Analysis †Mein Kampf Essay

Hitler’s contemporaries – Baldwin, Chamberlain, Herbert Hoover – seem pathetically fusty figures, with their frock coats and wing collars, closer to the world of Edison, Carnegie and the hansom cab than to the first fully evolved modern societies over which they presided, areas of national consciousness formed by mass-produced newspapers and consumer goods, advertising and tele-communications. By comparison Hitler is completely up-to-date, and would be equally at home in the sixties (and probably even more so in the seventies) as in the twenties. The whole apparatus of the Nazi super-state, its nightmare uniforms and propaganda, seems weirdly turned-on, providing just that element of manifest insanity to which we all respond in the H-Bomb or Viet Nam – perhaps one reason why the American and Russian space programmes have failed to catch our imaginations is that this quality of explicit psychopathology is missing. Certainly, Nazi society seems strangely prophetic of our own – the same maximising of violence and sensation, the same alphabets of unreason and the fictionalising of experience. Goebbels in his diaries remarks that he and the Nazi leaders had merely done in the realm of reality what Dostoevski had done in fiction. Interestingly, both Goebbels and Mussolini had written novels, in the days before they were able to get to grips with their real subject matter – one wonders if they would have bothered now, with the fiction waiting to be manipulated all around them. Hitler’s ‘novel’, Mein Kampf (Hutchinson, 1939) was written in 1924, nearly a decade before he came to power, but is a remarkably accurate prospectus of his intentions, not so much in terms of finite political and social aims as of the precise psychology he intended to impose on the German people and its European vassals. For this reason alone it is one of the most important books of the 20th century, and well worth reprinting, despite the grisly pleasures its anti-semitic ravings will give to the present generation of racists. How far does Hitler the man come through the pages of this book? In the newsreels Hitler tends to appear in two roles – one, the demagogic orator, ranting away in a state apparently close to neurotic hysteria, and two, a benevolent and slightly eccentric kapellmeister sentimentally reviewing his SS bodyguard, or beaming down at a picked chorus of blond-haired German infants. Both these strands are present in Mein Kampf – the hectoring, rhetorical style, shaking with hate and violence, interspersed with passages of deep sentimentality as the author rhapsodises to himself about the mystical beauty of the German landscape and its noble, simple-hearted peoples. Apart from its autobiographical sections, the discovery by a small Austrian boy of his ‘Germanism’, Mein Kampf contains three principal elements, the foundation stones, walls and pediment of a remarkably strong paranoid structure. First, there are Hitler’s views on history and race, a quasi-biological system which under-pins the whole basis of his political thought and explains almost every action he ever committed. Second, there are his views on the strict practicalities of politics and the seizure of power, methods of political organisation and propaganda. Third, there are his views on the political future of the united Germanies, its expansionist foreign policy and general attitude to the world around it. The overall tone of Mein Kampf can be seen from Hitler’s original title for the testament: A Four and a Half Years Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice: A Reckoning with the Destroyers of the Nazi Party Movement. It was the publisher, Max Amann, who suggested the shorter and far less revealing Mein Kampf, and what a sigh he must have breathed when Hitler agreed. Hitler’s own title would have been far too much of a giveaway, reminding the readers of the real sources of Hitler’s anti-semitic and racialist notions. Reading Hitler’s paranoid rantings against the Jews, one is constantly struck by the biological rather than political basis of his entire thought and personality. His revulsion against the Jews was physical, like his reaction against any peoples, such as the Slavs and Negroes, whose physique, posture, morphology and pigmentation alerted some screaming switchboard of insecurity within his own mind. What is interesting is the language in which he chose to describe these obsessions – primarily faecal, one assumes, from his endless preoccupa-tion with ‘cleanliness’. Rather than use economic, social or political arguments against the Jews, Hitler concentrated almost solely on this inflated biological rhetoric. By dispensing with any need to rationalise his prejudices, he was able to tap an area of far deeper unease and uncertainty, and one more-over which his followers would never care to expose too fully to the light of day. In the unanswerable logic of psychopathology, the Jews became the scapegoats for all the terrors of toilet-training and weaning. The constant repetition of the words ‘filth’, ‘vileness’, ‘abscess’, ‘hostile’, ‘shudder’, endlessly reinforce these long- repressed feelings of guilt and desire. In passing, it is curious to notice that Hitler’s biological interpretations of history have a number of striking resemblances to those of Desmond Morris. In both writers one finds the same reliance on the analogy of the lower mammals, on a few basic formulas of behaviour such as ‘struggle’, ‘competition’, ‘defence of territory’. There is the same simple schematic view of social relationships, the same highly generalised assertions about human behaviour that are presented as proven facts. Hitler talks without definition of ‘lower races’ in the same way that Morris refers to ‘primitive societies’ and ‘simple communities’. Both are writing for half-educated people whose ideas about biology and history come from popular newspaper and encyclopaedia articles, and whose interest in these subjects is a barely transparent cover for uneasy fantasies about their own bodies and emotions. In this preface, the translator of Mein Kampf describes it as written in the style of a self-educated modern South German with a talent for oratory. In this respect Hitler was one of the rightful inheritors of the 20th century – the epitome of the half-educated man. Wandering about the streets of Vienna shortly before the first World War, his head full of vague artistic yearnings and clap-trap picked up from popular magazines, whom does he most closely resemble? Above all, Leopold Bloom, his ostensible arch-enemy, wandering around Joyce’s Dublin at about the same time, his head filled with the same clap-trap and the same yearnings. Both are the children of the reference library and the self-improvement manual, of mass newspapers creating a new vocabulary of violence and sensation. Hitler was the half-educated psychopath inheriting the lavish communications systems of the 20th century. Forty years after his first abortive seizure of power he was followed by another unhappy misfit, Lee Harvey Oswald, in whose Historic Diary we see the same attempt by the half-educated to grapple with the information overflow that threatened to drown him.

Harvard Business Review: Carter Racing Case Essay

This is a really tough decision and the mind is constantly changing against to the conclusion. But after a thorough consideration, I don’t think the team should race this time. John should get more data and information for the engine failure until he decides to race again for the next season. There are numerous ways to decide to race or not for John Carter when it comes to decision making. He can make the decision based on either his fellow chief mechanic Tom’s view, or the engine expert Paul’s assumption. However, regardless either way, the conclusion should be reached by some sort of quantitative analysis. At the first glance at the scenario, the immediate reaction was to throw all the numbers provided into the opportunity cost calculation, and compare the pros and cons between the options. However, in order to come up with the most accurate prediction on the expected value of the outcome, it is necessary to gather the all of the associated costs in dollars. John can easily calculate the cost to withdraw by adding up the fees from the data that was provided in the case. Yet, for the other options: race and win, race and fail, it is impossible for us to calculate the precise cost of â€Å"winning† and â€Å"failure† since there are no price tags for fames and sponsorship possibilities if the team wins the race, as well as the risks that might happen in relation of gasket failure such as life, and destructing in team reputation. Thus, without the inclusion of all the necessary factors, the result of calculated the expected value would be useless in measuring losses and gain s. The second reason that I think John should wait for the race is due to insufficient information provided in the case. In addition to the chart that was provided by Tom (exhibit 1), there should also be a chart showing the distribution on head gasket success is related to temperature since the race might begin in a day with fairly low temperature. Thus, if I were John, I would have to determine to postpone the race until further information is gathered. Of course it is not easy to convince someone on things that no one can be guarantee of. Thoughts and doubts gone through the mind such as: the race  itself is in the nature of a risky business; wondering if John should grab the opportunity right now before it flies away because next season is still unknown, etc†¦ Even after knowing insufficient information was available, it is still really tempting to choose racing rather than withdraw. This tension fighting unconsciously in the mind reminds me of the principle of scarcity , which people tend to value potential loss (the fees for racing) more heavily than potential gains (engine invested and human life). These feeling often caused managers to have bias on decision making. Besides the method of quantitative calculation on costs, the problem John faces also consists of the selection between two different sides of recommendations: one from his chief mechanic Tom who suggests for race, and the other engine mechanic Paul who opposes the race. The argument and data presented by these two mechanics act as a persuasion to John. Whereas, Tom and Paul both have extensive experience in racing, yet Paul â€Å"lacked the sophisticated engineering training† as mentioned in part B of the reading raised an interesting dilemma on whether John should shift more of his selection power towards Tom based on the insufficiency of Paul’s training. To tie this case to Mulvey’s article, the purpose of a team is increase the strength of the organization by forming and adding up the different perspectives together. For organization leaders, John, in this case, it is very important for him to balance the team dynamics to make sure each person’s voice is equally weighed in team function while such balance is very easy to lose grip once one side of the opinion is valued too heavily. This situation is well demonstrated between John, Paul, and Tom. At the beginning of the case , Paul showed his position as a strong opponent against the team to race. But as the case evolves, Paul’s attitude changed as Tom showed the chart in exhibit 1, and agreed to race at the end. It seems that Paul has given up his beliefs and agreed with the team on racing by accepting the data provided by Tom of who that has a higher rank than Paul even though the data seem to be insufficient to persuade Paul’s position from racing. This matches Mulvey’s views of the presence of someone with expertise and compelling argument since Tom is the chief of mechanic, which might have led an assumption to indicate higher level in  qualification. With such precedence assumption and numerous useless discussions on with John on the gasket problem, it is very likely for Paul to accept Tom’s data as long as it makes some sense in explaining the gasket problem. In addition, there is also a subtle sense that Paul may have felt the pressure from the team to cause him to conform. It is clear that the team leader, John, is feeling frustrated about the race sponsorship and eagerly wishing to get both of the mechanics’ approval to race. Being the only person that disagrees, Paul gradually lessened his voice. This illustrates the points of pressure from others to conform and dysfunctional decision making climate that Mulvey has brought up. In sum, as if I were John, it is essential for team leaders to manage the team with a great sensibility of each team member’s personality and expertise in order to maintain the participation spirit. A well balanced team would allow people like Paul to speak up his mind and not compromise his views, and still utilize Tom’s expertise. A well-functional team is the only way to have a possible appropriate decision making solution. work cited: Mulvey, Paul. â€Å"When teammates raise a white flag.† Academy of Management Executive. 1996 pp. 43

Rude People

It seems that rude people are everywhere today: in the workplace, at the grocery store and sometimes right in our own homes. It can be very difficult dealing with rude people, especially if you are exposed to one on a daily basis, such as the office jerk or the less-than-considerate spouse. However, there are strategies that you can employ to attempt to alter the rude behavior in a not-so-rude way. Sometimes these strategies can be highly effective and sometimes not so much, depending on the person you are dealing with. The best method for dealing with rude people is to adjust your reaction to them. After all, you may not be able to change the behavior of others, but you do have control over how you react to that behavior. One way to avoid a negative reaction to a rude person is to consider why the person is acting the way he is in the first place. Why are People so Rude? According to the book, â€Å"Rudeness: Deal with It if you Please† by Catherine Rondina, there are a number of reasons why people behave rudely. Some of these might include the fact that they only care about what they think or need or they believe their feelings are more important than the feelings of others. They might have little or no patience for other people and they do not appreciate the differences in others. Some people are rude simply because they are trying to shock those around them with their behavior. By understanding the reasons behind the rudeness, you may find it easier to ignore the behavior and perhaps even feel a bit of compassion for the guilty party. Perhaps they never learned any better. Cell Phone Etiquette An ABC poll last year showed that most people in this country had the biggest problem with rude cell phone use above any other type of inconsiderate behavior. Nearly all of us have encountered the loud cell phone conversation in the grocery store, at the movies or in a packed elevator. Most of the time, you just try to grin and bear it, but what happens when the behavior becomes unbearable? There are a few strategies for how to deal with rude people on the phone without stooping to their rude behavior yourself. First, try giving the person a pointed look that says he is bothering you with his inconsiderate actions. Many folks do not realize that their conversation is actually annoying to those around them until they receive the â€Å"look†. You can also politely ask the person to take his conversation elsewhere. Try beginning your request with a humble apology, â€Å"I’m terribly sorry sir, but would you mind taking your conversation out of the theatre? We can’t hear the movie. † Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but at least you gave it a shot. If your request is not heeded, you can take your problem to the manager of the restaurant or movie theatre to find out if an employee of the establishment will have better luck putting a stop to the obnoxious behavior. Cyber Manners Even the nicest, most mild-mannered folk can turn into foul-mouthed spewers of rude comments in the world of cyberspace. It appears that typing out a nasty retort and hitting that â€Å"send† button has become far too easy – and common – for many rude people today. Judith Kallos of NetManners. com has a number of suggestions on how to deal with rude people in cyberspace. First, if the email sent contains foul language or threats of any kind, the sender has violated his user agreement with his ISP. Send an email yourself to his ISP to alert them of the situation, and keep the email on file in case you need to refer to it later on. Beyond this step, you basically have a couple of options: ignore the rude behavior and move on as best as you can, or let the person know that his words hurt and offended you in a calm, matter-of-fact way. Any other response will simply lower yourself to the level of this person, and you certainly don’t want that! Dealing with the Office Jerk Rude people can be found everywhere, but when they are found at the office it can be a challenging situation indeed. Hence, the coining of the term â€Å"office jerk†, and what an appropriate term it can be when you are dealing with rude people at work that you simply cannot escape. The Institute for Management Excellence has a number of steps that teach how to deal with rude people. The first step is to try polite confrontation to see if you can nip the behavior in the bud. Some people do not realize that they are behaving rudely, and others may back down if they are confronted directly. If confrontation does not work, try avoidance. Limit contact with the person by keeping conversations short and meetings to a minimum. If you must meet with the office jerk, try to remain standing throughout. Stand-up meetings can accomplish just as much, but in a generally shorter period of time. Also, do not share any personal information with this person, whether in person, on the phone or through email. Rude Retail Does anyone remember the good old days when customer service was the buzzword in the retail industry? Unfortunately, it seems today that customer service has gone out the window with many companies, and it has been replaced by apathetic employees who have no problem turning into rude people at the cash register. If you find yourself the victim of rude people retail employees, there are some steps that you can take to deal with the behavior effectively. First, do not let the customer service representative monopolize the conversation. Make your needs known clearly, assertively and politely right from the beginning. If your request is not answered in a courteous way, ask to speak with the manager. If a manager is not available, get a name and number to contact later, fill out a feedback card or contact the corporate office of the company when you get home. Email makes this process exceedingly easier, and often letting the head honchos know about your predicament will get you the response that you were hoping for. If you do not get a positive reply from your effort, perhaps it is time to go public with your complaint. Let others know that this is not a company to do business with in order to prevent them from experiencing a similar situation. It may seem as though rude people are all around us, but proper strategies for handling rude people will help you stick up for yourself without becoming one of them. If you are reading this article and think that you might fall into the category of rude people with your own inconsiderate behavior – stop now, and find ways to spread courtesy instead. Do You Have a Bad Attitude? Remember those posters in the halls of your elementary school? The ones that said â€Å"Attitude is everything! † or â€Å"Attitude: A little thing that makes a big difference! † They seemed silly at the time, but these words of wisdom are appropriate no matter what age you are. So how's your attitude? Find out if you have a problem with this bad attitude quiz. Rate This Article: Currently 3/5 Stars. 1 2 3 4 5 (Votes: 69) (Avg: 4. 30) Sponsored by:

Beer Game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Beer Game - Essay Example The main probable causes of this phenomenon as seen in the graphs are inefficient policies in supply chain management, forecasting errors in consumer demands, and delays in processing information and orders. For example, if there is lack of communication within the supply chain, or at least between the directly interacting ladders, it causes magnification in discrepancy up to the maximum level as orders move upstream to the factories. Additionally, failure to accurately forecast demand increases causes the supply chain to run out of stock and fail to safeguard inventories. Moreover, delays in processing information and orders cause either product shortages or overabundance of stock. This results in increase in the operational costs of the teams. 2. There are several ways to correct these problems to reduce the costs of this bullwhip effect. One is the use of a supply chain management tool that allows customers to determine the inventory levels of supplying factories. This could resul t in an agreement between the vendors and consumers on the adequate amount of inventory based on buyer demands. This reduces the risk of inaccurate forecasting.

Teaching and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Teaching and Education - Essay Example Therefore, more precisely put, reflective practice is an independent approach, which fosters critical thinking and in-depth understanding of concepts and ideas. Reflective practitioners derive their origin from learning proposed by Socrates that emphasizes the importance of asking questions and collecting feedback from one’s own self and others. It also stresses upon the fact that learning eventually comes from individual’s inner self and that no teacher can demonstrate the connections an individual mind makes out of a piece of knowledge and his/her own cognition better than the student him/herself. The notion of reflective practice in education is a product of studies and innovation in constructivist theories and cognitive psychology. According to this modern and much-regarded view, intelligence is a fluid, active thought process and reflection on one’s own learning and life experience proves to be an important landmark of intellectual growth. John Dewey, the pi oneer of this field, remarks that intellectual growth is a product of rebuilding the experience. One of the many proposed models for doing this is problem-solving model that comprises of four steps: the first is to analyze the situation and determine its difficulty level. Second is to come up with alternatives and choosing the best amongst the available ones. Lastly, the final touch comes by applying the solution and checking the results. Experts (Roffey-Barensten & Malthouse, 2008, 23-49) have indicated that most individuals reflect on their practice and actions naturally, while others may take reflection as extra work on top of what they have to do. Reflection helps teachers in not only their lessons but it also benefit... This paper approves that planning is just a phase in the entire process of effective teaching. Classroom management is another important step, invariably the most important one, for the development of an ideal learning setting. Several strategies have proven remarkably excellent in the past studies and they have been known to bring out the best in students. Some of the important ones include, conveying the fact that the teacher is in complete knowledge of students’ behavior. Another important way of eliciting high levels of work involvement by students is that the transition between the activities and classes be made less and less prominent for the students. Often, it happens that students do well till recess after which their energy levels fall drastically, or some kids who were brilliant in the art class sleep in the science class that follows. In this regard, the teacher should ensure that students are on the same page by employing warm-ups and ice-breaking activities. This essay makes a conclusion that training teachers to be reflective practitioners and aiding them with proper classrooms with tools for positive interaction and learning help in effective teaching and lead to better education systems. Conclusively, the paper has analyzed some of the significant aspects of teaching and education. The paper recognized and scrutinized different studies related to the topic; and it is expectation that the discussion will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in comprehensive understanding of the topic.

Spiritual Movement of Tantra Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spiritual Movement of Tantra - Research Paper Example Even in modern day religions, or in religions that have been altered by New Age adaptations, like Tibetan Buddhism and branches of Hinduism, elements of Tantra are widely implemented and very evident. Since Tantra does not focus on cosmology and deities, it is easily combined with other religious and spiritual practices. Given its widespread use, especially in the Western world, Tantra has more than one definition, and many of them clash with one another. Western scholars define Tantra as a form of western scholarship, and not in any relation to a religious system. They place little to no significance on its origination in Asia, nor on its connection with other spiritual practices. Those who actually practice Tantra openly reject this definition, insisting that Tantra is merely the teachings and practices found in the scriptures known as tantras. Furthermore, practitioners of Tantra believe that Tantra cannot be defined as a whole, as the Western world has tried to do, but based on each individual tantra scripture. As such, Tantra is not just a philosophy, which is the belief of many Westerns, but also a spiritual way of life. The tantra scriptures are the most vital parts of the Tantra path. A tantra is considered a tantra when it â€Å"elaborates copious and profound matters, especially relating t o the principles of reality and sacred matters, and because it provides salvation† (Jain 37). Tantras refer not only to the designated scriptures that started the movement, but scriptures, practices, and rituals that were created subsequent to the origination of Tantra. Further tantras were created when practitioners had perused the primary Tantric scriptures, which are known as the agama. The agama is made up of four parts: descriptions of metaphysical knowledge (jnana), contemplative procedures (yoga), ritual regulations (kriya), and religious and ethical commands (charya). When new tantras are designed, if they are able to be placed within one of these four categories, they are usually accepted by other practitioners. These many scriptures are, in essence, the guidebook of being Tantric. The purpose of Tantra and of following these scriptures is to reach a higher level of existence, one that can be obtained by individuals other than ordained monks, which is the appeal of Ta ntra. Ordinary people are not exempt from achieving the highest and greatest level of existence. Tantra’s belief system focuses on reality as a whole, coupled with a single Divine Consciousness, a consciousness that individuals have, yet share with others. Moreover, as Tantra erased the line between the spiritual and the mundane, practitioners are able to experience spiritual realization in every aspect of their day-to-day lives. Tantra allows laymen to have access to the Divine Consciousness and the liberation and salvation that comes with adhering to the tantra scriptures in a normal, nonspiritual setting. The overall spiritual goal of Tantra is to â€Å"bring about an inner realization of the truth that ‘Nothing exists that is not Divine’† (Guenther & Trungpa 41). Buddhist Tantra explains it best, claiming that we are all in union with universal energy; we have everything that we need to be complete within us right now, but we just need to learn how to recognize it. This is where Tantra comes in. Every individual has the ability to be Divine, as this is their true nature, albeit untapped. It is through Tantra that individuals can reach this state of divine existence. Tantra brings liberation ignorance and from suffering, which is a common goal in Eastern-based religions, with an emphasis on the individual being the one that holds their own

What were the sources and manifestations of Turkish national Essay

What were the sources and manifestations of Turkish national consciousness in the late Ottoman period (1860-1922) - Essay Example According to notable historians, the foundation and manifestation of Turkish national consciousness in this era are summarized as follows: The advent of nationalism in Western Europe in the 19th century had a substantial effect with regard to how the Christian population in the Ottoman state viewed their identity. During this period, the new radical nationalists were contending with the traditional leaders within the millets. This condition was compounded by the fact that the emerging superpowers of those times were meddling with the internal affairs of the state depending on what is beneficial for their own interest. (Poulton) The Tanzimat is described as the embodiment of reforms pertaining to the various aspects of the relations between the state and the subject. It was pioneered by Mustafa Resid Pasa and continued by Ali Pasa and Fuad Pasa, who were modernist bureaucrats. The Tanzimat was established to challenge the prevailing system. Planned reforms on society, judiciary and education incorporated views on security of life and property, as well as fair and public trial. In addition, the Tanzimat aimed to introduce religious equality in courts, which shocked the Muslim population. (Poulton) Although these reforms failed to create the intended Ottoman nation, the Tanzimat facilitated the process of nationalism influencing the Christian populations and dismantling the empire in the Balkans. This was done by enfeebling the conservative millet leaders and rendering greater influence to the nationalists. (Poulton) Young Ottomans, who gained distinction during the late Tanzimat period (1867-78), were the first to organize opposition groups which utilized ideas of the Enlightenment and tried to integrate modernization with Islam. Moreover, they were the foremost Ottoman group to harness the power of the media to proliferate their principles. (Poulton) Most notable of these Young Ottomans were Namik Kemal and Ali Suavi. The former

Database design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Database design - Essay Example From the introduction, I learned that the idea of database management system arose as a result of the unending complexities associated with managing data using spreadsheet. Though the spreadsheet enables on to store various data, it is difficult to manage it because the data in different sheets are disjointed (Brathwaite, 2012). The spreadsheets do not a have tools which enables data which are related to be linked. I also learned about database management systems. These are software package or a set of programs that are used by the people to interact with the database system. These packages were developed because managing the database is a complicated and inherent task. The DBMS enable complete manipulation of the underlying database. The diagrams representing the interaction between the programs, user, database and database management system enabled me to internalize the database design concept. Considering the strength and weaknesses of the database, I realized that database system is inherently important to any organization which uses a computerized system. The advantages outdo the disadvantages by far. The henry books database case is an ideal case study for database design. It provides all the information required in designing a database system. The course also introduced me to relational databases and different low level programming features such as Query-By-Exam (QBE), simple and compound query criteria, database fields, tables and functional. All these are programming features used when designing and developing a database system. I also learned about different features used in manipulating data in the database system. These include and not limited to co sorting, joining tables, the use of update query statements, make table query, delete-table query, select, project data select and normal sets. The case study gave detailed illustrations of these database features. The course also introduced me to

Study case questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Study case questions - Assignment Example The right to a jury trial in the declaratory judgment is only available to legal titles. However, the issue of copyrights in this case falls under equitable titles. Q.3: In the lawsuit of the "Blurred Lines", California Courts have both personal and subject matter jurisdiction. Firstly, both the complainant and defendant reside and operate businesses in California the court; therefore, the court has powers over the two parties. In addition, the court has jurisdiction over the claim since the petitioner applied for a declaration under the copyright Act. Q.3: At the beginning of the counterclaim, the parties had sought for a jury trial. Jury trial at that juncture was appropriate to clear the contested facts, saving the cost of going into a full trial. Q4: If I were the Gayes, I would request the defendant to supply the written lyrics that were done in the initial stages of compiling the song ahead of the recording. I would also ask for the names of some of the people who were close to the defendant during the period within which the song was compiled. Such witness would give account of how often the defendant accessed the copyrighted song in question. Lastly, I would request for a witness from the recording studio where the defendants did their recording. Q.4: In early January, 204, Sony (EM) and the Gayes entered into a negotiation ADR yet again. This time, however, the two reached a settlement and resolved their participation in the case. Parties are allowed to enter into ADR while the case is ongoing because it is in the courts and every partys best interest that the case is resolved amicably without undue waste of time and resources. Q.5: In my opinion, the attorney had Thicke admit that he reviewed his answers to the interrogatories to add weight to Thicke’s deposition. He can use the reviewed statement to develop his case while discrediting Thicke’s

The Business Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Business Report - Essay Example The selection of simple accounting software may yield losses because of high chances of misplacing information. Besides, some of these strategies have limited capacities to enable smooth integration of all facets of business, as well as the centralization of the data sources. Therefore, a start-up IT company will begin with Excel software because it is the cheapest. However, with increasing demands, growing customer base and the complexity of financial, sales, logistics, and other operations, such companies will be forced to seek alternative packages that match with the robustness of the work. Therefore, the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) would be the most appropriate solution. However, ERP services are provided by different vendors, the most genuine and global leader being SAP. Packages from SAP exist in four categories, which depend on the size of the company and the cost available for investment. SAP packages are most robust approach because they synchronize and integrates dat a from the customers with the data from the sales of product and other related items. For this reason, the system makes it possible to store huge data and connect the various items and access them when needed or update the information when needed as opposed to excel. Selection of appropriate SAP package is necessary for the IT firm along its growth process. It minimizes the cost of operation and increase the output because of the efficient coordination of the business and the ability to run multiple items simultaneously. The startup companies lack enough resources to invest in purchasing and implementing the ERP packages. Such companies would need to use the cheapest available packages like Excel. The spreadsheet is the most appropriate package for recording and storing information on purchasing, sales, storage, customer information, and finances. The package

Compare and contrast Orwell and Atwoods presentation Essay Example for Free

Compare and contrast Orwell and Atwoods presentation Essay Both Atwood and Orwells novels are based in a dystopian societies, a society of a negative and undesirable nature. The novels both alert us to the economic, political and social affects this dystopia has on a society and the characters. In both books there is an immediate contrast between the living standards of both characters and their immediate surroundings. In Gilliard, Offred is living in a clean, simple white room, A chair, a table, a lamp. Using ellipsis and a simple asyndetic list, Atwood has represented the room through language. In Oceania however Winston is living in filth, a swirl of gritty dust Orwell appeals to the senses here for us to understand how he lives. These living conditions are in very stark contrast even though they live in societies that restrict them; their restrictions are in different ways. Winston does not have a clean living space and Offred has nothing to do in hers, the in-depth description of her room immediately shows us how bored she is already. As Offred is sent to Gilliard to produce a child for the commander and his wife, she is not allowed to have simple things like cigarettes, or even caffeine, I looked at the cigarette with longing. For me, like liquor and coffee, cigarettes re forbidden. In the dystopian society of Gilliard, desirable pleasures and possibly addictions, like smoking, are forbidden to the handmaids. However, Winston is able to smoke freely in his society, yet he is still placed under restriction by the fact these luxury items are under ration, The new ration did not start till tomorrow and he had only four cigarettes left. These restrictions along with the strangling way of life for both societies result in Offred considering rebelling and Winston actually rebelling. However, the consequences mean that for Offred she, cant take the risk. The oppression of her society means that she has no voice and cannot say or ask what she wants to. She has no way of communicating with the other handmaids nor discussing the predicament she is in, something which we see could possibly drive her mad. In Oceania, Winston has already rebelled and keeps a diary, To mark the paper was the decisive act. He is taking a huge risk here; if the thought police were to catch him doing this he would face death. He was already dead His own thoughts against the government are wrong. In both Offred and Winstons societies, language has been a way of oppressing them, but in different ways. In Gilliard, Offred isnt able to speak as she wishes; she is often left saying things which is deemed as the expected response. How I used to despise such talk. Now I long for it. Offred does not actually seem to have a truthful or even a full length conversation with anyone up to this point in the novel; she depends upon the trivial conversation to keep her sane. On the other hand in Oceania, there is a whole new language called newspeak. This language was to make any thought crime or alternative thinking impossible by removing any words or possible constructs which describe the ideas of freedom, rebellion and so on. In both novels dystopian society has moulded and warped the views of many young people. This is especially emphasised in Oceania where the children of the Parsons are willing to submit anyone to the thought police as long as they can rise through the ranks, possibly even their own parents. Their children are described as, like tiger cubs which will soon grow up into man-eaters. This simile shows us how a vicious society has turned these children into; they have no family or moral values, only those to please their government. Slightly less prominent is the role of the guards in the Oceania; they are young men working for the government and eager to do their job well, The young ones are often the most dangerous This incident leads to read about a woman being shot by the guards but she was innocent, even the innocents in society suffer which we will see later on. These submissive youths also have no idea of the past, a subject that leads for Winston and Offred to both suffer, but for different reasons. Offred we have so far learned through the stream of consciousness technique often finds herself thinking about her past and the people in it. However, we do not know as of yet who these people are, especially Luke. The past for her is not a nostalgic memory, Such freedom now seems almost weightless. It just reminds her of how she used to be and how she is now. Winston on the other hand can barely remember his past; he can remember vague visions of his mother, father and sister, He must, he thought, have been ten or eleven years old when his mother disappeared. He does not know where his family went and probably never will. This suffering extends throughout both novels, under the regimes which are in place; everyone in society suffers, whether they know it or not, not only the main characters, and this may be the most prominent theme of dystopian societies. Everyone is oppressed or brainwashed under this change in rule and culture, no one in neither 1984 or The Handmaids Tale is truly happy. In conclusion, Gilliard and Oceania have so far presented many problems being dystopian societies. They oppress those living in them; take away rights, individuality and freedom. Not only political but social restrictions have been emphasised in the two novels and most importantly how the characters are affected.

Music in Films Essay Example for Free

Music in Films Essay Talents are strewn around everywhere in the form of music, acting, editing, singing, etc. Stories and themes are left undiscovered in the slums of India. Who would pick them up and give an artistic touch? Hats off to Danny Boyle, an English director who did it. He took the challenge of making it to the silver screen and ended up with Oscars, the highest authority on movies that acknowledged Slum Dog Millionaire with 8 out of 10 nominations. An 18-year old boy Jamal who was raised in Mumbai slum wins 10 million dollars in a quiz competition which is popularly known as â€Å"Who will be the millionaire. † in Indian television show. As he keeps winning, the doubt â€Å"How an uneducated tea supplier working in a call center could answer all questions correctly? † raises. Was he cheating? An obvious question that arises in the minds of everyone which the movie alone could answer. Just one more question the next day will make him a millionaire. That night, Jamal was taken to police station and was beaten brutally on charges of cheating in the quiz competition. The answer to the question â€Å"How Jamal would know the answers to all the questions? † is the central theme of this movie with which the entire story is built. Usually rich ones with good schoolings have better access to quiz competitions with the probability of winning. But Jamal had no formal education. The vicious streets of Mumbai, the horrific nights, the villainous characters around taking every opportunity to exploit poor children like him are all the lessons Jamal went through in the open and unsafe streets of Mumbai. The insecurity for the poor in the slums and the social weaknesses of the Indian society is brought about by the movie in a thrilling fashion. Thugs turning children blind and making them beggars for their selfish motives is one such example. For every question asked in the competition, Jamal derived answer from his life time experience. In other words, there were events in his life which had some connection to the answers. He uses his intelligence and memory to recollect the events and tries his luck. Of course a bit of luck is also necessary in everything one does. Another way of looking at Jamal is that talents are everywhere in forms suppressed, in royal institutions as well as in the slums. Bringing them up to the surface is what heroism is. While young, Jamal made an awkward choice of jumping into the pool of shit to come out of the toilet and finally making it with Amitabachan (a leading actor in India) for an autograph shows his drive and enthusiasm. Jamal meeting her girl friend Lathika back in Mumbai after a long gap is an ecstatic moment. Girls like Lathika after being grown up are eyed seriously by lewd males. Even Jamal had to ruffle with his brother to get Lathika out of him. Both Jamal and Lathika are safe in the end and their love materializes. Jamal talking to Lathika over phone as a lifeline friend is symbolic of Jamal winning his invaluable prize Lathika before winning his 10 million dollar. The movie is a combination of everything – scores of music, songs, cinematography, editing, etc. A. R. Rehman struck his chord with his rich and varied notes scoring over horror, melody, love and misery. The distinction shown among all these items with originality and inventiveness are something special which won him the Oscar for Original Scores. The choice and combination of music themes applied make the movie prolific. For example â€Å"Ring ring ringa, Ring ring ringa†¦. † is used when prostitutes are shown. â€Å"Jai ho, jai ho† is used when Jamal and Lathika meet or when there is a heroic deed performed. The â€Å"jai ho jai ho aaja aaja jind shamiyane ke tale aaja jariwale nile aasman ke tale jai ho jai ho ratti ratti. † song transcends the barriers of language and reaches out to audience worldwide to enthrall and has yielded him yet another Oscar for song. It is the music that takes the song everywhere. Every time when there is a change of scene, the music is simply astounding. The change of mood is rightly set by the music. The background music of quiz program is not new to the people of India, as the real program on television show was similar to this one. However, the typical music recorded in multiple tracks give thrill and excitement when questions are being rolled out. The song â€Å"I fly like paper, get high like planes If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name If you come around here, I make em all day I get one down in a second if you wait   Ã¢â‚¬  while the train is moving has all the gravity of cheerfulness compassioned with the advent of nature. Music is the language whenever flashbacks have to be short and quick. If the arrival of Taj Mahal has some humorous events in it, the music compensates it with reverence. The background music when the prostitutes are shown in the slums of Mumbai, the humming love music when Jamal meets Lathika after a gap, and the song at the end of the movie which brings winning moments for everyone – for the hero, for the director, for the musician, etc is worth mentioning. Whenever the scenes have the power to move the audience, the music leaves an impression in the minds for an everlasting memory. Titanic Titanic is a movie of all times for its unparalleled mixture of fact and fiction filmed on a massive scale. The grandeur of the ship, the differences shown between the rich and poor in the backdrop of Edwardian influence, the love between Rose and Jack tied together in the heart rendering scores of James Horner, the magnanimous touch of James Cameron as writer, director and editor eventually became the first movie of its kind in Hollywood. The movie is screened for just three hours but it comprises a mammoth research by reaching out to the depth of the Atlantic where the original Titanic sank in 1912, and by building a main production set at Rosarito Beach in Baja California, Mexico. As one of the crew members rightly says in the movie, â€Å"The ship is known for grandeur. † it has everything in it: the restaurants, swimming pool, elevators, grand staircase connecting seven decks, a huge glass dome, and all the luxury items. The gigantic ship has massive propellers to pull it all along. The cost of first class tickets are so high even close to $4000 for some which is equal to the amount of $50000 today. Cameron begins the movie in a striking manner as he uses the latest submergence technology and the grandeur with which it explores the wreck of Titanic. The entire operation under water around Titanic in the rumbles of James Horner is a rare phenomenon to watch. â€Å"She is the largest moving object ever made by the hand of man† as said by a character in the movie, it also felt by the music effect. Brock Lowett, an explorer in the movie is curious to possess the necklace with blue diamond worn by Rose in 1912. He ends up discovering a nude painting of Rose. The 100-year old Rose, watching this incident on television calls Brock Lowett and tells the fact that she is the one in the picture. What rose recollects from her memory is the main story of Titanic. Everyone around Rose including her fiancee Caledon is of typical business people who restrict women. Unable to bear with the economy based love and affection running deep in the hearts of her fiance, Rose decides to commit suicide and runs to edge of Titanic and climbs on the railing. Jack comes at the right time to her rescue and the compassionate words of Jack brought her back to life. Jack boarded the third class in the last minute because of the Jackpot he won. He is only a survivor and is no match to the rich and elegant families of the first class passengers who were made to invite him for a dinner party for rescuing Rose. But Jack is well mannered, clear headed, charming and he feels for others. He has passion for drawing and some of his paintings attract Rose. The movie scripts are written aptly to bring Jack and Rose together after an initial disapproval by Rose when Jack asked her â€Å"Do you really like the guy? † Later it turns out to be good and they had a good understanding. Their togetherness in the ship after they started loving each other is the sweetest moment of the movie. It includes Jack’s mystical touch in painting her nakedness wearing only the Heart of the Ocean, their running around the deck and cargo hold of Titanic in joy, their standing at the edge of the ship on the railing with their hands straitened in excitement singing: â€Å"Every night in my dreams I see you. I feel you That is how I know you go. † †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. † This song has become the magical spell of the movie Titanic all over the world and this still picture of their stance became the trademark of the movie Titanic. The music fastens with the solo violin bringing momentum. After a while, the fatal iceberg strikes the edge of Titanic and in the next couple of hours or so everything goes under water. The serious episode of the movie begins with the gradual inflow of water into the ship sinking it gradually and bringing panic. The entire mechanism of how a gigantic ship would submerge under water is a massive research effort discovered and shot for screening by James Cameron. Rose and Jack face predicaments in the ship when they are in search of each other as the ship is sinking gradually. The thrill, excitement and horror are maintained well. Silence followed by music and vice versa creates impression in these scenes. Jack and Rose reached the edge of Titanic from where they jump off the drowning ship and were in the waters of Atlantic waiting for a survival boat. No boats are in the vicinity. Jack prepared to be in the water leaving Rose on a piece of oak panel that is available. The chilly water frozen in minus degree centigrade would not keep Jack alive for long. Rose cries in emotion â€Å"Jack come back†, â€Å"Jack come back†. â€Å"There is a boat Jack. † The music of the song â€Å"Every night in my dreams, I see you. I feel you, That is how I know you go† in low humming voice hardly leaves anyone without tears in eyes. This is one of the greatest emotional scenes on the screens. As she promised Jack she lives until she becomes old enough. It is not just the James Cameron has given The 20th Century Fox has not just produced a movie that has just won 11 Academy awards but has gifted the world a movie of great proportion that would stand all ages. School of Rock School of Rock reveals the power of music through a group of children aged around 10 from a prep school. The spirited hard rock singer and guitarist Dewy Finn masked as a substitute teacher in a class room could not go fizzled out when the music director Craig Wedren has his full support. The hero Dewey Finn visualizes no way out but to be with the rock that paid him nothing. â€Å"Do you want me to give up my band? † he goes weird while talking to his friend Ned Schneebly when he pressurizes him to pay the share of his room rent. Voted out from the band due to his hyper active stage antics, Dewy has no source of income to pay off anything. He is a lone talent unexplored on the stage, dreaming of a great rock career. All that he needs is â€Å"One little thing, it’s music†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  and he has challenged his band members who voted him out, â€Å"I’ll set up my own band. We are going to start a revolution. † So the fire is burning within him contributes to the central theme of the movie. He turns a phone call of Mr. Schneebly in his favor and decides to go as a substitute teacher in the name of Schneebly to make some money for his immediate needs. As desired, he gets into the school and there begins a new lease of life when he spots children attending music classes amidst his boring class room sessions comprising mainly of recess. He senses a vibrant rock band in his students that could back him up back on to the stage. His mind worked brilliantly. He worked in that direction shifting musical instruments back and forth to the class room and away. He picked up students and assigned each student an instrument and engaged them in practice. The music of comedy is well underway with Dewy managing his students answering all their questions to comfort them that they are doing a school project. That’s how he tells students instead of telling the truth that he wants to win in the Battle of the Bands. Either ways it is a competition – a competition to disclose talents to the public. His conversations with Ms Mullins, the Principal of the preparatory school and other teachers are full of comedy. The words of Dewy, â€Å"It’s experimental teaching. We were learning in singing songs. † confuses the Principal as there is no such thing. Gradually, Ms. Mullins has a special liking for Dewy as he drags her for tea with his artistic eloquence in praise of her profession and her way of handling things. She is much more impressed by his reverence tinged with fun for her profession and especially when he tells her that she is cool and capable. The movie takes a dramatic turn when Schneebly and his fiance come to know of the fraud when Dewy opens up how the check in the name of Schneebly reached him from the preparatory school. The secrets are let out and the police enters the class room when Dewy is in a parents day meet. He is out of school now. Parents are in despair complaining to the Principal about their children’s studies suffered. Ms. Mullins has a tough time answering all the parents and so shuts the door in anger. The power of music is still alive with the students. They secretly take the school bus and reach Dewy’s place to pull him up for the Battle of the Bands. Dewy never dreamt students would be so taken by the rock. They rushed to the theater. Their turn is about to come. Surprise mounts up as the parents and the principal too rushed to the theater to rescue their children. The school of Rock is finally on the stage in colorful dresses. Zack is amazing with his guitar. Freddy is rollicking with his drums. Lawrence is working mystery with his keyboard. Tonika enchants the audience with her voice. â€Å"Baby we was making straight As, But we was stuck in a dumb daze, Dont take much to memorize your life, I feel like Ive been hypnotized. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. † Dewy goes wild on his power stance, moving, dancing, rolling all over and jumping into the crowd to bring a swashbuckling finish to the song. Their performance is surprising, unbelievable, absolutely stunning. Every parent delights at his or her child for doing great on the stage. The music in the last few minutes of the movie brings a complete change of moods. The parents who rushed in panic are now cool after discovering great talents in their children. The principal runs out of words when people praised her. The power of rock took everyone by surprise. Finally the music wins. School of Rock fails to win the $20,000 prize but the audience shouts, â€Å"School of Rock† â€Å"School of Rock† repeatedly asking for once more. Once again The School of Rock is on the stage with a song once again. Dewy gets a chance to train students in music after school hours. The filmmaker Richard Linklater has directed the movie in accordance with, â€Å"Guitar in hands and rock in our hearts. † References Retrieved March 21, 2009,http://www. mygodwithin. com/2009/02/slum-dog-millionaire-receives-8-oscar. html Retrieved March 21, 2009, http://www. futuremovies. co. uk/review. asp? ID=139 Retrieved March 21, 2009, http://www. hollywoodlot. com/titanic/james-cameron. html

The Theory of Comfort by Katherine Kolcaba

The Theory of Comfort by Katherine Kolcaba The Theory of Comfort by Katherine Kolcaba is middle range theory. Middle range theories contain a limited number of concepts and have a more limited scope. However, Kolcabas Theory of Comfort is classified as a high middle range theory making it a more general and abstract theory. Making it closely related to a Grande Theory which is very abstract and general and can be applied to a variety of experiences and responses (McEwen Wills, 2011). This is very true for The Theory of Comfort as many articles have been written adapting the theory to multiple scopes of nursing. Middle range theories include something specific related to nursing practice such as a situation or condition of a patient or patient population. Middle range theories also take into account the populations age and location when working on the development of a theory. A middle range theory also includes an intervention, proposed outcome, or an action of the nurse. Middle range theories are developed by interpreting and observing lived experiences with a relation to health and nursing (Tomey Alligood, 2002). In Katherine Kolcabas Theory of Comfort she spent much time examining the relationships and outcomes of patients in relation to comfort. Context Katherine Kolcaba originally wrote the Theory of Comfort with Alzheimers and dementia patients in mind. However, Katherine herself has co-written multiple articles about other scopes of nursing related to her theory. Two recent articles were written applying her theory to perianesthesia nursing and hospice nursing (Kolcaba Wilson, 2002 and Vendlinski Kolcaba, 1997).When Kolcaba was developing her theory she utilized logical reasoning. She utilized induction, deduction, reduction. Kolcaba utilized a preexisting framework as her antecedent. The framework was written by Henry Murray (Tomey Alligood, 2002), it was from a book entitled Explorations in Personality. Henry A. Murray was a professor of psychology at Harvard University; he received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association and the Gold Medal Award for lifetime achievement from the American Psychological Foundation. When it first came out in 1938, this book had a provocative and insightful effect, urging psychologists to study personality holistically and in depth and emphasizing the complex interactions between individual, social, and cultural characteristics. Salvatore R. Maddi, Professor, Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine (Explorations in Personality, 2007). This was a very good starting point for the theory as comfort is best achieved through holistic treatment. She also began with a concept analysis of the term, comfort. Katherine Kolcaba gathered the definition, of comfort from many different disciplines. Within The Theory of Comfort the metaparadigm proposition of nursing actions is utilized (Kolcaba, 2001). This is evident in this theory because it is built around evaluating for the lack of comfort and then reevaluating the patient to calculate the success of any implementations made or actions taken. Katherine Kolcaba utilizes the all four of the metaparadigm concepts: nursing, patient, environment, and health. In nursing there is an assessment of comfort needs, actions to promote comfort, and then the reassessment of comfort levels. The assessment and reassessment can be either subjective or objective. The patient can be an individual or their family. The environment is any part of the patients surroundings that can be manipulated by the nurse to enhance the patients comfort. Finally, health is the optimum functioning of the patient (Tomey Alligood, 2002).The author believes that Kolcaba does utilize all four of the metaparadigm because the patient is the center. The nurse is essential because the nurse provides the care to increase the comfort. The environment also plays an essential role in this theory as comfort or discomfort can be found in the patients environment. Finally the author believes that when all of these three are in cooperation to create comfort the patient wil l then have an increase in their health. The philosophical claim that The Theory of Comfort is based on is human needs. There are two core components of this philosophy. There first is the motivational drive that is behind human behavior. The second is the force driven by social and cultural politics that influences the patients expectations. Patients comfort needs are driven by their expectations of competent and holistic nursing care (Kolcaba, 2001). The world view that fits The Theory of Comfort most concisely is the reciprocal world view this fits well because human beings are active and holistic. Humans interact with their environment and this interaction may lead to pain, displeasure, or comfort. Humans learn from their experiences and this leads them to the ability to make decisions that can keep them in a more comfortable environment. Content The Theory of Comfort has six basic concepts: health care needs, nursing interventions, intervening variables, patient comfort, health seeking behaviors, and institutional integrity (Kolcaba, 2001). Health care needs are defined as the need for comfort that comes from stressful health care situations. The types of needs that can arise are: physical, psychospiritual, social, and environmental, these are the same terms that Kolcaba uses to evaluate the effectiveness. These needs are made apparent through close monitoring (Tomey Alligood, 2002). Nursing interventions are defined as the commitment of nursing and health care institutions to promote comfort care and meet the comfort needs of patients (Kolcaba, 2001). Intervening variables is anything that affects the outcome (Kolcaba, 2001). Some possible variables include: past experience, age, attitude, emotional state, support system, prognosis, and finances (Tomey Alligood, 2002). Patient comfort is defined as, immediate state of bei ng strengthened by having needs met in 4 contexts of human experience, (physical, psychospiritual, social, and environmental) (Kolcaba, 2001). Health seeking behaviors is defined as, the pursuit of health as defined by the recipient, in consultation with the nurse, (Tomey Alligood, 2002). Instructional integrity is an institution that possess qualities of completeness, honesty, sincerity and is also appealing (Tomey Alligood, 2002). Katherine Kolcaba has a total of six propositions that outline her theory of comfort. The first of the six is that a nurse identifies the comfort needs that have not yet been identified by the patients other support systems. The second proposition is that the nurse is then responsible for designing interventions to address those unmet needs of the patient. The third is taking into account the variables that could affect the intervention that has been proposed to help the patient. The forth proposition by Kolcaba is that once the comfort is met or achieved that patients are encouraged to engage in health seeking behaviors. The fifth proposition is that once a patient has been strengthened and are participating in health seeking behaviors they are then more satisfied with their health care. The last proposition of The Theory of Comfort is when a patient is satisfied with their health care in a particular institution that institution retains its integrity (Kolcaba, 2001). All six of the propositions are relational in the streamline. All six of the propositions have to take effect for the patient to be brought to an acceptable level of comfort with that level of comfort being maintained for an extended period of time. All six of Katherine Kolcabas propositions are relational as they are a streamlined reevaluating process that depends on all parts for success and structurally necessary to have holistic health. Katherine Kolcaba has listed four major assumptions in her Evolution of the Theory of Comfort. The first is human beings have holistic responses to complex stimuli (Kolcaba, 2001). The second is that comfort is a desirable holistic outcome that is relevant to the discipline of nursing. The third is, it is an active endeavor to meet and maintain comfort. The fourth and final assumption is that institutional integrity has a large component that is based on a patient oriented value system (Kolcaba, 2001). Katherine Kolcabas diagramed conceptual model consists of the basic principles of The Theory of Comfort. The health care needs, nursing interventions, and intervening variables all work in cooperation to become enhanced comfort. Enhanced comfort then leads to health seeking behaviors. The facility or company who has in use best policies and best practices will then be able to promote and relate health seeking behaviors utilizing those policies and practices. Health seeking behaviors then have the ability to become internal and external behaviors which can lead to greater health. The health seeking behaviors may also lead to a peaceful death, (The Comfortliners, 2010) as this is the goal of hospice nursing and the Theory of Comfort has been utilized in hospice nursing (Vendlinski Kolcaba, 1997). This concept is much easier to visualize than read. In order to evaluate the success of achieving comfort Katherine Kolcaba has developed a table or taxonomic structure to document comfort. On the left side of the chart are four rows labeled, physical, psychospiritual, environmental, and social, (Tomey Alligood, 2002) which are the context for which comfort occurs. The three columns on top are the types of comfort, relief, ease, and transcendence, (Tomey Alligood, 2002). Kolcaba defines relief as the stated of having had a specific need met or mediated, ease is, the state of calm and contentment, and transcendence is, the state in which one rises above problems or pain, (Kolcaba, 2001). When evaluating a patients comfort the nurse fills in the twelve empty squares with what action helps to achieve that level of comfort. Theory Evaluation Significance Comfort is a massively important concept of nursing and The Theory of Comfort is designed to bring comfort to patients. The diagrammed conceptual model provides the simplest explanation for the theory. The metaparadigm concepts are not clearly defined by Katherine Kolcaba; however she does clearly states the philosophical claim and its concepts. The conceptual framework and antecedent knowledge is minimally defined within her work, but they are acknowledged and cited. Internal consistence The content and context reflect each other nicely as they are both centered around holistic comfort, however the clarity throughout the theory is minimal. The six propositions of The Theory of Comfort are clearly stated by Katherine Kolcaba. The six propositions flow consistently to outline the theory well. The assumptions are clearly stated and are consistent with comfort and treating the patient holistically. The theory is reciprocal as all parts are dependent on the others for success. Parsimony Throughout The Theory of Comfort there is minimal clarity. The propositions and the conceptual diagram are the clearest components of the work. The theory would be more understandable if it were stated more simply. Testability The Theory of Comfort does not have a very specific evaluation processes aside from the taxonomic structure that the nurse fills in by documenting what implementations help to achieve comfort, which was previously mentioned. However with regular nursing assessments the nurse will know if comfort has been achieved, either objectively or subjectively. The best way to measure comfort rather a nurse is utilizing this theory or not is to frequently ask and objectively assess a patient and notice nonverbal indications of pain. As with any high middle range theory, The Theory of Comfort is very abstract and proves difficult to measure results in a definitive method. Empirical adequacy The Theory of Comfort has been adapted to several different fields of nursing aside from its original focus of dementia care. Perianesthesia nursing has adapted this theory to help patients especially by utilizing the table to document different methods of obtaining comfort. It has also lead nurses in this scope of practice to realize the importance of education (Kolcaba Wilson, 2002). The theory has also been utilized by hospice nurses, this is the ideal scope of nursing to utilize this theory. It has provided hospice nurses with a broader outlook on how to provide holistic comfort to their dying patients (Vendlinski Kolcaba, 1997). Pragmatic adequacy The Theory of Comfort is a very practical concept as everyone feels better when they are comfortable. Patients and families are more able and willing to absorb information when they are comfortable and focused. This theory provides simple steps to ensure comfort is being delivered. The Theory of Comfort encourages nurses to think more deeply about rather or not their patient is comfortable, along with what is causing discomfort and what is promoting comfort. It also encourages nurses to document the variation of methods in which a patient becomes comfortable in different settings. A basic nursing knowledge such as an associates degree is necessary for utilizing this theory, however in order to understand the written theory in its entirety a more advanced knowledge level proves to be a necessity.

Marketing Interview Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing BTEC Coursework

Marketing Interview Many small businesses don’t realize how important their company image really is. The following is a formula for low cost marketing for a small business to create or better their image. To find this formula I interviewed Evan Paull, the owner of a small sign making company based in Annapolis Maryland called ‘Independent Sign Consortium’ or ‘ISC.’ ‘ISC’ was started in 1996 and has had a steady growth ever since. I also interviewed Allison Green, the marketing director of ‘Revisions,’ ‘Revisions’ is based in Baltimore Maryland and is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the mentally ill. Many small companies believe that a corporate or company image develops all on it’s own. Therefore, they believe the business itself has little or no control over shaping the outcome of the image. Often a company will delay any investment in a public image because they think it’s an expensive luxury. It is only after some bad publicity or a negative event do they relies that some effort needs to be put into improving or defining their look. Of course if you wait until something like this happens the cost is always going to be higher. â€Å"Most successful businesses have a carefully crafted image that separates them from the competition and helps to establish a solid public presence,† remarks Allison Green. A distinct corporate image benefits many aspects of any business. Public relations rely on image to attract new customers and to generate repeat business. Finance departments depend on image to impress investors and shareholders with a sense of stability. Employees feel more secure when a company has a good image. An image should always accurately reflect the substance of a company. However, an image is only a perception, an appearance, a representative look of that substance. Subsequently, as Green says, â€Å"†¦it doesn’t always have to cost an arm and a leg†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to accurately represent the company. Given an unlimited budget, any fat corporation can create a new image or alter an outdated or damaged one. Those of us with more modest resources, given only a camera, a copier and an ink jet printer adding some creativity can do it even better. There are some things on which you should never cut corners, safety regulations or legal issues for example. Looking only at the surface, in this instance, is a good thing as is going for style not ne... ...e business community perceives you. Improve your image and increase your company’s public awareness and your networking by aligning yourself with a nonprofit as well. Have key staff serve as volunteers on the board of directors for one or more worthy causes. Press releases can go a long way to help out your image. News reports will jump on a dramatic news story or an important event. Realistically though, how often does that happen at most organizations. One way to improve the odds of getting your news in the press is to do it yourself. Do the research, find the angle, and write the article. Many reporters will take the easy road rather than write their own article. If they have space and all the work is already done, chances are they will use your story. For even better odds put the article on disc in a format that they use and include a photo. Last but certainly not least â€Å"never apologize on stage. Let people think you paid a lot for something. Don’t volunteer information. Most times no one will know the difference unless you tell them,† Green says. WORKS CITED Paull, Evan D. Personal interview. 22 November 2000 Green, Allison W. Telephone interview. 01 December 2000

Color Blindness Essay examples -- essays research papers fc

Color Blindless Color blindness is the inability to distinguish particular colors. It is generally an inherited trait, but can result from a chemical imbalance or eye injury. There are three primary colors. They are red, blue, and yellow. All other colors are the results of different combinations of primary colors. Special visual cells, called cones, are respon-sible for our ability to see color. People with normal vision have three different types of cones, each responsible for a different primary color. The absence of particular cones causes the absence of particular colors. This can be one cause of color blindness. There are four types of color blindness. The rarest forms are mono-chromatism and a-typical monochromatism. People with monochromatic vision, or total color blindness, has no cones at all. As a result, they have no ability to see colors, and no hue discrimi-nation whatsoever. Monochromatic vision is very similar to watching a black and white television program. Somebody with a-typical monochromatic vision has just one type of cone, and can see just one color, and various shades of that color. This form is even rarer than the "typical" monochro-matism. Another, more common, form of color blindness is called dichromatism. People with di-chromatic vision tend to confuse red, green, and gray, but can easil...

The Greenwich Association for Retarded Citizens of Greenwich High :: essays research papers

The Greenwich Association for Retarded Citizens (G.A.R.C.) of Greenwich High The Greenwich Association for Retarded Citizens (G.A.R.C.) of Greenwich High is a group of students interested in interacting with disabled students. These students go to the high school as well, and look forward to getting to know us. Each of the students have different disabilities but they each have the desire to make friends. This group is totally volunteer basis for all of it's members, no one has to attend. I have been a member of this group for the three years I have attended in Greenwich High. Spending a lot of time with these children I have learned to understand that they are just looking to make friends.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I joined this group as a freshman because I had worked with children with Down Syndrome during the eighth grade at Central Middle School. My interest carried on through out the years because of the numerous fun times I have had, and have made friends with many of the girls. They are all very personable and pleasant to talk with. They each have special characteristics defining them from the others, making each of them special in different ways, just like the rest us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aside from the meetings that we have every so often to discuss activities we can do, we usually do fun and interesting activities. We go out for pizza frequently because it seems to be the group consensus on what we would all like to eat. During the holidays we celebrate in interesting ways; on Halloween we have a party where every one gets dressed and brings candy. For the Christmas season we are going to celebrate with a party at a members house and listen to Christmas carols, and have dinner. We have had bake sales and have sold candy in order to raise money for the clubs activities. These are usually a success because every one participates and we all seem to function well as a group. When there are dances or football games at school we each take one of the girls and it's good for them because they get to interact with the rest of the school at a big function.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This club is not only fun, but it's like going to a meeting with some of your friends. We are a small group and we all get along. Since we are a small group it is also difficult for us to do a lot of things. It is difficult to educate the larger part of the public who doesn't know what these kids are like.

New Heritage Doll Company Essay

1. Describe and compare the business rationales for each of the two project proposals under consideration. Which do you feel is the more compelling? Project 1: Match My Doll Clothing Line Expansion Expand the successful Match My Doll Clothing Line to include matching all-season clothing for tween girls and their dolls. Pros: Current popularity will enable company to maintain premium prices. Company could take advantage of off-peak discounts offered by some suppliers and contract manufacturers. Would help reduce the seasonality in New Heritage’s sales and earnings. Project poses moderate risk – about the same as the production division’s existing business as a whole. Cons: Company has to exploit the opportunity without delay to be able to exploit the current popularity of the original Match My Doll Clothing line. Large outlays for R&D, market research and marketing are needed. Project 2: Design Your Own Doll Targets existing customers and will offer customized dolls that the customer could customize to create one-of-a-kind addition to their existing collection of dolls. Pros: Market research with focus group indicates that there is a lot of enthusiasm for the product concept. Company will be able to charge premium prices for this product. Will improve customer loyalty. Will create a unique experience for customers. Cons: Increased manufacturing complexity and expense, involves higher risk. Low production runs and volumes would mean higher fixed costs per unit. Therefore, higher breakeven volume for project (longer payback period). Would require the company to make significant changes to its existing technology infrastructure, expand its webhosting capacity and involve legal measure to implement new third party service agreements to provide better service quality. Longer development time (including product testing) – up to 12 months. Much larger initial investment required than the first project.  The Match My Doll Clothing Line expansion project uses existing infrastructure and technology/ products. It will also fill the â€Å"gap† in the year-round revenues that occur due to the seasonality of demand. This project requires a smaller investment and has a shorter payback period. The Design Your Own Doll project requires a larger investment and will require new equipment, technology and third-party agreements. The business plan and process will become more complicated. This project also has a longer payback period. On the other hand, this project will earn higher returns. Both the projects will require some continuing capital expenditures. However, the Design Your Own Doll option will require higher capital expenditures compared to the Match My Doll Clothing Line project. Design Your Own Doll project is expected to make higher returns according to the projections. It also carries a higher risk due to the complexity of operations involved. See attached sheet for detailed calculations. 2. What are the free cash flows that are relevant to analyzing the two projects? 3. Match My Doll Clothing Line Free Cash Flow (without TV) = $2,091.54 Match My Doll Clothing Line Free Cash Flow (with TV) = $16,344.40 Design Your Own Doll Free Cash Flow (without TV) = -$1,019.8 Design Your Own Doll Free Cash Flow (with TV) = $24,732.06 4. What are the NPVs of the two projects? What decision should Emily Harris recommend? 5. NPV Calculation Match My Doll Clothing Line: NPV = $7,148.35 Design My Doll: NPV = $7,285.68 Based on the calculations in the above steps, it is determined that Design My Doll project has a higher NPV and hence would be a better choice, but the first project is less risky and has a shorter payback period and therefore might be more attractive to the board.

Indo European Migrations

Indo-European pp Migrations pp 42-45 (period 8 pp 54-57) ben hiatt per. 1 9/4/12 1. Linguists noticed that certain language were related called them Indo- European. List the major subgroups of this family of languages. The major subgroups of this family of languages is hindi, farsi and most European languages. 2. Where was the original homeland of the Indo European speakers? The original home land of the indo European speakers is probably the steppe region of modern day Ukraine 3. How did the domestication of horses facilitate the lives of the Indo-Europeans? think migration)it was easier to migrate on horses than to walk on foot. 4. Describe the migration of the I-A’s from 3000BCE to 1000CE. The earliest indo European society began to break up around 3000 bce, and continued the migrations until about 1000 ce. 5. Discuss thoroughly the Hittites. The hitties built a powerful kingdom and establishes a close relationship with the Mesopotamians. They were responsible for light and horse drawn war carriages. 6. Discuss the the two technological innovations of the Hittites.The two technological things the hitties made were light and horse drawn war carriges. Both of which greatly strengthened their society and influenced other peoples societys too. 7. Discuss the eastern migration of the Indo-Aryans. While the hitties were building their empire in Anatolia some indo Europeans were migrating east to central asia. 8. Discuss the Western migrations of the Indo-Aryans. This move west took the indo Aryans west into greeceafter 2200 bce. 9. Discuss the Southern migrations. Another wave of migrations established some indo Europeans in the presence of iran and india.

Business Environment in India

India Business Environment Analysis MNGT375. 102 – International Business Fall 2009 – Thursday 6:30PM Mr. Dennis L. Noah By: Brandon Barrett Andrew Murphy I. General Characteristics of the Country The country’s terrain varies by region. The renowned Himalayas lie to the North while highland plains occupy the south, home to the Deccan Plateau. The West conveys a different terrain bringing large deserts. As a result of the terrain varying from region to region the climate follows suite. In the south the climate is tropical but moving northward it becomes more temperate. ,000 km of coastline cover India’s borders making it very accessible. The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal allow water transportation to be done easily for most of the country. The country has a somewhat established infrastructure. The infrastructure does not support its 1 billion plus people properly but despite that its infrastructure is sufficient for the short run and will only improve i n the future. Telecommunications in recent years has experienced significant expansion due to the deregulation of telecommunication laws. The cellular service industry is experiencing extremely rapid growth. However the telephone density is merely 40 out of 100 people across the nation. There are a total of 81 million internet users which is a huge untapped market available. There are 349 airports in all of India. 250 of these airports have paved runways; however the other 99 airport’s runways are unpaved. There is 63,327 km of railways throughout the country which is a very established railway system. There is 3,316,452 km of established roadways in India which is the second largest amount for any country in the world. There are 53 national highways which carry a majority portion of the traffic. In addition to roads, there is 14,500 km of waterways mainly in rivers and canals in India. India contains 11 major seaports The conditions within India are not the finest. India is a premier destination and source of human trafficking for commercial sexual abuse and forced labor. Men, women, and even children are exploited and forced to work on mills, factories, and women are forced to marry unwillingly. India is also the world’s largest producer of Opium for pharmaceutical purposes; however an undetermined but high rate is also illicitly developed. Despite obvious obstacles in India’s current economy, the potential for this untapped market is infinite and an intelligent investment for many multinational corporations. II. Political & Legal Environment The system of government in 23 states closely resembles the federal system Union (Political structure, 2009). However, seven Union territories in the country are administered by the President. The Chief Minister (CM) of a state government has the executive powers while the Governor, elected by the President, is the head of Executive (India's politics, 2009). The Council of Ministers of a state is lead by the CM and is responsible to the elected legislative assembly of the state just like the federal government (Political structure, 2009). The judiciary is independent of the executive in India. The Supreme Court (SC) is the apex court in the country. The High Court stands at the head courts of the states. Each state is divided into judicial districts presided over by a district and sessions judge, who is the highest judicial authority in a district (India's politics, 2009). â€Å"There are courts of civil jurisdiction, known in different states as munsifs, sub-judges, civil judges and the like. Similarly, criminal judiciary comprises chief judicial magistrate and judicial magistrates of first and second class† (India's politics, 2009). Corruption has gone down in India due to transparency, reformed and free judicial system (Country profile: India, 2009). The Supreme Court is supreme; it has original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction (Daniel, 2004). Its exclusive original jurisdiction extends to all disputes between the Union and one or more states or between two or more states and protects the Fundamental Rights of people (India's politics, 2009). The Supreme court has 25 justices and one Chief Justice (CJ) appointed by the President and hold the office till the age of 75 years (India's politics, 2009). It does not deal with criminal cases (Daniel, 2004). III. Economic Environment Despite economic woes that swept through the United States, and in turn the rest of the world in mid-2008; India has weathered the storm while outpacing recovery relative to many other developed and emerging nations. Year to date the Bombay Stock Exchange small cap index has outperformed the S 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average by over 100%. Appendix A) Financial markets have recovered at an unprecedented pace; however, fundamental and economic indicators suggest this rally is fueled by massive injections of liquidly, government intervention, and quantitative easing therefore deeming growth unsustainable. While evidence from monetary, fiscal, and economic policy globally suggest a double-dip recession is palpable; consumption between the Old World (US, Western Europe, Japan) & New World (Total World minus US, Western Europe, Japan) has changed. Currently emerging markets are expanding and consuming more than developed economics. Contrary to prior trends, OPEC’s largest customers now lie within emerging economies, and China is now the main consumer of Asian goods not the United States. India is poised to exponentially contribute towards New World growth driven by a free-market democracy, emerging middle class, capitalistic mindset, young English-speaking entrepreneurial population, and large inflows of foreign direct investment. (Market Commentary Report, Marc Faber) According to Citi Emerging Markets outlook nominal GDP in US$ bn was 1175. 0 in FY08 compared to 913. 5 a year before. Real GDP yoy growth was 9. 0% in FY08, and is expected to contract to 6. 7 in FY09 and steadily grow back to 8% yoyby FY12. Real imports and exports are expected to grow by 17. 9% and 12. 8% respectively in FY09. While imports and exports have experienced negative growth over the past few months the trade balance has narrowed to US $5 bn. Over the next year expected higher oil prices should impact India’s external a ccount considering they import 70% of their crude oil. Majority of GDP growth is driven internally so the nation is less depended on export growth than other countries. India’s current account is expected to be US -$43. 7 bn; exports will make up 169. bn while imports were 286. 5 bn. The current account in FY08 represented 1. 5% of GDP, and is expected to be 3. 8% in FY09. Foreign direct investment was US 15. 4 bn in FY08, and is expected to grow to 20 bn in FY09. According to Citi Investment research public debt should be reduced by US $200M this year. Before 1992 the Indian central government exercised tight control over foreign-exchange transactions and investment. From 1975-1992 Indian authorities managed a floating exchange rate system in which the rupee was pegged against a weighted basket of currencies similar to special drawing rights from the IMF. In March 1993 a free-floating exchange rate system was implemented. In comparison to other exchange rates the INR/USD has been less volatile. In Q2 2008 the exchange rate was 43 rupees for 1 U. S dollar, currently 1 U. S dollar yields 46. 44 rupees. In the past year the U. S dollar has appreciated against the rupee; however, long-term we believe the U. S dollar will depreciate against most currencies. Expansion of the United States balance sheet and monetary base suggests over the next few years the influx of dollars in circulation will devalue our currency and eventually lead to inflation. Operating a manufacturing facility in India does pose some exchange rate risk, but in the long run divesting some operations international may provide an inflation hedge. If the rupee does appreciate against the U. S dollar as expected the facility in India could use their rupee earnings and cash flow to purchase raw materials at a discount and retain earnings in a currency that will hold its value, and yield more purchasing power when converted back to U. S dollars in the future. Foreign capital investment also experienced deregulation with a â€Å"lazzi-faire† approach during the same period. Prior to July 1991 the central government of India followed the Foreign-Exchange Regulation Act. This act required all foreign capital be granted approval by India’s government; after the new foreign investment policy was announced, automatic approval was prescribed for 34 industries deemed high priority with an equity limit of 51%. In regards to ownership, after elections earlier this year India’s foreign investment policy has become even more deregulated. According to the Ministry of Finance the upper level of foreign ownership has been raised from 51% to 74% and in some cases to a 100%. â€Å"The finance minister announced the government’s commitment to a 90-day period for approving all foreign investment. Government officers will be assigned to larger foreign investment proposals and will facilitate Central and States clearances in a time-bound manner. † (Foreign Investment Policy, Ministry of Finance) Other recent policy changes have been developed to provide incentives for foreign firm participation within India. India’s most recent foreign investment policy on the Ministry of Finance website indicates the ban against using foreign brand names/ trademarks has been lifted, the corporate tax rate for foreign companies was reduced to 55% from 65% (domestic tax rate is 40%), long-term capital gains rates were lowered to 20% for foreign firms, and the Indian Income Tax Act exempts export earnings from corporate income tax for both Indian and foreign firms. India has a three-tier tax structure in which majority of taxes are indirect such as sales, value added, and goods and services tax. Intellectual property rights are also regulated; the Embassy of India posts in their policy statement that â€Å"there is a well-e stablished statutory, administrative and judicial framework to safeguard intellectual property rights in India, whether they relate to patents, trademarks, copyright or industrial designs†. Intellectual Property Rights in India, Embassy of India) India has become a developed market place; the Bombay Stock Exchange is the largest in South Asia, and the 12th largest in the world with a market capitalization of US 1. 79 trillion. With the oldest exchange in Asia and a developed regulatory framework; the nation also has a wealth of trade organizations and business associations to set standards and polices for various industries. Currently India has several hundred industry trade associations ranging from Ahmedabad Electri cal Merchants & Contractors Association to the Wood Furniture Makers Association. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Confederation of Indian Industry can be valuable government organizations when researching various compliance regulations and associations related to your firms industry. According the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry website there is a Manufacturing Committee aimed at making the industry globally competitive while indentifying possible risks and threats faced by the sector. Firms manufacturing small household appliances would join the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA). Founded in 1948, Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) is the representative national organization of manufacturers of electrical, professional electronics and allied equipment having over 550 members, Whose combined annual turnover is over Rs. 1,00,000 croresi. e. US $ 22 billion. † (About Us, IEEMA. org) The Southern India Engineering Manufacturers Assoc iation (SIEMA) might also be a valuable association to join which aims at protecting the interests of engineering companies. The Focus on the Global South organization indicates India currently has nine main regional trade agreements, and has 18 more under negotiation. Operational agreements include Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area, Asia Pacific Trade Agreement, Bangladesh – India Amended Trade Agreement, Bhutan-India Agreement on Trade, India-Maldives Trade Agreement, India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, India-Thailand Free Trade Agreement, and the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Trade. The most recent agreement was signed in 1992, and all have a scope on the trade in goods; however agreements currently in negotiation focus on goods, services, investment, and economic cooperation. (Overview, Focus on the Global South) On par with many other emerging countries, India’s main industries are in the agriculture, service, and industrial sectors. Specifically the retail sector is the largest industry and the second largest employer after agriculture which accounts for about 60% of the population. Press Releases, Department of Commerce) India recently has been a premier outsourcing destination because of its low-cost but skilled and educated labor. The information technology and software sector has been successful in developing a global footprint with a slew of small business servicing niche areas in the IT market. Examples include firms that provide supply chain management, CRM, and turnkey solutions to specific industries. India is also on the technological frontie r with companies leading the way in smartcard and RFID development and implementation. The largest company in India is Reliance Industries which operates in the oil and gas industry; however, it has become a major conglomerate with a market value of US 91. 53 mi. (India’s 40 Largest Companies, Forbes) The company’s activities span from exploration and production of oil and gas to petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals (polyester, fibre intermediates, plastics and chemicals), textiles, retail and special economic zones. (About Us, Reliance Industris) Second, is Oil & Natural Gas Company with a market value of US 61. 1 mi then the State Bank of India with US 24. 09 mi and assets of US 188,565 mi. In emerging and developing countries it’s normal for oil & gas, financial, and utilities companies to be the largest, because they build the foundation for growth and stability. India’s economy can only grow as fast as the financial and banking sector expands and the infrastructure that supports power, communication, and networking firsts ne eds to be in place before a modern market place can develop. Historical and present day, India is still considered a country with high political and terror risks. Recently attacks in Mumbai and tensions with Pakistan have caused some turbulence in financial markets; however, any organization with a long-term focus should not be readily concerned about political and economic risk because India is only bound to benefit from democracy, growth, and deregulation that benefits free-markets and trade. Geopolitical threats are concerning, but from a U. S standpoint the situation is not any better considering were in two wars. Divesting some operations in India could actually serve as a political and economic hedge reducing our exposure to specific threats the United States may experience. According to the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index of 2009, India ranked 84th out of a 180 countries with a score of 3. 4 out of 10. While India does not rank well on the CPI index it is still at the top of all South Asian countries. According to New Delhi most corruption lies in bribes and speed money to low-level public officials to â€Å"speed things up†. Following general elections on May 13, 2009, the Indian National Congress won 206 seats an additional 61 from before. The Indian National Congress represented 28. 5% of the vote following the Bharatiya Janata Party with 18. 80%. (Election Commission of India) Both major parties represent different alliances the United Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance. The United Progressive Alliance is said to lean more on the left side of the political spectrum with socialist and communist ideologies; however, the finance minister has made it clear through economic reforms that reflec t a market-based economy works best. Attention needs to be given to the apprehension between India’s governments and the finance minister’s economic objectives. Nonetheless, policies have recently continued to favor a free market approach. Last February the Indian government introduced its Union Budget for 2009-2010 which aimed at economic revival from the global slowdown. â€Å"Three fiscal stimulus packages in the form of tax relief and increased expenditure on public projects along with RBI taking a number of monetary easing and liquidity enhancing measures were introduced. † (Union Budget, New Delhi) India’s economy along with many others needs to adjust to a new economic landscape which includes Asia’s economic surge, America’s decline, and regional agreements. The stimulus packages are used to fuel growth rates in gross domestic product while creating profit maximizing incentives and protection for various industries. While India’s regulatory framework is still undergoing major development in terms of trade and economic policy; they also have made exponential progress. The nation is growing at over 1. 5% yoy with a rapidly emerging middle class which will drive consumerism in years to come. India is moving forward in the right direction by encouraging investment and ensuing political stability. We have a positive outlook and believe the current environment could be beneficial in minimizing the initial injection of capital to start operations. IV. Cultural and Socioeconomic Environment Religion and culture plays an important role in social relations and business in India. Traditional Indian society is defined by relatively strict social hierarchy. The influences of Hinduism and the tradition of the caste system have created a culture that emphasizes established hierarchical relationships (Social Hierarchy, kwintessential, 2009). Every relationship has a clear- cut hierarchy that must be observed for the social order to be maintained. About 81. 4% of the population of India practice Hinduism, 12. 4% practice Islam. Other religions include Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism and other religions (Background note, U. S Department of State). The Indian caste system describes the social restrictions and discrimination in India, in which social classes are defined by thousands of groups, often termed as â€Å"Jatis† or castes. Discrimination based on caste is officially illegal, but remains prevalent, especially in rural areas. However, the government has made strong efforts to minimize the importance of caste through active affirmative action and social policies (Society and Culture, Times of India, 2007). India has a high context culture, many things are left unsaid. They do not like to express ‘no', be it verbally or non- verbally. Rather than disappoint you, for example, by saying something isn't available, Indians will offer you the response that they think you want to hear. If terms such as â€Å"We'll see†, â€Å"I will try† or â€Å"possibly† are employed then the chances are that they are saying ‘no'(Manners, RiddhiShah, 2005). Religion, education and social class all influence greetings in India. This is a hierarchical culture, so most senior persons or eldest are greeted first. Shaking hands is common, especially in the large cities among the more educated who are accustomed to dealing with westerners. Men may shake hands with other men and women may shake hands with other women; however there are seldom handshakes between men and women because of religious beliefs. They say â€Å"Namaste† by putting two palms together as a respectful greeting. Business cards are exchanged after the initial handshake and greeting. Using left hand to exchange business cards or gifts is considered disrespectful. It is also important to know that Hindus do not eat beef and Muslims do not eat pork (Meeting/Dining Etiquette, kwintessential, 2009). In Indian society, aggressiveness can often be interpreted as a sign of disrespect. This may lead to a complete lack of communication and motivation on the part of the Indians. Criticism about an individual's ideas or work needs to be done constructively, without damaging that person’s self-esteem (Doing Business in India, 2009). Hospitality is a key part of doing business in India; most business discussions will not even begin until tea is served and there has been some preliminary talk (Manners, Riddhi Shah, 2005). Indians prefer to do business with those they know. Relationships are built upon mutual trust and respect. In general, Indians prefer to have long-standing personal relationships prior to doing business. It may be a good idea to go through a third party introduction. Labor is abundant in India. It is currently estimated to have a total workforce of 397 million where agricultural and allied sectors accounted for about 60 percent of the total workforce. Only 28 million workers are employed in the organized sectors. Almost70 percent of the Indian workforce is under the age of 30, and 80 percent of the young people entering the workforce do not have high-school education or skills that are needed in the job market (Human Capital, 2009). With a majority of unskilled labor, many well-educated individuals within the ranks of the unemployed and under-employed, including technicians and engineers, can also be found without much difficulty. One area of focus for both Indian and foreign investors has been on information technology. This sector has been described as the engine of growth of the Indian economy. The Indian software industry is growing at a rate of more than 50 percent a year, and the country appears to be on track to achieve IT exports of $50 billion by 2010. Approximately 10,000 Internet companies were established in India in 1999, and after years of experiencing a brain-drain effect, Indians are returning home to start and work for technology companies. However, labor shortages are beginning to occur at the highest levels of some service industries especially in IT enabled services (Human Capital, 2009). The numbers of persons with managerial and other white-collar skills are increasing as newly established management institutes begin to produce graduates. There are 5,114 industrial training institutes as well, which have a total capacity of around 742,000 students, offering courses in engineering and non-engineering trades. Even for those graduates from professional disciplines, quality of education imparted is a major issue. Only 25% of engineers, 15% of finance, and accounting professionals and 10% of professionals with Indian degrees are suitable for work in multinationals companies (Globalization and education, 2008). It is important for an investor to meet local business community and start networking at Indian trade fairs to make the right connections. Local business consultants, government agencies and local US embassy also provide necessary information and assistance to start up a business there. It is also good to think of using a local agent or setting up your own office and take legal advice on regulations that may apply to the product or service. V. Industry Specific Information There are hundreds of privately owned companies that make small motors in India but there are no public companies that manufacture this product. Since private companies are not required to disclose their activities and financial information to the public, there no industry information available to us. There are at least 450 small motor manufacturers and suppliers in India (Electric Motors, India Mart). The existence of huge number of manufactures indicates that the small appliance industry is doing quite well. Some manufacturers sell their products within the country and some of them have extended their market to other countries. For instance, one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of small motors in India, New Bharat Group, sells its products to at least 23 countries in Asia and Africa (Export, New Bharat Group). It will be one of the biggest competitors among many other competitors. Along with the economic growth and rapid urbanization, the Indian household appliances market has been growing each year. The household appliances market reflects the sale of six product sectors: refrigeration appliances, washing appliances, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, room comfort appliances and cooking appliances. The Indian ousehold appliances market generated total revenues of $4. 8 billion in 2008. In 2013, the Indian household appliances market is forecasted to have a value of $7. 7 billion, an increase of 60. 7% since 2008 (Market Analysis, Datamonitor). It indicates that there is a possibility that the market size of electric motors in India will even get bigger. The availability of raw material suppliers is fa vorable to the small motor manufacturers because metal industry is one of the leading industries in Indian economy. Some other materials could be imported from neighboring country China as well (Electric Motors, Indiamart). VI. Benefits and liabilities of current situation Deciding where to locate productive activities for a manufacturing planet is a major business decision in which various risks need to be accessed to ensure the long-term strategic role of the firm and country align. In our case study we decided to own foreign production activities instead or outsourcing and developing a complete turnkey solution. While initial start-up cost and risk increase there is also a direct relationship between profitability. While production activities may already be organized, more focus must be placed on the logistics of the operation. How will the firm acquire materials? How is the location strategic towards business processes? Our organization must look beyond firm specific and product factors that may effect production, and focus on political risk, exchange risk, market risk, etc. If our company begins developing small motors for the appliances we already sell, then our manufacturing planet will aid in making our company more vertically integrated. Being able to supply components required to build the finished product lowers cost, protects proprietary technology, and improves overall business efficiency and practice. Considering equity ownership varies among industries, our manufacturing facility will most likely have to be in conjunction with a local firm. However, considering the engineering and operational expertise, Indian firms that can provide a strategic alliance or joint venture may benefit our organization and business process. Labor capital is one of the main reasons U. S companies have outsourced operations to India. From a human resources perspective India has a young population that’s educated and English speaking – a manufacturing facility would have no problems acquiring college grads for anagement and engineering positions while also obtaining machinist and assembly line workers. The overall labor cost used in the production of appliances would be less in comparison to the United States and quality would not be sacrificed. International human resource management will play a vital role for the firm as a strategy needs to be implemented to get amalgamated to the host c ountry through cultural, language, and practical training. A partnership or strategic alliance will help our international labor relations an ability to develop a competitive advantage while enhancing bargaining power. Compensation would be based on equalizing the base salary in terms of purchasing power between the countries; the standard of living in the home country would be on par for the host country. India with over 1. 1 billion people not only makes for a premier location to operate a manufacturing facility, but more importantly a marketplace for its appliances. Our firm has decided to implement a global standardization strategy that utilizes the local labor force. We feel this strategy is best for reaping cost reductions, economies of scale, and value added location economics. A global strategy would best serve our facility over a transnational or localization strategy because our product doesn’t have to be tailored to tastes across different geographic markets. Considering differences in consumer tastes and preferences don’t change much in what is required of appliances; our manufacturing facility should be focused on achieving economies of scale and utilizing various distribution channels locally with strategic partnerships. India also has several resource endowments that will help in reducing cost of raw materials from accessibility and ease. In addition being close to raw materials required for production reduces transportation cost while shipping cost are also reduced from have a facility in the middle of Asia, the largest potential market. India has a developed and regulated political economy with an individualistic mentality. The nation has a democratic political system in which government officials are elected through the people either directly or indirectly. While political risk does exist given the controlling political party (United Progressive Alliance) drives from socialist and communist ideologies. However, the government is a democracy and the citizens realize a free-market approach is best for their society; thus we consider the government politically stable without the risk found in totalitarian regimes. The economic system in India is evolving and moving towards a market economy, but currently has the elements of a mixed economy with some regulatory restrictions. As the finance minister continues to enact polices that discourage government intervention and open up markets for trade and investment – the economy is rapidly evolving into modern capitalistic system. Along with regulated and historically stable financial markets the legal system also has the framework necessary for protecting intellectual property and ownership. Business laws and incentives have been enacted to encourage foreign development and investment; corporate tax rates have been reduced and equity ownership caps have increased. After accessing the political, economic, and legal environment we believe the potential return and value creation offsets the risk and possible implications faced by operating a facility in India. Inherent with divesting operations internationally the host firm accepts a degree of translation, transaction, and economic exposure. However, given the fundamentals on the U. S dollar outlook in the economic environment section we believe future favorable exchange rate fluctuations will increase the value of our company’s equities, assets, cash flow, and earnings. The caste system is still present in India, but the government has outlawed caste-based discrimination, and their social stratification allows for upward mobility. Considering socioeconomic factors bring production to India not only reduces cost, but will help our firm penetrate a potentially large marketplace as Indian consumers will be more likely to purchase products developed and produced in their home country. VII. Expectations of country competitiveness related to industry The household appliances market is rapidly expanding in emerging countries such as India and China where demand is driven by an emerging middle class. In India it is expected by 2012 the middle class population will be size of our total population, around 300 million. The manufacturing industry specifically dealing with the production of small-motors is a saturated marketplace consisting of over 450 companies. Industry leaders include the New Bharat Group and Havells which supply small motors across Asia and Africa. Considering the concentration of firms in this segment it would probably be most beneficial for our company to partner with a retail distribution chain or technology firm that will be sure to add value while protecting our business processes. Our strategic lliance or joint venture would only be done if it was a government requirement due to foreign investment regulations which it probably will. Given the pace of technological innovation and capital investment the industry is bound to experience heighten competition and barriers to entry in India. Consolidation within the industry is unlikely in the near term as sheer population growth and consumerism we expect will outpace the influx in supply. VIII. Itinerary The itinerary for our cou ntry visit can be found in Appendix D.