The Forbidden City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Forbidden City - Essay Example A city, which is now Beijing, was a significant commercial center in the beginning of the ninth century BC. It became the administrative core of the principality of the Yan and eventually became the capital of Liao and later on the Jin. The northern tribe, the Tartars, constructed a city near this site in the tenth century.ii When the Venetian explorer Marco Polo visited the location, he illustrated it as the city of Khan, with fortified roofs highlighting the green flora of mulberry trees. Modern Beijing is roughly five centuries old, with several of its prominent edifices entirely restored. When Yung-lo instituted Beijing as his Chinese capital in the early fifteenth century, he commissioned roughly 200,000 laborers to construct the imperial city. Hsu Tai, Feng Chiao and Yuan An, his three engineers, were provided with the direction to build a massive, affluent and mystifying palace to function as the metropolis of the Emperor to the rest of the world. The role of the Emperor was a difficult one. Auditoriums were required for receiving delegations, along with places of worship for sacramental cleansing and processional paths. He as well demanded expansive domestic residences with backyards for himself and his loved ones in addition to administrative housing.iii The Forbidden City was entangled in ceremonial and spiritual notions. Legend tells that the core structure of the City was envisioned in a reverie by the mentor of Yung-lo, a futurist monk. He envisioned a celestial city, wherein the Lord of Heaven dwelled in a purple enclosed space, which is assumed to be a constellation shaped by 15 heavenly bodies revolving around the polestar.iv As Chinese cosmology believes, purple was an embodiment of bliss and happiness and as well as that of the polestar. Hence, the Emperor proclaimed himself as the Son of Heaven, with the divine obligation

HRM - Summary post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HRM - Summary post - Essay Example The L&D strategies need to be clear and must mention the learning outcomes whilst promoting the self-esteem of employees. Currently, my focus organization has an effective L&D strategy. Within their budget they have created opportunities of learning via classroom sessions, seminars and various job rotations so an employee fully understands and learns different aspects of his job and his role within the organization. As effective as it is, the mundane routine often leads the employees to be strayed. The continuous office routine incorporated with lengthy seminar and classroom session sometimes seem meaningless to the employees. Job rotations too are difficult to manage and incorporate. On the other hand learning from everyday activities or incidental learning must be incorporated in the strategy for a better training. Make the training fun so the employees wish to learn and excel. Providing incentives at the end of training session would optimize the employee’s performance. The employees must be sent on field for some practical knowledge and must be trained to implement these details when they return to the

Analysis of the Human Rights Act, 1998

Analysis of the Human Rights Act, 1998 Human Rights Law ‘Despite the Human Rights Act 1998, the courts have failed appropriately to limit the scope for the exercise of breach of the peace powers.’ The Human Rights Act 1998 received royal assent on November 9, 1998 and came into force on October 2, 2000. The objective of said Act was to harmonize the domestic law of the United Kingdom with the European Convention on Human Rights. To reaffirm the commitment of the UK to human rights and civil liberties, it is now possible under the said Act to file a claim for violation of the ECHR without going to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Says Weinstein: This ability to transcend national law, and to compel revision of such law to comport with rights guaranteed by the European Convention in a broad range of areas, most often within the exclusive purview of national and local courts, is of historic note. Generally, nation states have been the final arbiters of most issues affecting their citizenry and within their borders. By treaty, the signatory nations of Europe have granted the ECHR binding authority to decide cases affecting their citizenry and other persons subject to their authority. In instances where state law is found inconsistent with an ECHR judgment, the nation at issue is obliged to amend its national law to comport with the ECHR decision. These cases illustrate the concept of what is increasingly being referred to as an evolving European supranational identity. The ECHR grants jurisdiction to any individual, non-governmental organization, or group claiming be a victim of a violation of the European Convention by a ECHR signatory nation, and to bring cases before it, as does, in applicable cases, the European Court of Justice (the ECJ), the court of the European Union, based in Luxembourg. Equally important, it prohibits any public body from behaving in a manner that is incompatible with any of the rights guaranteed under the ECHR. The Human Rights Act has gone a long way in limiting arbitrary actions from public bodies, in particular, police officers. It cannot be denied, however, that the laws on â€Å"breach of the peace† grant have historically been so vast in scope that in some occasions, human rights violations arise. The definition of â€Å"breach of the peace† (also known as breach of the Queen’s peace) has been discussed in the Court of Appeal decision of Howell, where it was stated as follows: We are emboldened to say that there is a breach of the peace whenever harm is actually done or is likely to be done to a person or in his presence his property or a person is in fear of being so harmed through an assault, an affray, a riot, unlawful assembly or other disturbance. It used to be that the prospect of violence alone would not be enough to be considered a â€Å"breach of the peace†, as in the comment of Farqhuarson LJ that â€Å"The act which puts someone in fear of violence taking place entitles a police officerto detain the actor but it is not a breach of the peace, for the violence has not yet occurred.† There has been scant support for this view, such that in the present time, â€Å"breach of the peace† also embraces â€Å"behaviour likely to cause a violent reaction†, even if such behaviour is not of itself violent. The policy of the law has been recently discussed in the case of Humberside Police v. McQuade, where it was held that: â€Å"the policy of the law relating to arrest for breach of the peace is plain enough. Its purpose is to deal with emergencies. The power of arrest may be exercised without a warrant and belongs to the ordinary citizen as much as to the constable.† In a handful of cases, the European Court of Human Rights has found that there is no contradiction between the concept and the Human Rights act of 1998. The most cited case is the case of McLeod v. United Kingdom , where the Court held as follows: â€Å"The concept of breach of the peace has been clarified by the English courts over the last two decades, to the extent that it is now sufficiently established that a breach of the peace is committed only when an individual causes harm, or appears likely to cause harm, to persons or property, or acts in a manner the natural consequence of which would be to provoke violence in others.† There are several powers that underlie a â€Å"breach of the peace†. The first power is the power of arrest. In Howell the conditions for making an arrest on this basis were laid down, to wit – â€Å"Where: (1) a breach of the peace is committed in the presence of a person making the arrest or (2) the arrestor believes that such a breach will be committed in the immediate future by the person arrested although he has not yet committed any breach or (3) where a breach has been committed and it is reasonably believed that a renewal of it is threatened.† Another power is the power to enter premises. The leading case for this is the case of Thomas v. Sawkins which involved a meeting to protest the Inciting to Disaffection Bill. Wary that seditious and inflammatory statements would be made, the policemen stormed in and attended the meeting, even though they were aware that they were unwelcome. In a unanimous decision, the Court ruled that the presence of the police officers was lawful. Stone explains why this is an alarming prospect: A point of uncertainty, however, arose from the fact that the meeting took place on private premises. Did the power of entry recognised in the case only apply to meetings to which the public were invited, or are the police entitled to enter any premises on which a breach of the peace is occurring or is likely to occur? The judges in Thomas v Sawkins appeared to attach importance to the fact that they were dealing with a public meeting, but the general law of trespass makes no distinction of this kind. If those attending a public meeting on private premises do so on the basis of a licence from the occupier, then that licence may be withdrawn, from the police as much as anyone else. If the police have the power to override the withdrawal of a licence, then there seems no reason why that power should not exist on all occasions. The result is that Thomas v Sawkins had the effect of giving the police a power to enter any premises to prevent or deal with a breach of the peace. Another power police officers have is the power to control/restrict/compel an individual’s movement. The seminal case for this is the case of Moss v McLachlan , which involved militant striking miners prevented by policemen from joining the ranks of more â€Å"moderate† miners. The Court upheld the actions of the law enforcement agents, saying as follows: â€Å"If the police feared that a convoy of cars travelling towards a working coal field bearing banners and broadcasting, by sight or sound, hostility or threats towards working miners might cause a violent episode, they would be justified in halting the convoy to enquire into its destination and purpose. If, on stopping the vehicles, the police were satisfied that there was a real possibility of the occupants causing a breach of the peace one-and-a-half miles away, a journey of less than five minutes by car, then in our judgment it would be their duty to prevent the convoy from proceeding further and they have the power to do so.† There are many human rights issues that are affected by an overly-broad interpretation of â€Å"breach of the peace.† The first principle that they may invoke is the principle regarding Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion which is enshrined in Article 9. There is no dearth of cases that they may cite in order to support their position. For example, in the case of Arrowsmith v. United Kingdom, it was stated this right refers to acts that are an expression of a religion or belief. This right was raised before the ECHR for a variety of reasons, such as employment and prisoners’ rights. While certainly, the courts have taken quite a restrictive approach in applying the provision and granting relief under it, it has been restrictive when the acts sought to be justified are acts that are patently illegal and morally wrong, such as assisted suicide or the distribution of cannabis. These acts cannot be compared to the simple act of dancing or organizing. The dangers of cannabis and euthanasia simply cannot compare to the conjectured danger in the case at hand, and thus, the latter should fall under the ambit of freedom of religion. There is also the freedom of assembly and association argument (Article 11) that may be raised. Aside from imposing a negative obligation on law enforcement agents not trample on protected rights, they must secure the effective enjoyment of these rights. In the case of Plattform ‘Arzte fur das Leben v. Austria the ECHR held that â€Å"Genuine effective freedom of peaceful assembly cannot be reduced to a mere duty on the part of the state not to interfere†¦ Article 11 sometimes requires positive measures to be taken, even in the sphere of relations between individuals, if need be.† Freedom of Expression which may be found in Article 10, can likewise be cited. There can be no doubt that freedom of expression is of paramount importance. While the right to free speech is a crystallized principle that has been place almost since the beginning of time, enjoying a cherished position in the bill of rights of virtually all civilized legal systems, the interpretation of what constitutes free and protected speech still has yet to be perfectly refined. This provision has been invoked many times over in the course of history, whether within the European Union or outside, successfully and unsuccessfully; and Courts have had many opportunities to set standards and devise guidelines to determine if the speech in question should be protected or not. It is important to note that Article 10 protects not merely the substance of the idea but also the form that they are conveyed. This was the ruling in the case of Oberschlick v. Austria and it could be applied here. The form of the expression should also be considered protected speech. This is bolstered by the fact that in the case of Stevens v. United Kingdom, the concept of expression covers even â€Å"actions†. It becomes more difficult when the right to free speech competes with another right, in this case, the right of the public to order, or to put it more classically, the right of the Queen to her peace. In â€Å"easy† cases, all that should be done is look through jurisprudence until one finds the applicable case with similar facts. In â€Å"hard† cases with novel facts, the role of the judge becomes infinitely more difficult. The boundaries are ever-shifting; and internally, the judge will be trying not only to apply the law, but to subject the text or speech in question to her own subjective inquiry in order to determine the intent of the message-bearer and what the material was trying to say. Social and political values inevitably come to the fore. To quote legal writer Thomas Streeter, â€Å"It is in the character of language, in other words, that a judge will never be able to look at the text of the Bill of Rights and legal precedents to decide whether or not flag b urning is protected by the First Amendment; he will always in one way or another be forced to make a choice about whether or not he thinks it should be protected, and will always be faced with the possibility that a reasonable person could plausibly disagree.† What distinguishes the area on free speech from other â€Å"legally-indeterminate† areas is that it is inextricably intertwined with and largely dependent on language which, as many eminent linguists have said, is arbitrary in the sense that meanings cannot be derived from anything logically-inherent in the words. These meanings are merely â€Å"assigned meanings† born of the collective experiences of people in a community and this system of interpretation is never static. As stated by Streeter, â€Å"Aside from language in general and perhaps some very deep-level aspects of syntax, there is very little that is universal, neutral, or mechanical about human languages.† Another issue is the right to due process. Legal systems in the civilized world – whether in civil or common law jurisdictions have, at least in theory, given primacy to the rights of the accused, understanding that ambiguity should be resolved in his or her favor. This, however, does not mean that one must let down his or her vigilance and stop guarding against possible infringement of constitutional guarantees by overzealous judges, particularly at a time when human rights advocacy for the accused has been made unpopular by the rising rate of crime. It used to be that the primacy of the State is the core principle of the international legal regime as it is traditionally known. This, however, has been challenged by the alarming rise of state-sponsored human rights violations that has prodded the community of nations to recognize that its more pressing duty is to protect the individual from systemic and institutional atrocity, even at the expense of its legal fictions. To quote from Hersch Lauterpacht, in his article International Law and Human Rights, An international legal system which aims at effectively safeguarding human freedom in all its aspects is no longer an abstraction. It is as real as man’s interest in the guarantee and the preservation of his inalienable rights as a rational and moral being. International law, which has excelled in punctilious insistence on the respect owed by one sovereign State to another, henceforth acknowledges the sovereignty of man. For fundamental human rights are superior to the law of the sovereign State. This is the raison d’etre behind the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights which entered into force in 1966 and the Human Rights Act of 1998. State parties were cognizant of the need to protect civil and political rights of citizens from possible encroachment by the state. The ICCPR explicitly declares: â€Å"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.† It is undeniable that this includes protection of citizens from agents of the state such as members of the police force. And yet, we see how police officers routinely violate the human rights of those they apprehend. The implicit message is that these are criminals anyway – thugs, petty thieves, gangsters, punks, drug addicts, alcoholics – and they are doing society a favor by treating them brusquely. An oft-heard justification is that you cannot treat hardened criminals with kid gloves or you will be perpetrating crime even further. However, it cannot be gainsaid that the legal restrictions on evidence make police brutality inimical to law enforcement, rather than the opposite. Given the propensity of law enforcement agents to manhandle an accused or use unnecessary force to restrain and subdue him, they should be taught that such behavior only bolsters crime instead of eliminating it. First: it emboldens criminals to seek revenge and go on â€Å"vendetta killings† and perpetuates a vicious cycle of crime that exacerbates the situation even further. Second: evidence procured by vi rtue of such rough manhandling will not be admissible in evidence and the criminal they seek to put behind bars will be allowed to go back to the streets. Most importantly, however, even hardened criminals are covered by the human rights guarantees in the Constitution and in human rights conventions. Human rights are inalienable and imprescriptible, and they apply to everyone. But perhaps the most recent caselaw on breach of the peace with respect to the concept of human rights is the recently concluded Fairford Coach Action where the police detained 120 protesters on their way to an anti-war demonstration in Gloucestershire. The Public Order and Criminal Justice Act was used by the policemen. The Law Lords eventually ruled in favour of the protesters. In 2004, it made this crucial point: The rights to freedom of expression, and assembly and association, which are protected by Articles 10 and 11 of the ECHR respectively, are of the greatest importance to the proper functioning of any democracy. Any intrusion upon the rights, either by the developing common law or by the intervention of statute law, has to be jealously scrutinised. In conclusion, while certainly there are significant inroads brought about by the Human Rights Act of 1998, these still must be reckoned with the laws on breach of the peace. It is the duty of the courts and of every citizen to be vigilant against encroachments by police officers. The law is there to provide refuge, but education and awareness are primary.   Bibliography Hoffman, D. Rowe, J. (2003). Human Rights in the UK: An Introduction to the Human Rights Act 1998. London: Pearson Longman. Lauterpacht, Hersch. 1950. International Law and Human Rights. Connecticut: Archon Books. Stone, R. (2001) Breach of the Peace: The Case for Abolition. 2 Web. JCLI. Streeter, T. (1995) Some Thoughts on Free Speech, Language and the Rule of Law. In Jensen, R. and Allen, D. (Eds.) Freeing the First Amendment: Critical Perspectives on Freedom of Expression.31-53. New York University Press. Weinstein, B. â€Å"Recent Decisions from the European Court of Human Rights.† American Society of International Law. May 2000. visited 21 January 2007. http://www.asil.org/insights/insigh45.htm

Kmarts Past Struggle Essay -- essays research papers

Kmart Past Struggles Management is a key to success, and Kmart needs proper management to help create a positive image that attracts more customers. Kmart’s disorderly management and bankruptcy caused many customers to shop with other retailers. According to Carr, Wal-Mart and Kmart were the same size in 1990. Since then, Kmart has grown far slower than its rival or the industry. Once one of the largest discount retailers, Kmart filed for the biggest Chapter 11 bankruptcy for discount retailing in the United States (2002). Struggling to find the right type of management has been one of Kmart’s problems that ultimately helped lead the company to its downfall. Kmart is constantly changing CEO’s, and thus focuses. Kmart has had four different CEO’s since 2000, all with different management objectives. Youdath illustrates some of Kmart’s management changes, Charles Conway wanted to turn Kmart into an â€Å"Everyday low price destination,† making Wal-Mart Stores a direct competitor. Conaway cut back on advertising and the results were not profitable. After an unprofitable holiday season in 2001 the company filed bankruptcy. In 2002, James Adamson hoped to improve customer service and restock the shelves within the Kmart Stores. While Kmart was taking time to recover from filing Chapter 11, its rivals like Wal-Mart and Target were stealing its customers. When Kmart was focusing on random in-store discounts, Wal-Mart and Target were pitching low prices, broad inventories, hip products, and a pleasant shopping experience (2002). Jalexson states that in 2003 Edward Lambert rescued Kmart from bankruptcy. Lambert wanted to attract customer’s back, but the closing of 28% of Kmarts over the last two years hurts the chains ability to attract customers and forced the remaining stores to pay a higher portion of advertising costs. Then, in January of 2003 CEO Julian Day said that when a company exits bankruptcy it should emphasize the exclusive brands like; Joe Boxer, Sesame Street and of course Martha Stewart (2003). As mentioned by Karush, starting in October of 2004 Aylwin Lewis was named CEO of Kmart and will be involved in merging Kmart with Sears (2005). With inconsistent management and objectives, Kmart has been struggling to create concrete guidelines necessary to improve store performance. Effects of Past Struggles on Local Stores Kmart’s reputation of poor manage... ...of Kmart’s financial problems and unclear marketing strategy local stores have also suffered. Kmart struggles to change these negative images, and create a positive image to differentiate itself form its competitors. Even though Kmart has had a struggling past, changes can be made by management to improve stores status and attract customers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Actions such as increasing advertising, improving the store environment, and increasing the availability of quality merchandise must be taken to improve store performance. To make consumers more aware of Kmart’s merchandise more promotions and advertisement is essential. Television, radio, newspaper, and promotional ads should be shown to the general public to spark interest. Stores need to improve appearance and organization and also offer a wider range of quality merchandise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kmart’s stores have prime real estate and could be improved by new marketing and management methods to make shopping with Kmart a more pleasant experience. Kmart must improve customer satisfaction, and differentiate itself from its competitors. The future is now and in order to stand out changes must be made.

Organizational Culture and Its Counterculture

The authors Joanne Martin and Caren Siehl are focusing on organizational culture and its counterculture. The definition given by the authors for counterculture states that counterculture will most likely arise in a strongly centralized organization that has allowed a reasonable decentralization of authority to take place. The article assumes that cultural systems can emphasize as well as sustain the objectives of the firm’s top management. The main argument here is that in addition to serving integrative functions, culture can express disagreement and address needs for segregation among organizational elements.As a replacement for thinking culture is a huge phenomenon, they explore counterculture’s uneasy symbiotic relationship with the rest of an organization. Finally they tackle the connection between cultural development and managerial action by asking what a leader does, unintentionally or intentionally, that seems to impact the development of a counterculture. Give n said that when a dominant culture and a counterculture takes place it creates an uneasy symbiosis between these two interdependent cultures. There were two books selected for this research, one was by Ed Cray and the other was by J. P Wright on General Motors.The three core values for dominant culture in GM were â€Å"respecting authority†, â€Å"fitting in† and â€Å"being loyal†. J. P Wright talks about how DeLorean’s division in GM has created an uneasy symbiosis relationship between the dominant culture and counterculture. DeLorean’s activities have been studied to see how he has created a counterculture in an organization with such a strong dominant culture. There are several ways to counter the dominant culture and DeLorean has done so by â€Å"questioning deference to authority†, â€Å"finding an alternative way to fit in† and â€Å"opposing demands for unquestioning loyalty†. . There are three types of subcultures; th e first is enhancing, orthogonal and counterculture. This article’s main focus will be on counterculture. According to the authors some core values of a counterculture has a direct challenge to the core values of a dominant culture, therefore creating an uneasy symbiosis. This article has taken two main authors as their references to explore the adequacy of a dominant culture and a counterculture and to find out what values those artifacts put across.The two main authors are Ed Cray, Chrome Colossus: General Motors and Its Times (McGraw-Hill, 1980) and J. P Wright’s description of DeLorean’s activities, On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors (Wright Enterprises, 1979). This article was done on General Motors, one of the main characters that was discussed in this article was on John DeLorean who was a head of one of the division’s in GM. DeLorean was a man who made his way up the corporate ladder which gave him a position of leadership, resources and po wer who in return questioned the dominant culture of GM.There were three main core values of GM that were discussed, the first is Respecting Authority: Jargon and Rituals of Deference. What happens in GM is that the dominant culture gives so much importance to paying reverence to the top corporate management; special jargon was used to refer to these executives. For example, each top manager was assigned a junior executive who will be an assistant, and these assistants were called â€Å"dog robbers† which meant an assigned servant who is responsible to pick up the dogs dropping in a large household.Another type of dominant culture artifact was the ritual, GM had many rituals, this is just one of the rituals; subordinates were expected to meet their superiors from out of the town at the airport and carry their bags, pay for their hotels, meals and chauffeur them around day and night. The second core value found in GM was Fitting In: Communicating Invisibility by Visible Cues. The core value of invisibility was expressed through such visible cultural artifact as dress and decor.An example GM’s dress code was a dark suit, a light shirt and a muted tie so that no single employee stands out. The rule implemented on office decor also states the value of invisibility. All the decor was standardized. In GM if an employee was invisible he was a â€Å"team player†. They engage in public, symbolic acts of conformity to show they are team players. The third core value to the GM way of life was loyalty to one’s boss. They were all expected to be loyal to their bosses and not question them or even point out their wrong doings.One of the examples given was, GM retirement dinner, in this retirement dinner they pay tribute to the retiree by telling his journey story in the past years in GM. These dinner instilled mutual respect, admiration and loyalty. It was important for GM to tell the stories of their retiring employees, simply because these stor ies were true and shows a sequence of events in the company’s history. In one case, DeLorean did not go to pick his boss up from the airport, which was a ritual followed by all GM employees, what happened was DeLorean’s boss was furious and expected DeLorean to not repeat it ever again.In the retirement dinner, they reward the retiree for the past tasks done by ensuring future loyalty, so in DeLorean’s case he would be marked by the others and may be seen as someone who isn’t a team player. The counterculture to these dominant cultures can be seen by DeLorean’s actions. There are three areas to it; the first is questioning deference to authority. DeLorean kept creating stories that were being questioned by other employees, because one story will not make most of the employees buzzing, therefore DeLorean created many situations.For example, he wanted to replace deference to authority with task-oriented efficiency. He discouraged the meeting of super iors at airports. DeLorean himself role modeled the behavior. This incident became an organizational story. He became a controversial and powerful figure. This particular event was significant because it expressed a value that contradicted a core value of the dominant culture. The second counterculture, An Alternative to Fitting In: The Limits of Acceptable Deviance. DeLorean did not agree on the core value of fitting in team play. He instead valued dissent and independence.He backed his values with practices, by changing his divisions’ performance appraisal system. Performance was measured on basis of criteria that were as objective as possible. DeLorean was also able to role model himself by not following the dress code and he also changed the decor in his division, allowing his executives to have their own touch in their spaces. This was his way of declaring independence from the dominant culture. The only way a counter culture can sustain is by implementing the practices as well as being consistent with the preferred value.Opposing Demands for Unquestioning Loyalty is the third counterculture. Articulation of a â€Å"boomerang† challenged the dominant culture. The Corvair was a product of GM that was supposed to be the finest and most appealing product to attract the young. The Corvair story becomes a boomerang, it takes a sudden turn and employees started questioning the safety of the rear engine, but without enough support and evidence that the Corvair was not safe GM management told the employees who objected to join the team or find some other place to work. In the end the Corvair had caused many deaths because of its faulty design.This in return cost GM its reputation and millions of dollars in legal expense, and of court settlements. 3. This argument fits with my experience as an observation that I have seen happen over and over again, it is no other than an public area which most of us are bound to go to in some time in our lives in di fferent occasions, the hospital. It is always said that right after graduating as a doctor, the worst fear for all of them is their houseman ship years. It is a dominant culture that all new doctors who are coming in for their houseman ship are pushed around and are made to work over time.In other words they are bullied by their superiors. It has been a culture that has been happening all around the world and many have come to accept it as a norm. In my opinion I don’t think it should be the case, I believe that there can be an artifact of a counterculture here. Why it is that fresh new graduate doctors allow their superiors to push them around to a certain extreme. For example, senior doctors, will intentionally post questions for houseman ship doctors in front of a patient and then mock them for the answers given to enforce their authority as senior doctors.This can be emotionally damaging depending on the degree of verbal abuse. Another case would be houseman ship doctors are treated as the lowest employees in the hospital during their houseman ship years; they are not only pushed around by senior doctors but by the nurses as well. They are made to do irrelevant work and lots of running around. Another case would be sometimes, senior doctors will make houseman doctors to do their shifts as well, resulting in the housemen to be wore out and exhausted.Some of these housemen will eventually break down, for they are not able to cope with the pressure and stress. Then again this happens over and over again in all parts of the world. In my opinion I think it would make a lot of difference if some doctors have the capability to stand up and make a change in this environment. I believe as time goes by, more and more stories and incidents will occur causing the dominant culture to be questioned and a breakthrough for a counterculture to take place in this particular environment.I am sure there are cases where certain doctors have made a stand for themselves, but with the repetition of the same behavior this dominant culture may be able to change. Where the houseman ship doctors are treated with equal respect and are able to apply what they have learnt over the past few years in their houseman ship years. 3. This argument fits with my experience as an observation that I have seen happen over and over again, it is no other than an public area which most of us are bound to go to in some time in our lives in different occasions, the hospital.It is always said that right after graduating as a doctor, the worst fear for all of them is their houseman ship years. It is a dominant culture that all new doctors who are coming in for their houseman ship are pushed around and are made to work over time. In other words they are bullied by their superiors. It has been a culture that has been happening all around the world and many have come to accept it as a norm. I believe that there can be an artifact of a counterculture here.For example, senior doc tors, will intentionally post questions for houseman ship doctors in front of a patient and then mock them for the answers given to enforce their authority as senior doctors. This can be emotionally damaging depending on the degree of verbal abuse. Another case would be houseman ship doctors are treated as the lowest employees in the hospital during their houseman ship years; they are not only pushed around by senior doctors but by the nurses as well. They are made to do irrelevant work and lots of running around.Senior doctors will make houseman doctors to do their shifts as well, resulting in the housemen to be wore out and exhausted. Some of these housemen will eventually break down, for they are not able to cope with the pressure and stress. Then again this happens over and over again in all parts of the world. It would make a lot of difference if some doctors have the capability to stand up and make a change in this environment. As time goes by, more stories and incidents will occur causing the dominant culture to be questioned and a breakthrough for a counterculture to take place in this articular environment. I am sure there are cases where certain doctors have made a stand for themselves, but with the repetition of the same behavior this dominant culture may be able to change. Where the houseman ship doctors are treated with equal respect and are able to apply what they have learnt over the past few years in their houseman ship years.4. Reference Martin, J and Siehl, C (1983) Organizational Culture and Counterculture: An Uneasy Symbiosis. Organizational Dynamics, pp 52-64

“The Politics of Translations”

The concept that a translation suggest is that there is an original. To some translation is seen as duplication, which suggests a concept of original being of higher value and the duplicate of lesser value. However, regardless of how one might define translation, translation is making the text readable to one particular language.Translation is communicating the textual content of one language to another and as it was stated, â€Å"each slightly different from the one that came before it: translations of translations of translations. Each text is unique, yet at the same time it is the translation of another text† The Politics of translationAmidst the issues confronting the works of translation studies, the politics of translation must be seen as way of dealing with the problem. As Bassnett and Travedi is concern, the works on translation studies are confronted by the issues relating to the relationship between the text referred to as the original or the source, and the translat ion of that original.   The problem confronting the field of translation studies is the notion of duplication or of not being original, which grossly creates a discrediting concept on translation works. The politics of translation must enfold the growing importance of translation studies including the linguistic branch to be able to present shared intelligibility without sacrificing difference for the sake of a blind integration.According to Bassnett and Travedi, the issue on the relationship between translation and the so-called original, â€Å"arose as a result of the invention of printing and the spread of literacy.†This led to the emergence of the idea that an author is owner of his or her text. The concept of the politics of translation encompassed the issue of ownership of the text as this has been one of the important issues regarding the work of translations. Of course, the writers of the text must be its rightful owners. The translators are working to make the text readable to a particular language.The politics here then, is that who gets what, when, and how. Thus, while the credit of the text exclusively goes to the writer, the translator gets his own credit in view of the translated work.While politics speaks of conflict and disagreement, the concept of the politics of translation centers on dealing with the issues confronting the works of translation studies in order to find ways of having blind assimilation between the texts and the translator’s ideas. Both the text and the work of the translator then are important and original because we now speak of two different languages.The writer of the text gets credit for his ideas, and the translator gets his own for making the ideas of the text flourish to a particular language.Tymoczko illustrated this clearly in her discussion of translation as metaphor for colonial writing. She said, â€Å"In this sense post-colonial writing might be imaged as a form of translation in which venerable and holy relics are moved from one sanctified spot to another more central and more secure location, at which the cult is intended to be preserved, to take root and find new life† (p. 20).

Where Do You Get Your Ideas

Where Do You Get Your Ideas A common sentence from new writers itching to dive into the business. Whether talking novels or magazine features, the newbie wants to be known for having written, and they are ever-eager to jump on that writing train. Developing a writers eye comes from developing the habit. It isnt something you remember to turn on. Its a trait you learn to perpetually live with. Over time of honing this skill of seeing the world through a writers eye, one learns to: 1) hear every bit of dialogue as potential for a character exchange 2) read every news story as a potential plot 3) interpret every experience as the basis for a feature in a mag or chapter in a book Everything becomes fodder. Even if you have this ONE STORY youve always wanted to write, you still watch the world for dialogue and snippets of activity that fit into that ONE STORY youve always wanted to write so that you can make it richer. Youre always looking, listening, interpreting life as writing possibility. Two articles are sitting in a basket in front of me right now, saved from magazines I read three or four years ago. One was about canning vegetables. However, the title (which Im saving for myself, thank you very much) grabbed me. It was a practical title of a how-to piece, but the uniqueness of the title, then some sections of the how-to, suddenly appeared as the great basis for a story to me. Another article came from a gardening piece in a newspaper. Oh my gosh, that persons experience tending a cemetery plot had my writing radar going off the chart! A great test is to take any moment, any instance, and scour it for writing ideas. Drill down into the minutiae or think big picture, how this situation may have a heavy theme attached. The ideas are in front of you, knocking on your brain. The skill comes in knowing how to answer the knock.

Primary Contents of the Draft Law on Property Rights

Primary Contents of the Draft Law on Property Rights Free Online Research Papers Primary Contents of the Draft Law on Property Rights The draft law on property rights, with 5 chapters and 268 items, defines and safeguards all the property rights related to every citizen’s fundamental rights. The first chapter is General Principal, with 44 items. It defines that the property rights is the ownership, usufruct, and security interest for the real and movables properties. Property owners shall be given reasonable compensation when their properties are taken over for public use. Those who refuse to make the compensation will bear legal responsibilities; Real estate should enregister in the local institution, otherwise it is not property right. The enregister fee will be decided by State Council, and the local institution should not charge fees based on the acreage, price and cubage of the real estate. The second chapter is Ownership, with 78 items. It defines the state-owned, collective and private ownership respectively, and the law protects all these three kinds of ownership. The administrative staff in state-owned enterprises shall bear the civil, administrative or even criminal liabilities if they transfer the ownership of the public property by buying stocks or selling companies at low prices, which lead to the public assets loss. Private saving, investment and benefits are protected by the law, and so is the heirdom of private property. It also defines that building is owned by the resident, the ownership of parking lots, grassland and clubs in resident community should be shared by the residents, rather than the real estate developers. The meeting of all the residents has the right to change the estate management company if they are not satisfied with the service provided by the company. If the real estate developers want to change the house into the building for business use, it must be agreed by all the residents. All the residents in a resident community have the rights to stop invasion and ask for compensation. According to the draft law, if a house-owner fits up his house, the fitment should not affect the neighbours. If somebody pick up something lost by other people, he should inform the owner or submit to related bureaus within 20 days, and the owner should pay the safekeeping fee, and should pay the rewards according to his promise. The third chapter is Usufruct, with 69 items. According to the draft law, Usufruct includes the Contract for the managerial right of the Land, the Use of the constructive land, the Use of curtilage and Resident right. People who contracts the land can transfer the land to the third people. Anyone is not permitted to defalcate and impropriate the compensation fund for expropriating the land. When the use of the constructive land expire, people should apply for extending the time limit in advance of one year before the expiration; One rural family only has one curtilage, and can transfer to other rural people, but cannot change the use of curtilage. The urban citizen is not allowed to buy the land saved for farmers’ use so as to safeguard farmers’ fundmental property rights; People who live in other’s house can apply for the resident right, and he need not pay for the usage fee and great maintain fees except for the estate management fees, he has no right to rent the house according to the draft law. The fourth chapter is Security Interest, with 67 items. It mainly includes the hypothec, pawnage and lien right. Some institutional units aiming to the public benefit, such as hospitals, schools and kindergartens are not permitted to be hypothecated. The pawnage right includes the pawnage of movables and rights. The rights that can be impawned are: ? Bill of exchange, cheque, and cashier’s cheque; ? Bonds and certificate of deposits; ? Bills of depot and lading; ? Transferrable stock rights; ? Transferrable appropriative right of registered trade mark, patent right, copyright and other intellectual rights; ? The rights of charge on road, telecom network and others; ? Other property rights regulated by the law. The fifth chapter is Possession, with 10 items. Possession is defined as the actural control on the real estate and movabless. Research Papers on Primary Contents of the Draft Law on Property RightsUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresPETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAWDefinition of Export QuotasWhere Wild and West Meet19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paper

Andrew Jackson Democracy

He did uphold the principles of the majority rule and not of the supremacy of the government. The bank and its branches received federal funding and they were to be used for public purpose by serving as a cushion for the ups and downs of the economy. Biddle, head of the bank, managed it effectively. But his arrogance led many, including Jackson, to believe that Biddle was abusing his power and was serving the interests of the wealthy. As a result, Jackson declared the bank to be unconstitutional even though it was previously said to be constitutional. In the election of 1832, Clay wanted to challenge Jackson on the issue by trying to persuade Congress to pass a bank re-charter-bill. Jackson vetoed it, saying that it was a private monopoly and that it favored the wealthy, and in turn led to the backfire of Clay’s plan. The majority of the voters agreed on his attack on the â€Å"hydra of corruption. † And as a result of this issue, Jackson got the majority of the votes and won the election. In his second term Jackson killed the national bank by vetoing its re-charter and by removing all of its money. In his veto message Jackson said â€Å"But when the laws undertake to add to these natural and just advantages artificial distinctions, to grant titles, gratuities, and exclusive privileges to make the rich richer and the potent more powerful, the humble members of society who have neither the time nor the means of securing like favors to themselves, have a right to complain of the injustices of their government†. He then took the money and put it into so called â€Å"pet banks† that were located throughout various state banks. He did this because he did not uphold to the ideas of the federal supremacy. Jackson is usually for state’s rights, but not if it leads towards disunion. That is exactly what happened in the issue of nullification. Around 1828 the legislation of South Carolina declared that the Tariff of Abominations, which was and increased tariff, was unconstitutional. According to Calhoun, Jackson’s vice-president, and his nullification theory, each state had the right to decide whether or not to obey it or to declare it void. Daniel Webster, of Mass. , debated against Hayne and attacked the idea that any state could leave the Union. Jackson believed that the Union should be preserved. South Carolina held a convention to nullify both the tariff of 1828 and the newly formed tariff of 1832. The convention determined that the collection of tariffs within a state is against the constitution. Jackson didn’t like this, so he forced military action by persuading the Congress the pass a so-called Force bill to give him authority to use military action in South Carolina. But the troops did not go. Jackson decided to open up for compromise and to lower the tariff. Jackson did not uphold to the principle of majority to rule in this case because it only dealt with one state, but he did for the supremacy of the federal government. In the case of the removal of the Native Americans, the statement is valid. Jackson’s view on democracy did not extend to the Native Americans. Like the majority he did sympathize with the land-hungry citizens who desperately wanted to take over lands held by the Indians. Jackson thought that the reasonable answer was to require the Native Americans to leave their homeland and head towards west of the Mississippi. He signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, which forced a resettlement of many thousand Native Americans. In 1831 the Cherokees challenged Georgia in the courts, but the Supreme Court ruled in this case (Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia) that the Cherokee’s where not a foreign nation and couldn’t sue in a federal court. In a second case, Worcester vs. Georgia (1832), the Supreme Court ruled that the laws of Georgia had no force within the boundaries of the Cherokee territory. In a dispute between state’s rights and federal courts, Jackson sided with the states. He said, â€Å"John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it. † In a statement by Edward Everett, he said, â€Å"The Indians, as was natural, looked to the United States for protection. They came first to the President, deeming, and rightly, that it was his duty to afford them this protection. They knew he had but one constitutional duty to perform toward the treaties and laws – the duty of executing them. He informed them that he had no power, in his view of the rights of the States; prevent their extending their laws over the Indians. This shows that he upheld the principle of the federal supremacy because he abided. Many presidents that have served in the U. S. have had criticisms against them because of the actions they have performed, Jackson being one of them. The validity of the criticism against Jackson varies with the issues regarding the re-charter of the bank, the nullification crisis and the removal of the Native Americans. His presidency chan ged the way that we look at presidents today. Andrew Jackson Democracy He did uphold the principles of the majority rule and not of the supremacy of the government. The bank and its branches received federal funding and they were to be used for public purpose by serving as a cushion for the ups and downs of the economy. Biddle, head of the bank, managed it effectively. But his arrogance led many, including Jackson, to believe that Biddle was abusing his power and was serving the interests of the wealthy. As a result, Jackson declared the bank to be unconstitutional even though it was previously said to be constitutional. In the election of 1832, Clay wanted to challenge Jackson on the issue by trying to persuade Congress to pass a bank re-charter-bill. Jackson vetoed it, saying that it was a private monopoly and that it favored the wealthy, and in turn led to the backfire of Clay’s plan. The majority of the voters agreed on his attack on the â€Å"hydra of corruption. † And as a result of this issue, Jackson got the majority of the votes and won the election. In his second term Jackson killed the national bank by vetoing its re-charter and by removing all of its money. In his veto message Jackson said â€Å"But when the laws undertake to add to these natural and just advantages artificial distinctions, to grant titles, gratuities, and exclusive privileges to make the rich richer and the potent more powerful, the humble members of society who have neither the time nor the means of securing like favors to themselves, have a right to complain of the injustices of their government†. He then took the money and put it into so called â€Å"pet banks† that were located throughout various state banks. He did this because he did not uphold to the ideas of the federal supremacy. Jackson is usually for state’s rights, but not if it leads towards disunion. That is exactly what happened in the issue of nullification. Around 1828 the legislation of South Carolina declared that the Tariff of Abominations, which was and increased tariff, was unconstitutional. According to Calhoun, Jackson’s vice-president, and his nullification theory, each state had the right to decide whether or not to obey it or to declare it void. Daniel Webster, of Mass. , debated against Hayne and attacked the idea that any state could leave the Union. Jackson believed that the Union should be preserved. South Carolina held a convention to nullify both the tariff of 1828 and the newly formed tariff of 1832. The convention determined that the collection of tariffs within a state is against the constitution. Jackson didn’t like this, so he forced military action by persuading the Congress the pass a so-called Force bill to give him authority to use military action in South Carolina. But the troops did not go. Jackson decided to open up for compromise and to lower the tariff. Jackson did not uphold to the principle of majority to rule in this case because it only dealt with one state, but he did for the supremacy of the federal government. In the case of the removal of the Native Americans, the statement is valid. Jackson’s view on democracy did not extend to the Native Americans. Like the majority he did sympathize with the land-hungry citizens who desperately wanted to take over lands held by the Indians. Jackson thought that the reasonable answer was to require the Native Americans to leave their homeland and head towards west of the Mississippi. He signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, which forced a resettlement of many thousand Native Americans. In 1831 the Cherokees challenged Georgia in the courts, but the Supreme Court ruled in this case (Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia) that the Cherokee’s where not a foreign nation and couldn’t sue in a federal court. In a second case, Worcester vs. Georgia (1832), the Supreme Court ruled that the laws of Georgia had no force within the boundaries of the Cherokee territory. In a dispute between state’s rights and federal courts, Jackson sided with the states. He said, â€Å"John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it. † In a statement by Edward Everett, he said, â€Å"The Indians, as was natural, looked to the United States for protection. They came first to the President, deeming, and rightly, that it was his duty to afford them this protection. They knew he had but one constitutional duty to perform toward the treaties and laws – the duty of executing them. He informed them that he had no power, in his view of the rights of the States; prevent their extending their laws over the Indians. This shows that he upheld the principle of the federal supremacy because he abided. Many presidents that have served in the U. S. have had criticisms against them because of the actions they have performed, Jackson being one of them. The validity of the criticism against Jackson varies with the issues regarding the re-charter of the bank, the nullification crisis and the removal of the Native Americans. His presidency chan ged the way that we look at presidents today.

Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Literature Review - Essay Example Its symptoms include palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness. Other symptoms of AF include poor exercise intolerance, generalized weakness, and irregular pulse (Cottrell, 2011). It can also result in death. Despite this, over 90% of the victims of AF maybe not show any symptoms (Cottrell, 2011). The risk factors of AF include degeneration heart disease and atherosclerosis. Obesity, hypertension as well as metabolic syndrome and diabetes that are associated with cardiovascular disease are also the risk factors for AF (Cottrell, 2011 and Campbell-Cole & Lee, 2014). Apart from the structural complications of the heart, causes of AF may also be as a result of the thoracic surgery as well as coronary artery bypass grafts. Complications of AF include stroke, heart failure, and in severe can lead to death (Campbell-Cole & Lee, 2014). AF is often diagnosed by an irregular pulse. However, this is often confirmed by ECG (Elliott, 2014). Use of ECG helps one to identify acute changes and co-existing cardiac abnormalities like left-ventricular hypertrophy (Elliott, 2014). Management of this disorder includes considering patients with AF for anticoagulation. However, anticoagulation may also increase the risk of serious bleeding, and as a result of this, patients need to be informed about AF and treatment options (Elliott, 2014). According to Roberts and his colleagues (2015), warfarin therapy is crucial for prevention of systematic embolism as well as stroke associated with AF. It also aids in the prevention of venous thromboembolism. The decision for use of warfarin in stroke prevention is based on the CHADS2 score; 1 point for congestive heart failure, age above 75 years, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and 2 points for transient ischaemic attack (Roberts et al., 2015). Patients using warfarin should be cared t hrough approaches such as usual care by the GP, patient self-monitoring, and laboratory care program. As a

Cartridge world Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cartridge world - Case Study Example Take for instance the Cartridge world has reduced the cost of printer cartridges allowing its customers to enjoy using their products without losing quality. The company has for this reason exceeded the expectations of its customers, and its competitors cannot duplicate such service (Arthur, Margaret and John 2011, 56). Focusing on becoming an overall low-cost leader has created a competitive advantage for cartridge world. They have differentiated their products and services from competition; they provide warranty so as not to invalidate their products to their customers. They also provide free collection and delivery; thus, cutting the cost for their customers (Jayne and William 2006, 45). The company has also focused on having distinct appeal to an individual or groups of customers, or maybe industrial buyers, concentrating on their differentiation concerns or cost. The company was able to recognize a need that existed in the market and was able to fulfill it. When its customers demanded change in the price of the ink cartridges, cartridge world introduced a new printer that was able to offer a cheap ink cartridge. It then introduced the product for sale at a competitive price (Porter 1998, 40). Fulfilling an existing need in the market was for that reason more effective than an attempt to identify e new need in the market and then making the customers aware of the need (Pearce and Robinson 2004,

Professionalsim, Values and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Professionalsim, Values and Ethics - Essay Example Sitting on the former site for Anglia Ruskin University, the two phase project is one of a kind in Chelmsford with its unique development plan. The project basically consisted renovation of three key historic buildings which include; the Law building, Frederick Chancellor building and finally the Anne Knight building. The project which is found in the town of Essex is strategically placed thus tend to enjoy a prime location in the town (www.chelmsford.gov.uk). The project lies adjacent to Central Park and is located opposite the Chelmsford station. Still under construction the project stands to boast of over 600 homes with a range of property types, that includes apartments, townhouses, offices, retail outlets, community use spaces and offices Therefore, this paper will seek to explore and examine various features of this project. Some of the key areas that are bound to be covered in this paper include; roles and relationship of the participants, planning and construction process, legal and contractual framework, impact of the project to its surrounding, legacy, values it expresses and the urge to find out whether the design or architecture was inspired by a particular approach. To achieve this task various research methods were applied in order to come up with a detailed description of this project. The methods used in obtaining information included browsing materials on the internet and holding interview sessions with those involved. The only limitation about this project is that it is still in progress now that the second phase is not complete (www.genesisha.org.uk). To conform to the topic, this paper will explore the professionalism, values and ethics of those involved in seeing the project come to a completion and also deliver quality products that guarantee customer satisfaction. In order to see the development of a high end product in city

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example Through the current report, the researcher is going to evaluate critical similarities and differences between these domestic and international human resource policies and the different situations where each one influences the decision making process of the organisations. DefinitionsDomestic Human Resource PoliciesDomestic human resource policies of an organisation are limited to national borders. Basically, these are organisation with little or no international connection. There services are limited to local consumers and the employees are also locally recruited. Thus, cross-cultural interaction is rare and they are committed to management of local resources only (Black, 1999).International Human resource policies The international human resource management involves the same activities as the domestic human resource management has including human resource planning, staffing, recruitment, development and rewards etc, but critics argue that domestic human resource management usually en gage with employees within one national boundary.International human resource policies can be described as those regulations and guidelines which help in facilitating the business and relationship between cross national organisations. It also encompasses all legal activities which will keep a check on normal functioning of the international business (Takeda and Helms, 2010). Overall international human resource policies are aimed at maintaining and effectiveness of human resources in an international context. Apart from the basic polices of planning, recruitment and selection, performance management, staffing, labour relations and compensation and benefits. International HR policies also take care of various functions such as monitoring and management of international laws, selection and recruitment for international assignments, expatriate employee development and training and management of their compensation and career issues Similarities between Domestic and Multinational Human R esource policies and practices   The core human resource policies concerning domestic and international environment are almost similar. They include basic human resource planning, compensation and performance management, reward system, development and appraisal, recruitment and selection etc. The existence of these similarities is because of the fact that policies and guidelines inside the office are almost similar. The other reason is that these policies have a single origin. It is only with the advent of globalization and international business networks, that these policies have been stretched and modified according to requirements. Human resource planning Human resource policies imply on all those planning processes which link the various needs of human capital of a firm to its strategic aim. The objective of the human resource planning process is to make the human resource

Case study identifying and assessing the analytical failures Essay

Case study identifying and assessing the analytical failures - Essay Example On April 15, 2013 there were bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The results of these blasts were that three people were killed and 264 others were injured. The two explosions were caused by pressure cooker bombs. 1 The Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States identified two suspects in the bombing. The two suspects were Muslim brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Though their reasoning for actually initiating this incident can be only known to the suspects, people might assume based on their own bias that this could have to do with religious tensions in the United States which have been strong since the bombing of the World Trade Center. Many people have a bias of Muslims and it was believed that the two brothers were terrorists. One of the brothers, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed when a car ran over him after struggling with police while the other brother escaped and was later apprehended.2 Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who survived and was captured by the police said that they were motivated by the extremist Islamic beliefs and the war that was being led by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan. He revealed that they worked independently and no external terrorist groups were involved. They learned to make the bombs from an online magazine by the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen known as Inspire.3 It is also alleged that the two brothers contemplated suicide bombings. Ultimately, the duo decided to use the pressure cooker bombs. Dzhokhar also said that they wanted to defend Islam against the United States which led the Iraq and Afghanistan war, which they saw it to be against Muslims.4 However, some political analysts suggest that Tamerlan’s inability to become fully accepted into the American society might have been the root cause for the attack. Many people who are not American born may have a difficult time psychologically is not accepting of them as a minority. This can then that can lead up to their

Professionalsim, Values and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Professionalsim, Values and Ethics - Essay Example Sitting on the former site for Anglia Ruskin University, the two phase project is one of a kind in Chelmsford with its unique development plan. The project basically consisted renovation of three key historic buildings which include; the Law building, Frederick Chancellor building and finally the Anne Knight building. The project which is found in the town of Essex is strategically placed thus tend to enjoy a prime location in the town (www.chelmsford.gov.uk). The project lies adjacent to Central Park and is located opposite the Chelmsford station. Still under construction the project stands to boast of over 600 homes with a range of property types, that includes apartments, townhouses, offices, retail outlets, community use spaces and offices Therefore, this paper will seek to explore and examine various features of this project. Some of the key areas that are bound to be covered in this paper include; roles and relationship of the participants, planning and construction process, legal and contractual framework, impact of the project to its surrounding, legacy, values it expresses and the urge to find out whether the design or architecture was inspired by a particular approach. To achieve this task various research methods were applied in order to come up with a detailed description of this project. The methods used in obtaining information included browsing materials on the internet and holding interview sessions with those involved. The only limitation about this project is that it is still in progress now that the second phase is not complete (www.genesisha.org.uk). To conform to the topic, this paper will explore the professionalism, values and ethics of those involved in seeing the project come to a completion and also deliver quality products that guarantee customer satisfaction. In order to see the development of a high end product in city

Case study identifying and assessing the analytical failures Essay

Case study identifying and assessing the analytical failures - Essay Example On April 15, 2013 there were bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The results of these blasts were that three people were killed and 264 others were injured. The two explosions were caused by pressure cooker bombs. 1 The Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States identified two suspects in the bombing. The two suspects were Muslim brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Though their reasoning for actually initiating this incident can be only known to the suspects, people might assume based on their own bias that this could have to do with religious tensions in the United States which have been strong since the bombing of the World Trade Center. Many people have a bias of Muslims and it was believed that the two brothers were terrorists. One of the brothers, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed when a car ran over him after struggling with police while the other brother escaped and was later apprehended.2 Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who survived and was captured by the police said that they were motivated by the extremist Islamic beliefs and the war that was being led by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan. He revealed that they worked independently and no external terrorist groups were involved. They learned to make the bombs from an online magazine by the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen known as Inspire.3 It is also alleged that the two brothers contemplated suicide bombings. Ultimately, the duo decided to use the pressure cooker bombs. Dzhokhar also said that they wanted to defend Islam against the United States which led the Iraq and Afghanistan war, which they saw it to be against Muslims.4 However, some political analysts suggest that Tamerlan’s inability to become fully accepted into the American society might have been the root cause for the attack. Many people who are not American born may have a difficult time psychologically is not accepting of them as a minority. This can then that can lead up to their

Assignment Coursera Essay Example for Free

Assignment Coursera Essay Score Explanation 6. 34 Correct 5. 00 Correct. This is where a spreadsheet comes in handy. Total 5. 00 / 5. 00 Question Explanation This is a simple IRR calculation. Drawing a time line helps. Question 3 (5 points) Austin needs to purchase a new heating/cooling system for his home. He is thinking about having a geothermal system installed, but he wants to know how long it will take to recoup the additional cost of the system. The geothermal system will cost $20,000. A conventional system will cost $7,000. Austin is eligible for a 30% tax credit to be applied immediately to the purchase. He estimates that he will save 1 ,500 per year in utility bills with the geothermal system. These cash outflows can be assumed to occur at the end of the year. The cost of capital (or interest rate) for Austin is 7%. How long will Austin have to use the system to Justify the additional expense over the conventional model? ( i. e, What is the DISCOUNTED payback period in years? Discount future cash flows before calculating payback and round to a whole year. ) Answer for Question 3 Your Answer Score 6 Correct. You discounted before calculating payback, but it still is a very myopic measure. Total Simple payback calculation, but with discounting. Question 4 (10 points) In high school Jeff often made money in the summer by mowing lawns in the neighborhood. He Just finished his freshman year of college and, after taking a Business 101 class, he has some ideas about how to scale up his lawn mowing operation. Previously, he had used his fathers push mower, but he is thinking about getting a r101ng mower tnat wlll save tlme ana allow nvm to 00 more lawns. He Touna a used, zero turn, riding mower on Craigslist for $1,200. He will also need a trailer to pull the mower behind his pickup; that will cost him an additional $600. With the new ower he can take on an additional 20 lawns per week at an average cash inflow of $20 per lawn he will receive at the end of each week. He has 14 weeks of summer in which to mow lawns. (For convenience, assume that the mower and trailer will have no value after Jeff is done with his work this summer. ) The discount rate for Jeff is 10% (Keep in mind this is an annual rate). What is the Net Present Value of the mower/trailer project? Your Answer -1147 3117 4320 3720 10. 00 Correct. You know how to set up and calculate wv, at a weekly interval. Total 10. 00 / 10. 00 A fairly common NPV problem, with weekly compounding. Question 5 (10 points) Yassein is looking to refinance his home because rates have gone down from when he bought his house 10 years ago. He started with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage of $288,000 at an annual rate of 6. 5%. He can now get a 20-year fixed-rate mortgage at an annual rate of 5. 5% on the remaining balance of his initial mortgage. (All loans require monthly payments. ) In order to re-flnance, Yassein will need to pay closing costs of $3,500. These costs are out of pocket and cannot be rolled into the new mortgage. How much will refinancing save Yassein? (i. e. What is the NPV of the refinancing decision? Your Answer 16467 17517 16975 Correct. This is a very common situation we all face all the time. 15463 A problem we saw last week, but I expect you to do this routinely now. It is a value generating opportunity through financing only because interest rates changed. Question 6 (10 points) Chandra has the opportunity to buy a vacant lot next to several commercial properties for $50,000. She plans to buy the property and spend another $60,000 immediately to put in a parking lot. She has talked to the local businesses and has some contracts lined up to fill the parking spaces. The profits from the ontracts will provide $25,000 per year and the contracts will last 10 years. What is the NPV of Chandras plan if the appropriate discount/interest rate is 10%? (Enter Just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) Answer for Question 43614 Correct. You know how to calculate NPV. Questlon Explanatlon A standard NPV problem. Question 7 (10 points) This question introduces you to the concept of an annuity with growth. The formula is given on p. 3, equation (7), of the Note on Formulae, but I would encourage you to try doing it in Excel as well. (If the first cash flow is C, the next one ill be C(l+g), and so on, where g is the growth rate in cash flow). As an example, the present value of an annuity that starts one year from now at $100, and grows at 5%, with the last cash flow in year 10, when the discount rate is 7%, is $860. Confirm this before attempting the problem using both the formula and excel. What is the NPV of of a new manufacturing project that costs $100,000 today, but has a cash flow of $15,000 in year 1 that grows at 4% per year till year 12? Similar investments earn 7. 5% per year. (Enter Just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) Answer for Question 7 0486 Correct. Hope you used both methods. This is a set up and calculation problem, nothing new conceptually. Question 8 (1 5 points) Diane has Just 18 and also completed high school and is wondering about the value of a college education. She is pretty good with numbers, and driven by financial considerations only, so she sits down to calculate whether it is worth the large sum of money. She knows that her first year tuition will be $12,000, due at the beginning of the year (that is, right away). Based on historical trends she estimates that tuition will rise at 6% per year for the 4 years she is in school. She also estimates that her living expense above and beyond tuition will be $8,000 per year (assume this occurs at the end of the year) for the first year and will increase $500 each year thereafter to keep up with inflation.

Sainsburys Ratio Analysis

Sainsburys Ratio Analysis Accounting and Finance Assignment Sainsburys Ratio Analysis Nowadays, it is important for organizations to know how to survive in the competitive market in which they are involved, markets that require managers who understand and are aware of the internal and external factors that concerns to the company. Therefore, it is vital to know the existence of different techniques of measurement such as financial tools, which can give an idea on how the companys financial situation is going to affect its performance in the marketplace. One of these tools can be the used of financial ratios, which gives to managers the information to set up strategies in order to make decisions in the future. However, it is important to highlight that this ratios provide an overview of the businesss financial condition, but an analysis in depth is needed to know the reasons why certain changes have occurred (Maclaney and Atrill, 2002). Nevertheless, there are some limitations in the used of financial ratios, for instance, the information is out of date so it does not reflect the real situation of the company, hence it can lead to wrong decisions, also, the analysis made from the financial statements gives symptoms of such situations but not the causes of it (Berry and Jarvis, 1997). The purpose of this report is to analyze Sainsburys financial performance using the analysis of ratios as a financial tool. This information will be taken from the annual reports of 2003 and 2004. In addition, it will include external and relevant information of the company which adds value to the analysis and thus to the financial performance in the already mentioned period of time. This will also help to compare Sainsburys with its competitor Tesco, in order to identify and evaluate the performance of both companies. Finally, this report will give conclusions and recommendations to those investors who want to make an investment in a secure company. RATIO ANALYSIS Profitability Ratios According to Maclaney and Atrill (2002, p. 197), Profitability ratios provide an insight to the degree of success in achieving this purpose. For instance, the profitability ratios of Sainsbury plc are: Profitabiliy Ratios 2004 2003 Return on Capital Employed 8.53% 9.29% Return on Equity 7.64% 8.95% Gross Profit Margin 8.65% 8.14% Net Profit Margin 3.91% 4.25% Table 1. Profitability Ratios (Base on data contained in Appendix A) Regarding on this table, Sainsburys profitability ratios show a moderately deterioration in profit from 2003 to 2004 in a margin of 6%. This downward trend is due to several changes the company had such as, (1) the sell of JS Development and Shaws supermarket, this has an impact on the companys current assets (cash) and profit, in one hand it brings in cash for the sell but on the other hand it stops the daily cash input, consequently there were a decline in profit in 2.6%; (2) the purchase of Swan Infrastructure Holdings Limited, which consist of a whole modern IT system and it is part of a Business Transformation Programme, therefore, there was a rise in 6% of the capital employed (fixed assets and net debt), and also a significantly fall in cash in 27%. Because of all these reasons, there was a drop in profit, but as it is a long-term investment it is estimated to be an income generation in the future. Efficiency and Effectiveness Ratios These ratios are used to try and identify the strengths and weaknesses of a business using a variety of different ratios (Giles et al., 1994, p. 371). The following table illustrates the efficiency ratios used in Sainsburys case. Efficiency and Effectiveness 2004 2003 Fixed Asset Turnover 2 times 2.17 times Debtor Collection Period 1.51 days 2.48 days Creditor Payment Period 28.83 days 28.78 days Stock Holding Period 17.61 days 18.67 days Table 2. Efficiency and Effectiveness (Base on data contained in Appendix A) The fixed asset turnover has slightly decreased due to the acquisition of Swan Infrastructure Holdings Limited, which caused a rise of 7.73% on Sainsburys fixed assets in comparison with the year 2003. Moreover, sales have remained constant which have risen in 0.3%. The purchase of the IT systems will give opportunities to enhanced operational effectiveness, a stronger platform, low costs and an increased in sales. In what a debtor collection period concerns, although this ratio shows a very little period to collect debts from customers, it is logic for this kind of business to be like that owing to the fact that being a supermarket, sales are in cash, only a 8% of the current assets are related to debtors, which had a fall in almost 40% comparing with 2003. On the other hand, the creditor payment period has stayed constant and it shows good rates. The cycle of both debtor collection period and creditor payment period demonstrates that the company receive the money from their debtors before paying to their suppliers, which is good since they do not need to finance themselves but pay with the cash they get in from debtors. Regarding to the stock holding period, even though it has fallen in 1 day, it still is high for a business like supermarket in which the stock plays an important role because the rotation has to be in short periods of time to keep the food fresh. However, it is good to consider that Sainsbury also have a stock of electro domestics, entertainment, house-wares, etc., that the rotation is meant to be in long periods of time. Liquidity Ratios As Maclaney and Atrill (2002, p. 197) said, Certain ratios may be calculated that examine the relationship between liquid resources held and creditors due for payment in the near future. These ratios in Sainsburys company are as follow. Liquidity Ratios 2004 2003 Current Ratio 0.83:1 0.87:1 Acid Test (Quick Ratio) 0.67:1 0.70:1 Table 3. Liquidity Ratios (Base on data contained in Appendix B) The current ratio has a slightly fall, due to the current liabilities rising faster than the current assets. Looking at the current liabilities it can be seen that the company is using bank loans to finance the acquisition of the IT systems by the group, which increased in 63%. The current assets have also been affected by a decreased in 27% of cash account since a 10% of the purchase was made in cash. Similar situation happened with the acid test ratio with a slight fall in the rate. These ratios show a low rate, due to the fast stock rotation which produces cash sales. Although, it seems like the current assets do not cover the current liabilities, the liquid assets are used as productively by the growing of the business to make it more effective, thus profitable. Capital Gearing Ratios This is the relationship between the amount financed by the owners of the business and the amount contributed by outsiders (Maclaney and Atrill 2002, p. 197). For instance, Sainsburys capital gearing ratios are: Capital Gearing Ratios 2004 2003 Gearing Ratio 28.54% 25.97% Times Interest Covered 5.91 times 5.31 times Table 4. Capital Gearing Ratios (Base on data contained in Appendix B) The gearing ratio has increased by 9% due to the long-term debts rising faster than the capital employed during the period from 2003 to 2004. The long term debts went up by 14%, which is because the purchase of IT fixed assets and also the company resort to operations in the capital market and by operating subsidiaries to deal with the interest rate and current risk these finance involves. On the other hand, the times interest covered stayed constant and even though is a low rate, the company still can cover its interest with their profit. Investor Ratios Certain ratios are concerned with assessing the returns and performance of shares held in a particular business (McLaney et al., 2002, p. 197). In this case, the investor ratios for Sainsburys are the followings: Investor Ratios 2004 2003 Earnings per Share 0.20 0.23 Price Earnings Ratio 12.63 times 9.54 times Dividend Yield 6 6.89 Dividend Cover 1.32 1.52 Table 5. Investor Ratios (Base on data contained in Appendix B) The earning per share has fall by 13% mainly caused by the higher profits on business disposals that the company went through last year, so the return to shareholders was a lower rate per share. In contrast, the price earning per share growth by 24%, due to the increase in the market share price in 14%, this is a good new for Sainsburys since it reflects that the market confidence grew from 2003 to 2004. The dividend yield had a slightly decreased since the dividend per share only increased by 0.7% from last year. This was a decision from the company and it reflects the reduction in the earning per share already mentioned and the fall in the dividend cover by 13%. RECOMMENDATION TO POTENTIAL INVESTORS According to the information given by the ratios analysis in the last section, it can be said that even though the companys ratios showed a decreased rates from 2003 to 2004, the expectations of the business performance looks profitable. This is due to the Business Transformation Programme, which consists on the acquisition of IT systems and the sell of Shaws Supermarket and JS Development. The former will be a positive impact in the financial performance of the company in a long-term by increasing sales and reducing costs; and the latter will be used to develop and make more effective the financial and management resources, hence it will enlarge Sainsburys core UK business and strengthen its market position. Therefore, from the ratios analysis, it can be stated that Sainsburys is not a good company to, at present time invest in, since the company has not showed a significant growth in profit during the last financial year. To conclude, if Sainsburys finances start to grow, there is no doubt that investors should consider this company to invest in as it plans a better performance in the long-term. In the next part, it will be given some additional information about Sainsburys and also a comparison with Tesco. RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT SAINSBURYS The acquisition of IT system was an important contribution to lead Sainsburys strength its position in the high competitive marketplace. Whereas the group chief executive of Sainsburys said: The net reduction in costs will provide Sainsburys with additional resources to develop our customer proposition, by investing in quality and innovation and improving further our competitive offer, as we move towards trading our business harder from summer 2004 (http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?PageID=19subsection=Year=2004NewsID=384), there are some opinions that contrast with the statement already mentioned, which states that this acquisition of sophisticated technology was too ambition and did the approach too quick, now Sainsburys is in a worst position than it was before (Smiddy cited OBrian, 2004). In addition, after have used the new IT system, Sainsburys realized that the supply chain system have failed and it did not work as they have expected, it did not increased productivity and the costs were higher than they were years ago (http://www.computerweekly.com). SAINSBURYS vs. TESCO The supermarket industry is very competitive nowadays, and even more when it comes to the customers satisfaction which is more and more demanding, so it is important for companies in this business to be focus in valued than in profitability, since the former leads them to the latter. Sainsburys and Tesco are two of the principles supermarket chains in UK. Both chains have similar things to offer, such as own label goods; have concern about consumers needs for example healthy and organic food; launched loyalty cards; expand their products such as clothing, electro domestics, etc. and others. On the other hand, they have some differences that make one stand out from the other. While Tesco have a good supply chains and a good strategy, which is having low prices and improving customer satisfaction by having the right products in shelf, Sainsburys is facing some problems in what a supply chain relates to the implementation of the IT system (http://proquest.umi.com), which causes the lack of products in the shops and also the customers find it more expensive than its competitors, where they can have equal quality products with lower price (http://proquest.umi.com). There are other differences between Sainsburys and Tesco, but there is an important question which is where to invest?. It is important to draw attention to the fact that Sainsburys financial situation does not attract investors, due to the decrease in the profit and sales. In addition, the company has being going through its first loss in 135 years of history (www.accountancyage.com). This reduction was mainly caused by the 554 million acquisition of IT system, and by the drop in profits for the financial year. Thus, it can be said that Tesco might be a better choice to invest in, but this is open to discussion. CONCLUSION Taking into consideration the ratio analysis applied to Sainsburys, it can be said that the company had some variation between 2003 and 2004. Whereas, most of the profitability, efficiency and effectiveness, liquidity and investor ratios demonstrate decline, the gearing ratios demonstrate a rise due to the growth in the long-term debts and the capital employed. Understanding the ratio analysis and the relevant information gathered looks like Sainsburys has gone through some difficulties in their supply chain and their financial and marketing management. Although they have invested in a long-term project and are positive in a potential growth in the coming years, to reach their aim they have to work hard and play in the same field its competitors (Tesco and Asda) are doing, by having low prices and good quality food always available in their shelf for all kind of consumers. Sainsburys still have a strong position in the retail sector in the UK. For this reason it is good for investors to wait and see its performance for the next years, currently is not a good moment to invest in. REFERENCES BERRY, A. and JARVIS, R., 1997. Accounting in a Business Context. 3rd Edition. London: International Thomson Business Press. GILES, R. and CAPEL, J., 1994. Finance and accounting. 3rd Edition. London: MacMillan. HARDING, D., 2005. Supermarket sweep-up for Sainsburys. Accountancy Age. Available from: [http://www.accountancyage.com/news/1139885] Accessed 22/Apr/2005. MARKETING WEEK, 2004. Reinvention is the only option left for Sainsburys. Marketing Week, pg. 30. Available from: [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=727035691sid=8Fmt=3clientId=15517RQT=309VName=PQD] Accessed 20/Apr/2005. MARKETING WEEK, 2005. Sainsburys promises must mean business. Marketing Week, pg.22. Available from: [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=792773011sid=9Fmt=3clientId=15517RQT=309VName=PQD] Accessed 20/Apr/2005. MCLANEY, E. and ATRILL, P., 2002. Accounting An Introduction. Second edition. London: Prentice Hall. OBRIEN, L., 2004. Sainsburys blames profit warning on supply failures. Supply Management, 9 (22). Available from: [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=749826531sid=8Fmt=4clientId=15517RQT=309VName=PQD] Accessed 20/Apr/2005. SAINSBURYS WEBSITE, 2005. Annual Report and Financial Statements 2004. Available from: [http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=20] Accessed 15/Apr/2005. SAINSBURYS WEBSITE, 2005. Sainsburys simplifies financing of IT contract with Accenture. Investor News. Available from: [http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?PageID=19subsection=Year=2004NewsID=384] Accessed 20/Apr/2005.

Examining Human Alienation in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is hailed as one of the greatest novels dealing with the human spirit ever to be written.   Shelley wrote this nineteenth century sensation after her life experiences.   It has been called the first science fiction novel.   Shelley lived a sad, melodramatic, improbable, and tragically sentimental life.   She was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, the brilliant pioneer feminist in the late eighteenth century.   However due to complications in childbirth and inept medical care, Shelley's mother passed away soon after her birth.   Later on, Shelley married the famous romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.   Mary Shelley's masterpiece, Frankenstein, was inspired partly by Milton's Paradise Lost: "Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould me Man, did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me?" The novel explores the theme of how society can ruin good through human alienation.   Shelley powerfully expresses that theme through the development of Victor Frankenstein's failed aspirations, the creature's plight, and the inevitable destruction of Frankenstein.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Frankenstein is a novel about a creature that was made by a scientist driven by ambition.   It first introduces Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist, and his interest in science.   However, he doesn't have an interest in modern science as his father wishes, he is appealed by the fascinations of alchemy and mystical sciences. "It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the ... ...Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1992. 245-58. Merriman, C.D. The Literature Network. Jalic Inc, 2006. Web. 28 March 2010. http://www.online-literature.com/shelley_mary/ Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Ed. Scott Elledge. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1975. Poovey, Mary. "My Hideous Progeny: Mary Shelley and the Feminization of Romanticism". PMLA (1980): 332-347. Web. 29 March 2010. http://www.jstor.org/stable/461877?seq=2 Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein Or, The Modern Prometheus. New York: New American Library, 1963. Print. Smith, Johanna M. Introduction: Biographical and Historical Contexts. Frankenstein. By Mary Shelley. 2000. 2nd ed. Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. Web. Wolf, Leonard. The Annotated Frankenstein. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1977.

Pragmatism Vs. Idealism (a Man :: essays research papers

Morality is often overpowered by materialistic pursuits. In â€Å"A Man for All Seasons†,Robert Bolt shows the corruption of those who put self interest above all other values. His use of such characters as Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich, Chapuys and Wolsey help convey this corruption. There is yet another character who is a pragmatist that Bolt successfully represents. Thomas More is an idealist as well as a pragmatist, for he is prepared to give up everything for his beliefs and takes all precautions possible to make his case â€Å"watertight†. It is through this pragmatism and idealism that Robert Bolt shows the corruption of the times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thomas More believed in his ideals to such an extent that he was prepared to sacrifice his life for them, if the need arrived. He was a firm believer in the separation of Church and State. When the King tried to start the reformation of England and the Church by a simple Act of Parliament called the Act of Supremacy, Thomas refused to sign it. He believed that the indictment of the King was â€Å"grounded in an Act of Parliament which is directly repugnant to law of God. The King in Parliament cannot bestow he Supremacy of the Church because it is a Spiritual Supremacy! And more to this the immunity of the Church is promised both in Magna Carta and the Kings own Coronation Oath!†(Bolt, p. 92) The marriage was yet another reason why More refused to sign the Act. He knew that if he signed it then he would accept the King as the Supreme Head of Church and thus give the King the power to â€Å"dispense with the dispensation† which to him was against his morals and religion. Of course the marriage was associated with other things -attack on the abbeys, the whole Reformation policy-to which More was violently opposed. When told by Norfolk that his parish attire is a disrespect to the King and his office. More replies that â€Å"the service of God is not a dishonor to any office†(Bolt, p.26) Even though he loves the King to death as proved by Mores loyalty towards him, he values his morality and religion more. For his conscience is a â€Å"little area where I must rule myself†(Bolt,p.34). His position is perfectly described in his belief that â€Å"when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties... they lead their country by a short route to chaos.

Internal analysis of Ryanair Essay

1. Internal audit of tangible, financial and intangible resources Tangible Resources 1. Human Resources * Ryanair currently employs 2000 people (2003) from 25 nations. * The pay is performance related and among the highest in the airline industry (Annual Report 2004, p. 5). Travel concessions and participation in the share option program is granted to all employees. In 2003 over 30% (639 in total) of employees took part in the stock option program – the average pay per employee was about 53.000 (Annual Report 2004, p. 21). * CEO Michael O’Leary has significantly shaped Ryanair. 2. Physical resources * Ryanair operates 72 aircrafts (Annual Report 2004, p. 3). All aircrafts are of a single type. Ryanair has ordered 225 brand new Boeing 737-800 aircrafts. The average aircraft age was about 10 years vs. easy Jet’s was 5.1 years (2003). However with the deliver of the new aircrafts, Ryanair’s figure will enhance. The average age of the fleet is important, as maintenance costs depends on this. * Facilities: Dublin Airport facilities, but no major other ones. Financial Resources * Ryanair will stay mostly unhedged in 2005 (Annual Report 2004, p. 12). * With a quick ratio of 2.7 Ryanair has enough cash even if all liabilities  have to be paid at once (Brealey et al., 2001). Ryanair has also shown good profitability. * Ryanair is listed on a stock exchange, obtaining capital in form of equity capital. In total, Ryanair has 1.5 billion in shareholder funds (Annual Report 2004, p. 12). The stock was very attractive to investors, outperforming its benchmark index. Intangible Resources * Ryanair has access to medium sized airports which provide cheap slot licences. The average airport charge applied to Ryanair was less than 7 . * Ryanair has an option to get 200 additional brand new Boeing 737-800 from Boeing. * Internet as major distribution platform with very huge attraction Ryanair’s most important assets are aircrafts and access to secondary airports. But this alone doesn’t make this airline successful: the real assets are the employees and particularly the CEO Michael O’Leary. Ryanair has a solid financial statement and a good profit track which is currently negatively influenced by the ongoing price war. 2 Threshold and core competences and resources 1) Threshold Resources * Availability of aircrafts and access to (low cost) airports * Internet as sales and marketing device 2) Threshold Competences: * If a sudden oil price shock occurs or the exchange rate develops  unfavourable this may have negative effects on net income. The ability to hedge exchange rate risks and oil prices is therefore a core threshold competence. * Customers expect to get cheap ticket prices, punctuality and highest safety standards from Ryanair. Ryanair must therefore be able to provide customers with lower fares than their competitors. * The ability to generate income from ancillary services (in order to subsidise the lowest ticket prices). Threshold capabilities of Ryanair are: the ability to keep flying from A to B on a low cost basis and sustaining competitive ticket prices. Core capabilities/competences: Efficient low cost base Ryanair always searches for possibilities to cut costs. Low operating costs within the complete value chain, subcontracting and economics of scale (performance related pay, efficient aircrafts, use of secondary airports, internet as marketing and sales device†¦) make it possible to provide the cheapest ticket prices available. Sound financial statement Very sound financial statement (e.g. liquidity ratio, shareholder funds†¦). Leadership style of Michel O’Leary CEO Michael O’Leary (Effective, charismatic leadership) and Ryanair’s management. The management of Ryanair received several awards and Michael O’Leary was named one of â€Å"25 European business starts by the Financial Times†. High market power Ryanair has a high market share, and the possibility to act as a price leader (sound financial figures making it possible to initiate and sustain a price war) Employment policy Effective employment handling: Every 7th employee (191 in total) was promoted internally (Annual Report 2004, p. 5), keeping people who already know the company which in turn reduces costs (introduction†¦) and enhances motivation. Employees have also the interest to bring the company forward because over 30% already are shareholders. Sustainable competitive advantage according to Lynch (2003) of Ryanair is: the low cost basis (key success factor), offering of the cheapest ticket prices (in order to target price sensitive customers) and the abilities of the management and the CEO (leadership) of Ryanair. In addition to that first mover experience (experience from competing against BA and Aer Lingus at the beginning) may also have benefited the company. 3 Ryanair’s dynamic capabilities Dynamic capabilities provide a constant flow of opportunities (Lynch, 2003), from which Ryanair could take advantage in order to sustain the competitive advantage: * Ryanair immediately responds to opportunities and threats in order to cut costs and sustain the low cost basis (e.g. abandonment of ice cubes†¦) or to increase profits (e.g. ancillary services†¦) * Constantly shaping the internet as the main communication device to its customer (marketing and sales, booking†¦). * Ryanair wants to provide the lowest fares. Therefore the company must be  very flexible and always at least react (or outperform) competitors in terms of the price. * Ryanair’s aim is to enlarge. This means to add constantly more routes and boost of frequencies on rotes with high demand. As it can be seen, Ryanair’s dynamic capabilities are flexibility and the ability of rapid adoption to changing conditions. Hence the competitive advantage is not static (e.g. low cost basis). This is what Brown and Eisenhardt (1998) define as â€Å"continual revolution† (Lynch, 2003 [p. 130]). 4 Strength and weaknesses of Ryanair By referring to the above said, it’s possible to identify the following strength and weaknesses. Strength/Weakness * Efficient and low operating costs (e.g. airport charges, same type of aircraft, economics of scales, cost cutting where possible†¦) * Immediate reaction of the management to use opportunities (e.g. when ice cube weren’t fee of charge anymore, Ryanair stopped ordering them) * Excellent career opportunities and effective employment handling (e.g. no union exists so far, good integration of employees in the company via the stock options program) * Because of their obtained size they have to some extend pricing power * The financial statement is sound (e.g. for sustaining the price war) * High load factor (about 85%, which is one of the best in the industry) * Strong performing CEO and management (e.g. several awards) * First mover experience (Ryanair and its management shaped the whole European airline industry) * Good safety record * Hedging policy (Ryanair remains unhedged although PESTEL analysis concluded an instable environment) * Ryanair added too much capacity in a short time frame (overcapacity may lead to deteriorating load factor and danger of high fixed costs) * Ryanair doesn’t consider people without internet (more passenger may be attracted if Ryanair wouldn’t merely use the internet) * The behaviour of the CEO towards government officials As it can be seen, Ryanair fulfils all key success factors. The cost leadership approach is certainly Ryanair’s major strength and provides competitive advantage. However there were some weaknesses identified: for now, the company should at least rethink its hedging policy. The classification of factors into strength and weaknesses can be misleading. For example, the enlargement of the fleet can lead to economics of scope. But at the same time, there is the risk of creating overcapacity (and thereby deteriorating performance indicators, e.g. load factor). Hence some issues may be both, a possible strength and weakness. The same is true for opportunities and threats. This is a limitation of the SWOT analyses.