American Colonies Political Science Research Paper

American Colonies Political Science - Research Paper Example The American Revolution started in the latter half of the 18th century and spanned a total of ten years from 1775-1785. It was a political revolution which resulted in the merging of the thirteen North American British colonies to form the United States of America. The upheaval and political unrest sparked by the series of high taxes imposed by the British, lack of colonial representation in the British government and the enforcement of illegitimate Laws, were some of the reasons why England never would have held onto the United States1. Overview of British Empire: The British Empire at its peak was the most influential and massive empire in world history, at one time it was designated as a global power. The extensiveness of the empire can be estimated from the fact that it was referred to as ‘the empire On which the sun never sets’. This was because the Empire spanned an extensive area around the globe which ensured that at any given time at least one of the colonies ha d the sun shining on it. The European age of discovery, characterized by global expeditions of Spain and Portugal, resulted in the formation of British Empire. Many historians believe that by 1921, the British were ruling a population of over 550 million people, which accounts for about quarter of the world’s population. ... ion to rule quarter of the world and they were merely looking for appropriate places to send their convicts to, searching for gold and trying to establish trade relations. However, during the process of attaining these objectives, British soon discovered that they rule approximately quarter of the Earth’s land area. By 1970, the extensive British Empire also consisted of thirteen American colonies extending from Georgia to New Hampshire.2 American Revolution: The British would never have been able to hold on to its colonies especially the American colonies even if it really wanted to because of many reasons such as the lack of elected representation in the British Parliament. The colonial rule research helped me identify the major problems Britain was facing while it was governing America. The era of American Revolution started in the year 1763, and coincided with the British victory at the French and Indian War. The British victory eliminated the threat which the American col onies had from the French military forces. Soon after the War ended, British Parliament expressed the desire to increase the amount of money that the colonies were paying for protection. Therefore, British imposed a series of high taxes and certain other Laws in an attempt to strengthen its authority on the colonies. Ironically, these attempts proved to be the precursors for political upheaval and unrest. On the other hand, American colonies lacked representation in the government which inevitably led to insecurity among the Americans. Many colonists believed that their right and interests as Englishmen were violated by the enforcement of a series of illegitimate Laws. By 1772, hatred against the governing British Parliament had prevailed to the extent that colonists began to form Committees of

Assessing and Managing Supply Chain Risks

Assessing and Managing Supply Chain Risks 1. Introduction The current trend of outsourcing to low cost countries combined with supplier base reduction has provided significant cost reductions for businesses. However, globalization and implementation of more streamlined supply chains have increased risks for companies when acquiring goods and services needed for their operations. By the term risk is meant a chance of facing undesired consequences such as damage, loss, or injury. More scientifically, risk is defined as the combined probability for an undesired event and the potential damage the event might cause. This definition, or variations of this definition, has been applied by a number of researcher investigating risk (March and Shapira, 1987; Zsidisin, 2003; Spekman and Davis, 2004; Wagner and Bode, 2006; Ritchie and Brindley, 2007). The detrimental effects does not have to be existential to the companies, but typically they cause lost sales, decreased market share and large contractual penalties for the parties affected (Zsidisin, 200 3). A very well-know example of such a detrimental effect is the $400 mill loss suffered by the Swedish cell phone manufacturer Ericsson due to a lightning bolt which struck their sub-supplier of semi-conductors (Latour, 2001). Another example is the battle against the foot-and-mouth disease in the UK agricultural industry during the year 2001. This event temporarily paralyzed the agricultural industry, while the tourism industry suffered great losses. Even luxury car manufacturers such as Volvo and Jaguar were affected since deliveries of quality leather used in various parts in the car compartment were temporarily stopped (Norrman and Jansson, 2004). A general ban on sale and export of British pigs, sheep and cattle was introduced during the outbreak. The tourism industry also suffered as many tourists changed their vacation plans due to transport bans and detergent washing of cars, boots and clothing in affected regions. Similarly, the fruit company Dole lost over $100 million dollars when a hurricane caused massive damage to the area in Central America where their banana suppliers were located (Griffy-Brown, 2003). The outbreak of SARS in Southeast Asia affected various industries such as the electronics industry, retailing, tourism, and the airline industry with losses at the national level stipulated to $38 billion just for Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand (Overby et al., 2004). The economic impact of the hurricane Katrina is stipulated to $100-125 billion. More than half of that amount is due to the flooding of New Orleans which paralyzed industry and disrupted normal living conditions in the affected areas (Boettke et al., 2007). However, the most famous of such disruptive events is probably the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001, which caused immediate financial losses and initiated a massive restructuring of the airline industry (Bhadra and Texter, 2004). The above mentioned examples illustrate that supply chains may not be well prepared for dealing with unanticipated events causing disruption in sub-systems of supply chain networks. The traditional cost-efficiency focus of supply chain systems have led companies to eliminate buffers in the form of inventories and multiple sourcing throughout the network. However, this has also led them to remove mechanisms in the supply chain which previously moderated the effects of undesired, disruptive events in the chain. An alternative approach is to introduce more agility in the supply chain. This approach has successfully been applied as a response to the fact that more and more market places in the twenty-first century require a proliferation of products and services, shorter product life cycles and increased demand for innovation (Narasimhan, Swink and Kim, 2006). In agile supply chains, stock out penalties occur immediately in the form of lost sales and the key performance measure is no lon ger productivity or cost, but customer satisfaction. Traditional stable partnerships are substituted with more fluid clusters where partners enter and leave the network at a more rapid pace. In general, there is also a focus on operator self-management to maximize the actors autonomy (Mason-Jones, Naylor and Towill, 1999). The actors higher level of autonomy in agile supply chains makes them better able to respond to changes in supplies upstream as they have no or few bindings keeping them from changing to alternative sources of supply. However, supply chain companies dealing with commodity goods rather than fashion goods can not necessarily be expected to have the same degree of freedom. Their day-to-day competition would require them to eliminate all forms of waste to remain competitive. Any cost driving measure to mediate or avoid risk such as excess production capacity, excess inventory, and increased supplier base would therefore have to be weighed against the expected costs of future unknown disruptive events. To do this, a proactive identification of potential supply and demand hazards is required at a strategic level. The point is to identify where unanticipated risk events have the biggest impact on the supply chain network, identify the type and number of risks, their associated costs, and as sess alternative counter-measures to improve the resilience of the supply chain. The intent of this conceptual paper is to establish a decision framework in order to aid the proactive identification and management of potential upstream and downstream supply and demand hazards. The framework is developed based on a broad variety of literature integrating multiple perspectives on risk from supply chain management, marketing, and organizations theory. The risk framework presented separates itself from previous efforts in its comprehensiveness, and it has been designed to match the supply chain management framework developed by the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF). Previous categorization attempts have usually only presented sub-sets of risk factors and have not paid much attention to how supply chain risks can be dealt with proactively. For instance, Zsidisin (2003) listed a number of useful supply risk characteristics and classified them into characteristics belonging to items, markets and suppliers based on the results of a case study. Item characteristics included impact on profitability and the newness of product application, while market characteristics involved global sourcing, capacity constraints, market price fluctuation, and number of qualified suppliers. Risks associated with suppliers were capacity constraints, inability to reduce costs, incompatible information systems, quality problems, cycle times, and volume and mix requirements changes. However, Zsidisins list of supply risk characteristics did not contain important risk elements such as behavioral appearance of supply chain actors and risks associated with skills and qualities of the individual supply chain organizations, nor did it pay much attention to mitigation of risk events. In addition, the network perspective of supply chain management was not evident in the sense that an event can appear several tiers away from the focal organization but still damage the organization via an unknown dependence. Spekman and Davis (2004) also discussed a typology for categorizing risks. They found that risk lies inherent in every supply chain flow of goods, information, and money and they mentioned many of the same risk characteristics as in Zsidisin (2003). In addition, criminal acts and breach of norms were included as risk elements in the supply chain. However, they did not focus much on actions to minimize or avoid the effects of undesired events. Dealing with risk was eventually reduced to the introduction of buffers or building trust. An exception is made for the management of security risks where they briefly mention the necessity of proactive planning to avoid such risks. Another example is Peck (2005) who reported from an empirical study where the sources and drivers of supply chain vulnerability were investigated. She used the knowledge achieved to develop a multi-level framework for risk analysis and did not put much emphasis on identifying individual risk characteristics and tactics to improve the supply chains resilience. However, the framework illustrated in an intuitive manner how unanticipated and undesirable events at other nodes in a network could influence and cause problems at different levels for a focal company via dependencies. Kleindorfer and Saad (2005) also attempted to provide a conceptual framework to assess risk and introduced three tasks as the foundation of risk management. These were Specifying sources of risk and vulnerabilities, Assessment, and Mitigation. The sources of risk and vulnerability were thereafter divided into operational contingencies, natural hazards, and terrorism and political instability. Kleindorfer and Saad (2005) did not elaborate in much detail on which risks to include in each of these categories, thus from a practical risk assessment point of view, the model becomes less interesting. In a similar vein, Ritchie and Brindley (2007) developed a framework to encapsulate the main strands of supply chain risk management. They distinguished between seven sources of risk, but were not specific about which risks to expect in each category and they were not very detailed in their description of risk avoidance or mediation tactics. In stead, they used their general model as a guide in an exploratory case study where the purpose was to focus on supply chain members degree of awareness of supply chain risks, and how supply chain members identified and responded to identified risks. Ring and Van De Ven (1992) developed a framework for structuring cooperative relationships between organizations based on varying degree of risk and reliance on trust. They based their paper on the assumption that the degree of risk inherent in any transaction depends in the direct proportion to decreases in time, information, and control. Examples provided were commercial risk (risk of not finding a price-performance niche in the market), technological risk (probability of bringing the technology to market), scientific risk (lack of knowledge), engineering uncertainty (will the technology work?), and corporate risk. By corporate risk they referred to the risk of wrong allocation of resources in the organization. However, these types of risk are strongly connected with internal managerial and organizational skills of the focal company, and thus cover only a small portion of the risk concept from a supply chain management perspective. Risks arising from process sharing and network inf licted risks were barely mentioned. In summary, a higher level of precision in supply chain risk assessment frameworks combined with normative guidelines for risk avoidance seems present in extant literature. This call has formally been put forth by Harland, Brenchley and Walker (2003) who provided an easy-to-follow procedure for risk assessment in supply chain networks. They concluded that more managerial guidance is required to support risk management and redesigning of supply strategies to incorporate risk strategies . An attempt to answer this call has been made in the following sections. Mapping of risks in the supply chain has been emphasized combined with a discussion of tactics for risk mitigation and risk avoidance. In essence, this covers steps two to four in the model by Harland, Brenchley and Walker (2003) (Figure 1). Guidance for mapping of the supply chain is the main goal for many of the supply chain management frameworks recently developed. Mapping of the supply chain has therefore only received limited attention in this paper, but references to some well-known supply chain frameworks are provided. Steps five and six have been left for the managers to decide as the strategy formation and implementation would be situation specific and dependent on the outcome of steps one to four. 2. Research method The framework is developed based on a literature review where multiple perspectives on risk from marketing theory, organizations theory, and supply chain management have been integrated into a composite supply chain risk framework. Relevant contributions were identified through library searches and key word searches in Proquest and ScienceDirect databases. Search words were used either alone or in combination to find contributions which could bring added insight about risk from different theoretical perspectives. Key word searches typically included words such as supply chain management, marketing, or organization theory, and words such as risk, framework, uncertainty, vulnerability, resilience, etc. A large number of research contributions were identified from this procedure and contributions were further selected based on a qualitative assessment of the title and abstract of each identified contribution. A guideline for the literature review was to find an answer to the question what do we know from theory which could be relevant for supply chain managers in their efforts to identify and reduce the level of risk in their supply chains? The emphasis on theory was decided since an exploratory empirical investigation would be descriptive of current practices which would not fit with the normative purpose of this investigation. Ex post empirical testing of the entire framework in a single study were also considered difficult to accomplish due to the amount of risk factors included. However, a varying degree of empirical validity is offered through the previous empirical testing performed by the researchers referenced. Some empirical guidance and initial face validity was also provided through discussions with the general director of a sub-supplier to the Norwegian oil and gas industry. 3. Supply chain management and risk The term supply chain management (SCM) has primarily been linked to the study of either internal supply chains integrating internal business functions, the management of two party relationships with tier one suppliers, the management of a chain of businesses or with the management of a network of interconnected businesses (Harland, 1996). Transaction cost analysis (TCA), organization theory (OT) and relational marketing (RM) literature have contributed substantially to the development of SCM research (Croom, Romano and Giannakis, 2000). However, a definition of SCM given by the members of the Global Supply Chain Forum states that Supply chain management is the integration of key business processes from end user through original suppliers that provides products, services, and information that add value for customers and other stakeholders. This distinguishes SCM from the previous mentioned theories since it is the network or chain perspective which is emphasized (Lambert, Cooper and P agh, 1998). 3.1. Mapping the supply chain In order to be able to assess risk in a focal companys supply chain, a thorough insight is required about how the supply chain is configured. A number of frameworks have been developed for the purpose of achieving such knowledge, but Lambert, GarcÃÆ'Â ­a-Dastugue and Croxton (2005) identified only five frameworks which recognized the need to implement business processes among supply chain actors. Such implementation is considered a key area where supply chain management can offer improvement to supply chain actors (Hammer, 2001). However, only two of the five frameworks provided sufficient details to be implemented in practice (Lambert, GarcÃÆ'Â ­a-Dastugue and Croxton, 2005). On the other hand, these two frameworks are both supported by major corporations which indicate a high level of face validity. The first framework is the SCOR model developed by the Supply-Chain Council (SCC, 2008). The SCOR model focuses on five different processes which should eventually be connected across firms in the supply chain. These are the plan, source, make, deliver, and return processes. The second framework was developed by the Global Supply Chain Forum in 1996 and was presented in the literature in 1997 and 1998 (Cooper, Lambert and Pagh, 1997; Lambert, Cooper and Pagh, 1998). Similar to the SCOR model, the GSCF model focuses on a set of distinct business processes to be shared among business organizations. However, a main difference between the two supply chain frameworks is their linkage to corporate strategy. While the SCOR framework emphasizes operations strategy, little reference is made to organizations corporate strategies. The GSCF framework, on the other hand, directly links with the corporate and functional strategies of the companies and thus offers a wider scope (Lambert, GarcÃÆ'Â ­a-Dastugue and Croxton, 2005). Since risk is inherent at every level of an organization, and should be considered also at the strategic level, the GSCF framework was chosen as a starting point for our development of a supply chain risk management framework. 3.2. Identify risk and its location In the GSCF framework, supply chain management consists of three inter-related elements: 1) the structure of the supply chain network, 2) the management components governing the shared supply chain processes, and 3) the different types of processes linked among supply chain actors. Who to link with, which processes to link, and what level of integration and management should be applied are considered key decisions for successful management of supply chains (Lambert, Cooper and Pagh, 1998). From a supply chain risk management perspective, these managerial questions make way for three propositions regarding risk and the focal company. The first proposition concerns the unpredictability of human nature when processes are shared with others. The second concerns the vulnerabilities created because of dependencies between multiple network actors, and the third refers to the skills and qualities of the different supply chain actors organization and management. Stated formally: P1: A focal companys exposure to supply chain risk depends on the level of human behavior unpredictability in the supply chain and the impact such unpredictability can have on the companys supply chain. P2: A focal companys exposure to risk depends on the number and strength of dependencies in its supply chain and the impact an external risk event may have on the company. P3: A focal companys exposure to risk depends on the supply chain actors skills and qualities to identify potential risks in advance and to solve risk situations once they occur. Although they address different aspects of risk to a focal company, the propositions are closely related. For instance, without the existence of network dependencies, behavioral unpredictability at another supply chain actor becomes irrelevant. Similarly, the focal company does not have to worry about the skills and qualities of other supply chain actors because there is always another alternative to select. Also, an increase in the supply chain actors skills and qualities will indirectly reduce the level of human unpredictability since it rules out some of the mistakes humans can make; however, it does not rule out the focal companys uncertainty about other supply chain actors intended strategic actions. The relationship between the propositions has been outlined as arrows in Figure 2. Each category between the arrows refers to a more precise definition of the risks mentioned in the propositions. The categories follow the naming convention in the GSCF framework, and together, they c onstitute a holistic representation of supply chain risks relevant for successful supply chain management. The formal definitions for the three types of supply chain risk in Figure 2 are provided below and explained in the subsequent sections: Supply chain processes risk refers to the perceived risk of other companies in the supply chain behaving intentionally or unintentionally in a manner which could be harmful to the company. Supply chain structure risk is closely linked with the total number and type of dependencies in the network. It is a measure for the level of significant detrimental effects an undesired and unanticipated event can have on a companys supply chain network. This event can occur externally or internally to a local market or industry and affect either a single node or a multitude of nodes simultaneously. Supply chain components risk refers to the technical, managerial and organizational abilities each supply chain actor has developed in order to embrace opportunities, detect and avoid potential supply chain disruptions, and to mediate the effects of a disruption once it has occurred. 3.3. Supply chain processes risk A focal companys exposure to supply chain risk will, according to proposition one, depend on the level of human behavior unpredictability and the impact such unpredictability can have on the companys supply chain. When companies begin to explore the competitive advantage of accessing and managing processes belonging to other companies in the chain, they therefore need to identify how the sharing of a process can change its vulnerability to unanticipated events and agree on strategic actions to reduce the processes vulnerability. The main factors to consider when processes are shared with other actors are shown in Figure 3 and explained below. In general, the sharing of processes across tiers in a network can be problematic since it simultaneously makes the focal company more vulnerable to risk. Under working market conditions, each actor is free to choose its trading partner for every transaction. A natural moderating effect on risk therefore exists since there is no dependency on other specific actors in the network. However, when companies begin to integrate processes, as prescribed by supply chain management literature, they distance themselves from the market by creating lock-in effects with selected partners due to the specificity of tangible and intangible assets deployed. From a transaction cost theory point-of-view (Williamson, 1975, 1985), specific investments in shared processes must be protected against the risk of possible opportunistic behavior from the other actor in each partnership. Opportunistic behavior refers to actors self-interest seeking with guile (Williamson, 1975) where guile means lying, stealing, cheating, and calculated efforts to mislead, distort, disguise, obfuscate, or otherwise confuse (Williamson, 1985). In practice, this type of supplier behavior would materialize in hazards like broken promises, production delays, increased costs, production shortcuts, and masking of inadequate or poor quality (Provan and Skinner, 1989; Wathne and Heide, 2000). Any uncertainty of whether the suppliers behave, or would attempt to behave, opportunistically therefore increases the impression of risk to the actor performing the risk assessment[1]. However, transaction cost theory has been criticized for its assumption of opportunistic decision makers. Critics argue that it is a too simplistic and pessimistic assumption about human behavior, and that opportunism represents the exception rather than the rule (Macneil, 1980; Granovetter, 1985; Chisholm, 1989). John (1984) also argued that undesired attitude such as hard bargaining, intense and frequent disagreements, and similar conflictual behaviors do not constitute opportunism unless an agreement has been reached of not to do so. In addition, even well-meant behavioral actions by one party may have negative effects for another party in the supply chain. The perception of risk linked with human behavior where processes are shared can therefore not be restricted to a matter of opportunism alone, but needs to include any kind of undesired human behavior whether it is opportunistic, undesirable or well-intended, but still potentially harmful. It has been suggested that behavioral uncertainty can be reduced with the introduction of formal and informal safeguards to the relationship. In a successful relationship, relational rules of conduct work to enhance the well-being of the relationship as a whole and take explicit account for the historical and social context within which an exchange takes place (Heide and John, 1992). Flexibility among the parties, solidarity, information exchange, and long-term orientation are norms typically associated with, and referred to, as relational safeguarding mechanisms in contemporary research (Ivens, 2002). The presence of these norms in a relationship has been found to improve the efficiency of relationships and to reduce parties behavioral uncertainty (Heide and John, 1992). Alternatively, ownership, or some form of contractual command-obedience authority structure can be used to protect against inherent behavioral uncertainty. Vertical integration has traditionally been prescribed by transaction cost literature as an answer to handle uncertainty in repeated transactions when there are specific investments involved (Williamson, 1975, 1985). However, Stinchcombe (1985) found that the safeguarding features of hierarchical relationships can be built into contracts as well. These features included authority systems, incentive systems, standard operating procedures, dispute resolution procedures, and non-market internal pricing. It should be noted that advanced pricing mechanisms used can include agreed risk sharing and paying an insurance premium to a third party to protect against the financial consequences of a business interruption (Li and Kouvelis, 1999; Doherty and Schlesinger, 2002). However, a prerequisite for risk transfer mitigation to work is the a bility to clearly define the type, cause and boundaries for when the agreed risk transfer applies. Also, well defined standard operating procedures are particularly important since they indirectly describe the non-conformance cases. Breaches in quality performance or EHS procedures, shipment inaccuracies, delivery times, etc. by the focal company or another party are indications of reduced control over the supply chain. Hence, an increased frequency of such incidents in other nodes in the network will lead to an impression of greater behavioral uncertainty and supply chain risk. The impression of risk when processes are shared would naturally depend on the degree of lock-in which exists between two parties. A second risk factor in supply chain processes risk therefore refers to the criticality of specific nodes in the network (Craighead et al., 2007). More precisely, critical nodes are actors in the supply chain responsible for delivery of critical components or important subsystems where the number of supplier choices is limited. However, a node can be critical even though there may be little dependence in day-to-day operations. The increased popularity of outsourcing to third parties necessarily increases other actors involvement in the companys material and information flow. But, since both information and materials represent a form of capital investment, this also means that other actors in some cases handle large parts of a companys tied-up capital either in the form of information or in the form of goods. This risk is called degree of capital seizure in the framework. For instance, it is generally not very difficult to switch from one supplier of IT-server capacity to another, but the dependence on the supplier of server capacity can prove severe if sloppy routines at the supplier destroy the electronic database stored. A similar logic applies for other actors with control over much of the companys information and material flow. Large distribution centers are one example. A typical risk event would be a fire causing damage to much of the companys goods stored; however, such an event would not be attributable to the processes shared and is therefore not a supply chain process risk. Instead, such a risk event has been characterized as external to the network and described under supply chain structure risk. However, another example would be the distribution centre not informing the focal company of a changed general staff leave. This would be a breach in the supplier relationship management process because it is a deviation from expected service leve ls in that particular period. 3.4. Supply chain structure risk The decision of who to link with in a network requires an explicit knowledge and understanding of the supply chain network configuration. According to proposition two, this includes a thorough comprehension of the risk inflicted upon the company because of dependencies established in relationship with other network actors. Therefore, the supply chain manager needs to assess how vulnerable the company is to unanticipated changes in the network and its exogenous environment. Dependencies are created with individual partners in the network and the level of dependency must therefore be assessed for each node. However, attributes of the network configuration itself may increase or reduce the impression of risk. A field risk category and a network complexity risk category have been created to reflect this duality. Field risk includes risk factors which are exogenous to the network, and not endogenously created as in supply chain process risk. Field risk is assessed for each node, but supply chain structure risk must also take the complexity of the network into consideration. For instance, geographically dense nodes within a network may represent a great risk to a company even though each actor itself may not be very important. This is similar to the Dole example mentioned in the introduction where a hurricane destroyed the banana harvest in the area where Dole had most of its suppliers (Griffy-Brown, 2003). Network complexity risk refers to decision makers perceiving large networks as more uncertain since the involvement of more actors and more people implicitly includes more things which can go wrong (Craighead et al., 2007). This perception naturally becomes even stronger when the number and strength of identified critical nodes under supply chain processes risk is high. However, if a focal company is engaged in several sub-networks of supply and demand, this would moderate the perception of risk similar to the basic idea of diversification in modern portfolio theory. The reason is that the company can rest on several independent business pillars and prosper with the remaining pillars while the problem in the failing supply chain is sorted out. Field risk factors such as currency fluctuations, political or legal changes, environmental, and social risks are external to the supply chain network, and refer to the country or region where suppliers, or clusters of suppliers, are located (JÃÆ'Â ¼tner, Peck and Christopher, 2002). Climate changes, in particular in combination with population growth, should receive attention since such changes may alter and threaten the living conditions in large regions of the world with serious effects on both the supply side and demand side to companies (Gilland, 2002; Yea, 2004; Leroy, 2006). An undesirable side-effect of global trade is that supply chains have become significantly more vulnerable to both organized and unorganized crime. Although cargo thefts have not yet caused major supply chain disruptions, the extent of such crime is steadily increasing and should receive attention from a proactive risk management perspective particularly if shipment of critical components is part of the day-to-day operations (Caton, 2006; Barnett, 2007). Another type of crime is abduction of key personnel for ransom money. Kidnappings are mentally challenging to the abducted and the organizations they work for, and can strain organizational resources for a substantial amount of time after a kidnapping incident. In addition, if a decision to pay ransom money is made, the amount required could be financially problematic to smaller companies. This type of crime has generally been associated with Latin America; however, experts have anticipated that such kidnappings will spread to other parts of the world (O Hare, 1994). Although no scientific follow-up study has been identified

John Donne Essay -- John Donne Biography Poets Poetry Essays

John Donne John Donne had a rich life full of travel, women and religion. Donne was born in 1572 on Bread Street in London. The family was Roman Catholic which was dangerous during this time when Catholicism was being abolished and protestant was taking over. Donne’s farther was an iron monger who died in 1576. At 11 Donne and his younger brother went to university and studied there for three years then he went to Cambridge for a further three years. He left without any degrees because as a Catholic he could not swear the ‘Oath of Supremacy’, which made you swear an oath declaring Henry VIII as head of the Church of England, Donne refused to swear this. In 1592 Donne joined a law practice and a legal career seemed ahead of him. In 1593 Donne’s brother Henry died of a fever in prison after being arrested for sheltering a catholic priest, John Donne then started to question his faith and wonder why his brother who was doing g-ds will would be allowed to be arrested and die in jail. As both his farther and brother had now passed away Donne inherited a considerable amount of money, which he spent on women, travelling and other pleasurable pursuits. In 1596 Donne joined a naval expedition against the Spanish Armada. One year later he sailed to the Azores. Often in John Donne’s poems they include his travels and experiences for instance in the poem ‘To his mistress going to bed’ he says ‘license my roving hands and let them go†¦ O America! My new found land[1] Donne possibly means that the woman in front of him is a new land waiting to be discovered and explored. In 1598 Donne was appointed Private Secretary to Sir Thomas Egaton. This meant he was on the road to a promising career. Later in 1601 John Don... ...is writing and how he thought also how he was conflicted throughout out his life about whether he should convert or not and risk a lifetime in hell and eternal damnation to further his career. I hope you enjoyed my essay. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] To his mistress going to bed, by John Donne, John Donne â€Å"Everyman’s poetry† [2] The Flea, by John Donne, â€Å"Complete English Poems†, Everyman [3] The Canonisation, by John Donne â€Å"Complete English poems† Everyman [4] ibid. [5] Hymn to g-d the Father by John Donne, ibid. [6] ibid. [7] ibid. [8] The Good Morrow, by John Donne ibid [9] The Sonne Rising by John Donne, â€Å"John Donne† Everyman’s Poetry. [10] A Valediction Forbidding Mourning, by John Donne, ibid [11] To his mistress going to bed, by John Donne, ibid. [12] ibid [13] ibid

Framework and Ethical Dispositions Comparison Matrix Essay

The professional educator accepts personal responsibility for teaching students character qualities that will help them evaluate the consequences of and accept the responsibility for their actions and choices. (AAE, 2014) Educators should be committed to the profession of teaching and learning. They should be professionally active, life-long learners and seek opportunities for professional development. (COE-GCU Framework, 2014) Priority ranking : 1 I believe an individual who has the calling on their heart to teach, should be dedicated to his/her students. They should be dedicated to their profession just the same so as to further their education in any manner possible, thus better educating the students. The professional educator accepts personal responsibility for teaching students character qualities that will help them evaluate the consequences of and accept the responsibility for their actions and choices. (AAE, 2014) The professional educator, in exemplifying ethical relations with colleagues, accords just and equitable treatment to all members of the profession. (AAE, 2014) Educators should model integrity by their words and actions. They should be forthright with others and uphold high standards of trust, character, and integrity. (COE-GCU Framework, 2014) Priority ranking : Honesty is key to all facets of one’s life. Honesty is imperative, for without it, a teacher cannot be trusted by a co-worker, a parent and most of all, the student. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32 (KJV) The professional educator assumes responsibility and accountability for his or her performance and continually strives to demonstrate competence. The professional educator endeavors to maintain the dignity of the profession by respecting and obeying the law, and by demonstrating personal integrity. The professional educator, in exemplifying ethical relations with colleagues, accords just and equitable treatment to  all members of the profession. The professional educator endeavors to understand and respect the values and traditions of the diverse cultures represented in the community and in his or her classroom. (AAE, 2014) Educators should exercise sound judgment and ethical behavior. They should be a positive role model within their community. (COE-GCU Framework, 2014) Priority ranking : I believe the teacher is the role model within the classroom and should conduct their attitude and behavior with this fact in mind. Although it is my contention that a student’s role model should be the parent at home, this right is not afforded to all. Therefore, the teacher should conduct themselves with the realization that they may be the only Bible that a student may see†¦ or read. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ†¦ Philippians 1:27 The professional educator does not intentionally expose the student to disparagement. The professional educator endeavors to present facts without distortion, bias or personal prejudice. The professional educator endeavors to understand and respect the values and traditions of the diverse cultures represented in the community and in his or her classroom. (AAE, 2014) Educators should promote social justice and equity, maintain appropriate standards of confidentiality, and exercise fairness in all areas including assessment. (COE-GCU Framework, 2014) Priority ranking : Fairness is imperative within the classroom setting, so that each student sees they are getting the same equal opportunity to learn. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 (KJV). The professional educator assumes responsibility and accountability for his or her performance and continually strives to demonstrate competence. The professional educator continues professional growth. (AAE, 2014) Educators should believe that all students can learn and should set and support realistic expectations for student success. (COE-GCU Framework, 2014) Priority ranking : The student expects greatness of the teacher. The teacher expects greatness from each of his/her students. The teacher needs to have high expectations for themselves, so they can continually support the learning by the student. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13 The professional educator recognizes that quality education is the common goal of the public, boards of education, and educators, and that a cooperative effort is essential among these groups to attain that goal. The professional educator does not interfere with a colleague’s freedom of choice, and works to eliminate coercion that forces educators to support actions and ideologies that violate individual professional integrity. (AAE, 2014) Educators should demonstrate professional friendliness, warmth, and genuine caring in their relationships with others while providing intellectual, emotional, and spiritual support. (COE-GCU Framework, 2014) Priority ranking : For as self-involved as a student can seem, they are very aware of the attitude that an adult carries themselves with. Showing a genuine interest in each student and their interests outside the classroom can help a teacher better know how to educate the student. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (KJV). The professional educator deals considerately and justly with each student, and seeks to resolve problems, including discipline, according to law and school policy. The professional educator makes concerted efforts to communicate to parents all information that should be revealed in the interest of the student. (AAE, 2014) Educators should promote and support curiosity and encourage active inquiry. They should be able to think innovatively and creatively, using critical thinking as a problem-solving approach. (COE-GCU Framework, 2014) Priority  ranking : Curiosity can and should be resolved in the classroom so the student can learn. Curiosity on the part of the parent about their child – revealing the answers so they can better understand what and how their child is learning and progressing in their educational experience. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2 (KJV) References Association of American Educators’ Four Principles of Ethical Teachers, 2014. LaPrade, K., (2011). GCU College of Education Conceptual Framework, 16-20.

How English Language Has Brought Change to Urdu Language

As my group and I interviewed Amjad Islam Amjad we got to know several reasons for the changes that English has brought to the Urdu language over the period of time. The two I will be discussing are: * Differences in schooling. * Government role in making English as an official language. However these two reasons are interlinked. At sir Amjad’s time English was taught like a foreign language in schools, after the 5th or 6th grade and now it is taught since prep. In fact when a child is taken for an admission he/she is interviewed in English language and is expected to answer in English as well. Before people could easily and fluently interact in Urdu language and children could speak in Urdu without any code mixing and code switching. They had a command over their mother language but today translations into Urdu are even more difficult than English and are understood by even fewer people. Especially, children and young people find it easier to use English. The current generation believes that Urdu language brings orthodoxy and limits their scope and vision. To date, when a child enters the learning stage, he is taught words and things in English. Indeed parents try to use as much English vocabulary as they can so that their child learns and speaks the higher language of the society. Analysing the government’s part in bringing a change in the Urdu language, we see that it has played a vital role by declaring English as the official language. It should not be so; people have actually become confused about their mother language, first language and the second language. The Advisory Board of Education in its first meeting in 1948 had resolved that the mother tongue should be the medium of instruction at the primary stage. Also, a number of institutions were established or supported by the State to do basic work in Urdu: from coining new terms, to translations, to developing new tools and techniques to speed up its adoption as an official language. The Sharif Commission, formed in 1959, had recommended that both Urdu be used as a medium of instruction from Class VI onward and in this way, in about fifteen years, Urdu would reach a point of development where it would become the medium of instruction at the university level. The Commission clearly stated that until Urdu was ready to replace English, English should continue to be used for advanced study and research. Now, this statement served a purpose. It allowed confusion to take root in terms of how and when and by whom it would be determined that Urdu was ready to replace English. This was a convenient method of maintaining the status quo and English was given a fifteen-year lease. The 1973 Constitution of the Republic was propagated with Article 251 stating: (1) The National language of Pakistan is Urdu, and arrangements shall be made for its being used for official and other purposes within fifteen years from the commencing day. 2) Subject to clause (1), the English language may be used for official purposes until arrangements are made for its replacement by Urdu. The timing of the Constitution coincides with the lapse of the fifteen year lease given to English by the Sharif Commission and hence refreshes that lease for another fifteen years. The contradiction that emerged in Bhutto’s era was that on the one hand, he propagated a socialist ideology, nationalized industry and education, and stood for the rights of the po or. On the other hand, he did not make any effort to change the official language to include the poor in decision making. The elected governments of Benazir and Nawaz Sharif continued with parallel education systems and encouraged private sector English medium schools and higher educational institutions. One step that Benazir’s first government took was the introduction of English as a compulsory subject from Class I in all government schools on the plea that it would enhance opportunities for poor children. The implementation remained weak because there was no quality teaching available. In all parts of Pakistan, more public and private institutions are coming up and promoting the use of English. The recently held national education conference in Islamabad, attended by both the President and the Prime Minister, saw no single change in the government’s policy on language education and the medium of instruction. The primary issue is not the choice of a medium or various mediums of instruction. It is the language in which the affairs of the state are managed, legislation is drafted and decisions are made.

Jazz Singer Movie - The First Talkie

Jazz Singer Movie - The First Talkie When The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson,  was released as a feature-length movie on October 6, 1927, it was the first movie that included dialogue and music on the filmstrip itself. Adding Sounds to Film Before The Jazz Singer, there were silent films. Despite their name, these films were not silent for they were accompanied by music. Often, these films were accompanied by a live orchestra in the theater and from as early as 1900, films were often synchronized with musical scores that were played on amplified record players. The technology advanced in the 1920s when Bell Laboratories developed a way to allow an audio track to be placed on the film itself. This technology, called Vitaphone, was first used as a musical track in a film titled Don Juan in 1926. Although Don Juan had music and sound effects, there were no spoken words in the film. Actors Talking on Film When Sam Warner of the Warner Brothers planned The Jazz Singer, he anticipated that the film would use silent periods to tell the story and the Vitaphone technology would be used for the singing of music, just as the new technology had been used in Don Juan. However, during the filming of The Jazz Singer, superstar of the time Al Jolson ad-libbed dialogue in two different scenes and Warner liked the end result. Thus, when The Jazz Singer was released on October 6, 1927,  it became the first feature-length film (89 minutes long) to include dialogue on the filmstrip itself. The Jazz Singer made way for the future of talkies, which is what movies with audio soundtracks were called. So What Did Al Jolson Actually Say? The first words Jolson recites are: â€Å"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!† Jolson spoke 60 words in one scene and 294 words in another The rest of the film is silent, with words written on black, title cards just like in silent movies. The only sound (besides the few words by Jolson) are the songs. The Storyline of the Jazz Singer The Jazz Singer is a movie about Jakie Rabinowitz, the son of a Jewish cantor who wants to be a jazz singer but is pressured by his father to use his God-given voice to sing as a cantor. With five generations of Rabinowitz men as cantors, Jakies father (played by Warner Oland) is adamant that Jakie has no choice in the matter. Jakie, however, has other plans. After being caught singing raggy time songs at a beer garden, Cantor Rabinowitz gives Jakie a belt whipping. Thats the last straw for Jakie; he runs away from home. After setting off on his own, adult Jakie (played by Al Jolson) works hard to become a success in the field of jazz. He meets a girl, Mary Dale (played by May McAvoy), and she helps him improve his act. As Jakie, now known as Jack Robin, becomes increasingly successful, he continues to crave the support and love of his family. His mother (played by Eugenie Besserer) supports him, but his father is disgusted that his son wants to be a jazz singer. The climax of the movie revolves around a dilemma. Jakie must choose between starring in a Broadway show or returning to his deathly ill father and singing Kol Nidre at the synagogue. Both occur on the very same night. As Jakie says in the film (on a title card), Its a choice between giving up the biggest chance of my life and breaking my mothers heart. This dilemma resonated with audiences for the 1920s were full of such decisions. With the older generation holding tight to tradition, the newer generation was rebelling, becoming flappers, listening to jazz, and dancing the Charleston. Ultimately, Jakie couldnt break his mothers heart and so he sang Kol Nidre that night. The Broadway show was canceled. There is a happy ending though we see Jakie starring in his own show just a few months later. Al Jolsons Blackface   In the first of two scenes where Jakie is struggling with his choice, we see Al Jolson applying black makeup all over his face (except for near his lips) and then covering his hair with a wig. Although unacceptable today, the concept of blackface was popular at the time. The movie ends with Jolson again in blackface, singing My Mammy.

Essay Sample on Marketing Plan Writing Based on the Coca-Cola Company

Essay Sample on Marketing Plan Writing Based on the Coca-Cola Company Marketing plan A marketing plan is a detailed, researched and written report that a business uses in order to outline the actions that should be taken to customers and clients and measures taken to persuade them to purchase the product. It communicates to the customers on the value of goods and services. Marketing personnel evaluate the results marketing decisions made in previous years and the market in which a business operates in order to make the right decisions .They also set goals that provide direction on how marketing should be carried out. Coca-Cola Company success has been attributed by a well structured marketing plan. Marketing plan prepared by the management determines how well it will exist in the market. Product identification A brief discussion is made concerning an existing or new product of a business in the marketing plan. Product identification involves knowing the identity of a product from its source of production, raw materials used in production, work –in- progress, finished product storage and the delivery of the products to the customers. Identification of a product can be controlled through electronic and physical methods. Product decisions should include products brand name, quality, and scope of the product line, warranty and its mode of packaging. (Derek 45). Coca-Cola Company sells soft drinks and beverages to the customers. Its management takes into consideration the advantages of selling a product and how it’s leveraged in the market so as to maximize on its profits. The branding and packaging of its products unique thus has a higher competitive advantage as opposed to that of its competitors. Marketing objective The basic strategy of a business is to determine a business objective .Some non-financial market metrics can be used to measure the success of a business. These include target market objectives and market shares- total number of new or retained customers and rate and size of purchases made in a business. These metrics show the conditions and a circumstance facing a company that cannot be solved through using financial methods (Baker 19).Coca Cola Company overall objective has been to meet the needs of its customers, to penetrate the market through providing high quality products and having a big market share through distributing its products to all parts of the world. Market The size and mark up of a market is determined by the products being sold in a business. It is also indicated by the environment in which it’s conducting its business. In the marketing there should be a mission statement that identifies a businesses long-run goal, market it serves incentives and products and services given to customers. Coca-Cola Company’s markets it products through producing concentrate syrup that is fit for consumption to all its franchise shops in the world, this increases the sale returns of the company. Competition When preparing marketing plan one should take into consideration the reasons that make a customer prefer a product from one business as opposed from its competitor. According to Porter, he stated that it is important to prepare a detailed competitive summary of the products and services variables and be ranked in comparison to those of its competitors so as to prepare the right plan for a business. The variables include; pricing, sales, trends, positioning, clarity, quality, target market focus, packaging, advertising and customer service. The management of a company should know it competitors so as to understand its strengths and weaknesess.These can be achieved through evaluating the competitors experience in business, purchasing power, market position, strength predictability and the freedom to abandon the market. The Coca Cola Company produces different kinds of products which increases of its sale turnover and makes it to have a higher competitive advantage as opposed to its com petitors. It sometimes gives free samples and incentives to its customers. Pricing A price is determined by the net income and the objective that a company have for the market of its product. The pricing decisions can be determined by knowing the market, competitors, the economic condition of a country and the customers. Tables and graphs can be used to show the pricing trends and decisions of different products of a company. The main factors that an organization should take into account while setting up its prices is that of pricing stategy,the expected volume and decision for following a pricing variable for instance; list  price, discounts, payment terms and financing options. Coca Cola company pricing is friendly as its products are recyclable therefore minimizing on the cost of producing the empty bottles used to pack its products. Promotion A product should be advertised and promoted in the market so that the customer can get to know about its existence in the market. A business should determine how much and which media should be used in advertising a product. Kotler, et.al stated there are factors that should be taken into account when promoting a product that include; public relations, promotional programs, projected results for promotional programs and budget that determines the break-even point for making a sale of a product. Coca-Cola Company has been using the fat and jolly Santa Claus in advertising of its products, this has enabled it to increase on its sales and production for its products. Distribution This process involves ensuring the products reach the customers on time. In marketing plan, distribution is an important element that consists of decision variables such as; distribution channels as direct, retail and intermediate channels; criteria for evaluating distributions ;locations; motivators of channels such as distributor margins and logistics such as transportation ,warehousing and order fulfillment . An organization should choose the best channel that can enable it maximize on its profits (Porter 34).Coca-Cola company produces syrups fit for consumption thus reducing the cost of transporting products from one place to another. Sales forecast Sales forecast is derived through understanding a product, market for a product, price, promotional methods used, and types of distribution a channel for a product .Sales forecast is the driving force of all financial forecasts. It is required to give a brief summary of current sales, identify changes, summarize changes in the forecast, and justify a forecast so as to determine the right information concerning about a product and who well it can fair in the market. The sales forecast helps the management of an organization to determine the kind of resources that should be implemented in an organization in order to maximize on its profits .In this case, factors such as political, environmental, technological and competitive factors are evaluated so as to determine whether the business operates in a good environment. Coca-Cola sales team derives the sales turnover on different intervals in the year to evaluate the position of the company in the beverage industry. Sales forecast review by management Sales forecast review by management can be achieved through using the sales manager who can understand the contacts in the industry, can familiarize themselves with advertising and promotion techniques that will increase sales revenue for an organization. The qualification of the sales personnel to generate sales leads, their relationship with the distributors and location of their sales outlets in order to increase the revenue of an organization is taken into consideration .These mechanisms can ensure the management reviews it sales forecast with the actual sales so as to understand the position of business in the market. Coca-Cola company employees prepare financial reports on an annual basis to inform the customers at its existence and production of high quality products. Conclusion Marketing plans should be reviewed on an annual basis so as to determine how a business is performing in the industry. The management of business should use the marketing plan to determine the environment in which a business can flourish in the industry. These are prepared in relation to the products and services that are sold that result from marketing strategy implemented through marketing programs. Coca-Cola company success has been contributed by well structured strategy and market penetration and production of a variety of products that are suitable for its customers.

Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test

Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test The chi-square goodness of fit test is a variation of the more general chi-square test. The setting for this test is a single categorical variable that can have many levels. Often in this situation, we will have a theoretical model in mind for a categorical variable. Through this model we expect certain proportions of the population to fall into each of these levels. A goodness of fit test determines how well the expected proportions in our theoretical model matches reality. Null and Alternative Hypotheses The null and alternative hypotheses for a goodness of fit test look different than some of our other hypothesis tests. One reason for this is that a chi-square goodness of fit test is a nonparametric method. This means that our test does not concern a single population parameter. Thus the null hypothesis does not state that a single parameter takes on a certain value. We start with a categorical variable with n levels and let pi be the proportion of the population at level i. Our theoretical model has values of qi for each of the proportions. The statement of the null and alternative hypotheses are as follows: H0: p1 q1, p2 q2, . . . pn qnHa: For at least one i, pi is not equal to qi. Actual and Expected Counts The calculation of a chi-square statistic involves a comparison between actual counts of variables from the data in our simple random sample and the expected counts of these variables. The actual counts come directly from our sample. The way that the expected counts are calculated depends upon the particular chi-square test that we are using. For a goodness of fit test, we have a theoretical model for how our data should be proportioned. We simply multiply these proportions by the sample size n to obtain our expected counts. Computing Test Statistic The chi-square statistic for goodness of fit test is determined by comparing the actual and expected counts for each level of our categorical variable. The steps to computing the chi-square statistic for a goodness of fit test are as follows: For each level, subtract the observed count from the expected count.Square each of these differences.Divide each of these squared differences by the corresponding expected value.Add all of the numbers from the previous step together. This is our chi-square statistic. If our theoretical model matches the observed data perfectly, then the expected counts will show no deviation whatsoever from the observed counts of our variable. This will mean that we will have a chi-square statistic of zero. In any other situation, the chi-square statistic will be a positive number. Degrees of Freedom The number of degrees of freedom requires no difficult calculations. All that we need to do is subtract one from the number of levels of our categorical variable. This number will inform us on which of the infinite chi-square distributions we should use. Chi-square Table and P-Value The chi-square statistic that we calculated corresponds to a particular location on a chi-square distribution with the appropriate number of degrees of freedom. The p-value determines the probability of obtaining a test statistic this extreme, assuming that the null hypothesis is true. We can use a table of values for a chi-square distribution to determine the p-value of our hypothesis test. If we have statistical software available, then this can be used to obtain a better estimate of the p-value. Decision Rule We make our decision on whether to reject the null hypothesis based upon a predetermined level of significance. If our p-value is less than or equal to this level of significance, then we reject the null hypothesis. Otherwise, we fail to reject the null hypothesis.

Documenting the Media Revolution Research Paper

Documenting the Media Revolution - Research Paper Example Although the whole of North America is under the impact of web through broadband availability, getting entertained through TV online but the TV still rules the roost (Alang par. 1). Latest developments indicate that it is not the web that is capturing the database of TV viewers but the reverse is becoming true. Contrary to the popular assumption, people are not getting distanced from TV and turning towards the internet, but the web is approaching towards TV. And the amusing part is that cause of web content enlarging in size and potential is that it is getting distanced from computers. The big question remains to be researched still is that is it the web, entering into the space of TV or it is the other way (Alang par. 1). B. Media has impacted teens TV watching activity greatly, as is evident from the survey organized on the national scale, revealing that all U.S. teens aged 14-18 have available in their homes TV, VCR, radio, and CD player. Most of the teens have a computer with int ernet connection also. They view a mix of all popular media, including not only TV but videos, movies, music, computers and video games besides reading books, magazines, and newspapers. Television leads the other electronic gadgets, as it mostly remains switched on. About half the teens aged 8-18 have reported that the TV is on â€Å"most of the time.† Two-thirds have revealed that TV is not off during eating hours as well. Percentages of teens TV viewing differ even in the various teen age groups, such as the 14- to 18-year-olds view TV for nearly 2? hours, nevertheless, they view less TV than kids aged 8-13. The older teens have other recreational activities, such as listening to music on an average, nearly 2? hours a day. Comparing teens TV watching time with their computer usage, it has been revealed that TV takes precedence over computer, as teens spend only 30 minutes using a computer (Clinton 11). The survey on teens TV watching behavior has offered critical insights f or parents also to bring the limit of TV watching of their children under control. The â€Å"less contented† youth watches more various media, while â€Å"most contented/well-adjusted† spends lesser hours on various media, including TV. It has causal inference for parents to observe closely the impact of the media on youth. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has offered guidelines to parents for not only teens TV watching but family programs watched by all members of the family need to be controlled for not spending long hours so that teens could have a positive experience with TV. Role of President Clinton and Vice President Gore is appreciable for enforcing legislation for installing the V-Chip in all new television sets sold starting January 1, 2000. There is no doubt that teens watch TV relatively more than any other media, and other demographic groups are catching with them by spending long hours in TV viewing, especially parents, but it needs to be controlled (Clinton 11). C. Freeman proclaims television to be the winner for seeing â€Å"The Fighter.† He cannot forget the days when the whole family used to see â€Å"event TV†. There have been many instances of bringing television programming to the internet. Internet has enabled possibilities of winning awards at such events. The live TV has enabled events such as Grammys and the Super Bowl reaching record ratings, to the credit of internet or to attribute more rightly to

Competitive Set Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Competitive Set Analysis - Assignment Example based on the six companies zip codes: Fairmont Heritage 94109-1192; Joie De Vivre 94109-5817; Holiday Inn Golden 94109-4606; Mithila 94109-6025 and Rodeway Inn 94109-7711. Apart from the 6 rival companies sharing the same locality, they all participate in the STAR report Motel 6 #8089; Rhodeway Inn #5617; Mithila #58885; Joie de Vivre #11872; Holiay Inn #184, Fairmont Heritage #58922 and Courtyard Downtown #42679 (SFTA 2014). The companies also have close proximity to San Francisco International airport making poaching for clients challenging Motel 6 9.1 miles; Courtyard Downtown 5 miles; Joie De Vivre 12 miles; Rode-way Inn 12 miles; Mithila 14.1 miles; Fairmont Heritage 15 miles and Holiday-Inn Golden 16 miles. The companies also have competitive services and prices which influence Motel 6 performance. Their standard lodging rates include Motel 6 $131 per night; Mithila Hotel $80 per night; Rode-way $99 per night; Courtyard Downtown $149 per night; Holiday Inn $184 per night; Joie De Vivre $215 per night and Fairmont Heritage $474 per night (SFTA

Aid for trade is beneficial for developing countries but Coursework

Aid for trade is beneficial for developing countries but disadvantageous for firms in the developed world - Coursework Example It has also been observed that traditional work has a lot of demand across the globe, and generally such work is carried out in villages of developing countries. Providing aid to such developing countries could enable this work get across borders and provide healthy inflow of cash across borders, thereby helping the trade position of the exporting developing country, alongside providing cash to cash stripped producers often located in villages. While trade is beneficial for developing as well as developed countries alike, developed countries generally have substantial resources and they do not really need aid for trade. Giving them further aid only adds onto their pile of wealth and pressurizes them to perform even when they do not have the ability to do so. Rather than providing aid for trade to developed countries, such nations need to focus on new inventions, which can then be traded across the globe. Finally, aid for trade is unhealthy for developed nations from an economic point of view as well as it causes productive and allocative inefficiencies within their economy, and clearly leads to waste of resources that could be put to use much better

Image-based Advertisement Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Image-based Advertisement Analysis - Essay Example   The Ethos of the advert is questionable, considering the fact that; while the advert is targeting to reach the African clients of the Air France travel company, the author of the advert did not have the courtesy of using an African model. Instead, the advert has used a white model to reach the target customers who are Africans, an indication that Air France does not really perceive the African clients it targets, as owning the airline image. The ethos of the image-based advertisement would have been courteous and appropriate if a black woman model was used as the image in this advert, since it could indicate that Air France really values the African clients, to the extent of allowing them to own the company’s image. On the contrary, the advert has applied the image of a white model, and ‘Africanized’ her through wrapping her head with the characteristic African headscarf mostly worn by African women of class. This creates an ethos contrast surrounding whether the author of the advert really understood the African people, culture and values. Would it not have been more appropriate to portray the image of an African woman-model against a white background? This also raises the question; did the author of the advertisement really have the cultural authority to speak to an African audience? On the other hand, the pathos of the image-based advert is effective in appealing to the emotions of the African air-travel clientele as the target audience of this advertisement.

Systemic Risk and SIFI and Global Economic Crisis Essay

Systemic Risk and SIFI and Global Economic Crisis - Essay Example However, between 1940s and 1980s, there were less bank runs in USA, mainly due to tight legal framework and due to the transformed atmosphere. However, the banking tighter regulation in U.S.A not proved to be satisfactory as more than 250 banks filed insolvency petitions between 1980s and 1990s. In 1990s, Asian countries witnessed an economic turmoil as a result many banks in those regions failed. The issue started with individual bank and slowly enveloped into the whole banking system of a nation and finally impacted the creditworthiness of such nation itself. Likewise, the subprime mortgage crisis occurred in the 2007 -2008 started with U.S financial institutions and U.S banks and finally impacted many financial institutions around the world. However, bank failures or bank runs are not occurring in all the nations. For instance, there is no bank failure at all in Ireland and in Switzerland. Rochet (2008) is of the view that interferences by politicians can play a significant role i n bank runs. Many frequent bank failures and bank runs urged the need to recognise and deter financial agonies in the future well before they commence. Hence, there is a necessity to establish a well-structured supervision system in the financial sector, and it should be given authority to identify â€Å"systemic risks.† Bini Smaghi (2009) is the first to emphasise the theoretical issues of systemic risk, and the agency established for the same is to be well versed in detection of risks, evaluation of risk, and finally giving warnings about risks. (Eijffinger 2009:44). This research will make an earnest effort to elucidate w what is meant by ‘systemic risk’ and discuss the relevance of ‘systemically important financial institutions’ for policymakers and the ways and means to avoid future bank and financial institution failures. â€Å"What is Systemic Risk?† Systemic risk is a peril that is widespread in a nation or the economy as a whole and cannot be avoid ed by coalescing the assets in well-diversified and large portfolios, and it is also called as non-diversifiable risk. Systemic risk starts off in various sizes, shapes and magnitude. In some countries, systemic risk has occurred due to foreign exchange risks and economic shocks and in some other nations, it has occurred due to internal or external war or due to political instability. In between 1992 to 2002, there were about eight regional / global economic crisis happened in Europe, Asia and U.S.A. In case of banks, the systemic risk area includes forex risk and interest rate risks. The low-quality credit assets will first collapse when the systemic risks deteriorate. A portfolio approach is the need of the hour to recognise such unique and susceptible sectors and credit asset allocations, which may witness a negative effect in various economic conditions. Hence, it is essential to structure the portfolio to be fine-tuned methodologically so that the rigorousness of varying macro- economic crisis is minimised. It is to be noted that systemic risk differs from industry to industry. (Joseph 2007:242). As per G10, a systemic risk is one where an incident will activate a deprivation of confidence or diminution of economic value and may result in vagueness that would compel the major segment of the financial system to destabilize due to negative impact on the real economy. Thus, a systemic risk will have four significant ingredients namely erosion of faith, a sudden spurt of vagueness, major segment of the financial system that might be impacted and poignant negative impact on the real economy.†(Eijffinger 2010 :44).†

A phenomenological study of Chinese Buddhist temples Essay

A phenomenological study of Chinese Buddhist temples - Essay Example This paper is about Chinese Buddhist temples from an architectural perspective. The introduction in part A describes what these temples are and this is followed by a selection of some temples of architectural significance as examples. The introduction in part A describes what these temples are and this is followed by a selection of some temples of architectural significance as examples. This brief survey is then used to identify some typical architectural features in part B, a description of three distinct architectural styles, and a discussion of the impact of the introduction of Buddhism in China. The main part C then describes the phenomenological study of a particular temple, namely the Bao Shan Chan Si after first justifying the method and introducing the temple. Part A: Chinese Buddhist temples Introduction to Chinese Buddhist temples Buddhist temples are spiritual spaces designed for worship, devotion or offerings according to the Buddhist religion. Chinese Buddhist temples ha ve been known throughout history as Ci, Lanruo, Jlalan, Jingshe and Si. Temples are one of the most conspicuous and significant of buildings that exhibit Buddhist (xiu xing) architecture. Others are pagodas (religious towers), grottos (religious caves) and stupas (dome-shaped monuments). They display marvellous items with Buddhist symbolism, sculpture, painting and calligraphy. But they have more than these outward features alone. They are also places of serenity, tranquillity and holiness. They exude an atmosphere in which people can feel inner peace and spend time to purify their souls. A selection of some temples of architectural significance There are many Buddhist temples all over China, but three of these were selected to illustrate the significance of Chinese Buddhist temples from an architectural perspective. These are the JieTai temple, the Longhua temple, and Yo Fu Si. The construction of the JieTai Temple, which is outside Beijing, began during the Tan dynasty but was com pleted during the later Qing dynasty. The JieTai temple has a special ordination platform made of white marble containing beautifully carved figures and special rock formations and trees around its main courtyard. JieTai Temple (Source: http://www.buddhist-tourism.com/countries/china/temples/tanzhe-temple.html) The Longhua Temple is the largest in Shanghai. In its domed Grand Hall is a glided statue of the Buddha together with his disciples. There is also a special sculpture that shows how reincarnation happens. In another hall called the Three Sage Hall, there are three incarnations of the Buddha, and another room contains 500 golden small arhat statues. The temple complex also has a special pagoda constructed from wood and brick. It has an octagonal structure and seven stories, which is highly symbolic. The Grand Hall of the Longhua Temple (Source: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/china/shanghai-longhua-temple) Also in Shangai is a famous temple known as the Jade Buddha (Yu Fo S i) Temple. It is so called because it contains two Buddha statues made from white jade, which were brought over from Burma. From the perspective of architecture, the temple has a Song dynasty style so it is a fairly new temple and therefore distinct from traditional Chinese architecture. One of these distinct features is the use of circular doors as shown in the photo below. One of the circular doors of the Jade Buddha Temple (Source: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/china/shanghai-jade-buddha-temple) Part B: Typical architectural features of Chinese Buddhist temples The above survey of Buddhist temples in China has revealed typical architectural features listed below. Chinese Buddhist temples tend to have: Several large halls connected together Small courtyards separating its halls Statues of the Buddha and other ornamental sculptures Tiled roofs turned upward at the corners Common materials were wood, brick and stone Usually symmetrical

Systemic Risk and SIFI and Global Economic Crisis Essay

Systemic Risk and SIFI and Global Economic Crisis - Essay Example However, between 1940s and 1980s, there were less bank runs in USA, mainly due to tight legal framework and due to the transformed atmosphere. However, the banking tighter regulation in U.S.A not proved to be satisfactory as more than 250 banks filed insolvency petitions between 1980s and 1990s. In 1990s, Asian countries witnessed an economic turmoil as a result many banks in those regions failed. The issue started with individual bank and slowly enveloped into the whole banking system of a nation and finally impacted the creditworthiness of such nation itself. Likewise, the subprime mortgage crisis occurred in the 2007 -2008 started with U.S financial institutions and U.S banks and finally impacted many financial institutions around the world. However, bank failures or bank runs are not occurring in all the nations. For instance, there is no bank failure at all in Ireland and in Switzerland. Rochet (2008) is of the view that interferences by politicians can play a significant role i n bank runs. Many frequent bank failures and bank runs urged the need to recognise and deter financial agonies in the future well before they commence. Hence, there is a necessity to establish a well-structured supervision system in the financial sector, and it should be given authority to identify â€Å"systemic risks.† Bini Smaghi (2009) is the first to emphasise the theoretical issues of systemic risk, and the agency established for the same is to be well versed in detection of risks, evaluation of risk, and finally giving warnings about risks. (Eijffinger 2009:44). This research will make an earnest effort to elucidate w what is meant by ‘systemic risk’ and discuss the relevance of ‘systemically important financial institutions’ for policymakers and the ways and means to avoid future bank and financial institution failures. â€Å"What is Systemic Risk?† Systemic risk is a peril that is widespread in a nation or the economy as a whole and cannot be avoid ed by coalescing the assets in well-diversified and large portfolios, and it is also called as non-diversifiable risk. Systemic risk starts off in various sizes, shapes and magnitude. In some countries, systemic risk has occurred due to foreign exchange risks and economic shocks and in some other nations, it has occurred due to internal or external war or due to political instability. In between 1992 to 2002, there were about eight regional / global economic crisis happened in Europe, Asia and U.S.A. In case of banks, the systemic risk area includes forex risk and interest rate risks. The low-quality credit assets will first collapse when the systemic risks deteriorate. A portfolio approach is the need of the hour to recognise such unique and susceptible sectors and credit asset allocations, which may witness a negative effect in various economic conditions. Hence, it is essential to structure the portfolio to be fine-tuned methodologically so that the rigorousness of varying macro- economic crisis is minimised. It is to be noted that systemic risk differs from industry to industry. (Joseph 2007:242). As per G10, a systemic risk is one where an incident will activate a deprivation of confidence or diminution of economic value and may result in vagueness that would compel the major segment of the financial system to destabilize due to negative impact on the real economy. Thus, a systemic risk will have four significant ingredients namely erosion of faith, a sudden spurt of vagueness, major segment of the financial system that might be impacted and poignant negative impact on the real economy.†(Eijffinger 2010 :44).†

High performance concrete Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

High performance concrete - Research Paper Example The concept has gone thru series of evolutions, since the birth of knowledge about mixing water, cement, and aggregate. Advent of high performance concrete is the result of this evolution. This research in brief demonstrates different aspects of this remarkable building material and how it has so far served people being an integral part of complex structures. Table of Contents Index Page Introduction 4 Why high performance concrete? 5 Literature Review 7 Purpose 8 Development history of high performance concrete 8 High performance concrete: Concept and exploration 8 Methodology 12 Research approach 13 Analyses 14 Finding and discussion 15 Case study 20 Conclusion 24 Conclusion and recommendation 25 Bibliography 26 Introduction Why high performance concrete? Civil engineering construction uses different building materials. Some are naturally occurring substances, and others are manmade. Concrete is a manmade material using naturally occurring substances. Base material of concrete is w ater, and cement, while aggregate materials are sand, gravel, crushed stone, blast furnace slag. Base material produces a paste type material in which aggregate materials are bonded. Cementitious binding process of aggregate materials plays a vital role in achieving the end product – concrete. ... Systematic tests to determine compressive and tensile strength of concrete were performed between 1835 and 1850, along with the first accurate chemical analysis. In 1860 modern composition of Portland cements became available (Inspecting the World n.d.), and since that time concrete has made its rigid step in civil engineering construction as one of the basic building materials. Formation of concrete takes place in two stages; fresh state and hardened state (AboutCivil.com n.d.). Fresh state concrete is plastic, and it flows to produce a given structural form. Hardened concrete attains its full structural strength. As a building construction material concrete’s hardened strength value is used in civil engineering design. Hardened strength value implies concrete's compressive strength. Structural behavior of concrete is to resist compression. Compressive strength of concrete depends on paste strength (water and cement), interfacial bonding (bonding between paste and aggregate), and aggregate strength (aggregate works like bone in the human body). Compressive strength value of concrete made of a specific mixture of cement, water, and aggregate composition is tested at a laboratory. Compressive strength is measured (Concrete in Practice n.d.) by breaking a cylindrical specimen in a compression-testing machine. This test is conducted according to the ASTM C 31 and ASTM C 39 procedure and method. In 1970s, any concrete mix with 28 days age showed compressive strength about 40 MPa was considered to be high strength (berekley.edy n.d.). Residential and light commercial building uses compressive strength in the range of 17 Mpa to 34 Mpa (Portland Cement Association n.d.). Constructions like high-rise building, long

Influence of the IRA and the Northern Irish Conflict

Influence of the IRA and the Northern Irish Conflict The Influence of the IRA and the Northern Irish Conflict (1970s to Present) on the Writing of Irish History Khalil Jetha It has been said that history is not an assortment of facts, but rather a recollection of instances taken in a certain context. Unlike pure fact, history is heavily reliant on the documenting party. The writing of Irish history has changed dramatically since the 1970s, altering the rhetoric in which the struggle has been presented. The crippling hold of the British Imperial machine has widely been recalled as an international symbol of oppression. However, recent developments in the Irish conflict have tempered something of a defeatist attitude among Ireland’s historians, earning the circumstance enmity and even garnering sympathy for the British government. Countries that won their independence from Britain such as the United States, India, and others share the common factor of clear-cut sides; in each case, the parties at odds were Great Britain and the colonial land in question. The Irish struggle, however, has evolved into broad acquiescence to subjugation and dominance, w ith a markedly diminished sense of outrage. What started out as a universal Irish struggle plunged into disarray, with splintering factions breaking away from a common struggle and eventually accepting the creation of two Irelands: a Catholic, Irish free southern state and a Protestant, British protectorate in the north. There are three events in the last thirty years that changed the face of the Irish struggle’s historiography, all three testaments to the waning sense of urgency shared in the Northern Irish conflict. First is the radicalization of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), second is the division of Catholics manifested in Colin Cruise O’Brien’s writing and push for leadership, and third is the evolution of Irish rebellion from 1970 from that of armed struggle to non-violent protest. The IRA has long been the strongest symbol of Irish nationalism, hotly contested by some as a partisan organization dedicated to little more than a consolidation of Catholic control. Some contend that prior to the 1916 establishment of the Irish Free State there was no Irish nation, and that the national identity was in its infancy at the onset of the British occupation. However, to the Irish people â€Å"the Republic was, for a few tense years, a living reality which dominated every aspect of their lives† (Macardle 29). The tumultuous 1970s are an accurate representation of how events in the Northern Irish conflict affected the writing of Irish history. The escalation of violence on British soil in the name of Irish nationalism, followed by growing Irish resentment of the IRA, and finally the disarmament of the IRA all reflect how events changed the conflict’s historiography. Though the IRA had existed in different forms since the early 19th century, the 1970s saw â€Å"violence against British rule increased, carried out in the name of the ‘Irish Republican Army’† (Kee 613). What originally began as carefully planned attacks against British armed establishments inside Ireland proper changed into â€Å"guerrilla warfare in which the majority of the Irish people, though originally opposed to violence, supported the IRA† (Kee 613). British brutality spawned Irish violent resistance, and support for such measures was widely supported as the Irish people perceived the British occupation as a series of events that could be universally and categorically condemned. As a result, history was written heavily in the favour of the Irish cause. Up until the escalation of IRA violence on British territory, â€Å"no one who knew the meaning of nationality found it difficult to understand that the Irish had, in past centuries, resisted conques t and absorption by another race; what caused astonishment, whether hostile or sympathetic, was the passion and tenacity with which the resistance had been maintained† (Macardle 30). Historians sympathized with the Irish plight, especially given that extent of the British occupation following the establishment of the Irish Free State. The world was already aware of British Imperialism and the extent of Irish civilian losses. Irish violence in the name of the IRA saw everything shy of complete support in the international stage, and history focused on â€Å"the weighty British Administration† that â€Å"continued to operate uncertainly and with violence, while, in its midst, there functioned another government, which commanded the allegiance of the people and whose decrees produced immediate results† (Macardle 29). The early 1970s saw unparalleled international sympathy with the IRA’s cause, especially following the exodus of Irish violence from Ulster and its manifestation on British soil. Though violence was not necessarily condoned, it was not wholeheartedly condemned. Northern Ireland evolved from a sectarian conflict to one that spanned national borders, a situation history saw repeated in every part of the world. British aggression in Derry soon became a rallying cry for IRA recruitment. What took place on January 30, 1972 became known as Bloody Sunday, the pinnacle of IRA domestic and international sympathy. In the â€Å"six months prior to that day, the [British] Army had increasingly brutalized the Catholic populace, but it had done so largely on a case-by-case, individual-by-individual basis†; â€Å"on that day, the Army launched a premeditated campaign of murder against unarmed demonstrators—a campaign whose ostensible purpose was to induce the IRA to stand and fight, force the demonstrators to flee, and enable the Army to kill or capture the bulk of Derry’s IRA gunmen† (Hull 48). Historiography could have taken one of two paths. Bloody Sunday could have been perceived as a hallmark of British imperialism, or it could have been shown in a sympathetic light to the British dilemma of protecting its previously sponsored Protestant ruling class. From Dublin’s standpoint, the â€Å"world undoubtedly would have concluded that British Army actions in Derry on January 30, 1972 violated international law†; however, popular support for the Irish victims was lost â€Å"in lieu of an objective investigation,† with â€Å"more British whitewash† spread over the whole affair (Hull 183). London saw the elicitation tactics of Bloody Sunday as a utilitarian decision to spare the most civilian lives. That so many civilians perished under British gunfire was a penultimate factor in the stabilization of the region. The ends justified the means in the British â€Å"peace†; the British-sponsored probe investigating Bloody Sunday dampened the immediate public outcry, and history’s favour weaned on the Irish side. This marked the end of the image of the British aggressor. The Close of Irish Violence in London and the Loss of Popular IRA Support The gruesome bombing IRA bombing campaigns led to two significant paradigm shifts in Dublin and abroad. On one hand, history began perceiving the Irish separatist cause as one that targeted all Britons, not just those occupying Ireland. Images of Britons of all racial and religious backgrounds swept across newspapers worldwide, and the Irish cause became less about foreign occupation and more about the stasis of British national security. Moreover, Irish domestic support waned among Catholic clergy as well as the Irish layman. People throughout the island were at odds with each other; prominent scholars such as Connor Cruise O’Brien not only opposed the IRA, but also began taking part in British politics, siding with political machination as opposed to armed insurgency. Historians took the side of O’Brien, depleting the IRA’s support, morphing their public image from that of popular resistance to one of horrific aggression. As a corollary, the Irish cause was mar ked as one not between the Irish and British or Catholic and Protestant. The conflict in Northern Ireland hence became one of armed struggle versus civilized politics. O’Brien’s writings against the IRA may have cost him leadership of the Irish Republic, but their influence dwindled what used to be unified armed struggle. The IRA attempted to counter this trend, calling in bomb threats hours ahead of schedule, causing panic and not violence. However, the writing of Irish history had already shifted, and the Irish people grew weary of the fighting. The new style of bloodless bombing campaigns was ironically reflective of the end of Irish political fervour; rebellion became one of tired horror, one that was less separatist and more about divisions few recognized on the international stage. Today’s Irish conflict is one of forgotten causes; in light of the British successes in quelling the whirr of public relations following Bloody Sunday, the IRA bombing campaigns inevitably led to their condemnation by Irish politicians and scholars such as O’Brien. By the early 1980s, the entire cause had lost the passion that fuelled its patrons for the previous two centuries. Today, the IRA has been reduced to a fading memory in the collective international conscience. What remains is defeatist acquiescence; the Irish conflict’s major events did not successfully portray the Irish as victims. Instead, history has viewed the Irish conflict in the same way many Irish have perceived it themselves: a hopeless political and military quagmire against a seemingly indefatigable foe. References Hull, Roger H. (1976) The Irish Triangle: Conflict in Northern Ireland. Princeton:Princeton U P. Macardle, Dorothy. (1965) The Irish Republic. New York: Farrar, Straus, andGiroux. Kee, Robert. (1993) The Laurel and the Ivy: The Story of Charles Stewart Parnelland Irish Nationalism. Middlesex: Penguin Group. Leon O Broin and Cian O H’Eigeartaigh (ed). (1996) In Great Haste: The Lettersof Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan. Dublin: St. Martin’s Press.

Lesbian and Gay Couples Should be Allowed to Marry Essays -- Gay Marri

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