Christian Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Christian Ethics - Essay Example (MacIntyre 1981, 169-89) In his usage, practices are socially established activities that lead those who participate in them to appreciate certain things as goods and to internalize standards f excellence in achieving them. Practices are done for their own sake, such as friendship, not for additional ends, such as practicing free throws in basketball. Martha Nussbaum recommends the engaged reading f literature as a practice that expands moral perception and empathy. This skill is a necessary component f humanistic education, even for lawyers and scientists. (Nussbaum 1997, 85-112) Diana Fritz Cates argues that the practice f committed friendship trains desires and moral vision in the virtue f compassion. The willingness to engage others, even strangers, in their suffering gains added meaning as a practice within a Christian frame f reference. Maria Antonaccio describes recent attention to "practices" as conscious efforts at moral formation. (Antoncaccio 1998, 69-92) She distinguishes between an "existential" model f askesis advocated by Pierre Hadot's study f Stoic sources, a "therapeutic" model in Nussbaum, and an "aesthetic" approach in Michel Foucault. Antonaccio doubts that these attempts to ground moral development in practical exercises can succeed while their authors refuse to consider a normative theory f human nature and moral ideals. Although theories f human nature or development are unpopular in an era that stresses particularity and pluralism, she writes that "some form f theoretical reflection is necessary in order to judge what form f therapy' human beings need, and to assess critically the processes f formation already underway." Some writings on practices use a faith tradition to specify a normative view f human nature that guides moral and spiritual development. Spiritual practices are being recognized as central to Christian moral formation. Dorothy C. Bass edited a collection f essays on 12 central Christian practices, such as hospitality, keeping Sabbath, and forgiveness, that shape the mind and heart in the Christian way f life. With Craig Dykstra she writes that "when we see some f our ordinary activities as Christian practices, we come to perceive how our daily lives are all tangled up with the things God is doing in the world." Catherine M. Wallace analyzes the virtue f fidelity as a constitutive element f the practice f marriage. Fidelity has more than instrumental value in keeping a marriage intact; more importantly, it does something to the spouses by training their desires and reshaping their identities over time. (Kotva 1997, 272-90) From the perspective f evangelical Christianity, Brad J. Kallenberg writes: "Christianity cannot be explained or understood without reference to a distinctive cluster f practices. In order to participate in the tradition called Christianity one must necessarily participate in these practices." (Kallenberg 1997, 7-29) He highlights certain practices f community moral formation: witness, worship, works f mercy, discernment, and discipleship. Reinhard Hutter points out that Luther redefined the marks f the Church to be practices. There is an

Woman in Gothic Art Essay Example for Free

Woman in Gothic Art Essay When I look at the painting of an anonymous gothic woman created by a yet anonymous artist, the most prominent emotion that I feel is wonder. I think about the peculiar way that the woman is dressed and the facial features that her painter had given her. I know of current gothic art and gothic apparel yet these do not seem to match this particular painting. I believe that the artist wants to tell me something about the woman; it could be her attitude, her position in society, and some other things that were the norm during the times that the painting was drawn. It could be that the artist drew the perception of the woman during a particular point in time for a particular society. That is the primary area that I would like to investigate. I would like to discover what can be drawn from the painting that could be attributed to gothic literature, history, or art that existed during the era when the painting was supposedly created.

China and the Central African Republic

China and the Central African Republic I-Introduction Central African Republic is a landlocked country bordered in the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, in the north by Chad, Sudan in the east and Cameroon in the west. It gained its independence in August 13th 1960 and Bangui is the capital. The two official languages are French and Sango. Francois is Yangonvouda-Bozize current the President took the power during a coup in March 2003 [The Economist US (2005)]. Since its independence, the Central African Republic has been destabilized and further impoverished due to a cycle of political-military uprisings and violence [HAC, (2011); UNICEF, (2008); The Economist, (2008)]. Constitutional order was restored in 2005[UNICEF, (2008)]; however, the overall situation until now in the country remains volatile, marked by tensions among and within political parties, a precarious socio-economic situation, deteriorating humanitarian conditions and insecurity in the north of the country due to activities of rebel and criminal groups [UNICEF, (2008)]. The United Nations implemented a Peace-building Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA), in an attempt to promote peace and stability in the country and reduce cross-border insecurity [UNICEF, (2008)]; This was carried out to encourage national dialogue and reconciliation and furthermore to help the Central African Republic enact military reforms, implement human rights policies, train civilian police, and disarm, demobilize and reintegrate former fighters. Besides that, the CAR is surrounded by countries like Chad, Sudan and DRC, which have been destabilized for a long time by civil wars. These lead many refugees to seek for shelter in CAR [The Economist, (2005)].All those characteristics create a volatile political situation and an uncertain climate for foreign investment. The CAR is blessed with many natural resources such as diamonds, timber, uranium, oil, iron, gold and hydropower [Africa.com, (2008)].However, it is still rated among the poorest countries in the world. Its economy is disadvantaged due to its landlocked position, which isolates it from foreign suppliers and markets and contributes to high import prices. It has the potential to become a major agricultural product exporter. It also has hydroelectric potential that could be developed for export to neighboring countries that have power shortages. The relations between China and the CAR have evolved saw tooth since the early 60s. On several occasions, the CAR broke and re-established its ties with the People Republic of China. Since the arrival in power of President Bozize, it seems that the CAR and China are enjoying steady and smooth relations. Yet the country is still facing to challenges regarding to its socio-economic situation. Nothing is so much said nor written about China and the Central African Republic. What is really going on between the two countries? China has invested in it, especially in terms of infrastructure. Does the government gain from it? What about the population? Is CAR really benefited from that relation? In what extent China can help the CAR to come out from the cycle of poverty? II-Central African Republic (C.A.R): 2.1Facts and figures According to the United Nations Human Development Index, the CAR now ranks 172 out of 177 least developed countries in the world [UNDP,(2006)]. Two-thirds of the population live under the line of poverty, less than half are literate, and the average life expectancy hovers around 40 years, resulting in a very young population with almost fifty percent under the age of 18, and only four percent aged 60 and over[UNDP, (2006)]. The CAR is really affected by AIDS that is why the life expectancy is constantly falling and dropped below 40 according to the UNDP Report on Human Development 2006. Per capita income is USD 456. POPULATION 4,422,000 SIZE 622,984 km ² CAPITAL CITY Bangui LANGUAGES French and Sango (officials languages);TRIBAL LANGUAGES LARGEST CITIES Bangui and Bimbo RELIGION 35% Tribal beliefs, 25% Protestant, 25% Catholic, 15% Muslim MONETARY UNIT Franc NATURAL RESOURCES Diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, hydropower AGRICULTURE Cotton, coffee, tobacco, cassava, yams, millet, corn, banana; timber EXPORT COMMODITIES diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco IMPORT COMMODITIES food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals INDUSTRY Gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles 2.2 Political and economic situations The CAR is blessed with natural resources to use and develop in order to come out of its cycle of poverty. However, three decades of mismanagement, from the 60s when it gained its independence until 1993 which seen the organization democratic elections for the first time, most of the time under military rule and one decade of chronic unrest and political fights (1993- 2003) led the country to bankruptcy [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. Francois Bozize gained the power in March 2003 by a coup and overthrown Ange-Felix Patasse [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. Due to the chronic instability since 10 years this makes very difficult for CARs governments to follow-up a long term economic development strategy that is why the country is currently facing a lack of modern transportation network which represents the chokepoint for the development of its economy. For instance, the length to reach Bangui the capital city is about 12 to 14 days of river transportation [CAR, (2009)]. Why is CARs economy always under threat of strangulation? Geographically, the CAR is trapped in an unstable triangle and surrounded by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Chad that which are destroyed by many years of civil wars [IMF, (2010); The Economist, (2008); UNHCR, (2000)]. Furthermore, shipment arrivals are often delayed or canceled because of rebels attacks [HAC, (2011)] that are causing so much trouble in the region. The nation of CAR is principally agrarian [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. In 2003, agriculture accounted for 60.8% of the countrys GDP [UNCTAD, (2005)]; crops primarily including cotton, food crops such as cassava, yams, bananas, maize; coffee and tobacco. In 2004, the agricultural labour force accounted for 69% [UNCTAD, (2005)]. The population of CAR is engaged in subsistence farming with 56% attributed to the agricultural sector in 2006. In 2002, timber accounted for about 30% of export earnings. The CAR is blessed with a huge unexploited natural resources in the form of uranium, gold, diamonds and others minerals [Investment Climate Report, (1995)]. In 2010, its main exports were diamonds, cotton, timber, coffee and tobacco. Diamonds are the main natural resources being currently developed [Investment Climate Report, (1995)]: in 2002, the CAR was able to export 50% of its diamonds earnings [Crisis Group Africa, (2010)]. In 2003 and 2006, industry contributed for respectively 24.9% and 15% for the latter of the countrys GDP; breweries, diamond mining and sawmill represent the bulk of the sector. Due to the oversized government bureaucracy and its landlocked position, services accounted only for 29% of GDP in 2006. The same year, its main importer of goods was France and represented for 17.6% and they mainly exports goods toward Belgium (40.4%) [Investment Climate Report, (1995); UNCTD. (2005)]. In 2000, the percentage of population with access to electricity accounted for 5% only [UNCTAD, (2005)]. The CAR really lack of electricity supply. The main and only hydroelectric plants are based in Boali. Mostly, fuel supplies are transported in via the Ubangui River or trucked through Cameroon, resulting in frequent shortages of gasoline, jet fuel and diesel. The countrys transportation and communication network is limited; it does not possess a railroad, however it has only 650 kilometers of paved road. It does not possess any domestic air service, except charters, so very limited internationally. Furthermore, commercial traffic on the Ubangui River is very rough even impossible from December to May or June, due to ongoing conflicts in the region that sometimes prevented shipments from moving between Kinshasa (capital of DRC) and Bangui. The telephone system functions, albeit imperfectly. The CAR possesses only one television station that has been built since the independence, an d four radio stationsare currently operating in the country. Numerous newspapers and pamphlets are published on a regular basis, and at least one company has begun providing Internet service. In terms of economic, the C.A.R. has made slow progress; its budget and external trade are deficiency due to many constraints like the poor infrastructure that it is facing, economic mismanagement and scarce private investment, as well as a limited tax base and adverse external conditions have led the country to a desperate situation. Its debt burden is considerable, as well as its per capita gross national product (GNP). The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have implemented some structural and interest-free credits as well to support investments in the agriculture, livestock, and transportation sectors, unfortunately these have had limited impact. The World Bank and IMF are now encouraging the government to concentrate exclusively on implementing much-needed economic reforms to jumpstart the economy and defining its fundamental priorities with the aim of alleviating poverty. As a result, many of the state-owned business entities have been privatized and limited e fforts have been made to standardize and simplify labor and investment codes and to address problems of corruption. The C.A.R. Government has adopted the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) Charter of Investment, and is in the process of adopting a new labor code. Furthermore the CAR received debt relief in June 2009 by the World Bank and the IMF [IMF, (2010)].It reached the final completion-point stage of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative [IMF, (2010)]. Since its independence, the CAR has been unstable and endured several coups; David Dacko ended the Bokassa era in a coup in 1979 [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. David Dacko was overthrown by a coup led by the General Andre Kolingba two years later. For the first time, he allowed multi-party presidential elections in 1993 and was defeated in the first round by his successor Ange-Felix Patasse. However, 1997 the discontent of unpaid soldiers resulted in a successive wave of strikes and uprisings from the latter [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. . The same year the French troop pulled out and Paris financed a group of French-speaking African countries to create a peacekeeping force. This leads to the creation of the UN Mission to the Central African Republic, or Minurca [International Crisis Group, (2008)]. In 1999 Ange-Felix Patasse won the elections a second time however there were allegations of electoral fraud. He went into exile in Togo after being overthrown in a coup in 2003 by General Bozize the current president of the CAR. The legacy of years of unrest has generated an illegal weapons proliferation across the CAR. Rebels armed groups are active in the volatile north. The unrest has displaced tens of thousands of Central Africans; many of them have crossed the border into Chad. Under Bozize era, some progress towards ending the conflict was made in 2008, when peace talks led to an agreement committing two of the main rebel groups to disarm [IMF,(2010)]. The process culminated with the creation of a national unity government incorporating two rebel leaders in early 2009. 2.3 A Modest recovery Since 2004 the Central African Republic has been able to achieve a modest economic growth [IMF, (2010)]; firstly, it gained full debt relief from the IMF and the World Bank in June 2009. Secondly it concluded a current Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility programme in June 2010. This successfully led to the achievement of a three-year programme with the IMF especially after the success of the Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance Programs. Furthermore, the CARs government implemented a macroeconomic management policies and necessary structural reforms that led to a modest recovery from the economic shock in 2009. The government worked hard to further strengthen the credibility of public financial management, enhance public infrastructure, and intensify foreign donors and the private sector investment climate [US department, (2010)] as well. Since President Bozize leads the CAR some encouraging result has been noticed by the Internationals institutions like IMF or World Bank. The CARs government understood that it was its priority to restore security and peace in the country. The government established what it called the â€Å"inclusive political dialogue† that gathered the political opposition and the government together to seek for security and peace for the country. That initiative was successful in the extent that it was part of the demobilization, the disarmament and reintegration program which led to the smooth conduct of the elections in 2010 [IMF, (2010)]. In terms of building infrastructure and climate investment the CARs government has a lot to do in order to unlock the countrys economic situation. The government has no other choice than on the one hand relying on foreign partners and on the other hand must engage coherent and filmy policies over the long term to come out of its cycle of poverty [IMF, (2010)]. III- Chinese engagement with the CAR 3.1- The political relations AT many occasions the CAR cut off and resumed its diplomatic relations with the PRC and Taiwan. The diplomatic ties between China and the Central African Republic experienced ups and downs: In 1962, the CAR recognized Taiwan as part of Chinas territory and established for the first time diplomatic ties with the island. Two years later, it broke off its diplomatic link with Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with China. The CAR resumed diplomatic ties Taiwan third times. Leaders of both side exchanged high levelcontacts. These underline the importance a state attaches to its relations with another. 3.2 Trade and Economic Relations In November 2000, China and Central Africa Republic signed an agreement on trade, economic and technical cooperation [Chinese Foreign Ministry, (2006)]. In August 2004, both countries signed a bilateral cooperation agreement in fields such as energy, infrastructure and agriculture[Holslag, (2006)]. Today, China is an important commercial partner for the CAR.In 2002, trade volume between both nations accounted for US$ 1.944 million with US$ 0.687 stemming from Chinas export and US$ 1.257 million from the Chinas import. The CAR mainly exports timber and cotton to China and imports principally footwear, textiles and electrical and mechanical products from China [Chinese Foreign Ministry, (2006)]. China has been an active investor in the Central African Republic, especially in construction, and has been involved in a number of joint cooperative ventures with the government, covering health, agriculture, stock-breeding, communications and trade .It undertook numerous projects in CAR and built for instance the Boali agricultural technological station, a training center for straw-bamboo weaving handcrafts, the new stadium, a clinic in the presidential house, the Bangui hospital and agricultural project, the extension work of the Pingpo Radio Transmitting Station, etc[Chinese Foreign Ministry, (2006)]. During his visit in China in 2009, President Francois Bozize called on China to invest in its country 3.3 Exchanges in other fields After signing a joint communiquà © in August 20th, China and the CAR signed in November 1976 an agreement on sending Chinese medical teams to Central Africa Republic. In June 1980 both countries signed an agreement on cultural cooperation and renewed it in June 1998 look for the number of students in China. Since 1997, China has begun to accept Central African students for study and on the job training. Today both parties acknowledge the necessity for the CAR to enhance its self-development ability as well as its local Human Resources training IV- China- CAR: Why the slow progress? One wonders what is happening in Central African Republic as the country is blessed with natural resources but still ranking as one the poorest in the world. International news portrays it as a â€Å"phantom state† [African report, (2007)]. Since the resuming of bilateral cooperation with China in 1998, the relation is experiencing smoothly and slowly evolution. In 2009, during a high level visit to China President Francois Bozize spoke to his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao and expressly called for Chinese investment in its country [BBC, (2009); AFP, (2009); China consulate, (2011)]. China is now an important economic partner for the CAR [BBC, (2009)]. However in an article published in 2009, the BBC wrote that the â€Å"CAR is a much less valuable economic partner to China†. Considering that statement one wonders whether China really considers the CAR as a less valuable partner. How the Chinese governments perceive the CAR? How does the CAR perceive the Chinese involvement in the country? The CARs government welcomes the Chinese aid in spite the political instability in the country, especially in the north [African Report, (2007)].However, China doesnt deter to invest in it by building the new 20.000 seats-stadium, schools, hospitals, etc. Regarding to that assistance, can it be stated that the CAR is â€Å"a much less valuable† for China? The CARs situation is peculiar and really needs from the scholars, journalist, central African leaders, the civil society, all the stakeholders as well, further attention.

Essay --

She climbed into the car and slowly slid the key into the ignition. After placing the car in reverse and backing out of the poorly placed parking spot, she realized she had no idea where she could possibly go. She slammed the car into park and stared at the concrete wall in front of her. An underground parking garage, she thought, how suiting†¦how long could I sit here before this place is considered a cemetery? She sat there contemplating the last six months, and everything that had led her to this tomb-like cement cell. She thought of her husband, or rather the man she married. She remembered how kind he used to be. She had met Vincent in her junior year of college at Yale. He was smart, funny, handsome, and genuinely interested in her – everything that, at the time, she believed a man should be. Over the years he stopped being all of those things. He became pushy, while simultaneously paying her no attention. Luncheons, book clubs, gossip; she had quickly become so accustomed to these mundane things. She almost laughed remembering how boring her life had been before she met her. She was jolted from her daydreams of the past by a rapping at her window. Serena†¦ â€Å"Please Ana come back. I’m so sorry you saw that just please come back. It wasn’t what it looked like I swear!† Serena begged. Ana had never seen Serena this distressed looking, nor did she care. She gave her a solemn glance before she placed the car calmly into reverse and backed out of the parking space, ignoring the woman banging on the hood, begging her not to leave. She then drove up, out of the garage, and away from her tomb. She had no idea where she was going, but hell, anywhere was better than that place. The sunlight struck her hard ... ...ts. Serena covered herself with a nearby robe and ran toward her, but she couldn’t hear anything but her own heartbeat in her ears. She had been paralyzed by what she saw. She could feel the hole begin to rip in her chest as she turned to run back down the steep stairs to the parking garage. She couldn’t tell if anyone was following her or not. I’ve got to get out of here, she thought, anywhere but here. She opened her eyes and looked into the window of the diner, and she finally decided that she needed coffee. As she walked to the bar seat, a small and bouncy redhead came out of the kitchen and greeted her. â€Å"Hey there! My name is Angela.† she said with a warm smile. â€Å"You look like you could use some coffee. And on a night as dead as this, I could use some company.† What a beautiful smile, Ana thought, this could be the start of something beautiful.

Case Study on Euthanasia: Elderly cancer patient

In most evangelical Christian opinions, in cases where patients are terminally ill, death appears imminent and treatment offers no medical hope for a cure, it could be argued that it is morally appropriate to request the withdrawal of life-support systems, allowing natural death to occur. In such cases, every effort should be made to keep the patient free of pain and suffering, with emotional and spiritual support being provided until the patient dies.But in this case where the cancer patient seems to still have a chance, although quite small, it is critical that we not only understand what is going on in the world around us but that we also understand what the Bible clearly teaches about, life, death, pain, suffering, and the value of each human life. First, the Bible teaches that we are made in the image of God and therefore, every human life is sacred (Genesis 1:26). In Psalm 139:13-16 we learn that each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. God himself has knit us together in our mother's womb.We must be very important to Him if He has taken such care to bring us into existence. Second, the Bible is very clear that God is sovereign over life, death and judgement. In Deuteronomy 32:39 The Lord says, â€Å"See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me, I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand. † Psalm 139:16 says that it is God who has ordained all of our days before there is even one of them. Paul says essentially the same thing in Ephesians 1:11. Third, God's purposes are beyond our understanding.We often appeal to God as to why some tragedy has happened to us or someone we know. Yet listen to Job's reply to the Lord in Job 42:1-3: I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. [You asked,] ‘Who is this that obscures My counsel without knowledge? ‘ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,things too wonderful for me to know. We forget that our minds are finite and His is infinite. We cannot always expect to understand all of what God is about. To think that we can step in and declare that someone's life is no longer worth living is simply not our decision to make.Only God knows when it is time. In Isaiah 55:8-9 the Lord declares, â€Å"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. † Fourth, our bodies belong to God anyway. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:15,19 that we are members of Christ's body and that we have been bought with a price. Therefore we should glorify God with our bodies. Lastly, suffering draws us closer to God.In light of the euthanasia controversy, listen to Paul's words from 2 Corinthians 1:8 We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. Joni Earickson Tada's book ‘When is it Right to Die? ’ (Zondervan, 1992) shows her testimony and clear thinking is in stark contrast to the conventional wisdom of the world today. Being a Christian and having pro-life sympathies, I believe this Christian daughter should take the same wisdom and proceed with dialysis.

Many newspapers and magazines feature stories about the private lives

Many newspapers and magazines feature stories about the private lives of famous people. We know what they eat,where they buy their clothes and who they love. We also often see pictures of them in private situations. Is it appropriate for a magazine or newspaper to give this kind of private information about people? Give reasons for your answers. Everybody is interested to read the newspaper daily and also they used to read weekly or monthly magazine. Most of the people without fail used to read newspaper .People intention to read news paper to know about current affair and future development but the news paper and magazine are giving celebrities and famous person’ personal life instead of giving relevant news. In my opinion people hate this kind of inappropriate news. The news paper and magazine are publishing others personal life because of business. in fact people is not interested to know about others life. some people is interested to read about sports,science,business and politics.Moreover news paper and magazine should find relevant news for our society then only people like to read the news paper otherwise the ratio of buying newspaper will declined over period of time. The news reporter s are always seeing the news about celebrities personal life or their personal picture, which is not help our society, it may impact their business in their future. in addition the celebrities and famous people should not allow their personal life and should not discuss with media because it is not useful for people.Instead of going personal life,Reporters will collect the information like† How there are achieved their life and what is the secret of success† so this kind of things will help for our society. To sum up, The news paper and magazine should give good article, find out new information, which will help them to enhance the people knowledge and also the business will grow up. As far as my concern, may be people look at the news paper for others privacy but not interested to read anyone.

How to Write a Capturing Introduction for a Literary Analysis Paper

How to Write a Capturing Introduction for a Literary Analysis Paper How to Write a Capturing Introduction for a Literary Analysis Paper If you are writing a literary analysis essay it is very important that you find a way to grab your reader’s attention right from the beginning. You want to draw a reader in so that they are eager to find out what you have to say about a particular literary piece. You also want to make sure that your opening paragraph is: well-organized; gives your reader a clear indication of what your thesis or idea is; written in such a way that there is a logical progression of ideas from one sentence to the next. You may be asking yourself how you can fit all of these things into one paragraph without making it â€Å"stuffed†. Here are some tips that you can use to help you. Keep in Mind What You Are Writing and What You Are Writing about This sounds easy but it is one rule that many essayists tend to forget about. You want to keep in mind that a literary analysis paper is specifically designed to look at a particular piece of writing. Your goal, as an author, is to come up with a definitive idea regarding a piece of literature and express that idea or conclusion to your reader. It doesn’t have to be boring, and it doesn’t have to be rigid or inflexible but it does have to have a specific idea or thesis and utilize examples and information from the piece itself to support your arguments. You also need to keep the tone professional rather than conversational. An essay is more of a formal style of writing and the language you use should reflect that. Once you have figured out what you want to write about, it is time to write your opening paragraph. Remember That Your Opening Line Must Be the Most Critical Your opening line is perhaps the most critical part of your essay because it is what makes your reader want to continue. Think about it like a headline for a news article. Some headlines and opening lines immediately make you want to read more. They build excitement for the reader. Others may be more passive or less entertaining. You want to be sure that when you write, your opening sentence falls into the first category. To achieve this goal, you may want to use one of the following opening variants: A passage from the piece you are writing about; A relevant quote from someone famous. This can either be directly related to the piece or illustrate your thesis about the piece; A question that may provoke thought or emotion in your reader. From there you can continue and outline what your thesis is. Keep in mind that the arguments you will be making to illustrate your point will come later in the essay itself and do not need to be mentioned in the opening paragraph. If you structure it properly you may find that your opening paragraph flows well and feels neither rushed nor overloaded. Avoid Unnecessary Words and Phrases Of course, it is important to know what not to do when writing your essay’s opening paragraph. This is the time when language is especially important. A good opening paragraph will have language that is very precise and which can create a clear impression of what you are trying to say. Therefore, you must avoid the number of unnecessary words that do not support or illustrate your point and that may cause vague impression in the reader. It is also important to place your thesis statement in the proper position in your opening paragraph. Placing it at the end of the introductory paragraph will help ensure that your reader recognizes it for what it is: the central, unifying idea that will pull your custom written essay  together.

Will the availability of the Internet as a marketing channel for competitors quickly erode Dells competitive advantage Essays

Will the availability of the Internet as a marketing channel for competitors quickly erode Dells competitive advantage Essays Will the availability of the Internet as a marketing channel for competitors quickly erode Dells competitive advantage Paper Will the availability of the Internet as a marketing channel for competitors quickly erode Dells competitive advantage Paper Essay Topic: Quick Riding with the technology wave, many firms invested in the internet and related technologies in an attempt to try to gain competitive advantage over rivals by being the first to offer their products or services online. Many firms although have found serious problems with pursuing this. The profitability of the industry was often undermined as companies competed on price in order to try to build up their market share. Many firms also saw the development of internet capabilities as a separate strategy and not an integrated part of the firms strategy, often resulting in failure of its online operations. Over the last years Dell, as a company, has proved that the increase in product variety offers the possibility of customisation, when this is combined with modern production techniques, using the internet to take customised orders, it can prove to be a very serious competitive advantage, for the company that cannot erode easily. The sales numbers for Dells web-site are enormous, at March 1997 Dell was selling $1 million per day through the web-site and by March 1998 this number doubled to $2 million sales per day, but while much of the internet market is untapped there is still potential for this number to grow even more. Dell has created a very important advantage over their competitors because the direct to customers business model enables the company to be extremely responsive to any problem they might have to face at any point of time. Another important aspect for Dell is the service they offer, as they have created an excellent service capability based on the Dell Vision which states that a customer must have a quality experience and must be pleased, not just satisfied and further on this gives them an even larger advantage over their competitors as they have created a very strong relationship between the company and their most profitable customers. The monetizing concept argues that online businesses must first capture large audiences of users or shoppers, and then later monetize those audiences through subscription fees, advertising and e-commerce (Rayport 1999). Following from the above, it is obvious that Dell has an advantage over any new company that enters the market, as new entries will have to attract large number of customers first and then be able to play an important role in the market, while Dell already has captured a very large and also satisfied and dedicated audience. There is also a widely held belief that once a customer starts working with a vendor, it is much easier to keep that customer than it is to bring in new customers. So if you can build brand loyalty for a web-site early, it gives you an advantage over other vendors who try to enter the market later. Dell implemented its web-site very early and that presumably also gives them an advantage over the competition. Further on the internet can be a very useful tool for other companies that already trade in the pc market. At this point it is useful to mention Dells main competitors in the market, which are IBM, Apple, Wall-Mart, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard-Compaq and also many small local manufacturers in every region separately but there is no reason to probe on each one separately as each company follows their own strategy and different to Dells strategy, in order to gain larger market share and it is not fair to compare. The following points summarize Dell Computers marketing strategy for product and place, their target market and differentiations from competitors: Product Primary focus is built-to-order servers, storage, and personal computers * Secondary focus is computer peripherals, handheld devices, computer accessories and software Place * Internet * Primary approach is direct to customer * Secondary approach is indirect, utilizing channel partners * No physical location for consumers to shop * Considered a click and click company Target * Primary target audience has been large companies, education and government agencies * Secondary target is the consumer * Recent shift to larger focus on consumer market with the Dell Dude campaign Consumer psychographic targets emphasize workers, seekers, pioneers and surfers Differentiations * Internet only, click and click company * Focus on customer service from end to end * Built-to-order computer products rather than pre-packaged * Offers user empowerment in ordering product Dell Computers is an excellent example of a manufacturer that has successfully used the Internet to manage many of the channe l activities and it is difficult for any other company to achieve the establishment that Dell has achieved. Dell has resulted positive brand recognition by consistently building and servicing its low-cost, customized computers to customers. It fosters brand loyalty by continually providing superior customer service and technical support along with continuously incorporating the latest technology in its products. Dell has achieved market focus and competitive advantage by assembling purchased components from suppliers, thereby becoming one of the most successful companies in the global computer systems industry, as it must be noticed that in 2000 it was the No. 1 computer company in the United States and No. world-wide. Dells potential for continued growth is enormous and at the same time the possibility to erode is minimised, because of its capability of providing up-to-the-minute pc technology customized for and sold directly to individual customers. The internet as a marketing channel can become a very strong advantage for any company, although at the same time Dell has been able to buil d up a very strong competitive advantage for the company, something that makes it very difficult for any other company in the pc market to compete and attract customers from Dell.

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder was previously known as manic depression as it causes moods to shift between mania and depression. It may also be classified as a biological brain disorder causing severe fluctuations in mood, energy, thinking and behaviour. This disorder results in frequent anxiety and low frustration level in the young people (CABF 2007). Depression, in this situation, means a situation where you feel very low while mania would refer to a situation where you feel very high (NHS 2009). Sometimes, symptoms of mania and depression can also occur simultaneously (CABF 2007). These episodes can last for several weeks or longer. â€Å"The high and low phases of the illness are often so extreme that they interfere with everyday life† (NHS 2009). In bipolar disorder, the depression phase often comes first. One can be diagnosed with clinical depression before having a manic episode. The manic episodes usually take place after some time, after which the diagnosis might change. These e pisodes of depression may lead to overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, which often lead to thoughts of suicide. The manic phase may make you feel very creative and view mania as a positive experience. This is the time when you may also have symptoms of psychosis. During this phase you may feel very happy and have lots of ambitions, plans and ideas. Lack of sleep and appetite are other also common characteristics of bipolar disorder (NHS 2009). â€Å"People with bipolar disorder fluctuate between intense depression and mania, interspersed by periods of relative calm† (Macnair 2008). The causes of bipolar disorder aren’t completely known, but are often hereditary. A cluster of factors both genetic and environmental, such as personal traumas or stress, can highly influence systems. The initial manic or depressive episodes of bipolar disorder usually take place early in the teenage years or early adulthood (Macnair 2008) At least half of all cases start before age 25 (K essler et al., 2005). The symptoms of the disorder can be fairly subtle and may result in being overlooked or misdiagnosed. This could result in unnecessary suffering while on the other hand, with proper treatment and support; a fulfilling life can be lived (Macnair 2008). In severe forms of mania, there are chances of a person becoming psychotic, with delusions. There is a conflict in perception and reality and there may be hallucinations and delusional beliefs about being persecuted. In some of the worst cases, people in mania become unintelligible and neglect themselves. The symptoms have varying patterns, frequencies and order. While in some case, where symptoms of mania are followed by symptoms of depression in a predictable pattern, some people have mixed symptoms – it’s possible to have many of the symptoms of mania and also suffer from severely depressive thoughts (Bhugra and Flick, 2005). Although there’s no cure for bipolar disorder, many people find t hat an understanding of their illness and what triggers episodes can help them live a relatively normal life Macnair 2008). Patients could monitor their moods and thoughts and ask someone they trust to help them cope with the disorder. But, sometimes some people have extreme mood swings that can’t be managed by monitoring alone. There may be a need for antidepressants, antipsychotic medication, drug lithium, which seem to stabilise mood swings. High level of lithium in blood can be poisonous while too little will have no effect. So, its important to be seen regularly by the mental health team and have the blood levels checked (Smith et al., 2009).

Business Sustainability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Sustainability - Assignment Example The three factors work together with the aim of creating an excellent working environment and exciting experience (Edi.com). The factors also enable an organization to work through the day to day challenges that the business faces. As a result, the team achieves its goals and objectives. Therefore, this creates a possibility for growth and expansion. The factors that influence the social environment of a business include job satisfaction, teamwork, leadership and customers among other factors. Teamwork revolves around the cooperation of employees in the workplace. The interaction of individuals tends to create a suitable working environment for the business. The science of working together as a team results in the reduction of competition among individuals. Information sharing takes place, and the benefits employees of each and every person considered (Global market analysis). The benefits result from sharing ideas and information, and this boosts the morale of workers. Good managers always ensure that the employees work together as a team. They carry out particular programs that make teamwork motivate employees. The conducive working environment created as a result of partnership increases the reputation of the enterprise (Ananthan). The culture of a company encompasses on a lot. In most companies, culture mainly relates to how managers treat and relate to their employees (Trompenaar). The culture of any given society dictates how the employees and the customers get treated. Companies that punish their employees more than the way in which they reward them create fear among the employees. The workers lack the morale of working. The way in which a customer gets treated speaks a lot for the organization. The customers are great assets in the body, and excellent treatment of the customers improves the reputation of the business. The culture of a group that emphasizes more on rewarding and treating the employees well enhances the relationship

Conflicting Situation at Work Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conflicting Situation at Work - Term Paper Example The need is to understand where it has crept up from and what related measures could be taken to avoid it in the first place (Boles, 2011). One such conflicting situation came about when recently one of the employees had a rift with his boss. This problem caused the entire department to lose focus for quite a while. Indeed this was getting into something big until the top management realized the gravity of the situation and intervened to bring to an end the entire issue. The amicable solution was found through understanding and logic which prevailed in entirety. The need was to discern where the two employees were doing just too much pushing and pulling, which was unthinkable on the part of the other employees and the management in essence. There was an air of suspicion which existed within the realms of these two employees who were not even on the same level. The conflicting situation came about when the boss ordered his subordinate to comply with his orders time and again. The subo rdinate did not agree with what the boss had to suggest and carried on with his own undertakings and tasks in the office. The result was very serious as it turned out to be. The two of them got into an argument and started to abuse one another for doing nothing all day long. The boss was surprised that the subordinate had the guts in him to get up to him and speak out loud and that too in front of just about everyone in the office. The actions that the management took under such settings were of dire consequence as it had to intercept within this quagmire which had developed with the passage of time. The senior bosses called these two employees who were essentially boss and subordinate, and thus worked in the same department. They were asked to give their side of the story and thus tell who of the two was wrong amongst them. It was obvious that both of them hurled claims on the other party to be labeled as the guilty one. This ended up in stalemate and both were ordered to leave the office within the shortest time since they were sentenced to two weeks suspensions. The problem was made bigger than it was in the beginning. The subordinate was very abusive and used to hurl slang language and jokes on the boss and the boss had found this out through other employees. The boss was also adamant that since he was senior to the subordinate, his say should have been more important. My perception was that this situation was not handled properly right from the onset. It meant that the employees were not being managed adequately well by the management domains. The need of the hour was such that the employees should have been apprised of the consequences before they indulged into one such rift. Their attitudes would have been better had they known what was in store for them and how they had to handle things in a proper manner. Sadly, this did not come about as such and there were problems for both of them as well as the employees who worked with them or around them in one or the other capacity. I believe that the boss would have let the human resource management department handle things on their own since this would have been the better thing to do in such a scenario. It would have served the cause of the two and taken into consideration the abuse factor which was raised by the subordinate that was simply unwanted and uncalled for (Harrison, 2006).  

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business law - Essay Example In public law, the government may either be implicated openly or not. Law is referred to as a private law when the government is not implicated in any way. This paper describes the differences and comparison between private law and public law. Differences between public law and private law There are a lot of differences between private law and public law. It is important to posit that all the descriptions established to define private law leaves out the government. The government is only involved in private law as an intermediary, negotiator, or the judge. The role of the government in public law differs from that of private law. In public law, the government is involved in a case as both the judge and the either complainant or the accused (Kelsen, 2009). There are other significant dissimilarities. Private law is essentially and fundamentally centralized rules and regulations. In contrast, public law is created and implemented by the government. Whereas private law may be similar in many regions, public law only has jurisdiction within the country it was created. However, there are some few private laws that do not fall under centralized rules and regulations on the basis of business. The statutes under public laws and regulations obligatory and compulsory hence are ought to be obeyed by individuals of the particular country they were created. They are also under the prudence of institutions in leadership in a country. According to Kelsen (2009, p. 202), â€Å"As a rule private law provisions are at the disposal of parties and can be derogated from, amended or waived by mutual contractual agreements†. In private law, conformity and obedience of the law is imposed by the acts of the judiciary against an individual or institution. The government and top government officials are mandated by the law of the land to subject directives or ruling as well as give executive directives and instantaneously certify or warrant conformity. These executive directions a re mostly implemented by the law enforcers (Kleinmann, 2005). Conformity of executive directives can also be warranted through fines devoid of the acquisition of an order from the judiciary. In elucidating the differences between private and public law, it is important to differentiate between the conventional parts of private law and those of public law. In public law, conventional parts of the rules and regulations include rules and regulations of the constitution, executive rules, rules and regulations governing levies and tariffs, institutional rules, and rules on delinquency, and social security. Rules and regulations on social security comprise those governing indemnity systems. Executive rules and regulations comprise of rules on law enforcement and business operations. Other additional conventional parts on public law include rewards, environmental regulations, and regulations on biotechnology. Conventional parts on private law on the other hand include national or public ru les and regulations, and rules governing import and export of goods and services, liquidation, employment, unjust competition, personal indemnity, organizations, and manufacturing. Additional categories of private law include consumer protection, involvement of employees in the workplace, and legal responsibility on manufactured goods (Miller, 2011). Studies conducted in the past have however posited that it is very difficult to outline the difference between private a

Cultural Autobiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Cultural Autobiography - Essay Example Initiator-Cheerleader is also exhibited by parents when they motivate their children to improve their performance in school. Assertive communication is the type of communication that is commonly used by parents while giving guidelines to the children. It is usually informal and verbal. Initially, the change in cultural practices was confusing, but I was able to adapt to the new culture. It influenced my cultural experience in the sense that I became open minded to accept the diversity of cultures. I realized that each culture has certain values that are unique to it, and that all these values are focused on maintaining the integrity of the community members. The current culture and the original one have several similarities and differences. In both, family, education and spirituality are highly valued. All families participate in communal matters such as weddings and burial ceremonies. All community members congregate at a common place every time a new issue arises in the community, for example outbreak of a disease or natural disasters. The original culture was different from the current culture in that, only men got employed while women took care of the home and the children, but in the current culture, both men and women are employed equally. The change in the social and cultural nature of society has caused a change in my conception about culture in general. I have realized that culture is something that can change over time if people accept these changes, especially when different cultures mix through migration or

Currency Hedging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Currency Hedging - Essay Example For example investors bank their hopes on relative net returns such as Net Dividend Yield (NDY) generated by stock related investments. Thus potential investors look at how the growth trajectory of Net Asset Value (NAV) would increase in keeping with net returns in relatively less risky spheres of investment. Secondly the risk factor associated with currency market related investments is proportionately higher when foreign exchange related investments take a plunge due to uncertain government policies. For example if the government concerned allows its own currency to depreciate externally in order to correct a deficit in the trade balance of the balance of payment, investors would be caught on the wrong foot if they happen to bank their hopes constantly on the continuity of government policy (Maskey, 1995). Thirdly the government may adopt anti-inflationary measures such as higher corporate taxes and expenditure taxes. The net result would be less investment and less borrowing. Currency markets become dormant during such periods of negative policy initiative. Foreign exchange rates and interest rates ... s are positively related because when interest rates fall the exchange rates also fall because potential foreign investors do not buy the domestic currency concerned for investment when the domestic interest rates fall and as a result the demand for the domestic currency abroad falls thus leading to an unfavorable exchange rate (Larsen, & Resnick, 2000). Hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, commercial banks and other money market players have a tendency to hedge risk by minimizing the degree of exposure to adverse consequences arising from unfavorable exchange rates, inflation and investment related uncertainties such as a continuous fall in stock prices (Biger, & Hull, 1983). 2. Analysis 2.1. What is Currency Hedging Currency hedging has become a very controversial issue in modern money market operations (Adler, & Prasad, 1992). Commercial banks and other market players have adopted highly strategic exclusive policy initiatives to deal with the problem. This paper investigates the relative efficacy of such highly complex approaches to currency hedging adopted by different market players, while at the same time focusing attention on the doubt expressed by modern writers about the benefits of currency hedging strategies to all market players at a given time.Currency hedging is a technique that is meant to manage and reduce the risks involved when engaging in some foreign investment strategy. Essentially the very nature of a currency hedging effort would be more beneficial in obviating the negative outcomes from any shifts in the relative value of the currency as utilized in the investment process (Levy, & Lim, 1994). This is intended to shield the investor from negative shifts in the money market so that even if the currency involved takes a plunge

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business law - Essay Example In public law, the government may either be implicated openly or not. Law is referred to as a private law when the government is not implicated in any way. This paper describes the differences and comparison between private law and public law. Differences between public law and private law There are a lot of differences between private law and public law. It is important to posit that all the descriptions established to define private law leaves out the government. The government is only involved in private law as an intermediary, negotiator, or the judge. The role of the government in public law differs from that of private law. In public law, the government is involved in a case as both the judge and the either complainant or the accused (Kelsen, 2009). There are other significant dissimilarities. Private law is essentially and fundamentally centralized rules and regulations. In contrast, public law is created and implemented by the government. Whereas private law may be similar in many regions, public law only has jurisdiction within the country it was created. However, there are some few private laws that do not fall under centralized rules and regulations on the basis of business. The statutes under public laws and regulations obligatory and compulsory hence are ought to be obeyed by individuals of the particular country they were created. They are also under the prudence of institutions in leadership in a country. According to Kelsen (2009, p. 202), â€Å"As a rule private law provisions are at the disposal of parties and can be derogated from, amended or waived by mutual contractual agreements†. In private law, conformity and obedience of the law is imposed by the acts of the judiciary against an individual or institution. The government and top government officials are mandated by the law of the land to subject directives or ruling as well as give executive directives and instantaneously certify or warrant conformity. These executive directions a re mostly implemented by the law enforcers (Kleinmann, 2005). Conformity of executive directives can also be warranted through fines devoid of the acquisition of an order from the judiciary. In elucidating the differences between private and public law, it is important to differentiate between the conventional parts of private law and those of public law. In public law, conventional parts of the rules and regulations include rules and regulations of the constitution, executive rules, rules and regulations governing levies and tariffs, institutional rules, and rules on delinquency, and social security. Rules and regulations on social security comprise those governing indemnity systems. Executive rules and regulations comprise of rules on law enforcement and business operations. Other additional conventional parts on public law include rewards, environmental regulations, and regulations on biotechnology. Conventional parts on private law on the other hand include national or public ru les and regulations, and rules governing import and export of goods and services, liquidation, employment, unjust competition, personal indemnity, organizations, and manufacturing. Additional categories of private law include consumer protection, involvement of employees in the workplace, and legal responsibility on manufactured goods (Miller, 2011). Studies conducted in the past have however posited that it is very difficult to outline the difference between private a

Currency Hedging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Currency Hedging - Essay Example For example investors bank their hopes on relative net returns such as Net Dividend Yield (NDY) generated by stock related investments. Thus potential investors look at how the growth trajectory of Net Asset Value (NAV) would increase in keeping with net returns in relatively less risky spheres of investment. Secondly the risk factor associated with currency market related investments is proportionately higher when foreign exchange related investments take a plunge due to uncertain government policies. For example if the government concerned allows its own currency to depreciate externally in order to correct a deficit in the trade balance of the balance of payment, investors would be caught on the wrong foot if they happen to bank their hopes constantly on the continuity of government policy (Maskey, 1995). Thirdly the government may adopt anti-inflationary measures such as higher corporate taxes and expenditure taxes. The net result would be less investment and less borrowing. Currency markets become dormant during such periods of negative policy initiative. Foreign exchange rates and interest rates ... s are positively related because when interest rates fall the exchange rates also fall because potential foreign investors do not buy the domestic currency concerned for investment when the domestic interest rates fall and as a result the demand for the domestic currency abroad falls thus leading to an unfavorable exchange rate (Larsen, & Resnick, 2000). Hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, commercial banks and other money market players have a tendency to hedge risk by minimizing the degree of exposure to adverse consequences arising from unfavorable exchange rates, inflation and investment related uncertainties such as a continuous fall in stock prices (Biger, & Hull, 1983). 2. Analysis 2.1. What is Currency Hedging Currency hedging has become a very controversial issue in modern money market operations (Adler, & Prasad, 1992). Commercial banks and other market players have adopted highly strategic exclusive policy initiatives to deal with the problem. This paper investigates the relative efficacy of such highly complex approaches to currency hedging adopted by different market players, while at the same time focusing attention on the doubt expressed by modern writers about the benefits of currency hedging strategies to all market players at a given time.Currency hedging is a technique that is meant to manage and reduce the risks involved when engaging in some foreign investment strategy. Essentially the very nature of a currency hedging effort would be more beneficial in obviating the negative outcomes from any shifts in the relative value of the currency as utilized in the investment process (Levy, & Lim, 1994). This is intended to shield the investor from negative shifts in the money market so that even if the currency involved takes a plunge

Accidental Death of an Anarchist Essay Example for Free

Accidental Death of an Anarchist Essay Q) Critically analyze the Figure of Madman in Dario Fo’s play The Accidental Death of an anarchist. A) Dario Fo’s play The Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1970) lies in the category of revolutionary theatre that challenges the fascist regime of Italy. The play is a farce based on events involving a real person, Giuseppe Pinelli, who fell or was thrown from the fourth floor window of a Milan police station in 1969. He was accused of bombing a bank. The accusation is widely seen as part of the Italian Far Rights strategy of tension. Just like Fo’s other play, this play is also funny and subversive and shows a strong preference for the culture and traditions of the ordinary people and a commitment to the left wing politics. The play moves quickly through a series of farcical situations and exposes the hypocrisy and anti- people character of the bourgeois society and the so called sacred institutions- the police, the judiciary, the religion and the media. The play was originally written and performed in Italian in 1970 and first English translation was done in 1979. Central to the play is the character of The Madman, who is the prime protagonist of the play. Through the story of the madman in a police station Dario Fo has a created a classic example of exquisitely political theatre with a comedy that begins from being realistic, (the stage setting is of a realistic, ordinary police station) moves towards the frankly implausible (the madman, the inspector, the superintendent and the constable singing the song of anarchists in the police station), reaches to the level of grotesque (the constant punching and kicking of Bertozzo by the police officials, and the falling eye) until it ends with a hilarious and ludicrous climax. He (the madman) invents dialogue based on a paradoxical or on real situation and goes on from there by virtue of some kind of natural, geometric logic, inventing conflicts that find their solutions in one gag after another in correspondence with a parallel political theme, a political theme which is clear and didactic. You are moved and you laugh but above all you are made to think, realize and develop your understanding of everyday events that had escaped your attention. Franca Rame on The Character of Madman in Accidental Death of an anarchist The madman is not just a character in the play, but he acts as a literary device in the play. He provides most of the humor content of the play. The madman is whimsical and he constantly contradicts other characters as well as himself. His series of logical/illogical arguments becomes impossible to tackle and it frustrates the Police Department. Even though being termed as psychologically unfit, the madman appears to be the most intelligent character in the play. He ridicules the police officials for missing out on the basic concepts of English grammar and the use of the most important â€Å"COMMA† that changes the meaning of a sentence. He dictates the terms of law and judiciary to police officials. He is extremely sarcastic. He ridicules the superintendent for assuming the railway man planted the bomb in railway station without any substantiate evidence and sarcastically rebukes the â€Å"kindergarten logic†. The people in power appear to be inhuman and brute in their actions, and the â€Å"sacred† governmental place, the police station appears to be a madhouse or a slaughterhouse. The madman, even though he is mad appears to be the sanest character in the play. In fact, he appears to be directing the play according to his wishes. Suffering from a disease of enacting people, he sees the world as a stage and other people as his fellow characters. He warns Bertozzo that soon he is about to be punched by Pisani and warns him to duck. Bertozzo ignores the directorial warning of the madman. Later he tells the superintendent to stop playing around and â€Å"keep to the script†. The actions of the play move around as the madman says and everyone does what he asks them to. Bertozzo, who defies the madman’s instructions, keeps on getting punched and thrown out. Hence, Fo, in his play, takes the power out from the hands of the police, the judiciary, and the media and gives it to the representative of the lower section of society, the madman. By pretending to be, in turn to be various figures of authority – psychiatrist, professor, magistrate, bishop, forensic expert – the Maniac forces officials to re-create the events with the purpose of showing the inconsistencies in the official reports of Pinelli’s â€Å"leap† and to confess their responsibility in the anarchist’s death. The madman manages to create mayhem within the policeman, representatives of law and order and figures of authority are made to appear ridiculous and a target of laughter. He exposes how people in power are all in collusion to save their own. Now I am about to show some of the theatre/TV productions of the play and give brief comments on how the character of madman operates in them. Firstly, take a look at the 1983 British TV movie that was telecasted on Channel 4. In this production, the original Italian setting is mixed with contemporary references to Thatchers Britain. 1) In the beginning itself, various impersonations of the madman are shown pointing towards the crime committed by him. 2) The madman constantly points towards the audience that is standing upwards, and the crew, and chats with them. And he talks to the director about the censorship laws on television in Britain, when the inspector says The â€Å"F† word. (5 minutes 30 seconds). 3) In the play, not only the madman enacts different roles, but the same constable is used on the 2nd floor and the fifth floor and also as a liftman. The madman here is concerned with anti materialist sentiment as well. The madman remarks about the fact low budget of the show saying, â€Å"Couldn’t they get a different actor to play you? Who’s directing this thing, Ian MacGregor?† (17 minutes) and the Maniac, â€Å"This is commercial television in crisis!† Similarly, in The IIT production of the play, which is performed in India, in Hindi, the references are converted according to Indian settings and sentiments. 1) The University of Padua is converted into University of Patiala. The madman teaches the Hindi vowels to the constable and the policeman. (4:30) (A aa e ee) 2) The police inspector in the 6th minute of the play says to the madman that he’s madder than the madman. As I said above the madman appears to be the sanest of characters in the play. My fair Heathen Productions in their September 2007 production actually used a woman for the role of the madman. Hence the madman is enacting as a madman from the beginning and in fact is a mad woman. This does not bring a significant change to the play, except probably the so called marginalized figure of a madman, becomes a more marginalized figure as in this production it’s a woman, who comes to a male dominated domain and creates havoc in the lives of the men from powerful sections of the society. Hence, different theatre companies have used different types of madman to heighten the message of the play.

Factors Affecting Social Entrepreneurship

Factors Affecting Social Entrepreneurship This purpose of this report is to highlight the different factors such as networking, leadership and innovation that affect Social Entrepreneurship. This study provides an analysis of social entrepreneurship. The paper suggests the factors associated with successful social entrepreneurship, particularly with social entrepreneurship that leads to significant changes in the social, political and economic context for poor groups. In the study, a literature review combining different theories with research on social entrepreneurship is presented. The study shows that networking, leadership and innovation plays a role in enabling the social entrepreneur to take on a different role set. CHAPTER 1:  INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND Social entrepreneurship, over the years have gained a lot of attention and popularity, mostly due to its concept based on the fields of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), (Tozzi 2009; Murray 2007) which have turned many entrepreneurs to pursue their business initiatives towards the betterment of the society or the environment in an innovative way, and at the same time running a profitable business (Martin and Osberg, 2007). Since social entrepreneurship covers important topics such as social, political, ethical and environmental it has climbed up the agenda throughout the world, as different regions, countries, and disciplines are able to relate to social entrepreneurship (Vabarova, 2009) Social entrepreneurship has caught the eyes of theorists around the world in recent years (Dees, 2001; Leadbeater 1997; Thompson 2002). Not only the academic researchers have shown their interest in social entrepreneurship, it has also caught the eyes of business researchers (Bloom and Chatterji, 2009; Thompson, 2002). Social entrepreneurship provides an interesting perspective on business research, as it combines various entrepreneurial driving forces, which are driven towards the betterment of the society. (Dees, 2001) Today with increasing concept of the companies to think and act globally, social business initiatives have become quite observable (Bamburg, 2006; Bloom and Chatterji, 2009) The concept of social entrepreneurship was itself a big inspiration to make this report. The role of networking, leadership and innovation make this topic more interesting, in as how social entrepreneurs uses such factors in development and growth of their businesses. Recently, a Nordic research project was conducted by the Nordic Innovation centre which did a study on the topics of social entrepreneurship, the topic was mostly based on the innovative initiatives derived from environmental, social, or ethical issues, through this research it was also derived that networking plays a very important role in social entrepreneurship. The interviews with some of the social entrepreneurs clearly showed as how networking has helped them in positioning themselves and their business missions. In an interview with Diana Svensk, who initiated a business, offering ecologically hats gave an interesting view on her way to run her business as an entrepreneur: I tend to transform every social situation from a wedding to a formal meeting- into a working space. I always grasp the opportunity to discuss and vent my opinions, regardless of the circumstances, and I frequently find myself in debates about entrepreneurship, moral, fashion, and the environment. This is how I connect with people, and it leads to new connections and thoughts, inspiring me to constantly act in new directions when the next day arrives (An interview from the journal of Frigell and Gustavsson) The concept of social entrepreneurship is mostly applied to the context of social problem solving (Dees 1998; Thake Zadek 1997; Emerson Twersky 1986) thus in order to find an effective and sustainable solution to these problems, solutions are generally associated with certain changes or new innovation in business creations. The concept of social entrepreneurship clearly emphasizes the innovative character of the business initiative. The replication or expansion of existing services is a valuable solution to a social problem. When the resources or capacities for the expansion of goods and services are not available then creative initiatives are used to serve wider population (Uphoff 1997, Esman Krishna 1998) such creative initiatives represent social entrepreneurship. Most of the literature on the leadership focuses primarily on individuals and their personal skills or attributes (Gardner 1995; Heifetz 1994) but on the other hand some of the literature believes that leadership groups may be more important than individuals, and focusing primarily on individuals may obscure essential aspects of the initiative (Paul 1982; Thake Zadek 1997) however it is also believed that leadership-whether group or individual is important in the success of social entrepreneurial ventures. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Social entrepreneurship is rising at a fast speed. Social Entrepreneurship refers to recognizing a social problem and using social entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social changes. (Wikipedia 2009) Social Entrepreneurs are commonly associated with the voluntary and not-for-profit sectors. They promote health, welfare and well-being. Their assets in the form of social capital are- relationships, networks, trusts and co-operation. They should be socially networking in order to create a physical and financial capital. (Leadbeater, 1997) The purpose of the researcher through this report is to find out the different factors that have an impact on Social Entrepreneurship. SPECIFIC AIM: The main specific aim of the research is to find out the impact of different factors on social entrepreneurs, thus in order to fulfill the aim of the research the study conducts case studies of different Indian Social Entrepreneurs. RESEARCH PROBLEM AREA: Since the group of social entrepreneurs has increased in a large number in a relatively short time, the researcher finds it relevant to study them, and analyze how they interact with their surroundings to shape their businesses. This is interesting that the social entrepreneurs Inspite of performing various entrepreneurial corporate, personal and socially driven roles, sometimes do not give much importance to the certain skills required in developing the business, thus this research is set-out to make in-depth case studies of Indian social entrepreneurs and their networking, leadership and innovative behavior. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to find out the impact of networking / Leadership and innovation on social entrepreneurs RESEARCH QUESTIONS: R1: To what extent networking has an impact on social entrepreneurship R2: To what extent leadership has an impact on social entrepreneurship R3: To what extent innovation impact social entrepreneur HYPOTHESIS: H1: Networking has a significant role in the development of social entrepreneurship H2: Leadership has a significant role in the development of social entrepreneurship H2a: Successful social entrepreneurship initiatives are often founded by leaders with the capacity to work with and build bridges among very diverse stakeholders H2b: Successful social entrepreneurship initiatives have leadership that is characterized by: Long-term commitment to the initiative Capacity to catalyze adaptation to emerging contextual challenge H3: Innovation has a significant role in the development of social entrepreneur H3a: Successful social entrepreneurship involves innovations that mobilize existing assets of marginalized groups. LITERATURE REVIEW: SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP The twentieth century saw the rise of social entrepreneurship, as many of the entrepreneurs who were generating phenomenal ideas, products, and wealth began to turn their focus on the chronic problems of local, national and global communities. The highly successful entrepreneurs started realizing that giving money in donations for the causes they cared is not the only option to help the society, but bring an effective change through proper utilization of funds is more appropriate way to help the community. (Grace, 2005) Leadbeaters (1997) contribution to the research area of social entrepreneurship, The rise of the social entrepreneur, was among the first provisions within the field and provides a fundamental theoretical view of concept of social entrepreneur. Leadbeater (1997) argues that a social entrepreneur works in the intersection sector areas between private, the public, and the voluntary sectors. Source: Leadbeater (1997) NETWORKING An appropriate starting point for understanding network behavior is to consider the basic question: why do companies network? There is generally a wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ established answer in theory to this question, which contends that no business is an island (Hà ¥kansson and Snehota, 1989; 2006). The relational view, presented by Dyer and Singh (1998), highlights that the (dis)advantages of an individual firm are often linked to the (dis)advantages of the network of relationships in which the firm is embedded (p.660). This argument is in line with the recognition within business strategy research that the boundaries of the firm are problematic to define (Foss, 2005). Hà ¥kansson and Snehota (2006) explain the substance of this boundary problem by arguing that an organisations continuous interaction with other actors in its context endows the organisation with a meaning and role. Gadde et al (2003) further emphasise this proposition: The basic point of departure for an industrial net work approach is that firms operate in the context of interconnected business relationships, forming networks.(p. 357) With these theoretical references as a staring point, it is evident that relationships make sense, not the least, as they constitute a source of identification of the network actor, the firm, itself. In this aspect, networking as an activity, conducted with an intention to build and manage such relationships, makes sense as well. LEADERSHIP Much of the literature on leadership focuses primarily on individuals and their personal skills or attributes (Gardner 1995; Heifetz 1994) while the other primarily focuses on the groups as focusing primarily on individuals may obscure essential aspects of the initiative (Paul 1982; Thake and Zadek 1997). However leadership whether group or individual is important in the success for social entrepreneurs. According to (Dees et ol 2002) it is interesting to know that in order to make difference around them social entrepreneurs sacrifices the benefits that they could have achieved through working in for-profit sectors. The ability of an entrepreneur to mobilize resources and resources are the keys for successful leadership quality. One of the important factor in the leadership of a social entrepreneur is to motivate people to work for them, only social entrepreneur with good leadership quality is able to motivate others to sacrifice the benefits and help him in changing the world. Leadership does not come with the job title, age, race, religion, gender, color etc. A good leader should have certain qualities like Charismatic Convincing Credible Capable Visionary Focused INNOVATION Innovation is a very important factor for the development of social entrepreneurs. Not all provision of goods and services amounts to social entrepreneurship. In many cases, replication or expansion of existing services is a valuable solution to a social problem but does not necessarily require social entrepreneurship. When the resources or capacities to duplicate existing services for poor or marginalized groups are not available, creative initiatives that reconfigure existing resources or services for more effective or wider delivery are imperative to serve wider populations (Uphoff et ol 1997) Source: The Researcher

Possibilities for a Better World :: Kurt Vonnegut Cats Cradle Essays

Possibilities for a Better World The picture painted of the world and humanity by Kurt Vonnegut in Cats' Cradle is not a positive one. It is not the utopia that so many of the novel's character's are striving for. It is a ridiculous world where truths are based on lies and the balance of good and evil is a manufactured state. If Vonnegut's attempt is to "poison minds with humanity†¦ to encourage them to make a better world," it is only through showing the reader the follies of man, the foolishness we live with daily, that maybe we can change our outlook and make a "better world." Within the 191 pages of Cat's Cradle Vonnegut manages to slam nearly every mode of life, every motivating factor, every convention of modern man. The strongest attacks are on our ways to knowledge: science and religion. Science is shown as a field led by madmen who do not comprehend the consequences of their research and creations. Religion is shown as being all lies developed to keep man happy. The characters of the novel are not unscathed either. Most are shown as greedy, uncompromising, and unsympathetic. They are led by unknown forces to do bad things, foolish things. Vonnegut "poisons" the reader with these examples of mankind. He examines, with wit and comedy, the selfish and foolish nature of humanity. One can look at the actions of the characters and their actions, along with the consequences of those actions, and draw from it a conclusion about the futility of living. Vonnegut can certainly be seen as a cynic for the image that he gives us of humanity. He takes it one step further, though, by showing us all of the absurdity of our modern lives. He wants us to see that we live by lies. Even the words on the page are lies. There is no truth. And in this way we are not bound to live the life that Vonnegut portrays. There may be a better end for us than there is at the end of Cat's Cradle. Maybe then it is possible for us, all of mankind, to make it a "better world." With Vonnegut's poisonous attacks on all our sacred systems he may be trying to show us that there is a better way to live. I will continue to argue that Cat's Cradle goes beyond satire, and gives us a truly cynical look at the world and humanity.

Increasing Animal Adoptions at Shelters Essays -- increase dog adoptio

It was a hard day for me. My dog of almost 7 years had to be put down, and it was the first pet I had ever lost. My dad wasn’t too keen on me getting a new puppy. We started looking at other dogs and my dad found one that he thought we should get. My parents decided to take me on a surprise trip to the animal shelter to get a better look at the dogs that we wanted to adopt. As we entered the dog room, barks started to echo around us and excited dogs jumped up on their kennels to make sure we saw them. As we got to Mack’s cage, I think his puppy face must have melted my dad’s heart because he agreed to adopt him and take him home. Today, years later, I still believe adopting Mack was one of the best decisions I could have made. Through adopting Mack, I was inspired to volunteer at the animal shelter as soon as I was old enough. One day I went up just to look at animals and I realized that there were many dogs that had been in the shelter for a long time. No one was interested in adopting them because they weren’t a popular breed, or they were not the right color. From that day forward, I decided that I was going to find a way for those dogs to be adopted, so they had the chance to be as happy as Mack is, in a home and out of a shelter. By finding a way to positively promote breeds prone to indifference, unwanted color, and through establishing positive behaviors and character, animal shelters will be able to increase canine adoption. One of the most significantly impacting characteristics on adoption success is breed preference. Because some breeds are â€Å"talked up† more than others, for example, beagles compared to pitbulls, people would be more likely to lean towards a beagle if they had to choose between those two breeds for... ...olor and breed are not able to be changed, but by changing the behaviors of a dog, a shelter could increase the dogs appeal no matter the breed and color. Works Cited Woodward, Lucinda, Jennifer Milliken, and Sonya Humy. "Give A Dog A Bad Name And Hang Him: Evaluating Big, Black Dog Syndrome." Society & Animals 20.3 (2012): 236-253. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Siettou, Christina, Iain Fraser, and Rob Fraser. Kent University. 2012. PowerPoint. secure.fera.defra.gov.ukWeb. 14 Mar 2014. . DeLeeuw, Jamie L. Animal Shelter Dogs: Factors Predicting Adoption Versus Euthanasia. (2010): n. page. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. . . N.p.. Web. 14 Mar 2014. .

Literature and Human Behaviour Essay

Literature has been a major part of human culture throughout human existence. It has always been used as a way of defining how humans interact with each other. Literature is defined as ‘the writings of a period, language, or country’. If ancient times are also to be considered, then myths, legends, and theatre, which passed down literary ideas, and social critiques before the time of the written word, should also be included in this definition. The plays of William Shakespeare are a perfect example of pieces of literature that are not only entertaining, literature for literature’s sake, but also provide great insight into human nature. In one form or another, literature is entrenched as an expression of the ways of humanity, and so by absorbing it, one can gain a greater understanding of human behaviour. The human sciences offer a different angle to the understanding of human behaviour as literature does. Literature gives us insight into what is going on inside people’s minds. How someone from a culture that one might not understand, thinks. Many of Shakespeare’s plays are centered around the downfall of a particular character. This downfall arises from within the character, it is the result of a tragic flaw. The human sciences on the other hand, provide information on how humans interact with each other. They often involve social studies in which experiments involving the interactions of humans are observed and recorded. If for example some human scientists performed a particular experiment with enough people, and got a similar result each time, they can conclude that a human being is likely to act in a certain way, given the situation which was in the experiment. In this way human scientists can draw conclusions as to what is a normal reaction for a person to have in a situation, and can describe traits which are almost universal to humans. These human sciences give us a knowledge of the external aspects of human behaviour, which is extremely valuable to have. If for example, a police force wanted to know whether or not a new method they had developed for deterring graffiti artists worked efficiently or not, they might perform a human science experiment, where they secretly test their  method on a sample of would-be graffitists. The results could tell them if it would be productive for them to put resources into developing and employing this method, or whether it was inefficient and would be a waste of resources. Literature will often delve deep into the human mind, to seek the unknown. Some literature may attempt to describe perceptions of the world from the mind of a serial killer. If written well, and researched thoroughly, this literature would be enthralling, and probably disturbing, because it is teaching us about the human behaviour of someone who is very different from ourselves. (hopefully) It would show to the reader an aspect of human behaviour that is not common among all people, but is infact rare. From this we would learn about an aspect which we did not have an understanding of, and would therefore increase our knowledge of human behaviour. Other literature may reveal something about people that relates to a great many people. People will engage with this literature because they will have some understanding of it, and so the book would increase their knowledge of their own human behaviour, and would also show them that this human behaviour is common to many people. From this we can see that a study of literature can give someone a deeper understanding of what goes on in the human mind, and a study of the human sciences can allow someone to have a greater knowledge of the way that humans interact with each other, and certain situations they may be faced with. There are of course some problems with both of these ways of attaining knowledge of human behaviour. Although experiments can be done in the human sciences, they can never give a result which is 100% accurate. They may provide a conclusion which will probably be correct in most cases, but it’s never certain. This is because of the fact that these experiments deal with people. People are not like objects in the experiments of natural sciences. They are prone to performing differently each time the experiment is carried out. For example, if sodium bi-carbonate is put in vinegar, it will cause an almost violent chemical reaction every time, but if icing sugar is put in,  it will not. However, if a person suffering from a headache is given a painkiller, they might feel an easing of the pain, but if they are given a placebo pill, they might still think they are feeling an easing of the pain, but it would be purely psychological. This shows that what people expect to happen can alter the results of the experiment, and this gives the observer inconclusive answers. Basically, when looking at results achieved through the human sciences, we can not be totally sure that we are learning anything about human behaviour, because we can never be certain that the results are completely accurate. There are also problems that can occur when trying to gain a greater understanding of human behaviour through the study of literature. I don’t feel that all literature is valid for this purpose. If a piece of literature has not been well researched, and not well written, then it’s content may give a misrepresentation of the real world. A book written by an english pioneer on the subject of the lifestyle of the Aboriginal race may provide a bias and incorrect view. This would lead the reader to gain a perception of the human behaviour of that particular culture and people that does not coincide with the truth. If this is the case then it is clear that in order for somewhere to gain a greater understanding of human behaviour in reference to a particular culture, then a wide range of literature need to be considered. However, the pieces of literature that give a bias or incorrect view needn’t be totally disregarded. These pieces of literature, while they may not provide a truthful description of a culture or civilisation, they can often reflect on the culture that the author of the literature belongs too. They can give an idea of what kind of perceptions were held by that culture, on the other culture. This can add to our understanding of human behaviour because when several of these types of articles are read, patterns can emerge as to how a culture that is seemingly more civilised than other, views that less civilised culture. A wide study of literature, and an appreciation of the human sciences can greatly add to our understanding of human behaviour. Though often biases, and discrepancies in results have to be taken into account, they provide insight into what goes on inside the minds of people, and in what ways they  react to other people and situations. When this sort of knowledge has been attained, one can have a greater understanding of the human behaviour related to different cultures, different ages, different sexes, and it can also give them a greater understanding of themselves. Bilbliography: The World Book Dictionary, Doubelay & Company, Inc. 1982

Case16 Alarm Ringing: Nokia in 2010

Strategic Management Case Analysis Firm Analysis Roy L. Simerly Department of Management 3106 Bate East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353 (252) 328-6632 (Work) (252) 328-4094 (Fax) [email  protected] ecu. edu Strategic Management Case Analysis Firm Analysis Abstract This is the second part of a two part series dealing with the complexities of case analysis in Strategic Management courses. One of the primary function of Strategic Management is to serve as a cap-stone course integrating the material students have accumulated throughout their course of study within a business school.There is a need for instruments that will provide the necessary integration and opportunity for application of acquired knowledge. There is also the reality that students do not remember all that they should from previous courses. Equally important is the necessity to impart the basics of Strategic Management as a discipline in its own right. It is the theoretical foundation of Strategic Manage ment that provides the rational for the integration. The purpose of this article is to provide an outline for analysis of a firm. I use this method at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.The only difference is that graduate students are expected to show more sophistication in their presentations. Strategic Management Case Analysis Firm Analysis This is the second of a two part series dealing with one approach to case analysis in Strategic Management classes. This paper takes the view that Strategic Management is a cap-stone course intended to integrate the material students have accumulated throughout their course of study within a business school. Strategic Management is, in fact, the only course that has as its stated purpose the integration and application of key management concepts.Normally, students are expected to have a working knowledge of the primary business management disciplines of accounting, economics, finance, marketing, and operations, when entering the course . When instructors present case analysis, it is usually as a three-step process progressing from economic, to industry, and finally, to company analysis. In doing so they face the challenge of creating a classroom experience that enables students to conceptualize the framework as an integrated whole. The challenges for the instructor are interesting to say the least.First, there is the need for the instructor to understand the intent of each of the primary business management disciplines, as well as what the student can be expected to accomplish. Second, there is the need for instruments that will provide the necessary integration and opportunity for application of acquired knowledge. Third, there is the reality that students do not always remember all that they should. This leaves a great deal to be accomplished within one semester. An equally important challenge is the necessity to impart the basics of Strategic Management as a discipline in its own right.It is the theoretical fou ndation of Strategic Management that provides the rational for the integration. More importantly, the students needs an understanding of ‘when’ to use ‘what’ techniques in the business world. Given these challenges, I use – among other classroom techniques – case analysis. Students are required to provide analysis and discussion for a number of short cases throughout the semester. All are taken from current publications such as, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes and The Economist. I find that text book cases do not provide the currency necessary.These cases are used to demonstrate the text theory under discussion, and to show the relevance of specific elements of the major written cases. I require two major written cases. The first is an analysis of an industry, and the second is an analysis of a firm within that industry. Both are essential to achieve the learning objectives for the course. The learning objective for the course is: to understand how the top manager (CEO) is responsible for ensuring the long term survival of the firm within its competitive environment.The learning objective for the written case analyses is: to arrive at a point where they can develop a sound business plan to ensure the survival of their chosen firm within its competitive environment. Also, to appreciate the complexities of collecting and understanding the relevance of the vast amount of information available. The learning objective for the industry analysis is: to determine the opportunities and threats that exist for firms within a competitive environment. They should be able to appreciate how the various forces operating in an industry create or limit the chances for survival.The learning objective for the firm analysis is: to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a firm; and, to determine the core competence that can be built on to establish a competitive advantage. The final step is to develop a business plan that will align the cap abilities of the firm with the requirements of the competitive environment. Students are required to work in teams to complete the two major case write-ups. They will later make a presentation of their findings. I require teams because the most difficult part of management is the management of human resources.By setting specific guidelines for students I make their grade contingent on their management abilities as well as their ability to complete the projects. Team size is limited to 3 or 4 members. They are free to choose their firm and its industry. I strongly suggest that they select a firm that has a production function. This makes it easier to see the four organizational functions being integrated. I also encourage them to select an industry that would be suitable for employment based on their particular interests, and primary area of concentration.For example, accounting majors are encouraged to examine an accounting firm. Finance majors are pointed toward the banking industr y. In the end, the students make choices based on group consensus and personal interests. However, a mixture of majors can be an advantage when working on the papers. The possible collaboration and integration of different perspectives is one advantage; another is the opportunity to work on a part of the papers that is relevant to their discipline. How firm’s performance is defined is left to the student. I must approve all choices prior to the student beginning work.In this way, I am sure that the projects are do-able. No two groups are allowed to do the same firm within the same class, but they can do different firms within the same industry. There are no ‘easy’ industries or firms. Each has its own challenges. A significant amount of time is spent covering analysis techniques, and the resources available, prior to the students starting on the projects. They are also encouraged to divide the work up into specific areas. For example, for the firm paper: do the f our functional areas first, then do the introduction and conclusion.This gives a reasonable balance to the work load. One common complaint about this approach to case writing is that a student working on one section of the paper will not learn about the other sections of the paper. Every approach to case writing has a limitation, but I think that this one is manageable. First, the intent is not to teach students about one particular industry. It is to teach them the relevance, and the techniques, of industry and firm analysis. Stressing this point early on is very important. It is important to note that I do not give the students too many specific directions.I want them to do their own research and make discoveries along the way. There is no one right answer. Correctness – if such exists – is a product of the logic used in the analysis. For example, two measures of economies of scale are required. It does not matter which measures are used, what matters is that the stu dent reasons through the problem and finds a means of justifying a position. If I give too much detail it limits the imagination of the student and prevents discoveries that could be significant. To help get the students oriented, I do provide complete ‘sample’ papers from a previous class.I am careful to ensure that the sample papers are on an industry and firm not currently being done. I do not have to worry about copying, or other forms of cheating. The papers must be up-to-date, which means significant recent citations in the bibliography. Additionally, I do provide the students with the opportunity of sending in parts of the project as they write. I then provide feedback to prevent them going off on tangents and wasting valuable time. Most students find this method beneficial as they work. I find the quality of the papers improves dramatically over the course of the semester.It is critical to stress that this is a business report, and not an English paper. Each pap er will take on significant proportions (30 to 50 pages) if just the required work is done. If focus is not maintained, the size becomes unmanageable. Assumptions and common knowledge are not accepted. Everything has to be proven in some manner, if just by an interview with a business person. Quantitative and qualitative analysis are required. I give a number of examples in class of how wrong ‘common knowledge’ can be. The firm paper analysis that follows has been adapted from the work of Wheelen & Hunger (2000)[1].Their model for the evaluation of firms has been evolving for over a decade, and represents one of the more concise approaches to firm analysis. This approach is compatible with a number of Strategic Management text and can easily be adapted to most situations. In addition, my own experiences in the business world have been incorporated. In what follows, I cover in some detail the outline for the firm paper. This outline is given to the students in its entire ty. FIRM PAPER OUTLINE This outline is only a guide. Each firm is unique, and you are responsible for adapting your paper to fit the circumstance.Form is important, but must not replace reason. Learning Objective: to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a firm; and, to determine the core competence that can be built on to establish a competitive advantage. Method: Firm analysis and the development of an abbreviated business plan to ensure long term survival within the competitive environment. Compare your firm to a better performing firm within the same industry, or to the industry trends that you created in the industry paper. Maintain your focus on the questions being asked. Provide conclusions for each section and sub-section.A decision matrix should be provided at the end of each section, and an overall matrix provided in the conclusion section. Where quantitative analysis is required, provide numbers expressed as ratios. Use five years of data to establish trends. Where qu alitative analysis is required, provide citations to support your arguments. Assumptions and common knowledge are not accepted. Continuity: I do read these papers! Be sure that if you make a declarative statement in one section, you do not contradict yourself in another. While it is a team project, I read it as the work of one person. Integrate the paper.Please number pages, and use section headings and sub-headings. Help is just a mouse-click away! I strongly encourage you to show me your work as you progress. I can, and will, save you hours of frustration if you will show me what you are doing. I. Current Situation A. Brief firm history. What industries and industry segments is your firm involved in, and what will be the focus of the paper? You can not do all of the industries or segments in one semester. Make a rational choice that aligns the firm paper with the industry paper. Provide a statement of the current position or situation of your firm within the industry (i. e. how go es it). How diversified is this firm? Related or unrelated (you may discuss this wherever you think most appropriate)? B. Strategic Posture. 1. What is the current mission? Did you have to deduce it, or was it stated. Is there a clear point B (an objective that we can quantify)? You should be concerned with both the quality of the mission statement, and its appropriateness for the competitive environment. You will be able to address this issue after you complete the firm analysis. 2. What is the current (Porter’s generic) strategy? Since you are only doing one segment, you are concerned with business-level strategy only.Is this strategy consistent with the mission, appropriate for the environmental context, being followed by management? Again, this is best answered after the analysis is complete. II. External Environment (Opportunities and Threats. ) This section is a restatement of some of your industry paper work. You restate your findings with respect to this specific firm . A. Socio-cultural. What general environmental factors among the socio-cultural, economic, political-legal, and technological forces are currently affecting both the firm and the industry in which it competes?Which present, current, or future threats or opportunities are important to your firm? B. Task Environment. Which of the five forces (Porter’s) in the immediate environment are currently affecting the level of competitive intensity within the industry? Which present current or future threats or opportunities important to your firm? III. Internal Environment (Strengths and Weaknesses) The only way to know if your firm is doing well is through comparison. Therefore, almost all of the elements that follow require the analysis of your firm and then a comparison to a better performing firm, or to industry standards.A. Management. The objective of the management function is to ensure the long-term survival of the firm within its competitive environment. Begin with your assess ment of how management has addressed this objective. 1. Board of Directors. The objective of the board is to provide oversight of the firm. Based on your observations is this board appropriate for the competitive environment of this organization? a. What is the board size and composition (averages for all firms is 74% external, with 14 members total). b. What are their skills? Do you have the four functional areas covered? c.Do they own a significant percentage of stock? Here you are testing elements of agency theory. d. What is their level of involvement in the oversight of the corporation? That is, what committees are they on? How often do they meet? 2. Top Management (usually only the CEO). The objective of management is to ensure the survival of the organization within its environment. Is management achieving that objective? a. What are top management's chief characteristics in terms of knowledge, skills, background, and management style? Is top management sufficiently skilled t o cope with likely future challenges?Has it established a systematic approach to the formulation, implementation, evaluation and control of strategic management? Is there a vision, clearly articulated, guiding corporate activities (i. e. , does this manager know where the organization is headed)? What is the degree of stock ownership, and is it appropriate? b. Organizational Structure. What is the present structure? Discuss decision making authority, degree of autonomy, team building, empowerment, etc. Is the structure appropriate for the competitive environment and consistent with the current strategy and mission? c. Culture.Is there a well defined or emerging culture composed of shared beliefs, expectations, and values? Is the culture a source of support or hindrance to achieving the mission/strategy of the corporation? B. Marketing The objective of the marketing function is to maximize market share. Are they achieving this objective? You should be able to provide a graph of marke t share change over time compared to another firm or the industry. What is the market share change of the firm in relation to market growth? Remember to use ratios, not raw numbers. How well is the corporation performing in terms of market position and marketing mix?You answer this by comparing the 4 P's to a better performing firm. 1. How well does your firm's product offering (product mix) compare to a better performing firm? 2. Is the firm's pricing appropriate? 3. Compare the place (distribution system) of the product offering. 4. Evaluate the promotional efforts of the firm. What is the payoff for the money spend on advertising? Is there a relationship between advertising and market share change? Provide a conclusion to this section. What trends do you see from analysis of their past performance? I suggest using a decision matrix.From your analysis, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this function? C. Operations/Production. This section will be revised for those teams doi ng a service firm. While the basic arguments are the same, the methods will be different. Consult with your instructor before beginning this section if you are doing a service organization. The objective of the operations function is to increase productivity. Are they achieving this objective? This is also the functional area where you can best evaluate whether your firm is following the logic of re-investing in itself (the logic of the managerial enterprise)? 1.In order to achieve improvements in productivity, the firm must be re-investing in itself. What is the trend in capital spending? What is the trend in productivity improvement? 2. In combination with the marketing section, has this firms emphasized product development, or diversification, for growth (the Chandler argument)? No longer required. 3. Operating leverage. How has the mix of people to capital changed over time – are fixed costs rising? What are the trends in costs per unit of labor, inventory control, etc.? 4. Research & Development. What return is the corporation receiving from its R&D investment?Is the firm technologically competent? How well does the firm's investment compare with similar corporations? What is the bang for the buck! Provide a conclusion to this section. I suggest using a decision matrix. From your analysis, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this function? D. Finance The objective of the finance function is to maximize shareholder wealth. Are they achieving this objective? I would prefer total returns to investors over time as the measure here. The data are available. 1. Remember to use at least five years of data for the most important factors. What trends do you see emerging from this analysis?Suggested ratios are contained in the text. 2. How well is the corporation performing compared to competition? 3. Capital Asset Pricing Model. (Class lecture notes) What is the cost of capital for this firm? What impact does this have on competitiveness? What does your analysis tell you about the probability that management will reinvest in the firm? 4. Debt to Equity policy and susceptibility to external forces, such as debt covenants, take-over attempts, etc. As lecture material points out, the capital structure decision is very important to the survival of the firm. Crunching of numbers is not the objective here.You are looking for significant trends that can impact the survivability of the firm. As you find negative trends that could effect other organizational functions, tell your team mates. What have they discovered? This section can not stand on its own, it has to be integrated into the overall paper. Provide a conclusion to this section. I suggest using a decision matrix. From your analysis, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this function? E. Human Resource Management. If applicable – i. e. , are unions involved? If so, you are concerned with the HRM function of the organization. F. Management Information Systems.If applica ble. Is you firm having problems with its MIS system? Readings from articles should give a clue. If no problem is noted, you do not have to include this section. IV. Critical Success Factors. From your industry paper, discuss how your firm is addressing these factors. Most of these factors (2 of 3) will lend themselves to quantitative analysis and comparison. V. Strategic Problem. From your analysis, what is THE strategic problem of this firm. This is only one paragraph and not a laundry list. Clue – your paragraph will begin: Management has failed to ensure the long-term survival of this firm because†¦.. VI.Strategic Alternatives. Provide appropriate strategic alternatives stated as strategies, not as elements of a strategy. Discuss the pro's and con's of each. The current strategy, if appropriate, could be one of the alternatives if the firm simply needs to improve the implementation of that strategy. VII. Recommendation. From your alternatives, what ONE strategy do yo u recommend, and why? This is only one or two paragraphs. VIII. Implementation. This is the section where most teams lose it. Remember that strategy is a pattern of actions and activities. A. Give SPECIFIC recommendations on how you would implement your strategic choice.Provide details addressing each of the four functional areas. B. Show how you are solving the weaknesses and building on the strengths of each functional area. C. What is the core competence of this organization? Can we build a sustainable competitive advantage within this industry? D. Include a basic pro forma for at least 5 years out to see the impact of your changes. Use your best guess on the numbers, indicating your assumptions. E. Conclude the paper with your prognosis for the firm. This is the grade sheet for the firm paper Case Name_________________________ Bibliography:Appendices, graphs, tables: Firm Business Segments: Strategy: Mission: Corporate ownership: Board of Directors: R: Type and Degree of Diversi fication: Capital investment related to performance: Social/Environmental programs: Growth rate of firm: Cost of Capital (CAPM): Take over target: Asset base compared to competitors: Historical financial data: S. W. O. T. : C. S. F. ‘s: Analysis of the functional areas: Management: Marketing: Operations: Finance: ———————– [1] Wheelen, T. L. & Hunger, J. D. 2000. Strategic Management. Upper Saddle River, N. J. U. S. A: Prentice Hall