2 Questions paraphrased Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

2 Questions paraphrased - Essay Example A federal state can be defined as one that involves the sharing of sovereignty across a number of levels of government whereas a unitary state, on the other hand, involves the concentration of sovereignty at the level of a single central government. These states may be centralized, decentralized, or regionalized. Federalism may be found in unitary states such as France and Italy The unitary form of government was introduced after the French revolution while federal governance was first experimented in US after the American Revolution. This was followed by the confederate form of government. Unitary form of government constituted nationalization which meant that the people of those nations were to be kept united under one common flag and one political government. There was also the involvement of a centralized government to ensure that there was order in the states. On the other hand the federal state is one formed by the association of various states which are usually formed for a common purpose. This will ensures that the member states maintain a huge measure of autonomy and independence. This implies therefore, both unitary and federal systems differ on the basis of autonomy. There is no much autonomy in unitary form of governance as compared to the federal form of governance, where there is considerable intensity of autonomy. However, the unitary and federal form of governments exists in varying forms and therefore they revolve in the extent of central regulation of affairs. The unitary form of government has sub-national governments that exist having strict functions of welfare governance regulated by the center. Both forms of governance involve a field over which they take shifts and since both are not wholly separated, a few states are regarded as being between complete federalism and complete unitary form of governance. The two forms of

Desert Flower by Cathleen Miller and Waris Dirie

Desert Flower by Cathleen Miller and Waris Dirie Last year, I watched the adapted movie of the book, Desert Flower in the cinema. That movie has fascinated, motivated and likewise evoke interest in me. In my opinion it is incredible how people can live under those bad conditions in Africa. For that reason, I wanted to read the book. In the following essay I will focus on the ancient customs and the culture of the nomads. There are several questions to think about when discussing about the role of women in Somalia. In particular, I will find out about the importance, meaning and purpose of the female genital mutilation. After writing my thesis I would like to research in what way the women in Somalia are treated and if they are put under pressure by their men and whether there is egalitarianism in their society. In addition, during those researches, I want to develop my own point of view. Introduction Desert Flower is the true Story based on the life of Waris Dirie. All actions, mentioned in the text are factual. The author of the book, Desert Flower, Waris Dirie, is a very hardworking girl. She is one of the children born into a traditional family of tribal desert nomads of Somalia in East Africa. With her family, she has experienced a very closed and formative culture, whose habits and rituals, in the truest sense of the word, left scars behind. She has a very good relationship with her family. However, Waris Dirie is adversely affected by the practice of the painful female circumcision. Later, she is going to report about the genital mutilation due to her family tradition and to draw attention to what happens with the girls in her home land. Efficient Examination with my topic 1. Characteristic Lives of Nomads in Somalia To begin with, in the extraordinary journey of a desert nomad Dirie speaks from her own daily experiences in a traditional living nomad family during her epitaxial growth. Therefore, the reader gets to know about the parents, teaching their children all the skills they need to survive. They neither learn how to read nor to write because the family cannot afford to pay for their children education. Her mother teaches Dirie to care about her younger siblings and how to provide her family with enough food, whereas her father teaches her how to take care of their animals. Usually nomads are uneducated. They just live very simple and know about things that have been passed on throughout generations. At times, there is not enough food for the whole family. The priority is to feed the smallest children, then the older ones. Waris Dirie cannot remember ever seeing her mother eat. Her mother always has waived her rights. Somalia remains a very deeply troubled country because everyone lives th e way their ancestors had for thousands of years. Like most of Somalis, Diries family lives the lifestyle of herdsman. That means Somali nomads never stay at a place longer than four weeks. They always look for another place where new water resources are available and move there. That is why they do not have a certain habitation. (p. 40- 41) The father of every family is the head and protector. He makes all the decisions which concern the whole family. At many times, Waris Dirie has to feel the brutal beat of her father because he wants to remind her of taking her work seriously. Being nomads, the family of Dirie does not have any material prosperity like automobiles, electricity or telephones. They do not have any artificial time constructions like clocks and calendars. That is why Dirie do not really know how old she is, she can only guess. Dirie (1998) argues that In Africa there was no hurry, no stress. African time is very, very slow, very calm. (p. 42) I believe that nomads have a much different perspective of life. Generally speaking, their routine of the day is incomparable. They decide every morning anew what they have to do and therefore they are living by the seasons and the sun. In particular, Waris talks about children in Somalia who are not allowed to attend to her parents affairs. She just has to obey all the time, regarding her parents with great respect, following their wishes. In addition, it is usual for the man having multiple wives. The man wants to have a lot of children but after a while, the women are either physically not able to carry out children anymore or are mentally against another birth due to pain during pregnancies or for other emotional reasons. As a result, the man leaves and looks for another wife that is willing to carry out children. (p. 41- 43) According to Dirie (1998), The nomads life is a harsh one, but it is also full of beauty- a life so connected to nature that the two are inseparable (page 58). A better way for nomads to put this is that water is a very important but an infrequently and scarce resource in life because they do not have any water- taps. They have a deep respect for water and they love it. Dirie (1998) describes the source of water as such an uninhibited feeling of freedom and joy. (p.322) People have to pray for rain and if there are not any raindrops, they have to go on a long search for it. Simply looking at it gives me great joy. (Dirie, 1998, p. 60) This quotation shows that people in Somalia appreciate the simple things they have in their lives. Furthermore Dirie tells about their celebrations where they thank God for having such a precious and beautiful life where all are praying, singing, dancing and eating together. (p. 43, 47- 61) The infancy of Waris Dirie: Growing up with animals For Waris Dirie, her family, nature and the animals (compare App. p. 12, figure 2) are the main elements of life. We grew up with animals, prospered when they prospered, suffered when they suffered, died when they died (Dirie, 1998, p. 17). Animals are very vital and helpful for nomads and they probably have the first priority, because they keep the tribes alive. (p. 16- 17) People in Somalia have large herds of cattle, sheep, goats and camels. When Dirie was a young girl, she had been responsible for these herds of her family. Every morning she had to get up very early to move the herds to a fresh area. While the animals were grazing, she had to watch for other predators, like hyenas. A loss of the herd meant for Somali nomads the worse. A very important animal for the Somali nomads is the camel. No animal is such as suitable und valuable for living in the wilderness like camels. In addition, the camels have a special significance for the culture of the Somalia-nomads who always write poems and songs about their camels. Even the children know about the value of the protection of the camels. From the time I was a baby, I knew of the great importance of these animals, because theyre absolutely gold in our society. (Dirie, 1998, p. 18) A camel is never killed to be eaten. The qualities of a camel are too valuable, so that the death of these animals would s how only one big loss. The camels are inalienable components and indispensable for the life of the Somali nomads in the desert. They make their lives considerably easier and have a cultural meaning for them. (p. 18- 25) Anyhow, she has not experienced a typical childhood. At the age of four, she is raped by a friend of her father. She just feels something hard pressing into her vagina and she even does not understand what has happened to her in that moment. Later, when she runs away from home she is nearly raped a second time. She asks a trucker if he is able to pick her up. But then, he takes his pants down and Dirie (1998) states that His erect penis bobbed at me as he grabbed my legs and tried to force them apart, (p. 13). Unlike me, he was experienced, no doubt raping many women; I was simply about to become the next one. (Dirie, 1998, p. 13) With all her strength, she jumps off the truck and then, runs away. (p. 11- 14) 2. Nomads rituals: female circumcision in Somalia It belongs to the culture of Somalis that every girl must experience the female genital mutilation (FGM) at the pubescent age which achieve the status of a Somali woman and therefore being able to marry. The curtailment of her sisters and later also her own, were carried out by a gypsy. In the society of the Somali nomads, she takes a high value and a high position, because she belongs to one of the least ones which know how to do the practice. Moreover, she gets a huge pay of the family because of the curtailment. (p. 64- 65) When Waris goes through this practice at the age of five, it has changed her life because she trespasses the boarder of her childhood into her womanhood. Her younger sister and two cousins died fom this procedure. She describes this ancient ritual as very painful, but she is very jealous of her oldest sister because after the circumcision she becomes a women. When I hears the old gypsy was coming to circumcise Aman, I wanted to be circumcised, too. (Dirie, 1998, p. 64) Because of this big desire for the circumcision, she screames: Mama, do both of us at the same time. Come on, Mama, do both of us tomorrow!. (Dirie, 1998, p. 64) Besides, it concerns removing the female genitals. The next thing I felt was my flesh, my genitals, being cut away. (Dirie, 1998, p. 70). During the execution, Waris losts also her consciousness. After removing the female genitals the girls have just one small opening left, in the size of a match head, for urinating and the monthly period. Waris suffered durin g her period always from strong pains, because the blood cannot flow naturally through the tiny hole. The prevailing wisdom in Somalia is that there are bad things between a girls legs, parts of our bodies that were born with, yet are unclean. (Dirie, 1998, p. 63). Also she had problems while urinating what mostly lasted several minutes. Moreover, this is a sign for the future man that she is still purely, so a virgin. (p. 62- 72) After the execution of the genital mutilation, it is the traditional custom of the Somalis to built a hut for the girls until her physical scars left accured. This hut which is built out of staves and branches is placed far away from the trunk. Because of this expended distance the tribes could not hear the yelling of the pain. For the same reason, the curtailment is curried out in the early morning if still the other members of the family sleep. Because of the painful procedure, girls are lying helpless and unable to run. After the curtailment, merely food is brought to her in the lodging. Furthermore there is always danger of dying after the practice due to infections. If the woman has entered then into marriage, her husband either has the possibility to use a sharp object or just press his genitals into the women until it bursts again. As tools for the operation of this genital mutilation mostly arbitrary, filthy- sharp objects are used because the possibilities of suitable equipm ent are impossible in such regions and also no medical institutions exist. The disastrous results with themselves which end in many cases with the death bring the use such of immoderate utensils. The Somalis look at this tradition as an inalienable one, because girls with unscathed genitals are considered as inexpedient about the marriage, dirtily, repellent and slovenly. (p. 73- 78) There are also a lot of unforgettable consequences which are closely connected with acute pain. In the conditions under which female circumcision is generally performed in Africa, even the less extensive types of genital cutting can lead to potentially fatal complications, such as hemorrhage, infection and shock à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.(compare App. p. 11, figure 1)(Althaus, 1997) Becoming a women-the Marriage contract If a girl is cut, she is ready to be married. She must remain a virgin up to her wedding which her father always predicts her: Youre supposed to be a virgin when you marry. Girls know they will marry as a virgin, and will marry only one man, and thats it. Thats your life. (Dirie, 1998, p. 81) She would marry even once in her life and spend her whole life with her husband. However, men have the right to have several women at the same time. The choice of the future husband is always made by the father and often against the will of the daughter. Besides, the choice mostly falls on that man which offers most camels. However, the wedding is one of the least and most important holidays in the life of the Somali nomads which is celebrated also accordingly traditional like Dirie (1998) reports in her journey that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾When a girl marries, the women from her tribe go out into the desert and collect these flowers. They dry them, then add water to them and make a paste to spread on th e brides face that gives her a golden glow. (p. 58) Dirie (1998) also reports that In my culture, a woman earns a badge of respect when she becomes a mother. (p. 347) For a girl or a woman the wedding means the beginning of a new life, regardless and independent of her family and the foundation of an own family. (p. 81- 89) A few years after her curtailment, at the age of about twelve years, Waris should be also married. It is hard for her father to found a man who advertises around them or offers an adequate price of the hand of his daughter. He is sixty years old but her father arranges his daughter a marriage. He offers five camels for Dirie. This is a high price for the marriage with this little girl. She denies and do not want to marry him. Dirie (1998) defends the argument that As a girl in Somalia, I never thought about marriage or sex. In my family- in our culture- nobody ever talked about any of that. It never, ever, came to mind. (p. 80) However, she defends herself not to marry this old man and to spend the rest of her life with this man. Dirie has always her own will and objections. This behavior pattern is not typically for a properly traditional educated Somali nomad. Somali men estimate women who obey and do not contradict. She has only two possibilities, either she would obey and marry t he old man or to run away. She decides to leave her family, like her sister Aman did before and so she flees in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu. (p. 90- 95) 3. Flashback to her childhood and aims for the future In spite of criticising the practice of the female genital mutilation, Waris Dirie reports very positvie about her culture and she is still completely proud to be a nomad, born in Africa. From Diries point of view, her mothercountry probably is not comparable to other countries because the families have a strong solidarity like nowhere else. From the beginning, I had the instinct for survival; I learned joy and pain at the same time. I learned that happiness is not what you have, because I never had anything, and I was so happy. (Dirie, W. 1998, p.363) The growing up has changed the personality of Dirie (1998), because she reports that Today, I cherish the value of the simple things. (p. 364) On account of the horrible circumcision, Dirie is very angry, feels sad and often much pain. She cannot imagine that anybody would accept the practice and just because at the thought of the mutilation to other girls who all have to accept their fates. (p. 239- 242) As Dirie (1998) has grown older, she realizes that Well, these are my legs, and theyre a result of who I am and where Im from (p. 286). That means she is very proud of her legs and her traditional past because they are the symbol for her origin and her family background. And everywhere she goes in the world, Dirie can remember the days with her family and her culture. At the end of the journey, Waris Dirie (1998) comes to the conclusion that the most important priorities in the world are nature, personal goodness, family, and friendship. (p.294) Dirie wants to do something for all the women, which have to be circumcised. Apparently, there are millions of girls who also plague health problem because of the violent practice. Dirie (1998) is of the opinion that Because of a ritual ignorance, most of the women on the continent of Africa live their lives in pain. (p.349) On account of have been born female, Dirie is very worried and saw herself responsible to speak up about the female circumcision and to help the women in Africa. For all the women in her country who are silence, Dirie arranges the Waris Dirie Foundation which organizes a lot of worldwide projects and they are about to fight against the FGM. (Dirie, W. 2001) I have started the Desert Dawn Foundation to raise money for schools and clinics in Somali. They want to protect the women in Somalia and to stop the ignorant selfish men who demand their wives be circumcised. And the legacy of pain, suffering, and death that results from it is more than enough reason for it to stop. (Dirie, W. 1998, p. 360) That is the reason why Waris Dirie fights for the restraining order of the female genital mutilation. (p. 362- 369) 4. Conclusion Waris Dirie who shows an amazing strength, experienced an inconceivably heavy life with difficult circumstances, customs, traditions and cultures depending on animals, the nature and the vegetation in the desert of Somalia. She suffered from dry weathers, famines, illnesses and at the age of about five years the curtailment. These are all situations which are foreign for the most of our society. Only because of her traditional culture she got a very strong and self- confident ability. That is why she got her life under control. Dirie persuades me with showing her lifelong strong will power. The development and the discussion with the life of the nomads in the desert of Somalia, has shown me other sides of life by illustrating to me another culture. During further researches, I found out that even after the time of the clarification, there are tribes that still practice this FGM. I recommend her untiring fight against the genital curtailment (compare App. p. 13, figure 4). In my opinion, Waris Dirie has succeeded delivering her message with help of the book à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Desert of Flower. She had drawn the attention and the interest of many people towards her homeland, their cultures, traditions and especially on the female genital mutilation or the compulsive marriage. She has also visualized under which circumstances the Somali nomads must live and how they master this life in a very unique way. I can definitely agree with Mire (2002) that Women in Somalia are hard workers, and keep themselves engaged in a variety of roles from morning to night. The womans role is very important and when not fulfilled, the whole family suffers. While writing my essay, I realized that women in Somalia are very much oppressed by their men in the everyday life. I am convinced that women in Somalia have no rights and they are not allowed in any decision making. They have to do everything their man tells them. I want to emphasize that they have neither influence on their agonizing circumcision nor on their marriage. Let me end by saying that the role of women in Somalia is not comparable with the relation between women and men in our society. References Books Dirie,W. (1998). Desert Flower, New York, NY Web- sources Althaus, F. (1997) Female Circumcision: Rite of Passage or Violation of Rights. Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved from http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2313097.html (21/02/2010) Dirie, W. (2001) What is the Waris Dirie Foundation? Waris Dirie Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.waris-dirie-foundation.com/en/network/wp-content/myphotos/wuestenblume-szenenbilder-ii/Szenenbild_02jpeg_1400x937.jpg (02/03/2010) Gibson, H. (2002) Somalias Desert Flower. Time in partnership with CNN. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901020715-300618,00.html (03/03/2010) Mire, A. (2002) A Look at Women in Somalia. Taking it global. Retrieved from http://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=865 (03/03/2010)

A Unique Approach: Education in Public and Charter Schools Essays

A Unique Approach: Education in Public and Charter Schools School choice: two words that together spell out a multitude of educational options for students today. Among them are charter schools and public schools; public schools standing the test of time and charter schools being at the forefront of a revolution in educational change. Surprisingly, these two educational institutions have more in common than one might think, but maintain their differences. Key differences between charter and public schools include approach to education, funding, level of government involvement, and enrollment practices. Despite these differences, both charter and public schools share the following features: free of charge to students, required to demonstrate adequate yearly progress on state standardized tests and status as public institutions. Charter schools are educational institutions that share common features with public schools and at the same time have key differences that make them unique. Charter schools and public schools share a definition as public educational institutions; however, there remain key differences within this explanation. Charter schools are independent public educational institutions that have the freedom to operate within a specific educational focus, such as math and science or agriculture science. (WestEd, 2010) Within the context of this specific educational focus; charter schools tailor curriculum, assessments, program goals, and measures of achievement towards the students their charter serves. (WestEd, 2010) Unlike charter schools, public schools are educational institutions that operate under the direction of a school board along with state and federal government whose rules and laws sanction their daily ope... ... and federal government on a per pupil enrollment basis, however do not have the luxury of levying taxes that public schools do. Finally, charter schools are independent of the geographical confines that a district imposes on public schools. Works Cited MN Association of Charter Schools. (2010, November 8). MN Charter School Facts & Statistics. Retrieved November 5, 2010, from MN Association of Charter Schools: http://www.mncharterschools.org/page/1/facts.jsp MN Charter School Resource Center. (2007, August 29). What is a Charter School-Center forSchool Change. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from Minnesota Charter School Resource Center: http://www.centerforschoolchange.org/index2.php?... WestEd. (2010, November 8). Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved Novemeber 8, 2010, from US Charter Schools: http://www.uscharterschools.org/lpt/uscs_docs/171

KFC Culture Essay

culture: 1: believe in all people —–we trust in positive intentions and belivev everyone has the potential to make a difference. we actively seek diversity in others to expand our thinking and make the best decionsion. we coach and support every individual to frow to their full capability. 2. be restaurant and customer maniacs†¦.now!—- we love running great restaurants and our customers rule.we act with ensure every customers sees it and feels it in every restrants. We make sure we have great RGMs who build great teams. We are maniacal about rigorous execution of our core processes to deliver our brand standards as our #1 brand building initiative. It’s the foundation for making customer mania come alive. 3. go for breakthrough. —-we begin by asking ourselves, what can i do now to get breakthrough results in my piece of YUM?!our intentionality drives step change thinking. We imagine hoe big something can be and work future back., going full out with positive energy and personal accountability to make it happen. 4. build know how—–we grow by being avid learnes, pursuing knowledge and best practices inside and outside our company.we seek truth over harmony everystep of the way. We consistently drive outstanding execution by scaling our leanings into process and tools around what matters most. Breakthroughs come when we get people with knowdge thinking creatively. 5. take the hill teamwork—–we team together to drive action versus activity. we discuss the undiscussable.always promoting healthy debate and healthy decisions. our relationships allow us to ask the earth other. We make specific verbal contracts to get big things done with urgence and excellence. 6. recognize! recognize! recognize! —–we attract and retain the best people and inspire greatness by being world famous for recognition. we love celebratng the achievement of others and have lots of fun doing it!

My Favourite Actress

My favourite actress is Julia Roberts. She is one of the Hollywood's brightest star. She is a very successful actress who has starred in many films, such as â€Å"Pretty woman† and â€Å"The running bride† with Richard Gere. Julia is tall with a perfect figure. She is in her early thirties. Her lips is full and face is tauned. She has got long red curly hair, beautiful blue eyes and rather small nose. She likes wearing formally evening dressed in which she look fantastic. Julia Roberts is a complicated person whose character has many sides. She has very PODOBNA PRACA 75% My favourite sport outgoing personality. She likes to be in the public eye, giving interviews a jurnalists and allows photographers to take photos which are shown in magazines. She likes going to Hollywood parties and dancing in free times. Julia is a sociable person and loves meeting others people. Travelling is what she likes most. She loves fast cars, however she was afraid flying by plane. She travels all over the world and experiences a new adventures. Futhermore, she is very active in work and self-confident. She got Oscar for starred in film â€Å"Pretty woman†. She is also a sensitive person. For example, she helps small ill children. She transnits much money for charity. She is a person who is on diet and keep fit. She never eats fattening food, because she wants to have a good figure. On the other hand, she tends to be a bit explosiv, she often gets nervous without any reason. She is decisive as well. She usually reads a book when finds a private moment. All in all, Julia Roberts is a great actress who J like watching in films. Films, in which she appears are always interesting. J hope to see a new films with her in this time.

Cracking the Alumni Magazine Market

Cracking the Alumni Magazine Market Cracking the Alumni Magazine Market  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      In December, 1996, my wife Tina was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had her last radiation treatment in August, 1997. (Shes doing fine today.) I wrote a piece about the experience (David, I Have a Lump: Breast Cancer, One Husbands Story) and sent it off to several womens magazines. No magazines bit, although one person responded that while she loved the piece it didnt meet their current requirements. That was a kind way of saying that it didn’t fit in a magazine filled with such lofty pieces as Ten Ways to Please Your Man and How to Lose 25 Pounds in Two Weeks.  A few years later, I decided to tackle the alumni magazine market. (My career to that point had focused on writing admissions and fund-raising materials for colleges and schools.) Id always admired CC, the alumni magazine of Tinas alma mater Connecticut College, so I wrote to the editor, complimenting her on the magazine, expressing my intention to write for the magazine and including the cancer piece as a sample o f my work. She immediately offered to buy the piece, and it was published in 2001.  Since that time, Ive written over 50 articles and profiles for about 15 alumni magazines.   A cover article about one woman led to a deep friendship and to my writing her

An economic approach to world Heritage

An economic approach to world Heritage Introduction World heritage comprises of four main components. These are natural, physical, human and cultural components. Natural heritage is made up of environmental factors such as mountains, rivers, forests, fauna and flora.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on An economic approach to world Heritage specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, physical heritage might be natural or man made features other than living things. Human and cultural heritages go hand bearing in mind that human heritage is more about the culture of people and their historical cultural activities. Therefore, heritage is associated with aesthetic, social, historical and scientific innovations valued by society. The word economics is defined as the study of social science which deals with production, distribution and consumption of commodities and services in regards to the management of economics systems. Economic issues such as necessary fiscal and monetary relations are of great interest to economists. In addition, economics underscores the fact that resources are scarce and that they must be put into proper and prudent utilization in order to achieve the highest utility value. The cost of production and that of distribution must be minimized as much as possible whereas as the output should be as high as possible (Kahn 200). The world population has for a long time devised methods of ensuring that best economic systems are achieved. For instance, it has led to many nations and different countries developing their own various economic policies which have seen the emergence of the capitalism and the communism as some of the most divergent economic policies the world governments ever employed. Some systems combine both capitalism and communism systems of governance. From time to time, some economies have suffered setbacks in what is referred to us depression and economic down turn as it has been experienced lately in the major world economies such as the United States and the Euro zone crisis except for china which had adopted a different economic approach policy from her Western counterparts. When economies of various nations suffer, it is the citizens who are hard hit since they are taxpayers to their respective governments. The greater economic burden is directly transferred to the individuals and they suffer the grueling and daunting task of putting up with the increased spending without reciprocal increase on income.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is therefore only prudent that people have to give an in-depth view concerning all situations and living styles in order to come up with economic ventures that would in turn lead to benefits and increased income through wealth creation. This paper therefore, attempts to outline an economic approach to heri tage issues in society with a view offering an insight into the relationship between heritage and economics. Natural heritage There seems to be a close link between natural heritage and natural resources. However, natural heritage differs from the latter in the sense that heritage goes with that which has been identified for some special attention. For instance, wild life being set aside officially for conservation and managed in a proper way for all users is a critical example of natural heritage attached to economics. Natural heritage may also include reserved, non reserved, marked and unmarked lands and other resources which are cherished and of great value to society. Landscape forms part of natural heritage and it applies both to cultural and natural perspective. Natural heritage is distinctive based on the combinations of the physical area and attributes of the surrounding environment which can be categorized as being jungle, forest, national park or a desert. This essay is la rgely concerned with the discussion on economic approach to world heritage. As a matter of fact, world heritage is an aspect which is attached to value that transcends continental and economic significance. The world oceanic waters, highest mountains which have the icecaps such as the mount Everest, Kilimanjaro, Kenya as well as lakes, gulfs, rivers like Nile, Mississippi, Tennessee, lakes, forests, game reserves and parks, are quite phenomenon as natural heritages which attract foreign exchange towards building respective economies. Other natural heritages include Wilder beast migration in East Africa, Egyptian Pyramids and Mayan kingdom. They all form a long list of the renowned world heritage. An economic approach to natural heritage would be necessary since it would be of economic value to manage the natural resource such as mountains, and national parks thus being a source of income to earn revenue by the concerned government and a means of wealth creation (Stimson, Stouch and Nijkamp 400). Tourism industry is a major source of foreign exchange to many countries in the world. This shows that world heritage can be of great economic value. Cultural heritage Cultural heritage concerns people’s way of living and practices that ranges from economic, social, and political life and which also touch on their general well being in society. The culture of a given community would determine the history of such a community in terms of architectural designs of the past such as the Great Wall of China and so on.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on An economic approach to world Heritage specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This are aboriginal and non aboriginal when it comes to looking at the cultural landscape which differ on the basis of appearance and character of landscapes derived from a mixture of historical evidence and the physical development an area. Another way of looking at cultural h eritage is by studying the attributes of an environment which will show discernible patterns correlations between people and their environment based on the outlook of the landscape which may have vegetation cover of planted or natural plants, gardens, parks, urban or rural set ups. This is and evidence of a cultural heritage (Bishop and Phillips 310). Economic approach to cultural heritage therefore would help an economist into understanding how to devise an economic model system for wealth creation in such a culture. History accounts specifically to the occupation and utilization of the continents from time since before by mankind. People’s interactions and settlements, historic places reveal much about a given society and would be of great economic significance. Historic heritage demonstrates the way people have shaped, modified and transformed their cultures and still continue to evolve in the present time yet still achieves an identity as a unit in the changing community. Religion is one of the oldest heritages cherished all over the world and every single community or society has its own way of practicing religion. For a long time, man has been trying to find answers to mysteries and comfort during times of calamities, disasters, catastrophes and pestilence. When man becomes helpless and stranded, he becomes religious and will often seek help from the super natural being who would then intervene by their spirits and other means. Religion which modernizes itself through secularization, reformation, Counter Reformation, Pentecostalism and Protestantism has been of immense economic value to the society. The Ancient religions have been the centers of governance as well as economic bases of their kingdoms. For instance, the ancient kingdoms saw the kings being installed as the heads of state as well as the heads of their governments. The Kings controlled all the wealth and economic activities of their kingdoms. The agricultural activities, trade and tra ding routes, commercial activities and precious stones all were controlled by the kings who also doubled as priests. For example, the Catholic Church as a religion is one religious organization which has lasted close to between 1700 to 200 years and yet still remains one single most powerful religious body with close to slightly above one billion members in the world and one of the richest in wealth accumulation.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Islam religion is another vital religious organization which cannot go without mentioning. Others are Buddhism, Judaism, Christian Protestants and the Pentecostal churches. It is imperative to look at these religious organizations with an economic view since they control a lot of resources. Religion controls what believers are taught. Their lifestyles including how they are married and the kind of games they watch. With a clear understanding of a given religion, one would be able to devise an economic approach that befits the kind of venture to deploy. For instance, the Muslims are forbidden from eating pork. It is therefore important for an economist to analyze economic benefit in this kind of belief system. Would it be prudent to start pork business in a Muslim dominated nation like Iran? Certainly, it won’t work as a business venture. We also understand that every religion has a standard for its members. Some religions also control the dress codes of their faithful. Th erefore, religion is part of culture and in this context we look at religion as a cultural aspect and practice. When we tie it to an economic approach, the intention here is to bring it out as part of culture hence falls under cultural heritage. An economic approach to heritage Religion which defines man’s relationship with the spiritual world is actually man’s way of reaching God is one of the oldest practices of mankind carried out by people in different parts of the world from time immemorial. Man for a long time has been trying to find answers to mysteries and comfort during times of calamities, disasters, catastrophes and pestilence. When man becomes helpless and stranded, he becomes religious and soften seek help form the super natural beings in the gods and who would then intervene by their spirits and other means. Religion which modernizes itself through secularization, reformation, Counter Reformation, Pentecostalism and Protestantism has been of immense econo mic value to the society (Stimson, Stouch and Nijkamp 74). The Ancient religions have been the centers of government as well as the economic bases of their kingdoms (Segal 286). For instance, the ancient kingdoms saw the kings being the head of state as well as the heads of then government. The Kings controlled all the wealth and economic activities of their kingdoms. The agricultural activities, the trades and trade routes, commercial activities and precious stones all were controlled by the kings who also doubled as priest s. The Catholic Church as a religion for instance is one religious organization which has lasted close to between 1700 to 200 years historically and yet still remains one single most powerful religious body with close to over slightly above one billion members in the world and one of the richest in wealth accumulation. The Islam religion is another vital religious organization which cannot go without mentioning. Others are the Buddhism, Judaism, Christian Protes tants and the Pentecostal churches (Rao and Walton 280). It is imperative to look at these religious organizations with an economic view since they control a lot of resources. Religion controls what they faithful are taught and what they eat. Their lifestyles including how they are married and the kind of games they watch. With a clear understanding of a given religion, one would be able to devise an economic approach that befits the kind of venture to deploy. For instance, the Muslims are forbidden from eating pork, it is therefore important for an economist to analyze what economic sense there is in such a belief. Would it be prudent to start pork business in a Muslim dominated nation like Iran? Certainly not! We also understand that every religion has a standard for its members. Some religions also control the dress codes of their faithful. The priests of the Catholic church have particular priestly robes which differ depending on rank such as whether one is just an alter boy, ca techist, seminarian, priest, bishop or arch bishop and even a pope (Segal 360). An economic approach this fact would be; how do the priests acquire their robes? Who makes the robes, and how much does it cost, how are the robes distributed, how many are supplied? What about other numerous materials and items that go with the worship such as the candles, the Eucharist’s and the anointed water? The religious books that are read all over the world such as the Bible, the Catholic Douay, the Quran, the Christian Science and health and the Scriptures by the Judaism. It is really important to know how much in terms of resources it would cost to print a copy of the bible or any of the many other religious books. Another important think to consider while giving an economic approach to religion is not just to concentrate on the opportunities that are presented by the religious practices and activities but also the economic challenges posed by the same. For example many religions go on f asting such as the Lenten campaign, camping and Ramadhan (the Muslim holy month); periods in which people do not eat certain meals and foods. Some religions do not believe in taking the sick to the hospitals yet others still do not believe in taking children to the secular and formal school. With an economic approach, issues such as necessary fiscal and monetary relations are of course being of interest to economists does give insights in trying to underscores the fact that the resources are scarce and that these scarce resources must be put into proper and prudent utilization in order to achieve the highest utility value. The cost of production and that of distribution must be minimized as much as possible whereas as the output should be of the highest expectation as possible. Religion would best be practiced under an economic microscope therefore for a healthy faithful flock to be bred (Stimson, Stouch and Nijkamp 52). Notes on how to present the paper This essay discusses economi c approach to world heritage. As a matter of fact, world heritage is an aspect which is attached to value that transcends continental and economic significance. Tourism industry is a major source of foreign exchange to many countries in the world. This shows that world heritage can be of economic value. Natural heritage is more concerned with the natural endowments with respect to aesthetic and economic values. For instance, tourism majorly thrives on natural resources such as vast wildlife and beautiful landscapes which provide perfect scenic sites of attractions. These would include attractions such as water falls, craters, reefs, cliffs, escarpments, lakes, mountains, rivers, oceans, pedestals and even underground features. It is important to note that some of the tourist attraction scenes are manmade. Case examples include the Egyptian and Sudanese pyramids, tall buildings, large roads, manmade lakes and canals. The natural collection forms part of the natural heritage whereas t he artificial combination is part and parcel of the human heritage. However, the latter goes beyond just what man has made to the extent of exploring people’s way of life. This consequently brings us to the cultural heritage whereby we find historical evidences on the past of man. The culture of a given community would determine the history of such a community in terms of their buildings of the pas such as the Great Wall of China and so on (Bishop and Phillips 134). These are aboriginal and non aboriginals when it comes to looking at the cultural landscape which differ on the basis of appearance and character of landscapes derived from a mixture of historical evidence and the physical development of an area. Another way of looking at cultural heritage is by studying the attributes of an environment which will show discernible patterns and correlations between people and their environment based on the outlook of the landscape which may have vegetation cover of planted or natur al plants, gardens, parks, urban or rural set ups. This is a clear evidence of a cultural heritage. Economic approach to cultural heritage would therefore be of help to an economist. Religion is one of the oldest heritages cherished all over the world and every single community or society in the world has its own way of practicing their religion. The Ancient religions have been the centers of government as well as the economic bases of their kingdoms. For instance, the ancient kingdoms saw the kings being the heads of state as well as heads of governments. The Kings controlled all the wealth and economic activities of their kingdoms. The agricultural activities, trading and trade routes, commercial activities and precious stones were all controlled by the kings who also doubled as priests. An economic sense is found in the religious books that are read all over the world such as the Bible, the Catholic Douay, and the Quran, the Christian Science and health as well as the Scriptures by Judaism. Another important element to consider while giving an economic approach to religion is not just to concentrate on the opportunities that are presented by the religious practices and activities but also the economic challenges posed by the same. Many religions practice prayer and fasting during which people do not eat certain meals yet some do not believe in taking the sick to hospitals and formal schooling. It is therefore imperative to find out the possibility of an economic significance in the practices of culture and religion which are closely intertwined. Bishop,  Kevin and Adrian, Phillips. Countryside Planning: New Approaches to Management and Conservation. London, UK: Earthscan, 2004. Print. Kahn, James. The economic approach to environmental and natural resources. Tennessee: Dryden Press, 1998. Print. Rao, Vijayendra and Michael, Walton. Culture and Public Action .Washington DC: Stanford University press, 2004.Print. Segal, Robert. The Blackwell companion to t he study of religion. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006.Print. Stimson Robert, Roger Stouch and Peter, Nijkamp. Endogenous regional development:Perspectives,measurements and empirical investigation. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing Inc., 2011.Print.

The Lightning Thief and References to Greek Mythology

'The Lightning Thief' and References to Greek Mythology Rick Riordans The Lightning Thief (the first volume of Riordans Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) mentions many names familiar from Greek mythology. Here youll find further information on the explicit mythological references and some more subtle mythological allusions. The order of the list below attempts to follow the sequence of mentions in the book as well as Riordans other references to Greek mythology. The Book Series The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series consist of five books by author Rick Riordan. The first book, The Lightning Thief, focuses on Percy Jackson, who is about to get kicked out of boarding school for the second time. Mythological monsters and gods are after him and he only has ten days to rectify what they want from him.  In the second book, The Sea of Monsters, Percy finds trouble at Camp Half-Blood where mythological monsters are back. In order to save the camp and keep it from being destroyed, Percy needs to gather his friends.   The third book,  The Titans Curse, has Percy and his friends looking to see what happened to the goddess Artemis, who went missing and is believed to have been kidnapped.  They need to solve the mystery and save Artemis before the winter solstice. In the fourth book, The Battle of the Labyrinth, the war between the Olympians and Titan lord Kronos grows stronger as Camp Half-Blood becomes more vulnerable. Percy and his friends have to go on a quest in this adventure. In the fifth and final installment of the series, The Last Olympian  focuses on the half-bloods preparing for the war against the Titans. Knowing it is an uphill battle, the thrill is strong to see who will reign more powerful. About the Author Rick Riordan is most known for the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series but has also written the Kane Chronicles and the Heroes of Olympus. He is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and has won multiple awards for the mystery series for adults known as Tres Navarre. Mythological References KronosTitansZeus/JupiterTitanomachyFatesHadesMinotaurHerculesChironPegasusHeraApolloNymphsDionysusAphrodite/VenusPrometheusCentaurUnderworldHermesAresOracleNaiadsAthenaDemeterPoseidonLaurelHephaestusArtemisCerberusNemesisCyclopsTrojan WarCirceHydraPythonMaiaJasonMt. EtnaIliadGolden AgeGorgonsPanShower of GoldNemean LionZephyrChimeraIrisCupidArachneArachneAresArtemisAphrodite/VenusApolloAsphodel FieldsAthenaCentaurCerberusCharonChimeraChironCirceCupidCyclopsDemeterDionysusElysian FieldsEtnaFatesGolden AgeGorgonsHeraHadesHarpiesHeraHephaestusHerculesHermesHydraIliadIrisJasonJupiter/ZeusKronosLaurelLotusOracleMaiaMinotaur9 MusesMt. EtnaNaiadsNemean LionNemesisNereidNymphsPanPegasusPersephonePoseidonPrometheusPythonShower of GoldSisyphusTitanomachyTitansTrojan WarUnderworldUnderworld Judges - MinosVenus/AphroditeZephyrZeus/JupiterLotusNereidCharonAsphodel FieldsElysian FieldsDemeter9 MusesHarpiesAndromedaAntaeusBulls of ColchisCadmusCalypsoDryadsEurytionGanymedeGeryonGraeaeJanusLaistrygo nians Mt. OthrysPeleusPolyphemus

Project about drug LORATADINE OR LORATADIN Research Paper

Project about drug LORATADINE OR LORATADIN - Research Paper Example The assignment of patients to the different types of treatment was randomized and the randomization was also double-blinded, with neither the researchers nor the respondents knowing what treatment was assigned to them. At the start of each trial, the respondents assigned to each group were similar and baseline characteristics for each respondent were also similar. The baseline characteristic established for the patients included their age, gender, and ethnic origin (Ratner, et.al., 1998). Aside from the allocated treatment, the patients were all treated equally and no other additional procedures or treatments were included for any of the other treatment groups. There were 28 losses in respondents in the course of the study; this represented an acceptable number – less than 20% of the total number of respondents. The respondents were also analysed in the groups where they were randomised. They were analysed and compared to the other groups based on statistical variances and eva luations. This study is very much ideal because the clinicians and the researchers were blinded during the course of their research. Neither of them knew who was receiving what form of treatment. Previous knowledge and perceptions of the possible impact of treatments did not affect the results of the study and the outcome of the treatments (Ratner, et.al., 1998). The paper of Cauwenberge and Juniper (2000) sought to compare the efficacy, safety and impact of quality of life in seasonal allergic rhinitis patients after treatment with either fexofenadine and loratadine (with placebo) given once a day. The respondents were randomised through the application of appropriate computer techniques. Such randomisation was concealed from the respondents and researchers. The groups were similar at the start of the trial and the baseline characteristics of age, gender, and conditions including nasal congestion were all similar to each other (Cauwenberge &

Education - Cultural Awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Education - Cultural Awareness - Essay Example The graphic organizer How to enhance the cultural respect and avoid cultural bias in the classroom Instructors should acknowledge the students’ cultural differences along with their commonalities Next, it is necessary to validate the student’s identity through the utilization of reading materials that reflect such diversities. This allows students to see the importance of their cultures. It is also significant to educate the students that the world is becoming diverse each day. This would help them gain appreciation for each other thus the reduced conflicts in the classroom. Teachers also need to advocate for some behaviors, as well as communication styles in the classroom, which are devoid of discrimination thus the increased respect. It would also be appropriate if the relationship existing among the students, teachers, families, as well as the community should be fostered thus the respect. The current literature has defined culture as a universal programming of an in dividual’s way of thinking. Culture is stalwartly important as it aids in the process of distinguishing the diverse human categories. The core factor distinguishing the diverse cultural groups is values, which such groups holds close in their daily lives. Sources further designate that these cultures have different norms, as well as institutions resulting from such norms (Wagner, 2009). A number of different authentic and current sources have provided several definitions for multicultural education. Although authors of such sources have utilized dissimilar wording in providing the definition of this phrase, they portray a common understanding of it. Therefore, regarding multicultural education as an inclusive reforming procedure in the education sector championing the existence of equal treatment for students from dissimilar cultures would be the most appropriate definition (Grant, 2011). The 21st century has been coupled by a myriad challenges as students from dissimilar cul tural and social groups populate the same schools. However, the adoption of multicultural education concept has highly facilitated the process of addressing such cultural differences, as well as the biases. Foremost, it is evident that multicultural education promotes the application of a culturally receptive pedagogy. This concept is vastly imperative since it aims at enhancing a successful learning process. This concept works by identifying the strong points brought by such a diversity thus utilizing it to enhance education (Nwachukwu, 2010). Moreover, the pedagogy is a combination of three diverse dimensions. These dimensions are the instructional, institutional, as well as the personal dimensions. The institutional dimension has helped design a learning environment that enhances efficacy, when dealing with culturally diverse students. Therefore, multicultural education could address cultural differences by ensuring that school’s policies, as well as their procedures addre ss with efficiency, all the tribulations resulting from the diversity. The personal dimension part of the cultural pedagogy addresses some of the essential activities for teachers to be involved in thus the cultural bias diminution. Through the application of this concept, teachers could fully acquaint themselves with all the available useful knowledge. Multicultural education persuades teachers to nurture values that disfavor negative feelings towards an individual from a different cultural setting.

The Lawyer's Professional Qualities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

The Lawyer's Professional Qualities - Essay Example The one unequivocal necessity of a good lawyer, as well as any lawyer at all, is a law school diploma and membership in BAR association. Without it, you cannot practice law. Every single lawyer has these two things. Â  Another thing a professional lawyer should have is an experience. In any job, there are very few people who became great specialists right after graduating from school or university. These are the only necessities a good lawyer should have.As for subjective qualities a professional lawyer should have, the first one is you have to be tranquil. There are a lot of people who would try to unbalance you intentionally (opponents) or not on purpose (clients, boss, colleagues et cetera). There are also many things that would go not your way, which can be disappointing or make you angry. If you would be not calm, for example, in a courtroom, you may lose your case. As an example of a lawyer’s tranquility Hillary Clinton can be taken (Gates). Another important quality professional lawyer should have is understanding that all you do is not about yourself, neither is it about your boss or your firm. It is all about your clients and their problems. It is important to remember that a lawyer is only a person who provides some sort of services if taken in general. As an example of such quality, Paul Gilbert can be taken (Gilbert).It is not less important to stand until the end and be sticking to your guns, because there are many people who finish trying just before succeeding in something. It is also needed to be able to take risks and to be ready to influence people’s lives, especially when dealing with criminal law. As an incarnation of these qualities, Preet Bharara can be taken (Dinh).

Conceptual Models to Represent Relationships Essay

Conceptual Models to Represent Relationships - Essay Example Now that the project is concluded, we have edited it and made a digital copy. It is now necessary to make a decision on which is the best way to examine the information collected to best understand the interviewees and the issues that they reported about their experience at the restaurant. Â  Hypothesis: i/ Customers with two or more children are more likely to drive over three miles to the restaurant than customers with one child., are more likely to drive more than 3 miles to come to the Restaurant compared to those with only one child. Â  The best techniques to test the above hypothesis and relationships are ANOVA three to four means, CHI-SQUARE, and the T-TEST. These techniques were chosen after analyzing the types of data that we collected. Each technique analyzes data in a different way. Â  The ANOVA technique was selected because it is useful for finding statistical variation between three or more averages. For example, question twelve asks customers if they think Santa Fe Grill has friendly employees. The data is taken from single, married and divorced customers, so the statistical technique that can be used will be ANOVA. Â  The Chi-square was selected because it can be used to examine relationships involving nominally scaled data, unlike other statistical techniques. This technique was used for question number 32 where customers are supposed to classify their sexual orientation and other similar questions such as a question that asks the surveyed to indicate marital status. Â  

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Corporate finance - Essay Example Market efficiency is a crucial factor in deciding the investment strategies of an investor. If the securities market is efficient, the best estimate and returns will be reflected in the price of the shares and there will be no undervalued securities that would offer higher return than expected. However, opposite could be the case in the weak efficient markets. (WOOD, DASGUPTA & POSHAKWALE, 1995) THREE FORMS OF MARKET EFFICIENCY BY FAMA (1970): In this aspect the most contributing work was presented by Fama in 1970. He formulated a market efficiency hypothesis (EMH) which discussed the three types of market efficiency that can prevail in a capital market depending on the available information in the market. These three forms of market efficiency are (1) Weak form efficiency (2) Semi-strong form efficiency (3) Strong from efficiency. 1. Weak Form Efficiency: The weak form of market efficiency hypothesis asserts that the current stock price reflects all the information related to histor ical prices or past price movements only. This information includes trading volume, rate of return and market generated information etc. This form of market efficiency assumes that the current stock prices reflect all the past information and no one can earn huge profits by knowing information which is known to everyone in the market. This implies that the future rate of return can’t be predicted by using past rate of return and can’t provide with huge abnormal returns. In order to predict the movement of prices based on the past information a technique called technical analysis is sued widely. (BHOLE. 1982; CLARKE, JANDIK & MANDELKER, 2001) 2. Semi-Strong Form Efficiency: The semi-strong form of market efficiency hypothesis explains that the current stock price reflects all the publicly available information along with the historical information. The available public information includes: stock earnings and prices, declared dividends information, political, economy an d company related news, dividend yield ratio, price earning ratios, announce merger plans, available information in company’s financial statements, financial situation of competitors and stock splits etc. The assertion behind this form of market efficiency is the same that no one can earn huge profits by knowing information which is known to everyone in the market that is the information is public. In this way the public information is already absorbed into market prices and the investors can’t yield above average profits in such investments and markets. (BHOLE, 1982; CLARKE, JANDIK & MANDELKER, 2001) 3. Strong form Efficiency: The strong form of market efficiency hypothesis explains that the currents stock price reflects all the available information including public and private information both. It encompasses both the weak and semi-strong form of markets. In this hypothesis the emphasis is on insider dealings. It implies that, when both public and private informatio n is reflected in stock price, the directors or the bunch of individuals in the company who have more knowledge of the company will not be able to benefit from the above average profits. The difference between semi-strong and strong efficiency is that in a strong efficiency market nobody will benefit from the information that

Organisation and behaviour Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Organisation and behaviour - Assignment Example Coca Cola has a dynamic organizational structure. This enables the entity to address the countless managerial challenges it encounters. The entity organizational structure combines various managerial structures. The managerial models include functional, central, production and regional management. The fusion of these models generates a dynamic structure, which suits Coca Cola. The regional management enables the entity to address regional challenges, which the entity is encountering. The entity adopted a regional structure, which ensures the distribution of its products in the various sections of the globe where it has clientele. This kind of structure also ensures that the location of its production facilities enables reduction of cost and unproblematic accessibility of its products to its clientele. Regional management also enables the entity address variation in culture globally. The variation in regions means that organizational culture will vary depending on the geographic locat ions. However, the organizational culture is largely similar despite the variation in geographic location. Coca Cola organization culture entails various aspects such as team building, performance management, training and motivating employees. The organization has also established certain values which the entity seeks to inculcate in its employees. The virtues ensure that there are good inter-employee relationships. Furthermore, these values ensure proper service to the clientele. Coca Cola’s organizational culture is a vital constituent of the entity’s corporate governance policy. Coca Cola’s corporate culture is friendly and innovative. It seeks to improve the employee’s career by ensuring that employee progress professionally. Professional advancement is an imperative way of motivating employees. Motivating employees is a vital since it will boost productivity in the entity. The organization has laid emphasis on teamwork. Organizational teams are critical since

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Corporate finance - Essay Example Market efficiency is a crucial factor in deciding the investment strategies of an investor. If the securities market is efficient, the best estimate and returns will be reflected in the price of the shares and there will be no undervalued securities that would offer higher return than expected. However, opposite could be the case in the weak efficient markets. (WOOD, DASGUPTA & POSHAKWALE, 1995) THREE FORMS OF MARKET EFFICIENCY BY FAMA (1970): In this aspect the most contributing work was presented by Fama in 1970. He formulated a market efficiency hypothesis (EMH) which discussed the three types of market efficiency that can prevail in a capital market depending on the available information in the market. These three forms of market efficiency are (1) Weak form efficiency (2) Semi-strong form efficiency (3) Strong from efficiency. 1. Weak Form Efficiency: The weak form of market efficiency hypothesis asserts that the current stock price reflects all the information related to histor ical prices or past price movements only. This information includes trading volume, rate of return and market generated information etc. This form of market efficiency assumes that the current stock prices reflect all the past information and no one can earn huge profits by knowing information which is known to everyone in the market. This implies that the future rate of return can’t be predicted by using past rate of return and can’t provide with huge abnormal returns. In order to predict the movement of prices based on the past information a technique called technical analysis is sued widely. (BHOLE. 1982; CLARKE, JANDIK & MANDELKER, 2001) 2. Semi-Strong Form Efficiency: The semi-strong form of market efficiency hypothesis explains that the current stock price reflects all the publicly available information along with the historical information. The available public information includes: stock earnings and prices, declared dividends information, political, economy an d company related news, dividend yield ratio, price earning ratios, announce merger plans, available information in company’s financial statements, financial situation of competitors and stock splits etc. The assertion behind this form of market efficiency is the same that no one can earn huge profits by knowing information which is known to everyone in the market that is the information is public. In this way the public information is already absorbed into market prices and the investors can’t yield above average profits in such investments and markets. (BHOLE, 1982; CLARKE, JANDIK & MANDELKER, 2001) 3. Strong form Efficiency: The strong form of market efficiency hypothesis explains that the currents stock price reflects all the available information including public and private information both. It encompasses both the weak and semi-strong form of markets. In this hypothesis the emphasis is on insider dealings. It implies that, when both public and private informatio n is reflected in stock price, the directors or the bunch of individuals in the company who have more knowledge of the company will not be able to benefit from the above average profits. The difference between semi-strong and strong efficiency is that in a strong efficiency market nobody will benefit from the information that

Your Brain on fiction and The Mighty Mathematician Youve Never Heard Essay

Your Brain on fiction and The Mighty Mathematician Youve Never Heard Of - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Annie Murphy Paul wrote the first article and it was published on 17 March 2012. It was entitled Your Brain on fiction. Despite, the evolution of digital devices, the fiction that is derived from reading novels is not completely dead. There is a group of individuals who have completely devoted themselves to the understanding of fiction through neuroscience. Annie writes that they have developed brain scans that reveal what happens in the brain when people read detailed information in the books or even articles in the newspaper, evocative character or an emotional exchange between characters in a movie or a book or even a magazine interview. Stories have affected the way people act or even the way they view certain situations in life. It was discovered that some of these stories stimulate the brain in a manner that directs the brain to do certain things in accordance to what it was stimulated to do. Researchers and scientists have always known the Brocaâ₠¬â„¢s area and Wernicke’s area as the regions of the brain responsible for interpreting motor speech and written data respectively. However, it has been noted over the past few years that other brain parts are also stimulated when one reads a book, by so doing making the experience of reading feel very real in the eyes of the reader. According to scientists, there are words such as lavender, perfume or cinnamon that may stimulate the parts of the brain responsible for smelling.... udy, a cognitive scientist Veronique Boulanger, claims that the use of sentences such as â€Å"Terry grasped the object† or â€Å"Peter kicked the ball† stimulated the motor cortex which is responsible for the coordination of the bodily movements. What’s more, the brain seems not to differentiate the experience it gets through reading and real life, this is because the same neurological regions are stimulated in each case. A University Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto stated that the reading produces stimulation of reality. These fictional stories and novels are just are essential in describing life’s social and emotional situation (Dwight 65). Most importantly, Annie wanted to bring out the idea that most of these stimulations that the brain receives have been evident by reading about them in books that have good descriptions of the movements, smells and actions of characters in the books or articles. Another article is The Mighty Math ematician You’ve Never Heard Of, which was written by Natalie Angier and published by the New York Times on March 26, 2012. This article talks about a mathematician who has been almost anonymous for over a decade for a theory that explains so many other theories in physics. Einstein also described her as the most significant and creative female of all time. She invented a theory that unites two very common theories in physics, which include the Theory of symmetry in nature and that of the Universal laws of conservation. Noethers’s theory has been classified as important as that of by Einstein (Theory of relativity). Despite the significance of her works, she has remained unknown to the people. A physicist in Drexel University has carried a research and written about her works. He did a poll that he noted many

Usage Involved The Area Of Simple Present English Language Essay

Usage Involved The Area Of Simple Present English Language Essay This report was compiled to examine Simple Present Tense (SPT) use with beginner ESL students, aged 7-10 years old, attending Primary school. Ideally class sizes consist of 5-10 students, all L2 learners. The purpose and structure of SPT is highlighted. SPT differences with other languages and SPT difficulties faced by ESL students are outlined. SPT activities from introductory lessons through to higher proficiency have been discussed. Definition of Simple Present tense: The tense of a verb that expresses action or state in the present time and is used of what occurs or is true at the time of speaking and of what is habitual or characteristic or is always or necessarily true, that is sometimes used to refer to action in the past, and that is sometimes used for future events (Merriam-Webster, 2003, pg.982). These are not so much the meanings of the simple tenses themselves as the meanings which they gain in particular contexts. It is only the tense plus the context which can be said to express a certain temporal or aspectual meaning such as repetition, habit, or generality. The tenses themselves do not carry such specific meanings. If they did, then context would not be necessary for interpreting the time reference of a verb (Pennington, 1988, pg.). Simple Present tense is used to discuss: Repeated actions and express the idea that an action is usual. The action can be a hobby, a daily occurrence, a scheduled event or something that happens regularly e.g. I play soccer. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do e.g. She never goes on holidays. Habitual is a common term used to describe the meaning of this term, which has come under scrutiny. What constitutes habitual action is determined completely by experience, and not at all by language especially not by the tense of the verb (Pennington, 1988, pg.53). Facts or generalisations It indicates that the speaker believes that a fact was true before (past), is true now (present), will be true in the future e.g. Spiders have eight legs and is timeless. It is also used to make generalizations about people or hings e.g. Vanessa is boring (Pennington, 1988, pg.53). Past and Future events Simple present is used to talk about the past or future and is described in a very immediate way, bringing the past or future into the present, including them as part of the present reality of the speaker and the hearer. As pointed out by Brown and Levinson (1978), shifting to the present tense is a way to show deference and positive regard towards the hearer, making a good story which pulls [the hearer] right into the middle of the events being discussed, metaphorically at any rate, thereby increasing their intrinsic interest; (p. 111). (Pennington, 1988, pg.52) http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepresent.html Structure of Present Simple sentences I base He You form She verb + S We of It They verb (+) Subject + verb + (+) Subject + verbS + (-) Subject + DONT + verb + (-) Subject + DOESNT = verb + (?) DO + subject + verb + (?) DOES + subject + verb + (WH)WH Q + DO + subject + verb +.. (WH) WH Q + DOES + Subject + verb + WHO + verbS WHO + verbS (Singalovski, 2008) Spelling When you add S to the verb you have to pay attention to spelling. 1. think + s 2. catch + es When the verb ends with s, sh, ch, x, z or o we add es. 3. stay + s fry Æ’Â   fries (Singalovski, 2008) Description of differences between English and Korean Korean language is spoken by 60 million people in North and South Korea. With an additional 5 million emigrants speaking the language worldwide in China, Japan, North America, and the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Renaud, 2002, pg.1). The phonetic system, the syntactic structure, and semantics between English and Korean differ so greatly that the transition from one language to the other requires enormous efforts from the learner. More specifically, in relation to simple present tense, Korean learners typically struggle with the following disparities: In English, the word order is SVO (subject-verb-object), while the basic pattern of a Korean sentence is SOV (subject-object-verb). Although Korean has case-marking morphemes to designate the cases of the nouns and shows a more flexible word order, the predicate always comes at the end of a sentence (Cho, 2004, pg.33). In Korean the subject of the sentence is left out if it can be implied by the context, whilst in English, sentences need explicit subjects (Worldlingo, 2011). In Korean language new words are created by combining simple words, without changing their form (agglutinative). Words are created by adding suffixes to the basic part of the word (stem). Suffixes attached to a verb stem indicate things such as verb tense (past, present, or future), verb aspect (complete, repeated, or continuing), and honorification (marking of the relative status of the person addressed to or referred to from the speaker or addressers point of view-an elder, a stranger, a close friend) (Renaud, 2002, pg.4). In English the following third person pronouns are commonly used he, she, it, her, him (singular) and they, them (plural) . In Korean there are two third person pronouns used, male and female; the female form sounds awkward, and is mostly used when translating texts. Korean originally had only one third person pronoun for both genders, meaning it. However it has increasingly been interpreted as a male pronoun used for both genders. Although in recent years the pronoun the female counterpart is slowly gaining ground due to the influence of translations from European languages, it is almost restricted to specific styles of written language, because Korean generally uses subject less or modifier + noun constructions (Worldlingo, 2011). Generally forms used to denote third person in Korean are not separate lexical items, but rather are formed by combining the demonstrative pronouns i = this, ku =that and ce =that (over there), with bound nouns. The deictic use depends on the distance between the referent and the speaker. They indicate respectively, close proximity, middle proximity and distant proximity (Iksop, Ramsey, 200, pg.90,91). In Korean verbs in the present tense do not take -s in the third person singular. Korean learners of English commonly fail to ensure there is subject-verb agreement, by missing inflected endings in writing and speaking (Cho, 2004, pg.33). Many Koreans repeat the question-answer format of Korean negative questions when communicating in English. To the question, Didnt you like it? English speakers answer either, Yes, I did or, No, I didnt, whilst Koreans generally respond either Yes, I didnt like it, or No, I liked it. Native English speakers are generally perplexed by Koreans amalgamation of positive and negative elements of discourse. Korean students also experience fossilization problems when attempting to express conditionals, indirect questions, rhetorical questions and hypothetical statements, as a result of first language interference (Cho, 2004, pg.33). Clearly, the difficulties Korean learners have in learning English are not limited to just Koreans. Students of any nationality may experience difficulties due to language difference, culture gaps, and the discrepancy between their language ability and their overall maturity(Cho, 2004, pg.36). . . Difficulties simple present tense poses to learners Parrott (pg.195, 2010) and Wee (pg.35, 36, 2009) outline the subsequent issues, as characteristic and typical difficulties learners face with simple present tense. Omitting third person s / Omitting auxiliary verbs Errors of omission consist of the omission of compulsory elements in tense or number markers such as the omission of the grammatical morphemes. These include the omission of -s/-es/-ies for the verbs after the third person singular in the simple present tense. The copula be verb is often omitted in the simple present and simple past well as the progressive tenses (WEE, 2009, pg.351). Addition of Unnecessary Elements Unnecessary elements that are present result in errors of addition, for example, the use of redundant tense markers. Students may put -s,-es,-ies markers after the verbs that follow the plural nouns/pronouns in the simple present tense or redundantly put the -ed marker in cases where it is not necessary, for example, cuted, puted (WEE, 2009, pg. 352). Double Marking Double marking occurs when two items are marked for the same feature such as tense, for example, My neighbour doesnt likes Mary. or The thief didnt ran away when I shouted. Students may redundantly add -s, -ed or -ing forms to the verb after a modal which should be followed by the base form of a verb (WEE, 2009, pg. 352). Incorrect tense choice Errors of misformation occur when students choose the wrong forms of the words in place of the right ones. These commonly happen in cases of subject-verb agreement, for example, The men was here last night. The wrong tense may be used, for example, the use of the past tense forms to express present or future time or the use of the present tense forms to refer to past actions (WEE, 2009, pg. 352). Questions and Indirect Speech Students are often confused when they use reported questions or indirect speech resulting in the occurrence of errors of ordering. This means that the correct elements are wrongly sequenced, for example, They asked me where was the girl. Students face a lot of difficulties in using the phrasal verbs and may produce sentences like I pick up her. or I phone up him. (WEE, 2009, pg. 352) Questions and negative forms Errors arise from several possible general sources, namely interlingual errors of interference from the native language, intralingual errors within the target language, the sociolinguistic context of communication, psycholinguistic and cognitive strategies, along with countless affective variables (Brown,1980: 66). Level students are taught simple present tense and through which contexts and topics. Effectively teaching simple present tense verbs to ESL students helps to build a strong foundation for their use of the English language. The simple present tense is usually the first verb tense ESL students are taught (Teaching ESL to Adults). Students learn best when they feel safe yet challenged, when responses are accepted yet extended, and when expectations are realistic yet high. Teachers can assist by teaching explicitly within context and providing varying levels of support as students become increasingly independent and how it changes in different situations (BOS NSW, 2000, pg.8). ESL learners need an explicit, methodical and planned language program that is integrated into their general class work in all key learning areas, and that takes into account their needs and development (BOS, NSW, pg.13). English language teachers have changed, or are changing, from a traditional approach to teaching formal grammar rules to a more communicative approach to teaching how to use grammar meaningfully in context. Communicative approaches to presenting grammar usually include a focus on meaning and use as well as form. Grammar can be taught in many ways there is no best way that suits all grammar points (Gardener, 2008, pg.39). Students are introduced to simple present tense at school (K-6) through numerous curriculum topics English, Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE), Science and Technology. Students use specific text types to practice usage of simple present tense. Each text type uses different language and grammatical features. These features are outlined in Table 1.2. This table indicates primary use of simple present tense in Report writing. In addition, Parrot (2000, pg.190), identifies past narratives and commentaries as other instances in which the simple present tense is also used. Reports and narratives are focus texts (structure, grammar and context) in the English K-6 syllabus. Grammar is used as a tool to help students understand how sentences are structured so that they are meaningful, clear and syntactically accurate (BOS NSW, pg.9). Reports are also commonly used in the following Key Learning Areas (KLAs) HSIE Significant events and people, Cultural Diversity (BOS NSW, 2006) and in Science and Technology Living Things, Earth and Its Surroundings (BOS, 1993, pg.10). The HSIE and Science and Technology syllabus highlight activities that essentially require the use of language. Students use language to pose questions, clarify ideas and communicate understandings (BOS, 1993, pg.27). Describe activities you could use for simple present tense The way in which the verb tenses are introduced can make the structure of the English Language easier for the students to understand. Whereas pre-teen and early teen children learn a language by listening and repeating what they hear, without any need to think about grammar, this facility seems to fade as everyone gets older. The older a student is the more he or she will want to analyze the structure or learn using rules. Unfortunately many rules for the English language have exceptions sometimes many exceptions (Stocker DG, 2011). Activities in a b require more direct, explicit instruction through discussion, modeling and controlled activities. Whilst c requires more implicit instruction and allows students to apply knowledge of tense in meaningful ways, through less controlled activities. Activities are conducted independently, in pairs and as a whole class, using verbal, auditory, visual, written and kinesthetic activities. Activities are implemented across all KLAs in the NSW K-6 curriculum. Introducing simple present Introductory activities- Define simple present tense to students, the structure and forms which it can take (positive, negative, yes/no, questions -wh) and when it is used. Focus on frequency adverbs, spelling and pronunciation. This can be done through discussion, asking questions and modeling. Students are taught as a whole class but also independently asked to give answers. Introductory activities need to be introduced over a series of lessons and each concept is taught independently of the others e.g. positive and negatives not taught with plurals. In between each topic follow up activities presented in b and c can be implemented. Activities Simon Says, Guessing Games What animal am I ?, Verbal Show and Tell, Songs Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton) Practicing and consolidating in controlled circumstances Worksheets -unscrambling sentences, cloze passages, short answer questions, changing negatives to positives, changing singular to plural. Such worksheets can be found at http://www.eslprintables.com/printable.asp?id=248248. Writing Report writing using simple present tense, using their prior knowledge of simple present tense and report writing. Teacher discusses structure and language features with students as whole class. Students are given an outline and topic and are able to construct in pairs. Routines students write their daily routines. Directions students give directions to a designated location. GAP Activities Interactive whiteboard Teachers can access interactive whiteboard activities using DET Portal, through TALE. The preceding links provide suitable simple present activities that reinforce initial concepts taught. https://portalsrvs.det.nsw.edu.au/learningobjects/Content/L10347/object/content/index.html https://portalsrvs.det.nsw.edu.au/learningobjects/Content/L10346/object/content/index.html These activities consist of short stories, followed by supporting activities to enforce the concepts being discussed. Lessons can be implemented using a combination of individual or whole class approaches. Freer practice of the aspect of language Interactive computer games- The British Council have designed this language website for K-6 students. It includes interactive games, songs, videos and short stories to assist students in developing an awareness of simple present tense. Each of these activities is supplemented with worksheets and visual arts activities. Activities can be found at the following web address: http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/category/language-focus/grammar-present-simple This website allows students to work at their own pace, requires minimal teacher direction and gives students instant feedback, all whilst learning through an enjoyable medium. There are numerous educational websites, however each should be thoroughly assessed for appropriateness, quality and curriculum standards. Board Games- The preceding websites provide printable board games. http://www.eslhq.com/worksheets/preview_worksheet.php?worksheet_id=26329 http://www.ihbangkok.com/!new/resources/present-simple-board-game.pdf Each game is supported with teacher reference notes. Each game concentrates on a different form of simple present tense. Students work together in small groups of 2 or 3. The questions in the templates can be altered, so that students are answering meaningful questions and to avoid repetition. The aforementioned activities are a small sample of activities that could be used to teach simple present tense. Multiple activities can be sourced from the internet, textbook and colleagues then manipulated and altered to suit the needs of individual students. These activities allow for both informal and formal assessment to take place and allow the teacher to continually evaluate students progress.

Lack of Morals and Ethics in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman :: Death Salesman essays

Lack of Morals and Ethics in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much of a person's personality is derived from his or her parents or the people with whom they live.   One's behaviors are a reflection of his or her up bringing.   All actions of others in one's environment have an impact in one's behaviors.   That is especially true of parent's influence on a child.   Nearly all morals and ethics are learned from parents. Sociologists have indicated that as time progresses American ethics have decayed immensely.   Parents in America have become more lax with their children, and the strictly enforced code of ethics seems to have diminished.   Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, portrays the consequences of the laxity of parents with regards to ethics through the relationship of Willy Loman and his two sons, Biff and Happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rather than having played a positive role model for his sons Willy Loman, established a poor standard of morality.   For example, when Biff was in high school he was the star of the football team.   One afternoon he stole a football from the locker room.   When Willy became cognizant of Biff's actions, Wily did not punish Biff.   Instead, he told Biff that the coach was likely to congratulate Biff for his show of initiative (29, 30). Similarly, at another point in the play Biff and Happy stole lumber from a nearby construction site.   Instead of teaching the boys a lesson in ethics Willy was proud of his sons.   In fact, he bragged about the amount of construction materials the two stole (50, 51).   Willy allowed the boys to steal, which could be considered an immoral act, worse yet, Willy's praise for their actions prohibited Biff and Happy from knowing stealing was an immoral act.   Studies have shown that at a very young age children were extremely impressionable.   Teaching the difference between right and wrong would give hope for a moral future.   In the play there was little hope for Biff and Happy because Willy continued to show poor standards of morality in a positive light.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to stealing, being dishonest also surfaces as an unethical behavior that was practiced and thus promoted by Willy Loman. Willy was a salesman who had a rocky past few months.

Narrative Techniques in Faulkner’s The Unvanquished and Barn Burning Es

Narrative Techniques in Faulkner’s The Unvanquished and Barn Burning The Unvanquished is composed of a series of stories during which Bayard Sartoris, the narrator, grows up from a twelve-year-old boy to a young man of twenty-four years. The narrative style makes it obvious that events are being related by an adult who is looking back at his past. There are several indications of this: in the very first story â€Å"Ambuscade†, the narrator, while describing his war games with his coloured friend, Ringo, states: â€Å"We were just twelve then†. (5) He tells the readers how they fantasized about the military exploits of John Sartoris, Bayard’s father, seeing them as heroic and exciting adventures. The narrator describes himself and Ringo at this stage of the novel as â€Å"the two supreme undefeated like two moths, two feathers riding above a hurricane† (7), drawing attention to the fact that while the two boys are positioned in the midst of war with all its attendant destruction and insanity, they have no understanding of it s horror. When his father first appears on the scene, the Bayard says: â€Å"He was not big, it was just the things he did†¦ that made him seem big to us† (9). Swept up in the romance of war, with the dust of battle clinging to him, John Sartoris seems to assume a larger than life persona but even as the narrator delineates his father before us, he attaches a caveat that in actuality, the Colonel was different from how he saw him as a young boy. This statement presages the mature understanding of his father’s character that Bayard develops as the novel progresses. In â€Å"The Odor of Verbena†, he has reached such clarity of vision that he can say without much difficulty that his father was a difficult man to get along with, he ac... ...an adult, his articulation of this southern code of morality is coherent and well thought out while Sarty’s reaction to his father’s incendiary behaviour is instinctive and not intellectualized. The image of the violent Southern man is evident in both stories, both boys have fathers who have participated in violence-Abner Snopes has a seething rage which finds satisfaction only through burning the property of people he hates and John Sartoris has been directly involved in the war, has a belligerent disposition and resorts to bloodshed frequently in the novel. But the difference lies in the ultimate response of the central character of each story to the southern ideals of masculinity - Bayard initially abides by but ultimately distances himself from Southern codes of honour while Sarty, being a child, is still far from finding himself at the end of â€Å"Barn Burning†.

Sadada

Heineken Netherlands B. V. : Reengineering IS/IT To Enable Customer – Oriented Supply Chain Management In June 1993, Jan Janssen, financial manager of Heineken Nether lands B. V. and the person responsible for Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT), and his IS manager, Rob Pietersen, faced the challenge of developing an IS/IT configuration that would add value to the business and support the ongoing transformation of Heineken's supply chain management system.This system was extensive, not only supplying the Dutch home market, but also providing a significant part of the supply to more than 100 export countries served by the Heineken Group. Supply chain management central to enterprise-wide transformation. Management was committed to a process-driven organization, customer service partnerships, 24-hour delivery lead time, major innovations in the transport system, and resulting changes in the way people worked. And Janssen knew that all of these-and more-requi red fundamental changes in the way this new work was to be supported by information systems and technology.Janssen was convinced that the effective management of information as well as a more appropriate IT infrastructure were critical to achieving Heineken's goals of increased flexibility, greater coordination, and a sharper focus on customer needs. In his mind, the change program initiated in 1990 in the IS/IT area had just been the beginning. Now, he and Pietersen needed to design an information systems and technology backbone that would be flexible enough to evolve with the changing business needs and adapt to continuous changes in technology.HEINEKEN NETHERLANDS B. V. Heineken Netherlands B. V. was the principal operating company responsible for operations in Heineken's home market. It also accounted for a significant part of Heineken N. V. ‘s worldwide exports. Of the 60. 4 million hectoliters' of beer produced worldwide under the supervision of the Heineken Group in 199 4, a significant portion was produced in the company's two Dutch breweries- Zoeterwoude and `s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch).Likewise, 11 percent of the Heineken Group's sales took place in the domestic market, and more than 5400 employees worked for Heineken Netherlands. Supply Chain Management The supply chain at Heineken Netherlands began with the receipt of the raw materials that went into the brewing process, and continued through packaging, distribution, and delivery. Brewing took six weeks; it began with the malt mixture of barley and ended with the filtering of the beer after fermentation.Depending on the distribution channel, the beer was then packaged in â€Å"one-way† or returnable bottles or cans of different sizes and labels, put in kegs, or delivered in bulk. The variety of outlets meant that the company had to manage differences in response time (beer for the domestic market was produced to stock, while exported beer was produced to order) and three distinct distri bution channels. While each channel consisted mainly of the same steps from the receipt of raw materials through brewing, they differed greatly in packaging and distribution.Beer could be distributed to either on-premise outlets (hotels, restaurants, and cafes, where it was delivered in kegs or poured directly into cellar beer tanks), off-premise outlets (supermarkets, grocery and liquor stores, where it was sold in a variety of bottle and package sizes for home consumption), or to export markets (export deliveries were made to order). Ongoing Transformation With key customers requesting faster response times, the development of a process-driven view of Heineken's supply chain activities became critical.The company started the transformation of its supply chain management system by creating customer-service partnerships with its largest domestic customers. The overall objective was to improve the logistics chain dramatically for these customers. In response, delivery lead times were reduced and the transport system was changed. However, the supply chain transformation was seen as a never-ending process. New Customer-Service Partnerships In these new service partnerships, Heineken was requested to reduce the time from the placement of the product order to the actual delivery.Before, this delivery lead time had been three days, but the supermarket chains wanted Heineken to supply their warehouses in the Netherlands in 24 hours. Each of the warehouses carried only 8 hours of stock at any time, so the supermarket chains depended on quick and flexible delivery to maintain low inventories and fast response times. To further enhance its close cooperation with customers, Heineken had embarked on a pilot test of a new logistics improvement called â€Å"Comakership† with Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands.Comakership was part of Albert Heijn's Efficient Customer Response project, â€Å"Today for Tomorrow. † The Albert Heijn reta il stores sent their sales information as scanning data to the computer in their central head office. There, the data for Heineken products were scanned out and separated. The beer sales information was then relayed via a standard EDI system (provided by a value-added network operator) from the central office of Albert Heijn directly to Heineken's Zoeterwoude brewery. Heineken was usually able to deliver within 18 hours.Although the pilot had been initiated in only one of Albert Heijn's distribution centers (and the set of stores it served), it had already resulted in lower lead times, decreased costs, and less complexity in the distribution system. Moving to a 24-Hour Delivery Lead Tinge As a result of these successes, top management concluded that delivery lead time could be cut to 24 hours for most domestic customers. However, it would require major shifts in the company's stock levels, distribution centers, work organization, transport system, organizational structure, and infor mation systems.The 24-hour lead time allowed for greater stock turnover and for lower stock levels in the customer distribution centers. There was, however, more interdepot traffic and higher stocks of packaging material (â€Å"returnables†) on the brewery premises (which had been located elsewhere along the supply chain). But management believed that as less total inventory was held in the system, these packaging material stocks might be reduced over time. New Transport System Until 1991, Heineken Netherlands had contracted out the transportation of its products from the two breweries to about 50 transporters.All of them used a lorry-trailer system with â€Å"dedicated† drivers-a driver and his â€Å"truck† could make an average of 2. 1 deliveries per day. To meet the 24-hour lead time, Heineken had to completely change the fleet used for transport and reduce the number of transporters from 50 to 10. Heineken then contracted 4 cabin trucks from each transporter (40 cabin trucks in total) and paid them for the use of the trailers. The ability of the driver to move from one trailer to another without waiting for unloading meant that he could make an average of 2. deliveries per day (a cost reduction of approximately G1. 5 million ). New Information Management (IM) Needs Heineken's customer-service partnership with Albert Heijn and the other changes Heineken had implemented in its supply chain activities brought new information requirements to support the more stringent delivery dictates. With the pilot testing of the Comakership logistics improvement, Heineken needed to implement systems which could manage this new transfer of information, and make appropriate modifications in work activities and organizational structure.Furthermore, the new IS/IT infrastructure needed to be flexible enough to handle and reflect individual retailer and customer beer purchasing patterns. In the context of these changes in supply chain activities, Janssen ref lected on the beginnings of the transformation of IS/IT: The transformation of IS/IT and the shifts occurring in our supply chain activities were concurrent without causality. That is very strange, but it just happened that way. I can't say to you that it is a â€Å"chicken and egg† kind of story. Of course, there was a link but not an explicit one. Somewhere in our minds, when you do one you do the other, too.Jansen knew that the relationship between information management, information systems, and information technology had to be clearly defined to have optimum support for the new approaches to value creation. Information management focused on supporting customers and creating new â€Å"bundles of goods and services. † Information systems focused on developing applications software, managing data, and supporting the new business processes. Finally, information technology related primarily to data and text services, and the underlying operating systems, interfaces, ha rdware, and networks.PHASE l: RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR CHANGE In July 1989, at the beginning of all the changes at Heineken, Janssen (then at headquarters and responsible for IS/IT worldwide) received a request for a second mainframe at Heineken Netherlands, costing G6 million (with another G6 million required in three to four years); Janssen brought in the consulting firm Nolan, Norton, Inc. to evaluate the IS/IT infrastructure, first at the corporate level and then at the operating company level for Heineken Netherlands: A proposal to purchase a second mainframe focused everybody on our IS/IT infrastructure.You have to have some kind of crisis to get people thinking. IS/IT Benchmarking Nolan, Norton, Inc. benchmarked Heineken's IS/IT cost structure against the beverage industry IS/IT average and it was clear that Heineken was indeed not competitive-the company was spending twice the money for half the functionality. â€Å"The Nolan, Norton report confirmed what a very wide group of the users thought,† Janssen commented. In response, management recommended decentralizing the data center and having each business area manage its own computing resources.At the same time, Janssen asked Heineken Netherlands, the largest operating company, to develop a new IS/IT plan based on new computer technology, â€Å"which meant looking for mid-range platforms, decentralized computing, and standard software packages, rather than developing customized programs for every new application-previously the standard practice. † Before determining an appropriate IS/IT plan, Janssen made sure that information management scans were conducted in every functional area. Managers were asked, â€Å"What do you need and how can that used to create information plans.Working with KPMG Management Consultants and Nolan, Norton, Inc. , Janssen developed a list of priorities for IS/IT and selected a new IT platform (IBM AS/400)-both were accepted in July 1990: The AS/400 became the c ore of our new IT platform for two reasons: first, we had been a client with IBM for roughly 40 years, and it was not their fault that we used their mainframes in the wrong way; second, we already knew that huge masses of application software were being written for the AS/400, as a quick scan easily confirmed.Furthermore, we were starting to think about an appropriate IT architecture and we were considering the possibility of using personal computers as peripherals linked together through local area and wide area networks. Implementation of the New IS/IT Plan Before the end of 1990, Janssen was appointed financial manager. He became the person responsible for IS/IT at Heineken Netherlands and was to oversee the implementation of the new IS/IT plan. Janssen concluded that outsourcing would play a critical role in this process: The decision to outsource was part of the plan.When we came to the conclusion that a major change was necessary, that we should look for midrange computers, th at we should go for standard software, that we should not go for dumb terminals but for personal computers as peripherals, it became clear to us that this was a big operation and we could not evolve to it. We could not manage just to keep the old systems in the air with all the problems and have enough management attention for building up the new systems. So we told the organization, â€Å"Gentlemen, we are going to outsourcers, and we are going to freeze the applications to free up management time. PHASE 3: OUTSOURCING TO DEVELOP THE NEW IS/IT INFRASTRUCTURE Outsourcing enabled the IS group to keep the â€Å"old† mainframe applications running while it developed a new IT approach-focusing on the development of its client/server distributed processing infrastructure, the appropriate new IT architecture, and the IS people and skills to achieve these new objectives. Outsourcing In 1991, after scanning the outsourcers' market, Janssen chose Electronic Data Systems (EDS), the la rgest provider of computer services in the United States.EDS provided the expertise and infrastructure required to meet Heineken's information systems and technology needs, and career possibilities for Heineken's mainframe personnel, both vital to the successful transformation of its IS/IT infrastructure. Finally, the five-year contract (with declining involvement each year) provided â€Å"guaranteed continuity† while Heineken maintained control. The plan indicated that the last mainframe program would be replaced in 1996 and the contract with EDS would end. Development of the New IT Architecture The development of the new IT architecture took place almost concurrently:We moved in two directions-one, to outsource our operational concerns, and two, to focus on our new architecture development, eventually replacing everything which was on the mainframe with standard packages on AS/400s. With the decision to downsize-to move off the mainframe platform-and to decentralize the inf ormation management and systems, Janssen chose a comprehensive client/server strategy using a combination of workstations, local and wide area networks, mid-range systems such as AS/400s, and local area servers to complete the technology architecture. (Refer to Figure 1 for Heineken’s IT architecture. â€Å"Personal computers† became â€Å"Heineken workstations† to eliminate the confusion and â€Å"mess† of having 2000 â€Å"personal† workstations-in this way, every workstation had the same setup. Furthermore, the sales force began using â€Å"Notebooks† for customer sensing and information sharing. Changing Over to Standard Packages and Developing Greater Flexibility to Serve the Business In 1993, Rob Pietersen became IS manager at Heineken Netherlands. He believed that the decentralized IS/IT operations gave more â€Å"computer power to the people,† and enabled the â€Å"user† to become the process owner.Old mainframe program s were replaced with new standard application packages that covered all the functions in the supply chain. Heineken started this â€Å"changeover† by focusing on the software applications dealing with clients: order entry, delivery, transport, invoicing, and accounts receivable. Selecting Standard Software Packages To increase flexibility and customer responsiveness, Pietersen knew that Heineken had to shift from the â€Å"waterfall approach† to the development of standard software packages: At that time in the mainframe orld, we were developing software applications using a methodology often referred to as the â€Å"waterfall. † You started with a requirements definition from the users, developed a design and the code to implement that design (getting signoffs at each point along the way). You put the code in production, tested the code, released the code into operation and then you maintained it. When you adopted the code, you went back to the users and asked them if this was what they wanted, and often they said â€Å"What? This waterfall process took 18 to 36 months or more, and by the time it was completed, the users' requirements often had changed. Pietersen began using the PILS (Project Integral Logistics) – named after the successful approach developed to select appropriate logistics software – to test and select standard software packages (refer to Figure 2). The PILS approach involved: Oidentifying appropriate software packages; Osetting the top two package vendors against one another in a â€Å"shoot-out† as in the American â€Å"Wild West†-where the specific elements of each software package were compared and contrasted;O implementing it; O evaluating its performance. For IS people, this meant moving from COBOL programming to developing a thorough knowledge of the business. Pietersen chose PRISM for the logistics area and J D Edwards for the financial area. Pietersen found that the new systems and p olicies better fit the information needs of the company: We needed more flexibility, more power, and less cost. Our current systems have scored high in each of those areas. Computer power is now where it belongs: not with the IT people, but in the hands of the people who need it. IS Group ReconfigurationOutsourcing the mainframe and mainframe applications to EDS led to a change in the configuration of the IS group as well. Contracts with employees from software houses were stopped, and many of the individuals working on the mainframe went with the mainframe systems to EDS while other staff shifted to other areas of the IS group, such as systems management. Pietersen was convinced that the competencies and capabilities of the IS group had to be expanded to align the use of IT with the evolving supply chain, rather than simply promoting IT solutions as â€Å"answers† to the company's information management â€Å"problems. Pietersen understood that this change in approach for t he IS group required not only a deeper knowledge of business processes and strategy, but also an understanding of how people used the information. Pietersen therefore transformed the IS department from units for application development, customer support, and operations (a functional structure) to teams solution, and customer-service areas-the â€Å"process owners† (a team-oriented business approach). (Refer to Figures 3 and 4 for the IS organization before and after 1993. The information management needs of the business areas were thus defined by people from both the business areas and IS. These account teams helped select standard application packages and, afterwards, adapt the business process to the software package or adapt the software package to the business process. These teams thus developed and implemented systems that gave the required support for the respective business processes and delivered information to enable a better control of the supply chain. Shrinking fr om 130 to 40 people, the IS group was now â€Å"doing what they had been doing differently. Pietersen and Janssen believed that increasing overall access to information would support management's efforts to enhance the employees' empowerment. Client/server systems also fostered teamwork and horizontal decision making. They were fast, flexible, and permitted greater communication with customers and suppliers, which resulted in improved customer service. And they promoted the development of a â€Å"process view† (focusing on total processes rather than on discrete tasks). Furthermore, the new configuration of the IS group, with its more team-oriented business approach, also promoted a spirit of greater cooperation and communication.Pietersen commented, â€Å"If we still had the mainframe, all this would not be possible. † Evaluating IS Performance In 1995, Pietersen and Janssen were still trying to determine how to measure the performance of the IS/IT department. They a greed that IS/IT needed to serve the business, and different service level Agreements were to be negotiated with the different functional areas (as shown in Figure 5): What is our business? Is it information technology? No, our business is brewing and selling premium beer of high quality.We changed our IT policy to make it clear that IT supports the business, but doesn't drive the business. We started to focus on having a beautiful bottom line rather than beautiful IT applications. IS performance then became based on the timely and successful completion of projects. The most important measure was the improvement of the business process for which a system or service was meant. In the future, Pietersen and Janssen would be trying to develop criteria to measure the impact of an IS project on improving overall business performance.INFORMATION ASSETS IN THE BUSINESS Executive Information Systems (EIS) By 1995, Heineken's operational supply chain system-from supplier to end customer-was i n its final phase, and the company had begun to add the decision support element. Decision-support or executive information systems would make it possible for managers to express their information requirements directly. Pietersen hoped that their ease of use would encourage managers to analyze past performance in greater depth and enable them to simulate the possible consequences of proposed actions more accurately.When it came to selecting the appropriate software, Pietersen had chosen EIS Express: I call it the technical infrastructure; the basic logical infrastructure of all these systems is in place, and now we come to enabling real improvement, not just the EDI links we have with our retailers, but also such things as installing executive information systems (EIS) to give our management team the control instruments they need to navigate us through the more turbulent business environments we will face in the coming years.The executive information systems gather their data from t he data warehouses of the different business systems in all areas and can show this easily through different (graphical) viewpoints. One of Janssen and Pietersen's goals for the use of executive information systems was to have unity in the data. Janssen explained: Having unity in our data is crucial. Only a few years ago we discovered some departments were using different unit volumes than we were. And that just should not happen in any organization. Better Planning ToolsA key part of the IS/IT strategy was to develop an integrated set of systems to plan and control the overall supply chain, both in the short run (bottle-line scheduling and daily operations) and over a longer horizon (sales forecasts and long-term operations research). The aim was faster and more flexible control of supply chain activities. Jan Janssen elaborated: What we are working toward is a coherent and consistent set of planning and scheduling tools which are more or less compatible and interconnectible so tha t you can build up or build down the basic data.Our goal is to be able to model business processes and to have the data, like sales forecasts, to support our decisions about capacity, bottling lines, and stocks. We want to be in a position where, if you have to make a decision, you can run simulations based on actual data. The concept of supply chain management ultimately served as the driver for to optimize the supply chain activities as well as to ensure better information management. (Refer to Figure 6 for Heineken's information systems. )Janssen and Pietersen had put in place information systems to collect and integrate information on Heineken's â€Å"on-premise† customer activity. Information on each hotel, restaurant, and cafe/pub that Heineken Netherlands had contact with (as owner, financing agent, or product supplier) was included in these systems. In this way, Heineken Netherlands was able to provide the relevant sales force with an integrated view of their customer s (large or small) as well as with information on competitors catering to the same establishments, beer sold, and contract terms. Janssen elaborated:We are thinking about what the â€Å"next stage of the rocket† will be. We have defined the baseline and are looking at workflow, EDI and planning information systems-how should these planning systems interrelate? We are in the process of defining the next phase of the vision for Heineken as a business in the Netherlands and for the IS/IT fit to that. The current debate is just how far to go. This case is a condensed version of Heineken Netherlands B. V. A&B. It was prepared by Research Associate Kimberly A. Bechler under the supervision of Professors Donald A. Marchand and Thomas E.Vollmann, as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a business situation. The names of the Heineken managers involved have been disguised. It was developed within the research scope of Manufa cturing 2000, a research and development project conducted with global manufacturing enterprises. The authors wish to acknowledge the generous assistance of Heineken management, especially IS manager Gert Bolderman. Copyright @ 1996 by IMD- Institute for Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland. Not to be used or reproduced without written permission directly from IMD.CASE STUDY QUESTIONS 1. Analyze Heineken Netherlands using the value chain and competitive forces models. Why did the company feel it needed to transform its supply chain? 2. Analyze all the elements of the new IT infrastructure that Heineken selected for its new business processes. Were Heineken's technology choices appropriate? Why or why not? 3. What management, organization, and technology issues had to be addressed when Heineken Netherlands reengineering its supply chain? ‘Hectolitre = 22 Imperial gallons = 26. 418 U. S. gallons; Heineken 1994 Annual Report. 21000 Guilders (G) = approximately ? 368 = U. S. $575 (at December 31,