Research in Practice

Introduction Population growth and issues such as globalisation are the main drivers behind an increase in demand in the food sector. According to the USDA (2012), â€Å"Processed soybeans are the world’s largest source of animal protein feed and the second largest source of vegetable oil†. This can be used as an indicator that there is a constant demand for soybean in the food industry. Whilst it is a fact that the US are leaders in soy production, according to a study by the IDEI (2012), soybean is mainly imported into the EU as there is high demand and a large variety of products that are made with or from soybean. In fact, demand exceeds its production (0.9 million tons/year) and imports reach around 30-35 million tons per year. France, for example, produces approximately 140,000 tons per year and imports around 4 million tons of soybean meals for animal consumption, including 0.5 million tons of seeds. This type of issue has external and internal factors that could influence the PESTEL factor of governments within the EU. This is especially pertinent in Poland where economic dependency is on imports or on a small number of key suppliers. Nevertheless, different issues can be analysed in order to identify these types of problems, but one of the main factors is the controversy of GM and non-GM soybeans. The EU legislations refer to the non-authorization of the GM soybean and other GM crops in the EU, and authorization of high levels of import of GM soybean. This eventually means that 50% of soybean meals imported include GM. Nevertheless, issues such as the supply chain and the end consumers tend to be interested in healthier foods, and where the place of the soy protein ingredients could take place. Therefore, the study of the supply chain and adaptation of appropriate strategies may affect the increase in efficiency and profitability. Literature Review Focusing on the concept of supply chain, there are several studies aimed at understanding where a common view on the supply chain is found. For example, according to Simchi-Levi et. al (2007), it is clearly seen that the supply chain involves developing an efficiency for all of the inputs, while going through a process of transformation and coming up with the outputs using the best possible strategy. This has led to the development of new tactics and strategies in terms of operational and planning processes of the supply chain (Simchi-Levi et al., 2004) Nonetheless, Kreipl and Pinedo (2004) have discussed that in order to achieve a successful operation, there should be a decent planning of supply chain and goal setting. With an account of the whole structure of the organisation including micro and macro technological and financial factors (Lambert & Cooper, 2000; Bowersox et al., 2002), the supply chain is being studied in many different variations such as strategic and tactics. However, in simple business conceptuality, it is mainly about receiving minimum costs and predicting movement of the business. In order to be more specific, according to various researchers, there are five main factors that are involved with supply chain management such as the use of outsource teams (Bal et al, 1999) and according to Christopher (2000), the incorporation of processes which spread the risks but also the income. This can lead to better ICT skills (Morash, 2001) and also helps with a long-term relationship with the suppliers (Schonsleben, 2000). On the other hand, there are cases where wrong planning and expectation lead to relationship issues between partners and therefore, the production process. In order to ensure these issues are avoided, a coordination of the managers in different departments should be presented (GEMI, 2004). According to Anderson and Tushman (1990) and Christensen (2003), it might be overlapped by being more innovatively structured within the existing market, or as Griffin and Page (1996) argue, being new in the market in terms of the first mover. On the other hand, Sebastiao and Golicic (2008) combine the two views and argue that the success of a company is based on the development of the supply chain such as the dynamics of the market. Frazelle (2002) states that the entire organisation across the supply chain should co-ordinate in order to maximise shareholder and customer cost through methods such as analysis of the measurement from operations, vertical integration which collaborates the logistics and logistics services. The changes in international business have led to changes in the supply chain and pose many questions towards these changes and the strategies that should be taken by companies (Christopher, 2005), Hopkin (2010) adds to this perception and argues that supply chain management becomes even more important due to global business. Nontheless, according to Bozart and Handfield (2006), the company’s survival depends on the way that the supply chain managers operate it. The leading point of supply chain managers is the ability to create a competitive advantage (Klassen and Johnson, 2004). Lavoie (2005) provides an example of the agricultural product, wheat, in which the importance of the supply chain and the logistical performance are more dynamic in than simply the competition even though the process differs due to difference in handing and supply chain process. The price differs by grade of protein and other characteristics. According to the USDA, forecasts for vegetable protein demand in 2011 have grown compared to previous years which means that the availability of meal from South America might be lowered and this might be seen as opportunity for the USA to expand its share of the Polish soybean meal. (Agata Kingsbury, 2011) Thesis statement The main aim of this research is to allocate the supply chain of the soybean in Poland, the main producers, especially the main consumers and customers, and to allocate gaps in the market which could be seen as emerging business opportunities. There should be an understanding of the latest data and the major stakeholders of this particular market and industry. This could eventually identify gaps in the market, and might be a useful tool for market research in emerging members of the EU such as Poland, eventually creating potential strategies for establishment of a business in this specific industry. The following research could be conducted with secondary and primary research which is available through major agricultural institutions and different major players of the market, such as traders but mainly comes from the users of the Soybean in Poland. There will be a comparison with Non-EU markets as they are part of the stakeholders and exporters. With the allocation of the existing organisations in Poland, there might be an outcome for potential markets. There will therefore be primary research such as interviews with professionals included. Methodology Philosophy of StudyThe two following philosophies of Positivism and Interpretivism are going to be examined during the research of the emerging opportunities in the Polish market with soybeans. The first theory will be looking at other theories and attempting to generalise them through looking at their outcomes both in and observable social reality which eventually can lead to gathering of relevant data such as by looking at the market performance in Poland and trying to relate it to the concept of growth in the market and possible market gaps in EU food industry (Remenyi et al., 1998). On the other hand, there will be the use of an interpretivistic approach throughout the analysis of the interviews with the different Soybean producers and traders in Poland and other countries in the EU so as to non-EU members such as Ukraine, and finally, when evaluating the research findings based on the interviews for the industry professionals.Approach This research will mainly analyse business opportunities in the Polish Soybean market in the food production sector and is going to be conducted using the inductive approach. According to Bryman and Bell (2007), this particular method is the relationship between theory and the research that is being undertaken and finally, trying to evaluate and create a theory or concept out of the research. As in this particular research, there will be an analysis and study of the soybean in Poland and attempts to evaluate the issues that might relate to theory and concept which are the possibilities to market opportunities in Poland as an EU member, possibly become a European leader in producing soybean food products and potentially create possible strategies to develop the Soybean food industry in Poland by learning its implications and potential growth. Purpose of Research Explanatory research tends to be conducted by the researcher as the initial research requires the use of a decent amount of surveys to indicate the main topics for subsequent research. Consequently, I will conduct research of emerging possibilities in the Soybean industry in Poland and the EU and its possible growth and development, possibly finding challenges in the market of the food industry in Poland by looking at data analysis, eventually being able to develop a strategized correlation. Therefore, the qualitative data that will be researched may allow this understanding and will adopt a clear vision of possibilities at relatively new markets. This particular method could be seen the most appropriate out of the three methods for this type of study (Lee, Collier & Cullen, 2007) Research Design As the main research focuses on the Soybean market in Poland and its effect on the food industry in Poland and the EU, I will be studying these particular industries and their potential growth and strategic analysis and finally, recommendations. Therefore, the study will involve a case study of large multinational companies that are mainly controlling the industry in term of their size and pricing. These companies include Cargill, Topfer, Bunge, Desmet Ballesetra, EuroFin and other possible American and EU organisations that can be found throughout the duration of the research. According to Saunders et al., there is a need for using various companies for research in order to gain a better understanding and establish the relevant data necessary for the research. The Mmin purpose in the collection date from these companies is due to the fact that they are deeply involved in the market and have strong forces of influence on it. An important factor is to interview these companies and their regional director in order to begin to create an image of the Polish soybean market and its supply chain, and finding the reasons of why and what could be done better. Another important issue is why Polish is being studied and this is due to the fact that it is relatively new market and a new member of the EU with large potential in terms of development and its geographical and logistical preferences. Sample Size In this particular research, the sample will consist mainly of the Polish Soybean market and companies motioned above that are operated in Poland. As these soybean companies in Poland are European members, there will be an analysis of the EU soybean market and the main aspects of the supply chain of this particular business. I expect the sample size to grow over the period of this research. Secondary Research As mentioned earlier, there will be a study of the supply chain of the business. Therefore, there is a need to provide secondary data drawing on books on supply chain, statistics of worldwide agricultural figures and changes, and journal articles of the companies’ performance. In order to indicate the performance of the market and any potential gaps in Polish soybean market which eventually could lead to credible data for business strategy, there will be other sources that are provided by the case study such as reports and presentations of new strategies and their supply chain. Primary Research Furthermore, there is a need to research primary data, based on direct interactions with the studied area and the main companies involved in the industry. There is also a need to study the agricultural polish department in terms of regulation and understanding the actual business in terms of legality, and to eventually conduct an analysis based on primary findings from processing companies in the food industry in Poland in the case of the Non-GMO soybeans. In this particular research, the most suitable method for primary research is a direct interview technique which consist of mostly semi-structured interviews. There will be five interviews in total that will be taken during the summer of 2013. One interview will take place with the CEO of the multinational company Bunge and another interview will be conducted with the CEO of other similar company; MNC Toepfer. In both interviews, the main focus of the conversation will be the relationship of companies in Poland on their activates of business in Poland, from their trading perspective and so as manufacturing and relationship with local producers. Such as their supply chain, or challenges that they face in this field in Poland, so as their main reasons for entering these specific markets. Another interview will take place with a non EU member but also a major importer to Europe of Non-GMO soybean. This is the Ukrainian company ATK. The main aspect of this interview is to research the soybean market in terms of its production in the EU and the main concerns of food producers. Geographically, Ukraine has a potential for business in Poland with the Soybean, especially as Ukraine is one of the largest agricultural exporters in the world Two more interviews will be conducted with the Polish Soybean Extracting company Zlato Zerno and one with the Agricultural Ministry office in Poland. These interviews will be conducted to understand the actual concept of Non-GMO and the role of soy in the food sector in Poland and the EU. In terms of reliability and validity of the data, there may be couple of challenges such as whether the companies would like to provide the needed information, and if so, whether it would be based on academic material and world financial organisations such as the USDA. Ethical Issues The main ethical issues that might arise involve the primary research. When companies are studied, particularly private enterprises where there is a lack of transparency, there might be protection of particular data. Another factor is that most of the interviews are going to be conducted in foreign languages such as Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian and therefore, there will be a need for translation in order to avoid misunderstanding of the cultural differences in terms of language. Resources When referring back to the primary research, there are a variety of places that the interviews are going to take place in such as Warsaw, Kiev, Krakow, and potentially in Belgium. Interviews will take place over a two-month period of summer and shall end in London for evaluations.and further interviews on Skype or via e-mails. Conclusion Considering the growth of globalisation, the increase of border-free trade between different countries, the dramatic increase in migration and population growth and the rise in concern for healthier products and a more sustainable environment, there is a need for food processing with constant growth in this particular area. This particular research is aimed at covering the knowledge in this industry and sphere, so as to conduct strategic analysis and eventually to make outcomes on the development of the food industry in Poland, within the context of Non-GMO soybean, and its potential growth, by looking at Poland and so as Europe and non European member which are geographically European. Bibliography Anderson, P., and Tushman, M.L. 1990. ‘‘Technological Discontinuities and Dominant Designs: A Cyclical Model of Technological Change.’’ Administrative Science Quar- terly 25:604–33. Babcock, B.A Beghin, J. (1999). Potential Market for Non-GMO Corn and Soybeans. Available: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/18294/1/bp990027.pdf. Last accessed 15th Apr 2013. Bal, J., Wilding, R. & Gundry, J. (1999).†Virtual Teaming in the agile Supply Chain,† International Journal of Logistics Management, 10(2). 71-82 Banaszkiewicz, T . (2011). 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Picture Archiving and Communication System Essay

The Picture Archival and Communication System (PACS) is a system that permits several types of imaging including CT, MRI, plain X-rays, etc, to be captured, stored and transmitted electronically (using a computer). This would enable convenience for the doctors and other healthcare professionals in accessing and evaluating the images. Films have been used in medicine for more than 100 years. By using PACS, there is a great chance that the entire process of imaging would go from film to film-free, encouraging greater convenience and flexibility in accessing, storage, transmission and retrieval of the X-ray images (NHS, 2009). When PACS was initially developed (early 1980’s), all images including X-rays, CT scans and MRI scans were shot on films and then converted to images by taking frame-grabbed snapshots. Although technology was able to obtain snapshots of the CT and MRI scans on the computer, they were still converted to film and photographed, as plain X-rays had to be film-processed and then photographed. Once photographed, the images could be stored in the forms of files and folders on the computer system and shared over the LAN network. During the early 1990’s, there was also a chance of sharing radiographic images over an external network or with a dedicated gateway. During the 1990’s, the network connections were very slow and the images needed a greater bandwidth for effective transmission of images. Hence many of the PACS systems had failed to prevent digital transmission of information over a network of hospitals. The Hammersmith Hospital in London and the Sozialmedizinisches Zentrum Ost in Vienna were the first hospitals in the Europe to employ the PACS system in the early 1990’s (Inchingol, 2001). Today, automatic capturing methods can be used with PACS (first captured images) and this has replaced conventional imaging techniques with digital ones. Certain protocols have been developed by several organizations including the DICOM standards (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine and the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). Effectively, these two standards are utilized in managing the storage, input, retrieval and transmission of images. These protocols have been extended to use for laboratory and other healthcare settings which transmission of medical reports has been essential. Hospitals would play a major role in the management of the clinical data associated with the PACS system. DICOM is also ensuring that the end-users have greater conveniences in using the PACS system rather than creating greater problems and making issues more difficult. Another system known as Data and Picture Archiving and Communication System (DPACS) which was initiated by a university in Italy helps in several aspects including retrieval of images and remote consultation with specialists, transmission of information, etc. This system is superior and is capable of being used with other EMR tools. Several imaging machinery, hardware and software systems are based on DICOM. Newer management systems are effectively trying to integrate several components of the EMR with the PACS and develop a very strong integrated system. There are rapid changes in technology and the PACS systems have to stay abreast of the use of such technology. In the year 2000, only 5% of the hospitals in the US had a PACS system, which increased to 20 to 40 % in 2003 and 2004. PACS helps in the management of sensitive radiological data, and hence is very critical in handling the patients in various clinical setups (Inchingol, 2001). The use of a PACS system in a hospital may be initially very costly for the hospital, but in the long-run, there is set to be an advantage has PACS can help lower costs and provide several benefits in terms of quality standards, flexibility and the ease in transferring information to other hospitals. Some of the advantages of the PACS system include:- †¢ Images can be transferred anywhere over the network (or internet) and hence consultation with specialists can be organized across the world †¢ In the future, there would be several benefits as costs would come down, support would improve, standards would be more easily followed, technical innovations would be developed, etc †¢ PACS can be utilized across various setting including cardiology, oncology, surgery, nuclear medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, community medicine, etc. These specialists may require individual specialized images to be taken and used over the PACS. †¢ PACS promises to be a reliable and safe system †¢ Greater integration of the PACS with other systems such as the EMR, LIS, etc, to form what is known as the virtually integrated electronic patient record (VIEPR). In the early 1990’s, the implementation of a PACS system was very costly for the hospital. Some of the elements of the purchase of such a system included hardware, software, development of a network, infrastructure, support systems, etc. Initially, as PACS was newer technology, a hospital had to spend several millions on purchasing such a system. There was an even higher expenditure on running and maintaining such a system and the usage of electricity, and support staff. However, with time, technology of PACS became even cheaper, and there were several benefits noted including decrease in the number of lost images, reduced exposure to X-rays, higher quality of images, reduction in errors whilst observing the X-ray, etc (Bryan S, 1998). There is also a reduced need to use films, which helps reduce the costs of X-rays for the patient. However, it is important to note than although PCAS would ensure a film-free setup, there may be several situations in which films would also be required (Inchingol, 2001). The PCAS can be integrated with several systems including the radiology information system, HIS, VIEPR, etc. The vendors of all these systems should ensure greater amount of integration so that the functional efficiency would be able to be improved (Inchingol, 2001). Overall the PCAS has been implemented in several hospitals over the world and huge benefits are obtained in terms of reduction in costs, effectiveness, quality and access of healthcare, etc. Initially an organization may find it costly to implement such a system. However, in the long-run, there would be immense benefits and organizations would be able to recover the costs. Vendors also need to improve the integration of PCAS with other systems. Bibliography Bryan S, W. G. (1998). Costs and benefits of hospital-wide picture archive and communications systems (PACS): results from the evaluation of Hammersmith Hospital. Annu Meet Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Meet , 14: 84. http://gateway. nlm. nih. gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma? f=102237049. html Inchingol, P. (2001). Picture Archiving and Communications Systems in Today’s Healthcare. B u s i n e s s b r i e f i n g : n e x t – g e n e r a t i o n h e a l t h c a r e. http://www. wma. net/e/publications/pdf/2000/inchingolo. pdf NHS. (2009). Learn more about PACS. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from Connecting for Health NHS: http://www. connectingforhealth. nhs. uk/systemsandservices/pacs/learn

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DNA synthesis and repair - Essay Example contains over 3 billion bases that are similar in all people but the order of their arrangement determines the uniqueness of one individual and can be used to determine if there is any relationship between individuals. The DNA bases combine with each other to form a base pair for example when A combines with T, C and G they form a pair that is unique for each human being (Adams and OIRL Press, 1991, p.17). Each base is combined with a sugar molecule and a phosphate molecule and the combination is called a nucleotide which is arranged in two long strands forming a double helix. The spiral nucleotide forms its self like a ladder with the DNA pairs as the ladder rungs while the sugar ad phosphate molecules act like the sidepieces of a ladder (Kornberg and Baker, 2005, p.7). DNA serves the purpose of storing biological information since it is resistant to cleavage and both strands store the same biological information (Adams and OIRL Press, 1991, p.44). In the human body cells, there are normally 46 strands of DNA that are called chromosomes and they are coded in a sequence of heterocyclic amines (Adams and OIRL Press, 1991, p.47). The chromosomes contain genes that contain hereditary information used to distinguish an individual from another or establish their biological information. The human body cells are in a continuous process of multiplication due to cell damage and body growth. Prior to cell division the DNA material that was previously in the cell must be duplicated so that the cell to come after cell division will have a full amount of DNA material. The semi-conservertive process by which the dna material is duplicated is called DNA replication. The process is termed as semi conservertive since the DNA in the new cell contains one strand from the previous cell and a newly synthesized strand and DNA Replication take place by breaking the hydrogen bonds between bases of the two antiparallel strands (Adams and OIRL Press, 19 91, p.50). The unwinding of the two

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Economy recession - Assignment Example The former was achieved by formulating monetary policies which included lowered interest rates (as low as 0%), heavy purchase of Treasury bonds and mortgage securities and liquefaction of credit for financial markets and institutions. The deposit insurance limits for financial institutions were increased and comprehensive stress tests were conducted to ensure the stability of the existing institutions. TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) was launched in 2008 to navigate finances back into the banking institutions (Blinder and Zandi, 2010). These efforts ensured that the existing institutions were strengthened to face dire circumstances and that the financial system of the country was saved from its looming demise. Attempts were also directed towards the control of recession through policies. Several middle and lower class tax payers were granted with rebates, ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) was passed and several small stimulus measures were inducted. The deteriorating condition of the housing sector was rescued by reducing mortgage rates, providing of legal and larger loans, granting tax credits for homebuyers and through the bail-out services of TARP. The auto industry was also saved largely by TARP funds which revived the three major auto companies of US and the world (Blinder and Zandi, 2010). Even though the federal budget was highly strained in process, a recovery in the economic downfall and a change of course towards economic growth was achieved. It took two administrations, the Federal Reserve and the Congress to pull US out of its deteriorating economic conditions (Blinder and Zandi, 2010). Their policies are highly criticized as these had exerted immense strain on the Federal Reserve and the US Budget. Nevertheless, it is highly possible that the US economy would have been largely demolished if such aggressive actions were not

Film Report Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Film Report - Movie Review Example After a stopover, Warne reads a newspaper and discovered that she is the Andrews heiress who escaped away from his father. When he told her about the news, they both had a deal: Warne will keep Andrews in his company without reporting to his father while Andrews will give her an exclusive scoop about her daily accounts. Their journey marked the beginning of a blossoming love story. Obviously, the theme is about love, and it was shown first during their first encounter in the bus and during their sleepover in a small rental house. The director used a scene in which two different personalities clash during their first encounter to emphasize the theme. 2) What were the choices made by the main characters and what were the consequences of those choices? When Ellie Andrews decided to escape away from his father, she changed the course of her personal history. Because of her rebellion to her father, she was able to see the world that is different from her affluent upbringing, more so, she was able to meet the person whose character makes her fall in love. There were also instances when she hesitated Warne’s offers during their journey, but her final decision to accept those pleasantries, such as an overnight stay and a breakfast, somehow gave her good results. Peter Warne had also made an abrupt but necessary decision when two detectives sought for Andrews by acting as if they were a couple fighting. Both of them were able to escape from the detectives. During an encounter in their rented room, Andrews got emotional and professed her love to Warne, but Warne decided to stay mum, but he knew he loves her. The following morning, he decided to marry her, but sold his written story to his boss in a publication and hurried home before she wakes up. He got the money, but he loses his love, Ellie Andrews, when she phoned her father about her whereabouts. However, Andrew’s last-minute decision to back-out from a supposed wedding with the gold-digger made her ba ck in the arms of her real love, Peter Warne. 3) What three or four sequences are most important in the film? Why? First was when Ellie escaped away from his father. Because of that, she met Peter Warne and accidentally fell in love with him during their journey. Next was when Warne offered her a breakfast that made Ellie appreciated his efforts. That scene paved way for more funny but romantic scenes between the two. Next, when Ellie emotionally confronted Warne about her blossoming feelings for him, it made him want to marry her. When he left the following morning to secure money for his proposal and wedding to Ellie, that made the whole situation incomprehensible for Ellie that is why she decided to call her father because she thinks he left her. In the part of Warne, seeing Ellie rode in a car with his father also made the situation complicated. Lastly, when Ellie decided to back out on the day of her wedding after her father’s persuasion that Warne is a good person, she made the right decision by ending up with Warne. 4) Did the ?lm surprise you with anything unusual in its story, style, technique, or implications? The film is surprising in a sense that this type of theme, which I assume is a modern day invention, actually originated in the past. The exchanges of lines between the actors, especially between the couple, send shivery and fuzzy feeling to the viewers. It was indeed

Close Analysis of Citizen Kane Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Close Analysis of Citizen Kane - Assignment Example Strong backlighting is applied in making the characters appear anonymous to the viewers; for example, when Kane is told that Mariah has been packing the entire morning. Smoke was filled in a room to illustrate the light beams that emanate from the projectors and the lamps. Cinematography utilizes great composition. This is effectively through mirror reflection. The reflection shows, analysis of the life of the characters, and also illustrating adequately composed image. The mirror enables the camera to illustrate several reflections of the characters. The inventive application of lighting and shadow in the film shows a genre that has dark and moody environment to illustrate mysterious and violent scenes. Like the scene where Kane tries in vain to convince Susan to stay. Classical Hollywood narrative is a concept applied in film history. The narrative illustrates both visual and sound techniques for developing motion pictures and production techniques in the American film sector, during the period â€Å"golden age of Hollywood.† Citizen Kane is classic film; this is because it was produced during the â€Å"golden age of Hollywood.† Classical film style applies the continuity editing principle. This is because the sound recording and the camera do not concentrate on themselves. In Citizen Kane, the cameras also focus on the background, like the several statues at the beginning of the clip. The classical narration has psychological motivation. This illustrates the human character will, towards a given goal. Kane illustrates the great desire to convince Susan not to leave. But, Susan has made up her mind to leave, despite the pleas of Kane. Classical Hollywood narrations have continuous time flow. The flow is only interrupted during flashback. Flashback is applied in Citizen Kane to show the memory sequence. Classical Hollywood overcomes the two

Company Law - Capital Dividend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Company Law - Capital Dividend - Essay Example In this regard, directors should be considering the issue of shareholders as well as their interest should also be considered carefully1. Furthermore, apart from framing strategies for the obtainment of greater value, they should also consider how this value is to be distributed among the investors and other stakeholders possessing a certain degree of interests in the company profits. Consequently, while a company intends to generate profits and share it partially among the shareholders, one of the important issues that need to be considered by the directors is whether the distribution of dividends or payments to shareholders are made in accordance to Companies Act practiced within the region2. In recent times, there has been a strict line established in the UK in relation to compliance with legal requirements for distributions. In this regard, directors may find themselves at risk of liability if they grant dividends in breach of the rules; even if the breach tends to be technical o ther than substantive. The laws governing distributions of dividends in the UK are particularly incorporated in the Part 23 of Companies Act 2006. The law is applicable in both the contexts where accounts are prepared according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)3. The Companies Act 2006 makes it mandatory for all the companies to follow the rules and regulations prescribed in the Act owing to which, any sort of non-compliance tends to generate legal actions against the company. With this concern, the paper intends to provide a clear understanding of dividend sharing laws, governing in the context of UK Companies and further makes analysis of issues that need to be considered by both private and public companies in the course of making payments to shareholders. Understanding the Laws Relating To Dividends in UK According to Part 23 of Companies Act 2006, distribution to shareholders means â€Å"every description o f a company assets to its members, whether in cash or otherwise, subject to certain exceptions†4. The key aspects that Companies Act 2006 states affirms any company in the UK to be eligible to make distributions only out of their profits earned. Accordingly, the profits available for the distribution is determined as total accumulated realised profits less total accumulated realised losses5. It is worth mentioning on this ground that not everything documented as profits is realised in certain circumstances, where the accounts are prepared under the standards of IFRS. For instance, a gain on revaluation of companies’ investment property can be documented as profit under the rules prescribed by IFRS; but it cannot be referred as a realised profit6. In addition to this, public companies are required to decipher extra cautious attitude and check that their available net assets, after making distribution, do not fall less than the aggregate called-up share capital as well as reserves which are not assigned for distribution, such as share premium accounts, revaluation reserves and capital redemption reserves. Furthermore, the Act also prescribes those directors of the companies to consider their fiduciary duties prior to

Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942) - Essay Example The generic setting focuses on the historical discussion of cat people. Irena fears that sexual arousal will turn her into a leopard. Irena’s fears are confirmed when she turns into a leopard after her psychologist, Dr. Louis Judd, kisses her. The setting includes the usual wrong movie scene diagnosis by psychologists. The setting includes generic sad endings (death of Irena). The atmosphere or mood of the play is generic fear. Irena fears that she may turn into a leopard after being sexually aroused. Her rival, Alice Moore, fears that Irena will kill her in a fit of jealousy. Oliver fears Irena may kill both Oliver and Alice because they had betrayed Irena’s trust. One scene shows Alice running fast as she tries to escape someone or something following close behind. Another scene shows Alice shouting for help as she hears a leopard roar during one of her swimming activities (Manchel, 1990). In terms of generic cinematography, the camera is perfectly located. Perfect location ensures the black and white picture comes out very vividly and continuously throughout the year. The characters perfectly move from one scene to another in effortless manner. The cameras continually zoom in to show the facial expressions of the actors and actresses. The entire film is done in black and white colour (Manchel, 1990). Further, the lighting is magnificently done. The lighting enhances the story. The lighting vividly shows the facial expressions of the actors and actresses. The people have a better view of the surrounding movie scenes. The lighting increases the fear theme of the movie (Manchel, 1990). The color of the film is shown to have only generic two colors. One color is black. The other color is white. The two colors reduce the beauty of the film. Films with different colours are more pleasing to the eyes compared to black and white movies. The black and white film does not show the vibrant colours of the

A Research Proposal concerning Computer Operating Systems Education Essay

A Research Proposal concerning Computer Operating Systems Education - Essay Example My interest in this subject started as a realization, servicing computers at The University of La Verne. There seemed to be a great familiarity of an application when a worker was given instructions in a specific subject. When using a new application, the same faculty or staff became disorientated and frustrated. I pondered; could knowledge of Operating Systems help subjects adapt to new programs easier? My observations were that the more experience a customer had using a computer, the easier it was to adapt to new types of work. Of the subjects interviewed, few have taken an actual course on the operating system of their computer. The comfort level of the subjects who had used several operating systems, over a span of years, were very good at applying learned knowledge to new applications. Consider operating a computer is as much of our professional skill set as language or mathematics. Efficacy theory by Albert Butera states ‘Self Efficacy is people’s perception of their ability to plan and take action to reach a particular goal.† Another definition by Compeau and Higgins 1995; Marakas et al. 1998) is Computer self-efficacy (CSE) refers to individuals' judgment of their capabilities to use computers in diverse situations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_efficacy, 2006) I theorize that if a worker has a good basic knowledge of an operating system, he or she will build confidence through positive experiences. This encounter will drive a user to experiment and discover effective ways of using multiple applications.

Discrimination of black people and white people Essay Example for Free

Discrimination of black people and white people Essay This story, Black Boy is a great book that describes how the author, Richard Wright, suffered in the South of the United States during the time when there was still a lot of discrimination throughout the country. Since the author explained many of his horrible experiences in the past, this book cannot be written in a thin book. This thick book is full of his great experiences that wanted to be read by many people in the world in order to let everybody know the disasters of racism. This racism affected Richard Write a lot and he had to adapt to the environment that he was in, although he didn’t know how he should act in front of white people in the beginning of the story. There are not many examples in the beginning of the story since Richard was a little boy, and he still didn’t know about racism. He did know that something was different between black and whites, but he wasn’t able to understand it since he was too young. He even talks to himself in Pg. 49 that â€Å"I had heard that colored people were killed and beaten, but so far it all had seemed remote. There was, of course, a vague uneasiness about it all, but I would be able to handle that when I came to it. It would be simple. If anybody tried to kill me, then I would kill them first. † After this, he realized the harshness of racism around his society when Uncle Hoskins got shot by a white man when he was at the saloon. And the reason is just because a black man was earning a lot of money and the white man became jealous. Also after this scene, there is an another example in Pg. 172 where he met his classmate, Ned Greenley who had lost his brother since the whites shot him for a specific reason. Ned said, â€Å"Th-they said he was fooling with a white prostitute there in the hotel. † Richard was shocked since he could be in those kinds of situations at any time. Richards starts to think of really going to North soon as possible now. In Chapter nine, there is a scene that is really harsh where Richard sees it, but could do nothing. This scene is at the clothing store for black people where Richard worked. The black employees were treated like slaves in the store; the white owners would push, kick, or slap the blacks. Although Richard saw this scene many times, he never got used to it. Another big thing is the time when Richard sees a black woman getting raped by two white men. This is a part from the book that describes how evil this time of period was. On Pg. 179, it says, â€Å"White people passed and looked on without expression. A white policeman watched from the corner, twirling his night stick; but he made no move. I watched out of the corner of my eyes, but I never slackened the strokes of my chamois upon the brass. After a moment or two I heard shrill screams coming from the rear room of the store; later the woman stumbled out, bleeding, crying, holding her stomach, her clothing torn. When she reached the sidewalk, the policeman met her, grabbed her, accused her of being drunk, called a patrol wagon and carted her away. † When I read this scene, it really hurt my heart. I couldn’t believe that the police didn’t do anything at all and although the policeman knew that the black woman was raped, he accused her of being drunken. Richard could have thought of saving the woman, but if he did something to the whites, he could be killed. Therefore, Richard wasn’t able to do anything. All he could do was to feel sorry for the lady. This doesn’t mean that Richard didn’t worry about the woman, it was the way how he had to act in the South. After Richard realizes the social cycle between the whites and the blacks at his work place, he sacrifices his morals to save more money. He begins to bootleg liquor to sell to white prostitutes in the hotel that he worked at. After that, he involves in a ring for scamming tickets. Then, he quickly amasses enough money to move out to the North. Although Richard was working earnest, he quits it because it was very hard to collect money if he had worked earnestly. Since Richard Write had an experience that he does not want to experience anymore, he was able to write this book, which would tell all the readers that discrimination or racism is not a good thing to do. He explained how he had to act as a black man; if he didn’t act like a black man, he might have not gotten the chance of writing this book. Richard Write had explained how blacks should act as a black, and although many horrible things were occurring around him, he wasn’t able to change it since he was just a black man. I feel that Richard really wanted to resist against the white men but if he did, he knew that he was going to be dead. Although in the beginning of the story, he said that, â€Å"If anybody tried to kill me, then I would kill them first†, as a result he wasn’t able to disobey the whites because he was scared of death. Since he was able to adapt to the society that he was in, he was able to earn money and was able to go to the North to have a better life.

Master Slave Dialect Essay Example for Free

Master Slave Dialect Essay The insightful analysis of Hegel in his Phenomenology of Spirit concerning the development of self consciousness revolves around the important impulse to â€Å"Self Consciousness† in which he details the master/slave dialectic. Contrary to preceding German Idealists, Hegel does not hold the assumption that the conscious agent is self conscious a priori; rather, the agent must establish this notion of self-conception through experience. This experience become developed through time and is therefore associated with the concept of â€Å"history†. It can even be claimed that any development of self consciousness must be conditioned historically as much as it draws upon the demands of desire and the means to its sating. Self consciousness is therefore far from innate with regard to individual agent. This break with tradition appears to be in arguing that self consciousness emerges out of non-self consciousness over time in a process which is conditioned historically. Commentators are however not in agreement in regard to the specifics of this historical process and its holistic ontological location, particularly in the nature of the process which underlies the development of self consciousness. Alexandre Kojeve finds Hegels dialectic of the mater/slave relationship to be referring to historically conditioned, material processes. The basic question concerns the amount of historicity required for the development of self consciousness: is it a purely external process brought about by the conflict between two living beings, or is it an internal struggle that encompasses the conflict between various faculties? Kojeve argues for the former interpretation. Kojeve on the Historicity of the Master/Slave Dialectic Kojeves analysis of the master/slave dialectic integrates Marxist conception of class struggle with Hegels phenomenological account. Beginning with Hegels view of desire, Kojeve holds the assumption that the physical creature is the basic unit of consciousness and the locus of desiring. It is from this foundation that humans, together with animals, have desire referred to as the drive to alter external shapes or forms of being to that which would suit their own interests and being. Desire seeks to transform the world, to negate the external object in its own existence and put it to the use of the desiring being. Kojeve, for instance, points to the desire of hunger as a clear example of a desire that a being has that negates the very existence of an object through radical change. The essence of human being lies in this power of negation; he argues that man is negating action, which transforms given being and by transforming it, transforms itself (Kojeve, 1980: 38). The difference that lies between human desire and animal desire is that human desire goes so far as to surpass itself. Humans possess desires that result in the negation of their conception as natural beings. This leads to the possibility of self consciousness which needs â€Å"transcendence of self with respect to self as given† (ibid 39). The key to this transcendence could be human desire if it focuses on that which liberates oneself from that mode of being. The ability to desire non-being is characteristically human and enables an individual to free himself from the concept of being that so enslaves human life. Instead of corresponding to the pulls and pushes of nature, humans can employ desire to transcend the mere â€Å"freedom of the turnspit† and achieve self consciousness. Kojeve is stressing on the biological basis of the master/slave relationship by labeling biological drives â€Å"desires†. The major difference between humans and animals is the ability of humans to desire non-being or death. According to Kojeve, the ability to desire non-being is the extreme limiting case of human freedom. Humans are free from their essence in the most basic way possible; they can opt to end it through their own desires. It is at this point that a desiring consciousness makes the realization that there are more than objects of desire in the world. The desiring subject becomes cognizant of other conscious beings in the world. According to Kojeve, a conscious being can only be satisfied when the other desiring conscious meets its desire for recognition. This is not a natural reciprocation from other beings, and the consequent lines of action are competitive in nature. There exists a struggle between the two agents in a life and death fight for recognition of the other. It appears that since humans demand recognition from the other being and possess the capacity to transcend natural animal desires through the desire of non-being, a struggle ensues between these desires. It seems as if Kojeve is arguing that freedom and ultimate worth reside in the ability of the being to defy nature and desire, and risking destruction in the face of inclinations towards natural preservation. Why is this risk being taken? The non-essential end of this endeavor is identification from another desiring consciousness. The only moment that animals seem to risk their lives is when they are pursuing the means to preserve their life. Humans on the other hand can defy nature to achieve desired recognition from other creatures of the same capabilities. Recognition cannot be gained from any animal in this scheme. It must be from a being that can also risk all of its natural prerogatives in the pursuit of the same end of recognition. Kojeve conceives of Hegels transition from a life and death struggle to one in which no being dies as a last and irreducible premise in the Phenomenology. It appears to be a mere assumption that the deadly struggle ends in one being assuming the role of the master and the other of the slave. According to Kojeve, this results from the ability of the master, and the inability of the slave to resist his natural instincts for survival. The master was strong enough to continue risking his life, while the slave eventually succumbed to his natural desires and attempted to preserve his life through assuming the role of the slave. Kojeve suggests that, â€Å"the vanquished has subordinated his human desire for recognition to the biological desire preserve life. The victor has risked his life for a non-vital end† (ibid 42). At the beginning of the struggle, the two agents appear to be unequal with regard to resolution and stamina. The one who is to be the slave is not capable of continuing the struggle and is therefore forced into subjection as the only way of preserving his life. It must be judged therefore that if both agents had similar resolution and power, the struggle could possibly and with both being slain. This is of course a condition that would not aid the establishment of self consciousness or the extension of biological life, perhaps explaining which Hegel stresses on the ascendance of one master and the servitude of one slave. The work of the slave is the intermediary between the master and the world of nature. According to Kojeve, it is this work that enables the master to satisfy all his needs without personal expectation; the master desires while the work of the slave bends nature to meet these desires. From the masters perspective, desire is followed by immediate satisfaction. From the perspective of the slave, the desire of another is answered with their labor, which then results in the others desire being satisfied. In this scheme, the master is tied to the drives of nature; while he could risk his own natural drives to secure recognition from the subjugated other, his courage and freedom then faded into a mere pursuit of particular biological desires. According to Kojeve, the master remains a natural being, an animal since he maintains this state of egocentric desire and the satisfaction of desire. The actual action of negation and transformation that is achieved in the instantiated relationship of the master and the slave appears in that of the slave. He is the one that is acting and transforming the world, whereas the master merely has desires qua natural being. Given this foundation, Kojeve realizes that the base is set for the possibility of a historical process which is holistically the history of the Fights and the Work that finally ended in the Napoleonic wars and the table on which Hegel wrote the Phenomenology so as to comprehend both those wars and the table. History starts with the resolution of the initial struggle into two classes, those of the master and slave. All material products and future struggle are to be comprehended within this simple framework of master/slave dialectic. History is nothing but a product of the master/slave struggle, made up of entirely of such struggles, and is no more when such struggles end physically. The materialist tendencies in such a conception is quite evident especially when Kojeve remarks that man must always be either master or slave, and that beings must be in a relation with each other for them to be at least considered human. The extreme historicity of the master/slave dialectic is obvious in this conception which is important in describing not only the progress of world history but also the universal history, offering in details the interaction of humanity with the rest of the natural world. According to Hegel, the slave interacts with nature. It therefore follows that natural history details the progress of slave overcoming nature and bending it to its will. The will of the slave is however not the operative force here; instead, it is the masters mediated will that drives the slave to his interaction with nature through his labor. According to Kojeve, it is this fundamental interaction with nature that enables the dialectic reversal of the masters dominance and the slaves subservience in the Phenomenology. The reading of Hegels master/slave dialectic by Kojeve is quite materially founded in its historicity. It involves conflict of individuals or groups, and requires that they resolve into two groups; those that fear death and become the slaves and those that can surpass this fear of death by risking their life and become masters. History starts with this struggle, and the entire history is the continuation of this struggle until the slaves are finally freed from the tyranny of the masters. The sources of this ultimate freedom are work, fear, and service, but only after the slave journeys through a series of ideologies, by which he seeks to justify himself, his slavery, to reconcile the ideal of freedom with the fact of slavery (ibid, 53). The final point of history, according to Kojeve, is when the physical struggle between mater and slave ultimately ceases. History reaches its final point since it is nothing but the constant struggle between masters and slaves. It is in this note that Kojeve ignores much of Hegels true purpose behind Phenomenology. Inadequacy of Kojeves formulation The materialist reading of the master/slave dialectic has been characterized by much criticism owing to what it has ignored concerning Hegels phenomenology. In emphasizing on the purely external struggle between two agents, such a reading simplifies the integral, internal role of another in the establishment of the subjects self consciousness. Kojeve unduly restricts the master/slave analysis in Hegels Phenomenology to the external struggle between two creatures. The true reading of this dialectic must encompass other perspectives as well. The master/slave dialectic can be explicated from three perspectives. The first is the social which is exclusively adopted by Kojeve. This reading focuses on the physical, actual struggle of persons or groups to acquire recognition and power. It is however not enough to take this social perspective for the entire master/slave dialectic. The psychological perspective complements it, which regards the dialectic as an interpersonal struggle within the individual ego. With this regard, the master and slave are various powers or patterns of the mind itself. The latter perspective is one of fusion between the previous two perspectives; the ego is changed by internal processes that are set in motion due to the external struggle between agents. As far as the limitations of the social perspective is concerned, there is no problem with Kojeves analysis. The actual disagreement with Kojeve is enabling the historicity of the psychological account of the master/slave dialectic without reducing it to material conflict between physical agents. The heart of Hegels though is the Platonic parallel between conflict in the stater and conflict in the individual agent. According to this interpretation, the quest for harmony will enable the master/slave dialectic on the levels of both the social and the psychological. The psychological perspective on this dialectic is required to comprehend the succeeding development of self consciousness. Vital to this conception is the idea that the faculties of the ego must contend in order to act because a single comprehensive faculty, regardless of the number of egos, would render them either completely static or completely destructive. Therefore, internal conflict must underlie any external conflict. There is thus the possibility of giving a psychological interpretation of the master/slave dialectic as a struggle within the soul, of the ego striving for self consciousness. Problem with Kojeve according to Carl Schmitt and Emmanuel Levinas The fundamental commonality between Schmitt and Levinas is their replacement of a Hegelian conception of politics as a struggle for recognition emanating from an originary battle to the death with the view that the originary relationship is rather between the rescuer and the victim, always in the presumed presence of some third whose ethical position is not known. At the end of a century that is characterized and dominated by the dialectic of revolution and counter revolution, a shift to Levinas and/or Schmitt can help in understanding the post cold war linkage between the global and the local as a humanitarian relation between the rescuers and the victims and a political doctrine of preemptive third party intervention. Lavina argues that, by relating to beings in the openness of being, understanding finds a meaning for them in terms of being (Lavina, 2006: 87). With this regard, understanding does not invoke them but only names them. Understanding therefore carries an act of violence and of negation. Violence is therefore a partial negation. This partial negation can be defined by the fact that without disappearing, beings are within ones power. Violence denies the independence of beings. Possession is the means whereby a being, while existing, is partially denied. Lavina holds that it is not merely a fact that the being is an instrument and a tool, that is, as a means, it is also an end. According to Lavinas, peace is the paradigmatic ethical relation between one and another in proximity. As a relationship of pure exteriority of two neighbors, each of whom is incapable of knowing the others inner life, peace is entirely different in its origin and demands from the political pursuit of justice. Lavinas sees the responsibility for other human being as anterior to every question. Lavinas acknowledges politics as involving comparison, reciprocity and equality which is external to ethics and is always about peace rather than justice, and presumes human incommensurability. The specific political distinction to which political actions can be reduced is that between friend and enemy according to Schmitt (Schmitt, 1996: 26). The antithesis of friend and enemy does not contradict to the relatively independent criteria of other antitheses. He conceives of the distinction between friend and enemy to denote the utmost degree of intensity of union or separation, association or dissociation. It can exist both in theory and in practice without having to draw from other distinctions. His view shifts from that of Kojeve in the sense that he conceives of the other not to be necessarily an economic competitor. In other words, he does not view master/slave dialectic in the sense that Kojeve views it. According to him, a political enemy does not necessarily have to appear as a competitor. According to him, only the actual participants can correctly identify, comprehend and judge the concrete situation and settle the extreme case of conflict. Each participant, he argues, is in a position to judge whether the adversary intends to negate his opponents way of life and therefore must be repulsed or fought in order to preserve ones own form of existence (Schmitt, 1996: 27). Terrorism as it pertains to master slave dialect Terrorism is an ideology of violence meant to intimidate or cause terror for the aim of exerting pressure on decision making by state bodies. It encompasses a series of acts that are meant to spread intimidation, panic, and destruction in a population. These acts can either be carried out by individuals and groups that are opposing a state or acting on behalf of the state. The question of violence is closely connected with sovereignty. The master slave dialectic must be a violence that makes sense, violence that results in the production of sense in the form of man and history. Terrorism on the other hand is a senseless violence that lays waste without recognition. In order to produce history, the master slave dialectic must produce the positions of master and slave. Because the master has not encountered death in all its terrifying reality as the absolute master and the slave has, the slave possesses the power over the master. In this situation, the act of terrorism is a struggle between masters and slaves. The terrorists have confronted the reality of death. Having defeated the slave, the master forced him to work. This labor implies that while the master is idle, the slave labors at transforming the world. The transforming labor of the slave eventually gives it the power to take up once the liberating Fight for recognition that he refused initially for fear of death. Terrorism thus becomes an element of a struggle between the master and the slave. According to master slave dialectic, the course of history is determined by this struggle.

Brazil As An Emerging Market Economy Business Essay

Brazil As An Emerging Market Economy Business Essay Globalisation has become the order of the day and as multinational companies are scouting for new avenues in the bid to achieve competitive advantage over rivals and have at the same time economic viability of operations, nations too are vying with each other for a significant share of the global economic pie to cater to the development of themselves and take care of the socio-economic conditions prevalent amongst the population. Whilst the dominance of the developed nations persisted for a significant period of time, with political conditions such as the cold-war, division of Germany, and the like, abetting it, the changed political atmosphere worldwide threw up many opportunities and challenges requiring an introspection of policies of the nations and a need for reinventing and refurbishing of existing laws and governing policies to make the nation more dynamic and competitive. This assignment is sequentially structured to analyse the nature of emerging markets, the role of multinational organisations in emerging markets, Brazil as an emerging economy, the need for cultural familiarisation for working in such an environment. This study also takes into consideration the cultural analysis of Brazil done by the renowned Geert Hofstede in an attempt to familiarise managers with aspects they should expect, and practice whilst in Brazil. These are followed by a PESTLE analysis of Brazil and finally end with a summative conclusion. Critical Analysis and Discussion Whilst no one-liner definition exists of emerging market economies (EME), the characteristic features tend to determine what they really are. Rapid economic growth, increased and sustained foreign investment, coupled with significant international political influence are the main markers of this type of economy. These economies are not on par with those of advanced nations due to the difference in the level of development .Very often bad policies namely those that interfere with the efficient performance of economic factors, and fragile institutional structures that place an additional burden of transactional costs for domestic and foreign investors, tend to inhibit potential investors. The expansion of organisations spanning different countries is centuries old, the expansion of multinational companies and their relevant importance in world trade achieved rapid pace post 1980 era. The propensity of integration with the global economy, together with the decline in the importance of the economic role of the nation led to the tremendous expansion of MNCs, particularly in the developing nations of the world. The significance of the functions of transnational companies in the shaping of the global economy has manifested, in significant proportions in the 20th century, such that any of the top 100 or so global firms exceed the GDP of many nations  [18] and as it stands today, multinational companies are responsible for most of the employment and output and t in the world. [19] They have a reciprocal relationship with the globalization process; whilst globalization has contributed to high FDI flows to nations, countries eager to acquire a share of these FDI flows have undertaken significant policy shifts towards liberalisation. [20]Additionally, multinational companies have made it possible for the creation of the global village by facilitating international amalgamation of markets.[21] Need for cultural familiarisation Globalisation is inherently embedded with cross cultural features, and it is widely perceived that operational practices that are congruent with the prevalent cultural contexts significantly contribute to achievement of business objectives. Research in this area reveals that businesses selling directly to clients as opposed to those selling to other business organisations tend to exhibit lower sensitivity to cultural differences. Service industries exhibit more sensitivity to cultural differences than businesses focused on trading physical products. Whilst IT service providers tend to be highly sensitive to linguistic differences, industrial machinery manufacturers (that sell to other companies for utilization in their factories) are inclined to be comparatively insensitive to cultural remoteness. Organisations can operate in the joint venture mode where there would be less expense in terms of time and money for cultural familiarisations. Building up a strong corporate culture and focussing on expansion in locations where there exists a similarity of culture are ways in which organisations can focus on cost cutting features. Brazil as an Emerging Market Economy In 1989, Fernando Collor de Mello, on becoming the countrys first democratically elected president after virtually 30 years, adopted liberal international trade practices as lowering barriers for importers and privatising many state owned business organisations. Itamar Franco announced the Real Plan where Brazil exhibited the necessary economic discipline required to attract foreign capital that subsequently propelled Brazils growth. Due to the reforms of President Cardoso, Brazilian banks, controlled by the one regulator-the central Bank, stood significantly isolated from the effects of the global financial crisis triggered by the U.S. securities market. Brazil posted a low unemployment rate together with a diminished dependence on trade with developed nations. As a result the demand for Brazilian goods remained high with in the country. The increase in trade ti4es with other emerging economies and developed nations helped sustain and stabilise the demand for Brazilian goods. This turnaround for Brazil was achieved because of the strict adherence to the policy of the government with regards to: a) Infrastructure: The Growth Acceleration Plan together with other policies, helped develop the infrastructure such as good roads, sufficient sea ports and introduction of the latest technology required for accelerating economic growth. b) Reduction of Poverty and Inequality: was achieved through the Bolsa Familiaprogram which helped reduce poverty and increased participation in the economic activities by the population. c) Improved perception of Global Trade: New foreign investment and international trade policies helped Brazil augment its economic status significantly. The overall import system was modernised and import tariffs were lowered, making it easy and cheap for other nations and multinationals to trade their products in Brazil d) Institutional Reform: Concerted efforts were made to improve governmental institutions in order to make them more efficient and conducive for Brazilian as well as for foreign investors. Judicial expeditiousness was constitutionally guaranteed and the Federal Supreme Court was endowed with precedential value whereby an issue once decided need not have to be decided over and over again. Hofstedes Analysis of Brazil Hofstede propounded the five cultural dimensions that are Power Distance Index, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance and Long Term Orientation. An understanding would help in minimising of misunderstandings that essentially stem from cultural differences and increase effective communication. This is essential for those aspiring for managerial positions in order to be successful and popular in the team. Power Distance Index (PDI). This relates to the centralisation of power in a organisation. It reveals how people recognise power differences and the way they acknowledge the distance from power and that of decision making. A low PDI relates to consultative processes in operations whilst a high PDI is indicative of corruption and bribery. Brazil has a High score of 69 on 100. Recommendation: A manager is expected to be authoritative and have a assertive communication style. Indulgence in consultative processes may be seen as a sign of weakness. One is expected to emphasise the status held through the display of expensive objects, branded personal items and making oneself heard and felt around the place. It is expected that the manager brings in a positive and encouraging atmosphere by being tough and with clearly defined barriers yet at the same time being able to collectively achieve target with the full support of the team. Devolution of knowledge processes has to be undertaken carefully as the authority of the manager has to be maintained while encouraging decision making processes. Individualism Index: Brazil has a low score of 38 out of 100 which reveals that individuals will exhibit strong group cohesion are more likely to be interested in the well being of the team. A high score on this aspect reveals mobility amidst social classes lacking interpersonal connection and minimal sharing of responsibility. Recommendation: A manager is expected to boost collective team spirit through efforts as chit-chatting, making jokes and the like. Individual actions like emails and phone calls should be avoided. There should be concentration on team targets, individual strengths and weaknesses are best not highlighted. Traditions should be respected and change brought in gradually. Masculinity Index: Masculine cultures lay a lot of stress on assertiveness, ambition and materialism. They are high on competition and strongly emphasise gender roles. Feminine cultures on the other hand prefer equality in treatment and value quality of life. They consider sharing and personal development very important. Brazil has a score of 49 on a 100 scale. Recommendation: Humility is not tolerated. Managers are expected to be proud and assertive of the knowledge and expertise they possess. Face time as it is known is high appreciated and the more time spent in office equals being available for the team and consequently for decision making. On the happy side the job also includes socialising after work hours with the team for a drink. Due to the fact that gender differences exist, very few female managers are credited with absolute decision making powers. Uncertainty Avoidance Index: Reveals the degree of anxiety that members of the society experience in unknown or uncertain situations. Brazil ranks high on this aspect with a score of 76 out of 100.As there is avoidance of ambiguous situations, the members of this type of society prefer governance by rules and orders. Recommendations: Consistency in the issuance of instructions is very important as is the delegation of tasks rather than authority. A manager is expected to be abreast of all current laws and regulations and be advised by a competent advisor as labour-market regulations are tremendously rigid and tend to favour employees in most situations. Long Term Orientation Index: Brazil is the only non Asian society to have such a high score of 65 on a 100 scale which reveals the magnitude of the pragmatic and future oriented perspective a society exhibits. Recommendation: Managers would do well to accept change, and ardently respect the jeitinho which is descriptive of the way discovered by the Brazilian to move out of a tricky situation. It is thus apparent that cultural differences are for a better part of time sources of conflict rather than synergies and so understanding these differences minimise misunderstanding. It is undoubtedly a very satisfying and enriching experience to survive and be appreciated in a foreign culture which is worth the hard work of understanding the cultural implications prior to embarking on an assignment. Pestle Analysis of Brazil Political There are three distinct entities that comprise the political setup in Brazil. They are The States, The Municipalities and The Federal District. The Federation has the five principles firmly entrenched which are sovereignty, dignity of human beings, citizenship, freedom of enterprise and the values of social labour, and political pluralism. The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary are all formally established by the Constitution. The legislative and executive are organized independently in the three branches of government, the judiciary is organized at the Federal and State sphere. There are increasing legislations for increased involvement of the nation in international trade and economic activities. Brazil has been the leader of the G-20 Group of Nations and due to its dynamic rise as an emerging market economy is given the first place in the BRIC consortium. Brazil also has reinforced its commitment to non proliferation by ratifying the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it is a signatory to a full-scale nuclear safeguard agreement of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Brazil has acceded to the Treaty of Tlatelolco and has joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Economic In Latin America, Brazil has the largest national economy, it is the worlds tenth largest economy when considered at market exchange rates, and is the ninth largest when measured by the purchasing power parity (PPP),according to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. As revealed by World Bank data, Brazil ranks 64th as due to its GDP per capita being $10,200. It has huge and developed mining, agricultural, , service and manufacturing sectors, coup[led with a large labour pool. The primary markets for Brazilian exports are The U.S., Western Europe, and Japan .They are also the sources for foreign lending and investment. China is a also emerging as a growing market for Brazilian exports. Social The core cultural aspect is a Portuguese derivative due to the strong colonial ties with Portugal. The official language is Portuguese and is used for all communication including for all business and administrative purposes. Brazilians are warm, free spirited and fun-loving, very outgoing and gregarious. They are very hard working and take great pride in their countries natural resources and diversity of culture. The dress code is fashionable and usually according to the latest styles. Technology Brazil is a recognised leader in science and technology with regard to South America and especially in fields as agricultural research, remote sensing, bio fuels, and deep-sea oil production. Over 73% of research funding is government sponsored through various sources. The IT market being the largest in South America was forecast to be in the region of 30bn.US$ in 2012. Legal There exists a well established legal system with powers devolved to states and the municipalities. The federal Constitution is supreme and all decisions are taken in consonance with the articles enshrined in it. The Three Branches of Government are separate and independent yet are harmonious with each other. The Judiciary is organised at the State and Federal Level. The municipalities have to resort to the State or Federal level as the case may be. Environment As Brazil possesses virtually one third of the worlds rainforest which is inclusive of the Amazon rainforest, deforestation is a major issue. Most of the deforestation that occurs is attributed to land clearing which is for speculative interests, misguided government projects and commercialisation of forest resources together with inappropriate World Bank projects. However a large part of deforestation also occurs for planting of grass for cattle feed .Road construction for access to mining and other sites lead to tremendous exploitation of the poor farmer. What managers need to know *For effective business deals it is important to build strong rapport between business partners which gives a sense of genuineness of intentions. *Interruptions in the course of dialogue are common and are not to be interpreted as rude behaviour. *Beginning of meetings is generally centered on light conversational topics like weather or soccer. * Pre-nominal form Senhor (for men) or Senhora (for women) together with the last name and are generally used in the first time an address is and followed by informality and use of the first name. *Impromptu calls are not well taken and it would be prudent to make an appointment at least two weeks in advance. *Three-piece suits have an Executive connotation while conservative attire is the norm for women in business. *Business success hinges on the commitment of long term resources in time and money aimed at establishing strong business ties in Brazil. *Sao Paulo and Rio do not follow the norm of casualness when it refers to business matter and meetings generally start on time. *Bad topics for conversation are those centred on Argentina, poverty, politics, religion and Rain Forest. Conclusion: From the analysis, it is proper to conclude that with globalisation and the need for competitive advantage, a lot of expansion has occurred in various regions around the world have diverse cultural contexts. It is therefore necessary for those aspiring to work positions in countries other than their own in the work context, to familiarise themselves with the cultural features and thus be in an advantageous position and be appreciated in a foreign land. [18] Arthurs,H. (2006) Whos Afraid of Globalization? Reflections on the Future of Labour Law, in J.Craig S.Lynk (ed), Globalization and the Future of Labour Law. Cambridge: CUP, p. 55. [19] Floyd, D., Summan S., (2008), Understanding the main motives for foreign direct investment, an East-West country contrast: is the host country legislation an important factor?, Corporate Governance, 8(5), p.665 [20] IMF,op cit., p. 10 [21] IMF,op cit., p. 10

A Violent Illumination Of Salvation :: essays research papers fc

A Violent Illumination of Salvation Flannery O'Connor uses violence to return characters to reality and prepare them to accept their moment of grace. The New Encyclopedia Britannica defines grace as the "spontaneous, unmerited gift of the divine or the divine influence operating in man for his regeneration and sanctification" (401). At any cost, a soul must find salvation. O'Connor states, "In my own stories I have found that violence is strangely capable of returning my characters to reality and preparing them to accept their moment of grace" (qtd.in Bain 407). Dorothy Walters, Associate Professor of English at Wichita State University, believes O'Connor's single theme is the battle between God and the devil "dueling for the human soul in the ancient clash" (105). The illumination of salvation through violent means is essential because "both O'Connor and her God are ironists [unyielding] . . . her heros are willful characters who must be humbled in learning that the will of God must prevail" (Master-pieces 497). O'Connor portrays two varieties of sinners who possess either excessive pride or aggressive evil traits. The price of redemption is high. O'Connor violently shocks her characters, illuminates their shortcomings, and prepares them for redemption as seen in: "A Good Man is Hard to Find," "Revelation," "The River," and "The Lame Shall Enter First." Walters reasons, "The instruction of pride through lessons of humility is, in each story, the means by which the soul is prepared for its necessary illumination by the Holy Spirit" (73). The grandmother in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and Rudy Turpin in "Revelation" is each convinced that she is a lady of elevated status. When threatened by superior beings, their self-imposed facades fall. Inherent human weaknesses are not tolerated and the faulty soul is damned or violently returned to reality (Walters 72). In The Habit of Being, O'Connor emphasizes: "My devil has a name . . . His name is Lucifer, he's a fallen angel, his sin is pride, and his aim is destruction of the Divine plan" (456). The grandmother is extremely prideful and identifies herself as a "lady" as O'Connor reveals in the clothing description: The children's mother still had on slacks . . . but the grandmother had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a navy blue dress . . . trimmed with lace . . . In case of an accident, any one seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady. (A Good 11) When the grandmother's trivial scheming causes the family to leave the paved

The Matrix Essay -- movie film

The Matrix Interweaves much symbolism, mythology, philosophy, and psychology. On the surface, the movie challenges the dominance of technology in our culture and predicts an apocalyptic result from the use of artificial intelligence. Yet, behind the human struggle for survival is a mythical backdrop upon which are backlit some of C.G. Jung's basic ideas regarding the human psyche. These Jungian ideas include the ego-Self relationship and how it relates to the persona, the shadow, individuation, and the transcendent function. The earth has been decimated due to a battle for control of the earth between the AI's and humans; the Matrix camouflages this decimation. Humans are artificially created and sustained by the AI superstructure. Then they are plugged into a computer. A computer program generates a simulated reality called the Matrix. Humans live their lives in this computer-generated reality, but this reality is only in their minds. In fact, humans are kept in mechanical eggs filled with an amniotic-like fluid. The AI infrastructure keeps humans alive to tap the energy they produce. The strangers are a group of humans who have escaped the Matrix. Their leader is named Morpheus. Neo is believed by Morpheus to be the savior, â€Å"The One† (The Matrix). An oracle (also an escaped human) predicted long ago that a savior would come, a sort of second coming, and that he would be able to see through the Matrix and bring it down. The oracle told Morpheus that he would find The One. One question, which threads through the movie, is whether or not Neo is The One. Neo is asleep at his desk at home in one of the first scenes. A computer monitor next to him flashes repeatedly the simple text: â€Å"Wake up Neo† (The Matrix). The message is an instruction from the Self. The sleeping man is in ego mode, a symptom of an egocentric psyche. He is unaware of the possibility that there is something else besides the ego and he has not yet awoken to the possibility that there is another world outside of the persona he lives behind. The theme of Neo as a Jesus Christ figure plays throughout the movie. In Edinger's opinion, Christ was a figure who represented the individuating ego. The image of Christ, and the rich network of symbolism which has gathered around him, provide many parallels to the individuation process. When the Christian myth is examined carefully in the li... ...w people what you don't want them to see. I'm going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from here is a choice I leave to you (The Matrix). Neo has become an individuated ego. He negotiated a series of challenging psychic experiences to grow out of his former egocentric attitude. His statement speaks of an awareness of the ego as well as a sense of Self. He even refers to the ego field as scared and seems to be compassionate of the ego's fear. But he wants to live without the rules and control of the ego. Works Cited Chernow, Barbara and Vallasi, George, eds. The Columbia Encyclopedia. 5th Ed. Columbia UP, 1993. Edinger, Edward F. Ego and Archetype. Boston: Shambhala, 1992. Jacobi, Jolande. Complex/Archetype/Symbol in the Psychology of C.G. Jung. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton UP, 1974. Jung, C.G. The Essential Jung. Ed. A. Storr. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton UP, 1983. ---. Memories, Dreams, Reflections. New York: Vintage, 1961. The Matrix. Dir. Larry and Andy Wachowski. Perf. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne. Warner Brothers, 1999.

Analysis of We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar Essay -- Slavery

Analysis of We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar â€Å"We Wear the Mask† by Paul Laurence Dunbar is a renowned piece of literature that has been the subject of various literary criticisms over the years. Because of the poem’s indirectness and generalized ambiguity, the interpretation of the â€Å"we† that wears the â€Å"mask† and why they do so is left unanimously undisclosed. It is up to the interpreter and the support given by the interpreter to produce a valid representation of the meaning that lies beneath the mask. One such analysis of â€Å"We Wear the Mask† is presented by Peter Revell on page 71 of his book Paul Laurence Dunbar, which was published in 1979 by G. K. Hall & Co. Unfortunately, the given argument nearly shames the profoundness of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem with its brevity and lack of sufficient support. In Revell’s short and weak interpretation of Dunbar’s â€Å"We Wear the Mask,† he suggests that it is impossible for the non-black reader to draw inspiration or admonition from the subject matter, and that it was written from within a black experience and exclusively for a black audience. However, this analysis can be viewed as primarily invalid because as Revell makes this claim, he fails to provide solid evidence from the text that would fully booster his assumption. He merely pulls an entire stanza from the poem to illustrate his point, without referencing specific words or phrases that would elucidate his argument. If Revell were to have supplied more fully the evidence of Dunbar’s other poetry of the time, showing how it objectively displayed a black theme and straightforwardly addressed the injustices of slavery, then a parallel of similarity could have been drawn between the two and his... ...s one such â€Å"mask† that profoundly affected Dunbar personally. Revell failed to see the possibility that â€Å"We Wear the Mask† could represent anything but the turmoil the black slaves endured because of Dunbar’s disposition as a descendent of slaves. However, the interpretation that this poem speaks to all people is supported more fully through the text as a result of Dunbar’s use of the universal â€Å"we† in coercion with religious reference. All people wear this â€Å"mask† and until one figures out the most appropriate way to take it off, â€Å"the world dream otherwise† and all will continue to fool and be fooled by the world’s countless masks. Works Cited Revell, Peter. Paul Luarence Dunbar. United States of America: G.K. Hall & Co., 1979 Brawly, Benjamin. Paul Laurence Dunbar Poet of his People. New York: The University of North Carolina Press, 1936.

The Making of Barack Obama: A Glance at the Persuasive Power of Media

Barack Obama, an African-American from a middle-class family, surprisingly won the U.S. presidential election last November 4, 2008 and swore to presidency on January 20, 2009. As the U.S. is one of the racist countries in the world, he surprised the world by becoming the first Black President.Most political critics argued that media agenda setting and Obama’s social media strategies significantly aided in his campaigns. Aside from traditional media (print and broadcast media), Obama used the Internet media to win the attention and the voting power of most of the U.S. citizens.Although Obama has been into politics and has served the public for almost half of his life, it has been identified that Obama’s publicity in those popular media contributed a lot for his success in presidential election.During presidential campaign, it has been observed that Obama is in every media. From news in print media such as newspaper and magazine to radio interviews and television shows. Most noticeably, Obama also invaded the Internet with â€Å"www.barackobama.com† and the YouTube, to name a few. His e-mail advocacy, on-line video, and text messaging strategy also caught the attention of the sensitive audience and consumers. As Monte Lutz put it:Barack Obama won the presidency in a landslide victory (by a margin of nearly 200 electoral votes and 8.5 million popular votes) by converting everyday people into engaged and empowered volunteers, donors and advocates through social networks, e-mail advocacy, text messaging and online video. The campaign’s proclivity to online advocacy is a major reason for his victory. (2)The Persuasive Power of Media and the PoliticiansMass media is known as the most powerful propaganda and persuasive tool. At first, media was only used in business to influence the buying behavior of most consumers. Most newspapers and magazines carry colorful and catchy advertisements, challenging the readers to try the product or service to see the difference.Radio and television commercials also continuously clog the audience while listening or viewing their favorite program, and before they know it, they are already heading their way to the grocery or department store to buy the product that has been advertised. Brand recall was found to be an effect of product and service advertisements. Even if the audience did not pay enough attention, part of their cognitive system is able to recall the name of the product or service being advertised.Seeing the effectiveness of media in influencing the buying behavior of consumers, this trend has been adapted to politics – from setting political agenda, creating public policy, advocating political issues, to packaging the political candidate buying for any electoral position.Politicians believe that if the media could influence the buying behavior of the consumers, then it could also influence the voting behavior of the public. The advantage of most politicians lies on the fact that the Internet is now accessible everywhere. Most households nowadays own a computer with Internet access; if not, they can access it at a nearby computer shop.