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

Education - Research Paper Example It can be argued that better education may be an inclination toward better life. The primarily role of education to an individual is the ability to offer knowledge, competence and the skills required of an individual to participate effectively in the happenings of the society as well as the economy. Education has the capacity to improve the lives of individuals within the society such that it helps in the development and advancement of political interests, health challenges, wellbeing and participation in civic activities. According to OECD Better Life Index, research studies reveal that educated people within the society lives longer and actively partake in political matters (OECD). Further, individuals with better education participate actively in the communities where they reside, engage less in criminal activities and do not depend on social assistance as their counterparts with no or little education. Better education is somehow equated to better life because of the increased opportunities and potential that quality education offers in securing good employment and pocketing good earnings. When compared to individuals with poor educational background, educated members of the society are affected by the unemployment tendencies to a lesser extent because the educational accomplishments make them more attractive to the labor market (Rouse). It is also argued that higher levels of education correspond to increased earnings in the employment market (OECD). As a result, highly educated people would have the advantage of having higher earnings with the advantage of accessing better services such as health services. Alternatively, individuals can achieve better life without necessarily having better education. The case of Malcolm X for instance, enjoyed better life but did not have the privilege to acquire better education. He had little education but still succeeded in life because the education he acquired was not imperative for his success but helped to understand the world in a much better way. He could communicate effectively with members of the society. He came to understand about several words that existed that he did not have an idea of. The little education that Malcolm got made him to go places, meet people and understand events that took place in the world (Wiener 84). Success in life can arise from individuals with low education but are innovative and productive with their lives. Nonetheless, education is important in helping individuals to improve their understanding of the world and relationship with the society. Talent, motivation and creativity in individuals are the most important elements in the success and prosperity of people (Thiel). These elements are not imparted in individuals through good education; therefore, education cannot be a necessity for better life. Good education is considered as a secondary factor in achieving success and prosp

Zara vs HM Supply Chain | Case Study

Zara vs HM Supply Chain | Case Study In todays business environment, most of fast fashion retailers are tend to globalization that aiming achieves further growth, and it is the necessity action when the competition in domestic market is becomes fierce (Vida and Fairhurst, 1998) However, different fast fashion retailers (Zara, HM, and Benetton) have its different approach to support its international expansion ambition which will discuss in detail below. Theoretically, there are three different modes of market entry strategies were be consider internationally that included Wholly-owned subsidiary, Joint Ventures or Partnership, and Franchising (Johnson et al., 2008). In recent decade, Zara is aiming much to the international market because Zara are facing stagnant result by the heavy recession in its home country, Spain. However, Zara are tendency expended internationally through wholly-owned stores. By the beginning, Zara will open a flagship store in the major city. After obtain the experience that useful for operating locally, Zara will added the number of its own stores in adjoining areas. This pattern of market expansion is called as oil stain by Inditex. The main reason that Zara are favorite in expended internationally by wholly-owned stores is because Zara believe that the controlling a large part of supply chain which include own its own store is the only way to achieve the shortest lead time. In other words, Zara focuses on speed through control. Zara tend to have used franchising and joint venture method in the countries where this is a legal necessity and administrative barriers, otherwise, Zara will mainly focus on company-owned stores (Garcia, 2010). Similarity, HM mainly choose the wholly-owned subsidiary entry mode to expended internationally that similar as Zara doing. The chain of company-owned stores is the main distribution channel in HM, which means that it is allowing HM can tight control on every stores operation and own the right of store locations decision. The store location must be located in the prime location such as major town or cities shopping area. HM always chooses the way of investing directly in the foreign markets where is politically stable and high growth purchasing power such as European markets, Asian markets and North American (Li and Frydrychowska, 2008). However, in Middle East, because of the legal restriction, HM is impossible to operate wholly owned subsidiaries. Therefore, HM change its original entry mode and partnership with franchisee Alshaya, which is one of the biggest retailers in Middle East. That is, HM sells the clothes on wholesale and deliver them to its partner, which Alshaya stocks t hese clothes and sell them in shops. Meanwhile, HM puts everything under its control that includes store location decision, range of merchandise, arrangement inside the store and the training of the staff in order to remain the HM company concept. It is so-called franchising (Walter, 2009). Unlike the Zara and HM, most of the Benetton shops in market were not company-owned. Benetton have sold its products in 5,800 mono-brand stores that distribute throughout the world, and 95% of which are in franchising. It is not same as those of the franchising contract. There was informally franchised to shopkeepers with royalties were not requested and granted no exclusive right. Benetton was the first Italian fast fashion company that used the quasi-franchising system to retailing. That is, Benetton coordinated by its independent partners or agents who are working on commission to recruited franchisees and collected their orders. When these franchisees open several independent shops in the same urban area, it will not only produce a positive iteration effect on end consumers but also a dissuasive effect on its rivals (Garcia, 2010). Indeed, Benettons international expansion relies predominantly on its network of independent retailer, this franchising method is beneficiary Benetton more easily to enter the new markets where culture barriers and registration on wholly-owned. Besides, it is allow the Benetton can expand without investing too much of its own capital, that was good for Benetton open its success journey at the beginning that lacked of necessary capital. This system is allowing Benetton has a fast growth of sales and it is becomes the driving element of a strategy for Benettons global expansion. However, since the commission for agent is only encourages sales, there is little direct incentive to share business intelligence with Benetton or share best practices to those agents. Therefore, it may encourage the free rider problem (DocShare, 2010). After analysis three companies global expansion journey, we can found that Zara and HM are still struggling on its brand internationalization. Zara believe that controlling a large part of the chain is the only way to guarantee fastest throughput time. It may lead Zara sinking an enormous of necessary capital. Subsequently, Zara is primarily rely on company-owned store entry methods therefore it is lead to Zara bearing a big obstacles and investment risk when they enter a countries where are culture barriers, wholly-owned restrictions and managerial barriers. Doole and Lowe (2008) says that internationalization should tends to be an incremental process, which means that Zara should not to choose wholly-owned entry modes but franchise to access the countries when they are low involvement. Furthermore, Zara didnt have invested in distribution channel to support its internationalization ambitious. The Zaras centralized logistic is work well in the current number of store that majority i n Europe, but it may not able to supply more retail location into other countries (mbaNERDs, 2010). Similarity, HM also implied wholly-owned subsidiary method as its main foreign entry mode as what the Zara doing. HM didnt not follow the Uppsala model which at the beginning with no regular export activities, then export takes place via independent agent, later through a sales subsidiary (franchising or licensing), and eventually manufacturing. HM immediately implied wholly-owned store in all the countries may lead them bearing a high capital investment and failure risk when they operate its store in the unfamiliarity country. Meanwhile, international expansion by investing in retail may be partly because HM is the design-led company and it generally sells its products price at a lower price that Benetton. The high cost of design and store will due to low margin, therefore HM may wish to retain entire retail margin for itself rather than give some of it to franchisee and it may restrict its global expansion. To an even greater extent than Benetton, HM should not invest in between re tailing and design stage of the chain (Li and Frydrychowska, 2008). By comparison with Zara and HM, Benettons supply chain is most competitive in the global expansions aspect. Benettons franchising system is allow the company can enter the new market without the high necessity high cost as Zara and HM, also it is helpful the uncertainty risk when the higher physic distance (e.g. culture different, language, restrictions). Besides, Welch et al., (2007) mention that Benetton has relying on franchising model in term of four main contribution factors: captive distribution network (sell only Benetton goods), no financial commitment (franchisees use its own finance to operate shops), hastens expansion (remove the need to oversee day-to-day performance. The image and strong brand name also has the significant contribution to Benetton. It should be thanks to its marketing effort which is always provide a positive, international, world peace, and characterized by universal themes. It is not only allowing Benetton wining praise and the attention of public but also strengthen its global brand and image (Garcia, 2010). However, there is some recommendation that helpful for Benetton. Since Benetton is always focus image on brand what the Benetton should do is sufficient control through factories that it does have and the stores and franchising that it operates. With this approach, Benettons internationalizations journey can be going with greater far. Hamlet, by Shakespeare | Impact Hamlet, by Shakespeare | Impact There can be no doubt that there once lived a man called William Shakespeare, who was an English poet and playwright. Also known as the Bard of Avon, he is often deemed as the greatest writer in the English language. Not only have his plays been translated into every major language, but they have been performed more than often than those of any other playwright. One play that seems to have been the most discussed is the tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601. The play is set in Denmark and it tells the story of how Prince Hamlet seeks revenge on his uncle Claudius, who has murdered the King, Hamlets father, and then married Queen Gertrude, having taken the throne of Denmark. The play explores themes of revenge, treachery, incest, as well as moral corruption. The core theme, hero-as-fool is widely found (there have been different legends like the Hamlet one in Italy, Spain, Byzantium, Scandinavia and Arabia), although it is believed it has Indo-European roots. In time, Hamlet has exercised a great influence upon the European theatre, not only because of the contemporary themes it is dealing with, but also because of the manner in which it has been written. In the nineteenth century, the majority of people were highly preoccupied about who Hamlet was, and was charging Shakespeare with having written an illogical and badly constructed work of art. The range of possible responses runs from Tolstoys famously perverse dismissal of the play as unintelligible (Tolstoy, 1937), to the most far-reaching claims for its insight into the Nature of Cosmos. (Collins, 1994, p. 1079) What is common in todays beliefs is the theatrical vision. Hamlet is not about morality or philosophy, but about theatre, pure theatre, with words and sceneries. And it is ageless theatre. You can now play Hamlet with the same intensity as 300 years ago and people will not feel as if it is old-fashioned. Although written in the Middle Ages, it speaks about issues that remained very important even in our century. Politics is even now a very controversial and highly disputed subject, a common matter in our everyday lives. And there is at least one version of Hamlet focusing on this matter. Another example would be the moralist Hamlet, who cannot define the idea of right and wrong. Isnt this what we everyday wonder about? What is right and what is wrong? Who can tell where the limits for these two very delicate matters are set? Do all these and the acceptance of the idea that the same themes of Hamlet are the themes on which our lives stand not make Hamlet our contemporary? Isnt it then right to accept the play on the stages of our theatres, the contemporary ones? And if we accept it, do we not have to accept the influence that it has upon more recent plays? Hamlet is one of the few theatre heroes that live even outside the text, outside the theatre (J. Kott, Shakespeare, our contemporary, 1969, p 61). Everyone knows his name, regardless of the fact that they may have never read Shakespeare or known anything about him at all. This is mostly due to the fact that between us, the people, and the play, there have been interposed not only the whole life of Hamlet, but also the dimensions of theatre. And theatre is, as Stella Adler said, the place where people come to see the truth about life and the social situation. (Stella Adler, New York Times, December 22, 1992) Hamlet cannot be performed entirely, for it would last somewhere around six hours. Scenes must be selected, the play must be shortened. This gives the actors the chance to play only one of the Hamlets in abeyance that exist in this creation: the moralist that cannot accept a clear delimitation between good and evil, the intellectual who does not manage to find the reason for actin g or the philosopher for whom the existence of the world is highly questionable. Of course, this will always mean playing less than the whole Shakesperian Hamlet but this may as well mean focusing on only one of the themes: the political one, the violence, the morality, the controversy regarding the relationship between theory and practice or maybe the one concerning the final goals and the meaning of life. What is fascinating about it is that the audience must feel every detail and understand the meaning of every single word. Thus, it is performers who must make the spectators empathise with the character is such a way as to feel and think like him. Through their mimics, intonation or movements, they must take the viewer into Hamlets world and dimension. There is a widespread question about this play, around those who have just read it: Is Hamlet mad indeed, or is he just faking it?, The answer lies in the whole idea of theatre, which, with its cumulus of actions, manages to succeed where words fail in transmitting the message. Hamlet is faking insanity, hes hid ing behind the mask of madness, fully aware of his actions, in order to achieve his goals. This can be fully discovered only after the character has finished performing. Hamlet is like a sponge. If the actor does not play it like an antiquity, it is able to absorb all the contemporanity possible (J. Kott, Shakespeare, our contemporary, 1969, p. 66). And what better example to highlight this that the fact that Hamlets situation has been nothing but imposed. He accepts it but hes against it, assuming the role but, at the same time, remaining behind the role, though he is somebody different from the role. He surpasses it and gains himself a life that changes with time and moulds according to the period during which the play is set in. In 1902, Stanislav Wyspianski, painter, decorator and dramatic author, has referred to Hamlet as Poor young man, with a book in his hands. Indeed every Hamlet is holding a book in his hands. In Cracow, at the end of the autumn of 1956, Hamlet was reading nothing but newspapers. He was shouting as loud as possible that Denmark is a prison and he was fighting for a better world. He was an idealist who only lived to take action. In 1959, in Warsaw, Hamlet had yet again been filled with doubt; the audience saw him again as a poor young man, with a book in his hands. It is now quite easy to imagine him wearing a black sweater and blue jeans. He is not reading Montaigne, but Sartre, Camus or Kafka. He studied in Paris or in Brussels or even just as the real Hamlet- in Wittenburg. He has returned to Poland for two or three years, having serious doubts about restraining the whole world to several elementary formulas. Once in a while, he frowns at the thought of the fundamental absurdity of existence. The last one, the most modern of all Hamlets, has returned to the country in a moment of tension. His fathers ghost is asking for revenge. His friends are waiting for the fight for the throne to begin. He wants to leave again but cannot. Everyone is pushing him towards politics. He has fallen into the trap and now he finds himself in a situation where he cannot do what he wishes; a situation he does not long for, but in which he found himself thrown. He searches for his inner freedom and wants to get a job. Finally, he follows the solution that has been imposed to him. He gets hired, but only for what he does and not for what he thinks. He knows that every action is designed with extreme precision, but he rejects such a limitation of his thinking, as the equality between theory and practice stands unbearable. He is starving in his inner forum. He sees life as a cause that is lost from the very beginning. He wishes he was spared the life and death game, but he obeys each a nd every one of the rules. Sometimes he thinks of himself as an existentialist, and sometimes as a rebel Marxist. Hamlet is looking for perfection. However, perfection, as culture conceives it, is not possible while the individual remains isolated. (Norton, 2001, p. 828) He must, then, carry others along with him in the quest for what seems unreachable. In doing so, performers in Europe, especially during the communism, have tried to make Hamlets mission known, not only to those who were politically oppressed, but to all those in suffer, as finally, perfection, as culture from a thorough disinterested study of human nature and human experience learns to conceive it,- is a harmonious expansion of all the powers which make the beauty and worth of human nature, and is not consistent with the over-development of any one power at the expense of the rest. (Norton, 2001, p. 828) And if all the above-mentioned facts do not show exactly how much Hamlet influenced contemporary European theatre, let us take into discussion the matter of Fortinbras. This character is barely presented to the audience, they know almost nothing about him, and still he is the one who decides the scenery of Hamlet. He only appears twice on stage: in the first act, when, in front of his army, he is heading towards the boundaries of Poland and in the last scene, when he arrives after the massacre. Despite his scarce appearances, his name is mentioned throughout the play every so often. Fortinbras is the one whose father killed Hamlets father in the duel. At some point, the viewer might lose track of the young fellow, focusing on other more imposing characters. In the prologue they find out that Fortinbras wants to attack Denmark, then he fights with the Polish, and then he is seen in Elsinore. He is the one who voices the last words of this bloody drama. But who is he? We cannot really tell; Shakespeare does not tell us that. What does he represent? Maybe, the absurdity of humankind and the world. Or, maybe, the blind faith. He might even stand for the victory of justice over all oppression. Any of these suppositions works, for it is up to the director to decide what wills this young fellow present the audience with. He could be an understudy of Hamlet, his alter-ego, as well as the heir to the throne of Denmark, the man who stopped the course of murders and revenge, the one who re-established order in Denmark. The end of the tragedy can also be put forward to interpretation. No one who wishes to settle the moral conflicts in Hamlet in a historical context, be it Renaissance or modern, can ignore the important role of Fortinbras. Hamlet is, therefore, a complex play, a genius work. The world of Hamlet is a world in which appearances sometimes deceive and sometimes speak the truth. (Wadsworth, 2004, p. 276) Not only does it display more themes, making it the direcors decision on which should the audiences focus be, whether it is the theme of politics, or the one of morality, separating good from evil, or even the subject concerning the meaning of life, but also moulds to the problems of every age or period of time. Be it the violence during a war, or peaceful thoughts which the philosophers will then turn towards the difference between good and evil or the questionable existence of life. Hamlet is a play for every century or decade and for every human being, as it deals with common issues inasmuch as it deals with subject of international concern. It is impressive indeed how Shakespeare succeeded in combining war with deception and jealousy, madness or insanity and managed to have such a great impact on the European stage, even now, a century after his age. This all turn Shakespeare into a man of great value of all times and continent, for we cannot deny the impact he has always had on the European theatre.

Essay --

1.0 Introduction Valves are mechanical devices that control the flow and gases in the process. They are essential components of piping system that conveys liquid, vapor and gases. They come in variety of material ranging from steel and plastic. There are different types of the valves such as globe, gate, ball, plug and check valve. Each of these valves has different features and functional capabilities. Some valves can self operated (automatically) while the other manually or with pneumatic or hydraulic system. In this report I will talk about the benefits and the useful of the gate valves and the globe valve as well as compare the different between the two valves in term of cost and maintenance. 2.0 Background Gate Valve and globe valves achieves the important function of controlling the flow; they are installed on the piping and pipeline to straight the flow from one location to another and to prevent losses of the flow. Like the faucets in home plumping system that we observed every day, when it is open the flow is begins to move and speed up and when it close the flow will stop moving. Valves comes in different sizes the smallest one can be weight as 1lb (0.50 kg), while the largest valves can weigh up to 10 tones (9070 kg). Deciding the type of the flow or the gas can lead you and help to determine which valve will be suitable for the process. However the valves can be affecting by several factors such as slurry (mixture of the liquid like water or cement) which required Maintenance permanently to avoid the errors of the reading. 3.0 Technology This section will describe the functionality of both gate valve and globe valve and also will show the features of each technology. 3.1Gate valve The gate valve is designed to con... ...he flow to pass through the pipes. There are different types of the valves with different sizes, and each valve has several features that make suitable for different process. The most important feature is the efficiency. Globe valves are installed in parallel position not perpendicular like the gate valve, which make it more efficient than the gate valve in services that required frequent operation and when the pressure drop across the valve. 5.0 Recommendation After studying this report and from the analyzing I recommended to use the gate valves because it’s suitable for the different process and simply operates in fully open and fully close with no pressure drop also its required less maintenance and not expensive, rather then the globe valve which is not recommended where the pressure drop and resistance to flow, it’s preferable only for frequent operation.

Identities and Cultures Essay

Everybody in the world is a unique person within themselves. We are all our own person and express the person we are through different forms. We also show who we are through identities and also through our culture that we are in. The identity we choose to have is up to us, so is the way that we express our identity. This was shown in our class through many different activities such as our YouTube list, reading, graffiti, movies, etc. As I stated earlier people convey their identities in many different ways, which makes conveying your identity so much more interesting, due to the fact you choose how to show the person you are however you want. We can also express our identity through different genres. Different genres call for different genre conventions, and the way we show our identity. I believe that all genres allow us to show the person that we are, but all of the different genres show who we are in different ways. Twitter allows us to display our opinions for others to see, Graffiti allows us to show the type of person we are through pictures, while YouTube allows us to show people who we are through sound. All of these genres depend on the culture or identity of the person presenting them. We saw a movie (Bend It Like Beckham) that displayed the Indian, and English cultures. We also saw graffiti in our reading that can show many different identities, and cultures. The cultures represented in genre convention all depend on the person who is presenting their work, or genre, to you. I presented my identity in many different ways to the class. I displayed my identity to the class through YouTube, and a Comic Strip, and communication with my peers also showed my identity. Outside of class I display my identity through social media networks such as Twitter. Through the process of making my presentations I did come through some small minor problems. When it came it to producing my comic strip  and YouTube video, the only problem was choosing a situation in which I should present to the class. After I choose what to do, the creation of my final product that represented my identity was very easy because I knew everything that happened. Personally, I don’t have a problem presenting these comic strips and Music Videos to the class because those are all part of who I am, and I have no problem with who I am. My presentations that I showed to the class were mostly through visuals, and communication. For my YouTube list I showed a song by Zac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffet called â€Å"Knee Deep†. It  is a country song that gives off a very relaxing vibe, and the relaxing mood is also shown in the video and lyrics. I choose that song because I believe that everybody needs to relax, and take it easy. Everybody deserves a break once in a while, and when that opportunity comes to relax, you should take advantage of it. For my comic strip I choose a situation I was in when I went to basketball camp at the University of Notre Dame. I was scared going into it because I didn’t know anybody else that was going. After a while of being with my team I was assigned to I wasn’t scared anymore because everybody I  was surrounded by was so friendly. This represented who I was because after that camp I realized that most people are friendly, it’s just the fact that they’re just as scared to talk to you as you are, and you just need to be who you are and everything will work itself out. For these pieces I addressed my peers as my audience due to the fact I knew I was going to be presenting these in my class with people are in the same age level as I am. When I was producing the products I was wondering what the people would think of my presentation. Not nesecarrily if they would like it because I don’t really care if they like  the presentation or not, but rather just overall what they thought of the experience I was presenting to them. Also when creating the presentations I was thinking about the people who helped shape the identity I became today such as friends, family, pets, coaches, etc. Those people are the reason I am the person I am today, and I also take credit to for being the person I am and having the identity I have because I am the person who has made the decisions I have made throughout my life that have helped to form my identity. Through the whole process I did feel disconnected from some of the material we studied. One of the assignments I felt disconnected from was the comic strip â€Å"Persepolis†. The reasoning behind the feeling of disconnect is due to the fact that I am neither a women, nor part of the culture that is represented in the comic strip. Also, the comic strip confused me a little. I think this because I was ignorant of the situation that her and her family were apart of. Also, I felt disconnect, and confusion initially when reading the script that was assigned for the movie â€Å"Bend It Like Beckham†. This was mainly due to confusion because the script jumped around a lot because it was a script for the trailer. I thought I was going to be disconnected from the movie too, due to the fact the main characters are different genders than I am, and they are also from a different culture than I am. I did find connection to my identity in the movie though through soccer because I have always had a great interest in sports. Soccer isn’t my favorite sport, but I still respect the game and enjoy watching the World Cup, and International games. My research process has basically been the same since the start of high school. I start out by getting all the materials I need or even think I might need when writing my paper. By doing this I eliminate writing a sentence stopping and looking for more info. In my opinion it’s quicker to gather all materials initially. After that I look through material to gather information that I might need for my presentation by highlighting the information or writing it down. After this I write my introductory paragraph. Once that is completed I then look at information that I will need for my first paragraph. Then I write my first body paragraph on all the information I choose from the materials that I found. This process is then repeated until my paper is ultimately complete. Of course then I will  read the paper a few more times to check for grammatical errors, and other mistakes. Other parts of my research process include listening to music. Music is big part of my writing because it helps me focus a lot. I love listening to Music, and do it all the time when walking to class, working out, homework, or sometimes when I have free time. Listening to music isn’t just a key part to writing papers. It is a key part in my identity and helps me express who I am to others. Overall this assignment and research that we have done in class has made me realize how much our identity actually means to us. Everyone is unique and has the exact same identity as another person. Everyone’s identity is unique which really makes it that more special. As much of a cliche it is, everyone really is unique in their own way, but in todays world some people’s identities aren’t acceptable in certain countries, and cultures. The world has seemed to have evolved into a place where only certain identities are accepted, but it shouldn’t be like that. We should be able to accept people for who they truly are and that is one of the main lessons that I have learned from this chapter on different cultures and identities.

The Three Basic Economic Questions

The Three Basic Economic Questions 1. What to Produce? what items to produce and how much of each item to produce using its productive inputs in the most efficient manner. 2. How to Produce? One the decision has been made regarding what to produce. each country must choose which resources productive inputs will be used and in what combinations3. For Whom to Produce? Should the productive outputs be distributed based on social customs, personal wealth and ownership, or mandated by the government? mandated government- china no youtube or facebook (social customs- north korea the worst)Basic Economic Systems Traditional Economy One in which economic decisions depend upon social customs and rarely changes from generations to generation. in these societies, religion and culture are more important than personal wealth and material possessions. ( north korea, india marriage) conncected to for whom to produce in traditionMarket Economy One in which economic decisions are based on private own ership, where individuals are free to pursue their own self interest. This system is often referred to as capitalism. individuals use their incomes to purchase goods and services. The more income one earns, the more purchasing power they have.Command Economy One in which all productive inputs are owned by the government and central planners within that government decide what items to produce and how much will be produced; how it will be produced and how output will be distributed based upon anticipated future needs of the economy. ex. China majority AfricaMixed Economy One that combines aspects of a market economy and a command econmy; the economy uses both markets and government to make decisions. Most countires  today fall under the mixed eonomly definition, however in varying degrees between private and public sector influence ex. Sweden, Canada, USA Economic SystemAdvantagesDisadvantagesTraditional Stability Emphasizes on spiritual and cultural aspects of lifePoverty Lack of i ndividual freedomsMarket Individual consumers determine what is produced and ultimately how much they are willing to pay.Encourages innovation and entrepreneurshipInstability in output due to changes in prices and/ or employment levels Private markets do not always consider the needs of society as a whole e.g. homeless shelters. If income is distributed based solely on earnings, some individuals might not earn enough to obtain the basic necessities of life. CommandMore even distribution of incomeCentral planners can focus on economic growth by directing resources in a specific direction.Lack of individual freedomsCentral planning difficulties and errors in judgmentInefficient use of resources due to the lack of profit to motivate the efficient use of resources

Qingming Festival Essays

Qingming Festival Essays Qingming Festival Essay Qingming Festival Essay Qingming Festival, also known as Pure Brightness Festival, which falls on either April 4th or 5th of the solar calendar (one of the Chinese Twenty-four Solar Terms). From that day temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, indicating that it is crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring. Qingming Festival therefore has a close relationship with agriculture. However, it is not only a seasonal symbol; it is also a festival of paying respect of the dead, a spring outing, and other activities. Because it reinforces the ethic of filial piety, Qingming is a major Chinese festival. Qingming Festival is a time of many different activities, among which the main ones are tomb sweeping, taking a spring outing, and flying kites. Some other lost customs like wearing willow branches on the head and riding on swings have added infinite joy in past days. The festival is a combination of sadness and happiness. Tomb sweeping is regarded as the most important custom in the Qingming Festival from which the name of Tomb-sweeping day is got. Cleaning the tomb and paying respect to the dead person with offerings are the two important parts of remembering the past relatives. Weeds around the tomb are cleared away and fresh soil is added to show care of the dead. The dead person’s favorite food and wine are taken to sacrifice to them, along with paper resembling money. This is all burned in the hoped that the deceased are not lacking food and money. Kowtow before the tablets set up for the dead are made. Today, with cremation taking over from burying, the custom has been extremely simplified in cities. Only flowers are presented to the dead relatives and revolutionary martyrs. No matter how respect is shown, good prayers for the deceased are expressed. Not only it is a day for commemorating the dead, it is also a festival for people to enjoy themselves. During March, everything in nature takes on a new look, as trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly. Nature unfolds her beauty in shapes, colors sounds, dynamic pictures, stills, scents, obscure mists and clouds. It is a fine time to go out and to appreciate the beautiful scenes of nature during the festival. This custom can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and followed by each dynasty later till today. So visitors can be seen everywhere during the month of the festival. Spring outings not only add joy to life but also promote a healthy body and mind. Flying kites is an activity favored by many people during the Qingming Festival. Kites are not only flown during the day time but also in the evening. Little lanterns are tied to the kite or to the string that holds the kite. And when the kite is flying in the sky, the lanterns look like twinkling stars that add unique scenery to the sky during the night. What makes flying kites during this festival special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky to let it fly free. It is said this brings good luck and that diseases can be eliminated by doing this. All in all, the Qingming Festival is an occasion of unique characteristics, integrating sorrowful tears to the dead with the continuous laughter from the spring outing.

Motivating Employees through training

Motivating Employees through training Free Online Research Papers INTRODUCTION The success of any organization depends on the ability of managers to provide a motivating environment for its employees. Motivated employees are more productive, happier, and stay with the organization longer. One of the primary tasks a manager faces is to find out what motivates their staff. By understanding employee needs, managers can understand what rewards to use to motivate them. Advanced economies are constantly evolving. There is a general sense that the pace of change has accelerated in recent years, and that we are moving in new directions. Central to these notions is the role of technology, particularly information technology. The implementation of these technologies is thought to have substantial impact on both firms and their workers. Globalization and increasing international competition also contribute to the sense of change. In this environment, greater attention is being paid to the management and development of human resources within firms. Education and training are increasingly seen as an important investment for improved prosperity- both for firms and individual workers. This paper studies what motivates employees and designing a motivation program based on those needs, drives, and expectations. NEW TRENDS IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT With todays workforce, becoming increasingly diverse, and organizations are doing more to maximize the benefits of the differences in employees, Human Resource managers are evolving from the old school sideline player to the front-line fighters. Organizations are relying on managers to get the people who get the job done, and of course, make the company money. People have always been central to organizations, but their strategic importance is growing in todays knowledge-based business world like never before. An organizations success increasingly depends on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of its employees, particularly as they help establish a set of core competencies, which distinguish one organization from its competitors. When employees talents are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and organize, an organization can achieve a sustained competitive advantage. In order to compete through people, an organization has to be able to do a good job of managing their human capital: the knowledge, skills, and capabilities that add value to the organizations. Managers must develop strategies for identifying, recruiting, and hiring the best talent available. Develop these individuals in ways that are specific to the needs of their individual firms, encourage them to generate new ideas while familiarizing them with the company strategies, invite information sharing, and rewarding collaboration and team work. The basis on which compensation payments are determined, and the way they are administered, can significantly affect employee productivity and the achievement of organizational goals. It is generally recognized that firms that innovate are more profitable, grow more rapidly and create a larger number of jobs. Within a firm, the process leading to innovation requires a high level of human capital among workers. In order to participate fully in this process, workers must not only acquire strong basic knowledge through the education system but also need to have opportunities to acquire training in the labour market. Training taken within the firm could extend the knowledge acquisition process and help workers to renew or adapt previously accumulated skills and enable them to fully contribute to the improvement of productivity or to innovation (see Figure 1). Figure 1 Human Resource Managements front-line fight is to get the organization in order. Evidence points to a more active interest in and careful implementation of human resource management. Management is, by definition, getting things done through people. If managers are to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve their organizations competitive advantage, they must focus on how properly manage personnel. Creating effective motivation and leadership, recruiting and retaining the right personnel, rewarding and treating employees fairly, establishing an environment that supports the people and benefits the organization, the Resource Manager looks towards a future with exciting challenges and opportunities for managing an organizations most valuable resource its people. UNDERSTANDING EMPLOYEE DRIVES AND MOTIVATIONS Definition of Employee Motivation The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality, and service. When you think about it, the success of any facet of your business can usually be traced back to motivated employees. From productivity and profitability to recruiting and retention, hardworking and happy employees lead to triumph. Unfortunately, motivating people is far from an exact science. There is no secret formula, no set calculation, and no work sheet to fill out. In fact, motivation can be as individual as the employees who work for you. One employee may be motivated only by money. Another may appreciate personal recognition for a job well done. Still another may work harder if she has equity in the business. The way I believe you motivate people is to make it clear not only what goals the company is trying to achieve but also why the goals are important to society. It is important that employees feel a sense of passion and deep interest in doing a good job, no matter how big or little the job may be. Matching the right job with the right person will further help to motivate employees. An employee who feels mismatched with their job will feel frustrated and motivation will decrease. Many individuals express frustration in performing the same responsibilities repeatedly . The ability of a company to structure career planning programs, including job rotations, skills training, and project management assignments are of interest to many employees. Providing immediate recognition for a job well done is most rewarding. This will likely ensure work to continue to be good throughout the day, week, or month. If recognition is only given at specific times, employees will only be motivated closer to the time the recognition or reward is expected. Advantages of Employee Motivation A positive motivation philosophy and practice should improve productivity, quality, and service. Motivation helps people: achieve goals; gain a positive perspective; create the power to change; build self-esteem and capability; manage their own development and help others with theirs. Disadvantages of Motivating Staff There are no real disadvantages to successfully motivating employees, but there are many barriers to overcome. Barriers may include unaware or absent managers, inadequate buildings, outdated equipment, and entrenched attitudes, for example: We dont get paid extra to work harder. Weve always done it this way. Our bosses dont have a clue about what we do. It doesnt say that in my job description. Im going to do as little as possible without getting fired. Such views will take persuasion, perseverance, and the proof of experience to break down. Basic Principles to Remember 1. Motivating employees starts with motivating yourself. A great place to start learning about motivation is to start understanding your own motivations. The key to helping to motivate your employees is to understand what motivates them. So what motivates you? Consider, for example, time with family, recognition, a job well done, service, learning, etc. How is your job configured to support your own motivations? What can you do to better motivate yourself? 2. Key to supporting the motivation of your employees is understanding what motivates each of them. Different things motivate each person. Whatever steps you take to support the motivation of your employees, they should first include finding out what it is that really motivates each of your employees. You can find this out by asking them, listening to them and observing them. 3. Recognize that supporting employee motivation is a process, not a task. Organizations change all the time, as do people. It is an ongoing process to sustain an environment where employees can motivate themselves. If you look at sustaining employee motivation as an ongoing process, then you will be much more fulfilled and motivated yourself. 4. Support employee motivation by using organizational systems (for example, policies and procedures) do not just count on good intentions. Do not just count on cultivating strong interpersonal relationships with employees to help motivate them. The nature of these relationships can change greatly, for example, during times of stress. Instead, use reliable and comprehensive systems in the workplace to help motivate employees. For example, establish compensation systems, employee performance systems, organizational policies and procedures, etc., to support employee motivation. In addition, establishing various systems and structures helps ensure clear understanding and equitable treatment of employees . THEORIES OF HUMAN MOTIVATION Hierarchy of needs theory Abraham Maslow proposed the theory called hierarchy of needs theory . Maslow believed that within every individual, there exists a hierarchy of five needs and that each level of need must be satisfied prior to an individual pursues the next higher level of need. As the individual progresses through the levels of needs, the preceding needs lose their motivational value. The five levels of needs, according to Maslow are 1. Physiological Needs These needs include food, water, and sex, which are essential for us to survive. If these needs are not met, then all other needs will not be a source of motivation. 2. Safety Needs This refers to the need to feel safe from physical and emotional harm. 3. Social Needs These needs are concerned with social interactions with others. The individual needs to feel a sense of belonging, affection, acceptance, and friendship. 4. Esteem Needs Esteem is concerned with the feelings of self-confidence derived from achieving something, and the recognition and prestige that comes with that achievement. 5. Self-Actualization Needs This level of needs is concerned with achieving ones full potential and dreams. It is only when these needs are met that workers are morally, emotionally, and even physically ready to satisfy the needs of the employer and the customers. Two-factor theory Fredrick Herzburg developed another popular theory of motivation called the two-factor theory . Herzburgs findings suggest there are two factors that contribute to employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The first is referred to as motivators, which includes responsibility, advancement, and recognition. The other is known as hygiene factors. These factors include the work environment, management, salaries, and company policies. Unsatisfactory hygiene factors can act as de-motivators, but if satisfactory, their motivational affect is limited without motivators. Thus, Herzberg has put emphasis on the psychological needs of the employees in designing jobs. Reinforcement theory Another theory, developed by B.F. Skinner, is the reinforcement theory . This theory is a behavioral approach. The main point is consequences influence behavior. According to the reinforcement theory, there are four ways to modify behavior. The first and most affective way is positive reinforcement, which refers to rewarding a desirable behavior to strengthen the likelihood that it will be repeated. The second way a manager can modify behavior is negative reinforcement, which is defined as removing a negative stimulus in the environment after the behavior occurs. Another way to modify behavior is punishment, which decreases the chances of the behavior to occur. The last method of behavior modification is lack of reinforcement. The idea behind this method is that if a behavior is not reinforced in any way that it will decrease in frequency, and be eliminated. Expectancy theory The last theory of motivation this paper will cover is the expectancy theory , proposed by Victor Vroom. Unlike the reinforcement theory, this theory is concerned with internal processes that an individual undergoes in order to decide whether they want to put forth the effort to strive towards a specific goal. According to Vroom, there are three important elements to consider when determining motivation. The first element is valence, this refers to the desire an individual has to achieve a goal or fulfill a need. The second element is instrumentality, this is the belief that if an individual gives a certain level of performance, then a desirable outcome is expected. The third element is expectancy, this is the belief an individual has about the relationship between effort and performance, if one exerts a high level of effort, then one can expect good performance. What motivates people depends on their perception of the attractiveness of the goal and its attainability. Regardless of which theory is followed, interesting work and employee pay are important links to higher motivation. Options such as job enlargement, job enrichment, promotions, monetary and non-monetary compensation should be considered. ESTABLISHING COMPENSATION PACKAGES Work is about the money and earning a living. Work becomes not about the money only when employees have enough money to meet their basic living expenses. Establishing compensation programs require both large and small organizations to consider specific goals. Employee retention, compensation distribution and adherence to the budget must be carefully weighted against the overall organizational goals and expectations. Compensation must reward employees for past performance while serving as a motivation tool for future performances. Internal and external equity of the pay program will affect employees concepts of fairness. Organizations must balance each of the concerns while remaining competitive. For internal equity, an organization can use one of the basic job evaluation techniques to determine relative worth of job. The most common are the ranking and classification methods. The job ranking system arranges jobs in numerical order based on the importance of the jobs duties and responsibilities to the organization. Job classification slots jobs into reestablished grades with higher rated grades requiring more responsibilities, working conditions, and job duties. External equity can be determined by a wage survey. Data obtained from the surveys will facilitate establishing the organizations wage policy while ensuring that the employer does not pay more, or less, than needed for jobs in the relevant labor market. Base salary is only one aspect of a retention plan for important employees. By offering enticing compensation packages, equitable pay, flexible benefits and known incentives, an organization allows itself the luxury of identifying and selecting those, which meet the needs of the organization. In filling job openings above the entry level an employer usually finds it advantageous to use transferring and internal promotions. By recruiting from within, an organization rewards employees for past performances and sends a signal to other employees that their future efforts will payoff, while capitalizing on previous investments made in recruiting, selecting, developing, and training its current employees. The budget for salary, compensation, and benefits is not unlimited in most organizations. Thus, in addition to traditional increases to base pay, and variable rewards, such bonuses, profit sharing and gain sharing, I recommend attention to quality of work life rewards. These can include the following: Payment of a one-time, lump sum payment for a result or outcome that deserves recognition. Payment of smaller rewards with â€Å"thank you† notes for above the call of duty contributions These are not necessarily tied to an achieved result, but they are contributions, that when emphasized, increase the probability of results. Increased emphasis on additional benefits such as pre-paid legal assistance, educational assistance, and vision insurance. Increased opportunity for flexible work arrangements and job-sharing. An organizational emphasis on the training and development of employees. Clear career paths so employees see opportunities within your organization. In summary, organizations are moving toward salary and compensation systems that emphasize flexibility, goal achievement, and variable pay based on performance, and less emphasis on increases to base pay. They are using bonuses based on profit and accomplishment to add to employee compensation. The rising cost of benefits is causing rethinking of their place in the compensation system. Forward thinking organizations are emphasizing â€Å"quality of work life† rewards and recognition to add to the value of the total compensation package. Benefits Benefits and incentive plans are valuable rewards in recruiting and retaining essential employees. Benefits are an established and integral part of the total compensation package. In order to have a sound benefits package there are certain basic considerations. It is essential that a program be based on specific objectives that are compatible with the organizational philosophy and policies as well as affordable to the company. By utilizing a flexible benefits package, employees are able to choose those benefits that are best suited to their individual needs. On average, organizations spend 41 cents for benefits for every dollar of payroll. That is 29 percent of the total employee compensation package. Research reported in the journal, Personnel Psychology, suggests that employees only understand and appreciate between 31 and 68 percent of the cost or market value of the benefits they receive . Employees undervalue their benefits for many reasons including: employers communicate the value of the benefits poorly, the employees have little or no choice in benefits packages or options, and the employees misunderstand the market value of benefits. Firms that wish to maximize the value of their benefits expenditures need to survey their employees to ask them what they value and how much. Benefits surveys or focus groups are important first steps in understanding employee preferences. Relevant questions might include the following. What benefits are most important to you? If you could choose one new benefit, what would it be? If you were given X dollars for benefits, how would you spend them? Follow-up research about the cost of the benefits employees desire, can help you determine which programs will provide the most â€Å"bang for the buck.† Based on the data developed, you can adapt your benefit offerings or provide choices consistent with organizational objectives such as employee retention or performance. The success of an incentive pay plan depends on the organizational climate in which it must operate, employee confidence in it, and its suitability to employee and organizational needs. Importantly, employees must view the incentive plan to be equitable and related to their performance. Tuition Assistance Tuition assistance is an employer-provided employee benefit that is a win-win for your workplace. In a tuition assistance program, an employer pays all or part of an employees cost to attend college or university classes. Most employers, who offer a tuition assistance program, pay the full cost of the employees tuition, lab fees, and books. In most cases, employers cap the amount of tuition assistance available for employees. Either employers set a limit in terms of dollars available per employee per year or they establish the number of classes they will pay for per year per employee. When tuition assistance is available, the most common method for administering the program is to require employees to pay for their own tuition and books when they register for classes. The employee is then reimbursed when he or she submits the receipts and evidence of earning a C or above grade upon completion of the class. In some cases, where extensive funds are spent on tuition assistance, the employer requires that the employee sign an agreement to pay back the tuition assistance if he or she leaves the organization within a certain period. In these cases, the employer forgives a percentage of the tuition assistance for every year the employee stays with your organization . Tuition assistance makes sense for employers because you enable your employees to continue to grow and develop their knowledge. Your employees stay in the practice of learning and university attendance fosters an environment at work that supports employee learning. Performance appraisals Performance measures should be quantifiable, easily understood, and bear a demonstrated relationship to organizational performance. Performance appraisal programs serve many purposes, but in general, those purposes can be clustered into two categories: administrative and developmental. The administrative purposes include decisions about who will be promoted, transferred, or laid-off. Developmental decisions include those related to improving and enhancing an individuals capabilities. These include identifying a persons strength and weaknesses, eliminating external performance obstacles, and establishing training needs. In every enterprise, every form of employee compensation or reward is either contingent or non-contingent on accomplishment of desired performance. Contingent Reward is that which can only be had through doing desired performance. In other words, if the performance is not accomplished, the reward is not realized. Non-contingent Reward is that which can be had without doing desired performance. In other words, employees get it regardless of whether or not they accomplish desired performance. A key to building employee motivation for desired performance is to increase the amount of contingent reward and decrease the amount of non-contingent. The difference between the amounts of contingent and non-contingent reward we call the contingency differential. The greater the differential between contingent reward and non-contingent reward, the more frequently employees will choose desired performance over undesired performance . We should consider installing a differential pay program - a program that enables each employee to get a larger paycheck when s/he accomplishes a particular â€Å"bonus† performance criteria during the pay period. By doing that, we increase the net payoff that employees derive from pursuing desired performance, which builds their motivation for continuing to pursue it. Carefully designed performance standards that are reliable, strategically relevant, and free from either criterion deficiencies or contamination are essential foundations for evaluation. TRAINING Providing opportunities to learn new technologies, methods and accomplish new achievements are significant in capturing prolonged interest from high potential staff. Giving people the opportunity to gain exposure and implement new programs while building self-esteem and credibility is valuable for both the company and the employee. Opportunity and recognition of accomplishments can prove to be a much more lucrative incentive than any financial considerations a company may offer. Today organizational operations cover broad areas and require continuous training for effective job performance, evolutions in product areas, and corporate growth. In order to have effective training programs organizations can utilize a systems approach. Key areas of this approach include needs assessment, program design, and evaluation. Needs assessment begins with organizational analysis. Managers must establish a context for training by deciding where training is needed, how it connects with strategic goals, and how organizational resources can best be used. In designing a training program, managers must utilize principles of learning in order to create an environment that is conducive to learning. The evaluation of a training program should focus on several criteria: participant reactions, learning, behavior changes on the job, and bottom line results. There are two types of training, classroom training supported by the employer and on-the-job training supported by the employer. Classroom Training Classroom training (sometimes called formal training) is defined as training activities with a predetermined format, pre-defined objectives, specific content and progress that can be monitored or evaluated. Occupation appears to have a significant impact on the probability of taking classroom training, but not much on the probability of taking on-the-job training. The various categories of workers (except managers) are less likely than professionals to take classroom training. Thus, professionals not only have better access to training but they are also more inclined to take it, if available. Permanent workers are more likely than non-permanent workers to take classroom training (of around nine percentage points) and on-the-job training (five percentage points). Since firms are less likely to recover their investment in training for temporary workers, they will be less inclined to support training for these workers (especially the most costly training). Temporary workers may also be less interested in investing time in training if they see few benefits in it. Further, participation in classroom training increases with level of education, these two forms of investment appearing to be complementary. However, this effect appears to be limited to post-secondary education since the effect of a high school diploma (compared with no high school diploma) is not significant. Having a university diploma increases the probability of taking classroom training by 12 percentage points. The probability of taking on-the-job training does not appear to be substantially affected by the level of education. One possible explanation of this phenomenon is that this type of training is more useful at the beginning of employment in order to assimilate the characteristics inherent to the work performed, and that this applies to all workers regardless of level of education. On-The-Job Training By definition, on-the-job training is given during work hours and at the workplace (in a location that is not necessarily separate from the production facilities). On-the-job training involves four steps : 1. DESCRIBE the performance to be learned. 2. DEMONSTRATE how to do it. 3. REVIEW the employee doing it. 4. REINFORCE the employee for what s/he did well. If needed, Step 5 is REPEAT steps 2-4. Step 1 Describe DESCRIBE what the learner will be learning. In doing this, describe WHAT the task is, HOW it is done, and WHY it is done that way. Bear in mind, the ability to do something well usually depends on three components: Attitudes, Skills, and Knowledge. So be sure to describe the particular attitudes, or perspectives, that are vital to doing the task excellently. In addition, explain how excellent performance of the task is important to the company. Also, explain how it can contribute to an employees career development. Step 2 Demonstrate DEMONSTRATE how its done. If the tasks performance involves a particular speed, first demonstrate how its done at regular or full-speed, then demonstrate it at half-speed, or step-by-step. For the step-by-step demonstration, consider having the trainee/s read aloud the procedure for each step prior to you’re doing it, if applicable. Also, consider fortifying your demonstration with a follow-up visual aid (photo, video tape, computer CD). Step 3 Review Have the trainee try it while you REVIEW his/her performance. Before s/he starts, ease the tension by explaining, â€Å"No one expects perfection first time out. So just relax, enjoy it and give it your best effort - whatever happens will be fine.† If it is a complex multi-step process, suggest that the person refer to the manual between steps. Finally, if applicable, have the trainee explain what they are doing while they are doing it. Step 4 Reinforce REINFORCE the trainee for good performance. To do this, point out what the trainee did well and praise him or her for it. This is vital to creating a positive attitude and motivation to continue learning. Therefore, no matter how weak the persons first performance might be, always pick out the strongest aspect of their demonstration and commend them on it. General Benefits from Employee Training and Development There are numerous sources of online information about training and development. Several of these sites suggest reasons for supervisors to conduct training among employees. These reasons include: Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees Increased employee motivation Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods Increased innovation in strategies and products Reduced employee turnover Risk management, e.g., training about sexual harassment, diversity training CONCLUSION Every employee has a need for self-expression, entertains plans for professional development and career advancement, wishes to be accepted as family member, feel respect towards management and pride in his/her work, receive acknowledgment and reward, be listened to and trusted. Through strategic communications, it is manager’s duty is to share with employees’ company goals, market, industry and business information and futures plans, and invite employees to give feedback. We must learn how to place people in a role where they can use their abilities and make progress towards the realization of personal goals. Misplacements can cause a company substantial financial loss due to turnover, accidents, lawsuits, rebates, refunds, loss of customers and sales. Fair benefits and pay is the cornerstone of a successful company that recruits and retains committed workers. If you provide a living wage for your employees, you can then work on motivational issues. Without the fair living wage, however, you risk losing your best people to a better-paying employer. It is important for employees to know that management is aware of their existence, recognizes them, remembers their names and greets them. Managers who fail to greet employees or respond to greetings lead to a high degree of de-motivation, lack of trust, and disloyalty. We must learn how to create a corporate culture and a supportive work environment. This is done through leadership and management excellence, a human approach, effective human resources strategies, positive discipline, fair and just treatment to all, clearly defined policies, career and personal development training programs (including cross-training and job rotation), organizational communications, tools to facilitate communication, team assignments, reward programs, objective appraisals, adequate pay, benefits and company activities . Research Papers on Motivating Employees through trainingThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAWMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Biography of Bernardo OHiggins, Liberator of Chile

Biography of Bernardo O'Higgins, Liberator of Chile Bernardo OHiggins (August 20, 1778–October 24, 1842) was a Chilean landowner, general, president, and one of the leaders of its struggle for independence. Although he had no formal military training, OHiggins took charge of the ragged rebel army and fought the Spanish from 1810 to 1818, when Chile achieved its independence. Today, he is revered as the liberator of Chile and the father of the nation. Fast Facts: Bernardo O'Higgins Known For:  Leader during Chiles struggle for independence, general, presidentBorn:  August 20, 1778 in Chilln, ChileParents: Ambrosio OHiggins and Isabel RiquelmeDied:  October 24, 1842 in Lima, PeruEducation: San Carlos College, Peru, Catholic school in EnglandNotable Quote: Lads! Live with honor, or die with glory! He who is brave, follow me! Early Life Bernardo was the illegitimate child of Ambrosio OHiggins, a Spanish officer born in Ireland who immigrated to South America and rose through the ranks of the Spanish bureaucracy, eventually reaching the high post of Viceroy of Peru. His mother Isabel Riquelme was the daughter of a prominent local, and he was raised with her family. Bernardo only met his father once (and at that time he did not know who he was) and spent most of his early life with his mother and traveling. As a young man, he went to England, where he lived on a small allowance that his father sent him. While there, Bernardo was tutored by legendary Venezuelan Revolutionary Francisco de Miranda. Return to Chile Ambrosio formally recognized his son in 1801 on his deathbed, and Bernardo suddenly found himself the owner of a prosperous estate in Chile. He returned to Chile and took possession of his inheritance, and for a few years he lived quietly in obscurity. He was appointed to the governing body as the representative of his region. Bernardo might well have lived his life as a farmer and local politician if it were not for the great tide of independence that was building in South America. OHiggins and Independence OHiggins was an important supporter of the September 18 movement in Chile, which began the nations struggle for independence. When it became apparent that the actions of Chile would lead to war, he raised two cavalry regiments and an infantry militia, mostly recruited from families who worked his lands. As he had no training, he learned how to use weapons from veteran soldiers. Juan Martà ­nez de Rozas was president and OHiggins supported him, but Rozas was accused of corruption and criticized for sending valuable troops and resources to Argentina to help the independence movement there. In July 1811, Rozas stepped down and was replaced by a moderate junta. OHiggins and Carrera The junta was soon overthrown by Josà © Miguel Carrera, a charismatic young Chilean aristocrat who had distinguished himself in the Spanish army in Europe before deciding to join the rebel cause. OHiggins and Carrera would have a tempestuous, complicated relationship for the duration of the struggle. Carrera was more dashing, outspoken, and charismatic, while OHiggins was more circumspect, brave, and pragmatic. During the early years of the struggle, OHiggins was generally subordinate to Carrera  and dutifully followed his orders as best he could. This power dynamic would not last, however. The Siege of Chilln After a series of skirmishes and small battles against the Spanish and royalist forces from 1811–1813, OHiggins, Carrera, and other rebel generals chased the royalist army into the city of Chilln. They laid siege to the city in July of 1813, in the middle of the harsh Chilean winter. The siege was a disaster for the rebels. The patriots could not completely dislodge the royalists. When they did manage to take part of the town, the rebel forces engaged in raping and looting, which caused the province to sympathize with the royalist side. Many of Carreras soldiers, suffering in the cold without food, deserted. Carrera was forced to lift the siege on August 10, admitting that he could not take the city. Meanwhile, OHiggins had distinguished himself as a cavalry commander. Appointed Commander Not long after Chilln, Carrera, OHiggins, and their men were ambushed at a site called El Roble. Carrera fled the battlefield, but OHiggins remained despite a bullet wound in his leg. OHiggins turned the tide of the battle and emerged a national hero. The ruling junta in Santiago had seen enough of Carrera after his fiasco at Chilln and his cowardice at El Roble and made OHiggins commander of the army. OHiggins, always modest, argued against the move, saying that a change of high command was a bad idea, but the junta had decided: OHiggins would lead the army. The Battle of Rancagua OHiggins and his generals battled Spanish and royalist forces throughout Chile for another year before the next decisive engagement. In September 1814, Spanish General Mariano Osorio was moving a large force of royalists into position to take Santiago and end the rebellion. The rebels decided to make a stand outside the town of Rancagua, on the way to the capital. The Spanish crossed the river and drove off a rebel force under Luà ­s Carrera (brother of Josà © Miguel). Another Carrera brother, Juan Josà ©, was trapped in the city. OHiggins bravely moved his men into the city to reinforce Juan Josà © in spite of the approaching army, which far outnumbered the rebels in the city. Although OHiggins and the rebels fought very bravely, the result was predictable. The massive royalist force eventually  drove the rebels out of the city. The defeat could have been avoided had Luà ­s Carreras army returned, but it did not- under orders from Josà © Miguel. The devastating loss at Rancagua meant that Santiago would have to be abandoned: There was no way to keep the Spanish army out of the Chilean capital. Exile OHiggins and thousands of other Chilean rebels made the weary trek into Argentina and exile. He was joined by the Carrera brothers, who immediately began jockeying for position in the exile camp. Argentinas independence leader,  Josà © de San Martà ­n, supported OHiggins, and the Carrera brothers were arrested. San Martà ­n began working with Chilean patriots to organize the liberation of Chile. Meanwhile, the victorious Spanish in Chile were punishing the civilian population for their support of the rebellion. Their harsh brutality only caused the people of Chile to long for independence. When OHiggins returned, the general population was ready. Return to Chile San Martà ­n believed that all of the lands to the south would be vulnerable as long as Peru remained a royalist stronghold. Therefore, he raised an army. His plan was to cross the Andes, liberate Chile, and then march on Peru. OHiggins was his choice as the man to lead Chiles liberation. No other Chilean commanded the respect that OHiggins did (with the possible exception of the Carrera brothers, whom San Martà ­n did not trust). On January 12, 1817, a formidable rebel army of some 5,000 soldiers set out from Mendoza to cross the mighty Andes. Like  Simà ³n Bolà ­vars epic 1819 crossing of the Andes, this expedition was very harsh. San Martà ­n and OHiggins lost some men in the crossing, although their sound planning meant that most soldiers survived. A clever ruse had sent the Spanish scrambling to defend the wrong passes and the army arrived in Chile unopposed. The Army of the Andes, as it was called, defeated the royalists at the  Battle of Chacabuco  on February 12, 1817, clearing the path to Santiago. When San Martà ­n defeated the Spanish last-gasp attack at the  Battle of Maipu  on April 5, 1818, the rebel victory was complete. By September 1818, most Spanish and royalist forces had retreated to try to defend Peru, the last Spanish stronghold on the continent. End of the Carreras San Martà ­n turned his attention to Peru, leaving OHiggins in charge of Chile as a virtual dictator. At first, he had no serious opposition: Juan Josà © and Luis Carrera had been captured attempting to infiltrate the rebel army. They were executed in Mendoza. Josà © Miguel, OHiggins greatest enemy, spent the years from 1817 to 1821 in southern Argentina with a small army, raiding towns in the name of gathering funds and weapons for liberation. He was finally executed after being captured, ending the long-standing and bitter OHiggins-Carrera feud. OHiggins the Dictator OHiggins, left in power by San Martà ­n, proved to be an authoritarian ruler. He hand-picked a Senate and the 1822 Constitution allowed representatives to be elected to a toothless legislative body.  OHiggins was a de facto dictator. He believed that Chile needed a strong leader to implement change and control simmering royalist sentiment. OHiggins was a liberal who promoted education and equality and curtailed the privileges of the wealthy. He abolished all noble titles, even though there were few in Chile. He changed the tax code and did much to encourage commerce, including the completion of the Maipo Canal. Leading citizens who had repeatedly supported the royalist cause saw their lands taken away if they had left Chile and they were heavily taxed if they remained. The Bishop of Santiago, the royalist-leaning Santiago Rodrà ­guez Zorrilla, was exiled to Mendoza. OHiggins further alienated the church by allowing Protestantism into the new nation and by reserving the right to meddle in church appointments. He made many improvements to the military, establishing different branches of service, including a Navy to be led by the Scotsman Lord Thomas Cochrane. Under OHiggins, Chile remained active in the liberation of South America, often sending reinforcements and supplies to San Martà ­n and  Simon Bolà ­var, then fighting in Peru. Downfall OHiggins support began to erode quickly. He had angered the elite by taking away their noble titles and, in some cases, their lands. He then alienated the commercial class by continuing to contribute to expensive wars in Peru. His finance minister Josà © Antonio Rodrà ­guez Aldea was revealed to be corrupt, using the office for personal gain. By 1822, hostility to OHiggins had reached a crucial point. The opposition to OHiggins gravitated towards General Ramà ³n  Freile as a leader, himself a hero of the Independence wars, if not a hero of OHiggins stature. OHiggins attempted to placate his foes with a new constitution, but it was too little, too late. Seeing that cities were prepared to rise against him in arms, OHiggins agreed to step down on January 28, 1823. He remembered only too well the costly feuding between himself and the Carreras and how a lack of unity had almost cost Chile its independence. He went out in dramatic fashion, baring his chest to the assembled politicians and leaders who had turned against him and inviting them to take their bloody revenge. Instead, all present cheered for him and escorted him to his home. Exile General Josà © Marà ­a de la Cruz claimed that OHiggins peaceful departure from power avoided a good deal of bloodshed and said, OHiggins was greater in those hours than he had been in the most glorious days of his life. Intending to go into exile in Ireland, OHiggins made a stop in Peru, where he was warmly welcomed and given a large estate. OHiggins had always been a somewhat simple man and a reluctant general, hero, and president, and he happily settled into his life as a landowner. He met Bolà ­var and offered his services, but when he was offered only a ceremonial position, he returned home. Final Years and Death During his final years, OHiggins acted as an unofficial ambassador from Chile to Peru, although he never did return to Chile. He meddled in the politics of both countries, and he was on the verge of being unwelcome in Peru when he was invited back to Chile in 1842. He did not make it home, as he died of heart trouble while en route on October 24, 1842. Legacy Bernardo OHiggins was an unlikely hero. He was a bastard for most of his early life, unrecognized by his father, who was a devout supporter of the king. Bernardo was ingenious and dignified, not particularly ambitious nor an especially dazzling general or strategist. He was in many ways as unlike Simà ³n Bolivar as it is possible to be: Bolà ­var had much more in common with the dashing, confident Josà © Miguel Carrera. Nevertheless, OHiggins had many positive qualities that were not always apparent. He was brave, honest, forgiving, and dedicated to the cause of liberty. He did not back down from fights, even those he could not win. During the wars of liberation, he was often open to compromise when more stubborn leaders like Carrera were not. This prevented unnecessary bloodshed among rebel forces, even if it did mean repeatedly allowing the hot-headed Carrera back into power. Like many heroes, most of OHiggins failings have been forgotten and his successes are exaggerated and celebrated in Chile. He is revered as the Liberator of his country. His remains lie in a monument called The Altar of the Fatherland. A city is named after him, as well as several Chilean navy ships, countless streets, and a military base. Even his time as dictator of Chile, for which he has been criticized for clinging too tightly to power, is viewed by many historians as more beneficial than not. He was a strong personality when his nation needed guidance, yet by most accounts, he did not overly repress the people or use his power for personal gain. Many of his liberal policies, seen as radical at the time, are respected today. Sources Concha Cruz, Alejandor and Maltà ©s Cortà ©s, Julio.  Historia de Chile.  Bibliogrfica Internacional, 2008.Harvey, Robert.  Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence. The Overlook Press, 2000.Lynch, John.  The Spanish American Revolutions 1808–1826. W. W. Norton Company, 1986.Scheina, Robert L.  Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791–1899. Brasseys Inc., 2003.Concha Cruz, Alejandor and Maltà ©s Cortà ©s, Julio.  Historia de Chile  Santiago: Bibliogrfica Internacional, 2008.Harvey, Robert.  Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence.The Overlook Press, 2000.Lynch, John.  The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826. W. W. Norton Company, 1986.Scheina, Robert L.  Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791-1899. Brasseys Inc., 2003.

Islamic Law and the Modern World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Islamic Law and the Modern World - Essay Example Thesis statement: The Islamic Law is less important in the modern world because the same does not support democratic ideology, limits individual freedom, less secular, hijacks politics, manipulates economics, against modernity, and limits basic human rights within religious belief. The concept of democracy envisions equal opportunity for all within national boundary. Besides, democracy is totally against the influence of royal families and religions groups over national politics. This is important for a modern state because democracy allows equal opportunity to all citizens. On the other side, an individual’s religions belief determines his/her worth and rights in an Islamic nation. To be specific, the laws related to Islam limits the scope of democracy within Islamic nations. For instance, the Islamic nations never allow democracy within national politics because democracy allows citizens to choose their government. Fatima Mernissi (2009, p.16) states that, ‘The pouring of masses onto the streets during the Gulf War, their calling for democracy, passed unnoticed in the Western media’. But some nations (Muslim majority) try to inculcate democracy within the mainstream society, known as Islamic democracy. For instance, some secular nations l ike Turkey try to redefine Islamic principles to inculcate democracy into the society. Still, this is not an easy task because Islamic principles, especially Sharia, are not in favor of democratic thought. Similarly, some other Islamic nations, like Pakistan, are not totally against democracy because Islamic law is not the one and only law in these nations. So, one cannot plainly blame Islam for the less scope of democracy within nations because the political elite and religious elite classes are responsible for the same. On the other side, the religious fundamentalist groups are in favor of the strict implementation of laws related to Islam.

Comparison of how the international community (focusing here e.g. on Essay

Comparison of how the international community (focusing here e.g. on the UN, OSCE and Council of Europe) is dealing with Chechnya and Kosovo (independence) - Essay Example He uses Nietzsche to show how empty and meaningless a world with opposing politics might become. The end of the history is a very unsatisfying place. We are always looking for values and something that is worth fighting for. The question then becomes how to fight for the values we believe in. For the international community two key tests would show how they dealt with the new world that had suddenly appeared after the Cold War. One, Kosovo, would indicate someone like Fukuyama was right: a new world order committed to promoting certain key values had indeed taken center stage. The other, Chechnya, indicated nothing much had changed and that might makes right. As Robert Kagan writes in his book Of Paradise and Power, the Balkan Wars were one of the first stumbling blocks to the concept of a peaceful new world order. It turned out that having the US as the lone power in the world was not a solution to problems around the world. There was simply too much to be responsible for. As was demonstrated in the Balkans in the 1990s, Europeans weren’t able to project a credible military force even within Europe. This was a painful time for Europe. Instead of solving global conflicts, they looked inward. The Europeans resorted to the only real talent they had at the time: endless diplomatic measure through international institutions such as the UN. The success of European integration and solving the "German problem" had led a lot of Europeans at the time, Kagan writes, to believe that they live in a Kantian paradise where international institutions could banish war forever. This illusion came crashing down with the Balkans, where the Europeans were powerless in the early 1990s, and Chechnya, where they chose to turn a blind eye, intimidated by an unstable and resurgent Russia, and unable to finding a compelling political reasons to engage. There are obviously interests but, in comparison with

Individual Clinical Experience Case Description Essay

Individual Clinical Experience Case Description - Essay Example One of the condition that was important in developing my identity as an emergency department nurse was when I received a patient who was vomiting, chest pain and nausea, I got a family note that notified that this patient was suffering from stroke. The nurse who was responsible for this patient had over 20years of experience but failed to attend to him. I tried to see how I could help. After carrying out assessment on the patient I did not notice symptoms of stroke such as facial dropping. Therefore, I ignored the assertions made by my fellow nurse and thought that the patient was just suffering from chest pain. Later I realized that my patient speaking displayed significant change from the ration of 4:1 to the ratio of 3:1. After the Magnetic resonance Imaging was carried, I realized that the patient had some symptoms of stroke. This experience changed my emotionally and professional thinking. It helped me not just assume that a patient is suffering from a certain medical condition such as stroke but it also enabled me to realize the importance carryout out physical examination to ascertain the presence of a given medical condition.   Further this experience provided me with varied skills and abilities to deal with not only patients with stroke but also patients with other emergency conditions. The experience also enabled me to learn how I could interact with patients with critical conditions such as asthma and heart attack. Further, it enabled me know how to relate with my fellow staffs.

Writting to Evaluate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writting to Evaluate - Essay Example Buying a Blackberry phone is a bit different from just getting a regular phone that lacks the features present in this phone. The phone itself is described as the largest gorgeous looking smartphone on the planet. While holding it in one hand, you will surely understand why it bears the description. Most fascinating is when you scroll and explore the application, that is, when you will appreciate the reality that this phone is unquestionably magnificent. Nowadays, every phone company is working tremendously hard to establish a myriad of features in their phones to attract customers. The companies are forced to incur massive investments to brand their products. Owing a camera feature is almost standard for any phone but what brings the difference is the image resolution. Blackberry 9530 is above three megapixels. Needless to say, the blackberry phone has a lot more features which will be shared to you. First is an integrated GPS technique that tends to make use of Blackberry maps. The media player file has the capacity to play 3 formats including MP3, AAC+ and WMA. The video player enables you to view MPEG4 or WMV format. The three formats above are the most liked by telephone users. The camera makes it possible for you to watch videos as well as recording them since it delivers a resolution of much more than 3 megapixels and contains an automatic concentrate feature. Blackberry 9530 makes use of touch screen based technologies. You can edit documents and supply all the standard functions of text messaging using the editor. It also allows listening to music using the Wi-Fi web access through integration of Bluetooth technology. Amazing is the fact that Blackberry 9530 was the first to introduce the touch screen technology. Another feature that lacks in other phones is the potential use of both single and multi-touch to interface with different applications. A prominent feature possessed by this

Diversity of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity of Life - Essay Example These vital factors play an imperative role in deciding the kind of flora and fauna of the place, accordingly, different kinds of ecosystems are present in different parts of the world. Tropical zone is hot as it receives most of the sunlight falling on the planet. The rate of evaporation is also high, rainfall and humidity is more. The vegetation is thick and most of the Rainforest is present in this region. Thus, climate of a place decides the vegetation and animals of the place. For instance, desert conditions cannot support pine forest but they support animals like camel with padded hoofs to walk on the hot sand and membrane-covered eyes to see during desert storm. The animal is well adapted to live under water scarcity condition because of its hump which stores fat. In a similar manner, desert conditions also support cactus plants which are well adapted to the climatic conditions of desert, the leaves are modified as spines and thick stem to carry out the process of photosynthesis. In a similar manner, pine trees with conical shape and wax coated, needle like leaves are the adaptive features of the flora belonging to the frigid zone. The conical shape and wax coated leaves of the plant allows snow to slide off the plant. Needle like leaves allow air to pass through the plants, these features aid in better survival of the plant. The fauna of the frigid zone encompasses polar bear which has white fur for protection from the chill of snow and also to escape from the enemies. Other animals encompass seal, wolf and dogs called huskies. Temperate zone on the other hand, possess mild climate which is neither too hot nor too cold. This climatic zone supports good conditions for the survival of humans, as the climate is moderate it allows proliferation of numerous life forms. Distribution of animals and plants in this climatic zone is also supported by the environmental agents and the

The nation-state concept. You can focus on the 'Kurdish' or 'Roma Research Paper

The nation-state concept. You can focus on the 'Kurdish' or 'Roma Rights' - Research Paper Example A particular attention in this paper will be paid to providing the reader with a careful examination of Nation-State issue. The main objectives of this paper include the following: (1) careful examination of problems faced by Kurdish community, (2) careful examination of the concept of Nation-State and its application for finding solution to the Kurdish problem. The main objective of this paper is to give answer to the question whether or not the idea of Nation-State can be applied to Kurdish problem. Introduction Kurds The last ten years were marked by the struggle of the Kurdish people for self determination. However the struggle did attracted the attention of the world community. In fact, for a long time the fight of the Kurds of Iran against the Islamic fundamentalist regime remained to be the issue which was either under reported or under researched. However, one thing remains to be evident - Iranian Kurdistan remains to be the guarantee of Kurdish resistance and their ability t o achieve their statehood in a peaceful way. Failure to bring peace to Kurdish community was accompanied by death of some important Kurdish politicians. The list includes Dr Sharafkandi, Fattah Abdoli, Homayoun Ardalan and Nouri Dehkordi. The first attempt to solve the issue begun with the creation of Kurdistan state. During its brief existence the Republic a lot of reforms. These reforms were aimed at promoting ideas of for secularism, modern education and woman’s emancipation. However, Kurgistan did not exist for a long time. The Republic stopped its existence after the evacuation of British and Soviet troops. This measure led the central government suppress the Republic and execute Qazi Mohammad. After execution of Qazi Mohammad the republic continued to experience a further suppression and continued oppression of the Kurdish identity. Kurdish opposition continued to be deteriorated. Today the Kurdish question remains to be enlisted as the unsolved question. Kurdish region continues to suffer from multiple oppressions. As a result of these problems Kurdish culture remains to be only partially recognized. Even now Kurds continue to look for possible chance to create their own state. Creation of a nation-state as a possible solution to Kurdish problem seems to be the only reasonable way to solve the problem. The Nation – State Concept The concept of a Nation-State is used to signify a region, a state or a country that has its own borders and territory. A remarkable feature of such state that is called Nation-State is that it unites together people who share the same ethnic and cultural background. A particular feature of the notion of the Nation-State is that people who inhabit the territory might share the same language and religion. In addition, this group of people has a deep sense of cultural and national values. The notion of nation-state is very complicated notion. This is largely reasoned by the growing immigration rate who has already se ttled on the territory of the region. When the number of immigrants is high the Nation-State cannot exist. This is so because of the following reasons: (1) diverse cultures; (2) different language; (3) different ethnicity. Current research clearly shows that only nations with a low level of immigratio

Diversity of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity of Life - Essay Example These vital factors play an imperative role in deciding the kind of flora and fauna of the place, accordingly, different kinds of ecosystems are present in different parts of the world. Tropical zone is hot as it receives most of the sunlight falling on the planet. The rate of evaporation is also high, rainfall and humidity is more. The vegetation is thick and most of the Rainforest is present in this region. Thus, climate of a place decides the vegetation and animals of the place. For instance, desert conditions cannot support pine forest but they support animals like camel with padded hoofs to walk on the hot sand and membrane-covered eyes to see during desert storm. The animal is well adapted to live under water scarcity condition because of its hump which stores fat. In a similar manner, desert conditions also support cactus plants which are well adapted to the climatic conditions of desert, the leaves are modified as spines and thick stem to carry out the process of photosynthesis. In a similar manner, pine trees with conical shape and wax coated, needle like leaves are the adaptive features of the flora belonging to the frigid zone. The conical shape and wax coated leaves of the plant allows snow to slide off the plant. Needle like leaves allow air to pass through the plants, these features aid in better survival of the plant. The fauna of the frigid zone encompasses polar bear which has white fur for protection from the chill of snow and also to escape from the enemies. Other animals encompass seal, wolf and dogs called huskies. Temperate zone on the other hand, possess mild climate which is neither too hot nor too cold. This climatic zone supports good conditions for the survival of humans, as the climate is moderate it allows proliferation of numerous life forms. Distribution of animals and plants in this climatic zone is also supported by the environmental agents and the