Saturday, August 31, 2019

Importance of Prayer

Importance of Prayer What is Prayer Prayer is the utterance from your spirit to God. In simple terms, talking to God is called prayer. It's the simple opening of one's heart to our Father in Heaven. It's coming to Him and telling Him everything in your heart. Then, why do we find praying so complicated? Those of us who say, ‘I don't pray because I don't know how to pray, haven't understood that prayer is just being yourself and talking to God with honesty and sincerity. When I was growing up, I found prayer very boring. It's because it just seemed like an endless stream of meaningless words to me.However, when I truly understood what prayer meant (that it's speaking to God with complete honesty, without any kind of masks or worrying about how and what you talk), my whole perspective about prayer changed. Prayer today is not a burdensome task that I have to complete everyday, but a joyful time I spend with my Lord. It's such a privilege to be able to talk to the King of Kings; t o share my innermost thoughts, my deepest desires! However, this privilege came at a price. Jesus Christ died on the cross for me, for my sins, just so that I could enter the throne of God's grace with confidence. So is it for you!What is the Importance of Prayer Drawing Nearer to God†¦ If you do not pray, if you do not talk to God, you can never learn more about who He is. To understand the Father heart of God, we need to pray. To lead a life of intimacy with God, we need to pray. In John 15:15, Jesus says He no longer calls us his servants, but calls us His friends. Moreover, in 1 Corinthians 3:9, God calls us His fellow workers. But, how can we be His fellow workers if we refuse to talk to Him? Tool to Bind Powers of Darkness†¦ Prayer is powerful and you need to remember, the words uttered in prayer have wonder-working power.Do not underestimate the power of prayer. The Devil is constantly trying to discourage us, demoralize us and weaken our faith in God. When tempted to fall into sin, pray. Prayer gives us the power to overcome. Pray gives us the strength and the faith to finish the race marked before us in this life. Prayer Changes You†¦ Why are parents so worried about the company their children are in? It's because they know the company you are in, can influence you. The influence may be positive or negative, but there sure is an influence.The more time you spend with God, the more your face will shine with the radiance of God. The more your nature will resemble the loving nature of God. Our habits and lifestyles change. We no longer live selfish lives, but love others with a pure and sincere heart. Prayer changes us from the inside, which soon gets reflected on the outside. Prayer Protects†¦ It is important to pray for God's protection on your family everyday. Pray for your parents, spouse, children every single day. Parents have the responsibility to make their kids understand the importance of prayer.Children are extremely vulner able and the choices they make during their growing up years will shape their future. Pray for God's protection upon their young lives. Prayer Heals†¦ Jesus healed the sick while He was on Earth. He also gave authority to His disciples to heal. Jesus Christ has also given each one of us who believes in Him, the authority to heal. Pray for emotional, spiritual and physical healing for yourself and for those around you. Walk towards Him and you will be healed. Prayer Brings Developments†¦ There's no point in getting frustrated. One must fast and pray.There is power in fasting and praying. Fasting and prayer is powerful. Fast and pray on a regular basis (weekly or more frequently if possible). Select a time when you have the house to yourself, so you will be free to sing and pray aloud. Start by singing a few choruses, then begin reading the Bible. After that pour your heart out to God and share your burdens openly. Then read some more from the Bible. Don't stop fasting and p raying even if you feel the breakthrough is taking too long. Continue fasting and praying. You will receive the answers to your prayers.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Management Assignment: Human Intelligence Essay

Traditionally organisations have concentrated upon the intelligence of individuals and held the point of view that intelligent people in terms of IQ succeeded more. However, these ideas are continually challenged by the idea of emotional intelligence being key indicators of management performance (cited in Khosravi, Manafi, Hojabri, Aghapour and Gheshmi, 2011, pg 3). Emotional intelligence is ones ability to perceive and regulate other people’s emotions (cited in Sadri, 2012, pg 536). In present society, emotional intelligence of management is essential to positive communications in projecting ideas, increasing value of teams through creating common team values and hence increasing the job satisfactions of individuals in workplaces from corporations to sales. Emotional intelligence is consequently directly related to the overall performance of a company and also the efficiency of individual employees. It can also be said that emotional intelligence is much more important then pure intelligence in shaping leadership success (cited in Sadri, 2012, pg 537). Managers use communication as a method to transfer meaning to others for the ultimate purpose of achieving their goals and objectives. The ability to communicate efficiently depends upon the manager’s capability to empathise with his or her peers, that is, the manager’s level of emotional intelligence. Goleman’s study asserts the notions of emotionally intelligent individuals are more successful at communicating their ‘ideas, goals and intentions’ (cited in Zeidner, Matthews, Roberts, 2004, pg 386). Similarly, Wasielewski’ studies suggests emotionally intelligent individuals are able to ‘excite and enthuse’ or make others ‘feel cautious and wary’ (cited in George, 2000, pg 7). This sort of behavior will consequently motivate or demotivate individuals in the workplace. Thus emotional intelligence is crucial as it allows managers to communicate effectively and therefore achieve his or her goals by influencing the mood and emotion of his or her team. Bar On further asserts that managers are also able to use communication to ensure a positive result in environmentally demanding work situations (cited in Zeidner, Matthews, Roberts, 2004, pg 374). Managers will only be able to do this if they understand their employees’ personal feelings, hence emotional intelligence is the tool that lets managers communicate effectively in any sort of situation. Regardless of whether the situation is difficult or not, emotional intelligence will always be significant because it allows the manager to communicate effectively with his or her employees (cited in George, 2000, pg 8). A consequence of managers who communicate with high emotional intelligence creates value adding member interaction, which in turn increases team productivity. Positive emotions of certain individuals such as managers can influence team member mentality and is high likely to increase group cohesion through relationship building, this is also known as positive ‘emotional contagion’ (cited in Ashanasy and Daus, 2002, pg 79). However oppositely, negative emotions of an individual can decrease the efficiency of other team members since negative attitudes can ‘infect’ co-workers and is hard to reverse (cited in Ashanasy and Daus, 2002, pg 79). Consequently due to these polar outcomes the need for emotionally intelligent managers is crucial to the operation of a team to complete tasks efficiently. More importantly, high emotional intelligence can impact a leaders and teams ability to construct team goals and objectives (cited in Ashanasy and Daus, 2002 pg 81). This is asserted by Rosete and Ciarrochi study in which concluded that high emotional intelligent leaders performed more efficiently and was not affected by cognitive ability (cited in Sadri, 2012, pg 538). Apart from leadership highly emotional intelligent team members also increased team efficiency. A Study by Jordan and Troths concluded this through their experiment where they concluded high emotional intelligent team members performed more exceptional then low emotional intelligent teams (cited in Sadri, 2012, pg 538). Thus leadership through high emotional intelligent individuals increases the value of a team, however high emotional intelligent team members also contribute to positive team interaction. Another aspect of high emotional intelligent leaders is improved job satisfaction and hence increased performance. Emotionally intelligent leaders are able to influence ‘shared beliefs’ of groups, allowing them to shape ones abilities and skills to communicate and co-ordinate with each other (cited in Zampetakis and Moustakis, 2011, pg 84 ). These ‘shared beliefs’ allow groups to have high job satisfactions due to improved performance due to positive emotional norms created by the manager (cited in Zampetakis and Moustakis, 2011, pg 84). Henceforth, an increase in group job satisfaction will allow individual satisfaction growth, this will in turn increase overall efficiency. In the studies of Ashkanasy and Daus, we can also view the importance of emotionally related job satisfaction. The study contains scenarios, which stress how negative satisfaction partly due to leadership problems can have adverse affects upon other team members. Research has also exemplified the need for emotionally intelligent managers to heighten positive emotions with employees particularly in the sales industry to increase customer rentention (cited in Ashkanasy and Daus, 2002, pg 77). Hence, job satisfaction is highly correlated with the emotional intelligence of managers. Job satisfaction is clearly an important factor in the workplace as it is able to increase efficiency. As organisations and businesses seek to increase efficiency, the use of emotionally intelligent individuals will be employed to redefine groups and individuals in the workplace. Over time as stronger evidence builds upon that high emotional intelligent individuals make better leaders, companies will undergo a transition to recruit or train emotionally intelligent individuals. As companies continually gain knowledge in this field, competitive strategies will be formed to better firm performance. As they embrace these types of changes, competitive advantages particularly in the sales industry will experience large competitive advantages. Communication from highly emotionally intelligent allows more positively regulated team ambitions and hence allow greater team collaboration, which increases inter-personal relationships. Team collaboration is highly effective in producing superior job satisfactions and consequently job efficiency. Hence, emotional intelligence is essential for leaders to manage successfully in workplaces. References: Sadri, G. , (2012). Emotional intelligence and leadership development, Public Personnel Management, Vol. 41 No. 3, pp. 535-548 Date Viewed – 10 April 2013 <http://web. ebscohost. com. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/ehost/detail? vi d=3&sid=7e41ae83-e0b2-455b-ac25-1568e4f33f6f%40sessionmgr110&hid=112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=79656429> Khosravi, R. D. , Manafi, M. , Hojabri, R. , Aghapour, A. H. , Gheshmi. R. , (2011). The relationship between emotional intelligence and effective delegation. International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 2 No. 19, pp. 223-235 Date Viewed – 10 April 2013 lt;http://search. proquest. com. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/abiglobal/docview/904526890/13D5FC8D9CD73AEC7F5/1? accountid=12763> Zeidner, M. , Matthews, G. & Roberts, R. D. , (2004). Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: A Critical Review. Applied Psychology, 53(3), pp. 371–399. Dated Views – 10 April 2013 <http://online library. wiley. com. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/doi/10. 1111/j. 1464-0597. 2004. 00176. x/abstract;jsessionid=BC2DC14C7B9282FD9361B666E034A2C9. d02t02> George, J. M. , (2000). Emotions and Leadership: The Role of Emotional Intelligence. Human Relations, 53(8), pp. 1027–1055. Date viewed – 10 April 2013 <http://search. proquest. com. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/docview/231437575/fulltextPDF? accountid=12763> Ashkanasy, N. M. & Daus, C. S. , (2002). Emotion in the workplace: The new challenge for managers. The Academy of Management Executive, 16(1), pp. 76–86. Date viewed – 10 April 2013 <http://www. jstor. org. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/stable/4165815> Zampetakis, L. A. & Moustakis, V. , (2011). Managers’ Trait Emotional Intelligence and Group Outcomes: The Case of Group Job Satisfaction. Small  Group  Research, Vol. 42 No. 1, pp. 77-102 Date Viewed – 10 April 2013

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 1

It was on the first day of summer vacation that Poppy found out she was going to die. It happened on Monday, the first real day of vacation (the weekend didn't count). Poppy woke up feeling gloriously weightless and thought, No school. Sunlight was streaming in the window, turning the sheer hangings around her bed filmy gold. Poppy pushed them aside and jumped out of bed and winced. Ouch. That pain in her stomach again.-Sort of a gnawing, as if something were eating its way toward her back. It helped a little if she bent over. No, Poppy thought. I refuse to be sick during summer vacation. I refuse. A little power of positive thinking is what's needed here. Grimly, doubled over-think positive, idiot!-she made her way down the hall to the turquoise-and gold-tiled bathroom. At first she thought she was going to throw up, but then the pain eased as suddenly as it had come. Poppy straightened and regarded her tousled reflection triumphantly. â€Å"Stick with me, kid, and you'll be fine,† she whispered to it, and gave a conspiratorial wink. Then she leaned forward, seeing her own green eyes narrow in suspicion. There on her nose were four freckles. Four anda half, if she were completely honest, which Poppy North usually was. How childish, how-cute! Poppy stuck her tongue out at herself and then turned away with great dignity, without bothering to comb the wild coppery curls that clustered over her head. She maintained the dignity until she got to the kitchen, where Phillip, her twin brother, was eating Special K. Then she narrowed her eyes again, this time at him. It was bad enough to be small, slight, and curly-haired–to look, in fact, as much like an elf as anything she'd ever seen sitting on a buttercup in a children's picture book–hut to have a twin who was tall, Viking-blond, and classically handsome .. well, that just showed a certain deliberate malice in the makeup of the universe, didn't it? â€Å"Hello, Phillip,† she said in a voice heavy with menace. Phillip, who was used to his sister's moods, was unimpressed. He lifted his gaze from the comic section of the L.A. Times for a moment. Poppy had to admit that he had nice eyes: questing green eyes with very dark lashes. They were the only thing the twins had in common. Phillip said flatly, and went back to the comics. Not many kids Poppy knew read the newspaper, but that was Phil all over. Like Poppy, he'd been a junior at El Camino High last year, and unlike Poppy, he'd made straight A's while starring on the football team, the hockey team, and the baseball team. Also serving as class president One of Poppy's greatest joys in life was teasing him. She thought he was too straitlaced. Just now she giggled and shrugged, giving up the menacing look. â€Å"Where's Cliff and Mom?† Cliff Hilgard was their stepfather of three years and even straighter-laced than Phil. â€Å"Cliff's at work. Mom's getting dressed. You'd better eat something or she'll get on your case.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Poppy went on tiptoe to rummage through a cupboard. Finding a box of Frosted Flakes, she thrust a hand in and delicately pulled out one flake. She ate it dry. It wasn't all bad being short and elfin. She did a few dance steps to the refrigerator, shaking the cereal box in rhythm. â€Å"I'm a †¦ sex pixie!† she sang, giving it a footstomping rhythm. â€Å"No, you're not,† Phillip said with devastating calm. â€Å"And why don't you put some clothes on?† Holding the refrigerator door open, Poppy looked down at herself. She was wearing the oversize T-shirt she'd slept in. It covered ‘ her like a , minidress. â€Å"This isclothes,† she said serenely, taking a Diet Coke from the fridge. There was a knock at the kitchen door. Poppy saw who it was through the screen. â€Å"Hi, James! C'mon in.† James Rasmussen came in, taking off his wraparound Ray-Bans. Looking at him, Poppy felt apang-as always. It didn't matter that she had seenhim every day, practically, for the past ten years. Shestill felt a quick sharp throb in her chest, somewherebetween sweetness and pain, when first confronted with him every morning. It wasn't just his outlaw good looks, which alwaysreminded her vaguely of James Dean. He had silky light brown hair, a subtle, intelligent face, and grayeyes that were alternately intense and cool. He was the handsomest boy at El Camino High, but that wasn't it, that wasn't what Poppy responded to. It was something insidehim, something mysterious andcompelling and always just out of reach. It made her heart beat fast and her skin tingle. Phillip felt differently. As soon as James came in, he stiffened and his face went cold. Electric dislike flashed between the two boys. Then James smiled faintly, as if Phillip's reactionamused him.†Hi.† â€Å"Hi,†Phil said, not thawing in the least. Poppyhad the strong sense that he'd like to bundle herup and rush her out of the room. Phillip alwaysoverdid the protective-brother bit when James wasaround. â€Å"So how's Jacklyn and Michaela?† headded nastily. James considered. â€Å"Well, I don't really know.† â€Å"You don't know?Oh, yeah, you always drop yourgirlfriends just before summer vacation. Leaves you free to maneuver, right?† â€Å"Of course,† James said blandly. He smiled. Phillip glared at him with unabashed hatred. Poppy, for her part, was seized by joy. Goodbye, Jacklyn; goodbye Michaela. Goodbye to Jacklyn's elegant long legs and Michaela's amazing pneumatic chest. This was going to be a wonderful summer. Many people thought Poppy and James's relationship platonic. This wasn't true. Poppy had known for years that she was going to marry him. It was one of her two great ambitions, the other being to see the world. She just hadn't gotten around to informing James yet. Right now he still thought he liked long-legged girls with salon fingernails and Italian pumps. â€Å"Is that a new CD?† she said, to distract him fromhis stare out with his future brother-in-law. James hefted it. â€Å"It's the new Ethnotechno release.† Poppy cheered. â€Å"More Tuva throat singers-I can't wait. Let's go listen to it.But just then her mother walked in. Poppy's mother was cool, blond, and perfect, like an Alfred Hitchcock heroine. Shenormally wore an expression of effortless efficiency. Poppy, heading out of the kitchen, nearlyran into her. â€Å"Sorry-morning!† â€Å"Hold on a minute,† Poppy's mother said, gettinghold of Poppy by the back of her T-shirt. â€Å"Good morning, Phil; good morning, James,† she added.Phil said good morning and James nodded, ironically polite. â€Å"Has everybody had breakfast?† Poppy's motherasked, and when the boys said they had, she looked at her daughter. â€Å"And what about you?† she asked,gazing into Poppy's face. Poppy rattled the Frosted Flakes box and hermother winced. â€Å"Why don't you at least put milkon them?† â€Å"Better this way,† Poppy said firmly, but when hermother gave her a little push toward the refrigerator, she went and got a quart carton of lowfat milk. â€Å"What are you planning to do with your first day of freedom?† her mother said, glancing from James to Poppy. â€Å"Oh, I don't know.† Poppy looked at James. â€Å"Listen to some music; maybe go up to the hills? Or drive to the beach?† â€Å"Whatever you want,† James said. â€Å"We've got allsummer.† The summer stretched out in front of Poppy, hotand golden and resplendent. It smelled like pool chlo rine and sea salt; it felt like warm grass under her back. Three whole months, she thought. That's forever. Three months is forever. It was strange that she was actually thinking thiswhen it happened. â€Å"We could check out the new shops at the Village — was beginning, when suddenly the painstruck and her breath caught in her throat. It was bad-a deep, twisting burst of agony thatmade her double over. The milk carton flew fromher fingers and everything went gray.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

9.1 Select and Discuss an Image Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

9.1 Select and Discuss an Image - Coursework Example As can be depicted from the art, it was able to portray John Sloan adherence to realism and hence socialism. The central focus of the art is the beach with the people in it, most probably depicting the behavior of people inside; consequently, showing the realist nature. His preference for expression of what is happening in the contemporary settings, as can be seen by the woman touching her hat, in the middle ground. The other people, still in the middle ground have turned their focus on the woman, appreciatively, as they continue lounging on the beach sand. They embrace each other with joy and passion, as can be seen by those women supporting themselves on the men. Intuitively, the artist constructively uses women in his piece as objects of desire in the society. He depicts the ability of different genders to interact with one another with a recommendable touch, within our contemporary world. The use of happy women in the picture also portrays Sloan’s realism view about the modern New Yorkers. One can assume that the women in the middle ground are happy beside the male characters because of the presented gleeful atmosphere. This insinuates the new independence found within the New York residence that makes them interact freely with each other. Just like realist before him, he was able to capture the essence of independence found in the urban life. Nonetheless, the artist also depicts beauty of urban life in his art. They are wearing gleaming hats which fits them in a glamorous manner. Further, the women have also worn dresses which discern the curves and beauty of their bodies, as shown by the one adjusting he art. The realism nature of the piece also comes out when accessing the artist’s ability to depict urban genre scenes. As aforementioned, the beach had few visitors at the time; he makes use of dark palette, bold and sketch brushwork to give the island park an

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Engaging Ethics in Architecture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engaging Ethics in Architecture - Assignment Example In addition to giving a snapshot of the various ethical concerns embedded in architecture, this report goes further to put into perspective how architects may incorporate ethics into their practice with different stakeholders. Architecture is one of those sensitive professional fields that pose serious negative impacts to the stakeholders involved whenever ethical standards are ignored. Essentially, architectural ethics define the moral responsibility to do the right thing or make the right and best decision on variety of situations as mentioned in the introduction. Architectural work involves the consideration of a rich blend of cultural diversities. This necessitates the need for anyone in this profession to think about the cultural perspectives that may come up at any time in the working environment. This is yet another pointer as to why ethics may be necessary for the architectural profession. Professional ethics will demand that individuals be able to deliver high standards of s ervice in their professional jurisdiction without compromise on grounds of cultural diversities. Architecture, in itself, has an ethical nature. As put clearly, it is one of the processes that are involved in the beautification of man’s natural habitat, to become a better place (Wasserman, Barry, Gregory, and Patrick 13). This provides an avenue for the man to find satisfaction, both in the spiritual and emotional context. As such, the architectural professionals are obliged to come to the realization that their profession is not just about following a set of instructions or doing things for the sake of it. Rather, they need to come to a conscious knowledge that they are actively involved in the process of bringing about fulfillment in human life. They are also a central part of the emotional and spiritual aspects that make life worth living. Ethics, being an integral part of the architectural profession, will, therefore, dictate all the decisions made by anyone in that field .  

Monday, August 26, 2019

Change of Demographics in Central America from 1450 to 1914 Essay - 2

Change of Demographics in Central America from 1450 to 1914 - Essay Example However, as soon as Columbus discovered America, the indigenous people were exposed to many kinds of diseases including measles and smallpox. Most of these diseases were brought to the land of Central America by the animals kept by the Europeans. In 1450, the total population of the people in Central America was some millions. 3 centuries later, in 1750, number of people left in the Central America was even lesser than 10 per cent of the population in 1450. Immigration, was one factor that particularly revered the conventional demographic pattern in the Central America. In 1500s, Europeans began to immigrate to the Central America in large numbers. Europeans brought new kinds of domestic animals including cows and horses as well as germs to the Central America. The indigenous people, who acquired the diseases and died away were replaced by the slaves from Africa. The Africans grew much more in population as compared to the Europeans. There were about 10 million Africans in Central America in 1750. In 1790, number of slaves in Haiti was 500000 while the number of whites was no more than 40000 and there were 30000 people of mixed colors. The Industrial Revolution that took place around the year 1914 improved the general health and safety conditions of the people of Central America, as a result of which, the population seared up. More and more people moved towards the cities to make use of the emerging employment opportunities and improve the quality of living. Most of the Central America was urbanized during this time, and the descendants of Europeans and Africans replaced the original indigenous people of Central America. Women in Judaism are considered equal to yet separate from men. Their responsibilities are totally different from those of the men but are equally important. In Judaism, unlike most other religions, God is not referred to exclusively as male.

Islamic Art and Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Islamic Art and Architecture - Essay Example Under caliphs 'Abd al-Malik, al-Wahid I and al-Wahid II, the sense of dynastic pride indulged through a heady consciousness of family power found its most public expression in ambitious building campaigns Between 690 and 750, architecture became a family business backed by the immense financial resources of the Islamic state swollen by the accumulated booty of the Arab conquests and by the taxation revenue which came pouring in at the disposal of the Umayyad builders. "There was both the will and the means to embark on grandiose building projects." Undue parochialism was avoided although there was the exclusivity of the massive building programme of the Umayyads in Syria: most favoured land in the Islamic empire, Damascus its principal city is the capital of the empire, agricultural installations, abundant wealth. Importing craftsmen and materials from the Byzantium to Aphrodito in Upper Egypt documents an Islamic corve system One governor provided money to cover living expenses of men to work on the Damascus mosque Stucco sculpture of Persian type, Iraqi techniques of vault construction, mouldings from south-eastern Anatolia, figural style in Coptic sculpture evidence style and building practice of Syria. Position of Syria draw inspiration from the major cultures yoked together to bring Graeco-Roman, Egypt, North Africa, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Persia. "The fact that those same Umayyads were not a family of local Syrian notables but the representatives of the greatest empire in the contemporary world gave their art a mission of the utmost seriousness." Forms and ideas of classical art were much better understood in Syria that entered the bloodstream of Islamic art resulting to familiar Western column... Undue parochialism was avoided although there was the exclusivity of the massive building programme of the Umayyads in Syria: most favoured land in the Islamic empire, Damascus its principal city is the capital of the empire, agricultural installations, abundant wealth. "The fact that those same Umayyads were not a family of local Syrian notables but the representatives of the greatest empire in the contemporary world gave their art a mission of the utmost seriousness." The helicoidal tower of the Ibn Tulun mosque in Cairo composed of a central cylinder around which twists an external stircase which Hillenbrand suggested to have originated from Zoroastrian Persia towers of the more ancient Mesopotamian ziggurat Abbasid art is much understood through Samarra as new way of carving surfaces called bevelled style and repetition of abstract geometric or pseudo-vegetal forms called arabesque were used as wall decoration Jawhar the Sicilian, commander of the Fatimid troops sent by the Fatimid Caliph Almuiz to conquer Egypt, founded Cairo in 358 AH / 969 SD and built Al-Azhar mosque, now including the Al-Azhar University It is characterised by major technical

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Food Applications Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Food Applications - Research Paper Example A customer or user who wishes to make the best use of this great app should create an account. All the necessary payment details are stored permanently, and the customer has to merely provide the mailing information for placing an order (Poeana, 2014). With a nine year history, Eat24 Order Food Delivery & Takeout has achieved considerable popularity. Alexa has ranked it as 62,339 in the world, and it has classified its services as average at 2.071 seconds (JudgeSpot, 2014). Strengths The Eat24 Order Food Delivery & Takeout App can be used for locating restaurants in the vicinity of the customer. In addition, the user can search through the different types of restaurants and examine the various dishes on offer. Moreover, the user of this app has the option of viewing only those restaurants that are open at that time (Poeana, 2014). Furthermore, it is possible to filter the options and obtain a list of restaurants that accept or offer coupons. It is also possible to categorize the search results on the basis of delivery fee, distance, order type, or cuisine. In fact, the use can search for a specific menu item or restaurant. He can also explore the ratings, exhaustive menus, and then arrive at a decision regarding the food item to order (Poeana, 2014). Another facility provided by this app is the presence of the cart mechanism. When the user comes across a menu item that is to his liking, he can add it to the cart, and after completing the selection of food items, the user can view the contents of the cart.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

U.S. Government Bailouts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

U.S. Government Bailouts - Essay Example The transport industry, for example, is the American economic backbone. The industry sustains trade and the travel of people throughout the fifty-two states. The country therefore requires an efficient and elaborate transport industry that does not face any serious financial challenges, which may weaken its operations (Muolo 41). To ensure this, the government provides tax reliefs and financial incentives to bigger corporations in the transport industry, which include oil companies, airlines among other stakeholders in the industry. The bailout is a maritime term inferring to the process of removing water from a sinking ship using smaller buckets. The term is used in the financial sectors therefor to refer to the nature in which the government gives financial aid to its major corporations during difficult financial times. Bailouts are often formulated and implemented through acts of parliament; the lawmakers discuss the economic situation and therefore determines the appropriate amount of money capable of ensuring that a corporation stays operational despite the financial challenges at the time. The government gives out the money in a form of a loan, which the company pays later after it stabilizes its operations. Additionally, the government gives out the bailouts in the form of grants or through the purchase of shares of a poorly performing corporation. The different methods of providing the bailout depends on the nature of the financial crisis and the size and importance of the corporation among others. Bailouts have consequences; the government draws its funding from the taxpayers. This implies that the government uses the taxpayers’ money in salvaging poorly managed corporations since every organization should have an effective emergency management strategy, which ensures it never becomes bankrupt. Bankruptcy is often a result of poor management of the public corporation, ineffective market surveys and projections. The use of the government money in bailing out such companies have serious economic consequences since he government operates on a tight budget annually. It therefore compels the government to replace certain economic activities to save the money for bailing out such failing companies. The redirection of the government money therefore results in inadequate management of certain government ministries, which had to reduce their spending (Shaanan 31). Additionally, the government may try to raise the money within a short period by increasing the rate of taxation. This results in the increase of price of some of the most essential commodities such as fuel at the expense of the citizens . The United States of America has often used bailouts as an effective method of revamping the economy thereby maintaining its position as the strongest economy in the world. In the last century alone, the country has faced five major financial crises, which prompted the initiation of expansive bailout plans to some of the leading corporations in the country. The five financial crises include the Great Depression, which affected the entire world following the end of the First World War. During this period, countries shied away from one another thereby paralyzing international trade. Additionally, the intense conflict that lasted years prevented any major economic activity such as agriculture and countries that had relied on agriculture but served as battlegrounds such as the Japan, Italy and Germany faced the worst. The slow economic activiti

Friday, August 23, 2019

Investing Money towards Retirement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Investing Money towards Retirement - Essay Example In the United States traditionally parents assume the cost of putting their kids through college. Financing the college education of two kids can become a very expensive ordeal. Like most working adults Sam is struggling to get by, but he realizes he has to start saving towards these two goals or he won’t have enough time left to accomplish his goals. Sam’s master plan entails saving $150 a month for the foreseeable future in order to put his two kids through college and to be able to retire at the age of 60. His two kids are age 3 and 8 years old. Assuming his two kids will start college at the age of 18 like most teenagers Sam will have to start spending money on college tuition 10 years from now. Sam’s plan of saving 150 a month implies he will save $1,800 a year. Assuming he leaves the money in the bank and makes 1% rate on his saving Sam will have 10 years from now $18,919.25. This amount of money is not sufficient to put his elder kid through four years of college. Sam needs to make adjustments to his plan. The simplest way to adjust his plan is by making better investment options that will allow Sam to make a higher return on his investment. Depending on the banking industry for long-range savings is not a wise move due to the extremely low-interest-rate that this industry offers. Typically interest earns on a banking account is not sufficient enough to offset inflation. Mr. Johnson has to start an investment plan that is aligned with his long-term financial goals. Investing money is not a rocket science, but it requires a person to get educated on financial tools such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Common stocks are one of the simplest types of investment options. A common stock is the transfer of a piece of ownership in a company in exchange for cash.  

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Cultural Web Essay Example for Free

The Cultural Web Essay We have decided to use the cultural web in order to look at the organizational culture as it is now and secondly look at how we want the culture to be in the future. Thirdly we will evaluate and identify the differences between the two; these differences are the changes we need to make in order to achieve the high-performance culture that we want to obtain. The cultural web identifies six interrelated elements that paints the bigger picture of the company of analysis. The six elements are the following: 1. Stories After having conducted qualitative interviews with both customers and employees at A.G. Barr there are a few points to be made regarding the reputation and beliefs of the company. 1.1 â€Å"We like things the way they are† First of all each and every of the interviewed employees agreed that they were part of a family-styled organization, however only few customers were aware they were buying products from a family-owned company. Secondly, when the employees were asked about their desires for the future of the company, 90% of the employees stated that they are happy with the way things currently are and do not show great support towards potential changes at the firm; customers on the other hand mainly stated that companies should always invest in differentiation in such a competitive environment. 2. Rituals and Routines The rituals and routines at A.G. Barr are regular as employees are working on normal time-schedules. The only extra activity they have organized is an annual picnic with the whole firm. 3. Symbols The visual representation of the company is also not as different from most companies as they operate in a normal-sized, clean office space. People can dress up according to their status; workers in their workers’ outfit and managers in suit and tie. 4. Organizational Structure The structure at A.G. Barr is an informal and at the same time hierarchical  structure; especially the hierarchical difference between the workers and managers is massive as the managers have full authority. 5. Control Systems The organization is mainly controlled by the managing board that control all the input and output of the firm in terms of financial systems. We have made quite some changes to this control system in our recommendations as it suggests implementing a reward system to motivate the departments and create a healthy competition within the firm. 6. Power Structures The powers structure is especially hierarchical as the people who have influence on the decisions are all part of the management board. Decisions are made regardless of what the employees are saying, but the employees seem to be fine with that as the survey shows that they are happy with the way things are.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Transcript of Herbie By Archie Weller Essay Example for Free

Transcript of Herbie By Archie Weller Essay Colour Symbol Image Herbie by Archie Weller Colour, Symbol, Image By Samuel Beech The colour black is very symbolic in the story â€Å"Herbie† by Archie Weller, the colour black is associated with dark, sinister and contentious acts as is apparent is this morally challenging piece of text. The text challenges our values as a young boy is bullied until he falls to his death out of a tree he is forced to climb. The fact that an indigenous writer has written this text from the point of view of a racist young white boy, suggests that he is trying to get young white boys to see the damage they can cause . Black in some cultures is seen as the work of the devil and in some as the colour of mourning and a representation of grief. The darkness of the colour black helps bring forward one of the key ideas of racial superiority. â€Å"Herbie was the only boong to go to our school. Perhaps this is why we taunted and teased him,† this quote backs the key idea of racial superiority. The ‘whitefellas’ in the town regard Herbie and his family as outcast and they see themselves as racially superior. This comes about because of naturalised assumptions developed since 1788 when the European sailors saw the aboriginals still running around in there loin cloths and with no apparent form of Literature. Since then the naturalised assumption has been strengthened by many different things, the white Australian Policy being one of them. When the Australian government stopped non-whites immigrating. The colour black is symbolic of the white suppression of the indigenous in Australia. The colour could also be symbolic of a cultural genocide against Herbies family and his culture.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Applications of CAPTCHA

Applications of CAPTCHA Ramteen Talib CAPTCHA is a powerful tool Qingkun Ramteen Talib A CAPTCHA or Captcha is a type of challenge-response test used in to computing o ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. CAPTCHAÂÂ   requires that the user type letters or digits from a distorted image that appears on the screen. Any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human else user is bot and denied access. It is sometimes described as a reverse Turing test. OCRs(Optical Character Recognition) are not able to read CAPTCHAs Characteristeics A CAPTCHA is a means of automatically generating new challenges which: Current software is unable to solve accurately. Most humans can solve Does not rely on the type of CAPTCHA being new to the attacker. CAPTCHAs rely on difficult problems in artificial intelligence Origin First developed by Alta Vistain 1997.The term coined in 2000 by Luis von Ahn, Manuel Blum and Nicholas J. Hopper of Carnegie Mellon University and John Langford of IBM. Primitive CAPTCHAs seem to have been developed in 1997 by Andrei Broder, Martin Abadi, Krishna Bharat, and Mark Lillibridge to prevent bots from adding URLs to their search engine. Turning Test Proposed by Alan Turing To test a machines level of intelligence Human judge asks questions to two participants, one is a machine, he doesnt know which is which, If judge cant tell which is the machine, the machine passes the test. CAPTCHA employs a reverse Turing test, Judge = CAPTCHA program , Participant = user if user passes CAPTCHA, he is human If user fails, it is a machine Types of CAPTCHAs 1.Text Based CAPTCHAs 2.Graphics Based CAPTCHAs 3.Audio or Sound Based CAPTCHAs Text Based Typically relay on sophisticated distortion of text images rendering them unrecognizable to the state of the art of the pattern recognition programs but recognizable by humans. Examples: Simple, normal language questions: What is sum of three and thirty-five? If today is Saturday, what is day after tomorrow? Very effective, needs a large question bank Cognitively challenged users find it hard . Gimpy: Originally designed by Yahoo and CMU. Based on human ability to read heavily distorted and corrupted text. works by choosing a certain number of words from a dictionary, and then displaying them corrupted and distorted in an image; after that Gimpy asks the user to type the words displayed in that image. EZ-Gimpy: A modified version of Gimpy. Used in Yahoo Messenger Service. It contains only one random character string. The word is random and not picked from the dictionary. Its not a good implementation of CAPTCHA, and already broken OCRs. MSN Passport service CAPTCHAs: its provided for Microsoft MSN services. uses 8 characters. Warping is used to distort. Its very strongly implemented and hasnÂÂ ·t been broken Graphic Based CAPTCHAs Requires user to perform image recognition test. Examples: IMAGINATION: CAPTCHA that requires two steps to be passed. first step visitor clicks elsewhere on the picture that composed of a few images and selects in this way a single image. second step the selected image is loaded. It is enlarged but very distorted. Also variants of the answer are loaded on the client side. The visitor should select a correct answer from the set of the proposed words. BONGO: After M.M.Bongard, pattern recognition expert. User has to solve a pattern recognition problem. ASSIRA: Animal Species Image Recognition for Restricting Access. Its a HIP that works by asking users to identify photographs of cats and dogs. Difficult for computers but humans can accomplish it very quickly and accurately. Audio CAPTCHAs Require user to solve a speech recognition test. In this version of captcha letters are read aloud instead of being displayed in an image. Helps visually disabled users Below is the Googles audio enabled CAPTCHA. 3D CAPTCHA 3DCaptcha is the captcha nice to humans, bad to machines. It is written in PHP. A new approach to captchas, using humans spatial cognition abilities to differentiate humans from machines. It uses a markov-chain to generate words that resemble human language and are easy to type, yet avoid dictionary lookups. It filters profane language. Its easy to deploy. Re-CAPTCHA Free CAPTCHA service that helps to digitize books, newspapers and old time radio shows. reCAPTCHA improves the process of digitizing books by sending words that cannot be read by computers to the Web in the form of CAPTCHAs for humans to decipher. Each word that cannot be read correctly by OCR is placed on animage and used as a CAPTCHA. This is possible because most OCR programs alert you when a wordcannot be read correctly. Working of reCAPTCHA: Two words are shown, one word is known as Control Word, and another one is known a questionable word. System assumes that if human types the control word correctly, the questionable word is also correct. The identification performed by each OCR program is given a value of 0.5 points, and each interpretation by a human is given a full point. Once a given identification hits 2.5 votes, the word is considered called. Applications Preventing Comment Spam in Blogs Protecting Website Registration Protecting Email Address From Scrapers Online Polls Preventing Dictionary Attacks Search Engine Bots Worms and Spam Advancing Artificial Intelligence Called Hard-AI problems. CAPTCHA tests are based on open problems in artificial intelligence (AI). A win-win scenario: Either a CAPTCHA is not broken and there is a way to differentiate humans from computers. Or the CAPTCHA is broken and an AI problem is solved. Thus AI knowledge is advanced if CAPTCHAs are broken. V/S Constructing CAPTCHAs Things to keep in mind: Dont store CAPTCHA solution in Web pages meta data A CAPTCHA is no good if it doesnt distort Need a large database of different CAPTCHA questions Avoid repetition of questions CAPTCHA Logic: Generate the question Persist the correct answer Present the question to user Evaluate answer, if incorrect, start again-Generate a different CAPTCHA If correct, allow access to user Guidelines: Accessibility Image security Script security Security after widespread adoption Custom implementation or a general CAPTCHA? Breaking CAPTCHAs Cracking CAPTCHAs through programs Convert CAPTCHA into greyscale Detect patterns in the image corresponding to characters Or, read session files of that user and know the CAPTCHA word Solution: Only store a hash of the CAPTCHA word in session files Issues with CAPTCHAs Usability issues W3C mandates Web to be accessible to all people Some CAPTCHAs are inaccessible to visually impaired, cognitively challenged people Compatibility issues JavaScript may need to be activated in browsers Some may need Adobe Flash plugin installed Real World Conclusion CAPTCHAs are an effective way to counter bots and reduce spam They serve dual purposeÂÂ ²help advance AI knowledge Applications are variedÂÂ ²from stopping bots to character recognition pattern matching Some issues with current implementations represent challenges for future improvements

Analysis of The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West Essay -- The Day o

Analysis of The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West Nathanael West’s The Day of the Locust tells the story of people who have come to California in search of the American Dream. They travel west hoping to escape less than perfect lives and pursue success in Hollywood. The characters in this novel dream of a life of luxury, having lots of money, and living happily ever after. They eventually come to the realization that the seemingly picture perfect life that California represents is not as easy to attain as they once thought. The characters in The Day of the Locust grow discontented and disappointed with their lives and embittered towards the world, which instigates the downfall of this lower level of Hollywood society. Todd Hackett, Faye Greener, and Homer Simpson all depict failed attempts to achieve the American Dream. Todd Hackett is a main character who lives with the continuous threat of failure while he attempts to fulfill his personal dreams amongst the lower classes of Hollywood. Hackett comes to California hoping for a career designing movie scenery, but he faces many obstacles that he must overcome before he can move up in the Hollywood society. Todd’s life begins to go downhill as he associates more frequently with the lower levels of Hollywood society. This prevents him from climbing the ladder of fame which he so desperately aspires to accomplish. He is shown a darker side of Hollywood which plays with his emotions and distracts him from h...

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay on Quilts and Art in Everyday Use :: Everyday Use essays

Quilts and Art in Everyday Use  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With her story, "Everyday Use," Alice Walker is saying that art should be a living, breathing part of the culture it arose from, rather than a frozen timepiece to be observed from a distance. To make this point, she uses the quilts in her story to symbolize art; and what happens to these quilts represents her theory of art.(thesis) The quilts themselves, as art, are inseparable from the culture they arose from. (topic sentence) The history of these quilts is a history of the family. The narrator says, "In both of them were scraps of dresses Grandma Dee had worn fifty and more years ago. Bits and pieces of Grandpa Jarrell's Paisley shirts. And one teeny faded blue piece . . . that was from Great Grandpa Ezra's uniform that he wore in the Civil War." So these quilts, which have become an heirloom, not only represent the family, but are an integral part of the family. Walker is saying that true art not only represents its culture, but is an inseparable part of that culture. The manner in which the quilts are treated shows Walker's view of how art should be treated. Dee covets the quilts for their financial and aesthetic value. "But they're priceless!" she exclaims, when she learns that her mother has already promised them to Maggie. Dee argues that Maggie is "backward enough to put them to everyday use." Indeed, t his is how Maggie views the quilts. She values them for what them mean to her as an individual. This becomes clear when she says, "I can 'member Grandma Dee without the quilts," implying that her connection with the quilts is personal and emotional rather than financial and aesthetic. She also knows that the quilts are an active process, kept alive through continuous renewal. As the narrator points out, "Maggie knows how to quilt." The two sisters' values concerning the quilt represent the two main approaches to art appreciation in our society. Art can be valued for financial and aesthetic reasons, or it can be valued for personal and emotional reasons. When the narrator snatches the quilts from Dee and gives them to Maggie, Walker is saying that the second set of values is the correct one. Art, in order to be kept alive, must be put to "Everyday Use" -- literally in the case of the quilts, figuratively in the case of conventional art.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

My Room :: Descriptive Essay Examples, narrative

My Room A secluded island with warm sandy beaches, a sunset over high cropped mountains, or the beauty and serenity of silence in a magnificent forest. A special place could as extravagant as those or as simple as your favorite cozy chair. They reach out with much more than picturesque or comfort qualities. Some of our dearest memories happen to us in these places. Maybe it is because of the comfort we find there, the connections we have that make us feel a certain way, or is it because they add to our identities. They become a vital part of who we are. We could not function properly if that place were to suddenly disappear. You are definitely more likely to go out and do something that you enjoy because you will get more out of it. We need to have happy places and joyous thoughts. Without either of them, I believe, that the world would fall apart. Everyone would become so overly stressed out that the world would be full of more violence than there is now. My room is meaningful to me because it was not always my room. It was my sisters first. Lisa is now married and pregnant. I remember all of the times that I spent in her room. How we used to play cards and watch movies on the weekends. All of our traditions. The Advent and Christmas season is when we had our most special traditions. Every Christmas Eve we would watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Meet me in St. Louis" before we would go to midnight mass. She would always ask me if I had a room of my own. Of course I always told her no. A few times she would try to throw me out, but it never worked. Although I annoyed her sometimes she was the one person that I could tell anything too. She listened intently to all of my stupid questions and would try her hardest to answer them. We always stuck together when trouble surfaced. I would comfort her when she had boy trouble and she made sure that I was okay when our grandparents died so closely together. I guess I love my room more now sinc e I have all of these wonderful memories in it. Boy if those walls could talk. I really miss her and the times that we shared.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Acre Wood Retirement Community Case Study Essay

The pool design was not in tune with the original design, so what was promised was not delivered. Funds allotted were not fully used. Sarah’s complaint in the newspaper would create another legal issue and would invite public outcry against the organization. Ethical issues: – The director was not concerned about the welfare of public even though the organization’s mission was to improve the quality of life of its residents both physically and emotionally. Lack of commitment to visit the pool and refusing to look into Sarah’s complaints were other ethical issues. A2.   The behaviour of director only promoted greed (underutilization of money), irresponsibility (refusing to visit the pool and not listening to the complaints), unethical practices (not concerned about public safety; totally against the organization’s vision) and partiality (promoting Gene who wasn’t complaining) A3.   A role model is some one who inspires, motivates and ultimately brings out the best in the follower by making him realize his own potential. Ethics are one of the key determinants of a role model. An ethical role model is one who puts his organization’s goal ahead of his personal goals, who does not promote malpractices, who is always ready to look in to matters which interest public health and welfare and one who is always ready to listen to his employees suggestion. The director had all the qualities missing which surely don’t make him an ethical role model.   

Friday, August 16, 2019

Management Consultants

What can individual management consultants or management consultancy as a profession contribute to the recover from current economic climate. Introduction †¢ Definition ] †¢ Management consultant history development †¢ Possible contribution of management consultant †¢ Current economic climate, whats needed but organisations in the recovery †¢ What I am going to talk about in the essay – base of my argument Paragraphs †¢ Globilization †¢ Technology †¢ Control of risk †¢ Business become lean †¢ Create jobs Management consultant is a profession and a practice that helps organisations improve productivity and performance through the use of expertise and knowledge. Consultants have been viewed as external experts brought in to provide advice about a specific problem where internal managers are ill equipped or unsure of the best strategy or solution [Kubr, 199622. Consultants use analytical tool to produce organisations future objective and formulate strategic plan to achieve these goals. As pointed out by Rossi (2009) to create value consultants must be precise and creative in ddressing problems organisation faces, proposing innovative solution and taking responsibility of implementation of the recommendations. In the current economic climate no organisation has been immune to the affects of the unstable economic climate. In this environment management consultant has become important due to the fact that a change in direction is required; consultants offer this change in a decisive way si nce they have an impartial opinion and an external view of organisation. As a result of the credit crunch the current economic climate is unpredictable, with high level of unemployment, high inflation and euro zone crisis; organisations have had to find innovative ways to stay competitive in their markets. This has resulted in organisations reducing the use of consultants as firms cancel or delay project in order to save money. However for some firms the current economic crisis is beyond anything they have experienced before, with modest guidance from historic evidence to depend on, they have looked toward management consultants for assistance and help to survive the recession. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the different ways in which consultants can contribute to the economic recovery in general, whilst critically analysing the interventions management consultants can make and its limitations to be specific. Globalisation and technological advances led the economic boom that nations experienced during the late 1990s, however due to the banking crisis of 2008-2010 the economies around the world have never full recovered. The recovery of the global economies according to Shaikh (2010) is going to dependant on business spending and investments in emerging market such as China as well as efficient management of resources. In the current economic climate, organisations are facing high cost of production and low levels of liquidity, by moving production to low-cost countries organisations will be able to decrease their cost of production. Management consultancy will be imperative for organisation in the strategic planning in order to meet these objectives; as they offer expertise in efficiency management and risk management needed in investing in new markets. Leaman (2008) pointed out that the one of the challenges organisations face when moving into a new country is management of workforce due to the difference in culture. Consultancy can help organisations in managing and training an international workforce by advising the managers on human resources issues such as workforce retention and in turn provide workforce stability. Consultancy can intervene by offering the organisation specific tools to control employee turnover and services which in turn will benefit the organisation retain their best employees. Retaining the best employees is important in this current economic environment as it cuts training cost for new employees that replace them. This will improve the organisation’s efficiency and also the organisation’s liquidity. Leaman concluded that during a recession a lot of hard work is now focused on driving out costs and making organisations more effective and efficient. A way in which organisations can improve their efficiency is by investing in technology. Porter and Millar (1985) agued that improvements in technology enhances organisations’ competitive edge and leads to greater efficiency. In the current economic environment the improvements in efficiency in businesses will contribute to the economic growth due to the fact that businesses would be utilizing their resources more in production. Management consultancy can contribute to this increase in efficiency by raising attention to problems in current system or implementation of new system. The expertise in data collection and analysis of system help management consultants to measure different ways in which organisation can improve the current system or propose a new one. This can be seen in the Personal Care North America’s order management system that was created by a supply chain and system consultancy firm called Clarkston in 2008. After the merger of Chesebrough-Ponds, Lever Brother and Helen Curtis the organisation had three different order supply systems which consultants proved was an inefficient system as it was expensive and slow to run. They analysed data from customer responses and inventory management to collude that the organisation needed to merge the systems and have one unified system that provides a real-time view of the entire order-to-cash process. According to Clarkston Consulting by having a full integrated system the business process is simplified and efficient providing a platform for organisations to meet their needs and projected growth. This intervention made by the consultancy firm indicates that consultancy as a practice can contribute to an increase in efficiency in organisations, which will lead to an increase in economic activity by the organisation and in turn help the economy. According to Akintoye, MacLeod (1998) the economic recovery is going to be reliant on the improvements in market driven companies. They have suffered in growth due to the lack of disposable income of their customers due to increases in VAT and inflation. They have also suffered due to the increasing power of consumers who have more opportunities to choose Cairo (2010). In this situation management consultancy can contribute by advising the organisations the different way in which they could increase their understanding of their market, thus give them the ability to increase their customer retention and draw new customers. Consultancy can achieve this through market research and analysis of consumer trends, so they can tune existing marketing complain to optimization strategy for the changing consumers. By ensuring that the organisation meets these objectives consultants can provide a platform for the organisation to achieve future growth. This growth will lead to an increase in spending by the organisation on such things as infrastructure, recruitment and training, thus creating jobs for an economy that is experiencing high level of unemployment at the moment. The time and cost over-runs associated with organisational growth make it imperative that the investments safe and provide good returns. It’s important due to the fact that the economic environment is in a bad state as a result of bad risk management by bank in lending. Management consultancy can reduce the risk of investment and create a safe path for growth by planning ahead to avoid pitfalls. By using specific methodologies to analyse market data they ensure that product launches are successful. Management consultants’ analysis of market data will allow organisation to make accurate strategic marketing decision to reduce the risk of frailer for their investment. By reducing the risk of failure the business will be able to grow and produce more output. Vassalou (2002) study shows that an increase in output or growth by businesses contributed to an increase in GDP for a country. Management consultant could also intervene in situation when businesses are about to invest in a risky investment. From expertise and nowledge gained from other businesses, management consults could step in with advices for businesses not to invest in certain products or markets. By intervening and stopping the investment by business into risky ventures the management constancy reduces the cost of bailout that will be needed to recue businesses that are too big to fail. Management consultants on the other hand have limitation to the contribution they can make to the economy. There are other exte rnal factors that are outside the control of management consultancy that affect the data collection, analysis and advise they give to business. Economic factors such as the euro zone crisis have adverse influence on UK business due to the relationship and the dependence of UK businesses to mainland Europe. This is due to the fact that UK exports to Europe amounts to 48% total exports and 15% of annual GDP Global Britain Publication (2009). This is vital to the recovery of the economy due to the fact that at the moment Europe is are suffering high levels of inflation and have low disposable income to purchase UK products or services. This is going to lead to reduction in demand for UK goods and services in Europe, thus affect the growth and sustainability of UK businesses. In this situation management consultancy’s influence on the business will be limited due to the fluctuations in the economy. The analysis of market data will be constantly changing which may lead to businesses cutting consultancy as they will not be achieve the results the client are expecting. The practice is criticised for not having real corporate world experience, knowledge and skills. Kubr M 1996 Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession 3rd revised ed. Geneva ILO

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Collagen and Extraskeletal Disorder

Osteogenisis imperfecta (OI) is â€Å"a rare genetic disorder of collagen synthesis associated with broad spectrum of musculoskeletal problems, most notably bowing and fractures of the extremities, muscle weakness, ligamentous laxity, and spinal deformities. † (Binder, 386). Other collagen-containing extraskeletal tissues, such as the sclerae, the teeth, and the heart valves are also affected to a variable degree. OI has a â€Å"common feature of bony fragility associated with defective formation of collagen by osteoblasts and fibroblasts. (Smith, 1983, 13) This disease, involving defective development of the connective tissues, is usually the result f the autosomal dominant gene, but can also be the result of the autosomal recessive gene. Spontaneous mutations are common and the clinical presentation of the disease remains OI is most commonly referred to as â€Å"brittle bones†, but other names include: fragilitas ossium, hypolasia of the mesenchyme, and osteopsathyrosis. Osteogenisis imperfecta is still not completely understood, and while there have been advances in diagnosing the disease, Osteogenisis imperfecta is the result of mutations In the mild dominantly inherited form of OI (type I), † a non-functional allele for the alpha 1 (I) chain halves ollagen synthesis,† (Smith, 1995, 169) and is largely responsible for the inheritance. Single base mutations in the codon for glycine causes lethal (type II) OI by wrecking the formation of the collagen triple helix. Types III and IV are the â€Å"less dram- atic outcomes of similar glycine mutations in either the alpha 1 (I) or the alpha 2(I) The clinical signs can be caused from defective osteoblastic activity and defective mesenchymal collagen (embryonic connective tissue) and its derivatives, such as sclera, bones, and ligaments. The reticulum fails to differentiate into mature collagen or the collagen develops bnormally. This causes immature and coarse bone formation The signs and symptoms of OI vary greatly depending on the type. The most commonly used classification is the Type I is the mildest form of OI and is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. The sclerae(middle coat of eyeball) is distinctly blue. Type I is broken down into IA and IB — the difference being whether dentinogenesis is present. IA has a life expectancy nearly the same as the general public. The physical activity is limited, and may appear to have no disability at all. The bones have a mottled or wormian appearance, forming small islands. Type II is lethal in utero or shortly there afterbirth. The survivors live from just a few hours to several months. The kayotypes of parents are usually normal. This type is broken down into three subgroups: IIA is characterized by a broad, crumpled femora and continuos rib beading, IIB by minimal to no rib fractures, and IIC by a thin femora and ribs with extensive fracturing. While in the uterus, there is poor fetal movement, low fetal weight, poor ossification of the fetal skeleton, hypoplastic lungs, the long bones of the upper and lower limbs are shortened or deformed, and the head is soft. Intrauterine fractures ccur, and parinatal death is usually from intracranial hemorrhage due to vessel fragility or respiratory distress from pulmonary hypoplasia. The bones and other tissues are extremely fragile, and massive injuries occur in utero or delivery. The ribs appear beaded or broken and the long Type III and IV are intermediate in severity between types I and II. Type III differs from I in its greater severity, and from IV in that it increases in severity with age. It can be inherited as either a autosomal recessive or dominant trait. The sclerae is only slightly bluish in infancy and white in adulthood, although the average life xpectancy is 25 years. Type IV is always dominant. With types III and IV multiple fractures from minor physical stress occurs leading to progressive and severe deformities. Kyphoscoliosis may cause respiratory impairment and predisposition to pulmonary infections. â€Å"Popcorn-like† deposits of mineral appear on the ends of long bones. The symptoms of OI tarde (types I, III and IV) can appear when the child begins to walk, and lessens with age. The tendency to fracture decreases and often disappears after puberty. Later in life, particularly during pregnancy and after menopause, more fractures occur. The bones are usually slender with short, thin cortices and trabeculae (fibers of framework), but can also be unusually thin. (Smith, 1983, 136) Narrow diaphysis of the long bones contributes to the fractures and bowing deformities. Scoliosis is common. The haversian cells are poorly developed. The bones lack minerals needed to form bone matrix. Epiphyseal fractures (end of the bone) results in deformities and stunted growth (dwarfism). Osteopenia, the decrease in bone mass, is symptomatic. Other signs of OI include hyperextensibility of the joints — double-jointedness– and abnormally thin, translucent skin. Discolored (blue-gray or yellow-brown) and malformed teeth which break easily and are cavity prone are found in patients Patients with OI have a triangular-shaped head and face, a bilaterally bulging skull, and prominent eyes with a wide distance between the temporal region. Hearing loss by the age of 30-40 is the result of the pressure on the auditory nerve because of the deformity of its canal in the skull, and the development of otosclerosis. Recurrent epistaxis (nosebleeds), bruising and edema (especially at the sight of fractures), difficulty tolerating high temperatures and mild hyperpyrexia are other symptoms. Thoracic deformities may impair chest expansion and the ability to effectively breath deeply and cough. (Loeb, 755) Patients are also more susceptible to infection. In assessing a patient data is needed about the genetic history and birth of the child, as well as a complete development assessment from birth. Vital signs are taken, and periods of increased heart and respiratory rate and elevated body temperature are note- worthy. Skin should be examined for color, elasticity, translucency, and signs of edema and bruising. A description of position and appearance of a child†s trunk and extremities and facial characteristics should be noted. The height of the child in terms of expected growth, signs of scoliosis or laxity of ligaments, and range of motion of the joints are all important. Sight and hearing should be tested since there are sensory problems associated with OI. The appearance of the sclerae and tympanic membranes and defects of primary teeth and gums are important. (Jackson, X-rays usually reveal a decrease in bone density. There is no consensus, however, as to whether the diagnosis can be made by microscopy of bone specimens. † (Isselbacher, 2112) DNA sequencing and incubating skin fiboblasts are two ways help diagnose OI. Prenatal ultrasonography is used to detect severely affected fetuses at about 16 weeks of pregnancy. Diagnosis of the lethal type II by ultrasound during the second trimester of pregnancy is by the identification of fractures of the long bones. Compression of the fetal head is seen by ultrasound probe, and low echogeneity of the cranium can be signs of skeletal dysplasia (faulty development of the tissues). Diagnosis is confirmed by postmortem examination including radiography and biochemical studies of cultivated fibroblasts from the fetus. (Berge, 321) Diagnosis by analyzing DNA sequencing can be carried out in chronic villa There is no known treatment of OI at this time. Treatment therefore is predominantly supportive and educational. Because of multiple fractures and bruising, it is important to diagnose this disease in order to prevent Treatment of fractures is often challenging because of abnormal bone structure and laxity of the ligaments. Splinting devices are used to stabilize the bones and to protect against additional fractures. Treatment aims to prevent deformities through use of traction and/or immobilization in order to aid in normal development and rehabilitation. Limb deformities and repeated fractures can e corrected by intramedullary rods — telescoping rods that elongate with growth. After surgical placement of the rods, extensive post- operative care is required because greater amounts of blood and fluid are lost. (Loeb, 755) It should be noted that the healing of fractures appear to be normal. (Isselbacher, 2112) Braces, immobilizing devices and Physical therapy is important in the treatment of OI. Bone fracture density in unfractured bone is decreased when compared with age-matched controls due to limited exercise, so it is essential to stay as active as possible. Physical therapy is also used for strengthening muscle and reventing disuse fractures with exercises with light Regular dental visits are necessary to monitor the ogists for vision and audiologits for hearing is also essential. Radiologists need to examine the structure and density of the bones, and an orthopedist is needed to set fractures and take care of other bone related problems. Counseling and emotional support is needed for both the patient and the family. It is important not to limit a child because of his/her disabilities, and to realize that many victims of this disease live successful lives. Debrah Morris, a successful business woman, and active fighter for isability rights and helping other patients of OI, says, â€Å"If I had the choice to be anyone in the world, I would be exactly who I am. The people I have met, the challenges I have faced, the opportunities that I have been presented — all are directly related to dealing with being a little person with brittle bones. (Kasper, 53) Many of the symptoms of OI can be confused with those of a battered child. X-rays are used to show evidence of old fractures and bone deformities to distinguish the difference. The Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation (OIF) has is a national support group that offers assistance to families in this osition and to increase public awareness. The OIF has a medical advisory council, chapters, support groups, regional meetings, biennial national conferences, and parent contacts to help families feeling alone and helpless. They also publish a newsletter, provide literature and videos about OI, and sponsors a fund to support research. Magnesium oxide can be administered to decrease the fracture rate, as well as hyperpyrexia and constipation associated with this condition. (Anderson, 1127) A high-protein, high-carbohydrate, high-vitamin diet is needed to promote healing. A growth hormone has also been dministered during childhood, and is shown to substantially increase growth. Treatment with bisphosphorates and related agents has been discussed to decrease bone loss, but no controlled studies have been done. Isselbacher, 2113) Since there is no cure for oseogenesis imperfecta, appropriate and properly timed rehabilitation intervention is of the utmost importance to ensure that the child is able to function to the best of his/her ability in society. A ten year study that was submitted in 1992 proves this. 25 of 115 children with severe OI were observed since birth or infancy at the National Institutes of Health, MD and the Skeletal Dysplasia Clinic at the Children†s National Medical Center in D. C. One was Type I, two Type II, nine Type III, and thirteen Type IV. They were classified by physical characteristics and functional Group A consisted of those who were severely dwarfed with large heads and marked bowing , contractures, and weakness of extremities. The highest functional skill expected was independent sitting. Group B was growth deficient, but with a normal sized head. Femoral bowing, scoliosis, and contractures of the hip flexors were characteristics. they were expected to stand and/or ambulate with braces. Group C were less growth deficient, and had good strength, but poor endurance. They had marked joint laxity and poorly aligned lower extremity joints, but Group A patients were the most severely involved. Most were basically sitters. The majority were totally dependent in their self care. Group B had the potential to become at least short-distance ambulators. These patients had acquired the ability to move to sitting, but had transitional moving problems, such as sitting to standing. ially independent in their self care. Group C had antigravity strength and 50% had good strength in their extremities. All were physically active and age-appropriately independent, but none were good long-distance walkers. Binder, 387-388) Progressive rehabilitation of these groups all included posture exercises and active range of motion and strengthing exercises. Group B had additional ROM and posture exercises, as well as Developmental exercises. Group C added coordination activities. Conclusion, â€Å"Management of patients with OI should address the child†s functional needs. Even though the degree of disability may be severe, management should not be limited to orthopedic procedures and bracing. Treatment lanning should be considered, but not totally based on genetic, anatomical, and biochemical abnormalities. Our ence suggests that clinical grouping based in part on functional potential can be useful in the appropriate management of children with OI. â€Å"(Binder, 390) Independence was stressed in this study, and even patients with limited sitting ability, upper extremity function can be improved to at least minimal independence in self-help skills. Potential ambulators should be helped because, although their ability might not progress past indoor ambulation, walking will make them more independent and may result in ncreased bone mineralization. Poor joint alignment, poor balance, and low endurance can all be improved with persistent, individualized physical and occupational therapy. For best results, therapy should be started as soon after birth as possible. Mainstreaming school aged children is also important. All of this together leads to â€Å"age-appropriate social development and markedly improved independence and quality of life in the majority of Osteogenesis imperfecta is the most common genetic disorder of the bone. It occurs in about 1 in 20,000 live births, and is equally prevalent in all races and both sexes. The Type I OI has a population frequency of about 1 in 30,000. Type II has a birth incidence of about 1 in 60,000. Types III and IV are less common and may be as high as 1 in 20,000. (Isselbacher, 2111) The occurrence of OI in families with no history or blue sclerae is about 1 in 3,000,000 births. (Smith, 1995, 171) The recurrence risks in families is estimated to be 6 to 10%, but is only estimated because most couples choose not to have any more children. 15 to 20% of patients with OI do not carry the gene for abnormal collagen, making many wonder if there is yet another genetic problem undiagnosed at this time.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

What advantage does Zara gain against the competition by having a very responsive supply chain?

Q. What advantage does Zara gain against the competition by having a very responsive supply chain? A. In an industry where the customer demand is unpredictable, Zara having a responsive supply chain has enabled it to enjoy greater customer turnover due to its 5 to 6 weeks cycle time leading to more profits as mostly the products are then sold at full price. Moreover being responsive has also enabled Zara to reduce its inventories and also the forecast error. Q. Why has Inditex chosen to have both in-house manufacturing and outsourced manufacturing? Why has Inditex maintained manufacturing capacity in Europe even though manufacturing in Asia is much cheaper? A. To be responsive in the rapid changing world, Inditex opted for both outsourced manufacturing, for the production of products with predictable demand, and in-house manufacturing, for the production of products with highly uncertain demand. Inditex has maintained large fraction of manufacturing capacity in Portugal and Spain (Europe) despite the higher cost there because this allows Zara to respond quickly to changing fashion trends in Europe. Q. Why does Zara source products with uncertain demand from local manufacturers and products with predictable demand from Asian manufacturers? A. Zara’s main competitive advantage is responsiveness and to retain it Zara source products with uncertain demand from local manufacturers because local manufacturers offer fast and flexible sourcing and such products are to be delivered quick instead of at low-cost (with greater lead time as it is manufactured in Asia). Whereas products with predictable demand are sourced from Asian manufacturers because outsourcing is cheaper that is products are manufactured at a low-cost. Q. Why is Zara building a new distribution centre as its sales grow? Is it better to have the new distribution centre near the existing one or at a completely different location? A. New distribution centre (DC) is being built by Zara in response to the increase in sales because the stock turnover is increasing and in order to cater the growth of sales and avoid any declination in it due to mismanagement of stock availability and customers’ demand. Q. What advantage does Zara gain from replenishing its stores twice a week compared to a less frequent schedule? How does the frequency of replenishment affect the design of its distribution system? A. Frequent replenishment allows Zara to match supply and demand more effectively than the competitors. The frequency of replenishment affect the design of its distribution system in a way that the more frequent the replenishment will take place, the more responsive and up to date the distribution system will be while on the other hand delayed replenishment will also make the distribution system delayed and slow with respect to customer’s demand. Q. What information infrastructure does Zara need in order to operate its production, distribution, and retail network effectively? A. In order to operate the production, distribution and retail network effectively, Zara should have an information infrastructure which is highly responsive and provides timely and accurate information that helps in better decision making as well as planning and forecasting. TOYOTA: A GLOBAL AUTO MANUFACTURER Q. Where s hould the plants be located and what degree of flexibility should be built into each? What capacity should each plant have? A. The location of the plants should be such that it complements the assembly plants and maximum profitability of Toyota. Plants operating locally can be cost prohibitive, while plants that operate globally can only reduce the interest in local markets. Logically, Toyota should apply the â€Å"global complementation† strategy to turn plants, and locate plants in areas that minimize costs (currency exchange, transportation, inventory holding, etc). This will allow them to achieve local/regional agility and remain flexible enough to supply non-local factories/assembly plants however necessary. The capacity of the plant should not exceed the projected demand for local / regional manufacturing sites / assembly plants that each plant will be part of supply. The ability to adequately supply factories is essential, and each plant must be designed with the ability to supply factories in the region. Q. Should plants be able to produce for all markets or only specific contingency markets? A. It depends upon the location and production capacity of each plant. Furthermore, since Toyota follows the strategy of global complementation, plants must be able to supply at least one more market/region than it’s normally responsible for supplying. Depending on the requirements of global parts, it may be appropriate for plants to be able to supply to all markets. But in the case that markets are so differentiated that the ability for a plant to provide global supply is cost prohibitive, then a specific contingency market should be designated for each regional plant. A plant in a certain region should only serve markets in that specific region; otherwise costs will inevitably go up. Q. How should markets be allocated to plants and how frequently should this allocation be revised? A. The allocation of markets to plants should be as efficient as possible. The standard allocation should be optimized during the planning phase. However, as markets mature, currency rates fluctuate, and demand changes, it is possible that an adjusted allocation will provide more efficiency and higher returns for Toyota. For this reason allocation should be adjusted when necessary, reviewed either annually or bi-annually, and optimized to increase efficiency and take advantage of the part plants flexibility. Q. What kind of flexibility should be built into the distribution system? A. The distribution system should closely monitor the flexibility of the global complementation strategy. The regional distribution should be optimized between the factories and supply of parts. However, when adjustments are made to the allocation, it will be necessary for cost-effective distribution to occur between plants and factories to non-local markets. Q. How should this flexible investment be valued? A. The flexible investment should be highly valued as this will lead Toyota to capture the demand and the income of non-local markets where the local cost, demand, etc declines. The flexible production and distribution will prevent idle facilities and reduced profits during economic downturns. And moreover, through the integration of flexible production and distribution, supply chain of Toyota will have greater access to markets and has the potential to capture greater value. Q. What actions may be taken during product design to facilitate this flexibility? A. There should be uniformity between global products which will provide the most cost effective means to facilitate flexibility between local plants and factories. During the product design, engineers must prepare the elements that maximize both the uniformity and meet local needs. This flexibility will help the plants and factories looking for the pieces to produce for non local markets and reducing dependencies and vulnerabilities of operating in specific local markets.

Comtemporary Management Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comtemporary Management Issues - Assignment Example The industry is self-sustainable which provide steady growth and stability to the country’s economy. The winemaking industry has been using the corks produced from the barks of the trees in this part of the country for over centuries. However, one needs to realize that these forests are thriving due to the presence of such industries (Darwall, 2007). However, in recent times that has been a very big dilemma in terms of the cork to be used, the companies have now two choices, i.e. the traditional champagne corks and the metal corks. The introduction of the metal corks has been one which is influenced by the idea of the number of trees that are needed to be cut down for the use in the cork industry (Bentham, 1789). This under the ISO 9001 does fall into the regulation and thus this can be used by the companies. This creates a strong ethical issue and also a moral issue. Considering the cork industry, it is seen that the industry similar to the wine industry is one which self-con tained and is one which has seen steady growth irrespective of the external factors. However, the industry is completely dependent on the trees and this has been the case for a number of centuries. However, one needs to realize that these forests are thriving due to the presence of such industries (Hollis, 2002). It lays importance on the essence of the action, the thought behind the action should be positive and towards the betterment. The consequences or the results of the action should not be given much importance (Scheffler, 1988). For actions to be considered as right it is essential that the actions led to best consequences. However, there is clearly no case of egoism that has been seen in the use of metal corks in the companies. Egoism is a case where the companies work based only on self-interest and without considering the other parties that might be affected by the decision. As per the consequentialist perspective, this is a sensible and ethical decision  to be made by t he company as this spreads happiness and also the consequence of the use of metal screw tops is beneficial to all at the end of the process (Samuel, 2004).

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Managing in the service environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managing in the service environment - Essay Example Nowadays exporting of services is an expanding business. India is currently recognized as the largest services exporter in the world. Services sector comprises 70% proportion of the total output in the world but only 20percentage proportion of the same is incorporated in world’s international trade. Thus exporting of services is an under developed industry. India’s experience reveals that development of economies is not necessarily lead by the industrialization. Services sector driven economic development is also possible. India moved from being an agriculture based economy to services based economy without involving industrialization (The Nation). Therefore identifying the issues relating the companies in the services sector has become rather important to the development of countries. It has been revealed that the service quality in British banks is substantially low. Customers are increasingly dissatisfied by the banking experiences in England (Johnston, 1997). Such i ssues and increasingly identifying economic significance has called for challenging research studies relating the service quality. 1. Introduction of Customer Service Customer service plays an important role in building the brand loyalty. â€Å"Loyal and an involved customer† is an asset to a company. Developing such a customer base is recognized as the aim of â€Å"customer service† by most of the modern day businesses. ... Part of the contemporary businesses’ everyday mission is to cultivate consumer relationships by strengthening emotional connection with the customer. Listening to customers through rigorous consumer research and strong consumer orientation by keeping the products relevant and appealing are important elements in customer service. 2. Introduction of Service Quality Service quality is defined as "the extent of discrepancy between customers' expectations or desires and their perception of what is delivered" (Zeithaml et. al., 1990). According to the SERVQUAL approach the spheres of service quality can be described in terms of (1) Tangibles: â€Å"Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials"(2) Reliability: "Ability of the organization to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. (3) Responsiveness: "Willingness of organization’s staff to help customers and provide them with prompt service"(4) Assurance: "Knowledge, comp etence and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence in the customer towards the service firm" and (5) Empathy: "Caring, individualized attention the firm provided its customers" (Manjunatha and Shivalingaiah, 2004). Thus it can be seen that customers’ expectations from a services based company includes attributes of physical environment as well as the human resources. Physical capital of the company has to be appealing and convenient to the consumer. Contemporary businesses use this concept as a marketing strategy and invest substantial amounts of resources to build the physical environment of their companies. Example: modern stores are carefully designed to reflect the image of the company brand. The showcases and environment of these stores are specifically

Monday, August 12, 2019

BP Seen takeover target after settlement as value trails Essay

BP Seen takeover target after settlement as value trails - Essay Example The company’s reserves are worth $ 7 a barrel while its rival Shell is worth $14. The company’s market value is the least compared with the other big four companies. The 50% sold accounted for about two third of the company’s oil production. The assets were in exchange of $12.3 billion cash and 12% stock in Rosneft, a Russian oil corporate. Rosneft is expected to also acquire the remaining 50% stock to assume full ownership. According to the London Business School, the selling of its assets, as well as, expensive settlements for suits related to the oils spill damages is equivalent to a takeover. The move, as well as, the oil spill tragedy, makes PB weak and its competitors including Royal Dutch Shell may bid for more stake. According the company’s Chief Executive, in an interview, the reduced company’s size may lead to a takeover attempt. The Chief Executive also unveiled the company’s expected short-term and long-term plans meant to spur gr owth. The plans include raising new projects’ margins and issuing back shareholders’ funds. The shareholders have also been rewarded by a 12.5 % increase in dividends paid in the 2012 third quarter. Additionally, due to the importance of the company to the United Kingdom, the government may oppose any move meant to bring a merge or acquisition. The company is one of the UK economy backbone employs a large proportion of the country’s population and earns the government huge revenues in terms of taxes. Among the company’s plans, there is a defense strategy following speculations that the company may be taken over. Many investors are interested in the company’s shares because of their low value. A takeover would be of benefit to the shareholders who would be able to recover some of their invested money. The company has liquidity problems, and the only option left of fighting for its survival in the market is through a takeover or selling of some of it s assets. However, selling some of the assets is may be a dangerous move as it may result to bankruptcy of the firm thus requiring it to dissolve. Additionally, it may be difficult to raise capital through debt securities, for example, bonds because of the risk associated with the company. The rate of interest would be significantly high since the financial institution would consider the risk. It would be of benefit to the new owner because of the valuable assets and human capital that the oil company holds. Since it would be an entirely different company, no new suits would be expected and, therefore, the new owner will easily turn the nearly collapsing company into a global profitable company. If the new trader would then stop the BP’s shares trading, immediately after the purchase, the market price would go up. Finn states that â€Å"the value of the stock would go up because of decrease in demand (131)†. Additionally, if the new owner would be another oil company, the benefits would be even more. The market share and dominance would go up. This in turn, would increase the company’s profitability and market value. A merger would also be of benefit to the current shareholders. Their stock in the company has declined significantly since the oil spill disaster. In addition, they have not been getting the returns that made them invest in the company. A merger will inject

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Martin Luther and the German Reformation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Martin Luther and the German Reformation - Essay Example d Though both these extracts logically defy the papal authority and power, yet the â€Å"Address to German Nobility† is more sonorous in tone and diction, and sarcastically condemns the ways adopted and observed by the clergy, in comparison with the :Captivity of the Church.† e Since Luther witnessed the division of the Christian community into the clergy, the nobility and the peasantry, where the former two groups were exploiting the later, so declaring every Christian was extremely essential to eliminate class discrimination from the religion. (Answers): 2 a By justification, Luther simply means the criteria applied by the pope and priests to estimate the character and deeds of ordinary Christians, though Luther views it as entirely a private subject. b Luther symbolises belief with tree, and actions with fruit. He simply states that if belief is at right direction, then actions will also be accurate. However, the Church vehemently looks for good deeds to please the Lo rd, which is in contrast to the Lutheran teachings. c Luther has selected trees and fruits in order to explain the intention and action. He supports faith in comparison to acts, and views faith far more sublime than behaviour. Trees are symbol of origin, while fruit represents actions, so Luther applies these concepts to clarify his point. d Since explaining different things with the help of examples, symbols and signs is helpful in making things clear, Luther’s straightforward and logical description is certainly convincing. e Every religion has described some specific code of life to lead a pious life, and if we revolt against the religious laws by observing the behaviour of our own choice, it will harm and hurt others physically and sentimentally. Consequently, Luther’s good work notion will also endanger law and order situation. (Answers): 3 a Since Christians have taken oath of doing good with the fellow-beings, killing and hurting others comes under the definitio n of forfeiting one’s body and soul. b The ruler’s not tolerating the Gospel even means that even a ruler is going against the Biblical teachings; he should not be attacked, revolted or killed. c Luther views slandering of God’s holy name as the most obnoxious act, which has been turned down with greatest displeasure by him. d Luther preaches the subjects to be loyal and obedient to the rulers at any cast, as it is the essential element of Christ’s teachings. Similarly, the rulers should be kind and sympathetic to the people to please the Lord. Somehow, he lays stress on the subjects to remain complying to the commands and orders of the rulers. e The tone of these extracts appears to be sad, gloomy and distressing, as Luther condemns the desecration of churches and monasteries, as well as the burning and killing of the fellow-beings. TASK-II: The present paper aims to analyse two 20th century secondary sources related to Luther’s reformation moveme nt launched in Germany during the early years of 16th century. These include â€Å"Luther’s Teachings – Luther and the German Reformation 1517-1555† by Keith Randell (1989) and â€Å"Progress of Reform-The Protestant Reformation in Europe† by Andrew Johnston (1991). Both these sources are secondary in nature, where Randell’s article has been created for Catholic priests and religious circles only, while the