Competitive and Strategic Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Competitive and Strategic Analysis - Case Study Example A critical analysis of the case shows that disposable income is concentrated in urban areas among the middle class. However, it can also be noted that this class is comprised of people between the ages of 25 and 40. On the other hand, it can be seen that India’s population is regarded as one of the youngest in the world. For instance, it has been observed that as of 2000, about one the country’s population was below 15 years. Whilst this is the largest group, it can be seen that these people have less disposable income hence they may not afford the luxury to go to coffee shops. The average age in India is pegged at 29 compared to other countries across the globe. The majority of the people in India are those still working to so they cannot afford to visit coffee shops. This is likely to impact on Starbucks’ endeavour to establish business in India. However, Starbucks recently partnered with Tata Global Beverages Ltd to open a store in New Delhi. The financial per formance of the company in this country is not yet fully ascertained since it is still on the stage of penetrating the market. Apart from being an emerging economy in the world, India faces numerous constraints that are likely to pose a challenge Starbucks when it intends to enter this market. For instance, country has poor infrastructure and this may impact negatively on Starbucks. The regulations in this country are also stringent such that they may pose a challenge to this company when it plans to penetrate the market. The company should comply with rules and regulations of the country if it intends to successfully launch a business. In case of India, it can be seen that it is open to foreign investors to start business but the problem is that some of the regulations may not be favourable to the company. The other problem characterizing global retail index of India is that the industry is not that lucrative compared to other international destinations. As of 2006, India had a sco re of 55% in terms of risk of opening business there. When there is high risk in a country, it may not be wise for the company to open business in that particular area. Therefore, this may not go down well with Starbucks and this is the reason why it is procrastinating in terms of starting business in this country. The company may experience unprecedented loses if the level of risk is very high. Therefore, it is important to carry out feasibility studies in order to establish the level of lucrativeness of the industry. Failure to do so may impact negatively on the company. India’s market is saturated though it is attractive. This entails that competition is very high and it may be difficult for Starbucks to operate viably in this market. It can also be noted that there are other substitute products like tea which are very popular in this country. There are also other beverages that can be consumed by the customers in place of coffee. When there is stiff competition in the mar ket, it may be difficult to attract many customers during the preliminary stages of the product in the market. However, if the product is well received in the market, it may quickly gain popularity among the customers. This can help the company in the long run but as it stands, it seems that Starbucks is facing numerous challenges that can impact on its endeavour to penetrate the Indian market. When competition is high, the players in the industry compete for the same customers. Other established companies can

Electric vehicle Essay Example for Free

Electric vehicle Essay 1. Summarize the content of this movie. Keep it to the space below, please. Electric car was around in 1960s. During the energy crisis in 1970s and 1980s electric cars started disappearing. In 1990s first electric car EV1 from a company named General Motors became popular in California simply because it was more environmental-friendly while it was affordable. A Zero-emissions vehicle mandate require companies to offer electric cars if they wanted to continue selling gasoline vehicles. The oil industries were fighting against the electric cars. Less people wanted to use it in that they wanted to pay less for electric cars which were limited. California dropped the mandate after getting sued by auto-makers. Drivers protested to try to save electric cars. There was almost no demand for GM’s electric cars. In a survey, 4000 said they would drive an electric car but at the end it narrowed down to only 50. GM started taking back EV1s from the drivers to be crushed and recycled. The last consumer EV1 was given up by its driver in 2004. Someone put her last effort to put EV1 back to the road; within 48 hours, 80 people signed up to get an EV1 while GM only had 72 cars. There were several suspects about the situation with GM. GM stated that there was no demand in the market for those electric cars, but several interviews with consumers showed that people wanted those electric cars. Another suspect was batteries. The batteries that EV1s had at the time were acid batteries with 60 miles of range. Average driving distance of Americans was less than 30 miles per day which meant EV1s would actually satisfy consumers. The EV1s made later which was the second generation came with better batteries that lasted around 100 miles. Oil companies were financing campaigns to stop the utility efforts for building public charging stations. President George W. Bush joined the auto industries to go against the ZEV mandate. Hydrogen fuel cars were introduced in the film as well. The problems with hydrogen fuel cars were high cost and limits on driving distance range. People who were trying to save the EV1s from being crushed got arrested from police officers. People who were being interviewed in the film think that we will be entering a clean world with bright future with electric cars. An example is that electric cars are working just fine in Japan. 2. Would you buy an electric car? Why or why not? As a civil engineering major student, I’m concerned about the environment that we’re living in. I would definitely buy an electric car. I’m not only doing this for my son or daughter in the future but for every single person on earth. And I believe it is everybody’s responsibility to protect the earth. 3. Answer on the back of this sheet. Search for an electric car in production today. Who makes it? How much does it cost? Does it use any fuel? What is the battery life? How long does it take to charge? Would you buy one? Why or why not? Find out as much about it as you can. Be VERY thorough. Nissan Leaf manufactured by Nissan. Nissan Leaf has a starting price of $27,700. It doesnt not use fuel but only electricity. It takes around 7 hours for a full charge on Nissan Leaf. This is someone I would not be interest buying because it is too small of a car. I would get an electric car but bigger size.

Encouraging our Children to Read :: Reading Education, early education, elementary

Reading is widely labeled as a very important factor to reach fruition in education. The rising question is whether we should encourage our children to read whatever appeals to them. Personally, I firmly believe the good impact of reading to the children’s taste. To begin with, reading whatever they like help children feel more relaxed, fascinated and much more confident with reading - a most educated form of entertainments that is dying with the prevalence of other new mass media such as cable televisions, internets and so on. Reading has been proved to be very useful for children’s good performance at school and especially their life later as throughout the process of active reading their mother tongue language capacity in general is much more improved especially the communicative skills and social interaction manner. Secondly, if the children are encouraged to read whatever appeals to them, they are self motivated to read much more. Consequently, the more they read, the more they can widen their own knowledge about the world around them in an easy way and then the more perfect their personalities can be. For example, with children who spend lots of time reading interesting fairy tales, fables or history legends the moral lessons can be instilled naturally into their minds and will be remembered much longer as they are not as dry and dull as sentences like you should do this or you are not allowed to do that uttered by their parents day by day. Furthermore, being read to their likings can arouse the children’s sense of aspiration and exploration. The children’s imagination and creativity is lifted to a higher level as some children take their time reading exciting non-fiction books, detective stories or colorful cartoons. More tellingly, in this way both emotional thinking and logical thinking of the children are intensely provoked. And maybe in the future they will be excellent painters, imaginative writers or radical journalists. However, it is argued that if the children are free to choose what they read satisfying their curiosity it will be very dangerous. That is to say, children are obviously allowed or encouraged to approach bad source of information such as violence, sex and so on. Admittedly, by nature children are likely to be absorbed and imitated by things that are strange and attractive to them.

The Branding of IKEA Essay -- Business Management Studies Essays Paper

The Branding of IKEA Company background The first catalogue was introduced in 1951 and with this the founder saw his chance to expand his business on a larger scale, and this was the year he decided to completely focus on low-price furniture, as from the beginning IKEA sold mainly matches, watches, Christmas decorations, picture frames and jewellery. In 1956 the company came up with the concept of 'flat-pack' self-assembly furniture. The first international IKEA store was introduced in Norway in 1963, and was soon followed by the opening of stores in Denmark, Germany, Australia, Canada, and Austria. In 1987 the first IKEA opened in the UK, and in 2001 the company had 143 stores in 22 countries. Today we are the leading furniture retailer in the UK with a 12.1% before MFI and DFS. Our Brand - an introduction The brand name is associated with feelings, attitudes or different meanings, and in our minds it is connected with a certain image. All inspired by the logo, design or colour. Branding is a way to differentiate one company, its service or product, from competitors. But also to provide it with a personality which is both appealing and unique to their potential customers. It is a multifaceted, disciplined and multilayered process. IKEA is seen as friendly, quirky, trendy, social, young, independent, witty and relaxed. Usually the personality of a brand is described as a person, with its different characteristics. The importance of branding In the past decade companies are starting to see their brand assets, and with this branding has taken on a greater significance. So today brands are more than just marketing slogans and logos. All businesses are building their brands through certain actions and in their actual presence they find a 'position' in the mind of consumer and prospects. This is based on experience and exposure of the brand in the competitive marketplace. There are certain advantages to take into account in a Brand Strategy; Financial Advantages, Strategic Advantages and Management Advantages. The financial advantages may be higher sales, and for the companies with more market shares; higher margins. IKEA is one of the leaders in its market place, and therefore many other brands in that particular sector may be 'hitchhiker' brands following us and other leaders (such as MFI and DFS). Strategic Advantages... ...ours, and the name written across in bold letters. It is very much a trademark and this same logo has been used from a very early stage. Conclusion I hope this will help you understand the importance of branding within IKEA. Our company has been a worldwide success for so many years, and this has already created an image in most peoples minds, they associate the name IKEA and the logo with purchase or from one of the award winning advertising campaigns which have been run throughout the world. It is incredibly important to build brand awareness when introducing a new product onto the market, and our company has already achieved this, but there is still the need to maintain customer and market. Bibliography * Mintel (2002) * Internet * San Juan de la Pena website * Rieboviz, Rik * De Chernatony, Leslie (2001) From Brand Vision to Brand Evaluation, Butterworth-Heinemann * Brassington, Frances, Pettitt, Stephen (2000) Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall * Butterfield, Leslie (1999) Excellence in Advertising, 2nd edition, Butterworth-Heinemann * Nilson, Torsten H (1998) Competitive Branding, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 132-133

CHAPTER 132 Katherine Solomon's heart felt light as she hurried up the hill toward the base of the Washington Monument. She had endured great shock and tragedy tonight, and yet her thoughts were refocused now, if only temporarily, on the wonderful news Peter had shared with her earlier . . . news she had just confirmed with her very own eyes. My research is safe. All of it. Her lab's holographic data drives had been destroyed tonight, but earlier, at the House of the Temple, Peter had informed her that he had been secretly keeping backups of all her Noetic research in the SMSC executive offices. You know I'm utterly fascinated with your work, he had explained, and I wanted to follow your progress without disturbing you. â€Å"Katherine?† a deep voice called out. She looked up. A lone figure stood in silhouette at the base of the illuminated monument. â€Å"Robert!† She hurried over and hugged him. â€Å"I heard the good news,† Langdon whispered. â€Å"You must be relieved.† Her voice cracked with emotion. â€Å"Incredibly.† The research Peter had saved was a scientific tour de force–a massive collection of experiments that proved human thought was a real and measurable force in the world. Katherine's experiments demonstrated the effect of human thought on everything from ice crystals to random-event generators to the movement of subatomic particles. The results were conclusive and irrefutable, with the potential to transform skeptics into believers and affect global consciousness on a massive scale. â€Å"Everything is going to change, Robert. Everything.† â€Å"Peter certainly thinks so.† Katherine glanced around for her brother. â€Å"Hospital,† Langdon said. â€Å"I insisted he go as a favor to me.† Katherine exhaled, relieved. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"He told me to wait for you here.† Katherine nodded, her gaze climbing the glowing white obelisk. â€Å"He said he was bringing you here. Something about `Laus Deo'? He didn't elaborate.† Langdon gave a tired chuckle. â€Å"I'm not sure I entirely understand it myself.† He glanced up at the top of the monument. â€Å"Your brother said quite a few things tonight that I couldn't get my mind around.† â€Å"Let me guess,† Katherine said. â€Å"Ancient Mysteries, science, and the Holy Scriptures?† â€Å"Bingo.† â€Å"Welcome to my world.† She winked. â€Å"Peter initiated me into this long ago. It fueled a lot of my research.† â€Å"Intuitively, some of what he said made sense.† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"But intellectually . . .† Katherine smiled and put her arm around him. â€Å"You know, Robert, I may be able to help you with that.† Deep inside the Capitol Building, Architect Warren Bellamy was walking down a deserted hallway. Only one thing left to do tonight, he thought. When he arrived at his office, he retrieved a very old key from his desk drawer. The key was black iron, long and slender, with faded markings. He slid it into his pocket and then prepared himself to welcome his guests. Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon were on their way to the Capitol. At Peter's request, Bellamy was to provide them with a very rare opportunity–the chance to lay eyes upon this building's most magnificent secret . . . something that could be revealed only by the Architect. CHAPTER 133 High above the floor of the Capitol Rotunda, Robert Langdon inched nervously around the circular catwalk that extended just beneath the ceiling of the dome. He peered tentatively over the railing, dizzied by the height, still unable to believe it had been less than ten hours since Peter's hand had appeared in the middle of the floor below. On that same floor, the Architect of the Capitol was now a tiny speck some hundred and eighty feet below, moving steadily across the Rotunda and then disappearing. Bellamy had escorted Langdon and Katherine up to this balcony, leaving them here with very specific instructions. Peter's instructions. Langdon eyed the old iron key that Bellamy had handed to him. Then he glanced over at a cramped stairwell that ascended from this level . . . climbing higher still. God help me. These narrow stairs, according to the Architect, led up to a small metal door that could be unlocked with the iron key in Langdon's hand. Beyond the door lay something that Peter insisted Langdon and Katherine see. Peter had not elaborated, but rather had left strict instructions regarding the precise hour at which the door was to be opened. We have to wait to open the door? Why? Langdon checked his watch again and groaned. Slipping the key into his pocket, he gazed across the gaping void before him at the far side of the balcony. Katherine had walked fearlessly ahead, apparently unfazed by the height. She was now halfway around the circumference, admiring every inch of Brumidi's The Apotheosis of Washington, which loomed directly over their heads. From this rare vantage point, the fifteen- foot-tall figures that adorned the nearly five thousand square feet of the Capitol Dome were visible in astonishing detail. Langdon turned his back to Katherine, faced the outer wall, and whispered very quietly, â€Å"Katherine, this is your conscience speaking. Why did you abandon Robert?† Katherine was apparently familiar with the dome's startling acoustical properties . . . because the wall whispered back. â€Å"Because Robert is being a chicken. He should come over here with me. We have plenty of time before we're allowed to open that door.† Langdon knew she was right and reluctantly made his way around the balcony, hugging the wall as he went. â€Å"This ceiling is absolutely amazing,† Katherine marveled, her neck craned to take in the enormous splendor of the Apotheosis overhead. â€Å"Mythical gods all mixed in with scientific inventors and their creations? And to think this is the image at the center of our Capitol.† Langdon turned his eyes upward to the sprawling forms of Franklin, Fulton, and Morse with their technological inventions. A shining rainbow arched away from these figures, guiding his eye to George Washington ascending to heaven on a cloud. The great promise of man becoming God. Katherine said, â€Å"It's as if the entire essence of the Ancient Mysteries is hovering over the Rotunda.† Langdon had to admit, not many frescoes in the world fused scientific inventions with mythical gods and human apotheosis. This ceiling's spectacular collection of images was indeed a message of the Ancient Mysteries, and it was here for a reason. The founding fathers had envisioned America as a blank canvas, a fertile field on which the seeds of the mysteries could be sown. Today, this soaring icon–the father of our country ascending to heaven–hung silently above our lawmakers, leaders, and presidents . . . a bold reminder, a map to the future, a promise of a time when man would evolve to complete spiritual maturity. â€Å"Robert,† Katherine whispered, her gaze still fixated on the massive figures of America's great inventors accompanied by Minerva. â€Å"It's prophetic, really. Today, man's most advanced inventions are being used to study man's most ancient ideas. The science of Noetics may be new, but it's actually the oldest science on earth–the study of human thought.† She turned to him now, her eyes filled with wonder. â€Å"And we're learning that the ancients actually understood thought more profoundly than we do today.† â€Å"Makes sense,† Langdon replied. â€Å"The human mind was the only technology the ancients had at their disposal. The early philosophers studied it relentlessly.† â€Å"Yes! The ancient texts are obsessed with the power of the human mind. The Vedas describe the flow of mind energy. The Pistis Sophia describes universal consciousness. The Zohar explores the nature of mind spirit. The Shamanic texts predict Einstein's `remote influence' in terms of healing at a distance. It's all there! And don't even get me started about the Bible.† â€Å"You, too?† Langdon said, chuckling. â€Å"Your brother tried to convince me that the Bible is encoded with scientific information.† â€Å"It certainly is,† she said. â€Å"And if you don't believe Peter, read some of Newton's esoteric texts on the Bible. When you start to understand the cryptic parables in the Bible, Robert, you realize it's a study of the human mind.† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"I guess I'd better go back and read it again.† â€Å"Let me ask you something,† she said, clearly not appreciating his skepticism. â€Å"When the Bible tells us to `go build our temple' . . . a temple that we must `build with no tools and making no noise,' what temple do you think it's talking about?† â€Å"Well, the text does say your body is a temple.† â€Å"Yes, Corinthians 3:16. You are the temple of God.† She smiled at him. â€Å"And the Gospel of John says the exact same thing. Robert, the Scriptures are well aware of the power latent within us, and they are urging us to harness that power . . . urging us to build the temples of our minds.† â€Å"Unfortunately, I think much of the religious world is waiting for a real temple to be rebuilt. It's part of the Messianic Prophecy.† â€Å"Yes, but that overlooks an important point. The Second Coming is the coming of man–the moment when mankind finally builds the temple of his mind.† â€Å"I don't know,† Langdon said, rubbing his chin. â€Å"I'm no Bible scholar, but I'm pretty sure the Scriptures describe in detail a physical temple that needs to be built. The structure is described as being in two parts–an outer temple called the Holy Place and an inner sanctuary called the Holy of Holies. The two parts are separated from each other by a thin veil.† Katherine grinned. â€Å"Pretty good recall for a Bible skeptic. By the way, have you ever seen an actual human brain? It's built in two parts–an outer part called the dura mater and an inner part called the pia mater. These two parts are separated by the arachnoid–a veil of weblike tissue.† Langdon cocked his head in surprise. Gently, she reached up and touched Langdon's temple. â€Å"There's a reason they call this your temple, Robert.† As Langdon tried to process what Katherine had said, he flashed unexpectedly on the gnostic Gospel of Mary: Where the mind is, there is the treasure. â€Å"Perhaps you've heard,† Katherine said, softly now, â€Å"about the brain scans taken of yogis while they meditate? The human brain, in advanced states of focus, will physically create a waxlike substance from the pineal gland. This brain secretion is unlike anything else in the body. It has an incredible healing effect, can literally regenerate cells, and may be one of the reasons yogis live so long. This is real science, Robert. This substance has inconceivable properties and can be created only by a mind that is highly tuned to a deeply focused state.† â€Å"I remember reading about that a few years back.† â€Å"Yes, and on that topic, you're familiar with the Bible's account of `manna from heaven'?† Langdon saw no connection. â€Å"You mean the magical substance that fell from heaven to nourish the hungry?† â€Å"Exactly. The substance was said to heal the sick, provide everlasting life, and, strangely, cause no waste in those who consumed it.† Katherine paused, as if waiting for him to understand. â€Å"Robert?† she prodded. â€Å"A kind of nourishment that fell from heaven?† She tapped her temple. â€Å"Magically heals the body? Creates no waste? Don't you see? These are code words, Robert! Temple is code for `body.' Heaven is code for `mind.' Jacob's ladder is your spine. And manna is this rare brain secretion. When you see these code words in Scripture, pay attention. They are often markers for a more profound meaning concealed beneath the surface.† Katherine's words were coming out in rapid-fire succession now, explaining how this same magical substance appeared throughout the Ancient Mysteries: Nectar of the Gods, Elixir of Life, Fountain of Youth, Philosopher's Stone, ambrosia, dew, ojas, soma. Then she launched into an explanation about the brain's pineal gland representing the all-seeing eye of God. â€Å"According to Matthew 6:22,† she said excitedly, † `when your eye is single, your body fills with light.' This concept is also represented by the Ajna chakra and the dot on a Hindu's forehead, which–â€Å" Katherine stopped short, looking sheepish. â€Å"Sorry . . . I know I'm rambling. I just find this all so exhilarating. For years I've studied the ancients' claims of man's awesome mental power, and now science is showing us that accessing that power is an actual physical process. Our brains, if used correctly, can call forth powers that are quite literally superhuman. The Bible, like many ancient texts, is a detailed exposition of the most sophisticated machine ever created . . . the human mind.† She sighed. â€Å"Incredibly, science has yet to scratch the surface of the mind's full promise.† â€Å"It sounds like your work in Noetics will be a quantum leap forward.† â€Å"Or backward,† she said. â€Å"The ancients already knew many of the scientific truths we're now rediscovering. Within a matter of years, modern man will be forced to accept what is now unthinkable: our minds can generate energy capable of transforming physical matter.† She paused. â€Å"Particles react to our thoughts . . . which means our thoughts have the power to change the world.† Langdon smiled softly. â€Å"What my research has brought me to believe is this,† Katherine said. â€Å"God is very real–a mental energy that pervades everything. And we, as human beings, have been created in that image–â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry?† Langdon interrupted. â€Å"Created in the image of . . . mental energy?† â€Å"Exactly. Our physical bodies have evolved over the ages, but it was our minds that were created in the image of God. We've been reading the Bible too literally. We learn that God created us in his image, but it's not our physical bodies that resemble God, it's our minds.† Langdon was silent now, fully engrossed. â€Å"This is the great gift, Robert, and God is waiting for us to understand it. All around the world, we are gazing skyward, waiting for God . . . never realizing that God is waiting for us.† Katherine paused, letting her words soak in. â€Å"We are creators, and yet we naively play the role of `the created.' We see ourselves as helpless sheep buffeted around by the God who made us. We kneel like frightened children, begging for help, for forgiveness, for good luck. But once we realize that we are truly created in the Creator's image, we will start to understand that we, too, must be Creators. When we understand this fact, the doors will burst wide open for human potential.† Langdon recalled a passage that had always stuck with him from the work of the philosopher Manly P. Hall: If the infinite had not desired man to be wise, he would not have bestowed upon him the faculty of knowing. Langdon gazed up again at the image of The Apotheosis of Washington–the symbolic ascent of man to deity. The created . . . becoming the Creator. â€Å"The most amazing part,† Katherine said, â€Å"is that as soon as we humans begin to harness our true power, we will have enormous control over our world. We will be able to design reality rather than merely react to it.† Langdon lowered his gaze. â€Å"That sounds . . . dangerous.† Katherine looked startled . . . and impressed. â€Å"Yes, exactly! If thoughts affect the world, then we must be very careful how we think. Destructive thoughts have influence, too, and we all know it's far easier to destroy than it is to create.† Langdon thought of all the lore about needing to protect the ancient wisdom from the unworthy and share it only with the enlightened. He thought of the Invisible College, and the great scientist Isaac Newton's request to Robert Boyle to keep â€Å"high silence† about their secret research. It cannot be communicated, Newton wrote in 1676, without immense damage to the world. â€Å"There's an interesting twist here,† Katherine said. â€Å"The great irony is that all the religions of the world, for centuries, have been urging their followers to embrace the concepts of faith and belief. Now science, which for centuries has derided religion as superstition, must admit that its next big frontier is quite literally the science of faith and belief . . . the power of focused conviction and intention. The same science that eroded our faith in the miraculous is now building a bridge back across the chasm it created.† Langdon considered her words for a long time. Slowly he raised his eyes again to the Apotheosis. â€Å"I have a question,† he said, looking back at Katherine. â€Å"Even if I could accept, just for an instant, that I have the power to change physical matter with my mind, and literally manifest all that I desire . . . I'm afraid I see nothing in my life to make me believe I have such power.† She shrugged. â€Å"Then you're not looking hard enough.† â€Å"Come on, I want a real answer. That's the answer of a priest. I want the answer of a scientist.† â€Å"You want a real answer? Here it is. If I hand you a violin and say you have the capability to use it to make incredible music, I am not lying. You do have the capability, but you'll need enormous amounts of practice to manifest it. This is no different from learning to use your mind, Robert. Well-directed thought is a learned skill. To manifest an intention requires laserlike focus, full sensory visualization, and a profound belief. We have proven this in a lab. And just like playing a violin, there are people who exhibit greater natural ability than others. Look to history. Look to the stories of those enlightened minds who performed miraculous feats.† â€Å"Katherine, please don't tell me you actually believe in the miracles. I mean, seriously . . . turning water into wine, healing the sick with the touch of a hand?† Katherine took a long breath and blew it out slowly. â€Å"I have witnessed people transform cancer cells into healthy cells simply by thinking about them. I have witnessed human minds affecting the physical world in myriad ways. And once you see that happen, Robert, once this becomes part of your reality, then some of the miracles you read about become simply a matter of degree.† Langdon was pensive. â€Å"It's an inspiring way to see the world, Katherine, but for me, it just feels like an impossible leap of faith. And as you know, faith has never come easily for me.† â€Å"Then don't think of it as faith. Think of it simply as changing your perspective, accepting that the world is not precisely as you imagine. Historically, every major scientific breakthrough began with a simple idea that threatened to overturn all of our beliefs. The simple statement `the earth is round' was mocked as utterly impossible because most people believed the oceans would flow off the planet. Heliocentricity was called heresy. Small minds have always lashed out at what they don't understand. There are those who create . . . and those who tear down. That dynamic has existed for all time. But eventually the creators find believers, and the number of believers reaches a critical mass, and suddenly the world becomes round, or the solar system becomes heliocentric. Perception is transformed, and a new reality is born.† Langdon nodded, his thoughts drifting now. â€Å"You have a funny look on your face,† she said. â€Å"Oh, I don't know. For some reason I was just remembering how I used to canoe out into the middle of the lake late at night, lie down under the stars, and think about stuff like this.† She nodded knowingly. â€Å"I think we all have a similar memory. Something about lying on our backs staring up at the heavens . . . opens the mind.† She glanced up at the ceiling and then said, â€Å"Give me your jacket.† â€Å"What?† He took it off and gave it to her. She folded it twice and laid it down on the catwalk like a long pillow. â€Å"Lie down.† Langdon lay on his back, and Katherine positioned his head on half of the folded jacket. Then she lay down beside him–two kids, shoulder to shoulder on the narrow catwalk, staring up at Brumidi's enormous fresco. â€Å"Okay,† she whispered. â€Å"Put yourself in that same mind-set . . . a kid lying out in a canoe . . . looking up at the stars . . . his mind open and full of wonder.† Langdon tried to obey, although at the moment, prone and comfortable, he was feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion. As his vision blurred, he perceived a muted shape overhead that immediately woke him. Is that possible? He could not believe he hadn't noticed it before, but the figures in The Apotheosis of Washington were clearly arranged in two concentric rings–a circle within a circle. The Apotheosis is also a circumpunct? Langdon wondered what else he had missed tonight. â€Å"There's something important I want to tell you, Robert. There's another piece to all this . . . a piece that I believe is the single most astonishing aspect of my research.† There's more? Katherine propped herself on her elbow. â€Å"And I promise . . . if we as humans can honestly grasp this one simple truth . . . the world will change overnight.† She now had his full attention. â€Å"I should preface this,† she said, â€Å"by reminding you of the Masonic mantras to `gather what is scattered' . . . to bring `order from chaos' . . . to find `at-one-ment.' â€Å" â€Å"Go on.† Langdon was intrigued. Katherine smiled down at him. â€Å"We have scientifically proven that the power of human thought grows exponentially with the number of minds that share that thought.† Langdon remained silent, wondering where she was going with this idea. â€Å"What I'm saying is this . . . two heads are better than one . . . and yet two heads are not twice better, they are many, many times better. Multiple minds working in unison magnify a thought's effect . . . exponentially. This is the inherent power of prayer groups, healing circles, singing in unison, and worshipping en masse. The idea of universal consciousness is no ethereal New Age concept. It's a hard-core scientific reality . . . and harnessing it has the potential to transform our world. This is the underlying discovery of Noetic Science. What's more, it's happening right now. You can feel it all around you. Technology is linking us in ways we never imagined possible: Twitter, Google, Wikipedia, and others–all blend to create a web of interconnected minds.† She laughed. â€Å"And I guarantee you, as soon as I publish my work, the Twitterati will all be sending tweets that say, `learning about Noetics,' and interest in this science will explode exponentially. † Langdon's eyelids felt impossibly heavy. â€Å"You know, I still haven't learned how to send a twitter.† â€Å"A tweet,† she corrected, laughing. â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"Never mind. Close your eyes. I'll wake you when it's time.† Langdon realized he had all but forgotten the old key the Architect had given them . . . and why they had come up here. As a new wave of exhaustion engulfed him, Langdon shut his eyes. In the darkness of his mind, he found himself thinking about universal consciousness . . . about Plato's writings on â€Å"the mind of the world† and â€Å"gathering God† . . . Jung's â€Å"collective unconscious.† The notion was as simple as it was startling. God is found in the collection of Many . . . rather than in the One. â€Å"Elohim,† Langdon said suddenly, his eyes flying open again as he made an unexpected connection. â€Å"I'm sorry?† Katherine was still gazing down at him. â€Å"Elohim,† he repeated. â€Å"The Hebrew word for God in the Old Testament! I've always wondered about it.† Katherine gave a knowing smile. â€Å"Yes. The word is plural.† Exactly! Langdon had never understood why the very first passages of the Bible referred to God as a plural being. Elohim. The Almighty God in Genesis was described not as One . . . but as Many. â€Å"God is plural,† Katherine whispered, â€Å"because the minds of man are plural.† Langdon's thoughts were spiraling now . . . dreams, memories, hopes, fears, revelations . . . all swirling above him in the Rotunda dome. As his eyes began to close again, he found himself staring at three words in Latin, painted within the Apotheosis. E PLURIBUS UNUM. â€Å"Out of many, one,† he thought, slipping off into sleep.

Diminishing Returns Essays - Production Economics, Economics Laws

Diminishing Returns Essays - Production Economics, Economics Laws Diminishing Returns Law of Diminishing Returns The Law of diminishing returns is a key one in economics. It is used to explain many of the ways the economy works and changes. It is a relatively simple idea; spending and investing more and more in a product where one of the factors of production remains the same means the enterprise will eventually run out of steam. The returns will begin to diminish in the long run. If more fertilizer and better machinery are used on an acre of farmland, the yield will increase for a while but then begin to slow and become flat. A farmer can only get so much out of the land, and the more the farmer works, the harder it gets. The economic reason for diminishing returns of capital is as follows: When the capital stock is low, there are many workers for each machine, and the benefits of increasing capital further are great; but when the capital stock is high, workers already have plenty of capital to work with, and little benefit is to be gained from expanding capital further. For example, in a secr etarial pool in which there are many more secretaries than computer terminals, each terminal is constantly being utilized and secretaries must waste time waiting for a free terminal. In this situation, the benefit in terms of increased output of adding extra terminals is high. However, if there are already as many terminals as secretaries, so that terminals are often idle and there is no waiting for a terminal to become available, little additional output can be obtained by adding yet another terminal. Another application for this law is in Athletics, for runners, their investment is the time and energy put into training and the yield is hopefully improved fitness. Early in their running careers or early in the training program a couple of weeks of regular training would be rewarded with a considerable increase in fitness. Having achieved a very fit state though, two weeks of regular training will achieve a barely perceptible increase in fitness. But in todays world, this famous law seems to have been turned on its head. In Japan, for example, huge amounts of investment have resulted in large increases in the economy and large increases in capital goods per worker. But the rate of productivity growth did not decline the way one would have expected on the basis of diminishing returns. Japan got ahead and stayed ahead.

British - American Relations in the 1840s essays

British - American Relations in the 1840's essays Assess British-American relations during the 1840s The 1840s were a period of American expansion and diplomacy. Throughout these years, tensions grew in Anglo-American relations. By this time, The United States had extended its power and territories in the world, and the British Empire had problems in government. Throughout the 1840s, the two countries disputed over many things, new problems as well as old disagreements. However, the resolution of these disagreements is the great achievement of this period. The issues included the resolution of commercial relations between the United States and Britain, the settlement of the Maine boundary dispute, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, and the agreement concerning the Oregon territory. By the 1840s, commerce between America and Great Britain had improved from prior decades. But, some disputes still ensued between merchants of the two nations. One major argument was that of the Creole Affair. In the early 1840s, the British were interested in fighting the slave trade. They were against the importation of African slaves into the Americas. In 1841, on the American ship Creole, 135 enslaved Africans overpowered the crew, murdering one man, while sailing from Virginia to New Orleans. Led by Madison Washington, the slaves sailed the vessel to Nassau, Bahamas, where the British declared most of them free. Americans argued that the property of U.S. slave owners should be protected in foreign ports. Slave owners were outraged at the British who responded by arguing that once the ship was outside of U.S. territorial waters; the African Americans were entitled to their liberty. The House of Representatives then also stated that any attempt to re-enslave them would be unconstitutional. Another turning point in U.S. relations with Great Britain came with the signing on August 9, 1842, of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, which settled several matter...

IT related terms essays

IT related terms essays A high-level programming language developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs in the mid 1970s. Although originally designed as a systems programming language, C has proved to be a powerful and flexible language that can be used for a variety of applications, from business programs to engineering. C is a particularly popular language for personal computer programmers because it is relatively small it requires less memory than other languages. The first major program written in C was the UNIX operating system, and for many years C was considered to be inextricably linked with UNIX. Now, however, C is an important language independent of UNIX. Although it is a high-level language, C is much closer to assembly language than are most other high-level languages. This closeness to the underlying machine language allows C programmers to write very efficient code. The low-level nature of C, however, can make the language difficult to use for some types of applications. Pronounced lee-nucks, A freely-distributable implementation of UNIX that runs on a number of hardware platforms, including Intel and Motorola microprocessors. It was developed mainly by Linus Torvalds. Because it's free, and because it runs on many platforms, including PCs, Macintoshes and Amigas, Linux has become extremely popular over the last couple years. Another popular, free version of UNIX that runs on Intel microprocessors is FreeBSD. A program interface that takes advantage of the computer's graphics capabilities to make the program easier to use. Well-designed graphical user interfaces can free the user from learning complex command languages. On the other hand, many users find that they work more effectively with a command-driven interface, especially if they already know the command language. Graphical user interfaces, such as Microsoft Windows and the one used by the Apple Macintosh, feature the following basic components: pointer : A ...

Community Corrections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Community Corrections - Essay Example The National Institute of Justice created and funded a program and devised a multi-year and multi-site federal effort; The Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative. This initiative was created in confidence of improving reentry outcomes and evaluating this with five factors; criminal justice, employment, education, health, and housing. The program initially began in 2003, allowing the national Institute of Justice to track the success of the program (National Institute of Justice, 2012) Sixteen programs were divided among 14 states and included 12 adult and 4 juvenile facilities. The purpose of the program was not starting a new program but to increase funding and resources available to existing programs. Partnerships were formed between supervision agencies, correction agencies, state and local level agencies and any faith based agency’s that have approved programs with the Department of Corrections. Participants were each considered a violent offender, each below the age of 35, and represented all three stages of reentry; in prison, post release with supervision and post-supervision. The evaluation of this program sought to define how and if the program could lead to more integrated services among agencies, to what extent were participants in this program receiving services as compared to those who were not in the program and did the outcomes and benefits far exceed the cost of the program (Lattimore, & Steffey, 2009, p Es-5). In February of 2012 a final report was released with the findings of this study and recommendations for this community corrections program and initiative. Prisoner Reentry Services The program focused on 12 different reentry factors that were identified as crucial pre-release. These factors were known to be contributive to the success of the offender once released. The offender should have a case manager, who has assessed his /her needs, a reentry plan; the offender should have completed some programs while incarcerated; d id the offender attempt or successfully achieve this? Were life skills evaluated and any life skills education courses taken or available, did the offender take part in any prerelease employment services, mental health treatment or substance abuse treatment should have been available and provided to the offender, were personal relationship skills developed during incarceration?, Attitude counseling related to criminal thinking and behavior provided, were anger management programs utilized, and was the offender able to receive a GED or other education during incarceration (Lattimore, Barrick, Cowell, Dawes, Steffey, Tueller, & Visher, 2012, p Es-2). Those who participated in the program had longer times between arrests and fewer arrests after release from the program across all demographics. Those services associated with a longer time period before being arrested again were personal relationship counseling, criminal thinking and behavioral counseling, anger management and a solid re entry plan. These conclusions maintain the popular theory that personal development and programs that promote individual change may be more useful and successful than those which promote practical skills. This was true of female, males and juvenile offenders. Needs assessments and evaluations, reentry plans and participation in a reentry program, employment counseling, and criminal attitude and thinking counseling had no affects in any of the three groups on

St. Augustines Views on Sin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

St. Augustines Views on Sin - Essay Example 214)Regarding sin, In Chapter 11 of Book One of Of Sin and Merit, Augustine goes into detail of describing his views on sin. The title of this particular chapter is "Distinction Between Actual and Original Sin." He says: Obviously Augustine believes that through one man's sin, sin has entered the world and it has brought sin upon the entire human race. He makes it clear that he thinks the language is clear as well. Augustine elaborates further upon his view of sin, and how Christ plays a role in that worldview. It also talks about some of the benefits Christians have: Augustine is talking about some very specific positives here about being a Christian that don't have to do with sin except indirectly: that they have a secret communion with Christ; that they are blessed, justified, and have a spiritual grace accorded to them (Knight, 2008, pp. 1). Augustine, first as a Manichean and then as a Christian bishop, had some very interesting ideas about sin. First his notions of sin probably leaned toward good and evil. His later opinions would later be shaped into the doctrine we now have on original sin.

Hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Hamlet - Essay Example So Hamlet had to study well into the matter and handle the murder plan successfully. To understand the fact that his uncle killed is the Father is not an easy task for him. For this, he had to do something very calculative and for this he decided to act insane in front of people. Hamlet did not want to kill a person who is of a clean heart. What if he killed Claudius and he turn out to be innocent? In that case, Hamlet will turn out to be guilty and he would not be able to live in peace. The reason for Hamlet’s hesitation is that he doesn’t want to kill his uncle who is in a state of clean consciousness. So he acted insane and thought of setting a stage for a play which resembled to the story of his father’s life. The revenge of his Father’s killer was boiling in his body but he took time to take revenge, because he did not want to be wrong in the end. Hamlet, wanted to kill Claudius when he is guilty of his evil deed of killing the hamlet’s father .The reason is valid because then Claudius would himself realize that he deserves death from the hands of Hamlet. In a real sense, Hamlet gets only one chance to kill Claudius, but he staged a drama wherein the story resembled that of his father’s murder . Hamlet has lost his Father and definitely wants to kill his murderer. But now the murderer has become his uncle and step-father, as his mother married his uncle, who is the murderer. Here Hamlet has to confront many problems in order to reach to Claudius, who is his Father’s murderer and the king of Denmark. He had devised a series of attempts to block the reign of Claudius and stop the royalty of the new King. By killing Claudius, Hamlet will give peace to his Father’s soul and convince his mother, that he is the murderer of her ex- husband, who is the real king of Denmark. Even Hamlet would be convinced that he is killing a person who is guilty of his own evil deed. The story ‘Hamlet’ is central ly based on the revenge and how the young prince plans to kill his Father’s murderer. In this story, Hamlet’s mother is maintaining an incestuous relationship as she marries the brother of her ex- husband. Hamlet’s mother the Queen, does not have any involvement in the killing of King Hamlet. The delaying of the killing of King Claudius is the most controversial question in the whole story. People are alarmed to find that knowing the killer of his Father; he is not doing anything to fulfill the revenge. He knows he will kill the murderer of his Father, the then King Hamlet. But the question is who killed the King in real. He wanted to confirm the killer, then take a solid reaction. So here by delaying the death of Claudius, Hamlet has done justice to himself and the Claudius. This story also portrays that Hamlet is insane and this is to show people that he is not sure or unsure about his Father’s killer. This also leaves a doubt in the mind of the reader and the audience. People really feel that he has gone mad until they find the drama arranged by Hamlet really kills the Claudius. The Hamlet could have killed Claudius very earlier, which could have spoiled, the whole thrill of the story. Here just acting insane, Hamlet played a game with Claudius of

15 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

15 - Coursework Example Heating and cooling service technicians face a difficult task installing a machine in a major city such as Phoenix because of poor air quality due to humidity. This seems to be a huge problem for the citizens residing in these metropolitan areas, who complain of having symptoms caused by bacteria(http://www.phoenixenvironmentallawyer.com). What  Causes  Indoor Air  Problems? Without a doubt, indoor air problems source from inadequate ventilation, pollutants, amount ventilation. Inadequate ventilation is detriment to air since it increases air pollution by not diluting emissions from indoor sources. Poor air ventiliation accounts for 50% percent of air pollution problems. In addition, the cause of indoor air pollution can be displayed by incineration of certain materials such as oil, gas, kerosene and tobacco products. In this case, the age of the particular substance is a critical factor that determines how dangerous the emissions are. The third source for indoor air problems is Amount ventilation. Amount ventilation is harmful because they serve as barriers against outdoor air. High levels of pollutants present in outdoor air entering indoors can be a huge health risks for the residents. All of these factors accumulate to cause an indoor air problem, which continues to pose a threat for the environment. Ask any service technician about identifying a problem, and troubleshooting will be the answer. Troubleshooting is essential because it is standardized set of steps in order to identify the problem. The three phases of basic troubleshooting consist of checking the thermostat settings, inspecting the circuit breaker box, the natural gas line, and finally examining airflow(). Since ventilation remains as a top concern for homeowners, it is vital to understand the main causes that negatively affect ventilation systems. These problems consists of systems design, proportion of

Response to 4 students postings with 60 words and 2 references for Coursework - 4

Response to 4 students postings with 60 words and 2 references for each response - Coursework Example challenges that come with diversity when implementing organizational change, no light was shed on the fact that diversity could also be a healthy development in some instances (Kalev, 2006). The impression that such writing creates is that all managers should eliminate all forms of diversity because it will be difficult to deal with them. But there are clearly scenarios when diversities come with numerous advantages to managers who want to implement change (Mind, 2012). This could indeed be described as a more detailed and elaborative discussion on the subject of diversity and organizational change. This is because the writer did not only throw light on the advantages and disadvantages of diversity (Devos and Banaji, 2005) but went ahead to critically outlines some of specific examples of organizational change in the midst of diversity. Then also, series of solutions that best problems were outlined (Jehn, 1999). This way, all managers can draw various implications from the text and use it in controlling the diversity that exists in their own work outfits. It is a strong point for the writer that he elaborates on some of the conditions that bring about diversity at the workplace (Stevens, Plaut and Sanchez-Burks, 2008). In doing this, the writer takes a step further to look at specific instances of organizational change that took place in the midst of diversity. Some challenges that were posed and how they were solved were also outlined (Hickman, 2010). The writer could have however given some generalized implications to the management of diversity other than what prevailed in this present work

15 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

15 - Coursework Example Heating and cooling service technicians face a difficult task installing a machine in a major city such as Phoenix because of poor air quality due to humidity. This seems to be a huge problem for the citizens residing in these metropolitan areas, who complain of having symptoms caused by bacteria(http://www.phoenixenvironmentallawyer.com). What  Causes  Indoor Air  Problems? Without a doubt, indoor air problems source from inadequate ventilation, pollutants, amount ventilation. Inadequate ventilation is detriment to air since it increases air pollution by not diluting emissions from indoor sources. Poor air ventiliation accounts for 50% percent of air pollution problems. In addition, the cause of indoor air pollution can be displayed by incineration of certain materials such as oil, gas, kerosene and tobacco products. In this case, the age of the particular substance is a critical factor that determines how dangerous the emissions are. The third source for indoor air problems is Amount ventilation. Amount ventilation is harmful because they serve as barriers against outdoor air. High levels of pollutants present in outdoor air entering indoors can be a huge health risks for the residents. All of these factors accumulate to cause an indoor air problem, which continues to pose a threat for the environment. Ask any service technician about identifying a problem, and troubleshooting will be the answer. Troubleshooting is essential because it is standardized set of steps in order to identify the problem. The three phases of basic troubleshooting consist of checking the thermostat settings, inspecting the circuit breaker box, the natural gas line, and finally examining airflow(). Since ventilation remains as a top concern for homeowners, it is vital to understand the main causes that negatively affect ventilation systems. These problems consists of systems design, proportion of

Criminal Justice Management Information System Research Paper

Criminal Justice Management Information System - Research Paper Example Criminal justice system information is critical in influencing how people are treated in the system, and may have a bearing on the outcome of the individual cases. The quantity, quality, and timeliness of information are crucial to the operations of the criminal justice system. Moreover, a criminal justice system indicates a significant interrelationship between efficiency and the quality of the justice dispensed. The automated systems provide a one-time entry of data and an efficient access to justice information to all agencies that are in need of it via shared files and system resources, while at the same time restricting unauthorized access to certain criminal history and other confidential information as maybe stipulated by applicable laws and regulations. Criminal justice management systems facilitate multijurisdictional information sharing across the criminal justice system (Allen & Sawhney, 2010). Integration of management information systems demands adoption of common standa rds in data entry, policies, software, protocols, and hardware systems. Management information systems form a critical component of criminal justice system. ... For instance, management information systems such as â€Å"offender management system† impact and interact with organizational development and human behavior. Today, more and more state criminal justice systems employ statewide computing systems to keep track of criminal offenders as well as to enhance rehabilitation. The offender management information systems often employ integrated record tracking from diverse information sources (Welsh & Harris, 2012). The need for criminal justice officers and organizations to share data increases commensurate with the crime. Much of the typical data captured in a criminal justices system often has utility to multiple organizations. One of the essential contributions made by management information system encompasses areas of statistical data analysis models, graphical, and spatial forms of analysis (Siegel, 2010). The stated methodologies demand speed, access, and dimensionality of data, which cannot be facilitated by manual systems. Pote ntial Reasons for Computerization One of the prominent reasons for the introduction of information technology in the administration of criminal justice system revolves around the ability of the system to enhance the quality and the timelines of information; this leads to enhanced decision making. Furthermore, higher quality information translates into better information for policy analysis, besides availing timely information. As a result, there is increased system efficiency of the criminal justice system. Manual systems hinder attainment of high quality, timely, and accurate information. Moreover, as the society and the nature of crime become increasingly complicated, the need for structured

Psychology of Racism Essay Example for Free

Psychology of Racism Essay In 1892, a shoe maker named Homer Plessy from New Orleans Louisiana was arrested for refusing to transfer to a railroad car designated for the dark-colored population in the East Louisiana Railroad after he sat in a first class railroad car meant for the white-skinned constituents of the state. Plessy appealed that he should be considered white since only 1/8 of him was African American as it was substantiated in his heritage. According to him, by forcing him to transfer to a different car, the authorities were violating the 13th and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution which impedes slavery and segregation. From local custody to Supreme Court, Plessy was tried and accused of civil disobedience (Elliot, 2009). The arbiters of the court exhibited linear cognition which disregarded Plessy’s plea of violation of rights and obstinately favored Luoisianas claim that they did not violate such Amendment of the United States Constitution since they have the right to imply regulations and policies in railroad stations that are within their state. The case was denied of opportunities to be studied sufficiently as the justices esteemed and acknowledged that the act of separating the races under impartial rights should be abided, setting aside the sentiments of the colored inhabitants. II In South Campton County Virginia, a group of African American slaves initiated a rebellion that killed about 57 white men, women and children before the military forces and a number of armed civilians were able to arrive and take control. Angered by the murder of almost more than 50 innocent lives, vigilantes eradicated dozens of slaves who were not involved in the insurrection and exiled hundreds of free colored people from their land. The leader of the insurrection was a literate African American slave named Nat Turner who claimed he saw visions of God telling him to commit this act of violence, and with his extraordinary power of persuasion, he was able to compel other slaves to join him. After Turners surrender on October 30, 1831, he and his men were executed. (Bernier, 2010) Following the death of Nat Turner, a year of debate relating to the status of the African American slaves congested the Virginia General Assembly. Although it was considered that they should be relieved from their abject duties as slaves, a systematic arrangement for their freedom was never formed. Nat Turners act of rebellion caused that an anti-literacy law be passed which diminished the African American slaves freedom to communicate and have the opportunity to be educated, thus, almost completely mutilating their already restricted rights. From that historical event which became known as Nat Turners Rebellion or South Campton Insurrection, it can be analyzed that it might not only be a visionary or a delusioned mans whim that caused such barbaric deeds but possibly an act or cry for liberation. Unequal treatment, enslavement for the rest of a mans life and forced labor for very minimal or no wage at all, these are acceptable factors that can be considered as parts of a motive for the rebellion in South Campton. III In 1803, a British convict settlement was established in a Tasmanian aborigini inhabited island called Van Diemens Land. A total of of 65,000 convicted men and women were settled in the island of which most of them were cruelly traumatized and extremely violent. Due to the incompetent procedure of punishment, convicts were able to take flight into the Tasmanian hinterland where they exerted the fullness of their brutality and thirst of blood upon the aboriginis of the island (Turnbull, 1948) Symbolically and appropriately, this event in history can be described as a case of rape as the innocent aborigines were violated of their rights and freedom to live accordingly. Not only were they conquered and treated as slaves in their own land but they were exterminated and murdered like animals. They were robbed of their privilege as humans and left their race at the brink of their extinction. References Bernier, C. M. (2010) Slave Heroism in the Transatlantic Imagination. New York: Routledge, Taylor Francis Group. Elliot, M. (2009) Color Blind Justice: Albion Tourgee and the Quest for Racial Equality from the Civil War to Plessy v. Ferguson. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. Turnbull, C. (1948) Black War : The Extermination of the Tasmanian Aborigines. Melbourne:

Recession And Expansionary Monetary Policy Of Australia Economics Essay

Recession And Expansionary Monetary Policy Of Australia Economics Essay Introduction: Australia economy went through contraction in 2008-2009. however, since expansionary monetary policy was executed, Australia started to recover step by step. Business cycle refers to fluctuations in economic activity. The economy doesnt always stay still. It shifts over time between expansion and recession. In order to prevent economy from going too far from balance, the monetary authority of a country executes monetary policy. Monetary policy is used to control the supply of money, often targeting a rate of interest, so as to attain goals of growth and stability of economy. When economy is in expansion, a contractionary policy works. Under such circumstances, the government reduces the size of money supply, or if it raises the interest rate. When economy is in contraction, an expansionary policy works. It increases the total supply of money, or if it reduces the interest rate. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) serves as the central bank of Australia. It holds the duty of keeping the nations economy sound and stable. RBA has several monetary policy tools available to influence the business cycle: increasing interest rates, reducing the monetary base, and increasing reserve requirements. All contracts the money supply, and, if reversed, expand the money supply. Increasing interest rate leads to higher opportunity cost of investment, thus more people choose to deposit instead of investing. This stops economy from being too heated up. While reducing interest rate means lower opportunity cost for investing, encouraging investment in a recession. Such is the role of RBA in counter cyclical policy. The year 2008 till now is a period of economic extraction. The financial crisis of 2008, considered to be the worse financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, is triggered by a liquidity shortfall in the United States banking system caused by the overvaluation of assets. Financial institutions collapsed, stock markets turned down all around the world. Economic activity declines significantly. Australia, as a small, open economy with a financial sector that is well integrated with the rest of the world, is not immune to the enfolding financial crisis despite the robustness of the Australian financial system. The crisis contributed to the failure of key businesses, declines in consumer wealth and substantial financial commitments incurred by the government. The economic indicator-GDP slowed down significantly, as we can see in the following table. Year Mar Jun Sep Dec Average 2010 0.50 0.50 2009 0.80 0.70 0.30 1.10 0.73 2008 1.00 0.60 0.30 -0.90 0.25 Table1GDP Growth QoQ Source: Trading Economics Economy went through a tough time in 2008. GDP growth kept declining from Q1 to Q4. To be detailed, GDP growth declined at a rate of 40% from Q1(1.00) to Q2 (0.60), 50% from Q2(0.60) to Q3(0.30), shockingly 400% from Q3(0.30) to Q4(-0.90)! Businesses broke. Nation wealth shrinked. Economy fell into abyss. Worse still in 2009, Australian economy had a rather difficult time with bad economic growth performance. The economic activity in Australia has slowed and is set to continue to slow before starting to rebound in 2009. Indicators of Australian Activity (Table 2) show how the recession was like in 2007-2009. GDP and consumption in 2008 dropped to half of their prior years level, while inflation in 2008 reached twice the level of its prior year. Business investment dropped by over one point from 2007 to 2008, and it was even worse in 2009. Though wage cost index decreased from 4.1(Year 2007) to 3.7(Year 2009), labor market unemployment rate increased from 4.4 to 5.2. Source: Melbourne Institute Before 2007, the monetary policy was concerned with bringing inflation down. However, within the space of one year, the landscape of macroeconomics has changed due to three concerns-recession, retrenchment and risks. In this recession, Australia needs an expansionary monetary policy, which can provide liquidity to further financial collapse. Inflation is no longer the top concern, since it is more important to keep a sound financial system and a low rate of unemployment. Inflation rise to 4.4 in 2008, and came down to around 3.0 in 2009. In the wake of the global financial crisis, the RBA began a policy of monetary loosening, reversing the trend of tightening. It has enacted similar procedures to the United States Federal Reserve to inject liquidity in domestic credit markets (such as moving funds into the cash market and introducing a term deposit auction facility). In response to both weaker domestic and global economic data, the Reserve Bank Board moved to an expansive monetary policy: the cash rate target was reduced by a full percentage point in October 2008, by a further 0.75 percentage point in November and, most recently in December, by another full percentage point. Lets take the monetary policy executed in October as an example. In October 2008, RBA lowered the cash rate by 100 basis points to 6.0 percent. The Board judged that a material change to the balance of risks surrounding the outlook had occurred, requiring a significantly less restrictive stance of monetary policy. At the same time, measures are taken to provide authorized deposit-taking institutions greater flexibility to manage their liquidity. Specially, relax the current restriction that prevents an institution from using residential mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed commercial paper of a related party as collateral in its repo operations with the Bank. Whats more, restrictions on substituting collateral within an existing rep, with the exception of general collateral, will be removed. Where the substitution includes changes in the asset class of collateral, the margin applying to that collateral will be adjusted accordingly. Though Australia has not been immune to the financial woes, the economy has been cushioned by solid growth in China. Domestically, the loosening in monetary policy and the series of fiscal stimulus packages are likely to steer the economy away from a recession.

The Shakespearian Play: Hamlet Essay -- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Tom Stoppard creates a life off the stage for the characters of the poplar Shakespearian play, Hamlet. He provided a dramatic and comedic effect through the story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood companions of Hamlet. In the setting of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, two different worlds exist. There is the onstage world of Hamlet, in which all of the characters are caught up in the story line of the play, and the offstage world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The odd and void-like world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern provides these characters with little information and forces them to believe that nothing is happening in their lives. They come to realize that they solely exist within this story to provide their services to the needs of the story happening around them. They barely take part in this story, as the other characters are completely unaware of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s existence. The characters of Hamlet only seem to exist within th e play and are provided with no other reasons to believe that their world might not be real. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern finally show up in the play, they are discomforted and do not spend enough time onstage to gather enough information to understand this alternate life. None of the other characters show concern for the duo and do not seem to be interested in their lives once they leave the stage. However, they spark the interest of The Player. He illustrates the capability of being able to easily move between the two worlds. He is the leader of the Tragedians and displays a sense of understanding to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The Player seems to be the only character that can easily transition between both worlds and has an understanding of th... ...ut the play, even though death is determined, that fulfillment of life is enough for anyone. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not realize this throughout the play and they become distraught to know that portrayed them to be insignificant. Through the Player, Stoppard creates a character that is able to appreciate the pointlessness of the absurd world he lives in, and discover significance in it by creating it for himself. The Player’s habit to mix the lines between theatre and reality by asserting he does not distinguish the two is a statement that the two require the same thing in order to be understood: suspension of disbelief. (2.81) Works Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print The Shakespearian Play: Hamlet Essay -- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Tom Stoppard creates a life off the stage for the characters of the poplar Shakespearian play, Hamlet. He provided a dramatic and comedic effect through the story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood companions of Hamlet. In the setting of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, two different worlds exist. There is the onstage world of Hamlet, in which all of the characters are caught up in the story line of the play, and the offstage world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The odd and void-like world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern provides these characters with little information and forces them to believe that nothing is happening in their lives. They come to realize that they solely exist within this story to provide their services to the needs of the story happening around them. They barely take part in this story, as the other characters are completely unaware of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s existence. The characters of Hamlet only seem to exist within th e play and are provided with no other reasons to believe that their world might not be real. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern finally show up in the play, they are discomforted and do not spend enough time onstage to gather enough information to understand this alternate life. None of the other characters show concern for the duo and do not seem to be interested in their lives once they leave the stage. However, they spark the interest of The Player. He illustrates the capability of being able to easily move between the two worlds. He is the leader of the Tragedians and displays a sense of understanding to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The Player seems to be the only character that can easily transition between both worlds and has an understanding of th... ...ut the play, even though death is determined, that fulfillment of life is enough for anyone. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not realize this throughout the play and they become distraught to know that portrayed them to be insignificant. Through the Player, Stoppard creates a character that is able to appreciate the pointlessness of the absurd world he lives in, and discover significance in it by creating it for himself. The Player’s habit to mix the lines between theatre and reality by asserting he does not distinguish the two is a statement that the two require the same thing in order to be understood: suspension of disbelief. (2.81) Works Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print

Affirmative Action :: essays research papers

When people talk about the civil rights movement, the first thing that comes to mind is the famous speech â€Å"I have a dream† by Martin Luther King. His dream in short was to have equality among human beings. For the past thirty years, this country has been revolutionizing humanitarianism because there is greater concern for human welfare than one hundred years ago. The revolution began during the 1960’s, and during that era this country was drastically involved in changing the civil rights of minority groups. From this concern, a program called affirmative action evolved. Like other civil right movements, the affirmative action movement was implemented to promote equality. Like some Americans, I am strangely confused when anyone talks about affirmative action. The reason that I have such confusion is the way people word the term affirmative action. If you ask one person who is in favor of affirmative action, his or her response is going to be different from someone who is against it. So when I am asked what I think about affirmative action, my answer seems to be twisted because I really don’t know what affirmative action is. The only exposure I have had to the term affirmative action is that which is taught in the classroom. Since this was such a controversial subject, the scope was very narrow, mostly terms. My key understanding is that of a definition, which I can hardly recall. I don’t know whether affirmative action is a law or if it is a subset of a bunch of different laws that were passed during the civil rights movement. I am also unaware if people protected under this program like the special treatment if there is any. My attempts to answer the question of what I think I know start with the idea that since affirmative action evolved from the civil rights movement, its aim is to protect certain minority groups as well as women. I think that the idea is used in a business context because there are other discriminatory laws in place to protect outside of work. I can remember from past schooling that there was a Supreme Court case that a white male sued a school institution because he was anti discriminated against because the school had a affirmative action program in place. I would like to know exactly what affirmative action is and then decide a stance on whether I support or oppose the use of affirmative action programs.

Civil Disobedience: Cost of Change

Aila Pena Dr. Schuetze-Coburn Contemporary Composition, Period 5 March 4, 2013 Civil Disobedience: The cost of change More than 40,000 strong activists from the Sierra Club protested at the White House to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal. They protested because they the extraction of tar sand oil and moving it from Canada to Texas will pollute the groundwater in the surface (Hammel). Civil disobedience is â€Å"the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power† (Civil Disobedience).Throughout history, civil disobedience was a way to get the people’s attention that the government’s idea is immoral and unfair. It is a way to make a change in law or policy and to take action in a non-violent resistance. The act of civil disobedience is effective in our society, for example, Mohandas Gandhi protest against the British rule for India’s independence, Martin Luther King, Jr. à ¢â‚¬â„¢s civil rights action, and the Sierra Club protest to neglect the Keystone XL pipeline.These titles,†On the Relation of the Individual to the State,† â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government,† Civil Disobedience,† and â€Å"A Yankee in Canada with Anti-Slave and Reform Papers,† have different title but all of them have the same concept. Henry David Thoreau’s concept of civil disobedience started at the Mexican-American war. He refused to pay taxes because he knows the taxes are going to the war and slavery. His action resulted being put in jail. In his focus of his beliefs in slavery and the war, he wrote an essay known as â€Å"Civil Disobedience. † According to Thoreau, the main idea of civil disobedience is about â€Å"unjust laws exist† (203).His essay means that sometimes the government make laws that are injustice and it is the people duty or right to stop the law that the government made. He explained what of civil disob edience is and how the people have the right to oppose an immoral state of the government. â€Å"Civil Disobedience† has two principles: first is the power of authority and second is the right of the people to disobey the unjust laws (Civil Disobedience-The History of the Concept). For many centuries, it had a great impact was and still is an important role around the world. Over the years, the Indians were furious and angry at the British authorities.Tensions rose between both the Indians and the British government due to the fight for the country and independence. A leader of the independence movement rose in India, Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi perfected civil disobedience by using non-violent revolution and was influenced by Thoreau’s concept about civil disobedience. Example of Gandhi’s non-violent resistance, Gandhi’s form of nonviolent resistance was to influenced the Indians to refuse buying British goods and make their own product (Gandhi). The Indians got the British’s attention that they are going to be a problem economically.After many protest and mass demonstrations by Gandhi and the Indians, it caused them many innocent lives such as the Amristar Massacre. The British made a salt law, it means that they are the only one who can produce and sell salts. The Salt March was the key that change the Indians to their new modern life : On April 5, 1930 Gandhi and his satyagrahis reached the coast. After prayers were offered, Gandhi spoke to the large crowd. He picked up a tiny lump of salt, breaking the law. Within moments, the satyagrahis followed Gandhi's passive defiance, picking up salt everywhere along the coast.A month later, Gandhi was arrested and thrown into prison, already full with fellow protestors. The Salt March started a series of protests, closing many British shops and British mills. [†¦ ] The world embraced the satyagrahis and their non-violence, and eventually enabled India to gain their freedom from B ritain. (Benner) The protest brought down the British’s economy which caused the British government to leave the country. They gained their equality, freedom and independence. His protest drew the attention of millions of people around the world and influenced many countries to fight for what is right and moral.The most famous leader of civil rights movement is Martin Luther King, Jr. and the man who fought for the civil rights of the African-American people. He used a non-violent method to gained and protected the rights of African-American. It started on the refusal of buying at Alabama and refusal of seating at the back of the bus. One of the well known march he did was â€Å"more than 250,000 protesters to Washington, DC, where King delivered his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech in which he envisioned a world where people were no longer divided by race† (Tutu).Many civil rights protesters supported his belief that all race should have equality, freedom a nd justice. As Tutu continues to explain, he concluded that the â€Å"Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act in 1964. † It was a breakthrough for the African-American because it was a law that approved Martin Luther King’s goal to protect their rights. It became an American tradition to use civil disobedience in hundreds and hundreds of different movements. There are two sides in the controversy of Keystone XL Pipeline: TransCanada vs Sierra Club.The Sierra Club protest against the Keystone XL Pipeline because they believe that it is the reason for climate change and the destruction of the environment. The tar sand oil also known as the dirtiest oil will be extract from the ground like we dig deep through our closet to find the clothes we want to wear. TransCanada believe that their pipeline will not hurt the environment and the president stated: â€Å"the oil sands represent only one-tenth of 1 percent of global greenhouse emissions† (TransCanada Says Keystone X L Oil Pipeline Would Have No Measurable Effect on Global Warming).He argues to the protesters that the pipeline will only cause a little of gas emissions in the atmosphere. But the club is still not persuaded and still accepted the fact that it is a hazard. They are still resisting in a nonviolent method. Some Sierra Club members were arrested because â€Å"activists have placed themselves onto the north-facing fence of the White House to protest [†¦ ] has cuffed himself onto the fence† (48 Arrested at White House Fence in Opposition to Keystone XL). The act of the Sierra Club got the newspapers, American people and Obama’s attention.It is delaying the decision of President Obama and the State Department to approve or reject it. Another one reason why it is effective because they persuaded Obama to thwart: â€Å"Obama said he will use executive authority to cut greenhouse gas pollution if Congress fails to act† (TransCanada Says Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Wou ld Have No Measurable Effect on Global Warming). The protest made a change on persuading Obama even though the decision is still unknown by the State Department. In many occasions, civil disobedience have been effective throughout history and in the modern time.Civil disobedience is about people using violent and non-violent method to state that a law, demand and concept of the government is unfair. It is the first time that the Sierra Club done the act of civil disobedience and it took them more than 100 years to be where they’re at now. I predict that the Sierra Club will be successful in their goal to stop the tar sand oil project. They show potential hazard to our nature. They will also persuade the honorable President Barack Obama to make green jobs and use clean energy. Not that they will only succeed but they will also be an important event in the 21st century. The Works Cited 48 Arrested at White House Fence In Opposition to Keystone XL. † Tar Sands Blockade. Ta r Sands Blockade, 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. Benner, Alana. â€Å"The Gandhi Salt March. † Gandhi Salt March: 1930. The Web Chronology Project, 12 Sept. 2003. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Civil Disobedience – The History Of the Concept. † N. p. , n. d. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Civil Disobedience. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Gandhi. Dir. Richard Attenborough. Perf. Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Candice Bergen. RCA/Columbia Home Video, 1983. VHS. Hammel, Paul. â€Å"Pros and Cons of Keystone XL Pipeline Aired One Last Time – Omaha. com. Omaha. com. N. p. , 5 Dec. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Thoreau, Henry David. â€Å"Civil Disobedience. † 11th Grade Contemporary Composition Course. Ed. Los Angeles Unified School District. Los Angeles: LAUSD Secondary Literacy Branch, 2009. 203. Print. â€Å"TransCanada Says Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Would Have No Measureable Effect on Global Warming. † Washington Po st. Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Tutu, Desmond. â€Å"Champion, Martin Luther King, Jr, Civil Rights Movement: United for Human Rights. † Champion, Martin Luther King, Jr, Civil Rights Movement: United for Human Rights. United for Human Rights, n. d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ecotourism Essay

If done right, there are many more advantages of ecotourism than disadvantages. Unfortunately, ecotourism is still a new field of study and a new sub sector of the tourism industry. And, with most new found industries, many organizations, companies, and countries are taking advantage of it. With so many disadvantages of ecotourism, it is hard to see the advantages and benefits of ecotourism. However, if done right, the goals of ecotourism are to help the environment, preserve natural resources as well as help the local communities and economies. Ecotourism is an industry that stands to make a lot of money from tourists that are seeking environmentally friendly vacations or ecologically friendly activities. The money from ecotourism could be used to preserve nature, wildlife, species and earths natural resources as well as help local people with access to civilization and education. For example, if a country is prime for ecotourism, the money could be used to preserve the environment in that country so that the natural resources would last longer. Local residents could also benefit from the growth in their economy and no longer have to live poorly. This, however, usually does not happen in reality because the locals rarely benefit from the growth of their economy. The investors and foreign corporations do. And the environment and natural resources rarely get preserved because they are worth more in a theme park attracting ecotourists. Ecotourism is increasing in popularity across the world, but has significant practical value in developing countries. The needs of impoverished communities may conflict directly with the need to capitalize on the growing tourism industry. In cases developers move in and designate certain areas as tourism hotspots without giving much thought to the impact will have on local communities. These communities may depend on the area for food and shelter,but their concerns beneath the potential for financial revenue.

The effectiveness of advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The effectiveness of advertising - Essay Example BMW, headquartered in Munich, Germany, was founded in the year 1916. Its primary line of operations include manufacture and sale of cars and motorcycles worldwide which is done in collaboration with its subsidiaries. The company belongs to the consumer goods sector and auto manufacturers–major industry. BMW’s automotive segment manufactures, assembles and sells cars and off road vehicles under famous brand names such as BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce. It also manufactures and sells BMW and Husqvarna branded motorcycles in their motorcycle division (Yahoo Finance, 2013). Campaign Strategy According to Ramalingam, et al (2006), effective advertisement’s can be characterized on the basis of two levels. The first level explains the need for the advertisers to satisfy consumer’s objectives by engaging them and delivering a relevant message. The other one emphasizes on the need for advertisements to achieve the advertiser’s objectives. An effective advertisem ent campaign must incorporate both this characteristics in order to formulate a near perfect strategy. Effective advertisements are generally well executed. The main strategy of an advertisement campaign is to make sure that the details, the photography, setting, printing, and the production values are finely tuned. These characteristics are now the benchmark that has been set in the advertising industry. BMW’s campaign strategies are absolutely customer specific. With BMW group campaign BMW i, which is also known as â€Å"Driving the next movement†, the company is pioneering a new path towards a revolutionary change in automobile technology and the industry as a whole. They thrive for innovation and their... This essay "The effectiveness of advertising" outlines characteristics of the successful advertising and BMW's campaign strategy. According to Ramalingam, et al (2006), effective advertisement’s can be characterized on the basis of two levels. The first level explains the need for the advertisers to satisfy consumer’s objectives by engaging them and delivering a relevant message. An effective advertisement campaign must incorporate both this characteristics in order to formulate a near perfect strategy. Effective advertisements are generally well executed. The main strategy of an advertisement campaign is to make sure that the details, the photography, setting, printing, and the production values are finely tuned. These characteristics are now the benchmark that has been set in the advertising industry. BMW’s campaign strategies are absolutely customer specific. With BMW group campaign BMW i, which is also known as â€Å"Driving the next movement†, the com pany is pioneering a new path towards a revolutionary change in automobile technology and the industry as a whole. They thrive for innovation and their vision for innovation is distinctively reflected in the ad campaigns designed by the company’s marketing management division. BMW group’s primary objective behind the BMW i campaign is to provide answers to the environmental and economical challenges that prevail in this changing world thereby satisfying the interest and curiosity of audiences towards the company’s products and services.

Beowulf and Roland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Beowulf and Roland - Essay Example Roland and Beowulf both wanted to struggle to save humanity. Roland, as a warrior for Charlemagne, believed that the Muslims were working against God. The Christian God dominated the story of The Song of Roland. Humanity for Roland was united under the Christian God. Borey (2001) suggests â€Å" The spirit is very much that of the Crusades, a period in which the Catholic Church had become strong and ambitious enough to mount a series of determined campaigns in the Holy Land.† For humanity to exist in The Last Song of Roland it must be united under a Christian ruler. Humanity needed Jesus Christ. This theory is shown after Roland dies. At the end of the story, the Muslim queen is baptized a Christian. Beowulf also wanted to struggle to unite humanity. Although this story does not have as much Christianity, Beowulf felt the need to unite humanity. Although not his fight, Beowulf leaves his kingdom to fight for Heorot. One point of view is: Beowulf stands up as protector of something much deeper than the mere surface expectations of the reader for bravery and honor; he passionately fights to protect the deep solidarity that Heorot represents for humanity. Viewing Grendel’s assault on this human solidarity, we must conclude that the value of the hall regarding international relations and the power of the human spirit is that for which Beowulf must so ardently fight.  (Young 2006) The monster attacking Heorot was trying to divide humanity. The hall was where soldiers, their wives, and probably children held banquets, slept in for protection, and lived in as a home. The story confirms this belief: When Grendel attacked the hall, the inhabitants scattered. In order to be safe from Grendel, the soldiers and their families split up to find refuge anywhere. This would eventually destroy humanity. Without a social circle, humanity might have even died out due to lack of contact. While many soldiers run away in both stories, both Roland and Beowulf want to

Diversity Training in Organizations Research Paper

Diversity Training in Organizations - Research Paper Example versity training, the step by step discussion creates awareness of what the topic entails and informs the reader on the reasons as to why and how diversity training should be embraced. To have in-depth information, the paper has obtained relevant information from available books and scholarly articles. Even though diversity training is much applicable to current organizations, there are many challenges that have not been resolved thus it acts as detrimental a diverse group in a work environment. Whichever the case, organizations ought to appreciate the diverse nature of employees. Diversity has been a developing conception. The term specifically focuses on an individual through societal assemble. According to Kreitz, â€Å"many current writers define diversity as any significant differences that distinguishes one individual from another- a description that encompasses a broad range of overt and hidden qualities† (2007, p. 2). Discrimination in any workforce can be discouraging. It is the aim of any business to eradicate any form of discrimination within the workforce and create an environment that appreciates diversity (Awang, Shafie & Pearl, n.d.). It is quite important knowing that diversity does not necessarily cause differences. Gopta’s definition of diversity says it all â€Å"diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing & celebrating differences among people with respect to age, and ethnicity, and gender, physical & mental ability † (2013, p. 36). Organizations are forced to use varied ways of managing diversity. Training is one of the strategies and it varies from one organization to the other. The definition given by an organization depends on how it understands diversity. The workforce diversity has become a major force in the working environment and has called for an immediate focus. Douglas observes that it has become necessary to have diversity initiatives to handle the demographic shift (2007). Diversity training

What is Art - Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is Art - Discussion - Assignment Example It makes me guess what culture it came from, what message the artist implied when he was painting it. It is a thought-provoking object that has no practical function and is created for the sake of self-expression of the artist who had made it. It gives rise to a train of thoughts on primitive African societies when I am looking at it. It might as well have been made by an African artist, though it is not a case. It is surely a work of art, in my opinion. There is probably a toy at the third image with a metal ball inside. It might be perceived as a work of art from some subjective point of view, though in my opinion it is made strictly for the purpose of entertainment of children and is not a work of art per se. Although there is a specific and quite precise definition of what art is, this notion extends into a subjective category and it is not an easy task to circumscribe the limits of it. Thus, in my opinion, this toy is not a work of art. On the other hand, it might as well be an allegorical manifestation of the way someone who created it looks at the world and, if placed within a certain context, could be perceived as a work of art. The blue plate on the fourth image might be a work of art for some people, while others wont consider it to be as such. Although it is created with a certain practical purpose to serve, it obviously applies imaginative skills of a person who made it. The surface of it is painted inside and these elements of its design make this object of pottery a work of art, in my opinion, though it might as well be solely perceived by some as a part of dinnerware and serve practical purposes