Partnership and collaboration in the promotion of child development Essay

Partnership and collaboration in the promotion of child development - Essay Example When looking at Louisa and James’ family, it can be seen that interactions and finding solutions for various situations can change the overall development of all the children. The scenario that requires specific actions is with Serena and the current situation that she has created with both school and personal development. Scenario of Serena Serena is known as a scholarly student in school and is continuously performing to have average to good marks in school. However, Serena’s personal relationships have recently altered. Serena is a daughter from Louisa’s previous marriage with her birth father, Colin. While Louisa has been in a relationship with James since Serena since she was one years of age, there are different dynamics from the previous relationship. Serena first met her father when she was six months old; however, the interactions were limited. Six months ago, Serena’s birth father, Colin, began to move into more contact with Serena. There have be en several interactions between the two in the past few months. The teachers and administration at the school have noted that in the same few months, Serena is beginning to alter with her studies. Her attendance has altered and she is withdrawn when she is in the classroom, as opposed to having the regular interactions and alertness that was noted from her past behaviours. There may be several reasons associated with this, all which are leading to different behaviours among Serena. The problem that has compounded is one which is directly linked to personal relationships; however, the interference with Serena’s school work is leading to new concerns among individuals and professionals. Providing Integrated Services from Children’s Services The problem that has arisen with Serena is one which requires integrated services to work effectively. The relationship is the basis of this; however, the effects which are occurring with school work are creating alterations in how th e main problem can be approached. The integrated services include the family that is involved in the relationship. It also includes professionals that are working within the school as well as counsellors who may be able to assist Serena to become more alert in school and to separate the personal relationships from the interferences that are occurring in the school (Parton, 976: 2006). For this to work effectively, the integration of the various team members will need to work together with the proper communication and understanding of the complete situation. Protocols and documentation will need to be used to follow with the right communication so the team members can work on the activities on hand while minimizing tensions between the professionals. The inter-personal and professional communication needs to be developed first, specifically which can provide better integrated services for Serena’s situation (Anning, 90: 2006). The two concepts which the integrated services wil l need to use are intervention and protection services. If this is done earlier, than the team will be able to stop any hindrances which may drastically affect Serena’s attendance as well as the potentially hazardous relationship that is affecting her school work. For the integrated services to work, the team defined will first need to define what interventions need to occur (Sloper, 571: 2004). The most well – known factor that is altering with Serena is her attendance and the school work that she is

Physical Impacts of Alcohol Abuse

Physical Impacts of Alcohol Abuse Alcohol use and abuse can affect the liver, central nervous system and the kidneys. The result of the constant use of alcohol can be noted and examined in patients using numerous methods. These methods utilize the body’s reaction towards alcohol using biochemical markers like ÃŽ ³-glutamyl tranferase (GGT), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Although biochemical markers can easily tell the clinician about the use and abuse of alcohol, genetic markers may also contribute to the dependence of alcohol. Alcohol use and abuse is associated with multiple illnesses such as cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis. Alcohol consumption has many negative effects that increase with age, ranging from short term reactions like dehydration and ethanol poisoning to chronic reactions like liver failure and alcoholic fatty liver disease. The result of alcohol consumption is reactive changes in the body such as an increase of enzymatic activity and concentration as well as the decrease of enzymatic activity and concentration due to tissue destruction. The enzyme ÃŽ ³-glutamyl tranferase (GGT) activity is one of the most sensitive tests for alcohol use. The enzymes activity rises when there is acute hepatocellular damage present commonly is patients with alcoholic liver disease (G. Bbosa, D. Kyegombe, W. Anokbonggo, A. Lubega, A. Mugisha and J. Ogwal-Okeng, 2014). GGT is such a sensitive marker that the levels will also be increased even if no hepatic or biliary damage is present in the patient suffering from alcoholism. GGT levels increase drastically in the serum of patients abusing alcohol chronically, an increase of 2-3 times the normal value is most commonly present (S. Kavitha, V. Venkatraman and K. Jeyaprakash, 2013). GGT serum levels can also be raised in patients with digestive disorders and mostly only indicates alcoholism in patients who abuse the substance excessively. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are more commonly decreased in older patients suffering from alcoholism than in younger patients and are used rather as a confirmation marker than an initial indicator. The HDL-C levels in the serum will be decreased in the patients presenting with alcohol abuse (S. Kavitha, V. Venkatraman and K. Jeyaprakash, 2013). The enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (AST) can be used to indicate alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis, but proves difficult to provide accurate results in the absence of liver damage. The enzyme is also found in multiple other organs like the brain and the kidneys and is more likely to be used as a confirmation of liver disease than a definitive diagnosis (D. Adler, 2013). The levels of AST in the patients’ serum will be increased up to 4 times the normal ranges in cases of liver damage. The increased AST levels, when indicating alcoholic liver disease, is most likely due to cellular necrosis due to excessive alcohol consumption. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is overly produced in patients with hepatic injury and in alcoholic patients (M. Hyder, M. Hasan and A. Mohieldein, 2013). The disadvantage of this test in that the levels only significantly increases if severe hepatic damage is already present, but the major advantage is that ALT is only present in the liver (R. Van Dyke, 2012). ALT will be increased 4-6X in cases of alcoholic cirrhosis and 7-10X in cases of alcoholism with alcoholic liver disease. The ratio of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) can also indicate alcoholic liver disease with a ratio greater than 2:1 with respect to AST:ALT. This result is mostly due to low ALT levels in the serum because of hepatic necrosis, pyridoxal-5’-phosphate deficiency or mitochondrial AST leakage (M. Adak, A. Thakur and K. Adhikari, 2012). The ratio is mostly used as an affirmative test as the ratio only rises above 2 in severe cases of alcoholic liver disease. Sialic acid Genetic predispositions to alcoholism have not been completely identified, but studies have indicated genes that may be responsible. These genes are known as the Mpdz, the Kcnj9 and the GABRA2 genes. Although these genes are used theoretical markers rather than actual indicator to alcohol dependence there is a correlation between the severity of the withdrawal symptoms and the risk of alcohol dependence (K. Buck, L. Milner, D. Denmark, S. Grant and L. Kozell, 2012). The GABRA2 gene is located on chromosome 4p12 and regulates the production of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) which acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2014). Alcohol can affect the signalling pathway of the GABA system if a variation is present in the GABRA2 gene increasing the pleasure derived from the consumption of alcohol above normal levels which can greatly increase the risk of alcoholism in the persons who have this variation (D. Dick and A. Agrawal, 2008). Alcoholism poses a serious health threat to the medical community causing many serious complications in a healthy lifestyle. Testing for GGT is seen as the most sensitive test, but has the one drawback of having quite a bit of interferences, which can be cancelled out if brought into the equation. ALT and AST tests the livers general homeostasis and should rather be handled as a complimentary test along with a test such as GGT in order to confirm a diagnosis. Genetic markers for alcohol abuse have not been fully discovered as of yet, although a variation in GABRA2 is known to increase the risk of alcohol dependence due to its effects on the GABA pathway when alcohol is consumed. References: G. Bbosa, D. Kyegombe, W. Anokbonggo, A. Lubega, A. Mugisha and J. Ogwal-Okeng. (2014). Chronic Alcohol Consumption Affects Serum Enzymes Levels in the HIV-Infected Patients on Stavudine (d4T)/Lamivudine (3TC)/Nevirapine (NVP) Treatment Regimen. Pharmacology Pharmacy. 1 (5), 181-194. M. Adak, A. Thakur and K. Adhikari. (2012). Study of Biochemical Markers in Alcoholic Liver Disease: Hospital-Based Case Control Study. Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences. 3 (3), 987-995. S. Kavitha, V. Venkatraman and K. Jeyaprakash. (2013). Biochemical Markers and Age Onset Involved In Heavy Alcoholism.  Asian Journal of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Research. 4 (1), 80-87. D. Adler. (2013). The Difficulty of using a Biological Marker for Alcohol Use: A Recent Historical Overview.  Sound Neuroscience: An Undergraduate Neuroscience Journal. 1 (1), 1-8. K. Buck, L. Milner, D. Denmark, S. Grant and L. Kozell. (2012). Discovering genes Involved in Alcohol Dependence and other Alcohol responses Role of Animal Models.  Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 367-374. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2014).  GABRA2.  Available: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/GABRA2. Last accessed 02 September 2014. D. Dick and A. Agrawal. (2008). The Genetics of Alcohol and Other Drug Dependence.  Alcohol Research Health. 31 (2), 111-118. R. Van Dyke. (2012). Liver Tests: Use and Interpretation.  Open Michigan. 1 (1), 1-60. M. Hyder, M. Hasan and A. Mohieldein. (2013). Comparative Levels of ALT, AST, ALP and GGT in Liver associated Diseases.  European Journal of Experimental Biology. 3 (2), 280-284.

The Diviners: How Does Morags Past Influence Piques Life :: essays research papers

The Diviners: How does Morag's Past Influence Pique's Life Pique is the inheritor of French-Indian and Scottish-Canadian roots. She is raised her mother in Canada and England. However, her growth is affected by Morag's life style and Morag's past life. There are three events in Morag's past that affects Pique's life. Morag moves away from Christie when she goes to college and she rarely comes back to Manawake, "Going to Winnipeg this fall. To college. And I'm never coming back." She does not seem care for her stepparents. In certain respects the parent-child relationship between Morag and Pique resembles the one between Christie, the Scavenger, "You've never had somebody tell you mother was crazy between she lived out her alone and wrote dirty books and had kooky people coming out from the city to visit?" (P.446) And both, in different ways, attempt to deny their parents. At one point, Pique, having run away from home, ends up in a mental hospital in Toronto after "a bad trip", "Can't you see I despair you? Can't you see I want you to go away? You aren't my mother. I haven't got a mother." (P.111) Furthermore, Morag does not get married with Jules. When her husband is Brooke Skelton, she has a sexual relationship with Jules and gets pregnant. Later, Pique is aware that Jules is her father. Pique has an idea about why she is different from the others because a typical family should have a mother and a father, but she comes from a single parent family. When Pique first meets her father she is at about five years old. Jules sings a song to Pique which she finds fascinating and meaningful to her. Pique, at 18, is more mature than her mother at the same age. She loves her father very much and wants to live with him, however, Morag does not approve that Pique should stay with Jules, "Why did you have me?" "For your own satisfaction, yes. You never thought of him or of me." We are aware that Pique needs care and love from both of her parents because Morag cannot fulfill Pique's desire. She runs away in search of what she thinks she is missing all along, which she, herself is not sure what it is. Later on, she dates Dan McRaith, who is a husband of Bridie. They have a abnormal friendship between them. As we know Dan Scranton and Gord are boyfriends of Pique. It is coincidental with Morag's boyfriend first name is also Dan. These two individuals occurs in Morag and Pique's life as their names are the same.

Project Noah Essay

The Philippine government’s Department of Science and Technology or DOST Advanced Science and Technology Institute along with the help of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PhilVolcs) and University of the Philippine’s National Institute of Geological Science and its College of Engineering launched its project called â€Å"National Operation Assessment of Hazards and Risk† known as â€Å"Project NOAH† last July 6, 2012 in the city of Marikina to promote and combine advance science and technology to enhance the disaster management and prevention capacity of the Philippines. This project was designed to answer the need for a systematic early warning system for floods in the country. As we all know, the Philippines have experienced unexpected huge calamities these past few years examples of those were the Typhoon Ondoy happened last 2009 and the recent monsoon happened two weeks ago that caused great damages on the lives of our fellow countrymen, their properties and source of living which also affected the whole country’s economy. Due to this repetitious and unavoidable condition, this project would provide a more accurate, timely and easy to access warning about hazards that would affect the country for the safety of our people in every area of the Philippines. With the use of advance technology, this project would be able to provide a six hour ahead of time warning in the communities subjected to danger against incoming floods by the use of a geo- hazard vulnerability map which will be accessed using the internet. Presently this project has only eight major components which will provide the Project NOAH quick, accurate and more reliable information about floods and disaster. These are the Hydromet Sensors Development, the Disaster Risk Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (DREAM), Flood information Network (FLOODNET), Weather Hazard Information Project (WHIP), Enhancing Geo- hazards Mapping through Light detection and ranging (LIDAR), Local Development of Doppler Radar Systems (LaDDeRS), Landslide Sensors Development Project and the Coastal Hazards and Storm Surge Assessment and Mitigation (CHASSAM). This project was said to distribute Hydrometeorological (Hydromet) devices in different areas in the Philippines composed of 600 automated rain gauges (ARG) and 400 water level monitoring stations (WLMS) in 18 major river basins of the Philippines namely, the Marikina River Basin, the Cagayan de Oro River Basin, Iligan River Basin, Agno River Basin, Pampanga River Basin, Bicol River Basin, Cagayan River Basin, Agusan River Basin, Panay River Basin, Magaswang Tubig River Basin, Jalaur River Basin, Ilog- Hilabangan River Basin, Agus River Basin, Davao River Basin, Mindanao River Basin, Tagum- Libuganon River Basin, Tagaloan River Basin and Buayan- Malungun River Basin in December 2013 that will provide a better picture of the country’s surface waters which will be very helpful in detecting floods. It also aims to provide three- dimensional hazard maps in the major river systems and water sheds as well as in the flood prone areas like the city of Marikina throughout the country. Building the Flood Information Network or FloodNet which will provide computer models for critical River Basins, automation of data gathering, modeling and distribution of information about flood forecasts was also said to be completed as well as the 50 sites in the Philippines to added by the newly adopted landslide sensors which the cities of San Francisco, Surigao del Norte, Tago, Surigao del Sur, Tublay Bugias, Bokod in Benguet, Guihulngan, Negros Occidental, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte and Tubungan in Iloilo presently have now was said to be completed at the end of 2013.. On the other hand, by year 2014 the government targets to use a LIDAR or Light detection and ranging and computer- assisted analysis technology that will identify exact areas in the country prone to landslides. They also targets to complete the installation of the Coastal Hazards and Storm Surge Assessment and Mitigation technology that will generate wave surge, its refraction and coastal circulation models that would help the people understand, find solutions and prepare early in case of coastal erosion. Presently, it has been reported that Doppler radars which will help in sensing the dynamic parameters of our country’s sea surfaces like wave, wind field and its surface present velocity are currently installed already all throughout the country as preparation for the completion of the Project NOAH in two years of time. This project was highly supported and participated by public and private; both local and international agencies and organizations in the country namely by PAG-ASA, DOST- ASTI, PHILVOLCS, DOST-STII, -UP NIGS EML Laboratory, ClimateX Project, UP NIGS VTEC Laboratory, nababaha.com, UP DEGE- TCAGP, UP- MSI, British Council, British Embassy, UK Environment Agency, Cabot Institute of Bristol University, Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of Potsdam, MediaQuest Holdings Inc., Manila Observatory, DRRNet, DILG, MMDA, Smart Communications Incorporated, SUN Cellular, Globe Telecommunications, Google Crisis Response, Petron, Government of Japan, DENR, DPWH and the lifesomundane.net THE PROJECT NOAH SYSTEM 1. First, go to www.noah.dost.gov.ph 2. The website of Project Noah will appear like this: 3. Suppose that you are in Intramuros, Manila†¦ You may put your location on the Search Tab above then click enter to show the map of your location 4. You may look for the Probability of Rain in the Weather Outlook Tab, the Flood Map, the available weather stations, stream and rain gauges in the Weather Stations Tab on your location 5. It will also inform you about the Flood hazard based on the Flood Hazard Map released by the Philippine government by clicking the Legend Tab FLOOD HAZARD MAP BY DOST FLOOD HAZARD ON NOAH.DOST.GOV.PH 6. The website will also provide you basic information that makes you understand what PROJECT NOAH is about by clicking the ABOUT Tab 7. It gives step by step instructions on how to use the system by clicking the Help Tab in the upper right side of the website†¦ Since the World Wide Web and the development of technology are very rampant nowadays on the present generation, having an access to the DOST’s Project NOAH would not be a problem. It would be very helpful to the people to prepare and plan ahead before a disaster would strike their areas. It would help in reducing casualties and extreme property loss due to hazardous events like what happened during the monsoon two weeks ago in many parts of the country where not only the livestock of the people were sacrificed but also the lives of our fellow men. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://noah.dost.gov.ph/ http://www.nababaha.com/ http://region4a.dost.gov.ph/index.php/press-release/296-dosts-project-noah-to-strengthen-nationwide-disaster-risk-reduction-efforts.html http://ad2.ycasmd.info/custompopup.php?ref=animehere.com&aid=18 http://www.philippinecollegian.org/project-noah/ http://www.gov.ph/ http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?keywords=DOST http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/headlines-mt/28746-monsoon-flood-toll-reaches-60 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/244837/tuesday-rains-surpass-ondoys-2009-rainfall-pagasa http://www.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/lintech/how-tos-and-lifehacks/16730-project-noah.html http://blogwatch.tv/2012/08/nababaha-tutorial-of-project-noah-via-twitter/ http://kamalayangkalayaan.wordpress.com/agham-o-siyensiya/project-noah-nationwide-operational-assessment-of-hazards/ http://inagist.com/gone

The Scarlet Letter and the Awakening

The Scarlet Letter is a novel based on the commitment of the sin of adultery. Hester, the main character, slept with another man, thus having a child with him while she was already married. The Awakening is novel that is based on selfhood and feminism. Edna does not love her husband the way that he loves her, so she gains feelings for several other men. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, and Kate Chopin’s, The Awakening, both have similar motifs, yet differentiate in many ways, like the actions of Hester and Edna, symbolism in each novel, and how the other characters affect Hester and Edna, which all affect the views on women and femininity. Hester commits adultery by sleeping with Arthur Dimmesdale thus causing her to have a baby with him that she loves dearly. The problem is that Hester already has a husband, whose name is Chillingworth, but she did not love him as much he loved her. Now, she has to wear a scarlet letter, which is an â€Å"A,† on her chest at all times until she finally reveals who the father of her child is. â€Å"Here, there was the taint of deepest sin in the most sacred quality of human life, working such effect that the world was only the darker for this woman’s beauty, and the more lost for the infant that she had borne. † (Hawthorne, 54) The sin that Hester created is hidden behind her beauty and her child. Divine Maternity is a great image for Puritans, which Hester was. As for Edna, she also does not love her husband but she does love her two children. Since Edna does not feel the same way for her husband, feelings for other men start to occur; not only one, but several others. â€Å"Beneath its pink-lined shelter were his wife, Mrs. Pontellier, and young Robert Lebrun. † (Chopin, 2) Robert was one of the men Edna would flirt with and ended up having feelings for. However, Robert cared about Edna too much to have her commit adultery. Both Hester and Edna had to marry during their time, but they did not love their husbands, so they ended up having affairs with another guy, or guys in Edna’s case. Although they both had affairs with someone else, Edna did not actually commit the crime of adultery. She was merely just talking to other guys and developing feelings for them. Hester actually slept with another man and ended up having a baby with him. Hester and Edna’s actions come to show that Hester’s sin is worse than what Edna did, but the two are still very awful. Symbolism plays a huge role in both novels. Pearl is a major dynamic symbol in The Scarlet Letter. She represents the sin of Hester and Dimmesdale. Throughout the novel, she is constantly changing yet still perceived as evil. However, she is named â€Å"Pearl† because of its literal meaning as well. â€Å"But she named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as if being of great price-purchased with all she had-her mother’s only treasure. † (Hawthorne, 85) Pearl is Hester and Dimmesdale’s treasure that they created. The scarlet letter also represents adultery. Hester is to wear it at all times until she finally decides to reveal who the father of Pearl is. The letter prevents Hester from doing whatever she pleases and causes her to become frustrated. As for The Awakening, the Parrot is one of the main symbols. It represents Edna in the way of how her life is like. The parrot is trapped inside a cage and wants to be released so that it can finally spread its wings and fly. This relates to Edna because she wants to escape from her husband, children, and the society so that she can finally be on her own. Water is another symbol in Chopin’s novel. The sea represents Edna’s freedom and escape. It is where she truly feels like she can be herself and safe in solitary. Also, the sea represents rebirth, in which Edna’s awakening is associated with rebirth. However, Edna ends her life in the sea which also shows how horrifying independence can be. The symbols in both stories represent Hester and Edna and how they act. Each symbol does have a different meaning, though and mean different things between each story. It just comes to show how each character is different from each other regarding their personalities and actions. Other characters in the stories affect the main characters and the plot. Dimmesdale, the father of Pearl, is the man Hester committed her sin with. He is forced to hide the fact that he is the father, because Dimmesdale is a respected minister within their society. Dimmesdale and Hester love each other and love Pearl very dearly. Chillingworth is Hester’s husband and is forced to hide his identity by changing his name. He left Hester for 2 years and within those two years, she committed adultery. Chillingworth comes back only to see that Hester has a child with a man that is not him. Chillingworth figured out that it was Dimmesdale and tries to sabotage him. Pearl is Hester and Dimmesdale’s daughter. Pearl tries to make Hester accept er sin. She also makes her mother wear the scarlet letter and will not take it off for the wrong reason. Pearl does not want her mother to run away from her sin but to face up to it, so when Hester tries to run away from her sin, Pearl starts to become stubborn. â€Å"And here by a sudden impulse, she turned to the young clergyman, Mr. Dimmesdale†¦ –â€Å"Speak thou for me! † cried she. â€Å"Thou wast my pastor, and hadst charge of my soul, and knowest me better than these man can. I will not lose the child! Speak for me! Thou knowest–for thou hast sympathies which these men lack†¦ Look thou to it! I will not lose the child! Look to it! † (Hawthorne, 100). By Hester announcing that, it meant that her only true reason for life was for Pearl, and that if the one richness of her life was devoured by Puritan thought and society, she would have lost her. Pearl was everything to her. She was all that she had left to lose, and she would do anything to protect her beloved daughter. In The Awakening, Leonce Pontellier is Edna’s husband and the father of their two children. He does not spend very much time with them due to him always being out doing other goods with his friends or business. Leonce expects Edna to be the perfect wife and mother and treats her with love. Be that as it may, Edna does not feel the same way towards him. Robert is one of Edna’s lovers. During the beginning of the novel, they start flirting with each other, thus developing feelings towards one another. Adele is one of Edna’s good friends and is the ideal female. She helps Edna gain towards her freedom. Mademoiselle Reisz is Edna’s inspiration. She only revolves her life around one thing; music. She has no husband, no children and is a talented pianist. She helps Edna get to where she is during the climax of the story. Hester seems to love Pearl to a greater degree than Edna loves her children, because of her devotion to Pearl, Hester could be seen as stereotypical ‘true woman' more than than Edna does; not exactly. The commitment of adultery with Dimmesdale is keeping her from having that title. Hester, like Edna, believes that society needs to change its attitude towards women and their role in their society. The difference between the two women is that Hester fees that she has something to lose and if she actually spoke her mind, Pearl would be taken away from her. Edna, however, felt so strongly about the injustices within her society that it became more important to her than her love for her children. Both stories are based on the fact that women are not treated fairly within their society. The two women do not endure their husbands, causing them to have affairs with others. Although, the differences create the actual story for each novel and makes them different in their own way. The actions of the characters really show their personalities. The symbols change how the aspects of the novel and characters are interpreted and other characters affect how the main character is changed.

Free Essays on Appearance Vs. Reality

Appearance vs. Reality Our society today revolves mostly around appearance and how people view themselves and others. In Breakfast at Tiffany’s Truman Capote writes a story about a young lady, who from the outside seems perfect. Throughout the novel Holly Golightly is seen as both a witty and naà ¯ve character. From all the makeup and pretty clothes she wears to the persona she gives off to everyone, makes Holly appear to be a well-rounded individual. But in actuality Holly is hiding behind her appearance and doesn’t know who she really is. The only real aspect about Holly Golighty is her outside appearance. She is glamorous and has great beauty. Most of the time â€Å"she wore a slim cool black dress, black sandals, a pearl choker†¦ [and] a pair of dark glasses† (p.12). She dressed everyday as if she had to impress everyone. Her dark glasses seemed as though to hide her real self from the world. The narrator â€Å"had never seen her before not wearing dark glasses† and when he did, he noticed â€Å"they were large eyes, a little blue, a little green† (p.18). She acted as if she didn’t want anyone to know who the real Holly was. When she threw parties most of the people who attended them she didn’t know. But that’s what she wanted, she didn’t want close friends. Even her cat was just an acquaintance to her, she didn’t believe that he belonged to her. â€Å"Poor slob without a name. It’s a little inconvenient, his not having a name. But I h aven’t any right to give him one: he’ll have to wait until he belongs to somebody† (p.39). Holly’s appearance to her friends and acquaintances were just a scheme to hide the real Holly. But in reality Holly is a frightened young girl still trying to find her true self. Although Holly tries to use her appearance to hide herself, by the end of the novel its known that Holly isn’t just her outside appearance. At the very end before going to the airport, she... Free Essays on Appearance Vs. Reality Free Essays on Appearance Vs. Reality Appearance vs. Reality Our society today revolves mostly around appearance and how people view themselves and others. In Breakfast at Tiffany’s Truman Capote writes a story about a young lady, who from the outside seems perfect. Throughout the novel Holly Golightly is seen as both a witty and naà ¯ve character. From all the makeup and pretty clothes she wears to the persona she gives off to everyone, makes Holly appear to be a well-rounded individual. But in actuality Holly is hiding behind her appearance and doesn’t know who she really is. The only real aspect about Holly Golighty is her outside appearance. She is glamorous and has great beauty. Most of the time â€Å"she wore a slim cool black dress, black sandals, a pearl choker†¦ [and] a pair of dark glasses† (p.12). She dressed everyday as if she had to impress everyone. Her dark glasses seemed as though to hide her real self from the world. The narrator â€Å"had never seen her before not wearing dark glasses† and when he did, he noticed â€Å"they were large eyes, a little blue, a little green† (p.18). She acted as if she didn’t want anyone to know who the real Holly was. When she threw parties most of the people who attended them she didn’t know. But that’s what she wanted, she didn’t want close friends. Even her cat was just an acquaintance to her, she didn’t believe that he belonged to her. â€Å"Poor slob without a name. It’s a little inconvenient, his not having a name. But I h aven’t any right to give him one: he’ll have to wait until he belongs to somebody† (p.39). Holly’s appearance to her friends and acquaintances were just a scheme to hide the real Holly. But in reality Holly is a frightened young girl still trying to find her true self. Although Holly tries to use her appearance to hide herself, by the end of the novel its known that Holly isn’t just her outside appearance. At the very end before going to the airport, she...

Bignay cure for UTI Essays

Bignay cure for UTI Essays Bignay cure for UTI Essay Bignay cure for UTI Essay Chapter 1 Problem and Its Background Introduction Among household pests, cockroaches are the most numerous and harmful. No household, whether in a city or in the farthest barrio, Is spared the creeping presence of these germ-ridden and foul-smelling brown monsters. Cockroaches carry on their slimy bodies bagful of germs and bacteria that could make any member of the family suffer various diseases. Ridding itself of cockroaches or at least reducing them to a minimum should be the goal of every household if it wants to spare itself from the high cost of medical care. At present, commercial insecticides used to kill cockroaches are very costly which households can hardly afford. Finding a less costly way of eliminating cockroaches would go a long way in helping households financially. If malunggay leaves which are abundant in most places in the Philippines could be developed into an effective insecticide against cockroaches, Filipino households would benefit a great deal both in terms of better health for its family members and more savings. Background of the Study In our communities today, many people are trying very hard finding different ways f killing disease-bearing insects such as cockroaches in their houses. In our neighborhood, there are lots of cockroaches, some creeping on the ground and others flying over peoples heads. To help our neighborhood solve this problem, this project intends to find out if malunggay leaves could be used as insecticide to kill cockroaches. Statement of the Problem/ObJectives This study aims at making malunggay leaves extract a cockroach killer. It has specific questions to be answered: a) Can malunggay leaves extract be used as a cockroach killer? ) Can people use malunggay leaves extract as a cockroach killer as effectively as commercial insecticides? General Objective: 1 . To investigate whether malunggay leaves extract can be used as a cockroach killer. Specific Objectives: 1. To be able to use malunggay as cockroach killer. 2. To be able to know how malunggay can be use as a cockroach killer. Significance of the study At present people find it hard earning money. People are also greatly frustrated of disease-bearing cockroaches infesting their homes. This project is therefore significant because it may spare people from the need to buy highly expensive ommercial cockroach killer. All they need to do to rid themselves of cockroaches is gather malunggay leaves and use their extract to spray them. Scope and Limitation This project limits itself to determining whether malunggay leaves extract maybe developed as an insecticide against cockroaches. It does not intend to investigate whether malunggay leaves extract maybe used against other insects or pests. Malunggay- Moringa is the English name. It is called Malunggay in the Philippines and Salina in Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia. It grows very wildly in hot tropical climate. Moringa is a wonderful herb known all over the world but only recently in the U. S. It may provide the boost in energy, nutrition and health youive been seeking. This book reveals Moringa is nutritional content, medicinal properties, where to get it, the best results. Moringa is a remarkable discovery, which can make a tremendous difference in your health and quality of life. Mounting scientific evidence shows what has been known for thousands of years by people in the tropical parts of the world: Moringa is natures medicine cabinet. It is also known as an excellent source of nutrition and a natural energy booster. Loaded with nutrients, vitamins and amino acids, it replenishes your body and provides what you need to get through a hectic weekday or active weekend. Moringa has a well-documented detoxifying effect. Laboratories around the world have studied Moringas ability to purify water, attaching itself to harmful material and bacteria, and allowing them to be expelled as waste. Cockroach- (or simply roaches) are insects of the order Blattodea. This name derives from the Latin word for cockroach, blatta. Among the most well-known species are the American cockroach, Periplaneta mericana, which is about 30 mm (1 inch) long, the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, about 15 mm (1/2 inch) long, the Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, also about 15 mm (1/2 inch) in length, and the Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientals, about 25 mm (3/4 inch). Tropical cockroaches are often much bigger, and extinct cockroach relatives such as the Carboniferous Archimylacris and the Permian Apthoroblattina were several times as large as these. Cockroaches are generally considered pests; however, only about 30 species (less than 1%) infest urban habitats.

Citas con USCIS para informacin migratoria - INFOPASS

Citas con USCIS para informacin migratoria - INFOPASS Los empleados del Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) pueden ser la mejor fuente de informacià ³n para resolver dudas migratorias generales o para informar sobre estado del caso. Si se desea cerrar una cita para presentarse en una oficina del USCIS se puede hacer desde casa, ingresando por internet en la pgina oficial de este organismo en el apartado de InfoPass. Sin duda esta puede ser una buena opcià ³n para obtener informacià ³n de inmigracià ³n de calidad, aunque conviene tener muy presente que el USCIS nunca va a actuar como asesor legal. Para eso estn los abogados, que cada persona debe elegir libremente, si desea contar con ese servicio. Cà ³mo se cierrauna cita con InfoPass En la pgina del USCIS, hay una opcià ³n en la barra izquierda de la pantalla para elegir el idioma, entre los que estn incluidos el espaà ±ol y el inglà ©s. Debern rellenarse los campos en los que se pide que se escriba el nombre de la persona que va a acudir a la cita, su nà ºmero de telà ©fono, su fecha de nacimiento y el cà ³digo postal (zip code) en el que reside. InfoPass ofrece citas para, aproximadamente, dos semanas despuà ©s. Se puede elegir el dà ­a y la hora que ms convienen, si estn disponibles. Al finalizar el proceso de solicitud de cita, aparecer en la pantalla una confirmacià ³n de la misma en la que se incluye el dà ­a, fecha y lugar en el que hay que presentarse. Esta informacià ³n debe imprimirse y llevarla a la entrevista con el oficial del USCIS. Si se pierde la hoja, debe imprimirse otra volviendo a entrar en Info Pass. Si se pide una cita para ms de una persona, el sistema no admite que se pueda cerrar una seguida de la otra. Deber esperarse al menos media hora para realizar las citas. O tambià ©n es posible hacerlo inmediatamente si se utiliza o bien otra computadora o bien un navegador distinto. Por ejemplo, utilizar Explorer o Firefox para la primera vez y Chrome para la segunda.  ¿Por quà © Info Pass no me permite cerrar una cita? Es relativamente comà ºn que cuando se intenta utilizar Info Pass se obtiene un mensaje de error. Esto es porque el sistema est al mximo de su capacidad. Se puede intentar varias veces, hasta que funcione o bien se puede intentar en las horas de la madrugada. Menos personas lo intentan en esos momentos lo que hace ms probable que el sistema funcione adecuadamente.  ¿Quà © pasa si surge un imprevisto y no puedo acudir a la cita con el USCIS? Se puede cambiar el dà ­a y la hora de la cita. Basta con entrar de nuevo en la pgina de INFOPASS y hacer los cambios necesarios. Se necesita tener a mano la hoja impresa con la confirmacià ³n de la cita inicial, ya que à ©sta contiene un nà ºmero de confirmacià ³n que es necesario saber para hacer el cambio de cita para la entrevista en el USCIS.  ¿Quà © se debe llevar a la cita con el USCIS? 1. Todos los documentos relativos a la pregunta que se quiere formular. Si el original est en un idioma distinto al inglà ©s, debe traducirse. 2. La hoja de confirmacià ³n de la cita de Info Pass. 3. Una identificacià ³n oficial como por ejemplo la green card, el pasaporte, el I-94, la licencia de manejar del estado en el que se reside, el permiso de trabajo o cualquier otro I.D. emitido por las autoridades americanas. 4 .Es posible ir acompaà ±ado de una persona que haga de intà ©rprete, si no se entiende o habla bien el inglà ©s. Puede ser un familiar o un amigo, pero tiene que ser mayor de 21 aà ±os. Presentarse sin cita en una oficina del USCIS Si se necesita hacer la consulta con carcter de  urgencia  siempre es posible acudir a las oficinas locales del USCIS y esperar en fila hasta que un oficial pueda atender la pregunta.   A veces la  espera  dura horas e incluso es posible que se deba volver al dà ­a siguiente y hacer la espera de nuevo. Esto ocurre cuando el mismo dà ­a y en la misma delegacià ³n de Inmigracià ³n hay un nà ºmero muy grande de personas esperando para hacer su consulta. Otras formas de obtener informacià ³n migratoria Si la pregunta se refiere al estatus de un caso pendiente, el proceso a seguir es otro. Permitià ©ndose consultas electrà ³nicas, telefà ³nicas y, por supuesto, en persona. Si la duda se refiere a los tiempos medio de demora para trmites, estas  son las demoras migratorias para peticiones de green card  de familia, trmites de visas, solicitudes al USCIS, y retrasos en las cortes. Si lo que se busca es informacià ³n sobre el rà ©cord migratorio, hay varias formas de obtenerlo, dependiendo de quà © oficina tenga la informacià ³n.   Por otro lado, si lo que se desea es encontrar a una persona que puede estar detenida por Inmigracià ³n, entonces el lugar correcto para preguntar no es USCIS, que no se ocupa de esos asuntos. El camino correcto es contactar con ICE. Finalmente, los mexicanos sin importar su estatus migratorio en los Estados Unidos pueden marcar gratuitamente a un telà ©fono pagado por el sistema consular de su paà ­s. Brinda ayuda importante sobre cà ³mo obtener informacià ³n e incluso realizan ellos gestiones. Finalmente, este es un listado con 10 telà ©fonos en los que se puede resolver dudas migratorias, denunciar fraudes u obtener otra informacià ³n oficial. Consejos importantes para indocumentados Si no tiene todos los documentos en regla y se est ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos se aconseja que no se presente  voluntariamente en el USCIS para hacer una pregunta. Consulte a un abogado de inmigracià ³n o con una organizacià ³n reputada de apoyo a migrantes con servicio de asesorà ­a legal. La razà ³n para no presentarse en las oficinas en las oficinas del USCIS es que se trata de un edificio federal y pedirn que toda persona se identifique con un documento que de un modo u otro muestre estatus migratorio en el paà ­s. Podrà ­a darse el caso de que se arrestase al migrante indocumentado.

2 questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

2 questions - Assignment Example In addition, citizens working in chemical manufacturing industries may have health concerns due to exposure to chemicals for many years. The youth would be affected by such a policy because it would be hard to secure jobs in top positions. Older citizens in the workforce need to retire at the stipulated normal retirement age (67) to pave way for energetic youths (Millar, 42). Such citizens need to be engaged in physical education programs to remain active rather than retaining them in the workforce. The toy industry is common for creating gender bias to children at a tender age. For many years, boys have been playing with ‘manly’ toys with dark colors whereas girls play with ‘girly’ toys with bright colors. It is common to find boys playing with toy trucks and police vehicles while girls play with dolls. Fingers would be pointed towards Hasbro Inc. for attempting to frustrate efforts towards gender equality. Why create toys that create border on lines of gender? It would not be prudent to buy the Easy Bake Oven from Hasbro Inc. However, it would be prudent to buy the toolkit from GoldieBlox, as the toys are indiscriminative of gender. Toy companies need to mitigate gender bias by manufacturing toys that are suitable for both boys and girls. On the other hand, parents need to buy toys that enhance equality on the field of play among boys and

The analysis of the artwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The analysis of the artwork - Essay Example As evident in coronation artwork, the painting embraced heroic morality and nature. It also embraced the classics, the ancient apostle of reason, and the simplicity and calm grandeur of the highly-ranked in the society. Having been victorious in his campaigns in Italy and Egypt, Napolean won military prestige and became the first Consul following the Brumaire Coup D’etat. Although the artwork shows Empress Josephine being coronated by Napoleon, it was Napoleon who had first coronated himself on December 2, 1804 at Notre-Dame Cathedral. Napoleon had been consecrated by a Pope just as his predecessors Charlemagne a thousand years before. This was a great way of securing his authority in the French Catholic and Monarchic tradition. Nonetheless, the ceremony of the crowning of Napoleon distanced itself from the church through facing the high altar only for Napoleon to crown himself and facing the congregation. After the self-coronation, Napoleon crowned the Empress to demonstrate that he was more distinguished, less authoritative, and more of a â€Å"French Caballero†. The dimensions of the painting of the coronation of the Empress is 621 Ãâ€" 979 cm (244.5 Ãâ€" 385.4 in), and uses the oil on canvas medium. This paper contextualizes the artwork by David from the political, economic, religious, gender, technology, regional, religious, ethnic, and generational perspectives. Traditionally, Coronation ceremonies were painted and David borrowed heavily from previous coronation painting. The best example was the Coronation of Marie De Medici by Reuben. Having witnessed the Coronation of Emperor Napoleon first-hand, David, inspired by Reuben, borrowed the layout of his painting and had participants pose. Like in previous coronation paintings, the artwork highlights the protagonists in the centre and illuminated with a beam of light. Emperor Napoleon is, however, keen to observe the tradition of holding the ceremony in

Portfolio 6 - Lesson Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Portfolio 6 - Lesson Plan - Essay Example Books and computers will be utilized in order to help the student gain an idea of the type of Khattai he or she would like to make. Students will then trace books or print copies of Khattai with carbon paper. Traced image will then be put on to cardboard. This will be done by putting the carbon paper on the over-head projector. This allows the image to project so students may produce larger productions. Task 2: Students will go over traced image on cardboard with marker. Students will need to be able to touch up all missed spots. Traced image will then be checked and then cut out from the card-board. The cut out will have aluminium foil placed over it. Tape will then be placed over cut out and allowed to dry. Clean up and/or pack up: Students will clean up materials. As this lesson is done in three stages, students will put their materials in their box assigned per table. Boxes will then be stored in the area designated for their class. 2. It will help to think of the Lesson Plan as the script for a face-to-face encounter with your class. Therefore each time you list an action or directive you need to be clear why you are doing this and specify how it will be achieved. This may lead to further lesson

THE INFORMATION ECONOMY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

THE INFORMATION ECONOMY - Essay Example Further the globalization of the resources and effective use of ICT has allowed large organizations to build competitive advantages so that they can better compete into international market. India is one of the important emerging markets in the world which is showing fast improvements on most of the economic grounds. However, this rise of India on the world economic scene has been mostly due to its strong Information Technology skills development. India has been able to expand its IT and IT enabled services because of the strong government support as India government, historically, has invested into the educating young Indians within the domain of Information Technology. Mobile Phones have changed the economic activity because it has proved one of the rapid and cheapest sources of communicating for the Indians to conduct economic activities. Mobile Phones have been able to prove themselves more useful than computers because they provide quicker means of communicating. Mobiles Phones provide a quicker method of communicating between counter parties in trade. However this advancement in India has been made possible because of government of India’s efforts to invest and focus on IT education. Music industry is one of the largest industries in the world as Music is almost heard by every civilized human being living in the modern world. This industry has evolved over the period of time as starting from crude and old methods of recording music to the new and more modern methods such as media players and internet music channels. The emergence of high bandwidth communication technologies, emergence of internet companies, and online selling of digital music have allowed global music industry to evolve greatly as the it has not only allowed it to get exposure to maximum consumers but also it has become cheaper. The emergence of

Qualitative research Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Qualitative research - Coursework Example Basically, it enables people to comprehend social structures and how certain complexities can be overcome. Another paradigm applied in interpretivism is assumptions; the concept of assumptions in interpretivism entails a scenario where issues have to be examined holistically to facilitate individuals to understand their structures and functionality (Walsham, 1993). There is also the paradigm of positivism, which is basically a scientific approach. Positivism entails utilization of mathematical data as a means to gain greater insights of social dynamics. The corpus of solipsism entails a scenario whereby one believes in the existence of his own mind as the valid and reliable source of information (Teensma, 1974). Philosophers have also argued that it is a theory that believes in one’s own existence. Heshusius, L., & Ballard, K. (1996). From positivism to interpretivism and beyond: tales of transformation in educational and social research (the mind-body connection). New York: Teachers College

Personal Privacy Vs. National Security Research Paper

Personal Privacy Vs. National Security - Research Paper Example Because of this very reason different opinions have been formed regarding the methods which should be adopted to avert terrorism. Moreover it is seen that the roots of terrorism extend up to the general population and hence important measures are needed to root it out. Policies of counter terrorism are formed all over the world through which the governmental agencies aim to obtain information about individuals who are believed to be linked with the acts of terrorism. As the world has advanced it is seen that technology has had a great influence on these counter terrorism policies. The situation however gets complex when the question of intruding in the lives of people arises. The governmental bodies have been entitled by many governments to intrude the privacy of all the individuals who are considered to be linked with a certain act of terrorism. Privacy is one of the most fundamental rights laid down in almost every constitution formed by the countries. It is the duty of the governm ents to ensure that the citizens are getting this right regardless of the ethnicity, race, sex or religion of the concerned individual. It is this topic that has given rise to a debate between the government officials and the people who are concerned with privacy. While the government may be able to stop national threats, it’s not worth our personal privacy being violated and invaded like airport security groping young children, our personal information no longer being private and unnecessary video monitoring and surveillance. In 1787 Alexander Hamilton wrote that ‘to be safer, nations at length will become willing to run the risk of being less free’. This statement clearly means that national security threats at one time will be averted at any cost even if it harms the basic democratic rights of the citizens. With time it has been noticed that the statement was quite right as privacy has been denied to many individuals regardless of their association with any te rrorist group. Previously privacy was considered as a privilege by the citizens which they could enjoy at any given cost however things have changed in the days today as the government is the sole authority which decides about the rights of individuals. In order to analyze a person the governmental bodies are using different methods through which their private data is being maintained. This data is then being used to identify the patterns or acts of the individuals and this whole process is known as data mining. If not legal, it is the moral responsibility of the government to maintain the privacy of all of its citizens, this being one of their basic rights. In some instances it is seen that the government does not apply limitations when they have to reach out to certain people. These acts include the new airport checking system which is harming the privacy of the individuals entering in different countries (U.S & Minow 2004). The rights of individuals to privacy has many benefits i n itself. It protects the individuals from discrimination which may be done on the basis of the information that the authorities receive from them. And hence it can be said that the right to privacy can eliminate the social divide which may be created otherwise. Privacy of individuals

Qualitative research Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Qualitative research - Coursework Example Basically, it enables people to comprehend social structures and how certain complexities can be overcome. Another paradigm applied in interpretivism is assumptions; the concept of assumptions in interpretivism entails a scenario where issues have to be examined holistically to facilitate individuals to understand their structures and functionality (Walsham, 1993). There is also the paradigm of positivism, which is basically a scientific approach. Positivism entails utilization of mathematical data as a means to gain greater insights of social dynamics. The corpus of solipsism entails a scenario whereby one believes in the existence of his own mind as the valid and reliable source of information (Teensma, 1974). Philosophers have also argued that it is a theory that believes in one’s own existence. Heshusius, L., & Ballard, K. (1996). From positivism to interpretivism and beyond: tales of transformation in educational and social research (the mind-body connection). New York: Teachers College

Role of education in changing gender relations and empowerment of Literature review

Role of education in changing gender relations and empowerment of women - Literature review Example This essay "Role of education in changing gender relations and empowerment of women" outlines the role of the schooling and equal rights and attitude to both genders in society. Findings from Wajcman (2013: p29) show that there is a complex relationship between overall education rates of penetration in countries and differences between these rates in men and women. A report on statistical analysis of various developed and developing nations found that relationships between overall literacy divide and gender divide is tenuous and is not supportive of the argument that literacy and gender move together. This shows that there is a need for the disentanglement of social aspects of education access from others that are more related to physical access. Groups with power and privilege normally leverage this combination of social and physical access in different ways, as compared to marginalized and vulnerable groups (Wajcman, 2013: p29). Most experts argue that the ethnocentric western way in which educational empowerment is interpreted does not take into consideration the social and historical contexts within which education is used and accessed. Time for women is a vital resource whose supply is short and, therefore, any educational solution that seeks to improve women’s lives and improve their choices and empowerment should be seen as accessible and relevant means to improve efficiency, instead of as an additional load to their already numerous responsibilities (Wajcman, 2013: p29).... Gender differences in education are variously described as rooted in perceptions and attitudes concerning education. For example, time for women is a vital resource whose supply is short and, therefore, any educational solution that seeks to improve women’s lives and improve their choices and empowerment should be seen as accessible and relevant means to improve efficiency, instead of as an additional load to their already numerous responsibilities (Wajcman, 2013: p29). Beyond the leisure time for women away from productive and reproductive tasks, which is limited, women usually do not have the required mobility to go to school, which may be symptomatic of carious socio-economic factors, safety precautions, and cultural restrictions. Improved education and literacy are linked with correlated improvements in participation in global and local communities, as well as in individual empowerment. According to Kane (2005: p78), women living in developing nations are in the deepest po rtion of the education divide and are increasingly removed from this experience by their male counterparts who share their poverty. Factors that are engendered, such as language, constraints of time, income, cultural contexts, and education, affect the access by women to employment, education, and to academic institutions. The limited access to education by women comes from illiteracy barriers, time constraints, and preoccupation with their survival in oppressive and egalitarian socio-cultural practices and norms, the predominantly urban nature of the academic facilities, and its high costs (Kane, 2005: p78). Therefore, literacy and education are

Literature Review On Crafting Strategy

Literature Review On Crafting Strategy Recent business environments require quicker and more adequate decision-making by firms than ever before. Because the environmental changes are extremely large, the decision makers may confront difficulties in predicting their futures. The concept of a strategy based on a purpose-oriented approach provides original strategic alternatives. Because the concept of strategy is generally abstract, there exist many perspectives with respect to its formation and implementation. In fact, scholars and practitioners comment on the diverse aspects of strategy, such as, there is no single, universally accepted definition of corporate strategy by Pettigrew (1987a). However Mintzbergs has done a serious number of researches backing up his theory on Crafting Strategy as a potential strategy progress with loads of valid conclusions. Introduction: The present Critical Literature Review sets to explore the challenging task of envisaging, conceiving, and realizing crafting strategies by proposing a deep critical evaluation of the subject. Along the way the essay will compare and contrast different authors views on an issue, criticise aspects of methodology, note areas in which authors are in disagreement, highlight exemplary studies, highlight gaps in research, show how Mintzbergs study relates to previous studies, show how his study relates to the literature in general and conclude by summarising what the literature says. History Literature on strategy emergence has a long history (Bower, 1970; Bower and Doz, 1979; Burgelman, 1983; Quinn, 1978, 1980, 1982; Nelson and Winter, 1982; Mintzberg, 1978, 1987; Mintzberg and Waters, 1984, 1985, 1990; Prahalad and Hamel, 1990; Pettigrew, 1985). The process view of strategy has been revived in the Eighties by Mintzberg work on Crafting strategy (1987), and later by the work of Hamel and Prahalad on Strategic Intent (1996). Many of them share a common view on the theory and practice of strategy as they generally agreed, strategy is a plan to be executed in the future to achieve specific objectives. However, this view of strategy is limited and potentially dangerous because it obscures the rich and paradoxical nature of the wider concept of strategy, and it can result in significant opportunities and danger signs being overlooked. (Mintzberg, 1987) Overall strategic observation: Mintzberg, Alilstrand and Lampel (1998, p.9) have even encapsulated the paradox of strategy with the following observation: Most people, managers and as above mentioned academics define strategy as a plan, or something equivalent a direction, a guide or course of action into the future, a path to get from here to there. However as it has been stated above this is potentially dangerous. Strategy, therefore, according to Mintzberg should be viewed as a combination of the actions that are intended to result in anticipated business outcomes; and the actions that emerge as a result of the many complex activities that are undertaken within an organization. Thereby strategy become a process itself, one that involves the co-evolution of discourse nature individual and society. Drawbacks of certain strategic approach uncertain future How to create and develop the perfect strategy has been the question of managers, business owners, military commanders and even individuals for ages. This simple question seems to be fundamental for strategic management, but there are still surprisingly few answers in strategy research. Numerous academics and managers states that the optimal way to approach the perfect strategy is by attempting to predict a foreseeable future, making decisions in advance, and controlling the realization of strategic plans (e.g. Rumelt, Schendel, and Teece, 1991, 1994). However as there are as many potential futures as companies a single formal strategy plan cannot be used especially when it is based on prediction. Although any company that cannot imagine the future is unlikely to be around to enjoy it. Strategic managers living in the here and now, and only concerned about the next quarter, will fail at the task of imagining the future (Hamel and Prahalad, 1996: 242). Diverse benefits In recent years there has been a growing body of opinion amongst scholars in the field of strategic business management that some of the central tenets of classical strategic theory are no longer as appropriate as they might once have been (Thompson, 1967; Westley and Mintzberg, 1989; Whittington, 1993; Mintzberg, 1994; Hamel and Prahalad, 1995; Camillus, 1996; Hamel, 1996; Kouzmin et al., 1997; Mainwaring, 1997; Mintzberg et al., 1998; Kouzmin and Jarman, 1999; Parker, 2002). Several studies have confirmed that managerial choice and design of strategy in terms of planning and analysis activities are beneficial in decision and strategy making (e.g. Dean and Sharfman, 1996; Miller and Cardinal, 1994) and other studies have identified beneficial supplemental strategic planning practices, such as programmed conflict approaches (Schweiger, Sandberg and Rechner, 1989) and implementation tactics (Nutt, 1987). However, there are conflicting evidence regarding the benefits of strategic planning (Boyd, 1987; Mintzberg, 1994; Pearce et al, 1987) and strategy goal and method consensus (Dess, 1987). Moreover, in practice, strategy-making sometimes seems to differ from the normative managerial choice, design and planning ideal. These differences are most evident under more complicated circumstances, in uncertain strategic decisions (Mintzberg et al 1976; Nutt, 1984), in firms with diverse and conflicting goals (Quinn, 1980; Pettigrew, 1973; Eisenhardt and Bourgeois, 19 88b), in unstable (Mintzberg, 1973; Fredrickson and Mitchell, 1984; Fredrickson, 1984) or fast changing environments (Bourgeois and Eisenhardt, 1988a) and in large and complex firms (Bower and Doz, 1979; Burgelman, 1983b). The fundamental divergence in these strategy process perspectives, compared to the traditional design view, is that under these conditions strategy process and action involve organizational learning (Mintzberg, 1990). Strategists learn from, and strategies are informed by implementation and experience, and interactions between various organizational levels (Burgelman, 1983a, b; Mintzberg, 1978; 1987; Mintzberg and McHugh, 1985; Pettigrew and Whipp, 1991; Quinn, 1980). An even more recent research supports Fredrickson and Mitchell above mentioned statement that the business landscape is neither stable nor predictable, making prediction and control very difficult (e.g. Burgelman, 2002; Hamel, 2000; Mà ¼ller-Stewens and Lechner, 2001; Leibold, Probst, and Gibbert, 2002) and by this statement and research they highly disagrees with (e.g. Rumelt, Schendel, and Teece, 1991, 1994) declaration. The actual strategy activities that form these strategic positions essentially remain unclear in strategy content research (Cockburn, Henderson and Stern, 2000). Conversely, strategy process views (e.g. Mintzberg, 1978; Johnson, 1987, 1988; Mintzberg and McHugh, 1985; Mintzberg and Waters, 1985; Pettigrew, 1977; 1985a, 1987a; Quinn, 1980) provide rich and systematic descriptions showing that strategy making involves a variety of factors and contextual influences, besides analytical exercises by managers in the centre as it has been identified in previous paragraph s. Strategy-making activities have also partially been specified, such as routines in decision processes (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, and Thà ©oret, 1976). Example: The business world is changing fast as it has been mentioned above. Lewis E. Piatt, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive officer (CEO), argues, Anyone who tells you they have a 5 or 10 year plan is probably crazy. With rapid change comes uncertainty. And with uncertainty comes risk and great opportunities. If the business bet big today, for example, they may fundamentally reshape an emerging market to their advantage. Or they may suffer losses that throw their company into bankruptcy. If they wait for the uncertainty surrounding a possible opportunity to disappear, on the other hand, they may avoid making some foolhardy mistakes or they may lose their first mover advantages to a more aggressive competitor. In choosing strategies under uncertainty, there are no easy answers. Yet many business strategists make it harder than it has to be, simply by relying on outdated strategic-planning and decision-making approaches states Lewis E. Piatt. These tried and true approaches, designed to optimize strategic decision making in predictable environments, systematically fail in times of high uncertainty, as it can be experienced today. On the other hand Foresight an accurate view of the future is essential in generating the best forecasts and making the right strategy choices like Rumelt, Schendel, and Teece argued. The typical process assumes that the strategists possess the foresight to translate their knowledge of the future into point forecasts of key value drivers. These point forecasts allow for precise estimates of net present value (NPV) and other financial measures, which, in turn, determine which strategy will deliver the highest return. In addition, the typical process assumes that a deep, analytical understanding of todays market environment and todays company capability ties is the key to developing foresight about the future. For example, industry analysis frameworks, like Porters Five Forces, are at the heart of most prototypical processes because it is implicitly assumed that understanding the microeconomic drivers of todays market environment is essential to understanding the strategies that will win in tomorrows ma rket. Welch sad its more important to imaginative than to be predictive. Imagination is one of the biggest corporate challenge of the last century. Its about developing a clear idea of what is going on around the company and taking advantage of that (Welch, personal communication, April 2002). Similarly to Welch, Mintzberg after carrying out over 20 fairly reliable researches clearly states that knowing the organization capabilities well enough to think deeply enough about its strategic directions is highly important, but knowing the strategic direction does not mean having a strategic plan or trying to predict the future and make decisions in advance to get to that goal rather it means that strategic plan will informally shape as a reflection of the environmental effects as they go on like Welch stated strategy is taking advantage of what is going on around the business. Kaplan highly supports Mintzberg theory and after carrying out valid and reliable researches over 30 businesses with Be inhocker he belives that successful companies only generate strategic plans to prepare their management team but real strategic decisions made in real time. When Mintzberg in his article recounts the events of leading players like Volkswagen over a certain period the dangers attaching to the biography apply. There can be little doubt that Mintzberg has accurately recorded events, but the interpretation of these events and the meaning of the actions that the companies took are affected by the authors personal paradigm. The reader is being invited to note the strategic techniques and to apply them to their own situation. Particular care has to be taken with idiosyncratic accounts, such as Townsend (1970) and Roddick (1991), where the distinctive character and personal style of the writer may make it difficult for ordinary mid or small business managers to apply the adduced lessons and techniques, dispassionate, objective assessment can be difficult when confronted with skilfully compiled accounts of past events. Apart from gathering developed and chronological lists and graphs of the most important actions taken by each organization, he us ed interviews and in-depth reports to study what appears to be the key point of change in each organizations strategy. Structured interviews pose specific questions to the interviewee, which suggests that the interviewer has an agenda formed by previous study which could weakened the validity of the source. The unstructured interview, on the other hand, gives freedom to the interviewee to talk about what they thought was important and interesting which could also result one point of view. In practice, interviews tend to be a mixture of both approaches, if only to avoid the risk of the interviewee losing the plot, but the free flow of ideas may reveal more than the subject intended. The more that is known about the period or the company under study, the better able the interviewer is to detect weak signals in what has been said and to follow them up. Although the evidence gained is somewhat weakened, it may be necessary to agree to anonymity, but Bower (1970) is an example of a powerful study conducted on an anonymous company and its managers. Evidence, then although often of questionable veracity, is the very stuff of history and the Mintzberg cannot apply purely scientific methodology to its interpretation. Wider knowledge of the period and the actors within it helps to develop a feel for the likely truth before going on craft and interpret the primary evidence. I have six honest working men Who taught me all I know Their names are: why and what and when And who and where and how (Rudyard Kipling). Kiplings little verse which is quoted above is a valuable guide to interpretation. These questions enable Mintzberg to press more information out of the assembled evidence. Similarly, when making a deduction, or gaining an insight, it is a good discipline to ask, What are my reasons for making this assertion? Analytical interpretation has to be disciplined, and conclusions only drawn when fully supported by evidence. It is at this stage that, the notion of crafting is most evident, as Mintzberg engages with the material in the search for insight and revelation, whilst maintaining impartiality and objectivity. Later on Mintzberg (1995) suggest that Chandler (1962) definition is the first modern definition of business strategy. If this definition were placed in the previous section on planning it would fit perfectly. Andrews (in Learned et al., 1965, p. 15) defines strategy similar to Mintzberg later theories: the pattern of objectives, purposes or goals and the major policies and plans for achieving these goals, stated in such a way to define what business the company is in and the kind of company it is to be. Andrews has defined strategy as a plan, one of the objectives of which should be specifically to define what business the company is in and the kind of company it is to be. This caveat, that at least one task must be achieved, is perhaps the first generic strategy! A strategy is the pattern or plan that integrates an organisations major goals, policies, and action sequences into a cohesive whole. A well formulated strategy helps to marshal and allocate an organisations resources into a unique and viable posture based on its relative internal competencies and shortcomings, anticipated changes in the environment, and contingent moves by intelligent opponents (Mintzberg et al., 1995, p. 7). This definition describes strategy as a plan or alternatively as a pattern. The concept of strategy as pattern is an idea that Mintzberg uses often (Mintzberg and Waters, 1985; Mintzberg et al., 1998). Mintzberg et al. (1998, p. 9) develop the concept of strategy as pattern with further concepts that they describe as the Five Ps for Strategy; Plan, Pattern, Position, Perspective and Ploy. Here, it is suggested that strategy is often described as a plan but when managers are asked what they actually did, they describe strategy as a pattern, or repetition of actions taken in previous years, that is subsequently adjusted to meet current criteria. Hence, strategy as a plan is looking forward and strategy as a pattern is looking backward; that is, relating to past behaviour. Both ideas have relevance, because planning would be impossible without looking forward and backward. In addition, Mintzberg et al. (1998, p. 13) suggest that it is also important to look inward and outward and up and down, which they describe, respectively, as strategy as a position and as a perspective, namely an organisations fundamental way of doing things. Their fifth concept, strategy as a ploy, treats it as a specific action designed to outwit an opponent or competitor. However, it is possible that this concept is more closely related to tactics than to strategy. The five Ps of Mintzberg et al. (1998) provide additional viewpoints for looking at strategy. However, their views add very little to the mainstream ideas of other scholars who believe that, in some significant fashion, strategy is intimately related to planning. Apart from Mintzberg 1987 article there are other similar approaches both in strategy content and process views (e.g. managers as architects, Andrews, 1980; formulating strategy as a creative act, Christensen et al., 1982; managers as craftsmen, Mintzberg, 1975; or strategy creation as craft thought and action, Mintzberg, 1989) Although there are several authors with a different point of view on Craftmen strategy like Rumelt, Schendel, and Teece as they do not consider managers are craftsmen.

Cherokee Phoenix Essay -- American History Journalism

Cherokee Phoenix In the early nineteenth century during the presidency of Andrew Jackson and the debate of the Indian Removal Bill came one of the most important accomplishments of the Cherokee Nation, their own newspaper written in their own language. This experiment in Indian journalism began on February 21, 1828 in the Cherokee capital of New Echota. The paper employed a minimum staff of three to four people throughout its duration, often dismissing and rehiring printers. However, the most noteworthy of these were the people who first employed by the paper: journeyman printer John F. Wheeler, printer Isaac Harris, and editor Elias Boudinot. These men helped to further Cherokee nationalism by using a simple syllabery script, developed by a mixed blood Cherokee named Sequayah, that allowed the Cherokee language to be written. The Phoenix was not only printed in Cherokee but also in English, for the non-Cherokee reading Indians as well as white subscribers who lived in Boston, New York, Richmond, Charleston, Nashville, Mobile, and Augusta. However, subscribers did not just receive an example of written Cherokee in this first installment, they were also provided with a list of what the Phoenix reader could expect from all the future issues. 1. The laws and public documents of the Nation. 2. Account of the manners and customs of the Cherokees, and their progress in Education, Religion and the arts of civilized life; with such notices of other Indian tribes as our limited means of information will allow. 3. The principal interesting news of the day. 4. Miscellaneous articles calculated to promote Literature, Civilization, and Religion among the Cherokees. .. ...to cede tribal territory in exchange for $5,700,00 and land in Indian Territory, and later several of that group were assassinated. In August of that same year Stand Watie of the Georgia Guard confiscated the Phoenix’s abandoned printing press, while federal troops began to forcibly evicting the Cherokees. Approximately one thousand escaped to the North Carolina mountains, purchased land and were incorporated into that state. The Phoenix became a principal voice for the nation, and met its goals by documenting their constitution, laws, and ongoing experiments in Jacksonian democracy. The paper was a religious journal that helped to convert Cherokees and inspire new religious thinking. The Cherokee Phoenix was also a proud voice for the cultural advancement and developing of the Cherokee people, sadly Phoenix was not a strong enough voice against removal. Cherokee Phoenix Essay -- American History Journalism Cherokee Phoenix In the early nineteenth century during the presidency of Andrew Jackson and the debate of the Indian Removal Bill came one of the most important accomplishments of the Cherokee Nation, their own newspaper written in their own language. This experiment in Indian journalism began on February 21, 1828 in the Cherokee capital of New Echota. The paper employed a minimum staff of three to four people throughout its duration, often dismissing and rehiring printers. However, the most noteworthy of these were the people who first employed by the paper: journeyman printer John F. Wheeler, printer Isaac Harris, and editor Elias Boudinot. These men helped to further Cherokee nationalism by using a simple syllabery script, developed by a mixed blood Cherokee named Sequayah, that allowed the Cherokee language to be written. The Phoenix was not only printed in Cherokee but also in English, for the non-Cherokee reading Indians as well as white subscribers who lived in Boston, New York, Richmond, Charleston, Nashville, Mobile, and Augusta. However, subscribers did not just receive an example of written Cherokee in this first installment, they were also provided with a list of what the Phoenix reader could expect from all the future issues. 1. The laws and public documents of the Nation. 2. Account of the manners and customs of the Cherokees, and their progress in Education, Religion and the arts of civilized life; with such notices of other Indian tribes as our limited means of information will allow. 3. The principal interesting news of the day. 4. Miscellaneous articles calculated to promote Literature, Civilization, and Religion among the Cherokees. .. ...to cede tribal territory in exchange for $5,700,00 and land in Indian Territory, and later several of that group were assassinated. In August of that same year Stand Watie of the Georgia Guard confiscated the Phoenix’s abandoned printing press, while federal troops began to forcibly evicting the Cherokees. Approximately one thousand escaped to the North Carolina mountains, purchased land and were incorporated into that state. The Phoenix became a principal voice for the nation, and met its goals by documenting their constitution, laws, and ongoing experiments in Jacksonian democracy. The paper was a religious journal that helped to convert Cherokees and inspire new religious thinking. The Cherokee Phoenix was also a proud voice for the cultural advancement and developing of the Cherokee people, sadly Phoenix was not a strong enough voice against removal.

Korean wave Essay -- Business, Consumption, Globalization

One Strand of the cultural homogenization argument emphasizes the global reach of consumerism, for which possession of something is a most powerful trait in most human beings. From the perspective of what food preferences are, how people dress, to what music people listen to, how it can pattern every aspect of out lives in contemporary society. In consumerism, this essay will analyze the various theories on consumerism and weight up their pros and cons for offering Ð ° logical conclusion. The consumer products, commodities, enable people to share a sense of pleasure, feeling, taste, feel, and excitement creating the personal expression and satisfaction. This is based on set of beliefs, the first being the idea that consuming goods is natural, and bÐ µnÐ µfÃ'â€"cÃ'â€"Ð °l for Ã'â€"ndÃ'â€"vÃ'â€"duÐ °ls and societies, the second being the idea that everything can be sold or bought for Ð ° monetary value. These two attitudes were historically new and began around the 1750's in the most economically advanced countries such as Holland and BrÃ'â€"tÐ °Ã'â€"n. (Alan J. Kidd and David Nicholls, 1999) Taking it for granted, what would be consumption then? Firstly, consumption was not new. It began with the ‘lÐ µÃ'â€"surÐ µ classes’. They were aristocracies, who had Ð ° monopoly on wealthy and whose main way of life was one of continual consumption. These ‘leisure classes’ displayed what is known as conspicuous consumption. In other words, they displayed thÐ µÃ'â€"r consumption tests and values to others. This is still going on in modern societies; take for instance, current wealthy people who will buy expensive and luxury vehicles to display thÐ µÃ'â€"r economic capital stages. In the development of consumption into modern scale consumerism, as seen, consumption was predominantly restricted to the wealt... ...f studies done into the effects of the introduction of fast shops in the developing world. This leaves people with the final question. Does consumerism affect every aspect of everyday lives? Consequently, people are apparently living in Ð ° society, which function through efficiency, predictability, calculation, and control. It seems every aspect of people's lives from watching television, to driving or catching the taxi into work is now standardized. Whatever goods wÐ µ now buy has already been processed. In a broad sense, it is obvious that progress of reverse flow, hybridization, and fragmentation is quite as strong as the push towards mass homogenization in globalized consumer societies. This begs the last questions, will there ever be Ð ° limit to consumerism? Will there ever come Ð ° point where it is too much?

Top brands

Division of the technology brand on the basis of those who have strong consumer facing brand and those who do not have as Google and other technology brands like Apple and Samsung generate a lot of attention compare to non-technology brands. For few brands which have consumer products, consumer experience plays an Important role. Google with its various application such as maps, translation. Voice services and more is one of those brands for which consumer experience plays an important role. 2.Apple: Apple being a technology brand creates a lot of attention which goes a long way in establishing Itself as the number two brand behind Google. It attracts a lot of commentary, Like Google do, with Its desirable mainstream products as well as their more experimental efforts Like wearable. Firms Like Apple and others shape the bar for what a digital experience for any consumer to be. Collaborations and acquisitions also help Apple grow both as a brand and value. Barberry's collaboration wit h Apple for taking images for its catwalk with the latest ‘phone. 3. MOM: The number third position Is again occupied by a technology company, MOM.Marketing has evolved at an unprecedented rate, the consumer behavior is changing at a blink of an eye, brands are bigger than ever, competition is global, for this purpose you need platforms or software that can keep you in the game for long run, tools which can be incorporated into ever more comprehensive platforms of business software by companies such as IBM and other technology giants. As Microsoft is a very old and well established brand it occupies number four position in the ranking. Through its salient features (coming to mind spontaneously) it has a wide acceptance in terms of reliability and functionality.The rapid rises in brand value and the fluctuations with Apple declining and Microsoft rebounding is testimony to the fact of extraordinary rate of industry maturation and innovation happening simultaneously. Few brands with powerful tagging attract the consumer. The most successful technology brands are those that constantly push brand life cycle to the right. Brands see through the cloud and turn planning into action. 5. McDonald: With a brand value $85,706 million, McDonald occupies the fourth position in the ranking. It is also a salient brand when one thinks of fast food with quality and one which impacts human health directly.McDonald slowed down in terms of brand value as compared to the year 2013 because of menu complications. Influence of other brands either makes the brand more innovative or competitive or makes it fall. 6. Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola is the only soft drinks firm in the top ten Global Brands. Salience in an important parameter for a brand to be consistently in the top brands of the world. If one thinks of fast food McDonald comes into mind and similarly when one thinks of soft drinks Coca-Cola comes to mind. As these brands impact human health any once regarding the same has an adverse effect on the brand as a whole.High brand contribution also plays an important role and helps in staying power. 7. Visa: Certain brands might be very strong compared to their competitors but the category as a whole might not be talked about much and one such category is Visa (credit cards). Financial services are driven by third party communications, consumer facing experimental commentary is minimal. But distinct from this trend Visa and other financial services giants such as American Express had success with consumer campaigns which reiterated the rewarding promise of the cards.We can conclude that campaigning might give surety and security to the customers. 8. AT&T: AT&T is a telecoms brand which occupies eighth position. The pressure and the competition is very tough in telecoms sector and this factor led only to a marginal increment of three percent over the previous year. Also contributing to this cut throat competition is the pricing distribution. In a category noisy with competitor claims, differentiating and services provided makes a huge difference as AT&T made similar points with its TV campaign â€Å"It's not complicated†. 9. Marlboro:With a brand value of $67,341 million Marlboro occupies the ninth position. The possible TV ads and radios in the world condemns. 10. Amazon. Com: Amazon. Com is the only retail brand among the top 10 brand of the world. It gives testimony to the service that it provides, and its foray into the Indian market with one day delivery concept that too free of cost is giving Jitters to Indian retail giants such as Flippant. Com. An online e-retailing firm wouldn't able to exist if it doesn't deliver what it promises and being in the top ten Amazon. Com gives reasons to believe its efficiency, effectiveness to the hilt.

Focus on Siemens AG Company

There is a state of ambivalence over bribery in organizations. Some people regard bribery as a type of pecuniary corruption since it involves the transfer of money or any form of gift aimed at altering the behaviour of the recipient (Dowling 2008). In deed the Black’s law Dictionary defines bribery as a form of crime that involves giving, offering, soliciting for or receiving any item that has value in order to manipulate the actions of a person or official performing a certain duty (Dowling 2008).In this case, what makes bribery bad is the fact that the person receiving the bribe may act in a manner that would be detrimental to other operations in an organizations or related organizations. Such operations may include substandard services in which the bribery is used to protect the parties involved (Dowling 2008). On the other hand, some people view bribery as an act that is part of development ambitions in organizations. For instance, Lemieux (2005) argues that many countries whose underground economies have grown could not be where they are today were it not for bribery.And this seems to be the secret behind many organizations such as Siemens AG, which have to deal with authorities in terms of taxation and other legal requirements. Along this line, Lemieux (2005) opines that it is often not possible, or it is very costly, for a company or an individual to escape the restrictions and other prohibitions that are prerequisites to operation of business. Lemieux (2005) also notes that bribery in organizations is a phenomenon that cannot be easily gotten rid of because it is perfectly impossible to enforce the measures required to maintain a bribery-free business environment.Instead, the stricter measures to stop bribery in many organizations only serve to amplify the phenomenon (Lemieux 2005). Cash bribes are often used as donations to many political parties, and non-cash bribes may also be used to seek support in certain business ventures. Thus, according to Lemieux (2005), there is a common dictum among organizations: bribe them (the authorities) if you want to do peaceful business. Siemens AG was a company of high repute as the largest engineering firm in Europe, but its image was clouded when it ventured into bribery in order to expand its operations (OECD 2005).As discussed in this paper, Siemens AG was involved in massive bribery deals both locally and internationally in a bid to maintain a good image of the corporation as a global leader in engineering (Economist. com). But as further discussed, bribery is not only expensive but also a phenomenon that can tarnish the name of a company given the fines that Siemens AG had to pay and the numerous apologies it had to make ( Economist. com). The company also had to suspend many of its staff who were allegedly involve in the bribery claims, thus slowing down its vigour in the market (Economist.com). This makes bribery a topic that is amenable to further discussion as to whether it is a mechanism to advance the operations of a business or it is a vice that should be abhorred by organizations if they want to be successful. The Siemens AG Bribery Scandals Siemens AG’s slogan â€Å"Be Inspired† of the mid-1990s was perhaps of the most inspiring slogans to have been used by leading organizations in the world (Economist. com). However, the inspiration later turned out to involve murky deals aimed at promoting the company globally.So did the managers of the company lack the inspiration to build the company or they were just inspired to build it using alternative means? Siemens AG’s managers were involved in mischievous ways of funnelling huge sums of money to corrupt leaders of many authorities and politician the world over (OECD 2005). The methods used in the bribery cases were just astounding. According to Economist. com, the company bribed its subjects with a lot of trust and candour that no one could figure out the vice in many business transa ctions.To facilitate the bribery operations, the company set up three â€Å"cash desks† in its offices from which the bribery operations were performed (OECD 2005). Company employees would bring empty suitcases to the desks, which would be filled with cash in a manner that could raise no suspicion. As a result of such deals, as much as â‚ ¬1 million or $1. 4 million was withdrawn at different times to facilitate securing of contracts for Siemens AG’s telecoms equipment division (OECD 2005).The cash desks for bribery deals operated on honour mechanisms and not many questions were asked about the operations, nor was proof documentation required (Economist. com). In addition, managers who made application for money from the company were allowed to approve their requests without following due procedures (Economist. com). In fact, by the year 1999 Siemens AG was openly claiming tax deductions to cater for bribes, and the dealings were recorded in accounts books as useful expenditure (Economist. com).In the context of the bribery deals, it is worthwhile to note that Siemens AG considered bribery as a business venture aimed at widening its scope of operations. As a matter of fact, Siemens AG spent about $67 million in â€Å"suitcases† between 2001 and 2004 (OECD 2005). Nevertheless, according to OECD (2005), the people involved in the bribery transactions felt confident about what they were doing and knew that there was nothing wrong. The point here is that bribery was considered as a normal activity that required no questioning.The seemingly conducive culture of bribery continued with illicit payments even after Germany had banned bribing of foreign officials in the year 1999 (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007). Thus, when Siemens AG listed its shares on United States’ New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 2001 and it was subjected to stringent American anti-bribery measures, the managers desisted from counting cash in office (Balzli, Decks tein & Schmitt 2007). Instead, they turned to the use of cash cheques to perform the same operations.The cheques were deposited in various accounts but the company did not keep records in its own books so that it could make more nefarious payments (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007). In order to disguise the underhand operations, Siemens AG managers outsourced most of its accounts works to â€Å"business consultants† so that no it would not be culpable in any secret operation would be unearthed (Economist. com). In bid to cover their operations further, the managers of the company used more eccentric mean to avoid being found (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007).When they authorised the bribery payments, they used removable sticky notes, which would be easily destroyed to conceal all evidence of any transaction (Fernando & Bellamkonda 2007). The sums of money transferred by the managers of Siemens AG were staggering. According to Balzli, Deckstein and Schmitt (2007), a total of $805 million was handed over by the company to foreign officials in bribes. The money handed out was aimed at ensuring that Siemens won as many contracts as it could in many foreign markets (Economist. com).In other instances, the bribes were meant to woo labour representatives in supervisory areas to support Siemens AG policies when they would obviously need to rejected (Fernando & Bellamkonda 2007). Along this line, Fernando and Bellamkonda (2007) note that the German government’s stance on bribery was perhaps a contributing factor in Siemens AG’s underhand operations. This is because many companies understood that the German law and even the law in many other OECD countries permitted bribery and even offered subsidies to companies in order to enhance their operations in spite of the huge sums of money given out in form of bribes.Implications of the bribery cases When the Siemens AG bribe scandals were unearthed between 2006 and 2007, it was dubbed the â€Å"$2 bill ion bribes-for-business scandal† (Bushan 2008). When the details of scandal spilled out, German authorities raised siemens AG’ s offices in Germany an further investigations were initiated in countries such as the United States, Italy, Greece, and Switzerland where the company hand major investments (Bushan 2008). What followed were court suits, apologies, and a general decline in the company’s performance.The first reaction by the company managers was a fallout in which the CEO, Heinrich von Pierer and head of the company’s supervisory board, known as Klaus Kleinfeld, resigned in spite of the fact that they were not directly implicated (Bushan 2008). On December 15 2008, Siemens AG agreed with its host country Germany and the United States to pay them $1. 34 billion in response to bribe charges (Dowling et al 2008). This ended a two-year inquiry that had been made by the German Government to Siemens AG officials all over the world.In the agreement, Siemen s AG paid â‚ ¬395 million to settle to the German Government’s inquiry expenses and a further $800 million as the charges raised by the United States Security Exchange Commission (Dowling et al 2008). In addition, Siemens AG pleaded guilty to flouting the United States anti-bribery laws, which resulted into a penalty of a further $1. 36 billion (Dowling et al 2008). In an attempt to recover the massive losses, Siemens AG sued eleven of its former board executives led by Heinrich von Pierer and Klaus Kleinfeld (Dowling et al 2008).The new management of Siemens said that the action was meant to seek compensation from the former managers for damages that the company incurred as a result of their wanton actions (Dowling et al 2008). Some of the damages that were inflicted on Siemens and which the company would take time to recover from included a fall in the company’s share price by 23 cent to â‚ ¬47. 15 on the Frankfurt stock market. In addition, Siemens’s st ock in the market plummeted by 56 per cent in 2008 (Dowling et al 2008). What the Bribery Scandal in Siemens AG means about Bribery in OrganizationsGiven that the law in Germany and other OECD countries was somehow supportive of bribery, the efforts by the German Government to investigate the bribery claims can be considered to have been aimed at dignifying international laws on trade and laws against bribery (Dowling et al 2008). This is particularly true since other countries such as the United States, Greece, Italy and Switzerland were involved. According to Lemieux (2005), countries usually support corporations that have significant influence on the magnitude of their gross national product, as was the case of Siemens in Germany.Here, the fact that the German government provided subsidies to Siemens AG to facilitate its bribery payments cannot be gainsaid and is a clear pointer that even the though the government reacted, its officials had been well aware of the underhand operat ions. The Siemens AG bribery case also points out the weaknesses in governments when it comes to dealing with giant corporations. It is particularly worthy noting that Europe is still miles behind the United States when dealing with corruption cases particularly bribery (Georgiev 2008).According to a further analysis in Economist. com, Siemens invited group of lawyers from a United States firm called Debevoise & Plimpton to represent it with the hope that doing so would make it win sympathisers and have its name cleared from the bribery scandal. Nevertheless, this move made things even worse as the lawyers carried out a private investigation that cost the company a further â‚ ¬204 million. Thus, according to Economist. com, an investigation by German investigators would not have unravelled as much.Although Siemens AG paid many fines, the amount of money cannot equal the damage it did to markets both locally and at the international level. Considering the fact that Siemens AG was used to paying bribes, the fines were just meant to polish the name of the company. Nevertheless, other companies lost several contracts due to Siemens AG’s bribery (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007). This perhaps is the worst effect of the bribery claims as companies that seemingly would have been more competent than Siemens AG were denied the chance to compete for tenders due to the bribe mask.This shows how unpopular companies are treated unfairly at the expense of pleasing giant companies, which have the ability to finance illegal operations. Siemens AG was able to influence market policies through bribery and this therefore leaves a question of whether the giant organizations of the world actually reach the top through excellent performance or through underhand deals as portrayed by firm. According to Economist. com, the confession by Siemens AG of involvement in bribery was triggered not by the fact that bribery is a vice in the organizational environment.Rather, it was due to the realization that the company was bound to lose a major market in the United States- which was firmly against the deals, as well as other markets in Greece, Italy, and Switzerland. A question that arises therefore is what would have happened had the bribery scandal not been raised in the public limelight. Would Siemens AG have been praised as a company that has roots all over the world and experiencing rapid growth to necessitate government subsidies, or would it have been criticised to have grown based on underhand operations?Probably the answer lies in viewing bribery a vice and not an incentive within organizations, and realizing that fair competition should not involve bribery. Conclusion Bribery in organizations is viewed with different standpoints depending on the effect it has on the respective organizations. For large organizations such as Siemens AG, bribery is seen as a mechanism to augment expansion since restrictions such as laws are avoided. Nevertheless, the adverse effects of bribery include massive fines against the organizations involved and a significant corporate damage as was realized in the case of Siemens AG. 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