Friday, November 29, 2019

Matsuo Basho - Father Of Haiku Essays - Japanese Poetry,

Matsuo Basho - Father Of Haiku Matsuo Basho Matsuo Basho radically redefined the three-line, 17-syllable haiku poetic form from an entertaining pastime in 16th-century Japan to a major literary genre in the 17th century. An early Basho haiku provides an example of his meticulous and sensitive approach in selecting and arranging words and images to produce highly evocative allusions: On a leafless bough In the gathering autumn dusk: A solitary crow! Haiku emanates from the 31 syllable, five-line tanka (short poem) which was originally arranged in two parts, an opening triplet (hokku) and a couplet. The Haiku form was popularized during the Heian period (794-1185). At that time, it was customary for the educated elite of Japan to engage in writing, singing, and reciting poetry as forms of cultural entertainment. In addition, social customs of the day demanded that the aristocracy of the refined court society display both a sensitivity to nature in their poetic expression and an ability to discuss the poetic classics of Japanese and Chinese literature. Tanka, then, could express a wealth of meaning in five elegant lines expressing a single idea, emotion, or observation. By the 16th century, tanka had found expression in playful and less refined experimental forms and began to attract the participation of the merchant classes as well. But it was not until Basho came along with an artistic sensibility, reflective calm, and keen originality, coupled with his formal training in Japanese and Chinese classics and poetry, that new power was infused into the haiku. Basho's greatest contribution to the genre was to take the opening triplet of the tanka (hokku) and make it an independent, autonomous form. The term haiku was formed from the first three letters of the word haikai (a 17-syllable comical verse) and the last two letters of the word hokku. The following, well-known Basho haiku serves as an example of the beauty of nature, the fleeting image of time, and a compression of language: Falling upon earth, Pure water spills from the cup of the camellia. At first glance, Falling Upon Earth offers a meditative reflection on the wonders of nature. The poem invites contemplation on the beauty of the camellia blossom and implicitly situates the tropical Asiatic evergreen tree in a calm, rural setting in Japan among the hidden forces of nature. Yet the power of Basho's haiku clearly emanates from his meticulous selection of words, his fleeting yet evocative imagery, and the ambiguity resulting from words having multiple meanings. The power word of the first line is falling. The ambiguity of who or what is falling immediately challenges meaning and entices the reader's active participation in the poem. In Japanese literature, the camellia blossom is often used as a symbolic representation of the samurai, a professional soldier of the feudal military aristocracy of Japan, whose life, like that of the camellia, was often brilliant but brief. The falling of the flower takes on an allegorical dimension since Basho once trained in the service o f a young samurai master who died unexpectedly. Basho grieved deeply and renounced his own samurai status. Thus, the implication of the camellia blossom moving abruptly from a state of natural beauty and vigor to one of quiet, somber death invites speculation on life's brevity, as well as the need to recognize and appreciate the rich, evocative images in nature. Likewise, while the word earth overtly suggests an objective description of nature, in fact, Basho might have selected ground or soil, with the apparent implication of a hard, flat, non-receptive surface. However, he skillfully positions the word earth to evoke connotations of the earth mother as receiver or absorber of the pure water that spills from the camellia, an image that immediately softens the ominous tone in lines one and two. Earth becomes the immediate vessel and eventual transmitter of the pure water of the camellia that will cycle the life force of the blossom and restore vital nutrients to the earth to replenish, regenerate, and revitalize the earth's bounty for new growth. Thus, the opening tone of a death that has spilled unexpectedly is balanced by the theme of rejuvenation as a poetic commentary on the cyclical nature of the universe and the ultimate need for humankind

Monday, November 25, 2019

Manuela Sáenz, Simon Bolivars Lover and Rebel

Manuela Senz, Simon Bolivar's Lover and Rebel Manuela Senz (Dec. 27, 1797–Nov. 23, 1856) was an Ecuadorian noblewoman who was the confidante and lover of Simà ³n Bolà ­var before and during the South American wars of Independence from Spain. In September 1828, she saved Bolivars life when political rivals tried to assassinate him in Bogot: this earned her the title the Liberator of the Liberator. She is considered a national hero in her native city of Quito, Ecuador. Fast Facts: Manuela Senz Known For: Latin American revolutionary and mistress of Simon BolivarBorn: Dec. 27, 1797 in Quito, New Granada (Ecuador)Parents: Simà ³n Senz Vergara and Marà ­a Joaquina AizpurruDied: Nov. 23, 1856 in Paita, PeruEducation: La Concepcion Convent in QuitoSpouse: James Thorne (m. July 27, 1817, d. 1847)Children: None Early Life Manuela was born on December 27, 1797, the illegitimate child of Simà ³n Senz Vergara, a Spanish military officer, and Ecuadorian Marà ­a Joaquina Aizpurru. Scandalized, her mother’s family threw her out and Manuela was raised and schooled by nuns at the La Concepcion Convent convent in Quito, a place where she would receive a proper upper-class upbringing. Young Manuela caused a scandal of her own when she was forced to leave the convent at the age of 17 when it was discovered that she had been sneaking out to have an affair with a Spanish army officer. She then moved in with her father. Marriage In 1814, Manuelas father arranged for her to marry James Thorne, an English doctor who was a good deal older than she was. In 1819 they moved to Lima, then the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Thorne was wealthy, and they lived in a grand home where Manuela hosted parties for Lima’s upper class. In Lima, Manuela met high-ranking military officers and was well-informed about the different revolutions taking place in Latin America against Spanish rule. She sympathized with the rebels and joined the conspiracy to liberate Lima and Peru. In 1822, she left Thorne and returned to Quito. It was there that she met Simà ³n Bolà ­var. Simà ³n Bolà ­var Although Simà ³n was about 15 years older than she, there was an instant mutual attraction. They fell in love. Manuela and Simà ³n did not see one another as much as they would have liked, as he allowed her to come on many, but not all, of his campaigns. Nevertheless, they exchanged letters and saw each other when they could. It wasn’t until 1825–1826 that they actually lived together for a time, and even then he was called back to the fight. The Battles of Pichincha, Junà ­n, and Ayacucho On May 24, 1822, Spanish and rebel forces clashed on the slopes of Pichincha volcano, within sight of Quito. Manuela actively participated in the battle, as a combatant and supplying food, medicine, and other aid to the rebels. The rebels won the battle, and Manuela was awarded the rank of lieutenant. On August 6, 1824, she was with Bolà ­var at the Battle of Junà ­n, where she served in the cavalry and was promoted to captain. Later, she would also aid the rebel army at the Battle of Ayacucho: this time, she was promoted to Colonel at the suggestion of General Sucre himself, Bolà ­vars second-in-command. Assassination Attempt On September 25, 1828, Simà ³n and Manuela were in Bogot, in the San Carlos Palace. Bolà ­vars enemies, who did not want to see him retain political power now that the armed struggle for independence was winding down, sent assassins to murder him in the night. Manuela, thinking quickly, threw herself between the killers and Simà ³n, which allowed him to escape through the window. Simà ³n himself gave her the nickname that would follow her for the rest of her life: the liberator of the liberator. Later Life and Death Bolà ­var died of tuberculosis in 1830. His enemies came to power in Colombia and Ecuador, and Manuela was not welcome in these countries. She lived in Jamaica for a while before finally settling in the small town of Paita on the Peruvian coast. She made a living writing and translating letters for sailors on whaling ships and by selling tobacco and candy. She had several dogs, which she named after her and Simà ³n’s political enemies. She died on Nov. 23, 1856, when a diphtheria epidemic swept through the area. Unfortunately, all of her possessions were burned, including all of the letters she had kept from Simà ³n. Art and Literature The tragic, romantic figure of Manuela Senz has inspired artists and writers since before her death. She has been the subject of numerous books and a movie, and in 2006 the first-ever Ecuadorian produced and written opera Manuela and Bolà ­var opened in Quito to packed houses. Legacy Manuela’s impact on the independence movement is greatly underestimated today, as she is remembered mostly as Bolivars lover. In fact, she actively participated in the planning and funding of a good deal of rebel activity. She fought at Pichincha, Junà ­n, and Ayacucho and was recognized by Sucre himself as an important part of his victories. She often dressed in the uniform of a cavalry officer, complete with a saber. An excellent rider, her promotions were not merely for show. Finally, her effect on Bolà ­var himself should not be underestimated: many of his greatest moments came in the eight years they were together. One place where she has not been forgotten is her native Quito. In 2007, on the occasion of the 185th anniversary of the Battle of Pichincha, Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa officially promoted her to â€Å"Generala de Honor de la Repà ºblica de Ecuador,† or â€Å"Honorary General of the Republic of Ecuador.† In Quito, many places such as schools, streets, and businesses bear her name. Her history is required reading for schoolchildren. There is also a museum dedicated to her memory in old colonial Quito. Sources Josà © Vilalta, Marà ­a Historia De Las Mujeres Y Memoria Histà ³rica: Manuela Senz Interpela a Simà ³n Bolà ­var (1822–1830). Revista Europea de Estudios Latinoamericanos y del Caribe / European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies 93 (2012): 61–78.McKenna, Amy. Manuela Senz, Latin American Revolutionary. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016.Murray, Pamela S. Loca or Libertadora?: Manuela Senz in the Eyes of History and Historians, 1900–C.1990. Journal of Latin American Studies 33.2 (2001): 291–310.Of Love and Politics: Reassessing Manuela Senz and Simà ³n Bolà ­var, 1822–1830. History Compass 5.1 (2007): 227–50.For Glory and Bolivar: The Remarkable Life of Manuela Senz. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2008.Von Hagen, Victor W. The Four Seasons of Manuela: A Biography. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1952.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

France's Demands during the Two World Wars Essay

France's Demands during the Two World Wars - Essay Example During both the wars they attacked France from fronts where she was undefended. They searched the French people in the newly occupied areas and forced the French coal miners to work under their supervision during the Second World War. The terror and atrocities prevailed all over. Sleepless nights, uncertainty of returning in the evening to one’s home, fear of separation any moment from the family, burning figures everywhere, unable to leave home without a gas mask, German soldiers walking into homes to rape women and cut off children’s arms, dead bodies strewn all over †¦this was the scene that existed during both the wars. The soldiers’ life became secluded in the trenches and food became sparse; medical help and sanitation declined. The troops living in the muddy, rat-infested trenches died due to diseases rather than attack of the enemies. Even then the fellow feeling and the attitude to share prevailed, unlike the Germans where solidarity gave way to soc ial unrest. The atrocities of the Germans on France were not limited to humans alone. They tormented and used the French circus elephants to haul timber as the Germans felled trees for trench props. During the war France lost vital iron ore and coal resources; territory was lost too. Women and children had to take over the farms and agriculture as 41% of the men mobilized for the war were peasants. This caused great losses in cattle and grains too. In the Second World War France lost about 25 % of its wealth and people compared to 10% in First World War. People were either missing or had died during the war. The battlefields were scarred by trenches and littered with dead bodies. France suffered the most as most of the fighting took place on her soil and she lost millions in the trench warfare. The devastation that was left behind after both the wars can move mountains, why just humans.  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 35

Marketing - Essay Example First, the strengths of the company must be identified. One of its strength is that it has been in the sausage business for 70 years. It is known for its company’s heritage and there is brand recognition already. Another strength of Saxonville is the nationwide distribution of its products, particularly its brats and breakfast sausage, through their national and regional brokers and their distributors. Aside from the company’s good reputation, the Vivio brand is considered to be of exceptional quality with great taste and texture. In terms of weakness, although Saxonville has nationwide distribution, it has very little distribution in stores in the Northeastern markets. Another drawback with the Vivio sausage is the customer’s perception that it may not be a good quality Italian sausage, since its manufacturer is of â€Å"German heritage†. It could be noted also that Saxonville does not spend much on advertising and market research which are very important for the success of a product. The packaging of the product needs a lot of improvement too. In terms of pricing, a weakness of the company is that management does not allow a decrease in Vivio’s price so it is unable to compete with other brands in terms of pricing. The Italian sausage market is a category which has shown an increasing growth rate. This is an opportunity for Saxonville to focus their efforts at further enhancing their Italian sausage line. An opportunity exists for Vivio because currently there is no national player for fresh Italian sausage. A major threat is that there are 29 local and regional brands of Italian sausage. Furthermore, some consumers prefer to purchase sausages which are â€Å"home-grown†, meaning produced in their own locality. The objective of Saxonville is to be able to launch a national Italian sausage brand which will help them achieve their profit objectives for the next fiscal year. The company wants that their Italian sausage be a

Monday, November 18, 2019

Attitudes towards homosexuality in the long 19th century Essay

Attitudes towards homosexuality in the long 19th century - Essay Example However, one thing that is evident is the fact that modern attitudes towards homosexuality have been a centre stage for battles between religious and legal concepts. Before the eighteenth century, Christianity was seen to be reluctant in dealing with issues of homosexuality. However, incidences of hostility towards homosexuality began to be experienced in many parts of the world. Later, the underpinnings of homosexuality involved incorporation of legal sanctions and religious teachings. The main issue is would seem was the subscription to social norms and homosexuality seen as defiant behaviour which the society feared. According to Clinard and Frank (2011, pp11), norms make crucial contributions to the process of maintaining order. During this time, it is reported that most of the American colonies began to enact severe penalties for sexual crimes. By the end of the 19th century, there emerged competition between law and religion against psychiatry and medicine over sexuality and sp ecifically homosexuality. In this regard, the concept of homosexuality undertook a different turn from being viewed as a sin to being viewed as a crime. This drastic change of the discourse about homosexuality was viewed as progressive since some considerations such as a sick person who committed sexual crime was less blameful than a healthy person. Rationale for advocacy of homosexuality Although medicine and psychiatry insisted on treating homosexuality as pathology, Sigmund Freud, on his basic theory of human sexuality viewed that all human beings were innately bisexual. His argument was that human beings become heterosexual or homosexual in the course of interacting with other people. However, Freud posited that homosexuality should be viewed as a kind of pathology. In fact, in his famous letter to an American mother, he argued that, although homosexuality is no advantage, it should not amount to something to be ashamed of. This, according to Freud was because homosexuality is n ot a vice, does not degrade, and cannot be classified as an illness. With such deliberations, it is apparent that many people viewed sexuality differently. Nevertheless, the articulation of sexuality under the perspective of medicine and psychiatry was based on the idea that persons with homosexuality had pathology concerns that needed to be addressed. With numerous studies conducted on persons with these problems, psychiatrists believed that there was a need to comprehensively come up with a mechanism through which the society could appreciate that these people have a psychological problem that need to be addressed. Many authors such as Clinard and Frank (2011) pointed out that in another dimension they believed that treating persons with sexuality problems like criminals without subjecting them to psychological treatment would increase the problem by creating additional psychological complications. Some of the raised concerns included statistics of persons convicted of committing sexual related crimes, and who later died or developed some mental disorders while still in prison or after being released from prison. Homosexuality has had a long history. The 18th century can be seen as a significant turning point of homosexuality and gay rights. Probably for the first time in the history of man, homosexuality received critical look in a number of ways. Professionals’

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Employee Motivation in Tourism Industry

Employee Motivation in Tourism Industry Employee Motivation An important aspect for Service Excellence in Tourism Industry Introduction: Employee Motivation is believed as one of the vital factor for any organisation in order to operate successfully and ensuring service excellence. According to Charles Woodruffe (2006) â€Å"More and more organizations – especially those in the service sector – have become attuned to the idea that there is not much point in employing people at all if you are not going to take steps to make them want to give their best to you. But by no means all organizations think this way, and even if they do, they still need to put this thinking into practice†. Woodruffe (2006) C Wiley (1997) also holds and accepts the fact that employee motivation is one of the important aspects for the organisation to achieve or fulfil its visions, missions and organisational goal and thus attain success in the business. â€Å"Motivated employees can make powerful contributions to the profits and future success of a corporation† (C Wiley 1997) Paul Levesque believes that there is a unique relation between Employee Motivation and Customer Satisfaction. High level of Employee enthusiasm will result in higher level of Customer Satisfaction. â€Å"Employee motivation and customer satisfaction fuel each other in a chain reaction of contagious enthusiasm†. (Paul Levesque) For any research to be carried out efficiently and effectively, it’s really important to jot down the main aims and objectives. Laying out clear aims and objectives would benefit during research and will also be helpful enough in attaining them. The Rationale of this research topic is to critically review the importance of Employee motivation for achieving service excellence in tourism industry by conducting an extensive research and using different paradigm and methods for research. The main aim of the Research Topic is:- To evaluate the role and importance of employee motivation for achieving high level of service excellence in Tourism industry. The above mentioned aim provides a broader idea for evaluating the role and importance of employee motivation for achieving high level of service excellence in Tourism industry. So in order to critically evaluate every aspects of the mentioned aim, some important objectives have been drafted which are given below:- To identify employee motivation as an important tool for success of the organisations. To examine the use of motivational theories and strategy in order motivate employees and ensuring Service Excellence. To establish the growing use of reward and recognition and other methods like incentives as different ways of motivating employees After drafting down the objectives of the research topic it would be worthy enough to understand that for achieving them, suitable paradigms, philosophies, approach and methodology should be used and reviewed. Literature Review:- Literature by many researchers has been identified as an important factor for carrying out any type of research as it plays major role in understanding important theories, data, figures etc and also help in relating them to the data collected. But it is also important to understand that while pursuing research reviewing the available literature is an important step which should be followed. Veal (2006) believes that, â€Å"Reviewing the Literature on a topic can be one of the most rewarding – and one of the most frustrating – of research tasks. It is a task where a range of skills and qualities needs to be employed – including patience, persistence, insight and lateral thinking† (Veal: 2006). Hence, literature review also becomes an important part of the research in order to analyze the content of the available Literature for meeting the objectives of the research. This research is concerned to evaluate the concept of employee motivation, its importance for ensuring high level of service excellence and the role played by it for the success of the organization. For this particular research there are lots of Academics books, Journals Articles, Electronic Articles published on the Internet which provides extensive information. The data collected from the above mentioned secondary data play a crucial role in meeting the objectives of the research topic. At this stage of the research proposal briefly reviewing the available literature for the achievement of the mentioned objectives is required Hence, for the first objective which is to identify employee motivation as an important tool for success of the organisations mix and match of Primary and Secondary data would be referred. Good and comprehensive Academic books, journals and web articles are available in the form of Secondary Data which can be referred. There are numbers of journals and web articles which provide critical knowledge about Employee Motivation would also be referred. Journals articles and Web articles mentioned below gives information for the first objective:- â€Å"Motivating Your Staff in a Time of Change† written by Susan M. Heathfield This article provides vital information about the fact that employees are one of the factors in the success and motivating them is equally important for managers. Susan M. Heathfield believes â€Å"In today’s turbulent, often chaotic, environment, commercial success depends on employees using their full talents. Yet in spite of the myriad of available theories and practices, managers often view motivation as something of a mystery.† (http://humanresources.about.com/od/motivationsucces3/a/motivatestaff.htm) In the above article the author critically explains about the advantages of staff motivation, barrier in motivating staff and use of motivational theories and methods for achieving motivation. â€Å"Motivating knowledge workers to innovate: a model integrating motivation dynamics and antecedents† by Amar, A. D This article develops a conceptual model synthesizing motivations â€Å"what† and â€Å"how† that will bring human creativity in organizations which thrive on innovation and also understanding the theory and application of motivation which is very important in managing human resource and in making organizations succeed. â€Å"How to Encourage Employee Motivation† written by Anthony Di Primo This article gives information about the importance of employee for attaining efficiency and success. Author also point out some important steps for optimum personnel utilization. â€Å"Do All Carrots Look The Same? Examining the Impact of Culture on Employee Motivation† by Justine Di Cesare and Golnaz Sadri Provides extensive information about the effect of different dimensions of culture on Employee Motivation The second Objective which is to examine the use of motivational theories and strategy in order motivate employees and ensuring Service Excellence. For achieving this objective, Academics books would be the best assets to use. There are many books on the topic of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour which provide extensive knowledge about Motivational theories and there importance. Academic books given below provides information about Content theories which mention theories developed by Maslow, Hertzberg, Mc. Clelland, Aldefer and Process motivational theories like Expectancy Theory, Equity Theory, Goal Theory and Attribution Theory. â€Å"Management and Organisational Behaviour† and â€Å"Managing People in the Hospitality Industry† by L.J, Mullins â€Å"Human Resource Management in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry† written by Michael Riley. â€Å"Human Resource Management† by Torrington, D., Hall, L and Taylor, S. Organizational Behaviour† by H. Kirk Downey, Don Hellriegel, John W. Slocum. â€Å"Strategic Human Resource Management†, by Mabey, C. and Salaman, G. Apart from the above mentioned books, Journals article could be referred. Article written by Terence R. Mitchell â€Å"Motivation: New Directions for Theory, Research and Practice† explains major theories of motivation concerned with the arousal and choice of behaviour, problems of implementation and directions for future research are suggested. For the third objective which is to establish the growing use of reward and recognition and other methods like incentives as different ways of motivating employees, again mix and match of Primary and Secondary data would be referred. Following Books and Journals examine the use of reward and recognition and incentives as useful techniques. â€Å"Strategic Human Resource Management†, by Mabey, C. and Salaman, G which critically evaluate the reward strategy used by Mangers. â€Å"What motivates employees according to over 40 years of motivation surveys† by Wiley, C, which provide in-depth information about the changes in factors influencing Employee Motivation over the years. â€Å"Recognise, Reward, Retain: The Three R’s of Performance Management† by Jennifer Juergens explains the concept of Reward, Recognition and Incentives for motivating employee and retaining them in the organisation for a long term. â€Å"Employee Motivation and Work Incentives in the Service Industries† by Robert W. McIntosh. This article explains the fact that to effectively motivate, a definite system of incentives or rewards is necessary. It also provides information different techniques and suggestion for motivating employees. â€Å"Incentive remuneration not delivering role ownership?† This article critically analyze to the fact that performance related pay is supposed to motivate people to take more ownership of their role, to work harder, be more productive and contribute. Thus by doing a literature review of the current research topic, it could be said that the above mentioned Academics books, Journals and Articles provides an in – depth knowledge about the concepts of Motivation Theories, Employee motivation and its importance in Organisation’s success and achieving service excellence in tourism industry. Although in any research, literature review is an on-going process and in a same way for this research topic many more relevant Academic Books, Journals and Articles would be referred in order to gain excessive information about the topic. Research Design and Methodology:- Research Methodology according to Glyn Jackson, â€Å"Methodologies are strategies with strong focus on gathering information, planning, and design elements† (http://www.newebia.co.uk/articles/what-is-a-methodology.html) Positivist Paradigm and Phenomenology Paradigm are considered to be main paradigm for any research hence it would be very important to understand them briefly in order to efficiently use them for the current research topic. Positivist Paradigm â€Å"Positivism is a framework of research, similar to that adopted by the natural scientist, in which the researcher sees people as a phenomena to be studied from the outside, with behaviour to be explained on the basis of facts and observation gathered by researchers, using theories and models developed researchers† (Veal: 2006) In Positivist approach the data collected through is highly specific and precise .It lays emphasis on quantitative observations and statistical analysis. (Collis, J: 2003) On the other hand, Phenomenological paradigm â€Å"Is a framework which gives more emphasis on the people being studied to provide their own explanation of their situation or behaviour.† (Veal: 2006) Phenomenological paradigm is predominately Qualitative in nature and data derived is highly rich and subjective (Collis, J.2003). For the above mentioned Research topic, a PLURALISTIC approach which is a combination of both Positivist and Phenomenology paradigm. This approach has been taken as research process which includes both observations (Positivist) and the personal views (Phenomenology) of Managers and Employees on Employee Motivation and its relation to Service excellence. For this research Inductive approach has been applied as it believed to be a process whereby the exploration and analysis of related observation leads to the construction of a theory that systematically links such observations in a meaningful way† (Clark M: 1998). Hence for this research, it would be described that Employee Motivation is essential for Service excellence by collection of Primary (surveys) and Secondary (Books, Journals) data and then processing the collected data for explanation to fulfil the objectives of the proposed research. In this research topic as informed before for the first and the third objective Primary and Secondary sources will be used for achieving them. As far as the first and the third objectives goes along with using books, journals and articles, Primary data will be collected with the method of Survey. Major survey techniques will be used like:- Face to Face Interview Questionnaire Telephonic Interviews E – mails Interviews and Questionnaire For the First objective at the preliminary stage, Telephonic Interviews or E mail Interviews would be conducted with Mangers and Supervisors in order to convince them about the research and also to carry out Face to face Interviews at the later stages. By using these survey techniques the first objective of how employee motivation plays an important role in success of the Organisations can be identified. For the Third objective which is to examine the use of rewards and incentives as Motivators. A questionnaire will also be designed for employees in order to gain information on how reward, recognition and incentives help them feel motivated. Telephonic and Face to face Interview will be conducted with managers and Supervisors to understand their views on the rewards, recognition and incentive plans as motivators for their employees. Appendix 1 given at the end of the report consists some of the potential Questions to be asked at the time of Telephonic or Face to face Interviews. For carrying out a successful survey it is very important for any researcher to use the technique of Sampling. â€Å"Sampling is a process by which researchers select a representative subset or part of the total population that can be studied for the topic so that they will be able to draw conclusion regarding the entire population† (Levent Altinay and Alexandros Paraskevas: 2008) Thus for this research, the area and number of organisations to be surveyed will be determined by the use of Multi stage sampling under Probility Sampling approach, hence undertaking Survey in four major towns of UK namely Birmingham, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich and Walsall and at least 2 organisations will be surveyed from each town. The number of Managers and Employees to be surveyed will be determined by the use of Simple Random Sampling in which 20 employees will be surveyed from each organisation and 2 managers or supervisors will be surveyed from each organisation. After discussing the Philosophy and Methodology of the research topic, another important step which would be taken care at the time of conducting the research is of Ethics. Ethics according to Veal (2006) is a behavior which is important in research, as in any other field of human activity. Ethical issues arise in the design and conduct of research and in the reporting of results. The general principles in codes of research ethics are: That no harm should befall the research subjects That subjects should take part freely That subject should take part on the basis of informed consent. (Veal: 2006) At the time of conducted research, the questions for the Interviews and Questionnaire would be carefully designed so that they don’t negative impression about the research. No individual will be forced to give interviews and answering questionnaire. The aims and objectives of the research will be discussed and made evident to the participant before doing survey of any kind. After noting the value of Ethics in research it would be important to discuss briefly the importance of Reliability and Validity. Reliability is believed to be the extent to which research findings would be the same if the research were to be repeated at a later date or with a different sample of subjects. In a phenomenological approach reliability is low as compared to positivist approach. (Veal: 2006) On the other hand, Validity is the extent to which the information collected by the researcher truly reflects the phenomena being studied. In phenomenological approach validity is high as compared to positivist approach (Veal: 2006) Thus the above mentioned Research philosophy and methodology are appropriate as the methods used for data collection are apt enough to meet the objectives of the proposed Research Topic. Conclusion:- Finally in the end it would be worthy enough to recognize the importance of Employee motivation for ensuring service excellence in tourism industry. Employee Motivation not only plays an important role for service excellence but it is also very important for smooth operations of the organisations. Wiley, C. believe â€Å"In order to attain to high levels of performance, employers depend on their employees to perform at levels that positively affect the bottom line. Thus, they must understand what motivates them. Such an understanding is essential to improving productivity and, ultimately, to ensuring the success of the company†. The aim and objectives of the research topic are clear and the method of survey and sampling seems to be the most suitable in order to collect primary data and the literature review also proves the availability of sufficient secondary data in the form of Books, journals and internet sources. Thus it can be said that the Positivist and Phenomenology par adigm , Pluralistic approach and methodology of Survey and Sampling of the research topic, if carried out in a systematic and organised manner keeping in mind the Ethics of research can be very helpful in conducting a valid and reliable research. Referencing:- Books Mullins, L.J. (1998) Managing People in Hospitality Industry (3rd Edition) Harlow: Longman Mullins, L.J. (1999) Management Organisational Behaviour (5th Edition) FT/Prentice Hall: London Veal, A (2006) Research Methods for Leisure and Tourism – a Practical Guide, (3rd Edition), Harlow: Prentice Hall Mabey, Christopher (1995), Strategic human resource management. Oxford: Blackwell Business. Torrington, Derek (2004), Human resource management (6th Edition), Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall Altinay, L (2008), Planning research in hospitality and tourism, Amsterdam; London: Butterworth-Heinemann Collis. Hussey, R .(2003): Business Research – a practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students , 2nd Edition, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan Altinay, L, and Paraskevas, A. (2008), Planning research in hospitality and tourism, Amsterdam; London: Butterworth-Heinemann. Mona A. Clark (1998), Researching and writing dissertations in hospitality and tourism, London: International Thomson Business Press. Journals Wiley, C (1997) What motivates employees according to over 40 years of motivation surveys, International Journal of Management, Vol 18, No 3, pp263-280 Di Cesare, J Golnaz, S (2003) Do all carrots look the same? examining the impact of culture on employee motivation In Management Research News, 26:1 Woodruffe, C. (2006), The crucial importance of employee engagement, Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol.14, No. 1, pp. 3-5. Jennifer Juergens (2005) Recognise, Reward, Retain: The Three R’s of Performance Management, Successful Sales Management, pp. 6 – 14. Amar, A. D (2004), Motivating knowledge workers to innovate: a mode integrating motivation dynamics and antecedents, European Journal of innovation Management, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 89 – 101 Electronic Source (Internet Websites) Paul Levesque, (no date) Turn Your Employees into Customer Service Dynamos [online]. [Cited 20th April 2008] Robert W. McIntosh, (no date) Employee Motivation and Work Incentives in the Service Industry [online]. [Cited 20th April 2008]. Zealise, (no date) Incentive remuneration not delivering role ownership [online]. [Cited 20th April 2008]. Glyn Jackson, (no date) what is a methodology? [online] . [Cited 20th April 2008]. Appendix 1 Telephonic or Face to face Interview: Some of the potential Questions to be asked at the time of Telephonic or Face to face Interviews Worksheet: Interview Questions What is the primary aim of your company? What really motivates your staff? Are there any recent changes in the company that might have affected motivation? What are the barriers in motivation which stop employees performing to best effect? What are the patterns of motivation in your company? How involved are employees in company development? Does employee feel motivated when they take part in development process?

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Relevance of Ancient Texts in Today’s Society Essay examples -- Li

Ancient texts are utilized as guides and references for the people of today. Some people live by their rules, laws, and stories and truly take them to heart. Many of these texts have been read and interpreted by students, historians, and professors all around the world for many generations. Three specific texts, the Tanakh, Sophocles’ Antigone, and Plato’s Apology, are all examples that have been analyzed and discussed for many years. There are key concepts in each of these works that are still relevant in society today and some that should be left in the past. The Tanakh provides the groundwork for the Jewish/Hebrew religion from the third century BCE (Trulove, Woelfel, Aauerbach, & Buller, 2007). One centralized theme discussed in the Tanakh is going against a higher power. In Genesis, God told Adam and Eve â€Å"‘you shall not eat of [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] or touch it, lest you die’† (Trulove et al., 2007, p. 40). Adam and Eve chose to consume a piece of fruit from the tree; as a consequence, God banished them from the Garden of Eden (Trulove et al., 2007). As a result of their sin, the world became corrupt and â€Å"filled with lawlessness† (Trulove et al., 2007, p. 43). In these instances, the higher power was the people’s God. When they disobeyed him, they suffered the consequences. These consequences were more severe since a divine power was in charge. Similarly, in Exodus, the Pharaoh â€Å"set taskmasters over [the Israelites] to oppress them into forced labor† (Trulov e et al., 2007, p. 58). The Pharaoh established rules and punishments for the taskmasters to bestow on the Israelites. In this situation, the higher power was the ruler of the land. The Israelites not only had to follow the laws set forth by the Pha... ...the sky and below the earth† instead of the god that the state permitted people to worship. People in every country, not just the United States, should be free to worship however they choose. Fortunately, in the United States, our Constitution prevents the government from controlling our religious freedoms. In summary, even though ancient texts are looked to as reference, they should not always be taken literally. Some concepts, including gender roles, government-appointed religions, and covenants with God, need to or have already been done away with. On the other hand, the determination to do what is morally and legally proper must continue to be an integral part of modern society. People should examine these ancient works, analyze how different civilizations dealt with success as well as conflict, and try to incorporate the lessons learned in their own lives.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Business Economics Solutions Mba Essays

Business Economics Solutions Mba Essays Business Economics Solutions Mba Paper Business Economics Solutions Mba Paper ) and entrepreneurs. Economic resources are also called factors of production or inputs in the productive process As these names imply, economic resources are required to produce the outputs desired by society. Since certain outputs are desired, they command a price and so, therefore, do economic resources. This can lead to some things being economic resources in some circumstances but not in Others. Water in the middle Off lake, for example, is not an economic resource: Anyone can have it free. But the same water piped to factory site is no longer free: Its movement must be paid for by taxes or by a specific charge. It is now an economic resource because the factory owner would not pay for its delivery unless the water was to be used in the factorys production. These four types of resources are highlighted in the circular flow diagram where the type of income accruing to each type of resource is shown. Entrepreneurs are risk-takers: They coordinate the activities of the other three inputs for profit-?or loss, which is why they are called risk. Akers. Entrepreneurs sometimes manage companies that they own, but a manager who is not an winner is not necessarily an entrepreneur but may be performing some of the entrepreneurial functions for the company. Entrepreneurs are also innovators, or perhaps inventors, and profits help to motivate such activities. 2-5 (Key Question) Why is the problem of unemployment a part of the subject matter of economics? Distinguish between allocation technical and productive efficiency. Give an illustration of achieving productive, hut not allocation, efficiency. Economics deals with the limited resources-?unlimited wants problem. Unemployment represents valuable resources that could have been used to reduce more goods and services-?to meet more wants and ease the economizing problem. Allocation efficiency means that resources are being used to produce the goods and services most wanted by society. The economy is then located at the optimal point on its production possibilities curve where marginal benefit equals marginal cost for each good. Productive efficiency means the least costly production techniques are being used to produce wanted goods and services. Example: manual typewriters produced using the least-cost techniques but for Which there is no demand. 2-6 (Key Question) Here is a reduction possibilities table for war goods and civilian goods: Type of Production ID Automobiles Production Alternatives 10 12 14 16 IA 18 B I Rockets 130 127 a. Show these data graphically. Upon what specific assumptions is this production possibilities curve based? B. Fifth economy is at point C, what is the cost of one more automobile? One more rocket? Explain how this curve reflects increasing opportunity costs. C. What must the economy do to operate at some point on the production possibilities curve? A) See curve DECCA, The assumptions are full employment and productive efficiency, fixed applies of resources, and fixed technology. [epic (b)4. 5 rockets; . 33 automobiles, as determined from the table. Increasing opportunity costs are reflected in the concave-from-the-origin shape of the curve. This means the economy must give up larger and larger amounts Of rockets to get constant added amounts of automobiles-?and vice versa. (c) It must obtain full employment and productive efficiency. What is the opportunity cost of attending college? In 2000, nearly of college-educated Americans held jobs, whereas only about 40% of those who did not finish high school held jobs. How might this difference relate to opportunity costs? The opportunity cost of attending college (and of doing anything else) consists of the income forgone while attending college (and of doing anything else such as enjoying leisure) and the value of the goods that the student or the students parents sacrifice in order to pay tuition and buy books, and other items necessary tort college but not necessary otherwise. Those who are college- educated have the potential of earning more income than those who did not finish high school. The opportunity cost (sacrifice of goods and services) of not irking is much greater for those with the higher earning potential. 2-8 Suppose you arrive at a store expecting to pay $100 for an item, but learn that a store two miles away is charging SO for it. Would you drive there and buy it? How does your decision benefit you? What is the opportunity cost of your decision? Now suppose you arrive at a store expecting to pay 56000 for an item, but learn that it costs $5950 at the other store. Do you make the same decision as before? Perhaps surprisingly, you should! Explain why. Driving to the Other store to save $50 does involve some cost in terms of time and inconvenience. However, or most Of us the time it takes to drive two miles would be worth SO_ For example, if it takes about ten minutes extra time and a negligible amount of gasoline (unless your time is worth $300 an hour, or $50 per each ten-minute period), it would benefit PU to drive to the other store. While in the second case. 550 may seem like less compared to the 56000 total price, for you the $50 is still a $50 savings, exactly the same as in the first case. Therefore, you should apply the same reasoning. Is the $50 benefit from driving the extra two miles worth the cost? The conclusion should be the same in both cases. 2-9 (Key Question) Specify and explain the shapes of the marginal-benefit and marginal-cost curves and use these curves to determine the optimal allocation of resources to a particular product. It current output is such that marginal cost exceeds marginal benefit, should more or less resources be allocated to this product? Explain, The marginal benefit curve is downward sloping, MBA tails as more to a product is consumed because additional units of a good yield less satisfaction than previous units. The marginal cost curve is upward sloping, MS increases as more of a product is produced since additional units require the use of increasingly unsuitable resource. The optimal amount of a particular product occurs where MBA equals MS. If MS exceeds MBA, fewer resources should be allocated to this use. The resources are more valuable in some alternative use (as reflected in the higher MS) than in this use (as reflected in the lower ME), 2-10 (Key Question) Label point G inside the production possibilities curve you have drawn for question 6. What does it indicate? Label point H outside the curve. What does this point indicate? What must occur before the economy can attain the level of production indicated by point H? G indicated unemployment, productive inefficiency, or both. His at present unattainable. Economic growth-?through more inputs, better inputs, improved technology-?must be achieved to attain H. -11 (Key Question) Referring again to question 6, suppose improvement occurs in the technology Of producing rockets but not in the production Of automobiles. Draw the new production possibilities curve. Now assume that a technological advance occurs in producing automobiles but not in producing rockets. Draw the new production possibilities curve. Now draw a production possibilities curve that reflects technological improvement in the production of both reduces. See the graph for question 2-6. EPIC shows improved rocket technology. APPC shows improved auto technology. PEG shows improved technology in producing both products. 2-12 Explain how, if at all, each of the following affects the location tooth production possibilities curve. Standardized examination scores of high school and college students decline. B. The unemployment rate falls from 9 to 6 percent of the labor force. Defense spending is reduced to allow government to spend more on health care. D. A new technique improves the efficiency of extracting copper from ore. Assuming scores indicate lower skills, then productivity should fall and this would move the curve inward. (b) Should not affect location of curve. Production moves from inside the curve toward frontier. (c) Should not affect location of curve. Resources are allocated away from one type of government spending toward another (health care). (d) The curve should shift outward as more production is possible with existing resources. 2-13 Explain: Affluence tomorrow requires sacrifice today. This quote refers to the fact that economic growth and a rising standard of living in the future require investment today. Society can choose to consume 311 Of its income today, or it can set aside some of it for investment purposes. Productive resources that go for investment goods today, e. G. , new factories, machines, equipment, are obviously not being used for producing consumer goods. Therefore, consumption is being sacrificed today so that investment goods can be produced with some of todays resources. 2-14 Suppose that, based on a nations production possibilities curve, an economy must sacrifice 10,000 pizzas domestically to get the one additional industrial robot it desires, but can get that robot from another country in exchange for 9,000 pizzas. Relate this information to the following statement: Without international specialization and trade, a nation can reduce its opportunity cost to obtaining goods and thus get outside its production possibilities curve. The message of the production possibilities curve is that an individual nation is limited to the combinations of output indicated by its production possibilities curve, International specialization means directing domestic resources to output which a nation is highly efficient at producing. International trade involves the exchange of these goods for goods produced broad. Specialization and trade have the same effect as having more and better resources or discovering improved production techniques. The output gains from greater international specialization and trade are the equivalent of economic growth. 2-15 Contrast how a market system and a command economy try to cope with economic scarcity. A market system allows for the private ownership Of resources and coordinates economic activity through market prices. Participants act in their own self-interest and seek to maximize satisfaction or profit through their own decisions regarding consumption or reduction. Goods and services are produced and resources are supplied by whoever is willing to do so. The result is competition and Widely dispersed The command economy is characterized by public economic power. Ownership of nearly all property resources and economic decisions are made through central planning. The planning board, appointed by the government determines production goals for each enterprise. The division of output between capital and consumer goods is centrally decided based on the boards long-term priorities. 2-16 Distinguish between the resource market and product market in he circular flow model. In what way are businesses and households both sellers and buyers in this modem What are the flows in the circular flow model? The resource markets are where the owners of the resources (the households) sell their resources to the buyers of the resources (businesses). In the product markets, businesses sell the goods and services they have produced to the buyers of the goods and services, the households. Households (individuals) either own all economic resources directly or own them indirectly through their ownership of business corporations. These households are willing to sell their sources to businesses because attractive prices draw them into specific resource markets. Businesses buy resources because they are necessary for producing goods and services. The interaction of the buyers and sellers establishes the price of each resource. In the product market, businesses are the sellers and householders are the buyers; their role in the market has been reversed. Each group of economic units both buys and sells. One flow is the flow Of real goods and services (including resource services) and the Other flow is the flow of money (money income, consumption expenditures, revenue, production costs). -17 (Last Word) Which two of the six reasons listed in the Last Word do you think are the most important in explaining the rise in participation of women in the workplace? Explain your reasoning. A poll taken in a class of 60 college freshman gave the first three reasons (womens rising wage rates, expanded job accessibility, and changing preferences and attitudes) nearly all the votes, Each of these explanations received about one third of the votes. Surprisingly, not a single student voted for declining birth rates as a reason for the rise in the number of women in the workforce. The consensus of he class was that the last three explanations (declining birth rates, rising divorce rates, and stagnating male earnings) were the effects, rather than the cause of more women joining the workforce. Because wage rates are higher the opportunity cost of raising children has risen. Women have chosen to bear fewer children, because they are now relatively more expensive. Similarly, women who have a higher earning capacity find the opportunity cost of getting a divorce reduced. Finally, male earnings may have stagnated partially because of the entrance of large numbers of well-educated women into the workforce, increasing the competition for the available jobs. Individual Markets: Demand and Supply 3-1 Explain the law of demand. Why does a demand curve slope downward? What are the determinants of demand? What happens to the demand curve when each of these determinants changes? Distinguish benzene a change in demand and a change in the quantity demanded, noting the cause(s) of each. As prices change because of a change in supply for a commodity, buyers will change the quantity they demand of that item. Fifth price drops, a larger quantity Will be demanded, If the price rises, a lesser quantity will be demanded, The demand curve slopes downward because tooth substitution and income effects, When the price of a commodity decreases relative to that of substitutes, a buyer will substitute the now cheaper commodity for those whose prices have not changed. At the same time, the decreased price of the commodity under discussion will make the buyer wealthier in real terms. More can be bought of this commodity (as well as of others whose prices have not changed), Thus, the substitution and income effects reinforce each other: More will be bought of a normal (or superior) commodity as its price decreases. On a graph with price on the vertical axis and quantity on the horizontal, this is shown as a demand curve sloping downward from left to right. The fundamental determinant Of demand is the price of the commodity under consideration: a change in price causes movement along the commoditys demand curve. This movement is called a change in quantity demanded. Decreased price leads to movement down the demand curve: There is an increase in quantity demanded. Increased price leads to movement up the demand curve: There is a decrease in quantity demanded. In addition, there are determinants of demand, which are factors hat may shift the demand curve, i. E. , cause a change in demand. These are the number of buyers, the tastes (or desire) of the buyers for the commodity, the income of the buyers, the changes in price of related commodities (substitutes and complements), and expectations of the buyers regarding the future price of the commodity under discussion. The following will lead to increased demand: more buyers, greater desire for the commodity, higher incomes (assuming a normal good), lower incomes (assuming an inferior good), an increased price to substitutes, a decreased price to complements, and an expectation of higher future prices, This increased demand will show as a shift of the entire demand curve to the right. The reverse of all the above will lead to decreased demand and will show as a shift of the entire demand curve to the left. 3-2 (Key Question) What effect will each of the following have on the demand for product B? . Product B becomes more fashionable. B. The price of substitute product C falls. C. Income declines and product B is an inferior good d. Consumers anticipate the price of B will be lower in the near future. The price of complementary product D falls. F. Foreign tariff barriers on 8 are eliminated. Demand increases in and (O, decreases in (b) and (d). 3-3 Explain the following news dispatch from Hull, England: The fish market here slumped today to What local commentators called a disastrous level-?all because Of a shortage of potatoes. The potatoes are one of the main ingredients in a dish that figures on almost every cafe menu-?fish and chips [French fries]. The shortage of potatoes either meant they were not available in the required quantities at any price (i. E. , that the quantity demanded greatly exceeded the quantity supplied at the market price, for that is how a shortage is defined) or hat there was an exceptional scarcity of potatoes so that their price was far above normal. In any event, the restaurants could not get enough potatoes at what they considered profitable prices. Fish and chips are complements. The sharp increase in the price of potatoes (because of decreased supply) has led to a decreased demand tort fish and to a subsequent drop in its price to a disastrous level. 3-explain the law of supply. Why does the supply curve slope upward? What are the determinants of supply? What happens to the supply curve when each of these determinants changes? Distinguish between a change n supply and a change in the quantity supplied, noting the cause(s) of each. As prices rise because of increased demand for a commodity, producers find it more and more profitable to increase the quantity they offer for sale; that is, the supply curve Vial slope upward from left to right. Clearly, firms would rather sell at a higher price than at a lower price. Moreover, it is necessary for firms to demand a higher price as they increase production. This comes about because as they produce more and more, they start to run up against capacity constraints and costs rise. At any given time, a plant has a given size. As production increases, the firm will need to add an extra shift and then a third shift, both perhaps at higher wages. It may run out Of warehouse space and have to rent at higher cost from another firm. It may have to pay extra to get increasingly urgent raw material, and so on. The fundamental determinant of supply is the price of the commodity. As price increases, the quantity supplied increases. An increase in price causes a movement up a given supply curve. A decrease in price causes a movement down a given supply curve. The non-price determinants of supply are: resource (input) prices, technology, taxes and besides, prices of other related goods, expectations, and the number of sellers, It one or more of these change, there will be a change in supply and the whole supply curve will shift to the right or the left, The following will cause an increase in supply: a decrease in resource (input) prices; improved (lower cost) technology; a decrease in business taxes, an increase in subsidies to business; a decrease in the price of another commodity that this firm was making, provided that commodity is a substitute in production (the firm can switch from the now lower priced one to our commodity): an expectation of lower prices in the future; ND an increase in the number of sellers. The increase in supply caused by the noted change in one or more of the above will cause the entire supply curve to shift to the right More will now be supplied at any given price Alternatively expressed, any given amount will now be supplied at a lower price. Reverse of any or all the above changes in the determinants of demand will cause a decrease in demand and will be shown as a shift of the supply curve to the left. Less will now be supplied at any given price. Alternatively expressed, any given amount will now be supplied at a higher price. 3-5 (Key Question) What effect Will each Of the following have on the supply Of product B? A. A technological advance in the methods of producing B. B. A decline in the number of firms in industry B. C. An increase in the price of resources required in the production of B. The expectation that the equilibrium price of B will be lower in the future than it is currently. E. A decline in the price of product A, a good whose production requires substantially the same techniques as does the production of B. F. The levying of a specific sales tax upon B. G. The granting off 50-cent per unit subsidy for each unit of B produced. Supply increases in (a), (d), (e), and (g); decreases in (b), (c), and (f). 3-6Len the corn market, demand often exceeds supply and supply sometimes exceeds demand. *The price of corn rises and falls in response to changes in supply and demand. In which of these two statements are the terms supply and demand used correctly? Explain, In the first statement supply and demand are used incorrectly. Supply and demand are both schedules or curves that intersect where quantity supplied and quantity demanded are equal. One cannot talk of curves that intersect as exceeding or not exceeding each other. Supply and/ or demand can change (the entire curses can shift). Each time this happens, it will create a new intersection of the two curves that will lead to changes in the equilibrium quantity and price Of corn _ Thus, the terms supply and demand are used correctly in the second statement. 3-7 (Key Question) Suppose the total demand for Wheat and the total supply Of Wheat per month in the Kansas City grain market are as follows: Thousands 1 price loaf bushels demanded 177 1 160 per bushel 1400 14,90 Thousand Supplied I Surplus (+) I shortage (-) $3. 40 180 13. 70 14. 60 14. 30 a. What will be the market or equilibrium price? What is the equilibrium quantity? Sing the surplus-shortage column, explain why your answers are correct. B. Graph the demand for wheat and the supply of wheat. Be sure to label the axes of your graph correctly. Label equilibrium price P and the equilibrium quantity Q. c. Why will $3. 40 not be the equilibrium price in this market? Why not SC go? Surpluses drive prices up; shortages drive them down, d. Now suppose that the government establishes a ceiling price Do you agree? Of, say, $3. 70 for avatar_ Explain carefully the effects of this ceiling price. Demonstrate your answer graphically. What might prompt the government to establish a ceiling price? Data from top to bottom: -13; -7; O; *7; +14; and +21 _ Epic] (a) Pee = $4. 00; 75,000. Equilibrium occurs where there is neither a shortage nor surplus of wheat. At the immediately lower price of $3. 70, there is a shortage Of 7,000 bushels. At the immediately higher price Of $4. 30, there is a surplus of 7,000 bushels. (See Graph top of next page. (b) Quantity (thousands) of bushels. (c) Because at $3. 40 there will be a 13,000 bushel shortage which will drive price up. Because at $4. 0 there will be a 21 ,000 bushel surplus which will drive the price down. Quotation is incorrect; just the opposite is true. D) A $3. 70 ceiling causes a persistent shortage. This product may be a necessity and the government is concerned that some consumers might not being able to afford it. -8 (Key Question) How will each to the following changes in demand and/or supply affect equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity in a competitive market; that is do price and quantity rise, fall, remain unchanged, or are the answers indeterminate, depending on the magnitudes of the shifts in supply and demand? You should rely on a supply and demand diagram to verify answers. A. Supply decreases and demand remains constant. B. Demand decreases and supply remains constant. C. Supply increases and demand is constant. D. Demand increases and supply increases. E. Demand increases and supply is constant. F. Supply increases and demand decreases. G. Demand increases and supply decreases. H. Demand decreases and supply decreases. A) Price up; quantity down; (b) Price down; quantity down; (c) Price down; quantity up; (d) Price indeterminate; quantity up; (e) Price up; quantity up; (f) Price down; quantity indeterminate; g) Price up, quantity indeterminate; (h) Price indeterminate and quantity down. 3-tries are the automatic regulator that tends to keep production and consumption in line with each other, Explain When demand increases, prices rise. This induces producers to increase the quantity supplied as they move up their supply curves toward the new (higher) equilibrium point. The same happens in reverse when demand decreases. When supply increases, prices drop. This induces buyers to increase the quantity demanded as they move down their demand curves toward the new (lower) equilibrium point. The name happens in reverse when supply decreases. In each case, it is the change in price caused by the change in demand or supply that brings about the change in quantity supplied (in the case of a change in demand) and a change in quantity demanded (in the case of a change in supply). Thus, price is the automatic regulator that keeps production and consumption in line faith each other. 3-10 Explain: Even though parking meters may yield little or no net revenue, they should nevertheless be retained because Of the rationing function they perform. Even parking meters that charge, say, 25 cents an hour do reform a useful parking-spot-rationing function: When the hour is up, the car owner must either move the car or rush out to feed the meter to avoid getting a ticket.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Essentials of Biodiversity

Essentials of Biodiversity Introduction The study of biodiversity stems from the subjects of ecology and evolution, from where it derives its two main objectives. The first objective is to understand how the natural systems operate and are ordered (Bernhardt 2). The second objective is to understand how the systems were derived.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Essentials of Biodiversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The study of biodiversity entails various important practical applications primarily focused on conservation. The knowledge of biodiversity enables us to determine the species that are threaten by extinction under given circumstances and the best way forward to avoid their extinction. At the same time, the knowledge and a more informed understanding of the whole concept of biodiversity gives us the power to intervene in the event that we are faced by the loss of biodiversity, and to restore the lost diversity. Does th e current trend in biodiversity help in its conservation? Wilson (2) purports that a majority of the species that ever roamed the surface of the earth have been faced with extinction at an average rate 1-2 species over the past 200 million years. In addition, incidences of mass extinction have occurred in which many taxa (a wide range of life forms) have disappeared within the same geological era. According to the July 8th 2010 edition of the UN news center, Edward Norton assumed his role as United Nation Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity. The new goodwill ambassador is credited for his active involvement in mobilizing support for conservation endeavors in his position as a board affiliate of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust and in partaking in the official launching of the Crowdrise networking policy to improve engagement in charitable activity. In his new position as the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Diversity, Edward Norton is charged with the responsibility o f collaborating with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in a bid to highlight on the disaster of biodiversity and mobilize world leaders to take appropriate measures to preserve the ecosystem. According to the executive secretary of the CBD, Ahmed Djoghhlaf, in the same New York City press conference, the rate of disappearance of certain species surpasses the natural rate a 1000 times. Do humans contribute greatly to loss of biodiversity? Humans play a pivotal role in as far as the issue of disrupting biodiversity is concerned. Human practices which adversely affect biodiversity include unregulated hunting, road construction, over fishing, gathering, deforestation, agricultural progression coastal encroachment, and urban development, among a host of other practices.Advertising Looking for critical writing on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These practices are an attribute of six fundamental huma n factors including; (a) high rate of population growth, (b) over engagement in trade for agricultural, fisheries and forest commodities, (c) economic scheme and policies which disregards the importance of ecosystem (d) bias in ownership and utility of the ecosystem (e) insufficient knowledge, and improper utility of knowledge, (f) legislature that allows unsustainable utilization (Lamb and Coffman 8). Ways of Biodiversity and disaster management According to the reports by the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) (cited in Srinivas #. 1), a total of 478,100 people have been killed. In addition, more than 2.5 million people have been affected by the changing biodiversity with an estimated 690 billion US dollars economic loss being incurred over the past 10 years. Furthermore, the losses suffered from some of the disasters could have been avoided, or reduced significantly if at all the necessary measures had been put in place in the first place. For this reason, the occurrences of such disasters and the ensuing losses both in the form of property and human or animal life, is largely regarded as a result of human carelessness. For instance, logging has been implicated for landslides and flooding events. This has recently augmented the importance of decisive environmental management in curbing disaster incidence (2) How marine reserve conserves biodiversity The key factor in conservation of marine live is human activities, particularly fishing. Fishing has lowered the stock of fish in the Ocean, Sea, lakes and rivers by 50% (The Canadian Biodiversity n.d.). Naturally, every fish caught by man is normally replaced. At this juncture, to get a better understanding of this concept, the research paper shall endeavor to explore the three common habitat of marine life. To start with, the research paper intends to examine the open sea habitat of marine life. The open sea extends from near the shore outwards to the center covering both t he rich and the poor waters, from the top to the deepest trough. The habitats of this region include pelagic fish which feed on the planktons growing near the surface. These fish are constantly being relocated in and out of their reserves by the water currents. Secondly, we have the sea bottom habitat comprising of soft sand and mud that covers the beach outwards to the continental shelves and deep beyond the reach of sunlight on the continental slope. The inhabitants of this zone are not subject to the sea currents and as result the fish population is uniform.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Essentials of Biodiversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The third habitat comprise of the hard rocky shore which covers between 5-20 meters from the coast and the outer islands in the ocean. The inhabitants of this zone comprise the sea weed and sessile creatures which are attach to the rocks. The fish in this re gion adapt a sedentary life, they do not move from one place to another. This allows them to enjoy protection from the marine reserve, and would only be caught if they stray from the marine reserves. It is worth noting that marine reserves protection is focused more on the few rocky shore inhabitants, thereby leaving out the other two habitats which need protection from threats of commercial fishing. Where fisheries facilities are to be found, the fish species are not extensively exposed and therefore, does not pose a major threat to fishing. Marine reserves are inadequate when it comes to offering protection to the commercial fish species, and subsequently they have very minimal benefit. What are the causes of declining biodiversity? According to Coffman (3), growth of cities, highways, large scale agriculture, logging, and other activities have contributed in the loss of biodiversity. Borrowing from an environmental theology, the earth’s network of life is facing destructio n leading to extinction of the species by thousands, alongside the disappearance of biodiversity. Can politics impact positively on biodiversity? The year 2010 has been designated by the UN the international year of biodiversity (IYB). During the year numerous schemes will be established to mobilize organizations, companies, individuals, and institutions to engage directly in alleviating global loss of biodiversity. The celebration for the IYB is headed by the secretariat of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in collaboration with Countdown 2010. Within a span of few years, countdown 2010 has achieved mobilization of growing number of participants including civil society associations, industries and the local government. Countdown 2010 take the center stage for IYB in Europe and worldwide via its well-developed network. The objectives for the IYB include; To create awareness of the socioeconomic values for conserving biodiversity. To improve the civic understanding of the pre ssure on biodiversity and methods of conservation. To motivate organization to take an active or passive role in biodiversity conservation. To commemorate the accomplishment of Countdown 2010 associates and other participants. To report on possible failures that lead to unattained goal. To arrange the platform for highlighting the post-2010 goals. Is the role of economics vital in curbing biodiversity? Ever since the 2006 CBD conference in Curitiba, the CBD has been diligently searching for business associates in executing their objectives. In 2009 â€Å"LIFE certification† project was launched in Brazil with the aim of quantifying and acknowledging organizational efforts towards conserving biodiversity. Another economical participation was triggered following the 2008 conference in Bonn. This new organization was called the economics of the ecosystem and biodiversity (TEEB) and its goal was to develop an economic structure centered on biological resources (Djoghlaf 6).Adver tising Looking for critical writing on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, the Japanese commercial alliance, Nippon Keidanren, launched a business biodiversity initiative while the Ministry of the Environment organized plan on the subject, for the preparation of the Nagoya Biodiversity Summit (7). Does culture play significant role in conserving biodiversity? Various cultures have diverse view points of utility and preservation of the natural resources (Toledo culture by Choc, in Halffter 134). Different communities may utilize the natural resources respectfully while others may exploit them to gain immediate and maximum benefits regardless of the harm they can inflict on the environment. Utility of mechanical tools and agrochemicals have greatly eroded the harmonious relationship that existed between humans and the environment in the ancient times. Presently success is measured in term of capital, agrochemicals, machinery and, and market share. The extent of deterioration is prominent in the urban setting. Halffter (136) argues that the conce pt of culture have been overlooked in pursuit of the elements which shape the relationship between people and nature, and in turn between people and biodiversity. Further, he asserts that the interaction with the ecosystem forms the essence of culture. Literary, culture entails our visions and principles of the ecosystem in relation to self. Does involvement of corporation, government and individuals have positive impact on biodiversity conservation? Our natural environment is transforming at an unpredictable rate. At the current time the world is in the initial stages of mass extinction coupled with global warming. It is believed that these adverse events are the result of human activities; and that their severity and their persistence will depend on the actions we take to combat them (The Canadian Biodiversity 2). Every person is accountable for the conservation of his/her immediate biodiversity. Nevertheless, conservation of biodiversity at the national level is a prerogative of the government. The duty of the government towards the citizen is not only to preserve diversity but also to do it in a manner which benefits the population (3). According to Devall (69) corporations are the key players in biodiversity conservation projects. For example ChevronMobil serve over a hundred countries, because such corporations are ranked in the fortune 500 chart and thus have more money compared to most of the national governments members of the UN. These corporations actively engage in petroleum, coal or gas mining in unprotected wild lands in various geographical locations. According to evidence some of these corporations take up the disguise of green belt movement, and may engage in public relations promotion to express their active participation in conservation, the move referred by environmentalist as ‘green washing.’ Other critics believe that corporation other stakeholders must negotiate with them regarding conservation issues (Devall 70). Does Fores t contribute to biodiversity? Ferraro and Simpson (2) claim that many biodiversity including major forest are situated in poorly developed countries which profit less from their ecosystem. With regard to biodiversity tropical forest forms the richest terrestrial ecological unit. Forests have been utilized by humans from the prehistoric time a source of a wide range of commodities including fuel, medicine, foods, and wood (Topfer para. 4). In the contemporary times, the utility and perception of forests has increasingly changed. Numerous institutions, associations and individuals have expressed interest in forest and their biodiversity, for cooperate profits, for sustaining livelihood, preservation of spiritual and cultural morals and conserving biodiversity. To realize these diverse objectives as well as organize and forest biodiversity, various activities have been executed by the stakeholders including, individuals, communities, NGOs, intergovernmental organization and national go vernments (FAO 2). Choc, Gregory. Land, value and economic development in Toledo. June 1996. 05 November, 2010. hartford-hwp.com/archives/47/008.html Coffman, Michael. Biodiversity treaty more than senate willing to pay: white man’s cities. 2000. 04 November, 2010. discerningtoday.org/members/Analyses/biodiversity.htm Devall, Bill. Conservation of biodiversity: opportunities and challenges. Human ecology  Review, 13.6(2006). FAO. Forest biodiversity. 2010. November 3, 2010 www.fao.org/forestry/Forestry.asp, Online. Ferraro, Paul, and Simpson, David. Protecting forest and biodiversity: are investments  In eco-friendly production activities the best way to protect endangered  Ecosystems and enhance rural livelihoods? Topic 4: improving livelihoods and protecting biodiversity. Paper presented at the international conference on rural  livelihoods, forest and biodiversity 19-23 may 2003, Bonn, Germany. Print. Halffter, Gregory. Towards a culture of biodiversity conservati on. 2005. Print . Lamb, Henry and Coffman, Michael. â€Å"Global biodiversity assessment: section 10.† Eco.logic special report. ISBN#0 521 56481 6. Environmental Conservation  Organization, 2006. Print. Srinivas, Hari. Environmental management and disaster reduction- an introduction.  n.d. 04 November, 2010. gdrc.org/uem/disasters/disenvi/intro.html The Canadian Biodiversity. What is biodiversity? n.d. o5 November, 2010. http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/intro/page2.htm Topfer, Klaus. Environmental management and disaster reduction. 2010. 03 November, 2010. grida.no/publications/et/ep3/page.aspx UN News Center. â€Å"Actor Edward Norton is celebrity advocate for biodiversity.†Ã‚  UN chronicle, July 2010. 05 November, 2010. un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/home/archive/webarticles2010/edwardnortonungoodwillambassadorforbiodiversity Wilson, Edward. The Diversity of Life. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1992. Print.

Monday, November 4, 2019

W7A Back-up and Recovery Plan in Data Warehousing Essay

W7A Back-up and Recovery Plan in Data Warehousing - Essay Example le backups; (5) â€Å"synchronization of the backups with the daily incremental loads; (and finally, (6) saving of the incremental load files to be included as part of recovery if applicable† (p. 507). For the recovery options, Ponniah (2010) provided suggestions that would assist data warehouse administrators in designing which options would cater to the organization’s requirements. One of the recovery options would be to use best practices through an examination of various disaster scenarios and how the organization managed to recover the information. The recovery procedure would thereby be adjusted according to the needs of the organization, as well as the time required to recover crucial data. From the strategies recommended for back-ups (separating schedules for static and active data, as well as differential and log file back-ups with daily incremental loads), the data warehouse administrator should be able to recover the needed information within clearly stipulated time frames. The scope of back-up functions actually depends on the volume and kind of data that requires backing-up. As noted, there are active and static data where the frequency of back-up schedules would differ (more frequent back-up schedules for active data in conjunction with less frequent back-up schedules for static data) (Ponniah, 2010). Likewise, depending on the incremental data that the organization puts in on a daily basis, the scope of the back-up function follows accordingly. To ensure readiness to recover from disasters, the back-up files must be stored in strategic areas that are safe and secure. Likewise, point persons who could be authorized and assigned to perform relevant functions pertinent to back-up and recovery should be aware of their respective roles and responsibilities in the process. As emphasized, the data warehouse administration should be prepared in addressing the following questions and concerns: (1) downtime that users could tolerate during the recovery

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Banning Flag Burning Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Banning Flag Burning - Thesis Proposal Example The above lines perfectly capture the symbolic significance of the national flag. The flag is the most visible emblem of the country and is a reminder of the people who sacrificed their lives for the country. If one were to fully understand what the flag essentially stands for, it would become pretty evident that any act of insult to the flag is but blasphemous. Opposition to the banning of flag burning have been grounded on the premises of freedom of expression and speech. It has been argued that defacing the national flag is justified as a means of protected speech, a claim that is vindicated by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the USA. But one needs to understand the gravity of the situation. It is this very flag which stands as a tall symbol of the freedom guaranteed to every citizen of USA. People's protests are meant against the government, not the country. A clear distinction needs to be made between the government, which merely runs the country, and the nation itsel f. A nation, in all its essence, is greater than the political party in power. And thus, grave offence to a highly esteemed symbolic entity in the name of protest, does not do justice to the nation. More often than not, these protests are aimed at a political leader and his policies, and there are several alternative methods to exhibit public disapproval in such cases. Burning effigies of the leader in question is still justified, but burning the national flag is not only inappropriate, it also fails to serve the purpose. Flag burning is often defended on the grounds of civil liberties granted by the democratic governmental setup. The First Amendment protects the right to free speech, not vandalism.... As there are no absolute laws which deem flag burning illegal, the courts have often found it difficult to prosecute acts of flag desecration. The two most popular cases of flag burning have been Texas v. Johnson, and United States v. Eichman both in the year 1990. And in both the aforementioned cases, the Supreme court declared that flag burning was protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution. But there have been other acts of flag desecration that have ended in conviction. It is rather interesting to note that the cases which did in fact end in conviction involved milder forms of flag desecration like using the flag for commercial purposes. In one such case Halter v. Nebraska, the owner of a bottling company was charged with selling bottles with the American flag imprinted on them in 1905. In 1903, Nebraska made it a crime to â€Å"sell, expose for sale, or have in possession for sale, any article of merchandise upon which shall have been printed or placed, for purpose s of advertisement, a representation of the flag of the United States†. Under this law, the Supreme court ruled 8-1 to uphold Halter’s conviction. This case was significant for a variety of reasons- it was one of the first Supreme court cases pertaining to protection of the national flag, and also because it was seen as a moral victory for people who sought greater government regulation in the matter.