Doing Business in Countries with Totalitarian Goverments Essay

The ethics of doing business in countries with totalitarian governments has many pros and cons involved with it. But for this debate I will show the cons of doing business in a country with a totalitarian government with an example. The term totalitarian government can be defined as in political science a system of government and ideology in which all social, political, economic, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual activities are subordinated to the purposes of the rulers of a state. (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia) Totalitarian dictatorship strives to be in the control of all the aspects of the private and public behavior by the government influencing all of society toward all their common goals and policies. When I began thinking of a totalitarian government a good example came to mind is the totalitarian states of Nazi Germany which was under the leadership of Adolf Hitler at that time. It was the first examples of decentralized or popular totalitarianism in which the state achieved an overwhelming popular support for its country’s leadership. The support from its individuals was not spontaneous but it genesis depended on its charismatic leader. It also was made possible only by the modern developments in its communication and transportation. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia under totalitarian rules, the traditional social institutions and organizational are discouraged and suppressed. Thus saying that the social fabric is weakened and the people became more amenable to absorption into a single unified movement. With all said me I believe that with doing business in a country that has a totalitarian government would not be a chose one bit. A totalitarian government will tell you as a business owner how you should run your business. They will also make themselves involved in every big or little aspects of how your business is operated. With being in a totalitarian government you would have to be very caution of what and how you sell your goods and services. I also believe that with a totalitarian government that if you make one wrong move you business could be taken over by the government. By doing business with a country that lives under the  totalitarian rules you as a business owner are inadvertently supporting the regime of the dictators. References: â€Å"Definition of totalitarianism† Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia (2008). Retrieved May 5, 2008 from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761574819/totalitarianism.html†Totalitarianism† (2008). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 5, 2008 from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://www.brigannica.com/EBchecked/topic/600435/totalitarianism

O’Henry Essay

Many people have not heard or have read any of the classical short stories by O. Henry a 1900 short story writer. His style of writing makes the reader feel the emotions of the characters' by detailed and deep descriptions. Because of O. Henrys unique writing his stories have delighted readers for over a hundred years. One of O. Henrys writing styles he uses In many of his stories are member s of law enforcement. In his short story â€Å"A Dollars Worth,† he uses many members of law enforcement.In that same story it makes more sense if a district attorney is being threatened by a man he put in jail rather than a regular person. It also can make the story interesting like a shootout with a criminal and the district attorney in â€Å"A Dollars Worth. † There are even more examples of law enforcement in â€Å"The Retrieved Reformation. † An example is the eminent detective Ben Price who arrested Jimmy for safe cracking. There is also the warden at the Jail that Jimm y served his sentence. The warden wanted Jimmy to stop safe cracking and Just be a good citizen.This Is Just one of O. Henrys writing styles. Another writing style of O. Henry Is the use of Irony In his stories. In â€Å"The Retrieved Reformation,† he uses Irony at the end. The Irony happens when Jimmy has to use his tools for good and not for stealing to save a girls life. O. Henry also uses Irony in his short story â€Å"The Last Leaf. † In the story Bergman an amateur artist who is not very gifted at art is able to with his art save a dying girls life. I think the way O. Henry uses irony makes his stories stand out and unique to other short story writers.He also has many other styles and his is Just another one of his writing styles. He also uses ordinary people for his characters in his short stories. In â€Å"The Gift of The Magi,' he uses two ordinary people trying to make the other happy. When he uses regular people other people might relate to same problems as the characters. Since he uses ordinary â€Å"The Last Leaf. † He can show that the artists go through the same problems as other people unlike superheroes who are untouchable. He shows that you don't need special people to make a story great, but a good story.Those are Just some of the writing characteristics of O. Henry. Because of his unique writing styles he will make the next and the next grasp his books and fall in love with them. O. Henrys writing style will has made readers laugh, cry, and feel the emotion of the characters for over a hundred years. BY Jollities unique writing his stories have delighted readers for over a hundred years. One of O. Henrys writing styles he uses in many of his stories are member s of law threatened by a man he put in Jail rather than a regular person.It also can make the Arden wanted Jimmy to stop safe cracking and Just be a good citizen. This is Just Another writing style of O. Henry is the use of irony in his stories. In â€Å"The Ret rieved Reformation,† he uses irony at the end. The irony happens when Jimmy has to use his tools for good and not for stealing to save a girls life. O. Henry also uses irony in his short story â€Å"The Last Leaf. † In the story but a good story. Those are Just some of the writing characteristics of O. Henry. Books and fall in love with them. O. Henrys writing style will has made readers laugh,

Compare and Contrast Cost Estimating Techniques

The two types of cost estimating techniques that I am going to compare and contrast are parametric procedures applied to specific tasks and phase estimating. These two techniques are a part of bottom-up approaches but apply processes from top-down approaches. They both use techniques that allow for estimating projects by breaking down into sections. In comparison the parametric procedures breaks the projects down into specific tasks and the phase estimation breaks the projects down in a time line.Parametric procedures applied to specific tasks splits a project into portions and add labor and materials needed to decide the cost of a project’s tasks. For example to estimate the wall papering allowance on a house remodel, the contractor figured a cost of $5 per square yard of a wallpaper and $2 per yard of install it for a total cost of $7. By measuring the length and height of all the walls she was able to calculate the total area in square yards and multiply it by $7. (Larson & Gray, 2011)Phase estimating is used when an unusual amount of uncertainty surrounds a project and it is impractical to estimate times and cost for the entire project. Phase estimating uses a two-estimate system over the life of the project. A detailed estimate is developed for the immediate phase and a macro estimate is made for the remaining phases of the project. (Larson & Gray, 2011) In my opinion, parametric procedures applied to specific tasks is a much better approach. This approach allows for the project manager to plan for the project by tasks to be completed.Time management, attention to details, and communication is important in the approach. Although, this approach is a bit time-consuming it allows all parties involved in the completion of the project to be accountable for quotas prior projects being started. Although the phase estimating approach allow for planning a project in different time frames, unfortunately the customer will want an accurate estimate of schedule and cost the moment the decision is made to implement the project.

Ontario Building Code Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Ontario Building Code - Research Paper Example In an effort to establish the need to have fire safety in modern buildings, this paper has tried to look at the changes that have been made to Ontario building part 3 of 2012. The paper has particularly focused on Division B, 3.2.4.2 that talks about â€Å"continuity of fire alarm system†. The changes have been made to foster new techniques that can be used to combat fire-related tragedies in Canada. This paper is not limited to Ontario only, in an attempt to justify the effects of the changes, the paper has touched on some locations outside Ontario that are comparable when it comes to handling the subject matter. The world is ever-changing and new techniques are applied on a daily occasion, hence developers must also come with new ways to ensure that the new techniques are handled professionally. Architects are ever on the look to come up with new innovations that would easily bridge the gap that may be causing challenges in case of fire. Since the year1976, the Ontario Building Code has established a set minimum standard for designing and constructing all new buildings and allow for alterations, additions, and change of use of already existing structures in Ontario province (International Association of Fire Chiefs., National Fire Protection Association, and Jones & Bartlett Learning. 2012). The code is a binding document used by designers, architects, engineers, builders, manufacturers, and suppliers with respect to construction which the code regulates. The aim of the code is to set specific minimum principles for construction in order to minimize risk exposure to the safety and health of the occupants of a given building and to provide for the hurdle-free accessibility into a given building and the energy efficiency of that particular building. Ministry of Municipal affairs in conjunction with Housing of the province of Ontario are held accountable for the amendment.

The Status of German Women under Nazism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Status of German Women under Nazism - Essay Example The end of World War I harkened the birth of several political groups in Germany possessing extreme views, such as those professing ultra-nationalistic and anti-democratic ideas. Adolph Hitler joined one of these groups known as the German Workers' Party. In the years following 1920, he became the leader of the party, later reorganizing and reorienting it to reflect his personality. He also renamed the party to the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) or, as translated into English, the National Socialist German Workers' Party. Nazism was the term by which the party's ideology, its doctrines, and its policies came to be known. (Columbia Encyclopaedia 2004) The ideology of Nazism was based on an amalgam of doctrines of racism, nationalism, and what was known as the "hero-cult" espoused by various writers and interpreted by Hitler and others in works such as Hitler's Mein Kampf. Instead of a set of well-described principles, Nazism was a vague ideology glorifying myth, prejudice, and nihilist views. Control was paramount and democracy was viewed as a corrupt form of government that served to protect the mediocre and weak elements of society. Under Hitler, Nazism became national law in Germany. (Columbia Encyclopaedia 2004) Nazism was a reaction to the emancipation of society, which occurred as monarchies throughout Europe fell and as Marxist ideology grew in popularity. Nazism, contrasted to the Marxist emphasis on the desire for equality in property ownership, focused on issues of social equality, primarily the issues of racial superiority and inferiority. (Harvey 1999: 77+) The anti-feminist spirit of Nazism was related in a significant manner to the movement's racist ideology, according to Stibbe (1993: 35+), who writes that "[l]ike the Jew, the modern 'emancipated' woman was seen as an agent of degeneracy and national decline, bringing in her wake the 'destructive' forces of Bolshevism, democracy, and parliamentarianism." A hint of Hitler's perspectives on the role of women became apparent shortly after his assumption of power in January of 1933. In his government's handbook for Nazi leaders and their organisations and members, entitled and translated as The ABCs of National Socialism, the following translated entry, which was directed at Jewish women, appeared: "[T]he Jewish housewife, herself, is no picture of cleanliness, but idly sits around, painted up and powdered and adorned in silk and baubles" (Rosen 1933, cited in Guenther 2004: 92). But Hitler's views of women in German society were not restricted to Jews alone. Women, in general, were cri ticised for purchasing cosmetics, perfumes, and other luxury items rather than saving the money or spending it on household items. Hitler, both through the ideology he promoted and the policies he enacted, insisted that German women must "return to their pre-emancipation roles" (Guenther 2004: 93). The ABCs of National Socialism, as translated, stated (Rosen 1933, cite

Internet crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Internet crimes - Essay Example Another is spamming, the odious practice of sending unrequited e-mails, or messages through mobile phones, etc. It is seen that there are a number of antifraud and Cyber crime laws in the United States, prominent among which are the Electronic Communication Copyright Act, Electronic Communication Privacy Act, etc., and finally, Computer Frauds and Abuse Act, which seek, through legislative armaments to reinforce cyber laws. However, it needs to be said that, to a very large extent the efficacy of the local laws and prevalent customs determine the course of complaint institution and its final results to a very large measure indeed. The system needs to be ever vigilant so that no hacker would even contemplate transgressing the rights of ownership and usage of established cyber boundaries, or indulge in any other kind of illegitimate practice. (250 words) All types of fraud scheme that is done by the Internet are called Internet fraud. For this purpose fraudsters use different facilities of the Internet e-mail, chat rooms, websites etc. There are different types of Internet frauds in the world. The common types of internet frauds are credit card related frauds, phishing, prize money, free travel offers, etc. Online purchasing and e-business is very popular in this time. Fraudsters use this opportunity very well. So the number of Internet crimes like Internet frauds is increasing year by year. To show different Internet fraud rating in the year 2007 is given below. This report is published by NLC’s Fraud Center. It indicates the top ten Internet frauds in 2007. (2007 top 10 internet scams, (n.d)) From this it is crystal clear that the loss due to Internet fraud is very much. Internet users who had awareness about the Internet fraud will try to take precautions against this. Everyone can avoid the internet fraud and

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 55

Summary - Essay Example It is argued secondly that hope is caused by merits, and therefore doesn’t qualify as a virtue. However, Aquinas contends that the occurrence of hope in itself is not based on merits but instead on the desire for happiness, which is virtuous. The last stated problem with hope being a virtue is the imperfect nature of hope, explained as a wish for something that is lacking. Aquinas states that while the desire is imperfect, hope is perfection in that it is reflective of faith in God’s rule and influence. The second article questions if eternal happiness is indeed the object of hope. Objections include denial that humans need to hope for eternal happiness since it is a constant state of the soul, examples of hope being for things other than eternal happiness, and the suggestion that hope deals with many difficulties other than eternal happiness. The replies to these issues state that eternal happiness is veiled and thus not experienced as a constant state by humans, prayers should not be for things other than eternal happiness, and all other desires should seem small in comparison to eternal happiness. In article three, Aquinas discusses the possibility of one person wishing for the eternal happiness of another. He argues that this is not possible since hopes for another person are not acts of hope at all, but are instead acts of love. Article four investigates the lawfulness of being hopeful in another person. The author’s position is that hope may be placed in a person as long as it is not believed to be virtuous hope, which is reserved for God. Discussion of the fifth article is very similar to the first. In response to arguments against the nature of hope as a theological virtue, Aquinas relates several examples that are meant to relate hope as being divinely based regardless of its superficial appearance. The distinction of hope from other theological virtues is the topic of article six. It is suggested that this

Role of Vision at Mentor Graphics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Role of Vision at Mentor Graphics - Case Study Example However, later on it had to be changed because it was no longer effective in motivating its employees and growth problems began to emerge. When the company used the vision â€Å"Six Boxes†, it somehow weakened the company because when one of the businesses failed, the company did not have the option of closing it down. If they do so, then the â€Å"Six Boxes† vision will no longer be applicable because there will only be â€Å"Five Boxes†. This vision weakened the company because it prevented management from making the appropriate financial decisions. 3. Identify three key reasons that the vision failed at Mentor Graphics. The first reason why the vision failed at Mentor Graphics is that some of the visions that they developed were too vague. In the case of the vision â€Å"10X Imperative†, the customers did not understand it; most probably even the employees did not know what it meant. The vision is blurred and did not present a clear picture of what the company will be in the future. The second reason why the vision failed is that it is too unrealistic. The vision â€Å"Six Boxes† combined the goals of the six different businesses of Mentor, so much so that when one of the businesses failed, they could not even shut it down. The expectation was that all six businesses will be profitable which was very unrealistic and hard to achieve. The vision at Mentor also failed because it was â€Å"too disconnected from the present† (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009). Their vision in 1989, â€Å"Changing the World Designs Together† was described by Mentor’s President Gerard Langeler as having little to do with the actual businesses of the company. 4. Discuss issues of vision content, context, and process in how vision was introduced and changed at the company. The initial vision of Mentor is â€Å"Build Something That People Will Buy†. However, this vision had to be changed to be more competitive. Eventually, Me ntor’s vision progressed from being concrete in â€Å"Beat Daisy† to becoming too abstract as â€Å"10X Imperative†. The â€Å"Beat Daisy† vision was practical and answered the needs of the firm at that time. The content and context was well understood by the employees; thus, it was easy to achieve. It was very precise and clear; therefore, it served as a guideline for all employees. In â€Å"Changing the World Designs Together†, the company transformed its vision to become too idealistic rather than making it tangible and realistic. The development of the visions of Mentor depended on the effect it had on the company. If it was not effective in driving the company towards its goals, then the vision was changed. If it was no longer applicable in the current position of the firm, then the vision was changed too. After â€Å"Beat Daisy† most of the visions formulated by Mentor were inspirational though quite ambitious. In the end, Mentor had t o revert back to its original vision which is â€Å"To Build Things People Will Buy†. Langeler realized that this was the more pragmatic vision for the company which was attuned with the core business of the firm and would help them make sound business decisions. 5. Discuss whether or not the vision helped or hindered change at Mentor Graphics There were instances when vision helped the company like when their vision was â€Å"Beat Daisy†. â€Å"Six Boxes† on the other hand hindered change at Mentor because even if they wanted to close down one of the six businesses

Google in China Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Google in China - Article Example Just recently, the state has developed a firewall system that blocked numerous sites supported by Google. From the company, the problem is not an internal issue and they severs are fully functional. However, the Googlespokeswoman did not provide much information on the issue. On numerous occasions, Googlehas developed mechanisms that could enable users in china access their services but they have since been countered. The issue is important in the business sector since the internet is an important factor. For businesses they would be required to consider marketing alternatives. In addition, the businesses are required to monitor their information provided through their internet platforms. Auditors should ensure they monitor the content provided through online services to minimize sanctions risks. Accountants are affected since they should develop ways that they could market their services or communicate with clients. Regulators are also required to provide specifications to business on how well they could practice ethical and correct internet

Internship in Nevada Restaurants Association Essay Example for Free

Internship in Nevada Restaurants Association Essay Having a successful career after studying is one of the aspirations of many college students. However, facing a real scenario in a corporate world seems to be very challenging and for some, it can be frightening. That is why internship programs are included in college courses to show the real world associated with the profession to the students and to prepare them by requiring them to work in a company of their choice. For my case, I took internship at Nevada Restaurant Association, an organization that focuses on managing various events and activities associated with hotel and restaurant management. As an HRM institution, Nevada Restaurant Organization has a goal of rendering world class hotel and restaurant services to valued customers. For them, customer satisfaction is very important because it measures the level of their performance. To accomplish their goals, NRA exhibits various ways of rendering high quality hotel services, safety food provision and high standard accommodation. The most important thing about NRA is that they recruit members in their organization for the goal of helping others and sharing their knowledge with them. Seminars, trainings and exhibits are done in a regular basis to continuously help aspirants and hone them into globally competitive HRM professionals (NRA 1). Since I am still an intern student and my knowledge about the industry is still limited, the management gave me basic tasks in the organization. As an intern, my basic tasks are to assist the events team in managing events and seminars like high school cooking competition, food preparation seminars and other activities related to hotel and restaurant management. I also do administrative works like preparation of seminar kits, modules and other things needed for the events. Most of the time, I assist the director of the organization in conference room meetings by means of preparing the room and the materials needed by the director and the participants. Even though my tasks are basic, for me they are very challenging because it tests not only my knowledge about my career but also my behavior towards work and other people. I can say that by being an intern in Nevada Restaurant Association, I am able to apply what I have learned from my subjects and learn new things at the same time. As a hospitality management major, my everyday tasks and interaction with my coworkers and a lot people outside the organization enhanced my skills and made me appreciate my profession more than how I appreciated it when I am still starting my course. As an example, the things that I have learned in my Facilities Management, Marketing and Finance subjects helped me in effectively preparing and organizing events and seminars. By assisting the team in using the available resources in an optimal way, I was able to help the entire organization in attaining cost effective processes that aided them in rendering high class services to participants. On the other hand, my knowledge in Service Management and Career Development subjects aided me in dealing with the people in the organization and with the participants in all the events that I have organized and attended. I know that it is through effective communication and respective approach that I will be able to apply my hospitality skills in my career. Among all the subjects that I have taken, it is Service Management that aided a lot n preparing me for my career. It is because I believe that a large part of Hospitality Management deals more on the services rendered. It is on how the services are organized and implemented that customer satisfaction is garnered. The food, drinks and other visual products of the service only serve as tangible proofs but beyond that, it is the kind of service that make people say that â€Å"it has a global quality†. Thus, it is very important that the skills and potentials required for rendering service is developed and enhanced. During the internship, I treated my managers and my coworkers as my customers and as a service provider, I did my best and used my skills and talents in rendering services that will give them utmost satisfaction. That is by obeying instructions, by doing tasks the right way and the way they wanted it and by completing requested works on or even ahead of time. In that way, I was able to practice how to render high quality services to other people. When I entered Nevada Restaurant Association as an intern, the management had an agreement that I will be spending 200 hours working in the organization. We also agreed that no amount will be paid for the internship and I will be working in the company until I completed the 200 hours. Perhaps for some people, 200 hours of work maybe hard especially to those who have no interest in their job. Yet, for me, 200 hours work seemed to be not enough. It is because for me, there is a lot to learn about the company and I, as a very aspiring person want to learn all the things that I can learn about the company. For me, it is the learning and the experiences that encouraged me to have enough strength to work on my tasks and be utmost motivated to prepare myself for my profession. In my own point of view, working in Nevada Restaurant Association is a big challenge for me. First of all, it is my first time to work with professional people and second, it is also my first time to apply the skills that I have learned in school in the real world. I admit that I felt the pressure of my work. There are times during my first days in work that I doubted if my work is good enough to satisfy them and if it will meet the standards set by my managers. Like any other person, I do not want, as much as possible, to fail in my work and receive negative feedbacks from my managers. It is true that at first, I thought that my job is difficult but I realized, as days went by that what I was doing was fun. I realized that the pressure is just there because it is my first time. Later on as my work get clearer and clearer for me, I realized that I am blessed because I was given the opportunity to work in a prestigious organization. In my entire stay in the company, I felt the enjoyment and fun of working with various people, meeting new acquaintances and establishing new contacts. Most of all, I learned one of the most important lessons, that failure is a key to success. As a fresh intern, I admit that I also made some mistakes in my work and my managers usually pointed it out. Though it is sometimes frustrating especially if I have already exerted too much effort to finish the job, I realized that it is my failures in my work that pushed me to do better and be more deserving for my profession. I realized that if I really want to learn, I should learn to be patient enough to continuously try my best to make my work better. Mistakes are not there to discourage me but they are there to direct me to my potential improvements. I learned that as a person full of aspirations, I should not focus on my mistakes and instead, I should focus on what my managers are telling me because they are the ones who know better than I do and they can direct me to my improvement. By keeping that in my mind, I was able to make my tasks a lot easier, fun, and enjoyable. The pressure that I felt during my first days disappeared as I learned to love my job and seek learning from it. I think that it is my positive outlook in life that I am able to transform the pressure into motivation and burning aspiration to finish my intern and keep what I have learned until the time that I need to apply it again. In addition, the organization’s culture taught me important things that helped me to be a better person. First of all, I learned to be a competitive person in a creative way that showcased my talents and abilities. Since the organization aimed for producing skillful, world class and competitive students and trainees, I, as an intern has adopted this behavior and I was able to apply it in my everyday life. For me, this behavior is very essential because I believe that when I enter the real world after graduating from college, I will be facing a lot of people who may have the same skills that I have and in order for me to get accepted, I must stand out from the rest by being competitive in the best that I can be. In accordance with the culture of the company, I also experience a lot of good things in the company. Even though I am just an intern, my coworkers did not treat me as one and in fact, they treated me as their coworker already. They have shown me the appropriate respect, encouragement and motivation. Although authority is there, their attitude of being friendly and very open gave me the comfort and confidence of getting along with them and voicing out my side during meetings and or brainstorming. The light and stress-free atmosphere motivated me to work harder and be better and better everyday. Their advice served as my guiding principles during my stay and it really helped me a lot in accomplishing my job. Most of all, the most important thing that I learned from the organization and that I think I will never forget is the act of sharing. As an organization, Nevada Restaurant Association believes that the ultimate responsibility of all hotel and restaurant employees is to render their customers with world class services. In order to achieve that quality, they must share their knowledge with each other and aimed for the same goal. For them, being competitive is not about winning over other people but showcasing the best talents a person has. Nevada Restaurant Association believes that by helping each other, by sharing ideas and by teaching it to those who are willing to learn that the entire community of hotel and restaurant employees will be able to completely render high quality and world class services. It is through sharing of ideas that integration of little but talented ideas can happen to be able to establish an excellent strategy that will deliver utmost customer satisfaction and that will benefit everyone in the industry. My internship in Nevada Restaurant Association is really one of the best experiences that I have in my life and I am willing to apply what I have learned in my future career to be able to help other people and contribute in enriching the industry that I am in. References: NRA. (2007). Nevada Restaurant Association. Available at: http://www. nvrestaurants. com/

Five Competitive Forces Defined By Porter

Five Competitive Forces Defined By Porter Porters five forces analysis is an absolutely fundamental technique in strategy. Using this framework to map out environmental forces affecting the FedEx Corporation would result in the discovery of what the main sources of competitive pressure are and how strong each competitive force is in the shipping industry world. This analytical step is essential because we cannot create a successful strategy without in depth understanding of the industrys competitive character. Porters five forces model FedEx Corporation Potential Competitors LOW Existing Rivals HIGH Buyers Power HIGH Suppliers Power LOW Substitute Products LOW prproductspppp The potential entry of new competitors Established companies had managed to effectively raise the barriers to entry bringing it to a high and making it difficult for potential new competitors to enter the market. This is so due to the fact that these companies have taken competitive advantage of cost by achieving large volume of shipment and economies of scale. In addition, there is a high fixed cost associated with entering the International transportation network. For example, fleet of aircraft, ground handling, vehicles etc. Extent of rivalry between established firms There are both local and global competitors in the shipping industry i.e. UPS, FedEx, DHL and TNT. Although these companies competed vigorously for a market share in the industry, FedEx and UPS quickly gained prominence by responding to the changing environment through the use of technological advances. These companies competed by strictly focusing on lower pricing, customer segmentation, quality of service and innovation. This has caused rivalry to be intense among competitors because customers could easily switch to preferred companies with better offers. Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of large buyers in the shipping industry is high. This is because buyers can easily switch to larger shipping providers for a lower price and faster service. For example IBM which provides large volume of shipment at a lower price. Bargaining power of suppliers The supplier power within this industry is fairly low. Large shipping service provider can affect prices of supplies by placing better offers on packaging materials. This is because they buy in large quantities and can turn to different suppliers easily. Threat of substitute products There are no substitutes to shipping. In this day and age where many businesses have a strong online presence and a small physical presence, it would be difficult to find a substitute in delivering their product. Shipping services are very much similar to a commodity, in that it is not easily replaced with another service or even a similar service. Porters Value Chain Analysis The use of Porters value chain analysis will help to better understand the activities through which FedEx can develop a competitive advantage and create shareholder value. Inbound logistics The FedEx value chain begins with same day collection of packages. FedEx employees collect the packages from various locations that are convenient to the customers such as businesses or at their homes. Customers can comfortably request pickups via the internet or telephones. Operations After the packages have been picked up, they are transported to one of FedExs regional hubs for onward distribution. A hub is a central location where FedEx employees sort the packages according to their destinations. The packages remain at the hub until they are collected and shipped either by aircraft or truck. Outbound Logistics The efficient distribution of the packages by the aircraft and truck drivers to their various locations are integral to the value of the service. The packages must get to their destinations on time at anyway. Marketing and Sales Support activities such as company infrastructure e.g. truck; aircraft etc provide the enabling environment for the primary activities to function properly. Other important support activities include information systems, which allow customers to place their orders on- line and track their products. Services FedEx further facilitates customer comfort and security during the use of its service by allowing customers to track their packages while on route. Customer service is usually seen as a final primary activity and provides after sales support and service, however, it is an important part of the FedEx process. FedEx over a number of years had improved its core competencies and capabilities through the use of infrastructure, a stronger brand name than rivals and embracing new technology. Infrastructure FedEx realized that by acquiring its own transportation fleet e.g. regional hubs, trucks and aircraft would set them apart from its competitors. By doing this, the company had managed to achieve over one billion dollars on revenues making it difficult for potential and existing competitors to imitate since it took a lot of capital needed to compete with this company. Brand Name FedEx brand name was considered to be one of its greatest assets; the name had placed an image of reliable service and fast delivery in the mind of its customers. This had also made it difficult for other entrants in the market to compete because FedEx had a lot of trucks and aircraft to back them up. Innovation and New Technology Technological breakthrough and application of innovation promoted significant advances for customer ordering, package tracking and process monitoring. Example FedEx was the first company in the shipping industry to introduce the use of new technology that allows millions of people to connect via the World Wide Web through its website www.fedex.com. FedEx had also made it possible for people to track their package at the point of picking up to the stage of the delivery. Finally FedEx had built a small warehouse in Memphis. This was it first attempt at multi- client warehousing where customers can call up and place an order and the said order will be picked up on the same day.

AVON Case Analysis Essay -- Business Management Studies Essays

AVON Case Analysis Organizational Mission Avon wants to provide everyone with high quality and innovative health and beauty products as well as financial opportunities through sales representatives that are easily obtainable, in many ways, in every part of the world. Avon hopes by bringing these products to everyone everywhere through global markets the company can improve the quality of life for anyone around the world. Corporate Objectives Corporate objectives bring structure to a company’s operations so it will sustain growth, achieve its mission/vision and set the outcome and target for the company to achieve. Corporate objectives include financial and strategic objectives. Financial Objectives: Growth in Sales: In 2001 the success of the Goodbye to Breast Cancer lipstick campaign, inventory clearance programs, and the increase of active representatives acquired through the successful implementation of the Sales Leadership program resulted in revenues growing 5% from $5,682 million in 2000 to $5,958 million in 2001. The growth in sales was due to the 9% increase in units because of the success of the programs implemented that are mentioned above. Avon plans to increase sales annually by continuing to recruit Leadership Representatives around the world, utilizing the Internet to help these Representatives sell Avon products more efficiently, and extending the Avon brand to new products and possibly new channels. (3) Bigger profit margins: Lower sales in Latin America than expected and additional strategic spending on consumer marketing initiatives caused the slight decrease in profits for the 2001 year. The drop may have been a lot worse if it was not offset by considerable margin improve... ... 3/20/02 Vol 239 P. B12A 12. Direct Marketing, Garden City â€Å"Avon to Target Teens† November 2001Anonymous, Volume 64 Issue 7 p. 22 13. Investor Relation Business â€Å"Avon Ups Johansen† Editorial Staff, January 28, 2002, p.1 14. Brandweek, â€Å"Avon Calls on Upscale Women for Becoming† by Christine Bittar, August 13 2001, p.6 15. Quarterly Report (SEC for 10Q) 16. â€Å"Unbecoming† by Moreno, Katarzyna, Forbes, June 10, 2002 Vol. 169 Issue 13 17. Business and Company Resource Center â€Å"Cosmetics, Household, and Personal Care Products US outlook† Lewis May 2, 2002 18. â€Å"Alliance Formation with Direct Selling Companies: Avon and Mattel†, Lawrence B. Chonko, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Winter 99’ Vol.19 Issue 1 pg 51. 19. â€Å"Most admired Soap and Cosmetic Companies, 2002†. Fortuen, March 4, 2002. pg. 77

Battered Women Syndrome Essay -- essays research papers

Battered Woman Syndrome In Robert Agnew's general strain theory, he talks about how strain and stress could cause an individual to commit crimes that they wouldn't have committed without those circumstances. In his theory, he refers to negative affective states, which are the "anger, frustration, and adverse emotions that emerge in the wake of destructive social relationships". It is these negative affective states that are produced by strain. Agnew acknowledges that strain can be caused by negative situations, such as abuse or neglect, family conflict, or stressful life events. These situations can all be found to be extremely prevalent in households where domestic violence occurs. According to this theory, the negative stimuli presented causes, in this case, the woman to feel angry, frustrated, disappointed, depressed, and fearful. These negative feelings, in turn, are outwardly expressed through violence. In this paper, we will look at battered woman syndrome as a theory that has stemmed from R obert Agnew's general strain theory. In her 1979 book "The Battered Woman"; Dr. Lenore Walker first came up with what is now know as battered woman syndrome. Put simply battered woman syndrome, or BWS as it is sometimes called, is a group of psychological symptoms that are easily recognized in women who have been physically, sexually, or psychologically assaulted by their domestic partner. According to Dr. Walker, "Battered w...

The Picture Behind The Story :: essays research papers

The motivation in an individual is of great concern in becoming an well-educated person. I know that from my fathers' "childhood" stories that self-motivation and motivation from relatives are what help individuals to learn and prosper in their lives. My father didn't have any of this when he was younger. His motivation and energy were directed in another direction, the path to " I Don't Care Land". I believe that he still had in his heart somewhere the curiosity and the open-mindedness of a child like ambition. My father left home when he was sixteen, he had to get himself together just to survive out in the world. If my father hadn't realized that he had to shape-up and get thing together he would have never gotten where he is today. When that childlike ambition broke threw my father he knew what he had to do, with this I'm proud to say my father went back to get his GED to further is education. As the great Hellen Keller once said " Character cannot b e developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." You have to pull yourself out of the gutter and keep on going as any well knowledgeable person would know. Next is the ability too direst and assist the learning process. Before the invention of reading and writing, people lived in an environment in which they struggled to survive against natural forces, animals, and other humans. Through direct, informal education, parents, elders, and priests taught children the skills and roles they would need as adults. In doing this they taught an ability to be direct and to assist in the process of a better knowledgeable person. Education developed from the human struggle for survival and enlightenment. It may be formal or informal. Informal education refers to the general social process by which human beings acquire the knowledge and skills needed to function in their culture. Formal education refers to the process by which teachers instruct students in courses of study within institutions. I know also, through my fathers’ stories, that even thought you are learning at school the best way to be an well-

Raymond’s Run Essay

Everyone has dreams, everyone had desires, but sometimes these can make it hard to think of someone besides one’s self. Sometimes these dreams and desires can fill the heart, making it nearly impossible to even consider the needs of others. For most people, it can be hard to put others first, but in the end, it is the right thing to do. At the beginning of â€Å"Raymond’s Run† by Toni Case Bambard, Squeaky’s main focus is running and winning, but by the end of the story, Squeaky comes to realize that life isn’t all about her self. At the beginning of the story, Squeaky is a confident girl and she knows that she has talent. She is a very fast runner; in fact, she is the neighborhood’s track star. She is confident that she is the fastest, this is seen when she states â€Å"there is no track meet that I don’t win† (Pg. 59 paragraph 3) and that she has been winning since she was a â€Å"little kid in kindergarten† (Pg. 59 par agraph 3) However, her main focus is running and winning, this makes her a bit confrontational and at times, absent minded to her special needs brother, Raymond. Squeaky knows she is a talented runner, but she is quick to confront other girls when they annoy her. She also makes it clear to other girls that she is the fastest runner in town and will easily beat them in the town race. Despite this Squeaky is loyal to her brother, and is always ready to protect him. When ever people talked trash to her brother, she stand up and say â€Å"You got anything to say to my brother, you say it to me.† (Pg. 62 paragraph 12) She’s a person, who doesn’t tolerate standing and listening to people talking trash, shed rather get things right and over quickly. Squeaky is scared of no one. Later when Squeaky decides to participate in the town race, she leaves Raymond in a swing. However, right as the race begins, Squeaky sees Raymond positioning him self by the fence for the race, Although he is not actually competing, Squeaky can see that Raymond knows what he is doing, despite the facet he has never ran a race before. As the race commences, it is oblivious to everyone but Squeaky, that Raymond is running an imaginary race and that he is indeed a fast runner. At the end of the race, Squeaky has won, but she no longer cares about the race. At the end of the story, Squeaky has had a change of heart. She sees that Raymond has talent, and her original values don’t matter anymore. She no longer cares if she won or lost, she is just happy she is just happy for her brother. She realizes that she doesn’t have to be a runner, but can anything she wants, a runner, a coach, a spelling bee champion, a pianist; she just had to work hard on it. She realizes that she can coach Raymond and give him something to accomplish, and perhaps, this is what she was meant to do in the first place. She doesn’t need to prove herself. She has learned that life’s not all about herself, but rather, about helping others. In â€Å"Raymond’s Run†, Bambard uses Squeaky to model the average human. All people are self-centered in nature, which is the inevitable. Like most people, Squeaky starts out and an overconfident young girl, focused only on her own wants and desires. She finds it hard to think of others. In truth it is much easier and simpler to think only of oneself. However, Squeaky comes to realize that her desirers have blinded her to her brother’s abilities. Her own talent clouded her from her brother, preventing her form seeing that she had the chance to give her brother something to be proud of. Bambard uses this realization to show her readers that even though putting others first is hard, it is the right thing to do. Squeaky may have started out as a confident and confrontational girl, with her main focus being racing, but after seeing her brother run, that changes. Squeaky comes to realize that racing isn’t everything and that her brother has untapped potential, potation that every one overlooks. She discovers that, even though it’s hard to put others’ desires first, it really is the right thing to do. She comes to dedicate herself coaching Raymond and by doing so, she can give her bother something to accomplish, and perhaps, this is what she was meant to do in the first place. Squeaky helps readers learn that life’s not all about oneself, but rather, about helping others.

How is Gatsby introduced by Fitzgerald? Essay

Jay Gatsby is presented by Fitzgerald first in Chapter One during a fleeting encounter between the Narrator (Nick Carraway) and Gatsby. Whilst Nick is resting in his garden after a fatiguing evening with Tom and Daisy Buchanan, ‘fifty feet away a figure had emerged from the shadow’ and this is later revealed to be Jay Gatsby’s very first presence in the novel. Although he does not have any dialogue with any other characters and nor has he interacted with any other characters at this point, the reader can gain some insight into what his personality may entail. For instance, the fact that he ‘emerged from the shadow’ may allude to the possibility that he may have had a dark history and that there is something enigmatic about him. It is not a clandestine that Jay Gatsby lives a life of luxury as he possesses ‘more than forty acres of lawn and garden’ and his home is initially referred to as ‘Gatsby’s mansion’, implying that it is of a more than generous size. Furthermore, he holds a party once a week at his home and invites everyone- including Nick. This gives us a further insight into what Jay Gatsby is like. The fact that he holds a party once a week could be due to him wanting to keep his social status amongst his peers at a high level whilst it also acts as a constant reminder of his power and raises the question of whether he enjoys people being reminded of his power or whether he feels the need to remind himself. Moreover, in preparation for his parties, he has been known to waste ‘five crates of oranges and lemons’ during the weekend and every Monday they leave through ‘his back door in a pyramid of pulpless halves’. This is representative of the over-indulgence of the rich at the time and the fact that the wastage is taken out through the ‘back door’ resembles the era of prohibition in the 1920’s whereby many things were done in secret. This could show how Gatsby is attempting to keep his faà §ade of being ‘The Great Gatsby’ by trying to negate any bad qualities he may possess or any immoral actions that he may commit. In addition to this, during the party, ‘a tray of cocktails floated’ around and this reveals to the reader that Gatsby was evidently breaking the law by serving alcohol at his party in 1922 prohibition America. Also indicating that he has a very high level of influence to be able to hold a party with such a  large number of guests and not one of them doubts his motives for serving alcohol – which could be a ploy to attract more people to his parties. Likewise, the guests that attend his parties are little more than carbon copies of each other, where many woman appear to be wearing ‘yellow dresses’. This is symbolic of their attempt to be something that they are not and try to fit in and conform to society’s need to be in the elite or rather, living the American Dream. When the reader finally meets Jay Gatsby, they are already under the influence of many rumours regarding Gatsby that many minor characters mentioned, such as the fact that he is a ‘nephew of cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm’ or that he ‘killed a man’. However, when we meet him through the eyes of Nick Carraway, he gives him a ‘rare smile with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life’. This almost makes the reader forget about everything that Fitzgerald had informed us of because it appears as if we have just met the real Gatsby. From this we can infer that he is a person who has gone through a lot but is at least genuine and despite what he may have done, he is still ‘The Great Gatsby’. From my point of view, it seems that F. Scott Fitzgerald had spent the most part of the beginning of the novel building up an image of Gatsby that was someone who inherited their wealth, had possibly killed someone and was ambiguous. But I believe that this was so that the reader could be shown how the other characters in the novel viewed Gatsby before giving him a chance, and when we finally meet him, we are able to get to know him and slowly build up our own image that I believe will completely contradict the beliefs that the other people in the novel share of Jay Gatsby and by doing this we are able to view the many perspectives that people have of him, allowing us to create a better informed judgment on the controversial character.

An Inconvenient Truth Summary 3

An Inconvenient Truth In An Inconvenient Truth, Albert Gore presents us with a thought-provoking oration by employing three persuasive appeals. He utilizes the elements of ethos, logos, and pathos in order to better achieve the goal of notifying the severity of global warming as well as awakening people’s environmental consciousness. An appeal to ethos deals with credibility and what makes the author qualified to speak on a particular subject, Al Gore does this in both selections. The entire film is presented in the context of a lecture hall in a university, which gives the audience a sense of seriousness.Additionally, Gore suggests his persistency and commitment by pointing out his political career as the Vice President, worldwide travel experience and abundant research on environment which as well can substantiate his qualification to be a spokesman on the mainstream issue of global warming. Moreover, Gore calls on expert testimony for a number of times, including that of hi s Harvard professor, who first promoted measuring carbon dioxide in the earth atmosphere which effectively establishes Gore’s credibility.Albert Gore appeals to logos by piling up deliberate evidence to further convince people about the crisis of global warming. Dynamic graphs and charts, one of which indicates the rapid change in temperature associating with the escalation of carbon dioxide, are displayed with movement owning to the multi-media. Also, by using time-lapse photography, striking changes in places, such as Argentina and Grinnel Glacier, are shown in photographs to prove the scientific theory that the earth has been severely affected by global warming.Gore, in addition, mentions other effects of the global warming in an alarming tone, which comprise species lost, natural disasters, and new-found diseases; displayed footages of news about hurricanes, primarily Katrina, pictures of extinct creatures, and discoveries of viruses leading to illness, such as Avian flu, West Nile flu etc. By these methods, Gore effectively makes the audience aware of the significance of preventing global warming from being aggravated. Yet, in this seemingly pure-scientific presentation, Gore targets the audience’s emotions several times in appeal of pathos.By recalling his son’s car accident which nearly took him away from Gore, he not only provokes the listeners’ sentiment of sympathy, but also emphasizes the point that we often fail to value what is precious until we are in danger of losing it. Gore makes a profusion of projections which startle the audience with the effect of alerting them to the crisis. For instance, he employs a concerned tone by predicting the devastating future of mankind when hundreds of millions of people are killed due to global warming. On the other hand, Gore’s sense of humor alleviates the solemn atmosphere.His occasionally self-deprecating jokes (â€Å"I am Al Gore. I used to be the next President of the United States. †) and sarcastic comments ease the listeners’ mood and exert a pull on their attention. What is more, the use of comical cartoons not only gives the audience a laugh but also provides them with a more comprehensible view of global warming. By analyzing Al Gore’s well-organized steps to proving his main idea, we can ascertain that Al Gore has adroitly utilized the three above-discussed appeals, ethos, logos, and pathos when imparting his viewpoints on global warming to people.

Comparative Analysis of Dominant Russian and American Values

Comparative analysis of dominant Russian and American Values The question of values becomes important when we cannot understand and explain the behavior of foreigners. Probably you know this from your own experience of communication with people from other countries: sometimes we think that foreigners behave strangely or rudely or just differently from what we expect. In most cases this is what is usually called â€Å"cultural misunderstanding†. OK, now let’s dwell on the concept â€Å"value†. There is a considerable confusion surrounding the definition of values.In spite of the fact that there are many definitions and innumerable studies, no definition has attracted widespread consensus. Kurt Baier notes that to define values sociologists employ a bewildering profusion of terms, raging from what a person wants, desires, needs, enjoys, prefers to what the community enjoys, sanctions or enforces. The concept of value refers to two contrasting ideas. At one extreme we speak of economic values based on products, wealth, prices – on highly material things. In another context, however, the word â€Å"value† acquires an abstract, intangible and non-measurable meaning.Among such spiritual values are freedom, peace, justice, equity. In many societies we find a growing antagonism between some of the new values propagated by the mass-media, and the traditional values inherited from the past. For example, we can single out such pairs as: traditional sex roles/blurring of sex roles or traditional family life/alternative families. But let’s analyse all this stuff by looking at two countries, America and Russia. First of all, we’ll give some descriptive information, then we’ll compare them. America.Before we can fully understand the dominant American worldview we need to analyze the historical and cultural roots of mainstream American society. The earliest settlers who came to the North American continent were motivated by the desire to escape the control and the social order of monarchy, aristocracy, and established churches. They were seeking relief from oppression and poverty and were ready to make a fresh start. Freedom is at the center of all that Americans value and hold dear. The U. S. Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, assures individual rights such as freedom of speech, press and religion.The concept of individual freedom began to be associated with the United States. By â€Å"freedom† Americans understand the desire and the ability of an individual to control his own life without interference from any organized authority. As we can see, Americans' notion of freedom focused on the individual and individualism. The early settlers were mostly farmers whose success depended on their ability to survive and confront hardships on their own. This idealized self-reliant individual is easily recognizable in the industrial age as a small businessman who became a financial success on his own.Th is strong belief in self-reliance and self-sufficiency is the basic aspect of the American character. Though people are not equal in their abilities, equality of opportunity is understood by Americans as an equal chance for success, an equal start to enter the race for success. However, this myth proclaiming equal opportunities has become one of the most battered ideals of today. Only a relatively small number of people under corporate capitalism can reach pinnacle of success, no matter how many people are talented or motivated to succeed.Only a few can reach the top because they could discipline themselves and work hardest. There is also support from Protestant theology, which tends to associate hard work and personal achievement with being in favor with God. In any context working hard is highly honored by Americans. The self-esteem of many Americans is closely connected with performing productive and rewarding work. Students and children are encouraged to work part-time to gain v aluable experience and become contributing members of the family instead of being a dependant.Being a productive member of the society is very important and praised and it is not surprising that elderly people and the disabled strive to be useful and productive in any way they can. The phrase â€Å"to go from rags to riches† reflects the great American dream in which material wealth and possessions are one of the top priorities. Russia. Russia, more than any other country, has always been a challenge for philosophers and historians who tried to provide a logical description of Russia's national identity and national character. There are, however, reasons behind this uniqueness and complexity.Russia is a very old country with the history of more than 11 centuries. It often happened that the new stage of development denied all the values of the previous one: from Tsarist Russia to Socialism, from Socialist Russia to the Free Market Economy. However, despite these sweeping chang es Russia has always demonstrated its uniquely Russian character and style which have survived through centuries and resist all attempts to transform or westernize Russia. It is impossible to approach the culture of Russian people without trying to look at the geopolitical context within which Russia has lived for centuries.Russia is a vast country, situated on the crossroads of Europe and Asia. With such a vast territory to govern, Russia evolved into a state ruled from its center. Distance and isolation prevented easy communication with other centers of civilization which contributed to isolation from excessive foreign influence and to the uniqueness of the Russian national worldview. Russia is also a northern country with a long cold winter and short summer. The harsh climate made Russians strong and healthy, capable of enduring extreme hardship, patient and cautious, dependant on the test of time.The vast territories and cold climate, together with the need to survive and resist the attacks of neighboring countries cultivated the spirit of communalism, which is often considered to be a predominant Russian value. From prehistoric times when Russians banded together to cultivate the land, to fell the trees, to harvest the crops and to protect themselves from invaders, sobornost (communal spirit, togetherness) became a distinctive feature of Russians in contrast to the individualism and competitiveness of the West. Communalism at the same time brought about such ideals as dependence on each other's help, mutual support and trust.Russians rely on a close network of family and friends and coworkers as protection against the risks and unpredictability of daily life. On the other hand, communal mentality is alien to the spirit of self-reliance and responsibility. Russians got used to being told what to do and what to think. Even in the modern rapidly changing world decision making is often difficult for Russians who prefer to refer decisions to higher-ups, thus r idding themselves of the responsibility in case things go wrong. Another important feature of the Russian national value system — preference of spiritual over material.N. Berdyaev considered Russians to be the most spiritual people in the world and claimed that the economy can be viewed only as an instrument but not the goal or the highest value. With the advent of the market economy nowadays it may seem that many traditional values will change dramatically. Traditional values are still strong — self-sacrifice, sense of duty, compassion, the importance of family, and love of nature, courage and moral strength. We may only hope that provided with new practical dimensions, these values will remain the mainstream Russian values.The List of Russian-American Values. 1. Going to extremes (Russians) vs. moderation in everything (Americans) A Russian can spend all his money in a restaurant during one night, Americans would probably never do this and would consider the Russian behavior strange or just foolish. 2. Open-heartedness (Russians) vs. being reserved (Americans) A Russian can talk to a complete stranger on the train about his or her problems, an American would probably prefer to talk about football, rather than to share his or her problems with anybody. 3. Generosity, hospitality (Russians) vs.BEING PRACTICAL, saving money (Americans) While Russian dinner is a real feast, Americans make as many hamburgers as there are guests expected; if Americans invite you for coffee, they mean coffee and not anything else. 4. Complaining about problems (Russians) vs. Being always OK (Americans) Russians and Americans solve their problems in different ways: if Russians have problems they go to their relatives or friends, if Americans have problems, they go to their psychiatrist. Russians and Americans also differ in borrowing money: Russians borrow money from their relatives or friends, Americans borrow money from the bank. . Critical/ironical attitude to one's country (Russians) vs. patriotism (Americans) Russian love of their country is geographical (they love their nature, their birch-trees); American love is political (they love their freedom and democracy and they believe that it's their sacred duty to protect freedom and democracy all over the world). 6. â€Å"Being† orientation (Russians) vs. â€Å"Action† orientation (Americans) Americans are more active physically and mentally. Russians prefer to sit at home doing little and earning little money for little work rather than to stand the physical strains of hard work.Russians prefer intellectual entertainment to going in for sports (Americans prefer sports). 7. Leisure orientation (Russians) vs. Work orientation (Americans) You have worked hard before the exam. When you come to your exam and get â€Å"5† you tell your colleagues that you knew everything and you deserved it (American); you tell your colleagues that you knew nothing and got â€Å"5† becaus e of cheating (Russian). 8. Problem making (Russians) vs. problem solving (Americans) Russians have a serious attitude to life, they tend to complicate everything, Americans have a childish attitude to life, they tend to simplify everything.Situation: Your friend doesn't get on with his colleagues and because of this won't get a promotion. You think that a) He has a complicated personality (Russians), or b) He is a fool (Americans) 9. â€Å"Creative attitude to law† (Russians) vs. law obedience (Americans) It's normal to break traffic laws in Russia, then it's normal to bribe the police (Americans can't even think of bribing the police! ). Explanation: When Russians break traffic laws and are stopped by the policeman, they first try to talk with him, appealing to his feelings, since Russians see in him a human being and not the embodiment of the law. 0. Collectivism (Russians) vs. individualism (Americans) Examples from Russian life: cheating on tests, which is considered nor mal among Russian students (When Russian students are told that American students do not normally cheat, Russian students can't understand why. ). A line in the library (Several people from your group will join you in the line and nobody would object, American students would consider this not only strange but totally unacceptable).

What is a Hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is a Hero - Essay Example They are tempted to use their great strength to do good for themselves or their cause, but they have limitations that they may not know. In this way the heroes of epic stories tell us something about ourselves: although human beings are the strongest species on the planet we can often harm ourselves through our hubris. Hubris and Nemesis are issues that all heroes must face often on a huge and dramatic scale. In the end however, a hero is someone who proves their mettle by putting others interests before their own. A good example is in The Odyssey a remarkable story of one man’s journey back home, a journey of return to his loved ones. For Odysseus, nothing is more important that family. That said, there are other values in the story that are very important. One is a collection of martial values—honour, fellowship, solidarity—that runs like a golden thread throughout the story. Another is the duty of the living towards the dead. All of these have played an important role in my own life. Just as Odysseus tries to live his life according to this values—familial love, martial honour, and duty to those gone before us—so do I try to live my own life. It is the story of a man trying desperately to return home after many years away fighting in a terrible war. But he is being punished and his journey is very dilatory. He must constantly deal with obstacles. Each obstacle presents in its way a moral or ethical challenge that will try Odysseus. Although my own life is very different that Odysseus’, and much less straightforward, nevertheless, I too have been challenged by obstacles that have made me think hard about the values I live by. Throughout the story he does everything possible to put the interests of his crew and family before his own. He shows that at the core of all true heroes is love. Also, his associations make him heroic. He surrounds himself with

My travels around the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My travels around the world - Essay Example On the first day, I have arrived by plane from UAE to Paris, taken my bags and then went to the hotel. I have arranged my room before sleeping. On the second day, I went to the Montmartre area to see the Basilique du Sacrà ©-Coeur and walked up to the metro that would take me to the Eiffel Tower. Going up the tower for a full view of the city is a prime Paris tourist activity. At night, I have taken dinner then made my way over again to see the beautiful Eiffel Tower at night. At night, the Eiffel Tower, with its lights, is a beautiful sight to behold. The next day I have gone to the Louvre for an afternoon of art, culture, and history. I have taken lunch at the food court in the Carrousel du Louvre under the glass pyramid. The next item on my itinerary was to go up to the second most famous places in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, for a panoramic view of Paris. On the fourth day, I have stayed at the hotel because I was very tired. In the next two days, I have gone to the Shanzelize S treet to do some shopping.   On March 8, 2013, I arrived by plane in Madrid, took my bags to the hotel and went to sleep. The next day, I went to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and chose this Museum because it has covered more contemporary art periods. I then walked up to Parque Del Retiro, one of the best city parks I have ever seen. It is very beautiful. In Parque Del Retiro, there are statues, a lake with boating, all of the kinds of plants and flowers and plenty of places for sitting and relaxing.

Safety Legislation Writing Project #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Safety Legislation Writing Project #2 - Essay Example This will involve educating the employees on the hazardous chemicals and how to avoid their impacts while they are undertaking their duties. As depicted by 29 CFR 1910.1200, my focus will be to ensure that all the employees are aware on how to undertake a first aid process before a medical attention is sought. The second step is to initiate an emergency action plan. Thirdly, is to establish a fire safety plan. In this way, fire related incidents will be dealt with in an appropriate way. My fourth step would be to come up with an exit route. In this way, my organisation will be compliant with OSHA requirements of establishing an exit route in every building (United States Department of labor 14). Fifthly, I would establish a walking surface. Such surfaces will be vital in reducing the number of accidents that may be as a result of falls and slips. My sixth step would be to establish a first aid kit. In this way, employees who may be injured in the cause of their duties will have an op portunity to be treated before going for further medical check up. Safety profession involves offering appropriate protection to all the employees against any kind of harm while undertaking their daily duties. By use of various aspects from different fields such as health, education, psychology and engineering among others, safety professionals are paramount in preventing occurrences of accidents in an organisation. One of the major fields that are imperative in ensuring that matters relating to safety profession are well addressed is the safety science. Safety science involves all activities that are undertaken to prevent accidents, illnesses, explosions and fire among other events that may harm employees and the environment. In the same way, safety science gives the safety professionals skills to evaluate and identify hazards in the work places. Additionally, safety science provides effective methods that managers should use in setting policies that relate to safety. In

The Library Organisational Project Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Library Organisational Project - Case Study Example Different data-gathering methods were used, such as conducting interviews, distributing questionnaires and searching information from various sources, to gather as much information as the project requires. Team members were assigned to conduct interviews with each senior manager. I was responsible for interviewing Mr. Antony Brewerton, Head of Academic Support. Initially, I asked Mr. Brewerton to fill out questionnaires with the intention to analyse his perspective against his employee's perspective. Afterwards, I proceeded to interview him on leadership and management so as to analyse his leadership style and how he manages his department. Organisational Diagnosis Questionnaire (ODQ) designed by Robert Preziosi (1980) was used and the questionnaires were distributed to cover the five departments in the library. Using this questionnaire, a variety of dimensions of an organisation could be studied-such as purpose, structure, leadership, relationships, rewards, helpful mechanisms and attitude toward change. The questionnaire was used the in the analysis because of its benefits, as enumerated below- With the data gathered from the questionnaires, I conducted the qualitative analysis. ... b) Questionnaires: Organisational Diagnosis Questionnaire (ODQ) designed by Robert Preziosi (1980) was used and the questionnaires were distributed to cover the five departments in the library. Using this questionnaire, a variety of dimensions of an organisation could be studied-such as purpose, structure, leadership, relationships, rewards, helpful mechanisms and attitude toward change. The questionnaire was used the in the analysis because of its benefits, as enumerated below- Relatively easy to analyse, People familiar with the questionnaire, A large sample of the given population can be conducted, Information is collected in a standardised way, The questionnaires can be used for sensitive topics, which users may feel uncomfortable speaking about to an interviewer, and Respondents have time to think about their answers because they are not usually required to reply immediately. After finishing the interview with Mr. Brewerton, I asked for his cooperation to distribute the questionnaires among his staff through emails and to kindly forward the responses to me. c) Various sources: To get acquaintance with the organisation, I searched the information from different sources such as library websites, articles and documents provided by the Librarian. 2. Data Analysis The findings were divided into two categories, which are qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis- a) Qualitative analysis With the data gathered from the questionnaires, I conducted the qualitative analysis. The ODQ questionnaires were grouped under the seven dimensions and I calculated the average ranking for each of the dimensions. I plotted graphs in MS

Successful Music Publication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Successful Music Publication - Essay Example The keys to be successful in this venture is by analyzing different aspects of how the publication will possibly survive in competition such as this one. The competition among music publications is undoubtedly very tight, and even more imposing is the fact that so many publications have already held their ground and established their names as household names, benchmarks in the industry, namely the KERRANG, SNIFFING and NME, all of which have made names for themselves in the 1980's. It is sheer impossibility to surpass the name established by those popular magazine, it is even more difficult to get even closer, but what should be kept in mind is that is not the goal that should be hurriedly achieved. What should be the first in considerations is how to turn the heads of music blokes, along with their curiosities. Until now, KERRANG, NME and SNIFFING are still enjoying relative popularity like their other counterparts. As the researcher had earlier done, having visited the websites of the aforementioned music publications, the three of them possess almost all of the same qualities that contribute to their existence after decades. Their w Their websites are all very eye-catching, all of them are attention-grabbers because of the loud colors and enticing headlines they possess. NME, KERRANG and SNIFFING all give a chance of publicity to new artists, and yet they never neglect the great artists of yesterday along with their immortal hits. An example is the front webpage of NME dated May 12, 2007, posted is the black and white picture of the Beatles, and yet they have links to news concerning artists of this generation. That is a vivid example of how they prioritize their readership. Another aspect they share is they all have the opinion section, for the readers and website browsers to post their opinions regarding anything, about music, the magazine or the website itself, or even their suggestions. The posting of these suggestions on their sites and their print magazines is a surefire way to establish a personal relationship with the readers, making them feel that they are of utmost priority. In the aspect of the news, without the evidence of reading every issue of these magazines and their websites, the researcher noticed that their news is very well-written, especially the headlines. But they are in no way offensive to the readers and they are not even showing a hint of bias towards their posting of news. This is the proof that all music publications should by all means be honest about news, they should give sheer priority to the delivery of accurate statistics, and in-depth and yet impartial analysis of music news around the world. These three music publications have their own style and originality, shown by their mere taglines. NME has the tagline "First for Music News," while for KERRANG, it is "the world's biggest-selling weekly rock magazine." The taglines are proofs of their originality. They are still enjoying success because of the things that they have done and still doing up until today. Task 2 - Chosen Music Genre I choose pop music. Why Because virtually all music lovers are indulged in this genre, all ages,

Leadership in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership in Nursing - Essay Example Hence the nursing needs for the elderly have become an issue of growing concern in Hong Kong. Traditionally, the care of the sick is considered to be the moral duty of their family members among the Chinese. Hence, being cared for by nurses, who are strangers, "places the Chinese people in somewhat of a paradoxical situation" (Pang et al., cited in Smith & Tang 2004, p.18). Therefore, the success of nursing care depends also on the nurse's ability to act as a surrogate family member. With increasing health issues of the elderly and their near-total dependence on healthcare facilities, private nursing homes are increasing in demand for the confinement of the elderly with deteriorating health issues like cerebrovascular accidents, fractures such as hip fractures, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive airways disease, dementia, parkinsonism, etc. The government has funded three forms of residential care, with the aged homes providing assistance with activities of daily living, C&A homes providing personal attention and some nursing care, and infirmaries providing more intensive nursing care with medical supervision (Bartlett & Phillips 1995, p.238). Though several measures have been undertaken to increase the number of residential care homes, the availability of such care homes unfortunately still fall short of demand. This places increasing responsibility on the available nursing care personnel. According to a study done by Leung et al... Though several measures have been undertaken to increase the number of residential care homes, the availability of such care homes unfortunately still fall short of demand. This places increasing responsibility on the available nursing care personnel. According to a study done by Leung et al. (2000, p.65) from a random sample of private nursing homes in Hong Kong East region, increasing number of bedridden or chairbound patients, increasing dependency for basic activities of daily living, increasing problems of incontinence of bowel and/or bladder, increasing use of supporting devices, aggravating problems of bedsore, etc. lead to more hospitalizations and specialist out-patient clinic visits. Unfortunately the incidences of re-hospitalizations of these patients with recurrences of the same disease conditions have been gaining in frequency recently. "Frail elderly patients are shuffled back and forth between acute care, non-acute care, old age homes and the community" (Derrick 1998, p.1). This situation calls for a highly efficient and totally effective nursing care system. This report studies the scenario in a private nursing home in Hong Kong. The scenario is analysed for the effectiveness of the nursing care rendered by the present nursing team, its leadership style, and its advantages and disadvantages. Also studied are the different leadership styles and concepts that are applicable to this context. New strategies for improving the situation are developed, and appropriate leadership skills are recommended that suit these strategies. 2. Context I work as intern in a nursing team handling 100 inhabitants of a private nursing home in Hong Kong. The average age of the group is

Combined Cycle Power Plant Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Combined Cycle Power Plant - Case Study Example We examine Navasota's current position in the Texas energy market place to describe the environment in which the company is developing, the strengths and weaknesses and financial characteristics of such a company. We then propose different possibilities for a strategy for Navasota in the future and extend our analysis to see what leadership and rewards might need to be available for Navasota employees, executive or other, to make this happen. When considering the total amount of energy used in the United States, 22% of it corresponds to natural gas. Natural gas is used to produce heat, steam and electrical power generation, with use ranging from commercial and residential sectors, to industrial processes. At the moment, 15% of utility and non-utility power is produced from natural gas. Projections show that in the US as a whole 33% of the electricity generated in 2020 will be from natural gas-fired power plants (Spath & Mann, 2000). However although this is figure that may be true on average for the whole country, individual states, as we will see later, may have different objectives. Navasota runs two natural gas combined cycle facilities in Texas, one in Wharton and the other in Odessa. The term "combined cycle" refers to the method used to improve the efficiency of electricity generation. ... An independent study on gas-fired generators found that CO2 accounts for 99 wt% of all air emissions. Methane is emitted in the next highest quantity, 74% of which are fugitive emissions from natural gas production and distribution (Spath & Mann, 2000). In Texas in particular however, the historical activity of oil and gas production is decreasing. The state is gradually turning its attention to sustainable, "green" energy sources. It cites the drivers for this shift in emphasis as being peak oil and gas prices, climate change, technological change and economic development issues (Texas State, 2008). Currently gas with its 4253 trillion BTUs is second only to oil in terms of the quantity of energy generated in the primary energy category for Texas. Conscious of the environmental consequences, mindful of the falling intra-state production of gas and looking for ways to contain and reduce energy expenditure, the state has identified biomass and bio-fuels, wind, solar and geothermal energy sources as candidates to replace oil and gas generation of energy, together with a further source of (electrolytic) hydrogen (State of Texas, 2008). It is this thinking that leads the state of Texas to define green buildings, wind power generators, hydrogen, advanced solar, hydrogen re-powering, transportation unification and tele-transportation as the new vectors of energy generation and energy economy to be followed. The proposed Texas State energy strategy is then defined as the re-establishment of energy independence for Texas, the development of new, renewable energy, strengthening of the rural and domestic sectors as energy generators (notably from solar energy) and

Interviewing Sales Professionals assignment (15%) Essay

Interviewing Sales Professionals assignment (15%) - Essay Example The hotel is rated four-star, with comfortable guest rooms and dining facilities; a conference centre; entertainment centre; and a health and wellness centre. Services include all the standard services for luxury four-star hotels, from laundry and room service, to satellite television and broadband. These services are available in deluxe rooms, executive deluxe suites, business suites and super-large deluxe suites. Maggie sells to groups focusing on business, conferences, wellness tours, and tourism. Impressions of the Interviewee Nonverbal techniques Maggie uses very clear nonverbal techniques to make the person she is speaking to comfortable. Her greeting is formal, and her voice pitched low and smooth. Confidence in what she is saying is expressed both in her voice and in the relaxed, attentive posture she maintains when listening or speaking. After the formality of the greeting, her expression is friendly and receptive, with eye-contact maintained. Her body directly faces the per son she is speaking to, leaning slightly forward, and she maintains a slightly lower level of contact, seeming to look upward at the other party. She keeps her hands and arms relaxed, using some gestures to emphasize what she is saying in very controlled ways. When she listens, she slightly tilts her head, looking interested, and does not interrupt. It seemed throughout the interview, and sales presentations, that she has only one focus – the person/people she is interacting with. Appearance and demeanor In appearance, Maggie Chen is very well-groomed. She wears the dark-colored corporate uniform of the hotel chain. A friendly and approachable personality is evident. She reacts to questions in a thoughtful, confident way, thinking for a moment before answering in detail. The Presentation The sales presentation I attended was to a large chain of travel agencies, specializing in business conference organization for USA and Chinese companies. They were looking for hotels across China in which to stage conferences and business meetings for up to 100 delegates at a time, and ranging from 3 day to 10 day events, over the next 18 months. Their business would allow Ms. Chen to come close to achieving her targets for the year, as she would be able to report advance room bookings at approximately 30% of occupancy – half of what she was aiming for. A PowerPoint presentation had been prepared, and Maggie had thoroughly worked through the presentation. We arrived at the venue in the hotel 15 minutes before the representatives of the travel company were set to arrive, and all the technical aspects had been checked. Refreshments were laid out and the exact number of places had been arranged at the table. When the representatives arrived each was greeted in turn, from the most senior to the least senior and I realized that Maggie had researched the people and the company well enough to know all the details about them. Her PowerPoint presentation really just gave an overview of the hotel and what it has to offer in pictures and with music. It was the commentary by Maggie that identified the possible packages that could be put together to meet the exact needs of the travel agency and their planned conferences and meetings. She had also prepared a glossy handout, listing 4 options for the room bookings, and the

Final Gay Marriage Essay Example for Free

Final Gay Marriage Essay Gay marriage should be legal because as woman and man, all individuals have the same right in society; because same-sex couples can constitute a good based family; because it is just a way to make official a common union nowadays, even with the religious issue; because it is not related to polygamy; and because love matters and it does not differ in nature according to the sex of its object or the person who experiences it. The first reason why same sex marriage should be legal is because it is fair for all individuals to have the same rights in society. With the end of sodomy laws, a recent decision of the U.  S. Supreme Court, conservatives have lost their last excuse to write off gay lives and love as unworthy of social accommodation. But whatever ones feel about the reasoning of the decision, its results is clear: gay Americans are no longer criminals. Even if they were, as murderers on death row that have the constitutional right to marriage, they should have too. Marriage is a very sacred arrangement. It is a lifetime commitment said to be only between man and woman. These two people should love or be in love with each other. Over the years homosexuality has come to the forefront. The question of should homosexuals be allowed to marry each other has had the world in an uproar. Homosexuals, indeed should be able to marry each other with the same benefits as man and woman. Homosexual marriages was made legal for the first time in 2001 by the Netherlands. Canada was the first country to marry Homosexual couples from all nations to formally commit. Extending recognition to non traditional relationships is not an attempt to undermine the family. But rather an effort to recognize today’s realities and to end decimation. Legalizing gay marriages help change and help the lives of so many struggling gay teens. It will reduce depression in gay teens and children. It will give children and teens hope knowing that its okay to marry someone of the same sex. The majority of teenage suicides today are being committed because the child was bullied in school as a result of his/her sexual orientation. The same acceptance that will come about due to legalizing gay marriage will show teens that homosexuality is accepted and respected in society. We need to explain to younger generations that being different (in any aspect of our lives) is not a social disability, so that they will never feel the need to take their own lives because they are gay. In Christianity, marriage is a life long commitment under god. It is well known to many Christians that practicing homosexuality is a major sin. How can a union, which is created for man and woman, under god, bond two partners of the same sex if it is stated in gods book that it is morally wrong? Homosexuals should be allowed to make a lifetime commitment to their partners, but it should be called something other than marriage and should not be under god. The biggest problem the gay population faces regarding legal marriage is the Christians. A true Christian doesnt want a married gay couple to have the same title as he and his wife have, because they take the vowel under god seriously. A firm believer would say that a gay marriage is absurd. Homosexuality goes against nature because we were given sexual organs for the purpose of reproduction, not for pleasure. It is believed that homosexuals will be forsaken for committing abominable acts and, through some misinterpretations, also deserve death. When gay pride walks are taking place, some Christians protest this in the name of Jesus. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the bible, is one filled with vivid pictures of the cities destruction mainly because of the overindulgence of homosexual freedom. Some Christians believe that can happen again and that the lord will show no mercy. Many diseases can be inherited through anal sex; some say this is a punishment sent from god for the injustice. Legalizing gay marriages will help increase the adoption rate. A lot of gay couples male or female also want to have children but have trouble conceiving. By legalizing gay marriage across all states, adoption agencies will be forced to grant the same respect and rights to homosexual couples. There are over 500,000 children currently living without parents in the United States; gay marriage will increase the chances for thousands of foster children to gain loving parents and families. Americans have negative beliefs about homosexuality. Same sex marriage is a particularly fruitful case for several reasons. Same sex marriages in the USA impinges on deeply held views about sexual morality, family religion and equal rights. A March 20–24 CBS News Poll shows that 53% of Americans support same-sex marriage, 39% oppose, and 8% are undecided. The same poll also finds that 33% of Americans who now think same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry say they once held the opposite view and have changed their opinion. Homosexuals should have the same privileges as heterosexuals. Need to be allowed not only to get married in any state they live in. According the NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures) June 27, 2011 here is a list of states that issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. Hawaii was the first state to recognize same-sex marriage. Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and the District of Columbia. States that recognize same-sex marriage from other states are Rhode Island, New York, and Maryland. States that grant nearly all state-level spousal rights to unmarried couples (domestic partnerships) are California, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington. Obtain insurance and benefits through their place of employment. They should be about to make decisions in hospitals for their spouse in case of emergency. States that provide some state level spousal rights to unmarried couples (domestic partnerships) are Hawaii, Maine, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. With all this being said, I feel you still can’t help you fall in love with whether it be heterosexual or homosexual. In today’s society your going to be judge on a lot of things you do so, I feel that if you care happy with yourself and your sexuality why shouldn’t you be able to express in out in the world. You are no different from anyone else, so you should be treated as a equal. Gay rights are human rights.

Is Social Class Still Relevant Sociology Essay

Is Social Class Still Relevant Sociology Essay Today it is very clear that social class is still relevant in our society, this is obvious because a number of social institutes are affected by the differences in class, whether its education, health or even occupation. We are constantly faced with the arguments about the social classes. Social class is in fact an open system meaning that it is possible to move up or down the social hierarchy, this is known as social mobility and can be achieved either by receiving a promotion- meaning you will go up a social class- or due to job loss- decreasing into a lower social class. Although this seems very simple, in the UK it is very hard to actually move from the middle class up to the upper class as there seems to be a high level of respect and loyalty that must be attained before entering such a high class. In this society is it notoriously difficult to define social class because of our ever changing employment system plus but there are a couple of different ways in which it can be measured these include: the register general scheme, the Goldthorpe scheme and the NS SEC 2000 scale. The register general scale measures social class by dividing people into six different major classes, ranging from professional in the first class to unskilled in the last class. This way of measuring class has its drawbacks, these include the fact that it only takes into account the occupation of an individual therefore it is not a clear distinction of what class someone must be in. Whichever scale is it used it is still extremely difficult to measure social class because of the changes in employment. In our society there have been a number of key changes that have occurred within the structure of social class. one being the reorganization of employment, since the 1970s there has been a large decline in heavy industries such as shipbuilding, coal mining etc and also a decline in manufacturing industries which usually employed skilled males from the working class. However there has been a significant increase of 3 million service industries such as: finance, travel and leisure, therefore there has been an increase in non-manual middle class jobs and a decline in the amount of working class jobs. This follows onto the next change in the structure of social class because with the increase in service industries jobs, a vast amount of women have started to enter into employment therefore allowing women to achieve their own separate social class status instead of it being based on what there husband or fathers occupation is. Also this has forced sociologists studies on social class to examine the way in which female employment is part of the class structure and so women have been included in social mobility studies. Social class is a system of social stratification, a hierarchy that creates specific types of social inequalities. Social inequality refers to the existence of socially created inequalities such as: ownership of property, types of occupation that creates differences in wealth, income and power, whereas social stratification refers to the existence of distinct social groups. There are many argument about how class stratification should be explained, two of the theories that help explain class stratification are: the functionalist theory and the weberian theory. Functionalists see our society as a structured whole and believes that in order to obtain social order and stability, each social institute must perform a functional pre-requisite in order to work together; this is known as the biological analogy because it is referred to as each organ working together in the body to keep that person alive, this is the same for our society. If one social institute is not working properly for example, education or health then this could affect the way in which our society survives. According to Davis and Moore (1945) all of the inequalities that are evident in todays society are necessary and arise because of different roles and rewards that are given out, particularly in employment, therefore each society needs to have the most functionally important jobs filled such as: doctors, vets and accountants etc. These jobs require years and years of study and training to achieve, this guarantees that these jobs will be filled with only the smartest individuals whether they are part of the upper class or the lower class. The way in which these jobs are filled appropriately is that high rewards and large sums of money are offered for the years of practice that is done. The strengths of using this theory to explain social class are that it highlights the strong links between social class and the social structure, it also show how social class contributes to the maintenance of society as a whole The weaknesses of using this theory is that this theory is far too simplistic as it only uses the importance of jobs to explain social class which is not a true way to measure an individuals class. Also a weakness is that some people feel that functionalists do not have to right to decide which job is more important than the next for example Davis and Moore stated that the most important jobs where doctors etc, but some people may feel that a bin man or a school cleaners jobs is far more important to our society. However Weber agrees with Marx that a persons class situation cannot be determined by the ownership of the means of production but by the shared life chances that someone has or has been denied as a result of qualifications and possessions they have. Weber has divided social classes in multiple classes this means that there are different classes with different people in each class. Because of the important differences in our society, each group is defined by various skills and services that are offered from each occupation. Weber believed that while the society expands so will the number of different classes, especially the middle class, as it is easier to move up or down to this class that to move up to the upper class. The strengths of using this theory to explain social class are that it best describes social mobility and how each class is defined; it also accurately outlines the class situation as it is today, that more people will be entering the middle class whether they move up or down the social hierarchy. However the weaknesses are that Weber understates the importance of the economy when defining class, because he only uses the individuals skills and life chances which are not an accurate way to measure somebodys class. Social mobility refers to the ability that people have to move up or down the class structure; this can either be intergenerational or intragenerational. A family/individual can move up or down a social class simple by a change in there occupational status, whether they have been promoted or receive redundancy. Another way to move up the class system could be if you gained or one a large sum of money in the lottery. There are two studies that have been done that best explain social mobility. The first was the oxford mobility study by Goldthorpe et all in 1972. This study was based on the Weberian theory of stratification. This study was carried out by using only men between the ages of 20 64 years, the main findings of this study was that 2 out of 3 sons of unskilled or semi-skilled were in the manual occupation meaning that they followed after their fathers. They also found that only 4% of blue collar workers (service industry jobs) came from professional background and approximately 30% of professionals were from working class backgrounds, this could prove that people from a professional background will be more likely to receive a better education therefore aiming for higher paid jobs ( white collar jobs). It is evident from this study that downward mobility appeared to be declining, but more men from working class backgrounds were unemployed. In conclusion this study showed that long range and absolute mobility rates in the UK have increased however due to little change in the relative mobility there has been no significant increase in the openness of the UKs stratification system. The strengths of this study are that it backs up Webers ideas of social classes seen to be multiplying and becoming more open. The weaknesses are that the study only focuses on men and women therefore ignoring the work that is done by women in our ever increasing society. The second study was the Peter Saunders Unequal but fair? in 1996. This study was based on the functionalist theory of stratification. Conclusion In conclusion, it is very clear that social class is in fact relevant in todays society; this is shown by the results from the Westergaard and Restler (1976) Marxist theory study. This study argues that Britain will remain a capitalist society and with the persistence of class inequalities they will harden and it will make it exceptionally difficult to move between social classes, meaning that social class defiantly remains very important when explaining the social inequalities that we have today.