Wednesday, August 26, 2020

The similarities and differences about buddhism between China and Research Paper

The likenesses and contrasts about buddhism among China and Japan - Research Paper Example idual decision for a specific religion isn't one of a kind perspective as there are a few impacts that cause one to follow the conviction of their precursors as a matter of course. It is just when one is sufficiently developed to think and contemplate upon the lessons that he either turns out to be increasingly passionate in his convictions or looks for new religions to fulfill his hunger for a strong arrangement of rules that he regards steady and good. Buddhism is one of the five most followed religions of the world. The idea rotates around the achievement of a condition of fulfillment or nirvana, through otherworldly turn of events, reflection and following up on standards of profound quality and shrewdness. The word Buddhism is made out of the word called ‘budhi’ that implies illumination or arousing. This implies the beginning of Buddhism as the enlivening of Siddhartha Gotama’s mind at 35 years old, somewhere in the range of 2500 years back. This man is currently known as Buddha and his objects of worship are offered appreciation by the devotees of Buddhism around the world. The idea of a maker or a God is excluded as the lessons of this religion, in this manner is doesn't rotate around reinforcing the bond between the maker and the people. Unexpectedly, it accepts that change is unavoidable and all together for an individual to accomplish a condition of otherworldly fulfillment he needs to act ethically and follow the lessons that are intended to assist him with living through his lifelonguncertainties without being faltered. The idea of Buddhism essentially begins with the excursion of Buddha and his way of edification. Buddha was conceived in an imperial family in today’s Nepal 2500 years prior. Not having seen any torment or uneasiness in his life, he lived calmly inside his family’s imperial nook. In any case, when he ventured out into the genuine word he saw scenes that were obscure to him, that of neediness, enduring and the brutal real factors of life. This episode made him set out to locate a decent lifestyle that was reasonable and neither one nor the other boundaries of destitution and extravagance. He was resting during

Saturday, August 22, 2020

The Scarlet Letter Essays (488 words) - English-language Films

The Scarlet Letter Infidelity, disloyalty, indiscrimination, ploy, and interest, all of which would make a phenomenal coming fascination on the Hollywood scene and most likely an entirely decent book. Include Puritan standards and composing styles, making it since a long time ago, drawn out, dull, wearisome, rest initiating, flatly foolish, and the final product is The Scarlet Letter. In spite of every one of these things it is viewed as a work of art and was an announcement of the period. The Scarlet Letter is an awesome and not really customary case of the great versus fiendish subject. What makes this a remarkable occurrence of good versus insidious is that either side could be viewed as it is possible that one. Hester could easily have been reasoned as insidious, or the miscreant, as she was by the townspeople. That is, she was sentenced for infidelity, a loathsome sin of the time, yet perhaps not even seen as criminal today. With respect to discipline, a sentence to wear a red An upon her chest, it would scarcely be thought about a weight or outrageous sentence in present day. Or on the other hand Hester can be viewed as defying a general public where she was constrained into a cold marriage and consequently she would be the hero, or young lady, by and large. Additionally the townspeople, the judges, and Chillingworth, Hester's genuine spouse, can be seen in the two lights. Possibly they can be seen as simply maintaining the law - she submitted a wrongdoing, they uphold the law. Then again are they going to extraordinary estimates, for example, needing to take Pearl, Hester's little girl, away in light of the fact that Hester has digressed from the standard, all to authorize an unjustifiable law that doesn't indeed, even apply to this circumstance? In spite of the fact that the subjects of the novel do have any significant bearing to significant issues in history and could have had impacts on the timespan, they were not extraordinary. During the occasions and in the Puritan people group this didn't have an enormous effect on anything. Without a doubt, they didn't need anybody submitting infidelity, most were executed whenever indicted, however it was definitely not something that annoyed their method of living in any changeless way. To an individual or gathering who was doing combating something in reverse in the Puritan culture, as were numerous things, this would have been a persuasive book and potentially a disclosure. To put it plainly, this book could have been uncommon; it had all the components of a magnificent book. Sadly, Hawthorne got himself a fairly huge thesaurus and included a bundle of careless drivel that mellowed out the high purposes of the book and developed the depressed spots. In numerous parts all he figures out how to achieve is to refresh the lives of characters, for the most part with immaterial bombast. Additionally by developing the imagery of the red letter umpteenth times he destroys it with the goal that the peruser needs nothing more to do with a stupid An on some lady's chest several quite a while back. Other than that, incredible book.

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Adaptation for Coping With Change

Adaptation for Coping With Change Adaptation is a term referring to the ability to adjust to new information and experiences. Learning is essentially adapting to our constantly changing environment. Through adaptation, we are able to adopt new behaviors that allow us to cope with change. How Adaptation Takes Place According to Jean Piagets theory, adaptation was one of the important processes guiding cognitive development. The adaptation process itself can occur in two ways: through assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation In assimilation, people take in information from the outside world and convert it to fit in with their existing ideas and concepts. People possess mental categories for information, known as schemas, that are used to understand the world around them. When encountering new information, it can sometimes be readily assimilated into an existing schema. Think of this as much as having a mental database. When information fits easily into an existing category, it can be quickly and easily assimilated into the database. However, this process doesnt always work perfectly, especially during early childhood. One classic example: imagine a very small child is seeing a dog for the first time. The child already knows what a cat is, so when she sees the dog she immediately assumes it is a cat. After all, it fits into her existing schema for cats, since they are both small, furry, and have four legs. Correcting this mistake takes place through the next adaptation process we will explore. Accommodation In accommodation, people also accommodate new information by changing their mental representations to fit the new information. When people encounter information that is completely new or that challenges their existing ideas, they often have to form a new schema to accommodate the information or alter their existing mental categories. It is much like trying to add information to a computer database, only to find that there is not a pre-existing category that will fit the data. In order to incorporate it into the database, you will have to create a brand new field or change an existing one. For the child in the previous example that initially thought that a dog was a cat, she might begin to notice key differences between the two animals. One barks while the other meows. One likes to play while the other wants to sleep all day. After a while, she will accommodate the new information by creating a new schema for dogs while at the same time altering her existing schema for cats. Not surprisingly, the accommodation process tends to be much more difficult than the assimilation process. People are often resistant to changing their schemas, particularly if it involves changing a deeply held belief. In Conclusion The adaptation process is a critical part of cognitive development. Through the adaptive processes of assimilation and accommodation, people are able to take in new information, form new ideas or change existing ones, and adopt new behaviors that make them better prepared to deal with the world around them.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Balkan Of World History - 1518 Words

If one was to ask the experienced historian Andrew Watchtel, author of the book â€Å"The Balkan in World History†, about the most peculiar aspect of East Central Europe, odds are, he would refer to its cultural layering. Watchtel use the term cultural layering to define the collage of cultures that have fused over time in this region. This cultural layering found in East Central Europe is reflected more evidently with the infrastructure, language roots, and religion of the Balkan area. The Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires were the ones that for diverse reasons left a more lasting impression in this area. To be more specific, by means of architecture, the province of Plovdiv, Bulgaria is the perfect example on how these three empires left†¦show more content†¦At last, the Roman set the Danube River as the empire’s limit or natural divisor from the northern European unconquered territories by building limes or fortified borders. As Rome added new provinces to the empire set Greek as the official language of the Eastern part and built infrastructure throughout the region. Before incorporating the Balkan Region into the empire, Latin was the only official language in the empire. However, the language used in the Balkans area was mostly Greek, so Romans decided set Greekas the the official language of the Eastern part of the empire. Jean Sedlar, author of the book, East Central European in Middle Ages, estimated that one reason of doing so may be because the Romans admired for the Greek civilization (Bideleux and Jeffries 1998, 42). Moreover, his conjecture may be correct, due to the fact that the Roman culture was based on Greek background. Therefore, most of the Eastern part of the empire used Greek as the official language, but the Dacia province was the exception where the Romanian developed, a romance or Latin derived language. One of the myriads of examples of Roman architecture can be reflected with the Plovdiv Aqueduct located in present day Plovdiv, Bulgaria or the Ancient Roman province of Thracia. Secondly, the Byzantine Empire, also referred as the Eastern Roman Empire expanded to parts of Eastern Central Europe as a measure of gaining control over the Holy Roman Empire. Byzantium was

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Realism Theory Of The War On Afghanistan - 1648 Words

There are, however, aspects that disqualify the realism theory in examining the War in Afghanistan. For example, realism explicitly applies to relations between nations and consequently, war between countries. This was not the case, since the war did and still does not involve conflict between America and Afghanistan. Rather the war was between America and the Taliban government that supported the infamous terror group, al Qaeda. For this reason, realist theory does not explain this highly controversial war. Another aspect that contravenes realism as an appropriate theoretical approach to understanding the War in Afghanistan is that fact that, America toppled the Taliban government within its first few months of the invasion. Realism cannot, as a result, explain why American troops and those of allied forces have not yet been pulled out of Afghanistan more than a decade after war started (Bird and Marshall 37). Another principal attribute that disqualifies realism in debunking the Afghanistan War is the fact that America made concerted efforts to gain support from the United Nations (UN) before commencing the invasion. This contravenes the assertion put forth by the realist theory that, a nation does not take the international system or organization into consideration when taking actions directed towards safeguarding its survival. The autonomous action stipulated in realism is particularly essential when a state is threatened and cannot afford to trust other nations. InShow MoreRelatedRealism And The Cold War843 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is Realism? Realism is defined in the book as a school of thought that explains international relations in terms of power. This basically means that realism is a political view on global issues that puts stress on both the conflict side and the competition side in the scenarios. â€Å"Realists tend to treat political power as separate from, and predomi nant over, morality, ideology, and other social and economic aspects of life† (Goldstein 44). Now after learning all this information about realismRead MoreLiberalism And The United Nations878 Words   |  4 Pagesprojection of how international relations ought to be; now, liberalism is a modern theory towards peace attained with a state’s ambition for dominance. â€Å"Self-interest† has two definitions in accordance to liberalism and realism. Liberalism considers the measure of power within states through stable economies, the possibility of peace and cooperation, as well as the concepts of political freedoms (human rights). Realism believes states are driven by competitive self-interest; international organizationsRead MoreRealism And The Theory Of Realism1939 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction The idea of Realism was unofficially was created in fifth century BC by Thucydides, and continued through Niccolo Machiavelli. This lead to the first official IR theory of realism in Thomas Hobbes, amd Hans Morgenthau, known as Classical Realist. From there Classical Realism evolved to the ideas of Kenneth Waltz, which brought along the ideas of neo-realism or structural realism theory. Then came offensive, defensive, and neoclassical realism. Overall the main idea of realism is defined by internationalrelationsRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Policies916 Words   |  4 Pagesin tune with the current international system and one that focuses on a foreign policy based on realism instead of a foreign policy based on idealism. In the following, I will look at the foreign policies of the current presidential candidates and I will discuss which policies are in tune with the current international system and which ones are out of tune with reality.†¨ Political realism is a theory of political philosophy that tries to explain political relations. It takes the assumption thatRead MorePower, Realism And Constructivism. Hoboken : Taylor And Francis920 Words   |  4 Pages (450)First Annotated Bibliography: Guzzini, Stefano. 2013. Power, Realism And Constructivism. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Guzzini (2013) defines the important features of international relations theories, which define the underscoring themes of â€Å"realism† as a dominant type of political methodology for American imperialism. Realism is a theory that relies heavily on the notion of self-interested and fear-based notions of protecting national interests, which the United States has utilized throughRead MoreThe Cold War And Initiation Of Neoliberalism Essay900 Words   |  4 Pagesframeworks including realism, liberalism, and idealism; furthermore, each has emerged into new schools of thought after the conclusion of the Cold War. The liberal school of thought has inherited many developments and new features since 1989. The ending of the Cold War and initiation of neoliberalism was expected to lead to a decline in conflict and result in a cooperating international system under the anarchic system. In addition, to the new features of liberalism, new features of realism (neorealism)Read MoreThe R ealist Theory Of The World Operates Within A State Of Anarchy1737 Words   |  7 PagesThe realist theory has been prevalent in history for much time, displaying its prominence ubiquitously in international relations. The realistic theory which has been examined and supported by philosophers such as Hans Morgenthau and Thomas Hobbes, concludes that the world operates within a state of anarchy. The states tend to strive and pursue for their own benefit and the primary objective for the states is survival and power. Therefore, an accumulation of resources and military is vital. MuchRead MoreThe United States Military Operations1694 Words   |  7 PagesUnited State (U.S) in Afghanistan was not justified considering soldiers and civilian’s causalities, the waste of time and equally so the mismanagement of resources. As a result, there are stupendous argument or proof to support these facts contradictorily; there are even stronger and amazing points of view that support the ju stifications of military presence by the U.S. in Afghanistan. The main reasons for the military operation by the U.S. in Afghanistan were to fight the â€Å"war on terror† and to weakeningRead MoreCompare and Assess the Three Alternative Theoretical Approaches to International Relations (Realism, Institutionalism, State-Society Approaches) in Terms of Their Ability to Explain Outcomes in the Issue-Area of War.1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe topic of war and peace has become an increasingly important area concerning international relations over the past decade. Wars varying from Russia’s invasion of Georgia, to the United States involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan placed war on top of international politics agenda. These wars, along with all other wars, are started for various reasons, which different international relations theories try to identify. Theories such as realism or institutionalism may have severely different views onRead MoreU.s. Unilateralism And Military Intervention Throughout The World901 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Realism as a theoretical international relations approach to the problem of U.S. unilateralism and military intervention throughout the world. An exanimation of the post-9/11 era of the Bush Doctrine will define the premise of â€Å"realism† as a valid international relations theory that defines the unilateral invasion of Iraq in 2003. This aspect of the Bush Administrations use of military intervention in the 2000s has continued to expand under the Obama Administration. The theory of realism is based

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Human Nature Free Essays

Ryan GoldrickMs. Willis/Period 7 September 21,2009Human Nature Essay Human Nature In the Anthology the authors wrote about many different complex characters. These characters showed great examples of human nature. We will write a custom essay sample on Human Nature or any similar topic only for you Order Now In my opinion, three of the best stories in the Anthology that had examples of human nature are How it Feels to be Colored Me, by Zora Hurston, The Necklace, by Guy de Maupassant, and The Rose that Grew from Concrete, by Tupac Shakur. These stories show how humans have different characteristics. These characteristics are determination, intolerance, and the need to have more than what they have. Zora Hurston, in How it Feels to be Colored Me shows how humans can be extremely intolerant. â€Å"Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the granddaughter of slaves. † This quote shows that humans are intolerant because she is picked on only because she is black and living in a white neighborhood. This quote is also saying that when ever Zora is feeling good about herself there will always be someone to put her back down. In my opinion being intolerant is a negative characteristic of a human’s nature. In The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant describes how humans always want more then they need or can have. â€Å"She had no dresses, no jewelry, nothing. And she loved nothing else; she felt herself made for that only. † In the previous quote she is obsessed with items that she can not afford to have. This shows that no matter how many accessories a human has there will always be something else that they want. In The Rose That Grew from Concrete, Tupac Shakur uses metaphors as an example of how humans can be tenacious and determined. â€Å"Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature’s laws wrong it learned 2 walk without having feet. † In that quote the author uses a metaphor to show how humans are determined to learn more. This quote is determination because it seems impossible for a rose to walk, yet the rose still strived to learn how to walk and achieved its goal. Without etermination to learn and invent new things humans would not be where they are today. To sum it up, the stories that we have read and discussed, How it Feels to be Colored Me, The Necklace, and The Rose that Grew from Concrete, revealed a variety of different characteristics that are part of human nature. Three of the main characteristics of a human’s nature contained within the readings I chose are intolerance, determination, and the need to have more than they are able to have. All in All, these characteristics have an enormous effect on where we stand today as humans. How to cite Human Nature, Papers

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Preventive Business Relations Contractual †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Preventive Business Relations Contractual? Answer: Introducation The issue in this problem deals with the deductibility of those expenditures, which occur at the end of business in general. The section answers to the query regarding the allowance of the taxpayer to receive deductions in the legal expenditures that are incurred after the termination of a business, in agreement with section 8-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997[1]. Section 8-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997[2] Taxation Income ID 2003/210 Placer Pacific Management Pty Ltd v. FC of T95 ATC 4459; (1995) 31 ATR 253 AGC (Advances) Ltd v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation(1975) The Taxation Income ID 2003/210, has the imperative decisions included in it, which deals with the deductions entitlements regarding the legal expenditures which occurs at the termination of any kind of business activities, which are stated under section 8-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997[3]. According to the taxation ruling, defined under the concerned section, the taxpayers should be entitled to receive allowable deductions in the legal expenses, which they incur at the end of their business activities, because the expenses are occurring after the termination of the business activities[4]. In the concerned case study, the taxpayer taken to be Waterside Pty Ltd operated a shipbuilding business in Brisbane, which they decided to stop shortly before the Christmas. The reason behind their cessation of their business activities is the onset of a recessionary situation. The new company, Waterside Investment Private Limited was formed shortly after the disposal of the previous assets. The new company compensated the workers for settlement after the parent company winded up. The case of the Placer Pacific Management Pty Ltd v. FC of T95 ATC 4459; (1995) 31 ATR 253, shows that the taxpayer involved in this case was a conveyor belt produces, who decided to sell the business to another party. The contract being of selling a portion, the company still handled the repairing activities, which originated from the system set up before the company was sold to another party[5]. The Federal Court referred to the verdict that was passed in the case of AGC (Advances) Ltd v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation(1975), to consider the allowable deductions for legal expenditures and then the court passed the verdict collectively. In this scenario, the expenses, which occurred in the last part of the year, were not considered to be included in the issue of the deductibility entitlement[6]. In the present case, the claim for compensation was in the outgoing form after the wind up of the parent business. Therefore, as suggested under the subsection 8-1 of the ITAA 1997, the company, Waterside Investment Private Limited, should be eligible to claim the deductions for the compensations, which were done to settle the payments of the winded up company[7]. Conclusion: The legal expenditures, as seen in this scenario, shall be taken to be eligible to deductions as the expenditures were incurred for settling the claims for the cessation of the business of the parent company. References Alstadster, Annette, and Martin Jacob. "The effect of awareness and incentives on tax evasion." (2013). Anderson, Colin, and Catherine Brown. "Mind the Insolvency gap: Lessons to be learned from audit expectations gap theory."Insolvency Law Journal22.4 (2014): 178-191. ato.gov.au, 'Home Page' (Ato.gov.au, 2017) https://www.ato.gov.au/ accessed 13 September 2017 Braithwaite, Valerie, ed.Taxing democracy: Understanding tax avoidance and evasion. Routledge, 2017. Brown, Christine, and Kevin Davis. "Taxes, tenders and the design of Australian off?market share repurchases."Accounting Finance52.s1 (2012): 109-135. Figot, Bryce. "Self-managed super: Deductible personal contributions: A critical trap!."Professional Planner72 (2015): 32. Jorgensen, Ron. "Division 7A structuring: The contortionist revisited."Tax Specialist20.3 (2017): 118. King, Margot. "Offshore hubs: Developments in multinational corporate tax anti-avoidance."Australian Resources and Energy Law Journal35.2 (2016): 142. Law.ato.gov.au, 'ATO ID 2003/1027 - Whether A Foreign Government Can Be Characterised As A 'Company' Where It Owns An Australian Resident Company That Carries On Commercia [1] ato.gov.au, 'Home Page' (Ato.gov.au, 2017) https://www.ato.gov.au/ accessed 13 September 2017 [2] ato.gov.au, 'Home Page' (Ato.gov.au, 2017) https://www.ato.gov.au/ accessed 13 September 2017 [3] Law.ato.gov.au, 'ATO ID 2003/1027 - Whether A Foreign Government Can Be Characterised As A 'Company' Where It Owns An Australian Resident Company That Carries On Commercial Activities In Australia' (Law.ato.gov.au, 2017) https://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?docid=AID/AID20031027/00001 accessed 13 September 2017 [4] Lignier, Philip, and Chris Evans. "The rise and rise of tax compliance costs for the small business sector in Australia." (2012). [5] Somers, Renuka, and Ashleigh Eynaud. "A matter of trusts: The ATO's proposed treatment of unpaid present entitlements: Part 2."Taxation in Australia50.3 (2015): 147. [6] King, Margot. "Offshore hubs: Developments in multinational corporate tax anti-avoidance."Australian Resources and Energy Law Journal35.2 (2016): 142. [7] Brown, Christine, and Kevin Davis. "Taxes, tenders and the design of Australian off?market share repurchases."Accounting Finance52.s1 (2012): 109-135.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Value Chain Model Essay Example

Value Chain Model Essay Int. J. Management and Enterprise Development, Vol. 3, No. 3, 2006 Porter’s value chain model for assessing the impact of the internet for environmental gains Nazim U. Ahmed and Sushil K. Sharma* Department of Information Systems and Operations Management Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306, USA E-mail: [emailprotected] edu E-mail: [emailprotected] edu *Corresponding author Abstract: The revolutionary potential of the internet promises to transform economic and environmental gains. By reducing the amount of energy and materials consumed by business, the internet stands to revolutionise the relation between economic growth and the environment. The internet is improving the capability to understand the science of environmental degradation and communicate that knowledge to public and private decision makers. It also helps decrease resource waste and associated pollution by improving the efficiency of economic activity and provides improved sensors and instantaneous telecommunications links to control pollution spillovers, better manage shared resources and reduce waste. This paper examines the impact and potential of internet-based technologies in the performance of important information and communication functions for resolving the environmental issues using Porter’s value chain model. Managerial implications of using the internet for environmental gains for SMEs are also discussed. Keywords: internet; digital technologies; environment; Porter’s value chain model. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Ahmed, N. U. and Sharma, S. K. (2006) ‘Porter’s value chain model for assessing the impact of the internet for environmental gains’,Int. J. We will write a custom essay sample on Value Chain Model specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Value Chain Model specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Value Chain Model specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Management and Enterprise Development, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 278–295. Biographical notes: Dr. Nazim U. Ahmed is a Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA. His research interests include environmental management, total quality management, productivity improvement, supply-chain issues and e-commerce. He has published articles inInternational Journal of Production Research, Journal of Operations Management, Journal of Business Research,Transportation Research,International Journal of Operations and Production Management,Information and Management,Information Resource Management,Management Decisions,Production and Inventory Management, Journal of the Academy of the Marketing Science, International Journal of Policy and Information, Computers and Industrial Engineering and other journals. Dr. Sushil K. Sharma is an Associate Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management, at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA. Co-author of two textbooks and co-editor of four edited books, Dr. Sharma’s research contributions have appeared in many peer-reviewed national and international journals, conferences and seminar proceedings. Dr. Sharma’s primary teaching and research interests are in e-commerce, information systems Copyright  © 2006 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Porter’s value chain model ecurity, ERP systems, database management systems and knowledge management. Dr. Sharma has wide consulting experience in information systems and e-commerce and has served as advisor and consultant to several government and private organisations including World Bank-funded projects. 1Introduction 279 Studying natural environment is always a complex exercise because natural environment is produced by combined interactions among geological, hydrological , biological and human social systems and is therefore one of the most complex systems. The complexity of issues involved in understanding the impact of the industrialised world on the environment requires an interdisciplinary approach. For example; ecosystem and natural resource management involves integrating scientific knowledge of ecological relationships within a broader policy and economic framework. Transportation issues often carry important implications for the environment (Anderson and Bateman, 2000). In this study, we are examining the impact and potential of internet-based technologies in the performance of important information and communication functions for resolving the environmental issues using Porter’s value chain model. Internet-based technologies offer the potential to improve pollution prevention and environmental monitoring; for instance, the capabilities and limitations of satellite and other remote sensing systems to scan ecosystems and enhance the effectiveness of monitoring large tracts of land (Benedick, 1991). Internet and related information technologies help to capture process and transmit information with far more ease and efficiency than in the past; they can play a role at each point of this process, improving both the quantity and quality of scientific understanding about pressing environmental problems (Dodson, 1995; Starik and Marcus, 2000). The internet, has also proved valuable in allowing multiple researchers to access and process data simultaneously thus multiplying the analysis capability. The Human Genome Project1 demonstrated this capacity through immediate online publication, making the code results available to all scientists over the internet (Bentley, 1996). Thus, the internet provides numerous avenues for collecting, distributing and analysing environmental information, making it available to greater numbers of researchers, reducing redundancy and increasing our capacity to understand the complex global ecosystem. The graphical capabilities of the internet help policymakers and others to ‘see’ and understand the sources of environmental degradation. Images, such as the ‘ozone hole’ or the impacts on agriculture of a doubling of global temperature, are becoming increasingly available on the web. Furthermore, an OECD study indicates that generalised use of internet retailing could eliminate the need for 12. % of retail-building space, saving the energy and materials needed to build, operate and maintain buildings (OECD, 1999) and product delivery from e-tailers, contrary to common opinion, may use 40% to 90% less fuel than if customers drive their cars to the mall (Romm, 1999). UPS expects to improve on these numbers by using the internet to fill what would otherwise be empty trucks as they make the return trip from a delivery. Added benefits from these efforts are reduced traffic congestion, air pollution and fuel use. Even larger gains can be had with products that can be digitised and delivered entirely online, like software, music, N. U. Ahmed and S. K. Sharma entertainment, and some consulting services (Wired, 1999). Along this line Egghead Software has closed all physical stores and moved to a completely online business model (Libert and Ribaudo, 1996). The internet helps in product life cycle through improved supply chain management. By using the internet to integrate customers, manufacturers and suppliers, wasteful over production and spoilage can be largely eliminated (Siekman, 1999). An Ernst and Young study estimates that internet applications could reduce inventories by 25% to 35%, while IBM estimates the savings could be as high as 50% (Romm, 1999). All of these study indicate that the internet could prove an important innovation for reducing environmental degradation. The internet has also helped reduce environmental impacts in agriculture, water pollution etc. The internet has served as an important innovation in facilitating what is called ‘precision farming methods’ that dramatically lower the amount of inputs needed for any given crop (Chong et al. , 2005). There are not many articles in current literature dealing specifically with the internet and natural environment. However, there are a lot of articles dealing with different aspects of environment from awareness to benefits, to strategy implementation and so on, which can be impacted by the internet. One of the questions of the past decade is how individual environmental concerns shape corporate environmental actions (Avila, 1993; Starik, 1995; Bansal and Roth, 2000). Bansal and Roth (2000) mentioned that personal concern and values could affect a firm’s environmental efforts in important ways. First, values and concern can help decision makers discriminate, identify, and prioritise (Dutton, 1997). Second, environmental concerns will induce some individuals to champion eco-initiatives (Anderson and Bateman, 2000; Lawrence and Morell, 1995). Third, a firm’s top management will be more proactive in their environmental effort if their value systems reflect environmental concerns (Dutton and Ashford, 1993). Environmental decision-making is also dependent on concerns of external stakeholders such as customers and suppliers (Johnson, 1998). It is logical that the internet can be used effectively to convey relevant information to different stakeholder group which in turn will make them more understanding of the need for sustainability. Positive economic impacts of environmental strategies are discussed by Porter and Van der Linde (1995) and Cordano (1993). Porter and Van der Linde suggested that by reengineering the production process, firms could reduce environmental impacts and simultaneously reduce the cost of inputs and waste disposal. Cordano (1993) proposed that revenues could be increased through green marketing, sale of waste products and outsourcing a firm’s environmental expertise. Additionally, there are suggestions in the literature that eco-initiatives will improve corporate image (Hart, 1995; Russo and Fouts, 1997). Here we can also use the internet to make business processes reengineering, marketing and other functions more environmentally friendly. Despite the potentially important role that the internet is playing in improving environmental activities at a macro level, little research has been performed to date that examines the factors that affect environmental supply chain management at a micro level. This paper examines the impact and potential of internet-based technologies in the performance of important information and communication functions for resolving the environmental issues using Porter’s value chain model. The intent of this paper is to examine the internet as a communication and information dissemination tool for resolving environmental issues at a macro and a micro level, and identify the eco issues and eco criteria using Porter’s value chain model. Porter’s value chain model 2Impact and uses of internet-based technologies at macro level 81 Internet-based technologies are providing fast, easy and cost-effective means through which to access, use, create and disseminate information. E-mail, which knows no geographic boundaries, provides a cost-effective method of communication with other similar organisations and individuals. E-mail also provides a means of direct access to government representatives. Listservs, which are focus group discussions d isseminated via e-mail, provide opportunities for individuals to join in conversations about timely, focused topics. Organisational webpages provide mechanisms through which environmental organisations can affordably disseminate information about themselves to a large, geographically dispersed audience. Additionally, there is much useful information and data on the web to further grassroots environmental activists’ causes, which have never before been freely and easily accessible. The ability to transport computer files over the internet allows for rapid distribution of timely information. The internet also provides access to free downloadable software. The internet is a unique medium because of its speed, low cost, easy capacity for forwarding messages and unlimited capacity (Frantzich, 1999). The various interest groups can easily converse with each other and present their collective voice to national and international organisations to further their environmental causes. Neighbourhood organisations can use internet-based technologies to communicate effectively within their own communities and across neighbourhoods to build and expand their intracommunity and intercommunity power base (Craig, 1998). Internet technologies facilitate a shift from representative democracy to a more direct democracy, as the technology provides the ability for wide range participation by people outside existing power structures (Grossman, 1995). To understand the significance of the impact of internet-based technologies on the information functions of grassroots environmental justice initiatives, two guiding concepts are suggested, borrowed respectively from the fields of sociology and political science. First, the internet breaks the insider/outsider dichotomy as related to the flow of information. Traditionally, insiders such as government officials have had privileged access to certain kinds of information and do not seek information and advice from citizen for various decision-making related to environmental concerns (Chatman, 1996). The internet appears to be breaking down this traditional insider/outsider dichotomy and political empowerment, and makes it possible for citizens to participate in environment-related policy making. The internet is changing the flow of political information and thereby changing the pattern of political participation (Hill and Hughes, 1998). Secondly, the internet allows direct communication, bypassing many information intermediaries and also substantially reduces the cost of communicating through space and time, allowing for greater organisation around shared interests, and allowing for a more heterogeneous base of participants in political processes (Pierce et al. 1992). Using the internet, the media, opposition politicians, environmental entities, individual citizens, community groups and other nongovernmental organisations, can easily obtain vast quantities of data on environmental results. Substandard performance by governments or companies is easier to spot. Transparency may also smoke out cases where special interests distort the policy process. Power, in the form of the ability to create and disseminate information, has been given to relatively powerless segments of society through the use of internet-based technologies (Zelweitro, 1998). N. U. Ahmed and S. K. Sharma Using the internet to connect satellite imaging and global positioning systems to digital controllers on farm tractors and harvesters allows the precise applications of fertilisers and pesticides to local conditions in the fields. The result is higher yields, quality and profits and at the same time much lower environmental impacts. Similarly, the forestry giant Weyerhaeuser is using digital maps and satellite imagery to classify forest type, age and health (Horrigan et al. , 1998). This information is delivered to field crews over the internet through handheld devices and laptop computers. The technologies allow forest managers to extract maximum value from precious natural resources while reducing the environmental damage. The various impacts of the internet to resolve environmental issues at the macro level are shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 indicates how internet-based technologies have been helping to improve environmentalism through various means at a macro level. Figure 1 The impact of internet-based technologies to environmentalism at macro level Communication medium Internet-based technologies are providing fast, easy, and cost-effective means through w h i c h t o a c c e s s , u s e , c r e a t e , a n d disseminate information using e-mail, listservs, websites and other web-based channels. Greater policy transparency and comparative analysis Using internet, the media, opposition politicians, environmental entities, individual citizens, community groups and other non-governmental organisations, can easily obtain vast quantities of data on environmental results. Sub-standard performance by governments or companies is easier to spot. Internet helps to provide more data driven decision-making. Dematerialisation, the substitution of physical materials with information The substitution of books, periodicals, s t e r e o s , v i d e o r e c o r d e rs , c am e r as , telephones, and answering machines and any other information oriented products by interest-based digital products. The impact of internet-based technologies to environmentalism at macro level Integration and coordination with governments, suppliers, customers, and competitors Internet technology is integrating and coordinating activities of governments, suppliers, customers and other competitors for environmental gains. 3The Porter’s value chain model Politi cal empowerment through internet technologies Internet is helping citizen participation through community organisations as a collective voice to local governments. Neighbourhood organisations can use internet-based technologies to communicate effectively within their own communities and across neighbourhoods to build and expand their intra-community and inter-community power base for environmental concerns. Internet-driven, web-based technologies have a tremendous impact on procurement, manufacturing, and distribution to significantly compress time and reduce costs throughout the supply chain (Benjamin and Wigand, 1995). To better understand the impact, we have mapped the environmental issues on Porter’s value chain model. In the later section, we have mapped the impact of the internet on these environmental issues (Porter and Miller, 1985). Our identification of environmental issues using Porter’s value chain model are detailed in Table 1. Porter’s value chain model Table 1 Identification of environmental issues using Porter’s value chain model Primary activities Environmental issues Eco-performance criteria A-criteria In-bound logisticsReturnable containers Percentage of returnable containers Cost of returning the containers Amount of pollution due to non-returnable containers Percentage of returnable containers Operations Outbound logistics Efficient transport route Less pollutable transport mode Warehousing and storage space requirements Supplier relation Product Process Material Storage and warehousing Packaging Shipping Load-distance Amount of fuel consumption Amount of pollution generated in transport mode Amount of fuel consumption Amount of storage space needed to per unit of output Percentage of outputs using JIT Number of suppliers who has environmental programme Number of supplier ISO 14000 certified Number of suppliers on JIT Service life Percentage of output recycled Percentage of output reused Amount of waste generated per hour of use Decibel of noise Amount of toxicity Time to degrade Amount of raw material needed Amount of energy needed per unit of output Amount of pollution generated per unit of output Percentage of production related waste recycled Percentage reduction in production elated waste Amount of hazardous material Percentage of substitution for hazardous material Warehousing cost per unit of output shipped Pound of material used in packaging Percentage of degradable material in packaging Percentage of packaging recyclable Load-distance Fuel consumption per mile per item Amount of fuel consumption Amount of fuel consumption Percentage of output using JIT Number of suppliers who has environmental programmes Number of suppliers on JIT Service life Percentage of output recycled Time to degrade Amount of raw material needed Amount of pollution generated per unit of output Amount of energy needed per unit of output Percentage substitution of hazardous material Warehousing cost per unit of output shipped Pound of material used in packaging Percentage of packaging recyclable Fuel consumption per mile per item N. U. Ahmed and S. K. Sharma Table 1 Identification of environmental issues using Porter’s value chain model (continued) Primary activities Environmental issues Eco-performance criteria A-criteria Marketing and sales Service Communication of environmentally friendly product offerings Value added service in the environmental area Environmental awareness and audit Percentage of total advertising expenditure for environmentally friendly products Percentage growth of sales of environmentally friendly product Percentage of market research dollars environmentally friendly products Total dollar amount of environmental value added service provided Number of customers provided with environmental value added services Number of environmental value added offerings Number of customers on environmental audit programmes Percentage of customers on recycling programme Percentage of total advertising expenditure for environmentally friendly products Total dollar amount of environmental value dded service provided Percentage of customers on recycling programme Support activities Product take backPercentage of product take-back Percentage of customers on take-back programme Cost per unit of product take-back Percentage of product take-back Procurement Human resource development Environmental purchasing Environmental training and awareness Number of suppliers wh o has environmental programme Number of supplier ISO 14000 certified Number of suppliers on JIT Percentage of employees trained in environmental programme Percentage of employees participating in environmental programmes Number of suppliers who as environmental programmes Number of suppliers on JIT Percentage of employees participating in environmental programmes Technological Environmental auditNumber of employees trained in environmental audit Number of employees participating in environmental audit Waste reductionNumber of units or plants using Number of employees participating in environmental audit Percentage change in development technology Recycling technology Energy reduction technology waste reduction technology Percentage change in waste reduction in last five years Number of plants or units using recycling Percentage of output recycled Percentage of units or plants using energy reduction technology Percentage of total energy reduction in last five years waste reduction in last five years Percentage of output recycled Percentage of total energy reduction in last five years Porter’s value chain model Table 1 Identification of environmental issues using Porter’s value chain model (continued) Support activitiesEnvironmental issues Eco-performance criteria A-criteria Infrastructure Reuse technologyPercentage of outputs being reused Number of products in the reuse programme Environmental policy Number of environmental initiatives nd initiativesin last three years Number of incentive schemes for environmental leadership Frequency of environmental audits EnvironmentalPresence of an environmental website Number of products in the reuse programme Number of incentive schemes for environmental leadership Frequency of environmental audits Percentage of employees communication Frequency of up-dates Percentage of em ployees using environmental website using environmental website Eco-criteria are environmental performance criteria that can be used to track the impact of environmental strategies or decisions in the value chain. For example, for inbound-logistics, one of the ways to achieve environmental efficiency is to use returnable containers. Several criteria such as the percentage of returnable containers, cost of returnable containers, amount of pollution reduction by returnable containers etc. , can be used as eco-criteria. Among several eco-criteria, which can be used to track impact of a strategy or decisions, some could be more important than others. For efficiency and simplicity one can use one or some but not all of the eco-criteria. These are called A-criteria. For the environmental strategy of using returnable containers, the A-criteria can be a percentage of returnable containers. 4Impact of internet technologies at micro level 4. 1 Inbound logistic: efficient transport and logistic management Internet-based technologies will enormously help the environment industry improve its value chain by conveying real-time information to ensure a product’s timely arrival. Information include raw materials to manufacturers, goods to distributors, products to retailers and purchases to customers. Retailers, customers, suppliers and manufacturers can now have immediate access to their supply chain information to track valuable shipping information (Rayport and Sviokla, 1996). Real-time information available to manufacturers and retailers will help them to manage their transportation and logistics resources more effectively. This would not only help for efficient transport routes and less pollutable transport mode but help to manage warehousing and storage space requirement with better efficiencies. Efficient package delivery by truck may replace at least in part inefficient personal driving to malls, supermarkets, bookstores and the like. The transportation sector is responsible for about one-third of US energy consumption today. The internet holds the prospect of reducing transportation energy intensity by replacing some commuting with telecommuting; replacing some shopping with teleshopping; replacing some air travel with teleconferencing; enabling digital transmission or e-materialisation of a variety of N. U. Ahmed and S. K. Sharma goods that are today shipped by truck, train and plane, including formerly printed material, software, construction materials, and the like; improving the efficiency of the supply chain and increasing the capacity utilisation of the entire transportation system. As traditional manufacturing and commercial companies put their supply chain on the internet, and reduce inventories, overproduction, unnecessary capital purchases, paper transactions, mistaken orders, and the like, they achieve greater output with less energy consumption. These things will have a larger environmental benefit than pollution prevention, especially in the energy-intensive manufacturing sector. The internet allows vastly superior supply chain management, which can dramatically reduce inventories, improve forecasting, and eliminate mistakes and wasted production. This would improve capacity utilisation, and holds the potential for increased material reuse. Avoiding overproduction, waste, and mistakes, and fostering material reuse, can have disproportionately large energy and environmental impacts. Web-based technologies enable buyer and supplier to operate more efficiently, as a result of visibility of orders throughout the entire distribution network. Transactional outsourcing for transportation, warehousing, packaging, and related activities is being replaced by network outsourcing, where these individual functions are managed integrally by a third-party provider. Also, the Logistics Management module helps companies transport goods more efficiently because suppliers and customers configure optimal truckload and delivery schedules. This reduces wasted truck (or other carrier) space, wasted time, and fuel mileage due to inefficient routing. 4. 1. 1 Warehousing and storage space requirements The internet-based technologies will enormously help the companies improve its value chain by conveying real-time information to customers, suppliers and manufacturers. This would help companies to accurately predict consumer demands and that will result into a reduction of excess inventories at the retail level by replenishing them on a just-in-time basis. This could decrease the space needed to store excess inventories, thereby minimising the environmental impacts of warehousing: the consumption of open spaces by warehouses; the materials used to build them; and the energy needed for heating, cooling and lighting (Stein and Sweat, 1998; Basile, 1998). The internet makes mass customisation possible because it facilitates information exchange between companies and individual customers. The internet and innovative production technologies are helping companies to manufacture products specifically designed for individual consumers. Customisation enables producers to manufacture the products that are needed by customers thus reducing product waste or slashing inventories by reducing stockpiles of soon-to-be obsolescent equipment and machines (Mathieson, 1998). For example; e-book or publishing on demand may eliminate the waste thus saving on paper and reducing printing and storage costs (Basile, 1998). Mass customisation could have profound environmental benefits for reducing the energy and Porter’s value chain model 4. 1. 2 Relationships Internet technology has enabled a firm to begin to extend the concept of its value chain to include all of the firm’s suppliers and business partners into a single web. This enables companies to work directly with companies around the world. One-to-one buyer-supplier relationships are quickly being replaced by interenterprise collaboration enabled by horizontal and vertical marketplaces. Defined products and services are giving way to dynamic, customer-configurable offerings, where products and services related to those products are bundled to meet the unique requirements of individual customers. In addition to efficiently balancing demand (orders) with supply (availability and capacity), effective demand and supply planning significantly impacts the bottom line. Optimisation of the planning process can drive revenue growth, reduce inventory investment, and lower operating costs. . 2 Operations Through mass customisation, manufacturers can formulate products specifically for individual customers: detergents that fit the cleaning needs of particular workplaces; pesticides that fit the insect population of specific localities, lawn-care products that fit the nutritional needs of unique landscapes; and cosmetics and personal hygiene products formulated to avoid a particular allergen or exposure to a particular chemical or chemicals (Schafer, 1997). Efficient product, processes and technology: e-materialisation Many of the materials such as newspapers, books, dictionaries and encyclopedias, periodicals, stereos, video recorders, cameras, telephones, and answering machines, are products designed to manipulate, store and transmit information. Similarly, many of our institutions, from the post office to the local bank, consume energy and materials by occupying structures that exist mainly to process information. As a technology for manipulating, storing and transmitting information, the internet can perform many of the same functions as these material objects, and in some cases much more quickly and conveniently. This substitution of bits and bytes for physical goods has been called ‘dematerialisation’. Dematerialisation through the internet helps not only to assimilate and communicate information, and conduct financial transactions online, but also has the potential to dramatically reduce the raw materials used in the production of goods, the energy consumed in manufacturing, and the solid waste generated by businesses and consumers. For example, the manufacture of film, processing chemicals, and photographic paper is a significant source of emissions of toxic chemicals such as ethylene chloride, methanol, acetone, toluene, chromium, selenium, and methyl ethyl ketone (US-EPA, 1994). Digital photography avoids the major environmental impacts of film manufacturing and photo processing. Few companies offer customers to receive and store pictures electronically, thus, enables broad distribution without any material required. Financial transactions performed via the web require far fewer material resources and none of the energy involved in moving information stored on paper to and from the home or office. It is estimated that electronic billing saves approximately 50 to 75 cents per bill in envelopes and postage, and another $1 in handling costs. N. U. Ahmed and S. K. Sharma The internet is helping companies and organisations to reduce energy costs and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by providing them with tools and strategies that can improve the environment, while increasing profits and productivity. E-materialisation of paper alone holds the prospect of cutting energy consumption by about 0. 25% of total industrial energy use. By 2010, e-materialisation of paper, construction, and other activities could reduce US industrial energy and GHG emissions by more than 1. 5% (Romm et al. , 2003; Romm, 1999). 4. 3 Outbound logistics Manufacturers invest large amounts of money in the design of packaging. The environmental costs of packaging are enormous. The packaging results into solid waste. Using internet for selling, and marketing products makes attractive pollution-causing packaging a less attrac

Friday, March 6, 2020

Free Essays on Pres Campaign 04

Executive Summary Once every four years the citizens of the United States vote on the president. This year President George W. Bush ran for re-election versus Senator John Kerry. Important issues in the presidential campaign include: the economy, abortion, education, health care, national and homeland security, the environment, and gay rights and same-sex marriages. For the most part, the candidates agreed on what the end result should be, but their plans of achieving the goals were different. President Bush believes that the economy will improve if his tax cuts are made permanent. He believes that the decision of Roe versus Wade should be reversed, and that marriage is sanctity between a man and woman, therefore he is against gay rights and same-sex marriages. Education, health care, and the environment are all areas that need improvements, whether it is by providing the proper funding or implementing new â€Å"rules and regulations.† Senator Kerry, on the other hand, believes that Bush’s tax cuts need to be readjusted to help the middleclass. Although, Kerry does agree with Bush on abortion and gay rights and same-sex marriages because of religious beliefs, he wants abortion to remain a woman’s right, and make acknowledgement and provide protection to those in same-sex relationships. Like Bush, Kerry recognizes the high need to change education, health care, and the environment, so that more people are able to benefit from them. In the end, it came down to who agrees with the candidates on abortion and same-sex relationships, and which polices were more favored by the people. This presidency campaign was definitely a close one, which President Bush squeezed out after Senator Kerry conceded Ohio. George W. Bush and John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential Campaign Once every four years an important decision is placed in the hands of the people, who will reign as president over the... Free Essays on Pres Campaign 04 Free Essays on Pres Campaign 04 Executive Summary Once every four years the citizens of the United States vote on the president. This year President George W. Bush ran for re-election versus Senator John Kerry. Important issues in the presidential campaign include: the economy, abortion, education, health care, national and homeland security, the environment, and gay rights and same-sex marriages. For the most part, the candidates agreed on what the end result should be, but their plans of achieving the goals were different. President Bush believes that the economy will improve if his tax cuts are made permanent. He believes that the decision of Roe versus Wade should be reversed, and that marriage is sanctity between a man and woman, therefore he is against gay rights and same-sex marriages. Education, health care, and the environment are all areas that need improvements, whether it is by providing the proper funding or implementing new â€Å"rules and regulations.† Senator Kerry, on the other hand, believes that Bush’s tax cuts need to be readjusted to help the middleclass. Although, Kerry does agree with Bush on abortion and gay rights and same-sex marriages because of religious beliefs, he wants abortion to remain a woman’s right, and make acknowledgement and provide protection to those in same-sex relationships. Like Bush, Kerry recognizes the high need to change education, health care, and the environment, so that more people are able to benefit from them. In the end, it came down to who agrees with the candidates on abortion and same-sex relationships, and which polices were more favored by the people. This presidency campaign was definitely a close one, which President Bush squeezed out after Senator Kerry conceded Ohio. George W. Bush and John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential Campaign Once every four years an important decision is placed in the hands of the people, who will reign as president over the...

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

The Rise of Mass Communications SLP Research Paper

The Rise of Mass Communications SLP - Research Paper Example After this project, Mr. Robinson is commissioned by the US State Department through the television series â€Å"Air Waves.† The aim of the project is to discourage Islamic fundamentalism and improve the relationship between the Khmer and Cham Muslim communities. The project is also geared as an pre-emptive measure in discouraging the creation and development of Islamist sympathizers in the Muslim population of Cambodia. The second series garnered around four million viewers for its entire run. Mr. Robinson’s third project, entitled â€Å"Time for Justice,† aims at introducing Cambodian locals to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia (ECCC) (in cooperation with the Cambodian government and the United Nations) – a chamber that prosecutes senior members of the Khmer Rouge. The third series is such a success that the British Embassy financed a larger fourth project, â€Å"Duch on Trial.† According to Mr.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Nestle and the Global Issue of Water Supply Case Study

Nestle and the Global Issue of Water Supply - Case Study Example This paper will identify the feasibility of social responsibility programs and the ethical elements to be considered while entering a new market segment. 1. The case study indicates that the Nestle faces a series of challenges associated with corporate responsibility while planning its international business expansion. Nowadays, a number of international organizations are working toward the protection of various human rights and environmental sustainability. As part of their global operational strategies, some organizations strongly argue that access to water is not a matter of choice; on the other hand, it is a basic human right which insists that water should not be bought and sold. Hence, Nestle considers water supply as one of the most serious issues to be resolved in relation to its position in the global bottled market. In order to overcome such issues, the company has recently planned several social responsibility programs in its marketing strategy. By practicing social respon sibility programs as part of marketing strategy, a company can attain a number of potential advantages. Today, a company cannot continue its sustainably profitable operations unless it practices some sorts of corporate responsibility policies. In the opinion of DuBrin (2008), the most potential advantage of social responsibility is that it aids organizations to achieve a good market stature which sets them apart in the competitive business world (pp.100-101). In addition, such strategies may assist companies to comply with government regulations as well as the norms of other non-governmental public welfare organizations. Finally, the concept of corporate social responsibility would be helpful for a company to convince its clients that it has taken all initiatives to protect the environment and thereby to ensure public welfare. 2. Variances in ethical views among people are found to be a potential threat to multinational companies like Nestle as they need to serve a large number of d ifferent customer segments. In the view of Briscoe, Schuler, and Claus (2008), the extent of this ethical variance may be determined by a range of elements including family background, education level, economic status, and other cultural variables (pp.137-138). In countries like China and India, orthodox families would not be willing to change their conventional ideologies and hence they may not easily adapt to a â€Å"disposable culture†. It would be a cumbersome task for the Nestle to attract such customer segments because their consumerist perceptions have evolved over a long period of time. In addition, people’s education level may also be a crucial factor in defining their ethical views. The people who have attained a high level of education would be more concerned about health as well as environmental safety.

Monday, January 27, 2020

The First Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated

The First Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated Living and writing in an era in which culture was flourishing and poetry was not simply a pastime[1], must have been a dream to Alexander Pope: such was the Augustan age in Latin literature (27 BC AD 14), which under the reign of the emperor Augustus provided not only for a serene social environment for the thriving of liberal arts, but also concerned about its good management by the close advisor Maecenas, responsible of the patronage of the artistic talent. In this sort of literary scene, poets such as Horace, Ovid, Virgil and Livy found their mastery being appreciated, highlighted and celebrated. Approaching the two historical periods with a thorough close analysis, its remarkable how Popes England and the Roman Empire were sharing aspects of their social life: the division between Court and Country as existed in the Augustan Rome was common view in England as the difference between luxury and philosophical retreat. A literary analogy, specifically relevant for Popes works, could also be detected, but in terms of cultural and social satisfaction, unfortunately, the 18th Century poet faced a reality which of Augustan had nothing but the name. The so called Augustan poetry rose during the first half of 1700 with the explicit intention of being satirical and political, meant to criticise and hit the government, whose enmity and hatred towards all poetry and the arts were concentrated in the figure of the contemporary ruling George II. Ascended to power in 1683, the monarch showed a non-caring and contrasting attitude towards every literary manifestation, often stating himself in favour of censorship that made poets voices and endavours even much harder to be heard and adequately esteemed. Moreover, the spreading corruption was detestated by the writers of the time, and by Pope in particular, who in 1737 came into closer association with the Opposition, expressing his role as an active political poet. Funnily, George II was also christened Augustus, coincidence that considerably remarked the difference between the two princes: Alexander Pope didnt think twice about taking advantage of this perfect homonymy and under the clever suggestion of his friend Lord Bolingbroke, he created a brilliant and enjoyable satirical collection: Imitations of Horace (1738). Firstly, what an imitation is must be clarified: not a fake, something not genuine should be thought about, but the Latin sense of imitatio should be taken into consideration, in which the idea of re-creation and re-interpretation is implied. Secondly, the choice of Horace must be explained: not only he was on the defensive of writing satire, as Pope was towards his literary environment, but also gave him the chance to rise questions and social problems besides giving judgments of contemporary literature and taste. These issues found their place in the mock-epic poem The first Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated (May 1737), which also best underlines Popes contempt for George II, making of it a parodic effective thread over the poem. The Horatian Epistle opens with compliments sincerely paid by Horace to Augustus, while the ones claimed in Popes version are to be constructed ironically: the English Patron of Mankind in line 1 had nothing to do with the Horatian Caesar in line 4. The word caesar was not meant just to address Augustus with his second name: it is an important honorific that stands for the recognised authority and greatness of a leader, who could bear alone all the government and social duties, worth following with trust. The contrast between the two Augustuses is here even more highlighted and as the English courtier Lord John Hervey defines it, it is a very material difference [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] For as personal courage was the only quality necessary to form a great prince which the one was suspected to want, so I fear it was the only one the other was ever thought to possess. (p. 261, Memoirs). The game of the parallel ironic and glorific tone plays constantly throughout the poem: such a Wonder of Kings! Like whom, to mortal eyes | None eer has risen, and none eer shall rise (line 29-30) becomes some monster of a King in line 210 and is still contraposed to the indisputable maiestas (line 258) of the Roman Augustus, or his greatness. This political complaint then is strictly connected with and leads the way to the real Epistles social concern. To start with, more than everything, Augustans of both ages were worried about their literary heritage and how they should have dealt with it. People and poets were happy and accostumed to praise primitives such as Shakespeare and Ennius, but a common sense of lacking of art of them was hanging in the air and foreign literature started being attractive after having conquered France in one case and Greece in the other. Horace could still see the sapiens et fortisEnnius (line 50) and his ingenium, the mastery he had demonstrated, as Pope would agree about Shakespeares immortality but another good way of doing literature was emerging and couldnt wait to be noticed. If Time improve our Wit as well as Wine, | Say at what age a Poet grows divine? (Pope, lines 49-50). Poets were scared of how much time might have taken for their works to be valued if people had remained stuck to the past for longer. For that, it was important not to leave the public be the judge in order to make sure the distance between the new and the old, veteros and novos (Horace, lines 37-38), was respected and here the social context starts to shape. When the poets write about the public and their feelings towards it, there is where the two societies begin to clush and be really interactive. On more scientific basis, this connection is interestingly defined as time-space distanciation in The Dictionary of Human Geography, 4th Edition, for which Anthony Giddens, British sociologist, describes the stretching of social systems across time and space. Historically, The nexus of relations political, economic, military in which a society exists with others is usually integral to the very nature of that society[2]: thus to maintain this interaction, which is intrinsic to society itself, so called technically symbolic tokens are implied, as media of exchange which have standard value and thus are interchangeable across a plurality of contexts (Modernity and Self-Identity, 1991). Put in context, these stretching and media of exchange seem fundamental in order to read in parallel Horaces and Popes societies. With the concept of time-space distanciation in mind, its easier to jump flexibly from one time to the other, from Rome to England and follow the thread that society weaves across the lines of the Epistle. Back to the relationship with the public, both poets are trying to warn about the misunderstanding of contemporary literature: Pope assumes an explicit rude and insulting tone while declaring that the public is nothing but a fool (lines 93-94), while on his side, Horace takes a softer and much more diplomatic position by claiming that not always the public sees and interprets things in the right way and its now mistaken in believing that no poetry can match the old school but that in this case Iove iudicat aequo (God judges righteously, line 68). However, the Latin text suggests a different shade of what Horaces consideration of the public was: he addresses the audience as volgus (line 63), which does not only refer to people in general but has to be read with a negative and offensive connotation that is effective on a class-based society, in which the mass was considered inferior and with scorn. The argue about the public goes on in lines 115-118 in Popes imitation: I lose my patience, and I own it too, | When works are censurd, not as bad, but new; | While if our Elders break all Reasons laws, | These fools demand not Pardon, but Applause. Fools that have no taste, a crowd that has no interest in welcoming the novitas, the novelty in literature (line 90, Horace) and still pays honorem et premia (honours and praises, line 78) only to the ancients: Pope was clearly complaining about the audience but at the same time denouncing the ruling power and censorship that was affecting the literary environment. Even the writers profession seemed to be undermined, as for Indocti doctique (educated people and not, line 117) for Horace and those who cannot write, and those who can for Pope, All ryme, and scrawl, and scribble, to a man (lines 187-188). Unskilled writers were emerging and the public was enjoying them with incertos oculos et gaudia vana (line 188, Horace). The choice of the adjective incertos (uncertain) for the eyes (oculos) is interesting, as it doesnt only refer to the dubious taste of the public but also to a sort of inner ignorance that caused confusion and inability to judge, as if the public itself was unskilled. That might simply remark the mistrust and disdain for the audience in Horace but in Pope it assumes again a political connotation, in which the unskilled writer is just taken as a pretext and metaphor to criticise the unprofessional and unskilled George II. The poem is so constantly balanced on the coexistence of political and social context. They create the wire on which the reader keeps his equilibrium within the two Augustan societies, each of them narrated and sung by their poets with similar yet so different connotations; in fact, their opinions about the literary taste converge in all their aspects but their perceptions of the possibility of dealing with power for it, differ. In this divergence lies the key point and crucial concept to change and light up the whole interpretation of the text and of the poets themselves. As previously mentioned, Horace was writing for and of Augustus, whom he could trust and relate to besides his audience: whether the latter failed, the prince was still a solid pillar waiting for his courtiers words. On the other hand, Pope had no one to rely on: the publics senseless and George II taken of any consideration. In this light, the Epistle takes the shape and significance of a social poem in which Horace is the image of that kind of society Pope wishes to live in and write for: Horace becomes the means by which Pope wants to raise his voice and at the same time he makes him part of the society itself. More than a simple report of power misbehaviour hides behind the lines of the Epistle: Pope puts in it his frustration and will, his anger and wish that a society of Horatian type could still be possible and viable and while this anger falls into satiric tones, he constructs on it an entire poem. The ideal of Horace and his actual figure help Pope in bringing his age and society to life and as he states in the Advertisement to The First Satire of the Second Book of Horace Imitated, an answer from Horace was both more full, and of more Dignity, than any I coud have made in my own person. In the last part of the Epistle, the presence of the poets becomes expressively strong. Standing in front of Poetry, Horace keeps his humble tone by declaring once again his scribendi studio (passion for writing, line 108) only aimed at celebrating Augustus maiestas; he would blush, in fact, at a great tribute to him alone, departed from his patron. On his side, Pope sticks to that aggressivity that just conceals insecurity and finally reveals the real parodic biting[3] intention of the Encomium. In the final lines he delineates a self-portrait, adjusting and immerging himself among the Georgian England, society for whom he felt the need to call for Pen and Ink[4]. BIBLIOGRAPHY Pope, Alexander, Imitations of Horace, ed. by John Butt, Methuens English Classics, 1966 Horace, Liber Secundus, Epistula I in Horatii Epistularum in Q. Horatius Flaccus, rec. J.G. Orellius, (Editionem Minorem Sextam post Io. Georgium Baiterum curavit Guilelmus Hirschfelder, Volumen Prius, ed. by Berolini, 1882), p. 400-436 Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia in Internet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustan_poetry LeedsWIKI, Virgil, Horace and Ovid: The Politics behind the Poetry https://wiki.leeds.ac.uk/index.php/Virgil,_Horace_and_Ovid:_The_Politics_behind_the_Poetry The Dictionary of Human Geography, ed. by R.J. Johnston, Derek Gregory, Geraldine Pratt and Micheal Watts, (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 4th Edition, 2000), pp. 837-838 [1] Virgil, Horace and Ovid: The Politics behind the Poetry, LeedsWIKI https://wiki.leeds.ac.uk/index.php/Virgil,_Horace_and_Ovid:_The_Politics_behind_the_Poetry. [2] A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism, 2nd edn (Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 1995), p. 91. [3] That when I am at praise, they say I bite., line 409. [4] Line 180.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Women are responsible for the vast majority of childcare in contemporary Britain

Women are responsible for childcare for a variety of reasons. Often due to the costs of private childcare, a mother staying at home becomes logical. Many women struggle to find convenient well paid jobs so conclude that it is not worth working. Another reason why the woman is often responsible may be that the family see it as only natural that the woman in the family should take care of the children. â€Å"Women are perceived as having the sort of emotional qualities necessary to nurture families and run the home† (Valentine, 2001, pg 65). Also, maternal instincts are often assumed to grant women with greater ability than men when it comes to childcare. â€Å"Eco-feminists†¦ see child-raring as a key experience that teaches women to be more caring and tender† (Rose, 1996, pg. 26). Finally, single mothers are often left with little or no choice than to raise their child alone and rely on childcare benefits provided by the state. â€Å"In the UK and North America at least, domestic work (housework and childcare for example) within the heterosexual family has often been assigned to women. (Holloway and Hubbard, 2001, pg 91). For these reasons and many others women are often the sex ‘left holding the baby'. This report will look at how this can affect a woman's use of space, and how the negative side of this can be changed. When a woman has no outside work, her domestic restraints can make her see her home as a prison. Mothers at home with babies crave for interactions with other adults and for time away from their home dwelling. This is where their home is no longer a place of comfort and rest but a place of domestic labour. Therefore, the structure of the nuclear family can lead to the home becoming a prison. â€Å"A key observation here is that the separation of home from work cannot apply when the work of one member of the household occurs in the home place. † (Holloway and Hubbard, 2001, pg 91). Leading a more domestically influenced life can change the behaviour of a person. Ardener claims â€Å"Behaviour and space are mutually dependent† (Rose, 1996, pg 17). Mothers working full or part time often find it hard to find a job that will accommodate their needs. Those women, who do work, work in low paid jobs within close proximity to their homes. Daily activity patterns are structured by the constraints on mobility presented by the presence of young children and the lack of access to the car. † (Gregson et al. , 1997, pg 69) In society, we are surrounded by labels. A mother, for example, has the labels such as, mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, aunt, customer, co worker, to name just a few. As we conform to what is expected of us from each of these labels our use of space can alter dramatically. A mother thinks about what is best for her child. Certain places will automatically become off limits for her as she puts the needs of her child first. For example one place the mother would not go includes smoky public houses. â€Å"The employment possibilities, the kinds of unpaid activities undertaken and the daily activities of young women†¦ [With children] are defined within the ‘social constraints' imposed by the ideology of gender roles† (Gregson et al. , 1997, pg 69) In order to confirm that a woman's use of space is altered by childcare, mind maps can be produced and analyzed. This technique can show how well a person does or does not know an area. Certain areas would be in less detail that they view as unsafe to take children, such as subways or public houses. Other areas would be in great detail such as school routes, parks and play areas. A woman involved in childcare's use of space was first altered during industrialisation, when production moved from the home into factories. The home was no longer a work place for all the family but just for one. â€Å"Whereas before, cooking childcare cleaning and so on had been done on a collective basis, the communal style of living broke down and families became emotionally and physically more enclosed or privatized. The definition of ‘home' as a place separate from employment devalued the unpaid work done within it, precisely because it was not paid. † (Valentine, 2001, pg 66). Being a full time carer for your own or someone else's children can be a lonely experience. Children are unable to hold the intelligent level of conversation that a woman will crave. McDowell, 1999, explains how housework can be in worse conditions than paid work. It is an isolating experience and that it should be recognised for the amount of character and hard work that it requires. It is even harder for a woman whose family has been out all day at school and work, while she has done the unpaid work of the house, for love, not money. â€Å"The very large majority of men work away from their homes and return there for rest and recreation†¦ For Fathers and children alike these hours away from home bring new contacts, recreation such as clubs camps and games, as well as more serious interests. But in general the mother stays at home. † (Spring Rice, cited in McDowell, 1999, Pg 74) Following the Second World War, the nuclear family took priority in house building. This was in hope of regaining, â€Å"The sanctity of family life†. Valentine, 2001, pg 66). The designers and governments wanted to encourage this style of housing following the war because, â€Å"They were concerned about falling birth rates and argued that improved housing would persuade more women to have children and remove the temptation of outside work†. (Valentine, 2001, pg 66). As history tells, it did not work out this way. Women have fought their way to better maternity rights so that child bearing does not mean they do not pursue a career or outside interests. Despite this, the nuclear house is still popular on the market with a rise of single apartments.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Mark Twain Short Stories Essay

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name of Mark Twain, is a widely renowned author whom, throughout his life, wrote countless short stories and essays criticizing politics, media, and other government and social areas. Twain was an avid supporter of civil rights and was extremely critical of the court systems. Twain often criticized how society treatment of criminals changes for every social class. Mark Twain uses his dark humor and irony to convey said theme in three of his more popular short stories, The New Crime, Running for Governor, and A Presidential Candidate. Mark Twain’s short story, The New Crime, illustrates the positive side of having a high social class and the special treatment from the court systems that comes along with wealth. Twain first writes about a series of ordinary murder cases committed by wealthy men and lords in which the murderers are all pardoned from their crimes and giving the insanity plea. The insanity plea basically states that if a person is mentally insane, they cannot be held accountable for any crimes they commit while insane. All of the murders from said cases are ordinary murders, which show no sign of insanity. This clearly displays that the men are only acquitted because of their deep pockets. One of Twain’s favorite literary devices is irony and he often uses it to ridicule the government. In The New Crime Twain uses irony when he writes, â€Å"The servant girl, Bridget Durgin, at the dead of night invaded her mistress’ bedroom and carved the lady literally to pieces with a knife. Then she dragged the body to the middle of the floor and beat and Lemacks 2 banged it with chairs and such things. †¦No such insanity plea was offered in her defense. † (Twain 5) This is ironic because, in Durgin’s case, she is obviously deranged but, since she is of low social standard, she is not offered the insanity plea and, instead, is promptly hanged. The reader knows that Twain is purposefully being ironic because he includes details such as the facts that she has no motive for the murder, saves the woman’s baby, and continues to hike through the snow with the child having left her shoes, which all show how clearly insane the girl is. In using his precious irony, Twain makes his point very clear and makes sure to drive the message of the judicial systems corruptness through to the reader. In Twain’s short story, Running for Governor, he writes about when he was nominated for governor of New York. He uses said story to show the negative side of having a high social status and how the media will treat one differently when they are put in the spotlight. Twain himself is the main character and has never done a single thing in all his life to be ashamed of. When his campaign begins, Twain feels that his advantage over his competition is that he possesses good character whereas, Twain’s two opponents are portrayed in the papers as terrible men. The next day newspapers start to come out accusing Mr. Twain of ridiculous crimes. One of the papers says that Twain has been convicted of perjury by thirty-four witnesses against a native woman in Cochin China! Twain is list all of the absurd accusations in the following pages. What Twain is doing is making the charges serious, such as murder, but also incredibly odd. The reason being to create a subtle, dark humor in all of the newspaper articles so that the reader will see how the media is clearly just making up stories about whomever runs for a political office. Twain uses this same technique in his short story, A Presidential Candidate, in which he jokingly writes that he has made up his mind to run for president but, instead of waiting on Lemacks 3 reporters to publish everything bad about him in the newspaper, he is going to come out with everything bad that he has done in the past. Twain uses dark humor when he writes, â€Å"The rumor that I buried a dead aunt under my grapevine was correct. †¦ Does that unfit me for the presidency? The Constitution of our country does not say so. † (Twain 21) Once again, as he did in Running for Governor, Twain is making up silly crimes that, even though they are serious, one cannot help but chuckle at them. Twain succeeds once more in ridiculing the media through dark humor. Mark Twain wrote hundreds of short stories, essays, and sketches. Many of these works contain two of his favorite techniques; dark humor and irony, which often accompany one another in Twain’s stories. It is through his expert use of the two figurative language devices, along with many others, that Twain was able to criticize the difference in treatment towards different social classes to the extent that he did. Lemacks 4 Works Cited Twain, Mark. Taming the Bicycle: And Other Essays, Stories, and Sketches. Ed. Eric C. Link. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2009. Print.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Understanding the Difference Between Lend and Loan

In formal usage (especially in British English), lend is a verb and loan is a noun. In informal  American English, the use of loan as a verb is generally considered acceptable (particularly when it concerns the lending of money). See the usage notes below. Only lend has figurative uses, as in Lend me your ears or Lend me a hand.Also see:Commonly Confused Words: Loan and Lone Examples: Borrow trouble for yourself, if thats your nature, but dont lend it to your neighbors. (Rudyard Kipling)A bank, so the old saying goes, is a place where you can always get a loan—when you dont need one. Usage Notes Although most expert users of English dislike loan as a verb (I loaned him my pen), except in financial contexts, it must be acknowledged that the usage is sanctioned by dictionaries. If you are not offended by Friends, Romans, countrymen, loan me your ears or by Distance loans enchantment, you may go along with the dictionaries and you will always have a defense.(Theodore M. Bernstein, Miss Thistlebottoms Hobgoblins, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971)Some people are bothered by the word loan as a verb, preferring to use lend in its place. Theres not much reason for the anxiety—loan has been a verb since around the year 1200, and I think an 800-year probation is long enough for anyone—but its now little used in America. My advice: dont be bothered by loan as a verb but, if you want to avoid irritating those who have this hangup, its never wrong to use lend.(Jack Lynch, The English Language: A Users Guide, Focus, 2008)The verb loan is well established in American usage and cannot be considered incorrect. The frequent objections to the form by American grammarians may have originated from a provincial deference to British critics, who long ago labeled the usage a typical Americanism. Loan is, however, used to describe only physical transactions, as of money or goods; for figurative transactions, lend is correct: Distance lends enchantment. The allusions lend the work a classical tone.(The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., 2000)These are sometimes interchangeable, sometimes not. Only lend carries the figurative senses of adding or giving, as in lend strength to the cause or lend color to an otherwise routine event. But for other senses, as when property or money pass temporarily from one owner to another, either word could be used. . . . In American and Australian English, the verb loan is readily used as an alternative to lend in such applications--but not so much in contemporary British English. The word was used in Brita in up to C17, but a curious resistance seems to have developed there during C18 and C19, when the Oxford Dictionary (1989) citations are all from the US, and the word somehow acquired provincial associations. Fowler (1926) noted that it had been expelled from southern British English, but that it was still used locally in the UK. Yet Gowers writing after World War II found it returning to British government writing (1948, 1954) and weighs in against it in his 1965 edition of Fowler as a needless variant (1965). This seems to be the basis on which British usage commentators argue that loan must be used only as a noun (except in banking and finance) and lend as a verb. Some British dictionaries (Collins, 1991) and the Canadian Oxford (1998) still echo the inhibition, while data from the BNC [British National Corpus] shows that many British writers are comfortable with it. (Pam Peters, The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, Cambridge University Press, 2004) Practice   (a) Never _____ your car to anyone to whom you have given birth.(Erma Bombeck)(b) Gus asked Merdine for a _____. Answers to Practice Exercises (a) Never  lend  your car to anyone to whom you have given birth. (Erma Bombeck)(b) Gus asked  Merdine  for a  loan.