The Disintegration of Yugoslavia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Disintegration of Yugoslavia - Essay Example This was based on absence of an effective social and legal framework that resulted into distrust within the family settings, anxiety among ever-smaller divisions, and divisions among heirs over landholdings. Despite gaining independence from Ottomans, Serbia has continued to suffer agricultural crisis until today (Silber & Little, 1996). Despite the theological argument over use of Cyrillic contrary to Latin alphabet or adherence to pope as authority of the bishop, Slovenes, Serbs, and Croats differences involved a great deal. Croats were considered traitors to hereditary Habsburg because they declined to surrender their local traditions and Catholicism. Similarly, Bosnian Muslims were considered servants to old Ottoman oppressors because of their cleavage to Islam. Therefore, disintegration of Yugoslavia was ascribed to the perceptions of Muslims and Catholics as demons in accordance with the dominant Serbian Orthodox theology (Cohen, 1995). In regards to Serbs, conflicts emerged among landlords or family members over property ownership due to conversion of landlords to Islamic religion. Market haggling and peddling characterized entrepreneurship in Yugoslavia. Development of Serbian bourgeoisie into class was belated despite its late arrival on the historical scene. However, the Croats and Slovenes were prepared for the arrival of capitalism in the Balkans (Schwartz, 1999). This was exemplified by the embedded attitudes that were held towards property. Serbianism was symbolized by burning of property registers as a means to protest against Muslim domination in Yugoslavia and deep ambivalence about the broader legal; and social reality beyond the nuclear family settings. Disintegration was aggravated by existence of mistrust towards laws outside the family in addition to Ottoman land records due to their implication of foreign governance (Silber & Little, 1996). However, the differences which

Thematic Art Review (Formalist) Essay Example for Free

Thematic Art Review (Formalist) Essay Visual arts which make use of unusual media and technique, such as collage or origami, tend to   both benefit from and be challenged by the medium and technique involved. A viewer is apt to react first to the medium and technique and perhaps, because of this, thematic or expressive ideas may be perceived as secondary to the impact of a given work. However, by contemplating given works, such as the   Origami NOW! collection of works at PEM, from a   more deeply considered point of view, the thematic and expressive elements of the work begins to overshadow the once-dominant aspects of medium and technique.    Finally,the alert viewer will realize that, in fact, a harmony of technique nd expression, media and idea has been reached in the most capably articulated works, while in less-capable works, a lack of balance restricts the viewer to a predominantly technical appreciation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, a piece from the Origami NOW! exhibition such as Eric Joisels Pangolin   is very effective at eliciting a response of admiration and even surprise of wonder at the technique involved in sculpting (or more properly: folding) paper into the shape of a convincingly realistic animal form which suggests an armadillo. On the other hand, although the animal offers a meaningful gesture, as though it is eating or drinking, the overall impact of the piece fails to gain any truly expressive or meaningful energy. It is simply a technically admirable piece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By contrast, Joel Coopers Gemini, is a deeply expressive piece which evokes stone relief carvings in origami. The faces are, themselves, primitive and expressive, but the thematic impact of the piece is much deeper than the surface level facial expression of the pieces central figures. The piece derives important impact from its sub-text of transference: ancient stone to ephemeral paper, which makes a statement about human civilization and history and the ephemerality of human monuments, and arty itself, while simultaneously elevating the ephemerality of the medium and technique (origami) to a sympathetic relationship to ancient art and antiquity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yet another piece, Spike Sphere, by   Thomas Hull, straddles the line between expressiveness and technical precision without ever falling precisely on one side or another. In effect, Hulls piece is the most harmonious of those examples of origami on exhibition at PEM. The overt impact of Hulls piece is that of geometrical expressionism, using a complex geometrical shape to express theme. In my opinion, Hulls Spike Sphere is meant to represent no less than the entire human cosmos in a single figure of origami. I said human because the piece reflects a particularly human concept of wholeness as in other geometrical abstractions: globes, the atom, stars, galaxies and even some scientific models of the multi-verse.     Hulls figure is spherical and colored like a budding flower, but spiked suggesting pain, danger, emotional response. This precise configuration of human emotion and abstract form, coupled with organic coloring and an holistic gesture elevates Hulls piece to the highest levels. This work is a masterpiece which reveals the origami, as a medium, embodies much more than the stunned admiration for technique and cleverness associated with folding paper creatively and expressively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The impact of placing such a diverse collection of works that all make use of a similar medium and technique shoulder to shoulder in an exhibition   like the Origami NOW! exhibition is to invite the viewer to explore the full range of capacities that a medium and technique have to offer. From simple constructs which showcase technique over thematic expression to thematic all driven pieces which test the boundaries of the associated techniques and medium, the   Origami NOW! exhibition is superbly put together and dynamically stimulating for those viewers patient and perceptive enough to gauge the full impact of these   richly imaginative works.

How To Maintain A Computer System :: essays research papers

How to Maintain A Computer System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Start a notebook that includes information on your system. This notebook should be a single source of information about your entire system, both hardware and software. Each time you make a change to your system, adding or removing hardware or software, record the change. Always include the serial numbers of all equipment, vendor support numbers, and print outs for key system files.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secondly periodically review disk directories and delete unneeded files. Files have a way of building up and can quickly use up your disk space. If you think you may need a file in the future, back it up to a disk. At a minimum, you should have a system disk with your command.com, autoexec.bat, and config.sys files. If your system crashes, these files will help you get it going again. In addition, back up any files with an extension of .sys. For Windows systems, all files with an extension of .ini and .grp should also be backed up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next any time you work inside you computer turn off the power and disconnect the equipment form the power source. Before you touch anything inside the computer, touch and unpainted metal surface such as the power supply. This will help to discharge any static electricity that could damage internal components.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now you should periodically, defragment your hard disk. Defragmenting your hard disk reorganizes files so they are in contiguous clusters and makes disk operations faster. Defragmentation programs have been known to damage files so make sure your disk is backed up first.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A good thing to do now would be to protect your system from computer viruses. Computer viruses are programs designed to infect computer systems by copying themselves into other computer files. The virus program spreads when the infected files are used by or copied to another system. Virus programs are dangerous because they are often designed to damage the files in a system.

Waking up too early is unhealthy Essay -- Expository Essays

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! You’re familiar with that sound, it’s the sound of you’re alarm clock. It’s really hard for kids to wake up to the sound isn’t it? It’s not even good for them either! Yet, kids, whose appetites for sleep are the biggest, have to wake up as early as 6:00 a.m.! It’s crazy how they, the school boards, set the system up. And bus drivers, who also have to wake up quite early, might be having problems waking up. Even if they don’t, someone behind them might be and that puts the whole bus at risk! Anyways, the point is that the decision made for the school arrival time was wrong and it needs to be changed on a large scale. This means in EVERY high school. Starting school too early is not only a nuisance but it can also be very dangerous and it can have negative effects on a teen’s education. A Chicago chief of medicine states that sleep deprivation, found in many teens, can have negative affects on a teen’s mood, performance, attention, and behavior. Because teens start driving in high school, their safety in a car is also related to sleep deprivati...

Federal Civil Procedure

I. Personal Jurisdiction – in what state can the P sue the D? a. Two step-analysis i. Satisfy a statute AND ii. Satisfy the constitution (due process) b. In Personam Jurisdiction – jurisdiction over person, not property, b/c of some contact b/t D and forum state i. Statutory Analysis 1. Every state has statutes allowing jurisdiction based on domicile, presence instate when served w/ process, and consent (implied or actual). 2. Long-arm statute ( allows jurisdiction over non-residents ii. Constitutional Analysis (International Shoe) 1. Test ( Does D have â€Å"such minimum contacts w/ the forum so that exercise of jurisdiction does not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice† 2. Factors a. Contact – some tie b/t D and forum i. Purposeful Availment – D’s voluntary act 1. i. e. D ships goods into forum state or D uses roads or causes effects in forum state ii. Foreseeability – D would get sued in this forum b. Fairness i. Relatedness – b/t contact and the claim 1. not always necessary to have relatedness if have substantial ties w/ the forum a. i. e. D domiciled there, business there, served w/ process there can be sued in that state under general jurisdiction ii. Convenience – forum ok unless puts D at a severe disadvantage in the litigation iii. State’s interest – provide forum for its citizens TIP: My parents frequently forgot to read childrens’ stories M – minimum contacts P – purposeful availment F – foreseeability F – fairness R – relatedness C – convenience S – state’s interest II. Subject Matter Jurisdiction – in what court? Federal courts only hear two types of cases: diversity of citizenship and federal question a. Diversity of Citizenship Cases i. Citizens of different states 1. Complete diversity rule ( no diversity if ANY P is a citizen of the same state as any D, at the time the case is filed 2. Citizenship a. Human – can only have one place of citizenship i. Domicile – 1. presence instate AND 2. subjective intent to make permanent home b. Corporation – can have more than one place of citizenship i. State where incorporated AND ii. One state principal place of business 1. Only one PPB a. Headquarters OR i. Most use this to designate unless all activity is in one state b. Most production or service activity c. Un-incorporated associations i. Use citizenship of ALL ITS MEMBERS d. Decedents, minors, incompetents i. Look to their citizenship NOT the representative’s citizenship ii. Amount in controversy – good faith allegation the claim in the complaint exceeds $75,000. 00, exclusive of interest and costs 1. Aggregation – adding together two or more claims to meet amount in controversy requirement a. Need one P and one D b. Joint tortfeasors – use total value of claim, irrelevant of the # of parties 2. Equitable Relief – if either test met, then it’s OK a. P’s viewpoint: does injunction cover loss of value by more than $75k? OR b. D’s viewpoint: would it cost D more than $75k to comply w/ the injunction b. Federal Question – claim â€Å"arises under† federal law c. Supplemental Jurisdiction – no federal jurisdiction b/c no diversity or FQ, BUT may still be able to get into federal court i. Test 1. common nucleus of operative fact – arise out of same transaction or occurrence as underlying claim ii. Limitation 1. can not use to overcome lack of diversity in a diversity of citizenship case BUT 2. Can use to overcome lack of diversity in a FQ case 3. Can use to overcome amount in controversy in diversity cases d. Removal – allows D’s to have case filed in state court â€Å"removed† to federal court i. What cases? – if case could be heard in federal court ii. Where? – ONLY to the federal district court embracing the state court iii. When? – no later than 30 days after service of the first removable document e. Erie Doctrine III. Venue IV. Service of Process V. Pleadings VI. Joinder of Parties VII. Discovery VIII. Pretrial Adjudication IX. Conferences and Meetings X. Trial, Judgment and Post-trial Motions XI. Appeal XII. Claim and Issue Preclusion

Omnivore Definition and Examples

Omnivore Definition and Examples An omnivore is an organism that eats both animals and plants. An animal with such a diet is said to be omnivorous. An omnivore that youre probably pretty familiar with are humans- most humans (other than those who dont get any nutrition from animal products because of medical or ethical reasons) are omnivores. The Term Omnivore The word omnivore comes from the Latin words omni- meaning all- and vorare- meaning devour, or swallow. Therefore, omnivore means devours all in Latin. This is pretty accurate, as omnivores can get their food from a variety of sources. Food sources can include algae, plants, fungi, and animals.  Animals may be omnivorous their entire lives or just at specific stages of life. Advantages and Disadvantages of Being an Omnivore Omnivores have the advantage of being able to find food in a variety of places. Therefore, if one prey source diminishes, they can fairly easily switch to another one.  Some omnivores are also scavengers, meaning they feed on dead animals or plants, which further increases their food options. They do have to find their food- omnivores either wait for their food to pass by them or need to actively seek it out.  Since they have such a general diet, their means of getting food is not as specialized as carnivores or herbivores. For example, carnivores have sharp teeth for ripping and gripping prey and herbivores have flatter teeth adapted for grinding.  Omnivores may have a mix of both kinds of teeth- think of our molars and incisors as an example. A disadvantage for other marine life is that marine omnivores may be more likely to invade non-native habitats. This has cascading effects on native species, which may be preyed-upon or displaced by the invading omnivore. An example of this is the Asian shore crab which is native to countries in the Northwest Pacific Ocean but was transported to Europe and the U.S. where it is out-competing native species for food and habitat. Examples of Marine Omnivores Below are some examples of marine omnivores: Many crab species (including blue, ghost and Asian shore crabs)Horseshoe crabsLobsters (e.g. American lobster, spiny lobster)Some sea turtles- like Olive ridley and flatback turtles- are omnivores. Green turtles are herbivores as adults, but omnivores as hatchlings. Loggerhead turtles are carnivores as adults but omnivores as hatchlingsCommon perwinkle: These small snails feed mostly on algae but may also eat small animals (like barnacle larvae)Some types of zooplanktonSharks are generally carnivores, although the whale shark and basking shark may be considered omnivores, as they are filter feeders that eat plankton. As they mow through the ocean with their enormous mouths open, the plankton they consume may include both plants and animals. Using that line of reasoning, mussels and barnacles may be considered omnivores, since they filter small organisms (which may contain both phytoplankton and zooplankton) from the water Omnivores and Trophic Levels In the marine (and terrestrial) world, there are producers and consumers. Producers (or autotrophs) are organisms that make their own food. These organisms include plants, algae, and some types of bacteria. Producers are at the base of a food chain.  Consumers (heterotrophs) are organisms that need to consume other organisms to survive. All animals, including omnivores, are consumers.   In a food chain, there are trophic levels, which are the feeding levels of animals and plants. The first trophic level includes the producers, because they produce the food that fuels the rest of the food chain. The second trophic level includes the herbivores, which eat producers.  The third trophic level includes omnivores and carnivores. References and Further Information: Chiras, D.D. 1993. Biology: The Web of Life. West Publishing Company.Harper, D. Omnivorous. Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed September 29, 2015.National Geographic. Autotroph.  Accessed September 29, 2015.The Oceanic Society. What Do Sea Turtles Eat? SEETurtles.org. Accessed September 29, 2015.

Studying In the United Kingdom

Studying In the United Kingdom Introduction Globalisation has brought people from diverse cultures together due to technology. This has seen these people working and learning to communicate often with each other. The education sector has not been spared especially in the UK where students from other cultures are relocating to study in the UK. While this move seems exciting, most students find themselves experiencing culture shock (Carter 9).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Studying In the United Kingdom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Students from other cultures are at a loss on how to relate to the new culture. Take for example two students from South Africa and Italy who have relocated to study in the UK. It is important to note that these students are from different cultures yet need to conform to the UK culture. Cultural differences continue to pose a challenge to most students coming to study in the UK, it is therefore important to und erstand and address the issue. Cultural Differences in the UK The social attitude of the UK students in most instances differs from that of their counterparts. When the students first arrive to study in the UK, they notice some aspects that differ from what they are accustomed to. This culture shock that is often experienced has raised numerous questions on how to understand the different cultures and whether there are set guidelines that need to be followed to adapt to a particular culture. Dr Geert Hofstede attempted to explain this issue by conducting a worldwide research in more than 60 countries (Hofstede 14). He differentiated cultures by applying the four cultural dimensions namely; the power distance, individualism/collectiveness, uncertainty avoidance and the masculinity/feminity dimension. The Dimensions Of Culture Studying in the UK is not only prestigious but also offers quality education to both native and international students. This is the reason why currently, most l earning institutions in the UK are flooded with students from other countries. However, most of these students face challenges while trying to adjust to the new life in the UK. This is brought about by the difference in culture and can result to culture shock. However, it is important for any student willing to study in the UK to study and understand the dimensions in culture and their applicability in the learning institution. The student is required to learn and adjust in some areas in the new learning environment. Power Distance Dimension (PDD) Power distance has been explained by Hofstede as sharing of power amongst the people in a certain community. Power can either be shared or dispersed equally or unequally. According to Hofstede, the power that is shared unequally in the society is a high power distance while the low power distance indicates equal power sharing (Hofstede 65).Advertising Looking for assessment on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your firs t paper with 15% OFF Learn More Application: UK has been ranked as a low power distance with a belief that power should be distributed equally in the learning institutions. Students from a high power distance country like South Africa might find difficulties adjusting to this new trend. The role of students and teachers in decision making differs in both countries. In South Africa, the teacher is the sole decision maker with little or no contribution at all from the student. The teachers possess particular powers that are unquestionable by the student. On the other hand, UK teachers respect the students’ role in decision making. Team work in UK is very essential hence the need to get everybody involved. On the other hand, students from Italy may easily adjust to the new system as their culture is ranked as a moderate power distance. Individualism/Collectivism Dimension (ICD) – Interrelationship between people within a particular company differ in differ ent cultures (Hofstede 148). A high individualism entails a culture which has a loose connection amongst its people. A low individualism on the other hand ensures that the members of the community are concerned about the well being of each other. This indicates a strong connection between the individuals of that particular community. Application: UK culture conforms to high individualism. Students willing to study in the UK should learn to get most of their things done on their own. This is a culture that most students from Italy will find difficult to adjust to as their country is ranked as having low individualism. Studying in the UK requires students to perform most duties on their own such as cooking, making personal arrangements and managing one’s resources. Students in the UK are expected to meet their own expenses and are therefore allowed to work part time. Students from South Africa who are used to government intervention will find it difficult conforming to this cul ture (Foskett and Foskett 57). Uncertainty Avoidance Dimension (UAD) – Societies are likely to be faced with uncertainty over some issues that are beyond their reach (Hofstede 110). This leads them to come up with rules or beliefs to deal with such issues. The high uncertainty avoidance cultures have rules to govern them so as to avoid uncertain situations. The low uncertainty avoidance culture on the other hand has very few rules but highly tolerate any deviant issues. Application: Students in the UK have been conformed to a culture of low uncertainty avoidance as compared to students in South Africa and Italy. Though there are no strict rules governing the students studying in UK, they are bound by some ethical issues. Time keeping and management is one of the key areas that a student should be aware of. Punctuality is highly regarded and a student should always be on time to attend lectures and other meetings within the learning institution.Advertising We will writ e a custom assessment sample on Studying In the United Kingdom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Instructions pertaining assignments are strictly followed. Issues such as plagiarism and failure to reference the work as instructed can lead to serious consequences. The teachers also apply different assessment strategies such as essays, reports and main exams to gauge students’ capabilities. Students from other cultures such as South Africa might find these strategies different from what they are used to in their own countries. Masculinity/Feminity Dimension (MFD) – Hofstede explained this dimension as the capability of both females and males to perform equally (Hofstede 148). In high masculinity, the men are expected to perform more than the females. They are said to be the providers and stronger than their female counterparts. An example of such a culture is experienced in South Africa. In low masculinity cultures, both men and w omen play an equal role in the society. Application: The UK culture conforms to low masculinity where both the female and the male students are equal. Women in the UK are independent and play equal roles as their male counterparts. South African students studying in the UK might find this culture challenging and shocking and might take time adjusting. Conclusion The idea of studying in UK can be an intriguing experience to students of other cultures. However, they can be faced with cultural challenges hence the need to learn them beforehand. This will help them adjust to the new culture that they are facing in the new environment. Though it is considered normal to experience the culture shock, it is important for a foreign student to adapt to the UK culture so as to make their life comfortable. Carter, Holly. The Essential Guide for Study Abroad in the United Kingdom. Maryland: Forbes Boulevard, 2004. Print. Foskett, Nicholas and Foskett, Rosalind. Postgraduate Study in the UK: The   International Student’s guide. London: Sage Publications, 2006. Print. Hofstede, Geert. Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related  Values. London: Sage Publications, 1984. Print.Advertising Looking for assessment on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Excoriating and Coruscating

Excoriating and Coruscating Excoriating and Coruscating Excoriating and Coruscating By Maeve Maddox Both excoriating and coruscating are verb forms used as adjectives. Excoriating is a hideous word. At least, its meaning is: excoriate (transitive verb): to pull off the skin or hide from (a man or beast) The word retains this literal meaning in the context of pathology to refer to the removal of skin by cutting, abrasion, or corrosion: Gastric secretions leaking around the gastrostomy can result in skin excoriation. Excoriate can also mean to strip bark from a branch or other part of a plant: A tree which does not fructify is often rendered fertile by an excoriation near its root. In general usage, excoriate is frequently used figuratively to mean, â€Å"to upbraid scathingly, decry, revile†: Feinstein excoriates CIA for spying on Senate committee Kerry excoriates Assad regime for ‘inexcusable’ chemical strike Coruscating, on the other hand, is a pretty word: coruscate (intransitive verb): to give forth intermittent or vibratory flashes of light; to shine with a quivering light; to sparkle, glitter, flash. From the Latin verb coruscare, â€Å"to vibrate, glitter, sparkle, gleam,† coruscate and its forms (often misspelled with two r’s) are used to describe lighting effects: now, when the ground was white with snow, and the forest trees covered with ice, and sparkling and corruscating [sic] in the rays of the sun, Nettie would shout with delight below, by the creek, a corruscating [sic] tendril of smoke drifted up through the trees. Figuratively, coruscating describes a lively witty writing style, the kind demonstrated by Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest, a play devoid of malice. Ambrose Bierce and H.L. Mencken, on the other hand, made use of a lively, quick-witted coruscating style to excoriate the people and institutions they despised. For this reason the pretty word coruscating and the ugly word excoriating have collided like chocolate and peanut butter in a Reese’s candy ad. A few journalists seem to understand the meaning of coruscating, but a great many use it as if it meant excoriating: Michael Moore’s coruscating attack on the gun culture, Bowling for Columbine. [Julia Gillard] launched a coruscating attack in parliament on opposition leader Tony Abbott Iain Macwhirter launches coruscating attack on Alex Salmond and Rupert Murdoch Betsy Andreu, the wife of Lance Armstrongs former team-mate Frankie, who played a key part in exposing the Texan as a drug cheat, has launched a coruscating attack on the disgraced cyclist. Because of the confused idea that coruscating has something to do with negative comments, the word is frequently paired with review, critique and criticism: The Australian literary critic Clive James manages to produce coruscating reviews like his brutal attack on Dan â€Å"Da Vinci† Brown’s novel Inferno. But the most coruscating criticism came from Ankie Spitzer and Ilana Romana, two of the widows of the Munich Eleven Wow, a coruscating criticism of Sonys PS4 Another possible reason for the frequent misuse and misspelling of coruscate could be that speakers associate it with the meaning and spelling of corrosion. In the interest of saving coruscating to mean sparkling, the next time you want to characterize a verbal attack as extremely scathing, use excoriating. When you do have occasion to use coruscating, remember to spell it with one r. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?One Sheep, Two Sheep, One Fish, Two Fish . . .Hyphenation in Compound Nouns

(HSBC Holdings Plc Deutsche Bank AG)To what extent can differences in Essay

(HSBC Holdings Plc Deutsche Bank AG)To what extent can differences in the business strategy or pattern of corporate governance of these two companies be expla - Essay Example This includes, managing funds, investments, and stakeholders. The businesses operate within a complex system of interests and influences. Bebchuk et al. (1) contend that corporate governance arrangements can substantially affect shareholders. While identifying the stakeholders, the corporate are supposed to look beyond the formal structure of the organization. Therefore it is required to have a look at informal and indirect relationships as well. With growing influence of media and politics managing the corporate houses have become more challenging task. Political parties require campaign funds, while corporate houses want sympathizers in the government. In this paper an attempt has been made to study the corporate governance principles of two of the leading banks viz. HSBC and Deutsche Bank AG. Both these banks have been serving its customers over a wide range of segments and markets in different countries, while competing with each other in some of the markets. Corporate governance structures and styles vary in the environment they operate. This variation may result in the form of different countries, types of market forces, prevailing economic conditions, types of customers/ consumers available, internal as well as external environment of the country, competitors available in the market etc. Gillan (3) draws a Corporate Governance and the Balance Sheet Model of the Firm as shown below; The left hand side of the diagram depicts the elements of internal governance system, while the right hand side shows the elements of external governance with pulls and pressures from debt-holders and other stakeholders. A composite system of corporate governance takes into account both the internal as well as external factors. Therefore comparing HSBC and Deutsche bank we find that both these banks have been offering a range of services, including asset management; cash management; securities issuance and trading; and conventional banking. Both the banks serve individual as well as corporate clients. But there is lot of difference in the way these banks have formulated strategies for serving the corporate needs. At the Deutsche the corporate banking & securities division is divided into five business units namely; Global markets; Global Equities, Global Corporate Finance, Loan exposure management group (LEMG) and Global banking division. On the other hand the corporate, investment banking and markets division in HSBC is organized into three units, namely; Global markets; Corporate and investment banking; and Group investment businesses. This shows that while Deutsche prefers to place specialist workforce for special needs, HSBC prefers to have wants its managers to specialize in more than one field. One ap parent reason for this difference in strategies is because of the area of operation of both these banks. While HSBC has to its footprints over a large area in around 80 countries in five regions, Deutsche bank operates in around 75 countries, but Deutsche bank primarily operates in Germany, the rest of Europe, North America and certain parts of Asia-Pacific. Therefore the area of operation is comparatively larger for HSBC. Asia-Pacific, where HSBC has more presence is quite complex region as there are wide variations in market requirements, consumer behavior, forms of government etc. Liberalization regime that has come along with

The Role of Micro-simulation in Intelligent Transportation Assignment

The Role of Micro-simulation in Intelligent Transportation - Assignment Example Base case is usually used to cover and acts as the irreducible minimum for all the dynamics that may occur or accrue ion the course of the actualization of the project. For instance, there are chances that the communications lines along the simulated road models would be erected are. Thus, the base case is critical and beneficial because it would bear in mind the structural changes that are highly likely to be pursued in the due course of time (Khan, Armstrong, & Munir, 2006). Similarly, base case is also techniques that cover in and factors all the things and issues that are considered as eventualities in human life and aspect such as an accident.Why Adding New Capacity on Highway 417 is Ineffective This stems from the fact that highway 417 was expanded from a four lane to a six lane Highway and road network. This was done and factored in due to the comparison that was done and completed on the chances of expanding it relative to the traditional building capacity projects. For insta nce, during the simulation, it was postulated that an accident in this Highway may lead to a closure for close to twenty minutes before the spill heavy traffic spills over to the other lanes. This adds new capacity to highway 417 may to be as effective.Comparing the Effectiveness of Freeway-arterial Integrated Corridors and Ramp MasteringRamp metering seems to be more effective as compared to the free-arterial integrated corridors due to the fact that the former may be most effective over a short period of time.

International trade and labour and environmental standards Essay

International trade and labour and environmental standards - Essay Example Research studies by such organizations as the World Bank show that trade triggers and supports growth of economies producing growing middle class citizens in the countries (Rose, para 1-7). The two (economic growth as well as middle class population) motivate these countries to uphold environmental conservation and management as well as improve labor standards. This paper therefore intends to conduct a qualitative analysis of facts and features in international trade, labor as well as environmental standards as they are in the current day by use of available literature. Literature shows that trade agreements in international trade especially by developed and emerging economies promote economic opportunities within the emerging countries, which alleviate living standards of workers within the countries (Neary, 96). The trade agreements by the developed countries like the US provide opportunities for economic performance for indigenous industries as well as workers. Besides, the negotiations of such countries within the international trade front have been associated with improved labor standards within other countries hence the interrelation between trade Analysts as well as policy makers take a leading role in the investigating and explaining how international trade interacts with environment. For instance, a very recent debate on whether trade should be liberalized triggered the conclusions that liberalization is likely to cause increased industrial emissions whose effects are detrimental to the general environment. This on the other hand set the platform for discussion on whether tightening environmental and trade policies should be encouraged for compensation of such changes as would result from the policy changes. Besides, there has also been a growing interest in linking environmental policy and regulation efforts as well as

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

Environmental policies - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the rule of Mao was succeeded by a period of first even more massive suffering but also later the unprecedented turnaround in the economy with a formerly agricultural and inward-looking country economy reversing its trajectory and coming to grow into four times what it was during the time of Mao to what it ended up becoming by the turn of the new millennium. Living standards skyrocketed, and China's economic boom resulted in the creation of a large middle class who consumed products that were in line with the rapidly rising incomes of the new rich: cars and the other symbols of wealth. This in turn has led to problems with the environment, as the economic growth spurred the consumption of oil and coal to power industries that manufactured goods for the rest of the world and to power domestic consumption as well. Other manufacturing-related processes also bred other forms of toxins to the environment as well as razed some vital ecologies into the ground in the name of progress and consumption as well. A telling set of statistics on the role that China plays in the global ecology versus economic equation is that it leads the world both in the production and consumption of energy, and that out of its total energy requirements,two-thirds are supplied by fossil fuels, with a substantial portion likewise supplied by nuclear power plants. These two power sources have implications for the state of the world ecology and for the sustainability of energy generation policies relative to the environment (Central Intelligence Agency). Taking a step back, the prominent role of China in the world economy and in the way their activities impact the environment have not gone unnoticed and have attracted the intense scrutiny of those who are natural stakeholders in the state of the world ecology and the environment, and that this intense scrutiny has provided a growing body of literature on the environmental policies of China. From the state of the nation's soil s and water supplies, to the examination of how China's environmental policies have attracted investments in their laxness, to aspects of policy relating to the environment versus the rise of cities, it is clear from the academic research that the concern over the environment in China is intense and far-reaching (Wei and Yang; Dean, Lovely and Wang; Vennemo et al.. Hubacek et al.). The consensus, even inside China and among China's ruling elite, is that current environmental policies and economic activities are harming China's future and are jeopardizing prospects for a sustainable future for the country, with the state of the environment characterized by rising levels of pollution that have implications for larger realities like climate change and the very viability of the way of life of the Chinese, and the long-term health prospects of its citizens (Volcovici, Grumbine; Friedman; Phillips; Duggan; Biello; The Economist Newspaper Limited; TV Novosti). II. Environmental Policies in

Unit 2 Discussion art and Humanities Research Paper

Unit 2 Discussion art and Humanities - Research Paper Example According to the stylistic features seen in the portrait, it can be assumed that Andy Warhol did not show some seriousness in his work. This was so because many artists perceived designing of a self portrait to be very difficult for it involved a lot of research. Though this particular portrait is considered to be one of the most famous portraits in the world, it still does not meet the viewers’ expectations (Frei and George, 202). The portrait in this case does not earn fame because of the stylistic features used but being the first self portrait to be designed. Actually, no one still understands the main purpose of the portrait as it does not display the real Warhol. The viewers of this portrait are still expecting more insight and depth as they claim that there is nothing displayed but a whitish brown sketch that is behind sunken eyes (Fieldman and Jorg, 193). This shows that the color background of the portrait was not also well set as it tend to resemble or match that of the main portrait hence making it very difficult to see the portrait clearly. Some hidden parts of the portrait such as the eyes appear to be dark hindering clear view. From the features seen in this portrait, it can be concluded that the portrait is one of the famous self portraits that from which many artists drew their experience from. This portrait only brought some idea in the artistic industry as it showed that there is a possibility in designing a self portrait. The designing of portrait though took decades; it is considered a sketch work that only a partial image of the artist. This is also considered to have been so because Warhol who was the designer of this portrait was only advised to do so by a friend after designing many portraits and art works in the art industry. Frei, Georg and Neil Printz, editors. The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonnà ©, Volume 01, Paintings and Sculpture 1961-1963. 503 pp. New York and London: Phaidon Press, 2002. (and Volume 02, 1964-1969. 423

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

Environmental policies - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the rule of Mao was succeeded by a period of first even more massive suffering but also later the unprecedented turnaround in the economy with a formerly agricultural and inward-looking country economy reversing its trajectory and coming to grow into four times what it was during the time of Mao to what it ended up becoming by the turn of the new millennium. Living standards skyrocketed, and China's economic boom resulted in the creation of a large middle class who consumed products that were in line with the rapidly rising incomes of the new rich: cars and the other symbols of wealth. This in turn has led to problems with the environment, as the economic growth spurred the consumption of oil and coal to power industries that manufactured goods for the rest of the world and to power domestic consumption as well. Other manufacturing-related processes also bred other forms of toxins to the environment as well as razed some vital ecologies into the ground in the name of progress and consumption as well. A telling set of statistics on the role that China plays in the global ecology versus economic equation is that it leads the world both in the production and consumption of energy, and that out of its total energy requirements,two-thirds are supplied by fossil fuels, with a substantial portion likewise supplied by nuclear power plants. These two power sources have implications for the state of the world ecology and for the sustainability of energy generation policies relative to the environment (Central Intelligence Agency). Taking a step back, the prominent role of China in the world economy and in the way their activities impact the environment have not gone unnoticed and have attracted the intense scrutiny of those who are natural stakeholders in the state of the world ecology and the environment, and that this intense scrutiny has provided a growing body of literature on the environmental policies of China. From the state of the nation's soil s and water supplies, to the examination of how China's environmental policies have attracted investments in their laxness, to aspects of policy relating to the environment versus the rise of cities, it is clear from the academic research that the concern over the environment in China is intense and far-reaching (Wei and Yang; Dean, Lovely and Wang; Vennemo et al.. Hubacek et al.). The consensus, even inside China and among China's ruling elite, is that current environmental policies and economic activities are harming China's future and are jeopardizing prospects for a sustainable future for the country, with the state of the environment characterized by rising levels of pollution that have implications for larger realities like climate change and the very viability of the way of life of the Chinese, and the long-term health prospects of its citizens (Volcovici, Grumbine; Friedman; Phillips; Duggan; Biello; The Economist Newspaper Limited; TV Novosti). II. Environmental Policies in

International Business - Franchising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Business - Franchising - Essay Example Arnold (2003) claims franchising is an under-explored entry mode in international markets but that it has been widely used in North America and Western Europe, most notably by fast food chains, hotel or car rental services. The business format is fixed, including the operation and guidelines so that its ability to adapt is limited. The same is expressed by Toncar (2005), where franchising, he said, is dependent upon the ability to provide a marketing mix that matches expectations of consumers in different cultures. But major players are said to be increasingly learning. McDonalds, for example, as described in MFFI (2003) is "thinking globally and acting locally," a fortunate global marketing strategy. This sensitivity for the locals is expressed in so many ways to include their not using beef in India in their food preparations, their not using lard also in food preparations in Muslim areas, their launching of China burger in Asia in recognition of China as market for them, their introduction of chicken sandwich the Arab way. Further, management experts credit McDonalds for its maintaining the same efficiency in time to deliver, work-processes, cleanliness, changes in their menus, and ad-campaigns which are region-specific. Their use of franchising helps them set up business all over the world. One thing that could be credited to McDonalds's success is their "location, location, location" strategy which their executives know too well (ibid.). Consider this - A friend of mine was in a seminar recently where one of the McDonald's executives was speaking. He asked the audience what kind of business they were in. Half the crowd laughed and said, "Restaurant business". "Wrong", he said. "We're in the REAL ESTATE business." If you thing about it, he's right. Think about the location that every McDonald's is at. Isn't it in a prime real estate location And McDonalds owns the land that just about every stand-alone McDonald's located at. That's a TON of equity that the company has built up over the years in each real estate location. They could sell any lot and make a killing off it compared to how much they paid for it a number of years ago. I would say the secret to McDonald's success is very similar to real estate - location, location, location. (MFFI 2003) In targeting for international growth, the first step according to Siebert (1998) is identifying the best counties for one's particular concept with such factors as franchise climate, the market for one's particular product or service, competitive factors, proximity, language barrier, political climate, and relevant legal concerns. Once a market is identified, he says one effective means of targeting prospects is the use of trade missions. Sponsored by groups such as the International Franchise Association, trade missions attempt to provide franchisors with introductions to a number of qualified candidates in each country. Accordingly, the franchisor is said to typically be responsible for their own expenses (which can run upwards of $10,000 currently), their own follow-up, and their own negotiations. The sponsoring organization is only responsible for the introduction. Another alternative Siebert (ibid.) suggests for franchisors interested in global expansion is the use of brokers. Brokers are said to work by promoting one's franchise within a particular market, and will often employ a

Origins of World War I Essay Example for Free

Origins of World War I Essay The World War I fought between 1914 and 1918, is considered the largest of any war in human history and ever since, many refer it as the Great War. It was a culmination of activities and competition across European nations. It’s estimated that 14 million people lost their lives on the First World War. The causes of the World War I were complicated which includes; 1. Imperialism- The scramble for Africa and some other parts of Asia for raw materials by European countries led to a competition and this pushed the world into the World War I. 2. Defense alliances-most countries all over Europe had formed defense agreements that if one country was attacked, allied countries would join and fight back. For example when Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia joined to defend Serbia and German started to attack Russia. 3. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand from Hungary and his wife in June 1914 by a Serbian national is considered to be an immediate cause. It took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and which was part of Hungary. This was followed by protests as Serbia wanted to take control of Bosnia then Hungary declared war on Serbia leading to an expansion of the war trough the mutual defense alliances. It’s not exactly known which country was responsible for the war though Germany is strongly believed to be responsible for the out break of the war. Through the Schlieffen plan German was supposed first to invade France through Belgium then Russia before it had mobilized. Germany was also a major partner in the triple alliance and it’s perceived that Hungary would not have risked war with Serbia without full backing of Germany through the blank check given on 6th, june1914. However, on the other hand the war started first as conflict between Hungary and Serbia after the assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Hungary. In all fairness historians argue that all senior powers were responsible for war. In conclusion, other than trade, peace alliances and coalitions between nations should be formed and promoted to foster peace and understanding. This will prevent t an out break of another war. References Henig Ruth, 2002, The Origins of the First World War, Routledge.

Women oppressed religion of christianity

Women oppressed religion of christianity Women are oppressed by the religion of Christianity This essay will attempt to explain some of the most important points related to oppression of women in Christianity. Clearly we can say that women in the old testament for generations waited to see the distinctive child, whose birth well planned before creation began, would bring a change to their life. They sacrificed their own necessity hopping that the promised Saviour would bring them away from suffering. So when the Christ arrived, was everything that women hoped for? Was the world Christmas baby worth to wait for? What would His come mean for women? And how would the promised saviour treat women? Limitations themselves are always shifting, and so the arguments over teachings and opinion are used as a channel into the progression of a cultural construction which characterize both aspect religious and cultural. Definitely the dogma of submission has alleviated over time ,but for many Christians the long-established tradition , still have some issue; at one side we find those who regards male guidance in marriage as largely symbolic and who consent women to partake in church assembly and leadership .At the other side we find those who clearly underline the diversity between man and women in almost every aspect of life . Jesus himself never label women. A womans importance is never determined by her , motherly, domestic or femininity functions, but by her connection with God. On one occasion ; a woman shouted out, Blessed is the woman who gave you birth and look after you. Jesus replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and follow it. Definitely Jesus in every day talking, dealing, treating and caring of women is not only a perfect example of loving and respectful attitudes toward women. He left behind a delicate statement of who women are and how they should be treated. In the Gospel we find more then twenty episode in witch Jesus interact with women ,and also many of His teachings regards women daily doings ,such as backing bread ,housekeeping, shopping, pregnancy, breast feeding, so He would not disregard women at all. (Rebecca Jones pp116,118.) Jesus consistently uses women as examples of virtue. He also permits a woman to stay and listen to His teaching sit by his feet (Luke 10:39)-place usually taken by disciples. We have to say that Jewish priest or teachers of the law did not permit women disciples; certainly, Jesus followers often did send women out on the preaching missions ( Mark 6:7—13)probably confirmed scandalous from the cultural society of those years ; nonetheless, the ministry of Jesus and his Gospel confirm that women were involved throughout His life .Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna had a major rule in His childhood, amongst the thirty miracles recorded in the Gospel , over ten had focal point on women .They journeyed with Him even out into the wildernesses (cf. Origen,Adv. Cel.3.10), and would participate at most of Jesus teachings and ministry events .Women were present at the fit of the Cross and again the first to the tomb (Mt 28.1) also the first that the angels spoke with at the tomb (Mt 28.5) And of course is coming on earth became possible through the acceptance of a virgin ,Mary was not forced to accept God will ,and yet God became a man thanks to a woman .Then we find the first public miracle of Jesus was through intercession of a woman (His mother) ,which for many Christians ,is the female doorway through whom they familiarise with the divine. A woman that can be looked at , as chief, since she was a compassionate woman, she was a devoted follower, she did put everything she had at risk , and of course a kind-hearted mother, she lost her own son, and for many people a model of a very strong human being, a woman to be admired and to identify with . So clearly Jesus did teach women liberally, and from time to time in Rabbinical manner ( Luke 10.38-42). His approach were very unique and different from the Jewish traditions. In the Talmud, is stated , there is no knowledge in a woman , it is better that the script of the Law should be on fire, than that they have to be passed to a women .Jesus clearly separate himself from those religious tradition when he talks and teach to women and integrated them ,among his followers. Then how can we say, that His teachings and ministry brought women to the verge of oppression? We can prove that sun after Jesus death ,all His teaching started having some changing, immediately, with Saint Paul only few years after, we find the first discrimination about women , Two passages in Pauls letters appear to disagree with an approval of women in ministry. First, Paul instruct women to be quiet and keep their questions concerning the faith ,for their husbands at home (1 Corinthians 14:34—36),and then in 1 Timothy 2:11—15, Paul forbade women to instruct or use influence over men ,of course Paul really thought ,that the . husband should be as head of his wife and that she should been submitted to him, So the apostle Paul would not consent a woman to teach or to employ authority over a man. And again we find Pauls argument about Eves deception witch is even more likely to fit this category. So the deception of Eva excludes all women from teaching, and have words of authority in the new born church He claims, that women are more easily mislead than men which are probably considered by Paul far more superior then women ,that is way most likely God created first Adam ,story well reported in the genesis . On the other hand, pattern from church account cannot resolve the matter; we should establish our position from Scripture. since the current discussion is to be found especially about Pauls teaching, so we should examine his letters and come to a true conclusion . Paul received both the Judaic traditions and Jesus understanding as Gods Word, we have to analyse womens ministry and position on those basis. The ancient close by Eastern world, of which Israel was a fraction, was a mans territory . Since God gave the blessing to Israel in a particular culture, nevertheless, the fact suggest that the society itself was holy. The way of life included divorce, polygamy, slavery , and many of other way we now identify as unholy. The obedience of the wife to the husband would go without problem as the centre of a social cultural environment in which was founded the family order. Without doubt The first Christians were blamed of starting a new ideology revolutionizing what for century was the rule and tradition, so probably Paul required to give a message and show that Christians were not anarchists. Regarding Paul himself, we should answer the above suppositions saying ; Are those the teaching of a man with problems? or Paul was simply a misogynist ?perhaps he was amongst those who would not permit woman to teach or to employ authority over a man because he could not stand the idea of it ?.But if we look at Pauls background we can understand that he was a Pharisee ,so a man educated an grown according to Jewish rules and traditions, were relations between men and women were subjected to the lows .for example If a man would only lay a hand on a woman in the wrong time of the month he could get ritually impure himself, or ,along with every day prayers performed by Jewish men were some phrase such as ; Blessed Thou hart , o God because you did not created me a woman. So Paul grew up in a certain way of concerning women, and some of the comments he makes about women are definitely according to the law which he grow up with and those supposition could be easily be ascribed to his own background. Definitely with Paul women were complete constituent of the ministry, fully involved in the life of the new church ,and in need of his advice, support , amendment, and spiritual help as the men. For example in the baptismal formula used by Paul in Galatians 3:27-8: For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. We could look at different aspect ,for instance ,Paul mostly depended on women to help him in his teaching, and he shows that trough words of gratitude to them in his letters, by name he refers to Phoebe, a deaconess, who â€Å"has been a helper of many and of myself as well† (Romans 16:2 ), Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians who, he says, â€Å"laboured side by side with me in the gospel.† If he really despised marriage, would he have spoken so warmly and repeatedly of the couple Prisca and Aquila, whom he referred to as â€Å"my fellow workers in Christ Jesus who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I, but also all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks.† (Romans 16:3-4) So is clearly showed that ,not only women are not the inferior gender when it comes to creation, but also in Christs church. Galatians 3:28 says.So in both, creation and church they are equally important .And no were we will find in the holy scripture, a phrase stating that women were inferior then man Genesis â€Å"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them† Starting from the very begin ,we will find out that creation without women would have been terribly different , in the genesis ; The LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. So immediately we find that the woman was necessary to improve the situation . She was in Gods plan ,deliberately created to be a co-worker with the Adam. The method of creation of Eve occupied a full involvement of the natureshe was formed from the same substance ( essentially and numerically) as the man, So the Woman was part of the original plan , was created at same image of God, was sovereign above the creation, with the man , was blessed by God, was given joint- accountability by God ,and was commanded rule and fill the earth with the man .If we take a look at historical passages to Christianity amazingly we will find a well-built picture of the women:They were essential to make the creation good (Gen 1.26-28) They shared joint liability with man to co-rule/fill the earth. (Gen 1.26-2) And more then fifty other episode in which women were prime part of Gods plan . regardless of the men status in ancient Israelite cultural society God occasionally called women as influential leader . When Josiah required to hear the word of God , he did send Hilkiah the cleric and others to someone who was certainly one of the main important prophet of his day: Huldah ( Kings 22:12—20). Deborah was a prophetess and a judge (Judges 4). She assumed a position of great influence in Israel . She was also amongst the few judges of whom the Bible reports no disappointment (Judges 4,5). The issue of a womans function in Christianity is a serious alarm for todays church. It is vital , in view of the fact that our necessity for the spiritual gifts of all the members that God has call to serve His Church. The alarm, nevertheless, is extending further than the Church itself progressively more ,year by year , and consequently material theorist attack Christianity as not in favour of women and as a result inappropriate to the modern world. So where democracy is established, and religion has separated from politics , some changing are needed ,and for sure some changing are taking place Bibliography Rebecca Jones, 2007- Does Christianity squash women ? published by Broadman and Holman,2005 -pp 116,118 Biblical resource .

The Power of Peer Pressure :: Peer Pressure Essays

According L K Cardin Smith and S a Fowler from the department of continuing education. â€Å"Classroom peers can serve as powerful sources of reinforcement in increasing or maintaining both the positive and negative behaviors of their classmates. In two experiments, we examined the effectiveness of a peer-monitored token system on reducing disruption and nonparticipation during a transition period of a kindergarten class for behaviorally impaired children. Additionally, the effect of providing and subsequently withholding corrective feedback to peer mediators on the accuracy of their point awards was evaluated. Results in Experiment 1 suggest that both teacher- and peer-monitored interventions were successful in decreasing disruption and increasing participation of monitored peers. Experiment 2 further demonstrated that peer monitors could successfully initiate the token system without prior adult implementation. Analysis of the point awards in both experiments indicates that peer m onitors consistently awarded points that were earned. However, when corrective feedback was withdrawn the peer monitors frequently awarded points that were not earned, i.e., they rarely withheld points for undesirable behavior. Even so, the monitored peers' disruptive behavior was maintained at low rates.† Teens aren't the only affected by it. It’s an epidemic. That challenges everyone, not only kids or teens but teens and adults alike. â€Å"The main consequence of saying no to negative peer pressure is not just withstanding "The heat of the moment," as most adults think. Rather, it is coping with a sense of exclusion as others engage in the behavior and leave the adolescent increasingly alone. It is the loss of the shared experience. Further, the sense of exclusion remains whenever the group later recounts what happened. This feeling of loneliness then becomes pervasive but carries an easy solution -- go along with the crowd.† (MICHAEL RIERA, Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers) (http://www.notable-quotes.com/p/peer_pressure_quotes.html#JFfXdBCK18YwLwIx.99) Peer Pressure affects everyone differently. For example, adults might be pressured to do something for work. The loss of what would happen if they didn't do it is the motivation. Sounds like blackmail, to me. However teens might be pressured into something by their friends this could go either way. Before I go much farther. There’s two types of peer pressure positive and negative. Positive is when someone helps you to do something that you wouldn't have had the courage to do on your own. Some examples could include doing a sole in choir, or trying out for a sport. Negative peer pressure however, is when someone constantly tells you should try it.

Which agents of socialization are most important at certain stages of human development?

There are basically various agents of socialization within the different stages of human development. Such different stages accrue diversity in attributes which helps in creating different models of concern in defining the outlay of importance in such different stages of human development. They may include the family and the peer members. Since the human development is compounded by various stages of concern, such different agents play different roles at such different times of human development.Generally, the family is entrenched with a diverse scope of importance in creating standards for moral development for the person at different stages. The family structures are indebted to creating a lucrative environment with which a person is modeled into good morals. The foundations of the family are entrenched in diversity of moral foundations that makes in to cohere with the general societal structures. The principle structures of the family are therefore important in creating standards that promote strong moral development for its members (Jared, 2005).The influence of peer members is important in shaping the nature of personality of an individual. Since an individual interacts cohesively with his/her peer members, such an environment is persuasively important in creating a condition with which the person emulates and copies the behavioral conception of the peer members. This is therefore an intrinsic process of creating strong environment for personality development (Jared, 2005). Which theoretical perspective best supports your viewpoint?Erikson’s theory of human development may perhaps be the most conventional in defending the rationale for these agents. He argued of human psychosocial development as entrenched within the environment that a person operates in. He has argued that the family is a complimentary facet that models the states of moral behavior of a person at early stages of development. Elsewhere, he has pinpointed the role of peer groups in d elivering qualitative attributes in shaping the scores of human personality at varied lengths (Jared, 2003).

Soil Behaviour and Geotechnical Modelling

(a) Discuss advantages and limitations of Duncan and Chang's model. Duncan and Chang's model assumes a hyperbolic stress-strain relation and was developed based on triaxial soil tests. The original model assumes a constant Poisson's ratio while the revised model accommodates the variation of Poisson's ratio by means of stress-dependent Poisson's ratio or stress-dependent bulk modulus. The Duncan-Chang model is advantageous in analyzing many practical problems and is simple to set up with standard triaxial compression tests. When tri-axial test results are not available, model parameters are also abundantly available in literatures. It is a simple yet obvious enhancement to the Mohr-Coulomb model. In this respect, this model is preferred over the Mohr-Coulomb model. However, it has its limitations, including, (i) the intermediate principal stress s2 is not accounted for; (ii) results may be unreliable when extensive failure occurs; (iii) it does not consider the volume change due to changes in shear stress (shear dilatancy); (iv) input parameters are not fundamental soil properties, but only empirical values for limited range of conditions. (v) the model is mainly intended for quasi-static analysis. (b) Discuss advantages and limitations of Yin and Graham's KGJ model. Yin and Graham's KGJ model is formed using data from isotropic consolidation tests and consolidated undrained triaxial tests with pore-water pressure measurement. It provides functional expressions for , , , and relationships in soils. In Duncan and Chang's model for triaxial stress conditions: may cause volume strain ( dilation and compression) may cause shear strain. Whereas Yin and Graham's KGJ model: Thus the volume change and shear strain was taken into account, which is an improvement to Duncan and Chang's model. The limitation of Yin and Graham's KGJ model may exist in the determination of the parameter and the complexity of its calculation. (c) Discuss the differences between elastic models and hypo-elastic models. For soils, the behaviour depend on the stress path followed. The total deformation of such materials can be decomposed into a recoverable part and an irrecoverable part. Hypoelasticity constitutes a generalized incremental law in which the behaviour can be simulated from increment to increment rather than for the entire load or stress at a time. In hypoelasticity, the increment of stress is expressed as a function of stress and increment of strain. The Hypoelastic concept can provide simulation of constitutive behaviour in a smooth manner and hence can be used for hardening or softening soils. Hypoelastic models can be considered as modification of linear elastic models. However, it may incrementally reversible, with no coupling between volumetric and deviatoric responses and is path-independent. 5.2 Use sketches to explain the physical (geometric) meaning of all 7 parameters (only 5 independent) in a cross-anisotropic elastic soil model (). Figure 5.1 Parameters in cross-anisotropic elastic model – Young's modulus in the depositional direction; – Young's modulus in the plane of deposition ; – Poisson's ratio for straining in the plane of deposition due to the stress acting in the direction of deposition; – Poisson's ratio for straining in the direction of deposition due to the stress acting in the plane of deposition; – Poisson's ratio for straining in the plane of deposition due to the stress acting in the same plane; – Shear modulus in the plane of the direction of deposition; – Shear modulus in the plane of deposition. Due to symmetry requirements, only 5 parameters are independent. Assignment 6 (Lecture 6 – Elasto-plastic behaviour): 6.1 (a) Explain and discuss (i) yield, (ii) yield criterion, (iii) potential surface, (iv) flow rule, (v) normality, (vi) consistency condition. (i) The yield strength or yield point of a material is defined in engineering and materials science as the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically. Prior to the yield point the material will deform elastically and will return to its original shape when the applied stress is removed. Once the yield point is passed some fraction of the deformation will be permanent and non-reversible. In the uniaxial situations the yield stress indicates the onset of plastic straining. In the multi-axial situation it is not sensible to talk about a yield stress. Instead, a yield function is defined which is a scalar function of stress and state parameters. (ii) A yield criterion, often expressed as yield surface, or yield locus, is an hypothesis concerning the limit of elasticity under any combination of stresses. There are two interpretations of yield criterion: one is purely mathematical in taking a statistical approach while other models attempt to provide a justification based on established physical principles. Since stress and strain are tensor qualities they can be described on the basis of three principal directions, in the case of stress these are denoted by , and . (iii) Potential surface is the segment of a plastic potential surface plotted in principal stress space, as shown in Figure 6.1 (a). A two dimensional case was shown in Figure 6.1 (b). (iv) Flow rule: – a scalar multiplier; – plastic potential function; {} – location of surface (a vector), not in the final equation Figure 6.1 Plastic potential presentation (v) Assuming the plastic potential function to be the same as the yield function as a further simplification: The incremental plastic strain vector is then normal to the yield surface and the normality condition is said to apply. (vi) Having defined the basic ingredients of an elasto-plastic constitutive model, a relationship between incremental stresses and incremental strains then can be obtained. When the material is plastic the stress state must satisfy the yield function. Consequently, on using the chain rule of differentiation, gives: This equation is known as the consistency equation or consistency condition. (b) Explain and discuss the associate flow rule and non-associate flow rule and how the two rules affect the volumetric deformation and the bearing capacity of a strip footing on sand. Sometimes simplification can be applied by assuming the plastic potential function to be the same as the yield function (i.e. ). In this case the flow rule is said to be associated. The incremental plastic strain vector is then normal to the yield surface and the normality condition is said to apply. In the general case in which the yield and plastic potential functions differ (i.e. ), the flow rule is said to be non-associated. If the flow rule is associated, the constitutive matrix is symmetric and so is the global stiffness matrix. On the other hand, if the flow rule is non-associated both the constitutive matrix and the global stiffness matrix become non-symmetric. The inversion of non-symmetric matrices is much more costly, both of storage and computer time. As noted, it occurs in a special class of plasticity in which the flow rule is said to be associated. Substitution of a symmetric for all elements in a finite element mesa, into the assembly process, results in a symmetric global stiffness matrix. For the general case in which the flow rule is non-associated and the yield and plastic potential functions differ, the constitutive matrix is non-symmetric. When assembled into the finite element equations this results in a non- symmetric global stiffness matrix. The inversion of such a matrix is more complex and requires more computing resources, both memory and time, than a symmetric matrix. Some commercial programs are unable to deal with non-symmetric global stiffness matrices and, consequently, restrict the typo of plastic models that can be accommodated to those which have an associated flow rule. (c) Explain plastic strain hardening and plastic work hardening or softening. The state parameters, , are related to the accumulated plastic strains . Consequently, if there is a linear relationship between and so that then on substitution, along with the flow rule, the unknown scalar,, cancels and A becomes determinant. If there is not a linear relationship between and , the differential ratio on the left hand side of the above equation is a function the plastic strains and therefore a function of . When substituted, along with the flow rule given, the A's do not cancel and A becomes indeterminate. It is then not possums to evaluate the []. In practice all strain hardening/ softening models assume a linear relationship between the state parameters and the plastic strains . In this type of plasticity the state parameters}, are related to the accumulated plastic work, ,which is dependent on the plastic strains it can be shown, following a similar argument to that parented above for strain hardening/softening plasticity, that as long as there is a linear relationship between the state parameters }, and the plastic work, , the parameter defined becomes independent of the unknown scalar, , send therefore is determinant. If the relationship between and is not linear, become a function of and it is not possible to evaluate the constitutive matrix. 6.2 Show steps to derive the elastic plastic constitutive matrix [] in (6.16). The incremental total strains can be split into elastic and plastic , componets. The incremental stress, are related to the incremental elastic strains, by the elastic constitutive matrix: Or alternatively Combining gives The incremental plastic strains are related to the plastic potential function, via the flow rule. This can be written as Substituting gives When the material is plastic the stress state must satisfy the yield function. Consequently, which, on using the chain rule of differentiation. This equation is known as the consistency equation. It can be rearranged to give Combining, we can get Where Substituting again So that 6.3 The dimension of a slope is shown in Figure 6.2. Calculate the factor of safety of the following cases: (a) Without tension crack, the properties of Soil (1) are kPa, , kN/m3; The properties of Soil (2) are kPa, , kN/m3 (no water table). (b) With tension crack filled with water, repeat the calculation in (a). (c) Without tension crack, the properties of Soil (1) are kPa, , kN/m3 (below water table) and kN/m3 (above water table); the properties of Soil (2) are kPa, , kN/m3 (below water table) and kN/m3 (above water table). Water table is shown. Figure 6.2 Dimension of the slope and water table (a) Figure 6.3 Model without tension crack or water table Factor of Safety: 1.498 Figure 6.4 Results without tension crack or water table Figure 6.5 Slice 1 – Morgenstern-Price Method (b) Figure 6.6 Model with tension crack filled with water Figure 6.7 Results with tension crack filled with water The safety factor : 1.406 Figure 6.8 Slice 1 – Morgenstern-Price Method (c) Figure 6.9 Model without tension crack but with water table Figure 6.10 Results without tension crack but with water table Factor of Safety: 1.258 Figure 6.11 Slice 1 – Morgenstern-Price Method

National Film Registry and Existentialism Reflection Patch Essay

Existentialism Reflection Patch Adams is a movie about a man that is determined to be a doctor. Along the way, he comes across some issues when he won’t conform to the rest of the medical students. He is actually a good example of an existentialist. He is his own person within a larger society, or the other students at the school. He follows what he believes in and his life turns out almost just the way he wanted it to. In the movie, there were some quotes: â€Å"Look beyond the problem.† –Arthur †¢Everyone else stares whatever their problem is right in the face and expect to figure out the solution. Arthur tries to say, look past the problem. Focus on the solution. â€Å"See the world anew each day.† –Arthur †¢In a way, this is a stoic quote. To not let anything previous to this day affect it. Everyday holds a new adventure and if you are worrying about the past, how are you ever going to enjoy it? â€Å"The mental hospital was the best thing that ever happened to me.† –Patch †¢In the hospital, he found out he loved to help people. He wanted to listen to people and make them enjoy life. He really found his passion and without the mental hospital, he maybe never would have. â€Å"Death is not the enemy†¦indifference is.† –Patch †¢When people are dying, showing care is the most important thing. If they don’t know that people care, that makes death so much worse. Everyone is going to die someday. Everyone should just enjoy life. As relating to existentialism, Kirkegaard would have thought that Patch was a good example. He was a part of the group, yet he was his own person within that group.

Effectiveness of Talent Management in the field of Human resource Research Proposal

Effectiveness of Talent Management in the field of Human resource - Research Proposal Example According toPhillips & Gull (2012), training key employees should be top priority for the Human resource department. Boudreau & Ramstad (2005) found that organizations that have put deliberate measures to identify high potential employees are seven times more effective in delivering results. This shows the importance and relevance of knowing how to identify, manage, develop and reward talent in human resource studies. Organizations realize that they must have top talents for their success.Becker & Ulrich (2001) found that the best practices being adopted include aligning the talent strategy with the business strategy. A business strategy must always drive the talent needed. The second is that competence should be a basis for succession, hiring, and promotions and finally the third practice is putting the right people in the right jobs. Sometimes hiring the right skills is more efficient than developing those skills. The relevant professional experience in talent management in human r esource is having a degree in human resource or a masters and having been involved in human resource for not less than five years to augment productivity and ability to develop employees for management and talent creation in a firm.

An identification of factors affecting performance and reward Dissertation

An identification of factors affecting performance and reward management during the time of recession (2008) at Nationwide Build - Dissertation Example 9-16, 1994). In particular, performance and reward management is one of such aspects of human resource management that focuses primarily on ensuring effective performance and subsequently, efficient reward management of employees. In addition, experts (Office of Personal Management, 2001) have emphasized greatly on the effectiveness of performance and reward management (PRM) in terms of ensuring success of the organization. However, during the last decade, the whole world has confronted adverse impacts of financial crisis and recession and this has resulted in cutting down of various departments by the organizations (Perry, pp. 1-13, 2009). Still, a majority of organizations is utilizing the tool of PRM to ensure its success, and thus, the proposed research will include efforts on the same aspect of business field. Background & Significance In particular, it is a fact that every business firm comes into existence with a specific objective to attain, and that usually is achievement of profit. For this purpose, employers create jobs to carry out specified tasks and recent studies have indicated that since two decades, business organizations are now focusing principally on the notion of accountability that becomes possible with frequent review of individual performance (Hartman et al., pp. 23-25, 1994). In this respect, attainment of success at employees’ level enables the firm to attain success at organizational level that is the basic relationship of PRM with organization as it facilitates firms in ensuring its success. This indicates the significance of PRM and thus, PRM has always remained a crucial aspect of business organizations, one of the reasons of choosing this aspect of business organizations that will be very beneficial for the global business community. Before carrying out research on performance management, it is very imperative that the researcher ensures its clarified understanding as it is an observation that vague understandings often res ult in unproductive outcomes. For this reason, experts (Shepard, pp. 4-14, 2000) have identified that the basic responsibility of performance management is to ensure integration of organizational mission and aims with that of employees on individual level. For this purpose, performance management includes techniques to create, evaluate, and review organizational mission and aims and integrate them on individual levels. In other words, performance management is an effective tool for employers to create a platform for ongoing communication with the employees. However, performance management is not enough to ensure such an enduring relationship, and thus, reward management plays its role by regulating this connection with the tools of different types and kinds of rewards to ensure interest and loyalty of the employees. Research Statement In this regard, the researcher will focus on the following research statement to fulfill the aims and objectives of the research: â€Å"

Work Setting as a Learning Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Work Setting as a Learning Environment - Essay Example What would students on placement do with learning programs in clinical environments? The learners expect to accomplish the appropriate professional and inter-professional theoretical and practical objectives in their curriculum. Working in the clinical environment can present challenges but with ready and efficient placement programs, the prospective clinical professional achieves coping strategies. Satisfactory placement environment also promotes academic excellence (McCulloch, Rathbone and Catchpole, 2011). Â  The clinical experts would not ascertain their clinical experiences if the work setting did not offer them the right platform for learning. Not only does a professional or student clinical officer achieve and evaluate varied perspectives of dealing with health care issues, but also increases the hope and expectations of realizing the ultimate as public health policy requires. The work setting becomes the ideal starting point for students and clinical officers because every day presents new challenges and opportunities. Â  The health officers would lack research and advance education pathways without a proper clinical learning environment. Gopee (2015) acknowledges healthcare institutions as the ultimate centers for sustaining inter-professional learning, creating the desire to advance in education and conduct research. Research is critical due to the dynamic nature of healthcare concerns. Â  Teamwork and leadership increase the scope of responsibilities for healthcare professionals within the practice setting (McCulloch, Rathbone, and Catchpole, 2011).

Ancient giza Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ancient giza - Research Paper Example The pyramid is believed to have been built as a tomb for one Egyptian Pharaoh whose name was Khufu. This explains the name Pyramid of Khufu. The name is translated as Cheops in Greek language and this also explains why the pyramid is also known as Pyramid of Cheops. Khufu was a pharaoh in the fourth dynasty. How pyramids were built. Pyramids were normally built from quarry stones. One of the major challenges faced by the Egyptians during early pyramid building was the mobility of the huge rocks as well as other raw materials. The illustrations from the Djehutihoep of the twelfth dynasty show an alabaster statue being pulled by around one hundred and seventy two people. It is estimated that the statue was about sixty tons heavy. It further estimated that one rock block required about forty five workers to move a block of about sixteen thousand three hundred kilogram (Penn State University 23). The Symbolism of Pyramids The shape of pyramids in early Egypt are said to have been symboli c. They are believed to have been representing primordial mound. The early Egyptians believed that the earth had been created from the primordial mound. The shape itself was believed to be a representation of the sunrays. For this reason most pyramids were from high polished and reflective white limestone. The purpose of this was to give the pyramid a shiny look like the sun. Some pyramids were given names that give them a sunny description. For instance, the pyramid at Senwosret in El-Lalun was formed named as Senwosret is shining. While it is generally accepted that the pyramids were general burial monuments, there have been continued disagreement about the particular theological foundational principles surrounded them. One of the theories is that they had been designed as a form of "resurrection machine.† The mummies in the pyramids were actually thought to continue with their lives (Lehner 84). The Egyptians had believed that the dark area brought by the night sky which th e stars appeared around was a heaven gate way. There was a sharp pointed end at the top of the pyramid. This has been believed to suggest that the pyramids were actually a way to send the demised pharaohs to the gods through this opening. Most of the Egyptian pyramids were located on or closer to the banks of river Nile. Most of these pyramids were found on the West of river Nile. This was where the sun normally set. This is said to have a symbol of representation of the demise of the pharaoh to be buried in that pyramid. This can be logically attributed that Nile was an important source of raw materials. The alluvial soil from the river banks as well as the proximity to a large quantity of water. Most of the Egyptian is desert and therefore proximity too water for such heavy construction is very important. The ancient Egypt had an elaborate and complex form of civilization. In fact the civilization from ancient Egypt is said to have influenced civilization in other parts of the wor ld. Although Arabic is the currently widely spoken language the Egyptian language was an indigenous language that was spoken during the ancient. They even had laws (Shupak 103). The language can be evidence from the specific kind of writing that existed in the ancient Egypt. The writings are known as the hieroglyphics. These writings were normally preserved on reeds, papyrus reeds. The Egyptian language kept evolving. The Coptic language was a stage of the

Macroeconomics - Industrial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Macroeconomics - Industrial Economics - Essay Example Concentration ratios are calculated depending on the largest firms’ market shares. If 90 percent of industry is produced by four largest firms, then hat indicates an oligopoly and the four firms have a good market share (Curry and George, 1983). At the low end concentration, a zero percent concentration means that there is perfect competition meaning the number of firms is too large that the largest firms have no percentage of the market. On the other hand, 100 percent concentration ratio implies that there is a concentrated oligopoly. It therefore, means, there is monopoly. 0 to 50 percent concentration ratio can be interpreted as a low concentrated industry. In this, oligopoly is at the top while monopolistic competition falls at the bottom. Medium concentration takes a 50 to 80 percent concentration and is considered to be very much oligopolistic. High concentration ranges from 80 to 100 percent concentration (Curry and George, 1983). ... Concentration ratios of eight firms range from 88.5 to 97.4. Concentrations are on the upper end indicating high oligopoly almost coming to a monopolistic market structure. From the data above, considering the concentration ratios, it shows that in the first two years, there is less oligopoly. It then increases in the year 2002 where it is at highest. Then due to high turnover, there are more firms joining the industry which causes the concentration ratios to lower reducing oligopoly. Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is another measure of market concentration. In calculating it, the market split of each company that is competing in the market is squared, then summing the results. It can range from zero to 10,000. The higher the market’s concentration, the closer it is to being a monopoly and the less competitive it is (Curry and George, 1983). Considering the investigations conducted, it showed that the market concentration is highest in the year 2002 which is 1577, and it is lowest in year 2000. This indicates that the market was less competitive in the year 2002 than in 2000 which were more competitive. The competition then increases from 2003, goes down in the following year then starts to decline again. Since the market’s results ranges from 1,000 to 1,800, it can be termed as a moderately concentrated market. We can therefore, conclude that it has some oligopoly. To what extent do the major studios - those named in the CR4, CR6 and CR8 indices - outperform the market? In the economic model, competition among firms that are rivals reduces profits to zero. But competition is imperfect and firms are not price takers. Industry concentration is used to measure rivalry. A high concentration ratio shows most of the

Organization and Environmental Analysis Essay Example for Free

Organization and Environmental Analysis Essay Huawei Technologies technical diversification of its portfolio and value addition to its existing products is highlighted by Huawei being ranked amongst the top 5 in the world in terms of essential UMTS patents. By June 2008, Huawei had filed 30,569 patent applications. (Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release). The big inclination towards RD and strong cost differentiation has enabled Huawei Technologies to achieve what the other dominant players in the telecom industry have been struggling to achieve- customization! .This strong customer focus is also the face of Huawei Technologies projected through its brand logo. The Huawei Technologies brand logo reflects its core principles of â€Å"customer-focus, innovation, steady and sustainable growth, and harmony, conveying Huawei Technologies sincere commitment to helping its customers realizing their potential to launch a variety of competitive services through continuous innovation and an enterprising spirit. † (Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release). The Huawei Technologies logo was recently changed and modified to reflect harmony as also one of its key elements, so as to convey its social responsibility. Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release). This has brought in the much needed image change required by Huawei Technologies primarily being seen as a Chinese vendor. Figure1: Huawei Contract Sales (Source Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release) Opex Capex leverage which Huawei Technologies has been able to offer its customers has enabled it to demonstrate cost leadership which is evident as 72% of its contr act sales were from overseas market in 2007. Let alone in 2007, it had 45% increases in its contract sales revenue. See figure 1. Huawei Corporate Information-Huawei Media release). The strong hold which Huawei Technologies is being able to maintain also comes from the socio-political environment it works in as the labour cost in China is one sixth of that of United States or Europe. Thus it has become a key external environmental factor . Internally Huawei Technologies has capitalized on human resource and RD. But has the cost differentiation been enough, will it still promise growth and more market share? These are the biggest questions which need to be addressed for a guaranteed continuous growth. This question has made Huawei Technologies rethink its marketing strategy towards value proposition, and to value chain analysis (Porter 1985) for a bigger market share. Before that however lies another hurdle of poor quality perception a question mark on the quality of Chinese branding. Issue 2- The dragon brand wagon. With the FMCG market taking blows after blows because of adulterated Chinese raw materials, the general consumer perception on Chinese quality is struggling to establish a stand. Though it specifically affects as said the FMCG market or the business dealing in B2C but the general perception affects all including B2B. And this has been one of the prime challenges. From 1998 to 2001 Huawei was looked at with distrust doubt . With the Cisco lawsuit the market penetration in the developed economies had become more difficult and required 1000 times more effort as compared to its American or European counterparts. (The Economist, Nov 2007). I believe that the focus needs to be shifted towards creating a strong brand if Huawei Technologies needs to keep its foothold in the global telecom market. Thus strengthening of the Huawei brand has become even more important. Remodeling to establish Huawei as a brand has been now the new focus to develop a better perceived quality create brand equity. The need of brand recognition has also become very vital to be seen as a valued collaborator for its customers. Brand development has never been big in China; with large volume market brand recognition never existed in the Chinese market. Hence it becomes more essential as well as difficult for Huawei to develop its brand image to compete in the global economy. The strong need for branding and change for the marketing orientation to move towards the service sector becomes more vital when we look into the 5C’s of Huawei Technologies. Issue 4- The 5C’s. Exploring the 5 C’s of Huawei Technologies highlights the core competencies of Huawei and helps us in understanding why a new orientation approach is required . As discussed earlier Huawei Technologies dominates in cost differentiation and is armed with a strong RD to achieve customization in a high barrier industry and it has been a key strength of Huawei Technologies. But a quick SWOT analysis brings out the lack of perceived quality in the market as one of the greatest threats Huawei Technologies faces. Its major competitor Ericsson currently leading the market share comes with a very strong branding and high perceived quality. The dilemma is not just the market perception but also the perception of the employees themselves despite the fact that human capital is a key resource strength of Huawei Technologies which also drives to low labor costs.

Vygotskys Work on the Zone of Proximal Development

Vygotskys Work on the Zone of Proximal Development Critically evaluate the contribution of Vygotskys work on the Zone of Proximal Development Vygotskys original ideas on the relationship between child development and learning, leading to his concept of the ‘zone of proximal development, have become hugely influential in education and teaching practice, spawning much research in this field in recent years.   It is important firstly, to situate  Vygotskys work alongside that of Piaget, whose theories have underpinned much of educational thinking and practice for many decades.   The concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) has opened up many new ideas, not only about the nature of child development itself, but also about how children may be helped to learn more effectively within the classroom context.   Researchers have studied work within the ZPD from a variety of perspectives and there are clearly contrasting views, emanating from Vygotskys work, about the nature of childrens learning and how it might best be enhanced through the interrelationships between children and adults and children and their p eers.   Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist writing in the 1920s and early 1930s, presented a view of child development and learning which was radically different from that of his contemporary, Piaget. Piagets work achieved recognition and subsequently became highly influential in the realm of education and teaching practice. However, as highlighted by Schaffer (1996) and Faulkner and Woodhead (1999), Vygotsky died in 1934 and his ideas became recognised only more recently, having been translated, during the 1960s and 1970s, into English from Russian.  Vygotsky criticised Piagets basic notion that the developmental process begins in infancy with the child progressing through a period of relative egocentricity, eventually reaching a condition in which his or her thinking and behaviour become socialised.   He suggests that this approach â€Å"precludes the notion that learning may play a role in the course of development or maturation of those functions activated in the course of learningâ⠂¬  (Vygotsky, 1978, p.79).   Whilst Piaget, then, essentially saw the child as initially egocentric, only gradually becoming a social being, Vygotsky turned this view completely around, suggesting that even the youngest infant is profoundly social.   In contrast to Piaget, Vygotsky believed that development moves from the social to the individual, the child progressively achieving self-awareness and a capacity for reflection through his or her interaction with others. Vygotsky, then, argued that interaction with others is crucial for the childs achievement of mental maturity and individuality.   He suggested further that this achievement depends upon interactions with those people, within the childs environment, who are more capable and advanced than the child.   Processes of interaction, through discussion and argument between the child and these others, become the basis for processes which take place within the child at an individual level (Faulkner and Woodhead, 1999).   These notions form the basis of what Vygotsky has termed the ‘zone of proximal development (ZPD).   Vygotsky (1978) points out that it has been commonly understood that learning, and instruction, should be matched in some way to the childs developmental level.   The teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic, for example, has been traditionally initiated at a specific age level.  However, according to Vygotsky, we should not â€Å"limit ourselves merely to d etermining developmental levels if we wish to discover the actual relations of the developmental process to learning capabilities† (Faulkner and Woodhead, 1999a, p.11).   Instead, he suggests that we must take account of at least two developmental levels. Vygotsky acknowledged the existence of the actual developmental level which is the summation of a childs mental functions, as determined through the childs performance on a battery of tests or tasks at varying degrees of difficulty.   He argues, however, that, through testing in this way, we tend to judge the level of the childs mental abilities according to those things that children can do on their own.   If the child is offered leading questions or is helped towards a solution in collaboration with other children, thereby perhaps just missing an independent solution to the problem, this is not regarded as evidence for his or her mental development (Vygotsky,1978).   We have failed, then, according to Vygotsky, to recognise that what children can do with the assistance of others could be even more indicative of their mental development than what they can do on their own. The zone of proximal development, then, constitutes those mental functions which are currently in an embryonic state but in the process of maturation.   Vygotsky summarises this idea thus â€Å"the actual developmental level characterises mental development retrospectively, while the zone of proximal development characterises mental development prospectively† (Faulkner and Woodhead, 1999a, p.12).   Vygotsky suggested, then, that if we were to seek to discover the maturing functions of a young child, his or her capabilities as shown in collaboration with others, we will be able to obtain an accurate picture of that childs future actual developmental level.   In terms of classroom practice, instruction which aims for a new stage in the developmental process, rather than oriented towards learning which has already been mastered, is seen as ultimately more effective for the learning process.   Vygotsky essentially argued that the relationship between learning and developme nt is not straightforward with development following school learning in a linear way.   Rather, the two processes tend to interact with each other continually in highly complex and dynamic ways (Vygotsky, 1978). The Vygotskian concept of the zone of proximal development, along with others, such as scaffolding and guided participation, is central to the socio-cultural approach to development.   Guided participation, for example, as outlined by Rogoff (1990), is rooted in the idea that cognitive, linguistic and social competencies are developed through childrens active participation in a variety of adult-guided activities.   Meadows (1994) describes how the more expert person, whether adult or peer, provides a context or â€Å"scaffolding† within which the child may act as though he or she were able to solve the problem posed and, ultimately, indeed master the problem.   The adult, for example, gradually leaves more for the child to do as he or she becomes more familiar with the task and is able to accomplish the whole task successfully and independently.   Once the task, together with its associated cognitive competency, is achieved, the child is then able to develop and pass o n these skills to peers.   Commentators such as Faulkner et al (1998) and King and ODonnell(1999) have highlighted that Vygotskys concept of ZPD has been commonly understood to imply that neither the task difficulty nor the guidance given to children should be too far in advance of their current level of ability.   The research evidence, particularly that presented by Tudge et al (1996) and Tharp and Gallimore (1998), for example, seems to be generally supportive of this observation.  Schaffer (1996) expands on Vygotskys emphasis on the importance of the ‘knowledgeable other for childrens learning and development.   He highlights the distinction between vertical and horizontal (also known as asymmetrical and symmetrical) relationships, and the unique contribution that each kind of relationship makes to childrens development.   Vertical relationships are those in which partners have unequal power and knowledge, such as that between adult and child or achild and older sibling.   The equal status between peers in horizontalrelationships, as Schaffer points out, allows children the opportunityto acquire skills, such as those involving co-operation andcompetition, turn-taking, sharing and leadership qualities moreeffectively than might be possible through, say family relationshipswhich are not egalitarian in terms of knowledge and power. Many researchers focus on play as an important medium through whichyounger children develop skills in negotiating shared understandingswith each other.   Pretend play, in particular, was seen by Vygotsky asproviding opportunities for children to explore role relationships andacquire social skills, perspectives and cultural roles that are far inadvance of their ‘actual developmental level.   Pretend play, thus,constitutes a good example of learning within the ZPD since childrenare constructing for themselves many possibilities for learning.   Whenwe consider peer collaboration in general, whether inside or outsidethe classroom, the concept of prolepsis, first articulated byRommetveit (1979), cited in Goncu (1998), has been identified as animportant mechanism through which children construct and communicateunderstandings with each other.   Stone (1993), for example, describesprolepsis as a communicative device whereby children take for grantedthat their partners share the ir knowledge and, therefore, will leaveimplicit some of the meaning embedded in that knowledge (cited inFaulkner and Woodhead, 1999).   This, in turn, is said to motivatepartners to test out assumptions about each others meanings andunderstandings, creating a climate for intersubjectivity to develop.   Schaffer (1996), however, points out that simply providing childrenwith appropriate experiences, whether in play or structured group workwithin the classroom, is insufficient for effective new learning totake place.   In keeping with the concept of ZPD, Schaffer defineseffective tuition as teaching which elicits from the child performanceat a developmentally advanced level.   Like Meadows (1994) mentionedearlier, Wood (1988) and Schaffer (1996) also argue that effectiveteaching involves the gradual transfer of responsibility for masteringthe task in hand from adult to child, as the child is able to masterincreasingly complex aspects of that task.   Although these lattertheorists focus upon adult-child tuition, these ideas could applyequally well to the transfer of skills and knowledge between childrenand their peers (Vygotsky, 1978). Vygotsky saw the ZPD as an essential feature of learning,maintaining that â€Å"learning awakens a variety of internal developmentalprocesses that are able to operate only when the child is interactingwith people in his environment and in co-operation with his peers†(1978, p.90).   However, as Faulkner and Woodhead (1999) point out,children do not necessarily acquire communicative and social skillsfrom each other.   Neither can it be assumed that effective learning isachieved by the strategies teachers use through discussion.   It seemsclear that, for example, in group situations the social dynamicsdictate that individuals tend to take on different roles.   Someindividuals emerge as dominant or natural leaders; some take on therole of mediator or critic or perhaps adopt a very passive stance.   Itcannot be assumed, therefore, that even the most skilled tutor canensure that group discussion and interaction will create an effectivelearning space for each participant (F aulkner and Woodhead, 1999). Researchers such as Wood (1988) and Mercer (1995) have noted thatformal teaching and learning contexts are ‘contrived encounters in thesense that, in contrast to informal, spontaneous gatherings, peoplehave to acquire specific ways of talking and behaving according toparticular ground rules.   Edwards and Mercer (1987) have presented adetailed analysis of one common teaching strategy, defined as theinitiation-response-feedback (IRF) mode of exchange.   In the IRF mode,the teacher initiates by posing a particular question or problemassociated with the topic of the lesson and pupils respond and aregiven feedback in terms of the rightness or wrongness of theiranswers.   However, it is argued that this reduces learning into asomewhat sophisticated guessing game which renders children as passiverespondents, merely trying to search for the answers required of them,rather than as active participants, through perhaps posing questions oftheir own, in the learning process (Wood, 19 88).   Mercer (1995) explores this theme further in his analysis of classroomdiscourse and its role in knowledge creation.   He describes how jointunderstandings and shared frames of reference between pupils andteachers are established in effective classroom discourse.   The aims ofskilled teachers are seen as firstly, to orientate students learningactivities to the formal curriculum, secondly, to co-construct with thestudents a shared understanding of educational knowledge and thirdly,to help students commit their learning to memory (Mercer, 1995).   Inhis socio-cultural analysis of the teaching/learning process, Mercerhighlights the many ways in which teachers sustain classroom discourseby â€Å"confirming, reformulating, repeating, elaborating, rejecting orignoring the contributions learners make to classroom discussions†(Faulkner and Woodhead, 1999, p.84).   Through his extensive experienceof classroom research across different societies, Mercer concludes thatsuch guidanc e strategies, although commonly used in schooled societies,are underpinned by certain ‘common-sense assumptions about teachingand learning and may, therefore, be questioned and challenged. Mercer and Fisher (1998) argue that scaffolding, as a concept, isuseful for analysing how teachers may actively organise and supportchildrens learning when they in pairs or small groups.   However, theymaintain that a focus upon learning within the ZPD is too narrowlyrestricted to the dyadic interactions between adults and children andis therefore less useful within the classroom context.   They suggestthat in terms of analysing the quality of teaching and learning inclassrooms, the ZPD seems to have limited applicability becauseâ€Å"practical circumstances force most teachers to plan activities on thescale of classes or groups, not individuals.   The notion of any groupof learners having a common ZPD seems untenable!†(Mercer and Fisher,1998, p.127).   Other researchers, however, such as Moll and Whitmore (1998), haveargued that the ZPD concept can be useful in classroom contexts.   Theysuggest that traditional conceptions of ZPD based on dyadicinteractions are, indeed, too narrow and do not account for thesocio-cultural dimensions of the classroom as a context for learning.  Moll and Whitmore (1998) use examples of childrens written work todemonstrate how one particular class teacher provided a series of‘authentic social contexts within which her bilingual students wereable to explore the myriad of oral and written conventions of theirlanguages.   Moll and Whitmore (1998), thus, suggest that it isunnecessary to view ZPD simply in terms of the characteristic of eachindividual child but that classrooms can accommodate ‘collectiveZPDs.   They redefine the ZPD as â€Å"a zone where children can beencouraged to participate in collaborative activity within specificsocial (discourse) environments† (Moll and Whi tmore, 1998, p. 132).  They conclude that classrooms should be viewed as socio-cultural systems where, over time, teachers and students build up a history of shared understandings and generate new knowledge. The idea of creating shared meanings and joint understandings, whilst central to the socio-cultural approach to teaching and learning, has been queried in other circles.   Stone (1998), for example, has been concerned to elaborate more precisely the mechanisms involved in the process of intersubjectivity.   He argues that the quality of the interpersonal relationship between teacher and learner is crucial for the quality of learning that takes place within the classroom.   Stone emphasises the importance of shared understanding between teacher and learner and observes that adults may not always be sensitive enough to the lack of understanding, particularly in younger children, of the pragmatic conventions apparent for effective communication and dialogue.   He is particularly concerned to point out that shared understandings and commonly understood frames of reference between teacher and pupils do not occur instantly but take time to develop.  The argument for longitudinal studies, such as the research by Moll and Whitmore (1998) mentioned earlier, is therefore a strong one since these provide a richer description over time of teacher/learner relationships than ‘snapshot studies of isolated teaching and learning exchanges which can often produce a skewed and negative view of teachers competence. King and ODonnell (1999) point out that although Vygotsky himself focused more on the benefits of adult-child interactions rather than those of peer collaborations, his theory has â€Å"tremendous implications for our understanding of peer collaboration† (p.40). Many researchers have explored the ways in which peer interaction impacts upon childrens learning, problem solving and cognitive development.   Forman and Cazdan, for example, investigated how â€Å"the reasoning strategies of collaborative problem solvers differ from those of solitary problem solvers† (1998, p.192).   They compared the performance of three pairs of 9 year old children working on a series of scientific reasoning tasks with the performance of three pairs of 9 year old children working alone on identical problems.   They found that, when a Vygotskian perspective is adopted, children gained more valuable social and linguistic experiences through working collaboratively on the tasks than throu gh working alone on the same tasks. King and ODonnell (1999), along with Light and Littleton (1998),provide evidence that, in some circumstances, peer interaction does not promote individual cognitive progress.   Not all children work well together, and not all tasks are conducive to joint problem solving.  King and ODonnell (1999), for example, argue that applying Vygotskys theory to collaborative problem-solving involves more than simply pairing a child with a more competent other and focusing on the interactions between them.   They suggest that relying on the ZPD in terms of the interpersonal aspects of interaction is insufficient.  What is required instead, according to King and ODonnell, is anâ€Å" interweaving of different aspects of development, involving the individual and the cultural-historical as well as the interpersonal†(1999, p.40).   They cite evidence which demonstrates that not all social interaction has beneficial effects and, under some conditions, collaboration can, in fact, have detrimental outcomes.   Factors such as age, gender and ability level of the child and partner(s) and childrens motivation to collaborate can all affect the quality of learning outcome.   The extent to which children are exposed to more sophisticated reasoning by a partner together with willingness to accept and use that reasoning can also play a key role.   King and ODonnell, thus, note that â€Å"individual and contextual factors interact and mutually affect each other† (1999, p.46). King and ODonnell (1999) cite other research by Ellis and Rogoff(1982; 1986) and Gauvin and Rogoff (1989) which provides support for the idea that a ZPD can be constructed with either an adult or a peer.  However, they also point out that this research â€Å"indicates that pairing with an adult has different consequences (often more beneficial) for childrens learning† (King and ODonnell, 1999, p.50).   Many researchers have explored the ways in which teachers can guide knowledge construction through promoting effective group work in the classroom.   As mentioned earlier, children are likely to need adult input if they are to work on collaborative tasks productively.   Tharp and Gallimore (1998), for example, use the concept of scaffolding to support their argument that individual self-determined competence in any area may be generated only after successful performance has been achieved by assisted learning in the childs ZPD.   They characterise the ZPD not as a disti nct, discrete growing point for an individual child but rather as a complex array of growing edges involving all areas of developing competence.   They describe in some detail how the adult assistance provided between parent and child is not a linear, step-like procedure but an ongoing process involving a myriad of reciprocal interactions which reflect, monitor and adjust to the childs learning needs at any given time.   Tharp and Gallimore argue that â€Å"attempts by assisting adults to assess a childs readiness for greater responsibility (in the mastery of a task) often are subtle and embedded in the ongoing interaction† (1998, p.105). One example of teaching as assisted performance through the ZPD, as delineated by Tharp and Gallimore (1998), is the study by Baker-Sennett et al (1998) which explored the relationship between group collaborative processes and the nature of childrens creativity.   This study includes a fascinating account of the ways in which the ideas, planning and organisation of a play based on a fairy tale by one group of six girls, aged between seven and nine, changed over a period of one month.   The role of the class teacher in structuring the task for her pupils was also discussed.   The ways in which this teacher encourages the girls to reflect upon and address the interpersonal dilemmas they encounter are also illuminated in the research report.   Baker-Sennett et al (1998) draw out the evidence in the study for the girls movement, collectively, through parallel interpersonal zones as well as literary, creative zones.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tharp and Gallimore (1998) suggest, however, that the kind of assisted performance commonly evident, and successful, in the interactions of parents and children is rarely found in teacher/student relationships within the classroom.   The assistor, if he or she is to work effectively within the ZPD, must remain in close touch with the learners relationship to the task.   In short, it seems that commonly in the classroom, there are too many children for each teacher and not enough time available for working closely enough with the ZPD.   As Tharp and Gallimore observe, â€Å"public education is not likely to reorganise into classrooms of seven pupils each† (1998, p.107).   They do remain optimistic, however, suggesting that small group collaborative working, promoted through innovative instructional practices, together with the increasing use of new materials and technology could create the conditions for assisted performance to flourish in the future. In conclusion, then, Vygotskys work on the zone of proximal development, and its associated concepts of scaffolding and guided participation, has stimulated thinking and research about the nature of child development itself, its relationship to childrens learning and the implications for classroom practice.   It seems clear that there are contrasting views on the ways in which children relate to the ‘knowledgeable other, the nature and value of peer collaboration, the nature and extent of adult-assisted learning and the implications of all this for the quality of learning achievable.   As Tharp and Gallimore (1998), King and ODonnell (1999) and others argue, it seems that working effectively with the ZPD must take account of not only individual factors and immediate interpersonal interactions between children, adults and peers, but also the myriad of cultural-historical influences upon children and adults.   This undoubtedly presents a challenge in terms of current constr aints on classroom size and organisation in public education.   Some research studies, for example the account by Baker-Sennett et al (1998), have shown that through sensitive and creative classroom practice the conditions for optimal learning through working with the ZPD can be created.  Ã‚  Ã‚   References Baker-Sennett, J, Matusov, E, Rogoff, B (1998) ‘Sociocultural processesof creative planning in childrens playcrafting, in Faulkner, D,Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, Learning Relationships in the Classroom,Routledge, London, pp. 237-257 Edwards, D, Mercer, N (1987) Common Knowledge: the development of understanding in the classroom, Methuen, London Faulkner, D, Woodhead, M (1999) Child Development in Families,Schools and Society Study Guide, The Open University, Milton Keynes Faulkner, D, Woodhead, M (1999a) Child Development in Families,Schools and Society Offprints, The Open University Press, MiltonKeynes Forman, E, Cazdan, C (1998) ‘Exploring Vygotskian perspectives ineducation: the cognitive value of peer interaction, in Faulkner, D,Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, Learning Relationships in the Classroom,Routledge, London, pp. 189-206 Goncu, A (1998) ‘Development of intersubjectivity in social pretendplay, in Woodhead, M, Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Cultural Worlds ofEarly Childhood, Routledge, London, pp. 117-132 King, A, ODonnell, A.M (1999) Cognitive Perspectives on Peer Learning, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, London Light, P, Littleton, K (1998) ‘Cognitive approaches to group work,in Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, Learning Relationships inthe Classroom, Routledge, London, pp. 171-188 Meadows, S (1994) ‘Cognitive development, in Bryant, P, Coleman, A (Eds) Developmental Psychology, Longman, Harlow Mercer, N (1995) The Guided Construction of Knowledge, Multilingual Matters Ltd, Clevedon Mercer, N, Fisher, E (1998) ‘How do teachers help children tolearn?   An analysis of teachers interventions in computer-basedactivities, in Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, LearningRelationships in the Classroom, Routledge, London, pp. 111-130 Moll, L.C., Whitmore, K.F (1998) ‘Vygotsky in classroom practice:moving from individual transmission to social transaction, inFaulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, Learning Relationships in theClassroom, Routledge, London, pp. 131-155 Rogoff, B (1990) Apprenticeship in Thinking: cognitive development in social context, Oxford University Press, Oxford Schaffer, R (1996) Social Development, Blackwell, Oxford Stone, C (1998) ‘What is missing in the metaphor of scaffolding?,in Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, Learning Relationships inthe Classroom, Routledge, London, pp.156-167 Tharp, R, Gallimore, R (1998) ‘A theory of teaching as assistedperformance, in Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, LearningRelationships in the Classroom, Routledge, London, pp. 93-110 Tudge, J, Winterhoff, R.A., Hogan, D.M (1996) ‘The cognitiveconsequences of collaboration and feedback, in Child Development, Vol.67, pp. 2892-2909 Vygotsky, L.S (1978) Mind in Society: the development of higher psychological processes, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA Wood, D (1988) How Children Think and Learn, Blackwell, Oxford