Legal Underpinnings of Business Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal Underpinnings of Business Law - Assignment Example The business does not enjoy a distinguished legal entity from the owner of the business otherwise referred to as the entrepreneur in other professional terms. When the business sustains liabilities and debts, the owner is personally liable. Furthermore, if Tinker’s Home Security Service breaches a pre-agreed contract with one of the associates such as a supplier, then the associate has the legal permission to sue the owner of the business and hold him responsible for gross misconduct. Personal assets of the owner among them land, car, home, and other personal possessions are always at risk in case of a lawsuit. In contrast to Tinker’s Home Security Service, the other forms of business namely; Tinker and Tailor’s Home Security Service, LLC (LLC), Tinker and Tailor’s Home Security Service, Inc (corporation), Tinker and Tailor’s Home Security Service (LP), as well as Tinker and Tailor’s Home Security Service (general partnership) have a spate legal entity different from the owners. As opposed to sole proprietorship, if the court of law of legal authority with oversight roles finds any of them liable for gross misconduct, the plaintiff in the case has limited permission to recover from the assets owned by the business. The case is only different where there are exceptions. However, it is essential to identify that in spite of the limited legal freedoms enjoyed by sole proprietorship, it entails several advantages. The only escape through which the owner of Tinker’s Home Security Services can escape unscathed from a law suit is by seeking for the best legal advice. It is crucial especially when the business is defending itself against a lawsuit by a plaintiff in the case. One of the greatest opportunities is that attorneys are not necessary in such scenarios. The success of the case or the defence depends on the presentation of facts and the prevailing circumstances. Seeking professional assistance by the owner of

Social Work Essay Example for Free

Social Work Essay There is a crisis in social work which requires a radical analysis of the contradictions within contemporary social work. The confusion about the role of social work and the declining morale and self-confidence of social workers have resulted in the loss of experienced staff and reluctance of young people to consider a career in social work. This analysis inevitably challenges the present culture of professional training. Proposals to increase the professionalism among social workers have created a crisis in social work. Increasing professionalism will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who are committed to social change. There is more to social work than simply conforming to, and fitting in with organizations that employ social workers. The ability to show a certain independence of thinking is what makes the social worker a professional. Social work has a rich history of this independent thinking. Social work as a profession should assert that the assessment of a clients needs should not only be driven by the availability of resources but should also be concerned with the reduction of inequality and social injustice. Unfortunately, the social work profession now seems divorced from its roots in socialist ideology and too narrowly concerned with its promoting itself. These elitist pressures are contributing to the current crisis in social work and must be resisted. Proposals to increase the length of training of social workers and elevate their status are not the answer. Increasing professionalization will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who share their expertise and knowledge with each other and are committed to social change. At present the middle class training establishments are blind to class issues. They claim to be teaching non-oppressive practice but in reality it is a myth. Anti-discriminatory training has failed to put the spotlight on the position of the invisible oppressed i.e. the working class. It can only be assumed that social work  training takes the view that the s ituation of the working class is the natural order of things. If social workers genuinely seek to serve all the members of society there must be an overhaul of training and a radical shift in social work practice to ensure it reflects the centrality of class issues. Social workers today need to draw upon this rich heritage and challenges the increasingly conservative environment within which it operates. The gulf between the services that social service organizations say they deliver and the services that they actually they deliver. Departments may claim to provide services for people in need but social workers know that many people who are suffering material and social deprivation do not get essential services. Many service organizations today have actually become narrower in their focus because of new reforms such as welfare reform. In many instances, social workers titles have actually been changed to that of Case Managers where their roles have been reduced to that of mediator between the client and services they locate for them with other organizations. The overall effect of such changes has been to obscure the high level of poverty and deprivation of service users and to seriously undermine social work values. There is a crisis in social work which requires a radical analysis of the contradictions within contemporary social work. The confusion about the role of social work and the declining morale and self-confidence of social workers have resulted in the loss of experienced staff and reluctance of young people to consider a career in social work. This analysis inevitably challenges the present culture of professional training. Proposals to increase the professionalism among social workers has created a crisis in social work. Increasing professionalism will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who are committed to social change. There is more to social work than simply conforming to, and fitting in with organizations that employ social workers. The ability to show a certain independence of thinking is what makes the social worker a professional. Social work has a rich history of this independent thinking.  Social work as a profession should assert that the assessment of a clients needs should not only be driven by the availability of resources but should also be concerned with the reduction of inequality and social injustice. Unfortunately, the social work profession now seems divorced from its roots in socialist ideology and too narrowly concerned with its promoting itself. These elitist pressures are contributing to the current crisis in social work and must be resisted. Proposals to increase the length of training of social workers and elevate their status are not the answer. Increasing professionalisation will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who share their expertise and knowledge with each other and are committed to social change. At present the middle class training establishments are blind to class issues. They claim to be teaching non-oppressive practice but in reality it is a myth. Anti-discriminatory training has failed to put the spotlight on the position of the invisible oppressed i.e. the working class. It can only be assumed that social work training takes the view that the situation of the working class is the natural order of things. If social workers genuinely seek to serve all the members of society there must be an overhaul of training and a radical shift in social work practice to ensure it reflects the centrality of class issues. Social workers today need to draw upon this rich heritage and challenges the increasingly conservative environment within which it operates. The gulf between the services that social service organizations say they deliver and the services that they actually they deliver. Departments may claim to provide services for people in need but social workers know that many people who are suffering material and social deprivation do not get essential servi ces. Many service organizations today have actually become narrower in their focus because of new reforms   such as welfare reform. In many instances, social workers titles have actually been changed to that of Case Managers where their roles have been reduced to that of mediator between the client and services they locate for them with other organizations. The overall effect of such changes has been to obscure the high level of poverty and deprivation of service users and to  seriously undermine social work values. The Crisis in Social Work There is a crisis in social work which requires a radical analysis of the contradictions within contemporary social work. The confusion about the role of social work and the declining morale and self-confidence of social workers have resulted in the loss of experienced staff and reluctance of young people to consider a career in social work. This analysis inevitably challenges the present culture of professional training. Proposals to increase the professionalism among social workers has created a crisis in social work. Increasing professionalism will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who are committed to social change. There is more to social work than simply conforming to, and fitting in with organizations that employ social workers. The ability to show a certain independence of thinking is what makes the social worker a professional. Social work has a rich history of this independent thinking. Social work as a profession should assert that the assessment of a clients needs should not only be driven by the availability of resources but should also be concerned with the reduction of inequality and social injustice. Unfortunately, the social work profession now seems divorced from its roots in socialist ideology and too narrowly concerned with its promoting itself. These elitist pressures are contributing to the current crisis in social work and must be resisted. Proposals to increase the length of training of social workers and elevate their status are not the answer. Increasing professionalisation will remove social workers further from the people they serve. Questions are already being asked about the value of academic social work training and whether it adequately prepares people for the realities of the job. The social work task is best learned by students working with people in the community who share their expertise and knowledge with each other and are committed to social change. At present the middle class training establishments are blind to class issues. They claim to be teaching non-oppressive practice but in reality it is a myth.  Anti-discriminatory training has failed to put the spotlight on the position of the invisible oppressed i.e. the working class. It can only be assumed that social work training takes the view that the situation of the working class is the natural order of things. If social workers genuinely seek to serve all the members of society there must be an overhaul of training and a radical shift in social work practice to ensure it reflects the centrality of class issues. Social workers today need to draw upon this rich heritage and challenges the increasingly conservative environment within which it operates. The gulf between the services that social service organizations say they deliver and the services that they actually they deliver. Departments may claim to provide services for people in need but social workers know that many people who are suffering material and social deprivation do not get essential services. Many service organizations today have actually become narrower in their focus because of new reforms   such as welfare reform. In many instances, social workers titles have actually been changed to that of Case Managers where their roles have been reduced to that of mediator between the client and services they locate for them with other organizations. The overall effect of such changes has been to obscure the high level of poverty and deprivation of service users and to seriously undermine social work value

Relationship Between Stress and Physical Illness

Relationship Between Stress and Physical Illness Nadine Thompson Outline and evaluate research investigating the link between stress and physical illness. The presence of stress has been identified as an important attribute to psychological well-being. However, through a considerable quantity of research, Psychologists have suggested that psychological encounters are capable of altering various aspects of the immune response. Supporting this, Frese (1985) suggested that stress is frequently involved in 50-70% of all physical illness (McIlveen, Gross, 1996, p.171). Therefore, it will be deliberated that Seyle’s research led to the development of psychoimmunology; which is an area of study investigating the relationship between psychological factors and the immune system of the body. (Hayes, 2000, p.404) This essay will analyse and combine empirical knowledge referring to psychological stress and the human immune system while emphasising relevant psychological research and composing evaluative conclusions from the information provided. To begin with, one must be required to consider what is meant by the term â€Å"stress† and the significance this component has on an individual. As stated by Lazarus and Folkman (1984), the definition of stress is â€Å"a pattern of negative physiological states and psychological responses occurring in situations where people perceive threats to their well-being which they may be unable to meet.† (McIlveen, Gross, 1996, p.169) Subsequently, Lazarus and Folkman’s definition of stress is largely accepted by those active in the area of research in this field, thus admitting further research by psychologists to establish the psychological effects of stress. While considering this, the consequences of stress induced on the body must be investigated. The immune system is a mechanism designed to protect and defend the body against antigens such as viruses, bacteria, toxins, and parasites. (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2012, p.136) To guarantee maximum performance, this intricat e system is attained through the release of two types of lymphocytes; B cells and T cells. (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2012, p.136) Therefore, the purpose of the B cell is to produce antibodies which will destroy invading viruses, and the T cell assists the B cell in making antibodies, therefore, destroying invading cells which have initially survived an attack from the B cell. (Science Museum, 2014) As a result, when an individual is stressed it will leave them more susceptible to infection because the immune system is unable to eliminate antigens. Seyle (1956), who was predominantly interested in the body’s resistance to prolonged exposure in stressful situations, either through physical illness or psychological causes, identified the response to long-term stress through humans and animals. To do this he used a model known as the ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’. (Hayes, 2000, p.403) As a result of this, Seyle categorised three key stages of bodily reaction during stressful occurrences. The initial stage is the â€Å"alarm† stage which stimulates the body to release adrenaline, which is then followed by a state of â€Å"resistance†, where the body’s resources are used quicker than they are restored. Consequently, as the individual enters the final stage of â€Å"exhaustion† or also known as the â€Å"burnout† stage, the probability of developing a stress related illness significantly increases. (McIlveen, Gross, 1996, p.170) Although Seyle’s findings were based upon st ressors, internal and external sources of stress, (Lawton, Gross, Rolls, 2011, p.1115) produced in non-human animals, therefore making the results non-applicable to human beings, they were still exceedingly recognised to offer a useful approach for other psychologists in their research into the interpretation of the physiological responses to a stressor. Alternatively, Merson (2001) states that the three stages which the body reacts to, is a result of the presence of a stressor. Additionally, Merson suggested that the performance of the immune system remains at a regular level throughout the onset of stress. (Bartley, 2013, p.27) Consequently, if the stressor continues, then the immune system’s ability to perform reaches its maximum point. However, performance is at its lowest point if the stressor becomes chronic. In support of Merson’s theory, several psychological studies have emphasised the observation that short-term stress does not always decrease the functioning of the immune system, but can in fact sometimes enhance it. One of these studies, performed by Dhabhar and McEwen (1997, 2001), ascertained that the immune system is roused as a result of the â€Å"fight or flight† response. (ncbi, 2006) A term signifying an individual’s psychological innate energised response to an intimidating situation, t o either fight or run away, basically meaning an overall state of readiness. In an experiment exposing mice to mild stress over a two hour period, Dhabhar also revealed, that large distribution of immune cells was composed by three hormones released by the adrenal gland. These hormones were norepinephrine, epinephrine and cortocosterone. (Wood, 2012) Following this, he discovered a pattern of choreographed changes in blood levels within these three hormones, exemplifying how the immune cells from areas such as spleen and bone marrow were compelled to move to â€Å"front line† organs. Therefore suggesting that, short-term stressors can in fact boost the performance of the immune system. However, the psychological responses of a non-human animal cannot be used to explain human performance. Additionally, Evans et al. (1994) studied the activity of an antibody known as slgA, which helps prevent infection. (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2012, p.137) Evans et al. organised a talk to be given to students by other students, resulting in mild but acute stress. Although these students showed signs of an increase in slgA, they reduced during examination periods extending over several weeks Furthermore, Malarkey et al. (1994) proposed that marital arguments lead to weaker immune system functioning, following the study of 90 newly-wed couples. As a result, it was suggested that stress has two effects on the immune system; acute stress enhances it, whereas chronic stress reduces it. However, Kiecolt-Glaser et al (1984) carried out a natural experiment to examine the effects of long-term stressors and find out if there was a difference in the immune response of individuals in low and high stress conditions. It was predicted that immunosuppression, measured by the quantity of natural killer cell or T cell activity, would reduce when stress levels were increased. (Lawton, Gross, Rolls, 2011, p.120) Therefore, blood samples were taken from 75 volunteer first-year medical students, 26 females and 49 males, one month before their final exams and again on the first day of their exams, following two examinations. (Lawton, Gross, Rolls, 2011, p.120) These were presumed to be periods of low and high stress. The students were also provided with questionnaires, such as the Social Readjustment Rating Scale [SRRS] (docstoc, 2010) to assess any psychological symptoms which may have been present. As predicted, the findings emphasised that the blood samples taken after the exami nations, contained a declined number of T cells and the immune response was suppressed in participants who suffered from psychological variables. Consequently, Kiecolt-Glaser et al concluded that the examination stress alone did in fact weaken the functioning of the immune system as the participants had a reduced amount of natural killer cells. It had also become apparent that life events, depression, loneliness, and anxiety were all results of a weakened immune response and therefore can be contributed from stress. As a result, it is important to highlight that although Kielcolt-Glaser’s study is a natural experiment, and thus high in ecological validity, which is a term that refers to whether or not a study can generalise from reserved conduct in a laboratory to natural behaviour in the real world, (Hartas, 2010, p.77) it also lacks control over confounding variables, such as caffeine, nicotine, medication and so on as it’s carried out in natural surroundings. As a result, it cannot be guaranteed that stress led to the immune response as elements that were not controlled could be accountable.

Prisoners Normative Reintegration into Society Essay -- Social Issues,

Normative reintegration into society and the resocialization of released prisoners has long been a prominent problem in society. With recidivism rates in the United States upwards of 69% it is quite clear that released prisoners are having difficulty readjusting and returning to normative lives in society (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008). Prison aims to serve retribution, incapacitate, deter, and rehabilitate offenders, but much of the research on recidivism rates criticize the idea that â€Å"prison works† (Dhami, 2006). However, it seems with so many prisoners returning to prison within a year of being released, the prison system is not providing inmates with the rehabilitation and therapy needed to function once they return to society. In the past many studies have shown that inmates who take place in vocational and therapy based programs are more successful with reintegration into everyday life upon their release. Additionally, there have been numerous studies that h ave shown the healing and therapeutic abilities of animals when used in programs with deviant, sick, or mentally ill individual(Deaton, 2006) (Dell, 2011) (Field, 1951). So it would seem that the combination of vocational programs with the use of animals would be the next logical step in prison programs. While animal therapy programs are relatively new in the justice system, there are quite a few currently in use in prisons around the United States (Furst, 2006). The proposed study would be exploratory in nature and seeks to answer the following question; are prisoners that complete animal therapy programs while incarcerated more successful with normative reintegration into society when released? The researcher proposes that inmates who complete animal th... ...olees who experience homelessness are far more likely to return to prison than parolees that have a place to live (Visher, 2003). The emotional health, well being, and social comfort of a parolee is very important to reintegration into society as well. Many parolees have a difficult time controlling anger, relating to people, adapting to new situations, and maintaining friendships and family relationships. Programs with animals teach prisoners social and emotional skills that may help ease the transition for a parolee into society upon release. According to a study done on an animal therapy program in Virginia women’s correctional facility, in the last three years the prisoners that completed the program have a 0% recidivism rate and 100% employment rate, which is a far cry from the statistics of prisoners who did not participate in like programs (Deaton, 2005).

Strategy and Planning Essay

Strategy and planning essay 1. Executive Summary: In this research paper we will briefly discuss about the essential factors that involved in strategic planning and decision making and the change management and the importance of change management. The essay is all about the important strategic tools which can be implemented in order to get an excellent strategic plan. In conclusion the back bone of any organisation which tends to become a success lies upon each and every decision they make and they must take into consideration the forces which act on the macro environment and in the micro environment of the organisation. . Introduction Planning and Strategy are the essential factors which act as the back bone of an organisation. A company with an excellent strategic planning and change management capabilities is sure to get a concrete market stake in this dynamic business environment. Some organizations tend to leave the strategic part of business planning and end up in bankruptcy. S trategy is the way to achieving short and long term goals. Planning is the means of achieving the goals through strategy while exploiting the available resources. 3. Main Body: (a) Strategy and Planning: The term strategy is derived from the Greek word strategos which means the highest ranking army general. So we can derive from these words the importance of strategy and the out come of strategy. Strategy is a tool which helps to create an advantage over the competition in the dynamic business environment. To create a strategic plan for an organisation there are certain constraints which are to be followed in order to achieve the optimum benefits from the decisions we make through strategy and planning.The maximum exploitation of our resources is the key to advantage over the competitors. Marketing is one of the main areas in which a well versed strategic plan can make the organisation to attract customers here the way in which we describe the organizations motives, goals and the de dication to the customers reflect in our adverts. So, cleverly placing the right factors in the right place is a challenge in the strategic planning decision making.In this ever changing business environment the only way of survival of an organisation depends upon the decisions it makes. Thus strategic planning is the key factor to success. In this research we will briefly discuss about the tools of strategy and the outcomes of implementing these tools in an organisation. We will discuss about SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis and Potter's Five Force. 3 (b). SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is one of the tools in strategic planning and decision making.This tool helps us to judge the organizations position in the business environment. SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. Strength – The organizations factors which are most influential with respect to customers, market share, and brand value and so on. The strength of an organisation maybe its good will, an exc ellent customer relationship management and many other sensitive factors which lies on the organizations side. Weakness – The things which are an advantage of the competitor and a disadvantage to our organisation.The weakness factor may depend upon our organizations own business policies and or work ethics which binds us to a corner, the competitors takes advantage of this issue and exploit the opportunity but fine tuning our strategy and decision making will bring in a drastic change. Opportunities – The chance in which all the things fall in line for our organisation to exploit and to make a profit of it is the definition for opportunities. Opportunities can occur due to a change in trend of customers, brand switching an so on.It is wise for an organisation to make use of such opportunities. Threats – The main and most important factor is the threats from rivals and competitors. If an organisation fails to with stand the threats from the competitors then it wi ll surely end up in bankruptcy, the competition may come up with innovative ways of marketing and attracting customers so it is our bounded duty to over come the competitors by creating innovative ways of marketing through strategic planning.Example for SWOT analysis – Soft drink giant: Coca-Cola Strengths One of the most successful organisations of all time. The brand value of Coca-Cola is worth more than $68 million in 2009. the company manages its products over 200 countries with over 700 products which is a gigantic goal to achieve but maintaining it as the leader of its kind is still another battle. People tend to be faithful to the Coca-Cola brand because of its one main product the cola drink.So a wide variety of different products from the company with the same brand name tends to market the products for itself. (www. interbrand. com) Weaknesses The Coca-ColaCompany products are beverages so the main weakness for them is that they have this lobby of beverage segment a nd this is might be their weakness because in the long run they might hit the ground if any other company produces a better beverage. And nowadays people tend to make choices more often than in the past so it is a vulnerable area to be looked upon! OpportunitiesPeople are concerned about their health now more than ever so the introduction of Coke Zero a new product from the Coca-ColaCompany is catching up a considerable amount of market share because of its new distinct taste without added sugar in some countries but basically it's a new drink with zero calories, the company claims!. The company is exploiting the current trend of health criteria. Threats The main competitor of Coca-ColaCompany is the PepsiCo Inc, the Pepsi Cola Company introduces new products in response to the Coca-ColaCompany. The Coca-ColaCompany is trying very hard to cope up with the situation. During 998 the PepsiCo Inc managed to out smart the company. So without the proper strategic planning PepsiCo will soo n go beyond the Coke's victory 3(c). The PESTLE Analysis The most important tool of strategic planning is the PESTEL analysis. The PESTEL analysis is a tool which helps us to judge our position in the market with respect to the macro environment. PESTLE stands for P – Political Forces, E – Economical Forces, S -Social Forces, T -Technological Forces, L – Legislative Forces and E – Environmental Forces. These forces influence the overall performance, market value, finance and customer relationship of the company.We will briefly discuss about the PESTEL forces one by one by implementing into an organisation. Example : Integrated Electronics (INTEL) Semiconductors. The Intel Semiconductors are the producers of the famous Intel microchips which literally runs the computer industry but with some rivals such as AMD Inc (Advanced Micro devices). Here we will apply the PESTEL analysis to know the factors that are influencing the Intel semiconductors. Political : The implementation of new taxes and the internationalism of the products tends to make the company to adhere to strict rules in each country which the company is ventured on.So Intel is focusing upon its new products onto buyers and not on further research and development because of the political pressure around the organisation. Economic: The semiconductor industry is in rise. So, the financial status of the company is rising due to a smaller amount of competitors there is lower amount of threats so the economic factor of the company is in concrete position as of now. Social: The company is present in an ever changing dynamic business environment so it has to be sensitive to changes that occur in the environment and then adapt to the changes that takes place.Technological: The semiconductor industry is ever growing in rapidly increasing speed. So, the technological advancements of the industry must be up to date due to high growth ratio of processors which are used in computers acr oss the globe. The research and development team comes up with new innovative ideas to integrate the previous processing unit into the new one with advanced technology so the computation power increases more than double the time the predecessor microchip used to compute. Legislative:The legal factors are important factors of the company because every country that the company venture into must strictly adhere to that particular country's rules and regulations. Environment: Being a semiconductor company the company must look after environmental issues which affect the world so the semiconductor devices must be environmentally friendly and recycling of the devices plays a vital role in the environmental factor. The company has a good background of making environmentally friendly chips and recycling units so the environmental issue is under control. (http://ivythesis. typepad. com) 3(d). Porter's Five Forces:The porter's five forces is a business strategy tool which is used to analyse t he position of a company and assessing its strength with respect to the competitors in this case new entrants and their impact in this ever changing environment. The porter's five forces are: Existing rivalry among firms Threat of new entrants determinants of supplier power Determinants of buyer power Threat of substitute products Example: AIRBUS The porter's five applied to the Airbus aviation company who have been the most influential carriers of all time apart from Boeing. These two major aircraft companies were literally in a fight for gaining the considerable mount of market share. Since the introduction of Airbus A380 the Boeing Company has lost lot of customers. The new entrant in our case the A380 is so much advanced than the legendary Boeing 747 which literally ruled the skies. The Boeing 747 was a fuel efficient and economically well versed passenger and good carrier aircraft but the major flaw in the Boeing decision making is that it was not concentrating on the future of the aircraft but it produced a wide variant of Boeing 700 series but the cleverly devised strategic plan of Airbus was a nightmare to the Boeing corporation.The A380 has an excellent performance with regardless of its massive size the jumbo jet can people double the time the Boeing 747 used to carry. Since the aviation industry has only fewer concentrations of rivals the market share is huge compared to other industries. So with the new A380, Airbus has a considerable amount of stake in the airline industry. But Boeing's answer to A380 is the new 787 dreamliner. Which is more fuel efficient but in the case of size the A380 outsmarts the Boeing. Importance of Change: The change management in an organisation is the most important factor which influences the future of an organisation.It describes an strategic approach in modifying or altering an organizations internal factors such as teams, individuals etc. there are different ways to achieve the change in an organisation by collabora tive – which is done by providing workshops and seminars explaining about the change to the people working in the organization. Consultative – the people are informed about the change and the feedback of the change is taken into consideration. Directive – the members of the staff are informed about the details of the change and the sensitivity of the change.Coercive – the members are forced to follow the change. Example of Change: The acquisition of Iberia by British Airways The British Airways acquired the Iberia for $7 billion and it made the third largest airline in the world. The member of the staff was quickly adapted to the change in different management team. The Iberia staff members were given a change management session on order to cope up with the new acquisition. The acquisition made the stock holder's value to increase and they were given a 55 percent of the new airline's share. 4. Conclusion:We have so far discussed about some of the Strategi c planning tools and the ways in which they can be exploited. And in conclusion we can say that the way in which we approach the organisation with the necessary tools and strategic planning will make a gigantic impact on the organisation in the present and in the future. In this ever changing business environment the challenge for each organisation is to identify the needs of the customers and to create an appropriate strategic plan to approach the problem which will provide the optimum results which can benefit the customers as well as the organisation. . References SWOT Analysis, [online], Available http://www. marketingteacher. com/Lessons/lesson_swot. htm PESTLE Analysis, [online], Available http://rapidbi. com/pestle/Introduction-to-the-PESTLE-analysis-tool. html Coca-Cola Case Study, [Online], Available http://www. interbrand. com/best_global_brands. aspx http://finance. mapsofworld. com/brand/value/coca-cola. html Intel case Study, [Online], Available http://ivythesis. typepa d. com/term_paper_topics/2009/09/intel-case-study. html Read more: http://www. americanessays. com/study-aids/free-essays/management/strategy-and-planning. php#ixzz2OPwRLxoO

Religion Tradition Depth Study Essay

Religion Tradition Depth Study Essay Religion Tradition Depth Study Essay â€Å"Christianity is not the faith of the complacent, the comfortable or of the timid. It is a set of rituals, beliefs (and most importantly) a way of living that creates heroic souls like Wesley, Wilberforce, Bonhoeffer, John Paul II, and Billy Graham. Each showed, in their own way, the relentless and powerful influence of the message of Jesus Christ.† – Mitt Romney With reference to the quote explain how Christianity is a living religious tradition in the life of its adherents. The quote from Mitt Romney is based around evangelists who, from Christianity gained their strength to overcome oppression and enact the word of Jesus Christ from the beliefs and rituals based around Christianity. To followers of Jesus Christ, this quote proves Jesus’s relentless and powerful message towards his adherents. This is symbolic as it shows followers of Jesus Christ to understand his message, which is central in Christian beliefs. As a result of this Christianity has proved not to be static, but rather living religious traditions in the life of its adherents. This is evident through many factors such as rituals, ethical teachings, and significant leaders within Christianity that have stood the test of time. The quote highlights that although Jesus is not with us, through his relentless and powerful message. His presence is still felt by all his adherents. This highlights that in order for Christianity to be living religious tradition adherents must practise the rituals set in place. Baptism is the Christian rite of admission, celebrating the initiation of an individual into the Christian community. Within Christianity there are many denominations where baptism has a different meaning. Such as in Catholism for means of salvation, baptism is received in order for original sin to be lost and regained penance. In Anglicanism it involves the turning from all that is evil and repenting towards Christ. Fundamentally as Christ has been resurrected, his life is significant and Christian adherents are baptised to show their following of God. In John 3:5 it states â€Å"Unless a person is born through water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God†. This ritual is practised differently throughout denominations in Christianity. In many protestant Churches such as Lutheran and Anglicanism baptism by immersion is common. This is where the whole body is submerged in water and scripture is recited â€Å"Baptise in the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit†, this ritual recognises the dying of your old self like Jesus Christ and rising up again like Jesus Christ. Through this practise an individual is able to live out the message of Christ in everyday life through the release of original sin and the transcending of God’s Holy Spirit on the adherent’s heart in which allows the Holy Spirit to be real in their life. This shows how Christianity is a living religious tradition because of the Holy Spirit’s everlasting presence in an individual’s life. In Catholism, Infant baptism is the most common, it is done by the aspersion or sprinkling of water over an infant. In Romans 4:25, it states â€Å"He was delivered up for trespasses and raised for our justifications† this confirms the resurrection of Christ. This also recognises that if Christ had not been resurrected therefore sin would still be prevalent in the world and Christians would not be able to actively worship God. However Jesus Christ did rise from the dead and in whom Catholics believe that through infant baptism original sin is taken away, validating that Christianity is a living religious tradition. Additionally for baptism there are elements which are needed for this ritual to place, such as the use of white garments which represent purity and innocence, baptismal candle representing the eternal light of Christ, anointing oil which marks the candidate as a child of Christ as oil cannot be washed off by water, and the use of readings from the Gospel throughout the

The 11 Worst Blizzards in U.S. History

The 11 Worst Blizzards in U.S. History It seems that every time a big snowstorm is in the forecast, the media hails it as record breaking or historic, in some way or another. But how do these storms truly match up to the worst storms to hit the United States? Take a look at some of the worst blizzards to ever hit U.S. soil. 11. The Chicago Blizzard of 1967 This storm dumped 23 inches of snow on northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. The storm (which hit on January 26) wreaked havoc across metropolitan Chicago, leaving  800 Chicago Transit Authority buses and 50,000 automobiles abandoned all around the city. 10. The Great Blizzard of 1899 This devastating snowstorm was notable for the amount of snow it produced- around 20 to 35 inches- as well as where it hit the hardest, i.e. Florida, Louisiana, and Washington D.C. These southern regions are not normally accustomed to such large amount of snow and were thus even more overwhelmed by the snowy conditions.   9. The Great Storm of 1975 Not only did this intense storm drop two feet of snow over the Midwest over four days in January 1975, but it also created 45 tornadoes. The snow and the tornadoes were responsible for the deaths of more than 60 people and property damage topping $63 million. 8. The Knickerbocker Storm Over two days in late January 1922, nearly three feet of snow fell across Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. But it wasnt just the amount of snow that fell- it was the weight of the snow. It was a particularly heavy, wet snow that collapsed houses and roofs, including the roof of the Knickerbocker Theater, a popular venue in Washington D.C., which killed 98 people and injured 133. 7. The Armistice Day Blizzard On November 11, 1940- what was then called Armistice Day- a strong snowstorm combined with fierce winds to create 20-foot snowdrifts across the Midwest. This storm was responsible for the deaths of 145 people and thousands of livestock. 6. The Blizzard of 1996 More than 150 people died during this storm that hit the east coast of the U.S. from January 6 to 8 of 1996. The blizzard, and subsequent flooding, also caused $4.5 billion in property damages. 5. The Childrens Blizzard This tragic storm occurred on January 12, 1888. While it packed only several inches of snow, this storm was most notable for the sudden and unexpected temperature drop that accompanied it. On what started as a warm day (by Dakota territory and Nebraska standards) of several degrees above freezing, temperatures instantly plummeted to a wind chill of minus 40.  Children, who were sent home by the teachers because of the snow, were unprepared for the sudden cold. Two hundred thirty-five kids died that day trying to get home from school. 4. The White Hurricane This blizzard- most notable for its hurricane force winds- is still the deadliest natural disaster to ever hit the Great Lakes region of the U.S. The storm hit on November 7, 1913, causing 250 deaths and packed winds sustained at over 60 miles per hour for almost twelve hours 3. The Storm of the Century On March 12, 1993- a storm that was both a blizzard and a cyclone wreaked havoc from Canada to Cuba. Labeled the Storm of the Century, this snowstorm caused  318 deaths and $6.6 billion in damage. But thanks to a successful five-day warning from the National Weather Service, many lives were saved thanks to the preparations that some states were able to put into place prior to the storm. 2. The Great Appalachian Storm On November 24, 1950, a storm rolled over the Carolinas on its way to Ohio that brought with it heavy rains, winds, and snow. The storm brought as much as 57 inches of snow and was responsible for 353 deaths and became a case study later used to track and predict weather. 1. The Great Blizzard of 1888 This storm, which brought 40 to 50 inches of snow to  Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York took the lives of more than 400 people throughout the northeast. This is the highest death toll ever recorded for a winter storm in the U.S. The Great Blizzard buried houses, cars, and trains and was responsible for the sinking of 200 ships due to its fierce winds.

Permeability of a Membrane Essays

Permeability of a Membrane Essays Permeability of a Membrane Essay Permeability of a Membrane Essay The starred result has been classed as an anomaly due to its lack of concordance with the other two. For this reason it was ignored when calculating the average.Visual ObservationsAt higher temperatures some water vapour was seen this may have made the pigment less dilute then it would have been had no water escaped. Also at higher temperatures the cubes were seen to float this would increase the surface area because at lower temperatures some faces of the cube were pressed against the sides of the test tube.ErrorsThe random errors were:* Maintaining the temperature of the water bath +/- 10% (this was the most significant)* Human error in reading the thermometer +/- 2%* Human error in reading the colorimeter +/- 2%The systematic errors were:* Inaccuracies in the thermometer +/- 1%* Inaccuracies in the colorimeter +/- 5%ConclusionsThe graph shows clear negative correlation (i.e. As the temperature goes up the light transmission falls). This indicates that the m embrane becomes more permeable at higher temperatures. The sharp fall between 65à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C and 70à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C is indicative of a breakdown of the membrane which is in holding with the fluid mosaic model of the membrane whereby at lower temperatures the membrane is tightly packed and gel like but at higher temperatures it becomes less tightly packed and more fluid until eventually it looses its structure and breaks down completely.EvaluationThe method selected would appear to be sound with most of the errors being quite low with only the temperature of the water bath being really significant. This could have been overcome if an automated water bath could have been used; unfortunately this was not possible due to lack of apparatus. Another related problem was reading off the thermometer as one had to make sure it was not at an angle and that the line of sight was directly at the top of mercury to make sure that it was at the right temperature. The results are all stated to two sig nificant figures, as it is reasonable to assume that the equitment was accurate to this degree of precision. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the conclusions drawn are both reliable and accurate.

Advanced Financial Reporting and Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Advanced Financial Reporting and Theory - Essay Example This accelerated growth is a result of advancements in information technology. There are two different aspects of information technologies which have affected the global business scenario. These technologies have made micro management of businesses very easy and secondly they have totally revolutionized communication. Systems like SAP make it possible to micro manage organizational divisions from thousands of miles away using information technology communication tools. All multinationals have adopted these systems and through these systems have been able to expand all around the globe. Moreover organizations strive to compete in international markets and adapt to changing market needs. Thus to compete with international conglomerates, local organizations have to evolve themselves according to global systems. Similar to organizations other stakeholders of financial information are also becoming global; these include financial investors, financial analyst, auditors etc. Global financia l houses such as Goldman Sachs etc. have presence all around the global. Similarly companies such as Deloittes, KPMG, PWC and Ernest & Young are present in almost all countries of the world. Direct users of financial information o i.e. shareholders are also becoming more and more global. Most exchanges whether currency, stock or bond have online trading systems. These trading systems allow investors to invest anywhere around the globe. The financial troubles of the US and European economy are another factor encouraging investors to adopt global investment options in emerging markets such as China, Brazil etc. The financial crunch in the global capital markets is also forcing local regulatory bodies to adopt financial practices which would encourage more international investors to invest. The primary concern for international investors in regard to financial regulations, is the reliability of the financial information being provided. The recent financial crisis has raised many object ions of financial reporting standards of financial bodies such as banks and investment houses. Therefore to attract more international investments, efforts are being made to make the local financial systems more stern and risk free. The ultimate aim of these efforts is to increase the understanding, comparability and reliability of financial information. The discussion shows that users of financial information require accounting standards which are global. As the organizations, shareholders, investors and analyst go global, the accounting standards all need to be global. The cost in translating financial statements from standard to the other is very high considering the current recession. Similarly the movement towards increased transparency requires standards which are more strict and provide greater amounts of objective information to shareholders. This is the very reasons that a global movement towards harmonization and globalization of Financial Reporting Standards has materiali zed. The International Financial Reporting Standards have become the global financial reporting standards and would totally overcome the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The biggest advantage of IFRS thus has been the globalization of accounting standards by formulating standards which are efficient and effective in different cultural and operational environment. These standards are more transparent in their reporting requirement and encourage economic stability over a long period of time. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) The IFRS are Financial Reporting Standards created by the International Accounting Standards Board. These standards

Why do oil prices keep falling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why do oil prices keep falling - Essay Example The reason is to avoid a reduction in production by OPEC countries is putting pressure on the increasing US shale oil and gas industry and avoid a negative impact on the economies of these countries (Bowler, 1). Other reasons that can explain the fall in oil prices include increased efficiency in oil use and increased use of other fuels other than oil decreasing total demand for oil. Oil prices have impacts on US with the fall in oil prices resulting in the curbing of the US franchise shale oil production that has high production costs and its success was anchored on the high oil prices. The falling oil prices have direct boosts on consumption resulting in the stimulation of the economy to effect high growth. However, the effect on oil producers is delayed resulting in the negative effect on the economy after some time. The negative effects of the lower oil prices on the producers are a fall in profits, investments, tax payments, and hiring and the dividend payments will be lower. The overall influence of the fall in oil prices is increased economic growth in the short run owing to the direct benefits to the consumers but the eventual effect will reduce the growth of the economy from the effect on the producers, government, shareholders, among other

University education guaranties a successful professional career Essay

University education guaranties a successful professional career - Essay Example Walt Disney said, "All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them," and education is a tool which equips individuals with the power of knowledge coupled and the will to achieve success in the world. The primary reason why students opt for university education for the successful completion of the degree programs which are an important milestone in the academic achievements of students. The attainments of these programs enable students to establish themselves firmly on the path to an enterprising career.University education is the ideal way to achieve success as the achievement of good grades and a sound degree ensures the route to a successful career in future life. Achievement in academics tends to be the sole motive of students the world over and the aims of academic achievement are by and large similar in most educational organizations. Educators stress on the importance of academic achievement in university education, stating that it is the most crucial way o f establishing a student firmly on his path to a successful career. But, is that all Is that the only aim of university education No, it is not. There are a multitude of reasons why university education has gained such importance in today's world.Rational and logical thinking have always been associated with learned and educated people. Excellence in education opens the mind of students to think rationally about the issues surrounding life in any situation. As a result, a rational thinker tends display sensitivity towards the different perspectives on delicate issues. Education opens the mind of an individual to think about the issues surrounding life in any situation. A rational thinker tends display sensitivity towards the different perspectives on several issues and positive attitudes in life. Cultural sensitivity and the development of necessary skills can be attained by education. Education is indeed a powerful tool in the hands of students and has immense value in today's rapi dly changing global world. The aim of college or university education is not to merely gain bookish knowledge; it develops and enhances the ability of an individual to think and perceive the various situations that life offers. The cognitive development and progress of the mental ability due to education will obviously have a positive impact on the culture and society in which I co-exist. Thus, education ensures the social development of not only the individual but also the culture and society with which am closely related, enabling graduated and educated students to work towards a better tomorrow, not only for themselves but also the society in which they function. Educational institutions and educators can proudly claim to have achieved academic excellence when their students develop positive attitudes in life. The aim of academics is not to merely gain bookish knowledge; it develops and enhances the ability of an individual to think and perceive the various situations that life offers. The cognitive development and progress of the mental ability of the academician will obviously have a positive impact on the culture and society in which he/she survives. Thus, academic excellence ensures the social development of not only the individual but also the culture with which he/ she is closely related to. The primary drivers of academic achievement are the educators and the educational institutions. The role and importance of responsible families and parents, however, cannot be undermined. Edmunds (1979) pointed on the role of the teachers and their expectations in setting high standards for student accomplishments. There has to be a greater emphasis on making the student aware of the importance of reading and writing at all stages of learning. Regular feedback regarding the progress of the student, not only to the students but also the parents, is known to play an important factor in academic excellenc

Ryanair Industry Analysis and Strategy for the Future Essay

Ryanair Industry Analysis and Strategy for the Future - Essay Example The heÐ °rt of RyÐ °nÐ °ir’s strÐ °tegy is bÐ °sed on providing Ð ° no frills service with low fÐ °res designed to stimulÐ °te demÐ °nd, pÐ °rticulÐ °rly from budget conscious leisure Ð °nd business trÐ °vellers who might otherwise hÐ °ve used Ð °lternÐ °tive forms of trÐ °nsportÐ °tion or who might not trÐ °velled Ð °t Ð °ll. Following on from this I looked Ð °t the externÐ °l environment thÐ °t Ð °ffects RyÐ °nÐ °ir, to get Ð ° brief ideÐ ° of the possible opportunities Ð °nd threÐ °ts. IncreÐ °sed TrÐ °de-union Pressure: with the Ð °cuisition of Buzz Ð °irline in 2003, RyÐ °nÐ °ir hÐ °s undergone some mÐ °jor chÐ °nges in the mÐ °nÐ °gement structure Ð °s well Ð °s in its stÐ °ff polici. From 400 till 600 employess were dismismissed due to the RyÐ °nÐ °ir’s policy to dispose of the redundÐ °nd stÐ °ff. RyÐ °nÐ °ir mÐ °nÐ °gement Ð °rgued thÐ °t the productivity of Buzz Ð °t 3,000 pÐ °ssengers per employee wÐ °s unÐ °cceptÐ °ble compÐ °red with 10,000 pÐ °ssengers per employee Ð °t RyÐ °nÐ °ir. RyÐ °nÐ °ir wÐ °s Ð °ccused by trÐ °de unions of telling stÐ °ff to â€Å"Ð °ccept the cuts or else †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . EU ExpÐ °nsion: Before the Ð °cquisition, RyÐ °nÐ °ir wÐ °s the biggest user of StÐ °nsted, occupying 45% of lÐ °nding slots while eÐ °syjet/Go hÐ °d 26% Ð °nd Buzz hÐ °d 12%.xiv The merger thus sÐ °feguÐ °rded RyÐ °nÐ °ir’s position Ð °t StÐ °nsted. Moreover, it gÐ °ve RyÐ °nÐ °ir Ð ° UK Ð ir OperÐ °ting CertificÐ °te, which Ð °llowed the compÐ °ny to fly from BritÐ °in to destinÐ °tions outside the EU. Big leÐ °p towÐ °rds †open skies†: The US hÐ °d signed open bilÐ °terÐ °l Ð °greements with EuropeÐ °n countries individuÐ °lly, deÐ °ls which were seen Ð °s Ð ° big leÐ °p towÐ °rd â€Å"open-skies†. Ð ll cÐ °rriers in the two countries concerned were given unlimited rights to operÐ °te trÐ °nsÐ °tlÐ °ntic routes between Ð °ny two destinÐ °tions, with no frequency, cÐ °pÐ °city or tÐ °riff control. In Ð °ddition, unlimited Fifth Freedom rights were grÐ °nted, which Ð °llowed Ð °irlines to cÐ °rry trÐ °ffic between two foreign

The results of the US involvement in Iraq Research Paper

The results of the US involvement in Iraq - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, the US invasion on Iraq has been considered as one of the most momentous and controversial foreign policy decisions that have ever been made by the American government. Different scholars and political analysts of the world have been divided over the explanation of the American war on Iraq. With a group of them agreeing that it was necessary to maintain world peace by silencing Iraq while the other group finds it unnecessary and a war that had a different motive than just maintaining the world peace. Today, effects of American presence in this country and the impacts of the invasion are still evident. It would be observed that the leadership in Iraq was transformed from dictatorship to democracy a government where the Iraqi citizens had more influence on policies of the government. Also, the presence of America in Middle East helped contain the major militant gangs of the world; Taliban and Al-Qaida; a great step towards uplifting the lives of the different citizens of Iraq and Middle East. But did this solve the Iraqi problem of leadership? Was the government established Democratic? Did this end terror in the region? Iraqi together with several other nations of Middle East today is perceived to be home to the most brutal and dangerous militia group in the world-ISIS. This brutal group has continued to violate the universality of the human rights as stipulated under the UN Human Right Convention of 1948. Now, do we blame America for going in Iraq or do we blame the extremists in Iraq? These are few of the questions that linger in the minds of many individuals today. The truth is that America has had a stake in what is happening in Iraq and the presence of America in Iraq is what has resulted to both the emergence of al-Maliki system of governance and the rise of militia groups in Iraq. This research paper seeks to establish the effects of America presence in Iraq and its influence on the emergence of al-Maliki governance and militia groups in

Extensive reading approach and contrast this with direct or component Assignment

Extensive reading approach and contrast this with direct or component skills - Assignment Example Uncommonly, there is an approach that avoids the use of recommended reading materials and guided reading activities, yet has the same aim of promoting advanced reading skills of students. This approach is referred to as the extensive reading approach. What is extensive reading? The term extensive reading is credited to Harold Palmer (1917: 137) who proposed that learners should read one book after another. The idea of reading a great number of reading materials over time to improve reading proficiency is based on the belief that language acquisition, especially vocabulary development, occurs through reading (Nagy & Herman 1987: 20). Supporters of extensive reading believe that the more reading experiences language learners have, the more adept they will be in the target language. In particular, Grabe and Stoller (2002: 90) believe that although extensive reading alone cannot guarantee language proficiency, the latter cannot occur without extensive reading. The extensive reading appro ach offers some advantages that other approaches do not have. Making students form the habit of reading could lead to promoting the love for reading, making the reader as the focus of instruction, empowering comprehension, and improving linguistic and communicative ability. (References for this are quite impossible to obtain, thus I used â€Å"could lead to† to imply possibility, thus lessening the claim). Promoting the love for reading Promoting the love for reading is one essence of the extensive reading approach. Dublin, Eskey and Grabe (1986: 228) noted that people learn to read and improve in reading by means of reading itself. In extensive reading classes, students are motivated to read to build the habit and enjoyment in reading. As Grabe and Stoller (2001) claims, ‘one does not become a good reader unless one reads a lot’ (198). As such, the extensive reading approach differs a lot in structure and materials from intensive reading approaches. The teacher in the extensive reading class allows students to read the materials they prefer, thus cultivating in them the interest to read about those things they find interesting. Students have the option to read fiction or non-fiction books, or basically anything they find interesting among a variety of materials available. This way, students are not forced to understand topics or concepts that they find vague at the very beginning. Ideally, the love for reading may be developed if teachers allow students to read according to their interest, pace and level (Collie & Slater 1987: 6). In other approaches, students are asked to read a uniform text, thus they are forced to understand knowledge and concepts even though such are not applicable to them. For instance, a Muslim kid may deal with a text discussing the beatification of Pope Paul II when reading about current events. Such a practice, although may enhance the knowledge of a student about the world, could interfere with a student’s culture and affect his/her interest during a particular reading class. This implies that teachers using other approaches should be careful in choosing materials for their students. Nunan (1989: 60) posits that the reading materials should have some cultural or personal relevance to the readers.

Ryanair Industry Analysis and Strategy for the Future Essay

Ryanair Industry Analysis and Strategy for the Future - Essay Example The heÐ °rt of RyÐ °nÐ °ir’s strÐ °tegy is bÐ °sed on providing Ð ° no frills service with low fÐ °res designed to stimulÐ °te demÐ °nd, pÐ °rticulÐ °rly from budget conscious leisure Ð °nd business trÐ °vellers who might otherwise hÐ °ve used Ð °lternÐ °tive forms of trÐ °nsportÐ °tion or who might not trÐ °velled Ð °t Ð °ll. Following on from this I looked Ð °t the externÐ °l environment thÐ °t Ð °ffects RyÐ °nÐ °ir, to get Ð ° brief ideÐ ° of the possible opportunities Ð °nd threÐ °ts. IncreÐ °sed TrÐ °de-union Pressure: with the Ð °cuisition of Buzz Ð °irline in 2003, RyÐ °nÐ °ir hÐ °s undergone some mÐ °jor chÐ °nges in the mÐ °nÐ °gement structure Ð °s well Ð °s in its stÐ °ff polici. From 400 till 600 employess were dismismissed due to the RyÐ °nÐ °ir’s policy to dispose of the redundÐ °nd stÐ °ff. RyÐ °nÐ °ir mÐ °nÐ °gement Ð °rgued thÐ °t the productivity of Buzz Ð °t 3,000 pÐ °ssengers per employee wÐ °s unÐ °cceptÐ °ble compÐ °red with 10,000 pÐ °ssengers per employee Ð °t RyÐ °nÐ °ir. RyÐ °nÐ °ir wÐ °s Ð °ccused by trÐ °de unions of telling stÐ °ff to â€Å"Ð °ccept the cuts or else †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . EU ExpÐ °nsion: Before the Ð °cquisition, RyÐ °nÐ °ir wÐ °s the biggest user of StÐ °nsted, occupying 45% of lÐ °nding slots while eÐ °syjet/Go hÐ °d 26% Ð °nd Buzz hÐ °d 12%.xiv The merger thus sÐ °feguÐ °rded RyÐ °nÐ °ir’s position Ð °t StÐ °nsted. Moreover, it gÐ °ve RyÐ °nÐ °ir Ð ° UK Ð ir OperÐ °ting CertificÐ °te, which Ð °llowed the compÐ °ny to fly from BritÐ °in to destinÐ °tions outside the EU. Big leÐ °p towÐ °rds †open skies†: The US hÐ °d signed open bilÐ °terÐ °l Ð °greements with EuropeÐ °n countries individuÐ °lly, deÐ °ls which were seen Ð °s Ð ° big leÐ °p towÐ °rd â€Å"open-skies†. Ð ll cÐ °rriers in the two countries concerned were given unlimited rights to operÐ °te trÐ °nsÐ °tlÐ °ntic routes between Ð °ny two destinÐ °tions, with no frequency, cÐ °pÐ °city or tÐ °riff control. In Ð °ddition, unlimited Fifth Freedom rights were grÐ °nted, which Ð °llowed Ð °irlines to cÐ °rry trÐ °ffic between two foreign

Extensive reading approach and contrast this with direct or component Assignment

Extensive reading approach and contrast this with direct or component skills - Assignment Example Uncommonly, there is an approach that avoids the use of recommended reading materials and guided reading activities, yet has the same aim of promoting advanced reading skills of students. This approach is referred to as the extensive reading approach. What is extensive reading? The term extensive reading is credited to Harold Palmer (1917: 137) who proposed that learners should read one book after another. The idea of reading a great number of reading materials over time to improve reading proficiency is based on the belief that language acquisition, especially vocabulary development, occurs through reading (Nagy & Herman 1987: 20). Supporters of extensive reading believe that the more reading experiences language learners have, the more adept they will be in the target language. In particular, Grabe and Stoller (2002: 90) believe that although extensive reading alone cannot guarantee language proficiency, the latter cannot occur without extensive reading. The extensive reading appro ach offers some advantages that other approaches do not have. Making students form the habit of reading could lead to promoting the love for reading, making the reader as the focus of instruction, empowering comprehension, and improving linguistic and communicative ability. (References for this are quite impossible to obtain, thus I used â€Å"could lead to† to imply possibility, thus lessening the claim). Promoting the love for reading Promoting the love for reading is one essence of the extensive reading approach. Dublin, Eskey and Grabe (1986: 228) noted that people learn to read and improve in reading by means of reading itself. In extensive reading classes, students are motivated to read to build the habit and enjoyment in reading. As Grabe and Stoller (2001) claims, ‘one does not become a good reader unless one reads a lot’ (198). As such, the extensive reading approach differs a lot in structure and materials from intensive reading approaches. The teacher in the extensive reading class allows students to read the materials they prefer, thus cultivating in them the interest to read about those things they find interesting. Students have the option to read fiction or non-fiction books, or basically anything they find interesting among a variety of materials available. This way, students are not forced to understand topics or concepts that they find vague at the very beginning. Ideally, the love for reading may be developed if teachers allow students to read according to their interest, pace and level (Collie & Slater 1987: 6). In other approaches, students are asked to read a uniform text, thus they are forced to understand knowledge and concepts even though such are not applicable to them. For instance, a Muslim kid may deal with a text discussing the beatification of Pope Paul II when reading about current events. Such a practice, although may enhance the knowledge of a student about the world, could interfere with a student’s culture and affect his/her interest during a particular reading class. This implies that teachers using other approaches should be careful in choosing materials for their students. Nunan (1989: 60) posits that the reading materials should have some cultural or personal relevance to the readers.

Ceratopteris Fern Growth and Analysis Essay Example for Free

Ceratopteris Fern Growth and Analysis Essay I: Abstract Observing the effects of ammonium nitrate has on the germination days of C-Fern gametophytes by constructing an experiment with two spore-sown petri dishes, one control and one treatment – a normal nutrient-rich agar petri dish and an ammonium nitrate-containing petri dish respectively. The two petri dishes were each inoculated with three drops of spore suspension by a pipet, then spores were spread by a sterilized-bent paper clip to allow even distribution of spores. Gametophyte germination occurred approximately two weeks after inoculation for the control, and gametophyte germination occurred approximately three weeks after inoculation for the treatment; thus possibly suggesting ammonium nitrate worked to hinder the mitotic cell division in the haploid gametophyte. II: Introduction C-Fern begins with a haploid spore known as the spore imbibition (Hickok, Warne 2009), then after 3 to 4 days the spore will develop into a gametophyte via mitosis after germination. This is a photoautotrophic process. The gametophyte will then undergo differentiation (Hickok, Warne 2009), to form the antheridium and the archegonium after 6 to 8 days (Hickok, Warne 2009). Following the gametophyte displaying its hermaphrodite form, sexual maturity allows cross-fertilization to occur between the sperm from antheridium and the egg from archegonium. After one sperm fertilizes the egg, a zygote forms, thus forming a diploid cell (Hoshizaki 2001). The formation of the zygote exemplifies sporophytes’ alternation of generations via the diploid cell completing mitosis and meiosis yet still retaining a full set of genetic material. In other words, alternation of generation refers to going from a multicellular diploid form to a multicellular haploid form. (Hickok, Warne 2009). The fertilized egg develops into a sporophyte by mitosis to form a microscopic young fern (embryo), which is a gametophyte under the reproductive leaves called sporangia. Note that sporophytes are diploid and gametophytes are haploid. When the sporophyte reaches maturity, it releases spores via meiosis, then the spores will undergo mitosis, thus forming gametophytes, and the life cycle continues (Brooker 2011). Figure 1 is a pictorial depiction of the life cycle of a fern. [pic] Figure 1: The life cycle of a fern. [1] This experiment aims to discover the germination time of C-Fern under a controlled condition and a treatment condition. Experimenting if the treatment of ammonium nitrate will allow faster germination of the C-Fern. Some data shows that ammonium nitrate possibly functions as a fertilizer for many species of plants, however, not all plants will reap the benefits of ammonium nitrate (Aderkas 1984). [2] The null hypothesis of this experiment is that the ammonium nitrate will not hinder the rate of germination of the C-Fern, thus the data obtained from the control will not have a statistical difference from the data obtained from the treatment. III: Methods Two 60 mm petri dishes were prepared. One labeled â€Å"C† for control, another labeled â€Å"T† for treatment. The control contained a layer of agar and the treatment contained agar and ammonium nitrate. Petri dish for control was inoculated with three drops of C-Fern spore suspension via a pipette, and petri dish for treatment was inoculated three drops of C-Fern spore suspension via the same pipette. A Bunsen burner was used to sterilize a bent â€Å"T† shaped paper clip, the paper clip was used to spread the spore suspension in the petri dish for control. The same paper clip was sterilized again by a 70% ethanol solution and was used to spread spore suspension in treatment petri dish. Two petri dishes were each covered with a lid and now considered culture trays, culture trays then were transported to a climate controlled light dome for optimal growth. Light dome maintained a full spectrum of light 24/7 with temperature in the range of 28 to 30 degrees Celsiu s. Observations were made on every Friday at approximately 3:10 pm for the next 3 weeks. Spores were sown in the week of September 10th and no observations were made. First observation was made in the week of September 17th, Friday 3:08 pm, the control displayed some growth with flagella-like hair, however, no germination was observed. The treatment did not display any signs of growth, only air-like bubbles were observed. Second observation was made in the week of September 24th, Friday 3:10 pm, the control displayed germination, gametophytes were visible under the microscope, however, hermaphrodites were not significantly observed. The treatment still does not display signs of germination, only small green spores were observed under the microscope. Last observation was made in the week of October 1st, Friday 3:05 pm, the control displayed significant signs of growth, it appeared that fertilization took place and an embryo was in development. The treatment only displayed minimal germination, however, some spores appeared to be infested with fungus.

Automated Protocol to Restrict Password Guessing Attacks

Automated Protocol to Restrict Password Guessing Attacks ABSTRACT Password login services are now widespread and ever increasing. Attacks that take place on password-only remote login services are brute force and dictionary attack. Providing convenient login for legitimate user.In the proposed system we use Password Guessing Resistant Protocol (PGRP) which improves more security by restricting the number of attempts. PGRP allows a high number of failed attempts from known machines. PGRP uses either cookies or IP addresses, or both for tracking legitimate users. Tracking users through their IP addresses also allows PGRP to increase the number of ATTs for password guessing attacks and meanwhile to decrease the number of ATTs for legitimate login attempts. Key Words – Online password guessing attacks, brute force attacks, password dictionary, ATTs. 1. INTRODUCTION: Online password guessing attacks are the most commonly observed against web applications SSH logins. SANS report observed that password guessing attack is the top cyber security risk. SSH servers that doesn’t allow some standard password authentication suffer the guessing attacks. Online attacks have some disadvantages compared to offline attacks i.e., the attacking machines must use an effective interactive protocol which allows a easier detection of malicious attacks.Malicious attackers try only limited no. of password guesses from a single machine being that account is being locked or before being challenged to answer an ATT. An attacker will employ a large number of machines to avoid locking out. Generally users choose weak passwords. As malicious attackers control large bot nets online attacks became much easier.Restricting the no. of failed trails without ATT’s to a very small number is the effective defense system that can be used against automated online passw ord guessing attacks. Also limiting automated programs(or bots) used by attackers for password guesses for a targeted account, even many different machine from a bot net are used. This method inconveniences offers a legitimate user to answer an ATT on next login attempt after the malicious attackers guesses. Other techniques deployed in practice includes: Even though from a given machine when a certain number of failed attempts occur,it allows login attempts without ATTs from a different machine. After a certain time-out period, it allows more attempts without ATTs and also time-limited account lockinMany existing techniques proposals involve ATT’s, assuming that the challenges provided by the ATTs are difficult for botseasy for people(legitimate users). Users are increasing disliking ATTs and feels it as an unnecessary extra step. Successful attacks are being made which break ATTs without human solvers. ATTs that are to be more difficult.As a consequence, present-day ATTs are becoming more difficult for human users. Therefore, we focus more on reducing user inconvenience by challenging users with fewer ATTs and at the same time subjecting bot logins to more ATT’s, to drive up economic cost to attackers.Two well-known proposals using ATTs to limit online guessing attacks are Pinkas and Sander (PS protocol) and Van Oorsc hot and Stubblebine (VS protocol). The PS proposal reduces the ATTs. The VS proposal reduces this but a significant cost to usability.. The PGRP is being developed by using both PS VS proposals. On the other side, PGRP allows high number of failed attempts from known machines without answering any ATTs. Known machines are defined as those from which successful login has occurred over a fixed time period. These known machines are identified by their IP addresses which are saved on the login server as white list or else in the cookies stored on client. Both the white listed IP address and client cookie expire after a time-period. In both graphical user interface(e.g., browser-based logins) character-based interface(e.g.,SSH logins) PGRP can be accommodated). Both PS and VS proposals, requires the use of browser cookies. PGRP uses either cookies or IP address or both for tracking legitimate users. PGRP increases the number of ATTs for password guessing by tracking users through their IP address also to decrease the number of ATTs for legitimate login attempts.In recent years, the trend of logging in to online account through multiple personal devices (e.g., PC, laptop’s,smartphones ) is growing. When used from home environment, these devices often share a single IP address which makes IP-based history tracking more user friendly than cookies. 2. Related work: From the early days of the internet the online password guessing attacks have been known to everyone. Account locking is a mechanism which prevents a malicious attacker from multiple passwords particular username. Although account locking is temporary remedy, an attacker can mount a DOS (denial of service) in some amount of time for a particular username can be done by delaying server response after receiving user credentials, whether the password is correct or incorrect. However, for an attacker with access to a botnet, this above mechanism is ineffective. Prevention techniques that depend on requesting the user machine to perform extra computations before replying to the entered credentials are not effective with such adversaries. To prevent the automated programs (brute force dictionary attacks) ATT challenges are used in some protocols.PS presented a login protocol which challenges ATTs to protect against online password guessing attacks. PS protocol reduces the number of ATTs that authorized users must correctly answer, so that a user with a valid browser cookie will be rarely asked to answer an ATT. A deterministic function AskATT() of the entered user credentials is used to decide whether to ask the user an ATT or not. To improve the security features of the PS protocol, Van Oorschot stubblebine defined a modified protocol in which ATTs are always required, once the no. of failed login attempts for a particular username exceeds a threshold. For both PS and VS protocols, the function AskATT() requires a careful design, because the ‘known function attack’ of poor design of this function AskATT() makes the login protocol vulnerable to attacks and also ‘change password attack’. Because of these attacks, the authors proposed a secure non-deterministic keyed hash function as AskATT() so that each username is associated with one key that changes whenever the corresponding password is changed. This proposed function requires extra server-side storage per username atleast one cryptographic hash operation per login attempt. 2.2 Functions PGRP uses the following functions. They are 1.Read Credential. It shows a login prompt to the user and it returns the entered user name and password and also the cookie received from the user’s browser. 2. Login Correct If the provided user name-password is valid, the function return true otherwise it returns false. 3. Grant Access This function sends the cookies to the user’s browser and then gives the permission to access the specified user account. 4. Message It displays the text message. 5. ATT Challenge This function challenges the user with an ATT. If the answer is correct, it returns â€Å"pass† otherwise, it returns â€Å"fails† 7. Valid This function checks the validity of the cookie and it is considered invalid in the following cases: The cookie username doesn’t match with the login username. The expired time of the cookie. The cookie counter is equal to or greater than K1. This function returns true only when a valid cookie is received. 3. Cookies versus Source IP addresses PGRP keeps track of user machines from which successful logins have been initiated previously. If the login server offers a web-based interface, for this purpose choose a browser cookies as a good choice. The login server unable to identify the user in all cases, if the user uses multiple browser or more than one OS on the same machine. Cookies may also be deleted by users, or automatically enabled by the most modern browsers.Cookie theft(eg., through session hijacking)might enable an adversary to impersonate a user who has been successfully authenticated in the past. In addition cookies requires a browser interface.A user machine can be identified by the sourceIP address. To trace users depending on sourceIP address may result in inaccurate identification. This can be done because of various reasons including. 1) The same machine might be assigned different IP addresses. 2) A group of machines might be represented by a small number or a single internet-addressable IP address if NAT mechanism is in place.Drawbacks of identifying a user by means of either a browser cookie or a source IP address include: 3) Failing to identify a machine from which the user has authenticated successfully in the past. 4) Wrongly identifying a machine the user has not authenticated before. Case 1) Decreases usability since the user might be asked to answer an ATT challenge for both correct and incorrect login credentials. Case 2) Affects security since some users/attackers may not be asked to answer an ATT challenge even though they have not logged in successfully from those machines in the past.However, the probability of launching a dictionary or brute force attack from these machines appears to be low. Therefore, we choose to use both browser cookies and source IP address in PGRP to minimize user inconvenience during login process. 3.1. Decision function for requesting ATT’s: The decision to challenge the user with an ATT depends on two factors: 1) Whether the user has authenticated successfully from the machine previously. 2) The total number of failed login attempts for a specified useraccount Fig. 2.Secure but inconvenient login protocol 3.4.1Username-Password Pair Is Valid After entering a correct username-password pair. In the following cases the user will not be asked to answer an ATT challenge. 1. A valid cookie is received from the user machine and the number of failed login attempts from the user machines IP address for that username, FS[srcIP,un], is less than k1 over a time period determined by t3. 2. The user machine’s IP address is in the whitelist W and the number of failed login attempts from this IP address for that username, FS[srcIP,un], is less than k1 over a time period determined by t3. 3.The number of failed login attempts from any ,machine for that username, FT[un], is below a threshold k2 over a time period determined by t2 3.4.2Username-Password Pair Is Invalid After entering a incorrect username-password pair. In the following cases the user will not be asked to answer an ATT challenge. A valid cookie is received from the user machine and the number of failed login attempts from the user machines IP address for that username, FS[srcIP,un], is less than k1 over a time period determined by t3. The user machine’s IP address is in the whitelist W and the number of failed login attempts from this IP address for that username, FS[srcIP,un], is less than k1 over a time period determined by t3. The username is valid and the number of failed login attempts for that username, FT[un], is below a threshold k2 over a time period determined by t2. 4 System Resources No list’s are maintained in the PS protocol because of this there is no extra memory overhead on the login server. In VS protocol only FT is maintained. In PGRP, three tables must be maintained. First, the white list, W is expected to grow linearly with the number of user’s. W contains a list of{source IP address, username}pairs that have been successfully authenticated in the last t1 units of time. Second, the number of entries in FT increase by one whenever a remote host makes a failed login attempt using a valid user name, if entry is added to FS only when a valid{user name, password} pair is provided from an IP address not used before for this user name. Therefore, the number of entries in FS is proportional to the number of IP addresses legitimate users successfully authenticated from. 4.1  Background On Previous ATT Based Protocols Pinkas and Sander introduced the topic based upon a strawman login protocol that requires answering an ATT challenge first before entering the {user name, password}pair. If the user falling to answer the ATT correctly prevents the user from proceeding further. This protocol requires the adversary to pass an ATT challenge for each password guessing attempt. Simple protocol is effective against online dictionary attacks assuming that the used ATT’s are secure, legitimate users must also pass an ATT challenge for every login attempt. Therefore, this protocol affects user convenience and requires the login server to generate an ATT challenge for every login attempt. Pinkas and Sander proposed a new protocol that reduces the number of ATT’s for legitimate user’s are required to pass. This protocol stores a browser cookie on the machine of users who had previously logged in successfully. Once the user requests the login server URL, the user’s browser sense the cookie back to the server. The protocol then requests the user to enter a {user name, password} pair. If the pair is correct and a valid cookie is received from the browser then the protocol gives permission to access the account. If the pair is correct but no valid cookie is received, then an ATT challenge must be answered before account access is granted. Otherwise, if the pair is incorrect then according to a function AskATT(), an ATT challenge might be required before informing the user that the pair is incorrect. With this protocol, legitimate user must passATT’s in the following cases:1) When the user logs in from a machine for the first time. 2) When the user’s pair is incorrect and AskATT() triggers an ATT. For each password guessing attempt an automated program needs to correctly answer ATT except in one case i.e.,when the {username, password} pair is incorrect and a function AskATT() didn’t request an ATT. Van oorschot and stubblebine proposed modifications to the previous protocol which stores failed login’s per username to impose ATT challenges after exceeding a configurable threshold of failures. Hence, for an incorrect {username, password}pair, the decision to request an ATT not only depends on the function AskATT() but also on the number of failed login attempts for the username.After entering correct credentials in the absence of a valid cookie, the user is asked whether the machine in use is trustworthy and if the user uses it regularly .The cookie is stored in the user’s machine only if the user responds yes to the question. This approach aims to reduce the possibility of cookie theft since a negative answer is expected if the user was from a public machin e .The user account is set be in non-owner mode for a specified time window when a login is successful without receiving a valid cookie from the user machine; otherwise the account is set to owner mode.

Adolescent Role Assessments: José and Chhaya Essay -- Eating Disorder

â€Å"Adolescents experience dramatic changes in physical appearance, family relations, peer relations, sexuality, and media use† (Arnett, 2012). Through these experiences, adolescents have the opportunity to change their outlook and behavior. From family relations to questioning identity, to peer relationships and self-esteem, adolescents have various ways of coping with the changes they are presented with. The stories of Josà © and Chhaya reflect the changes adolescents go through to better understand who they are. Their stories mainly look at their peer and family relations, and the impact they had on Josà © and Chhaya. These stories accurately represent the discussions and readings we’ve had in class (J.Davis, Psych 234, February 28, 2014). Identity is defined as a person being aware of their uniqueness in terms of beliefs, attitudes, and aspirations. As most people have difficulty defining the word identity, most people struggle with their own identity. This can be particularly true for adolescents. Identity can be coupled with achievement or confusion; either the individual has a clear understanding of who they are, or they do not (J.Davis, Psych 234, February 28, 2014). Both Josà © and Chhaya reached a point in their life when they were confused with their own identity. Josà © struggled with identifying his ethnicity, and acknowledging he was different from his classmates and peers. Chhaya struggled with her identity in regards to her parents, peers and how they would treat her, and what was expected of her through their relationships. Josà © was faced with being unaware of his racial identity. He viewed his ethnic identity with public regard, and only thought about how others viewed his race, and felt that he was no diff... ...t she should have showed interest towards the young man, because he was attractive, and there would be few others of his caliber to go out with her again. This lead to Chhaya believing there was something wrong with her, and the way she handled the romantic situation she was placed in (Garrod, Smulyan, Powers & Kilkenny, 2012). Josà © and Chhaya both went through struggling to understand themselves, and how to handle the responsibilities their peers or parents had put on them to act a certain way, or provided Josà © and Chhaya with the need to make a point, and prove themselves. Works Cited Arnett, J.J. (2012). Human development: A cultural approach. Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Garrod, A., Smulyan, L., Powers, S.I., & Kilkenny R. (2012). Adolescent portraits: Identity, relationships, and challenges. 7thedition. Boston MA: Allyn & Bacon.

49ers :: essays research papers

There are great times noted in the past. One of those great teams in the San Francisco 49ers. They have made history and are known as one of the type franchises in the history of the NFL. The 49ers are considered a dynasty to the media and fans. The 49ers are respected greatly for their Super Bowl achievements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all started in 1946 when the San Francisco 49ers first began their franchise. In 1950 is when the moved to the National Football League. They earned their name from the gold miners who surged in San Francisco, in 1849, in search for gold so they could start a new life. Their first owner, Anthony J. Morabito, who was from the University of Santa Clara alumnus, had a dream of bringing a football team to the west. He had been moderately successful in the lumber hauling business. To make this happen, Anthony was put in touch with Arch Ward, an editor of the Chicago Tribune. Mr. Ward is credited with the All-American Conference, which was first held in October 1944. Anthony, after a long talk and negotiating with Mr. Ward, was granted a franchise with help from his younger brother, Victor, and partners in his lumbering business, Allen E. Sorrell, and E. J. Turre (â€Å"Niner’s history† www.49ersparadise.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Morabito’s first year he signed many famous and talented people such as Frankie Albert, Joe Vetrano, and Alyn Beals. With Lawerecneh T. (Buck) Shaw as the head coach, the 49ers slowly but surely won continuously, as they tried to get a spot in the National Football League. In their first four years in the ACC, the 49ers finished second behind the talent- packed Cleveland Browns. Finally, in 1950, fans celebrated for the entry of the 49ers into the NFL. They joined great teams such as the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts (â€Å"Niner’s history† www.49ersparadise.com). As soon as they got in, it seemed, they were making changes to make them a top contender in the league. Joined by Y.A. Tittle, and shared quarterback Frankie Albert, the 49ers missed the Conference Finals by half game. From then on they were in the race for the prize except in the years 1955, 1956, and 1958. Just as everything looked like it would turn out great, a tragic event happened that scared players and fans for life. During a game on October 27, 1957, Tony Morabito died of a heart attack.

Americanization Versus National Culture Essay

Changes are realities of life regardless of one’s origin, skin color, beliefs and traditions. These are unavoidable facts that affect all living creatures on earth in both ways-good and bad. Like all other changes, globalization is one concept born as early as 1960s and has rapidly influenced literally all peoples even those at the edge of the world. In fact, the United Nations Organization (UNO) declared the 1960’s as the dawn of global development (Dass, Rakesh 2008). Drivers of globalization include economic, political, cultural and social factors that eventually led to the spread and elimination of traditions and practices in all aspects of human life. The bottom line is that globalization has two faces: the beneficial and the devastating one. One’s point of argument will depend on which side is he in at the moment. Although the reality that globalization has been advantageous in some ways, this paper would try to prove that globalization has more devastating effects especially on human culture and identity. In particular, this paper would like to point out the multi-faceted risks posed by globalization trend in South East Asian nations. Cultural differences are sacred things that each person is required to respect. It is this culture and tradition that South East Asian nations are rich of and their individual history will prove this argument right. â€Å"Culture is used by the organizers of society – politicians, theologians, academics, and families – to impose and ensure order, the rudiments of which change over time as need dictates† (Rothkopf, David 1997). It is this culture that identifies Asians from the Americans and the Europeans. The differences should not however be treated as walls that hinder other nation to relate with others because the significance of international relations for national development should also be acknowledged. It happened however that globalization forced each nation to open not only their doors but also their windows to let the influence of the Western culture peep in and eventually seep deep into its culture and tradition. Globalization and the technological revolution will also have a significant impact on the diversity and convergence of cultures (Huntington, Samuel 1993, p. 22). We can take culture in its two meanings. The first meaning encompasses a people’s lifestyle, folkways, traditions, art, literature, dance, music and so on. Culture by this definition has to be preserved, nurtured and enriched. It links people to the origins of whom and what they are. It is what binds them together. It gives them their identity beyond the family. It is the source of their sense of self-worth. It imparts meaning to their lives. The diversity of people’s cultures and the interaction among them enrich the human race. Culture comprehends a people’s set of values and attitudes, their outlook on life, their ways of thinking and working, and their mindsets. It is people’s cultures in this sense that globalization and technology are disrupting. In this sense, cultures have to adjust in order for people and nations and regions to be competitive in the global economy (Achenbach, Joel 2001, p. 17). If science and technology, especially information and communications technology and biotechnology, are the arena and weapons for global competition, nations and companies have to undertake a massive re-allocation of resources to education, training, research and development, and the infrastructure for the knowledge industries. National and corporate priorities have to be reset. Legal assumptions and institutional arrangements have to be re-examined. Just as importantly, people’s mindsets have to change. They have to acquire a scientific bent, develop a certain rigor in their thinking, and cultivate the capacity and inclination to turn knowledge into practical applications. People have to develop the willingness to question knowledge that is handed down and challenge intellectual authority – and be allowed to do so. Personal relationships have to be tempered by the objective application of law and rules in the conduct of government and business. In sum, the proverbial paradigm shift must take place. â€Å"Language, religion, political and legal systems, and social customs are the legacies of victors and marketers and reflect the judgment of the marketplace of ideas throughout popular history† (Rothkopt, David 1997). Rothkopt also stressed that culture is often seen as living artifacts, bits and pieces that are being passed from generation to generation through the processes of indoctrination, popular acceptance, and unthinking adherence to old ways. This way, cultural differences lead one nation to consider globalization a threat to one’s culture and eventually to one’s identity. Whether it is the rapid proliferation of Starbucks in Tokyo, changing realities of the real estate market in Greater Vancouver, the recent boom in Korean popular music and TV dramas in Taipei, or the widespread employment of Filipino maids in Hong Kong, the fabric of everyday life in many cities in the Asia Pacific region are comprised of increasingly transnational elements. Intensification of foreign direct investment, trade, cross-national corporate alliances and mergers, cultural exchanges, and university tie-ups have fortified world-wide links between people, organizations, regions, and governments of various nation-states. Terms such as â€Å"global economy,† â€Å"cultural diversity,† and â€Å"global environment† have wended their way into the lexicons of major business schools, while at the same time, a constellation of demonstrations and discontents have been stuffed into the category of â€Å"the anti-globalization movement. † Observing these trends and changes is an easy enough task, requiring little more than a walk along any major commercial street in any major city, or a casual perusal of university course catalogues. How one analyses and understands the changes associated with â€Å"globalization† are another issue, one that presents a considerably more complex intellectual problem. Does â€Å"globalization† writ-large promote greater understanding of cultural similarities and differences, or does it merely diffuse a wider array of simplistic and essentialist stereotypes? Does globalization propagate exploitation and income disparity, or does it offer the individual freedom of choice and convenience of standardization? Do these shifts bring the world closer together, consuming the same hamburgers in a new global community, or is this a homogenizing cultural imperialism, obliterating local cultures in MacWorld synchronicity? How does the nexus of global and local inform individual and collective identities and cultures? First, the historical context behind globalization needs to be kept in mind. While there are some obvious discontinuities as well as continuities, European expansion, modern colonialism, modernization, and globalization constitute different media for the intensification of global ties. For example, certain clothing practices for men in the Asia Pacific (such as wearing ties in suffocating humid midsummer heat) were initially disseminated via Western European imperialism and colonialism. The use of modern statistical methods to measure economic output is yet another example of a â€Å"global† standard originally propagated through the practices of colonial administrations throughout the region. This is not to suggest that the process of globalization can be explained solely by tracing the expansion of European notions of â€Å"civilization† and â€Å"modernity† (both terms which need to be examined critically before blind invocation) or that there is a universal teleology that history must inevitably follow, but to point out that the decoupling of cultural experience from particular geographic locales is not an unprecedented phenomenon. By acknowledging the historical precedents, we may focus our analysis on what might be different or new about the term â€Å"globalization† or whether we ought to discard the term entirely due to the absence of any meaningful conceptual or descriptive value-added. For example, some scholars have argued, however vaguely, that the speed, scale, and scope of these changes and flows have accelerated over the last fifty years. The oft-cited acceleration in the development and diffusion of communication technologies has facilitated the dissemination of information and intensified financial transactions. Thus, while commodity trade may be less global than in pre-1945 years, the amount of money traded in foreign currency exchange dealings or the capital flows through various investments is more intense now than before. Second, it is important to examine the underlying assumptions and operating definitions undergirding much of the debate. The ways concepts such as â€Å"culture† or â€Å"global† or â€Å"local† are defined invariably affect the analytical approach taken. For example, â€Å"culture† is a frequently contested term. Many disciplines such as anthropology, having devoted considerable efforts to grappling with the concept, consider it a central analytical issue. Conversely, some approaches in other disciplines might exclude it from analysis, feeling that â€Å"culture† is too vague a black box to constitute a meaningful independent variable. If one takes the former view, cultural industries and exchanges are central to any understanding of any economic, political, social, and technological change. If one adheres to the latter approach, then it makes sense to distinguish between â€Å"globalization,† confined to economic activities, and â€Å"internationalization,† applied to ‘cultural’ interactions. In another example, some scholars invoke Manichean contrasts between an idealized â€Å"local† or â€Å"traditional† culture and a menacing â€Å"global† or â€Å"modern† culture. If one associates â€Å"local† with sites of national purity and resistance to rising tide of global capitalists, â€Å"local† culture should presumably be protected and maintained. If one defines â€Å"local† culture as reactionary, ignorant, and parochial, than one would presumably wish that â€Å"global† culture ‘enlightens’ â€Å"local† culture. Such latent normative values need to be fore-grounded for any meaningful discussion to occur. Further complicating the issue is the fact that there are increasingly fewer pockets of isolated, undiluted fonts of â€Å"local† identity left, at least in the major urban centers. For example, some commentators in Korea assert that McDonald’s is undermining traditional Korean culinary culture, and promoting obesity in young Korean children. However, the employees and managers of McDonald’s in Korea are Korean, as are its customers (Choe, Yong-shik. 2001). For better or for worse, the reality is that to make it more essential the visions of ‘good’ â€Å"local† and â€Å"traditional† cultures elide the fact that cultures — at the global, national, regional, local, and individual levels — change over time, and are often retroactively reconstituted to serve political interests of a particular moment, place, or institution.