Amazon Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Amazon Business Strategy - Essay Example Amazon.com targets three main audiences for its services. First, the company targets those consumers that value low prices, convenience, and a wide selection. The second target of Amazon.com is those sellers, who wish to make their sales through the Amazon.com platform, using the company’s infrastructure. Additionally, Amazon.com targets the enterprises, which wish to outsource technical capabilities to Amazon.com. In this case, therefore, the business it can be deduced that Amazon.com has three major business models for each category of its target customers (Johnson, Whittington & Scholes 2011). Amazon.com has a distinct business strategy, which has helped it to maintain the top position among the online retailers today. However, over the years, the company has adjusted its business model in order to increase its level of competitiveness in the market. Since the year 2007 to 2009, Amazon.com has adopted new aspects in its strategy, which have contributed to its sustained succ ess in the market. Therefore, the company introduced new business units, which it deemed relevant to its customers, and which it considered were capable of increasing company productivity and customer satisfaction. When Amazon.com was founded, the aspect of growth was core to its business strategy. Nonetheless, the company seems to have upheld the concept of growth, as seen in the further advancement and development of its business strategy. Today, there are different new business units that were adopted by Amazon.com and integrated in its business strategy between 2007 and early 2009 and these are still important to the company, as they have considerably led to a boost in the company’s productivity. First, in the year 2008, Amazon.com increased the number of its fulfillment centers. A major addition to the existent fulfillment centers was developed in Hazleton, PA, while another one was established in Arizona (Johnson, Whittington & Scholes 2011). This move by Amazon.com to add more fulfillment centers would benefit the company in various ways. Most importantly is that Amazon.com would be able to serve more customers, since the increased number of fulfillment centers increased the capacity of commodities, which the company could store for shipment to customers. Additionally, Amazon.com in 2008 launched the â€Å"Frustration-Free Packaging† (Johnson, Whittington & Scholes 2011). This kind of packaging reduces the overall amount of packaging materials used. This is advantageous to both the company and its consumers. To the company, this initiative saves costs, as less material is used for packaging. On the other hand, this makes the customers of Amazon.com to experience a great shopping experience. The frustration-free packaging is designed to be opened easily without a knife or struggles, while protecting the products inside, thus reducing customers’ wrap rage. Additionally, this packaging is recyclable. This initiative has been widely wel comed by most Amazon.com customers. This therefore, boosts customer loyalty to the company, which is paramount for increased company success. Technology is another core strategy, which Amazon.co has continually embraced. Between 2007 and 2009, Amazon.com has enhanced its technology levels by introducing new technological business aspects. First, in 2007, Amazon.com developed Kindle; an e-book reader device,

Leader that Influence Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leader that Influence Me - Essay Example In short, without the presence of these role models, the lives of many people would totally be different. Â   My social studies teacher, Mrs. Catalina Mors, had a massive impact on my life. In my opinion, she is one of the friendliest people I have met in my entire life. I met her in my first year in high school, a time when my life was almost split into microscopic pieces. Having come from a broken family, I felt that being in high school was a way that my mother had invented to do away with me. I felt that no one cared if I existed or not and thought that I had no role to play in the world rang in my mind every second of my existence. Mrs. Catalina, I have learnt to call her Mrs. Memento, for her reminding me of good things in life, has been of great assistance to me. From her comforting words that gave me hope in life, I managed to come out of my depression and learn to accept sever situations in life. I relate my high self esteem from her counseling sessions that I went unconsciously every afternoon. At times, I would find my self in her company for over two hours with no complaints that her working day was over. Apart from being polite and well refined, Mrs. Catalina acted as a role model to many. Her code of conduct had no traces of ‘stains’ that some her age mate colleagues had. Being 23 years old and a teacher of boys, it is thought that younger teachers- beautiful like her- face numerous challenges in their careers. Some are even forced to jeopardize their careers, for failure to handle challenging situations in their job. Mrs. Catalina gained first-rate praise from all students, majority of whom, wanted to have a mature and reasonable life like hers. In my case, Mrs. Catalina has assisted me in making tangible decisions in life and focus on the future regardless of the situation at hand. I am able to deal with parents’ divorce with the

Analysis of the UK Banking System

Analysis of the UK Banking System A strong and efficient Banking system is a key to progress in a country.To achieve an efficient a banking system one should analyze the internal and external factors of that country. For this issue I have chosen ENGLAND banking system to know its internal and external factors faced by its banks? what kinds of banks are operating in uk?,what kinds of activities are performed by them?what are the sources of finance in uk?what is the evolution of banking in uk?what is the role of central bank in uk?etc First of all a question raise in our mind what is meant by system?System is an integrated collection of different part of a body which performed specific function for example banking system of uk it has many banks in parts which perform different functions like commercial banking,investment banking,specialized banking and central bank collectively known as banking system of uk.In uk banking system it has a central bank which is Bank of England .IT is the head of all the banks it control and regulate the affair of all schedule banks like HSBC, Barclay Bank and ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND all these banks deals in day to day functions of receiving deposits and advancing finances to the public.Banking system stability depend upon the external factors such as saving ,national income,industrial growth and development,government policies and internal factors such as bank ability to channel the deposit safely to the borrowers normally industrial sector. Benefits of a strong banking system in uk is that it will channelize the idle funds from the hands of depositor to the one who required such finances to invest It in that place which is useful for the development of the uk.Strong banking system of uk is playing an important role in increasing the saving of the people by providing incentives by giving them attractive interest rates.The banking system of uk is also helpful for the creation of new industries by providing finances to the industrial sector.The banking system of uk is also providing finances for the promotion of trade and commerce. Banks provide finance to the industry and the public as well and charge interest on it and earn profit for the bank.A question comes in our mind are banks main finance provider for the industry externally or other sector contribute in it the most.i have gone through an article of colin mayer.in this article he compare the investment activities and sources of getting the finance in venture capital in some countries like uk, germany japan and other countries he concluded that the souces of funds and investment differ in different countries due to financial system,economic condition, geographical factors and sectors difference.For example the amount of fund required in germany and japan are mainly cover from banks,corporation sources in Israel and pension funds sources in UK. Sources of finance analysis In ENGLAND 44% OF THE FINANCES ARE COVER FROM BANKS BUT MAIN SOUCE IS PENSION FUNDS WHICH SHOWS 49% FINANCIAL SOURCING MEAN IN INDUSTRY. Following data displays the sources of external finance for the industry in the four diferrent countries,showed some important facts. In Germany, banks provide the main source of finance for the VC industry, and pension funds. By contrast, in the ENGLAND pension funds provide the main source of finance for the VC industry, other institutional investors, and individual investors PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN FINACEING THE INDUSTRY OF MANY COUNTRIES as many companies as banks. Contrary to popular views, government atorities also play an important role for (typically local authority) funding plays a more important role in the United Kingdom than it does in Germany, and is negligible in the other countries. Table 1. Sources of external funds for the VC industry This table reports sources of funds of VC firms in Germany, Israel, Japan and the United Kingdom based on binary and not mutually exclusive responses to a question of whether or not a particular fund uses a certain source. Panel A displays the proportion of funds that report using a given source. Panel B displays the percentage of funds using one, two, three, or four or more sources. Mean values which are statistically different from those of the United Kingdom at the 10% level. Mean values which are statistically different from those of the United Kingdom at the 5% level. Sources of funds for the Israeli VC are banks from the above figure it is shown, with industrial corporations (typically from the United States) being the single most popular source of funds. In Japan, non banking financial institutions (e.g., securities firms, credit card or leasing companies and mortgage institutions) are the single most important category of finance among Japanese funds, followed by banks and insurance companies.9 It is quite common in Japan for the owners/providers of finance for Japanese VC funds to be all affiliated with the same bank-centered corporate group, or to be otherwise related to each other. In over half of the Japanese funds in our sample, at least three of the five largest shareholder providers of finance are related to each other or affiliated with the same group. VC funds in Germany tend on average to use fewer sources of funds than do VCs in other countries (Table 1, Panel B). By contrast, funds in Israel, Japan and the United Kingdom tend to use many sources of finance; in particular, about a third of the UK funds report using at least four different sources.10 Relying exclusively on bank finance is also very common in Germany: over 60% of the VC funds that raise money from banks use this source exclusively; the corresponding figure for the United Kingdom is about one-third, and for Israel about one-fifth. Surprisingly, despite the typical characterization of the Japanese economy as bank dominated (like Germany), only one-seventh of the Japanese VC funds in our sample rely exclusively on bank finance. EVOLUTION OF BANKING IN UK AND ITS DEVELOPMENT STAGES : The birth of modern UK Banks Strange as it may seem, UK banking can trace its origins back to the days of the Roman conquest. During the period of the Roman conquest of Britain, Romans conducted two forms of banking business: one, called argentarii, of a professional nature; the other, called feneratores, of an amateur nature run by the elite nobles of the Roman Empire. What was said to characterise this institution was the two-fold service of (a) receiving deposits and (b) advancing credit. Modern UK banks evolved in the 1530s., it was not really until approximately 400 years ago, during the mid-1600s, that London really started to make its position as a financial backbone of importance when goldsmith bankers started to emerge, following King Charles I seizure of gold deposited in the Tower of London and the English Civil War, as a safe-haven (away from the clutching arms of the Crown!) for the gentry and aristocracy to deposit their money and valuables. Shortly after this period (circa. 1677), there were a recorded 44 goldsmith bankers in London acting as keepers of running cash who ran their business on a personal liability basis. However, strict legal controls on how big goldsmith bankers could become (because of the strict personal liability basis), together with poor transportation and communication, combined to restrict the growth of these i nto national UK banks [evidenced of this can be seen in the fact that in 1784 the total number of UK banks exceed 100; but only 7 had more than one office]. The wind of change Following a number of prominent UK bank collapses in the early 1820s, parliament finally relaxed the laws governing who could own banks to allow for joint stock banking (1826) [A notable exception to this was the establishment of the Bank of England as a joint stock bank some 200 years before this legislation]. Importantly, joint stock banking allowed the owners of UK banks to spread the risk among a number of proprietors. This, combined with the Industrial Revolution, better transportation and faster means of communication all resulted in a growth of more national banks in the UK. Prominent among these was the foundation, in 1833, of the National Provincial Bank of England (later to become National Westminster Bank NatWest), the first UK bank established with the specific agenda of being a national bank. Although UK banks began to expand nationally during this period, the services they (did and could) offered did not. Consequently, it was also around this time that another division in UK banks began to emerge; namely the formation of the Big Three banking sectors: Clearing High Street Banks even as recently as 1900 there were a reported 250 private and joint stock banks operating in the UK; Merchant Banks; and Other financial institutions; such as Building Societies which came into being following 1874 legislation The Bank of England founded in 1694 to act as the Governments banker and debt-manager. Since then its role has developed and evolved, centred on the management of the nations currency and its position at the centre of the UKs financial system. The history of the Bank is very interesting one. Events and circumstances over the last three hundred or so years have change and influenced the role and responsibilities of the Bank. They have adopted the culture and traditions, as well as the expertise, of the Bank which are relevant to its reputation and effectiveness and responsibilities a central bank in the early years of the 21st century.The history of the Bank passed different situation and circumstances of to the economic and financial history, political history, of the United Kingdom. If you want to get closer to the Banks history and are visiting London, the Banks Museum provides a unique insight into the history of the Bank and its business, alongside a great deal of material about the Bank today. Key moments in the Banks history a brief guide King William Queen Mary When William and Mary came in 1688, public finances were not strong. The system of money deposit and advancing it(credit) was in not working efficiently. At that time a national bank was needed to mobilize the saving and investment,the nations resources. MR Willium Peterson William Paterson proposed a loan of  £1,200,000 to the Government. In return the subscribers would be able to incorporate the Governor and Company of the Bank of England. The Royal Charter The money was raised in a some weeks and the Royal Charter was sealed on 27th July 1694. The Banking started life as the Governments banker and debt-manager, with 17 clerks and 2 gatekeepers. In 1734 the Bank moved to Thread-needle Street, gradually acquiring land and premises to create the site seen today. Commercial functions of the banks The Bank managed the accounts of that time Governments and made loans available to finance spending at times of peace and war. A commercial bank took deposits and issued notes. The 18th Century During the 18th Century the Government borrowed more and more money. These outstanding loans were called the National Debt. 1781: renewal of the Banks Charter Dependency on the Bank of England was such that when its charter was renewed in 1781 it was define as the public ex chequer. The bankers bank By now the Bank was acting as the bankers bank too. It was liable to fail if all its depositors decided to withdraw their money at the same time. But the Bank made sure it kept enough gold to pay its notes on demand. The Restriction Period By 1797 war with France had drained the gold reserves. The Government prohibited the Bank from paying claims of its notes in gold. This Restriction Period lasted until 1821. The 19th Century The 1844 Bank Charter Act tied the note issue to the Banks gold reserves. The Bank was required to keep the accounts of the note issue separate from those of its banking operations and produce a weekly summary of both accounts. The Bank Return, as its called, is still published every week. Lender of last resort In the 19th Century the Bank took on the role of lender of last resort, providing stability during several financial crises. The First World War: 1914-18 During the First World War the National Debt jumped to  £7 billion. The Bank helped manage Government borrowing and resist inflationary pressures. Gold In 1931 the United Kingdom left the gold standard; its gold and foreign exchange reserves were transferred to the Treasury. But their management was still handled by the Bank and this remains the case today. Nationalisation 1946 After the Second World War the bank was nationalised. It remained the Treasurys adviser, agent and debt manager. Financial crises During the 1970s, the Bank played a key role during several banking crises. The Bank was at the fore when monetary policy again became a central part of Government policy in the 1980s. Operational independence May 1997 In May 1997 the Government gave the Bank responsibility for setting interest rates to meet the Governments stated inflation target. The was enshrined in the 1998 Bank of England Act. Managing the modern bank The Banks governing body, the Court of Directors, as its known, is made up of the Banks Governor and 2 Deputy Governors, and 9 Non-Executive Directors (under the Banking Act 2009 There are different kinds of banks which are working in different parts of the world main banks are as follows all these banks are specialize in performing speacialized functions of banks.on the basis of different types of functions we have the following bank Bank of England is the central bank of England perform fuctions of monetory policy,fiscal policy.issue of notes,bankers banks,lender of last resort to other banks Alliance HYPERLINK http://www.alliance-leicester-group.co.uk/HYPERLINK http://www.alliance-leicester-group.co.uk/ Leicester plc Based in the UK, provides personal and business customers a comprehensive range of mortgage, investment, personal banking and insurance products, cash transmission services and corporate banking facilities. BankHYPERLINK http://www.bank-of-ireland.co.uk/ of Ireland Personal and business banking in Britain. British HYPERLINK http://www.bankfacts.org.uk/BankersHYPERLINK http://www.bankfacts.org.uk/ Association Principal representative body for banks active in the UK, with over 300 member banks from more than 60 countries. HSBC Midland HYPERLINK http://www.banking.hsbc.co.uk/Bank Personal and business banking division of HSBC. BankHYPERLINK http://www.bankofireland.co.uk/ of Ireland Northern Ireland Bank that provides private and corporate services worldwide. BankHYPERLINK http://www.bankofscotland.co.uk/ of Scotland Financial institution that provides personal banking, small-business banking and corporate services. Barclays Bank offers personal banking, student banking and international corporate banking. Bermuda Monetary Authority Responsible for the licensing of banks, deposit companies and investment businesses. Bradford HYPERLINK http://www.bradford-bingley-int.co.im/HYPERLINK http://www.bradford-bingley-int.co.im/ Bingley International Subsidiary of Bradford Bingley Building Society, a savings and loan bank. Bristol HYPERLINK http://www.bristol-west.co.uk/HYPERLINK http://www.bristol-west.co.uk/ West Specialists in mortgages, savings and investments. Cheltenham HYPERLINK http://www.cheltglos.co.uk/HYPERLINK http://www.cheltglos.co.uk/ Gloucester Provides mortgages, investments, savings and loans. HSBC Investment HYPERLINK http://www.cibm.hsbc.com/hsbcBank Provides the advisory and financing, equity securities, asset management, private banking and trustee, foreign exchange and capital markets trading, debt funding and treasury activities of the HSBC Group. Citibank UK Provides personal banking in the UK. Co-operative HYPERLINK http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/Bank Provides banking services including Internet banking. BankNet Provides on-line Banking Service. A joint venture between MarketNet and Secure Trust Bank PLC. Coutts Group International private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group offering investment, fiduciary and banking products. First Direct Member HSBC Group. Halifax Financial institution that provides personal financial services including mortgages, long-term savings accounts, home, motor and creditor insurance, retail banking, consumer credit and share dealing. Hamilton Direct HYPERLINK http://www.hdb.co.uk/Bank Division of HFC Bank PLC which provides unsecured personal loans and credit card products in the UK. Julian Hodge HYPERLINK http://www.jhb.co.uk/BankHYPERLINK http://www.jhb.co.uk/ Group Banking and financial services group owned by the Carlyle Trust. Legal HYPERLINK http://www.landg.com/HYPERLINK http://www.landg.com/ General Assurance Society Insurance company offering financial products including mortgage, investment, savings and home, life and health insurance. Leeds City Credit Union Financial cooperative offering savings and loans products to employees of selected employers in the Leeds area. Lloyds HYPERLINK http://www.lloydstsb.com/homepage/0,1001,general,00.htmlBank Financial institution that provides personal banking, small-business banking and corporate services. Lombard Financial institution that provides personal banking, small-business banking and corporate services. National Savings HYPERLINK http://www.nationalsavings.co.uk/HYPERLINK http://www.nationalsavings.co.uk/ Investments One of the largest savings organisation in the UK that offers savings and investment products guaranteed by the Government to personal savers and investors while contributing towards the Governments funding needs. NatWest Financial institution that provides personal banking, small-business banking and corporate services. Northern Rock Bank that offers savings accounts, deposit accounts, residential mortgages, investment mortgages and offshore savings accounts. Prudential Provider of portfolio management services, financial advice, mortgages and personal loans. Royal HYPERLINK http://www.rbos.co.uk/BankHYPERLINK http://www.rbos.co.uk/ of Scotland Bank specializes in corporate, private and offshore banking, as well as retail banking and private motor insurance. Scotiabank Group International Canadian banking group that provides retail, commercial, corporate, investment and international banking services to customers around the globe. Smile Internet bank, part of the Co-operative Bank PLC. Standard HYPERLINK http://www.standardbank.com/BankHYPERLINK http://www.standardbank.com/ London International merchant bank of the Standard Bank Group that offers specialist banking services and promotes trade, investment and business flows with an emerging market focus on a worldwide basis. Standard Chartered HYPERLINK http://www.standardchartered.com/Bank International commercial banking group providing consumer, corporate and institutional banking and treasury products and services with a focus on emerging markets in Asia, the sub-continent, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Standard Life HYPERLINK http://www.standardlifebank.com/Bank Subsidiary of The Standard Life Assurance Company that provides mortgages, savings and online banking. Triodos HYPERLINK http://www.triodos.co.uk/Bank UK branch of the Dutch trust bank that offers savings accounts and investments products financing projects with social and environmental benefits. Virgin Direct Personal Financial Service Ltd. Bank that offers savings accounts, deposit accounts, residential mortgages, investment mortgages and offshore savings accounts. Woolwich Financial services organization that provides mortgages, loans, investments, banking and insurance products and services. LIST OF BANKS OF ALL THE BANKS IN ENGLAND OPERATING TILL 2010 Uk major banks THERE ARE 116 BANKS OPERATE IN UK ACCORDING TO FSA website There are three types of banks, High Street Banks, Building Societies, and  Direct Banks. High Street Banks are the main banks, such as Royal Bank of  Scotland, HSBC, NatWest, Citibank, and Barclays. Building Societies such as  Woolich, Abbey National, and Halifax were created for those who wanted to  save in order to buy a house and offer pretty much the same services as the  other banks. Direct Banks such as Co-op (Smile.co.uk) and First Direct  dont have branches, but you can bank at First Direct at the Post Office  and Co-op bank at their grocery outlets. They are telephone banks which  have grown in popularity over the last few years Different Types of Banks * High Street Banks and Building Societies High Street banks and building societies are commercial banking businesses  whose primary market is consumer finance. These are the most common banks  you will encounter. * Investment Banks An investment bank is a financial company, securities firm or brokerage  house that purchases new issues of securities from private corporations and  offers them to their clients. They form a syndicate in order to sell these  securities to their customers and the general public. * Private Banks Private Banks typically provide a more personal and customised set of  services than high street banks. Marketed to individuals with large incomes  or high personal wealth, opening a private bank account usually requires a  very large minimum deposit. * Online-Only Banks Online-only banks offer the same services as traditional High Street banks  or building societies through electronic banking and the Internet. They  normally do not have branches for their clients to use. Besides online-only  banks however, a number of High Street banks also offer online services. The banking system in the UK is highly concentrated with the top 10 banks having over 90% of market share.

A Motherly Role-the Joy Luck C :: essays research papers

A Motherly Role   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A reoccurring theme in Amy Tan’s novels is mother-daughter relationships. In each of her three novels she represents different roles of the mother and the effects of each; The Joy Luck Club depicts mothers living through daughters, The Kitchen God’s Wife portrays mother teaching daughter through past experience, and finally The Hundred Secret Senses displays non-existence of the mother in the relationship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This excerpt from The Joy Luck Club shows what kinds of things, from real accomplishments to the uncontrollable features of nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Auntie Lin and my mother were both best friends and arch-enemies who spent a lifetime   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  comparing their children. I was one month older than Waverly Jong, Auntie Lin’s prized   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  daughter. From the time we were babies, our mothers compared the creases in our belly   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  buttons, how shapely our earlobes were, how fast we healed after we scraped our knees,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  how thick and dark our hair was, how many shoes we wore out in one year, and later,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  how smart Waverly was at playing chess, how many trophies she had won last month,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  how many cites she had visited† (27).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jing-Mei, the piano player in The Joy Luck Club, felt the most pressure from her mother, because her mother had to follow behind the word of the prodigy in town. ‘â€Å"Of course you can be a prodigy, too ’† Jing-Mei’s mother, Suyuan, tells her after receiving the news of Waverly, the chess prodigy (141). The expectations for Jing-Mei have heighten now that her mother’s friend’s daughter has been held in such a spotlight, as to be called a prodigy. Suyuan takes it upon herself to make her daughter rise above the accomplishments of her peers, and prove to the mothers their family is high in the running competition, whether Jing-Mei approves or disapproves. Suyuan decides that with piano lessons she and her daughter will rise above Lindo and Waverly. Jing-Mei only sees tedious lessons and hours of practice, but her mother envisions proudly sharing success stories between friends, comparing and convincing other mothers that he r daughter, Jing-Mei, was indeed the best.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every detail and aspect of their lives were picked out an compared and for the one daughter that lost these comparisons, a lowered self-image was the result. Jing-Mei never believed in herself, because she felt, since her childhood, she had failed her mother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"In the years that followed, I failed her so many times, each time asserting my own will,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  my right to fall short of expectations.

Developments in Management and Organizational Thinking

Strategy has been defined as â€Å"the pattern of organizational moves and managerial approaches used to attain organizational objectives and to pursue the organization's mission† (Thompson and Strickland, 1990). Current models of strategic management can be traced to the way in which strategy it was defined and applied to business (Chandler, 1962): â€Å"the determination of the basic long-term goals and objectives of an enterprise, and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals.†Chandler identified two parts of the strategic process, formulation and implementation, known as strategic management. Thus, strategy refers to the means a firm uses to attain its ends. Fundamental to every firm's mission and competitive strategy is its value strategy. Generically, a value strategy is the pattern of decisions and actions that comprise the firm's overall approach toward providing realizable net value to customers. A value strategy intrinsically involves all parts of a firm's functional and organizational strategies that give value realized by customers or need sacrifices by customers.As due to excessive competition, firms must have a value strategy that must have completely conceptualized and obviously articulated value as the basis for competing. In fact, numerous firms are more competitor-oriented than customer-oriented. Consequently, many managers are more well-known with their firm's competitive strategy than its strategy for improving customer value. Several inadvertently compromise net customer value either by producing products/services supposed to be of low quality or by requiring exceptionally high sacrifices of customers.Paradoxically, the most competitive firms are the customer- oriented, not the competitor-oriented firms. Customer-oriented firms are virtually driven by value-based strategies. Given a defined set of value expectations, a value-based strategy is that pattern of decisi ons and actions in which managers take accountability for: (1) delivering products/services that provide best net value, and (2) creating strategic suprasystems to develop that value and satisfy the obligations of the enterprise.Most basically, value-based strategies are customer oriented; business-level strategies aimed at giving best net value. Value-based strategy should not be confused with generic strategy. The basic generic strategies of low cost, differentiation, and focus (Porter, 1980) are the three most extreme examples of producer based, value-added strategies (Porter, 1985), but they are not customer value-based strategies. Each of the three is more competitor-oriented than customer-oriented. Each strategy can be pursued with no assertion of providing best net value.While low cost and differentiation are typically seen as mutually exclusive (Porter, 1985), a value-based strategy may need and achieve both. Since many customers now count time rather than dollar cost as the ir most precious asset, a high-quality strategy gives little competitive advantage unless it is paired with low cost (i. e. , low price and/or sacrifice reduction). Similarly, low-cost/price strategies can also fail if they are not complemented with quality supposed to be of sufficient value.The synergistic combination of low cost and differentiation that can come with a value-based strategy is a direct effect of managing critical systems that put in to value. As the globalizing world is shifting the nature and needs of organizations by requiring them to be more quickly responsive to developing circumstances. The corporate planners of the 1960s and 1970s were much concerned with issues such as the market and macroeconomic environment, the product portfolio, and the product life cycle. All of these underline characteristics of industry or sector and market.They leaned to underplay the role of competitors and competitive behavior in influencing outcomes (Ghoshal and Westrey 1993). cer tainly, it is still common to see plans which base output growth on forecasts of the market, or to view industries in which each individual firm extrapolates its own experience to give generally results which everyone knows are inept of realization. Having reviewed the business environment and its competitive position, the firm should go on to make its strategy rather go for old strategy.The rationalist school sees the definition of the objectives of the firm as the key constituent in strategy formulation. That view, which owes much to the continuing influence of Drucker on management thinking, is in itself comparatively uncontroversial, but the subject of substantial operational difficulty. There are two distinct historical phases in the development of thought on corporate strategy. Until the early 1980s, the primary aim of corporate strategy was the formation of a diversified business portfolio.Such a portfolio might include related diversification–motivated by synergy betw een old and new businesses and unrelated diversification supported by portfolio planning techniques. But by the early 1980s, evidence had accrued that unrelated diversification added little value and several of the conglomerates created in these earlier decades had succumbed to financial pressures. In using old strategies by formulating new ways led firms to focus on the critical importance of market share.Emphasis on competitive issues, the choice market position was seen as a central element in strategic decision-making. Quality, it was professed, had been a key ingredient in Japanese success. Over time most markets moved up the quality spectrum. With the aid of phrases such as ‘quality is free' (Crosby, 1979) ‘total quality management' became a preoccupation of the later 1980s. Many authors offered taxonomies of generic strategies–checklists from which corporations could choose the majority relevant objectives for particular markets.One early list was proposed by Ansoff (1965), who recognized market penetration, product development, market development, and diversification as alternative strategic objectives. The Boston Consulting Group's alternatives are invest, hold, harvest, divest, and Arthur D. Little offers a list of no less than twenty-four strategic options (Jackson, Hitt, DeNisi, 2003). Porter (1980) taxonomy of generic strategies proved particularly influential. Porter's (1980) ‘five forces'–of competition, entry, substitution, suppliers, and customers–offered a more comprehensive checklist of environmental factors (Porter, 1980).Moreover, In Porter's framework there are two dimensions of choice. Firms can trail either cost leadership–the same product as competitors but at lower cost–or differentiation. They can range hardly, or broadly, thus generating a range of alternatives encompassing cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. Today, a debate on the content of the corporate mission is a wi despread starting-point for a discussion of strategy. Such a statement can cover objectives in both corporate and business strategy.The mission statement is planned to provide a link between the broad objectives of the firm (which may focus exclusively on profit maximization, or may state concern for other stakeholders) and its specific commercial activities. A rather diverse critique of these processes of rationalist strategy formulation–yet one still very much within the rationalist framework–is given by the shareholder value movement. As with numerous shifts in thinking about strategy, this is found more or less simultaneously in the thinking of practitioners and the writings of business school academics.American business was stunned by the emergence of a group of corporate raiders. Figures like T. Boone Pickens and the partners of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, with little in the way of resources of their own, but with the aid of the ‘junk bond' financing pioneered by Michael Milken, could make convincing bids for some of the largest corporations in the United States. This threat to incumbent managers led to apprehensive re-emphasis on major companies' concerns for ‘shareholder value'.Academics (Day, Georges, and Robin Wensley 1988) were led to explicate and justify it, providing both a critique of accounting earnings as a focus of corporate attention and a rationale of the public benefits of restricted focus on the interests of shareholders. The most significant practical consequence of this activity was to give further impulsion to the break-up of conglomerate firms. The grouping of discrete businesses tended, it was argued, to conceal the potential strategic value of individual mechanism to specific purchasers.That message for corporate strategy was obvious, but for business strategy shareholder value had few clear implications. Proponents stressed the need to evaluate investment and acquisitions by reference to their probable cash f lows–but this is a theme familiar from every elementary text in corporate finance–and texts on strategy in a shareholder value framework (Weinrauch, Donald 1986) do no more than juxtapose Rappaport's critique with Porter's taxonomies of competitive forces and generic strategies.The new way of this strategy spectrum is that the state of the art in rationalist strategy can entail the formulation of a statement of company objectives, often summarized in a ‘mission statement' and encompassing both corporate strategic objectives-what sort of business are we in–with business strategic objectives-expressed in terms of plans for market share, product quality, and geographical scope. It is not astounding that attention is moving from the problems of formulating strategy to issues of implementation.The idea that successful strategies are often opportunistic and adaptive, rather than calculated and planned, is a view as old as the subject of business strategy itself. The adaptive strategies of reacting to the seasonal fluctuations of demand are actually important. The operations manager should try to accommodate whatever seasonality remains as cheaply as possible. Each type of adaptive strategy will acquire costs beyond what the company could achieve if demand were smooth.Thus, it is up to the operations manager to get the strategy or mix of strategies that will diminish this extra cost. One strategy for accepting the seasonal demands is just to ignore them and to produce at a constant rate throughout the year. By maintaining a balanced labor force, the company will help to sustain good relations with organized labor and will also ease the burdens of the personnel department. At the same time, short-term production planning and supervisory loads will be reduced as compared to a continually changing schedule. These effects will show up as real cost savings.On the other hand, maintaining a constant production in the face of fluctuating demands me ans that these fluctuations should be absorbed by inventory. That is, when demands are low, inventory stock will build up. As demands increase, inventories will be used up and can even run into a stock out or back order situation. Large buildups of inventory can sprain building capacities and can cause significant extra costs. But it is clear that there are costs associated with physically storing and handling inventory, as well as the more restrained opportunity costs of holding inventory.At the same time, there are costs linked with running out of inventory. While difficult to measure, the costs linked with dissatisfied customers, extra paperwork on back orders, and the interruption of schedules for catch-up work are quite real. The opposite approach would be to try to match the fluctuating demand by changeable production. There are numerous ways a company might do this. Probably the least disruptive would be for the workers to work overtime throughout heavy demand periods.In some situations workers can be eager to earn extra money; in others they may prefer not to work any overtime. If the company is unionized, the union can have the power to help determine the amount of overtime allowable. In any case, if a company uses an overtime strategy, it will have to pay an overtime bonus, and productivity can not be as good as usual because of such factors as fatigue. Similarly, in several operations systems it may be possible to work under time (shorter work weeks or forced unpaid vacations) when demand is lower.However, most workers would oppose having to work less and receive less pay. Some might quit in order finding steadier work. Another method of varying production would be hiring and lying off workers as desired. Here again, though, there are extra costs involved. The progression of selecting and training workers is costly, and their productivity can not be as good as experienced workers for a while. Also, when a worker is laid off, there are usually benefi ts that must be paid, as well as the less tangible chilling effect on labor relations.Thus, despite the use of strategic management process and content models, numerous managers fail to maintain or develop their firm's competitive position. The new globally competitive framework requires using old strategies by formulating them accordingly. As â€Å"Knowledge-intensive firms compete differently – they fight vigorously to win the best experts and best projects, but thereafter cooperate with their rivals. † (Norman Sheehan) Jenster (1987) introduced a strategy planning and strategic control process that is firmly integrated with the firm's information system.The new way is used for developing, monitoring and assimilating critical information into effective strategic management decision support that is CSFs (critical success factors) that clearly and briefly communicate critical elements of the strategy to members of the organization. More significant, the CSFs direct the attention of key managers to focus on the vital premises of the firm's strategy. Shriberg et al. (1997) described how the BPM method can be used as a tool for strategy execution.This technique describes CSFs as the primary step towards strategic execution. These few factors should be executed with excellence to gain and protract competitive advantage. Once CSFs (or driving forces or core competencies) have been identified, the next step in BPM is to widen performance measures for the CSFs. CSFs specify to the firm what has to be done to attain goals. Performance measures determine how well the firm should perform and whether it has been successful. Lots of authors suggest that CSFs can be used in an organization's planning function.Additionally, they can be used in increasing strategic plans, implementing a plan, helping managers attain high performance, managing resources and monitoring a corporation's activities (Ferguson and Dickinson 1984). The motivating force behind world eco nomic growth has changed. Consequently, the key success factor for various firms is maximizing strategic means. Rather than price and quality, formulating strategies in new ways has become the dominant. As a strategy itself provides the most sustainable long-term competitive advantage. References: Ansoff, H. I. (1965). Corporate strategy: An analytical approach to business policy for growth and expansion. New York: McGraw-Hill. Arthur Thompson, Jr., and A. J. Strickland Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases, 9th Edition (1990). Chandler, 1962, Strategy and Structures: Chapters in the History of the Industrial Enterprise, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass Crosby, Philip B (1979) Quality is Free, Mentor Books, New York Day, Georges, and Robin Wensley (1988), â€Å"Assess Advantage: A Framework for Diagnosing Competitive Superiority,† Journal of Marketing 52 (April), 1-20. Ferguson, C. R. and Dickson, R. (1982) ‘Critical success factors for directors for the eighties', Business Horizons, May-June, 14-18. Ghoshal, S. and Westrey, D. E. (eds) (1993) Organisation Theory and the Multinational Corporation, New York, St Martin's Press. Jackson, S., Hitt, M. & DeNisi, A., (eds). (2003). Managing Knowledge for Sustained Competitive Advantage: Designing Strategies for Effective H uman Resource Management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Jenster, P. V. (1987) ‘Using critical success factors in planning', Long Range Planning, 20: 102-3. Porter, Michael E. (1980), Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York: Free Press. __ (1985), Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superiority. New Y ork: Free Press. Shriberg, A., Lloyd, C., Shriberg, D. and Williamson, M. (1997) Practicing Leadership: Principles and Applications, John Wiley & Sons. Weinrauch, Donald J. (1986), â€Å"Franchising an Established Business,† Journal of Small Business Management 24 (July), 1-7.

Rationalizing Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability Essay

There happens to be a two-fold task governing the existence of economic development and environmental stability – national progress towards economy depends on natural resources, and natural resources needs replenishment to continue the cyclical mode of economic development. In this manner, these two important national concerns continuously exist with a common approach of relationship. Indeed, the economy depends on the environment and the stability of the environment likewise opts for support from the sectors enriching the economy. In issues occurring between economic development and environmental stability, there are claims that the arousal of the economy inhibits the constancy of the environment. The energy sector primarily is one of the fundamental avenues governing this relationship. An exemplification of such is the report of Woodwell and Ramakrishna (2004) entitled â€Å"World Bank undermines efforts on global warming†: It states there that the World Bank favorably considered the continued support for the expansion of new-fangled sources of fossil fuels, one of the principal causes of climatic distraction. It came up with a decision that interests on recommending support to the less developed countries which are good prospects that can sell oil or gas or coal to the world markets. Furthermore, the alleged deed brings back into the limelight the ongoing inconsistency between the voices of the scientific community that provokes on the world’s state, and the ears of what the economic and political communities bear. In fact, the environment is being changed in conduct that annihilates its life-supporting capacity. Instead, it seeks for immediate efficient steps to stop the erosion. Such report only signifies how the trend of coming up with possible sources of oil, gas or coal can be much of a danger to the environment, to the inhabitants surrounding the possible resources, and to the planet earth as well. Global warming for the past decades continuously alarms the people of its degrading effects on the environment. Drastically, different industries governing the economy surely have directly or indirectly implied to such dilemma. In lieu with this, the question is back to basic – â€Å"What does the environment do to the economy? † Indeed, there is a need to assess the economic value of the environment through its fundamental means, ways, and processes. Taking a look with CIDA’s Policy for Environmental Sustainability, an article called â€Å"Assessing the Economic Value of the Environment† states that taking into consideration the economic values implied to all environmental values, which may be of cultural, aesthetic, or spiritual, is not possible. Moreover, programmers are in constant need to assess the environment’s value to know its value in economic terms, and to assess the economy’s value to identify its value in making of environment decisions. In contrast with the macro and micro level, there is a need to emphasize the pros and cons of doing economical activities that may affect that of the environment. Furthermore, the article â€Å"The Complicated Interrelationships of Poverty, Population and Natural Resources† from the same policy states the sophisticated interrelated web of cause and effect relationships among poverty, population growth, degradation of natural resources and natural resource consumption (11). Three factors such as population, environment and poverty are commonly indivisible. In this manner, such dilemma is perceived in most of the less developed and highly populated countries. Most of the highly populated countries accumulate much of its resources creating a slash on its natural resources yet may incur a probable high or low effect to its economy. Indeed, in terms of economic development and environmental sustainability, the whole process is inevitably diversified. With this, the relationship between the economy and the environment takes action upon the people and their surroundings. Works Cited Woodwell, George M. and Ramakrishna, Kilaparti. â€Å"World Bank undermines efforts on Global Warming. † The Boston Globe 11 August 2004. â€Å"Assessing the Economic Value of the Environment. † January 1992. Canadian International Development Agency. 13 April 2007 â€Å"The Complicated Interrelationships of Poverty, Population and Natural Resources. † January 1992. Canadian International Development Agency. 13 April 2007

Farming in the bahamas Essays

Farming in the bahamas Essays Farming in the bahamas Paper Farming in the bahamas Paper There are two (2) main types of farming they are: Subsistence Farming the practice of self-sufficiency, In the way of the farmer, farming on a small scale, so that It Is enough for their own personal usage. The process of subsistence farming takes place when a piece of land Is cleared using the slash and burn method which Is to cut all greenery on the land down, dry It for a few days or so ,then burn it to ashes. SE the hoe to mix the solo with the ashes, you then supply water to the land and then start planting. Attend to the crops from time to time to maintain Its readiness. When the crop Is ready to be harvest, you pick It and tame It to Its specific needs. In order to do this you will need the following farming tools: A Hoe, A Cutlass, A Bucket or Buckets, A shovel. (II)Commercial Farming- The Practice of farming on a large scale of crops, fruits (banana vegetables (carrots, lettuce) and livestock (taming cows, pigs, chicken etc. ) and selling to make a profit. The process is carried out first by clearing a large piece of land with either a tractor r a bulldozer then the slash and burn method is used when the process of slash and burn is finished the land is cultivated into rows. The farmersFarmer attends to the crops to ensure that they are all healthy and supplies the crops with fertilizers. When the crops are ready to be harvested they are picked and carried usually by tractors or wheel barrows to a particular place normally in sheds or farm houses to be washed, cleaned, and waxed. They are then packed into boxes to be sent to packing houses. :

How Human Behavior Is Comparable to the Crucible Essays

How Human Behavior Is Comparable to the Crucible Essays How Human Behavior Is Comparable to the Crucible Essay How Human Behavior Is Comparable to the Crucible Essay Essay Topic: The Crucible John Proctor is at a trial for witchcraft. John Proctor states, l speak my own sins, I cannot Judge another. Proctor states this as he confesses that he was the one who committed the act of witchcraft. When he states, l cannot Judge another, he is implying that he is referring to his affair with Abigail, is being accountable for the fault In his matter, and does not wish to place the blame on anyone else. A theme of fear Is prevalent when John Proctor Is saying, l speak my own sins. This holds true cause he knows that If he does not tell the truth, he knows that he will likely be executed at the gallows. There Is also a sense of logic when John Proctor states, l cannot Judge another. By saying this, John Proctor Is using accountability to not place his wrongdoings on Abigail Williams. Not unlike John Proctor, most people will usually tell the truth out of fear if they want to avoid getting killed. People tell the truth out of fear as they believe that their life is more important to them than the punishment, if there is any that may await them. While many people demonstrate a sense of being illogical by avoiding punishment by using a scapegoat, there are other people, like John Proctor, who states, I cannot Judge another, he is admitting to his crime and does not place the blame on Abigail as he knows that he should tell the truth. When John Proctor stated, speak my own sins, I cannot Judge another, the fear and hysteria that he had after being accused for witchcraft led him to tell the truth at the trial to avoid further punishment. After John Proctor confesses, Detonator calls for the marshal. He calls for the rascal to bring seven condemned prisoners, including John Proctor, to the gallows. According to Detonator, Twelve are already accused; seven are expected to die this morning. While Detonator knows that he is wrong, he fears that backing down will make him look weak. Detonator knows that he is wrong because he knows that the seven accused, who were going to the gallows, do not deserved to be killed for accusations of witchcraft or links to the devil. However, Governor Detonator does not back down In the execution of the seven who were accused. He does not back down s he believes that If he does back down, that his pride will be shattered. Detonator believes that his pride will be shattered because If he does not execute the seven who were accused, he gets the Impression that he will look foolish In the religious community as he did not execute those who were not abiding by the laws of religion. However, Detonator Knows deep clown Tanat execution Is wrong. He Knows Tanat execution is wrong because he believes that maybe it is wrong for one to be killed due to a religious infraction. Not unlike Governor Detonator, there are people in our society who know that certain deeds are wrong. However, instead of following their own ideals or morals, there are people who believe that if they do not live up to what those people around them expect that their pride will be shattered because those people will look foolish to other people in society. However, this is not always true as there are people who stand up for what is right and reasonable without caring what anyone else thinks. When Governor Detonator stated, Twelve are already accused; seven are expected to die this morning, he could have used his sense of season to prevent the executions, however, pride got in the way and the seven accused were executed. Before John Proctor was executed, he had a chance to be saved by Reverend Hale. Reverend Hale stated, Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up. Reverend Hale, who enters Salem with a naive attitude, realizes that he caused irreparable damage after John Proctor was accused. In order to help John Proctor, Reverend Hale advises Elizabeth Proctor to have John Proctor sign a false confession to save his life so he will not suffer a severe punishment. Initially, Reverend Hale uses his power and authority in the wrong way, by compromising John Proctors life. However, Reverend Hale demonstrates reason by demonstrating accountability for his mistake. After that, Reverend Hale demonstrates power and reason by suggesting the solution of having Elizabeth Proctor sign a false confession o prevent John Proctor from suffering a severe punishment. When Reverend Hale initially compromises John Proctor, he demonstrates reason, power, and logic by aiding John and Elizabeth Proctor. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, demonstrates superstitions of innocent people. Power is demonstrated by Reverend Hale when he impacts yet helps John Proctor. Reason that is sidelined by pride is demonstrated by Governor Detonator while John Proctor demonstrates accountability. These are how the themes in The Crucible apply to our society lives.

How to Follow Up After a Job Interview

How to Follow Up After a Job Interview If you think a job interview truly ends with the firm handshake and â€Å"we’ll be in touch† at the end, think again. You still have one more crucial step: the thank you note to everyone who interviewed you. Not only is it a nice touch, it can  be seen as an essential one to the hiring manager you just left. They may be secretly testing your follow-up skills. And even if they’re not, it’s better to send a note right away (the same day!) so you don’t have to think about it again. Here is a sample thank you note you can use to craft your own.SEE ALSO:  4 Google Searches to Boost Interview SuccessPart 1: The OpenerThis part is crucial because you don’t want to be too formal or too casual. â€Å"Dear Sir or Madam† is too formal and can feel off-putting and generic to someone you just met and (ideally) clicked with. â€Å"Dear [person]† or â€Å"Hello [person]† work well as your opening greeting.Part 2: The Thank YouKeep i t simple. There’s no need to go into lines of flowery prose about how your one-hour interview changed your life and how you will never, ever forget the interviewer as long as you live. The basic declarative statement works here as your first point: â€Å"Thank you for taking the time to interview me today.†Part 3: The CallbackAfter the initial thank you, it’s good to offer some specific points from the interview itself, so your note doesn’t feel like a generic template where you just plugged in a new name at the top. â€Å"I especially enjoyed talking about the company’s perspective on clowns. I look forward to hearing more about the clown outreach program.†Part 4: The Self PlugFind a way to re-emphasize how you would be a good fit for the role. â€Å"As we discussed, due to my extensive experience with rodeos, I’m excited about the prospect of finding new and more effective ways to manage the clown performances.†Part 5: The Fu tureHere’s where you show the interviewer that you’re looking ahead to the next part, but also that you’re willing to keep a dialogue open. Definitely include that you’re looking forward to hearing from them, but also offer any additional information they may need. â€Å"If there’s any other information I can provide to help you make your decision, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I can be reached by email (firstname.lastname@respectablemailclient.com) anytime.†Part 6: The CloserAfter that, you’re on to the easiest part: the closing greeting. Don’t go flowery or personal. No â€Å"Forever yours,† or â€Å"With greatest thanks.† Just a straightforward, friendly â€Å"Best wishes,† or â€Å"Thanks again† will do. And even if you found yourself in a joking kind of banter with the interviewer, resist the urge to go overly casual. You may have hit it off, but they’re not your friends (y et)- they’re the people evaluating your professional skills and behavior.Breezy and professional are the way to go in the thank you note. It’s not the time to rehash the entire interview or go over 43 bullet points you didn’t manage to cover in person. And the most important factor of all: speed. Standard archaic dating rules don’t apply here: you don’t wait for the other person to call first, and you don’t wait three days for a reply. Write an email the same day- or even right after you leave the appointment. Again, your promptness will likely be noted, and it means you won’t have this lingering on your to-do list.If the interview was very formal or you got a formal vibe from the interviewer, consider following up with a brief thank-you card via snail mail, as well. Manners are always a welcome part of a professional package, and your awesome communication/follow-up skills could make all the difference.

Wharton-XiaYun-essay2,3,4-0920-ec Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Wharton-XiaYun-essay2,3,4-0920-ec - Essay Example Our conventional approach seemed to break down as we struggled with a series of unique processes and requirements. For supply chain management, an important function in any enterprise, I found not even one division that could act as a stakeholder to initiate the change in the organization. How to overcome this challenge? It seemed impossible to change the culture, mindset, and management of a firm of this magnitude in such a short time. We had to go back to the drawing board to the rethink our approach. I needed to act fast, but without taking any drastic step that would disrupt the situation and jeopardize the progress of the project itself. I needed to â€Å"reset the execution context†. I realized that it was a large community of people with different backgrounds and I should be cautious about the impact of a major cultural change on these people. Keeping that in mind, I decided that instead of trying to sweep changes into divisions as a whole, we needed to take it from the grass root level upwards and take the people into our confidence. We analyzed the firm’s processes further, drilling down to basic elements that could be benchmarked, and broke best practices into smaller solutions that could be executed quickly without major disruption. These small positive results created a confidence for the client in our team. Then we began to implement more advanced supply chain practices, setting forth a path away from the traditional logistics-based thinking. Although we could not yet reform the organizational structure, we could gather support to change the prevailing mindset and that helped accelerate the progress of the project. Then we met the client’s mid-level management and had much less trouble, creating consensus, as â€Å"change† now seemed less threatening. The impressive results we delivered, won their confidence. With the newfound enthusiasm in the decision makers, I had little trouble presenting and convincing them,

Conversational messages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conversational messages - Essay Example How we give out accounts and how it is accepted or not depend on one’s culture. We tend to use the different types of accounts whenever our behavior or action is subjected to a valuative inquiry, which is a request for an explanation for an inappropriate or unexpected behavior, or failure to adhere to an expected or appropriate behavior (Cody & Dunn, p. 263). That is exactly why accounts are based on cultural and social expectations. The use of accounts is associated with the politeness theory. The politeness theory considers two concepts, face work and politeness forms. People prefer apologies as preferred speech acts for receivers compared to excuses, justifications and denials (Cody & Dunn, p. 266). The face work is an important concept in the politeness theory. There are two types of face work, the positive face and the negative face. Positive face reflects appreciation and respect for each communicator’s role while the negative face reflects one’s desire to be free of constraints or obligations (Cody & Dunn, p. 266). This can be better understood through a sample situation. Let’s say you arrived late for a meeting and you say, I’m sorry I’m late. I know how important your time is so let’s get started immediately. That is a positive face. A negative face will be like this, I’m sorry for being late but the heavy traffic caught up with me. You have made an apolo gy followed by an excuse that indicates you do not have control over what happened. You wanted to be free of the negative consequences of being late. The use of apologies and excuses depend on the cultural and social values important for the communicators. The expected behavior of Americans may be different from the expected behavior of Japanese when it comes to giving apologies. In an American or British setting, formality may be perceived as impolite among intimates, like family members, because it may appear as sarcasm or a mockery (Ogiermann, p. 37). Japanese preferred saying

Social inclusion policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social inclusion policy - Essay Example Immigration policies, while developed at the EU or national level, impact social and economic matters at the community level. In May 2003, the EU addressed this issue at the Thessaloniki summit and in June of that year at the Commission’s Communication on Integration (Spencer, 2004). Four years earlier, the EU had proposed the establishment of an ‘area of freedom, security and justice’ that would be in place by May of 2004. Known as the ‘Tampere Programme,’ this plan was designed to initiate the Common European Asylum System. In November 2004, the ‘Hague Programme’ was agreed to by the EU in order to strengthen the Tampere strategy. This programme outlined wide-ranging goals that extended to 2009. The UK, according to provisions of the EU Treaty, is not required to accept EU directives regarding immigration and asylum. Generally speaking, the UK has rejected all proposals concerning illegal immigration but has accepted the majority of EU directives concerning legal immigration (Local Government International Bureau, 2005). According to Dick Oosting who heads the EU division of Amnesty International, the attacks by terrorists in the United States on 11 September, 2001 were among the reasons that the EU began to alter its priorities towards support for security issues and away from human rights concerns with regard to immigration. Oosting remarked, â€Å"Amnesty has felt this concern since the EU’s individual states began merging some of their immigration policies in 1999† (Lobjakas, 2004). People, even those who are citizens of the EU’s 15 member states, have had to deal with immigration barriers such as the lack of legal qualifications, language difficulties and a growing public resentment. Those persons from countries outside the EU are more likely to encounter additional hardships in these areas and are in need

The importance of human resource factore in labout process Essay

The importance of human resource factore in labout process - Essay Example Untrained individuals can only be considered just as "units of population" whereas trained and skilled individuals could justifiably be called as human resource. While the former is an asset to an organization, the latter invariably constitute the source of innumerable problems. Now the onus rests on the HR managers not only to select the right kind of candidates for various job openings but also to see that already working candidates also are continuously upgraded in their skills so that their contribution to the organizational growth is a continuous affair and not one which rests on chances. While there could be very many factors which influence different kinds of employees, still we could always lay our hands on a few principles which have at least widespread, if not universal, application potential. In this analysis we try to identify such valuable HRM principles which have proven their worth in many organizations under many conditions. Such an exercise would sharpen our insight into many valuable HR practices and equip us with the kind of expertise which would help us handle our manpower in the most efficient way so that the mutual benefit of both the employers and the employees are optimized. Considerable studies and research over the past few decades in the arena of HRM has enriched the subject itself with a variety of powerful principles culled from the past experience of various organizations in different world zones. Of the various HRM theories such as, Staffing Selectivity, Influence of Training on Firm Performance, Information Sharing, General Systems Theory, Role Behaviour Theory, Institutional Theory, Resource Dependence Theory, Human Capital Theory, Transformation Cost Economics, Agency Theory, The Resource Based Theory of the Firm, Compensation and Performance Management Systems, Job Security, Employee Participation Systems, Internal Labour Market Theory and Team-based Production Systems, let us take up for analysis and study some of them which are more relevant and/or powerful in delivering results in the present market scenario. a) Staffing Selectivity aspect : The success of every organization is measured by the quantum of business it is able to create and the amount of profit that comes out of it. To accomplish this every employee has to contribute his or her mite in no small way. Any weaker link in the corporate chain can easily undermine the strength of the entire organization and the downfall could be fatal. So it is imperative that Staffing Selectivity plays a crucial role in the success or failure of any organization. Hiring, firing and promotion should all be crucially selective. The right kind of employees should only be selected for every job

Paintings - Amalgam of Emotions and Cultures Essay

Paintings - Amalgam of Emotions and Cultures - Essay Example The paper "Paintings - Amalgam of Emotions and Cultures" will focus on how the art of paintings has been viewed in two different cultures namely the African culture and the Asian culture by throwing ‘light’ on the rock art and paintings that was practiced by the Asian and the African people. The painting media followed in both the cultures will also be discussed. â€Å"African paintings first emerged as those that still appear on rock and in caves.† The African paintings were discovered in Nambia and are thought to be approximately 27,000 years old. (Plessis). In addition, there were nearly 30,000 rock paintings scattered throughout the Drakensberg Mountain in South Africa. (Plessis). Thus these artistic medium was used by the ancient Africans to convey certain types of information, depict the day to day activities, to relate to certain key events and importantly to communicate with the spirits of the ancestors. Thus in this manner the rock art was used a vital li nk between the physical and the spiritual worlds. On the other hand, the Asian Paintings encompasses a wide array of paintings and sculptures from different parts of Asia. Thus each geographical area has developed their unique style of expression, painting styles and methods, techniques, etc. They were the blend of various cultures and traditions. â€Å"The Asian paintings reflect influences from different religions and cultures.†The Chinese paintings are considered to be one of the oldest paintings among the Asian paintings. The Japanese paintings are known for their varied styles. The themes of historical significance and the Buddhist themes are portrayed in the Korean paintings. The Indian paintings on the lines of African paintings originated from the caves and they date to the pre-historic period. Thus all form of the Asian cultures has their unique style and history. With this brief introduction about the Asian and the African paintings, the next concept about the views of the rock art and paintings in the Asian and the African culture will be discussed. Rock art was a common way of expressing emotions among the ancient Africans. Thus it has been estimated that Africa has more number of Rock art sites than any other continent and they are widely distributed. (Plessis). Archeological reports reveal the fact that in most parts of the African continent namely Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa has the densest concentration of the rock art. â€Å"The region has both the rock engravings (Petroglyphs) and rock paintings (Pictographs).†(African Rock art and Painting). Especially the South African rock art encompasses the rock paintings of the hunters-gatherers, farming communities, etc. On the other hand the Asian rock art was considered to be the mixtures of aesthetics which reveals the events and philosophy of the past. Thus in the evolution of mankind from the Homo erectus to the Homo sapiens, these Asian rock art depicts the images of the early man. The Asian rock art unlike the African art started 40,000 years ago during the upper Paleolithic era. The custom of rock art also followed in the Mesolithic age and it gained its final development in the Chalcolithic era. Among the Asian rock art paintings, the Indian Rock art are considered to be the most ancient and significant since they reflect the development of the Indian civilizations of Indus and

Political Economy of Oil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Political Economy of Oil - Essay Example The crises that started with the oil crisis in 1970s extended to Gulf War in the 90s. There are different terrorist threats today that affect oil resources such as oil refineries in Saudi Arabia. The deteriorating law and order situation in Iraq also resulted in fear of disruption of oil supply. There are threats of war with Iran that bring greater fears of volatility in the oil-producing region. These & other such factors have kept oil prices very high and they affect current market scenario. The hope for stability in oil prices is dependent on both political & economic stability. Transportation, heating, power generation, the plastics, pharmaceuticals and synthetic fibre industries are the main ways in which oil is consumed. Demand for oil is greater in the developed nations compared to the developing economies. United States of America solely generates a quarter of world oil demand. Asia comes next with Japan having the highest consumption of oil. In Europe no one country can be considered highest oil consuming country instead the demand is evenly generated by all European nations, The demand for oil diminished considerably in Soviet Union after its collapse.US demand for energy is greater and its dependence on oil producing countries is also increasing. The oil supply is mainly provided by large companies operating in countries with large reserves of oil. Countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Norway and Kuwait are some of the oil rich countries and are main suppliers of oil to the world. Since supply side of equation plays a crucial role in stabilty of oil markets, the countries producing oil have been trying to stabilize the price of crude oil through production policy. However, the interest of world economy does not lie in bringing stability by production manipulation. Since oil is a resource that depletes with time so its value increases with time as well. A country cannot let go of its future worth or value by increasing its production at the current market price. It is not in the economic interests of such oil producing countries to pursue a production policy incompatible with their own economic interests. Countries like Saudi Arabia have been contributing to the world economy in general and other Western and developed economies like Japan in particular by supplying more oil than it should. For instance Saudi Arabia, of the largest oil producers, increased its production of oil after the oil crises of 1979, resulting in a downward crude-oil price trend in world markets. This manipulation by any country or cartel cannot reap economic benefits in the long run. The market factors should be allowed to play their due role instead of manipulation. There is an increasing trend in demand for crude oil because consumption is greater than the supply. Market economy is the best way to allocate resources. The concept of oil peak suggests that once we reach the stage of peak the economy will be greatly affected. Similarly experts say that world oil reserves will also reach its peak in not so distant future resulting in price hikes and economic recession along with geopolitical repercussions. Oil Situation in USA If we consider the oil peak theory according to which there will be a sharp decline in supply because demand is constantly increasing whereas the speed of finding or exploring new oil sources is not matching that then we come to know that the oil

Paintings - Amalgam of Emotions and Cultures Essay

Paintings - Amalgam of Emotions and Cultures - Essay Example The paper "Paintings - Amalgam of Emotions and Cultures" will focus on how the art of paintings has been viewed in two different cultures namely the African culture and the Asian culture by throwing ‘light’ on the rock art and paintings that was practiced by the Asian and the African people. The painting media followed in both the cultures will also be discussed. â€Å"African paintings first emerged as those that still appear on rock and in caves.† The African paintings were discovered in Nambia and are thought to be approximately 27,000 years old. (Plessis). In addition, there were nearly 30,000 rock paintings scattered throughout the Drakensberg Mountain in South Africa. (Plessis). Thus these artistic medium was used by the ancient Africans to convey certain types of information, depict the day to day activities, to relate to certain key events and importantly to communicate with the spirits of the ancestors. Thus in this manner the rock art was used a vital li nk between the physical and the spiritual worlds. On the other hand, the Asian Paintings encompasses a wide array of paintings and sculptures from different parts of Asia. Thus each geographical area has developed their unique style of expression, painting styles and methods, techniques, etc. They were the blend of various cultures and traditions. â€Å"The Asian paintings reflect influences from different religions and cultures.†The Chinese paintings are considered to be one of the oldest paintings among the Asian paintings. The Japanese paintings are known for their varied styles. The themes of historical significance and the Buddhist themes are portrayed in the Korean paintings. The Indian paintings on the lines of African paintings originated from the caves and they date to the pre-historic period. Thus all form of the Asian cultures has their unique style and history. With this brief introduction about the Asian and the African paintings, the next concept about the views of the rock art and paintings in the Asian and the African culture will be discussed. Rock art was a common way of expressing emotions among the ancient Africans. Thus it has been estimated that Africa has more number of Rock art sites than any other continent and they are widely distributed. (Plessis). Archeological reports reveal the fact that in most parts of the African continent namely Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa has the densest concentration of the rock art. â€Å"The region has both the rock engravings (Petroglyphs) and rock paintings (Pictographs).†(African Rock art and Painting). Especially the South African rock art encompasses the rock paintings of the hunters-gatherers, farming communities, etc. On the other hand the Asian rock art was considered to be the mixtures of aesthetics which reveals the events and philosophy of the past. Thus in the evolution of mankind from the Homo erectus to the Homo sapiens, these Asian rock art depicts the images of the early man. The Asian rock art unlike the African art started 40,000 years ago during the upper Paleolithic era. The custom of rock art also followed in the Mesolithic age and it gained its final development in the Chalcolithic era. Among the Asian rock art paintings, the Indian Rock art are considered to be the most ancient and significant since they reflect the development of the Indian civilizations of Indus and

Data description Essay Example for Free

Data description Essay The next step of the analysis is to compare the rank order of the relative true factor endowments in Table 1, to the rank order of the trade-revealed factor endowments in Table 2. Comparing these rank orders shows that both rank orders are identical, except that the rankings of land and un-skilled labour are switched. Furthermore, this table demonstrates that the trade performance of Vietnam, measured by exports minus imports, is dependent on the country-specific abundance of land, low-skilled labour. This implies that Vietnam has a comparative advantage in goods that make intensive use of unskilled-skilled and land, and a comparative disadvantage in goods that make intensive use of capital, intermediate and highly-skilled labour. The limitation of the study is that the absolute value of trade-revealed factor endowment (value of F: the left hand side of equation 4) and the relative true factor endowment (value of the right hand side of equation 4) do not coincide. This may be due to five factors: first, a key explanation is that each country uses different production techniques, these differences reflect factor endowment differences. Therefore, factor content studies that use a common technology matrix will systematically understate actual factor content. This leads to a failure in the assumption of factor price equalisation. Second explanation for the early failure to find factor content is an apparent bias in consumption towards locally produced goods. Third, although the input-output tables are becoming available for many countries, they are arguably not the highest quality economic data available. Fourth, the differences between the trade-revealed factor content and relatively true factor endowment also comes from the introduction of costs to international trade, which could have a strong effect on trade volume9. Finally, goods of intermediate factor intensity fall into the non-traded sector, so we tended to underestimate the true factor content of trade. There is a systematic correlation between country capital abundance and industry input usage not only in tradables (where this now suggests specialization) but also in non-tradables (where this suggests factor substitution). Thus, a mismatch can occur in calculating the factor content of trade and relatively true factor endowment. Some researchers are trying to build a new model that predicts some of the technology and demand modifications needed by the empirical factor content studies to make the Heckscher-Ohlin model fit the data. In addition to the two tests, based on the figures in column two and four, Spearmans and Kendalls correlation was computed. The value of coefficient is 0. 9 and the correlation is statistically significant at 97% level of confidence. In addition, Kendalls correlation was also performed for the rank test using information in column three and five, the coefficient is also 0. 9, and it is significant at 96% level of confidence. Therefore, findings of the sign test and rank test support the H-O-V theorem in trade between Vietnam and the world. 6 Conclusion The HOV theorem on trade between Vietnam and the world was tested by measuring both true and trade-revealed factor endowments. Two non-parametrics tests were conducted, the sign test and the rank test. Since the sign test was completely successful and the rank orders of factor abundance according to both methods of measurement are very similar, the HOV theorem is confirmed. The analysis of Vietnams factor endowments has shown that Vietnam has factor abundances in land and un-skilled labour, land whereas it has factor scarcities in capital, semi-skilled labour and highly-skilled labour. This implies that Vietnam has a revealed comparative advantage in goods that are intensive in the use of land and un-skilled labour and a comparative disadvantage in goods that are intensive in the use of capital, semi-skilled labour and highly-skilled labour. Therefore, the theory performed well, indicating that the relevant framework may be a reasonable framework for policy studies. In addition, studies of the factor content of trade may help in addressing policy questions of the impact of openness on national income levels and distribution. In fact, there already is a study mapping measures of the factor content of trade into impacts on domestic relative wages for the United States and other members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) under some conditions which such a mapping makes sense. This work has been very important in clarifying issues to be addressed in future work. A major area for future work is taking the empirical frameworks favored by the studies of factor content and find out the consequences of international integration on incomes and inequality. To sum up, study on factor content of trade bring out a deep understanding of how resources may drive patterns of trade between a country and other countries, and between a country and a region. References Bowen, H. P. , Leamer,E. E. , Sveikauskas,L. , 1987. Multicountry, Multifactor Tests of the Factor Abundance Theory, American Economic Review, 77:791-809. Brecher,A. Choudhri,E. U. (1982), The Factor Content of International Trade without Factor-Price Equalisation, Journal of International Economics, 12:277-283.

Critical Theory in Sociology

Critical Theory in Sociology The critical theory is a social theory, which is known to criticise and trying to change society as a whole. The traditional theory only described and explained society. Theorists such as Max Horkheimer, T.W. Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, Leo Lowenthal and Reich Fromm, were the main theorists who took part in the Frankfurt School, In Germany in the late 1920s at the institute fur Sozialforschung. The Frankfurts schools theory of society is very negative about how society runs, reasons for this is the increase in capitalism, and that societies social structure has been separated, (Swingewood 200, p. 130). Throughout the essay, there shall be more information about the Frankfurt school, and what they believed and wanted to change in society, also more information about what is critical theory and what it is critical of in society, also more information about the traditional theory. The work of Frankfurt school become very influential in the social sciences in the 1960s. Culture industry wor ked to put together the role of social struggles in the production and reproduction of society. Culture industry worked like an apparatus which brought together individuals and got them doing and thinking the same. The critical theory may be defined as a theory of setting humans free of human enslavement, and manipulation. Both Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno argued that critical theory is the theory of human emancipation based on free capitalist society, the bourgeoisies controlled the working class through manipulation of interests of politics, media, culture etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as a silent dominant force. The critical theory argues that there are various types of manipulation, such as; Ideological, this consists of justifying decisions made by enforcing ones thoughts onto another, secondly, Cultural, this consists of the attempt to commercialise to maintain the status quo of the working class. Finally the psychological manipulation which means that we are more interested in other peoples life and this is because of the decline of the father figure in many families. Horkheimer argued that a capitalist society can only be changed if it becomes more democratic is it could be that all conditions of social life that are controllable by human beings depend on real consensus in a rational society (Horkheimer 1982, 249-250). Horkheimer argued that the only way in which we could fix problems in society, was by introducing the critical theory. There are four main points for the Critical theory these are; Reflective, this refers to that facts can be revised separately from other things that we may have to learn such as values. Dialectical; this refers to humans understanding of the world changing as the world changes too. Critical; which refers to stating what is wrong with the current society, and coming up with reasonable ideas on how to change it. Immanent critique is the main support for critical theory.(Adorno, 1991) Critical theorists argued that Marx did not foresee some key developments on capitalist society. Especially, centralisation and various mechanisms of ideological, cultural and psychological domination, associated in particular with the development of a commercialised mass media. Critical theorists conclude that the working class was no longer the revolutionary agent foreseen by Marx. The only way in which theorists could change the way society was is by firstly stating what is wrong with the current society, has to identify the actors to change it and finally it has to provide achievable goals for social transformation. Any truly critical theory of society, Has as its object human beings as producers of their own historical form of life (Horkheimer, 1992, 21). Critical theorists have argued that humans need to become more aware of how science and other type of facts and knowledge work together in creating oppression.Critical theory identifies facts and everyday life as the foundation for human beings, in waiting that people will realise the power and their influences on their lives and be able to overcome them. Fredrick Taylor introduced science in the 19th century, Henry Ford among many other people was influenced by Fredrick Taylor by his ideas on how to improve and raise production. By being influenced by Fredrick, Henry Ford creating an assembly line. By doing this Ford was able to reduce hours and save money, at the same time produce more. This idea became very popular, companies were able to produce much more with less work due to the right machinery. Instrumental reason refers to the opening up of reliable modes of organisations, the critical theory criticises the instrumental reason. The reason which why critical theory is critical of instrumental reason is because it raises action, which means this would be a means to an end. The instrumental reason sees individuals as instruments instead of humans this was introduced by positivistic science. As mentioned before, in the concentration camps humans were not seen as humans, but they were seen as objects. (Swingewood, 2000). Another example of this could be the rise in tuition fees in 2010, this change would benefit large institutions, especially the government, however it does not benefit the people who would mostly experience the change of this such as students. Critical theory is also critical of mass culture, mass culture refers to individuals following and believing what the media say. An example of this can be such as girls believe it is always best to be slim. Culture industry refers to anything that gets in the way of freedom. The Frankfurt school gives us useful information about the process of how society changed from traditional culture and modernism in the arts to a mass produced media orientated society. Society has become much more media orientated as technology has become much more advanced, The traditional theory was originally known as the positivism theory, however, Horkheimer labelled the traditional theory. The traditional theory was based more on facts, the more facts we had about everything, the more knowledge we have. The traditional theory did not see people as humans, instead humans were looked at as things for example in the concentration camps individuals who died, were not looked at as humans dying, but a specimen. Unlike the critical theory, the traditional theory only explains how society is in the present time, where as the critical theory looks at society, what is wrong with it and aims to change it. Positivism functions ideologically, this is done by promoting passive behaviour. Habermas argued that a free society should let people communicate freely without anything getting in the way, when people can do so, this would be known as a free society. Positivists ignore the roles of humans in society, they tend to treat society as a natural process. Habermas did not agree with Adorno and Horkheimer views that they can identify what is wrong with society and change it, also change the whole technological interaction with nature (Habermas, 1971). Horkheimer continued to argue that critical theory should focus on society being complete, e.g. how society became how it is in the present time. He argued this could be done by bringing together major social sciences such as geography, economics, sociology, history, science etc (Bohman, 1996). Adorno and Horkheimers book Dialectic of Enlightenment, which is a text about critical theory, which explains what the Frankfurt School considered as the failure of Enlightenment, the book was published in 1944 in New York. It is one of the main core texts about Critical theory. In the book we can see how Enlightenment norms had turned into their opposite, how democracy had produced fascism and reason had produced unreason. In conclusion to the above, we can see that there are many different views on how society runs, and as we can see is whether society is fine the way it is, or what should be changed if its not. The critical theory is obviously critical of society as it is now, The critical theory is mainly critical of how society is in terms of exploitation of humans., especially jobs such as labour work. However, the critical theory can be negatively criticised as it always looks upon society negatively. Horkheimer argued that the a theory can only be critical if it is explanatory, therefore critical theory should successfully explain what is wrong with the current society and what is needed to make it right, (Bohman, 1996). As we can see, there are many factors that affect society, also we can how society brain washes individuals to thinking that they live in an equal society system.

My Amazing Grandfather (Grandpa) :: Personal Narrative Profile Essays

Personal Narrative- My Amazing Grandpa I don't have a lot of fantastic memories of childhood. There were no spectacular family adventures, no unique family projects that taught some sort of moral lesson, no out-of-the-ordinary holidays. We ate family meals together, but most of the time the children and adults lived in different worlds. The kids went to school, did homework, and played; the adults worked. I was lucky, though. When I wanted a little of both worlds, I could always turn to Grandpa. I remember vividly the weekends at his house. Sitting on his lap, going to wrestling matches, walking down the street or through a park--these were things I did with Grandpa. I wasn't just a kid to him: I was his granddaughter, and I was special. He was special too. Grandpa was a giant of a man. He stood six feet two inches and weighed over 250 pounds. He moved with purpose and carried himself with respect. Tom was a proud man, a good man, and all who knew him said so. Even if you didn't know him, you would notice his inner strength, his patience, his self-esteem. Grandpa wasn't a scholar. In fact, he didn't even make it through grade school. He was born at the turn of the century, and educating black men wasn't a necessity then. He went to work when he was sixteen, and for the next forty years he worked in a coal factory. Then he worked in a steel mill for another twenty years. He stopped working only because the steel mill closed and he was too old to find another job. When I was with Grandpa, I could be a child and yet see things through grown-up eyes. "You see that tree, Cookie," he would say. "That tree was here before those houses. God put that tree there; man put the houses. Which is more beautiful?" If I climbed a tree, he didn't say, "Get down." He said, "Climb it right so you won't fall." "You appreciate what you work for," he used to say. He taught that lesson well. He never let me win any game; he taught me to win by learning to lose.

Business Ethics Essay (grapes -- essays research papers

Business Ethics Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Business ethics are a moral code that people conducting any sort of business should feel honorably obligated to follow. People are definitely morally responsible to follow a code of ethics and should never cheat each other. Parts of this code of ethics should be honesty, integrity, fidelity, charity, responsibility, and self-discipline. Those ethics should apply both to a person buying something, and a person selling something. I don’t believe that a person should be forced to follow the caveat emptor policy, on the basis that it is unfair and unjust both to the buyer and seller. If you are an ethical person, you should not have to warn people to beware.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A person selling something is morally obligated t...

Philosophy †Empiricism Essay

Immanuel Kant set about to show that the skepticism of the empiricists was unfounded and that science was possible. How does he do this and is his solution viable (that is, did he actually rescue science from the skeptics)? Through his theory of knowledge, Immanuel Kant provided a philosophical answer to Hume’s skepticism. Kant agreed that knowledge did have a source the humean element of sensory impressions, however he claim that there was an additional element in knowledge, which was not derived from sensory experience. The second element that Kant spoke of was derived from the mind itself. Kant felt that the human mind, outfitted with its own pure concepts was nothing like the human mind of empiricists Locke and Hume, whom claimed the mind was as a blank tablet or empty cupboard. Opposing Hume, Kant proposed that the mind was furnished with twelve pure concepts of understanding broken down into four categories. Additionally, Kant argued that the mind was not passive at all, as Hume and the other empiricists had claimed. Quantity Quality Relation Modality unity affirmation substance-accidents possibility plurality negation cause-effect actuality totality limitation causal reciprocity necessity The mind for Kant, was indeed active, it actively interprets the world rather than simply receiving and recording into memory, what it gathers from the external world through the senses. Through the above-mentioned categories, the mind organizes the sensory flux and gives it meaning as substances. Kant considered that the categories were â€Å"logically prior to experience, presupposed by all experience; and that they are independent of experience;† thus experience could never alter them. Kant deemed the categories were responsible for one’s experiences and knowledge, and ultimately were one’s source of understanding. The categories or priori furnished the necessary component for which Hume believed knowledge lacked. Kant denied Hume’s theory of knowledge, which reduced one’s experience and knowledge to nothing but sense impressions. Kant reduces Hume’s theory to nothing at all, as it did not account for the fact that human posses scientific knowledge outside of animal faith. Kant believed that Hume avoided the key questions of â€Å"How is experience of objects possible†, and â€Å"How is science possible. † For this reason, Kant felt that Hume’s theory failed to distinguish that knowledge consisted of both the empirical element and the categories. Kant’s solution in my opinion is viable, as the categories show that there is a necessary connection between the causes and effects.