By world War 1 Essay

Introduction World war 1 had a huge impact on peoples live at home. We can see from the sources that I am analysing that all sections of society were affected by the war, men, women and government. The working classes were affected by recruitment and the upper and middle classes were affected because they had to do their own housework. Also peoples standards of living were affected, they had more of a balanced diet and the women found that they had more money because their husbands were at war. I am going to evaluate a number of sources which tell us a lot about what affected peoples lives during the war. I will look at the validity of the sources and the strengths and weaknesses. The topics I will study are Recruitment and Conscription, Politics, Role of Women and Changing Standards attitudes and beliefs. I will start by looking at how Recruitment and Conscription affected peoples lives at home during the war. Recruitment and Conscription. Many people’s lives were affected by the first world war. At the start of the war the government had to try and persuade 1000’s of men to join the war. Source A1 (i) is a Recruitment poster produced by the government in 1914 as part of a Propaganda campaign to get people to sign up and fight in the first world war. The poster features a picture of Lord Kitchener who was the secretary state for the war. This poster is the most famous poster made for the war and it made men feel as if they as an individual was wanted to fight for their country. The idea of the finger pointing and using the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ made the men feel as if the government ‘wants you’ as an individual. The weakness of the poster is the fact that it is propaganda. The poster is basically saying that you must sign up to the war. Source A1 (ii) is a photograph taken outside Southwark Town Hall in London. It was taken during December 1915. The photo is of an ‘Army Recruiting Office’. The people who are queuing in the long lines to sign up all look happy at the prospect of going to war. This seems unusual to me and this could be because the photo may have been staged by the government to make the men think that all other men are signing up so they should sign up too. The fact that this photo could have been staged makes the source unreliable because it is not real. In December 1915, the government were in trouble because they did not have enough men signing up to the war, because at this point people at home were learning of the first major casualties of the war. The men were realising that going to war was not as easy as it first looked. So in December not many people were signing up which makes the site of this many people signing up a rare site at the time. Also if there was so many people signing up, the government would not have had to bring in Conscription. A strength of this source is that it was taken at the time but a weakness is that it could have been staged. Conscription was the compulsory enrolment into the armed forces. In January 1916 the act was passed that unmarried men between the ages of 18 – 41 had to join the armed forces. Then in May 1916 a second act was passed that unmarried men between the ages of 18 – 41 had to join the army. Politics and the war effort The first world war had a big effect on Politics. We can see this in Source B3. Source B3 is a photograph of the new Prime Minister with the new members of the coalition cabinet. The photograph was taken at 10 Downing Street in December 1916. A weakness of the photo is that it maybe propaganda and could well have been staged to make the people at home believe that the government were united through the war. Its strengths are that it was taken at the time. This increases the reliability of the source because it is an actual picture from the time of the war showing that the government was united through the war. Source B4 shows how the first world war affected different Political Parties. The source is written by John Davies on the ‘History of Wales’ in 1993. This source tells us that Labour was becoming more popular through the war as it had no responsibility for how the war came about, but for the Liberal party the war was a disaster because their leader Henry Asquith lost his role of Prime Minister to the Labour leader David Lloyd George. The source says: The strength of this source may be that it was written a long time after the war, so John Davies views would have been based on balanced opinions. A weakness of the source though is that the book is only about Wales. Also it may have been biased to David Lloyd George because he was welsh. The First World War also had an affect on political issues. In December 1917 the house of commons decided to give the vote to 6,000,000 Women over the age of 30. Source B5 (i) is a report from ‘The Daily Sketch’ which shows this. The report tells us that the vote was won by a huge majority of 330 out of 440 votes. It shows the start of a new era for women. The strength of the source is that is an actual report from the time which makes it reliable. Source B5 (ii) is a photo of the 1918 general election when for the first time Women over 30 were allowed to vote. The picture tells us that woman were becoming more independent. The picture source may be reliable is it was taken at the time of the general election. A weakness of the source is that it was taken by the government reassuring men that the women would probably vote the same way as their husbands. Women and Social Change. World War 1 had a massive affect on the way women ran their lives. More women started going to work, fashion changed and they had more money from wages to spend on themselves because the men were away. Source C3 is a poster produced by the government showing people that women are ‘doing their bit’ by making munitions for the men at war. We do not know when the poster was issued but we do know that it was from sometime during the war. The weakness of the poster is that it was propaganda to get more women to work. The strength of it though is that it was from the time. This affects the reliability as because it is from the time we know that it was actually shown to the women during the war. The First World War had an affect on how many Women were employed in different trades. Source C4 is a table of Figures that represent the changes of the amount of women that were employed throughout the war. The table shows the increase in the amount of Women employed in Britain between July 1914 and July 1918. The source may be reliable because they are official Government figures but the numbers are rounded up so we do not know the exact figure. They could have been rounded up to the nearest thousand or the nearest 100 thousand we do not know. A weakness of the source is that it doesn’t tell us what happened after the war. After the war the number of Women employed may have decreased. The amount of money that women had also increased, this may be because their husbands were away, so they did not have to buy for them and also they were working. In Some cases the women were getting paid more than Corporals. We can see this in Source C5. This source was written by a full corporal, H. V. Shawyer in 1916. He says: This source tells us that the women were getting paid more than the men and were also able to spend their money on other people. This source may be reliable as it was written by the person about his experience and also it was written at the time of the war. Changing Standards, Attitudes and Beliefs The impact of the First World War changed people’s standards, attitudes and beliefs. Source D3 is an extract from an article written by A. J. P. Taylor in 1965 about England 1914 – 1918. The extract is about how the war affected the rich. A. J. P Taylor says: ‘At the end of the war, there was a general change of economic outlook. Previously the idle rich had been proud of being idle. Now they were ashamed of it and idleness was becoming more difficult. Domestic servants, for instance, were hard to come by. Their number had been halved during the war. Households which had kept five servants dropped to two; those firmly with two to one; and the rest of the middle class made to do with a daily woman. ‘ This source tell us that people were happy to have servants before the war but now they know what it was like being ‘normal’ they became ashamed of it. The way people used their money changed, instead of using servants they were doing the work themselves. It was more difficult for the rich to get away with doing nothing, because the working class had more better paid jobs to do. The source may be more reliable because it was written a long time after the war and he would have been able to gather more evidence. People would have also been more honest because it was a long time after the war. Source D4 shows how the war affected religion and chapels. The source is from a book by Kenneth O. Morgan called Rebirth of a Nation: Wales 1880 – 1980. It was written in 1981. The emphasis of the book is not actually about the First World War and so the book may have only had a page about the war. Source D4 says: ‘The factors which had weakened the chapels before the war – debt, over-expansion in rural areas and lack of support from non- Welsh speakers and industrial workers became stronger after the war†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Fundamentalist religious belief, barely changed since the chapels were founded. ‘ This source is telling us that the society changed during the war but the chapels didn’t. The source may be reliable because the book was written a long time after the war. This means that Kenneth O. Morgan would have been able to base his book on a lot more evidence than if it was written immediately after the war. A weakness of the extract is that the book is only about how the Welsh chapels changed. People’s Standard of living also changed as a result of the First World War. In an article by a modern historian, Clive Emsley, he said that ‘although the war resulted in the deaths of many thousands, there was an overall improvement in people’s diet and a decline in the death rate. ‘ He also said that ‘Lone wives were able to wages go further’. This source tells us that some people were better off than they’d ever been. Because this article was written in 1996 it makes it more reliable, because he would have been able to base his article on a lot more evidence that came available a long time after the war. Conclusion From studying these sources on recruitment and conscription, politics and the war effort, role of women and changing standards, attitudes and beliefs it can be seen that the war had a massive impact on all sections of society. These changes were sometimes better, financial and Health wise. However as can be seen from Recruitment and conscription, the men had to sign up and a lot were being killed The First World War acted as a catalyst to a change in society. People who had experienced war first hand had their lives change dramatically, however those who were at home e. g. women and children, also experienced fundamental change in many aspects of their lives.

Five-fore analysis of B2C industry and Amazon’s market valuation Essay

Amazon is an American commerce company that sells electronic products and used for business-to-customer (B2C) transactions. It began its business as an online bookstore, and is developing to selling many other electronic innovations. Five-force Analysis of B2C industry i) Threat of New Entry Nowadays, Internet is becoming more popular and it is a simple step to develop business and company structure online in a short period of time. Setting up business online is yet simple but practical, companies can make good use of the advantages to create incredible results for its own companies. With inexpensive set-up cost and capital requirements, it is easy to attract new entries into this market. Especially for some products which already have real products and resources, they can use their existing materials and expand the business to online. All these can proof that it is an easy market to enter and the threat of new entry to B2C industry is high. ii) Bargaining Power of Suppliers Since there are many publishers in the market, substitutes are available and B2C industry faces only low switching costs when it changes suppliers. Since there are no physical stores in B2C industry, changing suppliers does not matter for them to continue their business. Besides, most of the customers go to online retailing websites to compare some products with similar functions but not a certain brand, so those retail companies do not think that the input offers by their suppliers are necessary to affect the sales. Moreover, usually B2C companies would order large volume of purchase, so suppliers treat them as important customers. Because of these, the bargaining power of its suppliers is low. iii) Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers of B2C industry is medium. As there is a large availability of products with limited difference from its competitors, consumers will have higher power to switch to other competitors easily. Also, when people change to other companies, they do not involve high cost  to enjoy similar products or services. However, when people purchase online, they usually purchase in a low volume, this may lower the bargaining power of buyers. Apart from this, usually the bargaining power is really high when people are concentrated and there are only few of them. Yet, there is large number of buyers in this market and mostly, people are scattered in different time and locations to buy online. iv) Threats of Substitute Products or Services Although there are many substitutes to replace each company in the B2C industry, and consumers have low switching cost to the substitutes, the threat of substitutes of B2C is high. Even in the online platform, there are many different companies for customers to choose. Not only the substitutes sold online, substitutes sold in physical stores can also increase the threats of the substitutes. In addition, when customers can find some online shops which sell products with lower price, customers would shift to those shops since they would think that they can purchase products with similar quality even the prices are different. iv) Rivalry Among Existing Competitors The rivalry among the existing firms in this market is high. Though there are only few major commerce companies in this field and have been existing for a long time, the market is still competitive. With the development of advanced technology and wide spread of Internet application, there is high growth rate of e-commerce industry and this will increase the competition of this industry. Value Chain of Amazon Value chain can be divided into nine activities and each of them can affect the revenue of company. i) Inbound Logistics Amazon can gather information of customers’ experiences efficiently as it highly reduced returns to its suppliers. ii) Operations As it has 24hour warehouse, its easy and fast operation and system can meet high demand of customers. iii) Outbound Logistics Amazon has the ability to sum up orders bounds for some locations. iv) Marketing & Sales Since the delivery is only based on single transaction, the delivery is free and it reduces the price of some suggested products. v) Firm Infrastructure With a single platform, Amazon has a strong technological infrastructure to help the management of the company. vi) Human Resources Management Amazon put a greater force on human resources management. It hired trained professionals to work for the company to help its development. vii) Technology Development Amazon has high investment in technology development such as Kindle to support daily operations and growth. viii) Procurement Amazon can purchase raw materials or useful products from the supplier at a low price which can help reduce the production cost. ix) Service Amazon has a policy of free returns within 30 days, which allows people to make a possible change of the products after purchase. From the above information, I do think that Amazon can outperform and operation efficiently in this market since its development is all-round and can meet market needs. Marketing Valuation of Amazon As using NASDAQ as an indicator for the performance of online retailing industry, the stock value of Amazon.com has an increasing rate much higher than that of NASDAQ. It means that Amazon perform outstandingly in this industry for many activities. From the results in the part mentioned above, Amazon has such a stock price is proper as it really can adapt the market situation and can outperform its competitors. References ( 2012 , 8) .Value Chain Analysis Of Amazon Researchomatic .Retrieved 8 , 2012, from http://www.researchomatic.com/essay/Value-Chain-Analysis-Of-Amazon-145094.aspx http://www.ftsmodules.com/public/texts/valuationtutor/VTchp3/topic4/topic4.htm http://www.strategy-business.com/article/10479?gko=7b809 http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=%5eIXIC+Interactive#symbol=%5eixic%3brange=20001122%2c20131122%3bcompare=%3bindicator=volume%3bcharttype=area%3bcrosshair=on%3bohlcvalues=0%3blogscale=off%3bsource=undefined http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=AMZN+Interactive#symbol=amzn%3brange=20030101%2c20131118%3bcompare=%3bindicator=volume%3bcharttype=area%3bcrosshair=on%3bohlcvalues=0%3blogscale=off%3bsource=undefined

The Ways Of Competitive Advantage Development Assignment

The Ways Of Competitive Advantage Development - Assignment Example The government through its trade and finance departments play a significant role in making sure all SMEs obtain relevant information about the orientations. In addition, commercial banks, investment banks, and other financial institutions help the enterprises through the provision of credit facilities and guidance on feasible investment destinations (Reijonen 2012). The most significant aspect of orientation is developing a comprehensible understanding of how SMEs perceive and put the concept of marketing into practice. The practices of SMEs will determine their distinctive size, industry or even the crop of customers. Enterprises have adopted unique policies and practices that have to ensure their stability or growth. Bad decisions have resulted to decline in the performance of certain SMEs. However, the government plays important role in the process of ensuring all SMEs have equal opportunities to expand if they have attained all legal formalities. Market orientation is a business approach whose focus is to identify and meet the affirmed wants or needs of prospective customers. According to the philosophy of market orientation, all SMEs must create strategies and policies that are in consensus with the changing demands and expectations of consumers within its niche in the market. These enterprises are vital to the process of driving innovation and competition not only in the US but also in the world at large. They are arguably the backbone of major economies of the world, US included.... According to the philosophy of market orientation, all SMEs must create strategies and policies that are in consensus with the changing demands and expectations of consumers within its niche in the market (Porter & Kramer 62). These enterprises are vital to the process of driving innovation and competition not only in the US but also in the world at large. They are arguably the backbone of major economies of the world, US included. The enterprises provide the biggest chunk of employment opportunities to Americans (Porter & Kramer 2011). Besides, they account for the largest group of exporters in the US and largely rely on imported goods for production processes. The market outlook compliments the market orientation towards examining and resolving poor performance in the past, consumer demand, existing economic aspects, and business opinion. Interactions between market orientation and brand orientation will either promote or derail the competitive advantage of SMEs (Porter & Kramer 20 11). The brand orientation is identity-driven and always views the brand as the hub for a business organization together with its strategy. For enterprises whose major concern is brand orientation, it is inevitable to design brands that excel in the market against competitor’s which then appear less superior (Porter & Kramer 2011). Brand orientation is a costly process since it demands extensive and all-inclusive consultations. In contrast, market orientation is image-driven. The image of an organization will determine whether it is marketable and has incredible niche in the highly competitive market. Over the past few decades, brand orientation and market orientation appeared to have diverse strategic options. However, the perception has changed over the

Integrated Enterprise System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Integrated Enterprise System - Essay Example There are various benefits that are associated with the implementation of ERP system by a business, which include improved network management, enhanced resource sharing, improved data accessibility and reduced infrastructural costs (Ray, 2011 p544). The implementation of ERP may take several models, which could be the workflow ERP implementation model that focuses majorly on the improvement of the channels through which information flows within an organization, or the partial ERP implementation model, which seeks to fix the areas of weakness in the information management system of a business, while retaining some of the traditional methods and approaches to information management, at the expense of overhauling the whole system (Glenn, 2008 p82). The successful implementation of the ERP system requires adherence to certain critical success factors, such as the top management commitment, selection of a competent project and technical team, as well as clear budgeting and goal setting. N evertheless, there are some factors that accounts for some companies tending to successfully implement ERP, while others experience failure. Such factors include the corporate culture of different organizations, inadequate training and the failure to plan properly and set realistic objectives by some organizations (Lam, 2007 p63). Table of Contents Clear budgeting and goal setting 6 Constituting a good team 6 Change management 7 Business process re-engineering 8 ERP implementation models 8 Workflow model 8 Partial implementation model 10 Why some companies tend to successfully implement ERP while others experience failure 11 Inadequate training 11 Corporate culture 12 Inadequate planning, budgeting and unrealistic expectations 12 The benefits of deploying ERP systems 13 Improved data accessibility 13 Saving on infrastructure costs 13 Resource sharing 14 Improved network management 14 Conclusion 14 Appendix 15 References 17 Introduction Information is the fundamental resource for any successful business, considering that it is through the access and use of the available information regarding the product, the customers’ needs, markets, the suppliers and the competitors, that a business is able to strategize its operations, so that the operations will suit into the existing business environment, and thus allow the business to thrive and overcome the challenges posed by the business environment, as well as the competitive forces. The modern business environment has become increasingly competitive, owing to the advancement in technologies, changing customer needs and preferences, stringent legal requirements controlling the business environment, as well as the improved modern infrastructure that allows for easier accessibility to products and services (Leon, 2008 p57). Therefore, the modern business strategies are focused on surviving in the face of stiff competition, through the application of information as the main business resource to meets the needs of the customers, while also fitting into the current business environment. This necessitates the need for a suitable information management system, which allows the business to operate smoothly internally, while also relating productively with the external business environment. It is this need that has seen the emergence and dominance of the

Changes brought on by blogging and social media on public relations Research Paper

Changes brought on by blogging and social media on public relations - Research Paper Example Public Relations (PR) is the act of managing the informational flow that occurs between a business/company or organization and the public (Stuart, 2012). It is an essential part of business operations, and any successful company requires this part of business in order to maintain a relationship with its target market which in this case can be referred to as the audience. The introduction of blogging to the business world has affected the public relations sector in a number of ways, and it can be said that it has become an essential factor in this part of business as its popularity has continued to rise over the years (Fraser, 2007). Companies have developed the need to integrate blogs and blogging into their PR system as its growth has made it a medium of importance. There are various changes that have been brought on by blogging on Public relations as it has affected various areas related to this practice. Some of these areas and the changes that have been to them include: Communication can be said to be the sector that has been mostly affected by the introduction of blogging to Public Relations. The mode of communication has developed as a result of the introduction of blogs to the internet as the traditional methods can be said to have been surpassed as a result of this new activity (Bruns & Jacobs, 2006). Whereas in the past most companies depended on the more traditional mediums such as TV, Radio and Print media to pass on their information to the public, the introduction of blogs has brought on a new trend where these mediums are no longer a necessity for those organizations who may wish to pass on certain information to the public (Fraser, 2007). The internet has spread throughout the world like wild fire, and as a result there is a large demographic population that have turned to the World Wide Web as a source of information thus

Pictures of Everyday Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pictures of Everyday Life - Essay Example Generally speaking, the following represents human culture-- stories, beliefs, media, ideas, and works of art, religious practices, fashions, rituals, specialized knowledge, and common sense (Butler 1-23). However, so as to comprehend fully people's relationships with each other and to social establishments, it is vital to understand the structure of society. Fundamentally, people define themselves in terms of cultures and societies and employ these characterizations as determinants of social interface, groups and organizations and deviant behavior. A classic definition, depicts culture as "the totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects, and behavior; likewise, it includes the ideas, values, customs, and artifacts of groups of people" (Schaeffer 51). However, patterns of culture per se do not offer an unambiguous perception and understanding of the idea of culture; as it is, culture is a lot more than just the object or behavior. Basically, culture also deals with standards, principles, viewpoints, or significant representations. Approximately, standards are actually the way people conduct themselves in a given society, principles are what they consider as cherished opinions, beliefs are how people think the whole world operates, and significant representations are symbols, usually representing social norms, values, and beliefs themselves (Matthew 3). Going back to the restaurant scenario, a serious observer can now begin to contemplate and ponder on questions like -- what is the structure of this particular society in its entirety Or what are its constituents and the relationships between elements What is the significance of change Where does this social order stand in the accounts of human history What will it give to make the meaning of humanity more evocative and consequential More importantly, what are its crucial facets and how do they vary from those of times past gone What types of men and women now prevail in this civilization and in this epoch If we try to seize the different "behavioral landscapes" in that restaurant and let them "freeze" for a moment, then perhaps "photography" can be used to briefly capture the sociology of everyday life. By taking photographs of societal circumstances and by construing existing photographic images, significant "meanings" can be had, the kind of understanding that is not commonly obtained in most situations. At the outset, it elevates people's sensitivities and their process of forming insights to social circumstances because now, passive seeing has been substituted - passive seeing is when countless muddled and frenzied notions fleetingly drift before people's very eyes -- but by

Organisation and management coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organisation and management coursework - Essay Example The term hierarchical control defines the control which moves down from the top management’s control over to the bottom line workers of the company. There are several management levels which are decided and organized in order to create a more comprehensible organizational structure. Managers at each management level have control over the employees who are working directly under their surveillance. Organizations normally design organizational charts to show the structure of the organization, levels of management and easy structure of the employees working under the control of each manager (Reyazuddin 2010; Stokes 2002; Sisk 1973). Hierarchal Control Businesses are aimed to maximize the wealth of the shareholders. To pursue this goal the business activities are divided and the control is also spitted up to ensure that the work performance at each level of management is up to the standards. The hierarchical control enable the organization to improve the efficiency of the business ’s overall performance as the manager at each level of management is responsible and answerable for the performance of his division or workers working under his control. In order to improve his/her performance, managers put their best efforts to improve the work efficiency and quality at their level. Their efforts may be biased and may be aimed at the achievement of their personal interests but the result of those efforts, normally, helps in improving the business’s efficiency. Hence, we may say that hierarchical control helps organizations in achieving their major aim of maximizing profits i.e. by improving efficiency and quality of work. Hierarchical control provides the basis of coordination between employees. A number of people are involved in the running of the business. There is a need to control the operations of the business and control the operating activities that are performed by different individuals. The hierarchical control helps in identifying the place, position and responsibilities of each individual. The hierarchical chart provides the basic understanding of who is responsible for a particular work and to whom is that individual accountable. Hierarchical control plays a vital role in keeping the organization knitted and its operations controlled. The hierarchical management is provided fixed tasks and targets at each level. The work of one department, normally, does not interrupt the work of the other. The organizations operations are, hence, carried out more effectively. However, lack of communication in such organizational structures may end up creating difficulties at each level. The over/under production by one department may end up creating confusing and problematic situations for the other and so on (Stokes 2002). Hierarchical Control requires the managers to analyze and influence the performance of the employees working under their control. In order to improve the performance of their division or sector, managers tend to rely extensively on reward systems, motivational techniques, delegation of authority, exhaustive rules and policies and other attractive offers for the employees to improve their work quality. These offers and schemes are sometimes beneficial for the organizations in the short run. However, such schemes bring more benefit for the manager who is responsible for a particular task or division. His immediate attention and offers motivate the workers to perform their task efficiently and as accurately as the manager requires.

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

Business Law-Tort - Essay Example A tort is a legal wrong, and in this case the legal wrong is nothing being done to prevent an accident from happening on the job. It is a company's responsibility to ensure the safety of employees. Kofsy may not of been a direct employee, but he did deliver items to this place of business. He has as much legal rights as an employee as well as patients and visitors to the hospital. What would of happened if a patient wandered out there or a visitor got lost, and tripped and fell down because of that crack That is an endangerment to anyone who comes in contact with that area. Pat Seiple had Kofsy bringing that bed off of the truck to show him the difficulty he was having, and what could possibly happen if he used the steel plate. Technically, knowing that this could injure himself, he shouldn't have done it or at least not done it without help. Pat Seipe had refused to help due to company policies. Kofsy still attempted to bring the bed off of the truck with and without the steel plate, and then when it got stuck he struggled to get it out resulting in his own injury. Who is at fault A tort law helps distinguish who is at fault, and who is responsible for the damages. This case here is considered an unintentional tort due to negligence. The tort law helps focus on the consequences on this accident. First what needs to be determined is whether this case is a 'fault' liability (the plaintiff's fault), or a 'strict' liability (the defendant or both are at fault). In this situation, it seems to me that both are at fault here. Due to the fact that this area was not repaired so deliveries could be made without injuries or damages, and to the fact that Kofsy could of refused to move the bed after it got stuck. He had informed Pat that it would get stuck with the steel plate, and he went ahead to prove it to him. He could of refused knowing what would have happened, and someone could have seriously got hurt. However, it is still the company's responsibility to provide a safe atmosphere for all. This misfortune incurred costs to Kofsy, and it now has to be decided on who is responsible for them. The tort law was developed to allow victims the opportunity to shift the costs that befall them to others. It provides an avenue of redress, but not a guarantee of recovery. The law states, "A's wrong must be the proximate cause of B's harm." (Coleman, Oct. 20, 2003) In other words, it was the hospital's wrong causing Kofsy's harm. Therefore this case would fall under a tort. Under the principle of corrective justice, it is stated, "An individual who has wronged another has the duty to repair the wrongful losses occasioned." (Coleman, 2003) Due to the negligence of repairs, Kofsy has suffered from his injuries, accumulated hospital bills, and lost money from being out of work. Is this area repaired though to prevent future accidents All of this could have been prevented if both parties took safety measures. However, this isn't the case here. We now have to decide on how Kofsy will be compensated if at all. Tort 3 Even though his actions caused this injury by struggling to remove the bed from being stuck by himself, the company still should have had this fixed prior to avoid any injuries. It is not like Kofsy didn't let anyone aware of the damage at the hospital. It should have been fixed right away leaving the discussion of the subject and demonstration out of it. The company should be responsible for all medical bills incurring from what

Radio and the Music Industry Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 15750 words

Radio and the Music Industry - Dissertation Example During the mid to late 1880’s numerous inventors including Edison, Berliner, and Bell were experimenting with a new invention called the gramophone.   By 1889 Edward Easton opened the Colombia Phonograph Company.   The recording industry was in its infancy.   The first recording Easton made was John Philip Sousa directing the United States Marine Corp Band that same year.   During this time, Marconi and his company made many advances during the next several years including: erecting the first commercial radio station in 1898 on Rathlin Island off the coast of Ireland. (â€Å"Brief History† â€Å"Pre 1900† 2004, screen 2).   In 1893 Emile Berliner made major breakthroughs with the phonograph.   His company, the U. S. Gramophone company the following year sold 1,000 of the machines, most crank type although a few were motorized.   The same year he discovered that shellac worked much better than what had been used for producing ‘records’, which until that time was a hard rubber.   In 1894 Guglielmo Marconi having heard about recent development with sound waves made the first successful radio transmission from his home, a distance of just over one mile.   The following year he travelled to England and received a patent for his â€Å"wireless† telegraphy.   By 1896, â€Å"Eldridge Johnson improved the gramophone with a motor designed by Levi Montross and his own patent 601,198 filed Aug. 19, 1897, for a simple and inexpensive machine that became the most popular disc phonograph by 1900; he then merged his Consolidated Talking Machine Co. with Berliner's company.

Subculture - Geekdom Essay Example for Free

Subculture Geekdom Essay Today’s society evidently shows that â€Å"geekdom† still exists at large in our culture. Based on how the word â€Å"geek† is being used to describe a particular person, it obviously has a positive implication. What was once considered as something that is less than normal by the society has become a means to boost someone’s morale. How does one distinguish a true geek from someone who is just pretending to be one? The former acts and does things in a normal manner simply because that is the kind of person he is. On the other hand, the latter, since he is just trying to pretend that he fits the description, does things in such a way wherein his true self is manifested and not what he is pretending to be. 2. Fandom I could say, â€Å"Yes, I am a huge fan of something†. Like many people, I have my reasons for being one. My liking for this particular thing does not mean, however, that I would be willing to give up other things for its sake. Although the feeling of satisfaction is there, it does not reach the point wherein the admiration turns into obsession. Some people base the manner of achieving success on how those whom they admire were able to achieve it. I, personally, do not let the very thing that I admire or truly like to become the reason for my frustration in life. I see to it that it will serve as an inspiration to me in seeking or achieving my goals. 3. Metal Metal does not necessarily imply masculinity. Both male and female artists engage in this type of music. In my opinion, it is just an expression of the feelings of an artist. Metal is neither shocking nor horrifying, but rather it is as form of art. It reflects the personality of the artist or what he is trying to portray or what he wants the audience to know about himself or his music. Metal, I believe is being given an unpleasant image by those who do not accept or appreciate it. It does not deliberately attempt to scare those who already have a bad impression on it, but rather it is trying to add some spice in the world of music. 4. Emo Although the word â€Å"emo† is used to be popularly known in the music world, its meaning underwent a transformation – just like a prehistoric organism whose exact origin is unknown, evolved into a more complicated species. The young generation needs to have a sense of belongingness. They want to be appreciated by their chosen crowd. I believe, that the present-day â€Å"emo† is today’s generation’s a means of reinventing yesterday’s fads and crazes. The principle being used here may be compared to the principle used when we are recycling materials in order to create new useful things. The original substance still exists even though the form of the object has been changed. It is the same thing with â€Å"emo†; the essence is preserved but with a different implication. 5. Hello Kitty. There is a child in each and every one of us. Every one of us wants to feel carefree every once in a while. The â€Å"Hello Kitty† in the photo suggests child-likeness and light-heartedness of a person living in a worriless environment. The photo of a young woman – obviously a mother – depicts a pleasant atmosphere. Her Hello Kitty collection indicates that she is the type of person who makes time for herself despite her hectic schedule, her duties and her responsibilities to her family, particularly to her child. It is a wonderful feeling to be young at heart. It takes someone away from the chaos of the world and the problems that are brought about by various elements which compose a particular society. A grown-up does not have to feel old. A mature person understands and knows how to find time for himself without neglecting his obligations to the people surrounding him. A wise person who has learned quite a lot from experiences is aware that being carefree is not at all synonymous to being irresponsible. Lai, Adrienne. Towards critical understanding of Asian cute culture. 149-151.

Business Strategy Of Wal Mart In Japan

Business Strategy Of Wal Mart In Japan Globalisation is described as a process of world wide integration of culture, technology, social, political and economic factors. It is all about the creation of a world unified market and this can be observed with the growing levels of global trade (Luthans and Doh, 2009). Globalisation is evident in the shift of Multinational companies (MNCs) and economies from a world of isolation as a result of trade barriers to a world of reduced trade barriers and more inter related businesses and economies (Hill, 2009). MNCs now, expand from both developed countries, developing countries and emerging countries and vice-versa. There is therefore increasing competition among nations (The Economist, 2008). The global expansion of businesses over the years into different international markets have helped these businesses to increase their sales, competitiveness, reduce their cost of production and expand out of their saturated home markets (Root, 1994; Hill, 2009; Daniels et al., 2009). Retailers are not exceptions to this global expansion. This article will evaluate the internationalisation strategy of Wal-mart in Japan. Wal-Marts internalisation strategy in Japan is of particular interest because it recently pulled out of two of its international markets; Germany and South Korea. Its success in Japan is still questionable especially as Japan has proven to be a difficult market for many foreign retailers. International companies such as Carrefour, Boots have pulled out from the Japanese market after facing business challenges (Luthans and Doh, 2006). The literature review will analyse the Integration- responsiveness I-R framework as well as culture. These frameworks will be used for the evaluation of Wal-marts internationalisation strategy into the Japanese market in comparison with its international competitor Tesco Plc. The use of these two frameworks is to show the extent to which Wal-marts strategy responds towards Japanese local tastes and preferences in achieving a successful internationalisation. Conclusions and recommendations will be drawn from this analysis. BACKGROUND OF WAL-MART Wal-mart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton and opened its first discount store in Rogers Ark, USA. In 1969, the company incorporated to become Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-mart stores feature general merchandise such as electronics, clothing, and home appliances. It also has complete groceries units. The company employs more than 2.1 million associates, serving more than 176 million customers a year. In 2009, it ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazines Most Admired Companies survey and is also the largest retailer in the world (Wal-mart, 2009). As a result of the saturation of the American retail market, Wal-mart started its international expansion into foreign markets in the 1990s first into Mexico and subsequently expanded into thirteen other countries including Japan China, Canada and Great Britain (Wal-Mart, 2009; Hill, 2009). Today it has about 8,424 stores and club locations. The companys most successful foreign venture is in its Mexican market (Hill, 2009). This is as a result of the fact that they adjusted their international strategy to meet local demands. Their everyday low price strategy was also successful in Mexico which is a developing country. However, these strategies are not always welcomed by consumers as revealed in their German and Korean market expansions where they failed and had to pull out. Wal-Mart is still struggling to succeed in the Japanese market where it has already invested $1 billion (USD) (BBC, 2007). Nevertheless, Wal-marts international expansions of Wal-Mart has allowed it to develop economies of scale, increase Its customer base and develop more ideas such as their new shop layout (Hill, 2009; Wal-mart, 2009). LITERATURE REVIEW INTEGRATION-RESPONSIVENESS(I-R) FRAMEWORK According to Prahalad and Doz (1987, p.18) the Integration-Responsiveness (I-R) framework is a way of capturing the pressures on a given business . This framework is based on the pressures for global integration and local responsiveness on a business as perceived by the managers of the company (Rugman, 2002). Pressures for global integration are industry forces which drives companies into the standardisation of their products, policies and procedures in order to reduce their cost of operations across national boundaries while pressures for local responsiveness are forces which drive businesses into being locally sensitive to differences in culture, preferences, tastes, and general behaviour of each international market in their internationalisation strategies (Rugman, 2002; Daniel et al., 2009; Luthans and Doh, 2009). According to Luthans and Doh (2009), the understanding of culture and its diversity is important to an international companys successful internationalisation in any country. This is because it impacts upon work force attitudes, managerial ideology, technological transfers, business customs and practices as well as consumer behaviours. The I-R framework was developed by Prahalad and Doz in 1987. They classified international strategies into Global strategy (global integrated, centralised management and move for cost reduction), Multi-focal strategy (an integration of global coordination and local responsiveness) and locally responsive strategy (customised and localised product and services). The adoption of any of these strategies is dependent on the dominant pressure on an MNC as well as its main focus which could be cost reduction or customer satisfaction. Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) further developed this framework and classified MNC strategies into four categories which can be compared with that of Prahalad and Doz. Their four strategic classifications are: Global strategy, International strategy, Transnational and Multi domestic strategy. Companies with global strategy (high Integration- low Responsiveness) focus on standardization and cost reduction with tight global control, those with International strategy (Low Integration-Low Responsiveness) usually introduce their existing competence and expertise into the new market while Transnational companies (High Integration and High Responsiveness) are flexible and integrate equal levels of global integration and local responsiveness into their business. The multi-domestic companies on the other hand (low Integration and High Responsiveness) respond more towards product customisation (Daniel et al 2009). It is however worthy to note that the adoption of one strategy may lead to the negl ecting another. Figure 1, shows the diagrammatic representation of the strategic classifications by both authors. CULTURE The understanding of culture and its impact on international market expansion is imperative to the success an MNCs strategy in a foreign country (Luthans and Doh, 2009). The degree of pressure for local responsiveness is reflective of the degree of influence of culture upon consumers. Differences in cultural match between companies and employees or consumers can often result to struggle for success in an international market (Holstein, 2007). Hofstede (1980, p.21), defined culture as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another. Just as personality defines the identity of an individual, culture defines the identity of a group. According to Luthans and Doh 2009 p.96, culture is the acquired knowledge that people use to interpret, experience and generate social behaviour. This acquired knowledge often manifest into peoples attitude, values, behaviours and general ways of life. Many researchers have argued that culture can be lea rned, shared, symbolised, patterned, adapted and transgenerationalised. Hill (2009) further argues that values and norms form the basis of a culture. These values could be attributed to collective responsibility, social obligations, loyalty and so on and are often times emotionally important to the group. Norms on the other hand are social codes of conducts which dictate peoples behaviour towards each other. The Japanese for instance, can be seen as a group of people with similar values and norms and related culture. Several researchers have studied cultural differences and its impact on different national behaviours. Hall (1973, 7976) cited in Paliwoda and Ryans (2008), categorised culture into High and Low context. High context cultures like Japanese and Arabic, prefer implicit or unspoken messages and slow business discussions with emphasis on personal relationship and trust while Low context cultures like North America, United Kingdom, Germany prefer explicit, written or spoken messages with more emphasis on expertise, performance and efficiency. Hofstede (1980) undertook a study of the impact of culture on values in a workplace. He categorised culture into four main dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism -collectivism and masculinity-feminity. A fifth one confucian dynaminism also referred to as long term or short term orientation was later developed. Power distance shows the extent to which people perceive inequality. High power distance nations (cultures) emphasise on the inequality of power, its workforce follow their superiors orders while low power nations or cultures minimise this inequality to minimum thus the work force follow superiors orders as a procedural requirement. Uncertainty avoidance on the other hand is the extent to which cultures avoid uncertainty. High uncertainty avoidance cultures shy away from risks, while low uncertainty avoidance cultures see risk as a part of life. Individualism versus collectivism is the degree to which people look after themselves as individuals or work in groups. Masculinity is often compared with feminity. Cultures with emphasis on success, money were referred as more masculine by Hosftede while a culture with emphasis on quality of life and caring for people are seen as feminist ( Hill,2009; Luthans and Doh,2009). The table below shows the Work-related values for 5 countries adapted from Hofstedes study. In as much as Hofstedes work is well accepted and has provided the basic characterisation of different cultural or national groups, these are not definite because culture cannot be easily classified and also culture is gradually changing with the increase in globalisation and integration of the world at large (Luthans and Doh, 2009). WAL-MARTS EXPANSION INTO JAPAN. Wal-Mart initially made a failed entry into Japan in the mid 1990s when it entered the market through selling its products in local supermarkets, however sales were disappointing (Yoffie and Wang, 2002). The initial failure could be associated to slow market drive by the local super markets as Wal-mart had little or no control over them. This can be seen as a major disadvantage of indirect exporting (Root 1994). However, in 2002 Wal-mart made a second attempt into Japan (BBC, 2006). Japan is one of the wealthiest and developed economies in the world. It has the second largest consumer market (Haddock-Fraser et al., 2009). Wal-marts entry into Japan was through partnership with Seiyu Ltd which is Japans fifth largest hypermarket and was in financial distress at that time (Yoffie and Wang, 2002). It was a deal which was done in phases as agreed by both parties. Wal-mart was to initially acquire 6.1% of Seiyu shares and gradually increase its stake by acquiring up to 67% of Seiyu in 200 7 (Yoffie and Wang, 2002). Sumitomo Corp a leading trading company in Japan also had a 15.6% stake of Seiyu (Luthans and Doh, 2009). In 2005, Wal-mart increased its acquisition stake making Seiyu a Wal-mart subsidiary and increasing Wal-marts control over Seiyu. In 2007, Wal-marts stake was again increased to 95.1% (Wal-mart, 2009). This partnership deal was meant to help Wal-mart minimise its risk of internationalising in Japan where there is strong domestic competition, price wars and strong suppliers and also help its entry and expansion in the market (Yoffie and Wang, 2002; Luthans and Doh, 2009). ANALYSIS OF WAL-MARTS STRATEGY IN JAPAN. Companies like Wal-mart, adopt international strategy for global expansion as suggested by Bartlett and Goshal because they have core competences which they can capitalise upon especially if its difficult for their rivals to match them. Companies with International strategy have important part of their value chain such as decision making, expertise, new products and international operations being controlled or decided from their headquarters. However such centralised decision making can often impede upon the abilities of the subsidiaries to respond to local demands (Hill, 2006; Daniel et al., 2009). Wal-mart has a cost efficient operating system with an expense structure that is among the lowest in the industry (Shah et al, 2005). Its price of food was estimated to be 20% lower than its competitors in the United States (Yoffie and Wang, 2002). Wal-mart is therefore trying to replicate this successful American strategy and core competence of Everyday Low Price (EDLP) in the Japanese international market. Though this strategy has been success in some of its international markets such as Mexico and China, the results in Germany and Korea were so poor that Wal-mart withdrew from those countries in 2006. Once again the success of this strategy is still questionable in Japan. Japanese consumers associate low price with low quality as they are willing to pay high price for high quality products (Holstein, 2007; Strategic Direction, 2008; Boyle, 2009). The perception of customers towards low price signifying low quality is particularly high in its clothing segment (Brunn, 2006). This low price strategy was adopted by Wal-Mart in its entry into Japan in 2002, especially because it was at a time when the country was just emerging from a prolonged recession and consumer income was low (Luthans and Doh, 2009). In order to erase this image of Low Price signifying Low Quality from the minds of their customers, Wal-Mart has introduced, more expensive products for the customer segment that prefers high cost while still maintaining some low cost variants. For example, it has jeans for $10 and $ 35 option as well (Business Week, 2005) this however may further confuse its customers who may not understand the basis for such price disparity. Japan is a country with a high context society and collectivistic way of life (Paliwoda and Ryans, 2008). They have strong ties to families and groups and great emphasis for quality and prestige (Hofstede, 1980). As a result of these strong social ties, Wal-Marts sacking of 25% of Seiyus work force including 1500 managers and employees in 2004, was wrongly perceived by the Japanese people. Wal-mart opens its stores for 24 hours a day, this is seen as stressful by the employees and generally seen as an infiltration of the American culture into Japan. Its introduction of American, Canadian and British managers who act on headquarters decisions rather than employing Japanese managers who understand the market better further portrayed them in a negative light to both the employees and the general public. This consequently led to the loss of some of its customers (Holstein, 2007; Strategic Direction, 2008). Another core competence which Wal-mart introduced into Japan is its technology-focused inventory replenishment system which is linked to their suppliers. It helps them monitor and manage their inventories. However, because the Japanese people prefer personal interaction when doing business (Hofstede,1980), the implementation of this Information technology strategy has not been easy, especially as Japan has several layers of distribution network which are closely networked and difficult to penetrate. It thus makes high volume discounting difficult and merchandising more expensive (Brunn, 2006; Holstein, 2007). Wal-Mart is however trying to eliminate the middle-man in order to successfully implement its low price strategy (Luthan and Doh, 2009). Wal-marts response to local tastes, preferences and general way of life is perceived as low in its international strategy as It tends to implement its competences into international markets with little considerations to what the local demands, preferences, expectations are and this has led to its struggle to survive in Japan (Brunn, 2006). Comparing Wal-mart with Tesco Plc in Japan, the following differences can be drawn from their strategy. Tesco Plc which is the biggest retailer in the United Kingdom entered Japan in 2003 through the acquisition of a domestic retailer just as Wal-Mart did. While Wal-mart acquired Seiyu which is a hypermarket, Tesco Plc acquired C Two-Network stores which has small discount supermarket stores (Tesco, 2009). Haddock-Fraser et al., (2009) have argued that large supermarket (hypermarkets) of the western cultures are not viable in Japan, rather small supermarkets, convenience stores with fresh and quality products are preferred by the Japanese consumers. Thus the strategic move of acquiring a discount supermarket chain by Tesco was aimed at meeting the local demand of the Japanese consumers who prefer to shop daily for fresh food in small quantities with convenience. This shopping behaviour makes them to patronise convenience stores and discount supermarkets which are more accessible than out of town hypermarkets. Tesco, with its small store format, experienced overall sales growth in 2006 unlike Wal-mart which has been making loss for four years (Haddock-Fraser et al., 2009). Upon acquiring C Two-Network, Tesco retained the management team of the company to oversee its operations in Japan, because Tesco realised that these managers have better understanding of the Japanese employees, consumers and suppliers (Food and Drink, 2003). Japan, being a country with high collective behaviours, (Holfstede, 1980) perceived this as a good move. Tesco Plc tries to localise its products and services in each of their international markets, recognising that each market has unique preferences. This higher degree of local responsiveness in their international markets emphasises the reason why Tesco retains its foreign managers and limits its control from headquarters (Tesco, 2009). Figures 3 and 4 below further shows the differences in the sales contribution of the international markets to the total revenue of both companies. Wal-Marts international markets contributed 24.6% of the companys 2009 financial income while Tesco Plc has 53% of its 2009 financial income being generated by its foreign markets with Asia alone generating 30% of this value. It can, therefore, be concluded that Tescos response to local responsiveness has a positive impact on their financial performance internationally. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Wal-Mart is very successful in its domestic market and also some foreign markets such as China and Mexico where it had to adjust its strategy in order to respond better to local pressures. It is therefore recommended that Wal-mart should further develop its strategy in Japan and respond better to the countrys local demands and preferences through the opening of convenience stores in order to capture that market segment and offering more fresh local products to meet the local demand. Wal-mart should also employ Japanese managers who understand the market better. These measures will help Wal-mart to succeed better in Japan where the pressure for low price by customers is not emphasised rather high quality is preferred. Wal-mart can still maintain its international strategy with a little more responsiveness to local demand as there is no one best strategy to adopt. This move will save Wal-mart from withdrawing from the market where it has already invested $1 billion USD. Wal-marts low s ales value from international operations in comparison with Tesco reveals that the retail market is still a viable industry for Wal-mart to exploit.

Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines and Forester’s A Passage to India

Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines and Forester’s A Passage to India In British imperial fiction, physical setting or landscape commonly plays a prominent role in the central thematic subject. In these works, landscape goes beyond an objective description of nature and setting to represent â€Å"a way of seeing- a way in which some Europeans have represented to themselves and others the world about them and their relationships with it, and through which they have commented on social relations† (Cosgrove xiv). By investigating the ways in which writers of colonial ficition, such as H. Rider Haggard and E.M. Forester, have used landscape, we see that landscape represents a historically and culturally specific way of experiencing the world. In Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, the landscape is gendered to show the colonizer’s ability to dominate over native territory. However, while the scenario of the male colonizer conquering a feminized landscape reinforces a legitimizing myth of colonization, it is later overturned by Forester’s A Passage to India. In this novel, the landscape takes on a complex, multifaceted role, articulating the ambivalence of cross-cultural relationships and exposing the fragility of colonial rule. In contrast to King Solomon’s Mines, A Passage to India uses landscape as a tool to expose the problematic nature of colonial interaction that might have easily been left obscured and unacknowledged. We can read the landscape as a type of secondary narrator in A Passage to India that articulates the novel’s imperial ideology. The African landscape of King Solomon’s Mines is clearly feminized. The treasure map shows that the geography of the travelers’ route takes the shape of a female bod... ...d the sky said, ‘No, not there’† (Forester 362). We would expect that the structures of colonial rule, such as the jail and the Guest House, would symbolically pull Aziz and Fielding apart. The presence of nature, the earth, the horses, the birds, with the sky itself dictating that they cannot now be friends is a deeper form of rejection to the notion of cross-cultural relationships. The only hope we are left with is the sky’s qualification of the â€Å"no†: not yet†¦ not there. Works Cited Cosgrove, Denis. Social Formation and Symbolic Landscape. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1998. Forester, E.M. A Passage to India. London: Harcourt, 1924. Ridger Haggard, J. King Solomon’s Mines, ed. Gerald Monsman. Ontario: Broadview Press, 2002. Suleri, Sara. The Rhetoric of British India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.

The Unconventional Kate Chopin Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

The Unconventional Kate Chopin Kate Chopin, a female author in the Victorian Era, wrote a large number of short stories and poems. She is most famous for her controversial novel The Awakening in which the main character struggles between society's obligations and her own desires. At the time The Awakening was published, Chopin had written more than one hundred short stories, many of which had appeared in magazines such as Vogue. She was something of a literary â€Å"lioness" in St. Louis and had numerous intellectual admirers. Within weeks after publication of The Awakening, this social landscape that had appeared so serenely comfortable became anything but serene and anything but comfortable. Of all things, death led Kate Chopin to write. The death of her brother, her beloved grandmother, her husband, and lastly, her mother left her with an overwhelming sadness and six children to raise, prompting her move to write. With such earnest promptings, Chopin took up writing at age thirty-eight. The publication of the love poem "If It Might Be" in January 1889 marked Chopin's first appearance in print. Many of Kate Chopin’s writings wave a backward glance to her childhood. Kate's grandmother, Madame Charleville, spent much time telling Kate stories that stirred her interest about people's lives, minds, and morals. Madame Charleville's favorite saying was, "One may know a great deal about people without judging them. God does that" (Oscar 17). Young Kate must have paid a great deal of attention. Three decades later, when she came to do her own storytelling, she would continue to leave judgment entirely to God. Kate Chopin’s first novel, At Fault, also refers to sentimen... ...m Blake, Chopin was interested in innocence and experience, and both of these themes run within The Awakening. It was this book, though after her death, that made her loved. Kate Chopin died in August of 1904 of a cerebral hemorrhage. She was an incredibly talented writer. She wrote about real issues and real feelings. Light and shadow play in her fiction. Moods come and go, representing the diverse events Chopin experienced. Unfortunately, like many other authors, Kate Chopin was never recognized for these incredible talents until it was far too late. Work Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Views On Kate Chopin. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 125-133. Oscar, Steven. Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening. New York: Rosen Publishers, 1992. 17-24. Thornton, Lawrence. "Kate Chopin." The Scribner Writers Series.CD-ROM, 2001: 1-9

Theory Critique – Anderson

Anderson Anonymous Graduate Student Liberty University In what proves to be a compelling presentation of the Journey to spiritual freedom, Dry. Neil T. Anderson (2000) presents his theory of how one may be liberated from negative thoughts, irrational feelings, and habitual sins in his book, The Bondage Breaker. Anderson (2000) suggests the cause of a majority of problems which are discussed within the walls of a counseling session may have roots in the supernatural. This critique will examine Andersen's theory of ways to combat the dark forces which cause spiritual conflict within the mind. Theory SummaryIn his clarification of the nature of psychological problems and mental illness, Anderson (2000) places a high emphasis on spiritual warfare; reminding the reader, â€Å"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds† (2 Corinthians 10:4, KAVA). Anderson provides many examples of counsel whom he believes have succumbed to the deceptive tricks of Satan, explaining what may have been diagnosed as mental illness is actually spiritual oppression; or in cases of non-Christians, actual demon possession (Anderson, 2000). By drawing attention to scripture in Pall's letter to Timothy,Anderson illustrates his point: â€Å"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons† (l Timothy 4:1, NASA). Thankfully, Anderson (2000) provides a detailed method of obtaining daily victory over the spiritual forces of darkness by outlining what Hawkins (2010) would refer to as a method of â€Å"discipleship counseling† – the seven steps to freedom in Christ. The freedom and protection which is afforded by the Christian is stressed, as well as the position of authority Christians have over the enemy.Freedom is accomplished by taking the first step of acknowledging one's dependence upon and affirming one' s identity in Christ and renouncing past or present involvement in any practice, teaching, or ritual which could be considered demonic or non-Christian in nature. Anderson (2000) further explains, not only is it important to renounce non-Christian activity, but also to recognize and renounce instances of idolatry. Additionally, forgiveness, submitting to higher authority, adopting a humble attitude, confession of sins, and finally breaking generational ruses is necessary.As every thought is taken captive and brought into alignment and obedience to Christ (I. E. II Corinthians 10:5), the deception which has caused one to live amidst shadows, shackled by the power of the enemy, may be traded for truth, grace, and a freedom in Christ (Anderson, 2000). Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses While readers of The Bondage Breaker may consider the handling of the subject matter controversial, depending upon their background and experience in things which occur in the spiritual realm, Anders on (2000) does well in his presentation of he influence Satan has on the thought processes of individuals.A great amount of focus is spent on encouraging readers to grasp the main objective of truly knowing their value or self-worth in Christ. Not letting one's guard down is imperative. Once the enemy is given a foothold into a person's life via a thought process, it can become overwhelmingly disabling to try to maintain a positive outlook (Anderson, 2000). In adopting the principles of The Bondage Breaker, the counselor becomes equipped to engage in spiritual warfare within the counseling arena (Anderson, 2000).Through the use of prayer, and â€Å"warfare theology' (Hawkins, 2010, slide 5), the appropriation of freedom may become a reality in the life of the counsel. Anderson (2000) references the scriptures throughout and is careful to confirm his writing with God's Word. As is it this author's opinion that God's Word is the final authority, comfort was taken in the fact Anderson was thorough in his scriptural references (Anderson, 2000). In addition, Andersen's (2000) explanation of demonic oppression was described in a way as to eliminate any sensationalism such as what may be arrayed in movies or books.Instead, Anderson presented the reality of Satin's tactics as being sly in his method of simply infiltrating peoples' thought processes. Stories shared were compelling in their ability to illustrate the workings of the enemy in that respect (Anderson, 2000). However, as compelling as most examples appeared, a weakness in Andersen's theory was that he placed much emphasis on what might be interpreted by some as â€Å"the devil made me do it† and not enough consideration that some psychological problems could be caused by environment or experiences Anderson, 2000).For example, a female client who presents with severe cognitive trauma over years of sexual abuse may not simply be suffering emotionally because of a thought introduced by the enemy, but ha s some tough issues with which to deal based on her experience. While is it true our thoughts are responsible for our natural state as evidenced by Proverbs 23:AAA: â€Å"For as he thinks within himself, so he is,† (NASA), credence must be given to what happens in the physical realm. In fact, in one of the most celebrated books of biblical literature, Job is tormented by Satan, not just in his thoughts, but physically and materially as well.Job suffered greatly. He found himself depressed, sitting in a pile of ashes. By no means was his depression a result of sin, as Job was called righteous (I. E. Ezekiel 14:14). Perhaps he was listening to the enemy's accusations, however, the catalyst for the depression were the events that Satan caused in his life. The wretched boils Job suffered were not a result of his inability to resist temptation, or reject the accusations of the enemy, as Anderson (2000) might have agreed, based on his presentation of other medical cases wrought his book.In comparison to the discussion Anderson (2000) presents regarding his client with multiple sclerosis, this author also lives with MS. While in complete agreement there are days when the disease process is made worse by thoughts induced by the enemy, the symptoms of the disease do not disappear simply because the thoughts the enemy incites are renounced. Andersen's (2000) description of relapsing-remitting MS or the type of MS where â€Å"symptoms which seem to come and go' (p. 4) are presented as being psychosomatic, or induced by the client's response to thoughts from the enemy. This author takes umbrage of Andersen's (2000) assessment and would expect a more careful understanding of the science behind the disease process in spite of his discussion of the Two-Tier Worldview in which he states â€Å"the spiritual world has no or little practical bearing on the natural world; we have practically excluded it from our understanding of reality' (p. 30). This brings up another w eakness: lack of empirical evidence for the theory.Andersen's (2000) theory may be extremely difficult to prove scientifically, therefore causing concern among the secular counselors who would be reluctant to purport any theory not backed by empirical evidence. While there is no question God is powerful enough to heal without the help of modern medicine, care should be taken not to negate the members of the medical and mental health communities whom this author believes have been granted wisdom by God to be used in the healing process.Personal Reflection and Application Having been raised in a church environment which taught members of the congregation to recognize and appreciate the existence of what may be occurring in the concentric circle of the supernatural system (Hawkins, 2010) or spiritual realm; his author was familiar with the theory presented by Anderson (2000) in The Bondage Breaker. An appreciation for the three channels of temptation about which Anderson speaks had bee n in the forefront of this writer's mind; especially the â€Å"pride of life,† as it is believed pride is the root of all sin (Anderson, 2000).Looking back over the past, there was a time when pride was an issue in this author's life, yet it was unrecognized. On a Sunday evening church service during testimony time, this then high school student sat listening to stories of friends who were praising God for ringing them out of a life filled with drugs, promiscuity, and any number of other sins. The testimony shared by this author bestowed praise to God for keeping her from all the sins which seemed to plague her friends.Pall's first letter to the Corinthian church warns, â€Å"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall† (l Corinthians 10:12, INKS). In Just a few short weeks as a college freshman, this writer found herself in a lesbian relationship. The inability or refusal to recognize pride allowed the enemy to gain a foothold into this future counse lor's life. That foothold eventually became a stronghold. The end result was years of living in disobedience; in bondage to a lifestyle of homosexuality which obviously managed to wreak havoc on any previous connection shared between this writer and her Lord.Peace was impossible. After years of encountering the gentle wooing of the Holy Spirit, eventually, the conviction experienced was too much for this author to bear; at which time, the employment of Andersen's (2000) seven steps to freedom in Christ was set in motion: confession of sin, a willingness to renounce completely the homosexual lifestyle, repent, recognize the deception of the enemy and instead embrace God's truth, forgive, submit to God, swallow pride, experience freedom, and finally receive the blessing.The process of moving from bondage to freedom in Christ was laborious, and physically and emotionally draining. However, the end result of a happy marriage with a loving husband and beautiful daughter, as well as the k nowledge of living in right relationship with the Lord brings a peace like no other. The positional peace which once was evident when she became a Christian as a young girl, again was ruling in this author's heart as she allowed God's Word to dwell there (I. E. Colombians 3:15-16). The process of embracing the Truth became a liberating friend (Anderson, 2000).Realizing in this day of tolerance and political correctness, the subject of homosexuality may be extremely controversial; however it remains the belief of this author that one cannot pick and choose which parts of God's Word one is willing to accept as truth. One of the reasons this author seeks to become a Licensed Professional Counselor is that she hopes to eventually work with young women who are willing to shed the blinders set upon them by the enemy of their souls; who share a willingness to embrace God's truth for their lives, and escape f life of sin.As work will be done when counseling individuals in order to apply the principles set forth in The Bondage Breaker, this future counselor understands the process of sanctification is not an easy one. However, as Anderson (2000) reminds the reader, while never-ending; the rewards far outweigh the weight of the struggle. Reference Anderson, N. T. (2006). The bondage breaker (New and Expanded Edition). Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers. Hawkins, R. (2010). The contribution of Neil Anderson and discipleship counseling. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University.

Career Study: Dental Assistant

Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARYiv Introduction1 Facts and Findings2 Occupational Inventory2 Work environment2 Perks. 3 Market trends. 3 Personality Fit4 Stress level/mental strains. 4 Personality traits recommended/required. 4 Personal interests and passions. 5 Future Potential5 Continuing education requirements. 5 Advancement Opportunities. 5 Conclusion6 References7 List of Figures Figure 1 Gender of Dental Assistants3 Figure 2 Current Wages Earned for Dental Assistants3 Figure 3 Estimated Yearly Growth of Dental Assistant Jobs in Alberta4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe career area of dental assistant does, in many ways, relate directly to the skills and knowledge learnt in the Administrative Office Professional program (APRO). Skills such as computer knowledge, bookkeeping, customer service, human relations, reading and writing, verbal communication, and active listening are an essential part of being a dental assistant. APRO students already obtain these skills. This report shows how be coming a dental assistant is a great career choice for APRO students. With only an additional eight to ten months of training, an APRO student could become a ental assistant and earn a great wage, as well as acquire many sought after job perks. Job perks of a dental assistant include Monday to Friday daytime hours, free dental care, monthly or yearly bonuses, and medical benefits. Dental assistants primarily work in dental offices; however, there are jobs available in health care units and hospitals as well. The research that was conducted for this report consists of both primary and secondary sources. The primary research sources include an interview of a local dental assistant, as well as the researcher’s own experience and knowledge.Secondary sources of research include Google searches, ALIS website, STATS Canada, and APRO text books. The three main aspects covered in this report are as follows: 1) Occupational Inventory a. Work environment b. Perks c. Market trends 2) Per sonality Fit d. Stress level/mental strains e. Personality traits recommended/required 3) Future Potential f. Continuing education requirements g. Advancement opportunities Potential Career Choice: Dental Assistant Introduction Weekends off, daytime hours, decent wages, free dental care, medical benefits, and yearly bonuses! These, in many cases, are the perks that career seekers are looking for.Look no further. These, among others, are the perks the career of dental assistant has to offer. One might think that dental assisting has nothing to do with the tasks or skills learnt in the Administrative Office Professional program (APRO); however, there are many duties involved in dental assisting that relate directly to APRO knowledge. Skills such as computer knowledge, bookkeeping, customer service, human relations, reading and writing, verbal communication, and active listening are essential in a dental assisting career. As an APRO student, one obtains those skills.However, an APRO st udent would need to further their education. A dental assistant training program is needed to pursue a career in dental assisting. This training program would typically only be an additional eight to ten months over and above the APRO program. The APRO program is a good foundation as it gives students many of the basic skills needed to be successful in any program or career area. The dental assistant program differs by educational institution, but for the most part, prerequisites include a 30-level of English (which all APRO students already have), biology, and chemistry. Dental assisting is a very diverse career.One never knows what sort of situation or emergency may arise. For example, an appointment may be as simple as a routine check-up or a filling, and may be as complicated as a tooth breaking off at the gum line during an extraction which can lead to dental surgery. Duties of dental assistants are as diverse as the job itself. Duties will change from office to office, and day to day, but will include tasks such as: * Prepare patient, sterilize and disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, and assist dentist during dental procedures * Take and prepare dental diagnostic x-rays Record treatment information in patient records * Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patient * Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist * Assist dentist in management of medical and dental emergencies * Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs * Apply protective coating of fluoride to teeth * Schedule appointments, prepare bills, and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records using computer or manually Because dental assisting does entail working in someone’s mouth, it may not be appealing to everyone.However, dental assistants are a vital part of the heath care profession. Most people have, at some point in time, experienced the excruciating pai n of a tooth ache. Without dentists and dental assistants, one would have to suffer through the pain, or extract the tooth one’s self. One might choose dental assisting as a career if one enjoys working in an office environment, prefer daytime hours, and the medical field is of interest to them. There are many perks associated with being a dental assistant such as wages and bonuses.Dentistry is a rapidly growing field, therefore leaving many new jobs available both now and in the future. One who enjoys helping others, and wants to make a difference in the lives of many, would be satisfied in the career of dental assisting. Dental assisting is a relatively low stress-level job. Because life-long learning is a required part of being a dental assistant, one must have a love of education and be committed to life-long learning. This report will look at the occupational inventory of dental assisting, including work environment, job perks, and market trends.It will also look at the personality fit for one interested in seeking a career in this area. The personality fit will include such information as the stress level of the job, personality traits required/recommended, and potential interests and passions one might have. Finally, this report will look at the future potential of this career choice for APRO students. The future potential will share information such as continuing education requirements and advancement opportunities. The facts and findings in this report are based on both primary and secondary sources.The primary sources include an interview with a dental assistant. I chose to interview a local dental assistant who works at Dr. Lo’s office here in Brooks, Alberta. The researcher will also be using her own experience and knowledge as primary research. The secondary research consists of Google searches, ALIS website, STATS Canada, and APRO textbooks. Facts and Findings Occupational Inventory Occupational inventory is an especially important aspect of a career because it looks at things such as work environment, career perks, and market trends.These specifics can help one decide if a certain career, in this case dental assisting, is right for them. Work environment. Dental assistants have a variety of different working environments to choose from. Dental assistants work as part of a dental health care team. Their duties can vary and can include working as chair-side assistants, intra-oral assistants, administrative assistants, community health assistants, sterilization assistants, research assistants, or treatment coordinators. Dental assistants can also work in dental sales and insurance or dental education.However, dental offices are the primary employer of dental assistants, with 97% of dental assistants working in dental offices. Typical hours of dental offices are Monday to Friday, 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. Some offices, however, are open during the evenings and weekends to accommodate a larger portion of the population. As shown in Figure 1, according to STATS Canada 2011, 99% of dental assistants are women. In larger offices, one can expect to work alongside many women. In smaller offices, on the other hand, one can expect to work closely with the dentist and a few other staff. Figure 1 Gender of Dental AssistantsPerks. There are several perks in the career of dental assistant. These perks may include good wages, good hours, free dental care for one’s family, yearly or monthly bonuses, and paid continuing education. As shown in Figure 2, according to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Dental Assistants’ occupational group earned between $15. 00 and $34. 00 per hour (2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survay, 2011). Therefore, the average wage of dental assistants in Alberta is around $26. 40 an hour. As stated previously, most dental office hours are Monday to Friday, with daytime hours.In many cases, dental offices provide their staff with free dental care for both the employee and the employee’s family. Many offices offer incentives in the form of either monthly or yearly bonuses. If the office is busy and makes over a certain amount of money in a month or year, a percentage of the excess money will be awarded to staff according to seniority and hours worked. Because dental assistants are required to keep up-to-date with their education and skills, most dental offices pay for continuing education. Figure 2 Current Wages Earned for Dental AssistantsCurrent Wages Earned for Dental Assistants| Wages| Low (5th percentile)| High (95th percentile)| Average| Median| Starting| $15. 00| $27. 00| $21. 82| $23. 00| Overall| $21. 00| $32. 57| $26. 40| $27. 00| Top| $25. 24| $34. 00| $30. 14| $30. 47| Figure 2 Figure 2 Market trends. Over 4,100 Albertans are employed in the Dental Assistants’ occupational group. It is expected to have an annual average growth of 3. 2%, which is above average. (Dental Assistant's Occupation Group, 2012) It is expected that about 131 new positions will be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boomer generation will be retiring over the next few years. Figure 3 shows the estimated yearly growth of dental assistant positions available in Alberta over the next few years. Figure 3 Estimated Yearly Growth of Dental Assistant Jobs in Alberta Personality Fit Being happy and comfortable at work is very important. One usually spends more time at work than they do anywhere else. Therefore, the personality fit of a given career, specifically dental assisting, is crucial.Personality fit for a career includes the stress level and mental strains, personality traits recommended, and personal interests and passions. Stress level/mental strains. Dental assistants can come across some stressful situations. Sometimes, a procedure does not go as planned, leaving it up to the dentist and dental assistan t to determine what to do next to ensure the safety and well-being of the patient. Although this may not be a regular occurrence, a dental assistant must have critical thinking ability and work well under pressure.When an appointment runs over time, this often leaves the next scheduled patient waiting longer than anticipated for his/her turn. This can sometimes lead to a stressful situation if the patient who is waiting does not understand the situation. Overall, most dental assistants have a low- to moderate-level of stress in their everyday work. Personality traits recommended/required. Dental assistants are required to work closely with their patients and co-workers. In order to communicate well with both patients and co-workers, one should be kind, patient, outgoing, an active listener, and organized.The ability to stay calm while under pressure and during emergencies is essential. Because dental assistants work side by side with dentists, one must be a team player and pay close attention to detail. It is the dental assistant’s job to know what the dentist needs next. Personal interests and passions. One who has a passion for helping others and for making a real difference in people’s lives may enjoy being a dental assistant. One should also have a general interest in the medical field. Dental assistants require continuing education; therefore, life-long learners would be satisfied in this career. Future PotentialIn many cases, employees want to be able to advance within their career area. Therefore, looking at the future potential of a career, in this case dental assistant, determines whether or not it is for him/her. Future potential information includes continuing education requirements and advancement opportunities. Continuing education requirements. Dental assistants must maintain their competency through the CADA Continuing Competence Program (CPP) (Dental Assistant Registration Process, 2012). This program assesses, maintains, and moni tors ongoing knowledge, skills, attitudes, and judgments of professional dental assistants.According to the Alberta Government, dental assistants must do the following activities each year in order to keep their Continuing Competence current: * Complete one hundred (100) hours in the dental field, or three hundred (300) in the past three (3) years * Review the Competency Profile * Complete the Competency Self-Assessment * Complete a Proposed Learning Plan by the renewal deadline * Undertake appropriate Learning Activities to complete your proposed Learning Objectives * Keep the proof of your completed Learning Activities.At least once in every five years you will be asked to send in Verification of Learning documents and Completed Learning Plans. CADA will want to see evidence of two completed Learning Objectives for each year Advancement Opportunities. Depending on the size of dental office, there are advancement opportunities for dental assistants. Although a dental assistant is a dental assistant, there are different skill sets and knowledge levels involved. If a dental assistant has furthered his/her education with advanced courses in specialty areas, for example, he/she would make a higher salary.Also, some dental assistants move on to be administrative managers of the dental offices where they work. Conclusion Based on the facts and findings in this report, dental assistant is a great career choice for APRO students. With only an additional eight months of training, an APRO student can have the opportunity to be a vital part of the health care system by becoming a dental assistant. Many of the skills already learnt in APRO are essential in the career area of dental assisting.If one loves to work with people, is outgoing, patient, and loves helping others, dental assisting may be for him/her. If one chooses this career path, one can look forward to good pay, hours, and benefits. References 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey. (2011). Retrieved February 25 , 2013, from ALIS: www. alis. ca Dental Assistant's Occupation Group. (2012). Retrieved February 25, 2013, from Statistics Canada: www. statcan. gc. ca Dental Assistant Registration Process. (2012, May). Retrieved February 25, 2013, from Government of Alberta: http://www. albertacanada. com/Dental_Assisant_May_2012. pdf

College Computerized Billing System Essay

With the power of technology nowadays, people get interested with computers. They tried to indulge themselves on it to have a productive result in a more efficient and time saving process. It is highly valued in institutions like business enterprises, schools, hospitals, government and non government services. However, some of them are still using manual system. In this regard, we acknowledge the value of computerized system. As of today’s generation, there are already many college schools existing. One of which is IJMS College Departmentthat serves tutorialtype. It is located at Malvar, Santiago City and is owned by Dr. Imelda B. Brilliantes. IJMS started the operation of their college department onJune 2004. Since the said industry is new, they still don’t have computerized system for reservation and billing which is very useful for business purposes. For thesis project, the researchers would like to propose a reservation and billing system to D’ Budgetel to help the management and have a synchronize flow in their transactions system. 1. 2 Statement of the Problem Hotel customers choose important considerations in choosing a place to stay like location, price/value and service. These are very important because these are the primary basis of a customer to be attracted in that business. Since the researchers found out that manual procedure are still used in processing their billing and reservation transactions, it greatly affects their customer’s need. This study aims to look for the following problems: 1. The School billing statement doesn’t provide specific or detailed information regarding on student’s payment or charges.

Business ethics in different countries Essay

A Code of Ethics is a business or an organization’s policy applicable to all its activities and relationships. It should identify principal responsibilities its stockholders, shareholders, employees and communities. Its main function is to provide guidance in cases of moral dilemmas. Many corporations have implemented codes of conduct that define unacceptable behavior and serve as a guideline for the practice of ethical conduct. This is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough for an organization merely to have written codes of ethics. Many business organizations are also  taking a more proactive position in the area of promoting the practice of ethical behavior. To reinforce the organization’s values and standards, ethics training programs should be held on a regular basis rather than being a one-shot deal. Business ethics should be practiced in every country around the world. The United States, Hong Kong and Russia are several countries that will be menti oned that practice business ethics. In The United States, business ethics is a topic that businesses are becoming more aware of. An article in USA Today Magazine in January 1998,states, â€Å"Companies are discovering the value of ethics†. The discussion of ethics in the business world goes hand and hand with the term, profit. It was thought that the more ethical a business is, the less profitable it is; the more profitable, the less ethical. In recent times, there is a positive relation between ethics and profit. Ethics serves as a foundation for the success of businesses. An ethical company provides a moneymaking opportunity and can be the source of a competitive advantage. Employee and customer theft is a major problem for businesses, as a shrinking on the job and declining work ethic. A culture in which drug abuse certainly does not help minimize the problem of theft, businesses are ultimately forced to administer drug-screening tests. The expenses for the drug tests incur great costs for the businesses. Employees with the right values would not need to take the drug testing, thus the company would save money. Consequently, employers will try to hire employees who statistically are more likely to be honest. Ethical behavior is like a virtuous cycle between the customers, employees, and suppliers. As a company builds trust, customers, employees and suppliers are less likely to act immorally. Another benefit of ethical behavior is that it provides a solution to what theorists call â€Å"collective action problems†. A way to tackle the problem is to provide incentive so that the cost-benefit ratio is reversed. In certain situations, production of goods or services requires a team effort so that the individual contribution of each team member cannot be isolated or measured. Any team member who acts in a purely self-interested manner would free ride off the others. The benefits of group activity are optimized only when free riding does not take place. When team members or work associates are bounded  by trust and respect a common value will be present. Another benefit of ethical behavior is that it preserves the social capital that makes a free market possible. A market coexists with many other institutions in society, including: the family, the church, and the political, criminal justice, and educational systems. Each of these institutions contributes toward making capitalism possible: The court system enforces contracts; the political system provides monetary stability; and the educational system trains future employees and prepares them for the workforce. Corporate misconduct raises the cost and reduces the amount of social capital. The more businesspeople try to avoid the terms of their agreement, the greater the number of disputes that end up in court. Increased government activity adds to the cost of government. A market system needs moral capital as well. If capitalism is to be successful, there must be a widespread acceptance of certain moral norms, such as truth telling, and fair play. â€Å"As more and more people abandon these moral forms, the social capital that makes market activity possible, is depleted†, as stated by Norman Bowie. Bowie also states, â€Å"America is obsessed with quarterly reports -one that forces managers to focus on the short run, rather than the long run.† If corporations took the moral point of view, they would focus on meeting the needs of their stakeholders and focus on providing secure work for their employees and quality products for customers. If this were done, profits would follow. American capital differs from the capitalism in other countries. Ethical behavior can lower costs, increase productivity, and preserve the social capital that makes capitalism possible. It is in the nations’ interest to ensure that American capitalism is a leader in ethics as well as in product development. To help promote mutual understanding between the people of Hong Kong and foreign countries, as well as the development of business relationship, several major foreign countries have established their own chamber of commerce. â€Å"More recently, the ICAC and six chambers of commerce joined hands to boost corporate education as a way of increasing awareness of ethics in business.† The result was the founding of the Hong Kong Ethics Development Center in 1994. Among those foreign chambers of commerce, the American Chamber of Commerce has been playing an active role in promoting worker welfare and safety, and business ethics. The American Chamber of Commerce was an active participant in the establishment of the Hong Kong Ethics Development Center. â€Å"The American Chamber of Commerce is the only foreign chamber of commerce which incorporates the codes of conduct as part of their position paper.† Although the basis brief of Hong Kong Independent Commissions Against Corruption (ICAC) is to fight corruption, it also helps firms devise codes of ethics. To those international firms with an attempt to set up their Codes of Conduct in Hong Kong, the ICAC provides some advice regarding the basic concepts and contents. Honesty, integrity and social responsibility must be included in the Codes of Conduct. A study surveyed 197 second-year students who attended an international business course in an institution in Hong Kong, both at the beginning and the end of the term. Active learning about business ethics displayed significant effects on later ethical reasoning and judgment. A proactive finding is that business students learned business ethics to a lesser extent than did other students. The relative ignorance of business students needs special concern for enhancing their awareness of business ethics. Although female students were significantly more ethical in exhibiting judgments than male students, they learned about business ethics to a lesser extent. Female students should be of particular concern for promoting their ethical development through business ethics education. â€Å"Known as an amoral society, Hong Kong tends to be at risk for problems of business ethics.† â€Å"A study found that business students in Hong Kong were less ethical toward customers than Taiwanese and Japanese counterparts.† With the help of The American Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong Ethics Development Center, the people of Hong Kong will be on their way to succeed in becoming a more ethical nation. Perhaps, the surveys taken in the future will show outstanding results from Hong Kong’s ethical improvements. The Hong Kong Institute of Land Administration has established their own code of ethics, which have twelve guidelines, which are as follows: 1.This Code is meant to ensure the professional competence and integrity of all members in providing their services to the client or the general public. 2.Members should devote their utmost effort to become competent by qualification and experience to perform services, which they are appointed to take. Furthermore, they have to constantly update and upgrade themselves in new developments, law and technologies to cope with the changing demand, practice and procedures, and Government policies. 3.Members have a duty to contribute towards the improvement of professional standards and the training of their staff as well as any other people interested in the profession through career development, lectures or running courses, etc. 4.Members shall endeavor to co-operate with other professionals, disciplines and individuals so as to achieve optimum results in respect of their tasks and assignments. 5.Members should not take part in any business, malpractice or any act of misbehavior, which may cause an adverse effect on, or damage to the public image and reputation of the Institute. 6.Members should not get involved in any suspected or known illegal dealings especially in connection with their profession or duties. They have the obligation to uphold justice in land administration and in providing their professional services. 7.In the event of any controversies occurred between members of the Institute, the respective Committees of the Council, or the full Council of the Institute should settle them either between themselves or without involving any non-member third party, outside bodies or the public media to safeguard the professional reputation of the Institute. 8.Members should not publicly criticize their fellow members of the Institute without the explicit consent given and in a manner approved by the Chairman in Council Meeting. 9.No member shall injure falsely or maliciously, directly or indirectly, the reputation, prospects or business of other members. 10.Any member charged under the prevailing laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in connection with his/her professional activities or duties whether or not involving the Institute shall report the occurrence forthwith to the Institute. 11.Members must disclose to their employers or clients any personal or conflicting interest involved in the course of performing their duties or assignment. This also covers any benefit gained from a third party even not in breach of their professional responsibilities. If they are acting for their company, then any conflicting interest with other client(s) shall be disclosed to the client. 12.Members must protect the privacy of any data provided by or belonging to their clients for the sake of professional integrity as well as compliance with the relevant legislation of the HKSAR. â€Å"Internally, a Code of Ethics conveys to all staff a clear idea of the accepted conduct for achieving business goals.† It also helps maintain consistent standards of behavior throughout the company. Externally, the Code of Conduct enhances a company’s reputation for fair and responsible dealing. â€Å"It also strengthens Hong Kong’s reputation as an international business center where honesty and fair play prevails.† An effective Code of Conduct reduces costs and enhances profits because: it reduces incidents of corruption fraud and other malpractices, it reduces conflict if interests situations, it enhances the trust of your customers, suppliers and contractors. It enhances the credibility of your buyers and salespersons; it enhances the loyalty and goodwill of your employees and other stakeholders.  Individual companies as well as the Hong Kong business community continue to enjoy a reputation of honesty and fair play. Another country that is practicing business ethics is Russia. Although many people still view Russia as a corrupt country it is trying to modernize in the business world as compared to Hong Kong and the United States. Corruption has become a way of life for Government officials in Russia. Bribe taking, in fact, is a widespread practice throughout the Russian bureaucracy. A number of U.S. and other Western businesses and businessmen routinely pay bribes to Russian Government officials in order to conduct their businesses in Russia. â€Å"Indeed, the most prevalent crime in Russia today is bribery†. â€Å"Of those charged with bribery and corruption in Russia in 1993, over forty-two percent were Government officials and over twenty-five percent were law enforcement officers†. Not only do Russian officials routinely accept and even demand bribes, they have also entered into an illicit partnership with organized crime and with clandestine business groups. â€Å"Former Communist apparatchiks, who continue to work within the Russian bureaucracy, exploit previously made black-marketers relationships to profit in the new post-Revolutionary Russian system.† Not only does the Mafia kill and steal in Russia, it does so in the United States as well. â€Å"The Russian Mafia is increasingly engaged in crime in the West.† Mafia members are involved in â€Å"theft, extortion, money-laundering, gun-trafficking, drug running, prostitution, smuggling, loan sharking, contract killing and more. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has established task forces to deal with the Russian Mafia in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Thus, U.S. businesses that pay bribes and protection money in Russia may be unintentionally financing Russian criminal activity back in the United States. â€Å"Bribe-taking is standard practice among Russian Government officials, a fact of which the Yeltsin Administration is well aware.† In 1994, the Yeltsin Government reported that seventy to eighty percent of private businesses were paying extortion money to organized criminal gangs. Eighty percent of all U.S. businesses in Russia have bribed a Russian government official at least once. It is not uncommon for businesses in Russia to employ assassins in the collection of business  debts. † In 1993, organized crime controlled forty percent of the turnover in goods and services in Russia, according to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.† Moreover, the growth of organized crime has severely hampered the growth of private small businesses in the Country. The success of Russian democracy represents a fundamental pillar of U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. Government spends millions of U.S. tax dollars to promote democratic and market, economic reforms in Russia. Meanwhile, U.S. businesses and businessmen who pay bribes to Russian Government officials may be unwitting supporters of organized crime in Russia. More importantly, bribery of Russian Government officials undercuts efforts to create an open and democratic government in Russia. On the brighter side the Russian Government is taking action to control the ethical standards of the country. On November 8, 2000, the first Center for Business Ethics (CBE) in Russia was officially registered in St. Petersburg. The new Center evolved out of the private sector voluntary initiative, the â€Å"Declaration of Integrity in Business Conduct in St. Petersburg†, supported by over 130 leading companies in the community. â€Å"The Center for Business Ethics has two founding partners: a US company â€Å"Sovereign Ventures, Inc.† and a Russian firm â€Å"Bronze Lion†. The main counterpart of CBE is the Ethics Resource Center (ERC), headquartered in Washington DC, with over 50 years experience specializing in consulting businesses on corporate culture.† The mission of the newborn organization is to institutionalize ethical business in St. Petersburg. CBE provides an anti-corruption toolbox for businesses from ever industry operating in the region. Members of the new Center can obtain the following services: assistance in development a company’s code of conduct, advice on the effective ways of repudiation of bribery, hints on fair tax payment, development of ethics training programs for employees, publicity for ethical leadership, raising issues connected with business ethics a given industry branch. They can also network with other ethical businesses and thereby find natural partners for growth. â€Å"The Center for Business Ethics is a response to demand from local and  government business leaders who founded the â€Å"Declaration of Integrity† for a non-profit organization that could sustain a variety of new programs designed to create a culture of ethics compliance in St. Petersburg.† – says Matthew Murray, President of â€Å"Sovereign Ventures, Inc.†, who will also serve as the first President of the Board of CBE. The team of business ethics experts working for the Center consists of several Russian attorneys, a senior accountant and a journalist. They have been professionally trained by in the US at the Ethics Resource Center or other organizations in international practices of business ethics. The 6 experts include: Anna Ossipova (director), Anton Andreyev (ethics consultant), Elena Fedyushina (ethics consultant), Alina Mitzkevich (ethics consultant), Natalya Clark (PR manager), Oksana Trofimova (senior accountant). The first project launched by the Center for Business Ethics is an â€Å"Island of Integrity† designed to promote open tenders in the construction business and attract further investment to St. Petersburg. â€Å"It has been less than one week since our Center was opened, and the Open Society (Soros) Foundation has offered CBE a grant for the â€Å"Island of Integrity†. – Announced Anna Ossipova, Director of CBE- â€Å"It shows that the momentum behind voluntary initiatives to undertake honest business is growing†. The Saint Petersburg Ethics Center proposed the development of the St. Petersburg Ethics Center (SPEC). The organization’s mission will be to help cultivate the social capital or core values. SPEC will create the institutional framework to ensure sustainability of business ethics initiatives in the city. It will locally develop and retain important skills and capacities. The organization will serve as the legal framework to raise local and international funds in support of its programs. It will become a resource for the community at large, and the champion of the ethics dialogue in St. Petersburg. Specifically, SPEC will initially undertake a variety of proactive business ethics and anti-corruption initiatives and programs such as: Promoting the declaration of integrity; providing training, education and technical assistance; fostering dialogue about ethics education at the university and professional levels; assisting professional and trade  associations to develop codes of conduct, ethics programs and enforcement infrastructure for their membership. Other programs include: increasing awareness about corruption and the strategies to fight it; identifying concrete steps to encourage public-sector reform and conduct research and generate new learning. â€Å"The new learning generated through these activities will then inform the work of SPEC through the creation of culturally relevant approaches and strategies for the other programs of the organization.† Government corruption in Russia is a historical burden on economic and political modernization. Russia must find its own path to root out corruption, using the multitude of positive values and ethical traditions found in Russian culture. They are beginning a long-term process to integrate their strong moral traditions with international standards of business ethics. The present project is designed to sustain these accomplishments by developing and launching SPEC to institutionalize ethical business practices between businesses and government officials in ST. Petersburg and other regions of Russia. 1 Shrinking occurs when an employee or customer steals from a company in which they work or shop, and the outcome is less profit and shortage in inventory. 2 A Collective action problem occurs when an obvious public good cannot be achieved because it is not in the self-interest of any individual who is part of the problem to take steps to resolve it. 3In Hong Kong, there are the American Chamber of Commerce, the Australian Chamber of Commerce, the British Chamber of Commerce, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. 4According to an article â€Å"International Business Ethics: Hong Kong from Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business 5 According to an article â€Å"International Business Ethics: Hong Kong from  Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business 6 College Student Journal. December 1999.  © 1999 Project Innovation (Alabama) 7 College Student Journal, December 1999. In Ikels, C 1989. Becoming a human being in theory and practice: Chinese views of human development. In D.I. Kertzer & K.W. Schaie (Eds.), Age Structuring in comparative perspective (pp.109-134). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum 8College Student Journal, December 1999. In Nyaw, M.K., & Ng, I. (1994). A Comparative Analysis of Ethical Beliefs: A Four Country Study. Journal of Business Ethics, 13, 543-555. As stated in Corporate Code of Conduct As stated in Corporate Code of Conduct To Whom Belongs Power in Russia? Ministry of Thieves-in-Law: An Attempt at Breaking into Politics, Izvestia, July 20, 1994, at 1, 5 [hereinafter Izvestia]. George Nikides, Journalists Hit TV Mafiya, Moscow Times, Oct. 5, 1994, at 10. While virtually all activities were controlled by the Government in the former Soviet Union, there are now a large number of government officials working in what is now the private sector. Id. As the Author notes: See To Whom Belongs Power in Russia?, supra note 4, at 1, 5; Money Talks, supra note 8, at 10. Stephen Handleman, Comrade Criminal 55-56 (1995). Daniel Klaidman, How To Police an Ex-Police State, Legal Times, July 11, 1994, at 12. Leonid Bershidsky, Aids Say State Loans Still Open to Bribery, Moscow Times, July 13, 1994, at 1-2. Officials in the Yeltsin Administration admitted that bribes often determine who and what organizations get government loans and  assistance. Id. U.S. Business and the Russian Mob As stated in Defense Industry Initiative on business ethics and conduct As stated in the Ethics Resource Center