About Someone's Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

About Someone's Life - Essay Example 17. How has your nationality influenced your life? Response: It has made me realize importance of peaceful coexistence. 18. Which community do you belong to? Response: Sunnite. 19. How did your community influence your life? Response: Has encouraged me to uphold my religious faith and teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Cultural and social interest. 20. Which cultural activities or social events did you ever take part in? Response: Idul-fitri, 21. When were these events held? Response: Annually. 22. Why were the events organized? Response: To celebrate the month of Ramadhan. 23. What were the rules or regulations regarding the participation in these events? Response: Fasting, praying, giving the needy and washing of feet, hands and head. Only Muslims were involved. 24. What are the cultural believes in your community? Response: Women place is in the kitchen and a man can marry up to four wives at a time 25. How do you feel about these cultural believes? Response: They demean women. 26. Wh at changes have occurred in the recent past regarding your culture? Response: Women are gaining freedom to work. Values. 27. Which values do you posses? Response: Respect for human life, obedience, honesty and trustful 28. Were these values inherited or learnt during your various stages of life? Response: I learnt them as I grew up. 29. How have these values propelled you towards success in life? Response: They help me to interact with others. Religious Influence. 30. Which religion do you belong to? Response: Muslim. 31. What does your religion teach regarding women and work? Response: Women should not do men’s work 32. What does your religion teach on marriage and relationships? Response: Women to be faithful to their husband. 33. How does your religion affect your work and...Mrs. Shakina Suleiman learnt how to be compassionate, loving, social and outspoken as she grew up in a Muslim community and her career as a journalist. My rationale for choosing to discuss her was moti vated by her composure, eloquence and cheerfulness. We had met at a United Nations conference on career talk held in a neighboring school sometimes back in which Mrs. Suleiman was one of the guest speakers. Later after the meeting, I approached her warmly and requested her to share her life occurrences with me. I conducted the interview at Said khan Hotel in Saudi Arabia on 25th of October 2012. The exercise took sixty seven minutes during which the respondent answered all the questions clearly. I cross-examined the interview guide to ensure all important details were provided. TI was able to complete the exercise successfully without interruptions. I also thanked my candidate and wished her the very best in all her endeavors in life. Then I organized the data systematically and explored its substance. I used to derive an inference of how a human background can influence his or her lifestyle.

Hassans Story Essay Example for Free

Hassans Story Essay Quote: â€Å"The way we see the problem is the problem.† Stephen Covey This quote means to me that when dealing with a problem the first mistake made is calling the problem a â€Å"problem.† When a problem occurs an individual usually automatically begins to attempt to mentally process ways to solve the problem. Problem solving involves critical thinking, and with critical thinking comes a lot of stress. Stress from a problem can be avoided if an individual looked at the situation in a more positive way, rather than automatically thinking negatively. I feel this quote is relevant to the work we do in the class. In this class we focus a lot on one’s self. I believe that the way you think when no one is looking describes your character. For example, one may assume that they have not learned anything from the class, but one with and open-mind would be able to express information that has been learned in the class. Every â€Å"problem† should be approached with an open mind, because when everything has been completed â€Å"you† will still be â€Å"you.† And what that means is, is that life will continue to move forward rather you have conquered the problem or not. I chose this quotation because I felt that it is fitting for anything in life. In life you will always come across a new situation because life is always about change. When attempting to advance, I feel that is when the majority of change comes. You are always going to come across a personality, a strategy, or method that you are not going to like and will take you out of your comfort zone. What is important is that you realize that everything is temporary and too shall pass. Once you’ve figured out that there is no such thing as a â€Å"problem,† rather than it is a â€Å"change† you can deal accordingly because change is inevitable.

Rousseaus Concepts of Inequality

Rousseaus Concepts of Inequality In 1754 Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote his Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men. This essay was in response to a question posed for a prize competition by the Academy of Dijon. The question posed was: What is the origin of inequality among men, and is it authorized by natural law? Rousseau found the terms of the inquiry restraining; he reasoned that, to be considered a law it has to be agreed upon rationally and to be natural it must speak with the voice of nature (Rousseau and Cress, 25). In order to truly delve into the ontology of inequalities Rousseau asserts that we need to examine the characteristics and maxims which are natural to humans outside of the artificiality of society. However; Rousseau differs from other social theorists like Thomas Hobbes in the method that he separates reason or perfectibility from the instincts of the natural man. This leads Rousseau to espouse a positive stance on the natural man contrary to Hobbes conception. I will argue in this essay that Jean-Jacques innovative theory on the state of nature accompanies a firm stance that humanitys perfectibility allows for both positive and negative advancement; but society in its current manifestation, is inherently unequal. Rousseau recognizes two different forms of inequality which lead him to a positive ideological view on the state of nature. Rousseau makes the argument that violence and inequalities are not inherent to humans but rather that they occur due to socialization and improper assertion of reason. Rousseau identifies two different types of inequality: natural and moral. Natural inequalities are those that derive from differences in age, intelligence, capacity for reason and health or other physical characteristics. (Rousseau and Cress, 34) However; it is moral inequalities that are of greater concern to Rousseau. It is Rousseaus belief that these inequalities occur due to consent and convention. Thus these inequalities are merely a form of political rule and are preventable. In the Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men Rousseau proves that these moral inequalities do not occur in the state of nature due to several human maxims. The state of nature to Jean Jacques Rousseau is one that draws many parallels to an animal existence but differs because of one essential human characteristic. Rousseau claims two basic maxims which exist prior to mans nurturing within human societal systems of rationality. These are self-preservation and pity. It is from these principles that natural right manifest themselves. A natural right is pervasive among all people by virtue of being human itself. In the state of nature man feels a responsibility to prevent the harm of other sentient beings. This is unless a persons self-preservation is at stake. Pity and self-preservation essentially balance each other out and make it possible for savage men to exist together. These two principles rarely conflict because, according to Rousseau, one mans pity should prevent him from interfering with anothers attempts to preserve himself. Rousseau states: pity is a natural sentiment, which, by moderating in each individual the activity of the love of oneself, contributes to the mutual preservation of the entire species.(Rousseau and Cress, 55) This natural right of pity is not a rational one but rather is drawn from the empathy of being able to feel. This contrasts with the modern rational discourse which protects the individual. The natural man requires vigorous sense of dedication towards self-preservation. Animals also embody both these principles of self-preservation and pity. Humans and animals differ in one aspect which Rousseau describes as the faculty of perfectibility. (Rousseau and Cress, 45) Man is a free agent possessing the freedom to override the natural and their instincts. This distinct adaptability and unlimited faculty gives humans the capability for vice and virtue to develop. Rousseau describes this faculty of perfectibility, or reason, as having developed through a desire or fear. (Rousseau and Cress, 45) Perfectibility also implies that humans are subject to their environment. In the state of natur e humans have only natural passions of food, sex and rest and a fear of pain and hunger. Instinct alone provides that our own self-preservation does not conflict with the self-preservation of others. Because of this savage man is as ignorant of good as he is of evil. The reduced nature of their passions keeps them from rationalizing actions that contradict the natural right. Pity is essential to what Rousseau states as the mutual preservation of the species. (Rousseau and Cress, 55) Outside of the state of nature reason engenders amour propre, or love of oneself, and overrides pity. Amour Propre is a kind of supreme self-preservation unchecked by empathetic feelings of pity. (Rousseau and Cress, 56) This instills the human identification as an individual, separate and comparable to others. In Rousseaus state of nature pity takes the place of laws, morals and virtues. Savage men arent prone to quarrels they are solitary and have no conception of property or vengeance. Only self-pres ervation and pity can guarantee human equality. It is due to humanitys faculty of perfectibility that creates the potential for the greater good or the greatest evil. Modern society is the foil to ignorant equality of the state of nature. Jean-Jacques Rousseau presents a very different conception of the state of nature, in comparison to many previous philosophers The portrayal of the state of nature, as one guaranteeing equality, by Rousseau differs greatly from conception by many other political thinkers. In particular Rousseaus views go against the ideas which liberal thinkers like Thomas Hobbes set forth. Hobbes state of nature, described in the Leviathan, is that the state of nature is one where humans engage in perpetual warfare. Mankinds passions drive him to desire things and to fear others. In this state self-preservation is the supreme and singular goal. The singularity of self-preservation leads to the human belief that they have a right to all things. Only through the submission to the social contract does Hobbes believe that humanity can escape the dangers and evils of the state of nature. Rousseaus conception of the state of nature shares some similar principals but the overall outcome is in stark opposition. Man in Rousseaus state of nature is ruled by the dichotomous relationship between pity and self-preservation. The right t o all things does not exist since maxim of self-preservation is checked by pity. Hobbes also fails to acknowledge that in the state of nature man is ignorant to Rousseaus idea of amour propre. It is through a simplified world-view that the natural man exists their passions are simple. Rousseaus natural man is not wicked because they do not know what it is to be good. While Hobbes insists savage man has no conception of good and thus he is wicked. The social contract Hobbes solution to his exacerbating state of nature requires a consensually chosen Sovereign to protect its citizens from the state of nature. In opposition; Rousseau believes that it is these institutions, created under an illusion of reason, that create unequal competition between people. Rousseau states All ran to chains themselves, in the belief that they secured their liberty, for although they had enough reason to feel the advantages of political establishment, they did not have enough experience to foresee its dangers. (Rousseau and Cress, 70) Rousseaus connotative meaning surrounding the social contract and its effects on humanity are portrayed through his depiction of the evolution of man from the state of nature. The conditions surrounding Rousseaus embryonic man are simple yet positive compared to the situation of his successors. His first concern was for self-preservation. Man had no dreams for exploiting or profiting from nature. However different natural obstacles forced humanity to their faculty of perfectibility to adapt to different climates producing different lifestyles. The hunt of different animals led to the axiomatic belief in preeminence among earths species. Rousseau asserts that were several revolutions that originated from the adaptations due to human perfectibility. The first revolution, that Rousseau addresses, spurred from the creation of tools. Tools led to the establishment of communal homes and family life. Conjugal love resulted and also led to different familial and societal roles. These changes in lifestyle allowed for more than self-preservation, but also leisure. (Rousseau and Cress, 62) New conveniences were developed and eventually relied upon. Mankind grew to be more settled increasing the salience of culture and tradition. These in turn led to ideas of merit, preference and eventually jealousy. (Rousseau and Cress, 62) However; Rousseau believes that this early society was the happiest epoch representing a middle way between the indolence of state of nature and the activity of amour propre. From this we can draw what was Rousseaus larger purpose. He believed as long as men applied themselves only to one-man tasks, they were free and healthy. The moment when one man needed the help of another, and one man wanted what was enough for two, equality disappeared, work became necessary and oppression developed. Thus it is during what Rousseau calls the second revolution (cause by metallurgy and agriculture) that inequality begins to emerged. (Rousseau and Cress, 62) Initially the division of land followed its cultivation, and labour gave the right to the land. Eventually due to the unequal distribution of talents and resources gave way to the exploitation of labour. The division between land and labour is what has spurred modern inequalities. Rousseau states: the first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said This is mine, and found people naÃÆ'Â ¯ve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody. (Rousseau and Cress, 60) This division between labour and property coupled with the social contract are what Rousseau deems responsible for societal inequalities. By uniting the rich and poor in a supreme power of the social contract laws of inequality and property became fixed thus systemically ensuring the profit of the few. When the principal maxims of humanity become peripheral the result is of overarching inequalities in the civil society and state. I believe that Rousseau thought that humans are not inherently evil but that their faculty of perfectibility has led them temporarily astray. His belief could be interpreted as distaste for the capitalist system in which Amour Propre is essential. However; humanity is not trapped within the system of Amour Propre. Humans may also use the faculty of perfectibility positively. Rousseau dismisses the importance of the distinction between natural and moral inequalities. We can draw from this that Rousseau is against the argument for the origins of the division of labour that some people are by their nature physically and mentally inferior to others. This is an argument that was also used to discredit slavery. Rousseau argues that the establishment of property and division of labour are at the root of societal inequality but he does not argue against cooperat ion. Rousseaus innovative theory on mans natural state of being led him towards the transformative concept of the general will. He states: There is often a great deal of difference between the will of all and the general will. The latter looks only to the common interest; the former considers private interest and is only a sum of private wills. But take away from these same wills the pluses and minuses that cancel each other out, and the remaining sum of the differences is the general will. (Rousseau and Cress, 155) The general will allows for the citizens in their ignorance of their place within civil society to make decisions in the interest of the greater good. Rousseau espouses a state in which the sovereign incurs freedom and equality of citizens rather than limiting them; for, the general will is utterly well intentioned. Rather than being ruled over by the sovereign, the people rule the sovereign or are the sovereign. In effect; Rousseau is proposing a system radically different than his counterparts due to his conception on the state of nature. What is the origin of Inequality? Is it due to natural law? Are people inherently inclined to subjugate one another? Rousseau answers these questions with a resounding no. He proves that it is humanitys own actions and intentions which give rise to inequality. He does not believe we are destined to behave this way. Our reason given birth through desire and fear- can be our salvation or our undoing.

Free Trade vs Protectionism Essay -- Economics Business

Free Trade vs Protectionism One of the greatest international economic debates of all time has been the issue of free trade versus protectionism. Proponents of free trade believe in opening the global market, with as few restrictions on trade as possible. Proponents of protectionism believe in concentrating on the welfare of the domestic economy by limiting the open-market policy of the United States. However, what effects does this policy have for the international market and the other respective countries in this market? The question is not as complex as it may seem. Both sides have strong opinions representing their respective viewpoints, and even the population of the United States is divided when it comes to taking a stand in the issue. After examining all factors on the two conflicting sides, it is clear that protectionism, from the side of the United States, is the only way the American industrial economy can expand for the benefit of its citizens and for its national welfare. The economy needs to get itself out of the huge deficit hole that it has created for itself,and lean towards protectionist measures. The dictionary definition of free trade states it as a policy of allowing people of one country to buy and sell from other countries without restrictions. This idea originated with the influential British economist, philosopher, and author of The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith. He inspired the writings of great economists such as David Ricardo, Karl Marx, Thomas Malthus, and others. According to Smith, specialization and trade is the best solution to create a flourishing American economy, with its industries ruling the economic world. William H. Peterson, holder of the Lundy Chair of ... ... age of political correctness. It is true that the global market has already expanded, but it is never too late for the United States to begin shutting its doors to the free market. Bibliography: 1. Altschiller, D. (Ed.)(1998). Free Trade Versus Protectionism. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company. 2. Bender, D.L. & Leone, B. (1991). Trade-Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc. 3. Lenway, Stephanie Ann. (1985). The Politics of U.S. International Trade. Boston: Pitman Publishing Inc. 4. Lieberman, Sima. (1988). The Economic and Political Roots of the New Protectionism. New Jersey: Rowman & Littlefield, Publishers. 5. Spero, Joan Edelman. (Ed. 4) (1990). The Politics of International Economic Relations. New York: St. Martin’s Press, Inc. 6. Woronoff, Jon. (1983). World Trade War. New York: Praeger Publishers

Severe income disparity: A review of the WEF’s global risk

ABSTRACT This paper provides a discussion of one of the most persistent global risks identified by the WEF, namely severe income disparity.The report focuses on describing the systemic nature of this risk along with indicating its manifestation in both developed and emerging economies. Moreover, three distinct concepts of measuring global income inequality are presented as based on Milanovic’s research. The paper discusses numerous interconnected risks to income disparity, and provides recommendations for improvement. INTRODUCTION According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), severe income disparity between the richest and poorest citizens has become one of the most substantial risks facing the global community in the 21st century (Global Risks 2012). The WEF has emphasised the urgency to tackle income disparities because of the widening chronic gap between the rich and the poor. This aspect represents a serious threat to social stability in the global context. The risk of severe income disparity also raises concerns about persistent recession, which has an adverse effect on middle classes in developed economies (Law et al. 2014). In addition, it has been indicated that the process of globalisation has led to a polarisation of incomes in emerging and developing economies. Identified as a systemic risk, severe income disparity is defined as the unequal distribution of individual income across different participants in an economy. Income inequality also refers to the percentage of income which corresponds to the percentage of population (Armour et al. 2013). This concept is associated with the notion of fairness, and it is usually considered unfair if the rich citizens have a substantial portion of a country’s income in comparison to representatives of their population. Moreover, the causes of severe income disparity tend to vary by specific characteristics, such as region, education, and social status. It is important to explore the implications of such income disparity globally (Schneider 2013). This type of inequality is generally measured through the ‘Gini coefficient’, which provides adequate information about the way of how income distribution in a particular country deviates from the notion of perfect equity (Grabka and Goebel 2014). The objective of this paper is to explore and critically analyse the WEF risk of severe income disparity. SYSTEMIC DIMENSIONS OF THE PROBLEM OF INCOME DISPARITY The concentration of substantial economic resources in the hands of fewer individuals indicates a significant threat to stabilising global political and economic systems (Chang et al. 2013). As a result, political organisations engage in a process of addressing the demands and needs of economic elites, which are identified in different economies, both developed and developing. This occurs to the detriment of ordinary citizens, who appear adversely impacted by severe income disparity (Berveno 2014). The global financial crisis has sparked research interest in exploring the dimensions of income disparity across the world. Regardless of extensive discussions on the negative impact of income disparity in developed and emerging economies, this has not resulted in adequate solutions to the problem (Lin et al. 2014). It can be argued that world leaders and politicians unite their efforts to provide a realistic framework of how they can address the issue of income disparity (Burz and Boldea 2012). The problem of widening income inequality is systemic in nature and is linked with political influence. The poorest citizens in the world usually tend to lack access to modern economic and political systems that enforce specific laws and regulations (Pulok 2012). In developed economic systems, representatives of the low and middle classes are commonly found at the low levels of society due to unaffordable education and challenges of obtaining credit facilities. In addition, jobs with high salaries have become scarce (Chang et al. 2013). This emerges as another contributing factor to widening the gap between the richest and poorest citizens. MINIMUM QUALITY OF LIFE The discussion of a minimum quality of life has been recently initiated in the United States. The focus has been on keeping the dignity and respect of human beings intact. Yet, it can be argued that Europeans are more advanced than Americans in terms of the discussion of the issue of severe income disparity (Bergh and Nilsson 2014). The gap between the richest and poorest citizens is mostly evident in developed economies, according to the WEF report (Global Risks 2012). Although such uneven growth is considered normal in emerging markets, they are more likely to face the problem of income inequality in the near future (Shin and Shin 2013). Some may argue that income disparity is an inevitable by-product of free markets. However, there is no substantial evidence to support this claim. There is no easy solution to the issue of income inequality, but global leaders tend to suggest that balance is fundamental (Bergh and Nilsson 2014). Government intervention may appear a relevant solution to the problem. Yet, it should be considered that such intervention should not have a negative impact on market efficiency. Government intervention may be focused on increasing market access. Other individuals and groups that hold a more pessimistic view indicate that the inability to influence government policy can prevent the creation of any changes that try to alleviate the problem of severe income disparity (Global Risks 2012). DIFFERENT CONCEPTS OF INEQUALITY Branco Milanovic is one of the main researchers looking at the issue of severe income disparity. He emphasises three distinct concepts of inequality. The first concept is associated with the aspects of unweighted global inequality. It refers to the use of GDP per capita and ignores population (Milanovic 1998). This type of inequality has been progressively decreased in the last few decades. The second concept relates to population weighted global inequality where it is assumed that all people in a country receive the same income (Pulok 2012). Yet, the precise number of representative persons from each country indicates its population size. If this measure is applied, it appears that income inequality has decreased in the past several years, even though it has expanded in countries such as China and India (Bergh and Nilsson 2014). The third concept used by Milanovic is based on the principle of treating everyone in the same manner, regardless of one’s nationality. This has gradually become a global measurement of income disparity (Shin and Shin 2013). It can be suggested that by applying the proposed measure in practice, global inequality substantially increased in the period from 1988 to 1993. As a result, the poorest 5% have lost almost 25% of their actual income, whereas the richest citizens have gained approximately 12% (Milanovic 1998). ESSENTIAL FINDINGS In the United States, the sector of Accommodation and Food Services emerges as the most unequal sector in the US economy, dominated by substantial inequality within this industry (Auten et al. 2013). It has been indicated that Accommodation and Food Services demonstrated a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 543-to-1 in 2012. The ratio of compensating fast food CEOs was approximately 1,200 times more compared to the income of the average fast food employees in the same year (Ruetschlin 2014). Such income disparity can be explained with two essential factors: high payments made to CEOs and poverty-level income received by average employees in the industry (Pulok 2012). In the table below, specific information is presented about the Gini Index, which is a standard measure of family income disparity in a country. The data is provided by the CIA, according to which the country that ranks highest in terms of income inequality is South Africa with a Gini Index of 65.0, while Sweden ranks first with a Gini Index of 23.0 (Vogel 2012). These results provide important implications into the widening gap of the richest and poorest citizens around the world. Table 1: Income Disparity in Different Countries, 2012 Overall RankCountryGini Index 1Sweden23.0 5Norway25.0 13 Germany27.0 46United Kingdom34.0 58India36.8 62Japan37.6 85Russia42.0 92Iran44.5 95United States45.0 119Mexico51.7 135South Africa65.0 Furthermore, it has been argued that the wealth of the 1% richest persons in the world amounts to approximately ?60.88tn (Wearden 2014). This is almost 65 times as much as the amount of the poorest half across the world. It has been presented evidence that over the past several decades, the richest citizens have gained adequate political influence so as to turn main policies in their favour (Auten et al. 2013). According to Wearden (2014), tax rates applicable to the richest citizens have fallen in many countries. Since the 1980s, income inequality has progressively increased, as approximately 70% of the global population tend to live in countries with extensively expressed disparity in terms of income (Herzer and Nunnenkamp 2013). Opinion polls conducted in different countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, India and South Africa, showed a trend that most citizens in each country hold the belief that the wealthiest individuals exert extensive social and political influence (Xu and Garand 2010). INTERCONNECTED RISKS The global risk of severe income disparity is linked with other interconnected risks, according to the WEF report. As the WEF has indicated, the widening income gap presents a threat to the economic and social stability globally (Global Risks 2012). Therefore, it can be argued that severe income disparity is closely linked with other risks, such as inappropriate governance, persistent crime and corrupt practices, food insecurity, chronic diseases, and terrorism (Fisher et al. 2013). One of the co-authors of the Risks report has stated that if the problem of income disparity remains unresolved, this would lead to greater problems with the other interconnected risks. Cassette et al. (2012) have argued that if absolute poverty is eliminated, this would significantly help global policymakers to address the issue of severe income disparity. In this situation, wealth could be used to increase the living standards of citizens around the world. Moreover, the problem of income inequality is connected to the process of globalisation in the sense that even though the world tries to stay together, it actually is growing apart (Tregenna and Tsela 2012). This problem has become quite persistent after the global financial crisis, especially in the United States, which has been identified as 45th in the world for presenting a wide gap between the richest and poorest citizens (Vogel 2012). The minimum wages received by populations also increase the risk of such evident income divisions because of concentrating more wealth into CEOs of organisations than in the hands of average employees. When access to education and health care is limited, this obviously increases the risk of income disparity because of the gap that is created between those who can afford such services and others who cannot (Cassette et al. 2012). The lack of equal opportunities for professional development of all citizens represents another interconnected risk. It can be concluded that the risks that are mostly associated with severe income disparity are macroeconomic in nature, such as fiscal crises and structural unemployment (Chang et al. 2013). The failure of global governance structures emerges as the most central risk contributing to income inequality. These interconnections between risks provide important insights into the available transmission channels between them (Wearden 2014). SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT The leaders gathered at the WEF should support progressive taxation. They should be also encouraged to avoid any practice that may lead to a situation where they use their high income to obtain political favours (Baldil 2013). As part of the broad strategy to mitigate such global risk identified by the WEF, it is important to respect the democratic will of all other citizens who are not considered rich. Another strategy for improvement is associated with making public all investments in organisations (Leibbrandt et al. 2012). Income inequality can be lowered in situations when more opportunity and growth is created. Global leaders should work on the emergence of an equality agenda. CONCLUSION This paper has provided an exploration of the global risk of severe income disparity, as identified by the WEF. This risk has been indicated as one of the most persistent global risks threatening social and economic stability across the world (Baldil 2013). The focus of the paper was on describing systemic dimensions of the problem of income disparity. It was argued that the problem of income inequality is present in both developed and emerging economies. Another argument introduced in the paper referred to the association of income disparity with political influence. There was a discussion of minimum quality of life, which has been initiated in the United States (Cassette et al. 2012). The income disparity gap has been presented as wider in emerging economies. Moreover, the paper focused on Milanovic’s different concepts of inequality in order to provide a relevant basis for measuring income disparity globally (Milanovic 1998). Specific interconnected risks along with suggestions for improvement have been presented in this report. The major interconnected risk has been identified as the failure of global governance (Xu and Garand 2010). In conclusion, global leaders should constantly work on implementing adequate solutions to tackle the problem of severe income disparity. REFERENCES Armour, P., Burkauser, R. V. and Larrimore, J. (2013). ‘Deconstructing Income and Income Inequality Measures: A Crosswalk from Market Income to Comprehensive Income’. American Economic Review, vol. 103(3), pp. 173-177. Auten, G., Gee, G. and Turner, N. (2013). ‘New Perspectives on Income Mobility and Inequality’. National Tax Journal, vol. 66(4), pp. 893-912. Baldil, G. (2013). ‘Physical and Human Capital Accumulation and the Evolution of Income and Inequality’. Journal of Economic Development, vol. 38(3), pp. 57-83. Bergh, A. and Nilsson, T. (2014). ‘When More Poor Means Less Poverty: On Income Inequality and Purchasing Power’. Southern Economic Journal, vol. 81(1), pp. 232-246. Berveno, O. V. (2014). ‘Influence of an Extreme Inequality of Income upon the Life Quality’. Problems of Economy, (1), pp. 304-308. Burz, R. D. and Boldea, B. I. (2012). ‘Sustainability of Economic Growth and Inequality in Incomes Distribution’. Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series, vol. 21(1), pp. 249-254. Cassette, A., Fleury, N. and Petit, S. (2012). ‘Income Inequalities and International Trade in Goods and Services: Short- and Long-Run Evidence’. International Trade Journal, vol. 26(3), pp. 223-254. Chang, J., Liu, C. and Hung, H. (2013). ‘Does Performance-Based Compensation Boost Economic Growth or Lead to More Income InequalityDoes Performance-Based Compensation Boost Economic Growth or Lead to More Income Inequality?’ Economic Record, vol. 89(284), pp. 72-82. Fisher, J. D., Johnson, D. S. and Smeeding, T. M. (2013). ‘Measuring the Trends in Inequality of Individuals and Families: Income and Consumption’. American Economic Review, vol. 103(3), pp. 184-188. Global Risks 2012, Seventh Edition (2012). World Economic Forum. Geneva, Switzerland. Grabka, M. M. and Goebel, J. (2014). ‘Reduction in Income Inequality Faltering’. DIW Economic Bulletin, vol. 4(3), pp. 16-25. Herzer, D. and Nunnenkamp, P. (2013). ‘Inward and Outward FDI and Income Inequality: Evidence from Europe’. Review of World Economics, vol. 149(2), pp. 395-422. Law, S. H., Tan, H. B. and Azman-Saini, W. N. (2014). ‘Financial Development and Income Inequality at Different Levels of Institutional Quality’. Emerging Markets Finance & Trade, vol. 50, pp. 21-33. Leibbrandt, M., Finn, A. and Woolard, I. (2012). ‘Describing and Decomposing Post-Apartheid Income Inequality in South Africa’. Development South Africa, vol. 29(1), pp. 19-34. Lin, Y. C., Huang, H. C. and Yeh, C. C. (2014). ‘Inequality-Growth Nexus along the Development Process’. Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, vol. 18(3), pp. 237-252. Milanovic, B. (1998). Income, Inequality, and Poverty during the Transition from Planned to Market Economy. Washington: The World Bank. Pulok, M. H. (2012). ‘Revisiting Health and Income Inequality Relationship: Evidence from Developing Countries’. Journal of Economic Cooperation and Development, vol. 33(4), pp. 25-61. Ruetschlin, C. (2014). Fast Food Failure: How CEO-to-Worker Pay Disparity Undermines the Industry and the Overall Economy [online]. Demos Organization. Available at: http://www.demos.org/publication/fast-food-failure-how-ceo-worker-pay-disparity-undermines-industry-and-overall-economy [Accessed: 20 August 2014]. Schneider, M. P. (2013). ‘Illustrating the Implications of How Inequality is Measured: Decomposing Earnings Inequality by Race and Gender’. Journal of Labour Research, vol. 34(4), pp. 476-514. Shin, K. and Shin, D. (2013). ‘New Evidence on Determinants of Income Inequality’. Journal of Economic Theory and Econometrics, vol. 24(2), pp. 125-162. Tregenna, F. and Tsela, M. (2012). ‘Inequality in South Africa: The Distribution of Income, Expenditure and Earnings’. South African Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, vol. 29(1), pp. 35-61. Vogel, R. D. (2012). Civic Revolution: Targeting the Dictatorship of Wealth [online]. Available at: http://combatingglobalization.com/articles/Targeting_the_Dictatorship_of_Wealth.html [Accessed: 20 August 2014]. Wearden, G. (2014). Oxfam: 85 Richest People as Wealthy as Poorest Half of the World [online]. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/20/oxfam-85-richest-people-half-of-the-world [Accessed: 20 August 2014]. Xu, P. and Garand, J. C. (2010). ‘Economic Context and Americans’ Perceptions of Income Inequality’. Social Science Quarterly, vol. 91(5), pp. 1220-1241.

eye of the beholder essays

eye of the beholder essays The theme of the book, Eye of the Beholder, by Jayne Ann Krentz, is to stop and take a breath before jumping to conclusions. Twelve years ago, Trask's father was killed in a car accident. He had driven his car off Avalon Point. Because of the sharp curve, this was not unusual. Everyone in town just believed that Trask's father was another fatality. Trask knew it was more. He believed his father's death was murder. Trask believed Kenyon had killed his father because of a business deal gone bad. Trask's father, Kenyon, and Guthrie had been working on the deal for months. Trask's father had found a problem and believed the plan would cause the men to go bankrupt. With this information, Trask's father decided to take his money and get out of the deal. Immediately after Trask found out about his father's death, he went to Kenyon's home. Trask went with his gun in hand. He wasn't sure of his own plans; he only knew that someone was going to pay for his father's death. Probably for the best of them all, Alexa walked into the room in time to see Trask pull out his gun. Trask left when Alexa got to the phone and threatened to call the police. The opening of the newest of the Avalon hotel chain couldn't have been planned more perfectly. Trask knew it was perfect. He had been in the business for years and was quite good. So far, all of his hotel's had been a great success. He was unsure of this one though. Most of the town believed that if Trask ever did come back, it would be for revenge. Trask had left the night of his father's death and hadn't been seen since. Many had heard of the successful business man he had become and praised him for it. The night of the opening ceremony, Alexa was upstairs by herself. She knew Trask would be at the hotel and had done her best to avoid him. Everyone in town believed Trask was back for revenge and had chosen this sight for a hotel as an excuse. Alexa felt she would ...

Fetal Pig Dissection Lab Report Essay Example

Fetal Pig Dissection Lab Report Essay Example Fetal Pig Dissection Lab Report Paper Fetal Pig Dissection Lab Report Paper In addition to this, the fetal pig dissection helps students better interpret the relative position and sizes Of organs, as well relation between organ and organ system. Hypothesis Grout, Anvil and had hypothesized that the fetal pigs internal systems should be slightly alike, due to the fact that pigs are on the same level food chain as us hurrahs. Materials: Safety goggles (opt. ) Plastic lab apron (opt. ) Non-latex gloves Preserved fetal pigs Dissecting tray Antibacterial soap String Scissors Scalpel Measuring tape Paper towels dissecting pins blunt probe Basic diagram Of sections Of fetal pig (Left) Procedure 1. Use string to measure pig from tip of snout to base of tail. The table below determines age via length. Length of String (CM) Age of pig 0-10 CM 20 days 30-35 days 20-30 CM AS_SO days 40-50 CM 55 days 100 CM 70 days 150 CM 80 days 200 CM 100 days 300 CM 120 days 2. Place fetal pig on back, exposing the dorsal surface. Then, tie the pig for ease of dissection therefore it willing move during dissection. 3. Determine sex of pig. Sex of pig can easily be determined through viewing posterior view of pig. If one sees the scrotal sac, he sis male. If one sees a genital papilla, she is a female. . To effectively expose the inner organs of the fetal pig, make 5 incision cuts: INCISION 1: CM incision in front of umbilical cord towards head. INCISION 2: Cut towards posterior surface. INCISION 3: Cut towards lateral surface. May use scissors for lateral incision. INCISION 4: Cut towards posterior portion of abdominal cavity, INCISION 5: Cut between thoracic and abdominal cavity. *May want to fe el for ribs when cutting INCISION S. Incisions for dissection of fetal pig 5. Expose abdominal cavity. This can be done by pulling apart flaps at INCISION 5. You may want to use scalpel to cut through skin, and hold down skin through dissecting pins. Diagram of fetal pig and organs of abdominal cavity 6. Locate liver and gall bladder _ Liver located near front of abdominal cavity. Gall Bladder located underneath Eerier_ 7. Locate stomach. Stomach located beneath liver, on left side of fetal pig. Stomach tends to appear hollow. Furthermore, the anterior portion Of the stomach is in conjunction with the esophagi, whereas the posterior portion Of the stomach is in conjunction With the duodenum. 8. Locate Pancreas. : The pancreas is located toward the back wall of the abdominal cavity. It is a finger- shaped gland, and creamy white in color. Moreover, the pancreas is best reached by lifting junction offshoots and small intestine. . Locate the spleen. The spleen is located on left side of fetal pig, found near outer curvature of stomach. 10. Remove stomach by cuts at junction with esophagi and small intestine, specifically, the duodenum. This can be done so using a scalpel. 11. When locating small and large intestines, observe the thing film that holds them together. This is known as the mesenteric. Carefully snip away mesenteric and unravel. Thoracic and circulatory procedures 12. To expose thoracic cavity, fold back skin above thoracic cavity and hold back via dissecting pins for better view and dissecting. Thoracic cavity is area between incisions 3 and S. 13. Locate the heart. The heart is found between the two lungs and protected by rib cage. Furthermore, the heart is surrounded by thin, transparent membrane called pericardium. Remove pericardium carefully to isolate heart. Locating major vessels of the heart Inferior even cave: Runs from liver and lower part Of body to right side Of heart. Empties into right atrium. Superior even cave: Runs from upper body of pig to right side of heart. Empties into right atrium. Pulmonary trunk: Begins at right ventricles. Transports degenerated blood to lungs. Aorta: Largest artery n circulatory system. Branches to transport blood to all major organs. Aortic arch: Part of aorta that arises from left ventricle. Two major vessels come from aortic arch: Prophetically trunk: Splits to send to right forelimb * head. Left subclasses artery: Supplies left forelimb. 14 using the blunt probe, you can discover 4 chambers of heart. Locating the right chamber via the diagram below. It is visible within the eye, Locating the left atrium is also visible within the eye, You will notice several veins at left atrium, known as the pulmonary veins. Also, isolate pulmonary veins from heart via scissors. Locate the aorta coming off left ventricle and separate from heart via scissors. Then, locate pulmonary trunk arising from right ventricle and separate from heart via scissors. Finally, remove heart from thoracic cavity by teasing away connective tissue. 15. After so, make incision that separates left side and right side of heart. 6 Locating the lungs: Lungs are very visible with eyes. Lungs are relatively large due to the fact that the bronchial tree is contained within them. Fetal pig Observations: Dorsal view of heart in the Petal Pig Observation Questions All questions within textbook procedure answered below. I _ With the chart given above under procedure I, eve determined that our fetal pig was approximately 55 day s, as the length of the fetal pig was 37 CM long. AAA. The function Of the umbilical cord is to transport nutrients to the fetal pigs from mother pig. B. TWO blood vessels were seen Within the umbilical cord. 4. The sex of our pig, Grout Jar. , is male. 5. There were 4 toes on each foot, therefore 16 toes total. Also, it was positioned; front feet curled inwards and back feet are flat (normal POS. ). 6. Yes, our fetal pig contained hair on his chin, had eyelashes, and had a tongue as well. 9. The gallbladder connects to the top left portion of the small intestine. 10, As we lifted the small intestine, we noticed the large intestine. Also, the advantage of having mesenteric film is that it keep ones intestines together. As l, Staff made an effort to fully isolate the small intestine to measure its length, had to cut through the mesenteric to tulle isolate the small intestine from itself, 11. Vital substances the pancreas provides us with is insulin. Insulin makes our bodys cells absorb glucose trot the blood The glucose is stored in the liver and muscle as glycogen and stops the body from using fat as a resource of energy. 12. The function of the spleen is that is a blood reservoir; it stores and recycles blood for future use. Gore example, when one is injured and has a cut, the spleen will supply it with blood. 4 Length of small intestine unraveled: 2 GM The small intestine is different from the large intestine as they have different functions. The small intestines major function is to absorb all nutrients from food via villa and then send to the large intestine to excrete as waste. As mentioned in the previous sentence, the large intestine major only transports remaining waste and whatnot through the an us. However, if the small intestine did not fully absorb all nutrients, the large intestine can absorb nutrients as well, as it too contains Mill. 16. The fetal pigs heart is surrounded by pericardium, similar to the mesenteric of the small intestine and can be easily cut via scissors or forceps. However, forceps are the best tool to accomplish this due to the fact that they are effective when isolating small objects and skin. 20. As we compared the size of a ventricular and trial wall, we observed that the trial walls are thin and elastic whereas the ventricular walls ware thick and more muscle-like. 21. Yes, there is difference in the sizes to both lungs; the right lung is larger than the left due to the fact that the heart is mostly on the left side of the lungs. ND must leave space for the heart. 22. The left ventricle contains more muscle than the right ventricle because the left ventricle must pump blood to the aorta, which the aorta then transports blood to the entire body. The right ventricle must pump blood to the pulmonary artery, which the pulmonary artery then transports blood to the lungs to oxygenate them. 23. The lun gs of the fetal pig feel spongy because they are made up of millions of alveoli, giving it a spongy lining. 24 The function the cartilaginous rings Of the trachea is to keep the trachea open when breathing. Without cartilaginous rings in our trachea, our trachea would collapse. Reflections: Staffs reflection. The fetal pig dissection was Without a doubt a tremendous experience overall, as it gave me hands-on experience, collaborative skills, and even inspiration for that matter. TO begin, lets go in depth With hands-on experience. Typically, I and many prefer hands-on tasks. This is because you better understand What you are doing, and the concept behind it. In this case, the ands-on experience of dissecting a fetal pig better helped me understand internal systems and the functions of the organs. Collaborative wise, this helped me because I tend to prefer working by myself, therefore when the time comes to work co-operatively, have learned how to quickly assign tasks to students where everyone receives a fair and equal amount of work. However, the fetal pig dissection in fact did not even feel as if it was work. truly really did enjoy cutting up and discovering what lies beneath the skin of our bodies, and the numerous functions our body must perform in order to keep us going every day.

Rain man essays

Rain man essays In the 1988 film Rain Man it portrays a man ( Raymond Babbit) with autism. Throughout the movie Raymonds limitations and unusual exceptional abilities are shown. These consist of memories, calculations, environment as well as his behavior towards certain situations and people. One limitation Raymond possesses is how he responds to new environments and people, one example being when he met his brother Charlie and got nervous and began to recite baseball. Another incident being when he was asked, if $.50 is spent out of a dollar how much is left, and Raymond answered 75. This could mean he either cannot subtract or could not answer the question because of how it was asked. A third limitation of an average ability would be Raymonds need to have a set schedule. For instance, he needs to eat certain foods at a specific time, as well as watch his television shows (such as jeopardy) and needs to be in bed by eleven at night every night or he begins to panic. Spontaneous occurrences and things out of the ordinary scare him. A fourth problem of this particular case of autism is social communication. It takes Raymond a longer time to answer if he answers at all. One example of this would be the end of the movie where he is being asked many questions about where and who he wants to stay with. He has trouble understanding specifically what he is being asked and how to answer it. A fifth limitation is his reaction to situations he has never been put in. One of these being the fire alarm that went off, he overreacts because he doesnt know what else to do, also in the airport when he doesnt want to go on the plane because he knows it is not safe. When Raymond is put in situations that he knows are not safe he panics. Lastly of Raymond limitations are how he always repeats himself. It seems as though he does this to reassure himself rather than anyone else. Although Raymond Babbit has many limitations be ...

Horse Meat Global Supply Chain Management Essay

Horse Meat Global Supply Chain Management - Essay Example From this research it is clear that  the meat industry includes the slaughtering, packaging, processing of animals The Primary focus of the industry is meat production, but it also deals with a variety of side products such as hides, feathers, dried blood etc. Through rendering processes, meals such as protein meat and fat such as tallow are also produced. Europe is a major meat producer, and the EU accounts for more than 16% of meat produced globally. However, the sector has been suffering from the recent economic instability and increased number of frauds in meat processing and selling. The present report will give a detailed situational analysis of the meat adulteration scandal which took place in Europe and later migrated to other parts of the world. The report throws a light on the origin of the horse meat scandal and its subsequent contamination to other countries. The shortcomings in the supply chain from the producers to the supermarkets have been discussed, which led to the spread of the adulterated meat. In the next part possible steps to resolve the issues of supply chain has been discussed with references to supplier relationships, pernicious incentives and quality standards of the supplier products. In the next topic possible steps have been discussed to control the br3eakdown in the supply chain and preparation for future risks.  Food supply chain is a process operating in a dynamic, complex and critical environment where integrity of the product is vital.  ... In the next topic possible steps have been discussed to control the br3eakdown in the supply chain and preparation for future risks. Discussion Issues Food supply chain is a process operating in a dynamic, complex and critical environment where integrity of the product is vital (Bourlakis and Weightman, 2008). Quality of food is vital for the smooth flow of the supply chain. The evolution in technology and logistics has increased the productivity of the food supply chain to a great extent. As the food supply chain is becoming increasingly complex, it is becoming important to monitor and regulate the flow of supply chain across national and international borders (Power, 2005). Due to the rise in consumer concern regarding food safety, product traceability and labelling, various regulatory framework has been defined to control the supply chain process. A typical food chain includes food manufacturing, agriculture, wholesaling and retailing of food and drinks and the food catering secto r (Eurostat, 2011). The food supply chain of Europe consists of many players. There are more than 3 million food producers. From the farmers or producers, the food products are suppliers to tier one and tier two suppliers. Sometimes, this chain is even longer with their three suppliers. From these suppliers and manufacturing companies, the processed food finally reached the supermarket and retail market chain, where they are sold to the customers. The European supply chain structure has been essentially labelled as funnel because a small number of players dominate in control and pricing. The European food market is however becoming saturated because of the low growth prospects (Agriculture and agri-food

OUR CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

OUR CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION - Essay Example ustomer, who opts to purchase a product because it is the best one to be found from the perspective of price or value and because they have had positive experiences with it. The third category is the neutral customer, who has had a mixture of negative and positive experiences with products and comes forward to purchase a product somewhat reluctantly, prepared for a negative experience. The fourth category is the tolerating customer. This customer does not enjoy a product or service but only buys it out of necessity, hence they rarely talk positively about the product. The last category is the critical customer, who has mostly had so many negative experiences with products or services that s/he tries to sabotage the business by spreading negative feedback about products and services. While all churchgoers purportedly are religious, there is a wide range of difference in the manner in which they express their religious beliefs and they may be divided into four primary categories. One category is the evangelistic church goer, who is so involved with religion that s/he insists on trying to convert everyone else. This person attends church with a fanatical devotion and works hard to persuade or push others into religion and church as well. The next category of church goer is the Sunday churchgoer, who turns up at church regularly on Sundays but does not venture anywhere near church the rest of the week. A third group is the big occasion churchgoer, or in other words, those who go to church only during Christmas or easter. Another category is the sporadic churchgoer, who is irregular and attends church sporadically. The last category is the rare church goer who only attends church once in a blue moon. A first date could initially be divided into two main categories, i.e, the rookie and the experienced person on a first date. The rookie is generally a teenager who is experiencing the very first date of his or her life and in rare instances, it may also be an adult

'International Trade in Intellectual Properties' Knowledge Diffusion Essay

'International Trade in Intellectual Properties' Knowledge Diffusion of Exploitation' - Essay Example Previously products that were regarded inferior in technology have been revamped to become more appealing and efficient on the technological end. All these aspects attest to the increasing trade being carried out across the borders in intellectual property (IP). Producers of goods are given by law the right to protect their ideas and creativity from being stolen and exploited by other people. Moreover producers can also negotiate and exchange these ideas at a price. This is referred to as intellectual property rights and occurs in an array of forms; for instance, copyrights can protect movies and books, trademarks can provide immunity from exploitation to product logos and patents can be applied to inventions. One of the reasons why such rights are being promoted is to encourage producers to come up with new ideas and practically apply them without the fear of them being exploited and stolen by competitors (1). Moreover the integration of IP into the trade regime has served to be a s olution to the shortcomings of the WIPO system (2). IP has evolved into a means of gaining competitive advantage in modern international trade. The rapid pace of technological advancements occurring all around the world coupled with increasing economic globalization has helped to create more competitiveness amongst countries. Amidst such high competition, the protection of ideas and creativity of producers helps to guarantee that rivals do not steal the idea and take credit away from the original producers (3). The economic worth of IP lies in the fact that it serves to advance and further competitive capability. One such example is the protection of IP with regard to the software industry in India. The transfer and exchange of IP is often seen amongst developing countries. This is because the economies of these nations are still budding and developing. There is a need for greater investment and transfer in research and technology along with improvements and advancements in certain industries such as manufacturing and service industries. One way of achieving such modernization is through the trading of intellectual property across the national border. The advantages of such barter not only lie in the acquisition of better and advanced technology by the buyer but also in greater economic gain for the seller. The trade of IP allows countries to commercialize and market the creativity of their producers and to achieve competitive advantage through it. Moreover countries who are importing IP are benefitted from the influx of an array of IP such as textbooks for the national education system, art works by talented artists etc (4). The recent trends in international trade are making the exchange of buying and selling much simpler and secure. When looking at the changes occurring by the advent of e-commerce, one can appreciate that no industry is changing at a more rapid rate than the technology transfer industry. This tech transfer industry primarily compromises of patent licensing executives, inventor-scientists, patent attorneys and technology brokers. These agents are responsible for the sale, purchase and licensing of IP all over the world. There are a number of factors motivating these people to barter IP on an international scale; these also portray the advantages of trading IP globally. IP can be exploited in two main ways: selling and licensing; a range of factors affect the

Relationship between language,power and gender Essay

Relationship between language,power and gender - Essay Example Language, power and gender are highly related to each other. In order to understand the relationship between language, power and gender, let’s analyze their relationship with the other individually. Many scholars have commented on the relationship between language and the power people have on it. Writers have written many novels and stories on the issue the examples of which include Leslie Marmon Silko's short story Lullaby, Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of King Richard II and The Tempest, Frederick Douglass’s Learning to Read and Write, and Gloria Anzaldua’s How to Tame a Wild Tongue. All of these works convey the same message that language and power are interrelated to each other and one cannot survive without the other.Patel states in his article that â€Å"the way a person speaks or writes determines that person's power in the world.† Elaborating on this will give the whole idea how easy it is to define the social status of an individual while consi dering the language with which he defines himself.An analysis of languages spoken in different regions in the world shows that there are some languages which are recognized and spoken internationally, while there are other which are only spoken within a limited are like within a country. Even inside a country,there are many forms of that one language by which that country is known.This is a sad truth that for a country to progress in this competitive world and to eventually come in power,it is important to get acknowledged with the internationally known languages so as to facilitate the trade and business. Just getting acknowledged is not sufficient but to inculcate that language in the educational curricula is vital to raise the nation with an intense knowledge of that language so that the people of the country can read, write and speak that foreign language just like they easily go with their own mother tongue. This brings power. The relationship between power and gender raises qu estions like whether one gender is given advantage over the other so that one gendered is empowered and the other is left discriminated. The gender differences in many countries makes power stay stuck to only one gender like men are politically preferred to women. Similarly, there are gender discriminations at occupational workplaces due to which men are given chances to get better jobs and women are told to stay at home in front of the stove all day. â€Å"Although women have made gains in the workplace, with more women working than in the past and women possessing approximately a third of all management positions† (Colwill, as cited in Carli, 1999). Male children are also preferred to get higher education which later on offers them high paying jobs within and across the border. This reduces power for the female gender. The difference in social power between the two genders has given rise to the feminist theories which fought for the liberation of women so that they come out of their houses and stand on equal status as men to enjoy the different luxuries of life. Beeching (2004) affirms that the relationship between language and gender gives rise to man linguistic issues. According to her, â€Å"Men's and Women's Talk have arguably been demonstrated to show differences at the phonetic, syntactic, lexical and discourse levels.† Gender socialization affects the overall structure and use of a language. Language has defined the changing responsibilities and roles of the men and women in different walks of life, nationally and internationally. Simkins-Bullock and Wildman (1991, p. 149) have studied in their research the differences in gender in the use of a language and have come to the conclusion that there is much inconsistency among the scholars in agreeing whether or not the two genders use the same language differently. They state that scholars suggest that there are several ways in which the males and females make use of a language but other as pects should also be considered besides gender in

The Marketing Concept and Marketing Communications Essay - 1

The Marketing Concept and Marketing Communications - Essay Example developed an online resume databank so job-hunters and employers can find each other more efficiently; or CarMax which invented a new way to sell used cars because people want more certainly when buying such vehicles, all illustrate a drive to turn a private or social need into a profitable business opportunity (Hansell, 2002; Healey, 2002). Companies must carefully monitor their customers and competitors, continuously improve their value offerings, carefully define the target market and value proposition, and take a long term view to satisfy customers, stockholders, employees, suppliers and channel partners. As a managerial definition marketing has often been described as the â€Å"art of selling products†. But Peter Drucker (1973) a leading management theorist says, â€Å"the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sell itself. Ideally, marketing should result is a customer who is ready to buy.† The American Marketing Association offers this managerial definition: Marketing (Management) is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfying individual and organizational goals. The success enjoyed by many firms like General Motors has been a strong influence on the strategic school of management thinking. Not surprisingly, therefore as marketing emerged as a distinct management discipline in the second half of the twentieth century, many academics drew upon strategic management concepts to create the first ever-theoretical models of marketing process. Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Levi Strauss performance could be linked to the adoption of a marketing oriented business philosophy. This approach to management is based on the concept that financial goals can best be achieved by first determining the needs of the customer and then satisfying these by

What Is Moral Conversion All about Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

What Is Moral Conversion All about - Essay Example Bernard explains that moral conversion has six stages and is based on advancing to higher and higher levels of moral thinking.   The first level is preconvention, where one is a child, and the last is post-conventional involving the adult level. At the Post-conventional level, the adult has the knowledge of the ethical principles that lead and influence the world’s moral behaviour. Religious conversion according to Bernard is the ultimate of conversion. It is the conversion that influences genuine love in a person and shows total surrender to the demands of the human spirit. Copeland teaches that during conversion, the believer goes through a complete and immediate change of nature. He explains that at the time of birth, the spirit of God comes over a person, and a holy being related to Jesus is conceived in the body. He says that it is therefore natural that a man should think as Jesus thought.  

Relationship between language,power and gender Essay

Relationship between language,power and gender - Essay Example Language, power and gender are highly related to each other. In order to understand the relationship between language, power and gender, let’s analyze their relationship with the other individually. Many scholars have commented on the relationship between language and the power people have on it. Writers have written many novels and stories on the issue the examples of which include Leslie Marmon Silko's short story Lullaby, Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of King Richard II and The Tempest, Frederick Douglass’s Learning to Read and Write, and Gloria Anzaldua’s How to Tame a Wild Tongue. All of these works convey the same message that language and power are interrelated to each other and one cannot survive without the other.Patel states in his article that â€Å"the way a person speaks or writes determines that person's power in the world.† Elaborating on this will give the whole idea how easy it is to define the social status of an individual while consi dering the language with which he defines himself.An analysis of languages spoken in different regions in the world shows that there are some languages which are recognized and spoken internationally, while there are other which are only spoken within a limited are like within a country. Even inside a country,there are many forms of that one language by which that country is known.This is a sad truth that for a country to progress in this competitive world and to eventually come in power,it is important to get acknowledged with the internationally known languages so as to facilitate the trade and business. Just getting acknowledged is not sufficient but to inculcate that language in the educational curricula is vital to raise the nation with an intense knowledge of that language so that the people of the country can read, write and speak that foreign language just like they easily go with their own mother tongue. This brings power. The relationship between power and gender raises qu estions like whether one gender is given advantage over the other so that one gendered is empowered and the other is left discriminated. The gender differences in many countries makes power stay stuck to only one gender like men are politically preferred to women. Similarly, there are gender discriminations at occupational workplaces due to which men are given chances to get better jobs and women are told to stay at home in front of the stove all day. â€Å"Although women have made gains in the workplace, with more women working than in the past and women possessing approximately a third of all management positions† (Colwill, as cited in Carli, 1999). Male children are also preferred to get higher education which later on offers them high paying jobs within and across the border. This reduces power for the female gender. The difference in social power between the two genders has given rise to the feminist theories which fought for the liberation of women so that they come out of their houses and stand on equal status as men to enjoy the different luxuries of life. Beeching (2004) affirms that the relationship between language and gender gives rise to man linguistic issues. According to her, â€Å"Men's and Women's Talk have arguably been demonstrated to show differences at the phonetic, syntactic, lexical and discourse levels.† Gender socialization affects the overall structure and use of a language. Language has defined the changing responsibilities and roles of the men and women in different walks of life, nationally and internationally. Simkins-Bullock and Wildman (1991, p. 149) have studied in their research the differences in gender in the use of a language and have come to the conclusion that there is much inconsistency among the scholars in agreeing whether or not the two genders use the same language differently. They state that scholars suggest that there are several ways in which the males and females make use of a language but other as pects should also be considered besides gender in

What Is Moral Conversion All about Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

What Is Moral Conversion All about - Essay Example Bernard explains that moral conversion has six stages and is based on advancing to higher and higher levels of moral thinking.   The first level is preconvention, where one is a child, and the last is post-conventional involving the adult level. At the Post-conventional level, the adult has the knowledge of the ethical principles that lead and influence the world’s moral behaviour. Religious conversion according to Bernard is the ultimate of conversion. It is the conversion that influences genuine love in a person and shows total surrender to the demands of the human spirit. Copeland teaches that during conversion, the believer goes through a complete and immediate change of nature. He explains that at the time of birth, the spirit of God comes over a person, and a holy being related to Jesus is conceived in the body. He says that it is therefore natural that a man should think as Jesus thought.  

Bristol-Myers Squibb Essay Example for Free

Bristol-Myers Squibb Essay In my opinion Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis seek a settlement rather than let the patent infringement case go to trial because Bristol-Myers Squibb fail to disclose the oral side deal with Apotex and its false certification to the FTC. Going to trial would have cost Bristol-Myers a great deal of money and severe penalties from the FTC. Bristol-Myers knew before hand that the FTC opposes agreements that restricted the introduction of generic drugs which could be anti-competitive. Bristol- Myers was hoping that it could have pursued a settlement with Apotex subjected to FTC approval and delay the launch of Apotex generic drug until its patent expire. Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis should have attempted to pay Apotex to prevent it from launching the generic drug. It seems that BMS only entered the agreement because they felt that Apotex could not get approval. BMS offered Apotex $60 million break-up fee if the agreement was rejected by the FTC (Baron, 2010). To offer such a high break-up fee meant that BMS was very certain of the denial by the antitrust. The deal offered was to prevent Apotex from launching their version of plavix. The strategy exerted by Sherman of Apotex was considered to be great judgment call on his part as well as the business. I believe he acted ethically in his strategy and negotiated terms that would benefit his business. He performed extensive research and found many distributors who wanted to purchase Plavix at very low and reasonable cost. On August 8th Apotex launched its generic Drug. Sherman states that, â€Å"There should be no mistake that our decision to launch a generic of this blockbuster product at risk is a testament to our commitment to patients, consumers and taxpayers (Baron, 2010). Because he was a good business man he made sure that the product was on the market and sales were soaring. I felt that the FTC and the state attorneys general should have rejected the agreements. Companies must conduct business ethically at all times and not defraud others because of greed. The price that Bristol-Myers paid was fair and it teaches other businesses not to practice business in the matter that they did. Interference from other parties can cause bad decisions to be made also in others opinion. Maybe BMS could have won if it wasn’t up to the attorney general rejecting the proposal. Sometimes, some situations are best left up to the courts to decide. Bristol-Myers Squibb violated the deferred-prosecution agreement. The agreement stated that Bristol-Myers agreed to two years exemplary conduct and supervision from an independent federal monitor. Refusing to pay the money lead to even more question and apparent that they really wanted to defraud Apotex. In September 2006, Lacey instructed BMS to fire CEO Dolan because of his bad judgment.

Is The Role Of Political Parties In Decline Politics Essay

Is The Role Of Political Parties In Decline Politics Essay Before one speaks of a consolidated democracy, one must first ensure that the three minimal, but necessary, conditions are satisfied. Firstly, one can argue that there must be a state for democracy to exist. In other words, there must be the existence of a state which is a modern polity; which holds free elections; protects the peoples rights, and ensures the efficiency of the rule of law. Secondly, democratic transition must be complete before consolidation takes place, and it is deemed to a necessary condition to hold free elections which are rid of authoritarian control at this stage. Thirdly, for a regime to be called democratic the rulers must govern democratically, that is, governments must not infringe the constitution, or violate individual rights, and must rule within the bounds of a state of law. Hence, when one refers to a consolidated democracy one is not referring merely to liberal nondemocratic regimes, or hybrid democracies. Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan  [1]  assert that a consolidated democracy is a political regime in which democracy, as a complex system of institutions, rules, and patterned incentives and disincentives has become the only game in town. Moreover, democracy becomes the only game in town when no significant political group attempts to overthrow the democratic regime or to promote domestic or international violence in order to secede from the state.  [2]   Political Parties and Their Roles in Society Political parties have been deemed necessary since the early societal grouping of man. Men would find a pattern of the state that would subsume societal conflict and which would allow the rule of law to function and apply it to their state. Thus, one can argue that political systems deal with conflicts and the political institutions they create. Giovanni Sartori  [3]  defines a political party as any political group identified by an official label that presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections candidates for public offices. It has been argued that political parties are necessary and cannot be replaced by civil society or by any other organized structure created to give representation to citizens because political parties have formed the cornerstone of democratic society and serve a function like no other institution. Hence, in a modern society, democracy cannot seem to function properly without political parties. The active support and collaboration of strong, inclusive political parties in partnership with an effective civil society is fast gaining acceptance as the correctly balanced formula to achieve a somewhat more transparent and participatory system of government. In strengthening democratic institutions in consolidated democracies, it is not a matter of having to choose between building a strong civil society or strengthening political parties and political institutions such as parliaments. The real challenge lies in balancing support for democratic institutions and organizations that are more a ccountable and inclusive, while at the same time continuing to foster and nurture the development of a broadly based and active civil society. In recent years, it emerged that the positions of political parties in the politics of consolidated democracies have decreased drastically. Many argue that the reason behind this decline is primarily the change in the roles of the parties, and in fact Hague and Harrop  [4]  argue that the question for the twenty-first century is whether political parties are undergoing a crisis or whether is merely a change in their role. It is important to emphasise that the parties have not declined in the sense that they have ceased to be important in government, but they have changed, and today perform rather different functions or perform traditional functions in a different manner. Declining role of political parties? Hague and Harrop  [5]  question whether parties are facing a crisis or whether they are declining into weak, decentralized organizations. Amongst other reasons, they argue that major parties no longer offer radically different visions of the good society, and electors party loyalties are weakening as traditional social divisions decay. Furthermore, they state that party members are older than the average person and are becoming less active; and party membership is falling at a fast pace and will continue to do so as older members leave the electorate; young people are more likely to join single-issue groups than parties, and parties have become charity cases, relying for funding on state handouts. Moreover, the trust in parties is lower than for other political institutions, and is declining. On the other hand, Crotty argues that the demands of society have changed, and thus parties change to meet them. Too often, models of what parties ought to be like are drawn from the narrow experience of Western Europe in the twentieth century. Today, it is rather unrealistic to expect the rebirth of traditional mass membership parties with thousands of working-class members and their supporting pillars of trade unions. In an era where mass media and electronic communication play an important role such an organisational format is gone for good. Instead, we have a rather new format of parties found in the consolidated democracies which are somewhat lean and flexible, with communication from leaders trough the broadcast media and the internet. Rather than relying on outdated notions of a permanent army of members, new-format parties mobilize volunteers for specific, short-term tasks, such as election campaigns. The form of parties will continue to evolve but their purpose of giving direction to government continues unchanged. According to Hague and Harrop  [6]  , political parties are said to perform four main functions: Directions are given to government by ruling parties and thus some political parties have the vital task of steering the ship of state; Political parties function as agents of political recruitment, and serve as the major mechanism for preparing and recruiting candidates for the legislature and executive; Political parties serve as devices of interest aggregation, filtering a multitude of specific demands into more manageable packages of proposals. Thus, parties select, reduce and combine policies; and Political parties also serve as a brand for their supporters and voters, giving people a lens through which to interpret and participate in a complicated political world. The decline in the role of political parties has been identified mainly in terms of a constant erosion of the above listed functions. In what is already a highly fragmented political system, the decline of these functions has very often led to inefficient government and the wearing away of the legitimacy of institutions. The parties have the task of bridging the link between parliament and the government, sine the party which gets an overall majority in parliament then forms the government. The parties also provide for the scrutiny and control of the government since the party which does not win the election and becomes the Opposition then has the job of constantly attacking and criticizing the government and exposing its failings to the public as well as putting forward alternative ideas of its own. However, in recent years amid the entire furore over the decline of traditional parties, not a single third party has emerged with even the slightest appearance of electoral strength. Third-party candidates have sometimes done very well, but they very often represent more of a protest vote than some distinct social movement. Weaker party identification is producing a more inconsistent electorate prone to sudden shifts in loyalty, to vote splitting and to voting for individual candidates or issues rather than according to traditional party ties. Generally, over the past few years these activists have become more candidate- and issue-oriented, one of their main motivations being to promote a particular candidate or to support just one special issue. Critics argue that these trends have weakened party organization and coherence even further. Parties are the main means through which democratic leaders are recruited and fed into the political system since parties provide us with the personnel who govern that state. There has been a dramatic decline in the membership of the major parties people (especially young people) appear to be less willing to get actively involved in party organisations. Parties are said to provide the most important way in which people become involved in politics. This can be done on a number of levels. However, established political parties have experienced a declining membership that is ageing. Young people are hesitating to join or become associated with political parties. At the same time, support has risen for independent candidates, and interest parties. There has been a dramatic decline in party membership between the 1960s and the 1990s. In Scandinavia, Sundberg  [7]  argues, since the 1970s and the 1980s, membership decline has set in at an unprecedented rate. Denmark is a particularly extreme case, with membership falling from one in every five people in the 1960s to one in twenty by the 1990s. By voting for a party, people are able to express their political opinion and help choose the government. It is parties which give people the choice at elections between alternative views and policies. The parties also provide the voters with a choice in elections by presenting programmes and taking stands on issues parties allow the voters to choose between rival policy packages. Parties produce policies or ideas which they hope will win them power so these ideas have to appeal to a large enough section of the electorate. The parties have to produce policies on a whole range of issues covering all aspects of politics if they are to be taken seriously as a potential government. This gives the voters a genuine choice of alternative packages to choose from. Policy formulation is another role of the parties since they come up with the policy proposals which the voters can choose from and then put those policies into motion if they win the election. Hence, parties initiate the policies / ideas which then govern the nation in a wide variety of areas e.g. foreign policy, environment, health, education etc. In recent years, the parties have become less attached to a fixed set of ideas and are more willing to shape their beliefs and policies to respond to public opinion rather than leading people to follow them, and it can also be argued that parties now also deliberately keep their ideas and policies very vague and refuse to go into detail because this might antagonize voters and also open them to attack about the details. Nowadays, the number of programmatic parties has decreased, and they are in turn becoming catch-all parties. Programmatic parties tend to have definite and fixed set of ideas and beliefs which they firmly believe in and wh ich they can apply in all circumstances. However, parties have now become pragmatic that is they are willing to change ideas to suit changing circumstances. While the former were more interested in transforming society to bring it in line with their ideas over a long period of time, the latters policies are designed to win the next elections and to deal only with current and short term issues. The programmatic parties aim to bring the people around to their way of thinking and to agree with their principles, while the latter seek to find out what the people want and then fit their ideas and policies to match so that they can gain popularity and elect candidates. Catch-all parties tend to change their policies on a regular basis to match changing circumstances and public opinion, while the programmatic parties tend to stick to long held policies and not change them. Representation is also of the main functions of political parties in a democracy. They are to serve the interests of their people as party representatives, and they are also supposed to represent the nation as a whole. Through representation, parties help to link the government to the people because they attempt to match their policies to public opinion as much as possible and then if they win the election they can carry out those policies hence, translating what the public wants into action. However, recently it has been argued that the parties are not representing those who elect them properly because many MPs are elected by a minority of their constituents, for instance, in Britain, the first past the post system means that MPs do not have to be chosen by a majority of the voters in their area. E.g. some Scottish seats the MP were elected with only 1/3 of the vote. Furthermore, the government itself can be elected to rule with minority of the vote. Conclusion Therefore, one can say that the roles of political parties have declined, and this is evident if we compare

Towson University :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently in the Towson University area there are no major transportation plans being planned. The York Road cityscape project is just wrapping up but his project does not help the flow of traffic. Its design was to revitalize that particular corridor just south of the University by increasing lighting, security and the overall appeal of the area. The present improvements to widen the beltway have no affiliation with Towson University. There is a current project which is in the planning stages that will affect the campus and the surrounding community. This plan is the Towson Circle Project. This is a proposal to add new dorm space in downtown Towson, with the goal for students to live close to campus but within the community as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Towson Circle Project was submitted a few years ago by Towson University. The goal of the university is to grow 10,000 students in ten years. This is the plan for the first ten years of the new century. When a goal such as this one comes along, many things must happen. First, there is the need for more beds and dorm space, which is addressed by Towson Circle. Next, there is the need for more classroom and faculty; this is addressed in the University’s master plan. Finally, with a more crowded campus area there is a great need for better movement with traffic patterns. Currently there are no plans to do this, but in an area where traffic is already less than ideal, it is all about to get worse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Within the downtown Towson area about 60% of the total population is senior citizens. When the Towson Circle project was originally presented, the project was supposed to house graduate students and faculty. When the final proposal was submitted earlier this semester, somehow the project changed to house juniors and seniors. The surrounding community was not happy about this development. For them, this meant a noisier environment; essentially a college right next door with even more traffic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The university wants and needs from the community, the opportunity to grow not just within campus property. President Carat of Towson said, â€Å"We need to grow in the community in order to reach our goal.† The university wants to attract businesses to the community as well so students move outward in the area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The community is supportive of the university’s growth and wants to help them reach their goal of 10,000 students in ten years.

Same Sex Marriage Essay -- Ethical Issues, Lesbian or Gay Parents

Same sex marriage is already taboo, but same sex couples raising children is mostly not considered acceptable by the public because of the misconception that they are not qualified to bring up children in accordance with proper social values. The public is not certain if children will receive proper education about society and behavior to fit in as responsible members. However, several recent movements, such as Feminism and Post-modernism, argue about equal rights for everybody. Feminism is mainly concerned about the equality of men and women in society while Post-modernism is mainly concerned with ending all forms of discrimination in society. Feminism is actually a subdivision of Post-modernism because Post-modernism is against all discriminations while Feminism specializes in pointing out women's rights in the society and the equal status of women and men. Among other things, both ideologies re-evaluate the meaning of love and marriage in modern society. Besides the social movemen ts, several scientific research was made regarding children who grow up in same sex marriages. Children raised in a same sex marriage share the same core values with the society, maybe even higher because they never learned about sexual discrimination in their home, and the only reason why they are restrained is because of the public opinion on these situations. In accordance with scientific research, the American Psychological Association (APA) claims that there are should be no concerns with same sex marriages. It is not just a violation of privacy and an act of discrimination against other people, but there are also no scientific basis which prove that it contributes to an improper development of children. Fears about children of lesbian or gay p... ...ation because same sex marriage is something people are used to and they will retain their opinion that it is the only way to provide a person with a normal childhood, even though this marriage might not be happy or might not last. On the other hand, a child will feel better growing up with a same sex couple instead of growing up alone. The main things Post-modernism and Feminism are re-questioning in the modern society, love and marriage, are the most important things a child can look up to when growing up. If there is no love in a regular marriage, this marriage cannot provide a decent environment for a child's upbringing. However, if a same sex marriage provides a loving environment for the child, it should not be discriminated against, but rather encouraged to contribute to the harmonious development of a child without sexual or any other forms of prejudice.

Performance objectives Essay

Questions: 1. Discuss the significance of all of the five operations performance objectives (quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost) to VBA’s activities and explain which of these you consider to be the most important to build into the design of VBA’s processes 2. Explain how process technology helps this operation to achieve its objectives? 3. Sketch the flow of flowers in the VBA operation. Describe and explain what you think are the critical points in this flow? 1.1Objective Definition (Slack) Significance to VBA’ activities Rank Quality VBA’s service is based on the trust which it has established both with growers and buyers. This involves an implicit guarantee of the quality and freshness of the flowers. For example, VBA invest time and money into the laboratory services which give them the ability to assess flower quality levels. Without this quality guarantee buyers would not be willing to use the service. Speed Obviously the flowers cannot be kept within the total supply chain for too long, otherwise it would reduce their ‘shelf life’ when they†¦ Dependability In this case dependability means that a range and quantity of flowers are available for buyers to purchase if they wish and also that the company are able to guarantee to the growers that flowers will be available for sale at the time promised. Lack of dependability in terms of interruption to the supply of flowers would destroy the trust of both buyers and growers. Cost Cost is an important objective primarily to the company itself. The whole company’s operations are based on high volume. It is, after all, the largest operation of its type in the world. Also, the company have invested in the information technology and materials handling technology which standardizes the service, thus reducing costs further. However, cost is also important to the buyers. If the operation were not efficient, then the buyers may find it cheaper to buy directly from the growers. The transaction costs of VBA must be sufficiently low to prevent this happening. Flexibility United Flower Auctions, Aalsmeer Introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CK2TatM_U We love getting flowers; they are a symbol of celebration. When you have achieved something, when you are turning 21, when you are in love, when you have graduated†¦ Flowers are big business in Holland. The ‘Verenigde Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer’ translates to the United Flower Auction in Aalsmeer. Most of the flowers purchased in the world are auctioned on a daily basis at the Aalsmeer facilities. This happens by bringing supply and demand together by means of the auction clock, a fascinating process during which large and small batches of flowers are sold within fractions of seconds. In five auction halls, over a thousand wholesalers bid on trainloads of flowers as they cruise slowly by. The flower auction in Aalsmeer is the largest trading center for plants and flowers in the world. Around 21 million flowers are sold daily with a 15% increase around occasions like Valentine’s Day and Mothers’ day. The building of the flower auction is only a stone’s throw from Schiphol airport and one of the largest buildings by floor space in the world, it boasts an area of more than 630,000 square meters – bigger than 120 football fields. The five operations performance objectives Performance objectives are the generic set of performance indicators that can be used to set the objectives or judge the performance of any type of the operation, although there are alternative lists proposed by different authorities, the five performance objectives as used in the book of Slack et al. (2010: 40) are quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost. These performance objectives are the specific aspects of performance on which an operation is judged. What does the customer think is important? In the case of VBA, the operations performance objectives that are the most important to build into the design process are speed, quality and dependability (reliability). Speed: According to Slack et al. (2010: 42), ‘speed’ is the†¦ Answers to: â€Å"VBA United Flower Auction, Aarlsmeer, Holland† 1. Which of the five operations performance objectives (quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost) are the most important to build into the design of VBA’s process and why? To some extent, this is a matter of opinion. However, the company itself would place quality very much at the top of the list and flexibility towards the bottom, as follows: Quality: VBA’s service is based on the trust which it has established both with growers and buyers. This involves an implicit guarantee of the quality and freshness of the flowers. For example, VBA invest time and money into the laboratory services which give them the ability to assess flower quality levels. Without this quality guarantee buyers would not be willing to use the service. Cost: Cost is an important objective primarily to the company itself. The whole company’s operations are based on high volume. It is, after all, the largest operation of its type in the world. Also, the company have invested in the information technology and materials handling technology which standardizes the service, thus reducing costs further. However, cost is also important to the buyers. If the operation were not efficient, then the buyers may find it  cheaper to buy directly from the growers. The transaction costs of VBA must be sufficiently low to prevent this happening. Dependability: In this case dependability means that a range and quantity of flowers are available for buyers to purchase if they wish and also that the company are able to guarantee to the growers that flowers will be available for sale at the time promised. Lack of dependability in terms of interruption to the supply of flowers would destroy the trust of both buyers and growers. Speed: Speed is only important up to a point. Obviously the flowers cannot be kept within the total supply chain for too long, otherwise it would reduce their ‘shelf life’ when they†¦ 1) Analysing VBA’s main activity it is possible to clearly define the 5 operations performance objectives and which of these are the most important for the company’s business and to maintain a leadership position in the sector. the company itself would place quality very much at the top of the list and flexibility towards the bottom, as follows: QUALITY: VBA’s service is based on the trust which it has established both with growers and buyers. This involves an implicit guarantee of the quality and freshness of the flowers: ïÆ'   a quality inspection is in fact made by VBA staff to check if the characteristics of the flowers are conformant to the description entered on the delivery forms by the grower, that are attached to each trolley. ïÆ'   to maintain the flowers fresh and in perfect conditions VBA helds the flowers in cooled storage areas to avoid them to perish Without this quality guarantee buyers would not be willing to use the service. Doing things right by providing error free goods and services, which will satisfy the customers, is known as ‘quality’. VBA operations have to export their flowers to be perishable and so they made the quality inspection by VBA staff and kept in cool storage place. COST: Cost is another very important objective to the company itself. VBA manages to operate with very low costs (about 5% of the turnover). LowCost is also  important to the buyers. If the operation were not efficient, then the buyers may find it cheaper to buy directly from the growers. The transaction costs of VBA must be sufficiently low to prevent this happening. To achieve this performance objective, that allows very high profit for the company, VBA has invested in the information technology and materials handling technology. This standardizes the service and is able to deal with the complexity of the operation due to the high volumesïÆ'   every day in fact there are 17 million cut flowers and two million plants to handle. ompanies compete with prices is ‘cost’. Low price is a universal attractive objective to customers, which can be achieved by producing goods at lower costs. In order to ‘do things cheaply’. The high level of computerization and automation of material flow allow VBA to operate with low cost at high speed and dependability. SPEED: Thanks to its developed process technology VBA manages to achieve another important performance objective: speed. Obviously the flowers cannot be kept within the total supply chain for too long, otherwise it would reduce their ‘shelf life’. For this reason it is important to do things quickly in response to customer demand. This objective is fundamental together with quality and cost because it allows VBA to handle about 1000 transactions per hour with 13 clocks, making it very convenient for the grower aswell. erformance objective speed means doing fast, it means to minimize the time between the order and the availability of the product or service that gives the customer speed advantage.VBA are focused operations to reduce difficulty by having ten thousand people to work at the center to handle seventeen million flowers and two million plants by their information processing technology. DEPENDABILITY : The ability to deliver products and services in accordance with promises made to customers is another important performance objective for VBA. In this case dependability means that: a range and quantity of flowers are available for buyers to purchase if and  when they wish that VBA is able to guarantee to the growers that flowers will be available for sale at the time promisedïÆ'   that the flowers will be in the shops in Holland, London, Paris, Berlin and New York as soon as possible, for the customers to buy them. Lack of dependability in terms of interruption to the supply of flowers would destroy the trust of both buyers and growers. To do the things in time for customers to receive their goods or services when they are promised this performance objective known as dependability. In VBA everything tiered to the auction computer so that each buyer can have uninterrupted view of the flower and price. FLEXIBILITY: regarding this performance objective, the flexibility can be measured in the capability of responding to a dynamic environment, changing their products and services and changing the way they do business. The whole bidding process by VBA including processing time takes only a few seconds and the lots are distributed on the trolleys to the appropriate packing and loading Ares.