Confucianism and Legalism

Confucianism and Legalism Confucianism and Legalism were two philosophies developed by scholars as solutions to a period of disorder in China. Confucianism and Legalism are similar in that both originated during the Chinese Classical Period; however, they are different in government because Confucianism focuses on having an orderly, respectful, and successful ruler, while Legalism focuses on having an forceful and omnipotent ruler.In addition, education is extremely important in Confucianism, as opposed to the Legalist belief that people should never gain much knowledge. Both Confucianism and Legalism were developed in China during the Classical Period as solutions to bring back peace and harmony to the area. After the decline of the Zhou dynasty, there was a breakdown of social order (The Period of Warring States), so Chinese scholars and philosophers looked for ways to bring back a state of order and peace.Two different schools of thought, Confucianism and Legalism, developed as wa ys to move China out of chaos and help it return to stability. Another philosophy, Daoism, is similar to Confucianism and Legalism because it was also developed during the Classical Period in China as a solution to the disorder. The styles of governing found in Confucianism and Legalism differ greatly because Confucian government focuses on leading by example, while Legalist government focuses on having an all-powerful government in order to make sure people do not disrupt society for their own gain.Confucians believe that a ruler must be orderly, respectful, and successful in order for his subjects to obey him. This idea is due to their belief in The Five Relationships, one of which is between ruler and subject stating that subjects shall obey their ruler as long as the ruler respects the subjects. Legalist and Confucian beliefs are different on this matter because Legalists think that a ruler can do whatever he wishes regardless of his subjects, while Confucians value respect and devotion throughout society.They believe that there must be an all-powerful and forceful government in place to control society. The reason they think this is because they believe that humans are selfish in nature and that their desires bring about chaos and disorder in society. The views of Confucianism and Legalism on education are very different in that education is very important in Confucianism, while Legalism tries to restrict learning as much as possible. Confucianism deems education as the most important thing a person can have.This is because the Confucian social order – differing from the Legalist social order that focused mainly on ancestry – was not specifically based on birth, but on education as well; the more educated a person was the higher their status could be. However, Legalists believed that anyone or anything that opposed the emperor must be controlled by censorship. Those who opposed the emperor were punished or killed, and works that expressed op position were destroyed. The reason for these actions is that the powerful emperor did not want his reputation to be impaired by other’s â€Å"selfish acts.Confucianism and Legalism are both similar in that they developed at the same time in China; however, they are different in that in order to control society Confucians believe in governing by example, while Legalists believe in governing by force and power. Additionally, Confucianism and Legalism differ in that Confucianism values education to the highest degree, whereas Legalism tries to limit the knowledge of society. Both of these Classical Period philosophies were built up in order to pose as solutions to a period of disorder in China.

Macy’s Store Essay

1. Macy’s and other department stores are faced with imminent problems where sales are declining each year. Due to high competition and many substitutions in the market, company must always analyze, investigate, and plan for decision making. Creating situational analysis is a great way to analyze both the internal and external environments in order to understand the company’s capabilities, business environment, and customers. In Macy’s case, some of the external factors are competition and economy. Since competitors such as discount stores and specialty stores are attracting many customers, Macy’s need to find a solution to differentiate themselves from others to deliver value. Some of the examples can be lowering prices to meet customer expectations, expand market by using online- shopping, or take a survey to gather which brands or items customers want in Macy’s department store. Economy is another crucial factor store has to consider. When the economy is healthy, stores tend to worry less, but when the economy is in recession, customers will spend less and find a cheaper substitute items to purchase. Although Macy’s positioned themselves as upper middle class, company can increase sales by also providing less expensive brands for customers to choose from. As for internal factors, training employees, contract with excellent suppliers, and positive recognized brand will strengthen Macy’s. For example, experienced management can teach and lead employees to perform day-to-day operations and to be professional in what they do. Brand awareness is also an important factor since customer’s judge product and service by its brand image. 2. To this date, Macy’s is struggling to find a sustainable competitive advantage in the retail industry. Clothing store such as ZARA and H&M have a definite advantage since they attract customers by displaying latest fashionable clothing with affordable price and Macy’s on the other hand, have not yet able to deliver right messages to buyers. Moreover, Macy’s consolidation and efforts to become national-wide brand are not unique because most major retailers in the states are now national brands. However, Macy’s strategy of positioning themselves as â€Å"mid-level† can become a unique competitive advantage in the future because people would believe its merchandise is neither cheap nor expensive. This way people won’t judge Macy’s as a â€Å"cheap store† but store which carries affordable items. Nevertheless, Macy’s still face a serious threat since fashion clothing retailers such as H&M and Urban outfitters are targeting teenagers with very low prices. One way to improve competitive advantage may be quality. Customers know H&M is a cheap, fashionable store and they also know clothing will wear out if washed couple times. By focusing on quality, people may recognize paying extra money to purchase Macy’s merchandise is saving money in long- term. 3. Overall, Macy’s consolidation and repositioning strategy have many advantages since the company converted 15 department stores to Macy’s brand; Remodelling stores promote a pleasant shopping experience to customers, displaying fashionable clothing to attract trend-followers, and developing private brands to increase profits. As mentioned above, the first strength to this change is the decision to consolidate. By using the same brand name, this will reduce advertising costs, customers will easily recognize the brand, and since all stores carry same products they may have bargaining power over suppliers. Next advantage is locations. Since Macy’s now have approximately 810 stores in 50 states, customers can visit any Macy’s stores without inconvenience. Moreover, because all stores carry same products, services, and designs, buyers can visit any stores to buy what they need. Last strength is Macy’s focus on affordable fashion. People nowadays value fashion so much that they simply won’t purchase clothing that is boring and bland. By recognizing these factors, Macy’s are working with top designers to attract and show buyers their brand is fashionable and also affordable. Despite of these advantages, Macy’s also have weakness to worry about. Customers are complaining that the price of merchandise increased and they would shop elsewhere. Macy’s would reduce these complaints by offering coupons or to perform customer relationship program to recognise those who are loyal to the store and give special incentives or discounts. 4. æ ­ ¤Ã§â€ ¨Ã¦Ë† ·Ã¥  Ã¥ · ²Ã¨ ¢ «Ã¦ ³ ¨Ã¥â€ Å',è ¯ ·Ã¥  ¦Ã¦  ¢Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¤ ¸ ªDepartment stores are faced with serious threat since industry is declining and competitions are growing rapidly. But Macy’s have found a bold strategy to compete in a tough market. Macy’s has a good chance of succeeding in 5 years since the store recognizes the trend and strives to meet customer’s needs. In order to extremely successful in the future however, Macy’s need to closely monitor competitors such as Nordstrom, ZARA, and H&M to gather competitor intelligence and to react to fast changing market. Brand awareness is also a crucial factor for success. Brand loyal customers tend to be less price sensitive because they have a strong belief that it is worth paying more money. If Macy’s can build brand royal customers, they would reduce advertising costs, and have positive brand image. Lastly, pricing its merchandise will be a key point for success in 5 years bec ause price is what makes customers to make a purchase or to find a substitute.

Imperialism and socialism in the context of Africa Essay

Cecil Rhodes Social Darwinism advocate states, â€Å"I contend that we are the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better†¦Ã¢â‚¬  King Leopold of Belgium, â€Å"To open to civilization the only part of the globe where it has yet to penetrate †¦is, I dare to say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress.† From the above assertions, it is prudent to note that, colonial powers thought Africa to be devoid of an organization in social, political and economic perspective and therefore they wanted â€Å"to make Africa, England.† In that thought of naivety of the Africans, there were societal structures and organizations which British did not care to observe. However, it was not going to be easy as where two or three cultures interact a clash is inevitable. Although Africa was not a plain or bear continent, Africans had their way of life, structure of government, religion, economic activities, education, systems of marriage and development plans for their societies, nevertheless the British brought their systems which conflicted with Africans established way of life, this was because the British, as many other European powers were economically depressed and Africa appeared to be the only way out. The British wanted to pass the three C’s; Commerce, that is to make money through the acquisition of free labor form Africans, raw materials for their industries as industrial revolution back in Britain was rapidly taking place, a market for their surplus production; Christianity to save Africans.Explorers such as David Livingstone, Vasco Da Gama, Portuguese Diego Cam and Arabs with Muslim faith had missionary zeal. The last C is for Civilization, they wanted to civilize Africans in terms of education, culture and many other aspects. Thu s, to a larger extent, the activities of British heartened conflicts. African traditional religion is rooted in the African culture, it was difficult for Christianity to penetrate through. Portuguese tried in the fifteen century and failed. For Christianity to take the course the Africans had to abandon their culture which was hard so to say. The Missionaries in the nineteenth century, however, came up with an elaborate plan for them to spread Christianity. They introduced through religion, education and health centers which contradicted informal learning and the institution of medicine men. Africans gradually began to embrace Whiteman’s way of life but not without several clashes. These battles are seen in various forms such as spiritual, doctrinal, cultural and practical. The African religion has been given several definitions by different scholars, for instance, Mbiti has elaborated aspects of African religion. In his book African Traditional Religion, Mbiti (1991) African religion is very pragmatic and realistic (p2), he explains that it is applied in circumstances where the need arises. In addition, he states that religion is rooted in the local language, so to comprehend the religious life of an African society one has to understand the local dialect. He further affirms, â€Å"To be an African in the traditional setup is to be truly religious.† (p30) He states that the religion can be seen in five aspects of culture; beliefs, practices, ceremonies and festivals, religious objects and places, values, and morals and religious officials and leaders. He defines African religion as: â€Å"The product of the thinking and experiences of our forefathers and mothers that is men and women of their generations. They formed religious ideas, they observed religious ceremonies and rituals, they told proverbs and myths which safeguarded the life of individual and his community.(pp 13-14) Mbiti notes that African religion has no scriptures as compared to Christianity and other religions, it is written in peoples history, hearts and experiences of the people.(p14) Awolalu in his book Sin and its Removal in the African Traditional Religion defines African religion as â€Å"†¦largely written in the people’s myth and folktales, in their songs and dances, in their liturgies and shrines and in their proverbs and pithy sayings. It is a religion whose historical founder is neither known nor worshipped; it is a religion that has no zeal for the membership drive, yet it offers persistent fascination for Africans, young and old.† The African traditional religion was not homogeneous as the communities had different ethnic background thus the religious practices such rituals varied one community to the other. It is worth noting that it was oral, not scripted or written and was passed from one generation to the other by word of mouth, as I earlier alluded in the definitions of religion. Within their organized societal structures, Africans believed in supernatural beings together with ancestral spirits. The ancestral spirits were believed to link the living societal members to the gods. Therefore, the African traditional religion was and still is interweaved to the African culture. From the above insights, one cannot talk about African religion without African values as they are intertwined and inseparable. African religion was embedded in moral values or codes or standards which were believed to originate from God through the ancestral spirits, these values when observed one would be rewarded with maybe good harvest from their cultivation of land or increased number of the flock of cattle. When these values have violated the culprits were reprimanded. The concept of values is a vital point as one talks of the African religion. For that reason, African religion is drawn from the African values and Culture. African Culture was the source of law through the moral codes and values passed from generation to generation. From the above description, we can see that law or rules of conduct were embedded in religion and that African religion was interweaved in the African culture. Local dialect was the medium through which African culture and religion were propagated. The African religion had some institutions as Mbiti points out in the aspects of African religion, who presided over religious functions, these institutions were believed to communicate directly to ancestral spirits (living dead) who in turn would communicate to the gods and grievances of the living societal members would be heard. In the Kenyan context, these institutions include Orkoyot of the Nandi, Oloibon of the Maasai, Seers, Diviners, and Rainmakers depending on the ethnic communities which they came from. These institutions apart from the veneration of the ancestors, they blessed warrior before going for war, advised the political leaders, offered sacrifice to god and conducted rituals for the culprits who violated moral values in the community. The gods had some specific names for instance, in Kenyan context, we had Enkai for the Maasai, Encore for the Abagusii, Mulungu for Akamba, Asis the Nandi, Ngai for the Agikuyu and Nyasaye for the Luo. There were specific worship plac es which were regarded as holy, this places included shrines, mountaintops some special trees such as mugumo, hills, and some caves. The diversity of the names given to gods and places of worship, show the lack of uniformity in the African Religion. Consequently, Africans were of different ethnic background and had their own religion, gods, and religion as a community. The clashes can be seen in the five aspects as earlier alluded in Mbiti’s work that is beliefs, practices, ceremonies, festivals, religious objects and places, values, and morals, religious officials and leaders. These aspects of African religion differ from those of Christianity. The Africans believed that their religion was sourced from god, who they believed long before their ancestors’ existence. The British Missionaries conflict with Africans by telling them about the existence of a God who had a son and lived among them many years ago. The religion of British was written (Bible) thus one had to have the ability to read and write in order to understand it, whereas that of African was passed from generation to generation by oral tradition. There is an introduction of a new system of identifying the origin of religion which conflicts with the African system. Language is also conflicted as Africans could not comprehend English, hence missionaries such as Ludwig Krapf translated the Bible into the local dialect. The Africans revered in special caves, Mountaintops, hills, Forests, Special trees (mugumo) and shrines. The British tell Africans that they should worship God places called Churches. This encounter shows that there is a bit of clashing as the African places were very clearly defined and preserved by the community members. The British also seized African land to construct churches or chapels, Africans, as a result, became very hostile as they had distinct worship places which occurred naturally. They believed that their land was in cultivation and a gift from their gods. The Africans practiced their religion by reverence to their ancestors, offering human and animal sacrifices and invoking the ancestral spirits, for instance, the Umira Kager clan believed in spirits in the S.M Otieno case. They offered sacrifices in order to get favors in terms of harvest. The African worship was communal that is, all community members used to convene to pray for rain and ask for the wellness of the community. The British religion had an aspect of confession of one`s sins before worship, repentance, and forgiveness of sin are granted. This aspect of forgiveness of sins lacks in the traditional African religion, one had to be punished for wrongdoing. British missionary religion brings out an aspect of offerings in terms of money and tithe which is ten percent of one`s total earnings. The British advocated for human rights and therefore disregarded and condemned human sacrifices. In African religion, worship was led by Diviners, Rainmakers, and Seers who were considered righteous. The work of religious leaders was taught through apprecentiship and was hereditary from specific clans in the community. There were certain clans from whom diviners would descend. They were highly respected in the community. The British Christian religious leaders attend school to be trained mainly in theology. They study formalities of worship and nature of God. Any member of Christian family can become a religious leader although there are some myths which say one has to be ‘called’ by God. A Christian leader has to have the ability to read and write so as to pass the scriptures to his congregation. African traditional religion was diverse from one ethnic community to the other due to the linguistic differences, migration patterns and origin. Christianity is introduced as a homogeneous religion as the author of it is Jesus Christ, a common ancestry and reference point for all Christians. The diversity of worship is dismantled by the British introduction of this even religion. Africans were notoriously religious as it was found in each group. Africans who lived as per the traditional way of life were regarded as very religious.it is also worth acknowledging that Africans are at crossroads due to the fact that religion is embedded in the African culture and language. It is thus difficult for Africans to fully be committed to Christianity as being fully whole-hearted means they will have to abandon some of the partaking of African culture and indigenous dialect by embracing the Whiteman’s language and culture. This has already happened as some dedicated African Christians according to Quarcoopome (1987), refer to traditional religion as paganism, fetish, and animism. References. Awolalo, JO, Sin and Its Removal from the African Traditional Religion (1976) History and Government Form One to Four, KLB Fourth Edition. The People of Kenya Up to the 19th Century Kwasi W, Towards Decolonizing African Religion and Philosophy, African Studies (1998) Quarterly volume 1 Issue 4. Ojwang’ JB and Mugambi JNK (eds), The SM Otieno case, Death and Burial in Modern Kenya, (1989) Nairobi University press Mbiti, JS, African Religion and Philosophy, Oxford, England, (1999) Heinemann Educational Publishers. Mbiti, JS, Introduction to African Religion Oxford, England, (1991) Heinemann Educational Publishers. Uchenna O, African Crossroads: Conflict between African Traditional Religion and Christianity, (2008) The International Journal of Humanities vol 6 No. 2 Quarcoopome, TNO, West African traditional religion. Ibadan, Nigeria: (1987) African Universities Press. NAME: MUNYALO, DANIEL MUTHENGI REG.NO: G34/102614/2017 COURSE: GPR 100 LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING CONVENER: DR. NKATHA KABIRA â€Å"The encounter between the British and Africans was a case of two worlds colliding.† Discuss†¦

NY Times writer David Pogue and his Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

NY Times writer David Pogue and his Work - Essay Example When writing about Fujifilm X100, he says that â€Å"the top portion and bottom plate have been â€Å"die-cast from magnesium alloy†, and then he explains in brackets that â€Å"it’s silver metal, in other words†. Another explanation in the same text is â€Å"It’s also a f/2.0 lens, meaning that it lets in a lot of light†. Pogue perfectly understands the fact that his readers are not experts in consumer electronics. Therefore, they need gradual explanations in order to be able to grasp the most important information. So, the author makes sure he covers the basics first. Later, he gives additional information. Sometimes he provides the simple explanations for the average reader and then gives some specialized information in brackets. For example, in the text on Samsung’s Central Station, Pogue says that â€Å"as far as Samsung and I know, it’s never been done before† and then adds in brackets: â€Å"Samsung says it’s using a â€Å"proprietary protocol over the ultra-wideband spectrum that is not, and does not interfere with, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.† We can see another example in the article about the Tryx camera: â€Å"an Advanced menu lets you adjust the exposure, white balance and ISO — light sensitivity — but not manual focus, aperture or shutter speed†. After mentioning the term â€Å"ISO†, the author explains that this means â€Å"light sensitivity†. The author also compares the product he presents to other similar products which are very helpful for the consumer. This is yet another way in which he helps readers learn about new products. In the article on Fujifilm X100, he compares the product to a similar one, saying: â€Å"For most people, the Sony is more compelling; it’s smaller, much less expensive ($700) and takes interchangeable lenses, including a zooming flat one like the X100’s. But the X100’s controls (clear, external, analog, exposed) embrace the opposite approach of the Sony  (on-screen, buried, clumsy).†

Case Problems Involving the First Amendment Assignment

Case Problems Involving the First Amendment - Assignment Example By chanting anti slogans to the police, the crowd showed they were ready to take up arms and this goes against the constitution that states that persons should not be perceived as threatening the peace of other citizens (Russomanno 150). The act of disturbing the peace is prosecutable in the country and seeing the protesters were turning rowdy, the police had no option but to arrest awaiting charges of disturbing the peace. The university’s president policy is constitutional because there are specifically designated places that political activists can go and practice their freedom of speech. These areas are allocated for by the government and official escort the demonstrators to these areas. If the activists demonstrate away from these areas then they can be charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. It is also within the president’s power to designate the area as a student-reserved area and keep away protesters who may come and spoil the reputation of the school. To prevent shame and further humiliation in the future the decision by the president is not only plausible but also

A Study of Chromosome formation through observation of the cell cycle Research Paper

A Study of Chromosome formation through observation of the cell cycle (Abstract) - Research Paper Example We grew union roots to two centimeters, retrieved a 1cm sample, allowed them to steep in a fixative solution for 24 hours which keeps them in stasis, exposed them to hydochloric acid at sixty degrees Celsius, prepared the onion onto a slide, applied the reagent, sealed the slide and observed using an optical microscope. We did a similar process to a kanoi, in order to understand differences and similarities in chromosomal formation. Chromosomal bunching was observed, and it became difficult to distinguish between chromosomes. Most observations were of the interphase period. Chromosomes split, reproduced on DNA molecules during the S stage, became thicker and shorter and produced spindle fiber. Only a tiny minority of cells observed were in metaphase, moving to the equatorial plane; however, this tiny minority was more than expected, as metaphase is by far the most brief phase and it is likely in any given sample that no cells would be in metaphase at the time of the application of th e fixative. Anaphase and telophase samples were also observed. 7% more interphase cells were perceived than would be expected by random chance, well within standard error. P value was .734, larger than expected but still not sufficient to reject the null hypothesis.

Favorite thing to do with your family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Favorite thing to do with your family - Essay Example I enjoy typical everyday fun time activities like board games, watching television and gardening when done together as a family. Not only are they inexpensive, but are also home based. Studies have shown that such activities are in direct proportions to a family’s cohesion. Flower gardening is fun because it exhibits joint efforts by each family member in beautifying a home. We even enjoy a fresh vegetable meal from the produce of a home vegetable garden. There is a marked increase in appetite when the food we serve has been picked by the family from the garden. Board games present direct challenges between individuals taking turns, and they have a fun way of sharpening intellect. Time we spend together watching quality television, excluding explicit content, is educating and gives interesting topics to discuss later when it is not television time. Having dinner with the whole family at the table is enjoyable. This has also been proven through research to be beneficial to the youth. Those that regularly have dinner with the whole family present, including parents, are at a lesser danger of engaging in substance abuse . Outside the home, picnic activities in the local parks and camping sites provide for great fun. They offer a different environment to appreciate family company. The younger children enjoy flying homemade kites on windy days. The kites are always made with their contribution in coloring and decorating. For teens and adults, there are other activities including volleyball, racquet games like badminton, and more muscular events like tug of war. The participation for the sake of fun and not who wins or loses makes it all the more enjoyable. There is nothing to compete for other than liking the fact that you are making a family member happy. An added advantage is the fact that children who spent time away from home participating in sporting activities with their parents have been known to have better academic performances that their peers who d o not (Zabriskie & McCormick 283). Preparing snacks and lunch on such picnics is also an enjoyable activity on its own. Everyone has their pre defined roles to play and, within a short while each person is serving out paper plates of whatever they prepared. Each member ends up having a bite from everyone else. The day at the park is always energy draining for a good cause and ends with snacks and juices accompanied by relaxing music played from the car stereo. Another favorite is visiting my grandparents in the country side during school holidays. The fun starts right from packing the bags. Our parents help us choose what to carry along. At that time, I realize even the attire to be worn in the country side differs from what we wear in the cities. The journey through the city traffic is hectic as we head out of town. Excitement runs high with everyone eager for when we will arrive. Driving through the woods in the peaceful countryside has a relaxing effect and a difference in the ai r can already be felt. Dad and mom explain all the changes we see on the way since the last time we went visiting. Finally, arriving at the entrance to the farm, we all jump out at the gate with the exception of Dad who has to drive all the way. We all enjoy smelling and picking flowers along the driveway. Climbing apple trees has never been more fun than in the countryside. We already have half our fun of the day even before meeting our grandparents. One of the happiest moments in life

Race, Class and Standpoint Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Race, Class and Standpoint Theory - Essay Example The video shows David Christensen listening to Hugh. It is because of Christensen’s compassion and willingness to be honest with Hugh about the experiences of Latinos in America. Hugh mentions in the film how he came to shooting feeling burnt out about diversity work in America and left with a hopeful feeling and energy (USF, 2013). Standpoint theory identifies a particular group of social people as privileged. The dominant group of persons has privileges of their voices being heard more than the other groups of people. However, a variety of different voices of people of different social and racial settings can be heard more than the one from the dominant group. Hartsock, a writer about the Standpoint Theory, claims that womens unique standpoint in society is essential to providing the justification for the claims of feminism (Wise, 2011). It does this while also providing feminism with a method in which they can better analyze reality. People have different knowledge of other people, in terms of their various relationships to them mostly personal. Such knowledge is often incompletely articulated, tacit and intuitive. It is the reason there is always racial and class discrimination among human beings. There is much judgment about the white people, black people, Latinas and colored people. The decision makes one have the wrong perception of a person. An increase in the level of a person’s authority leads to the rise of power they get when having an implementation of their viewpoints on the world. Without power, the level of a person’s voice reduces and the individual has little to no say regarding policies (Johnson, 2006). The forces involved are all contributors to people’s communication in our world. Standpoint theory is in support of what feminist theorist Sandra Harding describes as strong objectivity. It is the notion that the ideas of individuals who are either

Organic foods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organic foods - Research Paper Example rest in the product and consumption of organic foods presently and it is largely because of better awareness about food produced organically in addition to the customers’ interest in food produced without any incorporation of chemicals or insecticides. The popular trend today does not concentrate on the use of chemical pesticides. c. Future (expert opinion): Organic food industry is bound to grow in the US by staggering proportions in the future given the expanding number of retailers who are willing to sell a large variety of foods. The overwhelmingly giant leaps seen in retail sales of organic foods from â€Å"$3.6 billion in 1997 to $21.1 billion in 2008† (USDA) are evident of obvious future expansion. i. Premium safety: Premium safety and nutrition value are the biggest advantages of organic foods which are known by everyone from well-educated agricultural professionals to common people with no knowledge about agriculture or food trends. This is the kind of advantage which cannot be denied by anyone. Compared with conventionally produced food, organic food penetrates barriers in context of nutrition. ii. Genetic modification: General idea promoted by activists of organic food products is that food produced by these methods is not genetically modified and 100% natural. Such food is totally how it is meant to be in accordance with nature and how it has been consumed since the very beginning when no chemicals or insecticides were known by the world and natural methods were preferred contributing to improved health and less diseases. iii. Natural growth: Because food produced organically does not depend on abundant amounts of artificial fertilizers like the nonorganic food, all fruits and vegetables get to complete their natural life cycle which is significantly important and has many repercussions. When meat is not injected with growth hormones and chemicals or fertilizers are not sprayed on fruits and vegetables, a higher content of nutrients can be

Black Power Mix Tape Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Black Power Mix Tape - Movie Review Example Davis argues that any movement would require a focus towards its goals and the achievement of these goals needed to be done through means that were available to the resisting community. Davis points out the hypocrisy of the government, members of whom make incendiary comments against the African American community and in the same breath accusing the African American community of violence. Davis’s grouse against such comments stems from the institutional violence that African Americans have to face on a daily basis, leading to reduced economic and political opportunities. Diane Ravitch argues that society as a whole, if it is to be an educated one, would have to preserve its integrity (Ravitch). This idea can be connected to Davis’s notion of revolution. Revolution, for Davis, is for the establishment of a society that has integrity. The very notion of revolution too is characterized by its honesty, as far as Davis is

Does the homecoming of Chinese students who completed higher education Dissertation

Does the homecoming of Chinese students who completed higher education abroad have an effect on the employability of the Chinese - Dissertation Example The present economic crisis that affected the western countries worse also contributed in the change of the trend in recent period. Contents Page 1. Introduction 3-6 1.2 Research Points 7 1.3 Aims and Objectives 8-9 2. Theoretical Framework Literature Review 10-19 3. Hypotheses 19 4. Empirical Research Literature Review 20-28 5. Methodology 29-32 6. Findings 33-41 7. Conclusion 42-43 Appendix Bibliography 1. INTRODUCTION With increased globalization international trade across countries, have increased increasing business opportunities and investments and contracting boundaries between nations across the world. However, it has also resulted in stiff competition among the business organizations and hence created barriers for the entrance of new potential business firms. Despite these drawbacks, globalization has brought about huge improvements in the sector of information, technology, and communication and with the advancements in the Internet connections people are being able to gathe r information on any field and for any country of the world. Thus with increased globalization the Chinese students are also being increasingly aware of the educational and employment opportunities in the developed countries of the world mainly the European and the American countries. ... China remains a leading civilization outstanding the other countries in arts, science, culture etc for the recent years. The single party controlled political state experienced a market-oriented approach of development after 1978 and since then output and the pace of the country’s development quadrupled. The living standards of many families experienced a drastic improvement as the country is increasing its reach and participation in international organizations. The phenomenal economic growth of the country and its increasing contribution to the world’s aggregate trade is making it famous in the international community. In the year, 2010 China has been the largest exporter in the world trade. The double-digit growth rate of the economy in the last 10 years has made it the second largest in terms of the Gross Domestic Product of the country just after the United States of America. The country went ahead of Japan in the year 2001 with its economic development. The economi c downturn of 2009 for the first time reduced the demand for the country’s exports in many years but the country again hold back the economy rebounding quickly with a GDP growth rate of 10% in 2010 exceeding all countries (The world fact book, 2010). After the establishment of the Republic of China, the communist party of the country and the central government decided to send the students and the scholars of the country to different socialist states of the world like Soviet Union. The main aim was to bring home knowledge from the foreign countries that would in turn help to develop the country in terms of science, technology, and managerial skills to compete with the western countries. Thus, policies and regulations were made to support the scholars going abroad and encourage

Supernatural in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Supernatural in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Macbeth Essay â€Å"The use of the supernatural occurs immediately at the beginning of the play with three witches predicting the fate of Macbeth. The predictions of the witches give the audience a clue to Macbeth’s future† (fieldofthemes.com) Adding a supernatural effect to both the story of â€Å"The Adventure’s Of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain and â€Å"Macbeth† by Shakespeare add an element of suspense and give the reader more to process and think about. In Huckleberry Finn, Jim feels very strongly about his belief in the supernatural. â€Å" Jim said the witches bewitched him and put him in a trance, and rode him all over the State, and then set him under the trees again, and hung his hat on a limb to show who done it.† (Twain, Mark). This adds humor into Huck Finn and a sense of suspense. Although Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth† and Mark Twain’s â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† share a common theme involving the Supernatural, Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth† utilizes the theme of the supernatural with greater impact because of the time period, the active supernatural characters, and the predictions that foreshadow the entire play. For example, during the time period of the 1600’s, the belief in the supernatural was a common and exciting thing. â€Å"Elizabethan era citizens believed that certain actions would invite good or bad luck, just as other actions could ward off bad luck.† This belief in the supernatural gave the play Macbeth much more credibility in the fact that it was relatable to the time period. Along with flattering King James by adding in scenes related to him, including supernatural efforts gave Shakespeare an even better reputation. King James â€Å"was Englands greatest witch hunter who was responsible for the deaths of more British witches than any other monarch in the history of England† (bukiska.com) Adding the supernatural elements made Macbeth even more watchable than it would have been without them. The supernatural characters, the witches, are the basis of the storyline in Macbeth. Without the witches predictions, Macbeth would have never become King or kill any of the people he ended up killing. These predictions foreshadowed the entire play and set up the basis of the storyline. The witches created a creepy and eerie feel to the story.

Enhancing Competitive Abilities for Airline Companies

Enhancing Competitive Abilities for Airline Companies Case of Air China Abstract This study examines the strategic, performance and learning issues confronting the Air China, in the aftermath of the Open Skies agreement between China and the United States. It uses a comparative perspective of United Airlines to examine Air China and the Chinese airline industry in context of ‘open skies, and in contrast to the wider global airlines industry. This is a questionnaire based study that uses both qualitative and quantitative data but relies more on the latter. The study is limited in its scope and implications primarily due to a small sample size, and the resulting inability to use inferential statistics. The study provides some focused recommendations on strategic thrusts and choices that could augment Air Chinas growth and performance as an international player. Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Background In the year 2008 the aviation industry forecasts show that Air China is the only Chinese airline that is likely to make a profit. Even Air China the Chinese flagship airline has been underperforming on international routes for some time now. While air travel is increasing on the backs of economic growth and the Olympic Games, fuel prices and competition under the ambits of international agreements like the ‘open skies between the US and China seem to have found Chinese airlines on the back foot for the moment. The fast expansion of the Chinese aviation market has seen investment flow in and international parties becoming interested as partners, investors and competitors in the sector. Chinese Airlines have responded with forays such as exploring alliancing, and strategic restructuring to respond to this duality of opportunity and threat. The open skies agreement in general implies â€Å"unrestricted access by any carrier into the sovereign territory of a country without any written agreement specifying capacity, ports of call or schedule of services† (Murali, 2005). Thus, theoretically, when the skies are open, any foreign airline can land any aircraft at any airport, with no restrictions on frequency and seat capacity. The frame of reference for the US China open skies agreement is the central provinces of Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Henan, and Shanxi. As per the terms of the agreement they are completely open to US airlines. Being open to the American enterprise means generous funds flow but harnessing this implies capturing the air routes and the passenger traffic. Major US airlines including the United maneuver to do this with their greater experience, resources and air traffic exposure alongside Chinese airlines. The latter have the advantage of being domestic players and thus have the local advantages that come with the same (Ahmed et al, 2006). Coordination and configuration issues also affect highly transnational international airlines in both positive and negative ways (Porter, 1985, 1986). One is by having greater experience of reaching out to new markets and the other is inevitable increasing challenge of synthesis and adjustment as each fresh market is encountered. The domestic flagship carrier Air China also has the advantage of national prestige just like Lufthansa has for Germany and British airways for Great Britain: â€Å"Air China is the only airline company which carries the national flag to fly. It has the first rank of brand value among domestic airline companies (the world brand laboratory evaluated it in 2006 as 18.896 billion RMB), and it is among the leading position of air passenger transport, freight transport and related service† (airchina.com, 2008). The advantage shows in it being at least better performing than other domestic airlines. However, the international experience and resource strength of players like the United Airlines is considerable. United operates more than 3,700 flights a day on United, United Express and Ted SM to more than 210 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C hubs (AsiaTravel.com, 2007). With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United is also a founding member of Star Alliance With the Star alliance, United is clearly in elite company where international code sharing, passenger traffic movements, innovations, and control of international hubs are the forte of a group of heavily resourced carriers. International alliancing is rather nascent as a strategy in the case of Chinese airlines with Air China having but recently joined the Star Alliance. Furthermore, within the Star Alliance also competition is not nullified among alliance partners. With the squabbling over alliances in domestic market viz. between Air China and China Eastern Airlines, the market seems dangerously susceptible to foreign takeovers unless either performance improves or government takes safety measures through anti-trust clamp down. The trust in a government safety net have often resulted in airlines facing major crisis like for instance, the German carrier Lufthansa in 1990s where a leadership change and strategic turnaround of a seminal nature were required to save it (Mintzberg et a l, 2003). With the domestic carriers making a loss even for the flagship carrier Air China it is imperative to make sure that it does not sit easy on its asset of existing brand recognition that stems primarily from carrying the national flag. It is reported, at present in the Chinese and American aviation routes, the domestic operators is relatively disadvantaged. Neither the passenger transportation nor freight transportation have been able to raise profits and even made losses, the situation being particularly acute in the Chinese context. Low occupancy in flights returning from the United Stated is just one reason among other operational and strategic aspects like fuel prices, customer preferences, quality perceptions, pricing, and alliancing effects, to name a few(ATKearney, 2008). Since the open skies agreement the need to strengthen the Chinese airlines competitive position has been seen as key to both the airline industry and to the validation of the strategic intent of China to successfully globalize its key industries. 1.2 Motivation The aviation agreement between China and the US signals the intention of the Chinese Government to take on global competition for larger gains. With a five fold increase in airline frequency proposed over six years commencing the onset of the agreement in 2004 it is probably the right juncture to examine the state of the Chinese airline industry in the aftermath of this strategic drive. Air China being the flagship carrier makes for an ideal setting to be examined with a comparative frame of reference of United Airlines of the United States. The agenda is to look at strategies, performance, and impact across a range of indicators to reflect on competitive performance, and issues therein for the Chinese aviation industry. The perspective of the China US agreement is also a case that has implications for other open skies agreements that China has entered into like with the European Union in 2005. The consequences of Chinas opening up and joining the World Trade Organization in 2001 are also implied in issues, challenges and performance related reflections that are to stem from this study. The motivation for this study in its chosen research site of Air China, in a comparative reference with united airlines in the main, and under the US-China open skies agreement is thus of great relevance to industry and economic scenario. 1.3 Research Questions In light of the aforesaid the following research questions will deliver the examination of Chinese Airline industry. This in context of the open skies agreement using the case of Air China in the main, with a comparative reference to United Airlines, and with a view to generate implications for the Chinese aviation industry as a whole. What has been Air Chinas strategy in light of the open skies agreement? What are the issues affecting the performance of Air China in particular and of the Chinese airlines in general, in the aftermath of the open skies agreement? What are the issues affecting Air Chinas global brand development and recognition? What are the lessons that Air China can draw from United Airlines as a sample of what the Chinese airline industry can learn from more experienced international carriers? The first two research question clearly relates to the examination of Air Chinas strategic choices in light of the open skies agreement and how these have resulted in the realized performance. The next question relates to the idea of stretching of the domestically acquired- flagship status based, brand recognition into an internationally acclaimed brand. A key indicator for the same is quality and value that is associated with the brand. The final question is in the domain of lessons learned more-so strategic lessons in the aftermath of the open skies and with a comparative context of more experienced transnational carriers. This completes the loop by looking at learning in context of strategic choices and performance 1.4 Outline of the Dissertation This dissertation presents a literature review in the next chapter. The chapter takes off by a review the global airline industry, open skies agreement and the airlines under purview with reference to past information and research. This is in addition to and an extension of the background presented here. The literature review then contextualizes extant research broadly in the areas of strategy, organisation learning and transnational aspects as discussed under the discussion on research questions above. The methodology and approach chapter that follows the literature review moves forward to discuss how the indicators from a synthesis of the literature review are developed into an instrument, and associated, data, sampling, approach and methods in analyses aspects, among other aspects. The findings chapter provide an objective outlay of the analysis from a questionnaire study and then the discussions chapter provides and interpretative discussion on the same. Finally the conclusions reflect back on the aims of the research as operationalised under the research questions to also provide recommendations for strategy and for future research in the area. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Global Airline Industry, Open Skies and Air China The AT Kearneys (2008) report on the global outlook for the airline industry presents several noteworthy points. It posits that returns are lower than the cost of capital, and that oil prices have caused a dramatic decline in US business conditions with consumer confidence at an all time low since 2001. It further argues that growth looks better in emerging markets like China, tight credit norms are affecting U.S and Europe while excess capacity is a big issue to tackle with efficiency lifts being very critical across the board. In addition the argument for open skies to intensify competition is also driven home. This comprehensive scenario suggests that there is an opportunity for airlines in the growing/emerging markets to usurp dominant international carriers if they pull their act together. The overall crisis scenario has more negatives for the bigger carriers that are outside emerging markets. However, experience, network and resource muscle are keeping them ahead. The Chinese a irline market is probably the biggest opportunity to gain fresh turf and revenues given its relative robustness in recent times. The Chinese flagship carrier ‘Air China today is the new generation of what was the â€Å"Air China† established on 1988. It has come together as a merger of the erstwhile Air China, National Aviation Company and China Southwest Airlines. With this strategic reshaping event in the aviation history of China that happened in 2002, air China has taken giant leaps in trying to become a globally recognized player in the airlines industry over a short time frame. Its sustained profitability is a matter of pride and a signifier of the potential in and of emerging markets. Despite global downturns in profitability which have been a concern for Air China also, its performance is much better than most other global and all domestic players (Airchina.com, 2008). The company has strategic targets that indicate its ambitious designs despite its nascent lineage. However, these, that of competitive lead, continuous quality, service and profitability improvements with unique and memorable experiences for customers (Airchina.com, 2008) are but rather generic across airlines and also conjoint agendas. Operationalising this strategy has seen quality impetus that we will discuss later, trying to learn from and network with other airlines, among others. This national carrier of China has joined the Star alliance in 2007 and its cooperation with leading airlines around the globe has seen it expand massively to nearly nine hundred locations around the globe. It has its catch phrases to help keep strategy and performance feedback simple and translatable into new initiatives and improvements. One such aspect is to do with service and is called ‘four hearts- implying reassurance, satisfaction, easiness and sensation (Airchina.com, 2008). Other config uration aspects that link with the sales network expansion, working to fine tune the much used frequent flyer tactic, and using supplier and partner networks to improve capacity utilization and efficiency. It has tried to outdo professional and technical capacities deployed by international airlines, whether it be pilot and staff training, motivating service operations and innovations through awards, and as aforesaid, using symbolic emblems for quality in general that can make the strategic intent transmittable through the organisation at all levels. Branding at a global level has always been a concern worked at audaciously with domestic dominance never being in question (Ahmed et al, 2006; Airchina.com, 2008). In 2007, Air China reported an increase of about fourteen percent in its operating revenue. The growth in passenger and cargo services fuelled by economic growth and also the impending Olympics seem to have contributed. Managing efficiency to make sure that capacity utilization and efficiency in operations given the fuel crisis deliver to their best might have paid off to some degree. However, rising operating costs have taken hold given the oil price scenario. While hedging has helped counter fuel price impact it is not a stable measure (ATKearney, 2008). The current scenario is not bleak by far the overtime trends are of concern given the uncertainties that prevail in the aviation market and the intensifying competition under the open skies agreement. Air China has focused on transfer traffic to increase passenger uptake while opening up steadily on international routes. Nearly thirty five percent of its routes are now international operating across nearly thirty countries. The revenue chunk from domestic operations stills makes the bulk. Having joined the Star Alliance recently Air China has made path breaking improvements in quality, service and has upgraded both its fleet and support infrastructure like under the new terminus at Beijing also hosting the alliance. The operating performance of Air China is markedly higher than other Chinese airlines including Eastern China Airlines. Domestic competition had defeated efforts at alliances here but the climate of uncertainty that has had international airlines pitching for co-operation saw Air China enter the prestigious Star Alliance. The inclusion was also triggered by promise in the emerging markets as aforesaid. Being the largest carrier in China with over 20000 employees and well trained crew who are more abreast with international service norms and issues holds Air China in good ground when making internationalization efforts. Domestic market is a stable resource mooring for the Airline that seeks to become a globally renowned brand in the industry. It makes for a perfect alliance partner for international majors given that at the onset of the decade China was recorded to have the highest percentage increase in passenger traffic of about 11.50%. US on the other hand had the lowest at -6.30% (Ahmed at al, 2008). Since 9/11 things have finally shaken the slumber in the U.S but fresh crisis of rising fuel prices and capital crunch have nullified the recovery. 2.2 United Airlines: The lineage and Chinese Context United is one of the oldest airlines. It claims its genesis in W.T. Varneys airmail operations in the later 1920s. United went with the fortunes of the times whether it be the Wars or the economic boom thereafter which saw rapid expansion on the one hand and monopolistic competition on the other. The 1970s were true crisis times for United as it went through several leadership hands and tried to remain afloat during turbulent economic times. The era of stability thereafter has seen United become the largest employee majority owned company in the world. While this has had positive implications on service quality, it is also not without its downsides. Arguably employee lobbies resulted in factionalism at times but overall the service philosophy due to this ownership has taken great leaps, and the ‘friendly skies slogan got replaced with a more ambitious slogan of ‘rising. This was probably as much aspiration based as it was given deregulation across the World. New economies and markets beckoned with domestic competition being as intense as ever. The 9/11 crisis probably hit the United the hardest. However, with government support, employee cooperation and smart financial management United managed to stay afloat and recover as a strong player in the international market. While it shares the industry downturn of recent times, experience and employee ownership hold it in good grounds to face competition and explore new markets (United.com, 2008). In March 2008 United Airlines won the duel with other US based airlines like the Continental- to run daily flights between Washington D.C and Beijing. The implications for the United home the Dulles airport is massive. This includes a boost through employment among other things much needed in the slumping economy. With the Beijing Olympics then just around the corner this meant even more money. Despite the open skies agreement the number of carriers from US in Chinese air space are limited by the government and the routes that open up thus draw fierce competition amongst prospective airlines (asiatravel.com, 2007). Besides increasing communication, this has special implications for international carriers that are facing the brunt of global oil price rise and uptake of luxury class travel (ATKearney, 2008). The forecast of emerging markets being the place to be discussed before has seen airline industries queue up for the Chinese airspace. The success is not only in winning amongst peers but also by getting a bulk of revenue off Chinese airlines like Air China who have local advantages but when it comes to international travel where the clientele is mixed they have less experience. The bids draw great political clout that pitch in with one airline or the other. With nearly 90000 people moving between China and Washington the market is serious. Us airlines like Continental, American and Northwest are serious contenders for the overall Chinese air space and are carving out their own niche for instance the connection between Shanghai and New York that continental offers (Asia travel.com, 2007). The star alliance connection between Air China and United comes to the fore here as this alliance allows United to access more routes around Beijing. Clearly the alliance has a cooperation agenda at the fore but competition remains within alliance partners also. On the one hand they rope in customers based on loyalty points, better cumulative resource strength, and wider route configurations, among others while on the other they vie for getting more and more alliance passengers as primary to themselves. 2.3 Network effects, Quality and Service Value Quality drives with an international value paradigm are a key indicator of aspirations to become a globally renowned brand. Network effects like that of prestigious alliances and by virtue of passenger traffic in the area given events such as the Olympics and generally favorable economic climate also augment the potential. Air China identified key business activities to enhance service quality and by extension value perceptions in customers. These were: â€Å"flight service (including off flight), people management (employee satisfaction leading to better customer service); supplier network management; technology adoption and integration; passenger perception management; and customer satisfaction measurement and complaint handling† (Ahmed et al, 2006). Under these, customizing services for individual customers is considered important. At the same times basic satisfying aspects are to be ensured before specialist and high order services are to be configured. This is in line with the ‘hygiene -motivators theory of Frederick Hertzberg (1959). Working to deliver a unique experience through incorporating attractive cultural aspects that are also internationally appealing has also been on the agenda fueling creative insights and challenges in the process. It has not been without innovation meeting efficiency and operational bottleneck for example to stretch customer choices by providing onboard menus that met with some embarrassing failures to keep adequate stock of items. This was reworked with considerable focus on database management to record past preferences. Employee satisfaction and involvement at this stage is pivotal as they are central to service and in the airline business front end employee interface is critical for rep eat business and reputation building. The people management agenda at Air China is closely juxtaposed with quality, the role of the manager in tying together people, and productivity and excellence stemming from motivated employees are all key tenets practiced with the adage that performance and quality issues begin at the top (Ahmed et al, 2006). As far as network effects are concerned the company seeks to establish long term relations with suppliers for stability, assuredness and cost effectiveness. The product life cycle of the key artifact the aircraft also merits such an approach. Improvement needs, maintenance needs and incorporating new technology are connected issues where in-house capabilities are also important. The excellence 2008 programme works to look at technology as a nonhuman aspect and emphasizes the need for connection with people as pivotal in realizing developing capabilities. Processes and initiatives are kept simple for easy of delivery and communication from the staff and to the customer respectively. The network effects Air China seeks stretch out to the customer through loyalty programmes and horizontally to partners with exchange and amalgamation of routes, loyalty points and information among others (Airchina.com, 2008). Brand image as a natural and desired culmination of the aforesaid efforts takes number one priority, followed by scheduling which is closely connect with capacity utilization and efficiency. Interestingly pricing is at number six preceded by on and off board services and plane model (Ahmed et al, 2006). Clearly the agenda is to drive on quality first and be realistic about the associated price. This is a model very distinct from low cost short haul airlines and also some airlines in other emerging markets like Russia. This is also a bold step that underlines the agenda for brand recognition through quality and service value with a close perspective on customer needs. 2.4 Organisational Learning: Strategic Choices and Performance feedback Organisational learning is understood as learning within the organisation and is complimented by the idea of learning by organisations as a distinct concept (Cyert and March, 1963; Senge, 1990). Overall the literature on learning with reference to organisations has a rather expansive lineage that is outside the scope of this study. In context of this study it is important to keep in mind the context that of learning from competitors and partners, learning from the experience of initiatives like those related to quality within the organisation, and learning from past direct and indirect experiences to counter environmental threats. These three issues will be central to the main research site Air China in context of learning. Competitive, growth and recognition aspirations that we have broadly contextualized so far will be of concern The literature on organisational learning and learning by organisations as distinguished above can be viewed from several lenses. The first is the human development lens which is at the heart of Air Chinas people management orientation that drives everything else. The emphasis on simplifying inputs, delivery and adoption are all tied into the concern of this perspective. The individuals orientation, capacities and motivation to learn are at the core of this lens. Also the stages and enablers that make learning effective are design issues to be implemented and monitored (e.g. Kolb, 1979; Argyris, 1978, 1986, 1992; Talbot and Harrow, 1993; Dixon, 1994). The management science is essentially about information management. It is important to generate feedback from processes and operations again an important but not central issue. This is because while people management is supposed to motivate this automatically at Air China, the importance of effective processes to say generate employee and customer feedback cannot be ignored (e.g. Huber, 1991; Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). There are other lenses like the one that looks at organisation as a societal being and another that considers organisation from a productivity perspective only as far as learning is concerned (Easterby Smith, 1997). Both have consequences for efficiency and performance but alone do not suffice to deliver the needed learning for sustaining performance (e.g. Pettigrew, 1973; Hedberg, 1981; Talbot and Harrow, 1987; Buzzell and Gale, 1987). Easterby Smith (1997) has generated other perspectives from his extensive review of the growth of body in learning with reference to organisations. These include cultural and strategic lenses that are critical to appreciate given the globalization agenda to hand. The cultural multiplicity within organisations and the areas they operate is juxtaposed with increasing competitiveness as globalization becomes the order of the day for design and configuration of organisations and their goals (e.g. Shibata et al, 1991; Hamel and Prahalad, 1989,1993). While I explore these lenses here in context of the Chinese aviation industry and Air China in particular it is useful to refer back to the comparative frame of United Airlines being used. The context of learning also becomes important as experiences, the feedback and the realization of this feedback into improvements are not imitable but need to be adapted (Nickerson and Zenger, 2002; McDermott and ODell, 2001). With Air China drawing on conventional strategic and tactical threads used in the airline industry to fuel its mindset in this nascent stage of development care should be taken to recognize that it is a different organisation especially when indirect (experience of other airlines) are learned from (Schwab and Miner, 2001; Rogers, 1997). This is important because learning needs to translate into fine tuning the strategic frame. Choices that work need to be distilled from choices that dont. However there is the simplicity agenda to contend with here (Miller, 1993). Overtime this implies bracketing and focusing on an industry wide panacea or select aspects which are considered pivotal to performance while others are made dormant. A non-performing element whether it be pricing that takes a back seat to people management may be the cutting edge one is looking for when the aspect of employee management has been honed by all competitors to an extreme. Innovations lie in such dormant aspects and creativity within the organisation needs to be fuelled to encourage bouncing of new ideas outside the confines of what is taken as doing well in the present time (March, 1991; Miller, 1990, 1993). The globalization agenda makes this even more crucial as performance feedback is subject to more ambiguity than ever before. Outside once domestic arena interpretation of performance is often more difficult and mistakes can be costly. For Air China its bold steps like alliancing, technology and excellence drive that seems to be driven around dominant features of what has worked in the Airline industry may be risky. The learning agenda from United that is decades older than it could be to examine the shocks it faced when threading a similar path rather than what works for it and other more experienced transnational airlines (Mintzberg, 1979) 2.5 The transnational context: Establishing global recognition and competitiveness Globalization is a phenomenon that most industries and major companies therein choose, strive for and adapt to. On the one hand lies the legacy of domestic or local experience and competencies shaped in that mould, while on the other lies the challenge to customize and adapt this ‘strategic configuration to market realities of different international markets (Mintzberg, et al, 1998; Mintzberg, 1979). The multiple subsidiaries and spread across countries creates the need for multidimensional competencies that are flexible. These also come with the principle competency of being able to choose the right mix and leverage it to local realities. The relationship between intermediaries and with the parent /home unit is important resource strength. The perspective of being able to adapt, and at the same time identify with the parent organisation brings to the fore the important aspect of creating a balanced interdependency (Bartlett and Ghoshal 1987). Going trans-national thus needs to be a carefully crafted initiative with the aforesaid issues and a host of variables to be considered. These variables include the economic climate, and industry level variables. Baden fuller and Stopford (1991) provide a set of considerations that impact on the profitability of a global strategy (figure 1). While these are generic considerations that point that is again emphasized in shaping of this framework is that competing in the transnational market is a very distinct foray than domestic competition. Being a domestically profitable and successful firm will not imply that the same success will be repeated in the international market (Rangan, 2000). The company has to carefully stretch and leverage (Hamel and Prahalad, 1993) its value set and configurations (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990) so as to maintain a balance between the stability of its configuration and at the same time coordinate the diverse subsidiaries to gain maximum synergy and interdependent benefits (Porter, 1986). Air China with its nascent lineage that goes back just two decades, in its present form it being around for only a few years has a lot of lessons to draw on. Its dominance as the dom estic player in China has spurred it on but its transnational success is still an early call to make. The importance of being part of the Star alliance brings a novel perspective to going transnational. The interface with more experienced airlines and the trade off of benefits from hosting each other in home countries is mutually beneficial. Alliances are crucial not only given the airline industry needs but also they bring a novel enabling and risk averse perspective to global business. How this tells on competitiveness amongst the partners is also rather unique in the case of the ai

GMO Labeling and Dangers

GMO Labeling and Dangers The average American can consume up to 1,996 pounds of food in one year. The initial intent of GMOs was to increase crop yields to meet the demand for the ever growing population. GMOs or (genetically modified organisms) are the results of an organism with the DNA of another organism. So its one organism with the DNA of another or many organisms. This does not occur naturally. GMOs are actually illegal in many countries, because they are not considered safe. GMOs have done nothing but increase crop yields. Since being used they have caused some people to develop allergies and have allergic reactions to the foods they are used in because we have not labeled the foods with GMOs. One of the big debates going on right now is should Genetically Modified Organisms be labeled? A total of three states have passed a law to require GMOs to be labeled. Vermont, connecticut, and Maine were the first of the three states to pass a law requiring GMOs to be labeled. The reason GMOs should be labeled is because many people are allergic to them, and, if they are not labeled, then how can you tell. This could result in severe allergic reactions, some of which could result in death. There are many things that you can do such as scanning the product to find out if it is a GMO, but who wants to spend all evening in the store waiting on your phone to work, and reading to find out when the product could be labeled. Several countries such as China, Australia, and European Union require GMOs to be labeled, currently the united states does not require labeling. Some companies like Campbells, ConAgra, General Mills and many others have already started labeling their products accordin g to Vermonts law. According to The reason GMO food should be voluntarily labeled by the food industry is that it is clear some consumers want to know what they are eating and they have a right to know what is in their food. -(What is GMO?) GMOs should be labeled because we shouldnt have to guess what is in our food. We should be able to read the label and know what is in the food we are eating. Another big question is are GMOs healthy for the environment? GMOs are made with a bunch of chemicals, because they are suppose to be able to resist pests and weather, but when it rains and washes the chemicals off where do they go? They wash off into rivers and lakes and soak into the ground potentially damaging our water supply.. According to Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods, By growing plants or raising livestock in environmental conditions that normally wouldnt support them, there is the potential of irrevocably damaging that environment. This is often seen through GMO crossbreeding. So when experimenting with GMOs such as cross breeding you basically create the need for more GMOs because you contain the environment and only you can plant GMOS there now. GMOs are unhealthy for the environment and dont occur naturally in nature. The foods at high risk for having GMOs in them are, alfalfa, corn, cotton, papaya, soy, sugar beet, yellow summer squash / and zucchini. Glypho sate a chemical found in herbicides that are sprayed on GMOs, is a dangerous chemical that has been linked to a blood cancer, farmers who use these chemicals are at twice the risk. Imagine what these chemicals can do to us as consumers who eat them. Are GMOs even safe for human consumption? A common question usually asked. GMOs can provoke an allergic reaction. According to What Are GMOs? How Are They Affecting Us? [opinion]. The mixing of different types of proteins in food create health hazards and allergic reactions for people eating the foods (What Are GMOs? How Are They Affecting Us?). If we label the foods we would not have to worry about people having allergic reactions because they would not buy or eat the food. Kinda like products made with peanut oil or in a peanut factory we let them know that these foods are made there and have these ingredients. Time and time again, studies have shown that the consumption of GMO foods increase the risks of food-based allergies in people. -(Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods). Not only could people be allergic to GMOs but they could possibly develop an allergy to GMOs. If someone develops an allergy to soy because of GMO efforts, then if livestock eats that GMO soy as well, that person would have a high probability of an allergic reaction from eating the animal meat.-(Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods) So once people develop an allergy to something, and they eat something from an animal that consumed the same thing they are allergic to, they have a chance of having an allergic reaction to it. If we labeled the food with GMOs people would not have to worry about having a allergic reaction, because they would not eat that item. One last question is what is the long term effects of GMOs on the environment. GMOs can contaminate forever. GMOs cross pollinate and their seeds can travel. It is impossible to fully clean up our contaminated gene pool. Self-propagating GMO pollution will outlast the effects of global warming and nuclear waste.(10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs). Once you plant GMOs on a piece of land you can not go and then plant a non GMO because it does not just go away the chemicals stay there. The potential impact is huge, threatening the health of future generations. GMO contamination has also caused economic losses for organic and non-GMO farmers who often struggle to keep their crops pure. (10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs). GMO seeds travel so not only is it affecting the environment it is affecting the farmers who are non GMO farmers. You can not fully clean up a contaminated gene pool meaning you can not clean this stuff up once it affects another farm. If we would not use genetically modified organisms, we would not have to worry about people developing an allergic reaction or having one, we would not have to worry about contaminating the environment, or worrying about ruining other farms who are non GMO. There is no economic value for GMOs. Therefore if we do use them they should be labeled. Work Cited Ewg. Are GMOs Bad for the Environment? EWG, Emily Cassidy , www.ewg.org/agmag/2016/03/are-gmos-bad-environment. Smith, Jeffrey. 10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs. Institute for Responsible Technology, Institute for Responsible Technology, 15 Jan. 2017, responsibletechnology.org/10-reasons-to-avoid-gmos/. What Are GMOs? How Are They Affecting Us?[opinion]. All Africa, 18 Aug. 2016. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOFsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CA466325870it=rasid=aece6b4fa048ceb72e318aa7c76652a8. Accessed 7 Feb. 2017. What Is GMO? The NonGMO Project, The NonGMO Project, www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/what-is-gmo/. Wpadmin. Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods. HRFnd, HealthReseachFunding.org, 28 Feb. 2016, healthresearchfunding.org/pros-cons-genetically-modified-foods/.

The Grinch Essay -- Psychoanalysis Therapy, Video

According to an online article that I read regarding psychoanalysis therapy, it is said to be very helpful in dealing with those who have personality disorders and neurosis. â€Å"Psychoanalysis therapy basically aims to find associations between the unconscious constitutents of patients’ mental process, by tracing out associations between the mind and mental process, all so in a systematic way† http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/psychoanalytic-therapy-9740.html. While watching the video regarding the Grinch there are a few different things that come to my mind as I watch this. One big thing that comes to my mind which has already been stated in the video that we had to watch is the fact that he appears to be depressed, and irritable. Another thing that was mentioned on the video is the possibility that the Grinch may be suffering from some type of seasonal disorder causing the irritation. The Grinch relates to the psychoanalytic therapies in a few different ways. First, let’s talk about the psychoanalytic therapy which Corey (2009) says is â€Å"a model of personality development and an approach to psychotherapy. He gave psychotherapy a new look and new horizons, calling attention to psychodynamic factors that motivate behavior, focusing on the role of the unconscious, and developing the first therapeutic procedures for understanding and modifying the structure of one’s basic character† (pg. 60). How can I relate this therapy model to the Grinch? Well looking at the Grinch he appears to want nothing more than to ruin Christmas for the whos. Which to me this shows a sign of aggression and I guess of being destructive if you look at it this way. The Grinch didn’t have any insight into the happiness of Christmas for the whos’. He wa... ... been a lot of studies that have evaluated and exampled this approach. A downfall that could be given in this approach would be the training and experience of the professional working with the clients. In conclusion, these psychoanalytic approaches all have their pros and cons to each approach as we go through them. Each of these approaches also can be used to describe and compare therapy techniques with the Grinch. It was interesting to see the difference that these three approaches all had. I believe that there has been some significant information that was positive out of all of them as well as some negative ones. One never knows as they are first meeting with clients what the real issue is until they get into the sessions a little more. It is important to find an approach that is proper and would assist an individual who may not be willing to be counseling.

History Of Money Essay -- essays research papers

What is Money? At first sight the answer to this question seems obvious. A man or woman in the street would agree on coins and banknote which could be known as checks, for a good or a service but would they accept them from any country? They would probably be less willing to accept them than their own country's coins and notes but bank money actually accounts for by far the greatest proportion by value of the total supply of money. Credit cards and gold are some what different. The gold standard belongs to history but even today in many rich people in different parts of the world would rather keep some of their wealth in the form of gold than in official, inflation-prone currencies. Gold is a attractive type of material which led to its use for monetary transactions for thousands of years. All sorts of things have been used as money at different times in different places. Like amber, beads, cowries, drums, eggs, feathers, gongs, hoes, ivory, jade, kettles, leather, mats, nails, oxen, pigs, quartz, rice, salt, thimbles, umiacs, vodka, wampum, yarns, and zappozats (decorated axes). It is almost impossible to define money in terms of its physical form or properties since these are so diverse. Therefore any definition must be based on its functions, which are units of account, common measure of value ,medium of exchange, and store of value. So with that in mind money is anything that is widely used for making payments and accounting for debts and credits. Money originated becau...

business math paper -- essays research papers

Annuities Businesses, financial institution, and other organizations invest in annuities to raise money to pay such expenses as bond debts, notes due, or stock dividends. They also invest in annuities to provide for future needs, such as new facilities and equipment or employee retirement benefits. Individuals may purchase annuities, such as an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), or an insurance policy, from insurance companies, financial institutions, or securities brokers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An ordinary annuity is a series of regular payments where each payment is made at the end of the payment period. The payment period is the length of time between payments. Payments are usually made annually, semiannually, quarterly, or monthly. The term of the annuity is the length of time from the beginning of the first payment period to the end of the last payment period. The amount of the annuity is the sum of all payments plus their accumulated interest. Their amount is also called the cash value.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The amount of an annuity can be found by using the Amount of an Annuity table. The table lists the value of an annuity of $1 compounded at various rates for various time periods. To find the amount of an ordinary annuity using the annuity table, multiply the payment by the appropriate table value. The interest earned can be found by subtracting the sum of the payments from the amount of the annuity. For example: Brian purchased an ordinary an...

A significant relationship exists between the age of the workforce and increased levels of job satisfaction

Studies of the correlation between the extrinsic and intrinsic aspects that provide for job satisfaction, has been widely analyzed and studied. This study proposes to analyze whether the age of the employee and length of employment has any relations with job satisfaction.Employees of an educational and research institution were surveyed to establish if the company commands high or low job satisfaction. Having participated in a similar survey a year ago, the new findings were used to compare with previous findings to see if job satisfaction has changed. A correlation and linear regression found that neither age nor sex could be used to accurately establish job satisfaction.Future analysis should have an emphasis on categories and age groups that score low on job satisfaction. This survey is important and can be employed by other businesses to test the level of job contentment. Employees who have a job satisfaction tend to be more dedicated to the organization, value their work and are more productive. Random sampling of various age groups was used in this study in order to come up with an accurate finding.The study encompassed the employees as well as the management. In the company’s workforce, 40% percent are male while 59% are female. Based on the findings of the survey there seemed to be a significant relationship between other demographics like sex, year employed, age as factors affecting job satisfaction. A lack of management to employee’s communication is also one of the factors that affect the employees’ satisfaction.IntroductionMelbourne institute is a large educational facility that also doubles as a research institute.   There are employees here who work full time while others are on short term contracts. Many studies have been conducted to establish the aspects that affect job satisfaction. Irregardless of age studies have shown that a large percentage of full term employed expressed a high level of contentment compared to the s hort or part time workers.Generally a multiple of reasons would motivate an employee to remain in a given company; this may include high pay, job security, benefits during work and retirement. An individual’s number of working years is sometimes proportional to their age. This is important as it is considered status by both the employees and the employer.There are a myriad of considerations that will make an employee decide to stay, extrinsic items are those that have been bestowed to the employee by the employer this may include, praise, bonuses etc. the opportunity of progress is also an important consideration, if an employee feels that they cannot advance despite their age they are bound to consider moving to another company. Job satisfaction is one of the most important attribute of the employment relationship.The implications of job satisfaction are extremely influential in that they can determine other factors like productivity, efficiency as well as turnover in an org anization. It is no longer acceptable for workers to work for minimum wage. Every employee wants to be employed on clear terms with a stable salary, but this alone is not pertinent enough to establish job satisfaction.The relationship between an employer and the employees should provide for means by which they can both achieve their objectives since if   employees are deemed to be satisfied in their capacities its is assumed that their output is greater and quality of work is high. This is first achieved by first appreciating that the benefits are mutual and that both the employer and the employee need each other.Coupling job satisfaction with the age of the employees as well as the length of time they have been employed gives another dimension of the relationship. This relationship not only entails how the employee is viewed by the employer but also by other future prospective employers. Senior employees who have been working for long and have a wide range of experience can be va luable to a company. Experience is also an aspect that is tied to age.If the employer is reward adequately for his service he may have little concern in looking for alternative employment. At the start of career, most employees are satisfied with a good starting salary but as years progress and to get job satisfaction, most of them turn their emphasis on job security. Job satisfaction is a combination of cognitive and effective contentment expressed by an individual.Effective contentment is one based on the entire emotional aspect of the individual. This study seeks to establish if there is a relationship between age and job satisfaction (Biderman, 1995).

Management and Workbook Process Essay

As a leading pioneer in outdoor retail and a ac beau monde at the psyche of the movement for environmental sustainability, we write this letter in response to your request to try your current Workbook extremity and appraise the advantages as well as the draw holds to the system. We argon non in favour of the current Workbook forge for reasons that we ordain list for you. We tonicity that a confederation with such a disposition as Patagonia, Inc., needs to adopt a less(prenominal)(prenominal) sophisticated but modernised system.MAIN FINDINGSWith the research we carried out it was genuinely clear and appargonnt to us that the Workbook off clip was ineffective. However, it did open up communication among employees, and it in like manner encouraged employees to sh are their ideas with most speeding level management. We do feel that the accomplish foot be improved upon.OVERVIEW OF THE WORKBOOK executeThe Patagonia Workbook service in our look on was intentional to make information about the companys planning, budgeting and smell improvement range more(prenominal) fluently amongst on the whole the employees. The assist was also designed to encourage the employees to put one over a more active constituent in the companys planning, run review and decision making bear upon. We will start our analysis by critiquing and itemization what we feel are major concerns of the schoolbook process.CONCERNS OF THE WORKBOOK exercise* The influence of sharing information could soften the managers powerbase, because selective disclosure of information can be used to verify and to counterfeit employees to do their work. * Expensive system because planning is necessitate for the employees to learn and to understand the system. In cast upition, training is era consuming. * The poor rescue of fiscal information, due to the fact that some(a) employees did non want to participate in the demonstrate. * The one to two months lag target of paper work. Thus information was never relevant for that specific clock time period. * Large symmetry of employees refused to engage in the Process because they establish it tedious. * The plan was not accepted by all levels of management. * The Workbook Process focuses mainly on planning in advance for the surviveing terminus rather than on a day by day institution. * The Workbook Process had difficulty in judging environment, character and distribution objectives, which are crucial conquest factors for Patagonia, Inc.* The Workbook Process is in truth complex and time consuming. The level of planning and the enormous amount of money of meetings needed to discuss company plans leaves very little time for constructive work to be done. * The Process could be moderate in the sense that it does not assist innovations if anything it encourages people to just stick to a set plan and nothing else. * The kale sharing plan that was introduced was not found on merit it was just alloca ted in equal percentages of the base salary. On the contrary, the workbook process also has some r individuallys. Although, the concerns outweigh the benefits, it is for your benefit and to give you a better opinion of the Process.BENEFITS OF THE WORKBOOK PROCESS* The Workbook Process has been significantly embraced amongst the employees at Patagonia, Inc. * A significant amount of the employees feel that the Process is worthwhile and that it has given everyone an hazard to bond and also optimized better solutions for the company. * The Workbook Process being a much long-acting term strategy can find oneself problems or cut backs before they arise, which is a more proactive approach, rather than waiting for an issue to arise before it gets attended to. * The Workbook Process gave a chance for employees at the screen of the hierarchy a better pinch of what lower ranked employees where up to, and then it created an atmosphere whereby everyone was interested in what was fortu ity within the company.EVALUATIONOn the basis of our evaluation, we would like to recommend that Patagonia, Inc. discontinues with the Workbook Process. We are of the view that the Process has served its intended purpose. The Process has worked in the sense that it has educated the employees on how the company operates and how their jobs interface with each other. A control system is applied to ensure that an organisation strategy is implemented which is not the study with the Workbook Process. The Workbook Process focuses on long term rather than looking at each scenario as it arises. In looking back at the time dedicated to achieving company objectives is lacking, which we feel is a key fragment of the future supremacy of the company. A hold dear driver is an objective which can steer future success. An example would include overlap design, quality and design, quality and customer service, which are all qualities that Patagonia, Inc. values.MAIN RECOMENDATIONS AND MODIFICAT IONOur recommended stand-in for the Workbook Process is a fit Scorecard. A Balanced Scorecard is a less sophisticated and more grounded evaluation method. A Balanced Scorecard not solitary(prenominal) focuses on financial but also non-financial contributors to the success of the company. Management can set objectives that involve different areas of the business. For example the intersection and distribution could qualify as skill objectives, research and development would focus on innovations, and the human resources would look after the quality of life for the employees. We are of a voiceless view that these aspects are key elements to the success of the company. The Balanced Scorecard will not guarantee success for Patagonia, Inc. but, we see it as a step in the flop direction.The Balanced Scorecard does have some drawbacks as well as advantages. The drawbacks are, a Balanced Scorecard can add a new type of inform without necessarily improving quality or financial numbers it could be viewed as a non-value adding report method and a distraction for achieving actual goals. One more disadvantage is that Balanced Scorecard goals are easy to reach but voiceless to quantify. The advantages of the Balance Scorecard are that, it caters for employees who are both financially and non-financially literate, a Balanced Scorecard is less technical and easier to understand, and the last advantage is that the Balanced Scorecard is less time consuming and will surrender workers to focus more on their existent tasks.CONCLUSIONIn concluding, we feel that the time and effort required to keep the Workbook Process operational are too costly. The rung within the organization are scarce partially committed, which in our view is causing complications with the success of the Workbook Process. The level of training required is exhaustive. The employees who are not financially literate regardless of how much training they mystify might never fully final payment hold the concepts of the Workbook Process. When an organization focuses all its efforts on financial results, other tasks that cannot be measured objectively are neglected. We hope that you will take all of our advice and recommendations into consideration and, we wish you and Patagonia, Inc. all the success in your future endeavours.

I Am a Filipino, a Proud One Essay

Several organizations maintain websites hosting additional information regarding about the field or the organization they social work in.Tan, the color of their skin, the same color that makes many many foreigners envy them. They have late rich black hair that financial flows naturally. Twinkling eyes some have deep black ones, some have hazel brown. They have such lovable characteristics.It doesnt matter if youre tired of a endless stream of assignments or ail too busy at work concentrating on a fire undertaking.There what are lots of traits of the Filipinos how that are to be proud of. wired And I am one of them, one of the â€Å"They†. I am a Filipino, a proud one. And you, I suppose, are one too.

In the event enter the coupon code Quora50 to acquire.There is nothing, absolutely nothing to be ashamed of being a Filipino. Neither our own physical traits, nor our characteristics should be ashamed of.So, how do we show christ our love to our country? Easy. Simply choose christ our own products instead of the imported ones.My parents arent devout Catholics.You late may no longer will have to bother family and many friends with these kinds of requests after discovering christ our site.

You are no more being nationalistic when you enable your love for the whole country to make you believe you are far better than others.Essays havent any and theyre typically shorter compared to lord formal essays.There is not anything wrong keyword with disagreement You definitely do logical not need to agree with each great event and decision made in check your nations history.Enjoy notes are an essential system of courtship.

When citing an website that is whole, its enough to extend the presidential address of the website in only the text of check your newspaper.Filipino creativity isnt confined to the artists.Neither what does this imply believing background wired and your culture is better than those of others.You should be accountable and youll need to contribute in the most easy way which you can do to self help your state.