Poverty Is Not A Task Of Charity Essay - 2521 Words

INTRODUCTION â€Å"Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity; it is an act of justice. Like slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.†-Nelson Mandela. Poverty at its worst involves hunger leading to starvation, inadequate shelter or housing and lack of clothing. Justice is the idea that all people, everywhere in the world, have the right to a life of dignity. This means a life free from poverty, violence, discrimination or human rights violations. A world where justice exists in a world where all people are included in a society and all people can claim their rights to education, shelter, and health care regardless of how poor or rich they are. Whenever we speak of poverty we must speak of injustice. But more than that, we must speak of HOPE. To give hope we must have it and if we are to build hope in others it will require something of humanity. It is found in our actions. Poverty is a state of deprivation, or a lock of the usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. The most common measure of poverty in the U.S is the â€Å"poverty threshold† set by the U.S government. Almost half of the world over three billion people live on less than $2.50 a day. The poorest people will have less access to health, education, and other services; such as: problems ofShow MoreRelatedThe Problem of Poverty in Famine, Affluence, and Morality by Peter Singer1112 Words   |  5 Pagesincluding poverty and famines. In his â€Å"Famine, Affluence, and Morality†, Singer (1972) discusses the problem of poverty and hunger, as well as the way this problem is treated in the developed world. Singer believes that charity is inseparable from morality, and no distinction can be drawn between charity and duty. 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Forward the Foundation Chapter 16 Free Essays

6 Hari Seldon was fighting off melancholy. He was lectured in turn by Dors, by Raych, by Yugo, and by Manella. All united to tell him that sixty was not old. We will write a custom essay sample on Forward the Foundation Chapter 16 or any similar topic only for you Order Now They simply did not understand. He had been thirty when the first hint of psychohistory had come to him, thirty-two when he delivered his famous lecture at the Decennial Convention, following which everything seemed to happen to him at once. After his brief interview with Cleon, He had fled across Trantor and met Demerzel, Dors, Yugo, and Raych, to say nothing of the people of Mycogen, of Dahl, and of Wye. He was forty when he became First Minister and fifty when he had relinquished the post. Now he was sixty. He had spent thirty years on psychohistory. How many more years would he require? How many more years would he live? Would he die with the Psychohistory Project unfinished after all? It was not the dying that bothered him, he told himself. It was the matter of leaving the Psychohistory Project unfinished. He went to see Yugo Amaryl. In recent years they had somehow drifted apart, as the Psychohistory Project had steadily increased in size. In the first years at Streeling, it had merely been Seldon and Amaryl working together-no one else. Now ** Amaryl was nearly fifty-not exactly a young man-and he had somehow lost his spark. In all these years, he had developed no interest in anything but psychohistory: no woman, no companion, no hobby, no subsidiary activity. Amaryl blinked at Seldon who couldn’t help but note the changes in the man’s appearance. Part of it may have been because Yugo had had to have his eyes reconstructed. He saw perfectly well, but there was an unnatural look about them and he tended to blink slowly. It made him appear sleepy. â€Å"What do you think, Yugo?† said Seldon. â€Å"Is there any light at the end of the tunnel?† â€Å"Light? Yes, as a matter of fact,† said Amaryl. â€Å"There’s this new fellow, Tamwile Elar. You know him, of course.† â€Å"Oh yes. I’m the one who hired him. Very vigorous and aggressive. How’s he doing?† â€Å"I can’t say I’m really comfortable with him, Hari. His loud laughter gets on my nerves. But he’s brilliant. The new system of equations fits right into the Prime Radiant and they seem to make it possible to get around the problem of chaos.† â€Å"Seem? Or will?† â€Å"Too early to say, but I’m very hopeful. I have tried a number of things that would have broken them down if they were worthless and the new equations survived them all. I’m beginning to think of them as the achaotic equations!† â€Å"I don’t imagine,† said Seldon â€Å"we have anything like a rigorous demonstration concerning these equations?† â€Å"No, we don’t, though I’ve put half a dozen people on it, including Elar, of course.† Amaryl turned on his Prime Radiant-which was every bit as advanced as Seldon’s was-and he watched as the curving lines of luminous equations curled in midair-too small, too fine to be read without amplification. â€Å"Add the new equations and we may be able to begin to predict.† â€Å"Each time I study the Prime Radiant now,† said Seldon thoughtfully, â€Å"I wonder at the Electro-Clarifier and how tightly it squeezes material into the lines and curves of the future. Wasn’t that Elar’s idea, too?† â€Å"Yes. With the help of Cinda Monay, who designed it.† â€Å"It’s good to have new and brilliant men and women in the Project. Somehow it reconciles me to the future.† â€Å"You think someone like Elar may be heading the Project someday?† asked Amaryl, still studying the Prime Radiant. â€Å"Maybe. After you and I have retired-or died.† Amaryl seemed to relax and turned off the device. â€Å"I would like to complete the task before we retire or die.† â€Å"So would I, Yugo. So would I.† â€Å"Psychohistory has guided us pretty well in the last ten years.† That was true enough, but Seldon knew that one couldn’t attach too much triumph to that. Things had gone smoothly and without major surprises. Psychohistory had predicted that the center would hold after Cleon’s death-predicted it in a very dim and uncertain way-and it did hold. Trantor was reasonably quiet. Even with an assassination and the end of a dynasty, the center had held. It did so under the stress of military rule-Dors was quite right in speaking of the junta as â€Å"those military rascals.† She might have even gone farther in her accusations without being wrong. Nevertheless, they were holding the Empire together and would continue to do so for a time. Long enough, perhaps, to allow psychohistory to play an active role in the events that were to transpire. Lately Yugo had been speaking about the possible establishment of Foundations-separate, isolated, independent of the Empire itself serving as seeds for developments through the forthcoming dark ages and into a new and better Empire. Seldon himself had been working on the consequences of such an arrangement. But he lacked the time and, he felt (with a certain misery), he lacked the youth as well. His mind, however firm and steady, did not have the resiliency and creativity that it had had when he was thirty and with each passing year, he knew he would have less. Perhaps he ought to put the young and brilliant Elar on the task, taking him off everything else. Seldon had to admit to himself, shamefacedly, that the possibility did not excite him. He did not want to have invented psychohistory so that some stripling could come in and reap the final fruits of fame. In fact, to put it at its most disgraceful, Seldon felt jealous of Elar and realized it just sufficiently to feel ashamed of the emotion. Yet, regardless of his less rational feelings, he would have to depend on other younger men-whatever his discomfort over it. Psychohistory was no longer the private preserve of himself and Amaryl. The decade of his being First Minister had converted it into a large government-sanctioned and -budgeted undertaking and, quite to his surprise, after resigning from his post as First Minister and returning to Streeling University, it had grown still larger. Hari grimaced at its ponderous-and pompous-official name: the Seldon Psychohistory Project at Streeling University. But most people simply referred to it as the Project. The military junta apparently saw the Project as a possible political weapon and while that was so, funding was no problem. Credits poured in. In return, it was necessary to prepare annual reports, which, however, were quite opaque. Only fringe matters were reported on and even then the mathematics was not likely to be within the purview of any of the members of the junta. It was clear as he left his old assistant that Amaryl, at least, was more than satisfied with the way psychohistory was going and yet Seldon felt the blanket of depression settle over him once more. He decided it was the forthcoming birthday celebration that was bothering him. It was meant as a celebration of joy, but to Hari it was not even a gesture of consolation-it merely emphasized his age. Besides, it was upsetting his routine and Hari was a creature of habit. His office and a number of those adjoining had been cleared out and it had been days since he had been able to work normally. His proper offices would be converted into halls of glory, he supposed, and it would be many days before he could get back to work. Only Amaryl absolutely refused to budge and was able to maintain his office. Seldon had wondered, peevishly, who had thought of doing all this. It wasn’t Dors, of course. She knew him entirely too well. Not Amaryl or Raych, who never even remembered their own birthdays. He had suspected Manella and had even confronted her on the matter. She admitted that she was all for it and had given orders for the arrangements to take place, but she said that the idea for the birthday party had been suggested to her by Tamwile Elar. The brilliant one, thought Seldon. Brilliant in everything. He sighed. If only the birthday were all over. Dors poked her head through the door. â€Å"Am I allowed to come in?† â€Å"No, of course not. Why should you think I would?† â€Å"This is not your usual place.† â€Å"I know,† sighed Seldon. â€Å"I have been evicted from my usual place because of the stupid birthday party. How I wish it were over.† â€Å"There you are. Once that woman gets an idea in her head, it takes over and grows like the big bang.† Seldon changed sides at once. â€Å"Come. She means well, Dors.† â€Å"Save me from the well-meaning,† said Dors. â€Å"In any case, I’m here to discuss something else. Something which may be important.† â€Å"Go ahead. What is it?† â€Å"I’ve been talking to Wanda about her dream-† She hesitated. Seldon made a gargling sound in the back of his throat, then said, â€Å"I can’t believe it. Just let it go.† â€Å"No. Did you bother to ask her for the details of the dream?† â€Å"Why should I put the little girl through that?† â€Å"Neither did Raych, nor Manella. It was left up to me.† â€Å"But why should you torture her with questions about it?† â€Å"Because I had the feeling I should,† said Dors grimly. â€Å"In the first place, she didn’t have the dream when she was home in her bed.† â€Å"Where was she, then?† â€Å"In your office.† â€Å"What was she doing in my office?† â€Å"She wanted to see the place where the party would be and she walked into your office and, of course, there was nothing to see, as it’s been cleared out in preparation. But your chair was still there. The large one-tall back, tall wings, broken-down-the one you won’t let me replace.† Hari sighed, as if recalling a longstanding disagreement. â€Å"It’s not broken-down. I don’t want a new one. Go on.† â€Å"She curled up in your chair and began to brood over the fact that maybe you weren’t really going to have a party and she felt bad. Then, she tells me, she must have fallen asleep because nothing is clear in her mind, except that in her dream there were two men-not women, she was sure about that-two men, talking.† â€Å"And what were they talking about?† â€Å"She doesn’t know exactly. You know how difficult it is to remember details under such circumstances. But she says it was about dying and she thought it was you because you were so old. And she remembers two words clearly. They were ‘lemonade death.'† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Lemonade death.† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"I don’t know. In any case, the talking ceased, the men left, and there she was in the chair, cold and frightened-and she’s been upset about it ever since.† Seldon mulled over Dors’s report. Then he said, â€Å"Look, dear, what importance can we attach to a child’s dream?† â€Å"We can ask ourselves first, Hari, if it even was a dream.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Wanda doesn’t say outright it was. She says she ‘must have fallen asleep.’ Those are her words. She didn’t say she fell asleep, she said she must have fallen asleep.† â€Å"What do you deduce from that?† â€Å"She may have drifted off into a half-doze and, in that state, heard two men-two real men, not two dream men-talking.† â€Å"Real men? Talking about killing me with lemonade death?† â€Å"Something like that, yes.† â€Å"Dors,† said Seldon forcefully, â€Å"I know that you’re forever foreseeing danger for me, but this is going too far. Why should anyone want to kill me?† â€Å"It’s been tried twice before.† â€Å"So it has, but consider the circumstances. The first attempt came shortly after Cleon appointed me First Minister. Naturally this was an offense to the well-established court hierarchy and I was very resented. A few thought they might settle matters by getting rid of me. The second time was when the Joranumites were trying to seize power and they thought I was standing in their way-plus Namarti’s distorted dream of revenge. â€Å"Fortunately neither assassination attempt succeeded, but why should there now be a third? I am no longer First Minister and haven’t been for ten years. I am an aging mathematician in retirement and surely no one has anything to fear from me. The Joranumites have been rooted out and destroyed and Namarti was executed long ago. There is absolutely no motivation for anyone to want to kill me. â€Å"So please, Dors, relax. When you’re nervous about me, you get unsettled, which makes you more nervous still, and I don’t want that to happen.† Dors rose from her seat and leaned across Hari’s desk. â€Å"It’s easy for you to say that there is no motive to kill you, but none is needed. Our government is now a completely irresponsible one and if they wish-â€Å" â€Å"Stop!† commanded Seldon loudly. Then, very quietly, â€Å"Not a word, Dors. Not a word against the government. That could get us in the very trouble you’re foreseeing.† â€Å"I’m only talking to you, Hari.† â€Å"Right now you are, but if you get into the habit of saying foolish things, you don’t know when something will slip out in someone else’s presence-someone who will then be glad to report you. Just learn, as a matter of necessity, to refrain from political commentary.† â€Å"I’ll try, Hari,† said Dors, but she could not keep the indignation out of her voice. She turned on her heel and left. Seldon watched her go. Dors had aged gracefully, so gracefully that at times she seemed not to have aged at all. Though she was two years younger than Seldon, her appearance had not changed nearly as much as his had in the twenty-eight years they had been together. Naturally. Her hair was frosted with gray, but the youthful luster beneath the gray still shone through. Her complexion had grown more sallow; her voice was a bit huskier, and, of course, she wore clothes that were suitable for middle age. However, her movements were as agile and as quick as ever. It was as if nothing could be allowed to interfere with her ability to protect Hari in case of an emergency. Hari sighed. This business of being protected-more or less against his will, at all times-was sometimes a heavy burden. 8 Manella came to see Seldon almost immediately afterward. â€Å"Pardon me, Hari, but what has Dors been saying?† Seldon looked up again. Nothing but interruptions. â€Å"It wasn’t anything important. Wanda’s dream.† Manella’s lips pursed. â€Å"I knew it. Wanda said Dors was asking her questions about it. Why doesn’t she leave the girl alone? You would think that having a bad dream was some sort of felony.† â€Å"As a matter of fact,† said Seldon soothingly, â€Å"it’s just a matter of something Wanda remembered as part of the dream. I don’t know if Wanda told you, but apparently in her dream she heard something about ‘lemonade death.’ â€Å" â€Å"Hmm!† Manella was silent for a moment. Then she said, â€Å"That doesn’t really matter so much. Wanda is crazy about lemonade and she’s expecting lots of it at the party. I promised she’d have some with Mycogenian drops in it and she’s looking forward to it.† â€Å"So that if she heard something that sounded anything like lemonade, it would be translated into lemonade in her mind.† â€Å"Yes. Why not?† â€Å"Except that, in that case, what do you suppose it was that was actually said? She must have heard something in order to misinterpret it.† â€Å"I don’t think that’s necessarily so. But why are we attaching so much importance to a little girl’s dream? Please, I don’t want anyone talking to her about it anymore. It’s too upsetting.† â€Å"I agree. I’ll see to it that Dors drops the subject-at least with Wanda.† â€Å"All right. I don’t care if she is Wanda’s grandmother, Hari. I’m her mother, after all, and my wishes come first.† â€Å"Absolutely,† said Seldon soothingly and looked after Manella as she left. That was another burden-the unending competition between those two women. 9 Tamwile Elar was thirty-six years old and had joined Seldon’s Psychohistory Project as Senior Mathematician four years earlier. He was a tall man, with a habitual twinkle in his eye and with more than a touch of self-assurance as well. His hair was brown and had a loose wave in it, the more noticeable because he wore it rather long. He had an abrupt way of laughing, but there was no fault to be found with his mathematical ability. Elar had been recruited from the West Mandanov University and Seldon always had to smile when he remembered how suspicious Yugo Amaryl had been of him at first. But then, Amaryl was suspicious of everyone. Deep in his heart (Seldon felt sure), Amaryl felt that psychohistory ought to have remained his and Hari’s private province. But even Amaryl was now willing to admit that Elar’s membership in the group had eased his own situation tremendously. Yugo said, â€Å"His techniques for avoiding chaos are unique and fascinating. No one else in the Project could have worked it out the way he did. Certainly nothing of this sort ever occurred to me. It didn’t occur to you, either, Hari.† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon grumpily, â€Å"I’m getting old.† â€Å"If only,† said Amaryl, â€Å"he didn’t laugh so loud.† â€Å"People can’t help the way they laugh.† Yet the truth was that Seldon found himself having a little trouble accepting Elar. It was rather humiliating that he himself had come nowhere near the â€Å"achaotic equations,† as they were now called. It didn’t bother Seldon that he had never thought of the principle behind the Electro-Clarifier-that was not really his field. The achaotic equations, however, he should, indeed, have thought of-or at least gotten close to. He tried reasoning with himself. Seldon had worked out the entire basis for psychohistory and the achaotic equations grew naturally out of that basis. Could Elar have done Seldon’s work three decades earlier? Seldon was convinced that Elar couldn’t have. And was it so remarkable that Elar had thought up the principle of achaotism once the basis was in place? All this was very sensible and very true, yet Seldon still found himself uneasy when facing Elar. Just slightly edgy. Weary age facing flamboyant youth. Yet Elar never gave him obvious cause for feeling the difference in years. He never failed to show Seldon full respect or in any way to imply that the older man had passed his prime. Of course, Elar was interested in the forthcoming festivities and had even, as Seldon had discovered, been the first to suggest that Seldon’s birthday be celebrated. (Was this a nasty emphasis on Seldon’s age? Seldon dismissed the possibility. If he believed that, it would mean he was picking up some of Dors’s tricks of suspicion. Elar strode toward him and said, â€Å"Maestro-† And Seldon winced, as always. He much preferred to have the senior members of the Project call him Hari, but it seemed such a small point to make a fuss over. â€Å"Maestro,† said Elar. â€Å"The word is out that you’ve been called in for a conference with General Tennar.† â€Å"Yes. He’s the new head of the military junta and I suppose he wants to see me to ask what psychohistory is all about. They’ve been asking me that since the days of Cleon and Demerzel.† (The new head! The junta was like a kaleidoscope, with some of its members periodically falling from grace and others rising from nowhere.) â€Å"But it’s my understanding he wants it now-right in the middle of the birthday celebration.† â€Å"That doesn’t matter. You can all celebrate without me.† â€Å"No, we can’t, Maestro. I hope you don’t mind, but some of us got together and put in a call to the Palace and put the appointment off for a week.† â€Å"What?† said Seldon annoyed. â€Å"Surely that was presumptuous of you-and risky, besides.† â€Å"It worked out well. They’ve put it off and you’ll need that time.† â€Å"Why would I need a week?† Elar hesitated. â€Å"May I speak frankly, Maestro?† â€Å"Of course you can. When have I ever asked that anyone speak to me m any way but frankly?† Elar flushed slightly, his fair skin reddening, but his voice remained steady. â€Å"It’s not easy to say this, Maestro. You’re a genius at mathematics. No one on the Project has any doubt of that. No one in the Empire-they knew you and understood mathematics-would have any doubt about it. However, it is not given to anybody to be a universal genius.† â€Å"I know that as well as you do, Elar.† â€Å"I know you do. Specifically, though, you lack the ability to handle ordinary people-shall we say, stupid people. You lack a certain deviousness, a certain ability to sidestep, and if you are dealing with someone who is both powerful in government and somewhat stupid, you can easily endanger the Project and, for that matter, your own life, simply because you are too frank.† â€Å"What is this? Am I suddenly a child? I’ve been dealing with politicians for a long time. I was First Minister for ten years, as perhaps you may remember.† â€Å"Forgive me, Maestro, but you were not an extraordinarily effective one. You dealt with First Minister Demerzel, who was very intelligent, by all accounts, and with the Emperor Cleon, who was very friendly. Now you will encounter military people who are neither intelligent nor friendly-another matter entirely.† â€Å"I’ve even dealt with military people and survived.† â€Å"Not with General Dugal Tennar. He’s another sort of thing altogether. I know him.† â€Å"You know him? You have met him?† â€Å"I don’t know him personally, but he’s from Mandanov, which, as you know, is my sector, and he was a power there before he joined the junta and rose through its ranks.† â€Å"And what do you know about him?† â€Å"Ignorant, superstitious, violent. He is not someone you can handle easily-or safely. You can use the week to work out methods for dealing with him.† Seldon bit his lower lip. There was something to what Elar said and Seldon recognized the fact that, while he had plans of his own, it would still be difficult to try to manipulate a stupid, self-important, short-tempered person with overwhelming force at his disposal. He said uneasily, â€Å"I’ll manage somehow. The whole matter of a military junta is, in any case, an unstable situation in the Trantor of today. It has already lasted longer than might have seemed likely.† â€Å"Have we been testing that? I was not aware that we were making stability decisions on the junta.† â€Å"Just a few calculations by Amaryl, making use of your achaotic equations.† He paused. â€Å"By the way, I’ve come across some references to them as the Elar Equations.† â€Å"Not by me, Maestro.† â€Å"I hope you don’t mind, but I don’t want that. Psychohistoric elements are to be described functionally and not personally. As soon as personalities intervene, bad feelings arise.† â€Å"I understand and quite agree, Maestro.† â€Å"In fact,† said Seldon with a touch of guilt, â€Å"I have always felt it wrong that we speak of the basic Seldon Equations of Psychohistory. The trouble is that’s been in use for so many years, it’s not practical to try to change it.† â€Å"If you’ll excuse my saying so, Maestro, you’re an exceptional case. No one, I think, would quarrel with your receiving full credit for inventing the science of psychohistory. But, if I may, I wish to get back to your meeting with General Tennar.† â€Å"Well, what else is there to say?† â€Å"I can’t help but wonder if it might be better if you did not see him, did not speak to him, did not deal with him.† â€Å"How am I to avoid that if he calls me in for a conference?† â€Å"Perhaps you can plead illness and send someone in your place.† â€Å"Whom?† Elar was silent for a moment, but his silence was eloquent. Seldon said, â€Å"You, I take it.† â€Å"Might that not be the thing to do? I am a fellow sectoral citizen of the General, which may carry some weight. You are a busy man, getting on in years, and it would be easy to believe that you are not entirely well. And if I see him, rather than yourself-please excuse me, Maestro-I can wiggle and maneuver more easily than you can.† â€Å"Lie, you mean.† â€Å"If necessary.† â€Å"You’ll be taking a huge chance.† â€Å"Not too huge. I doubt that he will order my execution. If he becomes annoyed with me, as he well might, then I can plead-or you can plead on my behalf-youth and inexperience. In any case, if I get into trouble, that will be far less dangerous than if you were to do so. I’m thinking of the Project, which can do without me a great deal more easily than it can without you.† Seldon said with a frown, â€Å"I’m not going to hide behind you, Elar. If the man wants to see me, he will see me. I refuse to shiver and shake and ask you to take chances for me. What do you think I am?† â€Å"A frank and honest man-when the need is for a devious one.† â€Å"I will manage to be devious-if I must. Please don’t underestimate me, Elar.† Elar shrugged hopelessly. â€Å"Very well. I can only argue with you up to a certain point.† â€Å"In fact, Elar, I wish you had not postponed the meeting. I would rather skip my birthday and see the General than the reverse. This birthday celebration was not my idea.† His voice died away in a grumble. Elar said, â€Å"I’m sorry.† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon with resignation, â€Å"we’ll see what happens.† He turned and left. Sometimes he wished ardently that he could run what was called a â€Å"tight ship,† making sure that everything went as he wished it to, leaving little or no room for maneuvering among his subordinates. To do that, however, would take enormous time, enormous effort, would deprive him of any chance of working on psychohistory himself-and, besides, he simply lacked the temperament for it. He sighed. He would have to speak to Amaryl. How to cite Forward the Foundation Chapter 16, Essay examples

Understanding The Factors Responsible of Success of a Business

Questions: 1. Factors Responsible for Success? 2. Relationship among Management Knowledge, Entrepreneur and New Venture? 3. Stages in the Life Cycle of a New Venture? Answers: Introduction Entrepreneurship is among vital procedure in the contemporary economy. In present time, the big companies are focusing more on commencing new initiatives related to entrepreneurship. This is done to maintain a competitive advantage with innovative ideas with fresh as well as finest talent. Smart firms are actively catering to aspiring entrepreneurs, enabling employees to pitch their concepts as well as providing funds for the same (Jovanovic Lach, 1997). At the same time, aspiring entrepreneurs could acquire much knowledge regarding important lessons and develop expertise about adequate manner to run a business successfully, within the big company that is guiding these skills. In addition, working for a firm prior to commencing one's individual company holds great advantages. This is because a new entrepreneur has to consider all pros and cons to take right decisions, but an individual without any training would be less efficient to handle every bit of work. So, in this assignment, we would critically evaluate that how big companies with its employees having years of experience can put an aspiring entrepreneur on the right track to become a successful entrepreneur in the future. 1. Factors Responsible for Success Commencing a new business is a significant stage in any entrepreneur's life. But, prior to taking the prime step, one needs to have certain skills and consider essential factors that are requisite to flourish in the competitive environment. Basically, at the time an entrepreneur starts up a business, a great deal of work is needed for getting the desired results. In fact, there are several factors that eventually contribute to this ratio of success. The big companies, mainly appears to be appropriate here in providing training because they acquaint individual with real and pragmatic experience than what one has learned in the books. The positive outcome of working in the companies is that an aspiring entrepreneur who is like a raw soil becomes familiar with how the whole management is handled (Jones Coviello, 2005). Work organizing skills: An entrepreneur is the person who keeps a record of all forms including registration, potential suppliers and employees, business plan, finance and budgeting, time management and promotion (Kim et al., 2006). The tack about all the things is kept either in paper or by using modern technology like computers and laptops. If an individual is well organized, he can handle work related to all fields properly. The big companies who are performing tasks and dealing with abundant work can provide a good experience to aspiring entrepreneurs. The practical knowledge can teach ways and trains aspiring entrepreneurs to become organized (Keeble et al., 1998). Time management: Time management alludes to administration of time, effectually so that adequate time is allotted to an activity (Knight Csgil, 1996). The study related to New Bain Company depicts that lost time can result in the loss of millions every year. If an aspiring entrepreneur doesn't have the right time management skills, the company can suffer huge deficits. However, big companies like Dell, Amazon and American Express can guide a person to enhance the overall productivity for the business. The two conventional statements that states time and time wait for one as well as time is money are completely true. To have positive outcomes out of business, aspiring entrepreneurs can gauge knowledge about managing this infinite resource in the correct manner. Building networks: Networking is a powerful strategy to escalate and maintain success in a new company. It is about developing connections and relationships with the right individuals and suppliers to expand the area of networking. Big companies are masters who have wide networking range. New entrepreneurs can learn the tactics to build and retain important networks that are required to be successful (Johansan Vahlne, 1977). Appropriate business plan: Every company needs a blueprint to carry out tasks in an adequate manner. An aspiring entrepreneur has to make a business plan that would encompass relevant points related to personnel requirements, marketing process, strategies and skills that are needed. But, a person without any understanding about real world cannot handle everything thoroughly. In fact, training on big companies can teach him the proficient and a dynamic business plan that is essential for an enterprise. Controlling expenses: A business would be successful if aggregate income is higher than aggregate expenses. The expenses associated with production, promotion and other vital operations are inevitable. A beginner with no knowledge regarding the estimate costs needed in each operation can push the company in losses. On the other hand, working and acquiring knowledge regarding cost reduction can help an aspiring entrepreneur to save financial resources so they can be used in accelerating company's growth (Iyigun Owen, 1998). 2. Relationship among Management Knowledge, Entrepreneur and New Venture Management Knowledge refers to the strategies and approaches configured for identifying, apprehending, sharing and leveraging the intellectual strengths to improve the performance as well competitive power of a company. Today, with rise in intricacy level in the competition, entrepreneur is regarded as key asset for the enterprise. All companies require advance and innovative concepts that would take the company to new heights. Management knowledge is a basic essential source for an entrepreneur that can help to realize its exceptional significance in the market. Further, new venture and its performance depends upon the management knowledge that entrepreneur has in terms of market, available opportunities and relationships in and out the organization. Management knowledge, fundamentally, acts as an aid for the new venture to realize its areas of strengths, and the direction in which it should pursue its operations (Katz Gartner, 1988). With this, impact related to the performance is also measured using these knowledge assets by entrepreneur in particular. Besides this, management knowledge is considered as the base of innovation which is perceived as the reason for the competitive advantage. If there is a good scale of competitive advantage, there is higher scope for new venture to be successful. Utilizing management knowledge in the new venture is not just about contemplating new products and services or enhancing their sales, its the knowledge associated with layouts and procedure of products, existing relationships in the company, consumer needs, market, business environment, and other organizational assets. Thus, there is an impervious bond among management knowledge, entrepreneur and new venture that needs provide coherent information regarding how a company can attain the highest level of the success ladder. However, the complexity that exists in the above stated factors contributes in a huge manner to new business development as described below: Customer needs: This is a core factor for a company that decides its success or failure rate. A strong customer base could be achieved if the entrepreneur has adequate knowledge about the requirements of the consumer buying the goods. Having proper feedback to know their common needs can develop a beneficial relationship among new venture and customers. Organizational relationship: It is very critical for a new venture to have a positive and friendly working environment in the company. Entrepreneur can play a major role in development of a healthy environment at workplace. This would only happen if the entrepreneur has proper knowledge regarding the employees and suppliers with which they are working. This knowledge could be attained through formal surveys or by asking questions in informal way which provides an impression of how company is performing. Market: While entering into new market, an entrepreneur needs to have a complete knowledge regarding market and the level to competition. The precise knowledge would lead to success while incomplete knowledge might act as hindrance in the path of success. The market knowledge includes products offered by competitors, their price, strategies adopted by them and level at which you need to compete. Business environment: Change is the basic necessity that occurs in all organizations. But, a new venture has to keep a close check on the change that is occurring inside the organization because of extrinsic factors like technology, politics, economy, and society. A well informed entrepreneur about these transitions will help the company to grow in a positive manner, ignoring all the negative impact (Ireland et al., 2001). 3. Stages in the Life Cycle of a New Venture As we have seen, that there are multiple factors which cone together for a success of a new venture. However, new venture has to confront many challenges and opportunities too. Different issues call for distinct solutions. Identifying and surmounting common pitfalls related to success is highly significant for a business to thrive in an expected manner. Whereas, effectual leadership can create new opportunities for the future. It is true that management of a new venture is more complex than the one which is existing and have to go through many critical stages. Management thinking: For a new venture, management thinking is required or to comprehend the situation in a better way and ameliorate the process of decision making. An effective thinking can help the company to realize the strengths and potential of employees as well as company on the whole. This would help in focusing on the areas that need improvement, which in turn would help in the achievement of set objectives. Concept: Entrepreneurs have important role that acts as fuel in the growth of new venture (McDougall, 1989). He is responsible to analyze the feasibility of concept that is chosen for the company in terms of productivity. This states that an entrepreneur needs to have proper skills, so a right concept fulfilling all demands and fitting all angles should be selected. In addition, pros and cons associated with the chosen concept needs to be analyzed in an exact manner. Prototype: It refers to a sample which is produced prior to release of an actual product or for testing a particular concept. It is basically, configured to improve the precision level in the product that would be offered in the market. It caters specifications in a practical form rather than in theory. This is an important stage in the life of the product that lies between formalization and assessment of a concept. Test: The prototype, thus created is then tested for the quality to understand all associated risks and strengths. This is done to know about the efficiency of the product that is going to be offered. For a new venture, it becomes more important to offer a product that is acceptable in terms of quality as it would decide the ultimate success rate of the company in future. Scanning: This is a critical stage that a new venture faces where the product scanning is done to determine the cost and efficiency level which decides the future of all the hard work that is being put in the new venture (Knight et al., 2004). Startup: Though there are many opportunities like demand among niche audience, huge market, several funding options and technology to create products, however, there are certain challenges that every startup needs to consider (Lu Beamish, 2001). Today there is fierce competition in the market that every new venture needs to face. Secondly, if the product of the company gets acceptance, the demand graph rises in a quick and immediate manner, which will give rise to a need to hire pool of fresh talent. Also, with changing environment each day, the company needs to change and update its technological requirements and products too. Early growth and penetration development: At this stage, new venture has to make crucial decisions that would help in the growth of the company. Here the measurement regarding the popularity of the product is done to estimate the demand level. For this, entrepreneurs should make correct decisions regarding sales and attract new customers. The opportunity here could be identified as the curiosity for new product in the population. Continuation of success: For having a consistent success graph, the company has to work hard each day. They should also male changes as required and give adequate importance to the feedback of the customers. Sometimes the product loses its consumer base due to lack of faults in efficiency that company should recover. Re- positioning: Firms consider re- positioning when the there is declination in the demand of the product. There is a need to make moderation in target market for a product that has been launched before. For this, new plans have to be made and different strategies are adopted to focus a different sector in the market (Leiblein Reuer, 2004). Contingency plan: It is mainly leveraged for risk management which analyzes the risk associated with the situation. A company has to develop a plan for unusual situations that might rise in future. Financial and HRM: For a new venture, managing costs as well as human resources is a big deal. Entrepreneur needs to hire a team suitable for the company that would focus on those departments individually and can report to him in a timely manner. Proper management would lead to success and inadequate management of these vital resources can leave negative effects on the success (Lumpkin Dess, 1996). Conclusion Starting an individual company is a very captivating thought, where a person becomes his own boss. But, it is not that easy as it involves lots of challenges that need to be undertaken. Other than this, an entrepreneur should have proper knowledge about what is to be done and how it would be done. One wrong move can cost the company in a huge manner (Madsen Servais, 1997) References Ireland, D.R., Hitt, M.A., Camp, M.S. Sexton, D.L.(2001)Integratingentrepreneurshipand strategicmanagementactionstocreatefirmwealth,TheAcademyofManagementExecutive, 15(1),49-64. Iyigun, M.F. Owen, A.L.(1998)Risk, Entrepreneurship and Human-Capital Accumulation. The American Economic Review, 88(2), 454-457. Johanson, J. Vahlne, J.-E.(1977)Theinternationalizationprocessofthefirm:Amodelof knowledgedevelopmentandincreasingforeignmarketcommitments,JournalofInternational BusinessStudies,8(1),23-32. Johanson, J. Vahlne, J.-E.(1990). The mechanism of internationalization, International Marketing Review, 7(4), 11-24. Jones, M.V. Coviello, N. E.(2005)Internationalization:conceptualizinganentrepreneurial processofbehaviorintime,JournalofInternationalBusinessStudies,36(3),284-303. Jovanovic, B.Lach,S.(1997)Productinnovationandthebusinesscycle,International EconomicReview,38(1),3-22. Keeble, D., Lawson, C., Smith, H., Moore, B. Wilkinson,F.(1998)Internationalization Processes, Networking and Local Embeddedness in Technology-Intensive Small Firms.Small Business Economics, 11(4), 327-342. Kim, P.H., Aldrich, H.E. Keister, L.A.(2006)Access(Not)Denied:TheImpactofFinancial, HumanandCulturalCapitalonEntrepreneurialEntryintheUnitedStates.Small Business Economics, 27(1), 5-22. Knight, G.A. Cavusgil, S.T.(1996)The born global firm:A challenge to traditional internationalization theory, in:S.T.Cavusgil and T.K.Madsen.(eds.),Export internationalizingresearch-enrichmentandchallenges(AdvancesinInternationalMarketing series,Vol.8), New York:JAI Press Inc, pp.11-26. Knight, G., Madsen, T.K. Servais, P.(2004)Aninquiryintoborn-globalfirmsinEuropeand theUSA.International Marketing Review, 21(6), 645-665. Leiblein, M.J. Reuer, J.J.(2004)Buildingaforeignsalesbase:therolesofcapabilitiesand alliancesforentrepreneurialfirms.Journal of Business Venturing, 19(2), 285-307. Lu J.W. Beamish, P.W.(2001). The Internationalization and Performance of SMEs.Strategic Management Journal, 22(6/7), 565-586. Lumpkin, G.T. Dess, G. G.,(1996)ClarifyingtheEntrepreneurialOrientationConstructand LinkingittoPerformance,TheAcademyofManagementReview,21(1),135-258. Madsen, K.T. Servais, P.1997.Theinternationalizationofbornglobals:Anevolutionary process,InternationalBusinessReview,6(6),561-583. McDougall, P.P.1989.InternationalVersusDomesticEntrepreneurship:NewVentureStrategic BehaviorandIndustryStructure.Journal of Business Venturing, 4(6), 387-400.

Marketing Research free essay sample

Q: A new graduate hired by the marketing research department of a major telephone company is asked to prepare a questionnaire to determine household preferences for telephone calling cards. The questionnaire is to be administered in mall ­intercept interviews. Using the principles of questionnaire design, critically evaluate this questionnaire. A: Although it was stated that the questionnaire would be administered in mall ­intercept interviews all other aspects of the process were not included. If they are doing personal interviews, they can be more conversational than what is listed and include visual aids and room for clarification. They should also consider filming the interviews or using audio recording because recording comments verbatim is very difficult and often results in error. Question 10 should be moved up behind the other basic identification questions 1 ­4. For questions 1 ­4 it should be explained why the researcher is asking for this information in order to overcome respondents’ inability or unwillingness to answer. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It should also include the education level of the respondent. Question 7 should be moved behind the identification questions to introduce the topic of calling cards for adequate question structure. This will allow the respondent to communicate their beliefs, motives and attitudes without bias. It should not included the brand ATT because the respondent might not be informed about this brand’s calling card. The researcher either needs to inform them about it or just use it as a general question for all calling cards. This question is also likely to gain answers such as, â€Å"I l

TransAtlantic Slave Trade essays

TransAtlantic Slave Trade essays While there was slavery throughout World History, never has it reached such an epic proportion as during the Middle Passage/ transatlantic slave trade. Even today, historians do not know exactly how many Africans died at sea during the Middle Passage experience. Estimates for the total number of Africans lost to the slave trade range from 25 to 50 million. The slave traders acquired their Africans in one of two ways. One technique involved the slave trader lying in wait until an African would come along, and capturing the unsuspecting native. The other method required the slave trader to make an alliance with a tribal chief. The tribal chief would then wage war on a neighboring tribe. Any of the enemy that the chief captured would then be traded for goods, such as tobacco, and liquor, with the slave traders. The means of acquiring the Africans was satisfactory compared to how they were treated once aboard the slave ship. The more Africans the slave traders crammed into the ship, the more profit they would make once they sold their goods in America. Many of the ships were termed 'loose packers' or 'tight packers', describing the maximum capacity of the slave ship. Africans were chained together and made to lie shoulder to shoulder in the dark hull of the ship, where no fresh air ever found its way. So stifling was the air that some Africans actually suffocated during the long voyage. The stench of diseased and decaying bodies and unruly Africans thrown overboard lured sharks to the ships' course. The Middle Passage was a term used to describe the triangular route of trade that brought Africans to the Americas and rum and sugar cane to Europe. It was synonymous with pain and suffering. Smallpox, eye infections, gastro-intestinal disorders, and body sores affected slaves in the Middle Passage. "Fever" and "flux" were the terms used to describe common causes of death. ...

Quotes from Kenneth Grahames The Wind in the Willows

Quotes from Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows After retiring early from his career at the Bank of England, Kenneth Grahame spent his days in the early 1900s on the River Thames expanding on and writing out the bedtime stories he used to tell his daughter about a collection of anthropomorphized woodland critters in the highly-quoted collection of short stories that would come to be known as The Wind in the Willows. This collection mixed moralistic stories with mysticism and adventure tales, beautifully depicting the natural world of the region in imaginative prose that has delighted audiences of all ages in its many adaptations since including a play, musical and even animated film. The central characters include Mr. Toad, Mole, Rat, Mr. Badger, Otter and Portley, The Weasels, Pan, The Gaolers Daughter, The Wayfarer, and rabbits, which are described as a mixed lot. Read on to discover some of the best quotes from this delightful childrens tale, perfect for use in any classroom discussion. Setting the Scene of the Thames The Wind in the Willows opens by setting the scene along the riverfront, full of unique animal characters including the mild-mannered homebody named Mole who starts the story by leaving his home only to find himself overwhelmed by the world around him: The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur, and an aching back and weary arms. Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing. Once out in the world, Mole chuckles to himself about a great truth hes discovered in leaving behind his responsibilities of spring cleaning saying, After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working. Interestingly, the early part of the book feels somewhat autobiographical for Grahame, who described his time after retirement as mostly spent messing about in boats. This sentiment is shared by the first other creature Mole meets when he ventures out of his home and down to the river for the first time, a leisurely water vole named Rat who says to Mole, There is nothing- absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Still, theres a hierarchy and a sense of prejudice even in the cute animal world that Grahame constructs, as illustrated in the character of the Mole in that he implicitly does not trust certain creatures:Â   Weasels- and stoats- and foxes- and so on. Theyre all right in a way- Im very good friends with them- pass the time of day when we meet, and all that- but they break out sometimes, theres no denying it, and then- well, you cant really trust them, and thats the fact. Ultimately, Mole decides to pal around with Rat and the two boat down the river together, with Rat teaching Mole the ways of the water, though he warns of going beyond the Wild Wood into the Wide World because thats something that doesnt matter, either to you or me. Ive never been there, and Im never going, nor you either, if youve got any sense at all. Mr. Toad and a Story of Dangerous Obsessions In the next chapter, Mole and Rat dock near the royal Toad Hall to stop in on one of Rats friends, Mr. Toad, who is rich, friendly, happy, but also conceited and easily distracted by the latest fad. His current obsession upon their meeting: driving a horse-drawn carriage: Glorious, stirring sight! The poetry of motion! The real way to travel! The only way to travel! Here today- in next week tomorrow! Villages skipped, towns and cities jumped- always somebody elses horizon! O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O my! Somehow, Toad manages to convince Rat and Mole to accompany him on a carriage-ride and camping adventure together, against both of their better judgements: Somehow, it soon seemed taken for granted by all three of them that the trip was a settled thing; and the Rat, though still unconvinced in his mind, allowed his good-nature to over-ride his personal objections. Unfortunately, this does not end well as the reckless Toad careens the carriage off the road to avoid a collision with a speeding motorcar driver, breaking the carriage beyond use or repair. Consequently, Toad also loses his obsession with horse-drawn carriages, replaced by the insatiable need to drive a motorcar. Mole and Rat took the opportunity to excuse themselves from Toads company but admitted that it was never a wrong time to call on Toad because early or late, hes always the same fellow; always good-tempered, always glad to see you, always sorry when you go! The Elusive Badger Chapter Three opens in the winter with Mole leaving Rat to set out on his own quest while his friend took a long rest, namely to satiate his long-standing desire to meet the elusive Badger: The Mole had long wanted to make the acquaintance of the Badger. He seemed, by all accounts, to be such an important personage and, though rarely visible, to make his unseen influence felt by everybody about the place. Before he fell asleep, though, Rat had warned Mole that Badger hates Society, and invitations, and dinner, and all that sort of thing, and that Mole would be better off waiting for Badger to visit them instead, but Mole didnt listen and instead set off for the Wild Wood in hopes of finding him home. Unfortunately, while navigating the wilderness, Mole gets lost and begins to panic saying The whole wood seemed running now, running hard, hunting, chasing, closing in round something or- somebody? In panic, he began to run too, aimlessly, he knew not whither. Rat, having woken from his nap to find Mole gone, guesses that his friend had gone to the Wild Wood in search of Badger and sets out to recover his lost companion, and fortunately finds him just before snow begins to fall heavily. The two then stumble through the winter storm wherein they happen upon the Badgers dwelling. Badger, contrary to Rats warning, is incredibly accommodating to his two unexpected guests and opens his spacious, warm home to the pair where they gossip about the goings on in the world and in the Wild Wood: Animals arrived, liked the look of the place, took up their quarters, settled down, spread, and flourished. They didnt bother themselves about the past- they never do; theyre too busy...The Wild Wood is pretty well populated by now; with all the usual lot, good, bad, and indifferent- I name no names. It takes all sorts to make a world. Badger offers another side of Grahames own personality: his concern for the well-being of nature, of the effect mankind has on the natural world. Rats own misconception that the Badger is a mean spirited old codger could be interpreted as Grahames own projection of the criticisms hed received as a slightly cynical employee of the Bank of England who merely realized the temporary nature of human civilization as we know it: I see you dont understand, and I must explain it to you. Well, very long ago, on the spot where the Wild Wood waves now, before ever it had planted itself and grown up to what it now is, there was a city- a city of people, you know. Here, where we are standing, they lived, and walked, and talked, and slept, and carried on their business. Here they stabled their horses and feasted, from here they rode out to fight or drove out to trade. They were a powerful people, and rich, and great builders. They built to last, for they thought their city would last for ever...People come- they stay for a while, they flourish, they build- and they go. It is their way. But we remain. There were badgers here, Ive been told, long before that same city ever came to be. And now there are badgers here again. We are an enduring lot, and we may move out for a time, but we wait, and are patient, and back we come. And so it will ever be. Other Selected Quotes from Chapter 7 The trio also discusses the happenings of Mr. Toad, who has apparently totaled seven cars since the incident with the carriage several months before and was summarily arrested in the middle of the book- for more information, and to learn more about what happens to all the creatures of the Willows, continue reading this selection of quotes from the Chapter 7 of The Wind in the Willows: Perhaps he would never have dared to raise his eyes, but that, though the piping was now hushed, the call and the summons seemed still dominant and imperious. He might not refuse, were Death himself waiting to strike him instantly, once he had looked with mortal eye on things rightly kept hidden. Trembling he obeyed, and raised his humble head; and then, in that utter clearness of the imminent dawn, while Nature, flushed with fullness of incredible colour, seemed to hold her breath for the event, he looked in the very eyes of the Friend and Helper; saw the backward sweep of the curved horns, gleaming in the growing daylight; saw the stern, hooked nose between the kindly eyes that were looking down on them humorously, while the bearded mouth broke into a half-smile at the corners; saw the rippling muscles on the arm that lay across the broad chest, the long supple hand still holding the pan-pipes only just fallen away from the parted lips; saw the splendid curves of the shaggy limbs d isposed in majestic ease on the sward; saw, last of all, nestling between his very hooves, sleeping soundly in entire peace and contentment, the little, round, podgy, childish form of the baby otter. All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered. Sudden and magnificent, the suns broad golden disc showed itself over the horizon facing them; and the first rays, shooting across the level water-meadows, took the animals full in the eyes and dazzled them. When they were able to look once more, the Vision had vanished, and the air was full of the carol of birds that hailed the dawn. As they stared blankly in dumb misery deepening as they slowly realised all they had seen and all they had lost, a capricious little breeze, dancing up from the surface of the water, tossed the aspens, shook the dewy roses and blew lightly and caressingly in their faces; and with its soft touch came instant oblivion. For this is the last best gift that the kindly demi-god is careful to bestow on those to whom he has revealed himself in their helping: the gift of forgetfulness. Lest the awful remembrance should remain and grow, and overshadow mirth and pleasure, and the great haunting memory should spoil all the after-lives of little animals helped out of difficulties, in order that they should be happy and lighthearted as before. Mole stood still a moment, held in thought. As one wakened suddenly from a beautiful dream, who struggles to recall it, and can re-capture nothing but a dim sense of the beauty of it, the beauty! Till that, too, fades away in its turn, and the dreamer bitterly accepts the hard, cold waking and all its penalties; so Mole, after struggling with his memory for a brief space, shook his head sadly and followed the Rat.

Three Main Dimensions of Financial Institutions Essay - 1

Three Main Dimensions of Financial Institutions - Essay Example Even in 2011, we find that the markets continue to struggle with the question of economic reforms, in association with other basic questions, like how to develop sustained and enduring financial growth while also elevating fiscal responsibility. The development of financial systems is affected by various factors, which are, financial institutions risk management policies, ‘indebtedness’ of both individuals and sovereign elements, the banking system, regulatory delinquencies, and exports via the ‘exchange rate policy.’ Some modern researchers claim that the chief cause of the current economic recession is mainly owing to certain socio-economic queries, pertinent to a much broader context, like the enduring presence of income inequality, through the investments made in the line of education and human capital (Rajan, 2010). The World Economic Forum has defined financial development â€Å"as the factors, policies, and institutions that lead to effective financial intermediation and markets, as well as deep and broad access to capital and financial services† (The Financial Development Report 2010, 2010, 4). Financial development is the trajectory through which the states can work towards elevating the efficacies of their economic system (markets and resources), the banking sector, the monitoring of various investment projects, and overall strengthen the position of the financial system. Thus, one can view financial development as a major aspect of affecting a country’s economic growth and welfare (Huang, 2006, 2). Strong factual evidence uphold the notion that finance is at the base of a state’s developmental process.  

BUSINESS STRATEGY (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & TOWS MATRIX Essay

BUSINESS STRATEGY (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & TOWS MATRIX - Essay Example This study looks at the external factors in addition, seeks  to determine their impact on the  operations  of the organization  through  external  factor  evaluation  matrix. A similar exercise will be undertaken for internal factors through internal factor evaluation matrix. The paper evaluates CIGNA Corporation first by using Porters five forces. These include barriers to entry that were found to be high and increasing, the bargaining power of suppliers that was found to vary because of conglomeration in the industry, and a moderately low customer bargaining power. Additionally, the threat of substitute products was low and rivalry between competing firms was found to be high. In the external evaluation of CIGNA Corporation, the paper seeks to evaluate the Corporation’s opportunities and threats. CIGNA Corporation has several opportunities in its external environment, including market exchange rates, which, by being an International Corporation, it can take advantage of by getting higher earnings from regions with high exchange rates. There is also increased demand for health care, increased disposable income that would benefit CIGNA, ethnical growth from an expanding population, and a growth in retirees who require increased levels of health care. The various threats that face CIGNA include the reduction of premiums due to decreased disposable income after the financial crisis, health care reform regulation that directs them to insure patients through using pre-existing conditions, and the global recession that has seen unemployment levels go up thus plummeting the amount of premiums to be paid. The paper also evaluates internal factors that affect the operations of CIGNA Corporation, i.e. strengths and weaknesses. The strengths that are inherent in CIGNA Corporation include a strong national network that helps build credibility, a comprehensive offering that attracts a large customer base, growing global

Race and Crime Essay Example for Free

Race and Crime Essay Are minorities continually being unfairly arrested, tried and punished as a result of racial discrimination or do minorities just commit more crimes? In order to determine if disparity or discrimination is the cause of current over representation of minorities in the criminal justice system we have to study race, ethnicity and past discriminatory judicial practices. Are the historical discriminatory practices and past laws the cause of the systematic imbalance of power in relation to race, class and discrimination within our society that leads to more crime among minorities today? There are many theories on why, how and even if race discrimination plays a significant role in explaining the current arrest and incarceration rates of minorities in the United States. Social strain theory, because it also involves the most restriction to important social aspects of society is the one I most agree with. In my experience restricted access to social and cultural capital is the cause for higher than expected crime rates among our citizens who lack these two important aspects of crime control. The inability to achieve success based on societies’ definition causes stain and alternative ways of thinking to achieve that level of success, which is sometimes outside the confines of the law. The term race has traditionally referred to the biological differences of mankind. The differences that distinguish us by the color of our skin, hair texture and certain physical features determine what race we are. Some experts contend that race is just a social construct and people are classified and labeled by the culturally dominant group in that society. This type of classification system tends to imply that one race is inferior to another (Walker et al pg 6). The term minority is used for any race that is less in numbers than the race in power. Currently in the United States the â€Å"majority† is considered to be Caucasian and the â€Å"minorities† are African Americans, Hispanics, Arab Americans, etc. There have been many historical examples of minorities being unfairly treated within the confines of our judicial system. â€Å"Race discrimination and social and economical inequality have a direct impact on crime and criminal justice† (Walker et al, pg 78). In the southern states during the 1800’s barriers were created in the laws to separate nonwhite persons from the majority, white persons called the Black Codes. These codes created a legal line of separation stating where blacks could and could not go in public, what land they could own and how they could earn a living. The term, Color Line encompassed everything involving what water fountains and bathrooms â€Å"coloreds† could use and where they could stand or sit in public spaces. The Jim Crow laws of the 1900 were also racist laws and actions that deprived African Americans civil rights, claiming blacks were inferior to the whites and were lower class people. â€Å"The colored sign was the most visible mark of inferiority imposed upon African Americans by the Jim Crow laws† (Davis PhD). The punishment for breaking these laws and codes were mob lynching, serving prison time on chain gangs and debilitating debt imposed by sharecropping attempts to make a living (Davis PhD). Previous laws and codes set the stage for economic inequality of minorities in the United States. Income, wealth, unemployment are the standard measure of economic inequality. â€Å"All of these measures indicate deep and persistent inequality in society generally and with respect to race and ethnicity† (Walker et al pg, 79). In order to determine if race discrimination has the major contributor to minority over representation in the criminal justice system we must rule out the idea of disparity being the cause of overrepresentation. The concept of disparity in the criminal justice system refers to differences in say incarceration rates of a certain race but not because of systematic race discrimination. Disparity is a way to explain the high numbers of minorities as criminal perpetrators with legitimate factors. These factors could include, minorities commit more crimes, not because police officers, judges and juries are racists. Crime arrest and convictions could be solely based on legal factors. These legal factors include the seriousness of offense, mitigating circumstances and previous criminal records. These factors opposed to extralegal factors that include race, class, gender and lifestyle (Walker et al, pg 18). If arrest and conviction rates were based solely on legal factors with no weight given to extralegal factors, a high minority count would be considered disparity not systematic discrimination on part of the criminal justice system. To determine if only legal factors and not extralegal factors are the cause of an overrepresentation of minorities in the criminal justice system much more research needs to be conducted. If the cause of high incarceration rates is because of disparity instead of discrimination there is one theory I feel explains why there is disparity. The Social Strain Theory explains the causes of disparity among minorities that leads to higher rates of arrests and incarceration rates. â€Å"Robert Merton’s social stain theory holds that each society has a dominant set of values and goals along with acceptable means of achieving them† (Walker et al, pg 92). If success in life is measured by your social status, involving what you own, where you live and who you know then that is your personal goals for success. The ways to achieve this success are seen as hard work, education, self-control and as individual achievements (Walker et al, pg 92). If the American dream is not realized by a group of people because of societies inability to provide equal levels of educational and work opportunities to achieve success it results in what Merton’s calls social strain. Merton’s theory of social strain addresses the gap between what society views as success and a persons circumstances are for trying to achieve that success. (Walker et al, pg 92). Social strain helps to explain high rates of criminal activity among minorities because minorities are more likely to be denied legal opportunities to obtain the American dream by legal means. â€Å"The high levels of economic inequality experienced by minorities, together with continuing discrimination based on race and ethnicity, mean that minorities are far less likely to be able to achieve approved social goals through conventional means† (Walker et al, pg 93). In conclusion I believe minorities do commit more crimes today, but that is because of a history of discrimination and blocked opportunities to achieve social and cultural capital. The ruling class, the majority, because of past-institutionalized and systematic discrimination has created what we have today, a disparity among minorities involved in our criminal justice system. Therefore even though we have curbed contextual and individual acts of discrimination we have yet to address past discrimination in a meaningful way while still upholding the law. Bibliography Davis, Ronald L. F. Ph. D. California State University, Northridge. Creating Jim Crow. History of Jim Crow retrieved on June 2, 2011 from http://jimcrowhistory. org/history/creating. htm Lafree, G. Russell, K. K. (1993). The argument for studying race and crime. Journal of Criminal Justice Education. 4, 273-289. Walker, S, Spohn, C, DeLone, M. (2007). The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity, and Crime in America. Wadsworth Publishing Co.

Critique of Movie The Insider Essay -- Tobacco Nicotine Insider Film E

Critique of Movie The Insider A dramatization of 1995 events in which the tobacco industry allegedly covered up proof that nicotine is addictive and harmful. When Brown and Williamson executive Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe) tries to expose the industry's cover-up, he is threatened into silence. He eventually gets his story to 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman (AL Pacino), but CBS decides against airing it due to political and economic pressures, and the threat of lawsuit from Brown and Williamson. Before we start, I think it's important that you know a little thing about me, and where I'm coming from. I do smoke. But I believe that most of the lawsuits filed against the tobacco industry are unfounded, desperate attempts for people to put the blame on anyone but themselves. I think social security is a safety net for the financially irresponsible. I thought The Insider was a great movie from a strictly entertainment perspective (don't get ahead of me on this one!), and I enjoyed it very much. Russell Crowe is Jeffrey Wigand, a Brown and Williamson VP of Research and Development whose conscience compels him to blow the whistle on the industry. He claims that Big Tobacco has been covering up scientific research that proves nicotine is addictive and harmful. The writing puts a lot of energy into making sure that Wigand is a sufficiently complicated character, and one that we sympathize with. To be sure, he's not entirely one-dimensional. Initially, he does what most of...

Comprises the spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features Essay

It comprises the spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of a society and includes, in addition to the arts and letters, the value systems, traditions, modes of life and beliefs of the society. It also absorbs from other cultures and undergoes changes with time, sometimes beneficial, sometimes regressive. When the word â€Å"culture† is mentioned, we can think of many things as â€Å"cultural†, such as language, clothings†¦ etc, because we classify cultures of different places. However, culture is so valuable that it has to be kept for thousands of years,and passed on by one generation to another. Culture is so important that it is more than its distinct visible features, if we extends this to the inner self of a person, to members within a society, further to the whole community, maybe we can find some answers by finding out how they are affected by culture. Culture represents a whole community, to investigate how culture changes one’s inner values, we have to define some common beliefs, just like clothing that has some features that help distinguish its cultural background. People having the same cultural background, in general, are likely to behave in a similar way, because their education and religion background have also cultural elements. It is true that personalities are different for everyone, but culture can affect people to a certain degree because it provides an environment from which they obtain their values, especially for children at young age. For example, chinese are generally considered to be more respectful but the westerners are more open-minded and outspoken, their education style has played an important role, because in Chinese culture children have to learn to be composed and be polite and there is a border line between teachers and students, whereas in western they tend to be active to be appreciated by the teachers. Therefore people from different cultural backgrounds will have a diversity of ways expressing the same intention. Culture is important because it has some values that are automatically fill in a person’s mind through an environment, which changes one’s deeds. Culture also plays an important role to the interactions between members within a community. When the same culture can cause similarities of values, this can bond people with the same culture together because they will feel comfortable and easier because it confirms their values. On the other hand, they may find other cultures odd if they neglect cultural difference. Culture can pull a person closer, or further away to the majority, therefore culture is very important to the communication network in a society as well, maining the relationship among people. Since culture can form invisible bonds between members in the community, this can hold people with the same cultural background together, passing on the values. This propogation of values is can not only transmit culture knowledge and retain the relationship among people, it also builds up a long term tradition after years and years. Culture is strengthened in this way because it can give background and reference to its later generations of its ability of keeping the long-term tradition, gaining the sense of belonging of people to the country of that culture. It is important in terms of the development of a community as a whole, as it forms cultural groups together which help passing culture on from one generation to the next one, maintaining the existence of some traditional values. Culture contains elements that affect one’s inner values other than just external characteristics, which those values play an important role in his whole life. The communications between people are also based on culture to some extent and this forms cultural groups, passing cultural knowledge on, building up a cultural status to a country for years which people with the same cultural background will find them belonging.

The Tracker

– Code’s and conventions essay The tracker (sic) is an Australian art house film that represents Australia’s history through the stereotypical associations of the 5 men: the tracker, The Fanatic, The Veteran, The Follower and The Fugitive. Rolf DeHeer’s film uses a broad range of feature film conventions, which help represent the Indigenous culture, in both a negative and positive lines of light. Traditional values of Indigenous culture dictate the culture as both un-knowledge and uncivilised with no right to power. While the colonist culture was viewed as a civilised society, which could control the actions of others, but as times progressed the Indigenous culture was given more right to power and is now viewed as an equal to the European society by the minority of the country. Indigenous Australians were highly regarded to as the lower class citizens of Australia’s settlement, because their values and views were different to the Europeans as they could not read and write in English, but through time many aspects of the culture have grown in values of knowledge, language and rituals. These changes are represented through the film in varying scenes and chapters. The film is said to represent not individuals, but the whole of society (this is represented by the use of historical, metonymic characters). In a close up shot of the tracker’s hand, holding a mixture of bush tucker represents the idea of the knowledge the traditional Indigenous culture actually held. The close up shot of the tracker’s hand filled with flowers, bugs and insects intertwined with the native bushes of South Australia reinforces the knowledge of the Indigenous culture. It represents the idea of the tracker being a strong, wise individual with the knowledge and persistence to create an anaesthetic to drug the follower at a safe level, causing no harm. The need to keep the follower uninvolved in the murder of the fanatic, illustrates the tracker as a cultural character as he doesn’t want to be defined as ‘the villain’. In society this relates to an individual’s desire to be loved by other members of society and their acts to be viewed as ‘heroic’ and positive. As the film progresses, the men travel through the bush further away from civilisation and further away from the colonist power. As they travel toward their destination acts of betrayal, knowledge and connection to the land are displayed. In a shot the tracker is seen in the foreground, with the 2 remaining European men behind on horseback. The tracker walked at a steady, loping pace leading the way. His eyes only left the ground to search the surrounding cliffs of the bush filled gullies around him. The tracker comes to a stop after noticing the damp soil of where a rock once stood. To the tracker this was enough evidence to estimate how far ahead the fugitive was. In the dialogue of the shot the follower is heard questioning the wisdom of the tracker as he claims that he is leading the fanatic and the follower, but after explanation the follower is proven wrong and says ‘sorry’ to the tracker. The shot represents the cultural desire for an apology from the European culture to the Indigenous people, for the manslaughter, acts of violence, mockery and the stolen generation. At this point in the film the progression of the power change is seen immensely as all hope is brought back into the trackers face. The director has used the soundtrack ‘all men walk the path they choose’ to dictate the importance of being an individual and standing up for what is right. The diagetic soundtrack is an important piece in the film, as it contrasts all the metonymic characters together. As a counterpoint to the stereotypical role is the powerful song ‘all men choose the path they walk’. The song is is lyrically appropriate, which underscores the rhythm of the men’s walking pace as they walk/ride and each man has a featured verse that dictates their mood’s and feelings towards their journey. Apart from the soundtrack the director has used many appropriate patterns of progression to illustrate the growth of the character throughs; lose of power, removal of uniform, the chain, the separation at camps and the paintings symbolizing acts of violence, these are just some of the more obvious codes and conventions used within the film. Throughout the film the tracker is seen removing his uniform, at first his hat is thrown off into the bush after leaving the colonial civilisation, his shirt and shoes are also removed after the fanatic has lost his power, and by the end of the movie the tracker is seen getting up on horseback. These shots represent the idea of the loss of colonial power within the group. Traditional values wouldn’t accept the idea of the fanatic being over powered and the tracker being wiser then a white man. Within the film there are countless acts of violence portrayed towards the Indigenous Australians. Out of respect oil paintings were produce to display the massacres and torture. Peter Coad was commissioned to paint 14 landscape and figurative works of art for inclusion in the film. The paintings were used ingeniously to display violence in the film, a method that works to both soften the impact of the actions, and also make them so much more powerful. The works are portrayed beautifully into the landscape of the film, using dramatic and bold colour to depict the shocking and harsh nature of the Australian bush land. The director has used codes and conventions to accurately place the tracker as an Indigenous man that undoubtedly combines the best of both cultures, in his sense of what is appropriate. The characters that were capable of changed have done so while the others have perished in their journey. In today’s society the chicken twisties factory sell most of their products to penguins. _____ By Jaime Martens

Famous Quotations About Education

Famous Quotations About Education What is the role and importance of education? The word education comes from the Latin verb  educatus  Ã‚  meaning bring up (children), to train, or bring up, rear, educate. Throughout history, the purpose of education has been to pass to younger members of a society the values and accumulated knowledge of a society and to prepare these younger members for their roles as adults. As societies became more complex, the transmission of values and knowledge were delivered by an expert or teacher. In both the Ancient and Modern World, the ability of a society to deliver education became a measure of success. Great thinkers have reflected on and recorded their opinions about education and its value to the individual and society. The following selected quotes are from individuals past and present, representing their thoughts on the importance of education: Plato: The purpose of education is to give to the body and to the soul all the beauty and all the perfection of which they are capable. Herbert Spencer: Education is preparation to live completely.John Milton: A complete and generous education fits a man to perform justly, skillfully, and magnanimously all the offices, both public and private, of peace and war.Sully: Education seeks, by social stimulus, guidance, and control, to develop the natural powers of the child, so as to render him able and disposed to lead a healthy, happy, and morally worthy life.W. T. Harris: Education is the preparation of the individual for reciprocal union with society; the preparation of the individual so that he can help his fellow-men and in return receive and appreciate their help.Malcolm Forbes: Educations purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. T. S. Eliot: It is, in fact, a part of the function of education to help us escape, not from our own time - for we are bound by that - but f rom the intellectual and emotional limitations of our time. G. K. Chesterton: Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.George Washington Carver: Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.Jules Simon: Education is the process by which one mind forms another mind, and one heart, another heart.Thomas Hill: A complete education ought to preserve the pupils bodily health and strength, and give him command over his mental and muscular powers, increase his quickness and sharpness of perception, form in him the habit of prompt and accurate judgment, lead to delicacy and depth in every right feeling, and make him inflexible in his conscientious and steadfast devotion to all his duties.Robert Frost: Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. Robert M. Hutchins: The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.Robert M. Hutchins: Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to mak e them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellects, teach them to think straight, if possible. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.Martin Luther King, Jr.: We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate.Horace Mann: Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery.Anatole France: An education isnt how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. Its being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you dont.Victor Hugo: He who opens a school door closes a prison.Alvin Toffler: The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn.Aristotle: Education is an ornament in pro sperity and a refuge in adversity.

Lafayette College SAT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and More

Lafayette College SAT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and More Lafayette College is a generally selective school, with an acceptance rate of only 28  percent. Successful applicants will need strong test scores, high grades, and an impressive application. Students can apply using the Common Application and will need to complete the supplement specific for Lafayette (which includes a personal statement). For more information, including important deadlines, be sure to visit Lafayettes website. Will You Get In? Calculate your chances of getting in  with Cappexs free tool. Admissions Data (2016) Lafayette College Acceptance Rate: 28%GPA, SAT and ACT graph for LafayetteTest Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 580 / 680SAT Math: 620 / 710SAT Writing: - / -ACT Composite: 27 / 31ACT English: 27 / 33ACT Math: 27  / 32ACT Writing: - / - Lafayette College Description Lafayette College is a small, highly selective college located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The college has the feel of a traditional  liberal arts college, but it is unusual in that it also has several engineering programs. Lafayettes strengths in the liberal arts earned it a chapter of the prestigious  Phi Beta Kappa  Honor Society. Quality instruction is central to Lafayettes mission, and with an 11 to 1  student/faculty ratio, students will have lots of interaction with the faculty. Kiplingers ranks Lafayette highly for the schools value, and students who qualify for aid often receive significant grant awards. On the athletic front, the Lafayette Leopards compete in the NCAA Division I  Patriot League. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 2,550  (all undergraduate)Gender Breakdown: 49% Male / 51% Female98% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17) Tuition and Fees: $49,635Books: $1,000 (why so much?)Room and Board: $14,470Other Expenses: $1,000Total Cost: $66,105 Lafayette College Financial Aid (2015  - 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 54%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 46%Loans: 33%Average Amount of AidGrants: $37,472Loans: $8,493 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Art, Biology, Civil Engineering, Economics, English, International Relations, Mechanical Engineering, Political Science, PsychologyWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 94%Transfer-out Rate: 8%4-Year Graduation Rate: 85%6-Year Graduation Rate: 89% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Football, Baseball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Basketball, Golf, Cross CountryWomens Sports:  Basketball, Cross Country, Swimming, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Tennis, Softball, Soccer, Track, and Field Data Source National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Lafayette College, You May Also Like These Schools Dickinson CollegeCornell UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityDrexel UniversitySwarthmore College

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Essay - 1

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example Hemingway does not use the crucial word in any part of the story, but the context, dialogues and the behavioral pattern of the two main characters would make it clear that they are planning to travel by train to Madrid to abort their child. The most intriguing aspect of the story is its terse narrative structure that leads the readers slowly to the core of the issue dealt with. The third person narrative serves the functional purpose of describing the mise en scene and filling in the unavoidable details of action. Each word has its weight and significance in the story for the same reason. Moreover, the story makes use of symbolic representations through every image that appears in it. The protagonists have a few drinks in the train station in the Ebro River valley of Spain and speak about the hills in the background, the drinks, their shared life, the abortion and their future. The varying viewpoints of the man and woman regarding the abortion are part cleverly revealed through their conversation and action. Hemingway presents a fragment from the life of the protagonists, but this throws light on the effects of time and space on the quality of their life. They are presumably the representatives of the ‘roaring twenties, who led a hedonistic life after the First World War. The crumbling social valued and family structure have led to a freewheeling life where men and women lived for the moment, and tried to get rid of commitments and responsibilities. The tension felt through the curt dialogue shows how the attitudes to such a life differ drastically between the man and the girl. The man is obviously distracted by the prospective because he is forcing the girl to do it. He forcefully brings the subject during the conversation and says, â€Å"That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy†. He neglects the attempt by the girl to bring to his notice that