the course of the future. In the case of Joseph Stalin, dictator of the Soviet Union from 1929-1953, one can perceive that through torment and brutal force, he was able to modernize a nation and oppress his own people. One can argue that Stalin was a great leader of the 20th century. After all, he took an undeveloped country and molded it into one of the world’s greatest industrial and military forces. But, this transformation did not come at a small cost. Stalin was so paranoid that his Communist regime would be ‘crushed’ by one of the dominating Capitalist countries of the West that he became obsessed with the mass production of industrial and agricultural machinery, neglecting the production of basic goods needed to sustain human survival. In his mind, getting Russia’s industrial sector up to par was more important than producing adequate clothing and household goods. Setting completely absurd targets for increased production in agriculture, and of coal, pig iron, oil, and steel products in his three five-year plans did work well for Stalin, and other countries began to take notice. But, in history, very few leaders have forced their own people to make the kinds of sac rifices Stalin imposed on them. To increase agricultural production, and bring in a surplus of food products, Stalin enforced and regulated his idea of â€Å"collective agriculture† – government control of farm land. In turn, the kulaks felt completely oppressed and were unwilling to give up the small amount of land they owned. Stalin would not tolerate opposition from anyone, and as a result, millions of kulaks and peasants were sent off to labor concentration camps, known as â€Å"gulags,† or were simply eliminated. It wasn’t just the lower-class peoples that he wouldn’t tolerate opposition from. Stalin was known for having other political figures that could possibly pose a threat to his regime eliminated. In 1935, he began his â€Å"purges.† He would send out his secret police to arrest and either jail or execute those in political opposition of him.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Fourteen

THE KEEPERS HAD MIXED REACTIONS to us leaving. They were usually glad to see outsiders go, especially since we had Sydney with us. But after the fight, they held me up as some kind of superhero and were enchanted by the idea of me marrying into their â€Å"family.' Seeing me in action meant some of the women were beginning to eye Dimitri now too. I wasn't in the mood to watch them flirt with him–especially since, according to their courtship rules, I would apparently have to be the one to battle it out with any prospective fiancee. Naturally, we didn't tell the Keepers our exact plans, but we did mention we'd likely be encountering Strigoi–which caused quite a reaction. Most of that reaction was excitement and awe, which continued to boost our reputations as fierce warriors. Angeline's response, however, was totally unexpected. â€Å"Take me with you,' she said, grabbing a hold of my arm, just as I started down the forest path toward the car. â€Å"Sorry,' I said, still a little weirded out after her earlier hostility. â€Å"We have to do this alone.' â€Å"I can help! You beat me †¦ but you saw what I can do. I'm good. I could take a Strigoi.' For all her fierceness, I knew Angeline didn't have a clue about what she'd be facing if she ever met an actual Strigoi. The few Keepers who bore molnijamarks spoke little about the encounters, faces grave. They understood. Angeline didn't. She also didn't realize that any novice at St. Vladimir's in the secondary school could probably take her out. She had raw potential, true, but it needed a lot of work. â€Å"You might be able to,' I said, not wanting to hurt her feelings. â€Å"But it's just not possible for you to come with us.' I would have lied and given her a vague â€Å"Maybe sometime,' but since that had led Joshua to thinking we were semi-engaged, I decided I'd better not. I expected more boasts about her battle prowess. We'd learned she was regarded as one of the best young fighters in the compound, and with her pretty looks, she had plenty of admirers too. A lot of it had gone to her head, and she liked to talk about how she could beat anyone or anything up. Again, I was reminded of Jill. Jill also had a lot to learn about the true meaning of battle but was still eager to jump in. She was quieter and more cautious than Angeline, though, so Angeline's next direction caught me off guard. â€Å"Please. It's not just the Strigoi! I want to see the world. I need to see something else outside of this place!' Her voice was pitched low, out of the range of the others. â€Å"I've only been to Rubysville twice, and they say that's nothing compared to other cities.' â€Å"It's not,' I agreed. I didn't even consider it a city. â€Å"Please,' she begged again, this time her voice trembling. â€Å"Take me with you.' Suddenly, I felt sad for her. Her brother had also shown a little longing for the outside world, but nothing like this. He'd joked that electricity would be nice, but I knew he was happy enough without the perks of the modern world. But for Angeline, the situation was much more desperate. I too knew what it was like to feel trapped in one's life and was legitimately sorry for what I had to say. â€Å"I can't, Angeline. We have to go on our own. I'm sorry. I really am.' Her blue eyes shimmered, and she raced off into the woods before I could see her cry. I felt horrible after that and couldn't stop thinking about her as we made our farewells. I was so distracted, I even let Joshua hug me goodbye. Getting back on the road was a relief. I was glad to be away from the Keepers and was ready to spring into action and start helping Lissa. Lexington was our first step. We had a six-hour drive ahead of us, and Sydney, per usual, seemed adamant that no one else was going to drive her car. Dimitri and I made futile protests, finally giving up when we realized that if we were going to be facing Strigoi soon, it was probably best we rest and conserve our strength. The address for Donovan–the Strigoi who allegedly knew Sonya–was only where he could be found at night. That meant we had to make it to Lexington before sunrise, so we wouldn't lose him when he went to his daytime lair. It also meant we'd be meeting Strigoi in the dark. Certain that little would happen on the drive–especially once we were out of West Virginia–Dimitri and I agreed we could doze a little, seeing as neither of us had had a full night's sleep. Even though the lulling of the car was soothing, I drifted in and out of restless sleep. After a few hours of this, I simply settled into the trancelike state that brought me to Lissa. It was a good thing too: I'd stumbled into one of the biggest events facing the Moroi. The nomination process to elect the new king or queen was about to begin. It was the first of many steps, and everyone was excited, given how rare monarch elections truly were. This was an event none of my friends had expected to see anytime soon in our lives, and considering recent events †¦ well, we all had especial interest. The future of the Moroi was at stake here. Lissa was sitting on the edge of a chair in one of the royal ballrooms, a huge sweeping space with vaulted ceilings and gold detailing everywhere. I'd been in this dazzling room before, with its murals and elaborate molding. Chandeliers glittered above. It had held the graduate luncheon, where newly made guardians put on their best faces and hoped to attract a good assignment. Now, the room was arranged like the Council chamber, with a long table on one side of the room that was set with twelve chairs. Opposite that table were rows and rows of other chairs–where the audience sat when the Council was in session. Except, now there were about four times as many chairs as usual, which probably explained the need for this room. Every single chair was filled. In fact, people were even standing, crowding in as best they could. Agitated- looking guardians moved among the herd, keeping them out of doorways and making sure the bystanders were arranged in a way that allowed for optimal s ecurity. Christian sat on one side of Lissa, and Adrian sat beside Christian. To my pleasant surprise, Eddie and Mia sat nearby too. Mia was a Moroi friend of ours who had gone to St. Vladimir's and was nearly as hardcore as Tasha about Moroi needing to defend themselves. My beloved father was nowhere in sight. None of them spoke. Conversation would have been difficult among the buzzing and humming of so many people, and besides, my friends were too awestruck by what was about to happen. There was so much to see and experience, and none of them had realized just how big the crowd would be. Abe had said things would move fast once Tatiana was buried, and they certainly had. â€Å"Do you know who I am?' A loud voice caught Lissa's attention, just barely carrying above the din. Lissa glanced down the row, a few seats away from Adrian. Two Moroi, a man and a woman, sat side by side and were looking up at a very angry woman. Her hands were on her hips, and the pink velvet dress she wore seemed outlandish next to the couple's jeans and T-shirts. It also wasn't going to hold up so well once she stepped outside of air conditioning. A glare twisted her face. â€Å"I am Marcella Badica.' When that didn't get a reaction from the couple, she added, â€Å"Prince Badica is my brother, and our late queen was my third cousin twice removed. There are no seats left, and someone like me cannot stand against the wall with the rest of that mob.' The couple exchanged glances. â€Å"I guess you should have gotten here earlier, Lady Badica,' said the man. Marcella gaped in outrage. â€Å"Didn't you just hear who I am? Don't you know who your betters are? I insist you give up your seats.' The couple still seemed unfazed. â€Å"This session is open to everyone, and there weren't assigned seats, last time I checked,' said the woman. â€Å"We're entitled to ours as much as you are.' Marcella turned to the guardian beside her in outrage. He shrugged. His job was to protect her from threats. He wasn't going to oust others from their chairs, particularly when they weren't breaking any rules. Marcella gave a haughty â€Å"humph!' before turning sharply and stalking away, no doubt to harass some other poor soul. â€Å"This,' said Adrian, â€Å"is going to be delightful.' Lissa smiled and turned back to studying the rest of the room. As she did, I became aware of something startling. I couldn't tell exactly who was who, but the crowd wasn't composed entirely of royals–as most Council sessions were. There were tons of â€Å"commoners,' just like the couple sitting near my friends. Most Moroi didn't bother with Court. They were out in the world, living their lives and trying to survive while the royals pranced around at Court and made laws. But not today. A new leader was going to be chosen, and that was of interest to all Moroi. The milling and chaos continued for a while until one of the guardians finally declared the room to be at capacity. Those outside were outraged, but their cries were quickly silenced when the guardians closed the doors, sealing off the ballroom. Shortly thereafter, the eleven Council members took their seats, and–to my shock–Adrian's father, Nathan Ivashkov, took the twelfth chair. The Court's herald yelled and called everyone to attention. He was someone who'd been chosen because of his remarkable voice, though I always wondered why they didn't just use a microphone in these situations. More old-world traditions, I supposed. That, and excellent acoustics. Nathan spoke once the room settled down. â€Å"In the absence of our beloved queen †¦' He paused looking down mournfully to offer a moment of respect before continuing. In anyone else, I might have suspected his feelings were faked, particularly after seeing him grovel so much in front of Tatiana. But, no. Nathan had loved his prickly aunt as much as Adrian had. â€Å"And in the wake of this terrible tragedy, I will be moderating the upcoming trials and elections.' â€Å"What'd I tell you?' muttered Adrian. He had no fuzzy affection for his father. â€Å"De- lightful.' Nathan droned on a bit about the importance of what was to come and some other points about Moroi tradition. It was obvious, though, that like me, everyone in the room really wanted to get down to the main event: the nominations. He seemed to realize that too and sped up the formalities. Finally, he got to the good stuff. â€Å"Each family, if they choose, may have one nominee for the crown who will take the tests all monarchs have endured since the beginning of time.' I thought that â€Å"beginning of time' part was a bold and probably unverified exaggeration, but whatever. â€Å"The only exclusion is the Ivashkovs, since back-to-back monarchs from the same family aren't allowed. For candidacy, three nominations are required from Moroi of royal blood and proper age.' He then added some stuff about what happened in the event more than one person was nominated from the same family, but even I knew the chances of that happening were non-existent. Each royal house wanted to get the best advantage here, and that would involve a unified standing behind one candidate. Satisfied everyone understood, Nathan nodded and gestured grandly to the audience. â€Å"Let the nominations begin.' For a moment, nothing happened. It kind of reminded me of when I'd been back in school, when a teacher would say something like, â€Å"Who'd like to present their paper first?' Everyone kind of waited for someone else to get things going, and at last, it happened. A man I didn't recognize stood up. â€Å"I nominate Princess Ariana Szelsky.' Ariana, as princess, sat on the Council and was an expected choice. She gave a gracious nod to the man. A second man, presumably from their family, also stood and gave the second nomination. The third and final nomination came from another Szelsky–a very unexpected one. He was Ariana's brother, a world traveler who was almost never at Court, and also the man my mother guarded. Janine Hathaway was most likely in this room, I realized. I wished Lissa would look around and find her, but Lissa was too focused on the proceedings. After everything I'd been through, I suddenly had a desperate longing to see my mother. With three nominations, Nathan declared, â€Å"Princess Ariana Szelsky is entered as a candidate.' He scrawled something on a piece of paper in front of him, his motions full of flourish. â€Å"Continue.' After that, the nominations came in rapid succession. Many were princes and princesses, but others were respected–and still high-ranking–members of the families. The Ozera candidate, Ronald, was not the family's Council member, nor was he anyone I knew. â€Å"He's not one of Aunt Tasha's â€Å"ideal' candidates,' Christian murmured to Lissa. â€Å"But she admits he's not a moron.' I didn't know much about most of the other candidates either. A couple, like Ariana Szelsky, I had a good impression of. There were also a couple I'd always found appalling. The tenth candidate was Rufus Tarus, Daniella's cousin. She'd married into the Ivashkovs from the Tarus family and seemed delighted to see her cousin declared a nominee. â€Å"I don't like him,' said Adrian, making a face. â€Å"He's always telling me to do something useful with my life.' Nathan wrote down Rufus's name and then rolled up the paper like a scroll. Despite the appearance of antique customs, I suspected a secretary in the audience was typing up everything being said here on a laptop. â€Å"Well,' declared Nathan, â€Å"that concludes–‘ â€Å"I nominate Princess Vasilisa Dragomir.' Lissa's head jerked to the left, and through her eyes, I recognized a familiar figure. Tasha Ozera. She'd stood and spoken the words loudly and confidently, glancing around with those ice-blue eyes as if daring anyone to disagree. The room froze. No whispers, no shifting in chairs. Just utter and complete silence. Judging from the faces, the Ozera family's nominee was the second-most astonished person in the room to hear Tasha speak. The first, of course, was Lissa herself. It took a moment for Nathan to get his mouth working. â€Å"That's not–‘ Beside Lissa, Christian suddenly stood up. â€Å"I second the nomination.' And before Christian had even sat down, Adrian was on his feet. â€Å"I confirm the nomination.' All eyes in the room were on Lissa and her friends, and then, as one, the crowd turned toward Nathan Ivashkov. Again, he seemed to have trouble finding his voice. â€Å"That,' he managed at last, â€Å"is not a legal nomination. Due to its current Council standing, the Dragomir line is regrettably not eligible to present a candidate.' Tasha, never afraid of talking in a crowd or taking on impossible odds, leapt back up. I could tell she was eager to. She was good at making speeches and challenging the system. â€Å"Monarch nominees don't need a Council position or quorum to run for the throne.' â€Å"That makes no sense,' said Nathan. There were mutters of agreement. â€Å"Check the law books, Nate–I mean, Lord Ivashkov.' Yes, there he was at last. My tactful father had joined the conversation. Abe had been leaning against a wall near the doorway, dressed splendidly in a black suit with a shirt and tie that were exactly the same shade of emerald green. My mother stood beside him, the slightest hint of a smile on her face. For a moment, I was captivated as I studied them side by side. My mother: the perfect picture of guardian excellence and decorum. My father: always capable of achieving his goals, no matter how twisted the means. Uneasily, I began to understand how I'd inherited my bizarre personality. â€Å"Nominees have no requirements concerning how many people are in their family,' continued Abe jovially. â€Å"They only need three royal nominations to be confirmed.' Nathan gestured angrily toward where his own wayward son and Christian sat. â€Å"They aren't from her family!' â€Å"They don't need to be,' countered Abe. â€Å"They just need to be from a royal family. They are. Her candidacy is within the law–so long as the princess accepts.' All heads swiveled toward Lissa now, as though they were suddenly just noticing her. Lissa hadn't twitched since the startling events began. She was in too much shock. Her thoughts seemed to move both fast and slow. Part of her couldn't even start to process what was happening around her. The rest of her mind was spinning with questions. What was going on? Was this a joke? Or maybe a spirit-induced hallucination? Had she finally gone crazy? Was she dreaming? Was it a trick? If so, why would her own friends have been the ones to do it? Why would they do this to her? And for the love of God, would everyone stop staring at her? She could handle attention. She'd been born and raised for it, and like Tasha, Lissa could address a crowd and make bold statements–when she supported them and was prepared. Neither of those things applied to this situation. This was pretty much the last thing in the world she had expected or wanted. And so, she couldn't bring herself to react or even consider a response. She stayed where she was, silent and shell- shocked. Then, something snapped her from her trance. Christian's hand. He'd taken Lissa's, wrapping his fingers with hers. He gave her a gentle squeeze, and the warmth and energy he sent brought her back to life. Slowly, she looked around the room, meeting the eyes of those all watching her. She saw Tasha's determined gaze, my father's cunning look, and even my mother's expectation. That last one proved most startling of all. How could Janine Hathaway–who always did what was right and could barely crack a joke–be going along with this? How could any of Lissa's friends be going along with this? Didn't they love and care about her? Rose, she thought. I wish you were here to tell me what to do. Me too. Damned one-way bond. She trusted me more than anyone else in the world, but she realized then that she trusted all of these friends too–well, except maybe Abe, but that was understandable. And if they were doing this, then surely–surely–there was a reason, right? Right? It made no sense to her, yet Lissa felt her legs move as she rose to her feet. And despite the fear and confusion still running through her, she found her voice inexplicably clear and confident as it rang out through the room. â€Å"I accept the nomination.'

Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (Book Report) Essay

Mark Twain is often thought of as the most cynical writer in American literature. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is perhaps one of greatest works. In this amusing story, Twain takes an American entrepreneur from his own day and age, and thrusts him back to the age of King Arthur. The novel is therefore about how a nineteenth-century American industrialist might act if he found himself in medieval England. Mark Twain sees the Industrial Age in which he lived as a rabid attempt to exploit everyone and everything. And, that’s exactly what Hank Morgan, also known as the â€Å"Boss†, does when he gets to Camelot. Hank uses science and technology to exploit Camelot. Threatened with execution, Hank remembers that an eclipse is supposed to occur in the near future, and he uses this knowledge to convince King Arthur and the rest of Camelot that Hank is a stronger magician than Merlin. Once Hank gains King Arthurs trust, he is able to do whatever he wants with Camelot and its people. Hank quickly goes about â€Å"improving† Camelot with industries and technologies that are common to nineteenth-century America. One of his schemes is to â€Å"invent† soap and making it available to all of the people of Camelot (since the people didn’t bathe as frequently in the third-century as they did in the nineteenth). Hank is appalled at how much power that the Established Church has over the people. So he decides that the people need to be educated, which will, naturally, weaken the church’s hold. Of course, being an entrepreneur at heart, Hank can’t help but look on Camelot as an opportunity for exploiting people with his superior knowledge. In a very memorable scene, Hank describes the religious devotions of many of the monks of the time as, a monk who expresses his devotion to God by bowing over and over again, all day long, without stopping. Rather than being impressed by the monk’s passionate display of faith, Hank notes the astounding amount of energy the monk puts out every day. Not to see this wasted, he hooks up a sewing machine to the monk, using his bowing motions to run the machine. In this manner Hank manufactures and sells garments as religious souvenirs, and tells the reader–with not a little satisfaction–about the wild success of these garments. Beyond Twain’s customary critiques on slavery and religion, the book also  offers a somewhat different brand of cynicism Twain’s critique of science and progress. When Hank Morgan arrives in Camelot, it is a fairy-tale city that has long represented both nobility and weaknesses. Then, in his quest to â€Å"improve† the city, he destroys it. Everything that defines the time from the smelly, unwashed people to their superstitions and religious fervor is exploited in the name of progress. Here, then, we see Hank Morgan as an expression of Twain’s dislike with the value of modern progress.

The Relationship of the United States With Russia

The Relationship of the United States With Russia From 1922 to 1991, Russia was the largest part of the Soviet Union. Through most the final half of the 20th Century, the United States and the Soviet Union (known also as the USSR) were the principal actors in an epic battle, referred to as a Cold War, for global domination. This battle was, in the broadest sense, a struggle between communist and capitalist forms of economy and social organization. Even though Russia has now nominally adopted democratic and capitalist structures, Cold War history still colors U.S.-Russian relations today.​ World War II Prior to entering World War II, the United States gave the Soviet Union and other countries millions of dollars worth of weapons and other support for their fight against Nazi Germany. The two nations became allies in the liberation of Europe. At wars end, countries occupied by Soviet forces, including a large part of Germany, were dominated by Soviet influence. British Prime Minister  Winston Churchill described this territory as being behind an Iron Curtain. The division provided the framework for the Cold War  which ran from roughly 1947 to 1991. Fall of the Soviet Union Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev lead a series of reforms which eventually lead to the dissolution of the Soviet empire into a variety of independent states. In 1991, Boris Yeltsin became the first democratically elected Russian president. The dramatic change led to an overhaul of U.S. foreign and defense policy. The new era of tranquility that ensued also led the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists to set the Doomsday Clock back to 17 minutes to midnight (the farthest away the clocks minute hand has ever been), a sign of stability in the world stage. New Cooperation The end of the Cold War gave the United States and Russia new opportunities to cooperate. Russia took over the permanent seat (with full veto power) previously held by the Soviet Union at the United Nations Security Council. The Cold War had created gridlock in the council, but the new arrangement meant a rebirth in U.N. action. Russia was also invited to join the informal G-7 gathering of the worlds largest economic powers making it the G-8. The United States and Russia also found ways to cooperate in securing loose nukes in former Soviet territory, although there is still much to be done on this issue. Old Frictions The United States and Russia have still found plenty over which to clash. The United States has pushed hard for further political and economic reforms in Russia, while Russia bristles at what they see as meddling in internal affairs. The United States and its allies in NATO have invited new, former Soviet, nations to join the alliance in the face of deep Russian opposition. Russia and the United States have clashed over how best to settle the final status of Kosovo and how to treat Irans efforts to gain nuclear weapons. Most recently, Russias controversial annexation of Crimea and military action in Georgia highlighted the rift in U.S.-Russian relations.

How to Succeed in Writing an Essay

How to Succeed in Writing an Essay How to Succeed in Writing an Essay Lets be honest; writing is probably not a skill you can boast about. You probably havent written a best-seller yet, and you havent won a Nobel Prize in literature. Well, dont get desperate. You wont believe how many good writers havent done it, either. You are reading this article because you want to learn how to write better, and that is already a good sign. So, you need to write an article. Have you selected a topic yet? Sometimes your teacher will assign you a topic, but if you have an opportunity to select one yourself, you should definitely do so. You can write about something you are good at or interested in or perhaps something you wanted to learn about but don’t have the time. Before you begin writing, you might develop a plan. Careful planning helps you work more productively, gives you a better idea of how much time you should spend on writing every day, and also helps you to understand what needs to be accomplished and in what order. First of all, ask yourself whether you know enough to write on topic you have chosen. If not, conduct some preliminary research. Read a book or a magazine, ask a person who is knowledgeable about it, or just research it on the Internet. Once youve conducted a little bit of research, you may feel like you have all the information needed, but it may seem a bit chaotic in your head. You may often find yourself sitting at your desk, trying to sort everything out so you express your ideas or understanding on paper. You have to analyze all the information, determine what needs to be included in your paper, what information is irrelevant, what sources are reliable, and which are not. Doing so will help you to become more organized in completing the paper. Very often people are intimidated by a blank sheet of paper. You may be afraid to start writing, thinking that you are too incompetent. Possibly, you are not willing to make mistakes and feel discouraged at the thought of making errors. However, even experienced writers are sometimes afraid to write. None of them are sure that what they write will appeal to their readers; yet, they take risks and succeed. You shouldnt worry too much about making mistakes as you write. First, if you dont write anything, you will definitely fail, so its worth trying to write at least something. Second, write whatever you feel like writing now. Think of your writing as a lump of clay. You take away here and add there. You mold and shape it into what you want it to be. Writing is a craft, an art. Keeping that in mind, your first draft may drastically differ from the final version of your paper. So, once your first draft is completed, your task is to edit your paper with care and consideration for what yo u want to say and how you want to say it. Rewriting may take more time than you spent on writing the original draft, but this proves how important proofreading and revising is in making a paper flawless. Writing is not easy, but with the tips mentioned above, a great deal of diligence, and a bit of inspiration, you can successfully write an essay. Probably, you need a professional essay writing service to have your academic paper written by highly qualified writers? Try our custom writing company now!

A Summary of Chansons de Geste

A Summary of Chansons de Geste The chansons de geste (songs of deeds) were Old French epic poems centering around heroic historical figures. Dealing primarily with events of the 8th and 9th centuries, chansons de geste focused on real individuals, but with a large infusion of legend. Those chansons that survive in manuscript form, of which there are more than 80, date to the 12th through 15th centuries. Whether they were composed then or survived in oral tradition from the 8th and 9th centuries is under dispute. The authors of only a few of the poems are known; the vast majority were written by anonymous poets. Poetic Form of the Chansons de Geste A chanson de geste was composed in lines of 10 or 12 syllables, grouped into irregular rhyming stanzas called laisses. Earlier poems had more assonance than rhyme. The length of the poems ranged from about 1,500 to 18,000 lines. Chanson de Geste Style The earliest poems are highly heroic in both theme and spirit, focusing on feuds or epic battles and on the legal and moral aspects of loyalty and allegiance. Elements of courtly love appeared after the 13th century, and ​enfances (childhood adventures) and the exploits of ancestors and descendants of the main characters were related, as well. The Charlemagne Cycle A large proportion of the chansons de geste revolves around Charlemagne. The emperor is depicted as the champion of Christendom against pagans and Muslims, and he is accompanied by his court of Twelve Noble Peers. These include Oliver, Ogier the Dane, and Roland. The most well-known chanson de geste, and possibly the most important, is the Chanson de Roland, or Song of Roland. Charlemagne legends are known as the matter of France. Other Chanson Cycles In addition to the Charlemagne Cycle, there is a group of 24 poems centering on Guillaume dOrange, a supporter of Charlemagnes son Louis, and another cycle about the wars of powerful French barons. Influence of Chansons de Geste The chansons influenced medieval literary production throughout Europe. Spanish epic poetry owed a clear debt to the chansons de geste, as is most notably demonstrated by the 12th-century epic Cantar de mio Cid (Song of my Cid). The incomplete epic Willehalm by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach was based on the stories told in the chansons of Guillaume dOrange. In Italy, tales about Roland and Oliver (Orlando and Rinaldo) abounded, culminating in the Renaissance epics Orlando innamorato by Matteo Boiardo and Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto. The matter of France was an essential element of French literature for centuries, influencing both prose and poetry well beyond the Middle Ages.

Business Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Intelligence - Essay Example Additionally, the applications of business intelligence contain the tasks of query and reporting, decision support systems, statistical analysis, online analytical processing (OLAP), forecasting, and data mining (Webopedia, 2011) and (Rossetti, 2006). This paper provides the answers of questions like that why or why not business intelligence is critical for organizations? This paper will outline the issues and challenges that organizations can face in implementing BI. This paper will also discuss the difference between knowledge management and BI. Business Intelligence: A tool for organization’s survival Business intelligence tools have become one of the most important organizations’ resources. Additionally, these tools are utilized in data mining and operations. In this scenario, operational business intelligence is utilized to run the business activities more competently and achieve maximum return on investment. Thus, business intelligence methods and tools facilitate the organizations in making efficient use of assets, cutting costs, and making use of all the business prospects. On the other hand, in data mining, business intelligence is used to leverage enormous quantities of data for determining the best performance areas or out-of-the-box investigations. This kind of solutions could be easy or complex, however depending on the BI tool utilized. In addition, business intelligence tools help the organizations to gain a competitive edge because of their dashboard capabilities. Moreover, an organization must recognize that BI is not simply a charting or visual display of data. However, they can be helpful when an organization wants to incorporates data from numerous sources (D'Souza, 2011). Challenges in implementing business intelligence While adopting BI technology for their business an organization can face following challenges: (Computerworld Custom Publishing, 2003) and (MAIA Intelligence Blog, 2011) Failure to distinguish BI systems and pr ojects as cross-organizational company initiatives, as well as considering them different from distinctive standalone solutions. Unengaged company sponsors (or sponsors who take pleasure in small or no authority in the corporation). Engaged or reluctant business representatives. Lack of capable as well as existing staff, or sub-optimal staff use No software release idea (having no enhanced and improved iterative development technique). No use of WBS (work breakdown structure) and no methodology for application of the new BI technology. No company analysis or unavailability of standardization actions for the BI technology application. No approval of the influence of dirty data on business productivity. Not recognizing the need and utilization of meta-data. Extra dependence on disparate techniques and tools BI is difference from Knowledge Management Normally, knowledge management is referred as a methodical procedure of discovering, selecting, classifying distilling and presenting dat a and information in a form that is easy to understand for an employee and lies in a precise area of interest. Additionally, the specific knowledge management tasks facilitate organizations to pay their attention on storing, acquiring and utilizing knowledge for similar things such as problem solving, strategic planning, dynamic learning and decision making (Herschel, 2008). In addition, bus

Electron Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Electron - Essay Example In this case, the government took responsibility of oversight, first through the ministry of finance (Thai 12). The ministry possesses the overall responsibility for procurement systems in the public sector, including the responsibility for monitoring the policy’s implementation, particularly regarding public expenditure and facilitation of a proper understanding of the governing documentation service-wide. In discharging its responsibilities, the finance ministry carries out routine investigation of operations or activities of various departments and institutions, as well as maintains a reporting system that contains information relating to contract awards and the governing documentation. Additionally, the government monitored and, when necessary, investigated at its discretion the awards and the implementation of all government contracts to ensure that they are impartially awarded (Thai 12). The government also ensures that the contract was awarded on a basis of merit and that its awarding or termination does not involve irregularity or impropriety. It further ensures that the contract’s implementation conforms to the conditions and terms set out. The contracting officer is charged with advising the awarding of the contract and, where applicable, a variation of government contracts. He also has access to records, books, property and stores belonging to the government. This is true for all premises and property where a government contract is either being executed or in the process of execution. If the contract had been awarded via a sealed bid process, the answer would have been different. This is because the process would have been more competitive and, consequently, the best bid would have won. Sealed bidding is fairer since the providers are not given a chance to appear more efficient or smarter than their competition. This could have happened during the tendering

Hum M3 man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hum M3 man - Essay Example A close analysis of Burn’s arguments on human emotions reveals that humans are in full control of their emotions. Values are the judgment of a person on what is important and what is not important in life. They are simply the standards of someone’s behavior. Unlike humans whose values are acquired from world experiences, animal values are passed from parent to offspring as animals tend to emulate what their parents do. Meanings of values are carried in most streams of emotions. Further, comparison between emotions and values reveal that emotions of different types are apprehension of values with distinctness. From self-assessment 3.4 I have a moderate cognitive empathy. This is an implication of moderate perspective taking. From self-assessment 3.5 I recorded a high emotional empathy. This is to mean that I am emotionally touched by what happens to other people. Self-assessment 2.2 portrays me as someone of high medium importance based on my values. My mood scale on self-assessment 4.4 reveals high positive energy. Generally the self-assessments portray me as someone energetic and believing so much in myself. However, I also get moved by the experiences of

Nursing. Why are you pursuing acareer in nursing What makes you Essay

Nursing. Why are you pursuing acareer in nursing What makes you capable to be a nurse - Essay Example Often people go wary of their professions because they are not able to satisfy their urge of contributing to the society in a positive way. I am pursuing a career in nursing as this career fills in all the boxes that are required for a suitable career. International Council of Nursing includes taking care of dying, sick and handicapped, prevention of disease, advocacy, research, partaking in the formulation of health policy and health system management and continuing education as parts of a nurse’s professional credentials (International Council of Nurses). Thus, it is obvious that as a nurse, one gets to touch upon countless lives directly or indirectly. This profession is not just about passion and humanity. It has strict codes of ethics, standards, skill and fitness and it requires one to update knowledge about his profession on regular basis. Since 1901, the profession of nursing has been under national regulation in most countries. As a result, working environment, pay sc ales and working hours have been modulated. These moves were aimed at maximizing the convenience of the nurses since they have been in a shortage for a very long time. Although much remains to be done, the profession of nursing is looked upon with great respect and worth in the society.

The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brian - Essay Example Each of them finds many things to blame, and they all, at times, also blame themselves. Two characters in particular highlight the struggle for a way to apportion blame, namely the soldier Norman Bowker and the author/narrator Tim O’Brien. This paper explains that the point of the book is to illustrate how soldiers should accept personal responsibility only for confessing the truth about what happened, and allocate all the blame and guilt to collective or impersonal agencies like chance, nature, god, or the human condition. The character of Norman Bowker represents a thinking soldier who goes through a fairly standard Vietnam War experience. His thoughtful nature is illustrated at the start of Speaking of Courage when his younger self is depicted â€Å"talking about urgent matters, worrying about the existence of God and theories of causation† (p. 132). These are quite normal preoccupations for a teenager, and it is stressed that this theoretical speculation takes place before there was any sign of the war, in the beautiful countryside of his youth. Even in this idealized, innocent state, Bowker notes that futile tragedy could occur. He reports â€Å"the lake had drowned his friend Max†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p.132). After the war is over, Norman is haunted by what he sees as his own guilt in the death of his comrade in arms Kiowa. He thinks that if he had acted differently, maybe he could have done something, but he has difficulty expressing himself to the civilians around him. He thinks they will not understand, and, as his mother puts it he does not want to be a bother to them. Norman writes to the Tim O,Brien/narrator character asking for Tim, who is a writer, to tell the story of â€Å"the terrible killing power of that shit field† (p. 153). He is referring here to the stinking muddy field into which the noble character Kiowa’s dead body sank. On one level, then, Norman realises that that the natural

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan for Travelpod Essay

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan for Travelpod - Essay Example The Travelpod is the world's first mobile hotel room. This 6m x 2.4m clear polycarbonate glass box replicates the conventional Travelodge hotel room. It has air conditioning, heater flat screen TV, DVD player, ambient lighting, tea/coffee making facilities and a washroom with biodegradable toilet and washbasin with running water. Travelodge are planning to be able to offer to transport these mobile hotel rooms to any outdoor venue such as music festivals, sporting events or large outdoor events for the same price as their conventional hotel rooms. Competitiveness in business the world over is so acute that survival is possible for only those organizations, which are ready to employ every possible means to increase profit by reducing cost in production, while remaining uncompromising in quality and aggressive in marketing. The role of marketing communication in modern business practices has been identified as a key factor in survival in modern day business. As part of the search for business effectiveness the entire process of marketing communication is being approached in a comprehensive and unified manner where by all activities of business communication functions in unison. This approach is called Integrated Marketing Communication. This is a relatively new concept in management. ... 3.1 The Importance of Integrated Marketing Communication An integrated marketing communications program guarantees that every chance to send a message to a customer functions efficiently and smartly. Many needs of the enterprise like increasing membership, ensuring member retention, or increasing non-dues revenue, entry into an impenetrable market etc is achieved by stretching and straining all the sinews and muscles of the enterprise. This can be also called persuasive communication. Chris Fill has observed the complexities that communication involves. Persuasion can be experiential in of a negotiation process between people. It might need propaganda material typically associated with the government. Sometimes the sender or speaker may be presenting their opinion to a large group of people with no chance for feedback from the crowd (Fill 1995). Marketing communication can succeed only if the communicator has a clear idea of his task. Based on the target market and target's need he or she should have a unique selling proposition. Communication should help the target group to see you differently form other competitors. In addition, the sales targets should be planned and achievable levels should ear marked and budgetary provisions and a marketing strategy should be in place to achieve these levels. The message delivered in all places, occasions should be consistent, and reliable quantitative tools should measure results. 3.2 Integrated Marketing communication-Barriers and Gateways The main problem in implementing integrated marketing communication is elitism at the helm. All organizations run the danger of developing an elite group who have become conservative and might try maintaining statuesque because of the self imposed image of superiority. These may

The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brian - Essay Example Each of them finds many things to blame, and they all, at times, also blame themselves. Two characters in particular highlight the struggle for a way to apportion blame, namely the soldier Norman Bowker and the author/narrator Tim O’Brien. This paper explains that the point of the book is to illustrate how soldiers should accept personal responsibility only for confessing the truth about what happened, and allocate all the blame and guilt to collective or impersonal agencies like chance, nature, god, or the human condition. The character of Norman Bowker represents a thinking soldier who goes through a fairly standard Vietnam War experience. His thoughtful nature is illustrated at the start of Speaking of Courage when his younger self is depicted â€Å"talking about urgent matters, worrying about the existence of God and theories of causation† (p. 132). These are quite normal preoccupations for a teenager, and it is stressed that this theoretical speculation takes place before there was any sign of the war, in the beautiful countryside of his youth. Even in this idealized, innocent state, Bowker notes that futile tragedy could occur. He reports â€Å"the lake had drowned his friend Max†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p.132). After the war is over, Norman is haunted by what he sees as his own guilt in the death of his comrade in arms Kiowa. He thinks that if he had acted differently, maybe he could have done something, but he has difficulty expressing himself to the civilians around him. He thinks they will not understand, and, as his mother puts it he does not want to be a bother to them. Norman writes to the Tim O,Brien/narrator character asking for Tim, who is a writer, to tell the story of â€Å"the terrible killing power of that shit field† (p. 153). He is referring here to the stinking muddy field into which the noble character Kiowa’s dead body sank. On one level, then, Norman realises that that the natural

SEMESTER PROJECT Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SEMESTER PROJECT - Thesis Proposal Example The food chain is famous for customising and evolving as per the consumer preferences. This philosophy helped McDonalds succeed in 119 countries, including culturally-sensitive Arabian and South-east Asia nations. Thus, it can be described as unstable. Subway, though an International fast food chain, spread over 98 countries, is narrower than McDonalds, as the former targets the health-conscious customers, who propose to eat fresh. Its nutrition focus made it possible to establish franchises in churches, hospitals etc too. Comparatively, the menu also speaks the same, as the product portfolio includes sandwiches, salads, burgers, sides and soft drinks (Doctors Associates Inc., 2009). But for the minor modifications to suit the local religious beliefs, not many changes are made in the menu. So, Subway has a more or less stable outlook, as compared to McDonalds. Coming to the boundaries, McDonalds is highly permeable and attracts customers, right from its clown, Ronald and its golden arches welcoming them. The seating arrangement, ambience, the first part of their tagline, ‘Get them in’ reinforce this ideology. The turnover rates at store level are found to be low, showing its impermeability in this aspect (Francis, 2011). The logo, flashy ‘open’ board and long working hours bring customers to the outlet. But, the limited number of tables and less store space make Subway unlikely destinations for catching up with friends. It operates more on take away mode and therefore less permeable than McDonalds. High employee attrition rates have also been observed at Subway, mainly due to low levels of satisfaction, which declare its permeability (Schlosser, 2001). McDonalds has a complex activity system, which guarantees competitive advantage (Pride & Ferrell, 2007). The laborious and long procedures also make it inflexible. Subway heavily relies on franchising. The complex and inflexible activity system is thus transmitted to the all levels, emphasizing the

East-Asian Crisis Essay Example for Free

East-Asian Crisis Essay Has state played a leading role in upgrading technologies in Asia Pacific? Answer with reference to relevant theories and use comparative country or corporate examples. Introduction: The state is a lever that navigates economic process. It is managed by the country government which consists of all educational, socio-cultural, economical and geographical factors. The national innovation systems in Asia have a great significance in the process of technology adjustment (the national institutions, their incentive structures and their competencies, that determine the rate and direction of technological learning (or the volume and composition of change generating activities) in a country. † (Patel and Pavitt (1994: 79)) (4) It sustains governmental institutions and forms economic conditions and opportunities. It influences a market by all restrictions and policies which navigate all import and export activities. The Asia Pacific region includes one of the most economically developed countries in the world. According to academic articles(8) developmental states as South Korea, Japan and Taiwan quickened their industrialisation in order to synchronise their economies with globalisation growth. From a historical perspective South Asia went through enormous industrial and state transformation after 2nd World War till the beginning of 21st century. An effective industrialisation process created the need of upgrading technologies and expanding business relations so to sustain the Asian competitive advantage and stabilise its economy. Furthermore a governmental institutional reform appeared to be essential element of the whole adjustment stage. The â€Å"tiger†(9) economies of Hong Kong and Singapore (plus these of South Korea and Taiwan) impressively adapted to balanced level of navigating their market and a â€Å"miracle† GDP growth followed. Examining the transformation processes in these economies creates an objective view of how the state influenced changes in technologies and why it has such a significant part in the East-Asian success. Body: The developmental states Japan: The process of industrialisation is a key developmental factor. It emerged in the beginning of the 20th century by the development of four machine industries: the rolling stock, spinning and weaving machines, machine tools and electric machinery(5)Between all of them the government held strongest influence on the rolling stock-a sub railway system which is an official representative of the system, having trade responsibility and negotiates with suppliers(6).The JNR(Japanese National Railway) policy changed after the 1950s and the private sector started managing its policies with governmental assistance. The rolling stock trading process established the Japanese co-operation with West-European suppliers. Essential approaches like government’s guidance in applying industrial policy, adjustment in labour-management relations, tolerating entrepreneurial firms seen as innovators instead of the zaibatsu-structured equivalents, were taken (3).The mentioned events , concerning Japanese technology adjusting, show the strong relation between state policies and technology level . The state itself is the agent which drives all innovations by the power of its policies and regulations. It played a main role in the factory legislation. Women workers needed protection and they could only receive it by governmental intervention. A report by AAB(Agricultural Affairs Bureau) in 1900 confirmed the negative affect of night shifts onto labour efficiency and technical progress. By taking in consideration this example the state role can be considered as more than crucial. It maintains the economy growth by securing its population conditions (human rights; socio-cultural perspective).In this way it sustains the workforce of the country, which is a main element of stabilising competitive advantage. Despite the fact that most economic articles stress on the â€Å"Japanese Miracle†(1) as a significant period of technology updating and state-system adjustment, the pioneers in technology investment appeared in the Meiji period. These businessmen founded a significant process which contributed to the rapid economic growth after World War II. Japanese role in the Electro-chemical industry has massively influenced the power of Japanese Army. Scientifically educated employees contributed for a better business analysis and strategies. A continuous growth is achieved when a government is concerned both for its trading power and socio-educational system. If both elements are properly maintained a country is able to sustain its competitive status worldwide as its observed in the Japanese case of Toyota-one of the most successful car manufacturer’s. â€Å"The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements. But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner—not in spurts†(11) Toyota is a great example of brilliant cooperation between increasing labour efficiency and adjustin g technology system. Toyota took some fruitful approaches from the Western European managerial model and kept its unique values from the Japanese culture. It is observed that the more an Asian industry is independent from the state the better it adapts to the global business environment. State policies founded initial basis of the most important Asian features that should be taken and not changed in the business-cycle of a company. Toyota managed to follow the roots of the Japanese â€Å"know how† and at the same time keeps attracting professionals from all over the world in order to sustain its competitive advantage. Furthermore as a modern massive share-holder in different sectors it transformed into customer-oriented company targeting more market segments and reassuring to keep the demand of current customers. This is just one of the many great Japanese examples of sustaining a global market share. It can be stated that the more globalisation expands the higher is the need of rapid adaptation m ethods. Strongly centralised firms should transfer into more de-centralised strategic schemes if they want to achieve bigger success on a international level. Korea: From historical perspective Korea was controversially affected by both US (United States-South Korea) and the USSR(Union of Souviet Socialist Rebubplics-North Korea)During the Rhy government period(7) Korea focused on two massive industrial sectors: consumer goods and construction. After the Korean War (1950-1953) they become leading suppliers in these niches. Collaboration between the’’chaebols’’-â€Å"a group of companies, owed by a specific family, has centralised control and business in different industries that are not directly interrelated†((10)Korean Managerial Dynamics p.29) and the state can be considered as a main reason for the rapid industrialisation in the 1960s.The earlier establishment of cartels( Flour Mill, Sugar and Spinning Manufacturers)and corrupted Japanese and American support contributed to the chaebol growth. Hyundai is the major Korean constructor, which used to sustain and still does the Korean economy. Between 1940s and 1970s the ‘’chaebol’’ transformed into a large-multidivisional private system which expanded its business sectors. In this way the new system created economies of scale under a centralised management strategy. The renovated state policies enhanced the labour force and implemented the export industrialisation strategy. In order to (2)The chaebol business structure created highly-controlled production in the 1970s by hiring managers which took the role of supervisors. In the 1980s the government prioritised the need of higher workforce independence. The state shaped the legal frame of Korea, while supporting the chaebol economic and interest policies.((2);p.3)After the KCTU(Korean Confederation of Trade Unions) was established a significant decrease in the chaebol monopolism was noticed. In 1974 a â€Å"concentration of economic power† emerged as a negative issue.(Korean Managerial Dynamics; Chung, Khae and Lee, Hak Chong p.16) The Ko rean bank was forced to take action due to its monopolistic strength: all private businesses provided information to the open capital market. All monopolistic and cartel structures were constricted from entering new markets. Expectedly or not the existing cartels sustained their barriers of entry. Despite the fact Korea was stimulating domestic manufacturing there was a lack of physical technology ability and it has no choice but looking for external â€Å"packaged technology†(Korean Business: Internal and External factors) –component parts, specialised details, product specifications, quality control and professional assistance. In 1980 this resulted in high-inflation rates. Four recovering movements were taken: better managing of market mechanisms and stabilising price levels (led to export of domestically manufactured technologies); transforming domestic monopolism to a free-competitive foreign markets (increasing of social welfare); encouraging foundation of small-medium businesses. It can be concluded that all state reforms derived from either political external or internal problems. The complicated internal reforms caused to a non-balanced upgrading processes. Korea needed a quick re-navigation and focus on catching up with Western Europe rivals. Good examples of chaebol companies are Samsung and Hyundai. Samsung (founded in 1938 (12))business group is the largest one in terms of annual sales-21 billion dollars in 1987 with 160,000 workers in 42 companies (10 p.29) It entered the insurance, security and enterprise sectors. Nowadays it possesses a major shares in electronics, chemical, construction, manufacturing, land development, service and technology markets. By a constant governmental navigation and assistance this great example of East-Asian conglomerate diversified its supply. While the state takes responsibility of providing well-educated and strong workforce the company itself is concerned of the trading process and constant technology upgrading. â€Å"When Samsung has difficulties in transferring technology, it relied on several different strategic avenues: seeking alternative sources of technology, buying it from financially troubled, small American firms; developing its own technology; or entering a consortium with other local competitors to develop technology†((15)â€Å"Korean Business: Internal and External Industrialisation†) By analysing this strategic approach an excellent decision-making skills are observed. The alternative of â€Å"buying† from American small firms shows that the Korean leader constantly generates cash flow in order to afford such activities in a critical moment. Even â€Å"consortium† schemes were made which shows the great adaptation to the market condition and to all supplying competitors. By competing in different markets and upgrading its business structure Samsung enhances Korean economic stability and competitiveness on international level. A leading competitive ad vantage of Samsung is the brilliant combination of price and quality. The possession of well-educated managers and continuously upgraded technology provides a great reputation of top gadget- producer. Taiwan: The favourable geographic location of the country between the Far-East and Southeast Asia made it a desirable trading place between Western Europe and Asia. Different rivals colonised it as well. Taiwan started its technological developmental in a later stage comparing to its bigger neighbours Japan and Korea. After the 1990s Taiwan became one of the leading ICT(Information and technology communications)suppliers(16)Its well-maintained Research and Development sector and patented technology are fair reasons of the current success. Chinese neoliberalism: A slower economic growth in China is observed comparing to the Japanese and Korean one. A high negative influence of the conserved socio-cultural environment is a main reason. The CFB(Chinese Family Business) internal managerial system has a closed-family ideology. There was a conflict between Chinese conservatism and Chinese world-economy adaptation. Its governmentally centralised system suffered lack of managerial professionalism. This introvert attitude of CFB to business created an obstacle for further technologic improvement because establishing new operational system needs well-educated navigators familiarised with the technology. Furthermore loosing the market trading processes of import and export was irreversible. Modernisation schemes were taken: increase of international trades and foundation of FDI(Foreign Direct Investment- investing in country A, by taking advantage of its geographical and labour conditions and controlling from country B which owns all assets and benefit the bigger prt of the incentive) , which was quite beneficial strategy both for China and Japan. It was necessary to minimise the cultural interference and radically involve western techniques. By focusing onto micro-level variables as behaviour China kept losing its macro level of structural and technological competitiveness. The strong communism affected negatively on both industrialisation and technology adjustment. Recent technology-transfer Laws in the Asia Pacific: Setting up Transfer Laws has essential role in the whole Asia-Pacific trade legitimacy. They also determine the significance of technologies and how they are used in a more effective way. In China a warmer attitude to foreign companies is observed. Its entry into the WTO(World Trade Organisation) encouraged cross-continental transfers. In 1999 China accepted the UCL(Unified Contract Law) which gave more freedom by license agreement which can be signed between partners and fasten all transfers. In 2003 The Ministry of Commerce was founded as well as new three-type technology categorisation: prohibited, restricted or permitted. The foundation of such institutions was a necessity in order to exclude all wasting money and time processes, which is both beneficial for suppliers and buyers. The determinant of accepting import transfer is whether it will enhance China’s technological improvement. Furthermore it should not be an environmental and security constraint. Equivalent technology licences(legal and contractual) were formed in Japan. In April 2004 the National University Corporation Law was accepted, providing bigger educational independence which enhances the social welfare and gives more opportunities to young individuals specialise their skills into different sectors. Historically observed, South-Korea always had strictly controlled technology-licensing system in order to preserve newly-founded firms from their out-boundaries rivals and ensures continuous development. Co-operation between education and management led the Asian Pacific to a top place in the technology world. The laws approved in the end of 20th century were turned into a new transfer law in the 21st century. The FIPA(Foreign Investment Promotion Act) is in charge of all foreign investment s. It is an autonomous institution which has the power to simplify and navigate all import activities for the sake of higher country incentive. Its strategy is to attract investment and sustain competitive international advantage. The Monopoly Regulation and FTA(Fair Trade act )(Hill,2006)(19) Conclusion: While the Asia Pacific was struggling to escape out of its cultural constraints and its isolated business system during the first half of the 20th century, it appeared that it adapted rapidly through the second half of the century. It went under serious governmental and structural transforms. It seems that the Asian recovery period after the Second World War was far away more intensive and successful comparing to some European countries. From 1990 to 1997 Asia generated over one-third of the global value-added production by high-technology production industries, higher to the the European and US shares.(13) Investments in the Research and Development sector are significant for successf ul technology adjustment. The establishment of new universities and modifying their educational systems provide scientists and intelligent individuals who can operate and cope with the technology process. The importance of conserving culture-oriented models is of the same sensuality as expanding growth on international level. The Asian ambition of establishing leadership in important world industries contributed to its success. Although there were huge periods of struggling adapting new managerial work-plans the â€Å"tiger economies† managed to survive during tough war and reform periods. Even not really friendly-orientated of cooperating between each other Asian economy survived because of the common adaptation strength and control of markets. The connection between the state and business was not simply one of interference or direction by the state of the market. â€Å"It was rather a positive partnership involving many connections between entities† (Johnson,1997)A geographical advantage of more isolated location in the world enhanced the Asian state independence and its technology orientation. Obviously the bigger sized Asian economies like China and Japan overtook cultural and religion influence.They started their recovering processes more rapidly comparing to the late-comer economies of Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia.(Warner,2007) Bibliography: 1. Maidement, R., Mackerras C., (1998) Culture and Society In The Asia-Pacific, United Kingdom: Routledge 2. Rowley, C., Bae, J., (1998) Korean Business Internal and External Industrialization, Chippenham: Antony Rowe Ltd. 3. Yui, T., Nakagawa, (1989) Japanese Management in Historical Perspective, Japan: University of Tokyo Press 4. Kwon, S., O’Donnell, M., (2001) The Chaebol and Labour in Korea The development of managmenet strategy in Hyundai, Oxon: Routledge 5. Rowley, C., Warner, M., (2009) Management in South-East Asia Business Culture, Enterprises and Human Resources, Oxfordshire: Routledge 6. Chung, K., Lee H., (1989) Korean Managerial Dynamics, New York: Praeger 7. The Japanese Miracle, http://www.japanese123.com/japanesemiracle.htm Date accessed 2/12/2012 8. Borisova, N., (2011) The market, the state, and the culture in economic development in Asia, http://nataliaborisova.hubpages.com/hub/market-state-culture-asia Date accessed 2/12/2012 9. (2004)Four The Rise of the Regions: Fiscal Reform and the Decline of Central State Capacity i n China 10. http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft5g50071kchunk.id=d0e3492toc.depth=100brand=ucpress Date accessed 2/12/2012 11. Wu Y., (2004) The China Quarty, Volume 177, pp 91-114 12. Samsung History, http://www.samsung-mobiles.net/history-of-samsung.html Date accessed 3/12/2012 13. Taiwan’s Technology Industry Marks Global Success http://www.forbescustom.com/DiversityPgs/UnityFirst/3_4_09/UFNAACPTaiwanTechP1.html Date accessed 4/12/2012 http://www.pom.ir/wp-content/uploads/PDF/book/The%20Toyota%20Way.pdf 14. http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf07319/pdf/nsf07319.pdf 15. http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr41/pdf/f14_miz.pdf 16. http://www.economist.com/node/13649520 17. 10) 18. Hill, D., 2006, â€Å"Developments in Asia†,The Licensing Journal

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: essays research papers

How does Scout and Jem’s perception of Boo Radley change during the novel? How does Boo affect the lives of the Finch household in the novel? Boo Radley is the neighborhood mystery. The Radley place fascinated the children, because it was a popular subject of gossip and superstition in Maycomb. Arthur Radley had gotten into trouble with the law when he was a boy. Instead of being sent to the state industrial school, his father took custody of him within their house. He was not seen again for fifteen years. Many legends grew up about the Radley house and about what went on inside. Miss Stephanie Crawford, added to the stories - which included stories of crime, mutilation, curses and insanity. Dill was fascinated by these stories, and gave Scout and Jem the idea of making Boo Radley come out of seclusion. When Dill, always eager for a new adventure, dares Jem to run up to the house and touch the door. Jem thought things over for a few days. Finally, filled with fear, he accepted the dare. He ran up, touched the house, and ran back. As the three children stared at the old house, they thought they saw an inside shutter move. On the last night that Dill was in Maycomb they decided to go to the Radley place to take a peak in one of the windows. When they were there, they saw a shadow of a man pass, they ran and while they were running they were fired upon by a shotgun, Jem got his pants caught in the fence. He took them off and they ran back to the woods. About 10 minutes later the neighborhood was gathered outside the Radley place. The adults asked Jem, Scout, and Dill where they had been, Jem told them they were playing strip poker and that was how he had lost his pants. Later that night Jem made a run for his pants he found them neatly folded and sew on the fence. Scout and Jem start to find things in a tree right outside the Radley house, they find different trinkets such as a watch, a knife, and some figures that look like them. When they were walking by one day, Mr. Radley was putting cement in the tree’s hole, he said it was sick and that it needed to be filled. So that ended the gifts in the tree.

The catcher in the rye :: essays research papers

"The Catcher In The Rye" In the novel The Catcher In The Rye we read about a sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield. The story starts off telling us about how he gets kicked out of a preppy High School and uses his parents money to move to New York. Throughout the story we see Holden expressing different types of personality: The one he shows the world, which I believe is that he is an intelligent young man that doesn’t try, who he thinks he is, which is a depressed person who is looking for companionship, and who he really is, a sacred kid who who doesn’t know what he wants out of life. Holden went to Pencey Prep., which is a High School in Agerstown Pennsylvania. He was thrown out of the school because he was failing almost all his classes except for English. Holden has the ability to pass his classes and even with good grades but he doesn’t apply himself. This is what Holden shows the world, he is capable of passing and is intelligent but doesn’t try. â€Å"They gave me frequent warning to start applying myself-especially around midterms,...but I didn’t do it.† (Salinger 4) Also as Holden talks throughout the story we can tell that he is very intelligent because of the way he describes everything, even though his grammar isn’t so well. Underneath Holden’s act of being this kid who just doesn’t try I think inside he thinks he is depressed and doesn’t care about anything. He gets kicked out of High School and doesn’t try to go to another one, instead he goes to New York looking for sex and traveling form bar to bar for people to talk to. He winds up talking with people he really doesn’t like because he is just looking for companionship, like the three girls he met in the bar and the taxi cab driver who he talks to about what happens to the fish in the lake when it freezes. He even hires a prostitute to have sex but winds just talking to her about nothing because essentially he wants to a friend. He says to the prostitute â€Å"Don’t you feel like talking for a while† (Salinger 95) In my opinion, Holden is really scared of life. He doesn’t know what he wants out of it and he is afraid that if he tries to get what he wants he will screw it up. For example Holden asks old Sally to run away with him and settle down in Vermont or Mass.

Lessons Learned from the Three-Week Project Turn Around Essay

In the world of computers, Information Technology and Software Development people speak a different language. They might as well be talking ancient Latin and no one will care for when they use C++, VisualBasic and Java the rest of the population would sometimes feel out of this world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The team leaders and project managers who are leading this group of people must learn a different way of solving group conflicts and a host of business problems related to the digital world. One has to remember that though this special group is in some sort of manufacturing a product, they are by no means dealing with raw materials like wood, minerals, metals, and chemicals. They use something else and that is human resources called programmers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charlie Poole had the opportunity to work in this world and he found out soon that he must quickly adapt to the situation. His problem with a certain software development project was not unique to the software development company he is working for. He is feeling the pressure of seemingly insurmountable problems common to this business. In fact Poole and his team is already experiencing or about to experience a number of patterns or cycles a software development group usually encounters as described by Kent Beck in his book, Extreme Programming Explained and a few examples are listed below: Schedule slips – the day for delivery comes, and you have to tell the customer that the software won’t be ready for another six months. Project canceled – after numerous slips, the project is canceled without ever going into production. Defect rate – the software is put into production, but it doesn’t solve the business problem that was originally posed. False feature rich – the software has a host of potentially interesting features, all of which were fun to program, but none of which makes the customer much money. Staff turnover – after two years, all the good programmers on the project begin to hate the program   and leave.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Again, based on his journal/project report there is reason to believe that the dreaded scenarios mentioned by Beck is looming in the horizon of Poole and his team as evidenced by his writings:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In July 2001 I spent three weeks trying to turn a project around. The project had troubles:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   big requirements that said nothing, schedule slippages tat had already extended it to twice   Ã‚   it’s original estimate, no integrated version of the app we were developing [†¦] This was   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   far beyond my original commitment and I was planning to leave. At the same time, the    project manager was leaving, and a new one was not available for three weeks. (Poole)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The backdrop is set and before Poole could have reached the last level as desribed by Beck – leaving the company in frustration – the â€Å"turnaround master† Mr. Poole turned to the radical tenets of Extreme Programming (â€Å"XP†) for help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The principles of XP can be found in an article written by Pradyumn Sharma, CEO of Pragati Software and he listed it as: Continuous Integration Small Releases Onsite Customer Planning Game Metaphor Simple Design Testing Refactoring Pair Programming Collective Ownership No overtime Coding Standards   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charlie Poole asserts that he only used four of the twelve XP principles namely, 1) Continuous integration; 2) Small Releases; 3)Onsite Customer; and 4) Planning Game. This does not really mater because the success of the team can be attributed not only in the use of XP methods but in the leadership skills of Poole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consider the following steps he took, becoming a sort of a maverick in that company who like the others have certain traditions and a way of doing things.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order for the project to be completed in such a short time and with the odds not in their favor, the team and the leadership must follow an ancient truth which is the development of a â€Å"vision†. Before anything this â€Å"vision† must be first in place in the hearts and the minds of the all the members of the team including of course the leadership. A vision or a mental image of what must happen after a given time must be provided by the leader. According to Russ Finney this leader is called the professional system builder and he must in turn become a system visionary which according to Finney has the unenviable role of doing the following tasks:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   His or her willingness to share insight and understanding of a situation, and the necessary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   steps he or she envisions to arrive at a desired outcome, tend to be dependent on tow    factors: the level of confidence he or she has in the ideas, and his or her tolerance for scrutiny and criticism [†¦] With each passing phase of the project, he or she must constantly develop and communicate his or her vision of both the system functionality    and the project approach. (1999)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charlie Poole did not only provide vision and listened to his team mates but he also he team but he designed an ingenious way for building it and presenting it to them. Poole did not sit in one corner of th office and wrote his vision but instead proposed the use of â€Å"stories†. Again, he demonstrated his ability to be a maverick when the situation calls for it. This use of a story works wonders for the group because of the following reasons: Simplifying the abstract world of computer programming. A creative way of allowing the Customers who may not be technically proficient to join   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and contribute to the painting of a mental picture of what the project ought to be. It created a source of information from which the group can draw inspiration and also a tool to on seeing a bird’s eye view of the project that will aid in the latter stages of    integration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Poole also did more than provide a vision, he also created an environment that minimized the emergence of conflicts between teams and team members. He probably got the idea from Ohlendorf’s work when he began to meet his team every Monday for breakfast. And instead of castigating his team for infractions he was willing to listen to what they have to say. The following statements explain why Poole was successful in this area. Amy Ohlendorf in her work entitled Conflict Resolution in Project Management asserts that learning how to actively listen will do wonders for an organization experiencing difficulty and she said:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Listening allows the conflict to take its natural course by giving individuals the    opportunity to disagree, express strong opinions, and show passion for ideas. A respect    for individual difference is demonstrated and an environment of understanding is   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   fostered. Listening is helpful in achieving a winning resolution by enabling an employee   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to identify the criteria that is considered an acceptable outcome. As a result [†¦] trust and   Ã‚  Ã‚   a relationship bond will form preparing individuals to listen also to the needs of the   Ã‚   manager. (2000)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The only snag to the three week saga was when the company’s management step in to override what Poole was successfully been doing since he assumed the post – providing close proximity leadership. This way he was able to know how to make the thing work and all of a sudden management began dictating unrealistic deadlines that almost keeled the ship over. Lesson   learned from that fiasco: in times of crisis lead, don’t manage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on his journal or project report, Charlie Poole did not elaborate if he went to a leadership school or if he had had previous training in a management institute. If he did not then it can be said that he demonstrated an uncanny ability to provide high-caliber leadership for a group in crisis mode where everything that is happening points to an inevitable collapse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Almost everything went according to his wishes – at least those that he can control – which are a testament to his leadership skills and the courage to do practice methodologies and techniques never done before. In other words he dared to do something different, for the simple reason that he was tasked to complete a job and there is no way it can be done using the normal route – the normal way of doing things around here sort of thing. And he was handsomely rewarded for his no guts no glory approach with a little help from sound leadership principles that he threw in to his bag of tricks. References Ohlendorf, Amy. (2000). â€Å"Conflict Resolution in Project Management.† University of Missouri –   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   St. Louis, Available: http://www.umsl.edu/~sauter   /analysis/488_f01_papers/Ohlendorf.htm[30 May 2006]. Finney, Russ. (1999). â€Å"Winning Project Teams†.   ItmWEB Media Corporation, Available:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.itmweb.com/essay003.htm [30 May 2006]. Beck, Kent. (2000). Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change. Boston, MA: Addison-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wesley. Poole, Charlie (2006, March 4) â€Å"Three Week Project Turnaround.† Cunningham & Cunnigham,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inc. Available: http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ThreeWeekProjectTurnaround [30 May 2006].

PoP Culture Trend and Media Essay

When I was a child, all I wanted was to be a doctor. I obeyed my parents, studied hard, and played around every once in a while. I had my simple ambitions and simple outlooks. I lived a simple life. Today, however, you can ask any child about his ambition and he would most likely tell you that he would be a Dennis Rodman someday, or a Britney Spears if it was a she you’ve happened to ask. Another possible scenario could be that the child you’d like to ask wouldn’t even talk to you because he/she is too busy with his/her cellular phone, Gameboy Advance, i-pod nanno, or personal computer. Looking at this everyday situation, my father had always been asking me what is happening to this generation. This picture had also been a popular topic for homeroom or sociology classes, and online debates. Each of these discussions, however, boils down to a common phrase: pop culture. Pop Culture, or Popular Culture, is the set of customs, beliefs, values, arts, and entertainment common to massive sectors of the society.  (http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/~smitha/PopIndex.htm).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oftentimes, it results from the everyday interactions, needs and desires, and cultural ‘moments’ of the mainstream. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media). It is important that we examine the prevailing Pop Culture as it can shape people’s beliefs, values system, and attitudes since trendy music, movies, television programs, and fads often mirror the outlooks and behavior of the masses. James E. Combs recognized even in 1984 that â€Å"Popular Culture is so much a part of our lives that we cannot deny its developmental powers.   Like formal education or family rearing, popular culture is part of our ‘learning environment.’   Though our pop culture education is informal-we usually do not attend to pop culture for its ‘educational value.’ It nevertheless provides us with information and images upon which we develop our opinions and attitudes.   We would not be what we are, nor would our society be quite the same, without the impact of popular culture.† (Combs 1984). Nowadays however, an additional factor to the power of popular culture and to the importance of evaluating its effects is technological advancement. Specifically, electronic media has become a tool to further elevate the influence of pop culture, in an ever faster and unstoppable way, to all corners of the world. â€Å"Electronic media are those communications mediums which are based on electronic or electromechanical means of production and most often distinguished from print media. The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public worldwide include radio, sound recordings, television, video recording, and streaming internet content†. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic media). Personally, I have been most fond of surfing the internet, watching television programs and movies, listening to contemporary and pop music through radio, cd player, and i-pod, playing computer games, and messaging through cellular phones, either for educational or entertainment purposes. I am now aware that most of my viewpoints have been influenced by the things that I watch, read, and listen to that’s why I have been trying to balance out my views by patronizing different sources of information. My most poignant realization was that pop culture has affected my viewpoint on what is beautiful. Seeing models and actors who are almost perfect and worshipped everyday and everywhere has blinded me into considering beauty as skinny, 36-24-36 for females, and hunky, tall, and handsome for males. Everything else that did not replicate what pop culture has embedded on me seemed merely normal, or worse, ugly. I very much think that this has also been the case for majority of the people in this generation, what with the number of anorexics and bulimics, and steroid users rising up to an alarming level internationally. Social responsibility and morality had also been largely affected by today’s pop culture. The case of pornography that has been very widespread, moreover in the advent of the internet and camera phones, is just an example. The concept of privacy has also been oftentimes mutilated either consciously or unconsciously through electronic means propagated by pop culture. Relationships have also been builded and shattered in the blink of an eye as a result of the prevailing culture and technology. Gossips and defamation had also been most common and aggravated these days, usually spreading worldwide in a split-second. These, however, can either be conscious or unconscious. It can be conscious in the part of the companies who perpetrate these kinds of trend to gain profits in the employment of their technology. It can also be unconscious or subconscious in both sides especially now that these trends have already been inculcated in the society’s culture. It must be noted though that pop culture, aside from its commonly criticized negative influences, also has contributed positive effects to the society. In the negative matters, social responsibility and civility must draw the line. This can only be done by a more conscious meditation and evaluation of the popular culture that is being imposed upon us. As human beings, we were given the capability to analyze the things that are going on around us. And we should. As for the trend in pop culture that had greatly influenced me, I have already mentioned that it is the way that I viewed beauty. Upon analysis, I have come to a conclusion that it had been a result of both my personal desires as a consumer, and the media’s making. Popular culture, in general, does not only result from the corporation’s commercial pursuits. I believe that it is a mixture of the continuous interaction of the consumers and suppliers in every society. References: Combs, James E. Polpop:Politics and Popular Culture In America. University of Wisconsin Pr. 1984 http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/~smitha/PopIndex.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic media

Accounting for Operational Activities: Illustrative Transactions and Financial Statements Answers

CHAPTER FIVE: COST ESTIMATION Introduction When managers make decisions they need to compare the costs (and benefits) among alternative actions. In this chapter, we discuss how to estimate the costs required for decision making (Lanen, 2008). Learning Objectives: According to Lanen (2008), after completing Chapter 5 you should: 1. Understand the reasons for estimating fixed and variable costs. 2. Estimate costs using engineering estimates. 3. Estimate costs using account analysis. 4. Estimate costs using statistical analysis. 5. Interpret the results of regression output. 6.Identify potential problems with regression data. 7. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of alternative cost estimates. 8. (Appendix A) Use Microsoft Excel to perform a regression analysis. 9. (Appendix B) Understand the mathematical relationship describing the learning phenomenon. Why Estimate Costs? Managers make decisions and need to compare costs and benefits among alternative actions. Good decision requ ires good information about costs, the better these estimates, the better the decision managers will make (Lanen, 2008).. Key Question What adds value to the firm? Read this  Financial StatementsGood decisions. You saw in Chapters 3 and 4 that good decisions require good information about costs. Cost estimates are important elements in helping managers make decisions that add value to the company (Lanen, 2008). Learning Objective One: Understand the reasons for estimating fixed and variable costs The reasons for estimating fixed and variable costs The basic idea in cost estimation is to estimate the relation between costs and the variables affecting costs, the cost drivers. We focus on the relation between costs and one important variable that affect them: activity (Lanen, 2008).Basic Cost Behavior Patterns By now you understand the importance of cost behavior. Cost behavior is the key distinction for decision making. Costs behave as either fixed or variable (Lanen, 2008). Fixed costs are fixed in total, variable costs vary in total. On a per-unit basis, fixed costs vary inversely with activity and variable costs stay the same. Are you gettin g the idea? Cost behavior is critical for decision making. The formula that we use to estimate costs is similar cost equation: Total costs = fixed costs + {variable cost per unit} number of unitsT c = f + {v} x |With a change in Activity |In Total |Per Unit | |Fixed Cost |Fixed |Vary | |Variable |Vary |Fixed |What Methods are used to Estimate Cost Behavior? Three general methods used to estimate the relationship between cost behavior and activity levels that are commonly used in practice: Engineering estimates, Account analysis & Statistical methods (Such as regression analysis) (Lanen, 2008). Results are likely to differ from method to method. Consequently, it’s a good idea to use more than one method so that results can be compared. These methods, therefore, should be seen as ways to help management arrive at the best estimates possible.Their weakness and strengths require attention. Learning Objective Two: Estimate costs using engineering estimates. Engineering Estimates C ost estimates are based on measuring and then pricing the work involved in a task. This method based on detailed plans and is frequently used for large projects or new products. This method often omits inefficiencies, such as downtime for unscheduled maintenance, absenteeism and other miscellaneous random events that affect the entire firm (Lanen, 2008). Identify the activities involved Labor |Rent |Insurance |Time |Cost | Advantages of engineering estimates |Details each step required to perform an operation |Permits comparison of other centers with similar operations | |Identifies strengths and weaknesses. | | Disadvantages of engineering estimates 1. Can be quite expensive to use. Read also Recording General Fund Operating Budget and Operating TransactionsLearning Objective Three: Estimate costs using account analysis. Account Analysis Estimating costs using account analysis involves a review of each account making up the total costs being analyzed and identifying each cost as either fixed or variable, depending on the relation between the cost and some activity. Account analysis relies heavily on personal judgment. This method is often based on last period’s cost along and is subject to managers focusing on specific issues of the previous period even though these might be unusual and infrequent(Lanen, 2008) .Example: Account Analysis (Exhibit 5. 1) |3C Cost Estimation Using Account Analysis | |Costs for 360 Repair Hours | |Account |Total |Variable Cost |Fixed Cost | |Office Rent $3,375 |$1,375 |$2,000 | |Utilities |310 |100 |210 | |Administration |3,386 |186 |3,200 | |Supplies |2,276 |2,176 |100 | |Training |666 |316 |350 | |Other |613 |257 |356 | |Tot al |$10,626 |$4,410 |$6,216 | |Per Repair Hour |$12. 25 ($4,410 divided by 360 repair-hours) | 3C Cost Estimation Using Account Analysis (Costs at 360 Repair-Hours. A unit is a repair- hour) Total costs = fixed costs + {variable cost per unit} number of unitsT c = f + {v} x |$10,626 = $6,216 + $12. 25 (360) |$10,626 = $6,216 + $$4,410 | Costs at 520 Repair-Hours Total costs = fixed costs + {variable cost per unit} number of units |Tc = $6,216 + {$12. 25} 520 |Total costs = $6,216 + $ $6,370 |$12,586 = $6,216 + $ $6,370 | Advantage of Account Analysis 1. Managers and accountants are familiar with company operations and the way costs react to changes in activity levels. Disadvantages of Account Analysis 1. Managers and accountants may be biased. 2.Decisions often have major economic consequences for managers and accountants. Learning Objective Four: Estimate costs using statistical analysis. The statistical analysis deals with both random and unusual events is to use several periods o f operation or several locations as the basis for estimating cost relations . We can do this by applying statistical theory, which allows for random events to be separated from the underlying relation between costs and activities. A statistical cost analysis analyzes costs within the relevant range using statistics. Do you remember how we defined relevant range? A relevant range is the range of activity where a cost estimate is valid.The relevant range for cost estimation is usually between the upper and lower limits of past activity levels for which data is available (Lanen, 2008). Example: Overhead Costs for 3C ( Exhibit 5. 2) The following information is used throughout this chapter: Here we have the overhead costs data for 3C for the last 15 months. Let’s use this data to estimate costs using a statistical analysis. |Month |Overhead Costs |Repair-Hours |Month |Overhead Costs |Repair-Hours | |1 |$9,891 |248 |8 |$10,345 |344 | |2 $9,244 |248 |9 |$11,217 |448 | |3 |$13,200 | 480 |10 |$13,269 |544 | |4 |$10,555 |284 |11 |$10,830 |340 | |5 |$9,054 |200 |12 |$12,607 |412 | |6 |$10,662 |380 |13 |$10,871 |384 | |7 |$12,883 |568 |14 |$12,816 |404 | | | | |15 |$8,464 |212 | A. Scattergraph Plot of cost and activity levelsDoes it look like a relationship exists between repair-hours and overhead costs? We will start with a scatter graph. A scatter graph is a plot of cost and activity levels. This gives us a visual representation of costs. Does it look like a relationship exists between repair-hours and overhead cost? We use â€Å"eyeball judgment† to determine the intercept and slope of the line. Now we â€Å"eyeball† the scatter graph to determine the intercept and the slope of a line through the data points. Do you remember graphing our total cost in Chapter 3? Where the total cost line intercepts the horizontal or Y axis represents fixed cost. What we are saying is the intercept equals fixed costs. Also read Current Liabilities and Payroll AccountingThe slope of the line represents the variable cost per unit. So we use â€Å"eyeball judgment† to determine fixed cost and variable cost per unit to arrive at total cost for a given level of activity. As you can imagine, preparing an estimate on the basis of a scatter graph is subject to a high level of error. Consequently, scatter graphs are usually not used as the sole basis for cost estimates but to illustrate the relations between costs and activity and to point out any past data items that might be significantly out of line. B. High-Low Cost Estimation A method to estimate costs based on two cost observations, usually at the highest and lowest activity level.Although the high-low method allows a computation of estimates of the fixed and variable costs, it ignores most of the information available to the analyst. The high-low method uses two data points to estimate costs (Lanen, 2008). Another approach: Equations V = Cost at highest activity – Cost at lowest activity Highest activity – Lowest activity F = Total cost at highest activity level – V (Highest activity) Or F = Total cost at lowest activity level – V (Lowest activity) Let’s put the numbers in the equations | | | |V = $12,883 – $9,054 |V = $10. 0/RH | |568 – 200 | | F = Total cost at highest activity level – V (Highest activity) F = $12,883 – $10. 40 (568), F= $6,976 Or F = Total cost at lowest activity level – V (Lowest activity) F = $9,054 – $10. 40 (200) Rounding Difference C. Statistical Cost Estimation Using Regression Analysis Statistical procedure to determine the relationship between variables High-Low Method: Uses two data points. Regression analysis Regression is a statistical procedure that uses all the data points to estimate costs. [pic] Regression AnalysisRegression statistically measures the relationship between two variables, activities and costs. R egression techniques are designed to generate a line that best fits a set of data points. In addition, regression techniques generate information that helps a manager determine how well the estimated regression equation describes the relations between costs and activities (Lanen, 2008). We recommend that users of regression (1) fully understand the method and its limitations (2) specify the model, that is the hypothesized relation between costs and cost predictors (3) know the characteristics of the data being tested (4) examine a plot of the data .For 3C, repair-hours are the activities, the independent variable or predictor variable. In regression, the independent variable or predictor variable is identified as the X term. An overhead cost is the dependent variable or Y term. What we are saying is; overhead costs are dependent on repair-hours, or predicted by repair-hours. The Regression Equation |Y = a + bX |Y = Intercept + (Slope) X |OH = Fixed costs + (V) Repair-hours | You alr eady know that an estimate for the costs at any given activity level can be computed using the equation TC = F + VX. The regression equation, Y= a + bX represents the cost equation.Y equals the intercept plus the slope times the number of units. When estimating overhead costs for 3C, total overhead costs equals fixed costs plus the variable cost per unit of repair-hours times the number of repair-hours. We leave the description of the computational details and theory to computer and statistics course; we will focus on the use and interpretation of regression estimates. We describe the steps required to obtain regression estimates using Microsoft Excel in Appendix A to this chapter. Learning Objective Five: Interpret the results of regression output. Interpreting Regression [pic] Interpreting regression output allows us to estimate total overhead costs.The intercept of 6,472 is total fixed costs and the coefficient, 12. 52, is the variable cost per repair-hours. Correlation coefficie nt â€Å"R† measures the linear relationship between variables. The closer R is to 1. 0 the closer the points are to the regression line. The closer R is to zero, the poorer the regression line (Lanen, 2008). Coefficient of determination â€Å"R2† The square of the correlation coefficient. The proportion of the variation in the dependent variable (Y) explained by the independent variable(s)(X). T-Statistic The t-statistic is the value of the estimated coefficient, b, divided by its standard error. Generally, if it is over 2, then it is considered significant.If significant, the cost is NOT totally fixed. The significant level of the t-statistics is called the p-value. Continuing to interpret the regression output, the Multiple R is called the correlation coefficient and measures the linear relationship between the independent and dependent variables. R Square, the square of the correlation cost efficient, determines and identifies the proportion of the variation in the dependent variable, in this case, overhead costs, that is explained by the independent variable, in this case, repair-hours. The Multiple R, the correlation coefficient, of . 91 tells us that a linear relationship does exist between repair-hours and overhead costs.The R Square, or coefficient of determination, tells us that 82. 8% of the changes in overhead costs can be explained by changes in repair-hours. Can you use this regression output to estimate overhead costs for 3C at 520 repair-hours? Multiple Regressions Multiple regressions are used when more than one predictor (x) is needed to adequately predict the value (Lanen, 2008). For example, it might lead to more precise results if 3C uses both repair hours and the cost of parts in order to predict the total cost. Let’s look at this example. |Predictors: |X1: Repair-hours |X2: Parts Cost | 3C Cost Information | |Month |Overhead Costs |Repair-Hours ( X1) |Parts ( X2) | |1 |$9,891 |248 |$1,065 | |2 |$9,244 |248 |$1,452 | |3 |$13,200 |480 |$3,500 | |4 |$10,555 |284 |$1,568 | |5 |$9,054 |200 |$1,544 | |6 |$10,662 |380 |$1,222 | |7 |$12,883 |568 |$2,986 | |8 |$10,345 |344 |$1,841 | |9 |$11,217 |448 |$1,654 | |10 |$13,269 |544 |$2,100 | |11 |$10,830 |340 |$1,245 | |12 |$12,607 |412 |$2,700 | |13 |$10,871 |384 |$2,200 | |14 |$12,816 |404 |$3,110 | |15 |$8,464 |212 |$ 752 | In multiple regressions, the Adjusted R Square is the correlation coefficient squared and adjusted for the number of independent variables used to make the estimate. Reading this output tells us that 89% of the changes in overhead costs can be explained by changes in repair-hours and the cost of parts. Remember 82. % of the changes in overhead costs were explained when one independent variable, repair-hours, was used to estimate the costs. Can you use this regression output to estimate overhead costs for 520 repair-hours and $3,500 cost of parts? Learning Objective Six: Identify potential problems with regression data. Implementation P roblems It’s easy to be over confident when interpreting regression output. It all looks so official. But beware of some potential problems with regression data. We already discussed in earlier chapters that costs are curvilinear and cost estimations are only valid within the relevant range. Data may also include outliers and the relationships may be spurious. Let’s talk a bit about each. Curvilinear costs |Outliers |Spurious relations |Assumptions | 1. Curvilinear costs Problem: Attempting to fit a linear model to nonlinear data. Likely to occur near full-capacity. Solution: Define a more limited relevant range (example: from 25 – 75% capacity) or design a nonlinear model. If the cost function is curvilinear, then a linear model contains weaknesses. This generally occurs when the firm is at or near capacity. The leaner cost estimate understates the slope of the cost line in the ranges close capacity. This situation is shown in exhibit 5. 5. 2. Outliers Problem: Outlier moves the regression line.Solution: Prepare a scatter-graph, analyze the graph and eliminate highly unusual observations before running the regression. Because regression calculates the line that best fits the data points, observations that lie a significant distance away from the line could have an overwhelming effect on the regression estimate. Here we see the effect of one significant outlier. The computed regression line is a substantial distance from most of the points. The outlier moves the regression line. Please refer exhibit 5. 6. 3. Spurious or false relations Problem: Using too many variables in the regression. For example, using direct labor to explain materials costs.Although the association is very high, actually both are driven by output. Solution: Carefully analyze each variable and determine the relationship among all elements before using in the regression. 4. Assumptions Problem: If the assumptions in the regression are not satisfied then the regression i s not reliable. Solution: No clear solution. Limit time to help assure costs behavior remains constant, yet this causes the model to be weaker due to less data. Learning Objective Seven: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of alternative cost estimation methods. Statistical Cost Estimation Advantages 1. Reliance on historical data is relatively inexpensive. 2.Computational tools allow for more data to be used than for non-statistical methods. Disadvantages 1. Reliance on historical data may be the only readily available, cost-effective basis for estimating costs. 2. Analysts must be alert to cost-activity changes. Choosing an Estimation Method Each cost estimation method can yield a different estimate of the costs that are likely to result from a particular management decision. This underscores the advantage of using more than one method to arrive at a final estimate. Which method is the best? Management must weigh the cost-benefit related to each method (Lanen, 2008). Estimat ed manufacturing overhead with 520 repair-hours and $3,500 parts costs *.The more sophisticated methods yield more accurate cost estimates than the simple methods. |Account Analysis = $12,586 |High-Low = $12,384 |Regression= $12,982 |Multiple Regression= $13,588* | Data Problems Missing data Outliers Allocated and discretionary costs Inflation Mismatched time periods No matter what method is used to estimate costs, the results are only as good as the data used. Collecting appropriate data is complicated by missing data, outliers, allocated and discretionary costs, inflation and mismatched time periods. Learning Objective Eight: (Appendix A) Use Microsoft Excel to perform a regression analysis. Appendix A: Microsoft as a ToolMany software programs exist to aid in performing regression analysis. In order to use Microsoft Excel, the Analysis Tool Pak must be installed. There are software packages that allow users to easily generate a regression analysis. The analyst must be well school ed in regression in order to determine the meaning of the output! Learning Objective Nine: (Appendix B) Understand the mathematical relationship describing the learning phenomenon. Learning Phenomenon Leaning phenomenon refers to the systematic relationship between the amount of experience in performing a task and the time required to perform it. The learning phenomenon means that the variable costs tend to decrease per unit as the volume increase. Example: | |Unit |Time to Produce |Calculation of Time | |First Unit |100 hours |(assumed) | |Second Unit |80 hours |(80 percent x 100 hours | |Fourth Unit |64 hours |(80 percent x 80 hours | |Eighth Unit |51. hours |(80 percent x 64 hours | |Impact: Causes the unit price to decrease as production increases. This implies a nonlinear model. | Another element that can change the shape of the total cost curve is the notion of a learning phenomenon. As workers become more skilled they are able to produce more output per hour. This will impact the total cost curve since it leads to a lower per unit cost, the higher the output. Chapter 5: END!! COURSE WORK EXERCISE 5-25 – A& B PROBLEM 5-47 -A& B REFERENCES Lanen , N. W. , Anderson ,W. Sh. & Maher ,W. M. ( 2008). Fundamentals of cost accounting. New York : McGraw-Hill Irwin. [pic]