Thursday, December 26, 2019

Essay about Caprica Energy and Its Choice - 1033 Words

Brief company background: Caprica is a 40-year -old company rooted in Charleston, West Virginia area. First 30 years, it only operated in Kentucky and Ohio. Starting from 1997, Caprica carried on an expansion strategy to Michigan, and in 2005 it applied the hydraulic fracturing technology on shale gas exploiting. Up till now, Caprica already have five years experience on using hydraulic fracturing technology. Current Strategy: Caprica’s strategy is to grow its reserves, production, net income and cash flow. It is focus on acquiring properties that have development potential. Meanwhile, Maintaining operational integrity is also a vision Caprica try to pursue, so Barrow need to consider the environmental controversy when making her†¦show more content†¦Please see the following chart for the risk assessment. 1. Chemicals contaminate if fluid leaks from drilling pipes. Arguments * Malfunctions may cause fluid leaks all the way down to the shale. * EPA promoted fracking technology with political bias. * The chemicals in fluid can cause many diseases and there is potential connection between existing water contamination and hydraulic fracturing. * Exploitation needs to invest heavily on fixed asset and site setting up. If EPA study proved the high probability of water commination by using fracking in next year, Caprica will face significant operation and legal risks. Debates * Most of unconventional gas, such as shale and tight sand, is too deep in the ground to have the fluid reach aquifer. * Even fluid get into aquifer, it is not as toxic as other wastewater discarded from other daily activities. EPA claimed the fracking process is safe. * There is no study evidence shows the causation and possibility of fracking contamination. 2. Huge water usage Argument: * Fracking will use up 4 to 5 million gallons water per well. Monthly usage would be 320 to 400 million gallons (assume 80 new wells per month). * Tainted water cannot be reintroduced without expensive treatments. Debates: * The water usage per month for fracking just equals to the

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Theravada Buddhism and Escaping Rebirth Essay - 1192 Words

Many of the mainline religions have the ultimate goal of receiving enlightenment. Most of which, enlightenment comes in the form of eternal afterlife in a superior setting with the higher power. Buddhism however, reaches enlightenment or also known as Nirvana by escaping the cycle of rebirth. Buddhism has been around as a religion for quite some time now an in today’s society it may seem too be viewed a bit different but still the main principles it was founded on still stand. Buddhism gets more in detail and specific if it is being observed to that extent, into three branches also known as vehicles. Theravada (the small vehicle) even called Hinayana is one branch, Mahayana (the large vehicle), and Vayrayana (the thunderbolt, or†¦show more content†¦The First Noble Truth is that life is suffering. Dukkha in Pali stands for life is suffering, but what some people fail to realize is that an opinion that life is bad or suffering. In Buddhism it is realized that life bein g suffering is a reality to everyone and an outlook on life. As we go through life we lose loved ones to death, friends for many various reason, and etc. From the Buddhism perspective there is no way to escape the things in life that cause suffering and therefore looking for the good things in life or things believed to bring happiness are pointless. Birth is suffering; decay is suffering; illness is suffering; death is suffering. Presence of objects we hate is suffering; separation from objects we love is suffering; not to obtain what we desire is suffering. (Young, 2005) Complete understanding of this First Noble Truth is important to be able to prosper along with following and understanding the proceeding Truths. With the First Nobel Truth being life is suffering (dukkha); it leads to the Second Noble Truth (Tanha) which states suffering is caused by craving. It is that craving that leads back to birth, along with the lure and the lust that lingers longingly now here, now there: namely, the craving for sensual pleasure, the craving to be born again, the craving for existence to end. (Young, 2005) In other religions this craving too in similar manners is a down fall to humanity. Hinduism is the most similarShow MoreRelatedDifferences Of Theravada And Mahayana Buddhism1181 Words   |  5 Pages There are two major divisions of Buddhism. These two major divisions are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Both of these divisions of Buddhism are similar but also different in some aspects. Theravada Buddhism is known as the traditions of the elders and Mahayana Buddhism is known as the expansive way. I will talk about three difference in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. There are also many lit tle differences in both they will also be brought up in the describing the two divisions. OneRead MoreThe Main Elements Of The Doctrine Of Salvation1454 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION Buddhism is one of the oldest religion in the world. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama during the sixth century B.C. Siddhartha’s life is divided into three periods: enjoyment (563-534 B.C), enquiry (534-528 B.C) and enlightenment (528-483 B.C). He became the Buddha (meaning â€Å"the enlightened one†) after he resisted the temptations of Mà ¢ra, the evil one. Then he devoted his life guiding people into the way to enlightenment or salvation. There are two main branches in Buddhism: â€Å"Mahayana†Read MoreThe Jataka Tale Of The Hungry Tigress947 Words   |  4 Pagesprotagonist to the practice and teachings of the Arahat of the Theravada school, the Bodhisattva of the Mahayana school and the follower of the quicker path to Buddhahood of the Vajrayana school. However, the self-sacrificial actions of the bodhisattva at the end of the tale is analogous to the Guru of the school of Vajrayana, leading one to believe that this story best follows the thunderbolt v ehicle of Vajrayana. In the school of Theravada Buddhism, one strives to become an Arahat, â€Å"one who has attainedRead MoreHinduism And Buddhism And Hinduism1276 Words   |  6 PagesOut of the worlds many beliefs and religions, Buddhism and Hinduism make of about 20% of them (The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050). Hinduism and Buddhism are the most influential and popular in the eastern hemisphere, mostly in and around the Asian continent. These two religions have similar ideologies. So much so that many say that Buddhism is an appendage of Hinduism. Such religions have different religious structures, which allow broader interpretations toRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Theravada Buddhism Essay2239 Words   |  9 PagesTheravada Buddhism is known as the â€Å"representative school of the earliest of the branches of Buddhism†, as it is also known as â€Å"Hinayana or the small vehicle† (Young). Founded by Buddha, this branch of religion is extremely simil ar to Hinduism in the fact that it seeks to help people reach a state of liberation from the cycle of Earthly rebirth, but one major difference is that Buddhism â€Å"emerged from the Buddha s honest and penetrating assessment of the human condition† instead of focusing on theRead MoreTheravada Buddhism And The Human Condition Essay2258 Words   |  10 PagesTheravada Buddhism is known to be the â€Å"a representative school of the earliest of the branches of Buddhism†, as it is also known as â€Å"Hinayana or the small vehicle† (Young). Founded by Buddha, this branch of religion is extremely similar to Hinduism in the fact that it seeks to help people reach a state of liberation from the cycle of Earthly rebirth, but one major difference is that Buddhism â€Å"emerged from the Buddha s honest and penetrating assessment of the human condition† instead of focusingRead MoreWat Buddharangsi Of Miami : Theravada Buddhist Temple1799 Words   |  8 PagesMiam i: Theravada Buddhist Temple Site visit: Saturday, 7/15/2016, 2 hour meditation Interviewee: Sunny â€Å"Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draw it. Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves.† (Siddhartha Guatamma) This is one of the many wise words spoken from the kindhearted Buddha. After my brief study of Buddhism I feel

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Global Marketing Globalization of Inequality

Question: Discuss about theGlobal Marketingfor Globalization of Inequality. Answer: Introduction The article is about the issues faced by companies in the global market. Multinational companies are facing issues in specialized markets. On the other hand, global companies following global marketing tactics are facing problems regarding their sales and product customization. Global imagination of the global companies has faced the barriers of globalization. It is the main issue mentioned by the author that is focused on the article (Bourguignon 2016). Apart from that, there are many examples mentioned in the article that illustrates about the issues in globalization and other techniques opted by multinational companies. The main purpose of the article is to point out the problems faced by the companies while adopting the policies of glocalization and globalization. The global companies that are unable to use the technologies in a proper way have witnessed failures in their product customization and sales level. Getting global is not an easy task. It requires covering many aspects such as a bunch of rules and regulations of the host countries as well as target countries including the taste preference of that particular country (Arellano-Gault et al. 2013). Globalization and glocalization are the strategies that go side by side if they are properly utilized according to the consumer preference. The twin vectors of globalization and technology are the points of concerns of the global companies. It is the major issue mentioned in the article by the author. The author uses many examples and other information regarding strategies of globalization and glocalization by both global companies and multinational companies. Examples of Companies like PepsiCo, Coca Cola, McDonalds, General Motors, Hoovers Ltd, etc. are mentioned in the article regarding the relationship to the issues of globalization. The issue is also focused to the changed customer preference and taste in the modern world. The companies for product development not only use technologies and other operational procedures, consumers in different parts of the world are also using technologies. Way of using technologies by consumers is different and the purpose is different. People want what they actually see. It is the responsibility of the companies to identify the hidden desires of the customers. Failure of satisfying the demands is the big problem for the company (Yuan et al. 2013). Author has provided the solutions to the companies that are facing issues in entering to European market in the form of conclusion. The vectors of globalization and technology determine the future of the global companies while expanding their market in the untapped countries. According to the author, companies become victims of failures if they do not adapt the new realities of global markets (Kim et al. 2013). The global realities include economic realities and human preferences. Convergence and divergence of different forms of markets leads to reduction of various aspects such as prices of products to customers and manufacturing costs. The implication of the conclusion to the companies mentioned in the article such as General Motors is well explained by author. Model T has faced many issues in the markets such as in Japan. There are many imitators of the Model T in the Japanese market. Model T by General Motors had manufactured the model based on their host country i.e. European market. The company tends to go global and seek to standardize their products by offering their product in every market irrespective of the requirements of the customers of their target market (Rodriguez 2015). The negative aspect of the global companies is not considering customers as king rather they want to create needs of their product in the target market (Shami et al. 2014). The companies face troubles when they remain unfocused and inattentive towards the global needs and economic standardization and simplicity. With the rapid development of the small domestic companies in the countries, the global companies in many cases face tough completion. The companies use the concept of adapting the features of globalization and technologies in order to gain success in the long-term success of the parent company in the global markets. Strategies of global companies in going global are different from that of the multinational companies adopting strategies of glocalization. The concept of Hedgehog knows and the author in the article to describe the issues of globalization faced by various companies mentions the fox. In this case, fox is considered as the multinational corporations that have the knowledge of many countries regarding tastes and preferences (Bourguignon 2016). On the other hand, global companies are compared to the Hedge Hog, as it knows everything about a single thing. Global companies seek their working procedure towards convergence in the global markets. Authors point of view lies in the fact of lack of proper understanding of the heterogeneous market worldwide. Consumers of specific markets do not adopt high-standardized products in many aspects. This happens because they somehow do not match the needs of the consumers. On the other hand, Multinational organizations enable nations and people in order to optimize their products and market conditions by using the median of money. Both tangible factors and intangible factors come into existence while taking any decision regarding the volume and cost of production of goods in any foreign markets. In this case, the customs, culture and the nature of purchasing of the goods come under consideration (Kannan 2015). Computer aided production of goods are also mentioned in the article that modern companies are using in order to incorporate new features in the products they are selling in respective markets. In the article, author assumes that the companies should follow glocalization rather than globalization in order to achieve success in terms of profitability and sales volume in the companies in the target market. The companies must treat the companies as two or more markets that are distinctive related to products so that the companies can serve the population of the world in more economical way. Mistakes happen, when enterprises treats the world market as four to five distinctive markets. Assumption of author in the article focuses on the massive production procedure of the company that has not adopted the automation of products still now while serving the global markets by satisfying the needs of the customers (Audretsch et al. 2014). Preferences of customers are more highlighted in the article by the author, as it leads to more sales of the products as well as the increased reputation of the products. The issue of globalization has much significance. By reading the article, the viewers can gain an understanding of the problems that are faced by companies on a regular basis by the famous companies worldwide. It is also mentioned in the article that competition of big giants are not only from other global companies but also from the small companies in the domestic markets. While creating a new market regarding a particular product, there is a chance of the not accepting the new products by the consumers of that specific market. There is a clear description of the issues so that viewers will implement the remedies of the issues in the practical world. Apart from that, there are many economic problems faced by global companies in many countries. As they are not adopting the procedures of customization, hence in the manufacturing process economies of scale and economies of production are not properly maintained in many cases (Lim and Tsutsui 2012). Minimal customization along with brea dth of narrow product line will lead to less cost when compared to companies that are adopting wider lines and more processes of customization. Author has mentioned some potential problems in the article. Author has focused only the issues of adopting technologies and economies of scale in the target markets. It is mentioned in the article that the Japanese automobile manufacturing companies by adopting globalization has not acquired much successes in the countries like Europe and America. There are rules of left hand driving and right hand driving in many countries. Japanese automobile companies are not ready to change their modes and designs of cars according to the regulations of their target market. The information are irrelevant, but are not discussed in a detailed format. Author has discussed it in a single format of regarding technology and glocalization processes (Louhiala-Salminen and Kankaanranta 2012). Apart from glocalization, there are many reasons such as political, legal and other environmental factors that companies have to take into consideration while expanding into foreign markets. Regulations of government are more important that technological factors because the first criteria of a company to enter into a new country is fulfilling the trade regulations of the government as well as other rules of doing business. It may also hamper various current businesses processes of the company (Smith 2015). Modification and customization of the policies are not only depended on cultural factors but also depended on legal and political factors that is very important. I agree to the viewpoint of the author and the information provided by the author related to the topic of issues of globalization. However, in many cases author has missed some of the topics, I have mentioned above which are vital for the companies that are expanding their market. In my viewpoint, some other aspects are equally important to that of the glocalization and globalization strategies. References Arellano-Gault, D., Demortain, D., Rouillard, C. and Thoenig, J.C., 2013. Bringing public organization and organizing back in.Organization Studies,34(2), pp.145-167. Audretsch, D.B., Lehmann, E.E. and Wright, M., 2014. Technology transfer in a global economy.The Journal of Technology Transfer,39(3), pp.301-312. Bourguignon, F., 2016. The Globalization of Inequality.Cyrus Chronicle Journal,1(1), pp.63-65. Kannan, V., 2015. Globalization and Government Regulations: Invasive Species Management in an Era of Interdependence.A publication of the Critical Writing Program The University of Pennsylvania 3808 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-6221,27(4), p.8. Kim, S., Vandenabeele, W., Wright, B.E., Andersen, L.B., Cerase, F.P., Christensen, R.K., Desmarais, C., Koumenta, M., Leisink, P., Liu, B. and Palidauskaite, J., 2013. Investigating the structure and meaning of public service motivation across populations: Developing an international instrument and addressing issues of measurement invariance.Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory,23(1), pp.79-102. Lim, A. and Tsutsui, K., 2012. Globalization and commitment in corporate social responsibility cross-national analyses of institutional and political-economy effects.American Sociological Review,77(1), pp.69-98. Louhiala-Salminen, L. and Kankaanranta, A., 2012. Language as an issue in international internal communication: English or local language? If English, what English?.Public Relations Review,38(2), pp.262-269. Rodriguez, C.C., 2015. The dilemma of inclusivity in the globalization of academia.Cultural Studies of Science Education,10(4), pp.1057-1062. Shami, N.S., Box, N., Fort, T. and Gordon, M., 2014. Designing a globalization simulation to teach corporate social responsibility.Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning,31. Smith, J., 2015. Exploring connections between global integration and political mobilization.Journal of World-Systems Research,10(1), pp.255-285. Yuan, Y.C., Zhao, X., Liao, Q. and Chi, C., 2013. The use of different information and communication technologies to support knowledge sharing in organizations: From e?mail to micro?blogging.Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology,64(8), pp.1659-1670.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Views Of Marx And Keynes Essays - Keynesian Economics,

Views Of Marx And Keynes Views of Marx and Keynes John Keynes and Karl Marx are two of the most influential and notorious economists of our time. Their views on the economy are very different. Marx was a radical communist while Keynes was a Capitalist and a brilliant intellectual. Their views stem from their upbringing. Marx was born into a Jewish, middle class family and Keynes was born into a comfortable English social class that considered itself born to rule. Their writings brought their beliefs about the economy lead them into the public eye. Marx wrote the ?Communist Manifesto? and ?Das Kapital?. Both writings sought social upheaval and attacked the capitalist system. Keynes' writings include ?The Economic Consequences of the Peace? and ?The General Theory? which revolutionized the way the world thinks about economic problems. Marx and Keynes' views were and remain widely acknowledged to economists throughout the world through their writings. John Keynes thought there was no necessity for public or government ownership. Instead, he believed that government action was essential. Rather than government ownership, Keynes supported private ownership of the means of production. Karl Marx identified private productive property as the real source of evil. He believed that possession of economic

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The other side of the ledger An indian view of the Hudsons Bay Company essays

The other side of the ledger An indian view of the Hudsons Bay Company essays The other side of the ledger is an Indian view of the Hudsons Bay company. The Hudsons Bay companys 300th anniversary celebration where Queen Elizabeth II among the other guests was present, was no occasion for joy among the people whose lives were tied to the trading stores. During the past 300 years, the history has been written by white men. They have only focused on the generosity of the traders and the benefits brought to the Indians. However, there is a sharp contrasting view from what Indians have to say about their lot in the companys operations. At the time of the history, Hudsons Bay company was expended over 1 million square miles of land which is now known as Canada. The Ruperts Land at that time was occupied by the Indians. They (Indians) believed that the land belonged to all men and hence, the land owned by the individual was unknown. However, they failed to recognize that the white men had felt superiority to impose power over their identities. Hence, they just drifted bit by bit into white mens monopoly and never got out of it. Overall, I think, the film has covered up all the basic arguments of the Indians and has helped to understand the period and the people of that time. It has covered all the basic problems of Indians having with the Hudsons Bay Company. In the following, I have highlighted the main points covered in the film which illustrate the basic problems As it is shown in the film, I too think that the introduction of the new weapons (i.e.: guns) was the beginning of the Indians revolution. All the other hunting methods were band. The distribution of weapons in Ruperts land was done by the H.B.C.. Since, company had established treading posts throughout the land and each post was run by the manager, raising up the cost for the weapons was in the hands of t ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Too Much Homework Pros Cons of Having Many Assignments to Do

Too Much Homework Pros Cons of Having Many Assignments to Do In 2014, Stanford University showed the pitfalls of too much homework. Students name several reasons why they feel overloaded: regular stressful situations, lack of time, and worsening relationships with their family members. The question is how much homework is too much? PLEASE HELP WITH MY HOMEWORK Education Scholar Denis Pope says the following: â€Å"Students in high-achieving social groups who spend too much time on homework face regular stressful situations, problems with physical/mental, life imbalance, and issues with communication.† How does too much homework affect students? Thanks to the research conducted by Stanford University, it was found that spending more than 2 hours on learning after school has a negative impact on student’s health. Do you wish to work less on your assignments? Are you here to increase your current grades? Contact professional online homework writing services to gain extra time to spend at home with your family friends! How Much Homework Is Too Much? The famous song has these lines: â€Å"Too much is never enough!† It is true when it comes to learning, traveling, reading, observing the world around, and developing. An overloaded learning or work schedule is not a sober phenomenon. Spending less time on activities aimed to relax our body and give our mind a good rest is not a healthy option, and not many teachers understand the dogma. Think about how much time you are spending on your homework assignments after you return home. Is it half an hour, an hour, or a couple of hours? According to the research conducted by a Stanford researcher/educational scholar Denis Pope, it is not okay if the amount of your homework exceeds two hours in a time equivalent. Extra requirements like formatting (e.g., APA writing style) are part of the final grade. It is a mistake not to count a lengthy requirement as a separate task. Parents worry their children are not spending a sufficient amount of time completing their home duties. Together with numerous assignments, each day of an average American schoolboy/schoolgirl is followed by different activities: Sports clubs Fan clubs Leisure with friends Partying Two categories of parents exist regarding their opinions on the school homework assignments: parents who support the idea of many assignments and those who believe the amount of homework should be limited. The second type of parents supports the idea of ordering custom papers online: if you say, â€Å"I have too much homework,† get affordable help on the web! We try to answer how much homework is too much in high school after hearing the comments from parents, students, and teachers. Students’ Parents Share What They Think about Modern Homework Assignments One caring parent shared their family story about a school-aged daughter: â€Å"My daughter, Paula, has joined her third grade. She complained of the tremendous amount of homework assignments: in summer, her schoolteachers forced the students to waste six days each week on accomplishing different homework tasks. Her least favorite job is writing. It appeared her school Language Literature teachers do not provide students with the sufficient amount of knowledge and writing skills (e.g., different writing styles). I decided to debate against the amount of useless homework assignments in the United States together with our family of friends whose son’s school schedule was more overloaded than his part-time job schedule (he is in the final grade, working as a waiter). Our family wants more time with our kids! There are many activities to do: fishing, swimming, traveling, playing table games, shopping, practicing music, and other exciting things to do. Why should our daughter dedicate all her free time to school homework?† You see? One of the California high school teachers suggested that students should be spending more time with their families. She is ready to cancel homework assignments for the entire learning period, but every family must meet a single condition: involve specific activities to correlate with student success. It is not easy to study in a home atmosphere. If the family knows how to combine fun learning night activities, the result will be great! Children memorize better by visualizing things, so it is important to choose associative learning methods: e-Learning (choose your career wisely) Table games Educational movies Special student mobile applications When children read with their family members, write descriptions to their favorite cartoons, play outside, and go to bed early, there is no need to waste time on doing homework assignments. ORDER HOMEWORK NOW Know How Much Homework Is OK We found that ordinary family activities could be more effective when accompanied by the modern learning tools. The worst thing some schools have done is limiting summer holidays. Several high school teachers from Phoenix think children forget half of the studied material during the summer break. In addition to shortening the vacation, such schools increase the workload by assigning more homework. Let’s come back to the research conducted by Denis Pope who is a co-author of the â€Å"Journal of Experimental Education,† where the study on school homework was published. The teachers and journalists analyzed three criteria to find the pros cons of spending time on school homework assignments: Perceptions about homework assignments Student well-being Behavioral/student engagement Learn how to survive your first college year in this article! The researchers worked day night to collect information on ten high schools in California communities with the best academic performance; they selected a sample of 4,317 students to analyze. To support the numbers, Pope initiated an open-ended set of answers. Both students and their family members took part in the survey aimed to discover the value of homework assignments. The homework-related survey showed the following: An average household income exceeded $90,00 in the communities these children came from, and 93% of the kids went on to college, either 2-tear or 4-year. Students spending time in these high schools average approximately 3.1 hours of homework every night at home. This amount of homework assignments is not healthy, and every second family agrees with it. See, the time has come when it is not about earning the highest grades; the time has come for the parents and other family members to take care of their children’s health through debating the unfair amount of school homework. What is the Most Effective Solution to the Great Amount of Homework Assignments? Benjamin Franklin used to say, â€Å"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.† Everybody knows it is true, but it does not mean spending the entire human life on learning is healthy. We recommend spending no more than two hours of your nighttime on the homework assignments. Kids should see the world around! There are many activities waiting for you; choose homework assignments you can handle, and which you believe would provide a necessary experience for your future career. What should students do with the rest of their homework? Forget about the homework nightmares – see how professional academic writers editors can solve your tasks after ordering a high-quality custom essay online!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Articles - Essay Example rnet users’ streaming increases slows internet speeds and in order to regulate this, internet service providers might be required to regulate streaming. However, this should not be through charging higher fees for their services and Microsoft should therefore not pay more money subscribers’ access to higher speed services (Wheeler 69). The article advocates for the use of LinkedIn when searching for a job. LinkedIn is a professional job searching networking service and provides its users with a wide range of job opportunities by connecting job seekers with employers and recruiters. By identifying some of the techniques that a job seeker should apply when looking for jobs through LinkedIn, the article plays an important role of ensuring that job seekers are informed on how to use this site without leaving out necessary information such as uploading their pictures (Wayne 36). Although information provided by the article does not guarantee any job seeker an employment opportunity through LinkedIn, going through the article is a great resource for anyone seeking employment. This is more so considering that social networks have revolutionized almost every aspect of human life, the labor market included. I have used LinkedIn to identify and apply for job opportunities, though my applications have not been successful (Wayne

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Sustainability In Emerging Economies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sustainability In Emerging Economies - Essay Example Most have reduced poverty levels to greater lengths, but at a cost to the environment. They have contributed to global warming by engaging in unsustainable efforts which is a threat to global environmental sustainability (Hansen and Wethal 2014: p 3). In this case study, the researcher focused on a firm, Bunge Limited, to show how they adopted the zero deforestation policies in a bid to ensure food security for a growing population in a sustainable manner. Bunge Limited is one of the largest agribusiness firms in the world. The company is one of the largest suppliers of global commodities. However, in its efforts to feed the world the firm severely impacts the environment through deforestation on agricultural development (McIntyre). The concerns about the effects on the environment prompted the firm to adopt a raft of measures that were sustainable to the firm and the environment (LOUCHE and HEBB 2014: p48). The selected state is Kenya found in Africa. Bunge Limited will partner with the Kenya Forestry Services (KFS). Bunge will source seedlings from the KFS and plant in the tropical zones of the Mount Kenya forest. The area receives adequate rainfall that is appropriate for various species such as the Cupressus lusitanica and Grevillea robusta. The area is inhabited by the Ameru to the south and some western parts of the mountain, the Agikuyu to the east and north (Johannson and Project, 1995). The project is estimated to take three months. However, sustaining a project in an emerging economy faces challenges due to social-economic and even political differences. In this case, the six principle of project sustainability will be used to ensure the project is beneficial to the members of the society and it lasts. The first principle is to maintain and to enhance the quality of life of the resident. Bunge Limited is concerned with tree planting, and the benefits accrued with trees are

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Video games rivalry Essay Example for Free

Video games rivalry Essay Introduction The video games industry faces an entirely new rivalry situation. After 11 years of leadership, Sony has nearly lost its strong positions on the market, which gives the other two players – Microsoft and Nintendo the chance to compete for the leadership. While the goal of Nintendo is to stay in the industry, Sony and Microsoft aim to strengthen their positions on the home entertainment market, which is constantly growing. The key factors, the companies need to consider in order to gain a competitive advantage, are good marketing and well developed distribution, as well as providing a huge range of games with recognizable characters. As the market segmentation increases, it is of crucial importance to put an emphasis upon the new target groups and reqruit as many new players as possible. However, there are also a lot of factors outside and inside the industry, which play a major role and have to be considered in order to become a better idea of the state of the industry, and to estimate its profitability and tendency of growing. Summary of macro-environmental analysis Stricter legislation both advantageous and disadvantageous for the video games industry is expected. As governments become more concerned about the increasing violence among teenagers the control of video games content is strengthened. On the other hand the laws against piracy aim to reduce the number of the illegaly copied games. With the rise of the prices of everyday goods, petrol, etc. , while salaries don’t go up as fast, the disposal income declines and for many entertainment becomes a luxury good. People are not willing to spend as much on it as they used to. However, as the average age of the video games players goes up, there are more players with own incomes, who are able to buy more games. The industry is expexted to grow due to the fact that, as surveys of the NPD Group show, kids spend more time playing and the hardcore gamers spend an avegare of 45 hours per week playing video games. On the other hand the growth prospecst are dampened by the increasing concerns of the parents about their children being too inactive and spending more time playing video games than playing sports or taking part in other activities. However, there is also a tendency of video games being increasingly regarded as an entertainment for the whole family. The future growth of the industry is theratened by the declining birthrates. Teenagers are the main consumer and less teenagers in the future means less games sold. This effect is compensated by the fact that the avarage age of the video games players goes up. Video games reach a broader audience and more adults and even elderly people start playing. The technological progress is beneficial for the growth of the industry as the the producers are able to constantly improve the quality of the games and include new features and functions to the consoles. However, this causes higher costs and also the time needed to develop a new game grows. The growing awareness of environmental issues has also an impact on the video games industry. The implementation of eco-friendly technologies and the constant growth of energy prices cause an increase in the cost for manufacturing of the consoles and the DVDs. Overall, the video games industry is expected to grow faster than average industry growth rates, particlularly due to the socio-cultural trends and the constant technological progress. Summary of industry analysis Due to a range of factors, which make it difficult for a new company to take part in the video games industry, the threat of new entrants is low. First of all, the industry is characterized by huge ecomonies of scale, as the producers need to sell great numbers of games in order to make a profit. Second, the capital requirements are very high because of the increasing costs of games development and consoles manufacturing. It is also costly for the customers to switch to a new producer, because this would mean they have to buy a new console. Suppliers pose a medium level of threat. The main reason is the crucial importance, which their input has for the final product. Also the costs for the input are high relatively to the total purchase. However, the concentration of the suppliers is relative low as they are many video games publisher but just three producers of consoles. Threat of forward integration exists as well, due to the fact that some of the big publishers of video games have the ressources to try to enter the industry. Although there are some substitues for video games and the differentiation is fairly low, buyers don’t have a lot of bargaining power. Their concentration relative to the industry is low and they have to face high costs if they want to switch to one of the substitutes (buy a computer for example). To have the newest console or play the latest games is considered to be a sign of â€Å"coolness† at school, so strong incentives for buying exist. The power of substitutes is considered to be low to medium. The biggest threat comes from computer games. Due to the fact that almost every family possesses at least one computer, computer games are a cheaper alternative to video games as one doesn’t have to buy the console. However, the lack of multiplayer function impairs their perfomance, especially when video games are regarded as a family or group activity. The switching costs are high as well and the buyer propensity to switch is fairly low, particularly for buyers, who are addicted to playing video games. The video games industry is charaterized by medium rivalry, which is getting more intense lately. The industry grows slowly as they are three establishes players, that compete among each other and every one of them try to outsell the others and become the market leader. The rivalry is enchanced by the low level of product differentiation and the high fix costs of the manufacturing of the consoles. However, the rivalry is reduced by two major factors: the switching costs for the buyers are high and there is a lack of understanding of the technological differencies of the consoles, because of their complexity. As a result of the stage of these five forces in video games industry, the industry is considered to show a relatively high level of profitability. Interconnections and interrelationships between the two analyses There are several interconnections between the macro-environmental analyse and the industry analyse that can be found. Mostly the macro-environmental trends have an impact on the forces, which determine the profitability of the industry. Sticter regulation of the video games content limits the scope of games a new company can present to the market while trying to enter the industry and make this more difficult for them. The increasing licensing fees for the exclusive rights to intellectual property of media companies or sport organisations are addtitional obstracles for entering the industry as they enhance the capital requirements. Economical factors such as decreasing disposalble income have also an impact. People start searching for cheaper substitutes so the power of substitutes for video games grows. The bargaining power of buyer becomes higher as well, as buyers condition their purchases on the price-performance ratio of the product. As the number of video games players goes up, the demand for a larger library of games rises. This leads to an increase in the power of suppliers due to the fact that the producers need them to develop more new games and develop them faster. With the rapid advance of new technologies it is to be expexted that new substitutes for video games will be introduced to the market for enertainment in the near future. Thus, the power of substitutes will rise, as well as the bargaining power of buyers. The growing rivalry in the video games industry prompts the companies to improve their products, sell them cheaper and expand their target group. As a result video games become amore attractive kind of entertainment for a broader audience. Recommendations With the competition in the video games industry getting more intense, the next steps of the players become of crucial importance for their positioning on the market. Due to the low product differentiation, the next market leader will be the platform provider that manages to offer much more different gaming experience. Furthermore the extra features of the consoles have to be further developed, as the producers aim to establish the consoles as the central tool for any kind of home entertainment, not just for video games playing. Important issue regarding the extra features is the fact that many of the users are not aware of them, so more information and communication with the customers is required. The companies have to learn by the mistakes of the past and try to avoid making them again. It is of significant importance to develop a much larger library of games before the introduction of the next console, as this was proved to be a major factor for success in the past. Another factor that needs to be considered is a better control of the games and their distribution, as well as perfectly realised marketing campaigns. As the video games audience becomes broader, the companies should make an effort to reqruit new players from the new target groups: females and older people, by creating a greater range of games, directed towards the interests of these players, and more intensive advertising. The new image of the video games as family entertainment has to be extended as well. The possible entrance in the industry of some of the big games publisher creates opportunities for establishing of alliances. An alliance between one of the platform providers and a major publisher will give them a very strong position on the market and a sustainable competitive advantage. Thus, they will have the best chances to become the new leader of the industry.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Bartleby the Scrivener A Strange Relationship :: essays papers

Bartleby the Scrivener A Strange Relationship The Webster's New World Dictionary defines "folie a deux" as "A condition in which symptoms of a mental disorder, such as delusive beliefs or ideas, occur simultaneously in two individuals who share a close relationship or association." (231) In Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener" this concept of coinciding peculiarity, or obsession is demonstrated quite vividly throughout three different stages. The first, Bartleby's unwavering preoccupation with his employment, followed by his decision to do no work whatsoever, and finally Bartleby's determination to accomplish nothing at all, not even partaking of the basic functions required to sustain life. During each of these phases, Bartleby's actions are met with limited efforts on the part of the narrating lawyer, who endeavors to 'help' his odd employee. It is this interaction which poses the question of how much responsibility a human should have for his or her fellow man. Bartleby's focus passes through three main stages before his death, the first of which is his obsession with performing a single action to the exclusion of everything else. Initially, Bartleby works day and night, "as if famished for something to copy." (Melville paragraph 18) His goal, it seems, is to single-mindedly to accomplish as much copying as is humanly possible. The first few attempts on the part of the narrator to tell Bartleby to do something else, no matter how moderate the task, are met with the simple refusal, "I'd prefer not to." (Melville paragraph 21) The narrator reasonably chooses not to punish this insubordination because of both the quality, and the quantity of Bartleby's regular work. After a series of requests from the narrator that all end in noncompliance, Bartleby shifts his focus from the intensive copying of documents to simply doing nothing at all. This, of course, is a kind of obsession that is not acceptable in the modern work force, and can not feasibly be tolerated by the narrator. As the agent of punishment, the narrator is at this point stuck with making the decision to either sympathize with Bartleby, or lose his professional reputation. In a final attempt to clear his conscience, the lawyer proffers both alternate employment options, and temporary housing arrangements. Once again, all efforts on the part of the narrator to offer genuine help are rebuffed, and the narrator at last "proposes to remove his offices next week. Bartleby the Scrivener A Strange Relationship :: essays papers Bartleby the Scrivener A Strange Relationship The Webster's New World Dictionary defines "folie a deux" as "A condition in which symptoms of a mental disorder, such as delusive beliefs or ideas, occur simultaneously in two individuals who share a close relationship or association." (231) In Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener" this concept of coinciding peculiarity, or obsession is demonstrated quite vividly throughout three different stages. The first, Bartleby's unwavering preoccupation with his employment, followed by his decision to do no work whatsoever, and finally Bartleby's determination to accomplish nothing at all, not even partaking of the basic functions required to sustain life. During each of these phases, Bartleby's actions are met with limited efforts on the part of the narrating lawyer, who endeavors to 'help' his odd employee. It is this interaction which poses the question of how much responsibility a human should have for his or her fellow man. Bartleby's focus passes through three main stages before his death, the first of which is his obsession with performing a single action to the exclusion of everything else. Initially, Bartleby works day and night, "as if famished for something to copy." (Melville paragraph 18) His goal, it seems, is to single-mindedly to accomplish as much copying as is humanly possible. The first few attempts on the part of the narrator to tell Bartleby to do something else, no matter how moderate the task, are met with the simple refusal, "I'd prefer not to." (Melville paragraph 21) The narrator reasonably chooses not to punish this insubordination because of both the quality, and the quantity of Bartleby's regular work. After a series of requests from the narrator that all end in noncompliance, Bartleby shifts his focus from the intensive copying of documents to simply doing nothing at all. This, of course, is a kind of obsession that is not acceptable in the modern work force, and can not feasibly be tolerated by the narrator. As the agent of punishment, the narrator is at this point stuck with making the decision to either sympathize with Bartleby, or lose his professional reputation. In a final attempt to clear his conscience, the lawyer proffers both alternate employment options, and temporary housing arrangements. Once again, all efforts on the part of the narrator to offer genuine help are rebuffed, and the narrator at last "proposes to remove his offices next week.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Irony and Foreshadowing in Poe’s Short Stories Essay

In Poe’s short stories, he uses literary devices like irony and foreshadowing to increase reader interest in his stories. Irony and Foreshadowing helps to create suspense, anxiety, and humor in his works. They also help to capture the audience’s attention and draw them into the story. Poe’s irony and foreshadowing are integrated in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†. â€Å"The Cask of the Amontillado† is one of the best examples of irony and foreshadowing in Poe’s works. In this story, almost every detail seems to stand for something else. These ironic details foreshadow Fortunado’s horrible death. Poe’s uses irony and foreshadowing to develop suspense and mood throughout this story. The first example of irony in this story lies in the character’s name. The name Forunato is ironic because it sounds like the word fortunate. Also Fortunato translates to â€Å"fortunate one† in Italian and suggests good luck. As we know from the beginning of the story, Fortunato is not so fortunate and his future lies in the hands of Montresor. Other ironies abound in the setting of the â€Å"Cask of the Amontillado. † This story takes place in Italy during Carnival, which is a joyous and happy time full of family, friends, and food. Carnival is the last place one would think of committing a murder. This ironic setting is one of the reasons Montresor is so successful and is why Fortunato is so surprised. A more visual and humorous irony lies in Fortunato’s apparel. â€Å"The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells† (Poe â€Å"Cask†). His festive outfit contrasts with the impending doom that awaits him. Also, it is ironic that Fortunato believes that he is intelligent on the subject of wines, but he is dressed as a fool. In addition to irony, forshadowing is evident in the opening paragraph of the â€Å"Cask of the Amontillado†. Montresor’s first words to the reader are: The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled –but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity (Poe â€Å"Cask†). Clearly, Montresor has serious intentions for Fortunato, and these comments foreshadow Montresor’s vengeance on Forunato at the end of the story. Montresor says he must not only punish but punish with impunity. This foreshadows how an insult drove Montresor to take justice into his own hands and implies that Forunato’s punishment was deserved. Later in the story we see how this justice is really just an excuse for murder. Another instance of foreshadowing is when Montresor and Fortunato are in the vaults, looking for the cask of Amontillado. Fortunato begins to cough and says, â€Å"Enough, the cough’s a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough† (Poe â€Å"Cask†). This foreshadows his death because Fortunato was right in that he would not die of a cough but that he would die of something much more sinister. The clueless Fortunato also mentions that he has forgotten what Montresor’s family coat of arms looks like. Montresor describes his coat of arms as â€Å"A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel† (Poe â€Å"Cask†). This symbolically foreshadows Fortunato’s death because Montresor represents the human foot crushing the serpent, which represents Fortunato. This coat of arms shows that Montresor was not the first in his family to take justice into his own hands, a hint that Fortunato does not pick up on. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† also makes good use of irony and foreshadowing. It is one of Poe’s most well-known short stories and is considered one of his best. This story shows us how important irony and foreshadowing are to a gothic tale by providing suspense and humor to Poe’s stories. One instance of irony in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† is in one of Usher’s many paintings. In this painting, Usher paints a vault for the burial of a body. This is ironic because it portrays the tomb in which Madeline will be buried. It also shows how Lady Madeline would be buried alive. This painting signifies Usher’s dark thoughts and leads us to believe that he planned to bury Lady Madeline alive. Another example of irony is when the narrator reads Usher the story the â€Å"Mad Trist†. The narrator reads this story in order to calm both his and Usher’s nerves. This is ironic because the â€Å"Mad Trist† is a parody about a medieval romance. Poe introduces this story at the greatest moment of tension in the story; the Narrator cannot sleep, a storm rages outside, and Usher is on the brink of hysteria. The narrator could not have picked a worse time to read this book. (Poe â€Å"Usher’). Probably the most ironic part of the story was the change that Lady Madeline experiences before she is buried and after she is buried. When the narrator first sees Madeline, before she is buried, she is lifeless and can barely move or talk. After she comes back from being buried alive however, she has much more of an impact on the people and things around her. When she comes back from the dead, she has enough strength to tackle and kill Usher. This shows us that Lady Madeline has grown since her death. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† is known for its Gothic elements. In this story Poe describes the house as bleak, gloomy, and close to crumbling down. When the narrator first sees the house at the beginning of the story he says, â€Å"I know not how it was — but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit† (Poe 139). The gloom and bleakness of the house foreshadows the doom and horrors that will occur inside the house later on in the story. Poe lets us know from the beginning of the story that something execrable will happen inside that house. Poe’s description of the Lady Madeline as having â€Å"affections of a partially cataleptical character† (155) predicts her early death. The word cataleptical means to be in a state in which consciousness and feeling are lost and the body assumes a death-like rigidity. Lady Madeline’s description foreshadows her death because she is described as lifeless and lost. She seems as if she was already dead. The most obvious example of foreshadowing in this story lies in the title. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† foreshadows what will happen to not only the physical House of Usher, but also the symbolic House of Usher. Symbolically, the House of Usher represents the bloodline of Ushers. When the house crumbles to the ground at the end of the story, it represents the end of the Usher bloodline. â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† give a multitude of examples of both irony and foreshadowing. Poe uses these literary devices to develop suspense and mood in these stories. Without these literary devices, his stories would seem flat and boring. Poe’s literary devices are what captured and maintained my interests thought his stories.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Working for a Large Company

The number of people in the US who are quitting their corporate jobs to start their own businesses is growing. One recent best-selling book entitled Fire your Boss! seems to reflect the growing discontent with company life. Why are so many people going into their own businesses? One of the most frustrating things about corporate life is the bureaucracy. This is the administrative system of paperwork and red tape that keeps track of everything in the corporation.Any decision must be agreed upon by many people in different departments and levels of the company. This can be very frustrating for individual employees who want to have control over their own work. They can become exasperated when their good ideas get tied up for months in the bureaucratic machinery. Employees often long the freedom of being their own boss. Another depressing aspect of working for a corporation is the lack of job security.Contrary to business owners, employees in a large company can be fired at any time, for almost no reason. If there is a downturn in the economy, layoffs are likely to come. Even if a worker has done his best to serve the corporations, he could find himself fired without warning or explanation. When a person works for himself, however, he cannot be fired. The traditionally attractive fringe benefits of a corporate position have been decreasing in recent years as well.There was a time when landing a job at a top corporation meant the employee was assured of a good retirement. More and more these days, however, pension benefits are being cut to lower payroll costs. Workers are being forced to worry more about their own retirement plans. In the same vein, health care is another benefit that has started to evaporate. Health insurance premiums are rising, while covered medical conditions are shrinking. This means employees are paying more out-of-pocket expenses than before and getting less care in return.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Use of Quasiconcave Utility Functions in Economics

Use of Quasiconcave Utility Functions in Economics Quasiconcave is a mathematical concept that has several applications in economics. To understand the significance of the  terms applications in economics, it is useful to begin with a brief consideration of the origins and  meaning of the term in mathematics. Origins of the Term The term quasiconcave was introduced in the early part of the 20th century in the work of John von Neumann, Werner Fenchel and Bruno de Finetti, all prominent mathematicians with interests in both theoretical and applied mathematics, Their research in  fields such as probability theory, game theory and topology eventually laid the groundwork for an independent research field known as generalized convexity.  While the term quasiconcave: has applications in many areas, including economics, it originates in the field of generalized convexity as a topological concept. Definition of Topology Wayne State Mathematics Professor Robert Bruners brief and readable explanation of topology  begins with the understanding that topology is a special form of geometry. What distinguishes topology from other geometrical studies is that topology treats geometric figures as being essentially (topologically) equivalent if by bending, twisting and otherwise distorting them you can turn one into the other. This sounds a little strange, but consider that if you take a circle and begin squashing from four directions, with careful squashing you can produce a square. Thus, a square and a circle are topologically equivalent. Similarly, if you bend one side of a triangle until youve created  another corner somewhere along that side, with more bending, pushing and pulling, you can turn a triangle into a square. Again, a triangle and a square are topologically equivalent.   Quasiconcave as a Topological Property Quasiconcave is a topological property that includes concavity. If you graph a mathematical function and the graph looks more or less like a badly made bowl with a few bumps in it but still has a depression in the center and two ends that tilt upward, that is a quasiconcave function. It turns out that a concave function is just a specific instance of a quasiconcave function- one without the bumps. From a laypersons perspective (a mathematician has a more rigorous way of expressing it), a quasiconcave function includes all concave functions and also all functions that overall are concave but that may have sections that are actually convex. Again, picture a badly made bowl with a few bumps and protrusions in it.   Applications in Economics One way of mathematically representing consumer preferences (as well as  many other behaviors) is with a utility function. If, for example, consumers prefer good A to good B, the utility function U expresses that preference as:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  U(A)U(B) If you graph out this function for a real-world set of consumers and goods, you may find that the graph looks a bit like a bowl- rather than a straight line, theres a sag in the middle. This sag generally represents consumers aversion to risk. Again, in the real world, this aversion isnt consistent: the graph of consumer preferences looks a bit like an imperfect bowl, one with a number of bumps in it. Instead of being concave, then, its generally concave but not perfectly so at every point in the graph, which may have minor sections of convexity. In other words, our example graph of consumer preferences (much like many real-world examples) is quasiconcave.  They tell anyone wanting to know more about consumer behavior- economists and corporations selling consumer goods, for instance- where and how customers  respond to changes in good amounts or cost.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Make a College Paper Longer

How to Make a College Paper Longer Need to make a paper longer but out of ideas? Forget fudging the margins and font or even the legendary period trick. These 6 tips will make your paper longer- and better! Avoid the Old, Obvious Tricks First and foremost, know that your professor most likely knows about all of the easy tricks and can spot em! Changing the font, changing the margins, doing the period trick, and tons of other sneaky ways to make your paper longer have all been done before and then some. Since you need to make your paper longer, not worse, skip the easy stuff and focus on the content. Cite a Few Sources Add additional quotations to support your examples. If your paper is good, youll have examples to support your thesis. To make your paper even better (and longer), make sure you have at least one quotation from the text- if not more- to support your examples. (And be careful about citing your quotations accurately, too.) Add Some Examples to Your Paper Add an additional example to each paragraph/argument/idea. If you cant add more quotations, add more examples to support your position. Think about more ways to make your point by showing- not just telling- the reader. Check Your Paragraph Format Make sure each paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting evidence, and a concluding/transition sentence. Of course, each paragraph should have more than just these three sentences, but you might be surprised at how easily each can be left off- and how much longer your paper can become if you go back through and insert missing items where needed. See if You Can Prove Yourself Wrong Think about the arguments against your thesis- and then make sure youve addressed those points. Sure, you may have good arguments for your position. But what would someone holding the opposite position say? And what would you say in response? Making sure those responses are already included in your paper is a great way to make sure youve covered all the bases... and a great way to add some length if your paper is a little shorter than youd like. Make Sure Your Paper Structure is Solid Confirm and reconfirm that you have a strong introduction, thesis statement, and conclusion. ​Although you may be focused on the body of your paper and the evidence supporting your position, having a strong intro, thesis, and conclusion are important, too. Making sure your paper starts with a bang (good intro), has a solid foundation to stand on (strong thesis), and leaves the reader convinced (stellar conclusion) is a great way to make sure your paper is all-around better- and longer!

Sunday, November 3, 2019

THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND COMMITMENT AT LLOYDS TSB BANK Dissertation

THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND COMMITMENT AT LLOYDS TSB BANK (FRONT DESK STAFF) - Dissertation Example Employee satisfaction is absolutely necessary among front desk staff especially those working in investment banks or other sales related companies as they represent an organization and bring in a greater portion of the revenue. The purpose of this study is to measure the employee satisfaction levels among Lloyds TSB front desk staff, one of the leading banks of UK. A questionnaire based survey was conducted and it was found that although the pay package and benefits provided by the bank were quite attractive, employee satisfaction was average among the Lloyds TSB front desk staff. An analysis of the questionnaire using popular satisfaction/motivation theories revealed that along with money other factors such as communication with the employees, respect and recognition and appreciation are also important. It was found that hard HRM is mostly practiced in Lloyds Bank TSB branches and hence it is recommended that a blend of both hard and soft HRM should be applied in order to improve th e employee satisfaction levels. ... ies 15 2.3 Maslow’s Theory 16 2.4 Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory 18 2.5 Alderfer’s ERG Theory 19 2.5.1 Using Alderfer’s ERG Theory at Workplace 20 2.6 Vroom’s Theory of Expectancy 20 2.6.1 Applying Vroom’s Expectancy Theory in an Organization 21 2.7 Locke’s Path Goal Theory 21 2.8 Studies on Employee Satisfaction 22 2.9 Theoretical Framework 24 3.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 26 3.1 Research Philosophies 26 3.2 Research Design 27 3.3 Data Sources 28 3.4 Data Collection Tools 28 3.5 Sampling Strategy and Sample Size 29 3.6 Data Analysis 31 3.7 Validity and Reliability Concerns 32 3.8 Ethical Considerations 33 4.FINDINGS 34 4.1 Section A: Demographics 34 4.2 Section B: Human Resource Policies 37 4.3 Section C: Job satisfaction at Lloyd’s bank 43 4.4 Section D: Employee Training and Development Practices 48 4.5 Section E: Performance and Evaluation 48 4.6 Section F: Compensation 49 4.7 Section G: Employee Retention 51 4.8 Section H: Employee Commitment 52 5.DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS 54 5.1 Analysis 56 6.CONCLUSION 59 6.1 Recommendations 61 6.2 Revisiting Aims and Objectives 62 6.3 Research Limitations and Future Research Scope 63 References 64 Appendix- I 73 THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND COMMITMENT AT LLOYDS TSB BANK (FRONT DESK STAFF) 1. INTRODUCTION Employee satisfaction is commonly defined as the measure of how happy and content an employee is with his/her job and working environment (Kennet & Salini 2011). It has been observed that at times even though the package offered to the employee is good, the employees become discouraged and resign from their jobs. Certain factors like limited growth opportunity, lack of appreciation and recognition, high job stress and even lack of communication within the organization discourage and frustrate an employee. The

Friday, November 1, 2019

Comparative esaay comparing three stories. Everyday Use,Rose for Essay

Comparative esaay comparing three stories. Everyday Use,Rose for Emily,Dead Mans Path. How each story shows progression - Essay Example In â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, the Grierson house stands as a testament to a different era that has withstood the test of time. First, it stood as a monument, a breathing, living symbol of the Griersons’ wealth and power in their town. The looming structure sheltered Emily’s ancestors, her father and aunt, and lastly, herself. After her father’s death, it became a shield with which she drove away others from her, and she hid behind her shield so well that nobody had access to what was going on inside the house. And yet, as time passed, the house also became her prison. She was chained to the comfort and protection that her family’s house provided. Her faithful manservant became her only contact to the outside world, and even he was not fully aware of the developments in the town. Emily did not even know that the mayor who spared her family from taxes has been gone for a decade. It is this kind of sameness within her cocoon that made her retreat from th e world so effective. The house also contained her secrets, and hid them well. Nobody has ever set foot inside the house for so long, and this has added to that air of mystery that it embodied. Even when Emily opened her house to children who came to learn china painting, she did not reveal to them all of the hidden nooks and crannies of her abode. The house remained formidable, a stalwart witness to the passing of time. In the end, however, time was the only thing that remained, and upon Emily Grierson’s death, the house had to be opened up to enquiring neighbors. It was then that they finally discovered the secrets that the house harbored for a long time, and in a way, this became Emily’s posthumous salvation, for in the very end, they understood that she too experienced love for a man, and that she too, whom they previously thought was above them, was very human and was not after all alien to the willful demands of passionate love. The house then became a symbol of Emily’s emancipation and liberation, and of how, when it finally opened up to the outside world, it had withstood the progression of time. A similar symbol of liberation can be found in â€Å"Everyday Use.† The quilt, which was handed down from generation to generation, represented Maggie and Dee’s family heritage and identity, and the richness of their family’s history. The significance of the title lies in the way that the quilt brought out the fundamental differences between Maggie and Dee. Each saw the quilt quite differently: Dee thought that the quilt was good to hang in the wall and to be preserved, given that she has learned, through her progression to being cultured and educated, that the quilt must be handled with care. Maggie – and her mother – on the other hand saw the quilt as a source of comfort and connection to their older generations, and as such, must be kept closer to heart and be used daily for the very purpose that it wa s intended. The way they viewed the quilt represented the fundamental difference between their characters. The conversation revolving around Dee’s name change also revealed the kind of relationship that Dee had with her family. It can be inferred that Dee was not aware that she was not named after white people, but rather, that her name was a derivative from their ancestors. It was this kind of not-knowing, of ignorance of their family

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Models of Judicial Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Models of Judicial Review - Assignment Example Additionally, it also involves reviewing an administrative regulation to attain consistency for measuring the effectiveness of a Constitution, statute, or a treaty. Consequently, under the US Constitution, the judicial review lacks explicit powers of reviewing any of the above provisions. Instead, in the US, the judicial review operates through making of inferences of provisions, structure, and history guiding the Constitution. It implies that in a diffuse model, common procedural rules evaluate the constitutionality guiding administrative measures and statutes (Elliot, 2001). Likewise, decisions are mainly within inter parties from the highest to the lowest courts. In other words, most court decisions are deemed retroactive as a rule if there is an unconstitutionality of statutes and this is accompanied with consequences. According to legal experts, the diffuse model of judicial review finds applicability in most countries because of its flexibility and fluidity when approaching sen sitive matters touching on the Constitution. Diffuse model of judicial review differs with the concentrated model of review in varying patterns as interpreted by the law. For example, while diffuse model originates from America, its counterpart is largely Austrian or Europeans (Forsyth, 2000). Similarly, while the concentrated model reviews the constitutionality of statues mostly found in special proceedings, diffuse model is general and is specifically concerned with administrative measures. Contrastingly, unlike the concentrated model that is less widespread because of its limited review functions, the diffuse model is more widespread because it tackles several reviews of the constitutionality. However, both explore the constitutionality of treaties and laws in their respective countries of application. Constitutional review falls into four broad categories of systems. There is the American or diffuse model that uses common

Monday, October 28, 2019

George Orwells novel Essay Example for Free

George Orwells novel Essay George Orwells novel 1984, has been the center of much discussion since it was first published in 1949. A novel about a dystopian society that is ruled by a government with supreme power called Big Brother, 1984 raises a lot of curiosity about censorship and how secure freedom of speech really is for those who supposedly have it. Orwell uses the novels main character, Winston, as the vessel for carrying his message about censorship. Winston works for the Ministry of Truth, rewriting historical texts to suit the needs of a sect Big Brother called, the Party. History in Oceania must be censored so that it appears Big Brother has been and will always be there to watch over the citizens. Winston believes Big Brothers ways to be unethical and illegal purchases a diary to record his personal thoughts, even though he knows such actions are considered to be thoughtcrimes. If he is caught, he will be severely punished. Though Winston has the desire to rebel, he is able to stifle his individuality and personal desires quite well. His act, however, becomes more complicated after he meets a beautiful, dark-haired girl named, Julia. Because personal relationships are not appropriate, Julia gives Winston a note she has written in which she proclaims her love for him. Because love, like everything else in Oceania, is censored, Winston and Julia develop their relationship in secret. They eventually move into an apartment together and things seem to go smoothly. Both Winston and Julia feel that Big Brother has too much control over the lives of the citizens. Citizens are not allowed to think for themselves, fall in love, nor are they allowed to experience natural freedom of expression. The lovers are able to put aside their fears of being caught in order to experience the intense passion that often comes with falling in love. Things, however, eventually take a turn for the worse and the lovers are discovered. The discovery, is in part, due to Winstons fatalistic nature. He becomes unnecessarily risky and carries with him intense paranoia that they will eventually be caught. Due to the novels grim ending that involves Big Brother prevailing over the hero, Winston, 1984s messages stay with the reader for hours, in part, because extreme forms of censorship have existed in earthly historical societies and in many societies today. Examples of past instances of harsh and extreme censorship include the Inquisition, and the Holocaust. During both of these horrific historical events, people were denied some right of expression. During the Inquisition, people were denied the right to choose their religion. For many, that basic right is similar to the right to love, which the citizens of Oceania were denied. The Catholic institution, like Big Brother, attempted to convert heretics or kill them for their disobedience. The Nazi party was also similar to Big Brother. Members of the party could not imagine speaking out against Hitlers regime for fear of being killed or punished. The Nazi party, like Big Brother, made use of propaganda, and children who were easily influenced. Such propaganda is, in a way, a form of censorship because it promotes an idea that plays into the desires of a major organization, making it seem better than the alternative. When these historical examples are taken into consideration, it is easy to imagine why Orwells warning of extreme censorship is still valid in todays society regardless of its technological advancements. Making Orwells message even more appropriate, however sad and unfortunate, are examples of such censorship today. Because censorship is still an issue today, the novel resonates with readers. Everyone experiences censorship often, perhaps on a daily basis. People may feel the need to censor themselves at work, home in front of children or parents, in class, etc for fear of being judged harshly or hurting anothers feelings. Another common example of modern censorship is keeping ones sexual orientation a secret. Many feel the need to fall in love in the shadows like Winston and Julia because of what society may think of them. Sadly, todays society is also responsible for many hate crimes every year. Many also keep journals and diaries like Winston in order to express their most private thoughts, dreams, desires, and fears. Because Winston is like so many normal people in todays society, his character is very successful. Like Winston, the average person, when faced with something they feel is wrong or inappropriate, feels powerless to make a difference. I, for one, relate to his secret note-taking, his hidden relationship, and the urge to overcome societys censorship because I still believe in the freedom of expression that supposedly exists in America. However, I, like Winston, am powerless to make any real change, so I succumb daily to desires that are not my own. The strength of Winstons character alone makes 1984 a novel to stand the test of time. Or, perhaps it will be a book to be burned if censorship in our society continues to prevail.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Suicide :: essays research papers

Suicide is intentional self-inflicted acts that end in death("Suicide," Compton's). After a series of traumatic events, normal coping abilities can be pushed over the edge; the result may be suicide. In each year, an average of 30,000 suicide deaths occur in the United States. It is estimated that 5,000 of those suicides are committed by teenagers(SAVE, 2). One major reason that the suicide rate among teenagers is so high, is that the teenage years are a period of commotion. New social roles are being learned, new relationships are being developed, bodily changes are occurring, and decisions about the future are being made during the teenage years. Teenagers tend to commit suicide after large changes, significant losses, or abuse has occurred in their lives. An important change in a relationship, school or body image may contribute to a teenagers' tendency to commit suicide. The death of a loved one, the loss of a valued relationship, and the loss of self esteem are some significant losses which might be a factor in teen suicide("The Real World [Suicide: Facts]," 1). Perceived abuse such as physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, social abuse or neglect can lead to self-murder("Teen Suicide," 3). Significant changes, losses, and abuse can promote suicidal tendencies. Few suicidal people have some type of depression, yet those who have one can be provoked to commit suicide. There are two main types of depression suffered by (, 2) suicidal people("Suicide," {Grolier}). The first type is reactive depression. This type of depression is the reaction of a difficult and often traumatic experience. Endogenous depression is the second type of depression. It is the result of a mental illness which is diagnosable by a professional. Some suicidal people have a combination of both reactive depression and endogenous depression. Others could have a depression which is undiagnosed. A persistent sad mood, thoughts of suicide, persistent physical pains that do not respond to treatment, difficulty concentrating, irritability and fatigue are some symptoms of depression(American Psychiatric Association, 4). If a person has four or more of the symptoms lasting for more than two weeks, that person could have a type of depression. Those people with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and clinical depression have much higher suicide rates than average(Tom Arsenault, 2). Teenagers display warning signs of suicide. The indications come in two ways. First exhibited are the early warning signs. These signs include difficulties in school, depression, drug abuse, sleep and eating disturbances, and a loss of interest in activities. Restlessness, feelings of failure, overreaction to criticism, overly self-critical, anger, and a preoccupation with death or Satan are also some signals teenagers contemplating suicide will give("Teen Suicide," (, 3) 3). The other type of clues are late warning signs.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Case: No Dogs Allowed Essay

1. What economic questions does this case require the townb to ask? What is a dog park and how does it benefit the community? Can people or dogs get hurt at a dog park? How will dogs fight be avoided? If a dog park is built, will there be space available for an affordable recreation facility? 2. List the possible resources that the town would need to construct and maintain the park? Some possible resources that are needed to construct and manitain the dog park are: Secured fences to prevent loose dogs outside of the park area Trash cans and garbage removal material and equipment needed to clear the lan grass and lawn maintenance Fresh drinking water and field drainage system Lighting and benches for dog owners Pooper scooper stations Staff to construct and maintain the park 3. What town resources are scare? Limited public space and open space is dwindling in the town. 4. Who will be the consumers using this public good? The consumers this good would be the people who are the owners of dogs. 5. What is the opportunity cost of building this park? A. In terms of economics, opportunity cost is the value of the next-highest valued alternative use of that resource. In this case, the opportunity cost would be the offer of 850,000 dollars to purchase the land and build 40 new luxury homes. B. Identify at least one pro and one con for each of the following options. 1. Leaving the land undeveloped A pro in leaving the land undeveloped is saving the town resources and a con would be a waste of space that could be used for something to benefit the community. 2. Selling the land to real estate developers to build homes. A pro in selling the land to real estate developers would save the town’s resources and money to do other things within the coommunity. A con selling the land when it could be used for a dog park or a recreation facility, things that the community are asking for. 6. What if any, market failures might exist in this town? A market failure that could exist is the absence of private property rights, since the dog park would be directly behind a townhouse community, noise levels of barking dogs and fight risk could potentially disturb the neighborhood. 7. Create a chart that identifies the positive and negative externalities of building the park. Explain the effect of each externatality. 8. How could the town government counteract the negative externatalities? The town government can counteract the negative eternalities by ensuring that the dog park is securely fenced in with a double gated entry exit system so that the townhouse development would not have the cost in putting a fence around their development. The The town government can assess other available space for recreation since the town is growing. Dog owners will need to take responsibility for the full cost of the noise that their barking dogs create. The town government can make it illegal to disturb the peace by creating disturbing the peace laws. 9. Based on your studies of Unit 1, write a persuasive argument for or against the construction of the dog park. Should a dog park be constructed in Martinsville? Martinsville is a rapidly growing town, and statistics show that there are 7,000 licensed dogs in the town. Families who own dogs complain that there are no resources in the town for families with pets, and that since the recent creation of new apartments, condos, townhouses, and retail spaces that land space is scarce  and there is little to no land of their own for outdoor recreation. Developers want to purchase the land for $850, 000 to build 40 new luxury townhouses. After considering both sides of the issue, I strongly believe that a dog park should be constructed. The town of Martinsville has already added many new multi-family housing and these dwelling have very limited outdoor space. A national pet store chain is willing to give a grant to the town to partially fund the park and with the town’s budget surplus the cost of construction of the park will be covered, but a developer wishes to purchase the land to add more townhouses. The opprtunity cost will benefit the town in keeping them from using any of their resources, but the trade-off in this would be adding too many families yet again with limited space of their own, and some of these new families will have pets. Then, even more families will be complaining about space scarcity, therefore I disagree in building 40 new luxury townhouses on this particular land. All of the public spaces are not completely gone and developers can research other options. Families with pets have no outdoor space for their pets to play or exercise. There is only one local park in the area where no pets are allowed. A dog park can be a great addition to almost any community. First, it provides dogs with a chance to excercise and socialize with other dogs. Dogs like to be free, and they like to run and play instead of being chained down. Secondly, it provides dog owners with a chance to do things with their pets that they can’t do because of limited space. Lastly, having a dog park will prove that the town is family friendly, attracting more families to the town, and for all of the reasons, a dog park should be constructed in the town of Martinsville.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Production Criticism of Oedipus the King Essay

The directorial concept of the play started with an overall picture of melancholy and a suggestion that the story is indeed a tragedy. The stage, as the foundation of the entire scene, has been designed to differentiate the levels of society, thus, it has different levels of platforms and steps, but leaving the center of the stage flattest, where most of the characters will be performing. The materials used for the platforms are of different types. The higher steps leading to the outskirts of the stage look like they were made with ordinary flat rocks, much like the ones we see in the old Jerusalem. The steps were made simply for the purpose of being pathways men can walk on. Nothing fashionable. The center of the stage has a different design, because I noticed that the flooring is much more modern than the flat rocks around it. The material of the floor of the center stage has a much smoother quality, although it was carved like bricks, like the ones on the streets of Paris, France. The floor carvings are designed like segmented rings that all leads to one focal point, much like the bytes in a compact disc. The most prominent part of the stage is the palace of Oedipus, the King. It stands so proud with its walls extending all the way to the top that it scares you of its command of authority and power. It stood so high and proud that it looked like it reached the heavens and looks infinite. The material of it was the smoothest of all. It has the most modern design in the stage. The cement has a slate gray color mixed with white streaks that suggested it must be made of marble†¦the strongest among the rocks on stage. That’s how powerful Oedipus, as a king, is. He is believed to be the savior of Thebes when he defeated the Sphinx by answering the most difficult riddle. The play is an obvious â€Å"non-dramatic pageantry,† because the elements of it were present and done in the stage. There is an â€Å"icon† or focal point, which usually is a â€Å"religious artifact or a saint. † (Theatrical Production, Encyclop? dia Britannica. ). There was a huge cross with a white cloth resting on its arm at the middle of the highest outstkirt platform. This is its focal point because it looks religious enough to suggest it’s the cross of Jesus Christ. Overall, the environment of the stage is melancholic. The color of the stage’s floor to the very tall palace is in the neutral shade. Again, nothing special. This just suggests the hue of sorrow, which is the shade of gray. The sorrowful environment was coupled with the stage lights, which made the scene look softer and mellower. The lights come from under the outskirts’ platforms, which gave a lot of shadow on the stage. The second light will be coming from directly above the stage, which gives all little bit of glow on the heads of the characters, but not enough light to brighten the faces of every actor. The poor lighting made it felt like the characters are speaking to me personally, in my deepest thoughts. It dawned to me that whenever I am depressed or whenever I wanted to be alone, I tend to hate bright lights. Such is the feeling of someone in wakes, especially those wakes inside chapels. The serene, soothing look of a funeral scene in a chapel is the aimed environment here. The background lights on the outskirts of the stage changes as the mood of the scene changes too. Even though the shadow was effective enough to suggest sorrow, the light blue hue of the background defined the mood. When the ugly truth of Oedipus’ character was nearly revealed, the background light turned into a reddish hue, as if the sun was setting. It gave a red glow that suggested the horrible feeling of the moment. It also made the blood coming out from Oedipus’ eyes look thick and black, which made the suffering grievous enough to die. Sounds make the hearts beat rapidly and loses one’s breath. From beginning until the end, the background music created the feeling that it is tragic. When Tiresius, the seer, showed up, there was annoying background music created by a type of violin, which made it felt like there was great irony and perversity in the scene. The horting sound of the violin made my heart twist and my throat a bit choked because I felt the tension due to the sound. It is interesting though, how the director was able to coordinate all aspects of production to make the playscript fit his directorial concept. Of course, the playscript was changed to make it more dramatic and the words appealing to the audience. The playscript was â€Å"Bowdlerized,† or words were changed to fit the lingo of the modern audience. (Dr. Eric W. Trumbull. ). Although there weren’t any fancy or colorful props on the stage, the characters are the ones that still mattered the most. Though the faces of the characters generally remained stiff throughout, their voices are full of color. Loudness and softness of the voices stated the mood. There was also a striking difference on the characters’ costumes, each has it’s own different era to represent; a group will be wearing costumes of Sophocle’s generation, another wearing the fashion of the early twentieth century, while another wearing the fashion of the latest trend. Still, the colors of the costumes were nothing fancier than red, white and gold. The colors of the cloths are in plain solid colors too. The characters’ spotlight are their white costumes, or something white in their costumes. For example, the choruses were all dressed in black except the ribbon on the neck, which is pure white. This gives the picture that their heads are floating and the rest of the body is invisible. The director’s aim to present a non-dramatical pageant play that won’t bore the modern audience so far caught my attention. He may have aimed to make the production profit a lot more by involving â€Å"famous† actors to play the role, as part of his marketing strategy. (Dr. Eric W. Trumbull. ). The production is an art in itself, and Don Taylor would’ve still passed as very good theatrical director. The play is directed gearing away from the Shakespearean concept of production, which made it quite different to the taste of theatrical fans, and thus, worth watching and recommending.