From ''Infitah of Abundance'' to ''Infitah of Poverty'' Essay

From ''Infitah of Abundance'' to ''Infitah of Poverty'' - Essay Example nationalist, Naseer’s dictatorial treatment with Syrian economic activity brought about the rebellion from army in 1959 and UAR (United Arab Republic) dissolved. UAR was a weak unification of Syria and Egypt as a result of western pressures for adopting neutral stance about Baghdad pact.1 Baathists were more aggressive in their control and army personnel gained more ground in party. Economic power was in the hands of ruling elite and shifting to military. Basthist party and Syria united apparently in 1958 but Hafiz al-Asad was also a part of this union. According to George; This unionist marriage was unhappy and in September 1961 it ended with the rightist putsch in Damascus. After 18 months of turmoil in the country†¦In 1966 the radicals staged an intra party coup. Syria’s resounding defeat by Israel in the June 1967 was, in which the Golan Heights were occupied, weakened the militant†¦The climax was another putsch stages by Asad, then defense minister, on 16 November 1970.2 Hafiz al-Asad exploited the 1967 defeat by Israel in order to unite Ba’ath part and military wing under Alawi clan, i.e, rural shi’a minority, but after Asad, it has been at the top of Syrian society. Ba’athist coup was encouraged initially but it showed little results; few banks and industry was nationalized, land reform extension and state established a monopoly in 1963.However, these steps were biased and to target elite to curb the anti-regime activities in 1964,and in case of land reforms, to bless Baathist coup origin, i.e., peasantry. For development, an intensive program was developed in which state investment was established to be the key driving force of economic activity in all sectors. Agriculture was focused in order to raise the living standards in rural Syria, and encouraged to run by state irrigation schemes and import substitution was boosted. Roads, railways construction were planned in collaboration with the Soviet Union and Eastern bloc with the help of

Equations from Harrison Essay Example for Free

Equations from Harrison Essay Nature has a way of bringing everything to its normal position, plants give off oxygen during photosynthesis, humans and animals use up this oxygen for survival and in turn give off carbon dioxide (CO2), which is used up by plants. This relationship shows how nature has created a balance between plants and animals. In natural water all living organism depend on the oxygen or dissolved oxygen in water for sustainability. Dissolved oxygen (DO) I water helps maintain a healthy river, lake and ocean and thus supporting different kinds of aquatic organism. A symbiotic system exits whereby all aquatic organisms depend on themselves for survival. Most of the dissolved oxygen (DO) in water comes from photosynthesis and atmosphere, about 8 10mg/l is needed to maintain 100% saturation in water. However, the level of dissolved oxygen in water varies, the amount or concentration of oxygen (O2) rises from morning through o evening, this is as a result of serious activity by plants in water. At this time photosynthesis is taking place and so oxygen (O2) is given off, whereas at night, the level of oxygen drops because photosynthesis has stopped. Nonetheless, plants and animals continue to consume oxygen. The level of oxygen drops, this drop may bring down the level of to about 4mg/l and this is the minimum amount that is required to sustain the living organisms in water. Man and nature contribute significantly to the level of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water both in a positive and negative way. Nature The levels of dissolved oxygen in water can greatly be affected by weather conditions, these are; temperature, pressure, erosion, sedimentation and ice cover. These factors affect the solubility of oxygen (O2) in water. An increase in temperature reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen. As the temperature increases the saturation concentration decreases (Gray N. F 1999). Table (1) shows the relationship between dissolved oxygen in water and temperature at 1 atmosphere. Temperature (oC) Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l) 0 Table (1) source; Gray N. F 1999 pg 67 From table (1) above it can be observed that as water gets warmer, there is a reduction in dissolved oxygen (DO), this is because the oxygen molecule becomes energised and diffuses to the water surface thereby leaving fewer dissolved oxygen in water. Dissolved minerals in water could be as a result erosion, sedimentation and weathering. Dissolved salt in water reduces the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water; water being a universal solvent dissolves salt. Oxygen is used up to form other compounds as shown below; SiO2(s) + 2H2O Si(OH)4 (1) Fe2O3(s) + 3H2O Fe 2O3. 3H2O(s) (2) CaO(s) +H2O Ca(OH)(aq) (3) CaCO3(s) + CO2 + H2O Ca2+(aq) + 2HCO3- (4) (Equations from Harrison R. M et al 1996) When these solid minerals dissolve in water, oxygen is used up to another compound. Man The quest by man for a better living has in a way impinged on the quality of water. To improve agricultural yield, fertilizer is added to plant root for growth, however, plants take up few amounts and the rest is washed into river and or lake. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the major constituents of fertilizer, if in excess, both elements in a compound form causes eutrophication thereby reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen in water. In developed countries treated sewage is disposed off into river, this waste contains microorganisms, detergents, and other waste product. If untreated or regulated these causes severe reduction of dissolved oxygen in a water body. Sewage contribute large amount of nutrients into the river, plants and microorganisms use up these nutrients, rivers or lake that contains essential mineral nutrient may support heavy growth of algae (Manaham S. E 1993). Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) In water dissolved oxygen (DO) place an important role in maintaining a balance as enumerated above, for instance, when oil or for that matter any substance that is a stranger is introduced into a water body, some biodegradation will take place to break down the hydrocarbon molecules, usually oxygen is the fuel that is used up or consumed to carry out this breakdown of the hydrocarbon molecules. Biodegradation can be chemical reaction or biological that is caused by living organisms like; bacteria, fungi, sulphate reducing bacteria etc. The amount of oxygen required to completely breakdown the hydrocarbon molecules by chemical reaction is called the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), this is a measure of the amount of oxygen required to breakdown the molecules. Also the amount of oxygen required to breakdown completely the hydrocarbon molecule by biological activity is called the Biochemical Oxygen demand (BOD). However, in these report Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) will be focused on rather than Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) can simply be defined as the amount of oxygen used up by microorganism (e.g. aerobic bacteria) in water. The rate at which oxygen is used up is perhaps more important than the determination of dissolved oxygen (Pierce J. J et al 1997). How much clean a water is can well be determined by the amount of BOD, this is because the amount of oxygen present is determined and also the amount available for both plants and organisms to use up and maintain a balance ecosystem. Increase of biochemical oxygen demand in a water body can be caused by; * If there is high level of organic pollutant   High level of nutrients. Increase in BOD causes species or microroganisms that are sensitive to lower dissolved oxygen to be replaced by organisms that are more tolerant to low dissolved oxygen, these results in a shift in the ecosystem. Organic and nitrogenous compounds are responsible for high levels of BOD, basically biochemical oxygen demand is divide into carbonaceous and nitrogenous oxygen demand. Aerobic organisms utilize organic and nitrogenous nutrients and these processes require high amount of dissolved oxygen. This is represented thus; Organic C6H2O6 + 6O2(aq) + bacteria 6CO2 (aq) + H2O (5) Nitrogenous. COHNS + O2 + bacteria CO2 + NH3 + energy (6) From equations 5 and 6, it is obvious that oxygen is consumed to the detriment of the water body. Factors that causes high Biochemical Oxygen Demand Organic matters are the source of high biochemical oxygen demand, the sources of these contaminant are, industrial effluents, leaves, dead plants, animal manure, sewage treatment works, urban runoff and agricultural runoff. However, in Nigeria the most significant contribution of organic compounds in water are the petroleum and petrochemical industries, oil exploration activities are being carried out.

The Factors That Influence Organizational Change Commerce Essay

The Factors That Influence Organizational Change Commerce Essay There are different factors which influence organizations change. These factors can be external (technology, Government policies, social pressure, cost of raw material etc) or internal (change leadership, decline in profit, union action etc).in this era of globalization the most commonly seen organizational changes are implementation of new technologies, mergers and downsizing. To survive in the market with the increased competition it is very tough for the employees of the organization to accept the change. In this kind of situation the management should ensure the acceptance of change at every level. Change Management is defined as organizations ability to implement and maintain change for the survival. For the survival of the organization change management is the best option. Figure : Phases of change If organization is not in a constant phase of change management and continually assessing and adjusting then business may be at best average within its industry. For some organizations this means they may be going backwards and eventually bankrupt. Only those companies can survive which can adapt to changes. This change management model follows all other change management models and theories. Every organization can be summed up to be a combination of these three elements which includes the structure, the people and the strategy. Any change in any area of an organization will affect at least one or all of these elements. Figure : Three elements for change The structure of the system is the process that provides the strategic objectives of organization with physical resources. Change management specialists will review management operating system (MOS) with complete and proper structure. The people involved in this process are stakeholders, resourced people, and management team. All people involved in this process should be well informed and should pay attention to the right things. They should communicate with each other. Figure : people involve in change management To achieve the target for the continued existence of the organization strategy is the best method. Change management provides the guidelines for the growth of the firm. The Skill of Change Management Managing change in the workplace while ensuring the operations strategy is on the right path. This can be achieved by the support of people and structure elements towards achieving the organizations corporate strategy. Phases of Change Organizational change involves the fear of loss inherent in this process, and this loss is mostly felt by employees. The Kubler Ross Grief Model addresses the emotional issues associated with change. The four emotional states experienced throughout the change process may be expressed by employees in behaviors that are obstacles to the process of change. This model consists of four stages given below: Denial The first emotional state during change is denial. This is the stage in which employees dont believe this is happening to them. They have certain fears and these fears should be addressed during this phase. This fear can be reduced by taking them in confidence. Fear and mistrust need to be replaced by acceptance. Resistances to change The second emotional state is resistance to the change process. Resistance is natural reaction to change. Eric B. Dent and Susan Galloway Goldberg (1999) gave the idea that managers and leaders of the organization must reduce the resistance to compete with other organizations. Kurt Lewin, the social psychologist, introduced the term resistance to change as a systems. As we know that people of any organization are generally resistant to change. According to Scott Jaffe resistance is a stage that ends as individuals begin to separate from the past become more confident of their capability. They play their role by their participation to reduce resistance to change. For example, competition might force a business to organize work around processes to improve operating efficiencies. Functional departments involved in these processes would be combined. Employees might not see a need for this change. The reasons for change must be fully explained so that employees understand why it is nece ssary to embrace the change. Chew (1990) studied the case of Machinists Mutiny. In his study he revealed that due to poor planning and implementation the change is stopped due to employee resistance. This article also includes expert opinions that organization should adopt so they have better implementation of change For the implementation and maintain change satisfaction of the people is very important. The response to resistance is very important. Forcing compliance may increase resistance. Those affected by the change probably know a lot about what is required to implement something new, and their input is important to the change process. The degree to which employees will support your new initiatives depends on how many of their recommendations are used. Explorations The third emotional state encountered is exploration. employees will search new roles if they are incapable to stop the changes. In this stage both individual role as well as the group role are defined. it is important that unresolved issues that continue to surface be addressed during this stage. One should be ready for the negative reaction of the employee. Those individuals should be warned at the first sign of falling back to old behaviors. This negative reaction can be changed to the positive if trust can be created among groups. Commitments The final emotional state is commitment to the change initiative. Mutual commitment is established for the change effort. Obstacles have been removed and the focus is on successful implementation of the changes. Models of the change process After years of failed change efforts, researchers are saying that knowledge of the change process is critical. To thrive we need to know successful change during and before the change process. There are five most popular models of the change process(Lewins three-step change model, Kotters eight-step plan, Harriss five-phase model, Fullans change themes set, and Greiners six-phase process).But in this report we will discuss only two of them. Lewins Three-Step Change Model Change involves a sequence of organizational processes that occurs over time. Lewin (1951) suggests this three step process. These steps mostly involve reducing the forces acting to keep the organization in its current condition. Figure : Three step model Unfreezing: This is the first step which is accomplished by introducing new information that points out failure in the current state. Crises often arouse unfreezing. This crisis can be due to increase in employee, demographic shifts, and an unexpected strike. This is not necessary that during unfreezing crisis always occur. For determining problem creating zones in organizations financial data, climate analysis and enrollment projections can be used. Moving: Once the organization is unfrozen, it can be changed by moving. This step generally involves the change in structure, development of new standards, attitudes, and behaviors. Some changes may be minor and involve a few members. Refreezing The final step is refreezing which involves stabilizing the change. In this step mostly the changes in organizations policy, organizational culture, or modification in organizational structure often accomplishes. (Fred C. Lunenburg, 2010) Kotters Eight-Step Model John Kotter (1996) of Harvard University developed a more detailed model for managing change which was based on Lewins three-step change model. The steps involved in this model are given below. Establish a sense of urgency: Unfreeze the organization by creating a convincing reason for change. Create the guiding coalition: Create a cross-functional, cross-level group of people with enough power to lead the change. Develop a vision and strategy: Create a idea and strategic plan which leads to the change process. Communicate the change vision: Produce and implement a communication strategy with the employees about the new ideas and strategic plan. Empower broad-based action: Eliminate barriers to change, and use target elements of change to transform the organization. Encourage risk taking and creative problem solving. Generate short-term wins: Plan for and create short-term wins or improvements. Recognize and reward people who contribute to the wins. Consolidate gains and produce: The guiding coalition uses credibility from short-term wins to create more change. Additional people are brought into the change process as change cascades throughout the organization. Attempts are made to reinvigorate the change process. Anchor new approaches in the culture: Reinforce the changes by highlighting connections between new behaviors and processes and organizational success. Develop methods to ensure leadership development and succession. Types of Change Change can be categorized into four categories, structural change, cost change, process change, and cultural change. As the organizational structure of the company changes the structural change takes place. This change in structure is due to the merger of the company. The improvement in the organization can be achieved by changing its long established structure into more flexible form. This can be done by small teams. In order to improve performance and efficiency by reducing cost, cost changes are the best option. This can be done by reducing budget, reducing unnecessary activities and by shifting employees according to the need. Process changes are applied in the organization to improve the efficiency. This change takes place in production department where these products are formed, packed and shipped. Cultural changes are the least substantial of all the types of change. If an organization tries to adopt a more participative style this requires a shift in many organizational activities. Mainly the relation of employees and mangers suffer with the change in culture IMPLEMENTING CHANGE The proper implementation is based on number of steps. The first step in implementing change involves people of higher management and executives. For instance, an organization wants to install new system of computers in its areas. Then they major personal are not only top management but managers with lower ranked will supervise the employees for the use of the new technology. In cost cutting change different personals are involved. If a company wants to reduce its budget in a particular department then the managers of that department should be involved in cutting the cost. As the important personnel have been identified, the second step involved is implementing change properly. For the implementation of the change the successful change in plan is required. This plan defines the responsibilities of the key personals. The third step in implementing change. This change supports the plan. Implementation involves the management. This key step involves facilitating employees to accept the change. The organization should provide the basic support to the employees like training, reward system etc. if organization does not provide this kind of support there are chance for the failure of the plan Change process is the final step of booming change implementation. Communicating with the employee about the change and its importance will be very helpful through out the process. As we know that change can create fear in employees and to relax them increased communication can help a lot. Managers should carefully listen to all their question and their advises to overcome their fear. Creating opportunities for employee like giving them positive feedback or holding meetings may facilitate change more successfully. (Wendy H. Mason ,2003) Abrahamson (2000) gave the view of Change without Pain. The main theme in this article was change must take place, but change does not always have to be disturbing to the organization. The author calls this tinkering and kludging. By placing small changes between large changes, companies can manage change through active stability. The goal of dynamic stability is to create a change which can be sustained long term, not just in the short term. To achieve dynamic stability the big and small changes must be done at the right time, at the right pace and the organization must tinker and kludge. Tinkering is taking a current process and making small changes to it. This is done at a low cost to the company and the results are often very quick. Kludging, on the other hand, is tinkering but on a larger scale. Kludging looks at outside resources for improved parts or processes and looks at the unused resources within the company. Many companies do not realize they have resources not being used because the processes using the resources are to slow to fully utilize the capacity of the resource. CASE STUDY This case study was based on a company called Trail Manufacturing which produces cable crane components. This study was done by Chew(1990).The company was a mid-sized company set up to run high volume jobs on manual equipment. But with todays economy and competition, Trail determined the best money was in low volume jobs. The President of Trail decided to bring in new technology to replace the old machines. He researched the new machines and decided to bring in eight flexible manufacturing cells which would replace twenty-eight old six-spindle screw machines. Since this was new technology and training would be needed a plan was laid out to set up teams, one for each cell, and the company would phase in the new machines. Each team would be trained and then they would construct and run their own cell. Once one cell was on-line a new cell team would start up until all eight cells were on-line. The first five teams went through the process fine, but at team six the company had a problem. Team six consisted of men who had been at the company many years. The team went to the president and told him they refused to switch over to the new machines. They felt the old machines were running fine and the new machines did not show the expected improvements, so they wanted to continue working on three six-spindle screw machines. At this point the president had to determine if he wanted to keep going with the project or alter it to keep some of the old machines. Some management personnel felt that if the new cells were going to work, a clean break had to be made from the old machines. Others felt that since the productivity gains were not being seen yet by the new cells, the possibility of keeping the old machines for a short time might be a good idea. The case ends without a decision being made by the company. Four experts in operations management give their opinions on the situation. Only one out of the four said the company should continue on with the original plan and if t he members of team six leave the company then it is the price to be paid for progress. The other three are quick to point out the president made a wrong assumption in the planning. He assumed that by bringing in new technology productivity would improve. This is a wrong assumption because technology is only as good as the company and how the company works. One of the experts points out truly understanding how the whole system plays together, and not just implementing the latest technique, means bridging the gap between the emotional and the technical. The president did not see that by bringing in new technology it would change the culture of the shop floor. Men who had years of experience on the old machines and were in seniority would be at the same level or lower than the younger more computer literate employees. This would be a big culture change for the employees. Most of the experts suggested slowing down the remainder of the cell startups and specifically addressing the concer ns of the men on team six. If team sixs concerns are not addressed there could be more problems with the rest of the teams. This article showed a good picture of how a company has to go about major changes, especially ones affecting the culture of the company. The expert opinions enhanced the article and I would highly recommend this article because it is an example of a case that is played out in companies all over. CONCLUSION Today change is the necessary for carrying business and survival of the organization. Organization or firms should under go change with the passage of time otherwise will survive. This change along its success also brings fear of employees. This leads to resistance to change. In this situation top management and leadership can play a vital role. The success of the organization depends on management team that how efficiently they resolve the issue. They can take help by reviewing past model of change and replacing them with new ideas. The good communication process is very important for the smooth process of change. RECOMMENDATIONS Following are some recommendations. Managers should improve their interpersonal and communication skills so that they could help their staff overcome the pains associated with change. Tell people the truth and give as much information as you can. Keep giving information as soon as possible. Give them time to digest the news. Give them time to vent there might be anger because this is normal reaction. Listen to staff and their concerns dont interrupt them so they can reduce their fear. REFRENCES Abrahamson, E. (2000). Change Without Pain. Harvard Business Review, 75-79. Chew, W. (1990). The Case of the Machinists Mutiny. Harvard Business Review, 4-8.) Dent, Eric B., and Susan Galloway Goldberg. Challenging Resistance to Change.' Journal of Applied Behavioral Science (March 1999): 25. Fred C. Lunenburg. (2010). Approaches to Managing Organizational Change. international journal of scholarly academic intellectual diversity volume 12 Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science. New York, NY: Harper Row. Oliver Recklies Managing Change Definition und Phases in Change Processes www.themanager.org/strategy/HYPERLINK http://www.themanager.org/strategy/change_phases.htmchangeHYPERLINK http://www.themanager.org/strategy/change_phases.htm_HYPERLINK http://www.themanager.org/strategy/change_phases.htmphasesHYPERLINK http://www.themanager.org/strategy/change_phases.htm.htm. (accessed on 12 of November) Supreet Ahluwalia and Vivek Joshi (2008)managing Change in an Organization. http://www.indianmba.com/Faculty_Column/FC707/fc707.html (accessed on 13 of November) Wendy H. Mason (2003) ManagingChangewww.referenceforbusiness.com (accessed on 12 of November) http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-cm-basics-who-mod2.htm (Accessed on 13 of November)

Hair Removal: What is the Best Way? :: Persuasive Argumentative Essays

Hair Removal: What is the Best Way? Susie really needed to go to the bathroom. She had been enjoying a peaceful slumber until the urge hit. Quickly, Susie threw back the covers and sprinted to the bathroom. She reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it, but it would not budge. Her sister, Caroline, was locked in the bathroom. "Caroline, I really have to go!" "I am sorry , Susie." "Caroline, you really do not understand." "Well, Susie, if you could find a better way to get rid of the hair on my legs, then I would not have to occupy the tub for this long. Until then...leave me alone!!" "Caroline...Caroline?" And with that, Susie gave up. She just decided that she would have to wait another half hour while Caroline finished plucking every single hair from her legs. Caroline had tried many different methods for hair elimination, but she still had not found one that suited her. All techniques of hair removal -- depilatory lotion, laser, wax, soap and water shave, and electric razor -- accomplish the same goal, but they do it in very different ways. However, I feel the best option for hair removal today is the electric razor. Now I will explain each form of hair removal and how they all have advantages, but I will prove why I feel the electric razor method is the best. The first type of hair disrooting is depilatory lotion. It is fairly easy to use, but sometimes the strong odor of the lotion offends users. Consumers simply squeeze a small amount from the bottle and apply it to the designated area. After the lotion has been allowed to penetrate, it is wiped off and the roots of the hair are dissolved. The pain is minimal; usually none occurs unless the user suffers an allergic reaction. If that happens, the fault lies with the consumer. The directions should have been read by the consumer, and a test should have been performed also. The price is moderate; it is not as expensive as a different technique, but there are some methods that are cheaper. A bottle of lotion ranges from $5.00 to $6.00, and it would last for 20 to 25 applications. The effects also last a reasonable length of up to a week. However, the lotion needs to be applied every week to keep the desired effect. The second method of hair removal is lasers.

Tools of Exploitation Analysis

The film/documentary, titled Tools of Exploitation, chronicles, analyzes and explains Western civilizations influence on African culture/livelihood throughout the period of colonialism (the film covers the slave trade for a brief moment as well) leading to the modern day. Narrated by scholar/author Ali Mazrui, the film focuses on the usurping of Africa’s future potential due to European powers stymying Africa’s growth for their (Western) own gain (hence the name Tools of Exploitation; Africa was exploited for European gain).The film addresses many factors to why this has taken place but focuses mostly on economic reasons as well as the false justifications Europeans used to colonize the continent. One of the themes the documentary covers was the false pretenses that Europeans claimed to justify the Colonization of Africa. During the early 20th century (1900’s), Northern and Eastern Africa still had a pervasive slave culture. In the North, the remnants of the Otto man Empire still practiced slavery, while the Muslims were the responsible figureheads in the East.Following the centuries of trans-Atlantic slave trade between Europe, Africa, and the â€Å"New World†, Europe had abolished the practicing of slavery. In 1884, the European powers that be called for the â€Å"Berlin Conference’’. Part of the conference was to organize â€Å"The Scramble for Africa†. The term was used to describe the West’s desire to introduce themselves as administrators of the African continent. One of the justifications for the conference/European’s colonialism, was that the West had â€Å"a duty† to end the barbarism of slavery still existing on the continent through the West’s new found morality.Part of the European’s plan for administration was also the fragmenting of Africa with artificial political boundaries. While this â€Å"organized† Africa in a convenient matter for the Europeans, it le d to ethnic divisions/rivalries that are still in existence today. One of the injustices of the Berlin Conference was that there were no African leaders invited to the conference; how could Europe be making such important, influential decisions about a continent’s future, without consulting the people of that continent?The answer; while Europe had abolished slavery, the racism dating back to the days of slavery still existed. The conference in reality had no intention of freeing Africa of its negatives, but instead, exploited the circumstances/situations of Africa to fuel the European commercial machine. One of the overlying themes to which Europeans, again, falsely the justified colonization of Africa, was through the concept of the â€Å"Duel Mandate†. The philosophy/idea/phrase was created by English colonial military ruler Lord Frederick Lugard.In a written testimony Lugard rationalizes colonizing Africa by claiming to utilize the continent’s resources in or der to fuel European commercialization as well as facilitate Africa’s modernization. The first half of the equation did come to fruition; Europe conveniently gained access to African’s resources (first pre-colonialism through slaves and gold, then later with mineral based resources during colonization). However, European’s modernization of Africa was merely surface level.Africa was given infrastructure (roads), skyscrape-esque buildings, commercial items (clothes, recreational technologies); but the African continent was not given the means for long term industrialization to keep up with the global economy. What does Africa benefit from having Western fashion? Africa has large-scale downtowns, and business sectors, but what is the purpose when these buildings/businesses are powered by faulty electricity? The vessels of modernization were left by Europeans, but there was no functionality or means of using the vessels for modernization.While the West was industria lizing, Africa was being fed a message of false growth. Africa never had a chance to develop a means of self-creation/production in the 20th century. A perfect example of this was cited in the film. The West African country of Liberia is a large exporter of the raw material for rubber, which is a major commercial commodity in the global economy. However, Liberia itself does not have the means to convert the raw materials into the final product, meaning the country has to import (purchase) finished rubber from outside countries.Was not part of the White Man’s burden and part of the Dual Mandate, to uplift Africa through use of its own resources? How is it that one of the richest continents with regards to natural resources could not take the next step towards mechanization/commercialization with the aid of the West? Again, the emphatic answer is that the West had no intention of aiding the continent in the first place. The economic shackles of colonialism were a pre-meditated, calculated attack on the development of Africa during the turn into the twentieth century.The lasting outcome has left Africa crippled even now in modern times. With slavery, Africa already became under populated destroying a large potential for human development/advancement; colonialism than hampered any immediate potential for industrial advancement in the continent. Now, modern day Africa’s urban areas/capitals have the appearance of advanced societies but are barely functional/beneficial as useful tools for everyday use (as Mazrui says, the buildings’ functions are â€Å"quenched†).What is even more disturbing is the similar behaviors exhibited by Asian countries (specifically) China in modern day Africa through a sort of â€Å"neo-colonialism†. Various reports detail foreign Asian workers entering African countries to build infrastructure (roads, pipelines, hospitals, etc. ). In actuality, these foreign influences are building conduits to ship mater ials back to their own coutnry. Tools of Exploitation not only chronicled the economic handicaps and lies that fueled colonialism in 1900’s; the film also describes a similar blueprint that modern emerging powers are beginning to employ as well

Rocky Soccer Academy Essays

Rocky Soccer Academy Essays Rocky Soccer Academy Paper Rocky Soccer Academy Paper Case Study: #3 Rocky Soccer Academy Case Assessment Worksheet Using Case Study #3, Complete the Worksheet Provided. Use this document as your format. Answer each section within the document retaining the questions to indicate your sections. I. Evaluate Henning’s options for growing Rocky’s customer base, including: A. What are Henning’s objectives? What resources does he have? Henning’s first objective is to have a larger facility built more suited for soccer training. The awareness for his program is close to 100 percent in Fort Collins but limited in surrounding cities. His second objective is to increase awareness of his program in surrounding cities. His third objective is to gain more customers in surrounding areas and try to retain his current customers who leave the program at the age of fourteen and fifteen. His current resources are the 600 kids he trains every year. His second resource is the quality of coaches he has on his staff. His coaches are experienced soccer players who are playing professionally over seas and playing at the collegiate level. B. What elements of consumer behavior might influence his decision? Henning would be influenced in his decision by a personal need. Perreault Jr, Cannon, and McCarthy state that personal needs are concerned with an individual’s need for personal satisfaction. Examples include accomplishment, fun, freedom, and relaxation ¬- as well as a desire to make the world a better place (117). Henning obviously enjoys working with young people. His passion was so strong that it forced him to resign from his employment at the meat packing plant to teach soccer full time. With his coaching some of his customers have gone on to win national championships in the Fort Collins area. To see his customers find success on the soccer field must give him a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. He may want to bring this excitement to the surrounding areas, which would lead to full fill a social need. â€Å"Social needs are concerned with love, friendship, status, and esteem-things that involve a person’s interaction with others† (Perreault Jr, Cannon, and McCarthy 117). With his customers winning tournaments and finding success with his coaching they can share it with friends and family displaying the benefits of his coaching. Henning having success in Fort Collins would give him the confidence to enter new markets in the surrounding areas. C. What are the pros and cons of each option? The first option is to try to increase retention by developing programs targeted at kids over 14. His pros would be that he already has resources in place. The company image has a very good reputation as well. Henning’s soccer training business is one of the few companies providing soccer training. The con would be loss of interest in soccer. Soccer in America is the least popular sport in America. Baseball, football, and basketball are more wildly popular with teenagers. The second option is to develop a marketing strategy that would encourage his current customers to buy more. The pro in getting current customers to buy more would be customer retention and more revenue stream without entering into other markets. Henning could focus more attention on his current customers. The con would be missed opportunities in other markets. The third option is to try and grow the business by entering new markets and acquiring new customers in the age range of 6 to 9 years old. The pro in this option would be if customers that reach the age of fourteen and fifteen lose interest and stop receiving soccer training, he would have younger kids to fall back on in new markets. He would also have his facility and resources in place. The con would be Henning having to increase his staff to manage new customers. The fourth option is to serve more kids from Loveland, Longmont, and Greeley. The pro in option four is those cities are closer to Fort Collins and the populations combined number 140,000. There are some competitive soccer teams and very little soccer training, which means there is a need for soccer training. The cons would be the 25 mile distance from Fort Collins and the possibility that the population is not as passionate about soccer. D. Rank the options from strongest to weakest and explain why. Option 4 is to serve more kids from Loveland, Longmont, and Greeley. It is the strongest because Henning is already serving a few kids from those areas. The population combined is higher than Fort Collins. Soccer training is limited in the area. He would have more opportunities to advertise his business at soccer events in the local area. Option 2 is to develop a marketing strategy that would encourage his current customers to buy more. It is the second most attractive in that he already has a strong customer base. Product development in this area could retain customers and attract new customers. Option 1 is to retain kids that reach the age of 14 or 15 years. It is a weaker option because it focuses too much on the older kids and Henning will have to compete with other sports. To keep the older kids interested in soccer would require the sports popularity to increase, but that is difficult because in America basketball, baseball, and football are the most popular. Option 4 is to grow the business by entering new markets and acquiring new customers that range in age 6 to 9 years old. This option is the least attractive because 6 to 9 year olds would have to train under a different program, which would change the whole product. II. Select the two options you consider the most likely to be successful, defend your choice and develop marketing strategy for the two options. The first option I selected was option 4. Rocky soccer academy is well established in Fort Collins and has a great reputation in the community. Many of its customers from Fort Collins compete locally and all over the nation. Some have gone on to win national titles. Great coaching from Henning and his staff has produced positive results. All of these factors I felt were strengths. In the surrounding areas of Loveland, Longmont, And Greeley there is very little soccer training in the areas. With very little soccer training in the area, a good opportunity presented itself. The populations combined are 140,000. The population in Fort Collins is 110,000 and about 600 kids in that population acquire soccer training. From the surrounding areas Henning could possibly gain close to 600 more kids. If Henning were to gain more customers from the surrounding areas, it would justify building a larger facility. I chose to have the facility in Fort Collins. By having the facility located in Fort Collins this could turn away potential customers, making the location a weakness. To make acquiring Rocky soccer academy services more attractive, Henning could offer a one week trial free of charge and a 20 percent discount for 6 months. During the free trial period Henning can show with his coaching staff what differentiates his company from other alternatives. This would be the opportunity to sell Rocky soccer academies services, which should result in more customers. The second option I chose was option 2. Henning’s target market is current customers. I decided that he should offer a physical conditioning program that is tailored for soccer players to go along with soccer training. The added equipment needed to run this new program would justify building a larger facility. The larger facility will be built in Fort Collins. His reputation and his coaching staff are all strengths. A weakness I saw was the current customers may not see much of a point in conditioning. To alleviate some of those concerns a special promotion is needed. The first two weeks of the program would be free, giving customers an opportunity to see if they improved on the field. For those who choose to take part in the conditioning program a price increased will occur and they will have special privileges like use of a hot tub.

Cooperatives in Kenya Essays

Cooperatives in Kenya Essays Cooperatives in Kenya Essay Cooperatives in Kenya Essay Co-operatives are user-owned, user-controlled and user-benefited organisations. They could be agricultural, non-agricultural, unions, or Savings and Credit co-operatives. They operate in different sectors of the economy including, agricultural, handicraft, Jua kali, transport, housing development, building and construction, banking and many other such spheres of the economy. Clearly, the cooperative movement has had its tentacles in every possible sector of the Kenyan business world. These co-operatives, and more strongly established, the agricultural cooperatives , play a major role in production, especially in the marketing bit. However, the broad objective of the co-operative concept is to promote the economic interests and general welfare of members in accordance with co-operative principles, and thus, pivotal in economic growth and alleviation of poverty. The policy objective of the Kenyan co-operative movement is to spur sustainable economic growth by focusing on achievement of desired outcomes through strengthening of the movement, improving operation extension service delivery, corporate governance, access to markets and marketing efficiency (International Monetory Fund 2007). The co-operatives have an immense potential to deliver goods and services in areas where both the public and the private sector have not ventured into. In most cases, co-operatives are local institutions that address local needs, employ local talent and are lead by local leaders, either directly or through branches. The co-operatives in Kenya are organized into service and producer co-operatives. The producer co-operatives’ objectives are to promote the use of modern technology and contribute to national development through production. The service co-operatives are responsible for procurement, marketing and expansion services, loan disbursement, sale of consumer goods and member education. The co-operatives have made remarkable progress in agriculture, banking, credit, agro-processing, storage, marketing, dairy and housing. Service co-operatives are the closest to communities and are organized on a shareholder basis, formed by individual members of organizations voluntarily working in a specific geographical area. For instance, primary level sugarcane farmers co-operatives provide a collection point for ,the farmers’ prooduce and even negotiate the per ton cost of sugarcane. Considering the substantial benefits that the cooperative movement has to our economy, and considering its significance to the livelihood of many, the Government recognizes the need for urgently improving management structures and accountability of co-operatives, so as to create a sustainable environment for their existence and operations. Just some few numerical facts to back my case as to influence of co-operatives to the society: -The cooperative is almost 103 years old, having started with the Dairy Societies in 1908. -In Kenya, we have about 12,000 registered co-operatives out of which 5000 are SACCO’s (Savings and Credit Co-operatives). -The Co-operative movement in Kenya has a membership of over 7 million individuals, making it the largest in Africa. It impacts directly and indirectly on 70% of Kenya’s population. SACCOS themselves have mobilized over 150 Billion Kshs in savings, more than 30% of the National Domestic Savings. -There is an entire Ministry, Ministry of Co-operative Development that provides enabling policy, legal and institutional framework. The co-operative movement in Kenya is organized into a system comprising of primary and secondary societies. The structure coalesces into a four tier structure of primary co-operatives, Unions, National co-operative Organizations (NACOs) and one Apex body, the Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAC). At each level, different functions can be performed. While the structure is stable, the performance and linkages within the various levels is weak, but there is room and potential for the co-operatives to work together much more through local, national, regional and international structures than the current prevailing situation. Historical Origin of Co-operative movement in Kenya – A Timeline survey 1908 – The first co-operative in Kenya formed, exclusive to the white settlers. 1945 – A new Co-operative Societies Ordinance was enacted allowing African participation. 946 – A department of co-operatives was established and a Registrar appointed. 1952 – Colonial civil servants began joining the movement. About 160 co-operatives registered. 1954 – Application of the Swynnerton plan boosted the co-operative movement. 400 registered. 1963 – Upon independence, co-operative movements were the key cornerstone of nation building. Around 1000 soc ieties had been registered. 1967 – The Government initiated KNCDP (Kenya Nordic Co-operatives Development Program), which was funded by Nordic countries and also the World Bank. 974 – Kenya had a fully fledged Ministry of Co-operative Development. 1997 – A new policy was formulated to provide for a member based, autonomous and member controlled movement, through Sessional Paper no. 6 of 1997. 2004 – The Co-operative Societies Amendment Bill, 2004 sought to re-introduce Government control while recognizing a free market economy. Principles upon which the Co-operative movement is founded. Voluntary and Open membership – There should be no limitation to membership in a co-operative society. Limitations may only be placed where a certain skill or profession is required. Therefore, co-operative membership is open to all who are willing to accept the responsibilities of membership without gender, social, political or religious discrimination. Democratic member control – It works on the following principles: 1)Members must have the final authority in making decisions concerning their society. 2)Every member has one vote notwithstanding his or her share contributions. 3)There must be a small group of members elected by other members which forms the committee which manages and administers the society. Autonomy and Independence – Co-operatives are self-help organizations controlled by members. All contracts entered into by the co-operative is done without external influence and by collective decision of the members themselves. Member economic participation – A co-operative is formed not for the motive of profit, but to provide services. This is branched into 2: 1)Limited rate of interest on capital – A share capital of a co-ope rative gets a limited rate of interest. Key aim is to benefit members collectively and thus applying capital generally to development of the co-operative. 2)Disposal of surpluses – In a co-operative there should be a fair and just system of distribution of surplus. Therefore surplus is either reinvested for the benefit of the society in general, or distributed in proportion to a member’s business transaction with the society. Promotion of education, training and information – A member of a co-operative must be informed of everything about the co-operative organization. This includes his rights, obligations, the principles that guide the society, the management and administration and its activities. Co-operation among co-operatives – This principle was established to strengthen the co -operative movement through mutual assistance at local and international level so as to bring about social and economic development of people regardless of their background. Concern for the community – Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by the members. The general upliftment should be the key thought upon co-operative decision making. Moral values upon which the Co-operative movement is found Self-help – A Co-operative is formed by members to help themselves achieve a certain objective or benefit which would be difficult, or almost impossible to achieve as individuals. Chief concern is to help members themselves. Self responsibility – A co-operative movement is self-sustained, it has its own management, makes its own decisions and undertakes its own responsibilities. Every member accepts the risks associated thereto, and in case of a mishap, every member shall bear the brunt of it collectively. Democracy – Every member has 1 vote in decision making regardless of the proportion of shares held. All decisions and resolutions made by a co-operative are made collectively with maximum member participation. Majority rule prevails. Equality and Equity – A co-operative treats all members as equal regardless of their capital or investment. All members are given equal rights and are subject to the same obligations. Rules and principles of a co-operative are also applied uniformly, and decision making is also every member’s right and not a decision of a chosen few. Solidarity – All members of a co-operative are very adamant and firm on their cause and purpose for which the union was formed. There is a sense of unity that binds them together. Moreover, every co-operative helps another co-operative for furtherance of the collective co-operative movement. Honesty – Members are required to come to the co-operative with truth and honesty. They should also be willing to undertake their duties with due diligence, and report every profit or benefit gained personally in the pretext of the co-operative. Openness – Co-operative members are required to be open to each other in the sense that they should disclose information in their possession which would have been beneficial to the co-operative, and even to share ideas and thoughts of other members amongst themselves, not for personal gain, but for mutual benefit. Social responsibility – The chief aim of the co-operative movement is to promote the economic welfare of the members and even the general public at large. A co-operative movement should ensure the development and poverty alleviation of the people of the region where it is situated. Benefits of Co-operative organizations to the community at large When it comes to agricultural co-operatives, they help farmers in the collection, transportation, processing and marketing of agricultural produce. A common example would be the Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) which has over the ears helped dairy farmers get value for their milk. Co-operatives enable many individuals pool their funds, to undertake bigger projects and investments which they would otherwise not be able to do, e. g Cashew nut farmers came together to form a co-operative through which they erected a plant to process their produce, since the Government had banned exports of raw cashew nuts abroad. The co-operatives could distribute farm inputs more efficiently and thus boost agricultural production while cutting costs. A common example would be the import of seeds. Many farmers would get access to high quality highbred seeds which would be imported by the co would be to purchase a common item used by every member in bulk, so as to enjoy quantity discounts. Previously, small-scale farmers used to sell their produce to middlemen who would be the link to the actual buyers. This would mean, a substantial portion of the profits would be chewed up by the middlemen. After the establishment of co-operatives, the co-operative eliminated the middlemen. This meant, the entire profits would be retained by the members themselves. Social control mechanisms become an acceptable substitute for physical assets as collateral for loans. The co-operative may also allow its assets, upon agreement by other members, to be used as collateral to seek loans for the upliftment of one of their members. Poverty can be alleviated by planning, organizing, implementing and managing income-generating activities. Co-operatives promote even the smallest of farmers to gain a fair value for their produce. This encourages many individuals who are below poverty lines to farm for themselves. Single and widowed women even have a way to earn for themselves. They are catered for through their co-operatives. Development funds are channelled to individual members. Individuals with exceptional ideas are motivated and encouraged where funds are commonly pooled via the co-operative and distributed to those requiring them. Members can be educated on economic and social issues affecting the industry, including development of entrepreneurial skills. The co-operatives organize workshops and trainings for their members to build their knowledge and skills in their areas of expertise. The co-operative also undertakes to solve common problems together. E. g KCC (Kenya Co-operative Creameries) helping dairy farmers save their cattle from ticks. Wealth and capital can be created and owned jointly by large groups of low income earners. There is a common pool through which capital is owned and invested in specific areas for profit generation for all the members of the co-operatives. The co-operative concept encourages a common sharing of ideas. When members come together, they exchange ideas to come up with ingenious solutions for their problems, or clever solutions for their common investments. Challenges facing co-operatives in Kenya Lack of integrity on the part of the union, society committee members and employees. The corrupt people in management mismanage and misapply funds which act to the detriment of other members. Some co-opera tives have even been opened as a con, a money making scheme for the certain few. Excessive costs in handling member produce, and high administration costs. Sometimes the administration costs of the co-operative tends to supercede the profits and gains of the co-operative, this renders a co-operative not viable, and eventually spell its dissolution. Poor management. Some of the co-operatives, especially the ones for low income individuals are poorly managed, since those in management of the co-operative are illiterate and not well educated, therefore there would be serious lapses and judgemental errors and inefficiencies in their decisions. Lack of basic understanding among the co-operatives about the purpose and functions of the movement. Some of the members do not understand the purpose of the co-operative movement, hence they are unaware of how exactly to capitalize on the co-operative for their own benefit.. Inadequacy of resources. Majority of the co-operatives are formed by low income earning individuals whose very quest is wealth upliftment. Therefore the investment of such individuals in the co-operative is minimal, and thus, leaves the co-operative handicap – with a lot of ideas, but few resources to cater for its implementation. Some of the co-operatives fail to reach up to the standard acceptable by consumers and most importantly, acceptable by export standards. Therefore, many co-operatives, due to poor delivery of quality, do not get value for their products. This greatly hampers their income generating ability. Government involvement. Sometimes the government involvement is too excessive, and thus it makes some of the co-operatives too dependent on Government support and foreign aid. Such an attitude prevents the co-operative from operating on its 100% capacity and ability. Some co-operatives face stiff competition for their products, from rich investors who deal in the same product. This would not allow the small co-operatives to grow into being businesses to enable them to compete with the rich investors. SUGGESTED REFORMS The Ministry should undertake constant training and workshops for members of co-operatives and most importantly the management of the co-operatives to enable the co-operative to be steered in the right direction, in the most efficient of manners. Help co-operatives to deal with technological changes by informing them of new developments, and also to undertake research which would help the co-operatives to deliver quality products. The Government should easen up their lending rates for co-operatives to enable them access easy finance, to enable them to undertake larger projects so as to grow enough to compete with other investors in the same industry. Corrupt managers and co-operative members be subject to the stringent of rules, and punished severely for their misdeeds, so as to curb con men from using the co-operative movement as their money mint. Threaten to deregister any co-operative which con ducts its operations with low integrity. This would instil more confidence of the public into the co-operative movement, and encourage them to be part of it. POWERS OF THE REGISTRAR OF DISSOLUTION OF SOCIETIES. If the registrar after holding an inquiry or making an inspection or receiving an application made by at least three quarters of the members is he of the opinion that the society ought to be dissolved he may in writing order its dissolution and subsequent cancellation of registration. Any member who feels aggrieved by this order may within two months after its making appeal against it to the Minister with a final appeal to the tribunal. Where no appeal is filed within the prescribed time the order shall take effect on the expiry of that period but where an appeal is file within time the order shall not take effect unless confirmed by the minister or by the tribunal. When the registrar makes that order, he must make a further order relating to the custody of the books and documents of the society and the protection of its assets. It should be noted that no society shall be dissolved or wound up except by an order of the registrar. Where a society has less than the prescribed number of members the registrar may in writing order its dissolution and that order takes effect immediately and where registration is cancelled the society ceases to exist as a corporate body from the date the order takes effect. It should also be noted that Section 64 applies the provisions relating to winding up of companies to winding up of cooperative societies. Where a registration is cancelled the registrar may appoint one or more persons to be liquidator or liquidators of that society and all the property of such a society vests in him from the date upon which the order of cancellation takes effect CONCLUSION To reach large numbers in the low income sector, requires an able and strong co-operative ministry, which has a firm co-operative policy guiding it. The co-operative policy should be capable of meeting diverse needs of different segments of the population and varied speres of the economy. Co-operatives and strategic alliances are very important in setting pace for individuals to venture into entrepreneurship, or self wealth creation, especially for low income households, a sector of the economy which has been severely neglected by the commercial Kenya. These households would get a blessing in disguise in the shape of a co-operative. Promotion of the co-operative movement should be seen as one way of promoting social and economic justice, especially in developing countries which are ravaged by poverty, diseases and hunger. In Africa, co-operative development is certainly the nest frontier for low income earners who want to strike it big. This is a movement which has enormous potential for expansion and growth. Once again, I emphasize that the cooperative structure and the cooperative philosophy are very effective and flexible in satisfying the needs of the poor. This makes the cooperative model very idea for channelling agricultural products, and the idea of farming into the masses. I wish the cooperative movement in Kenya a fruitful future, and wishing them luck in their battle against poverty eradication coupled with high inflation. ******************************** REFERNCES: -Class Notes -Article by Nelson Kuria of CIC Insurance Ltd in the Daily Nation -www. cooperative. go. ke -www. ilo. org -Handout by Mr. Mweseli, from the KLSS Bureau -Nutshells – Business Law

snakes motabolism essays

snakes motabolism essays Eating, or ingesting food, is one of the main characteristics of the animal kingdom. Most of these animals metabolize their food at a rapid passe. But the metabolism of a snake is much slower then many other animals. This is due to one major factor. That is the temperature in which their bodies are. The metabolism works the same as other animals. It is just slower in a snake. The metabolism needs to be slower since the snake doesn't eat very often. This paper will prove that a snakes metabolism is slow because of 4 different reasons: A. behavior B. evolution C. temperature D. lifestyle. Most animals (including humans) eat at least once a day. If we go longer then about a week we could die of starvation. This is because our metabolic rate is fast. It burns whatever food we eat to make energy. When there is no more food to burn then we need to eat again. We do not store food for long periods of time either. Snakes on the other hand don't have to eat half as much as we do. They can eat about once a month and still be well fed. Snakes can even go for a full year without food. Of course this wouldn't be very healthy, but they would be able to survive. The reason snake can do this is because they have a much slower metabolic rate. They can store their food for much longer. When food is burned/metabolized it makes heat energy for the organism to live. Snakes can get this energy from basking in the sun. this is why they can go longer with out food. (Internet source-houston.rr.com) "Metabolism" in a biochemical sense is burning food in slow motion. If you set fire to food, you get ash (residual carbon, salts and metals), carbon dioxide, water vapor (both lost as gasses), and a *whole* lot of energy in the form of heat. Metabolism is the same thing done very slowly. The body reduces food items to water, carbon dioxide, waste products, and a *whole* lot of energy. The difference is that, ...

Evaluation of Acceptance of Violence in Mel Gibson's Films Essay

Evaluation of Acceptance of Violence in Mel Gibson's Films - Essay Example This only means that the film has a very large following of viewers, but it does not follow that it was generally well liked. Most viewers were dragged into watching it simply because of the controversy that enveloped the film. Firstly, the film is a depiction of the life of Christ but is more centered on the â€Å"passion†, or rather the suffering, the Christ endured in anguish. Controversy is already stirred by involving religion, even more so by depicting the anchoring figure of Christianity. Many of the more conservative religious practitioners have expressed their distaste on the film’s very violent and bloody depiction of Christ. A good number of criticisms also cite that Gibson conjured his own version of the real passion of Christ (Hammer & Killer). He depicted Christ as only a mere man, a man’s man, and not as someone in a holy light. This is parallel as to how he has usually treats the protagonist of a story, as previously mentioned in this paper, that the protagonist is depicted only as an ordinary person exalted and achieving hero status because of what the story has availed of him. And expectedly and more so understandably, this falls out of favor with a significant number of Catholics who will not tolerate such a holy and high figure be made to look as lowly as how Gibson portrayed it. Although the whole Christian and Catholic population share this outrage, many others would be easily swayed to give a prejudiced negative review of this film especially if the ones endorsing the distaste comes from authorities and preachers of the church. Thus, the Passion has only fetched a score that would otherwise be higher if not for the religious â€Å"offenses† that it has committed. On the other... The researcher states that through the course of Mel Gibson’s career as a director, he had two films which, at the very least, stood out among the rest because of raw violence and gore, aside from other own controversies of these films. It is important to note however that while both films received relatively high remarks from general film critiques, their level of acceptance to the public has been a drastic difference. This can be attributed to the level of sensitivity of the topic to its viewers and their own experiences and personal beliefs in accepting such films. Through the course of the paper, it will be discussed as to how and why the two films differed and how the other film garnered more awards despite having a smaller rating by the audience. The Passion garnered more awards, even though it has a relatively low rating, because it is a more thought provoking film. It boldly confronts what society is too shy to really look at and accept. It also grants a different pers pective on Christ and is approached as how others would see him, even the non-Christians. In conclusion, the subject of the film is a very critical juncture whether it shall be received with good praise or not. It cannot be stressed enough that one cannot please everybody; much more that the review and evaluation of a person regarding films is very relative to each as his own. Personal prejudices such as religious background and moral standards also significantly influence one’s opinion and critique of the matter.

Anti-Heroism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti-Heroism - Essay Example To make matters worse there lacks archives of heroes who have made remarkable progress in the country or changed the society positively. The pictures and writing are only owned by individual authors and this does not mean that they have been endowed by the society as heroes. Previous people who could have been regarded as heroes by the Canadians played a great role in evoking a notion that heroism is a belief by people. This was done through refusing all means by the public to crown them as heroes despite their heroic actions that they have done. Since then Canadians rarely appreciates people who have worked hard for the benefit of other people or society at large. A hero can simply be defined as a person who has shown remarkable courage and ability and is admired for the brave deeds which are of high and noble qualities. On the other hand, heroism is a conduct exhibited by a person and results to a high purpose. The definition of these two terms gives us the platform to argue that h eroes need to be recognized and respect in order to encourage other people to work hard for the welfare of the country at large. Canada lack of appreciation to people who can be regarded as heroes in other countries discourages potential heroes from taking up a heroic move or action. The writer is therefore right to argue that this Canadian culture has led to individualism. Lack of this virtue by the public makes it hard for the people to act on their own because they don't consider other people's role that they play in their lives.

London Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

London - Case Study Example Project managers should ensure they select tactics, which will work in favor of the organizations’ goals and objectives. During the 2012 London Olympic Games, the challenge was to ensure maximum participation and revenue for the organizations responsible for managing the events (President and Fellows of Harvard College, 1). A good pricing strategy enables organizations to utilize their resources effectively. The organizations are able to achieve this by ensuring that all available capacity is utilized effectively without unnecessary wastage. This reduces the operation cost since the fixed cost decreases with the increase in units of output. In 2012 London Olympic Games, organizers of the event were able to ensure that all capacity was utilized by selling all tickets for available seats to interested individuals and that no seats were left vacant (According to President and Fellows of Harvard College, 2. The sales of tickets accounts for twenty percents of total revenue for Olympic Games organization. When setting prices for the company’s products, marketers should ensure that their products are accessible to as many people as possible. This will help to make the products and services popular and enable them maximize their market share. They should target clients from different classes by setting different prices for different groups’ people. In 2012 London Olympic Games, the organization responsible for coordinating the games tickets at affordable prices to ensure as many people as possible attended the games (President and Fellows of Harvard College, 3). They had estimated a total of 7.9 million people would attend the function, and so they prepared tickets for the estimated group. Setting prices for the products also requires the company to ensure that their target groups are not locked out of the organizations products. During the London Olympic Games in 2012, organization which was

Infosys in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Infosys in China - Essay Example It suggests measures for a better development in China and also other emerging countries. Â  Infosys was started by a group of seven members in the year 1981. It incorporated with the name Infosys Consultant Private Ltd. From the very beginning, Infosys was depended on the overseas business. The founder of Infosys, Narayana Murthy operated its business in India while the other seven went to the US and started working for their corporate clients. Reebok was Infosys first US based client. The company earned revenue of Rs 1.2 million in 1981. 1981 was a period when India did not experience the growth of computers, so licensing of computers would take a longer period. Infosys did not have the space needed to install a computer, thus it hired a premise of a customer where the new employees would be provided training. It also concentrated in the fields like retailing, distribution, finance and telecommunications. Infosys has entered into a joint venture with Kurt Salmon Associate (ICMR, 2006, p.2). Â  Infosys is the first company to get listed on NASDAQ stock exchange. It accounted a net profit of $US 152.1 million at the end of the quarterly result. The USA is its main source of revenue; it is planning to expand in Europe and Asia. Infosys in China is merely focusing on its local clients. It has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies (IBEF, n.d., p.1). Â  In the year 2000, 78% of revenue came from North America, 14.8% from Europe and only 1.4% from India. By 2005, Infosys mode of operation was proximity development, which consisted of 9 and offshore software development about 17, mainly operating in India. Infosys is also facing a tough competition from other It giants because of the liberalization that has affected India and its economy (ICMR, 2006, p.3). Â  

Financial Management for Small Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Financial Management for Small Business - Essay Example In this case, it is critical to form a business plan to assist the agency’s long term objectives. This is especially if it is the first time trying to make it in this entrepreneurial venture (BARRINGER, 2008). Some of the aspects that surround this business need addressing so as to make it simpler to deal with the hurdles that these businesses face. This paper will examine such a plan in the car hire service, and how it may impact the growth and development of the business, in the long run. The name of the car hire service company will be Delta. The chosen business needs explaining because not everyone might comprehend the concepts being introduced in the car hire service. It must, therefore, articulate and explain these details to everyone so as to find out what might be needed to make the agency a success. The business plans formulated ought to look at all factors surrounding the business; the good, the bad, and the ugly. It must acknowledge the presence of all factors present in the environment that might enable it to grow, decline, or remain stagnant (FINCH, 2006). In order to attract a wide variety of customers, it is vital to have an image of the cars that are to be hired. In this fast globalising environment, the cars that need hiring are personal that are capable of running for many miles. These include personal cars that can accommodate a fairly large amount of individuals. Nowadays, individuals are keen on having the fun day out while visiting different areas. Having a car hire service that can address these needs is fundamental in the business’s growth. It is vital to understand their needs so as to have the right car to provide the customer (HOSMER, 1976).). Many young couples are interested in cars that are out for their interests. This means that; they want cars that are trendy and lavish to match the new lifestyle (JACKSACK, 1998). The common vehicle models from popular vehicle industries are the

The Learning and Growth Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Learning and Growth Perspective - Essay Example This has been the principal reason why she turned to the learning and growth perspective of Futura (Gumbus and Johnson, 2003). The use of this balanced scorecard makes Futura have the ability maintain talented people and to attract them in the local market place. Analysis At Futura Company, it tries to create an environment and set goals that will help improve employee performance, as well as being able to provide a safe, challenging and enjoyable environment and be able to recruit individuals that have interests of the company at hand. Futura measures turnover and according to Gumbus & Johnson (2003), the turnover of the company has gone down by 33% from 1998. She says that the improvement is because of a work-life initiative that is done with an aim of a corporate culture that is based on performance and commitment of employees. She further states, to achieve this, it is fundamental to provide a healthy and a balanced workplace and be able to treat employees as an individual. The m easures the company uses to evaluate growth and learning include surveys such as; employee friendly initiatives at Futura, where employees are approached by Futura each year, and they are given a form to fill up a list of benefits and what they think is beneficial to them. For example, some of the benefits are, medical benefits and spouse scholarships. Another measure is that of birthday review; this normally applies every month, and it is an interview of HR with the employee. According to Gumbus and Johnson (2003), they are asked questions that are aimed at finding out how happy the employees may be at work, as well as some of the problems they encounter. They are also asked where they get information on the company, as well as how they think the company can improve its communication. Futura also uses leadership survey, where employees are questioned on how they can help the manger improve his management and leadership skills. This in turn, will increase the effectiveness of the em ployees and promote a two-way communication between the manger and employee. Futura has also certification and training matrix as a measure, which has provided a guide to compensation and able to monitor the employee future career improvement with the company. It has also encouraged employees to see clearly and be able to improve on their future performance at Futura. Other measures include; customer service, here the company is determined to provide exceptional customer service through hiring people with interest in company goals and able to retain those that have an excellent customer service. This dimension measures customer satisfaction and complaints, on-time delivery and return material rate (Gumbus and Johnson, 2003). To be able to achieve this Johnson management conducts meeting every month. Other measures include internal operations and financial and also flexibility of the balanced scorecard. Futura was encouraged to introduce a tool that would improve the cost of informat ion on each customer and this tool have been used by sales force, to manage net-gross, margin levels and be able to analyze each customer. Futura may use internal operations to predict the ability of the job to be successful and be able to measure continually, and because employees’ skills change so should the balanced scorecard (Gumbus and Johnson, 2003). Conclusion The measures implemented by Futura do capture the full

Infosys in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Infosys in China - Essay Example It suggests measures for a better development in China and also other emerging countries. Â  Infosys was started by a group of seven members in the year 1981. It incorporated with the name Infosys Consultant Private Ltd. From the very beginning, Infosys was depended on the overseas business. The founder of Infosys, Narayana Murthy operated its business in India while the other seven went to the US and started working for their corporate clients. Reebok was Infosys first US based client. The company earned revenue of Rs 1.2 million in 1981. 1981 was a period when India did not experience the growth of computers, so licensing of computers would take a longer period. Infosys did not have the space needed to install a computer, thus it hired a premise of a customer where the new employees would be provided training. It also concentrated in the fields like retailing, distribution, finance and telecommunications. Infosys has entered into a joint venture with Kurt Salmon Associate (ICMR, 2006, p.2). Â  Infosys is the first company to get listed on NASDAQ stock exchange. It accounted a net profit of $US 152.1 million at the end of the quarterly result. The USA is its main source of revenue; it is planning to expand in Europe and Asia. Infosys in China is merely focusing on its local clients. It has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies (IBEF, n.d., p.1). Â  In the year 2000, 78% of revenue came from North America, 14.8% from Europe and only 1.4% from India. By 2005, Infosys mode of operation was proximity development, which consisted of 9 and offshore software development about 17, mainly operating in India. Infosys is also facing a tough competition from other It giants because of the liberalization that has affected India and its economy (ICMR, 2006, p.3). Â  

The Learning and Growth Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Learning and Growth Perspective - Essay Example This has been the principal reason why she turned to the learning and growth perspective of Futura (Gumbus and Johnson, 2003). The use of this balanced scorecard makes Futura have the ability maintain talented people and to attract them in the local market place. Analysis At Futura Company, it tries to create an environment and set goals that will help improve employee performance, as well as being able to provide a safe, challenging and enjoyable environment and be able to recruit individuals that have interests of the company at hand. Futura measures turnover and according to Gumbus & Johnson (2003), the turnover of the company has gone down by 33% from 1998. She says that the improvement is because of a work-life initiative that is done with an aim of a corporate culture that is based on performance and commitment of employees. She further states, to achieve this, it is fundamental to provide a healthy and a balanced workplace and be able to treat employees as an individual. The m easures the company uses to evaluate growth and learning include surveys such as; employee friendly initiatives at Futura, where employees are approached by Futura each year, and they are given a form to fill up a list of benefits and what they think is beneficial to them. For example, some of the benefits are, medical benefits and spouse scholarships. Another measure is that of birthday review; this normally applies every month, and it is an interview of HR with the employee. According to Gumbus and Johnson (2003), they are asked questions that are aimed at finding out how happy the employees may be at work, as well as some of the problems they encounter. They are also asked where they get information on the company, as well as how they think the company can improve its communication. Futura also uses leadership survey, where employees are questioned on how they can help the manger improve his management and leadership skills. This in turn, will increase the effectiveness of the em ployees and promote a two-way communication between the manger and employee. Futura has also certification and training matrix as a measure, which has provided a guide to compensation and able to monitor the employee future career improvement with the company. It has also encouraged employees to see clearly and be able to improve on their future performance at Futura. Other measures include; customer service, here the company is determined to provide exceptional customer service through hiring people with interest in company goals and able to retain those that have an excellent customer service. This dimension measures customer satisfaction and complaints, on-time delivery and return material rate (Gumbus and Johnson, 2003). To be able to achieve this Johnson management conducts meeting every month. Other measures include internal operations and financial and also flexibility of the balanced scorecard. Futura was encouraged to introduce a tool that would improve the cost of informat ion on each customer and this tool have been used by sales force, to manage net-gross, margin levels and be able to analyze each customer. Futura may use internal operations to predict the ability of the job to be successful and be able to measure continually, and because employees’ skills change so should the balanced scorecard (Gumbus and Johnson, 2003). Conclusion The measures implemented by Futura do capture the full

Business and Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Business and Virtue Ethics Essay Abstract For the purposes of this assignment we will analyze the Mattel case and discuss the actions of the company regarding the behavior and actions in conjunction with the Global Manufacturing Process that was implemented. Breaches of the two business ethics elements of integrity and egoism will be assessed. Within the discussion I have identified the virtues prudence, justice, fidelity, and courage that were largely violated by the Mattel organization and how it affected the employees of Mattel. We will discuss the implications of virtue, deontological, and utilitarian ethics regarding their potential usefulness in evaluation of the Mattel case. Introduction Mattel’s concept of Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP) was not a novel concept. The many forms of GMP including International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) have been around for decades and have worked to insure that specific industries are held to a standard that is industry wide. ISO’s model is â€Å"Say what you do, and do what you say†. When a company endeavors to become ISO qualified, it is required to document every activity (as a standard operating procedure, SOP) that occurs within the company and adhere to that process without deviation. ISO qualified companies are always subject to audit by other ISO registered companies and is initially audited by four such companies in order to acquire certification. Having been directly involved with ISO implementation at a former employer that supplied fasteners for manufacturing, I am fully aware of how involved the certification is. The company SOP was over 1000 pages. Additionally, another ISO company can and will come in and audit your company prior to electing to conduct business with your company. In some instances, ISO qualification is not enough to be awarded the business. The nutrition industry also adheres to the Good Manufacturing Practices, of which I was required to be certified in every year. Each department of the nutritional company I worked for had its own GMP standards that we were to adhere implicitly. The nutrition industry, while not regulated by the FDA, is controlled indirectly by the FDA. GMP is an FDA requirement. Having worked in two industries where the concept is not only expected, but required in some instances; I was not impressed by the fact that Mattel implemented GMP of their own volition for the sole purpose to improve public perception after misconduct was exposed by the media. Business Ethics Issue The one word that I found that resonates throughout the article, whether spoken or implied, is â€Å"integrity†. The incoming CEO stated that Mattel would behave in all actions with â€Å"unwavering integrity† and that the company’s commitment to the GMP remained unequivocal and undiminished. (Sethi, Shapiro, Emelianova, pg.490) Ironically, I identify the most noticeable and important business ethics issue as just that; a lack of integrity. Merriam Webster defines integrity as â€Å"the firm adherence to a code of especially moral value, the quality or sate of being complete or undivided, and the quality of being honest or fair. Mattel exhibited none of these traits insofar as where their GMP’s were concerned. In fact, there were numerous infractions regarding the non-enforcement of their GMP’s across the board in the Asia and Mexico based manufacturing facilities. The second ethics issue I identified was narcissism. Mattel implemented this GMP program with the attitude of ‘look at what we’re doing’ but with minimal effort to ensure the success of the program. According to Duchon and Drake (2009) extreme narcissistic organizations will establish these formal ethics programs but will not have much effect on hindering unethical behaviors. This was evident in that the supervisors at the factories knew what they were supposed to be doing; but found ways to circumvent the system and there were no reprisals as a result of their nonconformance. Ultimately, it was a program of words and not deeds. Three Virtues Prudence â€Å"Careful good judgment that allows someone to avoid danger or risks. † (M-W, 2013) In my opinion, a great deal of misfortune and hardship could have been avoided if Mattel would have practiced a modicum of prudence before ever moving their manufacturing to Asia. In a perfect world, and especially in a modern world we do not expect children to work. However, when dealing with underdeveloped countries; it is normal for children to work in conditions that would be an affront to any American’s moral nature having abandoned child labor decades ago. If Mattel had done due diligence, they would have known that the facility in Indonesia was operating in an unacceptable manner (Sethi, et al. pg. 486) and could have implemented working conditions and requirements from the get-go. Then the exposure by the media would have never been an issue. I have no doubt that the draw of paying lower wages and increased productivity was the catalyst to overlook the conditions in those overseas factories. Justice â€Å"The quality of being just, impartial, or fair. Conformity to truth, fact, or reason. † (M-W, 2013) The concept of justice was completely lost on Mattel. While the implementation of the GMP program was comprehensive; the execution and enforcement was unconscionable. The last paragraph of the GMP, exhibit 1 says that if â€Å"Mattel determines that any of its manufacturing facilities or vendors violate these principles, we may either terminate our business relationship or require that facility to take corrective action. If corrective action is advised and not taken, Mattel will immediately terminate current production and suspend placement of future orders. †(Sethi, et al.pg. 487). However, when audits were performed; the facilities were rife with infractions but there was no follow through when corrective actions were required. The facilities were allowed to continue to operate unhindered. Astonishingly, the 20 plus companies that were not owned by Mattel were allowed to operate without any disciplinary actions imposed by Mattel for infractions if any auditing was conducted at all. Considering the fact that both Mattel owned and vendor factories employ some hundred thousand plus employees; Mattel’s actions were nowhere near impartial, fair, or conforming to fact or reason. Fidelity â€Å"Quality or state of being faithful, accuracy in details. †(M-W, 2013) For this virtue, I am concentrating on the act of being faithful to the employees. Whether or not the GMPs were self-imposed or not, Mattel had an obligation to the people it employs. Throughout the article, it was found during audits that the employee’s time cards would systematically be incomplete where they were not being allowed to clock-out. This resonates that these people were being required to work overtime ‘off the books’. Employees were not being given the appropriate days off or vacation time. Some living conditions and canteen conditions were substandard. Fines were being imposed. (Sethi, et al. 2011) The list goes on and on. In my opinion, Mattel should have had impartial representatives on the ground in these factories to ensure that the rules for payment, working overtime, and work conditions were being upheld. There should have been constant supervision and vigilance on a corporate level. To think that audits that were being conducted every three years was comprehensive enough to get the job done was blind and narrow minded. Courage To go one step further. A virtue is an attitude. Courage is measured when there is risk involved; but also rationality. To be truly courageous there needs to be a clear picture of what a person’s values are. Courage does not need to be proven beyond a doubt. (Hartman, 2008) In the case of Mattel, I feel it was courageous to implement such a comprehensive GMP program although it was misguided and ultimately failed. An even more courageous act would have been to rehab the program and bring it to its full potential and fruition. The article does not mention whether Mattel experienced any loss of revenue as a result, but public perception is a fickle entity and once all of the attention over sweat shops and child labor overseas died down, Mattel was no longer under the microscope. Financially, Mattel was spending money it perceivably no longer needed to spend. Since their program was self-imposed; it is no surprise that Mattel just unceremoniously abandoned the GMP program after nine years. When some organizations implement and enforce codes as part of a self-regulation process and others do not, those who self-regulate invariably incur greater costs. These costs are usually passed onto the consumer who subsequently (and sensibly) choses the organization which offers the cheaper product. (Blackburn McGee, 2004) Virtue Ethics Virtues are attitudes, dispositions, or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop this potential. They enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues. (Andre, Meyer, Shanks, and Velazquez. 1988) Virtue ethics indicates that business decisions should be made in a manner that attributes to the overall goals of the professional. It stresses activities and motives, what we do and why. Virtue ethics proffer that action and motive are connected to character and disposition. Actions are taken and decisions made because they are linked to a certain character. (Blackburn and McGee. 2004) â€Å"That â€Å"ought† does not imply â€Å"right† can be seen in another sort of case as well, namely, when what one ought to do in one’s circumstances results from one’s own prior wrongdoing. In such a case, doing what one ought to do may not be the same as doing a right act or a â€Å"good deed†. In fact, the same prior failure may both increase one’s level of obligation to do a given act now and decrease one’s level of praiseworthiness. † (Russell, 2008) The above quote is especially poignant in the Mattel case. Because Mattel implemented the GMP program on the heels of a media expose, the intentions were not solely based on the ‘right’ thing to do, but on what they ‘ought’ to do. Mattel probably did not get the recognition or good press they were looking for and therefore had no proclivity to ensure that the plan was a success. Utilitarian Ethics â€Å"Actions are approved when they are as such to promote happiness and disapproved when they have a tendency to cause unhappiness. † (Driver, 2009) We also know that utilitarian ethics work for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Mattel directly employs over twenty thousand people throughout Asia and Mexico. If the happiness of those employees would have been considered; the pay, working conditions, time off, and canteen programs would have never been an issue. If the executives of the company would have experienced any of those adverse conditions, they would have cried â€Å"foul† all the way to an attorney. The employees are ultimately left without a voice and no recourse. Deontology â€Å"To act according to the maxim that you would wish all other rational people to follow as though it were universal law. † â€Å"Never treat a person as a means to an end. † (Pecorino, 2000) Kant contends that where morality is concerned, it is guided by law and therefore judgment is not necessary to fill in the blanks, because there are no blanks. He believed that people can conform to duty and not be morally limited. He believed that we could use indeterminate action-guidance for imperfect duties, and I’m paraphrasing; to weigh the moral options for decisions regarding duty towards others. Because that decision requires the minimum of our morality. Kant rejected virtue ethics. (McAleer, 2001) My opinion is that deontology would not work in the Mattel case. There are too many variables to consider in order to narrow down the maxim that will be comprehensive enough to include thousands of people over a number of cultural variances. Conclusion While the design of Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles may have been well intended and meant to improve the working conditions of the employees, the implementation was short-sighted and poorly executed. All too often when the few aspire to set standards for the many, the end result is a miscalculation. GMP’s are not a one size fits all type of endeavor. Each facility should have had a program that was custom to their country and working conditions. The ethical treatment of employees was the intention; but the ultimate governance was not enforced. The aftermath was the abandonment of the program due to the lack of interest and participation on the public and other companies in the industry. References Andre, Claire, Meyer, Michael and S. J. , Shanks, Thomas, Velasquez, Manuel. (1988) Ethics and Virtue. Issues in Ethics, V1 N3. Retrieved from http://www. scu. edu/ethics/practicing/decision/ethicsandvirtue. html on November 4, 2013 Blackburn, M. , McGhee, P. (2004). TALKING VIRTUE: PROFESSIONALISM IN BUSINESS AND VIRTUE ETHICS. Global Virtue Ethics Review, 5(4), 90-122. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/235113539? accountid=28844 Driver, Julia. The History of Utilitarianism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. ), URL = . Duchon, D. , Drake, B. (2009). Organizational Narcissism and Virtuous Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(3), 301-308. Retrieved from ProQuest on June 1, 2012. Hartman, E. (2008). Socratic questions and Aristotelian answers: A Virtue-based Approach to Business Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 78(3), 313-328. Retrieved November 19, 2012 from ProQuest. McAleer, J. S. (2001). Kant and virtue ethics. (Order No. 3019123, Syracuse University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 336-336 p. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/304750337? accountid=28844. (304750337). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved on November 4, 2013 from http://www. merriam-webster. com/prudence Merriam-Webster. Retrieved on November 4, 2013 from http://www. merriam-webster. com/justice Merriam-Webster. Retrieved on November 4, 2013 from http://www. merriam-webster. com/fidelity Merriam-Webster. Retrieved on November 4, 2013 from http://www. merriam-webster. com/integrity Pecorino, P. A. (2000). The categorical imperative. Retrieved on November 19, 2012 from: http://www. qcc. cuny. edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/intro_text/Chapter%208%20Ethics/Categorical_Imperative. htm Russell, D. C. (2008). That ought does not imply right: Why it matters for virtue ethics. The Southern Journal of Philosophy, 46(2), 299-315. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/218153933? accountid=28844 on November 4, 2013.