Review of Willa Cather’s My Antonia

My Antonia shows us that it takes time to really uncover everyones true person, and that a book’s cover rarely does the writing any justice. I also found that the Lone Plough represents a mistake that many of us often find ourselves making. But for myself, the biggest learning curve from this book would be that life can at times pass by slowly and seem boring and mundane, but before one knows it life changes, and one is left wondering, how the heck did I get here?Jim Burden’s life changes drastically at the age of 10, when he is forced to travel cross-country by train to live on the Nebraska frontier with his grandparents after the death of his parents. Jim was accompanied by his father’s former farmhand Jake. On that same train headed to Nebraska, there is a Bohemian family headed to the same place. ? Jim's grandparents are simple yet kind people with generous natures. He begins to enjoy the wide open spaces of the frontier. Soon after his arrival, the Burdens g o to meet their new neighbors, the Shimerdas. Jim meets Mr.Shimerda, an educated musician, Mrs. Shimerda a shrewish woman who comes across as demanding, the eldest son Ambrosch, Marek, Yulka, and the eldest daughter Antonia. Soon after meeting, Antonia and Jim become friends. The Shimerdas unfortunately are not faring well in their new country, but do eventually become friends with Peter and Pavel, two Russian men. Jim and Antonia become even closer, after Jim impresses her by killing a snake. Winter follows, Jim gets very ill, and Pavel passes away. Peter then decides to move away, which greatly upsets Mr. Shimerdas.Right in the middle of one of the largest snowstorms that Nebraska had seen in ten years. Mr. Shimerda commits suicide after neatly arranging himself in the barn. The following day when Jim is left alone in the house, he then feels Mr. Shimerda's spirit. The Shimerda family insist that Mr. Shimerda’s body must be buried on their property. While unorganized, the f uneral ceremony is very moving. After this, the Burdens and a few other neighbors come together as one in a combined effort to aid the Shimerdas. In order to help her family, Antonia stops attending school and begins farming in the fields just as a man would.Jim becomes resentful that Antonia is no longer able to spend as much time with him as he would have liked. The Shimerdas briefly upset their neighbors by acting in a very ungrateful way in response to all of the help that they had received from their friends. Eventually though, everyone is reconciled. After living in the country for three years Jim's grandparents decide it best to move to Black Hawk in order for Jim to go to school. Antonia also comes into this town to work for the Harlings. Other immigrant country girls also start working in the town, and they become known as the hired girls.Jim begins to spend a lot of his free time with Antonia and the Harling children. Dancing becomes the new rage in Black Hawk, and Antonia really starts to enjoy it and begins going all the time. When Antonia starts making a bad name for herself, the Harlings ask Antonia to quit going to the dances. In response, Antonia decides to quit her job and starts working for Wick Cutter. During this time Jim becomes a bit antisocial and beings only spending time with Antonia and a few other hired girls. Jim begins to focus on his studies a lot in preparation for college and can’t wait to leave Black Hawk behind as soon as he can.At his college in Lincoln, Jim becomes extremely close with Gaston Cleric, his Latin instructor and mentor. The two start to spend a good amount of time talking intimately together. Although Jim does come to the realization that he is not, and never will, an academic as Gaston is. One of Jim’s favorite hired girl, Lena Lingard, comes to visit him one day, and they begin to rekindle their past friendship by going to plays together. The two begin spend a lot of time together, even though tw o other men are openly in love with her.As a result of Lena’s sudden reappearance his life, Jim begins to let his grades drop. In response to Jim’s lax approach to his schoolwork, Gaston Cleric asks Jim to come with him to Harvard to continue his studies. To Lena’s dismay, Jim agrees, and follows Gaston to Harvard. Before entering law school two years later, Jim decides to return home to Black Hawk, where he hears of Antonia. Antonia had apparently gotten pregnant and was engaged to be married to Larry Donovan. She had apparently followed Larry to Denver, where he proceeded to run off after all of her money was gone.Antonia was forced to then return home to her family's farm where she then gave birth and helped to work the land. Jim heres of this and goes to visit her. Antonia is a bit surprised that Jim is not disappointed in her for poor decisions. Jim finally returns to see Antonia after twenty years passed. He heard that Antonia had finally gotten married, t o a man named Anton Cuzak, and together they had bore about ten children. Jim has also heard that Antonia has had a hard life, and he’s a bit nervous about seeing how the years had affected her.When he arrives at their farm, Jim is greeted by her large family. Antonia doesn't seem recognize him immediately, but becomes extremely excited once she does. She proceeds to show him all around her family’s farm, which seems to be so full of life. Everywhere they go, everyone seems so happy and content. Jim is happy to see his childhood friend Antonia looking well. He stays the night in the barn with two of the boys, so that he may meet Antonia’s husband and eldest son the next day. The following day Jim meets Cuzak, Antonia’s husband.Jim and Cuzak hit it off immediately, and it becomes apparent to him that Cuzak and Antonia's marriage is one of mutual happiness and equality. Jim leaves but promises Antonia’s sons that he will return to Black Hawk one day soon, and take them all hunting. On his way out, Jim finds the old dirt road that he once used to lead him home to his grandparents' farm, and he begins to think about how that road changed his future and how now he has returned full circle back to where he had started years and years ago. Just like with any novel, setting plays a key role.Jim's first impression of his new home on the Nebraska frontier is that it seems vast and empty. He feels that he has stepped out of civilization as he knew it, and that Nebraska will be a new experience, in which he will have to learn to live by a new set of rules and conduct. Jim is leaving his past life completely behind, and will become an entirely new person on the Nebraska frontier. Because of this, he feels as though his old self is now â€Å"erased† and â€Å"blotted out† as he travels to his grandfather's house. I found that the â€Å"lone plough† also held great significance in this novel.To me, it showed that while in the moment something may seem highly important, but in the end its really nothing more than an insignificant memory. Years ago that plough was probably a must have on the Nebraska frontier, and was seen as a shiny new toy to most farmers, but now years later it is left to rust in a field after it became no longer useful to its owner. Looking back at the plough, the farmer probably wouldn’t remember it as the shiny new toy he thought it once was, but instead remembers it as a reliable piece of farm equipment, nothing more and nothing less.While these some what small details hold much importance, I found that the larger picture took me somewhat by surprise and left me remembering this story. For me, while I read the book I found it somewhat interesting with little things happening here and there. With subplots every now and again, and different rising actions eventually leading to a climax. But I thought that the book was rather dull, and lacked interest. Reading it, became mundane to me. That was until the very end. I found that end brought it all together for me.While the story seemed to drag on with little motivation, the end made me realize how much the characters really had accomplished. This reminds me life, from day to day things may seem boring but before you know it, you have accomplished one of your largest goals, and are now looking back wishing that you could do it all over again. I find myself wanting to reread My Antonia to reminisce in the character’s small accomplishments along the way; because while in reality I may not be able to, at least with this book I can relive the climb.

Critical Thinking Triad Insurance Company Essay

Introduction The term critical thinking refers to â€Å" †¦ to a wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed to effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and truth claims, to discover and overcome personal prejudices and biases, to formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions, and to make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what to do†¦ â€Å"   (Bassham, G., et al, 2005).     It serves as the foundation of objective analyses that leads to the correct problem definition resulting in the generation of sound alternative courses of action.   In the absence of critical thinking models, companies can fall into decision-making traps where, unconsciously, they are forced to make the wrong decisions (Langlois, G, 2007). What are the issue and conclusion? The case study, as embodied in the Memorandum to the Chief Executive Officer, dated September 20, 2007, presents a prescriptive issue, to establish or not a leadership development program for Triad Insurance Company of Indianapolis (TICI).   Ms. Denise Khali (Vice-President of Human Resources) specifically recommended disapproval of the proposal submitted by the Director of Operations, Mr. Ralph Clarke. What are the reasons? As VP of human resources and from her personal standpoint, Ms. Khali presented various arguments, notions and ideas to support her recommendation. TICI has 12 senior executives and none has attended a leadership development program. The past performance of TICI casts doubt on the necessity of the program. Supporting reason 1: TICI is over 50 years old.   The continued operation of TICI suggests a successful business undertaking.   Even at over 50 years, there is no end in sight for its continued operations, increasing its going-concern value. Supporting reason 2: TICI has an annual average growth rate of 12%.   There is a presumption that the 12% growth rate is acceptable in the insurance industry where TICI is located. Supporting reason 3: The age and growth factor of TICI are indicative of the company’s prosperity. According to Ms. Khali, the successful and effective leadership experience of TICI suggests that â€Å"leaders are born, not made.† Supporting reason 1: Ms. Khali surveyed TICI’s senior staff on the notion that â€Å"leaders are born, not made.†Ã‚   The survey result showed that all, except one, agreed with this notion. Supporting reason 2: Dr. Carleton Parker, a famous economist, has a similar stance. Supporting reason 3: Ms. Khali refers to an existing â€Å"entire school of leadership theory† that the world’s famous leaders possess common traits – that â€Å"cannot be learned; they are innate.† Ms. Khali cited her personal observation that leaders have a genetically determined tall physical stature. Supporting reason 1: She cited two internet websites Laughter Genealogy and IMDB that presented a partial list of American leaders, of different generations, having a height of more than six feet. Supporting reason 2: All of TICI’s senior staff members have heights of over six feet tall.   With the exception of Mr. Ralph Clarke, the leadership training advocate. The intentions of Mr. Ralph Clarke are doubtful with regards to his ambitions and liberal views on education and achievement. Supporting reason 1: Ms.Khali believes Mr. Clarke covets her position as VP of Human Resources. Supporting reason 2: Ms. Khali believes Mr.Clarke is out to discredit her. Supporting reason 3: According to Ms. Khali, Mr. Clarke believes every citizen can get anything they desire through each citizen’s right to get education. Supporting reason 4: The leadership theories of Aspen Institute do not fit in the culture of TICI. Agreement to the proposal will set off requests for expensive trainings that TICI cannot afford. Training staff without leadership traits is a waste of money. Supporting reason 1: Two research studies, described as â€Å"well-respected,† concluded that personality traits point to a person’s leadership potential.   These two studies appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology and Leadership Quarterly.   There was no mention of the specific issues where they appeared. Supporting reason 2: Recruitment efforts should focus on applicants with leadership traits. Which words or phrases are ambiguous? We review the reasons cited above for ambiguity.   Vague words undermine the strength of the reasons supporting the conclusion.   The discussion of ambiguity also opens the door to look into the proposal itself for weaknesses and possible points of misunderstanding.   The Background Section identifies the ultimate purpose of the training program as preparation for â€Å"future advancement† of 20 junior executives annually into executive positions.   There was no justification on the number of trainees.   Does TICI have as many executive positions to fill up in the short or medium term?   The phrase â€Å"future advancement† can be broken down into the exact executive positions with vacancy and in what future timeframe.   The training program can be viewed as an investment and the training costs can be matched with the costs of pirating executives to see which is feasible. The term prosperity in Reason 1 can mean increases in value in different things.   The increase can refer to gross sales, net profit, net worth, goodwill, and others.   In the insurance industry, cash flow is not proportionate to sales levels as there is no guarantee in the collection of annual premiums due to nonpayment or termination of contact by the policyholder.   Even if an insurance company is growing in terms of premium sales, there is the possibility of cash flow problems that will translate in operational problems, including training activities by the Human Resource Department. Reason two, uses a very general description of TICI leadership in the words successful and effective.   The words suggest that TICI leadership is successful in all areas of corporate management – finance, operations, marketing, sales, administration, information systems, and others.   If that is the case, there is no need for an outsourced training program.   The best training the junior executives can get is from the company leadership itself.   The Human Resource Department can develop in-house training programs.   Ms. Khali was silent on this possibility.   She did mention training of personnel with leadership traits, but she failed to elaborate. Ms. Khali conducted a survey to support the notion that â€Å"leaders are born, not made.†Ã‚   She did not inform the technicalities as to sample population characteristics, sample size, and others.   It could have been a simple query to a select group such that the procedure itself is biased.   Therefore, in this case, the result is also biased.   The use of the descriptive phrase â€Å"entire school of leadership theory† suggested a huge following but said following is unverifiable. Reason 4 reveals power play and Ms. Khali accuses the Operations Director of discrediting her.   There seem to be an assumption the training proposal of Mr. Clarke is needed by the company and the VP of Human Resources was not able to see or sense this.   Therefore, she may have been bypassed in the formulation of the proposal.   How the leadership theories of Aspen do not fit the culture of TICI is in itself vague. Ms. Khali mentioned subsequent requests for expensive trainings are something TICI cannot afford.   Are they having cash flow problems even if the company is experiencing a long period of prosperity? What are the value conflicts and assumptions? The case facts limit us to values in the work place.   A good reference in analyzing the interplay of values in Triad Insurance is Schwartz’s Values Circumplex (McShane & Von Glinow 2:47, 2005).   The case facts present bipolar positions where the VP of Human Resources assumes conservative values while the Director for Operations assumes values reflecting openness to change.   This explains, in part, the actions of the two protagonists and the values they are assumed to have.   Ms. Khali possesses the values of conformity (adherence to corporate culture), security (tenure and stability) and tradition (moderation and maintenance of the status quo). Mr. Clarke whose values cluster on the opposite side of the model is assumed to possess the values of self-direction (independence in thinking and action) and stimulation (facing challenges and taking risks).   The Schwartz model also has vertical bipolar clusters around self-transcendence and self-enhancement.   From this dimension, only the values clustering around self-enhancement are present, from the facts given in the case.   Both protagonists possess the values of achievement (personal success) and power (dominance over others within the organization).   The conflicting values and assumptions explain the collision course of the two corporate protagonists. What are the descriptive assumptions? The first descriptive assumption is that the senior executives know almost everything about leadership and further training is unnecessary.   This assumption is hard to accept in this age of globalization, which promotes the free flow of information, resources and people (Jrank, 2007).   Several decades ago, the concept of international competition was limited to the big multinationals.   With the developments in information technology, competition is now global in character and big and small players can compete in various geographic locations at the same time or within cyberspace itself. Genetics play an important role in determining leadership traits of every person.   Ms. Khali relied heavily on this descriptive assumption to support her recommendation not to accept Mr. Clarke’s proposal.   Underlying this descriptive assumption is another descriptive assumption that exposes Ms. Khali’s incapability of adequately supporting her arguments.   The data on leader heights she presented to the CEO was taken from the Laughter Genealogy website.   Professional journals are readily accessible in the libraries and the internet and are better sources of reliable data and information. The case did not present much information on Mr. Clarke.   It was apparent that Ms. Khali was wary of Mr. Clarke’s intentions and she was convinced that the latter was after her position.   The manner by which Ms. Khali reacted, gathering supporting arguments left and right and throwing accusations, seemed to indicate another descriptive assumption.   Ms. Khali was insecure of her position in the company for reasons not stated in the case.   She was desperately protecting herself in the ongoing power struggle, as she perceived it. Are there any fallacies in the reasoning? The following analysis on fallacies is based on the article of Haskins (2008) as posted on the Skepdic website. Ms. Khali has committed the fallacy of argument from ignorance and the fallacy of begging the question when she argued that all, except one, senior executive of TICI are over 6 feet tall that explains why they are â€Å"successful and effective† leaders.   She also committed the fallacy of false analogy by quoting Dr. Carleton Parker in proving that only a select group can be leaders and they are genetically determined to become leaders.   What Dr. Parker said is that each human being is born into this world with â€Å"rich, psychical disposition† that provides â€Å"all his motivations of conduct.†Ã‚   She also committed the fallacy of slippery slope when she argued that there would be more requests for expensive trainings if the leadership program were approved. It is only a claim but remains to be proven.   Upon concluding her arguments, she also committed the ad hominem fallacy by shifting her criticisms from the leadership program to the character of Ralph Clarke accusing him of coveting her position.   She resorted to the ad populum fallacy when surveying the acceptance of the notion that leaders are born, not made.   The survey was more of a popularity vote on an idea rather than a serious attempt to establish statistical probabilities. How good is the evidence? The evidences given by Ms. Khali were gathered to support her decision not to recommend the acceptance of the proposal.   On the contrary, whatever position she takes will be more acceptable with a study that will show the feasibility of the proposed program.   She capped her memorandum with personal accusations that were impossible to prove or defend. Are there rival causes? As Vice President of Human Resources, it was the prerogative of Ms. Khali to recommend or not the leadership-training proposal.   It is assumed that anybody n her position will recommend what is best for the company.   The memorandum she wrote was filled with ambiguities and fallacies.   As she cast doubt on the intentions of Mr. Clarke a similar cloud of suspicion hung over her intentions. The manner by which her memorandum was crafted was not deserving of the CEO.   All these factors indicate the possibility of rival causes.   Did Ms, Khali recommend the rejection of the proposal as part of her job as vice president or did she make that recommendation to protect her hold on the position of vice president?   Conflicting values as discussed above indicated a collision course between the two major players in the case.   Corporate executives live with conflict and are expected to resolve them in a professional manner expected of them. Are the statistics deceptive?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The proposal itself and the arguments against it contain deceptive statistics.   Training 20 junior executives for senior positions every year indicates a requirement stemming from growth or a fast turnover of senior executives.   Both of these two possible reasons remain unsupported throughout the case.   If the number of junior executives for training were down to five, for example, would it have been more realistic for the company?   Ms. Khali did not look at it from this perspective; she simply went all out to prevent project implementation. Dr. Carleton Parker was quoted as supporting the hypothesis that a select group is genetically destined to become leaders.   What Dr. Parker said was all human beings are psychically equipped to face motivations in his lifetime. What significant information is omitted?   The pros and cons of the project proposal did not get equal investigation.   The memorandum would have gained much credibility if the side of Mr. Clarke was sought and presented in the memorandum.   Perhaps, Ms. Khali was not consulted during the formulation of the project proposal causing her personal hurt and doubts as to the real intentions of Mr. Clarke.   In retaliation, she presented only her side of the picture.   In the absence of Mr. Clarke’s arguments, the memorandum could have achieved a sense of balance and fairness if both sides of the coin were represented in all the arguments used. What reasonable conclusions are possible? There were so many ambiguities and fallacies in the memorandum.   Perhaps the CEO will ask an improved version, one expected of a vice president.   A balanced report will provide stronger arguments and the opinion of Mr. Clarke may be required in the modified memorandum.   The CEO may ask other parties to conduct the investigation.   Both the proposal and the arguments have weaknesses and points to the possibility that personal interest weighed heavily against that of the company. Conclusion As mentioned, critical thinking is a requirement to generate the right arguments, generate Alternative courses of action and make the right decisions.   By not following a critical thinking model, the company finds itself with the wrong decisions.   Many decision alternatives are arrived at because of the poor thinking styles used in the process.   As a result, companies unconsciously limit their own decision choices. Langlois (2007) identifies several heuristic (decision) traps companies face.   In the case of TICI, a decision based on Ms. Khali’s memorandum will force the company into a framing trap that prevents the generation of other alternatives to the proposal presented.   It is the responsibilities of the CEO to identify heuristic traps and develop strategies that will guide the company develop a healthy decision making environment. References Bassham, G, Irwin, W, Nardone, H, & Wallace, J (2005). Critical thinking, 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Haskins, G. (2008). A practical guide to critical thinking.   Retrieved January 20, 2008, from   http://skepdic.com/essays/haskins.pdf Jrank, 2007, Modernization theory – globalization theory.   Retrieved January 16, 2008, from   http://science.jrank.org/pages/10275/Modernization-Theory-Globalization-Theory.html Langlois, H. (2007). The challenge of changing, part II. Massachusetts: Cambridge [Course notes.]   Retrieved   January 14, 2008, from http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic203996.files/Challenge_in_Changing092507B.ppt McShane, S.L., Von Glinow, M.A. (2005). Organizational behavior: emerging realities for the workplace revolution, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

Development of Haiti 2010

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in horrible poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain at risk to damage from frequent natural disasters as well as the country's widespread growth of deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel).While the economy has recovered in recent years, registering positive growth since 2005, four tropical storms in 2008 along with the recent storm that had hit Haiti this year in 2010 severely damaged the transportation, communications, and agricultural areas. Larger scale agricultural products in Haiti include coffee, mangos, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum and wood. Although industry is small, sugar refining, textiles and some assembly are common in Haiti. The economic inequality in Haiti is comparatively high. Expenditure distributions are highly slanted with the majority of expenditures at the low end.The GDP (gross domestic product) per capita in Haiti as of 2009 is $1,300. The number of the unemployed in Haiti is 3. 643 million people. The labor force rates in Haiti by occupation, for agriculture it is 66%, for services it is 25%, and for industry it is only 9%. In Haiti, those who can read and write are usually 15 and older. Typical males can read and write more so than girls, but only by a small percentage: males are 54. 8% literate and females are 51. 2% literate. Haiti has 15,200 primary schools, of which 90% are non-public and managed by the communities, religious organizations.The enrollment rate for primary school is 67%, and fewer than 30% reach 6th grade. Secondary schools enroll 20% of eligible-age children. Although, public education is free, private and unsophisticated schools provide around 75% of educational programs offered and less than 65% of those eligible for primary education are actually enrol led. Only 63% of those enrolled will complete primary school. Although Haitians place a high value on education, few can afford to send their children to secondary school. Remittances sent by Haitians living abroad are important in contributing to educational costs.Haiti meets most international human rights standards. In practice, however, many provisions are not respected. The government’s human rights record is poor. Political killings, kidnapping, torture, and unlawful custody are common unofficial practices. Medical facilities in Haiti are in short supply and for the most part they are all very poor quality; outside the capital standards are even lower than in Port-au-Prince. Medical care in Port-au-Prince is limited, and the level of community sanitation is extremely low. Life-threatening emergencies often require evacuation by air ambulance at the patient's expense.Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. The degree of risk in Hait i is quite high; half of the children in Haiti are unvaccinated and just 40% of the population has access to basic health care. Even before the 2010 earthquake, nearly half the causes of deaths have been attributed to HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, meningitis and diarrheal diseases, including cholera and typhoid. Ninety percent of Haiti’s children suffer from waterborne diseases and intestinal parasites. Approximately 5% of Haiti's adult population is infected with HIV.Cases of tuberculosis in Haiti are more than ten times as high as those in other Latin American countries. Also, around 30,000 people in Haiti suffer each year from malaria. Environmental widespread growth of deforestation in Haiti as well as, soil erosion, poor supply of drinkable water, biodiversity, climate change, and desertification are some main causes as to why Haiti is such a poor and lacking country today. The forests that once covered the entire country have now been reduced to 4% of the total land area. Haiti loses 3% of its forests every year.Deforestation has had a disastrous effect on soil fertility, because the steep hillsides on which so many Haitian farmers work are particularly at risk to erosion. Another environmental factor that faces Haiti is the unplanned and unsustainable timber harvesting, agricultural clearing, and livestock cultivation that has thrown Haiti’s environment into crisis, creating the effects of hurricanes and floods on the already unstable country. Haiti’s transportation is not at all well; although they have 14 airports in Haiti, only 4 of them are paved and the other 10 are not.The road total mileage in Haiti is about 2,585 miles, only 628 miles of it is paved and 1,957 miles is unpaved. Haiti has only two main highways that run from one end of the country to the other. In the past Haiti used railroads, but today they are no longer in use due to other forms of transportation that have become available. The birth rate in Haiti is 24 . 92 births per 1,000 people of the population, and the death rate is 32. 31 deaths per 1,000 people of the population as of 2010. The infant mortality rate total is 77. 26% deaths per 1,000 live births; males have a higher death rate than females. Males having 81. deaths per 1,000 live births and females having 73. 07 deaths per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy of the total population is only 29. 93 years, males only having 29. 61 years and females living until around age 30. The reason for such a high mortality rate is due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.Works Cited CIA. â€Å"CIA – The World Factbook. † Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. 27 Oct. 2010. Web. 05 Nov. 010. . Nicolas, Marc-Charles. â€Å"Facts about Haiti, About Haiti, Data and Populat ion of Haiti, Haiti Crime Report, Haiti Superficie, Haiti Superficy. † Haitisurf. com- Haiti Website, Haitian Website, Top Haitian Website – Haiti Tourism – Haiti Vacations. 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2010. . Rival, Antonio. â€Å"Culture of Haiti – Traditional, History, People, Clothing, Traditions, Women, Beliefs, Food, Customs, Family, Social, Dress, Marriage, Men, Life, Population, Religion, Rituals. † Countries and Their Cultures. Web. 05 Nov. 2010. . U. S. Library of Congress. â€Å"Haiti – GEOGRAPHY. † Country Studies. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. .

Formal Essay in Human Relationships and Life Transitions Being an Adult Essay

Throughout this essay, I will be discussing the transition of adolescence. This transition is a stage of development between childhood and adulthood, from about 12 to 20 years of age. This transition from childhood to adulthood is smooth for some but rough for others(Caspi, 2000). This essay will discuss predictable and non-predictable elements of the transition. Health in adolescence issues this involves drugs & alcohol abuse and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are classified as unpredictable elements. Physical Development (body growth and physical changes during adolescence) or Puberty and Cognitive Development are classified as a predictable element during the transition. It will also explore the impact on relationships and concepts of self for persons undertaking the transition. Furthermore, it will deliberate the contributions of contemporary and seminal authors to describe the differences between the two past and presents authors/researcher’s theories in understanding of the adolescence life transitions. Another factor that will be discussed is the concept of self during the transition, and then finally it will comprehensively explain the importance for nurses to understand the adolescence transition. A.The importance of predictable and unpredictable elements in Adolescence transitions will assist in identifying the significant changes in every life event transition. Moreover, it will also benefit in supporting adolescent to meet challenging changes throughout the transition. The first predictable element is puberty the biological transition of adolescence, the most noticeable sign of being an adolescent. Theoretically, puberty refers as a collective term to refer to all the physical changes that occur in the growing girl or boy as the individual passes from childhood into adulthood(Habermas & Bluck, 2000). In boys a major change is the increased production of testosterone, a male sex hormone, while girls experience increased production of the female hormone oestrogen(Dedovic, Wadiwalla, Engert, & Pruessner, 2009). In boys a major change is the increased production of testosterone, a male sex hormone, while girls experience increased production of the female hormone oestrogen (Carpentier & Fortenberry, 2010). Internally, through the development of main sexual characteristics, adolescents become capable of sexual reproduction. Externally, as secondary sexual characteristics appear, girls and boys begin to look like mature women and men. In boys primary and secondary sexual characteristics usually emerge in a predictable order, with the rapid growth of the testes and scrotum, accompanied by the appearance of pubic hair. In later years, it will begin the growth of facial and body hair, and a gradual lowering of the voice. Around mid-adolescence internal changes begin making a boy capable of producing and ejaculating sperm. In girls, sexual characteristics develop in a less regular sequence. Usually, the first sign of puberty is a slight elevation of the breasts, but sometimes this is preceded by the appearance of pubic hair. In teenage girls, internal sexual changes include maturation of the uterus, vagina, and other parts of the reproductive system. Menarche(Cochrane, 1993). Regular ovulation and the ability to carry a baby to full term usually follow menarche by several years. The second predictable element is Cognitive Development transition a second element of the passage through adolescence is a cognitive transition(Champion & Collins, 2010). Compared to children, adolescents think in ways that are more advanced, more efficient, and generally more complex. Adolescence individuals become better able than children to think about what is possible, instead of limiting their thought to what is real. Whereas children’s thinking is oriented to the here and now—that is, to things and events that they can observe directly, adolescents are able to consider what they observe against a backdrop of what is possible—they can think hypothetically. Second, during the passage into adolescence, individuals become better able to think about abstract ideas. This is clearly seen in the adolescent’s increased facility and interest in thinking about interpersonal relationships, politics, philosophy, religion, and morality—topics that involve such abstract concepts as friendship, faith, democracy, fairness, and honesty. Third, during adolescence individuals begins thinking more often about the process of thinking itself, or metacognition. As a result, adolescents may display increased introspection and self-consciousness. Although improvements in metacognitive abilities provide important intellectual advantages, one potentially negative by product of these advances is the tendency for adolescents to develop a sort of egocentrism, or intense preoccupation with the self. Acute adolescent egocentrism sometimes leads teenagers to believe that others are constantly watching and evaluating them, much as an audience glues its attention to an actor on a stage. Whereas children tend to think about things one aspect at a time, adolescents can see things through more complicated lenses. Adolescents describe themselves and others in more differentiated and complicated terms and find it easier to look at problems from multiple perspectives. The unpredictable elements are health related issues in adolescence are alcohol and other drug use. Experimentation with psychoactive substance is widespread during adolescence. Psychoactive substances are naturally occurring or artificial materials that act on the nervous system, altering perceptions, moods and behaviour. They range from naturally occurring substances, such as alcohol, which is produced from the fermentation of plant sugars by yeast, to designer drugs such as ecstasy. Most teenager experiment with different substances, constituting substance use and in some individual’s experimentation escalates into habitual or repeated usage known as substance abuse. They also engaged in â€Å"binge drinking† which arising in recent years. Binge drinking is defined as the consecutive ingestion of five or more standard drinks in less than two hours. Other factors of unpredictable health issues is sexually transmitted infections, adolescent sexual behaviour may impose a significant health risk to teenagers through a range of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Sexually transmitted infections are bacterial and viral infections that enter the body via the mucous membranes of the mouth and the sex organs following physical contact. Sexually transmitted infection includes syphilis, gonorrhoea, genital lice, scabies, chlamydia, herpes, genital warts, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. The reason for the high rates of STIs in adolescents is that this age group is more prone to sexual experimentation and risky sexual behaviours than other age groups. Risky sexual behaviour includes unprotected sexual activity without using barriers such as condoms, sexual activity involving multiple partners and sexual activity involving partners whose sexual is unknown. B. The impact on relationships and concepts of self for persons undertaking the transition is established by a personal identity a key task of adolescence is successful resolution of Erikson’s psychosocial crisis of identity versus role confusion. Identify formation involves selectively integrating some aspects of earlier childhood identity and discarding others. Successful resolution of the identity crisis of adolescence depends on the opportunities to experiment with different social roles and activities. Individual differences identify achievement are due to culture, gender roles , peer influences, parenting styles and life circumstances experienced by adolescents, which may increase or decrease opportunities for exploration. Self-concept is based on more abstract beliefs and values than the concrete and comparative ideas of self during childhood. Increased of perspective-taking ability may reveal ‘true’ and ‘false’ selves in relation to interactions with different people, but this can reflect positive experimentation with different roles that contribute to self-concept. Self-esteem decreases significantly between child self-concept and mid- adolescence, and more dramatically for girls than for boy s. The sex differences is probably anchored to sex-role differences, greater body image dissatisfaction in girls than in boys, and the differential boost to self-worth that romantic relationships bring to adolescent boys and girls. Parent –child relationships become less asymmetrical term s of the balance of power during adolescence compared with childhood, as a result of adolescent’s push for autonomy. There are wide individual differences in the degree of autonomy achieved by adolescents, depending on parenting styles and cultural and gender based norms and attitude. During adolesce, close same-sex cliques and larger, looser amalgamations of several cliques called crow. Cliques and crowds provide the backdrop for new cross-sex interaction, including romantic relationships. Peer group conformity within cliques seeks out different kinds of advice and support from both parents and peers, Nonetheless, for minority ineffective parenting and influenced with a wrong crowd will experience a criminal career, exacerbate the pre-existing interpersonal difficulties that predispose adolescent to violence and being a gang members in the society. Bullying is also common in the society especially teens in primary and high school, it can affect the psychosocial development of a person. Positive peer relationships include same-sex friendships that are high in intimacy and mutual support are both essential in bridging to a successful romantic relationships which may also begin during adolescence. During adolescence, most individuals experience their first sexual intercourse. The age when this occurs is becoming earlier, depending on gender, cultural constraints and peer influences. Sexual minority status –lesbians, gay or bisexual may pose additional challenges to identify formation and sexual maturation during adolescence. C.The contribution of past and present authors and researcher’s in understanding towards the adolescent life transitions has vast changes in time. According to Kohlberg’s theory (Benenson, Tennyson, & Wrangham, 2011) extended Piaget’s work on moral development during the 1960’s uses male protagonist only as an examples of his theories which contradicts Carol Gilligan’s author of her popular book , â€Å"In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development† (1982), suggested that Kohlberg’s theories were biased against women, as only males were used in his studies. By listening to women’s experiences, Gilligan offered that a morality of care can serve in the place of the morality of justice and rights espoused by Kohlberg. In her view, the morality of caring and responsibility is premised in nonviolence, while the morality of justice and rights is based on equality. (Gilligan, 1982). CONCLUSION As we discussed the main points of being adolescence it embodies the importance, relevance and impact of a particular life event transition. Adolescence is a distinct stage that marks the transition between childhood and adulthood. Adolescents are capable of abstract reasoning. Although you may still include the family in education, adolescents themselves are a major focus of teaching since they have considerable independence and are, consequently, in more control of the degree to which recommendations will be carried out. Adolescents have many important developmental tasks to achieve. They are in the process of forming their own identity, separating themselves from parents, and adapting to rapidly changing bodies. Bodily changes at puberty may cause a strong interest in bodily functions and appearance. Sexual adjustment and a strong desire to express sexual urges become important. Adolescents may have difficulty imagining that they can become sick or injured. This may contribute to accidents due to risk taking or poor compliance in following medical recommendations. Because adolescents have a strong natural preoccupation with appearance and have a high need for peer support and acceptance, health recommendations that they view as interfering with their concept of themselves as independent beings may be less likely to be followed. Therefore, as sexual adjustment and strong sexual urges characterize this age, the nurse may do significant teaching about sex education and contraception. In addition to teaching adolescents about why and how their bodies are changing, the nurse is also in a good position to dispel misconceptions young patients may have about sexual development or sexual behaviour. Teaching adolescents about sexuality requires a special sensitivity and understanding. Respect for the patient’s modesty, privacy, and opinions are critical to establishing an atmosphere of openness and trust. In addition to sex education, other important patient teaching areas are alcohol and drug abuse and general health measures, such as the importance of good nutrition and exercise as the basis for life-long health. Regardless of the topic, health education for adolescents is more effective when the nurse establishes trust by respecting the adolescent’s needs, shows empathetic understanding, and answers questions honestly. Patient teaching for adolescents should take the form of guidance rather than lecturing. Nurses who gain credibility with an adolescent patient establish themselves as the teen-ager’s advocate rather than representatives of the parents. The nurse may increase health teaching effectiveness by including the family. The nurse can give guidance and support to family members that can help them understand and respect adolescent behaviour. Parents should be encouraged to set realistic limits for adolescents while still allowing them to become increasingly responsible for their own health care management.

Philippine Land Law Expert Chatbot Essay

The researchers tend to work on an expert system with integration of Philippine land laws. They chose to focus on land laws since one of the major problems of the Filipinos who seek law experts’ advice are due to land. The researchers deliberates the possible ways on how can they share knowledge and guidance that works like a real lawyer advising a client but have not taking an account to replace to seek a real land law experts guidance. Also, putting an expertise into a machine happens in many ways. So, the researchers find a way on constructing an expert system on Philippine land law using different techniques. In giving solution to the stated problem of the researchers, this study implements techniques such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) with sub-processes of Tokenizing, Part-of-Speech Tagging, and Parsing for input abstraction and validation, as well as Natural Language Generation (NLG) for the construction of answer/s. The developed system entitled, â€Å"PHILEX: Philipine Land Law Expert Chatbot† focused on providing answers to the user’s questions. Such users who are in need of information, assistance and knowledge and those who seek counselling in regards to any Philippine land law or land rights can benefit from the said expert system but must always know that the researchers do not intend to substitute the land law professionals. Upon various tests that the researchers conducted aiming to know the accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of the system, researchers came up with such conclusions. A technique, Precision and Recall, was used to test the system’s capability of answering the user’s questions relying from correct result (true positive or tp), missing result (false negative of fn), unexpected result (false positive of fp), and correct abscence of result (true negative or tn). This study also intends to identify the evaluation of the experts when it comes to sy stem’s user-friendliness, speed of response, and completeness. Five (5) land law experts chose twenty (20) test questions used to assess the system’s competency. Conclusion made by the experts based on the results is PHILEX, being the system for giving answers to user’s questions pertaining to Philipine land laws, is acceptable as a reliable source of knowledge and guidance without intending to replace the professional practitioners. The system got an overall percentage in terms of accuracy, a 75%, specificity with the percentage rate of 55% and sensitivity with 80.8%. Summing up the scores in terms of user-friendliness, speed of response, and completeness resulted to an overall weighted mean of 4.36, 4.32, and 4.16 respectively, interprets that the system as an acceptable tool for land law consulations. In the future, the authors would like to extend their work and knowledge by making the system possible to access by everyone through web or what we called â€Å"web-base application†.

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X - Essay Example Nevertheless, the two authors seem to share feelings regarding the white run American society in which they lived. The two authors put blame on the whites for the prevailing racism; however, they agree that it was up to the black s to end the problem. Although Malcolm X and King used the black society, they had their own notions of how to deal and stop racism because Malcolm X favored the use of violence while King acknowledged the need use a nonviolent approach. King in his essay suggests a peaceful revolution although he is aware of eminent violence if peaceful demonstrations are unheeded; however, Malcolm X uses a direct and an aggressive approach in his article. Although all whites were not involved in supporting the problem of racism because some were trying to help fight for the blacks, it took Malcolm X a lot of time to figure that out. Malcolm in his essay â€Å"A homemade education† points out that he never felt truly free in his life until the time he was in prison. King in his essay talks about overestimating goodness because he acknowledges that few members of a race that oppressed another can understand the yearnings of those that have been oppressed. However, even after finding out he never received much white support as he hoped but he never lost faith in the white community (King 1; Malcolm 121-127). King in addressing the issue uses resources and references from the bible and religious icons in getting attention of the clergymen regarding the laws of segregation. Although this was an indirect route, he managed to attain what he wanted. King’s response to the clergymen uses peaceful rhetoric in presenting his arguments; moreover, he uses religious metaphors and imagery throughout his work in order to show peacefulness. King uses religious metaphors because he understands that the audience is made up of religious leaders and capable of relating to the religious symbolism he uses. King uses religion to

Component design assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Component design assignment - Essay Example h supports components proposes the possibility of making software applications by examining together software components in similar manner to how electronic devices are made from electronic components. This kind of method used to software development is referred to as component based development. Component based development demands to give a thoroughly new approach to the design, construction, putting into effect and development of software applications. Software applications are bring together from components from the different kinds of sources and these components maybe written in several different programming languages and run on different methods. The idea of this trend is to reuse components that is already completed instead of developing everything from the beginning each time. There are many advantages the component-based development brings such as gives support to the higher level of software reuse, it allows testing to be done by first performing a test to each of the compon ents before performing a test to the group of components, free to improve and/or add components as Components express themselves through interfaces. An interface is the connection to the user that will interact with the component. The function Application Programmable Interface (API) are the once who are exposed to the user. If there are any changes to the API, the user has to recompile his code also. In the case of the object-oriented world, the interface is a group of public methods defined for an object wherein this object is controlled through its interface. In the language of C++, the code can only be recompiled when the interface (code) is changed. The problem is that the user of the class must use the same programming throughout the entire development. In separating the interface from the implementation, the languages used are the COBRA and COM which is done through binary interfaces. There are three major component models that are successfully used today which show accurately

Old Major Movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Old Major Movie - Essay Example Soon later the animals put their plan into effect. This means that they defeat the owner of the farm and take over the land for the animals. The animals then rename the farm animal farm and begin to explore their new existence, with one animals developing the slogan ‘I will work harder’. At first the animal farm is highly effective and there is limited in-fighting among the animals. The original pigs educate new animals about the ways of Animalism, or animal dominance much like Old Major had envisioned. At one point the farmer returns to attempt to reclaim the land and the group of animals defeats him. They name this confrontation the Battle of Cowshed. During this time of the film the pigs begin to argue amongst themselves and the viewer begins to detect that the animal rule is experiencing a number of challenges that may lead to its demise. They develop ideas, like an electrically generated windmill, but one of the pigs objects to the idea. Napoleon uses the dogs that were trained earlier in the movie to chase Snowball from the farm and assume control for himself and declares that the pigs will be the ones making the decisions for all the animals. Â  As Napoleon assumes control he decides to complete the windmill project. After working on the project the animals discover that one day it is toppled. They are not sure what happened to the windmill, but they play Snowball. As a response they set about undertaking a purge of the animals in the farm that may be opposed to their rule.

Customer Relationship Management-CRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Customer Relationship Management-CRM - Essay Example CRM includes various elements such as information needed to understand customer better, the process management required appropriate experiences to customers, software tools, and the training and change management elements (Kincaid 2003, p.37). CRM enables an organization to identify its target customers, maximize sale management, improve its relationships with customers through personalization, and identify customer needs among others. Successful CRM depends on the use of technology such as data mining to organize and synchronize sales, marketing, and customer service among others. This paper explores customer relationship management particularly the data mining technique and its importance in an organization. Every business is highly dependent on its customers hence the need to understand and satisfy customer needs, and excellent customer service is an integral part of CRM (Brink and Berndt 2008, p.21) and it is all about being aware of the needs of the customer and respond to them effectively. CRM plays a leading role in business operation as it helps business executives to understand and respond to customer needs in a consistent and effective way. Customer information is the most important part of customer relationship management, and it serves as a critical component of building loyalty (Kincaid 2003, p.47). It is very difficult and challenging to manage countless customers and have many employees to communicate with each customer. Therefore, customer accounts provide necessary information about the customer such as the contact information, order history, and preferences among others. Customer relationship management software assists business executives to keep track of their contacts and schedules. Moreover, CRM systems help salespeople to keep track of customer interactions, and advances in technology have led to increased use of CRM systems

Security in Aviation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Security in Aviation - Assignment Example Unattended baggage is watched over by the passenger support officers and they also take care of passenger mis-board to ensure they get to their correct flights. Security inspectors are in charge of taking care of the restricted items. The airport’s security operations officers working together with the intelligence services take charge in case of a bomb threat or any hijacking of the aircraft. Traffic operations officers are in charge of the parking and ensure there is easy flow of vehicles in and out of the airport. Ground handling officers check the passenger and staff ID’s before allowing them access to the airport or into an aircraft. Inappropriate answers to officers are handled by the supervisor in charge. Maintaining aviation security is largely dependent on implementing current systems and procedure. This is because, the airport is quite a large space and it is not easy for a few selected persons to control the entire space. As such they need to constantly communicate with one another from one point to the other. The best way to do so is via computers and updating the systems for everyone to see. This way in case of a security breach in one area, all relevant authorities is able to access this information through the system. Also, it is through these current systems that one can monitor all that goes on in the airport at one specific time thus be able to act fast in case of any emergencies. A scenario where current system procedures were not implemented was in Manchester whereby several passengers accessed an aircraft with no passport checks. This could be potentially dangerous for any airport as in case of any hijacking, bombing or theft they would not know the specific persons of interest. One of the importance of implementing the current systems and procedures to maintain airport security is because terrorists believe that the aviation industry is a legitimate target 2. It is crucial that as aviation threats evolve, also the screening

Biomedical engineering and IT coordination Essay

Biomedical engineering and IT coordination - Essay Example However, there was confusion on how to manage these devices. This is why Cabrai and Stankiewicz the head of NEHS clinical engineering group decided to give a new approach to the CE-IT overlap. They called for a summit that gave birth to the agreement that today acts as the model for VA hospitals across the United States. This change led to reduced support costs and brought forward a consistent level of skills and leadership in clinical engineering across all hospitals. It also led to the creation of a unified team that works efficiently with other programs in the VA. The MOU signed by IT, network directors and CE executives provided a framework for the establishment of a cooperative and productive working relationship between the two departments. Cabrai says that the review board was created because they wouldn’t include everything in the MOU. Stankiewicz on his part says that the MOU is reviewed annually during the summits in order to make the necessary changes so that it remains relevant. The operations within the medical centers have been made easier because of this agreement as it offers the guidelines on how to handle different

Why has human trafficking become such a popular crime over the last Essay

Why has human trafficking become such a popular crime over the last three decades - Essay Example Human, weapon and environmental trafficking is alleged to influence all nations in the world, even though in diverse ways. States are separated into three groups: transit, origin and destination (Rumford 2008). Modern trafficking has been promoted by the poor economic conditions. Trafficking occurs as a result of imbalanced economic status. Internationally the majority poor are women. The number of those living under the poverty line has continued to increase tremendously as compared to the unreasonable number of men (Rumford 2008). Women frequently have the additional financial and economic load of caring and providing for children. Women and girls face discrimination that restricts their learning and employment chances. Women and girls also excessively experience sexual assault in the workplace (Kempadoo and Doezema 1998). This circumstance forces many girls and women to find alternatives abroad for job opportunities and these makes them principally defenseless to abuse. The economic position of girls and women is rampant in developing countries undergoing economic change. All of the nations of Eastern and Central Europe and Soviet Union have experienced impressive political and economic changes as they progress from centralized economies to open market structures. Although, there is remarkable variation in how these nations in this areas have experienced the change, women and girls have been pessimistically impacted by the high rates of unemployment and the failure of social agendas that survived the past (Rumford 2008). Women in Soviet states, the change has meant that they are not economically autonomous than they were before. Economic inequality both between and within nations is another factor that has greatly that promoted human and weapons trafficking in the contemporary world. Human trafficking has persistently continued to take place in low-income states

ARTICLE BRIEF Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ARTICLE BRIEF - Essay Example v. Commissioner, 350 U.S. 46 (1955). According to the ruling, capital assets include the property held by the taxpayer but does not include goods in trade or assets held by the taxpayer for the primary purpose of resale. It is, therefore, viable to conclude that Haig Simmons did not incur a loss on capital and hence the loss is categorized as ordinary. The Supreme Court held the verdict of the Court of Appeals and the Tax Court that the petitioner’s future business transactions are designed to caution its manufacturing business against the price increase that would reduce the profit margin. In this case, Anderson (2001) declares that the loss emanating from such transactions should be included as an income when determining the tax payable. Similar ruling was made on March 7, 1988 in the case Arkansas Best Corp. v. Commissioner, 485 U.S. 212 (1988). In the case, the court noted that future transaction had a consistent trend of giving rise to huge gains that went untaxed. The court therefore held that the petitioner should be slapped with a tax burden with the future loss as part of taxable income. In conclusion, losses emanating from future contracts form a part of the loss on inventory and hence the amount in the transaction should be incorporated as an income to the enterprise but not as a loss on

Rooms Division Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Rooms Division - Assignment Example This research focuses on room division operations with reference to Nadler Soho, which is a strategically located hotel off Oxford Street. The Tottenham Court Tube Station is situated 400 meters from the hotel while the British Museum is less than 1 kilometre away. In the neighbourhood are several bars and restaurants. The Nadler Soho offers state of the art accommodation facilities comprising well-designed rooms installed with Wi-Fi for guests, global digital newspapers and an LED television set. The rooms comprise modern shower rooms and a hair drier to ensure maximal convenience. Guests are also provided with a small food cupboard and a laptop computer safe. There are a set of legislation in the UK that directly influence the room operations for hotels in the UK. The law of civil rights requires that disabled people be treated equally as other guests. Access to rooms must be provided equally and ramps must be built for use by people with disabilities. Toilets should also be disability friendly among other aspects of the room division. The equality act is against discrimination of any kind including disability, gender, marital status, race, religion and sexual orientation among other social aspects that are predisposed to discrimination (Clark & Chen, 2007). The fire safety regulations of 1988 require room division to guarantee safety for guests and employees. Fire exits must be clearly marked and adequate information provided to the guest in case of a fire outbreak. All such exists are required to open outwards to maximize efficiency of exit in case of fire. Fire fighting equipment need to be installed and marked clearly. Fire retardant furniture and fittings are a statutory requirement. Fire drills are required regularly to assess the effectiveness of response to fire accidents. Guests should not be exposed to health hazards such as electrocution, falling debris and falls among other health hazards. Gas Safety

Zara case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Zara case study - Essay Example erstanding the competitive environment is one of the most useful tools which help in determining the importance of activities taking place in organisation (Mclvor, 2005, p.122). Every organisation makes use of the competitive force to determine the activities. The competitive force also termed as Porters five forces constitute of bargaining power of suppliers, customers, threat of substitutes, threat of new entrant and rivalry among firms (Henry, 2008, p. 80). Bargaining power of supplier: The apparel industry usually has their own suppliers and as result they do not have to depend on external suppliers. In addition there are lot many suppliers available in the apparel industry making the bargaining power low. Also it is not possible for a given supplier to dominate the apparel industry which tends to negatively affect the suppliers power (Data Monitor, 2010, p.16). In case of Zara, the brand gets about 50% of its raw materials from Inditex group and so it does not depend heavily on the external suppliers. Zara however reduces the supplier’s power by working together with the vendors and implementing in the process to make the manufacturing process effective and cost cutting. Therefore maintaining good relationship with its vendors has also helped Zara to lower the power and tilt the games in favour of Zara. Bargaining power of Buyer: buyers are the individual consumers and his fact weakens the negotiation power of the buyer. Retailers differentiate themselves through different style and offers which is being offered by each brands. However in cases where the retailers cannot go for forward integration and as a result the retailers are obliged to offer the consumers with what they demands, strengthening the power of buyers. But in overall case the power remains from moderate to high (Data Monitor, 2010, p.15). The buyer’s power for Zara can be said to be moderate as the consumers are ready to pay a high price for its products. Threat of Substitutes: Garments

Theories of Internationalisation and Relevance in Explaining Global Essay

Theories of Internationalisation and Relevance in Explaining Global Patterns of Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example In effect, countries can gain profits if they direct their activities to the generation of products and services which are most profitable. This theory relates the situation where a country creates products and services for its people, and for export in terms of surplus. As a result, it is favourable for countries to import the products and services where they also have an economic disadvantage (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). The economic advantage and disadvantage may be based on differences in available resources, labour, and technology. The classical theory argues that the foundation of international trade would come from the differences in the qualities of production and available resources which are also based on differences in natural and acquired advantages (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). Another theory of internationalisation contrasts with the classical trade theory. The factor proportion theory discusses that countries usually produce the export products and services which supp ort significant production advantages that they have, and they will import the products and services which would need large scores of production factors that may be limited (Hecksher and Ohlin, 1933). This theory supports the idea of economic advantage by evaluating the endowment and costs related to factors of production (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). The above theories do not completely explain the current trends in international trade. For one, the rise of technological development and of multinational corporations during the 1960s called for new theories on international trade. At such time, the product life cycle theory relating to international trade was considered a significant basis in explaining trade patterns and MNC expansions (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). Such theory... This essay stresses that financial arbitrage is also another opportunity for securing strategic flexibility for FDIs. MNCs can circumvent the restrictions imposed by the host government, mostly those which relate to finance, remittance, and foreign exchange in order to secure and support their new and innovative products. Another opportunity relates to the transfer of information. Flexibility ensures that MNEs can benefit from the act of singling out available opportunities, assessing the world markets to match the involved buyers and sellers and avoiding the barriers to effective trade relations. This paper makes a conclusion that based on the above discussion, the theories of internationalisation like the classical trade theory acknowledges the fact that trade relations and investments are dictated by the needs of investors and of the consumers. Where the need is great and the profit would best be gained, the FDIs would likely be made. The current global trends in investments indicate how the emerging economies have manifested the greatest need and the most profit for investments, for which reason investors have directed their economic activities to these areas. The internationalisation theory generally indicates how the current trends in the economy are gravitating towards more open forms of trade and economic relations. These FDIs are but another manifestation of internationalisation, and these investments would likely find bigger avenues for investment in the years to come.

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax Essay

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax - Essay Example Great Britain (2010) noted that an income tax of 20% is automatically charged on savings interest while those who are married and one of the spouses was born before 6 April 1935 are able to claim a Married Couple’s Allowance hence reducing the tax bill. The UK government is fair because those who are blind are able to claim the Blind Person’s Allowance. This paper is going to give opinions on if the UK government should restore the 50% additional rate of income tax. First, the paper will provide an explanation of the recent history of the additional rate of the income tax and then discuss arguments in favor of and against the restored rate of 50%. Great Britain (2010) noted that in 2009, Alistair Darling the then Chancellor announced that there would be tax increases in order to contribute over six billion pounds by the year 2012. The reason behind this was ensure that the economic future of the country was secured and to provide assistance for citizens when they require it most. The changes incorporated an increase in the indirect taxes rates for instance duties on alcohol and road fuel for that current year, variations in income tax from the month of April 2010 that included a new 50% rate on all incomes above 150,000 pounds. Great Britain (2010) stated that the new additional 50% rate brought about many feedbacks about the Budget, as individuals viewed it as a valuable change in the Labor government’s approach to taxing those who are wealthy in the society. There were many debates among citizens wondering if the changes would enable the government to get as much as they had anticipated. For instance, 1.3 billion pou nds in November 2010 rose to 3.05 billion pounds in December 2011. Great Britain (2010) noted that UK consisted of 31.3 million-taxpayer population but according to the revenue and customs estimate, only 236,000 citizens were entitled to pay the 50% rate in November 2010. Great Britain (2010) noted that the Liberal Democrat

Dimensions in Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dimensions in Art - Essay Example Initially, this was considered inelegant and greatly criticized. However, by the time he painted The Stonebreakers, opinions on the realist style were changing. In painting The Stonebreakers, Courbet sought to depict the harsh lives that peasants went through as evidenced by the painting’s revealing illustration of trying conditions faced by the miners (Riat 101). The painting includes a peasant man and a peasant boy using mallets to break up boulders, while dressed in torn clothes. One is immediately drawn to the sharpness and depth of the canvas and the rigid details of the painting, which has no drama or romanticism. This trait is uniquely realist. One also notices the monotony of color used, reflecting the painting’s languid tone as the man and boy break up the boulders. This is especially important for Courbet as it allows him to draw attention to the peasants’ efforts. In addition, Courbet also seems to be drawing attention to the ages of the boy and man si nce the man seems to old and the boy too young to be breaking boulders (Riat 101). The painting also reveals the industrial era and the poverty that existed alongside it. Unfortunately, peasants were the most disadvantaged people during the industrial revolutions, especially in the mines and factories (Riat 102). Most of the peasants, with increased mechanization of farm work, were forced into the mines, while young boys were exploited for their labor as they could be underpaid. The Stonebreakers is reflective of the unease that Courbet felt for the abuse of the vulnerable by an increasingly capitalist society, as well as the agony and anguish they suffered in the mines with the hard work. This was a main theme in the realist era and Courbet uses mellow colors and unexaggerated style to draw attention towards the peasants’ plight (Riat 102). This work, alongside other works by Courbet, was an inspiration for future modernists and impressionists with its focus on contemporary society and events. This was suggestive of the improved innovation in art that finally led to the surrealist era. The Bullfight’s artist Joan Miro was born in Barcelona in 1893 and was a ceramist, a sculptor, and painter. As a painter, he evolved greatly throughout the early to mid-20th century with his work earning wide international acclaim throughout the same period (Brodskaia 56). While The Bullfight can be interpreted as surrealist art, Miro himself refused to ascribe his work to this art style and simply referred to his paintings during this era as semi-abstract. While surrealism stood out during this period, The Bullfight was more had a greater degree of abstraction as compared to other major surrealist artists at the time like Pablo Picasso. In The Bullfight, Miro seeks to represent his Catalan heritage of bull fighting in an abstract way, most likely due to the persecution he suffered under Dictator and anti-Catalan leader General Franco (Brodskaia 56). Miro had alwa ys been critical of contemporary painting styles, claiming that it was in support of the bourgeois, and The Bullfight was one of his ways to â€Å"assassinate painting† through an upset of established elements of painting (Brodskaia 150). The painting shows a raging bull being outmaneuvered by a skillful el-matador, although one has to look closely to actually make out the el-matador’s figure. Miro also exaggerates some of the bull’

Tribal Warfare Essay Example for Free

Tribal Warfare Essay Addressing the threats of tribal warfare and proposing alternatives for resolving such issue were given by Neuhauser in his article.   In the summary, Neuhauser elaborated on the issue and definition of tribal warfare.   Moreover, he pointed out the positive and negative effects of having tribes in the work environment.   The author exposed the issue of tribal warfare with regard to its origin and linked it to how it generates conflict among members of the workforce. With that argument in place, Neuhauser pointed out on the different points in determining the presence of tribal warfare in a workforce.    After giving out possible scenarios for the occurrence of conflict between co-workers, Neuhauser indicated the need for addressing tribal warfare by explaining possible alternatives and solutions in resolving the issue among co-workers and groups. Furthermore, Neuhauser pointed out the important traits and strategies needed by a manager to overcome and bridge the gap caused by tribal warfare; migrating and tribal management skills.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In reaction to the article made by Neuhauser, the paper sees that the author made a good summary of the issue of tribal warfare.   The issues were clearly pointed out and elaborated for the readers to have a clear idea of the whole picture.   Another thing that was good about the summary is Neuhauser gave certain examples by showing a diagram of how tribal warfare can be existent in certain work industries.   In this light, I will have to agree to what the author says that managers should address this issue primarily because if unattended, it will be the company who would suffer losses. Moreover, in response to the points given to address the problem of tribal warfare, the paper sees that Neuhauser limited his scope on the ways managers can effectively solve the issue.   The author just pointed out certain distinct traits that a manager should posses to resolve such issue.   It would have been better if the author elaborated on these concepts a little bit more so that readers might get important points regarding the issue.   On a high note, the methods and skills given by the author was sufficient enough for readers to comprehend and understand the ways of tackling tribal warfare.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After giving a brief summary and personal response to the article, the paper will now elaborate on the ways of tackling the issue of tribal warfare.   This next section seeks to explain further a concept that the paper sees is vital for a positive interaction between tribes and prevent the escalation of conflict between these groups.   The concept that the paper will choose and elaborate is the creation of a team-based organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The activity of a group of people working cooperatively to achieve shared goals via differentiation of roles and using elaborate systems of communication is basic to our species. (Blackwell Publishing, p.1) With this thing in mind, the idea of creating an organization based on teams is important in a workforce. Firstly, the paper will justify why such concept is important.   This form of collaboration is vital to solving complex problems fast, gaining commitment to change, and tapping the full reservoir of latent energy and ideas possessed by most organizations. (Hastings, p.1) Moreover, â€Å"Organizations worldwide are using teams as a business strategy to increase quality and customer service, improve productivity, and decrease costs.† (Kricher, p.1) Thus, the overall objective of this concept is to promote teamwork among the workforce and groups to facilitate a better outcome for companies. Also, in addressing the issues of tribal warfare, applying this concept means that the manager must be able to link each team/tribes that work independently on specific tasks to harmoniously coexist together to achieve the goals set by the company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the justification of the use of a team-based organization, the issue now at hand is how must the leader act in accordance to this concept and what particular methods must he/she establish to attain such endeavors.   â€Å"The leader of the change process will have to manage and tolerate the conflict, resistance and pain associated with the introduction of such a major change within the organization.† (Blackwell Publishing, p.6) In terms of addressing tribal warfare, the managers must use their necessary skills to influence groups to collaborate. â€Å"As a manager, your job is to reduce your organization’s tribal warfare primarily by building communication bridges between the tribes.† (Neuhauser, 1988, p.5) The next section elaborates on these methods and techniques that a manager can use to promoting a team-based organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An initiative that can be made on the part of the manager is setting an organizational support for teams.   â€Å"One important factor in building high-performance teams is the level of support for a team-based approach that exists throughout the organization—starting with senior managers.† (Kricher, p.1) In this process, proper and constant communication is vital among workers and managers to facilitate a more progressive work.   Thus, teamwork is vital in this process as each members of the group must interact to know what processes need to be done and accomplished.    Furthermore, a manager must be efficient enough to create methods for employees to understand and be incorporated to the actual working process. â€Å"In addition, senior managers need to model the values of teamwork and empowerment, because others in the organization will be looking to see if they â€Å"walk the talk.†Ã¢â‚¬  (Kricher, p.1) This method prevents the concept of tribal warfare because it prevents the catalyst of the escalation of this conflict; lack of communication.   With managers currently updated to the current events surrounding the team, issues that may cause tribal warfare with other teams can be prevented or negotiated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next method that can be implemented is narrowing or focusing the processes that each team should do. â€Å"In order for teams to succeed, the organization’s structure and people must be oriented to support core business processes.† (Kricher, p.2) This means that manager must be capable enough to create teams that cater to the process that defines what the company stands for.    â€Å"Success is more likely when teams include people with multiple skills who share responsibility for all or at least a significant portion of the overall business process.† (Kricher p.2) Moreover, the manager must be able to address the idea on keeping the business process as each ones focus rather than prioritizing on the interests of the group. Having this in mindset, tribal warfare can be prevented among groups.   Mainly because each one will be focused on the business process rather than their each individual’s group process which may lead to conflict.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another important method to look into is the clarification of roles by each group.   â€Å"Clarity begins with making sure that every team member understands the purpose of the team and how that purpose fits in with the overall organizational vision and objectives.† (Kricher, p.2) The failure of a manager to clarify each team’s roles may lead to problematic consequences.   â€Å"When roles and responsibilities of team members and managers are unclear, confusion and discouragement often follow.† (Kricher p.2) Thus, it is very important for a manager to inform their team what roles and objectives one plays in the overall business process.    â€Å"The best team-based organizations determine a â€Å"how far/how fast† plan that specifies which responsibilities will be assumed by teams and at what pace.† (Kricher, p.2) Tribal warfare can also be prevented by applying effectively this method.   When managers get the roles of groups straight, there will be no pin-pointing of failure to get the job completed because each groups are given the roles and objectives to fulfill and prevent conflict.   Moreover, since roles are clear for each group, passing around jobs to other groups which impede efficiency and effectiveness at work will be prevented.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Next thing that the manager should do is enforce innovations among members of the group to promote continuous learning.   A commitment to being a â€Å"learning organization†Ã¢â‚¬â€ where continuous learning and skill development are expected and encouraged—is critical.† (Kricher, p.3) Managers should be aware that skills need to be improved so that the group will grow and progress to address the current demands in the company. With regards to the issue of tribal warfare â€Å"if several members’ tribes migrate and works together to figure out how to implement a new idea, the possible advantages of a tribal system are often accomplished.† (Neuhauser, 1988 p.7)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having elaborated on the four methods, the next section of the paper seeks to address certain strategies that can make a manager’s team successful.   Moreover, the paper will also link these strategies on how it can prevent the existence of tribal warfare.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first strategy is having an efficient communication to achieve business objectives. â€Å"By effectively communicating a clear and compelling business case for teams, organizations mobilize support for teams from every level in the organization.† (Kricher, p.4) Lastly is creating quick and effective solutions for the team if ever they encounter conflict. â€Å"When teams have already been implemented and an intervention is announced to increase their effectiveness, that intervention should also be implemented as quickly as possible.† (Kricher, p.4) In terms of tribal warfare, these strategies can also help prevent and at the same time solve the issue. Having an efficient communication among each members of the group is vital in preventing tribal warfare.   This strategy can help each members of the group to harmoniously work together to achieve the business objectives set by the company. Furthermore, coexistence among groups striving to achieve goals will create an environment suitable for every party with one aim in mind.   On the other hand, the latter mentioned strategy is also an important element in addressing tribal warfare. Imposing immediate and effective solutions to the problem can help prevent the workforce from losing its focus on objectives that need to be accomplished.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To conclude, the paper showcased the ways of addressing the negative implications of tribal warfare with the concept of creating team-based organizations.   The paper elaborated on the different methods and strategies a manager can implement to further improve the members of the workforce. As a manager, tribal warfare must never be taken for granted since it creates a barrier among the groups who should work harmoniously and collaboratively to address the needs of the company; growth and devekopment References Blackwell Publishing. Introduction to team-based organizations. Retrieved September 22, 2007 from http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/BPL_Images/Content_store/Sample_chapter/9781405106115/001.pdf Hastings, C. Creating a team-based organization. Retrieved September 22, 2007 from http://www.gowertraining.co.uk/docs/teambased.pdf Kricher, L.D. Best Practices of Term-Based Organizations in Development Dimensions International. Retrieved September 22, 2007 from http://www.ddiworld.com/pdf/ddi_bestpracticesteambasedorganizations_wp.pdf Neuhauser, P. (1988). Tribes Still Flourish: Tribal Warfare in Organizations (USA:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Soundview Executive Book Summaries)

Time by Allen Curnow and Amends Essay Example for Free

Time by Allen Curnow and Amends Essay Explore the ways in which metaphysical ideas are presented in two poems that you have studied. ‘Time’ by Allen Curnow and ‘Amends by Adrienne Rich have an important link in which they both explore the metaphysical idea between the connection of human and nature. However, the poets use different concepts to address their points. Allen Curnow uses time with concrete and abstract images of the real world. On the other hand, Adrienne Rich uses descriptions on the moon. Language indicates the distinctiveness of how words are used by the poets. In these two poems, both of the poets use a variety of language techniques to present their ideas on the notion. They both have chosen repetition and diction for their pieces of poetry. In ‘Time’, the world ‘I am’ (refers to time) is repeated throughout the poem for many times. This gives the effects of highlighting how powerful time is. Curnow wants to indicates that time is everything in our lives, everything from sound, sight, smell to feelings. We can therefore feel a deep connection between humanity and the natural world. Also, diction with word choice like ‘dust’, ‘distance’ creates an atmosphere of old-fashioned and that a long period of time has passed. ‘Repetition’ is used in ‘Amends’ with the phrase ‘as it’. It emphasizes the constant movements of the moon and its progression. We can link this to ‘Time’ as it also shows a sense of power. Also, it seems to be highlighting the fact that the moon is controlling every single existence on Earth. From this, the idea of how nature has an important impact on human’s lives is being implied. Furthermore, the use of diction is present with the verbs on motions of the moon, for example: ‘picks’, ‘licks’, and ‘flicks’. This makes the imagery more realistic and fascinating to the readers. The number of images in both the two poems is immense. Allen Curnow and Adrienne Rich also use a lot of techniques in order to indicate the vividness of the images. Two of the techniques that they have in common are personification and metaphor. In ‘Time’, Allen Curnow personifies time with pronoun ‘I’. It is effective as time is brought closer to lives with our everyday ordinary objects. The images that time was personified to be are everything in life: ‘pines’, ’mileage’, ‘morning’, ‘park’, ‘magpie’ etc. These can be usable objects or beautiful flowers and birds. ‘I, Time, call down, condense and confer. ’ once again gives a sense of power. Metaphor is used in the last stanza: ‘Am island, am sea, am father, farm, and friend’. The images that time is compared to are categorized as nature (island, sea) and human (father, friend). Consequently, it also suggests the relationship between human and nature. Personification in the poem ‘Amends’ is present through the descriptions on movements of the moon. Words like: ‘picks’, ‘licks’, ‘flicks’, ‘pours’, ‘leans’ etc. implies the gentleness of the actions. This poem is about the progress of a moving moon, traveling, looking down from the sky to care for every little thing on Earth. Therefore, the verbs personify the actions of the moon, make it seems like a kind and cautious person. Metaphor is also emphasized in the last stanza of this poem. The imagery of how the moon ‘dwells upon the eyelids of the sleepers’ suggests how the moon looks after the sleepers – reference to human beings. The connotation of ‘dwells’ is to live; ‘eyelids’ are the vulnerable and very thin skin that covers our eyes. The metaphor meaning of this phrase is to suggest that the moon will always be with us, to protect us especially when things turn hard and we become weak. This has a special link to the metaphysical idea as the moon can be a symbol of nature and here we have a special connection with humanity as the fact that mother nature will always look out for us is present using imagery in this poem. Finally, the two poets creatively succeeded in forming/structuring their poems in many unique ways. However, they have one similarity in doing that, which is the use of enjambment. In ‘Time’, enjambment is widely used in the first 4 stanzas. After each sentence, there is no punctuation, therefore the reason for this can be suggested as the poet wants the readers to keep on reading. This is a smart way to indicate how time passes. Time does not wait for anyone or anything, it keep on moving unstoppable. That might be the reason why Allen Curnow has chosen to use enjambment in this poem. Dissimilar to that, in ‘Amends’, enjambment is used throughout the whole poem. The purpose of this is also different. In this poem, Adrienne Rich uses this technique of structuring to reflect movements of the moon. She wants that as the readers read on, they also follow a cycle that the moon is moving and step by step starting to see the whole world. It is shown that we all are under the moon’s protection. In conclusion, the poets are trying to demonstrate a metaphysical idea on the connection between humanity and nature. They both have individual impact on each other. Both the poems have captivating concepts to lead us to that belief. They help us to realize that nature is closer to humans than we think it is. Nature provides us with necessity, care and protection without us perceiving to acknowledge it. Each poem has different ways of delivering that message to us. In my opinion, the metaphysical idea is much more easier to identified with the poem ‘Amends’ because the image of nature is already present by the moon and all the techniques are used by the poets appropriately. ‘Time’ is obviously a relevant choice for poems on the connection between human and nature. However its concept is much more complicated than the concept of the moon.

Marks and spencers as an international retailer

Marks and spencers as an international retailer Marks and Spencer, known as M S, is one of the biggest retailers in the world. It has around 150 stores in 30 countries, including 130 franchises operating across the globe. Though it is very popular for its clothing chains in the United Kingdom, M S is also known for its multi-million pound food industry. M S also sell home furnishings, footwear and gifts other than clothing and food. In the United Kingdom alone it has 450 stores and under the trademark St. Michael, it has a chain of 294 stores. Almost all the companys overseas branches are locally franchised. M S owns the United States of Americas Brooks Brothers and King Super Markets. To meet the demands of the customers the company gets facilitated by Direct Mail. The companys core objectives of meeting the customer expectation and giving consumers easier and better access to a wide list of products. The financial services for the customers are provided by the groups financial services which comprise of the unit trust manage ment, life insurances etc. M S in recent years suffered a succession of adversities, both at home and abroad. The sales of the company have dropped. The market capitalization and stock prices reduced substantially and the overseas profits have tremendously declined. As a result the company was forced to form a marketing department in January 1999 and become more proactive and market driven. M S followed a very simple marketing philosophy for a very long time. That is to produce high quality products under a recognised brand and advertise through the word-of-mouth. But in the recent past, this advertising strategy has come under criticism as the company started losing its competitive touch. The challenge now is to develop a good marketing strategy and emerge from the slump to reposition M S as a fierce global competitor in the international arena. Internationalization Strategy of M S The internationalization of the M S began in the early 1940s. It is because the company started to feel that the domestic market has been saturated and the expansion has to come from abroad. Unlike most of the firms, M S began to export its products on the brand name St. Michael as a way to test the waters. It has been successful and the company was exporting about $1,146,000 worth of products by 1955. Externally, the members of a local labour party were suggesting nationalizing the leading domestic retailers. Sooner as a tool of diversification, some international franchising relationships were formed. This franchising allowed the company to achieve global presence with minimum political and economic risks. As the relations of the company grew with other global countries, MS choose to invest directly (FDI). MS uses various types of foreign entry around the world. But mostly the company believes in opening its own stores in major economies. It has its own stores in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and Netherlands; and franchises in Cyprus, Israel, Bermuda, etc. when forming international alliances; it often prefers an experienced retailer in that particular country. Its first joint venture was established in Spain as it felt the cultural distance and market power of its co company will help to mitigate the political climate and behaviour of the company. Its international strategies in Spain yielded successful results which helped it to gain popularity in the global markets. Through franchising, its approach was mostly top-down. That is it has a centralised management which could not be better off in various marketing situations. Hence it was forced to change its internationalization strategies through foreign direct investment. Due to this there is a forced change in its technolog y, cultural behaviouring and regional promoting aspects. MS started to open stores in America, Far East and Europe. In different parts it has slightly different operational strategies depending upon the host countries values. In America it used acquisitions with Brook Brothers (clothing company), in Europe it has its direct stores running and in Far East, some stores were run with franchise and others through direct investment. Following a wide range of strategy reviews of its business, board of MS announced in 2001 significant changes to its strategies. The important decisions in its strategy are: Expansion in growth of profitable products. Acceleration of store renewal program Being close to the customer More intensive use of space Release value from half the property portfolio Cost cutting. MS has a wide range of returns on food products and has earned customer trust. So it decided to invest its major investment in food, home and beauty products. Its other plan was to accelerate the renewal of store renewal. Under this, it planned to refurbish more stores faster at the lower cost. It also reallocated to higher growth product areas to maximise returns per sqft. Apart from these strategic changes, it uses direct investment in global sectors which gained them a competitive advantage. Factors affecting MS strategy There are various factors which has a certain impact on the MS internationalization strategy. Of them, technology has been one of the factor in which the company was forced to change its strategy in various countries. But broadly speaking, in this fast developing technological world, technology used by Ms is been available where ever it opened its stores. A small adjustment to the technical functioning of a store is enough for the company to have its strategy working. The most important factor that has its resemblance in the formulation of internationalization strategy is geography and distance. As the marketing strategy of MS is universal, however it does not mean that it uses similar strategies in all parts of the world. There is a large effect of globalisation to the formulation of internationalization strategies. Consumers from various countries are different due to varying culture, economic development, and income level and so on. So in certain cases MS does not use its centralised operating strategies instead it combines with some other company through mergers but has its own standards running. This initial phenomenon of outsourcing and then after some recognition opening its own store had a significant upward success in MS organization. As marks and spencer is generally known for its clothing and food products, the locality of the company is very important. As MS runs its stores in different countries, transportation of the products has to be done in a prà ©cised manner such that there is no shortage. So in order to overcome this transportation and time differences, MS has its own outlets in specific countries. These outlets have immediate access to the supply of products whenever required. There are certain situations where it cannot have its own outlets due to some government policies and other factors. In these cases, marks and spencer uses its internationalization strategy of franchising. So that it has its own functionality running by other company. All these have significant impacts in the brand distribution globally. Apart from these, government trade policies also play a part in the strategy formulation. Given the growing links among nations, it is very difficult to consider domestic policy without considering international repercussions. In the case of formulating its strategy in US, bilateral negotiations are carried out covering wide range of products, services and investments. Such a policy should pursue the government to facilitate competitiveness and encourage collaboration among companies in the areas of goods and process technologies. MS is an UK company where the marketing conditions have to be emphasized by the government and the product is socially accepted. Also great emphasis is placed on efficiency by government policies. Where as in US and Far East countries, they regard individualism and the promotional appeals should be relevant to the individual to incorporate lower power distance within the market. Also the main advantage of Marks and Spencer government policy is that it had an opportunity of taking advantage of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) in US. It takes advantage of tax under this agreement and is outsourcing its products to Mexico and Canada. It also has an advantage of making economic sense in terms of logistics. The important policy priorities for the tax Policy Action Group (PAG) in the future include: The Tax Framework for Business The Value Added Tax The National Insurance Contributions M S will be benefitted over the above made policies by the government. The idea is to focus on the oversight and the management of the policy implications in indirect tax, company tax, personnel tax and customs duty. Conclusion The conventional wisdom on development of the developed companies like MS has focused on learning from mistakes. The leading MS Company showed that their high risk strategy of acquisition and direct investment can yield successful results backed up with technology, and cultural values. The insights from the study on MS suggest that overseas expansion is related to the need to improve global competitiveness in order to boost their outsourcing capabilities. No matter the distance and differences between the countries, MS has been the successful organization to open its companies in different countries and make them profitable ones. The only important aspect for it is to make a minimum number of changes to the functioning and marketing aspects depending upon the country in which it is operating in. thus from the above analysis it can be understood that the globalization strategy of MS created a new marketing paradigm in its success and also gained superior advantage and reputation irres pective of the host country policies and other factors. Hence it is clear from the strategies of an MS company that we live in a truly globalised economy where differences across countries are given little importance in development.