Literary And Scholarly Works Giovanni s Room By James...

Zaha Abuznada Ethnic Consciousness English Literature in the city, 4890. Anne Dewey May 11, 2015 Outline I. Introduction II. Distinction between a ghetto and an ethnic enclave III. The experiences of people living in ethnic enclaves IV. Different types of enclaves V. Conclusion VI. Works Cited Ethnic Consciousness I. Introduction The experiences of people living in ethnic enclaves have long attracted the attention of many scholars, journalists and writers because they want to understand how these communities are formed, and how the residents of these neighborhoods perceive their identity. This discussion included in this paper will be based on the analysis of literary and scholarly works. For instance, it is possible to refer to such authors as Nella Larsen and Yomme Chang who describe isolated ethnic communities. Furthermore, one can examine the novel Giovanni’s Room written by James Baldwin who examines the reasons why the representatives of the LGBT community can form their own enclaves. Overall, these people can be affected by different factors such as cultural segregation, poverty, linguistic barriers, homophobia, and so forth. Nevertheless, the critical issue is that they feel marginalized and isolated because some aspects of their identity are not accepted by the society. Moreover, these traits can be viewed as the signs of a certain deficiency.

Offshore Oil Drilling and the Deepwater Horizon Spill of...

Oil is a very important fossil fuel that is used for various sources of energy. Oil supplies power to industries, fuel for transportation, heat for buildings, and provides raw material for plastics, paints, textiles, and other materials (hybrid cars). To access this fossil fuel, oil drilling is used. Land-based oil drilling became less productive and as the global stipulation for energy increased, technology, law, and geology impacts stepped in and pushed the exploration of oil away from shores (CITE). With its historical background, offshore oil drilling is one of the most important aspects of today’s economy although we are faced with its risks and consequences, such as the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion of the Gulf of Mexico. Offshore†¦show more content†¦New technology continued to develop including rotary rigs that replaced pile drivers. Texaco and Shell then established â€Å"barge drilling,† which was the process of towing small mobile platforms to new l ocations at the end of drilling jobs (CITE). This resulted in the adaptation of land-drilling methods in the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico, as the oil companies continued to grow more confident operating offshore. During the 1952 presidential election, an argument called the â€Å"Tidelands dispute,† over who should manage offshore drilling became a concern when General Dwight Eisenhower guaranteed to repair the leasing ability coastal states were deprived of in the courts. This dispute was followed by the enactment of the Submerged Lands Act of 1953, which allowed states the right to lease up to three marine miles from the coast. Eisenhower’s rise to the presidency also helped smooth the progress of the passage of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) of 1953, which provided the federal government the authority to issue leases in coastal areas beyond state jurisdiction (CITE). Once the OCSLA was executed, leasing activity on federal submerged lands b egan in 1954. At this time, oil was being produced at 133,000 barrels of oil a day, which was only two percent of total U.S. production at that time. ThisShow MoreRelatedCurrent Ethical Issues on Oil Spill1482 Words   |  6 Pagesconsumptions of oil have led to increased prices of gasoline whereby alternative forms of energy production are sought. With this in mind, offshore drilling can be a viable option for satiating the need of oil and also to boost the economy of the nation. In this report, I am going to discuss how the current Deepwater Horizon rig explosion has led to disastrous oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico causing environmental problems and also discuss how the oil spill if resolved and with safe and secure drilling techniquesRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Bp Oil Spill1558 Words   |  7 PagesArgumentative Essay: The BP Oil Spill Phillip Staton PHI 445 Personal Organizational Ethics Prof. Gloria Zuniga y Postigo February 29, 2016 Argumentative Essay: The BP Oil Spill Introduction In 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, causing millions of barrels of crude oil to be leaked out into the Gulf of Mexico. The extensive oil spill created a lot of pollution and far-reaching effects on the tourism industry. 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After the oil and gas formed in the source rock, the pressure applied on the rock tried to squeeze out the oil out of rock and move upwards, they could travel along any pathways such as open faults and fractures. Therefore, eventually oil and gas stop travelling and reserved in whatRead MorePollution : Why Is It Important?1288 Words   |  6 PagesImportant? Oil spills are difficult to clean up in the Gulf of Mexico. Spills like BP’s 4.9 million barrels spill are even harder to clean up. One of the reasons for this difficult task is that oil spills are never alike. It is estimated that approximately 706 million gallons of oil enter the ocean every year. Offshore drilling and production operations and spills from ships or tankers typically contribute less than 8 percent of the total that enter the ocean each year. The majority of the oil enteringRead MoreMultinational Gas And Oil Company1624 Words   |  7 Pagesa multinational gas and oil company based in the United Kingdom. Operating in over 80 countries and producing around 3.4 million barrels of oil a day, BP is the third-largest energy company in the world behind Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell. The company is involved in all aspects of the process including exploration, production, refining, and distribution. The largest division is BP America with 16 total refineries a nd the more leases on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico than any competitor (BPRead MoreThe Deepwater Horizon Mobile Offshore Wells Exploratory Platforms1537 Words   |  7 PagesA detonation on the Deepwater Horizon mobile offshore wells-exploratory platforms unit near the Gulf of Mexico, operated by British Petroleum, on April 20, 2010, or known as BP oil spill. The BP oil catastrophe ignited due to high-pressure methane gas by drilling a deep exploratory at Macondo well, reported by Up Stream Online news. The Gulf of Mexico oil spill still outlasts as a great size accidental marine oil spill in the records of the petroleum industry. The date, report details, and locationRead MoreThe Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill2022 Words   |  9 PagesDeepwater Horizon Oil Spill The Context Before the occurrence of the Deepwater Horizon event, BP had already been labelled as having a horrible safety record. A 2009 report by the United States Department of Labour Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Todd Petterson , 2009), indicated that BP had 270 existing fines of a ‘failure to abate’ and 439 ‘wilful violations’ of various safety protocols. At the time of the disaster the regulators of the oil industry in the United States was theRead MoreBp Csr3693 Words   |  15 PagesSocial Responsibilities and Law Contents BP Company Info 3 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Event 4 Summary of the Deepwater Horizon Event 5 Stock price before and after Deepwater Horizon 7 Impact on Stakeholders 8 BP’s Oil Spills and Corporate Social Responsibility 9 Inadequate disclosure on the oil spill event 11 Recommendations for BP to get reputation back 13 Conclusion 14 BP Company Info BP is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is theRead MoreBp Oil Explosion in the Gulf of Mexico1412 Words   |  6 Pagesits worst oil spill disasters in the history of marine petroleum exploration. A deadly oil well blowout at Macondo Prospect, about 41 miles off the southeast coast of Louisiana, spewed huge quantities of oil for 87 long days causing major environmental and economic troubles to the Gulf region (Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill). It started with a fire and explosion, killing 11 workers, and then unleashed a slow motion disaster that spread across the 600 mile gulf coastline. The massive oil spill disrupted

Meeting a King free essay sample

It was almost seven years ago when I read the story, a pirated copy in my fathers computer, forgotten in a corner of its hard drive. The epic tale of Santiago, the shepherd who found the treasure he dreamed of in the pyramids. However, the tale all began with a king, a king that came to people who were on the verge of giving up their dreams, a king that set them on the right course to fulfill their destiny. This may seem like a concept too ideal to be true, almost like a fairy godmother. However, I know the king exists somewhere, because he came to me as well. The summer of 2011, a summer filled with frenzied preparation for colleges and standardized tests, I routinely studied in Seoul, the capital of Korea and travelled down to Deagu, my home, by train. As I took my seat on the train one Friday, I sat next to a father of two daughters. We will write a custom essay sample on Meeting a King or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I pulled out my laptop and brought up a PDF file of The Alchemist to refresh my memory of it. As I read the book, the man next to me, intrigued and impressed by the many pages of English I was reading, struck up a conversation with me. At first I was reluctant, as I did not want to be interrupted in reading my favorite novel. However, gradually I became engrossed in the conversation we were having and stowed the book away. We talked of many things, but the one moment that left a distinct mark in my memory was when he started talking about his dream. When he was young, his dream was to be a famous movie director, one that would be known throughout Korea. However, the more he grew up the more he realized that his dreams were unrealistic, so he became a high school teacher, what seemed to be a more stable job. From that moment onward, he collected the tickets of every movie he saw to soothe his aching heart. As he pulled out the wad of movie tickets from his bag, I realized; he was my king, and I was the shepherd. I was just getting prepared for my college applications at the major crossroad of my life, he came as an omen. As I contemplated this over in my head again and again in my room, I came to a conclusion; I was not going to be like the man I met on the train. â€Å"Then you’ll die in the midst of trying to realize your Personal Legend. That’s a lot better than dying like millions of other people, who never even knew what their Personal Legends were†, the Alchemist once said to Santiago. Those words rang clear through me as I thought of that man on the train, the man who, out of fear, gave up his dream and was forced to spend the rest of his life soothing his wounded heart, wounded because it could not fulfill its destiny. That day, I resolutely said to myself, whatever happens in life I will not be cowed into forfeiting what I my heart desired, for what I forfeit that day is sure to haunt me for the rest of my life. To some, this may indubitably sound like a naive statement proclaimed by a seventeen year old who had not truly tasted life. Undoubtedly, some of these individuals will approach me and whisper that it is too idealistic, to assess the situation rationally and to play safe. However, I know I will disregard these urgings, for that day the king taught me that the greatest wealth in the world is to realize my destiny, to not be another buried dream that persistently aches a heart.

Organizational and Household Decision Making

Table of Contents Introduction Purchase Decisions for Products Advertising for these Products Reference Introduction Family members are involved in purchase decisions and marketers should be able to learn the behavior of all members of a family concerning purchases for the household. Children acquire knowledge about what and how to purchase from their parents. Collective decision making is applied when purchasing household items and this requires combining ideas from all family members. Couples with children have different purchasing behaviors compared to those who do not have children (Solomon, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational and Household Decision Making specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Purchase Decisions for Products In a family where there are children, the wife is the initiator for the decision to purchase groceries. However, the other members of the family may have a stake in the p urchase decisions for groceries but to a lower extent. The wife acts as the gatekeeper because she collects all the information about groceries while the children and the husband are the influencers. Anybody in the family can play the role of the buyer and every member of the family is involved in the usage of the products. On the other hand, couples without children play equal roles in the purchase of groceries. The decision to purchase automobiles is made collectively by all members of the family. In most cases, the husband and the children are the initiators of the decision to purchase such products. The husband collects information about the products. In some cases, the other family members may be involved in collecting information but they are not involved to a great extent. Wives are influencers because they sway the outcome of the decision while husbands are the buyers. Every member of the family is a user of the automobile products. For couples without children, the husband is the initiator of the purchase decision and a gatekeeper. The wife is the influencer while both couples can act as buyers. The couples are the end users of the products. Children and the husband are the initiators of the purchase decisions about vacations. The husband is the gatekeeper because he collects all information about such products while the wife is the influencer. In most cases wife and the husband are the buyers of vacations while all members of the family use such products. Couples without children decide collectively about the kind of vacations to purchase. The husband collects information while the wife is the influencer. Both couples may be involved in the buying of such products because they are the users of the products.Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The decision to purchase furniture is developed by all members of the family but in most cases the wife initiates most of the decisions. Either the husband or the wife collects information about the kind of furniture to be purchased. The children act as influencers while in most cases the husbands are involved in the buying process. All members of the family are users of the furniture. Comparatively, in families without children the wife is the initiator of the decision to purchase furniture and plays the role of collecting information about these products. The husband is the influencer while in most cases the wife is the buyer of furniture. Both couples are involved in the use of the products. Children and the husband are mostly involved in initiating the purchase decision for appliances. The husband collects all information pertaining to the appliances while the wife acts as the influencer. In most cases husbands are the buyers of appliances while every member of the family is the user of such products. Compared to couples without children, the husband is the initiator and the gatekeeper whe n it comes to the purchase of appliances. The wife plays the role of influencing while the husband is the buyer. Both couples are involved in the use of appliances. Advertising for these Products Advertising for groceries should target mothers more than fathers and children because mothers are the key decision makers about the groceries to be purchased. Adverts for automobiles should focus more on fathers and children than on the mothers. Fathers and children have a higher influence on the purchase of automobiles and should be targeted by adverts for automobile products. Advertising for vacations should target fathers and children because women are not actively involved in the purchase process. Adverts for furniture should focus more on mothers because they are the key decision makers about the purchase of such products. Advertising appliances should focus fathers and children more than mothers. Reference Solomon, M. R. (2010). Consumer behavior: buying, having, and being, 9th editi on. New Jersey, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational and Household Decision Making specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Organizational and Household Decision Making was written and submitted by user VanceAstr0 to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Down At The Dump By Patrick White Essays - Adaminaby, Patrick White

Down At The Dump By Patrick White 'Down at the Dump' Patrick White, most noted for his longer works of fiction, exemplifies his craft of storytelling in his short story 'Down at the Dump'. White has dramatized an event in life, such as a funeral, and given us a very believable insight into our own culture. Some readers will take offence to such a raw and truthful portrait, while others will find humor and hope in the same story. White is a writer who crafts a story with such intensity, that at times it slaps you in the face with the truthful, dirty, honest depiction of his characters. All of whom we can see something, if not the smallest little detail of our selves in them. 'Down at the Dump' counterpoints two families, and their journeys on an afternoon. One of the families is off to the funeral of Mrs. Hogben's sister Daise. The other family the Whalley's, off to the Sarsaparilla dump, for busness and pleasure 'I thought the beer was an excuse for comin'.' (Isba pg.8) 'Down at the Dump' is also a modern day Australian Romeo & Juliet, the forbidden love between Lummy Whalley and Meg Hogben. Both it seems are destined for more then what is expected of them. The story is also a comment on the staid middle-class lifestyle, the petty bourgeois existence of the suburbs. The story is also a comment on the sexually non-conformist such as daise's character represents, more about this later. The story is also a comment on standards, principals, morality, values and judgmental and discriminatory behavior. White pays attention to the dirty, honest characteristics of human beings, "Her eyes were that blazing blue, her skin that of a brown peach. But whenever she smiled, something would happen, her mouth opening on watery sockets and the jags of brown, rotting stumps." (pg.1) This serves to give the readers a deeper understanding of the characters right down to the bone. This typical descriptive passage is common in white's writing. It cuts to the core of the character, shedding light on a side rarely taken by an author. A gritty and honest sense of reality is achieved. "Down at the Dump" is a story revolving around binary oppositions, a set of contrasts. The two main families, 'The Hogben's and Whalley's' are the two main constructs of White's direct opposition. This opposition is nowhere more visible then in white's use of language when giving his characters a voice. Whites characters speak from the heart. Their own use of language reflects directly their class and education. For example - the Whalley's speak from the heart, with a distinctly working-class accent. "Ere!...waddaya make me out ter be? A lump of wood." (Isba pg.1) We get a sense very early in the story, by the way the Whalley's speak, a direct reflection of their socio-economic background. White's use of language when describing the Whalley's is derogatory and intentionly off putting. This is contrasted in direct opposition to the Hogben's. Who are described through their slightly more capable use of the English language. This helps enforce them as being worth more in a snobby middle-class way. This direct opposition is again contrasted to another level. For although White uses harsh, dirty, honest language when describing the Whalley's, we cannot help but feel empathy with them for their honesty. The Whalley's seem truthfully real and direct people, yet crass and crude on the outside. This is the opposite for the Hogben's. The Hogben's use of speech is much more educated. Although they are described with nice, fluffy, sensitive language, I am filled with contempt for them. Meg being the exception she is one of white's poetic seers; someone who is destined for more. The domestic abodes of the two families are also a symbolic representative of their different socio-economic position and different way of life. Our story takes its journey to the funeral and the dump respectively where towards the end of the funeral serves daise rises from the grave to relinquish her thoughts and feelings. It is about here in the story that the passage I will be discussing indepth occurs. It is through Daise Morrow that Patrick white chooses to make social commentry through his authorial voice. The ideological concerns of the story are quite clear in this passage. The passage I will be referring to starts midway down page 16 'Even if their rage grief, contempt, boredom, apathy, and sense of injustice had not occupied the mourners...to...as she got in side the car, and waited

Brief History of Leonardo da Vinci essays

Brief History of Leonardo da Vinci essays In the year,1452. Leonardo da Vinci was borned in Vinci, a hill village in Tuscany, Italy.Throughout his childhood he reachout with opened arms to expand his mind. He loved to draw by examples from his books filled of drawings of plants, ideas for inventions, and much more.With the versatility and creative power that he had by using his mind. It marked him as a supreme example of Renaissance genius throughout the renaissance period.Besides being italian painter, he was also a sculptor, a architect, a musician, a engineer, a mathmacian as well as a scientist.With a career of being a artist, Leonardo came with mind blowing ideas with math equations as well sciencfic notes throught out his lifetime.In Florence where Leonardo usually lived,he engaged in much theoretical work in mathematics and pursued his anatomical studies withc we know to be true today.To note the aging genius was assigned to various architectural and engineering projects at the Vatican witch dealt with very complexing ideas with math.With some many projects, you can see how what kind of schedule he had. With in the renaissance era, he found the field dominated by Michelangelo and Raphael as well as himself. The trio were unstoppable , they minds togeather were a force to no be fought with it. Even though, Leonardo met michelangelo and raphael late in his life. Mos tof his work, is influnced by those men. By the year 1519, the renaiassance era was closing and so was Leo's life. He died in Amboise, and the world was in mourning of the lost one of greatest geniuses of mankind. ...

Provide a compelling conclusion to my thesis which answers beyond Essay

Provide a compelling conclusion to my thesis which answers beyond doubt the question, - Essay Example ce the early 1980s may have made it more likely that financial factors in general, and the booms and busts in credit and asset prices in particular, act as drivers of economic fluctuations; as a result, the current environment may be more vulnerable to the occasional build-up of financial imbalances†. Because of the above turbulences, the strategies followed by the companies regarding the security of their assets have to be formulated accordingly. The impact of globalization in this case is extensive. As Stiglitz (2004, 57) states â€Å"one of the most controversial aspects of globalization is capital-market liberalization—not so much the liberalization of rules governing foreign direct investment, but those affecting short-term capital flows, speculative hot capital that can come into and out of a country†. However, despite the existence of common rules in the regulation of financial markets internationally, each country follows its own regulations in all issues related with commercial activities. International rules can have just a ‘supplementary’ role and only in cases where there is no appropriate national framework of rules regulating the commercial activities in all their aspects. Regarding this issue it has been supported by Pagano et al. (2001, 502) that â€Å"the regulations that shape the design and operations of corporations and credit and securities markets differ vastly from country to country while even similar regulations are often unequally enforced in different countries; economists still have an imperfect understanding of why these international differences exist and of whether they tend to persist over time†. On the other hand, the existence of these differentiations could be limited because of the existence of Internet which impose specific rules and principles on the transactions made. The structure of business operations can be also influenced in case that a particular business operates online. Indeed, the study of Ellam et al. (2002,

Journal entries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journal entries - Essay Example I felt good about myself after having given up my seat for the elderly lady. I felt happy and I saw the day for all the possibilities and opportunities it could give me. It was not my conscious choice to give my seat up for the elderly lady. When I saw her looking around for a seat, it was an immediate reflex on my part to offer my own. It was only when she said â€Å"bless you, child† when my act of kindness registered in my consciousness. I felt that such a reflex was a major part of my upbringing. I was taught to do the right thing by anyone, especially those who are vulnerable. I also felt that I did the act of kindness because I felt that in the future, I too might need acts of kindness from strangers. In a way, I was hoping that I too would deserve a good turn of kindness when my time to be old and feeble would come. I babysat my friend’s toddler for a few hours while she went to a job interview. Closing in on the weekend, I got a text message from a childhood friend, who was also a single mother, asking me to babysit her 2 year old daughter because she had a job interview. My friend explained that her babysitter unexpectedly came down with the flu and was unable to babysit her child. I knew the job interview was very much important to her because the burden of supporting her daughter was solely in her hands. Although I was supposed to meet up with friends at about the same time my friend issued here request, I knew that she really needed my help then. So, I said yes. I babysat her child for two hours. I basically played with her and entertained her. It was a task I was familiar with because I often played with the child whenever I visited my friend. When my friend came back, she felt relieved that all was fine with her daughter – that the baby did not act up or cry while she was a way. I also felt good about myself for having done the act of kindness for my friend. At first, I was a little bit

The Changing Role of Women in India Essay Example for Free

The Changing Role of Women in India Essay The Changing Role of Women in India Women in India are beginning to follow the direction that the women of the Western world took more than eighty years ago; demanding treatment as human equals. However, it has become more and more evident as the revolution ages that Indian women may have to adapt the Western feminist method to their very traditional and religious culture. India has different complications that put the development of women in a completely altered context than their Western counterparts. Although the key targets remain similar: improvement of health care, education and Job opportunities in order to gain equality between men and women in the various settings of public society, the workplace, the school yard and possibly the most fundamental setting of all the home. Women are striving to be independent on the equal level of men. The additional complexities that the women of India must also challenge are the caste system, the heavy religious customs, older and more raditional roles of the sexes, as well as the even stronger power that men hold in India. The status was at one time accepted, but with the Western womens revolution and perception, the role is slowly succeeding in its development through both independent groups of women and national and worldwide organizations based on the goal of gaining equality. They have all accomplished much, but have yet to overthrow the male dominated society. The Original Status A patriarichal and oppressed society with an inhumane caste system supposedly based on religious faith, however, their religious beliefs are obviously not understood since their masculine domination acts against the religious base of men and women living as equals. Despite modernization, womens status remained low and devalued well into the 20th century. Gargi Chakravarty of the National Federation of Indian Women stated in 1990 that Girls are looked upon by their parents as burdens.

The Competitiveness In The Food Industry Marketing Essay

The Competitiveness In The Food Industry Marketing Essay Melville, N. et al. (2004) defined the value of information technology in the organizations as the organizational performance impacts of information technology at both the intermediate process level and the organization-wide level, and comprising both efficiency impacts and competitive impacts. The company performance by using it could affect positively with the customers and with the competitors both at the mid level process and the organisational level process. Adding value to the business comes in the form of cost reduction and by improving the quality of customer service. What is cost reduction and how it could be achieved? The total expenditure of company for the purpose of maintaining its inventory management effectively, staffs work schedules and their salary records and relations with the customers. We could drastically reduce this cost by using customised software. By using IT we could implement effective software for track down of the inventory, thus it saves huge money for spending on man power. And even in customer service we could easily reduce the cost by proving a global call centre rather than manpower at each site. What is information technology? According to Hitt, L. Ms (1999) research, the information technology has been defined: as computers as well as related digital communication technology, it has the broad power to reduce the costs and save time for information processing. Information technology could help company in many ways, such as: Data resource management: Data resource management is managerial activity. It is useful in managing data sources between the company and its stake holders. Inventory management: By using specific software for the tracking products available in our storage area we could plan what we need for the day or for the coming days, and we can plan and interact with our suppliers and order for the raw material as accordingly. Customer relationship management: Normally called with acronym CRM is huge success when it comes to the interactions with the clients and customers. The primary purpose of the CRM is to track down the buying behaviour of the customers like what they are buying, which product is bought down by which age group, what type of products are selling in that particular area etc, etc, thus we can plan our business needs effectively. How this IT could useful in our particular company and how can we get competitive advantage with this? Our company: History: Nandos  is a  casual dining restaurant   founded in 1987 by Robert Brozin and Fernando Duarte from  South Africa  with a  Portuguese/Mozambican  theme. Nandos was Chickenland  earlier and they renamed it to Nandos after Duarte. Nandos operates in 28 countries and on five continents.  It specializes in  chicken  dishes with either lemon and herb, medium, hot or extra hot  Peri-Peri  marinades (properly known as  Galinha à   Africana). In some countries, Nandos has other flavour options like mango and lime, lemon and herb, or Mediterranean. The restaurant incorporated influences from former Portuguese colonists from  Mozambique, many of whom had settled on the south-eastern side of Johannesburg, after their homelands independence in 1975. It has branches all over the world. Primarily focused on English speaking countries now it spreads all over the world where the people prefer spicy chicken. It is famous for its peri-peri chicken which is its own brand. It has 230 branches across UK and it has nearly 6600 employed in all these branches. It primarily focus on its culture. It was awarded no. 1 in food industry by Sunday times. And it has an investor award. Task1: Porters five force model: File:Porters five forces.PNG A graphical representation of Porters Five Forces Bargaining power of supplier: the majority of supply is from Faccenda and Freemans of Newent and small supply from Holland and Germany. Nandos has its own name in the industry although it does matter the raw materials. As long as the supplier is happy with the business there would be no problem, the suppliers are pretty famous in their respective fields as they have very much contracts in their hands. Although We can say the bargaining power of the suppliers is low. The Nandos requires huge volumes of raw materials when one supplier step down another one could take up. And there are many suppliers available it would be easy to us to go for another supplier but it is not easy to supplier to loose Nandos. It is win- win situations Threat of new entrants: There is lot market for the food industry and particularly for chicken food as it widely eaten there so much scope for new markets. Nandos has its own name and it has niche market there and there would be no affect if any new restaurant comes in. Nandos is more concentrated on its culture and being best than the bigger it is very difficult to new entrants to compete with the Nandos. So we can say the threat of new entrants is comparatively low. Threat of substitute products or services: Items like Portuguese vinaigrette and some cooking sauces, pasta sauces could not stand in the market because of some brand companies in the particular item field. Instead Nandos concentrated on some other items like marinades and peri-peri sauces where it has its own influence. The price factor is very important to not to lose the customer. The customer always looks for the cheap price for the same product. Considering the food products of Nandos, they are pretty famous for its taste rather than cost thus we can say the threat is low. Bargaining power of customers: The power of customer is defined by the volume of them and their information like their age, sex and location etc.etc. Nandos has niche market which caters for the lovers of spicy food. These customers are generally young and adult. Nandos has its brand that their chicken is best in their competitors so the customer will not want to go for other restaurant. And there are not substitutes available with this spicy range with other restaurants we can confidently say that our customers bargaining power is low. Existing rivalry: If want to talk about the particular branch which is Stratford, Nandos we are dealing the primary competitors are The Fox, the Indian gate, Pizzahut, Carrebian scene and the Mukhan. All of these restaurants are highly preferable and they have their best in the particular food. We can say like Pizzahut is famous for its pizza, the Indian gateway for its Indian food although they provide chicken items. None of them are comparable when it comes to the spicy chicken or peri-peri chicken. Nandos provides huge range variety of products than to other competitors. The price options are also very reasonable when compare to the international brand like Pizzahut or very local The Indain gateway. Therefore we can say the the existing rivalry is low. The intensity of rivalry for Nandos is influenced by No of restaurants: increases rivalry because more restaurants must compete for the same customers and resources. The rivalry intensifies if the firms have similar market share, leading to a struggle for market leadership. Task 2: Value chain model: http://enduragement.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/porter-value-chain.png The Value Chain framework of Michael Porter is a model that helps to analyze specific activities through which firms can create value and competitive advantage. The value chain helps an organization identify how it creates value for customers and locate where its sources of competitive advantage lie. Value chain models can be created in both qualitative and quantitative forms. Many organizations do not consciously make decisions to optimize the sources of advantage resident in their value chain and in so doing, risk losing competitive advantage. What is Value Chain Analysis? A value chain is a chain of value added activities; products pass through the activities in a chain, gaining value at each stage. Value chain allows alignment of processes with customers. This generates a quality advantage. Value chain focuses cost management efforts. It provides for efficient processes which improves the timeliness of operations. The steps in Vaule chain model are: Inbound logistics: Inbound logistics of Nandos deals with receiving goods, storing them . for this we use an dinventory control management system. It deals with everything related to goods and its transportation. This inbound is very important to maintain the warehouse products available effectively without interrupting the business to customers. Outbound logistics: inbound logistics deals with the good coming upto the warehouse where as the outbound logistics deals with the products reaching to customers. Nandos has the dedicated transportation service to delivery its products to reach its restaurants on time. It uses PDAs to track down its vehicles on road where they are at particular time so the restaurants and head office knows when they will reach the destination. This allows the restaurants to plan accordingly. Marketing and sales: To attract customers Nandos approaches in very innovative yet cost effective manner. It provides customers to win prizes when the make orders at restaurants. Some of its promotions include gift cards, Go PERi-lectric with a pair of tickets to Irelands Electric Picnic, Brighton Pride and Win a PERi-tastic prize Tickets to the LED festival, Win A Footie Chicken-Fest etc, etc. And Nandos spend considerable amount of money to promote irs restaurants aggressively through print media and electroninc media. In 2010, Advertising Age magazine named Nandos as one of the worlds top 30 hottest marketing brands. Service: The service mainly here defined as the interaction with customers and the service we provide to them. The better the service the better the chances to increase its brand value. Procurement: Procurement mainly deals with the requirement of raw materials, space to setup restaurants, kitchen machinery etc. Technology Development: The technology development is to support value chain activities such as design, strategies and tactics , research and development, processing etc. We discuss about this in next task. Human Resource Management Human resource management is primarily associated with staff recruiting, staff schedules and salary maintenance and maintaining compensation and benefits to its employees and staff. Firm Infrastructure The infrastructure associates with hierarchical process of the firm. It Includes management, planning, finance, legal issues, public relations, accounting and quality management, etc. Task 3: How IT can be used to develop business: I will use Value Chain analysis to explain how IT help Nandos add value to themselves and obtain competitive advantage in food industry. Value Chain analysis consist of primary activities and support activities, which are detailed from below: The IT can be used to increases the knowledge of profit zones where there is no profit, It increases the knowledge of forward and/or backward integration opportunities, identifies value process and Identifies win-win alliance opportunities As consultant for Nandos restaurant we need to advise them to use value chain models for implementing cost comparison between the companies to other competitors. What is Strategy? And How Does Porters Value Chain Model Fit With Strategy? Strategy is your business direction; and the how, why, what, who and when of following that direction. Most businesses analyze their own internal cost structures but most do not analyze their competitors structures. The five Ps of nandos to follow to get competitive advantage are: Plan: Portugese chiken all over the world Ploy: not to face competitors but to find a strong market i.e. customers Position: best rather than biggest Pattern: culture Perspective: wants to develop in countries where chiken, spicy and English speaking customers You only get an edge over rivals by having or doing something that they cant have or do. Computers have revolutionized the food and beverage industry as they have nearly every other industry. A key management concern of any food and beverage business is the profit margin. In this vital area of business, computers have also proven to be an indispensable tool. Computer systems help manage the entire food service process from ordering the ingredients needed to produce menu items, to forecasting the amount of items to prepare for each dining period based on historical patterns. This helps to reduce wasted food, which is very expensive and comes out of the businesses profit. It also helps in preparing menu items before hand, which reduces customer wait time The information system should mention the following steps: People Data Networks, Hardware, Software. It costs us to implement any new information technologies in our system. So we have to analyse what is our need and how it would affect the system and how it drive the sales. No better understanding of the system will lead very bad results thus company should go to losses. The technologies we advice to Nandos to implement: Online ordering system: since the Nandos is major food restaurant, it does not have any online ordering system or telephone order system for the customers to order when they are at work or at home. It is not possible to everyone to come to the restaurant to eat in or take way. Some are older some are busy or the restaurtant are really far from home etc. If we could develop a e-commerce website which allows customer to buy online and we could deliver it to them as soon as possible it would definitely drive our sales at very huge level. Our main competitors for this area Pizzahut have these both online and telephone order service. The people who like Nandos and cannot come to the restaurant will opt for the service like this provided by our competitors. The investment and maintenance for a e-commerce website for Nandos may not cost more and the return on investment(ROI) could be get back easily as the sales come from online orders are solely because of website. Presently we have website for Nandos which gives the information about the Nandos available restaurant and their menus with their physical address. We can develop a website the offers online orders and we can integrate this to the already available website. Mobile application: as the technology rigorously increasing on day to day manner, the people using high end mobile phones is always on the high. Phone manufactures like Nokia, iPhone and Samsung offers third party applications to the mobile customers. If we could develop mobile application thus it features all available information yet briefly it would hugely improve the sales. If we could features restaurant addresses and online order facility it will be useful because the phone is always handy wherever the customer so he could check it and go to the nearest restaurant to his location. Software program: we could develop software solely for the purpose to gather critical information which needed to choose a site where we want to setup any additional restaurants by verifying the demographics and the distance to other available restaurants and customers information particularly related to food business. The program analyse the area and provides the detailed scenario about how many people lives there and their age group and any eating habits particularly they have. So that we could make decision depending on the information available. For this application to work out very well we need to get census data from government or third party providers or we may take out a survey which cost us a bit which is one time investment. We can also use the data mining techniques depend on the available data thus any already existed restaurant may affect our business or not. Inventory control: Every day there are lots of raw material comes in lots of material goes out in warehouse. If we use a n inventory management application we could easily track down the data available. Therefore we find out what type of item we have stock and what not we have. It helps us to order new material effectively. Thus we could reduce the food wastage. In a long run it could save several thousand pounds to the company. Communication communication between the head office to restaurants through e-mails etc. Etc. CRM software is very useful for this service. HR job recruitment: information technology is very useful when it comes recruit,emt and human resource management. We could advertise online for the vacancies we have and can accept application made online. Thus it reduces paper publicity cost and paper cost for the applications. Custom software could take all the tasks related to hr. Loyalty cards: to drive sales very high we introduce loyalty cards which allow regular customers to get free bees. We could offer them discount prices or occasional offers to them. And by adding this loyalty cards to the technology we could get the customer details so that we could plan them accordingly what they bought, what their age group etc. Etc. And we could send them promotional offers or discount coupons if we have their personal address or e-mail id. Information technology make out of home dining a more enjoyable experience for the customer and a more profitable manageable experience for business managers and owners. With the aid of Information technology we are not only able to stream line our business processes but we are also able to get constant information in real time that is up to the minute and up to date. In todays business environment we could consider IT as part of the Organization.

Comparing Jack and Macbeth

Comparing Jack and Macbeth Jack is an authoritative boy whose leadership attributes was used to manipulate the others rather than provide order. He wants complete control, by using his superiority and savage-Like ways. When the tribe was created, It works out of fear, but It Is this tribe that prevails. When Jack can no longer control his urge for leadership, the tribe Is created, which has a negative influence on all the boys. Through this character, Gilding shows how the evil side of society prospers.While the savages were thriving while the few who remained civilized were suffering from extreme famine, and taught. Jack seems to be a power-hungry individual. Jack rapidly gets in charge of the hunters that had to gather the meat for the whole group. Their enthusiasm decides to hunt a pig, and this is when Jack shows his savage personality. Before starting to hunt a pig Jack orders the hunters to paint their own faces with clay in a native manner. This all foreshadows the savage that is about to corrupt the island. Jack shows an attitude towards life that is shown by the people that succeed in the world.With his salvage attitude he Is encouraging aggressiveness, and maintaining his ewer and respect from the rest of the group. He becomes paranoid that Ralph and Piggy are against him and feeds misinformation to his tribe, so as to keep them on his side. Jack Is the complete opposite, representing the evil that lies In the hearts of all mankind. He progressively grows more sadistic and evil as the story goes on, eventually orchestrating the death of Simon and Piggy. Macbeth is also similar because he turned evil by listening to the raging ambition within his own personality.Macbeth let himself be manipulated by the three witches, and allowing him to be influenced by his wife's equally raging ambition, this caused many problems like a guilty conscience. It was due to the evil within him and his wife, as well as evil personified in the three witches that Macbeth kil led his own king, two guards who just tried to do their Job of protecting the king, his best friend Banquet, and Macadam's defenseless family. Additionally, that evil led him to bring pain and suffering on a mass scale to the entire Scottish nation.In conclusion Macbeth evilness was caused by their ambitions to be leaders, and disappearance of rational thinking, which caused problems with themselves internally, and affected other people. Macbeth is a very egocentric, power-hungry leader. He starts off by being a loyal follower to his king, hesitant to act against Duncan. Macbeth has the ambition but lacks the drive to do what is necessary. However, after he becomes king, this attitude changes greatly. He becomes like a dictator. Had Macbeth been a good, able leader, the revolt against him by Macadam, would not have been so fierce.Macbeth becomes very proud, because of his false prophecies. He degrades those who express fear or concern, and e waves off important Information given to him. His whole concern is keeping his power at all cost. He's so self-involved and ready to compromise his morals to get ahead. Macbeth knows that Macadam Is trying to oppose him so he hires people to kill Macadam's family. No democratic leader would do that, so Macbeth Is demonstrate that he will not have mercy on those who try to oppose him, Leadership Increases for Macbeth because not only he was successful in killing the king but he got the throne. N authoritative leadership approach. Macbeth kill others that can become a threat o him which shows that he is capable of doing much more than he seemed, but can't trust people. He killed Macadam's family to show his initiative. Macbeth is more determined to accomplish his goals and make decisions on his own. Macbeth is being a leader by making his own decision, but he does not listening to anyone else's input which can make his decision one-sided. This type of leadership can ultimately be destructive because of bad decisions, and his initiative has led to an evil path. He is much more assertive than before.Macbeth did exemplify more determination and energy; however a true leader is not Just powerful and strong. Macbeth did seem to be more courageous when he said that he does not fear anyone and shall kill anyone that stands in his way. When he says this he seems to be more arrogant than confident. Macbeth shows a lack in confidence because he feels that to be safe he has to murder everyone. If he were confident then he would not feel the need to harm anyone. Despite everything, he continues to stay positive and is determined to do whatever he needs to do; in order to maintain his leadership.Macbeth on the there hand shows leadership, however in a much more negative way. Jack on the other hand is similar to Macbeth because Jack is an autocratic tyrant. He beats a boy for no reason other than to exert his power over the boys. He realizes what it takes to get power and to keep power. He rules through fear and int imidation, Jack is also a good manipulator. He knows what the boys both fear and want to hear. Unlike Ralph who desires a constructive society, Jack prays on the boys' destructive primal instincts.The boys want to be told what to do rather than simply pitch in together; hey feel the need to live in fear under a leader that they perceive as a powerful protector. In this sense Jack is certainly a more effective leader than Ralph. Jack can be controlling. One example is when Ralph asked his hunters to take care of the fire but Jack didn't want that and he took the hunters to hunt because that's what he wanted them to do. Another example is when he takes a vote for the next chief. No one votes for him but he sets up his own tribe nonetheless. Jack's litany of evil is pretty impressive. He leads the brutal slaughter of a pigs, and Simon.

Hiv Film Reaction Paper Essay

The story unfolds to a freelance director of a documentary named Gil. He was tasked to document everything that covers HIV. His subjects were Heidi a prostitute, Ivy a call center agent and Vanessa a gay. So determined to finish the documentary, Gil finds no time for his girlfriend. Most of his time was spent working on the documentary. He didn’t have a hard time convincing the three to be his subjects since he tells them that they are a great help to those who needed to be informed about the disease. But as they go through shooting and editing, Heidi died, Ivy gave up and Vanessa got into trouble. Adel asked Gil why he is really so desperate to finish the documentary and why it seemed so important to him. Gil tries to keep the real reason that very hard moment. Until one day he was awakened to what Ivy has told him that she wants him to give voice to the victims of the disease then Gil ended up deciding to be just one of the subjects who would complete the story. He appeared on cam telling his audience that the documentary is about the story of the people who are trying to live despite having HIV and still sees hope. The story of Heidi, Ivy and Himself. The strong point of the film is really the screenplay which is in time and has an impact. The acting was established well since the actors suit to each of the character they portrayed. Also, it has a good cinematography. The shots and angles are just good enough to be able to leave a good impression to the audience. Seeing the film, every element is very good which leaves its audience a very positive reaction.

The light in my Darkness Essay Example

The light in my Darkness Essay Example The light in my Darkness Paper The light in my Darkness Paper Assignment Compare the two passages. Comment on layout, subject and style of writing and language. Both pieces of writing are about being a hostage, one to the sea and the other to men. The first article is for the newspaper The Independent, its a broadsheet which is published daily, and its considered to be a conservative newspaper. The other article is for Readers Digest a weekly magazine aimed for intellectuals, it can only be bought by subscription. Since they are different, they are adapted to accommodate the different preferences of their readers.To compare the two pieces I will separate the three tasks into different paragraphs. In the subject you can find some similarities such as both were kept against their will in some place. Both are true stories of extreme survival. Bullimore the survivor in The Independent is able to withhold on his boat for four days the 60 ft waves of the Pacific Ocean. Waite the survivor in The Readers Digest stays captive 1,763 in a cell. The mental and physical conditions of both survivors are transmitted by the different types of language and style of writing.The styles of writing and language of these two pieces of journalism are very different, mainly because they have different readers. The first article written as a heroic piece of journalism, it glorifies the survival of Tony Bullimore. This is achieved by the writer using words that transmit tension to the reader. he described the horrific conditions that he had endured. Faced with danger The second article is a breath-taking experience happening to someone then writing his feelings, emotions and the actual experience.The style of writing is linked to the media in which its published. The tone, initial ideas, writing styles, structure contributes to give out big contrasts between the two Medias. The first article has a big picture of the rescue, with huge waves; the picture is near the centre of the page, making it a noticeable picture. The second article doesnt have any illustration of any kind but using long and descriptive sentences he can produce a better replica of how really conditions were like.Description like total darkness, metal sheet covers the window, thin foam mattress my candle splutters creates the atmosphere of the prisoners cell. The titles and sub-headings are also different, the first the title is Thank God-its a miracle shows how the article portrays the ordeal as a miraculous escape. The attitude of the piece is that of a sensatationalist reporting. The sub-headings follow the same style and they all start with The which suggests how big this rescue is, its not just a rescue its The Rescue.On the other hand The light in my Darkness, the title of the second article tells how different the two are. There is an imagery in the title, its an antithesis, this shows that the readers of that media should be a bit more developed intellectually. The broadsheet uses a persuasive, survival and heroic language; by this I mean that during the whole article its always glorifying Bullimore. This language is a constant build-up of Bullimores ordeal.To make the article more reliable and believable the reporter uses the opinions of clinical specialists like Dr Howard Oakley of the institute of Naval Medicine, the author uses quotes of these specialists to make it more believable. As I have said before the article only glorifies him isnt true, there is a human side of the story and a side of some luck and not just professionalism. Using Bullimore s own words makes the article even more real, it creates the human side of the story. The second article uses a more emotional and descriptive type of language, the author of the second article wants to show his suffering.He is always describing his state of mind and his environment. I have been interrogated, beaten and endured a mock execution shows just how much he suffers. Some readers may find repulsive the constant glorification of the hostage. The tense also plays a role in the way the articles make there points. In the first article it uses the past tense I had to find myself a spot as high as possible , I took a few deep breaths, I started shouting, all this add to the feeling that its happened but thank god its over.This is nothing like the second article because the second article uses the present tense I cant see, I am being held, I climbed under a blanket all this creates an unavoidable atmosphere of fear and trauma. It makes the reader aware that he probably is still passing the horrendous experience. To finish off the layout is another very important aspect that we must comment on, at a first glance the differences are evident, the titles, sub-titles, images all that the first has but the second only has a significant title.The article in The Independent has the typical layout of that of a broadsheet article. Many paragraphs and columns all are used to make the article more reader friendly and more eye-catching. These things must be used in a broadsheet so that its successful. The other article uses only a large title and a sub-title underneath it then just consists of paragraphs and prose no quotes or images like the first article. It has nothing that is eye-catching for the reader. This means that even without the eye-catching factors it is still read.

Rubber Chicken Bone Science Experiment

Rubber Chicken Bone Science Experiment You wont be able to make a wish on a wishbone with the rubber chicken bone science experiment! In this experiment, you use vinegar to remove the calcium in chicken bones to make them rubbery. This is a simple project that illustrates what would happen to your own bones if the calcium in them is used more quickly than it is replaced. Materials for This Project VinegarChicken boneJar big enough you can cover the bone with vinegar While you can use any bone for this experiment, a leg (drumstick) is a particularly good choice because its normally a strong and brittle bone. Any bone will work, though, and you can compare bones from different parts of a chicken to see how flexible they are initially compared with how they change when calcium is removed from them. Make Rubber Chicken Bones Try to bend a chicken bone without breaking it. Get a sense of how strong the bone is.Soak chicken bones in vinegar.Check on the bones after a few hours and days to see how easy they are to bend. If you want to extract as much calcium as possible, soak the bones in vinegar for 3-5 days.When you are done soaking the bones, you can remove them from the vinegar, rinse them in water and allow them to dry. While you have vinegar handy, how about using it to  make a bouncy ball from an egg? How It Works The acetic acid in the vinegar reacts with the calcium in the chicken bones. This weakens them, causing them to become soft and rubbery  as if they had come from a rubber chicken. What Rubber Chicken Bones Mean for You The calcium in your bones is what makes them hard and strong. As you age, you may deplete the calcium faster than you replace it. If too much calcium is lost from your bones, they may become brittle and susceptible to breaking. Exercise and a diet that includes calcium-rich foods can help prevent this from happening. Bones Aren't Just Calcium While the calcium in bones in the form of hydroxyapatite makes them strong enough to support your body, they cant be made completely of the mineral or they would be brittle and prone to breakage. This is why vinegar doesnt completely dissolve bones. While the calcium is removed, the fibrous protein called collagen remains. Collagen gives bones enough flexibility to withstand everyday wear and tear. It is the most abundant protein in the human body, found not just in bones, but also in skin, muscles, blood vessels, ligaments, and tendons. Bones are close to 70% hydroxyapatite, with most of the remaining 30% consisting of collagen. The two materials together are stronger than either one alone, in much the same way reinforced concrete is stronger than either of it components. Science Ideas to Explore Carbonated soft drinks are also acidic. What happens if you soak bones in soda rather than vinegar?Teeth consist almost entirely of the calcium mineral hydroxyapatite. What do you predict will remain of a tooth if you soak it in vinegar for a long time? How about the effect of soda on teeth?

The Decline of European Christianity Research Paper

The Decline of European Christianity - Research Paper Example However, the rise of â€Å"religious diversity† at present is challenging the status quo because it allows other ‘non-Christian’ denominations to enter Europe and Asia, for instance, Islam.1 Significant events in history shape the formation of religious pluralism. 2 The 9/11 hijacking permits the flow of migrants from one country to the other. In addition, countries with strict immigration policies now allow people from southern Europe to work or even settle permanently. Those countries with strict immigration policies expectedly shared the same religion and sect until such time that migrants from all over the globe, some of whom were missionaries, also brought with them their religious beliefs, consequently converting Europeans into another religion outside of the realm of Christianity. This essay will explore some of the fundamental reasons why Christianity (both Catholicism and Protestantism) has declined in terms of popularity. It is noted that secularization is considered as one of the reasons of the â€Å"slow and steady death† of religion. 3 According to some critics, under secularization theory lies issues about religious fundamentalism especially in the Muslim world and the decreasing popularity of churchgoers. These and other reasons will be discussed in this report. 2.0 Reasons for the Decline of Christianity 2.1 Secularization Theory Secularization is defined as deinstitutionalization or a â€Å"decline in the social power of once-dominant religious institutions whereby other social institutions have escaped from prior religious domination.† 4 This observation is evident by the lesser power possessed by the â€Å"once-dominant† religious institutions such as the Catholic priests and bishops and even Lutheran and Anglican bishops. 5 An initial result that comes to mind would be the decline in the patronization of religion. C. John Sommerville interpreted Rodney Stark’s ideas towards secularization as me rely an observation of people’s adoration towards the culture that associates with the religion; in simple terms, secularization meant the cultural interpretation of people towards their religion and not concerning the spiritual aspect that binds them together.6 In another perspective, secularization theory prompted not only the possible demise of religion in the future but also its â€Å"reinvention† and â€Å"resurgence† of traditional religions, as well as the rise of newer religions.7 This is an offshoot to the common notion regarding secularization theory as merely predictive of the future rather than focused on the past and present. Historical events, by the way, pointed out to the significant role of religious denominations in affecting the political state of the country. Among such events were the Christianity’s impact into overthrowing the communist empire in the former Union Soviet Socialist Republic, and the impact brought by the September 11, 2001 attack in the United States. The lack of religion in Europe is primarily being asserted by the secularization theory, particularly with respect to Christianity. Along with modernization comes the discovery of other religions outside the traditional Christian affiliations. Authors of the book Predicting Religion state that there is a continued increase of the number of Christians who are no longer attending church. From 15% church attendance in 1903, the

Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Euthanasia - Essay Example In passive euthanasia, no action is taken to prolong life, and death occurs naturally. In Great Britain, Lord Joffe has introduced a bill which would legalize assisted dying. Although this bill was introduced in 2004, it has not had a chance of passing until recently. The reasons for this is that society has changed with respect to the issues surrounding euthanasia. This paper will examine the arguments against euthanasia, and the arguments in favor of it, and make a conclusion about whether or not euthanasia should be legalized in Great Britain. Arguments against Euthanasia There is not a doubt that Christianity, as a religion, has profoundly influenced the debate surrounding the right to die. However, before Christianity was established, the practice was condoned, even honored. In Ancient Greece, one could apply to a tribunal for the right to die, and, if successful, would be given hemlock to ingest. The practice was even the subject of parties – the elderly and the infirm would ingest their poison at a banquet that honored their lives . This changed with the beginning of Christianity, and Christianity, as a religion, was the basis of outlawing the practice. Early Christian thinkers, such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine were influential, describing euthanasia as a grave sin. The church continued to influence the debate, even during a period of time during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment of the 18th Century, in which the practices resurged, yet were kept in abeyance by the Church. 7 The Church’s reasoning on the rejection of euthanasia is that the act is inherently wrong. Therefore, because of the fundamental objection to the practice, the Church remains opposed, no matter how much good may come out of it.8   Christianity also believes that it is a sin because life is a gift from God, and, unless one is defending one’s own life, or defending others, life is not to be taken away.   According to this view, man is made in God’s image, so it is not for man to end his own life.9   This is not to say that the Church advocates for keeping someone alive by any means possible. In fact, the official Christian perspective on heroic measures to sustain life is that these measures should not be taken. Denying or withdrawing heroic measures is differentiated from euthanasia because one, euthanasia, is actively ending life and the other, denying heroic measures, is simply letting somebody die. Also, one is intended, and the other is unintended.10   Because the official Christian perspective on h eroic measures is clear, this principle would encompass â€Å"Do Not Resuscitate Orders† and removing patients from ventilators.11   Therefore, the official Christian stance on euthanasia is that it is forbidden. According to Lin (2003), another reason why the Church has taken this stance is because of the Sixth Commandment, which is â€Å"Thou Shalt Not Kill.†   This Commandment, in turn, is based on the view that only God has the power of life and death, and euthanasia effectively usurps this authority.12 St. Thomas Aquinas based his objections to the practice on this view, citing Deuteronomy 32:39, which states that God â€Å"will kill†¦and will make to live.†13 Hatzinikolaou (2003) bases his objections on the respect for the dying process. According to him, death is sacred and the last moments of a person’s life are the moments which should be respected.   It is during these moments, according to Hatzinikolaou (2003) that man has the chance to repent and prepare for his soul to be

Calls for Protectionism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Calls for Protectionism - Assignment Example World Trade Organization (WTO) advocates eliminating tariff and nontariff barriers to international trade and 157 countries in the world are its members. These governments are committed to follow WTO tariff guidelines and formulate trade friendly policy environments in their countries. Tariffs constitute a substantial source of protectionism in the world. In 2008 imposing tariff barriers was constrained by WTO agreements. Â  Subsidies which reduce the cost of producing automobiles enable decreasing their market prices. Low price can gain a competitive advantage in the world market while increasing the welfare of local producers. It also affects the welfare of producers and consumers in abroad. This is not a viable economic solution because subsidy incurs a cost to the government. Free markets which have no price distortions are preferred in economic theory because resource allocation is optimum there. Producer subsidies which create price distortions in the market can also misallocate the resources in these countries and subsequently worsen their already contracted economy. Â  Protectionism compels local consumers and producers to depend on each other without facing influences from abroad. Thus protectionism avoids economic impacts of different natural resource endowments across countries. Countries can grow independently, self sufficiently and politically strong under protectionist policies. However, free trade enables efficiently using of limited, natural resources. Efficient allocation of depleting natural resources is a major challenge in front of the world today. Therefore eliminating the barriers to free trade at present is more important than ever in the world history. Â  5. The volume of world trade rebounded sharply in 2012 on the back of a fairly modest growth rate in the world economy.

World Cultural Heritage Essay Example for Free

World Cultural Heritage Essay In this world, since its existence, there were so many things happen. Some were happened for a reason, some were not. Up until now, there are thousands of places on earth that people might look at them as the symbol of arts, source and origin of some cultures and also religions. These World Cultural heritages include tangible culture (such as buildings, monuments, landscapes, books, works of art, and artifacts), intangible culture (such as folklore, traditions, language, and knowledge), and natural heritage (including culturally significant landscapes, and biodiversity). Nowadays, there is an organization that claimed themselves as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). This international body has been successful at gaining the necessary support to preserve the heritage of many nations for the future. According to UNESCO, world cultural heritage is any of various areas or objects designated as having â€Å"outstanding universal value† under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This convention, adopted by UNESCO in 1972, provides for international cooperation in preserving and protecting cultural and natural treasures throughout the world. Other than that, this organization also contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom. The World Heritage List includes 962 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage, which the world heritage committee considers as having outstanding universal value. Among all of places, few of them are situated in Malaysia. The most famous world cultural heritage site in Malaysia is situated in Malacca. There are many historic values in Malacca. It was established by the Srivijayan Prince Parameswara, the Sultanate of Malacca. Legend said that Parameswara decided to establish Malacca after seeing one of his dogs defeated by a mouse deer, naming the state after the tree he was resting under. On 7 July 2008, Malacca was officially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its important cultural and historical significance. Many museums have been established to contain the significant artifacts. For instance, Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum, Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum and Museum of History and Ethnography. Moreover, one of the famous places to visit is A Famosa- the most famous legacy from the time Malacca spent under Portuguese rule. It is the remaining of the Portuguese port, which was build to defend Malacca. Other than that, Malaysia also is well known for its rich in biodiversity. Gunung Mulu National Park situated in Sarawak is one of the places that were recognized due to its natural uniqueness. This mountain is Important both for its high biodiversity and for its karst features, Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of Borneo in the State of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. The 52,864-ha park contains seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some 3,500 species of vascular plants. Its palm species are exceptionally rich, with 109 species in twenty genera noted. The park is dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,377 m-high sandstone pinnacle. At least 295 km of explored caves provide a spectacular sight and are home to millions of cave swiftest and bats. The Sarawak Chamber, 600 m by 415 m and 80 m high, is the largest known cave chamber in the world. The property is home to one of the worlds finest examples of the collapse process in Kars tic terrain and provides outstanding scientific opportunities to study theories on the origins of cave faunas. The deeply-incised canyons, wild rivers, rainforest-covered mountains, spectacular limestone pinnacles, cave passages and decorations found within the property produce dramatic landscapes and breathtaking scenery that is without rival. These world cultural heritage sites are not only importance for the world to see, but the values also make it important to us individually. Nowadays, Culture heritage and natural heritage is increasingly endangered due to traditional cause of decay and even changing of social and economic conditions. Conserving the condition of the cultural heritage allow many benefits such as giving the property an international recognition thus allowing promotion of local and national pride. It also contributes to the identity and branding of territory, which is relevant in the age of globalization and fierce competition. By joining hands to protect and cherish the worlds natural and cultural heritage, it expresses a shared commitment in preserving our legacy for future generations. Preserving the world cultural heritage will develop awareness among the youngsters about the existence of it. Besides that, the importance of world cultural heritage also lies within the culture itself. The importance of culture lies in its close association with the living of the people. Different cultures of the world have brought in diversity in the ways of life of the people inhabiting different parts of the world. World heritage culture is important as it shape peoples attitude and personality and reflect ones cultural identity. To preserve the continuity of the culture for futute legacy and ensure the young generation appreciate the uniqueness of the culture. First importance is the culture heritage reflects the lifestyle and culture people living around it. For example,people living near the Kinabalu Park ,the culture will be based on forestry, higher altitude lifestyle like low temperature plants. The second reason is they will give an attraction from people around the world resulting an assimilation of new culture. For example, the Gunung Mulu is located in rural area,people around the world visits and try to learn the culture as well as they teach the locals new thing. In the nutshell, it is very important for us and to the world to preserve what our ancestors and peoples before us has left. We may not see what is coming for us in the future. The past might be the good source of guidance, and also good information to tell who we actually are.

Phonology And The Dutch Stress :: essays research papers

The Dutch stress sytem Dutch is described as being a quantity-sensitive trochaic system, operating from left to right with extrametricality. In the following essay I will gice the arguments and data that point towards this system. I will also analyse in which way exceptions are being taken care of within this system. The metrical analysis will be based on work by Trommelen & Zonneveld. These authors adopt an onset-rhyme organisation of syllable structure. We can make three major generalisations about stress when analysing Dutch: Firstly, main stress always falls within a three-syllable-window at the right word edge: this indicates that the main stress always falls on one of the last three syllables. This can also be called the three-syllable restriction. This produces three different stress patterns: final, penultimate and antepenultimate. Primary stress is prohibited further to the left. The three-syllable-window restriction: …()# Data:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ANT  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  PEN  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  FIN VV#  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amà ©rika  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  macarà ³ni  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  individà º VC#  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jerà ºzalem  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  catamà ¡ran  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  kameleà ³n Furthermore, stress is restricted to a two-syllable windowin words containing a prefinal (or diphtongal) syllable. This means that antepenultimate stress (third syllable from right side of the word) only occurs in words with an open syllable next to it (an open penultimate syllable). Therefore, the Dutch stress system depends on the character of the second to last (penultimate) syllable. Data:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ANT  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  PEN  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  FIN -VV-VV  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pà ¡nama  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pyjà ¡ma  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  chocolà ¡Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   -VV-VC  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  bà ¡riton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  cà ©lebes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pelotà ³n  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   -VC-VV  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  agà ©nda  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  frikandà ©au -VC-VC  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gibrà ¡ltar  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  bombardà ³n -ViVj-VV  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  andà ­jvie  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thirdly, schwa syllables ae never stressed: Data:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a) –CVX-C@(C)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b) -CVV-@(C ) mà ³de, salà ¡de, mir  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ¡kel,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Azià «, Bà ©lgià «, tà ©rrià «r, là ©nte, septà ©mber  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ndià «   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is called the schwa-syllable restriction. Primary stress falls directly for a schwa syllable if schwa is immediately preceded by a consonant. We can, however also make minor generalisations within the bounds of major generalisations. These minor generalisations reflect the predominant stress patterns, and allow for exceptions. These exceptions stand for the recessive stress patterns within the system. The position of main stress is conditioned both by the length of the word and by the internal structure of the syllables involved. The dominant patterns in Dutch are the following:  In disyllabic words ending in open (VV) and closed (VC) syllables, penultimate stress is dominant  In trisyllabics, the dominant patterns are penultimate stress in VV-final words and antepenultimate stress in VC-final words (if the penultimate syllable is open)  In VXC-final words, final stress is the dominant pattern. Now that we know about these generalisations we can provide arguments and data which point towards the system of Dutch stress. Extrametricality: Extrametricality in the Dutch language is normally operating on words having a final –VX syllable (which is heavy). However, it does not work on final ‘open’ VV-syllables (which are light). The following examples prove this:

Is Texting Language Really Appreciated? Essay

In Texting: Why All the Fuss? By David Crystal, a chapter from Txting: The Gr8 Db8, he mentions, â€Å"Texting is just another variety of language, which has arisen as a result of a particular technology.† In the excerpt Crystal talks about the drawbacks and benefits of texting. His main focus in the text is how texting has influenced grammar in teenagers. But, are the teenagers really the only ones to blame in this situation? Is it the parents? Or maybe the teachers? Overall, everyone is at fault to the drawbacks, but the teenagers are responsible for the evolution of communication. Just because teenagers use abbreviations, or texting â€Å"language† does not make them illiterate, it is a type of language whose flexibility and convenience needs to be appreciated. Crystal claims how texting has arisen in the technological world by showing how people use their phone frequently. The text mentions how Jan Van den Bulck, from Catholic University of Leuven says, â€Å"Among 16-year olds, the interference was greater: 20.8 percent were woken up at least once a week with their phones.† Also the chapter stated, â€Å"Half the employees said that they always respond immediately to a message.† Texting problems have also carried over into the outside world. Crystal stated, â€Å"Most employees reporting that they checked work-related text messages and emails even when at home or on holiday.† In the excerpt Crystal lists obvious benefits and drawbacks from the over-usage of cellphones and texting. He notes, â€Å"I believe any form of writing exercise is good for you.† David Crystal is saying, that even though cellphone users to use proper texting etiquette, any form of writing can only benefit you. â€Å"Another study concluded that texting actually helps the development on communication skills such as the ability to summarize and  express oneself concisely,† quoted from David Crystal. Crystal also mentioned from the same study, â€Å"Texting motivates people to sharpen their diplomatic skills, for, as with all written activity, it allows more time to formulate thoughts and express them carefully.† There are not only benefits from texting; there are plenty of drawbacks involving distracting users, and health issues. Texting has caused issues with time management, loss of sleep, and addiction. As mentioned, before a significant amount of teenagers a re being woken up in the middle of the night by their cellphones going off. Ironically, there is a medical term for a text messaging injury known as â€Å"TMI†. TMI is also an abbreviation for â€Å"too much information,† which is commonly as texting dialect. In the text Crystal does mention, â€Å"Every time I talk to groups of teachers and examiners, I ask them whether they have encountered anything remotely similar. None of them ever has.† Crystal is referring to children and teenagers using â€Å"text language† in their schoolwork and essays. Crystal reports, â€Å"The concern over texting lingo has been greatly exaggerated; he s that on average, less than 10 percent of words in text messages are abbreviated.† Personally, I am not a huge texting person. I’d rather have a face-to-face conversation; but I’m not going to sit here and say that I don’t text. If it’s just a casual conversation, I don’t mind texting but if it were an argument I’d rather have it be in person. Yelling at someone is easier than to take my anger out the keyboard on my phone. My experiences with t exting and using my cellphone somewhat relate to the point David Crystal was trying to make. I do get rarely woken up by texts, I text while I am at work, but I do not use text language. Newer phones have autocorrect in their system, which means if you misspell a word the phone will fix the spelling error, as you are texting a message. It’s quite relevant, and more people should turn that on, especially from seeing the statistics from David Crystal’s chapter. I’ve been texting for about 10 years now, and it has not really changed my grammar if anything it has benefited it. When I was 10 I used text language and abbreviations, but that is because I didn’t really know what â€Å"proper grammar† was at that point. I have been disrupted from my daily schedule with my phone going off from time to time. Seeing how I am nine hours away from home, and my dad lives in Germany. I do get a lot of texts and calls when I am busy in class, or doing homework. Honestly, I don’t expect anything different; we’re all on  different time schedules. Sleeping has not really been much a problem for me; I do sleep with my phone in my bed because it is my alarm clock in the morning. Keeping my phone in my bed has not been much of an issue for me. I make sure to keep my phone on silent so I don’t get disrupted. Texting has not really made me feel safe. I have been in two different car accidents, and the driver has been texting while driving. I have absolutely no respect for anyone who chooses to text and drive; it’s not just for your safety. I have absolutely no service anywhere I go, so if something bad were to happen I more then likely wouldn’t be able to call for help. Addiction to phones is possible; Crystal mentions how, â€Å"Priory clinics were reporting a sharp rise in â€Å"technology addiction.† I can proudly say, I am not addicted to my cell phone or texting; it’s more of a luxury rather than a necessity. The issues with texting will constantly be an argument, no matter what age, or what profession is speaking their opinion. Crystal proves remarkable points, but there are ways to make an argument supporting the other side. I believe that David Crystals article was more informing than David Carr’s, â€Å"Keep Your Thumbs Still When I’m Talking To You.† Crystal shows downfalls and benefits on both sides to the debate of texting, and provides specific statistics, and quotes from other sources. Texting is just another variety of language, which has arisen as a result of a particular technology, but it is a type of language whose flexibility and convenience needs to be appreciated. Work Cited Crystal, David. â€Å"Texting: Why All the Fuss?† From Txting: The Gr8 Db8. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. Rpt. in Language Awareness. Paul Escholz, Alfred Rosa, and Virginia Clark, eds. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2013. 359-73. Print.

Hearthfullness: Suffering Essay

We are compelled as Christians to persevere in life whenever we face a situation that will make us suffer; this is because Christ commanded us to do so. In the bible perseverance is among the values that Christians must have and practice all the time. Jesus Christ set a good example when He was on this earth regarding suffering as a Christian. Today so many Christians go through so many trials and suffering but the result is that they are always complaining. This is contrary to what our Lord showed us on this earth. Jesus suffering was predicted by the prophet Isaiah in his earlier days and in Isaiah 53:3 he says ‘He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ’ The nature of human beings is that we are always weak and tend to want to avoid suffering if we can. This however is not practical in a Christian life because just like Christ we cannot avoid suffering. We tend to run away from all the situations surrounding suffering and forget that what was predicted about Christ by Isaiah, the prophet really came to pass later as is written in the book of mark 14:1-9. In this passage Jesus was about to be taken for crucifixion and despite of this he continues t perform His miracles and healings. In this particular passage Jesus rebukes the Pharisees that whatever the poor woman did by pouring the Alabaster oil on his head was to be remembered during the spread of the gospel after he has gone to heaven (Mark 14:8,9) Thomas Keating in his book Foundation for centering prayer and the Christian contemplative life admonishes the Christians to always be ready to suffer just like Jesus did. He draws us to the sufferings Christ went through in his road to crucifixion. He says that this did not only affect a few people but the whole humanity. He says that since it’s a universal issue we all must carry a message of humanity for the most profound kind, remembering to pray and avoid being carried away by anger, grief and retaliatory emotions. We are all one body in Christ and we need to unite and persevere whenever there is suffering. The example Christ gave when he underwent the trials and sufferings before his death on the cross should be very practical in a Christian life. Egan in his book John on the Cross reminds us that we should take our sufferings just as Jesus Christ persevered in is way to Crucifixion. References: Keating, T. (2007) Foundation for centering prayer and the Christian contemplative life, New York: Continuum. Laird, M. (2006) Into the silent land: A guide to the Christian practice of contemplation, Oxford University Press. The bible: New International Version

Information Sharing in Supply Chain

Information Sharing in Supply Chain Introduction Supply chain management refers to â€Å"the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers†. It involves movement, as well as, storage of materials, stock of work-in-progress and final goods. Consequently, supply chain management involves several actors which include suppliers, retailers, and transporters among others.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Information Sharing in Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The effectiveness of the supply chain is contingent on the extent to which the businesses involved in it are able to plan and coordinate their activities. Coordination of supply chain activities is enhanced through effective and efficient flow of information. This means that participants in the supply chain must be able to share all the relevant information in order to enhance the competitiveness of the supply chain. Thus, a lot of technologies have been developed in the last two decades to enhance the flow of information in supply chain systems. Effective sharing of information in supply chain will be the focus of the proposed study. Purpose The proposed study will focus on the use of information technology in supply chain management. In particular, the broad objective of the study is to investigate the use of modern information technology to enhance effective and efficient sharing of information within a supply chain. The specific objectives of the study include the following. The first objective is to identify the technologies, currently, being used to enhance flow of information. The second objective is to investigate the factors that determine the use of modern technology to enhance sharing of information. The last objective is to analyze the benefits of using information technology in supply chain. The expected practical outcome of the study is to i nform policy formulation. In this context, the result, hopefully, will help organizations to formulate policies that will enable them to use modern technologies to share information. Additionally, the findings will advance knowledge by contributing to the literature on the use of information technology to share information in supply chain systems. Background The main objective of supply chain management is to enable an organization to offer the best customer services in targeted markets. Customers not only demand high quality goods, but also require such goods to be manufactured and delivered in time. Thus, organizations must effectively coordinate the receipt of raw materials, manufacturing of goods and dispatch of final goods.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In some cases, the quality of the goods can be compromised during transportation. This necessitat es effective sharing of information between the producers and the transporters about the quality of the goods. The customer service requirements in any given market are the basis for setting performance targets for the supply chain. In order to realize the expected level of customer service, all activities that do not add value should be eliminated from the supply chain. Thus, proper planning and synchronization of supply chain activities become apparent. Additionally, effective supply chain management facilitates optimization of supply chain investments and costs. It should enable organizations to deliver goods to the end customers at the least cost possible. Globally, most markets are characterized with intense competition and limited growth. Consequently, firms are focusing on cost cutting measures to enhance their effectiveness. Empirical studies reveal that adopting the right communication technology can help to reduce information costs significantly. Delivery of products often involves complex movements among several firms that make up the supply chain. Thus, inefficiency at any point in the chain translates into failure of the entire supply chain. All links within the supply chain are important since each link contributes to value addition and profitability. Due to lack of proper coordination or adequate resources, supply chain functions have traditionally been executed in isolation. This has always led to failures within supply chains. Consequently, it is important to recognize that the supply chain as â€Å"a whole is greater than the sum of its constituent parts†. The implication of this perspective is that all activities within the supply chain must be integrated through effective sharing of information. Thus, information management is the most important supply chain activity. This is because the movement of goods and money (payment for goods) is often initiated and facilitated by the relevant information. In this context, information technol ogy as a facilitator of information flow becomes an enabler of supply chain management.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Information Sharing in Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The importance of information in supply chain management has often been ignored. This is attributed to the fact that many agents in the supply chain lack a clear understanding of the value of information. The advancement in information and communication technology in the last two decades has led to a shift from paper based flow of information to electronic sharing of information. However, the factors that determine adoption of the modern information and communication technologies in supply chain management are still not well understood in academia and business cycles. Some empirical studies reveal that businesses are not likely to adopt a given technology if they do not understand its benefits. Constraints in technologica l transfer have been identified as one of the major factors contributing to poor understanding of the benefits of information technology in supply chain. In conclusion, three observations can be identified. First, effective and efficient sharing of information is necessary for improving supply chain management. Second, the factors that determine adoption of technologies that enhance sharing of information in supply chains are not well understood. Finally, the benefits associated with modern information technologies are not known to many firms. These observations justify the need for research on the use of information technology in supply chain management. Scope Given the objectives of the proposed study, a significant amount of time will be devoted to data collection and analysis. This is because data must be collected from participants who are located in different places. The study is expected to take three months. The fieldwork is expected to commence after the proposal is approve d. Prior to the fieldwork, two weeks will be spent on designing the data collection instrument. This will involve formulating the interview questions to be used during data collection. An additional two weeks will be spent on booking appointments with the participants. Data collection will be done in six weeks. Data analysis and preparation of the final report will be done in the remaining two weeks. Thirty managers in charge of supply chain activities will be recruited to participate in the study. The participants will be drawn from ten companies operating in different industries. Thus, a total of thirty interviews will be conducted to collect the required data.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Theoretical Framework Resource Based View (RBV) RBV is a theory used to identify a firm’s strategic resources and how such resources can be used to achieve competitive advantages. The RBV theory asserts that the competitive advantage of an organization is determined by the allocation of the organization’s valuable resources. A firm’s short run competitive advantage can be turned into a sustainable competitive advantage if the firm’s bundle of resources is heterogeneous and imperfectly mobile. Resources that meet the heterogeneity and imperfect mobility criteria are considered valuable. This is because such resources can not be imitated or sustained without great effort. Valuable resources can help a firm to consistently realize above average returns. In the context of supply chain management, information technology can be considered a resource. Thus, the RBV theory can be used to investigate the use of information technology in supply chain management in the following ways. First, a resource is valuable if it can enable a firm to formulate a strategy that creates value by minimizing the firm’s weaknesses or overcoming competition. Thus, the cost of investing in the resource should not exceed the expected returns. Determining the value of information technology will help in identifying its benefits in enhancing sharing of information in supply chain management. Second, a valuable resource should be rare. This means that the resource should not be available to majority of firms within an industry. Thus, this requirement is a basis for investigating the factors that determine access or use of information technology in supply chain management. Third, valuable resources should be in-imitable. A resource is expected to create competitive advantage if it is controlled by one or a few firms. Thus, this condition forms a basis for investigating determinants of access to information technology. Finally, a valuable resource should not b e substitutable. The implication of this requirement is that the benefits of information technology will no longer be a source of competitive advantage if competitors are able to counter its benefits using substitute technologies. Supply Chai n Integration Theory Supply chain integration describes the process of synchronizing all supply chain activities and linkages in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness. Supply chain integration depends on two factors namely, linkage and alignment. Alignment illustrates the extent to which visions, goals and objectives are shared by participants in the supply chain. It ensures consistency in planning and decision making in supply chain management. Linkage describes the extent to which information can be shared and the level of interaction that planers and decision makers can engage in. linkage enhances the availability of information for decision making and the use of the same data throughout the supply chain. Linkage and alignment are ac hieved through the following factors. First, linkage and alignment can be achieved through communication and e-systems. Communication and e-systems include the technology used to gather and share information, as well as, the means of facilitating communication between decision makers. The e-system ensures â€Å"data availability, accuracy and timeliness†. Communication on the other hand enhances the use of information in decision making initiatives. Second, alignment and linkage can be achieved through organization and people. Organizational structures determine how individuals interact and share information in an organization. Important resources and relevant stakeholders can be excluded from the decision making process if the right organizational structure is not put in place. In this context, the employees’ skills and capabilities are central to achieving integration under the existing organizational structure. Third, alignment and linkage can be enhanced through tr ust. Trust affects people’s willingness to share information. In this case, the main concern is security over the given information. Finally, alignment and linkage can be achieved through metrics. This refers to the metrics and rewards that employees respond to in order to achieve the objectives of the supply chain. In conclusion, both RBV theory and supply chain integration theory emphasize the importance of sharing information in supply chain. Using these theories forms the basis for investigating the benefits and factors determining the use of information technology to share information in supply chain management. In particular, the theories help in formulating hypothesis for the study. For example, using the supply chain integration theory, we can hypothesize that information technology enhances timelines and accuracy of information. Method Research Design The proposed study will adopt a qualitative research design. Qualitative research is based on interpretative paradigm . According to the â€Å"interpretative paradigm, social reality is created and sustained through the subjective experience of people involved in communication†. The factors underpinning the choice of a qualitative design include the following. First, a qualitative research will facilitate a holistic study of the use of information technology in supply chain management. Second, it will facilitate the use of primary data. Through data collection methods such as interviews, the researcher is able to get first hand information on the research topic. Thus, the conclusions drawn from the data is likely to be reliable and accurate. Third, qualitative research enhances flexibility in the research activities such as data collection, analysis, as well as, interpretation. Flexibility will be needed in the proposed study to cater for unforeseeable risks that might limit the use of any of the proposed methods. Finally, qualitative research will facilitate an in-depth understanding of the research topic by allowing the researcher to interact with the participants. Variables and Measures The proposed study will focus on three variables namely, types of information technology, determinants of access/ use of information technology and benefits of information technology in supply chain management. Each of these variables has specific indicators that can be conceptualized as follows: Types of information technology: software, hardware and communication equipment Determinants of access or use of information technology: cost, skills, technology transfer, patents, research and development Benefits of information technology: cost benefits, timeliness of information, accuracy of information, performance of the supply chain Sampling Sampling refers to the process of identifying and recruiting the individuals who will participate in the study. The study will be conducted in ten companies based in New York. Three managers will be selected from each of the ten companies to part icipate in the study. Consequently, the total number of participants will be thirty. The stratified random sampling method will be used to recruit the participants. The companies will first be classified according to their industries. The list of companies will be obtained from industry databases. The industries to be considered in the study include retail, automobile, pharmaceutical, hospitality and food processing industry. Two companies will then be chosen randomly from each industry. Three managers will then be randomly chosen from each company to participate in the study. Choosing the companies through a stratified random method will help in achieving heterogeneity or representativeness. Consequently, it will be possible to use the conclusions of the study to make reliable generalization. Using a random method to select the companies and the participants also reduces bias in the recruitment process. This is because a random approach gives an equal opportunity to every participa nt or company to be selected. Data Collection Data collection refers to the process of gathering the data that is required for the study. Qualitative data will be collected through interviews. Structured questions will be used to guide the study. Unstructured questions that transpire during the interview will be used to obtain more information and to seek clarifications on answers. Additionally, probes will be used to seek more information from the participants. The interviews will be audio-taped to enhance data analysis. The choice of interviews is justified by the fact that interviews enable the researcher to clarify any question that might be ambiguous or seek clarifications on any answer that might be ambiguous. Additionally, interviews are easy to use and facilitate access to first hand information. Data Analysis The analysis will begin with transcribing the collected. The transcribed data will then be coded into themes. In this context, coding involves identifying and labeling similar words, as well as, phrases mentioned by the participants. Appropriate themes will be used in the labeling process. The themes will be used to make generalization about the research topic. Finally, interpretations will be made based on existing literature about the research topic and the adopted theoretical framework. Simple descriptive statistics will also be used in the analysis process. The final results and conclusions will be presented in the form of a report. Limitations The ability to complete the study or to make reliable conclusions will be limited under the following circumstances. First, the subjective nature of qualitative research is likely to compromise the reliability of the conclusions if the participants fail to give correct information. It is usually very difficult to authenticate the information collected through interviews. Thus, if the interviewees fail to give correct information, the findings of the research will not be reliable. Second, replicating th e study will require collecting data from the same respondents and companies. Thus, replication will not be possible if any of the respondents or companies refuse to participate in subsequent studies. Third, the in-depth analysis associated with qualitative research limits the scope of the study in terms of the number of participants that can be interviewed. Finally, lack of adequate resources will make it impossible to carryout or complete the study. For instance, interviewing the participants is expensive due to the travelling costs associated with it. Thus, lack of enough financial resources will negatively impact data collection. Conclusion The proposed study aims at investigating the use of information technology to enhance sharing of information in supply chain management. The objectives of the study include identifying the information technologies, currently, being used, the factors determining the use of information technology and the benefits of information technology in su pply chain management. The study will adopt the resource based view and the supply chain integration theoretical underpinnings to investigate the research topic. Additionally, the research will adopt a qualitative design, and data will be collected through interviews. The results of the study are expected to inform policy formulation and to advance knowledge by contributing to the literature on the use of information technology in supply chain management. References Blanchard, D., 2007. Supply Chain Management. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Larsen, T., 2005. Supply Chain Management. New York: CBS Press. McBurney, D., 2009. Research Methods. New York: Cengage Learning. McNeil, P., 2005. Research Methods. New York: Routledge. Mentzer, J., 2001. Supply Chain Management. New York: Sage Publishers