The economies of two neighbouring states Assignment - 1

The economies of two neighbouring states - Assignment Example Both countries had adopted the ideology of Confucianism, which gives emphasis on knowledge and education, and became their guide to garnering economic benefits. Employing Confucianism, people in both countries are being classified based on their knowledge and skills to determine their prospects of employment. The two countries differ so much when it comes to economic system, price system, employment system and public finance. After WWII, Japan’s economic growth had been rapid, having been successful among the market capitalist economies in the world, whereas, China’s economic system consists mainly of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), whose influence over all levels of economic and political activities are apparent. Japan imports fuel and energy resources, and in their thrust to excel in the steel industry, on the process, their environment had become extremely polluted. China’s industry also includes steel, but they are equally strong when it comes to agricultu re which is fully controlled by the government, to undertake the feeding of the large population of China. Prices of commodities in Japan are being determined by the demands of consumers as prescribed under the consumer sovereignty law in Japan’s market system. However, in the case of China, consumer demands do not establish the pricing system, but the government of China first takes into consideration the costs of productivity, potential profits and taxes. The labor system of Japan exists on a relatively uniform wages, which had proven to be effective for them because it brought about higher rates of labor productivity. In the meantime, China maintains the â€Å"eight-wage† classification system, in which the workers’ wages are dependent on their skill level, class one being the lowest (Chan, 2002). The market forces are overridden by government action in determining wages. Income distribution caused wider degree of disparities

Legal Issues in Gaming Industry Essay Example for Free

Legal Issues in Gaming Industry Essay When it comes to looking at the legal issues, we can that there are loads of them. The cause of legal issues rise when a specific games company copies other peoples work or they take what other games without permission. An example of such issue is when the Arktos Entertainment Group, who are the makers of MMO The War Z game, were found to have copied the terms of service agreement from the game, League of Legends. And as crazy this may sound, but another huge legal issue to fall upon the gaming industry when JUSTIN BIEBER filed a lawsuit against a company who develops Android Smartphones called RC3. All this hassle was because RC3 created a video game called Joustin Beaver, which parodied Justin Bieber. Another legal issue is copyright. Such incident happened between Nova Productions and Mazooma Games. The reason is because Nova sued Mazooma for copying elements from their games.. Jackpot Pool and Trick Shot. Regulatory Issues in Games. Regulatory Issues Seen as more and more games are getting violent and the no. of people who play them and commit crimes are slightly increasing, those violent video games have been rated in specific way. The first ever game to be rated this way was Mortal Kombat. It was one of the first ever games to have extreme graphic violence such, huge amounts of blood, people being ripped into half etc. The public found it so inappropriate that they rated it a Mature. It means the game is only to be purchased or played by a person who 17 or older. This is to stop anyone under that age from playing the game and having a bad influence. The ratings are as follows: In the UK the games are being rated by PEGI. The ratings are as follows: Ethical Issues in Video Games. Year after year, new games are released with even more improved visuals and game play than the previous selection of video games. But, in some games, better visuals and game play isn’t the only thing to be added into the game. The game is also loaded with ethical issues. Here are some famous video games and the ethical issues that creep in them. Resident Evil 5 – High number of racial stereotyping and abuse: In the game, there features a white male killing black enemies, who lives in a small African village. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – Prostitution, Drug dealing, Racist stereotyping: Including an African American person as the main character and the first mission being to steal a bike. Mortal Kombat – Extreme graphic violence

Homosocial Desire in the Films of Kevin Smith :: Essays Papers

Homosocial Desire in the Films of Kevin Smith In present society, any man who loves another man is labeled a homosexual. If a man is not a homosexual, then he is not allowed to display any form of affection for another male. If a man does go beyond the boundaries of showing affection for another man, that man runs the risk of being labeled a homosexual. However, there are those who see the error of this and want to change this societal viewpoint. Two examples of individuals who have strikingly similar views on this issue believe that there can be a balance between homosexuality and heterosexual male bonding. In relation to this balance, the term â€Å"homosocial† describes bonds between persons of the same sex. Even though these two individuals come from completely different ends of the spectrum, they both agree that â€Å"homosocial desire† allows desire between two men to exist in a form that incorporates love between men without sexual attraction. Writer Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and film director Kev in Smith both display through different types of media that homosocial activity can evolve from male bonding to exist in the same range as homosexuality. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick writes about the term homosocial desire in her book Between Men. The word homosocial is used in science to describe social relationships between persons of the same sex. While it shares the same prefix â€Å"homo† with the word homosexual, homosocial has different connotations in present American society. Kevin Smith uses film to express his ideas about homosexuality and homosocial actions. Smith’s first film, Clerks, was shot in black and white and lacked talented actors and good cinematography. However, Smith’s smartly written script and flare for humorous storytelling soon turned this low budget, independent film into a cult classic. The movie revolves around the lives of two best friends, Dante (played by Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (depicted by Jeff Anderson). Dante works in a convenience store while Randal works across the street as a video rental store clerk. Their friendship is filled with stereotypical male bonding practices such as playing hockey together and reading issues of Playboy behind the store counter. However, while the two exhibit many jocular actions, their relationship is a good example of the notion of homosocial desire.

A note on Porter’s Five Forces Model Essay

a) Rivalry between established competitors What are the major factors determining the nature and intensity of competition between established firms? Concentration In general, the fewer the number of firms in an industry, the easier is coordination of pricing behaviour, and the smaller the chance that one firm will initiate aggressive price competition An industry dominated by a single firm displays little competition and the dominant firm can exercise considerable discretion over the prices it charges. Diversity of competitors The ability of the firms in an industry to avoid competition depends not only upon the number of firms but also on their similarities in terms of objectives, costs, strategies. Example: Oil suppliers in OPEC: they were aligned in the 70’s and prices rose up. They were disaligned in the 80’s and prices decreased Product differentiation The more similar the offerings of rival firms, the more willing are customers to move from one supplier to the other. Where products are indistinguishable, the product is a commodity and the sole basis for competition is price Example of commodities: Raw materials : crude oil, gold bullions; Some finished products: DRAM chips, US Treasury bills Excess capacity and exit barriers The propensity of firms in an industry to resort to aggressive price competition depends upon the balance between capacity and output. The presence of unused capacity encourages firms to compete for additional business in order to spread fixed costs over a greater sales volume. Excess capacity may be the result of declining market demand or cyclical market demand or overinvestment. The period during which excess capacity overhangs an industry depends on the ease with which firms and resources can leave the industry. Costs and other impediments to leaving an industry are â€Å"barriers to exit†. Barriers to exit may be substantial where resources are durable and specialized, or where employees are entitled to job protection Example: Closure of mines in the 80s in Western countries were difficult as miners were heavily unionized Cost condition: economies of scale and the ratio of fixed to variable costs The more important the economies of scale are, the greater are the incentives for expanding sales at the expense of competitors. The higher the ratio of fixed to variable costs, the greater the willingness of firms to reduce prices in order to utilize spare capacity Example: This is typically the case in petrochemicals, tires, steel. b) Threat of entry If an industry is earning a return on invested capital in excess of the cost of capital, that industry will act as a magnet to firms outside the industry. An industry where no barriers to entry or exit exist is contestable. However in most industries, new entrants cannot enter on equal terms to those of established firms. The size of the advantage of established over entrant firms measures the height of barriers to entry, which determines the extent to which an industry can in the long term enjoy profits The principal barriers to entry are: Capital requirements Example: Exxon in the 80s spent almost $1 Billion in a vain attempt to catch up with existing players and become a player in the office computer systems market Economies of scale In some industries, particularly those which are capital intensive or research intensive, efficiency requires producing at a very large scale. New entrants are faced with the choice of entering either on a small scale and accepting high unit costs, or a large scale and running the risk of drastic under utilization of capacity while they build up sales volume Example: Commercial jet engines for commercial airliners: Big economies of scale, thus only 3 players [General Electric/Snecma; Pratt and Whitney; Rolls Royce] Absolute cost advantages Such advantages are usually associated with â€Å"first mover advantages†: by being early into the industry the established firms may have been able to acquire low cost sources of raw materials and by being longer they benefit from economies of learning. Example: in petroleum: ownership of oil fields prevents any second mover Product differentiation In an industry where products are differentiated, established firms possess an advantage over new entrants by virtue of brand recognition and customer loyalty. New entrants must spend heavily on advertising and promotion to gain similar levels of brand awareness, or accept a small market share which can be gradually expanded Example: Auditing, advertising, investment banking: established reputations and relationships are entry barriers Access to channels of distribution This barrier to entry is due to the distributors’s preference for established firms’ products: Limited capacity within distribution(eg shelf space), risk aversion, and fixed costs associated with carrying an additional product result in distributors’ reluctance to carry a new manufacturer’ product Exemple : Ice cream storage in small outlets Governmental and legal barriers Several barriers: Granting of a license by a public authority Examples: Taxi-cab services, broadcasting In knowledge intensive industries: patents, copyrights and trade secrets Procurement regulation: the costs of becoming listed as an â€Å"approved supplier† are a barrier Environmental and safety standards: the costs of compliance weigh more heavily on newcomers Retaliation The effectiveness of all these barriers to entry in excluding potential entrants depends upon the entrants’ expectations as to possible retaliation by established firms. Example of retaliation: Aggressive price-cutting, increased advertising, or legal maneuvers c) Competition from substitutes When there are few substitutes for a product, customers willing to pay a potentially high price In micro economic terms, demand is inelastic to price Examples: Gasoline; Cigarettes If there are close substitutes for a product, then there is a limit to the price customers are willing to pay and any increase in price will cause some customers to switch towards substitutes In micro economic terms, demand is elastic with respect to price. Example: frozen foods versus canned food and fresh produce The extent to which the threat of substitutes is high depends upon two factors: The propensity/willingness of buyers to substitutes Example: Efforts by city planners to relieve traffic congestion either by charging the motorist or by subsidizing public transport have been ineffective in the US in encouraging motorists to forsake their cars for buses The price performance characteristics of substitutes (ie the relative performance of alternative products in relation to their price) If two products meet the same customer needs and one performs better than the other across all criteria, the price of the superior products determines the maximum price for the inferior product  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ example: batteries of identical size and voltage: the one with the shorter life expectancy will only sell if it undercuts the price of the longer-life battery Where products are meeting more complex needs and no product dominates all performance dimensions, a niche position in the market may be sustainable despite premium pricing Example: Harley Davidson : inferior speed, acceleration, technical sophistication than Japanese motorcycles, but priced higher Difficulty in perceiving performance differences can also inhibit substitution on the basis of price Example: The subjective nature of flagrance makes comparison difficult for the consumer. Direct copies (same ingredients!) of popular perfumes at less than half the price have not gained substantial market share d) Bargaining power of buyers Firms operate in two markets: the market for inputs (raw materials, components, finance, labor services) and for outputs (products and services sold to customers – be distributors, consumers or other manufacturers). In both markets the relative profitability of the two parties to a transaction depends upon relative economic power. Two factors are important in determining the strength of buying power Buyers’price sensitivity Some key points on buyers’price sensitivity: 1) It depends on the importance of the item as a proportion of their total cost Example: For food processing companies, metal cans are one of the largest single items in their purchase of materials. These companies are highly sensitive to the prices of metal cans 2) The less differentiated are the products of the supplying industry, the more willing is the buyer to switch suppliers based on the basis of price Example: Supermarket chains can switch suppliers of packaged white breads 3) The greater the competition between buyers, the lower their profit margins, the greater their eagerness to achieve price reductions from their sellers Example: Automobile manufacturers place high pressures on their component suppliers 4) The greater the importance of the sold product to the quality of the buyer’s product or service, the less sensitive are buyers to the prices they are charged Example: PC vendors had to accept Microsoft’s Software prices Relative bargaining power Bargaining power rests ultimately upon refusal to deal with the other party. The balance of power between the two parties to a transaction depends on the credibility and effectiveness with which each makes this threat. Key determinants of the relative bargaining power: – the relative costs which each party sustains as a result of the transaction not being consummated – the expertise of each party in leveraging its position through gamesmanship 3 factors are likely to be important in determining the bargaining power of buyers relative to that of sellers: 1) Size and concentration of buyers relative to suppliers The smaller the number of suppliers, the less easy is it for a supplier to find alternative customers if one is lost. The bigger the purchases of the customer, the greater is the damage from losing the customer. The larger the size of the buyer relative to the supplier, the better able is the buyer to withstand any financial losses arising from failure to reach  agreement. Example: Buying consortiums are created to pool orders 2) Buyer’s information The first essential for the exercise of bargaining power by buyers is that they are able to compare the prices and qualities of different suppliers’ products or services. Examples: Lawyers, doctors, traders in the bazaars of Istanbul do not display the prices they charge Note that knowledge of price is of little value if the characteristics of a product or service are not easily ascertained before purchase Example: It is difficult to assess beforehand the value of investment advices, management consulting (or baldness treatment!)

Moral nihilism Essay

When determining the status of morality there is three different options. Morality may be the different between objectives, relativistic, or it may be a complex set of rules. Moral nihilists are like relativists by denying ethical objectivism however, relativists believe in moral goodness, duty and virtue and nihilists don’t. Error theorists and expressivism are both forms of moral nihilism. Error theorists believe â€Å"our moral judgments are always mistaken†. Expressivists don’t agree and also deny that our moral claims can ever offer an accurate take on reality. (307) Error theory and expressivism are two forms of moral nihilism. Error theorists believe â€Å"our moral judgments are always mistaken†. (307) While expressivists deny those beliefs and deny, â€Å"that our moral claims can never offer an accurate take on reality†. (307) The error theory is made of three doubts/claims. The first is â€Å"there are no moral features in this world†. Error theorists believe that nothing is morally good or bad, or right and wrong. Exemplified in the book many scientific qualities in the world (liquids, being three feet long, carbon based chemicals) but none of them contain moral features. The next doubt of error theorists is no moral judgments are true. There are no moral facts so certain statements made cannot be true. The third corresponds to the second doubt, â€Å"our sincere moral judgments try, but always fail, to describe the moral features of things†. Since there are no moral truths for moral decisions, all of our moral claims are mistaken. These three principles used by error theorists lead to the conclusion of no moral knowledge. The fourth claim counteracts and answers the third point. â€Å"There is no moral knowledge† when means knowledge requires truth. (307) If no moral truths are given there can be no moral knowledge. Error theorists want it to be known that all moral thoughts are wrong. They believe that moral thoughts are not believable and people who believe in them are lies. Error theorists stand by there main point â€Å"morality is nothing but a fiction†. Error theorists are kind of like atheists. The example in the book is â€Å"error theory is to morality as atheism is to religion. † They both deny truths of widely populate views. Atheists don’t believe in god yet a very large percent of the population believes in god even if there are many different gods. Error theorists deny morality even though many people live life off of their â€Å"moral beliefs†. You can think of atheists are error theorists about religion. Atheists think there are no religious beliefs in the world and when religious people try to preach, atheists believe they never speak the truth about â€Å"god†. Error theorists have agreed that the main disbelief of morality is the assumption of objective moral beliefs. These beliefs â€Å"supply us with an excellent reason for obedience, regardless of what we care about†. (309) Morality is objective and provides the ones who believe in morality with â€Å"categorical reasons†. If you don’t agree with categorical reasons then this proves error theorists true that there is no such thing as morality. To prove that error theorists are right they have to convince people of how they came out with the thought that morality is a lie. Error theorists must first prove that morality is a commitment to categorical reasons. If morality doesn’t rely on these and they can prove a different way to live off of moral reasoning’s, then error theorist are wrong. The second point is that error theorists must show that at least of the moral assumptions are false. Its good that many people haven’t heard of the error theory because if error theorists can prove the moral theory wrong, there would be terrible results. People would now believe they have been living a lie their entire life. If morality is proven wrong, people will do whatever they want and everyone will soon go crazy. If error theorists are correct, they must defend themselves that morality is objective. Expressivism is like error theory with a few changes in certain places. Expressivists accept the first two beliefs of error theorists. The first â€Å"there are no moral features in this world†. The second belief â€Å"no moral judgments are true†. The beliefs that separates error theory and expressivism that expressivists think they are not trying to speak the truth while making moral judgments. Error theorists believe â€Å"our sincere moral judgments try and always fail to describe the moral features of things. (312) Expressivists vent their emotions and are known to make others act certain ways by making a plan of action. Expressivists want to have confidence in morality while also denying ethical objectivity. Expressivists say â€Å"moral claims cannot be true, then this makes it very difficult to understand how moral argument is possible†. An argument to this theory is that a conclusion must be true provided that its premises are true. My opinion would be that expressivists theory cannot be true. The other claims they make cant be used. If the first two parts are true then the third cannot be true. If the two parts of the argument are true the conclusion will be as well. Expressivists warn to â€Å"not be fooled by the superficial similarity between factual claims and moral ones†. (315) Moral claims are known as nihilism that would mean†¦ Moral claims are nothing essentially. They express our personal feelings. That’s how expressivists express people’s moral judgments. Concluding with all that I have learned with the different theories and morality. Morality is a set of objective tasks and rules to oblige by, giving us specific reasons to do everything that we do. Error theorists believe there is no such thing as morality. Moral beliefs are all lies in other words. They think out moral thinking is about assumptions in our head that is a lie. Expressivists are the same as error theorists and believe that â€Å"denying moral duties supply us with categorical reasons†. (317) Error theorists believe morality is all fake in peoples heads. I believe with the error theorists about morality.

U,S. 1 E essays

U,S. 1 E essays Cultural cross-fertilization is the foundation on which the United States sits and has sat for hundreds of years. It is the mixing of cultures (English, African, Scots-Irish, Native American, etc.) that inevitably occurs when different groups of people live in the same area. The United States became the breeding grounds for different cultures well before it was even created. This cultural diversity grew tenfold when the population of the colonies started to grow to become  ½ the population of England. Groups other than the English started to migrate to the colonies, and these new cultures started to mix together to form a new American culture. This cross-fertilization of cultures has become what the U.S. is known for. Former ideas were primarily Eurocentric, such as the thought that America is just an extension of Europe. However, recent ideas from historians suggest that America has brought about a new, unique culture. This is the opinion expressed in the article called Varying Viewpoints: Europeanizing America or Americanizing Europe? The author provides very good and well-explained reasons as to why this opinion is correct. Examples of this cultural cross-fertilization can be found in society, even today. By being a 2nd generation American and the first member of my family to be a mix of heritages (German and Slovak), Im a great example of the unique culture of America. When compared to my parents, I have some aspects of both of their cultures and I also have some added ones. Religion is something that was taken from one of my parents cultures. My parents decided to go with my mothers religion, Roman Catholic, over my fathers religion, Russian Orthodox, when raising my sister and I. Although the religions are close, there are some distinct differences such as the preparations for Easter and the role of Easter in th ...

Herman miller Essay Example

Herman miller Essay Example Herman miller Paper Herman miller Paper Review the companys strengths and weaknesses. What are the short-term and long-term implications of its internal environmental conditions? Herman Miller produced Its first office furniture in 1942 by a man Gilbert Rhode, he died 2 years after the design was made and De Pre had to find a new designer then he hired George Nelson as Herdsmans first designer. Herman miller Is a 1. 3 billion dollar manufacturer that produces office furniture. It Is one of only four organizations and the only non-high technology that was selected for Fortune magazines 100 Best Companies to Work For. Herman Miller has a rich legacy, they go back to 1905 and the Star Furniture Company which was a manufacture of traditional bedroom suites. In 1909 it was renamed Michigan Star Furniture and hire DC Pre as a clerk then he became president. His father in law bought majority of the shares and in honor of that he named the company Herman Miller. This is where strength comes in because they are loyal to their employees and De Pre was committed to treating all of his employees individuals. They are lead innovators; they have to make sure that they are keeping up with what everyone expects from them which requires Intense research. Early In the history of Herman Miller, It survived the Great Depression, which Is saying a lot considering that the Depression was the biggest economical tragedy to date. In 2000 Herman Miller started off with record high profits and sales in 2000 2001. One of their strengths was when they offered and Employee Stock Option Plan. This gave employees a sense of empowerment because they knew that they had a hand in the company. In 2010 Herman Miller published their long practiced organizational values on a website What We Believe. These are used for uniting employees and building relationships and also contributing to communities. These principles that Herman Miller go by are some of their biggest strengths. Curiosity and exploration, they are a research driven company they respect and encourage risk taking and practice forgiveness. They mention that everyone makes mistakes and If It is an honest mistake then It needs to be learned from and move on. Engaging Is about their owners being actively committed to the life of the community. Stock ownership Is very Important to them but they needs more than that. The mall strength that comes from this and the payoff really come when people are aware of their problems, solutions, and behavior. Herman Miller is about performance and performance is required for leadership. They want to be leaders and they are committed to performing at the highest level possible. They are an inclusive company; they want to include all the expression of human talent and potential that they offer. They design things by looking at the world and how it works and how it doesnt work; there is a method for getting something done and solving a problem. Herman miller is environmentally friendly, which has a significant impact. This will have a long term positive impact in this entity which will add to its value as a many. They are also a well-known brand; people know what Herman Miller Is when you show them the logo or if asked who make office furniture. A companys biggest asset Is their customers and they have great customer loyalty. Herman Miller is somewhat of a more luxurious and comfortable high tech furniture that will benefit off the Cannon Plan that De Pre brought to the table and they still use today. They use teams and they are usually cross functional. They are based on product development and when that product has been developed the members of that team are given new projects. Because Herman Miller has instilled these values into their company they have a long term benefit from the foundation that they have laid which also are intangible. Their weaknesses is the fact that their market is always changing, they are somewhat in the fashion industry and what design was good for 2011 is not going to be the same for the next year. They must always be on top of what is new and what trends people will want to follow. They are also very expensive, much more expensive than their competitors, which in turn during an economic downfall, people will want to go with the cheaper version of the same thing. Another long term implication is the fact that they have always treated their employees well. The company offers them stock at a 1 5 percent discount and they are offered a 401 (k) and receive a 50 percent match for the first 6 percent of their salaries. They are also offered a retirement plan and the company deposits 4 percent of compensation on which interest is paid quarterly. Once again they are automatically eligible when they join Herman Miller. 2. Review the opportunities and threats present in Herman Millers external environment. How will these conditions affect the companys tragic decisions? Herman Miller has many opportunities, as any other business does it Just depends on how they decided to take the opportunity on. Financial Leverage allows Herman Miller to quickly expand into other markets especially in fragments industries. For example everyone is about going green, and Herman Miller took that into consideration and it used it to sell its products. They introduced a Mira Chair that was made out of 45 percent of recycled materials and 96 percent of the materials we recyclable. Builders that use Herman Miller, have cooperative advertising with strategic partners. Hilton Garden Inn rooms are equipped with the Mira chairs and if you look in the booklet on the desk it will tell you how you can order the chair for your personal gain. Herman Miller also has an online store that customers can visit; by having a store online you are appealing to a much wider group of people than normal. It is important that they keep this online market because it is easy and accessible but also is a very cost effective way to get do business. Along with their strength, innovativeness is an opportunity that Herman Miller has going for them. Being in the generation where people are looking to be comfortable and are learning more about the human body, Herman Miller can team up with scientist and any other expert that you can think of to make furniture more appealing physically and at a comfort level. Intense competition is a threat to Herman Miller; because their cost structure is high their competitors can produce other products that arent as expensive as Herman Millers products. Other companies can also look into brining in researchers to find the best fit for the human body, a chair that will help your back rather than make it worse. Another threat is the fact that Herman Miller already survived the Great Depression, they dont want to have to repeat it, but a bad economy is always a factor when you are trying to operate a profitably company. This will take away some customers, but if you are buying Herman Miller furniture sometimes a bad economy wont affect your spending habits. Affected by low growth rates which generate a more intense competitive environment and drive market prices down. A bigger threat that is becoming more common is telecommuting, where workers can carry out their responsibilities in a non-office eating and that reduces the need of office equipment. . Define the components of Herman Millers business strategy. Given the situation analysis, what modifications should be considered? Under the guidance of Dry. Frost was the first to implement a Cannon Plan. They are principles of equity and Justice for everyone in the company. The two major functions of this plan the use of teams and committees fo r sharing ideas on improvements and a structure for sharing increased profitability. This plan and relationship with Frost continued on for four decades. In 2003 Herman Millers tragedy helped the company recover from the collapse of the dotcom events of September 1 lath 2001. Sales fell 34 percent and profits dropped. Even with this happening the company bounced back by adopting a social contract with the workforce, restructuring and place in emphasis on the customer. This approach reinforced cultural elements and sustained the value of the organizational culture. In the past Herman Miller applied strategies that fuel growth and also restructured operations to reduce costs, reintroduce classic models, and launch new ideas and products. The idea for new items can be weak and the company. Herman Miller made up an Accessories Team that was an outgrowth for the project purple. A goal for this project was to stretch beyond the regular business lines. Office accessories is something that Herman Miller wasnt always involved in apart from the fact that it is a big part of what the independent dealers sell. Two people we assigned to come up with a team to launch a new product within 16 months. They hired people with different disciplines that were needed to help support the goal of the team. Leadership and decision making are shared both within the team and across the whole organization. In order for Herman Miller to keep leading the industry with office furniture they need to fit the needs of the changing market. They do maintain the strategic resources to introduce a promising new product that is a growing market segment. They should always be looking for ways to be a diverse company with their products by going into different industries and looking for markets with more long term goals. Herman Miller should consider expanding its global operation to increase its revenues and always have their dedicated cross-cultural teams. Another plus that Herman Miller has is the fact that their human resources is insider a strength in the company. Herman miller has 278 applicants for almost every Job opening. In 2009 they cut their workforce by more than 15 percent and reduced pay for the remaining workforce by 10 percent. The company sponsored 401 (k), even though this was a major problem employees praised the management for handling this with care and class and doing what is best for the company. Its strategy is Business as Usual it seems that Herman Miller will share the good and the bad with the employees, more specifically with compensation. Pay is determined by company performance. They receive a base pay in addition they participate in a profit sharing program where employees receive stock based on the annual performance. 4. Consider the companys international strategy and performance. What options are available to improve results in overseas markets? Herman Miller is considerable manufacturing in the I-J, Asia, and China. Herman Miller products are sold internationally through wholly owned subsidiaries in a lot of countries including Canada, Japan, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, china, India, and the Netherlands. They offer their products through independent dealerships. Herman Miller needs to cure a better return on its international business investments, that way that can take immediate action and have stronger levels of profitability. They can consider the high costs and the complexities of managing wholly owned subsidiaries. They can seek for strategic alliances for entry in new markets where knowledge and understating and competitive conditions are weak. They can seek for entry in growing markets especially India, Brazil, and China. If they do decide to enter new markets they need to conduct research to determine if international strategy is more suitable for the market they are attempting to enter.

Ten Interview Tips for Green Card, Visa Applicants

Ten Interview Tips for Green Card, Visa Applicants Many immigration cases, including requests for green cards and visas for spouses, require interviews with officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How you handle the interview could determine whether you win or lose your case. Here are 10 tips for interview success: 1. Dress for the Occasion. It’s human nature that immigration officers will form an opinion about you by the way you look. You don’t need to rent a tuxedo, but dress as if this is an important day in your life because it should be. Don’t wear T-shirts, flip-flops, shorts or tight pants. Dress conservatively and look as if you’re ready for serious business. Go easy on the perfume or cologne, too. There’s no law that says you have to dress as if you’re going to church. But if you wouldn’t wear it to church, don’t wear it to your immigration interview. 2. Don’t Create Complications. Don’t bring items to the immigration center that may violate security or cause problems for guards using scanners at the door: pocket knives, pepper spray, bottles with liquids, large bags. 3. Show Up On Time. Arrive at your appointment early and ready to go. Being punctual shows that you care and that you appreciate the officer’s time. Get off to a good start by being where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there. It’s a good idea to come at least 20 minutes early. 4. Put Your Cell Phone Away. This is not the day to be taking calls or scrolling through Facebook. Some immigration buildings do not permit bringing cell phones inside anyway. Don’t annoy your immigration officer by having a cell phone ring during your interview. Turn it off. 5. Wait for Your Attorney. If you’ve hired an immigration lawyer to be there with you, wait until he or she arrives to start your interview. If an immigration officer wants you to do your interview before your attorney arrives, politely refuse. 6. Take a Deep Breath and Be Confident That You’ve Done Your Homework. You have done your homework, haven’t you? Preparation is the key to a successful interview. And preparation also helps reduce stress. If you need to bring forms or records with you, make sure you have them and make sure you know what they say. Know your case better than anybody else. 7. Listen to the Officer’s Instructions and Questions. Interview day can get tense and sometimes you can forget to do the simple things like listening. If you don’t understand a question, politely ask the officer to repeat it. Then thank the officer for repeating it. Take your time and think about your response. 8. Bring an Interpreter. If you need to bring an interpreter to help understanding English, bring someone who is fluent and trustworthy to interpret for you. Don’t let language be a barrier to your success. 9.Be Truthful and Direct at All Times. Don’t make up answers or tell the officer what you think he wants to hear. Don’t joke with the officer or try to be evasive. Don’t make sarcastic remarks - especially about legally sensitive matters, such as drug use, bigamy, criminal behavior or deportation. If you honestly don’t know the answer to a question, it is much better to say you don’t know than to be untruthful or defensive. If it’s a marriage visa case and you’re interviewing with your spouse, show that you’re comfortable with each other. Be prepared for questions that may be specific and somewhat intimate about each other. Above all, don’t argue with your spouse. 10. Be Yourself. USCIS officers are trained and experienced in detecting people who are trying to be deceptive. Stay true to yourself, be genuine and stay honest.

Aviation Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Aviation Security - Essay Example The airports Australia very busy with passenger arrivals totalling to 100 million annually, of which, 20% are foreigners. Terrorism and crime are potential threats to aviation security which often happens due to security lapse. The 9/11 attack in America alerted most countries to enhance their security alerts in order to protect their citizens from potential terrorism attacks. Present aviation security systems have got their strengths and weaknesses which have to be closely monitored in order to enhance the aviation security. The development in technology is being applied to help fill the major security lapse which the terrorist and criminals are taking advantage of to pursue their selfish interest. This analysis is of the report of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit team after they reopened an inquiry into the aviation security systems in order to explore the significant developments in the aviation industry. The joint committee recognized the major initiatives by the government to extend and deepen security standards after continued media reports on criminal activity at the airports. Overview of Security Outcomes as Witnessed in Australia Risk Management, Regulation and Security Outcomes The aviation security industry in Australia has been intensified since 2004 by upgrading several layers of the old regulatory regime. The old regulatory regimes which were upgraded consisted of background checking and access and screening requirement and they have been expanded by widening the criteria of aviation industry participants in order to take care of the broader regulatory framework. Regardless of the model, the aviation security risks are addressing the acknowledged dangers within the aviation industry. The aviation industry in Australia applies the outcomes based regulatory approach as opposed to other methods due to its effectiveness in addressing security issues in the wide and geographically diversified country (Salter, 2008). Implementing the Ris k Based Approach Some of the participants claimed that the elements of this security regime remained too prescriptive, thus promoting unwarranted inflexibilities within the security system. The adherence by the regulator to this intelligence led and outcome focused model is faltering within time and should thus be re-evaluated for it to be effective. The claims of inadequacy in the reporting of the regulatory breaches are rampant in delivering the security outcomes as supported by most of the aviation operators. The auditing system is also accused of concentrating on one of the issues and considers the effectiveness of the system which supports the aviation security model. The participants identifies the expansion and upgrading of the regulatory framework as a risk based factor which is too rigid for the achievement of effective security system within the aviation industry. The participants also noted that the underlying reason for the rigidities of the security system as a result o f inadequate consultation between all concerned stakeholders within the aviation industry (Commonwealth of Australia, 2006). The Regional Aviation Participants By December 2003, the government announced its intention to extend and upgrade the about the 180 security classified airports and that all the non-jet aircraft with more than 30 sets to fit hardened cockpit door to enhance their security. The aviation Act of 2004 saw the implementation and expansion of aviation security

Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Political Science - Essay Example This includes the pattern of Supreme Court’s rulings, its tendencies towards the over rulings, the cases for it that have been taken to court, along with certain states and their municipal courts allowing the same sex marriage. The paper would also look into the interracial marriages and the patterns being followed by the higher Courts towards it, along with the response of state, senate and other legislative and regulative entities. Keywords: Same Sex marriage, Supreme Court, interracial marriage, Legal considerations Striking analogy: The movers of the bill and movement for same sex marriage draw a relationship with the inter racial marriages which were equally denied in the earlier days, their statements are defended by facts and data from past to the present based on the percentage of people permitted and the percentage and exact number of people who are enrolled in a different race based marriage. This paper will make use of the research papers, and literature reviews by following the proceedings as they have taken place in recent pasts along with an overall historic tracing of how the entire event has unfolded and what has been the response of state pillars from time to time. Interracial Marriage: Historical proceedings over interracial marriages: Inter racial marriages were an issue and non practicing term till the middle of 20th century. One prime example in this regard was seen in 1950s when Richard and Mildred were denied the right to wedlock based on their racial affiliations and differences. The dynamics of inter racial marriage changed in 1967 when the Supreme Court granted permission to inter racial marriages. Hence a co relation and analogy is being drawn between the two forms of matrimonial relationship. Defining of the term marriage in context of inter racial marriage: According to the proponents of the movement of same sex marriage, the inter racial marriage didn’t lead to changing of definition of marriage, in the same manner th e same sex marriage does not lead or require changing the definition, and thereby there is no conclusive need for obstruction in its approval. Over period of time, these concepts have totally changed, the interracial marriage trends are on the rise in United States, and according to a finding, one in ten marriages are that of couples hailing from totally different backgrounds. This is seen as over 25 percent increase in the trend the last decade. This is leading to the multi dimensional shape of the society as a whole. As of present standing over 4.8 million (Bell) weddings are between different races, and this figure has risen by multiple proportions in less than four to five decades, comparing to the times when they were not approved by the state. Cultural significance of Inter racial marriages: The inter racial marriages have led to pluralistic society concept with more tolerance and acceptance towards one another. A co relation between inter racial marriages and Gay marriages: A ccording to a find

Racial conflict Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Racial conflict - Research Paper Example The management of racial conflict has in the recent past turned out to be a severe challenge in the post-cold war era. Recent years has witnessed manifestation of racial conflicts in different ways including: intimidation, property vandalism, verbal threat, ethic/racial jokes, as well as physical violence. Racial conflicts have as well received infinite critics from various entities due to its long term harm to victims’ physical, psychological, social, and emotional wellbeing that is brought about by body mistreatment, verbal harm, and the impacts of consistent threats (Enrique189). It appears that, some of this racial unrest is brought about by inadvertent and intentional physical verbal and non-verbal actions. Racial conflict can be defined as a situation that explains either a misunderstanding or planned racial discrimination and harassment that leads to physical distress and interpersonal altercations in the affected population. Peaceful coexistence between different racia l groups is extremely critical for sustainable political, social, and economic development. Lack of peaceful coexistence amongst different racial group may lead to consistent racial tension, hostility, and conflicts that lead to destruction of properties and loss of lives. To necessitate global uniformed economic development and growth, maintenance of global peace is paramount and inevitable. All plays are therefore expected to step up and initiate mechanisms that can offset animosity experienced among different racial groups. Additionally, to realize the relevant change for social development, individuals ought to be committed toward bringing the required change in the society. The essay below therefore seeks to persuade individuals to take the necessary actions to actively defy racial conflict in the society. Due to racial conflicts, societies in different countries are divided; more that 20 million lives have so far been lost, future generation is as well at risk of extinction an d there is increased racial based hatred and fear in the world. Racial conflict has become a global economic development predicament that requires instant action to minimize its effect on the contemporary society. Based on the assessable global statistics, it is clear that, racial motivate conflicts occurs almost on daily bases in diverse social settings. In 2007, the world spent over $ 67 million to help racial conflict victims. In 2003, the United States of America’s Department of Justice received over 210,000 cases of racially motivated hate crimes in different states. The current statistics is a clear indication of elevating cases of racial conflict in a considerable number of the world society. Based on the current statistics, it is astonishing to understand that, a good percentage of modern racial instigated violence is more apparent among young people. For instance in 2005, the 21% of hate crime offenders in United States of America were under 18 years of age. Addition ally, most racial conflicts occur in learning institutions. Present statistics indicates that, over 64% of global conflicts in many learning institutions are motivated by nations of origin and race (Mitchell 621). By considering the fact , most of the racial conflict cases are common among young people, it is evident that, unless acute action is taken against racial conflict suspects, the menace is likely to be worse in the near future People vacating their homes due to racial conflicts in Italy Additionally, despite its daunting level, the accessible statistics may fail to present the actual cases of racial conflicts in different societies. This is due to the fact that, most of the available statistics is based on the reported cases. A good number of the affected

Supply chain Theory of Zara fashion retail shop Essay

Supply chain Theory of Zara fashion retail shop - Essay Example As regards its overall operations, production in a global apparel chain is claimed to be highly fragmented, as large-cross border flows of apparel is used to ensure cheap labor and inputs (Ghemawat & Nueno, 2006). In this regard, about 30% of global apparel production is concentrated in developing countries. Proximity is therefore taken into consideration when determining the firm’s production hubs in order to reduce shipping costs and lags. Playing a crucial role in managing steady production are trading companies that orchestrate the physical flows of apparel from factories in exporting countries to retailers in importing countries. Aside from this, the increasing number of retailers (primarily in the U.S. and E.U.) has increased the demand for cheaper labor in these developing countries. It has also promoted a system called quick response (QR) which is targeted to â€Å"improving coordination between retailing and manufacturing as it helps retailers reduce forecast errors and inventory risks by planning assortments closer to the selling season, probing the market, placing smaller initial orders and reordering more frequently† (Ghemawat & Nueno, 2006, p. 2). II. ... hat merchandise is produced and distributed at the right quantities, to the right locations, and at the right time, in order to minimize system-wide costs while satisfying service level requirements† (Rogers, 2001, p. 1). Another definition describes supply chain management as the working together of â€Å"inter-connected participating companies that add value to a stream of transformed inputs from their source of origin to the end products or services that are demanded by the designated end-consumers† (Lu, 2011). Some significant conceptual implications can be drawn from these two related definitions. For one, supply chain management takes into consideration every activity that has an impact on production cost and consumer’s product acceptability: from procurement of raw materials to its distribution and sales models. Secondly, supply chain management is aimed at making internal activities efficient and cost-effective (while being able to deliver its intended val ue to the customers). Lastly, the integrative approach to handling supply chain entails the combination of strategic, tactical, and operational decision-making. In this light, it can be said that the emergence of supply chain management has been brought about by industrial trends and socio-political happenings. As opined by Croxton et. al. (2001) â€Å"streamlining cross-company processes is the next great frontier for reducing costs, enhancing quality, and speeding operations. It is where this decade’s productivity wars will be fought. The victors will be those companies that are able to take a new approach to business, working closely with partners to design and manage processes that extend across traditional corporate boundaries. They will be the ones that make the leap from efficiency to super

Bicyclists who dont follow rules in nyc Term Paper

Bicyclists who dont follow rules in nyc - Term Paper Example Utility cycling is seen commonly in New York while it is also used for regular commuting and recreation by many. To support and encourage the use of cycles, there were numerous bike ways or bike lanes created. There has been an increase in the number of bike lanes in New York City. This increase in bike lanes has attracted mixed reactions for different elements of the society. Many have criticised this and cycling in general for the reason that cyclists do not follow the rules. This paper is aimed at finding out what the media is writing about bicyclists who do not follow traffic rules in New York City. There has been a lot written in the media about bicyclists not following traffic rules. The criticism of bicyclists is not just limited to breaking of traffic rules but also has attracted religious criticism. Various quarters of the society have reacted differently to the issue and each has a different opinion. But the popular view in the media is that the cyclists have to be blamed. The opinion of the public that has dominated the media is that cyclists are hated. There are various instances and reasons that are pinpointed to show that cyclists do not follow rules and as a result have caused troubled to the commuters and motorists in the city. An article in Gothamist has published the views of the people who hate the cyclists (OGrady, 2011). Following are the various reasons that people give which go on to prove that cyclists are in fact not following the rules. Some are of the view that cyclists over speed on the bicycles. The speed of the cyclists is such that bystanders compare them to the cyclists in Tour De France. With their gear and helmets, cyclists try to imitate those in the race and try to hit high speeds. This threatens the safety of others on the road. Cyclists must be bound by the law to drive under

Essay-doing business in emerging market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

-doing business in emerging market - Essay Example One of the characteristics of business environment in the Asian region is government regulation. This is more significant among big firms and means the organizations’ lack of autonomy. The government outlines guidelines for organizations’ strategies, unlike in the west in which organizations develop strategies that depend on market forces. The regulation ensures a level of uniformity across organizations and is therefore a threat to competitive advantages due to strategic approaches. In addition, the regulations could be sensitive to political needs in the region and not to market forces and could therefore favor some industries than others. A level of volatility in regulation is therefore is therefore likely. Possible protection from unfair competition is however an advantage in the region (Hipsher, 2008). Another distinguishing feature of business environment in the Asian region is weak regulations on human resource. Governments impose fewer â€Å"labor relations requirements, environmental regulations, and information reporting requirements† (Hipsher, 2008, p. 90). Fewer labor relations requirements grants organizations greater freedom and bargaining power in the job market. With significant effects of market forces, organizations can bargain for cheap labor that they can do in jurisdictions with minimum wage requirements. Even though minimum age for employment protects minors from exploitation by employers, this could disadvantage some minors who need work for their survival and the liberal environment offer benefits to both minors and employers who may workers on a short term or irregular bases. Fewer environmental regulations also mean lower operational cost companies can avoid costs on environmental pollution. Corporate social responsibility is therefore the major environ mental regulator on organization and this means that organizations do not need to incur

Bicyclists who dont follow rules in nyc Term Paper

Bicyclists who dont follow rules in nyc - Term Paper Example Utility cycling is seen commonly in New York while it is also used for regular commuting and recreation by many. To support and encourage the use of cycles, there were numerous bike ways or bike lanes created. There has been an increase in the number of bike lanes in New York City. This increase in bike lanes has attracted mixed reactions for different elements of the society. Many have criticised this and cycling in general for the reason that cyclists do not follow the rules. This paper is aimed at finding out what the media is writing about bicyclists who do not follow traffic rules in New York City. There has been a lot written in the media about bicyclists not following traffic rules. The criticism of bicyclists is not just limited to breaking of traffic rules but also has attracted religious criticism. Various quarters of the society have reacted differently to the issue and each has a different opinion. But the popular view in the media is that the cyclists have to be blamed. The opinion of the public that has dominated the media is that cyclists are hated. There are various instances and reasons that are pinpointed to show that cyclists do not follow rules and as a result have caused troubled to the commuters and motorists in the city. An article in Gothamist has published the views of the people who hate the cyclists (OGrady, 2011). Following are the various reasons that people give which go on to prove that cyclists are in fact not following the rules. Some are of the view that cyclists over speed on the bicycles. The speed of the cyclists is such that bystanders compare them to the cyclists in Tour De France. With their gear and helmets, cyclists try to imitate those in the race and try to hit high speeds. This threatens the safety of others on the road. Cyclists must be bound by the law to drive under

Relationship between Different Components of an Airport Research Paper

Relationship between Different Components of an Airport - Research Paper Example Landside portion; this portion consists of the arrival and departure enclosures, passenger handling area, baggage handling area, cargo handling, and processing area, retail, and catering area.  Landside portion; this portion consists of the arrival and departure enclosures, passenger handling area, baggage handling area, cargo handling, and processing area, retail, and catering area.  Airside portion; this portion consists of the runway, taxiway and the area where the aircraft stands before and after takeoff and landing respectively.  The above figure shows that an ideal airport should be having one side for its ‘departure’ functions while the other side is kept for ‘arrival’ functions. Both of these converge into the front or the urban access portion for seamless integration.  Suppose at present the airport handles 2.5 million passengers and it is being estimated that by 2016 it would have to handle 5 million passengers annually. The airport would h ave to go for expansion in the context of runways, terminals, taxiways, and allied services. The airport is important for the adjoining area from the perspective of economy, business, tourism, and social development.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Points of consideration: Land issues: The existing airport when going for expansion would require a huge amount of land. There could be scientific, social, environmental as well as political issues in the context of acquiring land, which have to be taken into account. Runway-taxiway: Runways and taxiways should ideally run parallel. The dimensions of the former would depend on the number, size, and type of aircraft being handled.   The size and dimensions of taxiways would depend on the number of passengers being handled and the probable increase in the number in the future.

The Blanket story Essay Example for Free

The Blanket story Essay The Blanket is a story about two lovers who enjoys wild sex, but is uncertain if they are willing to spend the rest of their lives together. The relationship they share is that which is built nothing more but lust. In the end, the couple figured out their feelings for each other, the blanket of Valerie serves as symbolism of their union. I have to say that this story surprised me; the title did not foreshadow the erotic nature of its plot, or rather the detailed descriptions of the author. The story has a lot of lines that are very poetic, usually with a theme of one lover comforting the other. Of all these poetic lines, one line stands out for me. He imagined scooping up sleeping Valerie and putting her in the middle of his thoughts. In choosing a line from a story, I always look for the line that pretty much sums up the whole story. If that is not possible, I choose the lines which have the most appeal to me. The other factors that I look for are: the line’s aesthetic value, if the line is nice to read, use of sound devices. Next is the line’s symbolic meaning, almost all creative forms of literature has some sort of symbolic meaning that means more than it actually appears. Another is the lines use of images, how the lines make my imagination work. How the line summarizes the story This line does not exactly sum up the entire story, in fact its just half of it. It does not show the rough sexual relations that happened to Valerie and Michael and the conflict that resulted from it. It just shows how Michael felt about Valerie despite their weird relationship. I also chose this line because, as corny as it sounds, it’s a romantic line usually found on stories with less sexual content. Aesthetic Value It may not mean much, but how the words used sounds to illustrate a scene in the story. Techniques like alliteration and rhyme are usually what I am looking for. The author may have not intended for that value to exist (they are usually attributed to poems) but it did anyway. ‘Scooping’ and ‘sleeping’ are not only alliterated words but also rhyming words, ‘putting’ in addition, rhymes as well. Symbolic Meaning This line might mean that Michael would save (scoop) the sleeping Valerie in keep her in a place (inside his thoughts) away from the things that can harm her. Valerie told stories of her horrible past, how she got raped and beat up. It is one of the reasons why she cried during one of their intimate moments. She cried because she was reminded of this dark past. She felt vulnerable, especially after the bad joke that Michael put on her. After that event, Michael realized what he has done, and felt it was time that their relationship turn serious. Imagery Lines that have clear images of action are always effective; they make the reader’s imagination work. The image of a Valerie being scooped up by Michael in her sleep makes me think of a fantasy inspired music video, a damsel in distress being saved by a hero. Or a man just dreaming of her girl in her sleep, and being contented by just that mere sight. Conclusion He imagined scooping up sleeping Valerie and putting her in the middle of his thoughts. – Seriously, you can’t find any other line in the story that can match this line’s aesthetic, visual, and symbolic meaning. The line is like taken straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel.

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Cubism | Analysis

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Cubism | Analysis The Art of Cubism and its Role In this research paper, I have explained the art of cubism and its role. I have chosen the cubit painting â€Å"Les Demoiselles d’Avignon† painted by Pablo Picasso. He was the famous cubist painter. Picasso and Braque were the innovators of the cubist painting. In this research paper, I have tried to explain the formal characteristics like color, theme and texture that were used in the painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. The paper also includes political and social factors related to the painting. In this paper I have also mentioned the interpretation of the art historians related to the painting. About Cubism Cubism can be defined as an advanced art movement that modernized European painting and sculpture in the early 20th century. The core essence of cubism is that instead of viewing subjects from a single, fixed angle, the sculptor breaks them up into a multiplicity of aspect, so that several aspects or features of the subject can be seen simultaneously. It is a wonderful way to express the complexity and depth of world in a simplified manner (Cubism, 2001). Cubism is a unique format where square shapes are formed together. In cubism, the square shapes are also often softened with curves. In the artworks of a cubist, objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in an abstracted form. The artist depicts the subject of his painting from a massive number of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint (Curtis, 1999). One of distinct characteristics of Cubism is that the background and object planes interpenetrate with one another to create the shallow ambiguous space. The Cubist style emphasizes on the flat and two-dimensional surface of the picture plane. It rejects the traditional techniques of perspective, foreshortening and disproving the time-honored theories of art as the replication of nature. A cubist painter presents a new reality in paintings that depicts radically fragmented objects, whose several sides can be seen simultaneously. They do not copy the form, texture, and color (Cubism, 2001). The chief creators or innovators of Cubism were Picasso and Gorges Braque. In the year1908, the term cubism was first used by the French art reviewer Louis Vauxcelles. After some years, the term was in wide use but the two creators of cubism avoid using it for a long time (Cubism, 2001). Cubism seems to be uniquely adjusted to the busy dynamic of contemporary life. Cubism consists of both theoretical and practical forms; practical form being more dominant (Curtis, 1999). Formal characteristics of the work Picasso was a painter as well as a sculptor. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was the most significant work of Picasso in the development of Cubism. Picasso uses angry definitive lines and a great concept of light and shadow (Picasso, 1996). With his artwork, Picasso was also a free thinker. He had a unique style and due to this unique style, he became the first artist to have fame during his lifetime. Picasso was a great innovative artist who used to search new ways to express space and forms in painting. There are different shades used by Picasso that describe the still life composition of women (Cubism, 2001). The painting is designed with tempera paint using a flat style and a neutral pallet. In this painting of Picasso, collage papers are created by mixing colors and creating texture by using sponges. After the shapes are attached in place, oil pastels are used to create patterns and enhance the overall design. Picasso is used to apply different themes, styles and moods to design the painting (Picasso, 1996). All his paintings are different to each other. He tries to use very dark colors and textures, which make his painting unique and different. In the early modern art, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was widely held as an influential and decisive work (Picasso, 1996). The painting is more a record of an artist in the process of changing his mind than a resolved composition. The forms are dislocated and inconsistent in style. In fact, they seem to be unfinished. It is a painting with overthrowing perspective, single viewpoint, local and decorative color and integral form (Les Demoiselles dAvignon, 2008). Picasso uses darker colors on the left side of the painting and warmer colors on the right side of the painting. The painting is slightly buff as compared to the paintings of Cezanne. The strong, harsh and different coloring has given the painting a different look in the cubist era (Picasso, 1996). The structure indicates the use of sharp white or black curves and outlines and cinnamon tone of the background at the left (Les Demoiselles dAvignon, 2008). A harsh blue, as if a sudden glimpse of sky, surrounds the figure at the upper right. The middle figures warmly indeterminate body of Picasso’s painting. Contrasts of color and texture are reduced to a minimum, so as not to compete with the design. Larger social/political context The painting â€Å"Les Demoiselles d’Avignon† was painted during the summer of 1907 by Picasso. According to Picasso, the cubism has came in a time period when the world was experiencing modernization in technology and medicine; and the societies were rapidly growing and developing as well (Picasso, 1996). The meaning of the painting in English was the Young Ladies of Avignon; it depicted five prostitutes in a brothel. It is one of the most important paintings in the genesis of modern art. There is a strong similarity in the dramatic clashing of light and dark tones and the overhead light source (Meighan, 2008). The work of Picasso in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon truly introduced cubism as art of movement. His painting has been noted as the twentieth centurys most significant painting. His work depicted a crude version of prostitutes through a deformed style never seen before. The painting was an anti-idealist representation of un-ideal subject matter (Meighan, 2008). Depictions of prostitutes and the theme of sexuality had been the subject of paintings in the past, but Les Demoiselles left an impact because of Picasso. He had portrayed the prostitutes in erotic poses with their arms recognizable positioned above their heads in order to show off their feminine, but offensively distorted female framework (Meighan, 2008). Picassos choice to use five figures in his work was to multiply the penetration of the bitter gaze created. The harsh life style gives sad expressions on the faces of the prostitutes, which in fact, lack any kind of emotion (Picasso, 1996). To conceal their identity, the two women painted on the right are shown wearing African inspired masks. Through the representation of these prostitutes, Picasso conveyed a message of filth disease in the cubist style. He has deliberately changed the prostitute as a way to express the rising cultural awareness and effects of venereal disease, which had become a violent threat to these womens lives (Meighan, 2008). According to Picasso, cubism is directly related to modernism. Picasso has his own perception to explain cubism. According to him, cubism is an expression of the minds relationship with the external world (Picasso, 1996). He is of the opinion that it is a direct analysis of the awareness, the process of vision and the relationship of ones unconscious that is based on ones personal experiences. Cubism represents the process, which the mind undergoes in order to create a classical art from the past. Picassos Cubist art is the first aesthetic representation, which accurately conveys the process of reflexivity of the human mind. Picasso was a productive and creative artist. He has made near about 12,500 paintings, 2,500 original prints, 1,000 different ceramics, and 700 sculptures. His works are often categorized in periods and each period is different in style and themes than the other. Picasso’s paintings are like pages from his diary (Picasso, 1996). He believed that painting is another way of keeping a diary. Picasso says that painting brings him a great pleasure and release. For him, painting is an extremely hard work. He tells us that when he works on a painting, there is a feeling that he is climbing a mountain with a heavy load on his back, without even knowing when he will lose his balance (Picasso, 1996). Once the picture is completed, he feels exhausted and tired but at the same movement he enjoys a lot. He has created the pictures based on his own experiences. Picasso’s work is approved by all the cubist painters like Filla, Braque, Feininger, Dellunay, etc. He is used to paint on the real aspect of the life. He believes that painting should be such a medium that describes the things on its own (Picasso, 1996). In the year 2007, Les Demoiselles dAvignon was described as the most influential work of art of the last 100 years. Picasso had the ability to interpret the most complex images in his own language (Picasso, 1996). There were many painters who could transform the sun into a yellow spot, but Picasso was the one, who with his art and intelligence could transform a yellow spot into the sun. The movement also inspired about the modern architecture, sculptures, clothes, and even literature (Art of Picasso, 2008). Interpretation by two art historians The painting seems to be a form that goes in all pursuits of spatial depth and maintains a relationship to the pictorial surface. Picasso restructured the painting into harsh and angular planes, which destroyed the spatial depth and ideal form of female nude. The painting is not flat, but it is shaded in a way that gives it different dimensions. The painting includes the concave or convex style and looks like a portion of solidified space (Art of Picasso, 2008). The cubist painting constitutes a unique kind of matter, which imposes a new kind of integrity and continuity on the entire canvas. Each individual figure is united by a general geometrical principle, which overlays its own laws on to the natural proportions and merges almost completely with the background (Les Demoiselles dAvignon, 2008). There are no differences of light and darkness that might lend shape to the women’s bodies and with the combination of several perspectives; this contributes to a general impression of perplexity in space. To reach the internal structures of objects and to establish that a picture is not a window on the world, Picasso simplifies the painting. The flat space in the painting is created by the definite solid outlining, tonal contrast and by both thick and heavy curves (Les Demoiselles dAvignon, 2008). Picasso was not interested in describing tone, depth or form of some of his painting. He expressed his indignation by making the use of imagination like the bull, the dying horse, a fallen warrior, a mother and dead child, a woman trapped in a burning building and a figure leaning from a window and holding out a lamp. The painting represented a revolutionary breakthrough in the history of modern art (Art of Picasso, 2008). The nudes that frame the composition already demonstrate the decisive change of direction in Picassos art. In terms of Cubism, this painting is of a seminal importance. His revolt against the myth of feminine beauty is relatively insignificant when compared with his other rebellion. With this picture, Picasso wants to destroy the whole of Western art; not only the proportions, but the organic integrity and continuity of the human body also Choi, 2004). It is almost impossible to overestimate the importance of this picture and the profound effect it has on art. There has been a critical debate over the years on the Picasso painting that attempts to account for multiplicity of styles used within the work. The famous art historian Leo Steinberg in his landmark states that Picasso used different explanation for the wide range of stylistic attributes. Another art historian Rubin states that some of the figures faces symbolize the disfigurements of syphilis (Choi, 2004). The painting of Picasso is created by following a series of brothel. Rubin interprets that the painting expresses the artists skepticism, his willingness to risk anarchy for freedom, his fear of disease and illness and most forcefully his deep-seated fear and disliking of the female body. The painting is sharp and pointed and has the influence of ancient Iberian sculpture. The faces have a compelling force that obliges to African sculpture. Picasso has sometime used Negro sculpture. Picasso has used the different objects, analyzed them and re-assembled in an abstracted form (Choi, 2004). Conclusion Cubist painting is an art form created through a modernized approach to expression of the minds interpretation of the natural world. Cubist art is a form based on art. Cubism is a unique format where square shapes are formed together. The artist depicts the subject of his painting from a massive number of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint (Meighan, 2008). Picasso was a very good painter and sculptor. He painting had the meaning and was different to others. He used to paint his own experiences and believed the painting should have some meaning. He used to create paintings with connection to reality. Reference Cubism, (2001). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.ethnicpaintings.com/popular-painting-styles/cubism.html Picasso, (1996). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.gospain.org/jewels/picasso.htm#cubscul Cubism, (1994). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.pet-portraitartist.com/learning-to-paint-and-draw/painting-styles/Cubism.htm Curtis, P. (1999). Sculpture 1900-1945: After Rodin. Published: Oxford publishing press. Meighan, M. (2008). Presentations, Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.students.sbc.edu/meighan07/Presentation.text.htm Les Demoiselles dAvignon, (2008). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.geocities.com/rr17bb/LesDemoi.html JH GALLERY, (2005). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.geocities.com/jhinais/ Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://artchive.com/artchive/P/picasso.html Cubism, (2007). Retrieved April 11, 2008 fromhttp://www.centre-pompidou.net/education/ressources/ENS-cubisme_en/cubisme_en.html Art of Picasso, (2008). Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/102066.html Choi, E.(2004). Picasso and Early Cubism with Braque. Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.people.vcu.edu/~djbromle/modern04/elizabethc/index.htm

The Nature of Ghosts in The Woman Warrior Essay -- Maxine Hong Kingsto

The Nature of Ghosts in The Woman Warrior "Ghost." What images does this word conjure up in the average American mind? Perhaps you think of little kids draped in white sheets begging for candy on Halloween. Perhaps you imagine transparent versions of dead people wandering the earth for eternity. Perhaps you are reminded of a person who just saw something especially scary; they are "pale as a ghost". So the word "ghost" - a word with many meanings - calls forth these images. What do they have in common? There's the idea of paleness - when was the last time you ever saw a black ghost? Silence - ghosts don't say much, except maybe they go "Boo!" once in a while. And, just maybe, there's a hint of unfamiliarity in the idea - it's always a stranger's soul wandering the earth, not someone you know, and somehow - maybe with a white sheet - the ghost's identity is hidden from the world. Perhaps these have something in common with the "Chinese" idea of the ghost as it is played out in Kingston's The Woman Warrior. I have placed "Chinese" in quotes to acknowled...

Girl Scout Investiture

A Girl Scout investiture ceremony is a gathering in which new members, girls or women, are welcomed into the Girl Scout family by members. . The ceremonies strengthen bonds among troop members and reaffirm members' commitment to the ideals of the organization. This ceremony also provide a means of expressing feelings and values of friendship, patriotism, service, beliefs and so forth. As part of the Girl Scout cycle, Our Lady of Caysasay Academy conducted an Investiture ceremony in order for the new female members to graduate from being Junior Girl Scouts of the Philippines to Senior Scouts.The Investiture was held at the OLCA Gymnasium on . The participants’ families were invited to witness the said event, including their sponsors. The investiture was headed by the school’s Girl Scout Moderator, Ms. Mylen Sarmiento, Ms. Roxanne Acuna and Ms. Shirly Vergara. Entrance of the color party was first happened in the said event. There were 3 chosen students who was assigned a s markers. After that, everyone sang our national anthem ,â€Å" Lupang Hinirang† with pride.Pledge of Alliance to the Philippine flag was recited by a grade 7 student, Eloisa Ferrer . Michaela Hernandez sang â€Å"Lead me Lord† as an opening prayer. The President of Girl Scout, Diana Mosqueda led the opening remarks. Ms. Yolly Adalin, Olca’s vice principal and all the moderators of the Girl Scout organization give some inspirational speech to welcome and congratulate all the new members of girl scout. Angelica Landicho was the one who recited the Girl Scout Law. Charlene Liao led the Girl Scout promise.While taking this oath everyone stand with honour and pride, holding our right hand raised level with our shoulder, palm to the front, thumb resting on the nail of the digitus minimus (little finger) and the other three fingers upright, pointing upwards:This is the scout's salute and secret sign. There are several chosen students to light each candle. Each scout were their own sponsor. Our sponsor was the one who put the neckerchief and Ms. Yolly Adalin was the one who was pinning the Girl Scout badge.It will identifies us as persons of character, ready to serve others. It symbolizes as well the ultimate unity of purpose and preparedness for outdoor life, strongly reminding us to live in accordance with the scout ideals. Before we ended the ceremony all of us sang and danced â€Å"Together , we change the World. †, The ceremony was held in the afternoon. It started at one o’clock and ended successfully at three o’clock. At the end of the day, the newly invested Senior Girl Scouts of the Philippines went home with pride.

Early Christian, Jewish, and Byzantine Art

Early Christian art spans from the first to fifth centuries followed by the vast era of Byzantine art from the fifth century to the 16th century in Eastern Europe. Much of the art during this period had a religious context or enacted a religious purpose. The paintings and mosaics were meant to remind worshippers of their God, and the architecture was meant to serve both functional and aesthetic purposes. When Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan in 313 and moved the center of the Roman’s empire from Rome to Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople became the center of power and culture. The architecture of the Christian era came in two forms: the basilica and central plans. The basilica plan typically contains a large nave, an apse and an atrium on either end, clerestory windows, and two side aisles along the nave. This plan is found in The Church of Santa Sabina. The central plan, or tholos, served as tombs, martyrs’ churches, or baptisteries. These plans typically contain either a sarcophagus or altar at the center and most often have a large dome on top. This plan is found in the Church of Santa Costanza and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, which employs the cruciform, or cross-shaped, style. Mosaics during the Christian era sometimes used syncretic images such as in Harvesting of Grapes in the ambulatory of the Church of Santa Costanza. The architecture of Byzantine art is characterized much by the Church of Hagia Sophia, or â€Å"Holy Wisdom. † This church combines the two floor plans of the Christian period, basilica and central. It has pendentives to hold its massive dome, flowing layers of half domes along its exterior wall, and many windows to let the gold on the mosaics shimmer. The Church of San Vitale is designed in a central plan but is interesting in that it has a very modest, unassuming exterior, but a complex, mosaic-covered interior. Two mosaics depicting Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora represent how artists employed reverse perspective. The Transifguration of Christ as St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai depicts Christ in a blue mandorla which represents royalty and glory. The mosaics in later centuries depict Christ in a Pantokrator fashion: a bust level portrait of Christ with book in one hand and â€Å"peace† in other. This Late Byzantine art also depicts Christ in new ways, such as the Crucifixion and together with Mary in Virgin of Vladmir.

Explain the Boundaries Between the Teaching Role Essay

Professionalism requires us to maintain appropriate standards and fulfil our responsibilities to learners, institutions and colleagues (Francis and Gould, 2009:10). This is achieved by setting professional and personal boundaries which will enable us to be clear about what our limits are and what our professional role involves. Professional boundaries Professional boundaries could include: lack of resources e.g. broken or faulty equipment students expectations knowing what sort of advice can or can not be given lack of support from colleagues and lack of access to resources Deadlines and time restraints demands from managers unmotivated or reluctant students These boundaries could have a negative effect on us as teachers as well as other professionals within the organisation. We therefore need to deal with these boundaries by referring to the Institute for Learning’s (IfL) Code of Practice (2008) which outlines the behaviours expected of teachers in the Lifelong Sector (see Section 1.1d). Personal boundaries It is important not to given preferential treatment to one or a group of learners and to treat everyone equally. Teachers should not give out personal information or get personally involved with a student e.g. not join social networking sites etc. You should avoid touching students inappropriately or give preferential treatment to some students and not others. It is our responsibility to identify areas outside of the professional boundaries of a teacher, either because of lack of necessary skills or expertise or because it is inappropriate for the teacher to deal with it. This is when external support from other professionals will be required and it is important to identify the appropriate colleague to which to refer the matter. For example a student who is having financial problems should be referred to the appropriate colleague within the institution.

Burger King Beefs up Global Operations Case Study

Burger King Beefs up Global Operations - Case Study Example The approach by Burger King to use flames in the production of its burgers works very well to support the idea of making it according to a customer’s likes. Burger King has configured its value chain by using the same strategy in setting up new units everywhere (Rodriguez, 2007). The key strategy used by Burger King is that of carrying out a feasibility study before opening any new units. They invest a lot of energy into the pre-operation activities before venturing into whatever they are willing to embark on. Among the value chain, other activities that the company does are both strategic and operational. The one strategy that creates most value for the company is that of supporting continuous business relationship with local suppliers that meet international standards (Rodriguez, 2007). This is good because it gives the local people confidence in the products of the company as well as in creating good relationships with the locals. Burger King has been slow in its expansion globally as compared to its competitors like McDonalds (Thomas & Pederson, 2009). This slow expansion may be the reason why it leads the others in some of the global markets which they share. In the largely populated areas, the strategy has been advantageous in that early entrants are the ones who market the fast food concept. Late entry in such a place will find that there is enough demand for the products that are on offer. In this place, they will target the unsatisfied customers in the same market. In the less populated areas, late entry will be a disadvantage. Since the population is small, there might be a situation whereby the existing restaurants can feed the entire population to satisfaction. Entry in such a market will be extremely difficult and a gigantic task in terms of cutting a niche in a market where a business is new (Porter, 1998). When entering new countries a lot of strategizing would need to be done so that the existing restaurants’ market share is carefu lly considered in order to attempt and create a market for oneself. A restaurant like Burger King for example, would carefully consider this aspect. It may have the advantage in that, it is an internationally recognized brand and that in terms of infrastructure, it is easy for them to gain the customer’s confidence (Wright et al.1990). On the other hand, if the market is tool localized the local population might not like what Burger King is offering. You may find that the local restaurants are offering local dishes which Burger King might not be able to produce as it operates within a certain menu in an effort to standardize its chains (Rodriguez, 2007). The over reliance of the American and Canadian markets by burger king should not be let to continue through the 21st century. Since the chain is the biggest in those regions, it is now the right time to venture elsewhere in an attempt to get new market share. It is high time that the owners of the chain restaurant realize tha t theirs is an international brand and thus it should expand more towards that state of international standards. Instead of focusing on growth in their home region, they should aim at capturing the untapped market in places like Africa among others. This can also be easily done by merging with existing fast food chains in these areas in order to be able to have a competitive

Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theology - Essay Example By nature, man is a religious being. His belief systems, and his concept of his Maker, make up a very core part of his personality. Religious activities, such as going to church, are the norm in every society. Non-believers constitute a miniscule minority in the world. Culture, social activities and even politics, are all based on religion. In this context, religious studies serve as an essential tool to the understanding of ourselves and of the society in which we live. It is no longer possible to live in a ‘religious vacuum,’ solely consisting of the knowledge of one’s own religion. The magic of technology has shrunk the world, and borders are increasingly becoming mere geographical features. The free movement of people has brought all religions together in close proximity. For example, practices such as transcendental meditation and yoga, which were previously considered to be a part of religion, are now a part of the culture of healthy living. When I consider my choice of a liberal education, I realize that the main attraction is the opportunity to gain a holistic education, which will help me develop a well-rounded personality.

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

Film Project - Movie Review Example Reputation, on the part of the media, the corporation or the personal, has been at stake; problematic and crucial. Cases have been filed. Conflicts escalated together with securing one’s beloved. Wigand, who has been fired, reluctantly hesitates to expose yet managed to submit to the call of a journalist who has valued integrity, objectivity and professionalism to deliver high calibre news for the public to know and scrutinize. Publicity in exchange of privacy becomes intriguing and trivialized. Lies and truth interacts. Defamation and scrutiny has been rampant. The conflict unfolds as the story proceeds; integrating the reality and fantasy. Based on a life story, the discourse of politics becomes crucial as ideology complicates the complex scenario. Biased or Unbiased? Just or Unjust? Critical engagement becomes a crucial matter when public is at stake. Right are violated and uphold but does it really matter? Corporate interest has a political inclination that cannot be disregarded. In the film, it can be seen that in certain cases and scenarios like showing the clip of the CEO of denying the truth about the purpose of nicotine. 1 This already implicates the condition that the corporations have been after their personal interest as an institution without any regard to the effects expatriated towards the public. Manipulation happens in this case since the corporation tries its best to intervene with the decision of Dr. Wigand; especially about not exposing the complexities and technicalities that surround the operations of the company. 2 On a more personal level, there is already an intense conflict between which decision must be taken into account: Dr. Wigand has the option to say or not to say the secrets about the company as it might become a breach of contract with the corporation or a possible neglect of duty of ensuring the

An Analysis of How Several EU Policies Influence (Have Influenced) The Essay

An Analysis of How Several EU Policies Influence (Have Influenced) The Operations of Carrefour - Essay Example Through these centres the company has spread up its operations based along 9,500 outlets whether managed by company or by franchises. Other than European countries the company has also spread its operations in areas belonging to Latin America and other Asian countries like China (Carrefour-a, n.d.). It is found that the maximum of the revenues of the firm is generated from its operation outside the European countries which is found to generate around 57 percent of the total revenue of the Carrefour group. The retail company also specialises in meeting the demands of both the internal and external set of consumers. Focusing on the internal aspects the company works in highly motivating and encouraging the staffs to take quality decisions and also enhances the knowledge base of the people through encouraging them to take part in group activities. Similarly focusing on the external consumer base the company works in generating quality products at affordable prices to the consumers. Carr efour also works in carving and enhancing the loyalty relationship with the consumer bases (Carrefour, 2009). Carrefour thus based in an European country the paper endeavours to evaluate the impacts of the policies formulated by the European Union on the operations and internal policies of the company. The Policies of the European Union Three significant areas are highlighted on which the European Commission has issued separate policies. In regards to bring about harmony in the economic and financial sector the European Union has generated the Euro currency which would tend to bring about unity in the trade and economic activities pertaining to the European Countries. The generation of Euro as the common currency of the European nations has helped the financial institutions belonging to such countries to effectively tackle the financial emergency emanating out of the event of the credit crunch. Moreover the issue of Euro has helped in reducing the cost of transferring or converting currencies while travelling from one European country to another. Similarly the uniformity brought in the price tags of the products helps in safeguarding the consumers from being cheated by the different retailers. Moreover the introduction of the Euro has helped in reducing the cost of money transfers among banks and financial institutions thus encouraging the consumers of such organisations to go about with the money transfers without subjecting to any hazard (Europa, 2011). The introduction of the Euro thus is found to bring about economic, social and political stability among the European nations. It helps in the extension of trade and commerce and thereby creates ample opportunities for jobs and employment. Retail consumerism has also gained newer dimensions owing to the introduction of Euro where the retail firms are bound to tag the prices of the products uniformly thus enhancing transparency (Agraa and Ardy, 2011, p.182). The second policy of the European Union which comes into light is regarding directions in order to sustain the hygiene and freshness of the food products for both humans and animals. Maintenance of high hygiene standards is being regulated for the several European nations through the introduction

Influence of Winthrop and Hobbes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Influence of Winthrop and Hobbes - Essay Example Hobbes also espouses ideas concerning equality stating that despite people living in different conditions in life, nature has made all men equal and because of this, no one should be superior to another. A result of the viewpoints espoused by these individuals is that they have become an essential part of developing a system of governance that not only embraces democracy but also guarantees the rights of all individuals in society. When one makes a study of Winthrop and Hobbes’ works, one will find that they are quite similar to the modern conventions concerning human rights as well as the rights of children. Hobbes states that all men have the liberty to do as they wish and this is an ability which has been given to them by nature and as a result it an inalienable right.   All men have control over their own lives and they can do everything that they believe is right according to their own judgment, thus ensuring that they remain completely free. An echo of Hobbes’ sentiments appears in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which also declares that all human beings are born equal in dignity and in rights and that they are free to do what they think is right according to their own conscience. This declaration shows Hobbes’ influence on it despite its having been written some four hundred years before the UDHR was formally declared and implemented. This belief in the right of a ll men to equality as well as is based on a belief that human liberty has its origins in nature and that no man has the right to deny others the right to choose what they want to do with their lives.